Breaking news, blogs and more at TCNJSignal.net. Vol. XLV, No. 5
September 28, 2016
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Victims remembered at
Student charged for vigil alleged campus rape By Sydney Shaw Editor-in-Chief
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Students pay tribute to victims of police brutality. By Elizabeth Zakaim Social Media Editor
“I am Eric Garner.” “I am Prince Jones.” “I am Frank Shepard.” These were some of the names spoken in somber
remembrance at the vigil held in Alumni Grove on Wednesday, Sept. 21, to honor the countless victims of police brutality. Students stood in a circle and held posters that paid tribute to victims.
Each student at the vigil lit a candle — its warm amber glow a memorial of those lost. The vigil was sponsored by Chi Upsilon Sigma National Sorority, Inc., and cosponsored by
the College’s Black Student Union and Gospel United Ministries. “As an organization, we knew that this was a prevalent issue that has impacted see VIGIL page 3
A student at the College is accused of raping an intoxicated female student inside her dorm room last week, the county prosecutor’s office reported. Emmanuel Castillo, a senior history and secondary education dual major at the College, was charged Monday, Sept. 19, with two counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault following an investigation led by Campus Police and Mercer County’s special victims unit, prosecutor spokesperson Casey DeBlasio wrote in a statement. “Castillo is accused of… penetrating the female victim (with his fingers) and having sexual intercourse with her while she was physically helpless due to intoxication,” DeBlasio wrote. According to her statement, the incident allegedly occurred around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, in the female student’s dorm room. Judge Robert C. Billmeier set bail at $150,000 and issued a no-contact order between Castillo and his accuser, according to officials. Castillo posted bail Tuesday after being held at the Mercer County Correction Center in Hopewell, N.J., DeBlasio wrote. “The investigation is ongoing and the College is cooperating fully with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office in that investigation,” spokesperson Dave Muha said on behalf of the College. No information about the female student has been released at this time, including her age or residence hall. Since the alleged rape occurred within the confines of the College’s campus, Ewing Police Department is not involved in the investigation, according to officials.
Opportunities Fair prompts students success By Alyssa Gautieri Production Manager Students woke up early on Friday, Sept. 23, dressed their best and headed to the Recreation Center for the College’s biannual Opportunities Fair. Each semester, the College gives students the chance to build relationships, gain connections and learn about potential employers. Alumna Megan Hayes (’15), a current employee at New York Life, a life insurance company, said the Opportunities Fair provides real benefits to students. “Students can meet with employers face-to-face, instead of just sending out resumes where all a company sees is what’s on paper,” Hayes said. The benefit of meeting in person, Hayes said, is the chance to sell yourself and show employers your personality. “Finding a good fit is not always necessarily about your experience, but making sure that you mesh well with the company,” Hayes said. Samantha Zanetti, a junior biomedical engineering major, said the fair aided her job search because she felt she gained
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an “inside perspective” on potential employers “rather than reading a general mission statement online.” Nearly 200 businesses attended the Opportunities Fair to seek out the qualities and experiences that come with students at the College. “The values that TCNJ promotes, such as hard work, determination and respect, are all values Widener University School of Law promotes,” said Barbara Ayars, assistant dean for admissions at Widener University: Delaware Law School in Wilmington, De. “So, TCNJ students are a good fit for us.” According to Ayars, many students from the College have graduated from Widener University and went on to become wildly successful. Ayars, who has attended the opportunities fairs for more than 20 years, said the College’s students stand out to employers over other universities. “Compared to other events, today’s students are dressed more appropriately and it is clear that they take their potential career paths seriously,” Ayars said. “At some schools, the students come up to us at Opportunities Fairs and they’re in Editorial / page 8
Opinions / page 9
Joanna Felsenstein / Staff Photographer
Potential employers give students information about job opportunities.
their pajamas… You would be shocked.” Ashley Thorsen, a Target recruiter, also said students at the College have a special quality that no other college students have. “Out of all the schools that I have been to across the state, TCNJ has produced the Features / page 12
keepers for us,” Thorsen said. “The schooling and the background here at TCNJ has produced students capable of success.” Alumna Samantha Kaplan (’15) is one of the many success stories the College see FAIR page 4
Arts & Entertainment / page 15
Sports / page 24
Asian Culture Night A medley of Asian cuisine and culture celebrated
Student Soloist Night Students perform live music in Traditions
Men’s Soccer Lions go into double overtime
See Features page 12
See A&E page 17
See Sports page 19
page 2 The Signal September 28, 2016
Smoking student at Sylva spurs police response
Abundance of leafy vegetation found on suspects By Ellie Schuckman Staff Writer
• At approximately 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, officers met with a student at Campus Police headquarters who reported her bicycle missing from Lot 7. The student stated she had secured her bicycle with a bike lock to a cement pillar in Lot 7. The bike was described as a mint green 700c Schwinn Admiral Women’s Hybrid and is valued at $159. According to reports, an officer checked the bikes in the basement of Campus Police headquarters to see if the missing bike was there, but had negative results. The student stated that she does not have the serial number to her bike. There are no suspects at this time, police said. • Officers met with a student at police headquarters on Friday, Sept. 16, who reported damaged property. At approximately 3:55 p.m., officers met with the student who reported that the passenger side mirror on her vehicle was damaged. According to reports, the student showed the officer to her vehicle and pointed out the damage. She told the officer that she temporarily taped her mirror to the door so it was functional. After the tape was removed, the officer observed a crack on the plastic housing on the front side of the mirror. The rest of the housing appeared to be detached from the vehicle, police said. No other damage was observed on the vehicle and the student confirmed that there was no new damage to her vehicle besides the mirror. The student said that she parked her vehicle in Lot 11 on Sunday, Sept. 11, at approximately 10 p.m., and did not go
back to her vehicle until Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. According to reports, the student said that she did not notice the damage until the mirror fell off while she was driving. She also said that she did not notice any damage to other vehicles around hers, police said.
• On Friday, Sept. 16, at approximately 11:20 p.m., officers out on vehicle patrol observed a light on the opposite side of Lake Sylva. The officers walked to the opposite side of the lake where they observed two males sitting on the bank of Lake Sylva with two backpacks beside them, smoking what was believed to have been marijuana out of a blue and white glass pipe, according to police. The officers then observed a large glass jug on the ground behind them that contained green leafy vegetation believed to be marijuana. One of the officers asked the students who owned the jar, but both denied ownership, police said. The officers instructed the two to stand up, turn around and place their hands behind their back, interlacing their fingers. The students were placed under arrest at 11:30 p.m. At this time, Campus Police headquarters was advised of the arrest and a sergeant was requested to assist the officers, according to reports. Following the arrest, officers proceeded to collect the backpacks. In the area of the backpacks, an officer observed green leafy vegetation believed to be marijuana in an additional glass container. The officer also collected an open 1.75-liter bottle of flavored vodka, three lighters, a plastic bag containing green leafy vegetation believed to be marijuana, two knives, a black metal container concealing green leafy vegetation believed to be marijuana, an orange plastic container with
matches and a clay bowl, police said. The students were transported to police headquarters for processing at 11:45 p.m., issued summonses and then released from custody at 2:15 a.m., according to reports. • On Saturday, Sept. 17, at approximately 12:03 p.m., Campus Police was dispatched to the third floor of Wolfe Hall after receiving a report about an intoxicated student. Upon the officers’ arrival, they were met by members of TCNJ EMS who were providing care to the student. The student was alert, conscious and aware of her surroundings, according to police. She stated that she consumed an unknown amount of vodka and began to vomit. A student who was concerned about her wellbeing alerted a Community Adviser about her condition. TCNJ EMS deemed it unnecessary to transport her for additional medical attention, according to reports. The student who called was granted amnesty, police said. • On Saturday, Sept. 17, at approximately 1:58 a.m., Campus Police was dispatched to the third floor of Travers Hall after receiving a call about an intoxicated person. Upon the officers’ arrival, members of TCNJ EMS were providing care to the student, police said. The student was alert and conscious, however, she was on the floor of the women’s bathroom. She stated that she consumed alcoholic beverages, police said. According to reports, TCNJ EMS deemed that the student did not need further medical attention. The intoxicated student was issued a summons for underage drinking, police said. Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at 609-771-2345
Former addict tells story of ‘Five Thousand Miles’ to recovery By Thomas Infante Review Editor Students gathered in the Library Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 22, and waited quietly for someone to begin speaking. The solemn atmosphere matched the similarly serious subject matter that would be discussed during the night. The presentation, titled “Five Thousand Miles,” by Rob Shearon, told the story of how he drove from Colorado to Alaska on a scooter in an effort to find peace after years of struggling with addiction. However, before Shearon told his story, the audience was introduced to a 21-yearold man who only identified himself as “Mark A.” Mark didn’t have an extraordinary trans-continental journey to talk about — he was simply another man in recovery doing his best to better himself and those around him. “Addiction is often stigmatized, especially because so many believe that it really doesn’t affect college students,” Mark said. “But obviously, that’s not true.” Mark was born in Greenwich, Conn., to loving parents and siblings. He described his own family as “perfect.” At 5 years old, Mark developed Tourette’s syndrome, which seriously affected his day-to-day life for years to come. “I felt like I didn’t fit in. I would isolate myself from kids at school to avoid rejection. It was the only time I felt at peace,” Mark said. Mark’s struggle with addiction began at a private school when he was a teenager. He turned to alcohol and drugs to pass the time, since he had a difficult time making friends. His substance abuse escalated further upon his enrollment in college. Mark rarely went to class. He opted instead to use drugs and party whenever possible. “I knew I had a problem,” Mark said. “The social component in a way was much more stressful than my actual education.” The following year, Mark began to take Xanax frequently, often in combination with other drugs or alcohol. After a month,
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
Shearon recounts his trans-continental journey toward recovery.
Mark began to have seizures as a result of his drug abuse. He recalled a text message that he sent to his friend immediately after being treated for his seizures: “I’m out of the hospital, let’s go get fucked up.” “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been in an ambulance this past year,” Mark said. Mark soon dropped out of school and continued this lifestyle for some time. A few days after he turned 21, Mark suffered an overdose after mixing alcohol, marijuana, Xanax and cocaine. The doctors who treated Mark told his parents that he had about a 50 percent chance of survival and that even if he lived, he would likely be in a vegetative state. “I remember waking up in the hospital two days after the overdose,” Mark said. “The doctor asked me who the president of the U.S. was, and when I answered right, my family was cheering because they were so thankful.” Mark is now 84 days sober and attends Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings every day. He credits his continued success with being able to share his story with others. After Mark told his story, Shearon got
up to tell his, which began similarly to Mark’s. Shearon was born in Colorado. The oldest of four siblings, he enjoyed skiing and playing sports with his friends. “My mom made me go to Catholic school until high school, but all of my friends went to public school,” Shearon said. “I used to hear stories about all the cool stuff that the public school kids would do and I felt like I was missing out.” After starting high school, Shearon met his best friends who taught him to “steal and drink.” His grades soon started to slip, and Shearon began to feel inadequate as a result. “I felt like I was letting my younger brother and sisters down,” he said. After high school, Shearon began to attend University of Colorado Boulder. This did little to ease his addiction problems. “I woke up in detox back-to-back weekends and I still didn’t think I had a problem,” Shearon said. Shearon’s life soon began to go off the rails, and one day he called his best friend from childhood for advice. “My friend told me that I had to get sober if it was really affecting my life so severely,” Shearon said. “I quit drugs for three
days and I felt horrible. I couldn’t sleep at all, but I was too stubborn to go to detox.” It was then that Shearon learned about the new Collegiate Recovery Center on his campus. He began to observe the people that would come in and ask for help, and one day, he saw his former drug dealer. “I was like, ‘Really, you?’” Shearon said, laughing. “He had been sober for three years. He took me to a 12-step meeting, but I didn’t open up much.” Soon after, one of Shearon’s closest friends named Tony died in an avalanche while skiing. The duo’s dream was to someday move to Alaska, and so Shearon decided to take the trip solo to “find himself.” Using only a black Honda scooter with a top speed of about 25 mph, Shearon was going to ride 2,500 miles north from Colorado to Alaska. He even set up a scholarship though his college’s recovery center so he could raise money through his trip. “It took 22 days and 16 of them it, rained,” Shearon said. “And camping in the rain sucks.” Once he made it as far north as Canada, Shearon began to feel extremely lonely. By the time he made it to his destination of Haines, Alaska, he was on the verge of suicide. “I called the director of the recovery center,” Shearon said. “I was crying. I told him ‘I’m living my dream and I want to die.’” The director told him to go to a local AA meeting, where he met a man named Joe that offered to go through the 12 steps with Shearon. He agreed, and soon his outlook on life began to change. “I met a couple on a hike, and one of them was a former addict, too,” Shearon said. “They were so supportive. I had no idea there were so many people who struggled with the same issues that I did. Things started to make sense. I wanted to be helping other people. It gave me a new sense of purpose.” Now, Shearon is a real estate agent in New York. When asked what recovery has given him, Shearon simply answered, “Everything.”
