Kean University - The Cougar's Byte - March 19, 2019

Pisa Cake Page 6

An Introduction to Hynes Hall Page 8

VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 11

/cougarsbyte

Getting on Track

Advisement Week is dedicated to student networking and preparing for graduation

Month of Empowerment Celebrating Women's History Month with a kickoff full of inspiration and empowerment Brandon Gervais

T

Zoe Strozewski | The Cougar's Byte

The One Stop Service Center and Registrar are resources for advisement on campus.

Brandon Gervais

F

Staff Writer

rom March 18 through March 28, Kean University is hosting a week dedicated to advisement. Advisement Week is a group of events that are dedicated to student networking and getting set up for graduation.

The first of the many events happening during Advisement Week will be taking place March 20 and is an event dedicated to the One Stop Service Center. The One-Stop Open House is meant for students to get to know the services offered to them by the One Stop Service Center located in the Center for Academic Success (CAS), 1st floor.

On March 21, Career Services and the Office of Alumni Relations are hosting an event to promote student and alumni networking with potential employers. Alumni-Student Networking Night will begin from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the North Avenue Academic Building (NAAB), 6th Floor. This event is for students to connect with alumni and grow as professionals in a variety of fields. This event is the third of its kind and gives students the opportunity to connect with alumni that are in the careers they are pursuing. It is encouraged that students are professionally dressed. Moreover, the event is restricted to Kean juniors and seniors. A featured Kean University alumni Sara PeĂąa of the Class of 1996 works for the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development with the State of New Jersey. Another featured Kean University alumni Mark Franciotti of the Class of 2010 works as a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate for UBS Financial Services.

The Alumni-Student Networking Night is co-hosted by Career Services.

This office offers a multitude of different resources to students, including resume critiquing and improving. With an appointment, students can sit down with a representative from Career Services and go over their resumes. They will help to expand and highlight key attributes and accomplishments catered to the intending position.

They will also explain which things need to be removed. To make an appointment, contact Career Services located in CAS, Room 201 by phone at (908) 737-4626 or by emailing career@kean.edu.

Presented by the Financial Aid office, the Making Money Moves, Funding Your Academic Success event will help students learn about how to manage their finances while being a student. Taking place Tuesday, March 26 from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. in CAS, Room 234, the event will educate students on Financial Aid processes, such as FAFSA, loans and grants.

On Wednesday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be an event dedicated to getting ready for graduation. Located in CAS, Room 106, the Ready, Set, Graduate! Staying on Track to Degree Completion event is for students to learn about student program evaluations, the new application process, deadlines, commencement information and the Graduation Incentive Program.

Hop Off The Struggle Bus: Pathways to Academic Success is an Advisement Week event to help students who are struggling to keep up with their course week and completing their degree requirements. This event takes place March 28, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in CAS, Room 106.

All of the events taking place during Advisement Week are designed to assist students in reaching their professional and educational goals.

Kean University is passionate about students reaching their graduation day as efficiently as possible.

For more information, visit the Advisement Week web page on the Kean University website.

Brandon Gervais, sophomore English education double major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

www.cougarsbyte.com

Staff Writer

he month of March is dedicated every year to International Women's History Month, a month for remembering and honoring the historical and influential female figures throughout history and those around us in the modern day. To commemorate the beginning of International Women's History Month, Kean University, Student Organization and P.U.L.S.E. hosted the Women's History Month Kickoff to start off a month of events in commemoration women.

This year Women's History Month's theme is Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence, referring to generations of women who fought to end war, violence and injustice.

Many of the activities at the Women's Month Kickoff centered around the empowerment of women. The event took place Monday, March 4 in the Miron Student Center (MSC) Atrium. One key feature was a wall of sticky notes where students were asked to write down something they always wanted to remind themselves of such as influential sayings and key phrases. Also with this was a table for writing a letter to oneself. Beginning with "Dear Self", students could write a letter to their future selves.

Danielle Thomas | The Cougar's Byte

The Student Organization staff worked to make the students feel comfortable to share and interact with the different activities laid out to commemorate women's historical figures and empowering women.

The Student Org staff were determined to get students involved with the event and interactive with the activity tables.

One such table was the reoccurring wheel of trivia. This table is a prominent feature for many kickoff events on campus. Students were encouraged to spin a wheel and were

asked a question based on what they spun.

If they got the question right, they received a Women's History Month t-shirt. Another fun game that makes appearances at different events is the Who Am I table. It is here that students look at the table of cards with a

brief biography, facts and, if they guess who the historical female figure is, they receive a prize. The prize was a pin that had an

SEE "WOMEN" ON PAGE 5

Annual Women's History Month Lecture

Christine Thorpe, Ed.D., sparked insightful discussion with her lecture on marginalized African and Native American women in history Abigail Anne Rafael

C

Editor

hristine Thorpe, Ed.D., the dean of the Nathan Weiss Graduate College, presented for the Annual Women's History Month Lecture on Friday, March 1. Her topic, titled "Free from Slavery, Bound by Historical Traumas: The Economic Bondage of Chronic Health Issues Among African American and Native American Women", sparked insightful conversations among the audience.

The event was co-hosted by the College of Liberal Arts, Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS). To begin, Thorpe explained that the inspiration for the topic of conversation came about as she was doing her dissertation as a doctorate student, where she studied the health practices of African American women. She then continued to dive into the subject by looking into health disparities of communities of color, eventually becoming an expert through years of study on the subject she was to present.

From the beginning of her lecture, Thorpe invited students to share whatever knowledge they had learned about African American and Native American women, opening up the floor for a presentation that encouraged audience participation. After the initial discussion, Thorpe then proceeded to go through a timeline beginning at the arrival of Columbus in 1492 and onward, driving home key points that would give context to the rest of her lecture. Each date within the timeline was a time in American history that exemplified ways African American and Native American women's humanity and dignity were diminished and endangered. She marked the beginning of this practice for her lecture as 1619 with the start of chattel slavery. Thorpe explained that chattel slavery is the practice of perceiving humans as property, whereas slavery implied servitude like that of a willing indentured servant. Thorpe noted that chattel slavery led to African Americans and Native Americans to be used as currency and tools to progress the wants of those in power.

Thorpe went on to explain other key points in American history in which African American and Native American women were marginalized

Danielle Thomas | The Cougar's Byte

Christine Thorpe, Ed.D., explained to the audience key points in American history in which African American and Native American women were marginalized through a variety of practices.

through a variety of practices. She discussed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1879, Henrietta Lacks in 1951, coerced sterilization in the 1970's and more, which exemplified the struggles African American and Native American women have endured in their constant fight for public health care.

Thorpe explained that this long history of women's struggles was also created

A Leadership and Service Publication for the Kean University Student Community

SEE "LECTURE" ON PAGE 8

PAGE 2

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

KEAN UNIVERSITY

CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

Extend a Hand

The Center for Leadership and Service oversaw the MLK Week of Service Abigail Anne Rafael Editor

Miron Student Center, Room 215 1000 Morris Avenue • Union, NJ 07083 P: (908) 737-5179 • F: (908) 737-5175 cbyte@kean.edu • www.cougarsbyte.com The Cougar’s Byte is a leadership and service newsletter where you will find up-to-theminute information on all things related to student life at Kean University. A student news publication that features University events and student activities and accomplishments, The Cougar’s Byte strengthens the overall experience of students by immersing them in the complete college culture. By increasing awareness of all aspects of campus life, students can utilize everything Kean has to offer, while networking and paving the path for their academic and social development.

