MAY 2014

CommunicationsBig Night

Students celebrate Earth Day across Atlantic Cape’s

campuses

page 10Baseball team heads

to Surf Stadium

page 11page 3

Atlantic Cape thanks our veterans

Spring graduation is finally here

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Atlantic Cape Review

Atlantic Cape Community College recently considered a proposal that would have included the cost of books in tuition. However, the proposal has been shelved for the time being.

The pilot was part of book seller, Follett’s IncludEd program.Instead of students purchasing books on their own, the program

would automatically add a fee between $50 and $90 on to stu-dents’ tuition.

“That’s crazy. Yeah it’s included but what about those that already struggle with money,” said Vin-cent Bartolome, 19, general stud-ies major. The pilot would have been used in a select few classes at first for a trial run.

In terms of cost for the books versus the fee for the books that would have been included in

the tuition, Dr. Arthur Wexler, vice president of academic affairs said, “What we learned first is that the savings were not there.”

The reason the program was considered besides the savings that were thought to be included, was the idea that stu-dents would all have their

An estimated 250 people attended Atlantic Cape’s spring open house, up from last fall’s attendance figures.

Held Sunday April 8, the Open House Planning Committee explored new strate-gies, including an advertising campaign to help bolster attendance.

“We wanted to widely market it to demo-graphics we don’t reach out to, marketing cost alone was about $11,000,” said Andre Richburg, dean of enrollment management and college relations. The committees total budget was $15,000.

As the Atlantic Cape Review previously re-ported in December, people who had attend-ed open houses in the past have noticed the low attendance numbers. Only 63 prospec-tive students attended in the fall. “There’s easily 200 people in the gym alone… it’s surprising,” said Max Fineran, 22, student

volunteer who assisted at the open house.

This open house was in-tended to exhibit Atlantic Cape to potential students and their families. The day began with a reception and then a presenta-tion headed by Dr. Peter Mora, president of Atlantic Cape.

Mora’s presentation stressed the quality and value of an education from Atlantic Cape. After his opening remarks, prospective students were lead on guided tours around the Mays Landing campus by Student Gov-ernment Association volunteers.

“We’ve never displayed this campus the way it’s being displayed today,” Richburg said.

The open house was three hours long, lon-ger than open houses in the past. The extra time allowed for more structure, which was missing from previous open houses, accord-ing to Richburg.

Prospective students went on tours through various buildings around campus. They also attended information sessions in the gym that showcased different academic departments.

“A number of people from different de-partments got together three times before this open house to discuss different statis-tics and logistics to make this day success-ful,” Richburg said.

Prospective students that attended were

MANDATORY BOOK PURCHASES SHELVED

By John AnayaStaff Reporter

Second open house brings in the crowd

See Open House on page 2

See Tuition on page 2

By Pat CampbellStaff Reporter

Scotty and Jojofrom WZXL Radiohost the student-run 7th annualCommunication Awards in MaysLanding

Pages 6-7

Tuition will rise to $113 per credit from $108 beginning

with the 2014 summer session.

Mandatory fees will rise to $138.40 per credit from $131.85 in fiscal year 2014.

Visit Atlantic.edu for more information

2014 tuition hikes:

page 5

Attendees gather information from different academic departments in the gym. Photo by: Amanda McCullough

StaffACR Advisor:Trudi GilfillianEditor:Briar GibbonsAsst. Editor:Kevin Del CidSGA Representative:Nick PappasBusiness Manager:Taylor BaileySecretary:Gary Mazin

Staff Writers:Rich MeadPat CampbellTyrique SimsJohn AnayaDino ArhontoulisTaylor HenryJen BellMax Fineran

Contributing Writers: Tori BurkeMike CadeMike RennickAmanda McCulloughTammy DeFrancoCynthia Correa

Contact us: Twitter:@ACReviewNewsFacebook:Atlantic Cape Review

Disclaimer:The Atlantic Cape Review is a public-forum student publication. The content of this newspaper does not reflect the viewpoint of Atlantic Cape Community College. Any opinions expressed in the publication are solely the opinion of the writer unless otherwise stated.

