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(09/19/07 4:00pm)
The women's team, ranked No. 17 in the nation, spent its week increasing its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) win streak to 117 consecutive matches as it rolled past Rutgers University-Newark 9-0. The streak's roots date back to Fall 1982.
"Let's hope it doesn't end anytime soon," head coach Scott Dicheck said, "but you take it one day at a time."
All-American athletes senior Christina Contrafatto and sophomore Jackie Shtemberg took a doubles match from the Scarlet Raiders as well as a singles match each.
"It feels weird to think that this is my final year to play tennis (in college)," Contrafatto said. "I hope for the team to go as far as we did last year - and hopefully farther."
"All the teams in the conference know that we are a very strong team and they always play us with a fight," she continued. "We want to continue the streak, so we never take a match or opponent for granted. There is definitely pressure, but we go out there and do our best."
The Lions also competed at the University of Delaware Invitational over the weekend, where both Contrafatto and Shtemberg showed match control in their singles and doubles contests. Shtemberg is the singles regional defending champion, while Contrafatto won the title in 2006.
"I'm excited that I am playing well and that I also have a lot to gain in improvement," Contrafatto said.
Junior Lindsay Katzel, freshman Amanda Berg and sophomores Tamra Wroblesky and Stefanie Haar dominated their singles and doubles matches against Rutgers-Newark.
Berg was paired with Haar, while Wroblesky was teamed with sophomore Sarah Roser. Dicheck was very encouraged by the performances of all his players and was especially impressed by his highly-touted freshman recruit.
"(Berg) had a very good weekend," Dicheck said. "She's done very well in her short time here and she just keeps getting better and better. She's going to be something special."
The men's team was swept by Delaware at the Swarthmore College Invitational over the weekend. Despite the early-season setback, Dicheck looks forward to the next challenge.
The women's team will face Richard Stockton College today at 3:30 p.m. before traveling to the International Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regionals at William Smith College in Geneva, NY on Saturday.
The men's team will take the court again at the ITA Northeast Regionals at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Sept. 28.
Both teams hope to use the ITA Northeast Regional competition as a stepping stone to the ITA Nationals which are scheduled to take place in October in Mobile, Ala.
(09/12/07 4:00pm)
The men's soccer team (4-1) grabbed two wins early in the week before ending on a tough loss to No. 1 ranked York College of Pennsylvania.
In the first game, the Lions rolled past C.W. Post 5-1.
Freshman midfielder Mike Razzoli added to his surging offensive numbers with two goals, including the tiebreaker.
"Just to score for the team and put us ahead was great," Razzoli said. "We are going to keep working hard this season and it will continue to keep showing."
Sophomore Kevin Luber tallied two assists during the game. The first was on a goal by senior forward Nicholas Kiel to tie the game early, and the other occurred on a goal by senior defender Frank Fiorilli.
Senior forward Nima Rahimi also snagged a goal for himself, assisted by senior defender Charlie Heydt.
"(C.W. Post) is a good team and winning that game was an important victory for us," Rahimi said.
In the second game of the week, the Lions added another tally to their win column, edging out Christopher Newport University 4-3 in the first round of the Captain's Classic tournament.
Heydt scored the decisive goal for the Lions and had one assist.
"This game was back and forth a lot," Heydt said. "We went up 4-2 in the second half but never really had the game wrapped up until the end. I technically got the winning goal, but it was an overall team effort with three different goal scorers."
One of those goals scorers was Rahimi, who added his team-high third and fourth goals in the first half to give the Lions an early 3-1 lead.
Senior midfielder Craig Langan also netted one for the Lions.
The Lions had their four-game winning streak snapped by York College in the third game of the week as they were blanked 3-0 in the second round of the Captain's Classic.
With the win, the No. 1 ranked Spartans improved their win streak to 44 consecutive games.
The Lions fought the resilient Spartans hard through the first half, which ended in a scoreless tie, but the Spartans added three goals in the second half to make the win final.
"This was an early test for us," Heydt said. "We had our chances and they had theirs, and then it was just a hectic few minutes when they scored their three goals in the second half."
Many of Heydt's teammates agreed with his statement.
"Losing to York was tough," Rahimi said. "They were a talented opponent, but we took some positives out of the game, and we will use those to try and bounce back against (Stevens Institute of Technology)."
The Lions will play at home today against Stevens at 3 p.m. before traveling to Ramapo College on Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest.
(09/05/07 4:00pm)
The men's soccer team, coming off a sub-.500 campaign last season, brought home two huge shutout victories this weekend at the Harrison House Invitational Tournament at Rowan University.
The Lions blanked Baruch College 2-0 on Friday in the first round of the tournament.
Assisted by senior midfielder Craig Langan, freshman defender/midfielder Mike Razzoli notched the Lions' first goal - and his first at the College - minutes into the first half.
With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, sophomore forward Kevin Luber scored for the Lions on a pass from freshman midfielder Andrew Lampitt.
The College took 20 shots on the goal compared to Baruch's two, both of which were stopped by senior goalkeeper Matt Kasperavicius to complete the shutout.
"It felt good to get back into a competitive game," Kasperavicius said. "This really means something to all of us."
The College rolled past Medgar Evers College 9-0 in its second round contest. Two goals each by Langan, Lampitt and senior defender Charles Heydt and a goal and two assists by Luber gave senior goalkeepers Steve Scuttellaro and Kasperavicius more than enough support.
Kasperavicius made one save in the first half, while Scuttellaro made the save on the lone Medgar Evers shot in the second half for the combined shutout. Senior forwards Nima Rahimi and Nicholas Kiel each added a goal of their own to round out the Lions' offense.
"These two wins were good for us and were certainly a goal for the weekend," Kasperavicius said. "This should set the tone (for the season), but we know it is only the beginning and that we have to continue to learn and get better every game."
The team scored another victory this weekend when some of its members were named to the All-Tournament team. Four Lions made the cut, including senior defender Frank Fiorilli, defender/midfielder Anthony Staropoli, Kasperavicius and Razzoli.
"We are going to keep working hard and have a good season," Razzoli said. "We have a lot of returners from last year and a lot of talent."
Kasperavicius echoed Razzoli's optimistic sentiments, commenting on how the team can continue its win streak.
"We are going to have to continue that type of consistency if we want a winning season," Kasperavicius said. "This will be a matter of finding ways to keep this way of play going rather than questioning if we can keep it going."
The Lions look to continue their winning ways this weekend as they head back on the road to the Christopher Newport University (CNU) Tournament in Newport News, Va.
The Lions have games scheduled on Friday, Sept. 7 against CNU and on Saturday, Sept. 8 against York College of Pennsylvania.
(05/02/07 4:00pm)
It was a successful weekend for the College's track and field team as it participated in the Penn Relays and the Lions' Invitational. The Lions posted numerous Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying times.
The women's 4x800 relay team, comprised of senior Angela Tecco, junior Sara Best, sophomore Stephanie Herrick and freshman Jianna Spadaccini, broke the College record for the event at the Penn Relays by posting a time of 9:13.39.
In the Lions' Invitational, senior Christine Nystrom placed first in the 5,000 meters with a swift time of 19:05.30.
The 4x100 relay team also finished at the front of the pack in its event, as the unit of junior Jessica Bonelli and freshmen Kristen Tricocci, Spadaccini and Priscilla Senyah combined for an ECAC-worthy time of 49.31 seconds.
