hurtful memories heal slowly

Transcription

The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930
16
Volume 78, Issue XVI1I - Friday, March 28, 2008
H
urtful Memories Heal Slowly
Remembering Gary
Phi Tau’s insurer
one year after death
By Jeff Frankel
This Sunday marks the oneyear anniversary of the death of
Gary DeVercelly Jr.
The freshman from Long
Beach, Calif., died March 30,
2007, at Capital Health System
at Fuld campus, after authorities said he consumed a lethal
amount of alcohol.
Since then — and despite
several positive movements
on campus, including plans
for a new residence hall and
an increase in enrollment —
DeVercelly’s death has continued to have an influence on the
Rider community, most notably in the form of a new alcohol
policy and a $75 million lawsuit filed by his parents against
the University.
In addition, two University
administrators, Dean of
Students Anthony Campbell
and Director of Greek Life
balks at paying
By Paul Szaniawski
Ada Badgely, were indicted
in connection with his death,
but all charges were eventually
dropped.
And even a year after
his death, loved ones are still
mourning his loss.
“You are truly a special
person and I have never met
anyone like you,” DeVercelly’s
then-girlfriend, Diane Poissant,
wrote on a filled message board
honoring him online. “You
cared so much about everyone
and always made sure we were
safe and taken care of. All your
friends and family miss you so
much and we know that you are
looking down on us. You will
forever be in our hearts, Gary.
“You were the one person I
could tell anything to and you
were always there whenever I
had a problem. I will never
forget all the fun times we had
and our long three-hour phone
conversations. I love you, Gary,
and I know you will always be
looking out for all your loved
ones.”
The brothers of the former fraternity can’t believe a
year has gone by already, said
Brian Pawelko, Lawrenceville
SGA vice president and former
Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) member.
“It’s definitely tough,” he said.
“Most of the brothers think
back and it seems so short, but
it really was a year ago. I don’t
think there is ever a way we can
forget about that.”
His death still strikes a
nerve with school administrators, including Campbell.
“I still feel for Gary and for
his family,” he said. “I’m still
saddened by that. To me, any-
See DeVercelly, p. 5
The insurance company
that covers Rider’s former chapter of Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) has
filed a lawsuit in federal court
seeking to clear it of financial
obligation in the $75 million
wrongful death suit filed by the
parents of Gary DeVercelly Jr.
against the University and the
fraternity.
Landmark
American
Insurance filed the suit March
12 in U.S. District Court after
Rider filed an insurance claim
in connection with the family’s
civil suit.
Presiding Judge Freda
Wolfson issued a summons the
same day naming co-defendants
in the suit: Rider University;
alumnus Adriano DiDonato,
who served as the fraternity’s
house manager at the time of
Devercelly’s death; and United
Educators Insurance, which
covers the University.
In the suit Landmark
American Insurance says that
is not legally required to insure
PKT or Rider because the insurance policy only covers regular fraternity activities, which
the company claims does not
include hazing or negligence on
the part of PKT or Rider.
The family’s civil suit
against the chapter holds the
fraternity, its brothers and the
University responsible for an
alleged illegal hazing incident
that led to DeVercelly’s alcoholrelated death nearly one year
ago.
Reached by telephone
at PKT’s national office in
Oxford, Ohio, Chief Executive
Officer Steve Hartman said he
was unaware of the national
See Insurance, p. 5
Westminster attempts
to get fall break back
By Julia Ernst
The possibility of a fall break
was resurrected at this week’s
Lawrenceville Senate meeting.
According to SGA Vice
President Brian Pawelko, a petition circulating at Westminster
Choir College (WCC) to reestablish the days off, until
this year, was standard on the
Princeton campus sparked the
discussion.
“They got rid of their fall
break,” said Pawelko. “They
have a petition going on over
there to reinstate a fall break.”
Westminster’s SGA came
to the Lawrenceville campus to
discuss the issue.
“Their VP, Ed Whittle,
came and spoke to the Senate,”
said Pawelko. “The following
week, we spoke to Westminster.
We want the UAPC (University
Academic Policy Committee)
to further look into having a fall
break.”
The joining of Rider and
WCC in 1992 required many
compromises between the two
campuses, including this year’s
unification of the semester calendars. This unification, which
eliminated the fall break on the
Princeton campus, is causing
concern among faculty as well
as students who feel that a fall
break for both campuses should
be considered.
“Alignment is good for
interaction between the campuses, but it does pose challenges in terms of performance commitments,” said Joel Phillips,
professor of Music Theory and
Composition. “Lack of a break
could mean that “WCC students will be performing off
campus while classes continue,
and this can put them at a disadvantage academically.”
The UAPC is in charge
of setting the academic calen-
See Fall Break, p. 4
Photo by Bryan Wentz
The winning ticket numbers are ...
Juniors Kevin Mazzella (left) and Bobby Kovarovic, are all smiles after being drawn for oncampus housing next year.The premium housing lottery was held Tuesday night.
Visit The Rider News online at www.theridernews.com
2 Friday, March 28, 2008
Security Briefs
Wawa CEO, ’67 alum, comes home
Oh Beer!
By Jess Hoogendoorn
Three visitors and two
residents were cited for underage drinking in Conover
Hall on Friday, March 14, at
12:20 a.m. While on a routine foot patrol, Public Safety
saw alcohol when a room
door was opened. There were
empty beer cans in plain
sight, along with a trash can
that had alcohol containers
in it. The suspects were all
underage and relinquished
17 cans of unopened beer
to Public Safety officers.
The Lawrence Township
Police Department (LTPD)
responded to the incident
and the suspects were cited
for violating the township
ordinance against underage
drinking and the University’s
alcohol policy. The visitors
were PNG’d.
Pub Shenanigans
Two male residents were
cited for underage drinking
in the Rider Pub on Friday,
March 14, at 1:28 a.m. The
two suspects were wearing
wristbands that are intended
to identify students who are
21 and older, but the two
were underage. LTPD and
the University cited both students for underage drinking.
Purse Burglar
A female staff member
reported that credit cards
were stolen from her purse on
Saturday, March 15, in Moore
Library. The staff member
reported being in the library
between 2 and 5 p.m. She
had left her purse unattended
for a period of time and later
found that items were missing. The victim filed a report
with LTPD.
Missing Bills
A male staff member reported that a change
machine in the Rider Pub had
been opened and an unknown
amount of cash had been
removed on Monday, March
24, at 5:49 a.m. There were
tool marks on the machine,
but the lock was undamaged.
The company that is responsible for the machine was
notified and the investigation
is ongoing.
— Compiled by Jess Hoogendoorn
Information provided by Director
of Rider’s Department of Public
Safety Vickie Weaver.
It is not a place where people linger, but a place people
love.
This was how Howard
Stoeckel, president and CEO of
Wawa, described his stores during the “My Choice, My Wawa”
presentation on March 13 in
Sweigart Auditorium. Stoeckel,
a 1967 Rider graduate, has
worked his way through the
ranks to become the first nonfamily member to inherit the
title of president of the corporation, which has roots dating back 200 years. He accomplished this by planning for
the future, taking chances and
putting passion into his work.
“If you don’t dream about
the future, there is no future,”
Stoeckel said. “If you don’t have
a vision, you don’t know where
you’re going. It’s like getting
into a car without a road map.”
Wawa lays claim to 569
stores across five states. However,
Stoeckel does not believe that
each store works for him; he
believes it is his job to serve his
employees.
“At Wawa, the most important people are our store people,” he said. “In reality, I work
for them. My job is to support
the 16,000 people that deliver
the Wawa brand experience.”
Embracing change is a
key component for success,
according to Stoeckel. Wawa
has changed numerous times
throughout its 200-year existence. It has gone from a dairy
company to retail to gasoline.
Photo courtesy of Veronica Yankowski
Wawa CEO and ’ 67 Rider alumnus, Howard Stoeckel, talks about core values and his rise in the
ranks of the corporation during the “My Choice, My Wawa” presentation on March 13.
At one point in its long history,
Wawa even manufactured cannon balls and fire hydrants.
The stores continue to
change as they try to be more
convenient for customers. One
such change was going from
verbally ordering hoagies to
using touch-screen computer
monitors. Stoeckel said that the
next innovation coming down
the pike may be giving customers the option of ordering hoagies via text message, so that the
order will be waiting for them
when they arrive at the store.
The CEO attributes much
of his success with Wawa to the
core values that he “uses as a
filter” when making decisions.
These include valuing peo-
Coming
Up ...
Friday, March 28
March Madness: One on One
Basketball Tournament, 4 - 11
p.m., SRC Courts 2 and 3
Roaring ’20s Bronc Buffet,
Daly’s Dining Hall, 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 29
SEC in the City: NYC Day
Trip, 9:00 a.m., departing from
BLC
Guitar Hero Tournament,
9 - 11 p.m., SRC
Sunday, March 30
Club Field Hockey Practice,
2:30 p.m., SRC
ROOTERS Meeting, 3 p.m.,
BLC Room 257
Monday, March 31
Tuesday, April 1
Rosetta Stone Language
Software Kickoff, 11:30 a.m.,
BLC Cavalla Room
Movie Trivia Night, 6 p.m.,
BLC Pub
Wednesday, April 2
Future Business Leaders of
America (Phi Beta Lambda)
meeting, 11:30 a.m., SWG 110
Identify Theft Lecture, 7 p.m.,
BLC Theater
Thursday, April 3
Lawrenceville SGA Elections,
10 a.m. - 8 p.m., SRC
ACS Meeting, 4:30 p.m., BLC
Multicultural Conference Room
SEC Movie: Kite Runner, 7:30
p.m., BLC Theater
Alcohol awareness discussion
forum preceded by moment of
silence for Gary DeVercelly Jr.,
7 p.m., BLC Theater
Compiled by Julia Ernst
To list your event, e-mail
[email protected].
ple, delighting the customer,
embracing change, doing the
right thing and having a passion
for winning.
Stoeckel discussed his past
and explained that although he
has succeeded in his current
endeavors, he wasn’t always successful. He was not a good
student, but believes that it is
important to keep learning.
“I’m learning more today,
at age 62, than ever before,”
Stoeckel said. “When you stop
learning, that’s when you start
to die.”
Students attending the presentation were able to take away
some pointers from the convenience store president.
“[Stoeckel] provided a good
strategy,” freshman Rob Olsen
said. “It shows you, you don’t
have to be the best student to
have success in life.”
The CEO considers himself fortunate to hold his position at Wawa and still “pinches” himself everyday because
he cannot believe he has such
a great job. Stoeckel attributed
his success to learning, planning and dreaming in preparation for the future, and encouraged students to do the same.
“If you don’t plan for the
future, if you don’t embrace
change, the future isn’t that
bright,” he said.
Friday, March 28, 2008 3
Alleged KatManDu rape case at a standstill
By Jess Hoogendoorn
The case involving an
alleged rape of a Rider student
by New Jersey State troopers
will soon reach its four-month
mark without any progress.
On Dec. 7, 2007, a 25-yearold Rider student reported that
off-duty troopers raped her at
a Ewing residence owned by
one of the troopers. The student reported that she met the
seven troopers at KatManDu, a
nightclub in Trenton.
No legal action has taken
place since the case was taken
over by the Middlesex County
Prosecutor’s Office. Since then
no explanation has been given for the delay, the troopers
implicated in the rape are still
suspended on paid leave, the
alleged victim has not spoken to
the press or taken further legal
measures, and a story surfaced
about the troopers claiming the
sex was consensual.
The alleged incident took
place after one of KatManDu’s
college nights where bottles of
beer are $1 and women carrying a college ID enter for free.
Despite the alleged incident,
Joe Surdo, KatManDu’s marketing director, told The Times
of Trenton that the club has no
plans to put an end to college
nights.
