The Tower- October/November 2013

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THE TOWER

OCT. 17, 2013

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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF KEAN UNIVERSITY

Basic Algebra remedial classes double in size

SEE PAGE 3

By Marisa Gallagher and Keanu Austin

ON CAMPUS

HIPSTER is Happening 04

The Basic Algebra remedial course that 600 freshmen are taking has doubled in size to about 50 students per class because of a new teaching method implemented this semester.

Kean’s general education department has adopted the math emporium model for its Basic Algebra course, which is being taught using a Smart Board and laptops. Twelve sections for the course are running, all with a capacity of 50 students, according to data from KeanWise’s course registration system accessed in mid-September.

Up until the previous semester, the Basic Algebra course had no more than 25 students per section. The course is required for new freshmen who failed high school math or performed poorly on placement tests.

“Last semester, I had 80 students in four courses. This semester, I have 140 students in four courses,” said a math professor when asked about the change in her class sizes.

The math emporium model is designed to accommodate large

to understand the new philosophy of teaching and redesigned setting involved in the emporium model.

“I am not sure Kean has made the commitment to train the instructors,” said Dr. Kathleen Henderson, President of the Kean

“Twelve sections for the course are running, all with a capacity of 50 students.”

Heavy LiFTING

11

learning groups. The National Center for Academic Transformation’s website provides suggested methods for teaching the emporium model and offers information on the type of training instructors need to teach the method effectively.

The NCAT’s website stresses that instructors need adequate training

Photo: Marisa Gallagher

A Smart Board being used as an aid to teach a Basic Algebra class.

University Adjunct Faculty Federation, in an email. “The suddenness with which this was introduced made it seem as if it was a decision made to save money more than anything else.”

According to Henderson, the decision to increase class sizes was supposed to be done through collegial procedures established at

Kean, which she charged was ignored in this case.

Discussion by the administration to increase class sizes, said Henderson, should have been run by the following university faculty senate committees: University Curriculum Committee, Academic Standards Committee, Academic Technology and Multimedia Committee, Student Retention Committee and Assessment Committee.

Requests to the math department and the general education department for information and interviews to discuss the changes were referred to university relations. Three visits to the office of university relations, as well as emails to three different people on the staff were unanswered.

“These are students who could not pass basic high school math

the first time,” said Henderson in an earlier email. “They need individual remediation.”

Henderson added that size does not necessarily matter in an emporium. “If well-designed, it can support large classes. However, the trick is to make sure it is structured properly,” she said. “If you are saying that the large courses use adjuncts and they have not been given proper training, then that is a problem.”

The NCAT highlights the importance of implementing required lab hours, which Kean has done.

Each basic algebra student is required to attend 10 tutoring hours per semester. They and students from different math courses can also practice their skills on a laptop anytime during the 18 hours of open lab per week.

A&E

Liberty Hall farmers’ market provides alternatives for student diets

BATTLE OF THE ALBUMS 07 SPORTS

Photo: Kyle Lawrence

El Lechon de Negron has great chorizo empanadas.

field hockey rebounds 10 + MORE Small Business, Big Plans

2

A Lift for Kean Fundraising

4

Humor Us George... Lopez

5

Arts & Entertainment

6&7

Lieutenant Governor Debate

8

Kean Crime Statistics

9

Sports: Who’s Hot? Who’s Not? 12 Men’s Soccer Fights for Playoffs 12

By Kyle Lawrence

Managing a proper diet as a student can be rough. Many students survive on a meal plan of fast food and Starbucks.

But a local farmers’ market provides an alternative for the healthconscious student.

There’s no doubt that Kean University does its best to provide its students with a variety of food choices. We have a full-fledged cafeteria with food from many cultures, a buffet set up for the resident students and a miniature café with some less greasy alternatives.

The Cluck-U, which has appropriately re-branded itself as the Cluck-University, even accepts Cougar Dollars as payment.

But for those looking for a change of pace, or maybe something a little more organic, you only need to head over to the Liberty Hall Mu-

also goes to Ursino [the university restaurant operating within the STEM building], and we also serve local food producers here by bring-

Cream Truck, and what we do is we make ice cream with liquid nitrogen,” said Deming. “We take milk, cream and sugar, which is organic, like our flavors, put it in a bowl, mix it up, and make ice cream in about 30 seconds.”

This process makes the ice cream lighter and smoother than regularly prepared ice cream.

“The ice cream is very, very creamy because the fast process keeps ice crystals from forming.

And there are no artificial flavors or preservatives in our ice cream,” Deming said.

The ice cream’s toppings, which include pretzels, caramel and nuts, can be made to accommodate vegan customers.

Another stand had something almost as sweet as ice cream on sale; honey. Aaron Daniels is a 21-yearold beekeeper from Newark and has been selling his honey for a while, and he enjoys the job.

“I make sure the bees are healthy to produce high quality honey,” Daniels said. “It’s my first year at

“We are a vehicle for getting locally grown foods and other fresh produce out to the community.” seum across campus to the Liberty Hall Museum Farmers Market.

“We are a vehicle for getting locally grown foods and other fresh produce out to the community,” said Susan De Pauw, market manager and graduate of Kean University.

“We operate out of the farm here on campus, which provides us with a variety of produce. This produce

ing them in to sell their products at our market.”

One of these local food producers that caught my eye was the Freezy Freeze Ice Cream Truck, which has a peculiar way of making ice cream. Andrew Deming, who coowns the business with Meghan Deming, explains what makes their ice cream unique.

“We’re the Freezy Freeze Ice

the market, though I sell at other places too.”

Other food trucks such as El Lechon de Negron offer authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, where pork is the meat of the moment. There were other stands selling fully cooked Italian meals, fresh produce coming right from the campus farm, and a lemonade stand run by continued on page 3 Kean stu-

2 THE TOWER

October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013

The Small Business Development Center at Kean has big plans for 2013-2014

By Alexandria Addesso

The Small Business Development Center at Kean University is continuously expanding its efforts in helping small businesses flourish in the greater Union County area despite losing its funding for its location in Plainfield, due to the municipality’s own financial constraints last June.

“It is not important that that office is in my building,” said Malcolm Dunn, the owner of the Business One Stop Service building where the SBDC office that lost funding was located, “but that it is somewhere.”

Although the SBDC has been centrally located on Kean’s campus since its commencement in 1989 —originally located on the East Campus but currently located in Willis Hall Room 301 — Nathaniel Sims, the acting director for the past year and assistant director for 11 years before that, believed

SBDC Director Nathaniel Sims at Kean’s SBDC office.

Photo: Alexandria Addesso

“Sims is also working on a program open to all Kean students seeking either paid or unpaid internships.” it was important to still have accessible counseling to the city of Plainfield.

“I didn’t want to leave the Plainfield area,” said Sims.

Sims kept doing one-on-one counseling sessions in the Plainfield Department of Labor on Second Street as well as at the PNC Bank at the corner of Second Street and Park Avenue when space was

available and sessions were needed.

Sims also does off-campus counseling in the Elizabeth Department of Labor and the Union Chamber of Commerce every Tuesday and at the Elizabeth Development Company on First Street every Monday.

Among the many events and programs the SBDC at Kean is organizing this year, the Finding Your Small Business workshop on

Oct. 29 is the closest. It is the last seminar of the six-part Fall 2013 Small Business Certificate Series and is also the only one that is completely free but registration is required.

It will be held at the New Jersey Department of Labor/Business Resource Center in Elizabeth from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. This specific seminar will focus on how to utilize various loan programs, includ-

ing the new Federal and State incentives available to small business owners as well as their general requirements.

For the NJSBDC’s Annual Small Business Growth Success Awards Luncheon, the SBDC at Kean client Dr. Elena Jauregui was nominated to be honored. Jauregui is the owner of her own medical practice, the Morris Family Medical Center on Morris Avenue in Elizabeth. Sims started counseling Jauregui when she started her private practice in 2000.

“She started with zero clients,” said Sims, “and now has treated thousands of clients over that 13year period.”

Currently, Sims is working on a major conference to be held in March similar to the Lieutenant Governor’s NJ Resource for Business Growth Event last February.

The event is to be held at the same location, Kean’s STEM Building.

Sims is also working on a program open to all Kean students seeking either paid or unpaid internships. The program will give students internships at local organizations, and even though it is still a work in progress, according to Sims he expects to see results this fall and spring semesters.

To find out more about the internship program, any workshop or event mentioned or general small business counseling sessions, contact Nathaniel Sims at 908-7374220 or nsims@kean.edu. All sessions are free and only require an application form to be completed on sba.gov or a hard copy.

Police

By Dominique Vinas

September 15, 2013 New Freshman Dorm, 11:00 p.m.

Report of a victim being harassed and threatened via text messages and tweets.

September 16, 2013 Vaughn Eames Lot, 9:38 a.m.

Motor vehicle accident report of one vehicle striking another while attempting to park.

Freshman Hall, 4:46 p.m.

Fire alarm activated from burnt hair from a blow dryer.

September 17, 2013 Bruce Hall, 8:36 a.m.

Report of a cardboard box on fire.

Freshman Hall, 3:50 p.m.

Fire alarm activated from u nknown cause.

September 19, 2013 Vaughn Eames Lot, 10:09 a.m.

Motor vehicle accident report of one vehicle striking another while attempting to park.

Rogers Hall, 12:57 p.m.

School of General Studies holds advisement week

Operation report of a stuck elevator.

Sozio Hall, 6:21 p.m.