Published every other Tuesday during the regular academic year, The Cougar’s Byte can be viewed both online, at www.cougarsbyte.com, and in print, distributed biweekly to over 15 campus locations on the Union and Ocean campuses of Kean University.

The Cougar’s Byte welcomes Letters to the Editor, calendar events, event news and information, articles, story ideas, artwork and digital photo submissions. To learn more about our publishing policy visit www.cougarsbyte.com.

Caleb Lopez Senior Editor lopezcal@kean.edu

Danielle Thomas

K

ean University's Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Week of Service this year ran from Tuesday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, March 2. The week served as an emphasis on the wide variety of service projects Kean University has to offer and was ultimately successful because of the hard work of all those involved.

The week began with Soles 4 Souls: Wearing Out Poverty, an event in which students were able to donate their shoes to help support small businesses that utilize the material to create products. Each pair of shoes donated has the potential to greatly impact someone around the world who can use the material to raise money for their family.

Similar to Soles 4 Souls: Wearing Out Poverty, New Eyes for the Needy was an opportunity for students to donate their prescription glasses to someone who may not be able to afford them.

These programs call on the Kean community to come together to help strangers around the world and are typically successful because of the community's generosity. After these on campus collections, the Center for Leadership and Service's (CLS) staff collects all these donations and later categorizes and sends them out to those in need.

Along with these on campus opportunities to serve, many students also volunteered locally. These service trips included Habitat for Humanity, the Community FoodBank of NJ, Adopt-a-Park and Bernice's Place.

All these service trips occurred at different times and dates throughout the Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Week of Service to allow all students the opportunity to serve in any capacity they could. Of all these service

Graphic Design & Marketing Manager thomasd2@kean.edu

Michael Carfagno

Susan Figueroa | The Cougar's Byte

Kean students volunteered at Bernice's Place, an after school and summer program for homeless and at-risk children. trips, CLS Service Specialist Kara Kitchen mentioned that Habitat for Humanity is one of her favorites.

"My favorite service project that reoccurs monthly is Habitat for Humanity," Kitchen said. "[For] Habitat for Humanity...we usually go to different houses and we help contribute by building, painting and doing various tasks to be able to help a future home owner.

A lot of the times we are able to work alongside the home owner. It's a really meaningful project because you're getting to directly see how you're helping someone for their future home."

Creative Media Manager carfagnm@kean.edu

Students also really enjoy volunteering at the Community FoodBank of NJ where they packed food that will be distributed all throughout New Jersey to help serve the hungry.

Petruce Jean-Charles Editor jeanchap@kean.edu

Abigail Anne Rafael Editor rafaela@kean.edu

Kieffer Braisted Staff Writer braistki@kean.edu

Brandon Gervais Staff Writer gervaisb@kean.edu

Shannon Sheehan Staff Writer sheehsha@kean.edu

Zoe Strozewski Staff Writer strozewz@kean.edu

Arlenis Roberts Graphic Design Specialist roberarl@kean.edu

Nathanael Jenkins Creative Marketing Specialist jenkinat@kean.edu

Christopher Del Prete Creative Media Specialist delpretc@kean.edu

Noah Dobson Creative Media Specialist dobsonn@kean.edu

Mary Linen Creative Media Specialist linenm@kean.edu

Martin Alonso

Graduate Assistant, The Cougar's Byte

Scott K. Snowden Jr.

Director, Center for Leadership and Service

Mary Linen | The Cougar's Byte

The MLK Week of Service showcased a slew of successful service projects such New Eyes for the Needy and Soles 4 Souls.

Adopt-a-Park is also a great opportunity for those who like to get hands-on and in nature as students have jobs such as raking leaves, recycling, planting and removing garbage from

local parks. Students are able to see their immediate impact as well as learn about society's effects, both good and bad, on the environment.

Bernice's Place is another heart warming service project in which students are able to meet and directly impact the lives of homeless and at-risk children simply by spending time with them.

Kean University's Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Week of Service is inspired by the national "MLK Day of Service," which takes place every third Monday of January. The university extends this initiative to provide a variety of opportunities to students to serve and to impact different areas in need of assistance.

"Kean decided to do a week of service because we offer so many different, great community service projects and by doing more than one we were able to give back more and help more people. There were just so many great trips and, by giving back more than one day, we were really able to make a greater impact like how Martin Luther King, Jr. made a great impact on the world," said Kitchen.

For more information on upcoming service projects, students can check out Cougar Link and look through the wide array of opportunities available.

Abigail Anne Rafael, a sophomore communication public relations major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

A Fresh Start at Kean

Two freshmen recount their smooth experience thus far Petruce Jean-Charles

K

Shayla Feliciano, a criminal justice major, recalls the nerve-wracking feelings she had living far from home, which were quickly alleviated by the friends she made.

Editor

ean University intends to create an environment full of resources that eases the transition from high school to college for freshmen. One of the departments that is based around first-year students is the School of General Studies. Moreover, the department seeks to prepare undergraduate students for success and strong skills.

"I live so far from my friends and home so I felt alone at first. However, I made friends quickly and really noticed how much I’ve grown as a young adult in just one semester," said Feliciano. "I honestly was concerned about making friends because friends and the people you know are very important, and [they] lead to better opportunities and experiences."

Kean University

For freshmen, this department offers the following: ■■ General Education Mentors (GEMs) - GEMs are upper-class students that are trained to assist first-year students with their social and academic transition to Kean.

■■ Transition to Kean (T2K) - In this required course, students learn about Kean's programs and services to develop academic skills to function successfully on campus.

Furthermore, the following freshmen have adjusted to Kean and understand the impact the resources made in their transition.

Karen Garcia de la Cruz, an Asian studies major, spoke of having an eye-opening moment upon arriving at Kean.

"As a freshman, coming to Kean was a new experience for me. [I became] independent ... which forces you to do things on your own," said Garcia de la Cruz.

"As a studious student, one of my huge worries was

/cougarsbyte

At Kean University, freshmen are given opportunities to develop and succeed during their first year at college. not being the same student I was in high school solely because others have always mentioned college is different. It's something more serious and realistic."

With that being said, she would go to the Center for Academic Success (CAS) for financial support, mentors and guidance from staff members.

"During my freshman year, after interacting with these staff members, they impacted me positively. I didn't have an...issue to worry about because I knew that whenever I needed it, they were going to be there to provide it," said Garcia de la Cruz.

Her advice: "New experiences in life aren't always bad.

They are great challenges because you never know what is out there in the real world."

www.cougarsbyte.com

As a part of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, she was able to get the guidance she needed from her counselor, noting that programs like this are helpful resources.

"I also use my online resources, whether it is the school's website or email for help. I’ve [also] met a lot of friendly people who are willing to help and guide me through my issues, which created a great impact on my success so far."

Her advice: "College is an experience, so take every opportunity given and create something you and others will be proud of."

Prospective students or even seasoned students are encouraged to visit the Kean University website to learn about the plethora of resources on campus.

Petruce Jean-Charles, senior communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

PAGE 3

Making Waves at Kean Ocean The Kean experience is thriving in Toms River Abigail Anne Rafael

T

he Kean Ocean campus first opened in 2006, making history for Kean University and Ocean County College.