"Running at Penn Relays is always a great experience and I felt we did well as a whole," Bonelli said. "To run the 4x100 relay at our home meet and win, it felt great. I felt like it gave us a confidence boost and will carry over for our conference meet next weekend."
Senyah's day was not complete, as she also collected two more ECAC qualifying times. The speedy freshman finished the 100 meters in 12.93 seconds and took home a time of 15.82 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.
As for the 1,500 meters, four Lions placed in the top 10. Sophomore Megan O'Leary led the way by taking fourth at an ECAC time of 4:54.30, while senior Allyson Krayl came in fifth with a time of 4:55.68. Senior Jenna Prendergast finished next in sixth, clocking in at 4:58.53, and freshman Michelle Wallace rounded out the top 10 in 10th with a time of 5:02.42.
In other women's results, junior Lauren Pfeifer achieved an ECAC qualifying height in the pole vault by taking third at a height of 3.20 meters.
On the men's side of the track, the Lions continued their winning ways, as junior Galen Johnson took home first place in the 1,500-meter run with an ECAC qualifying time of 4:02.32.
Also at the Penn Relays, the men's distance medley relay team was the top finishing NCAA Division III unit. Consisting of senior Jeff Zodda, juniors Brian Kopnicki and Pat Flinn and sophomore Chris Guerriero, the quick team took sixth with a time of 10:02.05.
Junior Brian Donatelli had double duty, as the weight-throwing junior finished fifth in the shot put at an ECAC distance of 14.78 meters and also took sixth in the hammer throw with a toss of 43.64 meters. Also gaining an ECAC mark was sophomore Al Wonesh, who finished the 400-meter hurdles in Ewing with a time of 56.59 seconds and the same event at the Penn Relays with a time of 1:00.17.
The College's 4x400 team also had success, as freshmen Steve Murray, Woodrow Prevard and Deshard Stevens and sophomore Rob McGowan captured another ECAC worthy time of 3:21.24.
The Lions are in competition again this weekend as the College will host the 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 5.
(04/25/07 4:00pm)
The Lions continued to roar through the spring track season by collecting Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying times and one NCAA qualifier at the Greyhound Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday.
The women started off the day in a big way as the 4x400 relay team, comprised of senior Angela Tecco, junior Jessica Bonelli, sophomore Stephanie Herrick and freshman Jennifer Caratola, finished in second place for an NCAA provisional mark of 3:53.01.
Herrick also had a successful day as she set a meet record in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.79. Tecco was not far behind in second place with a time of 2:15.96, and junior Sara Best took fourth at 2:17.91, as all three women recorded ECAC qualifiers.
Continuing the success for the College was sophomore Martine McGrath, who took first in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:42.05. Sophomore Megan O'Leary finished fifth in the same race at 18:34.02, while senior Jenna Prendergast rounded out the Lions at seventh with a time of 18:39.48.
Bonelli placed fifth in the 400 meters with an ECAC-worthy time of 57.64 seconds.
In other women's events, two freshmen collected ECAC qualifying times. Freshman Meghan Miller took seventh in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking in at 1:06.34, while fellow freshman Priscilla Senyah placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.87 seconds.
Freshman Ashley Krauss rounded out the day for the women in the shot put as she notched an eighth-place finish with a throw of 10.57 meters. Krauss also finished in 13th place in the hammer throw with a personal-best distance of 32.55 meters.
For the men, the 5,000 meters was dominated by the College. Five of the top nine participants were Lions and leading the way was senior Matt Randal, who grabbed a second-place finish and an ECAC qualifying time of 15:31.58. Following Randal were sophomore Greg Bull in third at 15:38.98, freshman Brandon Rodkewitz in fifth at 15:50.19, junior Steve Kinney in eighth at 16:07.24 and sophomore Matt Dolan finishing ninth 16:10.25.
"Although no one had personal best times (in the 5,000)," Kinney said, "I feel we did a good job of racing during a brutally hot race."
The men's 4x400 team ended strong with a third place finish. Consisting of sophomore Rob McGowan and freshmen DeShard Stevens, Woodrow Prevard and Steve Murray, the unit qualified for the ECACs with a mark of 3:19.94.
The ECAC qualifiers did not end there, as three runners enjoyed the distinction in the 400 meters. McGowan finished fifth in 49.30 seconds, Murray took ninth in 50.14 and Prevard finished in 10th at 50.33 seconds. Junior Galen Johnson also brought home an ECAC-worthy time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by taking second with a time of 9:42.12.
Junior Brian Donatelli started off his day by placing fourth in the hammer throw with a distance of 46.18 meters. This earned him an ECAC qualifying mark and the distinction of top NCAA Division III performer in that event. Donatelli also recorded a sixth-place finish in the shot put with a distance of 14.60, grabbing another ECAC mark.
"Coming into the meet, I was expecting a little more than what I had actually done in the meet," Donatelli said. "But overall, I had a day I could be pleased with for the most part."
In other men's results, junior Anthony Arnold placed fourth in the 1,500 meters at 4:03.96, while sophomore Al Wonesh ended the 400-meter hurdles in fifth at 56.23 seconds. Senior Colin Pierce earned an ECAC distance of 13.44 meters in the triple jump for a sixth-place finish, and senior Dan Mitchell achieved a personal best javelin throw of 52.08 meters for an ECAC qualifying mark.
In Princeton at the Larry Ellis Invitational, senior Jeff Zodda finished the 800 meters as the top NCAA Division III performer. His fifth-place finish in 1:51.65 not only met NCAA provisional standards but was also one of the fastest times this spring.
The College hosts the Lions' Invitational on Friday and Saturday, and then head to the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania.
(04/18/07 4:00pm)
The Lions made the most of home field advantage as the men's team took first place and the women's team took second at the New Jersey Invitational.
The men ended the day with a score of 135 points, followed by the Lincoln University Lions with 103 points and Ithaca College with 99. The Ithaca women claimed first with 127 points, while the College took second with 107.83 and Richard Stockton College took third with 90.33.
Leading the way for the men's team was junior Brian Donatelli, who topped the hammer throw with an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) toss of 45.39 meters and placed third in the shot put with a distance of 13.82 meters.
"Coming into the meet, I was expecting a little more than what I had actually done," Donatelli said. "But overall, I had a day I could be pleased with for the most part."
Two more first-place ECAC qualifying finishes were achieved when senior Jeff Zodda finished first in the 800 meters with a mark of 1:54.91, while sophomore Al Wonesh claimed first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.59 seconds.
Wonesh credited the "home track & field advantage" to his success.
"I was so pumped up and excited to run," Wonesh said. "The whole wrestling team came to watch me run and after I saw that they were there, I told myself right then that there was no way I was going to let them see me lose."
Continuing the winning trend for the Lions were the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams, as both placed first and recorded ECAC qualifying times. The 4x400 team, comprised of sophomores Rob McGowan and Woodward Prevard and freshmen Deshard Stevens and Steve Murray, finished with a time of 3:21.67. The 4x100 team clocked in at 43.09 as McGowan, junior Wes Friedman and freshmen Lee Jones and Mark Gardner grabbed first.
The 1,500-meter event was another strong part of the day for the Lions as junior Brian Kopnicki placed second with a time of 4:00.01, while sophomore Chris Guerriero took fourth at 4:02.66 and sophomore Greg Bull clocked in at 4:03.04 for fifth place.
