The Montclarion 10/20

Rocky Horror Heads to the Wild Wild West

Ayearlystaple for the Montclair State University Players, “The Rocky Hor ror Picture Show” is not your typical live performance. A yearly staple for the Mont clair State University Players, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is not your typical live performance. Instead, it’s a choreographed lip-sync to the 1975 film, more commonly known as "shadow-casting." A staple of midnight moviegoing in the nearly 50 years since its debut, audience members are encouraged to participate with their own interjections, which I learned when half the cast shouted “Eat s**t! And die!” to the rhythm of “Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul" the number sang by Meat Loaf in the film.

The love for the production is absolutely infectious, in no small part thanks to the enthu siastic leadership from director Zoe LeRose, a senior theatre studies major, and assistant di rector/choreographer Whitney Daniels, a sophomore theatre studies major, who are work ing together to bring their own spin on Rocky Horror to life in the form

“Every year there’s a different theme," LeRose said. "I decided I want to see cowboys and sa loon girls."

She promised there will, in fact, be cowboys and saloon girls, as well as a pre-show set to Will Smith’s 1999 hit single “Wild Wild West."

The titular Rocky Horror, the muscular, hyper-masculine cre ation of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, will be played by none other than Zoe’s own twin, senior theater studies major Skylar LeRose, who is making her on-stage “Rocky Horror” debut after be ing the assistant director of the 2021 show.

“I’ve seen ['The Rocky Hor ror Pic ture Show'] far too many times [than] I could count, maybe mul tiple times a day," Skylar said.

"I’m a

big fan. I really always wanted to audition, but my freshman year I was really scared. Then [the coronavirus (COVID-19)] happened. Then last year I was on box office so I couldn’t, but I was also more interested in being on the production team for last year. So this year, I knew I really wanted to audition.”

Freshman fear didn’t stop biology major Rylee Allen from auditioning and landing the role of Janet Weiss, the fi ancé of Brad Majors who gets swept up in the wild schemes of Dr. Frank-N-Furter after the couple gets a flat tire.

“I think it’s definitely really out of my comfort zone," Allen said. "Because in my past theatre ex perience, it’s always been stuff that’s been very innocent and very tame and I really wanted to do something that was not that.”

Returning cast members in clude sophomore theatre stud ies major Jenna Wilkinson, playing the role of Magenta, a maid played by Patri cia Quinn in the film.

"It’s the best time of the year for me, I adore it,” Wilkinson said. They also compared their character, Magenta, to themself.

version of the well-worn pro duction for ex peri enced viewers of "Rocky Horror," and hopes to have fun terrifying and confus ing those who have never seen it, referred to by fans of shadowcast productions as "virgins."

Those seated in the virgin sec tion have a chance of being pulled into the performance to experience all the oddities of

"Rocky Horror" up close and personal. There will be four per formances of "Wild West Rocky," with the show running at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 and Satur day, Oct. 29. Tick ets are five dol lars and typically sell out very quickly, so be sure to lace up your cowboy boots, straighten your 10-gal lon hats and make your way to the Student Center Ballrooms for a rootin’, tootin’ good time.

“I just kind of realized she’s just like me," Wilkinson said.

"I’m also a crazy b**ch."

The creative team hopes to bring to life a fresh, new

Sophomore theatre studies major Jenna Wilkinson (center) relates to her character, Magenta.

The MSU Players are putting a twist on "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Katie Lawrence| The Montclarion

Katie Lawrence

The Montclarion

Colin Luderitz

Assistant Opinion Editor

of “Wild West Rocky."

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HSA: Showcasing the Beauty of Haitian Culture

The Haitian Student Organiza tion (HSA) brought Haitian cul ture to Montclair State Universi ty on Sunday Oct. 16 to celebrate Carnaval des Fleurs (Carnival of Flowers).

The goal of the event was to honor Haitian culture and educate people about its signifi cance.

Different organizations of Mont clair State, including the Black Student Union (BSU), Native African Student Organization (NASO), The Brotherhood/La Hermandad, cosponsored the event. Students from other uni versities were also in attendance to honor Haiti.

The night started off with Ma querley Previlon, the host of the night and former e-board member of HSA, introducing the new 2022-2023 e-board as they walked down in front of the crowd.

People then stood for the Haitian National Anthem, followed by a moment of silence for Haitian artist Michael Benjamin, better known as Mikaben, who recently died over the weekend after go ing into cardiac arrest.

Rose Saint Juste, a junior bi ology major and the president of HSA, expressed that people usually have a negative connota tion when it comes to Haiti and wanted to erase that ideal with this event.

“People say it's the poorest country, people have negative connotations on Haiti,” Saint Juste said. “So we wanted to showcase how beautiful Haiti is and how beautiful our culture is.”

Five men and ladies then par ticipated in a best-dressed seg ment, walking down in pairs, leaving Katrina Charles, a junior

biology major and HSA vice pres ident, the winner by popular de mand of the crowd. People who had a Haitian flag under their chairs were placed in a trivia game to test their knowledge of Haitian historic events, heritage and the HSA organization.

Some were knowledgeable about Haiti, while others, some of who weren't Haitian, were in formed about notable facts about the country after the game. To ward the end of the night, the dancers of HSA, performed two dances that bought the Carnival to Montclair State.

The event was a success and stu dents danced to afro-beats as it came to a close.

Ezechiel Collin, a freshman un decided, said the event was be yond what he imagined.

“Overall the event was really nice,” Collin said. “It was better than I expected and I did learn a lot even though I’m Haitian. It was my first time going to an event like this and dressing up so it exceeded my expectations.”

Nyron Mitchell, a junior family science major and the event coor dinator of The Brotherhood/La Hermandad, thought the event was really inviting with neighbor ing organizations coming togeth er to celebrate Haitian culture.

“I like to see all organizations coming together as one and cre ating bonds,” Mitchell said.

Charles said this celebration served to show people some unique aspects of the Haitian cul ture.

“Haiti is so much more than what people think and we want people to see that and that’s why we bought our theme of Carnaval des Fleurs,” Charles said. “So people can see what we celebrate and how we celebrate by dancing, the unique garb and just educat ing others of our culture.”

was fulfilled.

Karsten Englander | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce Photo Editor

According to Charles, the aim for the night to be the perfect blend of entertaining yet educat ing others about Haitian culture

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

“People got to see the beautiful dance moves within our Haitian culture, the lively atmosphere and

ultimately getting an experience of our life,” Charles said. “Like there are people who haven’t tried Hai tian food before until today.”

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Karsten Englander | The Montclarion

Rose Saint Juste, the president of HSA, dances with the other dancers of HSA.

The 2022 - 2023 e-board of the Haitian Student Association.

Students dance together.

Dancer of HSA.

Latinx Students Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Dani Mazariegos Assistant Photo Editor

Latino and Hispanic organi zations, faculty and students gathered at the Montclair State University Student Center quad to celebrate the second annual Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party on Wednesday, October 12.

At the event, there was food, music, painting and games such as dominoes. The block party was about having fun together while cel ebrating the Hispanic community.

The block party started with a few words from students and faculty of distinct Hispan ic organizations on campus.

Jazmin Mora-Amaya, a junior business administration ma jor and vice president of the Latin American Student Or ganization (LASO), shared a few words with the attendees.

"Being part of LASO, I love see ing all this representation wheth er you are Latino, whether you are not Latino, being Latino means we are [a] familia," Mora-Amaya said. "I love the community [here today], we are here to have a good time, to dance, to eat good comida [food] because Latino comida is the best comida. Thank you every one for being here at the second annual Hispanic Block Party.”

Marco Cordova, director of sum mer programs in the Office for His panic Initiatives who also helped to organize the block party, shared his thoughts on the celebration.

“Being a Hispanic serving in stitution, it is important for us to show that we care about our La tino students and show that we know the importance of events [like this] going on," Cordova said. "It’s [also] nice to see all of us out here, different faces, differ ent people, coming together and having that sense of community.”

Another aspect of the block party was the different tables that were set up representing distinct Latino/Hispanic organizations on campus. It helped introduce these

organizations to both Hispanic and non-Hispanic students.

Sofia Gamez, a freshman nursing major, shared why she decided to attend the event and how significant cultural repre sentation is in a campus setting.

“Being Hispanic and a fresh man, I wanted to go to a school where I can see people like me and I feel like this is a good op portunity to meet those kinds of people and just celebrate our culture," Gamez said. "I like it, I love the food and the music and just [meeting] new people that are from different nation alities but Hispanic as well."

While students enjoyed their food and played games, DJ Brandon Leon kept the event entertained and lively as he played music warming the crowd up for the live band.

Eventually, the Afro-Caribbean Ensemble from the John J. Cali School of Music performed. The band, made up of stu dents on campus, was started by student and percussion ist in the ensemble Vic Ortiz.

Students and faculty began dancing along with the mu sic of the band. Isabel Adorno, lead singer and senior music education major, along with pia nist Lornaa Morales, a music therapy major, taught the audi ence an easy dance routine and managed to get a large group of people to dance together. They played classic songs such as “Oye Como Va” by Santana.

Adorno also shared a few thoughts on the performance.

“It was thrilling to be able to sing my people’s music on cam pus," Adorno said. "Events like this are important because as the Latin community we are often pushed to the side, but this gives us an [opportunity to be] not only accepted but appreciated, that the founda tion that people set before us is accepted and respected.”

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Isabel Adorno sings live with backup vocals from Vincent Means Jr. and Adrianna Viera.

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

The Afro-Caribbean Ensemble from the John J. Cali School of Music performs.

Dani Mazariegos

| The Montclarion

Students play a game of dominoes.

Dani Mazariegos | The Montclarion

Students and faculty dance along to the live band.

Montclair State Honors National Coming Out Day

Hannah Effinger Production Editor

Montclair State University’s Office for Social Justice and Diversity hosted a celebration of National Coming Out Day and the start of LGBTQIA+ History Month with the rais ing of the pride flag on Tues day, Oct. 11.

Students, staff and faculty filled the student center flag poles for this special event, ready to support the speakers of the evening.

Speakers included individu als from different organiza tions and departments on campus such as the gender, sexuality and women's studies program, Office for Social Jus tice and Diversity and student development and campus life.

Each speech highlighted the importance of the flag raising, recognition of historical fig ures within the LGBTQ+ com munity and the acceptance and love each speaker has felt here at Montclair State.

Dawn Soufleris, vice presi dent of student development and campus life, shared her own story, ending with a mes sage for all Montclair State students.

“We love you, we see you, we value you, you belong here and you are safe,” Soufleris said.

