The Centurion
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The Award-Winning, Student-Run Newspaper of Bucks County Community College
Week of April 15, 2014
www.Bucks-news.com Twitter@BCCCCenturion
Bucks student’s loving legacy is remembered Volume 51 Issue 11
Jacob Simmers, who was recently killed in a tragic stabbing is remembered by his loved ones as an individual who touched the lives of many. By: MiChele haddon Centurion Staff
it was nearly 2 a.m., but that didn’t stop 19-yearold Jacob simmers from heading over to his friend Joseph romano’s house in bensalem after he received a distressing phone call from benjamin Carter, another friend, saying that romano was having a bad night and needed help. When simmers arrived, he met Carter outside who explained that romano had suddenly turned aggressive and distraught. simmers went up and knocked on the door. When romano answered, simmers said, “hey Joe, i hear you’re not having a good night. i’d like to help you. Can i come in to talk to you?” Joe let Jake into the house. anyone who knew simmers would tell you—he was always helping people. to his friends, he was the voice of reason, a calming force in their times of trouble. they would tell you hewas full of integrity, striving to do the right thing, no matter the consequence. When simmers helped someone, be it a friend or a stranger, it would often end in a smile or a hug,
Jacob Simmers
or maybe even a few laughs. so in the early morning hours of March 30, simmers did what he always did, he went to help a friend in need. this time it cost him his life. A Life Full of Love simmers’ girlfriend, brittany snyder, 19 of bensalem, recalled a time when they were out and simmers stopped to help a total stranger. she said he bought $20 worth of bread and other items to make sandwiches and gave it to a homeless man they had passed out-
Photo by: brittany snyder
side. “Jake saw there were others, all spread out, and when he handed the man the food, he just asked that he share it with everyone else. the man was so happy and just kept hugging Jake over and over again,” snyder said. Kellie McCarthy, 18, of bensalem, a friend of simmers since the seventh grade, described how perceptive simmers had been when she came to him with a problem. “he thought about your problems as if they were his own and would come up with meaningful an-
swers,” said McCarthy. “he was really funny, smart and sincere,” said Keri barber, assistant professor of language and literature at bucks. “he was good at seeing what was wrong with society and changing it.” rachel Citrino, simmers’ grandmother whom he affectionately called “nana,” described her grandson as an affectionate person with principles, someone who touched a lot of lives. “he took things seriously and reacted in a thoughtful way. if there was a family crisis, he wanted to know how he could help,” said Citrino. according to Citrino, he and his older sister, erica simmers, were very close and the best of friends. “they went through a difficult time when their parents got divorced. but they got through it very well because they got through it together,” said Citrino. Citrino added that his little sisters really looked up to their big brother and he loved them both so much. “he shared his birthday with his sister, ella... [When ella was born] i asked him how he felt. he said, “this is the best birthday present i could ever have.’”
Centurion wins 12 Keystone Press awards Continued on page 2
The student-run newspaper was recognized in the 2014 Keystone Press Awards 2-Year College Division and went home with a total of 12 awards. By: Charlotte reese
From left to right: Timothy Zenno, Brian Kelley and Kelly Armstrong.
Bucks-news.com
Photo Credit: tony rogers
Centurion Staff
the Centurion won five first place awards, foursecond place awards and three honorable mentions at the 2014 student Keystone Press awards in the 2-year college division beating out all other competitors. the Keystone Press awards are a statewide competition with the goal to stimulate journalists to improve their writing. bucks went up against haCC/ lancaster Campus, haCC/harrisburg Campus, Montgomery County Community Col-
Centurion@bucks.edu
lege and Community College of Philadelphia. bucks’ first place awards went out to the general news, public service or enterprise package, feature photo, layout and design and best website. Kelly armstrong, coeditor in chief said “hard work is all there really is to it. i was given the opportunity to get involved with the newspaper and i feel like all my hard work was really rewarded in the end.” brian Kelley won first place in the general news Continued on Page 2
What’s Inside
Bucks News
Pg. 13
Journalism Forum coming to Bucks
MI
Bucks News
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Pg. 4
IN
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Computer thefts in Penn Hall keep security on alert
Entertainment Pg. 5
Emmy nominated poet coming to Bucks.
Sports
Pg. 14
Men’s Baseball makes a return in 2014 .
Weather
Tuesday Chance of storms with a high of 60.
Wednesday - Mostly sunny with a high of 51.
Thursday Mostly sunny with a high of 53.
Friday Mostly cloudy with a high of 56. Saturday Showers with a high of 60.
