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(12/01/09 5:25pm)
By Diana Bubser
Opinions Editor
and Matt Huston
Nation & World Editor
Union leadership at the College disagrees with administrators who say that union members are getting equal treatment under new salary pool reductions
Ralph Edelbach, associate professor of technological studies and president of the College chapter of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), said a difference in furlough days sends the wrong message to union members. Union-affiliated faculty and staff will be required to take up to six more unpaid days off than non-union managers and administrators.
“That seems to be saying that managers are more important than the rest of us,” Edelbach said. “It would have been better in my view, and that of many other union leaders, to have exactly the same salary-reduction plan implemented for everyone.”
Breaking with an exemption from past years, New Jersey has required that state colleges and universities make personnel-related cost cuts equivalent to those made by the state furlough plan.
At the College and most other state schools, the savings plans for union members, negotiated with the state by the Communication Workers Association (CWA), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) and AFT, the three main representatives for college workers, differ from plans implemented for non-union employees.
“The salary savings that New Jersey negotiated with its unions, including the state colleges and universities … are the result of the unprecedented downturn in the nation’s economy,” E.J. Miranda, director of public relations at Rutgers University, said.
Faculty, librarians, and professional staff at the College and other schools affiliated with AFT will take delayed salary increases and seven unpaid furlough days, but will get three of those days back as future paid leave days, according to Karen Siefring, president of the Rowan University chapter of AFT.
Clerical, maintenance, and facilities staff and other employees represented by CWA and IFPTE will take salary increase delays and 10 furlough days, recouping seven of those as paid leave days.
At the College, non-union managers and administrators will be required to take just one furlough day, but they also face a one percent pay cut, a stop on salary increases and reduced retirement contributions.
The state required that the College realize the same savings from each employee group. Both union and non-union adjustments were calculated to reduce expenditures by five percent of the respective salary pools, and College officials say the non-union plan is proportional to the one negotiated by the unions.
But Edelbach expressed disappointment with both savings plans. He said the furlough days will have a significant impact on teachers, who will not be allowed to miss any classes. Instead, the furlough days will take up time that would be spent doing prep work, research or grading.
“It is not realistic to think that employees who were working those days would just pick up the slack,” he said.
Edelbach anticipates that the furloughs will force teachers to work harder and more quickly.
He also said it is “not productive to attempt to justify any variations on the basis that the work of some employees is more essential than that of others.”
College officials have said that the variations in its furlough days and pay cuts correspond to the needs of campus services.
“I can affirm that our decision at (the College) was based on our conclusion that we could not afford to damage services to our students any more than was required by the state negotiated contract,” President R. Barbara Gitenstein said. “Thus, we instituted salary cuts rather than additional furloughs for our non-unionized employees.”
Matthew Golden, executive director of Public Relations and Communications, said that the functioning of campus operations depends on the availability of non-union managers.
“When union staff members take their furlough days, non-union staff members are trying to pick up some of the work that the union members would be doing. This allows us to keep offices open and performing their functions,” he said.
Golden said that requiring non-union workers to take the same amount of furlough days would shut down offices or create backlogs that would disrupt campus operations.
However, Siefring said that it was possible for non-union administrators to have an equal amount of furlough days as union faculty members without disrupting business at Rowan University.
Although Edelbach said it appears that the various savings plans will have a generally similar impact, he doesn’t buy the idea that identical furlough plans would seriously impair the operation of the College.
“There’s a way to have a perfectly even system, but that wasn’t done,” he said.
Both union and College spokespersons agree that the situation could be worse. Edelbach said the unions’ furlough plans were a better option than pay cuts, and Gitenstein expressed confidence in the College’s ability to overcome financial barriers.
“The personal and institutional impact of these reductions in investments in our dedicated faculty, staff and administration will surely be felt across the campus,” she said in an e-mail to employees. “However, we simply must not focus all of our attention on our collective frustration and anger — real as these feelings are.”
Gitenstein said she was optimistic that no College employee would have to take furloughs until June, when she was informed of the new state conditions.
“I cannot imagine that anyone at the College is happy about cuts to their compensation, either through salary cuts, or furlough, or deferred increases. No one at (the College) deserves these cuts,” she said.
Cynthia Curtis, president of the faculty senate, declined to comment on the issue.
Rutgers University, which is not covered under the same contract agreements as other state schools, formed a different strategy and brought on the resistance of union members.
According to Miranda, Rutgers met state budget requirements by “deferring wage increases without the use of furloughs, which are difficult to administer in a research university environment.”
“Management did not want us to take furlough days. Eventually, we agreed to negotiate on the basis of holding back raises until it equals the amount of 10 days’ pay,” Lucye Millerand, president of the Union of Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers (URA-AFT), said.
Rutgers University laid off about 30 URA-AFT members this year, Millerand said.
At Rutgers University, URA-AFT’s dissatisfaction over the implemented wage freezes prompted its boycott of Rutgers University President Richard McCormick’s speech in September.
“Management simply wants to get back more out of us (union members),” Millerand said, and mentioned that communication between union workers and upper management has not improved since the boycott.
Miranda said the audience at McCormick’s address was standing room only, and that Rutgers University “has been in routine contact with union representatives.”
In early September, Richard Stockton College announced that it would institute the same savings plan as the College. But a week later, Stockton ceded to union pressures and agreed to model its non-union savings plan on the union agreement.
Edelbach does not think that there is substantial resistance at the College to prompt such a turnaround.
Diana Bubser can be reached at bubser2@tcnj.edu and Matt Huston can be reached at huston4@tcnj.edu.
(11/17/09 9:00pm)
SGA member requests Signal correction
When people tell me they have been misquoted by The Signal, I have always argued on behalf of the reporter or editor.
I was a member of my high school newspaper and I know how hard it is to quote everything someone has said in an interview, a public meeting, or in passing. I guess I made these excuses because I had never been misquoted.
In the Nov. 11 issue of The Signal, I was not only misquoted, but my reported comments were far from the truth.
The article titled “SGA addresses student concerns on spheres” said that “Vice President for Legal and Government Affairs Olaniyi Solebo, sophomore political science major spoke on behalf of (Tucker) Max supporters, saying he did not agree the comic should not come to campus. He referred to Max’s material as ‘funny.’”
Again, I must strongly emphasize that these reported comments are far from the truth.
Whether this is a mistake or a misinterpretation, it is damaging and I feel that I must explain exactly what happened.
During the Nov. 4 Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, I said that I thought the conversation concerning Max and the direction in which it was going was not suitable for an open forum.
When I began, I said I was speaking on behalf of myself and no one else. Never during my comments did I speak on behalf of so-called Max supporters. I urged caution to those commenting during the open forum to think about their duties as elected representatives of SGA.
I believe that many people were speaking on behalf of themselves instead of on behalf of their constituents, which I believe should be the only people represented during a meeting of SGA.
I asked people to empathize with those in the room, like me, who may not have shared their belief that Max should not be allowed to speak on our campus. I said that I would be happy to discuss my reasoning with anyone in private, outside of the General Body.
Please let me offer you the clarity of my convictions — I never said I thought Max was funny. Again, I never said I thought he was funny. I have read his material. He is not funny.
He disgusts me. I find him repulsive and offensive. I think he is abhorrent and obnoxious.
I think his comedy is appalling and atrocious. I also think the same thing of Ann Coulter and her beliefs.
While I know many people say there is a difference between Max and Coulter, I believe that the concerns are the same in each case — we should allow people who hold opinions different from our own to speak on campus, no matter what.
I know that many people will disagree with my position and that is fine — I am afforded my freedom of speech like Coulter and Max. I will not be at any event for Max.
If one were to take place I will be outside protesting him with anyone who chooses to join me. But when I am protesting, I will not be representing SGA or any other organizations and departments with which I choose to identify — I will be representing myself.
I would like an apology in writing from the reporter and The Signal Editorial Board. I would like a correction printed in The Signal, specifically in the “Eye on SGA” and in the corrections section.
Lastly, I would like this letter printed with the other letters to the editor, in its current form.
This is not personal. It angers me and hurts me so much to know that there are people, some who may not know anything about me, who will read that article and think that I believe something I do not.