The event saw a good turnout from students, as the crowd surrounding the flagpole be gan to expand as speeches went on.

Na'Dree Stewart, a senior anthropology major, said this event allowed everyone to em brace who they are.

“To me, this means a sense of authenticity," Stewart said. "Allowing people to walk free within themselves without judgment and live this life in

the happiest way possible.”

Max McFadden, a junior ani mation/illustration major who also spoke at the event, praised the campus' inclusivity.

“It's really great to have soli darity from the campus it self because so many people across the country are not

lucky enough to have that," Mc Fadden said. "I'm so glad that Montclair [State] has been so supportive and welcoming. I've never felt really unsafe here be ing who I am.”

Ashlie, a senior justice studies major who asked for her last name not to be used, explained

that the event meant a lot to her in terms of acceptance.

“To me, it means living in my truth and everyone living in their truth," Ashlie said. "I feel like when you're on a campus as accepting as this it kind of bog gles my mind. When I go home the community isn't that accept

ing, but Montclair State just feels like one big family.”

Montclair State has received national recognition across mul tiple outlets as a top school for LGBTQ+ members of the cam pus community and continues to exemplify its dedication through events like this.

Anna McCabe | The Montclarion

Supporters for the flag raising pose together for a photo.

Anna McCabe | The Montclarion

Anna McCabe | The Montclarion

Ashlie says the flag raising ceremony provided everyone a sense of acceptance.

Montclair State celebrates LGBTQ+ history month and National Coming Out Day.

Anna McCabe | The Montclarion

A student expresses why he feels this event is important to students on campus.

Anna McCabe | The Montclarion

Staff and students gathered together to celebrate National Coming Out Day.

Students Embrace the Season with Autumn Activities

Roxanne Gribbin Guest Writer

Saygoodbye to the hot humid weather and get snuggled up with a warm drink and a good movie. Even though autumn puts an end to sandy beaches and sunburns, it starts a new season of excitement and magic. When the apple cider is flowing and the leaves are an array of colors, the students of Montclair State University are thrown into a fall wonderland.

Our campus is perfect for this time of year, with coffee shops on every turn and gorgeous foliage that you can’t take your eyes off of. Gorgeous vivid red and autumn leaves can be seen scattered everywhere you look.

If you're looking for a scenic fall view, the skyline viewpoint is one of the best places to be during this time of year. While looking off at New York City you can see all the leaves on the trees changing color at different rates. Bright orange, red and green can all be seen. At night, the view is transformed into a beautiful sea of lights.

Another stunning part of campus during this time of year is the amphi theater by Alexander Kasser Theater. By climbing up the stairs to the top, you can get an amazing view of Cole Hall and the surrounding trees. Make sure to take a trip to Panera after that to treat yourself to a warm beverage.

Jay Lewis, an undeclared sopho more is among the students at Mont clair State that are in love with the sce nic, warm sights of the season.

"My favorite part about fall is the scenery," Lewis said. "[I love it when] the greens become oranges and reds."

Fall at Montclair State has so much to offer, from events to autumn field trips off campus. It is a beautiful time for students to gather, meet new peo

ple and participate in fun traditions like Rocky the Red Hawk’s birthday.

Ariana Ortiz, a junior English major, said one of her favorite things about the fall was pumpkins, as she has a vivid memory of going pumpkin pick ing when she was younger.

"I went to a pumpkin patch with my mom and her coworker and her daughters," Ortiz said. "There was a tractor and I remember sitting inside the tractor wheel, and that was really fun."

Our best spots on campus for a warm beverage include Venture Cafe, Cafe Diem, and the two Dunkin' lo cations. You could even enjoy a hot pumpkin spice latte while watching the football game if that's your thing. Montclair State's homecoming game will be against Christopher Newport University on Saturday, Oct. 29, and

kick-off is at 1 p.m.

What sounds better than sitting next to a crackling fire and watching the October stars on a chilly night? The Recreation Center lights its fire pit every Friday. Students can enjoy the warmth with some complementa ry s’mores, iced tea and fun activities. This is a great way to meet new friends or converse with the old.

If that isn't your speed, the Rec reation Center and other campus or ganizations are also coming together to host “Nightmare on Clove Road," a haunted walk that takes you behind Hawks Crossings for a spooky good time. Henna artists, palm readers and physics will also be in attendance. This event will take place on Oct. 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and light refreshments will be available.

And on Halloween, the big day itself,

the Office of Commuter Life is hosting a “Reverse Trick or Treat." Held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., staff will be giving out candy treats to commuters at random times of the day. Students will also be decked out in their creative costumes as they roam the campus.

Joshua Fernandez, a sophomore mathematics major, was happy to learn what Montclair State has to offer during the fall season.

"Montclair [State] has so much to offer when it comes to fall and their ac tivities," Fernandez said.

Overall, fall is a very exciting time here at Montclair State. There are so many opportunities to go to events and chances to meet lifelong friends. The trees are rapidly changing color and there is a sense of ambition in the air, so why not go and take advantage of this wonderful time of the year?

Sal DiMaggio | The Montclarion

Students walk around campus on a chilly fall day.

Jay Lewis, a sophomore undecided, said how much he loved the scenery of the fall season.

Sal DiMaggio | The Montclarion

A Chilling Classic: "And Then There Were None"

With Halloween right around the cor ner, it can be hard to find books to set the mood. My advice, when in doubt, pick a mystery book. And who better to read than the one and only Agatha Christie? “And Then There Were None” is an Agatha Christie classic showcasing a closed mystery where anyone can be a suspect.

Christie was born in Sept. 1890 in England. She grew up around stories and at age five she taught herself how to read. She continued to write throughout her life, publishing a total of at least 68 books and many short stories. Some of her biggest sellers include "Murder on the Orient Express,” “Death on the Nile” and, of course, “And Then There Were None.”

Soldier Island, our setting, is known to the public as an island of mystery and wonder. Rumored to be occupied by ce lebrities and wealthy people alike, the average citizen is unaware of what really happens inside the walls of the ominous mansion on the island. One summer day, 10 strangers are invited to gather on Soldier Island all under different cir cumstances. They are unaware of the sinister truth: the host plans to murder all the guests invited.

As guests are murdered one by one, they wonder if the host even exists, mak ing every single one of them a suspect. Set on a fictional island on the coast of Devon, England, “And Then There Were None” takes place in the 1930s. It radi ates that old-time feel and captures the iconic dinner party trope where all the guests are killed under mysterious cir cumstances. Its written in the third per son omniscient point of view, so readers have access to all the characters in the novel. It adds suspense and makes the readers really question innocence.

Now, no spoilers. I won’t reveal “who dunit” in this review. I will leave that up to Ms. Christie.

We are introduced to 10 characters at the beginning of the novel, setting the stage for the story. First is Justice Wargrave, a wise old judge. Then there is Vera Claythorne, a young nanny, and Philip Lombard, who appears to be up to some sketchy business. There is also Emily Brent, an elderly woman looking for a vacation home. There’s General

MacArthur, a World War I veteran, and Dr. Armstrong, a practicing doctor. Then there is Tony Marston, a young man look ing for a party, and Mr. Blore, who also appears to be up to suspicious business.

Finally, there’s Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who are in charge of taking care of the house.

The mystery itself is constructed bril liantly. Christie does not shy away from a twisting story that is continuously full of surprises. It is a closed mystery, so the “whodunit” is not revealed until the end of the story. There is also no detective on the scene to help them solve the crime.

The way Christie wrote this novel paints everyone to be innocent and guilty simul taneously. There are multiple moments where it is perceived to be impossible. How could they have died? Everyone was in the room.

Or were they?

There are clues sprinkled throughout

the book that don’t seem important until the very end. The reveal was satisfying and worth the wait. I loved the setting as well, a creepy mansion on a seclud ed island was so fun to read. Especially during the fall time, reading books with creepy settings helps me get into the Halloween spirit.

I do have a few critiques about the book. To begin with, I felt I was several steps ahead of the characters. It could have just been my personal reading experi ence, and possibly due to the fact that I have been exposed to this trope before.

When the characters were putting the pieces together I realized I had already had that realization pages ago. How ever, I am well aware that in order for a concept like this to work the characters need to take their time figuring things out, especially in this case where there isn’t a skilled detective helping them

solve it. With that being said, the charac ters themselves were sometimes a little challenging to read. Yes, they took their time solving the case, but some of them were very stubborn.

I’d recommend this book to any fan of mystery, especially people who love the board game “Clue.” It is not only a story written by one of the most classic mys tery authors, but the premise is the basis of many movies and books written today. The dinner party trope is so ingrained in our culture it’s hard to imagine a world without it.

“And Then There Were None” is also a standalone, so it can be read without any prior knowledge of Christie's books. It is a great introduction to her writing style and a spooky read for the Halloween and fall seasons.

Rebecca Bienskie Jackson Staff Writer

Rebecca Bienskie Jackson recommends "And Then There Were None" for a spooky read.

Rebecca Bienskie Jackson | The Montclarion

Boys, Beans, "Bones and All": A Book Review

a hurting child that only yearns for the comfort of a parent and a normal life.

I devoured this book, pages and all. This story wasn't exactly the make-sureyour-feet-aren’t-hanging-off-of-the-bed scary story I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of the plot.

The book itself is very ambitious, but expecting readers to believe an infant is capable of devouring an entire person was a bit of a stretch, even for a fantasy novel. Its strengths are in character de velopment, not believability. Oftentimes, readers are left wondering what just happened. I wouldn’t be aware that Mar en actually did consume someone until many chapters later due to how vaguely the scene was written.

DeAngelis makes up for her lack of detail with an amazing job of express ing the grief Maren struggles with im mediately after dining on her somewhat innocent victims. Readers really do feel like they’re blacking out alongside Maren and waking up with blood on their hands as well.

I picked up this book thinking I would need a nightlight to sleep, but I ended up wiping away more tears than expected. Maybe too many years of unsupervised access to the internet as a child has rotten my perception of horror, but the scariest thing about this book was the constant eating of beans straight out of the can.

Despite my grievances, I have to con clude this book was very enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to any one looking for an excuse to cry un controllably and loudly in front of their roommates. This book has it all: mommy and daddy issues, half-eaten corpses, in trusive men and lots of unmanaged hor mones.

Beneath the piles of flesh and blood, Camille DeAngelis’ “Bones and All” is a coming-of-age story about a young girl, Maren, learning to navigate life as a teenage cannibal.

