August 31, 2011 The Signal page 11
Features
Ch-ch-changes: the evolution of the College
State of New Jersey Normal School Report 1897
Horses and carriages were a mode of transportation back in 1897, as seen circling student housing above. By Brianna Gunter Managing Editor The College you know today consists of 39 major buildings (excluding affiliated off-campus buildings) nestled together on 289 acres of land in an area of Ewing Township known as Hillside Lakes, with almost 7,000 students enrolled. This would all be unrecognizable to the College’s original students and faculty however — our school has a long history of change. The original campus was not at 2000 Pennington Road in Ewing, but at what is now 159 North Clinton Ave. in Trenton. The old buildings have since been demolished, but the location can easily be found at what is now Grant Elementary
School, constructed in 1938. If you’ve been to the Trenton Transit Center on South Clinton Avenue, you’ve been near this area. It is common knowledge that “The College of New Jersey” is not the school’s original name, but did you know that there have been six names? The first was the New Jersey State Normal School. At the time, “Normal School” was the name given to teaching schools in the U.S., and Trenton’s was the first in the state and among the first 10 in the nation. According to the Trenton Historical Society, the Normal School opened its doors on Oct. 1, 1855 at Trenton City Hall, quickly moving to temporary accommodations at a building on the corner of Hanover and
Stockton Streets. Meanwhile, the Normal School’s first building was constructed on North Clinton Avenue, costing $17,000. The new building’s first class consisted of only 43 students, and there was no tuition fee for those who agreed to teach for at least two years in N.J. after graduation. Records show this policy remained for decades. Additions were made to the campus during this time, including boarding halls, a gymnasium and auditorium. In 1908 the school’s name was elongated to New Jersey State Normal School in Trenton after other normal schools were established in the state. In 1929, however, the school began offering a B.S. in education, and the name was accordingly changed to State Teachers’ College and State Normal School at Trenton. This name was even shorter-lived, being changed again in 1937 to New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton. Normal schools were becoming a thing of the past. While the College underwent name changes, the board of trustees decided it was time for a bigger campus. The current location in Ewing was purchased in 1928 with construction beginning right away. By the mid-1930s, the former campus was vacant. In 1958 the board decided to
change the school’s name again — to Trenton State College. “TSC” was a well-rounded college by this point, offering more than just teaching degrees. Nevertheless, in 1996, the name was at last changed to The College of New Jersey (despite protests from students, alumni, faculty and others). Officials at the time said they wanted to embrace state pride and become less locally focused. Various personal websites and bloggers claim that the real reason was to separate the school from the negative reputation the city of Trenton had developed by that point. Today you can still see remnants of the past: Many alumni lovingly refer to the College as Trenton State, more than a few
Trenton State shirts show up on homecoming and numerous books in the library are stamped with former names of the College (depending on when they were put in circulation). Feel pride in your school and treasure your time here, for you too are part of a history that will continue long after you have graduated.
State of New Jersey Normal School Report 1897
The College is barely recognizable from its days as the State of New Jersey Normal School.
Two smart cookies open baked goods delivery business By Emily Brill News Editor
Lovin’ Cookies sits inside an unassuming plaza on Scotch Road in Ewing, doling out joy to the masses for a nominal fee. OK, so that’s a little grandiose; it’s just a cookie shop. But when Robin and Laurie Vitullo opened Lovin’ Cookies last May, looking for a creative outlet and a new career, establishing the buildyour-own cookie shop and delivery service made them quite happy. And it’s probably not too much of a stretch to say the recipients of their warm, homemade cookies are feeling the love, too. Students can call or order online — even late at night — to customize a batch of cookies to be delivered hot to the College. Students can order three ($4.50), six ($8.50), nine ($12.50) or 12 ($15.50) cookies, choosing the dough and ingredients from drop-down menus online, but they will get more flexibility over the phone. (Larger, custom orders are welcomed.) Orders usually take approximately 30 minutes to arrive. Available doughs include plain (the type used in chocolate chip cookies), oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate and red velvet. All doughs are made at Lovin’ Cookies daily. “Some of the (cookie) companies around the country do it like a Domino’s — they’ll get their dose from a huge manufacturer. They’ll shape it into patties and freeze it and ship it out to these stores,” Robin Vitullo said. “We want
Photos courtesy of Robin Vitullo
Customers enjoy their custom-made cookies at Lovin’ Cookies (left) as others wait in line to place their orders (right). customers to know if they show up here, we’ll be way ahead of them in terms of quality.” This commitment to quality spills over into the Vitullos’ ingredient choices as well. “We made a determined effort to use only great ingredients. We use real vanilla as opposed to imitation. Belgian chocolate, real eggs, real butter,” Vitullo said. “Moms wouldn’t cut corners when making cookies and neither do we,” Lovin’ Cookies’ website’s About Us section reads. Lovin’ Cookies offers 21 choices of “fixins” — toppings and ingredients such as marshmallows, Reese’s cups, chocolate chunks and caramel syrup customers can elect to add to their dough.
Some of the most popular selections include the red velvet cookie with white chocolate chips and anything made with the plain dough. Red velvet cookies come with a complimentary cup of icing created by Laurie — it’s composed of cream cheese, cinnamon and vanilla. “We put it on the side so if you want it, you want it. If you don’t you don’t. What’s great about that in terms of its development is it’s the only thing we made when we were experiencing with recipes where the first version was perfect,” Robin Vitullo said. “I tasted it and I said, ‘Don’t do anything to this. This is perfect.’ The other stuff we messed with.” Students can also order beverages (milk, chocolate milk, soda, tea, coffee or water) and pints of ice cream (Ben &
Jerry’s) with their order. Lovin’ Cookies also offers a special called “Cookies and Cream,” consisting of two cookies a la mode (served with three scoops of chocolate or vanilla ice cream). “The drivers have an insulated pack so it stays cold,” Vitullo said. Lovin’ Cookies serves neighboring universities Rider and Princeton as well. Vitullo plans to expand the store’s offerings to include brownies. “Starting the first week of September, we’re going to introduce a line of brownies,” Vitullo said. “There are four types of brownies — one is a basic brownie and then there are three varieties. One is going be a walnut caramel, the other is going be the regular brownie with peanut butter inside and Reese’s cups on top, and then we’re going have the chocolate brownie with white chocolate and raspberry inside and out.” The store also continues to mix it up monthly by offering a “cookie of the month.” Past cookies offered include s’more, peanut butter and jelly, and lemon, almond and cranberry. “And then (for) one cool one — it was either a love-it or hate-it kind of thing — I did a dark chocolate cookie with cherries and chipotle salsa,” Vitullo said. “So it was a hot-sweet thing.” As the business continues to expand and experiment, one thing seems clear: this lovable shop is here to stay. For more information about Lovin’ Cookies, call 609-323-7546 or visit lovincookies.com.