a year in review

The
Rider News
A Grimm
past
6
www.theridernews.com
Volume 80, Issue XXII - Friday, April 30, 2010
The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930
A Year in Review
Rachel Gouk/The Rider News
Centennial Lake sparkles under the lights of the Rider community at dusk as another academic year comes to a close. For more images from this year, see p. 2.
Cuts spell trouble
for future teachers
By Jess Hoogendoorn
As students pack up their
pencils and books and head for
summer vacation, many teachers all over the state of New
Jersey will be doing the same,
except their vacations may be
permanent.
The $475 million cut
in aid to public school districts proposed by Gov. Chris
Christie has many education
majors wondering where they
will find a job if the budget is
passed.
“I will have to be willing to
broaden the area that I search
and apply for jobs in, so that
I can have a chance at getting
hired,” said sophomore Keith
Warncke. “I am going to have
to look in PA for a job, as well
as N.J., because of the cuts.”
The severe cuts are aimed
at reducing the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit that Christie
inherited from previous governors, federal budget cuts and
the recession.
Similar actions are occurring throughout the nation as
states try to scale back spending. According to The New York
Times, California may lay off
22,000 public school employees, Illinois may cut 17,000 and
New York may slash 15,000
jobs. However, New Jersey is
making the latest headlines with
Christie’s recently announced
cuts.
Dr. Tamar Jacobson, the
chair of the education department, says that she is appalled
by the proposed budget cuts.
“Education should be one
of the areas that is cut last, and
even then, cuts should be made
with care and knowledge about
A year of
Learning
See Teachers, p. 3
p. 8
Rider seeks
to ease burden
of N.J. cuts
By Dalton Karwacki
Helen Mannion/The Rider News
Transfer student Victoria Pindar leaves her Contexts of Schooling education class. Christie’s proposed education cuts are likely
to affect education majors after graduation.
See Jumpline, p. 3
Network out for
p. 6
Blood
In spite of challenges posed
by Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed budget cuts, Rider is
committed to closing the resulting budget gap, since it is nearly
too late for prospective students to find another school,
President Mordechai Rozanski
said during his annual Spring
Town Hall meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting, held in the
Yvonne Theater, emphasized
the impact of the cuts, as well as
Rider’s response. The proposed
budget would cut aid to public
and private colleges and universities by $173 million, nearly $3
million of which will represent
cuts to Rider and future Rider
students. Even so, Rozanski
expressed his belief that Rider
will be able to withstand the
challenging times ahead.
“Let me make it unequivo-
See Town Hall, p. 3
Paying tribute to
Earle Rommel
p. 11
The
2 Friday, April 30, 2010
Rider News
Security Briefs A look back at 2009-10
Gotta ketch ’em all
Last Wednesday morning revealed damaged window screens and condiments
smeared on the windows
of some students’ rooms in
Olson Hall.
A male staff member
reported the damage on April
21, at 10:45 a.m. He told
Public Safety officers that the
window screens in two rooms
had been damaged. A large
amount of ketchup and mustard had also been smeared
on the windows. The cost to
fix the damage and clean up
the mess was $300.
The investigation is
ongoing. Anyone with information should contact Public
Safety at x. 5029.
Monkey business
Members of Zeta Tau
Alpha (ZTA) were wary of
a stuffed ape covered in an
unidentified liquid that was
left on their porch last weekend.
The stuffed animal
was found on the porch on
Saturday, April 24, at 8:22
p.m. The monkey was wet,
and the female student who
found it thought that someone had urinated on it. The
ZTA students assumed that it
was retaliation because ZTA
won the Greek Week competition last week.
The investigation is
ongoing. Anyone with information should contact Public
Safety at x. 5029.
Driving while idiotic
A male visitor was arrested by Lawrence Township
Police last weekend on charges of driving while intoxicated on campus.
Public Safety officers
reported to the scene on
Sunday, April 25, at 1:28 a.m.
The visitor had been driving
recklessly and was stopped
outside the Annex lot. After
failing a field sobriety test,
the visitor was arrested and
transported off campus for
further processing. The visitor was made a persona non
grata.
Reminder
Public Safety
would like
to remind students to clean
out their rooms before leaving for summer break. The
officers would also like to
wish everyone a safe and happy summer.
Information provided by Director
of Rider’s Department of Public
Safety Vickie Weaver.
Illustration by Helen Mannion/The Rider News
A collage of this year’s top stories centers on Rider’s first challenge from fall 2009: swine flu. Jamiyl Mosley, area director of
Residence Life, models the N95 respirator mask that Rider purchased for health care workers and administrators. To read more
about this year’s issues, including proposed state budget cuts and the passage of the new health care bill, see the editorial, p. 8.
Graduation Day
information
Coming
Up ...
Lawrenceville CCS
Commencement: Thursday,
May 13, 5 p.m., Campus
Green
Friday, April 30
Saturday, May 1
Friday, May 7
Financial Aid Important
Information, 10 a.m., Daly
Dining Hall Board Room
The Rider Vibes Annual
Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m.,
BLC Theater
Groundbreaking Ceremony,
11:30 a.m., New Academic
Building Construction Site
SEC End of the Semester
Carnival, 3:30 p.m., Lower
BLC patio (rain location is the
SRC)
Pelléas et Mélisande, 8 p.m.,
The Playhouse
Saturday, May 8
The Rider Vibes Annual
Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m.,
BLC Theater
Westminster Chapel Choir
Spring Concert, 8 p.m.,
Bristol Hall Chapel
Pelléas et Mélisande, 8 p.m.,
The Playhouse
Pub Night, 9 p.m., BLC Pub
Sunday, May 2
Rider PCM Community
Service, 5 p.m., Gill Chapel
Tuesday, May 4
Lalanobooza, 9 p.m., Daly
Dining Hall
“It’s a Grand Night for
Singing,” 8 p.m., Bristol Hall
Chapel
Tuesday, May 11
Spirit and Song: Hope for
Haiti, 5 p.m., Bristol Hall
Chapel
Wednesday, May 5
Free at Noon Dance Concert,
noon, Yvonne Theater
Thursday, May 6
Pub Night, 9 p.m., BLC Pub
Compiled by Emily Landgraf
To list your event, e-mail
[email protected]
Lawrenceville
Undergraduate
Commencement: Friday,
May 14, 9:30 a.m.,
Campus Green
WCC Undergraduate
Commencment: Saturday,
May 15, 10:30 a.m.,
Princeton University Chapel
Lawrenceville rain information: In the event
of severe weather, the
Commencement ceremony
will be moved indoors to
the Student Recreation
Center (SRC). Tickets are
required for entry.
WCC Graduation Tickets:
Commencement tickets are
required for entrance into
the ceremony.
The
Rider News
Friday, April 30, 2010 Town Hall
Continued from p. 1
cally clear that I have every confidence that we will
emerge successfully and financially stable from these
difficult circumstances,” he said to a packed audience
of faculty, staff and administrators.
From the direct aid cuts, Rider stands to lose
almost $2 million. Cuts to the Tuition Aid Grant
(TAG) and Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF) programs
will give Rider a financial aid shortfall in excess of
$945,000. If the budget passes on June 30, Rider students stand to lose a collective $848,000 from TAG
cuts and more than $96,000 from EOF cuts. There are
currently 900 TAG recipients at Rider, numbers that
are expected to be consistent with next fall’s.
Rozanski said that Rider will do everything possible to prevent new TAG- and EOF-eligible students
from being negatively impacted by these cuts. He said
that, since most universities sent out acceptance letters
before learning about these cuts and used financial aid
packages based on this year’s levels, it would be unfair
to take this money back, as students must respond with
a deposit by May 1.
“Clearly, we have a moral obligation to these students to substitute Rider’s or other funds for the lost
TAG and EOF awards in the financial aid packages
offered,” Rozanski said.
3
After laying out the challenges posed by Christie’s
budget, Rozanski explained how Rider is responding.
One course of action the university has followed is
advocacy, including participating in legislative hearings
and meeting with legislators individually.
According to Rozanski, there has been a 10 percent increase in fall undergraduate applications over
the last year, for a total of 8,710.
