University, et al. ights Out On MAACness See DeVercelly, p. 3

The lawsuit stemming from the March 2007 death of a freshman pledge in an alleged fraternity hazing incident has been settled “amicably,” Rider announced yesterday. A statement on the uni-versity Web site revealed that

Rider, its insurance carrier and the family of Gary DeVercelly Jr. have reached a confiden-tial settlement in the law-suit DeVercelly, et al. v. Rider University, et al., that was pending in the Superior Court of New Jersey. No financial amount was disclosed to the public.

The family of Gary DeVercelly Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming the uni-versity; Ada Badgley, director of Greek Life; Cassie Iacovelli, for-mer assistant dean of Campus Life who retired at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year; and Adriano DiDonato, former residence director and house

director of the Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) fraternity house. The suit followed the March 30, 2007, death of DeVercelly. The 18-year-old died after a frater-nity event in the PKT house where he accumulated a blood alcohol level of 0.426 percent. According to the statement

See DeVercelly, p. 3

Alumni Gym’s water-dam-aged and warped floor is put-ting a damper on some regular activities at Rider this fall. Midnight MAACness, orig-inally scheduled for Oct. 16, is in the process of being “refor-matted” for this year. Dean of Students Anthony Campbell stated that the floor in the gym will “not be ready for the origi-nal date of MAACness.” An Aug. 22 downpour caused flooding in other areas as well (see Flooding, below).According to Don Harnum, director of the Athletics Department, about two inches of water flowed through the lobby and entered the gym. “It didn’t look like much of a problem the next day, but the

wood started buckling toward the lobby end,” Harnum said. “It became apparent that it would be a problem.” The gym floor was put down 50 years ago. Asbestos was discovered in the sub-floor-ing of the gym after repairs started. This is not, however, the primary problem, according to Harnum. “The flooding is the major issue,” he said. Special procedures are being taken to remove the asbestos, adding a week to the repair work. However, the asbestos was not a surprise. “The floor company indi-cated from day one that older flooring was very common to have asbestos in adhesive,” Harnum said. “The flood is what caused the problem. The

asbestos was anticipated and they knew it was there.” Alumni Gym has a tenta-tive completion date of Nov. 7. “We are on schedule,” Harnum said. “There are no

unforeseen problems to date. We hope to get the floor in there before the first [home] exhibition game on Nov. 7.” However, there is a chance that the game might have to

be “rescheduled, postponed or canceled.” “I am very confident that we are going to play that game

See MAACness, p. 3

A large front passing by the East Coast dumped more than 7 inches of rain on the Lawrenceville campus on Aug. 22. The torrential rain on that day caused flooding in a number of places on cam-pus, especially Alumni Gym. There was also slight damage in Cranberry’s and the parking lot by White Pines was covered in

water. The bridge crossing over the lake was barely visible and the lake overflowed. Senior Joe Rey witnessed the flooding because he was on campus for an alumni event at Sigma Phi Epsilon (SPE), which is located in University House. “It started raining and we all moved inside,” Rey said. “Luckily, no one was living in the house at that time.” The New Jersey govern-

ment Web site lists the Little Shabakunk Creek as a state flood hazard. The stream that runs through Rider flows into this creek. The hazard is listed as “downstream of a point located 200 feet upstream of the drive-way within Rider University.” The Little Shabakunk runs into Assunpink Creek, which is also listed as a state flood hazard for its entire reach. The

See Flooding, p. 4

The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930 Volume 80, Issue 1 - Friday, September 25, 2009

Soccer 3-0

11

Lights Out On MAACness

The asbestos removal in Alumni Gym calls for precautionary measures. Plastic bags were placed on these doors to help with air filtration in hopes that this will speed up the process.

A Public Safety vehicle drives past two cars that were left sub-merged in water after the August storm flooded campus.

Joe Rey/The Rider News


Flooding, asbestos close Alumni Gym

August flash flooding left campus with sea of trouble

By Amber Cox

By Amber Cox

www.theridernews.com

University settles DeVercelly lawsuitBy Julia Ernst

Gary DeVercelly Jr.

WoodstockFaceoffp.9 p. 6

Meet the members of the

SOSWestminster

in 1969

Governor racep. 5

Rider professors who went to

at home

You don’t have to know Mandarin to start a billion dol-lar business in China, accord-ing to an Ivy League graduate and former Wall Street invest-ment banker who spoke on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater. Jack Perkowski explained how he decided to found a company in China and why he settled on a country with a market so distinctly different from that in the United States. Perkowski graduated from Yale and Harvard Business School. In 1994, he started ASIMCO Technologies, a com-pany that manufactures auto-motive components. During his 15 years there, Perkowski raised the company’s value to about $500 million. He published a book, Managing the Dragon, How I’m Building a Billion-Dollar Business in China, in March 2008. Perkowski said when he decided to start a business in China, he did so with little to no knowledge of the country beforehand. He maintained, though, that this was a good way to approach China — “as a com-plete blank sheet of paper. The reason for that is that China changes so quickly.” Perkowski explained how he settled on the automotive components industry, which

he admitted he knew noth-ing about when he started. He said that even an industry as established as the automotive one can be exciting in a rapidly changing country. “China, this year, will make 11 million vehicles, surpassing the United States,” he said. He described what he saw as the key to his achievement. In order “to be successful in China, managers must have the same cost perspective as cus-tomers and competitors.” To clarify this, Perkowski explained that 100 yuan, the basic unit of money in China, is treated like $100 is in the United States, even though the exchange rates hold the yuan at a fraction of the dollar’s level. Perkowski mentioned that many opportunities for foreign investors in China exist. This is because there are many “service gaps,” or places where there is demand, but the industries have not caught up. These include high-tech equipment manufac-turing, wholesale and retail dis-tribution, renewable resources, health care and financial ser-vices. This last gap led Perkowski to explain his new company, JFP Holdings Ltd., or, as the company slogan says, “A Merchant Bank for China.” The company provides financial capital for new com-panies around the world, most

of them located in China. Perkowski ended his lec-ture by emphasizing that China presents an opportunity to investors, stating that there has never been a country as large as China undergoing such radical economic development. He also said that Chinese markets “level the playing field,” while affording every-one “the same chance to get it right,” and that it’s not too late to invest. After the lecture, Perkowski was asked about the challenges of starting a business in a com-munist country like China. Perkowski said even though

China is communist, the economy is more capitalistic since the government loosened restrictions on foreign invest-ment. Response to Perkowski’s lecture was generally positive. “I thought it was very informative and interesting,” said sophomore Christopher Splaine. “His explanation of how the Chinese people view their currency in relation to ours was surprising. I also was impressed by how he managed to build such a successful com-pany in a country he knew nothing about.”

28 sickened in two weeks A total of 28 members of the Rider community — 18 students and 10 faculty and staff — have reported flu-like symptoms since the start of the fall 2009 semester, according to Debbie Stasolla, associate vice president for planning, and Dean of Students Anthony Campbell. This total was tallied

Wednesday, Sept. 23, and includes individuals who are currently out sick and those who have already recovered. In addition, Campbell said, the tally does not reflect any confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus; none of the flu-like symptoms that have been reported by students, faculty and staff have been definitively confirmed as swine flu. All of the cases were reported on the Lawrenceville campus; no

members of the Westminster community had reported flu-like symptoms as of Sept. 23. According to Stasolla, the university has been pleased with the mindset the Rider community has adopted when dealing with the flu and their perspective on the situation as a whole. “We’re very encouraged that people are not panicked, but being responsible to them-selves and to each other to

report symptoms and stay home if they are sick,” she said.

-Julia Ernst

The regular flu vaccine will be available to students for $25 at Rider’s annual flu clinic, which will be held on the Lawrenceville campus on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SRC seminar room and on the Westminster campus on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Thayer Lounge.

Erratic driving

A female commuter stu-dent was charged for driving haphazardly on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 11:16 a.m after she bypassed a parking lot gate. A male staff member observed the student driv-ing her car on the walkway in front of Gill Memorial Chapel. She proceeded to drive over the grass and a curb into the Fine Arts staff lot and then parked there. Public Safety went to the scene and placed a vehi-cle immobilizer on the car. The student called Public Safety and reportedly began to yell obscenities through the phone. She later went to Public Safety and apologized for the outburst. The student was charged with violation of the social code and disorderly conduct. The matter has been referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Locker room theft

A male student found some of his personal items missing from a locker in the SRC on Friday, Sept. 18, at 3:45 p.m. The student left his wal-let and keys in an unsecured locker. Someone stole the items while the victim was working out. There is no further infor-mation on this theft. Public Safety would like to remind students to lock doors when leaving rooms and to secure personal items with a lock in order to avoid theft.

