The Signal: Fall '15 No. 10 by TCNJ Signal

Breaking news, blogs and more at TCNJSignal.net. Vol. XLIII, No. 10

November 4, 2015

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

College is ‘Welcome to our world’ Sigma Pi suspended national exemplar

By Julie Kayzerman, Colleen Murphy and Annette Espinoza Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor and Correspondent

By Ellie Schuckman News Editor Often ranked as one of the of the top schools in the north region, the College was recently recognized nationally for its undergraduate research efforts. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) named the College as a national exemplar, highlighting campus efforts and resources devoted to such studies. As a recipient of the Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishment (AURA), the College is just one of three schools in the nation to walk away with the honor. “The College of New Jersey is honored to be recognized by CUR as a national exemplar in undergraduate research,” College President R. Barbara Gitenstein said in the press release. “Over the last two decades, we have been committed to making student-faculty engagement and research central to our undergraduate experience. Our success, as reflected in this award, is a testament to the collective effort at TCNJ to integrate high-impact learning practices into the fabric of the institution with faculty who are recognized as teacher-scholars.” The award notes institutions that see EXEMPLAR page 5

around campus, building a collection of footage featuring campus and sporting events, as well as candid and staged interactions, for the now popular admissions video titled, “Welcome to TCNJ.” In the span of two and a half minutes, Lewkowicz, alongside junior interactive multimedia majors Christopher Lundy and Ryan Laux, the “video dream team,” captured the essence of what it’s like to be a part of the College community

The College has placed its chapter of Sigma Pi fraternity on interim suspension, spokesman Dave Muha told The Signal. This status is dependent on the results of a pending investigation into the organization’s potential violations of the College’s policy governing fraternity and sorority life, he said. The investigation is being headed by Elizabeth Gallus, the director of the Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution Services at the College. The Theta Delta chapter of the fraternity was placed on interim suspension for incidents that allegedly took place in September. According to the College’s policies outlined in the “Fraternity and Sorority Life Privileges and Responsibilities” online page, interim suspension “will only be imposed in exceptional circumstances to ensure the health, safety or welfare of members of the College or property of the College.” “When the College receives credible information about possible serious violations of the student conduct code by a recognized student organization, it conducts a preliminary investigation that can result in interim suspension of that organization pending resolution of the matter,” Muha said. The College will not comment on the specifics of the allegations that led to the

see VIDEO page 19

see SIGMA PI page 3

Photo courtesy of Ryan Laux

Students create and produce a virtual tour of the College. By Kelly Corbett Social Media Editor

You’ve probably seen it. You’ve probably shared it on Facebook and captioned it with a prideful status. And, hey, you might have even made a star appearance in a clip. In late 2014, between juggling his senior thesis and completing schoolwork, Class of 2015 graduate and interactive multimedia major Joshua Lewkowicz lugged his RED Scarlet cinema camera

‘Pixel Music’ showcases video game soundtracks By Connor Smith Correspondent

Kendall Hall was cozily filled to the brim with both students and members of the community on Friday, Oct. 30, as an eager audience was ready to take part in a unique concert experience — the chance to see classic video game soundtracks and environments brought to life by the College’s wind ensemble. The College’s music department presented “Pixel Music: Video Game Soundtracks in Concert,” conducted by David Vickerman. The concert also featured performances by the College’s Chorale, conducted by John Leonard. “Video games have evolved faster than any art form,” Vickerman said. Many classical orchestras around the world have found a

following in video game fans who love being transported into worlds of fantasy and adventure. As Vickerman’s silhouette made its way to the center of the stage, the audience anxiously awaited the first piece, “OneWinged Angel,” by Nobuo Uematsu, notably from the popular “Final Fantasy VII” game, released in 1997. The piece began with thundering percussion that was followed by an equally menacing brass section. A projection of swirling clouds helped bring the world of “Final Fantasy” alive when paired with the iconic tune. “I think I’ve heard that song more than I’d care to say,” Vickerman said in reference to the difficult boss battle that accompanied the piece in “Final Fantasy VII.” “Theme from Myst III: Exile,”

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 10

Editorial / Page 11

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

Students play music from popular video games, like ‘Super Mario Bros.’ the second piece performed, was aided by a mountainous backdrop. The theme slowly intensified, which was boosted by a Opinions / Page 13

strong percussion performance. “Bounty Hunter Theme” from the game “Advent Rising” followed immediately after as the

Arts & Entertainment / Page 16

lights were dimmed to a dark shade of orange to match the eerie see PIXEL page 16

Features / Page 19

Sports / Page 32

A Palette of Pixels Video game art gallery has grand opening

Baja SAE Senior engineers prepare for competition

Field Hockey Lions defeat Kean University, 6-2

See A&E page 17

See Features page 19

See Sports page 32

page 2 The Signal November 4, 2015

Famed musicians recall Trenton’s troubled jazz history By Ashley Skowronek Correspondent

The College’s Trenton Makes Music class was graced with the presence of three celebrated jazz musicians on Tuesday, Oct. 27, each of whom partook in molding the city’s renowned music history. The presentation was aimed to document Trenton and its role in popular culture. Students welcomed instrumentalists Thomas Grice, Gil Toth and Thomas Passerella, an alumnus of the College. The date marked Grice’s triumphant return to the College nearly a year after flooding the Don C. Evans Black Box Theatre with the deftly crafted notes poured from his saxophone. “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity,” Passerella said. Passerella began playing bars on the weekends at the age of 15. He strove to emulate the live musicians staged at virtually every corner store in his Italian neighborhood, where the serenade of accordions was ubiquitous. “What nurtured music was the fact that we had live music,” Toth said. When Trenton was a vivacious city

pulsating with song, Passerella recalled Broadway musicians choosing Trenton as their primary performance venue over New York City. After the riots of the 1960s, a dark shadow was cast over the city. Trenton became segregated and tensions ran high. The streets were stripped of their once intimate melodies, and some questioned whether the music would be able to subsist. As a member of the Trenton Symphony Orchestra during that period, Toth was afraid to play in areas where gangs stood. “Music was never exposed to that environment and we were weary,” Toth said. However, after playing for an inner city elementary school, he left immensely impressed with the children and noted the power they had in changing people’s perceptions. During the riots, Passerella was a junior high school teacher in Trenton where he saw first-hand how music became a lifeline for students. “Music kept them out of trouble,” Passerella said. “It kept them engaged... music gave them a sense of self-worth.” After moving to Trenton in 1958 from

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Passerella, Toth and Grice discuss the importance of youth music education. Ohio, Grice became a music teacher, as well. During his stay, he chaperoned Patti LaBelle after class so she could practice performing. She would later become the legendary singer of “Lady Marmalade.” All three men agree that children need to be exposed to a variety of music to discern whether they like it or not. One cannot gauge an interest in genres from jazz to Italian opera if they are not aware such styles of music exist. The same opportunities Grice, Toth and

Passerella had as musicians are no longer available for much of today’s youth, partly due to the drop in presence of live music and the defunding of viable school music programs, however, each implores those with a hunger for the arts to understand this challenge and strive to conquer it. “If you’re going to succeed in any art form you need a lot of discipline,” Passerella said. “It will serve you well. If you don’t have the passion, game over. Game over. You don’t make money in the arts.”

Weedman discusses fight for marijuana legalization By Emma Califano Correspondent Political science professor and local Assemblyman Reed Gusciora’s “Politics of Marijuana” class welcomed Ed Forchion, a well-known advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Some people might better know him as N.J. Weedman. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Social Science Building, Forchion made a special appearance to tell his journey toward supporting the legalization of marijuana. It all started when Forchion was arrested on November 24, 1997, in Belmar, N.J., when he was pulled over and the arresting officer found a pound of weed in the back of his car. Forchion was also indicted for trying to ship 40 pounds of marijuana from Arizona to New Jersey via FedEx. He faced 20 years in prison, but was able to take a plea deal and received a drastically reduced sentence. “Here I was, getting arrested on marijuana charges — a plant — by people who smelled like cigarettes, and I thought to myself, why is this worse?” Forchion asked.

Forchion claims to use marijuana for his asthma and bone cancer, which creates tumors throughout his body that need to periodically be surgically removed. Now he acts as an advocate for the legalization of marijuana and hopes that one day the drug will be treated similarly to alcohol.

“My first cellmate was a murderer who was in for 35 years... I didn’t belong there at all.”

—Ed Forchion

advocate for marijuana legalization He also addressed the issue of long-term drug sentences in prisons and his opinion on them.

“My first cellmate was a murderer who was in for 35 years,” Forchion said. “I didn’t belong there at all. I was terrified. All I ever did was smoke pot.” Forchion said the benefit of using marijuana is that it prevents people from becoming hooked on pharmaceuticals, such as oxycodone. When he was released from prison, Forchion moved to Los Angeles where he opened his own dispensary and legally sold marijuana for four years. There, he was able to help many people who suffered from ailments similar to his own. “People try to monitor marijuana when it is not their place to do so,” Forchion said. “This is my body. My body alone. And anything I put into my body is my own business.” When campaigning for the legalization of marijuana, Forchion uses media attention as his style of activism. He has appeared in many newspapers for his works, has written three books about his journey and future goals and even attempted to legally change his name to njweedman. com for publicity purposes.

Checkmate! SG approves new chess club on campus By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor

Student Government voted to approve the new TCNJ Chess Club during its general body meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28. According to the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee, which heard a presentation from TCNJ Chess Club on Sunday, Oct. 18, it’s “the only club of its kind” on campus. The club provides “a friendly environment for students interested in the game of chess,” according to GA. It was considered to be a club that will sustain itself for many years because it has a large number of freshmen on its membership roster. Also, some of the members “are certified in running chess tournaments,” according to GA. TCNJ Chess Club will tutor students who are new to the game, as well as host “casual games and tournaments.” GA voted unanimously in favor of approving the club before the final presentation at a general body meeting. Representatives for the club said that they sought formal recognition from SG so that they could post official flyers around campus, create a Lion’s Gate page and book room reservations on campus for events and tournaments. The general body, however, approved

the TCNJ Chess Club almost unanimously, without any prior debate. Dana Disarno, vice president of Academic Affairs, announced an upcoming event, “Registration 101,” set to take place in the Travers/Wolfe Lounge on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. The event, which is targeted at freshmen and transfer students, “will be extremely helpful,” Disarno said. Tutorials on accessing PAWS’ shopping cart feature will be a significant part of the event. Disarno urged general body members to “invite all the people that you think this (event) would benefit.” Vice President of Student Services Olivia White spoke about The Hunger Banquet, an event that SG is co-sponsoring with TCNJ Student United Way. The event is a nationwide movement “with the mission to end poverty and hunger.” The banquet will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. White explained that when entering the banquet, “you get separated into high class, middle class and low class, and depending on your class, you get served a meal.” The separation is meant to give students a taste of how those in other parts of the world live. Additionally, parliamentarian Ken Rubin announced tabling for voter registration. On Friday, Nov. 6, SG will have tables set up in

David Colby / Staff Photographer

General body members hear of the upcoming Hunger Banquet on campus. Eickhoff Hall, where students who register to vote can get a cupcake. “Simple as that,” Rubin said. SG will also hold a bake sale on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20, to encourage voter registration. Kevin Kim, the student trustee, talked about a lobbying committee that advocates for students’ complaints. According to Kim, the lobbying committee is continuing to focus on “the trifecta from last year,” which is the extension of Eickhoff Hall’s hours, gym hours and library hours. “Especially weekend Eick hours, because a 10 a.m. opening is a little ridiculous,” Kim said.

The committee will also expand its focus to extend hours for health services. Following, sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro announced the council’s recent success after having initially been zerofunded by the Student Finance Board. “We were fully funded for our moonlight cruise,” Capestro said, referring to the cruise that was initially rejected by SFB for funding. In their second proposal, the group asked for roughly $1,000 less. All sophomores are eligible to attend the cruise, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21. The class will leave the College around 10:45 p.m. and return at approximately 2:30 a.m. Only 150 slots are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets are $12 per person.

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 3

Sigma Pi / Under investigation for alleged violations

Individual brothers allowed to participate in Homecoming continued from page 1

fraternity’s suspension as it is the school’s practice not to comment about ongoing investigations. However, there has been widespread discussion on social media about the fraternity and an alleged sexual assault. It remains unclear what, if anything, had allegedly taken place. “We are taking this seriously and took the step (in September) of placing the fraternity on interim suspension, pending the outcome of the investigation,” Muha said. An interim suspension results in an immediate suspension of recognition and privileges as defined by

the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Sigma Pi has been prohibited from acting on the 26 privileges it was formerly granted as a recognized fraternity, according to the College’s “Fraternity and Sorority Life Privileges and Responsibilities.” This includes the ability to hold socials, recruit members and conduct meetings. The fraternity is no longer listed on Lion’s Gate, the new online hub for student organizations. It has also been removed from the list of Greek Life chapters at the College from the websites of the Inter Greek Council and Panhellenic Association. The fraternity, however, is being allowed the sole privilege of keeping its

organization’s email so that the College has a way to communicate with them during the investigation, Muha said. While Sigma Pi lost the privilege to participate in the College’s Homecoming activities, individual brothers of the organization were still allowed to participate, according to Muha. Muha confirmed that members of the fraternity participated in Homecoming under the team of Delta Phi Epsilon and Co., without representing the fraternity as a whole. According to Muha, participation in Homecoming does not require group membership and is open to any student. Therefore,

individual students who happened to be members of Sigma Pi fraternity were allowed to participate, but were not able to represent Sigma Pi. Delta Phi Epsilon and Co. won this year’s Homecoming events. Neither the College’s chapter nor the international chapter of Sigma Pi would return multiple requests for comment. According to the Sigma Pi TCNJ Theta Delta Facebook page, “The organization strives to build a brotherhood that raises the standards of morality and develops character in undergraduate males. Sigma Pi’s ideals are to maintain an aristocracy of learning, diffuse culture, encourage

chivalry, promote the spirit of civic righteousness and quicken the national conscience.” Ewing Police confirmed that they are not involved in the investigation and Campus Police declined to comment. The College could not comment on how it became aware of the allegations against the fraternity. Additionally, there is no specific time frame on the length of the investigation. “The Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution Services conducts all investigations as quickly as possible, paying particular attention to the need for thoroughness and to protect the rights of the parties involved,” Muha said.

SFB allocates funds for annual TCNJam dance marathon

SFB allocates funds for CSA’s Tea House.

By Jackie Delaney Production Manager

The Student Finance Board allocated funding for several multicultural requests at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Chinese Student Association was allocated $3,038.28 for “CSA Tea House,” an event that promotes “the sharing and exhibition of student talents and Chinese culture through on-stage performances and cultural cuisine,” according to their information packet. The board funded the event with the stipulation that the sound technician they use is from the College. The event will feature a variety of teas, Asian cakes, pastries and other food, as well as performances from the group’s traditional dance team, “Dragonflies.” “It’s a very nice, relaxing event,” the Chinese Student Association said. The event is planned for Friday, Nov. 21, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Travers/Wolfe Lounge. The Indian Student Association was fully funded $1,610 for its Diwali dinner, an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn. “It’s a time or period of prosperity, where a lot of the North Indian community comes together… it’s a night of festivities, fun and excitement,” the Indian Student Association said. “We want to bring this to the TCNJ community.” The dinner will include traditional Indian food from Persis Indian Grill in Hamilton, N.J., as well as games and activities for attendees. It is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in the Education Building, room 212. The Muslim Student Association was allocated $109.32 for its Monthly Academic Speaker Series. They plan to bring Imam

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Sohaib Sultan from Princeton University to speak about “being thankful and looking for guidance in times of stress,” according to the information packet. Sultan has a Master’s in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, as well as a graduate certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy. He is currently the chaplain for Princeton University’s Muslim Student Association. The event is open to all students. “The purpose of the talks and the content of the talks would not just be focusing solely on Islamic topics, but also more topics about reflections on life and reflections on whatever is happening,” MSA said. The speaker series will start Monday, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Business Building Lounge. MSA was also funded $18.92 to provide refreshments at their Jummah prayers, which are held every Friday throughout the semester. The “congregation prayer” begins with a sermon and is followed by the prayers. Afterward, “it breaks off into a social gathering” for students to meet each other and interact, MSA said. The request included funding for light refreshments for this part of the event. The prayers have been held on campus every Friday for the past two years, according to the group. “Over the years, I’ve seen the congregation growing and I’ve also seen an increased interest in non-Muslims who have attended and started attending our Jemmah prayers regularly,” MSA treasurer Urma Jalil said. “I want to bring some refreshments in just to make it more welcoming… and (it’s) a nice way to regroup after the congregation.” The Jummah prayers are held every

Friday throughout the semester in the Spiritual Center at 1 p.m. The Student United Way was funded $438.49 for its “Oxfam America Hunger Banquet.” The event is a nationwide movement “with the mission to end poverty and hunger.” The banquet features a role-playing scenario “of what it is like to being in the three classes — upper, middle and lower,” according to the request. The group is aiming to start a conversation about income and hunger, according to the packet. The banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Business Building Basement Lounge. Delta Epsilon Psi was fully funded $917 by the board for its “Sugar Free Comedy,” an event that will be part of the group’s philanthropy week. The comedy show will feature Chelcie Rice, who performs for corporate businesses and audiences across the country, raising awareness for Type 1 Diabetes, according to the group. The fraternity hopes to raise awareness about Type 1 Diabetes and “educate people about the lifestyle adaptations (and) dietary restrictions it entails in a light and humorous (way),” the information packet said. The event will be held Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the Education Building, room 212. The Panhellenic Association was allocated $4,639.40 for “Let’s Talk About It,” an award-winning lecture by speakers, educators and activists Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder. Addington and Tieder, both survivors of sexual assault, “connect with audiences in a way that leaves participants thinking differently about sexual assault,

bystander behavior and the opportunity we all have to leave our communities than we found them,” the information packet read. The program is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 8:30 p.m. in Kendall Hall. The Sophomore Class Council’s request for a moonlight cruise was revisited by the board at the organization’s Wednesday, Oct. 7, meeting. The event was previously zero-funded after a request for $9,914.40, but the board waived its bylaw and allowed the council to re-present, as it aim for consistency in their allocation of funds. At this meeting, the event was funded for $8,694.90. The cruise, which is a “class unity event,” according to the packet, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Inter Greek Council was allocated $22,141.42 for TCNJam, a year-long fundraiser that “culminates in a 12-hour dance marathon,” according to the group’s information packet. The money raised supports medical research and the families of children with cancer through the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. “We are leading our entire community to come together and achieve a unified mission of both financial and research advancement,” the council wrote in the information packet. TCNJam will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, from noon to midnight in the Rec Center. *Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Delta Epsilon Psi receives funds for ‘Sugar Free Comedy.’