From infancy, Maren has been an “eat er” and struggles with coming to terms with her inability to control her hunger around boys. Scared of what her daugh ter is capable of doing, her mother leaves Maren after her 16th birthday and for the first time in her life, Maren is alone.

With only $600 in cash, a rucksack and great determination, Maren begins her cross-country journey to find her father.

While on her mission, Maren meets another “eater” Lee; and together they yearn to fit in while attempting to sup press their cannibalistic urges.

Maren’s character is not easy to love, after being emotionally neglected her entire life by her mother and abandoned by her father before birth, her decisionmaking skills are not her strongest suit, making it very frustrating to support her.

After readers learn about Maren’s many sexual encounters with boys at too

young of an age, it becomes obvious this story is a commentary on reframing the man-eater trope, in a much more inno cent and childlike way. Even after sixteen years of unhealthy eating habits, Maren chooses to literally devour her complex feelings toward men instead of finding a way to healthily cope with her gruesome past.

Impulse control is not something Mar en is familiar with, nor does she begin to attempt to control such urges. “Bones and All” portrays Maren as a volatile predator who eats her prepubescent prey alive, but beneath her hardened facade is

As a devout fan of Timothee Chalamet, I read this book because of the upcom ing movie adaptation starring Chalamet as Lee and Taylor Russell as Maren. The film has already been nominated for awards at the Venice Film Festival and Taylor Russell has been awarded Best Young Actress, so I have high hopes for its success.

Will witnessing Chalamet eat some one alive change my opinions of him?

Probably not. But if I have to see him eat another can of beans, I might have to re think a few things.

Anna McCabe Guest Writer

Anna McCabe, poses with the book, "Bones and All."

Anna McCabe |

The Montclarion

What are you singing at karaoke night?

By Lynise Olivacce Photo Editor

“So I would be singing 'Iris,' by the Goo Goo Dolls because I really love that song and I think that was one of the best songs.”

Bailey Winkler Freshman Psychology

“For karaoke night I would sing 'Late Night Talking,' by Harry Styles because it's my favorite song right now.”

Taylor Taveira Sophomore English

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

“I would sing the 'Real Slim Shady,' by Eminem because it’s my song and I go hard when it goes on.”

Caitlyn McManus Freshman Psychology

“The first thing that came to mind is, 'Don’t Speak,' by No Doubt because I’ve been listen ing to that song recently, and I feel like you can get into it because it's like a passionate song.”

“I would pick 'From the Bottom of my Bro ken Heart,' by Britney Spears because I feel like a lot of people don’t appreciate pop mu sic. Because they say it's corny or not deep. But I feel like Britany Spears is surprisingly pretty deep. So yeah I rock with that one.”

Ire Triplin Sophomore Business Administration

“There is a song by Sting called 'Dessert Rose,' it's like Algerian and English which I find pretty cool. I just like the rhythm and everything about it.”

Selma Hajhassan Junior Business Administration

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Marley Holston Sophomore Visual Arts

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Lynise Olivacce | The Montclarion

Hannah Effinger

Production Editor

Avery Nixon Opinion Editor

Colin Luderitz Assistant Opinion Editor

The Montclarion Crossword Puzzle and More! Halloween Candy Edition

By Jenna Sundel

Across

3. This candy’s tagline is “sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”

4. This brand is best known for their gummy bears.

5. This candy has jokes on the wrapper and comes in flavors such as banana, strawberry, green apple and grape.

6. This candy dates back to 1932 and is named after a novel by Alexandre Dumas.

8. This candy had a fictional breakup for an ad campaign in 2012.

Sudoku

Down

1. This candy is called “pastellfiskar” (pastel fish) in Swe den.

2. This candy’s tagline is “first they’re sour, then they’re sweet.”

7. This candy’s ads feature people debating over left and right versions of the candy.

Word Search

Twizzlers Reese’s Skittles Hershey Nerds Airheads PayDay Kit Kat Mounds Baby Ruth Rolo Milky Way

Serial Killers Are Not Halloween Costumes

should be a sign to dress up as something else.

Everyyear, we follow the same media consumer ism cycle. We get brand new TV shows, movies, books and media in general, whose characters are put on a pedes tal and become so sensational that there is no way you won’t pass five Eddie Munson’s in a row while scrolling through your feed.

We are aware of what Hal loween costumes fall under certain categories such as cultural appropriation or just downright inexcusable repre sentations that even question ing the validity of our costume

It’s all fun and games, even people that dress up as cult horror movie icons are cel ebrated for their ingenuity and smarts when it comes to their looks. However, it’s not long be fore someone takes it too far.

At this point, everyone has heard of “Dahmer – Monster:

The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” as it has become gossip talk virtu ally everywhere for being noth ing short of unbelievable. For a lack of a better word, it’s a circus.

Teenagers have discovered actors like Evan Peters, fa mous for his role in “American Horror Story,” through the dra matized series and wish to rec reate his role by dressing up as a serial killer for Halloween.

Not a fictional serial killer, a real-life person.

The controversy surround ing the Netflix series comes from the families of the vic tims of Dahmer, who are in disbelief at the creation of such a crude piece of media. The fact that we should even think to acknowledge the vic tims as revolving around Dah mer’s existence is absolutely unacceptable.

Dahmer’s victims were young men, queer in some instances, that were finding themselves at a time where being gay was considered unseemingly and a sin. They were real people with families that miss them to this day and whose names are being de graded and dehumanized for everyone to see.

Dahmer is not the only one being romanticized, as “Ex tremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” a dramatized film on serial killer Ted Bun dy starring Zac Efron caused quite a stir years prior. John Wayne Gacy, sex offender and serial killer, also seems to be a favorite because of his alter ego, Pogo The Clown.

What do these three killers have in common? Their own Netflix true crime documenta ries.

In Dahmer and Bundy’s case, the dramatized media portraying them purposely as signed conventionally attrac tive men to be the lead actors. For a young person, it could be easy to confuse attraction to their favorite actor versus the serial killer that they are play

ing.

As much as one would like to blame children not old enough to get their driver’s license or their parents for lack of supervision, adults are also succumbing to the brain washed fanbase of serial kill ers.

These are people that genu inely idolize these sick people that have committed crimes against society and killed hun dreds of individuals.

Thankfully, people have been waking up to the fact that it is almost impossible to consume true crime media ethically, as the individuals telling these stories do it for selfish reasons and ignore the pain and suf fering of the victims and their families.

Campus Voices:

By Katie Lawrence & Mila Spoljaric

“It depends on the setting. A lot of people at first, they will think it’s a bad thing but then they’ll realize okay this is probably not their true intention they’re just doing it for an oc casion or something. My issue is when it gets publicized on huge platforms like Ins tagram. There’s a lot of younger audiences. They will not know, they’ll think it’s cool, young minds are easily malleable.”

- Kholilur Rahman Biology Junior

“When you joke about stuff that is supposed to be serious then you don’t really know when to take situations seriously. So at a party or frat party or something in a college setting, for example, you don’t know who has a bad intent on a person and who is just joking so I feel like that could cause a real issue later on in the future cause if you take it as a joke and if you take lightly what he’s done, then things like that will not be taken seriously.”

- Angela Sosa Psychology Freshman

“I think it’s really weird and it’s insensitive to the families and the people who had to go through those traumatizing times and I feel like there’s a lot of other things we could bring posi tivity to in this world and we should not be try ing to relive serial killers and things like that.”

- Faith Collier Biology Pre-med Freshman

Sophia Caparros | The Montclarion

What goes through your mind when you see people dress up as real-life serial killers?

Christmas Decorations in October? Absolute Insanity

Danny Krastek Staff Writer

Close your eyes, or don’t, I won’t be able to tell, and let me paint a picture for you.

It’s early October, let’s say Oct. 10. You’re going to Target to pick up some snacks. The scent of pumpkin spice is in the air, Halloween decora tions cover the walls and shelves of the store and you hear a little kid trying to convince his mom to buy him candy. Everything is as it should be.

Suddenly, you hear a sound, no, a voice. In fact, a voice singing one note, which turns into a phrase, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas…”

You freeze in your tracks.

“There is just one thing I need…”

Your hair stands on end. Your blood grows cold.

“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know…”

The realization dawns on you…

“Make my wish come true...”

Oh god, the high notes.

“All I want… for Christmas… is… you...”

The end times have begun.

Yes, Christmas is one of the biggest holidays in the world, but there are a ton of people who like Halloween too.

Personally, Halloween is more fun, but that’s not the point.

The only things that can explain this phenomenon is that there are a

ton of Christmas movies and songs, it’s a massive shopping season, Christmas decorations are pleasing to the eye and Christmas cookies are delicious.

No, it can’t be any of those, because Halloween has its own counterparts.

Maybe there aren’t many Halloween songs. That much is true. But have you seen how many Halloween movies there are?

Halloween, popularly known as spooky season, is a great time for watching horror movies because the genre is so wide-ranging and it all fits into the spooky theme.

Halloween has a ton of shopping in volved too. The store Spirit Halloween opens only for Halloween, and it keeps

coming back year after year. Every year, the majority of kids and even adults buy candy, costumes and decorations. They must make a good profit, or else they wouldn’t still be open.

I refuse to believe that the reason people keep extending Christmas is because of the decorations. People go nuts for Halloween decorations, some even more so than Christmas decora tions.

And let’s be real, Halloween abso lutely destroys Christmas in terms of food; the whole point of the holiday is getting candy.

I’m sorry, I really don’t get it. I can not wrap my brain around it.

Just think, there are so many

holidays that just come and go with out much fanfare. Saint Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Easter and even Valen tine’s Day. All of them mind their own business and stick to their one day.

When have you ever seen people celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day starting in February? Never. Christmas just has to take up at least three full months.

This isn’t even a slight against Christmas, I hope you understand. Christmas is great. But it is causing a problem.

Perhaps the worst, the absolute worst offender of this is Black Friday, which, may I remind you, isn’t even a real holiday. It’s supposed to be one day a year. Now, there are “unofficial” Black Friday sales starting as far back as early October. Amazon Prime started offering steeply discounted prices back on Oct. 11.

Is there a solution to this problem? I am not sure but all I want is to enjoy my Halloween in peace. Holidays have to stick to their own months and seasons. This is spooky season, then comes Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Wait your turn, Mariah Carey. All I want for Christmas is to not hear that song until December.

DannyKrastek,afreshmanfilmandtelevisionmajor, isinhisfirstyearasastaffwriterandillustratorfor The Montclarion.

Halloween Candy Recommendations Based On Your College Niche

Sofia Acevedo Va lencia Assistant Opinion Editor

Aswe emerge into the fall season, spooky and lively Halloween stalks closer and closer. The best part of this holiday is the wide variety of candy that is nothing short of abundant and delicious.

