Breaking news, blogs and more at TCNJSignal.net. Vol. XLIV, No. 3
February 10, 2016
Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885
TCNJam raises funds for B+
Cyclist to take 80-day crosscountry trek By Kelly Corbett Staff Writer
exceeded the goal set of $60,000, an increase from the $50,000 raised last year. Senior graphic design major Alyssa Grace served as co-executive coordinator alongside Grossman. The B+ Foundation was started in 2007 by Joe and Chris McDonough following the death of their 14-year-old son, Andrew. Before succumbing to cancer, B+ became Andrew’s friend’s
What does senior special education and history double major Joanna Felsenstein have in mind after she graduates? Unlike many college graduates who will move back home to start the job search, Felsenstein will embark on an 80-day bike trip across the country. She and a team of bikers will travel 4,072 miles through 16 states, stopping along the way to volunteer with 15 affordable housing organizations and nonprofits in need of extra hands. “I enjoy cycling very much and when I heard about this opportunity, I could not think of a better way to see the country, get fit and volunteer this summer,” Felsenstein said. Starting on Monday, May 30, Felsenstein and 29 other bikers will cycle across the country. Their journey will begin in New Haven, Conn., and end when their bike wheels hit the sand of the Pacific Ocean in Half Moon Bay, Calif. As part of the “Bike & Build” program, participants in this 11week long biking expedition will have “build days” during which they take a break from their peddling to help build houses with
see JAM page 15
see BIKE page 13
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Students dance through the night to raise money for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.
By Ellie Schuckman News Editor
Stepping up to the security checkpoint, the jolting beat of the music can be heard blasting from within. Laughter sounds from a distance, along with the bouncing of basketballs. Walking into the room, the black lights glare — TCNJam 2016 has officially begun. The second annual 12-hour dance-athon benefitting the Andrew McDonough
B+ Foundation was held on Saturday, Feb. 6, in the Student Recreation Center, co-sponsored by the Inter-Greek Council and Student Government. “The goal of the whole thing is to educate the community about pediatric cancer and inspire others to get involved,” said senior chemistry major Alec Grossman, co-executive coordinator of TCNJam. “To get everyone here at one single event is amazing.” With over $64,000 raised, the event
Director of Global Engagement says ‘auf wiedersehen’
Librarians needed during digital age
Reliable resources for the campus community
By Julie Kayzerman Former Editor-in-Chief As he prepares to leave the College, Jon Stauff can pinpoint the exact moment he became inspired to dedicate his work to giving students the opportunity to study abroad. He was a junior in college spending a semester in Germany when everything came together in his mind as he was walking alongside the Berlin Wall. “It was 1985 in the height of the Reagan administration when we were told that communists were an evil empire,” Stauff said. “But what was clear to me was that when I crossed the Berlin Wall into East Berlin and met with the Communist border guards and the people of East Berlin, I could see that they were people just like us.” Suddenly, the Cold War became a real experience for Stauff. “The weapons that we had pointed at Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, I could see the target,” he see STAUFF page 3
INDEX: Nation & World / Page 7
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Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Students go to the library to access resources. By Colleen Murphy Editor-in-Chief
Cafe’s coffee machine is heard in the background. Occasionally, the phone behind the Reference Desk goes off. Sitting behind the desk to answer the phone is Lisa Roe. Within just a 40-minute period, students ask the librarian where to locate a children’s book, how to navigate the library database and how to narrow down book searches. And she has the answers. The College’s library is home to 15 full-time, tenure-track librarians, as well as three part-time librarians, including Roe. With their diverse backgrounds, the librarians are equipped with knowledge that can help students, faculty and the public find books, better their research abilities and keep them updated on the library’s resources. Ask any librarian at the College what led them to their career and you might be surprised to hear of their paths because for many, it seems to have been a circuitous route. Library Dean Taras Pavlovsky has been in his current position since 2001, after serving as the College’s music and media subject librarian since 1995. But Pavlovsky originally went to school to study chemical engineering. After graduation, he spent his time as an amateur musician, eventually going to graduate school for musicology. It was there, during his time working in see LIBRARY page 2
The typing on keyboards and the whirring of the Library
Editorial / Page 8
Opinions / Page 9
Features / Page 13
Arts & Entertainment / Page 17
Sports / Page 28
Valentine’s date ideas Local date suggestions from couples
CUB Alt: ROZES Chainsmokers’s featured vocalist performs
Basketball Lions enjoy win during Senior Night
See Features page 15
See A&E page 17
See Sports page 21
page 2 The Signal February 10, 2016
Library / A look at the life of a College librarian
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Librarians often work to assist students, helping with research. continued from page 1 a music library, that he realized that he wanted to enter librarianship because, after all, “librarians had more fun.” Like Pavlovsky, many of the librarians at the College have degrees in multiple fields. And while there is no requirement in the number of fields the librarians had to major or complete their graduate studies in, they all must have at least a masters in library science from an accredited program to be qualified to work at the College, Pavlovsky said. “Many, especially private research institutions, hire librarians who don’t have librarian degrees,” Pavlovsky said. “They’re super subject specialists and they’ve worked in research, but they haven’t necessarily (earned a library degree). I couldn’t hire somebody like that if I wanted to.” According to Pavlovsky, of the 15 full-time librarians at the College, 11 of them work in the public sphere. The other four are technical services librarians who work more behind-the-scenes.
Of those 11 public librarians, eight are subject librarians who have specialized backgrounds in or around the subjects they oversee. Assistant Director for Public Services Maureen Gorman is the life sciences librarian, meaning she looks over the subjects of biology and nursing. She has been a librarian since 1983 and has been working at the College since 1987. Gorman was a biology major as an undergraduate student and earned her master’s degree in ecology before earning a second master’s degree in library sciences. “I knew by the time I was at the end of that degree, a PhD wasn’t (my next step), but I knew I wanted to be a part of an academic community, and a library degree was a way I could use my science background and still be a part of an academic community,” Gorman said. “It’s just a different world from being a scientist or a professor.” As both Gorman and Pavlovsky noted, there are not as many subject librarians as there are majors at the College. That is
why subject librarians often have at least two subjects that they head. Erin Ackerman is the subject librarian for six different subjects but is currently on leave. To fill her position until she returns, Pavlovsky said that he looked through the résumés of the librarians to see who could help pick up her work while she is out. Anybody who had a background in a related subject was asked to take on some of Ackerman’s responsibilities. According to Pavlovsky, subject librarians have three main duties for their respective areas of study: collection development, such as the acquiring of print books, electronic books or journal subscriptions; information literacy and the answering of specialized reference questions. On top of these responsibilities, all 15 librarians will spend time at the reference desk on the first floor to answer people’s questions. Some even teach classes, including a couple from the Freshmen Seminar Program. And like any other faculty member hired by the College, librarians are “required to maintain an active research agenda and research publication agenda,” Pavlovsky said. Becoming a librarian at the College can be a highly competitive process. According to Pavlovsky, the most successful searches usually yield 75 to 90 applicants. But sometimes there will be 120 or 130 applicants per position, which can make the selection a bit harder, he said. Occasionally, the library won’t receive enough applications and the search has to be conducted again. “We have great people here. Great, great people. A key to that is running a good search,” he said. While Pavlovsky misses having more of the face-to-face interactions with library patrons, he can now have the satisfaction knowing that, as an administrator, he helped the library get to where it is today. “I’m certainly proud of the institution
that the library has become... In my opinion, the most important job (for deans) is to shape the body of their faculty. I take that very seriously. I’m not taking credit for the folks being good, but I’ll take some of the credit for them being here,” Pavlovsky said. The librarians seem to be fond of their job, as well, particularly because of the oneon-one interactions they have with students. “I really like the students here. I find them polite, intelligent… I think the TCNJ students are terrific. I truly do believe that… Plus, it’s such a beautiful space,” said Roe, who is in her 12th year at the College. Senior political science major Francesca Buarne is just one of the many students that a librarian at the College was able to help. Last school year, Buarne needed some guidance in narrowing down the broad question she had for her 30-page research paper and went to Ackerman for assistance. “(Ackerman) not only helped me narrow down the topic, but also helped me find proper resources to complete the paper,” Buarne said. “She printed a list of articles, books and online journals that I could look at to help me complete the large research paper. She also followed up with me to make sure I found what I needed. My experience with the librarian was very, very helpful and very eye-opening... Overall, meeting with my librarian was a positive experience that really helped meet my goals on writing my lengthy research paper.” The success that Buarne found with Ackerman is an example of why Gorman also noted her work with students as being her favorite part of the position. “I really do enjoy working with the students. It’s one of those things that may sound a little trite, but to know, ‘OK, there was somebody who needed help getting where they’re going,’ and being able to do that is satisfying,” Gorman said.
SFB funds request for Chinese New Year celebration By Roderick Macioch Staff Writer
The Student Finance Board’s first meeting of the Spring 2016 semester came to order at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3, to decide what events deserve funding. The Asian American Association (AAA) requested the necessary funding for a performance by Korean-American singer-songwriter Clara C. “There are very few Asians represented in the media,” the request form read. “Having an Asian American representative performing will not only speak to those of the same culture, but to those interested in music.” The association expressed plans to invite students from both Princeton and Rutgers universities. The AAA’s plan to charge for admission was met with some opposition from the board. As a result, the event proposal was amended to make the event free of charge for all attendees. The board unanimously voted in favor of allocating the $6,500 necessary to fund the performance, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. in Mayo Concert Hall. Representatives of the College Union Board (CUB) entered to propose its plan for the annual Spring Lecture. As stated in CUB’s proposal, the goal of the event is to “appeal to different types of students by sticking to the traditional, but successful and popular, topic of discussion that the (College) community has expressed interest in — pop culture and the entertainment industry.” The board questioned whether the guest lecturers CUB had contacted (Shawn Johnson, Wilmer Valderrama, or Patricia Arquette) would have enough appeal to justify the appearance of the $30,000 fees they were each requesting. CUB’s fourth consideration for a guest lecturer was Todrick Hall, whose appearance fee was slightly less at $25,000, but was still a large investment which the board did not feel comfortable making.
After much deliberation, the board decided to table the request until CUB could provide more evidence that such a large investment would be a wise one. Student Government then proposed TCNJ Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). Cosponsored by the Center for Global Engagement, the event seeks to “share the different cultures of the student body at (the College) through entertainment, activities, stands and educational facts around each station,” according to the request form. “Through this event, students will be able to gain awareness of the different types of diversity there is at (the College), all in a fun experience.” When the time came to vote, the requested $3,115.46 was granted unanimously. The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Brower Student Center. TCNJ Jiva requested the necessary funding to cover travel expenses to attend University of Pittsburgh’s Dhirana — an annual Indian dance competition that will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20. “Competing in national competitions allows our team to continue practicing Indian dance, learn from other collegiate teams and promote the College,” according to the request form. A majority of the board voted in favor of Jiva and the requested $754.40 was granted. Black Student Union (BSU) requested funding for the Black Monologues — just one of the many BSU events happening during Black History Month. According to the request form, the event “is designed to give students, staff and faculty an opportunity to share their stories through the performance of original monologues while educating the campus community on institutional issues and experiences affecting the African-descended members of the College.” The board decided to fully grant BSU’s request in the amount of $117.13. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium and will be catered by Sodexo.
David Colby / Staff Photographer
The board tables CUB’s plans for the Spring Lecture.
Board member Ziyi Wang, a sophomore finance major, crossed to the other side of the table to propose a Chinese New Year Celebration presented by the Chinese Students Association (CSA). CSA stated in its proposal that this event will allow students to “gain a newfound appreciation for Asian culture and be interested in experiencing more of it.” The celebration will include martial arts, dance and musical performances to represent the culture, according to Wang. The board unanimously voted to grant the full $3,350 requested for the event, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Social Space. The board also promoted sophomore economics major David Braisted from his previous position of sophomore representative to executive assistant. *Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 3
Stauff / Beloved director to bid farewell to College continued from page 1
said. “The people were the target, these buildings were the target, the soldiers that were searching my bags going across the border were the target… and what was a very abstract construct prior to that experience, became very real and very human.” At that moment, Stauff felt that it was up to him to become a college professor and try to make that experience real for other students. “I felt if I could only get a couple of students from East Berlin together with a couple of students from West Berlin, they would probably find ways to work together,” Stauff said. “And if I could do that with my students at home, it could come together and maybe make a better world.” And that’s exactly what he did. Stauff, the senior international officer and director of the Center for Global Engagement and a history professor, has had a tremendous hand in the growth of the study abroad and international education programs during his six and a half years at the College. While he will be resigning from the College on Friday, Feb. 19, to take a position as the vice provost for Global Education at Monmouth University, he will not go without having left a significant mark. When Stauff first arrived in 2009, there were 275 study abroad students, four student exchange programs, 12 international students and just one semester-long abroad program. In 2016, the number of study abroad students has increased by 72 percent to 476. There are currently 12 student exchange programs, 61 international students and 10 semester-long programs. During his tenure, he successfully implemented an English as a Second Language (ESL) program and added a director of
international recruitment to the office. He has spread the faculty-led study abroad programs from just two schools to being an opportunity within all of them. “I liked the idea of creating access to study abroad. I want people to feel that they have the chance to do this whether or not they have a lot of money,” Stauff said. “Accessibility is my goal in life to these opportunities, so what I’ve done at (the College) is create more accessible semester long study abroad programs so that more students can go away for as much as they pay for a semester here.” Yet Stauff’s biggest accomplishments simply boils down to the transformation of the office going from a by-the-books operation, to a place for students to plan their futures. “You come to this office not just to fill your bureaucratic requirement, but you come to this office seeking advice and counsel on how you can shape your future educational experience,” Stauff said. “That’s one of my biggest achievements.” Junior political science major Ryan Dinon recognizes Stauff as an invaluable resource on campus. “I recently returned from a semester abroad in Frankfurt, Germany, and I largely owe that experience to Dr. Stauff’s guidance,” Dinon said. “Whether I have had questions about German history, studying abroad or my career plans in general, Dr. Stauff has always been willing to go above and beyond in helping me sort everything out.” History professor Cynthia Paces has worked closely with Stauff on several projects since he arrived in 2009. “Because Jon is from New Jersey, he has been very committed to the students here. He understands the financial
Julie Kayzerman / Former Editor-in-Chief
Stauff recalls his motivation for encouraging students to study abroad. situation of students and has worked to make study abroad accessible to TCNJ students,” Paces said. “By creating TCNJ partner programs in various locations, such as Prague, Bologna and Heidelberg, students can go abroad for the same cost, if not less, than staying in Ewing.” Stauff highlights remarkable numbers in the growth of programs that he has worked on. Yet, off paper, Stauff has hugely achieved greatness in the culture shift on campus, with a turn in attitudes toward international students. “While I’ve had a big impact on how study abroad has grown on campus, I really want to highlight the different attitude we have now toward international students and diversity,” he said. When he first came to the College, the attitude was one that focused on serving the youth of New Jersey and didn’t seek out International students, according to Stauff. Although leaving the College is bittersweet, Stauff is looking forward to
working with graduate students and having the opportunity to use his talents on a bigger stage at Monmouth University, he said. But according to Paces, he will be sorely missed. “We will miss his wonderful sense of humor and his thoughtfulness,” Paces said. “He cares so much about students and faculty, and he wants us all to have the transformative experiences that international travel affords. Because of his generosity, we have learned how to make global engagement a priority, and we will continue to develop the important programs he created.” As he moves forward to begin his new chapter at Monmouth, Stauff can leave knowing that his work here is done. “We’ve gone from, ‘We’re here for the youth of New Jersey and we don’t want international students,’” he said of the College, “to, ‘What can we do to bring international students and make them comfortable?’ “And that to me – I’ve done my job,” Stauff said.
