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OCT 21 | 2020 WWW.KUTOWER.COM
TH E I N DEPEN D EN T VOI C E O F KE AN U N IV E R S IT Y
Senate says staff cuts hurt students By Cindy Lazo As this unprecedented fall semester is nearly halfway through, Kean University has undergone many changes, and for student services, it's not a good one. Walter Mack, University Senator who works in Financial Aid, first raised the issue of staff reductions in the first University Senate meeting of the semester on September 29. The Senate creates and recommends Kean University policy to the president in areas such as curriculum, instruction and student affairs. “Areas like Financial Aid, Registrar and One Stop have been severely impacted by the lack of staff that are in those offices now,” Mack said to the
Senate members. Mack pointed out that in Financial Aid alone two managers were fired, and two other staff members retired after being retrenched during the former administration headed by President Dawood Farahi, who left in July. “So basically, we’re hurting ourselves from an enrollment point of view and retention point of view.” Mack said. “Because, as it’s been documented, people can’t get answers to their questions in terms of financial information, getting accurate advisement information, graduation information because there’s simply nobody to pick up the phone or get to the emails to help them” Ana R. Wetzel, a Financial
“So basically, we’re hurting ourselves from an enrollment point of view and retention point of view.” - Senate Chair Dr. Craig Donovan
Photo by Kean University Website
‘Center for Academic Success’
Aid Counselor and NJ Stars II Coordinator, said the situation is even worse than Mack described. “Piggybacking on what Walter said, actually we lost six people in Financial Aid,”
Wetzel said, “Two from staff retired early retirement, four managers were let go, and now we’re losing our director of Financial Aid, so actually we have no one except for just a few people.” continued on page 4
ESL Club helps non-native speakers have a voice By Valerie Sanabria
English is not their first language. Yoelfry Almonte, treasurer of the club, remembers he was the last board member to join. He saw the ESL Club as an opportunity
All Juliana Lopez wanted was to fit in with other Kean Students. “The ESL (English as a Second Language) Club was my first opportunity to realize that I could be like the other students. I also have opportunities, to receive extra I just have to help and to have work harder more options. for them,” “When I found Lopez said. the ESL Club it K e a n ’ s was exactly what ESL program I was looking administrators for,” Almonte introduced said, “I got so Lopez the idea involved with it Photo by Courtesy of ESL Club of creating the and decided to be ESL Club members learning in a fun way club as a space more than just a for students member.” to interact. The ESL program at Kean assists For the board members making the club students admitted to the university whose official was hard and confusing because of
the number of documents and members they needed to form it. According to Lopez, it was even harder since ESL students are mainly focused on learning English and many are
bigger than them. “We play Kahoot, role play, every week we have different activities,” De Leon said, “We do not want them to feel like they are taking
“For ESL Students, we didn’t think we can be part of something bigger than us. But, the ESL club is the first step that pushed me to do more things. I would like more people to know about it. I think this is a great oppotunity for students.” scared to interact with other people. “We are scared to be part of something bigger where we have to speak,” Lopez said. “We feel like people will not accept us. At the beginning we did not have many members, that was hard.” The club’s vice-president, Ambar De Leon, said she thinks that many people who enroll in Kean University through the ESL Department or Spanish Speaking Program (SSP) do not know English at all, which is an impediment for them to be involved. But, through fun activities and creating a safe space the ESL Club board members want students to know they can be part of things
another class, we actually want them to be them.” According to Almonte, students feel comfortable in the environment they have created and their growing confidence is visible. Some students need to practice and the ESL Club is the perfect place for them. “Our club is a safe environment for ESL students to speak in a free way and no one will judge them,” Almonte said. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote education, the board members are finding ways to create activities to keep teaching and helping students. On Oct. 6, the club had a virtual meeting continued on page 4
Hutchinson, Sgaramella, Wujciak promoted as athletics department creates new positions By Steven Merrill Kean University has expanded its athletic department with the creation of two positions, Director of Athletics Kelly Williams has announced. Adam Hutchinson and Jay Sgaramella have been promoted to Assistant Director of Internal Affairs & Student-Athlete Development and Associate Director of Athletics, respectively. These announcements also come as Kean, like the rest of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, has canceled all of its fall sports due to the pandemic. According to the release, Hutchinson's new position will coordinate and develop a comprehensive development program for over 400 athletes currently in the athletic department. In addition, he will have oversight of diversity and inclusion initiatives for the department, which has a budget listed at $2.8 million, according to collegefactual. com. "I've been playing or coaching in Division
III since 1989, and I've long been aware of the lack of diversity in the coaching ranks," stated Hutchinson in the university’s release. "In 2016 I had a professional experience, which for me really highlighted the mechanisms that undergird the un-inclusive practices contributing to that lack of diversity. I've spent the years since searching for ways to address these issues, and increasingly concluding that an administrative position may offer an opportunity to contribute more meaningfully to something I think is important.” Other duties include assisting with the oversight of internal business operations while developing policies and procedures that enhance the academic success and graduation of every student-athlete, according to the release. Hutchinson arrived at Kean before the 2018-19 season as the Head Men’s basketball coach and earned his 200th career win in February. His coaching experience includes coaching stops at four different schools. He
Photo by Matt Kipp
Newly appointed Kean Assistant Director of Internal Affairs & Student-Athlete Development
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October, 2020
Liberty Hall Museum hosts Paranormal Activity Night By Jennifer Balsa It is that time of the year again when we bring out all the scary decorations. From skeletons to squashed brains to hanging eyeballs, the facades are ready for Halloween. It is tradition that the month of October is dedicated to fall activities, such as apple picking, pumpkin carving, corn mazes runs, haunted houses and many other entertainments. However, with the new and restricted lifestyles that we are all being forced to follow this 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, spooky season is taking a new twist. Trick or treating will be exchanged for retail family-sized bags of chocolate at home in order to keep the little ones happy. As for Kean University students, the school has also taken a very creative approach to Fall activities and Halloween celebrations this year. On Saturday Oct. 3, at 7:00pm, Liberty Hall Museum hosted its first Paranormal Activity night. The event was announced on the Liberty Hall Liberty Hall Museum Logo Museum Website, where tickets went on sale and rapidly sold out. It was open to the general public but required the attendees to be 18 years of age or older. The event took place at the Main House as well as the Carriage House where the team of New Jersey Paranormal brought their paranormal activity equipment to detect any “ghosts” from any deceased Kean family member that used to call the museum their home. It states on the event flyer posted on the website that “there have been fullbody apparitions in several locations of the
museum.” The event was organized by Maryellen McVeigh, who is also a staff member at the Liberty Hall Museum. “We are taking advantage of our outdoor space to hold events and keeping them at a smaller capacity than what we normally would as well as requiring attendees to wear a mask at
and then later asked the audience to step in to presence the findings. “At some point there was a drastic drop of the temperature in the room,” McVeigh said. She explained that throughout the event the equipment kept detecting some sounds that were similar to footsteps as well as some strange movement. Additionally, one of the
“At some point there was a drastic drop of the temperature in the room.”
