The Setonian- Volume 94 Issue - 6 10/5/17

In Opinion, Page 11 Volume 94, Issue 6

www.thesetonian.com

Oct. 5, 2017

Bias email sent to African Student Association Incident under investigation by South Orange Police Department Ashley Turner Editor-in-Chief

Seniors surveyed about grad changes In News, Page 3

Professors get medieval in panel discussion

In Campus Life, Page 7

The South Orange Police Department (SOPD) is actively investigating a racially-charged email that was sent to Seton Hall’s African Student Association (ASA) on Monday, Sept. 25.

The email, which was sent from a student’s personal Gmail account, was subjected “Jiggaboo.” The message consisted of one sentence that read, “F*** you n******.”

According to an email sent by Student Services to the University community, the message was written by an off-campus source who hacked the student’s personal email account.

Patrick Linfante, associate vice president and director of Public Safety, said they were able to determine that the email was hacked because Google notified the student that someone in the North Bergen, N.J. area had accessed the account.

After discovering the email came from off-campus, the University reported the incident to the SOPD on Oct. 2.

Sgt. Adrian Acevedo of the SOPD said that there are no current leads on the suspect. He said if the suspect is caught, they will face a minimum charge of harassment.

Acevedo said it is “difficult to nail down and find people doing cyber crime,” because it is a long process that involves court orders and war-

Photo via Facebook/Seton Hall African Student Association The African Student Association posted this photo to their Facebook page on Oct. 1 in response to the email with the caption, “When they go low, we go high,” a quote from Michelle Obama. rants.

“It’s frustrating even for us as detectives,” Acevedo said.

Though the email was sent on Sept. 25, Yaa Opoku-Mensah, the president of the ASA, said that it was not seen until four days later. She said that she reported the email to Public Safety as soon as she saw it and met with Dr. Tracy Gottlieb, vice president of Student Services, Dean Karen Van Norman, associate vice president and dean of Student Life, and Dean Winston Roberts, assistant dean of Students, the same day.

Opoku-Mensah said when she first saw the email she was angry,

but then she felt disappointed and disrespected.

“I think that in the climate of a divisive nation that the current administration is fostering, people feel threatened when inclusion is initiated in the slightest,” Opoku-Mensah wrote in an email. “When people try to label others with derogatory verbiage, it is purposely to bring others down.”

Gottlieb said that this incident is an uncommon occurrence on Seton Hall’s campus and that when she first learned of the email she was upset and appalled.

“At Seton Hall, we consider

ourselves a family, a community, and families don’t act hateful,” Gottlieb wrote in an email.

According to Linfante, this is the only bias incident Public Safety has had to investigate this year.

Opoku-Mensah said that she had a message for the author of the email.

“Whatever ignorance, fear, hate, and/or hurt that you may carry in your heart against people of color only, I hope you know that it won’t EVER tear us down,” she said. “Don’t you ever forget that!”

Ashley Turner can be reached at ashley.turner1@student.shu.edu.

SHU publishes 2016 Security and Fire Safety Report Brianna Bernath News Editor

Sports Poll gives protest context In Sports, Page 14

Seton Hall’s 2016 Security and Fire Safety Report indicated a drop in several major on-campus crimes in the past years, but it also pointed out the areas which the University could improve upon.

According to the report, there were four reported hate crimes on campus in 2016, while there hadn’t been any the year before. Out of those four, three of the instances took place in a student housing facility. Two were based on racial bias, one was based on religious bias, and one was based on national origin bias.

Patrick Linfante, associate vice president and director of the Department of Public Safety said that three out of the four reported hate crimes seem to have been related to the 2016 presidential election.

“The University has a zero tolerance toward hate crimes,” Linfante wrote in an email. “All hate crimes are vigorously investigated and the appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

Dr. Tracy Gottlieb, vice president of Student Services, also cited SHU’s zero tolerance policy.

“Four instances of hate speech in a community of 10,000 people might not seem like a lot, but even one instance is absolutely

unacceptable,” Gottlieb wrote in an email.

As required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, SHU released the report to the University community on Sept. 27, days before the Oct. 1 deadline.

The annual report serves several purposes, according to the email release from Student Services. It contains “information regarding campus security and safety and personal safety,” as well as “information about crime statistics for the three previous calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain

off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Seton Hall; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.”

While some forms of crime became more common in 2016, others were less pervasive than they had been in prior years. In 2016, there were three reported instances of rape on campus, all of which took place in on-campus student housing facilities. This was a 50 percent decrease from 2015, when there were six reported instances of rape on campus.

See Safety, Page 2

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There were also significant decreases in disciplinary referrals for both drug abuse violations and liquor law violations. While there were 87 reported instances of disciplinary referrals for drug abuse violations in 2015, there were only 28 in 2016.

Meanwhile, there were 81 instances of disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations, continuing a downward trend. There were 218 reported instances on campus in 2014, and that number decreased by 50 percent to 109 in 2015.

Gottlieb said that the smaller size of the freshman class in 2016 likely contributed to the drop in these offenses.

Gottlieb explained that while these numbers do not always form trends from year to year, the school has strengthened the educational programs based on preventing these on campus offenses.

“We wanted to make sure that we were vigilant in enforcement, so we increased our employee training around detection and

NEWS enforcement,” Gottlieb wrote in an email. “We also provide much education around the need for students to look after fellow students, which is called bystander intervention.”

Two crimes remained consistent from 2015: there were 11 reported instances of burglary on campus and five reported instances of dating violence on campus in both 2015 and 2016.

Stalking also arose as an issue in 2016 – a crime that had not been reported at all in 2014 or 2015. Linfante explained that stalking is one of the more challenging offenses to report.

“These incidents occur without warning and are not reported until the victim becomes aware that they are being stalked,” Linfante said.

Overall, though, Linfante said that Seton Hall is “a safe campus.”

Gottlieb urged students to familiarize themselves with the policies and resources included in the report in order to keep themselves and others safe.

“We always want to improve,” Gottlieb said. “Communication is key. Students need to be aware. Students need to use common sense. Students need to be patient. I am always con-

Oct. 5, 2017

File Photo/Cameron Gustavson “The University will continue to strive to keep our campus safe for all community members and visitors,” said Patrick Linfante, director and associate vice president of Public Safety. cerned when students say they walked back to campus at 2 a.m. because they didn’t want to wait for the SafeRide. I don’t think any good things ever happen at 2

a.m. If I had it my way everyone would be tucked in at 10 p.m.”

Students received the report in their school email, but those that want a paper copy of the report

can get one from the Public Safety Office, according to the email from Student Services.

Brianna Bernath can be reached at brianna.bernath@student.shu.edu.

SHU doesn’t expect Title IX policy changes on campus Thomas Schwartz News Copy Editor Title IX, which prevents discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs, has received new attention after Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reversed Title IX guidelines instituted by the Obama Administration.

DeVos rolled back Title IX guidelines that she said utilized a lower standard of for investigating those accused of sexual assault. While Obama-era guidelines lowered the standard to preponderance of evidence, DeVos has raised the standard.

According to The New York Times, a person now needs “clear and convincing evidence” to accuse a perpetrator.

As Seton Hall reviews the new guidance from the Trump Administration, no significant changes to SHU’s policies are expected, according to Karen Van Norman, the University’s Title IX Deputy Compliance Coordinator and associate vice president and dean of students.

Photo via Flickr/Gage Skidmore Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reversed the Title IX guidelines instituted by the Obama administration.

According to the Department of Education’s website, the previous guidelines fostered, “a system that lacked basic elements of due

process and failed to ensure fundamental fairness.”

Van Norman said there remains a commitment to ensuring

fairness and altering the culture where sexual misconduct occurs.

“The University is firmly committed to a process that is fair, equitable and respectful of all students – that is not going to change,” Van Norman wrote in an email. “As a University community, we are committed to changing the culture where sexual misconduct and violence can occur.

KNOW MORE, an organization dedicated to eradicating sexual violence through awareness and on-campus prevention workshops, firmly supports and understands the importance of Title IX. Julia Hussey, KNOW MORE president and a sophomore social and behavioral science and occupational therapy double major, highlights the importance of empowering victims of sexual assault.

“Title IX provides an essential platform for the victims of sexual assault,” Hussey wrote in an email. “Mandating non-discriminatory resources for students should be a fundamental value for all institutions; it’s important

to give the power back to all of those affected by sexual assault.”

Christian Milano, KNOW MORE ambassador and a sophomore business major, had a mixed reaction to DeVos’ actions. Originally, Milano was stunned by the Administration’s repeal of specific guidelines but understood DeVos’ decision after further reading.

“Originally, I was surprised because [the guidelines] helped students come forward, privately, without having to come to the authorities because it is a very difficult topic,” Milano said. “But I do understand where DeVos is coming from because the accused were not receiving the proper due process.”

Even though federal policy may change, the campus’ attitude toward campus assault remains unequivocally the same.

“We encourage students to get involved, speak out, and always report any incident of sexual misconduct,” Van Norman said.

Thomas Schwartz can be reached at thomas.schwartz@student.shu. edu.

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Oct. 5, 2017

NEWS

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Seniors surveyed about what to change about graduation Samantha Todd Managing Editor Seton Hall emailed seniors a two-question survey on Sept. 19 about the 2018 commencement, which gave the graduating class an opportunity to voice their opinions.

The survey asked seniors what they thought should be eliminated for the sake of time. The choices were to get rid of a commencement speaker, the procession, or the reading of each individual name. There was also an option to keep everything.

Co-chairs of the Commencement Planning Committee include director of Academic Events, Initiatives and Planning, Bernadette McVey, and University Registrar Mary Ellen Farrell, according to McVey. McVey said via email that the 2017-2018 Commencement Committee has not been finalized, but it will include student representation.

“This broadly-based committee also includes representation from each college and the various offices that are involved in commencement planning and operations,” McVey said.

Speaking about what the committee hopes to gain from the survey, McVey said, “The data collected will give us insight to what our graduating seniors think is important to their ceremony.”

Asked if the committee is considering to cut any part of the ceremony, McVey said, “Since the Committee has not been finalized at this point, we have not had a chance to consider specific questions about the ceremony and other celebratory events associated with the commencement ceremony.”

The survey will close at the end of this week and “results will be shared with the committee for its further deliberations,” McVey

Greg Medina/Photography Editor Some seniors are wary of the fact that the 2017 Commencement Ceremony was more than three hours. said. “Along with these results, the co-chairs will share with the committee how prior ceremonies were constructed, so the committee has a full understanding of how best to fashion this year’s events.”

Seniors had differing opinions on what, if anything, should be cut from the ceremony.

Phil Buccigrossi, a senior biology major, filled out the commencement survey and was happy that SHU asked seniors for their opinion.

Buccigrossi said he would eliminate the procession and commencement speaker, however, if there were other options he would not get rid of the procession. He said he thinks graduation should just be the reading of the names.

“Long graduations are tedious, hearing that last year’s was over three hours makes me not want to go to my own,” he wrote in an email.

Buccigrossi said that the speakers at commencement mostly talk about their own story and accomplishments or try to give the grad-

uating class some advice.

“Having someone speak to us [graduating seniors] does not change anything or make us feel better or worse,” he said. “I am confident in my ability to make it in the world, I don’t need a speaker to tell me for 40 minutes that I can do it.”

Buccigrossi also said that the audience does not want to sit there for over three hours when they are only there to watch one or two students they know “walk across the stage and have their moment.”

“Graduation is definitely important and exciting, however just like a pointless research paper certain classes make us write, we need to cut out the fluff and focus on what is really important, our accomplishments,” he said.