Alcohol violation

An underage student was charged with violating the alcohol policy. A female staff member, who stated that a female resi-dent student was vomiting in the ground floor bathroom in the BLC, approached Public Safety officers on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1:52 a.m. Public Safety entered the bathroom and found the student. The student denied con-suming alcohol or vomiting, but later admitted to both. Public Safety called for an ambulance, and the student was taken to a hospital for further evaluation and treat-ment.

Security BriefS

Information provided by Director of Rider’s Department of Public Safety Vickie Weaver.

2 Friday, September 25, 2009

By Dalton Karwacki

Friday, Sept. 25Recognizing the Signs of Hazing, 11:30 a.m., SRC Shapiro Board Room, sponsored by Greek Life

SEC Film, Star Trek, 7:30 p.m., BLC Theater, sponsored by SEC

Westminster Homecoming Pageant, 8:30 p.m., The Playhouse Room 1, Westminster campus, sponsored by Westminster SGA

Bronc Bingo, 10 p.m., Daly’s, sponsored by Campus Life

Saturday, Sept. 26Westminster Homecoming Dance, 8 p.m., The Playhouse Room 1, Westminster campus, sponsored by Westminster SGA

Monday, Sept. 28Foreign Film Festival, 4:30 p.m., Fine Arts Room 309, sponsored by the Foreign Language and Literature Department

African Dance Workshop, 8 p.m., The Playhouse Room 1, Westminster Campus, spon-sored by the Black and Hispanic Alliance

Tuesday, Sept. 29Blood Drive, 1-7 p.m., BLC Cavalla Room, sponsored by Student Health Services

ESSC Green Film Series, 6 p.m., BLC Theater, sponsored by ESSC

Wednesday, Sept. 30Identity Theft Presentation, 7 p.m., BLC Theater, spon-sored by the Center for Business Forensics

Blood Drive, 1-7 p.m., BLC Cavalla Room, sponsored by Student Health Services

Thursday, Oct. 1Howard Goldstein’s A Painter’s Journey, 7 p.m., BLC Art Gallery, sponsored by the Fine Arts Department

SEC Film, The Proposal, 7:30 p.m., BLC Theater, spon-sored by SEC

Compiled by Amber CoxTo list your event, [email protected]

up ...coming

Business opportunities rich in China

Jack Perkowski, an Ivy League graduate and former Wall Street banker, talks about new business opportunities in China.

Helen Mannion/The Rider News

- Compiled by Emily Landgraf

here,” Harnum said. “We may have some setbacks on the way, but we are doing our best to manage it.” Associate Vice President for Planning Debbie Stasolla is also optimistic about the comple-tion date and said that the asbestos is not causing a large problem. “From what I understand, the asbestos removal has gone very well and they have not discovered any more,” she said. MAACness was originally called “Cranberry & White Night” and introduced the cam-pus community to the men’s basketball players and coaching staff. The first “Cranberry & White Night” was held at the beginning of the 1991-1992 season. The name of the event changed when Rider joined

the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 1997. Midnight MAACness also added the women’s basketball team to the event. The date is set for midnight on the first official day of practice allowed by the NCAA. But “the floor will just not be ready for that,” Stasolla said. MAACness is going to be redesigned in such a way that the campus will be satisfied, Campbell said. A meeting is set for Monday, Sept. 28, to discuss the best alternative. “It’s an unfortunate cir-cumstance for this year,” said Karin Torchia, associate direc-

tor of the Athletic Department. “This is not permanent. Mother Nature did not help us out, so we are looking for the best pos-sible alternative.” Campbell said he wants to come up with an equally excit-ing alternative for students. “We want to make sure it’s still something big,” Campbell said. Stasolla said they are seek-ing input from the students to make sure that this event will be satisfying to everyone. The fall concert will still be held on Oct. 22.

Friday, September 25, 2009 3

All films will be shown in the BLC Theater with

discussions to follow

For more information,please contact

Melissa GreenbergSustainability Coordination

[email protected]

Sponsored by theEnergy and Sustainability

Steering Committee

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, 6-8 pm

FUELTuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 11:30 am-1:30 pm

FUELTuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 6-8 pm

The Day After TomorrowMonday, Nov. 16, 2009 6-8 pm

King CornTuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 6-8 pm

TrashedTuesday, Jan. 26, 2010 6-8 pm

The End of SuburbiaTuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 6-8 pm

Everything’s CoolTuesday, March 23, 2010 6-8 pm

FlowTuesday, April 27, 2010 6-8 pm

Who Killed the Electric Car?

G R

E E

N

F I

L M

S

E R

I E

S

2 0

0 9

MAACnessContinued from p. 1

A sign posted on the door into Alumni Gym warns people not to enter unless in the proper protective gear.


issued by the university yesterday, the settle-ment resolves “all claims the DeVercelly family brought against Rider University and its current and former employees.” The settlement includes both a financial aspect and the confirmation that the university has implemented policies and pro-grams to “manage Greek organizations and help ensure compliance with Rider’s Student Code of Conduct.” In addition, according to the uni-versity release, the settlement “does not contain any admission of liability by the University, Ms. Badgley, Ms. Iacovelli or Mr. DiDonato.” In addition to the lawsuit filed against the university, Badgley, Iacovelli and DiDonato, the DeVercelly family filed claims against the PKT fraternity. However, the resolution reached among the family, the university and the three individuals is in no way related to the claims against PKT and “does not settle that case,” according to Dan Higgins, executive director of University Communications. “That was a separate lawsuit that the family is pursuing against the fraternity,” Higgins said. The policies and programs that have been put into place since DeVercelly’s death in 2007 were developed through recommenda-tions issued by the Presidential Task Force on Alcohol, Personal Responsibility and Student Life, Higgins explained. They include strength-ening sanctions for hazing violations, establish-ing residence-based directors to oversee code-of-conduct enforcement in all Greek houses, as well as establishing a Good Samaritan policy that encourages students to seek help first for medically compromised students without fear of campus repercussions, according to Higgins. “The university is encouraged with the prog-ress we’ve been making regarding our alcohol policy, that alcohol policy violations were down slightly from the previous academic year, and that the majority of those alcohol violations over those two years did not include excessive alcohol consumption,” Higgins continued, referring to the number of violations during the 2006-2007 academic year compared to the 2007-2008 aca-demic year. “Medical transports due to excessive alcohol consumption decreased during the 2007-2008 academic year when compared to 2006-2007.” Higgins said that these positive trends have

been encouraging signs for the Rider community as a whole and for those who worked to imple-ment the changes. “These are important steps in the right direc-tion as we continue to educate students about the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse, while also encouraging healthier and safer decision-making,” Higgins said. Contrary to a number of published reports yesterday by local and national news outlets, the university is not becoming a dry campus. In addition to the policies and programs that were put in place over the 2007-2008 academic year, there is only one new policy the university has implemented as a result of the settlement with the DeVercelly family. “The university has agreed to require publi-cation of incidents involving fraternity miscon-duct on the Greek Life portion of the Rider Web site,” said Higgins. According to an article published online by the Trentonian, the DeVercelly family issued a statement about the settlement. “Nothing will ever bring Gary back, or ease the grief our family has suffered,” said Gary’s mother, Julie DeVercelly. “The devastation is made even worse knowing that his death was caused by hazing and should have been prevent-ed.” The university Web site said Rider is “pleased to amicably resolve this matter with the DeVercelly family. Reaching an agreement with the DeVercellys allows all of the parties to avoid a prolonged and costly court battle.” Julie DeVercelly expressed similar sentiments about the resolution of the lawsuit. “We sought to create meaningful changes that would honor Gary and protect others and we have done so in our settlement with Rider,” she said.

DeVerCellyContinued from p. 1

‘It didn’t look like much of a problem the next day, but the wood started buckling toward the lobby end.’

- Don Harnum,Director of the Athletics Department

‘We sought to create meaningful changes that would honor Gary and protect others and we have done so in our settlement with Rider.’