Corrections Policy:The Atlantic Cape Review strives for accuracy and fairness. If you notice any incorrect information, please contact us.

ACR reserves the right to refuse any advertising deemed unsuitable.

Letter from the editor

2 Atlantic Cape ReviewMay Edition

books on the first day of class. However, according to Wexler, there were no guarantees the books would arrive on time.

Another reason the program was shelved is because of the faculty review of the program.

“The students would have to return the books at the end of the semester” said Therese Budd, dean of administration and busi-ness services.

The program would work the same way online rentals do. This would be mandated for all text-

books. The students would keep any workbooks included in the program.

“Some faculty had objections, some have had issues with Follett in the past,” Budd said.

The pilot would have been a big change at the college. It would have made Atlantic Cape the only community college in New Jersey to have this program. In addition, students would not have been able to comparison shop.

“The cost included in tuition was a cost per course not cost per

book,” Budd said.This means the fee would not

have been based on the cost of the individual book, but a uniform flat fee.

However, in June, the book-store’s contract is set to run out.

“The contract is for a limited timeframe. After that, we either re up or sign with another vendor,” Wexler said.

Though the pilot was shelved, it does not mean that similar pro-posals either with the IncludEd program or another vendor’s pro-grams will not be considered.

also able to purchase food from the school cafeteria and items from the bookstore, which had an open house discount. In addition, several faculty members were in attendance to help promote the college.

All the attempts by the college to

garner exposure did not go unno-ticed by prospective students.

“I saw a lot here today… it’s dif-ferent than I thought it was,” said Brandon Wade, 18.

The Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) attracted a large crowd. With a line spanning the width of the

gym, the ACAs representatives were able to inform visitors about the program.

“I came for the culinary school… I got to talk to some of the chefs and they all seem to know what they’re doing. I was impressed,” said Zack Dunn, 20, another visi-tor.

Tuition (Continued from page 1)

Open house (continued from page 1)

The 6th annual Choreoproject, a series of dance performances, took place in the Walter Edge Theater at Atlantic Cape’s Mays Landing campus on April 16.

“During this afternoon of stu-dent- and faculty-choreographed

projects...students had the op-portunity to have a professional theater in which to present their work...and they love that opportu-nity,” said Michelle Bayard Gross, assistant professor of dance.

Many of the students involved choreographed their own dances and received awards for their achievements at the end of the Choreoproject.

“The students participating get

a taste of what performing feels like, without the pressures of a competition,” said Sean Mc-Cullough, Walter Edge Theater stage manager and Atlantic Cape student. “It’s a vital experience,” said Susan Maclean, professor of ballet and modern dance. Gross agreed on the importance of the event, “It reflects the diversity of the student population... It’s a wonderful sharing of the students’ backgrounds... Everybody loves to learn about everybody else.”

Swing into springBy Rich MeadStaff Reporter

Hey, want to join the Atlantic Cape Review staff next fall?Email us at ACReview@atlantic.edu for more information.

The day has come that I am saying my goodbye to Atlantic Cape. This year has been incredible for me and for this paper. The paper has gone from something that some of you may have heard about to something that you see and read. Our distribution has changed drastically over the last year. We now have two racks in Cape May and Atlantic City, and nu-merous places you can find the paper in Mays Landing. It is the first time since I have been a part of the paper that we have run out of the 1,000 copies that we order. I am so thankful for this year. I am thankful for all the experience I have gained and all the friends I have made. I am thankful that I am leaving the ACR with an editor that will take things further than I ever would have imagined. This newspaper, while small, has changed me in ways I cannot explain. Atlantic Cape will forever remain in my heart. I will be proud to call myself an Atlantic Cape alumna. As always, I am here for anyone that needs guidance, always fight for what you believe in, never take no for an answer and question everything.

