Volume 1
Issue 14
For the Kean University Student Community
December 7, 2004
The
COUGAR’SByte A Student Life & Leadership Development Publication
Work It, Girl! By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student A mother, a student, an aerobics instructor — Bella Lambrakopulos proves that you can do it all! “I manage to balance working, school, and my daughter…it’s hard, but I make it happen!” A dancer and a Bella Lamb cheerleader with the Central New Jersey All-stars, it’s easy to see that Bella’s seven year old daughter takes after her mother. “And she’s about to see Mom graduate,” adds Bella with a smile, as she graduates this December with her bachelor’s degree in Biology/ Elementary Education. And as if her plate isn’t full enough, Bella is in the process of opening her own daycare! She also hopes to return to Kean soon for her master’s degree in Biology. An extraordinarily energetic woman, Bella’s passion is fitness. She’s becoming quite a celebrity on campus thanks to the Cardio Kickboxing class she teaches at East Campus. Interspersed with intervals of power bands and free weights, Bella’s Cardio Kickboxing shapes and tones the body wonderfully. “Working out is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It clears your thoughts and your mind. When you work out your body releases endorphins which makes you feel really good. Doctors even recommend working out as a means of fighting depression!” Bella explains. Bella guarantees you a great workout — free of charge! “I get on everybody and don’t let them quit,” says Bella. “I know everybody in my classes by their first names, and when I
see them slowing down I call on them and give them individual motivation. No matter how many people are in the class, I’m there one-on-one with everybody. There’s no getting lazy in my class — I keep them jumping!” Bella is a certified fitness instructor with both the AAAI and AFA certifications. “They are certifications that you have to train for and get tested on—it was hard, but it was so worth it! With those certifications I can teach anywhere.” Bella certainly puts her
Bella Lamb’s high-impact, energizing workouts are all the rage at Kean University.
certifications to good use! She has instructed classes at Gold’s Gym in Cranford, The Pyramid Club in Rahway, and Lucille Roberts in Linden. Bella even competed against 200 other women in a large Lucille Roberts competition, and won! You can spot her in several Lucille Roberts commercials. You don’t have to be a fitness guru to enjoy working out—or even to enjoy Bella’s Cardio Kickboxing class. Bella says proudly that people of all shapes, sizes, and ages attend her class. “We’re all one here,” she says. And she’s happy to offer fitness advice to those who seek it: “When you come to me, I’ll
help you get in shape, I’ll help you with your diet.” Bella’s Cardio Kickboxing is a huge success. Although the Thursday afternoon class has only around ten people, her Monday and Tuesday night classes have over 60 participants! “The vast majority of students using the facilities at East Campus used to be male,” Bella says with a smile, “but now that I’m teaching this class the girls totally outnumber the guys at East Campus!” Of course, males are just as welcome to participate. Students, faculty members, and even administrators participate in Bella’s Cardio Kickboxing! Bella says that she only wishes there were a way to get videos made of her classes. “If we could videotape the classes, it would be so great because people who can’t make it to class could still get a great workout at home with the tape!” Participating in Bella’s Cardio Kickboxing is a wonderful thing to do for yourself, so take advantage of it while you can! The class meets in East Campus Room 122 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, and Thursdays from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE Jazz up your night by coming over to Wilkins Theatre on December 9, 2004 at 8pm and check out a double concert with Kean University’s Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Band. Don’t miss your opportunity to witness Kean University’s very own students performing music from different cultures. Admission is FREE! Why not start off you night the right way.
Visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com
R E G I S T E R AT W W W. C O U G A R S B Y T E . C O M T O G ET T Voices Heard Loud and Clear at Parking Forum By Rajul Punjabi, Class of 2006 One by one, students trickled into the University Center Little Theater on Wednesday, December 1 during college hour. The posters tacked up in all the academic buildings announcing the parking forum got a lot of attention and it was obvious by the vibe in the theater that these students and employees were ready to give whoever was listening a piece of their minds. The forum was held in the form of a question/answer session as well as a reception to comments from the audience. They sat in small groups, and like tigers (or cougars?) ready to attack, many of them anxiously awaited their turn to get some microphone time. At about 3:45, the panel on the stage introduced themselves, and their intentions for executing the forum. Ready for interrogation, the panel members consisted of our Student Organization President, Chimaobi Odumuko, two administrators, and the Kean Campus Police Chief, Dave Parks. On the administrative end were Janice Murray-Laury, V.P. of Student Affairs, and Phillip Connelly, V.P. of Administration and
LIBRARY HOURS EXTENDED By MD Maruf, Student Organization’s V.P. of Student Affairs Earlier this semester, The Cougar’s Byte ran a poll to find out how students felt about the library and the different aspects of its services. The results clearly illustrated that students felt the hours of operation should be extended, especially during midterm and final exams – just like other schools. This has been an issue in the past but nothing was done about it. So, on Monday, November 29, members of Student Organization brought this to President Farahi’s attention. We suggested that students need a place to study during finals and the only feasible place is the library. As a result of students’ requests, library hours will be extended from December 6 through 19 for finals. During this time, the new scheduled hours will be Monday through Thursday 8am – 2 am, Friday 8am – 7pm, Saturday 9am – 6pm and Sunday 1pm Midnight. We welcome and encourage all students to use the library during these extended hours, especially so that we will have access to these same facilities in the future. Furthermore, share the information with all your friends, because it can only be a trend in the upcoming semesters if the students really use the library.
