November, 2017
THE TOWER 3
Earth Science Club cleans the beach By Monica Sudfield The Earth Science Club gathered at Keansburg beach on Oct. 21 to participate in a beach sweep hosted by Clean Ocean Action, a nonprofit earth science organization working to protect waterways. “Participating in beach sweeps are important because debris harm our environment and marine life that naturally inhabit it,” said Paige Bollman, secretary of the Earth Science Club. “By cleaning the beach, we are giving marine animals another chance to thrive.” Cleaning beaches immediately impacts the environment, but working with Clean Ocean Action (COA) also offers positive long-term changes. “COA collects data about the trash that
is picked up. Not only did we want to help clean the beach, but we also wanted to collect data used for other programs,” said Danielle De Mesa, Earth Science Club vice president. According to cleanoceanaction.org, the data collected during the sweeps is presented in annual reports that are used to advance federal, state and local programs to reduce litter. “Every time a volunteer throws something away, they write it down on a chart so the organization can analyze it and help enact change,” said Bollman. Participating in events such as beach cleanups correlate with the Earth Science Club, as one of their goals is to participate in at least one volunteer event a semester. “During spring semester, we have a week-
long Earth Week event around Earth Day. This includes cleaning up Kean river,” said Bollman. “The beach sweep felt similar to this as the end result was the same – cleaning our environment.” Another goal the club has is to give students the opportunity to get involved with nature while learning about it, which is fulfilled with hands on work with the environment. The club’s official advisor was unable to attend the event, so the club asked Professor Sarah Nasse, lecturer for the School of Environmental and Sustainability Science, to tag along. “I help out with club events and field trips when I can. I have acted as advisor for past trips to the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical
Garden, and last spring I led the club on a hike up Mount. Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap,” said Nasse. In addition to the trips Nasse mentioned, in the past, the club has organized a medical plant walk at Norvin Green State Forest and dune grass planting at Bradley Beach. Their next excursion will be to Atlantic County Utilities Authority to take a tour of their wastewater and recycling facilities. “Some have the impression that Earth Science Club is for science-related majors, but I’m an English major and communication minor and I love being a part of the club,” said Bollman. The club is open to all majors. To find out more about the Earth Science Club and their trips, follow their facebook page at KU Earth Science Club.
Photo by: Paige Bollman
Photo by: Paige Bollman
Clean Ocean Action provided gloves, trash bags, forms and pencils for collecting data, snacks, and water.
Kean alum uses radio program to help Puerto Rico By Lena Zhu Jose Cotto has been in charge of the Spanish Radio program at Kean University’s 90.3 FM radio for approximately 12 years, since his start in 2005. On Sept. 20, a category four hurricane, Maria, hit his home, Puerto Rico. As a result, many people lost their homes, including Cotto’s mother. As a Kean University Latino alumnus, Cotto decided to use his power as the broadcaster of the Spanish radio station at Kean to help bring supplies to Puerto Rico with the help of local listeners from Elizabeth, Linden, Roselle, Roselle Park, Hillside, and parts of Newark. “This microphone right here is very powerful. This radio station reaches seven cities around NJ. So we’re talking about 700,000 people that can listen to this radio show every weekend,” Cotto said. “So far, the people are pouring with stuff. I mean we are…right now we have about 5 containers that are being shipped as we speak to Patillas, Puerto Rico as we speak. It should be arriving in the middle of November,” Cotto said. “By the end of November, I should be flying back to Puerto Rico to help the people of PR to get food and clothes and [to simply] be there for them.” He did not do this alone, however. The Puerto Rico Alliance based in Elizabeth, New Jersey had reached out to him to advertise their cause for collecting items for PR. The news reached a lot of people locally and one woman even contacted Cotto. “One day there was a person who listened to me through Facebook Live and she contacted me and said ‘What can I do to bring a truck over full of stuff for PR?’,” said Cotto. A new group of Puerto Ricans in Allentown are also collecting items for the town of Patillas, Puerto Rico. “We are trying to collect as many items
Kean University Department of Public Safety police blotter By Cody Louie and Jasmin Kee
The Kean University Police Department daily blotter contains incidents and crimes reported to the police. It has been edited and condensed by The Tower. For the month of Nov. there have been six medical emergencies, six thefts, five motor vehicle accidents, and 14 incidents of found property among other things.
Police Blotter
Volunteers carried an “items collected” sheet to record data during the clean up.
Nov. 1- About 25 people were asked to leave the U.C. after a noise complaint around 9:38 p.m. At the health services in Downs Hall a male was transported to the hospital after experiencing abdominal pain at 3:49 p.m. At the D’Angola Gym a person took a cell and debit card from men’s pool locker at 6:30 p.m. Nov.2- In Burch Hall, a person was trapped in a elevator after it started malfunctioning at 6:44 p.m. it was reset and started working again. A hit and run accident occurred in the Kean Lot in the 1:22 p.m. Photo by: Lena Zhu
Cotto stands smiling in his safe haven on the fourth f loor of the CAS building.
Nov. 3- A fire was started in the Freshman Hall after a faulty electrical outlet started sparking and smoking around midnight. Nov. 5- A man in the Vaughn Eames Lot was having trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital around 1:45 p.m.
as we can send,” said Cotto. Cotto is not looking for fame or recognition for helping Puerto Rico. “I’m doing this for my heart. I don’t get paid for what I do,” said Cotto. “I love to help people and right now we have a lot of people behind. I am not the one in front. I am just the broadcaster. I am just the messenger. I don’t want to take any credit.” Little by little, Cotto is slowly influencing locals to help out with the situation in Puerto Rico. “It’s gonna take years to get Puerto Rico back in shape, but we will. That’s for sure.” For more information, contact Jose Cotto at the Kean Spanish Pro Bono Radio Station at (908) 737-0446 on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. Donations such as toiletries, cans of food, batteries, flashlights, clothing, and other items are appreciated.
Nov. 6- A Bank of America debit card was found in the Hardwood Arena at midnight. A hit and run accident occurred in the Vaughn Eames Lot at noon. Nov. 9- Rachel Oil Supply Company spilled five gallons of diesel fuel on the blacktop in front of the loading dock around 2 p.m. At 3:30 p.m. unknown people tried to scam someone into sending them an iPad. Nov. 10- A noise complaint was filed against the radio station in CAS around 4 a.m. Nov. 11- An unknown person wrote graffiti in one of the stalls in a Bruce Hall bathroom at 1:30 a.m. Another incident of graffiti was found in Townsend hall around 2 a.m. on several of the desks in the common area.