As someone with opinions that no one asked for, here are my candy recommen dations for the carefully curated cliques of Montclair State University:

Artsy Royalty: Sour Patch Kids

Fashion, art and music majors, this one is for you. You seem to have your life together and are ridiculously talented.

Like a Sour Patch Kid, my bitter feel ings turned sweet and I can hide them no longer. I hated you until I realized I was jealous of you. The truth is that I love you and I want to be you.

If I had that much talent, I think it’d get to my head and I’d look like Mega mind. You deserve recognition and a yummy treat. Be more entitled than a cisgender straight white man this holiday season.

STEM Majors: Twix

I questioned myself a lot about this, but alas, congratulations to the STEM majors for getting my favorite candy on this list.

Listen, I don’t like most of you, in fact, I find you insufferable. Just because you can code or inadvertently tell someone that they need therapy even if you’re

right, it doesn’t make you a nice person.

To me, Twix are neat, perfection even, God’s gift to humanity and I am trust ing you with it. You’ll afford to build a mansion out of them after you end up earning more money in a year than any of us will in our entire lives.

Film Bros And Media Minions: Nerds

Not sure if this is an unpopular opin ion, but I’d argue that film majors are even bigger nerds than those in STEM. Ba-dum-tss!

You’re a plentiful little bunch that has infinite knowledge in pop culture, and whose Letterboxd reviews could land you in federal prison. Nonethe less, you’re talkative and sweet just like Nerds.

They do get old after a while so stop your candy consumption ahead of time just like how you should stop going to AMC movie releases every week.

Seriously, save your money.

Theater Kids And Musical Fanatics: Skittles

Composed of dancers, actors and performing arts individuals, my candy recommendation for this group is Skittles. Not only because the majority of you are big fruit aficionados, but it’s a light and fun snack. It will sure give you a sugar rush and make your intestines multicolored.

I’m sure one of you can write that into a play or skit and bring it to life for our wonderful student body. As a fellow writer, you terrify me but also impress me.

Good luck with your Halloween-adja cent endeavors this semester.

Frat Guys That Are Also Business Majors: Airheads

Too targeted? Cry me a river.

This particular brand of man is a know-it-all that has a very specific hobby and makes sure everyone within a fivemile radius knows it.

I’m no one to judge. I run my mouth and overshare in The Montclarion from time to time, but realize that sometimes it’s better to be quiet before you scare your romantic prospects off.

Get a taste of your own medicine, and eat an Airhead that will inevitably get stuck in your teeth. I hope the sticky, uncomfortable feeling humbles you.

The Humanities Enthusiasts: Haribo Gummies

I’m sure at this point of the semes ter you’re tired of reading and writing yourself to sleep. You need something to awaken the audacity and self-opinionat ed spirit that I know resides within each of us.

What better way than beheading and eating Haribo Gummies as you’re learn ing about the destructive consequences of capitalism, Plato’s Cave and world history?

Take it easy this upcoming Hallow een and watch Nicholas Cage steal the Declaration of Independence. It will give you as much of an adrenaline rush as an in-class debate.

Everyone feels the buzz and excite ment of dressing up, watching scary movies and having enough pumpkinspiced foods and beverages to develop an aversion to it. Dear readers, I hope you remember me when you buy candy as it would certainly boost my ego.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

SofiaAcevedoValencia,asophomorepoliticalscience major,isinherfirstyearasassistantopinioneditor for The Montclarion.

Jose Nunez | The Montclarion

Avery Nixon | The Montclarion

Republican Governors’ Latest Feat Is Using Immigrants For Political Gain

Sofia Acevedo Valencia Assistant Opinion Editor

IfI got a penny every time a bigoted man gave me content to comment on, unfortunately for Republicans, I fear I would be in that business for a very long time.

I have written about countless conservatives and uttered enough political rants to my friends and family to deserve my own podcast. Luckily, I am not interested in creating a sect of incels.

When I compose political pieces, I research and read a wide range of articles and resources to get the full picture of what’s happened. This time it was different, as something occurred that hit too close to home.

A few weeks ago, 50 migrants, mostly Venezuelan, were shipped by plane from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts where they arrived completely unannounced according to The New York Times. They were aban doned and left to their own devices in a place they had never been in.

Surely, one single person couldn’t have orchestrated an operation of such magnitude. As an immigrant myself, only a cruel and unfeeling person would use innocent people and their vulnerability to their advantage.

Lucky for us, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken credit for kidnap ping immigrants off a state he doesn’t even govern and relocating $12 million that cover transportation expenses to sanctuary states.

Sadly, this is not the first time some thing like this happened.

CNN reports that Republican gover nors, most notably DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have been shipping hundreds of immigrants to northern cities like New York and Washington, D.C., in response to the immigration crisis on the United States-Mexico border.

As of late, Abbott sent two buses of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in the nation’s capi tal.

As I was educating myself on this situation I couldn’t help but wonder, when did we get here?

I have heard innumerable stories of people I know who have had to escape organized crime, a dictatorship or a government that can no longer sustain them. If they don’t leave their home countries, they might not live another year.

These migrants who have jour neyed through an entire continent and withstood great challenges are villain ized by these rich white men who, in their narrow-minded brains, see them

through a prejudiced lens.

Americans profit off the products produced by underpaid workers in third-world countries and ship them across borders. But when a human being asks to be let into this country, they are denied entry because they’re suspected of being a criminal that’s go ing to steal American jobs.

Again and again, immigrants are limited to their legal status and labeled as these malicious entities from a hor ror story.

In reality, they are just people searching for a better life. My commu nity isn’t a stranger to hard work, but it feels sometimes as though we were born into this life to fight for a small chance if any at all.

It’s time conservatives start openly admitting that they’re racist because, in my view, the racial profiling done to the Latino and Hispanic communities by Republican governors is becoming more and more apparent.

Do you expect me to have to see as incompetent of a man as DeSantis on the 2024 presidential ballot? Give me a damn break. If you saw the textbook

definition of a xenophobe growing legs and starting to walk around Florida, it’s probably DeSantis making more legislation to oppress minorities.

However, it’s not convenient for Re publicans to admit they hate migrants because a large portion of their voters is second and third-generation Ameri cans from Latin America. In DeSan tis’ case, many voters in Florida are Cuban-American, some of whom are disgusted by his actions.

I sincerely hope DeSantis’s cheap antics to establish himself as the all-American top conservative of the Republican party paid off.

CNN confirms DeSantis got himself an internal investigation on the trans portation of the migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Texas and a class action lawsuit from said migrants.

The American dream promised to immigrants is a smoke show and hardly unattainable, as doing the hardest of jobs and working yourself to the bone does not ensure you will ascend in society. But it will put food on your table, get you a decent place to live and give your children a chance to live for something more than a weekly paycheck. That’s all someone wants for their family.

DeSantis should let these people live in peace and start wondering if tossing and turning at night because a Venezuelan immigrant will take the hard labor job he doesn’t want is good for his sleeping schedule.

Marilyn Monroe’s Accent in ‘Blonde’ is Completely Fine

Darian Mozo Assistant Opinion Editor

Inthe last week of September, Netflix gave us “Blonde,” a dra matic film that chronicles the tragic events in the life of Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic Hollywood fig ures in American culture.

There are many different opinions about the film.

One of the most prominent, even before its release, was about the star who plays Monroe. Her name is Ana de Armas and she is a Cuban-born actress whose native language is not English.

Criticism started months before when Netflix revealed the trailer of the movie. Some users showed their displeasure with the film on different social media platforms when they no ticed the actress’ Spanish accent.

Some said they felt uncomfortable listening to her, as her accent was taking away the realism of portraying Monroe. A few others commented that De Armas simply didn’t deserve the role and that they wanted to see an American actress play the role instead.

I understand that it caused a lot of doubt and concern that a Latina actress whose first language is not

English would portray such an iconic American personality. But the number of people complaining about this is exaggerated and unnecessary.

I think De Armas’ performance in Blonde was outstanding. She did an amazing job capturing both the look and essence of Monroe. And yes, her accent did come through a bit during the film, but it didn’t interfere with her performance at all.

All bilingual people who had to learn a language from scratch after passing the ideal stage of learning from zero to six years old know that the hardest thing to change is the accent.

It is very difficult to hide it entirely, I say this from my own experience. I have been speaking English for about five years of my life and, even though I speak it every day, I still have my Span ish accent and it’s noticeable when

speaking.

Now, in the case of De Armas, it is completely different and honestly amazing. She moved to Los Angeles in 2014 and got different roles in movies like “Blade Runner 2049,” “War Dogs” and “No Time To Die.”

In an interview at AOL BUILD in New York City in 2016, De Armas confessed that when she moved to Los Angeles she didn’t know any English. So for four months, she had to take seven-hour-a-day English classes all because her “life depended on it,” she said in another interview with Vanity Fair.

Definitely, De Armas is an example of courage and motivation that I think, if many would take the time to learn, they would realize all the sacrifices she has made in order to succeed.

I am bothered by the fact that many

of these people judge the actress as soon as they find out about her ethnic ity, and automatically label her as a bad actress— when many of them didn’t even know her.

I am outraged at the lack of empathy we experience today, especially in the entertainment world. This generation claims to be in an age of acceptance and equality for all, and yet, actors of different races and nationalities have to face a vast amount of criticism for play ing American roles.

It’s about time that Hollywood— and the general public— let important roles go to actors/actresses who truly deserve them, based on their talent and hard work.

Personally, seeing Latino celebri ties like De Armas get ahead in their careers and represent their culture and language has made me proud. I’m sure many other Latinos feel proud as well.

For people who judge De Armas for playing Marilyn Monroe and refuse to see the movie because of that, give the movie and the actress a chance. But if you still don’t want to see it, I just ask you to be polite and non-judgmental.

Avery Nixon | The Montclarion

Jillian Scheef | The Montclarion

SofiaAcevedoValencia,asophomorepoliticalscience major,isinherfirstyearasassistantopinioneditor for The Montclarion.

DarianMozo,aseniorjournalismanddigitalmedia major,isinhersecondyearasassistantopinionedi tor for The Montclarion.

“You Will Bloom Once Again” by Erica McDonald

My body shakes with grief as I stumble through the doorway of my cold and lonely home. A home that used to be shared. I slam the door behind me and feel its support as I rest my back against it. Sliding down the wall, everything falls away from me. It’s as if I’m Alice falling down the rabbit hole, swirling through chaos only to land hard on the ground.