Alyssia Pacheco, a senior broadcasting interactive and visual media major, completed the survey too. She wrote in an email interview that she would like the graduation ceremony to be shorter if possible because it “was a little bit excessive” last year.

Pacheco said she would not eliminate anything from graduation, but she would shorten the speeches and main parts of commencement.

“The time of each section should be limited a little bit more because it does get kind of boring even though the content is very well written,” Pacheco said.

Pacheco acknowledged that the reading of each individual name takes time. However, she would keep this at graduation because “there is still an excitement when it comes to hearing your name announced after you’ve worked so hard for years.”

Pacheco added, “I feel that a lot of people are disappointed in the fact that we have been without a commencement speaker for a while, and we would love to have the opportunity to have a speaker that is a public figure to be able to give us words of wisdom at our graduation.”

Allison Yashay, a senior marketing major also filled out the commencement survey and said she

wants graduation to be shorter by cutting one of the main parts out.

Yashay said the reading of each individual name takes too long and that it should be cut. She said the commencement speaker and procession should be kept.

She added she hopes that graduation will be at the Prudential Center, instead of the PNC Bank Arts Center, where last year’s ceremony was held.

Not every senior filled out the survey or was aware it was sent out.

Senior mathematics majors Emily Giannini and Dan Letso did not hear about the commencement survey, but they did have opinions on what graduation should be like.

Giannini said she would keep graduation that same, but if something has to go she said the procession is the most practical thing to cut.

Letso said he would eliminate the procession and it is important to keep the reading of the names.

“It’d be cool to listen to a commencement speaker, I’ve always enjoyed that, even in high school,” he said.

Letso added, “It’s important everyone can bring as many people as they want,” and that it should be taken into consideration for graduation.

Both Giannini and Letso said they would like to graduate at the Prudential Center, if they can graduate as one big class instead of graduating by each individual college within the University.

McVey added, “Commencement is a time to recognize the hard work and achievements of our graduating seniors, honor the incredible support that the faculty, staff and administration has provided and to express gratitude to the families for their unwavering commitment.”

Samantha Todd can be reached at samantha.todd@student.shu.edu.

Med school campus required to have ‘adequate parking’ Isabel Soisson Asst. News Editor Students are no stranger to parking woes on campus in South Orange, and now eyes are turning to the parking situation at the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus.

A public meeting of the Nutley Planning Board was held on Sept.

6 to discuss a resolution for parking at the IHS campus, according to Nutley’s tapinto.net page.

Kevin Coakley, Seton Hall’s attorney, wrote a letter to Nutley township attorney Barry Kozrya, on Sept. 6. In the letter, Coakley requested that the staging of the

parking be completed, meaning a finalized plan on where the parking spaces would be. He also requested that all parking should be permanent, not transitional or temporary.

No resolution was made at the meeting and another one was held on Sept. 20. The only thing on the agenda for this meeting was that the meeting was moved once again to Oct. 4.

Erik Lillquist, associate provost for academic projects, commented about parking at the IHS campus via email.

“The municipal codes of both the town of Nutley and the City of Clifton require us to have ade-

quate parking on the property for our students, faculty, and employees,” Lillquist said.

Lillquist said that the school has been working closely with both towns to ensure that those requirements are met.

“We are also working with both towns, our partner (Hackensack– Meridian Health), and the developer of the overall campus to see if there are ways that our plans can be modified to accommodate the overall needs of the site, while still addressing the requirements of the Seton Hall community,” Lillquist said. “Overall interest in the site by other parties has begun in earnest, which has given additional

energy to those conversations.”

Shannon Burke, a junior nursing major, shared her thoughts on what she hopes the parking situation will be like at the IHS campus.

“I just hope there is enough parking for everyone,” Burke said.

“I know we have a big problem with that here at the South Orange campus, so I just hope there is a solid plan for the new campus.”

Sarah Luczak, also a junior nursing major, says that she is worried about parking passes at the new campus.

“Seeing as I already pay for a parking pass on campus, I would hope that would carry over to the

IHS campus as well.”

Luczak said she hopes that parking space will not be an issue at the new campus.

“Since it won’t be the same amount of students at the new campus, it might be easier to find parking,” she said.

Stephanie Bade, a junior nursing major, expressed her concerns about parking as well.

“I still have no idea what the new campus layout is and I am a little concerned considering the majority of all health and medical majors and faculty will be driving there,” she said.

Isabel Soisson can be reached at isabel.soisson@student.shu.edu.

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NEWS

Crime Log Sept. 30 Incident: A smoke detector was set off in a residence hall. It was determined that the alarm was caused by unattended cooking.

Oct. 1 Theft: A student reported missing clothing from a laundry room on campus.

Upcoming Events What: International Food Truck Festival When: Thursday, Oct. 5, 2016 12:00 p.m.

- 3:00 p.m.

Where: University Green The Details: The annual food truck festival will feature cultural games, music, prizes and food trucks serving dishes from countries all over the world. Students can also enter a raffle to win an Ethopian cooking class. Students will receive a voucher for food from a food truck of their choice.

Cost: Free For more information, visit wwwshu.edu.

What: Symposium: Retirement Savings Strategies When: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017 12:30 p.m.

- 4:30 p.m.

Where: Chancellor’s Suite The Details: Join retirement savings experts to learn more about how to manage money after retirement and how to make sure it doesn’t run out. This workshop will help those in attendance learn how to make their money last.

Cost: Free For more information, visit wwwshu.edu.

What: SAB Travel: Six Flags Trip When: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017 10:30 a.m.9:00 p.m.

Where: Six Flags Great Adventure The Details: Seton Hall’s Student Activities Board is hosting a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson, New Jersey. The students will be attending the park’s Fright Fest, an annual exhibit put on at the park during the month of October. This all day trip will feature games, rides, and food. Students should meet outside Chapel Court, near Public Safety building.

Cost: $30 To buy tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com.

What: SHU Speaks: W. Kamau Bell When: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 7:00 p.m.10:00 p.m.

Where: Main Lounge The Details: The Student Activites Board is sponsoring this event. W. Kamau Bell, Emmy-nominated comic and CNN host will be doing a show at Seton Hall. Bell is known for his commentary on modern political issues and social injustice among other topics.

Cost: Free To claim tickets, visit www.eventbrite. com.

Oct. 5, 2017

SHU students take their professors to lunch Nicholas Mariano Staff Writer

Undergraduate students will no longer need to eat alone around campus; they will now be able to learn from their professors over a meal starting Oct. 2. The collaborative “Take a Professor to Lunch” program will run until the end of the month, giving students a chance to learn from their professors.

The program, sponsored by the Provost’s Office and the Division of Student Services, not only gives students insight into what foods professors cannot live without, but also encourages students to get to know their professors outside of the classroom. Students have the chance to freely discuss career goals, concerns or receive advice in a more informal environment.

The program is open to all undergraduate students, with each student receiving three chances to treat professors to a meal in the Pirate Dining Room, located in the University Center. Students living on campus will need to pick up a ticket that will cover the cost of the professor’s meal.

On the other hand, commuters will be required to get a ticket for both themselves and their professors, according to Karen Van

Greg Medina/Photography Editor Students will have an opportunity to bond with their professors this month.

Norman, dean of students and associate vice president. Students can pick up tickets in the Dean of Students Office, located in Room 237 of the University Center.

“I usually don’t like going to professor’s office hours. I find it much easier to ask things through email,” said Andrea Guaman, a senior public relations and journalism major.

Despite being a full-time student, Guaman balances the workload of a senior with a full-time job. These commitments make it difficult for student like her to visit professors during their available times. This program is set to offer a unique opportunity for students to make the best of their free time.

“You can actually get to know your professor as you enjoy a meal and not have to awkwardly walk into the office and just sitting there,” Guaman said.

Dr. Kirsten Schultz, associate history professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, has previously participated in “Take a Professor to Lunch” a few years ago. Although few students attend her office hours, Schultz said that being able to further the student-professor bond opens up opportunities with students to pursue long-term plans.

“Meeting with students in office hours or at other campus events allows professors to connect their students’ academic

achievements with their interests and longer-term goals,” Schultz said. “Each year, several students ask me to write letters of recommendation. When I am able to write about the student as an individual, I think the recommendation is more persuasive.”

Similarly, Dr. Matthew Pressman, assistant professor of journalism in the College of Communication and the Arts, acknowledges that students have such busy lives once they leave the classroom. Accepting that students have other full-time responsibilities outside of school, Pressman hopes students will approach this program with an open mind, willing to experience this out of classroom experience.

“They should take advantage of the program in order to form better relationships with their professors,” Pressman said. “It would benefit students to talk about their goals with us.”

Van Norman said she is hopeful that a positive student turnout can translate into extending the program past the fall semester. This way more students can pick at their food and pick at the brains of professors.

Nicholas Mariano can be reached at nicholas.mariano@student.shu.edu.

SGA Updates

Meet with Faculty and Students about Public Health Degrees and Careers

Isabel Soisson Asst. News Editor

Rutgers School of Public Health

The Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Oct. 2 opened with a public forum from students regarding the racially-charged email that was sent to the African Student Association.

Advisor Maggie Bach reminded the Senate that she is looking for volunteers to the New Jersey Leader’s Summit.

President Christina Simon began her President’s Report by reminding the Senate that they can come to her with any concerns. She also stated that she met with the Student Activites Board (SAB), Student Alumni Association (SAA) and MAC (Multicultural Advisory Committee) regarding collaborations and concerns.

Treasurer Rishi Shah reported that the operational budget is at $6,259.11 and the fall budget is at $13,507.50. The co-sponsorship budget is at $8,838.42 and the GDS budget is at $8,525.19 Speaker Vinay Trambadia used his Speaker’s Report to congratulate senators Mahmood and Murphy for securing a date for a Meet the Dean Event for the College of Education and Human Services.

Academic Affairs Chair Robert Serrano reported that he had a meeting with Dean Schumacher and Senator Louis is meeting with Dean Van Norman soon.

Isabel Soisson can be reached at isabel.soisson@student. shu.edu.

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Oct. 5, 2017

NEWS

Page 5

SHU professor shares expertise on Columbus Day Hannah Sakha Staff Writer Columbus Day is a national holiday observed every year on the second Monday of October. The day commemorates Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the American continent. However, it was not an official holiday until the year of 1937.

Nonetheless, Columbus Day has been very controversial recently. Some people believe that observing this day justifies the actions and genocide that happened to the Native Americans. As a result, many speculate that this day should not be observed as a national holiday. In fact, the Los Angeles City Council recently voted to have Columbus Day removed

from their city calendar Will Ricciardella, a writer for the Daily Caller, reported on the council’s decision to have this holiday removed.

In the Daily Caller he wrote, “The irony that Columbus Day was promulgated as an inclusionary holiday, intended to celebrate recent immigrants and the indigenous peoples that were here before, is too palpable for media outlets to ignore.”

Dr. William J Connell, a historian at Seton Hall, also commented on the council’s decision. He said, “Columbus Day was supposed to recognize the greatness of all of America’s people, but especially Italians and Native Americans.”

Connell believes that the removal of this holiday will lead people

to ignore that this day actually represents the celebration of indigenous peoples and their cultural backgrounds.

“I do think that, more than any other, this particular day marks the creation of the world we now live in, for both good and bad,” Connell said. “So it makes a certain sense to remember it. The holiday marks the date of the landing, not Columbus’ Birthday.”