Budget cuts will not prevent investment in the
campuses, Rozanski said, stating that the planned BLC
expansion and new academic building in Lawrenceville
will proceed, as their funding has been secured.
Additionally, he said that Rider is still moving forward
with plans for a new $12 million athletics arena (see
Arena, p. 11) and new Westminster academic buildings, valued at $7 million.
Other upgrades to the Lawrenceville campus
include several repairs and improvements to the Fine
Arts building, new Career Services offices in Fine Arts
and Sweigart, and structural repairs to residence halls.
The Westminster campus can expect, among other
things, sidewalk and retaining wall repairs, Williamson
chimney repairs, an emergency generator for Talbott
Library, and a new parking lot with between 71 and 93
spaces, which the president promised will be finished,
though some neighbors have objected.
“Clearly, even in the face of challenges, we must
continue to retain university facilities and infrastructure,” Rozanski said.
Teachers
Continued from p. 1
Ito WANT
get more out
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We can get you there.
Thinking of taking an extra class or two while you’re home
this summer? Five-week and seven-week sessions start
May 17.
We offer hundreds of courses, including many that are
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what all children need to learn,”
Jacobson explained.
According to Ben Dworkin,
the director of the Rebovich
Institute for New Jersey Politics,
the budget will not be defeated.
“The budget should pass
in a form with only minor
changes. This is because the
state’s fiscal condition basically
requires these kinds of cuts,
and those who oppose the cuts
don’t really have an alternative to propose,” he said. “Even
reinstituting a surtax on those
making $400,000 or more will
only generate about $800 million, which is not enough to do
more than soften the sharpest
edges of cuts to schools.”
Since the budget will not be
voted on until June, graduates
from the school of education
are engaged in “a waiting game
at this stage,” said Joyce Tyler,
director of Career Services. Graduates have to wait
and see how many job openings there will be after tenured
teachers retire and employees
who were let go are potentially
called back. It is likely that
the majority of May graduates
won’t find out if they have a
job until late August or early
September.
Many education majors are
also concerned with how the
cuts will impact children in
New Jersey public schools, who
may be their future pupils.
“I feel that the budget cuts
to education are extremely bad
for the country and especially
for New Jersey,” said freshman Emily Firth, an education
major. “Children’s activities will
be cut. Sports, music and the
arts, and many modes of transportation are being cut already.
Allie Ward/The Rider News
President Mordechai Rozanski speaks at the Spring
Town Hall in the Yvonne Theater on Tuesday.
It’s just not a good way to try
and save money all around.”
According to Dworkin,
most New Jersey residents
understand the need for the
cuts, but are critical of how they
are being distributed.
“The political question is
not whether education has to
be cut, but whether education
takes the biggest hit while others get off,” he said. “This has
been the Democratic message: The governor calls for shared
sacrifice, but then exempts the
wealthiest New Jerseyans from
sharing the pain.” Ilona Chasar, a sophomore education major, said she
understands that the economy
is not doing well, but does not
think teachers are the right ones
to target.
“Teachers are the people
that help everyone get to their
careers in life,” she said. “No
matter who you ask, everyone
can name at least one teacher
that has made an impact in
their life.” Some people have turned
out to protest the cuts. About
18,000 New Jersey high school
students walked out of class on
Tuesday to demonstrate their
disapproval.
Dworkin suggests that if
people are going to protest,
they should be targeting the
Republicans who will be under
immense pressure to support
the budget proposed by a
Republican governor.
As they look toward the
future, some sophomore education majors are expressing
concern over how their future
careers will pan out.
“When I student teach, I
wanted to coach or get involved
with some extracurricular activity, and with the cuts, if I go to
a school with limited activities
it will be hard to become a
part of it,” said a sophomore
education major who wished
to remain anonymous. “On the
other hand, when I go to look
for a job, the budget cuts will
affect me greatly. Right now
there are hundreds of teachers without jobs, teachers with
much more experience in the
field, which will make getting a
job harder than it already is.”
Sophomore Amy Crowe
has a bleak outlook regarding
her future employment as well.
“I would like to come out
of school feeling optimistic
about finding a teaching job,
but I do not know what the
availability of jobs would be for
me,” she said.
Tyler suggested students
look at all of their options and
consider surrounding states.
“[Students should] make
sure they are casting their nets
beyond New Jersey’s borders,”
she said.
Although finding a job is
high on an education major’s
priority list, most education
majors agreed that public
school students would be the
biggest losers.
“[The cuts] are harming
the students more than the
teachers, which isn’t right,”
said the anonymous sophomore. “Students deserve the
best, because they are the
future, and right now I feel like
they are being cheated by the
cuts to education.” This is the final issue
of The Rider News this
semester. Look for our
back-to-school special
issue on the first day
of class in September.
The
Rider News
4 Friday, April 30, 2010
Breaking the mold: evolution of family ideals
By Kaitlin Pendagast
If one were to contemplate
the topic of family planning in
America, the pre-Revolutionary
War time period of the 1760s
may not likely come to mind.
But the 18th annual Levine
History Lecture, “Women,
the Revolution and Family
Planning,” presented by Temple
University historian and author
Dr. Susan Klepp, centered precisely upon this. The lecture was
held Thursday, April 22.
Klepp’s lecture was based
on her book, Revolutionary
Conceptions, in which Klepp
investigates the correlation
between the growth of revolutionary ideas, such as independence, natural rights and
individual autonomy, and the
growth of attitudes in favor
of family planning. Birth rates
in America, she pointed out,
PC update
causes chaos
Rider suffered alongside
McAfee business users when
a security update went awry.
According to Carol
Kondrach, associate vice
president for information technologies, a virus
attached to the McAfee system update affected business
users on Wednesday, April
21, if their computers were
on, or if they turned on their
computers before the Office
of Information Technologies
(OIT) could block McAfee.
This affected only Windows
computers.
“About 1,000 work
stations were impacted,”
Kondrach said. “OIT understood what the problem was
within an hour of the delivery of the virus.”
Kondrach explained
that a team was trained to
address the issue, which had
to be fixed manually.
“We were addressing
classrooms first and key
business areas,” Kondrach
said.
The McAfee update
made Windows system
files look like a virus, said
Kondrach. It took system
files and deleted the contents, rendering machines
useless.
Workers in Mail Services
and Facilities said the loss of
computers hit them hard.
Kondrach said OIT did its
best to fix the problem.
“To anyone who called
us to inform us that they
had a key business need that
needed to be met, we adjusted our priorities to be sure
that it was met in a timely
manner,” Kondrach said.
peaked in the 1760s and have
since fallen consistently, with
the exception of the baby boom.
Klepp examined how during the colonial era, birth rates
were extremely high, averaging
around nine children per family.
“Colonists promoted a
high fertility regime,” she said.
Large families were favored
during this time for a variety
of reasons, one of the major
ones being the belief that children were sources of wealth and
free labor. Children were born
primarily to serve their parents. Patriarchal attitudes were
exceptionally prolific during
the colonial times, Klepp said.
Though large families were
valued, Klepp emphasized that
not all children were considered
equally valuable. Both women
and men during the colonial
period favored sons over daughters, giving their sons more food
and clothes and a better education than their daughters. It
was not uncommon for fathers
to forget to account for their
daughters in censuses, Klepp
added. Firstborn sons were also
viewed to be of greater importance than younger children,
both male and female.
Colonial women derived
pride from bearing as many
sons as possible. Despite the
fact that women oftentimes suffered from vitamin deficiencies, miscarriages, the delivery
of sickly infants or stillborns,
and death because of so many
pregnancies, childbirth was still
their utmost ambition.
Men too gained fame
for fathering many children,
particularly sons. This was a
source of pride and competition among them. Fertility was
even important for excelling in
politics for men, Klepp added.
“Procreation towered above
3rdAnnual
Don’tTrashIt,
RecycleIt!
all other achievements,” Klepp
said.
During the Revolutionary
and post-Revolutionary time
period, attitudes about family
size and preference for males
over females began to change.
Although few women urged for
or could even imagine equal
rights for their sex, voices calling for women’s rights to exercise control over how their bodies were used became much
more prominent, Klepp said.