Liberty Hall Museum
Photo by Maryellen McVeigh
Paranormal Activity Event Flyer
all times,” McVeigh said, referring to the new way the museum has adapted to the pandemic to conduct activities. She explained that the staff has had to ideate various creative ways in order to keep the museum functioning and open to the public for tours and recreational activities. The NJ Paranormal activity team brought different types of equipment utilized for detecting movement and sound. They first scouted the place for any paranormal sightings
machines with movement detections that was used to contact the spirits picked up on the presence of the spirit when asked “Let us know if you are here.” “This is nothing new for the staff,” McVeigh explained, as they have witnessed several partitions in the past but always benevolent experiences. Liberty Hall is rich in its history, since it has gone through many different generations of the Kean family. It first belonged to governor William Livingston, who bought
the acres in 1760, and spent the next 12 years developing the terrains. After Livington’s death, Peter Kean buys the property for his mother, Susan Livingston Kean, who was governor Livingston’s niece. They were the first members of the Kean family to inhabit the property. In 1925, Captain John Kean, who had inherited the house, married Mary Alice Barney. “Mrs. Kean had a love of art and American history. When Captain Kean inherited Liberty Hall in 1932, the couple researched the history of the house and brought together family antiques to enhance its historic character,” as stated on the Liberty Hall’s Museum’s website. After the Captain’s death in 1949, Mrs. Kean began to transform the house into a museum. Due Photo by Maryellen McVeigh to the property’s various owners and family history, it is not rare for the staff to sometimes witness strange behavior in the museum. The Paranormal Activity event lasted until 10:00pm and had a total of 18 attendees who were divided into 4 Photo by Maryellen McVeigh different groups of about 4-5 people each in order to follow appropriate social distancing guidelines. Due to the success of this event, more activities like this will be carried out throughout the month of October such as a “Ghost Tour,” on Oct. 30 and a “Pumpkin Patch Day, on Oct. 31. “The Liberty Hall Museum staff will continue to find new ways to carry out our events in order to offer the community a safe way of entertainment,” asserted McVeigh as she affirmed her confidence in the success of future events.
The Return of Face to Face Classes at Kean University By Emily Robles
do a live presentation. “The rest want to send me recordings. I think they are feeling intimidated and the ability to stay anonymous is making them less participative,” said professor Edgley. In the future, professor Edgley hopes more students will make their way back to the classroom. Along with Communication classes being back on campus, some lab science classes have returned as well. Biology Professor Sara Maass-Meyer has returned to campus to teach in person labs to students. Although
This fall semester as part of the Climb Higher Restart Plan, Kean University welcomed back the resumption of face to face classes on campus. On Sept. 21 after three weeks of remote learning, 22% of courses at Kean were able to meet on campus once again. Courses that are on campus mostly consist of introductory courses. According to KeanWise, some of these classes are, Intro to Communications, Intro to Fine Arts, Intro to Earth Science and Transition to Kean. “I requested to teach a hybrid section of whatever class was available,” said Communications professor Allison Edgley. “I like being able to use my office to work and hold office hours because the view is much prettier and my workspace is an actual workspace.” This semester, while teaching 3 courses of fully remote classes, Professor Edgley is also teaching a hybrid course on campus. Professor Edgley is teaching the Critical Citizen communications course, also known as the introductory course, on campus. Her hybrid class only meets once a week and has the same amount of students as usual. When asked if her teaching skills have changed due to COVID, Professor Edgley says they have, but not in a drastic way. “I am comfortable with Students studying and social distancing technology and have not seemed to have too many her lectures are all remote, professor Maasstechnical issues,” said Edgley. “Having the Meyer is teaching two Biology courses with school buy us a subscription to Zoom so we optional in person lab sessions. could have breakout rooms was very helpful “I enjoy teaching labs and I feel that they are for engaging the class in interpersonal very important hands-on skills for biological groups.” education, so I did not mind coming in person Since starting face to face classes, professor Edgley has had one student come in class to to teach my students,” said professor Maass-
Meyer. “Emails and live sessions are not the same as being in person, so I'm glad I get to see the few students who have opted to come in-person.” When it comes to socially distancing during labs, professor Maass-Meyer has said her students and lab managers are doing a great job with following rules and being safe. “We do the best we can in tighter areas, but I remind the students to maintain their distance and keep their PPE on at all times,” said professor Maass-Meyer. Biology cell and Molecular major Boran
Due to the fact that this is a lab course, Khattab stated that her professor had to divide the class into two rooms for safety measures. Her lab room only contains four students. Since returning to face to face classes, Khattab has stated that even though most things remain the same, some things like cleaning and working with partners have changed due to safety measures. “ I can’t work with a partner. I have to do everything by myself,” said Khattab. “ Also, I would say cleaning before and after the lab is a lot stricter now.” With students being separated into two classrooms, Khattab has stated that her professor goes back and forth between classes and sometimes that makes doing a lab a little more difficult. “ She has to explain and write the protocol for one lab to both classes,” said Khattab. “Sometimes if we need help we have to go and call her so we can confirm if we are doing the lab right. We try to be helpful and patient to the professor because it’s not easy and I totally understand. I appreciate all the work and things she does to teach us.” When asked if she feels comfortable in a classroom setting, Khattab says she learns better in this environment, but that her only distraction is having to wear a mask for an expanded amount of time. “ Wearing the mask from 11am to 3:15pm is a lot. I Photo by Kean Website have asthma and my first time attending the class I had an asthma attack. It was bad,” said Khattab. “Now that we have a break, I go out and try to take it off for a good 10 minutes.” Face to Face classes at Kean University started on Sept. 21 and are scheduled to meet until Thanksgiving. After the break classes are set to resume online instruction.
