Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
2014 NFL Mid-Season Report Card
By Tom Crincoli and Tim Crosio
AFC East
New England Patriots
Grade: B+
Tom Brady
looks to have regained his old form after some struggles throughout the first
few weeks. With his favorite target Rob Gronkowski staying healthy so far, the
Patriots are once again the favorite to win their division.
Buffalo Bills
Grade: C+
The Bills
have knocked off EJ Manuel as their starter and have now turned to Kyle Orton
who has played well in his first few starts with the team. The team’s main
point of emphasis on defense has been their pass rush keeping opposing QBs on
their toes at all times. Buffalo will most likely be in a battle for second
place with the Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins
Grade: C+
Miami was
nearly in the same position as the Bills after some poor play from Ryan
Tannehill, but decided to stick with him as their starter. Although they have
shown how well their defense can play, the Dolphins are going to need their QB
to step it up in order for them to have a postseason appearance.
New York Jets
Grade: F
The Jets
horrendous secondary and offense that continually fails to execute has
ultimately been the reason for their terrible record. Unless they can pull it
together for the rest of the stretch, it is hard to picture this team even
winning five games this year.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
Grade: B
When healthy
this team has plenty of offensive weapons to get them into the playoffs, but an
inconsistent defense has gotten them in trouble a few times this year. Their
division is filled with stiff competition making every game important moving
forward.
Baltimore Ravens
Grade: B+
Joe Flacco
has found instant chemistry with offseason acquisition Steve Smith Sr. while
Justin Forsett has filled the hole Ray Rice left in their backfield. Baltimore’s
defense lead by Terrell Suggs has played exceptionally well. The team is
currently is in a race with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh for first place.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Grade: B+
Le’Veon Bell,
Antonio Brown, and Ben Roethlisberger have been quite the trio so far this
season. A long as the big three are consistently putting up points, the
Steelers remain in big contention with the rest of the division.
Cleveland Browns
Grade: C+
They may not
hold the highest expectations, especially with the loss of Josh Gordon for a
good portion of the year, but the Browns have played well enough to not be
forgotten. Cleveland has a defense that can make game changing plays leaving
the teams fate in the hands of QB, Brian Hoyer.
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
Grade: B+
Andrew Luck
has positioned himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league in the
early parts of his career. He has a nice receiving core to compliment his play,
including a healthy Reggie Wayne and a young gun in T.Y. Hilton. The Colts
defense has seen some ugly lapses at times, but they are still the favorite to
win their division.
Houston Texans
Grade: C+
J.J. Watt
looks like he can carry this team at times, making him a strong
candidate for the league’s MVP. At this point it wouldn’t be surprising if Watt
starting throwing the ball and kicking field goals as well. For now they will
stick with Ryan Fitzpatrick at Quarterback, who has bounced around the league
in recent years.
Tennessee Titans
Grade: D
The Titans
season hopes were short lived after a nice start from Jake Locker. The team is
having trouble in every aspect of their game making it safe to say they won’t
be a playoff team.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: D
Chad Henne
was given his last chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback only to
lose it to first overall draft pick Blake Bortles. At this point, every win is
just a bonus for Jacksonville fans, as the team will probably finish at the
bottom once again.
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Grade: A+
It’s hard to
find a hole in this Denver team. The Broncos have easily gotten over the
blowout they faced in last year’s Super Bowl and are hungry to get back there
again this year. Peyton Manning’s age refuses to factor into his play leaving
the Broncos as the favorites in their division, and maybe even the entire
league.
San Diego Chargers
Grade: A-
Philip Rivers
is on a mission this year to prove that San Diego is still a powerhouse in the
AFC. While Rivers and his offense have played well enough to be where they want
to be, injuries to their defense will be a thorn in their side moving forward.
Expect them to be a Wild Card team as they get healthy.
Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: B+
As another
injury riddled defense, the Chiefs are stuck in a tough division with two
offensive powerhouses in their way. Kansas City aren’t off to quite as good of
a start as last season but still remain in as a team capable of making the
playoffs. It may be a fight to the finish with San Diego for a Wild Card spot.
