The Ram Page - March 2010 | Farmingdale State...

The Rampage Student Newspaper 1 Farmingdale State College

Ram•pageFarmingdale State College online Student Newspaper • MARCH 2010

Most of us go about life not thinking what tomorrow will bring. In a blink of an eye life can come to a halt. Many people in Haiti have come to rely on others to help them through situations. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. The capital, Port-au-Prince, has suffered catastrophic damage.

Many organizations and countries

Life Line of HopeBy Andrea Osorio

Get Spring on the Phone; She’s Late!

More photos on page 3

The snowy winter of 2010 drags on, as students and faculty fight the elements to get to campus. Where’s the warm weather to perk up our spirits?

Photo by Bridget Erlikh

First Ever Skyline Conference Victory!Women’s Basketball Champs

FSC’s Womens Basketball team won their first ever Skyline Conference championship defeating Mount Saint Mary College, 67-58. Their win broke the Blue Knight’s 10-year conference winning streak. Senior players Kimberly Blakney, Tiffara Steward, and Kamaya Miller all played fundamental roles in the teams win. The win earned Blakney the Championship MVP title, and the team’s victory at the conference gives the team a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament later this year.

By Erin Failla

have tried to aid the country, but it all stopped when the badly damaged airport, without an air traffic control tower, did not have sufficient space for all the incoming planes. Yet some have found a

way in such as Professor Karen Coutrier. Coutrier had the opportunity to travel

with the organization Life & Hope, which is steadily sending volunteer healthcare providers to help those in need in Haiti.

Courtrier loves pediatric medicine and gives her time and love to those surrounding her. She has joined missions to Santa Domingo, Africa, and Jamaica, and every year she tries to find another place to leave her imprint.

“I don’t think I’ve heard the same story twice,” she said. She did not know what her role was going to be when she headed to Haiti, but she gave it her all.

Continued on p. 2

Professor Courtrer wants “to see some life, a glimmer of hope” in Haiti.


Rampage Staff

Editorial StaffBridget Erlikh

Erin FaillaAnthony Giambalvo

Steven HeislerAndrea Osorio

Jennifer RiservatoConnie Shakalis

Special Thanks ToDr. W. Hubert Keen

President, Farmingdale State CollegeDr. Vicki Janik

Professional Communications

Professor Wendy Ladd’sJournalism students

The Rampage is a newspaper by and for the students of Farmingdale State College © 2009 Admissions to Farmingdale State College - State Universtity of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or mlitary satus, race, color, creed, religion, national origion, disability or

sexual orientation.

By Kristen Quinn

FSC Top Four SUNY Institutions for Post-graduate Salary

Continued p.1 Life Line of Hope

Talk to The Top

President Keen recognizes the importance of communication among the members of the Farmindale State College community. As a new way for faculty, staff, and students to easily communicate, Keen has created his own blog called Keen on Campus. Every person will have an opportunity to give their feedback on important issues related to Farmingdale State College. Anyone who wishes to respond to an article posted on the Keen on Campus page may do so by sending messages to

[email protected].

By Erin Failla

Courtrier experienced things she never had seen before, in Haiti. She saw the elderly feeding the young, the young feeding the elderly. She was touched that everyone was supporting one another. She will be returning to Haiti in March, and all she wants is “to see some life, a glimmer of hope.”

“It’s never the medicine; it’s the people,” Courtrier said.

Everyone can help in little ways that will make differences in peoples’ lives. Once it is understood that people come before the disease, not only will people learn about different cultures but, more important, they will acquire the skills to help others.

Jeffrey Joseph, a part-time student, has expressed how these donations have helped his own family members in Haiti.

It has meant so much to him that, he said, “One day I will give back what others have given to my family.”

FSC is collecting items in Gleeson Hall to send to Haiti.

FSC is one of the top four SUNY colleges based on graduates’ earnings. According to PayScale.com, FSC graduates earn an average starting salary of $46,100 and a mid-career median salary of $80,500. This ranking includes graduates of all four-year degree programs at FSC.

“I have been here a fairly long time and really believe in the mission of our college. We do a great job to prepare our students for the workforce that they will enter. They [FSC professors] are not just academics but very much engaged in the disciplines,” said Malka Etleman, Director of Career D e v e l o p m e n t .

Even with the economy in shambles, the many fields at FSC are recession-proof.

“The most important thing is how hard you work as a student, getting the best grades that you can, and network, network, network, not just online,” said Etleman. “I believe that our programs align well with opportunities that are unfolding with stimulus money and economy’s future.”