In life, there are very few things we can control, and I am determined to control my convictions and how they are portrayed.
I strongly believe The Signal can be a reputable and respected paper, but these mistakes belittle and dilute all the hard work I know The Signal staff has done and will continue to do. For those at The Signal who are trying to uphold the standards of a reputable paper, your efforts are appreciated.
Olaniyi Solebo
Opinions article ‘waste of space’
I just read the latest issue of The Signal and I found the article “100 ways to spend $100,000 besides buying spherical art” extremely unnecessary.
Such useless information should not even be published in our newspaper — it’s a complete waste of space and incredibly uninformative.
First of all, as most know by now, the money could only have been used toward artistic purposes. I understand the article was meant to be humorous, but I did not find it funny or entertaining.
Many of the listed alternatives were also tasteless and insulting, such as the ones involving Mary-Kate Olsen and Miley Cyrus.
I found this article a huge disappointment. Other than that, I love The Signal and am a great supporter of it — I just needed to express my disgust.
Clarissa Gomez
(11/10/09 7:18pm)
Balls. Balls. Balls.
That’s all anyone seems to be talking about for the past week and a half, with mixed opinions.
The Signal staff is torn in two at the oh-so-controversial installation, but, as a staff, we see merit in both sides of the argument.
In defense
Okay, maybe they were a little surprising at first, and took a few days getting used to.
And sure, sexual innuendos about the blue ball and snarky quips about how the College “has balls” were funny the first few times.
But the Facebook group — currently numbering more than 1,800 — that calls for vandalizing the public art that an internationally-renown artist took time to build for us is disrespectful and downright embarrassing for a campus that is supposed to be intellectually ahead of the curve.
Despite the rumors flying that the cost of the installation — $100,000 — could have been used for less superflous purposes, that money was, by law, slated for public art.
Maybe the pixels were a poor choice, as many argue, because they don’t go with our campus. So what would be better? Something that looks exactly like every other generic building on campus? Anyone have a better idea?
This unfortunate trend reflects a personal pet peeve that we have encountered at the Signal this year — people are quick to stand back and criticize, but reluctant to come forward and present their own creative and original ideas.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that no one should have an opinion. But I would like to see the conversation mold itself into a more constructive debate. Maybe the merit and characteristics of the art could be discussed, instead of the ways to mock the spheres.
I’m far from an art major, and honestly, I look at the spherical balls and I don’t see pixels. I don’t see anything other than, well, sparkly balls. But isn’t that the point of art? It touches some people, and to others, it doesn’t mean a thing.
Keep fighting the good fight, art kids.
Megan DeMarco
Editor-in-Chief
Opposed
The other school of thought is summarized in the fact that the balls need to go. They are an eyesore and do not work well with the Georgian colonial-style buildings that surround them.
As students, we are generally the ones who have to walk past these monstrosities every day, wishing that someone would take one for the team and roll the balls away. We understand that it is supposed to be “art” and that the money used was only a drop in the bucket of funds used to beautify the campus, but for the love of balls, build a statue or a fountain, just something other than these sparkly spheres we are stuck staring at each time we walk to class.
One of those nifty qualtric surveys would have come in handy, asking students what kind of art they would have liked to see instead of … well, you know.
We hope no one vandalizes the balls, only because they will then be more unattractive, but they are there to stay so there is really nothing we can do except complain and shoot the balls dirty looks every we pass.
Bobby Olivier
Managing Editor
(11/10/09 6:31pm)
SAF money shouldn’t fund Tucker Max
For those of you who may not have read The Signal blurb about the Student Finance Board (SFB) last week, it said that SFB almost unanimously approved the College Union Board (CUB)’s $25,000 bid for Tucker Max to appear at the College in January, $16,138.40 of which comes directly from Student Activity Fee (SAF) funding.
I won’t waste my precious word count explaining who Tucker Max is, but in short, he is a writer whose comedy is based on stories that reduce women to sexual objects.
As an example of his apparent lack of judgment, billboards for his movie use slogans like “Deaf girls can’t hear you coming,” effectively poking fun not only at sexual assault but people with differing abilities as well.
Some people think he is funny — maybe they also think rape is hilarious. I am not one of those people. I am horrified that my SAF money is going to bring someone to campus that I strongly feel is antithetical to our mission as an institution of higher learning. Our mission as a college is to promote an environment of tolerance and equality. Tucker Max goes against all of this.
I am not suggesting that SFB adopt an attitude of censorship. There is nothing wrong with having speakers with differing opinions speak at our campus. However, Tucker Max is not just representing a minority of opinion — he is dangerous.
It is because people still think jokes about raping women are funny that it continues to happen in this world. I do not want someone who promotes a culture of rape to be speaking at my college.
After all the work College students and faculty put into increasing awareness about the continued prevalence of violence against women on our campus and in the United States this past month, it appalls me that we would pay to have someone who makes jokes about date rape and abusing women come to the College.
I understand CUB intended Tucker Max to speak about his experience as a writer, but you can’t separate a writer from the content. As a woman and a human being, I am insulted both by Tucker Max and by CUB and SFB’s apparent insensitivity to such an important issue on a college campus.
I strongly encourage anyone who thinks that Tucker Max is an inappropriate speaker for the College to sign the petition in the Office of Anti-Violence Initiatives, and to e-mail SFB@tcnj.edu or CUB@tcnj.edu and let them know. This is your money that is being used to bring him to campus.
This is absolutely not an attack on those individuals involved in CUB or SFB. I know a lot of you personally, and you’re great people, but I think you made a poor decision in this case, and I am urging you to rescind the bid.
Changing your minds on this issue will not reflect badly on you — in fact, it will show that you are listening to the student population and are responding to it. This is not just coming from me. A lot of students are very angry about Tucker Max, and not just our female student population. He is controversial in a way that our students won’t tolerate.
I would suggest that future bids for entertainers be chosen with a little more consideration for their compatibility with the College, and that SFB be more critical of just how “controversial” they need a speaker to be to sell tickets.
Our college does not support domestic violence, and it is not a laughing matter. Let’s show it by not endorsing misogynist, sexist, self-proclaimed assholes like Tucker Max.
Source: tuckermax.com.
Jen Hill
Tucker Max’s writing based on insults
For those of you who don’t know, Tucker Max wrote the deceivingly popular book “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.”
He’s even called himself an asshole, and considers his writing to be graced by genius. With a degree from the University of Chicago and a Law Degree from Duke Law, he considers himself to be smarter than everyone he meets, especially those from state schools like the College.
I fail to see how someone who constantly uses swear words, extreme profanity, or just dumbfounded slang can call himself smart. His entire writing style is predicated on these slang words, insults and slander.
For someone who talks a lot of his intellect, his writing has been filled with drivel and nonsensical fluff — absolutely nothing in his stories indicates that it was written by someone with any intellect.
He recently released a movie based on his “popular” book. As a person with a disability, after hearing of his ad campaign, I was completely outraged.
“Deaf girls never hear you coming,” was just one of his many insensitive ad campaigns. He goes on to outclass strippers and blind women, he goes on to outclass African Americans, both men and women, and he goes on to degrade large women.
To Tucker Max, the only people who have any control over their lives are white males and white females who are attractive and don’t have “too much” sex. This flawed perception of life is unreasonable, and you can’t honestly expect me to stand here and listen to this man say that everyone — anyone — in this society doesn’t have a choice.
We’re going to stand here and let this man come to our campus, a campus he himself calls backwards in intellect, and tell us that we don’t have a choice in our actions, we are all worthless and here just for his entertainment?
Darryl Levy
(10/27/09 3:50pm)
Despite all of the media coverage about the youth vote in last year’s Presidential election, college students and young people in general have not voted in elections as often as their older counterparts.
Even in last year’s historic presidential election, there was an 11.6 percent gap between the participation rates of New Jersey citizens age 18 to 24 and the citizenry as a whole. This year’s election presents an opportunity for students to help narrow that voting gap, and make sure their voices are heard.
As a public advocate, I have made voting issues a priority. As a former college professor, I have a particular interest in seeing today’s youth get more actively engaged in the electoral process.
