Friday, October 5, 2007 3
Transcription
Friday, October 5, 2007 3
ing* n n i d-w r a w a 16 Back in swing *Society of Professional Journalists’ Best All-Around Non-Daily ‘06 Volume 78, Issue IV - Friday, October 5, 2007 FAdmin. ight Night at Frat Alcohol policies working? claims no party By Jeff Frankel By Paul Szaniawski and Olivia Tattory An alleged fight at the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) fraternity house on Sept. 29 resulted in multiple charges for ZBT brother John Goodleaf and “bleeding on the brain” for campus visitor Andrew Endicott, police reported. Both men were charged with underage drinking. The incident occurred in the first semester since the alcohol-related death of freshman Gary DeVercelly last spring and in the midst of a University crackdown on alcohol abuse, including a ban on alcoholrelated events in Greek houses. The Lawrence Township Police Department (LTPD) received a call around 4 a.m. Saturday reporting a head injury on campus. Public Safety was also dispatched to the scene at 4:15 a.m. after LTPD notified them an ambulance was en route to a reported medical emergency. “We were notified of a physical assault involving a visitor,” said Director of Public Photo by Stephanie Nardi A student wonders what happened early Saturday morning at the Zeta Beta Tau house. Safety Vickie Weaver. Near the front entrance of Hill Residence Hall, Public Safety officers found 19-yearold Endicott “injured and bleeding from the head,” and he was taken to Capital Health System - Fuld Campus in Trenton. According to reports, he was able to answer basic questions but could not provide information about who assaulted him or why, just that it had happened at ZBT. Endicott was released from the hospital on Monday. Legal woes for Torney, 2 others get probation By Paul Szaniawski Two students who were indicted for aggravated hazing in the case of Gary DeVercelly’s death were granted probationary Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) the same day a third chose to move forward with his case. Former president of Phi Kappa Tau Michael Torney, of Randolph, and his lawyer, Michael Rodgers, decided to pass on PTI and asked for time to find more evidence. Just minutes earlier, Dominic Olsen, of Kenilworth, and Adriano DiDonato, of Princeton, were accepted into PTI in front of Judge Mitchell Ostrer. to avoid a trial and a possible prison term. “Pre-Trial Intervention is designed to rehabilitate defendants and return them back to the community,” Ostrer said. Olsen and DiDonato will go through 36 months of probation, perform 100 hours of community service, attend alcohol counseling and also pay fines of $125. If either student commits a crime during the probation the PTI is dissolved and he could be prosecuted again. Once LTPD was at the scene, the investigation was turned over to them, said Weaver. Since that point, the case and any further investigation has been in the hands of LTPD. “We’re letting the police conduct their investigation,” said Weaver. “Rider Public Safety has not conducted any investigation.” Although the first newspaper reports of the incident said the scuffle occurred at a “party,” University spokesperson Dan Higgins was later quoted as saying that it was not a party. The word is significant because new University policies prohibit “social events or parties in residence halls or Greek houses where alcoholic beverages are served.” “[The University] had never said it was a party,” said Higgins, in response to media reports earlier in the week. “It was an incident between two individuals. There was no fraternity party.” Recently implemented See ZBT, p. 2 ‘We understand New Jersey laws allows for first-time, nonviolent offenders to seek PreTrial Intervention. However, their actions, although non-violent, caused the death of a fine young man.’ - Statement from the DeVercelly family, read by Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Skylar Weissman One part of the program demands that if their former fraternity brother were to go to trial they would have to cooperate and give statements. Rodgers asked Judge Ostrer for a period of time to perform discovery. The lawyer would like to see more evidence, including tapes seen by the grand jury that indicted his client. The judge set a new court date for Nov. 27. See Court, p. 3 All university-wide alcohol recommendations are currently in effect for this semester, but it is unclear if they are working in the “short period of time” since their implementation in September, University administrators say. Dean of Students Anthony Campbell and Debbie Stasolla, vice chair of the Presidential Task Force on Alcohol, Personal Responsibility and Student Life, were the guest speakers at the Lawrenceville SGA meeting on Tuesday, where they gave updates and dispelled misconceptions regarding the new policies. “I have seen progress,” said Stasolla in a separate interview. “I am also aware there are concerns.” She said the new policies are not “static” and can be modified to reflect the community better. However, the initial draft for Greek recommendations is still on the drawing board and the University is looking to implement them in the spring semester. Whether or not the policies are effective is another issue. It has been a month since freshman move-in day and administrators do not know what polices will work and what won’t. “We plan on assessing this regularly,” Stasolla said. “We would like to assess this at the end of the fall semester. It’s been a short period of time.” Some students also appear to be confused about some of the policies, according to administrators. The students do not seem to fully understand the Good Samaritan policy, Campbell said at the SGA meeting. “Considering that there are some students who didn’t understand the policies, we have to do some more marketing,” he said. Stasolla pointed out that See Policy, p. 2 Visit the Rider News Online at www.theridernews.com 2 Friday, October 5, 2007 Security Briefs Harassment A threatening message on an answering machine was received last week. It was reported on Monday, Oct. 1, at 8 a.m., that on the previous Friday, an office in the BLC received a voicemail from someone who spewed profanity and threatened to punch a male staff member. The investigation is continuing and anyone with information should contact Public Safety at x. 5029. Bust A small baggie containing what appeared to be cocaine was found by a male staff member. On Sunday, Sept. 30, at 12:40 p.m., the bag was found in the main lobby of Hill Hall. Lawrence Township Police responded and took the substance for classification. There are currently no suspects. Theft A purse was stolen from an unlocked car in the commuter lot. It was reported on Friday, Sept. 28, at 3:45 p.m., by the female complainant that someone took her purse containig identification and an ATM card. Police services were declined by the victim. The investigation is still continuing and anyone with information should contact Public Safety at x. 5029. Sick An incident of underage drinking was reported at Dayton Hall on the Princeton campus on Sunday. On Sept. 30, at 2:47 a.m., Public Safety reported to the residence hall with a sick female underage student. She said she had been drinking off campus and had slurred speech. She was transported via ambulance to a local hospital. She has been charged with breaking University code and the matter has been referred to the Princeton campus Office of Community Standards. — Compiled by Jeff Frankel Information provided by Director of Rider’s Department of Public Safety Vickie Weaver. Policy Continued from p. 1 not all of the students in her Freshman Seminar class fully understood the Good Samaritan policy, where they can report sick underage students without campus repercussions. “[It’s] an eye-opening experience with students,” she said. “It really hit home for me [that] we have to [answer] these questions.” The Good Samaritan policy was designed so that the caller or the victim will not be penalized by the University for calling for medical help if he or she is underage. It was formulated so students “won’t make medical decisions” for others whose lives may be in danger, Stasolla said. Last spring semester, freshman Gary DeVercelly died after allegedly drinking three-fourths of a bottle of vodka in less than 30 minutes. Others at the party reportedly placed DeVercelly in a room after he passed out instead of calling for an ambulance. Lawrence Township officers are required to cite underage drinking as a local ordinance violation, including underage students transported to the hospital for intoxication. The violation requires appearance in court and payment of a fine. Local ordinance violations do not typically appear on criminal history checks, Stasolla said. ZBT Continued from p. 1 campus policy requires regular walkthroughs and, according to Higgins, Public Safety began the final walkthrough of the Greek houses at 3:15 a.m. No disturbances were reported. According to Lt. Charles Edgar of LTPD, once police got word of the severity of Endicott’s injuries, they began their investigation. After arriving to the ZBT fraternity house, LTPD officers reported that they saw anywhere from 15 to 30 people inside the basement area. “I don’t know exactly how many people were there,” said Edgar. “The officers who were at the scene reported that approximate number.” Weaver said it isn’t the numbers that define a party. “You have to look at the dynamics, look at the behavior,” she said. When asked for comment about the number of students LTPD observed Saturday night, Higgins said that at the time he had not spoken with the police directly and did not hear that number. However, during a later Photo by Karly Hamburg Administrators say it is too early to judge new policies governing student alcohol consumption. Campbell also said that students with off-campus housing can still face University penalties if they get in trouble with local police, but this is not a new tactic. Towns and Communities Together (TAC) is a partnership between neighboring towns, universities and bar owners that report incidents to one another, he said. Several Lawrenceville SGA members said the new alcohol policy is too vague and does not give definite answers. But that is exactly what the University wants. “To define it so specifically makes it hard to enforce,” Stasolla said. phone conversation, Higgins said the number of students was no cause for suspicion. “There is nothing abnormal about that number of people being [in the basement of ZBT],” said Higgins. “It’s a resident house where they live. There wasn’t anything going on with them or any party.” Mark Fisher, the University’s new substance abuse prevention specialist, said that if it was in fact a party, it was not permitted. Fisher also pointed out that ZBT is “very aware of what the new policies are.” Goodleaf, a junior majoring in advertising, faces charges of aggravated assault, underage drinking, possession of marijuana under 50 grams, and intent to distribute the same drug. The visitor, Endicott, was charged with underage drinking and possession of under 50 grams of marijuana. In addition to the criminal charges, Higgins confirmed that Goodleaf is facing disciplinary action from the University. “The Rider student is going through Rider’s discipline process,” said Higgins. Campbell went on to say that unlike the law, which is clear and is only seen as right and wrong, Rider’s new policies allow for discussion. “You wouldn’t want everything black and white,” he said. The mandatory online program for freshmen, AlcoholEDU, designed to track drinking patterns around the school and country, was completed on Wednesday. Freshmen who did not complete the program are not eligible for course selection for the spring semester or for housing selection. “We feel this course is important for freshmen,” Stasolla said. In addition to the new policy-related recommendations already in effect for this semester, five additional Public Safety officers have been added, for a total of seven hired since the start of the semester. *OINTHE2IDER.EWS #ALLXORCOMETO 4UESDAYMEETINGSATPM INTHEBASEMENTOF2IDGE(OUSE ad Tell us what you think about our Dining Services, and enter to win a 30GB iPod or a $25 iTunes Gift Card! WHEN: Oct 1- Oct 12 VISIT: www.college-survey.com/Rider Friday, October 5, 2007 3 Fisher named as new substance abuse specialist By Danielle Flood Creating a consistent message regarding the alcohol policy is the main goal of newly appointed Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Mark Fisher. A former counselor at New Horizons Treatment Services as well as an adjunct counselor in Rider’s Counseling Office at Westminster Choir College, Fisher was hired Sept. 10. He wants the various clubs and organizations, such as SGA and Greek Life, to come together and have one unified message in relation to the school’s alcohol policy. “Education is the best thing we can do; try to be proactive,” Fisher said. Another step that will help the new alcohol policy is the creation of Rider Initiative for Substance-Abuse Education (RISE), he said. Like several other college programs that specialize in alcohol and drug awareness, RISE will educate students on the dangers of alcohol abuse and discuss in detail aspects of drinking such as binge drinking, signs of problematic drinkers, myths and facts about drinking and tips for safe partying. The idea of the RISE pro- A Closer Look Who: Mark