Since this economy is competitive, one of the best ways to market yourself is enhancing your resume. Most of the

i n - d e m a n d careers in 2009 were in education and health related fields. Health p r o g r a m s here at Farmingdale i n c l u d e N u r s i n g , D e n t a l H y g i e n e , and Medical Technology.

“Farmingdale is a great school to graduate from no matter what the state of the economy, but given the employability of the graduates of so many of our bachelor’s degree programs, there are excellent opportunities for employment,” said President W. Hubert Keen. To those who are looking for jobs, Keen offered this advice, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never (Winston Churchill).”

“Students who have specific skills, from accounting to dental hygiene to computer programming, are hired quite easily. But it is FSC's broad-based general education, including communication, critical thinking, and mathematics, that helps them move up the ladder of success,” said Dr. Vicki Janik Chairperson of the Professional C o m m u n i c a t i o n s D e p a r t m e n t .

Graduating from FSC looks better and better. Graduates from all schools are experiencing difficulties because of mistaken global and national economic policies over the last several years.

“Our graduates have valuable skills, which make them employable,” said Janik. “Many of our students also have been accepted in graduate degree programs and are doing extremely well.”


Jermane Walker, Ahmed Metwally, Mark Cruz

Emily Aguayza, Donald Taylor, Andre Martin, Jessica

Jean-Jacques, Jason Winn

A Good Laugh For The Fellas

LetIt Snow!!

Freda Itua , Ty’Asia Wingard, Janell Blake & Melissa Oken

Andrea Accardi

Andrew Canalles, Robert Peguero & Marlo Alvarado

Steven Heisler & Andrea Accardi

Wally Ludewig, James “Bear” Murphy, Mike Alessandro

Stylish Ladies

Sadma Ahmed & Mohammed Rubel

Gardner Prosper & Justine Mitchell


farmingdale Rams sports

The stakes were high, and the women’s basketball team at FSC remained undefeated. In the past, the Rams couldn’t seem to make it to the NCAA Tournament, but this year the women had faith that they would come out on top.

“It has to be the year,” said Alicia “Hoops” Matthias, 18-year-old guard for the Rams. At one point in the season, there was one close call that would’ve stripped the Rams of their undefeated title. While playing Mount Saint Vincent, they were down by 25 points. “Full court, man to man,” said 22-year-old Quiana Hollman. “We put pressure on the other team and won by two points.” The women started their first practice by running hills and doing extra conditioning to prepare for the season, and the team to beat is long-time rival Mount Saint Mary.

“We have a good chance to win; we have to come out strong on both halves,” said 19-year-old shooting guard, Kelly Murphy. But with Kimberly Blackney, Tiffara Stewart, and Kimaya Miller as team captains, this win was not far out of reach. “When it’s punch time, they know how to keep the team together,” said Holman, “Kim scores, gets rebounds; she does it all.”

Winning the game against Mount Saint Mary meant getting home-court advantage for the playoffs, which worked in favor of the team and brought them straight to the championships.

There is no such thing as a small role on this team. “We’re a big family,” said Matthias. Teammates on the bench call themselves The Bench Assassins, because we all go hard.” And behind every great team is a great coach. “Mooney, he’s the greatest. We will never be weak,” said Matthias. “ He says that every game is the most important game.”

The night before the big game, the Ram Jam party took place, “It’s going to get us amped and excited,” said Matthais before the party. With a strong team and the support of the students at FSC, no one was predicting a loss for the Rams. They won the tournament!

Women’s Basketball Team Goes Undefeated

By Joie GiordanoSenior day comes but once a

year. This annual event, which took place Thursday, February 18, 2010, commemorates the senior students who will soon end their journeys at FSC and embark on new excursions that exclude the pleasures of midterms and overpriced textbooks.

The event that took place in the gym during the men’s basketball game was not ornamented with streamers and signs sporting clichés; instead, the crowd decorated the event with cheerful and engaged faces. The lights above shone down spotlighting the occasion, while the men jogged onto the court, providing a shoe-squeaking symphony. The celebratory mood resonated with the audience and lingered throughout the night as they honored those who would soon leave FSC.

The congratulatory evening was infused with various reactions from the seniors. Kimberly Blakney was one student who would soon be graduating FSC. She has been a student here for three years, prior to which she was at Trinity Valley College in Texas. After spending most of her academic career at FSC, she is about to break free and graduate.

“I’m the only one to ever graduate in my family,” said Blakney. She gleamed with pride, and she has a lot to be proud of. She was recently named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year on the heals of her team’s first Skyline Conference Championship. Blakney led the conference in scoring and steals. However, the awards she has received are small compared to the lessons she will keep.

