50 years gone - The Rider News
Transcription
50 years gone - The Rider News
Hanging tough 12 The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930 Volume 78, Issue XI - Friday, November 30, 2007 50 Y ears Gone ZBT loses recognition from University By Jeff Frankel Fifty years after its establishment, the campus chapter of the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity has been shut down, University administrators said last week. After repeatedly facing charges of violating the University’s Code of Conduct and falling short of standards set by the administration during a probation period, ZBT brothers learned on Nov. 19 in a letter from Dean of Students Anthony Campbell that recognition of the Beta Mu chapter was rescinded. “The closing of any chapter is not taken lightly,” Campbell said. “Closing the chapter hurts current students and alumni of the 50-year legacy.” The chapter was founded in 1957 when Rider was still located in downtown Trenton. ZBT’s local alumni board supports the school’s decision to revoke recognition of the group, Campbell said. The fraternity will be eligible to reapply for its charter in the fall 2011 semester, Campbell said. ZBT has not lost Photo illustration by Steph Nardi Yearbooks illustrate Zeta Beta Tau’s history through the years from its founding at Rider’s old Trenton campus 50 years ago.The fraternity lost its University charter on Nov. 19. its national charter, just its good standing with the University, so members still belong to the national group, he said. Members living in the house may stay through the end of the fall semester. In the spring, all who are in good standing with the University will be allowed to relocate to other residence halls. The Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity, which occupies the first floor of the building, will move up to the second floor and fill 28 beds. After that, plans to fill the rest of the building are still up in the air, said Campbell. “None of the three fraternities left (TKE, Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Phi Epsilon) can fill it,” said Ada Badgley, director of Greek Life. “We ran some room numbers and thought [that] we can fill both houses 4 [University House] and 5 [ZBT] with these organizations.” Shortly after word of ZBT’s disbandment, the second floor of House 5, where most ZBT members reside, was vandalized with derogatory words and symbols sometime between Nov. 20 and 21, according to Public Safety documents. The graffiti is under investigation, and most days since it appeared a Public Safety officer has been parked outside the building or on duty in the basement. “Those types of graffiti and damage are not appropriate,” Campbell said. “We have to protect our property.” A Facebook group carries the headline “Heres [sic] to our Fraternity ... Preserve the Legacy of Zeta Beta Tau at Rider.” The group boasts over See ZBT, p. 4 Two perspectives on the Middle East By Julia Ernst The conflict in the Middle East is something that the media covers everyday, but it’s not often that these stories are heard from people who experience them firsthand. Students were given a closer look at the conflict when the paths of Dr. James Castagnera, associate provost, and Dr. Jonathan Mendilow, professor and chair of the Political Science Department, crossed at Hillel’s “Speech on Terrorism.” Mendilow spent 17 years teaching at the college level in Israel, while Castagnera stayed in the country for 10 days over the summer as part of a fellowship with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy. “It was the kind of thing you can read about, but it’s not until you’re on the ground that you can really appreciate it,” Castagnera said. “It’s a lively, rough-and-ready kind of political system.” Castagnera studied at Tel Aviv University during his trip, in addition to traveling around the country and attending workshops on terrorism. It was through these experiences that the associate provost learned about how Israeli society operates. “You live in this high-security environment,” Castagnera explained. “In Israel, every ablebodied young man and woman is required to serve in the military. It’s almost as if the whole nation is armed and ready.” However, he also explained that this high-security society and way of life does not mean that the people of Israel are unhappy or unable to lead varied lives. ‘There is a vital urge within those states to bring an end to the Palestine-Israeli clash. ...The question is how to overcome the present.’ - Jonathan Mendilow chair of political science “By necessity, a culture has evolved in which the high level of security is a source of political and social freedom,” said Castagnera. Those in attendance agreed with the associate provost when he drew a tie between the situation in Israel and how the United States may eventually change its policies on terrorism and defense. “Israel is turning 60 this year,” said Matt Semel, Hillel’s president. “It’s important that we take a step back and look at peace in the Middle East, specifically Israel.” Mendilow elaborated on the situation in Israel and added factual background after Castagnera shared his perspective as a visitor. The political science professor explained that the biggest problem in the Middle East is the conflict between Israel and Palestine. “There are radicals on both sides,” Mendilow said. “To the Palestinians, Israel may not be the fulfillment of their dreams, but they will have to put up with it. A Palestinian state may not be to the liking of the Israelis, but already the absolute majority of them agrees that it must be set up.” Despite the conflict, Mendilow elaborated that both sides wish to find closure. “There is a vital urge within those states to bring an end to the Palestine-Israeli clash,” he said. “In the end, there will be a solution. The question is how to overcome the present.” Junior Jessica Schiowitz gained a new perspective on the Middle East after hearing Castagnera and Mendilow speak. “It left me feeling better informed about the Israeli conflict,” she said. “Students hear about it on the news all the time in brief, but this presentation gave a more thorough explanation of the Middle East.” Visit the Rider News Online at www.theridernews.com 2 Friday, November 30, 2007 Adjustments delay launch of Web site Security Briefs Under water A pipe burst in Wright Hall on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 3:17 a.m. Public Safety found a room on the first floor of the B-wing that was flooded. Other rooms on the first floor, including the residence hall’s office, were flooded as well. A check of the pipes found that the hot water pipe on the second floor B-wing had burst. The area was cleaned by UNICCO cleaning services and the students whose rooms were affected were notified. Total damage is still unknown. Not welcomed A female trespasser was found sitting in the Bart Luedeke Center Commuter Lounge over the Thanksgiving break. On Friday, Nov. 23, at 9:50 a.m., Public Safety found an exterior door propped and found her sitting in a chair. She gave the officers many excuses as to why she was in the building but could not give any information about herself or say if she was a Rider student. Lawrence Township Police were called and escorted her from campus. She has been PNG’d by the University. Mobile computer A University-owned laptop was stolen from the basement of Delta Phi Epsilon on Tuesday, Nov. 20. It was reported stolen by a male staff member of the Office of Information Technologies. A female reported seeing it in the basement at 6 a.m., but by 10 a.m. it was missing. Lawrence Township Police were called to investigate the disappearance, and a surveillance tape of a possible suspect was handed over by Public Safety. The laptop’s value is $600. Conover theft A combination DVD/ VCR was removed from a lounge in Conover Hall. The theft occurred sometime between 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18 and 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 19, in the B-lounge a female staff member discovered. A search found no obvious signs of forced entry into the building. — Compiled by Jeff Frankel Information provided by Director of Rider’s Department of Public Safety Vickie Weaver. Photo by Stephanie Nardi Lighting up the library’s smile Thirty-five thousand Christmas lights illuminated the Moore Library yesterday while carolers from Westminster Choir College sang tunes to brighten the holiday season. Last minute adjustments to the new Rider Web site pushed back its launch until the end of the semester, a school administrator said yesterday. Navigation issues and other unforeseeable events delayed the roll out to later this semester, said Jaime O’Hara, vice president of enrollment management. The Web site was scheduled to be up by midnight on Nov. 15. A new athletics Web site is planned to launch in the spring semester, said Karin Torchia, associate director of athletics. — Jeff Frankel Giving a beauty of art a double look By Danielle Flood A nude painting is still turning heads, causing debate and alarming critics 350 years after its creation. Rembrandt van Rijn’s “Bathsheba” is critiqued by many for its nudity as well as historical context. This was Mary Tompkins Lewis’ main focus in her Nov. 7 speech entitled “The Nude in Narrative.” She compared Rembrandt and Paul Cézanne. In the painting, Bathsheba is holding a letter from David. The biblical story of “Bathsheba” is one of tragedy and turmoil. Bathsheba, the beautiful wife of Uriah, was taking a bath when King David saw her and immediately fell in love. He Friday, Nov. 30 arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle and soon after married Bathsheba. Their second son, Solomon, became the most famous king of the Jews after David’s death. In the lecture, Lewis, an author and Cézanne scholar, closely compared the artist with Rembrandt because the two were regarded as iconoclastic giants and shared an interest in narrative literature, especially the Bible and mythology. The Bathsheba painting has been the focal point of artists such as Cézanne, who created a copy of the original, and is said to be responsible for the revival of Rembrandt. Lewis noted how See Art, p. 3 Coming Up ... Stomp It Hard on Rider Yard, SRC, 7 p.m. Holidays at Westminster: Cool Yule Jazz Concert, WCC Bristol Chapel, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 Real Talk: “Let’s Get Down and Dirty,” BLC Fireside Lounge, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 “Writing for the Wall Street Journal and Other Business Media,” Fine Arts 323, 11:30 a.m. Starbucks Live Music Series: Brownwater Showcase Winner, SRC Lobby, 8:30 p.m. “The Art of Graffiti and Its Meaning for Today,” Sweigart 115, 6 p.m. Bronc Bingo, Daly’s Dining Hall, 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5 Sunday, Dec. 2 Stress Relief from Finals, Daly’s Dining Hall, 11 a.m. Rider Choir Concert, Gill Chapel, 3 p.m. VOX General Meeting, Memorial 112, 10 p.m. Westminster Concert Bell Choir: “Ring Nowell,” Bristol Chapel, 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 SEC Movie: Balls of Fury, BLC Theater, 7:30 p.m. Celebration of Lights, BLC Cavalla Room, 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 Compiled by Julia Ernst To list your event, email [email protected]. Vendor Fair, SRC, 10 a.m. Internet Security Training, Sweigart 108, 11:30 a.m. Photo by Stephanie Nardi Mary Tompkins Lewis, author and scholar of Paul Cézanne, discusses the controversy behind his nude portrayal of Bathsheba. Friday, November 30, 2007 3 Lambda Theta’s letters leave U-House By Valis Vicenty University House on fraternity row was once adorned with the Greek letters of three organizations. Then about two months ago, Lambda Theta Alpha’s (LTA) disappeared without announcement. The sorority known as Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. lived in the University House for years, until this semester. The reason for the change was simply a matter of not having enough housing space for Greek residents. Last semester the group only had three members, two of whom graduated in May. “During the room selection process [last semester], Residence Life and Greek Life work hand-in-hand,” said Director of Greek Life Ada Badgley. “Greek residents have to get moved in because we can’t hold out space for them in the residence halls. In March, we started looking at how many are graduating and how many are moving into Greek housing.” The number of Greek Life residents impacts the amount of Get the scoop on Photo by Steph Nardi The Greek letters for the Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., have been taken off the front of University House. Its members once lived there. space left for the rest of students on campus, Badgley added. Junior Jessica Lugo, LTA’s only active member on campus, met with Greek Life to come up with a solution. One suggestion that fell through was to reserve the entire floor for Intercultural Greek Council fraternities, but that wasn’t a very popular choice. Other ideas were brought up, but none seemed Art Continued from p. 2 in VARSITY PIZZA 1296 Lawrence Rd Lawrenceville, NJ *1 mile South of Rider* (609) 882-4100 Cézanne’s copy of Rembrandt’s “Bathsheba” closely followed the original in regards to similar brush strokes of vigorous layers of painting, thick paint, and an overall rough technique. Both Rembrandt and Cézanne shared an interest in voyeuristic themes. A difference between Rembrandt and Cézanne’s FT/PT Marketing Internships available Training Provided NO EXP NEC. All degrees accepted Call Jen at 732-545-0061 Lakeview Child Center at Ewing is currently seeking PT Teacher Assistants and substitutes. We offer flexible hours, excellent working conditions and competitive salary. Please call 609-530-9696 for more information. EOE. was basically no hope in saving the house,” Lugo said. Space in Greek houses has been tight lately to accommodate student-housing needs. Other Greek organizations, such as Phi Sigma Sigma, have taken six international students into their house to help ease crowding in residence halls. Also, two members of Zeta Beta Tau live on Tau Kappa Epsilon’s “Bathsheba” is that Cézanne, in his painting, celebrates the spectacle of a beautiful nude in a lovely countryside. He focused on the landscape as well as Bathsheba herself. Another difference is the portrayal of the woman. In Rembrandt’s painting, she is looking down at the woman who is washing her feet. In Cézanne’s painting, however, she is facing the right and there is no woman attending to her. During the revival of Rembrandt’s work, several 19th-century French writers have critiqued him in regards to his originality. They re-evaluated his technique, examined his “rough manner” and criticized him for having unqualified naturalism and fierce independence. Criticisms of Rembrandt’s most famous nude painting, “Bathsheba,” were in regards to his depiction of women. Critics said he depicted only women who suffered negative deformi- ties, and he offered nothing but gross nudities. They said that the painting was pretty but the woman was not. Only a few people have appreciated the iconic status of Rembrandt’s painting “Bathsheba.” The painting was incorporated in the movie “Entrapment.” Others have called the painting a vessel of pure tragedy and have described “Bathsheba” as having a quiet melancholy and silent repose. ‘The smallest changes’ make a world of difference By Monique Guz INTERNSHIPS $500 wk avg to be viable. With only one active LTA member on campus and no new members coming into the organization, Greek Life had no other choice but to give the housing to other Greek residents. “In this meeting, we felt we were trying to come up with resolutions to keep the house, but according to them, there floor in the other shared Greek residence hall. “We’re trying to maximize the space on campus,” Badgley said. “We try to be as fair as possible for the long term of things.” The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity gained the additional space from LTA near its current residence and will remain there for the rest of the year, Badgley said. For now, LTA has been doing the same thing at Rider as it has been for the last 16 years: promoting unity, love and respect and striving for cultural awareness on Rider’s small, diverse campus. Greek Life and Residence Life are still looking at options for housing next year. LTA may be able to regain its housing. “If Lambda Theta Alpha has a Pledge Class, we will have more sisters, so we can all live back in our house,” Lugo said. “How soon depends on Greek Life and Residence Life.” The Enchanting Mermaids of LTA are holding an information session at 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 5 in the SRC Shapiro Conference Room. When it comes to the topic of global warming many people ask themselves, “What difference can one person really make?” Lecturer and environmentalist Dana Isherwood replied, “The smallest changes make the biggest impact.” Isherwood proved this point and shared her own impact with students on Oct. 30 in Science Hall. After watching the documentary An Inconvenient Truth and being shocked by its revelations, she decided to become involved with the Climate Project, a voluntary effort to spread the message that global warming is a serious issue. “I felt that I had to do more than change my personal life so I applied to [join] the Climate Project,” Isherwood said. “I was picked out of thousands of individuals to participate.” One part of the Climate Project is to provide information on how to make an impact upon an issue that affects each and every person in this world. Isherwood, who was once a student of Al Gore, stated that there are three factors responsible for global warming. The first of these factors is population. In 1941, the world population reached 2.3 billion people. In 2006, the world population was 6.5 billion. By 2050, the world population is estimated to exceed 9 billion people. The larger the population, the more demand there is for natural resources and food supply. The second factor is science and technology, she said. War used to consist of spears in the early ages and guns in the later periods. Now, war consists of atomic, nuclear and biological warfare. The basic shovel was once a hand-held tool to dig up soil. Now, a large fuel-powered construction machine is used. The simple irrigation system has evolved into a large-scale mechanism that dries up rivers. The United States is in the lead with the amount of carbon emissions it produces, which causes global warming. Finally, the last factor that plays into the issue of global warming is the way people think. According to Isherwood, most of the population doesn’t believe that one person can do something to combat global warming. However, some corporations have gotten past this kind of thinking and have already taken steps to combat the global issue. McDonald’s is working toward using cooking oil as fuel for vehicles, rental car companies are providing hybrids and Wal-Mart has reduced packaging. Also, certain grocery stores apply credit toward shoppers’ bills when they use cloth bags rather than plastic. According to Isherwood, individuals can combat global warming and protect natural resources by relying on wind power, solar power and hybrids. Isherwood believes each and every person can take certain steps to stabilize the use of emissions. “It is our responsibility to our planet,” she said. 4 Friday, November 30, 2007 ZBT Continued from p. 1 200 members and nearly 500 images of party nights at the fraternity. “As many of you may have heard by now, Zeta Beta Tau has fallen victim to Rider’s latest step in its mission to destroy Greek Life on campus,” the Facebook page reads. “Upon hearing the decision of Anthony Campbell, many brothers as well as other members of the Rider community were both hurt and appalled. We are now being forced to let go of this history, but we do not have to let go of our pride.” Campbell said in an interview there was no one incident that led to the dismissal. “We took the total picture of the fraternity and I made a decision,” he said. “There was not any one violation.” His Nov. 19 letter rescinding the status of the fraternity did list factors that played a part. “Specifically, the chapter’s self-monitoring system is not yet operational,” the letter states. “This standard was It to ADVERTISE 896-5256 Photo from Facebook.com Members of the former ZBT chapter wave the fraternity’s national flag. supposed to have been completed prior to the start of the fall semester. Brothers and guests of the chapter have accumulated a substantial number of Code of Conduct violations and the chapter has already exceeded the $500 annual [limit] for housing damages this semester alone. “In addition, the chapter failed to ensure the completion of 5 hours of hands-on community service by each member,” it continued. “This repeated course of inappropriate conduct