Fire alarm activated from b

Elizabeth Bracey

Advisement Week kicked off this past week for the first time on Oct. 7 in the Center for Academic Success building. The Kickoff Event was sponsored by the School of General Studies and took place between 11:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

The event featured the various colleges, schools, departments and programs at Kean as well as groups, organizations and clubs associated with the different programs and student representatives within the programs.

All freshman students were required to attend to meet and connect with their assigned advisors.

The students also learned the registration process and how to use KeanWISE. As soon as students walked in, there was a general information table on the first floor.

Students were able to get help with finding their selected departments. After finding their tables, students were helped by the general education staff to meet their advisors and set up an appointment to create their schedules for the spring semester.

“This event was posted on the Kean University Facebook page as well as the Cougars Byte,” said

General education department.

Gwen Beloti, in charge of the Transition to Kean program. “All of the students did appreciate it because a lot of them did not know who their advisor was”.

All freshmen were required to pick up the advisement form, which had to be signed by their advisor once they had been advised.

On the first floor, computers were available for students to lookup their advisors via KeanWISE

Photo: Elizabeth Bracey

with General Education Mentors’ assistance. Advisement Week was also a great opportunity for the large undecided population to talk with some of the various program representatives.

“Advisement week was very helpful because I was a undecided major and now I am interested in two possible majors,” said Kiana Green-Taylor, freshman.

All freshmen enrolled in GE

1000, Transition to Kean, were required to participate in Advisement Week in order to receive attendance credit during Freshman Advisement Week. Students were instructed to complete and hand in the advisement form that they picked up at the Kickoff Event, signed and dated by their advisor, to their instructor for credit.

On the first floor of the Center of Academic Success there was a display table of prizes students could win at the event. Students were able to win Barnes and Nobles items, electronics, raffle giveaways and more. CAS was packed with many students ready to take on their first semester.

“Advisement Week was very informative, and it helped me a lot,” said freshman Emily Cubilete, “especially for those students who are planning on changing their major, it gives us a pathway to understand what we have to do.”

Since this is the first year Advisement week is in full effect some students wish it was here sooner.

“I wish Kean University had an event like this my freshman year,” senior Kunle Olydeun said.

urnt popcorn.

September 20, 2013 Vaughn Eames Lot, 5:15 p.m.

Unknown person keyed victim’s vehicle.

Morris Avenue, 7:00 p.m.

Report of hazing activities

www.hercampus.com/kean

An online magazine for college women!

We talk about relationships, fashion, health, and more! tion

Photo: Alexandria Addesso

Left: Kean Dance Theatre President, Serena Rizzo. Above: KDT performance.

ing to expand us as a team,” said Joaquim Keely, junior and active member of KDT. “She taught us to always be open to encourage new members to join. She has also worked to improve our techniques as a group and be better dancers who are able to express ourselves individually. And also trying to get us out there with community service and other projects.”

One thing Rizzo really takes pride in is the originality of her peers and team. She is proud that all of the dances that they have performed are student choreographed from the members directly.

She encourages this because dance is all about expression, and what better way to express yourself than to let your body go as

you listen to the music?

“We always have an array of pieces from mysterious to dark, to sexy and sassy, and everything in between,” said Rizzo. “We like to mix it up and make the show interesting.”

Not only do they choreograph their own dances, they also find their own costumes and ultimately put together a great show. And for that, she can’t take all the credit.

Rizzo wants the student body at Kean to be aware of KDT, to appreciate their hard work and to maybe even become a member.

“We give our members the opportunity to be choreographers and hold their own auditions, select their own dancers, and take their dance to the stage,” said Rizzo.

However, she doesn’t want you to join if you can’t commit. The dance team meets twice a week during college hour on Mondays and Thursdays.

Those meetings consist of a lot of technique and work on the opening and closing portions of the shows, because those are always full cast dances. She admits their planning for the shows is very detailed.

“Myself and the rest of the board members plan out our dress

“We are all here because we have one thing in common; we love to dance.” rehearsals,” Rizzo said, “which are usually, two, five-hour-long days of picking the lighting, and working on spacing, and cleaning the dances onstage to prepare for our opening night. I think this is where we always end up motivating each other.”

Diversity is a big thing for Rizzo, especially on stage. She truly feels like the shows they put on represent who they are as people.

“Being that we are so diverse we also incorporate African dancing somewhere in our show,” said Rizzo, “which Dr. McKenzie of KU prepares for us.”

All of the pieces are developed from the members directly, so the viewers get a real sense of creativity and empowerment from all the dancers. Their stories are told through the choreography.

KDT is a family of all different majors, dance experiences, ages and backgrounds. But, because they all share the common love for dance, they’re able to find common ground when the music plays.

“We are all here because we have

Along with that, she loves to welcome guests to their shows.

Last spring they featured Jefferson Performing Arts Academy, who performed a fantastic musical theatre-jazz number.

Her question is why not become a part of KDT? Or why not go support their shows? It’s an easy way to make friends in a diverse environment where everyone learns from one another.

Although it can be stressful when it comes time for the show, Rizzo expresses how it literally feels like its all over in 5 minutes, and you are able to sit back and be proud of what you accomplished as a team.

“Being able to perform is a great feeling especially when you have worked so hard all semester,” said Rizzo. “Also to see the show come together all at once is nice and knowing that I was a major part in that success is rewarding. Without the time and effort that myself and the other board members dedicate to KDT none of what we do would be possible.”

Rogers Hall, 5:40 p.m.

Report of a person physically assaulting someone else.

September 24, 2013 Burch Hall, 2:10 a.m.

Report of a victim being harassed via text messages and phone calls.

Vaughn Eames Lot, 12:30 p.m.

Unknown person scratched victim’s vehicle.

September 25, 2013 University Center, 7:21 p.m.

Fire alarm activated from exhaust fumes.

September 30, 2013 Hardwood Arena Lot, 2:00 a.m.

Unknown person broke vehicle win-

Morris Avenue, 1:58 p.m.

Unknown person broke vehicle window and took a backpack.

Hardwood Arena Lot, 2:00 p.m.

Unknown person broke vehicle windows and took purse from trunk.

Kean University, 3:54 p.m.

Unknown person broke vehicle window.

Morris Avenue, 4:30 p.m.

Unknown person took victim’s bike.

Morris Avenue, 6:00 p.m.

Person fraudulently sold an item to

Contact Brigit Bauma at brigitbauma@hercampus.com for more informa-

Kean Dance Theatre is back this year with many new phenomenal dancers, and President Sarina Rizzo is proud to still have the privilege to be a part of all the excitement.

“I haven’t seen this much talent in KDT [Kean Dance Theatre] in the past few years,” said Rizzo, 20, and a senior at Kean. “KDT is currently holding 30 members strong.”

Rizzo is double majoring in elementary education K-5/5-8 and an English writing option.

She has been the president of KDT since Spring 2012 and has been an active member since fall 2010, when she came to Kean as a freshman.

So, why is she so passionate about the dance team? Well, it’s simple; she loves it. Rizzo has been dancing since she was nine years old and was a competitive dancer throughout middle school and high school.

“I specialize in contemporary dance, but I have been trained in tap, jazz, ballet pointe and modern,” Rizzo said. “I competed across New Jersey in all styles as well.”

She feels that she has acquired a lot of knowledge about dance, but is always learning from her peers.

She takes pride in sharing her expertise with the dance team and learning from them in return.

Being the president, she has a tight schedule, as there are always so many events to coordinate.

Her first and foremost goal is making sure the group is happy and that the members know exactly what’s going on and when.

Her energy and love for dance is what encourages the team and makes more people want to become a part of it.

“I’m always trying to expand the number of people on KDT, I try to find members who are willing to go above and beyond like I am to make KDT a priority,” said Rizzo.

She understands that it’s not always easy for members to get onstage, so she always works with her team to make sure everyone is comfortable and confident with expressing himself.

“I like the fact that Sarina is try-

one thing in common; we love to dance,” said Rizzo.

It is her famous line that she loves reminding her team members of. Every year she aspires for the team to do better and reach higher.

They do one show a semester, and they are currently in the works on one right now. They are also possibly planning a workshop, which is very exciting for Rizzo.

“I’m proud to say we will be at the pep rally this year with a lot of fresh new faces and dances,” said Rizzo.

Not only do they dance, Rizzo likes to make sure they are giving back to the community as well.

“Our last winter show we collected Toys for Tots for donations as an optional admission fee and we were able to donate over 100 toys to the charity,” said Rizzo.

September 22, 2013

dow and took an iPod.

Check out HerCampus Kean!

Kean Dance Theater president helps students express themselves

Blotter

Edited by Keanu Austin

THE TOWER 3

victim.

October 2, 2013 University Center, 6:45 p.m.

Unknown person repeatedly harassed victim.

FARMERS MARKET (Continued from page 1)

dents from ‘Be the Change.’

Food wasn’t the only thing for sale. One stand sold several herbal remedies in the form of soaps and candles. There was also a lone juggler, who asked for donations in return for his show in the form of an overturned hat.

If you’ve gotten your fill of food, you can cross through the blue gift shop at the end of the market to reach the campus farm, which is accessible to all.

There you’ll find an apple orchard and many other fields that provide Ursino and the campus cafeteria their produce. The scraps left over from the various eateries around Kean get composted and used on the farm.

I asked De Pauw what her favorite stand here was, though she was reluctant to pick.

“That’s really hard to say. I love the honey stand, and the food from El Lechon de Negron, but I like the Freezy Freeze ice cream the best.

