Volume 1
Issue 15
For the Kean University Student Community
December 14, 2004
The
COUGAR’SByte A Student Life & Leadership Development Publication
Somerset Hills Holiday Party Gets a Visit From Santa By Laura Pointon, Class of 2005
... what to my wondering eyes should appear ...
Members of Kean University’s Greek Organizations hosted the Somerset Hills Holiday Party in Downs Hall on Saturday December 11. Greek Senate, Student Organization, and Student Life and Leadership sponsored the event. Somerset Hills is a Residential Community Center for Emotionally Disturbed boys ages 6-14. Camp, Sports, and Recreation Director Mike Adams said, “Activities like this are really important because it gets them out of the facility and involved with people in the community.” DJ Keith Nix provided the music for the festivities. The holiday party consisted of games like pin the bow on the Christmas tree, decorate your own Santa hat, and Beanbag toss. Students from
various fraternities and sororities assisted in helping the boys participate in the different games and activities. Jenne Stearns from sorority Mu Sigma Upsilon said, “The best part was when a little boy came up to me and touched my shoulder, I turned to look at him and he just smiled, so I shook his hand and introduced myself. It felt good playing big sister for the day.” The Greeks helped spread holiday spirit by giving the boys a pizza party for lunch and following up with the highly anticipated dance contest. The dance contest displayed some interesting dances. The worm seemed to be a dancer as well as a crowd favorite. First round winner James survived with his “car crash” dance, Daniel defeated the competition with his
“matrix” moves, and Jose won by showing off his unique dancing skills. James won a truck while Daniel and Jose won a $25 gift card from Foot Locker. After the dance contest, Santa arrived bearing gifts and holiday cheer for the eagerly awaiting boys. Santa shared some thoughts after giving out trucks and Foot Locker apparel to the thankful boys. “These kids are great!” Students interested in employment or internship opportunities at Somerset Hills can contact them by phone at 732-469-6900.
Holiday Greetings! With this being our last issue of the Fall Semester, as the holidays are rapidly approaching and the semester is winding down, we here at The Cougar’s Byte want to wish you all a very safe and joyous holiday season, some rest, and enjoyment with family and friends.
(l-r) Miguel Puntiel, Henry Norman, Hansley Cazeau, Milagros Reynoso, and Isaura Otero
In the past semester many new readers have subscribed to The Cougar’s Byte online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com. Thank you for spreading the word, we are excited about the growth of this publication and hope to continue to provide quality articles that are of interest to the Kean community. Our staff works hard each day to produce the best possible weekly publication for the Kean student body. We hope that it meets your needs and we always welcome suggestions for improvements. Please drop us an e-mail at cbyte@kean.edu and share your thoughts. We would also like to welcome Laura Pointon, Tiberah Tsehai, Rajul Punjabi and Sean O’Connor as they join Scott Snowden, Jen Bissu and Jen Rainho as contributors to The Cougar’s Byte. Look for more articles by these students as they add new perspectives on life at Kean University and we are glad they choose to become a part of our team. Brenda Vanderlick of Sigma Beta Chi
There are many exciting things happening at Kean, so stay tuned as we plan to continue to keep you informed, and entertained, throughout the Spring Semester. Enjoy the holidays and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
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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 Memorial It’s All About Interaction! By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student Scholarships the Biology Department researching the Functional Analysis of CaM Kinase II in Plant and Mammalian Systems. They were one of eight teams participating in the program. Other departments that participated include Design, Chemistry & Physics, Nursing, Mathematics & Computer Science, and English.
Binita Changkakoty and Opeyemi Tayo-Balogun
Biology majors Binita Changkakoty and Opeyemi Tayo-Balogun, who work in Kean’s Office of Community and Disability Services, just received awards for their participation in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)’s brand-new Students Partnering with Faculty (SpF) Program. A summer research program that continues throughout the academic year, it allows direct interaction between faculty and students as they engage in research projects together. Binita and Opeyemi worked with Dr. Pu of
Binita and Opeyemi are very proud and happy to have participated in the SpF program. “Instead of just being in the classroom, here you are one-on-one with the professor, researching a subject of choice. You get so much more out of it—it really improves the quality of education,” explains Binita enthusiastically. “It promotes student and faculty interaction,” Opeyemi adds. Good interaction between students and faculty is a sure recipe for a successful educational experience! “The SpF program broadened our horizons,” says Binita. “It let us explore, and gave us insight into what we could be doing for our future careers.”
