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The Montclarion

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Montclarion #MSUStudentVoice Since 1928

Volume XXVIII, Issue 13

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Between Rocky and a Hard Place Special Report: Students’ Financial Struggles

A cartoon ties together Rocky the Red Hawk with students loans and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

Report by The Montclarion and contributors In the depths of the Student Center beyond the ID card office, there is a sign featuring Montclair State University’s mascot, Rocky the Red Hawk, pointing to the university’s

NEWS

p. 3 First Day of Class

newest service for its students: a food pantry.

At the pantry, students can swipe their ID cards and receive a red tote bag to fill with items from the pantry. Each student is allowed to select one household or personal hygiene item, along with three

cans of food.

On the left is a table full of used coats and black lockers with additional non-perishable food. On the right, a refrigerator is filled with dairy products and meats.

The Red Hawk Pantry assists between 20 and 60 students

FEATURE

OPINION

p. 6 Where Are They Now: Meryl Yourish

p. 11 Editorial: Red Hawk Central Is Here

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Graduate Ceremony Jennifer Leon Staff Writer Welington Gomez Staff Writer Students rushed to check-in while parents took their last photos before seeing them cross the stage. Master and doctoral students attended the Graduate School Commencement this weekend at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Lined up in order of their programs, students chatted with classmates. Some were nervous about what the future holds while others were just excited to be done with university.

Florida resident and transfer student Matthew Edward Nunes received his M.A. in Performance. He knew that he wanted to come to Montclair State University because the program was much stronger here. Despite receiving his degree in three years, Nunes said it was worth it and feels confident about his future.

Chyi June Khoo, a 30-year-old graduate student, is an international student that came to the U.S. in hopes of finding a career and building a future in this country.

Georgia Salvaryn| The Montclarion

each week who suffer from food and financial deficits. It is sustained by contributions from Montclair State alumni, parents, employees and other students.

The pantry’s most popular items are feminine hygiene

Welington Gomez| The Montclarion Chyi June Khoo is a 30-year-old master student at the Graduate Commencement ceremony.

Financial continued on Page 4

Graduate continued on Page 3

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

p. 15 Montclair State Alumnus Evan Riggiero Wins Clive Barns Award for Theater

p. 20 Women’s Basketball Unstoppable Over Break

PAGE 2 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

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School of Communication and Media, Room 2035 Montclair, N.J. 07043 The Montclarion is a publication of Montelican Publishing, Inc. published weekly, except during examinations, summer and winter sessions. The Montclarion is funded by student fees distributed by Montclair State University and incoming advertising revenue. The views expressed in the Opinion section, with the exception of the Main Editorial, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Montclarion.

POLICIES The Montclarion has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print corrections or clarifications if information is found to be incorrect. To report an error of fact, email the Editor-in-Chief at montclarionchief@gmail.com.

Information reported in the Red Hawk Rap Sheet comes directly from the MSU Police Department. We do not print retractions to the rap sheet unless information directly from the police report is incorrect. We can print an update to the events only if the newspaper is given access to relevant documents to corroborate the information.

All submissions to the newspaper become property of The Montclarion.

We do not print articles from anonymous contributors. The Montclarion is funded through student fees and advertising sales.

The first issue of The Montclarion, then named The Pelican, was published on Nov. 28, 1928.

STAFF

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Clark montclarionchief @gmail.com

Managing Editor

Haley Wells montclarionmanaging @gmail.com

Production Editor

Kevin Saez montclarionproduction @gmail.com Assistants News Heather Berzak Opinion Chantel Diaz AJ Melillo

Feature Sunah Choudhry

Entertainment Robert O’Connor

Copy Amina Abdelrahman Sports Anthony Paradiso Bryanna Luciano Web Alexandria Ianco

Staff

Operations Manager

Dan Fedkenheuer montclarionadsales @gmail.com

Business Manager

James Carolan montclarionbusinessmanager @gmail.com

Editorial Board News Christina Urban montclarionnews @gmail.com

Feature

Chanila German montclarionfeature @gmail.com

Opinion

Vaniele Casimir montclarionopinion @gmail.com

Entertainment Babee Garcia montclarion entertainment @gmail.com

Sports

Anthony Gabbianelli montclarionsports @gmail.com

Chief Copy Editor Dominique Evans montclarioncopy @gmail.com

Copy Editor

Fiorella Medina

Web Editor

Lucia Rubi Godoy montclarionweb @gmail.com

Red Hawk Central Now Open

Galia Chate-Hernandez | The Montclarion Red Hawk Central, located in the parking lot next to the Panzer Athletic Center, is now open to students.

Red Hawk Central is the new home to the student account, financial aid and registrar offices.

Galia Chate-Hernandez| The Montclarion Students wait in line inside Red Hawk Central to make payments.

Red Hawk Rap Sheet Wednesday, Jan. 10 University Police Station: A female student met with officers to complete a background check for a working position on campus. During this process, it was discovered that the student was a victim of identity theft, where her Social Security number was used by an unknown indivudual.

This incident is under investigation.

Thursday, Jan. 11 N.J. Transit Lot: A female student reported that she parked her vehicle and returned to find that the driver’s side mirror had been damaged and ripped off. This incident is under investigation.

Photography

Therese Sheridan Ben Caplan montclarionphotography@ gmail.com

Social Media Manager Erika Jakubiszen montclarionsocialmedia@ gmail.com

Faculty

Faculty Advisor Tara George georgeta @montclair.edu

Writers and Contributors

Carlos Andrade, Robert Ascough, Kevin Castillo, Brandon Drayton, Welington Gomez, Iriagbonse Igbinosun, Jennifer Leon, Bryanna Luciano, Mario Papa, Laura Patterson, Javier Reyes, John Salimbene, Georgia I. Salvaryn Briana Shinhoster, Nicole Vadas

Thursday, Jan. 11 Dinallo Heights: A female student reported that some clothing and personal items were stolen from a laundry room.

This incident is under investigation.

Graphic by Claudia Habrahamshon

THE MONTCLARION

Saturday, Jan. 13 NJ Transit Lot: Patrol officers responded in regards to an unidentified male subject who was walking aimlessly through the lot. The male was observed leaning on vehicles and appeared to show signs of intoxication. The individual was transferred over to the Little Falls Fire Department for further care and assistance.

Sunday, Jan. 14 Bohn Hall: Officers were dispatched to the area in regards to a fight in progress, following a 911 transfer from the Montclair Police Department. It was later determined that the incident was not a fight but a verbal dispute between two juveniles.

Tuesday, Jan. 16 Bohn Hall: Officers were dispatched in regards to a roommate dispute involving harassing emails and constant disagreements. The director on duty was advised and the situation was resolved by Residence Life.

Anyone who has information regarding these incidents is urged to call the police station at T-I-P-S (8477).

All calls are strictly confidential.

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The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 3

Graduate: Sen. Loretta Weinberg urges students not to accept ‘a new normal’

Continued from page 1

“I am very excited to start working within the music therapy field and helping children through music,” Khoo said.

Students started walking into the arena, and the processional began once they were seated.

Evan Fleming, an undergraduate student studying music education, sung the national anthem. Loud roars and thunderous cheers consumed the arena, showing that it was a moment of pride for parents and students along with the educators, mentors and board of trustees.

“What you will carry of value with you from this place today is not a piece of paper attesting to your degree,” President Susan Cole said. “But rather the potential and some of the powerful tools that you will need to live the kind of life that contributes to the shaping of the world. This afternoon we honor your achievements and

celebrate with you, but we urge you to remember that your hard work was not just for this today. The purpose of it all extends well into the future, and we will all be watching to see where your journey takes you.”

Chair? and board of trustees member George Hiltzik gave the conferment of honorary degree and told the audience to look at the screen.

“I’m supposed to point,” Hiltzik said, causing the audience to giggle. The video played, and the crowd heard a voice saying that she credits her longevity to vitamin C and a bit of hostility. The audience’s attention was immediately captured before the face of the voice walked out.

New Jersey State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker, joined Cole and Hiltzik on stage.

“You have been a powerful

Jennifer Leon| The Montclarion Sen. Loretta Weinberg throws her fist in the air after President Susan Cole says that no person should let any human characteristic write them off.

Students lined up waiting to walk into the commencement ceremony.

role model to all who would serve the betterment of society,” Cole said. “You have demonstrated through your own determination and persistence that no person has to let themselves be written off whether for gender, race or age or ethnicity or any human characteristics.”

The audience celebrated Weinberg’s achievements, and she responded with a fist in the air.

Weinberg addressed the students and pointed to her family. She noted that they can call her “Dr. Senator” from now on.

Weinberg then urged the graduates to be informed, involved and to take an interest in all things political.

“Be careful of accepting a

new normal,” Weinberg said.

“Coarse language, racism, sexism and misogyny are not normal. They are the old aberrations.”

She continued by saying that it is comforting to receive this honorary degree because she has regularly been practicing law, medicine and engineering in the state legislature without benefit of licensing or an advanced degree.

