Tom Flusk

To say that Greek life has a large presence on campus is more than a simple understatement. Greek letters, advertisements, houses, tabling and events dominate the scene on campus. From the moment they approach campus for the first time and see frat row, everybody is put into a Greek life sensory overload. After being surrounded by all of these images for the entire fall semester, it is no wonder that so many freshmen are so eager to start pledging at their first opportunity in the spring.
Many of us freshmen would’ve started pledging last semester, if not for an NJIT rule banning such a thing for first semester students. This rule, created to keep students on task as they begin their first semester, seems like a good idea, and may have been at the time of its inception. A key part of becoming a true member of NJIT and gaining a sense of belonging however is making friends, and not being allowed to pledge makes it that much more difficult to make friends.
That sentiment aside, many freshmen were eagerly awaiting their first chance to pledge, and many of them sprang at their first opportunity to pledge, myself included. The very nature of pledging is secretive, so many of us didn’t know what to expect when we began. For most of us, it turned out to be a fantastic experience: We have been meeting new people, making new friends, and creating new memories that will be cherished forever.
A very large part of pledging is choosing one’s big. A big is charged with guiding the pledge they are assigned to through the pledge process. Big and little often create a very strong bond, as they spend a lot of time together both with and outside of the fraternity. Some fraternities tell you their big right away, and others do not. My fraternity did not, and our pledge class is currently trying to figure out who their bigs are.
I personally think that my big was the best out of all of them. My clues included videos of Busta Rhymes from YouTube, a picture of Chinese chicken, a limerick, Jewish beatboxing and Plants vs. Zombies. They were complicated to say the least, but I think that I have my big figured out, and now I am anxiously awaiting the ceremony when our bigs are finally announced, so that I can begin my various big/little activities.
For those of you who are currently pledging, have fun, I know I am. For those of you who are thinking of pledging, I highly recommend it. And for the few that had a bad experience, I feel badly for you, and I recommend trying another fraternity, because most of them are rather fun.

Tom Flusk

Copy Editor

According to Kenneth Walsh, Manager of Building Services, Redwood Hall had its water shut off on several days so repairs could be made on the showers.

Walsh said the water was shut off due to a leak in the 6th floor men’s room, and the 4th floor women’s room. The only way that the water could be shut off in the exact locations where the leak took place, and therefore where work had to be done, was to shut off water to the entire building.

Redwood Hall went without water on Tuesday, February 16 from 9:20am to 2:30pm and on Wednesday, February 17 from 9:45am to 4:00pm, according to Walsh.

This Monday, students reported to The Vector that the water in Redwood Hall was shut off again between the hours of 9:00am and 1:00pm. Multiple calls to Physical Plant were unanswered, however, so the exact times could not be verified, and the exact cause could not be verified.

All of the work done was by an independent contractor, and cost the university $3000. Walsh said, “Bathroom and shower walls had to be cut; several valves and sections of copper piping had to be replaced.”

Walsh said that the leaks were a sign of “normal wear and tear”, and not indicitive of a wider problem with the plumbing in Redwood Hall. When asked whether there was a possibility that a similar incident could happen again, he said, “Although we do not think so, as stated above, due to wear and tear, it may be possible for it to happen again.”

Walsh said that Redwood Hall, along with all of the residence halls, is insected reguarly. He said, “Along with regular visual inspections, Redwood Hall systems, including elevators, boilers, water pumps, HVAC and sprinklers, are regularly inspected and tested.

These inspections help identify and prevent potential problems.” He said that inspections are carried out “by an outside firm that reports to the City of Newark and the State of New Jersey” and, “Any and all needed repairs are completed within the time period prescribed by the inspection reports.”

Walsh concluded by saying, “Redwood Hall is a well maintained building with very efficient building systems. It has been serviced by NJIT maintenance, custodial and outside contracting staff. Excluding normal wear and tear on a building with a large number of occupants, there are no major structural or system concerns or problems with Redwood Hall.”