Continuing his quality day, Kopnicki also placed third in the 800 meters, while sophomore Kyle Alpaugh took third in the 5,000 meters at 15:41.56. Junior Anthony Arnold was right behind Alpaugh, taking fourth in the same race with a time of 15:55.18.
In other men's results, senior Colin Pierce notched third in the triple jump at a distance of 12.99 meters, while Jones added a fourth-place finish with a time of 10.89 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Friedman clocked in only three spots behind Jones in sixth at 11.11 seconds.
On the women's side of the track, the College dominated the 1,500 meters. Out of the top eight finishers in the race, seven of them were Lions. Sophomore Martine McGrath led the way in first place with an ECAC qualifying time of 4:52.00, while junior Sara Best took second at 4:55.65. Junior Erin Enderly and sophomore Megan O'Leary finished third and fourth, while senior Allyson Krayl placed sixth. Rounding out the dominant effort was sophomore Megan Donovan in seventh place and senior Jenna Prendergast in eighth.
Junior Jessica Bonelli won the 400 meters with an ECAC-qualifying effort of 57.73 seconds and took third in the 200 meters with an ECAC time of 25.88 seconds.
In other women's results, sophomore Angela Tecco and freshman Michelle Wallace placed second in the 800 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively, while freshman Meghan Miller took third in the 100-meter hurdles. Freshman Priscilla Senyah also finished third in the 400-meter hurdles, while freshman Ann Behrens finished fifth in the javelin throw.
The Lions' next event is the Greyhound Invitational on Saturday at Widener University in Bethlehem, Pa.
(04/11/07 4:00pm)
The College recorded several Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifiers and an NCAA qualifier over the weekend in Durham, N.C., and Princeton on Friday and Saturday.
At the Duke University Asics Invitational, athletes from all NCAA divisions competed in the same events.
Leading the way for the College was sophomore Stephanie Herrick, who posted an NCAA provisional mark of 2:13.45 and took 10th place in the 800 meters. Herrick was the top Division III runner in the field of 50.
"It was a great experience to run at Duke," Herrick said. "Most of the competition was from big Division I schools, and it all got me more excited to run."
"I went out a little too fast and would have liked to run a second faster," Herrick said, "but I am still happy. I wanted to get into the race and compete with some good competition, and I think I did."
Senior Angela Tecco took 25th place in the same race with an ECAC qualifying time of 2:16.94.
Continuing the trend of ECAC qualifiers was junior Jessica Bonelli, who captured 14th place in the 400 meters at 58.46.
Freshman Kristen Tricocci had an ECAC qualifying mark of 5.19 meters in the long jump for 21st place.
Bonelli, Tecco and Tricocci teamed with freshman Jianna Spadaccini in the 4x400 for an ECAC time of 4:02.10.
The men's 4x100 team, comprised of junior Wes Friedman, sophomore Rob McGowan and freshmen Lee Jones and Steve Murray, also qualified for the ECAC with a ninth-place finish at 43.39 seconds.
McGowan also recorded ECAC qualifiers in the 200 meters and the 4x400 meter team event. McGowan qualified in the 200 meters with a time of 49.20 seconds. He teamed up with Murray, sophomore Woodrow Prevard and freshman DeShard Stevens for a time of 3:22.42.
Friedman and Jones barely missed another ECAC worthy time, with Friedman clocking in at 11.27 seconds in the 100 meters and Jones finising with a time of 22.26 in the 200 meters.
On the second day of competition, the College visited Princeton University for the Sam Howell Invitational. The Lions continued their success against competition that also included athletes from all three NCAA divisions.
Three Lions placed in the top 20 of the 1,500 meters, as sophomore Chris Guerriero finished in 10th place with a time of 4:05.29, while sophomore Greg Bull snatched 13th at 4:05.73. Junior Galen Johnson rounded out the Lions with a 17th-place finish, with a time of 4:07.12.
In other men's events, sophomore Dan Mitchell took home 13th place in the javelin with a toss of 46.68 meters.
Junior Andy Lim clocked in a 16.85 in the 110-meter hurdles for a 12th place finish. Junior Otto Katt brought home 10th place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.63 seconds. In the triple jump, senior Colin Pierce obtained an 11th place finish with a distance of 12.77 meters.
For the women, junior Sara Best also had a huge day, as she was the top Division III runner in the 800 meters. Best finished with a time of 2:19.93, taking 14th place in the race.
Sophomore Kristen Gerbehy placed 15th in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.91.
In the women's javelin, freshman Ann Behrens took 16th place with a distance of 27.96 meters.
The Lions will host their first meet of the season, the New Jersey Invitational, on Saturday.
(04/04/07 4:00pm)
Several Lions succeeded in their respective events at the Danny Curran Invitational in Chester, Pa. The event, hosted by Widener University, did nothing but bolster the College's winning ways.
Junior Jessica Bonelli led the College with one of her best meets in recent memory. Bonelli first won the 200 meters, clocking in at 25.78. She was a part of the victorious 4x100 team and the first-place 4x400 contingent. The 4x100 relay unit, comprised of Bonelli and freshmen Kristen Tricocci, Priscilla Senyah and Jennifer Caratola, finished its event with a time of 51.23.
As for the 4x400 team, it finished with a time of 4:01.91 behind the efforts of senior Angela Tecco, freshman Jianna Spadaccini, Bonelli and Tricocci. Tricocci won the long jump with a distance of 5.11 meters.
Sophomore Stephanie Herrick added a second-place finish in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:44.66. Tecco added her own top-three finish in the 400 meters with a third-place mark of 1:00.72. Freshman Meghan Miller was third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 67.44. Junior Sara Best turned in a fourth place finish with a time of 2:21.60 in the women's 800 meters.
Good things also came in threes at the meet, as three Lions women placed in the 5,000 meters. Sophomore Megan O'Leary led the way by taking fifth place with a time of 18:42.93, followed by senior Jenna Prendergast, who finished sixth in 18:49.94. Senior Allyson Krayl rounded out the race for the Lions with a time 18:57.76 for a seventh-place mark.
Leading the way for the Lions men was junior Brian Donatelli. After finishing as high as ninth in his three events last week, Donatelli placed second in the hammer throw at a distance of 49.76 meters. Donatelli is coming off a previous performance that he called "subpar."
Junior Galen Johnson, who for the first time competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocked in at 9:52.11 for fourth place. Sophomore Matt Dolan also achieved a fourth-place finish in the 10,000 meters at a time of 33:25.32.
"I'm content with how I did personally, but I'm always looking to do better," Johnson said. "The team did alright as a whole and we could have performed better, but it's still early in the season."
The fourth-place trend did not end there, as the 4x100 relay team also achieved the mark. Junior Wes Friedman, sophomore Rob McGowan and freshmen Lee Jones and Mark Gardner combined on this finish with a time of 43.77 seconds.
Senior Dan Mitchell placed in three field events. Mitchell finished in seventh in the long jump at 6.26 meters, eighth in the high jump at six feet even and 11th in the javelin at a distance of 48.80 meters.
Jones also added a fifth place finish at 22.76 in the 200 meters with McGowan clocking in at 22.99 to take ninth in the same event.
As for the men's 5,000-meter team, sophomore Greg Bull brought home a third-place mark of 15:24.05, while sophomore Al Wonesh also took third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.35. Junior Otto Katt followed Wonesh closely, taking fourth in the same event with a time of 57.98.