Can’t get better than made-to-order ice cream.”

The food stations at the market tend to vary a bit week to week, but the Liberty Hall Museum Farmers Market is open every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will remain open until Nov. 21.

Department of Theatre set to receive new scene shop

By Chris Lamonica

Kean University’s Department of Theatre is set to receive a new scene shop in its Vaughn-Eames building within the next 12 to 18 months.

The new scene shop will offer more space and better scenery for students to work with, according to Holly Logue, the former chairperson of the theatre department.

“The space will be large enough to construct scenery as well as assemble it, prior to moving it over to the Wilkins Theatre or the Zella Fry [Theatre] in [Vaughn-Eames],” Logue said.

Because the department does not have traditional classrooms, most class sessions take place on one of the two spaces designated for performances, in the computer lab, or in the costume shop. Due to a lack of space within the current scene shop, the theatre department was forced to build their scenery on stage, leading to a disruption of both classes and rehearsals.

During the National Association of Schools of Theatre’s last visit to Kean, they recommended that the addition of the new scene shop be made a priority.

“The president responded affirmatively and we have been working on the planning of this addition for a good while now,” Logue said.

The Kean Board of Trustees approved the new scene shop on Sept. 16, with the project’s funding coming from a capital investment bond Kean applied for and received last year. The resources and

Students from the theatre department work in the old scene shop.

funding were available in 2005, but the cost had increased since then, leading to additional funds becoming necessary.

paint frame that is large enough to paint a scenic drop (painted background) for the Wilkins stage,” Logue said.

“The new scene shop will offer more space and better scenery.”

This new scene shop is also set to include equipment that will simplify the building process involved in putting on a production.

“The facility will have some newer equipment, such as new saws and a

The scenery is designed by either members of the theatre design faculty or qualified students who have demonstrated the necessary skills.

The painting, building, and assembly are done by students. Students

Photo: Chris Lamonica

interested in theatre can lend a hand in this process, regardless of their major.

“Non-majors are always welcome,” Logue said. “I happen to feel that our students are amazingly talented, and we hear repeatedly from our audiences that they are amazed at how skilled these undergraduate actors are. What is important to note is that having excellent facilities can affect recruitment, so if we are looking for the next generation of talent for on stage and behind the scenes, having improved facilities will be a tremendous help.”

4 THE TOWER

October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013

The “Hip” in being hipster: Kean’s hipster culture

By Sonia Aquije

The Hipster scene has boomed from TV shows like “Girls” on HBO, “Portlandia,” and movies from “500 Days of Summer” to “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”

They have catapulted the subculture into our mainstream world.

People are asking themselves, what’s so cool about being hipster?

Can I be a hipster?

Hipsters are usually people in their 20s and 30s who indulge in being different in music, political views, arts and overall social scene.

They don’t like acknowledging they’re hipster, but they know if they do or don’t fit the category.

The Oxford Dictionary defines a hipster as “a person who follows the latest trends and fashions.”

However, it isn’t just about fashion, it’s a lifestyle.

But, where do we draw the line on who’s hip and who isn’t? Are Vinyls the new iTunes? The 2013 Grammy Awards were dominated by the Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, Gotye, and Fun, all either indie or folk. So is hipster, in a sense, mainstream now?

Bohemia has returned with a twist of urban, even at Kean University. On a Friday morning in Kean University’s Starbucks Christopher Hopkins, also known as Oatmeal Johnson, was seated, .

Hopkins, 19, is a junior and information technology major, but most importantly a hipster. Hopkins believes the hipster subculture has become mainstream.

“It was an entire subculture based on what people weren’t doing,” said Hopkins. “Now that there’s a whole bunch of people following the same trend, it’s probably going to die out like the emo phase in the seventh grade. But, if you’re an artist it’ll stick with you.”

When people hear the word hipster they think of cigarette smoking, skinny jeans, chunky oversized glasses, V-necks and scarves

Kean Junior Stephanie Ubillus an Economics Major.

Photo: Sonia Aquije

They smoke their American Spirit and Marlboro cigarettes nonchalantly. They have an air of cool; they’re different from the norm, and that’s what makes them rad. Who else wears a fringed brown leather jacket, torn jeans and loafers.

Hipsters make the scenery at Kean University with the men’s facial hair, and the handlebar moustache. They dress in band or ironic tees, skinny jeans, flannels and beanies.

The hipster women usually wear vintage looking dresses, torn shorts, crop tops, high wasted pants, band tees and perfectly straight, sometimes colorfully dyed, ombre hair.

Stephanie Ubillus, 20, junior and economic major, knows what hipsters are all about.

“Hipsters are narcissistic,” said Ubillus. “From the way we dress, to what makes us who we are. We are good at what we do and we know it.” Ubillus, wearing a boho blouse, black leggings and combat boots, is very particular of what she wears.

“Basically we mix everything from every generation that’s good,” said Ubillus, “because our own generation has nothing to offer.”

Yet, what exactly is a hipster, and how have they become our

“Hipsters are narcissistic. From the way we dress, to what makes us who we are. We are good at what we do and we know it.” in the summer. They are ultimately people who listen to a lot of underground music and shunning mainstream society.

“Pretentious hipsters are the ones who brag and the ones who try imposing their ideals on you, like music taste,” said Hopkins.

There are two types of hipsters: the regular hipster and the pretentious hipster.

“Regular hipsters are people who say hey it’s all about the music man, art and style,” said Hopkins.

“They’re the people who don’t care what kind of music you listen to; they’re accepting.”

You have probably seen hipsters at Starbucks cafes and at Kean University. They usually gather outside of the café when the weather permits in packs of at least four.

generation’s subculture? What are hipsters all about?

They’re certainly not hippies.

The hippies were all for peace, love and changing the world with their ideals. They were a counterculture that was colorful in terms of clothing attire, music, and lifestyle.

For hipsters, there is no agenda

set against society, or drive to change the world. This is one of the biggest defining differences between the two.

“It’s all about the style; it’s all about the art,” said Hopkins. “Hipsters are laid back, they’re on the sidelines.”

Hipsters listen to a variety of music ranging from indie, folk, blues, jazz and classic rock to house music.

Hipsters are mocked and that’s probably because they don’t follow society’s norms in terms of dress and lifestyle.

“People hate hipsters because they think they’re all a bunch of pertinacious nerds who think they own the world, when we actually don’t,” said Hopkins.

As both a musician and hipster, Hopkins’ message to the world is self-fulfilling.

“You meet a lot of people and you can connect with them over music,” said Hopkins. “People with similar ideals; it’s a common ground. I’ve made friends with a boat load of musicians; some have even become part of my band, the Gigabytes.”

But, there must be a cool factor in being a hipster.

“Be an individual as much as possible because you want to do it, not because it’s considered a trend,” said Nick Conte, a junior majoring in special education, considers himself a hipster.

He’s dressed in black vintage jeans, plaid flannel and a newsboy cap. Hipster philosophy is all about the image and your actions.

“The cool factor of being a hipster is, like any kind of counter culture, like the hippies in the 60’s fought the status quo,” said Conte.

“Or like the punk movement or grunge, you don’t want to be part of your parents’ generation. It’s pretty much being an individual.”

Ultimately, hipster subculture is about art appreciation with all its quirks, and irony.

Tickets for George Lopez event split between full- and part-time students

By Keanu Austin

Half of the tickets to the Sept. 30 George Lopez event, sponsored by Kean’s Student Organization and Graduate and Part-time Student Council, were held for full-time undergraduates, while the other half was held for graduate and parttime undergraduates.

The Student Organization of Kean University represents the full-time undergraduate student population, and the Graduate and Part-time Student Council represents the graduate and part-time undergraduate student population.

This method of handling tickets for select events at Wilkins Theatre was done in the interest of fairness, according to Rusty Flores, manager of the box office at

Social media is pervasive in every facet of the digital age. It forces organizations to reinvent traditional business models to adapt to changing technologies.

Crowd-funding is a modern take on conventional fundraising efforts, employing the use of social media. Kean University is embracing this platform in its latest fundraising endeavor: KeanLift.

KeanLift is the university’s crowd-sourced fundraising program that bridges together students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends interested in financially

proposals.

Potential campaigns must support the university mission and add value to students’ education.

If a project is not directly linked to Kean students’ education, then it must be proven how the proposal strengthens community involvement and how it connects with local communities.

“What we’re really looking for are innovative ideas of how to enhance the way we offer an education to our students or a way to enhance our community service,” said Toney.

The first fundraising project KeanLift featured was Par Fore,

“The beauty of the web is there are no borders.” backing specific projects.

This program is a joint effort between Dr. Jeffrey Toney, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Diane Schwartz, acting president of the Kean University Foundation, Dr. Susan Gannon, director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and Audrey Kelly, executive director to the Board of Trustees.

Toney, who has experience using blogs and social media for educating, attributes his inspiration for KeanLift to the power of social media.

“There was an article in The New York Times, about a year ago, that talked about use of crowd-funding websites to help start up companies and entrepreneurs,” said Toney. “That played a big role in thinking about why not apply this to help the university and support our students.”

Individuals and organizations interested in being featured on the KeanLift website must submit

an established program that has been supported by the occupational therapy department at Kean for years. According to the campaign’s proposal, the initiative is to “prevent gang membership and violence through the promotion of healthy coping skills and resiliency.”

In just 30 days, the campaign exceeded its goal of $5,000, doubling the program’s usual fundraising amount. With extra funding, Par Fore was able to expand the number of students it brings into that program.

