Twenty years after the Boland Hall Fire, which took the lives of three Seton Hall freshmen, Aaron Karol, John Giunta and Frank Caltabilota, New Jersey’s state representatives continue to advocate for fire safety on college campuses.
Over winter break, Seton Hall University upgraded their cardio gym equipment with newer models in the Rec Center.
Five senators resigned from their respective positions within the Student Government Association (SGA).
The Seton Hall community reacted to a video that was posted to a student’s personal Instagram account this past weekend that ended with the use of a racial slur to refer to Asian people.
‘Twas the night of Dec. 3, when all through the Seton Hall campus there was darkness and cold, crisp air. But not for long.
The first winter storm of the season wreaked havoc across the northeast region Dec. 1 and 2, causing thousands of flight delays, hundreds of cancellations and hundreds of miles of traffic across the region during two of the busiest travel days of the year.
The Seton Hall community welcomed its 21st President Dr. Joseph E. Nyre on Nov. 15 in the Walsh Gymnasium. Administration, students, local leaders and clerical leaders were among those intendence to celebrate the installation of Nyre, where he said he will approach the position “with a sense of honor, excitement and profound humility.”
With several large Student Government Association (SGA) initiatives now underway, President Rishi Shah and Vice President Frank Mabalatan are slowly beginning to wrap up their year in SGA before the end of their term in nearly four months.
The Student Government Association’s Academic Affairs committee, organized a study into Wi-Fi problems at Seton Hall University.
Seton Hall hosted a private screening of the new movie “Harriet” on Nov. 16, as a “collaborative, interactive, experimental academic event,” according to Dr. Kelly Harris, one of the hosts of the event.
The Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE), will be hosting their annual “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week” this year from Nov. 17 to 22. This is a week of service opportunities aimed at raising awareness and helping those who are homeless and hungry this Thanksgiving season.
Sophomore finance major Noah Russo creates and sells his beats on SoundCloud. Russo’s published beats are categorized by mood and genre on the platform and can be purchased for $20-$50 dollars. Buyers can purchase the rights to his songs for $100. In a year, Russo has accumulated around 1,000 sales.
Vice President of the Student Government Association Frank Mabalatan is beginning a new initiative with the SGA Senate Elections Committee this semester to promote awareness and encourage competition by bolstering participation in SGA elections to ensure the best leaders are representing the Seton Hall community.
Members of the Inclusion Alliance visited freshmen students in their University Life classes for the second consecutive year in a row to facilite discussions on diversity this week.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, killed himself on Oct. 25 using a suicide vest after being cornered in a dead-end tunnel during an American military raid, according to The New York Times. Since his death, the Islamic State (IS) has named a new leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that Turkish forces have captured the wife of the late leader.
The Office of the Provost sent out an email on Oct. 28 asking students and their families to host international students and scholars for Thanksgiving this year as a continuation of the annual tradition.
The African Student Association’s annual Taste of Africa event was held on Oct. 29 in the Beck Rooms of the Walsh Library.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Keeling and Associates, a higher education consulting firm, is currently spearheading the University’s strategic planning process, which will aim to facilitate a thorough, iterative information-gathering process whereby leading to an “overarching institutional direction,” according to the firm’s mission statement. According to Dr. Alyssa McCloud, senior vice president of Enrollment Management and a co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC), the process will allow opportunities for constituents across the University to engage in discussions about the school’s future. [caption id="attachment_28867" align="aligncenter" width="838"] Kiera Alexander/Photography Editor[/caption] The information-gathering meeting “serve to gain insight and input from students, faculty, the priest community, staff members and more,” McCloud said. “This will inform and guide the strategic plan which will serve as a road map for the University’s strategic initiatives in the next 3-5 years. The strategic planning process will conclude in May at which point the University will move to the implementation phase.” The SPC and several working groups, which includes students, faculty and administrators will direct the planning process with consultation and assistance from K&A, according to the firm’s official strategic planning layout provided at an open forum. The firm hosted an open Town Hall on Oct. 28 in the Main Lounge, where firm representatives Director of Research and Consultant Jennifer Dickson and Vice President Alex Vasquez discussed the project’s goals. Specifically, Dixon reviewed the project’s timeline and Vasquez led an open discussion with attendees, which included administrators, clergy, students among other representatives of the university. Vasquez prompted discussion at the forum by posing questions such as what qualities are most distinctive to Seton Hall and what do you hope will be true about Seton Hall in five years that is not true today. When asked about Seton Hall’s distinctive qualities, attendees claimed attributes such as the school’s Catholic identity, prolific basketball reputation and its liberal arts tradition represent the community’s unique qualities. The discussion considered the University’s unique challenges and areas where the school requires improvement. Attendees discussed the lack of hiring new associate professors across disciplines, the unforeseen toll of opening a new medical school and the rapid expansion of schools within the University, among many other topics. One of the attendees and a student member of the SPC, sophomore diplomacy and international relations major Stefan Ferreira, at the Town Hall, commented on the school’s concentrated focus on the well-being of students. According to Ferreira, the Student Government Association is working with Keeling and Associates along with other students to provide important perspectives and contributions to the long-term strategic planning of the University. “It is with great privilege that I will actively work