Senior Colin Pierce and junior Brian Kopnicki each took fifth in their respective events, with Pierce's distance of 13.01 meters in the triple jump and Kopnicki's time of 3:59.71 in the 1,500 meters. Freshman Steve Murray placed eighth in the 400-meter run with a time of 51.28 while freshman Rich Nelson finished eighth in the 800 meters at 1:59.27.
The Lions' next events are on Friday at the Duke University Invitational in Durham, N.C., and the Sam Howell Memorial in Princeton. The Sam Howell Memorial extends through Saturday.
(03/28/07 4:00pm)
The College was off to a fast start at the 12th Annual Monmouth University Season Opener as the outdoor track & field season began on Saturday.
Senior Angela Tecco led the way for the Lions, as she finished two races with Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying times. Tecco completed a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.88, as well as ninth place in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:45.40.
Freshman Kristen Tricocci also had double duty, as she recorded seventh place in the long jump at 5.10 meters. In her other event, Tricocci competed alongside fellow freshmen Priscilla Senyah and Jennifer Caratola as well as junior Jessica Bonelli in the 4x100 relay. The relay team posted an ECAC qualifying effort of 50.69 seconds.
Bonelli notched a time of 26.39 seconds in the 200 meters for seventh place.
"Personally, I was ready to go out, run hard and just compete," Bonelli said. "Overall, I was happy with my performances, but there is definitely room for improvement."
The 5,000 meters was also a big event for success, as four runners from the College placed in this race. Sophomore Martine McGrath earned sixth place at 17:44.52 and was followed by sophomore Megan Donovan in ninth at 18:11.21.
Sophomore Nicole Ullmeyer was next in 15th place with a time of 18:53.04, while senior Christine Nystrom finished in 17th with a time of 19:01.17. McGrath, Donovan and Ullmeyer all qualified with ECAC standard times.
In other women's results, freshman Meghan Miller enjoyed a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, notching a time of 1:07.01, and freshman Ashley Krauss placed ninth in the hammer throw with a distance of 30.57 meters.
On the men's side, the Lions added another ECAC-worthy time in the 4x100 relay. Junior Wes Friedman, sophomore Rob McGowan and freshmen Mark Gardner and Lee Jones combined for a finish of 43.24 seconds.
Senior Dan Mitchell took home fifth place in the long jump with a distance of 6.39 meters and threw the javelin 48.7 meters to give him 14th place.
Freshman Brandon Rodkewitz ended his 5,000-meter run in seventh with a ECAC time of 15:26.40, while junior Steve Kinney completed the race at 15:35.32 for 13th place.
Continuing the positive trend, three Lions had top 10 finishes in the 1,500 meters. Junior Galen Johnson placed seventh at 4:06.01 and sophomore Greg Bull finished in 10th place at 4:09.40. Sophomore Josh Krowicki finished eighth with a time of 4:08.79.
"I wasn't sure how I was going to perform coming into the meet since the last time I raced in the 1,500 was almost a year ago," Krowicki said. "But my time was consistent with the workouts I've been running so I wasn't that surprised. It's still early though, and I hope to really improve on that."
In other men's results, sophomore Al Wonesh brought home an 11th-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles at 57.77 seconds and was closely followed by junior Otto Katt, who boasted a time of 58.47 for a 13th place mark. Junior Brian Donatelli placed ninth, 10th and 11th in the hammer throw, shot put and discus, respectively.
The Lions' next event is the Danny Curran Invitational at Moravian College in Chester, Pa., on Saturday.
(03/21/07 4:00pm)
The College was "seeing stars and stripes" in Terre Haute, Ind., at the 2007 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, as five Lions earned All-America honors.
Junior Brian Kopnicki led the way by taking home two All-America citations.
Kopnicki earned an individual merit by placing seventh in the one-mile run with a time of 4:13.20. Runners are awarded All-America status by finishing in the top eight of their event. The junior secured a spot in this race by previously finishing third in his heat, clocking in at 4:13.34.
Kopnicki's other All-America honor came in the men's distance relay, as he, along with senior Matt Randal and sophomores Chris Guerriero and Rob McGowan, completed the event with a seventh-place time of 10:06.96.
"I expected to perform well," Randal said. "It is Nationals and you always expect to run your best against the best. The week before in Boston, we set a school record and all ran personal bests. So we were coming in on a high and expected to be very competitive."
Randal's pre-race optimism was contrasted by the slight post-race dissatisfaction of McGowan.
"Getting All-America status was a great accomplishment," McGowan said. "I'm still slightly disappointed that we didn't win because I thought we had a good shot. Overall the trip was a success."
The Lions men were not the only ones who had success at the Championships.
Sophomore Stephanie Herrick finished sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:14.89 to receive her All-America honor.
Herrick advanced to the finals by finishing third in her heat with a time of 2:16.26.
Although this is her first All-America citation for indoor track, Herrick is no stranger to this award. She also earned the All-America distinction at the 2006 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the same 800-meter event.
Overall, the Lions had a successful weekend of victory as well as closure.
For Randal, ending his indoor career is a warm farewell.
"To end my indoor career like this, I couldn't ask for more," Randal said. "I just have to thank my teammates for this wonderful present."
The Lions' spring track & field season begins on Saturday, March 24, at the Monmouth University Season Opener.
(03/07/07 5:00pm)
The College took 10th place overall at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Wesleyan University in Middletown, Ct.
The Lions were led by the women's 4x400 relay team, who finished in first with a time of 4:00.02. The team was comprised of senior Angela Tecco, junior Jessica Bonelli, freshman Jianna Spadacinni and freshman Kristen Tricocci.
Sophomore Martine McGrath added to the College's winning ways, as McGrath finished the 3,000 meters in second place. McGrath's time of 10:14.53 led three other Lions runners in the race, including junior Erin Enderly, senior Jenna Prendergast and sophomore Nicole Ullmeyer, who finished 12th, 16th and 17th, respectively.
The women's success did not end there as three runners placed in the top 15 in the 5,000-meter run. Sophomore Megan Donovan concluded the race in 10th place, notching a time of 18:32.84, while fellow sophomore Megan O'Leary earned a time of 18:39.67, notching a 12th-place finish. Senior Christine Nystrom finished in 15th place with a time of 19:12.93.
The women's distance medley relay team finished third with a time of 12:12:69. Junior Megan Miller and freshman Susan Crum each finished in the top 20 in the 500 meters. Miller finished with a time of 1:21.72, while Crum clocked in at 1:22.19.
Senior Allyson Krayl finished the one-mile race in 10th place at 5:21.96. Freshman Priscilla Senyah cracked the top 15 in the large field of 55-meter hurdles, finishing in 15th with a time of 8.93 seconds.
Led by sophomore Kyle Alpaugh, the men's track and field team placed 32nd in the championships. Alpaugh ended the 3,000-meter race with a third-place finish in 8:48.44.
"It was nice to conclude the indoor season with a good showing in the 3,000, "Alpaugh said. "As for the team, there were many strong performances this past weekend, but it is during this time and the upcoming weeks that serve as a transitional period from the indoor to outdoor season."
