TV Story

vinny galya

“Right now I live in the new upperclassman dorms but net year I am signed up to live in the quad. But I don’t want to live in the quad, the reason why I’m living there is because freshman get first priority, which makes no sense to you, I would think the seniors get first priority but they don’t.”

There are over 17, 000 students that attend Kean University, and about 2,000 of those live in the dormitories. Many of these students are freshmen and sophomores but the juniors and seniors that dorm in the school are feeling frustrated and put out by administration.

                Ian Collins

“I first lived in the freshman dorms and now I live in the upper-class man. I’m actually looking to live in a house because I want to get out of the rules of the dorms”

Today we are looking at the student side of this dilemma. Why is the University almost forcing the seniors to live off campus or commute? Many students are unhappy with this aspect of the school.

Debrahlee Wehner,

“Next semester I decided to commute because I couldn’t get into the new upper class man and when I transferred here, they put e in the old dorms and they weren’t my cup of tea I guess you could say. I don’t want to live there again. I looked for housing off of campus but it’s really difficult because no one will trust college students. Now I have to make an hour commute to get here but I don’t want to live in the older dorms again."

There are eight total dormitories on campus and three of the dorms are solely for freshman. There is one designated Upperclassman dorm, but every year other than freshman is considered to be an upperclassmen.

Emily Demicco

“Unfortunately because this is my first semester away I wanted to dorm but since freshman got first pick for next fall. I didn’t have the opportunity to stay here again.”

The current freshman dorms are larger than the upperclassman dorms, so when it is time freshman to chose and they chose the new dorms, the new dorms fill up within the first few hours of choosing.

George Morgan

“All my roommates and suitemates now were forced to move off campus because of the same situation for me, they didn’t want to be moved out of this dorm or residence hall and they had to go through all the troubles on finding a house all campus. It’s expensive because they have to find a realtor; no one takes five or is college kids seriously. It’s a difficult process.”

Kean University only offers on campus housing and there is no off campus housing available. Unlike other schools, Kean University also does not offer a program to help students find a house off campus.  The students are on their own and as we have heard, it is a very difficult process. The dormitories are only guarantied for freshman.

Chris Galya

“I want to live off campus but that’s a whole different story. Trying to find housing off campus it’s the homeowners that don’t want college students living in there because they don’t want their houses being messed up.”

What will happen to these students who are enrolled in class but do not have a place to live, and will there be a change in next year’s housing selection.

Kristy Richman, reporting for WKNJ.

Audio Slideshow

Host Intro:

In Wildwood New Jersey during this time of year it is very quiet and very calm. There are no birds chirping, no lines at the restaurants, and maybe one bicycle on the board walk. But, if you were to go into the Wildwood Convention Center, quiet is the last thing you will hear.  Kristy Richman takes us there...

(Basketball Ambiance)

When you think of someone with a mental disability you might think of someone who looks a little different, and talks a little different, but this weekend wasn’t about differences from person to person. It was more about embracing unique individuals and their love for sports. The New Jersey Special Olympics held its annual basketball tournament over the weekend in Wildwood, New Jersey.

There were over a thousand athletes from all ages at this event. Lenny Yanchar (yan-char) is a volunteer worker who has spent his last eight years volunteering.

“Being here helps me keep my sanity. I’ve gained a lot between athletes and coaches, it’s really a family.”

 The Special Olympics is an athletic event for for athletes with intellectual disabilities, also known as mental retardation. The definition of mental retardation is a person who has been identified as having an intellectual disability, the person has a cognitive delay, low IQ, or when the person has a closely related development disability.

When watching the Olympics there were tears and laughter, smiles and frowns but mostly lots of heart. Many do not look at these individuals having a disability but rather them being purely unique and special in each and every way.

Special Olympics Sports Vice President Lillian Narvaez. Says what the special Olympics are all about.

 

"I’ve been working for the Special Olympics for 24 years.  I see this organization They also teach us a couple of things also.”

The Special Olympics holds more than just basketball tournaments, they also cover

softball, soccer, hockey, bad mitten, skiing, snowboarding, and over fifteen other sports.

Although, the athletes might not have understood the questions that were being asked, there is one truth. They are in love with their sport.