Oakland Raiders
Grade: F
Not much to
expect from this Oakland team as they are in a rebuilding process. Quarterback
Derek Carr has shown some source of promise but until they win some games, the Raiders
will remain a team with an F grade.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
Grade: A
The Cowboys had a rough start in the beginning of this
season with a tough loss to San Fransisco. Since then, Dallas has been on a
tare, ripping through their opponents with the help of Tony Romo's good play
and from Demarco Murray who is having a career year. As long as the offensive
line, Romo and Murray stay healthy, Dallas should make a deep playoff run.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: B
The Eagles are off with a 5-1 start, but their offense isn't
exactly where they want. Chip Kelly's speedy offense has been hampered due to
the injuries on the offensive line and running back, Darren Sproles, as well as
a poor play from running back, Lesean McCoy and quarter back, Nick Foles.
Kelly's offense should return to its former glory once the offensive line and
Sproles become healthy again. The Eagles will be tough to beat down the
stretch.
NY Giants
NY Giants
Grade: D
The Giants have struggled as a team so far this season in
terms of offense, defense and special teams. Injuries have plagued the Giants,
especially the injury to wide receiver, Victor Cruz a few weeks ago in
Philadelphia. Do not expect anything special from the Giants heading into the
second half of the season.
Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
Grade: F
Washington is a dismal 2-5 this season. They have seen
quarter back, Robert Griffin go down to injury, Kirk cousins start strong and
then self-destruct, and are now onto third string quarter back colt McCoy.
Things may be looking up for the Redskins, with Griffin due to return any time
now and having just winning their second game of the season.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Grade: A
Packer fans have nothing to worry about as long as Quarter
back, Aaron Rogers is their quarterback. Rogers and the Packers offense are off
to a fast start this year after some debate of whether or not Aaron Rogers was
still capable of success in Green Bay. The pack defense led by Clay Mathews at
linebacker has returned to its former self from 2010 when they last one the
Super Bowl. Don't expect anything less than success as long as Rogers leads the
packers onto the field.
Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
Grade: B
The lions are a hot team on a role coming from behind and
winning late in games. The Lions offense has not missed a beat despite the fact
they lost the league’s best wide receiver Calvin Johnson to injury. The defense
has helped to keep games close late in games and has lead to success.
Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
Grade: D
Quarterback Jay Cutler and his bears offense has been
anything but spectacular the first half of the season. The Bears coach, Marc Trestman
has to get cutler and this team scoring points and winning games.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
Grade: F
The Vikings have done nothing impressive so far this year.
Do not expect them to make a turnaround either, especially with the loss of all
pro running back Adrian Peterson. The Vikings will continue to start Teddy Bridgewater
at quarterback and Jerick McKinnon at running back to get them playing time
until they can hope to improve this offseason.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: F
The addition of new coach, Lovie Smith and quarterback, Josh
McCown have done nothing to improve this team. The Buccaneers will have to wait
for the offseason to improve.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
Grade: D
Drew Brees has not been himself so far this year making many
unforced mistakes. Defensive coordinator, rob Ryan and his defense have been
like Swiss cheese to opposing offenses this season. Do not count the saints out
yet though Drew Brees has a knack for coming through late in the season.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
Grade: F
The Falcons have been plagued with the injury bug once again
this season and it has struck their offensive line and the defense. The quarterback
Matt Ryan is having a strong year for a quarterback without an offensive line.
Until everyone is healthy and the Falcons can get a year without the injury bug
they will not contend like they did only 2 years ago.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
Grade: C
The Panthers defense has been the biggest upset this year
they lost many key players to free agency and suspension and it has caused them
to drop to the bottom of the league in defense. As bad as the defense has been
the offense hasn't been much better quarterback Cam Newton has not been able to
move the ball with as much ease since the release of wide receiver Steve Smith.
While struggling they have still been able to win a couple of close games and
lead in the NFC South.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
Grade: B
Even though the Seahawks have struggled the last few weeks
they still posses the best defense in the league. The trading of Percy Harvin
just reassured the strength of their locker room and will help quarterback
Russell Wilson keep control of his offense. The Seahawks are still the front
runners in the NFC to repeat and make it back to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
Grade: C:
The 49ers have been banged up most of the first half of the
season and it has hurt them. The defense specifically the linebackers and the
secondary have been missing most of this season. In order for the 49ers to make
a run at the playoffs the defense will need to get healthy and perform to their
full capability.
St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
Grade: F
Austin Davis has shown a lot of upside after jumping from
3rd string to starting quarterback. Regardless of his play the Rams are once
again on pace to miss the playoffs in one of the NFLs hardest divisions.