The case is still under
investigation and the accused
troopers remain on paid leave,
according to Lt. Gerald Lewis
of the New Jersey State Police.
The case was originally
under the control of the Mercer
County Prosecutor’s Office but
was later relocated to Middlesex
County. Mercer County
Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini
Jr. stepped aside after making
comments about the case, calling it a “nightmare” in an interview with the Star-Ledger of
Newark. A spokesperson for the
State Attorney General’s Office
said the case was moved to
Middlesex because that county
has a rape investigation task
force, according to an article
published in The Times.
The seven troopers’ paid
leave has collectively cost the
state at least $134, 470, given
that each makes at least a New
Jersey’s trooper starting salary of
$58,748 a year. This ends up
being at least $1,130 a week per
trooper, but The Times reported
that the ages of the accused
range from 25 to 40, so the
actual salaries vary. This figure
assumes that each trooper has
been paid for the 17 weeks
since Dec. 7 to the four-month
mark of the case, which will be
April 7. It doesn’t take benefits
into account.
The amount of time that
has elapsed since the incident
could be attributed to several
factors. The Times reported that
Brent Tuvey, a forensic scientist and co-author of “Rape
Investigation Handbook,” said
that the delayed decision on
whether to prosecute could be
linked to several evidentiary
issues.
“Number one, you have
no evidence; number two, you
have screwed up the evidence
you have; or, three, you are
not aware of the evidence you
have,” Tuvey said.
Robert Ebberup, a lawyer
for one of the accused troopers, believes that the amount
of time that has passed without
charges is because investigators
do not want to have another
“embarrassment” like the one
that occurred with the Duke
University lacrosse team, The
Times reported.
Duke
lacrosse
players were accused of rape but
eventually cleared of any
wrongdoing.
Lawrenceville SGA ballot
President
Brian Pawelko
Danielle Phillips
Vice President
Jonathan Chebra
Amanda Lawson
Kenneth Jacobs
Residence Seat
Junior Class President
Danielle Gizzo
Amber Comppen
Kimberly Doerrhoefer
Jeff Rainforth
Tyler Valenti
Kevin Malinowski
Mike Zilly
Junior Class Vice President
Janeen Hovnanian
Rajesh Yerramilli
Sophomore Class President
Daniel Pinkston
Mitchell Buonpastore
Alex D’Amico
Greek Seat
ACS Positions
Secretary
Class Officers
Treasurer
Megan C. McBride
Frank X. Romano Jr.
Stephanie Premselaar
Finance Board
At-Large Seats (2)
Commuter Seat
George Helock
ACS Vice President
James Czajkowski
ACS Treasurer
Stacey Miller
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Do the math. To sum it up,
abusive drinking isn’t worth it.
RHA President
Megan Phair
Secretary
Megan C. McBride
PR
Tom Wospil
NCC
Meghan Montague
CEO
Jennifer Wolk
Joe Seaton
Kevin Van Loan
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RHA Positions
VP Social Chair
Colleen Moore
ACS President
Crystal Palmer
Senior Class President
Alfred Russo
Matt Semel
Cara Giovinazzo
ACS Secretary
James O’Mara
Daly’s facelift slated for summer
By Leigh Quicksall
A makeover is in the works
for Daly’s dining hall, and it
will be ready to make its first
appearance next fall.
The patio, normally only
used during warm months, will
soon be enclosed. This will create a larger area for more seating
during peak mealtimes and also
a new meeting space for student groups, faculty and staff
to use. It will serve as a “more
versatile and year-round space
for the campus community,”
said Assistant Vice President
of Facilities Management Mike
Reca.
“We hope to be able to
allow student groups to reserve
the new Daly’s board room
when they want to schedule a
meeting over lunch or dinner,”
said Assistant Vice President of
Student Affairs Jan FriedmanKrupnick.
The old board room sat up
to 90 people and could not be
reserved during dining hours.
The new room will have the
capability to be divided into
two meeting spaces and can also
be used for catering services.
“When the dining hall is
closed, and during non-peak
dining hours, we plan to allow
students, faculty, staff and
outside conferences to reserve
this new room for meetings,”
Friedman-Krupnick said.
The $1.5 million renovation is another upgrade for
Rider to accommodate its growing student body.
The dining hall carpets
will also be fully replaced, and
a fresh coat of paint will be
applied to the walls.
Although this may help
with overcrowded seating issues,
it will not do away with the
long food lines.
“Hopefully, this fall we
will try and eliminate some
lines by having students receive
grill items in the Bronc Diner,”
Friedman-Krupnick said.
This system was experimented with this past fall, but
may be more successful in the
2008 school year.
The outdoor furniture will
be moved to the lower Bart
Luedeke Center patio to serve
as additional outdoor seating for Cranberry’s. The outer
appearance of Daly’s will also be
improved, as the front door will
receive a facelift.
“We will be enhancing the
entrance and making the mall
side façade more appealing,”
Reca said. It will be “similar to
the SRC and the New Residence
Hall.”
The construction will be
handled by VJ Scozzari and
Sons, of Lawrenceville, and
architectural firm The Spiezle
Group, of Trenton. The new
Daly’s is anticipated to make its
debut on Sept. 1 if construction
is completed without complications, pending approval of
the architectural plans by the
Lawrence Township Planning
Board.
Carolina trip yields music, culture and 3 credits
By Danielle Phillips
For seven years one professor has
been giving an enlightening experience
to students outside the classroom, exactly 731 miles away from any Rider classroom.
Dr. Jack Sullivan, of American
Studies, leads a group of 15 students
from both the Lawrenceville and
Princeton campuses on an eight-day trip
to the Spoleto Festival in Charleston,
South Carolina.
There, students get exposed to the
richness and diversity of American culture. While earning three credits, they
get the opportunity to experience the
vibrant offerings of a variety of music
including jazz, opera, poetry and musical theater, among others.
“I look forward to turning the students on to music they have never
experienced before,” said Sullivan, who
has been attending the festival since the
late ’80s. “It really unites the campuses.
Together, they experience culture and
music.”
Each spring, the festival fills
Charleston historic theaters, churches
and outdoor spaces with over 120 performances by renowned artists as well
as emerging performers in a variety of
disciplines. It originally began as a festival in Spoleto, Italy and relocated to
Charleston in 1977.
The students in attendance can gain
backstage access, where they get to meet
the press and musicians. Writers for
opera magazines and other musical publications hold lectures and performances
for emerging artists to hear.
“Students visit artists in their homes,
attend jam sessions, sing and play on
celebrated stages, and enter into the
multi-ethnic street life of musical communities,” Sullivan said. “They learn
first-hand about the culture, coverage,
and politics of the classical music business.”
The Westminster students who
attend also get in the act themselves and
perform in musical choral and orchestral
events.
The academic aspect of the trip
comes into play when students are
required to complete coursework that
includes writing reviews and papers
about their experience.
“The Spoleto trip was amazing,”
said senior Danielle DeBue who attended two years ago. “We went to so many
musical productions, as well as a few
operas.
“Charleston is a beautiful city and
we had the opportunity to learn a little
about its history while we were there.”
Sullivan believes the trip truly transforms people’s view of opera, jazz and
different types of music.
It becomes a way of uniting the
campuses, which for the professor, is
the most rewarding part of the South
Carolina journey. But he also enjoys the
Southern food and hospitality. Students
not only get to sample the fan fare, they
also write papers about it.
“Dr. Sullivan is very keen on getting the whole cultural experience, so
we tried all sorts of different Southern
foods,” DeBue said. “We went to some
Graphic courtesy of www.piccolospoleto.com
The Spoleto Festival is held every summer in Charleston South Carolina.
nice restaurants, but we also had opportunity to try true Southern food at little
local places. The entire trip was very
memorable.”
With another summer quickly
approaching, Sullivan is still looking for
students interested to attend the rewarding Spoleto experience. “Having musical talent is not a
prerequisite for these courses,” Sullivan
said. “Having an adventurous palate
absolutely is.”
Anyone interested about the Spoleto
trip this summer can contact Sullivan at
[email protected] or call x. 5573.
theft from a campus perspective.
Information handouts will be available to everyone who attends.
Procaccino will lead the lecture.
He will introduce the panelists and the
issues that will be covered in the discussion. The panelists will speak from 7-8
p.m., then a question and answer session
will follow.
“Identity Theft: Why You Need to
Know About It” will be hosted by Rider
Center for Business Forensics, which is
housed in the College of Business.
Procaccino encourages student
involvement on Wednesday’s lecture as
he feels identity theft “affects people of
all ages from children to the elderly.”
According to Procaccino, college
students are not exempt from identity
theft so going to the lecture will make
them more aware of the dangers of
identity theft and the steps they can take
to prevent themselves from becoming a
victim.
“College students are at risk because
they are applying for credit and student
loans,” he said.
As the word of the lecture is spreading, Procaccino suggests that students
and faculty RSVP by sending an e-mail
to [email protected] to reserve their
spot, but also noted that walk-ins are
more than welcome.
Questions about identity theft answered at free seminar
By Danielle Flood
Five experts in fields ranging from
law enforcement to banking are set
to appear for the long-awaited lecture,
“Identity Theft: Why You Need to
Know About It.”
Led by Drew Procaccino, assistant professor in the Department of
Computer Information Systems, the
event will take place Wednesday 2 from 7
to 8:30 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center.
Light refreshments will be served.
“The lecture will be open to the
Rider Community as well as to the public,” Procaccino said.
The major topics to be discussed on
Fall Break
Continued from p. 1
dar, explained Dr. Jeff Halpern,
chief negotiating officer of the
Rider chapter of the American
Association of University
Professors (AAUP). This year,
a one-time decision was made
to shorten the length of the
break between semesters to
accommodate choirs, but the
UAPC could eventually decide
to reinstate the WCC fall break.
Halpern also said that there
are three options for adding a
fall break on the Lawrenceville
campus: a shorter semester; finishing the fall semester after
Christmas break; or starting
before Labor Day. However, the
Wednesday evening include questions
such as: What is identity theft? What
are the forms of identity theft? Who is as
risk? How can people protect themselves
from identity theft? What can be done
if someone becomes a victim of identity
theft?
The lecture, which has been in the
works since last November, will feature
a panel of experts from the fields of
law enforcement, banking, healthcare
and insurance. Each will speak about
identity theft as it pertains to his or her
field.
One panelist, John LeMasney, writer
and manager of instructional technology
at Rider, is going to speak about identity
latter would require negotiation
with the union, because professors’ contracts begin Sept. 1.
Phillips said that aligning
the calendars serves a practical
purpose for both campuses.
“Calendars should be
aligned if we are to function
as a University,” said Phillips.
“Westminster should continue to pursue the worldclass performance opportunities, but creative ways to meet
those commitments should be
employed so that students can
meet both their academic and
performance requirements.”
Westminster sophomore
Elise Brancheau said that a fall
break provides WCC students
with much-needed relief.
“Touring, and performing
in general, are essential parts of
being a student at Westminster,
but they do add a significant
amount of stress to our already
hectic lives,” said Brancheau.
“Having a fall break would not
only give us time to perform
without worrying about classwork, but it would also give
us something to work towards,
something to look forward to,
a ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’”
Pawelko said the purpose
of raising the issue at a Rider
Senate meeting was to gather
feedback from Lawrenceville
students and work with the
administration.
“Obviously, with next year
looming, they have to make
the schedule,” said Pawelko.
“Since it’s so complicated, we
just hoped the UAPC would
look further into it. I’m hoping to elicit a response from the
administration.”
Students on both campuses
have opinions about the possibility of a fall break and what
it would mean for the course of
the first semester of the year.