When I was with him my happiness flourished like perfectly watered flowers. But now he is gone and my petals have begun to welt. And he’s here in front of me suddenly, like he never left.

“You know I love you,” he says. “But I can’t stay here forever.” Tears stream down my cheeks as I reach for him, but can’t quite get myself to touch him.

“Please don’t leave me. I can’t lose anyone else.” I reach out my hand and hesitantly rest it on his sternum. He covers it with his own. Those hands, which fit perfectly in mine as if they were made for me. Those hands, which once grazed every inch of my body and knew me like no other. They once wiped my tears and laced themselves through my hair. Now they hold me with pity. I look down at our hands. My hand shakes in his and he squeezes it hard. I close my eyes as hard as I can. “You promised me you would never leave. You promised.” I choke out.

He sighs.

“I know, but I couldn’t stop this. No one could. This isn’t my fault or yours. This was simply what was meant to happen. And I know this changes things, and change scares you but change can make you grow.” He drops my hand. My head is shaking.

“But my petals have wilted and I can’t make them grow.”

“Your flowers will bloom once again. Plant new seeds in the soil and watch.”

I open my eyes and he is gone. Just as he has left me each night before. And I have to remind myself that he was never really here. It isn’t right, but this unhealthy hallucination is all that keeps me going. Tomorrow will be different. I feel in my soul that he is not coming back. So I will plant new seeds and I will watch them grow. These seeds will be mine and mine alone. The seeds other people plant in my garden never last, they wilt and I am a garden of dead petals until the next person comes along to plant more. I have to plant my own seeds now. For him, for me, for us. The sun will rise and my flowers will bloom once more.

“An Ode To The Jersey Diner” by Robyn Platz

Cracked, coral-painted lips, A name tag—MARIETTE. She bustles between vinyl booths as though there aren’t only three people here.

A hunched man with a white wispy neckbeard flops over the counter like an undercooked piece of bacon, steel-toed boots kicking the rusty counter stool. He orders the farmer’s breakfast. (6 eggs scrambled, 8 slices of bacon, oily homefries, buttered toast)

Mariette brings me my coffee. As she sets it down, some spills on my hand. It burns me as it drips down the mug oozing onto a stray sugar packet.

This whole place oozes some kind of feeling.

I order.

(Taylor ham, egg, and cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup)

Greasy tile floors caked from endless breakfast with the sounds of the interstate out my window.

The old man is waving down the waitress, her hair is dusty like the white chipped ceramic cups.

I wonder who’s been here longer, sun-faded, tacky, and unchangeable. with vinyl and paper menus and ancient waitresses irreplaceable.

“A Selfish Choice” by Anexis Matos

I love you like I love very few.

There are moments when you irritate me, but I’m sure I do the same to you.

There are moments when I hate you. Despise you.

Wonder why people push you on me. Question why I would want you.

You cry. Scream. Whine. Complain. Irritate me. Exhaust me. Drain me. You make me hate you.

You want connection. A bond. I can give you that, but not when you’re so close. When you’re so easy to break. When I know the messed up world will hurt you.

Destry you. When I know I’ll hurt you.

Unintentionally, but I’ll hurt you. When I know I can’t protect you.

It’s implied I’m wrong. They say having you is a beautiful act. A blessing.

Some kind of miracle. For them, maybe, but while I love you, I don’t want you close.

I want to scratch at their eyes, force them to see.

Look! I want to scream.

Look what others have done. What wou want to force on someone else. On me.

“Can’t Stop” by Rosemary Rodriguez

I grace grandeur with my presence As I wake up to take my antidepressants

This just might be a good day

My minds treasures still bolted with locks

And I’m desperate

To find the key It’s a search that has now consumed me

I can’t stop

Thinking

Of that post car crash adrenaline

From his facade of a gentleman

Wanting love bites that eat away at dignity

Or some company, some counsel Or a simple ounce of sympathy

I want to forget

The crafted love spells that spelled nothing but the word ‘stupid’ on my forehead I don’t want to remember But I can’t stop

The Freudian slips that make one fall Back into the same spiral of sadness Searching for the solid, straight path Well now I realize I understand Plath

Look!

That’s what they do to me. Over and over and over.

The reasons they give me are selfish at best.

They want to force a burden on you, one I don’t think you should have.

I’m meant to love you, not be selfish and expect things you may not be willing to give.

I don’t scream.

I explain. Give an alternative, only to be told it’s not a good one. That having you is the best way.

But I don’t want you. You are selfish and ask for too much. You want things I’m not willing to give you.

Isn’t it better then if I don’t have you?

If I love you from a distance? If I give you only what I’m willing to? Would you not be happier? I would be.

I want my freedom and you would deny it to me. Others might say I’m selfish. I’m happy to admit I am.

I’m selfish because I want what’s mine. What I deserve. What you would deny, but they’re selfish, too. For pushing you on me, but to me, you might just be the most selfish one of all.

And you’re no key

You’re just as bolted up as me

I spend the days on my own pedestal Riding my high horse

Till the night takes me off course And I fall

Left stranded by my stallion

Wanting those memories to leave Since they’ve taught me nothing, only that Hope is naive

But I can’t stop

In my ears I hear: ‘Wonder if it’s all for you?’

The tears I could mop

Falling like Gloucesters at the clifftop Or the joys of a simple coffee shop

I do wonder If it’s all for me

“Alley’s, Bodies, Crimes, Deaths” by Delilah Summerer

Blood squirted out of the wound. “I hit something!” Vera said excitedly, “You see how dark the blood is? That’s from a vein.” The person screamed, clawing at the knife. Vera didn’t alter her grip, looking with delight at her student.

How did we even get here? Where were the police? Anyone? Please, I’ll do the time, just help me get this person to safety. Help me get away from this woman.

“Don’t you want to try, Ekki?”

I shook my head. All I could do was shake my head and try not to throw up. “This isn’t right, V.” My words were practically air, so soft I wasn’t sure they were audible. But I know I said them. I will testify at every court, I said those words.

Vera smiled, that beautiful smile that drew me to her in the first place. “Okay,” she said softly. I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. This was a mistake, but we were going to do the right thing. We were going to fix our mistakes. And it would be alright. And we were going to move past this and be fine.

All air was robbed from me as I gasped when she yanked the knife out of the body.

The person’s voice was raw, but the pain slapped me in the face. “What the Hell?” I said, running over and pushing her. “Now they’re gonna bleed out.”

“Isn’t that the point?”

“No!”

The body slumped to the ground without the knife (and Vera’s hand when she felt like it) to prop it up. Blood was still squirting out. I would say it was comical if it wasn’t so real. If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes.

“Help me.” It came out as a whisper. I went to the body, trying to pick it up and drag it to the entrance of the alley, to the hospital, to somewhere that wasn’t real. “Help me,” I screamed, “Somebody please. Help me.”

Vera had gotten up. I hadn’t noticed. She was leaning against the alley wall, watch ing me struggle like a cat does a mouse. I didn’t care. I didn’t care. I don’t care.

If she had any problem with me, they weren’t voiced. All she did was watch. Watch

“The Call On Howard St.” by Keiarah Miles

“We have a 10-16 over on 13 Howard St. Is there anyone who can take the call?”

“This is Officer Connolly, responding to the 10-16. On the way.” 13 Howard St, why does it sound so familiar?

I’ve lived in Verona, NJ all my life. It was a fairly small town and everyone knew ev eryone there. We were a tight-knit community and always tried to stay positive. We were a very peaceful neighborhood, except for what happened at Jenson’s house.

The old Jenson’s house has been around for years. It was built in the 1600s by Jacob Jenson. He lived in that house with his wife Lillian, three children Sarah, Tommy, and little Pete, along with his household workers Anthony and Betsy. Jacob was a well-known Blacksmith. Lillian stayed home with the children and tended to them while having Anthony and Betsy help her. The Jenson family lived in that house for generations upon generations.

They say that the oldest daughter, Sarah, died in the house. She caught smallpox and died in her room upstairs. It’s been rumored that the house was haunted ever since. As kids, we used to go to the house and try to find the ghost of the girl. We al ways left the house disappointed. After a few years, we stopped going and moved on with our lives. My best friend Jesse became a teacher and Jonathan left the state and became a news anchor for a local news show. I stayed in New Jersey and became a cop. I’ve been a cop for 5 years now and we all keep in touch.

In 2008, Jonathan, Jesse, and I were going to visit the house for the last time when we heard a large explosion. We ran to the sound and saw the old Jenson house on fire. We all watched as the house burst into flames. All the neighbors watched the house in their yards, pointing, watching the house as it continued to burn. Mrs. Bar bara Jenson was sitting in her yard, staring.

“I had to burn the house down, it was evil.” She cried.

As I turned on Howard St, everything started looking familiar. The tree that hung so low the branches touched the ground was still there. The green house that had 3 huge dogs was there too, but I heard no barking. The street looked, abandoned. All the houses were undone and abandoned. The windows were bordered up and the grass was as tall as corn stalks. Where is everyone? What happened to everyone? My thoughts continued to run in my head until I saw them.

me sluggishly move the body. Watch my crying turn to sobs. Watch. Watch.

My voice had gone hoarse. I shouldn’t have trusted her. She said she wanted to show me something interesting, and my idolization of someone who used to be my friend blinded me. How could I have been so stupid? Yeah, making the mental jump from something cool to murder wasn’t natrual, but I just stood there and let it happen.

I did nothing.

The streetlights flooded our bodies. The person had to be dead at this point. Too much blood had been lost. But I couldn’t stop. Nothing would erase what has been done.

The knife was cold.

It was a rather quick thing. In and out. Vera walked around me, an easy thing since I had frozen to look at the blood gushing out of me. It was gushing. Gushing! Oh, I was going to die and there was nothing anyone was going to do about it!

“I really liked you,” Vera said, tilting my chin to meet her gaze. I sank to my knees. Yesterday, I would say that I would willingly die to be in this position. How stupid is that? “I really really liked you. Why didn’t you just do as you were told?”

I couldn’t help but fight her grip in an attempt to look around. Nothing. No one. This was the end. There was truly nothing I could do. I could say that over and over again, and each time would feel like the first. I was going to die like this.

“It wasn’t right,” I heard myself say. I was too far from my body to hear it right. “No. You weren’t right.”

I’m sorry for forgetting the rest. It’s all my fault, really. She’s to blame, but I’m the one who didn’t move fast enough. I’m sorry for everything.

“No. You weren’t right.”

I’m sorry for forgetting the rest. It’s all my fault, really. She’s to blame, but I’m the one who didn’t move fast enough. I’m sorry for everything.