“Wherever I go I will take with me good team work and good communication,” said Blakney

Chris Mooney is the coach of the women’s basketball team. Like Blakney, he was acknowledged at the Skyline Conference. He was named Co-Coach of the Year following the team’s win over Mount Saint Mary College 67–58.

Prior to the win that launched the Rams into FSC fame, the fate of

the team was unknown. However, their undefeated status was already a mammoth triumph. “It is the first time ever, we are undefeated,” said Mooney.

Mooney has three senior women, including Blakney, on the team. Kimaya Miller and Tiffara Steward complete the trifecta. “It feels great, an accomplishment that’s been happening for the last four years, said Steward.

Steward has been on the team all four years. Her position is point guard, and she will soon be part of the FSC alumni. She leaves a legacy that

cannot be diminished by time. She has received numerous awards due to her accomplishments on the court. However it is not the awards that speak so highly of Steward but, rather, the obstacles she has overcome. Disproving the theory that only people with altitude can play basketball, Steward stands at 4’6”. She is also blind in one eye, has a 50 percent hearing loss in both ears, and has severe scoliosis. While these ailments would limit most, Steward is not like most.

She has received accolades from various media outlets such as CNN and ABC News but remains humble and reflective. “Be open and hardworking,“ she said.

All the seniors received praise in the form of flowers, gifts, compliments of the senior parents.

Saying Goodbye to the SeniorsBy Christina Schmidt

Reporter Christina Schmidt interviews FSC basketball player Kimberly Blakney,

FSC’s all-time leading scorer.


Dying to Love SportsBy Katie Biondolillo

Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, Georgian Luger died at Vancouver Olympics

After clinching the 2009 conference title, the team won the NCAA Regional championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III College World Series in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, for the first time in school history. The Rams finished the season with a 30-17 record. As defending Skyline Conference champions, the Farmingdale State baseball team has a lot to live up to this season.

Last season, two of the team’s key players graduated. Senior Pitcher, Tom Heeman, led the bullpen with an 8-3 record and a 2.49 earned run average.

Senior shortstop, Brian Benvenuto,

2010 Baseball Season: Big Cleats to Fill By Jennifer Riservato

had a .375 batting average and was second on the team with 38 runs scored and had a team-high 34 walks.

“I predict another conference title win this season, and hopefully another world series appearance,” said senior pitcher, Patrick Gilbride.

With seniors on their way out, came valuable newbies. Last year’s sophomore first baseman, Kevin Curtis, batted a .407 and led the team in hits, RBI’s and total bases. This year’s freshman pitcher, Vinny Messana, is optimistic. “We have depth across the field and have already defeated some solid teams,”said Messana. “I see us

going to the World Series.”This season is led by some determined

seniors and enthusiastic freshman. The team spent the last week of February in Orlando for spring training. During spring training they captured another win which marks Coach Osik’s 100th career win in only his fifth season. Osik was named the ECAC DIII Metro Coach of the Year and ABCA/Rawlings New York Region Coach of the Year. “Team chemistry might be the team’s biggest weakness this season,” said Osik.

The Rams will have their first conference, home game on Sunday, March 21 at 12 p.m. against SUNY Old Westbury.

The death of Olympic Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, raised many questions and concerns for athletes. Children who start a competitive sport early may gain motivation and discipline with the hope of playing in high school, college, or even representing their country. It doesn’t enter their or anyone’s mind that the sports they love could end their lives.

A sport is essentially a game like monopoly or LIFE, but when the competitive nature comes to surface in a sport there can be injuries and, in extreme cases, death. Patrick Gillbride, a baseball pitcher at SUNY

Farmingdale, suggested that these risks may be pushed into the back of a player’s mind, if anywhere.

“When you are in the heat of the game you are thinking about sliding into home to gain a run for your team, not about breaking your ankle if you slide the wrong way.”

Most dedicated athletes seem to have the same determined mindset. Dominique Witteck, 22-year-old transfer from SUNY Farmingdale, never played any sports but seemed to sympathize.

“People could get hurt or die just crossing the street or driving a car”, Witteck said. “Athletes play to win, and I can respect that”.

Considering the number of injuries in sports, there are also questions about the quality of a coaching staff. It could be that the athletes are being pushed too hard or expectations are too high.

“I’ve been an athlete all my life and it’s a coach’s job to push and my job to know my limits,” said John Harrigan, a former lacrosse player of Merrimack University and new transfer to SUNY Farmingdale.