Brancheau said that the fall
break could be beneficial for
Rider and WCC students.
“Even one day of fall break
gives our minds, bodies and
voices significant relief,” said
Brancheau. “Going for months
without a break can be damaging and disheartening.”
Lawrenceville
junior
Dhwani Shelat had a different
view.
“We start late and end
early, so working out breaks is
difficult,” Shelat said. “If you
give more holidays, that builds
up pressure for faculty and students. Thinking practically, it
doesn’t work.”
A report on the status of
fall break is expected at the next
Senate meeting, Tuesday, April
1, 11:30-12:30 in Sweigart
Auditorium.
Friday, March 28, 2008 DeVercelly
Continued from p. 1
time a student’s life is lost, it’s a tragedy.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think
about Gary and think about some of the
other students as well.”
For a time three fraternity brothers,
seniors Adriano DiDonato, of Princeton,
and Dominic Olsen, of Kenilworth,
N.J., and former PKT fraternity president Mike Torney, of Randolph, N.J.,
faced charges along with Campbell and
Badgley.
Charges against the administrators
were later dropped, and DiDonato and
Olsen were granted Pre-Trial Intervention
(PTI) to avoid trial and criminal sentencing. Torney was unable to apply for
PTI because of a prior offense. He will
face a judge on April 22 to accept a plea
deal or fight the charges in court.
The DeVercelly family later filed a
civil suit against the University claiming
that negligence by officials, employees
and PKT brothers caused the freshman’s
Insurance
Continued from p. 1
lawsuit and said he could not comment
on the situation.
After being sent a recent article by
The Times of Trenton detailing the suit
via e-mail, Hartman again declined.
“At this time, I do not have anything to add to the details outlined in
the article,” he said.
5
death after an alleged fraternity hazing.
Filed in Mercer County Superior
Court on Dec. 28, the wrongful death
suit cites what it calls the University’s
reckless mismanagement and willful disregard of its fraternities, along with the
PKT members’ failure to help DeVercelly
after he drank three-quarters of a bottle
of Absolut vodka.
“It’s still moving forward and the
defendants are coming forward and
producing documents,” said Douglas
Fierberg, the lawyer retained by the
family. “We are likely to add additional
injuries as we learn new information.
“I have recently talked to the family and they are still devastated over his
senseless death.”
Fierberg is considered one of the
nation’s most prominent lawyers in
wrongful death and serious personal
injury cases involving colleges.
Following DeVercelly’s death,
Rider made sweeping changes to its
own alcohol policies as a result of the
19 recommendations conceived by the
Presidential Task Force on Alcohol,
Personal Responsibility and Student
Life.
The new guidelines prohibit alcohol at both residence halls and Greek
houses, and Greek Life can no longer
host parties where alcohol is served in an
unsupervised manner.
“I think it’s certainly changed, there’s
no doubt against that,” Pawelko said. “I
think the overall campus attitude has
changed, it’s a little more somber.”
The Department of Public Safety
has also stepped up in being even more
proactive when it comes to the safety of
the students, said Vickie Weaver, director of Public Safety.
“We do park, walk and talks in
the residence halls and all the exteriors,” she said. “The students know
that we’re there. By doing the walkthroughs through residence halls and
Greek houses, we’ve been able to identify some potentially troublesome areas
and address them before matters get out
of hand.”
The new restrictions may have
already pushed drinking off campus
and have changed the atmosphere of the
University, Campbell said.
“I think it has changed in terms of
the mood,” he said. “This is a year of
transition, and anytime you have transition, [the] change is difficult. It takes a
while for people to mourn the past and
understand the future.”
However, he also said that Greek life
has made giant leaps forward since the
policies were introduced.
“The Greek groups as a whole have
done a very good job of stepping up,”
Campbell said. “When you look how
Bid Day is now, compared to Bid Day
a year ago, when you look at Sweetheart
Weekend now and Sweetheart Weekend
a year ago, they are totally different
events. They’ve stepped up and taken
the lead in non-alcohol related events.”
Campbell also said he feels confident that students are learning to live by
the new rules.
“For the most part, I would say that
most of our students are adapting,” he
said. “That’s the best way to put it. I
think students have been understanding of what we are trying to do and
have been supportive, generally, of the
process.”
In addition to the coverage loophole, Landmark American Insurance
believes it shouldn’t be held responsible to cover PKT or Rider because
the University requested assistance from
United Educators Insurance, its campuswide insurer.
“We believe that Landmark
Insurance has an obligation to the
University and the individual fraternity members in this case,” University
spokesman Dan Higgins said.
Landmark Insurance’s attorney,
Copernicus T. Gaza, told The Rider
News from his office in Hawthorne,
N.Y., that his client had not authorized
him to comment because the company
has a policy of not speaking to the media
on pending legal matters.
Its suit says that Rider’s attorneys
first filed with Landmark Insurance to
cover possible litigation cost in October
when the DeVercellys said they intended
to sue.
Later, Landmark declined the insurance claim, attempting to wash its hands
of covering PKT and Rider.
With the recent suit, the insurance
company hopes to have a U.S. District
Court judge back up its stance legally.
“We expect that when the court
rules in the declaratory judgment action
it will agree with the University’s position,” Higgins said.
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NEW JERSEY’S #1 ASSOCIATE DEGREE COLLEGE
Where There’s a Wilda, There’s a Way
Elliott Award winner, proud parent and Campbell’s aide, Bleakley does it all
By Allie Ward
Wilda Bleakley is the go-to girl. Or
woman, I should say.
Like her mouthful of a professional
title (executive assistant to the Associate
Vice President for Student Affairs and
Dean of Students Tony Campbell),
Bleakley’s job description is equally
complex: She does it all.
“I’m basically a support person for
Dean Campbell,” said Bleakley. “We
deal with any student issues or problems
and help run award banquets held at the
end of the year; I help wherever help is
needed.”
According to a Rider Newswire article, Bleakley is known on campus as
a person who can find the answers to
seemingly unanswerable questions.
“Ask any student; she’s always really,
really helpful, always in a great mood,”
said Campbell. “She’ll work tirelessly to
get things done.”
Her contributions to the school
earned Bleakley the Elliott Award,
which she received at a ceremony during the faculty and staff convocation last
August.
“I felt really honored and very
amazed that people think that much of
me and that they appreciate what I do,”
Bleakley said. “It’s my job to help, and
that people are aware of what I’m doing
is just very touching.”
The Board of Trustees established the Frank N. Elliott Award for
Distinguished Service in 1990 when
former President Elliott retired. The
award recognizes special service to the
University. Three awards are given out
each year, to a member of the administration, the faculty and the support
staff.
Recipients are nominated by fellow
faculty and staff members. Campbell and
one of Bleakley’s colleagues, Maureen
Kyle, administrative specialist of Student
Affairs, are just two out of the many
people who nominated her.
“I like talking about Wilda,” said
Campbell. “She’s student- and serviceoriented; she’s someone you can give a
task to and be sure that it’ll get done and
get done right.”
Campbell applauded Bleakley’s
“can-do attitude” and said that she is
well respected by the faculty and staff
members.
Kyle, who works closely with
Bleakley, described her as “upbeat” and
a joy to be around.
Bleakley has two sons who are also
a part of the Rider community. Chris
Bleakley graduated in 2005 and Greg
Bleakley is a senior accounting major,
ready to graduate in May.
Chris Bleakley said that his mother’s
friendliness and willingness are what
make her a key part of the University.
“She doesn’t know how to say,
‘That’s not my job’ or ‘I don’t know,’”
he said. “She goes the extra mile to make
sure everyone who interacts with her has
a pleasant experience.”
Greg Bleakley agreed and added
that what makes her a great part of the
Rider community is her devotion to the
University.
“She takes the time to answer all the
questions, even if it means spending the
extra minute,” he said.
Bleakley has worked in the Office
of Student Affairs since 1999. She especially likes the campus environment.
“Everyone looks out for everyone,”
she said. “It’s a small, family community and if you need something you can
Photo by Stephanie Nardi
Every day Wilda Bleakley helps the University run smoothly. Last August, she was
awarded the Frank N. Elliott Award based on nominations from her peers.
always find someone to help you.”
Bleakley attributes her hardworking
nature to her childhood.
“To me it’s just my personality and
the way I was brought up: to go above
and beyond,” she said. “It’s the same as
being a parent when you just go into a
job and take care of things.”
Speaking of being a parent, how
did her sons feel about attending school
where their mother works?
“She always made sure I was prompt
in getting deadlines met, and she also
introduced me to some very nice and
influential people,” Chris Bleakley said.
“Without her I would not be where I am
today.”
Other students probably agree that
he’s not the only one.
GASSP colloquium celebrates girl power
By Jess Decina
The actions and influences of women, from the fictional to the famous,
will be discussed at the annual Gender
Studies Colloquium, taking place next
Thursday.
The all-day affair, with lectures
such as “Repression, Submission, and
Power Plays: Class and Gender in Film
and Literature” and “Media, Literature
and Feminist Identity,” appears to have
an audience limited strictly to women
and Gender Studies students. But Dr.
Kelly Noonan, director of the program,
believes otherwise.
“It’s much more open than that,”
she said. “The main goal is to have students have a chance to present things
that they’ve worked on throughout the
year or the semester.”
Although the colloquium has been
successful in past years, there’s one big
difference in this year’s program. The
event will also reveal the new name
of the Gender Studies program: the
Gender Studies and Sexuality Program,
or GASSP, Noonan said.
“It’s really more to encompass everything that this program is supposed to
be about to reflect what we are already
teaching,” she said. “The courses have
changed over the years. I hope it can
raise awareness for the program in and
of itself.”
Noonan hopes to see a turnout
from non-Gender Studies students, as
she describes the colloquium as a “great
chance to see what other students are
doing in terms of scholarship.”
Kimberly Van Heygen, a December
2007 graduate, agrees. Van Heygen is
presenting her research on women in
Russia during World War I, and to her,
the colloquium isn’t about the power of
women, but the power of an individual.
“I focused on three women, Maria
Botchkareva, Berta Lask and Anna
Akhmatova, and the role their actions
and writings had in transforming the
traditional views of women,” she said.
“Their views on the war helped shape
and create new gender roles for women.
I hope that people will gain a new
understanding of the power that an individual can have on re-shaping ideas that
were ingrained in the mind of a society
for centuries.”
Junior Robert Crawley’s approach to
the colloquium is a little less historical
and much more focused on literature, he
said. His presentation, entitled, “Class
Overruled: How Gender Expectations
Undermine Class Differences in
Pygmalion and Mrs. Dalloway,” studies
how two female literary characters face
challenges because of both their gender
and their social status.
“The fact that both these characters
are female is, as I have determined, a
much more limiting factor than social
class,” he said. “What I discovered was
that both of these women live in a
patriarchal society, and being women
limited what they were allowed to do
much more than their respective social
classes.”
Crawley pointed out that in both
works, even a woman of high social stature was not expected to do more than
exercise proper social etiquette.
“[They were] expected to be capable
of little more than hosting social events
and speaking in ways that were predeter-
‘I hope this
colloquium would
allow students to
learn about the
ever-changing
gender roles, both
historical and
present-day.’
- Kimberly Van Heygen
mined by the men of their societies,” he
said.
With the series less than a week
away, Van Heygen is excited to share
something she’s been so passionate about
with an audience.
“I hope that that colloquium would
allow students to learn about the everchanging gender roles, both historical
and present-day,” she said.
The Gender Studies Colloquium will
take place next Thursday, April 3, from
9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Sweigart 115. The
event is free and open to the public.
Dark musical a bloody good time
SEC Film Review
By Oliver Joszt
Bloody is not usually the first word
that comes to mind when one thinks
about musicals, but Sweeney Todd: The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street is filled with
revenge, tragedy, mayhem and bloody
meat pies that creates one of the goriest
musicals ever made.