with students to determine how to inclusively represent student ideas in the strategic planning process,” Ferreira said. “Specifically, I plan on working directly with students to address topics including: campus culture, affordability, identity and academic life.” Furthermore, Ferreira said that over the next year and a half, K&A will conduct numerous visits to the Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS), Seton Hall Law School and main campuses. Additionally, the firm hosted another forum in the Bishop Dougherty University Center on Oct. 30, where the group continued its engagement and information-gathering process. According to the firm’s timeline, in November, the firm will host additional small group and individual interviews with community members. Additionally, the firm and the committee members will continue the ongoing data and information analysis and continue theme development for the strategic plan. After the planning process concludes in May, the timeline dictates that the plan will potentially be approved by the Board of Regents during June and July 2020. Moreover, according to the timeline, both the strategic plan and the implementation plan ought to be completed in August 2020. In addition, to the multiple campus-wide meetings scheduled throughout the semester, in mid-November, K&A will send a survey seeking feedback from students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, etc., according to McCloud. McCloud said she encourages everyone to complete the survey and assist in crafting Seton Hall’s strategic direction for the coming years. McCloud said, “I am very excited about this process and honored to serve Seton Hall, along with Dr. Andrew Simon as a co-chair of this very important process.” Thomas Schwartz can be reached at thomas.schwartz@student.shu.edu.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A chapter of the Period Movement—a global youth advocacy group fighting to end period poverty and period stigma through “service, education, and advocacy,” according to their website—has been established at Seton Hall University. [caption id="attachment_28863" align="aligncenter" width="838"] Photo Courtesy of Priya Bhargava[/caption] The organization’s mission is to distribute tampons, pads and menstrual cups, run educational workshops, educate people about menstruation and work towards systemic change and equality. Shimoli Parikh, a freshman biology major, is president of the organization’s Seton Hall chapter. “I’ve been following the national Period Movement Organization on social media for a few years now because I’m very passionate about politics and creating change, so when college came around and there was no chapter at Seton Hall, I figured I could start one,” Parikh said. Dr. Mary Balkun, an English professor and director of faculty development commented on how she got involved. “I was asked by Shimoli if I was interested and I said yes because I believe this is an important cause and one that does not get as much attention as it should,” Balkun said. “Having access to feminine hygiene products is something many women in this country, and at this university, are able to take for granted, but that’s not true for all women. I was delighted that these young women arrived at the university and decided to take this on.” Priya Bhargava, a freshman biology major in the physician’s assistant program and the person in charge of social media and PR, commented on why she got involved with the organization. “Periods are not talked about very much,” Bhargava said. “When Shimoli asked me to be a part of this club, I jumped at the opportunity. This chapter is unique in its subject area, yet so needed. By joining this club, I feel as though I am doing my part towards helping women, even in the tiniest way possible.” Radha Patel, a freshman biology major and the club’s vice president, joined after hearing about the club from Parikh and also became inspired by their mission to educate and end the stigma surrounding periods. Balkun, who is also the club advisor, commented on her opinion. “I’m very impressed by the way the students leading the formation of the chapter have organized so quickly and so well, especially given that they are first-year students; they already have an Executive Board, a cohort of members, and ideas for how to move forward. That’s another reason I agreed to be their advisor.” Balkun went on to comment what she’d like the student body to know about the organization. “I’d like them to know that the work of Period (which is a national organization) is about healthcare and about acknowledging something that happens to most women every single month for decades of their lives,” Balkun said. “What makes the organization unique is that it was founded by two teenagers and is driven largely by young people,” Balkun said. Bhargava said she concluded by saying that there is an apparent stigma around periods and especially period poverty. “It takes a lot of courage to start a club that involves such an uncomfortable topic,” Bhargava said. “This is precisely the reason we are starting this club. To break the stigma and cognitive dissonance that comes along with periods and hopefully help some women along the way.” Patel also went on to share her opinion of the club stating that its presence on campus was long overdue and will be able to make a difference in the lives of those in our community. “The club combines two aspects of education and charity and aims to fight to support women who are not as fortunate as others and help them in their time of need,” Patel said. “This club truly pushes on the idea of being a servant leader and providing for others when they need it and is an amazing club to be a part of.” Harman Gill, a freshman biology major and program coordinator for the club commented on his involvement. “I got involved with the club because when I heard about the goal and objective of the club, I was intrigued,” Gill said. “As a male, I had never heard about this movement before, but now I want to help others learn about this very important and impactful movement across the country and world!” He went on to share his opinion of the club stating he was extremely optimistic and excited. Gill said that she was excited not only to help those in need, but also to grow the movement on Seton Hall’s campus and beyond. Parikh concluded by commenting on what she would like the student body to know about this new organization. “This club isn’t only for women,” Parikh said, “Everyone is encouraged to join, as we can all understand that menstrual products are a necessity for those who menstruate, and we need as many people as possible to help us make a difference in the communities around us.” Rhania Kamel can be reached at rhania.kamel@student.shu.edu.
Solutions by The State News