“We try to be helpful and patient to the professor because it’s not easy and I totally understand. I appreciate all the work and things she does to teach us.”
Khattab is taking one face to face class this semester. Khattab is a senior and commutes to her class once a week. “ It’s a molecular genetics lab,” said Khattab. “ There are a lot of students that chose to take it face to face. I guess students cannot take it at home anymore and I’m one of them.”
October, 2020
Kean Student Runs for Elizabeth Board of Education
Discussion Questions:
The Bane of Blackboard for Both Professors and Students By Alejandro Arcos
By Chelsey Jaipersaud Senior Natalie Hernandez experienced a culture shock when she realized that her high school in Elizabeth, Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health and Public Safety Academy, did not receive the same care nor privileges compared to the high schools for the gifted in Elizabeth. The 22-year-old, studying Global Studies and Political Science, is now running for the
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“During meetings, they have not made it easier for information to be translated for those who don’t speak English as their first language. They leave the public speaking section to the last few minutes and invite the choir to make it all seem great”, Hernandez said. She added that students who were thrown into these schools did not receive fair treatment and rather than taking the time
To discuss the future of Kean, remote learning and especially discussion questions, an online Kean senate meeting was held on September 29th, attended by faculty members and class professors alike. Upon the start of the Covid-19 quarantine in March and the transition to remote learning later in September, Kean University has taken action to continue its programs and classes online via remote learning, limiting, if not
occur on Blackboard discussion questions. A student will post their required answer and responding students answer back in agreement usually, reiterate the point made, and move on to the next discussion to meet their quota. By design, meaningful conversations don't often occur given that the simulated conversation and arguments on an educational forum is vastly different from the human passion done face-to-face So then, why deal with such an impassioned system if many agree that it’s more of a
“This is only the start to a long journey of bringing power back to the people,” Hernandez said.
Photo by Kean University Website
‘Students with masks’
“I don’t care what it says anywhere else, I’m telling all of you you’re having discussion questions.” Photo by Elizabeth Public School Website
Terence C. Reilly School No. 7
Elizabeth Board of Education. Hernandez along with two other candidates are running a progressive grassroots campaign to unseat three current members of the Elizabeth Board of Education. On August 28th, they announced their campaign along with their ballot slogan “Justice for Elizabeth”. Hernandez said there has been a strong push for change on the Elizabeth board over an ongoing division between privileges granted to students who attend so-called magnet schools as opposed to students who do not attend a school with high academic standing. Students attending standard schools such as Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health and Public Safety Academy have been faced with racial inequity, lack of guidance and support and the constant inconsistency of failing to listen to the community, she contends. Hernandez explained that the board has not made enough efforts to assist students and their families when it comes to language barriers and addressing concerns the community may have.
to hire guidance counselors, they focused on hiring police officers. Many students were also pushed to attend the military rather than a university after their senior year. “You feel like a criminal in your own learning space”, Hernandez stated. Hernandez further expressed her concern for specialized classes and the need for more testing towards learning disabilities for students who may have problems at home or are struggling in school and need direction. She explained that the extra services might make a difference in what sociologists call a school to prison pipeline explained as young adults who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are likely to be incarcerated to harsh school policies. The reality is that if schools aren’t setting up all of their students for success, they are setting them up for failure and an inauspicious future. Pat Politano, spokesman of the Elizabeth School District, said the district provides services for 3,513 special needs children. The district provides education at more than 100 highly-specialized schools for children
outright preventing classes from being done in person to minimize infection rates. While many of these accommodations have been effective in providing education services to student homes, one aspect of online learning in particular troubles both professors and students – the learning/management system known as Blackboard, and more glaringly its discussion questions, abbreviated and better known as DQ. Discussion questions have a goal that’s intended beneficial and convenient – it should encourage students to discuss topics with each other for each of their respective classes in their forums, simulating the conversations that would occur in a classroom attended in person. In execution, it’s been sourced as the root of a myriad of problems for many people involved. “If you look at the discussions students post, they're all saying, ‘I agree…’, ‘I disagree…’, and they're really not learning.” said Sucheta Ahlawat, a marketing professor at Kean. As observed by professors and students, meaningful conversations don’t often
continued on page 5
time sink then? One would think that professors would be able to veto out these DQ assignments in favor of their regular curriculum, but that is apparently not the case for many. “A large majority of us were required to insert discussion questions into our course work, books, and syllabi, even when we did not feel it was appropriate.” said Craig P. Donovan Director of the BA/MPA honors program at Kean. “Either because it was a graduate class or the nature of the course.” Donovan continued to state that he and other professors had no say in the matter. “My ED said I don't care what it says anywhere else, I'm telling all of you you're having discussion questions. I've heard similar stories from others (professors) where they were told no matter what, you're having discussion questions. No ifs, no ands, no buts.” says Donovan. “There was different info coming out during the summer. If you look at the site, it said discussions are optional.” Ahlawat says. “So, when I submitted my workbooks, I got continued on page 5
Kean’s Art History Program Remains Resilient Despite Retrenchment
Photo by B.C. Lorio
‘Kean University’ licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
“We actually have kept our enrollments at the same level, we’ve had the challenge of the course going online” By Christian Grullon Kean’s Art History program has faced some trials and tribulations with the retrenchment of staff members along with classes being cut obviously affecting the students of the program.
