money in the bank

12
The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930
Volume 78, Issue XIII - Friday, February 8, 2007
Money in the Bank
President Mordechai Rozanski’s total
compensation surpassed $500,000 after
a 25 percent pay raise in 2005-2006,
according to a recent annual survey.
The pay package was composed of
an annual salary of $328,000 before
taxes and $174,170 worth of benefits,
which included an expense account of
$44,607.
“It sounds like his salary is definitely on the high end for that type
of university,” said John Curtis, director of Research and Public Policy at
the American Association of University
Professors.
Among the presidents at master’s
universities across the country, Rozanski’s
compensation ranks well above the median, which was $240,360 in 2005-2006,
according to The Chronicle of Higher
Education’s annual compensation survey,
released in November.
Nationally, only 81 presidents out
of 653 private colleges and universities
surveyed made more than $500,000 in
total compensation for the fiscal year
Salary
Benefits Total
$791,620 $21,500 $813,120
Princeton
$608,000
$44,060
$652,060
Rutgers*
$525,000 $100,000
$625,000
Hofstra
$507,500
$76,978
$584,478
Rider
$328,000 $174,170
$502,170
Monmouth
$352,482
$20,788
$373,270
Drew
$300,299
$44,441
$344,740
Fairleigh Dickinson
$237,840
$96,737
$334,577
Fairfield =
$210,000
$40,277
$250,277
$29,751
$13,550
$43,301
Seton Hall =
60
40
20
Endowments
Institution
Stevens Institute
80
Presidential
Salaries
By Kelly Mangan and
Paul Szaniawski
100
Faculty
Salaries
Presidents’ compensation
at area universities, ’05-’06
Percent Increase
Rozanski’s
compensation
tops $500K
0
Inflation-adjusted increase in average faculty salaries, presidential
salaries, and institutional endowments, 1995-1996 to 20052006, for private U.S. institutions
offering master’s degrees.
* In addition, a car and house are provided by the state.
= The president is a member of the clergy.
The Rider News graphic; Sources:The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 16, 2007; National AAUP
of 2006, according to The Chronicle of
Higher Education. Most of the packages
over $500,000 were at research institutions offering doctoral degrees.
The survey is compiled through
IRS Form 990, which requires nonprofit organizations to make their tax
forms available for public inspection.
The 2005-2006 academic year is the
most recent that has been reported.
The University’s board of trustees
maintained that the president’s compensation is comparable to peer institutions.
“President Rozanski’s compen-
sation is determined by the Senior
Compensation Committee of the Board
of Trustees and is reviewed and approved
by the Executive Committee and the
full board with the advice of exter-
See Salary, p. 4
With b-ball on a roll, Alumni Gym getting packed
By Laura Mortkowitz
The sometimes halfempty stands in Alumni Gym
are beginning to look a lot more
than half full this season.
The basketball teams needed some kind of kick-start for
the 2007-2008 season after the
women finished 2-28 last year
and the men barely pulled a
winning season at 16-15. Luckily for both teams,
they just might be getting it.
The men’s team is on a ninegame winning streak, with
two important home games
this weekend. The women are
6-16.
The hype for the men’s
basketball team is partly thanks
to senior Jason Thompson, an
NBA prospect who has been
highlighted by ESPN and
named MAAC Player of the
Week. That’s not even mentioning his busy summer at
three different camps playing
against top college players and
even NBA player Lebron James.
Senior Kevin Hickman attributed the interest in Rider’s basketball team to Thompson.
“There’s been a lot of
buildup this year,” he said. “We
have a lot of publicity and hype
because of [Thompson]. He
got so much attention over the
summer.”
Beyond the spotlight on
Thompson, Head Coach
Tommy Dempsey will be the
first to point out the other
players: junior Harris Mansell,
junior Lamar Johnson and even
Thompson’s younger brother,
sophomore Ryan Thompson.
“I think we have a team
that plays an exciting style,”
Dempsey said. “I think that we
have a couple of exciting players. We’ve done wonderfully
at home so far, and people are
definitely getting behind us and
we certainly appreciate it.”
It’s noticeable to the players
that school spirit has increased.
Johnson said he has seen a difference from his freshman year
and this difference helps the
players.
“We feed off of their energy,” he said. “They make the
atmosphere here.”
He added that the team
“did OK last year,” but this year
people are expecting 20 wins
from the men.
The Broncs’ improvement
has even caught national attention. In a Feb. 4 Associated
Press poll to determine the top
25 teams in the country, Rider
received one vote for placement in the prestigious rankings. However, the team made
the cut among the top 25 midmajor teams.
A preview NCAA tournament bracket on espn.com even
predicted that Rider would
make it into the tournament as
a No. 14 seed.
So far, the men’s record
(17-6) is much better than last
year’s, with many games ahead.
The team is averaging more
points per game (77.3) than
last year (70). Attendance has
risen from 1,477 to 1,587 per
game and continues to climb.
If the team keeps its winning
streak at home, and if Jason
Thompson has a few more scuffles at games, attendance will
only continue to climb.
“I’ve never been to a game,”
said sophomore Pete Richter.
“The team is OK. I just don’t
have much interest in collegelevel sports. Although, maybe if
there were more fights I’d go.”
Richter was referring to an
incident when Jason Thompson
felt someone elbow him and
instinctively pushed back,
throwing the opponent to the
floor. He was ejected from the
game but still awarded cheers
by Rider students.
The women’s basketball
team, which performed poorly
in the past under the coaching of Tori Harrison, is finding some new heart with Head
Coach Lynn Milligan, a Rider
alum.
“I think Lynn has done
a terrific job of breathing life
into the women’s program and
people are excited about that,”
Dempsey said.
The fans present at basketball games have been particularly noticeable for the women’s
team, which has had to contend
with minimal crowds. Senior
Janele Henderson said she has
seen a drastic change from her
freshman year.
“We have more fans than
we ever had, which is really
exciting,” she said. “You actually hear a bunch of noise coming from the crowd rather than
silence.”
The noise, the fans and the
See Fans, p. 11
Visit The Rider News online at www.theridernews.com
2 Friday, February 8, 2008
Security Briefs
Master Key
A male resident student
was questioned by Public
Safety on Monday, Feb.
4, at 3 p.m., for possibly
having access to a master
key that opens locks on the
Princeton campus. The key
was confiscated after Public
Safety learned the student
no longer worked for the oncampus job that gave him
the key. The investigation is
ongoing.
Laptop
A laptop was reported
stolen in Conover Hall after
it was briefly put down in
a hallway. It was reported
on Friday, Feb. 1, at 1:09
p.m., by a female resident
student. The female said that
a male friend had borrowed
the computer and put it in
the hall and went into his
room to retrieve an item.
When the male returned,
the laptop was missing. The
female later filed a report
with the Lawrence Township
Police Department. Anyone
with information is asked to
contact Public Safety at x.
5029.
Theft
A theft was reported
at the Student Recreation
Center on Friday, Feb. 1,
but the report was later
dropped after the item was
found. A portable public
address system, valued at
$800, could not be located
within the building. The
Lawrence Township Police
Department was notified,
and an investigation later
found that it was not stolen
but had been signed out and
not returned.
Beer Pong
Seven students were
found playing beer pong in
a room in Kroner Hall on
Friday, Feb. 1, at 10:14 p.m.
A male staff member found
six males and one female
in a room with beer bottles
and hard alcohol but determined they were not drunk.
The suspects were charged
with violating the alcohol
policy and the matter has
been referred to the Office of
Community Standards.
-Compiled by Jeff Frankel
New Web site draws in positive reviews
By Danielle Phillips
Despite students’ initial negative reaction and its
delayed launch, the University’s
new Web site managed to go up
before students left for winter
break last semester, and reviews
have been positive, according
to the Office of Enrollment
Management.
When deciding on the
final color scheme prior to its
launch, some students said they
would like to see the color
baby blue in the background
menu instead of the green that
the Web site currently displays.
Jennifer Cafiero-Therein, director of Enrollment Planning,
Reporting and Internet Projects,
said the office went with green,
and although not every student
agrees, almost all have embraced
the change.
“I like that we got away
from all the cranberry, even
though it’s our school color,”
junior Marissa Alavarces said.
“But I dislike that the Web
designers chose green as the
other color.”
When students were polled
about the color scheme before
The new site has received positive reviews, administrators said.
have been made. Enrollment
Management is very conscious
about the way the students perceive the Web site, and is doing
everything possible to make
sure that it is working up to its
full potential.
“We have received good
feedback from alumni and current students,” Cafiero-Therein
said. “But, we heard that the
font was too small on certain
pages, so we would go in and
fix it to try and meet everyone’s
needs.”
Other changes students can
look forward to on Rider’s new
Web site include video and virtual tours, which will be arriving sometime this spring.
“We’re constantly making
changes and we’re happy to hear
any suggestions and feedback
that students may have,” said
Jamie O’Hara, vice president of
Enrollment Management.
Any suggestions concerning
the Web site can sent be to [email protected].
Campus housing may change into lottery system
By Julia Ernst
Residence Life has begun
taking steps to make several
large changes to the way students choose their housing
arrangements, the Student
Government Senate announced
at this week’s meeting.