Sincerely, Briar GibbonsYour Editor, mentor, leader, and friendAtlantic Cape Class of 2014

3Atlantic Cape ReviewMay Edition

Veterans Gratitude and Resource FairFeaturing Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak and Donna Clementoni

presenting Atlantic Cape with the Seven Seals Award

Left: Keynote speaker and Atlantic Cape alumni Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak shares his story with the audience.Right: Dr. Peter Mora gives opening remarks at the first Veterans Gratitude and Resource Fair Photos by Amanda McCullough

Below: Students from the Academy of Culinary Arts prepared food for the occasion

Assistant Profes-sor of Business Karl Giulian is ac-tive with business students on both

the Cape May and Mays Landing campuses. Giulian, a resident of Stone Harbor, uses lo-cal examples when teaching and is earning his doctorate in educational leadership from Rowan University. “I am very excited to see people who want to become good business people. It is

a rewarding career path with tremendous possibilities,” Giulian said. “The business path has so many options for students. It is truly rewarding for me to be a part of the lives of my students as they start to develop their business careers. I am trying to help them become strong and ethical business leaders.”Every month, the Business Department meets to discuss new classes and revise current ones. “We are currently reviewing the program classes in the business depart-ment to see if there needs to be changes,”

said Giulian, who is positive about improve-ment. “Once we fully assess the needs of the degree program, we will look to make the changes.”This fall, students can take courses in intro-ductory business, marketing, management, human resources management and business law in Cape May Court House. “We under-stand the need to be thorough in our inves-tigation [for relevant courses],” Giulian said. “Business people are always optimistic.”

Helping students get down to business By Taylor HenryStaff Reporter

On April 18, Advisor Jay Peterson and the Asian Student Alliance took a trip to NYC, where they visited the Bodies Exhibit at Discovery Times Square, Madame Tussaud’s, the Empire State Building, and Chinatown. Pictured L to R: Christina Kane, Darcel Durr, Hamel Brahmbhatt, Natalie Espinosa, Richard Alejandro, and Erica Pratts. Photo by Jay Peterson

4 Atlantic Cape ReviewMay Edition

Atlantic Cape’s “Hidden Talent” took the stage on April 3. Sixty-five people attended the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and Lacrosse Club sponsored event. Before the show, Kyle Ragland, BSA president said, “Tonight is going to be surpris-ing. The reason I say that is because a lot of people may think that community college students do not have as much talent as they do.” First, second and third place awards were given out at the end of the show. Third place winner Adam Johnson said he tried his

best to appear confident during the show. “I took my nerves and used them for the drama. I was trying to make that if I looked nervous that was because I was sad, not because I was nervous,” said Johnson, 19, liberal arts major. After three and half hours of constant performances, people who were disappointed by their first performance had a chance to redeem themselves with a second turn on stage. Joey Varallo let the excitement get to him. Varallo used the second opportunity to show the audience the hidden talent that he really had. “I was overwhelmed by the situation and it was my first performance ever. My second time around, once I heard the audi-

ence get real into it, and they wanted to hear me I got real pumped up and I killed it,” said Varallo, 20, business major. Ragland knew that this would be the biggest obstacle the night of the show would be a lot of nervous performers. “A lot of people mentioned tonight that they were nervous. I guess their confidence was low, not where it should have been,” Rag-land said. Some contestants let their nervous-ness get to them, but Eric “swifty” Acierto had a different mentality before the show. “I am a little bit nervous, but being nervous means you are going to do some-thing great,” said Acierto, 21, performing arts major.

Singers, dancers get second shot By Taylor Bailey and Jen BellStaff Reporters

The 34th annual international Earth Day celebration was marked at all three Atlantic Cape campuses.

According to earthday.org, April 22, 1970 marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental move-ment. That year 20 million Americans took part in demonstrations for a healthy, sustain-able environment in large rallies across the country.

On the Mays Landing campus, students and faculty gathered in the quad and took part in a variety of games and other activities.