Preference for male children over female children eventually became less acceptable.
Along with these many attitude changes came the idea that
limitations ought to be set on
procreation. The colonial average of nine children per family
dropped to five by 1850 and
then to 3.5 by 1900. This drop
in birthrates led to the enactment of the Comstock Laws,
making contraceptive sale and
Rider University
Greek Council
IFC
NPC
IGC
usage illegal during the immigration era for fear that the
“white Protestant population
would be out-bred,” Klepp said.
Despite these laws, Klepp
pointed out, birth rates continued to fall. In response to these
Comstock Laws, Margaret
Sanger founded the birth-control movement in America in
the early 1900s, which spoke
out against them. This movement later evolved into Planned
Parenthood of America.
Klepp examined in detail
how family planning in America
and women’s freedom of choice
in such matters traces its roots
back to Revolutionary times.
This family planning revolution, started by women, Klepp
added, is “not yet over.”
GΘ
GΓΣΣΚ
Congrats to the
Greek Week Champions!
Zeta Tau Alpha & Tau Kappa Epsilon
Donornameswillbe
enteredinadrawing
forprizes!
•WHAT? Donate your unwanted
clothes, shoes, rugs, good
condition furniture and appliances
(microwaves, refrigerators, etc. to
HomeFront NJ.
•WHEN? Wednesday, May 5, 2010.
10 am to 3:30 pm.
•WHERE? 6 tables will be set
up at various locations around the
residence halls for your convenience.
•WHY? Help those in need and
reduce waste on campus.
Questions?
Wanttovolunteertohelp?
ContactErinBethke
[email protected]
New Member Female Highest GPA:
Patricia Ashmore, Alpha Xi Delta
New Member Male Highest GPA:
Brian Williams, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Individual Male Highest GPA:
Alex D’Amico, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Individual Female Highest GPA:
Patricia Ashmore, Alpha Xi Delta
New Member Class Highest GPA:
Tau Kappa Epsilon, Spring 2009
Highest Sorority GPA:
Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity
Highest Fraternity GPA:
Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity
Intramural Member of the Year:
Candice Culbertson, Alpha Xi Delta
Chapter Spirit Award: Phi Sigma Sigma
New Member of the Year:
Ben Casale, Tau Kappa Epsilon
Community Service Award:
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity
House Manager of the Year:
Jessica Prodoehl, Phi Sigma Sigma
Advisor of the Year:
Claudine Caro, Alpha Xi Delta
Outstanding Program of the Year:
Sigma Phi Epsilon Balanced Man Banquet
Legacy Award: Dan Ziegler, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Greek Man of the Year:
Frank Romano, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Greek Woman of the Year:
Catherine DeSantis, Zeta Tau Alpha
Bart Leudeke Outstanding Chapter Award:
Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity
Have a safe & fun summer!
Look for recruitment information in the
fall! Thanks for all of your support!
Friday, April 30, 2010 5
Student phoned in job opportunity
By Valis Vicenty
Students use any means possible in
order to land the perfect internship and
don’t usually begin their search until
their junior year, but one freshman managed to have one fall into her lap.
Sharon Buchnik found a paid
internship opportunity by simply making a phone call to alumnus Joe Kelly,
’91, as part of her job as a Phoneathon
caller. This job entails calling various
alumni to obtain updated contact and
work information, inform them about
the changes to campus and ask for donations.
“I randomly got him from a pile
of alumni,” said Buchnik, a human
resources management major. “We had
a lot in common — we had a similar
major, and his wife was in Zeta Tau
Alpha like me. I got him to donate
money, and he mentioned I would be a
really perfect addition to his company.”
Kelly graduated with a degree in
business administration and credited
much of his learned skills to working
both inside and outside the classroom.
“There are many times where we
encounter the day-to-day operations
that I could look back to the classes I
had and the experience I had to handle
certain situations,” Kelly said.
Talon, Kelly’s company, is a professional services firm that specializes in
technology and clinical staffing. As the
chief operating officer, Kelly said when
he spoke to Buchnik, he knew talent
when he heard it.
“She was good on the phone and
had talent as far as sales ability,” he said.
“She was very personable, knew how
to get her point across and found common interests, which is important. It’s a
rare skill, something you’re born with.
Since we specialize in sales environments
because of our industry, it would make
sense to have her come in for an internship.”
Buchnik went in for an interview
with Kelly and became Talon’s first summer intern. Because of her major, she
will be splitting her time between the
human resources department, working
with the sales team to help them gain
new clientele and displaying her proficiency on the phone starting in May.
“I will be doing a lot on the phone,
like talking to other companies to try to
link them with [Talon],” Buchnik said.
Kelly worked with Career Services
as well as many of the faculty members
of the business school in order to have
Valis Vicenty/The Rider News
Freshman Sharon Buchnik will spend more time on the phone for her internship.
Buchnik receive credit for her work but
was unable to because she is a freshman.
“He talked to many people in the
business school because he was really
trying to enforce credits, but it didn’t
work,” Buchnik said.
Kelly believes that this internship
may influence her to change her major.
“It is important for her to get experience in order to see a couple of different sides of the business and better
determine what she wants to do,” he
said. “Sometimes what you want to do
is not what your skills are.”
Westminster student spreads the love
By Helen Mannion
Some people get tattoos when they’re drunk. Some
get them because they’re popular. Others get tattoos to
memorialize a lost friend or loved one.
That’s what Anna Friars, a sophomore music education and sacred music major at Westminster Choir
College did after recently losing a close hometown
friend to suicide. Friars’ friend was scheduled to audition at Westminster for admission next fall.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death
among college students, according to the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Rider’s last suicide
of a current student was in November of 2002.
Students who are on their own for the first time
may suffer from depression, which can lead to thoughts
of suicide, according to Rose Soriero, a counselor and
the Outreach Coordinator at Rider’s Lawrenceville
campus Counseling Center.
“I think it’s part of what happens to college students who are on their own for the first time, dealing with new things they’ve never had to encounter
before,” Soriero said. “Mom and Dad aren’t there to
tell [students] when to get up, when to do their homework, when to have dinner or what time to go to bed.
I think that contributes a lot to this age group.”
The typical age of a college student is 17 to 25,
which is “a time of growth and development,” said
Dean of Students Anthony Campbell.
“During that period, we find the age of onset for
mental illness because our brain is still developing,” he
said. “It’s the age of onset for depression, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia.”
In some cases Soriero encounters, students who
are thinking of committing suicide don’t want to die as
much as they want the pain to stop.
“When someone is in that much pain and thinking of killing themselves as the only answer, the pain
kind of prevents them from thinking ‘OK, what can I
do to take care of this problem?’” Soriero said. “I think
if they were thinking rationally and had the help that
they need, they could probably think more rationally
Helen Mannion/The Rider News
Friars got her tattoo as a tribute to her hometown
friend who recently committed suicide.
about what their options are.”
The use of drugs and alcohol is also a contributing
factor to suicidal thoughts in an individual suffering
from depression or mental illness, according to the
Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
“When you mix depression with alcohol and
drugs, it puts you at higher risk,” Campbell said.
Friars is currently doing everything she can to
raise awareness about suicide prevention on campus by
making and distributing yellow ribbons to her classmates. She has also set up a scholarship and a prevention walk in her hometown of West Deptford, N.J.
“No college student should have to bury a peer, no
teacher should have to bury a student, no sister should
ever have to bury her baby brother and no parents
should ever have to bury their son,” Friars said. “I will
fight for the rest of my life to prevent losing another
loved one to suicide. It is something I never want to
experience again, and something I don’t want to watch
others experience either.”
In addition to everything else she has done, Friars
has also gotten a tattoo on her wrist that reads “Loved,”
with a music note forming the “d,” as a tribute to her
friend. The tattoo was inspired by the “To Write Love
On Her Arms” movement, which advocates “hope and
finding help for people struggling with depression,
addiction, self-injury and suicide,” according to its
Web site.
“Aside from the events I can put on and the tattoos
I can brand myself with, I have just been trying to tell
people about [my friend] and the experiences I have
been through since his death,” Friars said. “My hope is
that I can reach out and touch the hearts of people who
need it badly.”
