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.