Fisher What: Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Started: Sept., 10 Previous Jobs: Counselor at New Horizons Treatment Services in Trenton, N.J., and adjunct counselor in Rider’s Counseling Office at Westminster Choir College on the Princeton campus. Education: B.S. in speech and dramatic arts from Central Michigan University and an M.A. in community counseling summa cum laude from The College of New Jersey. In addition, he holds certification as a National Certified Counselor. gram came at a time when Rider was once again in the news for an incident at a fraternity house. Last Friday, the incident allegedly took place in the basement of Zeta Beta Tau, where two young men, one a Rider student, the other a visiting guest, had an altercation which ended with the guest in the hospital. Different sources have different ideas as to what happened that Friday morning. Fisher said there was no party, as the brawl took place at 4 a.m., but that both individuals had been drinking. No one seems to know what started the fight or exactly what happened. Fisher said there was no party or violation of the alcohol policy precipitating the fight. Fisher said his direction will not change as a result of the incident. He is still planning on reaching out to Greek Life as well as to other students. In order to educate the Rider community, Fisher is currently talking to several students and meeting as many people as possible. His goal of reaching out to the community involves residents and commuters on both the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses. Fisher is also in communication with the Lawrence Township Police Department. Fisher places heavy emphasis on education. He said his job is “not the enforcement of the rules,” but rather to “outreach, educate and coordinate with a slight counseling aspect.” For the time being, Fisher’s office is located in Zoerner House, but he says he plans on moving his office to the student center and hopes to specialize in both alcohol and drug issues. Court Continued from p. 1 At first, Skylar Weissman, assistant prosecutor of the Mercer County Prosecutors’ office, was surprised Torney did not accept the PTI. Earlier this week The Times of Trenton reported that Torney is not eligible for PTI for first-time offenders. The publication reported Torney was sentenced last June to a year of probation after he pleaded guilty two months earlier to a conspiracy to distribute less than one ounce of marijuana. Now Torney faces a charge of aggravated hazing that carries a maxium penalty of 18 months in prison and a fine of $10,000 or less. Compared to him, DiDonato and Olsen may be getting off easy – too easy for the parents of Gary DeVercelly. “We understand New Jersey law allows for first-time, non-violent offenders to seek Pretrial Intervention," Gary Sr. and Julie DeVercelly said in a statement read by Weissman. "However, Photo by Karly Hamburg Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Mark Fisher was appointed Sept. 10. He once worked at Westminster Choir College. Fisher remains strong on educating and supporting the Rider community. His goal of creating one unified and cohesive message on alcohol abuse and awareness within the com- their actions, although non-violent, caused the death of a fine young man.” The parents said their family has been devastated over the loss. “Although we will never get our son back or our children’s big brother back, 36 months is a minimum sentence, said the DeVercellys. Anthony Cambell, dean of students, would not comment on the latest court development. However, after months of Rider’s Judicial Affairs’ keeping quiet, he said the University may also bring charges against DiDonato, Olsen and munity has remained the same. He plans to continue talking to many students and increasing their knowledge about the dangers of substance abuse. Torney. “We’ve held off on all that since they were on trial,” Campbell said. “We didn’t want to interfere with the criminal proceedings.” Keith Kemo would not comment on whether University charges have been brought against Olsen and DiDonato yet. He couldn’t say because Torney was still in court. “When we know it’s over, we will go forward and resume our investigation,” Campbell said. P/T Babysitter needed in Skillman, NJ. Hours 5-7 PM M-F. Must have valid NJ Driver License & own car. Pay negotiable. 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The blackmailer accessed pictures posted on Polumbo’s Facebook and added “nasty” captions to the photos. In order to undermine the blackmailer and keep him or her from sending the pictures to her sponsors, Polumbo said she had to make the pictures public. “Again, it’s still very embarrassing to see these pictures up on the screen,” said Polumbo. “It’s not because I think these Photo by Hugh Tsung Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo, spoke about the dangers of photographs on the Internet. pictures are horrible, because I’m certainly not doing anything illegal. I’m fully clothed in all these photographs and I’m not even drunk in these pictures, but they certainly don’t represent a young woman.” Miss New Jersey told stu- dents to be aware of what they post online and what others are posting about them. She explained that when it comes to the Internet, “privacy is an illusion.” Polumbo gave students a list of three rules to follow when dealing with the Internet. First, she said students should never post things that they do not want others to see because the Internet “is like a billboard.” Second, Polumbo warned students to be careful of whom they trust and allow into their private groups. The final rule was that students should keep track of what others are posting about them. “Think twice about it and really put yourself outside the box,” said Polumbo. “Think, OK, this is OK between my friends and I, but what if someone is looking at this, if it’s a professor, or someone that wants to hire me at a job.” Polumbo said she wants others to learn from her experience. She encourages college students to go through their networking sites and delete anything that could be used negatively against them. “The bottom line is that the Internet is forever,” said Polumbo. “So when your college years are over and done, the Internet, whatever you post on there, whether you delete it or not, will be on there. Just keep that in mind.” Polumbo also said that her experience is not unique. “It’s not just my own [experience]; it’s something that has happened to people all over the country in every type of profession,” said Polumbo. Strike on hold as union and administrators resume talks By Paul Mullin Negotiators from the faculty union and the administration have agreed to extend the present contract indefinitely on one week’s notice, essentially making the bargaining process a week-to-week engagement. This new set of circumstances means that “either party can end the extension of the contract by providing the other party one week’s notice of their intention to do so,” as stated on www.rideraaup.org. “If we said that we were giving them notice, that would mean that at the end of that notice we are intending to go on strike,” said Dr. Jeff Halpern, the union’s chief negotiator. Both sides also agreed to increase the weekly bargaining sessions to two days a week in an effort to speed up the negotiation process. “One of the problems is that I have to consider the ability of my team to do that and teach a full [course] load and take care of family obligations,” Halpern said. “There is a limit to the ability of people on the team to keep up this pace.” This new agreement helped the two sides narrowly avoid a possible strike on Monday, Oct. 1 during a fruitful negotiating session the Friday before, where the parties made progress toward an agreement on another article and the administration withdrew several of its proposals. “We felt we wanted to focus on some key articles under discussion at the time,” said Dr. Don Steven, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “We recognize our responsibility to continue to make progress in a timely manner.” According to Steven, the administration did not feel that the withdrawn proposals were a hindrance to progress at the table, but were simply “less important at this point in time.” The vote to authorize a strike was made on Sept. 18, and along with the ability to call for a work stoppage, the union leadership was granted by its members the options of stopping all uncompensated work and conducting informational picketing — two preemptive alternatives to striking that would serve to put pressure on the administration to come to an agreement. “I don’t think the University wants to see a picket line out front on an open house day, which is a possibility even without a strike,” Halpern said. “The knowledge that the University has that we can do that, I think has had a positive impact [on the negotiations].” Freshmen cast votes for Abushaban, Gray, Buonpastore in cutthroat election By Monique Guzman After weeks of fierce and creative campaigning, the freshmen elections came to a close the evening of Oct. 2. The winning candidates were Hamzah Abushaban for class president, Robert Gray for class vice president and Mitchell Buonpastore for class treasurer. “I am here to listen to what you have to say,” Abushaban said. “As president, I welcome the entire class as a whole to share their thoughts and ideas on any issue.” A double major in Finance and Economics, as well as an active participant in EOP, BSU, Emerging Leaders, SERVES, MSLI, ROCAS, MSA, Dance Team and other organizations, Abushaban’s primary motivation for running for office was because he was interested in promoting the freshmen student body’s ideal future to the best of his ability. Some improvements he hopes to make include providing more entertainment on campus to keep students from packing up for the weekend, endorsing community closeness, lowering prices to prolong the use of Bronc Bucks, and negotiating store and foodavailability hours. “Leadership is action, not position,” Abushaban said. Gray, a Communications TV and Radio major, agreed with Abushaban that more big weekend events should be planned to keep students on campus. “I thought it was a great way to be involved and take a leadership role among the class,” Gray said about his reasons for running. “I’ve always felt the need to voice the opinions and agendas of my own and others.” Gray was active in high school. He was a student leadership officer and president of the Black Student Union, as well as a member of Model UN, Youth and Government, Student Government and Mock Trial. Currently, Gray participates in several campus organizations. “Everyone seems to be pretty dedicated,” Gray commented on his party members. “I feel the relationship between the SGA officeholders and our freshman class will definitely be mutually receptive. I really want to thank everybody. You’ll find organization, action and honest leadership in my actions as vice president.” Accounting major Buonpastore, the class treasurer stated, “There is no doubt Rider University is a great institution of knowledge. The more involved people are, the stronger the Rider community will become.” Sharing the concerns of his fellow party members, he hopes to raise school spirit among the freshman class and see more people attending and supporting Rider sporting events. Active in Emerging Leaders and the Accounting Society, Buonpastore felt that by running for treasurer he could apply his “positive attitude and sense of responsibility toward [his] community and help develop the skills needed to succeed in the business world.” Buonpastore extended his sincerest thanks to his cam- paigners and voters and promised to, “work hard to make this year exciting and rewarding for my classmates.” VARSITY PIZZA 1296 Lawrence Rd Lawrenceville, NJ *1 mile South of Rider* (609) 882-4100 Seeking Female Roomate or Single Family to Share House-Bordentown, a new 5 bed-room single house, close to highway 295 (exit 57B), RT 130 & RT 206. Fully furnished, refrigerator, stove, W/D, centrally air-conditioned, nice and safe neighborhood with ample parking($500/month, utilities included)Contact:(609)456-7321 Friday, October 5, 2007 5 Crop Walk aims to stamp out worldwide hunger By Aimee Zabel Members of the Rider community gathered Sunday to raise money as part of the Crop Walk, a nationally sponsored event held annually in the fall. Participants completed the 10-kilometer walk around the Mercer County area in an effort to stamp out hunger worldwide. Sponsored by the Rider Campus Ministry, the Crop Walk is nationally funded by the Church World Service, an organization that works to provide relief and meet human needs around the globe. The Crop Walk not only raises money to provide necessary goods for people who are affected by poverty and other disasters, but it also serves to raise awareness for those who are not familiar with the number of poverty-stricken people in this country. “I truly hope that students will take a closer look at the Crop Walk slogan, ‘We walk because they walk,’” said the Rev. Nancy Schluter, head of Rider’s Protestant Campus Ministry. “Students and other people need to realize who the ‘they’ are. One in seven people is hungry. Some people in this country have to walk to get food, water, to get to their jobs — things that we take for granted.” Schluter pointed out that not only does the Crop Walk target the nation’s poverty, but it also focuses on the fact that this country has huge surpluses of crops and other things that are taken for granted. The Crop Walk makes the statement that not enough is being done to stamp out hunger in the United States, let alone in the rest of the world. But by mere participation in walks or food drives, it is possible to gradually help solve the problem, one person at a time. In addition to an outpouring of community participation in the walk, several groups of Rider students joined in the fight against hunger. Rider SERVES, a community service organization centered on campus, collected $446.75 from students in the residence halls. Several sororities and fraternities, such as Phi Sigma Sigma, Delta Phi Epsilon, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Tau Kappa Epsilon also participated in the walk. Junior Stephanie Dutcher, a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma and the secretary of Rider SERVES, thinks it is important for students to participate to help those in need. “The average age of a hun- ‘I truly hope that students will take a closer look at the Crop Walk slogan, ‘We walk because they walk. Students and other people need to realize who the ‘they’ are. One in seven people is hungry. Some people in this country have to walk to get food, water, to get to their jobs — things that we take for granted.’ - The Rev. Nancy Schluter, head of Rider’s Protestant Campus Ministry gry person is seven years old, according to statistics, and that is just way too young,” she said. “There are far too many people that are hungry in Mercer County alone. I am here because I am really hoping to make a difference.” A conversation with Dr. Watson By Ashley Neptune With a new school year comes many new faces. The Rider News will be showcasing these faces throughout the semester with a series of question-and-answer interviews. For the first installment of the Q&A series, Ashley Neptune sat down with Dr. Elizabeth Watson, associate professor of Education. Q: What was the last school you taught at? A: Stevens Technology. there for Institute of I taught 10 years. Q: What was your favorite subject growing up and why? A: Math. derful I had wonteachers. want to continue exploring it. Q: What is your favorite book? Q: Where did you graduate from and what did you study? A: Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley. It’s an absolutely beautifully written story and it’s great fun to read. A: Teachers College of Columbia University. Adult Learning and Leadership. Q: What is favorite TV Q: What are your hobbies? A: My main one is riding horses. I also love to travel. I’ve actually ridden horses in Europe. I’ve ridden in Spain, Portugal, Wales, Germany and Italy. It’s a great way for me to combine both things. your show? A: That’s a hard one. I’m going to go with The Apprentice. One of my research interests in group behavior are group processes and creativity in groups. The people on that show have to use a lot of that. It’s a neat thing to see what they do and how they interact. Photo by Stephanie Nardi 206 late night work Trucks line up on the Lawrenceville Campus waiting to get to work paving Route 206. Construction started Monday. HAVING A MEETING OR EVENT? Q: Why did you come to Rider? A: Because I like the people a lot and I think the organizational leadership program is a wonderful program. I believe it would be very interesting for me to work with it. Schedule space on campus and publicize your event on the Rider University calendar. Q: What drove you to teach? A: Role models. Teaching is a gigantic challenge and it’s really important. I want to help people see, grow and develop. Q: What drove you to teach the subject that you do? A: I have a lot of curiosity. It’s fascinating. There is so much interesting material and I Visit www.rider.edu/eventrequest 6 Friday, October 5, 2007 Ideas from abroad arrive in class By Monique Guz Office 367 on the third floor of Fine Arts belongs to Dr. Hernan Fontanet. But his world is far larger than that. Born in Buenos Aires, Fontanet grew up with the ambition to teach and is bringing changes to the University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Fontanet said he loves to communicate, which brought him to his job as a teacher. “To teach is to communicate,” he said. “I want to be part of the communicating process because I feel that I can help somebody. I like people, and I like researching knowledge. Communicating, researching and helping are all parts of the learning process.” Fontanet pursued degrees in European history in Argentina and Latin American literature in Spain. Upon receiving his Ph.D., he participated in a work-abroad program with 30 other professors sent from the Ministry of Education to teach in Connecticut institutions. When he was a professor at Yale University, Fontanet decided to transfer to the University of North Carolina, where he taught for two years. Still in the pursuit of something more, he was impressed with Dr. Linda Materna, chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and took the offer to teach at Rider. “Linda Materna is a positive, active and creative person,” Fontanet said. “I felt like this was the place to be. So much was going on and I wanted to be a part of it.” Fontanet wants to establish two creative majors: Spanish communications and Latin American studies. The Spanish communications major would encompass all aspects of the Spanish media; Fontanet said he feels that students in general are not given enough opportunity to study these areas. Currently, he is hoping to develop a bilingual radio and television show at the University. “They would learn how to apply perfect Spanish in front of the camera and how to write proper Spanish for the Internet and newspaper,” he said. The second major is Latin American studies, which he supported with two reasons for its importance. “In the 2000 elections, there were 5.9 million Spanish voters,” Fontanet said. “In the upcoming 2008 elections, there will be 13 million.” Latin American studies are also vital to students for economic reasons, according to Fontanet. “The necessity to have the Americas work together toward the free trade is essential,” he said. “To complement invest- Photo by Danielle Phillips Dr. Hernan Fontanet, the newest professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, is looking to bring new opportunities to students interested in international affairs. ment into international trade, an interdisciplinary major, including history, literature and business administration, would benefit profusely.” Fontanet also said that Portuguese is the largest spoken language in South America. “It’s not a widely taught language here,” he said. “We need to expand our studies in this matter. We need to study the cultural and social anthropology as well as the politics of South America.” Fontanet hopes to set up student internships with Telemundo and Univision as well as provide an opportunity to work and study in Latin American countries for a semester. It is an understatement to say he is a strong advocate for exposing students to the real world. His hobbies include playing soccer — he plays every Saturday afternoon — playing chess, writing and playing the clarinet. Fontanet also admits to being a movie buff. “The last time I [watched] TV was five years ago,” he said. “I love movies. I suggest watching at least one movie per day.” Fontanet held a showing of Motorcycle Diaries in Conover Hall on Oct. 4. The Oscarwinning film is about the life of Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevera. It’s part of what he calls The Foreign Film Festival, an event that he hosts on the first Thursday of every month. Princeton provides city life for Sanda students By Laura Mortkowitz Lily and Vera walk Rider’s campus like any other students. They head into Princeton twice a month, see a movie and shop for clothes and makeup. They are typical students. Their dorm room has chocolates on the desk and a box with a purse in it. They like to buy Coach purses for presents. There is nothing particularly different about these two young women and their daily lives from others on campus. Except Lily and Vera are students from China. Lily’s Chinese name is Gong Jieqiong and Vera’s Chinese name is Zhang Xiaowei (in China, surnames come first). Originally, they are students from Sanda University in Shanghai, China, and now they are visiting the United States while they complete one and two-year study programs at Rider. The room they live in holds all of their belongings in the U.S. The closet is packed more than the usual students’, and other items they have bought over the last months have accumulated on the floor when they ran out of space. Their time is often spent studying and attending class. While the rest of the students go home for winter and summer breaks, Gong and Zhang, along with the rest of the Sanda students, take classes. “They’re like mini-classes,” Zhang explained. “They’re like three weeks long and we take classes every day.” During these breaks for the rest of students, the Rider campus is relatively quiet and empty, and there isn’t much available to the Sanda students in the way of entertainment. So they have to go off campus to spend their time that is not being used to study. Since the two young women live in Shanghai when they’re home, Princeton is a fairly large difference for them. They compare Shanghai to New York City. “It’s a big city,” Gong said. “It’s very large and busy.” Living at Rider does not allow them to have that same experience of being right in the heart of things and well within walking distance of any shops they might need. The suburban setting is almost difficult for the girls and the other Sanda students as they try to adjust. Their only ways of getting to Princeton to shop is to either rely on the buses or on any friends with cars on campus. Zhang says she also hangs out with many American students, who can drive her into town so she doesn’t have to rely on the buses. It’s less of a hassle if she can get a friend, but it still isn’t convenient. “The town is so small and quiet compared to Shanghai,” Zhang said. However, they spend their time in town the same way countless other young women do. Princeton has a number of shops that they enjoy going to, such as the Coach store. The purses are great gifts for these students to buy for friends and family back home, since they are considerably lower in price here than they are over in China. “We go shopping, a lot,” they said together. Clothes, shoes, makeup, hand products. Anything and everything is shopped for in Princeton. The price of these items is lower here because of the currency exchange. Plus, those items that are large brand names are cheaper. “At home we don’t have those types of products,” said Zhang. “China imports things so the price is higher.” “Especially makeup,” Gong added. Zhang has a certain weakness for the Lindt chocolate store. The outside doesn’t look like a typical shop and inside, the store is wall-to-wall bags and boxes and truffles. Right now on Zhang’s desk is a bag of extra dark truffles. “I buy a lot of chocolate,” Zhang admitted with a laugh. At home, Lindt chocolate isn’t as readily available to her as it is when she’s here at Rider. Neither Gong nor Zhang has seen any plays at the well-known McCarter Theater, though Zhang went there a year ago to see a Chinese singing group. Both girls are returning to China on Dec. 25. Although Gong has only been here for one year, Zhang has already been here for two. Gong is studying for her Master of Business Association (MBA). Zhang completed three years of school at Sanda and then came to Rider to complete her fourth and then her fifth year as part of her Master of Accounting (MAcc) program. For now, both girls will continue to go into town in order to get anything they might need in the room or any presents they send home. “It’s nice here, but too quiet,” Zhang said. “We’re used to the city.” Friday, October 5, 2007 7 The Dating Game Student competes for the love of a Maxim model on MTV’s new reality show By Andrew Straub For many students, August usually symbolizes the end of summer and a time to start preparing to head back to school. This was not the case for Ryan Creighton, a senior business management major from Flemington, N.J. At the end of August, Creighton’s summer was just beginning to heat up. Creighton was selected to fly out to Los Angeles and be a cast member on MTV’s new reality dating show, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, which airs next week. This isn’t Creighton’s first MTV venture. Previously, he tried out for another dating show that never made it to the airwaves. But Creighton remained friends with a fellow contestant who had connections with casting agencies. “I found a link on Facebook that one of my buddies, who I met from another pilot show on MTV, showed me,” said Creighton. “I filled the form out and started going through phone interviews, then I sent in a videotape and next thing I knew I was flying out to California.” A Shot at Love centers upon 16 men and 16 women who compete with each other to win the affection of Maxim and Penthouse cover model Tila Tequila, who is bisexual. The catch? Tequila’s sexual preference was not revealed to the male contestants until a few days into the filming of the show. This twist came as a complete shock to Creighton and his male competitors, he said. “We were a few days into it and we had a pool party at