Connell added, “It is interesting that circa 1900 Italian immigrants ‘adopted’ what was originally a celebration that dated from the 1700s. I’ve consistently argued that it’s great that Italian Americans keep the tradition alive, but also that they need to keep the holiday inclusive if it’s to remain a Federal holiday (and not become some-

thing local like St. Patrick’s Day).”

Connell believes that the holiday is initially a day that celebrates the people, both immigrants and natives of the new land. This is a day that should be filled with celebration, and not taken into the wrong perspective. Columbus Day does not necessarily honor a ‘war or the Founding Fathers.”

Seton Hall technically does not observe Columbus Day and never has, according to Connell. Students have recently voiced their opinions on this in light of the fact that the holiday is approaching.

Christine Parreno, a sophomore nursing major, believes that Columbus Day should continue to be observed to honor the American people.

“I think it’s very wrong because

Christopher Columbus is a very influential man. Also, this is a day really to focus on different cultures and different peoples. If we take this day away, we are robbing cultures and its peoples when they deserve to be honored.”

On the other hand, sophomore business major Valerie Dorsett thinks that Columbus Day should not be observed.

“Technically, Christopher Columbus didn’t even discover America; at least that’s what I learned.

He didn’t treat most of the Native Americans well. In fact, I think he killed some of them because he wanted their gold. Why should we have a day honoring a man who was unethical like that?”

Hannah Sakha can be reached at hannah.sakha@student.shu.edu.

Campus ‘more receptive’ to eco-friendly initiatives Kaitlyn Quinn Staff Writer

With changes in the environment have come changes in the way that it is cared for and protected.

Wanda Knapik, and environmental studies professor and creator and director of the campus garden and the students of the Ecology Club and Environmental Studies program have been striving to make SHU even more environmentally-conscious.

Knapik explained in an email that she and her students have been making changes on campus for years.

“There have always been students who want to contribute more to environmental initiatives on campus like recycling and composting and taking care of the campus garden,” Knapik wrote.

Enthusiasm is increasing though. Ecology Club President and diplomacy and international relations and environmental studies major, Gabrielle Hunt explained in an email why she thinks that students are even more interested this year to protect the environment.

“As a senior, I’ve noticed that the campus climate this year seems to be more receptive and excited about the environmental initiatives than ever, which is likely due to broader domestic trends in environmental consciousness paired with an ambitious, environmentally-aware student government,” Hunt said.

She emphasized that the Ecology Club is working to make sure that its mission is carried out.

“Ecology Club is called ‘ecology’ and not ‘environmental club’ because our vision transcends

Kiera Alexander/Staff Photographer Students enjoy the peace and solitude of the campus garden. just talking about small, shallow measures of say, recycling or turning out lights when we leave the room. It moves towards discussions on the ethical, philosophical, and even spiritual dimensions of humanity’s connection to the broader ecosystem,” Hunt said.

August Pimentel, vice president of the Ecology Club and senior economics major wrote in an email about the kind of work that the club has been investing itself in.

“On campus, we are currently working with SGA to map out the location of all the water bottle refill stations, pushing the reusable mug initiative recently started at the campus Dunkin Donuts, and increasing use of recycling bins in the residence halls,” he said. “The showing of Chasing Coral and the panel following was a great way to get students involved in activism as well.”

Violet Reed, vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA) and junior English and environmental studies major, provided further details about the actions that SGA is taking to promote sustainability.

“In my freshman year, I became Senator-at-Large. I noticed the problem of recycling on campus,” she said. “The trash cans had a lot of plastic and Styrofoam coming out of them. As I campaigned for Vice President, I had the idea of reusable cups being used at Dunkin Donuts rather than having the plastic cups thrown out.”

Reed adds that the community that Seton Hall has between the faculty and students allowed the plan to be put into place.

“I find that administrators are open to new ideas,” she said. “I worked with Gourmet Dining Services to figure out how to allow students and faculty to take their clean reusable cups to Dunkin’ Donuts. The promotion that is going on currently charges customers $1.70 for medium-sized hot coffee and $2.25 for medium-sized iced coffee.”

The Student Government Association, Reed said, is now promoting the #BlueGoesGreen campaign. Filling reusable cups at Dunkin’ Donuts with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate is just one part of the campaign. It is intended to encourage plastic water bottle use

as well.

“This Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 1-4 p.m. outside of the University Center, we’ll have the opportunity for students and faculty learn about the message behind the Blue Goes Green campaign, which is to reduce, reuse and recycle,” Reed said. “They will also get free water bottles. Blue Goes Green’s message is simple, but important. If people hold each other accountable and work toward that goal, it can make a difference. The water bottles we are giving out are BPA-free.”

The passion that Hunt, Pimentel and Reed have for the environment has been an integral part of their lives for many years. They have personal connections with the work that they and other students do on campus.

Hunt explained that she does not recall a time when the environment was not a part of her life.

She has applied it to her career choice and daily life.

“I’ve grown up vacationing in Montana almost every summer, so that’s certainly where my love of the natural world began,” she said.

“That love turned towards interest in advocacy work when I read Michael Pollan’s Food Rules at 12, and then lobbied on Capitol Hill for a component of the Food Bill when I was 16. And environmental advocacy has followed me into my college years.”

Reed, whose passion for the environment translates into her work as Vice President of SGA, grew up with a deep love for the environment as Hunt had.

“I grew up with animals all around me; my family raises chickens. My parents’ love for the environment was engrained in me,” Reed said. “I remember being in the fifth grade and feeling a kind

of anxiety about what I needed to do to save the environment. This summer, I interned at MEVO, which is the Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization.

It showed me what it means to engender community around food products. DOVE now features Service on Saturdays at MEVO.” Pimentel recalls having an interest in the environment for most of his life, but is aware that his interest resonated the most when he was eighteen.

“Personally, I have had an interest in the environment for most of my life,” Pimentel said. “I grew up in Connecticut right on Long Island Sound, which is a beautiful natural landscape. My interest really took off when I was 18 and learned about sustainable food production at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (where Ecology Club is visiting Nov. 3), as well as realizing the severity of climate change. Everyone can easily play a small part in making the world a better place, and we are trying to help those who want to, see some ways that they can.”

Professor Knapik said that her students want to see a stronger Environmental Studies program on campus.

“Students are asking for more Environmental Science professors to be hired by the University.

They are asking for an Environmental Science Department to be created,” she said. “Right now we have an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program, with no one leading the program in a full time capacity. Students are asking for more faculty to be hired and for an official department to be formed.”

Kaitlyn Quinn can be reached at kaitlyn.quinn@student.shu.edu.

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NEWS

Students help hurricane victims Marie Leone Staff Writer After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and Seton Hall students plan to assist.

On Sept. 20, the category 4 hurricane slammed Puerto Rico and caused widespread destruction on the island. Currently, the death toll has climbed to 34, according to ABC News.

USA Today reported, that as of Sept. 30, over half of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million inhabitants were without water. Puerto Rico’s dire circumstance has made many Seton Hall students eager to help.

Jeannette Diaz, a graduate of Seton Hall’s bilingual and bicultural education major and current Ph.D. candidate at the College of Education and Human Services, has a personal connection to the crisis in Puerto Rico.

Her maternal family is from Corozal, Puerto Rico and her paternal relatives are from Dorado, Puerto Rico. According to Diaz, relatives on both sides of

her family are struggling without electricity or water. They fear they will be unable to get food once they run out of what they currently have.

“For over a week we [were] unable to communicate with anyone in Corozal,” Diaz said.

Communication to the island has been nearly impossible.

Buildings are destroyed, roads are blocked and infrastructure is damaged across the island.

Seton Hall “went blue” for hurricane victims in Texas and Florida; now students are being asked to show the same compassion for the victims of Hurricane Maria.

“We are asking our entire Seton Hall community to be as generous as possible in supporting those who are in great need at this time,” said Michelle Peterson, Director of the Department of Volunteer Efforts. “[M]any departments, clubs and organizations across the university are working on various efforts to especially assist with the dire needs

in Puerto Rico.”

For Seton Hall students who wish to help, DOVE will soon provide an opportunity to do so.

According to the College of Education and Human Services Assistant to the Dean Mayra Colón, an event to provide aid for Puerto Rico will take place on Oct. 27 in the Main Lounge. The details of the event have yet to be determined.

Sophomore biology and premed student Taylor McKever said, “After hearing about the disaster that unfolded, I started thinking of the different relief groups that would come to Puerto Rico’s aid.”

But after watching a speech given by Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital, McKever “realized how wrong I was and how guilty I felt for underestimating the situation by expecting someone else to do something as I sit watching through a television screen.”

Marie Leone can be reached at marie.leone@student.shu.edu.

Visit the Setonian at www.thesetonian.com!

Oct. 5, 2017

Throwback Thursday

What was The Setonian reporting years ago?

“MLK Scholarship Association protests 2002-03 budget cut”

Author: Courtney Johnson Date: Oct. 3, 2002 The story: Over 40 members of the Martin Luther King Scholarship Association attended a Student Senate meeting to protest a $3,500 cut in their budget for the 2002-03 academic year. Because of the protest, the budget was reviewed by the Senate.

“Pudgy Pirates”

Authors: Chris Carmona Date: Oct. 5, 2006 The story: Seton Hall ranked eighth in the Men’s Fitness/ Princeton Review of unfit colleges and universities, rising from twelfth place in 2005. The ranking is based on student responses to 17 questions based on the students and the school. The student questions revolve around how much physical activity each student partakes in and the amount of unhealthy food each student eats.

Princeton University:

Temple University:

Harvard University:

Penn State:

University of Pittsburgh:

Stanford University:

Drexel University:

University of Michigan:

Where: Princeton, N.J. Date: Oct. 3 The update: Kip Thorne, a Princeton Graduate School alumnus is one of the three recipients of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Thorne studied “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.” He and the other two researchers recorded the sound of two black holes merging into one.

From: www.princeton.edu Where: Pittsburgh, Pa. Date: Oct. 4 The update: Jason Shoemaker, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and his team of researchers have developed an app designed to teach its users how a virus attacks a cell. The app consists of a series of mini-games that become more intense as the game goes on.

From: www.post-gazette.com

Where: Philadelphia, Pa. Date: Oct. 4 The update: Richard Dalcourt, a freshman mechanical engineering major at Temple University died after falling from his sixth floor dorm window on Tuesday. University president, Richard Elgert, released a statement saying that the circumstances surrounding the fall are still unclear. The university says they are providing counseling for students.

From: www.cbsnews.com Where: Stanford, Calif.

Date: Oct. 3 The update: Stanford University officials have dedicated a park to Brock Turner’s victim on its campus. The park in the exact spot where student Emily Doe while unconscious, was sexually assaulted outside the Kappa Alpha House in 2015. The dumpsters that were nearby have been moved and replaced by the memorial.

From: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com

Where: Cambridge, Mass.

Date: Oct. 4 The update: A Harvard University student was assaulted while jogging along the Charles River on Oct. 3.

The student reported that she was grabbed by a man she did not know from behind. After a struggle with her attacker, the student used pepper spray to fend him off. She was able to break away but was unable to identify her attacker.

From: www.bostonglobe.com Where: Philadelphia, Pa. Date: Oct. 4 The update: George Ciccariello-Maher, a politics and global studies professor at Drexel University is under fire for a series of tweets he released after the mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1. In the tweets, Ciccariello-Maher blamed the shooting on “Trumpism” and “white-victimization” and called for more gun-control.

From: www.philly.com

Where: State College, Pa. Date: Oct. 4 The update: Delta Tau Delta has been suspended at Penn State according to university officials. The suspension comes after the hospitalization of an 18-year-old male student who was found unconscious off campus. The student had allegedly been drinking at the fraternity house that night. The student was not a member of the fraternity.