Finance. The panel members began by discussing the obvious lack of parking for the students and employees and how they recognize that it is causing great difficulty. Out of the 13,000 students currently at Kean, more than 11,000 of them commute, with an additional 1,300 employees. People were shocked to learn that there were only about 4,600 parking spaces available on campus. Between the students struggling to find a space in the white lines, and faculty fighting for a spot in the prestigious, yet limited yellow lines, they can’t be blamed for getting a little restless at the forum. For faculty members, it is essential that they park their cars and get to their classrooms in time for class since the unofficial student code says that if a professor is more than 15 minutes late, the class is dismissed. As for the commuting students, some are beginning to realize that there’s got to be another option besides getting into fights with parking lot rivals that claim they put their blinker on first. The first few questions from the audience concerned the safety of students and their cars in the parking lots, which were directed toward Dave Parks and the Police Department. One student, a Resident Advisor on campus, described his disgust with the lack of security. He, along with others, went on to say that they had been victims of someone vandalizing their car in some way. Others complained that they felt unsafe walking to the residence halls from their car at night because there wasn’t sufficient security around to prevent any
crime. This topic triggered a student to inquire about the mandate for resident students to park farther back in the Vaughn Eames Parking Lot in order to allow more spaces for the commuters to park during the day. As a resolution to the lack of parking, Connelly spoke of steps that the administration was taking to minimize the problem. First, there is Kean’s proposition to Sherring-Plough across the street, and how the University may be able to acquire an extra 500 spaces on that property. In addition, the school will be offering heavily discounted fares for mass transit, hopefully encouraging students to take trains or buses. In response to the demand for heightened safety in the parking lots, Parks and the administration said that they had recognized the problem already, and were taking steps to make sure that there was always someone in the security stations, and driving around the lot. Among other steps that students can take to voice their parking concerns, Connelly urged them to e-mail any messages to parking@kean.edu, or call the Campus Police to report any safety concerns. When asked to comment on the progress that was made at the forum, Resident Student, Richard Harrell, a senior who attended, said “It was a positive gesture for the administration and the students to meet, but I didn’t leave with a sense that they came to any immediate resolutions.” This seemed to be the general consensus, judging by the audiences’ requests for further updates from the administration.
Kean Students Celebrate Their Heritage in Fashion Show By Tiberah Tsehai, Class of 2005 Kenya Dubar, a junior psychology major held a Cultural Fashion Show in Newark during the month of October featuring some Kean models in their African Wear. “We attempted to show the various ways you can bring cultural attire to your every day life, into your corporate scene, your evening All the models who participated in the show. scene and whatever scene you choose and still look very much appropriate for the occasion.” Among the Kean models were, Venus Banks and Patience Smith along with Kenya Dubar. Dubar was also the coordinator of the event as well as the host. The Cultural Expose was not only a fashion show but a time of learning, it was during the fashion show when Kenya Shakur showed the audience the techniques involved with wrapping. Shakur showed the audience how to wrap a baby around the back area and also how to wrap the hair properly. Dubar was pleased at the outcome and hopes to do more Cultural Exposé’s in the near future. For more information please visit Africana Studies in Hutchinson room 302.
Venus Banks shows off 2-piece with embroidery disheke and lapa.
Kenya Shakur shows the proper way of wrapping a baby around the back.
H E L AT E S T N E W S S E N T D I R E C T LY T O Y O U R E M A I L . It’s Never Too Late By Jen Rainho, Class of 2006
Chrissy Davies proudly displays her paintings
“It’s never too late to change your major” says Chrissy Davies an Art Education Major with a minor in Photography. Chrissy knows this all too well, as a transfer student from Union County College. Chrissy was fed up and not happy as a business major, so she dropped out of county college to start her own business. That summer, Chrissy worked with the Rainbow Group in Elizabeth, NJ. The Rainbow Group is a program that works with children who come from homes with divorced or lost parents. Coming from a divorced home herself, she was able to relate with these children. That’s when Chrissy decided to attend Kean University as a Social Work major.