While Sweeney Todd is unconventional and takes a new turn, it hits some
bumps along the way.
Sweeney Todd takes place in London,
where there lives a barber named
Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) and
his sweet young wife and child, whom
he loves dearly. However, one day the
wicked Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman)
sentences Barker to jail in Australia on
fabricated charges in order to capture
Barker’s wife and child for himself.
After escaping from jail, Barker
returns home to his barbershop, where
the landlady, Mrs. Lovett (Helena
Bonham Carter), sells the worst meat
pies in London. She informs Barker
about his family’s demise at the hands of
Judge Turpin. Barker moves upstairs to
his former shop and changes his name
to Sweeney Todd to do business again.
Yet, this time he is out for revenge on the
injustices against himself and his family.
He has such a profound passion and
anger that he starts slicing the throats of
his customers, so Mrs. Lovett can cut
them up and make them into her pies.
With the new secret ingredient, she has
the most appetizing pies around.
As a musical, the most important
factor is naturally the music. Some of
the songs in the movie did not work. For
example, “Johanna” sung by Anthony
Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), is too
sweet and light for a movie this dark.
It didn’t help that songs like “Johanna,”
were repeated continuously throughout
Photo copyright Dreamworks
Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) and Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) conspire in a murderous
plot in this dark musical, which will be shown tonight at 4:30 p.m. and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in the BLC Theater.
the whole movie, which, after hearing
it for the third time, created a sense of
unneeded repetition.
Other songs worked exceptionally
well, such as “Epiphany,” where Sweeney
Todd roams the streets in pure frustration and outrage showing the audience
his true inner demons.
The songs in the film are more plotdriven and bring out a sense of the character’s confessional anguish. The words
in the song are used to convey something much greater than just a melody.
Sweeney Todd’s set design is one of
the film’s most amazing aspects. With
narrow alleyways and small rooms, director Tim Burton creates a claustrophobic
feeling and a lack of breathing room.
Even the CGI backgrounds, costumes
and the pale makeup stress a world
dominated by shades of gray, to create a
gloomy and cryptic atmosphere.
Nevertheless, people may argue that
the set design is one of the film’s major
overall flaws. This is the sixth Depp/
Burton collaboration. Almost all of
them have the same morbid characteristics. Burton has not done anything new
in this film to stand out from all of the
other ones that he has made.
Depp plays the role the way he has
played every part in his career for Burton.
There’s a little Edward Scissorhands
here, a little Ichabod Crane there and
a dash of Ed Wood jumbled in. Depp
is perfect for this role because he has
played it a dozen times before.
Sweeney Todd is good for audiences
sick of the usual musical. Yet, what the
film achieves in originality it lacks in
overall music. Hearing the same songs
over and over again might bore viewers.
Band of brothers reach new heights
CD Review
By Jordan Blum
Los Angeles’ Astra Heights, consisting of the four Morales brothers and
“honorary brother” Bernard Yin, is the
newest entry into the list of sibling
groups. Bassist James Morales attributes
the start of the band to the influence of a
guitarist father and grandfather, both of
whom also sang in a choir with the boys
in their hometown of Palacios, Texas.
During their college years, they decided
to form a band. They soon moved to
L.A. and searched for a record contract.
The rest is history and their debut, Good
Problems, is a promising output from an
ambitious yet humble ensemble.
Upon hearing the first tracks, listeners are reminded of several other bands.
However, it’s a positive melding of influences to create a personal sound rather
than a deliberate copying to substitute
a lack of originality. Indeed, they list
their influences as T-Rex, Queen, The
Kinks and, as all artists should, The
Beatles. Add to the mix Mark’s vocal
timbre of Johnny Rotten (though much
more melodic) and, in the case of “The
Whole World Changes,” harmonies akin
to S.F. Sorrow by The Pretty Things and
“Because” from Abbey Road. Taking all
of this into account, one has a good idea
of what Astra Heights sounds like. Even
so, the quality and energy of this debut
is surprising.
Opener “Good People” would be
perfect for a bar full of drunks to chant
together (though it is more organized
than that may lead you to believe). The
ballad “It’s Alright” is a soft song with
subtle string accompaniment. “Never A
Reason,” with a guitar tone similar to a
sitar and a trebly cymbal sound, is definitely inspired by middle-eastern musical conventions. Perhaps the best track is
the closing one, “Greg The Illuminator.”
Its two-three chord verse melody car-
ries the nostalgic, story-telling feel of
The Decemberists, and Mark’s falsetto
is reminiscent of Damon Albarn (Blur,
Gorillaz). It’s a great contradiction to
the liveliness of “Good People,” and this
bookend illustrates the range of Good
Problems.
No work is without its faults,
and the main one is fairly common.
Basically, much of Good Problems sounds
alike. The highlights have already been
acknowledged, and while the rest of
the album is very good, it’s not distinctive enough to warrant mention. While
it is commendable to have even a few
hooks while so many other bands have
none, the other side of this logic is also
true. There are many bands that scream
uniqueness and diversity, and considering these factors as a possibility, Astra
Heights should strive for them.
It is comforting to know that, if
nothing else, Astra Heights creates for
the art and not the money or fame.
They’ve had music in their family for
Photo copyright Universal Records
Good Problems is the debut album
from the rock band Astra Heights.
generations and are not amateurs when
it comes to singing. While the influences
may sound too familiar, they also show
accessibility. They aren’t the most innovative band of this generation, but they
certainly aren’t carbon copies of anyone
else either. They embrace the music they
grew up with and clearly wish they had
made it. Good Problems is a combination
of emulation and honest aspiration. It is
an enjoyable record.
8 Death’s album comes alive
Musings of a pop culture guru
By Laura Mortkowitz
The audience was given something to
look forward to at the beginning of Chuck
Klosterman’s lecture.
“There is a chance one of you will be
verbally attacked during the question and
answer period,” he said.
No one was.
The author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa
Puffs was explaining how liberated he
felt when speaking in the Bart Luedeke
Theater on Monday at 10 p.m. It was one
of the last appearances Klosterman made
before he would leave to teach in Germany
for four months. Klosterman discussed his
past experiences, his future plans and his
theories about various pop culture topics.
For those who had read and enjoyed his
books, the lecture was probably just what
they expected from the self-proclaimed
“pop culture journalist.”
“It sounds kind of like a made-up
job,” Klosterman said. “It kind of is.”
From his columns in Esquire to
his non-fiction novels to the speech on
Monday, he writes and talks about whatever he finds interesting in the hopes that
others find it interesting as well.
Klosterman’s books are on varying
topics from growing up in North Dakota
and listening to hair metal to driving
around the country visiting places where
rock stars died, while thinking about
past girlfriends and listening to the radio.
Klosterman’s first fiction novel, Downtown
Owl, is due out in September.
As a lecturer, he doesn’t have a set
topic. Instead, Klosterman usually allows
current topics to guide his discussion.
He spent time giving examples of weird
9
Friday, March 28, 2008
occurrences that happened to him and the
weird questions students ask.
Understandably, many aspiring writers ask Klosterman about the experience
of writing.
“I love the process of writing,” he said.
“It’s the only relationship in my life that’s
ever been really successful.”
However, a common question that he
finds baffling is when students ask if he
has any writing rituals.
“I think that’s very amusing; for one, I
don’t,” Klosterman said. “I have no rituals
whatsoever. I don’t write at any given time
of day.”
In fact, he’s so flexible with his writing that he used to write at night but now
he writes during the day. Yet, something
about the question confuses Klosterman.
“What if I did [have rituals]?” he
asked. “Would that person then start
doing them? Would they somehow think
that that is the key? Would they think,
like, ‘Ah ha! It’s magic!’?”
As a warning to writers, his books on
popular culture have a “tendency to draw
a strange type of person,” he said.
Klosterman gets letters from acid dealers in prison and that people ask him a lot
of questions about drugs.
Then, he got to what he called the
“lecture part of the lecture.” Specifically,
Klosterman’s fears about the future of
media.
“I think that even though we are
able to understand what’s fake and what’s
real, our natural inclination is to still see
them as the same,” he said. “And that is
why media make people feel alienated
and uncomfortable and they don’t exactly
know why. Film and television and music
By Andrew Kaspereen
Photo by Karly Hamburg
Pop culture author Chuck Klosterman signs books for students after his lecture on Monday. Klosterman has written four nonfiction books, including the popular Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. His first fiction novel will be released in September.
and books have made it much more difficult [for] people of our generation to have
successful relationships.”
Before television, people compared
the idea of married life to those of parents
or others around them. Instead of doing
that, people today base their idea of relationships in comparison to those seen on
movies or television shows.
“How come when I’m bickering with
my girlfriend it’s not like Sam and Diane
on Cheers?” Klosterman asked. “We have
the same fights but it’s not funny, like, it
makes us feel weird, it makes us mad.”
People may not understand this is
a result of watching television, but it
impacts people more than they realize.
“And that’s kind of why I like writing
about popular culture,” Klosterman said.
“I can sort of explain why these things
aren’t just interesting but actually what
they’re reflecting about the world. Any
good art is something that kind of grows
out of the real experience of being alive,
and once it’s out there people can inject
their experience into it and get something
back.”
“Potential” is a word tossed around
generally in music criticism as a mode
to criticize a lackluster album from a talented band. With Murder by Death’s new
album Red of Tooth and Claw, it can be
used as a means to show how much the
band members have exceeded expectations. Throughout its career, the band has
continually been on the mark album-wise
but has not created a truly “great” piece
of art. There has been something missing,
a phantom notion that listeners get in
which they find themselves wanting the
band to reach out and employ the elusive
idea of “its potential” to make the album
what it “could be.”
This has all changed with Murder by
Death’s Vagrant Records debut. The band,
a musical hybrid of Midwestern saloon
rock and folk, has finally put the pieces
together and shown what it is made of. It
has developed from an atmospheric sound
to one that expresses emotion, storytelling
and depth that grips the listener from the
explosive opening to the cataclysmic conclusion of the record.
The band, a four-piece that includes
an excellent cello player, a solid rhythm
section and infectious melodies that
eschew fleeting catchiness in favor of deep
songwriting abilities, does a great job
creating the mood of the songs. There is
acute attention to emotion in the songs’
music. The opening track “I’m Coming
Home” is a charged musical assault in
which singer Adam Turla ominously sings
about a difficult return to his home.
Other songs, such as “Spring Break 1899”
and “Rumbrave” (the standout track on
Murder By Death
Tour Dates:
March 27: Bloomfield, Ind.
March 28: Cleveland, Ohio
March 29: Chicago
Photo copyright Vagrant Records
Red of Tooth and Claw hit stores on
March 4. It is Murder By Death’s first
release on Vagrant Records.
the album), convey wistful sorrow and a
capacity for vengeance, respectively. The
music cradles Turla’s voice, building and
declining at appropriate moments.
The vocals, as previously mentioned,
are the standout piece on this album. The
comparisons Turla’s voice has garnered
tend to put him as an amalgamation of
Tom Waits and Johnny Cash. His styling
accents the moods of each song in a way
that creates a cohesive story in the songs.
This is fortunate as the album is a concept
described by the band as “an odyssey-like
story, only without the honorable character in the story’s center.”
Musically speaking, the album hits its
stride in a variety of ways. The music tends
to revolve around the cello. It never outshines the other parts of the music, but it
is noticeably pleasant to the ear and shapes
the songs in ways that would otherwise
suffer. On the whole, every instrument is
arranged in a way that screams for attention; a perfect balance comes through to
lay groundwork for the vocals. By Jess Decina
Gaming Review
Photo copyright Nintendo
Players punch and fight their way to the top as their favorite Nintendo character in
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which was released March 9 for Nintendo Wii.
to voice communication are two things
Nintendo has decided to do in order to
protect children. This makes no sense on
a gaming device that can search any Web
site on the Internet.
