Volume 2 • Issue 8
A Student Life & Leadership Development Publication for the Kean University Student Community October 24, 2005
Having A Blast At The Tailgating Picnic By Jen Bissu, Senior Features Editor
A
fter days and days of rain and murky weather, the sun picked the best day to shine brightly! The weather was gorgeous for the Homecoming Tailgating Picnic, and some say that this year’s event was the best ever! The theme centered around celebrating Kean’s 150th birthday, and reflected Kean’s history throughout its many decades. In front of the President’s tent, lovely glass mugs filled with candy and emblazoned with the “Kean University 150 Years” logo were presented to attendees. In fact, free goodies were given away at most of the tables and tents! There was no shortage of things to do! In the alumni tent, a singer stood upon a stage and belted out ballads and rock’n’roll tunes by classics such as The Platters, The Duprees, Dion and the Belmonts, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley! Across the parking lot, the DJ spun hits of several decades, from disco to 80’s “hair bands.” Students, alumni, staff and friends kicked up their feet during the Charleston dance contest, and the dance floor was packed for the Electric Slide. Music of the Beach Boys blared out over the loudspeakers as several eager contestants gyrated in the Hula Hoop contest. A caricaturist made great souvenirs doing personalized cartoon caricatures in black marker on paper printed with “Kean University Homecoming 2005” in the corner. There was a photography stand, where you picked out an outfit from a variety of decades, posed in front of a green backdrop, and then they superimposed a periodcorrect background into the image before printing it. Another stand allowed patrons to make their own gel-candles, by dropping little decorative trinkets into the gel before it solidified. Nearby was a “make-your-ownkeychain” table, where you could personalize keychains with letters and little footballs, soccer balls, etc. Kids and adults alike ditched their shoes and hopped onto the giant air platform for a game of Twister. Several Greek organizations, as well as other Kean groups, had a great time showing their originality! Rho Theta Tau’s theme was “Special Birthdays,” and the girls were each dressed up as a different special birthday, from “Baby’s First Birthday” to “Sweet Sixteen.” They covered their car and decorated it to look like a cake, and one of the girls popped through the sun roof! A pile of presents wrapped in pretty paper and bows sat beside the car-cake. Nu Delta Pi and Theta Phi Alpha joined forces to build an impressive birthday cake float for Kean, decorated with photos of Kean over the years. Sorority Lambda Chi Rho made a huge birthday card out of a thin wood (it must have been about eight feet tall), and they offered a tray of markers to anyone who wanted to sign it. Sorority
1855
1867
1900
1934
1958
O m e g a Sigma Psi decorated their car with photos and written info to tell the story of Kean through the decades. Nu Sigma Tau’s theme was “Over the Hill;” they had a big poster across the hood with hundreds of little pictures of Kean over the years, and some alumni even came over and pointed to pictures and said, “Hey—I remember that!” Kean University P.R.I.D.E., whose theme was “Kean pride,” had a table set up at which they were giving away candy. Delta Phi Epsilon’s theme was “Kean: 150 Years;” the presentation was very creative! They built a three-dimensional timeline that everyone could walk through and look at, and the sorority girls were dressed up in costume representing the decades from 1855 to present. S i g m a Beta Tau’s theme was simply “150 Years,” and the Pan African Student Union’s (PASU) theme was “African Heritage.” The Association of Latin American Students’ (ALAS) tent featured info about their club and about the Hispanic Latino Alumni Chapter (HLAC). So finally, here’s the big news—the winners of the Tailgating Contest! Honorable Mention went to Lambda Chi Rho; Third Place went to Rho Theta Tau; Second Place went to Delta Phi Epsilon, and Nu Delta Pi & Theta Phi Alpha won First Place. “Everyone was very creative. The music was good too—we all got down to the 80’s music they played,” said Junior psychology and occupational therapy major Liza Krin. “It’s amazing how many decades Kean has been here through, and it’s great to see how everyone still keeps their spirit strong.” Towards the end of the day, Nu Delta Pi and Theta Phi Alpha placed a real cake upon their cake float, and President Farahi cut the cake so everyone could enjoy a piece. “Just look at the 150th birthday cake—everyone did a fantastic job,” declared President Farahi. “Nearly 3500 people were here. That’s a huge number—I don’t remember ever seeing that many. Homecoming this year was terrific!” Jen Bissu, graduate Fine Art Education major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
1966
1 9 73
1985
1997
2005
Page
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
Alumni
JUST A LITTLE THANKS TO THE HOMECOMING 2005 COMMITTEE As we work to improve every aspect of the University, we believe Homecoming keeps getting better and better each year. At Homecoming 2005, the weather was magnificent for outside fun and entertainment. Our dancers and cheerleaders were full of energy and our sports teams rocked their competition! Homecoming would not have been such a great success without the staff, students and faculty who volunteered, as Homecoming committee members, to organize the weekend’s special events and make sure everything ran smoothly. From making flyers to being there to show support – there were many different things that went into making Homecoming 2005 one to always remember. So, on behalf of the Homecoming Co-Chairs, we would like to thank everyone who showed their Kean University spirit and donated their efforts during this year’s Homecoming celebration. Valerie Winslow and Ruth DeSanto Homecoming 2005 Co-Chairs
1977
Frank Budney
Major: Sociology Occupation: Vice President of the Alumni Association
1969
Ed Espisito
Major: Elementary Education and Mathematics Occupation: Math Teacher in Linden, NJ and President of the Alumni Association
1972
Gary Luciano
Major: English Now: Assistant to the Mayor of Linden
1986
Lori Hyman
Major: Communications Occupation: She stays at home raising her family.