- Julie DeVercelly,Gary’s mother

While the gubernatorial candidates do not agree on much, all three concur that the state’s economy is in need of a makeover. Faced with $38 billion of debt, high unemployment rates and other serious monetary problems, New Jersey is a state where the economy is a top pri-ority. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett each addressed this important issue. “We need to bring com-mon sense back to New Jersey state government,” Christie said. “Common sense tells you, you can’t spend more than you bring in.” The three candidates took the stage at the Bart Luedeke Center (BLC) Theater on sepa-rate occasions as part of the Governing New Jersey series sponsored by the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. The candidates discussed the economy, health care, the envi-ronment and education. Christie devoted much of his speech to the economy. He detailed what he saw as Corzine’s failures and pointed out how a Christie adminis-tration would be different should he be elected Nov. 3. He believes that overspending is a big issue. According to Christie, New Jersey has three options to fix the economy. “[We can either] bring more money in, borrow money or stop spending so much,” he said. Corzine had a determined attitude when discussing his stance on the economic crisis. “We’re not always going to be in a recession,” he said. Corzine supports President Obama’s economic program and believes that New Jersey can turn its economy around. He hopes to create jobs through investing in infrastructure, green technology and public schools. Daggett also devoted a sig-nificant amount of his speech to the economy. “Relatively speaking, it’s just as bad as the situation in

California,” he said. Daggett pointed out the fact that, besides the $38 billion debt, New Jersey is facing a pro-jected $8 billion to $10 billion budget deficit, twice as much as most people expected. Daggett then discussed how many politicians would simply cut the size of the state government. He said that even if the deficit were only $4 bil-lion, New Jersey would not be able to fill the gap. According to Daggett, New Jersey has around 70,000 state workers who make roughly $50,000 a year. To close up a $4 billion gap, New Jersey would have to fire 80,000 workers. “Ten thousand workers would have to be fired twice,” Daggett said. Another major issue that each candidate tackled was health care. Corzine was the only candidate who fully sup-ported Obama’s health care plan. He believes that a public option for those who cannot afford it is the best way to go. Christie believes there are other ways to make health care more affordable for the peo-ple of New Jersey. He would allow small businesses to pur-chase policies from out-of-state insurance companies, which is not currently allowed. Christie believes that more competition and consumer choice will lower health care costs. He would also allow mandate-free poli-cies, which might better fit the needs of some consumers who do not need some of the ben-efits provided by health insur-ance companies. Daggett does not believe that public health care is “nec-essarily the answer.” He would rather collaborate with insur-ance companies and pharma-ceutical companies to try to achieve lower costs. “Our ultimate fate will be tied to whatever comes out of Congress,” Daggett said. On the subject of the envi-ronment, all three candidates were willing to do whatever they could to protect it. Corzine stressed the importance of pro-tecting open space in New Jersey. He believes that invest-ing in green technology would not only help the environment,

but also create many new jobs for the state’s citizens. Christie believes that the Department of Environmental Protection needs to get back to its true purpose, and not get caught up in bureaucracy. He believes the department needs to make it easier for businesses to protect the environment and maximize New Jersey’s resourc-es. Daggett spoke the most about the importance of pro-tecting the environment. As a former member of the Environmental Protection Agency, he has a lot of expe-rience in shaping policies to protect the environment. According to Daggett, open space in New Jersey needs to be protected. Education was also dis-cussed at each speech. Corzine believes in investing in pre-school education and believes that it is the foundation for a good education. “I’m not saying there will always be an equal outcome, but every child deserves an equal start,” Corzine said. According to Corzine, the New Jersey Stars program has been expanded. It allows high school students who graduate with high academic achieve-ment to attend community col-lege for free. Corzine said his administration made a funda-mental policy decision to invest in tuition aid. This year, his administration put a 3 percent cap on tuition increase at state colleges and universities. “We’re doing the best we can with scarce resources,” Corzine said. According to Corzine, New Jersey has invested in higher education. However, both Christie and Daggett disagree. Corzine’s two opponents both believe the public school system is failing too many children. According to both Daggett and Christie, the cur-rent administration has simply been throwing money at the problem, but that is not enough. They believe that stronger mea-sures need to be taken in order to ensure that New Jersey’s edu-cation is improved on all levels. “We never thought hard enough and we weren’t tough

enough to monitor the process,” Daggett said. “We shouldn’t accept failing schools.” The Governing New Jersey series provided each candidate with a chance to lay out his plans in an open forum and to

take questions from the audi-ence. “Elections really are choices about the future, not just sim-ple exercises,” Corzine said. Additional reporting by Allie Ward

Independent candidate Chris Daggett shakes hands and talks with students on Tuesday, Sept. 15.


Governor candidates race through Rider By Emily Landgraf

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine meets with students before his speech on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Helen Mannion/The Rider News

Assunpink runs into the Delaware River. In the 1960s, the creek was wid-ened and dammed into an artificial lake to help decrease the chances of flooding. But there have been flooding problems along Sorority Row, around the chapel and in the commuter and visitor parking lots. When Rey and the other members of SPE left the event, there were only a

couple of inches of water on the campus. “By the time the sun started to set, I went back to my room and grabbed my camera,” Rey said. “Maybe about a half-hour or 45 minutes later I went back out to take a couple of pictures.” Rey said the bridge connecting Poyda to the academic buildings was “impassable” and that the benches next to the bridge were completely under water. “It was seriously a flash flood type of thing, but it happened within the course of a couple of hours,” Rey said.

Rey stated that most of the flooding took place at the back of campus and on the commuter and visitor lots where the road splits after entering from the south entrance. “Two cars were under water in the parking lot,” Rey said. “If that happened during the school year that would have been a lot of cars because those lots are full then.” Rider has continuously been striving to improve these situations. The univer-sity has recently invested in porous pave-ment to reduce water runoff, spending

$750,000 for the West Village parking lot and $1.5 million for the new back lot. The pavement is supposed to pre-vent water from going back into streams and, instead, be absorbed back into the soil, becoming ground water. The pave-ment also requires vacuuming to keep air voids open to allow the water to pass through, in another attempt to prevent flooding.

FloodingContinued from p. 1

A Christie supporter asks the Republican candidate a question at his speech on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Joy Rey/The Rider News

Peter G. Borg/Rider University


Sending Out an SOS

Compiled by Allie Ward

Ryan LaBoySenior, Summer staffMajor: Music educationCampus Involvement: SOS coordina-tor, Westminster SGA President, Music Educators National Conference, Black/Hispanic Alliance, Protestant Campus Ministry, Westminster ChoirBest Orientation Memory: Each year during training week, the SOS leaders and the Residence Life staff cook dinner for each other. Usually, there is some healthy competition. This year it was a huge success!Lesson Learned: SOS has taught me the importance of laughter in leadership. In my opinion, a sense of humor within a leader is a must.

Lauren SnyderJunior, Summer staffMajor: Music theaterCampus Involvement: Associate Dean of Students Office team, Resident Advisor, Once Upon a MattressBest Orientation Memory: My best orientation memory is definitely Lip Sync! Lesson Learned: Being on SOS has taught me that college is human, not academic. The staff is a family that sup-ports one another and laughs together even in the most stressful times.

Asa VaughnJunior, Fall staffMajor: MusicCampus Involvement: Vice president of the Black and Hispanic AllianceBest Orientation Memory: Doing Lip Sync and just hanging out in our group meetings.Lesson Learned: Coming to college is a hard experience. It is always good to have someone you can look to for advice about different situations.

Willie GotmerSophomore, Fall staffMajor: Organ performance and sacred musicCampus Involvement: Christian Fellowship, work in Associate Dean of Students’ Office Best Orientation Memory: The Quarry is always fun along with Lip Sync. I enjoyed training week and cooking for the RAs for our fantastic family dinner.Lesson Learned: I became more open-minded and a better listener.

Jaclyn BeardsleyJunior, Fall staffMajor: Music educationCampus Involvement: Deaftones, Westminster Christian FellowshipBest Orientation Memory: Meeting all of the first-year students on move-in day!Lesson Learned: I have learned how to interact with many different people on a very personal basis.

Heather JonesSophomore, Fall staffMajor: Music educationCampus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador, Christian FellowshipBest Orientation Memory: Sitting around in Seabrook Lounge writing the SOS Superhero skit together. Lesson Learned: The personalities of all the freshmen and new students have cre-ated an entirely new atmosphere, which has made me realize the significance of community on our campus.

Giancarlo D’EliaSophomore, Fall staffMajor: Voice performanceCampus Involvement: Schola Cantorum, Williamson Voices, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, WCC Admissions RepresentativeBest Orientation Memory: Choreo-graphing our Lip Sync dance showcase.Lesson Learned: Never underestimate the influence that your leadership can have on your peers.

Tom CunninghamJunior, Fall staffMajor: Voice performance, music edu-cation/MATCampus Involvement: Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaBest Orientation Memory: Cooking dinner for the Residence Life staff.Lesson Learned: Facebook won’t teach you who someone is. You have to meet them.

Alison MelcherJunior, Fall staffMajor: Vocal performanceCampus Involvement: Honors Student, Eco-Representative, Camp CounselorBest Orientation Memory: I had an amazing group this year, and I felt like a success when they told me how incred-ibly comfortable they felt around me. It was so rewarding to hear that I made them feel at ease and at home in a way. A couple of them also want to be SOS leaders next year, which made me very happy and proud.Lesson Learned: SOS has taught me how important first impressions and first feelings are. It has also taught me that you have to be yourself, and you have to genuinely care. SOS also showed me how honest human communication is responsible for a successful orientation and college experience.