“You have got to be kidding me.” I gasped.

It was the old Jenson house, still standing after 25 years of me seeing it. It was a lot duller now, vines and plants came out the windows of the house. It gave me a very uneasy energy, even from looking at it. I parked my car in front of the creepy old house. I stared at it, feeling a little nervous. Have you ever had the feeling that you are somewhere you were never supposed to be? That’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. My eyes caught the window. There was a girl that could be no older than 15. She wore a very dirty dress, her hair was matted. She stared at me, her face was blank. As quick as a snap of my fingers she disappeared. I quickly got out of the car and ran towards the house. Was the girl okay? Does she need help? Did she call the police? As I approached the door, my stomach turned into knots and I felt nauseous. The voice in my head was telling me to drive away and don’t turn back. I didn’t listen and I proceeded to knock on the door.

“Hello!” I yelled. No answer, “Hello, this is Officer Connolly! I’m responding to a call at this residence!” I yelled again. No response.

“These prank calls are annoying,” I mumbled. As I turned to walk away, the door creaked open. I looked in the doorway and saw darkness. I slowly walked in, grab bing my flashlight. The house had very little furniture in it. I saw a chair that was torn to shreds and a couch that’s peeling. The smell was horrid and there was water leaking from the top floor. It was dark.

“Hello!” I yelled once again. “This is Officer Nora Connolly! I’m responding to a do mestic violence call! Is anyone here?”

“I am.” I turned around to see the same little girl. Her skin was very pale, her hair was matted severely. She wore no shoes but her dirty long dress covered her feet just a tad bit. She looked no older than 15 years old.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Sarah Jenson.”

“Crazy Doggg” - Nicky Vidal

“The Octopus’ Garden Episode: 6” - Sophia Caparros

“grey clOud” - Andy Cook

Students Share Their Favorite Halloween Movies

Hannah Effinger Production Editor

As a devoted celebrator of the month of Halloween, Oct. 1 found me searching through Letterboxd for holiday-appropriate movies to watch with my roommates. Imagine my disap pointment when all that decorated the screen were thumbnails of things I had already watched.

Luckily, with the entire student body of Montclair State University at my disposal, I took to the streets to find some fun movies to truly get me into the Halloween spirit.

Sofia Cordoba, a freshman account ing major, said “Halloweentown” was their favorite Halloween movie and I can’t say I blame them.

“Halloweentown” follows 13-yearold Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) and her family as she finds out more about her heritage as a witch. Her grandmother, played by the one and only Debbie Reynolds, is a witch from the titular Halloweentown and is ec static for the young girl to embrace her powers on her 13th Halloween.

Obviously, as a 21-year-old, I am not the movie’s target audience, so I did find parts of it a little silly. That being said, “Halloweentown” is a classic. When you think of Halloween through the eyes of a child, this is undoubtedly what you would picture. If nothing else, for a first-time viewer like myself, the film was a nice excuse to curl up on the couch with my roommates and some hot cocoa for a calming movie night.

Autumn Weglinski, a freshman ac counting major, stated she really loved Adam Sandler’s “Hubie Halloween.”

“Hubie Halloween” stars Hubie Dubois (Adam Sandler), about eight exDisney kids and Steve Buscemi. It fol lows Hubie as he attempts to save his hometown of Salem from a killer who has been running rampant through the town.

Sandler is known for his silly, goofy comedies and this movie is no differ

ent. It is complete with a ridiculously out-of-his-league love interest and some adolescents who want him to suffer for no particular reason. If you enjoy Sandler movies, unlike me, you’ll enjoy this movie.

I didn’t hate it, but the character Sandler plays is a lot for me. I’m completely convinced he has some dirt on someone high up within Netflix be cause no sane person would allow him to keep the voice he adopts throughout the entire movie without some serious blackmail.

Senior visual communication design major Kaley Fitzpatrick and freshman musical theatre major Donny Nikola said their favorite Halloween movie was “Killer Klowns from Outer

Space.”

The movie is a sci-fi horror comedy that follows Debbie Stone (Suzanne Snyder), her boyfriend Mike Tobacco (Grant Cramer) and her ex-boyfriend Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) as they try to fight off the Killer Klowns and put a stop to their deadly gags.

Out of the four movies I watched following these interviews, I have con cluded there is simply nothing like this movie. No words in the English lan guage could ever be powerful enough to convey exactly what this film is and how it exists in the canon of popular culture.

The Klowns themselves aren’t ex actly scary in looks, but the sheer grue someness of their crimes – hidden by

the unserious nature of clowns – keeps the viewer on their toes throughout its 88-minute runtime. It’s not a particu larly well-done movie. The dialogue sounds like a “Riverdale” episode at times and the computer-generated imagery (CGI) is questionable at best as it appears that the entire almost two-million dollar budget went into the costumes for the Klowns. But it’s defi nitely a movie you need to see at least once in your life.

Whether or not you have plans this Halloween- if you need a quick refresher to get yourself into the spirit, consider taking a look at these films. But don’t blame me if “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” changes your life for the worse.

The Killer Klowns go about their deadly gags.

“Hubie Halloween” follows Hubie (Adam Sandler) as he attempts to save his hometown from a killer.

Photo courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

‘Black Snow’ Is a Comedic Approach to One’s World of Despair

Sekhena Sembenu Assistant Entertainment Editor

Montclair State University’s depart ment of theatre and dance assembled to perform their first gig of the year, “Black Snow,” on Saturday, Oct. 15 inside Alexander Kasser Theater.

Debbie Saivetz, the director of “Black Snow” and a professor in the department, explained “Black Snow” is based on the Russian novelist and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov’s real-life experiences at the famous Moscow Art Theatre during the 1920s and 1930s.

“The play centers around the char acter of Sergei Leontievich Maxudov, a writer who fails to publish his novel but is then invited to adapt that novel for the stage,” Saivetz said. “When the In dependent Theatre decides to produce Sergei’s play, literary success beckons, but he is not prepared to reckon with the grotesquely inflated egos of the ac tors, directors and theatre managers.”

As the opening approached, col leagues, friends and family members swiftly took their seats, eagerly waiting to see the actors and actresses grace the stage. As they talked and laughed amongst themselves, the lights began to slowly simmer down and you could hear a pin drop.

Within seconds, the audience’s ears were met with the intense sound of a raging storm, and there at center stage stood Sergei ready to end it all with a noose.

I wouldn’t let the dark opening scene fool you. Even though “Black Snow” deals with triggering topics, both physically and verbally, it’s done in an extremely comedic fashion.

I don’t think there was one moment where I wasn’t cackling to the point my stomach hurt, and that’s thanks to the leading man, Alex Eilen, a sophomore acting major. Without spoiling any thing, let’s just say Eilen gave a remark able performance. He elegantly yet

passionately narrated Sergei’s chaotic journey while performing the actual scenes.

Every line from facial expression to body movement made the two-hour and 20-minute show immensely capti vating.

And although Eilen led the pack, it was hard to forget about the other topnotch cast members that truly brought the whole production together and brought a smile to the audience’s faces.

Whether that was loudly snoring, smacking one with a cane, perform ing a risky tango, trying to ride a bike or making indescribable body move ments, the entire cast left it all out on that stage.

Leading up to this extraordinary performance wasn’t always an easy road, though, according to Eilen.

“There were definitely challenges, like the intensity of the rehearsal schedule,” Eilen said. “All of our de partment productions rehearse for four hours a day, Monday through Friday, and we started our rehearsals the first ‘real’ week of classes. It’s a huge time commitment on top of classes and everything else.”

Eilen further stated that Sergei’s constant dialogue proved to be quite the headache.

“Another challenge I faced was learning all of my lines,” Eilen said. “Sergei really doesn’t stop talking for the entire play, so it was definitely a daunting task.”

Also worth noting is the extreme concentration, discipline and physical stamina each cast member possessed.

“There were a lot of moving parts to the show,” Saivetz said. “There were many scenes and transitions that had to be executed quickly and smoothly. And the cast of 17 actors played close to 100 different characters.”

If that’s not impeccable, I don’t know what is.

Besides the Tony Award-worthy

winning performances, “Black Snow” most certainly excelled in the overall design, including the actual set, vibrant costumes, fitting music choices, sharp sound effects and exceptional lighting.

From glass shattering and snow flakes descending to gleaming light imitating the sun, everything felt strangely real.

One of the assistant set designers, sophomore theatre: design, technology and management major Valentina Can nao, explained that during the 1920s and 1930s, there was a lot of construc tivist architecture in Russia.

“Everything was very blunt and kind of in your face because of communism and the revolution,” Cannao said. “So, a lot of what we did was very brutalist to contrast the costumes, which were very colorful and nice.”

Sofia Dietze, who’s also a sopho more theatre: design, technology and

management major, was sitting front row and happened to have special ac cess as she was the assistant costume designer.

“I got to work with a professional designer, so it was really cool getting to know his ways of designing a show,” Dietze said. “In the beginning, we were trying to have no color really, but then throughout the show, we wanted to add more color to truly showcase the theatre world.”

There’s no doubt everyone involved in this production did an incredible job to create such an intense, scary and comedic world. It’s a show that will raise many questions, but that’s what makes it unique.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you still have a chance to purchase tickets. So if I were you, don’t walk - run!

Montclair State University’s department of theatre and dance assembled to perform their first gig of the year, “Black Snow.”

Photo courtesy of John LaRosa

Valentina Cannao, a sophomore theatre: design, technology and management major, was one of the assistant set designers.

Sekhena Sembenu | The Montclarion

The Best Movies For Spooky Season

Halloween is fast approaching and one of my favorite parts of the season is the movies. Horror movies, Halloweenthemed spooky films—all of it, but there are so many. How do you know which ones to watch? Well, this list will give you a good place to start.

2. “Psycho” (1960)

After Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) disappears, her sister Lila (Vera Miles) and boyfriend Sam (John Gavin) attempt to track her down. Their investigation leads to one man: motel manager Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who has a strange relationship with his elderly mother.

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” redefined horror. Before this, it was all about mon sters and people in makeup. “Psycho” took the horror and made it more grounded. Full of memorable characters and moments, it would be an achievement for any director, but for Hitchcock, it’s just par for the course. It’s a classic I love revisiting.

1. “The Shining” (1980)

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, “The Shining” concerns the Torrance family. When father Jack (Jack Nicholson) moves the family to the Overlook Hotel, where he works as a groundskeeper, strange and inexplicable occurrences begin to plague the family which puts Jack’s sanity into question.