Tea and Tranquility
Student Organization of Kean University, Inc. announced the winners of the eleven $500 Memorial Scholarships for during their Annual Holiday Party on Thursday, December 9, 2004. The winners include Joseph Aubourg, Jamar Reynolds,Larnell T. Rivers and Alexis Serato Memorial Scholarship; Lisa Bender, Ann Marie Behm O’Donnell Memorial Scholarship; Ricky Cordero, Erik Johnson Memorial Scholarship; Sierra Demarco, Tammie Reed Memorial Scholarship; Richard Harrell, Lamonte K. Tilley Memorial Scholarship; Matt Horton, Michael Cloogher Memorial Scholarship; Youssef Kousa, Dick D’Errico Memorial Scholarship; Jason Perone, Steven Weiss Memorial Scholarship; Guillermo Prescott, Leonard Andres Memorial Scholarship; Linda Raoul, Jean Durkes Memorial Scholarship; and Michael Yakubov, Dr. John H. O’Meara Memorial Scholarship. Congratulations! Thank you to all the students who applied.
By Al Krajenski, Non-Traditional Student
Quilts as Canvases
Tranquility is being in a teahouse in Union, New Jersey without the pressures of the day. During this time of the semester most of us are busy writing papers, preparing presentations or taking finals. We are looking for some inner peace, but it is elusive. Last Thursday five students found this peace as they sat shoeless on the floor in one of the classrooms in the New Academic Building at Kean University. The classroom had been transformed into a Japanese Teahouse complete with tatami flooring, Japanese screens, floral arrangements and Japanese calligraphy. Under the auspices of the Japanese Women’s Club of Westfield, NJ and its President, Masako Connelly, three kimonoclad ladies performed the Traditional Japanese ‘Tea Ceremony.’ The ‘Tea Ceremony’ has its roots in 15th Century Japan; this was the day of the shogun (military leader) and the samurai (fierce warriors). It was centuries before the first Westerner set foot in Japan, and this ceremony gave solace to the warriors.
By Sean O'Connor, Class of 2008
Photograph by Diane Krajenski Rie Crawford, Atsuko Shiotsuki, and Azuka Ammar perform the Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony
Three women from North Jersey, Azuka Ammar, Rie Crawford, and Atsuko Shiotsuki performed the ceremony. It was a dazzling display of old and new Japan performed by the modern day Japanese woman. It was well received by the group studying the history of Japan taught by Dr. Gronewold. The course looks at Japan just before the opening of its ports to the world and stops at today’s Modern Japan, including its devotion in American Jazz. The ‘Tea Ceremony’ has continued through the entire period and provides a path back into its history and will continue to do so into the future.
Name That Tune
Barbara Billiard is a part-time student and a clerical worker here at Kean University with three Blue Rock quilts on display in the Vaughn Eames student gallery. Her three quilts include “Blue Rock”, the first quilt she made, “Moon Star”, and “Lakeside”, which she named because it reminds her of water. Believing that quilting is an art form people have started using as a canvas, Barbara Billiard, a Fine Art major, says, ”I have different designs I would like to explore, so I will be creating more quilts and hope to get better.” She plans to put them on the Internet and sell them. But until then, remember to come visit the Vaughn Eames Student Gallery and check her quilts out!
By Laura Pointon, Class of 2005 On Wednesday December 8, Students filled the University Centers Little Theatre to participate in DJ Keith Nix’s Name That Tune trivia game. Name That Tune was the sixth and final event in the Big Events Little Theatre Fall 2004 Series. Students competed
against each other on stage to see who could name that tune or artist the fastest. Audience members could participate when the stage participants were stumped. Songs ranged from many different genres including Rap, Hip Hop, Reggae and many others. Winners
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 . Building a Better Tomorrow
Keeping The Faith
Making a good campus great, Kean University is ahead of the curve, as it nears completion on the most environmentally friendly building initiative on any of New Jersey’s institutions of higher learning campuses. To nourish grand ideas and support innovation, the New Academic Building 2, to be named Center for Academic Success (CAS), meets the U.S Green Building Council LEED design guidelines emphasizing state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, including the use of recycled materials, low energy equipment, and solar panels on the roof for the conversion of solar energy to power.