On Nov. 3, New Jersey registered voters have a number of choices to make. Voters will choose a Governor and Lieutenant Governor, members of the state legislature and a variety of county and local officials. In addition, voters will decide on one or more ballot initiatives.
This year, New Jersey’s improved vote-by-mail program is making it easier for citizens to cast their ballots. As a result, a greater percentage of New Jersey residents are likely to exercise their option to vote by mail. For students, it is a relatively simple process and a good way to ensure that you cast your vote, even if you are registered at your parents’ home and can’t get to the polls on Election Day.
Here are some voting facts that college students need to know.
Where a registered student votes depends on where he or she is registered to vote.
Students registered to vote at a school dormitory, apartment, or off-campus housing address will vote in the town where that dormitory, apartment, or off-campus residence is physically located.
Students registered at a home address, such as a parent’s house, will vote in the town where that home address is physically located.
All registered voters are mailed a sample ballot a few days before the election containing the exact location of the polling place. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
Registered students — like all voters — also have the choice to vote by mail. If you want to vote by mail, here is what you do:
A registered voter can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot by getting an application from the state Division of Elections Web site at njelections.org/mail-in_doe.html.
The completed application must be filled out and sent to the Clerk of the county where the voter is registered. Those addresses also are available on the Web site. If you are mailing the application, it must be received by the Clerk by Oct. 27.
If you are concerned that the Clerk won’t receive your application by Oct. 27, you can drop off your completed application in person at the Clerk ’ s office up until 3 p.m. on Nov. 2.
If you mail the application in, you should receive your vote-by-mail ballot in the mail. If you drop off your application to vote by mail after Oct. 27, you should be given a ballot at that time.
A voter who believes he or she is properly registered but is denied the right to vote may obtain a provisional ballot on Election Day, and the ballot’s validity will be reviewed after the polls close. A voter also can opt to go before a judge that same day, to seek an order to vote on the voting machine.
Voting, whether in person or by mail, is one of the most important and powerful ways to be heard in our system of government. No eligible voter should miss out on the opportunity. If you are registered, please vote in this year’s election. If you are eligible to register but have not done so yet, it is too late for this election but please register so you don’t miss participating in future elections.
Ronald K. Chen
Public Advocate of New Jersey
(10/20/09 2:37pm)
On Sunday, Oct. 11 more than 65 College students traveled down to our nation’s capital in order to participate in the National Equality March.
This march was not only to catalyze progress in our nation’s policies which suppress gay rights — it was in essence a march for all civil rights.
This event was monumental — largely the result of grassroots organizations throughout the United States, tens of thousands of individuals crowded the streets of Washington D.C. hailing from all corners of the nation. As students of the College, we felt tremendously proud to be on the right side of United States history. To be surrounded by so much energy, love and tolerance was truly an amazing experience and the march was executed with the intent of a wholly just and democratic cause.
It is, however, unfortunate to note that only two members of the College faculty attended the march.
As members of the College community, students acknowledge that tolerance, awareness and community are integrated into the College’s pedagogical disciplines.
Many of the students on Sunday could not help but remark on the absence of our professors, our advisors, and our administrators. Particularly those credited with the fostering of community awareness and leadership, with utmost sincerity, you were missed.
We hope next time to see you there, beside us, practicing the values you so fervently preach.
Jessica Cantermen and the rest of the College equality marchers
(10/06/09 3:01pm)
Signal layout needs revamping
I’ve read The Signal cover-to-cover every week since freshman year, and as a senior I believe I have a well-rounded view of how The Signal is structured.
The quality of this newspaper was initially disappointing, having come from a high school with an excellent newspaper. Though there have been improvements—fewer ads for The Signal in The Signal, for one — I remain disappointed with the amount of student work published.
I understand that newspaper layout is a difficult and frustrating process, and that ultimately some articles cannot be published in the paper edition because of space constraints.
However, it seems odd to me that space isn’t utilized appropriately. I noticed that in the most recent edition of The Signal there were multiple photographs that could have been cropped and re-sized to fit more articles.
One may claim that The Signal is limited by proper newspaper formatting, but this is not the case.
For example, on multiple pages the titles of two different articles were placed side-by-side, a taboo in the journalism world as I understand it.
Furthermore, there have been no major changes to the format of The Signal in the last few years, and the layout is stale and generic.
It should be of the highest priority to publish as many quality articles as possible that reflect the interests and social climate of the College’s students.
I understand that certain sections must include particular articles—I am not suggesting that we eliminate Eye on the SGA, for example—but it seems The Signal’s circulation has been suffering because it does not cater to its target audience.
I would love to see The Signal completely revamp its layout and abbreviate or eliminate some of the redundant material in favor of a greater breadth of student work.
Bess Myers
NJ Assembly Candidate rallies for afforable healthcare
Recently, Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) applauded the Corzine administration and congratulated herself for the increased number of New Jersey children now covered by health insurance.
Children’s health and access to quality affordable healthcare are issues of paramount concern to me, and the absence of access to healthcare greatly affects a notable segment of the population here in our district.
With the unemployment rate now increased to 9.7 percent, families continue to suffer the failed leadership of Governor Corzine and Bonnie Watson Coleman and Reed Gusciora.
This week, over 30,000 unemployed New Jersey residents faced losing their unemployment benefits, a significant portion of whom have children.
So I ask, What about the children? Who’s standing for them?
It’s time to set a new direction, put unemployed New Jerseyans back to work, and ensure an appropriate quality of life for all children.
Kim Taylor
Candidate for State Assembly, 15th Legislative District
(09/29/09 5:16pm)
IT security manager defends NAC
This letter is in response to The Signal article written last week about the College’s Network Access Control (NAC) system. NAC provides electronic enforcement of computing policies that have been in place for a very long time.
The policies include keeping your computer up-to-date with operating system patches, not using peer-to-peer file sharing applications on the Internet, with the exception of DC++, using appropriate and up-to-date antivirus software and not disrupting the work of others.
By enforcing these policies, Information Technology (IT) hopes to protect the community from malware, hacking, loss of information, identity theft and denial of service for students, an entire dorm or for all of ResNet, to name a few computing security risks.
The NAC system helps IT identify the owner of a computer or device that connects to the College network, and checks for basic security requirements. This information is only stored on campus, and IT plans to purge the information every year. No other personally identifiable information is gathered.
Regarding the question of whether IT communicated to students, communication regarding the NAC included an e-mail message to all students on Aug. 6, which included a link to the IT Security Web page and NAC installation time line, as well as a specific e-mail message about wired and wireless routers on Sept. 14.
Warnings are issued immediately to students who connect using a router, and electronic warnings were generated from the NAC every 12 hours for the seven day period from Sept. 14 through Sept. 21. These messages, notices and the Web site contain links and contact information to the ResNet helpdesk and the College’s helpdesk. This is the avenue for questions or concerns. We are happy to speak with anyone.
The College provides antivirus software free for all members of the College community. A list of allowed antivirus software is available on the IT Security NAC webpage and continues to be posted on the NAC antivirus warning webpage.
Alan Bowen
Manager of IT security
Internet security measures vital to network health
In response to Tim Lee’s Opinion piece last week, the College Information Technology (IT) department’s Computing Access Agreement is nothing new. Before you are allowed to connect any personal computer to the network, you agree to all its terms. These terms include the prohibition of routers, access points and computers without antivirus protection (terms that have been in the Computing Access Agreement since before you were in high school). The Network Access Control (NAC) is a non-invasive way for the IT department to make sure that you aren’t violating any of those terms. It was put in place for the safety and security of the College network — not just your personal computer. The client protects the campus network, as well as everything connected to the network, from computers deemed hazardous to the health of the network. Its exact purpose is explained in the Access Agreement to which you have already agreed to.
The client is small and unobtrusive. It has been tested on Windows, Mac and Linux. Many campuses and organizations use this kind of NAC.
My sister goes to Coastal Carolina Community College, and she requires a Client to be installed on her computer to connect, while Penn State keeps track of each student’s individual bandwidth consumption and cuts off access completely when you exceed quota without warning.
