Kean Students Clean up Gulf Spill

INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER: How has Kean fulfilled your expectations regarding college life thus far? By Celleste Valeanu

Kean University’s stUdent newspaper

KFT Questions LayoffsBy stephanie Musat

In response to layoffs of 26 staff mem-bers since August, the Kean Federation of Teachers questioned the management of Kean President Dawood Farahi’s adminis-tration before a crowded room at the Sept. 13 Board of Trustees meeting.

Before about 150 faculty, staff and stu-dents, James Castiglione, president of the KFT described the latest cuts as financially irresponsible and discriminatory.

“How the students will be served is one of the great hypocrises of the Farahi ad-ministration,” Castiglione said. “The list contains individuals who work very close-ly with students in advising positions and it is clear that despite the claims from the university that students will not be hurt, students are going to be hurt.”

Philip Connelly, executive vice presi-dent for operations, said that he met with administrators to explore saving options like tuition increases and salary freezes, but that those usual ways of closing bud-get gaps could not be done without a re-duction in personnel.

Kean faced nearly a 20 percent reduc-tion in aid, $5 million in increased salary costs and a four percent cap on tuition, said Steve Hudik, Kean’s director of com-munications.

Of the 26 layoffs, 12 people were part of professional staff and nine were man-agers. Five were believed to be secretarial positions that were part of the Commu-nications Workers of America Union, ac-cording to the KFT.

Richard Katz, an associate professor in the English

By saMantha Feller

Kean University has become the unex-pected home for some 60 samples of oil and dead sea life from the Gulf taken this past summer during the Beyond Petro-leum (BP) oil fiasco, thanks to the work of an intrepid Kean professor, Dr. Norma Bowe and her students.

The samples are being tested for possi-ble contaminants, which may have leaked into the local food supply in Pass Chris-tian, Long Beach, Gulfport and Biloxi Mis-sissippi area.

A local fisherman who has a hog farm, fishes everyday to give his hogs a high protein diet. The beaches and fishing piers are open to the public and there is noth-ing prohibiting fishing in waters where BP subcontractors are picking up tar balls.

“I was so concerned for the public’s health down there that I decided to go back and get more samples,” said Dr. Bowe.

The journey began as a mission of help over the summer on July 25 with lim-ited funding from Kean and seven “Be the Change” students: Nicolette Maggio, Kayla Duncan, Elissa Hyer, Becca Bowe, Benito Nieves, Mario DaCosta, Alexandra Bastos and Dr. Norma Bowe, a professor in the health department.

The group rented a Chevy Suburban, packed it full and drove 19 hours with de-termined spirits to change the world.

Upon arrival to the Gulf, plans to as-sist the Alabama Coastal Project were denied because BP had already taken full control of the clean up and prohibited volunteers. They were informed that the workers were contracted by BP and had signed agreements forbidding them from talking to the media or publishing

any findings for 10 years.People at the Foundation spoke to the

group from Kean and described instances where locals defied BP and took matters into their own hands, according to Bowe. For example, a local fire department pro-ceeded to use home made boom (plastic rubber which floats and skims the oil) to clean the oil out of water. Another neigh-borhood started a donation of hair and collected as much as possible to make boom to collect oil. This was an desper-ate attempt to keep the oil from reaching the shoreline.

The trip was also an educational experi-ence in public relations, as the group saw

firsthand how the crisis was mismanaged; showing the best possible picture to the public, an image that did not always tell the whole story.

The students encountered another obstacle when their plan to visit the In-ternational Wildlife Rescue Association, which was located right on the beach, was abruptly closed. The group was eager for an explanation and they found that one once again BP took control and the birds at the rescue center were relocated to the Hammond Rehabilitation Center, 2 ½ hours inland in Louisiana.

Once arriving to the site, the Kean stu-dents realized they had reached a military base. There was

Kalimaah BoldenFreshman, Psychology Major

Joe HuntFreshman, Physical Education Major

Alex GallegosFreshman, Business Major

Nikki Lyn RogersFreshman, Major Undecided

“My experience has been great! I’ve met a lot of people and am also interested in joining a sorority soon.”

“The campus and students are nice. I am “living the dream!”

“So far the classes are easy, icebreak-ers in class gave me a chance to meet diverse people.”

“Everyone is really friendly here, and the campus makes it really easy to find my classes.”

www.kean.edu/~thetower

Fighting Hate 2

The Legacy of 9/11 3

Fall Fashion 4

Review: The Cougar’s Den 5

Arts & Entertainment 6-7

Editorial & Op-Ed 8

Health & Fitness: Steroid Use 10

Sports 11

2010 Fantasy Football Picks 12

Volume 11 • Issue 1 Sept. 23 - Oct 13, 2010

NEED HELP UPDATING YOUR FALL LOOK? GET SOME TIPS ON PAGE 4.

Beauty Marked:Fall Must-haves P. 4

(Continued on page 9)

Diana Calle stands in front of the Board of Trustees on Sept. 13 with 36 Hispanic students in support of their adviser, Myriam Quinones, who was laid off in August.

Scott Pilgrim Gets an A P. 7

Photo

s: Ce

lleste

Vale

anu

My Pet Dragon Steps into the Scene P. 9

“I wAS So concerneD For the PuBlIc’S heAlth Down there thAt I DecIDeD to Go BAck AnD Get More SAMPleS.”

Photo: Stephanie Musat

The Tower

(Continued on page3)

welcome

Back!

2 sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 | The Tower

By Christine Valdez

Kean University held its annual fall semester “Meet the Greeks” event on September 15 in Downs Hall. Several of Kean’s Greek sororities and fraternities were there to inform the students of their purpose on campus in hopes of recruiting new members.

Tables were surrounded by students eager to learn more about the different fraternities and sororities that have chap-ters at Kean. All of them have a lot to of-fer students; therefore “Meet the Greeks” provides a way to learn a little bit about each organization.

“Greek life is the best time of your life,” Paul Medeiros, member of Nu Sigma Phi fraternity said. “You get to find the best friends you ever had.”

Greek life is a way to meet new people on and off campus as well as serve your community in many different ways. Many of the fraternities and sororities who have chapters at Kean University have other chapters established throughout the country as well.

“Greek life is a great opportunity to meet new people,” Annie Mallick, a mem-ber of Omega Phi Chi Multicultural so-rority said. “I’m very excited to meet new girls and we’re open to everybody; Omega Phi Chi is very diverse.”

Carlos A. Cruz of Lambda Sigma Upsi-lon points out that a fraternity is a broth-erhood among the guys. Although Lamb-da Sigma Upsilon may be recognized as a Latino fraternity, they don’t discriminate and welcome people of all backgrounds to join because they are multicultural.

Greek life offers opportunities to get involved in activities such as community service and various events held through-out campus. Many of the chapters at Kean

also give back to different philanthropies.“Come out and meet a lot of people,

Magda Dopieralska of Delta Phi Epsilon said. “We do a lot of volunteer work and community service along with events on campus.”

Dopieralska encourages girls to come

out to their meetings and events. She em-phasized that Delta Phi Epsilon is a “sis-terhood for life.”

Tahisha Dorceus of Beta Kappa Sigma mentions that her sorority is a diverse group that participates in different com-munity services and strives to be positive role models for the community.

Although Greek life may seem exciting, Candy Rivera of Chi Upsilon Sigma en-courages people to join a Greek organiza-tion for the right reasons.

“Don’t just join an organization for the colors or just because a friend joined,” Ri-vera said. “Do it if you feel comfortable.”

To learn more about the different so-rorities and fraternities on campus, visit http://www.kean.edu/~slld/greek.html.

By Carlos M. reynosa

As a cool breeze wafted through the air on a sunny day, Kean students decided to fill their stomachs with a little culture at Student Organization’s “Fresh Start: A Welcome Back Cultural Event.” Students at the event were educated about diver-sity, surrounding them with multicultural songs, dances and food.

“We just wanted to do something dif-ferent,” said Student Organization (S.O.) President, Rebecca Jones.

Jones along with other members of the S.O. had been planning events over the summer to help welcome back Kean stu-

dents to the start of another semester. “Kean University is one of the top five

most diverse schools in the country,” Jones said. “It just seems fit to have a fes-

tival that symbolizes that diversity.” Instead of the taboo hamburgers and

hot dogs, S.O. featured an array of cultural

backgrounds with Indian, Italian and Lat-in foods.

“It doesn’t hurt to try something new,” said S.O. treasurer, Liscet Duran. “There is just so much diversity on this campus and it just hasn’t been seen yet. We just want people to be aware of it.”

The cultural event provided music per-formed in the styles of Reggae, Latin and Indian. For entertainment, S.O. provided massages, hair brushing, painting and bel-ly dancing lessons for Kean students.

“What I like about this [event] is the food and the music,” said Siddkarth, a communication student at Kean.

Although many responses to the event

were upbeat and positive, there were oth-ers that found it disappointing. Some stu-dents felt it lacked information about the cultures and hosted more of an entertain-ment value, expecting more of an expla-nation about the historical culture. S.O. is open to suggestions for events from stu-dents while they brainstorm other ideas of encouraging diversity.

“I believe I speak for everyone here when I say we want to hear students’ sug-gestions,” said Jones. “We are always open to suggestions; I want to hear what the students want to say.”

For more information and upcoming events visit: www.kean.edu/~stuorg/

Fresh Start: A Welcome Back Cultural Event

By andrea edwards

There has been an increase of awareness surrounding the town of Edison recently regarding the hatred toward the commu-nity’s Jewish residents.

Swastikas, which are associated with Nazi Germany, have been showing up in the town’s playgrounds, synagogues, and more recently, cars on the lot of a Lexus dealership.

Rabbi Dr. Rosenberg of the Congrega-tion Beth El in Edison believes the in-crease of vandalism in the area may be attributed to a situation about a year ago involving a Yeshiva University student who was physically attacked on his way home in the township. Rosenberg admit-ted to being very vocal in that matter, and he thinks that the harassment has esca-lated as a result.

“We dare not be silent when bigotry and

bias exist,” said Rosenberg, who is also the son of two holocaust survivors and is dedicated to fighting against hate in its many forms.