Not pictured: Fall SOS leader Christine Snow and

graduate SOS leader Kelly Bixby

Photos by Peter G. Borg/Rider University

Jessi Franko

This summer and fall, 11 Westminster Choir College (WCC) students had starring roles in a production common-ly known as new student orientation. Student Orientation Staff (SOS) leaders are similiar to Lawrenceville’s O-Staff — they help incoming freshmen and graduate students become acclimated to life on campus. Each year, SOS is guided by a theme. This year it was superheroes. According to WCC Assistant Dean of Students Mary Ann Somaine, the two summer SOS leaders are responsible for “assisting with mailings, phone calls to new students, managing the Facebook group and leading student sessions dur-ing the summer orientations.” Just like Lawrenceville’s O-Staff, the fall opening staff at WCC is respon-sible for helping with move-in and off-campus trips for new students, as well as performing with their groups for Lip Sync and helping to ease new students into college life. The graduate student coordi-nater — a WCC graduate student — helps new graduate students adjust to Westminster through events like bar-beques, study sessions and a free movie night in Princeton, while also serving as a general mentor. The SOS coordinator, an under-graduate responsible for helping train SOS leaders, offers support by arrang-ing meetings and keeping open lines of communication with SOS and new students. The application process for SOS begins in March.

September 24-26 Star Trek

October 1-4 The Hangover

October 8-10 The Proposal

October 15-17 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

October 22-24 Funny People

October 29-31 The Orphan

November 5-7Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

November 12-24G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

November 19-21The Time Traveler’s Wife

December 3-5 Inglorious Basterds

December 10-12 Final Destination: Death Trip

Peace, love and music. Forty years ago, the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair transformed a small farm in Bethel, N.Y., into a cultur-al phenomenon in August 1969. As young men, two of Rider’s sociology professors, Dr. Jeffrey R. Halpern and Dr. Barry E. Truchil, traveled from different parts of New York to the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Both planned on arriving a day early because of the anticipated crowd. “The festival was being adver-tised everywhere on the radio and in Village Voice,” Halpern said. “There was a buzz and my friends and I knew enough to get there early.” This three-day festival was composed of both popular and on-the-rise musical artists of the 1960s, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Who, Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix. “A lot of people made their careers from Woodstock,” Truchil said. “A lot of groups became super groups just by being there.” Among many aspects, the spontaneity of Woodstock set it apart from many concert events that year and even today. “I actually bought tickets for me and a group of friends, and when we got there we realized we were about the only people who had tickets,” Halpern said. “They weren’t even collecting tickets.

They gave up and just opened up the gates.” Most may think such sponta-neity would breed problems, but not in the case of Woodstock. “The attendance overwhelmed everybody,” Truchil said. “The spontaneity helped because any-one who would be there to exploit anything would never think it was worth going to. You didn’t need security there.” Halpern also said that if law enforcement was present, it wasn’t necessary. “If there was security, I didn’t see any,” he said. “There really weren’t any bad experiences, and certainly no violence. Even the folks who were having trouble with bad trips were taken care of.” With no food vendors, little water and over 500,000 people in attendance, some planned ahead, and those who did not got cre-ative. “We were smart enough to bring a cooler full of food,” Halpern said. “We became very, very popular at the festival because we shared our watermelon with other people.” Truchil added, “I think my brother and I started the first campfire. Somebody came in with all these ears of corn, so we cooked them by the fire. We would end up taking a bite and passing the corn round. The karma was really good.” Since the crowd was larger than expected, and food was scarce, one would expect survival-of-the-fittest tendencies from the

concertgoers, but generosity out-played any negative attitudes. “There were people you didn’t know, and if they had extra food or water they would share,” Truchil said. “The festival had a profound impact to some extent on me for

a little while because I thought everybody was so nice.” Going right along with the crowd’s kindness was its carefree attitude in highly uncomfortable conditions during heavy rains throughout the three days.

“The rain was uncomfortable at the time, and it was one of the reasons people took their clothes off,” Halpern said. “Wet clothes are uncomfortable, a wet body is not uncomfortable, and so we just stripped down. Some stripped down to their underwear, others just took all their clothes off and just relaxed.” The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was known for bringing peace and love during a time of anger and confusion. Although it took place during a time when people were upset with politics and war, it was not about making a political statement. “The music spoke as a coun-ter-cultural critique to the materi-alism of the baby-boomer society,” Truchil said. “I think Woodstock captured more of that than the politics, but I wouldn’t say that there wasn’t an anti-war element.” Without a doubt, the three days of non-stop music left much of the crowd sleepless. “There were no breaks, and acts played much, much longer than scheduled,” Halpern said. “Concerts and festivals today start at a certain time and end at a certain time. Woodstock was dif-ferent — it was sensory overload and was just nonstop, complete immersion in music.” Since then, 40 years have passed, music has changed and large events have become more organized. Even though time has altered some things, music festi-vals still rock the summer months, and Woodstock was remembered

through a 40th anniversary con-cert tour. “Some of Woodstock’s origi-nal groups, to be fair, are not all that creative anymore, and are cashing in,” Truchil said. “To some extent, a better Woodstock right now would have Coldplay and Radiohead, and the equivalent bands of today performing at a concert like that one. If I were to organize a Woodstock I would have a few from the original [in] ’69, but I would mix it in with where there is a lot of energy today.” The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair of 1969 may have left a bad taste in some peoples’ mouths over the years because of the media’s impact, but all in all, it was a favorable experience that shaped history, the professors said. “I only have very positive memories of Woodstock,” Truchil said. “It was a great experience and it was spontaneous. Everybody took care of everybody and every-body supported everybody. It cap-tured the times.”

6 7Friday, September 25, 2009

‘Green’ film series examines environmental issues

‘Trek’-ing out of this worldFestival defined a generation

As Rider continues its efforts to go green, the Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC) is sponsor-ing a Green Film Series to emphasize the importance of environmental awareness and the harmful impact we continue to have on our world. Set to run from September until April 2010, the educational films are meant to establish recognition of environmental issues that influence our lives. Each film — a new one every month — address-es different topics: from the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming to America’s dependence on foreign oil sources. The series offers a staggering look at the country’s present and questionable future. “The films vary in topic and all pro-vide information about things humans do that affect the planet,” said Melissa Greenberg, sustainability coordination manager. “They are eye-opening and at times a bit scary. These are important topics that touch the lives of everyone on Earth.”

Greenberg added that, as college stu-dents, the Rider community has a respon-sibility to know its impact “on the world around us.” “Rider is a place of higher learning, and these topics have an important place here,” she said. “The ESSC feels strong[ly] that our students should leave here with knowledge about environmental issues that will inevitably touch their lives.” Each viewing will end with a moder-ator-led discussion of issues raised in the films. The series includes the 2004 block-buster The Day After Tomorrow starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid. Tornadoes, tidal waves and snow storms ravage the Western hemisphere as the climate rapidly changes. The film shows the destructive effects of global warming as the dawn of a new Ice Age threatens the planet and humanity. Other films like Trashed take a look at America’s garbage business, which explores not only what Americans dispose of, but also the alarming amount of waste that accumulates each year and what that growing number means for the environ-ment.

Flow discusses the depletion of the world’s water supply and Who Killed the Electric Car? tries to expose how trendy hybrid cars actually further America’s dependence on foreign oil. King Corn is a documentary that fol-lows two friends on a quest to discover where and how their food is made. The End of Suburbia shows how the American Dream has changed since the end of World War II, and questions whether this way of life can be maintained as the nation’s fuel supply dwindles. Everything’s Cool is a documentary showcasing the struggle between research-ers and activists and the federal govern-ment to gain recognition of global warm-ing, and the difficult process of getting people to listen. Fuel, directed by Josh Tickell, show-cases his 11-year worldwide trek to “find solutions to America’s addiction to oil.” It offers a look at ways to replace oil and cre-ate more environmentally friendly jobs in the process. “Our hope is that the viewers feel a need to share their thoughts after see-ing these films,” Greenberg said. “It’s a forum to share thoughts and maybe come

up with ideas for change at Rider and beyond.” All films will be shown on Tuesdays throughout the semester in the BLC Theater at 6 p.m. Students can meet the makers of Fuel

on Oct. 21 in the BLC Theater.

20th Century Fox

A reporter weathers the severe winds produced by an unusual burst of tornadoes in Los Angeles as astonished citizens look on in The Day After Tomorrow.