Toney said he believes that the sky is the limit in terms of how the university can get funding from not only the Kean community, but beyond.

“My hope is that over time we will have people globally contribute to our efforts,” said Toney.

“The beauty of the web is there are no borders. It’s a borderless digital world.”

George Lopez’s humorous lecture entertains and educates

box office.

However, some still met with confusion at the box office when attempting to purchase a ticket. Allison Goettsch, an undergraduate, visited the box office and was told to return at a later date because the tickets remaining were being held for graduates, part-time students and faculty.

“Of course, I went back on Monday and there were signs at the box office that said that the show was completely sold out,” said Goettsch, whose experience led her to believe that there was a deadline to purchase undergraduate tickets.

In a later email, Cantres explained that though the tickets were split between full-time students and graduate and part-time students, the tickets were not sold at different times and the under-

“It’s done this way to give everyone a fair shot at getting tickets,” Photo: Keanu Austin

A picture promoting Kean’s George Lopez event.

By Caroline Antonio

A never-ending line curved around Wilkin’s Theater at Kean University on Monday night. An exciting chatter was heard throughout the line, which was slowly moving forward toward the entrance of the theater.

Kean University welcomed actor and comedian George Lopez to give a “humorous lecture” to students and staff. Lopez has been

tos that would soon end up on Instagram or FaceBook.

As Lopez went on with his lecture, he began to tell his life story and explained how throughout the years it was a difficult task to keep believing in himself.

One student was particularly surprised by the way Lopez had dressed that evening. “I was really surprised when he stepped out in casual clothes, instead of a suit,”

ing by the end of his story. He also explained how Sandra Bullock was the one person who always believed in him, and then he went to speaking about one of his biggest inspirations, Richard Pryor.

Before the show on Monday night, students were wondering if they would be leaving the show with new knowledge. “A celebrity giving a lecture to Kean students is great,” Rosebriar Chelot, a Kean

“Throughout the show, the message that was passed through was that no matter how difficult things are, you must never give up.”

Fundraising reaches new heights with KeanLift

By Christine Moukazis

THE TOWER 5

A sign telling full-time students tickets were no longer available to them.

Wilkins Theatre.

“It’s done this way to give everyone a fair shot at getting tickets,” Flores said. Full-time students usually have a better opportunity to buy tickets since they are on campus more often than graduate and part-time students, according to Flores.

Alexa Cantres, the managing assistant director of Student Organization, added that this method has been used at Kean for more than three years now and is also utilized to avoid confusion at the

Photo: Keanu Austin

graduate tickets just happened to sell out first.

Two tickets were available to students with a valid Kean identification card for $10 each. Tickets left over by Sept. 23 were available to faculty, staff and alumni for $15 and to the public for $25.

A Facebook user utilized the social networking service to attempt to sell two tickets to the event for $45 each. Cantres stated that she disapproved of such actions when asked for comment.

living in the spotlight for more than 25 years. With all those years of success in a difficult industry, could students at Kean retain some information from lecture that can help them for their own future?

However, a question that arose was what exactly is a “humorous lecture”?

“The title explains it all; it will be a lecture that is intuitive and creative,” said Jonathan Yearwood Senior Vice President of Funding Groups in Student Organization.

Yearwood explained that the main reason Student Organization chose Lopez to come and speak at Kean was to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on Sept. 15 and will end on Oct. 15.

“He is a great inspiration and him coming at this time is just great timing,” Yearwood said.

At that night, as soon as Lopez stepped out into the spotlight, a mixture of applause, screams, and camera flashes filled the theater.

While the cameras flashed, Lopez began to pose for the various pho-

said Jesse Grindell. “It made him more relatable to me.”

Lopez explained that he did bring a suit with him but decided not to wear it. He then called out an assistant to bring his suit onstage. Showing off the suit to the audience, Lopez said, “It’s Gucci,” bringing forth laughter from the audience.

“For 25 years I was a quitter, but one day I decided not to be and now I am here,” Lopez said.

The audience burst into applause as they took in what he had said.

Throughout the show, the message that was passed through was that no matter how difficult things are, you must never give up. And of course, learn to laugh at the mistakes that have happened in your life.

Lopez would deviate from the lecture at times and go through old anecdotes about his grandmother, who he claimed was a racist. Every time that Lopez would speak of his grandmother, he would break down in laughter and promise the audience that they would be laugh-

University student said. “A celebrity is usually someone most people look up to so hearing advice from someone we all watched on TV should have a great impact on us.”

If a student is a graduating senior at college or a sophomore in high school, the opportunity to learn from someone of success can always be found. For example, 15-year-old high school student Melissa Rojas was able to obtain a ticket for the lecture from a friend who attends Kean.

“I believe that I will learn something from the lecture and I also believe that it will be just like a comedy show,” Rojas excitedly explained. “I never have been to a humorous lecture so I am excited to experience it in my own way.”

By the end of the show, the audience was begging Lopez to continue with his speech. However, as time went on the show came to an end. When Lopez ended his lecture, he wished the audience a good night and received a standing ovation in return.

Have no fear, Rush tickets are here!

By Christine Moukazis

As a way of giving back to the Kean community and garnering public interest in the performing arts, Kean Stage is now offering Rush Tickets for select performances.

“Rush Tickets” is an industry term for tickets available for purchase the day of the performance at a discounted sales price.

Professional theaters have Rush Ticket policies in place, so patrons who frequent Broadway shows need little introduction to Kean Stage’s new initiative.

“Originally, we wanted to call it ‘Cougar Tickets,’ but ‘Rush’ sounded more professional for the theater environment,” said Rusty Flores, manager of the Box Office at Wilkins Theater. “It’s something that patrons are comfortable with and used to, so it’s not something that has to have a lot of introduction because they already know

“Rush Tickets are... intended for purchase by Kean faculty, staff, alumni and current students.” about it.”

The idea of Rush Tickets was proposed as a solution to combat low-ticket sales. The initiative is aiming to fill empty seats during

performances.

“We have an amazing theater department and all the shows they set are always great and I just feel like it lacks a lot of participation from

the community when it comes to buying tickets,” said Flores. “They don’t get the actual audience they should for the plays they put on.”

Flores, a senior and International Business major, is hoping that discounted prices will appeal to college students who procrastinate or are on a budget.

“I personally like it because it’s a good thing for people who like to wait last minute,” said Flores. “Because we are a university, we have a lot of people who wait ‘til last minute … and you know us college students don’t have a lot of money to spend like that.”

Rush Tickets are solely intended for purchase by Kean faculty, staff, alumni and current students with proper identification.

They can only be purchased in person at the Box Office two hours prior to each performance. Rush Tickets are not available for purchase over the phone or on the web nor can they be reserved.

October 17, 2013

By Sara Paczkowski

Tips and tricks to spice up your Halloween costume Dressing up for Halloween isn’t about collecting candy anymore. A holiday, known to bring children joy and cavities, has turned into an epic opportunity for college students to dress up and swap out pumpkin pie for Pumpkin Ale. For Kean University students, Halloween isn’t only on October 31. “Halloween is dragged out to be a Halloweekend,” said Ellen McDermott, a Senior Special Education major. “You can dress up for a few nights in different outfits.”

This may mean more costumes, but not necessarily more money. Instead of running to the nearest store, students are creating their own costumes and aren’t limiting themselves. In order to save money, students are relying on their creativity.

“I find things around the house and make up my own costume,” said Krista Gallo, a Senior Communications major. “Do It Your Own” costumes

“If mainstream costumes aren’t your thing, memorable media moments seem to be another popular trend.” are a popular, easy, and affordable option for students.

“You can honestly be anything,” said Gallo. “Once, I cut out holes in a brown box and wrote Cheerios on it.”

If dressing up as cereal isn’t your forte, there are many other choices. Try recreating a cat by adding ears to any outfit or football player by slipping on an old jersey. The options are limitless.

If mainstream costumes aren’t your thing, memorable media moments seem to be another popular trend. Almost everyone will recognize Miley Cyrus’ “twerking outfit” and Robin Thicke’s own interpretation of Beatlejuice after their controversial Video Music Awards performance in August.

“All you really have to do is carry a huge teddy bear and a foam finger, and I’m pretty sure everyone will know who you are,” said Gallo.

According to Gallo, “Kim Kardhasian and Kanye West, Jay-Z and Beyonce” are just a few other notable celebrity costumes that she plans to see. If picking out a costume seems to be a problem, just think about what stood out to you this year. Whether it’s a character from “Duck Dynasty” or “The Great Gatsby,” or even Prince William and Kate Middleton, remember spending too much money isn’t a must.

Miley Cryus at the VMAs.

film

By Bryan Kuriawa

Science fiction cinema has a new and inventive tale to tell

Within the world of sci-fi, the fear of being trapped in space has often been the prominent theme of various writers and films over the years.

In films such as “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Silent Running,” the lead characters are faced with the prospect of remaining in space with only their wits and abilities to prevent disaster.

For director Alfonso Cuaron, this concept plays a central role in his latest feature, “Gravity.”

On her first space mission, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) views the expedition as one of simply repairing in-orbit technology. When a swarm of space debris destroys the orbiting space shuttle Stone finds herself without a potential way to return to Earth.

Along with her partner Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), she must make her way to the nearby International Space Station, hoping that a chance for a return trip would be possible.

As our two leads, Bullock and Clooney are both outstanding, giving strong and exceptionally well-composed performances. In their roles, each actor demonstrates their strengths, both representing a specific character structure and concept.

