THE GRIFFINThe Free Student Newspaper of Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA February 2010

STYLE 4News 2 Opinion 6 Sports 8

On January 27, students took advantage of the snow day sledding, snowmen-building and snowball-fighting. In Chestnut Hill, travel on Germantown Avenue and most other streets were blocked. Left photo from Alyssa Cherewatey ‘12, right by Max Ka-plan ‘11.

HANNAH CAmPbell‘11

_____________Who’s to say a college

or university can success-fully do its job of educat-ing students? Well, for Chestnut Hill College it is the middle States Commis-sion on Higher education (mSCHe). The College recently began the ongoing process for re-accreditation by the mSCHe, a proce-dure that can take up to two years. It is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013.

The mSCHe is one of six agencies in the middle states region that is responsible for accrediting degree-granting colleges and universities, and interpreting and enforc-ing federal guidelines. The agency examines each insti-tution as a whole to ensure the college or university is adhering to its mission and

core values for higher edu-cation.

“Chestnut Hill is re-ac-credited every ten years in a process that is much like peer review,” said Dr. Ken-neth Soprano, Vice Presi-dent for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “If the college is in violation then we can lose our financial aid, and that’s why this process is so important.”

Over the next two years, the mSCHe requires the College to evaluate itself in relation to its own mission. There are several working groups, steering committees, that represent every aspect of the College. Additional working groups are formed and, in conjunction with the steering committees, are re-sponsible for evaluating the College’s ability to meet the 14 standards outlined by the mSCHe.

Some of these standards

include leadership and gov-ernance, administration, and general education. Upon completion of this evalua-tion, the ultimate product, which is a report, is submit-ted to the mSCHe.

Soprano feels this is a procedure that should in-clude the campus commu-nity because it is important to know what everyone’s views are on different fac-ets of the College. Focus groups and bulletin board posts are some of the ways that Soprano thinks he can help get the word out about the mSCHe and hear what students have to contribute.

“The two-year process has already begun and when we submit this report, mem-bers from the mSCHe will visit the campus for two or three days to interview fac-ulty and students about it and about Chestnut Hill,” Soprano said. “That is why

it’s necessary for everyone to not only be aware, but to be involved as we look at different aspects of the col-lege and try to progress.”

The mSCHe’s inter-views will be informal, of-ten catching students in the hallway or cafeteria to ask questions about the College. Upon completion of these interviews, the mSCHe will meet as a group to make recommendations for the college’s response. “The mSCHe is about peer re-view and this self study seeks to involve faculty, staff and students in various ways,” said barbara Hogan, Ph.D., a representative from the faculty steering commit-tee and Associate Professor of Human Services.

In order for the mSCHe interviews to be successful, students need to be educat-ed on the accreditation pro-cess. Students’ suggestions

College Begins Re-Accreditation Process

Snowpocalypse Closes CHC, Philly

can affect what changes the College makes in the future. This process will negatively affect students if the college fails to receive re-accredita-tion, because financial aid will no longer be available and the College would no longer remain in business. The procedure is geared to be inclusive, and the college community needs to be re-sponsive and look for ways to participate.

Once Chestnut Hill has done its part, the mSCHe will do a final review of the College and vote for re-ac-credition in June, 2013. This comprehensive process, al-though tedious, gives the college a chance to exam-ine the challenges faced in the past and look ahead to a bright future.

The Griffin2

THE

GRIFFINVol. I, Issue 5

The Free StudentNewspaper of

Chestnut Hill College

Max Kaplan ‘11Editor-in-Chief

Jarreau Freeman ‘11Managing Editor

Westly Mandoske ‘13Layout Co-Editor

Michael Bradley ‘14Layout Co-Editor

Mary Marzano ‘12News Editor

Olivia Marcinka ‘13Opinion Editor

Jill Sanger ‘11Sports Editor

Jen Jones ‘12Style Editor

Bleu Lane ‘12Style Editor

Aizaz Gill ‘14Online Editor

Jess Veazey ‘13Photo Editor

Dana Consalvo ‘12Copy Editor

Susan Magee, M.F.A.Advisor

The Griffin strives for ac-curacy and fair represen-tation in all of its publica-tions and correctness. If an error is found, e-mail the issue number, the article in which the error was found, and the correction that needs to be made. The re-sulting correction will be printed in the next edition of The Griffin.

Make your opinion heard by submitting letters to the editor or contributions to The Griffin. Submissions become property of The Griffin and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns.

Interested in writing, pho-tographing, layout or de-sign? Fill out a short form on our Facebook and The Griffin will contact you.

Email The Griffin at:the.griffin.chc@gmail.com or visit The Griffin on Face-book.

Marilee GallaGher‘14

______________Barely a week into the

spring semester, a ceiling pro-jector was stolen from Room 42, a St. Joseph’s Hall base-ment classroom.

According to a statement released by Vice President of Student Life Lynn Ortale, the ceiling projector was stolen from the room, located near

MARy MARzAnO‘12

__________According to studies re-

ported in The new york Times and The Washington Post, one-third of all students transfer colleges at least once. Chestnut Hill College is a top choice for many spring arrivals: this spring 29 students transferred to the College, with 33 arriving last spring and 42 in spring 2009.

Transferring to a new col-lege or university can be a chal-lenge, especially for a spring semester. Many colleges have strict policies for students transferring during this time; other colleges do not allow it. Stricter still are some of the

policies for first-year transfer students. Chestnut Hill College is not one of those schools and welcomes first-year students.