The partnership is a joint effort on the behalf of Kean University and Ocean County College to help students from both north and south New Jersey achieve a higher education at a more manageable cost.

The Kean Ocean campus is located in Toms River, NJ about an hour south from Kean University's main campus in Union, NJ. "Kean Ocean has offered students in the Monmouth and Ocean county areas the chance to stay local and complete their bachelor's degrees; as well as being one of the most cost effective degree completion programs NJ has to offer. This program offers a seamless transition from the associate degree at [Ocean County College] to the bachelor's degree at Kean University affording an opportunity for students to apply all of their credits towards their bachelor's degree," said Associate Director of Kean Ocean's Administrative Office Maureen Morlando- Byrne.

Kean University

All Kean Ocean classes take place at the Gateway Building (GATE) of the Ocean County College campus.

Kean Ocean offers a multitude of undergraduate associate degrees in the following programs:

■■ Mathematical Sciences ■■ Nursing

■■ Accounting

■■ Physical Education

■■ Communication

■■ Psychology

■■ Community Health Education

■■ Public Administration

■■ Elementary Education

■■ Recreation Administration

■■ English

■■ Sociology

■■ Finance

■■ Therapeutic Recreation

■■ Global Business

Kean Ocean also offers a growing range of graduate degrees. So far they offer degrees in counseling, exercise science and nursing at the graduate level. To view more information on Kean Ocean's available degrees, check out the Academic Programs page on the Kean website and check off the "Kean Ocean-Toms River" option in

■■ History ■■ Management ■■ Marketing

■■ Kean Ocean Programming Board

the "Filter by Location" box.

Editor

To register, Kean Ocean students must make an appointment with their adviser using AdvisorTrac and must continue meeting with their adviser at least once every semester to be able to register for the following semester. To register for classes, Kean Ocean students will also utilize Keanwise like all Kean students regardless of campus location. However, Kean Ocean students should confirm that the classes they are registering for take place at the Ocean County College campus by noting that the location for their classes is listed as "Ocean County College." All Kean Ocean classes take place at Ocean County College's Gateway Building (GATE) for the convenience of its students living in southern New Jersey.

Students who may have first applied to and are on route to receive their associate degree from Ocean County College can easily apply into the Kean Ocean program to take classes at Kean Ocean for a Kean attributed bachelor's degree. Students from Kean Ocean can also transfer to the Kean Union campus so long as they have at least a 2.0 GPA and 30 college credits. For more information on the transferring process, check the Kean Ocean Transfer Admission page on the Kean website.

Fortunately, students who prefer to stay at the Kean Ocean campus still receive the same high quality education and have similar involvement opportunities available.

Kean Ocean students can get involved in:

■■ Students Advancing in Leadership (SAIL) Program ■■ Student Government, Student Organization and Student Council Like Kean Union, Kean Ocean clubs, activities and events can be found on Cougar Link for more information, while campus coverage of Kean Ocean can also be found in The Cougar's Byte.

Some amenities in place for Kean Ocean students include the following: ■■ Community Standards and Student Conduct ■■ The Counseling Center ■■ Disability Services ■■ Health Services ■■ Involvement Center "Kean Ocean is unique in that our program provides all services necessary to students at this location, with the idea that students do not have to travel to Union.

The size of the Kean Ocean campus community offers a unique, small and friendly environment where everyone knows students by name. Students are most welcome to visit the main campus, we encourage it, but for those unable to travel, the Kean Ocean Administrative Office has you covered with staff within the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, Student Accounting and Transfer Services," said Morlando-Byrne.

For a general description of any one of these programs, check out the Kean Ocean Campus Life page on the Kean website.

For more information on everything Kean Ocean, visit the Kean Ocean page of the Kean website or contact a Kean Ocean representative at (732) 255-0356, email at keanocc@kean.edu. Moreover, one can visit the Kean Ocean Administration Office in the Gateway Building, Room 103.

Abigail Anne Rafael, a sophomore communication public relations major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

■■ Funded Groups

Kean University's Black History Month Recap Kean University hosted events to help celebrate Black History Month Kieffer Braisted

K

educational manner.

Staff Writer

Saturday, Feb. 9:

ean University prides itself on being a top-five most diverse university in the entire nation.

Screening of Black Panther: The North Avenue Academic Building (NAAB) auditorium played host to the Academy Award-winning Marvel film Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan.

One of many student representations on campus is the African American community, and Kean University looks to celebrate this by hosting several events centered around Black History Month in February.

Featuring a variety of ways to get involved, Kean offered several outlets for students to participate, including trivia shows, social events, historical seminars, museum visitations and more.

Friday, Feb. 22:

A detailed list of the events over the course of the month is below: Monday, Feb. 4:

Kean PRSSA| Instagram

Kean PRSSA members visit the PR Museum and learn the Black History of PR.

Black History Month Flag Raising: Hosted by the Kean Student Organization and the PanAfrican Student Union to begin Black History Month, guest speaker Assemblyman Jamel C. Holley helped commence the month.

each other to find the ultimate trivia champion.

Thursday, Feb. 7: GBM: Hip Hop Evolution:

Black History Month KickOff: After the flag raising, students went to the Miron Student Center (MSC) Atrium to continue the Black History Month celebration with a variety of activities, food, music and a good atmosphere.

Tuesday, Feb. 5: Eat N’ Play Black History Trivia Show: Students were tested on their knowledge of Kean and black history in The Cougar's Den's very own trivia game show. Contestants competed in several rounds of fun and intricate questions against

Hosted by the Poetry Club, the group took a closer look into the art of hip-hop and its undeniable influence on verbal and visual creativity in today's society.

Friday, Feb. 8: Lessons Learned: Race in the American Classroom: Keynote speaker and Rutgers University professor Dr. Melissa Cooper presented to over 50 teachers and administrators who belong to the Holocaust Resource Center's Council on Global Education and Citizenship, as well as Kean students during the workshop. The workshop discussed ways to help better determine the current state of racism in the nation's school systems, while discussing what needs to be done to help better combat said ignorance in a healthy and

Kean PRSSA Celebrates Black History Month with visit to NYC: Students spent the morning at 5W PR, one of the Top 10 Independent PR Firms in the country. Additionally, Kean students attending also had the unique opportunity to visit The Museum of Public Relations, where during an educational recap of the industry's history featured artifacts handled in the museum's "Celebrating Black PR History" exhibit.

Kean students, staff and alumni understood the importance of this month, through celebrating and fostering the diverse values and rich history of Black History Month through a variety of mediums.

It is Kean University's mission to continue to foster diversity, creativity and togetherness on its campus and throughout its involvement with the community.

For more information about other events like this one, visit Cougar Link under events.

Kieffer Braisted, junior communication major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

A Leadership and Service Publication for the Kean University Student Community

PAGE 4

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

See Something, Say Something

Say Something Week informed students about bullying, bystanding and the dangers of not recognizing warning signs Brandon Gervais Staff Writer

T

he Human Rights Institute declared the week of Feb. 25 through March 1 as Say Something Week. This week was designed to educate the Kean community on issues like bullying, bystanding and exclusion. The hope was for students to understand how their actions affect others and how the signs that something could be dangerous to an individual or the community may present themselves.

The week began with a Start with Hello photo booth in the Miron Student Center (MSC) Atrium, where students were able to take pictures with their friends with props and quality cameras.

Students were excited to walk by and see the table of props and the booth. They were able to keep the photos and choose how they received it.

