Found Object Project- Spring 2009

Van Gogh's Recycled Sunflowers
Photos by Judy Moonelis and featured on Fairleigh Dickinson University's Visual and Performing Arts website


Materials:
- TV Frame
- Canvas
- Wire Rack
- Hot Glue Gun Glue
- Acrylic Paint
- Cans
- Can Soda Tabs
- Broken TV Light
- Push Pins

Your Complete Totally Cool Camp Guide- SJ Magazine Feb. 2010

This article was featured in the February 2010 issue of SJ Magazine.

Your Complete, Totally Cool Camp Guide
It’s already February, so you know what that means – time to think summer!

By Rachel Yecco

Okay, it may be freezing outside, but really – it won’t be long before school’s out, the sun is burning and you’ve got kids complaining they’re bored. To keep your kids happy and occupied this summer, begin planning now. Area camps have started registering kids, and many offer discounts for early registration. So ignore the chill in the air and get ready to choose the perfect camp so your little (or big) camper has a totally cool, totally fun summer.

SJ parents have plenty to choose from when reviewing summer camps for their kids. Just know your child’s interests and start searching for that right fit. “There’s a summer camp out there for every child,” says Sean Phillips, executive program director of the YMCA of Burlington County.

The first-time camper
Parents may wonder how old a child should be to attend summer camp, but “there is no right age,” says Phillips. “It’s more about what’s right for the individual child.” Though most camps start accepting children around age 5, whether your child is ready for camp is your call. “If your child isn’t ready, don’t send them,” adds Phillips. “Wait until you know they are.”

But even if you are certain your child is ready for camp, she may still experience some apprehension. To ease any fears, visit an open house, suggests Phillips. “Open houses are not only helpful for parents, but they can prepare your child for camp. Children can meet the counselors and other children, and discover activities at the camp. Once they know who is going to help them, who they are going to play with, and what activities they will be doing, the mystery and all-around fright regarding summer camp usually goes away.”

The open house is also your chance to ask questions. In fact, Phillips suggests preparing a list of questions in advance, like: Can my child contact me while at camp? What happens if he is sick or injured? Can you accommodate my child’s food allergies? “These are important questions to ask, because your child is thinking about these things, too,” says Phillips.

Choosing the right camp
“My father forced me to go to a two-week, overnight camp when I was 12,”
says Andy Pritikin, owner/director of Liberty Lake Camp. “I didn’t want to go, but it turned out to be the best two weeks of my life.”

Pritikin now helps kids of all ages have the same positive experience he had. “Summer camp can be one of your child’s greatest childhood experiences,” he says. “There’s something we call camp magic, because campers feel a sense of community and spirit. There’s nothing like it.”

Today, many camps specialize their activities, and offer programs geared to your child’s particular interest, like sports or theater. Before selecting a camp for your child, have a good idea of what he loves to do, says Danielle Wiest, director of school-age childcare at the YMCA of Burlington County. “Ask your child lots of questions, including ‘What camp would you like to go to?’”

Once you have a good idea of what kind of camp you are looking for, do some research, Wiest says. Search online and talk to friends and neighbors for their advice on area camps.

The returning camper
“Parents always assume returning campers fall right into it,” says Wiest. “But there’s a lot of ‘ifs’ for them. They may be wondering if they will be with old friends and have the same counselor. A new summer brings a new camp scene, and it is important to prepare your child for possible changes.”

Wiest suggests making “new and different” a definite, not an option. “Prepare your child for the fact that things may be a little different,” she says. “Let them know they must try new activities this year.” Once your child experiences a change, she adds, he will be less intimidated when another new experience comes along.

Camp vs. babysitter 
In today’s economy, many parents are taking a closer look at the cost of camp, and considering if a summer at home is the better choice. Liberty Lake’s Pritikin says money spent on camp is an investment in your child.