“Now I’m legitimate, and I can be even more of a pain in the butt to the legislature,” Weinberg said with a smile to the audience as she turned around to look at her colleagues.

Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson of the 37th Legislative District attended the commencement in support of Wein-

Welington Gomez | The Montclarion

berg.

“She is a true leader in the state legislature, her doctorate is well deserved,” Johnson said.

“I would like to congratulate all, and may your futures be bright.”

The doctoral and master students walked across the stage, were hooded by chosen faculty members and shook the hand of the president of the university.

One student shimmied with joy as a faculty member hooded her. Afterward, she turned around to give her professor a big hug.

Cole ended the ceremony by wishing luck and success to all of the professionals. She reminded them to never settle for less and to go after what they want in life.

Students Comment on the First Day of Spring Semester

Dawn Collet | The Montclarion

Freshman computer science major Chris Divila looks forward to meeting people and making friends at Montclair State.

Dawn Collet | The Montclarion

Undeclared freshman Wilda François, looks forward to doing even better than last semester and applying what she learned from previous classes and lessons.

Dawn Collet | The Montclarion

Freshman biology major Cindy Mutafoglu hopes that this semester is better than the last.

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PAGE 4 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

Financial: The need to work many hours to afford Continued from page 1

products, laundry detergent and produce, according to Sonja Tillman, the coordinator of the Red Hawk Pantry. Other items in high demand are granola bars, cereal and canned foods like chicken, meat, fish and beans.

“It is truly heartbreaking to know that students have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” said Associate Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, Stacy Albanese, who helps run the pantry.

The opening of the pantry in April 2016 was to address the troubling reality that some students at Montclair State are stressed by the uncertainty of where they will get their next meal. A university survey of 192 of its own students uncovered more than a third in need of food on a regular basis as well as 10 percent of students who see it as an unrelenting daily struggle.

Montclair State’s operating budget is about $400 million.

Half of that number is the responsibility of the students and their parents— a percentage

Between 20 and 60 students come for food at the Red Hawk Pantry every week.

“It is truly heartbreaking to know that students have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”

- Stacy Albanese, Associate Director of the Office of Alumni Relations that has been on the rise, records show.

In the shadows of these hardships, administrators say they hear tales of homeless students sleeping in the library and various lounges scattered throughout the campus.

On top of the compounding stress of having to provide themselves food and shelter, students are tasked with navigating the dreaded Financial Aid Office with its long lines, deregulation and the indifference of its staff.

Food is just one of the many things concerning Shanard Seabrooks, a junior international business major. He is the oldest child of four and assists his single mother financially.

His family has no home, so Seabrooks has resorted to bunking with his godparents.

Though he would like to take advantage of the pantry for microwavable items and cereal, Seabrooks is unable to because his $400 meal plan does not allow him entry.

Entering his sophomore year,

Georgia Salvaryn | The Montclarion Shanard Seabrooks has achieved balance in his life under intense pressure.

Seabrooks’ low grades resulted in decreased financial aid. He was eventually placed on academic probation. He has had to learn to achieve a balance in his life under intense pressure.

“I have sacrificed sleep, extracurricular activities and spending time with friends,” Seabrooks said. He has since pulled his grades up to Bs and Cs and is on track to graduate in 2019. “This is all part of adulthood.”

Babee Garcia | The Montclarion

that building his own computer saved him about $700.

Nick Novakowski, a junior history major, is a true penny pincher, picking up loose change from the ground and checking the prices at vending machines on campus. He is quick to point out that not all charge the same prices for the same items.

The High Cost of Higher Education Not surprisingly, tuition is a primary cause for concern among students. With fees, the annual cost to attend Montclair

State full-time is $12,454. Outof-state students are required to pay even more with their total annual cost at $20,566. Housing adds another $14,458 to those costs.

Out-of-State students only pay in-state tuition if they are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts or receive scholarships.

Despite its price point, Montclair State is ranked the third most affordable university in the state, with tuition and fees about 26.3 percent less than New Jersey’s most expensive senior public institution and 11.2 percent less than the average of the state’s senior public colleges and universities.

Necessity: The Mother of Invention Because of their hardships, students have discovered creative ways to make ends meet.

Daniel Diner, a junior exercise science major, avoids brandname items at the grocery store for more generic labels. He also uses half milk and half water in his protein shakes so milk lasts longer.

A do-it-yourself approach has been embraced by Christian Paniccioli, a junior nutrition and food science major. He built his own desk, a tower for his cat, Killua, and even cobbled together a computer from used parts. Paniccioli figures

Javier Reyes | The Montclarion Christian Paniccioli has to be resourceful to make ends meet.

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The Montclarion •January 18, 2018 • PAGE 5

university causes grades to spiral down for some

Students say part of the struggle is the higher cost of food on campus.

Administrators have noted that maintaining low costs is a constant challenge for the university as it has experienced tremendous growth in recent years but no increase in state contributions.

“Our general appropriation for the last three years has been flat,” said Executive Director of Budget and Planning David Josephson. “Rise in tuition rates certainly places a burden on students, so we’ve tried to minimize those costs.”

One student, who wished to be called D. Felix, dropped out of Montclair State this past August because of issues at home and financial burdens made worse by a random tax audit.

Without the support of family, the Financial Aid Office was unable to provide further assistance. Without someone to cosign a loan, Felix reached out to someone to create a GoFundMe page but remained unsuccessful.

“During that time, I was scrambling for money since I couldn’t find work,” Felix said.

“I couldn’t find an apartment for a while.”

Felix hopes to continue with

Georgia Salvaryn | The Montclarion

“I find the Student [Center] Cafe to be expensive,” Cavallo said. “The Dunkin’ Donuts is a lot more expensive than the one at my house. It’s an extra dollar and some cents more.”

Manager of Dining Services, Student Development and Campus Life James Robinson offered an explanation without a solution.

“When we discuss the pricing of retail items such as Odwalla Juice to the same juice offered by large retailers like Walmart, Target and ShopRite, we fully recognize that our pricing is higher,” said Robinson, who blamed the university’s comparatively lower volume for the disparity.

Still, he felt that a Constant Pass with 250 Flex Dollars is an example of a good value offered

by Montclair State. It is priced at $2,225 per semester, which means it costs students $1,975 excluding the 250 Flex Dollars.

Over the course of 107 days, it equates to an unlimited amount of food for $18.46 per day.

“It would be very difficult to find local restaurants where a student can eat unlimited amounts of quality, appetizing food at that price,” Robinson said.

Financial Hardship Hits Hard Georgia Salvaryn | The Montclarion Flex dollars are available for students to use at dining locations like Panda Express.

college and earn a bachelor’s degree in theater studies without paying for tuition out of pocket.

Dollars, No Sense Tuition is not the only source of financial hardship for students. The cost of sustaining one’s self on campus has become an additional challenge.

The price of meal plans and food items have been criticized by students.

Students are quick to note that prices at retail venues such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Panda Express and Which Wich are higher than ones off campus.

“Pricing can be very expensive, especially if you want something small,” said Jada Fordyce, a junior fashion studies major. “A bag of peanuts is three something for no reason when you can go to CVS and get the same snack for $1.99.”

Fernanda Cavallo, a freshman childhood education major, agreed.

Geprgia I. Salvaryn | The Montclarion Dr. Karen Pennington, vice president for Student Development and Campus Life, brought the pantry to campus.

Even with financial aid in place and outside-the-box thinking for saving money, some students continue to be stressed by other experiences such as registration and dealing with the financial aid office.

Frequent complaints include an inability to reach staff that can help with problems, including the removal of holds placed on accounts and the need to acquire special permits. These types of issues prevent students from registering for classes.

The financial aid office was unavailable for comment, but previously told the Montclarion that the office is pushing for better communication to reach students and alleviate their stress.

“I had to get a permit to register for a certain course and by the time I received the approval, the class was closed,” said junior journalism major Tiffany Baskerville. “I sent emails and left messages that were not answered.”

Students are not the only ones affected by the high cost of higher education. The expense is something shared by the parents of students attending universities such as Montclair State.

Maddy Patterson and her husband made good on their commitment to send all four of their children to undergraduate school. Because of that, one of the rooms in their five-bedroom house in Cranbury, New Jersey is rented out for additional income.

The Pattersons, whose youngest daughter is an English major at Montclair State, have no equity in their suburban home and do not have enough time to recoup what they have spent on college tuition for their children before retirement.

“People our age go on cruises,” Maddy Patterson said.

“We’re not in terrible shape, but it’s tough.”

One Hand Washing the Other Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dr. Karen Pennington understood how these hardships affect students. She is responsible for making sure the staff is devoted to student growth and development.

“The university is giving more and more money each year for students to get an education,” Pennington said. “We hold presentations about financial security, and we also try to hire as many students as we can on campus.”

Pennington emphasized the difficulties of a university receiving the funds necessary to operate. She cited students avoiding paying tuition is a way Montclair State loses millions of dollars each year.

“We’ve tried a number of things to make students pay their bills on time, but we’ve found if you threaten to take students’ Canvas away, they start to take action,” Pennington said.