Even through the retrenchment, which means reduction in the extent or quantity of something, reduction of costs or spending in response to economic difficulty, of the campus’s Art History faculty back in December, students and professors from
the Art History Program remain active and positive, continuing to show support for the program. The retrenchments began in December of last year when staff members were being let go. Students volunteered to create a petition back in January of this year as a means of protesting to preserve the program. Courses from the Art History program were getting cut was another reason for students creating the petition. There were protests on campus during the summer as well. Professors received an email notification of their retrenchment, without citing a reason, five days before the Christmas holiday last year. The cuts, made under former Kean President Dawood Farahi who stepped down June 30, means that Kean will have no tenured faculty in Art History. Immediately, students and faculty protested the decision to Kean’s Board of Trustees several times, started petitions and with the Kean Federation of Teachers, the faculty’s union, raised the issue to Gov. Phil Murphy at a Town Hall meeting in Maplewood. Murphy said publicly that he would look into the problem. The faculty --who includes Dr. Jacquelyn Tuerk-Stonberg, Dr. Marguerite Mayhall and Dr. Lewis Kachur are slated to lose their jobs at the end of this school year. “We were scheduled to be retrenched as of Sept. 2 and we were getting to the last week of August not knowing whether we
would be teaching or not,” Dr. Lewis Kachur, an associate professor in the Art History Program, said, “and we were supposed to be doing coursebooks and preparing for online teaching for fall courses that we were projected not to be teaching so we’re trying to get back on our feet from that.” The art history faculty are looking to meet with President Lamont Repollet at some point. Over the summer, faculty spent some time drawing up a proposal of possible reforms and suggestions related to Art History. Kachur said one idea is to create a museum studies program connected to art history because none of the state colleges offer that. “What I would like to see is the Art History program to continue at Kean, and that sounds self-serving”, Kachur said, “but also if the program were to be taken away, Kean would be the only state four-year school to not have Art History, and it would deprive our students of exposure to the fields of a larger number of students and possible career options for a smaller number of students.” Kachur also gave clarification on the word retrench when he explained that the legal word is re-entrench, the popular phrase word is fired and what implies is that you have done something wrong and you’re being let go because you’re insufficient and retrenchment doesn’t mean that, it’s just an administrative procedure to cut back regardless of the qualities of individuals and their performance. continued on page 5
4 THE TOWER
October, 2020
Senate says staff cuts hurt students
Department of Communication
continued from page 1
Senate Chair Craig Donovan said while the need exists to look into university staffing, the issue is broader than that. “We’ve lost professional staff, administrators and other people in areas that are critical to the success of the university and the mission to support our students,” Donovan said, “I think it would behoove us, as the Senate, this year to look at what we had, what we got and what we think we need to have where going forward. If we want to go on being a lead institution, then we got to have the appropriate staff in the appropriate offices to provide that support for our students, support for our staff and support for our faculty.” Margaret McCorry, the Director of Media Relations, says that Kean University is committed to providing a student-centered approach to all enrollment services. “A restructuring of Kean’s enrollment services has increased the number of permanent, full-time staff at the One Stop Service Center and strengthened the division’s student-focused approach.” McCorry said, “In
Kean University Center for Academic Success 1000 Morris Avenue Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: (908) 737-0470; Fax: (908) 737-0465 Email: thetower@kean.edu; www.kutower.com
addition, One Stop staff received additional training over the summer in order to be able to respond to inquiries from Kean students at all of our campuses and began answering calls to the Financial Aid office.” McCorry also explained that Financial Aid will hire new staff to fill open positions that were due to early retirements and attrition, that every Kean student has a financial aid counselor and can schedule appointments online at https://www.kean.edu/offices/ financial-aid/financial-aid-staff#counselors and that students should be aware that One Stop services are available remotely along with limited in-person service outdoors at the information booth by the Center for Academic Success. “Signage at the booth and at the One Stop office in CAS provides a QR code so students can easily access remote services virtually as well as via email at regme@kean.edu,” she said, “Students should keep in mind that all inquiries are handled in the order they are received.”
The Tower is an independent, laboratory newspaper of Kean University’s journalism option in the communication major program. It is published monthly through the regular academic year and supported by advertising and the Department of Communication. The Tower is not responsible for claims made by its advertisers. The Tower is a public forum and is free from censorship and advance approval of content by the university administration. The Tower staff is responsible for its content.