Unlike many colleges that restrict the majors a student can choose if transferring in the spring, the College has no such limitations.

In fact, the College has a dual-admissions program with several area community col-leges which allows students to transfer after spending their first two years at a partnering institution.

Once those two years are complete, the student is grant-ed admission to Chestnut Hill College and may enter with many credits completed. The

KeLLy WILSOn‘11

__________Chestnut Hill College joins

the elite-ranked five schools in the Philadelphia area and the 124 schools in the world, who bear the “All Steinway School” insignia. The College purchased over a dozen new Steinway pia-nos in January after several years of using an assortment of mis-matched pianos.

“The Steinway piano is the premier piano made in the USA. It is known and acclaimed throughout the world because of its excellent craftsmanship and beautiful tone,” Sister Kath-leen McCloskey, Chair of the Music Department, said of the prestigious standing of the pia-no maker. “We are very grateful to our College Administration for their willingness to update our equipment at this time in our music department history.”

Students share the same sentiment, welcoming the new pianos with a clear eagerness to start playing. “I, for one, am very excited to have new Stein-way pianos and cannot wait to start practicing on them,” nicholas Raspanti, ‘11, said. Raspanti also believes that the

school’s prominent status will attract more musicians. “In the long term, I think more skilled musicians will look deeper into enrolling in the College's music department.”

The College purchased new upright yamaha pianos a few years ago, but the decision was made to trade them in to subsi-dize the cost of the new Stein-way designed “Boston” pianos. As the number and caliber of musicians rises with each in-coming class, it’s only logical to match these musicians with high quality instruments. “With increased enrollment in our de-partment and the need for new materials, the purchase of these instruments supports our goals to provide a quality education for our music and music educa-tion students and places us in a league with other schools that claim the title of an ‘All Stein-way School,’” McCloskey said.

Considering the College re-instated its music education ma-jor only six years ago, the rate of the department’s growth is truly impressive. Today, there are over half a dozen active student en-sembles and many recitals and performances held throughout the school year.

CHC Music Joins Steinway Elite

This concert-grand Steinway piano was assembled and remains in the East Parlor. Other grands can be found in the Motherhouse Auditorium and the Redmond Room while students have access to the Boston upright pianos in practice rooms. Photo by Institutional Advancement.

Projector Stolen From St. Joe’s Classroom

CHC Transfer-Friendlykey to this is that Chestnut Hill is core to core, meaning the College will accept not only their credits, but then transfer students are not bound by the same proficiencies and WOKs.

Transfer Coordinator Mi-chael Terranova explains the College’s location as appealing to transfer students. “There are many two-year colleges around Chestnut Hill; as for students transferring from four-year colleges, most are from Penn-sylvania and transferring closer to home.”

not all transfers are from Pennsylvania: first-year Luis Felix comes to the College from Los Angeles Community College to join the men’s soccer

team, hoping for “a new expe-rience.”

The orientation process for spring transfers is limited and often considered “hit or miss.” The current orientation is a brief hour-long meeting with the College’s Student Life de-partment. not all students are able to attend though, especial-ly commuters.

George Pavlosky, ’12, re-ferred to the orientation as “for newbies” so he opted to skip. Pavlosky is back at the College after a hiatus before his junior year to join the Marines. “I like the small community of Chest-nut Hill and left friends here, so I wanted to come back and fin-ish my education.”

the building’s elevator, and was unlocked at the time the pro-jector went missing. Accord-ing to Ortale’s statement, “the projector was stolen out of the ceiling on Friday, Jan. 14 be-tween the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.”

Authorities remain unsure of who took the projector or why it may have been taken, but some students are con-cerned that campus safety was jeopardized.

A first-year student, who re-quested to remain anonymous, said, “I don’t understand why someone would steal a projec-tor, but the fact that someone managed to steal it and get it out of the building makes me question what exactly campus security is doing to prevent things like this from happening again.”

Other students echo this opinion, although some believe that the projector’s theft was

not something that campus se-curity could have prevented.

Regardless of the reason for theft or who committed the crime, the well-being of the students remains a top priority. As administrators and campus security investigate the matter and put prevention strategies in place, students are reminded that safety is a community re-sponsibility: if you see some-thing, say something.

The Griffin 3

NewsIntern Diaries

Many students at the college are involved in excit-ing internships. In the Intern Diaries, students with

internships are invited to share their experiences. This issue’s diary entrant is Jessica Fisher ‘11.

The noun “intern” (synonymous with exploited laborer) usually brings forth images of frenzied young adults balancing caffeine-infused liquids with the acquiring of arthritis from the copy machine—all while sweltering under the burning gaze of the designated head honcho. But, let’s be honest, that is a seriously misconstrued figment of the popular imagination. I hope!

Currently, I am an intern at Stenton Museum, one of the oldest and most impeccably preserved Georgian-style historic houses in Philadelphia. Incidentally, Germantown is home to several historic sites ranging from the Awbury Arboretum to Grumblethorpe. The Stenton Museum was originally built by William Penn’s secretary, James Logan, in the 1720s. James Logan was instrumental in the development of Pennsylvania, often holding prominent political roles. Stenton is now preserved by the national Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, an organization that aims to provide interested individuals with the ability to experience eighteenth century colonial life.

I typically intern every Monday and Wednesday, however, I will occasionally work on the weekends for special events. My ongoing project, which I at least partially work on most days, is the construction of a timeline of all the Stenton-related events that occurred since the mansion’s erection. Thus far, I have read the diaries (all 17 volumes spanning the years 1815 to 1839) of Deborah Logan.