Sunday Partly cloudy with a high of 63. Monday Cloudy with a high of 60 degrees. Weather Courtesy of the national Weather serviCe
Visit us at Bucks Newtown Campus Rollins Building Room 127
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BUCKs neWs
student journalists recognized at Keystone Press awards
Brian Kelley accepting his award.
Continued from page 1
category covering a bomb scare on campus. sydney tasey won second place chronicling about a former bucks student who was the first to legally wed in nJ under the same-sex marriage law. ‘the lies of our Parents’ package authored by anthony dimattia, luther anderson, Kelly armstrong, and robert Knuckles took first place in the public service and enterprise package. Co-editor in chief erich Martin took second for his story covering the attitudes surrounding the portable classrooms at newtown. bucks, being a two-year college, the newspaper is constantly getting new writers that need to fill the shoes of the old ones. the newspaper never stops printing, and having a constantly changing staff proves difficult when it comes time to train new members. these challenges never seem too big for the constantly morphing Centurion staff. in 2013 the Centurion won 12 awards, 12 again in 2012, 11 in 2011, and 13 in 2010. the Keystone Press awards were held at hershey Park this year. Coeditor in chief armstrong, managing editor tim Zenno and
Kelly armstrong erich Martin Managing editor timothy Zenno Michael Plassa
Web editor
Manuel rodriguez
advisor
tony rogers
Photo Credit: tony rogers
sports reporter brian Kelly were in attendance. “there were newspapers from four year colleges, two year colleges and even high schools,” Zenno says about the hershey Park award ceremony, “i even got to try some chocolate ketchup. it was a good time.” the Centurion staff is very proud and intend to keep up the hard work. “We are hoping that the new students coming in next semester will pick up the reigns after we wean ourselves out of the program,” Zenno adds, “we are looking for hard working students in the fall that want to, hopefully, become an editor and take over the newspaper.” “i hope my schedule will be less hectic next semester with editing,” armstrong adds, “i really miss writing and want to improve... i hope that i have more time to do that next semester, and maybe even attend the Keystone awards again.” the Centurion is hard at work every week getting out issues for the students here at bucks, of course with some laughter and great friends and to the biggest reward of all as, armstrong puts it, “is being apart of something that so many students and professors get to read and enjoy.”
editor-in-Chief
simmers’ loving life remembered
The week of March 11, 2014
Bucks-news.com
Continued from page 1
to his friends and family, he was a source of constant joy. he had a smile on his face every day. “he was so much like his Pop-Pop,” said snyder. “he would handle things calmly. he was never bitter. he was never afraid to love.” “he was also goofy,” said snyder. “We would dance together in the supermarket. he would wear his heart on his sleeve.” “Whenever you were near him, you wanted to be a better person,” said Carter. Carter first met simmers when they were in fourth grade. simmers had just moved into Carter’s neighborhood, only three houses down from him. “We used to fight bees and play make-believe,” said Carter. as simmers got older, he discovered his love for cooking. “he loved to cook because he loved to entertain his friends. he loved the way people would gather around a meal.” said Citrino. “he had this idea about combining cooking and therapy. he thought it would be great to have people talk about their problems while they cooked a meal together.” Justin ohman, 18, of bensalem, explained how easy it was to talk to simmers about anything. “he knew things about me that i wouldn’t have been able to tell a therapist.” besides coming up with ideas about combining therapy and cooking, simmers had other dreams for his future and the life he planned to share with his girlfriend. “We wanted to live in italy one day and selfsustain, grow our own food,” said snyder. A Final Act of Love romano had been struggling to pull himself together in the early morning hours of March 30, thanks to what friends say might have been a bad batch of mushrooms he had ingested. he had been at a friend’s party in bensalem that night until Carter offered to drive him home. Carter explained that
romano was not in his right mind, “When i was driving him home, Joe had jumped out of the car at 30 mph. When i pulled over he got back in like nothing had happened; it was as if he couldn’t feel anything.” he also added, “Joe didn’t know where he was. he was hallucinating.” When they got to romano’s house, his parents weren’t home, so Carter planned to stay the night to make sure he was okay- but that’s when romano’s behavior got worse. “he became aggressive, screaming at me and eventually kicking me out of his house,” said Carter. “i wasn’t sure what to do at that point, so i called Jake.” once simmers arrived at the house and went inside to talk to romano, Carter remained outside, but tried to stay nearby. “i knew Joe had been aggressive towards me, so i wanted to keep an ear out.” “i’m sure Jake was just trying to help him figure out what was going on and calm him down.” said Carter. but then, Carter said, he heard romano yelling at simmers to get out of his house. Carter ran into the house to find romano over simmers. “Jake was gasping for breath, but said, ‘Joe is killing me. get him off of me.’” Carter describes trying to save simmers by going after romano with a knife. “so i run up and
right as i get up to him, Joe gets off of him. and that’s when i realized that Joe also had a knife in his hand. Joe wasn’t choking Jake, he had stabbed him.” “i had the knife up to Joe’s chest. and Joe, at this point realizing what he did, is begging me to kill him. and that’s when Jake said, ‘don’t kill him ben, let him live.’” this was simmers final act of love. down to his last moment, he remained true to form. according to the bensalem Police department, at approximately 2:30 a.m. police were dispatched to romano’s house for report of a stabbing. by the time police officers arrived, simmers had died. His Love Continues through His Memory friends and family are left with the many sweet memories of a young man who they believe left this world too soon. thanks to all the lives he managed to touch throughout his 19 years, he will continue to live and love through those lucky enough to have known him. “he’s going to be hard to let go,” said Citrino. “We’re trying not to hold onto him so tight that he can’t rest, but i don’t think he’ll ever go too far.” snyder said, “he taught me that once you realize someone is a good person, you should love them unconditionally, fearlessly.”
