Sunday, May 6, 2018
Could Writing for the Media become The Argo Internship
By Michael Heilman
Every semester, Stockton University offers a class for communication studies majors called Writing for the Media. Students get hands on experience by interviewing people on campus, composing intriguing and engaging articles, preparing articles for publication, and posting articles to social media and blogger. After the students edit the articles, they send them to The Argo, the independent student newspaper at Stockton University for submission. Some of these articles are selected for publication in the newspaper. If students write more than three articles that are published, those students can get paid for their work.
Converting Writing for the Media into The Argo internship would be beneficial for those seeking to work in the journalism field. Just like the Community TV Internship, where students work behind the scenes with professionals producing shows. The Argo Internship would focus on producing and publishing stories for the newspaper, online and social media. Students would show up to The Argo weekly meetings with the Editor in Chief, Assistant Editor along with their professor to discuss topics to write about at Stockton University. Stockton has activities planned for almost every day of the semester. By incorporating an internship, students would be assigned various events to cover over the course of the semester. This would not only give journalism students experiencing in covering events, producing press releases, and articles, but give the Argo access to work produced by students that would be relevant to Stockton readers.
By changing the Writing for the Media class to The Argo Internship, it would be the first of many steps to help the communication studies program.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Stockton Student Filmmakers Biggest Challenge Yet
By Luke Miller
Here at Stockton some of the Communications Majors in the Media Production track make their own short films with aspirations of being in the film industry one day. One of those students is junior, Nicholas Georgel, who this semester through his Video Production course has taken on quite the challenge. Throughout the semester in the course you make 3 different projects, and in January Nicholas decided to make 1 film throughout the semester and split it into 3 parts.
Nicholas spoke more about his project “ The project is currently under the temporary name “The Computer Film.” A title has not been decided yet. The film is about an operating system with artificial intelligence, created by the fictional company AE: Artificial E-Telligence. As the computer is being implemented with a learning barrier, the two programmers find the learning barrier didn’t work; the computer wants to learn everything. So the two programmers decide to clean the computer and begin anew. However, the AI preserves itself, and we follow the computer as it falls into the hands of a lawyer who purchases it off-hand. The computer learns what it means to be human, through philosophy and exposure to human experiences.”
Nicholas also said the biggest challenge so far with making it was how he had to split it into three parts while also meeting the classes requirements. The first project was silent film, so Nicholas decided to make the first part when the computer first turns on and begins to learn more, so it is limited to black and white and text only. For the second project the class was tasked with focusing on the use of color and sound. With that Nicholas had the computer “learn” throughout the film so it gained color vision and hearing. Both very creative ways to fit his project into the criteria of the project and fit his own bigger goal. And the conclusion of the project is still being made.
Nicholas said this about why he chose to take this on, and why he chose Stockton to be the middleman of it. “The project was made to fit the curriculum of the video production class; however, I think it ultimately helped the film gain a sense of progression. The computer lab location for the first scene also helped give the feel of a tech company office space.”
Nicholas while taking his other classes took on this challenge and is now working on the 3rd and final part of the project. He plans on finishing it completely and piecing together all of the various parts over the summer. You can check it out and his other videos on YouTube on the channel “Neutral Density Films”. Nicholas is a very dedicated student, and talented young filmmaker and Stockton should be proud of what he has accomplished thus far.
Here at Stockton some of the Communications Majors in the Media Production track make their own short films with aspirations of being in the film industry one day. One of those students is junior, Nicholas Georgel, who this semester through his Video Production course has taken on quite the challenge. Throughout the semester in the course you make 3 different projects, and in January Nicholas decided to make 1 film throughout the semester and split it into 3 parts.
Nicholas spoke more about his project “ The project is currently under the temporary name “The Computer Film.” A title has not been decided yet. The film is about an operating system with artificial intelligence, created by the fictional company AE: Artificial E-Telligence. As the computer is being implemented with a learning barrier, the two programmers find the learning barrier didn’t work; the computer wants to learn everything. So the two programmers decide to clean the computer and begin anew. However, the AI preserves itself, and we follow the computer as it falls into the hands of a lawyer who purchases it off-hand. The computer learns what it means to be human, through philosophy and exposure to human experiences.”