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Exemplar / College awarded Upcoming Events

Elise Schoening / Review Editor

The College is named one of three national exemplars.

continued from page 1

have “devised exemplary programs providing high-quality research experiences to undergraduates,” according to cur.org. Though it was the first year the award has been given out, nearly 50 applicants sought for recognition. According to the same site, the award is modeled after the Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research, a document detailing necessary criteria for “exceptional undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity programs.”

In information posted on the College’s website, the school’s “history and strong institutional commitment to undergraduate research dates back to 1997.” Then, new programs were instituted with the goal of promoting a “culture that is grounded in student engagement, undergraduate research and the teacher-scholar faculty model.” Six years later, in 2003, the College began a shift in the curriculum, encouraging faculty to take risks in their research and teaching styles that would then benefit the students.

According to insidehighered. com, faculty members at the College say they are credited for how much work they do, unlike their peers elsewhere. In turn, such recognition encourages them to take those risks to help their students. “By moving undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity from the periphery to the center, our curricula and faculty workload structure were re-defined to incorporate undergraduate research,” Dean of the School of Science Jeffrey Osborn said, according to tcnj.edu. “TCNJ’s emphasis on undergraduate research and the teacher-scholar model is an innovative exemplar of how to integrate teaching and scholarship in higher education.” The College joins both Allegheny College and George Mason University as recipients of the award, having taken home tophonors exemplifying the teacherscholar model at the Master’s Level. Allegheny won the award as a leading Baccalaureate College and George Mason won as a leading Research University. All awardees will be honored on Jan. 22, 2016, during the CUR Executive Board reception at the American Association of Colleges and Universities annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

TCNJ EMS RedBerry Fundraiser Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. at RedBerry Frozen Yogurt CUB Alt Presents: The Millenium featuring Carter Hulsey and Kiernan McMullan Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. in the Brower Student Center, room 202 CUB’s Fall Lecture featuring Laverne Cox Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. in Kendall Hall “Meet the Sisters” Monday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. in the Education Building room 212 All are welcome to meet representatives from each sorority on campus. “Nail the Interview, Land the Job” with Michelle Tillis Lederman Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Education Building, room 115 CUB’s Early Late Night with The Lucas Brothers Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8:30 p.m. in Mayo Concert Hall

Students share stories in stirring ‘Stigmonologues’

By Elise Schoening Review Editor

Roughly one in four adults in America suffers from a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Despite such a high rate, mental health is rarely openly discussed. Instead, it is oftentimes shrouded in a cloud of shame and stigma. Far too many people feel the need to hide their mental illness and as such, do not seek the help they need. This month, the College’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) peer educators took a stand against the stigma surrounding mental health. The student organization hosted a number of events throughout October aimed at raising awareness for a wide range of mental health issues. The final event of CAPS’ Mental Health Awareness Month took place on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when students were invited to share their mental health struggles with their peers in the “Stigmonologues.” “The goal of this event is to show that mental health is an important issue and to combat the stigma,” said Karen Chan, the chair for the Mental Health Awareness Month organized by the CAPS Peer Educators. Six brave student-speakers took the stage in the Cromwell Main Lounge late Wednesday night, and with nothing but a podium between them and the crowd, bared their deepest secrets and struggles. Each story was different, but they all shared similar experiences of initial shame and fear, followed by reaching out to family and friends for support before embarking on the path to recovery. The significance of the event was evident in the overwhelming turnout it garnered. The Cromwell Lounge was filled to capacity with students who came to show support for their peers. Every seat in the room was taken, and yet, people continued to file in, choosing to sit on the floor or even stand for the next two and half hours. Despite the large crowd, the event

Campus Resources

Anti-Violence Initiatives: (609) 771-2272 Alcohol & Drug Education Program: (609) 771-2572 Campus Police Department: (609) 771 2345 Counseling & Psychological Services: (609) 771-2247 Dean of Students (609) 771-2201 Disability Support Services: (609) 771-3199 EEO/Title IX Complaints: (609) 771-3139 Residential Education & Housing: (609) 771-3455 Student Health Services: (609) 771-2889 TCNJ Clinic: (609) 771-2700 Concerned about a friend? Submit a report at: sa.pages.tcnj.edu/student-of-concern maintained an intimate and respectful atmosphere. Each speaker had the crowd’s complete attention as they courageously opened up about their struggles. Topics discussed included depression, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and various eating disorders. Each speaker shared a personalized story, but there was a common theme of empowerment that rang through the microphone as each one took the stage. They all exuded self-confidence on the stage and spoke about how they have grown both stronger and kinder because of their experiences. “I am not ashamed to talk about it because there is nothing to be ashamed about,” junior psychology major Jessica Roman said about her struggles with depression. “I’ve decided I don’t suffer from depression. I live with it. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor.” Depression was a common theme among the student-speakers. Senior psychology major Giannella Todaro has dealt with her fair share of mental illnesses since her early teenage years. In addition to depression, Todaro has also struggled with OCD, eating

disorders and trichotillomania. Todaro expressed gratitude and hope about her struggles. She explained that her struggles with mental health and the help that she has received have made her the person she is today. Todaro credits her trichotillomania with her passion for makeup and says that her OCD has inspired her to study psychology with the hopes of one day becoming a clinical psychologist who can help others struggling with mental illness. “My journey with mental illness is far from over,” Todaro said. “Every day is a struggle to be OK with what I see in the mirror. And even though my struggle with mental illness has been tough, I wouldn’t be who I am today without these life changing events. Even though every day is a battle, I am a stronger person because of it.” While most of the speakers focused on their own struggles, junior psychology major Colleen Magley opened up about her sister’s battle against severe social anxiety and major depressive disorder, as well as the effect these illnesses have had on her family. Magley offered a unique perspective of

mental health that can only be understood by someone who has stood by and watched a loved one fall apart. In a poem addressed to her sister, Magley captured the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that the family and friends of someone struggling with mental illness come to know too well. “When someone close to you struggles with a mental illness, for a while they may become someone very different from the person you know,” Magley said. “You need to remember the good memories and that person you love is still there... they need you now more than ever.” Magley urged audience members to never give up on a loved one battling depression. She and her family have stuck by her sister through these dark times, and while her sister still struggles with depression today, Magley was proud to report that she is no longer letting this illness control her life or confine her to her bed. Instead, she has hopes to attend photography school and travel the world. At the end of the event, all the speakers were brought back on stage and thanked for their bravery and words of wisdom. They were all presented with flower bouquets and a resounding applause from the audience. “I didn’t know what to expect,” said junior biomedical engineering major Megan Merbach, who attended the event for the first time on Wednesday. “But it’s definitely going to make me less quick to judge people.” The “Stigmonologues” concluded the College’s Mental Health Awareness Month, but the fight to end the stigma surrounding mental health is far from over. Additional resources and mental health services can be found through the CAPS program, which is located in room 107 of Eickhoff Hall, and at the TCNJ Clinic in Forcina Hall. They are open every weekday and offer counseling services for students at the College. “Mental illness is a fault in chemistry, not in character,” Todaro said. She encouraged everyone in the audience to be kind to themselves and others and to seek help if needed.

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Famed journalists talk investigative reporting

Story leads to published book and possible TV show

By Megan Kelly Correspondent Passion. Determination. Fearlessness. These were the words used by Professor Emilie Lounsberry to describe Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman, two Philadelphia Daily News reporters who uncovered police corruption in Philadelphia, earning them a Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for their hard work. The two came to the College on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to speak about their journey and the book that spawned from the investigation, “Busted: A Tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love.” Ruderman and Laker began their investigation in December of 2008 when drug dealer Benny Martinez, working as a drug informant for the Philadelphia Police Department, came to Ruderman in fear that both an officer and a drug dealer wanted him dead.

“We scratched the surface and kept pulling on this string, and the string had more attached to it.”

—Wendy Ruderman

award-winning journalist

Their first story was about “the slippery slope” of breaking the law to enforce the law, Ruderman said, and it warranted a significant amount of backlash from both the police department and the Philadelphia

Fraternal Order of Police. “We scratched the surface and kept pulling on this string, and the string had more attached to it,” Ruderman said of the story. Seeing the journalists’ story on the police department’s illegal practices prompted the owner of a local smoke shop to come forward to Ruderman and Laker on allegations that police were acting corruptly toward him and other store owners. Because of the journalists’ investigation on this tip, it was uncovered that one particular squad in the department had been raiding certain bodegas in Philadelphia. The police were discovered to have been cutting surveillance tapes in these mom-and-pop stores and robbing the immigrant owners of merchandise, as well as large amounts of cash. As it turns out, the squad was led by the officer connected to Martinez. Ruderman and Laker began systematically going through hundreds of search warrants, pulling out those issued for these corner stores by this particular squad. After weeks of searching, the journalists then tracked down some of the owners, several of whom had left their stores after being raided. “They all told us the exact same story,” Laker said. “We ended up with 22 bodega owners who told this story, from all four corners of the world, who didn’t know each other.” It was then discovered that an officer in the squad had been preying on women during raids, pulling them aside and sexually assaulting them. Laker and Ruderman once again began picking through search warrants, looking for the officer’s badge number, not knowing if there even was a female victim at these raids. “It was a needle-in-a-haystack kind of thing,” Ruderman said. Dagma Rodriguez was one of those

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Laker and Ruderman detail the difficulties faced while investigating police corruption in Philadelphia, as well as the shock of winning a Pulitzer. women assaulted during a raid. Laker described searching for her and recalled that upon meeting each other, Rodriguez, in tears, opened her arms to Laker and said, “I’ve been praying for this day.” She noted how Rodriguez became overhwlemed that someone was finally letting her tell her story. “It was one of those moments where I thought, ‘This is why you go into journalism,’” Laker said. Laker and Ruderman went on to describe the feeling of being nominated for, and winning, the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism. “No one really thought we would win,” Ruderman said. “It was one of those moments where it happens and you can’t believe it. I still can’t believe it.” They also described the tiring process of writing their book. “It is so hard to write a book,” Ruderman

said. “(Picking a publisher) is kind of like speed-dating.” Laker and Ruderman also talked about the possibility of having the book become a television series. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen but it was fun to hang out with Sarah Jessica Parker,” Laker said of the star potentially portraying her on TV. The pair said they look forward to writing together again, and that their favorite topic is investigating and eventually uncovering people who attack defenseless others. “We like stories where there’s someone preying on someone else who’s vulnerable, often poor or who has no voice, or whatever it may be,” Laker said. “Those are the stories we like the best. It can right a wrong. We can write about it and do something.”

College alumnus details working as science journalist Former Signal editor now an award-winning reporter

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Grant discusses delivering facts in a simpler fashion, making for an easier read.

By Emily Solinski Correspondent

As part of its 2015 Colloquium Series, the College’s School of Science welcomed former Signal editor and award-winning science journalist Andrew Grant on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to speak about how the two worlds of science and journalism collide. “My job is not to satisfy the scientist, but to satisfy my readers,” Grant said. “I’m not going to use the jargon, I’m going to put it in my own words.”

Grant’s talk addressed the process of simplifying information from complex science journals, press releases and media outlets and then how to convey the information into news for the general public. Grant confronts this challenge every day within his profession as a writer covering physics for Science News magazine, based in Washington, D.C. His multi-disciplinary talk brought about a mixture of faculty and students in the audience, some interested in the scientific aspect of his talk while others sat in to hear about Grant’s experiences in journalism. Grant spoke about the range of topics he has reported on, spanning from black holes to the Kepler space telescope to the ultimate fate of the universe. “I’m showing you a light curve in a presentation about journalism,” Grant said. “Science is pretty darn important.” He discussed how hard it really is to write about the information in the field of science. Grant said the most difficult part is nailing the perspective, storytelling and context of scientific journalism, which are also the elements that he finds most important. “I think you’re missing a point,” biomedical engineer professor Brett BuSha told Grant during the presentation. “When I listen to you, it sounds more like you are educating. You are taking something then making it more palatable and understandable for another group and that education aspect is important.” Grant agreed with BuSha. According to Grant, pleasing everyone while reporting on science is not a truly feasible task. “The ultimate compliment is when both sides don’t like you, but both sides don’t have any factual inaccuracies,” Grant said. Grant said his experience serving as editor of The Signal helped him understand the importance of editing a publication before it is published. He brought up an image of one of his drafts for an article he had written onto the projector screen. The

draft had just about the same amount of red editing notes on it from his editor as actual writing that he had done himself. “By the way, this wasn’t my first draft,” Grant said. “This was like my second or third.” Grant said heavy editing is something that students have to be OK with as aspiring journalists.

“My job is not to satisfy the scientist, but to satisfy my readers... I’m not going to use the jargon, I’m going to put it into my own words.” —Andrew Grant

award-winning science journalist

“If that bothers you, you should find another profession,” he said. Grant concluded his talk by providing tips for anyone interested in the profession. Some of these tips included reading various types of science reports and writing for The Signal. He then listed useful websites to visit. Grant received his bachelor’s degree in physics at the College and his master’s in journalism from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. “I knew I didn’t want to work in a lab. As cool as I thought physics was, I knew I didn’t want to do that,” Grant said.

page 8 The Signal November 4, 2015

SPRING 2016 REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT PERIOD Initial Registration Period for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Tuesday, November 3 Through Friday, November 13



Your enrollment appointment reflecting the first time you will be eligible to register for the Spring 2016 semester can be accessed via your PAWS account. To view your scheduled enrollment appointment, visit the Enrollment Appointment section in the PAWS Student Center. Once eligible, students remain eligible throughout the registration period. Undergraduate students who do not register by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 15, will be subject to a late registration fine. Graduate Students have until Tuesday, December 15: Late Registration Fine Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $125



The Spring 2016 Schedule of Classes is available on PAWS and can be viewed by using the Search for Classes button. Both Winter 2016 and Summer 2016 registration are also open along with Spring 2016 registration. Check PAWS frequently for any updated winter/summer course offerings and consult with your advisor for appropriate course selections.



Visit the PAWS HELP website for complete information on how to log-in to PAWS, search for classes, browse the Course Catalog, view your Holds, add courses to your Shopping Cart, and register for classes: http://pawshelp.pages.tcnj.edu/



Use the Validate feature directly from your PAWS Shopping Cart to check for potential pre-requisite issues before registration! For more information on the Validate feature, visit: http://pawshelp.pages.tcnj.edu/files/2011/07/validate.pdf



Check PAWS early and frequently for Holds that will prevent you from registering. All Hold Flag information can be viewed under the Holds section in the PAWS Student Center.



Access your Academic Requirements Report on PAWS to view your degree requirements via the Advising Tools link.