Still, Pennington is not callous to the stress of students. The Red Hawk Pantry was her idea.

An incident at school when Pennington was a resident assistant director in the 1970s led to her investigating student complaints about a roommate who smelled. She found that determination to get into college left the student with no soap, deodorant or laundry detergent to wash clothes.

She brought that experience to Montclair State and used it as the catalyst for her mission to assist students with hardships.

“Put your pride aside and realize [that] everyone needs help once in a while,” Pennington said. “We need others to turn to.”

By: Robert Ascough, Kevin Castillo, Brandon Drayton Babee Garcia, Iriagbonse Igbinosun, Bryanna Luciano Mario Papa, Laura Patterson, Javier Reyes Georgia I. Salvaryn and Nicole Vadas

PAGE 6 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

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Where Are They Now?

Meet Editor-in-Chief of ‘82 Meryl Yourish

Photo courtesy of Montclair State University’s 1982 yearbook Meryl Yourish was Editor-in-Chief for The Montclarion and was a respected reporter among students, faculty and administrators.

Photo courtesy of Meryl Yourish The front page of the underground newspaper Meryl Yourish and the other staff members created read, “Prez Stops Presses.”

Photo courtesy of Montclair State University’s 1982 yearbook Meryl Yourish spent some time off the newspaper and in the Student Government Association.

Haley Wells Managing Editor

It’s 1982 at Montclair State University.

The radios are blasting Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Students are smoking in class, snubbing out their cigarettes in the ashtrays provided. Others are hitting up the pub, the Rathskeller, sampling beer or wine.

It was a different era of college and with it, a different era of the campus newspaper, The Montclarion. With 10,000 copies printed each week, the paper was thriving with then Editor-in-Chief Meryl Yourish’s weekly humor column and rigorous reporting.

“I had to publish a correction to a story that we did where I reversed the numbers in a survey,” she said. “I didn’t write it, just the headline was wrong. Every other news article I wrote, I never had to publish a single correction. Nobody ever complained that I got them wrong.”

Meryl Yourish is a born-and-raised New Jerseyan, and lived in North Jersey until 2002.

During her time in New Jersey working at The Montclarion, Meryl Yourish had many accomplishments. She organized a statewide student strike and helped create an underground newspaper when the Student Government Association (SGA) briefly shut down the campus paper. Due to her willingness to accurately report on hard news stories, she had the privilege of riding in a helicopter with Vice President of Administration and Finance Elliot Mininberg.

“When Meryl would feel that something was wrong in life, she would lead the charge to correct it,“ said David Yourish, Meryl Yoruish’s brother and fellow Montclarion staff member at the time.

Meryl Yourish worked hard on many enterprise stories, including her most notable one about Montclair State’s president reorganiz-

ing the college to become an official university.

“The headline was ‘Dickson Discloses Reorg Reasons,’” she said. “The head of the teacher’s union saw me walking across campus one day, and he stopped to shake my hand. He’s like, ’None of us got that. You’re the only one that got that.’ So this is why I got a helicopter ride from Dr. Mininberg.”

Besides her esteemed reputation as a reporter, Meryl Yourish was involved in the SGA for a period of time. Her initial foray into the legislature stemmed from when there was going to be a tuition hike for Montclair State students because they planned to funnel money into the colleges that really needed it.

However, they quickly changed their agenda and said they would instead take the money from the colleges and put it into tuition and grants.

Meryl Yourish’s journalist senses tingled, and she questioned this immediately at a meeting held at Rutgers University. She brought up the idea that this situation called for a student strike, but Rutgers shut her down.

“When somebody tells you that you can’t do something that you really think is important, I have a tendency to say, ‘Watch my dust,’” she said.

Meryl Yourish returned to Montclair State and gave a speech that rallied student supporters behind her before spreading them across the state to deliver the message about a strike.

“We got enough students on board that we shut down about 80 percent of the state colleges in New Jersey,” she said. “Most students stayed home on that Monday and Friday. We got on the front page of the Star Ledger on Monday.”

Despite her success at the strike, Meryl Yourish’s relationship with the SGA was not always peachy. After The Montclarion endorsed the

losing candidate in an election, the winner investigated their funding to silence the paper’s voice in the campaign thereafter.

“That was so much fun,” she said. “It was the microcosm of the real-world politicians versus journalists.”

The SGA managed to freeze the newspaper’s funding, resulting in the printer not being able to print any copies of the paper.

However, Meryl Yourish and her staff did not back down.

“We were all outraged,” she said. “We decided to write an underground newspaper.

It was four pages and 72-point type and the headline was ‘Prez Stops Presses.’ We stayed up very late that week.”

Meryl Yourish considers these times on the newspaper “some of the best years of my life.”

The Montclarion readers can thank her for the annual April Fool’s Day issue that she first created in the late 70’s.

“Her humorous columns and stories about college life in general were fun to read,“ David Yourish said. “It was a nice feeling when people asked if i was her brother.“ It is now 2018 at Montclair State University. Music blares from iPhone speakers and the Rathskeller is only known for their swipe combos and personal pizzas.

Meryl Yourish is no longer in college. Instead, she self-publishes her books with publishing skills gained from her experience at The Montclarion. Her series, The Catmage Chronicles is set to finish this spring with its fifth book. She lives a quieter life now in Virginia with her two cats but still holds onto her journalistic morals from those years ago.

“That would be my advice to anybody who wanted to go into journalism today,” she said.

“Number one, get all of your facts right. Number two, be objective.”

More of Meryl Yourish’s work can be viewed on her website merylyourish.com.

themontclarion.org

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 7

Food Recovery Network

Reducing food waste on campus one location at a time

Sunah Choudhry | The Montclarion Aneudy Arvelo, a Montclair State junior, throws out a pizza box on campus.

Photo courtesy of Ki Keys From left to right: (MESH) volunteer, Barbara Stavrou, Ki Keys and Gwendolyn Ames stand in front of the Student Center with food recovered.

Photo courtesy of Ki Keys The food recovered from the Student Center cafeteria gets packaged and transported. covering perishable foods on campus.

Chanila German Feature Editor Afterward, they distribute the food to people such as the homeless, the unA small crowd of students formed a employed, college students and many makeshift line leading toward the ca- others who are food insecure. The FRN shier’s table in the Student Center caf- is able to reach so many facing food eteria at Montclair State University. As insecurity with the help of Montclair the line started to progress, each cus- Emergency Services for the Homeless tomer confidentially retrieved his or (MESH) and Chartwells Higher Educaher wallet from the bottom of his or her tion. backpack or back pocket. Each student The FRN was officially established paid for their meal with their debit card, at Montclair State on Dec. 5, 2017. Since student ID or handed over a crisp bill then, the network collected a total of without hesitation before finding a seat 510 pounds of food varying from beef, among a group of friends or by them- chicken, vegetables, green beans, brocselves. coli, Brussels sprouts and corn. CurStudents take small bites of their rently, food is only being taken from meals before going to their next class. the Student Center cafeteria because of On the way to the door, each student their predictability in leftovers as they stopped by one of the garbage bins to cook in small volumes throughout the discard any remaining leftovers. These day. leftovers varied from scraps to half-eatEven with FRN’s efforts, a large en meals to almost completely un- amount of good food is still being touched food. thrown out. Right now, food recovery Students and food establishments on is only occurring on Friday mornings campus constantly discard fresh food. based on the amount of volunteers According to Feeding America, more available. The food thrown out is eventhan 42 million Americans were food tually tossed into landfills, which is exinsecure in 2016. All of the campus food tremely harmful to the environment. establishment waste encouraged sever“Food that goes to landfills is a maal nutrition majors to help combat food jor contributor to methane gas, so to be insecurity in their community and near- able to reduce that is very helpful to the by communities. environment,” Melanson said.

“I had seen a lot of [food] waste during While the FRN at Montclair State is one of my courses that was a food ser- newly formed, according to the FRN vice course,” said Rebecca Yellin, senior website, the network was originally denutrition major and president of the veloped at the University of Maryland Montclair State Dietetics organization. in 2011. Montclair State’s chapter is one Yellin is also a co-founder of the Food of the 230 chapters in over 44 states Recovery Network (FRN) chapter at around the U.S. that have formed. Each Montclair State.

“We had to go [to] chapter must follow strict guidelines locations on campus. I was placed at provided by the organization in a toolSam’s Place, and one of the assignments kit. These guidelines require students was to observe the food that was being to send an application, attend an orienwasted or not being eaten and disposed tation, have a faculty advisor, create a of.” leadership team and form a partnership This constant waste of food led Yellin with a community organization that can and four other nutrition majors, Jenni- sustain perishable food. fer Melanson, Ki Keys, Barbara Stavrou The group credited their chapter sucand Alexa Dashko, to establish a FRN at cess with being provided a toolkit and Montclair State as their project for their their strong partnerships. applied community nutrition course.