At the celebration, various student clubs

and organizations manned information tables. At each of the tables, there were student representatives, games, prizes, and snacks. Water bottles, ice cream, and spray-painted hats were only some of the free prizes that were available.

According to Atlantic Cape student Lamekia Berry, 21, general studies major, the snacks are what gets her to the event each year.

“It is a great event that I look forward to every year,” Berry said. “And you cannot com-plain about all the free food.”

Although some students may attend the Earth Day celebration for the free food and giveaways, it is not always an easy task to anticipate the number of students who will attend, according to Student Government As-sociation President Ines Rosales, 19, educa-tion major.

“We (SGA) have to make sure we order enough things, and make sure they are actu-ally things that people will use and want,” Rosales said. “Also, we have to look for cer-tain vendors, where to order from, and get the best prices.”

The weather plays a key role in each year’s Earth Day attendance. This year’s celebration had favorable weather, compared to last year, according to Paula Stewart-Davis, counseling and support services director.

“It is great weather this year,” Stewart-Da-vis said. “It was cold last year, so it is exciting to see so many students out and participat-ing.”

“This year seems more active and more people are involved,” Rosales said.

Earth Day was celebrated on Atlantic Cape’s Cape May and Atlantic City campuses. Left: Art Gallery in Cape May. Right: Winner of Atlantic City’s recycling contest.

Photos by: Tammy DeFranco and Cynthia Correa

Top: Student clubs and organizations took part in the Mays Landing campus Earth Day celebration. Bottom: Students played volleyball in the quad as part of the event. Photos by: Amanda McCullough

EARTH DAY EVENTS5

By Tori Burke Contributing writer

7TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION AWARDS6

Atlantic Cape’s own ver-sion of the Oscars took center stage May 2 at the 7th annual Communication Awards. “We were all nervous,” said Briar Gibbons, student chair, “until right now [the end].” The evening’s hosts Joe Borsello and Scott Reilly of WZXL-FM, better known as Jojo and Scotty, led the audience through a night of performances, and emotional moments. “It’s nice to see kids enjoying communications,” Reilly said, adding that the students worked hard and “we want to help.” There were awards for ev-ery facet of communication from journalism to television, but the Communication Major of the Year competition was the main event. Each of the three candidates had a different approach. Kevin Del Cid was the first to present. His video with a Back to the Future theme depicted him one year in the future, assuming he had won the award. The second contestant was Juan Paolo Chamorro who, after a short speech, performed a tribute to his hero, Michael Jackson. Finally, Dino Arhontoulis presented a speech with a slide-show of all of his great memories and achievements of his time at Atlantic Cape. The audience then voted and Del Cid was named Commu-nication Major of the Year. Del Cid helped redesign the Atlantic Cape Review and plans to create a webpage for the Atlantic Cape Re-

view, TV Club and newly formed Film Club. After his win, Del Cid will continue to help with next year’s Communication Awards. During a light hearted break in the show, Max Fineran, vice president of the TV Club, held a dance off featuring Del Cid, Chamorro, and Arhontoulis along with Associate Professor of Communication Keith Forrest. Fineran named Forrest the win-ner. “You have to be willing,” Forrest said, “to do what you ask your students to do.” The awards had an over-whelming family feeling. Every award winner received a trophy and a hug. “The Communication Awards feel incredible every year,” Gibbons said, “it has changed my life and everything I do.” Gibbons was featured in a recruitment video shown through-out the evening. Other presenters and speakers included Middle Township High School teacher Elizabeth Volpe, Alumni of the Year Nanette LoBiondo Galloway, NBC40 anchor Michelle Dawn Mooney, and public relations expert Larry Litwin. Assistant Professor of Communication Joy Jones-Carmack also spoke to the audience. Jones left the audience with words of encouragement, reminding them to do their best. She quoted a former teacher saying, “It will work if you make it work, you just have to work hard.”