Make an appointment to see your advisor to discuss your Academic Requirements Report. Your advisor’s name and email address can be located in your PAWS Student Center.



Double-check call numbers and course sections prior to your registration appointment for schedule changes and periodic updates.



Graduate Students: If you are a non-matriculant who is applying for Spring matriculation, you should not register during this timeframe. If accepted for matriculation, you will be invited to register during the Graduate Orientation session in January.

THE OFFICE OF RECORDS AND REGISTRATION Green Hall 112, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 9

Event marks three years since Hurricane Sandy By Matthew Green Correspondent Exactly three years after devastating Hurricane Sandy slammed the state of New Jersey, a crowd of students and faculty gathered for a roundtable discussion and question and answer session with several individuals who were directly affected by the crisis. “I can’t think of a natural event that shaped New Jersey culture as much as Hurricane Sandy did,” said Matthew Bender, associate professor of history and director of the Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project. The audience heard personal experiences and in-depth analyses from Diane Bates, professor of sociology; Michael Nordquist, interim executive director for the Bonner Institute for Civic and Community Engagement; Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist-in-charge for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration; social worker Carolyn Olsen and Lieutenant John Barcus on Thursday, Oct. 29, in the Education Building at 7 p.m. While reminiscing about the effects of Superstorm Sandy, the speakers also acknowledged the reaction of New Jersey residents in the aftermath. Many New Jersey residents were in shock at the severity of the storm and Szatkowski, who works at the National Weather Service, noted the 72 fatalities and $50 billion of U.S. property

damage in his presentation. As the officer in charge of the Mantoloking Borough during the hurricane, Barcus said, “It was the worst day of my life.” For so many New Jersey residents, damage done to homes and to public places was extremely personal as some individuals lived their whole lives by the beach. “I grew up with a very strong personal history with the shore,” Bates said. Barcus recalled memories of the scenario in which he was one of eight officers in charge of the Mantoloking Borough, where all 512 houses were damaged or flooded and 15 residents failed to evacuate. “We weren’t anticipating what we got,” Barcus said. Nordquist shared Barcus’ sentiments. “It was not just a natural disaster, but was a social disaster,” he said. He said that the superstorm was a result of natural occurrences in the climate and the implications of those occurrences had major, everlasting societal impacts in social, political and economic areas. According to Szatkowski, the problem is not so much living with natural disasters as it is getting people to understand the impacts of a weather forecast. The technology used to forecast these storms have improved over the years, and Hurricane Sandy’s predicted course was nearly perfect. If people trusted the technology more

Sarina Gupta / Staff Photographer

Students hear personal experiences of those affected by the storm.

and heeded the warning far before Sandy made it up the Atlantic coast, perhaps property could have been preserved, or even lives saved. Nevertheless, all the speakers maintained that some good did come out of this disaster, as communities throughout the state came together to support each other. Olsen explained her experiences as a licensed social worker during the chaotic time. “People came out in droves to help,” she said. During Hurricane Sandy, the College was closed for five days, according to Nordquist. He explained that although Ewing

was not damaged as severely as other sections of the state, the College responded to Sandy by establishing the TCNJ Here for Home Foundation and conducting 1415,000 hours of volunteer service for other damaged communities. “One of the comforting things about Hurricane Sandy is that virtually everybody in the state was affected by it,” Bates said. “Disasters almost invariably bring out the best in people.” With everyone in the same boat, the heightened sense of unity still persists today, a full three years later, as people continue to proudly assert themselves as “Jersey Strong.”

Don’t bat your eyes: Decorative lashes stolen off Bug By Colleen Murphy Managing Editor

• Campus Police reported 14 incidents of underage drinking summonses that were issued on Homecoming Day, Saturday, Oct. 24, between noon and 4 p.m. A 15th student was given an underage drinking summons later that night, at 11:50 p.m. in Lot 14, Campus Police said. Eleven of the summonses were issued in Lot 4, one was given outside of the Brower Student Center’s women’s bathroom, while another was given in Lot 5 and another was issued in Lot 6, police reported. • A student was charged with allegedly assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest during Homecoming festivities on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2:35 p.m., according to Campus Police. An officer met with an intoxicated student and TCNJ EMS in Lot 5, and while interviewing the student, smelled a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the male’s body and breath. When the officer asked how much alcohol the student had consumed, the male responded “numerous amounts of beer at an off-campus party.” Then, the student got up and

started running from the police. Two officers chased after the student across Lot 5 until one of the officers caught up with the male. The student then punched the officer in the face, causing injury, Campus Police said. Campus Police were assisted by NJ State Police, and the student was transported to Campus Police Headquarters for processing, police said. According to reports, the student was also given a summons for underage drinking.

• A student had his wallet stolen from the Campus Town gym between 3 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, Campus Police said. The student had placed his wallet inside one of the gym’s cubbies, and when he realized it had been taken as he was working out, he searched for the wallet in the surrounding area with negative results. The student was advised by police to cancel his credit cards. At this time, there are no suspects. The wallet was valued at $29, Campus Police said. • A College-owned golf cart that was parked behind Wolfe Hall was damaged on Saturday, Oct. 24, sometime between 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., according to Campus Police. During the 15 minutes that the employee parked the cart outside, the rear metal bar that holds up the roof of the cart

was broken, and it appeared as though someone either cut or broke the bar intentionally, police said. However, it is still unknown what exactly caused the damage, according to police reports. • A student had decorative car eyelashes stolen from her Volkswagen Bug sometime between 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, and 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, as the car was parked in the first space to the right of the exit gates in Lot 13, Campus Police said. The student realized the eyelashes were missing from her headlights once she arrived at work. While one eyelash was partially gone, the other one was completely removed. The decorations are valued at $40. There are no cameras in the parking lot and there were no witnesses, Campus Police said. • An officer spotted a green spray-painted heart on a garbage can between the Brower Student Center and Packer Hall on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 3:40 a.m., Campus Police said. No other graffiti was found in the area, and Building Services was called to remove the paint, according to police. Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at 609-771-2345.

Speaker highlights China as a growing world power

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

Christensen comments on common misconceptions of China.

By Abigail Faith Correspondent

When many Americans think about China, a picture of roads teeming with countless people and overbearing manufacturing power comes to mind. However, what many don’t realize is that China’s steady growth comes with a great responsibility on the global scale.

Thomas Christensen is a prolific speaker and professor and the successful author of the book, “Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power: The China Challenge.” He has attracted audiences across the world with his analysis of China’s rise to power in the past decade. The night of Tuesday, Oct. 27, was no different, as students sat in the College’s Library Auditorium

and listened as Christensen illustrated the growing issues associated with one of the world’s fastest developing countries. Christensen began by commenting on China’s military power. He named weapons that China currently possesses, from submarine fleets to aircraft defense missiles. Although an increase in weaponry is present, Christensen stated that “this is not a new Cold War. The Cold War was nasty, the Cold War was ugly.” “I found it interesting when he compared China and the United States’ relationship to the Cold War,” freshman open options business major Erin Holzbaur said. “He revealed how the Cold War was completely different because, now, there are common interests involved.” Claire Guerriero, a senior psychology major at the College, agreed with Christensen’s ideas.

“He demonstrated a truly comprehensive view of China,” Guerriero said. “After hearing what he had to say about China geographically and ideologically, my point of view really changed.” Later on in the lecture, Christensen spoke about the issue of China’s involvement on a global scale. “The world is much more tightly integrated with globalization than ever before,” he said. He expressed his thoughts about China’s impact on the world, from its greenhouse gas emissions to its huge trade economy. He mentioned incidents over the past few years, such as the financial collapse in Greece, in which ailing countries called on China for aid and were met with stark refusal of assistance. “China, on a per capita basis, is still a developing country that still has a lot of problems at home,” Christensen said.

He emphasized the idea that although China is flourishing with potential, the country is still working to establishing itself. “Never before has a developing country been asked to contribute so much on a global scale,” Christensen said. When speaking about Chinese relations with weaker countries, Christensen repeated the idea that the United States must halt its socalled “fetish” with regime changes. “This is not a moral statement, this is a practical statement,” he said, underscoring the power of China in a sense that any intervention is met with the power of Chinese economic force. Christensen ended the talk by answering questions from the audience and thanking them for attending his event. “I’m really thrilled to be here and I’m really flattered that so many people came,” he said.

page 10 The Signal November 4, 2015

Nation & W rld

After 35 years, China allows two-child families

AP Photo

Consequences from one-child policy need time to rectify.

By Catherine Herbert Correspondent

The Chinese Communist Party announced on Thursday, Oct. 26, that China is forgoing its longstanding one-child policy that prohibited families from having more than one child, and will now allow two children in one family, BBC reported.

Before the new “one couple, two children” policy can be enacted, approval from the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, must be granted in March, reported CNN. This 1979 policy has been strictly enforced by Chinese Communist Party officials for more than three decades. The policy is a way to control

China’s rapidly increasing population rate. In 1979, China’s population was one billion, and after 35 years of this policy, the rule is said to have prevented about 400 million births, National Geographic reported. This controversial rule “resulted in millions of forced sterilizations, abortions, infanticide, and marital misery,” according to National Geographic. To enforce this rule, the government made contraceptives more widely available and used employment incentives to those who complied with the rule. Conversely, the government fined those who did not comply. More extreme consequences for violating the one-child policy were forced abortions and sterilizations, according to CNN. The policy also resulted in a preference for male children which “led to large numbers of girls being abandoned, placed in orphanages, sex-selective

abortions or even cases of female infanticide. China’s gender balance is skewed towards males as a result of this,” according to BBC News. One of the most detrimental results of having the one-child policy enforced for a long period of time is how much it has changed the demographics of China. “Currently, about 30 percent of China’s population is over the age of 50. The total population of the country is around 1.36 billion,” BBC reported. The repercussions of this dramatic change in demographics are already unfurling. With the most rapidly increasing portion of the population being the elderly, finding enough people and adequate funding to support them are proving to be extremely difficult. A driving force behind introducing the one-child policy was the concern with the how the growing population would affect the future

of China’s economic growth. Now, paradoxically, as a result of the one-child policy, the Chinese workforce is dwindling because of the amount of people in younger generations struggling to not only keep their growing economy going, but also to keep up with trying to support the aging population of “nearly 400 million over age 60,” according to CNN. The allowance of two children per couple in China could spark a new baby boom, but for many Chinese citizens it seems as though the elimination of the one-child policy would not affect them much. Many parents of one child are not really interested in trying for a second child, because it is simply too expensive, according to CNN. The one child household has become a norm and model for many families and it is not likely that this will drastically change.

Two major health chains seek approval to merge By Candace Kellner Staff Writer

Walgreens announced on Tuesday, Oct. 27, that it will propose to buy its rival, Rite Aid, in a $17.2 billion deal that will merge the second and third largest drugstore operators into one massive chain. Walgreens is still waiting to get regulatory approval, according to USA Today, and if the deal is approved, the merger will intensify the already fierce competition between Walgreens and CVS Health. This shift in the market is a result of the rapidly changing healthcare industry, which is seeking additional negotiating leverage against drug companies, and increasingly offering clinical services. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), which operates the drugstore chain, said the company expects to save more than $1 billion in “synergies,” which could come in the form of combined purchasing power and cost cuts. “Working together, decisions will be made over time regarding the integration of the two companies, ultimately creating a fully harmonized portfolio of stores and

AP Photos

A market advantage would result from a Walgreens-Rite Aid merge.

infrastructure,” Walgreens said in a statement, USA Today reported. CVS currently has 58 percent market share in the pharmacy and drugstore business, while Walgreens controls 31 percent and Rite Aid has 10 percent, according to research conducted by IBISWorld, a business analysis organization. The industry has $263 billion in annual revenue and $10.3 billion in profit. Pharmacies are fending off competition from mail-order prescription discounters,

online pharmacies and wholesale retailers such as Costco and health clinics. Consolidation gives the drugstore companies more leverage to negotiate with drug companies, according to USA Today. “It is to get leverage against not only drug companies, but also other competitors in the marketplace,” said John Boylan, an Edward Jones senior equity analyst, USA Today reported. When the proposed deal was announced,

Walgreens and Rite Aid, Rite Aid shares (RAD) soared 43 percent to close at $8.67 and WBA stock rose 6 percent to $95.16 and jumped an additional 1 percent in aftermarket trading. “Today’s announcement is another step in Walgreens Boots Alliance’s global development and continues our profitable growth strategy,” WBA CEO Stefano Pessina said, USA Today reported. “In both mature and new markets across the world, our approach is to advance and broaden the delivery of retail health, well-being and beauty and products and services.” Rite Aid CEO John Standley said the deal “will enhance our store base and expand opportunities as part of the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise,” USA Today reported. Rite Aid’s second-quarter revenue rose 17.5 percent to $7.7 billion, compared to the same period a year earlier. Boylan believes that Rite Aid’s strong presence in the northeast and mid-Atlantic may be enticing to Walgreens. Walgreens executives will discuss the deal with investors when they reveal the company’s fourth-quarter earnings.

New speaker asks for bipartisanship in Congress

AP Photo

Ryan salutes a teary Boehner after his speech.

By Gabrielle Beacken Nation & World Editor

Wisconsin’s Republican Representative Paul Ryan was elected as the 54th speaker of the house on Thursday, Oct. 29, the New York Times reported. Ryan succeeded Republican Representative of Ohio John Boehner, after Boehner served nearly five years as speaker.

“I leave with no regrets, no burdens,” Boehner said in an address to Congress, the New York Times reported. “If anything, I leave the way I started: just a regular guy, humbled by the chance to do a big job.” Now the youngest speaker of the house since 1869, at 45-years-old, Ryan was elected with a wide margin of 236 votes, including all but nine House Republicans. The nine nays are a part of the Republican hard-line conservatives caucus, the House Freedom Caucus. This small, but influential group of Republicans was the driving force behind Boehner’s Speaker of the House resignation, according to the New York Times. Originally reluctant to be nominated for the position, Ryan said he needed the support of his party to rally behind him, the New York Times reported. Ryan has insisted that as Speaker, the Freedom Caucus must too offer him their support. According to the New York Times, a closed-door meeting in the beginning of the week revealed that 43 members of the Freedom Caucus opposed him. However, for Ryan to garner the 218 votes necessary to become Speaker, members of the Freedom Caucus had to vote for Ryan despite their contrasting views. Ryan gained national recognition when he was selected as the vice president nomination in 2012 under the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. As the new speaker of

house, Ryan hopes to form bipartisan relationships, however difficult that may prove to be, according to the New York Times. “Let’s be frank: The House is broken,” Ryan said to Congress, the New York Times reported. “We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean.” Ryan will face complicated obstacles from the deep division within his own party, while also confronting opposition from the Democratic Party that has disagreed with his ideologies for years. “Make no mistake — my Democratic colleagues and I will continue to have deep policy differences with Speaker Ryan on the vast majority of issues,” said Democratic Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, who serves as the Senate minority leader, the New York Times reported. Ryan must also consider the degree to which he is willing to clash with the president. According to the New York Times, already drafted spending bills are filled with conservative agendas that severely weaken the president’s health care laws and financial regulations. To avoid a government shutdown before Christmas, Ryan must deliberate how far he is willing to conflict with the president and House Democrats, as well as his own divided party, the New York Times reported.

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 11

Editorial

Hopefully your Halloween wasn’t spent in front of a T.V. screen

Halloween is just behind us, and for many, that meant going out and taking a break from studies. Students dressed up as different characters and many took comfort in celebrating the tradition we’ve known since we were kids. For others, however, the night was spent indoors in front of a computer or T.V. screen, thus begging the question, has media changed how we interact with each other? Within the past few years, there has been a drastic rise in multimedia, specifically with T.V. shows moving online. For college students who are often balancing heavy workloads, having their favorite shows more accessible is simply convenient. Netflix and Hulu Plus are easily reached, yet when does watching T.V. for enjoyment and watching it as an obligation cross lines? Halloween, for example, is a perfect time for nearly everyone to be outside, relax and do something out of their everyday routine. From the time we were born, most parents dressed us up as little pumpkins, police officers or even Power Rangers. As we got older, we anxiously awaited October to roll around so we could rush to the local party store and pick out our own costume. On the 31st, staying inside to watch T.V. or movies wasn’t even a thought in our heads. We rushed outside with our friends and fought over who got the most candy while our parents checked over each piece carefully. Naturally, as we have gotten older, that same excitement has diminished. However, that doesn’t mean the tradition of being around friends should, as well. While some people still spend the day with friends and family, others have turned to media. This year more than any other, it became clear that for many, Halloween is simply another day of the year. The only significance is that Halloween-themed shows and movies are played. Now, don’t get me wrong, “Halloweentown” is still a top-rated movie, but there comes a point where media can wait. Television and film are great sources of entertainment, yet they shouldn’t be something that must be watched. People should not feel obligated to stay inside and see what’s playing. Instead, they should be around friends and having a good time. Of course, sometimes it’s best to lie in bed and binge-watch shows, but that should not be a daily routine — especially on Halloween. — Ellie Schuckman News Editor

Editorial Content Unsigned editorial opinions are those of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing, News, Features, Arts & Entertainment, Opinions, Photo and Sports editors and the Business Manager, unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed in signed editorials and letters to the editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Signal.