the house,” he said. “Tila said that she had a surprise for us. All of a sudden, 16 girls walk out on the back patio and we were all just stunned. We had no idea what was going on.” Creighton found the entire experience incredibly eye-opening. He affectionately describes Photo copyright MTV.com Photo copyright Myspace.com Senior Ryan Creighton (bottom left) competes with 15 men and 16 women to win the love of Tila Tequila on MTV’s newest reality venture A Shot at Love, which premieres next week. Tequila as “crazy, like no woman I have ever encountered.” It wasn’t only Tequila’s dynamic personality that threw Creighton off-guard. This was the first time he found himself competing for a woman’s affection against other women. “The [women] on the show had a whole different set of emotions,” said Creighton. “They were aggressive and didn’t want anyone to have who they were going after, so they were protective of their boundaries.” As the premiere of A Shot at Love approaches, Creighton’s friends are still “astonished” that they’ll be seeing him when they tune in. “When they see the commercials run, they can’t believe it,” he said. “This show is the biggest TV show MTV has ever done. It’s a groundbreaking show.” When he’s not vying for the attention of gorgeous bisexual cover girls, Creighton can be found on the Lawrenceville campus making full use of the SRC’s fitness center or playing intramural football and basketball. When looking back on his experiences with such a large, diverse cast of contestants, Creighton attributes his outgoing sociability to the relationships he built at college. “Everyone is just very open with each other at Rider,” said Creighton. “The whole campus is almost like one big family, so you get to get close to a lot of people very quickly, and that’s what I had to do.” Although he is contractually prohibited to give away too many inside secrets on A Shot at Love, Creighton can offer just one teaser. “A lot of hooking up is going to be going on,” he said. “On my part, her part, everybody’s doing a lot of spit-swapping.” A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila premieres Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 10 p.m. on MTV. October’s Starbucks concerts Here are the upcoming artists set to perform for the Starbucks Live Music Series. The concerts are held every Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the SRC lobby. October 6: Andrew Vladeck October 13: HelenaMarie 8 9 Friday, October 5, 2007 ‘Halo 3’ an unlikely social blessing ‘Ratatouille’ spices up screen Chris Taylor had only been working at the GameStop in the nearby Quakerbridge Mall for about a month when the muchanticipated Halo 3 was released last week. Taylor thought he’d have to face crazed fans and utter chaos when his store decided to plan a midnight release of the game. But that night was nothing compared to what happened the following weekend. Taylor, a senior double psychology and English major, was working in the store on Saturday, Sept. 29, when a customer walked in and made the strangest request Taylor had ever heard. “[The customer] opens up his zipper bag and out comes a [Nintendo] Wii,” Taylor said. “Half the people in the store were just staring at it. And he goes, ‘Yeah, I wanna trade this in.’” The customer, according to Taylor, wanted to trade his current system, valued at $170, and use that money toward an Xbox 360 and Halo 3, which would cost more than $400. “He spent $430 just to play one game,” Taylor said. “I guarantee that didn’t happen in any other store except ours.” Released exclusively for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Halo 3 falls under the category of first-person shooter games. Gamers can choose either the single-player campaign or the multiplayer mode. According to Taylor, the Halo series is a game for both serious and casual gamers. “It’s so easy to pick up and play,” he said. While Taylor doesn’t think Halo 3 is worth trading in one’s worldly possessions for, he admits that the game has a fierce attraction among college students. Senior By Oliver Joszt By Jess Decina Greg Binder, who’s had the game since the early morning hours of Sept. 25, has been engulfed by this tide. “When people used to ask me what the date was, I used to figure it out according to when Halo came out,” he said. “It turned out to be a pretty big anticipation.” On the night of the release, Binder bolted out of a late-night rehearsal, picked up the game (“There was no one on line; I just picked it up immediately,” he said) and was back in his room by 12:30 that morning. “I played it until six in the morning,” Binder said. “When you’re playing Halo, time means nothing.” Binder wasn’t the only student who ran to the mall that night. Senior Bryan Arenas was the ninth person in line for the game and had finished it before most students had begun to wake up. “The first thing I did was call everyone I knew to tell them I had beaten the game already,” he said. “They all said, ‘If you tell me what happens, I’ll kill you.’” The game’s single-player mode takes only about six hours to beat, according to Binder. This lack of complexity in the game’s plot is arguably one of Halo 3’s biggest weaknesses, Binder said. “Compared to other games, it’s relatively short,” he said. “But it has a lot going for it. There’s four levels of difficulty and all these secrets you can get.” Halo 3 also has special features that its two predecessors didn’t have. One of Binder’s favorite aspects of the game is Forge, where players can alter maps as they please. “If you want to add a vehicle or weapon anywhere you want, you can,” he said. Photo by Stephanie Nardi Senior Greg Binder and sophomore Jess Gallicchio duke it out in a Halo 3 multiplayer match. The game, released at midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 25 for XBox 360, has pulled many students into its addictive, thrilling atmosphere. Another feature allows players to film and store their matches. This feature was a great ego boost for Binder, who proudly replayed his best games for others to see. “You can film any part of the game you want,” he said. “You can also download other people’s videos from on-line to your XBox.” But both Arenas and Binder agree: You don’t play Halo 3 for the single-player campaign or the flashy features. Halo 3’s greatest strength lies in multiplayer mode, where up to 16 players can compete against each other. “It’s going on with your friends and having all of these messed up strategies that you’ll never do in real life,” Binder said. “It’s about communicating: the trash CD Review By Jess Royko Rascal Flatts has done it again. After the tremendous success of its 2006 album Me and My Gang, fans could only wonder just how much better these boys could get. After only one year, Rascal Flatts follows up the success of its previous album by releasing Still Feels Good, which is its fifth album to date since the band’s arrival in 2000. The boys are all about bringing quality music to the fans, and this trio has never sounded better. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney bring their best to this album with their outstanding vocals and undeniable skill for making great music. The Rascal Flatts record speaks for itself. In 2006, the band became the best selling artist in all genres of music. The boys of Rascal Flatts manage to harmoniously blend the sounds of country and pop together while adding their own classic style to it. They deliver just enough emotional songs, ranging from heartfelt love to tormented heartache, to please the fans. The band members don’t hold anything back on this new album. They “Better Now” invoke sadness and pain in the fans with their powerful lyrics. While “Help Me Remember” speaks of love gone astray, “Better Now” tells a story of lost love and regret. Both have an equally profound emotional impact on the fans. However, it’s not all about love songs; there are a few “feel-good” catchy songs on the album as well. Rascal Flatts has been criticized for being more of a pop band than a country one, so the boys make sure to incorporate that country twang into their fast-paced, catchy song entitled “Bob That Head.” It’s a great song that will leave fans snapping their fingers and moving to the beat. Rascal Flatts makes sure fans do just what the song says: “Bob that head/Every Friday night/Got the windows rolled down/The seat reclined/ Givin’ everybody that rock on sign/Yeah, turn it up to ten/Hey y’all join in/Bob that head.” The album ends on a very somber and tragic note, opening fans’ eyes to the harsh realities of the world. The last song on the album, “It’s Not Supposed to Go Like That,” tells two stories of accidents that led to death. It begins with two boys playing with guns and moves to a story of drinking and driving. The powerful lyrics, co-written by country star Bobby Pinson, have a tremendously deep emo- talk [and] being good at it.” Arenas, also a big fan of multiplayer mode, is looking forward to hosting Halo parties — get-togethers where all of his friends can play the game. “I love the atmosphere that it brings,” Arenas said. “Getting a group of your friends together to play is a lot of fun.” What do you get when you add an Oscar-winning writer, a pinch of Pixar’s amazing animation studio and a dash of Disney’s magic? You get a recipe for Ratatouille, not only the best animated film of the year, but one of the best films of the year so far. People may be sick of the recent ambush of animated films filled with talking critters, but Ratatouille is completely different from all of those movies. It is not filled with shrill comments crammed with bad pop culture references and even worse jokes. Instead, this movie is gorgeous, not only externally but internally, too. Ratatouille stars a rat named Remy (Patton Oswald), who is blessed with an unusually keen sense of smell and infatuated with great food. His family doesn’t understand his obsession with gourmet food and disapproves of his human ambitions. After an unfortunate cooking accident, Remy is separated from his family and winds up in Paris. One evening Remy sneaks into an ex-legendary restaurant, Gusteau’s, and using his amazing sense of smell, cooks a delicious soup. Simultaneously, a downon-his-luck garbage boy, funnily enough named Linguini (Lou Romano), takes credit for Remy’s delicious, critically acclaimed soup. Linguini is then asked to start cooking for the restaurant. He enlists the help of Remy, so they have to learn to work with each other, avoid discovery and deal with all the pressures that threaten their unique partnership. Among one of the threats is Anton Ego (Peter O’ Toole), a very judgmental and unsympathetic critic. Ego has already ruined the late chef Gusteau’s reputation. His office is strikingly in a shape of a coffin in order to signify morbid and lifeless emotions. Visually, Ratatouille is dazzling and beautiful, like all of Pixar’s films. The fine grain of every image in the film is perfection. One can see the scratches on the pot and the fine details on each hair on Remy. Even Paris looks brilliantly crafted from the sewers to the rooftops. Brad Bird comes back with another amazing screenplay after his Oscar-winning film The Incredibles. His ideas are always easy to grasp, yet stretch far beyond the typical animated film. He turns our perceptions of what we know about rats against us. The film is also a smart commentary on society’s love affair with food and food-related programs. The majority of us, at one time or another, have watched the Food Network. Also, there is an onslaught of reality food shows appearing on TV, such as Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. Furthermore, Remy teaches us that we can strive to become something better than we are expected to be in life. Remy is a rat, but his dreams are bigger than he is. He does not let his handicap of being a rat get him down. At the same time, Remy has to decide whether being a chef is more important than his unruly family, who do not care what they eat. The movie hints at the importance of family and the dreams you choose to pursue. Ratatouille is packed with the best elements of story-writing to create a complex world. Ultimately, Ratatouille leaves viewers ready for seconds. Photo copyright Walt Disney Pictures Remy t h e rat tries to catch a break in the film Ratatouille, which will be shown in the BLC Theater at 7:30 tonight. iTunes single bids goodnight to pop newcomers Country music’s Rascals return with fifth CD co-write at least five songs and also get contributions from fellow country stars Kenny Chesney and Bobby Pinson. They even kick it up a notch by collaborating with Jamie Foxx on the song “She Goes All The Way.” Rascal Flatts doesn’t disappoint fans as they showcase beautiful lyrics and a mature sound to its latest album, Still Feels Good. The first single, entitled “Take Me There” begins the album with an upbeat tone. With its catchy tune and cute lyrics, “There’s a place in your heart nobody’s been/Take me there/Tell me about your mama, your daddy, your hometown/Show me around/I want to see it all/Don’t leave anything out,” the members of Rascal Flatts prove why they are so successful. This song gives fans a chance to hear the band’s classic sound. “Here” is another inspiring track about finding love and surviving the painful road to get there. The song follows the journey of someone who swears he would “relive all the years/and be thankful for the tears/I’ve cried with every stumbled step/ that led to you and got me here.” The album nicely transitions from love songs to songs of heartbreak and loneliness. Rascal Flatts tackles the pain of heartache while emotionally reaching out to its fans. Such tracks as “Help Me Remember” and SEC Film Review By Jordan Blum Photo copyright Lyric Street Records The members of Rascal Flatts released their fifth album on Sept. 25. tional impact: “It’s not intended to end that way/Life is a journey constantly turning/Down an unknown path/But it’s not supposed to go like that.” Rascal Flatts cleverly named its latest album Still Feels Good. The boys successfully show that it still feels good for them to be on top and why they are destined to stay there. Fans are left satisfied after listening to the beautifully inspiring and heartfelt lyrics of the boys’ latest album. Tragedy, heartache, love and plain old fun are all wrapped into one album, leaving fans feeling good. Each week Apple’s iTunes store features a “Single of the Week,” which comes from an “artist or a band who’s on the cusp of success,” according to iTunes. Often times the songs are very hit or miss. Newcomer The Last Goodnight is the newest band to be featured as iTunes’ “Single of the Week.” The track, entitled “Pictures of You,” comes from its debut album Poison Kiss. The band may have made a mistake releasing the track for free, because the track isn’t even worth the time it takes to download it. The quintet met in high school and earlier this year, Virgin Records signed them. The group’s songwriting has been compared to the brilliance of Elton John and Supertramp, among others. