Costs risingon essentialsBy Jordan Lester, ChristinaJohnson and Denise Gibson

TuitionStudents enrolled in Fall 2008

classes at New Jersey City Uni-versity will probably notice an in-crease in the amount of moneythey will pay for tuition this year.NJCU President Carlos Hernán-

dez says this year’s tuition in-crease is the direct result of NewJersey’s reducing its appropria-tion to higher education over thepast ten years.“I know it’s a very difficult pe-

riod for students,” Hernándezsays. “It is not something that wetake lightly.”Tuition has been increasing

every fall semester, and will prob-ably continue to do so. Last aca-demic year, tuition was $269.85and this year is $288.75 per cred-it for undergraduate courses.This year’s graduate courses will

cost $520.50 per credit as opposedto last year’s cost of $486.45.

“Every July, the Board ofTrustees get together and decidehow much the tuition is going toincrease and [the new rates are]usually released in July,” saysMariana Jaramillo, a program as-sistant in the Bursar’s Office.The full time undergraduate per

semester admissions rate changedfrom $4,077.54 and rose to$4,363.00 according to Tuition &Fee Rate charts available atNJCU’s Office ofAssociate VicePresident for Finance and Con-troller website.Seniors who are beginning their

fourth year at NJCUmay remem-ber that in their freshmen year of2005-2006, full time undergrad-uate tuition was only $3,520.20per semester.In spite of these increases,

NJCU remains the least expen-sive public college in New Jersey.“NJCU continues to be the most

affordable of all the public uni-versities among all the collegesin the entire state,” Hernándezsays. “Tuition has been raised

from seven percent almost up to10 percent [at some schools]. Weare at [a] seven [percent increase…] and we are among the low.”Since the tuition increased, some

students have to pay more mon-

ey outright and others have to takeout more loans.“This is affecting me because I

have to take out another loan topay my tuition,” says OctaviaRamsey, a 21-year-old psycholo-gy major and junior from Jersey

City.NJCU freshmanAdam Granell,

19, says that since tuition has in-creased, he does not drive and in-stead takes public transportation,which, in turn, has put him on a

tighter schedule. He says it hascaused him to “not have a sociallife and not spend enough timewith family.”As a result of the tuition in-

crease, students said that it is dif-ficult for them to afford basic

school necessities.“The fact that the tuition in-

creased makes it harder to affordbooks because I have other billsand a child to provide for,” saysShanette Taylor, a 20-year-oldearly childhood education majorand sophomore from Jersey City.Granell says it is hard for him

to afford books and that “even theused books are too expensive.”There are mixed opinions, how-

ever, as to how students will ulti-mately react to the tuition in-crease.“Why is there a need to keep in-

creasing the tuition especially ifthis school is not in demand likeother universities?” asks Ramsey.“I know someone who is madabout the tuition increase.”“I believe if you are a deter-

mined student, it just means cut-ting back on luxuries, for exam-ple, skipping the nail salon. If youare this determined student thanthe tuition increase would not af-fect you,” Taylor says.Most students determine their

going to college based on afford-ability. Some fear the recent tu-ition increase will discourage stu-dents even more.“It is hard enough to convince

our youth to go to school and fur-ther their knowledge,” Taylorsays. “Do not make money anoth-er excuse for them to turn the oth-er cheek to education and godown the wrong road.”

FoodThe increasing cost of food is

taking its toll on America, andeven students are feeling it.Dietary staples such as bread,

cereal, and milk cost 8.5 percent

Dear students, faculty and staff,Welcome to another new aca-

demic year at New Jersey CityUniversity.After a short summer filled with

sizzling campaign trails, soakingrains, and a record-smashingOlympics, I hope you are ready tosit back, take a breather, and en-joy the first issue of the 2008-2009Gothic Times.As this year’sGothic Times Ed-

itor-in-Chief, I look forward tohelping this newspaper continueits tradition of being a source ofinvaluable insight and informationto NJCU.I became a part of The GothicTimes staff only a month into myfreshman year at NJCU in fall2005. After working my way upfrom being the paper’s proofread-er/fact-checker to being its Man-aging Editor in 2007, I can hon-estly say that I am proud of whatthis newspaper has become andeven prouder to be its Editor.This past summer, as a testament

to our commitment in helpingmake the lives of those of the

NJCU student body a bit easier,my staff and I decided to devotethe entire first issue to the highercosts of living and how to cope.In the coming year, everyone and

anyone at NJCU, students and staffalike, should feel free to becomeinvolved in our—your—univer-sity newspaper.

As always, I am looking forwardto doing a lot more for The Goth-ic Times and our readers this com-ing year. If you have any ideas, donot hesitate to contact us at gothic-times@njcu.edu.Have a great year!

Sincerely,Erica Marie Molina

ANote from the Editor

the gothic times

www.photos.com

Volume XIX, Issue 1 WWW.GOTHICTIMESNETWORK.COM September 2, 2008

Continued on page 2

Photo by Felix Molina

By Marlen Gonzalez

This fall, the New Jersey CityUniversity community will beable to witness a live presiden-tial debate and election with-out even having to leave cam-pus. Four NJCU students willstar as the presidential candi-dates in the Great Debate 2008on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 12-2 p.m. in the MultipurposeRoom on the second floor ofthe Gilligan Student UnionBuilding.Amoderator of the mock de-

bate will ask one to two ques-tions per candidate on issuessuch as homeland security, theenvironment, healthcare, andeducation. Each candidate willhave up to one minute to re-spond to each question.

At the end of the debate, theaudience will elect one of thecandidates by secret ballot. Asecond president also will beselected based on his or her per-formance (i.e. portrayal, deliv-ery and knowledge on the is-sues).“The goal is to increase polit-

ical awareness and encouragepolitical participation,” saysRenata Moreira, a Jersey Cityresident who is Assistant Di-

Election 2008: NJCU

www.google.com

College Students’Cash Crunch

Continued on page 5

“I know it’s a very difficult period for students.”– NJCU President Carlos Hernández

ERICAMARIE MOLINAEditor-in-Chief

‘Candidates’on Campus

cent more than they did last yearaccording to the American FarmBureau Federation. Increasedfood prices not only stem fromthe rising costs of fuel needed forits transportation, but also frombouts of bad weather during a crit-ical periods for crops.As a result, the average con-

sumer is forced to pick up theslack. This can be exceptionallydifficult to a student who needsto be mindful of her expenses.“[Students are] thinking about

tuition, books […]; and then youhave to spend money on parkingand have to eat something,” saysShatayia Dingle, a 21 year-oldJersey City senior majoring in bi-ology. “The only reason I eat [oncampus] is because I’m here allday.”Food prices have risen an aver-

age of 41% since October, andshow no signs of letting up any-time soon. It is easy to see how

students have taken notice, Din-gle being one of them.“I go food shopping with my

mother and sometimes we spend$180 on nothing,” she says.This is a matter rooted far deep-

er than in rising gas prices. Cli-mate change is one cause that isout of an individual’s hands. Oneonly has to think ofAmerican cy-clones andAsian storms for proof.The annual natural disaster counthas doubled from 200 to 400 dis-asters a year in the past twodecades.Ethanol, a corn-derived alterna-

tive to gas, is another factor. Moredemand for the corn crops meansother crops can be cultivated on-ly at a high price. This, combinedwith the fact that higher corn costsaffect the prices of feeding live-stock such as cows, increasesmany food product costs for theconsumer.“You just have to do without the

frills,” advises Isabel Copuyoc, a51 year-old visiting nursing stu-dent from Christ Hospital who re-sides in Jersey City. “I always try

to go home and cook my ownfood and bring it [to campus].”It is unsurprising students find

it more economical to tote theirmeals with them to campus. Oth-ers avoid eating on the grounds atall.“I don’t really eat here [on cam-

pus],” says Giovanny Veloz, an18 year-old freshman and crimi-nal justice major from Engle-wood. “I don’t think the prices [ofcampus food] are that bad, but Idon’t really eat here because I trynot to spend my money.”