AP Photo

While watching Halloween movies is a great way to celebrate the holiday, dressing up and going out to enjoy the day might be better.

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

Editorial Staff Julie Kayzerman Editor-in-Chief kayzerj1@tcnj.edu Colleen Murphy Managing Editor murphc16@tcnj.edu Sydney Shaw Ellie Schuckman News Editors shaws4@tcnj.edu schucke1@tcnj.edu Mackenzie Cutruzzula Michael Battista Sports Editors cutruzm1@tcnj.edu battism3@tcnj.edu Kimberly Ilkowski Arts & Entertainment Editor ilkowsk1@tcnj.edu Jessica Ganga Features Editor gangaj1@tcnj.edu Chelsea LoCascio Opinions Editor locascc1@tcnj.edu Kim Iannarone Photo Editor iannark1@tcnj.edu

Mailing Address: The Signal c/o Forcina Hall The College of New Jersey P.O. Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 Gabrielle Beacken Nation & World Editor beackeg1@tcnj.edu Elise Schoening Review Editor schoene1@tcnj.edu Jackie Delaney Production Manager delanej2@tcnj.edu Alyssa Sanford Web Editor sanfora1@tcnj.edu Olivia Rizzo Kelly Corbett Social Media Editors rizzoo1@tcnj.edu corbetk2@tcnj.edu

Emilie Lounsberry Advisor lounsber@tcnj.edu Ricky Zhao Business/Ad Manager zhaof1@tcnj.edu

“The Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution Services conducts all investigations as quickly as possible, paying particular attention to the need for thoroughness and to protect the rights of the parties involved,” — Dave Muha, College spokesman

“We all felt that there needed to be a way to translate the emotion we all feel from our experiences at TCNJ to someone that may have never set foot on a campus,”

— Christopher Lundy, junior interactive multimedia major and comaker of the College’s new admission video

““I can’t think of a natural event that shaped New Jersey culture as much as Hurricane Sandy did,”

— Matthew Bender, associate professor of history and director of the Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project

page 12 The Signal November 4, 2015

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 13

Opinions

Students’ standardized test scores suffer

PARCC exams take away from quality education

AP Photo

The PARCC exam is a topic of controversy. By Tom Ballard News Assistant

The recent release of the New Jersey results for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam proved to be a failure for New Jersey students and teachers. The PARCC is a controversial college and career readiness exam that was given to students for the first time earlier this year. The state now uses the exam in lieu of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) and High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) to test children from elementary school to high school on their ability to apply their knowledge to concepts instead of demonstrating their retention of knowledge, according to the New Jersey Department of Education. Students performed poorly on the exam with only

approximately 46 percent of students in grades three through 11 meeting the standard in English language arts and 34.5 percent meeting the standard in mathematics, according to nj.com. To compare, New Jersey’s Department of Education reported that in last year’s NJ ASK assessment, 66 percent of the aggregated students in grades three through eight were proficient in English language arts literacy and 74 percent were proficient in mathematics. However, people supportive of the PARCC have used the poor results to demonstrate how essential the assessment is to the state. “There is still much work to be done in ensuring all of our students are fully prepared for the 21st century demands of college and beyond,” David Hespe, the state’s education commissioner, said in an article on nj.com after the results were announced here in Ewing. But one of the most interesting defenses of the exam came from former Governor Tom Kean. Kean wrote in an nj.com opinion that the PARCC is needed as a benchmark to give a more accurate answer on how close students are to what he calls the “honesty gap.” Kean said that the state used to inflate the college and career readiness test scores of their students in order to make the state’s education appear better than it was. To this, I slightly agree with the governor. New Jersey is, thanks largely due to its already high standards and quality teachers, a high-performing state in education, and having an easy assessment in order to say that most students are proficient seems like a strong possibility. Kean has been using the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), another test to indicate students’ proficiency in various subjects, in order to show the disproportionate number of students who were scoring proficient on the NJ ASK but not on the NAEP. It is important to note that unlike the NJ ASK, which was taken by most of New Jersey third through eighth-graders, NAEP only targets approximately 7,500 students per-state — 2,500 in the fourth, eighth and 12th grade. Although the test is seen as a good estimate for student proficiency, it is an estimate nonetheless. The state was dragged into the PARCC exam with many parents, teachers and students kicking and screaming against

the exam published by British education-mega giant, Pearson. Now, after five years since New Jersey signed up to be a PARCC state, only nine of the original 23 PARCC states remain committed to the assessment, parcconline.org said. As other states try to improve their own assessment programs at the state level, New Jersey remains threaded into the educational Hindenburg that is the PARCC assessment. I agree that New Jersey exams needed fixing, but the quasisolution that is PARCC is not the right foundation. We need an assessment that allows us to focus on the needs of New Jersey students. One that is easier to integrate into teachers’ curriculums so they are able to spend more time teaching what they deem essential to students’ education rather than spend time teaching them how to take the exam. But most of all, we must be wary of these numbers all together. Education has become more about the appearance of education instead of actual education. We as a state must remain focused on providing real education to students that inspires them to foster a love for learning instead of dragging that love down with hours of complex testing. The sad fact is that American public education has become more of a Kevin Spacey-like political drama instead of focusing on the needs of students. According to the Washington Post, in 2013, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was forced to apologize after he said it was “fascinating” that some opposition to Common Core standards, which the PARCC assessment is made to go hand-in-hand with, came from “white suburban soccer moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.” What I find fascinating is how education, something that is meant to unify, is used by some to draw divisions between people. Simply having the courage to question what the educational system has to say can have a person marked as not caring for the children or just flat-out ignoramuses. Unless we stop giving exams like PARCC the attention that Pearson wants it to be given, and if we continue to rob teachers of the time they could be spending educating their students, the concept of providing American students a quality education, ever since the time of Horace Mann, would have all been done in vain.

Dashboard cameras add danger to driving By Kelly Corbett Social Media Editor

Have you ever been driving and wondered, “I wish I had a dashboard camera on the back of my car to record all the exciting and thrilling moments of my drive?” Well, if you have, your dreams may soon be coming true. Recently in class, I was asked to look at current issues in technology and I took a look at the dashcam produced by Waylens. What will this new technology allow us to do? Well, while we’re cruising down the road, this dashcam will let us record our drive to capture any of the amazing moments we have. But wait, there’s more. A steering wheel remote allows users to bookmark these exciting moments captured, which can then be uploaded through a smartphone app to social media. Wow, does this mean I can post videos of me driving for all my friends to see and think I’m super cool? Yup. OK, so I’m not bashing the dashcam completely. It’s a interesting concept and

product, honestly. My problem with it is how we humans are going to make a trainwreck out of it. It’s a distraction, and unless you’re a professional race car driver, action movie star or Superman, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have this attached to your car. Head to Waylens’ website and in their description of the dashcam you’ll see, “You’re a driver, not a cameraman. So, just drive and leave it to the Waylens to capture, manage and store all your best moments behind the wheel.” And while that all seems great, is it necessary? Ever heard the saying too much of a good thing is a bad thing? Too much technology, especially for us millennials, is going to ruin us. We don’t need all these devices operating in our car. All we should be focusing on is the road and how we’re going to pay for gas. We can’t even drive without texting, and adding another electronic device to the mix is just going to be even more dangerous. The fact that this dashcam has an option to post videos to social media means that some people — the bold, outlandish and dumb population — are going to try to do some

Waylens’ dashboard cameras might become a distraction to drivers. super intense, almost flip-off-the-highway, moves. Because who wouldn’t want to catch something cool on video for all their friends to double tap on Instagram? While the dashcam will allow us to play back footage in case of an accident and verify details of who hit who, then I agree, it would be handy. Otherwise, I don’t think this product should be marketed to the public. On the other hand, this new technology

Twitter

could encourage more cautious driving because people will feel like they are being watched and might make them focus more on the road. While that could be true, I see some flaws. People text openly on the road, in front of officers, and don’t wear seat belts. We’re rule breakers who have no fear — this makes the dashcam too much for us to handle. It’s a cool idea. I just don’t think it’s something I’ll be attaching to my Toyota Corolla anytime soon.

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 14 The Signal November 4, 2015

Multicultural Buffet

Asian American Association SAF Funded

WHEN?

Tuesday, November 10th 7-10 PM

WHERE?

Decker Social Space (Basement)

PRICES:

$3 per plate, $1 bubble tea

PERFORMANCES BY:

Taiko, Jiva, Circus Club, Dragonflies

~ Email: aaa@tcnj.edu/ Website: tcnjaaa.weebly.com/ Facebook: TCNJ AAA ~

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 15

Students share opinions around campus Are PARCC exams beneficial? Are dashboard cams safe? “I don’t see how they could be dangerous… I think having dashboard cameras in all cars would be a good idea, but might make some people’s insurance rates go up.”

“As for the PARCC (exam), I’ve heard it’s more difficult (than older exams). I’ve heard it’s hard and unfair.”

Chelsea LoCascio / Opinions Editor

Val Thomas, freshman nursing major.

Andrew Miller, senior computer science major.

“I know it’s a ridiculous test... My neighbor’s a teacher and he hates (the exam). Teachers can’t teach what they want, they have to teach for the test.”

“I think it’s a good (thing to have) if you get into an accident… It could make you more careful.”

Chelsea LoCascio / Opinions Editor

Lauren Vogel, sophomore communication studies major.

Silas Rudderow, junior biomedical engineering major.

The Signal asks... Should the sidewalk around the loop be completed?

Silas: “I run around it a lot. Not that I need a sidewalk, (but) I think it would be beneficial.” Val: “Absolutely.” Andrew: “I walk around the loop… I don’t really need a sidewalk. (The College is) building so much anyway, so why not?” Lauren: “Yeah, absolutely. One hundred percent because walking the loop is (an) enjoyable time… but it’s not a safe time.”

Without sidewalks, students fear getting hit by drivers while running the loop.

Raphaëlle Gamanho / Cartoonist

page 16 The Signal November 4, 2015

Arts & Entertainment

Pixel / Students take concert to the next level

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

Students wear mustaches during a ‘Super Mario Bros.’ song. continued from page 1

tone of the piece. “The next piece isn’t from a video game,” said Vickerman in reference to “Yorkshire Ballad.” Vickerman then introduced Jason Verblaauw, a senior music education major, to conduct the piece. After a symbolic handing over of the baton, Verblaauw confidently conducted the ensemble through the rural piece. The slow flutes let out a soothing tone while the country feel couldn’t help but feel like home. Vickerman returned to the stage after congratulating Verblaauw. He then introduced Suzanne Parker, a junior vocals major, who sang soprano for “I Was Born For This” from the game “Journey.” “Banner Saga Suite” was the next piece, which was actually written for a wind ensemble, according to Vickerman. “I was absolutely determined have us

play this,” Vickerman said. “All of the other pieces were arranged for our use, aside from this piece.” The first half of the concert concluded with the enchanting “Kingdom Hearts Overture” by Yoko Shimamura. The piece contrasted many of the earlier tunes highlighting an air of fantasy rather than destruction. After a short intermission, Vickerman introduced two groups of students that composed their own original pieces, honoring the theme of “Tetris.” “You’re about to witness a world premiere,” Vickerman said. Senior music education major Nicholas Parent then gave some background on the composition, “Serenade for Colored Blocks.” “We essentially decided to chop the melody into small chunks,” Parent said. “We then made a section based on each chunk.” The next group, who called themselves “Straight Outta Tetris,” composed a piece

entitled “Fantasy on Korobeiniki,” which replaced popular Disney songs with the “Tetris” melody to create a unique fusion that had the audience laughing and applauding. The anticipation in the room reached its climax as Vickerman began to introduce “Medley from The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time” by Koji Kondo. “The Legend of Zelda” soundtrack is so beloved that an official symphony tour based on the game has attracted huge mainstream attention. “There was no way I was going to do this without ‘Legend of Zelda,’” Vickerman said. “It’s been called the lullaby of a generation.” The medley did not disappoint as the hall appeared to fade into the lush rolling hills of Hyrule field as the ensemble powered through a large collection of tunes from the game. “It gave me goosebumps,” said Evan Noone, a freshman technology education major. The next piece was “Ballad of the Goddess” from “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.” Vickerman explained that he was

inspired to include this piece while playing the game with his daughter. Vickerman then introduced the TCNJ Chorale who joined the ensemble on stage to perform the main theme from “Halo.” John Leonard, the chorale conductor, was then called onto the stage to guest conduct the piece “Baba Yetu” from “Civilization IV.” The piece featured lead tenor vocals from David Pauls, a senior physics major. The final song on the program was “God of War: Revenge and Redemption” created by lead “God of War” composer Gerard Marino, who was then invited on the stage as a guest conductor. After the piece concluded, Vickerman returned to the stage wearing the iconic red hat donned by Super Mario. The chorus quickly sported fake mustaches, and the ensemble began playing a surprise medley from the original “Super Mario Bros.” The audience roared for the ensemble, the chorale and each of the conductors.

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

The wind ensemble brings video game soundtracks to life.

Visiting Artist Series explores video art installations By Kelly Vena Correspondent

No one was allowed to sit in the back rows of Mayo Concert Hall for Kate Gilmore’s presentation during the first Visiting Artist Series of the semester on Wednesday, Oct. 28. “I like to make my lectures interactive so you all don’t get sick of hearing my voice,” Gilmore said as she encouraged students to migrate toward the front rows. “I put some responsibility on the audience, as well as myself, to make it more interesting.” Gilmore, a Washington, D.C.,

native who now resides in New York City, is a renowned artist whose work centers around challenging a gender-biased society. She has received numerous awards for her pieces, including the Artist Space Independent Project Grant in 2003 and the 2010 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Award for Artistic Excellence. Despite her accolades, Gilmore did not take her first art class until college. “I fell in love with art. It makes me feel comfortable in my own skin and is the best way for me to communicate to the world,” she

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

Gilmore gives an interactive lecture on her art.

said with a smile. Gilmore attended Bates College, a small liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. She graduated in 1997 as an art and European history double major. After graduating from Bates, Gilmore decided to take a few years off before continuing on to graduate school. “I worked with autistic kids,” she said. “I taught them how to use art as an outlet.” Gilmore eventually went to grad school at the School of Visual Arts, in Manhattan. She described her grad school experience as “doing a ton of work, then having a ton of people come into your studio to critique it.” When she first began her career in art, Gilmore started with traditional sculpture and pottery, using common materials such as cement and sheetrock. Although she put hours of time into her work, Gilmore realized people were more interested in her personality and processes than her actual work. “My ideas weren’t coming through in my work,” she said. “That was when it dawned on me that labor does not equal worth.” It was the second semester of her second year of grad school when Gilmore discovered video as a medium for her art. A self-described

“performance, video, installation artist-person,” this discovery greatly impacted her artistic career. In her earlier video works, Gilmore would dress up as prominent female figures such as Hillary Clinton and Martha Stewart, and have them react to the unconventional environments she would create. “I recreated Ted Kaczynski’s (the Unabomber’s) hut, dressed up as Martha Stewart, and had her reorganizing it,” Gilmore said of one of her early videos. Gilmore uses her early works, as well as her more recent ones, to depict women reacting to the environments around them. Just a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she dressed as Clinton for yet another video. “In this one, Hillary is hanging a chandelier when suddenly the floor begins to break underneath her. She has to try and maintain her balance and not fall,” Gilmore said. The video was a reaction to the terrorist attacks, and Clinton served as a symbol for the United States struggling to recover from the sudden and devastating plane crashes. Instead of describing her pieces to the audience, Gilmore decided to show the actual footage. In her video “My Love is an Anchor,” made in 2004, Gilmore is wearing a black dress and stockings as she

attempts to remove her leg from a bucket of plaster. “My foot was stuck in there for, like, two hours!” Gilmore exclaimed as the video of her struggling enraptured the audience. Another piece, “Buster,” which was made in 2011, depicts Gilmore as she breaks 220 ceramic pots one by one. Although her video creations vary greatly, they all include elements of color. “The color in each video is used consciously,” Gilmore said. “They’re all girly, super-bright, technicolor, clown colors. Colorful pieces are often rejected in the art world. Rejecting feminine, colorful art rejects the majority of artwork.” She hopes her unconventional use of color contributes to a revolution of the art world’s opinion of colorful pieces. After her presentation, Gilmore opened the floor for a question and answer session, and one student asked about her creative process. “It is important for people to have a diverse understanding of the world to create art,” she told the audience. “A diverse education, different readings, meeting different people, personal experiences — I believe your work becomes better with those things.”