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 3
Vigil / Students honor those who lost their lives
Left: Candles light up Alumni Grove. Right: Student organizations gather in unity to mourn shootings of unarmed civilians. continued from page 1 our communities negatively, and we could no longer just sit back without doing something,” said Renee Waldron, Chi Upsilon Sigma vice president and a senior business management major. Waldron knew it was time to shine a light on the issue and bring some awareness to the campus community. “We decided to get at least 50 names of the victims whose lives were cut short due to police brutality,” Waldron said. “We also wanted
to create a place where the TCNJ community could mourn as a collective unit.” The vigil brought together students with a common goal: to educate the community on police brutality and incite a call to action that would end the growing list of affected families and victims. “Standing in that circle, holding that name, lighting that candle — I had so many conflicting emotions. Sadness. Fear. Disgust. Indignation,” said Sarah Bennet, Black Student Union president and a sophomore elementary education
and math double major. “We went around the circle and said the name of each victim. My heart grew heavier and heavier as the names piled one on top of the other. I sensed the mutual pain emanating from each voice, (so much so) that it brought me to tears.” Sometimes it’s easy to think that such tragedies won’t happen to you or someone you know. But Mella Teshome, Black Student Union member and a sophomore communication major, learned that night that it can happen to anyone. “I saw how many of us there
were and how many names, and the fact that there are almost 2,000 people this year alone who have been killed by police is mind blowing,” Teshome said. “I want people to learn that this is a big deal. It can be your uncle, aunt, cousin, sister or brother. It can happen to anyone, and there has to be something done about it.” Though the mood was somber, Waldron was pleasantly surprised by the amount of students that came and the overwhelming support they showed. “We were very appreciative of
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
the support that we received from the TCNJ community, including student, faculty and even the police officers that are on campus,” Waldron said. The best part of the huge turnout was the reminder that the issue is important to everyone despite their differences. “We felt like we weren’t alone,” Waldron said. “Everyone that could and wanted change came out regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender or social status. We all came together as one and stood for something greater than ourselves.”
Transfer students find a new home at College By Elizabeth Zakaim Social Media Editor Being a transfer student means being adaptable, beating the competition and making big adjustments. “This year, we had almost 400 applications and we accepted about 180 students,” said alumna Kaitlin West (’15), one of the College’s admissions counselors for freshmen and transfer recruitment. West explained some of the factors that the College looks for in transfer student applications. “We believe that the transcript can most accurately tell us how well they will fare in an academic setting,” West said. According to her, the College looks for students with strong standardized test scores unless they’re applying with more than 45 credits. The school also likes to see letters of recommendation and resumes, which West said gives a little more information about who the students are, not just the grades they’ve earned. The recruitment process for transfers is not the same as it is for freshmen, as the two groups are almost the opposite. “Transfer events are very different from first-year events,” West said. “With first-year students, they are often very lost in the college process. They are usually unsure of what they want to do or even where to begin. Transfers usually already know what they want (in regard to their majors and minors, for example) so conversations with them are usually very direct and concise.” Senior journalism and professional writing major Hannah Fakhrzadeh transferred to the College last year. She started her freshman year at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Teaneck, N.J. After one semester there, she transferred to Middlesex Community College to earn her Associate’s Degree in English and then transferred to the College for her Bachelor’s in journalism. She said that she is glad to
have left FDU. “I didn’t like the professors,” Fakhrzadeh said. “It just didn’t really suit what I was looking for. It was a small enough school, but still, I had a lot of professors that showed up late and that I felt didn’t really care.” Fakhrzadeh said that given the chance to go back, she would have applied to the College as an incoming freshman. “I wish I had started here from the beginning,” Fakhrzadeh said. “I made the mistake of applying to 11 schools. I think when I decided on Fairleigh, I accepted just to get the decision over with. I would have started here if I had known as much as I know now.” This year, sophomore biology major Anshel Bright transferred from Baylor University in Texas to the College. He originally decided to go there because of the school’s good reputation and a scholarship they had offered him. As a New Jersey native, he experienced a bit of a culture shock when moving down south. In Texas, open-carry laws for weapons are the political norm. “Baylor is a private institution, but in other public universities in Texas, they’ve legalized open-carry laws, so students are allowed to openly carry their weapons to class,” Bright said. Bright was quick to fill out a survey Baylor sent around to the students about how they felt about students being able to bring weapons into class. Coming to the College exposed Bright to a different side of the political spectrum. “TCNJ is a very liberal school in the northeast — something I was more accustomed to since I’m from here — while Baylor has very conservative ideals and motivations,” Bright said. “One way (the College) shows its position is by the people they invite to speak here. They have Bill Clinton, Laverne Cox — those are all political motivations that do highlight TCNJ’s liberal stance.” Bright explained that even Baylor’s
approach on their student’s sexual activity differed greatly. He admires the way the College is more open-minded about its students and their different perspectives. “Texas policy is abstinence, abstinence, abstinence,” Bright said. “Here, it’s very different because you know students are going to conduct themselves in any manner they feel like, whether or not you are going to impose these laws.” Overall, Bright is satisfied with his decision to return to his home state and is grateful for the academic advantage he has here. “I was definitely looking for smaller classes, which (the College) had a really good reputation for,” Bright said. “That’s where TCNJ really shines because since it is a small school, they have the ability to pay closer attention to its students.” With smaller classes, students at the College can take advantage of the available academic opportunities. Patrick Hall, a junior criminology major and
transfer student, was attracted to the school’s academic eminence. “Primarily, I think TCNJ students are far more determined, serious and academic than in other institutions of higher education,” Hall said. Last year was his first year at the College after starting out at St. John’s University in New York City, and then a semester later, he transferred to Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). After two semesters at RVCC, he transferred to the College. Not one to settle for anything less than a challenge, he chose the College because of its academic rigor. “My other schools were not like this,” Hall said. “Both of them were composed of students who were far less concerned with their grades, which in turn created a much less positive environment. Ultimately, I think this school consistently see TRANSFER page 4
Transfer students come to the College for everything it offers.
File photo
page 4 The Signal September 28, 2016
Fair / Students and employers meet and greet
Left: The Opportunities Fair takes place in the Recreation Center. Right: A student meets a potential employer. continued from page 1 has produced. Kaplan took advantage of the fair to find a job following graduation. After handing her resume to a recruiter from Appraisal Economics, an international business valuation company, she was contacted for an interview and is currently an associate at the company. “It is all about going up to recruiters and really taking the initiative,” Kaplan said. “You need the confidence to say, ‘This is who I am and this is what I am interested in.’”
Meeting an employee in a setting like the Opportunities Fair is something people remember and it makes a student’s resume stand out among others, according to Kaplan. “It’s really great to get your face out there and to get our name out there,” Kaplan said. For all students, it is really important to build connections before graduation because an internship has the possibility of turning into a full-time position. Tanya Swartz and Alyssa Burke, from Pickering Corts & Summerson, a professional
engineering and land surveying company, have attended the College’s opportunities fairs for the past four years. According to the duo, “(their) last four interns have been offered fulltime positions.” Burke, who originally began at the firm as an intern, said it is important to create connections because “most of the time, internships turn into something more.” The fair offers students at the College a variety of job opportunities and for many students, the connections they create will develop into a life-long career. However, some students thought the
Joanna Felsenstein / Staff Photographer
College failed to diversify its vendors. Zanetti struggled to find vendors that could offer her a career relating to biomedical engineering. “There was really only one table for my major,” Zanetti said. “The fair is catered a lot to business majors.” Even though Zanetti did not think she found her lifelong career path at the Opportunities Fair, she still had the chance to gain experience by talking to recruiters before going into actual interviews. “Also, at the end of the day, I did get some free pens,” Zanetti said.
Transfer / Many students join the pride continued from page 3
pushes me to achieve my full potential, and that’s why it’s far different, and better, than my previous two.” Another RVCC transfer, junior psychology major Nick Veronsky, said that community college was a lot like high school. “I would drive there everyday and come back home,” Veronsky said. “Here, it’s a lot different, which I really like. It’s more of a community where school and relationships with friends and professors all meld together into one.” Veronsky prefers to work and relax outside where he can appreciate the warm weather while it lasts. “Instead of there being a place for work and a place for home, it really becomes one and you can pick and choose when you want to do something like go to class or just relax.” Despite the freedom, he also feels a lot of pressure at the College that he didn’t feel at his community college. “At RVCC, I felt like I had more time to figure things out,” Veronsky said. “The people there were also in the same boat as me, so the amount of pressure this year is different. That school was my stepping stone, but this is where I feel like I need to be and this is where I’m going
Connor Smith / News Editor
Transfer students are active on campus.
to form my future. I have a major, I’m very studious, but I guess coming in as a transfer student, I feel like some people are ahead of me because they’ve had more time to connect with the school and faculty.” Andrew Fenwick, a junior political science major who transferred from Bergen Community College, also feels like he’s missed out on what students who have been here since their freshman year experienced. “I get the initial feeling of being late to the party when I got here,” Fenwick said. “I’m only here for two years and I’m a little envious of the other students who get to be here longer.” He also misses the relationships he built at community college. “I had great relationship with my professors at Bergen Community College, and wanted to have the same feeling in my next school,” he said. “I didn’t want to be another number in a classroom filled with 200 other students.” He was grateful for the education he received there, which helped him get to where he is now, at the College. “The faculty members were so set on student success and helped us any way possible to get into our dream schools,” Fenwick said. “The administration was so willing to have students come up and talk about issues with them. It was a very open atmosphere at Bergen and everyone there was willing to help you out.” Luckily, the small classroom sizes at the College are exactly what he needed. To help him and other transfer students with the pressure of the transition are the College’s Griffins, or mentors, who were once transfer students themselves. Griffins are usually paired with students majoring in the same school as them. They are there as mentors to help smooth over the difficult transition. “Being a Griffin is my favorite thing about being at TCNJ,” said Allie Clapp, a senior biology major. “It has brought me the most joy, and I think it genuinely ‘saved’ me. I felt like I had no place on campus and being a Griffin makes me feel like me being a student at TCNJ has a purpose outside of being a student. I hope to help other people have a better chance at transitioning than I did.” Clapp was able to empathize with her mentees because she knew how hard it can be to make the transition.
“When I transferred last fall, there was no Welcome Week or weekend,” Clapp said. “We moved in the same time as everyone else and were expected to basically figure it out. I made so many mistakes not knowing what to do, so it feels good being able to help new transfer students transition to TCNJ. I am able to share all the struggles and mistakes I made that made transferring so difficult.” Her job as a Griffin involves sending out weekly emails to students and meeting at least twice a month for an hour to discuss their adjustment. Mostly, it’s Clapp’s job to form a relationship with those students willing to reach out. “The most important part of my job is making sure the students feel comfortable at TCNJ,” Clapp said. “I think being a resource and even a friend is also a valuable part of my job. I try to be a friendly approachable person so the transfer students feel comfortable asking me questions. I try to make myself available or make time for anyone who wants to meet me.” Going through the transfer process can be tough, according to several of the transfer students. Still, they believe it was a worthwhile transition. “It seems daunting to transfer from a new school,” Fakhrzadeh said. “It was hard for me to adjust at first, but once I got used to the campus and the people and the professors, it was a lot easier.” It wasn’t easy for Fakhrzadeh to adjust to the three different schools she went to, but she learned a lot about the diversity each campus presented. She realized an easy way to avoid the transfer nightmare: do your research. “Before committing to a school, it’s important to make sure you know enough about it first, and that you’re not deciding just to decide,” Fakhrzadeh said. Veronsky learned the same lesson as a transfer student. “Get familiar with the school you’re going to and don’t just think you know everything about it right away,” Veronsky said. “You might know how to go to college, but not enough about the college you’re going to.” If you’re a transfer student looking for support, Transfer Student Drop-in Group begins this week and will be held in room 107 in Eickhoff Hall on Fridays at 11 a.m.
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 5
New fountain appears off Pennington
Aims to ensure proper water storm runoff
By Michael Battista Staff Writer
While turning into the College’s main entrance on Pennington Road, some have noticed a new fountain structure in one of the retention ponds on the left side of the gate. It turns out this structure isn’t a fountain at all, but an aerator used to help circulate water. The aerator, which was constructed as a condition for Campus Town, was made in order to ensure proper storm runoff, according to Head Media Relations Officer Tom Beaver. “PRC group, the developer of Campus Town, paid for the retention pond,” Beaver said. “It was a requirement for Phase I to ensure the adequate management of stormwater runoff, and was expanded slightly when Phase II was constructed to accommodate the additional development.” Beaver also said that while the pond has a practical function, it serves multiple purposes. “The fountain within the retention pond is both ornamental and functional, intended to agitate the water to improve water quality and prevent organic matter from settling at the surface of the pond,” Beaver said. A retention pond is used to retain water at all times, so the one located on campus helps capture the runoff water from rainstorms. The purpose of the aerator is to help keep algae or other matter from sustaining life on the water.