Fat Shack: Fan favorite for late-night fried food returns By Chelsea LoCascio News Editor
For months, many students have been in need of a latenight food option that could deliver deep-fried sustenance to their door well into the early morning. Luckily, the search is over. Fat Shack returned to Ewing, N.J., last Thursday, Jan. 28, and vows to serve up fresher fried-food-filled fat sandwiches than they ever had before, the store’s founder and owner Tom Armenti said. The eatery had closed in April 2015, but now that it’s open again, students can get Fat Shack delivered to them Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. According to Armenti, he and his business partner, Kevin Gabauer, both ’09 alumni of the College’s School of Business, previously turned over the Ewing location to new management when they were opening franchises in Denver, Thornton and Greeley, Colo. However, as alumni, the owners were disappointed with how the new management treated students at the College with little respect, Armenti said. Despite the mistreatment, students were sad to see Fat Shack go. “(I was) definitely very disappointed,” sophomore finance major Tom Franey said. “I knew that no other restaurant would be able to replace it when it came to its hours or quality.” However, Armenti said the quality of the customer service and food was no longer up to par. “I know a lot of people were upset when we shut it down, (but) I was happier not serving people stuff that wasn’t up to my standards. I rather serve them nothing than let them get bad sandwiches and bad (customer) service,” Armenti said. “We shut it down… with the intention then of re-opening it at some point — when we could do it right.” During Fat Shack’s brief hiatus from Ewing, the Fort Collins, Colo., location garnered a lot of attention — enough to be featured on an episode of the Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” that aired on April 22, 2015. “That was awesome,” Gabauer said. “(‘Food Paradise’) wanted to do it on the best late-night food in the country and they asked if we wanted to be featured.”
With the business thriving, the owners are planning to expand to Denton, Texas, by the end of the summer, according to Armenti. “We see Texas being another big market that we can jump Fat Shack into and then grow it from there in that state,” Armenti said. “Everybody loves fried food in Texas, right?” Before Fat Shack became a haven for late-night snackers throughout the nation, it was the College’s goto source for fat sandwiches started by one of their own. Even earlier than that, Fat Shack stemmed from another small business, now known as CARS, in Ramsey, N.J., which Armenti co-owned with a friend back home during his junior year of college, he said.
“We shut it down... with the intention then of re-opening it at some point — when we could do it right. ”
—Tom Armenti
Fat Shack founder and owner
However, Armenti wanted to take the business in a new direction and make it closer to the College, so he took his ideas and entrepreneurial drive to RJ’s Bagels in Ewing, N.J., and started running the first Fat Shack out of the establishment during the night when the café was closed. With business surpassing its small, shared location, Armenti knew he needed to expand and open a full Fat Shack. He decided that Fort Collins was the best place to do it after having seen the area while visiting family, according to Fat Shack’s website. After experiencing success in Colorado, Armenti asked his friend and former Phi Kappa Psi fraternity brother, Gabauer, to help him run the business, according to Gabauer. He said he worked at an insurance company during the
day and spent his nights on the phone with Armenti, organizing the business and getting a head start before going to Colorado. “Tom’s definitely more like the ideas guy and I’m more (about) keeping us organized and getting everything set up,” Gabauer said. According to Gabauer, Armenti is the one who came up with all the sandwich concepts, like one of their most popular sandwiches called the Fat Doobie, which is stuffed with chicken fingers, french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and honey mustard. “It’s definitely a lot of testing things, which is fun. I get to eat more types of chicken fingers, french fries and all that stuff than probably anybody (else does),” Armenti said. “I’m super crazy about what we’re putting on the sandwiches, so it really is just a matter of trial and error. Trying out different kinds of combinations, trying out different sauces and seeing what works out well and then coming up with a crazy name to go with it.” According to Armenti, Fat Shack has updated its menu since it was last in Ewing by condensing it to virtually just appetizers and sandwiches to ensure quicker deliveries. Aside from the new menu, both Armenti and Gabauer are excited about expanding upon their business plan to hire young, hard-working people to own Fat Shack franchises. “(Armenti) started the business right out of college and so we have, and will always have, that young, entrepreneurial spirit that’s grown our business,” Gabauer said. “What we want to do is get young entrepreneurs into and owning their own Fat Shack franchises. We want to build the company with younger people who are super hard-working.” Currently, four out of five of the Colorado locations are franchises owned by 21 to 23 year olds, and they are excited to get even more young entrepreneurs owning Fat Shacks, according to Armenti. “I basically never wanted to get a job. I wanted to do my own thing. In the end, opening a business was probably 10 times more work,” Armenti said. “I started the Fat Shack when I was 22 and it’s obviously taken my life in a different direction than if I (had) just gone into a traditional, corporate job. It makes me want to help other people do the same thing.”
page 4 The Signal February 10, 2016
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 5
Study Abroad Fair aims to broaden horizons
Keri Fitzpatrick / Staff Photographer
Students gather at the fair to learn about study abroad opportunities.
By Jake Mulick Correspondent
In the past, students at the College have had the opportunity to study anywhere from London to Morocco. Those who have yet to travel overseas and are interested in doing so attended the Study Abroad Fair in the Social Sciences Atrium on Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In attendance were representatives from the College’s Center for Global Engagement as well as delegates from Academic Program’s International, the Council of International Education Exchange, International Studies Abroad, Foundation for International Education (FIE) London and Edge Hill University in England. According to Global Academic Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Margherito,
the Center for Global Engagement hosts two study abroad fairs per year, with one each semester. “These fairs are a great opportunity for all students, (from) freshmen who are thinking about studying abroad during their time at (the College), to those students who are currently in the midst of the study abroad process, to engage with the (Center for Global Engagement) office,” Margherito said. “This face-to-face interaction certainly beats out sending emails or searching online for more information about the study abroad options available to students (at the College).” According to the Center for Global Engagement’s website, 25 to 30 percent of students in each graduating class of the College study abroad at least once as an undergraduate. “Studying abroad was easily one of the best experiences I’ve had at (the College). In just one month, I was able to travel to London, Switzerland, Italy, Scotland and France, all while taking an English class. We were reading ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Ann Boleyn’ and
I was able to experience these stories handson while traveling around Europe,” junior English major Sam DiGrande said. The study abroad programs help to broaden the horizons of many of the students here at the College, Margherito said. “There are few instances in life that offer you the opportunity to live abroad for four to five months,” Margherito said. “Why not seize that opportunity, earn credits toward your degree and spend time traveling to new places, meeting interesting people and learning a whole lot about yourself along the way?” As a student who has participated in one of the College’s programs, DiGrande urges others to go on a similar journey of their own. “I strongly recommend everyone to look into studying abroad. There’s sure to be something for everyone,” DiGrande said. According to its website, the Center for Global Engagement holds weekly meetings every Wednesday at 2 p.m. in room 105 of the Social Sciences Building for students to find out more about the study abroad process and programs.
Cop’s car ablaze, students are stumbling and dazed By Chelsea LoCascio News Editor • According to nj.com, an officer at the College was on patrol between Green Hall and the library at 5:25 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21, and called in to Campus Police headquarters that he saw sparks coming from near the headlights of his Ford Crown Victoria. By the time help arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, according to the same article. Although no buildings were damaged and nobody was harmed, police are investigating the matter further to confirm that the cause of the car’s damage was in fact due to an electrical issue and not because of criminal activity, according to Campus Police. • On Saturday, Jan. 30, at 1:05 a.m., an officer responded to a call in Travers Hall and found a male talking to another student
outside the men’s bathroom. There was vomit in several spots of the hallway, including the laundry room door. According to Campus Police, the student was moved to the elevator lobby so TCNJ EMS could evaluate him in better lighting. With alcohol on his breath, the student admitted to consuming 12 mixed drinks that contained rum and was issued a summons for underage drinking, police said.
the hospital for further evaluation.
• A student was issued a summons for underage drinking after a cop was dispatched to a women’s bathroom in Travers Hall on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 12:18 a.m., according to Campus Police. Upon arrival, the female was seen vomiting on the bathroom floor and smelled of alcohol, police said. She admitted to having four shots of vodka and an unknown amount of beer, according to police reports. Ewing Township EMS transported her to
• An officer on patrol witnessed a male stumble and fall over a snowbank along the walkway between Townhouses West and C Street on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 3:15 a.m., Campus Police said. The officer confronted the student, who was slurring his speech and smelled of alcohol, according to police reports. After moving him to the Townhouses West lounge to be evaluated by TCNJ EMS, he was issued a summons for underage drinking and transported to Cromwell Hall, according to
• Campus Police responded to a report of an unresponsive, semiconscious female in a women’s bathroom in Centennial Hall at 2:20 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31, after consuming an unknown amount of vodka. She was issued an underage drinking summons and transported to the hospital by Ewing Township EMS, according to police reports.
Photo courtesy of Campus Police
A car is engulfed in flames after sparks fly from the headlights. Campus Police. • Campus Police responded to a report from Travers Hall on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 2:40 a.m. and found the residents of the room holding up a student in a chair. The student, who smelled of alcohol, said he had 10 shots of vodka and was unable to answer other
questions asked by TCNJ EMS, according to police reports. He was transported to the hospital for further evaluation and issued an underage drinking summons, Campus Police said. Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at 609771-2345.
Students gather to celebrate start of Black History Month
Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant
Soulful Sound livens the crowd with renditions of songs such as ‘Hotline Bling.’ By Morgan Lubner Staff Writer
Black Student Union (BSU) recently hosted a kickoff event for Black History Month with the hope of starting the month’s events on a positive note. Students gathered in the Education Building on Monday, Feb. 1, to enjoy a presentation of informational slideshows, speeches, performances and ethnic foods
provided by different clubs associated with BSU. Coordinator of the event, sophomore health and exercise science major Priscilla Winston-Laryea, explained that the kickoff has occured every year since BSU was founded at the College in 1980. It’s meant to showcase black history and make students more aware of the month and its purpose. “Black history needs to be celebrated
for how far we have come and to share with our peers what we are capable of collectively,” Winston-Laryea said. “There’s no other way to start off the month correctly.” Soulful Sound, a jazz band run by students from the College that was accompanied by a member of BSU, started the performances with their rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem.” Afterward, the group played more traditional songs, including a cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling.” Other performances included the Association of Students For Africa’s (ASFA) dance team who, similar to Soulful Sound, started with more traditional music and dancing, then moved to more modern music. With three different stations set up with assorted types of ethnic food — one table run by BSU, one by ASFA and another by the Haitian Student Association (HSA) — attendees soon moved from their seats to the dance floor. The room quickly became a welcoming environment for everyone who attended the event.
“I expected very little diversity at this event, and I was pleasantly surprised with all the different cultures and ethnicities that were in the room,” Winston-Laryea said. “I also didn’t expect people to have as much fun as they did. Throughout the week (after the event), I had multiple people coming to me telling me how great of a time they had. It’s great to know that we served our community well.” Everyone came out for different reasons, but many were along the same lines as freshman open options pre-law major Danielle Parks. “I came partly because I’m in BSU and, well, because I’m black,” Parks said. “I wanted to be entertained and, of course, I came for the food. It was really fun.” BSU has upcoming events planned throughout the month of February, including the Black Monologues — an open space for black youth to talk about personal experiences — on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. in the Library Auditorium and voter registration on Friday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
page 6 The Signal February 10, 2016
SG debates the benefits of Lion’s Gate and Corq app By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor Student Government President Casey Dowling opened the Wednesday, Feb. 3, general body meeting with a discussion about the Lion’s Gate system, now that it has been operational for a full semester. General body members offered feedback for possible improvements to the system. Among the suggestions were calls for accessibility via mobile devices, although representatives for Lion’s Gate reiterated that the CollegiateLink system offers an app called Corq that is “pretty responsive.” The app is available on Apple and Android devices. Members also noted that “the benefits of Lion’s Gate aren’t really clear” to the campus community, aside from the ability to register for clubs and organizations on campus. While the system is supposed to keep the campus community informed of upcoming events and circulate internal information within organizations, students tend to use email lists and Facebook to stay on top of things. Lion’s Gate representatives assured the general body members that they would take the feedback and suggestions into consideration. To kick off a new semester of governance, Dowling invited newly-appointed cabinet members and head senators to the front of the room for a swearingin ceremony. Notably, Darshak Vekaria and Dana Disarno were sworn in as vice president of Academic Affairs and alternate student trustee, respectively. They promised to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Student Government and the students of The
College of New Jersey” in their oaths. Theresa Holzheimer was also sworn in as the senior class council’s vice president of Public Relations. Senators of business, education, arts and communication, humanities and social sciences and science also took their oaths. Vice President of Administration and Finance Tyler Holzer announced an ongoing crewneck sale. Shirts are $25 apiece and are black with yellow, teal or white lettering. Holzer also announced that Political Science Department Chair Brian Potter and Presidents’ Climate Commitment Committee (PC3) will address the general body on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to discuss ideas for sustainability on campus. According to Holzer, Potter and the PC3 team, which was established by President R. Barbara Gitenstein in the spring of 2007, set an initial goal “to make the campus carbonneutral by 2020.” Vice President of Advancement Amanda Williams and Vice President of Equity and Diversity Priscilla Nunez both announced their respective committees’ cosponsorship with the College’s Black Student Union for Black History Month. “There are cool, fun, interesting events,” said Williams, urging general body members to attend. Vice President of Community Relations Brittany Angiolini announced that Relay for Life will take place on Friday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. “It’s great to have a big representation of Student Government there,” Angiolini said, by way of encouraging general body members to join the SG relay team. Nunez proudly announced that Equity and Diversity’s event, TCNJ Experimental
The search for a replacement Student Activities director is on Tim Asher retires from the College
tcnj.edu
Bapasola takes over Asher’s responsibilities until a replacement is found. By Colleen Murphy Editor-in-Chief
After over 28 years of work at the College, Director of Student Activities Tim Asher retired from his position on Friday, Feb. 5, according to an email sent out to the College community by Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
“Over the course of Tim’s 28 (plus) year tenure at TCNJ, he enhanced many co-curricular learning opportunities for our students, and created new opportunities that positively impacted many students personally,” Hecht wrote. “His work with Welcome Week, Senior Week and advising student organizations has left its mark on the campus, including his leadership of the ‘Here for Home’ effort following Hurricane Sandy.” According to Hecht, for the shortterm, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Elizabeth Bapasola will be taking on the responsibilities that Asher had. However, the College plans to hire a new director of student activities in the near future. “There will be a national search for a director that will be conducted sometime either this spring semester or summer. At this point, we are still working out those details,” Hecht said. The College did not host a retirement party to celebrate Asher on his career, as per Asher’s request, according to Hecht’s email. However, she did want to let the campus community know how much Asher’s work impacted students and faculty during his time here. “I would like to publicly thank Tim for his tireless efforts on behalf of TCNJ students. I know that many alumni and current students have had an incredible TCNJ experience because of his hard work,” Hecht wrote in the email. “Please join me in thanking Tim for his contributions to our TCNJ community and wishing him well in his future pursuits.”
Members are sworn in to their new senator positions.
Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT), was fully funded by Student Finance Board (SFB). “We slayed it,” Nunez said of her committee’s presentation to SFB. The event will take place on Thursday, March 24, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Student Trustee Kevin Kim announced an opportunity to apply for a Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) position. HESAA consists of “a lot of higher ed professionals” and “nine or 10 student representatives,” Kim said. Colleges and universities in New Jersey get a certain number of representatives to advocate for students’ financial aid concerns. Dedicated representatives come from schools like Rutgers Univerisy and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), but the College doesn’t have that status at HESAA. “If anyone has been through or has received financial aid, or has had a lot of experience with financial aid, and wants to advocate for students that need more financial aid, they want students who have received financial aid from their schools,” Kim said of preferred candidates for the seat. Kim added, “It’s a really good opportunity for us as The College of New Jersey
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
to have representatives on that board, but further down the line, I think we should start lobbying for having dedicated representatives since we’re The College of New Jersey, and Rutgers (University) and NJIT get one.” The application deadline is not until the end of March. Applicants must be New Jersey residents. Senior class president Emily Montagna announced that the semester’s first Senior Night, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, was approved. “We sold 83 tickets in two hours,” Montagna said. Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro announced that starting on Tuesday, Feb. 9, the class will be tablesitting so that students can make Valentine’s Day cards for patients at children’s hospitals in the area. “We’re hoping to get at least 150 (cards),” Capestro said. “It’s your chance to put a smile on somebody’s face for Valentine’s Day.” Capestro added that the class is cosponsoring a blood drive with TCNJ EMS on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Freshman class President Carly Mauro announced a late-night bake sale in Travers and Wolfe halls on Friday, Feb. 12, from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz dominated the polls with an overall vote of 50 percent and 28 percent, respectively.