Rosenberg, however, has met resistance in his fight. His synagogue and the grounds that surround it, have been marked with graffiti of the swastikas.

Rosenberg believes that this type of

ignorance will not end with the Jewish community, but will move on from Jew baiting to Muslims, Latinos, and other ethnic backgrounds.

“We are Americans who believe in the Bill of Rights and that all people should be treated with respect and dignity,” said Rosenberg in a recent press release.

Rosenberg recalls a situation where he and his wife were walking home from the synagogue on Route 27 and a pass-erby in a vehicle had shouted out to them, “F…ing Jews.”

Rosenberg dismisses the notion that these are just mere adolescent pranks.

“Hate is taught,” said Rosenberg. “These displays of hatred have always been here.”

With this in mind, Rosenberg has reached out to the local clergy and educa-tors to come together in an effort to edu-cate teens on the topic of hatred. In doing so, he hopes to change their behaviors.

The “Stop the Hate” rally will be held on September 27 at the Congregation Beth El. Located at 91 Jefferson Boulevard in Edison, the event will start at 7:30pm and will be sponsored by the Metuchen Edison Area Clergy Association.

According to Rosenberg, the mayor and the police chief of Edison are expected to be in attendance. He encourages every-one in the community to participate in the event.

Rosenberg is the author of three books and has served as the chairman of the Hu-man Rights Commission for 10 years. He also held the position of Chaplain of the Department of Public Safety in Edison for 18 years until recently. He possesses a Doctorate degree in communication and education among others.

Fighting Hate in Edison

“there IS juSt So Much DIverSIty on thIS cAMPuS AnD It juSt hASn’t Been Seen yet.”

Kean Holds Annual “Meet the Greeks” Event

“Greek lIFe IS the BeSt tIMe oF your lIFe. . . you Get to FInD the BeSt FrIenDS you ever hAD.”

Synagogue defaced with swastikas.Photo: www.nj.com

• AdministrationBuilding,Firstfloorlobby• BruceHall,FirstFloorLounge• CenterforAcademicSuccess,Lobby• CommunicationsDepartmentOffice,

CAS 402• ESLOffice,WillisHall301• HarwoodArena,bythebasketballcourts

• HutchinsonHall,FirstFloorLobby• HenningsHall,FirstFloorLobby• ScienceBuilding,FirstFloorinhallway

between Rooms 121 and 122• TechnologyBuilding,hallwayinside

front door• TowerNewsroom,CAS413

• UniversityCenter,acrossfromthe cafeteria entrance

• TownsendHall,FirstFloorreceptionarea• Vaughn-EamesHall,FirstFloorLobby• WillisHall,FirstFloor,acrossfromthe

elevator

PiCk uP The Tower AT THeSe loCATionS

| sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 3The Tower

By laura urBan

Members of the Kean faculty met together in a panel discussion on campus to discuss the legacy of 9/11 and the peo-ple who had lived the aftermath of that day‘s events.

The event took place on the Monday following the ninth anniversary of the attacks in the University Center’s Little Theatre.

Dr. Dennis Finger, professor of psychol-ogy at Kean and a member of the panel discussion, said the 9/11 attacks have been compared to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, leaving many people who lived during those historic events with a vivid memory of where they were at the exact time they had heard of the tragedy.

“The image we all have is of firefight-ers entering the World Trade Center and going up to their deaths,” said Terry Gol-way, director of the John Kean Center for American History at Kean who also spoke on the panel.

Citing the psychological effects of that day, Finger examined a study that took a look at the World Trade Center Health Registry that included 71,437 partici-pants. Two to three years following the attacks, 16% of registered people still suffered from posttraumatic stress dis-

order, also referred to as PTSD, while 8% suffered from some sort of psychological distress. The rates are particularly higher among women, minorities, and lower in-come people, said Finger.

“One hypothesis is that those people had suffered more trauma early in life that would affect them more when something as traumatic as the events of 9/11 were to happen,” said Finger.

With the recent controversial issue of building an Islamic center two blocks away from ground zero, many people have been forced to relive the tragic occurrences of that day.

In August, Former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said that a proposed

Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero would “horribly offend” fami-lies of 9/11 victims and should be built elsewhere, stated The New York Times.

Other people, however, feel that the building of the center should proceed as planned because of the religious freedom of the United States, according to WBAL-TV.com.

Feisal Abdul Rauf, imam of the pro-posed Islamic center, had stated in an appearance on “Larry King Live” on CNN that if he had known how much negative response his plan would create, he would have chosen another location, stated The New York Times days before the ninth an-niversary of the attacks.

“It was the first time that one of the supporters indicated that the opposition was not just coming from bigotry, that in other words there were legitimate people who were upset by this, who were not Is-lamophobic and just saw it as another un-necessary distraction,” said Governor Da-vid A. Paterson of the state of New York to The New York Times.

More recently, on the day that the Kean panel discussion took place, Abdul Rauf stated to The New York Times that he promises to resolve the dispute around his plans of building a Muslim community center blocks away from ground zero.

“Everything is on the table,” Abdul Rauf

said to The New York Times. “We really are focused on solving it” in a way that will be best for everyone concerned, he added. “I give you my pledge.”

Among plans for the Islamic center, a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization proposes to buy the controversial site and make it into a therapy center where free services would be provided to emergency responders disabled in the 9/11 attacks as well as free therapy services for autistic and special needs children whose parents lost their lives on that day, according to WBALTV.com.

The organization, called Drums and Dis-abilities, or DAD, is prepared to buy the property for $12 million, stated WBALTV.com, but it is not known if Abdul Rauf has considered the proposal, although it would not affect the location of the center. Real estate developer Sharif el-Gamal controls where ultimately the center will be located and his supporters and him do not believe a move would satisfy critics, stated The New York Times.

Gamal has felt strongly about his right to build what he wants, where he wants, stated The New York Times.

“I’m an American, I’m a New Yorker. I don’t hold my faith responsible for 9/11,” said Gamal to The New York Times.

Kean Service Corps Helps Organize 9/11 Tribute on CampusBy Matt MarChesano

Thanks to the grand efforts of the stu-dent and faculty who operated Kean Uni-versity’s Center of Leadership and Service, all who were on campus Monday, Septem-ber 13th, were invited to remember 9/11 through a day full of events, encouraging everyone present to become involved with their fellow Kean body to pay tribute to-gether. Just nine years into the wake of our nation’s most grievous event, recall-ing September 11th this past month has felt just as emotional as it has been every year since.

In honor of President Obama officially establishing September 11th as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance in 2009, Kean-goers had opportunities to participate in various service activities around campus, focus-ing on humanity and the importance of spreading good deeds.

The on-campus events, which began be-fore noon on Monday, September 13th, were open to all, and were extremely emo-tional. The University Center Atrium was a one-stop area for various options of ways that people can help out their community.

Attendees could be exorbitantly chari-table and register with the DKMS Bone Marrow Donor Services, the NJ and Shar-ing Network Organ Donation Network,

and they could sign-up for the trusty Cam-pus Alert system, if they had not done so previously.

Likewise in the spirit of philanthropy, the New Jersey Blood Services held a donation drive in Downs Hall, accept-ing blood and platelets donations. Also, members of the Kean Service Corps ran a table encouraging humanity and good-will towards neighbors. Participants could write down something nice that they had

done for another person and be awarded with an official “Do a Good Deed” sticker, worn to hopefully encourage others to do the same.

The events closed with a truly heartfelt Interfaith Vigil at 4:30 pm. The large crowd of observers shared a passionate presence while collecting from the Kean clock tower in procession to the 9/11 Memorial Foun-tain in Townsend Courtyard. Here, they, embodying all walks of life, stood togeth-er, prayed, and reminisced upon the hor-rors of that ominous day, while in unison looking towards the future.

Leading the walk, as directed by Mr. Mike Mazzlo, U.S. Military officer, was a band of local police officers, military of-ficers, firefighters and steelworkers, all of whom were first-responders to the Twin Towers attacks. The vigil was conducted by three spiritual leaders of different re-ligious affiliations; Father Thomas Blind, Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, and Rabbi Steven Bayer, each of whom recited one of their respective prayers. At the closing of the service, Mr. Mazzlo too, shared with the crowd some wisdom, in the form of an original poem entitled “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.” Throughout the mass

of people, emotions were surfacing and there was a collective heavy feeling, possi-bly channeled through to the weight that many in attendance were feeling below their eyes while observing.

Kean Service Corps representative Ili-ana Jimenez helped coordinate the ser-vices and events.

“We plan lots of events throughout the year to help out the community,” she explained, “like food drives and blood banks, and fund raisers.”

The idea is to encourage Kean cougars to help out the less fortunate. “The next big thing is our ‘Homelessness Week,’ which will take place around Thanksgiving and all profits go to charity.” Ms. Jimenez is hoping to organize more art and creativ-ity-related events, like possibly holding an art auction featuring original work from Kean students. All the monetary income will be given to charity and it would be a good showcase for our talented student artists.

For further information, you can visit the Center for Leadership and Service at http://kean.collegiatelink.net, or visit the center in room 219 of the University Center.

The Legacy of 9/11 and the Controversy Surrounding a Mosque

Photo: Laura Urban

Remembering 9/11 through the landscape of the kean campus.

“ juSt nIne yeArS Into the wAke oF our nAtIon’S MoSt GrIevouS event, recAllInG SePteMBer 11th thIS PASt Month hAS Felt juSt AS eMotIonAl AS It hAS Been every yeAr SInce.”

no turning back, the group entered only to see empty cages and no animals, they were told to vacate the premises promptly and that the birds were inside.

From there they went to New Orleans where the Hurricane Katrina relief was still taking place. The students worked along side the United Saints Recovery Project and did construction on senior low-income housing that is being rebuilt. This is where they really saw the change they were hoping for.

“It was an absolutely incredible experi-ence that I will never forget and I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to

volunteer at least once in their lifetime,” said Elissa Hyer, a student in the “Be the Change” group. “To be able to see the joy on peoples’ faces is a true eye-opening and life changing experience.”

After traveling to Mississippi, the students assisted subcontracted BP work-ers where they saw oil on the beach, yet the beaches remained open. A few swim-mers even bathed in the soiled water, yet no volunteers were permitted to touch anything.