But the biggest complaint that can be
found with this game is that it is more of
the same thing. If Sakurai even attempts
to create another Super Smash Bros., then
he will have to find a new recipe.
Basically the game has everything:
tight controls, evened-out characters, an
The result provides for one of the
most wholesome and equalized sounds
present in the past few years in music.
There isn’t one point where someone can
criticize one instrument in favor of the
other; it tends to blend in ways that most
music falls flat.
As a result, the attention to atmosphere, emotion and lyrics rewards the
listener twofold. Previously the band has
tried to do this to moderate successes. The
difference this time comes in the form
of focus. Each song is admittedly short,
which may lead some to criticize the band;
however, a stellar lean is preferable to a
longer and less rewarding listen.
Every point of this album has been
well thought about and put together to
create an organic and coherent piece of
art. Although certain tracks may make
more of an expression than others, the
album in its entirety is where the focus
needs to be. This is the album Murder by
Death was always capable of making finally being delivered, and it’s a welcome and
refreshing storm in a musical world where
more of the same has been receiving the
most attention. Take notice now, because
Murder by Death is here to stay and once
it grabs hold of your ears, you won’t feel
right letting the album out of your sight.
Beantown artists light up Starbucks music series
Another piece of cake for Nintendo Wii
Link, Mewtwo, Pichu and Dr. Mario,
who were more or less “fill-in” characters.
By Chris Taylor
Everyone ranging from Mario to Sega’s
mascot Sonic the Hedgehog has decided
Alcoholism is a disease, and according to “join the brawl.”
to the late comedian Mitch Hedberg, it is Creator Masahiro Sakurai beefed
the only disease you can get yelled at for up and trimmed different ingredients
having. Obviously, Mr. Hedberg has never of Smash in order to make a more well
grasped his palm around a Nintendo con- -rounded game. Perhaps his greatest additroller to gear up and play Super Smash tion is the new adventure mode, The
Subspace Emissary. One or two players are
Bros., an equally addicting venture.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the allowed to take part in an epic fight in a
Nintendo Wii takes every major Nintendo mixture of platforming, fighting and even
character from the past 25 years of roleplay elements. These are all baked to
Nintendo history and pits them against perfection to create an outstanding sideone another in arguably the most epic scrolling experience.
The icing on this deliciously addictgame Nintendo has ever made.
Gamers pick a character, a stage, ing cake are the graphics, music and
and they duke it out with two buttons computer generated cut-scenes that tie
— one for specials and one for smash The Subspace Emissary together. Sakurai
attacks — along with a jump button and collaborated with 36 different composers
a shield. The main goal is to knock up the to bring forth a soundtrack that is not like
opponent’s life meter to a high enough anything else. Everything from the “Mario
percentage where they will become weak Theme” (from 1985) to the Metal Gear
and easier to “smash” off the board.
Solid 4 “Love Theme” graces this game
The character count now comes in with ease.
at a staggering 37 characters, up from Nintendo finally made a smart decithe 26 in the game’s predecessor (Super sion with its online strategy and put an
Smash Bros. Melee for the Gamecube), online mode in Brawl. The only way to
and far surpassing the measly 12 from play a friend though is to manually swap
the original. Every character from Melee 12-digit friend codes. The lack of easily
is included with the exception of Young playing a friend online and the inability
CD Review
amazing character roster, a full 10 hours
of single player adventure, beautiful character and level design, an online mode,
and something enjoyable and just fun to
look at. This is the game that eight friends
from all over the world will play until the
wee hours of the morning with sweaty
palms and Doritos, Mountain Dew, or Dr.
Pepper-ridden breath. I give this game 9.5
cakes out of 10.
Let’s face it: April 12 is still a long way
off. That’s the night that the University’s
Student Entertainment Council will bring
Gym Class Heroes to the Lawrenceville
Campus for its annual Spring Concert.
For the student who’s patiently awaiting that night and in need of a good live
show to break up the monotony, he or she
doesn’t need to look any farther than the
Student Recreation Center (SRC).
Since last semester, the SRC Lobby
— the Starbucks, to be more specific —
has been a hub of live music in a relaxed,
coffeehouse-type setting. Known as the
Starbucks Live Music Series, the program
has been bringing up-and-coming artists to the University on Saturday nights.
Bands who have graced the Starbucks
stage include Paragraph, headlined by
Rider alum Danny Lane and local duo
HelenaMaria.
This weekend, the featured act is a
little less local: The rock duo Cahill, composed of childhood friends Bob Antonelli
and Scott O’Brien, hails from Boston.
Their act began as a fun project, complete
with humorous home videos and lipsynched performances, according to the
band’s Web site. In 2005, Cahill finally
established itself with the release of its first
Photo copyright Cahill Music
Childhood friends Bob Antonelli and Steve O’Brien comprise Cahill. The part-folk,
part-pop duo will perform at the Starbucks Live Music series tomorrow night.
album, Blend.
“Fortunately, the friends part hasn’t
changed at all, which has made our transition pretty smooth,” Antonelli said. “Our
focus is exactly the same and as the exterior changes, we just continue to write
songs, get on stage and play them together. Starting from where we did makes each
step up that much sweeter, but most of
the time it’s as though we’re back on my
parents’ porch.”
Cahill’s sound mixes emo and folk
with some pop influences; according to
Antonelli, the music is simply “awesome,”
though he admits there’s some bias to
that statement. In the meantime, he and
O’Brien are looking forward to playing in
a new, albeit more intimate, venue.
“The excitement of playing live comes
from a lot of things: the adrenaline before
you go on, the feeling of playing a song
better than you ever have before, the
chance that someone in the audience
will connect with what you’re playing,”
Antonelli said. “Then there’s the tapping
feet and bopping heads. Nothing beats
seeing perfect strangers tapping and bopping to your music.”
Cahill has performed in venues
throughout the northeast, ranging anywhere from coffeehouses and colleges to
clubs and bars. Most recently, the band
found a semi-permanent home in Boston’s
Fanueil Hall as street performers, a gig
that will start in the summer. That, along
with the recent release of Cahill’s second
album At the Seams, keeps Antonelli and
O’Brien busy.
“Our goals right now are geared
toward supporting the music,” Antonelli
said. “We’ll be shooting a video to our
track ‘Out of State.’ We’ll also be pursuing
production companies for placement of
our songs in movies and TV.”
As part of the Starbucks Live Music
Series, Cahill will be performing this
Saturday in the SRC lobby at 9 p.m. The
event is free and open to all students.
Meet the Lawrenceville SGA
President
Brian Pawelko
Year: Junior
Hometown: Monroe Township, N.J.
Major: Journalism (Public Relations)
Clubs/Organizations: SGA, Lambda
Pi Eta, Leadership Development
Program.
Why are you running for this position? Since my freshman year I have
seen some aspects that I wanted to see
changed at Rider. I saw the important
role SGA played in creating change
on the Lawrenceville campus and got
involved as the Public Relations chair.
This year I have enjoyed working on
a number of different issues to represent the student body as SGA Vice
President. I want to bring the experience I have gained over the past two
years, along with my passion to represent students as SGA President. I want
to lead the organization as it attempts
to tackle issues of paramount concern
to the student body.
What issue(s) is/are most important
to you in this election? Why? There
are three issues that I feel are most
important during this election and the
2008-2009 year: the Alcohol Policy,
housing and academics. Both the SGA
and the administration should sit down
and talk with the townships regarding ways to better handle alcohol on
campus. It’s also crucial to have SGA
leadership that ensures that current
students have priority over incoming
freshmen when it comes to housing.
Finally, several academic features need
to be improved, including academic
advising and class availability.
What will you do to uphold the mission of the University to be studentcentered? The answer is school pride.
We don’t need to invent traditions.
Weekend programming such as Bronc
Buffets and Bronc Bingo need to continue as usual. SGA will sponsor events
that rally around our athletic teams.
Students need to continue wearing
school colors and SGA can brainstorm
ideas, which could include giving away
Rider apparel.
What qualities do you think an SGA
leader should have? An SGA leader
needs to keep the organization on
track and focused on the big picture.
Sometimes it may be easy to get distracted or veer off track, but a leader
needs to keep the group focused on
issues that are important. In addition,
an SGA leader should be able to write
and speak well.
Secretary
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Nutley, N.J.
Major: Elementary Education
and ISM-Life Science,
Biology
Clubs/Organizations:
Leadership Development
Program; SGA, Clubs and
Organizations Chair; RHA,
Executive Board Secretary;
Concert Band, clarinet; Chess
Club.
What issue(s) is/are most
important to you in this election? The issues now that I feel
the most passionate about are
parking, housing and recycling.
If you win, how do you plan to address the issue(s) you
feel are important? I would address the parking issue
by checking the feasibility, cost and permits required for
building a second level above the present parking area.
As far as the housing issue, I would check to see if
there are any garden apartments or condos available that
Rider students could avail themselves of prior to having
changed the on-campus housing policy. I would research
shuttle buses for any students having to commute from an
off-campus housing site.
I feel very strongly that the Rider campuses should
recycle glass, plastic and newspapers. I would have more
recycle cans easily available to use and try to educate
students as to the potential repercussions to our environment because of not recycling. I would try to eliminate
the use of paper by trying to make fliers and newspapers
electronically available.
Megan
McBride
Danielle Phillips
Year: Junior
Hometown: Mount Olive, N.J.
Major: Journalism (Public Relations)
Clubs/Organizations: SGA Public
Relations Chair, Potty Pages Writer; Big
Brother Big Sister Recruiter and Mentor;
The Rider News Staff Writer; Finance
Board 2006-2007; Freshman Seminar
and Emerging Leaders Mentor; Rider
Rumba Organizer; Adventure Club
Treasurer; Event Executives President;
Summer Study Tours Counselor; Intern
with the Mercer Regional Chamber of
Commerce.
Why are you running for this position?
I believe that I can have a positive impact
on student life in a variety of different
ways: ensuring effective communication,
listening to student issues and being a
voice of student advocacy.
What issue(s) is/are most important
to you in this election? Why? Housing,
parking, weekend programming, aca-
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Fair Lawn, N.J.
Major:
Elementary
Education/American Studies
Emerging Leaders; Freshman
Class President; SGA,
Bronc Aide; Alpha Xi Delta.
Why are you running for
this position? I feel that the
past two years have really
given me the ability to see
firsthand how much effort
and commitment goes into
SGA. I feel I am qualified and
ready to fulfill the duties of
the SGA Secretary because I
encompass the abilities to be successful in the position,
not only because I am a well organized person, but also
because I have had the experience of being in SGA for
two years. A strong SGA Secretary becomes the backbone for the organization, and that is something I feel I
am ready to take on.
What issue(s) is/are most important to you in this
election? On-campus parking, academic advising and
class size, I feel, are the most important issues.
What qualities do you think an SGA leader should
have? One of the best qualities any leader can have is
experience, and SGA leaders are no different. I feel that
people learn best through their experiences and as someone who has experienced and learned about SGA for the
past two years, I feel I encompass the knowledge to be
an effective SGA leader. I also believe that SGA leaders
should be organized and always have the student body
in mind.
Stephanie
Premselaar
demic advising and school pride are only
a few of the many issues that I plan to
tackle in the upcoming year if elected as
SGA President. It is important that students have their voices heard about real
issues that impact their lives as students
on this campus.