Jacob Simmers with his friend Benjamin Carter (left).
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Letter Policy
Photo Credit: brittany snyder
letters should be limited to 300 words. they will be edited for spelling and malicious or libelous statements, and may be edited for space. letters must be the original work of the writer and must be signed. for identification purposes, letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and telephone number, although the address and telephone numbers will not be published.
Send Letters to:
the Centurion 275 swamp rd newtown, Pa 18940 Centurion@bucks.edu 215.968.8379
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Democracy at work 3
BUCKS
Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
Students are gearing up for another round of Student Government elections as candidates stabilize their platforms and try to win over a very diverse student body. BY: JAHMEELAH WILSON Centurion Staff
The race is heating up for students hoping to shape the future of Bucks. The campaigns for student government positions have officially begun, as Brad Abrams, a 19-year-old Business major gathers signatures for his presidency campaign. Abrams cares about the student body’s wants and needs, and has many ideas planned for the future of Bucks. He says, “I believe that there are a few outstanding problems in the school, such as the Wi-Fi, the problem is that the student Wi-Fi here is not that great; it crashes or it’s too slow.” Indeed there is always room for improvement. Abrams suggests, “Getting information about news and events should be easily addressed to students.” Abrams isn’t the only candidate who wants to solve student problems. Jonathan Pionati, 20 year old, Liberal Arts major would like to see changes to the student
ID’s. “I’d like to get student ID’s with pictures and a student account linked with the cards, it would definitely make things a whole lot easier.” Due to budget cuts, Pionati wants to fix the matter, “If I am president I would like to get the student body to petition the state.” The Student Government Association, or SGA, is a great way to learn leadership skills, help students, network with staff and faculty, build a great resume before leaving Bucks, and also show some school spirit. Meetings are held every Tuesday from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m, and students who are interested in participating in the club are always welcome with open arms. The Student Government elections are open to anyone who is a current student at Bucks. Voters are able to nominate either themselves or a friend during the elections. Votes will be accepted through the MyBucks
web portal. In order to place a vote, students must have their student ID number handy. Student voters that want to learn more about each can view candidate pictures and bios on the Bucks website. There are only a limited amount of 10 potential positions for the elections. There are four main positions which are President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, followed by Director of Events, and the counselor positions. The Counselor of Student Involvement: recruits students to serve on College Committees. Our Public Relations Counselor will inform the student body of all SGA activities. Counselor of Clubs and Organizations will organize and facilitate all clubs and organization meetings. Counselor of Student advocacy will serve as liaison between the Student Association and the SGA, and Counselor at Large will serve, if appointed by the SGA, as a temporary replacement
for an Officer, or Councilor. Voting officially begins on Monday, April 14 at 9:00 a.m. and closes Friday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. Students who are interested in joining the SGA,
can contact the student life programs by phone at 215.968.8257 or the vice president of SGA Rachael Becker at beckerr19970@bucks.live. edu.
One of the posters around campus urging students to vote.