Associate Director of
Residence Life Stephanie Polak
clarified some of the new changes that will be taking effect for
Friday, Feb. 8
next year’s resident students.
“We have asked almost
every New Jersey institution
what they do, and most use a
lottery system,” said Polak.
Part of the new system
includes a widespread lottery
that current sophomores and
juniors will have to enter into.
These students will be assigned
points and those points will
then be used to determine when
one is allowed to have a chance
Coming
Up ...
Ice Hockey vs. William
Paterson, 8:10 p.m., Loucks Ice
Center
Bronc Bingo, 10 p.m.,
Daly’s Dining Hall
Saturday, Feb. 9
SEC in the City: NYC, 8:30
a.m., departing from BLC
Saturday Shuttle, 1-9 p.m.,
departing from BLC
Sunday, Feb. 10
PCM spreads the love: Making
Valentine’s cards for the less
fortunate,
3-5 p.m., Gill Chapel
Sorority Rush begins,
5 p.m., BLC
Monday, Feb. 11
Vendor Fair,
10 a.m.-5 p.m., SRC
Information provided by Director
of Rider’s Department of Public
Safety Vickie Weaver.
the site was launched, there was
no clear winner. In order to distinguish Rider from Fairleigh
Dickinson University, another
university in New Jersey that
competes with Rider for admissions, Enrollment Management
chose green.
Besides the color changes,
the Web site now fits on the
screen better than the previous one. New features have
been added, including podcasts, which are available on
Westminster Choir College’s
page in the sections for current
and prospective students. Also,
the site’s search engine is internally run by Google, which
increases the effectiveness of the
searches.
However, the organization
of the site did not change, so
students would not be confused
when the new site launched.
“The setup is the same, so
the new look is an added plus,”
junior Victoria Shaffer said. “It
was a little strange at first, but
I like it, and I haven’t heard too
much negative feedback about
the change.”
Since the Web site has
launched, some minor changes
Chess Club Meeting, 7 p.m.,
SRC Shapiro Board Room
Tuesday, Feb. 12
SGA Senate Meeting, 11:30
a.m., Sweigart Auditorium
University Democrats Meeting,
10 p.m., Fine Arts 205
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Passport assistance: Get or
renew your passport
10 a.m.-5 p.m., BLC Room 257
VOX Meeting, 10 p.m.,
Memorial 112
Thursday, Feb. 14
*Happy Valentine’s Day!*
Preview Performance of
“Proof,” 7 p.m., Yvonne
Theater
SEC Movie: “Enchanted,”
8:30 p.m., BLC Theater
Compiled by Julia Ernst
To list your event, e-mail
[email protected].
in the lottery.
Another element that
will be changing is the housing deposit that students are
required to submit.
“The deadline is Friday,
March 14, and it is a $200
deposit,” said Polak. “If you
miss that deadline, you will
automatically be wait-listed.”
According to Brian Pawelko,
vice president of SGA, the new
rules are only projected to affect
between 100 and 200 students.
“Students should not fear
losing housing at this point,” he
said.
More information will
be available next week when
Director of Residence Life
Cindy Threatt and the housing committee present to the
Senate the proposed changes.
The meeting is Tuesday at
11:30 in Sweigart Auditorium.
Friday, February 8, 2008 3
Senior feeds area students’ bodies, minds
By Jess Hoogendoorn
One out of every three kids
eats fast food at least four times
a week, according to a student who teaches nutrition in
Hamilton schools.
With this statistic in mind,
senior Susie Campbell will continue her program of teaching
children about the importance
of eating healthy.
Last year, she taught children about nutrition during an
after-school program sponsored
by Mercer Street Friends, an
organization based in Trenton
that provides after-school assistance.
“We didn’t want to give the
students the same information
that they got from everybody
else,” Campbell said. “That was
the one thing that I was very
adamant about. I said if we’re
going to do anything, I want to
make sure that it’s completely
new and something that the
kids will take away with them.”
Campbell taught the program for the first time last
March. The program lasted five
weeks and covered areas of
nutrition such as following the
food pyramid, choosing healthy
snacks and drinks, exercising
daily and making healthy choices at fast-food restaurants.
The volunteer is taking her
program a step further this year.
The program will expand to six
Hamilton elementary schools:
Klockner, Kuser, Greenwood,
Wilson, McGalliard and Lalor.
Rider students who are involved
with the Bonner Scholar
Program, a community servicebased initiative, or are simply
interested in contributing, are
welcome to get involved.
“I’m going to take my cur-
2007 Greek Award Recipients
Greek Women of the YearLaura Green & Krista Fincke
Greek New Member of the YearGeorge Helock
House Managers of the YearDevin O’Loughlin & Jon Formichelli
IFC Spirit AwardSigma Phi Epsilon
IGC Spirit AwardLambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc.
PHC Spirit AwardPhi Sigma Sigma
Intramural Man of the YearJames Catanese
Greek Man of the YearJeremy Friedman
Outstanding ProgramAlpha Xi Delta
Community Service AwardDelta Phi Epsilon
Outstanding ChapterPhi Sigma Sigma
Highest Individual Male GPARyan Sydorko
Highest Individual Female GPAAshley Weitz
Highest Sorority Cumulative GPAAlpha Xi Delta
Highest Fraternity Cumulative GPASigma Phi Epsilon
Congratulations to our winners!
We are proud of your hard work and effort.
-Office of Greek Life Staff
www.rider.edu/greeklife
Photo courtesy of Susie Campbell
Senior Susie Campbell teaches nutrition to elementary-aged students in Hamilton schools.
riculum that I put together and
I’m going to teach it to other
students and other people who
are willing to help,” Campbell
said.
Susan Jones, the Mercer
Street Friends Food Bank
agency services coordinator
who oversaw the project, said
Campbell’s program was a
success.
“Susie connected great with
the children,” she said.
The program will begin
during the last week of March
and run for six weeks. Campbell
is planning an informational
session and encourages edu-
cation majors to get involved
because it gives them firsthand
experience.
“For me, I have a really great sense of pride in this
program,” she said. “I would
love to effect change and make
people stand up and see certain
things that they might not have
seen before.”
Hamilton students between
5 and 9 years old were involved
in the after-school program.
Campbell explained that
nutrition programs are crucial
because the obesity rate is high
in America and it is important
for young people to be aware of
how they can stay healthy.
Some nutrition lessons
showed students how to eat
healthier by replacing ice cream
sundaes with yogurt sundaes. Campbell pointed out to
the students how much sugar
was in each serving of several popular drinks. She also
explained that there are more
ways to exercise than just doing
pushups, crunches and going to
gym class.
Campbell said that as she
was teaching she could see “light
bulbs go on in these kids.”
Gov. Corzine calls on Rider alumnus
to be at helm of Treasury Dept.
By Laura Mortkowitz
After two decades of working on the budget in the state
government, Rider alumnus
David Rousseau was sworn in
as New Jersey’s state treasurer
on Jan. 16.
A graduate of Temple
University, Rousseau came to
Rider for his MBA. A life-long
resident of Mercer County,
Rousseau, 47, knew the
University well and was dating
his future wife, an employee
of the school. He said he had
a good relationship with the
people at Rider because of this.
“Rider has a good reputation for an MBA program,”
Rousseau said. “It had a parttime, nighttime program.”
His new position gives him
more authority and managerial
power over jobs he previously
worked on as senior adviser to
the governor for budget and
fiscal policy and as deputy state
treasurer. In these jobs Rousseau
helped develop and implement
the annual state budget and
other fiscal policy issues, as well
as provide policy guidance on
taxation issues, and property
tax relief and reform.
“Now I’m overseeing the
entire operation, the entire
Department of the Treasury
that includes not only the budget operations but also the lottery [and] pensions,” he said.
“So it’s a broader role than
before.”
However, Rousseau is
more than prepared for his new
responsibilities with his previous experience. More than half
of what he does now will be
related to what he has been
doing, and for the rest, he has
staff to help keep things running smoothly, he said.
“I’ve been in Trenton,
between the executive and legislative branch, for the past 20
years, so I know the issues dealing with the lottery [and] I
know the issues dealing with
procurement,” Rousseau said. “I
know of all those issues because
I’ve probably dealt with them
at some point in time in my
career.”
The biggest difference in
his career is that he’s now a
manager and runs a department
of 3,700 employees.
Rousseau hopes that if the
governor is re-elected in 2009,
he will be asked to stay on as
state treasurer, and Gov. Jon
Corzine certainly seems to have
high hopes for him.
“David is the consummate
professional who has distinguished himself throughout the
state government, and I am
confident he will continue to
do so as state treasurer,” Corzine
said in a statement announcing
his nomination of Rousseau on
Jan. 11. “His expertise in fiscal
matters will be a tremendous
asset in the upcoming months
as we implement a fundamental
restructuring of New Jersey’s
finances and see long-term
solutions to the state’s fiscal
matters.”
Rousseau is replacing
Treasurer Michelline Davis who
was acting more as an interim
and led a search committee to
help find a permanent replacement, said Tom Vince, spokesperson for the treasurer’s office.
Whenever Rousseau finishes his term as state treasurer, he doesn’t believe there
are many places for him to go
in New Jersey government. So,
his future plans might include
looking to the private sector or
becoming involved with education.