A complaint many students have regards
a perceived lack of weekend programming. What do you think SGA should
do to confront this issue? There should
be more effort made to work together
with SEC to keep weekend programming
up. Unfortunately, the campus culture
has gone through major changes in the
last year or so, but I believe that these
changes can continue to positively affect
weekend programming. It is so important
to listen to students’ opinions on weekend programming because there is almost
$1 million of student money to be spent
each year and it should be known that it
needs to be taken advantage of.
What qualities do you think an SGA
leader should have? A leader of SGA
should have passion above all things. It
takes a special kind of person to generate
change and really care about what other
people have to say. Being an SGA leader
also takes dedication to each and every
project that they encounter. Following
through on projects will often separate
those that you can depend on and those
that you can’t. Through my time with
SGA I have proven that I can be depended on for giving input, leading projects,
and being dedicated from beginning to
end with everything that I do.
Year: Sophomore
Hometown:
Bayonne, N.J.
Major: Secondary
Education and
History
Clubs/
Organizations:
Residence Life,
Resident Advisor;
Emerging Leaders;
Freshman Mentor
Program; Office of
Admissions, Tour
Guide
What issue(s) is/are
most important to you in this election? Student
satisfaction is the most important issue to me.
Between the upheaval over the housing lottery,
concern over the perceived lack of programming
and the alcohol policy, students seemed to be
unhappy about a lot of things going on this year.
A complaint many students have regards a perceived lack of weekend programming. What do
you think SGA should do to confront this issue?
Another role I could take on as Secretary would be
that of a reporter; every student who is unhappy
with the weekend programming should be given
a forum to explain what he or she dislikes, and
the SGA should be responsible for trying to meet
the demands of the students. My job would be
to receive and report those feelings. Through a
survey or series of discussions, complaints could
be made so that progress could be made. For those
happy with weekend programming, their voices
should be heard as well.
Frank
Romano
EVicexecutive
B
oard C andidates
President
Year: Junior
Hometown: Newtown,
Pa.
Major: Political Science
SGA Student Senate,
Chair of the Legislative
Affairs Committee; ACS;
Institute for New Jersey
Politics; Model United
Nations.
this position? I am running for SGA Vice President
because the student body
deserves a dedicated leader who will voice the concerns
of all students and be an advocate for change.
election? The two most pressing issues facing students
right now are housing and parking.
How do you plan on communicating with all students about the work SGA is doing? Communication
with students is a problem in SGA right now. SGA
needs to work hard to make sure students know what
is going on and what SGA is doing to address their
needs. I will urge SGA to put together an e-mail newsletter; launch, update and advertise a new Web site;
host town-hall meetings when important issues come
up; and change the structure of the Senate to create a
better flow of information.
How effectively do you think SGA handled the oncampus housing issue for 2008-2009? SGA worked
proactively with the administration through the housing committee to take on this issue. Students on that
committee worked hard to find a solution within the
framework the University has established. However,
SGA needs to continue to work diligently toward finding a permanent solution that ensures we can continue
to guarantee housing for all students.
Jon Chebra
Treasurer
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Doylestown,
Pa.
Major: Accounting
Emerging Leaders; Tau
Kappa Epsilon (pledging);
Leadership Development
Program; SGA; Alpha
Lambda Delta.
this position? I feel very
passionate about serving
my fellow students at Rider
University. I am a dedicated
and motivated scholar looking to make a difference on campus for the benefit of
all students. I feel that I possess the confidence that is
needed to carry out all financial aspects involved in this
position with integrity and honesty.
election? Why? The Housing policy, raising University
spirit and club recognition are three topics that I feel
very strongly about. I believe these are three essential
issues that need continual analysis and the implementation of resolutions that will satisfy Rider University
and the student body.
What qualities do you think an SGA leader should
have? An SGA leader should be devoted to the service
of others, dedicated to his/her duties, be very caring of
the students and the University, and be willing to do
whatever it takes to do his/her job to the best of his/
her ability.
Mitchell
Buonpastore
Year: Sophomore
Hometown:
Upper
Marlboro, Md.
Major: Journalism
SGA Finance Board;
Olson’s RHA; LDP;
Protestant
Campus
Ministry;
President’s
Task Force on Tolerance/
Diversity.
this position? I am running for SGA Vice President
because I feel like there are
some big issues that need to
be addressed in SGA and I
believe that I am the best person who can bring about
those changes. In addition to the changes I will make,
I also plan on carrying out the rich history of the
school and promoting school spirit in the many events
we hold every year.
What issue(s) is/are important to you in this election? In this election, the most important issues for
me are the way in which the housing situation was
handled, academic advising and the issue of diversity.
How effectively do you think SGA handled the oncampus housing issue for 2008-2009? I don’t think
that the housing situation was dealt with appropriately. The major issue that was raised when talking
about the housing situation is the way that the administration communicated with the students about the
changes. Having to hear information like this through
the grape vines is not what the students should have to
do. The administration should have openly told the
students about the re-examination of the policy, students should have been appointed to the committee to
discuss housing for the Fall of 2009, and that details
will follow once the committee has met and come to
a conclusion.
Kenneth
Jacobs
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Clark,
N.J.
Major: Entrepreneurial
Studies
Varsity
Men’s
Tennis
Team;
Chess Club; RHA;
Sigma Phi Epsilon;
Emerging
Leaders;
Entrepreneurial Studies
Club; Intramural basketball and volleyball.
Why are you running
for this position? I would
like to bring a new wave
of change to the SGA Treasurer position while also
running the position professionally in a way that
will earn the trust of the students in the SGA.
What issue(s) is/are most important to you in
this election? Why? Housing is most important
to me because we are going through some difficult
times with it currently, and there is potential for
modifications to improve the process.
How effectively do you think SGA handled
the on-campus housing issue for 2008-2009? I
think the SGA handled the housing issue decently
because there was so little time in between the
moment that a problem was discovered and the
period that housing selection had to take place. I
believe that given the whole upcoming year before
the next housing selection, there should be plenty
of opportunity to refine the system.
Alex
D’Amico
Year: Junior
Hometown: Howell, N.J.
Major: American Studies
SGA,
Community
Outreach Chair; Student
Life Committee; Resident
Advisor; Freshmen Seminar
Peer Mentor; Emerging
Leaders Facilitator.
Why are you running
for this position? I am
running for this position
because I believe that with
the cultural change currently taking place on campus there needs to be strong
leadership in SGA. I feel my experience, creativity in
problem solving, understanding and dedication to student advocacy matches the type of leadership needed
at this time to face pressing issues.
election? There are a few issues I feel are really important in this election. These include change in the social
scene, parking and academics.
How effectively do you think SGA handled the
on-campus housing issue for 2008-2009? The
SGA Executive Board and Cabinet worked alongside
Residence Life and the Student Senate in distributing
the information and providing feedback. SGA made
sure the information was made available to students
and that the administration heard their concerns
and issues. Additionally, the lack of communication
from the administration when the housing policy was
changed back to guaranteeing housing to students was
addressed by SGA. SGA not only sought out the information to provide clarification to the student body but
also expressed the frustration and confusion that was
caused by the miscommunication of whether housing
was guaranteed or not.
Amanda
Lawson
Full-time undergraduate students are eligible to vote
in the SGA elections being held on Thursday, April 3
from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the SRC lobby. Commuters,
Greeks and resident students should report to the SRC
to cast their ballots. Students must have their Bronc
IDs for check in. Turn to page 3 for the complete list of
candidates running for positions in SGA, Association of
Commuting Students, Finance Board and the Residence
Hall Association.
Timeline to Elections:
Tuesday, April 1: President & Vice President Candidate
Debate, 11:30 a.m., Sweigart Auditorium.
Wednesday, April 2: Candidates featured in Daly’s,
11:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 3: Election Day. Vote in the SRC
Lobby from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 3: Results announced at 10 p.m. in
the SRC Atrium.
Monday, April 14: Election Day. Students on the
Princeton campus head to the polls for their SGA
elections.
12 Editorial:
Friday, March 28, 2008
Career Day
Employers ...
Power of one vote
in SGA elections
S
enior prom night — it’s a time some recall rather fondly,
while for others it’s an event from an old chapter in their
lives not to be relived. Still, out of all the Kodak moments,
the one most will remember, with venom perhaps, is the most
popular girl and guy getting crowned as queen and king. Although proms fit into the age-old tale of the popularity
contests that defined our days in high school, the melodrama
that inevitably arises from such relationships should not have
an iota of influence as we prepare to head to the polls to vote in
the Lawrenceville SGA elections on Thursday, April 3, and our
counterparts on the Princeton campus on Monday, April 14.
At a time when the 2008 presidential race is heating up
on the Democratic side and many of us are debating whether
“change” or “experience” matters more, we have an opportunity
here to vote for a slate of leaders who will shape the future of the
University and our college careers.
More importantly, do not misunderstand how powerful
and influential our SGA leaders and Executive Board consisting
of the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer are on
the issues that affect our everyday lives. They are the ones who
represent us at meetings with the top brass of the University and
are supposed to voice the interests and concerns of the student
body.
Whether it’s giving students the opportunity to list what
they would like to see improved on campus on Make A
Difference Day in Daly’s, awarding club recognition to more
than half a dozen organizations, approving candidates for the
Community Standards Board, or initiating a spirited campaign
to rally us to wear cranberry on Wednesdays, the SGA has been
at the forefront of pivotal issues this academic year. It also provided feedback that helped enhance the new Web sites for the
University and Athletics Department.
Previous SGA leaders were instrumental in getting the
card swipe at the South Entrance working again and supported
bringing a Starbucks to campus. Beyond that, SGA sponsors Bronc Buffets and assists with other major events such as
Midnight MAACness and University Day. It also appoints students to serve on many important committees such as parking,
housing and food. To deter drinking and driving, SGA has been
involved in the planning process to establish a safe ride program
that will allow students to hitch rides back to campus.
Over the past few years, turnout has been rather low when
compared with the population eligible to vote, that is, the some
3,500 full-time undergraduate students who have the ability to
cast a ballot. While turnout peaked in 2005 when 992 students
voted, it dipped in 2006 when only 751 came out. Last year,
803 voted in the elections. Rest assured, we can and must do
better. One vote can truly make all the difference.
Sure, it’s easy to make excuses for why you don’t have time
to vote next week, but it does not make it right. Whether it’s
the endless streams of papers that have been assigned and the
need to get them done before the end of the semester or the
various other commitments that we have eating up our precious
moments, we can all find the five minutes it takes to invest in
our leadership. Not voting is like writing the University a blank
check, since we all pay a hefty chunk of change by borrowing
against our future to attend this institution.
This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider
News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor.
E-mail us at:
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected].
The Rider News, Ridge House
2083 Lawrenceville Road,
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: (609) 896-5256
Fax: (609) 895-5696
49%
57%
49%
36%
2%
2%
Fewer
Same
More
Hiring new employees,
compared to last year
More
Same
Less
Paying new employees,
compared to last year
Economy not hurting outlook ... yet
By Nadine Tester
Despite lackluster current economic conditions, companies attending Rider’s annual spring
Career Fair plan to hire at least the same number of new employees as last year, if not more,
according to a survey conducted by The Rider
News.
Held yesterday, the career fair hosted 73
companies representing a number of different
industries including financial security, insurance,
health care, electronics, accounting and government. Forty-two companies were polled to determine the impact the nation’s economy will have
on the job outlook for college graduates.
While one-third of companies said their
starting salaries had remained the same in the
past year, more than half reported that salaries
had increased anywhere up to $5,000.
Still, most replied that the starting salary is dependent on the employee’s position and
previous employment experience. The approximate starting salary offered by the accounting companies polled ranged from $40,000 to
$50,000; whereas, the financial services industry
offered salaries as low as $29,000 and as high as
$75,000.
In spite of the economic downturn, respondents from the mortgage industry remained
optimistic.