leaves the University with no alternative but to rescind recognition of the Beta Mu chapter of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.” ZBT has been “constantly” on probation since the spring of 2005, said Badgley, and it was off-and-on many times before that. The fraternity was first notified in February that it was not complying with the University’s conduct. A mid-June show-cause hearing was convened to determine whether the University should rescind the chapter’s status because of a lack of progress toward conduct benchmarks in the February letter. On Oct. 1 of this semester, the University placed ZBT on administrative suspension and required the chapter to stop all operations while the University reviewed the chapter’s progress in achieving the standards outlined in the July letter. In a late-October meeting with the ZBT chapter president, senior Matt Weinshenker, Campbell discussed the preliminary findings of the investigation and gave ZBT two weeks to respond to the University’s allegations. Weinshenker declined to comment for this article. Such incidents as the Sept. 29 fight between ZBT brother John Goodleaf and a visitor in what police called a pot deal gone bad were not a reason for the group’s dismissal, Campbell said. Both Goodleaf and the visitor were charged by the Lawrence Township Police Department with aggravated assault and possession of a controlled, dangerous substance under 50 grams. Goodleaf was also charged with possession with intent to distribute. ZBT is the second fraternity to be disbanded from the University in less than six months. The Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) fraternity was kicked off campus this summer after three of its fraternity brothers and two University administrators, Campbell and Badgley, were charged with aggravated hazing related to the death of freshman Gary DeVercelly. DeVercelly died on March 30 after a night of heavy drinking in the PKT house. The charges against Campbell and Badgley have since been dropped. Before that the last fraternity to be kicked off for violating school standards and breaking University conduct was Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi) in 1993. During January Phi Psi held a “[N-word] night” and told the potential pledges to dress and speak in a way that was demeaning to African Americans. Phi Psi was suspended by its national organization indefinitely. 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Check course offerings and availability from our website. imagine For information: www.middlesexcc.edu 1.888.YOU.4MCC (1.888.968.4622) Friday, November 30, 2007 5 Talent acts add a little ‘glitz’ By Laura Mortkowitz Try as the members of the Gay and Straight Alliance (GSA) might, they simply couldn’t upstage their president, Tamare Merentie, as she hosted the annual GSA Variety Show, “The Glitz and the Glamour,” on Wednesday. Merentie, a junior, had high hopes for this year’s show because of the extra planning that went into the acts and the decoration. “We had more time with the acts,” she said. “They were more well-developed acts.” The show opened with Rider alum Nick Barbati and senior Matt Hanson, who were joined by GSA adviser Mike Rutkowski. Later, they closed the show with “Santa Baby.” When Barbati tried to host the show without her, Merentie kicked him off the stage, asking, “Didn’t you graduate, Nick?” Audience members were able to donate to acts they liked, which then determined the winner when donations were tallied. The last two years the money raised from the Variety Show was donated to the George McGowan Scholarship Fund. McGowan was a mem- ber of GSA who passed away a year after graduation in 2005 because of complications from diabetes. His dynamism was not lost on Barbati, who said McGowan was a “favorite member of GSA.” “We miss him,” he said. “We miss him very, very much.” McGowan’s mother, Pat McGowan, sat in the front row during the show and said she was pleased with it. “I think it’s great and all the acts were tremendous,” she said. “George was really involved with GSA. He was ‘The Diva.’” The nine acts covered everything from break dancing to singing to poetry reading. In between acts, members of GSA interrupted the show trying to grab some of the limelight. Junior Mike Hollinshead stole the stage before the first act, appearing in a purple bellyshirt, black pants, heels and a short blond wig. He danced to Britney Spears’ “Gimme More.” Merentie quickly stopped the antics and sent Hollinshead to his job working the lights while the crowd cheered him on. Barbati tried to take the reins; junior Josh Chave attempted to turn the show into Photo by Karly Hamburg From left, Rider alum Nick Barbati, GSA adviser Mike Rutkowski and senior Matt Hanson kick off GSA’s annual variety show, which raised nearly $500 for the George McGowan Scholarship. his summer freshman orientation skit; and sophomore Thom Snell, the GSA vice-president, showed up in an ’80s prominspired, teal gown complete with hot pink Barbie stilettos. One unique performance was The Rider Vibes, an a cappella group that performed previously at the GSA Variety Show, who mixed the songs “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston and “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. There were also two standup performances: one by junior Morgan McGinnity, and the other by Jamiyl Mosley, Director of Residence Life, on the stupidity of people and homophobia. At the end of the night, freshman Rance Robeson won, raising more than $60. He passionately read his own poem, to cheers from the audience, on what his life consists of. The final tally of the night was approximately $490 for the scholarship. “It was hectic, but I’m glad we pulled it off,” Merentie said. “It was a lot of hard work.” Fake news shows offer real education By Oliver Joszt & Laura Mortkowitz With the Writers Guild of America on strike, where will college students get news? After all, the strike means The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart are on hiatus and will be showing reruns until it’s resolved. What options are left to the college student eager to know what is happening in the country? A newspaper? A real news show? The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press released a survey in February that showed half of 18- to 29-year-olds regularly or sometimes get their news from these two shows. Yet, the American youth sometimes forgets that these two shows are exactly what the hosts tout them as: fake. “Television shows such as the [The] Colbert Report or [The Daily Show with] Jon Stewart, among others, while highly entertaining, should not be viewed as a replacement for genuine news programs,” said Stephen Crescenzi, adjunct political science professor. Although Stewart’s show does have some genuine news value in segments like “Cluster@%#$ to the White House” and “Mess O’Potamia,” the rest borders on ridiculous; once, correspondent Rob Riggle followed a woman who believed cupcakes are dangerous to children. Colbert’s show fosters the Republican views of his “hero,” Bill O’Reilly, and Colbert’s television persona, not to be confused with the actual Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent on Stewart’s liberal show. The Colbert Report mixes in news with segments like “The Word” and “Threat Down.” Although students like junior Sheena Gayomba realize they are not “really getting the full story,” the shows are liked because Stewart and Colbert are unbiased in their ridicule. “With Stewart and Colbert, you know what you are watching: Comedy Central,” said junior Pat Conroy. “[The purpose is] to make fun of the status quo and the different media.” Students might not understand that Stewart and Colbert are to be taken alongside other media outlets, but there are some that pay attention to newspapers and other news shows. “I think Stewart and Colbert would be the first to be upset if viewers took the programs on their shows to be real news,” president of the University Republicans Kyle Battaglia said. “However, I do think that their shows are an important part of the political process; satire is a very important medium.” Stewart has publicly said that his show is a fake news show. In fact, that was his very response to John Edwards in 2003 when the senator announced on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that he was running for presidential candidacy. In an interview with The Associated Press a year ago, Stewart said, “There’s no way you could get the news from us. I’ve seen the show. It couldn’t happen.” Yet, college students appreciate the light-hearted fun of the shows as opposed to the strict news of other shows. “Many college students believe that we have not joined our parents yet,” Conroy said. “We do not watch CNN; we are not Walter Cronkite [or] Dan Rather disciples.” Sometimes it is nice for students to have a little fun in today’s world where the news channels are dominated by the constant threat of terror. “It lightens up what most people our age find to be boring and archaic,” Battaglia said. “Most college kids do not care about politics and such.” Stewart and Colbert also bring much-needed humor and release from the blunders of political leaders. The hosts chuckle at everyone’s expense, whether Democratic or Republican. “They make fun of everybody, including Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush,” Gayomba said. Stewart poked fun at how Clinton’s laughter seemed forced to the point of being robotic. Colbert challenged Dennis Kucinich to empty his pockets on the show. Kucinich accepted and emptied his pockets until the last item — a shrunken, dancing Colbert — was pulled out. “I am a big fan of both Colbert and Stewart, even though I definitely do not agree with their politics,” Battaglia said. “You need to take a step back from it all and just have a laugh now and then.” The popularity of Stewart and Colbert has grown so high that paraphernalia with the logo “Stewart/ Colbert ’08” has emerged. Colbert’s run at presidency in South Carolina ground to a halt when he refused to pay the expensive Republican ballot registration fee and was rejected from the Democratic ballot. The two seem content to remain watchdogs on the government and to help bring out what’s funny in the serious problems. “Those shows often present issues in a simplistic and inaccurate manner, which may be dangerous to those forming opinions based solely on entertainment presentations,” Crescenzi said. Yet, the Pew