Nicholas also said the biggest challenge so far with making it was how he had to split it into three parts while also meeting the classes requirements. The first project was silent film, so Nicholas decided to make the first part when the computer first turns on and begins to learn more, so it is limited to black and white and text only. For the second project the class was tasked with focusing on the use of color and sound. With that Nicholas had the computer “learn” throughout the film so it gained color vision and hearing. Both very creative ways to fit his project into the criteria of the project and fit his own bigger goal. And the conclusion of the project is still being made.
Nicholas said this about why he chose to take this on, and why he chose Stockton to be the middleman of it. “The project was made to fit the curriculum of the video production class; however, I think it ultimately helped the film gain a sense of progression. The computer lab location for the first scene also helped give the feel of a tech company office space.”
Nicholas while taking his other classes took on this challenge and is now working on the 3rd and final part of the project. He plans on finishing it completely and piecing together all of the various parts over the summer. You can check it out and his other videos on YouTube on the channel “Neutral Density Films”. Nicholas is a very dedicated student, and talented young filmmaker and Stockton should be proud of what he has accomplished thus far.
You Were Never Really Here: Jonny Greenwood’s Character Study of a Score
By Kate Rowland
“They said you were brutal,”
“I can be.”
Coming straight off from his scoring work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, prolific composer, and Radiohead member, Jonny Greenwood crafts what might just be his best work to date. Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here follows the story of former FBI agent and combat man, Joe, who is working his current job as a hired retriever of kidnapped children. He is harsh, brutal, relentless, built by trauma from his very foundation, carrying layers of internal and external scars. But Joe is not a man completely devoid of humanity either, and so You Were Never Really Here becomes a film that is just as much about violence, men, and power as it is about love, duty, and compassion.
Greenwood’s score responds with remarkable understanding of the juxtaposition that Joe’s story presents. It can be as cold as Joe’s dead eyed glare, and as tender as a moment of embrace between Joe and the dying man he had just dispatched with a bullet to the gut. Nowhere has Jonny Greenwood’s music been so intune with the mind of his subject most likely since his other collaborative work with Paul Thomas Anderson on There Will Be Blood. His obsessive guitar strums and percussive beats augmenting Joe’s restlessness, which transitions into pangs of dissonance to reflect upon Joe’s dissociative tendencies. Haunted by violence and trauma, he barely sees himself as whole, and so Greenwood abstains from creating pieces that ever feel connected or whole. With relentless slashing and sawing motions, he channels Joe’s brutal nature, and the dull ache of self-loathing. One might even be able to watch You Were Never Really Here as a silent film, and still have the same visceral emotions evoked throughout just the music and cinematography alone. It certainly is a feat for Jonny Greenwood to create a score that perfectly matches the alternate realities of Lynne Ramsay’s psychological thriller, and for his work to be just as diverse as our main character. Hopeful that this will finally be the movie that allows for Jonny Greenwood to receive his long overdue Oscar.
“They said you were brutal,”
“I can be.”
Coming straight off from his scoring work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, prolific composer, and Radiohead member, Jonny Greenwood crafts what might just be his best work to date. Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here follows the story of former FBI agent and combat man, Joe, who is working his current job as a hired retriever of kidnapped children. He is harsh, brutal, relentless, built by trauma from his very foundation, carrying layers of internal and external scars. But Joe is not a man completely devoid of humanity either, and so You Were Never Really Here becomes a film that is just as much about violence, men, and power as it is about love, duty, and compassion.