PHOTO CREDIT:ERICH MARTIN
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Security upgrade imminent 4
BUCKS
Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
Repeated computer thefts have prompted Bucks to increase security measures on campus. BY: MOLLY HARMS Centurion Staff
After continued computer theft, Bucks is locking down open computer labs and installing a new surveillance system throughout Penn Hall. It is not clear whether or not the college is planning on putting cameras in other campus buildings to prevent further theft. According to Dennis McCauley, the director for campus security and safety, most of the thefts occurred during the fall semester of 2013, but there were a few in the summer semester of 2013, and one monitor during the current semester. The thefts occurred in the 3rd floor computer labs. McCauley said, “We lost six computers from July through December” Other security measures are being taken apart from the cameras. According to McCauley, the computer labs used to be left unlocked for students to use when there wasn’t a class in session. Now, all of the labs are being kept locked between classes. This security measure has become a nuisance
for some students who used those labs in between classes. Brittany McKinney, 18, a liberal arts major said “One of my classes used those labs once a week.” McKinney had an hour between her classes. McKinney also said “I understand why they needed to lock them now, but I still wish I could use them between classes.” McCauley said that at this point in the investigation, there is no motive for the theft. The items stolen include several desktop monitors and keyboards. Michael Keetes, 21, a business major said, “I don’t understand people that would steal from the college. A lot of students use those computers so they are not just stealing from the college, they are stealing from all of the students as well.” There is not much hope in recovering the stolen computers. According to McCauley, all the computers have a removable inventory tag that identifies them as college property. According to McCauley, the Board of trustees approved of a budget in
Penn Hall is undergoing changes to protect lab equipment from being stolen (like in this dramatization seen here)
January 2014 of $27,500 for a security camera system to be set up in Penn Hall. The camera system is still in process of being installed. McCauley said he expects the system
will be operational within the month. None of the cameras are going to be installed in the classrooms, according to McCauley. They would be set up in the
PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/KELLY ARMSTRONG
halls and stairwells. McCauley said, “It is generally felt that putting cameras in the classroom would be intrusive to the education process.”
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BUCKS
Famous poet Susanna Rich comes to Bucks BY: ALISON KUKLINSKI Centurion Staff
emmy-nominated poet susanna rich performed at Bucks April 15, 2014. Known by many as a songwriter and english professor, rich was at Bucks on tuesday afternoon to perform her latest piece, “shakespeare’s *itches.” Presented by the tyler literary society, rich was here to entertain students and faculty on tuesday the 15th with an immersive performance from one of her most recent projects. “it is comprised of original songs i have written from the points of view of some of shakespeare's women and also of our contemporary counterparts,” described rich about her upcoming performance. “From the page to the stage,” rich is known for her powerful, staged poetry readings. As mentioned in the star-ledger, rich “engages the audience to participate through verbal cues during her performances; very unlike typical poetry readings where poets stand at a podium reciting their verse.” rich was inspired by Philip dacey’s ability to read his work by heart, so rich did the same when she was invited to feature in “the Warren
Bucks-news.com
County Poetry Festival”. rich said, “i recite my sets by heart and embodied the words by how i moved.” each show is between an hour and an hour and a half long, and is comprised of her original poems and songs. rich has been an active poet for a while and has created over 2,000 pieces. she is well known for her two successful poetry collections titled “television daddy” and “the drive home,” which rich transformed into a staged poetry reading, along with “Ashes, Ashes: A Poet responds to the holocaust.” Among her many accomplishments, the most notable was rich’s nomination for a 2009 emmy award for her poetry that was featured in “Cobb Field: A day at the Ballpark,” a PBs documentary of a montana baseball field. in 2012, rich started “Wild nights Productions”, which is the establishment for her one-woman, audience-interactive, poetry happenings. rich says, “i take it as my contribution to poetry, to invent and reinvent new vehicles for bringing our art to audiences.” rich noticed as she rehearsed her poems that memorizing them and
The week of April 15, 2014
Emmy nominated poet and song-writer Susanna Rich
anticipating personifying helped her in the revision process. “i can't tell you how many times i came home from a walk teeming with ideas for the poems.” rich is always on tour performing at theaters, churches, schools, community centers and colleges. the tyler literary society is always eager and happy to have talented performers such as susanna rich perform at
Photo Credit: WildnightsProduCtions.Com
the school. her delivery is recognized through the use of song, poetry, and acting. You can learn more about rich and her work at www.wildnightsproductions.com, and her teaching blog at becauseicanteach.blogspot.com. help her reach 450 likes on Facebook at, “shakespeare’s *itches: the musical” by April 23 at https://www.facebook.com/pages/shakespeares-itches-the-musi
cal/1433030523609031 rich’s performance of shakespeare’s *itches was delivered in the gallagher room on tuesday April 15th from 1-3pm. the tyler literary society isthrilled to have talented authors and performers like rich work with them, and they hope that in the future, there will be other artists who will come spread their knowledge with Bucks students.