EDITOR IN CHIEF: ZOE STROZEWSKI NEWS EDITOR: CINDY LAZO FEATURES EDITOR: VALERIE SANABRIA
ESL Club helps non-native speakers have a voice
SPORTS EDITOR: STEVEN MERRILL ONLINE EDITOR/ SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: EMILY ROBLES
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REPORTERS ALEJANDRO ARCOS
LESHAY JONES
DORIAN ALERTE
LAYLA LUSBY
JENNIFER BALSA
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TIYE BRACY
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LENNY MATA CUEVAS
BREANNA PALZER
CHRISTIAN GRULLON
ALEXANDER VALDES
CHELSEY JAIPERSAUD
OPINION PIECES AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Photo by Courtesy of ESL Club
Board members presenting
through Zoom where besides teaching “study tips,” they also played Bingo. Their Bingo edition was about places and resources for students at Kean, including important information such as how to make an appointment through TutorTrac. Before asking a question, the board members reminded them that they were in a safe environment where they could talk and participate freely. For Katherine Pujols, the club’s director of public relations, the ESL Club is an opportunity to help other s t u d e n t s through their mission and that gives her satisfaction. “It makes me happy to know that I am part of a group with a real purpose, which is that students who come to the university and English is not their first language and are not originally from this country, can feel free to ESL Club Meeting Flyer be part of a club with people like them that need to improve their English. This is a beautiful experience.” Pujols said. De Leon said it was easier to meet students in person, but it was exciting when one of their virtual meetings was attended by about 30 people. Before officially creating their own club, some of the ESL students felt excluded from activities because they do not feel
comfortable practicing with native speakers or with people who do not have the same level of understanding as they do, DeLeon explained. Lopez can easily remember how she felt about speaking English when she was one of the only two members who started the club. She said Kean may not understand how hard it is for non-native speakers to feel comfortable communicating with other people. “We do not want to join other clubs or classes so we don’t have to stress about speaking in public,” Lopez said. “They think we are regular students but we are not. We do not need things to be easier but we need spaces where we can be ourselves more freely.” ESL Club board members say their relatively new club was created to help other students like them, and helps them to be Photo by Courtesy of ESL Club heard at Kean. For Lopez, the club pushed her to do more and gave her confidence to be more involved so much so that she would like more people to know about the club. “For ESL Students, we don’t think we can be part of something bigger than us. But, the ESL club is the first step that pushed me to do more things,” Lopez said, “I would like more people to know about it. I think this is a great opportunity for students."
Hutchinson, Sgaramella, Wujciak promoted as athletics department creates new positions continued from page 1
is also currently the athletics diversity and inclusion designee for Kean. Recently, Hutchinson led the campaign on behalf of the athletics department of Cougars registering to vote. He made sure each Kean student-athlete had all the information they needed. This has been a trend across all levels of athletics, encouraging athletes to make sure they are registered come election time. According to the NBA, 90% of its players are now registered, and 15 teams are 100% registered. “When the opportunity presented itself at Kean, after much internal struggle, I decided to pursue this new role and see if I could lend my voice and my efforts in new ways to improve the sport I've committed my professional life to," he stated. Williams was hired by Kean in June, replacing Matt Caruso, who was promoted to Vice President of Student Affairs for the university by former Kean President Dawood Farahi. It is unclear what the winter season will look like, but Williams will need to find a replacement for Hutchinson as head coach. “An announcement in the coming weeks will be made regarding the direction of the men's basketball program,’ the release said. Sgaramella, a Kean alum, has worked in the athletics department since 2003. He was most recently Kean’s Assitant Director of Recreation, Intramurals, and Event Management. Sgaramella was inducted into the Kean Benisch Hall of Fame in 2017. "I would like to thank President Dr. Repollet and Athletic Director Kelly Williams
for this opportunity," stated Sgaramella in the university’s release. "I am honored and excited to further my career at Kean University, a place that I hold dear to my heart. Being a former student-athlete, I will continue to do whatever I can to improve our student-athletes' experience and best assist every team in our department. I am proud to be a Kean Cougar." Kean Athletics also announced earlier this month that Denise Wujciak was promoted to the Director of Sports Medicine/Senior Woman Administrator. She is entering her 19th year at Kean and previously only held the titles of head athletic trainer and Senior Woman Administrator. According to the release, Wujciak's responsibilities are not limited to the treatment of Kean's student-athletes. Her added responsibilities now include representing Kean University on various COVID-19 National Medical Advisory Groups, restructuring of the strength and conditioning programs to better serve our student-athletes, incorporating more collaborations with health, counseling, and drug and alcohol services throughout campus, and updating health and safety policies and procedures for our student-athletes. The newly created positions come five months after the university eliminated four academic programs and its professors, along with six managers, according to MyCentralJersey.com. The university said those cuts were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
October, 2020
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How are Kean students coping with the pandemic? By Tiye Bracy When COVID-19 reached America, it drastically changed people’s way of life. Students had to cope with this shift in society. The pandemic definitely impacted students and the school systems. Students received an email in August from President Lamont Repollet regarding an update on the reopening of Kean University. It was then students learned about the phases and four types of learning formats this semester. The formats are remote, online, face-to-face, and hybrid. 30% of classes are face-to-face that started on Sept. 21. Many classes are currently remote. Students are taking different approaches to adapt to this new way of learning.
to take live class sessions and do their school work. On campus, there were many places students could go to for a quiet space or to work on school assignments. For example, the Grand Study Hall located on the third floor in the Learning Commons or the computer stations placed in the Learning Commons and Miron Student Center. In addition, the Commuter Resource Center is stationed on the first floor in the Learning Commons. Many buildings like Green Lane and North Avenue had seating areas spread out across many floors. “I feel like certain professors are not as understanding that we are all facing this issue together and the workload sometimes is too heavy,” Kean student, Business Marketing major, Priscilla Calderon said.
Photo by Kean University IG
Student walking out of the Learning Commons with Starbucks in hand
“Being someone who always is ten steps ahead, organized, on time and graduating early, I have never struggled so much to stay afloat,” Kean student, Public Relations major, Caitlyn Magee said. According to Magee, all of her professors' teaching styles are completely different this semester. “I have some professors that don't show their face, none of my peers ever have their camera on, or barely talk, it's essentially an audio lecture,” Magee said. It can be difficult to adapt to learning at home with many distractions. “Being engaged in classes has been difficult for me since so many distractions are relevant at all times,” Kean student in The School of Business, Kevin Marroquin said. Everyone does not have a quiet office area
provide myself with the right nutritional foods,” Marroquin said. Students used several coping strategies to better themselves during the pandemic. “Whether I was stressed out or bored, exercise was something that I relied on,” Calderon said. Some are coping and staying positive with the mindset that many others are in the same boat. “Another strategy I used is knowing that everyone else is going through this pandemic just like me and if other people can stay strong in worse situations why can't I do the same,” Marroquin said. Some students really used their free time wisely and embarked on new journeys. “I decided to start my own business and
Several students had loved ones that tested positive for the virus. “...we just pray and accept that we wouldn't be given something we can't handle,” Magee said. “I have learned how to take all the precautions necessary to keep those very close to me safe as well as myself,” Vasquez said. Marroquins’ mother had contracted the virus. “Thankfully to my family for keeping her quarantined, having her take vitamins and eat correctly for that period of time, she was able to fully recover in a week and a half,” Marroquin said.