What can be said of director Stanley Kubrick’s most be loved film that hasn’t been said already? Everything about this works. It’s beautifully shot, impeccably acted, features an amazing script and a ton of iconic moments. It is hon estly one of the best horror movies of all time.

3. “Ghostbusters” (1984)

Who ya gonna call? Comedy legends Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis star as the titular team who suit up to take down and trap a legion of ghosts swarming New York City.

The brand of weird, screwball comedy that existed in the 1970s and 1980s always hits a sweet spot for me and this film is no exception. With a fantastic cast and a super smart, witty script, “Ghostbusters” really is a perfect Halloween movie for all ages.

“Young Frankenstein” is a send-up of the old black and white “Frankenstein” mov ies. Gene Wilder plays the grandson of the original Doctor Frankenstein who tries to continue his work.

This film takes the basic premise of a Frankenstein adaptation and turns it on its head. Every second is clever and hilarious and there are more jokes to pick up on every time you watch. Honestly, it’s a movie that’s worth watching just to see Wilder going absolutely insane the whole time.

5. “Shaun of the Dead” (2004)

A parody of zombie movies, the movie sets Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his in competent friends during the zombie apocalypse with Shaun also dealing with issues in his personal life as everything goes down.

This is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Everything fits together perfectly, including the charisma of the cast, the humor, the use of music and the visual gags. You’ve probably seen “Shaun of the Dead” already, but if you haven’t—make this year the year you watch it.

Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

4. “Young Frankenstein” (1974)

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Photo courtesy of Rogue Pictures

Danny Krastek Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

To read the full article, go to themontclarion.org

‘Halloween Ends’ Brings the Franchise to a Screeching Halt

Danny Krastek Staff Writer

Last year, I tortured myself by watching every single one of the Michael Myers “Halloween” movies. Of the dozen films, most fell between mediocre and absolutely horrible. The latest, and maybe final, installment in this 40-year franchise, “Halloween Ends,” falls toward the latter, being an easy contender for the worst of the films.

In “Halloween Ends,” set four years after we last saw Michael Myers, we see him face off against his arch-rival Laurie Strode in an “epic” showdown to bring their intertwining stories to a close.

“Halloween Ends” is a disap pointment. Though it promises to be the dramatic final conclusion of the Michael Myers saga, it instead flops around with pointless plot lines and love triangles and hinges entire chunks of the movie on characters never met before.

In trying to be the “final” film in the series, it poses more questions than it gives answers. For example, Michael vanishes four years after the previous film. We are told this several times. But we are never told how he escapes nor why he lays low for so long. Why is he in the sewers? What’s he doing down there?

Michael himself is barely in this movie. In the first half of the two-hour movie, he only shows up for one scene, and even then it’s just a shot of him lurking in the shadows of a sewer as if he thinks he’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown from “It”.

If the movie isn’t focusing on Mi chael, then the obvious choice would be to focus on Laurie, who has been the protagonist of this trilogy, and of the full series as well, debuting in the first film way back when. The movie doesn’t really do that either and actress

Jamie Lee Curtis gives a pretty poor performance. It’s easily her weakest in the series, and it’s sad her final film in this franchise is such a letdown. Her character spends almost all of the mov ie being petty for little to no reason.

An entirely new character named Corey (Rohan Campbell) gets most of the focus instead, with his random love story with Laurie’s granddaughter get ting a massive chunk of screen time.

Dedicating your entire series finale to a new character is a bold move and it’s one that did not pay off in this case. It’s hard to talk about the problems this character causes in this film without spoilers, so all I’ll say is his entire persona is rendered essentially mean ingless by the end. He distracts from Laurie and Michael, who should’ve been the focus of “Halloween Ends,” as it’s supposed to be the last film in their series.

Laurie and Michael’s rivalry is done after this, at least in this timeline, so

why do we spend 90 percent of the movie on this new character who adds nothing to the overall story?

I know it’s only a matter of time be fore they reboot the series again or find some convoluted way to bring Michael back to life. I also am fully aware that

I’ll be going to see it. And yes, I will probably love to hate it, like I have all these other movies. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it though. As Curtis has screamed in the films before, “Let it burn! Let it burn!”

“Halloween Ends” is a disappointment.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Michael Myers (Nick Castle) is barely in this movie.

Corey (Rohan Campbell) is a new character that adds nothing to the overall story.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Will Win Hearts Old and New

Editor’s Choice

‘The Redeem Team’ on Netflix

Karina Florez Staff Writer

When Disney announced in 2019 that a sequel was being made to the 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” it was im possible not to leap for joy. People like me who grew up watching it every Oc tober on television wondered not only if it would live up to the original, but if the writers could tell another unique story about the Sanderson sisters.

In the opening scene of “Hocus Pocus 2,” the audience is taken back to 17th century Salem, Massachusetts when the Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, are orphaned children. Director Anne Fletcher said part of the reason she took on this project was to give the fans a “peek into the earlier years of our witches.” It’s discovered why the sisters were shunned by their community and their first encounter with witchcraft.

Then we’re taken to present-day Sa lem where we meet high school teens Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Bucking ham), whose friendship has hit a fork in the road. Becca and Izzy occupy their time by frequenting the former Sanderson house-turned-magic shop run by Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who very much believes in the folklore sur rounding the witches. Cassie, on the other hand, opts to hang with her new boyfriend and his friends, who bully Becca and Izzy.

On Halloween, Gilbert tricks the two girls into lighting the Black Flame Candle, which brings the witches back for one night. Still relatively naive to the modern world, the sisters naturally cause chaos around Salem, vowing to get revenge on the town for being mistreated as teenagers.

While the film gives several nods to its predecessor with black cats, Madonna cone bra costumes and a spellbinding dance number, it stands just as powerfully on its own. It even expands the story by revealing that Gilbert saw the Sanderson sisters on Halloween 1993 when he was a young

boy trick-or-treating. It explains why he kept many of their belongings in the shop for so long in hopes he would one day summon them.

The film also focuses on strong female friendships like Becca, Izzy and Cassie’s. Despite bumps along the way, they’re still fiercely loyal to one an other, much like the Sanderson sisters. Even Winifred, one of the Sanderson sisters, who finds herself alone at one point, admires the girls’ bond saying, “How lucky [you are] to have each other.”

The theme of feeling like an outcast is also explored. At the beginning of the film, the Sandersons are ostra cized in their community for refusing marriage and speaking out against religion and men. Becca and Izzy are also judged for their different interests. Both are able to find a smidgeon of common ground despite a 300-plus year age difference.

The only time where the film falls short is in some of the production designs. Many of the outdoor presentday Salem sets look like sets, not real

places. While it certainly adds to the campiness of the film, sometimes it makes the shots look cheap and overly saturated. It doesn’t fully capture much of the Halloween atmosphere New England towns are historically known for.

Nevertheless, the actresses of the witches bring their wit, banter and sil liness in a refreshing way that’s fitting for the generation that is currently coming of age. Even Doug Jones, who plays the undead Billy Butcherson, eloquently reprises his role and gets a long-overdue resolution to his entan glement with the Sanderson sisters.

The 29-year gap between the first film and its brilliant sequel is well worth the wait. The story is comical without taking itself too seriously, and it’s just the right amount of camp, along with a healthy amount of millen nial and Gen Z references. Whether you’re watching it for the first time or catching up with the Sanderson sis ters, “Hocus Pocus 2” will soon enter the canon of much-loved Halloween movies.

Every basketball fan has heard of the Dream Team back in 1992, with the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird all playing on the same team. But what about the team 20 years later that had the likes of LeBron James, Car melo Anthony and the late Kobe Bryant?

“The Redeem Team” is a documentary, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter among others, that gives a deep dive into this unlikely team and how all these players came together to prove basketball fans wrong.

It gives a timeline of the American Olympic basketball team, from the 1980s when they played the Soviet Union to the aforementioned Dream Team, and then up to the broken teams of 2004 and 2008. Fans and journalists were wondering at that time if USA Basketball would ever re turn to glory outside of the NBA. But this documentary explains how Bryan Coan gelo changed the culture.

And who doesn’t love exclusive stories from Bryant about his work ethic and how he decided to join the team, and as always, how he put the team on his back. It can bring emotions to fans who still can’t look past his untimely death, but looking back on some great basketball is always a good time to watch.

Lil Baby’s third studio album, “It’s Only Me,”is met with a lot of high expectations.

With a lengthy 23 song track list and ap pearances from Future, Young Thug, EST Gee and more, the young rapper stuck with the fundamentals from his prior album yet switched it up at the same time. While known producers Tay Keith and Murda Beatz showed up once again to produce “From Now On,” a song featured by Fu ture, a lot of lesser known producers show up and put their best work forward to Lil Baby’s flawless flows, too.

On one of the biggest hits on the al bum, “Heyy,” which is bound to become a popular TikTok sound, Harto, Hoops and King LeeBoy use a flowery beat filled with chimes and pianos, and Lil Baby fills his ef fortless hook with a bunch of “heys.”

It’s safe to say the rapper met the huge standards of his fans. And then some.

- Matt Orth Sports Editor

Gilbert (Sam Richardson) runs the magic shop.

Photo courtesy of Disney+

The actresses of the witches bring their wit, banter and silliness in a refreshing way.

Photo courtesy of Disney+

Photo courtesy of Lil Baby / Instagram

‘It’s Only Me’ on Spotify

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Emily Carcich is Breaking Milestones In Her First Year as a Red Hawk

Matteo Macolino Staff Writer

The Montclair State Univer sity volleyball team had a his toric night in their 3-2 victory against Ramapo College with the spotlight shining on fresh man setter Emily Carcich.

Carcich tallied 61 assists against the Roadrunners which is the third-highest in the pro gram’s history. This milestone is also the first time a player has reached 60 or more assists in a game since alumna Raisa Silva had 62 assists against Stockton University in 2007.

Head coach Eddie Stawins ki was very impressed with the freshman’s performance.

“[I] was very impressed because it was a very high to tal,” Stawinski said. “We didn’t notice it until after the match when we saw the stats. That kind of stood out. I knew she was doing a really good job with our offense, and I knew she was getting the ball to the right people.”

The achievement was a sur prise to Carcich as she didn’t find out exactly what she ac complished until after the match.

“I had no clue obviously while I was playing that I even had that many assists,” Carcich said. “I found out when we got back to the gym after the game, [sports information coordina tor] Pat [Duffy] was there and

he told me what happened. It was really cool and really ex citing especially since it was my first game as a freshman that I was starting in.”

Carcich got the opportu nity to start in her first game as graduate student setter Del aney St. Pierre was in concus sion protocol at that time.