In her first year at Kean University, she took a photography class, which covered her Art general requirement. This class really changed her life. She took a job at the Photo Lab on campus and fell in love with the students of the Art department. This is when Chrissy decided to change her major for the last time. However, her mom would only give her blessing if Chrissy majored in Art Education and minored in Photography. Chrissy is extremely happy with her decision. “Don’t be afraid to change your major!” says Chrissy, because if she didn’t, she would have never found her place in society. Chrissy has really changed her outlook with school. She is not only the Secretary of the Fine Arts Student Association (FASA) and an employee of the Photo Lab on campus, but she also arranges displays of her own personal art work. Chrissy just recently had an exhibit “Purpose Realized” in the Little Gallery, located at Vaughn Eames, of her paintings along with the paintings of fellow classmate, Lauren DeMary. And, she’s not done. Keep your eye out for a two (2) week exhibit of Chrissy’s abstract paintings during the Spring Semester.
Inside Auschwitz By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student World-renowned authority on Auschwitz Dr. Jan Van Pelt spoke at Kean’s Wilkins Theatre on the night of Monday November 29, 2004. Entitled “Do you need a building permit to build a gas chamber?”, the seminar began with an answer to this question—yes, you do need a building permit. Van Pelt explained that municipalities must provide all building permits—conveniently, Auschwitz became a municipality and therefore could provide its own. A slide show accompanied the lecture, comprised of images preserved in Moscow and in Auschwitz itself. After the war the SS tried to destroy all evidence, but overlooked the architects’ blueprints and archives that Van Pelt used to illustrate his seminar. He discussed Heinrich Himmler’s plans for Auschwitz. Originally just a town on the border of the country, Auschwitz was later chosen as an ideal place for deportation because so many railways converge there. The camp was built to house prisoners, initially Soviet POWs, who would work there building a series of farms to create a rural utopia for Germans. Realizing that the extensive quantities of prisoners would die, the SS built Auschwitz’s large notorious crematorium. Van Pelt divulged intriguing insights into the intentions of the SS and the inner workings of Auschwitz. Two gentlemen in the audience volunteered their own experiences in concentration camps. The first was Sam Halpern, who said, “It’s been sixty years since I was liberated. At the time, I did not know that I would live sixty years more on this earth.” Halpern reminds us not to forget or overlook those who suffered in small camps like his, which killed 20 thousand people. The second gentleman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that he had been in six different “Juden” (Jew) camps in addition to Auschwitz. As a boy in Auschwitz, he was picked three times to get in the line for the gas chambers but always managed to get away. How did he survive? “You had to want to live,” he said. “A lot of the prisoners didn’t want to live anymore. It was easier to give up.” Profound, moving, and enlightening, Dr. Jan Van Pelt’s lecture opened the eyes of many. was a great honor to have him speak here at Kean.
It
Newman Is For Everyone At Kean Become a new man or woman if you participate in the Kean Newman Club. Though a faith-based group, its service projects are funded by the Student Organization of Kean University, Inc., and welcome any Kean student to participate. It’s a chance for you to share your talents and treasures and receive more in return. During the month of November, the Newman Club held an Annual Food Drive and collected hundreds of nonperishable food items that were donated to St. Joseph Social Services Center in Elizabeth, which also houses the Coalition for the Homeless. This ecumenical group feeds hundreds of people in the greater Elizabeth area every week. On Thursday, December 9, the Newman Club will participate in the Holiday Program at Cornell Nursing Home in Union. They will share the holiday spirit through singing songs, visiting with the residents and presenting each one with a gift, compliments of Student Organization of Kean University, Inc. (They continue that program in the Spring Semester with SAKE, Senior Act of Kindness Experience, when they visit the home once a month.) Also in December, a Giving Tree, located on the bulletin board in the University Center corridor, benefits the Hayes6, the first surviving sextuplets in the state of New Jersey. Take an ornament and return a gift. A free t-shirt is given the first time you participate in any service project. Join us in Downs Hall, room 130 every Monday during college hour (3:30-4:50 pm). Newman comes from the name of a famous 19th century British cardinal, John Newman, who converted to Catholicism and was known for his scholarship. Newman Clubs or Centers are found on public and private colleges and universities all over the world. But you don’t have to travel far to be a part of the Kean Newman experience. For more information contact the Kean Newman Club President, Martina Rodriguez, m_podriguez@hotmail.com, You can also contact the Newman Club Advisor, Rosemarie Donahue, by calling (908) 737-3441 or (908) 737-4835.