The new structure at the Pennington Road entrance is an aerator. However, Beaver said this should not cause alarm among students who may worry about the water quality around the College. “Aerators are commonplace in retention ponds, and the decision to include one, in this case, was not brought about by existing water quality concerns, but rather to limit the likelihood of such problems emerging down the road,” Beaver said. Beaver also said the aerator is one of many efforts the College is making to
‘go green.’ Implementations like the new electric vehicle charging stations in Lot 7 are all part of a plan started by College President R. Barbara Gitenstein. “All of this comes on the heels of President Gitenstein’s signing of the Presidents’ Climate (Commitment) Committee, a compact of college presidents from across the country that are taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint on their respective campuses,” Beaver said.
Randell Carrido / Staff Photographer
While this new addition has multiple purposes, the College has two more large water sources on campus — Lake Sylva and Lake Ceva. With the two lakes in mind, Beaver said that any additional aerators would not come from the College, nor would it come from Campus Town. “Currently, there are no plans to install aerators in any of the other lakes on campus,” Beaver said.
CHANGING MAJORS? The School of Engineering is accepting change of major/program plan applications for TCNJ students (including current engineering majors) interested in the following programs: Biomedical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Engineering Science (management or policy & society specializations) Mechanical Engineering Technology Education iSTEM Change of Program/Plan (Change of Major) forms are available online http://recreg.pages.tcnj.edu/forms/
Completed applications are due by Friday, October 7, 2016 in Armstrong 147 Acceptance depends on available space and previous academic performance. Decisions will be available to students by October 17, 2016 For more information about our programs, visit www.tcnj.edu/~engineering Questions? Please call 609.771.2779
page 6 The Signal September 28, 2016
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 7
Nation & W rld Perpetrator of tragic mall stabbings identified
AP Photo
Eight people have been injured during the stabbing. By Rohan Ahluwalia Staff Writer Not long after calling for “lone wolf” attacks, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) might have obtained what it wanted from Dahir Adan, the suspect of an attack in Minnesota last Saturday, Sept. 18.
According to BBC, Adan, who was a 22-year-old Kenyan-born Somali man, was shot and killed by an off-duty officer after stabbing eight people at the Crossroads Center in St. Cloud, Minn., which is located 70 miles from Minneapolis. According to officers, none of the injuries sustained by victims
were life threatening. Adan, who was identified as the attacker by his father, reportedly entered the mall at around 8 p.m. dressed in a security uniform and made references to “Allah” before starting his attack. According to St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson, Adan asked at least one person if they were Muslim before starting his attack, according to CNN. Ashley Bayne, a mall employee, was visiting a coworker at the time of the incident, according to CNN. “All of sudden, chaos just broke out,” she said the day after the attack. “There was a bunch of people running into the JC Penney’s mall entrance, and they were just screaming that someone was going around the mall stabbing people, and that there was blood everywhere. It was just honestly a really scary experience.”
IS was quick to claim that Adan was one of the group’s soldiers, but the FBI have said that they could not find any link between Adan and IS. “We still don’t have anything substantive that would suggest anything more than what we know already, which is this was a lone attacker,” Anderson told CNN. “And right now, we’re trying to get to the bottom of his motivations.” According to the New York Post, IS is known to have claimed responsibility for past attacks that were not planned by the organization themselves. In response to local reports that identified Adan as a Muslim, members of the Muslim community held a conference the day after the attacks. They expressed their grief and called for unity among all Muslims and non-Muslims. Since the attack, there has been a
major concern about backlash toward Muslims, especially in St. Cloud, which is home to one of Minnesota’s biggest Muslim immigrant populations. However, the St. Cloud community has experienced conflict from both Muslims and non-Muslims. “We are also concerned about the potential backlash,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in Minnesota, according to CNN. “We understand in St. Cloud, there is more antiMuslim organizing and we hope they do not use this incident to divide... our community.” According to BBC, all but one of the victims have been released from the hospital. Meanwhile, the FBI is calling the attack “a potential act of terrorism,” but have not released any more details.
Iraqi forces close in on last ISIS-held city By Gabrielle Beacken Staff Writer Supported by the U.S., plans for Iraqi troops to reclaim the country’s second largest city controlled by ISIS may take place this October, according to CNN. The fight to take back Mosul, Iraq, is anticipated to be a difficult feat, as it has become an important and strategic base for ISIS. To supplement Iraqi forces attempting to liberate the city, hundreds of U.S. troops have arrived at an air base near Mosul, according to CNN. In preparation to take back Mosul, Iraqi forces have taken back a northern town, Shirqat, where, according to Al Jazeera, one civilian and five security personnel were killed. The recapture of this town is seen as a military “stepping stone” in taking back Mosul, Al Jazeera reported. “Shirqat is important… We can’t move on Mosul and have terrorists control Sherqat,” Joint Operations Command spokesperson Yahya Rasool told AFP news, according to Al Jazeera. “We are making
good progress.” An additional U.S.-led coalition took place in Qayyarah, where this past July, the U.S. helped Iraqi troops recapture its air base from the grasp of ISIS, CNN reported. American troops based at the Qayyarah air base offer logistics and supplies to support Iraqi forces, CNN said. “When the (Iraqi Security Force) is ready to move on in their operations to get after Mosul, we’ll be prepared to support that, and the airfield will be ready,” Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said, according to CNN. “The secretary (of defense) has made clear that our forces in Iraq are in harm’s way. Everyone who is serving there is in a dangerous situation.” The Pentagon has reported that while there are thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq assisting and arming soldiers, the design to recapture Mosul does not “plan on directly sending U.S. troops into combat,” CNN reported. Mosul has become a hotbed for ISIS fighters, according to Al Jazeera, as there
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US troops will support Iraq’s efforts to liberate Mosul. are estimated to be 3,000 to 4,500 presently living in Mosul. Before ISIS’s takeover of Mosul in 2014, there was an approximate population of two million people, while Al Jazeera notes that the present population is hard to discern, the United Nations have predicted that about 1 million civilians “may still be living under ISIS rule.” In anticipation of this upcoming attack, thousands of leaflets have been dropped in Southern Mosul by Iraqi security forces.
CNN reported that these leaflets warn citizens, such as those that read, “Protect yourself, don’t be human shields for the enemy, leave the town immediately.” Citizens have been warned because both Iraq and U.S. forces are expecting the recapture of Mosul to be very challenging. “There is still a tough fight ahead against an adaptive enemy that will try to challenge us as we hone in on Mosul,” Harrigian said, according to CNN.
Suspect of NYC and NJ bombings arrested
AP Photo
Rahami is believed to be connected to the crime. By Pooja Paidipalli Correspondent The man suspected in the New York City and New Jersey bombings was captured following a shootout with New Jersey law enforcement officers. CNN reported that authorities believe Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was directly linked to the bombings, and the investigation continues to look into whether or not he had an accomplice. After initially assuming there was no link to international terrorism, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “We have every reason to believe this was an act of
terror,” according to CNBC. On Saturday, Sept. 17, a bomb exploded in Chelsea, N.Y., injuring 29 people. According to CNN, the bomb was caused by explosives placed in a pressure cooker that was left in a dumpster. The explosion thrust the dumpster nearly 100 feet in the air and shattered windows nearly 400 feet from the ground. A second device found, which contained similar components, included fingerprints that led the authorities to Rahami. On the following night, USA Today reported that the Elizabeth, N.J., police department was notified about a bag in a trash can near a train station containing five explosive devices. Later that night, an FBI bomb squad sought to disarm one the bombs when it exploded. CNN said that the bomb technicians took the remaining devices to an FBI laboratory in Virginia for further investigation. According to USA Today, after identifying Rahami through the fingerprints found on the unexploded N.Y.C. bomb, the FBI issued a wanted poster, warning the public that he “should be considered armed and dangerous.” On Monday, Sept. 19, following the poster release, a bar owner in Linden, N.J., recognized Rahami sleeping in his doorway and immediately called the police. CNN reported that when law enforcement arrived at the scene, Rahami responded by opening fire with a handgun and shooting two officers before being captured. The foot chase
concluded after the police shot Rahami multiple times. When arresting him, the police found a journal on Rahami in which he praised “Brother Osama Bin Laden” and declared that “the sounds of bombs will be heard in the streets.” Rahami was taken to the hospital for surgery and the two officers were also taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, Rahami’s father told reporters with CNN that he talked to the FBI two years earlier after a violent domestic dispute that ended when Rahami stabbed a relative. Despite the father initially stating to the FBI that he believed his son was a terrorist and later worrying that his son was involved in criminal activity, the FBI never interviewed Rahami or placed him in any database or terror watch list. CNN’s investigation showed that Rahami came to the United States in 1955 with his father, who was seeking asylum, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2011. He travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the past few years, and married a Pakistani woman when he was there in 2011. His wife was in the United Arab Emirates during the bombings and is working with U.S. officials. Rahami was charged on Tuesday for five counts of attempted murder, second degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. Additionally, he was charged with destruction of property, bombing a public place and using a weapon of mass destruction. His bail is set at $5.2 million.
page 8 The Signal September 28, 2016
Editorial
Grades are important, but focus on you, too
College can be a stressful place. You need to balance courses, extracurriculars, a social life and more, but keeping a level head through it all isn’t always easy. Even those who have the best time management skills have moments of anxiety or distress. It’s only natural, and you don’t need to be professionally diagnosed to take care of your mental health. As important as it may seem to maintain a high GPA, there should be one thing that always comes first — you. I’m not suggesting you completely disregard the reason you’re at college because despite the overall experience, you’re here to get a degree. However, before you can get that degree, both your body and mind need to make it through these four years. It may be easy at times, but work will often be difficult, you will feel stressed and you need to take the proper precautions. If you don’t have a healthy diet or you don’t sleep on a regular schedule, your stress levels will be significantly worse when work gets too tough to handle. It seems obvious, but living a physically healthy lifestyle will help you live mentally well, too. So when the anxiety arrives or the stress shows up unannounced, you can be prepared to deal with it and act accordingly. Of course, the way each person deals with mental health issues varies. Whomever you may be, having a hobby that you can do by yourself may help. Little activities like coloring, drawing and writing can be relaxing tools to distract your mind after a long day of hard work. When I have moments of anxiety, I always listen to music. It’s an escape. I lay down, focus my mind entirely on the music and I forget about everything else for awhile. It’s not for everyone, but that’s how I ease my mind. If these don’t quite appeal to you, obviously, there are so many other healthy coping strategies. Even if alternative techniques work for you, some people might need extra help. You shouldn’t feel afraid to reach out for professional help. The College has Counseling and Psychological Services on campus to schedule an appointment if you need to seek out expert guidance, and there are always off-campus professionals. I highly suggest you find what’s right for you because you should make the most of your four years in college. Don’t let issues with your mental health stop you from living life to the fullest. - Sean Reis Arts & Entertainment 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, Sports, Review and Social Media editors and the Business and Production managers, 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.
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Students can use different coping mechanisms like coloring to manage their stress in addition to seeking professional help.
Quotes of the Week tcnjsignal.net Email: signal@tcnj.edu Telephone: Production Room (609) 771-2424 Business Office (609) 771-2499 Ad Email: signalad@tcnj.edu
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“To see so many people sharing their ideas in one spot, ideas that I’ve never really heard people share so openly and creatively, is such an honor and quite eyeopening. Live events like this really capture the purpose of slam poetry like nothing else can.” — Maria DeGenova, a freshmen visual arts major
“We went around the circle and said the name of each victim. My heart grew heavier and heavier as the names piled one on top of the other. I sensed the mutual pain emanating from each voice, (so much so) that it brought me to tears.”
— Sarah Bennet, Black Student Union president and a sophomore elementary education and math double major
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 9
Opinions
Sexual Assault: It’s no laughing matter By Mia Ingui
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Organized protests are a result of speaking up.
Last week, in the lobbies of Travers and Wolfe halls, and Allen, Ely and Brewster halls, students were asked to show support by writing anonymous letters to survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. As I entered Wolfe that day, I noticed most students passed up the desk as if it didn’t exist, while only a few stopped to write their anonymous messages. As I entered the cramped elevator to go up to my floor, I overheard the following conversation between three male students. “Man, it’s ironic that they didn’t let you say ‘no’ to that,” one said. Then there was laughter. “Right man? It’s awkward. Like, what was I supposed to write? ‘I’m sorry for your loss?’” More laughter. “Yeah, like, ‘Did it feel good?’” Even more disgusting laughter. When the elevator stopped at the fourth floor, I made the decision to get out and walk the last three flights of stairs, completely baffled and heartbroken by what I had just heard. Where is the love and compassion? I know it exists, since so many treat the ideals of anti-violence with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, though, all of those efforts are undermined by students like the ones on the elevator. So many are apathetic toward situations that simply “do not apply” to them. As long as these people exist, issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault may never come to an end. Here are some facts for those students on the elevator, or ones who think similarly to them. According to the College’s Anti-Violence Initiatives’s website, people between the ages of 16 and 24 years old are the most vulnerable to sexual assault, domestic or dating violence and stalking. This age
range targets one group more than any other: college students. One in five young women have been sexually assaulted while in college, and most college victims are assaulted by someone they know. This is a fact that will remain unchanged until we do something about it. There is some hope, though. At the College, there are many resources and programs for educating students about the dangers of violence and sexual assault. Groups like the Anti-Violence Initiative give presentations to students regarding what to do in certain violent or uncomfortable situations. They encourage students to be more than bystanders and to take action when it comes to preventing violence and sexual assault. The issue lies in the fact that the message is only as powerful as the students receiving it. To actively support a safe campus community, it takes the right, clear mindset. It isn’t enough to be educated on what to do when in a dangerous or potentially violent situation. The best method is, in fact, prevention. If the violence or assault never happens in the first place, the statistics disappear. Women and men alike no longer will live their lives feeling damaged or less-than, solely because they were a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or rape. To those boys on the elevator, I feel sorry for you — so out of touch with our world today, while you believe that you are such an influential part of it. I am to blame, too, though. I should have stood up to those guys and told them how absolutely ridiculous they sounded, how wrong it was of them to make fun of something so serious and ominously prominent in our little world here at the College. Next time, I will. Though it’s only one person, only just me, I will make a difference, and that is all that matters.