Both Campbell and Soriero believe that talking to
someone and getting help can prevent students from
committing suicide.
“We’re lucky in that we’re a small school,” Campbell
said. “Many people know each other. If you are having trouble facing the world, those are signs that you
should talk to somebody.”
Soriero believes talking to a responsible adult, like
an administrator, parent, professor, adviser, counselor
or member of the clergy, can help, and maybe even
prevent a student from feeling the need to take his or
her own life.
Friars thinks colleges should stop being afraid of
“glorifying suicide” and start working on prevention.
She says too many schools and colleges in New Jersey
are afraid to talk about suicide because they are afraid
of giving someone the wrong idea.
“If schools would acknowledge the fact that suicide
is a large issue we need to address, maybe students
would receive a message they would not have thought
about otherwise,” Friars said.
Friars is going to continue to strive to promote
awareness, including showing off her tattoo.
“Who knows, maybe my tattoo will spark a conversation that saves someone’s life,” she said. “I like to
believe I can help.”
The
Rider News
6 Friday, April 30, 2010
Debussy’s elusive love triangle
OPERA PREVIEW
By Lacey Colby
Joe Rey/ The Rider News
MF Grimm came to Rider to promote his autobigraphical graphic novel Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm on Tuesday.
Rap artist shares a Grimm past
The multi-talented artist, Percy Carey, otherwise known
as MF Grimm, gave an enlightening speech about his
extraordinary and trying life on Tuesday, April 27.
Although Grimm has experienced several life-threatening
attacks, he still pursues his passions each day. In 1994, he
survived a murder attempt where he was shot seven times,
which deafened, blinded and paralyzed him from the waist
down. Although he recovered all of his vision, hearing and
speech ability, he is still restricted to a wheel chair.
Despite the events Grimm has faced in his life, he is
well-versed in music, writing and acting. In September 2007,
Grimm’s life was detailed through a comic book autobiog-
raphy, Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm, published by DC
Comics’ Vertigo. The novel includes the story of how he
became paralyzed from gang violence. He is also scheduled
to release another novel on May 18, You Only Live Twice: The
Audio Graphic Novel.
In 2008, under his real name, Percy Carey, Grimm was
nominated for two Eisner Awards: Best Reality Based Work
and Best Lettering for Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm.
Along with writing, Grimm is also popularly known for
his rapping. He released the first triple-album in hip-hop history, American Hunger.
The only opera to ever be completed
by Debussy will reach the Westminster
stage this weekend.
Westminster students will perform
Pelléas et Mélisande under the guidance
of stage director Marc Verzatt and music
director Daniel Beckwith.
The opera begins when Mélisande
(graduate student Kelly Ann Bixby), a
young woman with a mysterious past,
is found in the woods by Prince Golaud
(alumnus Zachary Coates), who is immediately captivated by her. Despite knowing nothing about who — or what — she
is, Golaud soon marries her and brings her
to his grandfather’s castle in Allemonde
with him. There, Golaud’s younger halfbrother Pelléas (graduate student Chris
Hodson) and Mélisande develop a close
relationship. Golaud becomes jealous, and
his reaction yields tragic results.
According to graduate student Justine
Aronson, who plays Golaud’s son Yniold,
Verzatt described Mélisande to the cast as
a character not of this world, as opposed to
her husband Golaud, who is a representation of the earthly and manly. Pelléas exists
somewhere between the two. Aronson said
that Pelléas and Mélisande have a “spiritual affair,” rather than a physical one,
in which Mélisande helps him leave the
earthly world.
Hodson elaborated on his character’s
relationships with Mélisande and Golaud.
“Pelléas is a character who is in constant conflict,” Hodson said. “Along with
Student gets a true taste of
network’s blood on Facebook
By Katherine Johnson
It was moments after the premiere of the new HBO hit series True
Blood in 2008 when a newly devoted fan logged on to Facebook to see
if there was a fan page that she could join.
Brittany Breen, a senior and sister of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority,
decided to create her own page after her search for a fan page yielded no
results. She was determined to share her love with the rest of the show’s
new fans.
“It was really easy,” Breen said. “I put in basic information about the
show, for example, what I like about the plot, characters, etc., and fans
started joining from all over the world.”
The True Blood fan page Breen created was an instant success, generating thousands of fans and becoming a popular page on Facebook.
There was a lot of buzz being created about the show in the first few days
brought about by the help of the Web site.
“I didn’t only track the number of fans,” Breen said. “You can track
the number of ‘likes’ and comments and the quality of the posts.”
With the newfound popularity of the page, however, came some
trouble. Breen was soon asked by HBO to take down the page because
the network felt the fan page violated legal rights and intellectual property laws.
“I got a complaint from Facebook saying that I was impersonating HBO, and they had filed a complaint,” Breen said. “[They wanted
me to] fill out a form stating how I was affiliated with HBO and True
Blood.”
Even though the complaint stated that Breen’s site was in violation
of copyright laws and that Breen was impersonating the network, the
Web site has not been taken off the Web yet since she refused to fill out
the form. However, the site currently has over 73,000 fans and continues to grow each day.
“I was so impressed by the exponential rate by which fans joined
the page,” said senior Ally Watson. “I mean, we’re talking about HBO
compared to the efforts of a college student.”
While HBO eventually released its own fan page for the show, Breen
is still excited about the buzz that her page has caused on Facebook.
“I just think it’s really cool that Facebook and other social-networking sites give everyday people the power to connect with people all over
the world with similar interests,” she said.
True Blood takes place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, La. It
focuses on the life of Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, who falls
in love with Bill Compton, a vampire.
Breen’s fan page has attracted people from all over the world, though
most fans are from the United States. Many of the fans are women who
enjoy discussing the things that they find most interesting about the
show.
Breen is currently getting the fan page ready for the June premiere
of the third season of the show by posting spoilers and what fans want
to see happen. She’s also paying attention to what they say in response
to the other fang-bangers (vampire groupies) and fans’ suggestions.
Even through all the problems facing the fan page, it is still going
strong and Breen is proud of her accomplishments. While the conflict
with HBO has currently subsided, only the future will tell what will happen between this college student and the HBO network.
Lacey Colby/The Rider News
Zachary Coates and Kelly Ann Bixby portray the troubled spouses Golaud and Mélisande in the Debussy opera.
Mélisande, he represents an innocence
and naïveté that is indicative of the younger generation within the story. Unlike
Mélisande, who is completely detached
from this world, Pélleas is half in, half
out. Throughout the opera, he feels the
need to leave but is tied down by his connection to his half-brother and the obligations imposed on him by his station in
life.”
Though Westminster is full of talented vocalists, putting on the Debussy
opera is still a demanding task.
“The challenge of this opera was the
timing within the music for entrances,
both musically and staging-wise,” said
graduate student Meagan Johnson, a
chorus member. “Debussy incorporated
motives that represent the various symbols
throughout the opera, which line up with
specific staging by Marc Verzatt.”
Johnson, Aronson and Hodson agreed
on the difficulty of performing an opera
entirely in French.
“You have to know every word you’re
saying,” Aronson said.
Without understanding their French,
7
Opera performances
are tonight and
Saturday at 8 p.m. in
the Playhouse on the
Westminster campus.
the performers can’t deliver the words
with the correct emotions or emphasis.
Hodson also explained that the music
presented other challenges for the cast.
“Debussy wrote this opera to literally be Maeterlinck’s drama Pelléas et
Mélisande set to music and, as such, the
music is completely subservient to the
text,” Hodson said. “The melodies rise
and fall with the inflections of the language so there are no ‘tunes’ to latch on to
when you are learning the role; that and
the sheer volume of French text that you
have to memorize makes this a monster
role.”
The cast members expect Pelléas et
Mélisande to be a great emotional and
intellectual experience. Johnson hopes
that audience members will attend the
lecture before Friday’s performance in
order to grasp the symbolism while they
experience the “exquisite music” of the
opera.
“People will enjoy being completely
immersed in the drama through the gorgeous music of Debussy,” Hodson said.
“Isn’t that why we go to an opera or a play
or a movie, for that matter? We want to be
transported to a fantastical place. We want
to want to watch the drama unfold before
our eyes and to be a part of that drama.”