GasHigh gas prices are not good

news for NJCU, where less thanone percent of the school’s ap-proximately 8,600 students liveon campus.Students have always had to

mull over the expected stressorssuch as their grades, jobs, and per-sonal lives. Paying for gas is yetanother stressor that is taking a

toll on the commuter population’sfinancial condition.Yvette Pompilus, 22, an early

education/English major fromNewark says she budgets herselfby paying at least half of her cellphone bill to keep the account ingood standing so that she can af-ford filling up her gas tank to getto school and work every day.“I even walk to work sometimes

to save on how much gas I use inmy car,” she says.High gas prices cause students

to think differently about how

they spend their money and espe-cially on how they handle theirgas consumption.“I limit myself on where I go

now,” says Tamika Harris, 28, anEnglish major from Newark. “Ilet my gas tank go all the waydown to E[mpty], then fill it up.”People who live in New Jersey

usually prefer their own person-al transportation instead of wait-ing for a bus, train, or taxi to getthem to where they need to go.However, many of them have hadto change their habits and startleaving their comfort zones forpublic transportation or evenwalking more often because ofthe cost of gas.“I definitely go out a lot less,

and try to find ways to use my carless,” says Veronika DeLeon, 21,a secondary education/history ma-jor from Hoboken. “I walk towork since it [my job] is in thesame city I live in.”Students, like many drivers,

have their preferred locations forbuying gas.“I don’t buy gas anywhere near

the school,” says DeLeon. “Thereis definitely a difference betweengas prices in the downtown anduptown parts of Hoboken. I go outof my way to go across fromdowntown to go uptown to getgas and pay a cheaper rate.”The next possible steps that stu-

dents may consider to save mon-

ey spent on gas is to take moreclasses online or to carpool tocampus.“If I was a student commuting

and watching gas prices go upevery week, I certainly would takeonline courses,” says MichaelMoriarty, Associate Director ofAcademic Career Planning andPlacement.The good news for NJCU com-

muters is that, on average, NewJersey has been known to havethe lowest gas prices in the na-tion.Also, as more and more peo-ple stop driving and start walk-ing, prices will continue to fall asthey started to do in July—but forhow long, no one knows.“You become more conscious

of where you travel and when youtravel based on gas prices,” Mo-riarty says. “Before all this, wedidn’t think about that stuff, but

now we have to give it consider-ation.”For helpful information on

where to go for the most inexpen-sive gas in and around New Jer-sey, go to:www.gasbuddy.comwww.newjerseygasprices.com

Editing and additional report-ing by Erica Marie Molina.

Page 2 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

NEWS

Continued from page 1

College Students’Cash Crunch

Source: www.mcclatchydc.com

Photo by Cristina Villaflor

Source: http://www.njcu.edu/dept/registrar/calendar.html

“You becomemore consciousof where you

travel and whenyou travel…”

– MichaelMoriarty

Check out the rest ofThe Gothic Times’

September issue formore on rising costs andhow to cope.

Jessica Mora, 21, Junior,Political Science/History,

Secaucus

“Vacation-wise, [I] can’t gonowhere. Instead of driving, I

have to take public transportation.I have to cut down on cigarettes andI’m thinking about quitting. [I]

couldn’t take as many summer classes as I wantedto.”

Santos Rivera, 20, Junior,Accounting,Jersey City

“I’ve had to cut down on gas, soI don’t have a car anymore. No

more fast food—[I] stay home andcook. [I] stop wasting money onshoes and fitteds. I’m not taking

classes for the summer and [I’m] working. That way,I can take a class next summer.”

Have the rising costs of living affected you? If so, how?

Nick Morolda, 21, Senior,Music Composition/Business,

Lavallette

“As a student, I basically have toprioritize. I just found out they

didn’t accept one of my loans, so Ican’t keep attending the class I wasin. I’m fighting it because I justdropped $250 in gas coming here.[…] People aren’t going out asmuch. Down the shore you don’tsee as many kids because theycan’t afford to take the trip. Gasprices are affecting how students

spend their summer and their time.”

September 2, 2008 The Gothic Times Page 3

By Erica Marie Molina

With tuition increases becom-ing the norm, students at NewJersey City University need allthe financial help they can get.Unfortunately, many students donot know where to go for help.Fortunately, Joseph Roberto is

only a phone call away.“I want to educate the students

so they can understand the [finan-cial] process and that there are anumber of grants and scholar-ships available if they apply.”Roberto, who became NJCU’s

Director of Financial Aid inMarch 2008, has 34 years of ex-perience under his belt in help-ing students understand their fi-nances.“There’s no such thing as a

dumb question,” he says.One of Roberto’s first goals is

to make sure that all NJCU stu-dents, “no matter what their in-come,” fill out the FreeApplica-tion for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA). The FAFSA is a gov-ernment form required in orderto be considered for almost anykind of aid.The FAFSA is made available

every January 1 for the follow-ing academic year. The applica-tion for 2009-2010 will be avail-able January 1, 2009. The annu-

al priority filing deadline isApril15.Students should note that the

FAFSA is filled out for free on agovernment website; moneyshould not be paid to any com-

mercial website claiming other-wise.After the FAFSA is submitted,

students will receive a StudentAid Report (SAR) containing anEstimated Family Contribution(EFC), which is used to deter-mine a student’s financial needfor grants.“I take full advantage of finan-

cial aid,” says Eboni Collington,a senior and 21-year-old psychol-ogy major from Jersey City whoreceives government grants.“We have a number of students

who are eligible,” Roberto says.

An important federal grant forstudents to consider is the PellGrant, from which a full-time stu-dent can receive anywhere be-tween $890 to $4,731 for the2008-2009 year.Another grant is New Jersey’s

TuitionAid Grant (TAG), whichcan award NJCU students any-where from $1,628 to $6,036.The deadline for first-time TAGrecipients is October 1, 2008. Theregular annual deadline is June 1.Roberto emphasizes the use of

FastWeb, a free source for schol-arships, grants, and internshipsfeaturing information on over 1.3million scholarships worth over$3 billion.“The money is out there,”

Roberto says. “If you qualify forgrants and scholarships, get thoseon your account before you con-sider the loans.”Loans, which eventually have

to be paid back with interest,should only be considered aftera student has exhausted all otherresources.“I think every student needs a

way to help pay for their educa-tion,” Roberto says. “With thecosts of colleges going up everyyear, families should take advan-

tage of any assistance available.”“Demand to speak to somebody

[in financial aid],” Collingtonsays, “because there’s money outhere. [Students] should get all themoney they can get.”

For more information, go towww.fafsa.ed.gov or www.fast-web.com or call the Financial AidDepartment at 201-200-3173.

10) Apply only if youmeet all the scholarshiprequirements.9) Complete the applica-tion in full.8) Follow directions.7) Neatness counts; usephotocopies of yourblank applications topractice filling them out.6) Make sure your es-say(s) makes an impres-sion.

5)Watch out for deadlines.4) Make copies beforesending out forms.3) Give everything afinal “once-over.”2) If you have questionsabout the application,call the sponsor.1) Remember: yourscholarship applicationrepresents you.

Source: www.fastweb.com

Help is in Hepburn HallNEWS

Photo by Erica Marie Molina

Joe Roberto

WORDON CAMPUS:

FASTWEB.COM’S TOP TENSCHOLARSHIP TIPS

“[Students] should get all themoney they can get.”

– Eboni Collington, Senior, 21

Interviews & Photography by Jaclyn Foglio

Annabell, 26, Senior,Criminal Justice,Elizabeth

“Instead of going to the cafeteria,I might make a sandwich and

bring it. Parking doesn’t help; Ithink it’s a lot, especially with tu-ition going up. Four dollars a day

is a lot considering all prices are going up but we’renot getting paid more; and employment has declinedso it’s a snowball effect. I just have to watch with lit-tle things like lunch and driving here.”

Cindy Gerez, 22, Junior,Business Administration,

Perth Amboy

“It has [affected me] a little butnot much. […] I work as a peer

counselor for OSP, so that helps;it hasn’t affected me as much asother people because I have a job

and income coming in.”

Jahyde Love, 19, Junior,Musical Theatre,

Newark

“I catch the bus now a lot be-cause gas is really ridiculous.

The cost of living hasn’t reallychanged anything. I just work a lit-tle more so I can have a little ex-

tra money in my pocket just in case. Tuition is real-ly ridiculous compared to what it was when I start-ed; it really did go up a lot. The government wantseverybody to have [an] education, but they make itharder for anyone to even attempt to go to college.”

Kathy Del Nodal, 37, Junior,Secondary Education/Biology,

Secaucus

“I’m buying a lot less things, food-wiseand gas-wise, and going on less va-

cation. Everything’s going up [in costs].”

Andre Revolus Jr., 26, Sen-ior, Psychology,Montclair

“Gas prices keep me home moreoften, but I think it kind of turned

out good in a way because I spendmore time with the family and bondwith them more. But I don’t like gasgoing up because I have to drive

from Montclair to Jersey City. I can survive, but Ihope it goes down so other people can afford it. Iknow tuition went up, so I’m kind of happy fall ismy last semester.”