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
Grade: A
Backup quarterback Sean Hill along with the strong defense
kept them afloat at 5-1 without their starting quarterback Carson Palmer. With
Palmer back and the defense still the strength of the team do not expect this Cardinals
team to miss out on the playoffs.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Sandy Documentary Premieres at OCC
By Gabrielle Gillen
On Sunday, Oct. 26, The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts will host the premiere screening of “Heartbreak & Healing After Sandy,” a documentary film chronicling the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. The film focuses on the physical, emotional, and financial impacts that have occurred as a result of the storm, and continue today, nearly two years later. Through first-hand accounts from survivors, first responders, government officials, and volunteers, viewers will see just how greatly certain areas of the Jersey Shore were affected by the storm. “Heartbreak & Healing After Sandy” is a one-hour documentary, produced and narrated by New Jersey native, Sandra Levine.
Sandra Levine has worked in television for over 30 years, and is a producer, writer, reporter, host, editor and photojournalist. In 1996, she founded her own television and video production company, and has dedicated her talents to positively impacting society. Levine worked at NJN Public Television from 1988 to 2011, and she was the host of both NJN’s “Homeless Tails” and “The Best Years” for Ocean County College's Ocean TV-20. Throughout her career, Levine has been nominated for 10 regional Emmy Awards, and has received numerous other awards and honors. Levine recently spoke with The Viking News to talk about her upcoming documentary.
Viking News: What inspired you to make the “Heartbreak & Healing” After Sandy documentary?
Sandra Levine: I was born and raised in Toms River. My family moved here in 1956 and this is my hometown. My husband and I live in Toms River and we’re raising our daughter in the same neighborhood where I grew up, so I am very personally tied to this area. When I find a story to be fascinating, I often feel compelled to go out and do something about it and there were so many reasons I felt compelled to do this one. It’s my hometown, my father’s house flooded, and I know a lot of friends, family, colleagues, and members of the community who were just devastated by the storm. Once I started to go out and shoot and see the damage, I got hooked by the story. There was no turning back.
VN: What has it been like working on this film for the past two years?
SL: It’s been incredible. I just started shooting when it was all happening and I really didn’t know what I was going to do with the footage. I just had to do it; I had to cover some stories. I just shot and shot and shot, and I didn’t know how it was all going to come together. Once I made the decision that I wanted to cover more or less two years, I kind of had to keep shooting. I wanted it to be about two years and that’s what it ended up being.
VN: Was there a particular story that you came across that had the biggest impact on you?
SL: I met this older gentleman. Just watching him navigate the bureaucracy of figuring out what to do really hit me hard, and I worried that the stress of dealing with it would actually kill him. Before I put him in the documentary, I called to make sure he was okay and I couldn’t reach him by his phone, so I actually drove to his house to make sure he was okay. That one man really touched me.
VN: In your opinion, which area has made the most progress and which area is still in need of the most work?
SL: I focused on five towns in Northern Ocean County: Seaside Heights, Ortley Beach, Mantoloking, Brick Township, and Toms River. I didn’t want to just do the beach so I picked a couple mainland towns and beach towns. Mantoloking was one of the hardest hit communities, and it took a long time to get started with recovery, but it’s coming along. Ortley too, and Seaside; there is just one unbelievable story after another. I describe it as an uneven recovery.
VN: Did you face any difficulties or obstacles that inhibited you from making your film?
SL: My biggest challenge was stopping shooting. You had to really slow down and stop the shooting in order to sit down, take stock of all the footage that you have, and try to start making a story out of it. I think that was probably the hardest part. Having 84 hours, or however many it ended up being, of footage and having to plow through it and make sense out of it. There were a lot of good stories in there and I couldn’t use them all, so it’s just making the decisions about which ones to put in and which ones to not. That was very hard.
VN: When tragedy strikes, we often witness people coming together to help each other with a sense of camaraderie and empathy. Did you find that to be the case in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy?
SL: I absolutely found people coming in droves to help, of course, in the beginning. The thing is, people who weren’t affected, within a very short amount of time, were ready to move on from the Sandy story. And that’s normal. But the stories are ongoing of people who maybe now, at two years, are just really starting to gut their houses or are still waiting for insurance money. And that is very hard for people to go through. I have a lot of empathy for the people that are not made whole yet, and there are thousands and thousands of them. So I tried, in the documentary, to convey the tone that we’re on our way and things are moving along, but there are still many people who are not where they need to be and still need help.
VN: What do you think is the most important lesson to be learned from this tragedy?
