Writing for Media Victor Gonzalez, Spring 2024

Armed Suspect Arrested Last Night for Attempted Grand Theft Auto

South Orange, NJ- Last night at around 11:00 pm there was an attempted grand theft auto on the corner of South Orange and Montrose street. The suspect had been reported an hour earlier of trying to steal parked cars in the parking lot on the corner of the streets. Police responded to the call and reported to the scene where the suspect fired shots at officers.

Police officer Carlos Vacante was first on the scene and was shot at by the suspect. Vacante stated that "I'd gotten out of my car and called to him. He started turning around and I spotted a handgun in his waistband. As he drew the gun and fired, I leaned to the right and dropped to one knee. It was just a reflex that saved my life".

After this encounter between Vacante and the suspect, police backup arrived and the suspect fled the scene, but officers found and arrested the suspect a block down from the parking lot where he was trying to break into a civilians home but surrendered to officers before he could do so. No officers or civilians were hurt in this incident.

The suspect whose name has not been released yet by the South Orange Police Department is also believed to be wanted for a robbery and murder of a gas station attendant in Tennessee as well. South Orange Chief of Police has not commented on the situation yet, but a press conference is scheduled for 1:00 pm this afternoon to reveal additional information to the public.

Employee Termination on 'Take Your Daughters To Work Day' Sparks Controversy

On April 25th, 2024, observed nationally in the United States is take your daughter to work day. This is a day where parents can inspire their daughters to pursue different career fields to breakdown traditional gender roles and let them spend a memorable day with mom or dad. But yesterday this was not this case for one father and daughter.

In South Orange, New Jersey, Joseph Murphy the director of research at Collins Industries, which produces and sells health care products and equipment, brought his 14-year old daughter Jennifer along with him to work yesterday to participate on the special day that became not so special.

Murphy took his daughter through his regular work day routine from 8am up until the afternoon. At around 2pm according to reports, director of personnel Marilyn Quentin of the company called Murphy up to her office and fired Murphy in part of a companywide layoff at Collins Industries.

Murphy was escorted from to his office to pack his things and leave the premises by security guards while his daughter watched on in tears. "It's not me I worry about, It's my daughter. It's not right. They shouldn’t have fired me yesterday when I had my daughter there" said Murphy. He continued saying "It was too traumatic for Jennifer, seeing me treated like that, and I think we'll have to get help for her, professional help. It was just so unbelievable, so cruel, that they would do that with my daughter there."

According to sources, all company employees had been sent emails encouraging them to bring their daughters to work on the nationally observed day. This has not only sparked controversy in the local South Orange community, but has been gaining national attention due to the lack of sensitivity Collins Industries showed Murphy while his daughter was with him at work on a day that is supposed to encourage young women to find inspiration in pursuing a career path.

Murphey was apart of 8 mid-level managers who were let go by Collins Industries. Murphey has worked for Collins Industries since he graduated from college 18 years ago and has been promoted twice in his tenure. Collins Industries in response to the backlash will give Murphy three months' severance pay and help him find a new job. Quentin commented on the situation saying, "The timing of the dismissal of Mr. Murphy was regrettable". The President of Collins Industries was contacted, but has not come out with a statement on the situation yet.

It is remained to be seen if Murphy will receive additional compensation from Collins Industries or even pursue legal action against the company for what many see nationally as an unethical firing.

Beyond the Bee: The Unforgettable Impact of the New Jersey Spelling Bee for Two Former Champions

Get ready to witness the power of letters, the magic of words, and palpable nerves as New Jersey prepares for its annual State Spelling Bee in South Orange next week. The stage is set at SOPAC for middle school students to try and achieve a great accomplishment with the winner of the competition going to the National Spelling Bee later this year in the nation's capital. The spelling bee in the past for New Jersey students has created opportunity and unforgettable experiences. We want to look back and honor two past New Jersey state winners and get a peek into their experience and life after of those who were crowned Champions in the Spelling Bee.

"It shaped the study habits for the rest of my life. It helped me develop a tolerance for really diligent, repetitive study that I used in high school and college." said 2002 New Jersey Spelling Bee Champion Todd Drolshagen. Drolshagen from Hillsdale was 13 years old and in 8th grade representing North Middle School when he won the Spelling Bee and went on to participate in the National Spelling Bee.

Drolshagen not only adopted great study habits in this experience, but bonded with his Mom who unfortunately died 3 years ago as a young teenager prepping for the competition. "It really brought us closer together. A teenage boy doesn't have a lot in common with his mother, but those memories are something I'll never forget." Drolshagen used to study with his mother two evenings a week before the spelling bee.

When asked if he remembered which word he misspelled in the National Spelling Bee, he recalled quickly and said it was "paronymous". "I swear, the guy who read the word mispronounced it or I didn't hear it or something. I thought almost every vowel in the word was an a. So I spelled it p-a-r-a-n-a-m-o-u-s. And that’s how I ended my spelling career." said Drolshagen

Drolshagen would go on to attend Stanford and study public affairs and has returned to New Jersey and has been serving as the director of the City Code Enforcement Board for 8 years now.

Tonya Livermore from Mahwah, NJ won the Spelling Bee in 2006 when she was in 8th grade representing Kennedy Middle School. "The spelling bee was a great experience. It gave me a lot of confidence and opened up a lot of different people and opportunities." said Livermore.