The Say Something Call to Action Day took place Tuesday, Feb. 26 and invited students to listen about the dangers of not recognizing warning signs. The students gathered in the Miron Student Center (MSC) Little Theater and listened to a presentation that went over the different warning signs and signals that something is going on with someone. When individuals are unable to see the signs that is how tragedies happen especially those that involve gun violence, which was a major topic of discussion for the event.

The presentation was heavily inspired and promoting of the Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization created by the families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Dec. 14, 2012. Their goal and mission is to prevent gun-related violence and death, whether it be from shootings, crime, suicide or mishandling.

The Say Something Call to Action presentation included many videos created by the Sandy Hook Promise that focus on recognizing signs before it becomes too late and raise awareness of these issues. Too often people are passive with the signs they come in contact with and are quick to dismiss potential threats because they think nothing can happen. It is important that when one sees something they say something in an effort to not only protect themselves but also each other.

■ ■ Here are the three steps to saying something: ■ ■ Look for warning signs, signals and threats ■ ■ Act immediately and take it seriously ■ ■ Say something to a trusted adult The presentation went into the integral part social media plays in the sending of threats. Thirtyseven percent of threats of violence were sent electronically and 28 percent of those threats were sent through social media. This statistic was explained further by going over the different things on social media that can be taken as a threat of gun violence.

Brandon Gervais | The Cougar's Byte

In response to the growing number of gun-related tragedies, Say Something Week was created to educate the community about issues that involve bullying, bystanding, and warning signs.

The next day was Wear Green Wednesday, where the community wore green to honor and show support for the Sandy Hook community and acknowledge the lives lost from gun violence. Also on this day students were able to attend the Step Up: Bystander Intervention event. At this event, students were educated on the dangers of standing by and ignoring signs, signals and threats or not taking them seriously. As children, people learned that being a bystander is just as bad as being a bully and a step up from that is not saying something that could have saved lives.

On Thursday Feb. 28, Random Act of Kindness Day served as an encouragement for everyone in the community to go out of their way to do something nice for someone else. Random acts of kindness could make a huge impact on someone's day or even begin new friendships. Being a stranger who was kind can prove that the world is not all bad, and it could prevent a tragedy. Following Random Act of Kindness Day was No One Eats Alone Friday, which closed out the Say Something Week with a pizza party where everyone is invited to get to know one another and no one is excluded.

Housed in the Nancy Thompson Library, the Human Rights Institute at Kean was established to shine a light on

human rights issues and violations across the globe in hopes of inspiring the next generation of activists to create a more just and peaceful world.

Kean University is passionate about raising awareness for human rights and educating students on the atrocities that have plagued the world. This week was an opportunity for the Kean community to become more educated on a prevalent issue that they should try to prevent with their new knowledge.

For more information about the Human Rights Institute and its upcoming events, visit their website or call (908) 737-4872.

Brandon Gervais, sophomore English education double major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

PRSSA: Soon-To-Be Professionals at Practice

The Public Relations Student Society of America gives students an outlet for development and field experience Zoe Strozewski

K

“A misconception that students have is that, if they don’t make a meeting on Tuesday, they can’t be part of the chapter. That can’t be further from the truth, one of the reasons being that we all come together on Tuesdays just to kind of update each other, but all the work happens on every day except for Tuesday,” Sullivan said.

Staff Writer

ean’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is this school’s local chapter of the national organization run by and for the students. For almost five years now, this group has allowed members to try their hand at the public relations practice both locally and within the context of an expansive network throughout the country.

Those involved with the PRSSA can explore the various facets of the field by joining one of the group’s three specialized teams. These teams cover The PRSSA is an offshoot of the larger Public the areas of social media, events and Relations Society of America (PRSA). In fundraising and campaigning, which contrast to the PRSA, which represents over allows members to take part in bona 30,000 communications professionals in fide public relations campaigns. In the their mission to elevate people in the industry past, this campaign team has worked to their greatest potential, the PRSSA aims to with the Covenant House in Newark, give public relations students the resources Courtesy of Jeremiah Sullivan Street Smart and Trinitas Hospital. to obtain the best education and experiences Kean's PRSSA chapter recently visited a public relations firm and the This semester, the students are trying possible before entering the field.

Museum of Public Relations in New York City. to organize a collaboration with Kean recognized its own chapter of the Josephine’s Place, a shelter and center PRSSA in fall 2014. While membership in the PRSSA of empowerment for women in Elizabeth.

“We do have students that are part of our club informally. does charge yearly dues, Jeremiah Sullivan, the group’s They come to meetings. They participate as best they The PRSSA attempts to take some kind of trip at least adviser and director of the undergraduate public relations can, but the benefits of that only really exist on campus once every academic year, and as part of this tradition, option, stressed that these dues are what makes it possible for them and that really is one of the differences between Sullivan and 15 students from both Kean’s Union and for the organization to obtain certain opportunities for its committing to the club nationally and not,” Sullivan said.

Ocean campuses recently took a trip to New York City student members.

Feb. 22. The assemblage visited 5W Public Relations, one The group, which accepts any undergraduate or graduate “A lot of the money that you’re spending really is to of the top independent public student regardless of major, commit to the local chapter of the national organization, relations firms in the country, typically meets every Tuesday and that unlocks all of the resources that students and the Museum of Public during college hour. While "Anyone in the public have. PRSSA has their own internship portal; they Relations, the only of its kind Cougar Link lists the Center for have mentorship opportunities. They have quite a few in the world and home to rare Academic Success, Room 412 relations industry with a scholarship opportunities, a majority of which are only artifacts related to the public as their meeting spot, they now PRSSA connection, I’ve eligible for PRSSA students,” Sullivan said. relations field. usually meet in a classroom found, is more than willing due to the group’s substantial The dues necessary for official PRSSA membership for this “The students were really growth.

Sullivan noted to lend an ear to any of semester needed to be paid by March 1. The dues process enamored, not just to be able to that those who are unable our students when they will begin again with the onset of the next semester, in see, touch, feel and experience to attend meetings should which payment will be due from new members by Nov. 1. things they learned about in the not automatically discount have questions.”

Until then, students are still welcome to become unofficial textbook, but particularly to be themselves from the possibility members and attend meetings, albeit without some of the able to celebrate Black History of membership.

Jeremiah Sullivan benefits afforded to official members.

Month by getting a chance to

/cougarsbyte

www.cougarsbyte.com

really experience a part of public relations history that, unfortunately, way too few people know about,” Sullivan said.

As for the rest of this semester, the PRSSA is currently planning its annual public relations panel discussion, with this year’s topic being entertainment, travel and destinations. The group may possibly be holding an event related to Josephine’s Place and might also collaborate with Starbucks to launch exclusive drink flavors in a fundraising effort later in the semester.

Sullivan believes that membership in the PRSSA can be of great value, as the experiences it offers allow students to get a taste of life in the field and connect with helpful, like-minded professionals.

“It’s a great way to find out if their chosen major or prospective major is right for them, and by that I mean I think a lot of people have to wait until the first three to five years in their career to really find their place,” Sullivan said. “They’re going to find a very open and very willing and supportive community. Anyone in the public relations industry with a PRSSA connection, I’ve found, is more than willing to lend an ear to any of our students when they have questions.”

Sullivan also stressed that the benefits of being involved with an organization such as the PRSSA can even stretch beyond the realm of public relations and into the framework of college life in general.