Tickets for the opera are $20 for adults and
$15 for students/seniors. There will be a
lecture for ticket holders tonight at 7 p.m.
Dancers show their originality
By Audrey Yeager
The Rider Dance Ensemble will spotlight more than choreography next week.
On May 5 at noon in the Yvonne
Theater, the team will hold a free dance
concert benefiting HomeFront, a nonprofit agency that provides a range of
services to poor and homeless families
in Mercer County. It is open to all Rider
students and the surrounding community.
“I hope people will come out to see
Courtesy of Brittany Breen
our show and donate to this cause,” said
freshman Angela Romansky, a dancer who
will be performing. “It is incredible what
HomeFront is doing for those who need
somewhere to go, something to eat and
someone to care.”
Last year, almost 14,000 heads of
households came to HomeFront asking
for assistance. Many were single parents struggling to make ends meet. The
organization works to get these families
back on their feet by providing them
with food, shelter and services like daycare programs, educational programs and
emergency assistance. In the past year,
HomeFront fed and housed 280 famiHBO lies weekly and allowed 145 children to
Top, senior Brittany Breen meets True Blood actor Ryan Kwanten. attend an eight-week summer camp free
Breen was contacted by HBO after creating a True Blood fan page of charge. HomeFront also helped 76
on Facebook that the network felt violated intellectual propery laws. welfare recipients obtain employment and
aided 17 people in obtaining their GED/
high school diplomas. Fifteen people went
on to college in the past year after receiving help.
Many of the dancers appearing in
Free at Noon, including Romansky, have
participated in several dance performances
in the past two semesters. This show presents a unique opportunity for the Rider
Dance Ensemble members, allowing them
to collaborate, generate new ideas in a
relaxed setting and, most importantly,
have fun doing what they love.
“All of our dancers are working very
hard in rehearsals,” said senior Kellie
Ortmann, current president of the ensemble. “The show allows dancers who have
not had the chance to present and perform their own choreography.”
Next year’s dance ensemble president,
sophomore Marissa Desantis, is looking
forward to the last dance performance as
she transitions into her new role.
“I am ecstatic to see this year’s concert
come together,” Desantis said. “This is the
second year the show is being produced,
and I am privileged to be able to work
with such great people on a daily basis. In
the fall I hope to develop a greater presence for the club on both campuses here
at Rider. ”
The performance will feature original
Audrey Yeager/ The Rider News
Free at Noon will benefit the non-profit
agency HomeFront, which provides services for impoverished families.
choreography by Rider students Taylor
LaBau, Jenna Schottlander, Ryan Maffai,
Stephanie Agin, Amanda Morales and
Katie McCambley, as well as Rider alumna Jennifer Gladney.
In lieu of money in exchange for a ticket,
audience members must instead bring a
non-perishable food item to be donated to
HomeFront. For more information, contact
Marissa Desantis at [email protected].
8 Editorial
New decade,
different issues
A
nother year has passed, and once again, we students have
been through more than anyone would have seen coming. From problems with the economy to changes in the
weather, we have seen it all.
Swine flu was one of the biggest national health concerns
we’ve had in years. After hearing about the large numbers of
students at other schools who had come down with the illness,
the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses went into defense
mode. Swine flu caused such anxiety that “restricted-access
lounges” were established in Conover and Switlik halls for students who got sick and could not go home. Overall, 189 students and 41 faculty and staff members reportedly came down
with flu-like symptoms, but these numbers were nowhere near
what was reported at other schools. At Rider, in the end, only
three cases of swine flu were confirmed in the fall and none in
the spring.
Luckily for students in the class of 2010, they will not have
to worry too much about health insurance come graduation.
Thanks to President Obama, U.S. residents must now have
health insurance, and individuals age 26 and under can remain
on their parents’ plans. This way, students have a few years of
breathing room if they don’t get a job immediately after graduation. Since the provision doesn’t start until September, Kathleen
Sebelius, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services, released a statement stating that major health care
providers have agreed to fill the gap from May to September
for graduates and allow them to remain on their parents’ coverage, despite the law not taking effect until months later. This
change is going to affect everyone, so anyone who was previously
unconcerned with the health care reform should start paying
attention. They should know how much they will be paying for
their insurance and where it will be coming from.
The economy has affected us in every way. Because of a lack
of funding, previous plans for expansions and renovations on
the Lawrenceville campus had to be reworked. We will now be
getting an expanded Bart Luedeke Center Theater, and a new
academic building next to Memorial Hall, instead of the original
plan of a brand new academic building with bonus features such
as production, practice and recording rooms, and a new 250-seat
theater. Of course, it’s great that we are still getting anything in
light of our financial struggles, and we should definitely be glad
to have something to look forward to in 2011.
This winter has been called “the year that people got tired of
snow.” With all of the problems the weather has caused us, it’s
easy to see why. Rider was hit by two massive storms this winter,
causing cars to be buried and streets and sidewalks to remain
dangerous despite workers shoveling overnight. When it came
to classes, the school couldn’t find a consistent way of canceling.
The Thursday morning after we were hit the hardest, we had a
delayed opening, while the day of the anticipated second storm,
classes were canceled before the snow even started. Finally, the
snow went away, bringing us into spring and giving us one more
problem: state budget cuts.
Not only has the economy hurt Rider’s plans for renovations, it has also hurt students. Because of Gov. Chris Christie’s
proposed $173 million funding cut to higher education,
incoming freshmen seeking Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) and
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grants will suffer. This
cut to funding could deter students from attending Rider since
the tuition is already relatively high, which is unfortunate for the
students who really deserve and want to go here.
As President Rozanski says, Rider continues to face daunting challenges. Many of our problems occurred as a result of
the weakened economy, so we can only hope that the economy
will get better by next year, and Rider will continue to flourish.
We at The Rider News hope that all students and staff on both
campuses have a safe and happy summer.
This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor, Angelique Lee.
Friday, April 30, 2010
What We Learned This Year
Student decides not to live by color
In this digital age, it is so easy to think that every moment has to be filled. I open up iCal and see
colored spaces (time devoted to classes and other activities) and white spaces (free time). This semester, my personal goal seemed to be playing with the calendar as though I were the colored team and
the computer was the white team. Objective of the game — fill in as many spaces in color and leave
as few white as possible. This created a daunting semester, one where I was running from one room
to another, constantly preparing for another performance, another presentation or another meeting.
People would ask, “Hey, can you do this?” or perhaps a professor might say, “I think that you should
do this,” and I would look at the calendar, see a white spot and say, “Sure, I can do that, too.” I learned this year that this calendar game is a silly one. As visually relaxing as it might be to see
only the pink (classes) or red (SGA) or orange (work) colors all over my calendar, it makes daily living incredibly stressful. The funny thing about running from one event to the next is that you really
don’t truly experience the event you’re participating in or the emotional meaning of it. Next year, my
goal is to change the rules of the game — to spend less time doing and more time living. I may lose
the calendar game and will see less color on my calendar, but will certainly have a fuller and more
meaningful lifestyle because of it.
- Anthony Baron,
Junior voice & piano performance major
Commuter acquires planning skills
Not all lessons are taught in the classroom. That is the first thing that I will take with me from
this past school year. The majority of the lessons taught inside the Fine Arts Building, Sweigart Hall,
the Science and Technology Center and Memorial Hall are purely academic. The teachings there have
value, but the real-world lessons are what will stay with me longer.
A daily commute taught me to always plan ahead. Construction, accidents and potholes are a
few of the many hazards that can make the journey to Rider even longer. Additionally, after finally
arriving on the campus, finding a parking spot is more time lost before class. Planning ahead is vital
for any commuter.
Another lesson I learned this year is to stay organized. A commute, a full course load, a part-time
job and extracurricular activities made it impossible to get through my day without being organized.
My planner from this year has battle scars ranging from damage from a leaky travel mug to pen marks,
lists and a daily schedule on almost every page.
Organization and planning ahead are what helped me survive my sophomore year. I just hope I
don’t forget them next fall.