From: www.centredaily.com Where: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Date: Oct. 3 The update: At least two racist flyers were found on the University of Michigan’s campus on Oct. 3. One of the flyers, which was posted on the side of a residence hall, urged students to “Make America White Again.” The other flyer attacked affirmative action and discussed disparities of IQ levels between white and black students.

From: www.wxyz.com

Campus Life Jan. 19, 2017 www.thesetonian.com

0ct. 5, 2017 CAMPUS LIFE

Erika Szumel Staff Writer Seton Hall will host a panel discussion about the hit HBO series, “Game of Thrones” (GoT) and the books it was adapted from, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. The panel will be held on Oct. 5 in the Nursing Amphitheater, Room 113, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

History Professor Dr. Williamjames Hoffer organized this discussion panel after the History Department had proposed holding more events for students to talk about history in the public eye. This will be seen as a way of “engaging students in the idea that history is all around us,” Hoffer said.

The other panelists include English professor Dr. Nancy Enright, assistant history professor Dr. Sara Fieldston, history professor Dr. Laura Wangerin and English professor Angela Weisl.

Each panelist will investigate a different way that history relates to the HBO series.

Enright will begin the discussion with “Medievalism in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.” She

Photo via Flickr/Rob Obsidian Professors discussion panel on Oct. 5 will relate “Game of Thrones” to history. explained that her main talking points will examine Tolkien’s combination “of a realistic medieval and historical setting, combined with supernatural elements, that’s very Tolkien-esque.” From there, the discussion moves from the medieval era to 1940s America.

Fieldston will discuss the world that the author, George R.R. Martin, grew up in.

“He was born in 1948, part of the generation called the baby-boomers,” she said. “So, he was of course very much shaped by the world he grew up in and even though Game of Thrones is not necessarily commenting di-

rectly on that history, that history very much shaped his outlook and who he was.”

The other presentations include: Wangerin’s “Bloodfeud & Vengeance: The Middle Ages and the Game of Thrones” and Weisl’s “Making Spaces Medieval: Turning Dubrovnik into King’s Landing.” Dr. Hoffer will conclude with “Vampire Trees: Outlandish Theories and the Cycle of Death in GoT”.

Hoffer teaches a Topics course about GoT and A Song of Ice and Fire. This course is new to Seton Hall this semester, but Hoffer said he hopes to continue it in future semesters.

The class situates the books and the show as part of recent U.S. history.

Similar to this course, Hoffer would like to raise questions for students during the panel discussion about GoT and U.S. history. He said he wants students to have fun, “but also to have them talking about history and literature and the show, to realize you can have some pretty fascinating conversations if you start making these connections between your entertainment and the world around you.”

He added that students with a better understanding of their own history will be able to make con-

Page7 7 Page

nections to their lives today.

“The less you are to manipulation, the more you’re able to objectively examine, analyze and talk about history, the better off you are in terms of understanding current issues,” Hoffer said.

Alexander Melillo, a junior public relations major, said he would be interested in attending the discussion. Melillo said that he is huge GoT fan and has watched every season of the TV series.

“There are so many storylines to get hooked on that you could take a discussion in almost any direction,” Melillo said. “The connection to history would be interesting, to see what parallels there are between the medieval age and GoT.” All are welcome to attend this event. However, Hoffer warned about potential triggers. Some students may not be prepared to discuss the traumatic things that occur in GoT and A Song of Ice and Fire. He also cautioned that there will be spoilers because the panel will examine the entirety of the series.

Erika Szumel can be reached at erika.szumel@student.shu.edu.

Education majors enjoy eye-opening experience Daniel D’Amico Staff writer

Lauren Mangine, a sophomore education major, does fieldwork at Marshall Elementary School working with a class of first graders. She and other education majors shared their experiences with fieldwork and their thoughts on SHU’s education program in general.

“It’s just a really really good program, it’s very hands on and I really like it,” Mangine said. “It makes me proud to be in it.”

She has the opportunity to plan two lessons throughout the semester.

The program involves student teaching once a week in which the student observes a teacher and gets to plan lessons. In this program for first semester sophomores, students work with students in kindergarten through second grade. They are required to work a total of 60 hours per semester. They typically alternate between an urban and rural area for fieldwork each semester sophomore year. This semester

Mangine is in a rural area.

She described how the students are always asking questions, constantly wanting to know more.

They are also at an egotistical age, where they relate topics back to themselves. Because of this, she must simplify topics.

This entails a focus on phonics and vocabulary among other aspects. She she said that she often she has to think about different ways to present the information in a way that the children will understand.

Mangine said that this task is occasionally difficult but worth the challenge.

“I think the most challenging part is being able to communicate on their level, but I think it’s also really rewarding when you see so much progress be made,” she said.

She also explained other benefits of the program. Working with the teacher, she was quickly able to get involved with the class. The teacher follows a certain set of standards that Mangine said she admired.

For example, the teacher stressed

self-control and how the students should speak to others.

Sydney Feinberg, a junior secondary education and english major, discussed how fieldwork helped her better understand the world of education.

“The program and its classes have opened my eyes further into what it means to become a teacher and just how much hard work teachers do,” Feinberg said.

Two other juniors in the education program, Olivia Neiman and Elizabeth Newman, said that their experiences in the program were fulfilling, in part because they had professors to help guide them along the way.

“Without these placements [in various classrooms], writing te- Photo courtesy of Lauren Mangine dious lesson plans doesn’t seem Education majors shared their experience with fieldwork. worth it,” Neiman said. “But making a change in student’s lives and “It would be better if placements ties in the fall than in the spring.” having the opportunity to bond were able to take place in the fall inShe added that, though this preswith them is a gift.” stead of in the spring because many ents a potential difficulty, it has According to these students, the teachers are overwhelmed in the not prevented her from getting the timing of placement tests can cause spring,” Newman said. “In my exmost she can out of the program. some difficulty for students looking perience, teachers are more willing Daniel D’Amico can be reached at to start their fieldwork. to give the interns more opportunidaniel.damico@student.shu.edu.

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CAMPUS LIFE

Oct. 5, 2017

Blue Beard Army shows passion for Pirates

student section had a club, a way of bringing them all together.

Tim Best, a senior journalism The Blue Beard Army is a major and co-president of Blue group of fans in the student secBeard Army, said the group not tion at Prudential Center. They only supports all the teams at show their dedication to Pirate Seton Hall, but also makes sure sports teams in a variety of ways. that students have an interactive Whether it be making signs to experience beyond just watching display at games or organizing the games. activities within the student sec“There’s a multitude of special tion, they aim to get students things that we have done during more involved in games. basketball games specifically,” Matthew LeMoine, a senior fiBest said. nance major and co-president of In particular, he mentioned the Blue Beard Army, said that how all of the students in the stuthe group’s mission is to create a dents’ section coordinated their “home field advantage” for SHU own “Mannequin Challenge” teams by providing an enjoyable during halftime at the home experience for them and fans opener last year. alike.

“We are also coordinating a “In years past, we have focused pair of tailgates during soccer on basketball a lot, but this year season and, as for what we have especially we are emphasizing goplanned for basketball season to ing to as many games for every increase student engagement, let’s sport as possible,” he said. “We just say that it’ll be a surprise,” he

Photo courtesy of Tim Best want to create a home field adsaid.

The Blue Beard Army shows their creativity in signs, especially those involving Rutgers. vantage for all of our teams.”

The group also tries to support Hope DeVito, a senior broadthe teams by travelling to away of that sheet is the roster of our aged to wear their Blue Beard campus and having an outlet for casting major and secretary of games close to campus. Regardopponent that night so that you Army shirts that all returning their school spirit.

Blue Beard Army talked about less of where they travel, Best said know exactly who to heckle to members wear.

“I joined because I love the the background of the group the group has a strategy for comget inside their heads during the They do this to be more identipassion that this group has for its and what the members hope to ing up with chants and heckles game.” fiable to fellow pirate supporters school and I was excited to have accomplish at sports events. She against rival teams.

As far as teaching the newcomas well as the opposing team and the chance to build up the pride explained that students devel“We traditionally draft up ers the traditional chants, the their supporters. throughout the school and in the oped this club in January 2014 chant sheets that provide a guide Blue Beard Army is planning an For DeVito, LeMoine and Best, area,” DeVito said. because they thought it would be for what to chant in specific sitevent to help them learn for the joining the Blue Beard Army was Rhania Kamel can be reached at helpful to student morale if the uations,” he said. “On the top games. They will also be encourabout getting more involved on rhania.kamel@student.shu.edu.

Rhania Kamel Staff Writer

Student shares her journey of independence Payton Seda Staff Writer

For Brittany Setaro, the defining moment of when she was ready for college was the day she could put on her shoes without any help from her aunt and uncle.

While most teenagers realize their independence when they get their driver’s license, the task of getting dressed by herself was the last hurdle toward independence for Setaro.

The junior social and behavioral science major often struggles with everyday tasks that other students her age may take for granted. The mundane act of walking from one class to another can become a pilgrimage when living with cerebral palsy (CP).

“When I walk, my signals are a little bit different than [those of ] everybody else,” Setaro said.

CP affects everyone differently and varies in range of physical impairment. Setaro has spastic dieplegia cerebral palsy. This specific branch of CP affects both of Setaro’s legs, causing limited mobility, decreased stamina and back pain.

“I didn’t see myself as different from anybody else until middle

school,” Setaro said about growing up with her disability.

Setaro was a cheerleader through sophomore year of high school but never felt accepted by the other students.

“High school wasn’t a really good experience because nobody had the ability to look past my disability,” Setaro said. “They would just see my crutches.”

Her time at Seton Hall, however, has been drastically different. Starting in the Education Opportunity Program (EOP) the summer before her freshman year, Setaro was able to acclimate to the school more quickly. From the moment she stepped onto campus, she said SHU felt like a second home to her.

“There’s never a time when I’m walking on campus and there’s no one who says ‘hi’ to me,” she said.

Setaro said that one of the major differences between her high school and Seton Hall was the amount of students with disabilities.

“I’m not the one anymore,” she said.

Setaro is extremely involved on campus as a member of five clubs and organizations, many of which she does volunteer work with, in-

cluding the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE), the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority and Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.

“Brittany has so many wonderful qualities,” said Michelle Peterson, the director of DOVE who has been working with Setaro since her sophomore year. “She is compassionate, creative, assertive and always providing new ideas and ways to help people.”

This semester, Setaro is leading a new program with the Cerebral Palsy League of NJ (CPNJ) where children with disabilities can participate in a choreographed dance class, according to Peterson.

“We know that, while it was a hard road, she is in a good place,” said Setaro’s uncle and guardian, Joe Romano. “Our hope is that others see her in the same light and that her accomplishments serve as a model for them to always reach for their dreams.”

Setaro’s ultimate goal is to spread awareness of physical disabilities and make every building on campus accessible with an automatic door at each entrance.

Although Seton Hall has been accommodating toward her living on campus, such as bringing her mail out to her, Setaro wishes to

Photo courtesy of Brittany Setaro Setaro encourages others with disabilities to find independence. be fully independent.

“I want to be an active participant in my life,” she said. “There’s never been an opportunity missed because of my disability.”

She encourages others with disabilities to follow the same mis-

sion.

“I like to call disabilities ‘acceptionalities’; the quicker you accept your disability the quicker you can be happy,” she said.

Payton Seda can be reached at payton.seda@student.shu.edu.