I have also been helping to organize and label glass dating from 1730-1770 for an archaeological project. Archaeological work is undoubtedly tedious, but there is a surprisingly soothing quality to the methodical labor. It is fantastic to experience history in such a sensory and tangible manner.

On slow days, I dig around in the archives at the Germantown Historical Society, helping with anything they may need. I also have my occasional, but necessary, hours where I work with excel spreadsheets. There is definitely no shortage of work at the Stenton Museum. As Thomas Mann once said, “Very deep, very deep is the well of the past. Should we not call it bottomless?” Wallowing in the well of the past seems, to me, to be both fruitful and enjoyable.

Join The Griffin on Facebook

Catch news updates between issues on The Griffin’s facebook. Search for “The Griffin”.

Dear Faculty, Staff and Stu-dents,

Speak Week, a campus-wide Student Government Associa-tion initiative held this fall, al-lowed students to anonymously speak their minds and express campus concerns, demands, or general exclamations. Con-cerns varied from demands of “Get beans and cornbread” to “Have a shopper shuttle on Friday nights,” and some even bolder comments such as “Fix the economy.” I regretfully ad-mit that we couldn’t manage all the demands; however, by re-viewing the results and brain-storming with many people on campus, including Security, Vice President for Student Life Lynn Ortale, and Dean of Stu-dents Krista Bailey Murphy, we have made considerable prog-

SGA President Speaksress.

After compiling the results, we were able to break down your concerns into four cat-egories: academics, food and cafeteria, residence life, and general campus concerns.

Since hearing your feed-back, we now offer a shopper shuttle all weekend, includ-ing Friday afternoons, with an added stop at Wawa in Lafay-ette Hill. We’re working more closely with Chartwells to add choices in the Fournier dining hall, ensure more food in the Griffin’s Den during high-traf-fic times, and extend the dining hall’s operation times for din-ner hours.

Many students requested more resources to aid in job-hunting and fulfilling gradu-ation requirements. Seniors, February is your month: Ca-

reer Development offers week-ly Backpack to Briefcase events covering topics from resume-building to job interviews.

I want to thank everyone that participated in this highly successful event. Rest assured, many new projects are in the works, including an improved coffee shop in the Fournier Hall Social Room and state-of-the-art fitness center in the for-mer “old gym.” We will con-tinue to ask for feedback on all our endeavors.

On behalf of SGA, good luck with the remainder of your semester!

Leslie ZemnickPresident

Student Government Association

ASHLey PAVOne‘11

___________If you are a writer or

photographer in college you probably have aspirations of publishing your work. you can accomplish this by writing for the school newspaper, the yearbook, or the literary mag-azine. If you don’t choose this path, you could also ask a group of your friends, who enjoy writing, to publish a book with you.

That is exactly what Joseph McGovern, ‘11, decided to do two years ago. “I wanted this project to be something we [everyone involved] could all share and let our voices be heard because we all have something to say,” McGovern says. McGovern found a pub-lisher and created a team of writers and crafters over the past year to join him on the journey to “Perception,” the upcoming anthology which “aims to change the world” with its short stories, poems, photography and art.

Aptly titled, “Perception” McGovern explains that each contributor comes from a range of backgrounds, ulti-mately benefiting the read-ers or viewers in a diverse language of poetry and art. “[This] is a book which ex-plores the different interpre-tations of art and the cov-enant of its beauty behind it,” McGovern says.

A major contributor in writing and guidance is Kyle McLaughlin, also known as KG from Chartwells Catering. “I've always been somewhat of a multitasker,” McLaughlin says. “Working with…the for-matting and editing processes has been co-mingled with my food service tasks.”

But the benefits for McLaughlin far outweigh the project’s tedious writing and legal aspects. “Simply being able to share with this team of writers has led to some very rewarding friendships and reciprocal inspirations,” McLaughlin says. “[It has] helped us all strive more for

our poetry sparking greater and greater creativity, and has created a desire to simply re-move boundaries both artistic and personal along the way.”

Workers on the project vary from history to music majors, the Chartwell’s Cater-ing director to two of Allied Barton’s finest security guards. The writers are Joseph Mc-Govern, ‘11; Alex Garcia, ‘11; Kyle McLaughlin; Chris Dunn, ‘13; Kairi Suswell, ‘12; Ashley Pavone, ‘11; yannick Wallace, ‘11; zander Tippett, ‘14; nick Raspanti, ‘11; zach Grubb, ‘12; Rhiannon Flores-Drennen, ‘13; Ariama Long, ‘13; Colleen Tozer, ‘10; and security guard Marcus Hayes. Photographer Keaton na-han, ’11 and Artist Chris Lee, the evening security guard in Fitzsimmons Hall, also con-tributed.

“Perception” will be sold in early March in bookstores across the world, as well as Amazon.com. Look for it on bookshelves near you.

“Perception”Challenges Boundaries

The Griffin4

Style

Patrick Curtin‘11

Ciara Covington‘12

Sam Cruz‘12

Pat Joson‘13

Jessica Fisher‘11

Shannon McFadden‘14

Chestnut Hill’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes

“Even though I come off as an arrogant,

obnoxious, and reckless dude, when it comes to the girl I have feelings for, I dedicate my all to her. I don’t play games and I’m a grown man.”

“Relationships? Well, they’re a

good example of you get out of it

what you put into it.”

“ I’m a bachelor be-cause I can’t commit.