It is a difficult task to remake a long-standing series according to contemporary standards while remaining faithful to the original material. The filmmakers of the Star Trek reboot had to face the possible alienation of the large fan base devoted to the old plot lines if they chose the more contemporary approach of appealing to audiences’ love of action and excitement. Fortunately, the film, directed by J.J. Abrams, manages to find a path that most Trekkies and new audiences should be able to enjoy. With the right balance of humor, action, good plot and references to the old Star Trek, there is never a dull moment. The film follows James Kirk (Chris Pine, Smokin’ Aces) as a young cadet of the United Federation of Planets. A trouble-maker who seemingly joins the Federation just to make a point, Kirk has to sneak his way into the U.S.S. Enterprise dur-ing its maiden voyage. What should be a rescue mission at the planet Vulcan turns into a fight for the Federation against the insane Romulans who, decades earlier, appeared out of nowhere and attacked a Federation ship in search of Spock. The two lead actors who aren’t quite famous enough to be household names are a nice change from the trend of most b i g - b u d g e t films, and it

works when the actors are so talented. Pine and Zachary Quinto (Heroes) com-plement each other well. Most of the film’s laughs are owed to Pine, who performs the role of Kirk with amusing arrogance, but anyone looking for fantastic acting is going to enjoy Quinto. He’s great at keep-ing the calm, almost detached attitude of the half-Vulcan Spock, as well as portray-ing the inner uncertainties that make him human. Eric Bana (The Time Traveler’s Wife) produces a less-than-satisfying perfor-mance as Nero, the leader of the Romulan ship. His silence in his first scene is the only reason he ever manages to look menacing because each time he speaks, Bana fails to be much of a villain at all.

The best word to describe this Romulan is tame. Filmmakers haven’t yet seemed to real-ize that his dull act-ing style isn’t meant for science-fiction

action films.

The film also lacks strong female char-acters. Only Uhuru (Zoe Saldana, Guess Who) has a decent role in the film, but aside from her linguistic skills, she serves only as a pretty girl in a film dominat-ed by males. Other characters, like the mothers (Jennifer Morrison and Winona Ryder) of Kirk and Spock, make very few appearances in the film, and either of them is ever really involved in fighting the Romulans. Hopefully, there will be a bigger role for a female character in the sequel, and Saldana certainly has the abil-ity to carry it. Nevertheless, Star Trek is a smart reboot. Despite the implausible charac-teristics of the black hole, it creates an alternate universe and allows the old mate-rial to coexist with it, creating a synthesis of the old material and the new film that allows a new fan base to join the old one. It serves as a good place to start a new canon for Star Trek with the younger characters to match much of the audience it will attract.

By Kaitlin MacRae

By Brandi Lukas By Lacey Colby

‘We just stripped down. Some stripped down to their underwear, others just took all their clothes off and just relaxed.’

-Dr. Jeffrey R. Halpern

SEC Film SChEdulEFall 2009

Additional reporting by Adrienne Stazzone

Henry Diltz/Rhino Entertainment

Rock icon Jimi Hendrix performs at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in Bethel, N.Y. The festival was held August 15-17, 1969.

Paramount Pictures

Chris Pine takes his place on the U.S.S. Enterprise as Capt. James Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 adaptation of Star Trek. Star Trek will play tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the BLC Theater.

All films play at 7:30 p.m. in the BLC Theater.

The New Jersey gubernatorial election will occur Nov. 3. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is fight-ing for re-election against two other top candidates —

Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett. All three candidates have been to Rider in order to present their views on what are considered to be the most important topics for this year. And so far, they have proven to be knowledgeable in what they are talking about. However, certain answers given at the speeches seemed rehearsed, as if the questions were known ahead of time. Most who did ask questions were supporters of that candidate. Many of the questions asked were easy and none of them was really meant to challenge the candidates. This has made some people wonder if the campaigns had placed people to ask questions that would make each candidate look good in front of the voters. Today’s political world is tough. As the failing economy makes people feel insecure, everyone is looking for answers. This is where offices of the state come in. While the governor definitely can’t help the entire nation, he can at least make New Jersey residents feel safer. Governors run with some of the same issues as the president — new jobs, health care, education and the economy. These issues affect everyone, and hearing each candidate speak should make listeners feel better about the future, as well as convince them who to vote for. Surely the three candidates so thoroughly knew their mate-rial that they were completely ready for any question asked. Maybe they each came up with a list of possible questions that could be asked, and had an idea of what they would say. No doubt they had practiced and were ready to perform. The problem is, if all the questions are friendly, the audi-ence will never get to see the full extent of the candidate’s knowledge on a topic. It helps gather support if voters know that the person they choose to elect really understands what is going on and how to go about solving any problems. Whichever way, the candidates knew what to say. What matters most is if they meant what was said in their speeches. Even if one candidate knew the question ahead of time and spoke about how he would improve education in New Jersey, the real issue is whether he would follow through. If the can-didate has a real plan to help the state, then by all means, he should be elected. While it is wrong to have the advantage of preparing a statement, if all three of them have that same oppor-tunity, then is it still an advantage? In the future, Rider should have some way to balance the types of questions asked, from those both in support of and in opposition of each candidate. Whatever happens, the election for governor is sure to be an eventful one. There are three strong candidates — and the outcome is not yet clear. There are more than five weeks until the election. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the announcement of the elected governor to come, students should read about all three and pick the right one for them. And most importantly, they should go out and vote for the candidate of their choice on Nov. 3.

Editorial

Planned answers raise questions

I know I’m not the first person to say this, nor do I think I will be the last, but welcome back or welcome new students to Rider University! I hope you had not only a good and healthy sum-mer, but a sustainable one as well. We, the eco-reps, wanted to come up with new ways for you to think “sustainability” for the school year. There are many things we have educated the Rider community about in the past, including carpooling, drinking from reusable water bottles with our Quench Machines around campus and recycling in the yellow (cans and bottles; glass, plastics #1-#7 and aluminum) and green (paper and cardboard) containers in the residence halls. Rider has come a long way in the past two years since the introduction of going green and becoming a more sustainable community. Many students are asking more about living green and petitioning their politicians about the future of clean energy. This year, Rider is purchasing green energy for 35 percent of its electrical needs. The pur-chasing of green energy is helping you reduce the environmental impact of the electricity you use here on campus. Sure, you are probably not

paying the electricity bill in your dorm room or your parents’ home, but someday soon, when you move into your own home or apartment, you will get that bill in the mail. If you follow simple steps in your room, you can easily reduce that bill by about 15 percent or more. By leaving a desktop computer plugged in, you are adding $34 to your electric bill each year. A new plasma TV adds over $150 onto your annual electricity bill. Currently, it is estimated that the United States wastes more than $3 billion for the energy drained by vampire energy. It’s easy to cut the power to devices that drain energy all at once by using a power strip for items like your TV, DVD player, video game console, phone charger and computer charger and turning it off when you aren’t using it. These items all use energy when they are turned off but still plugged in. Simply train yourself to be more habitually green — recycle out of habit, save power and water, and use more organic products and our world will become a healthier place for all of us. If it’s Not in Use, Turn off the Juice!Chris Shepherd is one of the eco-reps chosen to rep-resent Rider.

Eco-Rep Green Corner

High electric bills easily unplugged

This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the Opinion Editor, Angelique Lee.

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ExEcutivE EditorKristie Kahl

Managing EditorAllie Ward

nEws EditorsJulia ErnstAmber Cox

assistant nEws EditorEmily Landgraf

FEaturEs and arts & EntErtainMEnt Editor Kaitlin MacRae

assistant FEaturEs and arts &EntErtainMEnt EditorAdrienne Stazzone

opinion EditorAngelique Lee

sports EditorsJordan HallJosh Veltrie

photography EditorHelen Mannion

copy Editors Jess HoogendoornValis Vicenty

advErtising ManagErs Laura FitzgeraldNicole Smith

BusinEss ManagErDhrupa Patel

dElivEry ManagErJason Sofia

Faculty advisErsDr. E. Graham McKinleyDr. Thomas Simonet

Editorial & ManagErial Board

The Rider News serves as a public forum for student expression and welcomes letters to the editor from all members of the university community. Letters must include the writer’s telephone number and e-mail address for verification. Letters that constitute personal attacks on individuals or groups are unacceptable. We reserve the right to edit letters to the editor for length, clarity, accuracy, gram-mar and libel. Letters must be appropriate in terms of taste and civility. Brevity is encouraged. All decisions are at the sole discretion of the editorial board, which may reject any letter. Send to The Rider News via e-mail ([email protected]), campus mail, or hand deliver to Ridge House. All letters must be received by midnight on the Monday preceding publication.

Economy 37%

What issue do you feel is the most important in the 2009 gubernatorial election?

What do you consider yourself?