By Patrick Jarkowsky

There is a plague upon this na-tion. This plague has existed sincethe days of Hamilton andAdams.It is a plague that, through forceand manipulation, has succeededin destroying the ripe fruit of egal-itarianism. This plague knows nosympathy for our dreams ofequality. The singular purpose ofthis plague, which has to this dateproved successful, is the eradica-tion of the middle class.Since the late 1970s, those in

power, whether inWashington oron Wall Street, have slowly butdiligently destroyed the middleclass. This middle class, a productof Franklin Roosevelt’s NewDealpolicies of the 1930s, came toprominence in the late 1950s andcontinued to flourish well into the1970s.It is this middle class that cham-

pioned the civil rights movementand opposed the conflict in Viet-nam. It is this middle class thatsought to change the direction ofthis country and indeed the entireworld. It is this middle class thatwas targeted and systematicallydestroyed by fascist elements inour society.The weapon of choice for these

fascists is the so-called free-mar-ket. It is the doctrine of laissez-faire economics.The deregulation of the housing

and petroleum industries, cham-pioned by these free-marketeers,

is largely to blame for the currenteconomic crisis. The resume ofthese free-marketeers includes theGreat Depression, the recessionof the 1980s, and the dot-combubble of the 1990s/2000s. Theirlaissez-faire system, by design,seeks to limit the amount of gov-ernment regulation over industry.As a result, economic speculatorscontrol the economy, indulgingin bouts of unbridled greed, at-tempting to emulate the robberbarons of the 19th and 20th cen-turies.The modern champions of this

economic system, most notablyMilton Friedman, former Feder-al Reserve chairman AlanGreenspan, and current FederalReserve chairman Ben Bernanke,blame most if not all of these eco-nomic blunders on poor govern-

ment policies. They deride the ac-tions of the government, placingblame for all of the aforemen-tioned economic disasters square-ly on the shoulders of what theybelieve were poor governmentalregulatory policies.The reality, quite simply, is that

these free-marketeers don’t sim-ply espouse a different idea ofhow government and businessshould coexist. They relish in thefact that the economy will fail,that it will eventually bust. Theyrelish in this fact because it is theboom that allows them to pros-per. The bust is insignificant tothem; their moneys will undoubt-edly find a new home.So who does this economic bust

hardest hit?The father of three who invests

what little money he has in themarkets, hoping to make a decentprofit so that he can send his chil-dren to college. The newly mar-ried couple whose mortgage pay-ment suddenly skyrockets to anamount they find unaffordable.The single mother who has to putwhat little groceries she can af-ford on a credit card that chargesher an interest rate that borderson usury.These are the victims of the eco-

nomic bust. These are the victimsof the laissez-faire economic sys-tem. These people are the middleclass.If you’re wondering why this

middle class is so important let

us, for a moment, examine howsociety has benefited from the riseof the middle class.The Black Plague, which caused

the devastating depopulation of14th century Europe, paved theway for the rise of the first mod-ern middle class. Since there werefewer laborers available, the la-

borers naturally demanded a high-er wage for their toil. The laws ofsupply and demand were firmlyin place, and as a result, the peas-ant classes of Europe received

better wages and improved work-ing conditions.The rise in wages transformed

the peasant societies. These oncelowly individuals became a soci-ety of socially mobile citizens.These socially mobile citizens be-came better educated and soughtto transform their society, hopingto prevent the degradation of theirnewfound wealth and knowledge.The hopes of these socially mo-bile citizens created what we to-day call the Renaissance and theProtestant Reformation.The second rise of the modern

middle class came after thebloody and unfortunate rape ofthe New World. European con-querors exploited the abundantnatural resources found in theCaribbean and the Americas.These resources, most important-ly gold, fueled the Europeaneconomies, and in the process,created centralized wealth in Eu-rope. This centralized wealthspilled over into the remnants ofthe first modern middle class. Asa result, another cultural and so-cietal upheaval spread across Eu-rope. The emergence of this so-cietal upheaval created what wetoday call the Age of Enlighten-ment.

The affects of the Age of En-lightenment created both theFrench and American Revolu-tions. Many of our founding fa-thers borrowed the ideas of En-

lightenment thinkers; Enlighten-ment thinkers heavily influencedthe American Declaration of In-dependence and the Bill ofRights.I think we can all agree that

events such as the Renaissance,the Protestant Reformation, theAge of Enlightenment, theAmer-ican and French revolutions, andthe civil rights movement havegreatly benefited our collectivesocieties. The only group thatfound fault with these events wasthose elites who trembled at theidea of an educated, productive,wealthy middle class. This mid-dle class transformed society, de-stroying the status quo that fa-vored the elites.My hope is that this latest eco-

nomic downturn facilitates achange in the way Americansview economics, that it facilitatesa modernAge of Enlightenment.My hope is that a modernAmer-ican Revolution emerges, one thatno longer supports these free-market capitalists or their ridicu-lous economic policies.I’m not advocating a socialist

or communist system of govern-ment. Those systems of govern-ment suppress individual libertyand dissuade the entrepreneurial

spirit of their citizens. What I’menvisioning, instead, is a govern-ment/business relationship thatallows the government to set rulesthat protect the citizens of this na-

tion while simultaneously allow-ing industry to flourish.I’m not advocating a system that

doles out government checks tothe lazy and the unmotivated.What I’m envisioning, instead, isa government that promotes a liv-ing wage for its citizens. A gov-ernment that safeguards its citi-zens from the dangers of a lais-sez-faire system. A governmentthat promotes unions and theequalizing affects or collectivebargaining.And to the economists and the

future titans of industry who thinkthat this type of system will sti-fle the growth of the Americaneconomy, I offer the followinganecdotal information for yourconsideration.If businesses produce goods and

services and the citizens of thisnation cannot afford the goodsand services produced by busi-nesses, than who will fuel ourenormous consumer economy? Itseems a sensible undertaking toensure the relative prosperity ofthe middle class. A prosperousmiddle class will be able to affordthe goods and services offered bybusiness. A prosperous middleclass will be able to invest in thestock market. Their investmentswill fuel an economic boom thatis based on sounds economics,not devious laissez-faire manip-ulation.I understand that there will be

many individuals who will findfault with my observations. Tothose individuals, those that callthis a conspiracy theory, I offerthe following rebuttal: It is a fee-ble mind that surveys a series ofrelated events and rejects corre-lation for the false comfort of co-incidence.

Page 4 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

Why the current economic downturn is good for America:

www.politico.com

www.google.com

OPINION

“My hope is that this latest economic downturn facilitatesa change in the way Americans view economics, that it

facilitates a modern Age of Enlightenment.”

Lessons in laissez-faire economics

September 2, 2008 The Gothic Times Page 5

WhileAmericans were cheeringon the likes of swimming phe-nomenon Michael Phelps, gym-nast Shawn Johnson, and runnerBernard Lagat, others chose notto watch the Beijing 2008 Sum-mer Olympic Games.Basing their decision on basic

human rights and morals, numer-ous politicians, celebrities, and cit-izens alike did not watch or attendthe games and instead drew atten-tion to the country’s politicalviews.The People’s Republic of Chi-

na, however, did not need othersto point out its flaws. This, theydid themselves. Once the clockstarted counting down to theGames of the XXIXOlympiad be-ginning onAugust 8, 2008, moreand more attention was placed onthe communist country and itspolicies.Word spread quickly of China’s

determination to appear success-ful and unified to the world at al-most any cost.As the Boston Globe reported,

“More than 1.25 million people inBeijing — at times as many as13,000 people a week — havebeen evicted [to make room forconstruction] since the city wonits Olympic bid in 2001, accordingto the Geneva-based Center onHousing Rights and Evictions.”

With more than one million ofChina’s people losing their homesso that 1.3 billion could celebrateits numerous medals (the majori-ty gold after just the first few daysof the games), the Chinese werea bit reminiscent of Myanmar af-ter its catastrophic May cyclone.When United Nations Secretary

General Ban Ki-moon visited thecountry to gauge its damages, thegovernment was sure to have its

now infamous blue tents set up ina neat row with their inhabitantscamera-ready.Just two days before the games

began, Joey Cheek, a U.S.Olympic gold-medal speed skater,had his passport revoked by theChinese government. They didnot want Cheek, the founder ofTeamDarfur, an athletic coalitionagainst the region’s genocide, tobring attention to the Sudanesecrisis, to which Chinese weaponsare connected.Despite all this, GeorgeW. Bush

became the first American presi-

dent to attend an Olympic gamesin a country other than his own.In anAugust 11, NBC interview

between Bob Costas and Bushabout the games and China’s pol-itics, the President said, “[…] it’simportant to make sure thatAmer-ica is engaged with China eventhough we may have some dis-agreements.”That said, the Olympics had to,

and did, still go on.One had to wonder, with all the

controversy surrounding theOlympics this year, what its au-dience, made up of millionsaround the world, was thinking.Were they ignorant of the coun-try’s political stances or indiffer-ent toward those who are suffer-ing?The answer for most of the

viewers is “No.”Perhaps the Visa commercials

were not so far off after all withtheir conspicuous “GoWorld” ad-vertisements.The bottom line to viewers in

and out of China was that athletes,after all their hard work, shouldnot have been made to endure anymore hardships because of theircountry’s shortcomings.Whether Olympians are being

pushed to greatness or pushingthemselves, their achievementswill always be their own.