The men's 4x800 relay team broke into the top five in their event, notching a time of 8:01.36. The effort was comprised of sophomores Greg Bull and Josh Krowicki, freshman Rich Nelson and junior Galen Johnson. Johnson also participated in the one-mile run, earning the 10th- place spot at 4:26.71.
Freshman Lee Jones missed the cut for the finals in the men's 55 meters, finishing ninth with a mark of 6.53. Jones also took 12th place in the 200 meters with a time of 22.95 seconds.
Junior Wes Friedman finished in 14th at 6.57. Junior Brian Donatelli turned in two 13th-place finishes, as he recorded 13.81 meters in the shotput and 15.23 meters in the weight throw, respectively.
The men's distance medley team rounded out the team effort, finishing in 11th place with a time of 10:34.63.
Lions indoor track and field continues at the NCAA Division III Championships at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haut, Ind., on March 9.
(02/28/07 5:00pm)
Just one week away from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Track & Field Championships and two weeks from the NCAA Division III Championships, the College achieved several qualifying times for the annual event at the FasTrack Invitational in New York City.
Leading the way for the Lions, junior Brian Kopnicki met the ECAC standard time by finishing sixth in the men's one-mile run at a time of 4:13.49. Kopnicki just missed out on the NCAA provisional cut. Sophomore Chris Guerriero also competed in the race, placing 11th with an ECAC qualifying time of 4:16.78.
"Strategically I don't think I ran the smartest, which I think hurt my time," Kopnicki said. "I got stuck in the back of the pack off the gun and never was really able to work my way back up to the front. The 4:13 does get me onto the NCAA provisional list, so I can't be too upset."
In the 5,000-meter event, sophomore Kyle Alpaugh finished with a mark of 15:22.53, while senior Marc Altenau completed the 1,000-meter run in 2:35.18. Both runners posted ECAC qualifying times.
"I was pleased with how I personally performed," Altenau said. "Qualifying for ECACs was a pleasant surprise for me, as I am coming off an injury suffered during cross country."
In other men's events, sophomore Rob McGowan posted an ECAC mark in the 400 meters with a time of 49.91 seconds, while sophomore runner Josh Krowicki notched another ECAC time of 1:57.80 in the 800 meters. Junior Brian Donatelli placed sixth in the weight toss with an ECAC distance of 15.92 meters.
"I think the people who go to championships will definitely put up a good showing," Donatelli said. "They always do."
"As of right now we don't have too many guys qualifying for Nationals, but hopefully next week we can get some more names on the list," Kopnicki said. "At Nationals the biggest thing is getting bodies on the line, and once the gun goes off anything can happen."
The College's success did not end there, as the women's 4x400 relay team recorded an NCAA provisional time of 3:55.41. The unit is comprised of senior Angela Tecco, junior Jessica Bonelli, freshman Jianna Spadacinni and freshman Kristen Tricocci.
Sophomore Stephanie Herrick posted an ECAC standard time of 5:03.89 in the one-mile run, placing third. In the 3,000 meter run, junior Erin Enderly clocked an ECAC-worthy time of 10:48.18.
The ECAC Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships are being held March 2-3 at Wesleyan University in Middleton, Conn.
(09/20/06 4:00pm)
The College had a busy week as the women's team took down Rutgers University-Newark 9-0 to extend its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) winning streak to 112. The team then participated in the University of Delaware Tri-Fecta Tournament with Towson University.
The men's team enjoyed a fine performance in the Swarthmore College Invitational as Mike Klimchak led the Lions once again.
The women's team had a strong showing in the Blue Hen house, led by freshman Jackie Shtemberg. The rookie went 3-1 in the tournament, her only loss coming to junior Susan Pollack of Delaware 6-2, 6-3.
Shtemberg's loss to Pollack was impressive, however, because last season Pollack took All-American junior Christina Contrafatto out with bagels - Contrafatto did not win a single game. The young freshman has made quite the impact for the Lions on the season thus far, just as head coach Scott Dicheck predicted.
"She definitely is (living up to expectations)," Contrafatto said. "I'm not concerned about losing my spot (to Shtemberg) though because I know I'm a strong player and wherever I am on the team I will make a good contribution. It's anyone's spot; just if you work hard you deserve it."
Contrafatto and Shtemberg joined in flight A doubles to go 2-2 in the tournament. Junior Ariel Donahue also made some waves as she too went 3-1 in the tri-fecta tournament in flight D singles.
In the streak-extending win over the Scarlet Raiders, the Lions completely dominated their opponent. The only close match was a nail-biter between freshman fourth singles player Tamara Wroblesky and Rutgers' freshman Fatima Grammatica. The match went to a tiebreaker after a 4-6, 6-4 performance by Wroblesky. The rookie Lion came back to crush Grammatica 10-2 in a super tie-breaker an hour after everyone else competing had finished.
Shtemberg and Contrafatto joined again in first doubles to demolish the team of freshman Megan Reed and sophomore Nicole Rubinetti 8-0. Freshman third singles player Stefanie Haar defeated junior Fergie-Ross Montero 6-1, 6-0 and Shtemberg, sophomore Haley Kutner and Donohue had 6-1, 6-1 victories in their respective singles matches.
After being named the favorites once again in the NJAC, the Lions have a lot to look forward to.
"We have a tough match (today) against Richard Stockton College of New Jersey," Contrafatto said. "They are the second strongest in the NJAC and they are always excited to play us. It's more than just the streak to win now, since it's our door to nationals."
With several undefeated seasons in their past, the team is confident in where they stand.
"We just know that intimidation is a factor since they know we are strong and getting stronger every year," Contrafatto said. "But we still can't take any team for granted."
In men's tennis, junior first singles player Mike Klimchak won the flight A singles title at the Swarthmore tournament. He defeated freshman first singles player Austin Longacre of Delaware in a tie-breaker 6-4, 3-6 (8).
Four other Lions finished in second place in the five-team event, featuring Swarthmore College, Haverford College, Temple University and the University of Delaware.
Klimchak rolled to victories in his first two matches, defeating senior Jonathan Reiss of Swarthmore 6-1, 6-1 and freshman Gonzalo Devilla of Temple 6-0, retired. Devilla got revenge against Klimchak in first doubles as Devilla and senior Matt Stuble defeated Mike Klimchak and sophomore Roger Mosteller 9-7 en route to a second-place finish.
In doubles play, senior Corey Ball and junior Eric Ferriere won the flight B Championship, while freshman Jeremy Eckardt and sophomore James Vance won the flight C doubles title by overcoming a 5-1 deficit and winning seven straight games.
In third singles, Ferriere finished in second place. He defeated senior Sam Sidhu of Swarthmore 6-0, 6-1 and junior Jonathan Schwartz of Delaware 1-6, 6-3 (10-5) before losing to sophomore Alex Buxbaum of Haverford 2-6, 2-6.
Ball, junior sixth singles player Andrew Cossaboom and sophomore eighth singles player Matt Hiznay all finished second in their respective flights.
Again the Delaware tennis team dominated the tournament, winning six of the eight flights. The Swarthmore Tournament was a non-team scored event.
Next on the schedule for the Lions is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regionals at Vassar College Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The women will take on Richard Stockton today at 3:30 in the tennis complex. The ITA Regionals for the women's team will begin Sept. 22 at William Smith College.
(09/13/06 4:00pm)
The College started its season in dominant fashion in the Lions' Fall Kickoff against rival New York University (NYU). The men did not drop a match during the two-day tournament. The women, not to be out-done, also dominated, finishing with a 20-7 record for the tournament.