By Mike CadeContributing writer

Above: Communication Major of the Year nominees Kevin Del Cid, Juan Paolo Chamorro, and Dino Arhontoulis compete for the title.

Left: Awards Coordinator Vicki Comis and committee members Tyrique Sims and Angela Gomez man the registration table during the reception. Photos by: Jessica Patrick

7TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION AWARDS7

Above: Del Cid takes home the title of Communication Major of the YearBelow: Students recieve awards for excellence in public relations, interpersonal and

organizational communication

ENTERTAINMENT

Over the past five years, Sony has re-leased high definition remasterings of their best titles from the

PS1 and PS2 eras onto the PS3 so that the games can appear in high resolution. Sadly though, some of these classics really show their age with the rerelease. Before playing the HD remastering of Final Fantasy X, I wondered if such a problem would appear here. The game was revolutionary in 2001, but does the game hold up today? The plot was unchanged in the remake. Final Fantasy X succeeds where most role-playing games fail. Final Fantasy X makes the player feel as though he is really going on a long adventure to save the world. With interesting characters and themes, the story certainly does its job of hooking the player. The story can get confusing at times, but the player will look past these points just to witness the stun-ning conclusion of the journey. The HD version has updated graphics and a remixed soundtrack, which will immerse

the player in the game’s world. The character models and environments are more realistic in the HD version. With the update, the game looks as good as many current generation games. However, the new character models do not set the same tone as the old ones. On the same note, the music has been remixed, and some songs set a different mood for the environ-ments. Fans of the original may be turned-off by such changes, but for new players, the game will just look pretty and sound nice.It will not be the story, graphics, or music that will entice players, but rather it will be the battle system. Final Fantasy X HD features the same turn-based battle system found in the original. In that regard, it is like most turn-based role-playing games except for its level-ing system. Final Fantasy X allows the player to

choose how each character uses their experi-ence. In one instance, a character could be learning healing spells, and in the next without any complications, they could learn attack magic.Overall, Final Fantasy X has held up by today’s standard, and the HD port make the title bet-ter than most games right now. For those that have never played the game, the HD version is a great way to experience a classic, especially considering the game is packaged with its sequel. For those who played it back in 2001 and enjoyed it, Final Fantasy X HD will not disappoint you.

By Nick Pappas Staff Reporter

Still not the Final Fantasy

Fox series develops loyal fans

By Briar GibbonsEditor

Kevin Bacon stars alongside James Purefoy in the FOX serial killer drama, “The Following.” The show has just wrapped up its second season and has already been renewed for a third. The series begins as a story of sorts. Joe Carroll (Purefoy), a college professor turned serial killer is writing his newest novel, starring Ryan Hardy (Bacon).

TV critics such as USA Today’s Robert Bianco have said of the show “It’s one of the most violent, and certainly most frightening, series ever made by a commmercial broad-cast network.

Carroll is obsessed with the works of Edgar Allen Poe and cuts out the eyes of many of his victims. He then trains his cult of followers to do the same. The show follows along the journey of Hardy and Carroll as Hardy tries

to catch Carroll, but it seems as if Carroll is always one step ahead of him. In season two, the theme changes.

Instead of Carroll running his own cult, he takes over another. Season two also brings a string of other villains for Hardy and his team of FBI agents to try to take down.

If you have been thinking about starting the show but have not, do yourself a favor and watch. You will be instantly hooked and

drawn in by who is going to be killed next and what each characters plot line is. The show has left me yelling at the television every single episode. It has made me laugh at the cynical jokes and cry at the deaths.

“The Following” is a show that has a lot of life left in it and will remain my favorite drama show for hopefully years to come. The only thing I would warn you about is, make sure not to watch before bed time.