Photo by Kean University IG
Student enjoying the beautiful campus social distancing
Outside of the school systems changing due to the pandemic, students had to manage everyday life with the change of the economy. Many businesses temporarily closed, while some had to permanently shut down. Restaurants, gyms, hair and nail salons were closed for a period of time. “Because the gyms were closed I ended up doing a lot of home workouts and found out what I don't like and what I like in fitness,” Magee said. Grocery stores were essential during this time. Many people rushed to the supermarkets and stocked up on food and supplies. “Since many, if not all restaurants were shut down during the pandemic I had to take matters into my own hands and learn how to cook different meals to feed myself and
Photo by Kean University IG
Students walking out of the Miron Student Center together
since then, I’ve been doing proper research, testing, and analyzing every angle to it,”, Business Marketing major, Marialis Vasquez said. Students went back to old hobbies and habits. “When the pandemic really started, I was journaling almost every day and trying to learn meditation,” Magee said. Some students have adopted new hobbies since the pandemic. “This past summer I also engaged in multiple eco-friendly trips and I loved them,” Vasquez said. Marroquin learned how to cook a variety of different meals for him and his family. “I began bike riding a lot more – which started back in April so I could find a way to get out of the house during the day,” Magee said.
Students give advice to other students who are going through the pandemic as well. “Wear your masks and follow the right protocols so this virus can be removed sooner rather than later,” Marroquin said. Calderon advice was for students to be on top of their schoolwork. She emphasized that remote and online classes are more difficult than face to face ones. Vasquez expressed during this challenging time, students should be proud to wake up every day and try to have the best day possible with everything going on. “Pay attention to what this "pandemic" is turning into and remind yourself what's right,” Magee said.
Discussion Questions: The Bane of Blackboard for Both Professors and Students
Kean Student Runs for Elizabeth Board of Education
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the question 'why are there no discussions?', and I directed them to that statement.” At the time of this writing, there is a Change. org petition named ‘Get rid of Discussion Questions and Replies at Kean University’, made by fourth-year student Sallem Giljic. Its name is self-evident; it aims to raise enough attention to discard discussion questions from remote learning. “We have to participate in a lecture which is about 3 hours a week, do homework, study for quizzes/exams, do projects/presentations, and Discussion Questions with Replies. I feel like this is too much for every single class.” says Giljic. “Discussion Questions for every class every week with 6 replies on 3 separate days is outrageous. Some students are working full time jobs, some maybe have difficulties at home, and we are all under stress with the current situation that’s going on in the world.”
At the time of this writing, that number is now over 2000 signatures. Measures are being taken by the university itself to address these concerns, such as reporting them to the Dean’s office and arguing in favor of a heavy workload for certain classes already occupied with plenty to do. “We are aware that students have concerns and we’re working with student affairs to clarify and alleviate those concerns. (…) Courses are different, we don’t want to presume that everything is the same and that this is the answer for everyone.” Said Joy Moskovitz, the Assistant Vice-President of Academic Affairs. “As of now the university plans to proceed with a spring semester in the same format as the fall, so primarily remote.” says Donovan, on what the current future of Kean entails.
Kean’s Art History Program Remains Resilient Despite Retrenchment continued from page 3
Despite this ordeal, students have been providing immense support for art history. Kachur said that students were very supportive when the first retrenchment notice came down, and that there were a number of protests and posters put around campus. An online petition had over 4,000 signatures from students to improve the Fine Arts facilities and preserve the Art History program. Students have also been writing letters and speaking to the Board of Trustees
to address this issue. Kachur has said it’s been a challenge with online courses since the retrenchments. “We actually have kept our enrollments at the same level, we’ve had the challenge of the course going online,” Kachur said, “none of our classes are in person and of course it's been a challenge working with the Blackboard, we’ve had training over the summer and still it’s a whole new thing.”
Photo by Elizabeth Public School Website
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy
with needs. The special needs cost to the district are $65 million out of the $505 million operating budget. That includes more than 500 instructional staff and 291 special education teachers. According to the Elizabeth Public Schools official website, the board has major responsibilities for the adoption of a budget that will provide for buildings, staff, materials, and equipment to enable the school system to carry out its functions. “To pay for these services, the district has an operating budget of $505 million; and a total budget of $578 million”, Politano said. Kason Little, Justice Advocate expressed concerns similar to Hernandez where the board has lacked transparency, equity and is in strong need of a structural change. Although Little is not running for a seat on the board he has spent years fighting against the injustice that has been prevalent among the school district.
Little said that some of the main problems include transparency, equity, the absence of focus towards special education students and the strong need for structural change. He presented a life skills class which would be embedded into the curriculum and require a $5.4 million investment. This was overlooked by the board, he said. “There needs to be federal oversight because they’re incapable of running it themselves. Any change that has been made was a sugarcoated, watered-down change. There has never been fluent change,” Little stated. According to the Public School Review, Admiral William F. Halsey Junior Health & Public Safety Academy placed in the bottom 50 percent of all schools in New Jersey for overall test scores for the 2017-18 school year. Politano explained that the district is recognized as one of the top urban school districts in the nation with Terence C. Reilly School No. 7 cited as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education and Elizabeth High – Frank J. Cicarell Academy ranked as one of the top 50 high schools in the country. Both schools are considered schools for the gifted and talented, leaving them in high academic standing. This upcoming election will provide opportunities for people to speak out on what is working within the district and what may need to be changed. “This is only the start to a long journey of bringing power back to the people,” Hernandez said.