“Having that toolkit and not having The FRN helps fight food waste by re- to reinvent that wheel was really instru-

mental in the speed [of our chapter’s founding],” Keys said. “[The network] handed us a toolkit, and we just put the pieces together. Through the community learning service, who was able to bring Chartwells to us [as] that relationship was already established...We have a commitment from Chartwells to provide this food, [so] they do a lot of the heavy lifting.”

Keys described the process they go through to gather the leftovers.

“We are supposed to go and recover the food, package it and label it,” Keys said. “[We] hold it and supply our own transportation, which MESH comes and picks up. But all the utensils, scales, [and] equipment [are provided by] Chartwells. So we haven’t had to do any type of fundraising besides the manpower that we had to put into this project.”

The students also praised Dr. Lauren Dinour, their professor in the course and advisor, who “fueled the fire” in them through her motivation and collaboration, even in their most difficult moments.

“We really hit some rock-bottom moments, [when] every organization we went to meet was like, ‘No we can’t do it because x, y and z reasons,’” Keys said. “That is the reality of the community nutrition, but [Dinour’s] personal stories and how important it [was] kept us going.”

“This was their project, and something that they came to me and said they wanted to do,” Dinour said. “I am just so happy that I was able to facilitate this for them. I set up the groundwork, but they are really the ones who took it to where it is now. I know they had a lot of trouble finding a community base, and they worked really hard, beyond and above the course requirement to get this started. They inspire me...”

To contact the Food Recovery Network at Montclair State, email msdomsu@ gmail.com

PAGE 8 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

themontclarion.org

Book of the Week Tiffany Haddish Gives Hope to Others as ‘The Last Black Unicorn’ Sunah Choudhry Assistant Feature Editor

Photo courtesy of www.simonandschuster.com Tiffany Haddish’s book, “The Last Black Unicorn,” describes her hardships in life and how she was able to overcome them through hope and love.

Tiffany Haddish reminds her readers of keeping hope and love alive through the darkest of moments in her new memoir, “The Last Black Unicorn.” In the book, she reveals hope and love as the two emotions that helped her endure the abuse of her mentally ill mother, living in her car in Beverly Hills, California and many other hardships. While Haddish’s life has met many mishaps, she considers them lessons that helped her achieve success and fame with her breakout film,”Girls Trip.”

The book breaks apart into 14 sections that describe Haddish’s difficulties with becoming a good daughter to her mother, dealing with her ex-boyfriend, her ex-husband and becoming a comedian in Los Angeles.

From the introduction page, Haddish portrays herself as someone who wants to live her life, learn from her mistakes and make people believe in themselves no matter what stands in their way. This is a reoccurring theme in the book. She creates a feeling of hope through her writing that many of her readers can connect with. In the book, she encourages her readers to feel hopeful for whatever they are endeavoring by making them feel like they are having a one-on-one conversation with her. It makes the book feel more personal.

The book touches upon many per-

sonal moments in Haddish’s life. One of these moments includes the time she struggled with reading complete sentences in high school. Haddish tried to keep her struggle from everyone, especially her crush. However, when she found out her crush had joined the school play, she joined too with the dream of being cast as the lead. When she was chosen to read a part of the script aloud and struggled to do so, her drama teacher offered to teach her to read.

Haddish mentions her struggle to make enough money that led her to live in her car. It wasn’t until Kevin Hart, her “comedy guardian angel,” noticed her belongings in her car and gave her $300 for a one-night stay at a hotel along with the task of writing a list of goals that her luck began to change. Haddish followed Hart’s advice, which allowed her to start her journey toward becoming a breakout comedian in the entertainment industry.

Haddish’s goal for the book was not just to tell her story or make people feel bad for her. It was to inspire and motivate her audience to work just as hard as her to reach their goals.

Haddish gives her audience a sense of hope from describing her own struggles and challenges when working toward her newfound success in Hollywood. She gives the readers a clear understanding that no matter what situation they are in, they can overcome obstacles to reach their goals.

Contact montclarionfeature@gmail.com for more information.

themontclarion.org

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 9

STUDY ABROAD FAIR Wednesday

February 7, 2018 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Student Center Ballrooms Come learn about study abroad and scholarship opportunities for 45+ programs!

There will be giveaways! montclair.edu/global-education

PAGE 10 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

Classifieds

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Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

For Rent/Other

$15 / PERSONAL ASSISTANT / TOWACO Help for professional, small business owner in home. Immediate start. Flexible hours – hoping for late afternoon Mon-Fri, possible Sat morning. Looking for responsible person with computer skills to do organizing, paperwork, and small errands. Must drive and like dogs. Recommendations/references requested. If interested please email besite@gmail.com or text 201-759-5955

$15 / BABYSITTER NEEDED / MONTCLAIR Seeking babysitter for after school 2:30pm-4:30pm on Wed & Thurs. Will need to pick my daughter up from Montclair High School. $15 per hour.

Please call Mary Kate at 973-865-9769.

$35 / MATH TUTOR & HOMEWORK TUTOR NEEDED / GLEN RIDGE Looking for a fun and upbeat Montclair State University student who is interested in tutoring my son in Math and help him with his homework. My son is in 9th Grade at Glen Ridge High School. A male tutor is preferred, as we feel like this would be a better fit. He should be available in the afternoon/ early evening twice or three times a week. If interested please email: Dworak@verizon.net

ROOM RENTALS & PARKING SEEKING FEMALE GRAD STUDENT, MONTCLAIR Seeking Female Graduate student to share house, 1 mile from University. Private Loft Bedroom, Lots of space, backyard, off street parking.

Avail.3/1/17. Small dog, cat O.K. $700 + utilities. Contact Donna: (973) 714-5501 or dbrenner7295@gmail.com.

BABYSITTER NEEDED/ GLEN RIDGE For all education and communication sciences majors looking for practical experience working with a non-verbal child – our family is seeking a regular sitter to watch our 9 yr old daughter (with ASD diagnosis, using AAC device), and occasionally her 7 and 5 year old typical siblings. We will need someone most Wednesday evenings, ~4-7pm, and some weekends. Ideally you would be available 2-3 additional weekend days/evenings per month, in addition to the Wednesday time. If interested, please email: jocelieb@yahoo.com SEEKING AFTER-SCHOOL SITTER STARTING MID JANUARY Looking for reliable after-school babysitter to pick up our 7-year-old daughter from bus or school in Montclair, 3:30-6:30, starting in mid-January.

You’ll help with homework, dinner prep, bath and creative play. Occasional additional hours available, if desired, for date nights, etc. Sitter must have clean driving record and great local references. If interested, please email Michelle at: thegoldenmichelle@gmail.com

NANNY NEEDED / MONTCLAIR Looking for a nanny for boy and girl (ages 5-1/2 and 4). Responsibilities include picking up at school , transporting to and from after school activities in Montclair when needed, helping with homework, preparing dinner & baths. More hours available if desired on an as needed basis. Regular hours are 3:15-6:30Monday through Friday, 3 days weekly minimum. Prior experience with children is essential, use of own reliable vehicle required. If interested, please email: pkfaber@gmail.com FURNITURE FOR SALE $220 for a sofa and chair set / $125 for a kichen table set. The sofa and chair set with an ottoman are in excellent condition. The wooden kitchen table comes with bench and 2 chairs that are also in good condition. If interested please call: 973 507 6994 or 973 635 0887 ACTION TOGETHER NEW JERSEY Tired of current politics? Want to see climate, equality and human rights prioritized? BE the change! Join, choose a team based on your interests, and help (or follow along)! Check out: http://www.atnj.org!

$15 / CLEANING PEOPLE Looking for people to clean and organize a home. Tasks include scrubbing tub, steaming floors, etc. All materials for this job are supplied. If interested, please contact Lucy at: 201-306-6030 $15/HR / CHILD CARE / BLOOMFIELD We are looking for a loving, fun, and reliable student to help out 2-3 nights per week with dinner/lunch prep and picking our 1.5 year old son up from daycare (a short walk from our house), feeding him dinner, and starting bedtime routine. Days and hours are negotiable. Generally M, W, F from 4-7pm. The first hour would be dinner prep and light chores around the house like putting son’s laundry away, then pick him up around 5 for play, dinner, getting ready for bed. Occasional additional hours available, if desired, for date nights, etc as needed. Must have prior baby sitting experience, specifically with toddlers. No car/driving required, but parking is readily available.

We are located next to Brookdale Park off the 72 bus line. If interested, please email: shelleycolon@yahoo.com

*NEW LISTING*, ROOM FOR RENT, MONTCLAIR Wonderful attic room for rent on the 3rd level of a beautiful house in Montclair. Close to downtown & 3 train stations. Great for Students! We are a 4 person family and have parking & laundry included! Rent is $920 with utilities and internet. Some furniture available if desired. Please contact me at: Moonbearxo@gmail.com.

SAVE $$$ – ROOM RENTALS ACROSS FROM MSU Female students: Fall Room Rentals 2016 school year. Furnished – across from campus. Internet included.

Singles or shared. Available NOW. Call: (973) 778-1504.

