THE GRIFFINThe Free Student Newspaper of Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA September 2011

STYLE 4News 2 Opinion 6 Sports 8

MARY FRANCES CAVALLARO

‘13

On Friday, Aug. 26, in-coming freshmen were pre-pared and excited for the start of their orientation weekend and college career at Chestnut Hill College.

Within hours of travel-ing, packing and unpacking into what will be their home for the school year, everyone was strongly encouraged to evacuate the campus. Cars parked in the lower lot had to be relocated to Mount St. Joseph’s parking lot in the event of flooding. Students and student leaders were dis-appointed to have to evacu-ate the school, but for some, going home was not an op-tion.

Several students needed to remain on campus dur-ing Hurricane Irene because there was no way for them

to get home. Despite the cancellation of orientation weekend and having to stay in Fournier all weekend, the students and student leaders took advantage of the situ-ation and made the best of it, even though they were concerned about their loved ones at home. “I was safer here than at home, since I am from New Jersey, near the ocean,” said Caitlin Kain, ‘13. “The school did a great job of keeping us safe and alert. It was an in-teresting experience because those that stayed on campus truly bonded.”

The orientation leaders were determined to have a great weekend, despite only having a handful of fresh-men on campus. Through-out the weekend there were games, movies, friendship bracelet making and Quid-ditch in Sorgenti Arena. “We played basketball two nights

in a row in Sorgenti until the storm hit Chestnut Hill, then I shared some classic ghost stories of the school,” said Toya Laing, ‘13. “Al-though the situation was serious, the RAs and Orien-tation Leaders teamed up to make a crazy situation feel like another weekend at the College. Hopefully the first-year residents that stayed still enjoyed their first weekend here.” Freshmen Anthony McQuade, Dane Ghar and Joseph Russell Jr. agreed that it was a terrific chance to es-tablish friendships that will last for a long time. “It was a cool way to start off the school year,” said McQuade. “We had a good time hang-ing out in the dorm; it was the first time I’ve ever been in the middle of a tornado watch and I have to admit we were pretty scared.”

“I will never forget my Orientation weekend,” Ghar

added. “I was concerned for my loved ones, but in the past two weeks I could say that I survived a hurricane, earthquake and a tornado!”

The experience came a little easier to the RAs and orientation leaders that stayed on campus because they were familiar with one another. The freshmen, however, did a great job adapting to the situation and had a memorable weekend. “This proved to be a bless-ing in disguise,” said Fresh-man Kala Giannone. “All of the RAs and OLs had al-ready known each other and been in correspondence for some time, but I was new to the group. Instantaneously, I realized that that didn’t mat-ter. There is such a strong sense of community in this school, that when I sat down for dinner with everyone that night it felt as if I had been inducted into the fam-

ily. It was a tremendous ex-perience, seeing everyone in-teract and take care of each other. There was never re-ally a dull moment through-out the whole night. Even though part of me wishes I were home to check on fam-ily (who are all fine and safe), a bigger part of me was glad I was here. It was a great bonding experience and it showed me how caring, and unique this campus really is. Being ‘stuck’ here through Hurricane Irene was an ori-entation in itself and it was truly unforgettable.”

Irene passed and left her mark on the lower lot, but students were cleared to move back onto campus for Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. Do not feel left out, freshmen, because regardless of Irene cancelling orientation week-end, the events will still oc-cur over time; Ray will still give it away!

image: Trevor Phelps ‘14, Jessica Veazey ‘13

Chestnut Hill Students Survive Irene

A Letter from the Editor

The Griffin2

THE

GRIFFINVol. II, Issue I

The Free StudentNewspaper of

Chestnut Hill College

Olivia Marcinka ‘13Editor-in-Chief

Mary Marzano ‘12Managing Editor

Westly Mandoske ‘13Business Director

Michael Bradley ‘14Design Director

Zachary Grubb ‘12News Editor

Aizaz Gill ‘14Opinion Editor

Marilee Gallagher ‘14Sports Editor

Jen Jones ‘12Style Editor

Bleu Lane ‘12Style Editor

Jess Veazey ‘13Photo Editor

Dana Consalvo ‘12Copy Editor

Hannah Campbell ‘12Copy Editor

Susan Magee, M.F.A.Advisor

The Griffin strives for ac-curacy and fair representa-tion in all of its publications and correctness. If an error is found, e-mail the issue number, the article in which the error was found, and the correction that needs to be made. The resulting correc-tion may be printed in the next edition of The Griffin.

Make your opinion heard by submitting letters to the editor or contributions to The Griffin. Submissions be-come property of The Grif-fin and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. The views rep-resented in submissions do not represent the views of the College or the Griffin’s Advisor. Submissions also do not neccessarily repre-sent The Griffin’s position.

Interested in writing, pho-tographing, layout or de-sign? Fill out a short form on our Facebook and The Griffin will contact you.Email The Griffin at thegriffin.chc@gmail.comor visit The Griffin on Face-book.

KELLY MCKAY‘12

The wait for the brand new fitness center is almost over. An announcement will be made in the near future via the college’s Web site and students will re-ceive an email regarding its opening. “The final construc-tion preparations are ongoing and we anticipate opening as soon as possible,” said Sandy Dickson, director of fitness and recreation. “It will surely be a bright hub on campus that will be overflowing with activ-ity.”