My attention span for relationships is just as short as my attention span for

homework.”

“I’m a bachelorette be-cause I like things my way. This way I don’t have to put up with anyone but myself and I can always

do what I want.”

“It’s whatever.”“I drop it like it’s hot-ter than your Mom-ma’s bread basket.

Talk Faulkner to me.”

COLIN WEATHERBEE‘14

__________Chestnut Hill College takes pride in its students’

work, especially when they produce stellar work like the recent production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Little Shop of Horrors is a musical that takes place on Skid Row in the 1960s. One of the work-ers in a plant shop, Seymour, finds an odd plant and names it Audrey II, after the other worker in the plant shop, Audrey. The plant shop’s owner, Mr. Mushnik, is about to close the shop for good due to terrible business when Seymour proposes putting

Audrey II in the window to attract business. The plan works but at a cost. Seymour needs to keep Audrey II healthy, and the only thing that can keep Audrey II healthy is human blood.

The casting for the show was near genius. The parts were all filled to satisfaction, some even go-ing farther than that. Devin DeVoue as the voice of Audrey II could not have been cast better. Alexan-dra DePalma, Nicholas Raspanti, and Christopher Dunn could not be topped in there parts of Audrey, Seymour, and Mr. Mushnik either. The doo-wop girls, Ronette, Crystal, and Chiffon, had the attitude and the vocals required for their parts. And Bryan

Mottershead hit the nail on the head with his part as Orin, Audrey’s abusive, dentist boyfriend.

The vocals for the all the parts were amazing. DePalma belted out Audrey’s part of the song “Skid Row” like as it was meant to be. DeVoue crooned some notes and spat out others, getting his charac-ters attitude across perfectly with his vocals.

There were some jitters in the play, little mishaps on stage, but they were covered for very nicely by the cast. Overall I would give this production of Little Shop of Horrors a four and a half out of five stars. The College’s Association for Performing Arts put on a stellar production.

Little Chestnut Hill of Horrors

The Griffin 5

JARREAU FREEMAN‘11

__________Raw. Organic. Beautiful. These

words do not begin to capture the es-sence of the amazing duo who is The Civil Wars. This guy and girl combina-tion is the most unique, creative, and elegant musical group to make their way onto my iTunes playlist in a long time. The Civil Wars are singer-songwriters John Paul White and Joy Williams whose combined vocal, instrumental, and song writing abilities create… magic.

The acoustic, folk inspired songs are simple, yet complex, and leave me craving their music on a daily basis. They truly are a breath of crisp, fresh musical air that I can’t help but inhale deeply and slowly. Their debut album,

Barton Hallow, which was released Feb. 1, is everything I love about White and Williams: it’s haunting, honest, dazzling, and has my jaw dropping on more than one occasion.

Thankfully this duo is no stranger to the Philadelphia area; they performed in Philly last August at a quaint acous-tic café called The Tin Angel. I am im-mensely pleased that they will be back for an encore performance at World Café Live on Thursday Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. The tickets are on sale now at world-cafelive.com. It will be a performance, I am sure, that leaves hearts warmed, souls satisfied, and ears longing for more. For additional information on The Civil Wars and to sample their amazing music please visit myspacemu-sic.com/thecivilwars.

The Civil Wars Start With a Bang

JEN JONES‘12

__________The Wonder Years (TWY) is a six-

piece, pop-punk band from right here in Philadelphia. After getting off to a slow start in the summer of 2005, the band has since gained outstanding popularity over the last three years.

The first time I heard this band, I was instantly hooked. It was only a matter of days before every song of theirs was at the top of my most-played playlist on iTunes.

Led by vocalist Dan “Soupy” Camp-

bell, TWY brings a fresh and honest sound to a scene where originality is scarce. After recording a couple split EPs, TWY released their first full-length studio album titled “Get Stoked On It!”

This album is certainly not the guys’ best work, but it was crucial for putting the band on the map. “Well, I hate Get Stoked On It!,” Soupy said during an interview with the New Jersey Under-ground.

Some songs on the album are a bit immature and underdeveloped, but there are a couple great songs you don’t want to miss. Check out “When Keeping It

Real Goes Wrong” and “My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware” where the band takes a few stabs at New Jersey.

In January 2010, TWY released their second full-length album called “The Upsides.” The album landed the #9 spot on Billboard’s Top New Artist list, and #5 on the Alternative Artist list.

Lyrically, It is the most honest music I have heard in a long time. The record kicks off with the lyrics: “I’m not sad anymore, I’m just tired of this place. The weight of the world be okay if it would pick a shoulder to lean on, so I could stand up straight.”

“I’m Not Sad Anymore” is a message that echoes throughout the entire record, “More than anything else, The Upsides is a record about fighting back…I decided then that it wasn’t okay to be defeated at twenty-three,” Soupy said on the back on the vinyl release of “The Upsides.”

My personal favorites on this record include “My Last Semester,” an hon-est collection of the band’s experiences with college, and “Melrose Diner,” which captures the range of emotions everyone hits after any break up. To hear their sound, visit purevolume.com/thewon-deryearspa.

Get Local With The Wonder Years

DEVIN DEVOUE‘11

__________“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” – Anna,

Notting Hill“Honestly, if you’re not willing to sound stupid you don’t deserve to be in love.”

– Emily, A Lot Like Love“I dream about being with you forever.”

– Bella, Twilight

As Valentine’s Day gets nearer, sappy love movies begin to air on television fill-ing the heads of young women with the idea that love happens in a montage; it begins in a park in autumn and it blos-soms through wintry nights until the couple is inseparable come springtime.