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Genre: Rock, we thinkBand Members:Brandon Rosenberg (22) - guitar, vocalsKyle Carrier (22) - guitarMike Planko (24) - bass, vocalsHow did you come up with the name?It’s a song title from one of our favorite bandsWhy should people come out to see your band?If you’re looking for some live music and a good time, come out and bob your head.Upcoming Shows:Visit www.facebook.com/ginwarband

Genre: Indie RockBand Members: Anthony Macera, 25, BassRobb Swain, 25, Drums Mark Barny, 25, guitar/ vocals.How did you come up with the name?No one really likes AM or Talk Radio, so if no one liked our music, it wouldn’t be a big deal, because it’s talk radio, no one is supposed to like it anyway.Do you have any upcoming shows?Some scattered shows here and there but as of right now we are preparing to record and release our first ep. We’re aiming to have it out the first week of July.Why should people come out to see your band?we are a fresh sound to the area and possibly to music in general. There’s nothing forced, we aren’t a band that says “ok, people like this, let’s sound like that.” It all just seems to flow well and we like to have fun and get/give hugs

Local music spotlightGin War Talk Radio

MUSIC

Shakira has sold over 125 million records, 70 million albums, and over 55 million singles, and she’s returned for her tenth studio album. Shakira’s new album is a self-titled “Shakira”. Based on the title, it could be in-terpreted as a self-portrait. The album was released with two editions. The stan-dard includes 12 songs and

the deluxe edition con-tains 15 songs. Many of the songs on the album can be compared to her best selling English single

“Hips Don’t Lie”: positive, up beat music that will keep you moving throughout the day. The album is primarily English with a few Spanish songs, however the English songs on the album have Latin and Country music in-fluence that makes it very appealing. My Favorite song on the album is “The

One Thing,” it has a catchy beat and makes you want to dance. I feel the only nega-tive aspect of the album is that a bit more collabora-tion with Latin Artists like Mark Anthony, Enrique Igle-sias or even Jennifer Lopez might have added to the spice and would sell more copies. I would rate this album a 7/10. The songs sound great, but miss the mark that people are wait-ing to hear: her sexy Latino Voice.

For those who don’t know about Spotify, it’s like iTunes and Pandora made an amazingly gorgeous baby. Spotify, like iTunes, gives you access to over 20 million songs. The only difference is that it is free to access them. It

also has a radio feature like Pandora. However, Pandora only has access to 200,000 songs. With a free subscription, all you have to do is listen to an advertisement or two while listening to your favorite tunes and making your favor-ite playlists. You can use Spotify through its computer application,

through the web, or on your phone!If you want more freedom beyond advertisements, you can pay $10 a month for ad-free service. A paid sub-scription also allows you to download music straight to

your phone. Is $10.00 too much? Well you’re in for a treat. If you are a college student, you can go to http://spoti.fi/Student and sign up for the pre-mium membership for students for $5. Check out Spotify today and you won’t be disappointed with the features it supplies. If you have any questions about Spotify, I am the campus representa-tive so please feel free to contact me at maxfineran@gmail.com.

By Dino ArhontoulisStaff Reporter

Spotify for studentsBy Max FineranStaff Reporter

Shakira shakes it up

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COMMENCEMENT ‘14

Cierra BettisTransfer School:William PatersonMajor: Early childhood education, minor in psychologyAge: 19 Dream Job: First grade teacher“Over the course of time that I have been at Atlantic Cape, I have had some amazing pro-fessors. Therefore, I decided I wanted to fol-low that path and go into the education field.”

Duy (Tom) NguyenTransfer School: Rutgers or UCLAMajor: Performing ArtsAge: 22Dream Job: Choreographer“Atlantic Cape performing arts program has helped me change my views on other styles of dance besides hip hop. It’s helped me become a better leader in life, not just in the dance studio.”

Megan LubianoTransfer School: Kean UniversityMajor: Therapeutic RecreationAge: 20Dream Job: Occupational therapist at a reha-bilitation facility“Atlantic Cape helped me understand why students should get an associates degree. Also, it gives me motivation to keep going to school.”