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Last Goodnight is completely and utterly ordinary. At around three minutes, the track conforms to the expected length of a pop/ rock song. As a matter of fact, every aspect of the music is cookie-cutter. The vocals are slightly raspy but still don’t stand out as anything unique. The production keeps all the instruments at an even level. The construction of the song follows iTunes offers free sights and sounds Photo copyright Virgin Records The Last Goodnight released its first album entitled Poison Kiss on Aug. 28. The band’s single, “Pictures of You,” was featured as iTunes’ “Single of the Week.” the standard and unexciting order of verse, chorus and bridge. True, other groups have used these templates, but their melodies were better, the vocals surprising and the timbre interesting. Lyrically, the song reeks of rule-book writing. The singer uses too many metaphors for what are “pictures of you, pictures of me, reminds us all of what we used to be.” This piece is begging to be used as the opening of a corny CW network drama involving wealthy high school kids with problems. If the words provided some intrigue, it might make the whole package a little more worthwhile. Overall, there is no conceivable reason to spend three minutes with “Pictures of You.” The song itself isn’t necessarily bad. The insult and scoff comes when it is compared to the countless tracks it is derived from. There is nothing original or worthwhile here, and it is shocking they were signed to a major label. Let’s hope this is the last of The Last Goodnight. College students aren’t known for having money to spare, so they like when something free comes along. The place with a lot of (legally) free stuff is iTunes. This on-line music store doesn’t offer just one free single, but a variety. A section on the homepage, under Staff Favorites, is labeled “Free on iTunes.” Click on “See All” for free TV episodes. Every week iTunes offers a free Spanish single, plus a “Discovery & Download” single of different genres. Pilot episodes for new shows like Back to You and Gossip Girl are also available. Season premiere episodes for returning shows, like Desperate Housewives and Everybody Hates Chris, have free episodes. You’ll need to sign up for an iTunes account before downloading. iTunes asks for a credit card, but it won’t get charged unless you purchase something. Check back every Tuesday when iTunes replaces the previous week’s singles. As for the free episodes, they stick around a little longer. 10 Friday, October 5, 2007 Editorial: Lack of clarity hinders progress I f you don’t get it right the first time, you do it again until you get it right. That’s an invaluable lesson we all learned at a very young age and one that Rider needs to heed if its new rules and policies will bring about the change so desperately needed. There is no question that student safety is at the heart of the matter of the new regulations and that effort merits an A+. On the other hand, the administration earns a C+ at best for its enforcement and publicizing of information from the 18-page Presidential Task Force report. In an informal focus group conducted in a philosophy course on Thursday, Oct. 4, only four students out of the class of about two-dozen knew about the Task Force or policies. The ones who did know were athletes and members of fraternities or sororities. Fraternity brothers and sorority sisters were required to attend a Greek 101 meeting (with the penalty of a fine for not going) where the topics addressed included the alcohol policy. Athletes had a speaker who spoke candidly about abusive drinking. Those efforts represent the type of education that should be reinforced. Waving a big stick at underage students and telling them not to drink may be a must, but having seminars and sessions where students learn to recognize the symptoms of alcohol poisoning should also be given top priority. While the new policies require resident students to sign that they have received and understood the alcohol policy, we all know that many simply put their “John Hancocks” on the dotted line without even giving a second glance. And that is exactly the problem. Inaccurate rumors swirling around campus about the new policies are the first and only thing some students hear. One of the aspects of the policy that is unclear is the definition of a party. Previously, resident advisers would tell their students a room with six or more people could be considered a party. Now, the new policy has no explicit definition. It’s understandable that policy makers were reluctant to be too precise. But the incident this past weekend at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house had the dynamics of what anyone with common sense would call a party. Fifteen to 30 people in the basement at approximately 4 a.m., as police officers on the scene reported, is not what many would suspect to be a study session. The administration may be trying to provide students with some leeway when hanging out, but this is obviously not working. What makes matters worse is the way the University handled media reports regarding this latest incident. University spokesperson Dan Higgins insisted to media, “there was no party,” even though as of Wednesday afternoon he said he had not yet spoken with the Lawrence Township Police Department. There is not going to be a magical solution that makes everything better. But, the “winking” that is going on by some has got to stop. When it is all said and done, though, it is time for students to start acting like responsible adults. Every move students make is being scrutinized by the media, who are ready to pounce on Rider since Gary DeVercelly’s death. A frat-house fight that might have resulted in a news brief in the past became headline news. That’s the hand we’ve been dealt. But we can still win if we students start taking responsibility and show them that Rider is on the right course. This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor. Quote of the Week “Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often In the W ords of Student Reactio s: ns to th e Task For ce ‘I think in [the poli some aspects cies are ‘I think ] workin but I do all t g n’t thin e qually im he rules are k enoug people o h n of them portant and all about it campus know ar to make why [the e the reason it effectiv ] campus e.’ night.’ is sad at * ‘They ’re * a lot ha rsher on Greek L ife.’ ‘No[ne] of t u * nderage hem prevent ‘I hear t drinking ha .’ rooms y t in the dorm ou can h av and not * hing hap e parties ‘R ider isn’ pens.’ t fun an ymore.’ Think About It: Moral fiber is fine-tuned over time Like most college students, I was just about 18 years old when I first arrived at Rider as a freshman. At the risk of plagiarizing that insipid song from Rent, this means I was alive and well for 6,570 days, about 157,000 hours, or around 9,460,000 minutes. Gregory J. Sullivan, an associate at a Hamilton law firm, thinks that this wasn’t enough time for me, or for you, to earn the right to make decisions as individuals (“Cultivating moral fiber,” The Rider News, 9/28/07). Mr. Sullivan discusses how, back before the evils of the 1960s took their hold on the collective mind of America, schools acted in loco parentis and “regulated the personal conduct of the students over whom they had responsibility.” His words, not mine. Mind you, this was also the grand old time when homosexuality was a disease, and the phrase “separate but equal” was in vogue, but if you happened to be a straight, white student who could afford to go to college, you sure as sugar weren’t going to be getting yourself buzzed. In all seriousness, let’s look at the actual issue. Mr. Sullivan believes that Rider has a problem far deeper than we realize, JP and that this problem requires a solution far Krahel more sweeping than the one currently being enacted. In short, he asserts that the administration has dropped the ball by not implementing a more severe system of behavioral regulation, specifically one involving parental notification. The envisioned end result of this policy is the preparation of college students for “responsible citizenship in a regime of ordered liberty.” After all, nothing promotes responsible citizenship and liberty like saying, See Moral, p. 11 Editorial & Managerial Board Executive Editor Sports Editor Managing Editor Assistant Sports Editor News Editors Photography Editor Olivia Tattory Charles Guthrie Paul Mullin Kristie Kahl Jeff Frankel Paul Szaniawski Stephanie Nardi Features and Entertainment Editor Jess Decina Assistant Features and Entertainment Editor Laura Mortkowitz Opinion Editor Assistant Photography Editor Karly Hamburg Enterprise Reporter Stephanie Mostaccio Delivery Manager Tom Cooper Advertising Managers Faina Sandler Rachel Boyes Business Manager Erin Massano Webmasters Jung Kwon Keith Raymond Copy Editors Stephanie Mostaccio Annmarie Mercieri Faculty Advisers Dr. E. Graham McKinley Dr. Thomas Simonet Jamie Papapetros we grab greedily for the day, letting www.theridernews.com tomorrow bring what it will, putting 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 (ridernews@rider.edu), 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. off the unpleasant and unpopular.” — Bernard M. Baruch Friday, October 5, 2007 Letter to the Editor: Support for new alcohol policies I think we might be in trouble. Why, I ask rhetorically? The answer is because the most pressing issue amongst our students, me included, seems to be the new alcohol policy. Before I go any further and give people the wrong idea, I’ll stop myself because the point of this piece isn’t to condemn the behavioral patterns of a college student. It is, in fact, something wholly different. Maybe it’s just me, but I personally think that this new alcohol policy is a step in the right direction. The reason for this is that, simply put, anything would have been better than the previous one. The old one was punitive, didn’t correct the problem and was a disaster in situations where people who were legally allowed to drink were living with students who were not, and alcohol was being consumed. The new policy seems to try to prevent another serious alcohol incident from happening again, which is, of course, the best recourse to take in the wake of the events that took place last spring. Sure, the policy has some cutthroat wording and will actually be enforced, but I think it’s by far a fairer way of doing business. Granted, any alcohol policy is a real “buzz kill” for the typical college student on weekends and 11 ‘Maybe it’s just me, but I personally think that this new alcohol policy is a step in the right direction.’ - Andrew Kaspereen some weekdays. But in terms of a program that really seems to be out to keep the well-being of students intact, I’d say this is one of the better ones. In fact, life in the residence halls remains largely the same. The people who are hit hardest by it are the Greek houses, and to you Greeks, I will say I understand your frustration. The same standards weren’t being applied to you as were in the regular housing areas. I will also say, with the utmost respect to your members, it’s only fair, not right or wrong, that you are held to the same standards as we who live in the residence halls are. So what does all this mean? Just that I think the University’s approach to alcohol has made a drastic change for the better, especially when concerning itself with the actual safety of the student body rather than punitive measures. Does it change things? Well, yes, it most certainly does; however, the policy before it was by no means a real step in any direction and was muddled and confusing. Will it work? I suppose that is only an answer that time can provide. —Andrew Kaspereen Junior, Secondary Education The Insider: RAs facilitate community building At 7 a.m., draped in pajamas and my hair a mess, I walk to the hall office in my fuzzy pink slippers to finish a night of duty. I reset the office phone and return the block to its rightful place. I mosey back up the stairs to dress and hurriedly gather my books. On the way, one of my residents asks me a bubbly question, and even though it’s early, I respond cheerfully. As a Resident Adviser (RA), its my mandate to see that no one roams these halls a stranger. As a community, we can look to the Community Values Statement to see which principles strive to unite us all. On my quest to fulfill the second mission, I continue with my day. I rush to appear half-decent and half-prompt to class. The professor asks the class about a campus event that I received a voicemail about earlier that day. I instinctively resist the temptation to blurt out the information and instead wait to see if anyone says anything first. I give in and tell the professor what I know. I appear as a Ms. Know-it-all, but that is far from the truth. Later, I report to a staff meeting and disclose my plans for future programs. I discuss what I have learned about my residents through living and interactJetty ing with them. Hartsky Returning to my room, I realize that it is 9:30 p.m. and I still have not touched a smidgen of my homework. I think to myself, I have plenty of time, since I don’t have class until mid-morning. However, at this hour, plowing through two acts of Shakespeare is not my cup of tea. Although I am tempted to become a hermit in the midst of my work, I open my door. I want my residents to feel welcome. I have seen many relationships nourished within my community members. Paper slips lie on my desk containing interesting facts about my residents. Perusing through them, I find that there are similar interests and distastes among them. Future programs will surely incorporate these things. Last year, I wanted my residents to see the scope of opportunities that college life offers. More specifically, I wanted my Moral, from p. 10 “We’ll tell your dad if we catch you.” The fact is that we have implemented such a system. As much as you or I may disagree with it, parental notification is now part and parcel of any alcohol-related punishment, no matter how minor the infraction. Of course, if you’re quiet about it, or if your Resident Advisor decides to look the other way, nothing bad will happen, rendering the entire system ineffectual. This week’s incident at Zeta Beta Tau proves how easily our new system can be subverted. So what’s to be done? To return to my original point, your parents and my parents had an 18-year head start on getting the right idea into our heads before we went off to college. From birth, they had every opportunity to lead by example, to live exemplary lives in the hopes that we might be courageous enough to do the responsible thing in the face of peer pressure. They had the opportunity to take us aside before we got into the car, or the bus or the plane and say, “We know you’ll make us proud.” What I mean to say is that by the time high school is over, your character ought to be more or less solid. Your perspective may broaden, and hopefully it will, but the basic way in which you approach life’s challenges will likely not be much different when you leave Rider than it was when you came in. College is called “post-secondary education” because it is designed to enrich. It is a stepping stone, a chance for young men and women to test the waters of freedom before being saddled with the responsibility of a family or a job. While education is a lifelong affair, the essential development of one’s character begins and ends at home, plain and simple. female residents to know that there was more to experience, other than social events, clubs and organizations. I hosted a program that focused on the fact that maintenance of one’s selfimage, electronicimage, networking abilities and career opportunities can begin now. About 20 people attended my program, “College Life: It’s Photo illustration by Karly Hamburg Your Life,” and I Rider University’s Statement of Community Values was adopted in 2001.This was honored with article and photo illustration highlights one of the eight principles. This is the first the Residence Life column in a series that will examine whether these missions are upheld. Program of the Year Award. After the nent, a part of the main.” In program, as a newly formed way to facilitate connections. Having better things to do short, we exist as a landscape group of motivated, careerthan to be chums with their of people. Everything done, minded young women, these neighbors, many say that they or not done, has an effect on residents felt a special connection with one another. They do not want to be bothered. I someone else. Do we have tunnel vision? had the opportunity to make a challenge this. Wouldn’t it be nice to be acquainted enough Or will we accept this? What few more faces familiar. Programming helps to with your neighbors that if can unite us? I chose the RA acquaint people with one you sneezed in the bathroom, position because I wanted to be another. I use programming to the person next to you would there for my peers. The other reinforce that no one roams these actually say, “Bless You?” If RAs on campus and I work to halls a stranger. The commu- your hands were full, wouldn’t ensure that no one roams these nity I live in is building itself, it be helpful if someone opened halls a stranger. — Jetty Hartsky and I am a mere observer and a door for you? This is what a community does; it takes care Kroner Resident Advisor supporter. When closed doors of its members in the simplest Junior, English mark residence halls, how does one engineer a community? If of ways. As John Donne, an English This is the first column in a the goal is to build community, poet, wrote, “No man is an series that will take a critical what can one do in the face island, entire of itself; every look at the fulfillment of the of disunity? Be available, be receptive and go out of your man is a piece of the conti- Community Values Statement. The Rider News, Ridge House 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 896-5256 Fax: (609) 895-5696 www.theridernews.com E-mail us at: ridernews@rider.edu; newssection@rider.edu; featuressection@rider.edu; entertainmentsection@rider.edu; opinionsection@rider.edu; sportssection@rider.edu. 12 Friday, October 5, 2007 Letter to the Editor: Teaching English on summer excursion E This past summer, while some of my friends went on vacation and others worked to make money, I got a chance to do both. From June 27 to July 23, I lived in Fuzhou, China, where I helped teach Chinese children conversational English. I went with seven other students from Rider — Jimmy Lo, Lauren Rogers, Shareef Hardin, Mandi Magnuson-Hung, Josanne Sampson, Richard Griffin and Ian Hoffer — and one student from the University of Delaware, Joseph Randall. It was an experience I will never forget. I always wanted to go on a study-abroad trip, and this was long enough for me to experience another culture and short enough for me to be ready to come back home. Dr. Minmin Wang, adviser for the program, commented during a pre-departure meeting that in order to understand one’s own culture, a person should be immersed in another culture. That became clear to me during my time in China, and I learned a lot about myself. My mom’s side of my family is Chinese, and being in Beijing, Fuzhou and Xia’men gave me the opportunity to explore my roots, understand the Chinese culture and see the history that makes up a piece of c le tion 2008 I visited many tourist attractions, including the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. I had seen pictures of these places on the Internet but to actually be there was surreal. This was also the perfect time of year to visit the country and capital, as China prepares to host the 2008 Olympics. But the best part of my experience was teaching at the summer camp in Fuzhou. We spent two weeks teaching Chinese children, ranging in age from 8-17, conversational English. We created lesson plans and used English songs and games to speak English with the kids. While it was at times challenging, it was one of the most rewarding experiences to hear the kids say at the end of the camp that they didn’t want to leave and that this was the highlight of their summer. Photo by Alexandra Samuel I had the opportunity to work with very talented Students who taught English in Fuzhou, China come English and Chinese students. We taught classes with together as the three-week program comes to end: front, the help of Chinese assistants who helped bridge the Alexandra Samuel and Joseph Randall; second row from language barrier between the kids and us. The assisleft, Jane (Chinese assistant), Richard Griffin, Lauren Rogtants were more than just assistants. I hadn’t expected ers, Mechelle and Van(Chinese assistants), Fanny (coordithat I would fly home to America with the thought of nator), Mandi Magnuson-Hung, Shareef Hardin, Josanne one day wanting to go back to China. I forged relaSampson and Jimmy Lo. tionships there that leave me with a reason to return. who I am. While some of my friends had difficul- Going to another country can change a person, ties dealing with the different foods and the hot and and doing it as a study-abroad this summer gave me humid weather, these were things that I was familiar the opportunity to receive credit, explore my culture with. I really enjoyed the food in China because for and take a vacation all at once. me it was authentic, unlike the Chinese food that we — Alexandra Samuel have here in America. Senior, Journalism 2008 Presidential Corner: Obama, Romney near front of pack of ’08 contenders With much of the nation’s focus on would be a welthe war in Iraq, it is difficult to believe comed benefit. that the government is truly concentrat- As I am runing on the topics that directly benefit ning out of room, us. However, with the 2008 Presidential it is important to Election fast approaching, it is time for address one last everyone, college students included, to topic that directly set aside this cynical view. It is time relates to our lives Katelyn to take a closer look at the candidates as students — Friel promising to make the necessary changes America’s educato strengthen our nation. At the fore- tion system. front is one of the Democratic party’s Wishing to strengthen every level of leading candidates: Sen. Barack Obama education, Obama believes college should be affordable and that everyone should of Illinois. Who is Sen. Barack Obama? Most have an equal opportunity to pursue notably, he is a presidenhigher education. His strattial candidate. Elected into egy to facilitate these pursuits the U.S. Senate in 2004, is through maximizing fedhe strongly believes in the eral college aid by changing promotion of responsible the Pell Grant’s highest award fatherhood and putting a amount. He also strives to stop to the growing trend “increase need-based aid and of government corruption. decrease the fees and interest Like the other Democratic rates on student loans.” For candidates, Sen. Obama is all of us with tens of thouGetty Images Photo sands of dollars in student zeroing in on matters that Barack H. Obama will bring national and loans waiting for us upon international change. He graduation, Obama’s proposal is against the war in Iraq and is promis- is certainly one to consider when making ing to have a complete withdrawal of the our choice for the primary election. troops by the end of next year. Along Whether Democrat or Republican, with hopes to end the war, he intends conservative or liberal, these labels to strengthen America’s waning interna- become obsolete if you do not make the effort to get out there and learn about tional relations and public image. Setting international relations aside, the candidates. As American citizens, we on the home front, Obama is making must take the reins, harnessing the powa strong push to implement a universal er that is rightfully ours. We can direct health-care system. Nearly 50 million the changes we wish to see our nation Americans are without health coverage. make. All it takes is to become informed He plans to ensure that every American and, in turn, make sound, reasoned deciis eligible for health coverage, save the sions. No longer do we have the excuse average family nearly $2,500 a year in that the information is inaccessible. Go co-pays and “require that all children onto Sen. Obama’s MySpace page or his have health care coverage.” Sooner rather official website, www.barackobama.com, than later, we will be responsible for pay- and learn more about this candidate. He, ing for hospital visits, prescriptions and along with all of the other candidates, aging parents’ medical bills. When this have something to say. Now, it is our happens, a universal health-care system time to listen and act. The presidential campaign race for In addition 2008 has a lot of strong candidates, to this, Romney each just as qualified as the next. proposes that taxPresident George Bush’s term is wind- es be reduced for ing down and both Republican and the middle class. Democratic hopefuls are proposing a However, this is variety of changes. Mitt Romney, a for- more of a concept mer Massachusetts Republican gover- than a game plan. Nadine nor, takes a moderate approach. Instead He mentions a Tester of a complete overhaul, Romney wants lot of topics that to refine a strategy here and a principle students in colthere. Romney has a lot of working lege are going to have to worry about in ideas, which he outlines in his Strategy the future: he wants medical care to be for a Stronger America. Found online in the hands of state legislatures, as will on his campaign website, this plans like social security. 