Letter From The Student Organization President Dear Fellow Students, As the semester is coming to an end, Student Organization would like to use this time to extend a warm felt happy holiday wishes to all our fellow students, and faculty staff. This semester has been the best experience I have had as a student at Kean University. As we have always done in the past, Student Organization worked with numerous departments on campus to address all of your concerns this year. Chimaobi Odumuko
Earlier in the semester, we had a memorable Homecoming weekend that took place the week of October 9th. The student participation we received was the best in all of my years in this university. Our Pep Rally was one of the greatest highlights that students are still taking about to this today. One of the goals that were set forth by the organization at the beginning of the fall semester was to increase student involvement dramatically from the years past. The turn out of 72 full time undergraduate freshmen candidates for class of 2008 elections proved we were meeting our goals. We have also taken steps to meet our goals, during our student council meetings held every other Friday at 3pm, by having representatives from our funded groups give reports on some of the programs that are in progress at the time. We also have student representatives currently serving on featured committees such as the food service committee to address the students concerns. This organization is dedicated to guaranteeing your voice in university decisions that effect our student population. At this point we all know that we are facing one of the most critical parking issues the university has ever seen. I would like to first, thank you all for your patience and loyalty. We are trying to communicate to the students regarding this issue through written articles by our organization’s Vice President of Student Affairs, Mr. M.D Maruf. On December 1, 2004, we had a forum among students and the administration to help resolve this issue. The student and faculty turn out contributed to the success of the event. We discussed the concerns regarding the university’s aggressive pursuit to either lease, or buy out property from Schering Plough by December 31, 2004. Other issues addressed at the forum were campus safety, more lighting on campus, and the definite possibility we will have a new bus shuttle circulating the campus every 6-7 mins making multiple stops that include the train station by spring semester. These were just a few things we discussed. The Student Organization Vice President of Student Affairs will be updating all students about these concerns through written articles in The Cougar’s Byte newsletter. There are going to be a couple of changes in affect this coming spring semester, and we promise to keep addressing them as they approach. I personally want to thank you all for your motivation in showing all your concerns. We look forward to seeing you back next year. Unity Week in March sponsored by Student Organization will offer highly anticipated social events and education workshops. Keep an eye out for information regarding Unity Week and we will do our best to keep you posted. Once again, I would like to thank you all for allowing me to serve as your full-time undergraduate student body president. Best wishes from our organization to all the graduating seniors and Happy Holiday wishes to all. Yours truly, Chimaobi Odumuko President Student Organization
CONCERT BAND
Reintegration Scholarship
Add some flavor to your life! Come over to Wilkins Theatre on December 7, 2004 at 8pm and check out Kean University’s Concert Band. This performance is only an hour long and is FREE! The band is comprised of both music and non-music majors. If you are interested in getting college credits and play an instrument, join the band! For more information, please contact Dr. Connors at (908) 737-4327.
The goal of the Moving Lives Forward Reintegration Scholarship is to help people with schizophrenia, related schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, or bipolar disorder acquire the educational and vocational skills necessary to reintegrate into society, secure jobs, and regain their lives. Deadline to apply is January 14, 2005. For more information visit http://www.reintegration.com.
It’s HIStory A Blue-Collar Student By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student Robert Walsh is a History/Secondary Ed major at Kean, hoping to graduate in 2006. He takes his academics seriously, and is a member of the honor societies Phi Alpha Theta and Phi Kappa Robert Walsh Phi (which requires a GPA of 3.85 or above). His hands are certainly full, balancing a job as supervisor at a supermarket along with being a Resident Assistant. But Rob’s not one to brag about his successes. “I try to remain humble,” he says. “You’re only as good as what you’re doing now—you can’t rest on your credentials from the past.” For Rob, success hasn’t come easy. “I’ve always had to work at it,” he explains. “I consider myself a bluecollar student. I’m someone who has to work hard for what I get.” It’s very admirable that Rob chooses to strive for excellence when it doesn’t come easy for him. “It’s just how I get things done,” he shrugs with a grin. Speaking of excellence, Rob says that he’s had some fantastic professors at Kean University who have helped him a great deal. “Dr. Klein has made me elevate myself to the next level with the way he teaches. For instance, he uses larger words than you usually hear, so I end up looking them up and learning them. And Professor Nicholson, an adjunct, is really passionate about her work. Her students can’t help but be attentive— she’s the type of person you want to do well for, because you have this great professor and you wouldn’t want to let her down.” Professor Nicholson teaches a course called Labor Movements in America 1864-Present, and Rob strongly recommends that students take this course with her if they can. “It’s a great course,” he declares, “it just draws you in and makes you want to learn more.” Rob is also very impressed with Professor Letterese. “I have a lot of respect for him. He tells points of history that a lot of textbooks would leave out. It’s amazing how much he knows.” Having such great college professors helps Rob shape the kind of teacher he wants to be when he starts teaching high school history. “I want to teach high school because that’s the age where I think I could really make a difference. Teaching history is not just teaching them material, it’s teaching them about life.” Rob believes that his enthusiasm for history will play a great part in helping him become an excellent teacher. “As long as you’re truly passionate about the subject, it’ll come across in your teaching, and the students will take more interest,” he explains.
