The Tower - September Issue

1 THE TOWER October, 2024

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An Unexpected Journey

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Esports Soars

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TH E I N DEPEN D EN T VOI C E OF K E AN U N IV E R S IT Y

Students Express Election Apprehension

By Veronica Vila With just weeks left until the election, the presidential campaigns keep stirring society’s beliefs and values.

Wars, the economy, abortion, immigration, assassination attempts, and the targeting of minorities appear to be overwhelming students interviewed at Kean University.

It seems like breaking news about a constant state of chaos is – instead of drawing students' attention causing them to tune out.

“I hear when my dad is watching the news, but after a while, I just have to leave,” said Amy Cedeno, a senior English Writing major. “It’s too overwhelming.”

Cedeno criticized the candidates for what she thinks is

“I hear when my dad is watching the news, but after a while, I just have to leave” – Amy Cedeno

Photo by Unsplash user Michael

Capitol building at night

a lack of clear economic plans and the and disdains the media for its television coverage shortage on the Israel Palestine; and the Russia - Ukraine wars. “It’s scary,” she said.

Despite her opinions on the candidate’s policies, continued on page 7

Is College Worth it?

By Jordan Beaudoin Despite a record-breaking number of first-year students enrolled this fall at Kean’s combined campuses, surveys show that the public in the United States continues to show declining confidence in the value of a college education.

At Kean, this year's enrollment is 18,000 across all its campuses, including the main campus in Union, Kean Wenzhou in China, Kean Ocean, and three New Jersey satellite campuses.

However, college enrollment is declining nationally due to fewer college-age students and other issues.

Meanwhile, according to national pollster Gallup, confidence in higher education is at an all-time low, dropping from 57 percent of American adults with high confidence in college in 2015 to 36 percent in its latest poll in June.

Among the one-third of Americans who have very little or no confidence in a college education, 41 percent

said that college is “too liberal” and “brainwashes” students.

Some 37 percent of the disaffected felt that college doesn’t teach relevant job skills, and 28 percent cited the high cost of college.

On the upside, Gallup found That among those with a great deal of faith in higher education, 27 percent of the adults felt that it is vital for individuals to be educated in today's society; 24 percent said it offers better job opportunities and 19 percent pointed out that higher education allows students to think freely and learn to respect many different points of view.

Photo by Jordan Beaudoin Students interviewed at Kean mostly said College kids enjoying College that college was valuable and gave multiple education and special education, said a degree is reasons why they should attend. necessary for most jobs.

Two freshmen who have only been in college for a few “I do think college is worth it,” Thomas said. “Nowadays, weeks have no doubts that a bachelor’s degree is worth it. continued on page 4 Riley Thomas, a freshman studying early childhood

2 THE TOWER October, 2024

Unexpected Journey

By Josephine Carrillo What seems to be almost everyone’s dream nowadays is to “go viral” on social media platforms and make profit out of their desired content, which appears to be working for a lot of so-called “influencers” all over the world.

“When people think of influencers and how they create viral videos, they often imagine a professional setup—tripod, lighting, a perfect background, etc.

However, my first viral video, filmed in my room in 2021, was far from that,” said Andrea Velasquez, a 21-year-old student at Kean of Peruvian descent with a dream.

Her influencer career began on a random night in the summer of 2021.

Velasquez had heard tips online from

different content creators and she used these to her advantage. The tip that worked for her was to post a video overnight, forget about it, and check the next morning.

“All I had was my iPhone 12 and an idea: a video sharing beauty tips for Hispanic girls with Indigenous features like mine,” Velasquez said. “I posted the video around 10 p.m. and forgot about it. The next morning, I woke up to 20,000 likes.

I was shocked, in disbelief, and excited, especially since I had fewer than 100 followers. I had never had that many eyes on me before, so I was nervous about what people would say in the comments.”

The video got 763.2 thousand views, 175.9 thousand likes, 893 comments, and 20.4 thousand saves.

“The video got 763,000 views; 176,000 likes; 893 comments and 20,000 saves.

Social media platforms have their pros and cons, there is no right or wrong way of using one’s platforms, and everyone is free to post whatever they please.

Unfortunately, the major con that exists in such platforms is cyberbullying.

Velasquez's video was focused on a specific target audience, yet the video would be available to anyone with a TikTok account. She mentioned she was nervous about the feedback she would get, and she expected the worst.

Growing up in Peru, Velasquez suffered from bullying from a very young age. Kids and teachers at school would make her feel insecure about her looks. She often questioned why she was “different” than everyone else.

After moving to the United States, back in 2019, she discovered a whole new world. The diversity and the multiple ethnic backgrounds that are present in New Jersey, the combination of all cultures, and the beauty industry here made her realize that she was a beautiful flower bud that needed to bloom.