The Coast Guard arrived and posed the BP workers on a cleaner area of the beach for pictures, according to Bowe. The

group was able to take pictures of this as it occurred. One Kean student decided to

get a sample of the water near the part of the beach the Coast Guard was passing off as clean.

According to the group, the trip was en-joyable but still educational. They had the opportunity to help the community and had a lot of fun building friendships with each other.

“I wouldn’t teach anywhere else because Kean students are very special. They work really hard to be in school and are commit-ted to giving back to the community,” said Dr. Bowe

GULF SPILL (Continued from page 1)

Students who went on the journey.Photo: Be The Change

4 sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 | The Tower

By Casey Murphy

The Kean campus may look different to some this semester as new renovations have been made to both the Cougar’s Den and the game room.

Located in the University Center, the game room offers a selection of gaming opportunities for students.

Upon entering the room, students are met with pool tables near the door. As they make their way back into the space, Wii and Xbox systems line the walls and around the corner there are air hockey, foosball, and ping pong tables. Several televisions occupy the area and there are couches and chairs in which to lounge in.

“The only thing I could see is a vend-ing machine and that’s it, “said Matthew Fontanez, a senior and psychology major at Kean. “A vending machine would be

the perfect thing.”The game room also includes the pres-

ence of large windows that, along with skylights on the ceiling, allow for sunlight to stream throughout the room.

“I feel it’s a lot more open and brighter

and the environment is welcoming,” said Fontanez. “There’s a lot more students here unlike the old game room.”

Along with the newly renovated game room, the Cougar’s Den, has also seen its share of changes, including new chairs, tables, and a paint job.

“The front entrance is a lot nicer,” said Fontanez. “I think the food is prepared better and presented nicer and the way it’s decorated is all around nice.”

Not all students, however, feel that The Den, as it is referred, has met its full potential.

“I don’t like the food,” said Paris Holm-

es, a junior and media and film major. “The service is okay, but I don’t like the food.”

With the opening of the new Den, the University Center cafeteria, also known as the Café or the UC, has been working on a new time schedule. It now closes at 7pm

Monday-Thursday and at 3pm on Friday.“The Den offers a smaller, healthier se-

lection,” said John LaFountain, a history education major. “I like the UC. If they’re going to close it at 7pm they should offer a wider selection in The Den.”

According to Matt Caruso, the Univer-sity Center director, the reason for the change in time at the University Center cafeteria is to accommodate the hours for The Den.

“The cafeteria’s time change is because of the capability for the new Cougar’s Den to serve students who are seeking dining options up until 11pm,” said Jeffrey Theo-

dore, a correspondent for Matt Caruso. He also noted that the cafeteria in the res-idence halls are also open later than the UC cafeteria.

The new renovations, despite the few disappointments, are welcome additions

to newcomers to the campus.“I like the campus because it’s new,”

said Elizabeth Zelaya, a freshman and early childhood education major at Kean. “It feels updated compared to other cam-puses and I like the game room. I feel like there’s things to do in your spare time.”

The game room is open Monday-Thurs-day between the hours of 9am and 11pm, Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 12pm-9pm. The Cougar’s Den is open Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday 11am-5pm, and is closed Saturday and Sunday.

UC Renovations Welcome, But Time Change Not So Much

Calling all make-up trendsetters and seekers! Celly here to give you the inside scoop in the latest in Fall trends first hand from my recent visit to New York’s Fashion Night Out 2010. Yes, New York Fashion Week is about the fashion, but the make-up serves as much purpose as the models that bring the designers visions to life. I come baring a few tips to turn runway looks into instant transition-al beauty enhancers that make you exude campus chic.

Did someone press fast forward to Fall? Is it just me or was it just yesterday I was planted on the sand catching rays at the ever so popular Jersey Shore? Well, here we are back to reality and in the midst of the summer to fall transition which leads me to a few simple beauty tweaks that I highly suggest you try this season, like the day to night cat eye and products for radi-ant well hydrated skin.

Cat eye – This tip is simple yet bold and also seen on the cat walk throughout vari-ous shows. To achieve a more straightedge geometric shape to winged out liner, try MAC Cosmetic’s fluidline gel eyeliner in

Blacktrack and a #208 tiny angled brush for definition.

Va Va Voom Venomous Villains – It is here! Perfect timing for Halloween, Disney and MAC Cosmetics have collaborated to paint and transform your inner Venomous Villain character. This collection includes a multitude of new shades ranging from soft

to deep tones. I am super excited about the new Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo’s in a rich navy/green pigment. A quick smoke and smudge of these highly pigmented shadows along the lower lash line will add a pop to your evening kitty eye. Stay tuned for the release in late September.

hello hydration – Skin is always in and you should be using a super hydrat-ing moisturizer daily to ensure your skin stays supple and healthy throughout cool weather seasons. Try Welda’s Skin Food, it can be found in drugstores and is great for most skin types when strategically placed. If your skin tends to be oilier avoid

your t-zone, the area across your forehead and down your nose, but rather focus on where your skin is more of a normal type. Regardless of your skin type, it’s impor-tant to always hydrate.

Although I am a MAC make-up artist, I am completely limitless to using other brands and will try anything, TWICE! Af-ter all makeup is an experiment and form of art in which it challenges your creativity and inner persona. Just run with it, your options are infinite.

Coming up next month, Lovely Lashes 101—lash primers, mascaras, and falsies.

“turn runwAy lookS Into InStAnt trAnSItIonAl BeAuty enhAncerS thAt MAke you exuDe cAMPuS chIc.”

Coming back to school, we as students are under a lot of stress. Classes, buying books, and finding time for a social life can be daunting. One thing that shouldn’t be on this list of worries is how you look. Finding your inner style guru is the key to a successful year and a great outfit with a side of attitude makes a day.

So what’s hot in fall fashion? For women, jeggings are all the rave.

They give you that denim look, but fit comfortably like a second skin. Whether worn with heels, flats, or wedges, they will accentuate your figure.

Ankle-length harem pants are very trendy. Whether print or fabric, just add a simple tank for a clean look. Beware of pants that are too baggy because you’ll look like an Aladdin reject (and I say that in the nicest way possible).

Indulge your inner Janelle Monae and get a pair of oxfords stat! They’re cute, classic and complete any outfit. Pair them with an A-line dress, opaque stockings and a cardigan for a fashion forward fall look.

For my scholarly boys it’s time to dress for success. No more sweats and T-shirts unless you’re going to the gym. Fitted sweaters with a nice boot cut jean will give you a suave look. Invest in blazers; because of their versatility, they

can be dressed up or down. Worn-in military boots or loafers should

be added to your shoe collection, giving you more to work with than just sneakers. These few minor changes will have the la-dies around campus taking notice.

Having style is more than just putting on clothing; it is a form of self-expression.

Haute fashion looks always call for an open mind so for this school year be fear-less! Check out http://www.thevonimanaf-fair.wordpress.com for more fashion looks, tips, and trend forecasting.

“A GreAt outFIt wIth A SIDe oF AttItuDe MAkeS A DAy.”

FAShIon: weLcome back FaShIon By ayana giBBs

BeAuty MArkeD: FaLL eSSentIaLS yoU need In yoUr make-UP baG By Celleste Valeanu

Clockwise from top left: Blazer, leggings, oxford shoes, military boots.

Photo: Musingsofamuse.com

MAC’s Venomous Villains Collection.

WANT TO SEE YOUR NAME IN PRINT?Email us at thetower@kean.edu

A panorama of the game room.Photo: Gabrielle Matarazzo

| sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 5The Tower

Healthy food was almost impossible to find around Kean University, until the recent renovation of the Cougar’s Den. It promotes the food with a logo of “natu-ral, healthy and delicious,” and it just may be right.

With the majority of ingredients pur-chased from local N.J. farms, everything is natural and fresh. This makes it very con-venient for students to eat healthy right on campus for a reasonable price.

“The Cougar’s Den has made a complete 360, out with the old and in with the new,”

said Kean student Tina Leroy. “Not only is the Cougars Den a great getaway place but the food is healthy and delicious.”

The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a great and healthy place to eat during the week in be-tween classes or a convenient spot to just hang out and get school work done.

It is also a great work environment because it employs students along with trained professionals. The staff is very welcoming and highly interactive with the students.

“Working at the Cougar’s Den is a new experience where you can meet interesting people and learn about students’ majors,” said employee Manny Barahona. “Person-ally, my favorite dish is the grilled flat iron steak salad and I highly recommend it.”

The old Cougar’s Den had the same un-healthy food options as the UC cafeteria, the same company employees and was

never open late creating an inconvenience for students.

The Cougar’s Den has come a long way not only with food, but also with its ap-pearance. It may have taken almost two years to complete, but it was well worth the wait.

“The old Cougar’s Den was mediocre, lines were too long, the food wasn’t that good, there wasn’t enough seating and the hours weren’t good,” said Kean student AJ Hughes. “The new one is healthier with a larger menu, fairly reasonable prices and their services are a lot better.”

It is a refreshing first impression that will aid in changing the university for the better.

Imagine a world where cars are made without gas gauges. A world where all the various Sunoco and Exxon gas stations are obsolete and worries of running out of fuel are a thing of the past. Imagine cars that are plugged into chargers for the night just like any cell phone, laptop, or digital camera.

Although this world may sound like a fantasy, Nissan is quickly making this a reality with its 2011 Nissan LEAF, an all electric zero-emission hatchback. Not only is this vehicle ground breaking, but also is a realistic peek into the direction car manufacturers might be headed.

“Nissan leads the industry by offering the first affordable zero-emission vehicle for the mass market. The LEAF is in a class by itself,” Brian Carolin, the senior vice president of sales and marketing of Nis-san North America said.

The LEAF is powered by a 107 horse-power all electric motor that runs on en-ergy supplied by lithium-ion cells, accord-ing to Nissan. Die-hard gear heads might be skeptical about the lack of camshafts, valves, exhausts, pistons and catalytic converters, but these all electric engines cut maintenance costs and boost reliabil-ity. Not only are pesky oil leaks a thing of the past, but engine and exhaust noises are eliminated making the LEAF a stealthy eco-friendly contender.