6 THE TOWER
October, 2020
The New Meaning of Eating Outdoors By Lenny Mata Cuevas Whether it is for a solo meal, get together, or a date, going to a restaurant is a popular social activity. However, because of the regulations imposed to restaurants due to COVID-19, the options were limited during most of the summer. Even though restaurants adopted a takeout and delivery policy, many have had to come up with new ideas in order to keep offering their services, such as limited indoor seating and outdoor dining options in an effort to readjust to the new normal. This initiative has given eateries and its public the chance to enjoy food at their location once again, and Kean students can take advantage of it. The Union campus location is surrounded by a variety of
bakeries, restaurants, steakhouses, coffee shops and all kinds of eating places to stop by for a good meal, especially for those students who live near or on campus. “I live near Kean and there are a lot of
open from 5:00am to 8:00pm daily. Those planning to gather with more than two friends can consider “Suspenders Restaurant & Pub” on Magie Ave, which has opened a tarp in its parking lot for its
I live near Kean and there are a lot of places to eat on Morris Ave. places to eat on Morris Ave,” said architecture and design student Emely Peres. Those who prefer a cozier place can visit the Colombian bakery and restaurant “Casa del Pan”, located on North Ave. which is famous for its arepas de chocolo. The restaurant is
customers to enjoy some outdoor dining. An aspect about these places is that they’re not too expensive and could work well with a budget. However, those intending to max out their benefits as a Kean student can always visit restaurants that accept Cougar Dollars,
such as Applebee's located on Morris Avenue, Rock ’n’ Joe’s Cafe at the Union train station or the Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern. “I have used it [Cougar Dollars] in the cafe,” student Keshna Roberts said. “I know it can be used at the steakhouse on campus.” Also, family restaurant Tropicana Diner is located on Morris Ave. Not long ago, the restaurant opened a tarp at the side of its building for those who prefer outdoor eating. This is another one of the many spots that accepts Cougar Dollars. Finally, one major aspect that all these food places have in common is their location; most of them are less than two miles away. Those who wouldn’t mind walking around the surrounding area can enjoy the outdoors, visit their favorite eatery and take advantage of their Cougar Dollars.
Diversity Speaks: Loud and Proud “We have to actively change our behavior and change our thinking, change the things that we are ingesting through our brains and our eyes so that we can become a much more knowledgeable society, that’s one of the ways I’m choosing to do it,”
Photo by Cougar Link
An invitation for change
By Alexander Valdes
SPORTS
It’s no surprise that our country is currently in a time of great turmoil, but it is also undergoing a time of change for select groups of people. On Thursday, September 24 an online event called “Diversity Speaks” was held to educate the students of Kean University about racial discrimination within the country. Taylor Williams, an academic specialist and two time Kean alumna headed the event as the main speaker and explained what the message is behind Diversity Speaks. “Ultimately the platform itself we want
to expand beyond these two events we have, we want to be able to give students of all communities a platform to have these tough conversations that we’re kinda talking around but not talking about and not talking to,” Williams said. Williams mentions the start of the Diversity Speaks program with the goal to address the issues behind racism towards the black and brown community. “We kicked it off with specifically talking about the black and brown community because a lot of things are going on in the world currently with police brutality,” Williams said, “But we know that other
communities have things to share, we know that there’s huge things going on in the latinx community, with immigration and this wall going up.” Certainly a massive issue within the country is racial discrimination, but how exactly do things like racism and racial prejudice affect the Kean students? “Everybody’s experiences are different, so I think that there can absolutely be issues with racism on campus, although it may not be as blatant,” Williams said. “It’s sometimes very covert as our students have shared before. I don’t think any place is exempt from having differing opinions, whether it’s prejudice, discrimination or racism. I don’t think any place is exempt from it when you bring together so many people with so many different experiences” Even if the Kean community may not be exempt from these issues, there are some steps in order to combat these injustices. One of these ways is simply through self-reflection from everyone within the community.
“I think we first have to look within ourselves and understand where some of those implicit biases lie,” Williams said. “We need to become accountable for why we think this way and why we feel this way. So whether it’s experiences from your home town or throughout your life, why do you feel this way? And now let’s get a little bit of knowledge about why that’s hurtful to somebody else and why making that thought process should need some altering and changing” said Williams. It certainly does seem that the Kean community and others need to change their ways in order to further combat racism, we all play a role in positive change, she indicated. “We have to actively change our behavior and change our thinking, change the things that we are ingesting through our brains and our eyes so that we can become a much more knowledgeable society, that’s one of the ways I’m choosing to do it,” Williams said. “ everybody plays a role in figuring out how to end racism”
Kean Baseball prepares for potential season By Ruben Nieves
Kean Baseball was in its tenth game of the season when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the rest of the season was cancelled. They were 8-2 before the season was cancelled and looked like they were on their way to another successful season. Head Coach Neil Ioviero is optimistic that there will be a season this spring. “I think we have the chance to start the season on schedule,” Ioviero said. “I anticipate the season happening and the NCAA is going to do everything they can to have a season.” With the season looking to be on track to start in the spring, and potentially being played as a normal season, Ioviero shared his early expectations for his team for the upcoming season. “The goal every year is to get to the College World Series and give ourselves the chance to win it,” Ioviero said. Kean infielder, Mike Perrone, expects for this team to win every championship in front of them. “The expectation every year is to put ourselves in the best position and then win every championship in front of us,” Perrone said. Perrone, a graduate student returning for the 2021 season, had a .310 batting average in nine games during the 2020 season before it was cancelled. “I think I could personally improve on being a better leader and being there for my teammates more often,” Perrone said. “Sometimes I get very
caught up in the moment and let my emotions take over and I need to step a little away from that and be more of a leader.” Ioviero also believes Perrone could be a leader and big contributor to the team. “Mike Perrone is a big extension to this coaching staff,” said Ioviero. “He is a really good player and as well as someone who leads by example.” After the cancellation of college sports, the NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for senior athletes who missed the spring season due to the pandemic. Kean’s baseball team will have some returning players for the 2021 season. “We wanted everyone back,” said Ioviero. “We're one big family and some of them were able to get jobs after graduation and are coming back.” There were some players who did not come back. “We did lose a couple of players,” said Ioviero. “We kept a majority of our guys Perrone makes the play for the out and all of them have their year of eligibility.” With the pandemic still going on, the team will be having an in-person practice in the coming weeks and will continue to follow the necessary safety precautions, including social distancing rules to keep all the coaches and players safe. “Follow social distancing, wear a mask, and constant hand sanitizer will be in place,” Ioviero said. “We will keep these protocols and be strict and have everyone follow these rules.” As they wait for the confirmation of a potential Jim Hynes Stadium
season, Perrone shared some advice given to him by his coaches on how to keep himself safe during the pandemic. “Our coaches are very proactive and have given us nutrition tips, hygiene tips, and still maintain a healthy build,” Perrone said. Perrone also has tried to stay in shape for the upcoming
Photo by Mike Perrone
Photo by Kean Athletics
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SPORTS
October, 2020
THE TOWER 7
Kean Baseball prepares for potential season continued from page 6
“The goal every year is to get to the college world series and give ourselves a chance to win it” 2021 season. “I’ve been trying to maintain a healthy diet and get exercise in as much as possible,” Perrone said. “With the reopening of gyms in Jersey, that has been a blessing in terms of being able to start to build strength.” With the seniors returning and the rest of the team able to return to practice soon, Kean’s baseball team wants to once again become champions. “I want to give it one last shot at making a run,” Perrone said. “Would love nothing more than to go out on top.”