Stone is the realist, who is uncertain about their chances for escaping their predicament, while Kowalski sees their situation in a more laze-faire fashion.

Known by mainstream audiences for his role in directing 2004’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” Cuaron creates a visual environment worthy of an Academy Award.

Utilizing both long takes, especially in the opening sequence, and a mix of first and third-person shots throughout, he demonstrates a keen insight behind the camera and delivers an excellent spectacle.

Similarly, the screenplay by Cuaron, and his brother Jonas, proves to be excellent. While the characters and plot are relatively straight-forward, the screenplay focuses entirely on the differing personalities of its leads.

In this case, Stone is a person trying to escape into her work from reallife, and Kowalski as a man who embraces life. Fault-wise, outside of a minimal plot, the only major complaint would be the slow pace on certain occasions within the narrative.

Overall “Gravity” is an excellent sci-fi film which demonstrates a modern director willing to take risks within a familiar genre, and will prove enjoyable to general audiences. For those seeking a suspenseful ride this month, this will be the best option.

Album covers from left to right: Jay-Z, Kanye, Drake.

By Jasmine leach

“I’m a Christian, so I feel like Kanye went off the chart with some of the things he says in this album.”

The album left many scratching their heads.

Not only did the title leave some uneasy, but the overall concept was not well received.

“He’s a lost soul,” “I didn’t get it” and “I’m over it,” were phrases that students weren’t shy or apprehensive about using.

“I’m a Christian, so I feel like Kanye went off the chart with some of the things he says in this album,” Phillips said. “Him calling himself Yeezuz was inappropriate to me.”

Curtis also had a problem with the overall theme. He defined it as “dark” and that its messages were close to some type of “devil worship.”

Even with the controversial lyrics, many could not deny the single “Blood on the Leaves.”

Kean students found the beat and the lyrics the most intriguing compared to the other songs on the album.

Dropped just about a week before Yeezuz, J.Cole’s highly anticipated album hit the shelves and the overall response from Kean students was

mixed. Some glorified Cole for the beats he used, his lyrics and his overall flow.

While others like Quinton Davis, a senior, felt that he showed no real improvements from his previous works. He claimed that “It was good, but it showed no real growth.”

Senior Joel Reyes felt otherwise. “It was definitely deep, it was like he was able to make good music without being like every other artist,” Reyes said. “It’s like he had an inspiration to say something that actually meant something.”

Phillips believed that compared to Jay-Z’s Magna Carta, J.Cole’s album shined brighter because of its relatable lyrics.

“I do believe J. Cole’s album was more based on real life, in which more people can relate to,” Phillips said. “When you can relate to something, you can enjoy it more. Nobody really knows or can relate to how Jay-Z lives.”

Meanwhile, “Nothing was the same,” Drake’s third studio album, dropped on Sept. 24, but was leaked to the internet about a week prior to release. Many Kean students were thrilled with the outcome and praised Drake for yet again delivering a successful album.

“It could be played from beginning to end without skipping songs,” said senior Dahlia Wesley.

The single “Come Thru” was a common favorite. Students loved its wordplay and especially, the beat. In fact, the beats included on this album, for a lot of students, was what won their hearts over.

His versatile style and ability to switch from singing to rapping put him above the bunch and even though the album has been out for the shortest period of time in relation to the others, it didn’t take much time to grow on its audience.

There’s still time left in the year to debate on which album should be the best.

Regardless, these four albums have been thoroughly discussed, debated, praised and bashed, but still manage to have the spotlight for their different sounds and styles.

Liberty Hall history comes alive

“Bullock and Clooney are both outstanding, giving strong and exceptionally well-composed performances.”

Final Rating: 10/10 Top: The large lawn behind John Kean’s home; bottom: John Kean’s family home.

Email us at thetower@kean.edu.

For some, Jay-Z’s mature lyrics and lifestyle were hard to follow and un-relatable. Some students even admitted to having to look up things mentioned in his album in order to fully understand exactly what he was talking about.

However, Magna Carta wasn’t the most misunderstood album out of the pact.

Jay-Z’s prodigy, Kanye West, dropped one of the most controversial albums of his career. Titled “Yeezuz,” a play on the religious figure Jesus.

This past summer has been an eventful one for music, especially when discussing Rap. Many artists have been competing for the top spot and some have had no problem calling out their competition.

Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s single, “Control,” raised eyebrows when he single handedly “dissed” artists like Drake, Meek Mill and Big Sean.

Some of the artists who were put on the spot fired back, but others just let their music do the talking instead. Many albums and mix-tapes were released, but there were a few in particular that really took the spotlight and have been deemed some of the best albums this year, thus far.

J. Cole, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Drake have been highly praised and even bashed in different ways. These four albums are sure to spark debate between Hip-Hop and Rap fanatics, and Kean students weren’t shy about hiding their opinions as well.

One of the most popular rappers to date, JayZ, dropped his latest album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” on July 4, and because of his name, it was expected to sell in abundance.

Although the overall reaction to Magna Carta was good, some felt that it didn’t live up to their standards.

“I’ve seen Jay-Z do better, but I guess he’s at this point in life where he’s already set,” said Eric Phillips, a freshman. “He doesn’t really need to do anything else. He’s just making albums to let people know he’s still here.”

Others felt that Jay-Z’s album was up to par and even though it may have not been the best album of the year, it stayed true to his growth and lifestyle.

Charles Curtis III, a senior, believed that JayZ’s album should be respected simply because his lyrics were plausible and credible.

“I feel like Jay-Z has a different level to his music now,” Curtis said. “As he gets older, his music gets more Mature. He raps about where he is now.”

theater

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THE TOWER 7

Battle of the albums: hip-hop vs. rap

Photos: Jasmine Leach

Halloween

music

October 17, 2013

By Shelsie Ducheine

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

6 THE TOWER

Liberty Hall Museum is filled with years of intriguing history that transports people back in time to an older generation.

Most colleges and universities have museums where students can learn about previous world leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and conflicts such as both World Wars, and even cultural information.

In contrast to what is classified as a “typical museum,” Kean’s Liberty Hall goes far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Liberty Hall Museum is not a large building where visitors roam the halls and just stare at portraits with miniature descriptions for the captions; it’s the location where the founder John Kean raised his family.

“I like how they work to keep the history of our area alive by preserving Liberty hall with tours and themed events,” said junior Devon Sepe.

Bill Schroh, the Operations Director of the Liberty Hall Museum, explained that the Kean home “has 240 years worth of history of New Jersey and America.”

On the inside of the historical yellow mansion, there are portraits of each family member that were created in oil. There are more than twenty rooms in the home and these include bedrooms and the maid’s and butler’s quarters.

Other highlights consist of a library, a dining room, a living room and a huge kitchen that still maintains its original look, complete with the old fashioned silverware and pots.

One room has a collection of Mrs. Kean’s hair accessories and one of her gold, intricately detailed dresses. In the basement of the house, there is a wine cellar that includes more than five hundred bottles of wine.

Based on all of the features the Kean home has, it’s no wonder that many people enjoy it so much.

“I liked the decoration of the house because it has an ancient feel,” said junior Rachel Tuan.

“Now, we live in more modern style homes. Looking at John Kean’s home makes me feel like I’m looking at a classic home from “Pride and Prejudice.”

Some of these events include the traditional yearly celebrations for Christmas, New Year’s, and their Halloween Ghost Tours.

In addition to the typical holiday events, they even sponsor weekly Thursday Farmer’s Markets.

Sharyn Freindlich, a junior, got a chance to attend one the markets at the beginning of this semester. She explains that the market “was nicely set up with a variety of produce.”

She also elaborates on her most pleasurable moment while walking around the market.

“My favorite part was a cute little stand hiding out in the corner,” Freindlich said. “Tornado Potato sold something new and unique that caught my eye with deep fried potatoes on a stick in multiple flavors.”

Liberty Hall is always open to giving students tours of the property and sharing their celebrations with the community.

If you would like to visit the museum, the opening hours are from 10a.m.to 4 p.m. and to check out more events you can go to the website, www.kean.edu/libertyhall.com.

“In contrast to what is classified as a “typical museum,” Kean’s Liberty Hall goes far beyond anyone’s expectations.”

8 THE TOWER

October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013

Lieutenant Governor candidates debate at Kean University

THE TOWER

Kean University 2010 - 2012 crime statistics

Department of Communication

By Xirena Wormley

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

The number of people referred for campus disciplinary action due to liquor law violations on Kean’s main campus nearly doubled between 2012 and 2011, according to a report released by the university.

The Guide, Kean University’s government-mandated newsletter, revealed several campus crime statistics. According to the data, disciplinary reports for liquor violations increased from 170 in 2011 to 336 in 2012.

It has become more socially acceptable for students to drink in the seclusion of a dorm setting, according to Elizabeth Bracey, a senior majoring in Communications and a former summer resident assistant at Burch Hall.

“The cameras in the dorm build-

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.

Left: Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidate, Milly Silva; right: Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno

Editor-in-Chief: brian konchalski

“The Lt. Governor position was created because most elected governors in the past 15 years have not held their full term of office.”

By Andrea Parr, Keanu Austin and Bryan Kuriawa

The two women who are looking to become the second most powerful person in New Jersey debated at Kean University’s Wilkins Theater on October 11.

The debate between Republican Kim Guadagno, the incumbent and first ever Lieutenant Governor, and her Democratic Challenger Milly Silva, a former labor union executive, was fierce and at times personal, but most of the time both candidates attacked the other’s running mate.