Nothing about the LEAF is traditional, including its lack of a standard trans-mission. Say “goodbye” to the days of gears slipping, stalling on hills and rid-ing clutches. Although the car acts like an automatic, it only has one gear that takes

it up to the maximum speed of 90 mph. While the LEAF isn’t exactly set up for the Autobahn, it has instant torque, which gives it great off-the-line acceleration

As any other battery operated object, the LEAF can only be used for a certain amount of time before it needs to be re-charged. Nissan estimates that the LEAF will be able to go approximately 100 miles per charge. Although 100 miles doesn’t seem that much at first, Nissan states that “95% of Americans don’t drive more than 100 miles per day,” making the LEAF a perfect candidate for the majority of driv-ers. Just don’t plan on taking the LEAF on any road trips to California.

To alert the driver if the battery is run-ning low, Nissan installed Carwings, a high-tech system that displays the battery status as well as surrounding charging stations. Nissan reports that a full charge takes approximately eight hours on a stan-dard 220 Volt outlet.

“People will charge their LEAFs at home much like they do their cells,” Nissan said.

The LEAF is as easy on the wallet as it is on the economy. Nissan has set the start-ing price at $33,000, but this price can drop to $25,000 with federal tax-credit prices. Even though the LEAF is set to go on sale nationwide in late 2011, there is already a sky-high demand for Nissan’s newest creation.

“More than 18,600 people in the U.S. have already made a reservation for the LEAF,” Nissan said.

For more information about the LEAF and how to get a hold of one, visit www.NissanUSA.com.

“nISSAn leADS the InDuStry By oFFerInG the FIrSt AFForDABle zero-eMISSIon vehIcle For the MASS MArket.”

Think Twice: Jaywalking at KeanBy d.J. Jean

Kean students recently received an email notification urging them to resist from jaywalking and to stay within the confines of the outlined crosswalks throughout the campus and elsewhere.

According to the State Division of High-way Safety, it is estimated that about 150 pedestrians a year have been killed on New Jersey’s roadways since 2004. Last year, that number increased to 159 pedestrians a year after a three year decline.

In 2009, a vehicle struck a Kean Univer-sity student who was crossing North Av-enue by Kean and Phil Rizzuto Park early one morning in April. The collision was not fatal, but the Kean student was left seriously injured. The student was struck crossing an area where there were no traf-fic lights or crosswalks.

In January, Former Governor Jon S. Corzine signed a revised traffic law that requires drivers to come to a complete stop for pedestrians. The law was enacted in April and was instituted to curb fatali-ties of traffic in New Jersey. State and fed-eral traffic statistics found that 25% of auto-related fatalities involved pedestri-ans, which is almost double the national

average. In the past, New Jersey drivers were only required to yield to pedestrians entering a crosswalk.

Drivers who do not adhere to the re-vised traffic law face being reprimanded with any of the following: a $200 ticket, 15 days of community service, and/or two points on the driver’s license.

Pedestrians, even under the revised law that was designed to accommodate their safety, face similar penalties as drivers who violate the law. They may be charged with a $200 fine and/or community ser-vice. Points, however, will not be placed on their drivers’ licenses.

“the couGAr’S Den hAS MADe A coMPlete 360, out wIth the olD AnD In wIth the new.”

FooD: the coUGar’S den By saMantha Feller

cArS: nISSan tUrnS over a ne w LeaF By Charley FalkenBurg

Photo: Gabrielle Matarazzo

The new front counter in The Den.

Photo: www.insideline.com

The all electric 2011 nissan leaf.

GO COUGARS!

The International American Drama Conference, organized by Professor Janet Balakian in partnership with the English and Theatre departments, will be held Oct. 29 and 30 at Kean University. The conference will have scholars from all over the world discussing a broad range of plays by American playwrights that deal with issues such as politics, hu-man rights and gender.

Michelle Alequin and Jennifer Pepe, two seniors and Psychology majors who minor in English at Kean, will be present-ing papers at the conference. Alequin and Pepe will also assist in the lectures and discussions with Kean’s production of “Our Town.” The performance will be followed by a panel discussion of the play featuring scholars and directors such as Emily Mann, Todd London, Chris Bigsby and Brenda Murphy.

We are in difficult economic times, and so people understandably focus on their eco-nomic security, which dictates their course of study in college,” said Balakian. “In doing so, students can forget the importance of the arts and humanities. The conference will explore the ways that drama is essential to our humanity.

The students who wish to attend the play “Our Town” can submit their registration at the same time with the same price and the English department will order a bunch of

tickets. The public is also invited to attend and should call 908-737-SHOW or go directly to the Wilkins box office to purchase the tickets. Students who attend the conference will receive co-curricular credit for attending after filling out a questionnaire.

Studying a play means engaging with our whole society,î says Balakian. ìWe are fortu-nate that the NJ Council for the Humanities has embraced our conference.î

Acting Dean of the school of visual and performing arts, Holly Logue is credited in providing the financial support needed enable to launch the conference. The conference also received a grant from NJ Council for Humanities which means the scholars and directors listed above will be free and open to the public.

The conference will be held at several Kean locations such as the Center for Aca-demic Success, the Human Rights Institute, the Little Theatre inside the UC and the Wilkins Theatre.

The price for students is $10 and $25 for the public; all students are encouraged to bring guests. The tickets can be purchased on line at http:www.kean.edu/~drama and the forms should be delivered along with the $10 to Kim in CAS room 301.

For more info or questions visit http://www.kean.edu/~drama.

A & EARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DrAMA

“we Are In DIFFIcult econoMIc tIMeS, AnD So PeoPle... FocuS on theIr econoMIc SecurIty, whIch DIctAteS theIr courSe oF StuDy In colleGe.”

➦

the PlAy IS the thInG At keAn By ernst r. Constant

As the rain poured outside on Sunday Sep-tember 12th, inside the Center for Academic Success an afternoon of letters and one act plays was underway.

Presented by the Kean University Founda-tion (KFT) and Alumni Associations, To the Letter is a collection of four letters and three one act plays written by Estelle Ritchie, a for-mer Kean University faculty member.

“It was wonderful [working with Estelle] because it was so much about the art scene in New York,” said W. John Bauer, a former Kean faculty member and producer of To the Letter. “I learned so much be-cause I went to plays with her.”

Starring Annette Curran, John Curran, and Lauran Parnes, all mem-bers of Café Theatre in Brick, NJ, To The Letter is a combination of let-ters written by Ritchie to one of her former students as well as three one act plays: “Division of Spoils,” “You Don’t Talk to Me No More, Franc-esca,” and “Love You to Pieces, Marianne.”

The idea for To The Letter came when Bauer discovered Ritchie’s let-

ters. Close to 200 pages, he handed the document to Parnes who read through them and carefully selected the ones that would work best for the production.

“I was only sorry reading [the letters] that I never knew her when she was living,” said Lauran Parnes, the director of and an actor in To the Letter. “I had so much in common with her.”

Born in Boston in 1913, Estelle Ritchie spent her childhood reading and writing. In later years, after her husband died in World War II, she did fellowship work in drama at the University of North Carolina and then studied acting in New York.

In 1964 Ritchie started teaching literature and writing at Kean Uni-versity. In 1979 she left after her script, A New England Legend (a verse adaptation of The Scarlet Letter), was produced at the Lincoln Center to focus on writing full-time. Ritchie passed away in 2001.

“She had a great admiration for women trying to get back to school after having children,” said Bauer. “She was strict, but sympathetic to students’ needs.”

Even after her passing, Ritchie continues to help students at Kean with a scholarship in English and a Theatre in her name. Established by W. John Bauer, Nancy Boucher, and Janice DeYoung two scholarships are awarded to undergrad students majoring in English and Theatre with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

to the letter: An AFternoon oF letterS AnD one-Act PlAySBy Casey Murphy

lIterAture➦

emily Mann

Photo: Merri Cyr

“She hAD A GreAt ADMIrAtIon For woMen tryInG to Get BAck to School AFter hAvInG chIlDren.”

estelle Ritchie 1913-2001

➦MovIeS

Remember Double Dragon? Maybe in the arcades you played the 1989 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or perhaps a more common game like The Simpsons: Arcade Game. These games had a certain charm to it, playing with friends in the mo-ment and working together to beat a boss side-by-side and controller-to-controller. Many games today seem to have been lost in the mix that is First Person Shooters. Thankfully, one game has decided to bring back everything we loved about working to-gether in those kinds of cooperative games and (hopefully) bring us together once more. They call this game Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game.

The Scott Pilgrim series started out as a comic book series and was created by Bryan Lee O’Malley, a Canadian cartoonist. His six book series was later adapted into a movie, duly named Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and was eventually made into a video game and developed by Ubisoft.

Scott Pilgrim is in love with Ramona Flowers and in order for Scott to date Ra-mona he has to fight her seven evil exes. The game takes you into the adventures of Scott, Ramona, his ex-girlfriend Kim and his friend Stephen through the cold tundra that is Toronto, Canada to fight their way so the two can date.

The game is your typical brawler where you have to defeat a certain amount of en-emies in an area before you are able to move on. A leveling system is implemented so your character can grow stronger and learn new abilities as well. A shop system in-game helps players buy various power-ups to further promote your characters strength and help make the game a little easier. For those who remember, this plays

a lot like the NES classic River City Ransom.The series itself takes after a lot of old video games and many are referenced

throughout the game. The game is stylized, as Joystiq.com puts it, in a “hyper 8-bit style.”

The game’s pixel work is absolutely superb and bringing O’Malley’s unique character design to the 8-bit world makes it look amazing. Along with his charac-ters looking amazing as 8-bit characters, the backgrounds of the game really come to life. It blends the best of modern day game design with the old 8-bit style we once loved.

The music itself is also quite amazing. The whole soundtrack was composed by a famous chiptune artist who goes by the name Anamanaguchi. With extremely well composed tracks and an 8-bit soundtrack to match the charm of 8-bit graph-ics, the combination can’t be beat and is something to be experienced.

But as beautiful as the game is, it does have a couple of problems. While Ubisoft had hoped to bring people together, people these days just don’t have that luxury of meeting up with a friend and just playing a game together in the same place.