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 7
Nation & W rld 50 28
Cruz and Clinton claim Iowa caucuses %
%
The race to the presidency has officially begun CLINTON
49.9%
SANDERS
49.6%
O’MALLEY
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.6%
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CRUZ TRUMP RUBIO
Clinton Cruz dominated thepolls pollswith with an an HillaryHillary Clinton and and Ted Ted Cruz dominated the overall vote of 50 percent and 28 percent, respectively. overall vote of 50 percent and 28 percent, respectively.
24.3% 23.1%
50%
28%
50%
51%
28%
of all Democratic tweets mentioned Hillary Clinton and 31 percent of all Republican tweets were about Ted Cruz
49.9%
The ratio of democrat to republican voters was 17:18 CLINTON
49.9 %% 49.6 For the first caucus, Ted Cruz manages to beat Donald Trump while Hillary Clinton narrowly edges out Bernie Sanders in a close race. CLINTON SANDERS
Infographic courtesy of Surbhi Chawla
Sources: Associated Press, CBS News, Mashable
By Jahnvi Upreti Staff Writer On Monday, Feb. 1, the nation held its breath in anticipation for the results of the Iowa caucuses. Ted Cruz won the state’s Republican nomination with 27.7 percent, a 3.3 percent lead on the runner-up, Donald Trump. The state’s Democratic nomination was much more nail-biting, with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battling it out at an almost even 50-50 percent for an hour, before it was decided that at 49.9 percent, Clinton was the winner, the New York Daily News reported. Iowa is the first state in the country to vote for its Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, signaling the official beginning of the race toward the presidency. The caucuses serve to determine a party’s nomination for president, which eventually leads to officially electing a single political candidate to serve in the primaries. From church basements to high school gyms, voters from all of Iowa’s 1,774 precincts assembled in one of 800 designated public areas to discuss the candidates and place their votes as to who they believe should receive the primary
49.6 27.6
nomination, according to the Daily News. In the Democratic caucuses, voters physically move to .6% % SANDERSO’MALLEY While Iowa is not the only state to hold caucuses, it car- various areas in the room to indicate which candidate they .6%weigh in are in favor % of. The groups are sized up and the candidates ries great importance since it is the first state to O’MALLEY CRUZ on the nation’s opinions. These caucuses draw significant with the least amount of people in his or her designated area 24.3 % attention from the media and will affect are taken % out of the voting options. This activity is followed TRUMPhow candidates CRUZ perform in future primaries. Historically, Iowa has been by negotiations, during which voters can try to defend their 23.1% 24.3% RUBIO the first state to hold caucuses since the Jimmy Carter era, choices and convince others to support their nominees in TRUMP the Daily News reported. Both Democratic and Republi- the hopes of re-adding the candidate to the options. As stat23.1%ed by CNN, the number of votes each Democratic candican parties have ruled for Iowa to be the first state. Though RUBIO such a ruling is not legal, the parties punish any other state date gets decides the percentage of the precinct’s % at thedelegates trying to host caucuses first by reducing the amount of del- who will represent that candidate convenof allparticular Democratic tweets mentioned Hillary Clinton and 31 percent ofthe all Republican tweetsprocedure were about Ted egates that state can send to the national convention. tion. Unlike the Republicans, Democratic ofCruz The caucus is different for Democrats and RepubThe ratio of democrat to republican running voters was the 17:18caucuses does not allow a secret ballot. The licans. In the Republican caucuses, a few people voice Democratic votersofmade their preferences loud and clear. all Democratic tweets mentioned Hillary Clinton Sources: Associated Press, CBS News, Mashable percent all Republican werewere about Ted their opinions on who should win before the other voters By 11:30 and p.m.31 on thatof evening, thetweets results in. Cruz scribble their choices on pieces of paper, which is counted The ratio of democrat to republican votersThough was 17:18winning the nominations from the Iowa caucuses by hand. Such results are known as a straw poll, for the give Cruz and Clinton an advantage, it certainly does not Sources: Associated Press, CBS News, Mashable deciding votes do not have an impact on which delegates determine them as the official nominees for the primaries. are sent to the convention. The information is simply re- Iowa is only the first caucus, after all. As Cary Covington, leased to the media. Following the voting, CNN reported a political science professor at the University of Iowa, told that the caucuses decide which delegates to send to the the NY Daily News: “Iowa identifies the losers, it doesn’t county convention. choose the winner.”
27.6
51
51%
Wikileaks founder Assange detained by Sweden By Tom Ballard Opinions Editor On Friday, Feb. 5, the United Nation’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released its report from December 2015, which claimed that Julian Assange, founder of the Wikileaks website, was “arbitrarily detained by the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom,” according to a press release from the organization. In addition, the working committee ordered that the governments compensate Assange after his subjection to “different forms of deprivation of liberty.” According to the press release, pursuant to a European arrest warrant issued by Sweden, Assange was placed in 10 days of solitary confinement in Wandsworth Prison in Sweden on Dec. 7, 2010, following a Swedish prosecutor’s investigation against Assange for
a reported rape claim. Following his stay in solitary confinement, Assange was sentenced to house arrest for 550 days in his United Kingdom residency. Assange escaped his house arrest and received asylum — the act of a country allowing an outside resident to safely reside in its territory — from the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012. Assange has remained in the embassy, its boundaries which are constantly patrolled by British police officers. According to BBC, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond dismissed the ruling by the U.N. panel as “ridiculous.” Hammond also went on to say that Assange is a “fugitive from justice” who can still come out of the embassy “at any time he chooses,” adding that he would still have to face justice in Sweden, according to the same BBC article.
BBC reported that the Swedish government had dropped two claims of sexual assault, but Assange still faces the more serious accusation of rape. “The (Swedish) government does not agree with the assessment made by the majority of the working group,” a statement from the Swedish foreign ministry reads, according the Guardian. “Assange has chosen, voluntarily, to stay at the Ecuadorian embassy and Swedish authorities have no control over his decision to stay there… Assange is free to leave the embassy at any point. Thus, he is not being deprived of his liberty.” A video posted on the U.N. Human Rights Facebook page the day before the decision was released states that the governments of the U.K. and Sweden are “legally bind(ed)” to follow the orders of the working committee.
Demonstrators protest Assange’s capture in the UK. According to the U.N. Human Rights committee’s website, working groups are comprised of “prominent, independent experts working on a voluntary basis, appointed by the Human Rights Council.” The press release stated that the five-member group ruled, 3-1, in its decision, with one
AP Photo
member recusing herself since she shared the same nationality as Assange: Australian. According to BBC, the U.K. government reported that it had spent $18.8 million so far on policing the boundaries of the Ecuadorian embassy since Assange took asylum.
page 8 The Signal February 10, 2016
Editorial
Students should strive to be politically informed
Almost every student on campus tuned in to the 50th Super Bowl celebration on Sunday, Feb. 7 — whether it was by watching the game online, in a friend’s room or on the big screen at the College Union Board’s Annual Super Bowl Party in the Brower Student Center. Yet, I wonder how many of these same students watched the Democratic and Republican debates that took place earlier in the week. I’ll admit it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of college life. Juggling coursework, extracurricular activities, friendships and even jobs can be near to impossible. The joke that college students can only choose two of the following three options — a social life, good grades and enough sleep — has become less of a punch line and more of a painful reality with each passing semester. It’s important to keep in mind that these grand and grueling four years at the College are meant to prepare us for “the real world” that lies beyond the small town of Ewing, N.J. It is simply a matter of months before we will embark on the dreaded first-job search and move away from home to create our own lives. When this time comes, the national issues currently up for debate, such as healthcare, taxes, immigration and foreign policy, will start to impact our daily lives. Suddenly, who won the Super Bowl won’t seem nearly as important as the question of why your medical costs are so high. But why wait until graduation to start caring about theses issues? In the eyes of the law, we are already adults. At the age of 18, we’re granted the right to vote and are told that our opinions matter. This right to participate in a free, democratic election is a luxury that other nations are still fighting for. Still, many Americans seem take this right for granted, as evidenced by the fact that only 58 percent of the total eligible voters participated in the 2012 general election, according to the Huffington Post. Young voters, specifically those between the ages of 18 and 29, repeatedly have the lowest turnout of any age group. With the absurd number of candidates included in this year’s election, it can be hard for anyone, let alone an overworked and underrested college student, to keep up. Throw in some terribly underqualified politicians (I’m looking at you, Donald Trump) and it becomes even harder for young voters to take the election seriously. I get it — it’s much easier and arguably more fun to watch the Super Bowl with friends than it is to watch the political debates. But with the Iowa caucuses behind us, the election is finally starting to take shape. Now is the time to pay attention because the next few months will be crucial in determining which candidate is able to garner the most support, and as a result, win the presidential nomination of their respective political party. I know we’re all busy students struggling to just make it through the week. Still, if I learned anything during Super Bowl Sunday, it’s that we all find a way to make time for the things we believe matter. I think we can all agree that the upcoming election is worthy of at least some of our hard-to-come-by free time. — Elise Schoening Features Editor
Editorial Content Unsigned editorial opinions are those of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing, News, Features, Arts & Entertainment, Opinions, Photo and Sports editors and the Business Manager, unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed in signed editorials and letters to the editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Signal.
AP Photo
While many students tune in for the Super Bowl, fewer turn to the TV to educate themselves about the recent Republican and Democratic debates.
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“I really like the students here. I find them polite, intelligent... I think the TCNJ students are terrific.” — Lisa Roe, part-time librarian
“I liked the idea of creating access to study abroad. I want people to feel that they have the chance to do this whether or not they have a lot of money.”
— Jon Stauff, senior international officer and director of the Center for Global Engagement
“I was lucky as a coach to have talented athletes who believed in my message and in each other. I still feel my biggest accomplishment is getting my athletes to love the sport to where they continued to run after they graduated.”
— Michael Walker, cross-country and track and field coach
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 9
Opinions
Trump is an aggressive, attention-seeking candidate
AP Photo
Trump gains attention by making controversial remarks. By Jake Mulick Donald J. Trump appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer about a month before the Iowa caucuses for a half-hour long, exclusive interview. In this interview, Blitzer questioned Trump on his personal relationship with some of the other potential Republican candidates. Trump answered, somewhat disgruntled, “Some of us are also friends, but you won’t report on that stuff. The conflict is more
fun.” I actually had to stop and rewind the YouTube video I was using to replay the interview since I was so astounded by his statement. Trump is the master of conflict. He has successfully bamboozled many in the American public into thinking that he is a viable option for the most powerful position in the country: the presidency of the United States. Trump does so by making series of incredibly aggressive and controversial statements, mostly
blaming everybody and anybody for the current state of the country. His brashness and disregard for social norms, as well as general politeness, is what makes him such a fascinating character. Trump will do or say anything bizarre or absurd frequently enough so that he remains a relevant topic in the media. This is why many Americans have fallen in love with him. I don’t think people actually like the things that come out of Trump’s mouth. If you really listen to the absurd comments, ranging from the idea of forcing the Mexican government to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to the banning of all Muslims from entering the United States, you’d realize that very few of them make actual logical sense. The allure of these brash, somewhat-absurd ideologies is that it sounds like Trump has quick solutions to every problem America faces. It doesn’t matter that the concept of excluding every single member of a certain religion is absolutely unconstitutional. To some Americans, it sounds like an easy solution to prevent future terror plots on U.S. soil. We have entered the era similar to that of
fast-food: While a fast-fix policy might prove to be quicker and easier, it is, in fact, unhealthy and fundamentally flawed. Trump uses his lack of political experience as a positive aspect of his résumé, and he does so to completely scapegoat every politician in the country for everything he finds upsetting or flawed about the United States. The very fact that Trump has never held a political office should, in the minds of the American people, immediately disqualify him from running for president. Instead, he answers that criticism with a couple of brash, poorly thoughtout remarks. He believes that his ability to bully members of the private sector into making deals with him affords him the power to accomplish everything that needs to be done in Washington, D.C. He does not shy away from the idea of bullying others or imposing his will on them at all. Often times in his rhetoric, we see Trump calling his opponents “whack jobs” or “jerks,” feeding into the fire that makes him so popular. In an era of political correctness, Trump represents
everything that is not politically correct, and many Americans are upset with how they are being treated when their fellow Americans are willing to hail Trump as their bizarro savior. Trump is the quick fix to a lengthy and complicated problem. While he might offer a convenient solution to every problem facing America, while being masked with an antiestablishment and anti-political correctness gleam, his political agenda is far from perfect. The gilded solutions from this man will never end and he is lucky that he has no political track record to contradict him. He is a political Kardashian, remaining prevalent in the tabloids and the front page of the papers while offering very few tangible redeeming qualities. While Ted Cruz was incredibly lucky to win the Iowa caucuses by a small margin, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the nation feels about sensationalist politics. At the end of the day, I think those who read the history of this election will be surprised at how close Trump would get to telling President Obama, “You’re fired!”
Freshmen should be allowed to park on campus By Tom Ballard Opinions Editor Freshmen are stranded here at the College. The sad truth is that the vast majority of residential freshman students, like myself, are barred from being allowed to park a car on campus. This not only causes an entire quarter of the student body to be independently immobile, but also keeps freshman students from connecting with the surrounding nonCollege community. As a person, I wanted to go away to college in order to get a new experience. I wanted to be challenged academically with college-level courses and I wanted to grow as a more independent person while being away from Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, the College’s policy keeping freshman students from being allowed to have a car on campus keeps me away from gaining some of that independence. I am confined to the College’s campus, and while it is an absolutely lovely campus, my lack of having my car on campus keeps me from visiting local community attractions or going to stores to pick up needed supplies and groceries. As a result, I end up ordering any needed items on my Amazon Prime account and waiting for the two days delivery to avoid the arguably costly items in the College’s bookstore or the C-Store. Furthermore, the lack of freshmen
having cars exile us from the surrounding Ewing community. Most freshmen, who are not originally from the Ewing area, stay on campus simply because it becomes too difficult to haggle an upperclassman to continue giving rides and because of the irregular schedule of the Loop Bus, which aims to help students get away from campus. By not truly being able to see the surrounding community, freshman students are left to feel ignorant about the area in which they live, keeping them from cementing bonds with their community. A Signal article from Feb. 11, 2011, shows the struggle that members of the Ewing community have when College students move into houses in the suburban community surrounding the College. Perhaps by allowing freshman students to have cars on campus, it might allow them to become better connected with the Ewing community, enhancing the ties that College students have with the community. Some may make the argument that a lack of parking and a fear that freshman students might always leave the campus without becoming better connected with the College community are good reasons to prevent freshman students from being allowed to park cars on campus. I would make the argument, however, that neither concern should keep the College from expanding parking rights to freshman students. The College can always expand parking space. By increasing the space for
Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor
Lot 5 begins to fill with cars as classes start at the College. parking to grant freshmen the ability to park on campus, the College will surely make back any cost in construction by collecting the additional semesterly parking permit fees. Moreover, students who came to the College in order to have the “college experience” would still be on campus enough in order to be engaged members of the student body and the College should not be afraid of first-year students constantly going home in order to avoid the transition in becoming a college student. Freshman students at the College should be afforded the opportunity to
have a car on campus if they so choose. The small number of weekly parking permits for which the College is willing to allow students to pay is not enough to have us be engaged with the surrounding community, nor does it allow us to have the means the pick up supplies from local stores when we as residential students need to pick up supplies in order to survive the harmonic chaos that is college life. It is time that the College considers allowing residential freshmen the chance to take back their freedom and learn to become independent adults while away at college.
Policies The Signal is published weekly during the academic year and is financed by the Student Activities Fee (SAF) and advertising revenue. Any student may submit articles to The Signal. Publication of submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors. The letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed. All letters should be sent via e-mail to signal@tcnj.edu. Handwritten letters should be sent to The Signal, c/o The Brower Student Center, The College of New Jersey, PO Box 7718 Ewing, N.J. 08628 or placed in our mailbox in the Student Life Office. Letters must be received by the Friday before publication and should not exceed 300 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be honored only if there is a legitimate reason. All materials submitted become the sole property of The Signal. The editors reserve the right to edit or withhold all articles, letters & photographs. The Signal willingly corrects factual mistakes. If you think we have made an error, please contact The Signal at (609) 771-2424, write to the address listed above or e-mail us at signal@tcnj.edu.
page 10 The Signal February 10, 2016
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 11
Students share opinions around campus Let freshmen have cars? Is Donald Trump aggressive?