“The mortgage industry has been through
ups and downs the past couple of years,” said
an employer from the mortgage industry. “With
recent interest rates being lowered, we have been
getting very busy, which means we need to hire
more people. It could be a good thing for our
industry.”
Survey results indicate that non-profit organizations face a more uncertain and worrisome
future.
“The economy can drastically impact our
service and the number of core members we hire
because we depend greatly on charitable organizations,” said one employer. “If the state of the
economy continues to worsen, it is likely that
individuals and companies may decrease their
contributions to our organizations.”
Editorial & Managerial Board
Executive Editor
Sports Editor
Managing Editor
Assistant Sports Editor
News Editors
Photography Editor
Olivia Tattory
Paul Mullin
Jeff Frankel
Paul Szaniawski
Features and
Entertainment Editor
Jess Decina
Assistant Features and
Entertainment Editor
Laura Mortkowitz
Opinion Editor
Charles Guthrie
Kristie Kahl
Stephanie Nardi
Assistant Photography Editor
Karly Hamburg
Advertising Managers
Matt Bauer
Rachel Boyes
Business Manager
Erin Massano
Webmaster
Keith Raymond
Copy Editors
Enterprise Reporter
Stephanie Mostaccio
Stephanie Mostaccio
Annmarie Mercieri
Aurora Slothus
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Faculty Advisers
Tom Cooper
Dr. E. Graham McKinley
Dr. Thomas Simonet
Jamie Papapetros
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Rider faithful made the long journey to Albany
are equally excited about the
program’s future.
Dan Del Guercio, an
Waves of Rider fans made
American Studies major, has
the four-hour trip up I-87 to
followed the team throughthe Times Union Center in
out his four years here and is
Albany, N.Y., with hopes to
pleased with the transformation
witness school history as the
he’s witnessed in the team.
Broncs competed in the MAAC
“My freshman year in ’04,
Tournament for the conference
the team was great when we
title and an automatic bid to
had Jerry Johnson,” said Del
the NCAA Tournament.
Guercio. “The next year the
Going into the weekend,
team’s record suffered a bit, but
fans had a lot to be excited
we’ve since gotten a lot of good
about.
recruits and the team is comNaturally, there was trepeting at a high level.”
mendous hype surrounding
In their first game of
senior Jason Thompson, Rider’s
the tournament, the Broncs
6’11, big man and a potential
squeaked by tenth-seeded
first-round pick in this year’s
Canisius 75-71 before taking
NBA draft.
out last year’s MAAC Champs,
However, equally imporMarist, in the semis 76-71, en
tant, and perhaps unknown to
route to a finals appearance
many fans, were several stelversus Siena.
lar accomplishments the team
Unfortunately for Rider,
had achieved this season. The
injuries plagued the team early
Broncs won a school record 21
in the tournament, as three startregular season games, shot their
ers — Ryan Thompson, Harris
way to a top ten rank nationally
Mansell and Justin Robinson
in shooting and at one point
— went down against Canisius.
owned the fourth longest win
The team would not be able
streak in the nation.
to fully recover and it would
They also earned a spot on
eventually lose to Siena in the
collegeinsider.com’s Mid-Major
tournament finale 74-53.
Top 25, finishing the season
a Rider
RU-Summer Ad B&W 3/20/08 12:01 PM Sean
PagePantellere,
1
ranked 23rd.
senior, took the rigorous bus
Students are delighted with
trip to Albany to cheer on the
the team’s recent success and
By Hal Goodwin
Broncs all three days Rider
played in the tournament.
“Saturday’s game where
Ryan, Justin and Harris got
hurt was a disappointment, but
I’m glad we were able to pull
that one out,” said Pantellere.
“I thought they played well
though, especially Sunday,
when Jason had 32 points and
18 rebounds; that was an awesome game. To at least get to
see us play in the championship
was pretty big. Once the game
was out of hand it was disappointing, but it was great just
to get the experience of going
up there.”
Part of the experience
Pantellere spoke of was the
tumultuous eight-hour, round
trip bus ride the fans endured
each day they went to a game.
“It was tough; you’re all
crammed in there, but I went
up with a bunch of my friends,”
Pantellere said. “There were
eight of us the first two days
and for the championship I
think there were 12 of us so we
had a lot of fun. It’s not very
often you get to do something
like that.”
Even though the Broncs
came up just one win short of
an NCAA berth, Rider’s fans
like senior communication
major Chris Manthey, who has
kept up with the team over his
four years as a Bronc, are savvy
enough to realize what their
team accomplished this season
will benefit the basketball program in the future.
“It’s really great that Rider
is starting to get a some national
attention,” Manthey said. “The
[basketball] team has done a lot
of great things this year. Jason
obviously is graduating, but
there are a lot of underclassmen
on the team to keep building
the program up.”
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BRONCS’ BITS
Scores/Records (* denotes conference games)
Baseball
(9-9 overall, 1-2 MAAC)
3/11
Rider 9, Hofstra 7
3/14
Samford 3, Rider 1
3/15
Samford 9, Rider 4
3/16
Samford 8, Rider 4
3/18
Wofford 6, Rider 4
Rider 5, Wofford 4
3/21
Manhattan 20, Rider 3*
Rider 4, Manhattan 1*
3/22
Manhattan 7, Rider 3*
3/25
Rutgers 4, Rider 3
3/26
Rider 8, St. Joseph’s 5
Men’s Tennis
3/28
vs. Loyola, 2:30 p.m.*
3/30
vs. Niagara, 12 p.m.*
4/2
at Temple, 3 p.m.
Baseball
Continued from p. 15
challenged myself into thinking
I was better than the hitter,”
Petrowski said. “That mindset really helped me confidence
wise.”
It is effectiveness and control of his three-pitch arsenal —
consisting of a fastball, curveball and a “modified circle
change-up”— that Carone said
makes Petrowski such a talented
pitcher.
“He’s as good as he is
because he can throw three
pitches for a strike whenever he
wants on any count and I think
that’s what makes him more
successful than other guys,”
Carone said.
Before getting tagged by
Manhattan over the weekend
for eight runs, Petrowski was
sporting a 2.37 ERA with a
minuscule .95 WHIP.
These four veteran pitchers
will be looked upon to anchor
the rotation throughout the
conference schedule and send
the Broncs back to the MAAC
Tournament after just missing
out in 2007.
“We all have our own style
of pitching and complement
each other real well,” O’Connor
said. “We all feed off of each
other and we blend together
nicely.”
Track and Field
3/29
at Lafayette 5-Way Invitational
Wrestling
3/8
CAA Championships
3rd of 9
Softball
(5-10 overall)
3/12
St. Joseph’s 13, Rider 5
at Rebel Spring Games
3/14
Robert Morris 7, Rider 1
Cleveland St. 13, Rider 5
3/15
Rider 4, Florida A&M 3
Rider 6, Rhode Island 5
3/17
Rider 5, Wagner 4
Rider 7, Colgate 2
3/18
Rhode Island 4, Rider 3
Cornell 1, Rider 0
3/22
N. Florida 9, Rider 3
N. Florida 8, Rider 6
4/1
at Lafayette, 2:30 p.m.
4/3
at Columbia, 3 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
3/28
vs. Loyola, 2:30 p.m.*
3/30
vs. Niagara, 12 p.m.*
4/3
vs. Marist, 3 p.m.
And more sports...
Senior outfielder Tiffany DayNeutill was named MAAC
Softball Player of the Week for
all games played from March
10-16. Day-Neutill is currently 13th on Rider’s all-time hit
list with 167 hits.
Freshman Amanda Centeno
was named MAAC Softball
Rookie of the Week for all
games played from March
17-24. Centeno currently
leads the Broncs with a .485
batting average.
NEED A JOB?
Basketball
Continued from p. 15
enter into a contest against
the Saints, at the hostile Times
Union center where they
knocked off No. 11 Stanford
earlier in the year, without three
of your top players anywhere
near 100 percent.
Just look at the previous
two conference matchups. In
the first one up in Albany, Rider
was up by 25 at the half and the
Broncs were ahead for a majority of the second game until
junior forward Josh Duell hit a
3-pointer from way downtown
for Siena to steal the second
game.
A healthy Broncs team
definitely produces a different result. The team from
Lawrenceville was able to avoid
the injury bug all season until
that fateful weekend in upstate
New York.
This was a special year for
the team on campus with Rider
basketball actually receiving
publicity across the country.
Senior forward Jason
Thompson was of course the
main attraction, drawing the
attention of a boatload of NBA
scouts and personnel to go
along with a list of honors that
would require a media guide of
its own.
The Broncs were more than
just their MAAC Player of the
Year, which was why they won
a school record 23 games. They
had three other All-MAAC performers in Ryan Thompson,
Mansell and freshman Mike
Ringgold, which gave Head
Coach Tommy Dempsey a supporting cast to make it happen
and earn MAAC Coach of the
Year. They also had a bench
that made Rider a team that
could go as a far as 11 deep in
a game.
If they didn’t qualify for the
Big Dance, while it wasn’t automatic, the feeling was that the
Broncs would get an NIT bid.
Dempsey thought it was possible. Even Siena Head Coach
Fran McCaffrey gave Rider a
vote of confidence.
Even though Rider split the
regular season title, they lost the
auto-bid due to a tiebreaker.
It’s a shame, because it
would have been interesting to
see if this year’s group could
make the run to the Garden.
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Veteran arms are key for the Broncs
BASEBALL
By Charles Guthrie
“Pitching wins championships,” the saying goes, and the
Broncs have the staff capable of
making a championship run.
With the MAAC season
just underway, Rider features
a staff of upperclassmen with
various pitching styles.
Junior Jimmer Kennedy and
redshirt junior Derek Caldwell
are the hard throwers, senior
Will O’Connor is the crafty
lefty and junior Mike Petrowski
is a mixture of both.
“I think [the staff ] is one of
our strong points,” Head Coach
Barry Davis said.
Kennedy was tied for the
team lead in starts with 12 last
year, striking out eight or more
in four of those games. In conference play, he won four games
and posted an earned run average (ERA) just under four.
According to Assistant
Coach Jim Carone, who also
serves as the pitching coach,
the former All-League and AllCounty MVP from Holy Ghost
Prep worked on his other pitches to make himself a more wellrounded hurler this season.
“He can get it up there to
87-91 MPH, but he has a much
improved slider and change-up
that’s going to help him out tremendously,” Carone said. “The
one thing he lacked last year
was his secondary pitches.”
This season, he’s 2-1 with
a 4.03 ERA. Outside of a game
against Samford, Kennedy has
allowed just five earned runs in
17.1 innings of work.
“Last season I pitched all
right, but I had a lot to work
on,” Kennedy said. “Over the
summer and in the offseason I
really worked hard on my offspeed pitches and I’ve gotten a
long way with them so far.”
Caldwell is back with the
team after sitting out two seasons and needing Tommy John
Surgery.
As a freshman, he led the
Broncs in innings pitched with
70 and two-thirds, and was
second on the team with 42
strikeouts.
“Caldwell has the potential
to be one of the better guys
on our staff, if not the best,”
Carone said. “He’s pretty much
100 percent. He just has to get
comfortable out there in game
situations and he’ll continue to
improve throughout the season.”
After struggling in his first
three starts, Caldwell appears to
be hitting his stride, allowing
one run in four and one-third
innings against Wofford and
following that up by giving
up just two earned runs in five
and two-thirds innings against
Rutgers on Tuesday.
“He is starting to regain
his form from freshman year,”
O’Connor said. “He’s exciting to watch pitch. His fastball
has a lot of movement and his
changeup is his best pitch.
“He has a chance to be real
good if his arm stays healthy.”