Research Center survey showed that those most knowledgeable about major public figures and events were viewers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Maybe the best way for students to get a balanced, accurate and honest view of politics and news is to not just watch news programs or just fake news shows, but to keep a healthy mix of the two. So, as Colbert would say, “Nation, get on that!” 6 ‘World’ ends album series Improv goes back to school By Jess Decina In the first-floor hallway of Fine Arts on the right side, there’s a display case. Students who walk past it this week might think they’re looking at a chalkboard in a kindergarten classroom. Instead of the usual array of posters and flyers, there’s a neatly written question that asks, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answers, most of them written sloppily and in bright marker, say things like, “I want to be Spider-Man” or “I want to be like a snowman.” The humorous display is all to promote Kinderprov, Alpha Psi Omega’s latest venture in improvisational comedy. According to junior Steve Trainor, the show’s title and theme work their way into the start of the production. “We didn’t just want to say, ‘Oh, come to the improv show,’” he said. “We wanted a theme. It’s going to be our introduction.” Joanne Nosuchinsky, a sophomore theater major and newcomer to the improv troupe, added that the theme helped cast members explore different personalities and find the humor in being a little kid again. “We’re all going to be kindergarten students with different personalities and outfits,” she said. “I don’t want to give it away, but [my character] wants to be Miss 7 Friday, November 30, 2007 America.” The cast has been meeting since September, practicing different games and constantly searching for ways to improve. For Nosuchinsky, rehearsals have been a great learning experience. “I’ve never done anything like this,” she said. “I came in here very nervous because a lot of people in the cast have done this before. We’re all equals, we’re all directors, we’re all teachers. We’re all helping each other out, giving critiques and it’s a really good atmosphere to do it in.” The style of improv this year is short-form; fans of Whose Line Is It Anyway? will easily recognize the games that the cast members will play. Scenes can involve almost any type of situation, ranging from characters interacting at a family dinner to a guessing game where the troupe must use charades to spell out a well-known phrase to a team member. “It’s a great way to get a bunch of people into different combinations,” Nosuchinsky said. Trainor agreed, saying that short-form improv takes away the pressure to make each game succeed without any mistakes. “In long-form, if something goes awry early on, everything has to build up and incorporate with each other,” he said. “With this, if one scene goes poorly, it doesn’t matter. Everything is an individual scene.” Kinderprov also relies heavily on interacting with the audience, which, according to sophomore Steve Sachs, makes the performance much more interesting. “This is one of the few shows that the audience gets to participate in,” he said. “With Sweet Charity, you sit, you watch, you leave. This is a show, where, if you’re coming, be prepared to talk, to laugh and have a good time.” Rehearsals were challenging at first, especially for the newcomers in the cast. “We have a lot of new members to this troupe and you think it would present a difficulty, but we really work together and talk everything through,” Sachs said. “I feel 10,000 times more confident than I did at auditions.” Nosuchinsky encourages students to come out to see the show, because with the combination of audience participation and on-thespot comedy, “there’s nothing else like it,” she said. There’s one last perk of acting in Kinderprov, according to Nosuchinsky. “I don’t have to memorize lines,” she said. Alpha Psi Omega’s Kinderprov will be performed tonight and tomorrow night at 8 and 10:30 p.m. in the Spitz Studio Theater. Tickets for the event are $5 and will be sold at the door. CD Review Future Tour Dates: By Jordan Blum Photo by Stephanie Nardi In a rehearsal for Kinderprov, sophomore Michael Ferrara, left, and senior Joe Sabatino duke it out during the improv game “Sports Announcers.” The show will take place this weekend in the Spitz. The term “science fiction” is usually not associated with music. There have been countless films, books and even video games that explore the genre, but not nearly as many albums. However, a few years ago, the band Coheed and Cambria formed with an ambitious mission to change that. Not only has Coheed and Cambria attempted the concept album format, but it has stretched the story over five CDs. Only four albums have been released, and the last one will be released as a prequel. No World For Tomorrow is the concluding chapter and a fitting finale to a very complex and tragic story. Formed in 2001, the New York group consists of Claudio Sanchez, Travis Stever, Michael Todd and, on this album, Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters fame. The band’s name is related to the story. Sanchez has created an epic tale with these albums and the companion graphic novels, The Armory Wars. The concept is basically a Shakespearean tragedy involving the couple Coheed and Cambria, their sons and various villains. It is a story of war, destruction, betrayal, love and murder. Even if the concept isn’t fully understood (which is almost certain), the music itself is worth hearing. Beginning with a short acoustic opening and narrative by Sanchez, the title track quickly comes on, and it represents everything the band is about. With several time signature changes and rapid guitar riffs, the melodies and musicianship are Feb. 19, 2008: 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD Feb. 21, 2008: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Photo copyright Columbia Records Coheed and Cambria released No World For Tomorrow, the final album in a five-part concept, on Oct. 31. captivating and top-notch. The track signifies the beginning of the end as the final battle approaches. Sanchez sings, “There’s a world’s worth of work and a need for you/There’s no world for tomorrow if we wait for today.” “Gravemakers & Gunslingers” is a very aggressive and ominous song. It is most likely the villain of Sanchez’s world threatening the hero, with lines like “Cause God knows I am not stopping ’til you breathe blood.” The listener gets the image of a Tarantino-ish shootout as he sings, “You’ve got the gun, I’ve got the bullets/Don’t wanna live no more.” As always, the band ends the album with a suite. “The End Complete Parts I-V” feels like the closing chapter of a harrowing tale. It begins with another acoustic arpeggio while the drums crash and a choir (one of the group’s unique features) sings “No, no, no.” It feels like the preceding eight tracks were part one of the album and this is part two. Lyrically, it is very tragic, as the world has ended and people have died. “I believed in the world, once in front of me, well, now that’s gone,” and “because the man you love don’t live anymore” are just two of the revealing lines. The album must be thought of as a whole and critiqued as such. The middle songs are a little too commercial and not as experimental as in the band’s previous works, but they’re still very fitting. The disc doesn’t end with a reprise of the melody, something that had begun the previous two discs. It was definitely a key aspect that brought continuity to the albums, and logically it should have been the last thing heard on No World For Tomorrow. Regardless, this album fits in with the rest as another great entry. The band members are talented musicians who write fantastic melodies. Their work is ambitious and so dense and energetic that it completely encases the listener in its world. Whether or not the story is cohesive is irrelevant. Based on the music alone, No World For Tomorrow is a phenomenal accomplishment and a remarkable introduction of progressive rock into the mainstream canon. Keeping the Iraq war in ‘sight’ Eclectic band makes music one sentence at a time By Jess Decina By Jessica Lopez So how does a music lover-turned-curator wind up producing the award-winning Iraq documentary No End in Sight? “It was totally by accident,” said Audrey Marrs, who will be screening the film at the University next Monday. A few years ago, Marrs could describe herself as a typical 20-something. She spent a good portion of her 20s “playing in an indie rock band,” but when she reached age 30, she realized something. “[I was] sort of like, ‘Wow, that was great, but we haven’t developed a career,’” she said. So Marrs attended grad school and studied curatorial practice. She began work as an assistant to Charles Ferguson, as a freelance curator, who wrote, produced and directed No End in Sight. Suddenly, Marrs, who had studied film as an undergraduate, was acting as a liaison between Ferguson and the cast and crew. “Within 24 hours I lost all interest in contemporary art,” she said. “I like the way that film and what we were covering at the time was so much more immediate.” No End in Sight debuted Jan. 22 at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. It tells the story of the insurgency that arose in Iraq in mid-2003, when President George W. Bush declared the United States’ involvement a success. Unlike most exposés of this genre, however, No End in Sight tells the story using straightforward facts and doesn’t aim to sell the audience with added rhetoric. “The best thing that it does is offer a really, truly objective analysis,” Marrs said. “No one has challenged that thus far. [It’s about] how we got to where we are right now, exactly how the insurgency was created, who made the decisions [and] what was said.” The film’s main “stars” tell the story; it features interviews with those directly connected to the Iraq conflict, ranging from New York Times journalist George Packer to Lt. Seth Moulton, an officer who served in Iraq. There’s even an interview with former Iraq Analyst Marc Garlasco, who tells the audience right from the get-go that there was no connection between Al-Qaeda and Iraq, despite the government’s best efforts to find one. “Through the process, we were constantly amazed at who agreed to be interviewed,” Marrs said. Marrs calls those who were willing to go on the record the film’s true heroes. “There really are some amazing