Other 5%

Education 22%

New jobs 17%

Health care 19%

Democrat 50%

Independent 22%

Republican 19%

Other 9%

The unsystematic survey conducted this week included 157 respondents from the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses. Students could choose one option per question.

www.theridernews.com

For the last few months, the television has been bogged down with commercials con-cerning the election for governor of New Jersey. Candidates Chris Christie (Republican) and current Gov. Jon Corzine (Democrat) have been using these commercials to sling mud on their opponents. One candidate, however, has not put down either candidate in order to further his political sup-port: Chris Daggett, the independent candidate for the upcoming 2009 gubernatorial election. Daggett has said that too often cam-paigns are built around tearing one another down and he wants to change that. During one of his election commer-cials, Daggett said that he thinks “it’s time, in New Jersey and in this campaign, to talk about things positively. To talk about these issues, how we need to deal with them, to make this a better state, a state that’s more afford-able and a state that we can all be proud of.” Daggett was born in Orange, and grew up in Bernards Township. He has lived in New Jersey all of his life and is truly devoted to making the state better as a whole. Daggett knows that the struggling economy can-not be fixed by stimulus

money and tax cuts, and he is creating a plan to lift the state from the $38 billion debt that has accumulated. Daggett has a seven-point plan to improve New Jersey, including making us competitive with oth-er states, reining back property taxes and the state budget, investing in our future by improving transit problems, pro-viding a healthy envi-ronment, finding prac-tical solutions for the Council on Affordable Housing, improving the quality of educa-tion and implement-ing regulatory reform. Hopefully, Republicans and Democrats can both agree that the governor’s position has nothing to do with political par-ties but the issues them-selves, and the issues can be resolved by the independent candidate, Chris Daggett.

This November, New Jersey voters will make the vital choice of who will be the next governor. The Democratic Party nominee is the incum-bent, Gov. Jon Corzine. He is a former business executive and served as a U.S. Senator before being elected governor in 2005. However, his background tells the story of a man who lived the American dream. Corzine was born and raised on a small farm outside of Willey’s Station, Ill. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois, paying for his educa-tion by working sum-mers as a laborer and at the U.S. Postal Service. After graduating, Corzine enlisted in the U.S. Marine Reserve Corps., where he served for six years, attaining the rank of sergeant. He earned his M.B.A. at the University of Chicago while work-ing at a bank. Upon tak-ing a job in 1975 at the Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Corzine moved to the state where he would one day serve as governor. During his time at Goldman Sachs, President Bill Clinton honored Corzine by naming him the chairper-son of a presidential com-mission that studied ways to increase federal invest-ment in schools, infra-structure and technology. Upon leaving Goldman

Sachs in 1999, he suc-cessfully ran for U.S. Senator where he served from 2001-2006. Corzine’s record shows that he is pro-choice, supports same-sex marriage and wants to make education more accessible from preschool to college. He gave New Jersey its first Medical Leave Act, allowing work-ers to care for ill rela-tives without workplace repercussions. As some-one who has worked in the financial sector, he understands the unique economic situation that exists here. As governor, Corzine inherited a state in debt from mismanagement and corruption, a prob-lem that could take decades to resolve. Under Corzine, New Jersey was the first to develop and pass an economic stimu-lus package. With these and other successes under his belt, Corzine plans to build on them in a sec-ond term.

In 2007, U.S. Attorney Chris Christie announced the indictment of former state Senator and Newark Mayor Sharpe James. These allegations included charging thou-sands of dollars to city credit cards to take James and his cohorts on lavish Martha’s Vineyard vaca-tions. All the while, a large number of the children of his city lived below the poverty line. Christie suc-cessfully prosecuted James and more than 130 other corrupt officials. Christie diligently expunged a great deal of corruption in New Jersey. Now, he plans to take his corruption-busting agenda to Trenton in his run for governor as the Republican candidate. Christie was raised in Livingston. He is a family man with four children and a wife of 22 years. He was unanimously con-firmed to the position of U.S. Attorney General in December of 2001, a posi-tion he left in 2008. Christie had an exemplary record as U.S. Attorney aside from weed-ing out corrupt officials. First, he cleaned the streets of East Orange, by taking on Double ll Bloods, a branch of a violent street gang called the Bloods. Second, he ushered in justice for our children by pursuing convictions against child pornography. Third, he helped forestall a planned terrorist attack

against Fort Dix, by assist-ing the FBI not only in the investigation, but also in the eventual arrest and conviction of those men. One-party rule in Trenton has done little for the people, short of pilfering larger chunks of their pay checks. We remain one of the most taxed states in the nation. This year, the people of New Jersey worked 119 days to pay off all their taxes to the government, according to the Tax Foundation. Moreover, we incur unfunded liabilities of over $100 billion. On top of all this, we have1 9.7 percent unem-ployment rate, more than our neighboring states. Even more, a net 100,000 people will flee New Jersey this year. The status quo has floundered. Over the next few weeks, we will delve further into some of the key issues of this race. The time is now to let Chris Christie make New Jersey the state she once was, prosperous and free!


Opening Faceoff: Gubernatorial Election

Next governor must attempt to find new solutions

The Rider News is printed by Packet Publications, Princeton, N.J. Our paper, purchased directly from North American mills, is composed of 50 percent recycled newsprint and 50 percent thermo-mechanical pulp (made from wood-chip and sawdust byproducts of the wood industry). Our inks are soy or mineral oil, not petroleum-based. Printing plates, litho film materials and silver content are recycled after use.

As students settle back into their academic routines, many have been spending time sitting in class, studying and working. Now it’s time to enjoy ourselves and kick off this weekend with this year’s annual Homecoming Dance at Westminster. The theme for this year’s Homecoming is a spinoff of the popular ’80s television show Miami Vice. The weekend begins tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Westminster’s Playhouse and starts off with a humorous twist to traditional pageants. The pageant contestants are the Homecoming nominees who will compete in different events such as a lip sync competition, a “Mock the Professor” skit and an evening wear contest. The pageant is designed to create a lot of laughs from the audience and really show them a good time. The dance itself will take place tomorrow, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m., also at the Playhouse. The dance is set up in conjunction with WCC’s own version of Miami Vice. Attendees can wear cocktail attire or dress up in their best ’80s gear and dance the night away. The dance will be catered and, in addition to having an awesome DJ, there will be casino games set up and a fun backdrop for students to take pic-tures in front of. “Last year’s Homecoming was a really great event,” said Dorothy Schrader, vice president of Westminster’s programming board, who helped pull the event together. “Unfortunately, the dance was outside, under tents, and the weather was

absolutely horrible; this made it unbearably hot. This year, the dance is inside and air conditioned, which will definitely make things more enjoyable. We want every-one to feel welcomed and be ready and willing to have a good time.” Westminster’s programming board is also connect-ing with the Graduate Students Association by having members be guest judges for the pageant portion of the weekend. Also, having both campuses attend the event may help improve the lines of communication between the Lawrenceville and Westminster students. “Homecoming this year is going to be an amazing event,” said Paul Hughes, president of the programming board. “We want students to take advantage of the social opportunities to meet other Rider students and keep the campuses con-nected.” Rider students already should have received e-mails and Facebook group invi-tations with information regarding the event. Overall, Homecoming weekend is sure to be a great success and an event that will be fondly looked back on through-out the year.

Angelina Franco

The Inside Scoop

Old school show inspires Homecoming weekend

Republican:Kyle Collins

Democrat:Jess Scanlon

Independent:Heather Shupe

The Rider cross coun-try teams traveled to Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y., Saturday to compete in the Iona Meet of Champions. While several individuals performed well at the meet, the teams did not get the results they wanted. The women’s team finished 15th out of the 21 teams that competed. Finishing first for the Broncs and 44th overall was junior Chelsea Callan, who finished in 24:22 on the 6,000 meter course. “I’m very happy with my performance,” Callan said. “I have been training very hard and I’m glad it is paying off.” Callan has high hopes for the team’s future. “I definitely expect myself and the team to improve as the

year goes on,” she said. “We have a very talented group of girls this year that can really help bring our team to the next level.” This talented group includes sophomore Heather Giovagnoli, who finished sec-ond for the Broncs and 82nd overall, and freshman Megan Elgin who finished third for the Broncs and 97th overall. The men’s team finished 16th of the 23 teams compet-ing in the meet. Finishing first among the Broncs and 57th overall was junior Michael Soroko, who covered the 8,000-meter course in just over 27 minutes. “I thought that my perfor-mance was OK,” Soroko said. “I should have run better through the middle of the race, but I recovered and closed pretty well so I was happy with that.” The men’s team had the

same story as the women’s team, however. While Soroko performed well, the team per-formed below expectations. “The team struggled a bit,” Soroko said. “But we know that the meets that really matter are not until late October and early November, so we are not too worried about it.” Perhaps the main reason for the men’s team struggling was the absence of junior Christian Gonzalez. The usual first-place finisher was forced to pull out of the meet with a leg injury. Gonzalez ran a 24:50 on the course last year, a time that beats the Broncs’ top finisher this year by more than two minutes. Next up for the Broncs is the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., Oct. 2.