EDITORIAL

MARLEN GONZALEZManaging Editor

WhyWeWatched the Olympics2008-2009 Editorial Board Members

GSUB, 2039 Kennedy Blvd, Room 301Jersey City, NJ 07305

201-200-3575gothictimes@njcu.edu

Policies of The Gothic TimesLetters to the Editor are welcome from any member of the campuscommunity. Editors reserve the right to edit for space. Please addressall correspondence to Editor of The Gothic Times in GSUB, 2039Kennedy Blvd, Room 301. We cannot guarantee the return of anysubmissions. If you wish to have the letter returned, please enclose aself-addressed stamped envelope.Letters to the Editor can also be sent to gothictimes@njcu.edu. Allletters must be typed and include full name, age, major/occupation,class year, and hometown. A letter submission does not guaranteepublication. The Gothic Times looks forward to hearing from you.The adviser of The Gothic Times is not responsible for the contentor the opinions expressed in the newspaper. All editorial content issubject to the review of The Gothic Times Editor. All opinionsexpressed on the Opinion Page, and those held by advertisers, arenot necessarily those of The Gothic Times.This paper is printed on recycled content newspaper.

Editor-in-Chief .................................. Erica Marie MolinaManaging Editor ....................................Marlen GonzalezOpinion/Editorial Editor ....................Patrick JarkowskyEntertainment Editor ..............................Vanessa CubilloArts Editor ............................................Willa GoldthwaiteCulture Editor ..............................................Christie AvilaAdvice Editor..........................................Daniels Tornyenu

Advisor ..............................................Dr. James Broderick

Great Debate 2008: ‘Candidates’ on campusrector for Special Projects andChair of the Great Debate Com-mittee. “[…It’s] really to havefun with the process [and] to en-gage students and staff in nation-al politics.”Moreira has been involved in

this project since it first began in2000 when she played a presiden-tial candidate while a student atNJCU. She was also a campaignmanager in the 2004 debate.

“Since then I have been very in-volved in national politics,” saysMoreira.JoanneAntoine will be playing

Senator Obama (Democrat),AlexNeilson will be Cynthia McKin-ney (Green), Patrick Jarkowskywill be Senator McCain (Repub-lican) and Ernst Grand-Pierre will

be Bob Barr (Libertarian).“My first thoughts about [the de-

bate] were what a good opportu-nity it would be for me [to] bemore active on campus activities,”says Madelynne Dela Rama, 21,Creative Director for the Repub-lican team and an art major fromJersey City. “[The debate willmake] students more aware of thepositions and views that each can-didate has, and have studentsmore involved in current events.”

For the first time the debate willbe preceded by two town hallmeetings to be held on Tuesday,September 23, from 10-12 p.m.and Thursday, September 25,from 7-9 p.m. Both meetings willbe held in GSUB Room 129 andare open to the public. The audi-ence will be able to ask the candi-

dates about their platforms direct-ly. This debate also marks the in-troduction of campaign specialadvisers and creative directors.“I am helping by creating sig-

nage ranging from postcard orposters,” says Justin C. Scriven,32, Creative Director for the Lib-ertarian team and a digital designand illustration major from Bay-onne. “Hopefully, these eventswill inspire [those] people to takepart in the real election who werethinking of sitting on the sidelinesthis year.”This year, according to rock-

thevote.com, “[T]here are 44 mil-lion 18-29 year olds eligible tovote – more than one-fifth of theeligible voting population.”“I think that it’s extremely im-

portant for young people to getinvolved in politics,” says PatrickJarkowsky, 29, a political sciencemajor from Belleville. “It seemsthat Senator Obama has stirredthe spirit of the youth. I hope thatthis newfound excitement is notshort-lived.”Nationally, the polls show that

Senator Obama is leading with 47percent to Senator McCain’s 41percent, according to CNN’s Na-tional Poll of Polls taken August13.“This upcoming election is the

biggest in recentAmerican histo-ry, “ says Ernst Grand-Pierre, 30,a political science major from Jer-

sey City. “I’m hoping that this willhelp students realize the personwe elect will be the master of ourdestinies for the next four years.We have to make sure we get theright person for the right job.”For more information about the2008 presidential election go torockthevote.com.

Continued from page 1

If anyone had told me that Iwould become Managing Ed-itor of The Gothic Times, I

would not have believed it. I re-member the first day I volunteeredto write a last minute article. Sincethen I’ve never stopped. Duringmy first year at the paper, I wrotenews article after news article.Onemonth after that fateful day

last year, I was asked to becomeManaging Editor. “Me?” I asked.I felt honored and shocked. I tookthe role and was glad I accepted.As second in command, I handle

the papers’ finances and serve asThe Gothic Times representativeto the Student Government Organ-ization on campus.In addition to being a part of The

Gothic Times, I love to read, watchmovies and travel. I have studiedabroad in Barcelona, Spain, for the2006-2007 academic year. Mostrecently I took a journalism coursein London this past summer.Since this is a presidential elec-

tion year, The Gothic Times willmake sure to keep everyone up todate on the candidates and their is-sues. If anyone has any storyideas, comments, or questions feelfree to contact me at mgonza-lez13@njcu.edu.At the paper, I am helping create

a little part of history – soundscheesy, I know. But, these news-papers will be around forever – onprint and online. Now that’s amaz-ing. Time to make history.

“This upcoming election is the biggest inrecent history.”

– Ernst Grand-Pierre, 30, political science major

Introducing our Managing Editor

Ever wanted to serve as aSpecial Advisor to the President?

Special Advisors Wanted:Each advisor will counsel selected Democratic,Republican, Green, and Libertarian “presidential

candidate” on one of the following issues:

* Homeland Security * Health Care ** Education * Environment *

Advisors will also help create speeches for the much anticipated:

Students from all majors may apply by Sept.15, 2008.Expand your résumé and have fun!

THE GREAT DEBATEThursday, October 2, 2008

GREAT DEBATE 2008

For further info, and to APPLY, please email:Renata Moreira, rmoreira@njcu.eduOffice of Campus Life (201) 200-2269

Donna Axel, daxel@njcu.eduPolitical Science Dept. (201) 200-3574

www.commons.wikimedia.org

Page 6 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

ARTS

Featured Artist: Dahlia Elsayed

By JanAguilos

Art Majors ask themselves thisquestion as they ponder of thepaths they might take after get-ting that B.F.A. or B.A.One option is the NJCU Art

Teacher Certification Program(ATCP), which primes studentspursuing a B.A. or B.F.A. to be-come art teachers in the state ofNew Jersey for grades preschoolthrough 12.It’s coordinated by Professor

Winifred McNeill and is linkedwith the undergraduate courses

of study in the Art Department.Applicants of the program musthave a minimum G.P.A. of 2.75and two letters of recommenda-tion to qualify.There are a total of 76 credits

in the ATCP in which students

must meet requirements in gen-eral study courses, art classes, arthistory, and studio classes.Active student membership in

theArt Educators of New Jerseyis required, active student mem-bership in the National Art Edu-catorsAssociation is strongly ad-vised, and students in the ATCPput in time at the school(preschool to high school) thatthey are placed in for one day aweek for 13 weeks during a se-mester and another two weeks atthe end of the semester.The College of EducationWrit-

ingAssessment as well as a Prax-is exam must be taken; applicantsof the ATCP must also undergoa portfolio review. To check itout, go to the “Quick Links” ofthe NJCU website and scrolldown to the Art Departmentpage. Look for the Art TeacherCertification Program in the Pro-gram category of the page.Two other paths are the M.A.

and M.F.A. degrees at the NJCUArt Department. Graduate class-es are $520.50 a credit – so anM.A., which is a 39-credit de-gree program, costs $20,299.50.The 60-credit M.F.A. at NJCUcosts $31,230.“You do not need to go into any

debt for grad school and you canactually get paid to go,” says Re-becca Feranec, who attained her

M.F.A. at NJCU earlier this year.Feranec had a graduate assistant-ship and taught some undergrad-uate classes.The Graduate Studies Office in

Hepburn Hall administers finan-cial aid and assistantships forgraduate students.More info on grants and fellow-

ships is plentiful in the net, e.g.www.collegeart.org, www.chron-icle.com, www.njartscouncil.org,and www.nysca.org.Printmaking Professor Martin

Kruck serves as a Graduate Co-ordinator, a liaison between theGraduate Office andArt Depart-ment at NJCU. He provides infoon admission requirements andconsults grads on picking class-es. Kruck chairs a committee offaculty to vet applicants – theirportfolios, resumes, educationalbackground, and admission es-says.If the applicants are admitted

to either the M.F.A. or M.A. de-gree programs, Kruck monitorsthe progress of the graduate stu-dents.“Graduate levelArt History and

seminar courses are three hourslong, studio classes may be be-tween five and six hours, once aweek,” says Professor Kruck.He adds that grads should work

on their thesis and research outof class for 20 hours a week. Ap-

plicants must have had a 2.5G.P.A. in undergraduate coursesto qualify for the M.A. degreeprogram; applicants must have a3.0 G.P.A. in undergraduate stud-ies to qualify for the M.F.A. pro-gram. There’s more info on theArt Department page of theNJCU website.NJCU painting Professor Hugo

Bastidas says that graduate class-es aren’t crowded: “Four to nine[students]. It’s not very big, it’s asmaller situation [than under-graduate classes].”When asked what factor was

preeminent in the lives of artistshe said, “ It has to do with sacri-fice.”On jobs, Bastidas tells students

to find any quality job: “Any-thing that affords you time to bean artist.”