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 17

Gallery sends students through gaming eras

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Left: Students walk through displays featuring the different eras of video games. Right: Portera shows video compilations of game trailers. By Ryan McElroy Correspondent Walking into the College’s new art gallery is like being transported into a digital world that takes students through different decades, worlds and experiences. “A Palette of Pixels: The Evolving Art of Video Games” is the College’s current exhibition in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building that takes viewers on a journey into video games throughout history. The gallery opened with a reception on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with over 200 attendees, according to Emily Croll, the art gallery director. Accompanying this gallery was a lecture by Gerard Marino and Cecile Kim, creators of the “God of War” series, in Mayo Concert Hall on Friday, Oct. 30. There was also a concert, “Pixel Music,” conducted by David Vickerman with Marino as a special guest conductor in Kendall Hall on the same day.

The exhibit is broken up into three eras. The first era spans from the late ’70s to early ’80s and shows games with big imagination, but basic technology. Croll said that the ambitious cover art for games like “Othello” and “Space Invaders” was too advanced for its time and could not be reflected in the games. In era two, the games displayed were from the early 2000s. In this era, the technology improved and made it possible for graphics to become more realistic, such as those in the “God of War” saga, “Bioshock” and “Okami,” which indicates the transitional period in the artistic style in video games. The newest generation of games is in era three, which contains deeper themes than in era one. This is evident in games like “Spate” — which shows life from the perspective of someone coping with an addiction to alcohol. Some of these modern games use old animation styles,

like in “The Dream Machine,” which uses claymation. “(It’s) interesting to see how some retro-minimalism has bled over into the art styles of modern indie games,” said Dom Portera, assistant curator of this exhibit and a junior interactive multimedia major. “Nowadays, game designers are creating games with all kinds of aesthetics — from pixilated and blocky to stunning realism — and use today’s technology to make both visually and thematically complex games.” Portera and Croll worked with Chris Ault, the exhibit curator and associate interactive multimedia professor, to put the exhibit together. “Ault developed the theme for the exhibition and identified video games that he was interested in presenting,” Croll said. “(Portera) did a lot of research tracking down the artists… then I contacted them and asked them if they would be willing to lend artwork to

the exhibition. Then some of them, (like) the artists for ‘The Dream Machine,’ shipped their art from Sweden and the company that developed ‘Katamari Damacy’ shipped their art from Japan. It’s perhaps the farthest art has come to the gallery.” Among the pieces sent in from around the world are video compilations of trailers created by Portera. “I tried to pick the scenes that, when stitched together, best encapsulate the prevailing themes of the games, while also highlighting the variety of moods and visuals each game presents,” Portera said. “It was often a challenge capturing all of that in the videos while not giving away too much story-wise.” Visitors can also play some of the games featured in the exhibit, like “Metamorphabet,” “Limbo” and “The Banner Saga,” which are among many other games highlighted in the gallery. “A few of my favorites ended up in the exhibit, but ‘Journey’

stands out to me in how it captivates the player with a beautiful atmosphere, a sense of wonder and an emotional connection beyond any other I’ve experienced in a video game,” Portera said. Aside from the emotional connections students can make to these games, Croll said that students can learn a lot from the gallery. “Even if they know something about video games, they may not know the early history, they may not know the development,” Croll said. “And then there are a lot of people who know about the early Atari games and may not — these would be older people — but may not know about the more recent independent games.” The exhibit is open from Wednesday, Oct. 21, to Sunday, Dec. 13. People can visit the gallery on Tuesdays through Thursdays, from noon to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Chelsea LoCascio and Samantha Altman contributed to this article

‘God of War’ creators talk media and music By Andrew Street Staff Writer

On Friday, Oct. 30, Cecile Kim and Gerard Marino, who both significantly contributed to the creation of the famous “God of War” games, provided the College’s students with insight on creating music and art for games. With lunches in hand, students flocked to Mayo Concert Hall for the Brown Bag Series. The two artists spoke to students about making music, gaining inspiration, designing content and facing difficulties. Marino, who has been the lead composer on the entire “God of War” series, started the lecture by speaking about his career origins. He told tales of failed attempts, becoming a rockstar and his eventual steps into his musical career. It was here that he began discussing his first professional composing position on the “God of War” series. He spoke about his experiences creating music for video games, which differs from traditional media, and the general difficulty of combining all aspects for a final product. He went on to speak of how he would create songs with no imagery for basis. At times he would have reference pieces of Kim’s concept art, but typically he was verbally directed. He recalled that the game designers told him, “This is the most evil character in a game, ever.

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Kim and Marino discuss challenges in their artistic careers.

Make the most evil music you can.” After much difficulty and several rejected works, Marino created a main theme that captured what the creators were looking for. He described the music he created as “stabby music for a stabby game.” This became the “Kratos Theme,” which Marino conducted with the TCNJ Wind Ensemble later in the evening at the “Pixel Music” concert. Kim also spoke about his time as a concept artist for the famous video game series. As an artist, he expressed the numerous challenges that he personally faced while devoting himself to his work.

One of the major issues he spoke of focused on concepting Greek architecture, clothing and weapons. The difficulty for inspiration derived from the lack of remaining structures or items from Ancient Greece. As a result, Kim had to use what little ancient artifacts and texts remained to create a world that matched the Greek styling which the creators wanted. One of Kim’s biggest inspirations for significant concept art stemmed from Marino’s music. “We hadn’t met yet, but people would show us each others works and allow us to be inspired,” he said.

Both Kim and Marino had insight to offer the artists and musicians eagerly watching in the audience. Marino explained the grueling process of making art in media. He expressed that handling harsh criticism, approval and constant revisions can be draining. “You must be strong,” Marino said. “You will take damage throughout your career, but you must use it to make your work better.” Before concluding, the speakers went into a question and answer session with the audience. “We are trying to get a project going together to show the world how badass we are,” Marino said of a possible future collaboration with Kim. Whether this was a light-hearted joke or a hint at future games is yet to be known. It isn’t unlikely as both parties have continued to work on video games beyond “God of War.” The Brown Bag tied in with an array of video game related events occurring around campus this month. The TCNJ Wind Ensemble’s “Pixel Music” concert and the Art Department’s “Palette of Pixels” art gallery have both aimed to demonstrate the artistic reality of games, and how much they’ve grown. Much like the art they created, both Marino and Kim entertained, informed and inspired students at the College.

page 18 The Signal November 4, 2015

Wheatus revives ‘Teenage’ dreams

Dana Gorab / Staff Photographer

Wheatus plays their hit song, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ for the crowd. By Maddi Ference Correspondent

“You guys remember when you were 14? I wouldn’t do that (again) unless I was paid a billion dollars and have the brain I have now,” Brendan Brown of the popular ’90’s band Wheatus told nostalgic students at the College on Friday, Oct. 30, in the Brower Student Center before starting one of their many upbeat and outright silly songs. The Student Center had a coffee shop atmosphere with students scattered around tables listening and relaxing to the incredibly talented opening act Meghann Wright, followed by the boisterous Wheatus. Many students came to hear Wheatus play their popular song “Teenage Dirtbag,” but they seemed to be more than surprised and satisfied with the performance they received leading up to the highly-anticipated song. The concert began with a country-pop mix by Wright and two supporting band

members — one on a blues guitar and the other playing a percussion board instead of a traditional drum set. The percussionist sat in a chair with the board between his legs and a shaker attached to his foot. Different spots on the board would produce different sounds, which was very unique for most students to see in a set. The music resembled Fleetwood Mac and was very soulful through Wright’s tough yet talented voice. Wright said that her favorite song to perform is “Sunshine Through The Rain.” “(It’s) about finding hope in spite of negativity,” Wright said. The main act of the show was the spirited band Wheatus, who entertained the audience mainly with their absurd commentary in between songs. When they introduced their song “Lemonade,” a few students stood up and cheered, to which Brown said “You know this song?” Simple commentary lead to a very light and casual set. Present for the show was Brown on lead guitar and vocals and Matthew

Milligan on bass, producing a sound similar to Rush. Their songs were mostly upbeat in tempo and all had similar topics — drugs, girls cheating in a relationship and sex. Brown’s vocal range transitioned up and down the scale — one second he would be singing low notes and the next he would be singing a woman’s part in falsetto. Regardless of what notes he was singing, he hit them all with complete accuracy and his talent made the audience cheer for more. The last song of the evening was what everyone was waiting for. When Wheatus announced that their closer would be “Teenage Dirtbag,” a few students stood up and yelled with excitement and the audience as a whole became more energetic and animated in anticipation. Everyone sang along with Brown for the whole song and waited in suspense for the coming lines when Brown stopped to take a drink of water in the middle of the song. When asked about their audience, both bands had nothing but positive things to say. The students at the College were a “really warm crowd” and a “surprisingly musically engaged crowd,” Brown said after the show. Wright said that “everyone was very nice” when welcoming her to the College. Although Wheatus had just gotten back from their 15th anniversary tour in Europe, they were still excited to play at the College so soon after their return to the United States. Overall, the concert was a fun experience for students to get out and hear some new music. The sets were very conversational with little quirks and unique aspects which made the concert amusing for all who came out.

The 1975 display new music style By Julia Dzurillay Correspondent

Imagine a band of good-looking, young men singing about reallife situations highlighting love, heartbreak, alcohol and drugs. A few bands come to mind, but no other band does it quite like The 1975, an indie-alternative band from the United Kingdom. Frontman Matty Healy has been writing songs since his childhood days, but it wasn’t until 2002 that The 1975 was brought to life. After the massive success of their 2013 self-titled album and non-stop touring around the world, the boys are back with a new single. Instead of their usual alternative music, the band has turned in a direction of a sound which Healy called “bubblegum-pink pop.” This innovative genre title definitely captures the essence of their new single “Love Me,” which was released Thursday, Oct. 8. Within a week, the song reached No. 1 on the UK charts and gained support from fans across the globe. The band was ecstatic with the positive feedback. Healy tweeted to fans, “I am so incredibly humbled and in love with you all, I really am. Let’s keep it there and show pop music what’s up!!” Over the summer, the band members collectively deleted their social media accounts in an effort to hype their new music. All that was left of them was a very vague and cryptic comic strip left on their manager’s Twitter page signed, “Love, me.” Naturally, fans went crazy, as they assumed the band was breaking up. That is, until the band’s Twitter account reappeared with a completely new aesthetic. They were still the same members of The 1975, but they were a completely different band.

Youtube.com

‘Love Me’ takes the band in a new musical direction.

This week, WTSR music staff members Brigid Barber and Nelson Kelly highlight some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.

Band: Protomartyr Album: “The Agent Intellect” Hailing From: Detroit, Mich. Genre: Gloomy Post-Punk Label: Hardly Art Named after an ancient philosophical questioning of how the mind operates in relation to the self, Detroit post-punk quartet Protomartyr’s third release, “The Agent Intellect,” is as haunting and moody as you would expect. The band formed in 2010, when vocalist and lyricist Joe Casey needed a band who wanted to be heard as much as he did. Bandmates Greg Ahee, Alex Leonard and Scott Davidson approached each album with the same urgency ever since. Packed with personal stories, Casey brings emphasis upon ugliness boiling beneath the surface of his life experiences. This more brutal approach of charred pop and churned punk, with vocals on the more raspy monotone side, gives the band a unique visceral sound like nothing we’ve ever heard before. Must Hear: “The Devil In His Youth,” “I Forgive You,” “Pontiac 87,” “Dope Cloud” and “Clandestine Time”

Band: New Beat Fund Album: “Sponge Fingerz” Youtube.com Hailing From: Southern California Healy dances around in the band’s flashy new video. Genre: Poppy Beach Funk The 1975 have made a name for themselves as an indie band with Label: Red Bull Records a creative and indirect way of incorporating serious topics into their songs. Their most popular song, “Chocolate,” sounds innocent at first New Beat Fund is a new band straight listen. However, a look into the lyrics reveals a discussion on the ex- out of SoCal, and they aren’t afraid to cessive heroin and drug addictions of our generation. tell you. The fact that they’re signed to With “Love Me,” the quality of lyrics has visibly diminished. The Red Bull (yup, the energy drink) Reprofoundness in their lyrics went from, “A small town dictating all cords should tip you off as to the atthe people we get around, what a familiar face,” in “Settle Down” titude and content of their music. What to “Next thing you’ll find you’re reading about yourself on a plane you’ll find on “Sponge Fingerz” is a (fame!) What a shame.” These new lyrics are far from the usual “cher- collection of pseudo-reggae (a-la The ry lips, crystal skies,” basic pop lines, but they are definitely different Dirty Heads), techno-driven pop-funk from the usual 1975. tunes focused on the band’s propenPart of the fun of listening to The 1975 was deciphering what sity towards partying, drinking, girls Healy was really thinking while he wrote his songs. However, this and all other sorts of tomfoolery. New song’s message is stated plainly in the title, “Love Me.” Beat Fund expertly blends the ’90s, In terms of lyrical structure, the song is not progressive. The verse- Blink-182 aesthetic with the beachy chorus-verse-chorus-chorus structure is basically that of cookie-cut- vibes of bands like Dirty Heads or, dare ter pop music. It mimics bands like Peter Gabriel and Duran Duran I say, Sublime. This album is very solid in its sound, which seems like a step backward for the band. Their for what it is. The overall chill vibes originality is far gone. of this album are offset by goofy, ofAs a fan, I am very proud of all of their success, however, I do not ten corny lyrics. Despite that, “Sponge think the song is as good as the older 1975 songs I have come to love. Fingerz” is an overall enjoyable album They are removing the challenge of becoming a mainstream indie-al- from an interesting band. ternative band to follow a route outlined by so many musicians prior. Still, while the new single is definitely not as good as their other Must Hear: “Any Day,” “It’s Cool,” songs, it is undeniably catchy, and I will surely continue listen to it. “Sunday Funday,” “Telescope” and “SikWho doesn’t love another pop song? ka Takin the Hard Way”

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 19

Features

Video / Campus captured through students’ lens

Photos courtesy of Ryan Laux and Joshua Lewkowicz

Left: ‘The Dream Team’ is proud of all the work each has put into creating the video. Right: Laux takes an overhead shot of the library. continued from page 1 in the eyes of students and staff. “We all felt that there needed to be a way to translate the emotion we all feel from our experiences at TCNJ to someone that may have never set foot on a campus,” Lundy said. College spokesman Dave Muha and Lewkowicz had come up with the idea for this production: an admissions video which was informative, yet also allowed for people to feel as a member of the College community for three minutes. “I would go out and shoot footage of different people, places and events and keep a running list of what I had shot thus far,” Lewkowicz said. When Lundy and Laux joined in on the project, they took a load off Lewkowicz’s shoulders. Just having another person on set and having someone there to help move equipment made the project more manageable, according to Lewkowicz. Lewkowicz took on the role of a street photographer during the filming. While

some portions were staged, a “majority of the video is just me pointing the camera at what was around me at the time,” he said. After Lewkowicz graduated and began working at DreamWorks Animation, Lundy and Laux took over the editing portion, working through October, sifting through hours of footage to pull out the clips that best fit the video’s vision. One of the best parts of the project for this trio was being given so much creative freedom to do a video that typically would be something so strictly structured, according to Laux. While there were certain guidelines for the video and information that had to be included, “being able to add my own spin with 3D animations and sound effects made it a lot of fun to work on,” Laux said. The video went on to garner 83,286 views on Facebook as of Friday, Oct. 30, and almost 1,236 shares, according to Muha. In all, the video reached 222,792 people on Facebook. “I think a lot of people have pride in

TCNJ and are happy to share the video proudly and show off our school,” Lewkowicz said. Lewkowicz, Lundy and Laux had all worked together previously during Campus MovieFest, getting sent to Hollywood twice. Given the opportunity once again “to work with your best friends to produce such a video made it all the more enjoyable,” Laux said. And indeed, they worked well together. Before graduating, Lewkowicz had edited some sequences together, but it was his partners that “took those bits and really put them together to make the video what it was,” he said. However, the video dream team did face some difficulties while creating the viral video. Producing such a well-done piece while balancing academics and having a social life proved to be a little stressful. Lewkowicz said he seized every opportunity he could to shoot some footage. “Before or after classes, in between projects and homework, any time I got a chance

to go out and shoot footage, I would,” Lewkowicz said. Inside the editing room, Lundy and Laux worked just as hard editing sequences and creating the finished product. They set aside as much time as they could to foolproof the piece. “I think that the most difficult part of the project was having so much beautiful footage and only being able to showcase a fraction of it to fit the needs of this particular video,” Lundy said. With hours of footage, they had to make sure the video was representative of all the departments, activities and groups on campus. “We wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect and I think we got pretty close in the end,” Lundy said. But one of the greatest parts of this video, Laux explained, is that the way it was edited can allow them to go back and make newer versions as time goes on — and they already have ideas on how to improve it.