1986
1981
Lorraine Reyes
Major: English STL Occupation: She stays at home to raise her family.
Kean University Office of Student Life & Leadership Development University Center, Room 215 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083 (908) 737-5179 | cbyte@kean.edu The Cougar’s Byte, a weekly Student Life & Leadership Development newsletter, will keep you up to date on all things related to student life at Kean University. Published Mondays during the regular academic year, 3000 copies are distributed free of charge at more than 15 campus locations. The content from the print-based weekly is combined with that of special content targeted for The Cougar’s Byte online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com. Associate Editor Scott Snowden
October 24, 2005
J. Christian Bollwage Major: Public Administration Occupation: Mayor of Elizabeth
1987
Jim Bott
1987
Major: Public Administration Occupation: Hemo Concepts Quality Manager
Marlene Bott
Major: Occupational Therapy Occupation: Occupational Therapy and Administration in a hospital
1990
Margaret Beffige
Major: Early Childhood Education Occupation: Teaches
Diversity Rajul Punjabi, Senior Editor Features Jen Bissu, Senior Editor Staff Writers Ashante S. Barnes Angela M. Barrett Kaitlyn Davies Debra Ekpo Katrina Manzano Irene Murema Jennifer Rubino
1988
Ashante S. Barnes, Dance; Jen Bissu, Tailgating Picnic; Rich Lemonie, Pep Rally, 5K Race/Walk, Tailgating Picnic, Football Game, Halftime Show, Concert; and Scott Snowden, Alumni, Tailgating Picnic, Breast Cancer Walk.
Major: Accounting Occupation: Chief Financial Officer
Major: Business Administration Occupation: Sales Manager of Liberty Mutual
Circulation Manager Ryan Matthews
Photos for the Special Homecoming 2005 Edition courtesy of:
Annette Messler
Cathy Kurtz
Multimedia Editor Rich Lemonie
Student Media Managing Editor Toni M. Cerbo
1988
1998
Brenda MacPherson
Major: Physical Education and Athletic Training Occupation: Athletic training in a hospital
2003
Cindi Kutsop
Major: Interior Design Occupation: Special Events Manager for the Foundation
Visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com
October 24, 2005
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
Page
5G Makes 5K A Winning Race By Kaitlyn Davies, Staff Writer
T
From Downs Hall To Dance Hall By Irene Murema, Staff Writer
O
n Thursday, October 13th, which was the night of the Homecoming dance, Downs Hall was filled with an electrifying atmosphere. Lots of students showed up to demonstrate just how much fun one can have on campus. The dance started at 9 p.m. and ended at 1 a.m. and the entire five hours were packed with the latest music blasting from the giant sized speakers. Down’s Hall had transformed into a place where lighting set the mood for dancing, mingling and letting go of all the week’s stress. The music master for the night was DJ Reef who was definitely bringing down the house when he played the hottest Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae and those back in the day hits that you haven’t heard in the longest time. Lil’ Kim was “lighting up” the house, Sean Paul added the heat when he “Burned it”, Missy Elliot made everybody “Lose Control”, Chris Brown and Julez Santana sent the crowd “Running” in a festive frenzy. DJ Nix in the Mix was also in the building and his mixing skills also turned up the temperature a couple of notches.. The three hundred heated bodies dancing the night away at the Hall will each have a night to remember. There were groups of students each trying to out do the other and those that stood out were the Kappa Alpha
Psi and an off-campus group called Envy. The fraternity impressed everyone when they were going around the dance hall doing impressive dance moves that could only be done by the pros; it would take a lifetime to beat this guys. Then the spotlight shifted to Envy; a group that had dance moves you wish you could buy, not even learn. The way they twisted and turned every inch of their bodies, you would think that they didn’t even have bones. The fashion that was displayed that night was awesome and would have received Oscars for the best dressed if there was such a category. Some girls came dressed in high heels that were only fit for a queen, while some sported stylish jeans tucked into boots. There were some gentlemen who had on dress pants and shirts and some actually succeeded to steal the hearts of the ladies. The Student Organization president, Chimaobi , who contributed to putting the event together, was no exception to those gentleman, enjoying himself with his fellow students. .