The Importance of Traveling Abroad By Michael Yakubov, Class of 2006
Michael Yakubov at Bahai Gardens in Haifa Israel
As you walk from class to class and about the campus at Kean University one thing is apparent – we are home to a variety of students from different countries, states, and counties. I believe it is this that creates an exceedingly strong learning environment for the students, inside and outside the classroom. It creates this environment by allowing students to be exposed to the world and how other students have different perspectives because of their culture and background. In saying this, I would like to share my experiences of traveling around the world and the perspectives I have brought with me into my junior year. In traveling abroad I have had the humble opportunity to realize two things that have never seemed so important to me before. One is how young our America really is in comparison to the world, and how we mistreat the freedoms that we have. In my travels this summer I have journeyed to the historic land of Israel. Israel is about three
times smaller than the state of New Jersey and is home to both Palestinians and Jews alike. But the true treasures lay in its notorious location. Some things that people may not know is that it is also home to the Dead Sea, Ancient Roman, Turkish, Persian and other ruins. In addition, Israel borders the great Mediterranean Sea, the largest sea on the planet. Being able to see this holy land, I took it upon myself to visit Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and other historic sites. But the one thing that gained my attention was the uneasiness of the culture. The people in Israel, having gathered from all over the world and assimilated with the locals are very shrill Bahai Gardens in Haifa Israel and high in tempo. And although Americanized in the economic sense they are not like us. Their nightlife is our day life, majority of the children, teens and adults mainly walk around the towns at late hours playing games and conducting business. But maybe the most unrealistic feeling of uneasiness came from seeing teens my age and younger with grenades and m-16 machine guns at
hand on daily travels and bus stations around the city. In Israel, the women must serve in the army for two years and the men three Michael Yakubov cools off in the Dead Sea prior to attending higher education. This is the obligation they bear for their citizenship everyday at high risk. As we all know there is the constant threat of terrorist attacks on their soil and so when I mentioned nine eleven to some of the native peers they responded, “Here, it’s every day”. In conclusion, I have gained added pride in my country after seeing what others will sacrifice for theirs. And in experiencing the history of this ancient terrain, walking its significant land you can’t help but allure the feeling of heritage and relation to some sort of ancestry. And so believe it or not this all leads into Kean University and its diversified student body. Experiences like my own can be shared by hundreds of students that will continue to bring their cultural strength and understanding to the issues faced in the ever-growing Kean community. In sharing my experience I hope students will also take more awareness to our freedoms and opportunities.
New Change for Broadcasting Students By Tiberah Tsehai, Class of 2005 If you are interested in becoming a Broadcast major, the timing couldn’t be perfect. Before, students who wanted to major in Broadcast would have to do so by electing Communication as their major with emphasis in Broadcast. Now with the new Media and Film Department, the Broadcast emphasis has become its own major. The change means that Broadcast students can now declare Media and Film as their major. Scott McHugh, Assistant Chair and faculty of the new program, explains why students have a lot to gain in this change. “For students, if they were Broadcast emphasis, they used Scott McHugh and Dr. Kristine Mirrer to be required to take a lot of courses in areas like, Organizational Communication, Communication and Culture, these are all important courses to have, but they didn’t always fit in with the Broadcasting emphasis. Now when students join up and they want Broadcast in the new Media and Film Department, they will have more well rounded Broadcasting courses they can take. Students now will have a wide variety of courses in their major area to select from”. Although students will be given the opportunity to focus more on their major, LaShanda Armstrong, a Senior Communication major feels no difference. “I don’t really wish that I could have gotten my degree in Broadcast because Communications is a broad field. It still means the same thing and we still took classes in what we needed to take in regards to Broadcast and Film and Video. As long as we have the background, and we prove we have the skills, it shouldn’t really matter”. There will be four areas to choose from under Media and Film. Students will have the option of selecting Broadcast, Multicultural Programming and Management, International Broadcast Journalism and Film. At this time the faculty is writing and receiving approval for new courses from the University. For further information, please contact the Chairperson, Dr. Mirrer at kmirrer@kean.edu.
Winter Dance Contest Professor Luis Martinez's PED 3120 dance theatre students and his Kean Dance Theatre group will be presenting a Winter Dance Concert and Coat Drive on Wednesday, December 8, at 3:30pm, in the University Center Little Theatre. Admission is free. Please bring your unwanted coats to be donated to the needy through the Jersey Cares Organization. The concert will include student and faculty choreography performing modern, jazz, Latin, musical theatre, swing and hip-hop dances. Join us for an afternoon of fun and exciting dances and music. For more information, please call Mr. Martinez at (908) 737-5511.