SL: I interviewed Dave Robinson, a New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, and he talked about the fact that sea level is definitely rising. He explained to me that, yes, this was a terrible storm, but it is in no way the worst that Mother Nature can deliver. As sea level has been rising, the same degree of strength of a storm is causing more damage, and it’s probably not going to get better, not just for New Jersey but also globally. This is definitely an issue that we will have to grapple with now, and in the future, and we need to be prepared.
VN: Throughout your career, how does this compare to your previous projects? Was it was one of your most memorable?
SL: I think it’s the most important film that I’ve ever created. It’s also the biggest project I’ve ever worked on. This project had the most footage over the longest amount of time that I’ve ever done, and it’s probably the most important piece to me, personally, that I’ve ever worked on. I’m pretty proud of the way that it came out, and I hope that the community finds it to be a meaningful piece.
The premiere screening of Sandra Levine’s “Heartbreak & Healing After Sandy” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26, in the Grunin Center, Bldg. 12. There are two showings, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., however the 2 p.m. show has sold out. Tickets for the 6 p.m. show can be purchased either online at tickets.ocean.edu, or at the Box Office. For more information, check the website or call 732-255-0500. If attending, non-perishable food item donations will be collected for The People’s Pantry, and any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Additionally, the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library will host a screening of “Heartbreak & Healing After Sandy,” on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Register by calling 732-349-6200. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see the premiere of this powerful film, documenting the storm that so greatly impacted the lives of many!
Monday, October 20, 2014
New Student Center Coming to OCC
By: Michael Lynch
A project currently in the works on Ocean County College’s Main Campus will soon make for a unique new addition to the OCC student experience.
On Monday, January 27, 2014, it was announced that a new Student Center would be built on campus. The facility will cost an estimated $19 million to build, and is expected to be completed in about 18 months.
The new Student Center will be 56,000 square feet and two stories tall. It will be LEED-Silver certified, ensuring that it is efficient and sustainable.
Some of the features of the first floor of the new Student Center include a bookstore, an ATM, a Box Office and a Security Department Office. It will also have a cafeteria which seats 380 people and utilizes a free cafeteria app, and a Starbucks Coffee Bar with a seating area.
The second floor will contain a number of rooms for clubs and activities, as well as two conference rooms and offices for Student Life and Student Affairs. It will also house a number of student lounges, one of which will seat 100 people and overlooks the seating area below it; this lounge will be used for a series of smaller talks and performances.
The Student Center will also feature a “Noisy” Room with large-screen TVs set up for gaming, and a “Quiet” Room for students to relax and catch up on homework and studying. In addition, the entire building will be set up for multimedia, with speakers and monitors spread throughout.
“The new Student Center will encourage students who stay on campus between classes to take advantage of its inviting atmosphere and its modern amenities,” said Dr. John H. Larson, President of Ocean County College. “It will be a good place to gather for good food and good conversation, as well as a good place to relax, read, or to study.”
The architects of the new Student Center are Kevin Blackney and Darin Jellison from Blackney Hayes Architects (Philadelphia, PA), and the project managers for OCC include Greg Romero, Jeff Standing and Craig Gianotti from Cambridge Construction Management (Clinton, NJ).
Friday, October 17, 2014
Field Hockey at OCC
By Gabrielle Gillen
There’s a new club in town. The Field Hockey Club is now active and looking for members. This club is sponsored by the Office of Student Life, and is open to all students, both male and female. “I’m so happy we were able to get the club started and give students an opportunity to play,” Caitlyn Cook, the club’s faculty adviser, said.
All students are welcome to join the Field Hockey Club, whether they have played before or are completely new to the game. This is an opportunity for experienced players to maintain their skills, or for beginners to try something brand new. “Not everyone wants to play a competitive sport in college, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still want to play,” Cook said. This club gives students a chance to meet new people and play field hockey in a relaxed and flexible environment, without the pressure of playing for an official team.
The club has extra field hockey sticks and shin guards so equipment is not required for those who are looking to give the game a try. However, students are encouraged to bring cleats or sturdy sneakers as well as a mouth guard before actively playing. Practices are held Mondays and Thursdays from 3- 5 p.m., weather permitting, on the fields behind the O.C.E.A.N., Inc. Kids Child Development Center at the end of Parking Lot 2.
For more information regarding becoming a member of the Field Hockey Club, contact the Club Faculty Advisor, Caitlyn Cook, at ccook@ocean.edu, or the student Club President, Stephanie Toal, at stephanie_toal@portal.ocean.edu. Don’t miss out on a chance to learn a new sport and have some fun this year. Join the Field Hockey Club today.
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