As construction contin-ues, students, faculty and staff

have access to the existing fit-ness center in the basement of Fontbonne.

So what can we expect to see in the new fitness center? Gym-goers are required to swipe their ID card at the front desk and will have access to a full line of cardio equipment including treadmills, bikes and ellipticals, as well as plate-load-ed and cybex machines and free weights. There will also be bal-ance balls, bands, agility hurdles and more. The new fitness cen-ter will have various flat screen TVs throughout too.

Students have the opportu-nity to host one guest at a time on weekends after completing

the waiver that all users must fill out before utilizing the fa-cility.

Although the exact open-ing date has yet to be released, anticipation is growing around campus. “I wish it were already open, but I’m really excited for it,” said KarlaAne Klouda ’14, “I think they designed it really well; it looks really bright and nice and people are going to want to go there.”

Other student-athletes like Klouda are looking forward to how spacious the gym is going to be. Often times in the exist-ing fitness center various athlet-ic teams would arrive and there would not be enough equip-

ment for everyone. “I can’t wait for the gym to be finished,” said Dan Morgan ’12. “It’s go-ing to be a great addition to the college.”

The hours for the existing fitness center in Fontbonne as well as for the new fitness cen-ter are as follows:

Monday - Thursday (7am-10pm)Friday (7am-8pm)Saturday (10am-5pm)Sunday (12-8pm)

Anyone interested in work-ing in the fitness center should contact Sandy Dickson at dick-sons@chc.edu.

ALYSSA MILLER‘12

College provides you with plenty of opportunities to get involved whether it be in sports, clubs, or attending campus events. One of the benefits of getting involved on campus is that it truly fulfills your college experience.

One major club around cam-pus is Student Government As-sociation (SGA). Being a mem-ber of Student Government allows you to take action and

to have a voice. A major way that student’s voices have been heard here at CHC is by extend-ing the hours in the cafeteria and making the shuttle times more convenient for students. Student Government prides it-self on being a governing body. SGA is the liaison between the students, faculty and adminis-tration. When students have a concern, they are able to share it with a member of Student Gov-ernment, and they will do their best to take action and report the concern to a faculty or staff

member.This organization is about

taking part in a decision-making process that affects the popu-lation of the school. SGA also takes part in community service events, such as Griffin Week, a Pep Rally, and the winter and spring formals. Not only is Stu-dent Government a great way to allow your voice to be heard, it is also a great place to make new friends especially for fresh-men who are able to meet new people from different classes.

This year’s positions that are

available are Senior Class Vice President, Sophomore Class Vice President and both Fresh-man Class President and Vice President. The duties for those positions include holding class meetings, taking charge of cer-tain annual events, and even dec-orating a part of the campus on Christmas Decorating Night. As Student Government President, I encourage you to become a part of SGA. It is a wonderful experience and an unbeatable way of getting your voice heard and making a difference.

JILL MCFARLAND‘15

Travis Wolfe boards a plane to London, England with a few goals set in mind. Explore, learn, not be viewed as an ob-noxious American, along with perhaps shaking the queen’s hand.

After moving in at the Thursby House, a dormitory, it didn’t take long for Travis to find his way around the city. With a series of trains, buses, subways, and “the tube”, he could get wherever he wanted to be- and fast. That’s the Lon-don way- a hustle and bustle, bunch of coffee-drinking, well-dressed, blue-tooth endowed businesspeople crossing every street every day. Sprinkle in a blend of shoppers, wanderers and tourists from all over the world, and that’s London.

Travis saw a tennis match at Wimbledon, talked to an elderly man in the world’s oldest cigar shop for two hours, and finally tried strawberries and cream all in the same day. The man told Travis he wasn’t an obnoxious American. Check.

Eating within the city can be a venture in and of itself. One night Travis and his friends stopped by a Thai food buffet- which is prevalent in London- two plates later they realized

Fitness Center Set to Open in Imminent Future

Chestnut Hill Takes London & France

Student Government Looking for Participants

they couldn’t identify anything on the plate. Check please.

Travis did a lot of things in London that every tourist should do: visited the Parlia-ment building, saw a play at a historic theatre, ate the home-town dish “bangers and mash” and rode the Eye of London. However, Travis took trip to

Paris to explore and visit his friend, Becky Bond. Becky had been working at an intern-ship as well as taking courses abroad, and when Travis ar-rived, she had somewhere to be. Travis took it upon himself to roam around the streets of Paris, eat a ham and cheese baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower and unfortunately for him, get robbed by a gypsy. Be-ing bold and adventurous is a necessary characteristic to de-

velop when in a foreign setting. Absorb your surroundings, but don’t let people steal from you.

Travis and Becky were to-gether for a weekend in Par-is. Becky took Travis under her wing and showed him all the places that were now her stomping grounds. They ate

dinner in ritzy parts of the city and saw Notre Dame Cathe-dral, the Louvre, and the infa-mous Arc de Trimophe.