“I would like to think that students that are more involved with their on-campus community are probably going to find their undergraduate or even their graduate experience more enriching. I think the PRSSA is an example of a way to do that,” Sullivan said.

For more information on Kean’s chapter of the PRSSA, please visit the group’s page on Cougar Link. The group can also be contacted by phone at (973) 737-5336 or email at prssa@kean.edu.

Zoe Strozewski, sophomore communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

Link Up, Cougars!

Cougar Link is a gateway to student involvement

PAGE 5

African Art & Origins: The Creative and Spiritual World of George Nelson Preston An African Arts & Origins exhibit is open until May 15, 2019 for all to view Kieffer Braisted

K

Staff Writer

ean University is proud to present "The Creative and Spiritual World of George Preston", African Art & Origins exhibit from now until May 15.

The exhibition is on display in the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery, located on the first floor of the Center for Academic Success (CAS) on Main Campus.

Featuring only three select exhibitions a year, the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery is both the largest and most prestigious of the galleries featured at Kean University.

The gallery focuses on providing opportunities for students, faculty and the public alike to better understand the diversity of society through art and their multicultural initiative.

Noah Dobson | The Cougar's Byte

Involvement Specialist Sarah Otero delves into detail concerning the "News" section of Cougar Link.

Shannon Sheehan

C

Staff Writer

ougar Link is a hub of information relating to the student groups and events that transpire here at Kean University.

This is a great tool for students to use to learn more about the events that happen every day on campus and the groups that host them. Students utilize Cougar Link to see which clubs best fits them, in order for them to become as involved as they possibly can.

Fostering the aforementioned values through a celebration of his life and many accomplishments, George Nelson Preston features pieces that represent all aspects of his well-traveled and diverse career.

Preston's career is nothing short of both fascinating and extremely varied, having contributed to several areas of society during his travels.

George Nelson Preston greets a colleague at his "African Art & Origins: The Creative and Spiritual World of George Nelson Preston" exhibition in the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019.

Preston is an "artist, scholar, writer, critic, collector, professor, world-traveler, baseball enthusiast, inventor, poet of the Beat Generation and an honored Akan chief in Ghana," according to the Burger Gallery's exhibition description. "George Nelson

Preston is a renaissance man, a cultural visionary with a unique outlook on the world as he has lived it."

Preston has traveled to Asia, Europe, South America and Africa on multiple occasions. In 1966, he entered himself into the Program in Primitive and PreColombian Art in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Colombia University, where he later garnered both a master's and doctorate in the subject.

Groups are also able to post their events and flyers on Cougar Link. To view all of the events, simply click the "Events" tab at the top of the screen. This will bring one to a page where every single event is listed in chronological order. It is possible to search and narrow down the results to what one is specifically looking for, such as by date, theme, categories and perks.

In his time, Preston has advocated heavily for the recognition of the fusion of cultures and the overall impact Africa has on modern society. His focus remains to explain the birth of modern cultures and their struggle for identity after centuries of European oppression.

If one is in a student group and is trying to advertise their events, make sure to post about it in the "news" tab.

Kieffer Braisted | The Cougar's Byte

The "News" section allows student groups to post about upcoming events or just news in general relating to their organization. This tab allows students to see what is happening now or in the near future.

Fostering the aforementioned values through a celebration of his life and many accomplishments, George Nelson Preston features pieces that represent all aspects of his well-traveled and diverse career.

1. Click on the organization.

2. Go to the top right corner and click the gear icon that says "Manage Organization."

3. Go to the top left of the page that states the organization's name.

4. A menu will appear on the left. Click "News," and then "Create Article."

This is where student groups will be able to post flyers and articles pertaining to their upcoming events, donations they are accepting for service events, upcoming meetings and more. It will then appear on the "News" page in chronological order, making it more visible and accessible to the Kean community.

Involvement Specialist Sarah Otero said, "[The 'News' tab] keeps students up to date on what's going on at Kean, and it helps them know what organizations are doing what."

If one has any questions regarding Cougar Link, do not hesitate to reach out to the Involvement Center, located in the Miron Student Center (MSC), Room 303 by emailing groups@kean. edu or calling (908) 737-5270.

Shannon Sheehan, sophomore communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

Born in New York City in 1938, Preston grew up in a family heavily involved in the art and music movement in Harlem at the time.

After attending the High School of Music and Art and then City College of New York, Preston graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Directly after college, he began writing political stories in Cuba, which began his seemingly endless travels throughout his illustrious journey.

For each student group on campus, there is a corresponding Cougar Link page. This page includes a description of the group, its mission, photos and more. Also, there is a section that lists the executive board of each organization with their email, in case one wants to reach out to a member with questions regarding the group.

For a group to post in the "News" tab, simply follow these instructions:

Kieffer Braisted | The Cougar's Byte

Continuing his dedication to his ancestors and passion, Preston founded the Museum of Art & Origins, located on 162nd Street in New York City.

This museum houses hundreds of African artworks and pieces, antique photographs and even some of Preston's personal collection.

Taking all of this into account, Preston aims to display a little bit of everything in his showing at Kean University.

Additionally, Preston's pieces urge one to explore and expand the depths of their mind and imagination.

"What if I could give you visual cues to the experience of the painting as layers of consciousness beyond the image and between the consciousness of the viewer and the consciousness of the painting?" Preston asks of his viewers.

Using the installation as a capsule of all the unique elements and philosophy of his life, Preston interconnects each piece within the gallery and in turn relates it to the past, present and future.

Attendance is free of charge, but hours vary.

Those interested in obtaining more information about the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery, visit Kean's official site.

Free educational group tours lead by trained docents are also available upon request. For more information, contact galleries@kean.edu or call (908) 737-0392.

Kieffer Braisted, junior communication major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

Women (Continued from page 1) inspirational quote about empowerment.

Many of the other tables wanted students to express their creativity and reflect on their lives.

Students could plant their own flower at the You Grow Girl table.

They could write down the name of someone who inspires them on a colorful rock at the Who's Your Rock table.

The Women's History Month Kickoff is only the beginning of a plethora of different events designed to acknowledge the contributions women have made in history and empower the women of today to shatter the societal expectations placed on them.

Keep an eye out for all of the exciting events happening this Women's History Month!

Brandon Gervais, sophomore English education double major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

Danielle Thomas | The Cougar's Byte

This event was designed to acknowledge the contributions women have made in history and empower the women of today.

A Leadership and Service Publication for the Kean University Student Community

PAGE 6

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

Pisa Cake

Jianna Pisa masterfully juggles all of her obligations as the president of ASL Club and a GEM Caleb Lopez

A

Staff Writer

s president of the American Sign Language club, General Education Mentor (GEM) and recruit for the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, Jianna Pisa has a lot of responsibilities on her plate. However, she makes it look like a piece of cake. Diligent and focused, Pisa masterfully juggles all of her duties in addition to her academic obligations. She aims to carry this work ethic and determination forward into her future.

Pisa, a junior psychology major with a minor in American Sign Language, advocates for student involvement. From her own experiences, Pisa knows that being a part of the organizations on campus can truly make one's college experience even better. Not only will involvement assist in the personal development of students, it will open up many doors — doors that lead to one's future.

"We were all there once. We were all scared freshmen who wanted to succeed but had question upon question about everything [concerning] college," Pisa said. "[Such questions were] 'What is this class going to be like?', 'How do I make more friends here?', 'How do I balance my time?', 'How do I register for classes?' [and so on]."