“To my surprise, the comments were filled with Hispanic girls who resonated

Photo by Andrea Velasquez

Andrea Velasquez, senior student at Kean majoring in Public Relations

with the tips. Many mentioned that they grew up hearing the same advice. Others said they had never seen a makeup continued on page 7

More Parking? New Building? Kean Union Expands

By Dominick Ionni

Photo by Dominick Ionni

Face of the newly added Liberty Hall Corporate Center Located at 1085 Morris Ave.

additional parking is another asset to this project.”

Kean Union commuters have been waiting for what seems like a lifetime for more parking spaces to ease the dense and overcrowded parking situation. Still, some Kean students were reluctant to be interviewed exiting the garage when approached, while other students were eager to weigh in on the projects and share their input on how they felt to the Kean student body.

Brianna DeJesus, a senior in Communication Studies with a minor in Philosophy shares, “I was not aware that Kean added more than 600 parking spaces. I’m sure they sent out an email as they do with most campus news, but

Kean University has expanded the parking capacity on the Union campus. Yes - you heard that right MORE PARKING SPACES! “More than 600 parking spaces were added,” Margaret McCorry, Director of Media Relations at Kean University happily shared with The Tower regarding the new parking deck on Morris Avenue.

The 600 extra parking spots are located on the newly purchased parking deck on Kean Drive and Elizabethtown Plaza, adjacent to Morris Ave. “The University is currently developing plans for that building to include office, research and clinical spaces,” McCorry explained, “The building was primarily office space for a variety of businesses.

A formal timeline for the project, including renovations, is under development, she noted.”

Kean Union also purchased Liberty Hall Corporate Center, formally known as Elizabethtown Gas Building, located on Elizabethtown Plaza behind the STEM Building.

“This is an exciting development for Kean as Photo by Dominick Ionni we expand our research and community health Kean Union welcomes newly added parking deck to its campus initiatives,” she said. “It will benefit both our continued on page 6 students and the community we serve. The

October, 2024

No Phones during class, doesn’t sound bad?

By Layah Lopes No Phones during class, doesn’t sound bad?

Could you spend an entire class period without your phone or laptop?

Research suggests that taking notes on laptops is not superior to using a pen and paper.

Professor Shai Tabib, a psychology professor at Kean, has developed a unique approach to help students Photo by Layah Lopes disconnect from Surrendered phones their devices during lectures.

He has created an environment where students can voluntarily surrender their phones for the duration of the class, placing them in a designated area at the front of the classroom. In exchange, students receive a curve on their final grade.

Tabib expressed that by allowing the students to have the choice to give up their cellular devices, rather than imposing strict rules, they are more inclined to voluntarily turn in their technology.

He explained how technology in the classroom can be distracting to students and their peers. humans are naturally attracted to screens which is what creates that barrier between students and the lesson being taught.

Tabib likens the distraction to a craving.

“You can set up an environment where you have vegetables and a bunch of brownies. People will go for what their gut is telling them which isn’t always best for them,” says Tabib.

He explained that when students take notes on a laptop it prevents them from processing and understanding the information. Students can type paragraphs in a matter of minutes whereas writing takes more time which allows the brain the chance to better absorb what is being recorded.

He also highlights studies that have shown that technology can have a negative impact on mental health and social communication.

A Pew Research study indicated that many experts believe artificial intelligence will significantly alter what continued on page 6

THE TOWER 3

Embedded tutoring program joins Learning Commons services to help students succeed

By Sarah Rosales To seek out tutoring comes with an unspoken stigma of its own. You need a tutor? Oh, then you must be a moron or you must be pathetically falling behind in your classes, right?

Of course, neither of these things are true. A tutor is a valuable resource to help further a student’s education and career.

At the heart of Kean University’s main campus in Union Township lies the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons (NTLC), the hub for research and academic support.

Mary Garofolo, the Director of the Learning Support Services (LSS), and Briana Murray, the Supplemental Instructor Coordinator, work closely together with the rest of the NTLC in order for students to achieve the best academic version of themselves within the classroom.

The library offers many services such as one-to-one tutoring, writing support, and public speaking support.

The 2024 Fall semester saw the pilot launch of the

students who received a D, an F, or a W. “It’s a question of removing boundaries or barriers to support. So instead of having to figure out where to get help, the students already know there's a peer in the classroom,” says Garofolo.

Murray adds, “It’s really about helping students develop reading comprehension abilities, the ability to distinguish what is good research, what is bad research, and enhance their writing because it transfers into every single one of their classes.”

Anne Nelson, a current ET for English, finds that the ET program is a two-way street in that she can help students in her class and they can help her with her career goals.

“I want to become an English teacher once I graduate, but I don’t have any work experience to prove my qualifications…” says Nelson. “By working as an embedded tutor, I can practice some of the skills I’ll need as an English teacher while tutoring.”