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AD
Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
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BuckS
Bucks hosting suicide workshop Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
By: Sean Gill Centurion Staff
According to studies conducted by Emory University, one in 10 college students has made a plan for suicide, over 1,000 suicides every year happen on college campuses and “lifetime thoughts” of attempting suicide are reported to occur among 18 percent of undergraduates. As studies show, high suicide rates among college students, Bucks is planning to combat this recent epidemic by educating students with a workshop on April 16 to teach students how to notice the signs of depression and suicide. The Bucks County Counseling Center along with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will be presenting a film called “The Truth about Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College” at 1 p.m. in the Gallagher room. Studies conducted by Emory University show that suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 1524, and the second leading cause of death in
We’re here for you.
individuals ages 25-34. This is especially prevalent to college students, who have shown ample signs of depression, according to several other surveys. In 2011, the American College Health Association and the National College Health Assessment found that about 30 percent of college stu-
dents reported feeling "so depressed that it was difficult to function" at some time in the past year. Some Bucks students say that depression could be linked to slim job opportunities and disillusionment with one’s place in society. Other’s like Alaa Ajaj, 19, believes the depres-
sion/suicide rate escalation is a result of “the ones with depression being reluctant to seek help." Ajaj is quite accurate in her assumption. Over two-thirds of young people do not talk about or seek help for mental health problems. The workshop will go over several topics such
CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
as the relationship between depression and suicide, statistics on suicide in the college population, warning signs and how an individual or friend can get help for suicide. The event will be held on April 16 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Gallagher room.
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BUCKS
Women pilots gain long needed recognition BY: MICHELE HADDON Centurion Staff
Going without recognition for nearly 40 years, the women of the Women Air Force Service Pilots received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010, nearly 70 years after serving the country. In honor of Women’s History Month, Lynn Yonally came to Bucks to share with a crowd made up of Bucks students, teachers and other visitors the experiences of her mother Lillian Lorraine Yonally, a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs. Yonally explained that for a long time, she was completely unaware of her mother’s experience during the war. “I didn’t know she flew, by the way, until I was almost a junior in high school. When we were growing up, she never talked about it,” said Yonally. According to Yonally, her mother loved to fly and earned her pilot’s license when she was just 17 years old. In 1943, her mother reported to Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, to begin her military training. Avenger Field was an allfemale training base. While men could enter the Air Force having no pilot’s license and no previous flying experi-
Bucks-news.com
ence, women were required to have their license and at least 200 hours of flight time. At Avenger Field, the women trained on old, leftover planes that were haphazardly restored. Once her mother graduated from her initial training, Yonally explained, she went on to train on B-25 bombers. This had been her favorite plane. Yonally described what one of the B-25 training instructors once said of the WASPs, “These were some of the best pilots I’ve ever dealt with. They worked hard; they really wanted to be there.” Yonally explained that the WASPs never flew overseas; their duties included test-flying aircrafts and ferrying them from factories and from base to base. One of their more dangerous jobs however was having to drag targets behind their aircraft so that men on the ground could practice shooting at them. After only a short time, in November 1944, the WASPs were disbanded. By then, about 1,100 women earned their wings. These women had not been granted the military status they were promised though. It wasn’t
The week of April 15, 2014
until 1976, after the Air Force made a big announcement they would be training the first-ever female military pilots that the WASPs got angry enough to fight for the long-overdue recognition they deserved. In 1977, a bill was passed finally granting them their military status. Yonally went on to explain that in 2010 the WASPs were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. “Around 250 women—with their
walkers, wheelchairs, and canes—arrived to receive their medals,” said Yonally. “When the National Anthem was played, each of those women stood up and sang with their hand over their hearts.” Growing up, whenever Yonally complained of the unfair treatment her mother and the other WASPs endured, her mother told her, “It does no good to get mad. You just have to make your way through life doing
the right thing.” While retelling her mother’s stories, Yonally also shared the color photographs her mother took during her time of service. These photographs were a rarity in their time and showed the women, often times in over-sized uniforms, with the planes they so proudly flew. “They served their country because they believed that their country needed them,” said Yonally.
President Barack Obama awards Congressional Gold Medal to WASP veterans.
PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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BUCKS
Bucks raves over dance party Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
BY: CHRIS PIERRE
Centurion Staff
The Hillel club rocked the house on campus at a club hosted event last week. The club opened their doors to all guess including students for a fun time of dancing, glow sticks and free pizza. Admission was free for all who attended. The president of the Hillel club Brad Abrams, a 19 year old business administration major said, “We just wanted a dance so we used free pizza to get people to come and party. We want to thank Hillel of Greater in Philadelphia for funding this, we hope to get more dances so we can do charity for our community.” The Hillel club is associated with Hillel of Philadelphia, inspiring college students who are in the Jewish faith to participate in programs and activities with their community and support a good cause. The club hosted a dance at Bucks last semester where encouraged students to bring canned goods to support the Jewish Relief Agency.