“I say he’s aggressive... (but) not in a good way.”
“Yeah... I think that sometimes students need to get off campus and its hard to rely on the Loop Bus.”
Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor
Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor
Katrina Calderon, senior health and exercise science major.
Brian Sutera, junior marketing major.
“Yeah definitely... some people have part-time jobs they have to get to.”
“Yeah... I think he’s actually a useless presidential candidate as well.”
Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor
Dan Tran, junior psychology major.
Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor
Gayle Mayani, freshman international studies and marketing double major.
The Signal asks... Did you watch the Super Bowl?
Rob Birnbohm / Cartoonist
The Super Bowl attracts a wide range of viewers, from diehard football fans to commercial connoisseurs.
Gayle: “Yes I did... I watched it for the food.” Brian: “(I did watch it) less for the game and more for the commercials, since I’m a marketing major.” Katrina: “Yes... because a lot of my friends were watching it.” Dan: “I did not... I was actually working that night.”
page 12 The Signal February 10, 2016
North Jersey casinos will harm the state By Tom Ballard Opinions Editor
Let’s face it: the Garden State has a gambling problem. Last month, the New Jersey Senate Budget Committee approved a proposal by a 9-2 vote that will lead to a referendum question being placed on the ballot in November’s general election, allowing New Jersey state citizens to determine whether or not to change the state constitution and expand the construction of casinos to the northern part of the state. While a powerhouse of elite Trenton politicians has come out in support of the expansion, the referendum, if passed, would be a disaster for the state and for Atlantic City in particular. In 1976, New Jersey voters did two things: they gave Gerald Ford the state’s 17 electoral votes for president and passed a referendum permitting gambling in Atlantic City, according to an article from the Red Bank Register from Nov. 3, 1976. The state then amended Article III, Section VII, of its constitution to read, “it shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize by law the establishment and operation… of gambling houses or casinos within the boundaries, as heretofore established, of the city of Atlantic City.” In 1978, the Resorts International Hotel and Casino became the first casino to open its doors, according to a New York Daily News article from May 27, 1978. According to the same article, when the president of Resorts International saw the number of people waiting in line to gamble he turned to the chairman of the board and whispered, “we’re winners.” Forty years later, there aren’t a lot of winners left in Atlantic City. According to an nj.com article from June 3, 2015, four of the city’s 12 casinos closed down in 2014, taking 8,000 jobs with them. The city currently finds itself struggling with state politicians such as Gov. Chris Christie and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, both of whom support the expansion of casinos in North Jersey. According to another nj.com article from Wednesday, Jan. 20, Christie rejected a trio of rescue bills which would have given aid to the crumbling gambling mecca. Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian is pushing for the city to declare bankruptcy, but the move seems impossible
considering that the state would have to approve of the city filing bankruptcy. Instead, Sweeney has, according to an nj.com article from Monday, Jan. 11, pushed for a state take-over of the city, which would give the state control over most of the city’s finances. Despite the current drama going on in the once crowned-jewel of East Coast gambling, many lawmakers in Trenton who are just a stone’s throw away from the College continue to endorse the reckless and irresponsible idea of opening up casinos in North Jersey. The truth is that it is no longer 1978. Casino gambling is no longer a specialty of the Garden State. With casinos in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, New Jersey is surrounded by states that attract tourists, and even Jersey residents, to their casinos. Sweeney has argued that building casinos in the northern part of the state will keep people in-state. “The people that won’t drive two-and-a-half hours to Atlantic City, and more, will drive to a casino in northern New Jersey,” Sweeney said in an nj.com article from Dec. 17, 2015. The Senate president went on to say, “if you gamble in the Meadowlands, you earn comps that you can use in Atlantic City… it creates that linkage.” But the point Sweeney seems to miss is that North Jersey residents are already patroning casinos in Yonkers, N.Y., or casinos in northern Pennsylvania, and if casinos are built in the northern part of the state, they will be entering into an already competitive and risky market. Furthermore, three years ago, Christie signed into law legislation that allowed online gambling, making it no longer necessary to go to a casino in order to gamble, according to the New York Times. Now, state residents, or anybody who happens to be in the state, for that matter, have no need to support the communities that surround the casinos. Moreover, if the two planned casinos in North Jersey are approved and the state’s constitution gets amended, it will only take away more traffic, profits and jobs from Atlantic City, a place that can not afford to lose any of the three. According to an nj.com article from Wednesday, Jan. 13. Moody’s Investor Services, a bond credit rating business that determines the stability of investments, released a report that echoed concern for expanding casinos in the
AP Photo
Casinos in North Jersey will threaten Atlantic City.
northern part of the state. “In our view, the additional competition will likely cause more casinos to close, which would be credit negative for Atlantic City,” the report read, adding that the idea of expanding casinos to North Jersey arrives at a time when there are eight new casinos expected to open in the northeast by 2018, including in Philadelphia, according to the same nj.com article. It is time for state lawmakers to stop throwing the financial soundness of the state away on a gamble. We are in no place to bet on red when the state is already in the red. If this referendum passes, it will only increase congestion in an already competitive casino marketplace while we turn our backs to Atlantic City and the surrounding communities in the southern part of the state. Forty years ago, Trenton politicians promised that casinos would help make the economy of the state stronger, and 40 years later, Atlantic City serves as the ultimate testimony to how wrong they were. Despite this, Trenton politicians continue to push for more and more gambling outlets in the state. If and when the referendum to approve expanding casinos to North Jersey appears on the ballot, we should be careful not to repeat history, we should be careful not to continue to inflict damage to Atlantic City and we should vote “no.”
SUMMER AND WINTER SESSIONS
AT TCNJ
SESSION 1: MAY 23–JUNE 10, 2016 SESSION 2: JUNE 13–JULY 14, 2016 SESSION 3: JULY 18–AUGUST 18, 2016 Travel, blended, and online courses may begin sooner.
summer@tcnj.edu http://www.tcnj.edu/intersession
Check for winter courses, too. On campus, blended, online, and travel.
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 13
Features
Bike / Senior plans cross-country biking trip
AP Photo
Felsenstein will participate in the ‘Bike & Build’ program.
continued from page 1
organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together. Approximately 60 of the 80 days on the trip will be spent on the road, while the other 20 days will be spent with power tools and hardhats. Besides getting quite the hamstring workout in as she peddles from destination to destination, Felsenstein’s real desire to embark on this journey comes from her Jewish roots. Felsenstein was taught in Hebrew school that we all have an obligation to help
others. “Tikkun Olam,” meaning “Repair the World,” is one of her favorite concepts in Judaism and she hopes to do just this, along with lending a helping hand. Felsenstein also explains that her passion to help others has inspired her to become a teacher. A typical day for the “Bike & Build” riders will begin with a carb-rich breakfast. They will then pack up the storage van and trailer before sunrise and reunite with it later for a lunch break after cycling through half a day’s journey. The group will travel roughly 70 miles each day of the trip.
After lunch, they will continue the rest of the day’s journey until they arrive at the house of their host (granted they have a host that night) and give a “Bike & Build” presentation. The “Bike & Build” team will also offer a bike safety talk to the local kids. Not all days will be the same, though. According to Felsenstein, “there’s also a rule that if it’s over 90 degrees or over 90 miles, we eat two lunches and have two stops.” In preparation for “Bike & Build,” there is a 500-mile training requirement. One of these preparatory bike rides is 65 miles long, and another required obstacle is a group ride in the rain. In addition, all riders must fundraise $4,500 each before they embark on this cross-country journey. Besides her required training, Felsenstein has been hitting the gym daily to get in better shape. She is working to increase her stamina through fencing practices offered by the club sport on campus, of which she serves as president. In addition, Felsenstein plans to start biking outside daily as the weather warms, beginning with 15 miles per day and working her way up from there. She also wants to join a local cycle
group for training support and gear advice. Felsenstein is one of four leaders on this 80-day journey and is in charge of setting up sleeping accommodations for the group. Some nights, the bikers may find themselves roughing it on the floor of high school gyms, synagogues or Jewish Community Centers — but hardly ever a real bed. For the nights where shelter is unattainable, the riders will each have a ThermaRest inflatable mattress and will camp outside, Felsenstein said. Other duties Felsenstein is in charge of include organizing 20 days of the trip and food donations, educating riders on the affordable housing curriculum and planning the end-of-trip party. She and the other three leaders must also be CPR and First Aid certified, Felsenstein said, in case anyone gets injured on the road. Thinking ahead to this summer, Felsenstein has already taken into consideration some of the factors that may become hazardous during the team’s travels, including keeping a lookout for cars, potholes, lane positioning and weather conditions. She also plans to learn the hand and voice signals
used by experienced bikers. Felsenstein said that she is most nervous for her team’s trek through the uphill battle that will be the Rocky Mountains during their time in Colorado. Another potential concern is the wind, which can offset their balance and lane positioning, according to Felsenstein. Despite being on the road for a majority of the day, the riders plan to recharge their phones every night in order to stay connected with friends and family. Felsenstein is excited to take lots of pictures along the way and will be keeping her own blog to track her journey. Her “Bike & Build” team will also be posting photos and journal entries on the website bikeandbuild.org. As May nears, Felsenstein said that she is most excited to meet new people from the communities they will travel through and bond with her riding team during the trip. “I want to be engaged with the people we see, hear their stories and have conversations about the effects of the affordable housing cause and what we can do to make a difference,” Felsenstein said.
Hungry Hungry Hippos game brought to life
Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant
Left: Students face off in a game of Human Hungry Hippos. Right: The game is one of many late-night activities put on in the Recreation Center. By Thomas Infante Correspondent The Recreation Center was home to one of the most unconventional pastimes on the evening of Friday, Feb. 5. In a place where students would normally gather to play tennis or basketball stood three teams of students with scooter boards and buckets in their hands. They all faced the center of the court, where a multitude of colorful balls lay on the floor — but not for long. The name of the game was “Human Hungry Hippos.” A real-life reimagining of the Hungry Hungry Hippos board game, the rules of “Human Hungry Hippos” are simple. Each team must have at least two members: one to lie on the scooter face-down and another to guide the scooter towards the middle of the court. The player on the scooter is responsible for trapping as many balls as possible with the bucket without using any hands. The other player must then guide his teammate back to their
goal, where the balls are accumulated. The event was truly a sight to behold. At first, some of the players seemed off-put by the sheer absurdity of the game. Once the scooters began to pick up speed, however, the only concern of the giggling players was how quickly they could win. “It’s all about teamwork. You definitely need to have a lot of energy,” sophomore early childhood education and psychology double major Katie Burns said. As with all of the players present that day, this was Burns’s first time playing the game. “It’s fun and I hope we get to do it again next year.” Although the game might seem silly to a bystander, it is naïve to assume that a game so whimsical would also be easy. “It feels a little like you’re flying. It seems like you’re going much faster than you would think,” senior psychology major Andrew Edelblum said. Edelblum, standing easily over six feet tall, said that he felt “a little cramped” on the
scooter that most people haven’t utilized since elementary school. “The lack of control and the awkward positioning just adds to the challenge,” he said. “I wish I could have played this in elementary school. It’s a great idea.” All the players seemed to agree that both the most difficult and fun role on the team is to be the player tasked with riding the scooter. “It’s really hard to steer,” said Emma Wiley, a freshman secondary education and Spanish dual major who wore a GoPro camera while sliding and spinning around the floor. “It’s a surprisingly intense workout. You have to keep your legs up so they don’t drag on the floor and slow you down.” Wiley also emphasized the importance of teamwork as a key strategy for the game. “It’s hard to tell where you’re going. You’re very reliant on your teammate,” Wiley said. Overseeing the event was Lisette Stanzione, the late-night activities coordinator for the College.
“Hippos don’t have hands!” she yelled at a player frantically attempting to stuff balls into his bucket before the game ended. Stanzione and her team of assisting students kept time and helped players learn the rules of the game. “We host activities like this four days a week,” Stanzione said. “Events range from life-sized board games like this to more traditional sports.” Stanzione’s goal is for everyone participating to get involved and have fun doing so. Based on the laughter and smiles from the players present that night, it appears she is succeeding. “We try to create events that everyone will enjoy and want to participate in,” Stanzione said. “We always welcome co-sponsorships from anyone who is interested.” While attendance to past events has ranged from 10 to over 100 people, one thing is for sure — no matter how many or how few people come to participate, everyone involved will find themselves inevitably smiling.
page 14 The Signal February 10, 2016
: Oct. ‘01
Construction plans set
Campus Style By Jordan Koziol Columnist Name: Abrar Ebady Year: Junior Major: Psychology JK: Describe your style in three words. EA: A little vintage, chic and modest.
Elise Schoening / Features Editor
The College’s $250 million construction plan dates back to 2001.
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories. It is almost impossible to walk to class without passing at least one construction site. As soon as one building is finished, it seems another is torn down or slated for renovations. Currently, the new STEM building is under construction and renovations for the Brower Student Center are well under way, although both projects will not be finished until at least 2017. These improvements are just the latest part of the College’s construction plans. In fact, a 10-year plan was revealed back in 2001 for multiple renovations throughout the campus, including repair work to the library and residence halls. The sights and sounds of construction are likely to remain on the College campus for at least the next 10 years. College administrators displayed and explained a massive facilities master plan at two public meetings held late last week. The $250 million plan, which can be carried out between 2002 and 2011, was approved by the board of trustees in June and is a “very aggressive program,” according to administration and finance. Funding for the ongoing construction will come from tuition increases over the next 30 years, among other sources. Some of the main components of the plan include the construction of three new student apartment buildings, a new library and several additional academic buildings that will replace existing structures. Most
of the existing residence halls would be renovated and several recreational facilities are also being considered, according to Mills. Rising enrollment and the need for additional upper-class housing options have led to the proposed addition of three apartment buildings in what are now student parking lots 6 through 8. Each building would be three stories high and would include a square courtyard area in the center, Mills said. Once the apartments have been completed, existing residence halls will be renovated one at a time. First, the Travers and Wolfe towers will be updated with the addition of new elevators, windows and rooms with an extra 120 beds to each building. Mills said this would be accomplished by taking one tower out of service at a time and relocating some of the freshman class to Cromwell and Decker residence halls. Following the completion of the towers, Cromwell and Decker will be renovated and made into single-occupation rooms to make them more competitive with other desirable housing choices on campus, Mills said. Centennial Hall will be demolished, but the College will retain its transfer houses and country club apartments in Ewing Township for the foreseeable future, Mills said. The master plan also calls for the addition and renovation of several academic buildings over the next 10 years.
Celebritease
JK: What was the last person, place or thing that inspired a fashion choice of yours? EA: In Abu Dhabi and Mecca, the women wear abayas (long black dresses) and they are super modest, yet at the same time, there are so many elegant styles. Dolce & Gabbana actually just launched a new abaya and hijab collection. In America, it’s typical to just wear pants and a shirt, and modesty is particular to each person’s style, but overall, our society does not particularly endorse that style and it can be challenging to dress modestly and fashionably at the same time. I’m inspired by the way Middle Eastern women have preserved and maintained their culture with elegance and beauty. JK: In Dubai, what was the most unique style that you saw? EA: The Dubai Mall is like a fashion show! I was dressed pretty casually, but everyone else was in Hermes slippers and ornate, over-the-top outfits. I thought I was at a runway show because everyone was so dressed up! Many of the women wore fabulous abayas with special designs or other modern and chic styles. Muslim women are able to still look fabulous while following religious beliefs. That’s one of my favorite things about Middle Eastern and Muslim American fashionistas. JK: What is your favorite outfit currently? EA: I’ve been wearing boyfriend jeans — they’re loose, but not torn… OK, so maybe they’re mom-boyfriend jeans! I love them because I can throw anything over them and it doesn’t violate my religious beliefs. I also like to fold them and wear them with booties. JK: What is your go-to campus outfit?