Apple makes major changes to iPhone 7 By Craig Dietel
Since Apple’s iPhone 7 hit the shelves on Tuesday, Sept. 13, it has received mixed reviews from critics. The biggest issue consumers seem to have with the new product is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack. However, the removal of that 50-year-old technology was actually a brilliant move.
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Apple’s shows off its new AirPods.
Apple is known for it’s innovation, and this is just another prime example of the courage and veracity it takes to be innovative. Skeptics will complain because now their headphones that utilize the 3.5 mm port will become obsolete if they want to upgrade their phone. This is simply not true. Apple provides an adapter in the box that allows customers to continue to use their old headphones, as well as the new standard Apple EarPods with a lightning adapter. Apple also released its new Bluetooth AirPods, which will offer a “game-changing listening experience” and promise to combine “crystal clear sound with a new sense of freedom,” according to Apple’s website. Sadly, this option comes at the high price of $150. In addition, removal of the headphone jack creates prime real estate on the phone for a plethora of new features, most notably, another external speaker. This was a much-needed update because the external sound quality of Apple phones has been dwindling compared to the competition. Now, with another speaker, Apple is able to utilize its new stereo speaker system, which, according to its website, is two times as loud as the iPhone 6S. Along with having a superior speaker system, ditching the headphone jack let Apple create its first-ever water- and dustresistant iPhone. According to its website, “You’re protected like never before against
The iPhone 7 is water resistant. spills, splashes and even dust.” By eliminating that extra opening in the phone, Apple was able to join the rest of the cell phone industry in creating waterresistant phones, something consumers have been asking about for years. Obviously, a lot of people are up in arms about this historic change in Apple’s iPhone lineup, however, there are easy fixes to their concerns that come at no cost to people who decide to upgrade this fall. Apple is known for its revolutionary ideas and the 3.5 mm audio jack is an aging technology. Things are moving in a wireless direction and have been for years. I would be willing to bet that in five years, the rest of the cell phone providers will end
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up removing the headphone jack from their phones, as well, in favor of a different port that allows better sound quality for digital audio files. It may not be the lightning port, but something else will eventually come along to replace that old technology. At some point, people thought that CDs and DVDs were the new thing, but now, everything is digital. Watch as Apple continues to be a pioneer in how consumers receive new technology. Apple does not make decisions that might bankrupt the company. Yes, it wants to make money on new adaptors and the like, but it also wants to build the best product — a product people love. I think they have done that with the iPhone 7.
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 September 28, 2016
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 11
Students share opinions around campus “Are people too casual about sexual assault jokes?”
Craig Dietel / Opinions Editor
Craig Dietel / Opinions Editor
Danny Almberg, a junior history major.
Olivia Marino, a freshman biology major.
“Yes, I think a lot of people take the issue lightly. People don’t know if someone has been affected by it.”
“I feel like they do because it’s people who haven’t experienced it and they don’t realized how it might affect people who have.”
“Is Apple’s removal of the headphone jack an issue?”
Craig Dietel / Opinions Editor
Sofia Charvet-Pena, a freshman technology education major.
“Yes because it is more work for people to get adapted to a new way of listening to music.”
Craig Dietel / Opinions Editor
Devlyn Cifuentes, a freshman deaf education major.
“Yes. For the most part they are limiting competition and what you can and can’t use.”
The Signal’s student cartoons of the week...
page 12 The Signal September 28, 2016
Features
Mariachi Grill brings Mexican cuisine to campus By Kayla Lafi Staff Writer
As you walk through Campus Town, you might hear the faint sounds of Mexican music. Follow it, and it will lead you to the front door of the Mexican Mariachi Grill. “The music is always playing because we want to create a comfortable and fun atmosphere,” said Eugenia Flores Ramos, co-owner of Mexican Mariachi Grill. “The music is both traditional Mariachi and more modern music, so it’s for everyone.” Ramos and her husband, Ricardo, decided they wanted to take part in the American Dream and opened their first Mexican Mariachi Grill seven years ago in Ewing, N.J. “We chose the name ‘Mexican Mariachi’ because Mariachi is about romance, love and remembrance,” Ramos read from one of the menus. “We want everyone to feel like family and to remember the tastes and smells.” The Mexican Mariachi Grill is a family-owned and operated business with three locations in Mercer County, N.J. The Campus Town location is the first and only quick-serve style restaurant. Its prices and menu items cater specifically to the fast-paced, college lifestyle. The Campus Town location is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, but closes at 9 p.m.
Randell Carrido / Staff Photographer
The Campus Town location caters to the College’s fast-paced lifestyle.
on Sundays. “We came to Campus Town to bring the students delicious and authentic Mexican food,” Ramos said. “We want to be a part of the community.” According to Ramos, the Campus Town location opened nearly a month and a half ago. Ramos and her husband are planning a grand-opening celebration for their third location. The Mexican Mariachi menu features family recipes that were passed down from Ramos’s mother, who grew up in Saltillo, Mexico. Ramos, her husband and their son, Ricardo Jr., switch between all three locations, where they prepare and cook the food, while also managing the restaurant. “Everything here is authentic, natural
and fresh. We serve natural drinks and Mexican drinks (like) Horchata, Jamaica and Tamarindo,” Ramos said. “We have a woman that comes in during the lunch time to make fresh tortillas for the customers. We will soon be serving Mexican-style street corn-on-the-cob.” The Mexican Mariachi Grill caters to the diverse needs and wants of its customers. There is something for everyone, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. Free tortilla chips and salsa are included with each meal. “We prefer to do it fresh and cook at the moment, rather than make a lot of food at once and have it sit there,” Ramos said. “That’s important to us — that our customers know everything is freshly prepared on-site.”
Although the Mexican Mariachi Grill is family-owned and operated, its owners have hired some student employees to help out at the Campus Town location. Other employees, like Esteban Lopez, have been working with Ramos’s family since 2010 at their first location. “I really enjoy this location because I get to practice my English by talking to the customers. I enjoy the fast-paced service,” Lopez said. “I think the response has been good so far from the area.” When asked about the most popular item on the menu, both Lopez and Ramos answered with the burrito, which can also be made into a Chipotle-style burrito salad bowl. Lopez prefers his burritos with pork and jalapeño peppers, whereas Ramos sticks to the vegetarian calabacitas burrito, which includes zucchini, corn, onions and tomatoes. “We do have jalapeños and habaneros for our customers who love spicy,” Ramos said. “We also have three different salsas: spicy, mild and volcano. Though our food is not spicy at taste, a customer can always ask for it.” The response from the Campus Town and College community has been overwhelming positive. “I love the guacamole from here because it’s so fresh,” sophomore accounting major Nicole Modafferi said. “Being that I am Mexican and it’s my favorite side dish, I am glad they know how to make it well.”
Asian Culture Night unifies student body
Left: Students get a taste of Asian culture. Right: Members of TCNJ Taiko showcase their skills at Asian Culture Night. By Melissa Natividade Staff Writer With cultural performances and music aplenty, Asian Culture Night, held in the Decker Social Space on Tuesday, Sept. 20, felt like round two of the College’s Student Involvement Fair, except with food — and lots of it. Organized by TCNJ Barkada, Asian Culture Night raked in some 100 people to get a taste, both literally and figuratively, of various Asian cultures and religions. The event was cosponsored by nine other Asian organizations on campus. “The purpose of this event when it first started two years ago was really to unite this community,” said Arianne Ramos,
Barkada president and a senior psychology major. “We wanted the event to get all of the Asian clubs collaborating and integrating because even though we all do our own thing, we definitely share a common thread. In the future, we want this event to be a way for Asian-American students on campus to get to know how they can get involved.” Whether students are interested in performance clubs, such as TCNJ Chinese Student Association’s Dragonflies and TCNJ Taiko, or culture-oriented clubs, such as Barkada and the Asian American Association, the possibilities are endless. There are even a few religion-based clubs on campus, including Barkada Blessed and the Asian American Christian Fellowship.
“This year, we also had religious groups like the Asian American Christian Fellowship come out,” Ramos said. “Obviously, culture is super important when getting in touch with your roots, but so is religion, so we thought that incorporating these clubs would definitely add to the event.” With all of the food and the cultural performances, it wasn’t surprising to find so many students packed into the Decker Social Space for the event. Even those with no Asian cultural ties came out to Asian Culture Night. “I actually don’t take any of these languages,” said Tom Balcavage, a junior economics major. “But a friend of mine told me about the event and I heard there were dumplings, so I figured why not? It’s been really nice so far,
though. I really like all the unity between the clubs and the students. It’s super casual.” With videos of their previous events circling on the projection screen in the background, Rebekah Chung, a junior urban education and psychology double major, told attendees about the College’s Asian American Christian Fellowship organization. “I think we’re a really different and interesting club,” Chung said. “We meet once a week like most clubs, but our main mission is to really just encourage each other. Each week we read a chapter and pray together, but in a very casual setting. What we want is for students to have a comfortable atmosphere to get to know this religion just a little bit better.” The goal of the event was to
Dave Colby / Photo Assistant
showcase Asian talent and deconstruct harmful stereotypes of Asian culture. “Like all of the clubs here, we really want to bring authentic Japanese culture to light,” said TJ Branin, a Japanese Student Association member and junior accounting major. “We want to showcase actual Japanese culture because even though we do incorporate the concepts of anime and sushi, there is a lot more to be learned from the culture.” Though the Indian Student Association could not make it out to this year’s event, Ramos said there are plans in the works to incorporate the group, along with some sororities, fraternities and dance groups associated with Indian culture, in next year’s Asian Culture Night.
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 13
: Sept. ‘04
Campus Style
German students join the campus
Elise Schoening / Features Editor
International students travel to Ewing, N.J., for an American education. Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories. Nearly a dozen Asian organization on campus came together this week for the College’s Asian Culture Night. The event showcased the varied experiences and cultures that encompass Asia. In 2004, a number of foreign exchange students traveled from Frankfurt, Germany to Ewing, N.J., for the academic year. The exchange students opened up about the differences between both nations. At one point or another during their college careers, a great number of students feel the urge to leave behind everything they know and explore a little bit of the world. Since so many students at the College get caught up in going abroad to places like Spain or Australia for a semester, it might come as a surprise that there are foreign students who want to leave their countries behind for Ewing. This semester, the College is hosting exchange students from a variety of different countries. The largest group though, is formed by the 12 students who will be visiting from the University of Frankfurt in Germany throughout the year. Thorsten Klonus, 23, Afsaneh Majdazari, 23 and Denise Donnebaum, 21, are three of the College’s exchange students. When asked why they decided to study in the United States, an application process that begins a year and
a half in advance, all said they believed they would gain a lot through the experience. “I came here because I wanted to learn about a different culture, a different school system, I’m getting away from regular life, it’s like an adventure,” Majdazari, a biology major, said. So far, the biggest change for the students has been settling into a school system that is so different from their own. According to Klonus, the German school system combines the undergraduate and graduate programs, into one giant program. For example, Majdazari is working towards a “diploma” that takes five years of schooling and would lead her into getting her doctorate and Donnebaum is working towards a German Master of Arts. Besides this, there are many smaller differences. For example, classes are structured differently. “Here college is your life. In Germany, you have life and then your studies. The university is just academic, not social,” added Donnebaum, an American studies major. Speaking of the College community, the exchange students all feel like they’ve been welcomed with open arms. Everyone is curious to learn about the foreigners and their culture.
Celebritease
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Where were you the day Angelina Jolie announced that she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt? It is a question that will probably be asked for generations to come, and one that Jennifer Aniston will either be really excited to answer or will stay mum on when it’s brought up. In a statement released by Jolie, the marriage is over due to irreconcilable differences. According to TMZ, those differences were linked to arguments over their kids, substance
By Jillian Greene Columnist
This week, we’re catching up on the latest from every fashionista’s favorite event: New York Fashion Week. Always filled with competitive designers, funky clothes and the latest trends, this highly-anticipated showcase turns many heads. This year, the event was held from Tuesday, Sept. 7, to Thursday, Sept. 15, right over the bridge in the Big Apple. With over 100 designers, countless models and thousands of new outfits, New York Fashion Week is definitely something you want to follow. But if you were too busy studying, don’t worry — I’ve got you covered. According to Fashionista, this year’s fashion show exposed at least nine new trends. Famous designer Ryan Lobo revealed that this season’s styles have been “about clothes that are happy or that make women happy,” and yes, that makes me happy.