Alongside the ET program is the academic coaching program, which was launched in Fall of 2023. The academic

“Our goal is to set up support structures to make sure every student feels supported in order to get to graduation.”

Photo by Ian Alfano

Photo by Ian Alfano

Garofalo presenting

Murray presenting

Embedded Tutoring (ET) program. The ET program builds writing and critical thinking competency in classes.

It’s a peer-to-peer model where peers who have taken the course and received an A or higher are trained and paired with a faculty member in courses with traditionally high DFW rates, which refers to the rate of students who are enrolled in a particular class and the percentage of those

coaching program teaches students necessary strategies to be successful in college like time management, study skills, organization, how to communicate with faculty, and how to get through midterms or finals.

There is also the Supplemental Instruction program, like the ET program, also centers around mastering continued on page 6

4 THE TOWER October, 2024

Is College Worth it?

Department of Communication

continued from cover

most well-paying jobs require a degree of some sort. A degree allows more job opportunities.”

Ruby Crowell, a Kean Union freshman majoring in psychology and minoring in dance, explained that college is also an exploration.

“College is worth it if you know what you want to do in the future, but it's also the perfect place to find y o u r s e l f ,” Crowell said.

“Whether you are undecided or don’t know where to fit in.”

S ophi a Sacewicz, who is in her final semester at Kean, said college “is worth it on multiple The Kean Ocean Symbol levels.”

“It depends on who you are/what you want to do.

College teaches you the importance of making connections and relationships within your field and critical thinking skills that will also be applied to your field,” Sacewicz said. “However, Not all facets of life or careers necessarily need a college degree to be successful.”

Some students said they didn’t think college was worth the cost, either for personal reasons or simply because of the financials of attending college.

One of the more significant reasons students question college’s value is that they struggle to figure out what to do with their futures. They are interested in only a few courses and become easily distracted.

Two professors interviewed at the Kean said each semester is different but noticed that students need help focusing more often than not.

“I tell my students that sometimes the hardest part of an assignment is just sitting

down and doing it,” said Professor Gina Gili, who teaches media at Kean in Ocean and Union. "We need to train ourselves to focus on these school assignments as if they were assignments from our boss or a client in the future. My job as their instructor is to do my best to make the coursework relevant, relatable, and skills they can use in the future.”

Professor David Murphy, who teaches News Literacy at the Toms River satellite c a m p u s , said paying attention is challenging for students and professors alike.

“Students must do Photo by Jordan Beaudoin their best to engage with the material even if it's not their favorite subject,” Murphy said. “However, professors must note if many students are “tuning out.” That could signify that their approach (or the material itself) needs to be adjusted.”

Alexandria Carvalho, a communication studies major at Kean Ocean, said the college is worth it if students are willing to put in the effort.

“I think college is worth it if you want to be there,” Carvallo said. “You have to want to do it and have a positive outlook and an open mindset. You have to take it daily, and in the end, it will all be worth it if you put the work in.” Carvalho said.

Overall, students and professors interviewed felt that once students are genuinely invested in what they want to do, they have no problem coming to school to learn, get involved, and make new friends. n

“I do think college is worth it; nowadays, most well-paying jobs require a degree of some sort.

A degree allows more job opportunities.”

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The Tower is an independent, laboratory newspaper of Kean University’s journalism option in the communication major program. It is published monthly through the regular academic year and supported by advertising and the Department of Communication. The Tower is not responsible for claims made by its advertisers. The Tower is a public forum and is free from censorship and advance approval of content by the university administration. The Tower staff is responsible for its content.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: JOSEPHINE CARRILLO ONLINE EDITOR: DOMINICK IONNI FEATURES EDITOR: NEFERTITI NZAMEYO SPORTS EDITOR: CAROLINE PEASE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: VERONICA VILA

STAFF WRITERS

JORDAN BEAUDOIN CAM’RON JOHNSON LAYAH LOPES COURTNEY-JOY BREEDEN JAIDON HARRIS-MORALES SARAH ROSALES ROSS RODNEY BLANCA MORA OPINION PIECES AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Tower welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor from any source.

Such material should be submitted to thetower@kean.edu or left at The Tower’s offices. To verify sources of written material, submissions must include the writer’s name and contact information. Students should include their class (sophomore, graduate, etc.) and major. Faculty and staff should include campus title or position. On request, names may be withheld from publication if The Tower staff determines there is a legitimate reason to do so, but no anonymous letters will be accepted for publication. The Tower reserves the right to edit, and refuse publication of any submission.

October, 2024

THE TOWER 5

Kean ditches Google for Microsoft 365

By Courtney-Joy Breeden

1,000 gigabytes of Disney’s data to the public causing the company to migrate to Microsoft Teams.