R E G I S T E R AT W W W. C O U G A R S B Y T E . C O M T O G ET T ΨΣΦ Multicultural Festival 2004 By Scott Snowden, Class of 2006 The fourth annual Multicultural Festival was held by Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc. on Thursday, December 2, 2004 in Downs Hall. For the fourth year in a row, Psi Sigma Phi was able to fill Downs Hall to capacity so that students would be able to witness a variety of cultural performances. The event transformed from cultural performances to a dinner with cultural foods to a party. Hosts Julio Izaguirre and Rob Lundy
Aside from meringue and reggae dance contests, several organizations on campus put on a performance. Among these organizations were Kean Dance Theatre and the Indian Student Association. Other groups to perform were the “Steppers of a Free Nation”, “African Groove”, and “Images Dance Ensemble”. Also to perform were Georgie Exy-Louis and Jesse Briggs, recent Kean University graduates and Psi Sigma Phi brothers, as part of a percussion drum band.
This year the Multicultural Festival was sponsored by the lovely ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha, Zeta Beta Tau Association of Indian Students Fraternity, Inc., Rho Theta Tau Sorority, Inc., through special project funding from Student Organization of Kean University, Inc., and by the almighty knights of Psi Sigma Phi Multicultural Fraternity, Inc.
Ramapo For Children Summer Camp Ramapo for Children is one of the few residential summer camps serving children with emotional, behavioral, and learning problems. Through the National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction, Camp Ramapo offers an on-site college course which can be credited in one of the following disciplines: Education, Special Education, Educational Psychology, Therapeutic Recreation, Group Dynamics, Outdoor Recreation, Physical Education, Recreation, Camp Counseling or Community Service. For more information, visit http://www.ramapoforchildren.org
A Meeting About Popes in Room N113 By Sean O’Connor, Class of 2008 “Might women ever be pope?” a student asked Professor Dr. Christopher Bellitto after he gave his lecture “Picking Popes” on December 1, at 3:30 in the New Academic Building. Over 35 students and professors attended “Picking Popes”, the second lecture given by the Historical Society here at Kean University according to Dr. Sue Gronewold, an Assistant Professor of History. The lecture mostly covered the history of choosing Popes but also included an opportunity for audience questions afterwards. When a student asked if the next Pope might have a different opinion on Iraq, Dr. Bellitto said the next Pope would probably concur with the current pope that our war in Iraq is an unjust war. Another question of interest to a lot of the students was whose authority it is to decide if the Pope is medically or mentally unable to make a decision. According to Dr. Bellitto there isn’t a specifically designated person to make that call. Someone else asked why all Popes are old. We learned
however that not all Popes were old. Pope John XII was 18 according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Wikipedia says Pope Benedict IX may have been no older than 12. Why did Kean University Students and professors go to a lecture about the history of picking popes? Melissa Sekulic attended the lecture because of the professor and commented “I thought it would be interesting. Professor Bellitto makes whatever he says, fun.” James Jandrowitz, Assistant Professor and Assistant Chair of the History Department said “ I have seen Dr. Bellitto teach and wanted to hear him talk about some of his research.” Javier Remon, a history major, went because he’s catholic and wanted to learn more about how the pope is picked. What did the audience think of the lecture? Monica Christensen, a Criminal Justice major, said she was “interested in the topic and thought the lecture was great.” Surae
Rumberos Percussion Drum Band
Steppers for a Free Nation
Quilt Display Don’t miss this opportunity to check out Fine Arts major Barbara Billiard’s amazing Quilt display in the Student Gallery at Vaughn Eames until the end of the semester. Barbara’s works include Blue Rock, Lakeside and Moon-Star
Chinese Landscape Paintings By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student Are finals stressing you out? Take a breather and check out some gorgeous art! Chinese landscape painter Zhenmin Ji’s beautiful traditional paintings are sure to relax you. Rich with texture and touched with lovely colors, Zhenmin Ji’s paintings please the eye as well as the soul. Visit the James Howe Gallery on the first floor of the Vaughn-Eames building and see for yourself! On display through December 20, gallery hours are Monday through Thursday 10am—2pm and 5pm—7pm and Friday 10am—2pm. Allen went to the lecture because she wanted to “Learn about the catholic religion”. She added “the lecture was good and informative.” The lecture was part of the Historical Society, which is on its second year. Dr. Sue Gronewold said they’re “trying to get the word out about the Historical Society” which among other things, she says also offers book discussions and movie nights. So then, why did Professor Dr. Christopher Bellitto give a lecture on picking popes, of all things? He says “We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about religions in a public University. Religion is an important part of American life.”