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Primary-colored stripes are an emerging fashion trend.
Pitt family calls it quits
Jolie files for divorce and seeks custody of her children. By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Columnist
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There is no shortage of strange styles at New York Fashion Week.
The first of many trends that were prominent on the runway this year was primary stripes. The bold, bright colors are an easy way to make a statement. I’m not too sure if I would enjoy wearing primary stripes since I love neutral colors, but it could be fun to mix it up a little. Along with the primary-colored stripes, one color that stood out at New York Fashion Week is pink — all different shades, from blush to neon pink, could be found on the runway this year. We also saw a lot of cool, white sweatshirts that balanced out all the pink. Now this trend is more my style. A white crewneck is a basic staple that every closet should have. This year’s fashion show also featured a variety of robes. You heard that right — fancy bathrobes made their way to runway. Those of you reading at home in your sweatpants and robes do not need to feel bad, as it seems comfort is back in style this season.
abuse and anger. Jolie is seeking physical custody of the couple’s six children, but will allow visitation rights to Pitt. She will not be asking for child support. Supposedly, Pitt has yet to see the children since the news broke, which might be related to the recent rumor that child services is investigating an allegation that Pitt physically abused his oldest son, Maddox. In the wake of the couple’s divorce, Pitt’s co-star in the upcoming film “Allied,” Marion Cotillard, has responded to cheating allegations. Despite the similarities between Jolie’s
and Pitt’s beginnings after his divorce from Aniston and the rumors that Pitt had now fallen for Cotillard on set, Cotillard was quick to stop the story. In a lengthy Instagram caption, Cotillard stood firm on being in love with her long-time boyfriend, and announced that she is pregnant with their second child. She wished the divorcing couple a swift recovery and hopes that they find peace. While Jolie announced that she would not be commenting and asked for privacy via her attorney, Pitt released a statement for himself. “I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids,” Pitt said. I hope that someday Jolie and Aniston can sit sipping Smartwater and laugh about all of this because they have both found inner peace. I also hope that I get invited to this gathering. In happier news, Adam Levine and his wife Behati Prinsloo welcomed their first child on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Levine showed off his daughter, Dusty
Rose Levine, on Instagram three days after her birth. Olivia Wilde, who is expecting her second child with fiancé Jason Sudeikis, announced via Twitter that it will be a girl. She broke the baby news while also endorsing Hillary Clinton. The actress shared Clinton’s latest campaign video, which shows various footage of young girls as sexist comments from Donald Trump play in the background. “As someone who is about to have a daughter, this hits me deep in my core. #NeverTrump,” Wilde tweeted. Another famous daughter
was caught being adorable via Snapchat on Friday, Sept. 23. North West, daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, was a flower girl in a recent wedding, according to her mother’s social media posts. The 3-yearold was seen dancing along to Daft Punk and playing with “flower dogs” at the wedding. It’s surprising she didn’t break the internet from cuteness. “We have the best cast that I think ever has been assembled,” Benioff said, and in my opinion, he’s not wrong. Kit Harington, if you’re reading this, congratulations!
Wilde announces her second child will be a girl.
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page 14 The Signal September 28, 2016
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 15
Arts & Entertainment
Dutch artist visits College for series
Art exhibited from NYC to Amsterdam
Left: Students listen to Kruithof’s lecture. Right: Kruithof discusses her world-renowned artwork.
By Khadijah Yasin Staff Writer
World-renowned artist Anouk Kruithof came to the College on Wednesday, Sept. 21, to talk about her artwork for the Visiting Artist Lecture. At first look, Kruithof — a petite blonde with youthful features — seemed almost too young to be so accomplished. Originally from the Netherlands, the Dutch artist is soon to be based out of Mexico City, but currently works in New York City. Her work has been exhibited at extraordinary art museums around the globe, such as the Museum of Modern Art, Moscow’s Multimedia Art Museum and Amsterdam’s the Stedelijk Museum, among many others exhibits.
Alongside the numerous exhibitions in which Kruithof’s art has been displayed, she has also published many collections of artwork, which have been included at a multitude of public collections from New York to the Netherlands. Daunting, beautiful, completely whimsical — Kruithof’s artwork covers all spectrums of moods and genres. “I feel quite liberating in the ideas of transferring my ideas into art,” Kruithof said. The artist explained in further detail how different aspects and events in her life affect the art she creates. She uses everything and anything to add the depth she desired in her works. “I kind of worked with everything I found there,” she
said. “I was building temporary installations and I invited everyone in the building, even people I didn’t know, to react to what I build.” Kruithof captured this kind of genuinity and raw emotion by taking candid photos of people looking at her art, which she has added into her collections as another aspect of the art. In Kruithof’s pieces, every detail was strategically planned and thought out before her final presentation, even as miniscule a detail as whether the collection’s book should be bound or loose. “I decided to not bind it, so the book was on the verge of falling apart, just like the time,” Kruithof said about her work “Playing Borders This Contemporary State
Meagan McDowell / Staff Photographer
of Mind.” Every facet of Kruithof’s work has meaning, whether it be blatantly obvious or interlaced throughout the pages, which not many artists can accomplish. Kruithof always takes it a step further with her art by featuring places with a history and an intriguing background, as well as seeking out people who have experienced that sort of feeling she aims to depict in her art. Specifically, this was seen in her one project “Blackout.” Kruithof began by alternating pitch black images with other grimm, black-and-white images of a dark room, black sink and other inanimate objects. The artist then transitioned the images to people dressed
in black in a dark room. Each person has a compelling history of depression and have all experienced the darkness of being alone and feeling empty. Kruithof wanted to delve into that raw emotion — that emptiness and blackness — so she made the artwork that much greater when she added that layer of meaning represented by the person in her pictures. As Kruithof herself put it, her artwork is meant to be “very mysterious and very seductive.” Each piece has a different characteristic about it, and there’s a fascinating story within each one’s framework. Kruithof is a force to be reckoned with in the art world, as her work is truly one of a kind.
Event showcases Trenton’s overlooked talent By Eric Preisler Correspondent
The campus-community effort Trenton Makes Music, which documents the contribution of the Trenton, N.J., community to the music industry, started on Wednesday, Sept. 21, with the project’s first of four free public events. Wednesday’s event featured guest speakers Denyse Leslie, a Presbyterian elder, business consultant and local historian; Daniel Spalding, New Jersey Capital Philharmonic music director and conductor; Arthur Finkle, former cantor and local historian; and Professor Craig Hayes, gospel musician and radio host. The idea was dreamed up by journalism associate professor Kim Pearson and music associate professor Teresa Nakra. “The whole project is about documenting the largely undocumented history of music in Trenton,” Pearson said. Her hopes were to bring people with a common history together, including scholars, experts, musicians and artists. Part of what has made Trenton’s music history different than other cities was its integration of music education and performance at such a young age, according to Pearson. “Even if you were a minor you could get permission to play in some of the local bars and clubs,” she said.
Dash performs with Labelle & The Bluebelles at a concert.
This led to teenagers gaining professional music experience from other musicians and learning genres like jazz and classical music before they were even old enough to order drinks from the bars in which they were playing. Considering Trenton’s small size, the city’s schools have better formal music education compared to most other places, and so Trenton audiences can be more critical toward artists than audiences in New York City and Philadelphia, according to Pearson. Getting her musical career started by singing and receiving violin lessons from
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experts working within Trenton’s schools, Sarah Dash, a singer-songwriter from Trenton and a founding member of Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles, performed at the event. Dash has also performed with the Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and Laura Nyro, among many other famous musicians within the industry. Even today, Trenton High School continues to produce great musicians. Dash said the school recently partnered with VH1, which has been providing the students with instruments. “Everyone is born with a rhythm in
the body,” Dash said, and she hopes that these events “encourage a much greater art movement.” Dash also felt that the event was “a useful vehicle for anyone interested in Trenton.” In addition to enjoying Dash’s moving voice, Todd McCrary, an African American studies and liberal learning professor at the College, liked listening to the guest speakers. “I could tell they were experts in their field and gained a lot of information,” McCrary said. McCrary said a notable experience was hearing Finkle read excerpts from the “Book of Ezra” about blowing the ram’s horn, following a vision in Ezra’s head of how it would sound. Pearson was pleased with the informed conversations by the guest speakers, as well as the receptiveness and captivation of the audience. She said that there was “a great cross-cultural conversation” and that she was “struck by the diversity of the audience.” “My hope is that… it begins to create a platform for conversations across generations, across cultures,” Pearson said. Those who wish to support the Trenton community and learn more about its musical history can attend the Trenton Makes Music events over the course of the fall semester, which will be held in Mayo Concert Hall.
page 16 The Signal September 28, 2016
Slam Down the Walls: rhymes not required
Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor
The competition’s winner, Rachel Smith, performs poetry on a range of current issues. By Benjamin Zander Staff Writer The crowd’s claps and snaps echoed throughout Bliss Hall as students saluted the strengths of the poets who slammed down the walls. On Friday, Sept. 23, the College’s creative writing club, INK, held its semesterly slam poetry competition, Slam Down the Walls. Five talented students competed in the event, each of whom recited three original pieces that were then judged by three randomly selected members of the audience. Following the competition, a winner was crowned: Rachel Smith, a freshman communication studies major. “It’s really incredible,” Smith said after she clinched the win. “I had a bunch of people out to support me, so I was really happy that I could show them that I’m worth supporting.” Like everyone who competed that night, Smith’s motivation for writing poetry goes beyond personal catharsis. “A lot of my poetry is based on raising self-esteem and reflecting on myself,” Smith said. “I definitely use (poetry) as a platform to empower other women and bring attention to certain issues.” In her three poems, Smith referenced a number of issues, such as gun violence, gender inequality, racial injustice and the sexualization of young girls. Another poet was Ravin Mehta, a senior interactive
multimedia major. Mehta, who was a returning competitor, took part in the poetry slam last semester, as well. “I wanted to restore people’s belief in love,” said Mehta, who read romantic poetry for the competition. Mehta impressed the crowd when he recited the remainder of his first poem from memory after accidentally deleting it from his phone mid-performance. Mehta later described the poetry slam as a good outlet for him to share how he feels “deep down.” Kyle Siegel, INK’s co-president, the competition’s emcee and a senior English and biology double major, had similar feelings. “Slam Down the Walls is a platform for students to perform their original material in a supportive environment and become more comfortable with public readings of personal content,” Siegel said. Next to compete was another freshman, Missy Guerrero, a journalism and professional writing major. Guerrero’s poetry touched upon a few topics, ranging from heartbreak to “first world issues.” “My general message was to show other people that it’s possible to move forward,” Guerrero said. “I wanted people to understand that heartbreak is a horrible experience, but you can grow from it.” “With my last poem, I wanted to touch base on society as a whole,” Guerrero continued. “I wanted to show others that there’s so many beautiful things out there once you actually open your eyes.”
Maria DeGenova, a freshmen visual arts major, took the stage next. Her poems centered around her childhood and adolescence — her second reading was about how she felt when two of her friends tried to take their own lives. With her poetry, DeGenova hopes to get the gears turning. “Words mean different things to everyone, so I hope just to get people thinking and maybe even relating to what I talk about,” DeGenova said. “Maybe other people will start writing, too.” The event itself left DeGenova in awe. “To see so many people sharing their ideas in one spot, ideas that I’ve never really heard people share so openly and creatively, is such an honor and quite eye-opening,” DeGenova said. “Live events like this really capture the purpose of slam poetry like nothing else can.” The final competitor of the night was Lexi Guzman, a freshman psychology and women’s and gender studies double major. The first poem Guzman read was about remaining resilient despite dealing with depression. Her second poem compared being a girl to a battleground, where she pointed out how difficult it can be to grow up as a female in a world that often fails to value a girl’s self-respect, self-esteem, hopes and dreams. The final poem she read focused on struggling to deal with a friend’s descent into drug addiction. “My goal for someone listening to me would be for them to take away something personal to them,” Guzman said. “Hopefully (they) make a connection with the topics I’m speaking about — mental illness, feminism, addiction, etc.” Like many others, Guzman has found great value in the art form. “Slam poetry is great because I can talk about something personal,” Guzman said. “But someone listening can hear what I say and apply it to their life.” Lucky for Guzman, plenty of people were listening. There weren’t enough chairs to seat the huge audience, so students sat on the floor and stood at the back of the room. “I always really like Slam Down the Walls, and this semester’s in particular was very good,” said Maria Printon, a senior self-designed cognitive science major. “The competition was super close this semester — it was very exciting.” As winner of the competition, Smith, who won by a single point, will be opening with her poetry when nationally acclaimed slam poet, Danez Smith, comes to the College during the spring semester as part of INK’s Visiting Writer Series.