here was a slight chill in the air on the beautiful Saturday morning of Homecoming as sleepy faces walked to the Visitor’s Circle by the Administration Building to register for the Nathan Weiss Graduate College 5K Race/ Walk. Judy April along with Gary Luciano were in charge of putting the event together. They could not have asked for better weather that morning and it was a great relief from all the rain that we had gotten earlier in the week. The run/walk, which began at 9:30 a.m., was organized to raise money for graduate scholarships. The proceeds from the event exceeded $5,000.00 - there was a $15.00 donation by each participant, while outside donations were also welcomed. T-shirts were given out to all of the participants so they could proudly display their cause for the day. It seems like everyone in the family participated in the event, even pets. Someone brought their dog to join them for the walk – who was also sporting a t-shirt! There were babies in strollers, young kids dressed in special shirts saying We are Kean Kids! ,and students all the way up to senior citizens who came out for the race and supported the graduate student scholarships. The route was two and a half times the perimeter of the campus, which along the way, had tables set up with water and people who cheered the participants along. Having those “cheerleaders” on the sidlelines was such a great lift for the tired runners. Passing them, you could see the faces’ of the encouraged runners just light-up with a smile. Many of the participants were students here at Kean, including many sororities and fraternities. The students knew the campus layout well but there were alumni, and friends of Kean running who might not have known the campus and they wanted to make sure that everybody made it across the finish line. Bob Maslo, Director of the Recreation Department said, “I will have students along the perimeter point participants in the right direction to make sure that nobody gets lost trying to find the finish line.” Kean University also had brothers and sisters of students come out and race. When asked about her motivation for attending, Emily Schemelia, sister of Tory Schemelia, said,” I run cross country in high school and I thought it would be fun to run with my sister. This is my first time running out of my high school so I thought it would be good practice.”
If you missed the dance, you still have a chance of experiencing the electric city a.k.a Downs Hall. Come to the next dance on campus or if it is just the Homecoming dance that you want…. make sure you don’t miss it next year!
The awards ceremony was held in front of Harwood Arena and each of the winners were given trophies. The winners of the race/walk were Paul Irwin, in first place with his time being 18:02. In second place was Justin Van Dyke with a time of 18:16, and third place was Rebekah Catalano coming in at 20:36. The best overall sorority was Omega Sigma Psi, and the top fraternity was Tau Kappa Epsilon. The 5K was a complete success and everyone who participated felt great about themselves afterward. It was a great way to kick-off Homecoming!
