November 16, 2016 The Signal page 5
SFB fully funds freshman festive Skate Night By Olivia Rizzo Staff Writer The Student Finance Board (SFB) approved funding for events that encourage students to step outside of their usual social circles and begin to get into the holiday spirit. Chi Upsilon Sigma returned to present its previously tabled event titled “Making Achievement Continuous Conference: Broadening the Scope: In light of Global Issues.” The group’s second presentation was more successful, as the board agreed to fully fund the requested $9,980.41, contingent upon the organization being able to negotiate the price of catering with Sodexo. Chi Upsilon Sigma presented a new keynote speaker: Jamal Joseph, a writer, educator and former member of the Black Panther Party. This event will host four different workshops, each centered around different political issues, on Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Business Building. Next, the Class of 2019 presented for a class unity trip to Amazing Escape Room in Princeton, N.J., but voting on the event was tabled due to concerns about attendance and the event’s ability to promote class unity. “We are offering a unique way to bond with fellow sophomores that will hopefully build unity among our fellow class members,” the proposal packet read. The organization requested funding to cover the cost of group pricing for Escape the Room, an immersive brain teaser where participants must solves riddles and find clues to find their way out of a locked room, and transportation. Later, the Freshman Class Council was fully funded in the amount of $4,735 for its Stars & Lights Skate Night. The event aims to create a festive opportunity for the Class of 2020 to get into the holiday spirit by skating beneath more than 100,000 lights next to the Delaware River. The organization requested funding to cover the cost of ice skating, lodge rental and busing.
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
SFB grants funding for holiday-themed events at the College. The board also fully funded Chabad’s Hanukkah party in the amount of $3,484.38 to cover the costs of traditional food, decorations and Hanukkah crafts and activities. “The purpose of this event is to bring the campus community together to celebrate and learn about the Jewish holiday of Hanukah,” the proposal packet read. The event will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in room 212 of the Education Building. TCNJ Entrepreneurship Club presented for its iCreate Networking Event. The purpose of this event is to bring together business and nonbusiness students to network with
each other and listen to a panel of local entrepreneurs, according to the proposal packet. The organization requested funding for food, decorations and name tags for attendees, but the board only agreed to fund the cost of decorations and name in the amount of $116.95. The cost of the food was tabled due to concerns about the amount of food requested for the limited timeframe of the event. Regardless, the event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 20, in room 212 of the Education Building. Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
Panel discusses life as a woman in technology industry Professors talk about gender bias in the workplace
Left: Professors lead a panel to discuss discrimination that women face. Right: Students can end bias starting in classrooms.
By John McCarthy Correspondent
A lesson on what it’s like to be a woman in the technology industry and the importance of a diverse workplace were among several important topics discussed at the Brown Bag lecture on Friday, Nov. 11. The panel comprised Sharon Blanton, CIO and vice president of Information Technology at the College, Associate Professor and Chair of the computer science department Monisha Pulimood and Vice President of Intel Bev Crair. The speakers spoke often of gender discrimination in the workplace. Throughout the average student’s first 21 years of life, they know the measure of
success as a number or letter on an assignment. As far as work goes, however, the measures of success are vastly different and ambiguous. “Nobody’s going to tell you what to do,” Crair said. She explained how the workplace is unstructured compared to school. The panelists agreed that it is important to get experience through mentoring and an internship that fits your interests and ideas. “Take the time to talk to people about what they do,” Blanton said. “Figure out the right combination of enjoyment and skill.” Speakers also highlighted the importance of workplace diversity, as it gives varying ideas a chance to be heard. “It’s about people who think differently coming together to make a better solution,”
Blanton said. “Our vision is that smart computing is going to reach everyone on Earth.” Each panelist made a point that different ideas are nearly impossible to come across when a group contains only people with similar backgrounds and lifestyles. During the panel, Crair and Blanton shared similar stories on a gender bias they found in the workplace. Both panelists applied for positions where they were competing against a male candidate. The work and education experience was equal — gender was the only quality that separated the two candidates. In both cases, the male candidate was awarded the position. In Blanton’s case, she was actually recommended to mentor her male competitor and advise him on what he should do to
Mason Moran / Staff Photographer
perform well. In Crair’s case, she was offered a different position at the same company. This led to the discussion on an important topic: going into a workplace that fits one’s standards and interests. In both cases, Crair and Blanton left the companies in which they originally applied. Crair described these kinds of biases as “systematic discrimination” where the bias is based off of a structure of beliefs or practices. Pulimood explained that this kind of bias can be recognized and dealt with in the classroom. “You have to be overtly inclusive,” Pulimood said. She said the way to beat bias is to “behave with kindness, compassion and to keep an open heart.”