Brown Bag teaches technique to renew energy By Jennifer Goetz Web Editor An artist’s easel, complete with a canvas and a still-life subject, and a sleek, black Steinway & Sons piano sat onstage in Mayo Concert Hall — a perfect setting to learn about the Alexander Technique. This semester’s second Brown Bag, titled “The Alexander Technique: For Health, Happiness, SelfExpression and More” and hosted by the Department of Music, focused on how musicians and artists can learn to use this technique to alleviate physical tension to improve their abilities. William Barto Jones, who has been a fully certified Alexander Technique teacher for the past eight years, explained and demonstrated how this technique can benefit all different types of artists and people, alike. Barto is no stranger to the arts — besides serving as a teacher, he is a pianist, singer and former New York City opera vocal coach. Barto provided examples of some well-known individuals who practice or have practiced the Alexander Technique, such as George Bernard Shaw, John Dewey, Madonna, Paul Newman, Judy Dench
and Benedict Cumberbatch. The century-old Alexander Technique has to do with learning to decompress the body and be conscious of simple movements that can provide bodily relief. Lessons are usually 45 minutes long, in which certified technique instructors guide students through the process so they can become aware of the compression in their body and learn to release it. The technique can also improve breathing, circulation, digestion and more. It was created by Australian actor F.M. Alexander, who suffered from chronic laryngitis and invented this technique to improve his health. It has “(helped) instrumentalists and singers to perform with less stress and likelihood of injury,” according to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique on the technique’s website. This technique is also about “(reeducating) the mind and body” to renew energy for other activities. Rebecca Zhi, a senior fine arts and biology double major, described the technique as “good and relaxing.” Jones demonstrated the technique with Zhi and went through a typical lesson. All Zhi had to do was stand,
lie down, then sit up and stand again. These basic movements, with Jones specifically focusing on releasing any compression in Zhi’s neck and back, demonstrated how the technique improved these daily functions. Jones needed to guide Zhi through the technique and encouraged anyone interested in attempting the technique find an instructor. Once an instructor goes through it, then the student can figure out what their problem areas are and how to improve them. “F.M. Alexander figured it out on his own,” according to Jones. He added that “(having) experience (with an instructor) will give people awareness (to figure it out for themselves).” Jones asked Zhi to sit up afterwards and she was visibly sitting up straighter. Then he asked her to return to her painting and to feel the difference. “I feel more comfortable,” Zhi said. Jones asked Zhi afterwards to tell the audience how she feels working on her painting after trying the Alexander Technique. She described it as “interesting, more relaxed and less tense.” After demonstrating with Zhi, Thérèse DeGenova, a senior music
Mason Moran / Staff Photographer
Barto demonstrates the Alexander Technique.
performance major, preformed J.S. Bach’s “Sonata No. 1, Presto” on her violin for the audience. Although Jones didn’t have the time to work on the technique with DeGenova, Jones aided students this weekend in an effort to bring the technique to anyone interested. Eric Vanderzee, a senior music performance major, who knew about this technique prior to this Brown Bag, said he planned to attend Jones’s next session to learn more. Every individual is different, and
they are going to feel where the compressions are, Jones said. In the discipline, an instructor begins to see where the problems are for each person based on what art form they practice. Jones has experienced the benefits of the technique. He hasn’t had a cold in about two years and, since practicing the technique, he now stands taller. According to Jones, the technique is a way to solve body problems and is a way for the “mind and body to work together” as one.
Acoustic acts amaze at Alt show
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 17
David Colby / Photo Assistant
Carollo and Papadopoulos open the night.
By Sabrina Axelrod Correspondent
Three student soloist acts from the College showcased their immense individual talents at Traditions on Friday, Sept. 23, when they performed some of modern music’s greatest hits, while introducing their newest, original songs, as well. Hosted by CUB Alt and organized by CUB Alt co-Chair Max Falvey, a sophomore communication studies major, the show consisted of two duo groups and one soloist act — five total performers took the Traditions stage that night. The event was not the first concert hosted by CUB Alt this semester, however, the event was the first Student Soloist Night. Falvey was in charge of picking the performers. “I put it out to the public, and they responded,” he said.
“It was a good fit for tonight.” The first duo, comprising Peter Carollo, a senior finance major, and Steven Papadopoulos, a sophomore finance major, covered five modern hits to a crowd of eager students. As the pair performed songs like Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” and
“Marvin’s Room” by Drake, the crowd ate it up. The biggest reaction from the crowd, though, came during the duo’s closing song, “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. Together, the two set the stage for a night filled with talent. The second artist to perform was the night’s only true soloist, Jake Rubin, a senior communication studies major. Rubin covered a Foo Fighter’s song, but mostly dedicated his time onstage to play new, original music. Assisted only by his acoustic guitar, Rubin was unflinching during his set, even when a string broke mid-song. Rubin has been playing the guitar for 10 years and is also the frontman for Good Luck Spaceman, which played at CUB Alt’s Student Band Night last week. Rubin said he wanted to utilize Student Soloist Night as an opportunity to test
out his new music. Rubin plans to record a solo album with a folkier feel — a style much different from what his band normally plays. To end the night, Nelson Kelly, a junior history and secondary education dual major, and Alec Schactman, a junior management major, played five original songs from their band, Oral Support, without their band’s drummer. It was one of the first times the two played together as a duo, rather than their usual full band. All of the students in attendance seemed deeply invested in the music and eager to support their fellow peers, which made for a fun night to listen to the talent that the College has to offer. According to Falvey, CUB Alt’s next show will feature Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens from Modern Baseball on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Decker Social Space.
David Colby / Photo Assistant
Kelly and Schactman perform stripped down versions of Oral Support music.
Album ‘makes sense,’ despite the name By Michelle Lampariello Correspondent Ingrid Michaelson’s seventh and latest album, “It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense,” is a beautiful reflection of Michaelson’s recent struggles. After suffering from her own health complications, Michaelson lost both her mother and her dog before her marriage to musician Greg Laswell ended in February 2015. Michaelson channels her pain into the new record by mixing together ideas about moving on, drama and determination. The first track, “Light Me Up,” was written by Michaelson and a few collaborators only days after the death of Michaelson’s mother. The song is based around the idea of focusing on the present and becoming happy again. Michaelson references her mother in the second verse with the lyrics, “And I want to keep us all alive / And I want to see you with
my eyes / But I see you in the fireflies / And how extraordinary is that.” The theme of adjusting to change is also present in “Light Me Up,” which makes it a great track to start off the album because it highlights not only how Michaelson has changed, but also how her music has changed since her 2014 album, “Lights Out.” Michaelson’s mother is the subject of the album’s fifth track, “I Remember Her,” as well. Michaelson remembers her mother fondly, and sings about how her mother would “sing me lullabies / Gave me my hazel eyes / And then she’d call me beautiful.” The track is arguably the saddest song on the album, despite the influence of grief in every track. By the end of the album, the listener is left with the sense that Michaelson is empowered and independent following her divorce, but there is no silver lining after Michaelson lost her mother.
Michaelson’s music reflects her feelings of triumph over adversity.
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The sixth track, “Drink You Gone,” references Michaelson’s recent divorce. The line “How do broken hearts get strong?” is repeated throughout the slow, emotional track as Michaelson discusses how difficult it can be to move on from a broken relationship. “Drink You Gone” leaves the listener with the impression that Michaelson is still grieving over her divorce. However, the following track and also the album’s lead single, “Hell No,” suggests that Michaelson is not grieving at all. Lyrics such as “Am I gonna miss you / Hell no! / Baby watch me up and go” show an empowered Michaelson navigating through her struggles with her head held high. She acknowledges that sometimes her journey is hard with lyrics like “In my bed / Late at night / Thinking of how you held me tight / Will I be lonely when I wake? / Did we make a big mistake?” then she restates her mantra, “Hell no! / Baby watch me up and go.” Michaelson also references her mother numerous times in the track with the lyrics, “Mama said that boys like you / Never work out anyway.” “Hell No” proves that Michaelson is capable of channeling her grief for both her mother and ex-husband into her music, and even further into an ironically upbeat, catchy song that puts the listener into Michaelson’s spunky mindset. “It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense” is proof that tortured artists often produce the best work. Despite the recent struggles Michaelson has faced, she still manages to balance the album with both upbeat and slower, more emotional tracks. Michaelson’s “Hell No Tour” kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 6, and fans will certainly say “hell yes” to a chance to hear “It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense” live.
This week, WTSR staff members Corey Alicea and Rachel Miller highlight some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: Young the Giant Album: “Home of the Strange” Hailing From: Irvine, Calif. Release Number: 3rd Genre: Chill Poppy Rock Bagel Label: Fueled By Ramen Upbeat, pounding and melodic are just some ways to describe Young the Giant’s “Home of the Strange.” The third release from the Cali locals carries poppy synth tracks with a subtle rock backbone. Only on certain songs, such as “Jungle Youth” and “Something To Believe In,” does the rock take center stage, which isn’t a bad thing. “Home of the Strange” carries along relatable college lyrics such as not wanting to grow up and being left behind in a rich kid game. This third outing is perfect for the growing youth. Must Hear: “Amerika,” “Something To Believe In,” “Elsewhere,” “Jungle Youth” and “Silver Tongue”
Band: Dawes Album: “We’re All Gonna Die” Hailing From: Los Angeles Release Number: 5th Genre: Indie Rock Label: HUB Records On its fifth full-length album, Dawes makes a departure from its country-rock roots to something decidedly more alternative. The combination of smooth vocals and complex rhythms provides a commentary on mortality and taking comfort in the fact that “We’re All Gonna Die.” The theme is to keep perspective because nothing really matters that much anyway. Taylor Goldsmith leads with vocals and guitar, pulling in a little electric, backed by his brother, Griffin Goldsmith, on drums, Wylie Gerber on bass and Lee Pardini on keyboards. Must Hear: “One of Us,” “We’re All Gonna Die,” “Roll with the Punches” and “When the Tequila Runs Out”
page 18 The Signal September 28, 2016
Friday, Sept. 30
Brown Bag
Series
Discover • Learn • Connect
Communal Coping: How it Helps, How it Hurts and How We Heal
Sports
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 19
Women’s soccer reigns over the Pride By Michael Battista Staff Writer The Lions continued their undefeated season last week by scoring 15 unanswered goals in three combined games. The three clean sheets came against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, 3-0, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, then New Jersey City University (NJCU), 9-0, on Friday, Sept. 23, and Widener University, 3-0, on Sunday, Sept. 25. The College went into its game against NJCU Gothic Knights with the news that the NCAA Coaches’ Poll ranked the team 19th in the nation in Division III. However, senior midfielder Marissa Scognamiglio does not think the high ranking will get to players’ heads. “I think that we try not to look at the rankings too seriously,” Scognamiglio said. “Only because we don’t want it to dictate how we play… we try to brush it under the rug.” However, she did say that later on in the season, teams will start to care more about the national rankings since they determine who has home field advantage during the NCAA tournament.
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Liandis tallies her first and second goals for the Lions against NJCU. The team’s week of games started at the College against FDU-Florham, where the Lions were able to get off to a quick start. Just over two minutes into the game, senior forward Christine Levering was able to blast in a goal off a cross from junior midfielder Jessica Goldman. Only six minutes later, Levering was able to sneak another ball past the Devils goalkeeper to put the team up, 2-0.