Unless you’re intentionally violating the access agreements, it will not have any effect on your daily computer usage.
Computers with out-of-date operating systems or no antivirus software are serious security threats that compromise the integrity of everything connected to our network, including services such as Zimbra, SOCS and PAWS. It only takes one compromised computer to create a security risk for everyone on campus. Compromised computers affect your fellow classmates, the College’s computer labs and the College’s servers. No one wants to get computer viruses. They happen accidently and computers without protection are the computers that spread the viruses to others. Your “need” to operate a computer without any virus protection has the potential to do serious damage. The College is well within its means to ensure the safety and integrity of every computer and server on the network.
You can get antivirus software from the “Student” section of the IT Web site. Just enter your e-mail credentials and you can download Sophos Anti-Virus, a $200-plus value, for free.
Routers also pose a serious threat to the health of a network, especially those such as Lee’s that broadcast wireless access to everyone within a 300 feet radius of your room. Just because your router doesn’t broadcast its SSID publically, doesn’t mean it somehow magically stops broadcasting anything. It’s wireless — you’re still broadcasting an easy-in Internet connection to anyone who wants it. Additionally, your 128-bit security is sort of the laughing stock of the wireless security world. It’s the reason that TCNJ-Wireless still makes you log-in with your College login even though you know the long password. It’s not your responsibility to modify the campus network to grant wireless Internet to the community.
As I’ve said, the NAC is an unobtrusive way to keep your computer and every computer, lab, and server on campus safe. Compromised computers sending spam e-mails have crippled the residential network. Misconfigured student routers have taken down Internet access to entire buildings. I worked for IT for four years — I’ve seen it. I’m glad to hear that Lee’s computer has not been a victim of any of these problems. However, I would not be so quick to assume that other students have been so fortunate. Lee’s harsh opinion of the NAC is unfortunate and, as I’ve shown, baseless. The “Man” isn’t out to get you. The College is trying to provide a safe and secure network for Lee’s fellow classmates and I hope that he’ll come to realize this.
Christopher Neylan
Editorial ignored Corzine’s education efforts
Like The Signal’s editorial staff, I am disappointed that there will not be a League of Women Voters debate at the College. I am also disappointed that last week’s editorial ignored Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s higher education accomplishments.
Over the past four years, the governor has proven his dedication to public education by acting as an advocate for all students, including those at public colleges and universities.
Many of us struggle to pay for our education, especially in this economy. As our governor, Corzine has worked hard to ensure that no one is held back from getting an education because of his or her financial situation.
Yes, it is true that tuition has increased at the College just as it has at public and private colleges across the country. However, did you know that Corzine placed a three percent cap on tuition increases at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities? This will help ensure that we are not overburdened by tuition increases if they do occur.
Additionally, Corzine has significantly increased funding for Tuition Aid Grants. Since 2006, New Jersey has provided students from low and middle income families with almost $800 million in grants to help pay for college.
If reelected, Corzine will continue to support college students by making higher education more accessible and affordable for everybody.
Republican candidate Chris Christie has said that he would refuse the $5 billion in federal stimulus money intended to help New Jersey through the economic crisis. His rejected stimulus funds include $2 billion for all of New Jersey’s schools and $74 million in federal student aid.
Christie’s stance clearly shows that he is not willing to fight for college students in the way Corzine will.
While Corzine will work with New Jersey’s scarce resources to make college more affordable for everyone, Christie will put partisan politics above the well-being of every student.
Although the candidates will not be attending a debate hosted at the College, I would like to point out that Corzine was nearby at Rider University on Sept. 22.
At the event, he provided an open dialogue with questions from the audience, most of whom were Rider students. Every College student was welcomed to attend and interact with the governor, and a handful did.
I encourage College students to attend the open forum with Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Loretta Weinberg tonight to learn more about the issues and ask her any questions they may have.
Sources: politickernj.com, joncorzine09.com, nytimes.com.
Allison Fitzgerald
Signal editing angers writer
Let’s try this again. In the Sept. 23 issue of The Signal, you semi-published a Letter to the Editor that I wrote regarding the commuter parking situation.
How can you edit to the point of near non-recognition a Letter to the Editor that is appearing in the “Opinions” section of your paper? What gives you the authority to alter my opinions so that they suit your printing needs? I have one more question for you — what happened to freedom of speech? Ever hear of the First Amendment?
I sent in a letter that I thought was witty, with just a hint of biting sarcasm, yet the editors removed all of my witty comments, leaving behind a bland, cut-and-dry letter that I am embarrassed to have my name attached to. If I had known you were going to change my words, and by default change the entire tone of my letter, I would have simply said, “No, thank you.”
Nothing in my letter should have been considered too controversial to publish in the newspaper. After all, I merely made a joke about saying the Rosary to get a parking spot, a real knee-slapping statement according to several students, who I asked to read my original letter.
I find it humorous that a newspaper that publishes a series entitled “Let’s talk about sex” finds the need to remove portions of an article on parking. I didn’t write a sexually charged article, nor did I write a politically biased article (and even if I had, you should publish it anyway courtesy of that grand old First Amendment).
Maybe you can try and publish this without butchering my message and tone — then again, maybe you can’t.
Kristen Casabona
(09/22/09 6:24pm)
Lack of campus parking inconveniences commuter
When I first read the article and editorial about campus parking in the Sept. 9 issue of The Signal, I was ecstatic that someone was finally addressing commuter parking problems.
Since the semester began, it has been a struggle to find parking. As a commuter student, I have no choice but to leave 30 minutes before class and battle the rest of the student body attempting to find a parking spot. If I’m lucky, I hit the jackpot and take one of the last five parking spots on the roof of Lot 6.
I feel sorry for the students who get to campus five minutes after me to find no spots left in any of the commuter lots.
These students have to circle the parking deck and pray that someone is going to leave so they can claim a spot and get to class on time.
Two of my housemates carpooled and left approximately 20 minutes before the start of their classes. They ended up getting to class 20 minutes late because a parking spot was unattainable.
I cannot even imagine how much worse this situation will become once parking on the top deck becomes unavailable due to snow removal practices.
However, I decided to write this editorial because of how infuriated I became after reading “SGA tackles campus parking issues” in the Sept. 16 issue of The Signal.
Brian Block, vice president of Administration and Finance, said there are enough parking spots available for College students, according to the article. In most students’ experiences, I have found that to be untrue.
According to SGA members, 114 parking spaces in various lots should be available for commuter students. However, I’m not sure where exactly these 114 parking spaces are. Perhaps a Parking Services representative can draw me a map of these supposed empty parking spaces.
In addition, Lot 15 will serve as overflow commuter parking, according to Block. As I drove past Lot 15, I saw a note indicating the lot was for faculty and staff members.
I would love some clarification on the issue so I do not risk being ticketed by Campus Police.
With this issue added to all the other parking problems on campus, I just hope I am not around when high school students and their parents flood the parking lots to take tours of the College.
Kristen Casabona
Surprise Eickhoff ticketing angers student
Walking downstairs to Lot 11 — the parking lot below Eickhoff Dining Hall — a couple weeks ago, my roommate and I were completely oblivious to the welcome back prizes left for us by a Campus Police officer.
At the time, our minds were on coffee. Still exhausted from move-in day, escaping campus for a decent cup of java sounded like an ideal way to start our first full Wednesday back. It wasn’t until we reached Dunkin’ Donuts that I noticed the menacing white slip under my windshield wipers.
Confused, I exited my station wagon to read the paper. It turned out to be a ticket for “lack of valid decal” issued by Campus Police.
However, according to an e-mail sent by Parking Services, ticketing for lack of valid decal was supposed to begin on Wednesday, Sept. 2. which, at the time, was a week away.
When we returned to campus, my roommate discovered that her vehicle, also parked under Eickhoff, received the same ticket.
We both had valid decals for Lot 9 but wanted to take advantage of the convenient parking while we could. Having our cars three floors below our dorm room in Eickhoff was nice while it lasted — very nice and very legal.
We headed over to the department of Administrative Services to fill out applications for appeal.