Greenwood’s score responds with remarkable understanding of the juxtaposition that Joe’s story presents. It can be as cold as Joe’s dead eyed glare, and as tender as a moment of embrace between Joe and the dying man he had just dispatched with a bullet to the gut. Nowhere has Jonny Greenwood’s music been so intune with the mind of his subject most likely since his other collaborative work with Paul Thomas Anderson on There Will Be Blood. His obsessive guitar strums and percussive beats augmenting Joe’s restlessness, which transitions into pangs of dissonance to reflect upon Joe’s dissociative tendencies. Haunted by violence and trauma, he barely sees himself as whole, and so Greenwood abstains from creating pieces that ever feel connected or whole. With relentless slashing and sawing motions, he channels Joe’s brutal nature, and the dull ache of self-loathing. One might even be able to watch You Were Never Really Here as a silent film, and still have the same visceral emotions evoked throughout just the music and cinematography alone. It certainly is a feat for Jonny Greenwood to create a score that perfectly matches the alternate realities of Lynne Ramsay’s psychological thriller, and for his work to be just as diverse as our main character. Hopeful that this will finally be the movie that allows for Jonny Greenwood to receive his long overdue Oscar.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Continue to Punish the Best Teams
By Michael Donne
The NHL playoffs are in the middle of the cycle, and while entertaining for NHL fans, many fans of the teams currently competing are understandably frustrated. The NHL playoffs are determined by regular season standings, but take division into account. There are two divisions each in both the Eastern and Western Conference, and the top 3 teams of each division make the playoffs, while the 2 best record teams that did not fall in the top 3 in their division also make the playoffs as wildcards.
While being in a good division can stifle a team that performed better than a team in a worse division, the problem is rare and is not the real problem. The problem begins with how the teams are seeded. The winners of the division are always rewarded, with the division winner with the better record playing the worst wild card team, and the other division winner to play the better wild card team. The two best teams play the two worst, and is fair. The teams that finish second and third in the same division end up playing each other, and this is where things go off the rails. For example, this year, the Boston Bruins put up 112 points in the regular season, only one point behind the top team in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning. A fantastic regular season deserves an easy first round matchup, but the playoff format did not allow for it. While Boston competed better than any other team aside from one, that one team happened to be in their division, leaving the Bruins second in their division. The playoff format that currently stands means that the second best team in the east had to go through the fourth best team in the east in the first round, the Toronto Maple Leafs. While this occured, the Washington Capitals, with a worse record at 105 points, led their division, and was rewarded with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who only had 97 points, and barely made the playoffs. The Boston Bruins were punished for simply being in a top heavy division, and despite being one of the best teams, almost lost in the first round, being the only series that went seven.
Many other sports leagues decide the playoffs by divisions, but what makes it different is the regular season schedule. Other leagues allow teams to impact their division heavily, by having teams play within their division twice as much as other teams. With the NHL, however, teams play their divisional teams only a game or two than the other teams in the same conference, but different division.With a long 82 game season, one or two games is not enough to make a significant impact. For the NHL to judge teams based on division, but not play each other enough to impact other divisional teams, teams are left hoping that they are placed somewhere that allows a fortunate matchup in the playoffs.
The playoff format is at its worst in the second round, where currently both the best teams in the east and west are put up against each other, while worse teams are going against each other. While it does make for interesting hockey for the first two rounds, the third round of the playoffs ends up almost always being a small hurdle for the winner of the two best teams in the 2nd round, defeating a team in the conference finals that doesn’t belong there. When the commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, was asked to comment on the if the playoff format negates the regular season, he stated, “If you’re gonna win the cup, you gotta go through the best teams.” While what Gary Bettman says is true, the brutal matchups the best teams must go through can lead to an exhausted team, and can hinder them as the series goes on.
For example, the playoff format lead the two best teams in the entire league, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, to play in the second round. Washington, despite having the best record in the league, got bounced in a long 7 game series by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the second best team in the league. Meanwhile, the 9th placed Rangers were playing the 12th placed Ottawa Senators. After Washington's historic regular season was crushed due to the playoff format allowing a wild card to be given a easier matchup than the best team in the league, it left Pittsburgh exhausted. Ottawa won this series despite being outplayed, but ultimately winning by outcoaching New York, allowing them to come back late in the game 2 times in the series. By just managing to find a way to win against a wild card team, it was impossible to see Ottawa do anything to a team that just beat a team with one of the best regular seasons of all time.
However, Ottawa was able to force the series to overtime in Game 7, where they ultimately lost. The fact that Ottawa was able to take a team as far as the best team in the league, despite being more flawed in almost every aspect is the way the NHL playoffs are, and it usually is ok. The Stanley Cup is often described as the hardest trophy to win in sports, as the two month journey to the cup is the most exhausting in sports, leaving teams riddled with exhaustion and injuries by seasons’ end. This is why sports give the best teams the easiest matchups, to reward teams that played well, and giving them matchups that end up leaving teams with enough in the tank to face what will most likely be the second best team in the conference. When the two best teams of each conference are consistently forced to go up against each other before the conference finals, it leaves an exhausted team that will now struggle against a worse team with an easier road to the conference finals.