The Lions outshot the Devils 14 to 1 in each half of the game, but the score remained the same after 45 minutes. The College had no issue getting in place for shots, but wasn’t able to finish on some inviting chances. Levering thinks the team could have done more, but gave the Devils credit for adapting as the game progressed. “I think we needed to stay more composed in the box throughout the game, but I also think they
started sitting back and reading how we were playing,” Levering said. “They did better throughout the rest of the game.” The Devils defense picked up after those two goals and managed to stop attacks early from the Lions. The second half looked as if it would end the same way as the first, with multiple shots that ultimately failed to be converted, until junior midfielder Kayla
Bertolino capitalized on a loose ball in front of the net in the 76th minute and scored. After the win, Levering looked toward the team’s next game against NJCU with a similar game plan. “Come out strong again,” Levering said. “Get quick goals and shut the team down in the beginning. Then I think we’ll be good to go.” The Lions came into Jersey City, N.J., with a 1-0 record in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) on Friday, and hoped to improve their record. Following Levering’s advice, the Lions attacked early and often against NJCU. After a foul in the Gothic Knights box in the 10th minute, Goldman converted a penalty kick to put the team up, 1-0. The College didn’t look back after that. Both Levering and freshman midfielder Despina Lianidis scored twice during the match, and the latter clinched her first career collegiate goals. Freshmen midfielders Joriam Rivera, Haley Bodden and Alexa Beatty also all scored against NJCU, and Rivera scored her first
see WINS page 20
Men’s Soccer
Lions hold their own in double overtime By Miguel Gonzalez Assistant Sports Editor
The Soccer Complex’s stands were dotted with members of the College’s greatest soccer teams on Saturday, Sept. 24 — the 1991 NCAA Division III National finalists and the 1996 NCAA National champions. The alumni were not disappointed, as they witnessed the current men’s soccer team thrash the New Jersey City University Gothic Knights in a 7-0 shutout. Despite accumulating an 8-1-1 record and leading the New Jersey Athletic Conference with 36 goals, the Gothic Knights were overwhelmed by the College’s aggressive offense until the final whistle blew. The home crowd cheered for junior midfielder Peter Dresch’s hat trick performance. In the 13th minute, Dresch dribbled past two Gothic Knight defenders and tapped in a goal with an assist from senior midfielder Nick Costelloe. Dresch followed with another goal in the 16th minute when he headed in a pass from sophomore midfielder/forward Nick Sample. The Gothic Knights immediately countered with three shots, including a close save by Lions goalkeeper Dan Walsh. “It is very nice having someone as tall as (Walsh) in net. His wingspan allows him to control aerial balls in the box and enables him to save shots that would be much more difficult for smaller keepers to handle,” said Domenic Polidoro, senior midfielder/defender. In the second half, the Lions mauled the Gothic Knights with five more goals on their way to a 7-0 victory. At the 53rd
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Dresch scores three goals against the Gothic Knights. minute, Dresch dribbled across three defenders and hit a fast ground shot toward the right post for his third goal. With a 3-0 lead, the Lions kept scoring as substitute changes were made. In the 61st minute, sophomore midfielder Joerg Jauk launched a free kick shot past the goalkeeper for the Lions fourth goal. Twenty minutes later, sophomore midfielder Aaron Conyer blasted a shot from right field for his first collegiate goal. Senior forward Thomas Hogue
padded the Lions lead with two more goals to complete the 7-0 shutout. The crowd was not as uproarious in Madison, N.J., where the Lions fought the Drew University Rangers on Wednesday Sept. 21. It was a grueling night for the Lions as they fought the Rangers across two overtimes. The Rangers scored first in the 10th minute when sophomore midfielder Anthony McMyne dribbled past the Lions defense and skipped through Walsh for
the goal. The Lions nearest scoring opportunity came at the 44th minute when sophomore defender Nick Provenzano leaped toward a corner kick pass. At the same time, Rangers goalkeeper Stephan Lukianov intercepted the pass for a save. Down 1-0 at halftime, the Lions maintained their offensive momentum before equalizing the score. For 30 minutes, the Lions offense produced six corner kicks. The shots paid off when Polidoro received a free kick at the 80th minute. Polidoro lobbed the ball and freshman forward Mateo Panizza charged in with a header shot for the tying goal. Afterwards, the Lions held off the Rangers until the end of regulation time. Walking into the pitch for overtime, both teams were in for another 20 minutes of close calls and narrow misses. In the first overtime, Costelloe shot high off the top post while freshman midfielder Sam Monaco saw his chance of winning the game blocked by a Ranger. Heading into their second overtime, the Lions continued their attack, but each effort was unsuccessful. A shot from junior midfielder Peter Dresch was blocked. Panizza and senior defender Clayton Flon shot high. Costelloe’s shot went wide right with two minutes remaining. Both teams settled for a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes of soccer. In the upcoming week, the Lions will play a pair of conference games starting with an away match against the Rutgers-Camden University Raptors on Wednesday, Sept. 28. On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Lions return to the Soccer Complex to compete against the RutgersNewark’s Scarlet Raiders at 1 p.m.
page 20 The Signal September 28, 2016 Field Hockey
Lions cannot catch Salisbury Seagulls By George Tatoris Sports Editor
With two losses against nationally-ranked teams this season, Lions field hockey knew that the No. 5-ranked Salisbury University Seagulls would be a trying foe when they faced them on Saturday, Sept. 24. “The most difficult challenge going against a strong team is staying composed and playing our game from the start,” junior defender Jacqueline Schwartz said. Unfortunately for the No. 9 Lions, Salisbury was also aware of this fact. The Seagulls came out aggressive, forcing Schwartz and the rest of the Lions defense to be fettered to their own net for the first half. A comeback in the second half was not enough to save the Lions from a 3-1 defeat to the Seagulls. Salisbury wasted no time with the Lions, scoring their first goal five minutes into the match. The defense kept the Seagulls off the board best they could. Senior defender Lexi Smith and Schwartz made defensive saves, while senior goalkeeper Kelly Schlupp accumulated two saves of her own. The Lions managed to hold the Seagulls off for a majority of the half, however, 27 minutes in, a Seagull scavenged the ball off the rebound from Schlupp’s second save and swiped it in for the goal. The Seagulls scored in the same manner five minutes later, scooping up a rebound from a blocked shot
The Lions are 4-3 after last week’s games. and finding the back of the net moments later. The Lions substituted Schlupp with junior Christina Fabiano to close out the half. The dismal first half did not leave the Lions hopeless in the second. “We played a hard first half with having to defend our goal for the majority of it,” Schwartz said. “Coming off the field for halftime we all got this spark of how urgent this game is for our team and to pick ourselves up.” The Lions unleashed a barrage of shots from Douglas, Smith, junior forward Elizabeth Morrison and
senior forward/midfielder Danielle Andreula. In less than four minutes, this quartet rattled off a total of seven shots. Unfortunately, Salisbury’s defense was rigid and Seagulls goalkeeper Tressie Windsor accrued four saves in the mayhem. Within the next 12 minutes, the Lions had five penalty corners while the Seagulls had four, but neither team was able to find the net. Finally, with under 10 minutes left in the play, the Lions got on the board. On their sixth corner, sophomore forward Taylor Barrett passed the ball to Smith on the left
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
side, who launched the ball past the Seagulls goalie. Smith made three more shots and the Lions had two more penalty corners in the final 10 minutes, but nothing stuck. The Lions lost, 3-1. “We had more opportunities to score this half. (A) majority of them were created by Lexi (Smith) who started the momentum of the second half with her goal,” Schwartz said. “Walking off the field today with another loss is upsetting but will make us stronger.” The Lions were outshot 13-0 in the first half, but turned things
around in the second, matching the Seagulls six shots with 14 of their own. After faltering in the first half, the Lions defense kept Salisbury off the board in the second. Defense played an important role in Tuesday’s game against Gwynedd Mercy University as well. They scored four out of five Lions goals while keeping the Griffins off the board leading to a 5-0 victory. The Lions were already two goals ahead thanks to freshman defender Cayla Andrews when Schwartz received a pass from Smith. Schwartz stumbled upon receiving the ball, but with less than 10 minutes left in the first half, Schwartz knew she had to put it in the net. “I had bobbled the ball with my reception, but knew it was my job to finish what I started. That is just what I did,” Schwartz said. “I followed my mistake and finished the ball in the back of the cage.” The goal helped the Lions end the half ahead, 3-0. In the second half, junior forward Elizabeth Morrison scored on a scramble in front of the net and Andrews completed her half trick off an assist from Andreula to bring the final score to 5-0. Schwartz attributed the win to team synergy. “The entire team worked very hard and worked together fluently on the field to create the win for our team,” Schwartz said. “We had each other’s backs and worked together.”
Women’s Soccer
Wins / Lions lambaste Gothic Knights, drown Devils
Left: Goldman contributes an assist against Fairleigh Dickinson. Right: The Lions fight off the Pride. continued from page 19 goal as a Lion. While the offense kept the ball in the Gothic Knights end, the Lions defense held their opponents to only two shots. The team traveled back to the College for its final game of the week’s long stretch against the Widener University Pride on Sunday. While they outshot their opponent just as they did in their previous games, the Lions were not as dominant on possession early in the matchup, and the Pride had chances to push into the team’s end. However, they were unable to convert any of these into shots.
The Pride defense was in great form. The team kept the Lions offense off balance throughout most of the first half and took the ball out of their own zone. The Lions pushed past this challenging defense in the 19th minute, when Scognamiglio was able to knock a shot past the Pride to put her team up, 1-0. The rest of the half saw the Pride and Lions battle across the field, yet neither were able to make a dent. Scognamiglio said playing with such a small lead wasn’t easy. “The one goal lead is probably one of the most dangerous leads to have in soccer, especially going into halftime,” Scognamiglio said. “In the last 25 minutes of
the first half, we couldn’t find the back of the net and we had a lot of opportunities.” Coach Joe Russo must have given a motivational halftime speech because his team came out swinging. Sixteen seconds in, junior midfielder Elizabeth Thoreson scored her third goal of the season unassisted. She caught the Pride off guard. The scoring didn’t stop there. The Pride committed a foul inside their own box in the 47th minute, which gave Goldman a chance to extend the lead with a penalty kick. She slammed the ball off her cleats and into the net, and boosted her team to a 3-0 lead that remained for rest of the game. The Lions now look toward their
Photos courtesy of Sports Information Desk
next game, an NJAC matchup against Rutgers-Camden at home on Wednesday, Sept. 28. It is part one of a Rutgers double-header, as the team travels to Newark, N.J., to face Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, Oct. 1. Scognamiglio said she and the team are ready for the challenges. “We treat them like any other conference game,” Scognamiglio said. “It doesn’t really matter who we play in the NJAC — we come out the same way. What’s important is getting three points and a shutout… Going into those games, (we need to) focus on our strengths, which is possession and making sure we play our game with high intensity.”
September 28, 2016 The Signal page 21 Cross Country
Freshmen give their all at Osprey Open By Danielle Silvia Staff Writer
While many students at the College spent this past Saturday, Sept. 24, in Ewing, N.J., for Parent and Family Day, the men’s and women’s cross country teams spent it in Galloway Township, N.J. competing at the Osprey Open, which was hosted by Stockton University. The College ran its freshman men and women’s B team this week because both A teams will be competing at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University next week. “We’ll only be taking 10 athletes per gender to Paul Short, so we wanted to get the rest of the team a chance to compete this weekend,” head coach Justin Lindsey said. “Stockton will be hosting the conference championships and this was a perfect opportunity to preview the course before we come back on (Thursday,) Oct. 29, to defend our conference titles.” Despite the lack of experience, four runners of the College’s men’s team placed in the top 20 of the race, and four runners of the women’s team placed within the top 40. Both events had more than 100 runners. While the Ramapo College Roadrunners came in first place overall, the Lions men’s team finished third out of 18 teams in the 8K race. In the 6K event, the first event
Parsons’s time in the 8K is a personal best.
of the meet, the Lions placed fifth out of the 20 teams. The home team, the Stockton University Ospreys, placed first although the College was not too far behind. Cole Parsons was the first Lions freshman across the finish line with a time of 26:59, finishing 15th in his first 8K race for the College — a personal best marking a promising start to his collegiate career. Lucas Pick was the next freshman to finish, placing 18th with an amazing time of 27:04. Pick was neck-and-neck with junior Ryan Aug, who finished in 19th placed with a time of 27:06. Just behind the pair and also in the top 20 was freshman Richard
Gruters, who finished in exactly 20th place at 27:08, capping off the Lions top performances. In addition, 24th overall was freshman Chris Coombs, who finished close behind Gruters with a time of 27:32. For a lot of the freshmen, this was their first 8K race. In high school, the races are 5K. The victor of the 8K race was Jeremey Hernandez from Ramapo College with a time of 25:46. “I think the freshmen men competed very well,” Lindsey said. “They went out and executed the way Coach (Michael) Walker wanted, and I was pleased to see that.” Several of the freshmen women from the College were also
Football
Defense / Lions slow CNU continued from page 24 While the offense failed to muster the equalizer, the defense strung together five consecutive stops, which began with the early interception. Junior linebacker Troy Domenick said it only took a few adjustments. “We had more coverage guys in,” he said. “Besides that, we played our normal base defense the whole game.” By the third quarter, the sweatshirts were off and the sun’s warmth made a welcomed appearance. Both teams traded three-and-outs to open the second half, until the Captains cracked a field goal, which brought the score to 10-0 with six and half minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Lions received the ball at the 34yard line. On the first play of the drive, a pass-interference call flipped an interception into a new set of downs for the Lions. The Captains coach and bench barked back at the referees, which prompted another 15-yard penalty. The Lions drove 30 yards on what could have been an ugly pick. This was the closest the Lions would get. A second-down sack forced the Lions into a desperate fourth-down gambit, which failed and ultimately handed control of the game over to the Captains. The Captains didn’t score another point on offense, but a desperate throw, late in the game, netted them a pick-six and a 17-0 victory. The Lions opted to run out the clock and accepted the shutout loss. “They’re a great offense,” Domenick said. “They have great players on their offense. We played lights out defense the whole game. It feels great stopping them the entire game. We held them to 10
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Rogers is a standout player.
points, besides a bad play on offense.” The Lions (0-3) must now travel to Salisbury University in Maryland to face the reigning conference champs. According to Hager, Salisbury’s option-heavy offense will be a change of pace. “I coached the option for a long time and have a decent idea of what it is they do for their reads,” Hager said. “We’ll have to have a good week’s worth of practice to get ourselves squared away... We’ve gotta be able to stay with the quarterback, stay with the dive, and stay with the pitch.” For Domenick, who led the game with 11 total tackles, this outing proved the team is on the verge of victory. “We’ll definitely bounce back after this game,” he said. “We’re gonna practice a lot harder. This was a tough loss, but we’re gonna bounce back. We’re gonna work harder, and I think we’ll win next week.”
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
standouts in this meet, such as Hailey Bookwalter, who finished in 25th place overall with a time of 25:06. Close behind Bookwalter was sophomore Kathleen Jaeger in 29th place with a time of 25:13. In 33rd place was another freshman, Kiera Cullen, who closed in on the race at 25:24. Other stars included sophomore Alyssa Kramer, who placed in fourth for the College and was 37th overall in the event. She finished with a time of 25:37, and ran closely with freshman Hannah Fay, who finished in 40th with a time of 25:53. The winner of the 6K race was Susan Ejore from Monroe College with a time of 21:37.