By Jen Bissu, Graduate Student
It is an exciting time to be part of Kean University! The construction of CAS is scheduled for completion at the Illustration by Jen Bissu end of December 2004, on-time and within budget. The addition of this 124,000 square foot facility will greatly enhance the quality of Kean University in a number of ways. Containing 43 classrooms, 12 computer labs, 20 seminar rooms, 3 conference rooms, a lecture hall, 78 offices for faculty and staff, and a student lounge on each floor, CAS will be the largest building on campus. And if that isn’t enough, future plans also include the addition of a Starbuck’s Café in the Atrium. Building community by integrating humanity and intellectual vigor, departments are eagerly awaiting the moment they can begin to pack up their belongings and move to their new home in CAS. Not only will current English and Communications programs be strengthened by the move, The Center for Academic Success will be able to overcome existing facility shortcomings so that they can continue to enrich the lives of our students and Career Services will join the masses when they relocate from East Campus. Other relocations include the Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science and 90.3 FM, the on-air radio station, both from Hutchinson Hall.
It’s Your Turn to Become PROUD and RESPONSIBLE. By Tiberah Tsehai, Class of 2005 Did you know that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 850,000 to 950,000 U.S. residents are living with HIV infection? Out of these 180, 000280,000 are not even aware that they are infected. What is even more alarming to note is that approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the United States. Out of the new cases, 70 percent are among men and 30 percent are among women. Of the newly infected people, half are younger than 25 years of age. Clearly, something needs to be done. Charles Jones is doing something about it. Jones is the Director of “Be Proud, Be Responsible”; he is also the Elizabeth facilitator for the program. Roye-Ann Hargrove-Wallace, Director of Community and Disability Services here at Kean explains just how Kean fits into the story. “Charles Jones brought the Be Proud, Be Responsible program to our attention during World’s Aids Day”. The program builds knowledge about HIV, Aids, safer sex, and building in refusal skills, for example, just say no, to name a few. “This program is offered through Planned Parenthood, in the Elizabeth system and other schools in Union County. The program, on campus next semester will provide six steps in training an individual to be certified. That individual can be a mentor; can talk to community groups, on campus, and also mentor teens in high school.” Interested students are urged to come to Community and Disability Services, University Center, room 315. “As soon as we get the first 15-we start a class”.
received 40 of the latest CD’s from the hottest artists. Congratulations to the winners of Kean’s first Name That Tune trivia game Shayla “Platinum” Wilkens, Crystal Crawley, Ifueko Igbinovia, Asia Marquita Perry. Stay Tuned for more events in 2005.
Jody Austin is a junior and history major at Kean. “To me, history is better than fiction,” she exclaims. She chose history as her path of study because she loves to “read about how things happened and gain a Jody Austin better perspective on how things used to be versus how they are now.” She says that the professors at Kean make all the difference. “I think Professor Klein is amazing – he makes me work very hard, but I really respect him so I don’t mind working hard for him.” But academics aren’t all she cares about. Jody’s faith is the most important thing in her life. “Without my faith, I would be totally nothing.” She says that God is always with her, so she never has to go through anything alone. “I’m a Christian, and I’m really active in my church,” she says. Jody plays the guitar and leads a church band, and she also works in the youth ministry there. ”It’s good for me and it’s good for them to have someone to look up to,” she says. “Being there is one of the greatest joys I have.” Jody looks forward to graduating from Kean, and in the meantime she hopes to get an internship at one of the historical houses in New Jersey. She eventually wants to pursue a doctorate in holocaust studies. “I want a career in history for the love of history,” she says wistfully. But no matter what happens, as long as she keeps God close to her heart, she’ll be sure to find happiness.