“I’ve always had some interest in moving into some type
of role in higher ed,” he said,
“whether it’s a combination of
teaching plus some administrative duties at a college.”
4 Friday, February 8, 2008
University departments get two new players
By Amber B. Carter
With experience in journalism,
public relations and administration,
a new dean has joined the College of
Continuing Studies.
Margaret Dugan began her position on Oct. 22 as assistant dean to
spearhead Corporate and Community
Outreach.
“I chose to work at Rider University
because I was looking for an opportunity to continue the work that I was
doing, but also, to be more in touch
with the students, and this position
allows me to do both,” she said.
Dugan’s daily tasks include making businesses aware of opportunities
offered to adult learners, conversing
with employers about potential education training programs and, of course,
advising students.
Dugan’s first job out of college was
in public relations where she wrote
press releases, public service announcements and community event notifications. Additionally, she worked for a
neighborhood newspaper on and off
for a number of years as a side job.
Dugan began working at a social
service agency in the public relations
department, but realized the job had
too much secretarial work. She quickly
realized that in order to move up, she
needed another job.
She decided to go into higher education and climb the career ladder, but
she needed some management experience as well so she switched to
Salary
Continued from p. 1
nal consultants, who conduct a
comprehensive market analysis
and comparison of our peer
institutions across the nation,”
the board’s chair Gary Shapiro,
said in a statement.
During his first year at Rider
(2003-2004) the president’s
total compensation, including
benefits, was a little more than
$334,000. In Rozanski’s second
year his pay package increased
by nearly $65,000. When he
received his largest pay increase,
published to date in 20052006, the figure increased to
$502,170, which dwarfs presidents of most other private
institutions in New Jersey.
The
presidents
of
Monmouth, Drew and Fairleigh
Dickinson universities made
between about $335,000 and
$375,000 in 2005-2006, according to The Chronicle. The president of Princeton University
earned just $150,000 more
than Rozanski. Rutgers’ president’s total compensation was
just below that mark, $125,000
higher than Rider’s chief.
“What’s often argued
by boards of trustees is that
they have to pay these salaries because they’re competing
to get the best people,” Curtis
Photo courtesy of University Communications
Margaret Dugan was hired to be
the new assistant dean of Corporate and Community Outreach.
the administrative field.
Dugan is a Philadelphia native
and mother of three children, twin
girls who are 8 and a son who is 4.
“They keep me pretty busy, so I
don’t have time for too many hobbies,”
she said.
Dugan received her bachelor’s
degree in journalism and public relations from Temple University in
Philadelphia and her master’s degree
in Science in Management from
Rosemont College in Rosemont, Pa.
Dugan feels fulfilled with her
employment at Rider.
“I just want to be able to make
sure the community is aware of the
great programs that we have, the flexibility adult learners have here, the
amazing staff that is here and how we
serve our students,” she said.
said. “We’ve been wondering
why they’re competing for presidents but not for faculty.”
Nationally, full-time faculty
earned an average of $67,468 at
private universities that offer a
master’s degree in 2005-2006.
Rider’s full-timers made an
average of $82,100.
“We’ve been trying to make
the argument that when you
look at the president you have
to look at what the faculty
makes,” Curtis said. “We found
that the president’s salary was
about three times that of a
full professor. It sounds like
[Rozanski’s] is four times that.”
In the decade prior to
2005-2006, presidents of private institutions that offered
master’s degrees received a
35-percent total pay increase
on average. Their corresponding faculty members received a
5-percent raise, according to an
AAUP survey.
Most
of
Rozanski’s
$100,000 raise that year was
benefits, which rose to nearly
$175,000 from $85,000. It was
the largest benefits increase of
any university president in New
Jersey since Rozanski’s Rider
debut. Compared to his peers,
the president’s total benefits
package stands higher than
that of Princeton’s and Rutgers’
presidents.
Karns noted that 70 per-
By Danielle Flood
Getting more people to give to
Rider in a philanthropic way in order
to continue academic excellence is a top
priority for the recently hired director
of annual giving.
Mathieu Nelessen, who joined
Rider’s ranks on Nov. 5 to supplement
the Office of University Advancement,
also aims to raise money to promote
the best possible learning experience,
he said.
“The Office of Annual Giving is
responsible for fundraising and alumni
participation,” he said. “The raising of
unrestricted dollars goes to essentially
provide further scholarships, better
academic resources and to update and
improve facilities.”
The unrestricted dollars are raised
from alumni, parents, friends of the
University, trustees, former trustees,
corporations and foundations.
Nelessen hopes to see alumni
participation increase, since “only a
combined 12 percent of Rider and
Westminster alumni give donations.”
“We need everyone to know we
need to increase participation to the
Rider annual fund and the Westminster
annual fund,” he said.
When compared to other colleges and universities with the same
size and academic performance as
Rider, the University’s alumni donations are low. Many other schools are
in the high teens to the 20-percentile range, according to the director.
cent of Rozanski’s 2005-2006
benefits are not paid but are
rather investments in accounts
that Rider owns. These include
deferred benefits like life insurance, a retirement incentive
program and a deferred compensation plan. If the president
leaves before his full term is up
in 2013, he will not receive the
deferred compensation plan.
Pension makes up the other
30 percent. This type of plan
is becoming increasingly common to keep presidents from
leaving.
“It is a very competitive
environment to hire and retain
presidents,” Karns said.
Photo courtesy of Univeristy Communications
Mathieu Nelessen was hired in
November as Rider’s Director of
Annual Giving.
A New Jersey native, Nelessen went
to Rutgers and majored in psychology
and English. He is currently pursuing a
master’s degree in Organizational
Leadership at Rider.
Prior to joining Rider, he worked
for the Special Olympics of New Jersey
and was the director of law enforcement sponsorship. Within the department, Nelessen said he was responsible
for fundraising $2 million a year.
“I am thrilled to join the Office of
University Advancement at Rider and
I look forward to joining a team which
will help take the University to an even
higher level of prominence,” Nelessen
said in a press release from the Rider
University Newswire.
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Friday, February 8, 2008 5
As writers strike, students suffer
By Aurora Slothus
Unless you’ve been living
under a rock for the past few
months, you probably know
two things: one, Britney Spears
has finally gone off her rocker;
and two, the Writers Guild of
America (WGA) is on strike.
In case you have been living
under that rock, or if you’re the
rare enigma who doesn’t watch
television or film, here is what
you need to know. The WGA,
the organization to which
almost every film, television
and radio writer in America
belongs, is really ticked off.
Since Nov. 5, 2007, the
WGA has been on strike,
meaning that its members have
agreed to stop writing any new
material until an agreement
with The Alliance of Motion
Picture & Television Producers
(AMPTP) has been reached.
At the heart of the strike
is “new media.” This term
encompasses video streaming and downloading. If you
missed last week’s episode of
Grey’s Anatomy and you decide
to stream it from ABC.com,
the company with the rights to
the show is making money. The
show’s writers are not.
In recent weeks, popular shows like Heroes and new
favorites like Chuck and Pushing
Daisies have stopped airing new
episodes.
Photo by Caitlyn Berardi
With nothing to watch, junior Susan Zabrocky stares helplessly at a blank television screen.With
the writers on strike, shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes have been replaced with an
onslaught of reality programming. However, recent rumors have hinted at a strike settlement.
Some shows still have a
couple of episodes in the can,
but within a few more weeks,
the shows that aired last fall
and even those that premiered
in January are going to be out
of new material.
This means one thing: the
dreaded onslaught of reality TV.
Because shows like Survivor and
the new edition of American
Gladiators don’t use writers,
they can be produced without
violating the terms of the WGA
strike.
The strike will undoubtedly have an effect on television-watching college students
everywhere. When it comes
down to it, do students really
care about the struggles of the
WGA or do they just want their
shows back?
“A little bit of both,” senior
Kerri Silva said. “I want my TV
back, especially Heroes, and I
want LOST to be able to have
at least a full season.”
Since many shows have
gone on hiatus, students have
found alternate means of getting their fix of TV entertainment.
“I’ve been watching shows
on YouTube.com and DVDs,”
senior Alexandra Zahakos said.
“It’s a little annoying.”
Additionally, the WGA
strike led to the shortest Golden
Globe Awards Ceremony in
history when actors refused to
cross the writers’ picket lines. If
the strike is not settled soon, it
might also have an effect on the
upcoming Academy Awards.
The strike isn’t limited to
just television shows and awards
ceremonies. Since November,
no new screenplays have been
written, meaning that if the
strike goes on long enough,
there won’t be any new films
coming to a theater near you.
Dr. Cynthia Lucia, creator of the University’s Cinema
Studies concentration, said that
the strike will undoubtedly hurt
the film industry, but that it is
important that the writers don’t
give in to the AMPTP.
“The industry needs to
acknowledge creative energies
and talent of the writers who
have contributed so significantly,” Lucia said. “The writers
must be compensated.”
When the WGA went on
strike in 1988, it lasted for
21 weeks and 6 days. So far
the total count for the current
WGA strike is 13 weeks and 4
days.
Recently there have been
rumors of a strike resolution,
but the WGA has said that
“there are many significant
points that have to be worked
out.”