Irene Murema, freshman Biology major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
Kaitlyn Davies, freshman Political Science major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
Loud And Proud At Cougar Country By Rajul Punjabi, Senior Diversity Editor
A
s the pep rally kicked off on Friday night Janice Murray-Laury, the Vice President of Student Affairs proclaimed “Let’s make this year’s homecoming the best ever!” Students, friends and proud parents all gathered inside D’Angola Gymnasium instead of outside due to the inclement weather, still cheering just as loud to support their teams. Music blared in the background, reverberating through the gym and creating an energetic atmosphere and a contagious sense of school spirit. Blue and white was everywhere; posters, streamers and glitter all echoed the students’ sentiment of pride and enthusiasm. As everyone was getting situated, Chimaobi Odumuko, the President of Student Organization and host of the
evening greeted the audience and officially got the pep rally started. The University’s President, Dr. Dawood Farahi, along with Janice Murray-Laury and Glen Hedden, the Director of Recreation, warmly welcomed Kean’s students and visitors. After a brief greeting from the President of the Alumni Association, Chimaobi began to introduce each team. The crowds roared with excitement, anticipating the upcoming year and all the athletic victories it will bring! All of the men’s and women’s athletic teams, as well as the cheerleaders and dancers were happy to be recognized and seemed motivated for their upcoming games and events. There was lots of celebrating with the Kean Cougar and by the time the last of the introductions rolled around, the bleachers were packed with Kean’s biggest fans. Student Organization held a raffle and presented lucky winners with a pair of tickets to the homecoming concert featuring Jason Mraz. The cheerleaders performed gravitydefying stunts that had spectators amazed and showed everyone what kind of faith Kean has in its talented teams and groups. As the evening came to an end, the Kean Dance Theater graced the floor with some of the hottest moves that would probably even make Janet Jackson a little jealous. The members of the University’s Activities Board were then introduced and the night ended with our infamous Cougar spreading smiles all over the place as the crowd retreated from the bleachers. With the biggest weekend of the school year in progress, students and alumni were ready to celebrate on their home turf! Rajul Punjabi, senior English major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
C e l e b r a t i n g 1 5 0 Ye a r s o f M e m o r i e s
Page
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
K E A N
October 24, 2005
October 24, 2005
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
U N I V E R S I T Y
HOMECOMING Celebrating 150 Years of Memories
Visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com
C e l e b r a t i n g 1 5 0 Ye a r s o f M e m o r i e s
Page
Page
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
Football
Men’s Soccer
October 24, 2005
Volleyball
A tie is still a victory when it’s this hard earned; the men’s soccer team proved themselves to be quite the contenders on Saturday during the double overtime homecoming game against Rutgers Camden. Even Scarlet Raptors put up a tough battle, they seemed to fuel the Cougar’s even more when they scored a goal early in the game. After that, Kean’s defense was rock solid – they stopped many of the scoring opportunities that the Raptors created for themselves. In the second half, Cougar Thomas Azydzik scored a goal and contributed to the 1-1 tie that concluded the game.
Talk about a nail-biter! The Cougars never cease to amaze their fans, and the homecoming game was no exception. During this game against Seton Hill University, Kean was gritting their teeth during halftime while they faced a 21-0 deficit. Unfazed with the odds that were stacked against them, the Cougar’s turned the game around by the end and celebrated their victory with a score of 32-27. The comeback was the largest come-from-behind victory since the Cougars overcame a 28-3 fourth quarter deficit for a 29-28 win over Jersey City State College on October 13, 1984. Since that record was even older than some of the football players, they were all proud to have set a new one!
In the volleyball action against Farmingdale State University, Kean’s team came out victorious with their proud score of 3-0. The game’s individual scores were 30-20, 30-16 and 30-15. Freshman Jennifer Carvalho recorded 11 kills, five service aces and 4 digs as she made it hard for the Rams to make a comeback at any point. She, and the rest of the team return to action on Tuesday, October 18 when they host New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Richard Stockton College at 7 p.m.
And The Crown Goes To… By Irene Murema, Staff Writer
H
omecoming is one of the biggest celebrations that happen on campus every year. It is not just about the Pep Rally or the 5K race, or about the Tailgate party or the concert in the Wilkins Theatre; it is all about the crowning of the King and Queen who come from the senior class of 2006. The title of the Homecoming King went to Scott Snowden, Public Administration and History major, and the beautiful Queen was Linda Raoul, Psychology and Criminal Justice major. They both graciously received their glitzy crowns during half time of the football game in the Alumni stadium on Saturday. The first runner up for queen was Lisa Bender, followed by Rory Yelen. Third runner up was Ada Marie Foley. The first and only runner up for King was Michael Yakubov. After being crowned Queen, Linda Raoul said she felt really great and was glad that she had the support of her friends who helped her to win the title. During her four years at Kean, she has involved herself in most of the activities on campus. During the first semester of her freshman year, Linda never thought that she could leave a special mark on the campus, because she was not yet involved in any activities. To her, college life was all about sitting in a hard chair for those three long hours and then heading for home. All that changed during the second semester when she decided that she had to make a difference. She joined the