Club Hilel Dance party’s disc jockey, DJ Price
Students around the campus loved the idea of having dances for good causes like 20 year old criminal justice major Larry Hilton who commented, “It was the most fun I had in a very long time. The dance was a great opportunity for students to relax after so much work. It also gives
others a chance to have fun and show other students what they have in terms of dancing. I believe that if more dances were held, it would raise both school spirit and participation, as well as maximize the college experience in Bucks, even in such an appropriate manner in which this
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS PIERRE
dance was held. ” When asked about if he thought more dances should be held, Hilton responded, “I believe that's a bold idea that should be commended. The charity dance would be a great way to raise money for any school programs and functions, as long as they have so much to offer
like this dance did.” “They should do more dances for charity,” said Kelly Bilger, 22, a photography major. Apryl Logan, 21, an early education major also agreed when she said “I had a lot of fun at the dance and I feel like they should have more dances like it.” If any student should be credited with keeping the party going with awesome music it is 29-yearold biology major Joshua Price aka DJ-Price. Price explained, “I’ve been a DJ for seven years; I started out in Philly then moved to the west like L.A, San Diego and Vegas. But I moved back here to a degree.” He also said “When they do these dances, they choose me to DJ and it’s been a blast.” DJ-Price can be seen DJ-ing upcoming exciting events like the Spring Fling taking place Thursday April 24 and the LGBT Prom on Friday, May 9 in the Gallagher Room where there will be more fun for everyone around the campus.
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10 ENTERTAINMENT
“Game of Thrones”: deadlier than ever Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
BY: JEFF TESCHNER Centurion Staff
HBO’S hit series “Game of Thrones” returned for its fourth season on Sunday April 6 ending an excruciating ten month hiatus since the end of the last season. The season four premiere garnered a series-best of 6.6 million viewers, the most viewers HBO has pocketed since the 2007 finale of the popular series, “The Sopranos.” The “Game of Thrones” season four premiere dominated Twitter. In the 24 hours during and after the season one premiere, 500,000 tweets related to “Game of Thrones” were counted by the analytics firm Crimson Hexagon. During the 9:00 p.m. Sunday airing of season four Crimson Hexagon counted a staggering 100,000 tweets in only one hour. “Game of Thrones” success lies in the tried and true formula; cater to the public’s appetite for sex, money and murder. Game of Thrones combines elements of brother-sister incest, homosexuality, coercion, not to mention sprinklings of diplomacy, strong family bonds, and plenty of backstabbing. It also includes elements
New episodes of “Game of Thrones” air every Sunday at 9 on HBO
from classic fantasy with mythical creatures such as dragons, giants, sorcerers and zombies known as the white walk-
ers. Nick Alary, 21, a sophomore student from Newtown says “The wait was only too painful, I can’t
wait to see what’s going to happen in this season, I’m actually really excited.” Michael Ramirez a 21
year old sophomore from Newtown, another diehard fan stated “I can’t wait to see what enemies Daenerys Targaryen vanquishes this season, I also can’t wait to see her in general once more, she is the most gorgeous woman in all the Seven Kingdoms and I wouldn’t mind being the husband of the mother of dragons.” Sajid Chaudharry a 20 year old sophomore from Buckingham Pa said “I watched all of the thirty [prior] episodes in less than a week.” Anyone wishing to catch up to the show needs only to know that a lot has happened in the past three seasons, and watching from the current point is not recommended. Christopher Dunkerly 25 of Newtown Pa says “The show’s breadth is too complicated and amazing to put in words, I would suggest this show to anyone.” The season four premiere suggests that the show is only going to continue getting better and bigger: bigger armies, bigger dragons, better weddings, more deaths and to put it simply more highly entertaining television.
THE WEEK IN TV/MOVIES/MUSIC/BOOKS TV
Tuesday 3/15 Glee - FOX - 8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles - CBS - 9:00 Chicago Fire - NBC - 10:00
MOVIES
MUSIC
Wednesday 3/16 Survivor: Cagayan - CBS - 8:00 Modern Family - ABC - 9:00 Chicago PD - NBC - 10:00 Thursday 3/17 Grey’s Anatomy - ABC - 8:00 The Crazy Ones - CBS - 9:00 Parenthood - NBC - 10:00
Friday 3/18 Kitchen Nightmares - FOX - 8:00 Hawaii Five-0 - CBS - 9:00 Hannibal - NBC - 10:00
Sunday 3/20 Once Upon a Time - NBC - 8:00 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey - FOX - 9:00 The Mentalist - CBS -10:00
Monday 3/21 2 Broke Girls - CBS -8:00 The Following - FOX - 9:00 Castle - ABC - 10:00
A Pony Named Olga
Oculus(R)
A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.