“The Microsoft platform is a worldclass solution that more than 70 percent of businesses use,” He added. “Having students use these tools helps prepare them for the workforce.”

Microsoft 365 had 345 million paid commercial seats as of 2022 and is popular among enterprise customers whereas Google Workspace had 9 million organizations paying for office software in 2023 and in October of 2021 accumulated 3 billion users. Microsoft has a way to go but with big companies like Disney using their services, many others may follow suit.

So although the campus-wide transition to Microsoft 365 may peeve students and

wide access to AI tools like Copilot and Chatgpt aren’t accessible through Microsoft as of now but this transition does allow our technologies to be integrated with AI assistance like Copilot in the future.

And the future is closer than we think.

As the use of Microsoft 365 spreads throughout the campus, so will the ability to access AI. The Microsoft website states that Colleges and Universities with an academic license can access Copilot free of price for faculty, staff and students older than 18.

Many faculty and students have also been wondering what will happen to all of the files they store on Google Drive once the switch completes.

“Are we going to be able to keep any of our past work that we did on Google

It’s all the buzz. The campus is full of questions and concerns regarding Kean’s switch from Google to Microsoft 365 so it’s time to get some answers.

The transition marks the start of what Kean calls “a new era” and the campus body is definitely feeling it.

“Microsoft is…fine, it’s hard and complicated at times. Google is easy and simple,” said Isaiah Blue, a junior music major. “We’re accustomed to Google and there’s nothing wrong so why change it?

Learning this new system is too much of a hassle.”

Kean Vice President of the Office of Information Technology CIO and CISO, Greg Bellotti, and the IT department have committed time to answering s o m e questions.

F o r some brief background, Kean began using Google when the company introduced free lifetime services in the early Photo by Creative Commons image by https://gofishdigital.com/ Photo by https://freerangestock.com/photographer/rawpixel/4032 2010s and is currently beginning to charge for these services Bellotti says. staff, Bellotti insists having everyone use Docs? Would it transfer over?” asked Kait “Several factors led to the decision to one form of communication is beneficial, Nemeth, a junior psychology major. transition to Microsoft 365, chief among safe and innovative.

Unfortunately, no mass downloading them are sustainability and security,” “There is fear of the unknown,” said and transfer of files on services like Google Bellotti states.

Bellotti. “IT is working diligently to ease Docs or Slides is available through the As of 2024, Google and Microsoft seem the transition and reassure the Kean migration, Google Workspace has had this to be similar in their current end-to-end community that there are long-term feature accessible for years on its own, encryption process and are both susceptible benefits for individual users and the users can simply download the files one at to phishing attempts through email. university.” a time as Word documents, Excel sheets, Although security is part of the reason for Still, students and faculty still have or Powerpoints. Bellotti also tells us that the switch, it doesn’t seem to be a big factor. questions. the university is keeping Kean’s Google In early July of this year, Google released “Does Microsoft offer the same features Workspace available on the free tier, that its greenhouse gas emissions had risen as Google when it comes to AI?” asked allowing students and staff to continue by 48 percent since 2019, in a sustainability Rebecca Tilus, a sophomore Education using their given Kean emails to access report released by Microsoft in May states major at Kean.

Youtube, Canva, Dropbox and other Google that the company’s emissions increased by Google introduced their AI chatbot, services.

29 percent since 2020.

Kean IT is also working to convert all Gemini in December of 2023 during the Apps like Slack, mostly used to rise of other AI tools like Chatgpt created Google Drive files to Microsoft OneDrive communicate with coworkers and by OpenAI, another popular AI bot on files and advises Kean users to organize all supervisors, had become victim to an campus, and Microsoft produced their own Google Drive files to help this process move activist group protesting Disney’s use AI tool, Copilot within that same year. smoothly. of AI hacked the platform and leaked “Is there an alternative to Google chat?”

According to Kean IT, full university-

asked Lauren C. Rodriguez, Assistant Managing Director of Creative Initiatives of Liberty Hall Academic Center and The Galleries at Kean and Kean Alumna.

Yes, there are a couple of Microsoft alternatives for Google services. The counterpart to Google’s chat feature, commonly known as Google Meet is Microsoft Teams. For other services like Google Drive, the alternative would be Microsoft OneDrive and for Google Sites and Google Forms would be Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Forms. There are also options that are similar to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail but these alternatives are widely known.

There are plenty more concerns on the transition that haven’t all been covered but if readers have any more questions, please go to Kean IT’s Helpdesk Support Portal to put in a ticket or call to contact a worker. The Helpdesk p h o n e support is 24/7 and office hours are 8:30 a.m. to p.m.

