Mr. Ambassador
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Dark Knight R e 6 v i www.theridernews.com e w The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930 Volume 79, Issue XI - Friday, December 5, 2008 MR. AM B A SS A DOR Rider grad is Liberia’s rep in U.S. By Laura Mortkowitz After completing education in both Liberia and the United States, Rider alumnus Milton Nathaniel Barnes (’78) took his finance degrees back to Liberia to make a difference in the government. According to Barnes, his experience as a Rider student helped prepare him for his current role as Liberian ambassador to the United States. “Even though I had read extensively Courtesy of Milton Nathaniel Barnes and knew a lot from family who had President Bush meets with Ambassador Milton Barnes, a 1978 Rider graduate, in the White House’s Oval Office. come to the U.S., it was my very first came to the U.S. and entered Rider exposure to American mentality,” he said College in 1975. After graduating with in a phone interview from the Liberian a B.S. in finance, Barnes obtained his embassy in Washington, D.C. “As a result MBA from Pace University in 1979. of that, it really shaped and formed my That same year he returned to Liberia, own way of thinking and understanding where he worked with The Insurance the diversity of our common humanity.” Company of Africa in Monrovia, which In September, Barnes was named he had previously worked with in both Liberian ambassador after serving two Philadelphia and Des Moines, Iowa. years as Liberian ambassador to the However, Barnes did not stay in United Nations. Liberia for long. In 1980, he once “In both roles I was supposed to again came to America, this time with represent Liberia’s interests on the world his wife, because of a coup d’etat. At stage in the U.N. and, of course, here in the time, Master Sgt. Samuel K. Doe the U.S., represent Liberia’s interests in seized control of the country. Barnes did our bilateral relationship with America,” not return until 1998, after a civil war he said. erupted in Liberia and Charles Taylor Illustration by Matt MacFarlane/The Rider News After beginning his collegiate educa- usurped Doe. Left, Milton Nathaniel Barnes’ senior class Rider yearbook photo. Right, Liberia is tion at the University of Liberia, Barnes See Liberia, p. 3 highlighted in yellow on the west coast of the African continent. College fair disrupted Terror attacks ‘It is sad to know that no by high school fights one in the world By Paul Mullin ent high schools that was also halt travel plan can escape broken up,” he said. By Jess Hoogendoorn death tolls were the Oberoi and terrorism.’ Altercations between high According to Higgins, the Taj Mahal hotels, according to school students brought an ear- two male students were from The International Travel CNN.com. - Melissa Renaud, ly end to Rider’s hosting of the West Trenton and Camden Course to Mumbai, India, has Dr. Cynthia Newman and graduate student National Hispanic College Fair high schools, while the female been canceled as a result of last Dr. Susan Denbo, who oversee (NHCF) in the Bart Luedeke students hailed from Asbury week’s terrorist attacks. the trip to India, discussed the Center’s Cavalla Room yester- Park and Long Branch high Ten gunmen invaded situation after hearing about the day morning. schools. India’s financial capital, killing attacks. With tensions between resolved prior to that date,” According to Rider Director Once the two situations had at least 179 people, including India and Pakistan rising and said Denbo, a legal studies and of University Communications been managed, Higgins said, six Americans, and wounding the threat of future attacks, the business ethics professor. “We Dan Higgins, there were two “all the parties involved were more than 300, according to professors decided to seek an also conferred with our travel separate incidents. put back on their buses and CNN.com. The armed men, alternate destination. consultant, who agreed that we “[An incident occurred returned to their high schools.” who were allegedly trained in “We were scheduled to should not travel to India right between] two male students, The entire fair, which was Pakistan, attacked 10 different arrive in Mumbai on Jan. 7 and now.” and was quickly separated, and scheduled to run from 9:30 targets with guns and bombs. we do not believe that the inves- similarly, there was an alterca- The areas with the highest tigation into the attacks will be See Trip, p. 3 tion between two girls of differ- See Fight, p. 