The addition of online play would have made this game amazing. The game also suf-fers several unexplainable bugs that would cause the game to freeze forcing players to restart the game and lose most of the progress they had made. The game’s A.I. also doesn’t compensate for when a full cast of characters isn’t playing. A good ma-jority of the time, the game would overrun you with enemies on-screen and you’d be easily overpowered, therefore making the game difficult when you start out.

Despite its flaws, this game has many good things going for it. With amazing graphics and an amazing soundtrack to boot, I could easily recommend this game to anyone. For only $10, you can’t find a game more worth it than that. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is available on both the Playstation Network and the XBOX Live Arcade.

I happily give this game an .

Scott PIlGrIM vS the worlD: the GAMe By eriC alBuen

Since his first role in fourth grade as Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” David Far-rington has been pursuing his passion for theatre through multiple plays direct-ing, managing and most importantly, acting.

Finishing up his last semester at Kean University, Farrington is acting in an-other Premiere Stages performance, “Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods,” by Tammy Ryan at the Zella Fry theatre in the Vaughn-Eames fine arts building.

“The thing I love most about theatre performance is the creative and collabora-tive nature of it. It gives you a chance to work with people with like minds, and to learn from each other’s different strengths and weaknesses,” Farrington said.

Farrington’s first experience in Premiere was when he was cast as an under-study for the play, “Any Other Name.” More recently, he played the role of Michael Dolan, a “disillusioned social worker,” in “Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods,” Far-rington explains. The play circles around a suburban woman who meets a “lost” boy from Sudan.

Farrington really enjoys the collaboration in “Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods” and the fact that it is a social action play. He is also excited to work with a brand new director, John Pietrowski and to perform with Kim Zimmer, an Emmy award winner who plays the role of Christine in the play. He is looking forward to being a part of future shows as well.

“I am really excited about the theatre department’s movement based play, “The Other Shore,” which will be playing November 12 through November 20,” Far-rington said.

Farrington has been involved in several Premiere Stages performances including the roles of Donny in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” Dad in “A Hairy Situation,” Sir Toby Belch and Malvolio in “Twelfth Night,” Michal in “The Pillowman,” Happy in “Death of a Salesman,” Father Lux in Our Lady of 121st St. and was a part of the ensemble in “Encore: A Kean University Theatre Retrospective.”

He was also a part of several other plays at the Fla. community college of Jacksonville and other per-forming arts schools, such as the director of “As Is” and the stage manager of “The Laundromat.”

Premiere hosts a new show each year at Kean Uni-versity. Since Premiere hosted this new play, Far-rington has been researching the play and witness-ing its growth. It has been in development for 18

months and he has been able to see how it has changed. Every year Premiere has an audition at the end of the spring semester for se-

lected students. These chosen students are called back over the summer with the opportunity to audition with professional actors going out for the same parts. Far-rington is recognized as an equity actor in the live theatre union as well as part of the Premiere Co.

DAvID FArrInGton PerForMS For PreMIere StAGeS By JaClyn tuMan

➦

GAMeS

David Farrington acting as Michal in “The Pillowman.”

theAter➦

Just when you thought it was safe to sleep in the bed at night again a new ter-ror arrives! From the dark mind of Eli Roth comes his latest fright fest, The Last Exorcism.

Already critically acclaimed, The Last Ex-orcism sets the bar and raises a whole new look on the demonic exorcism film genre. The plot follows a want-to-be exorcist who mockingly goes across country to answer the calls of people of need in healing. He gets more than he bargains for when one of the calls brings him to a small farm in a small town down South, where he encounters real evil.

In true documentary style, Eli Roth brings this experience to life with shocks

and screams at every corner. Combining the best elements of horror films like The Exorcism and mixing it with the technique and shooting style of Paranormal Activity, The Last Exorcism is an entirely new expe-rience that sets a new direction for the ex-orcism movie genre.

Hard to turn away from and very allur-ing, the suspense through out the film will keep any thrill seeker on the edge of their seat. Roth has done an excellent job balancing the mood and keeping the audi-ence wanting more at every turn until the shocking conclusion.

Eliminating cheesy Exorcism copies, this movie definitely is a good pick to en-joy a couple of frights with that special

someone or a group just looking to go out and have a good time. Be careful though, it just might possess you too!

“‘the lASt exorcISM’ IS An entIrely new exPerIence thAt SetS A new DIrectIon For the exorcISM MovIe Genre.”

➦ the lASt exorcISM By Brett williaMs

8 sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 | The Tower

Unfortunately, it’s time to roll up those beach blankets and trade them in for a backpack. It seems as though this summer happened in a blink of an eye. One minute we’re celebrating the finish of our last final exam and next thing you know we’re fighting for a parking spot at good ‘ole Kean University.

There are so many positive changes to look forward to this semester. Construction that made it so difficult to concentrate last semester is finally done. If you haven’t gotten a chance to look at the newly renovated Cougar’s Den, you’re definitely missing out!

On top of that, we have over 1,600 new students this year (no wonder why parking is so difficult), in-cluding the largest freshman and transfer class in Kean history. This semester offers numerous possibili-ties to make a difference on yourself, your academic career and in your life in general. So take advantage of the opportunity!

The Tower has been working hard to bring some great new things for you. I don’t want to spill the beans quite yet but I can promise you that within the next few weeks, you’re going to THREE STEPS closer to continuous news coverage. Are you on the edge of your seats yet?

Our staff is eager to bring the news to you but we can’t do it without you, the students at Kean Univer-sity. So, I want to hear your thoughts! What’s bugging you about the campus? What are you excited about and want to inform your fellow students about? The Tower staff is here to bring the news to the students so let us know what you want to read!

Are you looking to be published? Having something on your mind that you have been eager to get into print? Let me know! We’d love to have contributions from the Kean students to host in the paper. Show us what you’ve got and you may see your name in print in the next issue of The Tower.

I wish you all the best of luck in settling back into school-mode. And as a wise woman once told me, “Where you are is exactly where you should be.” In other words, the journey to today has brought you here for a reason so embrace it! Remember: don’t rush to graduation or to next semester, to finals or midterms. Enjoy each day for all it’s worth. After all, college is a learning experience. You don’t want to blink and forget the lesson!

Megan Muller Editor-In-Chief thetower@kean.edu

weLcome back!

EDITORIAL

oPinion PieCeS AnD leTTeRS To THe eDiToR

The Tower welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor from any source. Such material should be submitted to tower@kean.edu or left atTheTower’soffices.Toverifysourcesofwrittenmaterial,submissionsmust include the writer’s name and contact information. Students should include their class (sophomore, graduate, etc.) and major. Faculty and staff should include campus title or position. On request, names may be withheld from publication if The Tower staff determines there is a legitimate reason to do so, but no anonymous letters will be accepted for publication. The Tower reserves the right to edit, and refuse publication of any submission.

DiSPlAy AnD ClASSiFieD ADVeRTiSing

Deadline for space reservations for display advertising is two weeks before the publication date. Ads submitted after that may be used on a space-available basis. All ads are run-of-the-paper unless an extra fee is collect-ed for a paid position. Deadline for art work and copy is one week before thepublicationdate.ClassifiedadvertisingcanbesubmitteduptotheThursday before publication as long as the payment is made at the same time.Call(908)737-0468oremailtower@kean.eduforaratecard.

ToweR PuBliCATion SCHeDule

FAll 2010: Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9.

The Tower is an independent, laboratory newspaper of Kean University’s print jour-nalism option in the communication major program. It is published monthly through the regular academic year and supported by advertising and the Department of Com-munication. The Tower is not responsible for claims made by its advertisers. The Tow-er is a public forum and is free from censorship and advance approval of content by the university administration. The Tower staff is responsible for its content.

Department of Communication

Kean UniversityCenter for Academic Success

1000 Morris AvenueUnion,NJ07083

Telephone:(908)737-0468;Fax:(908)737-0465Email:thetower@kean.edu;www.kean.edu/~thetower

Editor-in-ChiefMegan Muller

Deputy EditorRachel Rothspan

News EditorLaura Urban

Sports EditorNicole Von Gonten

Assistant Sports EditorMatt Chin

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Charley Falkenburg

Features EditorAndrew Czirjak

On-line EditorsCasey Murphy

Stephanie Musat

Staff Matt Marchesano

DJ JeanCarlos ReynosaMelissa Jewels

Eric AlbuenJonathan Daneshpour

Samantha FellersErnst ConstantJaclyn Tuman

Christine ValdezCelleste Valeanu

Brett WilliamAndrea Edwards

Ayana GibbsBrian KonchalskiDaniel Dolocheck

Arkor KolubahAydin Reyhan

Gabrielle Matarazzo

Faculty AdviserPat Winters Lauro

Business ManagerEileen Ruf

DesignerStephanie Skirvin

The Tower

I began an internship at the beginning of the summer. It was everything I was hoping for and I couldn’t wait to get started, literally counted down the days until I’d begin. But, by day 3, I was over the internship and vowed never to go into New York City again.

Monday night: I chose my outfit the previous night so I didn’t try on my entire closet Tuesday morning. I packed my lunch, a few snacks, shoes, and a notebook. I looked and acted like a child getting ready for my first day of kindergarten. But, I WAS PREPARED!

tuesday: I woke up at 5 a.m. to shower and get myself all dolled up for my first day. It was early but I had to be on the train by 6:50 a.m. so it was necessary. Donned with a khaki tube dress and a black cardigan with black ballet flats I was ready to take on the city. The company I was working at focused on platinum jewelry. You’d think common sense would’ve told me NOT to wear the gold tiger’s eye necklace I dressed myself with that day. Instead, my boss pointed it out as soon as I walked in the door. Strike!

wednesday: Up again at 5 a.m. and the humidity was intense. Hopped out of my bed and literally could not walk because I was so exhausted from the previous day’s excur-sions. I decided to pass on the breezy dress idea and lean towards something with a little more comfort and security. Outfit for the day was pants, awrap shirt and flip-flops, what

could possibly go wrong? Just my luck, Wednesday happened to be the hottest day of the week. I’d say it was

about 130 degrees in the city. And me? I wore pants. It literally felt as though I had wrapped myself in saran wrap and stuck myself in a sauna. Heat in New Jersey is in-comparable to heat in New York City. You think that beating sun is tough when your catching rays on the beach? Add about 20 degrees to it and cover your body completely, that’s what it felt like.