Established Leaders Program and it’s all been moving forward since then. She has since been actively involved with clubs like the Current Women Circle, she was a former PASU public relations director, she is part of the Student Organization, she is an AIM and an R.A, and the list continues. Amazingly, she has still maintained her G.P.A of 3.0 and is an honor student. She attributes her academic success to the fact that she balances her time wisely, and she has a clear line between work and play. Her advice to future aspiring queens is,”It is not about the crown, if you believe in yourself, you are already a queen, now just take the next step and get involved on campus”. She will graduate in May 2006 and hopes to get her graduate degree right here at Kean University. She plans to work with the At- Risk Juveniles Institute, which would be appropriate for her since she is definitely one of the warm hearted people you can rarely find during in this world, and she unquestionably deserves the crown on her head. Scott Snowden,, the newly crowned homecoming king never thought it possible that one day he would have this esteemed title! As a freshman, when he first entered, he was not involved in any activity other than going to class. Towards the end of his first semester at Kean, he broke out of his shell and decided to join the University Activities Board. He also joined a number of other groups during his first semester that included Circle K, Emerging Leaders, and Peer Liaison for the First Year Center (the previous name for what
is now known as AIM) among others. Since then, he has continued to be active on campus and even went as far as being the Chairperson during Kanye West’s concert on campus two years ago. He consequently became the president for the University Activities Board, Director of Public Relations for Student Organization and he is currently the Associate Editor for The Cougars Byte and a Resident Assistant in Rogers Hall. He has also managed to balance his extra-curricular activities just like Linda and has a G.P.A of 3.4 even though he has a double major. His future ambitions after he graduates in May 2007 is to enroll in Kean’s graduate school and get his masters degree. He urges students to become involved as this will make their lives on campus better. “There is more to college life than going to class and leaving. It entails being involved and participating in everything that there is to offer.” He advises the future runners for the king title to take pride in Kean, because the more they value Kean, the more valuable their diploma will become. The cheerleaders added to the magic of the day after the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen. They danced to music and received loud applause from the crowd along with the Kean Dance Theater. This talented group of performers also had their fair share in making the day a success; their dancing moves were outstanding and they made half time very enjoyable. Homecoming day at Alumni stadium was perfected when the Kean Cougars triumphed. Irene Murema, freshman Biology major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
Visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
October 24, 2005
Page
Wordplay With Jason Mraz By Kaitlyn Davies, Staff Writer
E
ven with all of the amazing performers that have graced the stage at Wilkins’s Theater throughout the years, Jason Mraz met great expectations when he performed to a sold out crowd during Kean University’s annual Homecoming Concert. His opening act was a performer named Raul Midon, a talented guitar player that even Jason Mraz said was fantastic. The amazing twist is that although Raul is blind, no one even noticed; his performance was mind blowing and a great opening act. Not as well known as Jason Mraz, Raul Midon has that rising star aura around him that seemed very promising. He and Jason performed a song that they wrote together entitled Keep On Hoping. Throughout the concert, Jason Mraz was interacting with the fans and talking to the crowd like they were old friends at one big party. He joked about his hair and taking naps, sitting there in the audience, you may have even forgotten that Jason Mraz wasn’t just another one of your old friends.. Earlier in the week Atlantic Records invited The Cougar’s Byte to join a conference call with Jason Mraz, and six other schools, to discuss his upcoming performances. It was a great opportunity to get to know the “real” Jason Mraz and not the media hyped version of him. Discussing the kind of music that influenced him the greatest, he thoughtfully commented, ”It’s going to sound like a cop out – music of the heart. I like all kinds of music, anything that is sincere. I have musical A.D.D.” He started to write his own music at age 18 because he loved to sing and didn’t want to just settle for singing anything. His writing process differs from song to song, and believe it or not, most of his songs were written when he wasn’t even trying to write them, “Most of the songs on the album just popped out without me even knowing it.” In high school, his favorite group to listen to was Dave Matthew’s Band because, as Jason says,”listening to it, you know they’re being genuine.” When asked about what was in his cd player right now he said,” Neil Young and Crazy Horse.” On an even deeper plane, he admitted that if he could jam with any musician in the world, he would choose Neil Young because he respects him as a musician and loves his songs.
Now that he’s headlining his first tour Jason says, “Headlining is a good feeling, it’s a pain in the neck getting it together but it’s definitely worth it! We have 17 people on tour but only 6 on stage. You would never know that it takes all of these people to put on a show. I sometimes wish that all of these people could be recognized for what they do, because without them I could never put on a show.” Jason, having grown up wanting to sing and perform in front of large crowds, doesn’t get stage fright as much as he thinks he should, “Before I go on stage I’m usually thinking that I should be more nervous, but I’m not!” When performing close to home Jason emphasizes,” When I’m closer to home it’s harder to perform. You see all of your family and friends there counting on you to do a good job so you get a little nervous. It’s also hard because the band and I break up after sound check so before show time I don’t know who to go see first.” Jason’s show is usually spontaneous, it’s planned but he never knows exactly how it’s going to play out and one show is never like another one. He also said that his performances are a “family show” because he doesn’t want parents to be leery about bringing their kids to see him perform, which makes him a great role model for youth who love his music.