The officer behind the desk, after hearing our reason for appealing the tickets, admitted that whoever issued the ticket was wrong. She also said Campus Police was given specific orders against such ticketing.
My roommate and I were furious. We felt wronged and taken advantage of. All this justifiably negative energy was channeled into an immediate trip to Green Hall to hand in our forms. The woman who helped my roommate took her appeal with a smirk. She said she had been receiving them all morning.
According to the Green Hall employee, one overeager Campus Police officer entered Lot 11 early that morning and issued dozens of “lack of valid decal” tickets to fulfill his end of the month quota.
If we hadn’t gone through all that trouble, we would have each been slammed with an undeserved $50 fine. It sickens me to think that some of our fellow students will let that happen to them.
It thoroughly disturbs me that the police officers hired to right the wrongs of our campus are instead having their actions corrected by students.
Margaret Pakutka
(07/30/09 6:38pm)
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(04/29/09 4:00pm)
With a split of their doubleheader against No. 16 Rowan University, the College locked up the No. 3 seed and a home game at Lions' Park in the 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) tournament.
The Lions will host that game against the No. 4 seeded Roadrunners of Ramapo College at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, while the top-seeded Profs of Rowan will host a game at the same time against an opponent yet to be determined.
Game one of the doubleheader went to the Profs 1-0. Rowan senior pitcher Jackie Sasko threw a complete game five-hitter with seven strikeouts.
Junior pitcher Ashley Minervini suffered the tough loss for the Lions, throwing seven innings of four-hit ball. The loss came on an unearned run in the third inning.
"Obviously, it was a tough loss, especially when we battled so hard, but it was a true testament to our team to come back in the second game," Minervini said.
In the second contest, the Lions turned the tide as they picked up the win by a final of 5-3.
Winning this game with offense, the Lions got it going early. Sophomore first baseman Caitlyn Seamster delivered a two-RBI single in the first inning, scoring freshman left fielder Crystal Lee and senior right fielder Kelly Armstrong for a quick 2-0 lead.
After a solo homerun by the Profs' Steph Taraschi in the fourth inning cut the lead to one, sophomore hurler Alex Sietsma came in relief and took over on both offense and defense.
Once she shut down the Rowan offense in the fourth when the bases were loaded, Sietsma belted a three-run double to give the College a 5-1 edge. Sietsma picked up the victory despite a complete game, eight-strikeout effort from sophomore Amanda Singer.
The Lions' sophomore stud also pitched a beautiful game against the in-conference rival Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University (NJCU) on Saturday. Sietsma took a perfect game into the seventh, retiring 18 batters in a row before it was broken up with a single. She was pulled directly thereafter.
Rookie Lauren Fitzsimmons relieved Sietsma and got the save on six pitches after a double play and a strikeout to end the game in favor of the Lions 2-0.
"Alex and Lauren are really talented and deserve all the success they had in the past four games," Minervini said.
The Lions got the little offense they could muster when Armstrong cracked a two-out RBI double, plating junior center fielder Danielle Hagel. Then, in the fifth inning, Lee added an insurance run on a RBI double.
In the first contest, it was more offense on the part of the visitors, as they Lions rolled 8-1.
Junior shortstop Ellen Seavers led the charge, going 2-3 with three RBIs, including her third homerun of the season.
Seamster and Sietsma also did their part, each going 3-4 with two double, run and RBI apiece.
Minervini picked up the win, improving to 7-9 with a five-hit performance while fanning eight.
With the win, the Lions improve their overall record against NJCU to 24-0, as they have yet to lose a contest against their NJAC rivals.
"It felt great to sweep, especially this late in NJAC play when it's very important to win out," Minervini said.
After both double dips, the Lions end the regular season at 23-15 overall and 12-6 in the NJAC.
The Lions look to take the NJAC Tournament by storm, hoping to continue their recent playoff success.
(04/22/09 4:00pm)
Despite being a younger team, the steadily improving Lions are beginning to find their stroke.
Following back-to-back doubleheaders, the Lions are now 20-14 overall, with a 9-5 conference record.
After sweeping the Raptors of Rutgers University-Camden in two straight games, the team earned its 20th victory of the year by splitting a doubleheader with Ramapo College.
The double dip against the Roadrunners was quite a battle. In the initial contest, seven innings were not enough to determine a victor. After nine innings of play, the host Roadrunners took down the Lions 4-3.
"Obviously, it was a tough loss, especially when we battled so hard," junior pitcher Ashley Minervini said.
The game was tied until the bottom of the ninth, when both teams were granted a runner on second base in the ninth inning in an effort to break the tie. The Roadrunners won the game on freshman Stephanie Malgeri's game winning single.
Minervini, who was in a different role than usual, pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief. Despite not giving up an earned run, she suffered the defeat.
On offense, rookie catcher Michelle Kent led the way with two hits and two RBIs, while junior shortstop Ellen Seavers had a pair of base hits as well. However, it was not enough for the win.
In the second contest, the Lions turned the tides with their power pitching and hitting. Sophomore Alex Sietsma recorded her second shutout in as many days, as she recorded six strikeouts while only allowing four hits in a 4-0 Lions win.
"It was a true testament to our team to come back in the second game and shut them out," Minervini said. "We weren't about to dwell on the loss and proved we could beat them by coming out so strong in the second game."
Sietsma was also strong at the plate, as she belted her first home run of the season. Freshman Katelyn Congilose also had a four-bagger for the victors.
"Alex and Lauren are really talented and deserve all the success they had in the past four games," Minervini said.
There were some parallels to the College's two games the day before against Rutgers-Camden.
In the first contest, the game went to extra innings, but this time the Lions managed to pull out a 3-2 victory in eight innings.
The Lions fell behind early, as the Scarlet Raptors struck first on a two-run home run.
After picking up their first run, the Lions knotted up the game at two after junior center fielder Danielle Hagel singled in freshman left fielder Crystal Lee in the bottom of the sixth frame.
Not to be outdone, the Scarlet Raptors put the pressure on once again, as a distracting rundown allowed a Raptor to score and give the team a 3-2 edge.
In the bottom of the eighth, however, the College sealed the victory when Lee knocked in senior right fielder Kelly Armstrong, and then scored herself on a Scarlet Raptor error.
Freshman pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons picked up her ninth win of the year, allowing just one hit and fanning 11.
In game two, only five innings were needed.
The Lions scored six runs in the third inning en route to blanking the visitors 8-0.
Hagel had a three-run homer while Armstrong had a three-run double. Two more runs in the fourth inning gave the Lions the victory, their 11th in 12 tries at Lions' Park.
Sietsma performed well again, as she picked up the shutout win, giving up five hits and posting five strikeouts.
"It felt great to sweep, especially this late in NJAC play when its very important to win out," Minervini said.
They will be back on the field for their final two regular season games, as the team travels to New Jersey City University to play the Gothic Knights on Saturday at 1 p.m.
(04/08/09 4:00pm)
The Lions served up some good home cooking this week, as the team swept two straight series at Lions' Park.
The College took two from Haverford College, ending their five-game winning streak Thursday afternoon, before sweeping Rutgers University-Newark on Sunday. They now stand at 9-1 on their home field.
"We feel very comfortable because it's our home field and we don't want anyone to take us on it," junior pitcher Ashley Minervini said.
The first game against Haverford College was a pitcher's duel, with the College coming out on top, 1-0.
Freshman pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons and sophomore pitcher Jamie Moir combined on the team's sixth shutout of the season, with Fitzsimmons picking up the win and Moir picking up her first save.
Fitzsimmons improved to 6-3 on the season, as she went 6 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
"Lauren is doing a great job, and the fact that she is only a freshman is even more impressive," Minervini said. "She has been key asset to our success this season and I wish her continued success on the mound."
The only run scored in the contest was scored by junior infielder Ellen Seavers in the bottom of the second. Seavers crossed the plate after leading off the inning with a triple, and she was batted in by junior outfielder Danielle Hagel.
The second game had a little more offense to it, as the Lions completed the perfect day by a final of 5-2.
The early advantage went to the Lions, as Hagel scored on a double by freshman infielder Katelyn Congilose in the bottom of the second.