Unfortunately, this puts the pressure on us men to be real life versions of fic-tional characters: impossible. Us average men are expected to emulate the char-acteristics of fictional characters that

are only seen from the perspective of a lovesick teenager in an overhyped Holly-wood movie with a plot that has so many holes Stevie Wonder could see through it. No more of this injustice, we as men of the 21st century have to set a stan-dard that our great-grandchildren will follow; no longer will our love be mea-sured by the lyrics of a Taylor Swift song and sifted through a Justin Beiber music video. Here is a list of “Dev Approved” Valentine’s Day tactics to keep your swag on one-hundred and climbing:Don’t call/text first on February

14thThis is first place guys go wrong on

V-day, we’re so excited to show our lady friends the necklace we got from the mall kiosk and the DVD of “Glee: Season 1” that we text her as soon as we wake up to show how much we care. Wrong. Never initiate contact unless you know for sure that she is awake; it’s not sweet to wake up to 15 emoticon hearts and an all caps “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!” mes-sage. Lock it up dude.

Don’t be any more gentlemanly

than usual Women are very receptive individu-

als; they notice subtle changes in behav-ior that even we don’t. You aren’t being smooth by opening the door for her one day, when you “accidentally” let it slam in her face every other day. Getting her another cup of fruit punch at dinner in the cafeteria isn’t going to score you any

points, it’s only going to make her realize what a jerk you are every other day be-sides her birthday, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas.

Don’t spend more than $25 on a

giftI know the women reading this are

groaning right about now, but let me explain. Christmas was only 54 days ago and our wallets are still recouping after that hit it took buying you those ear-rings from Tiffany’s that you lost at your friends New Year’s Party. So how about I get a big piece of poster board and I write you a note on the inside that tells you how strongly I care for you or what-ever. Then, I’ll make a collage of us from pictures I got from Facebook, and while we’re logged on I’ll throw you a “Happy Valentine’s Day to my fav girl” status. Meanwhile I spent 5 bucks on poster board and used 13 bucks on lunch at Sbarro’s. Resourceful.

Group date with your friendsUsually I’m against this because group

dates always turn out to be a competition between couples to see who loves each other the most, a game in which no one wins. However, today is a special day that you can break out the “let’s go out with Jim and his girlfriend” card. Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day isn’t a real holiday, so why don’t you “get creative” and pony up for a fancy restaurant with your friends (because they took a hard

hit at Christmas too) and make your girl feel like you’re trying to integrate them into your friend group. Okay honey, and right after this we’ll open our joint bank account.

Don’t try to impress her in front

of her friendsThis is probably the biggest mistake

to try to attempt. You see her in the cafe-teria with her suitemates, you’ve got your 4ft all white bear from CVS that came with the heart shaped box of chocolates, and the roses you got from the guy on Stenton and Paper Mill. You’ve got the grand idea of “surprising” her with your offerings in hopes of scoring some ma-jor points. Wrong again. You’re doing many things wrong; the bear is just in poor taste, especially since the bottom is dirty from you dropping it in the parking lot, twice. Second, those roses are prob-ably going to die in the next 36 hours, and third do you realize what you just did to her friend group? Unless her friends boyfriends are coming with just as much swag then you’ve instantly made her the enemy in their eyes. How about you sit it outside of her door with a “secret admir-er” card, this way she thinks you got cre-ative. Think smart not hard, gentlemen.

I hope this helps you in your Valen-tine’s Day missions. If your swag suffers a crucial hit on V-Day there’s nothing more I can do for you, I’ve led you to the water…now drink.

Step up Your Swag on Valentine’s Day

The Griffin6

OpiniOnAizAz gill

‘14________

Congresswoman (D) Ga-brielle Giffords held a meeting, “Congress on Your Corner,” for her constituents in the park-ing lot of a supermarket on Jan. 8. The event was an oppor-tunity for voters to meet with Giffords, who had just been re-elected for a third term de-spite a tough election year for incumbent Democrats. The gathering, which was meant to be a platform for citizens to voice their concerns and pro-pose ideas, quickly turned into a grotesque scene when a gun-man approached the congress-woman and shot her in the head at point blank range. The al-leged shooter, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, continued his rampage by shooting indiscrim-inately at the gathered crowd.

Despite early reports to the contrary, Congresswoman Gif-fords survived the attempted assassination. The shooting resulted in 20 people being in-jured, six of those were con-firmed fatalities. Among the dead was a 9-year-old girl, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Arizona, Giffords’ di-rector of community outreach, and three citizens who came to exercise their right of political freedom. In the immediate af-termath of the shooting, parti-san finger pointing began as a vocal minority on the left dis-

seminated the idea that former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s message had somehow encouraged the violence that took place earlier on in the day.

While the nation suffered through the tragedy that result-ed in six innocent lives being lost, a political group attempted to use this dreadful event to their benefit. Such a reaction should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the political climate within the United States over the past few years. The differ-ences between the two par-ties and their supporters have been ever increasing, especially since the passing of President Obama’s health care overhaul. In fact, Giffords, a supporter of the new health care plan, was the target of vandalism (along with several others supporting the bill) during the health care debate. A brick was thrown through her district office win-dow in an effort of intimida-tion. The brick throwing was not an isolated incident, friends of the Congresswoman report that she had been the recipient of several death threats. What makes the situation even more disturbing is that Giffords was not the only lawmaker who has received death threats in this ac-rimonious political atmosphere that has been plaguing our na-tion. It says a lot about the po-litical turmoil that we face when

the lawmakers that we elect are receiving death threats from the very people that they are sup-posed to represent.