people who spoke up when it was risky for them to do so,” she said. Marrs, who has a very liberal background, found herself putting aside her personal politics for the sake of making an objective documentary, which she said “is a way of accessing a much larger audience.” No End in Sight gets its point across with juxtapositions. In one segment, the film combines footage of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld insisting that the insurgency in Iraq is far from chaotic with images of museums, libraries and other places in Baghdad, which are in utter shambles. “We never talked about feelings,” Marrs said. “We only talked about what happened. That’s why when people say, ‘this film was devastating,’ I’m glad to hear it; it’s not like we tried to manipulate the audience with emotion.” Marrs, who will screen and discuss the film next Monday for a class in documentary film, as well as the Photo copyright Magnolia Pictures In a scene from No End in Sight, Paul Bremer faces an onslaught of media attention for his role in reconstructing Iraq after the insurgency was created. general public, admitted that she usually doesn’t “jump at these opportunities.” “In this situation, I really wanted to because it was with college kids,” she said. “I feel that’s who would be really fun to share this with because I’m really interested in what their impressions of the film will be.” No End in Sight will be shown in the BLC Theater on Monday, Dec. 3, at 6:45 p.m. The event is sponsored by CampusProgress.org, the English Department and the Department of Communication and Journalism. “Just don’t call it indie or dance rock,” Danny Lane said. “I don’t like to call it what it is.” Lane, a Rider alum, is talking about Paragraph, an up-and-coming band out of Staten Island, N.Y. Since 2005, Paragraph has toured coast-to-coast, boasting performances at venues such as The Knitting Factory, CBGB’s and Crash Mansion. Its next stop is Rider. “This Paragraph consists of four sentences. Mad adjectives,” the band’s Web site states. “We love to play to love you.” The four “sentences” are Lane (vocals/guitar), Joe Imburgio (bass), Mike Gagliardi (guitar) and Casey Jost (drums), also a Rider alum. Paragraph’s first album, Right Together, Left Together, Wrong Together, was recorded in 2005 in a friend’s basement. Songs included “You Don’t Know” and “Please Peach.” The album had huge local success and was featured in The Village Voice as well as many other local newspapers. Paragraph recently won a Battle of the Bands competition held in the Rider Pub during Parent’s Weekend. Four other bands performed and a panel of judges decided the winner. The prize was a $700 contract to play at the new Starbucks on campus. The show will not be a usual one Photo by Danielle Marie Ward Paragraph jams at a Nov. 24 concert at Martini Red.The band will be performing in the SRC lobby on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. CDs and merchandise will be available. for Paragraph, as the band is being asked to play an acoustic set. “We’ve never had to strip ourselves down before,” Imburgio said. “We’re excited and nervous because it’s going to be a challenge.” According to Lane, Paragraph’s unique and innovative sound is a product of friendship, experimentation and their wide range of influences. Not to mention their individual quirks: Lane cuts the band’s hair; Imburgio refers to himself as a “bassist at heart with the mind of a guitarist;” Gagliardi is an avid saxophone player and Jost likes to find more unconventional ways to express himself. The band members agree that they are influenced by many musical genres, including disco, hip-hop, house, jazz and rock ’n’ roll. Each of them comes from a different musical background, and they find fun and creativity in this diversity. “When we play music it’s like we’re kids; we like to joke around a lot,” Imburgio said. Fans agree that their favorite way to experience Paragraph is at live shows. “It’s hard to decide who to watch at a Paragraph show,” said fan Marc Maffei. “Each band member is doing something deeply thought out and interesting.” While fans look at the band, the band is looking at the audience. “We get to watch a crowd of people dancing and having fun, knowing that we’re the catalysts,” Lane said. Paragraph recorded its latest album in Philadelphia with the producer of rock band Dr. Dog. Recently, Paragraph began working on some new material in anticipation of hitting the studio again in early January. The band expects its new album to be released sometime in spring 2008. Coming to Rider is conjuring up all sorts of feelings for the band. Members are excited to see old friends and meet new ones. “Rider has always been a second home to me,” Imburgio said. “Through Danny and Casey, I have met so many wonderful people [here].” The band encourages students to come out, not just for the chance to support the alumni members. “Paragraph is a real taste of Staten Island/New York City,” Jost said. “Come see what you shouldn’t be missing. Broaden your horizons.” 8 Friday, November 30, 2007 Editorial: Turmoil eclipses ZBT’s long history A nd then there were three. Last spring there were five fraternities on the Lawrenceville campus. Then, Phi Kappa Tau was disbanded in the aftermath of Gary DeVercelly’s death and evidence of underage drinking was found in the investigation of the incident. Now, the University has rightfully rendered its decision to dissolve the Beta Mu chapter of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT), Rider’s oldest Greek organization. Although the brothers of ZBT may feel the administration had an ax to grind and unfairly decided their fate, it’s a decision that came about after a long train of abuses. The unfortunate saga began nine months ago when the fraternity violated its probationary status and was issued standards of conduct to fulfill. Yet, things only spiraled downward as a number of Code of Conduct violations were documented and damages to the house exceeded $500 this semester. Even though it was not a deciding factor for the administration, who will forget the infamous fight or head-butting incident that occurred in late September that left a visitor injured and bleeding and a fraternity brother arrested, facing charges of assault and possession of marijuana? It once again left Rider splashed across the front pages of newspapers and used as a tool by some to show that nothing had changed since DeVercelly’s death. Sadly enough, ZBT missed many opportunities to correct its mistakes and forge a future that resembles its 50-year history, rich with tradition and fostering generations of brotherhood. Gone are the days when ZBT was remembered for its charitable activities with the March of Dimes, the Cancer Society and the Heart Fund in 1964. Fondly, ZBT alumni from the time may recall the hand they played in leading the fraternity to first place in the intramural football competition for two straight years in the early 1960s. ZBT is a fraternity that planted its roots off campus early on and later developed into an institution raising its profile with accolades when it received the National Trustees Award. It’s been a part of Rider since the college was located in Trenton. It had a stone house at 407 Greenwood Avenue that from the outside is distinguished for its design. Now more than ever, it is perhaps a symbol of a time when ZBT was soaring to new heights in the early 1990s and building a promising legacy now being recalled by brothers. “ZBT was the oldest Greek house on Rider’s campus with a life spanning over 50 years,” said Lenny Calis, a brother of the ZBT fraternity. “After half a century of existence, we have created a lot of history in our house.” In the midst of the news, one has to consider: Will the history of ZBT be forever tarnished by its recent incidents or will it rebuild its image when it becomes eligible to apply for recolonization in 2011? To make matters even worse, the lasting mark ZBT may have left was the inappropriate graffiti found in the house by Public Safety last week. On the heels of ZBT’s disbandment, many sorority sisters and fraternity brothers will see this decision as the University’s first step in getting rid of Greek Life on campus. While messages written by ZBT brothers and others on the Facebook group, “Heres [sic] to our Fraternity ... Preserve the Legacy of Zeta Beta Tau at Rider” with 224 members as of yesterday, may provoke feelings of empathy for current and former brothers, a sense of rationality has to prevail. Even the chapter’s alumni board supports the administration’s decision to rescind recognition of the fraternity. This was not the University’s attempt to target ZBT unfairly. It’s time for all the sororities and fraternities to assess themselves and ensure that they are living up to the par set forth by their national chapters. Being part of a sorority or fraternity is an opportunity to develop character and integrity and cultivate a sense of camaraderie that will carry the brothers and sisters through their most important years and live on long after commencement from Rider. This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor. Cartoon by Samuel Cicero and Andrew Kaspereen Letter to the Editor: Sports foster pride on, off the court Only 10 days removed from the tragic events of 9/11, former Mets catcher Mike Piazza revived a city in mourning by hitting an unforgettable home run to cap off a comeback win against the rival Atlanta Braves. Hours after he learned of his father’s sudden death the day before, Brett Favre decided to suit up for the game and make his dad proud on a special December night in 2003. In front of a Monday Night Football national audience, the Green Bay Packer legend had the game of his life — he threw for over 400 yards and four first-half touchdowns in a 41-7 trouncing of the Raiders. At times, it can seem that sports are “just a game” and are simply not important. Moments like these make you think otherwise. The famous sports columnist Rick Reilly once wrote about how teachers and professors continually criticized him for writing about sports and that he should put effort into more “important things” like foreign and domestic affairs. But, as we know, foreign affairs usually mean war, and domestic affairs turn into the dirty world of politics. These are topics that tear us apart. Team rivalries may tend to fuel discrepancies among friends and family, but in the end, they truly bring us together. As I sat down and watched last week’s Rider men’s basketball games on my good ol’ VHS (it’s tough to convince extended family to watch live college basketball during Thanksgiving festivities), I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that our ‘Team rivalries may tend to fuel discrepancies ... but in the end, they truly bring us together.’ - Mike Caputo University was getting such great publicity — win or lose. Then I realized the role our teams, clubs and organizations can play in building Rider’s school pride and reshaping its image to the rest of the nation. Rather than write my annual column in an attempt to convince students to support the basketball teams this winter, I leave it up to the readers. But I will say that there are only a handful of college students who have an NBA prospect in their midst (Jason Thompson), or a team attempting to make a historical turnaround from the cellar to the top (the women’s basketball team). So, as I sit home in New York, watching our boys hang with some of the best teams in the nation (while sporting those cool new uniforms), I can’t help but think of how much of a healing presence that something as seemingly “unimportant” as basketball can provide to not only an individual, but to an entire community. — Mike Caputo Former Executive Editor of The Rider News Class of 2007 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 Charles Guthrie Kristie Kahl Stephanie Nardi Assistant Photography Editor Karly Hamburg Enterprise Reporter Stephanie Mostaccio Delivery Manager Tom Cooper Advertising Managers Faina Sandler Rachel Boyes Business Manager Erin Massano Webmaster Keith Raymond Copy Editors Stephanie Mostaccio Annmarie Mercieri Faculty Advisers Dr. E. Graham McKinley Dr. Thomas Simonet Opinion Editor Jamie Papapetros www.theridernews.com The Rider News welcomes letters on all subjects of interest to the Rider community. Letters must be typed and include the name, address, phone number and signature of the author for verification. Send to The Rider News via e-mail ([email protected]), campus mail, or hand deliver to the Ridge House. All letters must be received by midnight on the Monday preceding publication. The Rider News reserves the right to edit all letters for space and clarity. Friday, November 30, 2007 9 Think About It: Taking ‘stock’ of life could yield big return on investment E After last week’s explosive investing discussion (“Saving a little today will create cushy nest egg for tomorrow,” The Rider News, 11/16/07) our intrepid hero promptly called his dad’s broker and said, “Put all my money in an IRA and double it by next year!” Said hero now waits in your dorm’s trash room for discarded pizza boxes. I’ve a tendency to exaggerate. Needless to say, it’s not a good idea to get your money involved in something you don’t understand well. If you’re interested in wagering your money on a few educated guesses, risking a total loss and hoping for a healthy return, read on. There are two typical methods for the small investor (e.g., you) to put money down on a company: stocks and bonds. I’m sure you’ve heard both terms, and neither are as complicated as they seem. We’ll start with bonds. If a company needs money, it can choose to issue bonds, which essentially means that they’re asking for loans from investors, as opposed to banks. If you buy a bond from a company, you’re getting a promise that the company will pay you your money back at the end c le of a specified time period, and that they’ll pay you interest on your investment every so often. A 10-year $1,000 bond paying 5 percent annual interest will get you payments of $50 per year for 10 years, followed by a return of your $1,000 at the end of that time. Of course, the company has to survive long enough to pay you back. If you lent that grand to a company that goes bankrupt tomorrow, your odds of collecting your principal are, shall we say … slim. How do you know your risk of losing everything on a bond? Fortunately, organizations like Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s actually give grades to the bonds of different companies, all the way from AAA (nearly risk-free) to D (significant risk). Now, a company with a D rating will have to pay a much higher interest rate than one with, say, a BB rating, in order to entice you to take such a huge risk on it. Stocks are a different ball game. A company can make the decision to “go public,” meaning that it sells shares on an open market, like the New York Stock Exchange. What are shares? A share is a fractional ownership of a company. To illustrate, at the end of 2006, Johnson & Johnson had around 243 mil- lion shares outstanding. If you owned one of those shares, you’d own 1/243,000,0000th of J&J. Unfortunately, owning a share of its stock doesn’t entitle you to free baby wipes. What you are entitled to is a small percentage of the company’s future earn- JP ings. Krahel To put it simply, a company’s stock price is determined by how well the company is expected to do in the future. As happens all too often, it seems I’m out of space before I’m out of things to say. Many people have made a lot of money on these kinds of investments; many more have, to put it plainly, not done so well. The best defense is education. If you’d seriously like to supplement your income with what essentially amounts to legalized gambling, sign up for a basic accounting or finance course. Few things are as empowering or rewarding as wise investments and understanding, believe me. tion 2008 2008 Presidential Corner: Richardson, Thompson aim to raise profile in field Bill Richardson, governor of New said Richardson. Mexico and one of the Democratic Although Rider candidates for president, has many pro- is not a public posals for change. His main focuses are school, it still providing quality health care and mak- leaves many stuing education more affordable. He also dents stuck in has a detailed, yet, simple, plan not only debt for attaining to address, but to end, the war in Iraq. an education that Nadine If Richardson has his way, he intends is a virtual neces- Tester to give every citizen choices for health sity in today’s job care. “When some do not have access market. As a way to affordable care, all Americans end up to counteract this fiscal impact on stupaying the price,” said Richardson on dents, Richardson has proposed plans his Web site for president. To fix this, to make colleges more affordable in he plans to offer a refundable tax credit general. He wants to eliminate the Free and to work with lenders like Application for Federal banks and credit card compaStudent Aid and give nies to lower interest rates for more types of students medical care debt. Although access to financial aid. he doesn’t expand much on Also, Richardson would his platform for health care, like to work with colleges Richardson also wants to work and universities to create toward reducing the cost of financial incentives that prescription drugs. would keep costs down Richardson in addition for their students. wants to work on education Initially, Richardson’s Photo courtesy of campaign plans for making educaand make it less cost-protion and health care more hibitive from start to finish. Bill Richardson affordable may seem to He plans on getting rid of be lengthy and detailed, George Bush’s No Child Left Behind act, so that schools continue to but this is not his approach with every get sufficient funding, but don’t have to issue. His plan for the war in Iraq is adhere to “one-size-fits-all programs.” simple — end it. If elected, he wants to Richardson also plans on increasing the remove all the troops from Iraq, withnational teaching average, while retain- draw as quickly as possible and then go back in, not with troops, but with ing competent certified teachers. If elected, Richardson desires to diplomats. Richardson feels that Iraq is help students through college as well. a political crisis that cannot be solved He feels that community service should militarily. be the focus of elementary and high Although Richardson is not a wellschools, and wants to create incentives known candidate among the crowded for students to participate. “The federal field of presidential contenders, his ideas government will forgive two years of about programs, especially those conthe cost of tuition and fees at a public cerning education, are solid, and could university for each year of service,” work out in the long run. The Rider News, Ridge House 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 896-5256 Fax: (609) 895-5696 www.theridernews.com Fred Thompson, former senator of governments are Tennessee, is one of the eight Republican best equipped candidates vying for his party’s nomina- to handle the tion and ultimately, the presidency. demands and Thompson has dedicated his life to a needs of the surwide range of pursuits, including poli- rounding areas. tics, family and more notably, acting. Believing that Many know him for his former role as the federal gov- Katelyn District Attorney Arthur Branch on the ernment’s role in Friel prime time hit Law & Order. the education sys Thompson was the first person in tem is too intruhis family to attend college. A gradu- sive and hinders rather than helps the ate of Memphis State University and achievement of excellence, he strives to Vanderbilt University, where he received give “parents more choices in education his law degree, Thompson’s career has and schools less bureaucracy.” By returning federal ranged from assistant U.S. funding back to the states’ attorney to chairman of budget and urging students the State Department’s to pursue careers in science, International Security math and engineering, etc., Advisory Board. His presidential camThompson is committed to paign is focused on three the idea that these “fields main areas: “lowering are crucial to our security, our taxes, strengthening competitiveness, and prosnational security, and to perity.” A strong education change the federal governPhoto courtesy of MSNBC system will provide America ment,” according to his with prosperity, according official Web site. Fred Thompson Without revealing to Thompson. This idea of definitive positions on prosperity and security is some of the various issues that other reflected in his stance on immigracandidates are scrambling to address, tion. Not disputing the feeling that Thompson’s strategy is to listen, see immigration has infused the nation and discuss what his voters are look- with character, Thompson does draw a ing for. Based on these discussions and clear distinction between legal and illesuggestions, Thompson plans to create gal immigration. He strongly supports a more detailed account of his poli- demands to strengthen border security cies. However, his Web site does illus- and crack down on illegal immigration. trate that opinion and experience have For him, “amnesty is not an option.” already begun to formulate some of the So, as the days go by before the tentative, basic ideas that Thompson primary election determines who the Republican presidential candidate will desires to implement if elected. On the issue of education, a be, now is the chance to familiarize major area affecting college students, oneself with Thompson and the other Thompson feels that state and local candidates and their positions. E-mail us at: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. 