Oct. 5, 2017

CAMPUS LIFE

Page 9

Israeli professor journeys to Seton Hall to share her story Marianne-Grace Datu Staff Writer

On the right side of Ruth Tsuria’s desk sits a corkboard. On that corkboard, a bright magenta bumper sticker reads, “Don’t Mess with a Texas Feminist.”

Tsuria, who is originally from Israel, travelled around the world and settled in Texas. She grew up in Jerusalem, a city of different faiths and as she describes it, “politically charged.” Tsuria came to Seton Hall this semester and began teaching digital communication classes.

Although she grew up religious, she recalls having a fun childhood experience. The oldest of five brothers and sisters, Tsuria and her siblings would sneak into centuries-old abandoned homes and throw parties.

Looking back at herself as a teenager, she remembers reading a lot and even deems herself a “geek” for liking comic books, which at the time, was not popular in Israel, a “geek-culture desert.”

“When I was growing up, in the entirety of Israel, there was one comic book shop. Now we have like three,” she said. “The comic book shop was so small, one could easily walk right past it and not even realize it was there.”

She read many books growing up and noted that George Orwell’s

proaches her students in a more forward thinking way. Students arrange the desks to form a circle, where she joins in, encourages them to participate in the discussion, and be open to share and bounce off each others ideas with what she calls “collective intelligence.”

“Not everyone knows everything, but each of us know something. So if we could just take out the best things that each of us know, we can learn a lot more from each other,” she said.

Ebony Simpson, a graduate student majoring in strategic communication said, “She teaches in a way where it’s like, ‘we’re going to discuss it, everyone’s going to have time to speak, I want to really make sure you guys are understanding the concepts I’m giving you,’ so I really like her teaching style.”

Citing a proverb from the Tal mud, a central text of Judaism,

Photo courtesy of Ruth Tsuria Tsuria says, “I’ve learned the most Professor Ruth Tsuria encourages students to learn by participating in lively discussions. from my students.”

“Animal Farm” and “1984” heavily ple’s lives, both in a personal matter her husband, Nicholas Marshall, She is currently converting her influenced her and her interest in and in a political and social matter,” who also started teaching at SHU dissertation into her first book, social and political concepts. she said. this semester. which will focus on gender and For her undergraduate program However, she was not satisfied “Ruth is a futuristic, forward sexuality in most religions, looking at Hebrew University, she double with just Jewish studies and decided thinking person,” Marshall said. at motherhood, marriage, intimacy majored in Jewish philosophy and to look at masters programs abroad “She’s always trying to figure out and reactions to feminism in the orbusiness management, but eventuthat fit her interest for contempowhat the next trend is, and I will thodox religious world, as they are ally changed it for something comrary religious studies. say, I am the opposite, I’m more of communicated online. parative in nature.

While earning her master’s dea backwards historian, which is why Marianne-Grace Datu can be “I wanted to understand the ingree in Copenhagen, Denmark, I think we mesh together so nicely.” reached at mariannegrace.datu@stufluence that religions have on peoTsuria met the man that became In the classroom, Tsuria apdent.shu.edu.

Professor’s political analysis featured in nationwide news outlets Megan Beauchamp Staff Writer Following President Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations, associate professor of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Martin Edwards was featured in media across the globe, offering his expertise on the matter.

Interviewed by the newswire AFP, Edwards contributed comments that were picked up by numerous publications across the globe, including MSN and Yahoo.

“It is pretty humbling to see a news story run in a lot of places,” Edwards said. “But that’s an indication that people want to learn more about the U.N.” When he joinined the diplomacy school in 2006, Edwards was already well versed in the world of international relations as well as politics. He’s provided commentary for multiple outlets, both local and international.

“I approach media interviews the same way that I approach teaching,” Edwards said. “If I can help people to see an issue differently then they did before, then that’s a plus.”

News outlets far and wide paid a special attention to President Trump in his debut at the U.N.,

where not only 129 heads of state were watching, but also countless people across the country.

Trump is notable for having a rather interesting approach to giving speeches; this one appeared to be no different when he most memorably referred to the leader of North Korea as “rocket man.”

In the article “All eyes on Donald Trump as world leaders gather at United Nations,” Edwards predicted that Trump would have a tone that was “off-putting rather than engaging.” Even a fellow UN expert featured in the article, Richard Gowan said that globally, expectations were “low” regarding the president.

Edwards explained that tone is something that heads of state strongly consider when listening to Trump speak, and taking into account the colorful language the president used at the U.N., Edwards was not impressed and neither were his students.

“Students wanted to talk about it in both my Global Governance classes,” Edwards said. “Reactions ranged from, ‘Can the president really do that?’ to a genuine fear that we’ll be in in a war with North Korea.”

Being in the field for so many years, Edwards noted that while some of the president’s remarks

at the U.N. were concerning, perhaps even frightening, issues between U.S. administration and the United Nations, is not necessarily anything new. New US leaders coming into power shake up the dynamics of the U.N. because, according to Edwards, they have their own ideas about what role it should have.

“We cannot hide from the world,” he said. “We have to try to model what responsible citizens look like.”

A current student of Edwards, junior Abigail Cordaro, broke down all the major themes they cover in the Institutions of Global Governance class Edwards teaches, ranging from international institutions to discussing importance of international organizations.

A diplomacy and international relations and modern languages double major, Cordaro talked about what she takes away from Edwards’ teaching.

“Dr. Edwards is extremely enthusiastic and easy to listen to,” Cordaro said. “He is always well prepared and obviously passionate about the subject at hand.”

The political climate is certainly something that seems to fluctuate, but instead of seeing that negatively, Edwards says he sees it

Photo via Twitter/ Martin Edwards Professor Martin Edwards’ interview with AFP was featured on publications like MSN and Yahoo. as a benefit.

“It’s my job to pose questions about the world,” said Edwards.

“That should never be thought of

as a dangerous act.”

Megan Beauchamp can be reached at megan.beauchamp@student.shu.edu.

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CAMPUS LIFE

Oct. 5, 2017

SHU alum founds nation’s leading women’s basketball agency Christina McDonald-Vitale Campus Life Copy Editor

to coaches has allowed me to establish and grow my agency.”

Jada Pierce, one of Stanchak’s When Brian Stanchak Class early clients and current women’s of ’04, attended Seton Hall more basketball head coach at Niagra than a decade ago, he studied University, has known Stanchak sports management. This degree since his days as an assistant coach provided him with the educational at Fairleigh Dickinson University. foundation to found the nation’s “Even back then Brian was comleading women’s basketball agency. mitted to daily excellence with a “I feel like I was one of the few tireless work ethic,” Pierce wrote in students who did not want to be an an email. “We hit it off right away agent at that time so I can’t say that because we both were in coaching I ever set out to become an agent,” for the right reasons [student athStanchak said. “My culmination of lete experience along with teaching experiences following graduation about life after basketball]. Brian led me into the profession.” has worked tirelessly not only for With 15 years of combined exmyself, but for all of his clients in perience and dedication to helpThe BDS Agency. We are not just ing others as an athletic director his clients…we are his family too!” and Division I basketball coach at Current SHU women’s basschools like Seton Hall, Fairleigh ketball head coach Tony Bozzella Dickinson University, and the studied business management and University of Pennsylvania, he recommunications at The Hall. Bozalized that no one would ever pay zella is currently a client of Stanhim an amount equivalent to his chak’s and admires his work ethic hard work. as well as unique ability to connect The BDS Agency, which uses with his clientele.

Stanchak’s initials for its title, was “I am always looking to do bet created in 2013. ter in my job,” Bozzella said. “I use

“I have real-life, hands-on expeBrian’s expertise to help hire new rience in the fields of the coaches assistants myself.”

I represent and the administrators Bozzella said what makes StanI interact with during the search chak special is that as a former process and when negotiating my coach he knows what services he client’s contracts,” Stanchak said. would have wanted for himself if “Having the experience and an exhe were to work with an agent and pertise that can be truly beneficial applies it to his agency.

Photo courtesy of Brian Stanchak Brian Stanchak (‘04) has used his degree in sports management from SHU to form the BDS Agency.

Stanchak is dedicated to providing opportunities to help coaches augment their career goals. His future goals for the agency adhere to his devotion to the women’s basketball community.

“I have put an emphasis on rep-

resenting a niche area, women’s basketball coaches,” Stanchak said.

“That has and will always remain my focus, but if there is expansion outside of women’s basketball, I can see working with coaches in other collegiate women’s sports to

be an advocate for them and ensure they are maximizing the professional and financial aspects of their contract.”

Christina Vitale can be reached at Christina.mcdonaldvitale@student. shu.edu.

Student used extracurricular activities to score job at NFL Network Veronica Gaspa Staff Writer Lauren O’Connor, who graduated from Seton Hall University in 2015 with a degree in TV production, is now an associate producer on the “Good Morning Football” show on the NFL Network.

O’Connor recieved more than just a diploma when she left The Hall. During her time in South Orange, O’Connor had many internships, got involved, and was responsible for making Pirate TV what it is today.

O’Connor started Hall Talk, a sports talk show that still airs on Pirate TV every Friday. “Lauren is a great example of a student that took advantage of Seton Hall,” said Thomas Rondinella, associate dean of Communication College of Communication and the Arts.

“She taught me how to manage a large group of students and be well liked by all of them,” said Anuar Zidan, senior broadcasting major and the executive producer of Pirate TV. O’Connor came to SHU from California and knew what she had to do to get where she is today. O’Connor noted that she

was a little on the fence about SHU, but when she met Rondinella on her campus tour he told her that SHU would give her what no other campus could the opportunity to go to school just outside of the biggest multimedia city in the world.

O’Connor started learning about football by watching the New England Patriots with her father, who was from New England.

“Because I work for the network I do have other favorite teams each year or favorite players, but the Patriots are my team.

Ride or die, those are my guys,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor already liked to watch football, but becoming an avid football expert during college was a big transition for her.

O’Connor made it a point to network with her professors, advisors, and most importantly, her peers. “You need to be networking with your classmates, because they’re gonna be the ones that are either gonna help you get a job or you’re gonna help them get a job,” O’Connor said.

During her time at SHU, O’Connor took advantage of the internship program and built her resume. O’Connor said that

Photo courtesy of Lauren O’Connor Lauren O’Connor (center) participated in Pirate TV and multiple internships while at Seton Hall. it isn’t just about getting good grades in college, but it is also taking advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom.

Rondinella said that students are in college because they have no experience and the ones who

make it like O’Connor know that Seton Hall is a place to create opportunities O’Connor left SHU with many lessons and memories.

“The one thing I will never forget is probably the Pirate TV

studio,” O’Connor said. “And everything I learned from it, and all the people I met, and all the opportunities that came from it,” Veronica Gaspa can be reached at veronica.gaspa@student.shu. edu.

Opinion thesetonian.com

Oct. 5, 2017

The Voice

Page 11

Land of the free, home of the semi-automatics

I

t’s sickening that we had to scroll through our news feeds after waking up on Monday morning and read about yet another horrific mass shooting.

The awful the Las Vegas massacre, which was preceded by the Dallas sniper attack, the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, the San Bernardino attack, the Aurora, Colorado massacre and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. These senseless acts of violence happened over the span of five years – they aren’t the only ones,

either, just some of the most prominent.

One hundred and sixty-five people were killed and approximately another 640 were injured in these six incidents alone. In each of these shootings, semi-automatic weapons were involved.

If you’re not disgusted by this, you should be.