Engineering students gear up for competition By Tom Ballard News Assistant

What has four wheels, a suspension and is student-produced here at the College? The answer is the Mini Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the oldest ongoing senior project in the School of Engineering. The Baja SAE is a small offroad car that is designed and assembled by senior-year mechanical engineering students. This year’s team consists of John Sperduto, Michael Rossini, Michael Sebok, Louis Press, Paul Kurimella and Tanner Muir. “Designing, manufacturing, testing and competing a performance off-road vehicle is a tremendous task,” said Sperduto who serves as the team manager and lead designer for the front suspension and steering system. “The most rewarding aspect is completing the project. It is also rewarding to collaborate with teammates, industry and faculty to ensure the vehicle is the best it can be.” Students working on the project work on every component of the vehicle — from the suspension, which allows the vehicle to remain stable while driving, to ergonomics, which involves putting in place

Photo courtesy of John Sperduto

Students work hard throughout the year to prepare an off-road vehicle for competitions. comfortable features such as seating and easy to navigate interfaces. The features allow the driver to be more at ease while driving. Sperduto said that all this work consumes a lot of time. “Work on the project is nonstop beginning in the summer,” Sperduto said. “During the semester, it is anywhere from a 10 to 30 hour per week time commitment.” According to Sperduto, the competition that the Baja SAE takes part in has changed greatly from the previous year. The project has become more competitive and the

SAE, the organization that sponsors the competitions, has “consistently increased the expectations and difficulty of the competition to ensure teams continue to innovate and remain in the forefront of design and manufacturing,” Sperduto said. The team has a history of performing well, according to Sperduto. This year’s team plans on bringing new innovations to the project and to set a high standard for future TCNJ Baja SAE teams, according to Sperduto. This academic year marks the 25th anniversary of the College

winning the Mini-Baja East National Championships. The team members are working on the College’s Mini Baja SAE to participate in the Baja SAE Rochester competition in Rochester, N.Y., from Thursday, June 9, to Sunday, June 12. According to the SAE’s competition website, competitors will have their projects tested for acceleration, a hill climb, maneuverability and suspension. “The team is confident, but aware of the difficulty and work associated with the project,”

Sperduto said. “We are constantly evaluating designs and planning to ensure the project remains on schedule and engineering work is of the highest quality.” Sperduto said that there are now three competitions in the United States where approximately 100 teams participate. The competitions are also global, with events taking place in India and Brazil, typically having 40 competing teams. According to the School of Engineering’s website, the College’s team last received recognition at a national student project competition in 2011 where the team placed first in water maneuverability, seventh in endurance, eighth in cost and 10th in land maneuverability — placing eighth overall in a field of 59 entries. “The project is a constant learning process that challenges one to cumulatively apply mechanical engineering concepts and techniques,” Sperduto said. Other ongoing projects currently in the works in the mechanical engineering department include a solar-energy-powered boat, a human-powered vehicle, a large-scale RC plane and an autonomous ground vehicle.

page 20 The Signal November 4, 2015

Student Finance Board Open Forum

BSC 211 November 11 3:30-5:00 PM

*Anonymous proposals may be submitted to Ceil O’Callaghan in Student Affairs.

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 21

‘Big Gay Bingo’ finishes Queer Awareness Month Performers put on a lively show for students

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Students win prizes and enjoy the entertainment of the evening.

By Kayla Lafi Features Assistant

Queer Awareness has been a monthlong celebration here at the College during the month of October. PRISM held its annual “Big Gay Bingo” event in the Decker Social Space on Thursday, Oct. 29. The event was hosted by Davida Sky, Miss Gay New Jersey At Large, and Cyannie Famouz, a drag entertainer from Trenton. The event opened with a performance by Famouz. Dressed in a red devil costume, she lip synced to a mashup of various songs, walking through the audience with cheers. According to Famouz, this was her second time at the event. “I love that TCNJ is acceptable, very acceptable and welcoming,” Famouz said. “The students are just simply amazing. I love coming here. I have

been to other colleges but here, you feel at home.” The second performance of the night was by Sky, a senior English and women’s and gender studies double major. Sky currently holds the title of Miss Gay New Jersey and is a drag performer. During the event, Famouz and Sky clarified the difference between being transgender and dressing up as a drag queen for the audience — a significant difference that people may not understand at first. Famouz was born as a male but identifies as female, meaning she is transgender. Sky is a natural born male, but dresses as a woman to perform — a drag queen. “I have been performing for four years and I have won 14 consecutive national pageants, such as Miss Queer New York, Miss Glamour Goddess, Miss Gay New Jersey and others,” Famouz said. “I am

more so about putting on a show. I am very into the crowd and being entertaining.” In attendance that night were counselors and representatives from Trenton’s HYACINTH AIDS foundation who provided free condoms to all audience members to advocate for the practicing of safe sex. During the bingo game, PRISM gave out three tiers of prizes. A bingo winner had the choice of two tier one prizes or one tier two prizes. The tier three prizes were four American Express gift cards between $25-$50. Tier three prizes were saved for the end of the night. Two gift cards were given to the bingo winners. The other two were given to the winners of an impromptu runway competition. “I didn’t know what to expect coming in, but it was really awesome,” said Theresa Vitovitch, a freshman open options humanities and social sciences

major. “Everyone did such a great job performing. I’m definitely coming back next year.” The last two performances of the night were by drag entertainers, Miss Virginia Hamm and Duplissa. Miss Virginia Hamm performed “One Night Only” from the Broadway show, “Dreamgirls.” Duplissa closed the event with a performance to “Let’s Have a Kiki” by the Scissor Sisters. “The purpose of Big Gay Bingo is for everyone to get together and have some fun, enjoy some drag performance, put a wig on and just have fun,” Sky said. “We lock ourselves up in the library all semester. “We kind of stop to enjoy ourselves… so it’s kind of good to take some time to enjoy ourselves and remember that we are students, we are young, and it’s good to have fun.”

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

The two hosts dress to impress for the night’s festivities.

Student Session Nov. 10, 2015 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Education Building 115

Design & Protect Your Personal Brand! Join the conversation with Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of “Nail the Interview, Land the Job” – a crucial tool that will help you to define your brand affecting how you are perceived by others; master the intimidating interview process; and secure your dream position.

www.tcnj.edu/womensleadership5 Exclusive & free for TCNJ students Pre-registration required to: karlowit@tcnj.edu

Michelle Tillis Lederman is a coach, business owner, finance consultant, and professor. As founder and CEO of Executive Essentials, she has delivered seminars for Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and universities and has appeared on CBS, NBC, NPR, and Fox.

The Student Session is sponsored by Bloomberg LP; the TCNJ Office of Leadership; the Women in Learning and Leadership Program; the School of Business; and America’s Small Business Development Center at TCNJ.

page 22 The Signal November 4, 2015

TC N J F U N D

DAY OF GIVING November 5, 2015 dayofgiving.tcnj.edu 24 Hours. We’re counting on you! #OneDayTCNJ FOR ON-CAMPUS DONORS, SHARE YOUR LIONS PRIDE! Selfies with Roscoe Photo booth Wheel of Fortune prizes “I Gave” Stickers Hot cider and coffee Green Hall Lawn Wall Signing

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 23

: March ’99

College called public Ivy

Jessica Ganga / Features Editor

President Gitenstein praises the College for its excellence in academics. Every week, Features Editor Jessica Ganga hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories. As students of the College, we all know how hard we worked to get into the school and how hard we must continue to work here. The College has consistently been named to top college lists throughout the years, recently being named the top public college in the north by U.S. News & World Report. The College was also just named a national exemplar in undergraduate research. In 1999, President R. Barbara Gitenstein addressed students, faculty and administration about the College being considered a public Ivy League school. In an excerpt of Kimberly Garnick’s article, Gitenstein praised the College for its “special intellectual membership between faculty and students,” citing it as one of the reasons the College has successful programs and students. President R. Barbara Gitenstein addressed the College’s need for internal and external collaboration in order to transform the College, into what she called, a public Ivy League school. Her address, given at the Third Annual Leadership Convocation in the Music Building on March 3, followed the presentation of two awards to alumni. Gitenstein, addressing students, faculty and administrators, told the audience that the transformation to a public Ivy League school involves intensive, broadly based planning, academic affairs and outreach.

As part of that plan, she said collaboration is also a “productive vehicle for change.” She said she had met with the presidents of area schools including Princeton, Rider, Thomas Edison and Mercer County College in hopes to “develop productive partnerships for the good of the city and the state.” Gitenstein said the presidents will continue to meet every six weeks to two months in order to discuss these collaborations. There are two issues that Gitenstein said the College has to work on. “We have to productively use technology in the classroom as a pedagogical tool and to further collaborate with K-12 institutions to ensure students are well-prepared,” she said. Gitenstein also emphasized that the college has to maintain the public’s trust in promoting higher education and should be held accountable by the public. “We said (to the public), ‘Trust us, we’re higher education,’” she said. “But they are turning around and saying, prove to us what you can do.” According to Gitenstein, students, faculty and administrators must become more involved in the institution. She elaborated on her definition of a teacher/scholar, meaning someone who is both and excellent teacher and excellent scholar that mentors the student. Gitenstein lauded the college for its strong support of faculty research by

Celebritease

The stars did not hold back for Halloween in Hollywood this week, showcasing some of their most creative ideas on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kim Kardashian West went

By Jordan Koziol Columnist Long before goth and grunge styles entered the scene, witches have been perfecting the execution of black-onblack ensembles. Whether it’s glamorous, earthy or ethereal, their iconic look conveys both mystery and mortality. Halloween may be over, but fall fashion is in full brew. You don’t need magic to make a grand entrance, so try stealing tips from these stylish sorceresses. The Everyday Enchantress: For on campus or out-and-about, choose a dark boho influence for a modern-day twist on the witch’s look. Try a loose black dress with bell sleeves and pair it with thigh-high socks and booties. Layer up on delicate silver necklaces to complement this bewitching ensemble. The Madison Montgomery: Emma Roberts stars as one of the most stylish witches yet in “American Horror Story: Coven.” If you’ve seen the show, you’re probably aware of her legendary wardrobe. Try her look with the very au courant lace-up long-sleeved shirt and pair it with a black skirt or jeans and leather boots. A fur jacket or vest is encouraged. The White Witch: If you prefer to leave your cauldron at home, borrow aesthetic from the witch who practices magic for unselfish purposes. Known as a “wise woman,” her paranormal vibe is in touch with nature. Channel Stevie Nicks with any combination of the following: fringe, velvet, blanket coats, wide-legged pants, chiffon and satin. naming numerous professors who had received prestigious awards. “We are known at TCNJ as an institution that prides itself on its special intellectual membership between faculty and students and prove special relationships by successful programs,” Gitenstein said. In her speech, Gitenstein also gave an academic preview of the incoming freshman class. “Although I cannot tell you what the class is going to look like, the 2,315 students

AP Photo

Emma Roberts inspires witchy looks.

Take a break from black and experiment with earth-toned shades. The Wednesday Addams: Her favorite hobby is raising spiders and she’s also a ballerina… how cool is that? Steal Wednesday’s classic look with a collared shift dress, sheer tights and black combat boots (bonus points for braids). After all, she said it best, “I’ll stop wearing black when they invent a darker color.” Erring on the side of caution? Not to worry. Opt instead for a bewitching accessory: an over-sized wool scarf, a dramatic cape or shawl, a wide-brimmed fedora or crystal-pendant necklaces. So this fall, don’t be a basic witch. Give your vest/UGG combo the day off and go for a sorceress-inspired look. No incantations required. accepted as of March 1, have an average SAT score of 1274,” she said. According to Gitenstein, the College has the highest enrollment of student scholars and an 85 percent acceptance rate. Gitenstein, in praising the College’s athletic program, congratulated the women’s basketball team for its undefeated regular season, and lauded the College for being the number two school behind Washington University, in Division III.

:Hollywood gets spooky

Swift and Menzel perform ‘Let It Go’ for the crowd.

By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Sports Editor

Campus Style

Instagram

as only she could — as herself. The reality star re-wore her 2013 Met Gala Givenchy gown. The floral gown had sparked a series of jokes and memes that even went so far as to compare the pregnant star to a couch. Kardashian West is never one to shy away from fun, so she

took the opportunity to poke fun at herself. Similar to Kardashian West, Viola Davis’ daughter dressed up as someone she resembles very closely — her mom. Fouryear-old Genesis, wore a white and black gown, paired with her very own Emmy. According to Davis’ Instagram, being Elsa or a pirate wasn’t good enough for her daughter. Kardashian West’s daughter, North, on the other hand, was very glad to sport an Elsa costume, equipped with a blonde wig. Other stars couldn’t shy away from the “Frozen” phenomenon — Taylor Swift and Idina Menzel. Swift surprised her last U.S. audience of her “1989” tour in Tampa on Halloween with a guest appearance by Elsa herself, Menzel. Swift topped her pegacorn — a pegasus and unicorn — costume from last year by taking the stage as everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. The duo sang “Let it Go” as fans

went wild. The true winners of Halloween went to the consistent fan favorites, Neil Patrick Harris and his family. The family of four dressed up as the cast of Star Wars, including five-year-old twins Harper and Gideon as Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, respectively. Will Smith didn’t hide behind a disguise on Saturday, Oct. 31, when he took to Facebook to wish daughter, Willow, a happy 15th birthday. “When you were born it took about two seconds to realize that I was willing to die for you,” Smith wrote. “Thank you for correcting my heart — and teaching me how to love without constriction or condition.” Posting a throwback of himself and Willow, Smith reminded everyone that he probably has the most love to give in Hollywood. Just ask his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, who Smith recently gushed about over social media, as well, for her birthday.

Vanessa Hudgens contributed to nostalgia this week, when cast members from “High School Musical” reunited at her Halloween party. Ashley Tisdale, Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu were among the “High School Musical” cast members to join in on the festivities. Tisdale and Hudgens reminded everyone why they are everyone’s ultimate friendship goal, dressing as the Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland, respectively. In the midst of happy Halloween reunions, I perceived one couple’s breakup could only be a trick, but alas it turns out Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield’s breakup was reportedly truth. The four-year relationship has come to close after struggling to keep up with longdistances and hectic schedules. I’ll be wallowing in this news by listening to One Direction on repeat because I’m still not over the fact that Saturday, Oct. 31, marked their last show before going on a two-year hiatus

page 24 The Signal November 4, 2015

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 25

Sports

Football holds off Pioneers for road win Football

Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Left: Junior quarterback Michael Marchesano throws a touchdown. Right: Sophomore lineman Troy Domenick’s block saves the Lions’ win. By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer The College’s football team has now won two straight games. This Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, the Lions defeated the William Paterson University Pioneers, a New Jersey Athletic Conference competitor, 20-17, on the road at Wightman Stadium. The Lions improved to 2-5 on the season, while William Paterson dropped to 2-6. The College’s conference record also improved to 2-4, while the Pioneers dropped to 1-6. Junior quarterback Michael

Marchesano went five for seven on passing for 58 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while sophomore quarterback Trevor Osler went two for eight on passing for three yards. William Paterson’s quarterback, junior Anthony DiMarsico, went 28 for 45 on passing for 308 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The College’s senior running back Victor Scalici had 134 yards on 25 carries and sophomore running back Khani Glover had 48 yards, while their teammates had 26 yards

total or less all game. DiMarsico led William Paterson in rushing with 118 yards on 10 carries and the Pioneers’ junior running back Malcolm Robinson had 86 receiving yards while senior wide receiver Mike Vannucci added 69. Marchesano hit sophomore tight end Chase Vena for a 20yard touchdown — his first college career touchdown — for the early lead. The extra point attempt by sophomore kicker Brian Nagy failed. William Paterson kicker, freshman Nick DeAngelis, connected on a 44-yard field goal to cut the

Men’s Soccer

Lions’ lead, 6-3. DiMarsico threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Pioneers’ junior running back Malcolm Robinson in the third, as William Paterson led 10-6. The Lions struck back in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, as both of the Lions’ running backs scored. Glover scored on a four-yard run, bringing the College’s lead up 13-10 and Scalici also added a seven-yard run, increasing the lead to 20-10. With 5:25 left, DiMarsico broke loose for a 67-yard run for a touchdown, minimizing the score to 20-17.