Becky enjoyed Paris in a very respectful and admirable way. She loved the allure of the city itself; all the lights, the glisten-ing streets, amazing architec-ture and all filled with people who were dressed up wherever they went. Becky’s goal in Paris wasn’t to impress the French or meet any government offi-

cials; she made and completed a checklist of sights she wanted to see.

Becky stayed in an apart-ment owned by a French cou-ple who would cook her dinner on Wednesday nights and show her easy ways to get around the city. Rosy and Pierre along with 8+ years of studying the French language aided in Becky’s accli-mation to Paris.

Like Travis did in London, Becky followed the basics while in Paris. Had lunch by the Thames River, watched the French Open and tried an as-sortment of indigenous chees-es; her favorite was Compte. Becky was in Paris during a national music festival and de-scribed it as her best day. All throughout the streets of Paris there was a cluster of smells from vending carts, differ-ent songs blasting over each other from all distances and men handing out French flags; all continuing to the morning hours.

Becky and Travis kept an open mind, did their best to complete their checklists and inhaled and absorbed the spir-its and culture of the cities they visited. Feeling at home, com-fortable and most of all- hav-ing a fun, exciting trip came easily after that!

image: Becky Bond ‘12

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WES MANDOSKE‘13

So I awoke Thursday Sept. 8 thinking that I totally missed my 8 a.m. class and was likely late. Not so much. I checked my phone and read the text: Class-es cancelled until 12:30 p.m.. I breathed a sigh of relief at our second late opening that week. I peeked out my Fitz window towards the soccer fields. I saw brown water below. Hoodie on, shoes tied and I’m out the door with my roommates and friends. I step outside and I hear a con-stant rumbling coming from be-low the wall.

Chestnut Hill was an island. On Thursday, Sept. 8, Chestnut Hill and the Philadelphia area suffered severe flooding that greatly impacted city services, SEPTA and caused bridge and road closures.

At about 9:20 a.m. the Wis-sahickon had far outgrown its banks was moving briskly over the soccer field, through the tennis courts and was falling like rapids into the outdoor volley-ball court. At that time, four cars were partially submerged in the resurgent Wissahickon. River water had reached the edge of the softball fields and the doors of the Earth Center.

Since the late opening of Chestnut Hill, classes have re-peatedly been postponed or

cancelled due to excessive and potentially dangerous flooding on campus and the surrounding area. The Northeast has been dealing with the three succes-sive hurricanes: Irene, Lee and Katia. Although Lee and Katia were weaker storms, the com-bined effect of three consecu-tive direct hits on the Northeast has caused economic damage up and down the coast.

At the Germantown Avenue bridge, I met up with some Sug-arloaf residents. They had been there for a while and told me that the water had been rising steadily up to the bridge, where it nearly came up onto the deck.

They also told me that they had lost power at Sugarloaf. Residents waited until German-town Avenue was cleared to take the shuttle to campus, but some braved the rain and flooding to walk to Campus. After snapping may pictures of the lower lots asphalt being tossed around by the current, we doubled back to check out the bridge on North-west Ave.

Although the floodgates were down, many drivers at-tempted to cross the expanse of water before the bridge to find out that there was a bigger, deeper puddle beyond. We tried to warn them, but everyone seemed to frustrated to bother with directions.

We walked back along

Northwest Ave to check out the stables. I have to say though that walking down the center line of the closed-off Germantown gave me a poignant sort of thrill in those few hours.

Approaching me from Sug-arloaf was several College em-ployees, particularly Security, Housekeeping and Cafeteria workers, who braved the weath-er to come to work. Most were forced to either park at the Loaf or walk down from the L bus stop there. For some, this was a colossal effort considering the difficult commuting between road closures and spotty SEP-TA bus and rail service.

Also braving the weather was a smallish-group of fresh-man who had come out to play in the rain and see what was ac-tually happening outside their new home. I asked them some questions, but the biggest one was whether they felt disadvan-taged by their abridged orienta-tion. One student said, “A little, but they’re trying their best. It was a little nerve-racking being thrown into it, but now we’ve got the hang of it”. So they went along on their merry way, but only after I cautioned them to stay out of the water, as the faint smell of sewage hung in the air.

Needless to say, I had an in-teresting day.

JESSIE PENNELL‘14

Bludgers, broomsticks and brotherly love; Quidditch sea-son is here! As summer winds down and leaves start to fall, the Chestnut Hill Quidditch team begins to prepare for another successful run. Kicking off the festivities is Harry Potter Week-end, a joint effort between the College and the greater Chest-nut Hill community.

A large aspect of this week-end (starting Friday, Oct. 14) is the Philadelphia Brotherly Love Cup, which is put on by CHC. The Cup, which is free to all, is being held on the soccer fields

and will see 16 teams from 13 different colleges, universities, and other organizations battle it out for the title. CHC stu-dents have already begun prac-ticing, with sessions on Fridays and Sundays at 1 p.m. These sessions are open to everyone, from the experienced to the cu-rious. Stephanie Rief, a member of last year’s World Cup team, is excited for the Brotherly Love Cup and hopeful for the team’s prospects. Excitement is ram-pant around campus, and the love for Quidditch is palpable. “It’s fun,” says Rief. “The sports aspect is cool, and there’s re-ally no other sport that has as much going on at once. For

other sports you focus on one goal, but in Quidditch you have to concentrate on five differ-ent things at once.” According to Rief, this facet of gameplay brings the team closer together because “you are always looking out for one another.”