“The women competed tough, but needed to be a little more competitive in the first mile and a half,” Lindsey said. “It was a learning experience for both squads, so we think it was a productive day for us.” The next meet the Lions men and women will compete in is the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University, on Saturday, Oct. 1. The runners finishing in the top spots from this weekend’s meet will go onto the meet at Lehigh, as well. “They ran well and It was really good to see them work together,” senior Brandon Mazzarella said. “We are gonna need a lot more of that to place well in the upcoming meets.”
page 22 The Signal September 28, 2016
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September 28, 2016 The Signal page 23
LIONS
D RM AROUND THE
Marc Trotochaud “The Ref”
Michael Battista Staff Writer
Tom Ballard Staff Writer
Harrison Duhr The Rookie
In this week’s normal edition of Around the Dorm, “Ref” Marc Trotochaud asks of our panel of three experts — Michael Battista, Tom Ballard and Harrison Duhr — three questions: What’s going to happen at the World Series? Did the NFL’s new rules make the death of the kick return inevitable? Do you think Team USA gave it their all at the World Cup of Hockey or could they have made it farther?
1. Considering the teams still in contention for a world series berth, what two teams have the best shot and which will come out on top? Michael: For me, it’s the Chicago Cubs in the National League (NL), and the Boston Red Sox in the American League (AL). Chicago dominated this season, being the first team to clinch a playoff spot. There were 60-plus home runs on that team between third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. With their offense and great pitching leading them to the top of the central, they are my pick to win it all. The Sox are also really good this year, especially fitting with David Ortiz retiring at the end of the season. The AL East has been the most competitive in the league, with each wildcard spot being held by a member right now, and Boston battled Toronto Blue Jays for that top spot. They seem like the best team in the AL right now, and their bats don’t lie. Though I won’t shed a tear when Ortiz loses the big one in his curtain call.
AP Photo
Tom: It’s World Series time already? It seems like only yesterday that Salvador Pérez and the Kansas City Royals creamed the New York Mets last year. Unfortunately for both teams, a return to professional baseball’s largest stage seems to be slim to none. This year I wouldn’t be surprised to see the NL’s Cubs go after the AL’s Red Sox for the Commissioner’s trophy. The Cubs 98-56 record so far shows that these
guys know what winning looks like this season (also they already clinched the NL Central title). The Red Sox are pretty red hot on fire right now. They’ve won their past eleven games against the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox are going to take the AL East division win and they’re going to take that momentum straight to the World Series. I know it’s a pretty safe bet to go
with the Cubs and the Sox for this year’s Series, but I don’t see any New York miracles happening this year. Harrison: My guess for the 2016 World Series is Chicago Cubs-Cleveland Indians. There’s no denying how hungry the city of Chicago is for a Cubs championship. After making strides last year by advancing to the NL Championship Series, the Cubs are arguably a more complete team with the additions of Ben Zobrist, John Lackey and Jayson Heyward’s defense (certainly not his offense). Joe Maddon, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are a lethal trio of player-friendly, moneyball analytic style of management. Meanwhile, Cleveland is the upcoming young squad with the right amount of veterans. A guy like Mike Napoli has a great track record of playing well in October and has the potential to lead this lineup to the fall classic. Plus a pitching staff as complete as Cleveland’s can go a long way. When it is all said and done, I believe Chicago will knock off Cleveland in six games.
Michael gets 1 point for not shedding a tear for Papi. Tom gets 3 points for not deluding himself about New York. Harrison gets 2 points for recognizing the Cubs dominance. 2. Did the NFL’s new rules make the death of the kick return inevitable? Michael: No, because it’s either backfiring or not really mattering at the moment. Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported that during the preseason the percentage of touchbacks decreased compared to the same time frame last year by 1.2 percent. That isn’t a large percentage, and honestly, who can fully trust the preseason? But the fact is coaches and players will probably adapt to this more than anything. Instead of kicking the ball deep into the endzone, maybe shortening the kick itself will give teams less incentive to touchback and give defenses more time to get there and stop runs. Pro Football Reference has data suggesting that punts into the endzone have even gone down 13 percent during weeks one and two compared to last year. Time will tell if this rule matters, but I don’t see kick returns dying yet. Tom: Perhaps it’s something out of “The
Walking Dead,” but it seems to be that the kick return is still alive and well. I know why the NFL is concerned about the kick return — it doesn’t take a physicist to know that the speed and force most of these guys bring packs a punch. While the rule was meant to incentivize taking a knee if a returner catches the ball in the end zone, it also incentivized shorter kicks. According to data from the NFL preseason, 42.2 percent of kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.The figure was slightly higher from the preseason last year, before the rule, at 43.4 percent. I recently saw footage of Penn State’s kicker, Joey Julius, absolutely plowing down a Michigan University kick returner and it hurt me just watching it. The NFL may want to watch the show “How to Get Away with Murder” because they have failed to club the kick return into extinction. Perhaps if more kickers were like Julius, returners might not be willing to run with the ball and instead just take
a knee and brace for the impending impact of a stampeding kicker. Harrison: I believe the NFL’s new rule will lead to the kick return’s death within three to five years. It’s easy to forget how vicious the NFL can be at times in the comfort of our own homes. Some of the worst injuries in the history of football have occurred within kickoff returns. The most notable, in my opinion, was
the tragedy of former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand in October 2010. This was the last day Eric ever walked, let alone played football. The full force of two teams sprinting three-fourths the length of a football field generated enough power to fracture his spine. As exciting as a 100-plus yard kickoff return touchdown can be, it’s not worth having another incident that leaves a man paralyzed.
AP Photo
Michael gets 3 points for citing sources and stats. Tom gets 3 points for the references and the Penn State pancaking. Harrison gets 2 points for mentioning safety. 3. After USA Hockey’s exit from World Cup contention, do you think they gave it their all or could they have made it farther? Michael: If that was giving it their all, then I am scared for the regular NHL season. Team USA got outclassed not only by Canada, not only by Team Europe (A.K.A. anyone who didn’t make their national team or whose national team didn’t make it), but by the freaking Czech Republic (CR). The CR didn’t win a game all tournament until they faced and beat the U.S. I love Coach John Tortorella because his antics are amazing at times — almost like a continuous car crash — but he still somehow really disappointed me with his team selection. Phil Kessel and
Justin Faulk, both quality NHL players with international experience, were snubbed. One of those guys is a veteran talent, and the latter young blood that did amazing things for Team North America. So yes, they gave it their all for what they had, but there was a lot of opportunity to make this team better. Although, I do hope the World Cup of Hockey continues to exist because I loved this tournament. Tom: I wasn’t expecting another miracle on ice with Team USA this year in the Hockey World Cup, but to be honest, I don’t even think SEAL Team Six could have rescued the team in their final matchup against the CR. The team’s 0-3 record in the contest was
AP Photo
plain terrible. They only scored five points and not a single one of those came from Patrick Kane, right wing for the Chicago Blackhawks and defending NHL scoring champ and MVP. The fact that experienced Olympians, such as David Backes and Erik Johnson, weren’t included in the lineup for the team causes me to think that this whole train wreck could have been avoided — but alas, it was not. In the meantime, it might be helpful if we joined Phil Kessel and try to forget that this whole thing even happened. Harrison: I think Team USA could have
done better but the timing of the World Cup impacted their level of play. Similar to MLB’s World Baseball Classic, having an Olympic like tournament at the beginning of the season isn’t really appealing. Athletes are creatures of habit and ritual, especially going into a season. Plus, coaches aren’t a fan of risking injury of their star players to compete in a tournament they have no control over. If this tournament was maybe at the end of the season or replaced the All-Star break, players would be more inclined to try harder.
Michael gets 3 points for extensive hockey knowledge. Tom gets 2 points for not expecting a miracle. Always believe! Harrison gets 2 points for an interesting perspective.
Winner’s Circle
Signal
Sports
Lions defense holds strong in loss By Connor Smith News Editor
Brisk temperatures and an overcast sky greeted the football team before its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24, against the No. 24 Christopher Newport University Captains. The Lions defense shut down the best offense in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), but their own offense could not muster enough plays to overcome an eventual 17-0 deficit. “Our offense is growing up,” interim head coach Rocky Hager said. “We have some things that we need to develop on the offensive side. We need to take care of the first level of blocks, meaning mainly their defensive line. Then, we need to work up to the second level linebackers a little more decisively at a less quick fashion.” As the College hosted its annual Parent and Family Day, the stands were packed with students, parents and alumni who harbored hopes of a Lions upset. Although summer ended just days prior, their sweatshirts, jeans and windbreakers helped usher in the true beginning of autumn. The Lions defense came off an impressive performance against Kean University, however, Christopher Newport was confident in its top-flight offense, led by junior quarterback K.J. Kearney. Ten minutes before kickoff, the sky seemed to signal incoming rain.
The Captains defeat the Lions in a 17-0 shutout. However, like the potential for a Newport thrashing, this was a calm before a storm that never came. The Captains won the opening coin flip and deferred, in order to receive in the second half. The Lions failed to make anything of it, though, and were forced to punt on their first set of downs. The return man misjudged the powerful boot of freshman punter
Zack Warcola, as he nearly turned the ball over at the Captains 32yard line. The Captains offense seemed to fit its original billing in the opening drive. Kearney led the team down the field for a touchdown, and the Lions defense seemed outmatched. “Defensively, they took the first two possessions and moved the ball pretty well on us,” Hager said.
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
“The speed of the game is much faster than what you can simulate in practice.” After another Warcola punt, the Captains were poised for a rout. With relative ease, Kearney marched the offense to the Lions 32-yard line. With momentum spiralling in his favor, Kearney darted the ball into the arms of senior defensive back Jordan Rogers — the passer’s first
interception of the year. He was 5 for 5 until the pick. The Lions offense failed to move the chains, and Warcola airmailed another punt to the opposing 32yard line. Without much in the way of reprieve, the Lions defense once again returned to the field, determined to hold their opponent to the lone end zone score. With the opponent at their own 42-yard line, the Lions risked a two-possession game. Given their offensive struggles, that could have put the game out of reach. The Lions needed a stop. First-and-10. Senior linebacker Erik Wehner cut off a running play to five yards. Second-and-7. Junior defensive lineman Shane Kelley helps hold Kearney to a one-yard rush. Third-and-6. Kearney spots a receiver, tosses it and Kelley breaks it up to force a punt and give the Lions another shot on offense. As the clouds began to part, the Lions defense played with a different swagger. In the first two drives, the Lions were outmatched. Then something changed. According to Hager, they just needed to catch up to the Captains pace of play. “It took us eight, maybe nine or 10 minutes to get used to the speed with which they came at us,” he said. “Once we did that, our defense held up pretty well.”
see DEFENSE page 21
Baseball mourns loss of promising pitcher By Michael Battista Staff Writer
Baseball, and sports in general, has all kinds of players. Some are the stoic leading types who are the first on the field and the last to leave. Others are the egotistical kind — those who know they are great and flaunt it — whether it be for a higher contract or from some insulting comment. Then, there are the happy ones. The ones who have a smile on their face, love playing their game and are happy to just be there. Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández was that type of person, and the world lost a light when he passed away on Sunday, Sept. 25. He was only 24 years old when he was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Miami. The baseball world has already taken notice. The Marlins cancelled their game on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves and paid tribute by leaving flowers, a hat and a painting of his jersey number, 16, on the pitching mound. Fernández, a Cuban immigrant who just became an American citizen last year, was a
Lions Lineup September 28, 2016
I n s i d e
Fernández high-fives his teammates before the opening day game. perfect fit for the Miami area. He attempted defection three times before finally making it to the U.S. in 2011. He even dove into the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean to save his mother when she fell overboard during their journey. His heritage, story, personality and talent made him a fan favorite in Miami, where a huge population of Cubans reside, and that makes his loss so much harder to
Around the Dorm page 23
AP Photo
bear for fans. Through all the messages of condolences and goodbyes from fans and players alike, many are remembering Fernández’s good heart and amazing play on the field. ESPN’s Buster Olney remembered in a post that earlier this year, MLB held a game in Fort Bragg, N.C., the first game ever played on an active military base. While
Field Hockey page 20
Cross Country page 21
there, Fernández was asked by a fan to sign a flag, an 82nd Airborne Division flag. Instead of signing it himself, he took it around the dugout and had it signed by every member of the team. This was the kind of person he was, but that’s only one part of him. On the mound, Fernández had a promising future in MLB. After becoming an AllStar in his rookie year, he also won the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year voting, beating out the standout Dodgers star Yasiel Puig. His 2.19 ERA through 28 starts was impressive for the 21-year-old, and although he started less often during the next two years, the talent still showed. His 2016 record was his best year yet. He won 16 games, the most in his four-year career, and made it to his second All-Star Team. Fernández was not a Hall of Famer and he wasn’t a leader in Miami Marlins history. But the fact is he wasn’t done with his career. He could have done so much more good, been so much better and maybe even gone on to greater heights than he’d ever imagined. Fernández may not have finished his story, but he lived his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.
Women’s Soccer page 19