18-3,” Hussong said. “Talent and skill-wise this is by far the best that we have put together. The skill, speed and athleticism on the team is outstanding, but the beauty of this team is that they are team-oriented players who truly feel happy for each other’s suc-cesses.” Rider opened the campaign with force, defeating Lehigh handily 8-2. Shortly follow-ing that, the Broncs beat an impressive Hofstra team 1-0, and most recently, they took down Radford on Sunday in a double overtime thriller, 1-0. Rider has completely disman-tled its opponents offensively and defensively, outscoring the opposition 26-4. The Broncs, dating back to last season, have won 17 of their last 19 con-tests and have outscored the competition 54-12. Amazingly enough, Rider has yet to have its home opener, which is set for Friday, at 4 p.m. against West Chester. The Broncs are not only ranked nationally, but also sta-tistically. The unbeaten bunch is second in the country in save percentage, fourth in goals against average, sixth in scor-ing margin and 12th in scoring average and goals per game. Rider also possesses the top offensive threats in the NEC in sophomore duo Megan Pisani and Virginia Egusquiza. Pisani, an athletic forward, leads the

conference in points (22), goals (10) and game-winning goals (4) while the versatile Egusquiza is first in assists (4), second in points (14) and third in goals (5). To cap things off, senior goalkeeper Lyndsie Johnson ranks first in the league in shutouts (4), goals against aver-age (0.55) and save percentage (.862). Across the board, Rider owns an exceptionally deep and balanced team. Because of this, the Broncs have received an immense amount of national attention, but it doesn’t faze them; they remain focused. “We take every game one game at a time and most impor-tantly, never take any team lightly,” said Pisani. Hussong keeps everything in perspective. “Field hockey is a game where the tables can turn very quickly, and we know that we have to stay focused at all times to be successful,” she said. Rider understands that the season is still young and there is plenty of work left to do in order to accomplish its goals. “Every conference game is going to be a dog fight,” said Hussong. “Our goals each year have always been to win the regular season NEC title as well as the tournament title and get to the NCAA play-in game.” With their goals set in stone, the Broncs will continue to embark on school history and hopefully finish off what could truly be a memorable ride.

AttentionContinued from p. 11


Men’s Soccer(2-4 overall)9/4-9/6at JMU Comfort Inn Invitational,James Madison 3, Rider 0High Point 1, Rider 09/11-9/13at Sculley Memorial Tournament,Liberty 1, Rider 0Rider 1, VMI 09/18Delaware 2, Rider 19/30vs. Army, 4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer(4-4-1 overall)9/4Rider 1, Sacred Heart 09/6Monmouth 3, Rider 09/8Rider 4, Lafayette 19/13NJIT 2, Rider 09/18Rider 1, St. Francis (PA) 1 (2 ot)9/22Rider 2, Wagner 19/25at Canisius, 7 p.m.*9/27at Niagara, 12 p.m.*

Field Hockey(7-0 overall)9/5-9/6at Colgate Invitational,Rider 3, Central Michigan 0Rider 3, Colgate 19/13Rider 1, Hofstra 09/19Rider 6, Appalachian St. 0

9/20Rider 1, Radford 0 (2 ot)9/25vs. West Chester, 4 p.m.10/1vs. La Salle, 4 p.m.

Volleyball(2-11 overall, 0-2 MAAC)9/4-9/5at Great 8 Challenge,Nicholls St. 3, Rider 0Kennesaw St. 3, Rider 1Alabama A&M 3, Rider 19/8Rider 3, La Salle 19/11-9/12at Lehigh/Lafayette Crosstown Tournament,Providence 3, Rider 1Lehigh 3, Rider 0Lafayette 3, Rider 09/19Manhattan 3, Rider 0*9/20Siena 3, Rider 0*9/26vs. Loyola (MD), 2 p.m.*9/27vs. Fairfield, 2 p.m.*

Cross Country9/5at Marist Season Opener,M: 2nd of 2, W: 2nd of 39/19at Iona Meet of Champions,M: 16th of 23, W: 15th of 2110/2at Paul Short Invitational, 10 a.m.

Golf9/11-9/12at Rutgers Invitational,6th of 13

9/20-9/21at Leo Keenan Invitational,5th of 13

Men’s Tennis(0-3 overall)9/13Philadelphia 7, Rider 29/19Lafayette 7, Rider 09/20Delaware St. 4, Rider 39/30vs. Marist, 2 p.m.*

Women’s Tennis(0-3 overall)9/13Philadelphia 5, Rider 49/20Delaware St. 7, Rider 09/23St. Joseph’s 7, Rider 09/25-9/27at U.S. Naval Academy Tournament9/29vs. Monmouth, 3:30 p.m.

...And More Sports

Freshman Marlaine Schneider of the field hockey team was named NEC Rookie of the Week for all games played Sept. 14-20.

Senior Nico Tramontana of the men’s soccer team was named MAAC player of the week for all games played Sept. 14-20.

Scores/Records (* denotes conference games)

BRONCS’ BITS

CROSS COUNTRY

By Michael Mack Come Join Us!

Sunday, September 27, 2009Times: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pick up at Lawrenceville Campus: 8 a.m.Pick up at Westminster Campus: 8:30 a.m.

Returning to campus by 1 pm

Lambertville to cheer on the climate riders and support a good cause for climate action.

Games, Giveaways, Fun!Contact [email protected] if you

plan to attend or have questions.Visit www.climateride.org

for more information about the ride.

Callan leads cross country

Rider University fall softball camp Fall softball clinics available for children ages 8-18 will be

held at Rider University on Oct. 10 and 11. Discounts are available for teams, multiple sessions and siblings.

Those interested can visit www.gobroncs.com for more information or contact head softball coach, Tricia Carroll at 609-896-5396 or [email protected].

Stellar play from Rider graduate student Eric LeFante led the Broncs to a fifth-place finish at the 21st annual Leo Keenan Invitational, hosted by St. Bonaventure on Sunday and Monday. LeFante placed first of 72 golfers with a two-day total of 138 on the par-70, 6,308-yard Bartlett Country Club course. It was the second collegiate win of his career as he also was first in the Peacock Invitational in April 2008. “It felt great to win,” LeFante said. “The greens were very tough and it was a fairly strong field so it felt good to come out on top.” After shooting an even par 70 on the first day and being two shots back, LeFante shot a 68, which included his third eagle this season, on Monday to come in first. “I felt like I minimized some mistakes on Monday and made a couple more putts which turned out to be the dif-ference,” LeFante said. Sophomore Brent Wolgast placed 14th, shooting a 75 on the first day and a 74 on the sec-ond for his total of 149. Fellow sophomore Brian Accorsini, who finished fifth last year in this event, placed 19th overall with a two-day total of 151.

“We could have played bet-ter overall but the end result really wasn’t that bad,” Wolgast said. “Eric has really been playing well over the summer and did great at the Rutgers Invitational. As the captain, we know we can rely on him to have a solid performance every

time.” As a team, the Broncs shot 596, breaking the 300 mark on both days with a 297 on Sunday and following that up with a 299. “A couple months ago I was expecting to be working right now,” LeFante said. “All of my

friends right now are working, so being able to still play golf is a complete bonus for me.” Both LeFante and Wolgast agreed that a lot of strokes were left on the greens, as the team did not putt as well as it hoped. But the Broncs’ fifth place was good enough to beat out MAAC rivals Siena and Niagara, as they shot a 606 and 607, respectively. “It’s always a big confi-dence boost when you’re able to beat some conference rivals,” Wolgast said. “We are always very competitive with Siena and, although we could have played better, I’m sure they could say the same.” Also for the Broncs, soph-omore Chris Wolak finished 47th with a 158 overall, an 80 on the first day and a 78 on the second. Junior Kevin Krecicki shot an 80 on Sunday and fol-lowed it up with an 82, giving him a 162 overall and 58th place. Rider seems to play this course well, as last year the team had a fourth place finish. This weekend the Broncs travel to New York State to compete in the Ithaca Invitational. “We need to take it one shot at a time this weekend and just play solid to try and pull out a win,” Wolgast said.