Simply going back to the old format can fix this issue. Rather than judging on divisions, ranking teams by placement in conference, and having the best team play the worst, and 2nd worst play the 2nd best, and so on, the NHL can create a format that rewards good regular season play. Separating the first and second best team to make sure they do not play each other unless both teams make the Conference Finals allows both the second and first round to evenly match teams throughout the playoffs. While the new playoff format can often lend itself to entertaining matchups in the first two rounds, it goes against what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are about, showing fans who the best team in the world is.
The NHL playoffs are in the middle of the cycle, and while entertaining for NHL fans, many fans of the teams currently competing are understandably frustrated. The NHL playoffs are determined by regular season standings, but take division into account. There are two divisions each in both the Eastern and Western Conference, and the top 3 teams of each division make the playoffs, while the 2 best record teams that did not fall in the top 3 in their division also make the playoffs as wildcards.
While being in a good division can stifle a team that performed better than a team in a worse division, the problem is rare and is not the real problem. The problem begins with how the teams are seeded. The winners of the division are always rewarded, with the division winner with the better record playing the worst wild card team, and the other division winner to play the better wild card team. The two best teams play the two worst, and is fair. The teams that finish second and third in the same division end up playing each other, and this is where things go off the rails. For example, this year, the Boston Bruins put up 112 points in the regular season, only one point behind the top team in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning. A fantastic regular season deserves an easy first round matchup, but the playoff format did not allow for it. While Boston competed better than any other team aside from one, that one team happened to be in their division, leaving the Bruins second in their division. The playoff format that currently stands means that the second best team in the east had to go through the fourth best team in the east in the first round, the Toronto Maple Leafs. While this occured, the Washington Capitals, with a worse record at 105 points, led their division, and was rewarded with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who only had 97 points, and barely made the playoffs. The Boston Bruins were punished for simply being in a top heavy division, and despite being one of the best teams, almost lost in the first round, being the only series that went seven.
Many other sports leagues decide the playoffs by divisions, but what makes it different is the regular season schedule. Other leagues allow teams to impact their division heavily, by having teams play within their division twice as much as other teams. With the NHL, however, teams play their divisional teams only a game or two than the other teams in the same conference, but different division.With a long 82 game season, one or two games is not enough to make a significant impact. For the NHL to judge teams based on division, but not play each other enough to impact other divisional teams, teams are left hoping that they are placed somewhere that allows a fortunate matchup in the playoffs.
The playoff format is at its worst in the second round, where currently both the best teams in the east and west are put up against each other, while worse teams are going against each other. While it does make for interesting hockey for the first two rounds, the third round of the playoffs ends up almost always being a small hurdle for the winner of the two best teams in the 2nd round, defeating a team in the conference finals that doesn’t belong there. When the commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, was asked to comment on the if the playoff format negates the regular season, he stated, “If you’re gonna win the cup, you gotta go through the best teams.” While what Gary Bettman says is true, the brutal matchups the best teams must go through can lead to an exhausted team, and can hinder them as the series goes on.
For example, the playoff format lead the two best teams in the entire league, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, to play in the second round. Washington, despite having the best record in the league, got bounced in a long 7 game series by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the second best team in the league. Meanwhile, the 9th placed Rangers were playing the 12th placed Ottawa Senators. After Washington's historic regular season was crushed due to the playoff format allowing a wild card to be given a easier matchup than the best team in the league, it left Pittsburgh exhausted. Ottawa won this series despite being outplayed, but ultimately winning by outcoaching New York, allowing them to come back late in the game 2 times in the series. By just managing to find a way to win against a wild card team, it was impossible to see Ottawa do anything to a team that just beat a team with one of the best regular seasons of all time.