Tom Flusk is a freshman in Biology and Science Technology and Society and can be reached at TFlusk@njitvector.com.

Wonho Rhee

Staff Writer

Many students often express difficulties about their advisors. Whether it is finding out who their advisor is, or simply finding where his or her office is, troubles abound. Scheduling an appointment with an advisor is often very difficult as well.

As a response to the results of the survey from last semester, the Student Senate, supported by CS advisors Megan Summer and Sarah Vandermark, decided to create a website that would collect and organize advisory information. This site will not only contain directories and contacts of advisors of different departments, but will also have a feature that allows students to make appointments with their advisors online.

The concept is nothing new. The College of Computing Sciences has been using online scheduling appointments since last year. What is new is that the advisory website will incorporate this system for every department at NJIT and compile all the information regarding advising in one place.

In addition, the site will also include a FAQ section where advisors can post most frequently asked questions by students, such as changing major or GUR requirement. “The senate came up with the idea of creating the website in an effort to simplify some of the issues with advising on campus”, said Jeffrey Alvarez, the chairman of Student Affairs Committee.

CCS advisors Sarah Vandermark and Megan Summer also agreed that the website will facilitate communication between advisors and students. The Student Affairs Committee conducted a survey regarding the website last semester, and with information gathered through survey, an ad hoc committee headed by Jose Espinoza and Dominick Cirillo is managing and executing the project.

With the recruitment of two Capstone students last week, the project has passed the planning phase and entered into its second phase. Nevertheless the senate is still open for any suggestions from the student body regarding the project.

The exact details of the project are still vague. The senate hasn’t made a decision about whether to use commercial software, which requires a paid license or use of freeware. Moreover, there are numerous obstacles that the project has to go through, such as technical issues and the collaboration between different departments. The prototype of the website is scheduled to be completed sometime in May. However, for the purpose of beta testing, the website won’t be fully launched until Fall 2010.

Wonho Rhee can be reached at WRhee@njitvector.com.

Mike Lowry
Editor in Chief

MMORPG Gaming has taken our culture through a swath of elaborate alternate realities, and has changed the landscape of gaming forever; but what sort of impacts—good and bad—has it made on the lives of the millions of players worldwide?
Next Wednesday February 24th at 3:00pm in GITC 3710, Dr Daniel S. Saland, PSY.D, will give a presentation designed to quest for the answers. Co-sponsored by the NJIT Counseling Center and the Association of Computing Machinery club (ACM), the talk will be an open presentation for the entire university community that will explore the many aspects of the phenomenon that is sweeping our world, and has been for many years.
Saland, an employee of the counseling center who works with NJIT students, decided to hold the presentation due to the large number of times gaming had been mentioned by students and his colleagues. He also mentioned several studies that have been conducted on the subject in the field of psychology, and plans to include insight from relevant MMORPG research findings.
As part of his preparation for the lecture, Saland decided to immerse himself into the World of Warcraft (WOW), Blizzard Entertainment’s mega-hit MMORPG game, via the 10 day free trial. He described his experience vividly, noting that he was captivated by the “Beautiful graphics,” while being somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of information that was coming at him all at once. “There was a lot to learn in this new world,” he described. Saland also noted that after what seemed like a short period of time playing the game, he had barely noticed that hours had passed by.
Furthermore, Saland’s research with WOW lead him to discover the reasons firsthand why people are drawn to the game and others like it, and frankly, “what makes them so cool.” Paired with his psychology training and experience, actually playing the game was a necessary step.
An important dynamic of the discussion will be evaluating the topic from a balanced perspective, shedding light on the good things about the systems as well as what potential harm they can cause. Saland also plans on including interesting slides and clips to illustrate his points with examples.
Overall, Saland hopes to leave the audience with an “increased awareness” about the impact that interactive gaming can have on their lives as college students and professionals, and to promote a better understanding of the psychological framework surrounding MMORPG’s.