68-page proposal includes full He feels that this will color pictures and focuses on encourage innovation. six of his main proposals for Federal spending at the the 2008 election. However, moment is putting our this isn’t a detailed proposal, future financial safety in and even though his plans jeopardy, and Romney may be hard to accomplish, wants to ensure us monthey have a solid foundation. ey when we retire. A lot of his ideas are Romney spends a compelling. He wants to end lot of his time focusGetty Images Photo the dependency on foreign ing on social issues like Mitt W. Romney oil, and focus instead on gay marriage and aborresearching alternate techtion, both of which he nologies for energy. He also wants to is strongly against. He feels that the amend and strengthen foreign ties, United States cannot stay a powerful especially with Latin America. He feels country if the family at home is falling that we’ve spent too much time abroad apart. and that it’s time to focus on our neigh- Romney’s main focus is about bors instead, compromising over things strength. He wants to build up the like drug trafficking and illegal immi- military, strengthen the economy, and gration. Romney wants to continue once again assert the power of America America’s tradition of being a nation of in the world. He cares about the chilimmigrants, but also wants to protect dren, the stability of the traditional family and the idea that American citithe rights of citizens. Some of the issues which he goes zens come first in our country. Romney into further detail about are containing has a lot of good ideas and proposals terrorism, including nuclear terrorism. that could really help the U.S. get He also wants to add 100,000 more out of debt and make progress in the troops, to help strengthen the nation’s future. However, if you read his Strategy defense. When it comes to the federal for a Stronger America, it lacks specifics. deficit, Romney promises to review all Romney is a strong candidate, but he of the government’s spending and make needs to show what he can really do, some cuts. not just talk about it. Friday, October 5, 2007 13 Broncs on eight-game skid, winless in MAAC VOLLEYBALL By Andrew Nelson The volleyball team suffered two more setbacks by losing to St. Peter’s and Fairfield, last week, and also losing to St. Peter’s yesterday, all conference matchups. The Broncs (1-15, 0-7 MAAC) lost to St. Peter’s 3-2, and Fairfield 3-0. Yesterday, the Broncs were matched up in a back and forth game with the Peahens at home. Rider was able to win the first game 30-24 behind the six kills of sophomore Brittany Hayes. Freshman Katelyn Thompson had three kills and junior Lacey Johnson added two kills. Rider built a quick 7-2 lead and ran into some trouble when the game was tied at 16 a piece. Rider then regained the lead and did not fall behind again the rest of the match to preserve the victory. After St. Peter’s took the series lead at 2-1 with a 30-28 win in game two, and a 30-25 win in game three, Rider needed to respond in game four. In game four, the Broncs fell behind 5-1 early. The Broncs fought back and were able to take the lead for good after being down 21-20. The Broncs scored three straight points courtesy of a kill by freshman Tara Nadasky, a service ace by freshman Amanda Piccolini, and a kill by Johnson. The Peahens were unable to recover at that point as Rider won the match 30-27 and forced a game five. Nadasky led the Broncs with five kills. Thompson had four kills in the match, Hayes had three, and Johnson had two of her own. In game five, the Broncs came up short as St. Peter’s took the game 15-13. The Broncs were able to tie the score at 13-13, but St. Peter’s scored two points on back-to-back kills by freshman Monique Flores. Rider finished the game with more digs (136-123) and a higher attack percentage than the Peahens. Johnson had 12 kills and 27 digs for the Broncs. Thompson had 15 kills and 31 digs, and Hayes had 19 kills to go with nine digs. The Broncs were in Conneticut last Friday to take on Fairfield (8-9, 5-1 MAAC) who won games by 30-20, 30-22, and 30-20. “It is a tough start, but we are working harder everyday to get better,” said Assistant Coach Michelle Walsh. According to Walsh the team is watching game film to analyze plays and dissect where the game went wrong. Standout performances against Fairfield were by Piccolini with 17 assists and 8 digs, Elyse Grassmuck had 13 assists, and sophomore Brittany Hayes finished off with 11 kills. Johnson was right behind her with 10 kills. Sophomore Amy Chapla, about Fairfield, says they are a very good team. The Stags are in fact the three-time regular season defending champion “Our ball control was very suspect,” Head Coach Emily Ahlquist told Rider Sports Information. “It just seemed like we were overmatched.” “We need to come out ready for the game,” sophomore Lacy Johnson says. “We need to hustle through the whole match, and push through the entire game.” The Broncs have lost eight straight games, and lost their first seven conference games. Rider will try to turn things around when they travel to New Rochelle, N.Y. for their next MAAC game against the Iona Gaels tomorrow at 2 p.m. Rider struggles at Lehigh CROSS COUNTRY By Eric Malave It was an unfortunate day for the Rider cross country teams, as neither performed as expected in the Brook’s Paul Short Invitational this past Friday at Lehigh University. The Rider men’s team finished 38th out of 41 teams and the Rider women placed 44th out of 47 teams. “We were hoping to show up and put together a solid performance from everyone,” junior Matt Dahl said. “I think we all left Lehigh on Friday with a serious sense of disappointment.” Finishing first for the men was senior John Smith, who placed 103rd out of the 268 men in the race. He completed the 8k course with a time of 25:54. Coming in 142nd place was junior Matt Dahl, who finished second for the Broncs with a time of 26:12. “Personally, Friday’s race was an all right performance,” said Dahl. “It turns out to be the second fastest five-mile race I’ve ever run, but I still look for a lot more out of myself.” Following Dahl was senior Jeff Stead, placing 217th with a time of 27:03. Lastly, sopho- more Phil Capaldi completed the course with a time of 27:14. As for the women, freshman Chelsea Callan finished first for the Broncs. Overall, she placed 212th out 314 women in the race, with a time of 23:52. Junior Kelly Wojciehowski finished the five-mile course with a time of 24:06, coming in 232nd. Crossing the finish line right behind Wojciehowski was junior Megan Crowe, who placed 247th with a time of 24:21. Crossing the finish line last for the Broncs was sophomore Kelsey Kohler. She placed 272nd with a time of 24:52. “I felt I ran hard, but it was not my best performance,” said Kohler. “I think that the hills at the end hit me hard on Friday and it was very hot when our race went off.” The Broncs entered the competition shorthanded, as three of their top runners— freshman Chris Gonzalez, sophomore Bob McCullough, and sophomore Lauren Lester— were not healthy enough to compete. However, the players agreed that this is no excuse for the results of Friday’s competition. Both teams faced trouble pacing themselves in the middle of the race. The girls did not maintain their pace from the start. Also, there were 30-second gaps in between the runners. “We just need to move those 30-second gaps faster,” said Wojciehowski. “We are working hard to learn to maintain our pace during the middle part of the race.” Both teams know that they can perform much better and hope to do so in the future. “There’s plenty of work that can be done and we can’t let the down performance at Lehigh get to us,” said Dahl. “We have to keep in mind that it’s still very early in the season.” Both Rider cross-country teams have important meets in the coming weeks. “Next week when we go to Penn State, hopefully we’ll prove that and show everyone all the hard work we’ve been doing,” said Wojciehowski. The next event the teams will compete in is at the Penn State Invitational on Friday Oct. 12. This will be both teams last event before the MAAC Championships in Van Cortland Park, N.Y. on Oct. 26. Hopefully, both teams can shake off this race, and get their seasons back on track. Photo by Hugh Tsung Freshman Katelyn Thompson had 15 kills and 31 digs in the Broncs 3-2 loss to St. Peter’s yesterday. Thompson had five kills, 10 digs, and four and a half points against Fairfield last Friday. 14 Friday, October 5, 2007 BRONCS’ BITS Scores/Records (* denotes conference games) Men’s Soccer (5-4, 0-0 MAAC) 9/29 Rider 4, LaSalle 1 Women’s Soccer (3-3-3, 0-0 MAAC) 9/30 Pennsylvania 2, Rider 0 Field Hockey (5-5, 2-0 NEC) 9/28 Rider 1, Robert Morris 0* 9/30 LaSalle 2, Rider 1 Volleyball (1-15, 0-7 MAAC) 9/28 Fairfield 3, Rider 0* Phillies Continued from p. 16 hopping around celebrating it’s usually somebody other than the Phillies. “I think they can win the National League,” he said. “All of the teams have a legitimate shot of making it, all of the teams have good and bad things about them, and so there is no clear-cut favorite.” Junior Kevin Malinowski loved the effort that the Phillies gave in September and shared the same excitement with the Philadelphia faithful when the Phillies were finally able to make the leap to October. “I’m ecstatic that the team fought real hard at the end of the season and put a lot of pressure on the Mets,” Malinowski said. “It was a great sight for true baseball fans, it was a nailbiter down to the end, and it was very exciting for it to be the Phillies. “Hopefully they can go all the way,” he said. “But they should at least make it to the National League Championship Series.” Will O’Connor, a senior on the baseball team, said the Phillies making the playoffs couldn’t have come at a better time, and that the series against the Colorado Rockies should be a good one. “It’s good to finally see the Phillies make the playoffs after so long,” O’Connor said. “It’s nice for the city of Philadelphia to have the Phils in the playoffs with the Eagles struggling right now. “I wanted the Phils to play the San Diego Padres instead of the Rockies,” he said. “Colorado is a hot team, and they, along 10/4 St. Peter’s 3, Rider 2* Men’s Tennis (1-4, 0-1 MAAC) 9/28 Layfayette 6, Rider 1 10/1 Marist 7, Rider 0* 10/2 LaSalle 4, Rider 3 Women’s Tennis (0-4, 0-1 MAAC) 9/30 Manhattan 7, Rider 0* 10/3 Monmouth 6, Rider 1 Women’s Cross Country 9/28 Paul Short Invitational 44th of 47 Golf 9/22 Cornell Big-Red Invite 10th of 16 Schedule Friday 10/5 Women’s Soccer vs. St. Peter’s 4 p.m.* Men’s Soccer at Marist 7 p.m.* ...And More Sports Men’s Cross Country 9/28 Paul Short Invitational 38th of 41 Senior Tyler Brewington of the golf team and freshman Lauren Musumeci of the soccer team were named Rider Athletes of the Month for September. with the Phillies, swing good bats so it should be a good series.” The Phillies are in an early hole as they have dropped the first two games of the series at Citzens Bank Park. The first game was the matchup of lefty aces as Cole Hamels lost to Jeff Francis 4-2. The Phils’ then dropped the second game 10-5 in a game where both teams combined for five home runs. The team is down 2-0 in the series, but fans just have to remember last weekend if they’ve any doubts of winning. Attention Irresponsible Drinkers! Whether you are under the New Jersey legal drinking age, find binge drinking devices desirable, or just think that being intoxicated is an acceptable social activity --- please be advised that under the new Rider University Alcohol Policy, if found responsible for actions contrary to policy, there is a mandatory alcohol education/consultation. If YOU choose to not attend: 1st time: $200 2nd time: Hold on Account until attendance is completed (i.e. cannot course select, participate in room selection, or request a transcript) How to avoid additional sanctions: 1. Choose responsible behaviors and observe Rider and state policies 2. If you make a mistake, complete sanctions as assigned Attention Rider Students! The Office of Community Standards will begin reviewing candidates for the University Community Standards Board. All interested candidates can pick up applications in the Student Center, Room 116. Completed applications are due back in Room 116 by 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 12, 2007. Members of the University Community Standards Board convene to listen to fellow students challenge alleged violations of the University Code of Social Conduct. Student Board Members work with Administration and Faculty Board Members to make impartial decisions about responsibility and any subsequent sanctions, if deemed appropriate. Applicants must be in good academic and social standing. Freshmen are welcome to apply. Soccer Continued from p. 16 “Scoring the second goal just propelled us past LaSalle and wiped away any chance of a comeback for them,” Tramontana said. Junior goalkeeper Randall Zapolski was able to keep the Explorers at bay with eight