H E L AT E S T N E W S S E N T D I R E C T LY T O Y O U R E M A I L . World Aids Day - Prevention Starts With You By Laura Pointon, Class of 2005 Did you know Wednesday December 1 was World AIDS Day? So many us overlook the significance of World AIDS Day, we assume it is just another day in recognition of a disease that has no relevance to our own lives. We are wrong. World AIDS day is extremely important because AIDS is a disease that does not discriminate. In recognition of this years Worlds AIDS day, Roye-Ann Hargrove Wallace and Joel Thomas of The Office of Community and Disability Services invited speakers from Union County’s HIV Consortium to participate in Kean’s World AIDS day program. The event proved to be a success with students actively participating by asking questions and leaving with useful information. Kean University freshmen, Megan Gormley, expressed her appreciation for the event saying “It was really good, I learned more about how HIV and AIDS is contracted and I feel the issue should be talked about more in public.” By December Kean University Students are worried about Finals, Papers, and grades. There’s one more test that we are neglecting… an HIV test. 70% of Americans
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION KEAN Masses for the CATHOLIC HOLY Day
do not get tested which means they do not know their HIV status. A student at the event asked if a regular blood test would test for HIV. Mr. Charles Jones, Director of the Union County HIV Consortium, informed him that “physicians assume younger people are not a high risk group, therefore they do not consider HIV a possibility when doing a regular blood test.” To stress the importance of getting tested, Mr. Jones shared with the audience that despite being married for 30 years he still gets tested annually. He also shared a few close to home facts with everyone. There are 4,638 recognized cases in Union County, and there are at least 10 cases in every municipality in New Jersey. Mr. Jones brought along two guests from the Union County HIV Consortium, Claudia Gissendane and Maria Matias. These women spoke on behalf of themselves and their relationship with the disease, including how they contracted it and how they are living with it. Everyone who witnessed the story of these women couldn’t help but admire their courage, strength and optimism. Courage to stand up and share their experience with
SPECIAL REPORT
Auditions for ‘Once Upon A Mattress are being held on Tuesday, December 14, 611pm in Wilkins Theatre. To prepare for the open calls: Memorize 16 bars of a Broadway tune, bring a resume and a photo of yourself (any recent photo will do), bring a copy of your spring class schedule and a calendar so you are able to project any potential scheduling conflicts. All students are encouraged to audition (regardless of major). Callbacks will be held Wednesday, December 15 from 7-10pm, so please be sure to clear your calendar during the evening. Rehearsals are generally held Monday-Thursday evening and Sunday afternoons. Additional rehearsals will be added the week prior to opening night. Performances will take place February 1827, 2005 in Wilkins Theatre. For more information, call the Department of Theatre at (908) 737-4420.
everyone at the event, strength to take responsibility to help themselves as well as others, and optimism for a future they will make the best of. Play it Safe (use protection), Get Tested, and Prevention Starts With You is the advice they wished for everyone to walk away with. Kean University Health Services offers free confidential HIV testing; the next scheduled testing date is Wednesday, December 15, 2004 from 9-11am. For more information regarding HIV testing please contact Health Services at 908-737-4880. Stay Posted for more information regarding the mentoring program offered through the Office of Community and Disability Services, to become a certified mentor to go off campus to educate others about HIV and AIDS.
Chimaobi-GATE KIDNAPPED KEAN PARK KIDS HAVE BEEN SIGHTED!
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 11:45am & 12:30pm UC Greek Lounge For more information, call Fr. Santora at (908) 737-4835
Once Upon A Mattress Auditions
Charles Jones, Maria Matias, Claudia Gissendane (all from The Union County HIV Consortium), with Roye-Anne Hargrove and Joel Thomas of OCDS.
Illustration by Tracy Pushko
Though no ransom notes have been received yet, there have been sightings piling into the station by the thousands! Kean Park students known as “The Parking Lot Boys” have first-hand information and have been working closely with the Kean Park sketch artist to come up with composites of our prime suspects.
WANTED Heights: about 5’3” Weight: about 115 pounds each Last seen wearing: a pink and white (varsity style ripoff) with a midriff revealing top, and hip-hugging jeans for suspect A. Suspect B was partially obscured from sight, but was said to be wearing jeans and a white top Illustration by Tracy Pushko
*Both are described as “Bottle Blondes” Their psychological profile reveals that they both might be sorority sisters. Being ridiculed during their youth, they developed unusual obsessions with imaginary friends and cartoons. Bed-wetting might’ve been a childhood issue.
Illustration by Tracy Pushko
They should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. At this point, we believe the Kean Park Kids to be alive, but not unharmed. DO NOT approach these monsters. Instead, please report any sightings to cbyte@kean.edu.