The lieutenant governor’s responsibilities entail overseeing the state’s economy, job growth, tourism, and programs in the arts, culture, history and assuming the position of governor if the current governor is not in the state or cannot complete their term.

The Lt. Governor position was created because most elected governors in the past 15 years have not held their full term of office. This forced the state to hold the first ever Lieutenant Governor’s debate and election in 2009.

“Twenty-five days from today, ladies and gentlemen, please vote to continue moving the state of New Jersey in the right direction,” Guadagno said in her opening statement. “Vote for Chris Christie.”

Silva rebutted Guadagno’s praise for Christie with criticism for the governor.

“Tonight, let’s set aside this illusion of prosperity and expose the man behind the curtain,” Silva said.

“One hour of nice words cannot erase four years of utter failure.”

Job creation was a hot topic for Guadagno, as she highlighted the 143,000 private sector jobs she helped create with Christie since 2009 and to continue cutting taxes and spending in a way that will help create more jobs.

“Not a single business told me that raising taxes on anyone was going to create a job,” she said.

Silva agreed on the importance of job creation and making sure New Jersey residents stay in the state and earn a livable wage.

Guadagno said she is proud of the progress made so far recovering from Hurricane Sandy, but there is “still a ways to go.” She said thousands of people have returned to their homes and they have created businesses where they were destroyed. She also stressed that they have re-opened all schools, roads, and water treatment facilities damaged or closed by Sandy.

Silva criticized the choice to spend $2 million on featuring Christie in the “Stronger than the Storm” commercials as an unwise use of resources.

“The face of Sandy, no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, was Governor Christie,” said Guadagno in response.

Both candidates agreed that the priority in recovery was returning people to their homes.

“We need to be a state that leaves no one behind,” Silva said after mentioning families who have yet to receive help rebuilding from the state.

Guadagno praised Christie for giving parents a chance to get rid of bad teachers.

“What we’re doing right now is finally beginning to evaluate teachers based on their ability to teach,” Guadagno said.

She added that it is urgent to address the issue of teachers who are unsuccessful at their jobs, because children in failing school districts cannot wait for the public school system to fix itself.

“New Jersey needs to make sure that there is no child who is left without the resources or the educators needed to get the best quality education,” said Silva in response. “But we don’t get there if what we do is cut $1 billion from our public school system.”

The candidates were also asked what actions they would take to make college education more affordable.

“Right now, as we stand here today, $1.3 billion is going to higher education,” Guadagno said. “To build buildings that will give our students … an opportunity to go to school in New Jersey.”

Silva noted the $173 million dollars cut from the state’s higher education institutions under Christie’s administrations.

“We want to make sure that we are building new schools and making capital improvements, but what’s the point of having fantastic buildings if the college students can’t afford to walk through the doors?” Silva rebutted.

The candidates were also asked what they will do to curb property taxes.

Guadagno said her side has plans to close some of the remaining loopholes in the existing property tax law, work to get more shared services between towns, civil service reform, and end sick pay payouts. She highlighted the two percent property tax bill Christie signed.

“In New Jersey, a property tax cap of two percent is life-changing,” Guadagno said. “That’s the way we’re going to lower taxes in New Jersey. It’s already beginning to work.”

Silva noted that a promise regarding property taxes was among the first Christie broke to the New Jersey people.

“In 2009, he stood on a stage just like this and he promised that he would not touch property tax relief,” Silva said. “He slashed property tax relief to our seniors and on middle class families so that today, those people don’t have the hundreds of dollars that they would rely on in order to be able to make ends meet.”

Silva added that in Jersey City, people are paying 32 percent more in taxes and 37 percent more in Toms River.

Closing remarks both candidates attacked the other’s running mate, a trend followed throughout the entire debate.

“I ask you to continue the progress we have seen in the last four years,” said Guadagno in her closing statement. Guadagno urged voters to vote for Christie and not go back to the high taxes, spending and unemployment of the Corzine administration in 2009.

“This isn’t Chris Christie’s New Jersey, it’s our New Jersey,” said Silva on her prediction of a second term in office with Christie where only the the middle class and workers would continue struggling.

When the debate was over the two women shook hands.

“How much fun was that?” asked Guadagno to Silva, not realizing her microphone was on.

Managing Editor: CHRISTY PETILLO

Features Editor: Andrea Parr

ings are always on … for alcohol or drug possession,” Bracey said. “I do see more drug and alcohol busts on campus than my freshman year [sic]. And the cops patrol the campus more, especially during the night.”

Although disciplinary reports for liquor law violations increased, arrests for the same type of violations decreased. One hundred sixty arrests for liquor law violations on the main campus were reported in 2011, but only 10 were reported in 2012.

The report also revealed that disciplinary actions and arrests related to drug possession decreased.

Seventy-eight drug-related cases were reported in 2011, but only 32 were reported in 2012.

In regards to sexual offenses, Kean had fewer instances in comparison to other universities. Kean had one reported incident of a nonforcible sex violation on its main campus in 2012.

Montclair University had three

Arts & Entertainment Editor: Bryan C. Kuriawa Sports Editor: Dan Canova Head Online Editor: MIKE JAGO Online Editor: Ryan GaYdos

STAFF Kyle Lawrence Jasmine Leach Gerald Lima Christine Moukazis Mak Ojutiku Sara Paczkowski Gabrielle PrendattCarter Carl Stofferes Dominique Virias Xirena Wormley

Opinion pieces and letters to the editor The Tower welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor from any source. Such material should be submitted to thetower@kean.edu or left at The Tower’s offices. To verify sources of written material, submissions must include the writer’s name and contact information. Students should include their class (sophomore, graduate, etc.) and major. Faculty and staff should include campus title or position. On request, names may be withheld from publication if The Tower staff determines there is a legitimate reason to do so, but no anonymous letters will be accepted for publication. The Tower reserves the right to edit, and refuse publication of any submission.

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forcible rape offenses, according to their own data, and William Paterson University had a total of four sexual offenses.

Reported burglary crimes declined almost 32 percent at Kean between 2012 and 2011. Reported aggravated assault and weapon possession each had one incident in 2012.

A total of 95 fire alarm activations occurred in the residence halls in 2012, with a majority of them being caused by microwaves and unattended cooking situations.

Thirty-eight of those 95 activations occurred in the Upperclass Residence Hall, which experienced the most fire alarm activations out of all Kean residence halls between 2012 and 2011.

Activations involving cooking amounted to more than 40 percent of fire alarm incidents. The

“Although disciplinary reports for liquor law violations increased, arrests for the same type of violations decreased.”

News Editor: Keanu Austin

Alex Addesso Sonia Aquije Brigit Bauma Elizabeth Bracey Jennifer Deligne Shelsie Ducheine Gillian Findley Marisa gallagher Raymond Gurbisz Annalise Knudson Chris Lamonica

THE TOWER 9

second leading cause of fire alarm activations in the residence halls was steam from showers.

Requests for a comment from Kean Police were referred to university relations twice. Two email requests to a staff member at university relations and emails to a Kean police lieutenant for a comment went unanswered.

In a message from theDepartment of Public Safety and Police on Kean’s website, the department noted that a majority of the reported offenses have been directed against property rather than against people.

“We believe you will find that Kean has much to be proud of in terms of campus safety and security,” the message reads, “that our efforts in this area are serious and ongoing, and that we consistently give crime prevention and the safety and security of every member of our community the highest priority.”

A taste of the political pressroom

By Brian Konchalski

Andie, Bryan, Corey and I approached Wilkins Theatre, press passes around our necks, and we were nervous and tired. It was six o’clock on a cool, early autumn night, and we didn’t want to be at Kean University as much as the rest of the students.

There was a sizable crowd of Chris Christie/ Kim Guadagno supporters outside chanting for their candidate. The energy from the supporters outside of Wilkin’s

the rude lady said to Terry in an annoyed and condescending tone.

Terry easily appeased the woman with a reserved seating ticket, allowing her to bypass security and sit up in the front of the theatre.

I stepped up to ask where my reporters and I should enter, but before I could finish my question Terry answered.

“You’re [press],” he said. “You can go through the same entrance where that very angry woman just went through.”

I motioned for Andie and Bryan.

“We all felt a little out-classed by the professional journalists and photographers. After all, we were just students.” theatre brought up my energy. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the debate, but I knew that the audience would be a lively one during the debate.

We wanted to put our things down, but we did not know which entrance to go through.

I knew which man to talk to, Terry Golway. Terry is a shorter than average man, with a graying beard and was one of the men who brought the debate to Kean. You can see his picture on one of the many banners that are hanging around the school.

As I approached Terry there was a rather rude middle-aged woman complaining to him.

“I’m with the Christie campaign,”

We entered through the side entrance, bypassing security. It was a first for the three of us, no security check and a room to work from with some catering.

“I know what reporters want,” Terry would later tell me after the debate. “I was once a reporter myself.”

Terry Golway was one of the men to bring the Lieutenant governor’s debate to Kean. Terry is also the Director of the Center for History, Policy and Politics.

Around 6:30 pm Andie, Bryan and I entered into the building and made our way to the pressroom.

Corey was soon to follow us in.

There were professional reporters, journalists and photographers

in the pressroom. They were all busy typing other stories or live tweeting before the debate. The photographers packed large zoom lenses with tripods and monopods.

We all felt a little out classed by the professional journalists and photographers. After all, we were just students.

We talked amongst ourselves in the pressroom for about 20 minutes before the debate began.