OFF-STREET PARKING Reasonable Off-Street Parking, M-F. Only 3 mins. walk to MSU Bridge & Shuttle! Call (973) 819-0334, Sun-Sat, 5am-8pm ONLY. OTHER ARE YOU IN CRISIS OR STRUGGLING? HEALING, HOPE AND HELP CAN HAPPEN! Please CALL the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) at any time to speak to a counselor and get support. You can also connect to the Crisis Text Line by texting “Hello” to 741-741 to be connected to a counselor. All services are free, confidential and available 24/ 7 for anyone in crisis.

LOVE TO DRAW? Submit your comics/cartoons to The Montclarion at Montclarionproduction@gmail.com

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The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 11

Red Hawk Central Is Here

T

he Office of the Registrar, Student Accounts and Financial Aid have been relocated.

Red Hawk Central is now open in Lot 7, located next to the Panzer Athletic Center.

According to the Montclair State University website, the building provides coordinated support services for students all in one place.

Montclair State officials seem to have turned around the inconvenience of College Hall’s renovation and made it into a perfect opportunity to test out a new idea. In doing

Campus Voices: What are your thoughts on Red Hawk Central?

Vaniele Casimir | The Montclarion

so, the school has mitigated some of the panic and stress that came with the transition.

Some students are receiving the new integration of the offices well.

“I think that the result of us being able to integrate everybody here is that we didn’t need to scatter students and have them spend the business of being a student running around campus,” said Tara Morlando Zurlo, the director of Red Hawk Central.

Despite the offices being located in one building, stu-

dents had their differences with College Hall. There was the constant running up and down the stairs, which made getting one question answered a workout.

Now, the offices are not only located in the same building but also on the same floor.

There is one desk that helps with all of the students’ accounts and other smaller offices in the hallway. The new layout takes the workout and the guesswork out of getting assistance. It also makes the transition onto campus much

easier for freshmen and transfer students.

“Technically the services we’re doing, integrated wise, will be permanent but our location won’t be because we’ll be moving back,” Zurio said about the future of Red Hawk Central.

So far, students who have gotten to experience Red Hawk Central are happy with the facility. However, there are still students who are not sure of its purpose or what it does, even with the school emails. At this point, it should

be up to students to reach out to each other and inform each other about the new change.

Red Hawk Central will be an important part of campus life, and hopefully will lead to more effective and efficient changes on campus in the future.

“I think it’s a good idea. It’ll probably be helpful to students in the future because if they have questions they can just go there.”

“Well it’s curious, it seems this would separate administration from whatever College Hall will be used for. I’ll be curious where Red Hawk Central will be put. I’ll be interested in results.”

- Daniele Luzaraga, Business Analytics, Junior

“I think it’s interesting. It’s a good temporary setup. I like everything to be in one location because personally I don’t like climbing all those stairs.”

“I don’t know if it’ll be anymore helpful than what we have now. Maybe it’ll help things be a little bit more efficient, but I’m open to it.”

- Alison Davidoff, Film, Sophomore

- Emma Flusk, Television and Digital Media, Junior

- Jacob Gallagher, Film, Junior

Thumbs Up North and South Korea forming a unified Olympic Team A school in San Juan, Puerto Rico gains back power Golden Globe black dresses auctioned off for Time’s Up

Thumbs Down 13 kids found chained in a basement in California Cranberries lead singer O’Riordan dies

Dolores

Major drought will dry out Cape Town

by April

PAGE 12 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

themontclarion.org

The Smoking Stigma

Montclair jumps the gun in claiming it is a smoke free campus

M

ontclair State University’s administration thought JOHN SALIMBENE their new STAFF WRITER t o b a c c o policies would reduce the amount of smoking on campus by sparsely designating smoking areas around the university. They even went as far as labeling the school a tobacco-free campus.

In reality, neither scenario decreased the amount of smokers. They are planning on officially making Montclair State a tobacco-free campus within the next three years, but realistically, the odds of them being successful in the foreseeable future is comically slim.

As a student who has recently quit smoking, I can tell you that the new smoking policies had almost nothing to do with

my decision to quit. If you are like me, the new smoking policies probably made you want to smoke more. Frankly, I would not be surprised if you started smoking more than you were before. By implementing the new tobacco-free policies, the administration has accomplished nothing more than creating a community out of smoking.

That being said, I want you to bear in mind that I am not trying to argue that the act of smoking is a healthy habit.

Everyone knows how terribly unhealthy it is over time. We could spend days discussing the various and often inevitable health risks. However, I want to shed some light on the big why that is always passed around with people who still smoke despite the knowledge we now have. With all of the confirmed risks, it can be confusing why people still continue to smoke.

Smoking is easily one of the most social and sober activities that someone could engage in. Personally, I have met more people this semester at the designated smoking areas in less time than it took to make all of my friends over the three years that I have been in college. Some people choose to smoke purely for the social satisfaction or the brief break from everything else going on. With a lot of people, I have found that one of the biggest pleasures in smoking comes from the ability to express oneself for a short period of time.

In its simplest form, it is a brief relief from stress.

It used to feel as though you were an outsider when you were smoking a cigarette on campus. The sad part was that sometimes, depending on where you were, there was a slight feeling of being reduced to just one of those smokers over there. It was as if you

were in a zoo exhibit or less human than the non-smokers that pass by with looks of judgement.

The new policies are helping to lift the public stigma of smoking since there are places where smokers can go and be out of the way of people who dislike smoking. So, I guess we should be thanking the administration in a way.

As I said, I have recently quit smoking. That was my choice, but I could have easily chosen otherwise. Smoking a cigarette is a choice. Time and time again history has shown us that people get more infuriated when they are stripped of certain choices. I understand what they are trying to do with the new labels and policies, but the most important aspect of these developments is to recognize that people are still left with choices.

The simple and blunt reality is that Montclair State is

not tobacco-free. It is horribly unhealthy to smoke, but people will always choose to do it; especially in a school with a population as large as Montclair State. There are too many students and faculty members to effectively enforce such policies.

My advice to the administration is to let it go as far as the designated smoking areas they have established. At the end of the day, I highly encourage any smoker to quit, but do it on your own terms. It feels infinitely more redeeming, empowering and meaningful when you do it for yourself.

Take it from me: one of those smokers over there.

John Salimbene, an English major, is in his first year as a staff writer for The Montclarion.

America’s Racism Enforced Through Excuses Isaac Newton Farris Jr. gives Trump a way out of his own sh*thole

A

s Martin Luther King Jr. Day sets the tone for the week, black BRIANA people from SHINHOSTER COLUMNIST a slew of nationalities have been subjected to President Donald Trump’s consistent racism. Trump’s infamous comments concerned Haiti, El Salvador and other African countries, where he referred to them as “sh*thole countries.”

As an alternative to bringing African immigrants here, he also suggested that America should seek out more Norwegian immigrants instead.

Some of the follow-ups from this are as nonsensical as they

are delusional. The prime example being Martin Luther King Jr.’s nephew: Isaac Newton Farris Jr. He professed his belief that Trump is “not a racist in the traditional sense,” then describes him as “racially ignorant and racially uninformed.”

Via his sentiments, Farris attempts to blur the concrete meaning of racism – perhaps to soothe public perception – or maybe to ensure political amnesty. Racial ignorance is a by-product of racism. Online forums have heightened race-based relations and, as the person who governs over 45 million people of African ancestry, there is no way to be “racially uninformed” unless deliberately so.

Farris speaks as if he feels

like the president is undeserving of backlash. Farris is not Trump’s only enabler, I’m afraid to say. There is a sea of wealthy Republicans and white supremacist hate groups that encourage such misleading, harmful rhetoric. Sen. Rand Paul claims it is “unfair” to “draw conclusions he didn’t intend.”

Establishing these excuses for racist behavior sends the wrong message to the American people as well as to international observers. Practically everything Trump says is irredeemable in nature. To pass it off as mild ignorance, however, further offends many people. Through experience, we become aware that impact is as important as intention. Paul failed to hint at what positive

intentions critics are overlooking because there are none.

The unfair matter is protecting the positions and energy of bigots and denying immigrants the opportunity to feel welcome. Trump supporters make excuses for his racist commentary because they either identify with or are accustomed to the language.

Farris insinuates that Trump’s commentary does not align with traditional racism, but the problem is that traditional racism cannot be defined. Racism has existed for centuries with no single look and is not presented just one kind of way.

As long as it thrives, racism adapts to the times.

Folks are normalizing racism with excuse after excuse.

Trump and other racists alike

Concerning Editorials and Columns

acknowledge one of the many advantages to being a white man in our society. They can say or do whatever with little to no fallout. By next week we will have added this to a long list of Trump’s shortcomings as president and this is the kind of problem that results from excusing this behavior.

We live in a society that nurtures and prioritizes racists over the victimized. To set the record straight, no excuses dismiss the fact that Trump is a racist.

Briana Shinhoster, an English major, is in her first year as a columnist for The Montclarion.