The College’s defense came up big in the final seconds of the game. On a fourth-and-goal attempt from the Lions’ nine-yard line, DeAngelis attempted a field goal with nine seconds remaining. Seconds after the ball was snapped, sophomore defensive lineman Troy Domenick blocked the kick and helped seal the victory for the Lions. With a two-game win streak under their belt, the team returns to Lions’ Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, to face off against another NJAC competitor, Southern Virginia University.

Fantasy Football

Soccer falls to Rowan Williams a top pick again Misses NJAC playoffs By Sean Reis Columnist

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Freshman Nick Sample scores.

By Otto Gomez Staff Writer

The College’s men’s soccer team played their last game of the season on Thursday, Oct. 29, in Glassboro, N.J., against conference rival Rowan University in hopes of locking up a playoff spot. The team came up short in the end, falling 2-1 to the Profs. The team was confident after four straight conference victories. A win here would secure them as one of the six teams heading for the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament. Even with the momentum, the Lions could not capitalize and were held scoreless in the first half. Their strong defense kept the opposing Profs off the scoreboard, as well. Junior goalkeeper Jake Nesteruk was solid, facing eight shots on goal. The game was tied at zero until freshman midfielder Nick Sample was able to collect a rebound off of sophomore forward Michael Kassak’s shot to

put the Lions up, 1-0. With Sample’s goal, the Lions gained back their momentum and took a strong lead. It was not until almost seven minutes left in regulation that the Profs tied the game up with a goal from their freshman forward Derick Carpio. Since both teams were unable to score in the waning minutes, the game went to sudden death overtime, where the first to score came out victorious. As the period was closing, the Profs were able to win it when their own Shane Kohler connected on a penalty kick, sending Rowan to the playoffs. It was the Lions’ fifth conference loss and fifth overall this season. Senior captain, defenseman Greg Kaye said that while the loss was heartbreaking, the team still has hope. “It’s a shame that it ended the way it did, but having experienced these feelings will make the team push harder for a more successful year next year,” Kaye said. The captain was proud of the season his team had and is looking forward to leaving a strong group for next year. Junior forward Sean Etheridge, who spent a majority of the season hurt, will look to have an even bigger role next year on the team. “I think we will do better... we had a good season this year, much better than last year, and where we fell short... we will be able to adjust in the offseason,” Etheridge said. The College ends the season undefeated in non-conference play, and 4-5 in the NJAC. The conference was stiff with competition, but if the team’s record is a sign for the future, the Lions can keep getting stronger.

For Week Nine, as per usual, I have suggested the minimum players at each position below, but also suggest drafting Matt Ryan, Darren McFadden or Rueben Randle, depending on your weekly budgeting. Good luck! Quarterback: Eli Manning ($6,900) — Prior to the shootout season the team is experiencing, Odell Beckham Jr. said that the New York Giants’ offense was on the verge of exploding — he was right. The Week Eight offensive production from the Giants was what fans expected before the season and I predict it will continue in Tampa Bay this week. Manning will lead the team to the end zone all game long. Running Backs: Devonta Freeman ($8,000) — The Atlanta Falcons, surprisingly, struggled this past week, yet Freeman had nearly 20 fantasy points, which shows how much the offense is depending on their feature back. The Falcons have an OK matchup in San Francisco this week, but I think Freeman is worth $8,000 knowing he will return with points. DeAngelo Williams ($5,500) — Le’Veon Bell is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn MCL, making Williams the starter. At $5,500, it is a somewhat risky pick, but at the start of the season when Bell was out, Williams ran the ball well and I would be shocked if that

trend did not continue.

Wide Receivers: Keenan Allen ($7,700) — In my opinion, Allen is a top five receiver this season, especially in points per run formats, and at $7,700 he is not nearly as expensive as the very top receivers. Allen is a safe first wide receiver pick for Week Nine, at home against a struggling Chicago defense. Stefon Diggs ($5,300) — I have no idea where this kid came from, but if he continues to produce these stats, Diggs will be one of the league’s premier receivers. Diggs is yet to score a touchdown at home and I bet he gives the Minnesota fans a touchdown celebration in the upcoming week. Rishard Matthews ($4,500) — Since the Miami Dolphins’ bye week, Matthews has had double digit fantasy points every week, including last week, when the Dolphins were absolutely destroyed by the New England Patriots. At $4,500, I trust Matthews to continue the double digit trend in a Week Nine divisional matchup. Tight End: Gary Barnidge ($4,800) — “Barney” emerged out of nowhere four weeks ago and ever since he has been one of the best in the league, yet his price has barely increased so… draft him! Defense: New York Jets ($3,100) — The New York Jets’ defense struggled last week, but this week they are at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Need I say more?

page 26 The Signal November 4, 2015 Women’s Soccer

Lions drop top NJAC seed to Rowan

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Junior midfielder Lauren Malajian sparks big offense against Rowan. By Michael Battista Sports Editor

After an impressive season, it took only one goal to usurp the Lions from the top spot in the NJAC, as the team fell, 1-0, against Rowan University on Thursday, Oct. 29, on the road. The Profs were right behind the College all season when it came to points, but they won right when it mattered. Sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Thoresen said the loss stung more than others. “If I say it didn’t bother me, I would be lying. It stings a lot,” she said. “As a team, we all worked so hard and came up a little short. But we are not finished by any means... To win the tournament we will have to work even harder but I believe in my teammates and our determination to be successful.” The team traveled to Glassboro, N.J., for its last regular season game on the year, as well as its last NJAC matchup. The Profs (5-1-2) came into the

match needing a win if they wanted the NJAC top seed, while the Lions (6-1-1) needed to win or tie to keep the top spot in the conference. After the first whistle, Rowan came out attacking right away, getting three chances to score in the first 10 minutes, including a goal by sophomore forward Melissa Kelly who, thanks to quick passing, was able to get around the Lions’ defense and score to put the Profs up, 1-0, early. Junior, forward Christine Levering says the Profs opening attack was tough. “I think they had high pressure from the start,” she said. “We had some opportunities but didn’t finish them.” The Lions picked it up the rest of the first half, not allowing another shot on goal from the Profs and taking a total of eight shots themselves. Thoresen nearly tied the game 29 minutes in, but her shot went high and ricocheted off the crossbar.

The College could not finish on any of its attempts all game, thanks to an alert Profs defense and a fair amount of bad breaks on the field. The second half continued with the same trends as the first, with the Lions’ unable to connect with the crucial goal. Their seven shots on goal failed to get past Rowan’s freshman goalie Shelby Money, with three of them being saved by her alone. “Rowan fought hard for the win and deserve credit for that,” Thoresen said. “They scored we didn’t. I do not want to make any excuses. I have no explanation other then we have to work harder and we plan on it.” A shot by Lions junior midfielder Lauren Malajian, her second shot on goal of the game, was saved in the last five minutes of the game, keeping the score, 1-0 — leaving the Lions to drop the top seed to Rowan right before the playoffs, slipping into second.

Thoresen says the team can definitely can improve from this. “After reviewing the game in my head and talking it over with my teammates, we controlled the possession of the ball for most of the game,” she said. “Unfortunately we came close a few times without success. Without giving away any secrets because we are on the radar screen of a lot of teams, we will play faster, we will play smarter, we will play harder and we will play better.” The team will have a bye during the first round thanks to their record, and they now prepare to take on Rutgers-Newark, who is competing in their first NJAC semi-final in school history, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at Lions’ Stadium. Levering knows exactly what the team has to do and what they’re capable of, putting it short and sweet. “I think we can beat any team with our potential,” she said.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior goalkeeper Jessica Weeder makes three saves in the loss.

Cheap Seats

Red Bulls defy odds and team perception

AP Photo

Team captain Dax McCarty scores against DC United. By Rohan Ahluwalia Staff Writer

The New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer (MLS) were supposed to finally suffer from the mistakes that management has made in the past. The local franchise, entering its 20th season, was at arms with fans who were disappointed with the ownership running the team. From firing a fan favorite head coach, the retirement of two of the best players in team history and releasing almost every player who did well the previous season — everything seemed to be sour with the original New York soccer team. To make matters worse, a new expansion MLS team, New York City FC, promised to promote their team better than the Red Bulls ever did. Everything looked bleak for the

Red Bulls entering the 2015 season. Now, seven months after the beginning of the season, the New York Red Bulls will begin their playoff campaign on Sunday, Nov. 1, after finishing the regular season as the team with the best record league wide. For finishing with the top record, the team was awarded the Supporters’ Shield, which is given out annually to the team with the best record. New York City FC, meanwhile, ended their first ever season in seventh place in the Eastern conference, and thus, did not even qualify for the playoffs. This is truly not what anyone expected at all. After the conclusion of the 2014 season, the Red Bulls were quick to make changes to their team, which was only a goal away from reaching the MLS Cup Final. Team captain, and

all-time leading goalscorer, Thierry Henry, announced that he would retire while the team’s other marquee player — a player whose full salary did not count toward the salary cap — Tim Cahill, left to go to China. The team also got rid of starting defenders Armando Lozano and Jamison Olave while a lot of reserve players were also released. Replacements for these players were Damien Perrinelle, former American international soccer player Sacha Kljestan and Mike Grella, an American who played in England for the last six years. Despite the Red Bulls not replacing the two marquee players, fans were pleased with the other moves the team was making — until January 2015. In December 2014, it was announced that the Red Bulls had signed former MLS player Ali Curtis as their technical director. His first decision as director was to fire head coach Mike Petke. Petke was a cult icon for Red Bulls fans. A former defender for the Red Bulls before he became a coach, Petke won the team their first trophy in 2013 and he had instilled a strong mentality within the Red Bulls that fans had never seen before. The firing of Petke seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as Red Bull fans became outraged, many returning their season tickets, saying they would become fans of New York City FC. Rumors were already flying

that the Red Bull corporation in Austria was going to cut funding from the New York soccer team and devote more money toward their German soccer team, Red Bull Leipzig. That meant that the Red Bulls would never sign a big world soccer star again and would become a feeder team to the German team, where the young players come to New York and the ones who were good enough would be shipped to Germany. This is a massive no-no for New York sports fans. The only saving grace for the team was when new head coach, Jesse Marsch, spoke about the upcoming season at a recent press conference and expressed how he genuinely believed in the players he had. This calmed fans down to wait and see what happens to the team when they hit the field in March. The Red Bulls began their season on March 8, 2015, against Sporting Kansas City and drew the game, 1-1. The team went on to open the first two months of the season undefeated going into May, only three points off the top spot in the Eastern Conference. To answer to their negative critics, the Red Bulls signed former England international soccer player Shaun Wright-Phillips and Gonzalo Veron, a highly rated midfielder from Argentina. With the addition of these two players, the amazing form of off-season signings, the

team went on to finish the season in legendary fashion, winning fourteen of their last nineteen games. This included defeating New York City FC, three times out of three. And it was during the last game of the regular season Sunday, Oct. 25, against the Chicago Fire, that the Red Bulls managed to hold on and win, 2-1. In doing so, they not only earned their first ever victory away to Chicago, but they also earned their second ever trophy in team history as the team with the best record in Major League Soccer heading into the playoffs. Many soccer commentators were baffled at how the Red Bulls were able to turn probably one of their most disappointing moments in team history at the beginning of year into another trophy. Many credit the new high-pressing style of soccer implemented by Marsch, some credit it to the new signings stepping up in the face of adversity and some just credit it to the other teams in the league underperforming and allowing the Red Bulls to take advantage. Whatever the reason is for their success, the Red Bulls have managed to prove their critics wrong. The Red Bulls will now enter the MLS playoffs with their heads held high, and there is a sense of belief around this team, both within it and with the fans, that they can now go on and win their first ever MLS Cup championship.

4 6

LIONS

November 4, 2015 The Signal page 27

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Matthew Ajaj “The Ref”

Miguel Gonzalez Staff Writer

Connor Smith Correspondent

Otto Gomez Staff Writer

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Matthew Ajaj, asks our panel of experts three questions: Who will leave the biggest impact in the NBA this year? Can the Patriots be perfect this season and will the Mets try to pick up Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy from free agency in the offseason?

1. After a transaction-packed NBA offseason, which player will leave the biggest impact on his new team? Miguel: Although disappointing early on, the Knicks can utilize Derrick William’s offensive production for a small price. William’s transfer is a baby step for the Knicks as they recover from their worst record — 17-65 — in franchise history. Williams and rookie Kristaps Porzingis will replace the roles of departed players — J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire. The only major concern with Williams is his lazy defense and lack of rebounding, earning a low 7.7 percent rebounding rate and an average of 0.1 blocks per game last season. Also, I’m curious to see how Williams performs under the New York spotlight in comparison to quiet Minnesota and Sacramento. I do not expect Williams to average 20 points per game, but his presence will accelerate Phil Jackson’s gradual rebuilding of the team. Perhaps Jackson is formulating a triangular offense around Williams, Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony.

AP Photo

Connor: Although the Spurs adding LaMarcus Aldridge garnered most of the attention, Ty Lawson to the Houston Rockets may have the most impact on a team. It’s no secret that the Rockets relied on James Harden heavily last season. Lawson’s potential seemed to outweigh his off-the-court risks enough

for General Manager Daryl Morey to pull the trigger. Combining Lawson with the man who finished second in the MVP voting should be great for him statistically, assuming the Rockets can work on some chemistry issues. They did keep the Warriors competitive in the Western Conference Finals, and

I believe Lawson may have what it takes to bring the Rockets up a notch. Otto: LaMarcus Aldridge was the biggest name in this year’s shallow free agent pool and his decision to go to San Antonio will have a huge impact on the Western Conference. He is a young player still, especially compared to a lot of the Spurs’ roster and will help in giving players like Tim Duncan some more rest. While Aldridge will often stop the ball movement of the Spurs, he will quickly assimilate into the system and have a huge impact. The team is now significantly better on offense and doesn’t lose a lot on defense. Aldridge is locked up for the future, meaning that coach Gregg Popovich is set for the foreseeable future after the reign of Duncan is over. Aldridge gives the Spurs more size and allows them to spread the court out more. Don’t be one bit surprised if the Spurs finish as the third seed or higher this year.

Connor and Otto get 3 points each for mentioning two standout players and Miguel gets 1 point because Williams will not be nearly as impactful.

AP Photo

2. The New England Patriots are now 7-0. Is a perfect season on the horizon? Miguel: Yes, until the Super Bowl. This year’s Patriots team mimics the almost legendary 2007 squad: Coming off a scandal, offensive powerhouses, defensive standouts and most of all, Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.

Clearly, Brady is looking for vengeance after enduring numerous trials this past summer. He isn’t showing any sign of age with his current record of 20 touchdowns this season. Belichick will intimidate NFL commissioner Roger Goodell by letting the Patriots demolish their opponents. In addition, the Patriots’ remaining

schedule isn’t too challenging, with some exceptions. I would not be surprised if the Patriots achieve an overall +315 point differential. Although, Brady should be worried if Eli and the Giants can mark off their losing column. Connor: The New England Patriots have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 16.6 points per game. Tom Brady is slowly cementing his case as one of the greatest of all time, and it doesn’t appear that any team in the NFL can stand as tall. That being said, the New York Jets showed there are flaws that can be exposed. They held a lead into the fourth quarter before a series of touchdown drives put the Pats ahead in the end. One thing that stands out is that the Jets’ defense, ranked second overall, kept the game competitive despite an underwhelming offense. The Patriots must beat the No. 1 ranked defense, the Denver Broncos, if they want to end the season undefeated. The Broncos aren’t the only team that could stop the Patriots, but they are the best

bet. They have the best pass defense and Peyton Manning can never be underestimated. A perfect season is a nearly impossible feat, and the Patriots will be learning that the hard way. Otto: I don’t think so. There’s a reason that a perfect season has only happened once, and in my opinion, that 2007 Patriots team was a little more explosive on offense than this year’s team. Also, they will have clinched the division by the last couple of games and will rest their starters a bit. It’s very hard to stay consistently great and this year, with a record number of 6-0 teams, I think the Patriots will fall at some point. On defense they are not extraordinary, just good. While that is obviously above average, they will come across a good offensive team and they might slip. If they stay healthy, however, I see them getting all the way to the Super Bowl. If Gronk can stay on the field, this team is very dangerous. However, Brady is bound to look like a mortal at some point and the team might follow.