M o n d a y through Photo by Licensed under Creative Commons Thursday. “ There have been challenges, but we have a great team and great support available,” Bellotti continued.

Bellotti says that Kean IT is available around the clock for any concerns and major issues, including for your questions about Microsoft 365. Most inquiries through the Helpdesk will be answered within a 24-hour window, office hours are preferable with a 15-minute wait minimum. The department is also working on an augmented support service that will be available for Kean users beyond business hours Kean’s dedication to being an Urban Research University and the tools it uses to achieve even greater heights in the world of global research should align and Vice President Bellotti agrees. The tech we use should match our ambition.

If schools are built to prepare students for the real world, it’s only fair to utilize the technology successful businesses like Disney are using. n

“As the use of Microsoft 365 spreads throughout the campus, so will the ability to access AI. ”

6 THE TOWER October, 2024

More Parking? New Building? Kean Union Expands continued from page 2

I think with the large number of incoming freshmen that were accepted, the 600 parking spaces are being overshadowed.”

She continues, “I have not noticed less congestion, I know Kean is still fairly new into the Fall semester but the hope is that students do not drop out and that they do attend classes. I just think there might need to be a new system that accommodates the students already present on campus before accepting incoming students, so that way there are no parking safety issues.”

Another Student, Meghan Richards, a Junior studying Elementary Education shares, “I was aware about the parking deck, but I have not parked there since the semester started. The congestion is still the same, since no one wants to park across the street as most classes are held on the side of the street where the admissions building is.”

Both students were unaware of the newly purchased office building.

DeJesus states, “I think it is nice that there is a new expansion with office space included in the Liberty Hall Corporate Center, so long as it is used in beneficial ways to expand research, archives, and student resources.”

She adds, “humanities is underfunded enough, so to see investments towards it will always be welcome. I

“I think it’s best for students to be proactive in awareness of these changes so we make sure the institution we are attending is doing its absolute best to serve us.”

Photo by Dominick Ionni

Entrance to the newly added parking deck located at 1000 Morris Ave.

think it’s best for students to be proactive in awareness of these changes so we make sure the institution we are attending is doing its absolute best to serve us.”

The walk from the parking deck can be viewed as a great opportunity to take the extra few minutes to walk to class to gather thoughts and add a little exercise into a commute. But students have expressed that the garage is too far from the buildings on the Main Campus.

The walk across Morris Ave may seem tedious, the university transit system is another option to get to class

from the parking deck by using the TripShot Rider app that supplies scheduled times and trolley locations.

As Kean continues to expand, the University has also added a new auto charging station to its East Campus.

Check out our new locations: Liberty Hall Corporate Center 1085 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 Newly added parking deck 1000 Morris Ave, Union, NJ 07083 n

No Phones during class, doesn’t sound bad?

Embedded tutoring program joins Learning Commons services to help students succeed

continued from page 3

continued from page 3

it means to be human by 2030.

Judith Donath, author of “The Social Machine, Designs for Living Online” and faculty fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein center said “By 2030, most social situations will be facilitated by bots.”

Tabib expressed how technology may affect how people communicate with one another. Students might spend their time exchanging messages with others during class time which takes away from the lesson but also from our abilities to communicate face to face.

He notes how easily we can be drawn to distractions stating that different methods of engagement can’t compare to an entertaining viral tweet. He explained that as humans we can easily get sucked in, you may have picked up your phone

just to check the time but now you see that you’ve received a notification for something super viral, we just can’t help but to indulge, “All of our worst instincts seem to come through instant gratification,” says Tabib. His methods appear to be effective as the feedback from students has been 80 to 90 percent positive, many appreciate the opportunity because it allows for extra points but a good number of students have noticed an increase in personal concentration.

“If you want people to pay attention, you set up the environment for them to pay attention, you don’t just hope for the best,” says Tabib. n

“If you want people to pay attention, you set up the environment for them to pay attention you don’t just hope for the best” says Tabib

course content. It targets STEM classes on the 1000 and 2000 level, whereas the ET program targets first year general education classes. As a student goes on with their college education, classes will only grow Photo by Ian Alfano more rigorous, and This fall semester’s embedded tutors, supplemental instructors, and so it’s better to catch academic coaches them at the freshman or sophomore level in order to develop the easily set up an appointment with foundational skills needed to succeed.

Many of the students who attend the many tutors available. Whether Kean are majority minority as well as they need assistance in math, physics, first-generation college students, and English, or communications, every the programs the NTLC have founded set single tutor wants to lessen the struggles out to level the playing field so that every within the classroom.

“Our goal is to set up support one of them can receive the resources needed to succeed in their future. The structures to make sure every student NTLC uses data from academic growth, feels supported in order to get to student performance, faculty surveys, graduation,” remarks Garofolo. “It’s and other metrics to truly understand really about getting each of our students over that finish line whatever their the impact of its services on campus.

