The Tower | The Independent Voice of Kean University

It has been a whirlwind of a year for the Kean community; from coming back to in-campus classes to dealing with others not too positive circumstances. Nevertheless, before the 2022 kick-off here’s a resume of the top 12 most significant Tower’s articles of the year.

THE TOWER’S TOP 12 – 2021

BY L.K. MATA CUEVAS

#12 | University Returns to Campus from Remote Sessions

By Christian Grullón | Published on September 20, 2021

After a year of COVID-19, the university went back to in-person classes. Starting on September 2, the campus welcome for the first-time student from 2020 and 2021.

“I enjoy being in person very much. It makes the campus feel more alive and vibrant.” Said, Political Science & History Pre-Law major Chevon Williams.

Image Retrieved from Kean.edu.

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#11 | New Student Planner Replacing Kean Wise Gets High Marks

By Ruben Nieves | Published on May 3, 2021

On April 6, Kean officially switched the way students register for courses from KeanWise to an all-new program called Student Planner. To access the student planner, students log in to their KeanWise account and the student planner will be found under the academic profile. Lethicia Ferrari, a freshman whose major is undecided, found this way of registering more useful.

“The new student planner is more efficient and clear when it comes to registering for courses,” Ferrari said.

Image Retrieved from Kean University YouTube

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#10 | Professional Sports Come to Kean, is FIFA World Cup Next?

By Ruben Nieves | Published on December 5, 2021

FIFA World Cup officials toured Kean’s soccer field and athletic facilities in the early month of the semester. They’ve been in talks with the university about this possibility…Athletic Director Kelly Williams received the call from officials to see if there still was a level of interest.

“I said yes,” Williams said. “I think it will be a great opportunity for our university and our athletic department to be exposed to a world-class experience. It gives individuals light to the hidden gem of what Kean University’s facilities and what the university is really about,” he continued.

[Moreover]“It gives us an opportunity to continue our climb in being recognized around the country.”

Image Retrieved from Kean Athletics Dep Twitter.

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#9 | Kean Students Unhappy About Homecoming Guest Performer

By Isaiah Joseph | Published on November 17, 2021

“Y’all could’ve gotten a Michael Jackson hologram.” one student commented.

Homecoming week this year was much welcomed after 18 months of remote learning, but you can’t please all the people all the time.

As everyone was enjoying the homecoming festivities, a specific event that was planned had students questioning if the school understands them: the reveal for this homecoming’s guest performer. The homecoming guest performer was announced on October 6th on the keanstudent.gov Instagram profile feed which showed 5-times Grammy award nominee, rap artist Swae Lee. As seen under the student government’s comments section, some Kean students were not happy about the chosen performer.

Photo credit: Concert Flyer Image – Kean Student Government.

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#8 | DACA Extension Gives Dreamer Students Hope

By Cindy Lazo | Published on February 24, 2021

Many Americans felt a sense of relief and hope when, hours after his inauguration, President Joe Biden signed several executive memorandums—one of which reasserts protections for DACA recipients, including Kean’s Dreamer students.

“President Biden’s Executive Order seeks legally strengthen the DACA program and suspends any efforts by the new administration to end the program.” Kean Associate Professor Frank Argote-Freyre said, “The hope is that DACA renewals and new applicants will now be accepted. This removes the sword of deportation from over the heads of DACA Recipients or DACA eligible individuals.”

Argote-Freyre explains that this action acknowledges that: • Congress was unable to agree on and pass a comprehensive immigration reform • These children were not responsible for the actions of their parents

Defend DACA Photo credit: Molly Adams Licensed by CC BY 2.0

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The Tower’s Watch | Former International Basketball Pro Becomes New Coordinator of Athletic Operations

#specialmention

By Dorian Alerte | Published on February 26, 2021

Paul Williams has been hired as the Coordinator of Athletic Operations; Director of Athletics Kelly Williams announced on Dec. 21. This new role includes managing setup and breakdown of all varsity games, events, camps and clinics on campus, as well as preparing equipment and uniforms for game day staff.

“I’m just looking forward to the University growing,” Williams said. “I know that hearing President Repollet talk, and his vision for all of the programs is great to hear and I’m just happy and grateful to be a part of it. I just want to contribute any way I can.”

Retrieved from KeanAthletics.com

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#7 | Jacqueline Town’s Legacy at Kean University

By Dorian Alerte | Published by October 15, 2021

On June 21, 2021 it was announced that the Kean University East Campus basketball court would be newly resurfaced and would honor the late Mrs. Jacqueline Towns, NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns; with her name on the court.

“Karl and his family could have picked any university in the country, and they picked Kean University,” Williams said. “Based upon our meeting with them, we were able to lay out a vision of what we wanted that East Campus to represent but more important, we wanted to find time to honor his late mother who passed away to COVID.”

Karl Towns Sr. (Left) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Right) pictured with the name of Jacqueline Towns. Photo Credit: Kean University

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#6 | Students Caught Cheating Using GroupMe App

By Davaughnia Wilson | Published on March 24, 2021

With the urge to switch to online classes last spring because of Coronavirus, students found new ways to “share” information about their classes. However, things got a bit out of control when a group of students in Psychology 2100 were caught cheating on a test using GroupMe and told to drop the class ASAP, according to a student involved who asked not to be named. The professor was sent the link to the chat by another student in the class. Kean’s University Relations said that all academic disciplines follow the University’s Academic Integrity Policy.

