"News is the first rough draft of history."

The Voice of the College at Florham

"News is the first rough draft of history." - The Voice of the College at Florham

Panel discussion gives insight into Islam

LUCILA SPARKES
Advertising Manager

The term “Muslim” is used to describe a religion, not a culture. This was one of the many topics highlighted in the Orangerie on May 2 as part of the panel discussion titled “Unveiled and Unimaginable? Uncovering and Discovering the Ways Islam is Lived.”

The discussion, which was moderated by Kenneth Sammond, senior lecturer in the Department of Literature, Language, Writing and Philosophy and associate director of the Honors Program, included four panelists. They were Fakhruddin Ahmed, member of the Islamic Society of New Jersey; Reza Aslan, associate professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside; Titi Kazeem, member of Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center in Boonton, N.J.; and Sana Mohayya, junior at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Continue reading →

Golf team to compete in NCAA III tourney

STEVEN MACRI
Sports Editor

After winning the Freedom Conference tournament, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s men’s golf team will compete in the NCAA III tournament on May 14 in Destin, Fla.

The Devils began the 2013 season with one goal in mind: To win the Freedom Conference tournament. They reached that goal on April 26 in Hershey, Pa., by dethroning Manhattanville College and overcoming the competition from DeSales University.

“I think it’s satisfying,” said senior Daniel Bentson.

“We’ve had this date circled on our calendar since our schedules came out in early March. To put all our hard work into it and finally achieve our goal, it’s very satisfying.”

Continue reading →

Twombly Awards hosted for first time

CHRISTI PEACE
Staff Writer

On April 28, Fairleigh Dickinson held its first-ever Twombly Awards. Similar to the Maddy Awards, this event recognized freshmen who stood out in several different categories.

The idea originated with Lindsay Grettner, a GA from last year, and current Resident Assistant, Jackie Radcliff. Radcliff was inspired by the Maddy Awards and decided to hold an awards ceremony for freshmen so they could see that others were noticing their actions as well.
Continue reading →

Concerns raised about presidential appointment

MELANIE ANZIDEI
Editor-in-Chief

The recent selection of Sheldon Drucker as Fairleigh Dickinson University’s seventh president was a surprise to the FDU community – for some it was a pleasant one; for others it was a questionable one.

Drucker, who has been serving the university for 17 years, took on the role of interim president of the university after the former president, the late J. Michael Adams, announced his retirement. Drucker was not considered a candidate in the presidential search process, but was chosen to be the university’s next president on April 23.
Continue reading →

Hot Topics event covers debt crisis

AYINDE J. STEVENS
Staff Writer

Last week’s Hot Topics event went into deep philosophical territory, the type that goes from debt to taxes, and everything in between.

The event, “The Debt Crisis: How it Affects You,” was held at the Orangerie on April 30, which seemed fitting since income taxes were due on April 15.

The panel, which was moderated by political science professor Bruce Peabody, consisted of Tom Strowe, a junior political science major and board member of Fair Tax New Jersey; Burton Zwick, a professor of economics and finance; Dan Cassino, a professor of political science; and Joaquin Villanueva, a professor of geography.
Continue reading →

Review: Vampire Weekend puts on great show at Roseland

MONIQUE VITCHE
News Editor

There is only one band on this entire planet that I will stand almost five hours for, and that’s Vampire Weekend.

For the first time since the last time – September 2010 at Radio City Music Hall to be exact – Vampire Weekend returned to the New York City stage; this time at the Roseland Ballroom. Their performance was broadcasted on a live stream directed by Steve Buscemi and was part of AmexUNSTAGED and the TriBeCa Film Festival.

Before the band took the stage, comedian Fred Armisen warmed up the crowd. Armisen, complete with a wig and a British accent, transformed into Ian Rubbish from “Ian Rubbish and the Bizarros”- a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that recently aired. Armisen, or Rubbish, entertained the crowd with the skits “Maggie Thatcher,” “Sweet Iron Lady,” “Living in the Gutter” and “Hey Policeman!”
Continue reading →

Review: ‘Iron Man 3’ good start to summer movie season

JON SCOTT
Staff Writer

It’s that time of the year again. School is winding down and kids are eagerly looking forward to summer vacation. More importantly, the summer movie season is once again upon us. As it has been since 2007, the summer movie season starts every first weekend of May with a superhero film.

This season, that film is “Iron Man 3,” the first film to kick off Marvel Studios’ “Phase Two” of their Cinematic Universe (after the culmination of “Phase One,” which was last summer’s box office smash “The Avengers”).

In “Iron Man 3,” we see how Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is haunted by what happened during the Battle of New York that was depicted in “The Avengers.” Because of this, he can’t sleep and suffers from anxiety attacks. He also now spends his days in his workshop making Iron Man suits, which puts a strain on his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Despite how he is feeling, Stark must return to save the day once more when two new threats show up.
Continue reading →

Student Voice: Sometimes the blues is just a passing bird – the end

JOHN SAAVEDRA JR.
Student Voice Editor

Two years ago, former Editor-in-Chief Melissa Hartz made the bold decision to give me a column in The Pillar. The subject: my life, the people I’ve met, both weird and way too normal, I drank with the best of them, so that I could wake up in the morning and tell you all about it.

I’ve thrown myself into fountains full of freezing water, so that I could no longer feel my body. It’s wonderful to hit golf balls off balconies, your target held in place by empty wine bottles that shatter. The sound of destruction has kissed my ears. Once, and only once, I cried myself all the way to the fifty yard line just to stare up at the sky, hoping that my soul would float away from me because there’s a story in everything we lose.
Continue reading →

Personal essay: Finding ways to make the intangible tangible

ALEXIS CAMARENA
Senior Editor

Sophomore year of college, my roommate Hillary Brewer and I decided to take our relationship to the next level… and get a hamster.

It seemed like the perfect kind of a pet for the broke, irresponsible, still-wet-behind-the-ears college students that we were, and the kind of lifestyle that we were living.

A lifestyle that I can’t share all of the details of, but that I will say included copious amounts of gin and seltzer (flavored). The Roots. Samantha Reba. The phrase “Cheers, Gov’na!” Beds pushed together. Legs crossed, Indian style on the floor, on beds, on the grass. Leah Heffernan. Chinese food. Laughter. College sweatshirts with the hood up, indoors. Empty water bottles. Rosy cheeks. A whole lot of love.
Continue reading →

From the editor’s desk: Graduating seniors ready to do great things

MELANIE ANZIDEI
Editor-in-Chief

One of my editors asked me, “Do you think that our newspaper is a good one?”
I hesitated a moment before I answered.

In that moment, I knew exactly where he was coming from. How could we, as a staff, be proud of the newspaper that we’re not sure other people even recognized? Of course people know we have a newspaper, but it’s hard to tell with the overflowing issues that are piled in the NAB.

In that moment, which probably only lasted a second or two, I realized that this idea of being proud of this newspaper is something that reflects my entire four years at this university.

For four years, I crept in shadows.
Continue reading →