Recalling her vulnerable, inquisitive moments as a first-year student, Pisa continually strives to be an exceptional GEM. "My job as a GEM is to enlighten and help the freshmen with any of their first year problems...I love being there for students when they need me. I really enjoy working alongside T2K professors," Pisa said. "I feel that a student’s perspective in a course like T2K is very crucial. Giving my personal experience and being real to students in T2K creates comfort and trust, enhancing the first-year students' experiences."

In moments when she is not focusing on her duties as the American Sign Language Club president or GEM, Pisa has offered her efforts at the Community FoodBank of NJ in Hillside, NJ. Last semester, she helped put together Thanksgiving baskets for those in need.

"The organizations I am a part of have taught me responsibility, time management skills, networking skills and leadership skills. I have met so many people through these organizations that have opened so many doors of opportunity for me," Pisa said.

"As I got more and more involved here, I found myself growing not only as a student but as a person."

"Learning makes the Her academic, professional and personal growth has definitely been bolstered by her role as president of the American Sign Language club.

This club is committed to spreading awareness for the Deaf community. Moreover, the group is involved in many ASL events and seeks to develop each member's ASL skills. Inexperienced signers and interested students are most certainly welcome to join.

world a more accepting and more equal place.

This is why we do what we do in the club."

"We have so much fun at our meetings! We learn different signs, talk about Deaf culture and go to Deaf events. We also hold our own Deaf events. I think it is really cool to learn about a group of people who are not exactly like yourself. It is very interesting to learn about the history of Deaf culture and learn about the lives of Deaf people," Pisa said.

"The club makes it so the students who are interested in the language and the culture, but don’t have any experience, can learn just the same as the students who are in the classes or the minor," Pisa said. "Learning makes the world a more accepting and more equal place. This is why we do what we do in the club."

Pisa also enjoys her time as a GEM, an upper-class student who aids freshmen in their transition from high school to Kean University.

GEMs guide students via the following interactions: one-on-one peer mentoring to students in Transition to Kean (T2K), year-round campus workshops and events, New Student Orientation (NSO) and more.

"Volunteering has taught me to be thankful, helpful, and more understanding. I would love to continue volunteering this year, it is my new year’s resolution to volunteer more!" Pisa said.

Pisa's time at Kean has certainly impacted her for the better. Her goal is to become a clinical psychologist and do research in her field. Pisa envisions herself with her license to practice and perhaps her own practice.

Jianna Pissa

"Kean has given me the opportunity to complete research in my field. This is a very big plus for my career," Pisa said. "I also have worked closely with faculty, giving me the professionalism and experience I need to get into a graduate school. Also, some of my professors have pushed me to thoroughly learn about my subject of study and I love that. I feel as if the academic opportunities I’ve had here at Kean have pushed me to be the best version of myself."

Dr. Verneda Hamm Baugh, the executive director of the School of Psychology, spoke highly of Pisa.

"I first met Jianna when she served as Dean for a Day in the College of Liberal Arts and have since had her as a student in two courses," Hamm Baugh said. "Jianna is what I call a 'star student'. She is highly motivated to succeed and is dedicated to doing so. She is very personable and friendly and a natural leader. She will be a star wherever her career choices take her."

Dr. Richard Conti, the coordinator of the Forensic Psychology Programs at Kean, also can attest to Pisa's ability to succeed.

Arlenis Roberts| The Cougar's Byte

Pisa masterfully juggles all of her duties in addition to her academic obligations.

"Jianna is an intelligent and perceptive individual who has the unique ability to inspire others. She is able to develop complex ideas and present the complexities of the concept in terms that are not only comprehended but also appreciated. She will undoubtedly be a future leader in her field as both a scientist and practitioner," Conti said.

Whether it is as president of the American Sign Language Club, GEM or simply a student, Pisa has proven that she is more than capable to play a crucial role in the development of her peers as well as herself. Pisa is set to leave a mark on the the world, and her time at Kean continues to gradually set the stepping stones toward her future goals.

For more information on the American Sign Language Club, please visit its Cougar Link web page or contact the organization via at aslclub@kean.edu.

Caleb Lopez, senior psychology major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

Snack & Chat

Snack & Chat was an event on Feb. 28 that provided students with the library's resources Petruce Jean-Charles

their presentations in front of the staff and receive tips for improvement.

he Graduate and Part-Time Student Council, the Nancy Thompson Library Commons and the Office of Student Success and Retention teamed up to host an event called Snack & Chat Feb. 28. The purpose of this event was to invite freshman and transfer students to ensure that they are educated on all of the resources that are available to them to help enhance their learning.

To contact the Public Speaking Lab or make an appointment, call (908) 737-4604, visit TutorTrac or email speechlab@ kean.edu.

T

Editor

Lastly, students were guided to the Tutoring Center, located on the second floor of the Library. This is where students can make appointments to get help in courses from introductorylevel to senior-level courses. Sessions can be one-on-one or in groups to fit students needs. Tutors are specialized in certain subjects to aid students in their learning, ultimately positively impacting their grades.

Snack & Chat began in the lobby of the Library, where students signed in and were able to meet some of the tutors that work at the Tutoring Center. The students were then given a punch card and were assigned a tutor, who led the students on a scavenger hunt tour of the Library. This allowed attendees to get to know the tutors and become more comfortable with them, in case one wanted to schedule an appointment at the Tutoring Center.

To schedule an appointment at the Tutoring Center call (908) 737-4681 or visit TutorTrac.

After students visited the three destinations and got the corresponding punches on their card from each location, they were invited to Room 213. Students indulged in pizza while chatting with their student peers. Additionally, there was a questionnaire game where students spun a wheel and answered a question regarding Kean based on where the wheel landed. If students answered correctly, they won a pair of warm ear muffs.

The first stop on the punch card was at the Writing Center, which is located in Room 108.

Students were informed about the Writing Center and the different ways students could utilize the center. For example, students can schedule tutoring sessions where tutors will examine and aid students in their writing process. They help students with assignments in all subjects, such as lab reports, essays, job applications, creative writing and more.

The Writing Center has a few different options for appointments. They offer the traditional in-person sessions, which are 45 minutes each. Additionally, they offer two types of online tutoring. They have a live-chat, which allows students to talk to their coach online and help them with their writing. This is recommended for shorter sections of papers in order to focus on a specific component or aspect of a piece. The second type of online tutoring is through email, where students can upload a file and send it to their coach who will edit it and then send the document back. Email tutoring is recommended for longer pieces and pieces that are in the final stages of writing.

To book an on-site appointment with the Writing Center, visit TutorTrac, call (908) 737-4793 or book an in-person appointment

Cole Morrissey, a tutor at the Tutoring Center, said, "A lot of times people don't realize the resources they have, so this is a good opportunity for people to be able to not only see what we have, but interact with the people they're actually going to receive these services from."

Shannon Sheehan | The Cougar's Byte

in Room 108. To book a live-chat appointment, visit mywconline.com.

For any questions, feel free to visit, call or email writingcenter@kean.edu.

Students were led throughout the library to learn all about the resources that are available to them.

For more information visit the library's website.