"We're pretty excited with where we're at right now," head coach Scott Dicheck said. "It's a credit to (our team), we were more prepared right now and in better shape (than NYU). From the first week-and-a-half leading up to the tournament, we worked hard. It was a good start."
NYU junior singles player Mikhael Gurevich, the men's defending regional champion, was no match for the Lions' top two singles players, junior Mike Klimchak and sophomore Roger Mosteller.
"They were excited about playing (Gurevich) and they both came out and pretty much dominated him from the beginning," Dicheck said. "So, I know they left pretty satisfied with those victories."
Klimchak won 6-0, 6-0, and Mosteller won 6-3, 6-2 in their respective singles matches.
"I felt great; all of the hard work and training these last two weeks have been worth it," Klimchak said. "Beating Gurevich convincingly gives me a lot of confidence in the upcoming regional tournament."
Klimchak and Mosteller should now receive high seeds in the upcoming regional tournament. They also will challenge each other this week to determine the No. 1 singles player for the College.
Freshman singles player Tamra Wroblesky was one Lion who was tested. She won her "flight C" singles match against Violets' senior Katie Lee 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (10-8).
"I think it was the longest match I ever played - about three-and-a-half hours," Wroblesky said.
Wroblesky rallied after being down 5-1 to force the third set, and then stole five match points from Lee. She did all of this while fighting back heat exhaustion.
"I hadn't eaten in four hours, but I know that in a tennis match I never think I'm out of it," Wroblesky said. "All I concentrate on is getting to every ball, pushing myself to get to the next point and never giving up."
"To come back and save three or four match points and pull it out as a freshman in the first tournament is really a good sign," Dicheck said. "We had a real talented recruiting class this year, and they all played very well this weekend. (They were) led by freshman Jackie Shtemberg in the A flight in singles and doubles."
She defeated sophomore Stephanie Tu 6-1, 6-3 and senior Erika Olson 6-1, 6-1. Because of the Lions' dominance, Dicheck was more concerned about the level of play from the Violets.
"We didn't feel NYU came in like they normally do; they weren't the team that we're going to face come springtime," Dicheck said. "I think that's a credit to our guys (who) were more prepared right now and in better shape. So I think it really showed against them."
The Kickoff with NYU is a two-day event for both the men and women's teams, with four flights of singles A-D and two flights of doubles, with the top players in the A flight.
In other men's A flight singles matches, Klimchak defeated sophomore Calvin Chou 3-0, retired and Mosteller defeated Chou 6-4, 6-0. As a doubles team, they defeated sophomore Brett Levin and Gurevich 8-0 as well as Chou and sophomore Craig Berger 8-3. The other Lions' A flight doubles team, senior Corey Ball and junior Eric Ferriere, won 8-3 and 8-5 in their matches.
On the women's side, the doubles team of Shtemberg and junior Christina Contrafatto won twice, defeating Lee and sophomore Stephanie Tu 8-0 and senior Erika Olson with junior Hayley Mclaughlin 8-2. Sophomore Haley Kutner won her singles matches in A flight, defeating Olson 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 and Tu 6-4, 6-2.
Next on the schedule for the women's team is a match against Rutgers University-Newark on Sept. 13, followed by the University of Delaware Tournament Sept. 15-17. The men's team will play in the Swarthmore College Invitational Sept. 16-17.
(11/30/05 12:00pm)
The Nov. 9 issue of The Signal reported in "Cop Shop" that Campus Police, "observed a male student crawling across Metzger Drive." Apparently, when the officers questioned the student, he said that he "drank too much beer at the Sigma Pi house."
Few things rile me up about this campus, but events like this should not be allowed to pass under the radar.
A student reduced to crawling home because Sigma Pi allowed him to drink too much alcohol is a disgrace to our campus and community at large.
I am willing to bet that there are few students at the College that have neither attended a party at one of the off-campus fraternity or sorority houses, nor heard about the debauchery that occasionally takes place.
Many of you might be nodding your heads saying, "So what? We are in college and we are adults. If some freshman drinks too much, well that's his problem."
No, it is not only his problem, but a much greater dilemma that faces the entire College community. Why should traditional fraternities and sororities exist and be allowed to create an environment where a student feels that it is acceptable to drink too much alcohol?
"Greek" organizations are directly affiliated with this institution and I believe their behavior, whether on or off-campus, reflects negatively upon the entire College.
For all of its lofty rhetoric, the Inter-Greek Council (IGC) constitution's mission statement seems to be lacking in a few areas. Nowhere does this statement mention that the Greek organization must assume responsibility for its actions or the repercussions of its parties.
Additionally, the council itself does not even maintain the authority to reprimand an organization for acting inappropriately.
Ostensibly, fraternities should serve a purpose, but at our College, they are required to do very little. I stress "required" because maintaining a minimum for community service has always dumbfounded me. Of course some Greeks, such as Chi Upsilon Sigma, go above and beyond the philanthropy requirement, but this does not appear to be the case for all Greek organizations.
Philanthropy is a great thing, and I wish I had more time to take part in campus endeavors to help our local and global community. According to Section III B 4-G of the IGC constitution, to maintain "active status," all fraternities and sororities must "participate in at least one community service project or philanthropy event per semester."
That's fantastic, but why does the "strong leadership" and commitment to "the betterment of the community" present at a philanthropic event, and mentioned specifically in the mission statement, evaporate at an off-campus party?
Many Greeks may also feel that the unity they create among themselves trumps any argument against them.
To this I refer to the 150-plus campus (non-Greek associated) organizations at the College that I'm sure would love the extra participation and campus unity that would be created if Greek life did not exist.
These organizations provide the same unity that a Greek organization might, but most do not promote drinking in the same manner that Greeks do; they foster a community, rather than simply get it drunk.
So while Greek life on campus is a disgrace, I do not believe in criticizing something without giving a suggestion to fix the problem.
Perhaps IGC can amend its weak constitution and provide for judicial reviews of Greek organizations that have out-of-control parties such as the one our sick friend from the Nov. 9 "Cop Shop" attended.
Or perhaps the college itself, via Campus Police, or a better partnership with Ewing and Lawrenceville Police, can crack down on a problem that it knows to exist.
In any case, Greek life needs to get its act together before the entire community gets out of hand.
Information from - The Signal, "Cop Shop." Nov. 9, 2005, cgi.tcnj.edu/~igc/index.php,tcnj.edu/~cus/CusWeb/tcnj.edu/%7Estuactiv/studentorg.php
(04/27/05 12:00pm)
Let's face it, for most of us here at the College, New Jersey is home. No disrespect to those out-of-staters - in fact, some of the closest friends I have made over the past few years are from places like New York and Connecticut. But there is no doubt that the vast majority of the student body hails from some part of the Garden State.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I would be the first to stand up and declare my Jersey pride. I take offense to any of the popular "Armpit of America" jokes, not to mention I worship the Boss, love The Sopranos and couldn't live without the Shore.
With that said, after spending my first 20 years in this great state, and college flying by, I was desperately seeking a change of scenery. Studying abroad in Ireland seemed like just the solution, and it turns out I couldn't have been more right.
Anyone who knows anything about Irish culture or people knows that it doesn't take long for them to make you feel comfortable and at home. This was exactly my experience soon after my arrival in Ireland at the beginning of January.