Main editorials appear on the first page of the Opinion section. They are unsigned articles that represent the opinion of the editorial board on a particular issue. Columns are written by individuals and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Montclarion staff.

themontclarion.org

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 13

The

Montclarion SPORTS

WANT TO BE A SPORTS WRITER? Cover all the touchdowns, goals, and everything in between.

Contact MontclarionSports@gmail.com for more information.

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PAGE 14 • January 18, 2018• The Montclarion

Student Artist Profile:

Khalid Dunton Khalid Dunton was born and raised in Washington D.C., but currently lives in Maryland. While being a sophomore dance major and business minor at Montclair State University, Dunton has an optimistic mindset toward his dance career and academics in 2018.

Dunton enjoys dancing to all types of music, ranging from classical to hip-hop and even to heavy metal.

Q: What organizations/activities are you involved in on campus?

A: I am involved in many honor societies, and I am also a Resident Assistant (RA) for Sinatra Hall. Being an RA, I have to attend and create many events/ activities.

Q: Describe your dance background.

A: I have been dancing since I could walk. I started out dancing in church, but I never received actual technique training until my senior year of high school. My senior year of high school was the first time I ever attended a dance intensive, which is where my technique training began.

Q: What is your favorite genre of dance?

A: I always had a love for hiphop and jazz, but I fell in love with ballet when I was intro-

duced to it. I used to hate doing ballet because there was so much that I did not know about the body. I was also constantly frustrated because I wished I would have received ballet training earlier in life because I felt left behind in my dancing.

But with hard work and great teachers, I saw improvement.

Q: Explain your part from last year’s Works-a-Foot.

A: I performed in four terrific pieces. Two were choreographed by our very own faculty, Christian Von Howard (“Rum”) and Earl Mosley (“I See You”). The other two were choreographed by our talented guest choreographers, Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith (“To Have and To Hold”) and Stacey Tookey (“Gift”).

Q: What projects/productions are you working on for 2018?

A: So far for 2018, I will be working on Dance Works, which takes place in the beginning of April, and Works-a-Foot during fall 2018. I plan on becoming more involved with my dance career so that I can participate and be a part of more projects and productions to come. I have a good feeling 2018 will be a great year for success.

Q: What or who inspires you?

Why?

Photo courtesy of Jamilyah Maynard Khalid Dunton grew up dancing in church but was taught proper technique during his senior year of high school.

A: I would say the more I dance, the more dance inspires me. I am constantly learning new things about my body and making deeper connections within myself as a person and performer.

Also, my mentor Shawn Short kept me motivated to continue dancing.

Q: What are your academic and personal goals for the New Year?

A: As a sophomore, my goals for this academic year are to maintain my high GPA and become more involved with school activities. As a dance major, I also want to go into the city more often to take different dance classes to expand my genre of dance.

A motto I created for myself this year is to always push my boundaries all day, everyday.

Q: What are your career goals?

Where do you hope to work post-graduation?

Photo courtesy of Madalyn Ruppretch Khalid Dunton executes a penche at Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University.

A: I actually do not have a set goal. My plan is to audition a little before I graduate, like my junior and senior year, and after graduation. I will be audition-

ing for any and everything that I can get involved in. One goal I have is to perform in the Broadway musical productions “The Lion King” and “Cats.” But I am a free spirit, so I will go wherever my dancing takes me.

Q: If there is a quote or motto you live by, what is it? How do you live by it?

A: One motto that I live by and that my dad always tells me is to be the best at everything I do, no matter how big or small it may be. Whether it’s flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant, being a doctor or even being the best there is at driving. Try to make everything you do in life perfection.

themontclarion.org

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 15

Step By Step: Montclair State Alumnus Evan Ruggiero Wins Clive Barnes Award for Theater Babee Garcia Entertainment Editor

Annually, the Clive Barnes Foundation offers an award and cash prize of $5,000 to two talented young artists in theater and dance. One of the recipients chosen was Montclair State University alumnus, Evan Ruggiero, for his wonderful performance in the off-broadway production “Bastard Jones.” Clive Barnes Foundation President Valerie Taylor-Barnes presented him with the honor last Monday at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, New York.

Ruggiero thought it was an incredible honor just to be nominated for the award, and it was an honor to share it with his “Bastard Jones” co-star Elena Wang.

“When I heard my being announced as the winner I was in complete shock,” Ruggiero said.

“I became very emotional and thought about the journey I had been on leading up to that very moment.”

The show’s author, lyricist and director Marc Acito commented that Ruggiero’s rise to stardom came from accepting his prosthesis and how he overcame it.

“Had he not suffered the ordeal he went through losing his leg, I imagined he would have risen through the ranks in the chorus,” Acito said. “He probably would have a few Broadway shows under his belt. Instead. the strength of his character was forged in trauma, distinguishing him as an extraordinary human being.”

Acito added that he loves him like family as they are both Italians from New Jersey and jokingly called him a “goofball.”

Originally a role for a twolegged male, Ruggiero plays the lead Tom Jones in the rock musical comedy, which is based on

1963’s “A History of Tom Jones, a Foundling” by Henry Fielding. The story behind “Bastard Jones” centers on a man with a big heart who struggles to find true love. His “sexcapades” and mischievous nature stems from not knowing about his parents.

Playing Tom Jones has been one of the most exciting challenges of Ruggiero’s career to date.

“The story of Tom Jones ties in with accepting others for their differences and that everyone deserves to find happiness,” Ruggiero said. “That sounds a lot like my everyday life and struggles as an amputee, but to be able to play this character on stage in New York City felt like a tremendous accomplishment for me. It was seven years ago that my leg was amputated, and I continued to follow my path and dream of performing in New York on stage. Tom Jones, despite all of the obstacles that had been thrown in his way - being abandoned as a baby, banished, and ultimately jailed and sentenced to hang - still continues that pursuit to happiness.”

While pursuing his bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre during fall 2009, Ruggiero was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that develops within the bones.

Ruggiero was 19 years old at the time, experiencing pain on the lower half of his right leg. As a dancer, Ruggiero was terrified for not only continuing his college education at Montclair State but for the future.

Associate professor of theater and dance Clay James was a father figure to Ruggiero in and outside the classroom. James often visited his student in the hospital while recovering from multiple surgeries and chemo-

Evan Ruggiero stars as Tom Jones in 2017’s “Bastard Jones.”

Photo courtesy of Brian Reager

therapy. James encouraged Ruggiero to focus on his recovery and ensured him that he will be back on track to graduation.

As he learned how to adapt to performing with an amputated limb, Ruggiero recreated the tap dancing terminology to better suit his needs. He mentioned that in traditional tap dancing, a time step is traditionally ‘stephop-step-flap-step, step-hopstep-flap-step.’ To accommodate his peg leg, Ruggiero changed it to ‘peg-hop-peg-flap-peg, steppeg-toe-heel-peg-heel.’ Ruggiero continued to use this type of vocabulary today when teaching his students dance as well. He has them speak it before even tapping, which enables them to understand how to modify and execute the steps.

Another professor and director of many productions on

main a fan because he is such a great talent and a blast to work with.”

Ruggiero’s inspirational story eventually led to one prosperous opportunity after another, including a guest spot on the Ellen Degeneres talk show in Los Angeles, California. Ruggiero was able to perform with his right peg leg and received a $10,000 check courtesy of Shutterfly.

Ruggiero’s passion for the performing arts has allowed him to literally and figuratively move forward, one shuffle at a time.

Photo courtesy of LeibowitzProductions

On Sept. 20, 2013 Evan Ruggiero spoke and performed live on the Ellen Degeneres show in California.

campus that assisted Ruggiero’s growth as a versatile performer was Mark Hardy.

Hardy cast Ruggiero as the lead in the Andrew Lippa production “Wild Party,” which was coincidentally his directorial debut.

“I think the fact that Evan had to fight so hard to come back from such a devastating, and potentially career-ending, illness has led him to tackle challenges with zeal and delight,” Hardy said. “I think he appreciates the privilege of working in the theater more than most because he faced it almost being taken away from him and refused to accept that. I have seldom worked with an actor so completely focused on doing good work. It’s a heroic story, yes, but I re-

Photo courtesy of Al Firstenberg From left to right: Clive Barnes award nominee Elena Wang, Valerie Taylor Barnes and Evan Ruggiero attend the award ceremony.

PAGE 16 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

themontclarion.org

‘The Shape of Water’ Streaming is a Must See Recommendations Creature Feature ‘What Happened to Monday’ on Netflix

Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones star in “The Shape of Water.”

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Guillermo del Toro’s Golden Globe winning film is one of the year’s best Robert O’Connor Assistant Entertainment Editor With unique special effects, beautiful cinematography and a classic story, “The Shape of Water” is a fantastic fairy tale for adults.

The film stars Sally Hawkins as Eliza, a mute janitor at a government lab in 1960s Baltimore. She lives a simple life, often accompanied by her best friend and neighbor Giles, played by Richard Jensen of “Step Brother” and “Six Feet Under,” a closeted gay man who serves as the film’s narrator, and Zelda played by Octavia Spencer of “The Help” and “Hidden Figures,” her co-worker who she shares the night shift with at the lab. Everything changes when she discovers an amphibious creature being secretly held in the facility. As she bonds with the creature, in a full bodysuit enhanced with makeup, Eliza and her friends concoct a plan to help the monster escape.