2 p. 5 TRL Finale College of the Rider students donate to Arts faceoff The Giving Tree p. 7 p. 8 2 Friday, December 5, 2008 SECURITY BRIEF S ‘Unsung Hero’ honored after 28 years By Amber Cox “If I had to characterize her, I would say that she cares,” Unhygienic vandals Students as well as current Campbell said. “Her caring and retired faculty members makes everyone better.” Two male residents gathered on Thursday to wish a Campbell added that every- returned to their Hill Hall happy retirement to the associ- one “will miss the energy she room and found it had been ate director of residence life. brings to Rider each morning.” vandalized on Tuesday, Nov. Stephanie Polak is looking Jan Ferrick, area director, 25. The residents said they left forward to her retirement after said that Rider will not be the the door unlocked and were serving the Rider community same without Polak. Ferrick gone from 9:45 a.m. until for 28 years. She began working made a PowerPoint presenta- noon. When they returned, for Rider in January of 1981. tion that highlighted many they discovered someone had “It’s amazing how fast 28 wonderful stories about Polak’s urinated on and broken the years can go by,” she said. career. hinges off a computer belong- Polak may get a part-time “When we offered her the ing to one of the residents. job after she settles into retire- job, I gave her about 30 seconds ment, but said she is not look- Matt MacFarlane/The Rider News The cost of the damage to the During her retirement luncheon in Daly’s, Stephanie Polak, right, to answer me,” Ferrick said. ing for one right now. computer is about $2,000. is recognized by Director of Public Safety Vickie Weaver. “She has never let me down.” The other resident’s wallet, “I’m thrilled,” Polak said. There was a guest-book to which was sitting on top of “I’m going to do absolutely at the Rider Pub. There is a Polak was Threatt’s mentor and sign, where attendants could the refrigerator, was also uri- nothing. It’s more [about] memorandum of their relation- role model when she joined the write special notes to Polak. The nated on. Urine had to be what I’m not going to do. My ship in Hill Hall, Apartment A. Rider faculty. pages are going to be placed in cleaned off of the desk, refrig- husband and I are going to They inscribed their names on “She took me under her a memory book that was pre- erator and floor. do some home improvement wood in the room’s bedroom wing,” Threatt said. “We have sented to Polak. projects and maybe take some closet. been daily dining lunch bud- Attendees at the luncheon Underage trips.” Polak and her husband dies since then.” were asked to pay $20 for the Polak said she is not going have two children. Her fam- Threatt described Polak as food and the presents that Polak to miss driving on Route 295 in ily was present at the luncheon the go-to girl. If anyone ever An underage intoxicated was given. Presents included rush-hour traffic and all of the except her son, who could not had questions, they were sent to student was transported to a the memory book and a Visa computer problems she has had make it. her. nearby hospital Sunday, Nov. gift card, among other things. to handle. Speakers at the luncheon “Stephanie is the person 23, at 2:01 a.m. A female resi- Polak won the Unsung Polak is an undergraduate had nothing but praise for that will know the answers,” dent informed Public Safety Hero Award, which will now of Rider, class of 1976. She later Polak. She was even described Threatt said. and the Lawrence Township be presented to a resident advi- attended Indiana University for as being the “backbone of resi- Dean of Students Anthony Police Department (LTPD) sor every year and has been her master’s degree. dence life.” Campbell is saddened about that while she was off campus renamed, in her honor, The Polak met her husband, Cindy Threatt, director of Polak’s retirement. He described she met a friend who appeared Stephanie Polak Unsung Hero Steve, also a former student and residence life, said she owes a her as someone who enriches to be intoxicated. The female Award. the school’s swim team captain, “debt of gratitude” to Polak. Rider. said she did not know how much her friend had drunk (LTPD) arrived at 10:56 a.m. in the Cavalla Room until their 22 such college fairs hosted by and that the friend was lying FIGHT response to a 911 call, Higgins school’s bus arrived. Students NCHF this fall. The earliest on a couch in Lincoln Hall. Continued from p. 1 said. were also grouped in the BLC occurred on Thursday, Oct.