O’Connor is the polar
opposite of Kennedy and
Caldwell. The senior hurler out
of Cinnaminson High School
has an approach to pitching
similiar to a Tom Glavine or
Jamie Moyer, which features
a low 80s fastball, slider and
change-up.
“I keep people off balance
between my fastball and changeup,” O’Connor said. “I’m most
effective when my change-up is
moving a lot.”
Coming off a sophomore
year where he won seven games,
O’Connor had four quality
starts in MAAC play, and only
surrendered four earned runs or
more in eight conference games
while not being 100 percent.
“Willy is a tough kid,”
Carone said. “He pitched all
of last year with a torn labrum.
He’s out there for the team, not
himself.
“He kept us in every game
last year. He’s not going to
overpower you, but he’s just a
bulldog.”
The 2006 Second Team All
New Jersey honoree hasn’t been
able to pitch yet this season
because he’s rehabbing from
offseason surgery.
Possibly the most impressive pitcher down the home
stretch in 2007 was Petrowski.
After allowing five runs in six
innings on the road in late April
to Siena, the 6-foot-4 righty
closed out the regular season
with four quality starts, throwing at least seven frames in each
game.
He closed out his 2007 campaign with an eight inning, 12
strikeout gem against Fairfield,
lowering his ERA to 4.03.
“He was our number one
guy last year,” Carone said. “He
kept us in every game except for
one against Gonzaga.”
The recipient of the 2007
Bob Koehler Award for the
team’s most valuable pitcher,
Petrowski said it was a difference
in his mental approach that led
to his late season surge.
“I really bore down and
See Baseball, p. 14
Rider returns from North Florida losses
SOFTBALL
By Kristie Kahl
Rider’s softball team left
the cold rain behind to play in
the sun while in Florida.
The Broncs spent Spring
Break competing in the Rebel
Spring Games, going 4-6 for
the week.
“We got to see how we
work together as a team and
how to support each other
accordingly,” said sophomore
outfielder Derrin Minunni.
The Broncs fell to Robert
Morris, Cleveland State, Rhode
Island, and Cornell during the
week. Rider came back in some
close games to overtake Florida
A&M 4-3, Wagner 5-4, Colgate
7-2, and Rhode Island 6-5 in an
extra inning.
“We showed that we could
play and compete,” said head
coach Trisha Carroll to Rider
Sports Information. “We’ve got
to learn to control what we can
and not let other things out of
our control bother us.”
The team returned north
after losing a doubleheader to
North Florida.
“Our losses were tough
because they really could have
gone either way,” Minunni
said. “Although it was a loss I
felt that we played really well
and if the tables had just been
Photo by Peter G. Borg
Sophomore Derrin Minunni finished with four hits and four RBIs
in Rider’s doubleheader against North Florida.
turned a little we would have
walked away with one or two
more wins.”
In the first game, North
Florida took a 4-0 lead before
the Broncs responded with a
two-run double from Minunni
in the top of the fourth inning.
With an error by North
Florida, senior Aimee Schiller
and Minunni executed a double
steal to bring the Broncs within
one run, which was as close as
Rider would get.
The Ospreys came back
with five runs within the next
three innings to seal a win.
Junior Lauren Brunner
pitched four innings, giving
up five earned runs on seven
hits, recording one strikeout.
Freshman Samantha Bennett
pitched two relief innings, giving up four runs on six hits.
“We came out flat,”
Carroll said to Rider Sports
Information. “It was ugly and
it looked like we didn’t want to
come out and play in the first
game.”
During the second game,
the Broncs jumped out to a
4-0 lead in the first inning
on a bases loaded RBI single
by Minunni with Schiller following with a two-run double.
With a wild pitch from North
Florida, Minunni was able to
score, leaving her with four hits
and four RBIs for the day.
Rider maintained a 5-1
lead on a two-out RBI single by
Minunni before North Florida
tied the game at five, scoring
four times in the bottom of the
fourth inning.
Brunner hit a two-out RBI
triple, scoring senior Jessica
Holland to put the Broncs at
six. North Florida responded
with two singles and a walk-off
home run in the bottom of the
seventh inning to put the game
away. Brunner ended with two
hits for the day.
“We stayed up and positive throughout the close games
which really allowed us to do
better,” Minunni said. “The
games that weren’t as close it
was easy to tell there was no
energy behind us.”
Rider will continue its
schedule at Columbia in a doubleheader on April 3.
Charles Guthrie
Not
enough
Saying that this year’s
men’s basketball team was
just a CBI-bound team just
doesn’t sound right.
Don’t get it wrong, any
other year, an invitation to
the new postseason basketball tournament would have
been a nice step up for the
program. Not this year.
Not in a year when the
Broncs were just 40 minutes
away from an automatic bid
and had a legitimate shot of
making a little noise in the
field of 65 with the right
match ups. It’s kind of disappointing.
Watching Siena and junior
guard Kenny Hasbrouck
dominate Vanderbilt and run
away with an 83-62 win in
the first round of the NCAAs,
one had to have thought that
Rider could have won that
game, too.
With the talent the Broncs
had, it’s almost certain that if
they were given a decent seed
that they could have been
another lower seeded team
that wreaked havoc during
the tumultuous Tampa, Fl.
session.
But Rider didn’t get that
chance after it was routed
by the Saints in the MAAC
Championship game.
The co-MAAC Regular
Season Champions didn’t
even get to play Siena anywhere near full strength. The
Broncs were worn out and
they were running on fumes
in the final game.
That’s the disappointing
part. Sophomore guard Ryan
Thompson — the team’s second leading scorer — was
out with a concussion. Third
Team All-MAAC guard
Harris Mansell was entering
the tournament on fire, but
was playing the last two games
on one leg. Freshman guard
Justin Robinson was also
playing on a bad ankle that
he injured against Canisius in
the first round.
There’s no way you can
See Basketball, p. 14
First of Her Kind
Sophomore becomes first Rider diver ever to qualify for NCAAs
SWIMMING/DIVING
By Kristie Kahl
A member of the swimming
and diving team became the
first Bronc diver in school history to qualify for the NCAAs.
Sophomore diver Amanda
Burke placed second at the
NCAA Zone A Regional in
Buffalo, N.Y., to make history
at Rider.
“Being the first swimmer or
diver to qualify for NCAAs is a
huge accomplishment,” Burke
said. “People have told me
that I did have a chance to go
when the season was just beginning, so I worked hard to have
NCAAs as a goal to accomplish
and being the first athlete to
accomplish it feels good. It feels
like all the hard work and the
long practices paid off.”
On the first day of the
Zone A Regional, Burke posted
a score of 553.10 while finishing only 46 points out of first
place.
Also competing for Rider,
senior diver Dylan Korn qualified for the three-meter finals
and placed 14th with a score of
510.50. Sophomore diver Paul
Apostolakis finished 29th on
the three-meter with a preliminary round score of 186.95.
On the second day of competition, Korn placed 25th in
the preliminaries of the one-
meter with Apostolakis with a
score of 167.60. Burke finished
fifth on the three-meter board,
placing 31st before moving on
to the NCAAs.
After accomplishing every
goal from her season, Burke
found herself making history
for the Broncs.
“Being at the NCAAs at
first didn’t hit me,” she said. “I
didn’t feel like I actually qualified for this meet. I almost felt
like I was in a dream because
these athletes have been training
all their lives for this meet, and
it shows with how incredible
they perform. Being reminded
that the best athletes in the
country are at this meet felt
weird. I love being a Rider athlete, and it was really awesome
to be able to represent Rider
University at Ohio State.”
At the NCAA Women’s
Swimming
and
Diving
Championships, Burke placed
39th on the one-meter and finished with a score of 222.50
in the six-dive event. Only 40
points separated her from the
consolation round of 16.
“I wish I could have done
better, but it was a rough meet,”
Burke said. “It just made me
want to come home and train
10 times harder to get as good
as these girls. This year was just
a trial run and next year I will
know what to expect and hope-
fully do better.”
After all is said and done,
Burke had a successful season
on the board. She is a two-time
MAAC champion on the onemeter while also winning the
three-meter at the MAACs in
2007, earning her Female Diver
of the Meet honors. Burke
claimed Diver of the Meet honors at the ECAC championships as well, winning both the
one-and-three-meter boards.
“Looking at [each of my
goals] now and accomplishing
them all is very exciting,” Burke
said. “I think this is the first
time ever that I accomplished all
of my goals in a season. I don’t
think I could have done it without the help of my coach and
teammates. We motivate each
other and that’s what makes
accomplishing these goals a lot
more special. This season was
great; I wouldn’t go back to
change a thing.”
With just a taste of the
NCAAs in her mouth, Burke is
all the more motivated to come
back with a vengeance for next
year.
“In the back of my mind
all season I kept thinking about
NCAAs and the possibility of
qualifying for it, and if I did
that, I knew I could do it,”
Burke said. “I have a lot of
training to do for next year, and
it has to start now.”
Sophomore Amanda Burke took second place at the NCAA
qualifier to make her the first Bronc to ever qualify for the
NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
Four Broncs wrestled in National Championships
WRESTLING
By Hal Goodwin
Junior Doug Umbehauer came just one victory short in the
consolation round of earning All-American status when he fell
to third seeded Tyrel Todd of Michigan.
Four Broncs earned the
right to travel to St. Louis last
weekend for a chance to earn
All-American honors and a
national title at this year’s NCAA
Wrestling Championships.
Seniors TJ Morrison, Don
Fisch and Doug Umbehauer
and junior Ed Bordas were all
selected based on their performances during the regular
season to compete for these
honors. Morrison and Fisch
each made their fourth NCAA
appearances, while Umbehauer
made his third and Bordas his
first.
“In wrestling, each conference has a different number of
qualifiers, this year it was 23,”
said Umbehauer. “There’s 10
weight classes so the first and
second guy from the conference in each weight class go to
NCAAs. Then the conference
also votes on three wildcards
that can come from any weight
class.”
Head Coach Gary Taylor
puts into perspective just how
difficult it was for these athletes
to reach this plateau.
“These four guys have been
through the toughest schedule
this year of any Rider wrestlers
ever, so whatever happens, they
are ready to battle the toughest competition in the nation,”
Taylor said. “Our goal is the
same as always; to compete
hard and come home with AllAmericans.”
Fisch earned a first round
bye before being pinned by
Kurt Kinser of Indiana. In the
consolations, Fisch lost 6-2
to Kyle Fried of Binghamton.
Fisch finished up his senior year
22-11, ending his Rider career
with a record of 110-36.
Morrison, who entered the
tournament seeded 11th in the
197-pound weight class, defeated Ben Hepburn of Lock Haven
5-2 in the Third Round consolations before losing 4-0 to the
third seed, Mike Tamillow of
Northwestern. Morrison ended
his season 23-9 and finished his
career 106-43.
Bordas, a wildcard selection who entered the tournament unseeded, lost 3-1 in the
first round to Nate Everhart of
Indiana on a last second takedown. In the Second Round
consolations, Bordas lost 10-2
to Reece Hopkin of Northern
Colorado.
On Thursday, Umbehauer,
who was also a wildcard selection, defeated 5th seed Joshua
Weitzel of Oklahoma, 9-4 in
the first round. The two-time
CAA Champion then took
out 12th seeded Jack Jensen
of Oklahoma State 3-2 in the
second round before falling to
fourth seed Christian Sinnott
of Central Michigan, and third
seed Tyrel Todd of Michigan
on Friday.
“He wrestled as hard as he
could, but unfortunately he got
beat by the third and fourth
seeds,” said Taylor. “I’m very
proud of how the kids competed.”
As a team, the Broncs finished 8-12 overall, 5-3 in the
conference and finished third in
the CAA tournament.

hurtful memories heal slowly

Transcription

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