Caroline Stutz, an active member in both the school team and the Harry Potter Weekend planning process, likes the com-bination of the competitive and whimsical angles of this unique sport. Stutz, who doesn’t play a sport for the school says, “I treat it as a sport. I love the ag-gression and seriousness of it, but at the same time there is a fun spirit.”

Jade Thompson, a member and supporter of the team adds, “we always end up as a family.” Another branch of this family is the cheerleading squad, created by Mary Frances Cavallaro and Caitlyn Kain. “It started be-cause we wanted to get involved but didn’t want to be direct players,” Kain says. “After the Brotherly Love Cup last year the reception was really good and so we are going to continue. We just have fun with it.” For more information on becoming in-volved with cheerleading, email Mary Frances at cavallarom@chc.edu.

The Cup is only one of many ways that CHC and the Chest-

nut Hill community are celebrat-ing Harry Potter Weekend. The event will begin with an opening ceremony in Chestnut Hill, and select stores and restaurants in town will be transformed into Hogsmeade, both in aesthetics and services offered. Mask and Foil, CHC’s drama club, will also be participating, with several ac-tors becoming beloved Harry Potter characters and adopting Germantown Avenue as their stomping ground for the week-end. Several other events and surprises are planned, and the integration of the College and downtown communities will make the weekend one to re-member.

all images: Jessica Veazey ‘13

Destructive Floods Hit Philadelphia

CHC Becomes Hogwarts for the Weekend

The Griffin4

STYLE

Back to School Playlist from the Style Editors: Bleu and Jen

Joshua JamesFolk SingerSounds Like: William Fitzsimmons, Ray Lamontagne, Bob DylanThis guy will sing you to sleep while you are simultaneously balling your eyes out.How I found him: Genius from iTunes recommended Jamesto me due to my interest in Bon Iver.The track that got me hooked: Crash This TrainOther Songs to Check Out: Pitchfork, Losing My Religion (REM Cover)

Blue Sky Black DeathInstrumental Hip-HopSounds Like: Kno, Glen Porter, Mr CooperWhen you are in your car about to be driving for the longest time or sitting in your room pushing out some last min-ute homework and want to feel good, then you are definitely in the right place.How I found them: A long trail of clicking on related videos on YouTubeThe track that got me hooked: The Era When We SangOther Songs to Check Out: Threads of Gold, My Work Will Be Done

Kito & Reija LeeDubstepSounds like: Nero, Dillon Francis, MunchiKito is a DJ and Reija Lee is a singer. Pair the two up and you get dubstep/electro beats with pretty vocals. How I found them: I saw Kito live this summer and liked her set so much I wanted to check out more.Track that got me hooked: “Broken Hearts”Others to check out: “Sweet Talk” and “Broken Hearts (Dillon Francis remix)”

Junior BoysSynth-pop/Indie/ElectroSounds like: Hot Chip, Cut Copy, Toro y MoiWhile they’re not necessarily a new band, I just started listening to them over the summer. They are pretty mellow with an electro edge. Good background music for a chill evening.How I found them: I heard a remix of “In the Morning” from a friend and decided to check out their original stuff.Track that got me hooked: “In the Morning”Others to check out: “The Reservoir” and “A Truly Happy Ending”

JEN JONES‘12

So it is quarter after 4 on a Saturday afternoon about one week before the start of the school year. I am lis-tening to The Counting Crows perform "A Long De-cember" at Abbey Road Studios, and suddenly it hits me. I need to talk to you guys about the trail of mud the music industry has left us to soak in as Summer 2011 comes to a close. This summer, a film school train wreck graced YouTube with her "unique" style. Kreay-shawn, a 21 year old up and coming "artist" dropped the video for her single "Gucci Gucci" in early June, around the same time she signed her deal with Colum-bia Records. Yes, the same Columbia Records that is home to some of music's greatest such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and David Bowie for

crying out loud. Now, when I am writing about music, I will always turn it on so I can do my best to express how it makes me feel and what the message is really all about. Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci" sounds like someone handed a young boy going through puberty a micro-phone after serving him spiked apple juice. Her whiny, nasally voice makes her lyrical content easy to miss, but luckily I have heard the song enough now to point out some of her best lines: "I’m in the coupe cruising / I got the stolen plates serving all the fiends over there by the Golden Gate Bridge / I’m colder than the fridge and the freezer." Good to know, girl. Okay, one more for good measure: "So posh, nails fierce with the gold gloss which means nobody getting over me I got the swag and it’s pumping out my ovaries." Sounds fairly ridiculous on paper, huh?

One more thing, Lil Wayne, who at this point needs

no introduction, released a song in the beginning of the summer titled "How To Love." Critics received the song well in saying that the soft and sweet song was a side of Wayne that has not been seen by the public be-fore. Time out, we are complimenting the guy for final-ly putting out a less aggressive song that doesn't insult women? In this track he now empathizes with a young woman who is unsure how to love, presumably because of poor treatment from other men in the past, and at the conclusion of the song Weezy assures her that she is beautiful and deserves the best. Now due to the re-ally inappropriate content of his other songs, I cannot compare these lyrics with those of his previous works but if you have a minute: look them up.