Haverford struck right back, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
The Lions answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Seavers hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and senior outfielder Kelly Armstrong knocked in the go-ahead run with a single.
After an RBI each by Hagel and Seavers, the Lions iced the game at 5-2.
Sophomore Alex Sietsma got her first victory of the campaign, throwing a complete game in the process.
The doubleheader against the 1-19 Scarlet Raiders was completely one-sided, as the Lions beat the Scarlet Raiders in consecutive five-inning games.
Game One saw Lions ace Minervini pitch four innings of one-run ball, while Sietsma provided a perfect fifth inning to invoke the mercy rule on the visitors.
The home team got started early, as sophomore Caitlin Seamster's two-run double and two passed balls that scored a run apiece put the Lions up 5-0.
It was downhill from there for the Scarlet Raiders. The Lions piled it on with two more runs in the third and four more runs in the fourth to finish the game off at 12-1.
"My team's offense gives me such motivation to do well on the mound," Minervini said.
The second contest was much of the same. The Lions rolled 8-0 as Moir made the most of her first start of the season, throwing a one-hit shutout for her second victory.
The offense was still clicking as well, as the team notched six runs in the fourth. Sophomore Colleen Cawley drove in two with a single, and Seavers belted a two-run shot to end all hope for the Raiders.
The Lions now stand at 15-11 overall and 4-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
The team heads back to the field on Saturday, as they travel to William Paterson University for a doubleheader against the Pioneers at 3 p.m.
(04/01/09 4:00pm)
After a shaky start to the season, two stellar pitching performances by freshman Lauren Fitzsimmons appear to be turning things around.
Fitzsimmons led the College in their effort to end Montclair State University's (MSU) 27-game conference win streak with a 3-0 victory in the second contest of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader. MSU had defeated the College 4-3 in the opening game. The rookie also threw a 2-0 shutout against Muhlenberg College earlier in the week.
Fitzsimmons threw an impressive four-hit shutout in the second game against MSU, striking out four and walking one to improve to 5-1 on the campaign. She also did not allow a runner to reach third base.
Despite being held to just two hits, the Lions scored three runs in very unconventional ways. Junior catcher/outfielder Kelly Armstrong scored two of those runs by beating a throw to home after a throw down to first base in the second inning and on a wild pitch in the fourth. Junior infielder Ellen Seavers scored the final run on an error in the fifth.
The first game had all the drama, as the Lions tied the score with two outs in the top of the seventh. Freshman infielder Katelyn Congilose started with a double, and after two consecutive batters were hit by a pitch, sophomore infielder Kathy Sikora singled to bring the tying run to the plate.
The tie was short-lived, however, as all the Red Hawks needed was a double and a subsequent RBI single to win. The winning run was scored by senior shortstop Jennifer Jiminez and driven in byfreshman pitcher/infielder Adrian Rastocny.
Junior Elia Persico got the win for the Red Hawks on just 1/3 of an inning pitched, while Ashley Minervini suffered the loss. The Lions' junior ace now stands at 5-5 on the season.
"It was really hard to take that loss, but I'm very proud my team was able to do so in the second game," Minervini said. "They didn't just give up and you could tell we were out to beat them at any cost."
After the split, the Lions are now at 10-10 overall, while the Red Hawks are 11-5 on the year. Both teams are 1-1 in the NJAC.
Two of those 10 victories came last Wednesday, as the College swept Muhlenberg College at Lions' Park in two straight games.
The first was a convincing 9-0 victory in six innings, as Minervini pitched a one-hit shutout. She fanned eight Mules in the win.
"It feels great to toss a one-hitter," Minervini said. "There's no better feeling than knowing you are keeping the other team off balance."
After scoring once in the second inning, the Lions got very offensive in the second when freshman Crystal Lee reached home plate on a fielder's choice. That was followed up by a two-run single by Congilose, who had a total of three hits on the afternoon.
The sixth inning was also a solid inning for the home team, as they scored four runs in the frame. Three of those runs came on a home run by sophomore infielder Amy Ullrich.
"My team's offense gives me such motivation to do well on the mound," Minervini said. "I can throw with a lot less stress on my shoulders and have fun watching my team attacking and dominating our opponent."
In the second contest, there was not much offense, but yet another strong outing by Fitzsimmons. The rookie threw a one-hitter of her own, recording eight Ks to pick up her fourth win of the season.
The Lions won the game 2-0, scoring the only runs of the contest when Congilose singled home a run in the fourth and junior outfielder Danielle Hagel knocked in a run on a base hit in the fifth.
Playing at Lions' Park has certainly been favorable to the home team, as they are 4-0 on the year and have outscored their opponents' 23-0 in those games.
They have a chance to improve on that record when they return to action tomorrow afternoon, playing host to the NJAC rival Fords of Haverford College in a double dip at 3 p.m.
(03/25/09 4:00pm)
Unfortunately for Cinderella, the clock struck midnight just a little too soon.
In vying for their first national title in program history, the underdog Lions were defeated by the Bruins of George Fox University 67-52 in the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals at DeVos Field House at Hope College in Holland, Mich., Friday night.
The Bruins went on to win the national championship, defeating Washington University 60-53 in the final.
"The loss was hard, but we got beaten by a very talented team who eventually went on to win it all," junior center Alexandra Gregorek said. "Does that make it sting less? A little, but a loss is a loss."
The Lions did, however, take down the Lord Jeffs of Amherst College 82-74 the following day to win the consolation game and clinch third place in the tournament.
Both teams were making their first appearance in the NCAA Final Four.
"We were obviously upset about the loss," senior center Hillary Klimowicz said, "but Coach relayed to us that only two teams in the country get to end their season on a win, and we had the opportunity to be one of them."
The game was appropriately headlined by the play of the Lions' tri-fecta of seniors, all playing in the final game of their careers.
Klimowicz led the trio, as she scored 25 points, grabbed 12 off the glass and dished out six assists. The Women's Basketball Coaches' Association Division III Player of the Year finishes her stellar College career second on the all-time Lions' scoring and rebounding list with 1,413 points and 832 boards, respectively.
"It's obviously a great accomplishment to have finished second in both rebounds and scoring," Klimowicz said. "But I could not have done either without my teammates giving me the ball or putting pressure on a shooter causing them to miss."
Guard Alyssa Michella got it done from downtown, sinking four three-pointers in a 17-point effort.
The third senior, guard Lisa Koch, netted 13 points on the morning, including six from the free throw line.
"They did the job today," Lions head coach Dawn Henderson said.
The Lord Jeffs started off the game hot, going on a 7-0 run before the Lions came roaring back with a 13-5 run of their own to take the first lead of the game at 13-12. Sophomore forward Kelsey Kutch scored six of the team's points in that run.
The Lions went on yet another run, as Klimowicz and junior center Alexandra Gregorek scored a combined eight points in a 10-2 run. This gave the Lions the lead 27-21 at the break.
As the second half rolled around, the Lions increased their lead to 32-23 thanks to two baskets by Klimowicz and a trey by Michella. The Jeffs countered with a run of their own, taking an 11-2 stretch to knot up this tight game at 34-34.
The game stayed close until Amherst took a slight two-point edge at 62-60. However, as was the theme of the tournament for the College, the free throws made all the difference. Four makes from the line in the last 36.3 gave the Lions the victory.
With the win, the 28-5 Lions played in a school-record 33 games, winning 28. The finish at third place marks the best in team history.
"I could not be more proud of our team and their effort today," Henderson said.
The College's game with undefeated George Fox was tough from the start as they were overtaken by the Bruins 67-52.
The magic number in this game was three, and George Fox dominated the contest with their proficiency from beyond the arc.
The Bruins made 14-of-28 shots from long range, an NCAA Tournament record, including seven of those in the first half to take a 34-26 lead into the break. They were carrying all the momentum as well, as it was their biggest lead of the half.
The Lions had a difficult time penetrating the Bruins defense, as Klimowicz was neutralized in the post by her counterparts' stingy play. She ended the contest with 19 points and nine rebounds, but only went 8-for-19 from the floor. This along with the Bruins catching fire from three-point range proved more than enough for the Lions, whose 13-game win streak was snapped in the process.