“People who have sent their child to camp, understand the investment,” he says. “Keeping your child at home with a babysitter won’t help your child grow. In camp, your child is mentored by a trained counselor. We provide a culture where they learn to swim and play outdoors, and they experience a culture that promotes respect for others. They learn to make friends and interact with each other.”

Pritikin thinks parents are recognizing the benefit of children getting away from the television to have a camp experience. “I call it nature-deficit disorder,” he adds. “Most kids don’t play outside like they used to. I think there is a backlash against that. We’re seeing young adults in their 20s who have no appreciation for the outdoors. I think parents are realizing kids need to do more than play video games.”

Parents should look for summer activities that entertain and educate, says Pritikin. “We call it edutainment,” he says. “People pay to go to Disney World, and I say, ‘why?’ We may not have Mickey, but your kids won’t be waiting in line here, and they’re learning. In SJ, a lot of camps offer a great value. We get creative with packages, offering fewer weeks and discounts.

“Bottom line is: you want to find a camp that keeps your child happy and safe. But you also want your child to come home having grown.”

“I like the freedom, and the friends. You meet people who have the same interests as you, and you just click.” – Maureen, 14, Merchantville

“Everyone is welcome at camp. The counselors are always there to help. If you have a problem or you need something, you just ask them.”– Brett, 15, Moorestown

Camp Considerations
Be sure you know the answers to these questions before selecting a camp for your child.

What is the counselor-to-camper ratio?

What is the camp’s philosophy?

What is the camp director’s background?

How are behavioral problems handled?

What training do counselors receive?

What percentage of counselors returned from last year?

Can parents visit the camp?

Source: American Camp Association

Graphic Novel Movement Comes to FDU- Nov. 1, 2010

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RACHEL YECCO

Assistant Editor

Published in The Metro: Nov. 1, 2011

“We’re catching up to a worldwide understanding that people enjoy being told stories through words and pictures,” said George Cochrane, a graphic novelist and professor of visual arts at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

It started when former student Doug Atkins, an advanced senior art major, came to Cochrane with an idea to do an independent study on comic books. In the process, he was not only inspired to create his own graphic novels, but also started a graphic novel movement on campus, which had the following of both students and faculty.

In Fall 2008, the Graphic Novel Society formed, with the goal of creating original student work from both writing and art students. In its first year, it generated about 50 pages of student work, however, it never was assembled into a printable format.

The Graphic Novel Society is unknown to some students. Last year, Cochrane spent much of his time in the classroom or working, displaying and publishing his developing 24 graphic novel series. This caused the club to lose its “robust cohesion,” he said. “But this year we’re bringing it back.”

He has plans to work with the group Scribblers, which credits students’ original work. Scribblers member Valerie Salmon said, “Scribblers has been in contact with Cochrane, and the idea has been floating around that if Scribblers Magazine becomes big enough, we may publish some of GNS’s work, but no comics/ graphic novels have been submitted thus far.”

Salmon was also involved in the Graphic Novel Society during its first appearance on campus. She explained that “writers and illustrators paired off and began working on stories.”

In addition, she recalled one student documenting the society’s progress on an online site. The group was also heavily involved in learning about the graphic novel itself.The graphic novel is a medium that is expansive in terms of subject matter. Cochrane said the “cultural phenomena that the graphic novel has, if you look across society, has enjoyed a greater level of recognition and respect from people who previously may not have thought it worth their time.”

Cochrane credits The New York Times with doing weekly book reviews on graphic novels. “If The New York Times is paying attention to it [graphic novels] then the rest of America is paying attention to it,” he said.

The graphic novel goes beyond the cinematic superhero dramas and touches on some of the most sensitive subjects like the Holocaust in Art Spiegelman’s “Maus,” and homosexuality in “Stuck Rubber Baby” by Howard Cruse, a graphic novelist whom Cochrane plans on inviting to campus in the spring.