Some find themselves in con-struction, as he did for a time inthe ‘80s.Besides a short stint as a com-

mercial artist, Bastidas was awelder, which made sense sincehe studied sculpture. RebeccaFeranec wrote and sold radio adsfor a short period of time aftergetting her B.F.A.“Many companies hire creative

types just to bring someone ontheir team to ‘think outside thebox’, even if the person has lit-tle training in the field,” she said.On the “sacrifice” tip, Profes-

sor Kruck has an optimistic bent.“With these sacrifices come re-wards; one has exhibitions, re-ceives notoriety, profits fromsales, and so on,” he said. “Per-sonally, I feel I’ve sacrificed amundane life for my career as anartist and educator.”Students can go to events at

museums, like the Jersey CityMuseum, to network and orientthemselves in the local art scene.There are many organizationsshowcasing young artists, likeNewark-basedALJIRA and CityWithout Walls.So go forth, young artists, stop

pondering and start moving. AsRebecca Feranec said, “An artdegree can be quite the interest-ing and unpredictable adven-ture.”

By Jared Martin

Last semester, NJCU welcomedits second resident artist, DahliaElsayed.“The Artist in Residence com-

ponent of the VisitingArtist Pro-gram creates opportunities for anemerging artist from the region tocome to the NJCU community fora one month long intensive stay,”explains Professor Gustafson,chair on the committee for theprogram. “During their time here,the Visiting Artists are asked togive a lecture on the their work,perform one workshop with aclass in theArt Department, havean open period of time to reviewand critique students’ work andhave an open studio at the end ofthe residency period. In return,resident artists are given accessto the facilities in theArt Depart-ment and awarded a stipend tocreate their work.”During her time here, Elsayed

could often be found workingalongside students in the print-making room of the Visual ArtsBuilding. Here she took advan-tage of the silk screening facili-ties, swapping techniques andideas with the students, and cre-ating a series of text based printssuch as Big Rigs. Like much ofher art, these pieces were drawnfrom her surroundings, document-ing the internal and external en-vironments of memory and place.Ever approachable, Elsayedagreed to be interviewed, allow-ing those who did not get a chanceto work with her or attend her lec-ture a glimpse into her world ofconceptual cartography.

Elsayed’s creativity started ear-ly on. As she recalls, she startedmaking comics in about thefourth grade, when she wasdrawing and writing to entertainher sister and friends. The use ofpictures and words together justmade sense to her, perhaps be-cause storytelling was so impor-tant in her family. Stories re-placed all the physical things likefurniture or gardens, which wereleft behind as her family movedacross countries and cultures inthe past three generations.Today, Elsayed makes anything

from book art and works on pa-per, to large-scale installationpaintings. In these works, she of-

ten includes elements of mapsand charts. “Maps are storytellers too,” she says. “They pickand choose what information torepresent that is important towhoever is the author of themap.” Much like a cartographerselecting facts, figures, and im-ages to present as facts, Elsayeduses topography as a tool and vi-sual language to map out thethings that mean something toher. In her case, the informationis often abstracted, measuringthings that can’t possibly bemeasured, like memories andfeelings.Little bits of autobiographical

information are often strewn

throughout her pieces, present-ing personal sentiments or mun-dane details from her life. Thesephrases and facts, while refer-encing the things she knows, areedited so they can be read in amore metaphorical way. “I thinkthat is why people can connectwith it, because they are seeingsomething that refers specifical-ly to them in reading themetaphor,” she explains.This open-ended linking of

words to images and feelings,while used in most all of her art-work, is particularly evident inher text only paintings of land-scapes and portraits. The land-scapes, with phrases like “last

minute of sunset” allow theviewer to evoke their own pic-ture, created from their own setof memories and experiences.The portraits on the other hand,are created out of parts of biog-raphies she has read, with list-ings word for word and pagenumbers. They are similar to thelandscapes in that it is possiblefor the viewer to form their owninterpretation of the subject, butit also creates an interesting con-densed version of the subject’slife, governed by the pages de-voted to a certain activity.With all this text, it is of little

surprise that she always writesbefore painting, gathering ideasfor the work. She then narrowsdown and edits the writing untilit few lines that will be used inthe painting.In addition to her paintings, El-

sayed has also worked on out-door installations that include theparticipation of locals for con-tent or construction. Workingoutside and with other people, afun excursion from the studio,also gives her a chance to extendher themes of place and memoryto the outdoors in a way thatmakes sense in a specific place.A place that Elsayed often de-

scribes in her work is the state ofNew Jersey, where she has spentmost of her life. Noting its loca-tion outside of New York shesays, “It’s been really rich tothink about living in a place thatexists solely in relation to anoth-er place. This makes these townsaround me change as NYCchanges.”

Art Majors Ask:

‘I finally graduated…now what?!’

Photo by Dahlia ElsayedMid-March 2007 (detail) by Dahlia Elsayed.

Continued on page 7

“You do not needto go into any debtfor grad school andyou can actually getpaid to go.”

– Rebecca Feranec,NJCUM.F.A graduate

“Many companieshire creative types…to ‘think outside thebox’ even if the per-son has little trainingin the field.”

– Rebecca Feranec,NJCUM.F.A graduate

September 2, 2008 The Gothic Times Page 7

IInnttrroodduucciinngg oouurr AArrttss EEddiittoorr

WILLAGOLDTHWAITEArts Editor

ARTS

This change is documented ina piece called Locals Only, whichwas recently on display in theJersey City Museum’s SPRAWLexhibit. In this piece, she incor-porates the usage of map imagerywith words, labeling the land-marks to represent the transfor-mation of her childhood neigh-borhood into the rapidly devel-oped place it has become. As NJCU’s second Artist in

Residence, one of Elsayed’sgoals was to learn about theneighborhood and area surround-ing the campus, as well as to seewhat our art students were think-ing and continue with her ownwork. She says of her experi-ence, “I was happy to be work-ing in the print shop, and got tomeet students who were interest-

ing, and who were also interest-ed in sharing some ideas andtalking about work and process.” In giving advice to these stu-

dents, Elsayed stresses the im-portance of finding the balancebetween “doing your art, and do-ing the work to support your art.”In addition, she says, “Just getout there and see as much work

as you can. We are really luckyto be living in a part of the worldwhere so much creative work isaccessible to us.” For more information about

Dahlia Elsayed, visit dalhiael-sayed.comTo view the full interview, see

the online version at www.goth-ictimesnetwork.com

Willa Goldthwaite, 22, is afourth-year full-time student atNJCU and a BFA candidate witha concentration in Printmaking.Raised in Teaneck, New Jersey,she moved to Jersey City in2006.

As I start in on my second yearas Arts Editor for The GothicTimes, I look to my peers for in-spiration. I will do my best torepresent the Arts of NJCU in-cluding the Fine Arts and Visu-al Arts as well as Media Arts,

Performing Arts, and Music. My mission is to represent as

well as inform the NJCU cam-pus. I feel that a large part ofwhat makes NJCU unique is itsdiversity. In order to reflect thatdiversity in the arts page, I needto hear from NJCU students. The more response I get from

readers, the more effective I canbe in achieving an accurate il-lustration of the arts communi-ty here on campus. Please feelfree to contact me atwilla_njcu@me.com.

By Lizette Louis, Art & Design Association

President

The Art & Design Associa-tion’s mission is to provideboth professional and socialopportunities to its members.This is an organization inwhich students from all disci-plines can come together to de-velop themselves as artists anddesigners. We are here to strengthen the

NJCU art community, establishrelationships and network our-selves to a larger community.We stand firmly on the beliefthat there is more to be gainedfrom individual artists and de-signers acting as a collective.The new academic year of

2008-2009 ushers in an opti-mistic executive board who willsee this mission through; LizetteLouis – President, MadelynneDela Rama – Vice President,Kelly Cuenca – Secretary,Nicole Contreras – Treasurer,Rosanna Villaflor – Public Re-lations, Narsico Espiritu Jr. –SGO Representative and Pro-fessor Brian Gustafson-Advi-sor. We plan to expose the NJCU

community to various forms ofart and design by organizinggallery shows and holdingevents in order to develop andto build stronger ties with theother student organizations oncampus. We will also be organ-izing workshops that will aid inprofessional development.

