MAHWAH, N.J. – More than 100 students at Ramapo College gathered in Friends Hall on Mar. 31 for a rock concert held to benefit U.S. soldiers.

Ramapo Students Allison Dowd and Caitlin DePue hosted the philanthropic event, “Tune Your Mind with Martian” as a part of their media/cinema studies senior projects.

“We thought it would be great for both of us if we combined our projects, since I was looking for an organization to have the concert benefit, and she was looking to have some kind of big event that would help collect donations for Books for Soldiers,” Dowd said.

Teaming Up For a Good Cause

Student organizations Theta Phi Alpha, College Democrats, and Ramapo Against War also contributed by co-sponsoring the event.  Dowd and DePue needed a campus group to co-sponsor in order to hold the concert.

Dowd selected two alternative/indie bands to showcase at the event, “Martian” and “Status Green.”  She credits her sorority sister for the idea.  Marissa Welch, a Ramapo alumni, also held a concert for her media/cinema studies senior project to aid effors to end the Darfur crisis. In addition, Dowd’s mission was to get exposure for “Martian,” a new band put together by her friend Drew, the group’s lead singer. Other members of Martian include Andrew Gallagher, Tanmay Buch and Bill Reynolds.

DePue knew that the concert could draw a large crowd and help her achieve a substantial donation to Books for Soldiers.

“Everyone was so generous with their donations! I know that as college students everyone’s low on cash, so I think it’s so great that everyone donated as much as they did,” said DePue.

DePue has been involved with the organization for quite some time, and wanted to inform Ramapo residents about it while collecting any items they had to donate.

[SOUNDSLIDES: See how the students organized their books for soldiers project.]

One Man’s Idea Forms Charity

Books for Soldiers is a successful non-profit that helps volunteers put together and send care packages to soldiers.  The idea began at the start of the first Gulf War when its founder, Storm Williams, learned of the excessive downtime his military friends were facing after being deployed.  As an avid reader, he urged friends and family to pack up their books and send them out to the troops.

Just like in the Gulf War, soldiers who are currently deployed are also faced with downtime.  A recent article in The Times found that men and women on tour in Southern Iraq spend a whopping 60 percent of their time waiting around at camp.

Raising Money During Hard Times

So far Dowd and DePue have raised about $300 aside from the concert, as well as from students and faculty who’ve donated their spare change.  They’ve also collected many huge boxes filled with donation items.  In addition to books, the two women are collecting textbooks, magazines, DVD’s, CD’s, video and computer games, hygienic items, cookies, candy, canned foods, drink mixes and board games.

It costs just under $10,000 a month to run the non-profit, much of it being tolled out for information technology services, postage and rent.  In an April 2008 newsletter, Williams urged people to hold Books for Soldiers days at work, church or school to raise money.

Williams also reported in the newsletter that funding had dropped significantly as local and corporate businesses began to face their own recession troubles and decline donations.  The company set a goal to raise $70,000 by Nov. 1, or else close down the site at the end of the year.  Dowd and DePue’s event raised $142, in addition to other money and items they collected in the week leading up to the concert.

Planning for the Big Event

Dowd was glad to be able to help Books for Soldiers, but admits planning for the event was taxing.

“There were so many little details that we had to get smoothed out, like getting flyers for advertising, and drafting contracts and getting them signed by other people involved with the planning and organization,” said Dowd.  “It was very time consuming and detail-oriented, but in the end we got everything done that we needed.”

“Martian” and “Status Green” will play together again at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on May 2.

For more information about the event or Books for Soldiers, contact Allison Dowd by email, adowd@ramapo.edu.  Or contact Caitlin DePue, cdepue@ramapo.edu.  Donations will be accepted until April 16.  Drop off boxes are located in the academic building in ASB 333, B213, G140, G326, the Bradley Center, Potter Library, the Mansion, and the Berrie Center.

Michelle Obama’s unique style began to surface during her husband’s campaign trail last year and has continued to surprise Americans, most recently on Inauguration Day.