The next stop was the Kean University Speech and Presentation Lab, also known as the Public Speaking Lab, located next door in Room 107. This lab helps students who need assistance in public speaking and is available to all majors. Students can come here and practice

/cougarsbyte

The Snack & Chat event was a beneficial way for Freshman and transfer students to become educated on the helpful resources that are offered at the Nancy Thompson Library Commons.

www.cougarsbyte.com

Petruce Jean-Charles, senior communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

PAGE 7

Let the Countdown Begin!

Seniors attended the Grad Fair where they counted down only 75 days left until graduation Shannon Sheehan Staff Writer

T

he countdown until the last day of the semester for seniors officially began March 6 at the Grad Fair. Seniors flooded into the Miron Student Center Atrium (MSC) to celebrate their achievements and their time spent at Kean. Additionally, there were many tables set up with useful resources for seniors as they complete the last days of their undergraduate years.

The MSC Atrium was lined with tables, each designated to a different office or resource to benefit and inform students. When attendees walked through the door, the Office of the Registrar was set up to answer any questions regarding students' credits for graduation. Students were able to tell the representative their name, who then looked up their transcript to reassure the students that they are on track to graduate this semester. Also, they were able to check and make sure that students applied for graduation, since one cannot walk at the commencement without applying.

To reach out to the Office of the Registrar, call (908) 73-REGME. For general inquiries, email regme@kean.edu. For graduation information, email stuserv@kean.edu or visit the first floor of the Administration Building.

Representatives from the Office of Graduate Admissions also tabled at this event. Students were able to ask questions relating to graduate applications. Additionally, the Office of Graduate Admissions answered questions regarding graduate events.

The Office of Financial Aid had representatives at the fair to answer

questions regarding paying back student loans.

Kean requires students to undergo entrance and exit counseling for all students that receive loans. The representative answered any questions students had regarding paying back loans and exit counseling.

For any questions regarding exit counseling or loans, reach out to the Office of Financial Aid by calling (908) 737-3190, emailing finaid@kean.edu or visiting the Maxine and Jack Lane Center for Academic Success (CAS), Room 124.

Career Services had information for students relating to the services that they offer students.

Their mission is to aid students in achieving professional success through resources such as help with resumes, mock interviews, career development workshops and more.

For more information on these services, call (908) 737-0320, email career@kean. edu or visit CAS, Room 201.

There was also tabling regarding the CoCurricular Transcript (CCT) through tabling from the Center for Leadership and Service (CLS). Representatives explained to students what the CCT is, which lists all of a student's clubs, activities and service hours that one completes at Kean. This transcript is vital because it shows employers that one is a well-rounded candidate, not just a good student. Also, CLS representatives stressed the importance of becoming involved on campus.

Jonathan Lopez, coordinator for Student Involvement, said, "Employers are no longer looking for just someone who has a degree and a 4.0 [GPA], they're trying to look for someone who brings something else to the table and the CCT is a great way to do that."

For more questions on the CCT or how to get involved at Kean, call (908) 737-5270 or email groups@kean.edu.

Other tables in the MSC Atrium included Kean Stage, which offered information regarding graduation and ticketing. Also, the Alumni Association, presented information about Kean alumni opportunities.

There were also fun activities for attendees to complete at the Grad Fair. The Student Organization for Kean University had a table with an activity to highlight the seniors' achievements throughout their time at Kean. Students were invited to decorate a piece of paper that posed the statement "At Kean I...", which showcased the student's hard work.

Danielle Thomas | The Cougar's Byte

The countdown to Graduation has begun! Kean kicked it off with a Grad Fair for Graduating Seniors!

Students were also able to browse various accessories relating to graduation. For example, there was a table for students to order class rings, which is a great piece memorabilia for one's time at Kean. Also, there was a table for seniors to order their cap and gown if they have not done so already. Finally, Barnes and Noble, the official bookstore of

Kean University, had a table adorned with various accessories for students to purchase, such as stoles, tassels and Kean t-shirts with the year 2019.

Senior Khamayah McClain said, "[Students got] a more in-person experience because some students still have questions, even with the flyer information, because some of them may have certain special cases. I feel like it's just good to be able to provide that to the student body, so this is really [beneficial] that Kean is making this accessible to everybody."

Good luck to all of the seniors in the final stages of completing their degree. Let the countdown continue!

Shannon Sheehan, sophomore communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

Leonardo Polo is a Man with a Plan Polo makes impressive progress in only his first year at Kean Zoe Strozewski

S

Bronze Leadership Retreat over the summer. This retreat motivated him more in his pursuit for leadership skills as he was inspired by his peers and motivated by the program leaders.

Staff Writer

ince coming to Kean fall of 2018, Leonardo Polo has hit the ground running, immediately embracing everything Kean had to offer.

Presently, he excels in his academics as a mathematical sciences major, participates at the Bronze Leadership Level for the Leadership Institute and serves as president of Chance at Performing (CAP).

Even before coming to Kean, Polo was interested in finding ways to be involved. With encouragement from his peers, he ran for class president of his high school only to lose by one vote. Still, this ignited a newfound passion for leadership in Polo, which propelled him to look for other outlets to develop and use his inherent leadership skills. Little did he know that the Leadership Institute at Kean University would be perfect for his interests come time to apply to college.

Petruce Jean-Charles | The Cougar's Byte

Freshman mathematical sciences major Leonardo Polo has big goals for the future.

He first heard of the Bronze Leadership Level offered by the Leadership Institute when he came to an open house. The information he gathered from that visit piqued his interest and he decided he would apply. After being accepted into the program, Polo had the opportunity to go to the

"[The Leadership Institute] impacted and changed my mindset. I learned new ways of using my time wisely and excelling in my academics as I learned new study habits according to my personality. Also, on the retreat I made new friends, which meant I had someone to eat lunch with on the first day of school. With this experience, Kean University became not only my school but also my home," said Polo.

As Polo went about his business as a regular student, he also happened to notice one thing was missing from his new home: a musically inclined club. Having enjoyed a guitar ensemble class in high school, Polo had hoped to find a similar experience in college. Although he had tried out the guitar classes offered at Kean, he felt that students like him with similar interests could benefit from a full-fledged club.

Polo took it upon himself to help establish Chance at Performing (CAP), a new club on campus for Kean students hoping to improve their musical skills. The club is set up with fellowship in place of formal instruction so that members can all learn from each other.

The club also hopes to prepare their members to potentially perform on campus.

"The Bronze Leadership Program has taught and encouraged me to use all of Kean's resources [for my] benefit."

Leonardo Polo

His term as president for CAP is only the start of what Polo hopes to accomplish as a developing leader. Polo is currently working toward earning his bachelor's degree in mathematical sciences and later a Ph.D. in mathematics. He aspires to become a professor at a university one day.

"Coming to Kean University, I knew I wanted to reach higher goals. I knew I wanted to become a leader, to achieve higher academics and to be involved on campus," Polo said. "The Bronze Leadership Program has taught and encouraged me to use all of Kean's resources [for my] benefit. I used my freshman year wisely and took steps that will have an impact on my later years at Kean University as I [work to] reach my goals. I advise anyone to make this step and make use of all Kean has to offer their students."

Zoe Strozewski, sophomore communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.

A Leadership and Service Publication for the Kean University Student Community

PAGE 8

TUESDAY | MARCH 19 | 2019

An Introduction to Hynes Hall

Previewing Hunger: The Politics of Food

Introducing the new College of Business and Public Management building

The Human Rights Institute will be bringing awareness to worldwide hunger on March 22

Petruce Jean-Charles

A

Editor

s an exceptional institution, Kean University is always looking for ways to implement new opportunities for students to excel. After an approval from the Board of Trustees, a contract for the College of Business and Public Management building was created for students interested in those studies.