Photo by Mike Perrone
Perrone swings for a hit
Kean’s female athletes adjusting their training to increase their strength
Photo by Lenny Mata
Field Hockey practice
“Sports will continue eventually, and when the opportunity comes, we will be ready”.
Photo by Courtesy of Kimberly DeRitter
Marissa Cook is a senior on the women’s soccer team
Photo by Courtesy of Kimberly DeRitter Photo by Isabella Reynoso
Victoria Vitale is a player for the women’s soccer team
Isabella Reynoso, field hockey goalie
By Lenny Mata Cuevas Mental strength, routine changes, and student concerns are among the challenges that Kean University’s female athletes have endured while adjusting their training and workouts during the pandemic. Kean counted on having a busy agenda for women’s sports starting spring 2020, whether it was with scheduled games or practices. These are all part of the goal of having prepared competitors and a successful season. Nevertheless, the pandemic changed the sports and workout environment for the college’s teams, especially in those where physical proximity is necessary for a successful outcome. Despite disappointments and setbacks that came with canceling games and finally the season, players have come up with ideas to keep their physical and mental strength on point and ready to compete. Marissa Cook, senior player for the soccer team, recalls buying her “own equipment to do home workouts.” However, she focuses more on the importance of athlete’s mental health as another test to overcome the consequence of the pandemic. “Being a student athlete can be a lot to handle,” said Cook. “I’ve had a great deal of stress but I have people I can go to.” Students and athletes need much more than physical strength to succeed both academically and athletically. According to a study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine lead by researchers Eugene Hong and Andrew Wolanin from Drexel and Kean University, female athletes exhibited “1.844 times the risk of male athletes for endorsing clinically relevant symptoms” related to depression and mental health. Therefore, mental strength is imperative for them to be productive and efficient with their tasks. Physical activities also rely on physical power, so they had to
find a way to stay strong. Before COVID-19, athletes had the advantage of working out at the college facilities with their team and coaches, said Victoria Vitale, a sophomore member of the women’s soccer team. Now, motivated by superior discipline and toughness, the women athletes have gone out of their way when it comes to training. They said they’ve been working consistently on their physical health and facing the problems that have disrupted the practice of their games. Athletes have considered different alternatives to readjust their workout routines, whether it was improvising gym and training fields in their homes or running and exercising outside the campus, just to maintain and focus on their training and muscular endurance. “We were able to withstand that by keeping in contact with workouts and team Zoom meetings over the summer,” said Lia DiPiazza, a senior captain of the field hockey team. “We got creative by lifting household items like chairs, bricks or gallons of water.” Meanwhile, field hockey team goalie Isabela (Belly) Reynoso got to practice at home, helped by her parents. “For running and lifting, my dad set up weights in the garage for me,” Reynoso said. “I started running on local trails, which as a woman was a little nerve racking.” Reynoso also said she and her family set up a makeshift cage in her backyard during the spring and her mother would shoot on her. “Having to figure out how to stay in shape when all the gyms closed and the local school tracks were also locked up was a challenge,” she said. These athletes are also students with as many responsibilities and concerns as any other regular Kean student. Some of them are in their senior year, which was supposed to be the one to
remember and share. “The year you look forward to forever, the games, the senior night, the team bonding,” Cook said. For others, practicing their sport is an important and healthy way to release the stress that online classes, finances and other issues being a student introduces. “Nothing clears my mind better than a long run or practicing stick skills on the turf,” DiPiazza said. The athletes interviewed credited Kean for how the staff has made it easier to maintain their performance as athletes and students. “Our voices are definitely heard,” DiPiazza said. “We’re lucky enough to have astonishing athletic trainers, coaches and administrators that support us in any way possible.” Cook also said Kean has done a great job, but if one area could be improved it would be even more help with building mental strength. “I think if there were more outlets and professionals available, it could do a lot of good for students' mental health,” Cook said. Zoe Strozewski, The Tower’s editor-in-chief and former member of the women’s volleyball team advocates for more education regarding the risk that COVID-19 represents for female athletes specifically. “The impacts of the pandemic can be worsened when they intersect with different disparities, such as income inequality and sexual health,” Strozewski said. Even though they may have to play in a different atmosphere and energy than the one they are used to, women athletes are giving everything to and for the sport they love and the chance to play once more. “Any chance we get to play is a positive one,” DiPiazza said. “Sports will continue eventually, and when the opportunity comes, we will be ready.”