CPTS “Students Serving Students” By Laura Pointon, Class of 2005 The Council for Part-Time Students, Inc. (CPTS) is the student government that represents the undergraduate part-time students at Kean University. The goal of the Council is to reach out to its part-time student population by offering services to meet their unique needs and providing programs that will benefit these students. CPTS is also an advocacy group by serving as the voice of the part-time students concerns and suggestions. There’s nothing part time about a part-time student. A student is considered part-time when they take less than 12 credits in a semester. A large population, of Kean University part-time students, choose this route because they work full time jobs, have children, husbands, wives, and other time consuming commitments. The Council offers numerous services for part-time students, they strongly believe in “Students serving Students”. Part-time students are encouraged to reach out and make use of the opportunities they provide. Annie West, a non-traditional part-time student claims “I didn’t imagine I would have so much fun, I attend every function on campus, I have received a scholarship, and I hold down a 3.12 G.P.A.” Annie has been involved with CPTS since 2000, and “loves the activities, loves being involved, and considers it a great experience.” Annie jokes that her children say “she’s a college girl now; they can’t keep up with her”. Meetings are held monthly on Friday evenings in the University Center, Room 226 at 7pm. The last meeting for the Fall Semester was December 3rd, but meetings will resume after winter break and they are open to the entire Kean University Community. Lujanna Timothy, the Chairperson for the Public Relations Committee of CPTS, states “The meetings
are a very good resource for part-time students and keep people involved”. She adds “Many part-time students come to Kean to attend class and leave immediately after, which makes it difficult to be aware of what is going on”. For that reason, the Council for Part-Time Students exists. CPTS recognizes the needs and particularly busy lifestyle of the part-time student. To help ease the stress, they provide weekly and Saturday Coffee Hours. A weekly Coffee Hour providing free coffee and refreshments is held in the first floor lobby of the Hutchinson building from 7-8pm. (The next scheduled Coffee Hour is Wednesday December 8.) Saturday morning Coffee Hours are held every Saturday from 9:30am to 11am. Elementary Education Major, Krystyna Jaskowski, “likes the coffee and the campus information she wouldn’t normally get.” An unidentified student remarks “the coffee is great, it keeps you awake”. In addition to the Coffee Hours, CPTS furnishes a fully staffed lounge geared specifically for the evening student. The lounge is a comfortable location to relax, study, and meet fellow classmates. The Lounge is located in Hutchinson, Room 130. It is open Monday- Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9am to noon. The staff is available to answer questions and provide information to students. And, CPTS along with the Kean University Child Care Center offers affordable childcare for the children, ages 2-12, of Kean University students during the fall and spring semester. CPTS has also generously provided funding for projects, events, and programs that will directly benefit part-time undergraduate students, including refurbishing the Hutchinson and Willis first floor Student Lounges. As well as the first floor lounge in
Improve Your Study Habits There is no right or wrong way to study. Your study plan may differ from your roommate’s or your best friend's so the trick is to figure out what works best for you and then stick with it. 1. 2. 3.
4. Illustration by Jen Bissu
5.
Start with a positive attitude. Use several study sessions instead of one cram session. Find a quiet place, with ample room to work and away from distractions - turn off the TV and cellphone, turn down the music and avoid conversations with others until you are finished. Study in groups only if it is helpful to you and not a distraction. Ask for help if you need it.
Krystyna Jaskowski and Annie West enjoy some refreshments before class at the CPTS Coffee Hour.
the highly anticipated New Academic Building, set to open in spring 2005. In addition, the Council has contributed to the success of the EPIC Programs Freshmen Orientation, the Evening Campus Awareness Festival, Alpha Sigma Lambda (National Honor Society for part time Students), the Cougar Mascot, Scholarships, Student Planners, Campus Lighting, Emergency Phones, Wilkins Theatre facilities, and many others. CPTS sponsors The Current S.A.G.E. Leadership Workshops in collaboration with the Office of Student Life and Leadership. The next S.A.G.E. workshop “The Importance of Hue” will be held on Friday December 10th at 6pm in the University Centers Greek Lounge. Come and learn how the color you wear influences the way people view you and how color affects your personality. Participants will have a color analysis and find out what colors work best for them in order to achieve harmony and success in life. For more information contact Beverly Desch in the Office of Student Life and Leadership. All interested undergraduate part-time students are encouraged to participate in CPTS by attending a meeting or taking advantage of the services provided. Visit the Council for Part-Time Students in the University Center, room 340 during office hours – Monday thru Thursday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday hours vary. They can also be reached by phone at 908-737-5250, by email at cpts@kean.edu, or visit their website www.kean.edu/~cpts.
Making a Lasting Impression Don’t miss a wonderful opportunity to commemorate your group in the minds of the Kean community, year after year through the pages of the Memorabilia, Special Edition 150th Anniversary yearbook. To highlight the personality of your club or organization, contact Rich at keanmemorabilia@kean.edu or leave a note in the Student Organization of Kean University, Inc. office located in the University Center, room 321. Time is running out! The deadline to get your group picture in this year’s yearbook is the end of the Fall Semester. So, be sure to contact the Memorabilia today!
For bonus news and information, visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com