We’re putting the focus on America’s unusual obsession with weapons, specifically semi-automatic guns. A large portion of our country insists they are necessary

for protection, therefore we cannot make them illegal. They claim we are actually safer if there are more guns around us because that way we can take down an active shooter.

Tell that to the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday. It wasn’t a gun that saved them, it was a gun that killed them.

If guns make our country so much safer, than why are so many of our people dying? Why do people refuse to see that the statistics make their safety argument moot?

Alyssa Schirm Asst. Campus Life Editor

Stephen Paddock was found with 23 guns in his Mandalay Bay hotel room after he shot and killed 59 people in Las Vegas on Sunday. An additional 19 guns were found in his Mesquite, Nev. home. Omar Mateen, whose name was on two federal watch lists for being a known ISIS supporter, easily purchased two handguns within a week before murdering 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

The guns that were legally obtained by these men took the lives of many.

Some argue that owning a gun is a constitutional right and they’re not wrong. It is completely legal to own a registered gun,

as stated in the second amendment. However, using the second amendment to defend murderer’ – like Paddock – is just pathetic.

Police confiscated a total of 42 guns from Paddock’s hotel room and home.

Even if it is legal to own a gun, no one should have the right to own enough guns to create the most deadly shooting in modern American history. If keeping the second amendment is so important, the government has to limit the amount of guns per household to try to prevent such frequent shootings.

We also need to create legislation for stricter screening processes. Omar Mateen, the Pulse nightclub shooter, was able to obtain two guns without a problem even though he was a known ISIS

supporter. He passed every necessary test required by law with no loopholes or tricks. The problem here isn’t his ability to forgo legal tests. The problem is with inadequate screenings that need to be updated and strictly enforced.

Some may cite protection or even hunting as viable reasons to own a gun. In a PEW Research study conducted in February of 2013, 48 percent of gun owners said they own their guns for protection.

The Violence Policy Center, however, found that in 2012, only 0.1 percent of all gun owners have ever used their gun for protection.

A Harvard University study found that for every person who uses a gun for self-defense, six others use them to commit a crime.

Today, the second amendment

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Corrections

Why are we so adamant about doing absolutely nothing to prevent these disasters from happening again? What has happened to our country?

We prioritize guns over our own citizens. It’s as simple as that. Lawmakers are too stuck in their old ways to seek any form of beneficial change for the safety of our people.

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly even had the audacity to write in a blog post that mass shootings are “the price of freedom.”

Sorry Mr. O’Reilly, but we don’t consider guns essential to our freedom. We consider freedom to be able to safely walk around without the risk of someone shooting up a crowd with a semi-automatic weapon.

This is supposed to be a “great” country, yet our lives are worth less than a gun.

The Voice is intended to best represent the collective opinion of The Setonian’s Editorial Board. It is written by The Setonian’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor.

Photo via Wikimedia/Jay C. Pugh The Violence Policy Center found in 2012 only 0.1 percent of people who own guns have had to use them for self defense. only exists for the 0.1 percent of people who have used their weapons in self defense because no one feels that we should make slight changes to a 228 year-old document. There’s no reason to keep an amendment in its current form – it was made when we had nothing else to protect ourselves with, like emergency services or the task forces we have today. I

don’t claim that gun control will prevent shootings 100 percent, but I know something has to be done to try to prevent the devastation that we’re becoming scarily accustomed to.

Alyssa Schirm is a sophomore journalism amd visiual and sound media double major from Kearny, New Jersey. She can be reached at alyssa.schirm@student.shu.edu.

The Setonian

Volume 94 Issue 6

Ashley Turner Editor-in-Chief

Alyssa Schirm Ast. Campus Life Editor

Greg Medina Photography Editor

Samantha Todd Managing Editor

Christina Vitale Sarah Yenesel Campus Life Copy Editor Ast. Photography Editor

Brianna Bernath News Editor

Elizabeth Swinton Sports Editor

James Justice Sports Copy Editor

Isabel Soisson Ast. News Editor

Tyler Calvaruso Ast. Sports Editor

Andrew Lombardo Sports Digital Editor

Thomas Schwartz News Copy Editor

Clara Capone Graphics Editor

Hannah Sakha & Vanessa Vela Social Media Editors

Josh Steier Digital Editor

B.J. Schecter Faculty Adviser

The Setonian willingly corrects errors. For corrections, please conJulie Trien tact Ashley Turner, Editor-in-Chief, Campus Life Editor at thesetonian1718@gmail.com.

Page 12

SPORTS

Oct. 5, 2017

THROUGH OUR EYES

Sports Quote of the Week “Him being as good as he is now is definitely motivating me and I want to push myself harder to be as good or even beat him.”

- Junior men’s golfer Gen Nagai on Lloyd Jefferson Go

NCAA scandal necessitates New test for CTE a change in recruiting could be end of the NFL as we know it

Tyler Calvaruso Asst. Sports Editor

It was long suspected that recruiting in college basketball was a dirty business, but now we know exactly how dirty it is.

Thanks to an FBI investigation that resulted in the arrests of four assistant coaches, an Adidas executive and legendary Louisville coach Rick Pitino being placed on unpaid administrative leave with all signs pointing to his dismissal, college basketball has officially been turned upside down.

Assistant coaches Tony Bland of USC, Book Richardson of Arizona, Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State and Chuck Person of Auburn were among those charged with various crimes, along with James Gatto, Adidas Global Sports marketing director for basketball.

Louisville is one of the schools in the most trouble, as it was alleged that Gatto paid incoming freshman Brian Bowen $100,000 at the request of a Louisville assistant to secure Bowen’s commitment. The allegations seem to be the final straw for Pitino, who saw the Louisville Athletic Board vote to move forward with his termination on Oct. 2, according to ESPN. Athletic director Tom Jurich has also been placed on administrative leave and will likely be fired.

The scandal does not end there, though, as Arizona’s Richardson allegedly gave five-star point guard and former Seton Hall recruit Jahvon Quinerly $15,000 to secure his commitment, and Auburn’s Person was allegedly given money to steer his players towards a certain financial advisory and business management service.

It goes without saying that this is bad news for the NCAA and for college basketball, but where do things go from here? It is clear that the landscape of recruiting in college basketball needs to change.

As recruits continue to get more attention at a younger age, sneaker companies will look to pounce, as they are always looking for the next big name to represent their brand. However, giving a recruit large sums of money, especially when that recruit is an amateur, is crossing not only the moral line, but the legal line as well.

These coaches can face time in prison just because they made an effort to get a top prospect to

Andrew Lombardo Sports Digital Editor

Photos via Louisville Athletics Rick Pitino (top) was placed on unpaid administrative leave from Louisville on Sept. 27 after his third scandal. attend their school, making these actions indicative of how dirty recruiting in college basketball has become.

High payouts like those that Bowen received to commit to Louisville can be attributed to sneaker companies like Adidas who have become major players in recruiting in recent years, as have AAU coaches who have relationships with said sneaker companies.

With what the FBI has uncovered, a changing of the guard could take place, where forming a relationship with a recruit’s high school coach becomes more important than forming a relationship with a recruit’s AAU coach or program director.

Most high school coaches do not deal directly with sneaker companies, making them safer and more trustworthy for college coaches to deal with throughout the recruiting process. This changing of the guard would take recruiting back to the old days, before AAU basketball existed, where the high school coach was

the go-to guy in a player’s recruitment.

It is no secret that almost everything in today’s world is driven by money, that top recruits lead to winning - winning leads to more people in the seats and more people in the seats leads to more revenue for the athletic department.

Nevertheless, schools need to realize they are academic institutions more than they are athletic entities.

Very few have shown that recognition and with everything that has come to light recently, one can add the recruitment of teenage high school basketball players to the list of things that are driven by money in today’s society.

Hopefully, the findings of this investigation will discourage coaches from taking part in dirty recruiting activities in the future and the NCAA can move past this to become a better organization.

Tyler Calvaruso is a journalism major from Howell, N.J. He can be reached at tyler.calvaruso@student. shu.edu or on Twitter @tyler_calvaruso.

The political tension within the NFL is hiding a much larger problem for the league that, unlike debates about anthem protests, will not fade away. It has been and will continue to be the league’s ultimate problem: the aftermath of concussions and brain injuries.

According to Boston University, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a “progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma (often athletes), including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms.”

CTE does not discriminate and it is an issue for all football players. No one wants CTE, but no one wants to change anything that could make football less fun. For years, the NFL denied any link between football and CTE. It was not until December 2009 that the league finally acknowledged the dangers of football and concussions. It was then that NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Alan Schwarz from The New York Times that, “it’s quite obvious from the medical research that’s been done that concussions can lead to longterm problems.”

This was the first time the league admitted to the dangers and longterm effects concussions can have on the brain.

The league also donated $1 million to Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, making them the “preferred brain bank of the NFL.” This gave Boston University the approval for future research on the brains of deceased NFL players.

Since the league conceded that football was in fact a dangerous sport, concussions and head trauma have dominated the discussion every off-season. The result has been a constant struggle over the desire to make the game safer while also keeping the sanctity of football intact. With each year, more players have retired at younger ages, citing concussions or CTE as the reason why.

Although the NFL endorsed the university’s research as a means to

make the game safer, it has done more harm than good for the league. This summer, a study from Boston University found that 110 of 111 brains of deceased NFL players had CTE. The study also analyzed high school and college players, finding CTE in 177 of the 202 total brains.

“It is no longer debatable whether or not there is a problem in football. There is a problem,” Dr. Ann McKee said, according to The New York Times.

Last week, the same researchers from Boston University found a new biomarker that could pave the way for diagnosing CTE in living patients. While the breakthrough is considered incredible for the neurology field, it could also signal the end of football as we currently know it.

If a living NFL player is diagnosed with early signs of CTE, there is no scenario in which continuing his career would be even remotely safe. The idea to continue playing would practically be suicidal. The day Boston University published its study diagnosing CTE in 99 percent of the brains they analyzed, Patriots wide receiver Andrew Hawkins announced his retirement. Two days later, Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel followed him, citing the study.

Assuming BU will eventually develop a method to diagnose CTE in living people, the findings could spark a mass exodus out of the league like no sport league has ever seen. It would also be a blow to youth and high school football programs across the country, as not many parents would want to see their child play a sport that multiplies his or her chances of getting a degenerative brain disease.

The findings may have been motivated in part by the NFL’s sense of obligation toward finding the truth about CTE, although it is easy to see how this breakthrough could signal the end of football as we know it. The taking a knee protests will not be the end of the NFL, but CTE just might.

Andrew Lombardo is a journalism major from Middletown, Conn.

He can be reached at Andrew.lombardo@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Lombardo_andrew.

Oct. 5, 2017

SPORTS

Page 13

SHU volleyball struggling in the heart of Big East Play Keith Egan Staff Writer Seton Hall’s volleyball team is heading into the heart of Big East play, as every game becomes more important with the Pirates’ eyes set on another Big East tournament appearance. However, if the team wants to experience a second consecutive postseason, it needs to keep up with other conference teams statistically.

The Pirates are near the bottom of the Big East in hitting percentage, assists, blocks and digs, and are last in kills and service aces in the conference. Seton Hall currently stands at 3-2 in conference play, with two of its tougher matches behind it. However, the team’s play out of conference will need to improve upon now that it is in the midst of its Big East

schedule.

What can be good for the Pirates is that many of the statistics they have struggled with are connected. By being low in the digs column, they are going to have a tougher chance at getting assists, and therefore, fewer kills. By raising their blocking percentages, they will be given even more help and put more points on the board.

It is going to have to start with team offense for the Pirates. Each player has a role and sometimes that varies. By communicating and spreading the ball around the court, they will get closer to turning their offense around.