Although the strike is negatively affecting many, the writers seem to have a lot of support, from famous actors to
Rider professors and students.
“We support the writers
and want them to get back to
work, like now,” Zahakos said.
Poems, stories and more add fuel to ‘Fire’
By Zuri Hadi
The literary magazine that
emerged during the Harlem
Renaissance will live on at
Rider, thanks to On Fire: A
Literary Journal of the African
Diaspora.
The original 1926 publication, Fire, addressed issues
including jazz and blues, homosexuality, free-form verse and a
concept of black beauty relating
to Afro-centricity as opposed to
Euro-centricity. Unfortunately,
the first issue of Fire was also
its last because it failed to sell
enough copies.
The concept was revived
in 1968 through Black Fire,
an anthology of 178 selections
of poetry, essays, short stories
and plays from more than 75
cultural and political leaders.
The brain behind the
University’s revival of these
publications is freshman Rance
Robeson II. Its release is scheduled for April. Robeson aims to
obtain works that speak of life’s
extraordinary pains and truths.
“On Fire is a very ambitious project,” said Dr. Mickey
Hess, associate professor of
English. “With the recent
hate-speech incidents in one
of Rider’s dorms and on the
Latino Student Organization’s
Facebook[.com] page, On Fire
is an important forum for conversations about race on this
campus.”
Hess will stand as the faculty adviser for the production
of the first issue this spring.
The publication’s mission is to
offer an opportunity for writers
and artists to be published in a
contemporary journal worthy
of mass-market retail.
On Fire is asking for poetry, prose, essays, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, visual art,
photography, monologues and
one-act plays that will be sorted into the six featured categories. The categories include
Hip-Hop Conversations, Stoop
Talk, Did You Know, Limelight:
It’s Showtime, Real Talk: Social
and Political Issues and lastly,
Art! Works!
As editor-in-chief, Robeson
will oversee submissions.
“I will approve everything,”
he said. “However, everyone is
wearing the hat right now [since
we are just getting started]. But
major decisions will go through
me.” Senior Taniya Hood, who
serves as senior editor, is in
charge of finding authors
and developing manuscripts.
Additionally, Hood will carry
out editorial plans according to
financial goals.
The final member of the
editorial staff, senior public
relations chair Michael Young,
will focus on promoting the
journal nationally and internationally. That task includes
making and distributing flyers,
recruiting artists and promoting the organization through all
media outlets.
“I think On Fire is a good
idea,” Young said. “It’s something Rider needs. It’s a legacy
that should bring attention and
awareness to minorities and
everyone on campus.”
Robeson also hopes that
On Fire will attract minorities
to attend Rider and perhaps
even gain as much popularity
as Callaloo, a literary journal
that publishes original works
by black writers worldwide
and is published by The Johns
Hopkins University Press.
“I have African-American
friends that went to Johns
Hopkins University just for
Callaloo,” Robeson said.
Since beginning promotions in October, On Fire
has received five submissions,
including a foreword from
Dr. Pearlie Peters, professor of
English, and an interview that
Hess will include in the HipHop Conversations section.
“I’m contributing an exclusive interview I did with Jus
Rhyme [Jeb Middlebrook],
who won 3rd place on VH1’s
The White Rapper Show,” Hess
said.
Hess met Middlebrook
prior to his first appearance on
the VH1 reality show when he
wrote a chapter on Run DMC
for Hess’ book Icons of Hip-Hop.
On Fire is the only publication
that will receive this interview.
Although On Fire may seem
like it will be an immediate hit,
the editorial board sees some
obstacles arising. The first, integral in the publication’s success,
is getting the Rider community to submit creative works.
The second is for the publication to gain funding. However,
Robeson remains confident.
“I think On Fire will be
successful in a year’s time,” he
said. “The most challenging
issues are going to be the first
two [since they are so new to
everyone]. Everyone wants to
be in the show, but no one
wants to produce it.”
In the Feb. 1 issue of The
Rider News, a quote was incorrectly attributed.
The article “Bronc Meets
World: Eclectic styles and local
shops keep New Hope alive and
well” described Love Saves the
Day as a store with “just about
everything you can imagine,
from Elvis records to original
Barbie dolls to tons of vintage
clothes.”
The quote should have
been attributed to sophomore
Jess Maiuro.
Correction
6 Friday, February 8, 2008
On the Run
Singles can celebrate, too
Channel 20 boasts a lineup of game shows, sitcoms and more
By Amanda Thorogood
With the writers on strike
and your favorite shows on hiatus,
now is the perfect time to turn on
Channel 20. You may be surprised
at what you find.
“[We] use non-union, dolphinsafe writers, so new episodes are
actually in production,” said senior
Matthew Cohen, who is a cowriter
of Rider’s first sitcom, Networking,
which airs on the Rider University
Network (RUN).
In fact, RUN has taken many
steps forward, according to Scott
Alboum, who has been the network’s coordinator for about a year
and a half.
“Now I feel like there is stuff
for everyone to listen to and to
see,” Alboum said. “Having all different kinds of programming gives
us places for all different kinds of
students to get involved.”
In just this past year alone
RUN has renovated itself. Some of
its regular programs have changed
and completely new concepts have
been added to the lineup.
One of those changed shows is
Music and Interview Affairs (MIA).
MIA has always been about the latest music news and interviews with
independent bands. This semester,
however, the show has a new producer and an updated appearance.
“I think in MIA you are going
to see more things shot on campus
this semester, like the Starbucks
Music Series,” Alboum said.
When students can’t locate
their issue of The Rider News but
still want to stay up-to-date on the
current events of the University
and surrounding areas, they can
tune into a weekly segment of the
News at Rider.
“We have a new set and a
longer show with new anchors,”
Alboum said.
Another innovative show on
RUN is the Adult Swim-esque
Adventures of Scarab and Alien
Head, which is produced, directed, filmed and edited by junior
Meighan Hogate. Hogate models
his show after the type of camera
movements and immobile characters seen in 7-Up commercials
with action figures.
“The show is really about the
very distinct and outlandish personalities of the characters and
how those personalities interact
with each other,” he said.
Students are constantly coming up with new ideas or creating their own concepts for shows
based on what they enjoy to watch
on TV — including game shows.
Created by junior Danielle
Lotrario, R U Bluffing is the first
game show ever to be aired on
RUN. The show has two contestants who are asked a question
and then shown clips of possible
answers to decide who is telling
the truth. Whoever can get the
most correct answers wins.
“I produce my show on a biweekly basis,” Latrario said. “The
By Marie Baker
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many
students can be seen making plans for
elaborate dates and planning the perfect
gifts for that special someone in their lives.
Couples definitely enjoy the spotlight of
the holiday, but what about the rest of
us?
There are two main ways that couples
tend to plan their nights: They can try for
simple and low key or they could go all
out and have a flashy, impressive night.
Here at Rider, the single students on campus are lucky enough to have the same
kind of options.
Low Key
For some of us, Valentine’s Day is
just like any other day of the year, so
we don’t feel a need to make a particularly big deal out of it. It’s just a holiday
made up by greeting card companies to
turn a bigger profit, right? If that sounds
like you, you might want to check out
Photo provided by Justin Herrera Enchanted, the Student Entertainment
From left, senior Kevin Feehery, senior Matthew Cohen, sophomore Alex Sharry and junior Vincent Leggio prepare a scene for Networking. Council’s (SEC) movie for Valentine’s Day
weekend. Enchanted is a cross between the
The show, along with other unique programs, can be seen on channel 20 or viewed on RUN’s Web site, rideruniversitynetwork.com.
classic Disney-style fairy tales and a modhardest part of producing a show at a cable access television station afterward Justin from the Rider out loud at something while writern comedy.
is getting others to have the same who are trying to make the next Network wanted to do an inter- ing, we know we’re on the right
“Basically it’s just a cute movie that
big thing while being drastically view with us,” Leggio said. “I don’t track,” he said.
discipline as you do.”
students can go see with their friends,
remember exactly what I said in According to Alboum, new
The other new addition to underqualified.”
roommates or significant other,” said
RUN is the “mockumentary” Junior Vincent Leggio, who the interview but Justin found it episodes of shows will begin to air
senior McKenzie Goldsmith, one of the
Networking, which is currently stars in the show and co-writes funny and asked me if I wanted every day by next week.
film chairs of SEC.
it with Cohen, said the idea for to have a TV show the following “I think [RUN] is worth takfilming its third episode.
Enchanted will be playing in the Bart
“Networking is a comedy Networking came after the show’s semester on the Rider Network.”
ing a look at because it is done
Luedeke Center (BLC) theater at 7:30
about two friends who love each producer, junior Justin Herrera, Cohen said that he and Leggio by people your own age and
p.m. on Feb. 14-16, which should give
can usually tell when their writing who probably have similar backother, but not as much as they love approached him.
everyone plenty of time to go see it —
“About a year ago I was is worthy of being filmed.
grounds,” he said.
hating each other,” Cohen said. even the students who already made plans
“They are programming directors performing at Brownwater and “When we both start to laugh
on the actual holiday.
By Oliver Joszt
Everybody loves the old story of rags to riches, especially when it involves drugs, violence and organized
crime.