"Certainly, George Fox is a great team. They've got good balance," Henderson said. "They did the things they do normally, and we didn't do the things we do normally."
In the end, the Lions' Cinderella season did end exactly as planned, but it was more than anyone could have imagined.
"There are something like 418 DIII teams, we finished in third and were the first New Jersey Athletic Conference school to do so," Klimowicz said. "The end of our season is a little bittersweet as we did not make it to that championship game, but we are proud of one another."
(03/18/09 4:00pm)
Talk about catching fire at the right time.
After taking down the 15th-ranked Royals of the University of Scranton 54-48 in Rochester, N.Y., last Friday, the Lions advance to their first NCAA Division III Final Four appearance in program history.
"It feels awesome," senior center and captain Hillary Klimowicz said. "The road getting there has been unbelievable and we did it one game at a time. We've been gutting it out each and every game."
The win is the College's 13th in a row, as they have won 24 of their last 25 dating back to Dec. 9.
The victory also places the 25th-ranked Lions in their toughest game to date, as they will go up against the No. 2 team in the nation, the 30-0 Bruins of George Fox University. That contest will take place Friday at Hope College in Holland, Mich. at 6 p.m.
"We've lost a few close games and we know how to lose and they don't, so we know we don't want to feel that way," Klimowicz said.
In their fourth game of their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, the Lions went shot-for-shot with the Royals, as the game stayed close for the majority of the first half. They finished the half with a 29-23 edge.
As the second half commenced, the Royals came out firing, scoring seven unanswered points to take the lead 30-29, which made things close until the very end.
"Coach said in the huddle that they had the momentum, and we need to stop it," junior point guard Karen Lassoni said. "They were pumped, but we just turned it around with our attitude."
This tight game came down to the free throw line, as the College's last 11 points came from the stripe, which gave them the lead for good. Five of those were made by Lassoni, who also grabbed a clutch rebound and steal to secure the victory.
"I was trying to do everything we could to win, and I was so focused on playing good defense to make the hustle plays," Lassoni said. "I guess I got lucky."
The Lions improved to 27-4 on the season, a school record. To date, the Lions have defeated four ranked opponents en route to their first Final Four appearance.
The victors were led overall by Klimowicz, as she posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior center Alexandra Gregorek and sophomore Kelsey Kutch were also in double figures, each recording 10 points on the evening.
The Lions got much more scoring from their big guns in the round of 16, as they routed the No. 9 and host Yellowjackets of the University of Rochester 70-58. That loss was the first the 'jackets had ever incurred on their home floor in nine NCAA Tournament contests.
"That was a tough and very physical game," Klimowicz said. "We won this game ugly. They outrebounded us, but we didn't turn the ball over. It was a huge accomplishment."
Things looked grim to start, as 24-4 Rochester took a 19-9 lead early. The College countered with a 12-2 run of their own to tie the game up at 21-21.
The visitors went into the locker room leading by 30-26, and increased it to a 16-point edge at 49-33 with less than 10 minutes left. However, the Yellowjackets would come back.
Despite their push, Rochester sealed its fate with less than a minute remaining as they missed three key free throws that would have cut the lead to three. The Lions made all four of their attempts in that same time frame.
Throughout the game, the Lions went to their bread-and-butter approach, as they let centers Klimowicz and Gregorek dominate inside. The Lions towering tandem combined for 33 points and 18 rebounds.
This type of offensive was sorely needed against the Jumbos of Tufts University in the regional final when the Lions toughed it out to squeak by with a 57-55 win on March 7.
After taking a 25-23 lead into halftime, the name of the game for the Lions was free throw efficiency. After a 14-2 run by the Jumbos eight minutes into the second half, the Lions pulled within one. Then, Klimowicz and rookie guard/forward Hannah Tait made the most of their opportunities from the charity stripe. With 3:20 left on the clock, six Tait free throws and four Klimowicz free throws gave the Lions the two-point victory
"I'm proud of Hannah stepping up huge," Klimowicz said. "But as for me, I don't really feel pressure anymore."
In the initial round, the College took down 23rd- ranked Bulldogs of DeSales 64-51 on March 6. This was the first win over the Bulldogs in six tries by the Lions.
After the game was tied at 26-26 at the half, the Lions pulled away and went up by as much as 11, never looking back.
Overall, the College is 15-11 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, and looking to improve that record this weekend.
"I feel like we have started to mesh together at the right time, and being able to gut out these tough games," Klimowicz said. "Everyone has started to contribute, and I think this game and this weekend we will hopefully peak and dominate."
(03/04/09 5:00pm)
Revenge was not even an afterthought.
After falling at home to conclude their 2007-2008 season, the Lions turned the tide this year as they took down defending New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Champion Kean University 69-57 to claim their first NJAC crown since 2006 at home.
After winning their fourth NJAC title in school history, the Lions received an automatic bid into the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament.
The tournament begins today, and there is also still a possibility the Lions will host their opening-round matchup at Packer Hall.
"It feels great," Coach Dawn Henderson said. "It was obviously a lot of fun to win, and after seeing these kids work through all the highs and lows we've had and play together, it was great."
"It's awesome," junior guard Nicole Diaz said. "It's a great feeling, and I'm so happy for the seniors, too. They deserve it."
Those seniors, center Hillary Klimowicz, and guards Alyssa Michella and Lisa Koch, were honored before the traditional NJAC championship plaque and t-shirts were presented to the winners.
"As far as the seniors go, I think we really wanted this," Klimowicz said. "Lisa had already had a championship, so I'm sure it means a lot to her to have started and finished with a championship. It really just felt like all the hard work, 6 a.m. practices and fighting through injuries paid off."
The game itself was a rough and physical one, as expected. The Lions, donning pink shoelaces and pink warm-up shirts, began the game going to their bread-and-butter approach, as they combined outside shooting and low-post scoring by Klimowicz and junior Alexandra Gregorek. The two centers totaled 21 of the Lions' 30 first-half points.
The Cougars attempted to use their aggressive play and physicality to keep the Lions off-balance, but it was not completely effective.
"We finished shots inside, and that was a part of our game plan," Henderson said.
"When we were up 2-0, we really needed that kick to start a run," Gregorek, who had 12 points on the afternoon, said. "It was important and after getting it down low. We did that."
Kean University had an interesting approach on offense as well, as they ran quickly up and down the court to counteract the slow, methodical approach of the College. Their scheme of taking quick shots worked when they got open looks, but the College moved efficiently around the perimeter on defense.
They held the Cougars scoreless until 13:39 was left in the first half, forcing 17 turnovers in the first half and holding their opponents to just 32 percent from the floor and 16.7 percent from downtown.
"We played good defense in the first half," Henderson said. "I stress defense."
As the second half began, the Cougar offense began to drop the shots that had not been falling in the previous half. They cut the Lions' lead to seven at 32-25, but it would not last.
A ferocious offensive output by the Lions over the next six minutes put them up by as many as 21, and the game was out of reach from there.
"We know that Kean is a team that thrives off of runs," Klimowicz said. "We knew we needed to stop their runs once they started them and we were able to do that before they cut the lead too close. Honestly, we just wanted to cut down those nets so badly I don't think anyone could have stopped us."
Klimowicz, the NJAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year, led the Lions in scoring with 19 points and also pulled nine boards and seven blocked shots.
Diaz also contributed by tying a career-high with 12points, including 9-11 from the free throw line. Michella grabbed a team-high 10 boards, as she dropped 12 points for her team as well.
"Having four players in double digits means that we are peaking at the right time," Klimowicz said. "People are stepping up and that means we will only be that much better come NCAA tournament time."
The Lions improved their impressive record to 23-4 overall and 11-2 in the NJAC. They have won 20 of their last 21 and are undefeated at home this year (13-0).
The Cougars dropped to 21-7 on the campaign, with an 11-2 NJAC mark. But again, it was all about the Lions victory.
"After winning this game, it puts us in a pretty good light as far as a first round game is concerned," Henderson said.
The Lions wait for their first round matchup in the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament against DeSales University on March 6.