All of the success Jason has achieved could easily go to his head, but he is extremely humbled when people compare him to John Mayer. Commenting on his own music, Jason stresses,” I don’t like to tell my fans if there is a message behind my songs. I want them to listen to the songs and figure it out for themselves. Every song I write is written out of love. I like to write happy songs because I feel it is more challenging to write something happy without sounding corny. Anyone can write about being sad or angry. I want my songs to be inspirational to the people listening to them.” Many of Jason Mraz’s songs have a great message to his fans. In Geek in Pink, he talks about how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. So when we asked Jason to tell us something about him that fans wouldn’t expect just by looking at him, he said, ”I am a vitamin junkie. I like to take vitamins a couple times a day; I am all about brain health. Empowering the brain is very important!” Now, there’s a comment that you might not expect to hear from a famous singer. He was an exhilarating performer and left the audience wanting more! It was the perfect way to conclude the Homecoming festivities.
Kaitlyn Davies, freshman Political Science major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
Walking For A Cause By Jen Bissu, Senior Features Editor
T
wo busloads of Kean students gathered in front of Wilkins Theatre Sunday morning, shivering in the chilly autumn air. While their friends were still snuggled up in their warm beds, these caring and giving individuals dragged themselves out into the cold to show their support for all who have been affected by one horrible disease—cancer. Breast cancer is a common affliction; most people know somebody who has suffered from it, whether family, friend, or acquaintance. Guys and girls alike sported pink to show their spirit for breast cancer awareness, and volunteers made rounds distributing pink ribbons for the walkers to pin on their shirts. Groups of walkers had custom-made T-shirts, and others wore signs on their backs preprinted with the words “I Am Making Strides For…” followed by a series of hand-written names below. One woman’s sign said her own name, followed in parenthesis by, “Me! I am a survivor, and I am beautiful!” It was very touching, especially because the group surrounding her wore signs that said they were walking for her as well. Even dogs that people brought showed spirit as they pranced around wearing breast cancer awareness T-shirts! Batman also made an appearance, adding to the excitement. With techno music blaring out the open windows, he drove his Batmobile alongside the walkers as they made their way through the streets of Newark. “Cancer is such a terrible
disease…but Making Strides allowed some good to come of it—it united us for a common cause,” said sophomore Jamie Besante, majoring in biology with a physical therapy track. “I found Making Strides very educating and entertaining,” said junior marketing major Derek Barton-Odro. “It was fun and good for Kean students—aside from showing support and raising money, it gave students a muchneeded opportunity to get some exercise themselves. And it was nice to see that not only doctors and medical staff care—it shows that Kean students feel for people who go through the trauma of cancer, and seeing that people care helps to ease the pain and suffering of the patients, their families, and their friends.” “I think what struck me most was to see the number of women there who had survived breast cancer—it was surprising to see firsthand just how many people are affected. On the other hand though, it’s encouraging to see that so many have come through it,” said Liz Zanes, a first year graduate student majoring in speechlanguage pathology. “I think seeing that made me realize the impact of fundraising events like this, and I was happy to have taken part in it.” “For the eighth year in a row, Kean University faculty, staff, and students walked hand in hand to make strides against breast cancer. Many participants walked because they were personally touched by this disease; some walked because they were simply looking to connect to something larger than themselves; but everyone walked because they cared,” declared Joel Thomas, staff and alumnus of Kean University.
If you have never participated in Making Strides before, make next year your first time! It’s never too late to lend a helping hand. You can sign up online, and it’s easy. Every little bit helps—whether you help raise five or five hundred dollars, it’s more than the American Cancer Society had before—and not only will they be grateful to you for your help, but so will the countless others whose lives have been touched by cancer. Help make a difference—help find a cure! Jen Bissu, graduate Fine Art Education major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.
C e l e b r a t i n g 1 5 0 Ye a r s o f M e m o r i e s
Page
The COUGAR’S Byte: Special Homecoming 2005 Edition
Visit our online edition at www.cougarsbyte.com
October 24, 2005