American Gangster is based on the true story of ’70s
drug kingpin Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), who
used the coffins of dead U.S. soldiers to transfer heroin
from war-torn Vietnam to the States. Frank takes control
of the New York drug trade and soon leads the pack as the
biggest supplier of heroin in the U.S.
On his case is the broken-down detective Richie
Roberts (Russell Crowe), who not only has to deal with
his failing marriage, but also the fact that he might be the
only honest cop in the neighborhood.
American Gangster concentrates on a parallel storyline just like Godfather II did with Michael and Vito
Corleone. Instead of getting a contrasting storyline of
mobster and mobster, we see the life of an honest cop
and an upcoming gangster. As Richie assembles a group
of lowlife cops, Frank brings his brothers up from home
to help run his new business. As Richie’s marriage begins
to fall apart, Frank begins to develop a love interest with
Miss Puerto Rico 1970.
At the film’s core is an amazing performance by
Washington (Training Day), who plays Frank as a charismatic and courteous character. These characteristics
contrast well with Frank’s dark side when it comes out.
In one scene he tosses Christmas turkeys to a hungry
crowd, while in another he shoots a rival in broad daylight. Washington makes his character appear more like a
cold-blooded businessman than a notorious gangster.
Unfortunately, Crowe’s character is not as exciting to
watch as Washington’s. It is not that Crowe’s performance
isn’t remarkable, but the way that Richie’s story is written makes his character dreary and dull. The character of
Richie does not allow Crowe to make all of his amazing
charisma and talent shine on the screen.
Surprisingly, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men)
has one of the most remarkable performances. He is the
true villain of the film. Not only is he a crooked cop, but
one who takes pleasure in taking money from people.
Brolin takes a character that could have been a potentially
forgettable dirty cop and makes him into an unforgettable and unsettling creep.
People who are expecting to see Washington and
Crowe on the screen together are going to be a little disappointed. They do not meet until the last 10 minutes of
the film. However, those 10 minutes are the best of the
film. Frank and Richie finally confront each other face
to face in a very well-shot scene. There is not much dialogue, but the tension in the air says everything we need
to know.
The film is very long, with a running time of 157
minutes. While every minute is needed to develop the
characters of Richie and Frank, it may feel at times like
the film is dragging on. This movie is not for viewers who
can’t sit in the theater for long periods of time.
With great gangster films like Goodfellas, The
Godfather and Casino, you might feel like you have seen
this film before. Zealously detailed era crime sagas are not
hard to find anymore. That doesn’t mean that it is a bad
movie, but just one that you feel like you have seen before.
Those expecting some kind of modern crime master-
Photo by Caitlyn Berardi
Furious with the holiday, junior Lauren Ligenza tears apart a Valentine’s Day card.
However, there are several campus events for single students to enjoy on Feb. 14.
More Action
Students who are looking for more
activity can take the approach of the
couples who spend money for a big night,
but they won’t have to spend a dime.
The Student Government Association
(SGA) Class Councils have it covered.
They thought big and will be throwing a
Valentine’s Day Dance.
“We felt that there was a void of things
to do on campus on Valentine’s Day, and
it’s definitely a holiday where you want
to go out and have fun whether you’re
with someone or not,” senior Michele
Domalewski, the organizational affairs
team leader for SGA, said.
If you’re not swayed to come out just
for the good times, there are always giveaways to consider. There will be T-shirts
for the first 125 students to arrive, as well
as raffles for all the classic gifts that people
have come to expect on Valentine’s Day,
such as chocolates and flowers.
The menu, designed with the single
students in mind, covers comfort foods,
such as mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers, as well as assorted desserts to match
the Valentine’s Day theme.
The dance will be held in the Cavalla
Room on Valentine’s Day. The doors will
open at 9 p.m. and the party will go until
midnight. Make sure to bring your Rider
I.D. to show at the door.
There’s more good news: Because
Enchanted will let out just 10 minutes
after the SGA Class Council Dance starts,
students can enjoy the best of both worlds
by just walking across the hall. Enjoy a
story about a girl who finds her prince,
then take a chance and go find your own.
Comedy ‘dresses’ up bridesmaid sorrows
Film reveals ‘American’ dream
SEC Film Review
7
Film Review
By Shavon Keller
Photo copyright Universal Pictures
Denzel Washington portrays Frank Lucas, a 1970s
mobster, in the film American Gangster, which will be
shown in the BLC Theater this weekend.
piece are most likely going to come away from this movie
very disappointed. However, fans of gangster films will
be entertained by the amazing job that Ridley Scott does
of capturing the look and feel of the 1970 Harlem drug
era.
We all know of the Star Wars and
Lord of the Rings fanatics who dress in
costume to see these epic films, but who
would have thought that a romantic comedy could bring out similar reactions? 27
Dresses was just the film to pull that off.
Seeing three women dressed in identical lavender puffy gowns, laughing and
nodding their heads in approval of the
film, it’s easy to say that there are many
women out there who could relate to this
playful comedy.
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride is
only too true for Jane (Katherine Heigl).
With her romantic views and endless
desire to please, Jane is the perfect doormat for almost everyone in her life: her
sister, boss and the 27 friends for whom
she has been a bridesmaid. It isn’t until her
sister’s engagement to her boss, who also
happens to be her secret crush, that Jane’s
life as doormat becomes unsettling.
At the same time, Jane begins a relationship with journalist Kevin (James
Marsden). Kevin is the perfect challenger
of Jane’s idealistic views with his own cynical ideas of love and marriage.
Heigl gives a flawless performance
Photo by copyright Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Jane (Katherine Heigl) shows off one of her many bridesmaid’s outfits in a scene
from the film 27 Dresses. The romantic comedy hit theaters on Jan. 18.
with just the right mixture of sweetness and sincerity to make her character’s
naiveté come to life on screen. We have
really seen Heigl develop as an actress
from the television shows Roswell and
Grey’s Anatomy to her last film, Knocked
Up. Even though she hasn’t been a bridesmaid 27 times, she makes Jane a believable
and sympathetic character.
Marsden is a great counterpart for
Heigl with his playful charm and candor.
He shows his depth as an actor and successfully pulls off being the cynic of love.
These two characters bring out the better
sides of each other, creating humorous
moments, such as Jane modeling her 27
horrid bridesmaid dresses for Kevin’s, and
our, amusement. But it’s the characters’
clashing views throughout the film that
make for some interesting conflicts and
provide a medium through which the
film poses its questions about love and
relationships to its viewers.
Judy Greer (The Wedding Planner),
although she has a minor role, brings the
right amount of quirkiness to her character as Jane’s best friend, Casey. Their
relationship is true and straight to the
point; Casey acts as Jane’s brutally honest
conscience that Jane unfortunately doesn’t
always listen to.
Some would say that romantic comedies as a genre are flawed by their predictability and their unrealistic endings. But
screenplay writer Aline Brosh McKenna
(The Devil Wears Prada) is successful in
providing enough twists and unexpected
events throughout to avoid the trap of
being completely predictable.
There are still moments that are a
little unrealistic and coincidental, such
as Jane and Kevin’s meeting happening
around the same time as Jane’s sister and
boss getting engaged. But these moments
can be overlooked for the better qualities
of the film, such as great casting, welldeveloped characters and hilarious and
touching moments.
So get your girlfriends together, put
on your least vomit-inducing bridesmaid
dresses, and head to the movies for a good
laugh.
8 Friday, February 8, 2008
Editorial:
Silly human! I am
not programmed for
love! *Cackle*
Happy Valentine’s
Day, Hillary!
President receives
$$$weet package
H
e makes more money than the president of the United
States. In this instance, the “he” being referred to
is not Bill Gates, Donald Trump or many of the
A-list Hollywood stars who may come to mind who are, perhaps, grossly overpaid. Instead, it is our president, Mordechai
Rozanski, who seems to be raking in the dough at a hefty rate.
In fact, his total compensation surpasses the $400,000 paycheck
President Bush receives as Commander-in-Chief. Our nation’s
top leader is one who many would agree is horribly underpaid.
But, then again, you don’t get into public service for the high
payoff.
Yes, it seems there is money to be made in higher education,
especially if you’re at the top. President Rozanski’s total compensation package for 2005-2006 topped a whopping $500,000. As
your eyes settle back into your head after seeing all those zeros,
realize this makes our president the third-highest paid official
at a private university in the state. In fact, only the pay of the
presidents of Stevens Institute of Technology and Princeton
University exceed his deal. As young adults, we can understand
how a person’s compensation gradually increases over time. It
gets a little bit harder to bear when you learn that our president’s
compensation increased 25 percent in a single year and his benefits nearly tripled from 2003 to 2006.
To be fair, President Rozanski has been at the heart of
Rider’s renewal since he first arrived in 2003. A simple glance
around campus will jog our memories of the efforts that he
has spearheaded. The 55,000-square-foot Student Recreation
Center, the 24-hour study lounge, Cranberry’s and the new
residence hall are just some of this president’s contributions to
the University. In many ways, he has taken us to new heights.
Still, it’s hard for us to empathize whole-heartedly when
tuition never seems to stop increasing and undoubtedly helps
line the pockets of Rozanski and other officials. Many students
are financing a four-year college education by mortgaging their
futures — a debt they will eventually have to repay. Even though
many of our parents are the ones footing the bill, we still know
it is costing more than a pretty penny to come to Rider. Today,
tuition is $25,650 and, when you factor in room and board
and the other associated fees, it will easily cost you more than
$35,000 to attend. And if the past is any indication, then brace
yourself for another tuition hike, just in time for the 2008-2009
academic year.