(02/25/09 5:00pm)
In what was one of the most emotional and highly anticipated contests of the year, the Lions brought their A-game on their home floor last Wednesday night as they took down the Cougars of Kean University 73-61. With the win, the Lions clinched the top spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and a first- round bye in the NJAC playoffs.
"We wanted to have fun and put ourselves in position to win this game, obviously," senior center Hillary Klimowicz said. "We tried to not too much pressure on ourselves, either, and I think Senior Night allowed us to have fun playing together."
The game was quick-paced and physical from the start, as the Lions and Cougars went blow for blow from the beginning. The College would end up taking control for the most part, however, as they took a 36-27 lead into the break.
This lead was not as safe as it may have seemed, as the stingy Cougars defense forced 22 Lion turnovers and showed no signs of letting that up throughout the entire game.
"Last time we played them, they forced 25 turnovers," Klimowicz said. "So we've definitely honed in on that in practice and made sure we were taking care of the ball."
In that first half, Klimowicz tallied a double-double, as she poured in 10 points and pulled down 10 boards. She finished off the game with 21 points and 18 rebounds and is now only 26 rebounds away from 1,000 for her career.
"I've been told these things, but don't follow it much," Klimowicz said. "It is another milestone, and it's exciting, but I hope we keep playing on. With me being 6'3, I should be getting boards anyway."
As the second half commenced, the Cougars got as close as four, trailing 46-42 with 12:09 left in regulation. But the Lions took full control beyond that deficit, as they went up by 15 points just seven minutes later. This all took place in front a raucous crowd of Lions and Cougar fans.
"I really enjoyed the game, and I enjoyed that Kean brought their fans to the game because that made it exciting," Klimowicz said.
As Klimowicz mentioned, it was Senior Night, and senior guard Alyssa Michella notched 15 points for the Lions. Senior guard Lisa Koch also contributed with four points and six dimes.
The College ends the regular season with an overall record of 21-4 and an 11-2 mark in the NJAC. Kean University finished up their regular season at 19-6, with an 11-2 mark in conference.
Despite failing to take home the first round bye and NJAC South Division crown, Kean University made quick work of Rutgers University-Newark, pounding the Scarlet Raiders 68-33 on Saturday. They move on to face Montclair State University tonight at 7 p.m.
"I don't think they (Rutgers University-Newark) matched up well with Kean, and they were probably riled up coming off our game anyway," Klimowicz said. "As for our game, we're focused on William Paterson because they'll be competitive, and we're happy it's at home, too."
After their first-round bye, the Lions are back on the court tonight for their first playoff game, as they host the No. 2 seed from the North Division, the Pioneers of William Paterson at 7 p.m. in Packer Hall in search of an NJAC Championship.
(02/18/09 12:00pm)
Remember last March, when Green Bay Packer icon Brett Favre said he was mentally tired and was done with pro football? His emotional face was seen across television stations and newspaper front pages. Many saw this coming, and all the coverage Favre received was his last hoorah as he rode off into the sunset as arguably the most prolific quarterback in NFL history.
Fast forward four months later. Favre supposedly had the "itch" to return, and because of the nature of his desire to play again, you couldn't turn on ESPN without seeing Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy at a press conference or Brett Favre getting out of his burgundy SUV. It almost got to be unbearable.
Once Favre finally landed with the New York Jets, as the Packers has adamantly said over and over they were moving on with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, people were expecting big things out of Gang Green.
That didn't necessarily happen, as the Jets ended with a 9-7 record, just short of achieving a playoff berth. Favre did all he could with a team that went 4-12 the previous season, but it was not enough.
Now the end has come. Brett Favre is finally done with football for good (hopefully). A torn bicep muscle was enough to send Favre back to his home and family in Mississippi. But this time, there were no tribute videos, no huge send-off from the fans and no massive amount of media coverage. It seemed as if many were tired of Favre's indecision, and thought his one year in New York was something that completely tarnished his seemingly pristine reputation as a top-of-the-line quarterback.
Not me, though. I still regard Favre as one of the best of all-time. And I'm happy for him, too. Not many people get the chance to play professional football, and for those who do, it's certainly a blessing. Favre knew that better than anybody.
When I hear Favre's name, the first thought that pops in my head is his final season with the Packers, in which he took a team with low expectations to a 13-3 record and a spot in the NFC Championship game. Although it didn't end in victory, it still gave me my fondest memory of Favre. The man wasn't in his prime, but in terms of his leadership ability, he was the absolute best.
Despite his amazing talent on the field, the media still made distractions. For years, once the football season ended, the media would speculate on whether Favre would finally hang up his cleats. And each time, he decided to come back and play one more year. This could have easily been a disruption to Favre and his team. But the three-time MVP took it in stride, and continued to put up extraordinary numbers.
The man has to be remembered for his consistency. Favre was the "Iron Man" as he played in 269 consecutive games. Despite having the flu, a sprained ankle or even an injured throwing hand, Favre was on the field each and every Sunday. No matter what age, what team wouldn't want a man like that leading them?
Favre wanted to prove to himself he could still do it. His one year in the Big Apple was nothing more than his farewell tour, and for that, I do not fault him one bit.
Favre still wanted to play the game he fell in love with so many years ago. He was not ready to let go just yet, and the career leader in touchdown passes played every single game he possibly could until he physically could not do it anymore. That is dedication.
So to Favre, I say this: Thank you for the memories, and I'm glad that you got to play every single down you wanted. And don't worry, that one little year in New York was just another year we got to spend watching you play.
(02/11/09 5:00pm)
After dropping a heartbreaking game one week ago to long-time New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Kean, the women's basketball team returned to their winning ways, taking four straight, including a conference win on Saturday over Richard Stockton College.
The Lions rolled past the aggressive Ospreys, 69-58.
Despite the game being a mismatch on paper, the 5-17 Ospreys played hard-nosed basketball, setting the tone early by draining a pair of three-pointers on their first two possessions.
Both teams struggled to score during a defensive-minded first half. Neither team had more than a four-point lead by break.
The second half was a different story, as the Ospreys held a one-point lead on two separate occasions early, but the Lions ripped off a 10-point run to take the lead for good. Senior center Hillary Klimowicz, who leads the NJAC in points per game, was the high-scorer on the day with 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Senior guard Alyssa Michella also made a major contribution as she sank four shots from downtown for a total of 12 points.
"Overall it was a great team effort and we fought it out," Klimowicz said.
The team closed out the non-conference part of their schedule claiming a road victory over the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College (10-11) 80-56 on Thursday.
This game was ugly from the start, as the Lions scored the first seven points of the game and had a 39-27 advantage at the break. Before the final buzzer, the Lions extended their lead to as many as 25 points.
No surprise to the crowd, Klimowicz again paced the College with 23 points on an incredible 11-of-12 shooting and 12 boards. Junior forward Alex Gregorek chipped in down low with 19 points and Michella poured in another four shots from beyond the arc for a 12-point effort.
Without a great start, there cannot be a great finish, and the Lions proved just that with their 69-58 win over the Bears of Ursinus College on Feb. 3.
The Lions took a comfortable 17-point lead into halftime, leading 36-19. Klimowicz netted 12 points in the half, and Michella added nine of her own. Once the final buzzer sounded, Klimowicz and Michella had 28 and 14 points, respectively.
After leading by as many as 24 points in the latter half, the Lions' lead was cut to seven. But the team persevered, draining 12-of-15 second-half free throw attempts.
Lions head coach Dawn Henderson earned her 350th career victory. She now has 304 wins since taking over the reins at the College 16 years ago.
"I think Coach's win was a great milestone for her in her career," junior guard Karen Lassoni said. "But I know she is more focused on winning an NJAC championship and making it to the NCAA tournament than personal accomplishments."
After winning their fourth in a row, the Lions now stand at 18-4 on the campaign and 8-2 within the conference. The Bears drop to 4-14 on the season.
"I think the team has evolved so much from the beginning of the season and we will continue to rely on each other for support to be successful," Lassoni said.
The Lions will complete the season with a series of in-conference games. They head south to take on the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers University-Camden tonight at 6 p.m.