Historical Day, Non-So-Historical Designer

After fighting it out to dress her on the historical day, top fashion designers watched in awe as the First Lady chose to wear a dress by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo to the swearing in ceremony.

“I think it’s great that she promotes smaller fashion areas of fashion since she’s such an icon right now,” says Kaitlyn Hoever, a New York City publicity assistant. “Lesser known designers need all the help they can get because the fashion world is so cut throat.”

Other designers haven’t wasted any time creating copycats of her most talked about ensembles.  Manhattan-based fashion house Faviana is already working on designs mirroring the first lady’s Inauguration Day ensembles. Due to hit stores in March, versions of Toledo’s yellow, lace-trimmed dress and overcoat will sell for $450 along with the Jason Wu white, off-shoulder gown the First Lady wore at the Inaugural Ball.

Flaunting the First Lady Look, Locally!

Although Faviana’s price tag is a bit hefty, it may still be possible for everyone to achieve the First Lady’s look. Earlier this year she was seen wearing a dress from thrifty clothing retailer H&M while campaigning with her husband in Detroit. The dress sold for a wallet-friendly $34.95, around the same time that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was being criticized for spending $150,000 in wardrobe costs.

Michelle Obama even credits her own shopping. After appearing on “The Tonight Show” last November she fessed up to host Jay Leno about buying her own outfit online at clothing retailer J. Crew.

Fashion Followers Give Thumbs Up

“The thing I like about Michelle Obama’s sense of style is that it’s much like the rest of our dress: without a definitive style or look, but more of an eclectic, wear-what-I-like approach to fashion,” says fashion journalist Cynthia Nellis.

Nellis comments on the First Lady’s wardrobe wins in her About.com fashion blog, but feels that her ensembles often fail to translate well into photos.  She admits that while Michelle Obama doesn’t necessarily need a stylist, they could help her chose more camera-friendly ensembles.

“I don’t think her choice of designers or labels are planned out to send a message, like ‘I’ll buy J. Crew to show I value tradition’ or ‘I’ll wear Jason Wu to show I’m forward thinking,’” she said. “I think she buys what she likes.”

Twilight fever may have hit its ultimate high this November as the first novel in Stephenie Meyer’s teenage romance series hit the big screen, but the fever is still going strong.  The top four slots of USA Today’s annual Best-Selling Books list were claimed by the series – making the mother of three the leading author in book sales for 2008.

Meyer’s novel delves into the romance between attractive vampire Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, his human girlfriend.  Despite the series’ initial high-school setting and appeal to a younger crowd, readers of all ages are getting caught up in the hype.

“The characters are very mature,” says 20-year-old college student Lindsay Miglionica.  “And as the books progress the story lines move farther away from the classroom.”

If Edward and Bella Grew Up..

But a love story mixed with thrilling science fiction may not be enough to please the growing number of post-adolescent readers.  Online fan sites and message boards are flooded with queries on what an “adult” version of the series would be like.

“I think it would be interesting to see the book’s characters as adults, but I would hate to lose the innocence of the story,” admits Miglionica.

College student Emma DeFalco also thinks the story shouldn’t change.  “The fact that the romance is so tame only leaves you wanting more.  If everything happened in the first book there would be no incentive to read on.”

..It Wouldn’t Be The Same

Celebrities have even been sucked into the teenage thriller.  Pop sensation Kelly Clarkson raves about her obsession with the series and blood-sucking heartthrob Edward Cullen in her public blog.

“He’s just one of those characters you want to jump out of the pages and into your living room,” says 21-year-old Tara Sobel of the book’s leading man.  “The fact that he’s an 100-something vampire who’s in love with a high school girl only makes it more irresistible.”

MAHWAH, N.J. – Is a college degree enough to land you a job?  Ramapo College student Kristine Austria doesn’t think so, which is why she decided to give her peers some extra experience.