The two leads, Hawkins and Jones, deliver captivating performances even though neither of their characters can speak. Even without dialogue, all of their emotions are clearly communicated. It feels authentic because they are both so utterly convincing.

Much like his previous film “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro is able to combine his amazing visuals with a more mature adaptation of “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

This is not to say that the film is pornographic or gratuitous, but it contains some sexual material and brief instances of violence that clearly differentiate it from a children’s film.

The majority of the film is shot with a unique green tint, which makes it appear almost underwater.

Michael Shannon is no rookie at playing villains. From “Man of Steel” to “99 Homes,” he has always brought a sociopathic flair to his roles, including his character as the government agent determined to capture the creature.

The film’s protagonists – a mute, a closeted gay man and a black woman – are all oppressed in the 1960s setting, but neither their

mission nor their conversations seem cliché or heavy handed. All of these characters are three-dimensional creatures, thanks to the screenplay by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.

As the film progresses, the plot gets a little wacky. However, the setting, performances and mood are all grounded in reality, allowing the audience to become swept up in the story being told. Even as the romantic subplot between Eliza and the creature comes into focus, these characters feel so genuine and the more intimate scenes are done so tastefully that it never feels goofy.

While it is technically a monster movie, “The Shape of Water” is not especially scary.

There are brief instances of violence and one heavily implied scene of a house pet’s death, but it is not gratuitous. The film is certainly tense, but del Toro does not seem interested in scaring audiences with cheap jump scares.

He would rather tell a love story that just happens to contain an underwater creature.

It has already won Golden Globes for its score and direction. I could imagine “The Shape of Water” being mentioned quite often throughout the awards season. Del Toro is now a front runner for best director. The film’s visual effects, cinematography, screenplay and editing were all fantastic. Hawkins will likely be nominated for best actress as she played a character whose thoughts and emotions were always clear, despite not speaking at all. Jenkins, Shannon and Spencer may also find themselves nominated for best supporting acting awards, which would be deserved.

“The Shape of Water” is a great movie with something to offer to everyone. It is a love story, a creature feature, a Cold War era espionage film, a look at loneliness of forgotten characters on the fringe of society, and above all, an extremely entertaining film.

Director Tommy Wirkola’s “What Happened to Monday” is a whirlwind of plot twists and emotions. The journey starts in a dystopian society that restricts families to one child due to massive overpopulation. Viewers follow the lives of the accidental and secretive birth of seven identical sisters who must pretend to be the same woman on different days of the week. When one sister goes missing on a Monday, the rest band together to uncover the mystery of her disappearance. However, the sisters stumble upon secrets that even they did not expect.

“What Happened to Monday” is an action-packed film with many ups and downs that make it difficult to look away from the somber cinematography and wild events.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

- Haley Wells Managing Editor

‘A Ghost Story’ on Amazon Prime Video

“A Ghost

Story” stars Casey Affleck as a man who, after dying in a car accident, becomes a ghost adorned in a bedsheet to watch over his wife (Rooney Mara) and the Photo courtesy of A24 home he left behind. This is a a slow movie, without much dialogue and the plot moves at a gradual pace, but the concept of the ‘Charlie Brown’ ghost mixed with the long, quiet shots created one of my favorite movies from 2017.

- Robert O’Connor Assistant Entertainment Editor ‘Zodiac’ on Amazon Prime If you are looking for a nice, relaxing piece of cinema to watch, then you should avoid Zodiac at every cost. But if you’re looking for a high-octane thrill ride from start to finish, then this is the film just for you. Helmed by David Fincher, the story follows the manhunt for the infamous Zodiac killer and is led by a terrific cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. The film leaves the audience guessing and even if you know where the story is going, it still leaves your jaw dropping as Fincher does very well with his work.

- Bryan Sudfield Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Paramont Pictures

themontclarion.org

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 17

‘I, Tonya’ Biopic Nails Rough Landing On Harding’s Figure Skating Career Chanila German Feature Editor “I, Tonya” brings redemption to the notorious Tonya Harding, a disgraced figure skater whose career was ruined by a scandal over 23 years ago. Each actor and actress gives an astonishing performance in the beautifully constructed film directed by Craig Gillespie.

The dark comedy biopic follows the life of Harding from her rough childhood with an abusive mother, her toxic relationship with her first husband Jeff Gillooly, rise to fame in the figure skating community to the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan and its aftermath.

Margot Robbie portrays Harding alongside Emmy Award winner Allison Janney, who tackles the role of Harding’s mother, LaVona Fay Golden.

Robbie strips down from her glamorous self through dyed wigs and fake prosthetics to transform herself into Harding in the 1990s. Her raw performance shows vulnerability in a character who the public believes to be emotionless and cruel. Harding, who the media portrayed as the antagonist after the attack, took on a new narrative from culprit to victim.

As a young woman, Harding strived for the title of the greatest figure skater. At one point in her life, she was. In the 1991 Skate America, an international figure skating competition, Harding made history as the first woman in the United States

Photo courtesy of www.itonyamovie.com

Margot Robbie stars as Tonya Harding in the biopic, “I, Tonya.” to complete the triple axel during a competition. Later on in her career, she participated in the 1991 and 1994 Olympic Games. However, while Harding’s career was on a fast track to success, her private life was falling apart.

As a daughter, Harding suffered through verbal and physical abuse from her controlling mother. As a wife, she experienced the same treatment in the hands of a possessive husband. Finding courage and strength from her thriving career, Harding cut ties with her mother and divorced Gillooly. Nevertheless, her newfound freedom was soon shattered when the figure skating community denounced her for not having a picture-perfect family or the right image. Her desperation to save her career eventually led her back to her ex-husband and down a dark path.

Harding and Gillooly recruited Shawn Eckardt, Harding’s bodyguard, to frighten Kerrigan with crude letters in an attempt to salvage Harding’s chances in the 1994 Olympic Games. Things took a devastating turn when their scheme caused the attack on Kerrigan, which nearly ended her figure skating career and eventually ruined Harding’s.

The film is structured as a documentary from two different viewpoints, telling the story with the help of others to fill in the blanks. Based on the conflicting real life interviews of Harding and Gillooly, the film revolves around the different accounts that the two told screenwriter Steven Rogers.

The film, slightly biased in their favor to show Harding in a better light, tries to convince the audience of her innocence. It frames the attack on

Kerrigan as an accident that Harding had a small role in and classifies her as an unwilling participant.

While the film is beautifully done, the audience should not forget the facts. Harding allegedly recruited Eckardt with Gillooly to scare her rival to better her chances in the Olympic Games. She withheld evidence from the FBI and pleaded guilty to the conspiracy of hindering prosecution of the attackers. Harding betrayed an individual that she once called a friend and teammate by trying to sabotage Kerrigan. While it is important to forgive, Harding was the victim and culprit of the scandal.

To Speak or to Die: ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Carlos Andrade Contributing Writer It is 1983 in a northern Italian villa. A young 17-year-old named Elio lives with his parents. His father, a professor, takes in a 24-yearold American grad student named Oliver for the summer. What starts as a friendship filled with passive aggressive banter and nuanced curiosity between Elio and Oliver becomes something more over the course of the summer. This is the story of “Call Me By Your Name,” a beautifully sumptuous film directed by Luca Guadagnino that is based on the novel by Andre Aciman.

Unlike many other romantic films,”Call Me By Your Name” is more observant than it is sentimental. Viewers see these characters for who they are and are not led to tears because of common cliches. Instead, they can expect to feel the full impact of the emotions displayed by Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet.

Both of these actors play their roles to amazing lengths, but Chalamet in particular brings a lot of depth to the character of Elio.

From scene to scene, viewers may not necessarily know what Elio is thinking, but they can see it all through his eyes, body language

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics Timothee Chalamet (left) and Armie Hammer (right) star in “Call Me By Your Name.”

and actions. He inhabits this character with all the ferocity of a veteran actor despite only being 22. His longing gaze takes control of scenes, and we are guided through them.

Out of all the characters in this movie, Elio’s range of emotions run the gamut. He is 17, discovering first love and coming of age in a quiet pensive villa. Half of the time he is unsure of what he wants and is hesitant to speak on his desires at all.

His emotional arc is complex,

and Chalamet brings great subtlety to the part. Viewers witness his curiosity, fear, courage, experimentation and first experiences all through his eyes. His emotions regress and come back, but there is an evolution and an eventual conclusion that validates Elio’s journey.

The cinematography of the film is nothing short of magic. Lyrical shots of the Italian countryside and the simplicity of acts like swimming in a lake or picking fruit off of trees are rendered like

paintings. Individual frames of this film could be hung up as pristine photography.

Many shots at night have a blue dimly lit backdrop of the night sky with characters in black silhouettes interacting.

The camera captures all of this in a way that is not invasive but more contemplative.