At the same time, one has to consider what is going on
around us. At Rutgers University, the football coach Greg
Schiano was paid an astounding $911,000 in 2006. Seems a
little much for instructing the players from the sidelines on
how to score the winning touchdown. Then again, the Yankees
signed Alex Rodriguez, known to many as A-Rod, to a 10-year,
$275 million contract, but the overpayment of professional
athletes is a topic to debate at another time.
In the end, we all like to believe in an American ideal that
our political leaders often espouse — you can get ahead when
you work hard and play by the rules. However, it’s different
when it’s on our dime.
This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider
News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor.
Quote of the Week
“It’s good to have money and the
things that money can buy, but
it’s good, too, to check up once
in a while and make sure that
you haven’t lost the things that
money can’t buy.”
— George H. Lorimer
Cartoon by Samuel Cicero
The Chief Tester:
Pressure for perfect Valentine’s Day
Feb. 14 is right around the corner, and it
seems that every commercial and every magazine
feature is about makeovers, finding that special
someone or planning the perfect evening for the
person you’re in a relationship with (or want to
be in a relationship with).
Valentine’s Day is a tricky holiday, mainly
because how you feel about it usually depends
on whether you’re with another person romantically or not. I know, when I’m with someone
on Valentine’s Day, it’s a struggle to make it the
perfect evening (can an evening ever be perfect?),
but if I’m single, I scoff every time I see candy
hearts and script-laden pink cards with rhyming couplets of undying love. Can love get any
cheesier than romantic notes written by someone
else?
The pressure on Valentine’s Day, whether
you’re in a relationship or not, is immense:
Pressure to find the perfect trinket for your loved
one, pressure to find a loved one and pressure to
act kindly and say only the most flattering things
when you see your crush or significant other.
To most people in a relationship, Valentine’s
Day is about love. You already like the person
you’re with and an evening already set aside on
the calendar gives you an excuse to splurge on a
night out. Maybe all those candy hearts are too
much, but it’s all right because you have another
person to laugh about it with.
Even though Kay
Jewelers wants you to
think that expensive gifts
will get you that kiss on
Feb. 14, you don’t need
to spend a lot of money
to show the person you’re
with that you care about Nadine
him or her. Why should Tester
an arbitrary day make your
love any stronger than any
other day of the year?
For a single person, it’s a complicated story.
Although all those boxes of chocolates and heartwarming commercials make you sick to your
stomach, inside there’s a secret (and sometimes
very blatant) yearning for the perfect lover.
Everywhere you go, it seems that everyone is part
of a couple. Unfortunately, many popular magazines emphasize a single person’s need to make
him- or herself over around Valentine’s Day.
Looking for love on Feb. 14 is a bad idea, but
if you’re going to do it, at least be yourself. Even
though most media outlets are urging makeovers
for singles, your future special someone will be
more impressed with your own look. He or she
is not trying to date your stylist, so let what’s on
the inside of yourself (the most important part)
do the talking.
Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is meant for
See Valentine’s Day, p. 9
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
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Friday, February 8, 2008 9
Think About It:
Securing your health is as important as landing first big job
Congratulations! You’ve just received a job offer in
the mail from that local marketing firm you’ve been
flirting with for the last few months. They want you
to come in and discuss terms. You head into the office,
brimming with confidence and prepared with your
checklist of requirements. After a little bit of pleasant
discussion, your employer says, “Here’s what we’re willing to offer: annual salary of $45,000 and two weeks
off per year. Unfortunately, we don’t offer benefits, so
you’ll have to get your own insurance.”
You’re so happy to get a job that you didn’t hear
that last bit too well, and you go back to the residence
hall to brag to your friends. As I said, congratulations.
Time passes by, and you’re in your third year at the
company. You’ve progressed quickly and have nearly
doubled your starting salary. Still no benefits, though.
On a Saturday morning, you wake up to severe joint
pain and odd rashes covering your body. A trip to the
doctor and a few tests confirm that you’ve got lupus, a
chronic disease that requires intense drug therapy and
that exacerbates other diseases, like obesity and osteoporosis. You call up your boss and tell him the whole
story, and he says, “Take whatever time off you need.
I’m sure your insurance will cover the drugs.”
Your heart sinks quite quickly. You never bought
your own insurance. All of a sudden, over one 24-hour
period, your focus has gone from getting a promotion
to affording to stay alive.
This story is unrealistic, you may think. Perhaps.
You may well go through your whole life without ever
getting sick. At the very least, you can survive a few
years between the time when you are cut from your
parents’ plan and when you get around to buying your
own. But, to paraphrase Harry Callahan, do you really
feel that lucky?
Is it worth the risk? I cannot stress enough how
foolish it is for any job-ready, college-educated young
man or woman to live one day without coverage, not
because disaster will strike you, but because it could.
Yes, it is expensive. A quick Internet search will
give you rates based on your age, gender, location and
other criteria, and the prices may be staggering. This
is why it’s crucial to make every effort to get insured
through your employer. All things being equal, a group
rate is always cheaper per person than an individual
rate, which means that you’ll get better bang for your
buck going through work.
If your current employer
isn’t going to give you anything,
you’ve got two options. You can
buy for yourself, which may be
costly, but at least you’ll have
done the responsible thing. The
second choice you have is to JP
vote.
Krahel
New Jersey’s primary for
the 2008 presidential election
cycle came and went this past Tuesday, Feb. 5. Come
November, though, there will be a tremendous emphasis on health care coverage. The Rider News’ archives,
other newspapers and the Internet all offer information
on the plans of the various candidates. See which plan
makes sense to you, if any, and factor that into your
vote.
It scares me to think that there are 47 million
Americans, citizens of the greatest country in the
world, who cannot afford to see a doctor because they
have no health insurance. I implore you, please don’t
let yourself become one of them.
The Insider:
ustainability
Diverse roots plant seeds of truth
The
principle
from the Statement of
Community Values that
we seem to embrace the
most is “that we recognize that we share not
one Truth but respect
our common pursuit for Jetty
understanding.” On our
Hartsky
campus we have a variety
of students from many
different backgrounds. We have clubs and organizations that are diverse in their participants
and in their pursuits. We have many strong colleges that focus on important parts of human
understanding and intellect: College of Liberal
Arts, Education & Sciences; College of Business
Administration; College of Continuing Studies;
and Westminster College of the Arts.
I have learned the most in life from those
who are different from me. Although it sounds
like a politically correct statement to make, it
has been proven true in my life. During my
freshman year, I had a different roommate each
semester. The conversations that I had with both
of them were remarkable and useful in breaking
the bubble of my own world view. It was like an
investigative game that I loved to play. I would
get to know my roommate and how she felt
about every little thing. I’m sure I was annoying
sometimes, but it was those conversations that
made me excited about being in college.
Each of my roommates that year, each living with me for only a semester, were science
majors. We would often get into conversations
about hot scientific topics and the latest technological advances. And since I’m an English
major, we would discuss literature, storytelling
and writing. We often had disagreements about
what matters the most in life. Regardless, we
came to a better understanding of the subject
and of one another. That is what college is all
about — expanding your horizons.
Not only as individuals, but also as a community, we embrace the differences among us.
Regardless of what organization or group you
associate yourself with, you know that part of
your purpose at Rider is academic. We share
the same goal as those who have been studying
at universities and other places of higher education for centuries. It is a quest to enhance the
mind and struggle with the idea of Truth. At
Rider, we seek truth as it applies to our daily
lives and are open to revise it as necessary. We
learn what we can and put it to use. We study
hard, absorb the information from class, thrust
ourselves into internships and jobs, and learn
each step of the way. This open-mindedness
is necessary to provoke new ideas. As a closeknit community, we are willing to support one
another in our journey toward true knowledge,
whether it applies socially, academically, culturally or spiritually.
As the philosopher Plato illustrates with
the use of the Socratic method, pure learning
cannot begin until you realize that you do
not always have all the answers. With this
attitude, we recognize, “that we share not one
Truth but respect our common pursuit for
understanding.”
Photo illustration by Karly Hamburg
Striving for an understanding of the diversity in the community comprises one of the
elements of the Statement of Community
Values.
The Rider News, Ridge House
2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: (609) 896-5256
Fax: (609) 895-5696
www.theridernews.com
of the
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of power when they are on.
Use a blank screen as your screen saver.
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Save energy
Save the planet
Information courtesy of the Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee
Valentine’s day, from p. 8
romantic love. But if you’re feeling lonely, scratch eating a pint
of ice cream alone and go visit your loved ones. Make a special
trip home or call up some close friends. To me, this holiday is
still all about tiny, mass-produced valentines, with every cartoon
character imaginable on them. Every kindergarten and firstgrade classroom has the right idea of giving each kid a valentine
with a little heart sticker and maybe a lollipop or a candy heart.
The insides of these cards aren’t cheesy or overdone; they express
the kind of love and caring that I feel everyone should express
on Feb. 14. Sentiments like “You’re a good friend” can brighten
anyone’s day.