In the days following the shooting, it seemed as if that message finally got through to both Republicans and Demo-crats. Both sides strongly con-demned the shooting and there seemed to be a genuine effort between the two to tone down the political rhetoric and par-tisanship which has become quite prominent in Washing-ton D.C. these days. One of the ways that Democrats and Republicans sought to show their solidarity was by break-ing the century old tradition of sitting on opposite sides dur-ing the State of the Union Ad-dress. During the most recent State of the Union Address, Republicans and Democrats sat side-by-side. Moreover, each party has promised to be more cooperative when it comes to solving the plethora of prob-lems that our nation currently faces. Of course, only time will tell whether politicians, who have made careers out of par-tisanship, will be able to abide by their promises. In the mean time, the political tensions have somewhat eased. It’s just a shame that the leaders of our nation needed such a blunt re-minder that their actions and words impact an entire nation.

OLIvIA MARCInkA‘13

_____________When walking into a Barnes

& noble it is no surprise to be instantly greeted by an array of shoddy bestsellers and the hit how-to’s. Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid reader of kendra Wilkinson’s “How To Be a Par-ent and Party at the Same Time” sequence, but there is a serious deficiency in the production of substantial contemporary lit-erature. Unfortunately, the print publishing industry continues to produce this kind of material with no hint of remorse. Due to our unsteady economic climate, there is not much room for the book business to spread its ink-laden wings. But if all that is being mass-produced are the se-crets to parental partying, where is the room for self-expression and profitable knowledge?

Although this conflict has defined the literary public for years, the recent decline in the economic market and the rise of technological power has left the publishing industry distraught. These effects begin to raise ques-tions about not only the quality

of sources but the possibility of printed newspapers, magazines, and novels ceasing to exist. Is it possible for the general public to thrive solely off of the databases and documents the World Wide Web has to offer?

The risk of stumbling upon a non-credible source, however, may seem more likely when uti-lizing the Internet due to the free publication of ideas. Blogs and other networking sites have increased the desire of the gen-eral public to post any kind of information they so choose. Sites such as wikianswers.com or about.com often fail to provide reliable sources or specific de-tails. The fortunate fact, howev-er, is that Web sites such as these do offer quick, easy snippets of information. This seems favor-able in opposition to rummag-ing through a scholarly article for one example.

Both news sources may have hired fact-checkers, however, blogs can originate from any mind and establish opinions from any arbitrary thought. This fact can prove dangerous to eas-ily swayed minds.

Don’t get me wrong, print journalism can also fall short of credibility. This is common in Editorial sections of news-papers when writers provide persuasive arguments to their own personal responses. Un-fortunately, writers have been known to diminish the necessary presence of a common ground in their argument. The article is then degraded to something that lacks in knowledge and its sole purpose is expressed as being entirely persuasive.

Recently, the availability of gadgets such as the nook, i-Pad

Reflections on Tucson

LongLive

Print

Subjective Scrutiny

Travis Wolfe ‘12

and kindle have allowed people to read anywhere without the weight of the common book. Although this has greatly affect-ed print publishing industries worldwide, many people have taken to reading in this more af-fordable manner. If this kind of technology does encourage lit-eracy, there is no reason to bash their existence.

The production of substan-dard workmanship is still a con-cern. As a nation, it is necessary to come to a literary consensus. I disagree with the idea that print publishing is old fashioned. If we live in a society that offers so many options, why can't print publishing be an alternative to gluing one's eyes to a LCD screen? Although younger gen-erations resort to yahoo.com as a source of credible news, be-ing a writer is a profession. Like any other occupation, writing requires time and mental con-templation. There is a differ-

ence between writing for a blog and writing for a newspaper. Evidently, writing an article for a newspaper is much more time-consuming and may require more intellectual research. How-ever, many newspapers are re-sorting to posting their editions online for the "readers on the go." A collaboration between online publishing and print pub-lishing is significant and should be seriously stressed.

For more information on Ms. Wilkinson’s masterpieces visit any mass-distributor of lit-erature.

Make your opinion heard by submitting letters to the editor or contributions to The Griffin.

Submissions become property of The Griffin and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns.

Submissions represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent The Griffin’s position.

Please send all letters or article ideas to Olivia Marcinka at marcinkao@chc.edu.

The Associationfor the

Performing Arts

Attend our meeting on 2/21 at 7 p.m.

Redmond Room

Act, Dance,Sing or Perform

Join APA if you want to help the Performing Arts

at CHC.

The Griffin 7

SpOrtS

19 Feb.Women’s Basketballvs. Concordia College*Sorgenti Arena 3 p.m.Men’s Basketballvs. Concordia College*Sorgenti Arena 3 p.m.2 MarchMen’s Baseballvs. Philadelphia Universitynorristown 3 p.m.5 MarchMen’s Lacrossevs. Mercy College*Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 p.m.Women’s Lacrossevs. Mercy CollegePlymouth Whitemarsh 3:30 p.m.8 MarchMen’s Lacrossevs. American International College

Plymouth Whitemarsh 3 p.m.Women’s Lacrossevs. University of BridgeportPlymouth Whitemarsh 7 p.m.