10 Friday, November 30, 2007 Rutgers BRONCS’ BITS Continued from p. 11 Scores/Records (* denotes conference games) Men’s Basketball (4-3 overall, 0-0 MAAC) 11/17 Rider 76, Delaware 71 11/19 Rider 85, Fairleigh Dickinson 70 11/22 NC State 72, Rider 63 11/23 Rider 82, Penn State 73 11/25 Kansas State 82, Rider 69 11/28 Rider 84, NJIT 58 12/1 vs. Binghamton, 3 p.m. 12/6 at Niagara, 7 p.m.* Men’s Swimming & Diving (3-4 overall, 1-0 MAAC) 11/17 Rider 136, La Salle 107 Delaware 127, Rider 116 11/30 at Princeton “Big Al” Invitational, 11 a.m. Wrestling (0-2 overall, 0-0 CAA) 11/16 Iowa State 35, Rider 0 11/18 Keystone Invitational, 4th of 10 12/1 at Cliff Kean Las Vegas Invitational Women’s Basketball (3-3 overall, 0-0 MAAC) 11/18 Navy 65, Rider 58 11/23 Rider 76, UCF 74 11/28 UPenn 66, Rider 58 12/2 vs. Towson, 2 p.m. Women’s Swimming & Diving (4-5, 1-0 MAAC) 11/17 Rider 128, La Salle 114 Delaware 137.5, Rider 105.5 11/30 Princeton’s “Big Al” Invitational More Sports... Women’s basketball Head Coach Lynn Milligan announced three studentathletes have signed national letters of intent to further their careers at Rider next fall. Alyssa Parsons, a 5’5” point guard from Philadelphia, Pa., is currently a senior at Archbishop Wood and is a two-time Second Team AllCatholic League honoree. Lauren Gregg, a 5’8” senior guard from Collingswood High in South Jersey, is a twotime All-Group II and twotime Colonial Conference honoree while leading the team in scoring her sophomore and junior seasons. Gregg also lettered in soccer. Sarah Homan, a 6’3” center from Upper Darby, Pa., is a senior at Delco Christian, earning First Team All-League and Third Team All-Delaware County honors while averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks per game as a junior. is in great need of a big-time college football program and, if you disagree, you don’t know what you’re missing. While they haven’t met the lofty expectations placed on them this season, the program is going in the right direction under Head Coach Greg Schiano. It wouldn’t be surprising if they’re competing for the national championship in the next few years. They have been overrated by the media and expected to make too big of a jump too soon. What needs to be remembered is that this is only the second year Rutgers has been in the public eye, and it takes time to build a football power. Prospects who have committed to Rutgers or are still in the process are all in love with the program and how Schiano treats them. No longer are the four- and five-star recruits heading down south; they’re now considering staying in-state to play. One of the things they talk about is the atmosphere at the stadium and the support the team garners. The greater the buzz going into games, the more of a draw the school will be to prospective football players and they will consider it like they consider other elite places. One knock against the Knights has been their weak non-conference schedule. Part of the reason for this is because the games are scheduled well ahead of time. As Rutgers continues to rise and gain more publicity, it will be able to schedule better opponents from BCS conferences and have them come to Jersey. Now it’s a process, so it will take a few years before Rutgers becomes a legitimate contender. However, strides are being made and if support continues to grow, so will the accomplishments on the field. The Knights will play in the International Bowl on Jan. 5. While it isn’t the most luxurious bowl game, especially for one played in early January, it will be the team’s third straight bowl appearance. The team is young right now and will only get better in years to come. The students here can help shape “the state of Rutgers” in football. Heck, one Rider student is in the band. Recreation Programs welcome you to the good life Upcoming Rec Events 1st Annual Kutztown Lacrosse Classic @ Health Quest in Flemington, NJ Winners of the Intramural Games: Outdoor Soccer Champs * APW * Flag Football Champs * 7bricks * Intramural Tennis Men Champ * Ryan Willinger* Women Champ * Carly Totten * Double Champs * Matt Ferrara/ Martin Burgees * Games are as follows: Friday Nov. 30th 6:00pm Rutgers vs. Rider Saturday Dec. 1st 9:00am Rider vs. Bloomsburg 2:00pm Kutztown vs. Rider If you are interested in signing up as a free agent, creating your own team, or being in an intramural club sport stop by the Rec office, located in the SRC 2nd floor. You can contact us at x7714 or x7704, or email [email protected]. Friday, November 30, 2007 11 Broncs given tough time by top ranked WRESTLING By Eric Malave It has been tough for the Rider wrestling team to pick up a win this season, as it has struggled against some of the nation’s best. Right after facing off against Missouri, the Broncs took on No. 2-ranked Iowa State, which defeated the Broncs 35-0, winning all 10 scheduled bouts. “Iowa State is just one of the best teams in the U.S.,” said Head Coach Gary Taylor. “Iowa is ranked second in the nation for a reason.” Seven wrestlers from Iowa State are nationally ranked in the top 15 of their weight classes. “Our kids had the chance to wrestle better kids,” Taylor said. “I am not disappointed in the effort.” The Broncs placed a few new faces in the lineup for the match against Iowa. “It was great to see what some of the younger guys were able to do tonight,” Taylor said. Freshman Mitch Fenton wrestled in the 125-pound weight class for Rider (0-2). He lost 3-2 in the final round to redshirt freshman Mark Kist. Junior Zac Cunliffe wrestled in the 133-pound weight class, losing 12-4 to No. 8 sophomore Nick Fanthorpe in a major decision. “Cunliffe is coming back from a year off from an injury,” Taylor said. “He needs to get his timing back.” Sophomore Fred Rodgers M. Basketball Continued from p. 12 paced the Nittany Lions with an impressive 23 points and 12 rebounds while Jamelle Cornley added 17 points. The Broncs closed out their time in Florida with a 82-69 loss to No. 25-ranked Kansas State. The Thompson brothers once again rose to the occasion, as Ryan picked up a doubledouble with 21 points and 13 Junior Doug Umbehauer ‘It will take a whole wrestled the 184year for this team to pound weight class get good. But by the against the top ranked wrestler in end of the year this the weight class, team will get there.’ sophomore Jake - Head Coach Gary Taylor Varner. The style Umbehauer used against Varner was aggressive, but he put up a good effort against No. 14 sophomore Nick Gallick in could not take his opponent the 141-pound weight class. down for the win. He lost 6-3. Senior T.J. Morrison wresHowever, he lost 5-0 in the tled in the 197-pound weight final round. Senior Don Fisch also class for Rider. He scored a take showed great effort. He’s cur- down in the corner of the mat rently ranked fourth in the right before the third period nation as he bumped up eight ended. However, he still lost pounds to wrestle in the 149- 5-4 to senior David Bertolino. In the final match of the pound weight class. He faced off against No. 14 sophomore night, junior heavyweight Peter Mitch Mueller and lost a close Reid lost 19-8 in the third round to No. 8 sophomore one 3-2. Sophomore Rob Morrison David Zabriskie in a tech fall. “It will take a whole year fought hard in a match against No. 11 sophomore Cyler for this team to get good,” Sanderson in the 157-pound Taylor said. “But by the end weight class. Sanderson is of the year this team will get the younger brother of wres- there.” On Nov. 17, the Broncs tling legend and Iowa State Head Coach Cael Sanderson. were then off to the Keystone Morrison showed a lot of aggres- Classic hosted by Pennsylvania. sion against Sanderson and was They placed fourth out of 10 able to put up a battle, but teams. The Broncs were able came up short, losing 10-5. At 165-pounds, sopho- to find more success at the more Mike Darling lost by a Keystone Classic. Even without tech fall to his opponent, No. their full lineup, they were able 9 redshirt freshman Jon Reader. to place ahead of strong teams He fought off his back during like Arizona State. Fisch wrestled in the 149the match and refused to get pinned. Freshman Joe Ferber pound weight class at the wrestled in the 174-pound Keystone Classic. He was seedweight class, and lost 6-3 in the ed second in the tournament and was able to win four of his final round. five bouts. In the finals, he lost to top-seeded Scott Ervin of Appalachian State by tech fall. Morrison was seeded second in the 157-pound weight class. He won three of his four matches. Morrison and Taylor were surprised by the seeding, but at the end of the day, he proved that he had earned the high ranking. Umbehauer and Cunliffe both placed third in the 184and 133-pound weight classes. Umbehauer was able to win four of his five matches. Cunliffe, making his way back into things, won five of his six matches. Rodgers placed sixth in the 141-pound weight class and won three of his six matches. Also wrestling for Rider were Darling, who won one of two matches, and Fenton, who won one of three matches. Overall, the Broncs finished fourth in the tournament, with two runner-ups, two thirdplace finishers and a sixth-place finisher. This is the type of competition the Rider wrestlers need to get back on track. The Broncs need to shake off the last two team losses and continue to wrestle hard in order to have a better season. “This is what we have so far,” Taylor said. “It’s a work in progress, but I’m sure by the end of the year we will be a strong team.” The Broncs wrestle in the Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 30. rebounds and Jason had 24 points