Saving on the Cost of Art SuppliesBy Willa Goldthwaite

With rising gas prices and thestate of the economy in generalthese days, we are all looking forways to save money whereverit’s possible. In addition to tu-ition and textbooks, art studentsmust also shell out money for labfees for studio classes and for artsupplies. Each studio classcomes with a long list of requiredmaterials.Luckily, most professors un-

derstand that many of us cannotafford to dole out this kind ofdough especially all at once atthe beginning of the semester.Many of them will give a list ofsuggested materials and a list ofrequired materials or offer sug-gestions for alternatives.Jerry’s Artarama has been con-

sistent in offering the lowestprices in the area; they have fivesales per year plus additional in-store clearances and an everyday

10 percent student discount.They do offer a catalogue forphone orders that is through thewarehouse and not affiliated withthe retail store.If you shop wisely, you will

find there are always ways tosave, even if stores are not hav-ing blowout sales. Many storesoffer mail order catalogues witha lower operating cost and clear-ance items. Almost all stores al-so offer a student discount withvalid ID of at least 10 percent. Also keep in mind that there is

a difference between cost effec-tive and cheap. You don’t wantto get something that is just in-expensive because you will alsonotice the difference in quality.Student-grade supplies are oftena good way to go, especially ifyou are buying the supplies justfor a class. Students may also choose to

put in a little more work and mixtheir own inks or paints or stretch

their own canvases. Avoid buy-ing pre-packaged kits. Buyingitems individually is surprising-ly cheaper and you only have tobuy what you really need. Check out this article on “Awe-

some Traditional Art Supplies onthe Cheap,” for more suggestionsand reviews of quality supplies: http://news.deviantart.com/article/33911/

Blick Art Materials1-5 Bond StreetNew York, NY 10012Phone: (212) 533-2444

Jerry’s Artist OutletEssex Green PlazaRoute 280 & Prospect AveWest Orange, NJ 07052Phone: (973) 669-0995

FeaturedArtist:

DahliaElsayed

JC Fridays: Friday, September 5, 2008www.jcfridays.com

The Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery at NJCU(Hepburn Rm. 323)Kaleidoscope: Abstraction in 10 WaysSeptember 8 - October 17Opening Reception, Sept. 8, 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Participating artists: Takako Azami, Veronica JuyounByun, Jieun Zaun, Elizabeth Gilfilen, Elizabeth Onora-to, Katsuhiro Saiki, Kyoko Sera,Soonnam Kim Singer,Charlee Swanson, and Katie Truk.

The Visual Arts Gallery at NJCU (Visual Arts Building Basement)NJCU Faculty Art Biennial ExhibitionSeptember 10 - October 15Artists’ Reception, Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

* Both exhibitions will participate the Jersey CityArtists Studio Tour on October 4, Noon - 5 p.m. *

“Deliverance” THE ART OF BEN JONES, 1970 – 2008Jersey City Museum Main GalleriesSeptember 18, 2008 – February 22, 2009Opening Reception: September 25, 2008

The 18th Annual Jersey City Artists’ Studio Tour isbeing presented by Pro Arts and the Jersey CityDivision of Cultural Affairs on October 4-5, 2008 fromnoon to 6 p.m.

Please email Rebecca Feranec, Studio Tour Coordina-tor, at rebecca.proarts@gmail.com with any questionsor inquiries.

Find more music and arts events at http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/calendar.php

Arts Calendar

Photo by Dahlia ElsayedDahlia Elsayed

Continued from page 6

ADA WelcomesNew Academic Year

Page 8 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

ENTERTAINMENT

By Erica Marie Molina

1.oOn the first Friday of everythird month (March, June, Sep-tember, December), museums,restaurants, and small business-es across Jersey City host freeevents such as poetry readings,film screenings, and art galleriesto celebrate local culture.

www.jcfridays.com

2.oIf you use the Light Rail,check this website’s Savings sec-tion under Club Savings + CoolStuff for discounts at Jersey City,Bayonne, and Hoboken restau-rants, among others.http://www.mylightrail.com

3.oJersey City’s official websitecan always point you in the direc-tion of fun and frugal entertain-ment with its Cultural Affairs Cal-endar.http://www.cityofjerseycity.com

4.oThe name says it all.http://www.freenyc.net

5.oCheck with NJCU’s own Mu-sic, Dance, & Theatre departmentthroughout the school year to findout about free or inexpensive con-certs and plays to be held on cam-pus in Ingalls Recital Hall, Mar-garet Williams Theatre, and TheBlack Box Theatre on West Side.http://web.njcu.edu/sites/mdt/

Content/default.asp

www.google.com

By Brenda P. Caba

Immortal Technique was bornin a Peruvian military hospitaland later migrated to Harlem,NY. After some minor run-inswith the law he was arrested andsent to prison for a year and ahalf. There he wrote his first al-bum Revolutionary Vol. 1. Once he was paroled he started

doing battles in the New YorkCity hip-hop underground scene.Battle after battle, Immortal Tech-nique would rip his opponentsapart with his vigorous voice andrigid lyrics. After saving enoughmoney from the battles he dis-tributed his first album on hisown with no gimmicks or majorrecord label. Fast forward eight years and

Immortal Technique is still going

strong in the underground. Histhird album, The 3rd World, isproof that he is still on top of hisgame. Immortal Tech joins forceswith D. J. Green Lantern, whosebeats are as forceful as Tech’srhymes. The dynamic duo blendtogether to make some greattracks that include; “DeathMarch,” “Harlem Renaissance,”and “the 3rd World.” The 3rd World delivers what

Tech is known for, which is hisraw lyrics and his talk of revolu-tion; the revolution of paying at-tention of seeking the truth. Hewants our generation to wake upand see what is going on aroundus. You can hear the anger in hisvoice with every verse. His songs tell stories about cor-

rupt America, the harsh realitiesof growing up in Harlem, and the

injustice that has been done to thelands and people of Latin Amer-ica. Immortal Technique does not

shy away from his Latin roots.Not since the late Big Pun has agifted Latin emcee shown the au-

thenticity that Immortal Tech-nique speaks through his lyrics.This can be heard in the song“Golpe de Estado” which literal-ly translates “to state of emer-gency.” Tech raps in Spanishthroughout the whole song, de-scribing the day to day strugglesof people living in Latin Ameri-ca. In “Harlem Renaissance” Tech

breaks down gentrification inHarlem as well as other inner cityboroughs. “Harlem Renaissance,a revolution of trade, Modern dayslaves, thinking that the ghetto issaved, so they start deportingpeople off the property, ethnical-ly cleansing the hood, economi-cally.” And this is just the hook of the

song! Tech is basically sayinghow they are building multimil-

lion dollar homes and no one wholives in Harlem can actually af-ford these homes.If you have not heard of Immor-

tal Technique I suggest you openyour ears. This is one emcee thatis actually saying something thatwe need to hear. You will not hearhim on Hot97 or Power105.1 be-cause he is just too real. Tech does not rhyme about fake

fights, or how many women hehas had. No, instead he is speak-ing to us, telling us to pay atten-tion to our politics. To ask ques-tions. He reminds us with eachsong that life is not as simple likeother rappers want to make it outto be. I heard somewhere that Immor-

tal Technique was just a rebel,and I think he is a rebel with animportant cause.

By Vanessa Cubillo

This summer has certainly beenthe summer of the superhero.From comic book heroes likeIron Man, to newly created he-roes like Hancock, it looked likeAmerica was looking for a hero.However, out of all the heromovies that came out, none wereas powerful as Batman: TheDark Knight.From the very minute the

movie begins you’re already onthe edge of your seat. Gunshots,screams, terror, creepy clownmasks. The movie wastes notime getting right into the action.The city streets of Gotham arestill filled with dastardly crimi-nals and the citizens are lookingfor someone to save them. While Batman, played by

Christian Bale, has made all thecriminals of the city cautious oftheir wrong doings, he is notenough to keep the city clean.Luckily for Gotham City theyhave Harvey Dent (Aaron Eck-hart), the enthusiastic district at-torney who has made it his mis-sion to make Gotham a saferplace. Police sergeant, Gordon,played by Gary Oldman, is alsoeager to crack down on thecrime lords of Gotham and hasenlisted Batman to help him out.

Unfortunately for everyone,their adversaries have hired amentally unbalanced, psycho-pathic clown. Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the

Joker is just fantastic. Dressedin a purple suit and smearedmakeup, every scene with himin it is a scene worth watching.He’s funny and entertaining, yetfrightening because of his un-predictability, unstableness, andcreepy laugh. Without his pres-ence in this movie, it wouldn’tbe as great as it is. Christian Bale’s reprisal as

Batman is decent. He definitelyhas the physique of a superhero,but seriously, what’s up with hisBatman voice? Every line he de-livers as Batman is done in arough growl. Good thing Baleknows how to nail being a richplayboy.This time around, the charac-

ter of Rachel Dawes is playedby Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllen-haal adds more strength andclass to Rachel making her looklike more than a love interest.Being one of the few femalecharacters in this movie, her per-formance is greatly appreciatedbecause she isn’t one who meltsfor a man in a mask. Bruce Wayne’s staff makes for

an excellent crime fighting team.

Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lu-cius (Morgan Freeman) makefor great confidants and helpersto Wayne, showing that promi-nent actors can play a subtle rolein a movie. Still, a great superhero is de-

fined by the caliber of villainsthey have. With the Joker andTwo-Face, this makes Batmanlook like the best of the best.Harvey Dent’s transformationinto a villain is one that is com-pelling and not cheesy, unlikeprevious Batman villains (thinkUma Thurman as Poison Ivy). Eckhart’s performance as al-

most two different characters isremarkable. He is believable asbeing an upstanding citizen witha zeal for justice, and he is be-lievable as a distraught, revenge-seeking psycho. Christopher Nolan’s approach

to the Batman movies is more ofa dramatic approach to this com-ic. The previous Batman movieshave always had a comedic ele-ment to them. Nolan takes thataway to focus on the psycholo-gy and reality of the life ofBruce Wayne and Batman. See-ing how great the Dark Knightis, shows viewers that the appealof superhero movies is not over,and when done right, can be anoverwhelming success.

The Revolution Will Not be Televised

The Dark Knight:Disturbing, Thrilling, Fantastic

www.google.comUnderground hip hop artist,Immortal Technique

FFiivvee wwaalllleett--ffrriieennddllyy lliinnkkss ffoorr tthhee ffuunn,, ffrruuggaall--mmiinnddeedd ssttuuddeenntt

September 2, 2008 The Gothic Times Page 9

ENTERTAINMENT

By Vanessa Cubillo

Liberty State Park attractedflocks of music lovers on August8-10 with their first All PointsWest Music and Arts Festival. The three day festival featured

various musicians from Duffy toJack Johnson, and displayed artsubmitted by local artists. The fes-tival drew in a massive crowdfrom New Jersey and mostly, NewYork. The park was set up as half a

music festival and half a carnival.Three music stages were spreadout throughout the area; BlueComet, Bullet, and Queen of theValley. Along with the musicstages, they had carnival gamesand video game tents around thearea as well. One video game tent was pro-

moting a new video game called“Little Big Planet” and the otherfeatured the popular games, “RockBand” and “SingStar.” A very enjoyable section was the

Misting tent which had mistingwater spray out of giant colorfulflowers. This was a good stop for

those hot days. This area also hada mini stage where DJs providedmusic for the hot people coolingoff. Saturday’s lineup included

many fun indie acts to make the$89 ticket price seem worth it.The day started with the earliestact, Lily Hollbrook, going on at12:45 p.m. on the Queen of theValley stage.The Queen of the Valley stage

hosted more of the lesser knownacts like British rock group, YourVegas and alternative folksysinger, Nicole Atkins. Also on thatstage was K’NAAN, a hip hopmusician who has stayed underthe radar because he doesn’t rep-resent the sound of mainstreamhip hop. The next stage, the Bullet, had

acts that were a little more knownlike recently popular, mini sensa-tion, The Virgins. The most wellknown band gracing that stagewas hip hop, jazz group, TheRoots. Their set was, by far, themost entertaining set of the nightwith their blend of style and theirmixture of instruments.

The last stage, Blue Comet,showcased the most popular actsthat undoubtedly drew in thelargest crowds. One of these big-ger acts was Southern rockers,Kings of Leon. They, like most ofthe attendees, wanted to deludethemselves and pretend they werein New York. “They say this place is New Jer-

sey, but you all sound like a bunchof New Yorkers!” said lead singer,Caleb Followill. Of course, hecould probably tell that the ma-jority of the crowd was from NewYork. The very last act of the night was

the headliners, the British rock act,Radiohead. Their two-hour setthrilled the fans who waited thewhole day to see them. Also, sincethis was the last day that they wereplaying the festival, Radioheadmade sure they satisfied their fans. From the music, to the games,

to the great works of art displayed,All Points West was a nice musicfestival to add to New Jersey.Hopefully, if this festival returns toNew Jersey next year, the ticketprices will go down just a little.

I’m certainly no stranger to TheGothic Times. I’ve contributed ar-ticles to many sections and havebeen in charge of many sectionsas well. Now I’m the section editor for

the Entertainment section for thefirst time. Even though this is myfirst time running the Entertain-ment section, I did run the Music

section before and that sectionwas my favorite one to work in. I believe true entertainment is

in the movies, music, television,etc, and not in watching the pri-vate lives of the people who makethem. So, while I have this posi-tion, I will make sure to have ar-ticles that focus on the entertain-ment.

‘‘AAllll SSttaarr BBaattmmaann aanndd RRoobbiinn’’AA DDaarrkkeerr aanndd DDiissaappppooiinnttiinngg KKnniigghhtt

www.google.comCover art for issue #1 of All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder.

Jersey City Draws Large Crowdfor APW Music and Arts Festival

Photo by Vanessa CubilloBlack Thought from The Roots performing on August 9 at theAll Points West Music Festival.

Introducing our Entertainment editor

VANESSA CUBILLOEntertainment Editor

Love Entertainment?

Like to write?

Contact Vanessa Cubillo at vcubillo@njcu.edu

By Mohammad Hassan

When Marvel comics revivedtheir classic super heroes withtheir Ultimate line of comicbooks, fans across the countrywere delighted simply because itallowed them to enjoy these char-acters without having to worryabout the past 4 decades of con-tinuity. However, many comic book

readers, like myself, were won-dering when DC comics woulddo something similar to their ownclassic characters. Then in July2005, DC comics launched theirAll Star line of comics which al-lows famous artists and writersto write about famous DC char-acters without having to worryabout the regular continuity. The first title published in this

line is All Star Batman and Robinthe Boy Wonder, which is cur-rently written by Frank Millerand illustrated by Jim Lee. Atfirst it sounded like a dream teamcombination simply because ofFrank Miller’s previous work onthe character. Miller, who redefined the Bat-

man mythos with his landmarkbook, The Dark Knight Returns

and Batman Year One, simplydisappoints in this re imaginingof the dynamic duo. Anybody who is familiar with

his Sin City graphic novels willsee an instant resemblance be-tween the two titles. It’s basical-ly a Sin City story told in a Bat-man costume. Miller’s Batman throws con-

stant insults towards the youngRobin and feels pleasure in beat-ing up the bad guys. It’s as ifMiller has let loose a darker, an-grier, and sadly, a more sadisticBatman onto Gotham’s crimi-nals. But it’s not just the characteri-

zation of Batman that is disap-pointing; it is the way Miller ishandling major DC characters inthe series. For example, whenWonder Woman is first intro-duced in the series, her firstwords are, “Get out of my way,you sperm bank,” and is por-trayed as an extremely sexistcharacter. Green Lantern is portrayed as

an idiot with a power ring; it’s asif Miller just doesn’t like any oneexcept Batman. Miller, who al-ready destroyed Superman withhis Dark Knight Returns, is do-

ing the same thing for the rest ofthe DC characters. It’s as ifMiller was trying to make thesecharacters incredibly tough butfailed miserably at it. But it’s not just the side char-

acters; it’s the personality of Bat-man himself which just doesn’tseem right. For example, Batmancalling himself the “GoddamnBatman” every few pages, treat-ing young Robin like a drill ser-geant, being embarrassed aboutcalling his car the “Bat mobile”,the list goes on and on regardinghow awful this book is in thewriting department. But Jim Lee’s brilliant draw-

ings have saved this book frombeing just an awful Batman sto-ry. Gotham City has never lookedthis good and his Batman is sim-ply a majestic figure who lookseven more fearsome when he isstanding in dark shadows. Also,his Wonder Woman and BlackCanary are as sultry as they canget. In the end, this book is just a

big waste of talents. I am surethat Miller can write better dia-logues and he has, but in the caseof All Star Batman and Robin,Miller has dropped the ball.