My new home for the following five months would be the city of Galway and I was immediately comforted by its busy city center and small-town feel. Galway is known as the capital of western Ireland, and several years ago it was named the fastest growing city in Europe. It is located along the water and is known for its lively, pedestrian-only city streets that are lined with countless pubs, shops and street performers.
Another focal point is the city's college, The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), which accounts for the young energy that gives the city its character. It is also where I am studying this semester.
My experiences with both the academic and social life at NUIG have greatly contrasted with that of the College. For instance, my daily routine as a student was altered because of the class structure and housing. I have previously been accustomed to rolling out of bed just before class and making the short walk from my dorm to one of the academic buildings on campus.
This is impossible in Ireland, however, because on-campus housing does not exist. As a result, students either commute from their homes or live, as I do, in one of the student housing complexes in the city. These complexes are intended for students and offer townhouse-type dorms that are about a 15-minute walk from the university.
Classes have also been an adjustment. Unlike the small class sizes at the College, NUIG is a large research university, which means that almost all classes are lecture-style and held in theatre halls with several hundred classmates.
In addition, the coursework for the semester usually only involves a midterm and a final, which gives students less weekly homework but much more pressure around exams time.
The social life has also been something to adjust to because, as one could imagine, a bustling Irish city offers something different than what is available to students at the College.
Because of its city location and 18-year-old drinking age (and simply because it is Ireland), pubs are the center of social life for Irish students.
Throughout most of Ireland, and especially Galway, people from all walks of life mingle in the pubs. As a result, the pubs are where I've had some of my most interesting conversations and made my most memorable acquaintances.
While my semester abroad has been an adjustment from my daily life back home, the benefits of my adventure have far outweighed any drawbacks.
Any student studying abroad will tell you that the learning experiences rarely take place inside a classroom. This certainly holds true for me, as my travels and interactions are the experiences that will stick with me for a lifetime.
Whether it was my two-week journey that included such destinations as London, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Spain and France or simple conversations with my Irish housemates about life in their country, I know I finally found the new learning experience for which I had hoped.
Even though I am finding it hard to accept that this wonderful trip is going to end soon, the thought of seeing friends, finally being 21 and a summer at the Shore doesn't sound too bad right now. But then again, that is probably because it sounds like New Jersey - and New Jersey means home.
(02/11/04 12:00pm)
People, there is a monster lurking around this campus. Unlike his compatriots he does not have superhuman strength or the ability to breathe fire. This particular villain comes in the form of a winged baby armed with passion - inducing arrows.
Wherever you go, Valentine's Day is forcing itself on you; pink flyers in the newspaper, diamond ads during prime-time and that ever romantic gesture, gas station roses. But what is Valentine's Day really about?
Saint Valentine was a martyr in ancient Rome who performed marriages during a time when it was illegal. His death happened to coincide with the heathen feast of Lupercalia during which Roman boys and girls were randomly paired and often ended up marrying.
This little history lesson gives a clear picture of the roots of some of our V-day customs today. You know, randomly choosing a person of the opposite sex to join you on any number of heathen activities.
There is an urgency surrounding Valentine's Day. You flip the page on your calendar and there in middle of the month is an ugly red heart. The countdown begins. You have exactly 14 days to begin a new relationship or rekindle an old one. If you are lucky enough to be over that hurdle you begin the next phase of stress - what meal, confection or floral display appropriately displays your affection?
If you are in the beginning of a relationship you bear the burden of being too serious but if you have already passed the serious mile mark how do you translate that onto a 5 x 7 card?
Julia Pratt, junior nursing major, shrugs her shoulders at these supposed worries. "I think Valentine's Day is stupid. It's designed to make people spend money. It makes (my boyfriend) stressed out but I don't care much about it."
Doesn't anyone love Valentine's Day? Local businesses such as Geri D's florist and Big Fish Bistro are already feeling the rush of next Saturday. Simply commercial or not, many people celebrate the ides of February each year by doing anything from going out to dinner to getting engaged. Even the most cynical seem to accept this just as part of being in a relationship.
Maybe all this bitterness about Valentine's Day is left over from not having the most of those little Valentine cards in elementary school. We have been trained to judge our love life success by the number of New Year's Eves with a kiss, proms with dates and Valentine's Days with Valentines.
Most of this lamenting is light-hearted but some serious side effects can occur from V-day blues. The Samaritans "Youth Matters Campaign" reports that "Young people who attempt suicide say relationship difficulty is a major factor in their wish to die. A survey of people who have called The Samaritans shows that relationship problems cause more stress, worry or depression than any other factor in people's lives," (Samaritans.org).
No matter what your romantic stage of involvement you can prepare to be under some stress no thanks to St. Valentine. So what's a 20-something to do?
There is the ever popular alternate route: the girls/guys night out and I find it to be a viable solution. Gina Favro, freshman special education major, says that she generally doesn't do anything romantic for Valentine's Day. She admits that she might feel differently if she had a Valentine but she also feels that she could show her love everyday, not just on Feb. 14.
You could even go out on a non-date with a friend of the opposite sex to fool everyone, send yourself candy if your not above that or just do something sweet like send your mom flowers at work. Whatever you do, remember the don'ts. Don't call your ex. Don't use the "alone again on Valentine's Day ." pick-up line and don't beat yourself up about being single.
As for me, I will be celebrating any one of the many other fine Feb. 14 holidays such as Jimmy Hoffa's birthday, Arizona admission day or the anniversary of the release of "Tarzan of the Apes."
(02/04/04 12:00pm)
Names: Kyle Lopinto, history major/art minor, and John Francione, interactive multimedia major
Space: Cromwell Hall
A trip to this sophomore domicile is like visiting the basement of your childhood home. Strewn with found objects and memorabilia from cartoons, movies and video games that you might remember fondly from elementary school and beyond, Francione and Lopinto have created a distinctive and comfortable space for themselves and their friends.
One of the most impressive features of the room is that they managed to fit in a cushy, blue couch that is exactly the sort that you would find in your parents' house.
These students salvaged the couch when Lopinto's dad was about to throw it out. Now located in a space where it is properly appreciated, the couch also lends to the room's homey atmosphere.
The two often sit on the couch when they play old school Nintendo or Playstation on their large screen television. Lopinto said he is a "big fan of Mario World." On top of the set is a miniature Van de Graaf generator, one of those hair-raising, electrostatic-generating orbs that many students have probably encountered in their physics classes (or at Hot Topic). On the floor below, a brown bowling ball makes its place as an inexplicable fixture.
The walls are intriguing in that they are covered with items that reflect their individual senses of humor, but which are often indecipherable to outsiders. Postings include a newspaper-clipped photo of President Bush and the Queen of England, an excerpt from a short story by Charles Bukowski, a miniature manifesto by a roommate's disgruntled girlfriend, which begins: "This bathroom is absolutely disgusting," and a framed Power Rangers poster that they found in a thrift store. In short, anything deemed "funny" will find its way onto the walls.
A glance upwards removes the last shred of potential normalcy from the room. Taped on the ceiling are the mystifying words "Fartlo Jr" and "Po Ta Toes," which even glow when a black light is turned on.
More run of the mill are a smattering of glow in the dark stars, which also grace other random articles of furniture, such as the bunk beds and the TV.