saves. Tramontana’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he was selected as MAAC co-offensive player of the week with St. Peter’s senior forward Juan Gaviria. “I found out Monday when I received a call from another reporter congratulating me,” Tramontana said. “I wasn’t aware of it beforehand and was really excited when I heard the news.” Freshman Andrew Cotes was also honored by the conference as he won MAAC Rookie of the Week for the week of Sept. 24-30. The Rider freshmen have been in the limelight as this is the third straight week they have had a player selected for the weekly honor. Freshman Jim Bradley was selected for the week of Sept. 10-16, and Antonucci was selected for the week of Sept. 17-23. “Making the adjustment to college soccer was pretty difficult but I just worked through the hard times and coach gave me the opportunity to play,” Cotes said. “It’s been great for Jim, Tom and myself to get the recognition from the conference for our hard work.” Rider seems to be getting Field Hockey Continued from p. 16 son, the Broncs are 2-1 in their overtime encounters. “We can improve on getting more shots on cage, so that we can score more goals, said LoCastro. “In the game of field hockey the team needs to work together. We’re coming closer and closer each day; we just need to keep working hard.” on track after dropping its first three games. They have won five of their last six, including three in a row, and are hitting their stride heading into conference play that starts this weekend. The women’s team (3-3-3) meanwhile, hit a bump in the road Sunday against the University of Pennsylvania (7-2-1), getting shutout 2-0. The Broncs were unable to get it going against the Quakers as they were outshot 13-3. The Quakers first goal came at 28:38 in the first half when sophomore forward Jessica Fuccello scored her sixth goal of the season with Sarah Friedman picking up the assist. Things haven’t been going well for the Broncs after their eight game unbeaten streak was snapped. After a double overtime stalemate with Drexel on Sept. 14, the team has lost three of its last four games heading into today. Both teams are projected to finish better than they did last year. The men are looking to improve upon their 2-5-2 record in the conference last year, and are entering conference play on a high note. The women finished 6-8-3 last year and are looking to finish over .500 this year. The men will kick off the MAAC season on the road tonight as they travel to Marist to take on the Red Foxes at 7 p.m. The women will open up their conference schedule today at home against the St. Peter’s Peahens (1-7) at 4 p.m. Rider still finds themselves in second place behind Lock Haven in the NEC. “Offensively we need to step it up,” Celebre said. “We need to shoot more on goal. The more we shoot, the more opportunities there are for the forwards to put the ball in the cage.” Rider will continue their NEC schedule as they travel to Siena to take on the Saints this Sunday. Support the Troops! ΦΣΣ & ΑΦΩ Donations such as hygiene products and travel games can be dropped off in the boxes in BLC & SRC until October 19th Friday, October 5, 2007 15 Rider tennis teams continue to make progress M/W TENNIS By Christopher Cole The Broncs may have lost some matches, but their wins were very memorable. The men’s tennis team (1-4 overall, 0-1 MAAC) lost 6-1 against Lafayette Friday afternoon, but had No. 1 player Casey Jedlinski’s win to keep them hopeful. The junior defeated Lafayette’s Brett Kraft 6-2, 7-5. “My first two matches this season were a little sloppy (6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-0 losses), so I worked on staying positive today and rallied with the support of my teammates and students cheering me on,” Jedlinski said. “I tried my best and luckily I won.” Jedlinski’s power game is one that Coach Ed Torres has described as “controlled,” which is hard to do. “He was facing a former Middlesex County champion and kept the ball under control and was able to pull out the win,” said Torres. Despite losing 0-6, 7-5, and 11-13 in a tough match against Lafayette’s Matt McGranaghan, sophomore Will Haight won with partner sophomore Marc Ashed in their second-doubles match 8-5. The Broncs’ women’s team (0-4 overall, 0-1 MAAC) lost to Manhattan in a MAAC match Sunday afternoon. Junior Danielle Morse and sophomore Kristina Paich won 9-8 in doubles, but the team score wound up Manhattan 7, Rider 0. In two three-set matches, Paich lost 1-6, 6-4, 5-10 to Casey Conklin. Freshman Amanda Matticks lost 2-6, 6-3, 4-6 to Jasper’s Lindsay Spagnola. Against LaSalle, the men lost 4-3, losing some close matches but enjoying a hardfought victory by Jedlinski. Jedlinski’s relentless power game pulled him past George Gennaoui, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. “My body was hurting, but I was able to dig deeper than my opponent,” said Jedlinski. Coach Torres said he was anticipating this victory but not the challenge that came with it. “I expected Jedlinski to win, but it was a tough match,” he said. Suffering from an ongoing hamstring injury, freshman Josh Rultenberg hung in there, but lost 6-4, 5-7, 1-6 to Matt Rivera. “I feel bad about losing, but Rivera’s a good player,” said Rultenberg. “I think if I didn’t have my injury, I would have had a better chance to win the match. I’m definitely going to be taking a rest.” Other singles matches were won by Haight, winning 6-1, 7-5 against Eric Glick, and freshman Chris Esposito defeating Andrew Petrusky 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Haight and Ashed won 9-7 in doubles. Esposito and senior Jim Leone lost 9-7 after they were up 7-4. On Wednesday, the women lost a non-conference showdown with Monmouth 6-1. The team was short-handed and they had to forfeit one singles match and one doubles match. Paich delivered for Rider early as she defeated Kaitlin Gallagher 6-4, 2-6, and 10-2 in the tie breaker. Due to a scheduling conflict, the men and women team’s non-conference match at noon on Sunday against St. Francis (NY) will be played at Rider instead of in New York. Photo by Karly Hamburg Junior Casey Jedlinski was strong this past week picking up two wins. He defeated Layfayette’s Brett Kraft 6-2 and 7-5 and also beat LaSalle’s George Gennaoui in three sets 6-4, 5-7, and 6-4. Unity Days 2007 “Many Cultures, One Student Body” Tuesday, October 9 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., BLC Patio Unity Day Keynote Speaker Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell (Caribbean and Latin Music) Wednesday, October 10 Wednesday, cont. 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., MCC Room New Mexico & Turkey Multicultural Photo Display Michele Lupowitz, Rider alumna, class of 1970 1:15 - 2:15 p.m., Fireside Lounge Midnight Run to NYC Community Service Dale Williams, Executive Director 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Cavalla Room Cultural Explosion Dance performance SEC Multicultural Food Fest 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., Fireside Lounge Life After College Career Workshop RJ Wicks 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Fireside Lounge Campus Hate Crimes: Osama Sabbah & Faris Khader of Guilford College Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell 16 Friday, October 5, 2007 On The Rise Broncs in second in the NEC Charles Guthrie FIELD HOCKEY By Kristie Kahl The field hockey team overtook another Northeast Conference (NEC) team in a shutout before losing to LaSalle in double overtime to wind up with a .500 record. Senior goalie Jen LoCastro earned her first career shutout, making six saves, as the Broncs (5-5, 2-0 NEC) beat Robert Morris (2-8, 0-3 NEC) 1-0 last Friday. Photo by Peter G. Borg “It was an awesome feeling to get my first shutout,” Senior Stephanie Walker had two shots on goal in the Broncs’ 2-1 loss to LaSalle last Sunday. The LoCastro said. “Everyone has team travels to Siena on Sunday at 1 p.m. to take on the Saints in an NEC showdown. been working so hard, espe“We needed to beat Robert a good thing, but it isn’t the we’ve played them in the past cially the defense. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Morris to keep ourselves on worst either. There’s plenty of years that I have been here, so to lose was very upsetting. We them. I think we all deserved top in the conference,” said room for improvement.” LaSalle scored at the 14 LoCastro. “It wasn’t a strong did fight to tie the game and it.” Freshman Lindsay Rajeski win because we only won by minute mark, but Celebre take it into overtime. It hurts responded with her third goal to lose after playing so hard for scored her second goal of the one, but a win is a win.” of the season with less than over 95 minutes of hockey.” The team has beaten season in the 20th minute off six minutes left in regulation Robert Morris 5-0 in the past, LaSalle out shot Rider 18-7 of a pass from senior Stephanie Walker, giving Rider the win in but came up short in points this play, forcing the teams into and LoCastro made 11 saves, overtime. including four in overtime. its first conference match of the time around. “It was nice to win against “It felt good to tie “It was disappointing,” season. “A major strength the team Robert Morris since it was a since individual players worked Celebre said. “We know we are can take away from that game conference game but we played so hard during the game that it a better team but offensively is that we can shutout a team, down to their level,” said junior gave us more confidence to try we need to score more. All the to score again,” said Celebre. teams we play are very talented no matter who it is, if we are forward Diana Celebre. After improving their conIn the second overtime and just scoring one goal durall willing to pull together and play for the whole 70 minutes,” ference record, Rider fell to period, LaSalle’s Kara Harpel ing the game isn’t going to .500 10 games into the season scored with four minutes left to always help to win.” LoCastro said. end the game. Thus far in the 2007 seaRider outshot Robert with a 2-1 loss to LaSalle. “We are so much bet“We were disappointed to Morris 7-6 as the Broncs had only one penalty corner to the ter than our record shows,” lose that game,” said LoCastro. LoCastro said. “Being .500 isn’t “We’ve beat them every time See Field Hockey, p. 14 Colonials’ 10. first goal of the game off of an assist from Tomasso at 3:27. Junior Anthony Gilburt scored his first goal of the season seven minutes later to put the Broncs up by two in the first half. “I think that getting the first goal is very important,” Tramontana said. “Once I scored I knew it was time to work hard to keep that lead and build on it.” That turned out to be all Rider needed, but they didn’t stop there. Freshman Tom Antonucci scored his second goal of the season 45:41 into the game to put Rider up 3-0. Tramontana later added his second tally of the game and fourth of the season at 73:57 with the assist going to junior Colin Jennings. For the first time in 13 years, Philadelphia fans are concentrated on the Phillies in October and not the Eagles. Black and green jerseys with names such as McNabb, Westbrook and Owens (just kidding), have been replaced with red pinstriped buttondown jerseys bearing names such as Howard, Utley and Rollins. With the New York Mets’ historic collapse, the Phillies were able to win the National League East divisional crown,and clinch their first playoff berth since the magical 1993 season. The Rider campus is filled with Phillies fans that are all excited about the team’s recent success and say their team has a shot at making it to the World Series. “It’s been a really, really long time since they have made it,” junior Steve Bitterman said. “I’ve been a Philly fan my whole life and it’s nice to have something different happen than what you’re used to when you watch this team for so long. “I feel like they can win the NL, not too sure about the World Series,” he said. “Their bullpen is a little shaky, but they have one of the best lineups in the National League and I think they can carry the team. It’s part of being a Philly fan, when one team does make the step that others couldn’t, you feel like they can do it.” Senior Mike Sculli was elated, to say the least, when the Phillies clinched last Sunday and said they have just as good of a shot to win the pennant as the other National League teams. “I cried, it’s one of the greatest comebacks in major league history,” Sculli said. “I haven’t seen the Phillies in the playoffs in 13 years. Whenever you see a team See Soccer, p. 14 See Phillies, p. 14 Men handle LaSalle, women lose to Penn M/W SOCCER By Charles Guthrie Photo by Hugh Tsung Junior Leslie Ambster and the Broncs were only able to manage three shots in their loss to the University of Pennsylvania on Sunday.The team begins MAAC play this weekend. Both Rider soccer teams wrapped up non-conference play this weekend as they now prepare for the all-important MAAC season. The men’s team (5-4) put on a show for the home crowd against LaSalle (2-5-1) last Saturday, beating the Explorers 4-1. Sophomore Nico Tramontana scored two goals on three shots and senior Lee Tomasso had two assists during the Broncs charge. “Everything we did on the field went right,” Head Coach Russ Fager said. “We were able to score three beautiful goals on set pieces and another nice one by the two freshmen.” Rider was rolling early when Tramontana scored his Red October