I had to get 16 binders (which by the way are incredibly heavy even when they don’t have anything in them). So I walked to Staples, picked out the items, back to the office to get help carrying it all (I couldn’t just call and have someone meet me because I forgot the number), back to Staples to get everything and then back to the office. By the time I got back to the office it must’ve looked as though I had jumped in the Hudson River. Lovely.

Want to read how the rest of the week went? Stay tuned for Part 2 in the October issue of The Tower or visit http://glamoroushustle.blogspot.com/2010/05/nervous-break-down.html to see pictures!

I ’m JUSt not a cIt y GIrL - Part I

By Megan Muller

OP-ED

EVENTS CALENDAR

ACADEMICS:9/23 12:00 pm Campus Awareness Festival, Cougar Walk 9/25 11:30 am Undergraduate Open House, Harwood Arena 11:15 am Community Foodbank of New Jersey, shuttle departs from Vaughn-Eames Lot9/26 1:00 pm Graduate Open House, East Campus 8:00 pm Sunday Night Football, UC Game Room 8:00 pm Catholic Newman Club, UC9/27 2:00 pm Pizza & Pool League, UC Game Room9/28 3:00 pm Spades Tournament, UC Game Room 3:15pm Humans Rights Interest Meeting, Human Rights Institute (Library) room 2019/29 10:00 am Cougar Fair, UC Atrium 8:00 pm Lip Sync Night, Cougars Den9/30 9:00 am Market Vision Poster Sale, UC Patio Atrium 3:30 pm SEPIC Club, UC 226B10/6 10:00 am Cougar Fair, UC Atrium 7:30 pm Domestic Violence Workshop Hosted by Chi Upsilon Sigma, UC 337B10/8 4:00 pm Student Org. Student Council Meeting10/9 11:15 am Community Foodbank of New Jersey, Shuttle departs Vaughn-Eames Parking Lot10/11 Columbus Day: No classes10/13 10:00 am The Cougar Fair, UC Atrium 7:30 pm eXpresso Informational Meeting Chi Upsilon Sigma, UC 337B10/14 12 pm Blood Drive, UC 219 2:00 pm Cotton Candy Land, UC Atrium

KEAN STAGE:9/25 7:30 pm AHN Trio, Enlow Recital Hall 10/9 7:30 pm Vanessa Carlton, Enlow Recital Hall 10/10 2:00 pm New Jersey Symphany Chamber Players, Enlow Recital Hall 10/14 8:00 pm En France, Enlow Recital Hall

| sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 9The Tower

kean bUdGet cUtS (Continued from page 1)

department and former KFT president said no staff should have been laid off due to finances. He cited Kean’s eight sister universities, specifically Montclair Uni-versity, William Paterson University and Rowan University that have similar enroll-ment, which managed state budget cuts without eliminating personnel.

“The budget cuts are happening at all institutions but the institutions have dif-ferent priorities,” Katz said. “The priority of this administration is public relations, construction and beautification. Hiring the right faculty, hiring efficient support staff for students is not a priority.”

Kean spent $4.8 million more on cam-pus operations and maintenance in 2009 than in 2008 whereas the total allotment for faculty salary rose $3.3 million, accord-ing to Middle States draft reports. Student tuition has risen 62 percent since 2003, yet full-time faculty has dropped from 400 to 324, according to the NJ Commission on Higher Education.

That, Castiglione said, is the biggest problem with the financial management of the administration. Students are pay-

ing more, but getting less in the classroom and even less in support as more profes-sional staff are being let go, he said.

A tuition raise was not going to be a so-lution to this, Hudik said, and would in turn be detrimental to students. “Tuition accounts for more than 80 percent of our revenues. Nevertheless, Kean’s tuition in these difficult times remains among the lowest in the state,” he said in an email.

Of the 16 people who spoke in front of the Board, 12 spoke in support of the KFT.

Diana Calle, along with 36 Hispanic stu-dents, stood in front of Dr. Farahi and the Board in support of Myriam Quinones, an advisor for the Spanish-speaking program, saying that she aided in her assimilation to Kean and kept her motivated

“There were many days were I wanted to give up and I didn’t think I would accom-plish my professional goals,” said Calle. “I relied on the spiritual guidance of Myriam Quinones to keep me engaged. What I got from Myriam Quinones was uncondition-al support and encouragement.”

Connelly responded that the actions

were a last resort for the administration to balance the budget.

“If anyone thinks we are taking these actions in some lighthearted kind of way, that we aren’t very serious about the ac-tions that took place, that is simply not true,” Connelly said. “It is about putting finances in order and being realistic about what the future finances of the state are going to be and what we are going to have to deal with in the future.”

He noted that faculty and public safety were exempt from layoffs. Everything else was on the table.

The KFT is also charging that the layoffs discriminated against women, African Americans and Hispanic staff. Castiglione said that of the 12 professional staff laid off, 10 are women – six of whom are Af-rican American and two are Hispanic. He said the KFT is looking into taking action.

“There are very, very serious ques-tions of discrimination when you look at the list,” said Castiglione after the KFT meeting. “There are significant questions of what factors went into their decision making.”

Connelly defended the university in the Board of Trustees meeting by saying of the nine managers who were laid off, eight are Caucasian. “There was nothing racist, there was nothing sexist about this approach,” he said.

Sharon Fouchee, who has advised the EEO program for 33 years, was among the people cut despite her years of service.

“I’ve not only worked with freshman, but generations of freshmen whose chil-dren then come here,” she said. “We have a fight in front of us.”

My Pet Dragon, an alternative rock and dance duo from New York City, are gain-ing fans with their hits and performances. The band consists of Todd Michaelsen and Reena Shah. Michaelsen quit college to move to the city and focus on his music career. He met Shah through the Brooklyn rock music scene and they soon were dat-ing, living together and planning a trip to India. Shortly after their trip, they formed My Pet Dragon.

Their music is heavily influenced by their trip to India. The duo released their first album First Born, and it proved to gain success. One of their songs, “Drag-on’s Breath” played on the BBC radio and it wasn’t long before someone noticed My Pet Dragon. Karsh Kale, a highly acclaimed DJ and producer, just happened to be that someone. Their album boasts six tracks, including their single “Lover in Hiding” which Kale helped to produce

I initially thought My Pet Dragon was going to be another new band that I was not going to like, but it turned out I was wrong. The overall melody and mood of the songs were great. When I first heard “Lover in Hiding,” I felt like I was breath-ing a breath of mountain fresh air. Within seconds I knew I wasn’t going to be re-viewing another alternative rock band. Their sound is new and unique, combining synthesizers and guitars and making it sound good is no easy task but yet some-thing they have mastered.

Michaelsen’s voice in “Lover in Hid-ing” really makes the lyrics stand out. He seems to have no limits to his vocal range and his lyrics really struck a chord with me. It’s a great song for people who love sappy love songs. While some may see the lyrics as sappy and too love oriented,

I think it makes the music that much bet-ter; after all, the band IS a couple.

Another great love song, “Between Us,” has a slower melody maybe but it will definitely stick in your head. Michaelsen shows his mastery of his gift of the guitar in this song, especially at the end.

Lastly, “A New Nation,” takes a com-pletely different direction from “Lover

in Hiding” and “Between Us.” There is no synthesizer, just Michaelsen’s voice and his guitar. This technique shows off his vo-cal abilities without masking it with other noises. It’s not often that you hear some-body’s voice recorded without it going through digital enhancement. The song’s lyrics are powerful and moving, yet sub-tle enough to make you think. Two lines in particular stood out to me: “And to all you Zombies watching the Evening News -/ Your World is much wider than they choose”

If you’re looking for a band that stands apart from others on the radio, give My Pet Dragon a shot. For more information on upcoming shows and to hear some of their music visit their website at http://www.mypetdragon.net/.

Just past the Kean Campus, there are a million different things to do. But it’s a new school year, and Kean is starting to feel like home again. With more incoming students than ever before, it’s not sur-prising that parking feels like even more of a tremendous burden than past years. What is surprising, however, are all of the under used services of new and old that many Kean students do not know about. Here are some of the ones that are less dis-cussed, but worth a student’s time.

Many people remember the old game room that the UC once featured, but the new year brings a re-constructed game room, featuring impressive new chairs, clean pool tables, and a new feel. Students living away from home, or even commut-ers with large breaks in between classes can head over to the game room and min-gle. Whether going with friends, to meet friends, or even to sit and just be part of the college scene, the game room is an impressive way to enjoy Kean campus. This month’s Tower features a story by Casey Murphy about the location and its fun new feel, which can be found on page 4. She writes “Directing the time machine back two years ago, the game room has been greatly improved from its original form, and even from the substi-tute that resided in the Greek Lounge last year.” Check out her story, and check out the room.

The game room is a place for hanging out, but there are also services that can help a student with personal growth in many areas. Incoming freshman may hear rumors of mythical sports equipment, for improving health and creating a workout regime, to avoid that freshman fifteen. But Kean offers more than just equip-ment; they have a whole fitness center, and a pool, both of which are available for students when the athletic teams are not meeting. The fitness center features ellip-tical machines, treadmills, and stationary bikes, as well as weights. Located inside Harwood Arena, the furnished room re-quires workout clothes and has a locker room, and can be a great workout spot

for any student. More information can be located at http://www.keanathletics.com/information/facilities/index.

Sometimes, however, self improvement and new friends are not enough to change the emotions a college student may ex-perience. Students often hear about the good stuff, like the happiness of finding new friends and the freedom of being

away from home. Still, there is much less conversation about the harder feelings- stress, depression, and loneliness. Many students will suffer through a negative emotional journey at one point or an-other during their career at Kean. Many students work through these times alone as best they can, but there is another op-tion. Kean offers a counseling center, free of charge, where students can go to talk through whatever they are going through, whether it is related to their current role as a student, to anxiety about the future, or even trauma caused by a difficult past. The service is open to all (even to faculty, although it’s a bit more limited), confiden-tial, and ready for appointments. Accord-ing to their website, “The Kean Counseling Center is designed to assist students in all areas of psychological counseling.” Check out http://www.kean.edu/~kcc/counseling.html to get more information.