“Today’s reality is the graphic novel is treating every subject that you can imagine,” he said. “If you want to learn about the beat writers like Jack Kerouac, there’s a graphic novel about them. If you want to read about what’s going on right now in Palestine and in Israel and places like that you can go read a graphic novel by someone who’s there and writing it.”
He attributes the graphic novel’s worldwide success to the notion that people like to be told stories, but they like to be told stories through words and pictures even more.

Cochrane’s current project is a semi-autobiographical, 24 series graphic novel, which is a combination of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” Homer’s “Odyssey” and the unreleased (until several days ago) song “Long Time Gone” by Bob Dylan, after which he named his fourth graphic novel.

Though it seems like a lot of intermixing inspiration, Cochrane put it very simply: “My goal is to inhabit a story that is already there before me.” He continued, “The story is, very simply, I get up in the morning very early, I leave my home, I go to my studio, I work, I spend the day working. Perhaps I’ll come out and teach if I’m teaching that day and then I’ll go home, which is the story of Odysseus. He goes out, he has adventures, he comes back. It’s the classic story.”

When the series is complete, there will be 24 books. Each book takes place in one hour of time, so, altogether, the series will take place during one day. He estimated a decade to complete the final piece.

His graphic novel series has been such a success that Dewey’s Comics along Madison’s main street sells his novels.
However, some of his success is attributed to his daughter Fiamma, 8, co-writer and illustrator, and the youngest person to be displayed at the MASS MoCA, where his series was displayed for the museum’s 10th anniversary gala.

Cochrane described the moment when the director of MASS MoCA got on stage to introduce his daughter. There was a big party and it was great honor to be displayed there. The director thanked the artists and then “stopped everybody, made them listen to him and he introduced my daughter as perhaps the youngest ever exhibiting artist at MASS MoCA. It was priceless,” he said.

His daughter contributes her original stories and illustrations, which are as personal as when her dwarf hamster bit her, a segment seen in “Long Time Gone.” He said her experience of displaying her work in an adult world is different than other children her age, seeing as she began working with him at five-and-a-half years old.

A few days after the exhibition, Cochrane said, his daughter asked him “what it would be like going to school when you’re famous.” He said he assured her that she wasn’t, though surely there aren’t many 8-year-olds who have their work bought at comic book stores.

With all Cochrane’s success, he remains modest and passionate about his work, which has affected students both in and out of the classroom. He was already invited to teach the writing process to Professor David Daniel’s creative writing classes and will be guest teaching two of Professor Nandita Ghosh’s contemporary world literature classes.

Also in the classroom, Cochrane displayed the early stages of his work to students. Former student Eric Schroeter described Cochrane as unbelievably passionate and said of his work, “every frame a Rembrandt.” “Any part of art he will step into it and be completely open to it,” Schroeter said.

Teaching students the process is what drives Cochrane to do what he does. As for his piece, he can reveal one thing for sure: “I already know how it ends. I come home.”


For more articles, visit www.fdumetro.com

Park Avenue's Terrible Toilets- Oct. 13, 2010

RACHEL YECCO

Assistant Editor

Published in The Metro: Oct. 13, 2010

The sound of water trickling is all too familiar to Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Park Avenue residents. The Park Avenue apartments are notorious for their problematic toilets.

“They constantly overflow, flush randomly or for hours or days, and get clogged easily,” said Lauren Kelly, a senior communication studies major and former Park Avenue resident.

Kelly recalls several failed attempts to fix the problem.

“I called Facilities at least five times last year about our toilet and it never did get fixed,” she said.
Following Kelly’s move into Park Avenue in Fall 2009, the toilet was always a problem. The first issue she remembered encountering was a toilet that would not only flush on its own, but flush for hours - “sometimes all through the night,” she said.

Park Avenue Resident Assistant Ashley Eevardi has come up with a potential solution.

Eevardi is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, an organization whose mission statement describes it as “a partner ship with God…with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent houses in decent communities…”

The group is planning on hosting a do-it-yourself program that Eevardi hopes to bring to campus.
Eevardi said, “The program shows easy home repairs you can do yourself.”

Lucky for Park Avenue residents, one of them is how to fix a toilet.