“And I love Basketball”

The basketball tournaments may have been the highlight of this weekend but there was also a dance and carnival afterwards. Activities Coordinator Carmen Banney tells us about the athletes.

“I don’t remember the reason and why I did, but I   love what I do. Far too many stories to tell. They don’t have the ability to lie, they’re terrific people to be friends with.”

He also encourages volunteers to help out with any of the Special Olympic Events.

“Don’t be afraid, they’re not as scary as you would think, just don’t be afraid, come out and volunteer.”

Going to this event was pure inspiration. The athletes were being taught but they were also teaching everyone that was near them. This journey was one that goes straight to the heart.

Volunteer, Lenny Yanchar gives a little insight about the Special Olympics…

“It’s not always about the gold medal but more about the competition, more about fair play andthe love within the sport.”

The special Olympics Motto is…

“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Reporting for WKNJ, I’m Kristy Richman.

Radio Show- New and Old Gyms

(gym ambiance)


Host Intro:

There’s a brand new gym on campus. It is very expensive, very beautiful, but oddly, very quiet.

Kristy Richman reports:

Its 5'oclock on a Tuesday evening and there are only four people in Kean University’s new gym but just across the track, the D’Angola gym is packed with lines waiting for the treadmills and lifting machines.

The new building is called the Carol Hynes Field House. The building is mostly for athletes but during few hours it is open to the student population. The question is why is this brand new facility not being used? And why was it built in the first place.

(new gym ambiance)

It’s silly reasons that the athletes do not use the gym. Brandon Bujnowski, a pitcher on Kean’s Baseball Team, has yet to use the Athletic Building. 

Bujnowski- “It’s too cold to walk there across the track in my shorts, that’s the only thing that I can think of.

 Student Sarah Anderson is confused when asked about the brand new gym. She believes that it’s not even built for female athletes but more geared toward the football team.

Anderson- “I think it’s for athletes I only went there once or twice but when I did go it was empty. It seems like it’s more for the football team, not equip for girls.It’s kind of annoying I’d say because I want my own space and if they have their own gym they should go there and be with all the other athletes working out.”

Majority of the athletes do not use The Carol Hynes Field House and that aggravates lots of students that attend the school as well as D’Angola Gym. Danielle Bonnani, a student at the University expresses her aggravation.

Bonnani- “I feel the purpose for the new gym is for the athletes to be in there and the other students to be in their new gym.”

(gym ambiance) 

With multiple tax cuts and more to come, you would think that the school would be more focused on education but the focus has seemed to turn onto the athletics. The money should be invested in the academic side of the school not put towards Division Three athletics. The reason behind the student aggravation is due to the fact that the athletes usually come first within the university. 

Patrick Clark was a student enrolled in the music program. He was forced to change is major because of the lack of school funds. He too believes that money should be put towards education...

Clark- "The arts, specifically the music program, here, it’s pretty weak, but usually the arts is like the first thing to go anyway, so I guess you can’t expect anything else right?.”

Carol Hynes Athletic building has a main use, and it’s for athletes, except, no one uses the gym. Athletic Director, Jay Sgaramella thinks differently...

Sgaramella- “I mean our athletes use it every day and it’s slowly becoming more popular with the student. We could get more use out of it but it’s good right now”

Many are curious as the why and when it was built…

Sgaramella-

“It was just built, just finished at the beginning of this semester. It was built because we needed more bathrooms for the stadium capacity and athletics decided to have a weight room built on top.”

(gym ambiance)  

It’s true that some of the building was donated by Jim Hynes. A baseball player and graduate from Kean University in the class at 1963, but he and his family only donated the bathrooms.

 (gym ambiance) 

If one were to look at the University’s athletic fields, there no doubt that they are beautiful. There are new heaters in the dug outs, turf fields for baseball, gorgeous football fields, and now, a state of the art gym that still smells brand new. There are plans in the near future to add more work out equipment in the Field House.

But, if you were to go into the classrooms and computer labs, they would see broken computers and rain stained ceilings.

This question still stands…Should money be spent towards educational needs or towards athletic ability?

I’m Kristy Richman, reporting for WKNJ.