along with seven boards. Combined, they shot 17-28 from the field. Forward Andre Gilburt led the Wildcats (5-1 overall) in points with 22 and also picked up 11 rebounds. Guard Jacob Pullen had 19 points. Rider was able to contain freshman forward Michael Beasley, who still managed to have a solid game, picking up a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards, but he wasn’t able to match his success from earlier in the season, who had we just need to focus on what we need to get better. We’re starting to learn a lot about ourselves and hopefully we will continue to improve.” Rider finished the tourney in fifth place. It looked like they did have a bounce in their step as the Broncs ran over NJIT 84-58 on Wednesday. Jason Thompson posted yet another double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Ryan Thompson led the Broncs in points with 20. Harris Mansell chipped in with 15 points of his own when he shot 4-7 from the field and 2-3 from behind the arc. Senior Kamron Warner hit both of his three-point attempts for six points in nine minutes. After shooting 34.5 percent in the first half, the Broncs lit up the NJIT defense in the second half shooting over 65 percent and also went 6-10 from downtown. The next will be at home on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Binghamton. two games of 20 points and 20 rebounds. Throughout this tournament, the Broncs were able to keep the opponent’s big men in check and Dempsey credits the team’s off-season preparation. “As a staff, we thought that if we were to be good this year that would we would have to be a good defensive and rebounding team,” he said. “It paid off against the better teams as we were able to out-rebound them. If you can defend and rebound, you can play against anyone.” Jason Thompson was able to shine when the ESPN spotlight was on him and he was named a member of the alltournament team. He was also selected as the MAAC Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 19-25 and as Mid-Majority. com’s “Baller of the Week.” If being able to play with these big schools has boosted the team’s confidence, Dempsey said only time will tell. “I hope so,” he said. “We learned a lot about ourselves in this tournament. Every game presents a new challenge and Charles Guthrie Support Rutgers A lot of students on campus have wondered why Rider doesn’t have a football team and if it will ever get one. If you’re waiting for it to happen, don’t get your hopes up. However, if you’re looking for a place to get your college football fix, look no farther than Piscataway, N.J., home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Why should you root for them? Wouldn’t that make you a front-runner? No, it wouldn’t make you a front-runner, because Rutgers isn’t ranked right now and if you’re a fan of football especially the college version it makes a lot of sense to pull for the Knights. In December 2005 Rutgers put itself somewhat on the map of college football when it was able to go blowfor-blow against pass-happy Arizona State, losing 45-40 in the Insight Bowl. That was the Scarlet Knights’ first winning season since 1992. The next year, they exploded onto the scene nearly winning the Big East title with the biggest win in school history, coming against No. 3-ranked Louisville behind an electric crowd and lost a nail-biter to end the season against nationally ranked West Virginia in three overtimes. The crowd against Louisville on national television was amazing, giving the game a playoff-like feel, which the area never experienced from a college football game. That’s what makes college football amazing and separates it from the pros. Any college football game with some sort of rivalry features that type of atmosphere. Rutgers became such a spectacle that New York and Philadelphia wanted to embrace their success through the media. This is why people in the area need to get involved, including the students here. The northeast, primarily the tri-state area, See Rutgers, p. 10 12 Friday, November 30, 2007 Taking the Next Step Men hang tough with ranked schools at Old Spice Classic at Disney tourney MEN’S BASKETBALL By Charles Guthrie They almost had it. The Broncs had a lead for most of the game, and an upset over North Carolina State on national television looked promising until guard Farnold DeGand hit a three-pointer about seven minutes into the second half to give the Wolf Pack its first lead since 13:11 in the first. From there, N.C. State, the No. 24-ranked team in the country according to the Associated Press, never looked back and beat Rider 72-63 in Rider’s opener at the Old Spice Classic that took place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Broncs were able to hang tough with a Wolf Pack team that made it to the ACC finals last year, knocking off Duke, Virginia and Virginia Tech in the process. “The first thing you have to do is play with confidence,” said Head Coach Tommy Dempsey. “If you don’t think you can win and don’t believe in yourself then you have no chance. Throughout the game our confidence continued to grow and we were starting to believe that we could beat them.” Junior guard Courtney Fells led the N.C. State attack with 18 points and was selected as one of eight players for the all-tournament team. Freshman phenom forward/center J.J. Hickson had 13 points and four blocks in only 21 minutes coming off the bench, including one crazy put-back that he put up in mid-air and picked up the foul. For Rider, senior forward Jason Thompson’s name was heard constantly from ESPN broadcaster Len Elmore throughout the game as he had a double-double, posting 24 points and 15 rebounds against the N.C. State big men. Thompson also made it onto Sports Center’s “Top 10 Plays” the next day for his block on junior Brandon Costner early in the first half. “It was a good sign to see him play better competition and be able to shine,” Dempsey said. Thompson’s younger brother, sophomore guard Ryan Thompson, had seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Justin Robinson contributed 13 points. N.C. State shot nearly 58 percent from the field, including going five of six from threepoint range, while Rider’s field goal percentage was 36.1 in the second half, going only two of nine from behind the arc. Rider got right back up and picked up a big 82-73 win over Penn State of the Big 10. It was a game where both pairs of brothers on the team made key contributions. Jason Thompson once again led the charge for the Broncs with another double-double, picking up 21 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Thompson finished second on the team in scoring with 19 points. He also grabbed six rebounds. Junior guard Harris Mansell had 17 points for Rider, shooting three for seven from threepoint territory and six for 13 inside the arc. Redshirt freshman Patrick Mansell proved to be valuable off of the bench, scoring 13 points in just 12 minutes of play. Freshman Mike Ringgold led the Broncs with nine boards. Forward Geary Claxton Photo by Hugh Tsung Freshman Mike Ringgold, shown in the Broncs victory over FDU, See M. Basketball, p. 11 had nine rebounds in a win against the Nittany Lions. Women’s team remains undefeated at home WOMEN’S BASKETBALL By Kristie Kahl Photo by Hugh Tsung Undefeated at home, the women’s basketball team overtook UCF with sophomore Amanda Sepulveda leading the team with 23 points. The Rider women’s basketball team suffered a 66-58 road loss to the University of Pennsylvania after defeating the University of Central Florida (UCF) last week, 76-74. On Wednesday night, the Broncs (3-3) led 56-53 before Penn went on a 13-2 run to clinch a Quaker win. After 15 lead changes, Penn claimed the final change 57-56 with four minutes left in the game. In an attempt to come back, Rider closed the gap to 61-58 with a layup by sophomore Tammy Meyers before Penn put the game away. “It was a game of runs and we didn’t get that one big stop that we needed to regain the momentum at the end of the game,” said Head Coach Lynn Milligan to Rider Sports Information. “We didn’t rise to the occasion on the defensive end and Penn was a little more physical on the offensive end and we didn’t respond very well.” Before the half, Rider fell 20-18 before going on an 8-2 run to open up a four-point lead, 26-22. The teams were later tied at 29. Junior Shaunice Parker led the Broncs with 16 points and nine rebounds, while senior Janele Henderson followed closely behind with 15 points and two steals. Sophomore Amanda Sepulveda added 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in the Rider loss, while Meyers finished with seven points. “We have a lot to work on,” Milligan said. “We’ve been consistent with defense and rebounding. That being the foundation of our programming, the foundation of our success, we’ll continue to try to get better defensively and rebounding.” Still undefeated at home, Rider picked up another win in front of the Broncs’ Zoo crowd over the break. Rider maintained a 71-65 lead before UCF (2-3) went on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 73. The Broncs claimed victory with a layup by freshman Shannon Ferguson to secure a win in the last 27 seconds of play. “It was a great play,” said Milligan. “It was all set up by Amanda, who had a great second half and had been scoring off penetration quite a bit. So, they sent two defenders at her, and when they did she made a great decision and found Shannon wide open and Shannon did what she had to do: catch the ball and put it in the basket.” The Knights had a chance to answer with 1.6 seconds left until Parker stole an inbound pass on the final play of the game. The Broncs opened the game with a 10-2 run, four points claimed by Meyers. UCF later tied the game at 21 before going on a 12-3 run with 3:49 left in the first half. Rider trailed the Knights by seven going into the half. Sepulveda led Rider with a career-high 23 points along with four assists and two steals, while Meyers finished with 14 points and three steals. Ferguson added eight points, going perfect from the field and the line, while adding seven rebounds. “I think we’ve learned how to compete on a more consistent basis,” Milligan said. “We’ve played some really quality teams and we have been able to be competitive in every single game. We’ve been out there and we’ve fought. We’ve done what we needed to do in order to put ourselves in the situation to win every game.” Rider plays at home against Towson on Sunday at 2 p.m.