“I had a concussion so I wasn’t even there, I was watch ing online,” St. Pierre said. “But she played great. It was a long match so plenty of time to get all those assists. She beat me, I’m trying to be like her. I’ve never had that many assists in a game ever I don’t think, so it was awesome to see her get that record.”

Carcich was not expect ing to have the stellar per formance she had but was excited to see the results and appreciated the recognition she received.

“I had no expectation to do anything this big my fresh man year,” Carcich said. “Ob viously every time I play I go out and try my hardest. After seeing the post that was made saying it and seeing everyone congratulate me, it felt really good. It gave me an extra little confidence boost that I need ed.”

Despite being only a fresh man, Carcich has shown that she’s cool, calm and collected during games and has made a

positive impact on the team this season.

“Coming in as a freshman and trying to set at a college lev el is very, very challenging,” St. Pierre said. “You touch plenty of balls during the rallies and you have to set your teammates up for success and you’re kind of the tone setter for the team. For her to be able to step in like she has been, she’s so calm and collected and does her job in such a professional way. It’s very impressive for sure.”

Stawinski noted that Carcich is a humble player but shows that she is in control when it matters.

“She is in control out there,” Stawinski said. “If you have a player that’s quiet but not in control of the situation in that position, then you’re not going to see the results that you saw with the 61 assists. The fact that she’s a little bit more quiet but she’s in control of our of fense, that basically gives the trust back to the team. They’re not wondering anything like, ‘Is she in control, is the match getting too fast for her?’ She’s more that type of player.”

Carcich has been lucky to have a team and coaching staff so supportive in helping her be as successful as she can be. St. Pierre, who leads the team this season with 332 assists, has al ways been there to give advice when she needed it.

“She asks a lot of questions, she’s not shy about it,” St. Pierre said. “I was there for the Rowan game that she started after that because I was still in concussion protocol. I just talked her through all the things she needed to do. She’s been like a sponge and just soaking up all the information I’ve been giving her.”

Stawinski is also very happy that Carcich can learn from St. Pierre and take advantage of learning from the veteran setter. The former Division I, All-Ameri can and Player of the Year in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) has proved to be an ex emplary role model for the young player.

“She’s really taking advan tage of this opportunity that she has [been] playing alongside [St. Pierre],” Stawinski said. “The fact that [Carcich] gets a season to learn from her, see her work ethic, see her practice is something that we might not see right now, but I think down the road we’re going to see all that come out.”

Carcich couldn’t have started her college career any better than she has already. She is currently second on the team in assists with 159 and has already made the history books. She plans to keep working, better herself and be a valuable asset for the team, not only for the rest of the season but for the years to come.

The last time any volleyball player reached 60 or more assists was all the way back in 2007.

Photo courtesy of MSU Athletics

Leah Higgins Becomes Seventh Player to Cross 1,000 Kills in Montclair State History

Matteo Macolino Staff Writer

A feat achieved only six other times in Montclair State Univer sity volleyball history. Graduate student outside hitter Leah Hig gins became the seventh volleyball player ever to reach 1,000 career kills.

It was a night to remember on Oct. 4 for Higgins and the team as she hit this milestone in a 3-0 sweep victory over New Jer sey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rivals New Jersey City University (NJCU). Higgins reached 1,000 in the first set to put the Red Hawks up 24-16.

It came as quite a surprise as Higgins wasn’t even aware of that kill being number 1,000.

“I honestly didn’t know I got it in the moment,” Higgins said. “The board didn’t change. I knew I needed six but it only said five. The first set ended and I was like, ‘Alright next set, I’m going to get it, first kill.’ Then [sports information coordinator] Pat [Duffy] was like, ‘[Higgins], 1,000th kill.’ I was like, ‘Oh cool, I did it!’”

Once the game ended, Hig gins was able to take it all in and celebrate what she had finally ac complished. Her parents present ed her with a bouquet of flowers and head coach Eddie Stawinski handed her a ball with her name and “1,000 kills” written on it.

“It was just all smiles, all posi tive,” Higgins said. “It was really nice to see my parents. I think my mom was more excited than I was, she had the time of her life that night. It felt just overwhelmingly good.”

Stawinski was very proud to see Higgins achieve this milestone

and was happy to share the mo ment with her.

“I’m very happy for her be cause of all the hard work that she has put in for four and a half years,” Stawinski said. “I know it’s an individual goal that she had in mind and when an ath lete is able to accomplish that, I think it’s only seven in our program, that’s obviously a very good individual achievement that I’m very happy we’re going to see her name there for years to come.”

Higgins isn’t the only play er on the team to reach this milestone. Carly Waterman, a graduate student outside hitter, reached the 1,000 career kills mark last season for the Red Hawks. The fact that this pro gram has two players who ac complished such a feat is truly incredible.

Waterman is happy to share the experience with her longtime teammate.

“It’s awesome,” Waterman said. “I think it shows some thing about our program here that, you have two [graduate students] coming back for a fifth year, in the same position being able to hit that milestone. I think it shows a lot for Mont clair [State] volleyball and that we’ve come a long way since we’ve started.”

Stawinski thinks these ac complishments are just results of what the program is capa ble of and the types of players they’ve brought to Montclair State.

“It’s awesome because it just shows the type of player that we’ve been able to bring into our program over the years and shows what they’ve

done off the court, on the court and their leadership skills,” Stawinski said. “Having two players back to back get those achievements is obviously re ally rewarding as a coach and I’m very happy to see them ac complish this year after year. It’s really rewarding to see where the program started 12 years ago and where it is now.”

Higgins came into the sea son with a total of 803 kills entering her fifth year. After she decided to come back, she had her sights set on reaching 1,000.

“When I was deciding last year if I was coming back for a fifth year or not, because of the shortened [coronavirus (COV ID-19)] year, I would’ve gotten it I feel,” Higgins said. “That’s what I was working for, and I knew I was capable of it. I’m

happy I did it.”

At the start of each season, Higgins likes to set goals for her self. In her freshman year, she re ceived an honorable mention for the All-NJAC. The next year she told herself she wanted to get the All-NJAC Second Team achieve ment, which she did.

In her junior year, she was able to keep improving and got selected for First Team All-NJAC and received another Second Team recognition her senior year. Her college career has ex emplified nothing but greatness as she’s now put herself in the history books.

“I set that goal, and then the next year I can go that much fur ther,” Higgins said. “I knew I had to get about 250 kills each year to get that thousand and I was like, ‘I could do that.’”

With all that she’s accom plished in her college career, Higgins still has one goal in mind that she wants to hit, and that’s winning the NJAC Tourna ment.

“We’ve been close so many times,” Higgins said. “Every year that I’ve been here we’ve gone to the playoffs and we’ve been in the semi-finals. That’s the big gest goal that we want. Going to the NCAA Tournament, that’d be awesome, it’d be fun.”

With the resume that Higgins brings to the team and with her experience, the Red Hawks have a chance at making it far. It’s a tough road ahead but will be a fun rest of the season to watch for Higgins and the volleyball team.

Dan Dreisbach | The Montclarion

Leah Higgins celebrates the major milestone with family after the match versus NJCU.

Leah Higgins hit the milestone as she put the Red Hawks up against the Gothic Knights 24-16 in the first set.

Dan Dreisbach | The Montclarion

The Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN) put its group of broadcast in terns to the test on Investiture Day as they conducted interviews for their 2022 Fall Preview Show. This was their first big production of the semester, and with five new student interns, they started off with a bang.

One of the returning interns, junior sports communication major Matt Bru chez, is in his third year of being involved in the RHSN and has done social media work as well as calling volleyball, la crosse and football games. His involve ment in the show was akin to his role in helping to produce Inside the Nest.

“As a returning intern, it is crazy see ing how far I have come in a year’s span,” Bruchez said. “I remember being so ner vous for my first calls last year and not really having a connection with many of the athletics here. As of right now, I have made a lot of friends in the athletes here, and [I am] able to have conversations on the regular with the coaches. That has made my life so much easier.”

RHSN certainly deserved to be shown off on this day. Among the group of new broadcast interns that were conducting interviews for the fall preview show were junior sports communication major An thony Cafone and sophomore film and television major Gianna Daginis. Cafone highlighted how much time and effort went into presenting such a big produc tion.

“[Investiture Day] was a very stressful day,” Cafone said. “I wasn’t too involved

in the planning of the show itself, but I had to write two separate scripts for two sports. Remembering your scripts with no visual aid was definitely some thing that didn’t come easy. Lots of repetition and practice was needed but overall I thought all of our interviews came out really good.”

Along with interviewing athletes and putting out social media content on that day, Daginis has gotten a lot done with RHSN in such a short pe riod. The network’s inaugural director of social media, Daginis got involved as quickly as she could.

“I got my start with RHSN dur ing the fall semester of my freshman year,” Daginis said. “I volunteered to spot a women’s soccer game and Jess [Liptzin] and Jon [Edmond], two of the broadcast interns at the time, recog nized that I was knowledgeable about the sport, and said they’d keep me in mind for any future broadcasting op portunities. I was told I needed to take all these classes and go through the radio station if I wanted to become a broadcaster, but my next opportunity came a lot sooner than I expected.”

After filling in on only one day’s no

tice to call a soccer game with Liptzin, Daginis was brought back multiple times to broadcast soccer and swim ming for RHSN. She did not let the end of her first semester slow down her par ticipation.

In regards to this semester overall, Cafone is highly pleased with how the broadcasts have been going.

“It’s been a great experience,” Cafone said. “Our team is still getting to know each other but other than that we’ve heard some great things about our calls from family members of coaches so if they think we’re good then we must be doing something right.”

Daginis, who has been doing plenty of things right, hosted episode two of Inside the Nest this semester alongside senior sports communication major Teni Bello. Daginis has a lot more responsi bilities this year.

“Leading up to the premiere of this season [of Inside the Nest], I had been working really hard to produce content for our social media pages to keep up with all the athletic events going on,” Daginis said. “In addition to that, we’ve never promoted social media this much and there’s never been this sort of posi tion or team before this semester, so it’s just been one big learning experience navigating this uncharted territory.”

This group of students has accom plished so much already this semester, and with more sports to call and stories to tell, this year will be a special one for everyone involved.

With five new interns and two returning, the Red Hawk Sports Network looks to have a bright future ahead.

Photo courtesy of Colin Luderitz

Gianna Daginis (middle) not only calls games, but also man ages the social media of the Red Hawk Sports Network.

Photo courtesy of Colin Luderitz

Alexander Fadil Guest Writer