- Jess Scanlon,
Sophomore journalism major
The
Rider News
Editorial & Managerial Board
Executive Editor
Opinion Editor
Allie Ward
Angelique Lee
Managing Editor
Assistant Opinion
Editor
Kaitlin MacRae
Copy Editors
Cathleen Leitch
Jess Hoogendoorn
Valis Vicenty
Melanie Hunter
Heather Shupe
Business Manager
News Editors
Emily Landgraf
Dalton Karwacki
Features and Arts &
Entertainment Editor
Sports Editors
Oliver Joszt
Jordan Hall
Josh Veltrie
Delivery Manager
Matt Barron
Photography Editor
Heather Fiore
Helen Mannion
Assistant Features and
Arts & Entertainment
Editor
Advertising Managers
Faculty Adviser
Dr. Dianne Garyantes
Laura Fitzgerald
Greg Ferrara
Emily Eiermann
E-mail us at:
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]
www.theridernews.com
The Rider News, Ridge House
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Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: (609) 896-5256
Fax: (609) 895-5696
The Rider News serves as a public forum for student expression and welcomes letters to the editor
from all members of the university community. Letters must include the writer’s telephone number
and e-mail address for verification. Letters that constitute personal attacks on individuals or groups
are unacceptable. We reserve the right to edit letters to the editor for length, clarity, accuracy, grammar and libel. Letters must be appropriate in terms of taste and civility. Brevity is encouraged. All
decisions are at the sole discretion of the editorial board, which may reject any letter. Send to The
Rider News via e-mail ([email protected]), campus mail, or hand deliver to Ridge House. All letters must be received by midnight on the Monday preceding publication.
The
Rider News
Friday, April 30, 2010 Senior Send-Off
Executive editor says ‘get involved’
As graduation is nearing, I can honestly say
there is so much to look back on in my time here
at Rider. And I can credit all those memories to
the fact that I was very involved throughout my
collegiate career.
My one piece of parting advice is for students to get out and do more than just work in
the classroom. You’re in college so that you can
gain the most experience to prepare yourself for
the real world. Granted, classes do that too, but
there is a multitude of clubs and organizations
that can give students that extra push they need
after graduation.
For example, at The Rider News, it shocked
me how many journalism majors with a newseditorial track do not write for the newspaper.
Every week I saw the same faces at our meetings,
which was great. But I always hoped more would
come just for the writing experience. As a freshman, I knew I wanted to join the newspaper and
eventually become an editor, because that would
be the best experience I could get. And my fouryear experience has definitely prepared me to be
successful in my future working environment.
I just wish I could see that enthusiasm among
more students.
Things like joining the newspaper not only
give you experience, but it’s also something to
put on your résumé and to help build a portfolio. Organizations like The Rider News, Rider
University Network, 107.7 The Bronc radio station, DAARSTOC, SEC and SGA are just a few
clubs that can give students a great experience in
their four years at Rider.
Going Greek is also a great way to get
involved. There are so many positions and chairs
among chapters that allow students to gain leadership roles, big or small.
Getting involved at Rider is a great way to
meet people, too. Over the past four years, I have
met so many people that have made my college
experience. And I would not have met those
people without going out and doing new things.
Not only is it a great networking tool, but you
get to meet friends that you could never replace.
In my campus involvement, I have also built
relationships with my professors that helped me
in and outside of the classroom. Without these
people, college would not have been the same. If
I hadn’t gotten involved my freshman year, who
knows if I would even be where I am today.
Everyone says Rider is a suitcase school and
there is nothing to do here. But if people put
themselves out there, they could meet so many
more people on this campus. Then there would
be a reason to actually stick around.
Getting involved around campus can be so
beneficial. Now, I’m not saying everyone at Rider
has to go out and be this big overachiever, but
give it a chance. Go out, join a club and I guarantee you won’t regret it. Put yourself out there
and grow from the experience. I know I did and
I wouldn’t take back a single day of it.
- Kristie Kahl,
Outgoing executive editor, class of 2010
Adviser Send-Off
A Rider News goodbye
As a new staff takes over at The Rider News, editors new and old bid a fond farewell to Dr.
Thomas Simonet and Dr. E. Graham McKinley, the newspaper’s longtime advisers.
With their patient guidance and unwavering dedication, Drs. Simonet and McKinley were
not just advisers, but mentors. They will be missed.
Letter to the Editor
Internships pave the way to real
world no matter what the task
Even when placed in internships that largely
involve clerical tasks (Old Law, New Questions,
4/23/10), Rider students can still come away
with a quality experience. Success depends largely
on the student’s own initiative.
First, it helps to accept that in internships,
one usually learns by osmosis; that is, an intern
gains simply by soaking up the routines and procedures of the workplace. Once you know how
a specific place runs, you have a leg up on the
competition for an actual job in the future.
Second, an internship is an ideal way to
build one’s network. Before the internship ends,
I recommend that students take their immediate
supervisor out to lunch (it can be as simple as
pizza) to talk about career advice and to ask questions about why things happened as they did in
the office. If possible, the intern should do this
with their immediate supervisor’s supervisor as
well. Insist on paying. It will demonstrate your
professionalism and the seriousness with which
you approached the lunch. Your network building doesn’t end with the
conclusion of the internship. Be sure to keep in
touch with the people from your office with a
friendly note during the holidays, etc., just to
keep in touch and to let them know how you are
doing in school. Again, this will distinguish you
from every other intern who ever came through
that office.
A network of contacts from a series of
internships allows a student to have many more
opportunities for employment upon graduation.
Looking for a job by yourself can be daunting.
But if a whole network of people — all of whom
remember you fondly from your internships
— is looking on your behalf, then job hunting
becomes much easier and more effective.
For those interested in internships in politics
or public service, the Rebovich Institute for New
Jersey Politics at Rider University is ready to offer
assistance with résumé writing and finding the
appropriate spot during the summer or in the fall
or spring semesters. We welcome all inquiries.
- Ben Dworkin,
Director of Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics
9
This Week’s Birthdays
April 30 - Kirsten Dunst, 28
May 1 - Tim McGraw, 43
May 2 - David Beckham, 35
May 3 - Frankie Valli, 76
May 4 - Lance Bass, 31
May 5 - Chris Brown, 21
May 6 - George Clooney, 49
Senior Send-Off
Copy editor gives
advice from experience
As I sit awake well after
midnight while my roommate
sleeps, I’ve come to realize that
this may be one of the last times
I will be doing this. Staying up
late to get work done has been
part of every student’s routine,
and to realize it will be coming to an end is a relief — and
completely frightening at the
same time. Soon I won’t have
to worry about finishing my
homework, but I also won’t
be living with one of my best
friends.
Am I ready to leave this
place that has been my home
away from home, where I
learned how to be an adult,
without my mother to hold my
hand? Yes, I am, and I’m going
to miss this place with all of its
assets and flaws.
As seniors, we have gone
through so much in a matter of four years that it may
seem unbelievable to others.
Loss, economic decline, health
care reform and cuts in education funding are only a few of
the obstacles we have had to
contend with, and while many
others are ahead of us, we have
proved time and time again that
we can make it through.
When I came to Rider as
a freshman, I thought I knew,
well, everything. I was so
wrong. I had no idea how to
live with other people, how to
manage my time, what classes
would count towards my various requirements or how to
deal with it all without falling
apart. Being at Rider taught me
all of that.
There are a few things that
Rider has taught me that aren’t
in any textbook or included in
any final, and I will take those
with me no matter where I end
up after I get my degree.
Not everyone is going to
give you all of the answers you
want. The professors and staff
have taught me that if I want
things to happen, I have to be
The Rider News is printed by Packet Publications, Princeton, N.J. Our paper, purchased directly from
North American mills, is composed of 50 percent recycled newsprint and 50 percent thermo-mechanical
pulp (made from wood-chip and sawdust byproducts of the wood industry). Our inks are soy or mineral
oil, not petroleum-based. Printing plates, litho film materials and silver content are recycled after use.
the one to do it. Success, and
any of its benefits, is only given
to those who actually put the
work in, no matter how late
they stay up to make sure it
gets done on time. The life you
want is not going to be handed
to you on a silver platter; you
have to earn it. If you want that
grade, that internship, that job,
your teachers can point you in
the right direction, but it’s up to
you to move forward and work
for it.