Directed by: Mike Flanagan Starring: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff Release Date: April 11
New Album “The Land Of Milk And Pony” 15 April
Birds of Satan
New Album “Birds of Satan” 15 April
Asher Roth
New Album “RetroHash” 22 April
BOOKS “The Collector”
“The Target”
“Everything to Lose: A Novel”
When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one.
The President knows it's a perilous, high-risk assign ment. If he gives the order, he has the opportunity to take down a global menace, once and for all. If the mission fails, he would face certain impeachment, and the threats against the nation would multiply.
A determined mother becomes entangled in a murderous conspiracy to keep a twenty-year-old secret buried in this blistering thriller, set during the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, from Andrew Gross, the New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds and No Way Back
Written By: Nora Roberts
Release Date: 15 April
Written by: David Baldacci
Release Date: 22 April
Written by: Andrew Gross
Release Date: 22 April
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Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
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Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
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Bucks’ alumni to speak at forum Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
Bucks graduates are returning to speak to Bucks students on the art of Journalism. BY: ALISON KUKLINSKI Centurion Staff
Students get the opportunity of a lifetime when professional journalists come to Bucks to tell about their careers. The lecture will take place at Bucks in the Centurion Office, Rollins 127. From 8:00-9:15 a.m. and again at 11:00-12:15 p.m., everybody is welcomed and admission is free. Students will get the opportunity to hear about the college’s journalism program, as well as become acquainted with the lab where the student newspaper is produced. Bucks’ Journalism professor, Tony Rogers, suggests that students attend the forum, saying, “It’s very informal. I like having young reporters speak to the students because than they can relate with one another.” All five speakers were once Bucks students too, “which is one of the most exciting things about this particular forum, and most of them were students of mine,” says Rogers. Guest speaker Laurie Mason Schroeder, Bucks graduate of 1996, works primarily for Calkins Media covering court and crime stories for the Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelli-
gencer Newspaper. Eric Redner, a former editor for The Centurion here at Bucks and a graduate of the Bucks and Temple University Journalism programs will be making an appearance as well. Since 2005, Redner has been a writer/editor for an Internet-based sports wire service titled Sportsnetwork.com. The most recent Bucks alum, Anthony Dimattia, is an award-winning writer and editor for the Centurion. He graduated from Bucks in 2012. He covers government and school stories in Bristol Township as well as crime in Lower Bucks County for the Bucks County Courier Times. Professor Rogers mentions, “People are always assuming that you can’t get a job in journalism because it competes with the Internet, but these conferences prove that young people are getting good jobs in journalism.” Local news junkie Tom Sofield, co-founder of the local news website LevittownNow.com will also be attending. Sofield has been covering news in Bucks County for three years and has contributed to the Journal Register Company and worked for the Aol/Huffington Post Media
Bucks Alumni (seen above) will be coming back to the college to discuss the future of Journalism and it’s transition into the digital age.
Group’s Patch.com network. Tom Rowan, who studied journalism and wrote for the Student newspaper at Bucks continued his education at Temple University and graduated in 2011with a major in Journalism. Rowan is currently a general assignment reporter for Metro Newspaper. Prior to that, Rowan interned and free-lanced for the Philadelphia Daily News, Philly.com, Bucks County Courier Times,
and Doylestown Intelligencer. The successful Bucks alumni will discuss their professions with the students to enlighten them about careers in Journalism. The conference will conclude with a question and answer session with the students. The journalism committee is fortunate to have former Bucks students speak to the current aspiring journalism students about the many job opportunities that come
PHOTO CREDIT: BUCKS.EDU
with a journalism background. Students will be given the opportunity to learn more about the journalism field and have any questions answered by the educated speakers in their field of expertise. Bucks encourages students to attend the seminar for anyone who is considering a job in the industry of news reporting and writing. It’s an opportunity student’s won’t want to miss.