13 MarchMen’s Lacrossevs. Mercyhurst College*Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 p.m.

15 MarchMen’s Baseballvs. University of the Sciences Philadelphianorristown 6 p.m.

19 MarchMen’s Baseballvs. Bloomfield College*norristown 2 p.m.Men’s Lacrossevs. Penn State AbingtonPlymouth Whitemarsh 7 p.m.

Upcoming home game calendar

AizAz gill‘14

________Another nFL season has

gone by and the Philadelphia Eagles, once again, suffered a heart breaking loss in the play-offs. It has become somewhat of a recurring trend for Eagles fans throughout the Andy Reid Era. Each year it seems as if this might be the year that the Ea-gles can pull everything togeth-er and finally get their hands on the vaunted Lombardi Trophy, and yet it always seems to allude them. There is no doubt that the Eagles have an excellent nu-cleus to build around, but, they lack certain parts that would allow them to have the fabled parade down Broad Street. If the Eagles make these follow-ing five moves, they will signifi-cantly increase their chances of fulfilling an entire city’s dream.

Re-sign QB Michael VickHe may not be named the

league MvP, but make no mis-take, he was the Most valu-able Player on the Philadelphia Eagles. not only did the star quarterback manage to put his off-the-field issues behind him, but he was able to build him-self a whole new image. Of course, none of it would have been possible if it wasn’t for his on-the-field play. Once he re-ceived the opportunity to start, vick never looked back as he put together the finest year of his career. He had a QB rating of 100.2, threw for 3,018 yards and 21 TDs. In addition, vick managed to rush for 676 yards and score 6 touchdowns. Statis-tics aside, any Eagles’ fans will tell you that there were instanc-es where vick put his team on his back and willed them to vic-tory in the face of insurmount-able odds. Ever since he came into the league, experts and fans expected great things from #7, and it appears as if, at the age of 30, Michael vick managed to put everything together to become one of the elite QBs in the nFL. Resigning him should be a “no-brainer” for the Eagles organization.

Improve Offensive LineSimply put, the Eagles of-

fensive line had an abysmal sea-son. They gave up an astound-ing 95 QB hits (third most in the nFL) and 35 sacks (fourth most in the nFL). For a team with Super Bowl aspirations,

it is unacceptable. In terms of improving the line, the number one priority for Reid should be the Right Tackle position. With vick being the new franchise QB, the Eagles need someone better than RT Winston Jus-tice. To say Justice had an in-consistent season would be an understatement. He did such a poor job of protecting vick that Reid benched him in the fourth quarter of a close play-off game. Though, there are a few quality free agents, Willie Colon and Matt Light, the Ea-gles would be better served to look for a RT in the upcoming nFL Draft. With the 23rd pick in the first round and 22nd pick in the second round, the Eagles have the opportunity to draft a talented offensive lineman that could protect vick’s blind side for years to come.

Fire Sean McDermottUnder McDermott, the Ea-

gles redzone defense was the absolute worst in the nFL. It’s a hard statistic to ignore, which is why a week after the season ended, the Eagles terminated Sean McDermott.

Acquire CBNnamdi Asomugha

With Pro Bowl CB Asante Samuel playing on the left side of the field, teams often target the right side. Consequently, one of the most glaring holes on the defense was the Right Corner Back position. Asomu-gha, who is arguably the best CB in the league, became a free agent due to a fluke clause in his contract. Signing the Pro Bowl-er would be one of the wisest investments the Eagles could make this off-season. With Samuel and Asomugha, the Eagles would have the best CB tandem in the nFL. It would allow the Eagles to blitz more often, which, in turn, creates opportunities for more turn-overs. For a defense that was largely inconsistent throughout the season, nnamdi Asomugha may be the best tonic.

Re-sign WRDeSean Jackson

The Eagles offense was ranked fifth in the league. One of the biggest contributors to that ranking was multi-di-mensional WR DeSean Jack-son. For an example of just how important Jackson is for the Eagles offense, look at the

first half of the playoff game against the Packers. While Jack-son was injured, the Eagles of-fense couldn’t move the ball, and therefore looked mediocre. As soon as Jackson returned to the field, however, the Eagles began to make plays again. Jackson’s stats (1,056 receiving yards, and six receiving TDs) are impressive enough, but it’s the attention he draws from opposing defense that allows his teammates to get open and make plays. Jackson’s talents make him an irreplaceable tal-ent for the Eagles offense.

Eagles: Looking Back, Looking Forward

COnTRIBUTED_________

Chestnut Hill College will be hosting its 21st Annual Job Fair on March 21, from 1- 4 p.m. in the Sorgenti Arena.

About 40 employers in a range of fields, including non-profit organizations and busi-nesses will be participating. Full-time, part-time and sum-mer positions will be offered and internship opportunities for juniors may be obtainable.

nancy Dachille, Director of Career Development be-lieves that with the current economic crisis, this job fair is especially important for stu-dents. “This job fair will pro-vide you with the opportunity to personally connect with re-cruiters from many different organizations-there is really

something to be said about face-to-face contact-don’t miss this valuable opportuni-ty,” she said.

Students are also encour-aged to attend the Preparing for the Job Fair Presentation on March 21, from 2-3 p.m. in Martino Hall. Resume and interviewing skills will be dis-

cussed. Professional dress is rec-

ommended. For more information,

Contact nancy Dachille, Di-rector of career development .215-248-7230. dachille@chc.edu.

Job Fair tipsFrom News

On February 9, students gathered in Sorgenti Arena to celebrate Spirit Week. This athletics-themed event in-cluded tug-of-war and lots of cheering. Photos by Max Kaplan ‘11.