Hopefully fall will lead to better singles, winter is a good season for break up songs, and at least those are enjoyable most of the time.

Song I Wish I Had Not Heard This Summer

KRISSTEN APPENZELLER‘12

This year’s MTV Video Music Awards garnered the highest ratings in the network’s history. Over 12 million people watched the annual music spectacle. If you weren’t one of them, here’s what you missed:

Surprisingly, Lady Gaga was not in attendance. Rather, her male alter ego, Jo Calderone, showed up for her on the black carpet. Gaga as Calderone wore a simple black jacket, white t-shirt, and black pants.

His/her other accessories included an Elvis-like coif and a cigarette. Gaga stayed in Jo Calderone attire throughout the entire show and even opened the show with a shaky version of her latest single “You and I” as this character.

Beyonce took to the stage to not only perform her song “Love on Top” but to also announce her preg-nancy. Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z are expecting what is sure to be the next generation of hip-hop royalty. Most people send out baby announcements via mail, but leave it to the bootylicious singer to do it in such

a grand fashion.Russell Brand led a touching tribute to his late

friend Amy Winehouse. He highlighted the most im-portant aspect of her life: her music. Crooner Tony Bennett showed a clip of him and Winehouse in the recording studio. Bruno Mars honored the fallen sing-er by performing her hit song “Valerie.”

And of course, there were the awards. Big winners included Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears who was honored with the Video Vanguard Award, Tyler, the Creator, and Lady Gaga (or Jo Calderone?).

Gaga, Britney, Beyonce Set Records at 2011 VMAS

images: amazon.com

screenshots: mtv.com

The Griffin 5

What to Wear: Transitioning into Fall

Going Out Guide: SeptemberWhether you’re a new student adjusting to college life, or a returning student trying to get back into the swing of things, be sure to leave room in your schedule for fun. Here are some events going on around the city this fall:

Saturday September 17: Lupe Fiasco will be per-

forming at the Trocadero Theatre with Big Sean, Miguel, and Tinie Tem-

pah. Tickets are $39.50 in advance.

Wednesday September 21:

Philly Phasion Phest presents “Phashion in a Phlash”. The night will start off at 7 p.m. with mobile fashion shows

around Center City and end with a main event at

the Shops at Liberty Place. Tickets for students are

$25.

Wednesday September 28:

Mac Miller will be per-forming at the Electric

Factory. Tickets are $20 in advance.

Sunday October 9: Welcome autumn at

Chestnut Hill’s Fall for the Arts festival from 11 a.m-5 p.m. Admission is free and there will be live music, crafts, and food.

Saturday October 15: Minus the Bear at the

Electric Factory. Tickets are $20 in advance.

images: flickr.com/surfwellshop

images: flickr.com/surfwellshop

images: flickr.com/surfwellshopimages: flickr.com/surfwellshop

images: flickr.com/cocokelley images: flickr.com/cocokelley

The Griffin6

OPINIONWES MANDOSKE

‘13

The recent credit down-grade has caused a worldwide stir about the viability of the U.S. as a long-term invest-ment or perhaps as stable na-tion. According to the more dramatic news personalities, it may seem that this is the end of the United States or per-haps, more moderately, that the world is losing confidence in the stability of our political system and commitment to good business practice. But I dispute that assertion.

On 5 August, New York-based Standard & Poor’s (S&P), one of the leading cred-it and investment rating agen-cies worldwide, downgraded the long-term sovereign credit rating of United States Trea-sury Bills from a prime invest-ment rating of AAA to the rating one rank below, AA+. This happened despite the political clash-of-titans about raising the public debt ceiling and preventing a hypothetical default on the outstanding bills of the United States. This con-cluded, they thought, with an eleventh-hour bill that raised the debt ceiling and created a bi-partisan “super committee” of both House and Senate members to recommend fur-ther cuts.

Two other major ratings firms, Moody’s Investor Ser-vices and Fitch Ratings have maintained triple-A ratings for the U.S., but both concur with S&P’s negative long-term out-

look. So why has Standard & Poor’s taken this remarkable course of action? It seems that there is less faith in the current political climate to adequately address and respond to press-ing economic problems.

Standard & Poor’s cited these political reasons in their revelatory report:

“The political brinkman-ship of recent months high-lights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less ef-fective, and less predictable than what we previously be-lieved. The statutory debt ceil-ing and the threat of default have become political bargain-ing chips in the debate over fis-cal policy.”

To me, S&P is reflecting what most Americans already think about the national politi-cal arena. But on a larger level, the polemics that became so ingrained into American po-litical discourse have so com-pletely distorted the purpose and functions of the offices they hold as to deprive the American public of the benefit of good governance.

Despite the downgrade, there has been little lasting ef-fect on the financial markets. However, there has been an enormous effect in the collec-tive minds of other nations. To the international community, S&P’s action represents a loss of confidence in the American political system. Moreover, it serves as depressing reminder to Europe of its own sover-eign-debt crisis in Greece and

in other member states. Oth-er nations around the world shuddered at the possibility of losing the economic an-chor that is American public finance.