AP Photo
After Left Shark went viral following the 2015 Super Bowl halftime performance, the world was anxiously awaiting what would steal our hearts during this year’s Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, Feb. 7. The game itself between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina
EA: Usually I’ll wear jeans I can fold up and dress them up with a cute sweater, cardigan or vest. For a Muslim girl, you can easily dress up your entire outfit by how you style your scarf. JK: What are some different ways to style scarves? EA: You can tie it into a bow, you can wrap it around in the typical scarf style, style it into a turban (which is pretty popular nowadays!) or you can tie it to the side and wear it loose. I like to wear mine in a bow. JK: What would you want to wear on the red carpet? EA: Oh my! If I were getting an Oscar, I would probably want to wear Zuhair Murad or Elie Saab (his dresses are only $20,000 — no big deal). I would totally dress it up with a cute silk scarf and Manolo Blahnik pumps. Finally, what outfit is complete without diamonds? I would sprinkle on some Harry Winston diamonds to complete my look! JK: If you could dress for any style decade, which would it be and why? EA: Totally the ’80s… and it’s definitely coming back in! Everything was simple yet cute and people had a great sense of style. I love the loose, high-top pants, belts and jean jackets.
: Bey steals the show
Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Béyoncé perform at halftime during the 50th Super Bowl. By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Columnist
Photo courtesy of Jordan Koziol
Ebady shows off Muslim fashion.
Panthers was actually pretty boring, leaving more fans interested in the famous commercials. Companies went straight for the weird factor this year, clearly looking for a viral sensation. Doritos attempted to claim that their chips are good enough to drive anyone mad, including fetuses. The strange yet funny commercial involved an ultrasound and was memorable to say
the least. The outdoor clothing and sporting goods company, Marmot, wanted fans to fall in love with nature, demonstrated by a man actually falling in love with a marmot. Although the commercial cuts off before the unconventional couple kisses, an unedited version was released online where they do, in fact, fall in love.
Mountain Dew scraped up $5 million to release its first Super Bowl commercial in over 15 years. The commercial featured a “puppy monkey baby,” which consisted of a baby’s legs, the torso and tail of a monkey and a puppy’s face. Within seconds, the commercial was trending and parody Twitter accounts were made in the same viral fashion as Left Shark of last year. Although the ad was stranger than it was funny, Mountain Dew certainly found the success for which they were looking. My favorite funny commercial was Avocados from Mexico’s take on an alien’s museum about humans that made fun of airplanes and the Rubik’s Cube while poking fun at the phenomenon of avocados. Car commercials are always a staple, but it was Jeep that made marks this year as the long, inspirational commercial about getting out there and exploring, when in years past, that title usually went to Chevrolet or Ford. Mini Cooper’s commercial about defying
labels featured a slew of celebrities, including Abby Wambach and Serena Williams, that has me saving my pennies to afford the car someday. Although Coldplay was advertised as the headliner for the halftime show, it seems that previous halftime performers Béyoncé and Bruno Mars were the stars of the show. Even during Chris Martin’s piano solo, he was cut from camera for a tribute to the past halftime performers in honor of the 50th Super Bowl. Ending the performance was a stadium-wide spectacle that spelled out “Believe in Love” and resembled the end of Michael Jackson’s 1993 show. Beyonce also paid tribute to Jackson and then stole the Super Bowl by announcing her Formation World Tour. Sorry, Chris Martin, the Broncos and puppy monkey baby — Béyoncé swept the game. Now if only I had put down a better bet on the final game score, I could actually afford a ticket to the Formation World Tour.
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 15
Jam / College raises over $60,000 for cancer Students fundraise at 12-hour dance marathon
Left: Students unite for a day of fundraising and dancing. Right: Local cancer survivor takes the stage to sing for the audience. continued from page 1
and family’s motto — to always “be positive.” It was also his blood type, according to Joe. The foundation is focused on “kids helping kids fight cancer” through dance marathons, 5K races and more, according to the B+ website. “Last year, we helped 1,725 families of kids with cancer nationwide and the only way we’re able to do it is because of very kind and generous students like those here at TCNJ who do this event and raise money,” McDonough said. Throughout the day, attendees played
volleyball, ping-pong, cornhole tosses, dance battles, basketball and much more, all while sporting TCNJam Tshirts provided by Spencer Savings Bank. Some students were even paired with “heroes” — children who have beaten cancer — during the day and led them around the venue. “(The heroes) forget about their cancer for a little while and you guys here, the students, put these kids up on a pedestal and they make them feel really, really special,” McDonough said. “It gives students here perspective. You’re going to get a test grade next week that maybe
doesn’t go your way or a relationship issue, but when you look around here and you say, ‘Hey, last Saturday, I was here with kids fighting cancer,’ it kind of puts perspective on your life.” As the evening grew, the lights went out and students put on glow-in-thedark bracelets, necklaces and eye glasses so that they could continue dancing until midnight. “The students here really embrace it, they really get it… They could be doing a whole lot of other things today, but they’re not just standing out here. They’re out here enjoying themselves,”
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
McDonough said. “I see them with the kids with cancer. They’re there just like big brothers and big sisters just showing so much love. The kids here really, really get it.” With an overwhelming show of support present that day, McDonough stressed the importance of holding events such as TCNJam at the College and explained how much it all means to him personally. “My son should be 23 years old right now. I hope he’s proud,” McDonough said. “I hope he feels... that we are honoring his memory and his legacy.”
Endless date opportunities for Valentine’s Day
By Jillian Festa Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. Heart-shaped items tend to surface the minute Christmas is over, if not before. Romancethemed recipes, videos and articles bombard social media for weeks leading up to the big holiday. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, students of the College will have extra time to celebrate the holiday with friends and loved ones. The College’s close proximity to Princeton, Philadelphia and New York makes it easy for students to take a day trip and explore the lively attractions and venues in the city. There are also a number of local restaurants and on-campus events for those not looking to travel far this weekend. Whether or not you have a significant other this Valentine’s Day, make sure to carve out some time for yourself this weekend away from the books and studying. It seems several students are already planning to spend the day in New York City. Junior Amanda Gagliano and senior Nick Bobryk, both interactive multimedia majors, will be sampling the highly coveted and elaborately decorated milkshakes served at Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer in SoHo. The pair then plans to explore Bobryk’s internship office and surrounding sites in the city. Senior interactive multimedia major Emma Dwight will also be in the city next weekend
A number of students plan to spend the day exploring one of the nearby cities.
— she and her boyfriend plan to grab dinner and see “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” or a Broadway show. If you are unable to make it to the city on V-Day, there are a number of equally-lively options closer to campus. Dwight, who met her boyfriend while working as a park ranger, shared some of her favorite local happy-hour venues for students of legal drinking age. Her top recommendation is Bahama Breeze at the MarketFair Mall in Princeton, N.J. “They have a late-night happy hour on Sundays,” Dwight said. “(And) appetizers are half-off after 9 p.m.” Anyone looking to celebrate earlier in the day can head over to one of the cafes or diners in the local area. Café 72 in Ewing, N.J., is
a fan-favorite that serves breakfast and lunch until 2:30 p.m. Whether you are with friends, a significant other or by yourself, nothing says love quite like cannoli stuffed french toast with Nutella drizzle. Other local highlights include the Mizuki Asian Bistro, which offers a range of Japanese and Chinese dishes. Mikonos Restaurant, which serves traditional Greek cuisine, and Marsilios Kitchen, which features a sophisticated Italian menu, are two other great dining options for Valentine’s Day. Senior special education and iSTEM double major Emily Whipple will be partaking in a day-long celebration with her girlfriend. “We’ll be having brunch, getting a couples massage, then going to dinner with my girlfriend’s
AP Photo
aunt,” Whipple said. Whipple is also vice president of the College’s Harry Potter club, which will be hosting a Valentine’s Day-themed dance on Tuesday, Feb. 16, in room 109 of the Education Building at 8:30 p.m. Another on-campus opportunity that students can take advantage of is the Humanitarian Engineering’s annual flower sale. Roses can be purchased in the entryway of Eickhoff Hall from Friday, Feb. 12, through Sunday, Feb. 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. If you’re looking to give that special someone something sweeter, the College’s chapter of She’s the First will be selling and hand-delivering cupcake grams for just one dollar. The cupcakes can be purchased in
the Brower Student Center during meal equivalency hours from Tuesday, Feb. 9, through Friday, Feb. 12. All of the money raised during this time will be used to sponsor girls’ education in lowincome countries, so don’t be afraid to treat yourself or a loved one to a guilt-free cupcake this Valentine’s Day! It’s clear that not all Valentine’s Day plans include an upscale city trip or sit-down meal. Senior interactive multimedia major Glenn Nuñez said that he will be stocking up on red velvet cookies from ShopRite this year and plans to spend the day relaxing inside. Freshman computer science and interactive multimedia double major Tori Swartz also has alternative plans for the holiday. “My boyfriend’s in the Army and won’t be around on Valentine’s Day,” Swartz said. “Instead, I’ll be going to a concert with my roommate — we’ll be each other’s dates for the day!” There are plenty of other lowcost, low-hassle ways to celebrate the holiday. You could buy some LED candles, put on a record or Spotify playlist and cook dinner with a friend or significant other. Ordering take-out food and streaming a favorite Netflix TV show or film is another surefire way to spend the holiday. No matter what you decide to do this Valentine’s Day, be sure to make the most of the weekend doing what you enjoy most, surrounded by friends and loved ones. Happy Valentine’s Day to all in the College community!
page 16 The Signal February 10, 2016
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 17
Arts & Entertainment
ROZES’s talent transcends ‘Roses’ track
Singer showcases her versatility between genres By Sean Reis Production Manager
As the top track on the Billboard dance/electronic chart with over 100 million total plays across major streaming platforms, most students likely heard “Roses” by The Chainsmokers over winter break. However, most students may not have heard other music from the song’s featured artist, ROZES, before she visited the College on Tuesday, Feb. 2, when the talented, young artist performed in the Brower Student Center food court. The CUB Alt event opened with an acoustic set by Modern Chemistry, an alternative rock band from New Brunswick, N.J., before ROZES brought energy to the stage with an enthusiastic drummer by her side. Performing “In & Out” to start her set, she showcased her talent as an individual artist and immediately had the crowd in love with her unique voice. As ROZES graced the stage, the crowd had no idea what to expect, which is exactly what she predicted in an interview with The Signal. “(The show) is gonna come from left
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
ROZES impresses students with her expansive vocal range. field… it kind of goes a little hip-hop, so it’s gonna be fun,” she said. The Philadelphia-born artist included tracks from her soon-to-be released “Burn Wild” EP, which she described as her “bridge between reggae, electronic and hip-hop.” The hip-hop that she performed felt emotional with distorted and raw bass, while the electronic elements helped
hype up the crowd. This was countered by relaxing reggae that was intermingled throughout the show’s flow. Although the solo show ROZES brought to the College definitely demonstrated her versatility between genres, she did not ignore her claim to fame with two of her best friends, Drew Taggart and Alex Pall, better known together as
New York’s favorite disc jockey duo, The Chainsmokers. “Working with The Chainsmokers, I didn’t really know what to expect going into it,” she told The Signal. “They were just two dudes. We were in Drew’s apartment and it was just a hangout basically. Like, we had Chinese food!” When ROZES performed their collaboration toward the end of the set, most students left their seats and gathered in front of the stage to dance, sing and take selfies. The occurrence, which is rarely seen at the smaller concerts in the Brower Student Center, was the perfect way to close the show before she said goodbye to the College with the song “R U Mine.” The “Burn Wild” EP will be out on Valentine’s Day “for all of the single ladies,” ROZES said. After “Burn Wild,” stay alert for more music because ROZES is not only working with Sebastian Ingrosso from Swedish House Mafia, but she also dreams to work with Diplo and Skrillex one day, as well as with the music industry’s top producers. ROZES has high aspirations for her age and is ready to be the star she has the talent to be in the new year.
Professor shares hidden gems of the Renaissance
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Cahn-Lipman features various rare instruments. By Alyssa Gautieri Staff Writer
Contemporary music performer and adjunct professor at the College Kivie CahnLipman closed his eyes as his fingers moved rhythmically across the strings of his rare gamba, his body rocking to the tone of the music. The gamba, similar to the violin, was popular in the 18th century. CahnLipman performed, focused and precise, as students filled Mayo Concert Hall on Friday, Feb. 5, to view the Brown Bag series presentation “Welcome to the Renaissance.” A different instrument called the lirone that Cahn-Lipman brought on stage was so rare that he said “there was a time that no one knew how to play it.” One British woman taught
herself. She then taught five people and those five people taught five more. “And that is everyone that knows how to play,” Cahn-Lipman said jokingly. Popular from 1550 to 1650, this instrument is now nearly unheard of. Cahn-Lipman focuses on the forgotten music of composer Giovanni Valentini. While Valentini once had a very important career in the 16th century, “it is almost entirely forgot(ten) about,” Cahn-Lipman said. While a lot of Valentini’s music has sat in manuscripts for centuries, it is finally starting to become digitized. “I focus on finding these forgotten gems,” he said. He said it excites him to record and perform these manuscripts for the first time in hundreds of years.
“I was always into things that were new,” Cahn-Lipman said. In college he “felt like (he) couldn’t say anything new with (popular music) that hadn’t already been said.” It was in college that his interest in forgotten contemporary music grew. Cahn-Lipman wanted to be able to say something a little different about music and it was once he began to record the music of Valentini that it felt to him like his work had real value behind it, aside from the fact that he was creating beautiful music. Cahn-Lipman and his contemporary music group, ACRONYM, recreate what music may have sounded like at the time when it was initially created, which sometimes includes recreating the instrument themselves. Instruments have evolved since the 16th and 17th centuries, but the group aims to use instruments closest to the ones composers like Valentini would have used. According to Cahn-Lipman, over the last 50 years, contemporary music has almost come full circle. That means modern contemporary music now shares more in common with 17th century music than it does with music from the 19th and 20th centuries. This serves as all the more reason for CahnLipman’s revival of 17th century music. Contemporary music audiences appeal to “pretty much anyone,” according to CahnLipman. There are two entirely different set of audiences —
one that comes to see contemporary music performed at concert halls and one that comes to see it at bars and clubs. According to Cahn-Lipman, at clubs, a lot of young people will be in attendance that don’t necessarily have any musical education or experience. On the contrast, at concert halls, CahnLipman performs for an older, wealthier crowd with a higher academic background. As a new faculty member at the College, Cahn-Lipman’s students were able to see him in his natural element. Sophomore music education major Zena Merhi was excited to see her cello teacher practice on the instruments she had heard so much about. “He always talks about his instruments during my lessons and seeing them and seeing how they work in person was really interesting,” Merhi said.
“I’m excited to see him perform on Sunday.” On Sunday, Feb. 14, there will be three groups: Les Canards, Chantants (translated as “The Singing Ducks”) and Cahn-Lipman’s group, ACRONYM. “These groups will actually come together to perform some of Valentini’s different sonatas,” the College’s Center for the Arts Community and Outreach Coordinator Brenda Sewell said. “It will be really interesting to see the performance vocally, as well as instrumentally.” Cahn-Lipman’s performance will help to kick off the series of eight other musicians the College is hosting throughout the semester, and his invitation to speak about his involvement with historic contemporary music is just a preview of what is to come on the evening of Valentine’s Day.