We may not get what we
want, when we want, even if
we try, and that’s OK. There
will always be obstacles in your
way, and unfortunately, bad
things happen that you can’t
control. Take the time to pull
yourself back together, look at
what you could’ve done better, look to others who have
done what you want and learn
from their example. You’ll be
better prepared to put yourself
back out there in your pursuit.
Sometimes it takes more than
one attempt to get results.
Be open to experience. This
is the time to find yourself, and
as cliché as it sounds, this is
the time to experiment. Ever
wanted to write a book, stand
up for a cause or join the club
that would’ve been deemed too
weird in high school? Now’s
your chance. Rider provides
so many ways to get involved
in everything that may interest you and gives you the perfect opportunity to meet some
amazing people while doing
so. And if there’s a chance it
doesn’t, it could be your opportunity to create one.
As much as we all try to
hide from it, the end is near. We
won’t be here to watch the rest
of you pick up where we left off
and continue to improve things
both on and off campus, but we
have faith that you will make us
all proud.
-Valis Vicenty,
Copy editor, class of 2010
The
Rider News
10 BRONCS’ BITS
Scores/Records (* denotes conference games)
Baseball
(20-19 overall, 7-8 MAAC)
4/24
Canisius 7, Rider 6*
Canisius 8, Rider 2*
4/25
Canisius 13, Rider 2*
4/27
Rider 10, Saint Joseph’s 0
4/28
Princeton 12, Rider 10
5/1
vs. Siena, Noon (DH)*
5/2
vs. Siena, Noon*
5/5
vs. Lafayette, 3:30
5/8
vs. Marist, Noon (DH)*
5/9
vs. Marist, Noon*
5/11
at La Salle
5/15
LeMoyne, Noon (DH)
5/16
vs. Long Island, 1 p.m. (DH)
5/18
at Temple, 3 p.m.
5/21
at Iona, Noon (DH)*
5/22
at Iona, Noon *
5/26-5/30
at MAAC Championships*
Softball
(10-23-1 overall, 4-2
MAAC)
4/22
Rider 4, Columbia 3
Columbia 7, Rider 1
4/24
Niagara 8, Rider 0*
Niagara 12, Rider 0*
4/25
Canisius 12, Rider 2*
Canisius 8, Rider 0*
5/1
vs. Manhattan, 1 p.m. (DH)*
5/2
vs. Siena, 1 p.m. (DH)*
5/9
at Fairfield, 1 p.m. (DH)*
5/13-5/16
at MAAC Championships*
Golf
4/30-5/2
at MAAC Championships*
Men’s Tennis
4/23-4/25
at MAAC Championships
Fairfield 6, Rider 1*
Women’s Tennis
4/23-4/25
at MAAC Championships*
Marist 7, Rider 0*
Track & Field
4/22-4/24
at Penn Relays
4/24
at TCNJ Invitational
5/1-5/2
at MAAC Championships
5/10
at Swarthmore Last Chance
5/14-5/16
at ECAC/IC4A
Championships
...And More Sports
Senior Kristina Paich,
juniors Amanda Matticks,
Stephanie
Renzo
and
Mallory Garbaravage, and
sophomores Tricia Ashmore,
Allison Clay and Andrea
Panno of the women’s tennis team earned MAAC AllAcademic honors.
Seniors Alex D’Amico and
Marc Ashed of the men’s tennis team earned MAAC AllAcademic honors.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Upgrade
Continued from p. 11
money come from to build the
arena? In President Rozanski’s
Town Hall address on Tuesday,
he said the amount needed to
build the athletic arena would
be around $12 million. Also,
Alumni Gym was packed for
every home game this past year
and for the last couple years;
if the arena’s occupancy is too
large and can’t be filled, it will
take away from the home court
advantage the basketball teams
have. Alumni Gym is one of
the few places where fans walk
on the court to get to their seats
during a game, according to
Harnum.
Fans are right on top of the
court and although the gym
itself is small, it can get loud
and disrupt the visiting teams.
Space is another issue: Where
should the arena be built? If
it is on campus how big of a
distraction would it be? Would
it take away from the limited
parking spaces we have already?
These are questions the administration needs to think about
before building a new arena.
Although the men’s basketball season had a mediocre
season in a year where expectations were high, the basketball
program has been successful
over the past couple years. The
university needs to help it grow
in any way it can since this is
a basketball school. An arena
would bring in better recruits,
better opposing teams to come
play at Rider (which also might
mean more broadcast deals to
get the Broncs on television a
couple more times a year) and
ultimately would help get the
university’s name out to places
where people have never heard
of it.
Look at any of the midmajors who win a game in the
NCAA Tournament, such as
Northern Iowa or St. Mary’s.
When a team is successful, its
name gets put out into the open
and more people apply to the
college or university because
of their basketball programs.
Granted, both of those teams
defeated powerhouses in Kansas
and Villanova, respectively, but
even Siena is now a known name
in college basketball because of
what it has accomplished over
the past three years.
If Rider gets an arena, it
probably won’t make the basketball team reach the NCAA
Tournament right away or have
a sudden impact, but the university would be setting up the
basketball programs, along with
the other sports programs here
at Rider, to be more successful.
The
Rider News
Friday, April 30, 2010 11
Losing year ends early at MAACs
TENNIS
By Victoria Lyons
The men’s and women’s
tennis teams finished a disappointing season the same way
they have played all year in
the MAAC Championships this
past Friday, at the USTA Billie
Jean King National Tennis
Center in New York.
The men lost in the quarterfinals against Fairfield 1-6,
having been defeated by the
Stags 0-7 on March 28, while
the women also lost in the
quarter-finals against Marist
0-7, after being beaten by the
Red Foxes 0-7 on April 12.
Both the men and the
women fought hard battle but
came up a little short, according
to Head Coach Ed Torres.
“The men and women
played up to their potential in
their matches against two of
Senior Will Haight, at first
singles, and freshman Drew
Laverty, at fourth singles, also
had commendable performances but fell short in their matches, both scoring 6-3, 6-2.
For the Rider women
(4-14, 2-6 MAAC) junior
Mallory Garbaravage won five
games at fourth singles but was
unable to clench the win with
the score being 6-1, 6-4.
Sophomore Danielle White
also put up a fight at sixth
singles, but had to retire with
Hugh Tsung/Rider University the total being 6-4, 5-0.
Junior Rob Olsen captured the only set for the men’s and wom- Additionally, members
en’s teams at the MAAC Championships last Friday in New York. from the men’s and women’s
tennis teams were awarded
the top teams in the MAAC,” singles 6-2, 6-3.
MAAC All-Academic honors.
he said. “They were more expe- “Rob Olsen, the captain of
The Rider tennis teams
rienced and simply outplayed next year’s team, distinguished
returns with eight letter winhimself by winning his match at
us.”
ners for the men and 12 for the
For the Rider men (3-18, the number six position,” Torres
women in the fall.
0-6 MAAC) junior Rob Olsen said. “He has improved greatly
was able to pull out a victory, this year, and it showed in the
winning in straight sets at sixth match.”
Rider University’s
Catholic Campus
Ministry
Baccalaureate Mass
CCM will celebrate graduating
Catholic seniors & their families at the
Baccalaureate Mass at
11:00 am on Sunday, May 2nd.
The seniors & their families are invited
to a brunch after Mass is over.
Contact [email protected] to RSVP.
Ice cream social
Peter G. Borg/Rider University
Date/Time TBA
Look for fliers around campus!
Earle Rommel was eternalized in a plaque dedicated to his
memory on Tuesday, April 27, at Sonny Pittaro field.
Have a happy, healthy
summer, and good luck
during your final exams!
By Allie Ward
CCM Regular Mass Schedule
Gill Chapel: Mon., Wed-Fri. 12:45pm
Sat. 4pm
Sun. 11am & 7pm
*Masses held at Gill Chapel only - this
semester, there will be no 9pm Mass at WCC.