The People’s Republic of China, the largest single holder of U.S. sovereign debt at ap-proximately 10%, has chosen to reaffirm its faith in U.S. credit. During Vice-President Joe Biden’s four-day trip to Beijing in August, Biden advo-cated for American credit. And despite some of the purported lecturing by the official Xinhua News Agency, Chinese lead-ers publicly announced their willingness to partner with the United States.

Perhaps in this tense cli-mate of financial uncertainty, we can learn some lessons about the role of the U.S. in the world economy. More than ever it seems that other nations are looking again to the United States for leadership.

Congress should cease fighting for the sake of fight-ing. Working towards an equal compromise is far more pro-ductive than the endless strut-ting and chest-beating of Congress at large. This credit downgrade represents a grow-ing public awareness of our in-terconnectedness to the world economy. I hope this perceived vulnerability becomes the im-petus behind a concerted ef-fort in strengthening our own position and leads to growth of international cooperative action.

Losing Confidence: America’s Credit CrisisA Letter from the Editor:

Dear Reader.

It is with incredible gratitude that we present this year’s first edition of The Griffin. Especially when just over the length of two years, our newspaper has undergone many noteworthy changes. By reforming sections, improving upon editorial technique, and working to enhance visual appeal, The Griffin has truly developed into a continuous triumph.

We begin this year with a team of editors that have dem-onstrated their skill and dedication to writing and revising. With a large group of editors both new and old, a sort of bal-ance among opinions and ideas is provided. Those students have proven themselves as risk-takers, consistently challeng-ing new modifications.

A quote from one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coehlo reads, “When you want something,all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” This quote lends truth to the ambitions of our paper. I trust that I can speak for all of the editorial staff as well as our contributing writers when I say, that without a certain spark of desire, our newspaper would not be what it is today. By recognizing our goals, we have interpreted them into a published reality.

As a mission that is stressed amongst The Griffin’s entire staff and that of our institution, let us carry on the legend of credible work and daring changes.

Amiably,

Olivia Marcinka ‘13Editor-in-Chief

ALEXANDRA FUSCO‘14

“Oh.” That’s the response that commuters receive when they tell many resident stu-dents that they do not live on campus. Commuter students face many issues and chal-lenges that many residents don’t even need to consider. Among the commuter popu-lation, there seems to be a consensus that the college could improve upon some of the issues currently faced by commuters.

For instance, the new swipe system installed in the school is a great technological improvement; however this system excludes commuter students, who cannot swipe into dorms. In conducting research on the topic, I have heard several explanations as to why commuters can-not swipe including “We just don’t know who you are”, “you don’t pay to live here” and “the sign-in system works just fine for you people” and my personal favorite, “we have it working for residents

so why mess with it just for commuters”.

Commuter students want to be able to swipe into dorms and feel like they are a part of campus, not just day visitors. By not allowing commuter students to use the swipe sys-tem, it appears that Chestnut Hill College is encouraging non residents to relax in the Commuter Lounge, or com-muter hallway – as it is re-ferred to by many students – instead of hanging out in the dorms.

Resident Christina Gir-

ouard admitted that she was not even aware that the Com-muter Lounge was a lounge; she thought it was a hallway where people waited for class-es. It’s regrettable to know that commuters do not even have a lounge to be proud of.

These two challenges alone heighten the issue that some commuters have in regards to making friends. Having to face the hassle of signing into dorms, and then having no real place to relax commut-ers feel like going home is the best option. As Vice Presi-

dent of the Commuter Club, it is disconcerting to know that commuters have to face such a situation. Commuter students need to get involved and stay involved in student activities, but if they do not feel comfortable or welcome on campus why would they stay if they don’t have to? The Commuter Club wants to improve upon these issues and more while making the club a place for commuter students to gather together to share their commuting experi-ences and make friends.

Commuters Faced with Day-to-Day Problems

The Griffin 7

SPORTS

AIZAZ GILL‘14

“The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Pro Bowl CB Nnamdi Asomugha.” With those words, the much ma-ligned Eagles brass, consisting of Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Howie Roseman, sent a clear message to their fans, the play-ers and the rest of the league: It is Super Bowl or bust for the 2011-2012 NFL season.

The acquisition of Asomu-gha, a shutdown corner and the marquee free agent in this year’s market, was announced on the heels of a significant trade involving former QB Kevin Kolb. The man who was once considered to be the future of the Eagles fran-chise was traded to the Arizo-na Cardinals for Pro Bowl CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

and a second round pick in next year’s draft. Cromartie and Asomugha provide much needed aid to an Eagles sec-ondary that struggled mightily last season having given up a franchise record 31 touchdown passes despite having Pro Bowl CB Asante Samuel. More often than not, QBs threw away from Samuels and to the opposite side of the field. With Samuel out of the equation and the Eagles other CBs not playing as well as the front office and fans had hoped, a huge weak-ness was exploited in the Ea-gles secondary which led to an early playoff exit. The Eagles realized that they needed to im-prove their secondary and with Asomugha, DRC, and Samuels the Philadelphia Eagles have on paper what is considered to be the best secondary in the league.