The Griffin8

SPORTS

MARILEE GALLAGHER‘14

The Chestnut Hill College’s women’s basketball team is hoping for success with their surging effort to secure a spot in the playoffs. With only about a month left in the regular season sched-ule, the girls must remain motivated.

As of Feb. 2, the girls sit at a 6-13 record, 4-8 in CACC play. In regards to the playoffs, they are currently looking in from the outside. The Griffins, fifth place in the South Division, are com-peting with Wilmington, sixth place, and Philadelphia University, fourth place, for the final playoff spot. Cur-rently, Philadelphia University (10-8, 6-5 CACC) holds the final playoff spot with a slight lead over the Griffins. If the Griffins win the majority of their remaining games and Philadelphia Uni-versity loses theirs, the Griffins will gain the final seed in the playoffs.

The Griffins, coming off of a rough January month, are hoping to build their momentum off of the recent upset win against Post University, and use it to carry them throughout the remainder

of their playoff push. “Coming off of the Post win, I definitely believe this team can use that energy to build the remainder of the season,” Coach King said.

Like King, Aiesha Smith, ’13, knows how important the stretch run is and believes that the team is capable of making the playoffs. “We are in a per-fect position to make the playoffs,” Smith said. Smith added that the key to success is continuing to play well and together, something that is easy for the Griffins to do.

According to one of the senior cap-tains, Cecilia Herald, the team is closer than ever and, as a result, has become more efficient on the court. Team chemistry is a great start in helping the Griffins as they attempt to make the playoffs, but it is going to take a lot more if they hope to find themselves playing in March.

Although the team has played well all season, it is the little things that King believes contributed to the team’s cur-rent status. “The detail work is what is separating us from those playoff teams,” King said, adding that a focus on the details in practice and then appli-

cation of that focus in the game is key if the Griffins want to make the playoffs.

King also believes that the team needs to play “solid basketball, both offensively and defensively.” The team needs to play with urgency and improve their defense in order to make the play-offs. One way to improve the defense is to control the game speed and limit the amount of trips to the charity stripe, the free-throw line, for the other team. “We’ve lost games and/or momentum in games by putting teams on the foul line,” King said. “We have to contain and put up a strong defensive front in order to win.”

Consistency is another area where the team needs improvement. “We [the team] need to be able to play 40 consis-tent minutes of basketball as a team,” Herald said, adding that the need for heart, desire and passion is required for the entire game. Games are often won and lost in the fourth quarter and, for the Griffins, consistent play throughout is the only way to achieve victory.

The Griffins have a tough remaining schedule. With only conference games remaining, the team is afforded a better opportunity to make the playoffs. The

conference record is most important when deciding the playoff teams, so with only conference games remaining, the College has a better chance to make up ground on Philadelphia University. “The fact that we only have conference games left is an advantage as the wins will improve our chances of playoffs,” Smith said. Herald also said that know-ing the teams and knowing what they have to do to beat Philadelphia is defi-nitely a help.

With playoffs within reach, the Grif-fins need to play great basketball from here on out. They have the motivation and, although their record may not show it, are a good team. Although the record shows statistics, King said that it “does not honestly reflect who the team is” and that the girls have the heart and passionate drive to succeed.Accord-ing to Smith, sitting in fifth place has the team “more motivated than ever.” “When March gets here,” Smith said, “we want to be competing and not watching teams we know we are better than, play.” With playoffs as the ulti-mate goal, the Griffins definitely have the pieces in place for what is hoped to be a great and entertaining playoff run.

EBONY WASHINGTON‘12

Center court is lit with bright lights that make the floor glisten. The room is overflowing with fans screaming at the top of their lungs. Your adrenaline is rushing. Your heart is thumping. The ball goes up. It’s game time!

The men of Chestnut Hill are prov-ing that the basketball playoffs never looked so good.

“My job is to make sure that we are a finished product,” Jesse Balcer, head coach of the men’s basketball team, said. Even though the idea of making the

playoffs seems likely right now, things did not always seem so bright. Balcer admits that in the beginning of the season he was guilty of depending on the talent the team had rather than intense preparation.

This was not the only hurdle the team had to jump to be equipped in time for playoffs. Several injuries, a lack of chem-istry on the court, and digging a 5-6 hole deprived the team of wins they were ca-pable of obtaining.

Luckily, basketball season takes place during both the fall and spring semes-ters, which gave the team time for adjust-ments and to learn from their mistakes. The team is now in the fast track to the

playoffs.In contrast to the beginning of the

season, the team is now more prepared and will take the concept of preparation seriously. Balcer has demanded scouting reports, film sessions, and shoot around sessions before games to keep both minds and bodies focused.

Although the men look in tip-top shape, they do not want to become com-placent; therefore, in areas where they are strong they are getting even stronger; where defense is good they’re making it better, and wherever there’s a game, they are winning.

“Attack, Attack, Attack,” Balcer

said as his eyes sparkled with enthusi-asm. “That’s what we have to do to win games. We have to be mentally ready and tough.”

Captain Trenton Davidheiser, ‘11, stated that in order for the team to be successful in the playoffs, they will have to play tough defense for 40 minutes. “If the team plays well and rebounds well we will be relentless because we have capable scorers,” Co-Captain Brandon Williams, ‘11, said.

Right now, this team steps on the court with confidence, focus, heart and the passion to win - all the ingredients necessary to be successful in the playoffs.

Women’s Basketball for Spot in Playoffs

Men’s Basketball Has Victorious Seasonphotos: Jessica Veazey