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
The lecture highlights forgotten contemporary music.
page 18 The Signal February 10, 2016
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 19
William Beckett performs small acoustic show
Kimberly Ilkowski / Arts & Entertainment Editor
Left: Accidental Seabirds opens the night with laidback jams. Right: Beckett takes the stage with acoustic guitar in-hand for an intimate show. By Kimberly Ilkowski Arts & Entertainment Editor They say don’t meet your heroes, but they certainly weren’t accounting for the grace and charm fans would encounter when meeting musician William Beckett. The former The Academy Is… frontman and current solo artist visited the College on Friday, Feb. 5, for an intimate acoustic performance in the Decker Social Space which gave longtime fans an opportunity for a candid and personal display from one of their favorite vocalists. Opening the show was the Asbury Park, N.J., indie folk duo Accidental Seabirds, who soared through a medley of bohemian songs on their homemade instruments. From tambourines strung with fishing wire and bottle caps to self-created drum pedals, the band brought its soulful sound to students. Musicians Jesse Herdman and Alex Letizia are no strangers to the College, having performed just last February
at the Rathskeller alongside A Great Big Pile of Leaves. Main act Beckett flew in that morning from his hometown of Chicago and left the night open to wherever it took him, having no specific plans for what would be featured in his set. He started the evening with an impassioned cover of a slow Damien Rice track before picking up the pace with his own song, “Slip Away.” The much more upbeat song set the tone for the rest of the performance, but as Beckett admitted, offered lyrics that did not match the song’s happy tone. Over the last several years, Beckett has released three EPs as well as one full-length album, “Genuine & Counterfeit,” in 2013. Off the album, Beckett played the track “Cracks In The Ceiling,” which he later revealed he performed at a wedding reception for a couple’s first dance. The couple was going through a rough patch and was about to call it quits when they happened to catch Beckett’s set one night and heard the
song, with the chorus bouncing of, “Cause I can’t let you go, can’t watch you drift away. No matter what it takes, I’ll bring you back to shore.” It was only fitting then, after they decided to stay together, to invite Beckett to play the song that helped them rekindle their flame. Beckett’s fanbase is certainly a special one, with many having followed him throughout his various musical projects. With a band as earnest and relatable in its teen angst as The Academy Is…, it comes as no surprise that, in a way, fans felt like they grew up with the band. Beckett shares in that sentiment. “I’ve noticed a lot of old, familiar faces at my solo shows over the years that I remember were in the front row when we were playing Starland (Ballroom) with The Academy Is…,” Beckett told The Signal after the show. His solo music has undoubtedly welcomed a new, emerging group of listeners, but it holds true that as listeners grew up
with The Academy Is… the guys in the band grew with them as well. After seeing success with his band and now his solo work, Beckett says no matter how he’s performing, working with others truly helps spark his creativity. “I enjoy collaborations. A lot of times I’ll work with a friend or a producer friend that I know we (will) turn out good music together,” Beckett said. “The band truly was a collaboration. The Butcher’s (drummer Andy Mrotek) got songs that he wrote on the records and me and Mike (guitarist Carden) wrote everything else, so we were able to work well together.” It’s been three years since Beckett released new music, but he promised that will change soon. “The plan is this year,” Beckett said. “A lot of new and exciting stuff happening with my next step.” No matter what this next step in his career may hold, there are dedicated fans that will be with him the whole way through.
Student art exhibition plays with pop art
Alumnus experiments with bold color and text
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
The exhibition features bursts of bright colors. By Khadijah Yasin Correspondent
Walking through the dimly lit hallway and turning into a relatively empty space, you would think you were in the wrong place. But as you step further into the room, you begin to notice the multitude of vibrant pictures and paintings. This is the collection of art being presented as part of the Senior Art Exhibition, “In and Out of Digital Space,” at the College. Currently on display is the
art of Scott Samuels, a College alumnus who graduated this past December. During his time at the College, Samuels studied art education and is now a middle school art teacher. Eccentric pieces of Samuel’s work can be found on display, each different and flamboyant in their own way. The artwork radiates with beautiful colors and each encompass a balance of images and text. More than an entire month was dedicated to the development of the collection and the
creation of the exhibition. With over 14 exhibitions under his belt, Samuels is no rookie and had everything planned out to a tee. The room is very well done, with the pieces hanging collectively, yet each still standing out on its own. Emily Tirado, a freshman mechanical engineering major at the College, enjoyed the art display. “My favorite part is the diverse use of color and materials in the overlay of the background and the foreground,” Tirado said. “My favorite piece definitely has to be the ‘Thanks, Ebay.’ It’s so colorful (and) it’s got notes in the background. It’s like a mix between the liberal learning and the logistical thinking, which I can relate to.” An interesting aspect of each piece from Samuel’s collection, which was influenced by pop art, is that he integrates vintage art supply packaging into the creation of his pieces. He collects vintage art supplies and throughout his career, has put the packaging into his work. “It elevates (the artwork) to the level of fine art,” Samuels said. One unusual and amazing aspect of Samuels’s art is how it is actually pieced together. Samuels goes through an extensive
process, beginning with the digital space of the piece with the art and background of the vintage packaging, then he takes photos of them and processes them out and paints over them. “(It’s like) taking old imagery, putting it into the digital realm and then back into reality,” he said. Aside from some of the more obvious themes, such as using text in his work, each of Samuels’s paintings has a recurring value of sentiment. “The show is really autobiographical and personal to me,”
Samuels said. “It really sympathizes the ideas I’ve been working with for a while.” Every painting and picture has a memory and each stroke of the brush and letter of text is placed in remembrance of an instance from Samuels’s experiences. The amount of detail in each piece is admirable. Even if you cannot defer all of the sentiment and meaning behind each detail, you can be satisfied with going to see interesting pieces of artwork, now through Sunday, Feb. 28, in gallery space 119 of the Arts and Interactive Multimedia Building.
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Samuels incorporates vintage art packaging into his work.
page 20 The Signal February 10, 2016
‘Princess’ offers simplistic role play
Youtube.com
‘Fat Princess Adventures’ shies away from cake-filled gameplay. By Andrew Street Social Media Editor
The “Fat Princess” franchise has become somewhat of a hit among PlayStation gamers over the years. The original game, which launched on PlayStation 3, was jampacked with charm and addicting gameplay. The popularity of the “Fat Princess” property first paved the way for a mobile spin-off title and now “Fat Princess Adventures,” a “Diablo”-style dungeon crawler set in the cake-filled universe we’ve come to expect. Fans of the original “Fat Princess” may be in for a surprise if they expect to find more cake-filled, real-time action gameplay. Instead, “Fat Princess Adventures” is a simplistic action role playing game mixed with a watered-down dungeon crawler. Like video games “Diablo” and “Gauntlet,” players are given the option to choose different classes such as warrior, mage, archer or engineer. Each class offers different skills, attacks, weapons and armor, as well as its own downsides, such as lower health. While each class manages to offer its own
unique method of attacking enemies, I found that they weren’t varied enough to make me want to switch between them. Instead, I simply found a class that I enjoyed and stuck with it, despite being able to change classes at any checkpoint. With a class selected, players can begin to traverse the numerous levels in the world. Each new level offers slight variations over the previous, such as scenery changes, reskinned enemies, puzzle variations and different bosses. However, each one revolves around the same dungeoncrawling premise, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fighting through dungeons with your character can be a real blast at times, but later in the game, it becomes tedious to progress without a second player coming to your aid. Once that player joins, the gameplay truly begins to shine. Playing with a friend made the later levels less tedious and added a layer of teamwork to the mix. Now, as you destroy enemies and progress through each stage, you will begin to collect gold and encounter drops of loot in the form of armor and weapons. Weapons
and armor can be swapped out on the fly and each new piece offers a variation in attributes and passive abilities. However, it becomes apparent that some characters, like the mage, have much more interesting weapons. The gold that you acquire throughout the game is used to upgrade your weapons and armor at upgrade stations scattered throughout the world. While the upgrades are basic stat increases, it does offer an incentive to hoard as much gold as you can. In terms of storyline, “Fat Princess Adventures” is not a game from which you should expect a deep narrative. Unlike the layers of cake so prominently featured, you will not find layers of character development or plot depth. Instead, you’ll find a charming, and sometime irritating, story about saving princesses and ridding the world of evil. The plot is straightforward and has moments of immense charm, and even some moments of hilarity, but so much of it falls short. A decent portion of the jokes come off as immature or simply not funny. There were even times where characters began to grate on me due to their high-pitched voices and nonsensical dialogue. Visually, “Fat Princess Adventures” really shines. While it doesn’t sport the highest end, most realistic graphics, it is easily one of the most visually enjoyable games out there. The cutesy aesthetic lends itself perfectly to the cake-filled fairytale theme and provides imagery worthy of its concept. “Fat Princess Adventures” isn’t perfect. Its story and gameplay are simplistic and it becomes difficult to progress by yourself later in the game. If you plan on playing solo, this may be a title you want to wait on, but if you’re looking for a fun and relaxing game to play with friends, “Fat Princess Adventures” would be an excellent choice!
This week, Nick Landolfi, WTSR assistant music director, highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: Beacon Album: “Escapements” Hailing From: Brooklyn, N.Y. Genre: Electro R&B Label: Ghostly
The second album from the Brooklyn duo Beacon is a true marriage of electronic music and R&B. The album as a whole seeks to create a light but driven atmospheric balance. It has the ebb and flow that has become a staple of indie electronica with added R&B grooves. Beacon creates super interesting melodies and pays close attention to the frequencies the duo creates with deep pulsating bass. Each song on the album situates itself in a different realm within the same picture, synching up thematically but creating something different in each song. Listeners can definitely feel an ominous and dark vibe from Martha Kelly’s sweet but meekly obedient portrayal of Mar- that wraps itself around them. tha Brooks to the overbearing mother that Louie Anderson plays. And in case you think otherwise, that’s right: Anderson, a male Must Hear: “Backbone,” “Running Out,” actor best known for his roles in “Coming to America” and “Life “Escapements” and “L1” with Louie,” plays Chip’s female mother. What’s even more surprising is that Anderson unreservedly gives his all to the role and owns it. Think John Travolta in “Hairspray,” but funnier. Additionally, Galifianakis occasionally pulls double-duty and plays Chip’s more successful and sociable brother Dale, to hilarious results. On the other side of the coin, the show may not prompt as many belly laughs as one would probably hope for and its unpleasantness can be a bit much at times. One can only take so much of watching characters get beaten down repeatedly with the light at the end of the tunnel slowly disappearing. But then again, that’s part of the fun. A good portion of the show’s comedy doesn’t come from what Chip is saying or doing, but rather his trivial, sad and seemingly meaningless existence. Sounds dark, right? It sure is. Despite Chip’s determination, there’s really no endgame for him. The lack of a reasonable ultimate goal gives “Baskets” a Band: Gladiola great sense of aimlessness, a quality that could be used to criti- Album: “This Year’s Storm” cize nearly any other show, but fits into the established universe Hailing From: Boston, Mass. so well. Genre: Indie rock Considering how nowadays it’s hard for a new TV show to Label: Self-released find its voice among strong competition, let alone find its audience, “Baskets” is a breath of fresh air. It’s a show that, while an Boston’s Gladiola has a very unique acquired taste, revels in its peculiarities and doesn’t seem willing and interesting story. You hear so often to compromise itself in order to appeal to the masses. the tale of young 19 and 20 year olds trying to work and make their bands happen. What about 40 year olds? That’s Gladiola, grown-up dudes with jobs and kids making kick-ass indie rock. You can absolutely hear their influences on this album. R.E.M., The Replacements and Mountain Goats all share parts of Gladiola’s sound. This is a throwback to garage rock that you would hear in the 1980s and 1990s — but with a modern twist. The album is punctuated with tight melodies and instrumentation.
In ‘Baskets,’ misery loves clownery By Justin Cook Correspondent
“We can’t all be florists or dishwashers,” Zach Galifianakis said in the second episode of the new FX original comedy, “Baskets,” which also stars Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel. “Some of us have to be artists.” Galifianakis became an overnight sensation in 2009 with his role as Alan in the wildly successful comedy, “The Hangover,” as mainstream America was first exposed to the longtime cult comedian’s very strange and specific brand of humor. The film made it clear that Galifianakis wasn’t your typical comedic actor — his line delivery was completely deadpan, his body language was both unnatural and confident, and to put it bluntly, he could play one hell of a weirdo. Now, Galifianakis is on the small screen with “Baskets,” and it’s quite easy to see that the actor is playing to his strengths. “Baskets” follows Chip Baskets, a man hopelessly devoted to following his dream of becoming a widely-respected professional clown. After running out of money while studying at a clown college in Paris, Chip is forced to move back home to Bakersfield, Calif. In order to bring in a source of income to support both himself and his French wife, Penelope (who only married him so she could move to America), Chip takes a job at a local rodeo as, you guessed it, a rodeo clown. The ridiculous premise of the show alone is enough to keep some from tuning in, so it may not come as a surprise that “Baskets” isn’t for everyone. However, the show is different than anything else currently on TV, which is saying a lot considering the crowded TV landscape, and is without a doubt worth watching. “Baskets” may be uneven at times and despite its uniqueness, the main plotlines of some episodes follow a fairly predictable story structure. However, it’s also an effective portrait of a man who literally has next to nothing, yet manages to keep moving forward if it means that there’s even a slight chance of achieving greatness. Galifianakis wears the role of Chip Baskets as if it were a second skin, navigating through the character’s awkward interactions and general nastiness to others without missing a comedic beat. In fact, if “Baskets” proves one thing, it’s that even a few years after the end of the hugely lucrative “Hangover” franchise, Galifianakis still has a knack for playing eccentric, despicable and oftentimes mean characters that, at the end of the day, the audience can’t help but sympathize with and root for. A strong assortment of supporting characters joins Galifianakis,
Baskets yearns to be a professional clown.
Youtube.com
Must Hear: “We’re Never Going Back,” “First Night in The West,” “The Uninvited Guest” and “Greatest Hits”
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 21
Sports
Teams continue NJAC dominance Swimming
Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
The Lions dominate the William Paterson University Pioneers. By Jessica Ganga Sports Editor
Coming off a win last week where both teams took home New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) titles, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams came into their meet against William Paterson University Pioneers the same way they left off last week. The Lions took control of the pool, beating the William Paterson by a staggering score on Saturday, Feb. 6, in Wayne, N.J. The men’s team crushed the Pioneers, 148-83, and the women flew past their opponents, defeating them, 161-80. The men’s team got the winning-day
started by taking first place in the men’s 400-yard medley relay. Freshmen Alex Skoog and Jason Ivins, sophomore Chris O’Sullivan and junior Scott Vitabile raced into first with a time of 3:32.06. The win set the momentum for the rest of the meet for the Lions. It would be a day of sweeps for the men’s team, winning three events during the day. In the men’s 1,000-yard freestyle, freshman John Gregory, sophomore Logan Barnes and Ivins went one, two and three with respective times of 10:33.48, 10:45.41 and 10:47.85. The Lions would go on to sweep the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke with senior James Shangle taking the top spot in the 100yard back with a time of 54.02. In the 100-yard free, junior Anthony Gurrieri led the pack, touching the wall with a time of 49.33. O’Sullivan sped in right after with a time 50.22 and junior Vince Masciandaro took third with a time of 51.52. Alongside the men’s team, the women’s team came into the water hot, with dominating performances all around. Sophomore Cassidy Bergeron had an impressive day in the water, taking first in two individual events — the women’s 100-yard freestyle and the 1,000-yard freestyle, an event she usually does not race in. “It is not my usual event to race, so preparing for it was quite different than my regular events,” Bergeron said. “I got advice from my coaches and teammates on how the best way to swim it is. My top fear for this event was that I would go out too fast and not be able to maintain my speed, so it was
important for me not to go hard in the beginning of the race and instead take my strokes long and smooth.” Bergeron coasted into the wall with a time of 12:10.22 in the 1,000-yard freestyle. She went on to race for an impressive time of 59.82 in the 100-yard free. Competing alongside classmates Marta Lawler, Robin Lukens and Emily Rothstein, Bergeron helped the team gain first in the 400-yard freestyle relay, clocking in a time of 3:21.43. Senior Eilish Devine had a busy day in the water, taking the top seed in two individual events — the women’s 200-yard freestyle and the women’s 500-yard freestyle. In the 200-yard free, Devine swam to the wall with her Pioneers opponent on her tail. Devine took first with a time of 2:07.41, a second in front of her competitor. It was another race of just mere seconds when Devin later competed in the 500 free, during which she won with a time of 5:38.57, again, beating her opponent by a second. The women, like the men, once again boasted another winning season and shared many memories and highlights throughout. “This season has been a blast and I’m sad to see it end,” Lawler said. “An individual memory I’ll take away from this season is winning two events at the Lion Invite. It was a really exciting time for me because the wins really showcased all of my hard work.” As the regular season comes to a close, both teams are looking forward to competing the Metropolitan Conference Championships (METS) and the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) Championships. Head coach of the women’s team, Jennifer Harnett, now has to prepare her team for the challenging road ahead. “This week, we start tapering for METs, which means we decrease the yardage and practice time so they are more rested for the MET championships,” Harnett said. Even though it has been a season with hard work and tiring practices, Harnett is proud of everything her team has done. Looking back at the season, Harnett reflected on her team’s accomplishments. “It has been a great season both in and out of the pool,” Harnett said. “I think the Lions Invitational and Rowan (University) meet are two of my favorite meets because of the energy the team brought. Outside of the pool, we had some fun team building activities, such as going to a rope course and indoor rock climbing, that created a lot of memories. I am very lucky because I get to work with so many interesting and amazing student-athletes. This year was a true testament to that.” The teammates themselves know just how hard they have pushed themselves this season and Lawler witnessed that as they took home the NJAC title the previous week. “‘Pride’ is the first word that comes to mind when I think about winning the NJAC,” Lawler said. “I’m a proud member of my team and I’m even more proud of every member of the team for their performances thus far. This season, we made winning a top priority, and I’m proud to say that we’ve accomplished something we set out to do.“
Women’s Basketball
Team loses ground in conference playoff hunt 7-8 NJAC record leaves Lions on the outside By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team went 1-2 in three conference games last week. The Lions fell to the Montclair State University Red Hawks, 49-57, on Monday, Feb. 1, and the Rowan University Profs, 66-87, on Wednesday, Feb. 3. The College was able to close out the week on a high with a win against New Jersey City University (NJCU), 74-41. Before the game began, the senior players were acknowledged for their time with the team during the team’s senior day. The three seniors — guard Angelica Esposito, forward Christina Merlin and guard Jess Lynch — were recognized by head coach Dawn Henderson, as well as the players’ families, who were in attendance. As a group, the seniors have won 62 games in their four years. “They’ve had a great season and have been mainstays for us,” Henderson said. “I was really happy for them, but I’m sad to see them go. They’ve been great players here for us over the past four years.” On Monday evening, in the
Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Seniors Lynch, Merlin and Esposito are honored before the game.