Abby Thelen has 260 kills, which are 89 more than any other Pirate, illustrate her value, but also a lopsidedness which cannot be maintained if the Pirates want to experience success at the end of

the season. The Pirates currently have three players other than Thelen with over 100 kills: Dominique Mason, Sharay Barnes and Caitlin Koska. These players will have to step up and help find a balance to alleviate Thelen’s workload.

The struggles in the stat columns have not come directly from conference play, however. In their four conference games, the Pirates have totaled six fewer kills, six more digs and are even in assists with their opponents. This is also including games against Creighton and Marquette, two of the top teams in the Big East.

Against No. 12 Creighton on Sept. 29, the offense was working as a team and only had four fewer kills and one fewer assist, despite losing in straight sets. The Pirates played a complete competitive

game, but fell due to mistakes and a talented Bluejay team.

Seton Hall struggled against Marquette on Sept. 22, but in their wins in straight sets against DePaul on Sept. 23 and Providence on Sept. 30, they had 15 more kills and 16 more assists. In those wins, the team worked in unison, which has been a sign of play lately.

What has hurt the Pirates in matches where they are moving the ball is their amount of errors. Seton Hall has had 70 total errors through four conference games and 360 for the season, 30 more than their opponents have committed. It may not have cost them games yet, but if they do not change their habits, it soon will.

In the end, the Pirates need to find their groove and match it with consistency. Seton Hall be-

gan the year impressively with a 6-3 record through its first two tournaments, but its 2-6 record after that has done no favors.

Nonetheless, when it comes to making the Big East Tournament, the conference games are all that matter. Seton Hall will look to continue some of the play it displayed this past weekend as they look to improve numbers across the board and once again take the conference by storm come tournament time.

Keith Egan can be reached at keith.egan@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Keith_Egan10.

HALL ACROSS THE BOARD SCORES OF THE WEEK WOMEN’S SOCCER

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

MEN’S SOCCER

Thursday, Sept. 28

Butler Seton Hall

0 0

Sunday, Oct. 1

Seton Hall Georgetown

0 5

Saturday, Sept. 30

Creighton Seton Hall

0 2

VOLLEYBALL Friday, Sept. 29

Creighton Seton Hall

Saturday, Sept. 23

3 0

Providence Seton Hall

0 3

Wednesday, Oct. 4

Georgetown Seton Hall

1 3

For complete coverage of all Seton Hall Athletics, visit thesetonian.com or follow us on Twitter @SetonianSports.

What’s 10/5 ON DECK Thursday Home

Away

10/6 Friday

Volleyball Men’s GolfWomen’s Golf Tennis Cross Country Swimming & Diving

Villanova 7 p.m.

Saturday

DePaul 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer

10/7

10/8 Sunday

Creighton 1 p.m.

Photo via SHU Athletics Volleyball coach Allison Yaeger picked up her 100th career win against Providence on Sept. 30.

10/9 Monday

10/10 10/11 Tuesday

Wednesday

Villanova Xavier Butler 7 p.m.

6 p.m.

7 p.m.

Xavier W: Yale W: Yale 2nd W: Yale 3rd M: WVU 1st M: WVU 2nd 7 p.m.

1st round round round round round Navy Invita- Navy Invita- Navy Invitational tional tional Delaware UMBC 3:30 p.m.

Rider 1 p.m.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Page 14

SPORTS

Seton Hall Sports Poll provides context on anthem divide

James Justice Sports Copy Editor

Ever since it was launched in February 2006, the Seton Hall Sports Poll has never been afraid to address sensitive issues where sports cross over the threshold of the literal and metaphorical white lines. This has led to the sports poll being cited by sports and cable news networks like ESPN and Fox News and recently, being used as evidence to push forward a point about anthem protests by President Donald Trump’s spokesperson Steve Cheung.

Those involved with the Sports Poll clearly do not run from controversial issues, but they look for them.

“I can’t really ever remember backing off an issue,” Rick Gentile, director of the Sports Poll, said.

“We don’t want to ask questions like ‘who do you think is going to win the World Series?,’ I don’t really care for the answer to that question. Or ‘do you think Aaron Judge will hit 60 home runs?’. We’ve never covered those questions.”

Instead, the Sports Poll has addressed issues that question people’s moral stances on certain issues that hold significance beyond the outcome of a game or a stat line. Issues

Photo via twitter/Jaguars Jaguars players stand united during the national anthem in Week 3. such as the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State have illustrated the polls’ willingness to ask tough questions.

Last week, the questions on NFL players’ anthem protests and Colin Kaepernick’s employment revealed what many might already knowhow America is divided racially.

The poll, which had a 3.4 percent margin of error, revealed that 84 percent of respondents felt players had a right to protest; however only 35 percent felt not standing for the national anthem was an acceptable form of protest. But it is inside that 35 percent where America’s racial divide is broadly depicted, as 70

percent of African-Americans saw not standing as an acceptable form of protest, compared to only 22 percent of white respondents.

A similar dichotomy can be seen in a question that asked why respondents believe Kaepernick is currently out of a job. Among African-Americans, 81 percent felt it was due to his protest, whereas only seven percent felt it was because he is not good enough. Among white respondents, the number was down to 41 percent who felt it was because of his protest, and up to 22 percent who felt it was because he is not good enough.

“Why we still have racial divide,

God only knows,” Gentile said. “It’s depressing, it’s distressing, it’s all those things. But clearly we still do.”

The identifiable divide in responses is understandable to Gentile, who sees African-Americans coming at the questions surrounding protests differently than the rest of the public. This is because, according to Gentile, most of the public has lost sight of the protests’ original meaning, but African-Americans have not: that the issue of anthem protests, which was already politicized, has changed from one of civil rights to one of pro-Trump vs. pro-NFL. “Trump saying it’s not about race…well, that’s so completely untrue when you consider the original reason for the protest”, Gentile said.

“It’s exactly about race. And I think that African-Americans have not lost sight of the original reasons of the protest. I suspect, based on the results we’ve seen, that the rest of the population has taken the stance of pro-Trump or pro-NFL, but [the original intent of the protest] has lost its meaning in a very real way.”

The numbers were not all negative for Gentile, who found his silver lining in the fact that 84 percent of Americans supported the players’ right to protest social injustice.

Ben Gillo, a junior marketing

Oct. 5, 2017

major, shared that sentiment in supporting the players’ right to protest.

“The players have a right to express how they feel,” Gillo said.

“Everything that is going on, especially given the fact that they have a voice like they do…to be able to use it in a way, they are just taking a knee. They’re not doing anything destructive.

“I get the other side too, like, you fight in war to represent that flag, so I understand also the veterans, who actually fought for that flag, for them to be disrespected. But at the same time, the flag is supposed to represent freedom, democracy and all these different things, and the players feel like they don’t have those rights, so that’s why they’re protesting.”

The next poll will be conducted on Oct. 23-25, and Gentile hopes that by then, the concern over whether a player takes a knee for the national anthem is dissipated.

“There might not be a controversial issue on Oct. 23,” Gentile said.

“Who knows, right? And God help us if this is still a controversial issue.”

James Justice can be reached at james.justice@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @JamesJusticeIII.

Nagai settling into role as a leader in 2017 Matt Lapolla Staff Writer

Losing a program-altering golfer like Lloyd Jefferson Go would be a tough blow for any golf team. But, thanks to junior Gen Nagai, Seton Hall is handling it well.

The Pirates have only played in two tournaments this 2017-2018 season, but Nagai has already earned a Big East Golfer of the Week Award. His 4-under-par, 71-69-72-212 performance at the Hartford Hawks Invitational on Sept. 18-19 was the sixth best out of 116 individual golfers.

“It’s pretty cool,” Nagai said.

“Any time there’s an achievement like that, I’m happy about it. I did play pretty well.”

The performance in Hartford was the second top-20 finish for Nagai on the year and his third in a row dating back to his second place finish at the 2017 Big East Championship in the spring.

As a team, the Pirates finished in fourth place at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial on Sept. 9-10 and in second at the Hartford Hawks Invitational, thanks in large part to strong performances

by Nagai.

Head coach Clay White has

Photo via SHU Athletics Junior Gen Nagai has stepped into a leadership role after the departure of star Lloyd Jefferson Go. seen improvements in Nagai’s play since he first arrived at Seton Hall in 2015, noting that both Nagai and Chris Yeom have made tremendous strides in their collegiate careers.

“If you look at Gen’s start, and even Chris, they had a rough freshman year,” White said.

“They put in a ton of work. We built a new golf room; they were in that golf room whenever they weren’t in class or in practice.”

Nagai himself agrees and believes that Seton Hall has put him in a great position to take his game to the next level.

“It’s definitely improved [my game], big time,” Nagai said. “I really feel like it’s cause our whole program and even our coach really gives us the opportunity to do so. We get to work on what we feel we need to work on.”

With strong performances and constant improvement, it is no surprise that comparisons are already being drawn between Go and Nagai. The two were childhood friends, meeting for the first time when Nagai was just four years old. He travelled to tournaments with Go’s family, and Go served as a major factor in Nagai’s

decision to play at Seton Hall.

But while his close friend had tremendous success in his career as a Pirate, Nagai does not feel pressured to follow in his footsteps.

“In my opinion, it’s not really pressure but more of like motivation,” Nagai said. “Him being as good as he is now is definitely motivating me and I want to push myself harder to be as good or even beat him. It’s just something that excites me. I know he is a little older so I just need to give myself more time to accomplish the things that he’s done.”

White knows that Nagai is driven by Go’s success, but he does not want Nagai – or the rest of the team – to try to fill the void Go left behind.

“As a coach, I’m trying to tell guys that we’re not going to fill Lloyd’s position,” White said.

“We’re going to make everybody one or two shots better, or a half a shot better.” “We’re going to use five guys, six guys, seven guys to fill that void.”

The future for Seton Hall’s golf program is bright despite the loss of one of the best in program history. And while Go moves on, Nagai is still looking for ways to improve his game – and the performances of others.

“I want to be able to help the younger guys on our team, the freshmen and the sophomores,” Nagai said. “When I was a freshman I got help from Lloyd and the other seniors on the team, and if I could help the other guys improve quicker than I did, I feel like that would make our team a lot better.”

Nagai has two more years at Seton Hall and he is determined to make this program as strong as it has ever been before he graduates.

Matt Lapolla can be reached at matthew.lapolla@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @MatthewLapolla.

Oct. 5, 2017

SPORTS

Page 15

Women’s basketball benefits from transition program Kyle Kasharian Staff Writer Following a successful first year, the Big East hosted its second annual Women’s Basketball Transition Game program in New York City from Sept. 23 to 24.

In addition to student-athletes on the women’s basketball teams from other Big East schools, Seton Hall’s Nicole Jimenez, Inja Butina and Donnaizha Fountain attended the program to engage in a variety of events, panel and interactive sessions.

While the Big East Freshman Fundamentals program focuses on the transition from high school to college, the primary focus of this event is to prepare collegiate women’s basketball players for the jump from college to the real world by helping them develop professional skills and learn about potential career paths.

The program also promotes the presence and success of women in the sports world, whether it be on the court or behind the scenes, and the impact of the speakers and event was clearly strong.

“The way that they carried themselves, it’s like they had a chip on their shoulder and I guess that spoke to me a lot because I’m not a confident person,” Jimenez, a junior transfer, said of the female speakers the event. “So I took that away from them, how important it is to be confident.”

In the company of these speak-

ers was New York Liberty associate head coach Katie Smith, whose words had a strong impact on graduate transfer Fountain.