However, Ottawa was able to force the series to overtime in Game 7, where they ultimately lost. The fact that Ottawa was able to take a team as far as the best team in the league, despite being more flawed in almost every aspect is the way the NHL playoffs are, and it usually is ok. The Stanley Cup is often described as the hardest trophy to win in sports, as the two month journey to the cup is the most exhausting in sports, leaving teams riddled with exhaustion and injuries by seasons’ end. This is why sports give the best teams the easiest matchups, to reward teams that played well, and giving them matchups that end up leaving teams with enough in the tank to face what will most likely be the second best team in the conference. When the two best teams of each conference are consistently forced to go up against each other before the conference finals, it leaves an exhausted team that will now struggle against a worse team with an easier road to the conference finals.
Simply going back to the old format can fix this issue. Rather than judging on divisions, ranking teams by placement in conference, and having the best team play the worst, and 2nd worst play the 2nd best, and so on, the NHL can create a format that rewards good regular season play. Separating the first and second best team to make sure they do not play each other unless both teams make the Conference Finals allows both the second and first round to evenly match teams throughout the playoffs. While the new playoff format can often lend itself to entertaining matchups in the first two rounds, it goes against what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are about, showing fans who the best team in the world is.
On Campus Christians Were Going To Protest Spring Concert video
By: Colton Van Cleave
A protest targeting the LGBTQ video shown during this month's Spring Concert was
supposed to take place before the spring concert began but was quickly shut down.
On campus Christians were set to protest the LGBTQ video that was shown during the Spring Concert this month but was quickly shutdown due to unknown reasons.
The video shown at the Spring Concert consisted of clips of LGBTQ members and supporters. The video theme was to show support of the LGBTQ community, leaving a standing ovation for those who attended the Spring Concert after the video was shown. Pamphlets were also given out to the attendees before the start of the concert that read: "God Loves LGBTQ People and So Do Christians."
Although the reasons are unknown exactly why the protest was shutdown, we were able to get small details as to the basis of what went down. The on-campus Christians were getting a petition started for people to join in on the protest, but that petition is now being investigated by the student development board. The reason for the investigation is still unknown, but claims have been made that the signatures on the petition were fake.
The reason behind the protest of the video that was shared during the spring concert is still unknown, but questions have been raised like: Were signatures from the petition fake, or is the very freedom to protest under attack here on campus?
Both parties to this topic were asked multiple times to share their insight on what exactly happened, but both did not want to share their insights due to the situation being settled down recently.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Nutritionist At Stockton
By: Dominick Tarangelo
There are a ton of useful people at Stockton that students do not take full advantage of. One person that I recently found out about is nutritionist, Kim Raring. She is a registered nutritionist with over twenty five years of experience. She enjoys working with students and has a positive and simple approach when it comes to creating a healthier nutrition lifestyle. I recently
met up with her to discuss my personal weight loss.
She was super helpful and was able to guide me in the right direction. She was able to inform me how many vegetables, grains, and meats I need. I was very surprised by many of the things she informed me of, as I thought the complete opposite. She was very open and told me to not be afraid to email her over the summer to ask her any questions that I may have. She also told me to come by in the beginning of the upcoming Fall semester, so that she can work with me to create a meal plan that is best for me. She also appointed me in the direction of someone else who would be able to help me create a workout guide, who, I believe, is also an underutilized resource that non athletes can use if they need the help. I was very happy with my meeting with Kim and I am excited to use her teachings to help me lose weight.
People Helping People: Charity From Your Community Credit Union
by Zahirah Pearsall and Edited by Shannon Joyce
A large phrase across the top of the teller line at the Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union reads, "people helping people."
This is the motto of the credit union, instilled in their employees from their first day on the job. However, lending a helping hand in finding the best interest rates in town is not where they stop helping the community. This credit union also partners with local charities to raise money for good causes. The goal of the company to help the fellow members of the community.
Recently, the Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union teamed up with Green Creek Bethel United Methodist Church in Cape May County to provide food to hungry children. By selling candy and having “Dress Down Fridays,” children who are not able to receive three meals a day during the summer months will be able to receive help.
Ashley Gonzalez, Jersey Shore teller, stated, "It feels good knowing that the money is going towards a good cause. It makes me feel better about buying three bars of candy during the day at work."
The Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union is located in Northfield, Galloway, and Rio Grande. The company also has locations at the Hamilton Mall and the Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center.
To donate to this charity, stop by at any of the above-mentioned locations, where an employee can help. This company needs the community to help with their cause to fight against child hunger.
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