postponed game from Winter Storm Jonas, the Red Hawks defeated the Lions, 57-49, in Packer Hall. The loss dropped the team to a 10-10 record, as well as a 6-7 record within the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Seniors Esposito and Lynch led the Lions with 10 points each. The team shot 35.8 percent from the field. On Wednesday evening, the team suffered a loss to the Rowan Profs at Esby gym in Glassboro, N.J. The loss dropped the
Lions to 10-11 overall and 6-8 in the NJAC. There was only one lead change in this game. The Profs led by as much as 31 points in the second quarter. Esposito led the team with 20 points. Freshman guard Kate O’Leary added 13 points and junior guard Kim Dana had 11 points. The Lions shot 39.3 percent from the field in the game. “I think we did a good job of passing the ball around,” Esposito said. “As our coach said,
we had 25 assists, so we able to get it inside and out. Everyone was scoring, so it was a fun game all around.” On Saturday afternoon, the Lions defeated the NJCU Gothic Knights in Packer Hall. The Lions got back to .500 with the win at 11-11, which kept their conference playoff hopes alive. Right now, the Lions are in the seventh position and there are only three games left in the season. The Rutgers-Camden University Scarlet Raptors have
the same 7-8 conference mark — however, they defeated the Lions twice this season, so they have the sixth position. “It’s going to be really important that we win all three games,” Esposito said. “We’re not really thinking about the end, as we are taking it one game at a time. In the back of our minds, we have to play all out, because we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Esposito led the Lions with 20 points. Sophomore forward Nikki Schott added 14 points, while Lynch scored 10. The Lions shot 48.4 percent from the field. The College’s final home regular season game will be on Wednesday, Feb. 10, against Ramapo College, before the team ends with back-to-back road games against William Paterson and Kean Universities. “We’ve been up and down and the two games that we would love to have back are our first (William) Paterson loss and our last (Rutgers) Camden loss, which we lost by a few points,” Henderson said. “We’ve lost so many close games, but those things happen. We’re focusing on winning one quarter at a time and then go from there.”
page 22 The Signal February 10, 2016
Fun Stuff Super Bowl Highlights
(by The Internet)
When you’re trying to fit in.
When the world needed him most, he vanished.
Eli: “I haven’t been this confused since Dez dropped it.”
I think these “dab” memes caption themselves but ...
the final score is!
4 6
LIONS
February 10, 2016 The Signal page 23
AROUND THE
DORM 5 3
Miguel Gonzalez “The Ref”
Connor Smith
Social Media Editor
George Tatoris Sports Assistant
Otto Gomez Staff Writer
In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Miguel Gonzalez, asks our panel of experts three questions: Can a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed during March Madness? Which NBA rookie will win Rookie of the Year and should the International (IOC) postpone or relocate the Summer Games in Brazil?
1. Given the numerous upsets that have occurred during this year’s college basketball season, is it possible that a No. 16 seed will defeat a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA March Madness Tournament? Connor: It’s a common cliché in sports that anything is possible. However, a No. 16 seed has never won an NCAA tournament game in the competition’s 76-year history. The fact that Coastal Carolina managed to come within 14 points last season is considered over-performing. Although the rise of one-and-done players has made the competition less predictable, a No. 1 seed has all the coaching, scouting, recruitment and facilities to plow through a lowly No. 16 seed. Upsets happen every year, but a No. 1 seed would have battled through tremendous obstacles that a No. 16 seed has no chance of matching. George: A No. 16 seed has never, in the history of the NCAA tournament, beaten a No. 1 seed and that statistic alone
AP Photo
makes me skeptical that March Madness 2016 will see an underdog rise to the top. However, this year has the best chances for that to happen. Anything
can happen. Two teams that had a good chance of making it were banned from the playoffs — 19-2 Southern Methodist University and 19-4 University of
Louisville — giving other teams a shot. In addition, the usually dominant teams in the Southeastern Conference — the University of Florida Gators and the University of Kentucky Wildcats — are faltering this year, along with the rest of last year’s top four. Without standout teams, no single team comes out on top. Otto: There’s no chance. It’s never happened so far and it won’t happen this year, as the top teams are so much better than any possible team squad the NCAA could throw out there as the 16th seed. These teams are going to be tired from the playin game and they are going to be facing one of the top four teams in the country. There’s just no chance and there’s a reason no 16th seed has ever won. Upsets during the regular season happen every year, but the top teams will figure it out as they always do. The only difference this year is that there is no clear-cut top dog team, but there’s still a third of a season left to figure it out.
George gets 3 points for stating the absence of powerhouse teams. Connor gets 2 points for mentioning Carolina’s loss and Otto gets 1 point for arguing there isn’t a dominant No. 1 team.
AP Photo
2. Which current NBA rookie is making the strongest case to win the Rookie of the Year award? Connor: Karl-Anthony Towns has proven a vital asset to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kristaps Porzingis has given Knicks fans a glimmer of hope, but Towns has eclipsed the young Latvian in nearly every major offensive category. Towns’s defensive prowess also sets him apart from the foul-prone
Porzingis and the offensively-slanted Jahlil Okafor. All three players have the potential to carry their teams to new heights down the line, but Towns has established himself as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year by playing both sides of the ball at a more experienced level than his rookie counterparts. George: Towns will win rookie of the year. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Even other rookies have given up hope. D’Angelo Russell recently told the press that Towns deserved the Rookie of the Year. Towns is already averaging about the same points per game as teammate Andrew Wiggins was averaging last year when he won Rookie of the Year. He’s in a position to get an entire town named after him, just like 1986 Rookie of the Year Patrick Ewing. I don’t know about anybody else, but I’d totally live in Towns Town. (Edit: My sources have informed
me that Ewing, N.J., is NOT named after Patrick Ewing. I still stand by Towns Town, though.) Otto: Towns has been the best rookie this year and it’s not close by a mile. While I love my hometown guy Kristaps Porzingis, Towns (KAT) is the future of the NBA. He’s a rim-protecting seven footer who can switch onto guards on defense and shoot the three on offense. That prototype doesn’t exist yet and Towns is the model. I think a fair comparison for his potential is a prime Arvydas Sabonis because of his incredible passing, and that’s really saying something of KAT. No other rookies have come close to these guys because they are the future for a league that’s quickly changing. Fortunately for Towns, being surrounded by young guys like Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and a top five pick from this upcoming draft means that they’re going to be on the right side of the ever-changing league.
George gets 3 points for comparing Towns to Ewing. Otto gets 2 points for creating an innovative nickname and Connor gets 1 point for comparing multiple players. 3. With ongoing reports of contaminated waterways and the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, should the IOC consider relocating this year’s Summer Olympics? Connor: International political turmoil has been the only precedent for canceling a planned Olympic event, but the IOC has a responsibility to its athletes to ensure a safe and healthy competitive environment. The potential for disease in Brazil could be compared reasonably to the dangers of war. Athletes have considered boycotting the games, creating a financial motivator for the IOC to postpone or relocate. If there are reasonable measures the IOC can take to keep athletes shielded from the virus, then it’s a different story. Considering the current dangers facing the games, the IOC should carry out arrangements for rescheduling the games to a more suitable host country. George: This sounds like a recipe for disaster, or a disaster movie. There’s a virus in Brazil that poses a threat to the global community and we’re sending the world’s best athletes over there for an extended stay. Adding to the problem, Olympic villages are notorious
sexual playgrounds for athletes, and one of the ways the virus is believed to be transmitted is through sexual activity. I’ve read so many behind-the-scenes stories about lascivious romps and would-be scandals that I am positive something bad is going to happen after the Olympics. It’ll be “Contagion,” except sexier and more athletic. I’m already writing the screenplay in my head. I think the IOC should let this happen, if only because the resulting movie would be pretty phenomenal. Otto: While these reports show the terrible things that are happening in Brazil, I still believe that the Olympics should be held in Rio this year. The country has spent a lot of time and resources creating a great environment for both fans and the participants. The concerns are real, but so far there haven’t been a lot of reports stating that the athletes don’t want to be in Rio. Once the athletes or countries start protesting, then it is time to change the location. However, it might be too late. We are already in February, so the Games are only a couple months away. We might not be able to see a change, anyway.
George gets 3 points for his great movie idea. Connor gets 2 points for mentioning the war-like conditions and Otto gets 1 point for arguing that it is too late to relocate.
George wins Around the Dorm 9-5-4. .
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February 10, 2016 The Signal page 25
Men’s Basketball
Lions improve in the NJAC standings
Difficult road trip ends with a 2-1 record
Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Left: Sophomore center Steven Kelly goes for a layup. Right: Sophomore guard Kevin Johnson attempts to get past a Gothic Knights defender.
By Otto Gomez Staff Writer The Lions continued their hunt for a playoff spot with three more New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) games in a span of six days and came out with a 2-1 record. This stretch was particularly difficult because of the traveling, as they beat Montclair State University, 93-76, at home on Monday, Feb. 1, and then traveled to Glassboro, N.J., and scored another win against Rowan University on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 90-82. The team finally returned home to go against New Jersey City University on Saturday, Feb. 6, losing, 81-56. With their win against Montclair, the Lions were finally able to have a winning
NJAC record at 7-6. The team’s offense was firing all day, as they finished with 93 points. “We wanted to get off to a strong start after digging ourselves in a hole the last couple of games,” head coach Matt Goldsmith said. Sophomore guard Eric Murdock, Jr. continued the success he’s been having all season with a near triple-double, netting 21 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Five other players from the College reached double-figures scoring after a strong finish in the second half. Once they finally broke through, the team never looked back as they finished the contest with a 93-76 victory. The Lions continued their strong offensive performance as they beat Rowan, 90-82,
at home on the night of Wednesday, Feb. 3. This time, it was the other guard named Eric who led the team in scoring, as junior Eric Klacik finished with 21 points on a career-high five three-pointers made. When asked about his two guards with one name, Goldsmith said he was very proud of what they have done. “They’ve been great all year,” Goldsmith said. “They stepped up as captains and have completely led this team to where we are now.” He added that he’s very excited for next year as they both will continue to lead the team in the future. After coming back home for their Saturday game, the Lions squared off against New Jersey City University, the best team
in the NJAC. Due to New Jersey City’s strong squad and the team’s tough road schedule, the Lions fell, 81-56. The game had a playoff feel to it early on. The Gothic Knights raced out to 20-8, but Murdock imposed his will at both ends of the floor to carve into the deficit. The College kept pace, but had trouble finishing, shooting just 33 percent in the period. The College continues a game ahead of sixth-place Montclair State University in the NJAC standings and since the top six teams make the playoffs, the Lions are doing just fine. They plan to improve their 8-7 NJAC record on Wednesday, Feb. 10, as they take on Ramapo College in Packer Hall.
Ice Hockey
Hockey celebrates senior players at home By Julie Kayzerman Former Editor-in-Chief
For the final time, nine seniors on the College’s ice hockey team skated on their home ice at the Louck’s ice center in Lawrenceville, N.J. for Senior Day on Sunday, Feb. 7. And in a bittersweet moment, they left it all on the ice that had been home to countless victories and heartbreaks. Although the No. 18 ranked Lions lost a hard-fought 6-3 match to No. 5 ranked Pennsylvania State University, their ability to stay with one of the top teams in the country was a huge confidence boost going into playoff season. “To come out against a team of this caliber and perform the way we did, I’ll take that loss any day of the week,” senior captain Matt Martin said. “It just sets the tone for what we expect out of the guys.” Penn State jumped out to an early lead in the first, but the College held them to 1-0 at the end of the first with huge shot blocking from senior forwards Salvatore DiBrita and Evan Herrington and big hits from senior defender Steven Czachor. About 10 minutes into the second period, the Lions took advantage of a power play opportunity with a rocket from Martin into the Penn State net that came off an
Julie Kayzerman / Former Editor-in-Chief
The ice hockey team poses on the home ice together for one last time.
assist from junior forward Kevin Collins to tie up the game. With 3:21 left in the third, Penn State took the lead again, but the Lions stayed resilient, bouncing back with a DiBrita goal off a Collins assist, with just 36.2 before the period’s end. “I think we’re finding our stride at the right time,” co-captain DiBrita said. “We’re getting a lot of depth in scoring, which is something that we’ve really lacked in the past.” While Penn State jumped on a couple of mental lapses by the College to expand their lead to 6-2, junior forward Mike Lisciandro gave the Lions one last point
on the scoreboard with a sweet goal off an assist from sophomore defender Dylan McMurrer. Senior goalie David Laub kept the Lions in the game with a stellar performance, sporting 31 saves during probably one of his best games of the season. “We didn’t get the result we wanted, but the effort we showed, I think it was definitely what we were looking for,” DiBrita said. Coach Andrew Ducko noted that if his team plays the way they did on Sunday night, they’ll be the top team come playoffs time. As the team celebrated Senior Day for Martin, DiBrita, Czachor, Herrington, Laub, forward Tyler
Viducic, goalie Fred McQuade and defensemen Alex Moskal and Gary L’Heureux, the rookie Lions consider themselves lucky to have experienced this season with them. “The seniors have treated us with a lot of respect,” freshman goalie Patrick Tso said. “They taught us how to act on and off the ice. They accepted us from day one and it won’t be the same without them.” Freshman forward Will Dimock jumped right into a vital role with the Lions’ top line upon his arrival, playing alongside DiBrita and Collins, with Martin and freshman Matt Liebers behind on defense.