By Christie Avila

Many students at New JerseyCity University would like tokeep up with the latest trends,gadgets, clothing, cars, and oth-er consumer goods, but havemixed feelings now with ourslowing economy. “If people want to buy the lat-

est Acura or Lexus, I say go forit,” said Gustavo Lazo, a 23-year-old journalism major from Bay-onne. “Now if you’ll excuse me,I’ve got to download the latestsingle onto my iPod Touch andhop into my Acura MDX.”It is common for students to

want to go out and buy the latestthings either to flaunt them or justto have them. These can be any-thing from sneakers, to iPods, todesigner bags, to phones. One thing is for sure: keeping

up with the latest and most pop-ular ticket items can burn a holein one’s pocket. With the costs ofliving getting higher and higher,many have cause to stop andthink twice before they go off andsplurge. Oftentimes people knowhow to budget, but get lured intowanting to acquire lifestylesmuch like the rich and famous.“I’m a bargain hunter,” said

Kristina Benites, a 19-year-oldstudent majoring in psychologyfrom Jersey City. “Yet, I couldunderstand the possible greaterappeal of keeping up with mate-rialistic possessions instead ofplanning out a state of living.”According to The New YorkTimes, “Americans are cuttingback on everything from cars tofood to name brands products,the Federal Reserve said[, …] inanother sign that the economycould slow significantly as mon-ey from the federal stimulus

check dries up.” The federal stimulus check was

an economic stimulus paymentthat was given out between themonths of May-July 2008 to morethan 130 million households. Thefederal stimulus checks were giv-

en to aid Americans during oureconomic hardship. Ultimately,President Bush wanted to providesome sort of monetary relief tocitizens in hopes that our econo-my would improve. The unfortu-nate downfall is that money al-

ways runs out. “Our economy sucks right now,

and we may as well do what wecan to help clean the mess ourPresident made,” said Lazo.Cutting back on spending, shop-

ping around for the best deals,

and snipping coupons are someways people are coping with ris-ing costs. The July 2008 report of The

Beige Book is a summary ofcommentary by the Federal Re-serve District on current econom-ic conditions. The Federal Re-serve System is divided into 12districts and each district has itsown federal reserve bank whichserves as lenders to commercialbanks and issue federal reservenotes. As the July 2008 report stated,

“Consumer spending was report-ed as sluggish or slowing in near-ly all Districts, although tax re-bate checks boosted sales forsome items.” Such districts men-tioned include Boston, New York,Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago,Dallas, and San Francisco.In the past, many people con-

sidered to be part of the middleclass have succeeded in provid-ing comfortable lifestyles forthemselves and for their familiesin spite of overall economicdownturn.According to

www.cnnmoney.com, U.S. Sen.(N.Y.-D) Charles Schumer said,“Middle class families are the en-gine of our economy, but theirearning power and economic se-curity has actually declined in thelast seven years.”Since earnings and spending go

hand-in-hand, if there are fewerearnings, there will be less spend-ing. Along with feelings of un-certainty about consumerism,saving for a rainy day also givesoff feelings of uneasiness.“I feel that it is wise to save

money,” said Peter Singletary, a24-year-old media arts majorfrom Jersey City. “But it’s easiersaid than done.”

Page 10 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

CULTURE

As culture editor of The GothicTimes, I would like to welcomeeveryone to the Fall 2008 semes-ter. I also want to say that I ampleased to be working, again, withanother incredible group of peo-ple. Great appreciation goes to allthe writers that have written in thepast and continue to write for ourvarious sections. To me, culture is part of life. It

includes just about anything andeverything. We all live and thinkdifferently at the same time weshare similar ideas, passions, andexperiences.

My goal as culture editor is toensure that each writer’s messageis clear and accurately presented.Writing allows the freedom to feeland share those feelings with oth-ers. The Gothic Times staff hopesto provide you all with interest-ing and insightful reading mate-rial. If you have an interest in writ-

ing for the Culture section, feelfree to email me any time at:christieavila@gmail.com. I willbe looking forward to hearingfrom all you prospective writers! CHRISTIE AVILA

Culture EditorRememberTo Do Your Part.

Make time to Vote on November 4, 2008.

BE INFORMED & MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARDAT THE NEXT BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING!

SEPTEMBER 8, 2008, 6:00 P.M.HEPBURN HALL, ROOM 202

INQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD SECRETARY,HEPBURN HALL, ROOM 308.

Changing habits in changing times

www.google.com

“Our economy sucks right now, and we may as well dowhat we can to help clean the mess our President made.”

– Gustavo Lazo, 23, journalism major

A Welcome from our Culture Editor

By Daniels Tornyenu

We are in tough times, and,since a student’s income can bare-ly keep pace with an agile infla-tion, curbing expenses seems theonly sensible way to survive inthe short term. The following are8 (habit-altering) ways in whichthat can be achieved:

Quit smokingFinancial necessities make com-

pelling reasons to quit a noxioushabit like smoking. Perhaps af-fordability, not health, might helpyou kick smoking. So, if you findyourself struggling to purchase apack of Camels or Winstons,know it is time to quit if even tosave.

Get a mopedThese low emission machines

evolved over time, many havingshed their pedals. Some comewith stealth technology, topping30 mph though licensing regula-tion for operating them vary fromstate to state. I saw one recently

that was pimped out; solid chromewheels, mufflers and all. It’s mainvirtue? A cool 60 mpg. Sizzlingsavings, huh?

CLEP out of classes If you know the material of a ba-

sic class on campus, this is an eco-nomically smart option to savehundreds of dollars on a singleclass. CLEP (or College LevelExamination Program) exams cantake the place of 3- to 6-credit un-dergraduate courses. It only costs$70 per exam plus a low admin-istration fee determined by theschool administering the exam(s).For example, U.S. Politics or El-ementary Spanish can be replacedby exams in American Govern-ment or Spanish Language Lev-el 1, respectively. For information, go to:www.col-legeboard. com/student/testing/clep/about.html.

Get rid of thatthundering muffler: An ear-shattering muffler not

only vexes your neighbors bytriggering their car alarms unnec-essarily but also impacts yourbottom line. The jury has beenout that a thundering customizedtail pipe reduces your gas/mileageratio. Even a dimwit knows thatthose flared mufflers aren’t hotanymore and hardly make yourvintage Corolla a hot rod.

Shop around fortextbook deals: Need I remind anyone that text-

books cost an arm and leg thesedays? A recent finding by Pear-son Education says few coursesrequire much more than a mere35-45 percent reading of a pre-scribed textbook. Many textbook

publishers offer digital versionsof their books for just a fractionof the hard copy price. Most col-lege libraries keep referencecopies of textbooks. If no usedtextbooks are available in theschool store, go online! Sites suchas amazon.com, abebooks. com,and half.com have great bargains.

The (home) foodangle: Instead of buying lunch from

the cafeteria or the food truck,why not make a sandwich orbring last night’s dinner to cam-pus? The Commuter Lounge atthe far end of the GSUB has a mi-crowave and fridge for studentuse only.

Do you really needto drive? If you only need a couple items

from your neighborhood grocerystore, bike or walk rather thandrive. You not only save on gasin such power walks, you im-prove your metabolism too.

Many health experts blame ourever expanding waistline on oursedentary lifestyle. Please leavethe car alone; walk sometimesand save.

Avoid expensivedatesBe creative in steering your date

from high-end eateries to an af-fordable one. A $150.00 dinnerwouldn’t send sparks flying whenthe chemistry isn’t there. All ittakes is a little smoothness and arugged determination to keepthings within your means. Yourdate will appreciate you for tak-ing her to get a special $15 subout of town. Long after she savorsthe last morsel of that special sub,she’ll remember the time, flavor,and mood of that day.

Be wise. Heed my advice.

September 2, 2008 The Gothic Times Page 11

ADVICE

In order for a person to register to vote:• he/she must be a United States citizen;• be at least 18 years old by the next election;• be a resident of the state and county 30 days before the election;• must not be currently serving a sentence, probation or parole because of a felony conviction.

If you qualify and if you live in NJ go to www.NJElections.org and click on the link Register toVote. There you will find a listing of counties. Click on the county you live in and print the formin whichever language you prefer. Fill out and mail. The deadline for registration is 21 days be-fore the election.

Voter Registration FAQ’s

Pinching Pennies & Cutting CornersPennies Saved are Dollars S t r e t c h e d

www.gothictimesnetwork.com

Hi, my name is DanielsTornyenu, a journalismstudent in my senior year.

As a teen in Ghana, I was wit-ness to the cyclical violent over-throw of one government afteranother. Often at their peril, ded-icated journalists protested theconcomitant atrocities of suchchanges. A few survived recur-rent jail terms for clamoring therule of law.Today, Ghana is a thriving

democracy with open electionsonce every four years that leadto smooth transitions of leader-

ship. Ever the eyes, ears and en-forcers of the peoples will, pro-gressive journalists successfullywrestled the media from the gov-ernment, freeing up radio, news-paper and television from gov-ernment control. These journal-ists are my heroes.For me, there can’t be a greater

honor than join the public dis-course as a steady voice of rea-son for the distinguished Goth-ic Times. As I look forward toyour questions and concerns, Ican promise you an exciting se-mester.

DANIELS TORNYENUAdvice Editor

“If no used text-books are availablein the school store,

go online!”

Introducing our Advice Editor

Images from www.photos.com

Page 12 The Gothic Times September 2, 2008

GOTHIC TIMES

DO SOMETHING. WRITE. NOW.The Gothic Times needs you!

Having articles in The Gothic Times newspaper is a great way to have your voice heard and make a difference on the NJCU campus. And remember, Gothic Times contributions are also good opportunities to add to your résumés and portfolios.

Sections writers, photographers, and artists may contribute to are News, Opinion/Editorial, Arts, Advice, Culture, Entertainment, and Sports.If you are interested in helping out, please email us at gothictimes@njcu.edu. Please tell us your name, major, email address, phone number,

and to which section(s), if any, you would prefer to contribute. Thank you.