Mike Lowry is a Senior Mechanical Engineering Major and can be reached at Editor-in-Chief@njitvector.com.

Ivette Rodriguez is a 5th year Architecture and Business Major. She became a member of Greek Life in Fall 2006

To Ivette, going Greek wasn’t just about joining a Greek Organization, but also about joining a family. Coming into college she didn’t even know what “being Greek” was all about; it wasn’t something she planned on doing.

Ivette first met the sisters during move-in day, and after getting to know them she couldn’t help but consider joining their sisterhood. They understood and accepted her, and acted like her sisters even before she chose to join. After growing up as the only girl among eleven male cousins, it was a welcomed change.

After joining the sorority, Ivette met many new people and became extremely involved on campus. She worked with the previous Greek Advisor, at the Campus Center Information Desk, the Bookstore, the Highlander Pub, and with other departments creating promotional flyers and campaigns. Most of her connections on and off campus came through the sisterhood; they always look out for each other.

There have been so many exceptional moments in Ivette’s life since she joined a Greek Organization, but Ivette says her sorority’s weekly meetings are most exceptional. Yes they are tedious and long, and sometimes very dramatic and messy, but it’s a time when they are all together. No matter what happens in the meetings, be it yelling, crying, or laughing, they always leave as sisters. That’s the best part of it all; the bond of sisterhood is there just like it would be in a real family.

Ivette’s favorite Greek event is Greek God and Goddess. It is one of the few events where all the Greeks come together and support each other; it’s also extremely funny to see everyone in different outfits and performing their talents. This event is part of Greek Week, where all Greek Organizations have friendly competition and act silly with all their brothers and sisters.

To Ivette, the four pillars of Greek Life: Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Brother/Sisterhood, are daily reminders of what the Greeks stand for. Many people think of Greek Life as the stereotypical images portrayed on television, but there is so much more to it than that.

Greeks learn how to hold their own in real life situations through the skills they gain while holding leadership positions in their organization. To Ivette, academics always come first.

Maintaining a solid GPA and still being active allows Ivette’s sorority to develop amazing time management skills which are a necessity in the real world. They also learn that it is not always just about “me, me, me,” but about “US” as a whole.

Her sorority’s events let them help the community and each other in ways that teach them about the city they live in, and the struggles that people face every day. The four pillars are a standard of living that Greeks learn to portray in their everyday lives.

After being in a sorority for the past 4 ½ years Ivette has come to realize that each organization has its own personality and beliefs. She would tell anyone interested in joining Greek Life to look at all their options before making a decision; it is a lifelong commitment and you should be sure that it is the right fit for you. When you find the organization that is right for you, you will realize it; it will never seem burdensome.

Ivette is a Sister of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority.

By Edward Martinez

When you take a young, misunderstood, above-average-intelligence high school boy who falls in love with a beautiful and also smart girl looking for a bad guy to sweep her off her feet, you get Youth in Revolt.

Michael Cera takes on the role of Nick Twisp, a young “uncool” high school student who loathes his life and plans on winning the love of his life, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), by creating a bad alter ego to help him break the law.

While Cera takes on the same character he has in past movies,  I can confidently say that Youth in Revolt is a genuinely funny movie and an overall good time. Unlike some of the  other movies he has been in (Superbad, Juno, Paper Hearts etc.), Youth in Revolt has you laughing more at life and the characters that fill its world. The movie is largely based on the book of the same name. Those who have read the book will not be disappointed, although there are some differences between the two works.

The movie is filled with somewhat bizarre characters that help mock real scenarios in everyday life. While the movie is based around young love, the dry humor is what really makes it so great. Many of the jokes are spoken and not shown, so you might want to turn on your listening ears. The dialogue is where all the action really is.

The movie targets a wider audience at first, and the jokes may be hard to find. Even so,  there are  enough action and superficial jokes to  keep everyone entertained. This movie is a must-see and would be a great way to spend your money at the theater.

Edward Martinez is an Electrical Engineer, can be reached at em62@njit.edu