Somewhere along this holiday’s long history, Valentine’s Day
got way out of hand. Today, diamond necklaces, dozens of red
roses and sweet-smelling colognes are the only acceptable gifts. If
you’re only interested in getting gifts like this when the big day
comes around, you should rethink love. Remember, your love,
like Jennifer Lopez’s, shouldn’t cost a thing.
Valentine’s Day, in the end, is really what you make of it.
This holiday shouldn’t be considered a struggle to find or be the
most passionate lover. The amount of pressure to be perfect on
Valentine’s Day, and to make it special for whomever, is so great
that the holiday loses something. Although it may seem to be
only about buying the best gift, next Thursday is really about
being with people that you love — and loving them in whatever
way you see fit.
E-mail us at:
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected].
10 Friday, February 8, 2008
Meyers
BRONCS’ BITS
Continued from p. 11
Scores/Records (*denotes conference games)
2/3
Manhattan 82, Rider 49*
2/8
at St. Peter’s, 7 p.m.*
2/10
vs. Iona, 1 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
(17-6 overall, 10-2 MAAC)
2/2
Rider 89, Siena 75*
2/8
vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.*
2/10
vs. Siena, 3 p.m.
Indoor Track & Field
2/2
at the Delaware Invitational,
M: 6th of 11
W: 7th of 12
2/8
at New Balance Invitational
Women’s Basketball
(6-16 overall, 1-10 MAAC)
Wrestling
Continued from p. 12
beat Morgan Remillard 4-0.
For the Dragons, No. 11
Steve Mytych won in a major
decision over freshman Ilyass
Elmsaouri 15-1 in the 125pound opening bout, and No.
10 Ryan Hluschak defeated
sophomore Rob Morrison 7-3
in a 157-pound matchup.
This was Rider’s third
straight home win, with the
other two coming on Saturday
in a doubleheader as it defeated Clarion 24-16 and Rutgers
19-13.
The Broncs were down
16-9 to Clarion, but rallied
for 15 straight points with
wins in the last three matches
by Umbehauer, Morrison and
Bordas.
Rider again came from
behind in its final three matches in the second game of the
twin-bill with 10 unanswered
points.
“I think the last three
matches have been a total team
effort and I’m really proud
of the guys for putting that
together as a team,” Taylor said.
“We haven’t been 100 percent
for any match this year, but
the guys have stepped up and
made some adjustments and
have tried to help each other.”
of the season thus far has been
the Siena game, when Rider
clinched a conference win in
overtime. Not only did the
Broncs show off the strength of
their new program, but it was
one of Meyers’ best games of
her career.
“I like that game not only
because I scored my career high,
but because we were all together
as a team every second of the
game,” Meyers said.
Meyers has grown immensely as a player since her times
in Willingboro and George
Mason. Under Milligan, she
hopes to continue her strengths
while learning more each day.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot,”
Meyers said. “Coach Milligan is
the best coach I’ve ever played
for since I’ve been playing basketball. She’s a really good coach
and I’ve learned a lot even just
within the little bit of time she’s
been here.”
With the help from Meyers,
the Broncs have improved their
record immensely compared
to the previous two seasons.
Meyers has contributed not
only to the numbers for her
team but also to the heart of
Rider. After transferring a year
ago, it seems Meyers is here to
make her next two years worthwhile, continuing to show her
force on and off the court.
She is following through with
69.8 percent of her free throws,
as well as an increasing 37.3
three-point field goal percentage.
Meyers continues to put
numbers in the stat books as
she averages 4.1 rebounds per
game with 90 overall, as well
as 42 assists, 32 steals and nine
blocks for the season so far. As
Meyers boosts her statistics, her
main focus is doing it all for
the team.
“She’s a player that wants
to be good, and she’ll do what
it takes to win,” Milligan said.
“She knows that the team
comes first and she’s willing
to do whatever it takes for the
team to win.”
Meyers has the, “do-itand-get-it-done,” type of attitude to be a role model for her
teammates.
“I feel like the passion for
the game is probably my strongest aspect,” Meyers said. “The
fact that I make the move and
I go out there and work hard
every time, hopefully my teammates see that and it rubs off
on them when they see the passion and they just want to work
harder.”
Meyers’ favorite moment
Wrestling
(6-9 overall, 3-2 CAA)
2/5
Rider 19, Drexel 14
2/10
at Old Dominion, 5 p.m.
2/14
at Lehigh, 7 p.m.
Swimming and Diving
2/14-2/16
at MAAC Championship
While the trio of upper
weights has been strong in
anchoring the team to wins, it’s
been a collaborative effort by
the undermanned Broncs that
has helped them through the
stretch.
“We have had some
role-type people like Danny
Silberman, who’s wrestling well
out of his weight class, but he
protects and doesn’t give them
those extra points,” Taylor said.
“He’s done a great job and
we’ve moved [freshman] Dustin
[Renelt] up two weight classes
[against Drexel].”
The next match will be on
at No. 22 Old Dominion at 5
p.m. on Sunday.
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Friday, February 8, 2008 11
Fans
Continued from p. 1
excitement understandably
have an effect on the players
when they know their school
is there for them. According to
Milligan, who has noticed more
school spirit than when she
played in 1992, when students
come out to games it helps the
players get motivated.
“It gives us a little boost,”
senior Kelli Sawyer said. “I like
it. I hope people continue coming to our games. I like seeing
people there.”
Yet, despite the rise in spirit
and attendance at games, it’s
undeniable that the men’s team
has a larger following than the
women’s. This is not an incident isolated to Rider. Other
schools have also experienced
this phenomenon.
“The turnout is awful for
the girls, but pretty good for
the boys,” junior guard Camille
Mammolite from Ramapo
College said. “Our boys are the
NJAAC champs. [But] the only
people that have school spirit
are the athletes themselves.”
At the University of
Maryland, school spirit is very
high and there is a lottery system to get tickets for some
of the more important men’s
basketball games, said junior
Lynsie Reavis.
“The men’s basketball team
at Maryland is a big deal,”
she said. “School spirit is real
intense on campus and there
have often been riots surrounding the basketball games. The
women’s team, however, does
Men
Continued from p. 12
formance. That was his 14th
double-double of the season,
and the 44th of his illustrious
career.
“They didn’t have much size
inside so I tried to take advantage of that,” Thompson said.
“They weren’t double-teaming
me so I took advantage of that
and started scoring over their
big men. Once I started getting hot, they double-teamed
me and my teammates were
open so once they start hitting
shots we’re a tough team to play
against.”
He’s now second in the
MAAC in scoring with 20
points per game, and first in
the MAAC in rebounding with
Photo by Brian Wentz
There has been a noticeable increase in fan support at Alumni
Gym this season with the emergence of the men’s basketball
team as it makes its NCAA Tournament push.
not get as much support.”
In the case of Rutgers
University, students have said
that every other sport has been
overshadowed by football.
Often this is true for many
schools, but not at Maryland.
“There is a good turnout for
those games, but not as much as
basketball,” Reavis said.
Sophomore
Tammy
Meyers transferred to Rider
from George Mason University,
and she has noticed a difference in the support between
such a large school and Rider’s
smaller atmosphere. Although
the crowds were larger at her
former school, at Rider there is
a more personal feel to the sup-
port, Meyers said.
“[At George Mason there]
were a lot of big turnouts,”
she said. “At Mason they supported, but the support doesn’t
mean as much as when you
know everybody, and you hear
the people and see the people
from your classes actually here
supporting you.”
The fact that Rider is a
small school can actually play
to the team’s advantage when
in the Broncs’ Zoo. Since most
teams are used to playing in arenas with thousands of people,
the closer atmosphere can be
disorienting, said Milligan.
“For them to come into our
gym, where the fans are basi-
11.5 per game.
Thompson, who is expected by many analysts to be a
prime pick for the upcoming NBA Draft, has shone the
brightest when ESPN has been
in town, averaging 23 points
and 10.7 rebounds when the
“Worldwide Leader in Sports”
has been present.
“Being a mid-major school
we don’t get to be on national
TV a lot,” he said. “Most guys
would say that they get more
nervous in games like that, but
I get energized and real excited.
People throughout the country
get to see me play and I just
want to show people that I can
play and earn some respect that
I deserve.”
Because of his efforts,
Thompson won MAAC Player
of the Week for the sixth time
this season.
Ryan Thompson, who is
sixth in the MAAC in scoring,
was 7-12 from the field for 20
points, and also had five assists
and five boards. Robinson shot
5-9 for 12 points to go along
with 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Mansell scored 13 points
,and freshman forward Mike
Ringgold added 10 points with
five rebounds.
For Siena, guard Kenny
Hasbrouck, who is seventh in
the MAAC in scoring, led the
team with 23 points. Ubiles,
who is fifth in the MAAC in
scoring, had 18 points on 8-11
shooting.
The Broncs have now won
five straight road games for the
first time since the 1973-74
season. This was their ninth
straight win, the fourth longest current streak in Division-I
play, and their longest since
winning 10 games in 1983-84.
Now 10-2 in the MAAC,
this is the Broncs’ best start ever
in the conference.
The Broncs were named
The Sporting News Team of the
Week after knocking off Marist
and Siena on the road.