“One thing that Katie Smith said was ‘Bloom where you’re planted,’” Fountain said. “Some-

Continued from Page 16

he notices it is as important in the NBA as it was in college.

When it comes to this year’s Seton Hall team, Whitehead has big expectations. Just as Delgado emphasized the strength of this team from top to bottom, Whitehead recognizes the young talent on the team as well, namely in one freshman.

“They have a couple great freshmen and sophomores.

I’m a real big fan of Sandro [Mamukelashvili],” Whitehead said to The Brooklyn Game.

“I’m a real big fan of him coming this year. I think he’s going to be a great player. Of course Khadeen, Desi [Rodriguez],

Granite: Continued from Page 16

That experience proved worthy on Oct. 3, when Granite played in the American League

Angel, Ish [Sanogo], they’re gonna do their thing, but I think Sandro is gonna be a big part.”

While some may think of what this year’s Seton Hall team could have been if Whitehead had stayed, the Brooklyn Net has found success in a niche of his own. He may no longer be on campus in South Orange, but he is putting the pressure on his old teammates now more than ever.

“I think they’re great, preseason Top 25,” Whitehead said to The Brooklyn Game. “I think easily third round of NCAAs or bust. I always tell them, just definitely shoot for the stars.”

Elizabeth Swinton is the managing editor of The Brooklyn Game. She can be reached at elizabeth.swinton@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @eswint22.

Photo via Instagram/whitehead_isaiah15 Whitehead started 26 games last season as a rookie.

Hall baseball player to get a base hit in the MLB postseason since Craig Biggio in 2005, according to SHU associate athletic director Jim Semerad on Twitter.

Even when he was at Seton Hall, Sheppard could see a major league ballplayer in Granite.

“He definitely had the talent, but what separated Zack from the other guys on the team was that he really believed in himself,” Sheppard said.

It has been that belief in himself that as carried him all the way, from the ballparks of Staten Island, to Owen T. Carroll

Photo via Twitter/TonyBozzella Seton Hall’s Inja Butina, Shakena Richardson, Donnaizha Fountain and Nicole Jimenez with New York Liberty associate head coach Katie Smith (middle).

Whitehead: Whitehead’s situation for his second year with the Brooklyn Nets may not provide as many opportunities that came in the first. The team is rich in guards, including D’Angelo Russell, Lin and Spencer Dinwiddie. To break into the rotation, Whitehead has a new mindset.

“That’s my whole motto now, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,’” Whitehead told The Brooklyn Game. “You never know what’s going to come at you, the opportunity that comes up.”

That kind of preparation helped Whitehead to win Big East Championship MVP, and

times the wind may blow you in the opposite direction where you planned on going, but it’s about making the best of your situation.

It may not be the perfect school, it may not be the perfect situation, but you make that situation a

perfect situation for you and your future.”

In addition to the speakers, representatives from some of the Big East schools conducted a StrengthsQuest exercise, which helped reveal to the athletes some of their strengths they may not have known about.

For Jimenez, her exercise helped her learn more about herself and better prepare her for interviews in the future.

“I found out what my strengths were. Basically they gave you your top five strengths and that’s what you can use for an interview,” Jimenez said. “I learned something about myself I didn’t even know about and now I know what I can take into an interview.”

While the focus of the event was developing professional skills, the players were in a unique situation, as they were surrounded by Big East rivals.

“I think it was nice because I got to know them off the court,” transfer Butina said of being around other Big East student-athletes. “It’s different when you meet someone on the court because you have a different perspective on someone – it can be wrong. But off the court it’s so different. It was nice to listen to their stories as well.”

The weekend’s events included a trip to visit the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum, which gave some perspective to the group.

Wild Card game against the Yankees. In that game, Granite became the first former Seton

“I’m not American but everyone knows about that and it was just impressive,” Butina said of visiting the memorial and museum. “It was kind of hard to stand there where everything had happened – even for me.”

The event encompassed a variety events and perspectives, and while its impact may not be felt right away, the players seem to feel better prepared for life after basketball.

“I can’t see myself working right after college, but still, at some point in my life I will have to work. I do feel comfortable, but it’s never going to be easy,” Butina said. “I definitely know more about it than before. It definitely helped.”

Butina was not alone in feeling better prepared, as Jimenez had a strong takeaway from the event as well.

“It helped me. Going in I didn’t even know what to expect,” Jimenez said. “Leaving from there I can say I’m more confident because of having that and knowing what I can go into an interview with. It’s still scary to think about when you leave college, but I feel more prepared.”

Despite fitting so much into just two days of events, the Seton Hall players in attendance seemed to benefit greatly from the Transition Game Program’s events.

Kyle Kasharian can be reached at kyle.kasharian@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @ItsKyleKash.

Field, and now to Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Granite has become the best embodiment of Seton Hall baseball, on the sport’s’ biggest stage.

Matt Ambrose can be reached at matthew.ambrose1@student. shu.edu or on Twitter @mambrose97.

Sports

thesetonian.com @SetonianSports

Nagai Go-ing after greatness Page 14 Oct. 5, 2017

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Still a Pirate, Whitehead Granite personifying living life in Brooklyn Seton Hall baseball in the big leagues

Elizabeth Swinton Sports Editor Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall’s latest NBA product, has fully embraced the professional basketball world. Entering his sophomore year in the NBA as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Whitehead has grown from the player that raised the Big East trophy at Madison Square Garden in 2016.

Whitehead’s first year in his hometown as a Brooklyn Net was what some may call a baptism by fire. With starting point guard Jeremy Lin injured early in the season, Whitehead was thrown into the starting role frequently.

In an 82-game season, the stretches against top-league talent each night were often overwhelming and eye-opening for Whitehead.

“We played Damian Lillard, the next game we played Kyrie Irving, the next game we played Russell Westbrook and then we played Jrue Holiday,” Whitehead told The Brooklyn Game on Nets media day on Sept. 25. “It was just like, man, that’s just straight starts for a rookie. It was like, wow, it’s here. It’s definitely here.”

Out of 73 games played, Whitehead started 26 of them.

As a rookie and the No. 42 pick in the 2016 draft, Whitehead was ready to fill the role.

While Whitehead’s rookie year was considered by many a success, his absence at Seton Hall left many ‘what ifs.’ What if Whitehead had stayed? What if Whitehead was in the NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas?

Just because Whitehead is no longer enrolled at Seton Hall does not mean he does not support or follow the team. He often came to campus last season, visiting with his old teammates and coaches.

Coach Kevin Willard even joked that Whitehead was in his office more after he left school than when he was on the team.

When at games, Whitehead graciously gave out autographs and took pictures with most fans that came up to him.

Now, Whitehead told The Brooklyn Game that he holds floor seats for the season at The Rock, and will be courtside as well when the Pirates play in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the NIT Season Tip-Off from Nov. 23-24.

Matt Ambrose Staff Writer

Photo via Instagram/whitehead_isaiah15 Isaiah Whitehead is entering his second year as a Brooklyn Net. If he was still at Seton Hall, though, Whitehead would have rounded out what many already consider the best senior class in the country.

“I think my guys, we got the best freshman class, sophomore class, junior class, senior class,” Angel Delgado said. “The way we working right now, I think we’re going to impress a lot of people.”

Whitehead agrees that Seton Hall has the best senior class in the NCAA. Even though he is not a part of it, he makes sure he is still involved with the team and providing support.

“I still visit a lot, I go play with those guys,” Whitehead said in an interview with The Brooklyn Game. “I definitely played a lot over there in the offseason, just trying to give them some confidence, trying to build them up for the year. I know it’s a big year for them, senior year, so I’m looking forward to it.”

The bond between Whitehead and seniors like Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, Delgado and Ismael Sanogo has not broken since Whitehead left South Orange for Brooklyn.

“He came over a lot during the summer and worked out and played pick-up with us. It was good because he’s a guy that’s playing at the highest level right now, so it’s only making us better,” Carrington, a senior guard, said.

“Other than that, it’s a brotherhood that we have that can’t be broken, so we’ll always do things like getting in the gym together.”

The possibilities of Whitehead being a part of the NCAA run will never be known, but he has grown moreso as a person since leaving Seton Hall. The 22-year-old’s biggest change came in the birth of his daughter, Zaria, on May 12, 2017.

“She’s great, she’s 4 months now,” Whitehead said of his daughter to The Brooklyn Game.

“That was definitely a blessing in my life, it changed my whole mindset of everything. Just being home early, being with her as much as possible.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Whitehead has found himself adjusting his game in many facets since leaving college basketball.

“It’s much different,” Whitehead said to The Brooklyn Game.

“Seton Hall, I had the ball probably 25 seconds [out of a 30-second shot clock]. It’s much different, the NBA clock is not even 25 seconds. It’s just about picking your spots and just becoming a better player off the court. Just watching film, knowing what you need to do on the court. I didn’t watch much film at Seton Hall, so I think film helped me out a lot.”

See Whitehead, Page 15

Former Seton Hall baseball player Zack Granite’s MLB career may be just three months old, but in the eyes of those who donned the Pirate blue after him, he might as well be a star.

Some new faces who look up to him in this year’s SHU baseball team, as well as some old faces that mentored him, showed up at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Sept.

19, to spend some time with the former Seton Hall Pirate.

The moment proved to be a special one for Granite.

“I thought that was really cool,” Granite said. “I wasn’t really expecting it, to have the team come out.”

Granite even mentioned the individuals who attended that were a part of his journey to Seton Hall that are no longer with the program.

“The guy who recruited me, who doesn’t even work at Seton Hall, was there,” Granite said.

The man who heads the group of young Pirates that are set to take the Owen T. Carroll Field turf this spring, Rob Sheppard, was on hand. Sheppard has stayed in touch with Granite since the former Pirates outfielder was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2013. The recent trip to Yankee Stadium served multiple purposes for Granite, with the utmost being to support his former player.

“We planned the trip to get a chance to see Zack and obviously to give him a little bit of support from our end, but also to provide our players a little incentive,” Sheppard said.

The gesture was not missed by Granite, who has developed a relationship with

Sheppard beyond the ordinary player-coach relationship in the many years they have interacted.

“I’m really close with coach Sheppard,” Granite said. “We talk a decent amount during the season, and he’s always been there for me. He’s always been a big part of my life. He had me when I was pretty much a kid…It means a lot to me that he came out.”

Even though Granite is now in The Show, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He’s a Staten Island kid, playing in Minnesota with the Twins, but all the while holding the lessons he was taught at Seton Hall close to him.

“My time at Seton Hall was unbelievable,” Granite said. “I did everything I wanted to do when I was there. I won a Big East Championship, I was an all-star, I got drafted.”

However, it wasn’t just on-thefield lessons that Granite took away from his time in South Orange.

“I stayed out of trouble playing baseball, I grew up there,” Granite said. “I became a man at Seton Hall, and I think the baseball program really helped me become a man.”

To say Granite has an appreciation for his time at Seton Hall would be an understatement.

Granite was able to bring the skills he learned from the coaches at Seton Hall with him to professional baseball. Granite learned the philosophy of Seton Hall baseball, and has used those lessons to help him climb the ranks of the minor leagues.

“At Seton Hall, we do a lot of the little stuff, we bunt a lot and we run a lot,” Granite said. “We worked so much on the little things at Seton Hall that when I got to pro ball, it was not a big thing for me to put a bunt down or make plays in the outfield because it was ingrained in me at Seton Hall. I think that really helped me in pro ball because I was able to impress people just on the little things.”

See Granite, Page 15

Photo via MLB.com