Student Technology Lab Hours Extended The Student Technology Lab located at the Nancy Thompson Library, Room 133, will have extended hours through Sunday, December 19, to accommodate your technology needs in preparation for final exams and other end-of-the-semester requirements. The extended hours are as follows: Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 a.m. 1 p.m. -
Midnight 7 p.m. 6 p.m. midnight
If you have any questions, you can e-mail techlab@kean.edu, call 908-737-4607, or visit http://www.kean.edu/~techlab.
Project Adelante: A Chance to Look Ahead By Rajul Punjabi, Class of 2006
The students of Project Adelante
Everyday, it’s getting harder and harder to handle college life and all of its obligations. No matter what institution one attends, the financial, as well as mental responsibilities are overwhelming. The one thing that keeps us all going is the fact that a college degree is a tool that will empower us for the rest of our lives. This is the reason that middle and high school students must be encouraged to continue their education and take advantage of their skills and abilities.
SAGE Workshop The Color of Hue By Laura Pointon, Class of 2005
Project Adelante, a pre-college program at Kean University, does just that for the young Hispanic students of the area. Its mission is to “help at risk Latino youngsters in grades 612 achieve their fullest potential, graduate from high school and go on to higher education.” Basically, it is a program in which the director, Jose Caceres, and his staff selectively recruits 250 students from surrounding areas and allows them to take classes at Kean that will prepare them for college. These classes include math, science, and language arts, among others, and are taught by a bilingual teacher in a setting that is comfortable for students whose first language is Spanish. Started at Kean University in the summer of 1988, Project Adelante started its activities with students from Perth Amboy and now currently serves 250 students from Passaic, Plainfield and Elizabeth as well. The college prep classes are held on campus during the school year on Saturdays and for weeks at a time over the summer. Yvette Sencion, the
In addition to the academic advantages, Adelante’s bilingual instructors are there to encourage kids to embrace their cultural identity, and let it enrich their development as a person. Though these classes do not have any college credits tacked on, they are free of charge and offer students an amazing opportunity to create a future for themselves. For more information about Project Adelante, feel free to contact Director, Jose Cacares or Program Assistant, Yvette Sencion at (908) 737-5980 or send an email to adelante@kean.edu.
Cougar’s Byte Tipsters Bust Fugitive Sorority Sisters and Recover 5 of 6 Missing Kean Park Kids Within hours of distributing the November 30, 2004 issue of The Cougar’s Byte, tips on the Kean Park Kids flooded the Kean Missing Persons hotline. A couple of tips lead police to the capture of 5 missing Kean Park Kids and the arrest of two sorority sisters. The recovered children were quickly placed in the care of Child Protective services. According to police, these sorority sisters selfishly abducted these children because they felt they were ‘cute’.
Mary Thomas helps Jorge Gomez find his colors.
1…2…3...4...5...6...7 It takes just 7 seconds to make a first impression. Are you doing all you can to make sure the impression you are making is successful? Are you sure? Part-time students asking themselves the same question filled the University Centers Greek Lounge to discover the impact of color, and that people rarely wear colors that are appropriate for their skin tone. Social work major Jorge Gomez announced, “I’m learning how to dress myself” while Dina Corbett claimed, “I’m learning what NOT to wear”. Wearing colors that compliment your skin tone can make you look younger, more energized, and healthier. The color you wear affects how others see you, how you feel about yourself, and how you present yourself. Make sure your clothes are not stealing the show away from you; get in touch with the color of hue.
Program Assistant for Adelante has been involved with the program since she was in 7th grade. She explains how the counseling and classes increased exposure to positive role models and assisted in career selection and college admissions. “Students come in lost,” Sencion says, “this program helps them to look beyond high school.”
Illustration by Tracy Pushko
Yet authorities are still concerned about the whereabouts of Chimoabi Odumuko. President of Student Organization – Chimoabi Odumuko seemed to have a lot going for him. But now he's vanished without a trace. Chimoabi is 1-foot-4-inches tall and weighs 2 ounces. He was last seen wearing a blue suit, a white shirt, a black tie and black shoes. Family members’ plea for his safe return home. Kean Missing Persons Unit urges anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Chimoabi Odumuko to contact The Cougar’s Byte at cbyte@kean.edu. (This was all in fun. No arrests were made. Happy Holidays!)
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