Through Navigate360, students can trajectory is.” n

October, 2024

THE TOWER 7

Students Express Election Apprehension continued from cover

Ja’Kiya Clark, a sophomore sociology major, said though presidential candidate Kamala Harris is well-versed, “she’s not ready for the presidency.”

“As a Black woman, I’d love to see Kamala as president one day,” she said.

“But I’m not sure if she’ll be good.”

On the other hand, she said: “Trump being in the office raises a lot of racial, gender, and social unnecessary conflict.”

For Clark, the 2024 presidential election has become really polarizing and started to divide relationships and segregate populations.

“I hated watching the (presidential) debate,” Clark continues, “I felt like it was a waste of my time.”

In the political debate, students see the candidates going back and forth over just two topics: abortion and immigration.

“To me, it feels as if some immigrants just come here to live for free and do the same things they used to do in their country,” Carlos Mosquera, sophomore ESL student majoring in Management-General Business, confessed. “Still you see all these mass shootings being done by American White males,” Yet Mosquera said that in his own experience, “Generalizations about Photo by Veronica Vila Photo by Unsplash user Parker Johnson immigrants keep on hurting the Hispanic community.” Mosquera added Learning Support Services tutor and Political Science minor, Hand holding an “I voted” sticker Ja’Kiya Clark that he is not in favor or against any candidate. “My only expectations for the next year is for the economy to pick up and inflation to go down,” he Cedeno is not pressed to vote or get involved in the political world. She will only vote if said, adding he cannot vote. her schedule allows it, and if it comes to it, she would vote for the Democratic party as As for Clark, she is prepared to vote, but she is not excited about picking a candidate. it’s a family tradition in her household.

Clark believes that the candidates have more cons than pros.

With the heavy presence of politics in social media, marketing, popular opinion, and “At the end, one of them is going to win and we’re going to move on with life,” resentment guide the presidential candidates' policies. she said. n

Unexpected Journey continued from page 2

tutorial featuring someone with the same features,” Velasquez said. “While there were some mean comments, the overwhelming support from other girls made me feel so happy. That inspired me to start creating more videos for them.”

This video marked the beginning of a new era for Velasquez, she made a promise to herself, make a change.

Her content on TikTok and Instagram, the main two platforms she uses, varies from fashion, vlogs, daily routines, podcasts, and more; yet all her content is still dedicated to her specific target audience, girls who relate to her and her experiences.

“No matter the type of content, I try to incorporate Peru and my culture into it. Over the last five years, I’ve met other Peruvian friends who share the same love for our culture as me, we joined forces and founded the firstever Peruvian Student Organization at Kean University,” said Velasquez.

The Peruvian Inclusive Community Association (PICA) is a space dedicated to building a Peruvian community at Kean. Whether students want to reconnect with their roots or are completely new to Peruvian culture, PICA welcomes everyone to join us in celebrating their heritage.

“In my last 5 years in the United States, I’ve learned that it is through originality, passion, and determination that great things are achieved. Always let your authentic self shine.” n

Photo by Andrea Velasquez

Andrea vacationing in Peru, her home country, this past summer

Photo by Andrea Velasquez

Andrea at Kean Day promoting PICA

8 THE TOWER October, 2024

Communication Studies Opens New Research Lab

By Nefertiti Nzameyo

SPORTS

A classroom dedicated to research in the field of communication and media is a manifestation of Kean University's mission to be a powerhouse of new knowledge.

The research lab located in CAS Room 441 is still in the process of being “beautified” but already awaits a band of scholars prepping to join forces and rebrand the role of what it means to be a college student.

“I know that college is often framed as go get a degree and learn but you're also just as integral a part of the knowledge production process and the artistic production process…you're moving knowledge forward as a student,” said Dr. Guitar, assistant Communication professor.

Julia Strugala, a second-year communication graduate student and former member of The Tower, earned her bachelor’s degree from Kean in ‘23 and jumped at the opportunity to be a research assistant.

“When I heard this space was opening up I thought that was really cool because I’m here to assist undergrad students in their research…it's a space for them to comfortably do research in this building…it's helpful

Photo by Nefertiti Nzameyo

Research Lab Hours

to have all the communication professors along this hallway,” said Strugala.

Strugala is collaborating with Dr. Estelle Mi, who is conducting research on women's health. An interest area that she herself finds intriguing.

“It's a very welcoming and open environment and that's what I hope to make this space for all the undergraduate students,” she said.

On August 29th, 2024, President Repollet reasserted his vision for the university in becoming an educational hub for research and realizing the heights that are more than possible to achieve in his opening day address. “‘We are in the midst of a significant educational transformation, a renaissance here at Kean – and that comes with profound responsibility,” said Repollet.