“Each semester, the policy is included in syllabi for individual courses so that students are fully informed about the academic integrity expectations and consequences for their behavior,” according to University Relations. Adding that, “The University does not comment on allegations of academic integrity violations involving specific students due to privacy concerns.”

Image Retrieved from: GroupMe website

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#5 | Author & Poet Elizabeth Acevedo Celebrates The Poet X at Kean’s Common Read

By L.K. Mata Cuevas | Published on October 18, 2021

“Good afternoon, I am super-hyped to be here!” Acevedo said. “This is my first inperson event since February of 2020, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but [at] Kean.”

Dominican-American writer and author, Elizabeth Acevedo, visited Kean University as part of Hispanic Heritage Month and Kean’s Common Read where all first-year students read the same book. Acevedo’s celebrated tittle The Poet X.

Acevedo at Miron’s Theater Photo Credit: L.K. Mata Cuevas

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#4 | ICE Facility in Elizabeth Becomes Center of Protest at Kean

By Ruben Nieves | Published on March 17, 2021

“It’s deeply disheartening that Kean University has leadership profiting from the immigration system that has destroyed and separated families in the Kean community,” the petition states.

On March 2, a protest group called out Kean to end its relationship with two longtime supporters of the university because of its business connection to a controversial ICE facility in Elizabeth that has been accused of mistreating immigrant detainees. The rally organizers also started a petition on change.org, that now has 2,500 signatures.

Dave Gibbons, one of the board of trustees' members and his mother, Anne Evans Estabrook, Vice Chair of Wenzhou Kean University in China, run the family-owned Elberon Development Group. This company leases the ICE detention facility in Elizabeth to CoreCivic, which runs private prisons and detention centers. Estabrook serves as the chairman of the Elberon company and Gibbons holds the title of President and CEO.

Signs created in protest of ICE Photo Credits: Emma Yorra

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#3 | NJ Schools Suffer Enrollment Decline Due To COVID-19

By Julia Strugala | Published on December 20, 2021

The university’s enrollment increased by 337 students in the fall 2020 semester, according to Kean University’s Student Profile. But this year, the university lost 645 students in Fall 2021 compared with the same period a year prior.

Kean’s Union campus enrollment experienced a decline from 12,151 to 10,810 and lost 1,341 students from the 2020 fall semester to the current 2021 semester. Kean Ocean lost 258 students over the same period, going from 1,156 to 898 students and Kean online students increased by 294.

Kean Wenzhou, the university’s China campus, has also gained students. 660 new students joined with an overall headcount of 3,459 attending the fall 2021 semester compared to 2,799 in the fall 2020 semester.

The university did not comment on the decline in enrollment as well as what is planned to be done to increase it.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a decline in enrollment in colleges all across NJ Retrieved from Kean University Website

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The Tower’s Watch | CAPTURING

#specialmention

CHANGE AT KEAN UNIVERSITY

By Chelsey Jaipersaud | Published on April 1, 2021

“We have to use our voice in life, and we have to be able to find it and underline it even if it’s a little scary,” artist and performer Daryl Stewart said.

The Capturing Change virtual event which took place on February 25th demonstrated and examined the power of visual art including painting and photography to express the experiences of oppression. Academic departments of Fine Art, Psychology, English, Political Science and others were encouraged to invite faculty and increase student engagement.

“Her Voice With In” Photo Credits: Sir Moore

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#2 | Dr. Lamont Repollet, Our First Black President at Kean

By Davaughnia Wilson | Published on November 15, 2021

It was a momentous day at Kean University when a Kean Alumnus was formally installed as the 18th President and the first Black leader in the university’s 166-year history.

“A moment of this magnitude really makes you introspective, and reflective about your past. I stand before you today profoundly humble and grateful and with a deep appreciation for each step of my journey,” said President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. at his installation on Oct. 14.

Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., as the university’s 18th leader Image Retrieved from Kean.edu

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#1 | Suspect Faces Charges on Reports of Touching and Harassing Women on Campus

By Davaughnia Wilson | Published on November 16, 2021

A former Kean University student is facing charges in connection with two separate reports from female students who said that a man touched and harassed them on Kean University’s Union campus on the evening of Nov. 3. One of the female students — who asked to remain anonymous — used her Instagram account to bring awareness to the events of that night. In it, she said that she was “sexually assaulted” on Nov. 3 in the Center for Academic Success (CAS) by a man.

“The suspect was scheduled to appear in Passaic County Court on December 22 to face four counts of harassment and one count of violation of probation.”

Margaret McCorry, Associate Vice President for University Relations Kean Police referred all calls to university relations.

“The safety of the campus community continues to be the university’s top priority. President Repollet met with members of his President’s Advisory Council to hear their suggestions for enhancing campus safety. He will continue to meet with students and KUPD [Kean University Police Department] to help ensure everyone feels safe on campus.”

Karen Smith, Vice President for University Relations

Image Retrieved from Kean.edu

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Looking forward to another year of great reporting and on time stories. Thanks for reading and supporting The Tower | Independent Voice of Kean University. #FOLLOW & SHARE ON INSTAGRAM @KEANTOWER #FOLLOW & SHARE ON TWITTER @KEANTOWER #FOLLOW & SHARE ON FB @KEANTOWER

BY L.K. MATA CUEVAS