Whether you are new to the Kean Cam-pus, or a seasoned veteran who hasn’t taken advantages of these great benefits the school has to offer, be sure to check them out. With limited budgets and time, having these be accessible right on cam-pus is a unique and wonderful way to utilize our college.

RAVEwhat the camPUS haS For yoU

By raChel rothspan

“when I FIrSt heArD ‘lover In hIDInG,’ I Felt lIke I wAS lIke I wAS BreAthInG A BreAth oF FreSh AIr.”

MUSICne w band “my Pe t draGon” StePS Into the Scene

By Brian konChalski

My Pet Dragon poses for the camera.Photo: www.gimmethatsound.com

Photo: Stephanie Musat

kean President Dawood Farahi (right) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees eugene enlow (left) listen at the public meeting Sept. 13.

The Pool at the ArenaPhoto: Kean University

10 sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 | The Tower

The history of anabolic steroids cannot be explained without looking back to the discovery of testosterone. It’s been ac-cepted since ancient times that testicles were required for male sexual characteris-tics and development. By the mid 1930’s scientists had synthesized testosterone making it the first anabolic steroid. Ana-bolic steroids are drugs that resemble the chemical structure of the body’s natural sex hormone testosterone. They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic ef-fects) and the development of sexual char-acteristics (androgenic effects) in both males and females.

When anabolic steroids increase the lev-els of testosterone in blood, they stimulate muscle tissue in the body to grow larger and stronger. This leads to the abuse of the compound by body builders and weight-lifters and also by athletes in other sports to improve their ability to run faster, hit farther, lift heavier weights, jump higher, and have more endurance. Although ste-roids are effective performance enhancers, they lead to many health and legal issues.

HealtH IssuesThe potential side effects of steroids are

enough to scare the average person away from use. Side effects in males may in-clude:

• acceleratedmale-patternbaldness• decreasesexdrive• reducespermproduction• breastdevelopment• testicleshrinking

And while men may experience femini-zation, women may experience masculini-ties with side effects including:

• clitorisenlargement• menstrualchanges• deepenedvoice• breastreduction• malepatternbaldness• facialhair

Both sexes may experience:

• skindisease• cardiovasculardisease• liverdisease• psychological effects (from depression

to aggression)

legal IssuesIn the USA, steroids are classified as

controlled substances and carry with them

felony charges. The FDA, the Department of Education and the Drug Enforcement Administration has joined together in sponsoring public education program on steroids aimed mainly at youngsters. One challenge in youth steroid education is that young people tend to believe they are immortal.

The second problem is when profes-sional athletes, many of whom are regard-ed as a role model by young people have been accused for turning to steroids and other illegal drugs to pursuit of a com-petitive edge or to prolonged their powers and speed. The times book critic Michiko Kakutan; called it “Classical Tragedy”. He said that the very qualities that once made Marion-Jones, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds best aggression, tenacity and re-lentless need to win- were the very quali-ties that would sabotage them in real life, in the legal arena, on Capitol Hill and in the court of public opinion.

Roger Clemens, knows as “the Rocket: and larger than life pitcher had 354 wins, 3.12 ERA and seven CY Young awards just to pick a few. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied to con-gress when he said he never used perfor-mance- enhancing drugs.

Marion Jones, who won five track and field medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics served six months in prison after pleading guilty to making false statements to fed-eral authorities about her use of perfor-mance enhancing drugs and relinquished her 5 medals to the United States unit of doping agency.

Barry Bonds, baseball career home run leader, won 7 most valuable players awards, named to the All-Star team 14 times, has won 8 Gold Glove awards and was named Best Player of the 90’s. He was indicted on charges that he made false statements be-fore a federal grand jury about his use of performance enhancing drugs.

For most people, steroids are a bad choice. People often start taking them without properly educating themselves about the risks and rewards. Steroid may give you the sense that they make you stronger and more athletic but the consequences are too dangerous to risk. Make sure that you know and understand the health risks and the possibility of legal trouble.

Dr. Josh Palgi is a professor in the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Health Department.

HEALTH & FITNESSSteroId abUSe In SPortS

By dr. Josh palgi

SPORTS CALENDAR

9/25 12:00 pm Women’s Tennis vs Ramapo College 1:00 pm Field Hockey vs Mercy College 5:00 pm Women’s Soccer vs Rutgers- Camden 9/29 7:30 pm Men’s Soccer vs New Jersey City

University 9/30 3:30 pm Women’s Tennis vs College of Staten Island10/1 7:00 pm Football vs Montclair State University 10/2 12:00 pm Women’s Volleyball vs John Jay

College 1:00 pm Women’s Soccer vs Ramapo College 4:00 pm Women’s Volleyball vs Farmingdale State College 10/7 7:00 pm Women’s Volleyball vs Rutgers Camden 10/9 1:00 pm Women’s Tennis vs William Paterson University 1:00 pm Field Hockey vs Rowan University 10/13 7:30pm Men’s Soccer vs Montclair State

University 10/14 3:30pm Women’s Tennis vs Richard Stockton College

BE SEEN AND HEARD!WRITE FOR THE TOWER

JOIN USEVERY TUESDAY AT 3:20 PM

CAS 413

| sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 11The Tower

By daniel doloCheCk

The Kean women’s soccer team, led by coach Brian Doherty started fast this sea-son by winning their first three games by a combined score of 15-2.

The team succeeded early this year and impressed Doherty in his 12th season as coach. “I think our team this year com-pares on paper to the most successful teams we’ve had here at Kean,” the coach said. “The season will tell us whether or not that translates onto the field and into results.”

The team currently sits at 4-1-1 after suffering its first defeat to Stevens Insti-tute of Technology.

The Lady Cougars, ranked fourth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference pre-season coaches poll, were considered the dark horse selection in the group.

“As far as us being the dark horse - I think if we play the way we are capable of playing to our best level and continue to challenge ourselves to do that everyday

that we have a great chance at competing for a conference title,” Doherty said.

Coach Doherty said he valued the opin-ions of his colleagues and that of the par-ticular poll, because coaches in the confer-ence voted on it.

The Lady Cougars returned 23 players this year and Doherty felt that they have all become better players since entering the program.

“I can’t pick one player off of this team.

We have too many great players to choose one. We are very deep in terms of talent, and I respect all of my players too much to choose just one to put on a pedestal,” Do-herty said. “I’m just happy with the team to this point both as soccer players, and as people I think we have great character on this team.”

Doherty gets excited for every game because they are so important for differ-ent reasons.

“In our sport, the way the NCAA selec-tion is structured it makes every game im-portant. You have to win as many regional games as possible so that if you don’t win the conference you have a strong regional record and a better chance at a large bid to the NCAA tournament,” Doherty said. “It just so happens that all of our games are regional games so it makes them all important. Of course the better your op-ponent the more excited you get because of the challenges that you will face against those teams, it shows you what you are made of.”

Even though the rest of the season still has to be played, the team has what it takes to win a championship.

“I do think this group of players (wom-en) is capable of winning a conference and national championship, they have the depth, talent, and character to do so, if they stick together through the tough times and come out the other side of them stronger for it then we can do anything we set our minds to together,” Doherty said.

Cougars Look to Take the Lead in the NJACBy Matt Chin

With 20 returning seniors on the foot-ball team, head coach Dan Garrett has a team ready to compete for a national championship.

“We have a good veteran ball club with guys who know how I expect things to get done and know how to handle them-selves,” Garrett said.

During the preseason, coaches in the New Jersey Athletic Conference ranked the Cougars third in the preseason poll.

“We haven’t done anything yet. It’s the first time we’ve ever been ranked that high. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” Garrett said.

Garrett tries his best to keep his team from getting too comfortable with what the team has accomplished, “I try to do a good job of knocking them down a peg everyday. So when I start to see them get complacent or start talking about the pre-season ranking, I tell them you haven’t

done anything yet.”Garrett talks about the season being 10

single week seasons, and the only thing that matters is the next game.

“I did a lot of research on Coach John Wooten of UCLA and Nick Saban of Alabama and those two guys preach win-ning today,” Garrett said. “We’re not looking to be mediocre; we’re not looking to be average. We’re looking to do some good things.”

On the field the Cougar’s offense is led by three-year-starting junior quarterback Tom D’Ambrisi.

“He can throw the ball from any dif-ferent angle. He can throw it rolling out, three step, five step, play action, he can run and do some things with his feet in the run game,” Garrett said of his quar-terback. “He can also run when the pocket breaks down in the passing game.”

Garrett stresses the importance of pro-tecting the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense. “We can’t turn the ball

over, we got to be able to stop people in the run game on defense.”

Over the summer, recent graduate Markal Ginyard passed away in a one-car accident. Ginyard started in the safety po-sition during his tenure at Kean.

The Cougars grieved during preseason training camp over the loss of Ginyard.

“First it was emotionally tough because Markal was only two years removed from us. And he was around because he just graduated in the spring,” Garrett said. “Even though he finished playing for us in ’08, there were a lot of guys who were still

really close to him.”Helping to anchor the defense that Gin-

yard used to play in is 5-foot-8-inch junior safety Jamahl Williams and 5-foot-10-inch junior safety Mike Mancini.

“Jamahl Williams is probably the most talented young man I’ve ever coached at that position,” Garrett said.

Garrett is hoping Williams experience and leadership will help the Cougars win games this year.

“He’s got 11 starts from last year, and seven from the year prior. So his leader-ship is going to be key,” Garrett said.

With all the returning seniors on the team, Garrett expects leadership from everyone. D’Ambrisi helped out tremen-dously in that regard.

“He’s got 22 games under his belt. His leadership is outstanding this year. He’s been phenomenal right now,” Garrett said.

“we hAve A GooD veterAn BAll cluB wIth GuyS who know how I exPect thInGS to Get Done AnD know how to hAnDle theMSelveS.”

CAMPUS SPORTS

By andrew CzirJak

Last season Kean University baseball team was on a roll. The Cougars were con-fident even with the inexperienced fresh-men on the Cougars team. They had a swagger to them. But, most importantly the Cougars had the belief they could win the College World Series.