Livermore remembered the word she misspelled at Nationals which was "pelisse", but that didn’t stop her from achieving success. Livermore mentioned the atmosphere of the Nationals with all of the attention the contestants got from the media which sparked her interest in performing on stage.

After high school she would go on to study music and specialize in religious music and Broadway show tunes at Northwestern University. She acted in Chicago and New York and 8 years ago returned to New Jersey to get her teaching certificate at Seton Hall University and now teaches music to middle and elementary school students in Newark. She occasionally performs in community theater productions in the summer as well.

Drolshagen and Livermore are prime examples of how the New Jersey Spelling Bee can shape young teenagers and put them on a path for future success!

Baby Wrongfully Accused of.... DUI?

In South Orange Municipal Court this morning, Judge Edward Kocembra ordered police to go haul in Charles Todd Snyder for failing to appear in court on DUI and driving without a license charges. Only problem was when police arrived to the home of Snyder, he was in a crib sleeping.

Last week, police responded to an accident on South Orange Avenue that took place in the late night hours. The cause of the accident was due to a drunk driver who also did not have his license on him. At the time, the suspect was Charles Todd Snyder… or so police thought.

The Snyder's was scheduled to appear in court this morning at 9 am and failed to appear, so Judge Kocembra told police to go to Snyder's residence of 711 Broadway Ave, which he gave to authorities at the time of his accident, and bring him to court. Hours later, police brought Snyder to court, but he was in his mother's arms.

Snyder is a 13-month old baby whose mother insisted that "he only drinks milk and drives strollers". Judge Kocembra apologized to Mrs. Snyder and told officers to give the mother and her falsely accused baby a ride home. Police believe whoever they stopped last week provided false information of their identity and address which led them to Baby Snyder's residence. More information is to come out later at a press conference, but sources say the department have no clue who the actual suspect may be.

The Backbone of a College Basketball Team: Student Managers

In the electrifying climax of the National Invitation Tournament championship game, Seton Hall Pirates Center Jaden Bediako's decisive block secured the victory, marking a historic moment for the Pirates. Yet, amidst the euphoria and confetti, Bediako didn’t bask in the spotlight. Instead, Bediako's immediate celebration with the Pirate’s student basketball managers painted a bigger picture of the often overlooked but invaluable role student basketball managers play in college basketball.

This pivotal moment illuminated the importance of their contribution, prompting a deeper exploration into the world of college basketball student management through the eyes of Seton Hall's own Head Student Manager Aiden Lippencott.

Becoming a student basketball manager at any University, especially one at a NCAA division 1 program is a very competitive process. “The process was competitive, there’s usually 14 to 20 guys applying for a couple spots on the staff, and they try to keep it to 10 managers max.” says Lippencott.

At Seton Hall University, the opportunity to become a basketball manager requires an intense application and tryout process like many other high-level universities. He then went on to say “Once you apply, it’s not a guarantee that you get an interview and say you do interview, it’s not a guarantee that you get a tryout, but getting a tryout is a good indication that the staff likes you and they want to test your on-court knowledge and see if you can keep up in the fast-paced environment.”.

Once chosen to officially join any staff as a student manager, the manager is immediately given multiple jobs to help maintain team success with jobs that the main coaching staff may not have time for. These include equipment upkeep and management, facility setup and maintenance, helping at practice, film analysis of practice or games, and administrative support for the team.

Another major part of being a basketball manager is the actual gameday of the team. Lippencott explains, “Gamedays are when things get a little nuts. Hypothetically, if we have a game at 6:30pm the schedule would be rebounding/shootaround at 12:30pm, walkthrough will start at 1:30pm, and our pregame meal will be at 2:30pm. The managers will leave for the arena at 3:15pm and we’re steaming and setting up the locker room until the guys get to the arena around 2 and a half hours before gametime. After that, we are on the court rebounding and getting guys warmed up until 6:30pm. Throughout the game we are assisting the coaching staff where we can and then postgame, we are breaking down the locker room and facility and giving out postgame meals. We then get done around say 12-1am.”

This is just a snippet of the life of a basketball manager at a NCAA division 1 program and through your 4 to 5 years you gain more responsibilities like Lippencott who went from a regular student manager to head manager. “As you gain more experience, you become a manager that travels with the team…You are also expected to be a leader by example as you are older, and you have to guide the new managers we bring in each year” said Lippencott.

Although being a basketball manager requires long hours and a lot of the work could be considered “tedious” or “dirty” work, you get to be part of athletic programs that can bring about memorable experiences. For Lippencott, that experience came recently when the Seton Hall Pirates basketball team won the NIT Tournament. “Winning the NIT championship is probably my MOST memorable stretch as a manager though, being able to rebound from getting snubbed out of the tournament and win the NIT meant a lot to the players, the fans, and all the people around Seton Hall basketball. It was fun to be a part of, and just a great time overall” said Lippencott.

Lippencott a graduating senior discussed how becoming a basketball manager at any program can benefit someone looking to get into the professional sports field and is what drives most students to pursue a manager role. Lippencott explained that “Working with professional level athletes and putting in those long hours has prepared me for working in the sports industry like nothing else could. I have gained numerous transferable skills that will benefit me if I were to go into any sport jobs”.

Being a student basketball manager is a difficult job, but student managers are the backbone of any college athletic program and play a pivotal role in all aspects of their respective program. Lippencott when asked what he will remember the most answered “Hanging out with the guys on the road in the hotel rooms. Late nights with the managers putting in hard work and preparation and creating bonds with some players that are going to be strong for the rest of my life”.