The Broncs also made an
appearance in the Associated
Press poll, receiving one vote.
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cally on top of you, is a huge
advantage for us,” she said. “It’s
something that we’re used to,
and teams coming in can get
rattled by that.”
Milligan added that the
school spirit generally impresses
her now that she’s returned to
Rider. With the addition of
the SRC and more activities
on campus has come a larger
following. The last time the
women’s team even had a tying
record was the 1999-2000 season (14-14). The best record
the team ever had was all the
way back in the 1981-1982
season with 26 wins and only
seven losses under Head Coach
Agnus McGlade-Berenato.
Not even the men’s team
has had such a successful season in its history, with the best
season record reaching 21 wins
and nine losses in the 19931994 season under Head Coach
Kevin Bannon.
“The die-hard fans have
been around since I played and
their support is hugely appreciated and we know they’re going
to keep coming back,” Milligan
said. “We’d like to hit another
area of fans within the community, within campus.”
It’s obvious that the more
a team wins, the better the
support will be. However, the
reverse is true as well: The better the support, the more a team
is likely to win. All the players
agreed that knowing fans are in
the stands helps them play.
“We need them for every
game,” Johnson said. “They
don’t call them the 6th man for
nothing.”
“It’s an honor to be mentioned with some of the best
teams in the country,” Dempsey
said.
Rider looks to continue the
streak into this weekend with
two crucial home games against
Niagara and Siena. The Broncs
will play Niagara tonight at 7
and Siena on Sunday at 3 p.m,
both in Alumni Gym.
“I think every game in the
MAAC is a big game,” Jason
Thompson said. “Coming in,
I’m really excited with two big
home games that determine
where we finish in the standings, so if we win we should be
solid.”
Dempsey said the players
are feeling good about themselves during the streak and will
be ready for the weekend.
“I think we have a lot of
confidence,” he said. “But the
biggest challenge that I have is
to keep this team on edge and
[have them] take nothing for
granted and know that we are
in first place right now.
“Teams are going to come
in here and give us their best
shot and that we’re ready to
respond to that. Our team is
pretty mature so we will handle
it well.”
Kristie Kahl
Meyers
steps up
Besides Rider’s basketball
team finding success with a
new head coach and a new
program, the Broncs have a
new powerhouse in sophomore guard Tammy Meyers.
Meyers has come off the
bench after sitting out a year
because of the transfer rule,
with the ability to be a force.
“She’s only a sophomore
and she’s already so talented,”
Head Coach Lynn Milligan
said. “She’s a great student
and she’s well-balanced on
and off the court. Those are
the types of players that we
want to build the program
around. Those are the girls
that we like to have around
every day, and give 100 percent on and off the court, and
Tammy certainly fits that.”
Meyers’ success stemmed
from the name she made for
herself in high school, where
she earned South Jersey Player
of the Year along with Second
Team All-State honors. She
continued her education at
George Mason before finding a home at Rider last year.
After transferring, Meyers
spent the year learning offthe-court skills that added
to the all-around player she
is today.
“I think it helped me to
see what I had to do in order
to help my team, as far as
working hard and just doing
the little things like keeping encouragement and keeping out all of the negativity,”
Meyers said.
Compared to only playing seven minutes per game
at George Mason, Meyers has
found sufficient time here at
Rider, averaging 29.6 minutes a game. In her time of
action, she has found the net
for 259 points for the season
so far.
After scoring a careerhigh 27 points on Jan. 27
against Siena, Meyers is at the
top of her game, averaging
11.8 points per game with
a 43.9 field goal percentage.
See Meyers, p. 10
12 Friday, February 8, 2008
Rider’s Rollin’
Rider takes firm control of first place
in MAAC with televised win over Siena
MEN’S BASKETBALL
By Charles Guthrie
With just a half-game lead
in the MAAC, the Rider men’s
basketball team went out to
the Times Union Center in
Loudonville, N.Y. last Saturday
and showed on national television that it was the top dog
with an impressive 89-75 win.
Rider (17-6 overall, 10-2
MAAC) imposed its will on
Siena (13-8 overall, 8-3 MAAC),
outscoring it 59-34 in the first
half, when the Broncs shot 61.5
percent from the field, including
8-12 from three-point range.
“I thought we really shared
the ball well and took good quality shots,” Head Coach Tommy
Dempsey said. “We shot a very
high percentage and I thought
we took high-percentage shots.
It was the ball movement, the
unselfishness and the quality of
shots we got.”
The 59 points set a Rider
first-half record, breaking the
previous record of 58 points
set in 1995 against Long Island
University.
“That’s how we try to have
every night,” Dempsey said. “To
do that, you have to play uptempo and that’s a style that
we’re very comfortable with and
that’s the way we practice every
day. If we can get the game moving, we can win in transition.”
In a game where the Broncs
never trailed, they pounced on
the Saints from the opening
tip, accumulating an 18-point
lead just over 12 minutes into
the first half.
After sophomore Alex
Franklin hit a layup to cut
the lead to 31-17, Rider went
on an 11-0 run to increase its
lead to 25. The run started
with three-pointers by freshman guard Justin Robinson
and junior guard Harris
Mansell. Sophomore guard
Ryan Thompson picked up the
remaining five points, capping
off the run with a three-point
play.
After the teams traded
baskets, junior guard Lamar
Johnson hit a three-pointer in
the corner with three seconds
left for the last basket of the half
and kept the Rider lead at what
would be an insurmountable
25 points.
Johnson was key off the
bench in the first half with
eight points. He shot 3-6 from
the field for the game, including 2-4 from 3-point range.
The Broncs dominated
inside the paint, outscoring the
Saints 28-8 in that category, and
had 12 second-chance points to
Siena’s three.
Senior forward Jason
Thompson opened the second
half with a jumper, giving Rider
its largest lead of the game at
27, but Siena, which shot 57.7
percent in the second half and
5-9 from behind the arc, staged
a comeback and made the game
interesting.
Down 25 with over 15
minutes left to play, Siena went
on a 27-11 run, and a 3-pointer
by Edwin Ubiles with 5:48 left
cut Rider’s previously enormous
lead to eight, the closest Siena
came during the game.
After more back-and-forth
play, Siena closed within nine
points of the Broncs with 2:18
remaining, but Rider went on a
7-2 run to close out the game.
Rider out-rebounded Siena
46-21, including 14-3 on the
offensive glass, and is now 13-1
when it out-rebounds the opponent.
“We’re great as a team
when we get rebounds, especially [offensive rebounds],”
Jason Thompson said. “One of
our goals was getting stops and
winning on the glass.”
The Broncs, who came
into the game with the 17th
best field goal percentage in the
nation, shot nearly 54 percent
and had all five starters score
double-digits.
They were led by Jason
Thompson, who finished the
game with a double-double on
a whopping 23 points and a
Rider record 21-rebound per-
See Men, p. 11
Photo by Bryan Wentz
Senior Jason Thompson, pictured in a game against Iona, won
MAAC Player of the Week for the sixth time this season after a
23-point, 21-rebound performance versus Siena.
Undermanned wrestling conquers five straight
WRESTLING
By Charles Guthrie
Photo by Matt MacFarlane
Freshman Illyass Elmsaouri, top, lost 15-1 to No. 11-ranked Steve Mytych in the
125 pound opening bout. Rider would rally back to defeat Drexel 19-14 at Alumni
Gym on Wednesday.With the win, the Broncs have won five straight matches.
The Rider wrestling team (6-9
overall, 3-2 CAA) came from behind
and won four of its last five individual
bouts, including the last three, to pull
out a 19-14 win against Drexel (9-11
overall, 4-2 CAA) in Alumni Gym on
Wednesday.
With the win, Rider extends its
winning streak to five matches.
Junior Jason Lapham had the bout
of the night, defeating junior Billy
Hadyt in a 2-1 overtime thriller that
was a crucial victory for the Broncs.
“That was the pivotal bout of the
evening and it was important for both
teams to win that one,” Head Coach
Gary Taylor said. “Jason came through
and battled against a very tough kid and
did what he had to do. Jason’s been sick
the past couple of weeks so he hasn’t
been wrestling as well. He’s stayed right
in there and helped this team.”
After Scott Hunter’s 28-12 tech fall
win over senior Dan Silberman gave the
Dragons a 14-8 lead in a 174-pound
bout, nationally ranked No. 12 junior
Doug Umbehauer and No. 12 senior
TJ Morrison tallied back-to-back major
decisions to give the Broncs a 16-14
lead.
Umbehauer beat freshman Justin
Weiller 10-2 in a 184-pound bout and
Morrison beat junior Brian Stouffer
20-6 in a 197-pound bout.
In the final match of the night,
junior Eddie Bordas sealed the win
with a 1-0 decision in the heavyweight
bout against redshirt freshman Bryant
Deinhardt.
“The three upper weights have
come through in all three of these
matches,” Taylor said. “We needed
them to do that and they did. The last
three matches have come down to the
heavyweight and Eddie has been very
consistent in getting the job done.”
In Rider’s other two wins of the
night, sophomore Thomas Lorenzo won
a 14-8 decision over John McDermott
in a 133-pound bout, and in a 141pound bout, sophomore Fred Rodgers
See Wrestling, p. 10