At 6:50 pm we entered the theatre. You could feel some tension in the room. This tension would exacerbate excessive chanting and applauding after some of the answers during the debate.

7:00 pm, the house lights dim, the cameras went live and the candidates entered the stage.

The host requested that the audience to refrain from applauding until the end. That rule fell on deaf ears as the audience had broke out in applause several times.

Halfway through the debate I noticed a large difference between the underlying message of the two candidates. Silva used “we” and collectivist terms when answering questions, whereas Guadagno used “I” or “Governor Christie and I.” “How much fun was that?” asked Guadagno to Silva while they were shaking hands at the end of the debate, not realizing her microphone was on.

It was in that little phrase that Guadagno said that I realized that these two candidates had nothing personal against each other.

SPORTS

10 THE TOWER

October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013

Kean football trying to turn season around

Ryan Critti fights adversity to become renowned power lifter

By Ryan Gaydos

Photos: Carl Stoffers

Left: Quarterback Robert Meade after a penalty negated a long gain; right: Quarterback Robert Meade evades a TCNJ defender.

By Carl Stoffers

The Kean University football program has endured adversity in the past. The program suffered decades of mediocrity before it shed its losing image after being turned around by head coach Dan Garrett.

seniors who are going to give me everything they’ve got, so I’m not giving in.”

Kean football is in danger of registering its first non-winning season since 2005, the year before Garrett took the reigns. The Cou-

Offensive production has been a concern all season and the injury to starting quarterback Christian Bailoni has hindered the process.

Bailoni left in the second half of Kean’s 17-7 loss to SUNY Cortland with a separated shoulder and

“We’re trying to find something to turn things around. Right now, we’re being tested. I believe things happen for a reason, and we’ve just got to fight.”

Now, with the Cougars in the basement of the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings with a 1-4 record, Garrett isn’t ready to throw in the towel.

“We’ve got to keep fighting,” he said, after his team’s 7-0 loss to The College of New Jersey on Oct. 11. “We’ve been here before.

I’ve been here before, when no one thought Kean football could ever win. So, I’m going to keep staying the course and doing what we believe in. I told them I’m not going to quit on them. I’ve got twenty

gars dropped two of the first three games on the 2013 schedule, including a 34-7 thrashing in Union by nationally-ranked Mary-Hardin Baylor, as well as conference games to SUNY Cortland and The College of New Jersey.

Despite the tough schedule, Garrett hasn’t seen any lack of effort from his team.

“We’ve got great kids,” he said.

“Great kids who want to work, who want to win. Right now, we’re just not putting enough points on the board to do that.”

missed the TCNJ game, yielding starting duties to sophomore Robert Meade. He’s currently listed as week-to-week.

“Any time you lose your starting quarterback, you’re going to take a step back. But we have a lot of confidence in Robbie Meade,” Garrett said after the TCNJ loss. “He’s a very talented young man, and he brings a different dimension.”

Meade has been solid in his limited play this season, logging 16 completions in 26 attempts with just one interception. He engi-

neered a 93-yard drive in the final minutes of Kean’s loss to TCNJ, only to have it stall on the Lions’ 1-yard line.

“He took us right down the field,” Garrett said of the 15-play drive.

“But we didn’t get it in in the end.

Again, it’s about execution.”

Injuries have also hit Kean hard on the defensive side of the ball, with key defensive back LeRon Dillard possibly lost for the season with an MCL/ACL knee injury. Dillard’s injury is a blow to a secondary that has snagged six interceptions this season and been strong point of the Cougar defensive attack.

Kean continues its NJAC conference play at home Oct. 19 vs.

William Paterson (2-3), where they will look to turn their season around. Coach Garrett summed up his team’s approach simply.

“We’re trying to find something to turn things around,” he said.

“Right now, we’re being tested. I believe things happen for a reason, and we’ve just got to fight.”

Field hockey team rolling through season

By Mak Ojutiku

Kean’s Field Hockey team closed their 2012 season with a disappointing 8-11 record. It was the first losing season in head coach Leslie Lafronz’s four year career and the first for the team since 1999. The season also marked the first time the team missed a post season appearance since 2008.

Expectations for the 2013 were low. Despite that, or maybe even because of that, their play this season has been nothing short of dominant.

The play of the team has taken many by surprise. The team was picked to finish fifth in a preseason coaches’ poll. They are currently in fifth. Even those on the team weren’t expecting this much success.

“Did I expect (this record)? No,” said Coach Lafronz. “But I do know that we have the capability to compete with anyone in Division III field hockey.”

So far the team has been more than competitive, compiling a 13-1 record overall. The X-factor for the team has to be their defense. The team has been stingy with goals so far allowing only six goals so far.

“Claire Keenan locks down the left side of the field. Center back Diane Boccella holds the center of the field and breaks up opposing team’s offensive attacks. Stephanie Rios is our starting sweeper and after missing last year with several knee surgeries, she has made impressive tackles in the defense. And Julie Knodt has great poise, solid hits and amazing

Photo: Mak Ojutiku

Forward Stephanie Soares celebrating one of her many goals.

“We have the capability to compete with anyone in Division III field hockey.” composure on the right side of the field,” Lafronz says.

Their goalkeeper, sophomore, Katie DiCarlo has had some stellar play as well. DiCarlo has posted 9 shut outs and her .900 save percentage is 6th in the nation. Her play has been recognized by NJAC and ECAC in the form of Player of the Week honors. Because of the collective effort of the defense and DiCarlo, Kean has the seventh fewest goals allowed average in Division III. The Cougar’s offense has also been putting good numbers up.

Their offense was a major catalyst to the eight game winning streak that started off the season.

The streak started with the season opener, a 1-0 win over Albright College. The score line was somewhat deceiving, as the Cougars controlled most of the action in the game, outshooting their opponents 14 to 2. The strong win set the tone for the coming weeks as the team scored 23 goals in 8 games. Senior Korri Thompson scored eight goals during the run, including a hat trick in their win over Marywood University.

Follow The Tower’s sports coverage @KUTowerSports

Another offensive force is senior, Stephanie Soares. Soares scored a hat trick in their recent 6-0 win over Ramapo and currently leads the team in goals with 13. Thompson is the team leader in assists with eight.

Statistically, the seniors on the team have been contributing much to the team. The top 3 team leaders in goals, assists, and points (Soares, Thompson, and Knodt) are all seniors.

“The seniors have worked so hard on their fitness, strength and stick development over the past four years,” said Coach Lafronz.

“And with six starting seniors, the experiences we have had over the years has really prepared us for this years season.”

The coach also praised the well roundedness of the team.

“We have such talent and balance on our team,” Lafronz said.

“That is our true strength.”

With their current record, the Cougars have already surpassed the achievements of last years’ team. They still have work to do though as three of their remaining five games are against NJAC rivals.

Two of those games are against Stockton College and Montclair State who are the fourth and third place teams in NJAC currently.

“We still have many competitive games yet to play and ultimately, we are looking to go to post-season,” Lafronz said. “Right now, we are just enjoying each day and striving to continue winning games.”

THE TOWER 11

At the age of 18-years-old, it is hard to imagine yourself to be physically unable to perform on the field in a sport that you love.

For senior Ryan Critti, that is what he was told senior year at Mater Dei High School, in Middletown, N.J., after suffering four concussions and two reconstructive shoulder surgeries 11 months apart. Critti lost an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision scholarship in the process.

Though one dream ended on the field, another dream began off the field inside the gym.

“After losing the scholarship,” Critti said, “I needed to do some-

of three attempts in squats, bench [press], and deadlift. My squat at the time was world record at 525, my bench was 320 and my deadlift was 530.”

“When I competed in South Jersey I went from a 525 squat to a 595 squat, my bench was 320 and my deadlift went to 565. This past September my squat would have been 605, my bench to 355, my dead to 600.”

Critti was able to set a record in his federation, the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate. His record for the junior raw classic division still stands at 525-lbs his class.

Raw classic means using the lifting belt and wearing an amateur wrestling-type uniform.

dead lift. Critti won first place in the junior raw ironman division at the Supreme Iron Warrior World Championship.

“I train specifically on how the judge at the meet, but so far they use different judges, which makes me alter my training even more. I try to get strict in detail in how low and deep I go to get a valid squat.”

Converting from a team sport like football to an individual sport like powerlifting seems like a tough transition to go through, but for Critti, who sports a boisterous brown beard like much of his competition, he assimilated easily into the community.

“It is all a lot of fun,” he said.

“When you go to a meet you’ll

“It’s not like some other sports where you are looking down at your competition... It is a brotherhood. Everyone wants to see everyone do the best they can to make themselves better.” thing to keep the competitiveness inside of me going, while still being some sort of an athlete.”

Getting to the point where he wanted to be was not easy. Eating is a big thing and to become a bigtime power lifter, you need to eat and train in the gym a lot.

“You need to eat and eat a lot,” he said. “I’m eating anywhere from five to eight meals a day and I am in the gym from about an hour to an hour and a half per day.”

Critti, a psychology major on the pre-physical therapy track, has trained for about two and a half years and has been competing in events around the state for one year. Keeping track of his progress, he has also progressed in the past year being able to lift more than ever.

“This past September, my total went up 185 pounds,” he said. “My first total ever was 1375 in the best

Critti almost set another record but his squat did not count because the bar was not parallel.

The suits that power-lifters wear are designed to go just to parallel and with controversy behind what is and what is not parallel, powerlifters such as Critti have to abide by what the judge considers parallel. The judge in his particular meet wanted lifters to get their hamstrings to touch their calves, an extremely hard feat to accomplish with 500-plus pounds of weight on your back.