A mobile-like object constructed from wire and the twigs of a dead tree hangs by the window. Dangling from it are BeeBop, Master Shredder's pig-faced henchman from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, an Elvis Christmas ornament and a "Homie," one of a collection of tiny, whimsical, "urban" figurines that are often sold in supermarket vending machines.
Other figurines such as Treebeard, the tree-like monster from "The Lord of the Rings" and an action figure from "Evil Dead" can be found on Francione's and Lopinto's shelves, respectively.
Lopinto also displays a small, painted cow with a white face on the windowsill. He has enjoyed painting the Christmas gift from a friend in his spare time.
(09/23/03 12:00pm)
Students involved in campus activities and clubs had a surprise waiting for them when they returned to the College after summer break.
Over the summer, the College began to reorganize the Student Life Office, which meant new advisors, new staff members and new offices for student organizations to report to.
Many students were angered by the change because the College never consulted them.
"When I first heard of the restructuring, I was hit hard," SGA President Christina Puglia said. "They didn't come and say, 'This is what we want to do.' All I heard was, 'We're taking away your advisor and moving people around.'"
Puglia said the reorganization means change for each of the 150 student organizations.
"They are looking to change student service offices, which directly affect what students do on a day-to-day basis," Puglia said.
What Is Changing?
Under the reorganization, campus offices will now be placed in four departments -Student Development and Campus Programs, Campus Wellness, Auxiliary Services and Residential and Community Development.
The process is part of the College's efforts to cope with statewide budget cuts and a downward spiraling economy. It hopes the change will help maximize existing resources.
"We're looking more down the road, than right now," Mary Elaine Perry, vice president for Student Life, said.
According to Todd McCrary, Lead-ership Program director, there were fears that positions would be cut, and people would lose their jobs. But, the College moved many staff members and changed their responsibilities.
Under the reorganization, Athletics and Campus Life were combined under the Student Development and Campus Programs department. Perry thought the offices would work well together since both plan the majority of on-campus programs.
In the Residential and Community Development program, staff members hope to
make housing assignments more "user friendly," according to Gretchen Reyes-Cseplo.
Reyes-Cseplo is the current upper class area director who will take over housing assignments in Residence Life. The disciplinary aspect of Residence Life and the Alcohol and Drug Education Program will move under current College disciplinarian, Lynette Harris' control.
The Campus Wellness Department will now include the Physical Enhancement Center and Service Learning.
According to Nino Scarpati, current director of Service Learning, the addition of service activities is beneficial to Campus Wellness as a whole.
Student and Staff concerns
SGA President Puglia, Roy Johnson, the president of the Black Student Union, and five other student leaders met with College President R. Barbara Gitenstein and Perry on Sept. 12 to discuss the impact the changes will have, and the lack of communication between the administration and students.
The attending students were Keri Adams, director of CUB, Pedro Khoury, president of Uni?n Latina, Paul Harris, student advocate, Sneha Ghandi, president of the Asian American Association and Dave Lepelletier, president of the Leadership Development Program.
Perry said that the College did not consult students because the changes involve personnel matters.
Puglia said that whenever there are job vacancies at the College, students sit on committees that hire. "I didn't feel this was a reason not to ask us," she said.
In response, Gitenstein created a taskforce to help improve communications between administration, students and stakeholders.
The students were also angered because the original plan moved Wanda Anderson, director of Campus Life, and McCrary out of Campus Life, which Johnson said affected diversity representation in the office.
"I'm concerned," Johnson said. "Because the only two visible African Americans would be moved out of Campus Life."
Anderson, who was originally slated to move to Residence life, will now be placed under Magda Manetas, assistant dean of Student Life, to work as an advocate for student leaders. McCrary will move to Auxiliary Services.
While Puglia was pleased with the changes, Johnson disagrees with the College's motives.
"They are trying to appease us for the moment, but there is a larger issue at hand here which is the College making yet another change without first consulting students," Johnson said.
Some staff members also felt unsure about the changes because the College is still working out new titles and job descriptions.
The College hopes to have this system implemented in October.
Students were upset that Anderson and McCrary would not retain their original jobs. But, part of the reorganization's goals was to move people out of offices they have worked in for a long time.
"People who have worked in the same place for a long time - they're not as excited. And we're fearful, we don't want to lose these people," Gitenstein said.
She added, "The greater challenge is to interest them, to keep them here."
(09/16/03 12:00pm)
There are several reasons why you might find yourself sitting alone at Slocum's Bar and Grill one night this semester. One could be that you are horrible to bowl with. Maybe all of your friends are studying abroad and you can't. If it's the second reason, you're not alone.
Many students at the College may find it difficult to fulfill graduation requirements at international universities. However, going abroad can be a worthwhile experience, even if the credits do not count towards graduation.
Fortunately, there are many alternatives to studying abroad that will still give you the great experience of being in another country.
In many countries, volunteer opportunities exist. Groups, like the Peace Corps and Ameri-Corps can be joined for periods of two or more years.
However, not all programs require as much of a time commitment. Before you start searching for a program, decide how long you'd like to go awayfor and in what country you'd like to work.
When deciding on a country, details to take into account are language spoken, political situations and climate.
Most programs don't require you to be fluent in the language of the country where you will going. But, adjusting to your new home will be much easier if you can speak the language, even a little.
Some programs offer language courses for an additional charge or you can always go somewhere where English is spoken.
Another important consideration is how much you will be spending on this trip. Programs range from around $800 to approximately $3,000, depending on how long you want to go for.
Although it may seem strange that you will be charged for the service you are providing, it is important to remember that the program fees usually include housing, food, support phone numbers and sometimes evenhealth insurance.
These are services that would not be free whether or not you went with a program. Unfortunately most programs do not include transportation in their fees so be conscious of these costs when picking your destination.
To start, you can enter "international volunteer programs" into any major search engine online. Remember to have a good idea how long you would like to volunteer for.
Many programs offer either short term commitments such as two to three weeks, or a long term commitment of one or more years. Only several, however, offer four to six month opportunities.
If you want to be abroad for just two or three weeks words for words such as "work camp" and "work vacation".
These programs usually offer more vacation-like living conditions.
Often they will offer more time off from your assignment and will accommodate friends, couples or families that want to travel together.
These programs are often more expensive - usually costing about $2,000 for the whole trip not including airfare. Although that's a lot of money, it's still costs less than most international vacations.
If you would like to go abroad for about a semester, look for descriptions that offer job placement or teaching opportunities.
These kinds of programs usually entail living with a host family or in a dorm situation and maintaining one assignment the entire time as opposed to several different cities and assignments.
Finally, if you are interested in a commitment of a year or more, expect a different kind of involvement.
These programs often require prerequisites such as drug tests, proof that you are fluent in the language of your destination, interviews and follow-up work.
While these programs require greater commitment, they are an excellent way to jump start a career in teaching or public service.
While you may have been looking forward to partying, traveling and taking it easy while making your parents foot the bill, volunteering abroad might be just as challanging as studying abroad.
You will still be given free time to travel. And you may be living with other volunteers who want to have a good time.
You might still have time to relax even if you are teaching a class of second graders or setting up a sanctuary for leather-back turtles.
So, when you're practicing your bowling game or perfecting the art of crossword puzzles while your friends are all abroad, check out some sites like alliancesabroad.com, volunteerinternational.org and globalvolunteers.org.
Now you have no excuse to say you're stuck in New Jersey. Volunteer!