By Josh Veltrie

Past success leads to high expectations, which can often result in added pressure. But for the Rider field hockey team, lofty goals have made them perform at an even more elite level. With a 13-7 record last season, an appearance in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship game and 14 returning letterwinners, the sights were set high for the ’09 Broncs and they haven’t disappointed. Two-time NEC Coach of the Year, Lori Hussong, and the rest of the field hockey program have produced an impressive track record the last decade. This season, they boast a résumé unlike any from years past. This skilled and expe-rienced squad has exceeded all predictions by jump-start-ing the season with a 7-0 record, making them one of seven teams in the country still undefeated. The blister-ing start has landed Rider a national ranking of 23 by Fieldhockeycorner.com in their Average Computer Rating (ACR). The Broncs are currently sporting an all-time high 18th

best Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in the nation, but most remarkably, on Sept. 3, Rider was ranked first overall in the ACR rankings, proving to be one of the premier teams in all of Division I field hockey. The ACR rankings are based on goal differential and wins and loses, where RPI deals with the team’s record, its opponent’s record, and its opponent’s-opponent’s record. The Broncs have a unique blend of talented and unselfish players who have made winning into a habit. This rare group just might be the greatest team in its pro-gram’s history, and easily the most gifted. “There are many similar-ities between this year’s team and the 2004 team that went

Jordan Hall

National attention


See Attention, p. 10

LeFante drives home a first-place finish

Graduate student Eric LeFante came in first of 72 golfers with a two-day total of 138. He shot an even par 70 on the first day and followed it up with a two-under 68.

Peter G. Borg/Rider University

Broncs remain undefeated on home turf

GOLF

WOMEN’S SOCCER

By Rocco Schirripa

Athletes from all of Rider’s sports teams came out to show their support for the women’s soccer team as the Broncs defeated Wagner 2-1 on Tuesday during their “Code Cranberry” event. “We had some good perfor-mances by our upperclassmen, Nat Sica and Stacy Belgiovene, and also our two goal scorers, Musumeci and Brody,” Head Coach Drayson Hounsome said. Senior Alison Brody had a big day with a goal and an assist, while junior Lauren Musumeci had the second goal to put the Broncs ahead. “[It was] good to see Brody get a goal and an assist in the game,” Hounsome said. “[This was] her first goal in a couple of years.” The Broncs are now 3-0 at home, a drastic improvement from last season when they did not put together one home win.Also among the highlights was freshman goalkeeper Jenn

Nichols’ first collegiate win. “Nichols did an excellent job in goal, making a big save from a Wagner freekick in the first half,” Hounsome said. “It was a good way to end our non-conference portion of the schedule and get us back to .500.” Earlier in the weekend the Broncs went to Loretto, Pa., and tied St. Francis 1-1 in over-time. Rider showed a flair for the dramatic as freshman Angela Lozupone scored with 22 min-utes left in the second half to tie the game and send it into over-time. Lozupone took the pass from senior Natalie Sica for her second goal of the season. Nichols had her first col-legiate start in the game on Friday and had eight saves. “We had a lot of good chances to put [the game] away, but ultimately we took the trip to get a result and we walked away with a tie,” said senior Kate Murphy. “It was an ugly game, but the fact that we were able to stick in there and find a way to get the back of the net shows the character of our team and what we hope to

build on.” It was the first time the Broncs went into overtime this season. “We were all so tired from everything, and we were able to still go out and play our game,” Lozupone said. Rider begins conference play this weekend by traveling up to Canisius on Friday at 7

p.m. and Niagara on Sunday at noon. “We are excited for the conference games and look forward to a lot of support-ers at our home games creat-ing a home-field advantage,” Hounsome said.

Hugh Tsung/Rider University

Freshman Angela Lozupone sprints down field during a 2-1 vic-tory over Wagner. Earlier in the week, she scored her second career goal in a 1-1 tie against St. Francis.

Adversity struck in an odd way at Rider on Aug. 22, as part of the floor inside Alumni Gym became soaked in water after 7.6 inches of rain poured down on campus that day. (See MAACness, p. 1) Since about 30 percent of the floor was damaged, according to Athletic Director Don Harnum, it needs to be replaced, and the gym will end up with a floor more suitable for a Division I program. “This has definitely caused some challenges and inconve-niences for now,” Harnum said. “But we reached the very best solutions we could have hoped to reach in accommodating all three teams for the time being.” The men’s and women’s basketball teams chose to practice in the old, little-used Mercer County Tennis Center. It was originally built in the 1940s and redone as a tennis center 20 years later. When a basketball is not bouncing the only sounds that can be heard are the chirps of crickets and the drips of water in puddles along the insides of the build-ing near the Mercer County Airport. The volleyball team must have their practices and match-es in the Student Recreation

Center (SRC). A sport court (floor) was purchased and placed in the SRC by the ath-letic department for the team to play on. This weekend the Broncs will try it out in home matches on Saturday and Sunday. The other options for the basketball teams were local high schools and colleges, but there would most likely be schedul-ing conflicts if the teams were required to practice in someone else’s facilities, Harnum said. Kevin Bannon, the former Rider men’s basketball head coach who now serves as direc-tor of Parks and Recreation for Mercer County, was a huge help, according to Tommy Dempsey, head coach of the men’s team. “Once Kevin said they would be able to take our court [floor] from Sovereign Bank Arena it sealed the deal,” Dempsey said. “I didn’t even know about the center before this happened.” Players and coaches now have to travel about 10 min-utes to the old tennis center, a situation that the women’s team seems to be embracing. “The team is doing quite well adjusting to this whole situation,” said the head coach of the women’s team, Lynn Milligan. “It’s unfortunate, but we knew we were going to have

to deal with adversity at some point this year. We have been positive throughout this. It’s like we have our own sanctuary to practice in.” The goal for the new floor to be put in and for the teams to be back in action on it is Nov. 7, according to Harnum. That is when the men’s team has its first exhibition game against West Chester. “The whole process was scheduled to take about eight weeks from Sept. 13,” he said. “There was some asbestos found in older parts of the floors, along the outer edges, which we anticipated.” Dempsey is not worried about the performance of his players being affected by this distraction. “This is our home and it has been very good to us over the years,” he said. “We’ve won a lot of games here and we take pride in it.” This entire operation will probably cost around a quarter of a million dollars, most of which is covered by insurance, according to Harnum. “The floor will be able to deal with extensive renovation so that in the long run, we can still use this floor in a different facility,” he said. “We will not have to get a new floor when we decide to get a new gym.”

By Josh Veltrie

By Christina LoBrutto


Water-damaged floor in Alumni Gym causes three teams to relocate

Flood warning

The flooding of Alumni Gym has caused the men’s and women’s basketball teams to practice at the old Mercer County Tennis Center, which has a ceiling that has seen better days.


Junior Elyse Grassmuck serves in a 3-2 loss to Manhattan. Grassmuck had a solid perfomance with 43 assists, 12 digs and four blocks.

Hugh Tsung/Rider University

Volleyball suffers two losses in conference play

Last weekend was action-packed for the volleyball team, as it lost to the Manhattan Jaspers on Saturday and the Siena Saints on Sunday. Saturday’s match was the confer-ence season opener for both Rider and Manhattan. After falling behind the Jaspers two sets to none, the Broncs rallied to tie the match, but fell short in the last set. The Jaspers won the first two sets, with scores of 25-19 and 25-23. The Broncs followed with 25-23 and 25-12 victories, and finally a 15-9 defeat. The 3-2 loss for the Broncs was an improvement after being swept in three matches the previous weekend. Rider ended the fourth set on a 7-0 run, with junior Kristy Love’s two kills forcing the fifth set. Love had 12 kills overall. “After being down two sets to none we knew we had to go into set three with more intensity and pride,”

Love explained. “[Manhattan] had one great hitter/blocker who was hard to stop. We played closer to our potential when we beat them by close to 15 points. That set was Rider volleyball. We are all pumped to get back to it this Saturday.” Also for the Broncs, junior Elyse Grassmuck had 43 assists, 12 digs, and four blocks. Junior Katelyn Thompson had 21 kills and 12 digs in the match. “I thought I did a good job of finding Katelyn, who was the hot hitter that game,” Grassmuck said. “She did a great job putting the ball away. I also kept a fast tempo going on our side of the net and put the ball where the hitters needed it to score. You can thank our passers for my success.” Sunday proved to be a step back-ward for the Broncs, as they lost their fifth match in a row. Siena swept 25-22, 25-12, 25-18. “I think that we did a good job at keeping a high level of play and staying energized. We just couldn’t pull off the win this week, but we

will get another chance at home,” Thompson said. Rider trailed 18-10 in the third set, before going on a 6-0 run to get within two points. Contributing to this run was freshman Stephanie Nagy, who finished with five blocks. “The team was disappointed we didn’t walk away with a win, but we’re trying to look at the positives,” Nagy said. “We gave drastically less free points to the opponent, such as service errors. Every weekend the team improves, but we realize we need to step up our game to the next level.” Grassmuck added, “As a team, we should really start focusing on pulling out our ‘go for the throat’ nature. We had Manhattan and the win in our hands and let it slip away. We need to not let losing be an option.” Rider hosts Loyola (MD) on Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center.

VOLLEYBALL

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University, et al. ights Out On MAACness See DeVercelly, p. 3

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