Kean University

To alleviate hunger, Hunger: Politics of Food will host a variety of events.

In his welcoming address, President Dawood Farahi, Ph. D., introduced the initiative for this building.

"This magnificent building will be located across the street on the old Merck property, and it is expected to be open in September 2020," President Farahi said.

Kean University

Hynes Hall is set to open in September 2018 for students interested in CBPM programs.

The College of Business and Public Management (CBPM) gives students the education and experience needed in order to succeed in the global economy. As previously mentioned, the building will be created on the former Merck company through the Natoli Construction Corporation of Pine Brook, hosting opportunities to prepare students for the modern business world.

Undergraduate students have the following options: accounting, criminal justice, finance, global business, management, marketing and public administration. Graduate students can find programs under accounting, business administration, criminal justice and public administration.

On the Kean website under CBPM, students are also aided in the following areas:

small business with counseling and training As per the CBPM building, construction began in 2018 with an expected opening in Fall 2020.

The structure of the building is set to span over 90,000 square feet, where students can utilize intelligence software, classrooms, study lounges and high views of New York City.

Students have alumni Jim and Carole Hynes to thank for the name of this building. The Hynes family are no strangers to the Kean community, as they have been generous with the stadium and field house as well.

Back when Kean University was known as Newark State College, Jim Hynes credited the school for the education and tools he used to expand his career.

■ ■ The offerings of the Global Business School

"I want to give back," Hynes said. "It’s that simple. I am so driven to pay back to a school that gave me a chance. I had a lot of confidence in my ability, and Newark State (now Kean University) gave me the opportunity to find myself, to identify myself and to know that I had what it takes to get into the business world."

■ ■ Information on the School of Management and Marketing, School of Criminal Justice and Public Administration and School of Accounting and Finance

For further information about the progress and the background on the building, students can visit Kean's website for more updates.

■ ■ Choosing the best degree or programs that will benefit them under "Degrees and Programs"

■ ■ Upcoming events or information on internships and cooperative education opportunities ■ ■ Development of students looking to build a

Petruce Jean-Charles, senior communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

Petruce Jean-Charles

communication studies spoke of the events HRI hosts in an effort to spread awareness of issues.

he Human Rights Institute will be hosting its 12th annual International Human Rights Conference, Hunger: The Politics of Food, at Wilkins Theatre from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, March 22 to spread awareness about worldwide hunger and ways to prevent it. Moreover, the Human Rights Institute is an organization that prides itself on providing information, events and programs for human rights issues around the globe.

"President Dawood Farahi, Ph.D. developed the idea of the Human Rights Institute at Kean University in his presidency and, with support from the Kean Board of Trustees, the Holocaust Resource Center and Kean community, launched both the institute and annual Human Rights Conference over 12 years ago," said Dibrova. "Every year since, we've made it our mission to provide students and community members with the information on current human rights issues confronting us today. As the president said, this year we're focusing on hunger. When you consider the statistics, you'll understand why."

Editor

T

The Human Rights Institute brings notice to an increase in sustainable agriculture and declining food prices, which allow for food insecurity to expand. Food insecurity is the lack of access to good, healthy and culturally appropriate food. Unfortunately, there are many food insecure individuals that are affected by chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, which link to food insecurity.

Other factors of food insecurity include the following: ■■ Climate change ■■ Natural disaster ■■ Conflict

In order for them to create a more just and peaceful community, Dibrova believes they need to know what problems are faced on a international and local scale.

"We are hosting a Human Rights Activities Week, which can be found on Cougar Link. In order for us to raise awareness among college students, we decided to create hunger awareness week to teach our student and colleagues what they can do to help end the hunger," Dibrova said.

As a solution, Dibrova believes that people need to change their own habits in order to help individuals around them.

■■ Global food policy Aside from learning about this issue, Tom Colicchio, award-winning chef, food policy activist, head judge and executive producer on Bravo Television’s "Top Chef ", will be a featured speaker. For more information on Colicchio, students can visit the Kean website.

"Well, in my opinion, we always need to start with ourselves. However, on a bigger scale, the support of local farmers and small agricultural businesses, especially women and indigenous people, can be very helpful. We also need to raise awareness because the more people know, the fewer people suffer," said Dibrova.

Additionally, Karen Washington, a leader in the urban farming movement and Kean alumna Lovely Randle '16, a researcher on the correlation of food desserts and childhood obesity will be discussing these concepts.

For students interested in this event, it is free but preregistration is required. Guests can check in starting at 8 a.m., with lunch provided after the conference.

Valeria

Dibrova,

graduate

student

studying

Petruce Jean-Charles, senior communication journalism major, is a member of The Cougar’s Byte staff.

Lecture (Continued from page 1) as a result of the internal colonial practices of America. As discussed

by Thorpe, internal colonialism is the practice of the colonizer not only colonizing a group of people, but also inhabiting that land. This forces the indigenous people to conform to the new expectations of the conqueror, marking demarcations between the colonized and colonizer.

An example of this was the power struggle discussed by Thorpe between European patriarchy and Native American egalitarianism, in which the European men had a difficult time accepting that women were esteemed and held positions of power within Native American tribes. This posed a challenge between the two groups and affected the way Native American societies were perceived and negotiated with by the European societies. Thorpe explained that this discrepancy led to the forced redistribution of power by the Europeans onto the Native American peoples in an effort to keep women marginalized.

The Europeans did this often by separating mother from child, impeding the spread of their culture.

As a result, the Native American communities lost huge parts of their culture that had traditionally been passed down maternally. Thorpe connected this to the similar practices of uprooting African American slaves from their mothers and home countries.

Thorpe explained that all bodies were seen as commodities to be used for economic benefit within the practice of chattel slavery. Thorpe concluded that slavery was a huge business, which was why the Civil War of 1861 through 1865 had been so intense.

As a result of the years of oppression African American and Native Americans suffered, Thorpe suggested that these communities are now experiencing and coping with historical trauma. Historical trauma refers to the cycle of emotional stress experienced by a community of people and passed down between generations resulting from a traumatic event the community experienced such as persecution, genocide, enslavement and more. As a result, members of a community may suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse and other health problems according to Thorpe.

Within Thorpe's studies she has found that there is a huge discrepancy in public health practices and attainment for African American and Native American women. Thorpe then proceeded to disclose statistics on health issues that affect these communities and suggested that these health issues may be supported systematically against the communities. She opened this topic up for discussion toward the audience who had a lot to say about personal observations that evidenced such systematic racism.

/cougarsbyte

www.cougarsbyte.com

Danielle Thomas | The Cougar's Byte

Students engaged with Thorpe throughout her lecture, voicing their opinions and personal observations.

Thorpe then concluded her presentation with a call to action. She asserted that everyone in the audience who had heard her lecture should take steps to advocate for others who may be oppressed,and to empower and educate other women on the choices available to them for the betterment of themselves and their families. These choices may include becoming educated on proper public health practices or joining support groups. Nonetheless, Thorpe believes people must all support each other in order to bring about positive change within the society.

Abigail Anne Rafael, a sophomore communication public relations major, is a member of The Cougar's Byte staff.