As Kean University aims to receive an R2 designation, a classification awarded to doctoral universities for “high research activity”, the research lab is a testament to the commitment to actualizing the academic mission by promising forward movement.

Guitar remembers how revelatory his undergraduate and graduate journey was to discovering his passions and pursuing a career that would invite him to practice what he loves. He similarly credits his faculty mentors continued on page 10

Golf Season Preview

By Caroline Pease “Building culture is the most important thing to us. From day one, we are trying to bring in kids who will represent our program and school in a great way.”

Kean golf looks to make strides in the revival of its men’s team and its inaugural women’s team through the 2024 season.

At the helm of each team is Coach Joseph Yeck, a seasoned division three golf coach looking to challenge his players through his initial campaigns with the Cougars.

Yeck, a York and Mount Saint Mary University graduate, was also a dual-sport athlete during his undergraduate, competing in basketball and golf. His father was a long time coach and being surrounded with athletics, inspired him to pursue a career in coaching For the past decade, Yeck has focused on coaching golf at varying degrees of competition levels. As assistant coach at McDaniel College, he guided the Green Terror to a conference championship title and breach into the Division III Championship.

Yeck is also familiar with building a program from scratch, as he was responsible for helping to build the first golf program

Photo by Kean Athletics

Head Coach Joseph Yeck

Photo by Kean Athletics

Kaylee Wohlgemuth

Photo by Kean Athletics

Patrick Murray

“For us, it’s building that culture and then we’ll work on the talent and [then] climbing up the leaderboard.” at Drew University prior to his most recent tenure at New Jersey City University since 2018.

“I’m very familiar with the DIII landscape,

and it’s been fun to be a part of this new program. It’s good because I’ve had experience going in at other places from continued on page 10

October, 2024

THE TOWER 9

Got Game? ESports Says Yes.

By Ross Rodney

Going into their fourth season as a program, Kean University’s Esports look to improve and continue their successes.

What started as a small, unknown group has grown to feature over fifty students and six coaches for a variety of games.

The program, led by Professor Joseph Sarnoski for the last three years, gave some insight into how he became the head of Esports.

"After college I became an avid gamer... I spent some time traveling to play video game tournaments... One of my students was who got me interested in Kean Esports,” said Sarnoski.

Since becoming head of the program, Sarnoski has seen a lot of improvements in his student athletes but he says there is so much more to achieve as a group.

“Nobody is ever satisfied with where

they are, but we are thrilled with where we are,” said Sarnoski.

The team features a diverse group of athletes who are dedicated to their respective games, all while keeping school as a priority.

“Our players practice every week, video

“Nobody is ever satisfied with where they are, but we are thrilled with where we are.”

By Cam’Ron Johnson

Esports arena

review, and one game night,” Sarnoski said. “They have to dedicate at least three nights every week… but they are student athletes, [being a] student comes first.”

Kean Esports features multiple games,

prominently Rocket League, Overwatch, League Of Legends, Super Smash Bros, and Madden.The program is also looking to add Call Of Duty players for the season.

The team features some great players such as Brodie Berger, a Street Fighter Six player, Teresa Lee who plays Hearthstone,

Teresa Lee is also someone who’s great and does a great job for us… Jacob Ullman is someone who has shown a tremendous amount of growth since becoming a part of Esports,” said Sanoski.

The coaching staff has helped Sarnoski get the program going, they keep the athletes focused and on their game. The staff also features a player coach Jhordy Jaramillo.

“I want to give our coaches credit, they do such a great job... Jhordy Jaramillo is a coach and a player for our Overwatch squad... they are so in sync and it’s amazing to see,” said Sarnoski.

The 2024 season started on Monday, September 23, the Photo by Kean University games will be livestreamed on the streaming platform and Jacob Ullman who takes part in Twitch.

“We play on weeknights… you can find Rocket League.

“Brodie has won the championship for us on Instagram and our Twitch channel Street Fighter Six for the past two years… @kean_esports… come watch and be a he’s done so while being undefeated… part of our program,” said Sarnoski. n

The Cougars Begin a New Climb

The Kean Football team is ready to take on the new challenges heading into this 2024-25 season. Coming off a winless campaign, it was on record as unsuccessful.

Though, after talking to Head Coach Daniel Garrett, he was very excited about the new players and differences his team has made for this new year. Garett highlighted accountability as a priority moving forward in the season.

“First and foremost - me!

I am holding people more accountable there's more discipline.

I didn't do a great job last year Kean 2024 Football Team with that! There were some things last year that should've been handled differently,” said Garrett.

In addition, Garett renovated the coaching staff, with notable additions such as Coach Evan Durand.