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Bucks baseball steps up to the plate sPorTs
Bucks-news.com
The week of April 15, 2014
After a snowy, icy and cold winter, Men’s Baseball is making a return. The team is open for anyone interested. Even though they are having a rough start, manager Brad Tracy has high hopes for the team, which provides extra-curricular activity for many Bucks students. By: ryan JacoBs Centurion Staff
PHOTO CREDIT: BUCKS.EDU
After a winter that seemed like it would be never ending, spring has come, and so has the Men’s baseball season. This season the team will be led by manager Brad Tracy, who is in his first season as manager of the team. This isn’t Tracy’s first coaching job. He has been coaching for 25 seasons. Tracy truly loves baseball, and was a player before he was a coach. But even now being a coach, he is still a student of the game, learning new things about the game and his players every single day. Tracy said that he always wanted to be a coach. He said, “I have been coaching for 25 years and I always felt it was my responsibility to pass on experiences that I had as a player, in order for today’s players to learn and become better players themselves.” While last season wasn’t a great one for the team, finishing just 4-14, Tracy was brought in this season to bring a winning attitude and gain some respect from their oppo-
The baseball team is ready to go for it in 2014. New baseball coach Brad Tracy is still getting warmed up, with high expectations.
nents. “My expectations and goals this season include competing and giving 100% effort in every game, never stop working to improve, respecting the game, gaining the respect of the league, and making the playoffs.” Tracy seemed very adamant about this, as he not only wants his players to always give their best effort, but believes if they do that they can make the playoffs. This season the team has very solid pitching, led by Nick Heller and Rich Ciarlante, both are
freshmen. They are not only starting pitchers, but they are versatile and play multiple positions in the field. The offense, while not as strong as the pitching, is improving day by day. The team is led by its two captains Drew Sica and Joe Monaghan. Sica is a utility player that plays many different positions and can utilize his talent wherever he’s placed, while Monaghan plays first base and anchors the infield. But like most teams, the Centurions aren’t strong in every aspect of the
game. Their main weakness is a shaky defense that will definitely take some repetitions in practice to improve. Coach Tracy believes that for the team to be successful, they need more than just one player to carry the team. He said, “A successful team has contributions fro mall of its players, but it is important for the more experienced players to produce at critical times.” Tracy also believes that as a manager, it is up to him to get the most out of his players to produce.
He said, “A coach has to put players in positions where they can succeed. If every player is individually successful, then the team will be successful. It is early in the season and we are still finding out about each other, but I am confident that this season will be a success.” As of print date, the team is currently 0-5, but showing great signs of improvement. The team still has time to turn their season around and complete their main goal of making the playoffs.
people began to attend in higher numbers. "I started the class again after spring break because I noticed that from 3 to 4 p.m. I would only have a few people come in, either one or two, or even none. So I asked my boss if I can start the class up again and she said yes,” explained Permar. “On the first day, I had
7 people each class and by this Monday, I had 12,” said Permar. “To have access to 12 people to help with their health, wellness and their spirituality is really amazing to me.” Permar, who has her M.A. in women's studies and B.A. in exercise science, says that yoga has many added benefits besides just exercise, "it
helps clear your mind and relax. The standard Bucks student has so many stressors on them, there is school, homework, work and family. To take time to just focus and calm their mind and de-stress is important. People are so inundated with twitter, facebook, Tumblr, and the internet. It’s really good for people to disengage and just
relax." One thing Permar cannot stress enough is who’s able to join her class, “Anyone can do it, and this isn't power yoga. You can be amazed by your body if you just allow it to see what it can do. Don't worry if you forget your mat, we have mats, just drop in." In order to take advantage of this free, yoga drop-in course, you have to have at least 30 credits and get a key form from the front desk of the Wellness Center.
Feeling stressed? Try some free yoga. By: Julia Erickson Centurion Staff
Bucks is offering a free drop-in yoga class in the wellness center for all students, staff and alumni on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Tina Permar, the Health and Fitness Coordinator says that she started the class "because I felt a need for it. I started teaching it in the fall because there was a class in the wellness center and I still wanted something available for people and started to pick up." After the first class,
PRO SCORES
BUCKS SPORTS
Philadelphia Flyers April 12 Flyers 4 - 3 Capitals
Men’s Baseball April 1 Bucks 2 - 13 Lehigh Carbon
April 13 Flyers 5 - 6 Hurricanes
April 2 Bucks 0 - 10 Northampton
Men’s Tennis April 1 Bucks 0 - 9 Bergen April 5 Bucks 0 - 9 Ocean
PHOTO CREDIT: TIMOTHY ZENNO
April 3 Bucks 5 - 8 Montgomery
Philadelphia 76ers April 9 76ers 114 - 125 Raptors
This is Tina Permar, the Fitness Coordinator for Bucks showing off her skills. She is knowledgeable and is always working to help students with their fitness. She can be found in the Wellness Center.
April 11 76ers 95 - 117 Grizzlies
April 12 76ers 105 - 111 Bobcats