There is no dramatic music blaring or emotional closeups, although there is nothing wrong with that. Instead, people are meant to feel like flies, seeing love blossom slowly but surely.

The costuming is great, as it fits the 80s European setting really well in this film. Often times, films that get recognized for costuming tend to be older period pieces, but it is worth noting great wardrobe in a film that takes place as recently as 1983.

The film’s score is also a key element in setting the tone of the film. While lacking a traditional score, the songs featured in “Call Me

By Your Name” by Sufjan Stevens elevate and heighten many key emotional scenes.

Another highlight of the film was Michael Stuhlbarg as Elio’s father, Mr. Perlman.

His understated performance has great impact and culminates in a beautiful monologue that’s one of the highlights of the film.

The script, written by James Ivory, is also a great anchor of the film. A lot of the motivations are written to be visual rather than through dialogue. The dialogue that exists is succinct and specific so when there finally is a monologue, it is grand.

There are multiple languages and cultures depicted throughout the film from Italian to French to American. It is displayed with ease and confidence so the viewer can understand despite the colloquialisms.

This film is a gem and it is definitely worth a watch for all interested in quiet love stories and lyrical filmmaking. All of these elements come together to tell this ephemeral love story that captures a beautiful moment in time for these two characters.

Sports

PAGE 18 • January 18, 2018 • The Montclarion

This Week In Red Hawk Sports

SPORTS EDITORIAL LaVar Ball: One Man’s Quest to Ruin the NBA

THU 1/18 No Games

FRI 1/19 No Games

SAT 1/20 Men’s Swimming at Ramapo College 2 p.m.

Women’s Basketball at Rutgers-Newark 6 p.m.

Women’s Swimming at Ramapo College 2 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at Rutgers-Newark 8 p.m.

Men’s Hockey at Siena College 8:30 p.m.

Women’s Hockey vs.

Bishop’s University 9:40 p.m.

SUN 1/21 Men’s Hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3 p.m.

Women’s Hockey at Columbia University 8:40 p.m.

MON 1/22 No Games

TUE 1/23 No Games

WED 1/24 Women’s Basketball vs.

Ramapo College 6 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs.

Ramapo College 8 p.m.

themontclarion.org

Anthony Gabbianelli Sports Editor

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has always had personalities that made the sport better. Players like Charles Barkley and even Shaquille O’Neal are prominent figures in the NBA community who still work in the basketball media to this day. They analyze the game while also expressing their personalities to fans and viewers. People like these players and their personalities, or they love to hate them.

Then there are people in the basketball community who go overboard with their personality, which ultimately detriments the NBA’s reputation.

This is where LaVar Ball comes in. Ball has been singlehandedly ruining NBA media, and even college basketball coverage, since his son, Lonzo Ball, stepped on the court with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) team.

As a fan of the NBA, Ball intrigues me, yet infuriates me at the same time. It drives me insane when I see his name plastered over ESPN’s SportsCenter, on any FOX Sports show or anywhere on the internet. All he does is boast about him and his family’s basketball skills. That somehow warranted headlines across news shows, pictures of him on the front pages of newspapers and his own show on Facebook.

It fascinates me to see how people react to this. All over social media, I feel like there is a great disdain for this man. It interests me because if no one wants to hear from Ball, then why do media outlets continue to cover him? If the media covers the Ball family this intensely, then it will burn the bridge between the media and those in the NBA. This is already the case, unfortunately. Last week, Ball said that the Los Angeles Lakers and its players have turned their backs on head coach Luke Walton. News outlets took this and ran it as their top story. But since then, it feels like everyone finally had enough of Ball and his outrageous claims.

Walton ended up saying that he didn’t believe that this was

Red Hawks Women’s Basketball: 62 Rutgers-Camden: 47 Red Hawks Men’s Basketball: 71 Rutgers-Camden: 72

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The Lakers’ biggest problem this season is LaVar Ball and how to keep his comments to himself. the case. The Lakers organization agreed with Walton and said that they’re behind him. Then pretty much every player on the Lakers backed Walton up, except for Lonzo Ball. Then other coaches from around the league came out to back up the Lakers Head Coach as well.

Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle ripped the media, including ESPN, for allowing Ball’s words to get published and spread. Carlisle, who also serves as the President of the NBA’s Coaches Association, called it a “disgrace” that ESPN ran the story.

Why anyone would take Ball’s words to heart really baffles me. While parents of players in any league are a source for information on the players themselves, anything outside of that should not even be acknowledged. If a player is a free agent and the parents said something about coming closer to home, that’s something worth publicizing and running as news. The parent of a player not liking the way a head coach runs a team has no newsworthy weight to it.

ESPN is also a direct partner with the NBA, so for it to create drama within the league shows that ESPN was having a slow news day and had to create a story. Having the people you cover criticize you is news

Photo courtesy of Global Panorama on Flickr LaVar Ball causes problems not only for the Lakers but for the entire NBA. in itself, but ESPN won’t publish anything like that so other news outlets do it for them.

The bottom line is that Ball is ruining the NBA and the way we follow it. While personalities in sports make the games better to watch and cover, it’s cancerous personalities such as his that ruin the experience of the game.

Red Hawk Recap

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Lonzo Ball remains silent after comments made by his father, LaVar Ball.

Red Hawks Men’s Swimming: 94 Rowan University: 204 Red Hawks Men’s Hockey: 0 Red Hawks Men’s Basketball: 88 University of New Hampshire: 5 The College of New Jersey: 92 Red Hawks Women’s Swimming: 98.5 Red Hawks Women’s Basketball: 54 Rowan University: 201.5 The College of New Jersey: 51

The Montclarion • January 18, 2018 • PAGE 19

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Thursday, January 18, 2018

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Women’s Basketball: Unstoppable Over Winter Break Sire led Red Hawks to extend their win streak to 12 straight games

The Montclair State women’s basketball team (14-1) moves in transition against Rutgers-Newark. letic Center. The tournament would feature the Red Hawks starting play against While some students were DeSales University, who they enjoying the break, the Montbrushed off for a 75-57 win. clair State University women’s DeSales would end the first basketball team was putting in quarter with a 20-18 lead, the work, cruising past all the but Montclair State would opponents they faced. bounce back emphatically, They closed the fall semester closing the second quarter with a 48-37 win over Brooklyn and the first half with a 41-28 College on Dec. 12, 2017. That lead.

Montclair State would end up playing Albright College after they beat Tufts University 62-59. Albright would end with the lead after the first half, topping Montclair State 40-33. The Red Hawks, led by Sire and Kate Tobie, would once again come from behind and steal the victory from Albright, winning the Gelston/Packert Tournament 74-61. Sire lead the team with 27 points and Tobie backed up her fellow senior with 20 points for herself.

The women’s basketball team should have started the new year with a game at New Jersey City University, but the game was cancelled.

Instead, they will begin the new year against a different Taylor Risley | The Montclarion New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival.

Katie Sire goes one-on-one with a Rutgers-Newark defender.

Anthony Gabbianelli Sports Editor

game featured the Red Hawks’ burst in the fourth quarter after playing a very close game to pull away with the win. Katie Sire had 27 points in the victory.

With a week off for the Christmas holiday, 17 days went by without any action from the women’s basketball team. They resumed play for the Gelston/ Paskert Holiday Tournament, which was held at Panzer Ath-

Taylor Risley | The Montclarion

Stockton University paid a visit to the Red Hawks on Jan. 6. Stockton jumped out with the lead after the first quarter, leading Montclair State 21-11. After this quarter, Montclair State would not get outscored for the rest of the game. This led to a 60-52 victory over the Ospreys, adding another NJAC win to Montclair State’s belt. Alex McKinnon came up big for the Red Hawks, hitting some clutch three pointers in a close fourth quarter. She would end with 15 points in the game, while Sire once again led the team with 19.

Montclair State would then go on the road for a game in Camden to take on another NJAC opponent.

Rutgers-Camden stood no chance in this game as Sire led the Red Hawks to a 62-47 victory. The Red Hawks would shut down the Scarlet Raptors in the fourth, only allowing them to score four points compared to Montclair State’s 14. Sire just missed a doubledouble, shooting 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Taylor Harmon had 12 points while McKinnon shot for 11.

To close out the winter break, on Jan. 13, Montclair State played their toughest game by far, facing The College of New

Jersey (TCNJ). The Red Hawks dominated the first quarter, scoring 18 points and limited TCNJ to just six. TCNJ, the strongest opponent Montclair State has played during the break, would slowly inch their way back out of the 12-point hole they put themselves in to start the game, outscoring the Red Hawks 29-20 in the second and third quarters. TCNJ could not pull away in the end as Montclair State took a 54-51 win. Sire led the team with 24 points while Harmon had 10.

The Montclair State women’s basketball team has extended their winning streak to 12 games in a row. This streak dates back to Nov. 21, 2017 and has seen them go unbeaten in NJAC play, 9-0.

They look to extend their streak against Kean University on Jan. 17 in Union and Newark, New Jersey as they play Rutgers-Newark on Jan. 20.