 

 

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Graduation will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, May 22, on the Mays Landing cam-pus. The ceremony will take place on the field behind the main parking lot

adjacent to the gymnasium. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the gym. Upon picking up your cap and gown, you will recieve your rainy weather tickets. The processional starts at 10:30 a.m. but gradu-

ates should arrive in J Lobby by 10 a.m. Graduates can pick up their cap and gown in the bookstore with their reciept.

A few of this year’s graduates are featured below.

Are you graduating this month?

Congratulations! Share your memories with Atlantic Cape on your special day by tagging your Instagram

or Twitter photos with #AtlanticCape14! Your photos will be featured on the

college’s Facebook page after graduation.(facebook.com/atlanticcape)

For commencement information, scan the QR code on the photo with your

smartphone or tablet.

BUCCANEER SPORTS11

Buccaneers baseball plays Surf Stadium Atlantic Cape Buccaneers get 10 strikeouts from Andrew Meyers,

win 11 - 0 over Williamson Trade School of Media, Pa.

Below: Buccaneers Jon Bruccoleri, team MVP, and Daniel Nicolaisen, leadership award recipient, play at Surf Stadium on Saturday, April 26

BUCCANEER SPORTS

Coach Sean Thomas’ squad is coming off a historic 2013 season. As the assis-tant softball coach, Thomas helped Atlantic Cape to 11 wins, the most in school history and a four game winning streak, also the longest in school history. As the head coach in the 2014 season, Thomas wants to do more than maintain the status quo. “My expectations for this season are for each student athlete to become a better softball player and a better all around person by learning all the integral lessons that being a mem-ber of a collegiate softball team provides, “ Thomas said. Building a success-ful team is not all about what skill set each player may bring to help the team get a win. A successful team is based on chemistry, and then the accomplish-ments on the field will all fall into place, Thomas said. According to Thom-as’ coaching philosophy, character is more important than wins and losses. The Lady Bucca-neers were scheduled to open the season against Sussex Community Col-lege in a double-header on March 22, but the game was postponed to a later date. The Lady Buccaneers

instead opened the season at home against Brookdale Community College in a double-header. They lost game one 0-13 and also lost game two 1-19. Although the Lady Buccaneers struggled at the start of the season, they still have a number of standout players including: freshman pitcher Shannon Kemmerer, freshman short-stop Sam Shepherd, sopho-more catcher and lead-ing hitter Sam Sweeney, sophomore outfielder Sam Donovan and, sophomore second baseman Madelyn Torres. The team also has the 2014 National Associa-tion for Girls and Women in Sports (NAGWS) woman of the year in Jessica Sol-orzano. Solorzano, 19, and sophomore pitcher for Lady Buccaneers softball, was also volleyball team cap-tain. She also excels in the classroom and is on track to be an NJCAA Academic All-American. She helps out in the community, with the Adopt-A-School event with the Spragg School in Egg Harbor City. Thomas believes Atlantic Cape has a lot to offer other student athletes. “The sense of team camaraderie, the develop-ing of character and the sense of accomplishment that comes with being a col-legiate student athlete, rep-resenting themselves, their

teammates and the school. It looks good on four-year institution applications and job applications because the applicant is well round-ed and knows how to be a team player,“ Thomas said. Thomas has also toured high schools in Atlantic and Cape May counties to talk to softball players in hopes of boosting enrollment at Atlantic Cape as well as enriching the softball program. Sophomore outfield-er Veronica Gaffney was part of the historic team last season. “The team was great. We had ups and downs, but we always came together as a family. Closest girl friends I’ve had since high school,” Gaffney said. Gaffney admires her teammates’ skills and abili-ties on the field and adds that she’s the team clown, trying to rid the team of any negativity that affects their performance. As for her play on the field, she wants to improve on scooping up ground balls, but she will always hustle and give 100 percent she said. The 2014 Lady Buc-caneers knew they had big shoes to fill after a memora-ble season the year before, but team members say they have established bonds on and off the field.

Team sticks togetherBy Tyrique SimsSports Reporter

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Photos by:Mike Rennick