The program, hosted by the Morris Habitat for Humanity, started Oct. 7 and will run through Nov. 18 in Mine Hill.

The series will take place over the course of six weeks. Each workshop costs $10 or $50 for all six, according to the Morris Habitat for Humanity’s website.

If this program is approved to be an RA event, which is what Eevardi hopes, students will have the opportunity to learn about fixing their own toilets, as well as other household items that could help them in the future.

“This will give you the tools to fix the toilets yourself so you don’t have to call Facilities,” said Eevardi.
Over the summer, areas of the University were updated and modified.

Whether or not the toilets are something to be considered for future updates is uncertain. However, students have experienced enough issues and have expressed a need for more efficient toilets on campus.

“Preferably one that makes less noise,” said Kelly.


For more articles, visit www.fdumetro.com

Commuter Cry Out For CSA Revival

Rachel Yecco

Assistant Editor

Published in The Metro: Oct. 4, 2010

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A poster in the Commuter Lounge that reads “Does CSA Really Exist?” has been under scrutiny by FDU students as they reflect on that question. With its lack of presence on campus, students crave clarification.


The abbreviation CSA stands for Commuter Student Association, an organization whose goal is to “advocate for the needs and interests of the commuter student population,” according to Fairleigh Dickinson University’s website. However, the poster, displayed sometime towards the end of Fall 2009, demonstrates alternate feelings.


Anonymous individuals have written their responses to the question on the poster. Responses include some negative statements, such as, “I think it’s safe to say CSA is over, no more, gone with the wind, et cetera,” “It’s the end of the semester and still no sign,” and a simple but powerful, “No,” which is followed by a series of sad faces. Conversely, there are also some hopeful responses such as, “It [CSA] did last year, those seniors left and no one took over. I believe there is still a budget though,” which gives insight into why the CSA is rumored to have gone MIA.


Mary Ford, Assistant Director and Learning Specialist of Freshman Intensive Studies, assures students - both commuters and residents - that CSA does still have a budget. Ford said, “My understanding is that CSA was very active in the past. Currently, CSA needs leaders who will be interested in resurrecting it and making it a more active association on campus.” Ford has been asked to act as the club’s new adviser, should it be revived.
Ford sympathizes with the lack of commuter voice on campus. During her time as a commuter student at Montclair State University, lack of resources for non-resident students was her biggest issue.


“We need to respond to the issues currently relevant to commuters because the issues that were relevant when the club was more active may not be the same issues today,” said Ford. She wants the students to come forward from the poster and vocalize their needs.
Right now, CSA is in the process of “revising and refining,” Ford said. Because the club has been at a halt for the last year-and-a-half, the goal of the club needs to be reassessed and revised, but first she needs to hear what the commuters want.

“What I’d like to see is that commuters have a voice on campus and that they seek CSA to communicate what they need,” Ford said.


Senior Nigel John-Baptiste, a business management major and commuter at Fairleigh Dickinson, remembers when CSA had a presence on campus. He recalls croissants, donuts, and orange juice in the Commuter Lounge, which were 
provided by the group. But since he started commuting in Fall 2009, those early morning treats are no more.


John-Baptiste’s expectations include comfort, entertainment, and up-to-date amenities for commuter students. He said, “I want a place to relax in between classes. To sit and hang out and have some nice entertainment.” Though the Commuter Lounge is equipped with a a handful of kitchen appliances, many resources, like the printers, could use some help. “Sometimes, the printer doesn’t work or runs out of paper,” John-Baptiste said.


Over the summer, Twombly Lounge went through a major makeover, which may be something commuters would like to see happen to the Commuter Lounge. Though Twombly Lounge is an option for commuters to hang out in between classes, John-Baptiste believes it is too far and prefers going to the Commuter Lounge since it is closer to his classes.

Currently, the Commuter Lounge has a varied collection of blue couches and chairs, one of which is a broken armchair. The rug is stained and one of the lockers looks as though it was kicked in. 