Similar to other college honor societies, Phi Beta Lambda helps students build on their education through leadership, networking and career development programs.

“That’s why I wanted to start this club at school,” says Austria. “You learn all these things in the classroom but then you don’t actually get to exercise what you learn, enforce it and practice for the real world before you graduate.”

Phi Beta Lambda is the college section of Future Business Leaders of America, a nonprofit education association that helps young adults prepare for careers in the business world at the high school, college and professional levels.  It currently boasts membership of over 11,000 students from campuses across the country.

Students Excel Through Competition

Part of Phi Beta Lambda’s preparation takes place at its State Leadership Conferences, which Austria and her club secretary, Lindsay Miglionica, got the chance to attend.  The two women went to Mercer County College to compete against other New Jersey chapters in a series of written exams.

Austria took first place in the international business category.

“We were only a virtual chapter for a week but me and Lindsay went in and won three awards,” says Austria of the experience.  “There were also competitions where you could form teams and prepare marketing proposals for a presentation.”

Opening the Internship Door

The nationally recognized organization offers prestigious awards and opportunities such as competitions, community service projects and a four-day National Leadership Conference, to which the best of each Phi Beta Lambda chapter are invited to attend.

“I think a big part of business is networking and that’s one of the things I feel we lack here at Ramapo,” says Austria, who found her summer internship through Phi Beta Lambda.  “That’s an opportunity I wouldn’t have gotten if I didn’t join the club.”

Austria was one of only seven other students chosen to spend the summer in Washington D.C.  She has the option of either working for a marketing firm or doing legislative work and writing up a proposal that would be seen by Congress.

“We actually get to sit in on Congress meetings and I’ll be working with other interns in Washington D.C.,” says Austria.

Future Plans for Phi Beta Lambda

The college junior, who works part-time as both a tennis instructor and research assistant, hopes that having Phi Beta Lambda on campus will help establish ties between business organizations and her school’s career center to open up more internship opportunities.

With an executive board already set and a constitution drawn up, Austria is still waiting on approval from the school in order to hold club interest meetings.

“Business majors are becoming more common,” Austria added. “I wish that I had this opportunity sooner where I would be able to visit companies and get to see their environments.”

After little over 18 months on the web, popular college gossip website JuicyCampus.com has officially closed its doors.  The site worked as an anonymous message board, allowing students to post gossip about fellow peers at their university.

According to JuicyCampus’s Official Blog the site shut down because of financial troubles, but it has faced intense scrutiny from some college campuses for allowing derogatory comments and harsh language to dominate the site.

Such categories as “biggest slut” and “ugliest chicks” were created by students, resulting in a volley of name-dropping.

Greek Life Takes Biggest Hit

“The trash-talking seems to center around fraternity and sorority life, which makes Greeks look really bad to the rest of the school,” says Ramapo College student Elise Pace.  “As president of my sorority I feel like I’d be responsible if my sisters contributed negative comments to the site.”

According to Pace, Greek Senate meetings at the college have held discussions about the issue and agreed that urging fraternities and sororities to stop participating in hateful gossip on JuicyCampus was key keeping Ramapo’s Greeks in a positive light.

Other universities feel the same way.  Tennessee State University was the first school to block campus access to the site, and Western Illinois University’s Student Government Association even went so far as to call for a Juicy Campus ban among all state schools.

Juicy Replacement Promises Moderation

Though the site managed to shut down before such a ban could take effect, it has been replaced with a similar venue for college gossip, College Anonymous Confession Board or CollegeACB.

“The ACB is much like Juicy Campus, but there are several key differences,” says site owner Peter Frank on the CollegeACB Official Blog.  “For one, we wish to promote deep and thoughtful discussion — as well as the occasional ‘gossipy’ post.”

The site hopes that a report button and some official moderation will help weed out the demoralizing commentary that became the staple of Juicy Campus.

“I don’t really have much faith in CollegeACB,” says Pace.  “But who knows, maybe the new website will prove me wrong.”