Seeking their fourth-straight trip to the College World Series, the Cougars began their quest against Manhattanville College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament. The Cougars were unstoppable, especial-ly from the pitching mound. Standout pitcher ryan zamorsky, a sophomore pitched a five-hit, complete game shutout leading the Cougars to a 3-0 win.

On May 21, the Cougars blasted their way past Widener University, 8-2 to win their second elimination game during the

NCAA Tournament. The wins for team just kept on coming. The Cougars would win their next two games defeating Al-vernia University 3-2 and upsetting John Hopkins University’s Blue Jays 9-6.

Some of their wins came easy to the Cougars, and some wins they had to fight tooth and nail for. But once again the pride of Kean University found themselves one win away from advancing to another Col-lege World Series.

However, in a crucial playoff game against the number one seeds John Hop-kins University, the Cougars were unable to clip the Blue Jay’s wings again. They would go on to lose to the Jays 8-3 in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional.

Still, the Cougars had another very suc-cessful year. And no one can argue that. The Cougars 39-12 record proves it. Kean team closed out the 2010 season as the NJAC Tournament Champions, as well as

making it to the NCAA Regional. However, the ultimate prize, a College

World Series win continues to elude Kean University’s baseball team. For the past three seasons the Cougars have gotten close. Unfortunately, the Cougars contin-ue to fall short in achieving their goal.

Not making it to the CWS was the bad news. The good news is some of the mem-bers of the Cougars 2010 squad did have something to smile about.

Junior nick nolan earned the yearly New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Associa-tion awards and First Team ABCA All-Re-gion Honors. Nolan, the 2010 NJAC Play-er of the Year, was selected as the NJCBA Division II/III Player of the Year as well as being tabbed as the ECAC Metro Player of the Year. He set a new Kean University single-season record, with 17 doubles, four triples, nine homeruns and a perfect 21-of-21 in stolen base attempts.

Freshman Kevin Herget was also tabbed as the NJCBA Division II/III Rookie Pitch-er of the Year after finishing with a 7-1 re-cord in eight starts this season.

Need more proof?Junior Ken Gregory finished the 2010

season as the NJAC leader with a (.427) batting average.

And Kean University star infielder, se-nior Mike Moceri was selected as a sec-ond team member finishing the season with a .376 batting average 73 hits, 45 RBI and 45 runs scored in 48 games played this year. Moceri was also selected as a first-team all-star.

Then, there should not be a question if they still can win the College World Se-ries. The big question should be is when. And with the caliber of talented players the Cougars have in their line-up this sea-son it is only a matter of time before the Cougars due.

Prized Prey Slips Through the Cougars’ Paws Once Again

Catching Up With the Lady Cougars

2010 women’s Soccer team. Photo: Kean Athletics

12 sept. 23 - Oct. 13, 2010 | The Tower

Finally the NFL regular season is here. Teams have already played two games and are preparing for the third week of the season. Like every fantasy football owner, you’re probably torn between which players should be started, which should be benched and which should be claimed off waivers. For every issue you have, this column will help you pick which players you need to start, bench, pick up, or drop from your fantasy football team. So let’s start off with the players you must start for week three:

Must staRtsaHMad BRadsHaw (NYg): He’s tough. He doesn’t stop moving his legs for-ward. He makes something out of nothing. What else can be said about the guy? He’s awesome. I’m a little skeptical of the Titans run defense. RasHaRd MeNdeNHall (PIt): I’ve been saying it all summer; Mendenhall will be one of the most valuable fantasy backs through the first month. The Steel-ers are going to pound the ball since they don’t have Big Ben starting. Look for a big game from him against the Bucs.BRaNdoN JacksoN (gB): Ryan Grant is done for the season. Jackson’s value just skyrocketed. RaY RIce (Bal): Whether it’s catching out of the backfield and running or a handoff, he’s fast. He surprised a lot of people last year. He won’t surprise anyone this year, but that won’t stop him, especially against the Browns. caRsoN PalMeR (cIN): It took a while, but Palmer eventually turned it on against the Patriots in week one. He threw for 345 yards and two scores against the Pats. He’ll do that to the Browns. doNovaN McNaBB (was): He didn’t throw a touchdown against the Cowboys in the first week, but he looked good. The Rams have an awful pass defense. It’ll be a different story then. saNtaNa Moss (was): McNabb has two options: Moss or Cooley. Moss is more likely to have more targets. He has a slightly bigger upside than Cooley. Hakeem Nicks (NYG): The wide receiver on the Giants with the biggest upside. He may not catch as many balls, but he has big play capability. He could very well turn out to be the best receiver in the NFC East. cHad ocHocINco(cIN): I like him for the same reasons I like Carson Palmer.dez BRYaNt (dal): This kid may sneak up on some. He’s owned in a lot of leagues, but he people may not be playing him. He needs to be started. Joe Flacco (Bal): T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice. Scary com-bination. He’s going to almost always post big numbers. It’s no longer about Baltimore’s defense. PIeRRe gaRcoN (INd): Manning has a lot of options in that offense. But Man-ning also throws a lot. He may be hit or miss some games, but is more likely to hit than miss. MaRk claYtoN (stl): He’s the only person Sam Bradford can throw to on that offense. And Bradford isn’t a bad quarterback. Pick him up if you’re des-perate.

sIt, sIt, sItcalvIN JoHNsoN (det): Did nothing in the first week. I know the rule, it’s terrible, and the rule needs to be changed. He was beat by a rule. Still, with Matthew Stafford injured makes Megatron’s fantasy stock plummet. Sorry, Shaun Hill.The entire Minnesota Vikings wide receiver core: Brett Favre has no idea who to trust. Sidney Rice is out for at least half the season. I don’t know how this team is going to win games if Favre has no one to throw to. steve sMItH (caR): Who knows how long Matt Moore will be out for. Jimmy Clausen is a rookie. Smith is tough, but teams are going to blanket him.Any Bears wide receiver: Who is Jay Cutler throwing to? Right, none of them have done a thing to distinguish themselves.deseaN JacksoN (PHI): Kevin Kolb could be out for a little while with a con-cussion. He didn’t look too great against Green Bay anyway. Michael Vick makes too many plays running. Too many question marks with who is under center to make me like any Eagles wide out.BRett FavRe (MIN): If I don’t like his receivers, then I’m definitely not liking him.

duMPsIdNeY RIce (MIN): Who knows when he’ll be back, it’s not worth keeping him on your roster and taking up space.vINceNt JacksoN (sd): Same as Mr. Rice above listed above him.

The 2010 NFL season is among us and with that brings ev-eryone’s favorite fall game: Fantasy Football. Everyone gets to become an armchair owner in which your decisions and actions determine if you will be a winner or a loser. This is where I come in. I have played Fantasy football for the past seven years and have learned a thing or two over that time. This column will showcase who I feel you should drop and pick up each week in order to maximize your score.

Pick ups-If you don’t like the defense that one of your players has to go up against look to the waiver wire to add a player with a more favorable match up.

QuaRteRBackskYle oRtoN (deN): He’s a consistent player that puts up solid fantasy num-bers each week. Even with the departure of Brandon Marshall, the Broncos have enough weapons to get into the end zone. He’s currently only owned in 35 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues. In week three he plays a Colt defense that has shown very little. Matt cassel (kc): Matt Hasselback and the Seahawks put up 31 points in week one against the 49ers. Enough said. If you’re really in a bind and need a starter for week three Matt Cassel wouldn’t be your worst option. The Chiefs are going to need to throw the ball if they expect to win. Unless you’re in a huge league Cassel will be available.

RuNNINg BacksFRed taYloR (Ne): Laurence Ma-roney’s nagging injuries have seri-ously dropped his fantasy stock and it looks as if Fred Taylor is going to receive most of the carries for the Patriots. Though a little old, Taylor still has plenty left in the tank and is great catching passes out of the back field. He’s currently only owned in only 21 percent of leagues on ESPN. It doesn’t matter who the Patriots are playing they will put up points. PeYtoN HIllIs (cle): It looks as though Peyton Hillis will be sharing carries with Jerome Harrison. He’s a tough runner with a nose for the end zone. If he can limit his fumbles and stay on the field look for Hillis to have a major role in the Brown’s offense. He’s currently only owned in 4 percent of ESPN leagues. He plays a tough Baltimore defense in week three but should see the bulk of the carries if the Browns make it into the red zone.

wIde ReceIveRsaustIN collIe (INd): Collie is a nice pickup in medium to larger leagues. He’s owned in 78 percent of ESPN leagues meaning if your quick your could be able to snag him. Peyton Manning finds all his options on the field and connected with Collie for 10 completions in week one. JaBaR gaFFNeY (deN): With Brandon Marshall leaving for Miami this offsea-son, Gaffney is penciled in as the Broncos number one right now. He’s only owned in about half of ESPN leagues and is a steal if you’re able to pick him up. The week three match up with the Colts should spell a big day for him.

tIgHt eNdstoNY scHeFFleR (det): He led the lions in catches in week one, and with Matt Stafford’s shoulder a concern, this tight end could end up seeing a ton of passes coming his way with backup Shaun Hill at the helm. He’s barely owned in most fantasy leagues and is a good option versus an aggressive Viking de-fense in week three. JeRMaINe gResHaM (cIN): This rookie is a freak of an athlete and has great upside in the Bengal’s offense. He had six catches and a touchdown in week one. Look for Gresham to get plenty of looks in the red zone with his massive frame.

deFeNse aNd sPecIal teaMsseaHawks (sea): The Seahawks looked great under former USC coach Pete Carroll in the season opener holding the 49ers to only six points. In week three they go up against the Rams which is a great match up for them considering they have rookie quarterback Sam Bradford starting. Look for big numbers from this Seattle defense in week three.

Next Issue: 2010 FaNtasY dRaFt Busts. wHo You sHould dRoP FRoM YouR teaM lIke a Bad HaBIt.

TEAM CHIN By Matt chin

TEAM DOLOCHECK By Daniel Dolocheck

Fantasy Football PicksSPORTS

“It DoeSn’t MAtter who the PAtrIotS Are PlAyInG they wIll Put uP PoIntS.”