There is no doubt that athletes have a special stamina that helps them with their game and their daily life. Limits and restrictions need to be understood by the athlete. Death and injury is a high price to pay for a game.

farmingdale Rams sports


FSC is giving students an opportunity to see the world. The college is organizing a study abroad program affiliated with Florence University, right in the center of old Florence. Two courses will be taught by FSC professors from May to August, all in English. In addition to two general education courses, students can take other courses taught by Florence University faculty. Right now, about 25 students are planning to attend the summer course.

Florence is a first for FSC. “Florence offers a huge array of courses,” said Dr. Beverly Kahn. “Once you graduate, life gets complicated and you don’t have time to take three weeks off.” Aside from class, attendees can enjoy free walking tours, organized weekend trips, a gym, and delicious food from Florence University’s culinary students.

Professors Ray Bigliani and George Hernandez are teaching in Florence this summer. Physics 117 and Visual Communications 101 will not be confined to just the classroom and the studio. Students will learn hands-on in the History of Science Museum, home of Galileo‘s most famous findings.

On Tuesday, February 23, at 2:00 p.m. in Ward Hall, Dr. Alperti and the Modern Language Club hosted a slideshow presented by Dr. Macaluso, on the ancient city of Pompeii. The city of Pompeii, located in what is today western Italy, thrived over two thousand years ago during the height of the Roman Empire, but was destroyed in less than a day by the eruption of a nearby volcano.

Dr. Mario Macaluso warmed up the crowd by describing in detail the conditions and accomplishments of this early western civilization, which, although amazingly advanced and prosperous, was brought to a sudden and dramatic end by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in whose lush foothills the city had thrived.

A vibrant older gentleman, Macaluso spoke in his melodic Italian accent with great animation about the details of Pompeiian life up to that fateful day in August of 79 A.D. Descriptions of civic sensibilities and

engineering accomplishments, such as carefully-designed streets, mall-like piazzas, private water towers, and public bathhouses, were peppered liberally with their Italian nomenclature, as much for the experience of total immersion as for pedagogy. “Graffiti was as common a form of artistic self-expression then as it is now,” Macaluso said.

When Vesuvius erupted, the blast was a million times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to Macaluso. The lava that poured down on the city created a still life of that last day, instantly fossilizing the inhabitants and their surroundings. While it is a tragic scene of death, ancient Pompeii is a tourist attraction and continues to provide new archeological discoveries for scientists today.

The slideshow and lecture drew a diverse audience. Ray and Marilyn Walther took advantage of the opportunity to come to this free lecture. Marilyn Walther, who works in Laffin

Pompeii Slideshow: Artifacts Frozen in Time

By Bridget Erlikh

Hall, said, “We went to Pompeii in the year 2000. It brought back a lot of memories.” They were coming from another FSC campus perk, having just seen Driving Miss Daisy performed live in Little Theater. The Dean of Electrical Engineering, Professor Thanasas, was also present at the slideshow.

Professor Alperti and Dr. Fava came to the lecture too, with some of the students of their Italian and Italian Cinema classes. “It was very nice… lots of details, and [it drew] great interest from the crowd,” said Dr. Fava. Professor Alperti, whose daughter, Josephine Alperti, is an FSC Freshman and president of the Modern Language Club, summarized their excitement. “When we talk about Italy there is everything: history, science, geology, art, law… it’s not only for people who study Italian.”

By Tabeetha Adde

Go to Italy with FSC

Drawing students will be walking around Florence, exploring its art, and analyzing sculptures and paintings up close.

Carolyn McKeon, 21, is a Professional Communications major at FSC who is traveling to Italy this summer. McKeon said, “The fact that it’s in another country is exciting enough for me, but I am interested in seeing how other places teach and what goes on there. It’ll also look good on

my resume!” This program gives students an

opportunity to see the world, meet other students from all over the nation, and get not only a college education, but also a cultural one.

Although this will be FSC’s first trip to Florence, students have previously traveled with great success, such as the 2009 trip to China.

Students interested in going to Italy this summer should be aware that there are two seperate programs both with upcoming deadlines. Florence applications are due by April 15, and Rome applications are due by April 30. This is the link for Florence: http://www.farmingdale.edu/quicklinks/ifs_florence_2010.htmlThis is the link for Rome (which includes excursions to Florence and Venice): h t t p : / / w w w . f a r m i n g d a l e . e d u /i n t e r n a t i o n a l _ e d u c a t i o n /ItalyOrientationPackage_100609.pdf

The Ram Page - March 2010 | Farmingdale State...

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