“On the third try, my left leg seized up on me,” Critti said, “so instead of falling with the weight, I decided not to fall and get pinned by the bar but just stand back up with it and have the squat not count.”

After that Critti converted to an ironman, which is a push-pull or in other words, a bench press

Tune into 90.3 FM WKNJ The Sound of Kean University”

see all the power-lifters rooting for each other. It’s not like some other sports where you are looking down at your competition or your bad mouthing them. It is a brotherhood. Everyone wants to see everyone do the best they can to make themselves better.”

An amateur like Critti is also looking for a way to get his name out there even more and although, signing with Tokkyo Nutrition, a New Hampshire based company, he is doing everything on his own.

“I’m probably as broke as you can get right now,” he said with a deep laugh. “The only thing I have going for me is my girlfriend Brittany, my family, my mom, my dad and my sister who have been there with me since day one.

Next for Critti is to try to get a team.

“It helps when you have a team with who have the same interests

Ryan Critti in competition.

you have. They help spot you and motivate you. Right now it’s either I lift by myself or train with my girlfriend. In this sport, I’m a big fish in an ocean.”

Next for Critti is to get back to full strength. Critti is taking time off from competing to get is autonomic nervous system back to 100 percent. The autonomic nervous system controls your heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate among other things in your body.

His schedule is packed with the South Jersey Rumble in the spring, Worlds next September and a big meet in Ohio next October. If all goes well, the final goal will is to

Photo: Daniel Borman

compete in the North American and New Jersey State Championship Powerlifting meet in 2015.

“I want satisfaction knowing that I pushed myself to the furthest my body can handle as well as leaving a legacy of some sort.

Everyone wants to go pro and get sponsors and endorsements and if that happens, that’d be great. If not it is no skin off my back. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing for the next couple years, just try to pass on whatever knowledge I have to other people.”

12 THE TOWER

October 17, 2013

Photos: Left & right: Carl Stoffers center photo; middle: Gerald Lima

SPORTS

Kean Sports: who’s hot and who’s not

Left: Defensive back Joe Drossel walking off the field; Center: The men’s soccer team in a huddle; Right: Head coach Dan Garrett talks to his players.

By Raymond Gurbisz

Kean University athletics is starting to pick up now, so here’s a look at which teams have been doing well and which teams have not.

NOT

HOT SPORTS SCHEDULE OCTOBER

FIELD HOCKEY

19: Women’s Tennis vs.

Rutgers-Camden

12:00 PM

Football vs.

William Paterson University 1:00 PM

Women’s Soccer vs. The College of New Jersey 5:00 PM

24: Men’s Soccer

vs. Rowan University

7:30 PM 26: Women’s Volleyball

vs. Richard Stockton College

12:00 PM

Women’s Volleyball vs. New York University 4:00 PM

29: Field Hockey

vs. Montclair State University

7:30 PM 30: Women’s Soccer

vs. William Paterson University

7:30 PM NOVEMBER 02: Football

vs. Morrisville State College

12:00 PM 09: Football

vs. Rowan University

1:00 PM

The Kean field hockey team has been making quite a lot of noise this season, as the team has gone undefeated in its last five games.

The team now sports an impressive 13-1 record, after dropping its first game of the season in a 1-0 loss to a tough opponent in The College of New Jersey on Sept. 24.

The Lady Cougars were on an eight-game winning streak before the loss, but have continued the success they found at the beginning of the season. The big story for the team remains sophomore goalkeeper Katie DiCarlo.

DiCarlo has been red-hot all season and currently leads the nation in save percentage and goalsagainst average. She has accumulated 49 saves and 13 victories this season, eight of those victories being shutouts.

The team has four of their five games remaining on the road. The team will look to continue its solid play over the next few games, before returning home to Kean for the final game on familiar turf against Montclair State University on Oct. 29.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Currently on a four-game winning streak, the women’s volleyball team has had a very productive season thus far. The team brought its record to 17-6 after powering through the Kean Invitational onOct. 4 and 5. During the two-day

invitational, Kean won a tough matchup 3-2 against SUNY Canton and swept Centenary College 3-0 during the evening game.

The following day Kean built off their momentum and swept both Brooklyn College and City College of New York 3-0.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Good defense and goalkeeping has been a big part of the Kean women’s soccer team so far. The team now has an 8-3-1 record and is on a five-game winning streak.

Four of the last five victories for the Cougars have been shutouts.

Through the first 12 games, the Lady Cougars have only let up 13 goals, while netting 28. The team has also done a terrific job of limiting opponents goal-scoring chances, as the Cougars have 220 total shots, as opposed to their opponents combined total of 133.

Aside from good defense, a big part of the success for the team has come from stand-out sophomore Angie Lopez, who was named New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30. Lopez had four goals, along with eight points, during the week she was selected. She also lead the NJAC in both goals scored with 6, and goals per game average with 0.67.

The Lady Cougars next matchup comes on Oct. 16 when the team will take on rival squad Montclair State University at home.

WOMEN’S TENNIS After losing six of its first nine games under new head coach Jodi Valenti, the women’s tennis team has gotten off to a slow start to the season. Now 5-6 on the year, the team will try and build off its recent two-game winning streak in which it beat Baruch College in a close 5-4 matchup and John Jay College 7-2.

October looks to be a turnaround for the lady Cougars, as they are 2-1 this month, coming off a rough September that wasn’t kind to the team.

Kean was scheduled to play Ramapo on Oct. 10, however the game was postponed and pushed back to Oct. 17. Kean will instead play next at Drew University in the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) women’s tennis tournament on Oct. 12 through the 13th.

MEN’S FOOTBALL The tough season for the Kean football team continues as the Cougars dropped a close game against SUNY Cortland 17-7 in their most recent game on Oct. 5. The score was tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter until SUNY Cortland scored 10 unanswered points in the final nine minutes of the game to get the victory. Turnovers proved to be the difference as Kean had three turnovers and forced just one.

“It was heartbreaking,” said

senior offensive-lineman Mike Orlando. “We got to rebound into this week. It’s not how hard you hit, it’s how hard you get hit, and keep going.”

Before losing to SUNY Cortland, the one bright spot this season came against Endicott College where the Cougars won 24-17. The team looked great during the first half, jumping out to a 16-0 lead and hanging on to get the first win of the season. Once again, turnovers played a huge factor, as Kean had five take-aways.

Kean will have their next game on Oct. 11 against The College of New Jersey, a team that is coming off a two-game winning streak.

MEN’S SOCCER

The past two weeks for the Kean men’s soccer team has brought some struggles for the Cougars overall productive season. With a record of 9-5, the Cougars have dropped three of their last four games since a tough 2-1 loss to Rutgers-Camden on Sept. 28. The team was then defeated by New Jersey City University and Ramapo College, failing to score a goal in both matches.

Fortunately, Kean’s most recent game came against John Jay College where the Cougars won a lopsided matchup 4-0, with its goalkeeping only facing one shot all game. Four different members of the Cougar squad netted goals.

Men’s soccer team fighting for a playoff spot

By Gerald Lima

After a losing record of 9-11 last year, the Men’s soccer team was determined to come back stronger this season.

Head Coach Tony Ochrimenko, who is a five time coach of the year, is looking to improve this season.

However, he believes the team’s season could be slipping away.

The Cougars are looking at a record of 8-5 more than halfway through the season which means that making the playoffs unlikely.

“We are playing well throughout, but just seem to get unlucky,” Ochrimenko said. “Hopefully we get smiled on, we know we can do it.”

Dominick DeLello, the teams captain and a big asset to the team, started the season with five goals, but unfortunately suffered an injury in one of the team’s recent games.

“I hurt my foot during one of the games, but when I got it checked out I was told it was dislocated,” DeLello said. “I’m out until the

The Cougars started off the game strong by attacking and putting pressure on the Bloodhounds.

Throughout the game, Captain Ste-

rales (51’), Stephen Moll (Pen. 60’), and Jonathan German (65’).

The Cougars’ tough road ahead consists of only six games after de-

“After a good start, we have hit a bump in the road and we are working hard as a team to win the rest of our games.”

Men’s Soccer team in play.

last game of the season. After a good start, we have hit a bump in the road and we are working hard as a team to win the rest of our games.”

According to Ochrimenko, no player on the team has missed a practice, and have been dedicating themselves throughout the entire season.

“They are good students and hard

Photo: Mak Ojutiku

playing group,” Ochrimenko said.

“The chemistry is there, we have what it takes, and with a team of mostly freshmen, we need to find a way for them to get more involved.

We will take care of the playoffs, and we have to find a way.”

The team was excited to hear the final whistle blow at the end of the game October 9 against John Jay College.

phen Moll showed leadership making sure the team didn’t lose focus.

In the first half both teams were attacking, and ball possession was about 50/50.

However, the second half was a different story. Everything was going the Cougars’ way, and the Bloodhounds’ energy was minimized because of the style of play

by Kean.

Four minutes into the game they were rewarded with a penalty kick, which was eventually scored by Gordon Lyng. Three more goals followed in the 2nd half by John Cor-

Follow The Tower’s sports coverage @KUTowerSports

feating John Jay College by a score of 4-0, and they’ve pushed their record to 9-5 on the season.

Steven Osores, a freshman academically and to the team, is still very confident that the Cougars have a fighting chance at a playoff appearance, especially after their win.

“I think it’s a positive win for us,” Osores said. “I think it helps boost our confidence.”