“We have had a lot of changes to our staff... We have a new Offensive Coordinator in Evan Durand, who had a past massive experience coaching senior Jack Lynch, who earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors (2020) at Fordham University, had a hand in two Top 40 recruiting classes (2019 & 2020), and was apart of the #1 Scoring Offense in the Patriot League (2019).”

We have added new coaches as well, some of which are former players. We have a group of men who care about wanting to do their best, help us win and get it

right,” said Garrett Coach Garret has revamped and reloaded this team from top to bottom. He expressed excitement for both the growth and new talent coming in this season.

“I feel that the new and young players we added to the roster can make an impact. We have a lot of young talent on our roster. Obviously, time and growth always help, but there will be a lot of young players making their way onto the field in some way, shape, or form contributing to this team,” said Garett There were thirty-six new freshmen added to this team.

Freshman Photo by Kean Athletics running back Jeremey Del Orbe out of Guttenberg, NJ, is someone who represents Coach Garrett's theme of accountability correctly. continued on page 10

10 THE TOWER October, 2024

Golf Season Preview continued from page 8

ground zero,” said Yeck.

Following first place finishes for the men’s team and strong showings for the women’s in their most recent matches, Yeck looks to continue to challenge his athletes. Through this season, he is putting both of his young teams in competitive matchups against teams like William Patterson and FDU-Florham.

“These experiences early on [for the freshmen athletes] will allow them to grow as they get later on in their career. Where they won't feel the nerves as much and be ready to go against some of the better teams in the region,” said Yeck.

For its initial year, Yeck aims to at least have both teams finish in the upper half of meets. While there is no golf division of the NJAC conference, the coaching staff looks to affiliate Kean with another conference by the next competitive season.

However, the coaching staff’s main priority is building a strong team culture. Yeck preaches the benefits of Division III athletics: the ability to balance competition and academics, while getting involved on campus.

He wants his athletes to have open and transparent communication with him and feel that their opinions will shape the foundation of the program.

“For us, it’s building that culture and then we’ll work on the talent and [then] climbing up the leaderboard.”

Athletes on both of Yeck’s teams reciprocate a similar message. Patrick Murray, a junior two-time All-American transfer from UCNJ, agrees that the team’s culture is strong and each member is passionate about improving through the season.

Murray chose to continue his golf career with the Cougars and be a keystone member of the team’s revival.

“I heard Kean was starting a new golf team and

Communication Studies Opens New Research Lab

The Cougars Begin a New Climb continued from page 9

“The standard is back!” – Daniel Garrett

Photo by Kean Athletics

Kean Football Head Coach Daniel Garrett

Jeremy Del Orbe

“[I want] to be the new wave of energy. I am currently on the scout offense, so we go against the starting defense. You know we go hard everyday, just to make sure starting defense gets a clean look at what the other team is doing. So that way when we go into games, we are prepared and ready because we already see what the other tea runs and what they do,” said Del Orbe

reached out to Coach Yeck and I knew he would be a great coach. I chose Kean because I knew it would be a great opportunity being one of the first members of the program…” said Murray.

Similarly, Kaylee Wohlgemuth, a freshman from Cedar Knolls, NJ, relays that the team has a distinct, supportive connection and persistence to improve.

Wohlgemuth was excited about the opportunity to continue her golf career at the collegiate level and be a founding member of the first Kean women’s golf team.

“I saw Kean was having a womens team so I reached out to Coach Yeck to learn more. I met with him in person and I really liked the fact I could play golf and get a good education, so I chose Kean,” said Wohlgemuth.

The Cougars look for a strong second leg of the season and are hopeful to continue to grow the program. n

Photo by Kean Athletics

This kind of athletic statement fits with Coach Garret philosophy that the standard is back and the preparation is at an all time high to give our group the best edge possible.

Del Orbe provided some insight on his role as a member of the special teams group: “I make an impact on special teams, special teams are very necessary. You can block a kick, force a turnover and now the momentum has changed in your favor,” said Del Orbe.

Coach Garrett concluded with a clear emphasis on how he wants this team to play, emphasizing the

process of success “Compete and play really HARD! It's about performance over perception, it's about trusting the PROCESS, taking care of each day the best we can. They should expect to see a group of young men who care for each other. They should expect to see us compete with class & humility - and play disciplined football! Work really hard to get to 1-0 Every week,” said n

continued from page 8

“It's a very welcoming and open environment and that's what I hope to make this space for all the undergraduate students.”

Photo by Nefertiti Nzameyo

Research Lab Flyer

for granting him the independence and motivation to find his interest and study.

The research lab embodies a reconciliation between his fondness for teaching and research, roles where he enjoys collaborating with students and sharing curiosity about the world.

“I really fell in love with teaching first, research became second but as I started doing more research I was like, oh my God I really really love doing this, and it was because I was able to foster and generate topics I was intrigued by.” n