Though John-Baptiste said the Commuter Lounge is tolerable, he also said, “If the Twombly Lounge has sweet new couches, we should get them too.”


Ford is actively seeking commuters who want to become active in giving themselves, as well as other commuters, a voice on campus. Though she hasn’t seen the “Does CSA Really Exist?” poster in the lounge, she is still hopeful. “It shows that there is still student interest there,” she said.

Rotary Club Host Recent Carnival- Sept. 20, 2010

RACHEL YECCO

Assistant Editor

Published in The Metro: Sept. 20, 2010

Photo by Rachel Yecco

Earlier this month, it was difficult for Fairleigh Dickinson students to ignore the bright carnival lights accenting the Jets Center across Park Avenue, as well as the flashing parking sign. These decorations illuminated The First Annual Rotary Family Festival at Florham Park, which ran from Sept. 9 to 12.


The carnival was organized by the Rotary Clubs of Madison and Florham Park, and took place next to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.


According to carnival entrance worker Michael Fastiggi, there were an expected 10,000 carnival goers over the four-day weekend.


But this carnival didn’t just attract young families in the Madison and Florham Park areas. With Fairleigh Dickinson University, Drew University and The College of Saint Elizabeth all within two miles of the event, the carnival was within an easy walking distance for students. For those who wished to drive, carnival-goers could take advantage of the event’s free parking.


Attractions at the event included 24 carnival rides, which included a dragon kiddie roller coaster, a romantic and colorful ferris wheel and a wild Zero Gravity ride for those seeking a thrill.


The carnival also offered a large array of skill games. At these booths, players could win prizes such as a big fuzzy pink gorilla, huge boxes of candy or inflatable bats and guitars.


As though the games and rides weren’t enticing enough, a variety of food venues provided an array of carnival favorites like fluffy cotton candy and foot-long corndogs. Live bands, including the Beatles-influenced “British Invasion,” entertained crowds, and an extensive fireworks show took place Friday night to celebrate the start of the weekend.


Though this was the first year the Madison and Florham Park Rotary Clubs hosted such an event, Fastiggi felt optimistic for future opportunities, hoping that next summer would offer yet another carnival for local residents and students to enjoy.

Twombly Lounge Gets Stylish New Makeover- Sept. 20 2010

RACHEL YECCO

Assistant Editor

Published in The Metro: Sept. 20, 2010

As the fall semester begins, whispers of the renovations in Twombly Lounge are heard all over campus. These renovations were completed quickly, and may have come as a surprise to many upperclassmen.


Dean of Students Brian Mauro said the ideas for the renovations in the Twombly Lounge started in May, and “came together very quickly.” Utilizing input from FDU’s Student Government Association, plans were made to enhance the space, making it more student-friendly.


Sleek double doors are among the first changes students notice as they enter Twombly Lounge. Changes were also made in architecture, as the lounge is now broken up into two rooms. The first room contains new tables and chairs with a large corner booth section, perfect for large late-night study parties when the library closes. Attached to this room is a 24-hour cardio room. It contains elliptical machines and treadmills, and can be accessed with an individual’s FDU student ID card.


Through a second set of doors, new orange and red couches and chairs flood around a large projection screen, ideal for watching movies or for doing homework. “We need quality student space. We needed to create a ‘wow factor,’” Mauro said.
Keeping this in mind, he and many other campus officials created the plans for the new space.

Freshman Jorge Forton is pleased with the space. “I like it,” Forton said, as he typed on his computer. “I found out about this place two days after being here.”
Prior to the renovations, the furniture was a mismatch of light and dark wood, orange plastic chairs and old sinking couches. Mauro wanted to enhance the unused space and transform it into an ideal space for students. “We needed to spruce up an under-utilized student space, and that space was Twombly Lounge,” said Mauro. The space is becoming the must-go place to study, work out, or hang out with friends.


Other noteworthy renovations this semester have been to the Enrollment Services Office, with its sleek new desks, and the Village basketball courts, which have been given a clean and inviting makeover.