The Eagles did not stop with just Asomugha on de-fense. The Birds also signed DE Jason Babin and DT Cullen Jenkins to shore up a defense line that was largely inconsis-tent last year and plagued with injuries. Babin is expected to play opposite Trent Cole on the line and with that tandem who combined for 22.5 sacks last year, QBs won’t want to stay in the pocket too long against the Eagles.

After giving the defense a much needed upgrade, Joe Banner focused on the of-fensive side of the football by adding insurance to an already dynamic attack. Former Titans QB Vince Young, who pos-sesses a 30-17 win loss record as a starter, was signed to be Michael Vick’s backup. The Ea-gles brass is aware of the fact that Michael Vick significantly

bolsters their chances to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Howev-er, Vick just turned 31 and has a well documented history of in-jury issues. Young gives them a viable option as the backup just in case of a worst case scenario with Vick. The Eagles also ob-tained the services of former Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown who was the second overall pick in the 2005 draft. Brown was a vital weapon for a fero-cious Dolphins running attack and will provide the Birds with some versatility in the rushing game.

Ronnie Brown became the 5th former first rounder along with Babin, Cromartie, Young and Asomugha to be acquired by the Eagles during the 2011 free agency period. A free agent signing frenzy such as this one is quite out of character for the Reid Era and the fact that it’s

happening now demonstrates that the Eagles are determined to finally win the Super Bowl. Along with creating unprec-edented amount of enthusiasm within fans, the commitment to winning has lured players like Brown to Philadelphia. The former first round pick took less money and a one year deal in order to play on the Eagles. “At the end of the day, you want to win games,” Brown said re-garding why he chose Philadel-phia. “That’s why you’re here. My ultimate goal at this level is to win a championship. This is a situation where I think I can do that.” It was that very mes-sage that the Eagles were hop-ing to send to their fans when they signed Nnamdi Asomugha and took the first step to build-ing the championship team that this city has been desperately waiting for.

An Explosive Offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles

EBONY WASHINGTON‘12

When you don’t attend class, your professors call her. If you need a shoulder to lean on, you visit her. If you’re a student-athlete, you know her.

Who is she? She is Nikki Lockhart, assistant athletic di-rector for academic success and community engagement.

Though Lockhart is new to the Chestnut Hill College fam-ily, she adapted both efficiently and effectively. She made it a priority that all student-athletes not only focus on their sport but work hard in the classroom as well.

“In this position I wear a lot of different hats,” said Lock-

hart. “Sometimes I play the role of a mother figure when students need someone to talk to, probation officer when they are not excelling in classes, a friend to talk to, a mentor, sup-portive fan, and some days I’m just Nikki.”

What Lockhart enjoys most about her position at Chestnut Hill is being able to work with athletes every day, the staff that she works with, and the relationships that she is able to build.

On the other hand, her job becomes complicated when she cannot get students to val-ue the significance of how im-portant it is that they comply with her expectations.

Lockhart wants the best for

all student athletes and hopes that they are aware that they do have a support system in the athletic department.

Lockhart who was born and raised in Rochester, New York attended an all-girls Cath-olic High School. Chestnut Hill reminds her of her old school. “Chestnut Hill College makes me feel closer to home,” she said. “The hallways were small and I was in the first class that graduated with a coed class.”

Before accepting her posi-tion at Chestnut Hill College, Lockhart was a former stu-dent-athlete at Fairleigh Dick-inson University, a Division I school in Teaneck, NJ, where she pursued her B.A. in Hu-manities as well as worked in

the Academic Advising office as a graduate assistant.

Lockhart feels that her background in sports enabled her to relate to student-ath-letes and their challenges. “My coach used to have us prac-tice at 7 a.m., every morning,” Lockhart said. “For some of my teammates it was an easy task; however others struggled with the early morning work outs and classes.”

Though Lockhart has not been at CHC for very long, she has contributed and es-tablished a lot that will help to prepare future student athletes and continue to motivate them in their future endeavors.

These steps include but are not limited to: student counsel-

ing, maintaining study hall, and helping students to prioritize.

Lockhart hopes that ath-letes will be able to understand and appreciate the value of hard work and dedication in the classroom. She also wants to see everyone taking advan-tage of the resources and op-portunities that the College provides.

A quote by Theodore Roo-sevelt reiterates this concept, saying, “Nothing worth hav-ing was ever achieved without effort.” Lockhart loves this quote; it reflects her philoso-phy. “I can give you the basics to succeed,” Lockhart said, “but I cannot attend class for you.”

College Staff Profile: Nikki Lockhart

flickr.com/ kevinwburkett

The Griffin8

SPORTS

MARILEE GALLAGHER‘14

Last year, the Griffins suc-cessfully made it to the postsea-son for the first time in school history under new head coach, Keith Cappo. This year, aided by new freshmen talent and a strong crop of returning play-ers, the team hopes to make it even further. The Griffins are putting it all on the line to be-come the CACC Champions and with the tournament taking place right here at CHC’s own Victory Field, the motivation to win is higher than ever.