“The seniors did a great job of always keeping the mood light in the locker room and during practice,” Dimock said. “Whether it was Herrington with his superb one liners, Martin quoting movies, Moskal being a goof, Sal with his teddy bear personality or Gary being off in the clouds, when it came time to focus on the real reason we all still pay to play the game at obscure times of the night, they all made sure the team was at its best.” Ducko added that while this season was his first with the team, he feels lucky to have been given the opportunity to coach the senior players before they graduated. But for Dimock and the other freshmen, they will be sorely missed. “Our vocal leaders were the captains Matt and Sal,” Dimock said. “In addition to them, though, we had quiet leaders like Laub, Czachor, Tyler and Freddy. Laub always came to play against our toughest opponents. Czachor has a really calm demeanor that was infectious in the locker room and Tyler and Freddy each have the best attitudes that someone can have.” But Senior Day wasn’t just about the players. In a spontaneous act of class after the final buzzer, see SENIOR page 26
page 26 The Signal February 10, 2016
Coach / Failure not in sight Lions / Young stars shine Walker ignites the Lions Wrestling
continued from page 28
the national level. Tedeschi believes that Walker has had a great amount of success both as an athlete and coach and knows his passion and love for the sport will rub off on the team as a whole. “Ever since Walker came on board, he has pushed my body to the limits,” Tedeschi said. “Because of his great coaching, I’m aiming for higher goals and becoming both a better athlete and teammate.” Junior interactive multimedia and computer science double major Brandon Mazzarella also admires Walker for his coaching and teaching abilities both on and off the track. “He is a TCNJ track and field and XC alumni so he understands the program more than anyone else. He has gone through everything we (have) so he is great at offering advice and insight to help us do our best,” Mazzarella said. “He knows we are capable of so much more and he wants nothing more than for everyone to reach their potential and then surpass it.” Mazzarella, a mid distance 800-meter/ mile runner, likes that Walker pushes the team hard and has incorporated a bunch of new things they hadn’t done previously. “Although they are all a bunch of small things, such as regulating our sleeping and eating or getting us to do more strength training and stretching, they are paying huge dividends and the entire team as a whole is seeing ton of improvement.” Head coach Justin Lindsey has no doubt in Walker’s plans. Lindsey believes
Walker has been a tremendous addition to the staff and that his pride in the College cross country and track and field teams has made the transition quick for him. “He’s very detail-oriented and works with the passion that is TCNJ,” Lindsey said. “One of the biggest things he brings to the program is his competitive spirit and understanding of the high school athlete. Being a successful coach at the high school level has given him a strong understanding on how to recruit student-athletes.” The new assistant coach wants to continue the College’s success and plans to go even beyond what the school has already accomplished by achieving success at a national level. He believes that the work put in correlates directly to success and achieving one’s goals. “There is no luck when it comes to racing against a clock or another competitor,” Walker said. However, Walker knows that with any competitive sport come challenges along the way. “It is a challenge to find that button to push for each individual to help motivate them to be their best. I find that most athletes have a hard time putting themselves out there because of the fear of what they see as failure,” Walker said. Walker’s definition of failure has nothing to do with losing a meet, though. “Failure to me is not trying or taking that risk… one of the greatest joys as a coach is when the athlete does take that risk, regardless of the outcome,” Walker said.
Ice Hockey
Senior / Lions dominate ice
Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Head coach Galante is proud of all the hard work his team displays.
continued from page 28
point-scoring fiesta. The Colonels broke their losing streak with a 4-1 decision at 184. Unfortunately for Wilkes, the damage had already been done with the Lions still leading, 20-6. Sophomore Constantine Rissiotis scored his seventh pin of the season at 197. Rissiotis is now one pin behind team leader and junior, Dan Wojtaszek. The 1:47 pin dashed any hope of Wilkes College making the match close, as the Lions would eventually drop a 7-2 decision at 285 to end the night with a 26-9 win. “There are some tough teams out there,” Galante said. “ We want to have respect for
them, but at the same time, we don’t want to give them too much respect.” Galante has a lot to be proud of this season. The Lions — still undefeated at home with a 5-0 record — will host Delaware Valley University on Friday, Feb. 12, in Packer Hall. “I think we’re gonna do well at nationals,” Mancella said. “I think we’re gonna send a lot more people than others expect. I think everyone that goes is gonna be on that podium.” When asked for any bold predictions for nationals, Mancella simply smiled and gave an innocent chuckle, eventually declaring, “I say we’ll send the whole team to nationals!”
D i d y o u k n o w t h a t T h e S i g n a l i s a c t i v e o n s o c i a l m e d i a ? F o l l o w u s o n T w i t t e r t o s t a y u p t o d a t e o n b r e a k i n g n e w s : @ t c n j s i g n a l
Julie Kayzerman / Former Editor-in-Chief
The seniors celebrate their time on the team with family. continued from page 25 Ducko and the Lions brought Career & Community Studies alumni Hunter DeLauretis ’13 onto the ice for a victory lap led by DiBrita. DeLauretis has followed the Lions for four years, coming to every single home game and supporting the team as their biggest fan and the Lions couldn’t say goodbye to the rink without recognizing his commitment to the team. “Being at a hockey rink is always my favorite place to be because I love the sport of hockey so much and I used to play sled hockey,” DeLauretis said. “I hope someday I’ll be able to work in the hockey world.” The College finishes its regular season
next week with two away games against Monmouth and Seton Hall universities before entering the CSCHC Playoffs the following weekend. The Lions are currently second in league behind Princeton University and have their eyes set on going on all the way. “It was a hell of a run,” DiBrita said. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet that we’re done with the regular season playing here. Like every team, we’ve had our highs and lows, winning huge games here, skating for practice late on Monday nights… We have a lot of memories here. I for one definitely wouldn’t trade those hours for anything else. I’d like to stay with these guys.”
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February 10, 2016 The Signal page 27 Track
Fast runs not enough for track team
Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Left: Women’s track wins the 800-meter relay by seconds. Right: The Lions have close races, but fall short to the Division I Broncs. By George Tatoris Sports Assistant There was only one other team to beat on the track on Saturday, Feb. 6. Each year, the track team faces the College’s local rival, the Rider University Broncs, in Lawrenceville, N.J. This year, the Lions held fast, securing impressive wins over their opponent, but were ultimately stampeded by the Division I Broncs. The men’s team lost, 106-60, and the women’s team, 100-64. “Leaving without the win definitely made us realize that we are really going to have to put in work the next few weeks before conferences,” sophomore Emily Mead said. Freshmen brothers Noah and Nathan Osterhus, senior Laron Day and freshman Kamal Williams lost the 4x400 meter relay by less than a second, clocking in at 3:23.94 behind Rider’s 3:23.01. They were “neck
and neck,” according to Mead. “My coaches and upperclassmen have been talking about how competitive this meet always is and I see why they said that,” Noah said. Though they lost, they were fast enough to qualify for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships (ECAC). “People were cheering like crazy and it’s awesome how much support we got for that relay,” Noah said. “It always helps when your teammates are cheering their heads off for you.” Despite the loss, there were plenty of great performances. In the women’s 4x400 relay, senior Joy Spriggs, Mead, freshman Kathleen Jaegar and senior Kristen Randolph won with a time of 4:03.22. “Once we established a lead, we were determined to keep it,” Mead said. In the women’s 3,000-meter, freshman
Erin Holzbaur took first with an impressive time of 10:23.31, more than four seconds ahead of any Bronc runner. Sophomore Danielle Celestin won the 200-meter dash with a brisk 27.09-second finish. The women’s 800-meter was a neck-andneck duel for first, with Jaegar taking the win from Rider by less than a fifth of a second. Jaegar finished with a time of 2:21.72 while Madeline Hummel from Rider finished a half a step behind at 2:21.84. In the men’s 3,000-meter, a pack of Lions took four of the top five spots — junior Andrew Tedeschi finished first with a time of 8:50.05. Less than a second behind, senior Scott Savage took second with a time of 8:50.80 and rounding out the top three was freshman Jekabs Hayes who finished with a time of 8:51.58. Senior Tyler Grimm was the last of the four, finishing fifth with a time of 8:54.82. The men outran Rider in the 4x800
relay as well. Sophomore Daniel Lynch, junior Chris Arnold, freshman Jack Wood and junior Brandon Mazzarella pulled together for a rapid 8:02.66 finish, above and beyond Rider’s 8:26.87. Noah hit an ECAC qualifier in the 800meter with a 1:55.64 finish, but the effort was only good enough for second place. “I went out just like I wanted to, but I didn’t have enough in me to finish strong and get the win that time,” Noah said. But these strong victories stand in stark contrast to the meet’s outcome. Head coach Justin Lindsey hopes the team comes away from the loss with a sobering reminder that “giving 150 percent does not always end in victory” and that they don’t back down in later meets. “People give up just before the breakthrough comes,” Lindsey said. And the Lions don’t plan on stopping until they do just that.
Cheap Seats
Johnny Football descends from his throne By Matthew Ajaj Staff Writer
Johnny Manziel, once the star quarterback of the Texas A&M Aggies and winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy, appears to have hit rock bottom after he allegedly physically abused his girlfriend and threatened to kill himself, according to Dallas’s ABC affiliate. Manziel was born to a wealthy Texas family in 1992 and as far as any member of the media knows, his life only continued to get better for the next two decades. A multi-sport high school superstar, Manziel cemented himself as a local legend and was bestowed the “Johnny Football” moniker. Athletic, handsome, rich and heading for national stardom, Manziel had every reason to be confident. He was beloved by fans, popular with the ladies and admired by young men for living out every guy’s dream. Toting a Heisman Trophy in his hand and holding the words of sports media’s lofty praise in his head, Manziel waltzed his way into the National Football League (NFL) and promptly took a place on his pedestal to wait for success to come to him. It didn’t. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall
pick in 2014, Manziel flopped in his rookie season, failing to win the starting job and facing questions about his work ethic. After a surprising stint in rehabilitation for alcoholism, Manziel’s 2015 was plagued by off-field incidents, from his amount of partying and fighting with his girlfriend to missing a check-in with a team medic. Now under investigation for domestic assault for the incident on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in which he allegedly appeared to be under the influence of drugs and acted without concern for the welfare of others or himself, it seems as if Johnny Football’s football career is over. Two failed seasons, off-field transgressions, substance abuse and emotional instability do not exactly scream “NFL material.” It is difficult to deny that Manziel worked very hard to have success in both high school and college, but it is all too apparent that his efforts and concentration waned in making the transition to the NFL. He was a kid that had never hit a bump in the road, speeding down the highway of life scoring touchdowns, trophies and girls’ numbers. Even his reckless run-and-gun, impulsive play style resembled that of a child without restraints. In college, he was charged with a few misdemeanors and allegedly received money for signing autographs, but these
mishaps were met with little to no punishment from neither law enforcement nor Texas A&M. Manziel never faced any real discipline until reaching football’s highest stage and by then, he had become so accustomed to being the king of college that he was unwilling to act like a subject of the NFL’s domain. Successful and unhindered in whatever he did, Manziel was not used to dealing with the failures and punishments that he has experienced these past couple years. He was incapable of handling such imperfections and constraints and this shock to his system has sent him on a downward spiral. I was never a fan of Manziel. He was always too cocky — too sure of himself and everything that he did. Perhaps there was even a hint of jealousy in my criticism. But now, part of me feels sorry for him. Left unbound for his entire life, the boy-king has turned down the route of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. Combined with his lack of concern for consequences, these symptoms seem to resemble some sort of psychological disorder — Manziel twice refused to enter a rehab facility last week, according to Dallas’s ABC station. The Dallas Morning News consulted the player’s father, Paul
Manziel’s drastic behavior is catching up to him.
Manziel, who provided a chilling statement: “I truly believe if they can’t get him help, he won’t live to see his 24th birthday.” It is a disturbing message in itself, but perhaps equally concerning is the elder Manziel’s usage of the word “they.” With Manziel’s agent, girlfriend and now even his father unable, or perhaps just unwilling, to help him, along with his refusal to enter rehab, it seems as if Manziel’s life will continue to snowball downhill from here. There is no more dodging a flurry of oncoming defenders,
AP Photo
no more chucking a pass into a crowd without suffering an interception — the turnovers have caught up to Manziel. He may have his personality flaws and troubles with the law, but Manziel’s actions still resemble those of a child who is out of touch with reality. This is no longer a Johnny Football problem — this is a life-threatening Johnny Manziel issue. He and anyone that is left out there who still cares about him must somehow help him figure out his life before it’s all over.
Signal
Sports
Team unity leads to success on the mat
Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Left: The team faces tough opponents this season, but manages to take home wins. Right: Each wrestler proves to be an asset for the team. By Connor Smith Social Media Editor Packer Hall was filled to capacity on Friday, Feb. 5, as the hometown crowd awaited the wrestling team’s first home match since Winter Break. The Lions — currently ranked 10th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Division III poll — lived up to their billing, dispatching No. 18 Wilkes University, 26-9, with relative ease. “This is the first time we’ve had a group quite like this,” senior Antonio Mancella said.
“The sense of unity on the team is one of a kind. It’s never really happened in my time here.” The Wilkes Colonels displayed strength at 125, scoring a 12-8 decision for a 3-0 lead over the Lions. Although the opening bout gave Wilkes fans hope for an upset, sophomore James Goldschmidt silenced the critics with a 7-1 decision at 133. That would be the last time the College failed to hold a lead during the night, as the Lions swept a total of six straight bouts to amass a dominating 20-3 lead heading into the final three bouts. “I think they make little improvements,” head coach Joe
Galante said. “It’s the guys — they’re doing a great job. You can’t ask any more of them.” Sophomore Ryan Budzek improved to an overall record of 24-2, following his 4-2 decision at 141. Budzek is putting together an impressive season and it will be interesting to see where his collegiate career takes him in the coming years. “All the young guys came into their own pretty quickly,” Mancella said. “Even the freshmen aren’t really freshmen. In my eyes, they’re already a part of the team as if they’ve been there for a while.”
The Lions continued to bleed out their opponents at 149, as senior Steven Schneider shut out his opponent by scoring a 6-0 decision. Mancella looked strong early in his bout at 157. However, an untimely mistake nearly put Mancella on his back towards the end of the second period. “It was someone that I had wrestled before and I was pretty confident I was gonna win,” Mancella said. “I took a risk and it really didn’t pay off. That happens, sometimes.” Mancella managed to collect himself in the third period,
eventually breaking the 7-7 tie after two periods open and scoring a 13-9 decision. “I had to refocus and wrestle a little bit tighter and a little bit smarter,” Mancella said. “I had to try and not be so flashy.” Mancella wrestled like he had something to prove during the third period, scoring points early and often throughout the final period. Junior Nick Herring (165) and senior Doug Hamann (174) scored back-to-back major decisions to cap off the College’s see LIONS page 26
Former College athlete runs to coaching position By Julia Livesey Staff Writer
All it took was a little convincing from a high school algebra teacher to influence Michael Walker to join the track and field team. He figured it would be a good way to stay in shape before baseball season started. Little did he know he’d be permanently trading baseball cleats for running shoes. Today, Walker is running in a new position back at his alma mater in hopes of taking the cross-country and track and field teams to greater lengths as the new full-time assistant coach. The three-time national qualifier began his collegiate running career at Pennsylvania State University. After deciding to change his major from architecture to education, Walker transferred to the College and competed for the Lions in both baseball and track until graduating in 2000. After his sophomore and junior year practicums, Walker knew that both teaching and coaching were passions of which he wanted to make a career.
Lions’ Lineup February 10, 2016
I n s i d e
Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk
Walker returns to his alma mater with new plans for the team.
“I found satisfaction in helping students and athletes reach their goals, even through the tough, difficult times,” Walker said. “I taught high level mathematics courses like calculus for 15 years before coming to TCNJ. If you can do
calculus, you can pretty much do anything. I approach coaching cross-country and track and field the same way.” After college, Walker spent 10 years coaching three state championship teams, as well as numerous high school
All-Americans at Robbinsville High School in Robbinsville, N.J. “I was lucky as a coach to have talented athletes who believed in my message and in each other,” Walker said. “I still feel my biggest accomplishment is getting my athletes to love the sport to where they continued to run after they graduated, either competitively in college or in marathons or just run as a way of life and for good health.” But now, Walker has new plans in store for coaching the Lions. He’s striving to help the College’s student athletes get the best out of their running and studying. Each season, he plans to push athletes to achieve their personal best times and marks and to qualify as many athletes as possible to nationals. “Each individual has something different that makes them tick and motivates them,” Walker said. “I will differentiate ways to motivate them.” Walker has already motivated junior accounting major Andrew Tedeschi, a top distance runner who has competed at see COACH page 26
46 53 Around the Dorm page 23
Swimming page 21
Women’s Basketball page 21
Track and Field Page 27