So in the spirit of makeover magic, students are left wondering what other changes are coming their way and Mauro welcomes their input.
Forton’s only complaint was the lack of food in the space. “The only thing is, there’s a lot of tables and chairs over there,” he said, pointing to the other room. “But there’s no food.” Fortunately, this problem will be solved with the addition of a juice bar, which is still forthcoming.


Another project currently in the works is a two-tier patio outside Twombly Lounge, a project that most students catch a glimpse of on their way to class.


As more positive feedback about the space pours in, more students flock to hang out there. But Mauro reminds the students that it is their responsibility to uphold the new image of the space. “If you provide a nice space, the students will take care of it,” he said.


For more articles, visit www.fdumetro.com

Rachel Yecco and the Case of the Missing Teddy Bear

When I was seven years old I wrote my first piece of journalism. My beloved teddy bear Crystal went missing. I demanded answers from my sister Allie, who was eight, and brother Petie, who was four. I was even suspicious of my youngest brother Joey who was a mere five months old at the time.

I had my eye on the sticky handed four year old who had a reputation of hiding my stuffed animal friends. When Quackers the duck vanished, I raised my eyebrow, but let it go when Petie inevitably gave her back. When Neon the neon green seal up and left, I gave him the cold shoulder until he ensured her safe arrival back to the center of my bed. But the disappearance of Crystal sparked something viscous in my seven year slender frame.

I began the interview process. The first question I asked was a full description of each subjects history with the bear. Allie was too cool for my childish questioning and left to watch Power Rangers. When Petie began to sweat, I marked his clammy hands in my Lisa Frank notebook.

In the end, Crystal the bear was found at the bottom of my backpack. I had forgotten that I brought her to school that day. But it wasn't until some serious backtracking that I remembered I had stuffed her beneath my religion and spelling books. Once I lifted Crystal from the rubble in my backpack, I questioned her. "Were you scared?" I asked. "What helped you get through this terrifying three hour ordeal?" Crystal gave me all the information I needed to write my first article.

The next day at school I wrote about it in my journal. I titled it "Rachel Yecco and the Case of the Missing Teddy Bear." Granted there was an obvious conflict of interest seeing that Crystal was my bear, my classmates and teacher managed to look past that. It was such a moving story that I even received a big yellow star sticker for sharing it in class. At the time, the sticker was the 1st grade equivalent to the Pulitzer Prize.

I didn't know I wanted to write, I just did it. I think society can be scarily unnatural most of the time, but writing about my fears, goals, experiences, but more so the fears, goals, and experiences of others, always felt natural to me. My mom say it's because I have something in me that makes people want to confide in me, just as Crystal confided her frantic story with me fourteen years ago.

When I was eight, I said I wanted to be a veterinarian, but when I found out you needed to know a whole hell of a lot about science to pursue that, I reconsidered. That was the last time I ever wanted to be anything until recently. It is safe to say my In Ten Years I See Myself class presentations were not terribly inspirational.

It wasn't until I was 16 that an article turned book exposed me to the most powerful kind of writing I had ever encountered. Literary Journalism. It was Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild". We read the book in Mr. Lopez's honors sophomore English class. It was the true story of Christopher McCandless. McCandless was a hardworking young man who left his home, job, and life behind for depths and dangers of the Alaskan outback. He adopted the name Alexander Supertramp as well as some impressive hunting skills. Krakauer uncovered the gritty details of McCandless' journey, his life, and his death, as McCandless helped Krakauer and readers discover the importance of life.

In the end of Krakauer's piece, he helped spread the message that McCandless never got to. On the walls of beat up bus in the Alaskan outback, a bus that was both a home and a final place of resting, McCandless wrote Love is only real when shared. 


As I read those six words, I hoped to someday write something as powerful and true as Krakauer's "Into the Wild."

My name is Rachel Yecco. I am 21 years old and I when I grow up, I want to be a journalist.