The Griffins enjoyed their best record last season since joining the CACC, finishing

strong with a 9-10 overall record and a 5-6 record in the confer-ence. They hope to build on and better that this year aided by a strongly recruited freshmen class with six new players who will all vie for significant playing time and the return of seven starters including CACC All-Tournament selection, Darryl Richardson ‘13 and All-Confer-ence selection and co-captain, Gavin Reid ’12. The Griffins remain strong in both the mid-field and defense but perhaps the most important returning player is junior goal keeper and co-captain, Mike Goldstein. Goldstein was a huge part of the Griffins success last year as he ranked second in the CACC

in saves, fifth in save percentage and fifth in shutouts.

The Griffins began the 2011 season with high expectations and in the first month of play they have already secured a tournament title in winning the West Chester University Tour-nament. After ending regulation tied against California Universi-ty (PA), the Griffins went on to win in penalty kicks with a score of 1-0. This victory advanced the Griffins to the final stage of the tournament where they faced the host college’s Golden Rams. The score was tied at no goals apiece until senior mid-fielder, Anthony O’Connor, scored in the 25th minute to give the Griffins the lead. This

would end up being the win-ning goal as Goldstein, already almost doubling the amount of shut outs he had last year with five, kept the Rams off of the score card and helped the Grif-fins to a 1-0 win over West Chester in the championship final.

The CHC Men’s Soccer Team is expected to com-pete and contend with the top teams in the playoffs. With a preseason ranking of seventh no one in the conference is re-ally expecting a drastic improve-ment on the part of the team but the Griffin’s coach Cappo sees differently. “We expect to represent the college in the CACC playoffs and we will do

so in pride,” he said. For Cappo, if the Griffins fi-

nally won it all this year it would be a great accomplishment but it would also have special mean-ing to the Griffins one time as-sistant coach. When Cappo first joined CHC, this year’s seniors were freshmen and he wants nothing more than to send his first group of athletes off on a winning note. “It would be extra special to have them play for a conference champion-ship at our home field,” Cappo said adding that Victory Field would be the perfect place for the Griffins to finally accom-plish what he knows they can and that is winning the CACC Championship.

High Expectations for the Men’s Soccer Team in 2011

MARILEE GALLAGHER‘14

The women’s soccer team proved that going abroad isn’t just for studying anymore when they traveled as a team to Ire-land to participate in some in-ternational friendlies against European football clubs.

The Chestnut Hill College Women’s Soccer Team had the opportunity to do something that no other CHC sports team had ever done. As a team, they traveled to Ireland for an 11 day visit which included three matches against Irish club teams and tours of the country. On August 6th, the soccer team reached their destination of Dublin, Ireland to begin their journey in the Emerald Isle.

The Lady Griffins began their first day in Ireland by tak-

ing a tour of some of the coun-try’s most beautiful sights. They visited Glendalough, the site where movie scenes from P.S. I Love You and Braveheart were filmed. After eating dinner at the hotel, the team practiced for their first club match which was set to take place the next day.

“It was beautiful,” recount-ed junior co-captain Shannon Catts about the Irish scenery. Catts and her co- captains, Lau-ren Riff ’12 and Lauren Brown ’12 were asked to keep a blog of their adventures that ap-peared on griffinathletics.com. “The captains were asked to keep the blog updated so every night our team would meet up in the hotel,” Catts said, add-ing that the blog was a way for fellow Chestnut Hill stu-dents, faculty and staff to fol-

low the events of the soccer team. Catts, Brown and Riff all worked together with the team to write entries almost every day about the main points of their trip. “It was pretty cool to sit around with the team and discuss what we would write to Greg and griffinathletics.com each day,” Catts said, pointing out that the blog was entirely a team collaboration and that the girls enjoyed keeping it up-dated.

It was not long into the trip that the Lady Griffins got their first taste of the level of in-ternational competition. “The soccer competition was very high,” Catts said adding that, “a lot of the teams had national players on them.”

After their first international friendly, the Irish team invited the Griffins to have lunch with

them which according to the team was a very fun and enjoy-able experience. They finished the day by shopping, touring the Guinness Factory and eat-ing in Swords, a town outside of Dublin.

The Griffins played two more international friendlies to close out their trip including a match against the Cabinteely Ladies Football Club, a very talented Irish team. “Compared to teams in our conference their forwards and midfielders had amazing shots from 20 yards out,” Catts said about the tal-ent and skill of the club.” The Griffins were forced to adapt from their conference style of play against this team but in the end the girls believed the hard work will pay off and that the experience gained from playing overseas will translate into bet-

ter play this season.For the Griffins, the trip was

more than just brushing up on their soccer skills before the season, it was also about team bonding and experiencing cul-tures outside of their backyard. “As a team we all ran into the freezing cold ocean,” Riff said when talking about how the girls did everything as a team. Riff and Brown also comment-ed on how the sights they saw including a castle in the middle of nowhere and the opportuni-ty to climb the beautiful Cliffs of Moher, all helped them get closer as a team and develop great friendships along the way. “Going abroad with your team is a once and a lifetime experi-ence that none of us will ever forget,” Catts said. “Ireland made our team into a little fam-ily.”

Women’s Soccer Team Journeys to Irelandimage: Jessica Veazey ‘13