Confessions: 15 minutes before
every weekday Mass
Mass Intentions: Available at the Chapel Office
(call 896-5182 or
email [email protected])
Paying tribute to a man
who loved the game
he was a great supporter of all
sports at Rider,” Pittaro said. “I
know in his heart, he loved the
Family and friends gath- sport of baseball best of all.”
ered Tuesday, April 27, at Also in attendance were
wife
Benita,
Sonny Pittaro field to honor Rommel’s
the memory of Earle Rommel, President Mordechai Rozanski,
’67, Rider’s longtime director athletic director Don Harnum
of University Communications and Steve Rudenstein, the assoand former sports information ciate director of major gifts,
athletic fundraising.
director.
Rommel died of cancer on Pittaro helped to unveil a
Sept. 3, 2008, at the age of plaque dedicated to Rommel.
63. Sonny Pittaro, Rommel’s “When I retired, President
good friend and Rider’s base- Rozanski humbled and honball coach from 1971-2004, ored me by naming this beautirecalled how he and Rommel, ful ballpark and facility Sonny
both Yankees fans, would spend Pittaro field,” he said. “For as
many mornings in the student long as this field exists, Earle
Rommel’s legacy and image at
center discussing baseball.
“Earle loved his job and Rider will live on.”
Josh Veltrie
Facility
Upgrade
As another year of classes
ends,
rumors continue to
Body
copy
swirl about a new sports arena
coming to Rider. Although
nothing is set in stone, it is
looking like Rider is heading in the right direction. By
September or October, students and fans will know if a
new basketball arena will be
built or not, according to athletic director Don Harnum.
There has been speculation that Rider has been planning to build an arena for
a long time, so this news is
nothing new to many people.
Over the past couple years,
there have been letters to
the editor written that have
said how Alumni Gym is like
a high-school gym, and in
many ways, this comparison
is true. The men’s basketball
team needs to upgrade its
facilities if the team wants to
be a top mid-major program.
“It is a better sell [for
recruits]. It isn’t a real secret
that at this level, Alumni
Gym as it sits is a tough sell,”
said Tommy Dempsey, the
head coach for the men’s basketball team. “On game night
it is a great atmosphere but
when a recruit comes to visit
there isn’t that wow effect,
because most recruits visit in
the off-season.”
Not only would this new
arena help out both basketball teams, but it would also
make it easier for all of the
sports teams at Rider. For
the other winter teams such
as volleyball and wrestling,
which use Alumni Gym for
their matches, it would make
scheduling games and practices a lot easier if an arena
was built and Alumni Gym
was to stay. It would help
other sports in the fall and
spring because they would be
able to have places to practice indoors when it rains
instead of the SRC, according
to Harnum.
There are some downfalls
to a new arena, the biggest
one being money. In times
like these, where does the
See Upgrade, p. 10
12 Friday, April 30, 2010
Struggling Slide
Broncs are
victim of
sweep and
local loss
BASEBALL
By Corey Donetz
Coming off a four-game
winning streak, the Rider baseball team struggled this week,
going 1-4. The Broncs suffered
a tough three-game sweep to
MAAC rival Canisius and split
games during the week, winning against St. Joseph’s and
losing to Princeton.
Rider took an early onerun lead in the first inning
when senior Nick Wojnowski
hit an RBI single, scoring junior
Mason Heyne.
Freshman pitcher Mike
Thomas got the start for game
one and pitched solid for the
most part. He pitched six and
one-third innings, allowing just
three runs.
“I wasn’t as sharp this weekend as I feel I have been in the
past,” Thomas said. “But sometimes you just don’t have your
best stuff as a pitcher.”
Canisius took a one-run
lead in the eighth inning, scoring three runs on three hits.
Junior Steve Galella hit a
Ryan Kulp/The Rider News
Freshman Joe Calogero fires a pitch during Rider’s 10-0 win over St. Joseph’s on Tuesday. Calogero threw eight shutout innings while
punching out six.The Broncs lost four of its last five games as they were swept by Canisius and lost to Princeton on Wednesday.
double to lead off the top of the
ninth and quickly advanced to
third base on a past ball. Wojnowski was able to get
enough under one as he hit a
sacrifice fly. Canisius was able
to plate the winning run with
an RBI single in the bottom of
the eleventh giving Canisis the
7-6 victory.
The second game of the
doubleheader started off with
Canisius taking an early 1-0
lead in the first inning. It stayed
a 1-0 game until the fourth
inning when Canisius’ offense
exploded for five runs on six
hits.
“Preventing the big inning
was a problem this past weekend,” said Head Coach Barry
Davis.
Rider was held to just five
hits and was shutout until the
sixth inning. The Broncs ended
up losing 8-2.
The final game of the
three-game weekend series was
the worst for Rider, which lost
13-2 in just seven innings. The
game was called early because of
rain.
Rider returned home on
Tuesday to take on St. Joseph’s.
The offense and pitching both
showed up as the offense surged
for 10 runs and the pitching
yielded a combined shutout
performance.
Freshman Joe Calogero
improved his unblemished
record to 3-0 pitching eight
strong shutout innings allowing
just three hits.
“I felt great out there. I had
my changeup working today
and that’s the key for me,”
Calogero said. “The defense
played great behind me.”
Rider took a 3-0 lead after
the third and that would be
enough thanks to Calogero’s
dominating performance.
On Wednesday, the Broncs
found themselves going to extra
innings again as they faced
Princeton. Rider trailed 9-8
going into the bottom of the
9th, but Galella hit an RBI
double in the ninth inning to
send the game to extra innings.
Princeton scored three runs in
the 11th and held on for a
12-10 victory.
Rider looks to rebound this
weekend as they take on another MAAC rival, Siena, in a three
game series at home.
Bats go silent during four-game weekend
SOFTBALL
By Jillian Shutt
Peter G. Borg/Rider University
Senior Ally Melia collected two hits over the weekend
while scoring a run as Rider went 0-4 in the span.
The softball team was shut out this weekend,
losing a pair of MAAC doubleheaders to Niagara on
Saturday April 24 and Canisius on April 25.
“The weekend didn’t turn out as we had hoped.
Learning experience this weekend we need to keep
working on every part of our game to be that much
better than our opponents,” said junior Amanda
Centeno.
The team’s conference win-loss record has now
fallen to a tie 4-4, when the Broncs started out strong
with four wins and no losses.
“We need to keep a positive attitude and have a
mentality that the desire and talent is on this team to
accomplish our goal of making it to MAACs,” said
Centeno.
Saturday’s doubleheader against Niagara was a disappointment for the Broncs who went scoreless in both
games.
The Purple Eagles’ pitchers were strong, throwing
a no-hitter in the first game and only a three-hitter
in the second. These hits weren’t able to drive in any
players, keeping the Broncs at zero for the night. Both
games on Saturday ended with the mercy rule in the
fifth inning with the Purple Eagles taking both 8-0,
12-0 respectively.
“We are definitely not giving up and know we have
a challenge ahead of us, one that we are willing to work
hard for,” said Centeno.
The Broncs had another long day on Sunday facing Canisius in a conference doubleheader. Rider came
away winless for the weekend with Canisius taking
both games by the mercy rule, 12-2 and 8-0, respectively.
Rider started out strong in the first game against
the Golden Griffins, taking a 2-0 lead in the first
inning off of RBI singles from Centeno and freshman
Heather Muscara.
Canisius had a two-run home run in the bottom
of the first to tie the game. They followed up in the
second inning by taking a five-run lead and in the fifth
inning Canisius hit a grand slam to end the game.
In the second game Rider was shut out for the
third time this weekend by conference competitors.
“Canisius and Niagara were very good hitting
teams that always put the ball in play to score runs
every inning,” said Centeno.
The Broncs have lost six straight conference games
since starting the year off with four wins and zero
losses.
The doubleheader that was supposed to take place
on Thursday, April 22, was called on account of rain
and will not be rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts.
MAAC contenders, Manhattan and Siena, travel
to Rider this weekend to challenge the Broncs. Rider
goes to Fairfield on May 9 for another conference
doubleheader, finishing off Rider’s MAAC competition
for the year.
“We want nothing more than to compete, give our
all on the field, and make it to MAACs this year,” said
Centeno.