Miguel gets 3 points for discussing Brady’s vengeance tour. Otto gets 2 points for being realistic and Connor gets 1 point for thinking the Broncos have a chance against the Pats. 3. Will the Mets resign free agents Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy? Miguel: It’s guaranteed that journeyman Yoenis Cespedes will depart from the Big Apple once the offseason begins. (unless the Yankees are interested). He will be too expensive for the Mets to maintain. They will have to worry about keeping their stellar pitching staff and cannot risk the money, especially if they want to continue competing in the future. On the other hand, Murphy has shown devoted loyalty to the fans of New York. Even though Cespedes is more consistent in the regular season than Murphy, I believe Murphy would be more than delighted to stay in the city that never sleeps. Maybe the Mets’ front office should have been a little more careful when they negotiated Bobby Bonilla’s contract. Connor: Although Cespedes and Murphy have had massive impacts individually this offseason, it is very unlikely the team will be able to keep both. Murphy’s recent success was certainly helped by batting in front of Cespedes, but Cespedes cooling off right before the playoffs has not helped him. The Wilpons — the majority owners of the Mets — don’t

like to spend money on big name players. Sandy Alderson has shown he would rather spend less money on upside acquisitions rather than dump money thanks to prior success, with David Wright being the exception. Murphy will likely be given a qualifying offer which means his future with the team hinges on how much he likes being with the Mets. Otto: I think one of the two will be back, but not both. Murphy has had maybe the greatest postseason for any hitter, and so in the offseason he will be offered a lot more than he deserves. Whether the Mets decided to pay him will be dependent on where they place their priorities. Cespedes literally changed the entire National League, carrying probably the worst offense in August all the way to the World Series. He is very important for this team and should be the top priority. The Mets have to realize that as a franchise they have found gold in their starting pitchers and have to lock these guys down. If they spend all their money on an average second baseman who had an abnormal postseason, they’ll lose their young starters and will return to mediocrity.

Miguel gets 3 points for the Bonilla reference. Connor gets 2 points for noting the Wilpons’ stinginess and Otto receives 0 points for calling Murphy an average second baseman.

Miguel wins Around the Dorm 7-6-5.

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November 4, 2015 The Signal page 29 Swimming

Lions’ chemistry leads to victory at home

Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk

Lawler’s performance helps the Lions focus on NJACs. By Jessica Ganga Features Editor

The stands were packed with parents and friends as the College’s swimming and diving teams competed in their first home meet of the season. Both teams had strong performances against Southern Connecticut State University, beating the Division II team and taking home another win for the beginning of the season on Saturday, Oct. 31 in the Packer Hall pool. The men’s swimming team began the meet by taking first in

the men’s 200-yard medley relay. Seniors James Shangle and Joseph Dunn, alongside junior Andrew Nesbitt and freshman Alex Skoog touched the wall with a time of 1:34.38. Shangle, a captain who was named New Jersey Athletic Conference swimmer of the week last week, placed first in two individual events. In the men’s 100-yard breaststroke, it came down to a one second difference between Shangle and the SCU swimmer, with Shangle reaching out to the wall first with a time of 57.84.

There was another one-second difference when Shangle competed in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke where he recorded a time of 2:10.03, to take first. Throughout the meet, many of the men were able to take commanding leads in the water as soon as they leaped off the block. In the men’s 100-yard breaststroke, Skoog led the pack and easily took first in the event, clocking in a time of 52.34. Skoog went on to win the 200-yard backstroke as he coasted to the wall at 1:56.21, yet again having a strong lead. In the fast-paced men’s 50yard freestyle, the College was able to not only put up impressive numbers, but also sweep the event. Dunn, Nesbitt and junior Anthony Guirrieri went one, two and three with times of 21.11, 21.77 and 22.18, consecutively. Together, the men’s team beat SCU, 184-108, showing just how hard they are going to be working this season to make sure they are consistently successful. The women took home a 160128 win against SCU and, like the men’s team, had events that were games of inches and seconds. Sophomore Jill Galindo won by a second in the women’s 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:19.63. The College

was leading the pack during the beginning of the event, but SCU pulled through to take second, with Galindo gliding into first for the Lions. During the women’s 100yard breaststroke, sophomores Marta Lawler, freshman Lindsay Rippey and sophomore Madeleine Clements swept the event going 1:10.99, 1:14.02 and 1:14.41, respectively. The meet intensified during the final event. The women’s 400-yard freestyle relay proved to be the nail-biter of the afternoon. Senior Lauren Rothstein, sophomore Emily Rothstein, freshman Maddie Hynoski and sophomore Ali Huber swam for the team, which lead in the beginning of the event. At one point, the College lost the lead but was able to regain it. In the end, the team came in second with a time of 3:44.52, but the event showed just how supportive the team is for one another during a meet, with the women cheering their teammates on the entire time. “We always go in with a really positive attitude,” senior Melissa Haley said about the team’s mindset for every meet. “That’s one of our big things on the team is positivity. We always try to be upbeat,

everyone cheers for everybody.” With their second win of the season, the women came into the season with one goal in sight: winning the NJAC. “One of our big goals is to win (the) NJAC — New Jersey Athletic Conference,” Haley said. “In practices, we’ve been focusing on our finishes, our starts and our turns to be quick and outtouch the other team.” Coach Jennifer Harnett explained how there were many goals set before the season began, some of which the team has already met. Harnett, like Haley, knows that the number one goal that needs to be met is the NJAC win, but she believes her team will have a successful season. “We have already set our team goals for the season,” Harnett said. “We’ve actually accomplished some of those goals already. We had a certain amount of sweeps we wanted to do in events and we’ve already met that number for the season so we have to reevaluate that now. Obviously we want to win the NJAC. That is one of our top goals. I think overall our team is doing a great job. The team chemistry is phenomenal this year. We’re excited to see what the team’s going to accomplish together.”

Cheap Seats

Mount Union win 100 straight By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer

The University of Mount Union’s Purple Raiders are a dominate Division III college football team from Alliance, Ohio. However, their long-running win-streak received little national press. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Purple Raiders defeated the Wilmington Quakers, 69-0. The win was historic because it was the Raiders’ 100th-straight regular season win. “Our players understand that, right now, we are competing against ourselves, and they hold that in the highest of standards,” Mount Union coach Vince Kehres told the Ohioan newspaper T Tedeschi he Review. “They’re not about letting themselves get complacent. They want to continue to improve. They are certainly locked in right now.” In fact, in their current win streak they are 210-1 in their last 211 regular season games. They haven’t lost a game since a 21-14 loss to Ohio Northern University Polar Bears on Oct. 22, 2005. They had a similar streak in the past, as they won 110-straight regular season contests from 1994 through 2005. Mount Union had 25 first downs compared to Wilmington’s six in the blowout win. Two of their six first downs came on a penalty. The Purple Raiders, 7-0 this season, had 533 total offensive yards, while Wilmington (1-6) had just 87. Purple Raiders’ senior quarterback Taurice Scott had a career-high five touchdown passes in the middle of the second quarter after going 11-of-12 for 254 yards. The team scored a touchdown on their first nine possessions. “The eye contact between Taurice (Scott) and his receivers was on the money,” Kehres said in the same Monday, Oct. 26, article. “There were a couple of plays that became evident of the rapport he’s developed with them.” Scott also had two rushing touchdowns.

He had a 19-yard rushing touchdown at 13:14 in the first quarter, then added a fouryard touchdown run at 8:41. Senior running back Logan Nemeth also added a seven-yard run for the Raiders. Mount Union stopped the bleeding in the second half, as they only scored three times, including two field goals. In the third quarter, junior kicker Jake Antel completed a 33-yard field goal. With 1:30 left in the third quarter, freshman defensive back Louis Berry had a 40yard interception returned for a touchdown. Antel also had a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. “You can’t be upset if you don’t get a lot of interceptions, and at the same time, if you get them, you have to take them with a grain of salt,” Kehres told The Review. “With our style of play (a match zone-man combo) we don’t get to see a lot of quarterback reads right before the throw so we might not get as many interceptions. There were some balls that were hung up there and we made some plays.” With such an impressive style of play it is surprising that this team is still receiving little coverage compared to larger teams who don’t do as well. As the team continues to succeed, the press should keep them on its radar as they reshape the way fans view Division III football.

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November 4, 2015 The Signal page 31 Cheap Seats

Sacrifice bunting for better baseball

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Left: Nationals’ Jordan Zimmermann hits a sacrifice bunt. Right: Angels’ Mike Trout is known for getting to second off sacrifice bunts. By Matthew Ajaj Staff Writer Bunting is and has been a baseball tradition. It is not a difficult concept to grasp: stick bat out, ball hit bat. Of course, bunting aficionados are always inclined to inform listening ears of every little intricacy of the bunt. Some even call bunting an art form and will defend it to the death. After witnessing some miserable bunting in the 2015 World Series — baseball’s greatest stage, the time is nigh to discuss the futility of some of these boondoggling bunts — at least the sacrifice bunts. One stat says it all: according to baseballprospectus.com, there is a 24.4 percent better chance of scoring a runner from first with no outs than scoring a runner from second with one out. The sacrifice bunt — a “strategic” offensive maneuver that is almost always used to move a runner from first to second while

giving up an out — is thus inferior to swinging the stick. There is also the matter of limiting one’s own team to a minimal amount of runs. According to Dan Levitt of baseballanalysts.com, a 15-year study showed that a team can expect to score .877 runs in an inning when there is a runner on first with no outs. But with a runner on second and one out (a common situation after a sac bunt), the expected runs for an inning dips to .693. By taking an out to put a runner on second, teams are destroying an opportunity to let their batters get on base and produce bigger innings. Thus, the sacrifice bunt does not just sacrifice an out: it sacrifices more runs. Games are often decided by big innings. Limiting one’s team to just a onerun inning — if they can even get that one run — destroys much of the potential for higher run output and prevents a team from breaking the game open. The sac bunt is also damaging to the

mental health of a team. Baseball is an extremely cerebral sport in which success depends on individual players’ mentalities, as well as the collective team mindset. That being said, no player goes up to the plate with the aspiration to sacrifice bunt — hitters want to hit! Hits lead to confidence, which leads to getting hot, which then leads to winning streaks. In squeaking out one run every other inning or so, players are denied the opportunity to find a rhythm. Even more discouraging, the usage of the sac bunt seems to be most prevalent in high school and college play, where players’ psyches are even more vulnerable and volatile. In these leagues, batting averages are much higher than those in pro ball, so having little Johnny lay one down is an even more absurd tactic. Given that these kids only get to play a few dozen games a season, sacrifice bunts not only limit run-scoring but also negate the opportunity for experience-building and

confidence-boosting. Despite these incriminating statistics and psychological ramifications, bunting still does have a place in today’s game when utilized correctly. Bunting for a hit can catch sleeping defenses off-guard, resulting in an easy hit if executed properly. Also, with the prominence of excessive shifting on lefties in the big leagues, a bunt to the left side of the diamond will nearly always go for a hit. Even the sacrifice bunt still has a niche use for those pitchers that barely know how to grip a bat but need to move a runner over. Nonetheless, in nearly any situation, the implementation of the sacrifice bunt is statistically illogical and an incriminating example of over-coaching. MLB managers and — perhaps more importantly — high school and college coaches need to step out of the dead-ball era and accept the stats. Let the hitters hit or have the runners steal — enough with the sacrifice bunt.

Signal

Sports

Lions remain undefeated in NJAC

Photos courtesy of Sports Information Desk

Left: Barrett adds a goal to the shutout against Albright College. Right: Cimulluca and Wagner are honored before the match. By Miguel Gonzalez Staff Writer The Lions concluded their regular season with two commanding victories against the Albright College Lions, 6-0, and the Kean University Cougars, 6-2. For the week of Sunday, Oct. 25, junior defender Lexi Smith received her fourth honor as the New Jersey Athletic Conference’s (NJAC) defensive player of the week for her outstanding defensive contributions during the Lions’ victories against Rowan University and William Paterson University. “Smith leads a TCNJ defense that has recorded four shutouts in league play and leads the conference with a 0.20 team goals against average in NJAC play,” according to the press release. While for most students, Halloween was spent watching frightening movies and munching on sweet candy, Saturday, Oct. 31 at Lions’ Stadium was a moment of Lion pride.

Families and friends came out to the field in honor of the team’s senior day as the College celebrated the accomplishments of its seniors — midfielder Mikayla Cimilluca and forward Alicia Wagner, with a 6-2 victory against conference foe Kean University. The game was also special thanks to Play 4 The Cure, a fundraising program dedicated to helping fund cancer treatments through competitive play. The team participated in breast cancer awareness month, wearing special pink outfits during warm-ups and had a table set up for donations outside the stadium. On the field the Lions took the lead over Kean momentarily when freshman forward Taylor Barrett scored in the fifth minute. Smith quickly followed up with a shot off of Barrett’s penalty corner, but sophomore cougar defender Shauna LaMaina thwarted the shot for a defensive save. In the 11th minute, the College’s sophomore midfielder Taylor Nesnay scored off

a rebound for her second goal of the season. The Lions struck again immediately, when Barrett assisted Wagner and caught the Cougars’ defense unaware for another goal. Without delay, the Cougars countered when sophomore forward Krista LaMaina took a shot, but the College’s junior goalie Kelly Schlupp made the save it to hold the match, 3-0. The second period featured more offense from Kean, while Smith led the Lions with a hat trick. The Cougars gained their first goal of the match when Krista LaMaina scored off an assist from senior forward Chelsea Mann. In the 46th minute, Smith scored on a penalty stroke goal after being fouled by Shauna LaMaina. Within four minutes, Smith netted another. Not long afterwards, the Cougars attacked the Lions’ defense when Krista LaMaina scored off a penalty corner assisted by sophomore defender Katie-Lynne Lussier. Smith capped off her hat trick performance with a penalty stroke goal in the

65th minute. The Lions finished off the regular season with a 16-1 record while remaining undefeated at 6-0 within the NJAC. In the midst of a strong season, the Lions have scored 74 goals total with an average of 4.35 goals per game. Smith (19 goals), Wagner (16 goals) and junior midfielder Jaclyn Douglas (14 goals) are currently the team’s highest scorers. Freshman standout forwards Barrett and Elizabeth Morrison have contributed eight goals apiece. Schlupp has proven to be a dependable force with 50 saves, and only conceding 10 goals. The Lions’ defense have limited opponents to 0.59 goals per game while completing an outstanding 10 shutout victories. With the regular season concluded, the Lions await to face the fourth-seeded William Paterson pioneers for the first round of the NJAC tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Lions’ Stadium.

Cross country takes NJAC title 22 years in a row By George Tatoris Staff Writer

Most of the men’s cross country team wasn’t even born when the College’s New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship streak began, but that didn’t stop the team from adding another year to the now 22-year winning streak on Saturday, Oct. 31. The team garnered 31 points to narrowly beat out Ramapo’s 37 points. The women continued a streak of their own. They won their third consecutive championship title with 21 points against secondplace Rowan’s 64. Both the men’s and the women’s team had all of five of their scoring runners in the top 10. “It was good how we could grab the victory against a very strong Ramapo team,” senior Tyler Grimm said. “The margin may have been a little close for comfort, but we got the job done.” For junior Andrew Tedeschi, the win represents a passing of the torch. “Both my college and high school coaches were athletes at TCNJ during the streak, and it’s a humble feeling knowing I’m a part of that tradition,” Tedeschi said. Tedeschi was the first Lion across the finish line, placing him third with a time

Lions’ Lineup November 4, 2015

I n s i d e

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Hayes finishes 10th in his first NJAC championship competition. of 25:01.87, just eight seconds behind first place. He had the lead but was outrun by two Ramapo runners at the finish. Grimm, and fellow seniors Roberto Guiducci and Jon Stouber crossed one after the other, taking fifth, sixth and seventh, consecutively. Grimm finished at 25:10.08, for fifth; Guiducci took sixth with a time of 25:13.92 and Stouber clocked in with a time of 25:14.90 for seventh place. The last Lion to score was freshman Jekabs Hayes, who finished 10th at 25:36.47. He was followed by freshman Brian Mitchell in 11th at 25:45.25 and junior Brandon Mazzarella in 12th at 25:48.74.

Mitchell and Hayes stuck together most of the race and encouraged each other to keep running, resulting in both beating their personal records by over 20 seconds, with a time under 26 minutes for their first time in the 8k. Grimm said performances like those of these freshman are an example of the team’s “depth,” meaning if someone underperforms, other teammates are able to pick up the slack, which is good for the team. “It means that the future cross country team is going to be in good hands after graduating this year’s senior class,” Grimm said. On the women’s side, senior Marissa Lerit

won the women’s 6k. As the race started, a Ramapo runner took the lead, but when she began to falter a little over a mile into the race, Lerit made her move. She finished with a time of 21:58.12. Lerit did not run last year due to a fractured toe. “It is still rather surreal to me that I won NJACs,” she said. “I went from not running at all this year to having one of the best collegiate seasons of my life.” Lerit said the support of her teammates and the guidance of her coaches were the primary catalyst to her success this race. In their first college championship, freshman Erin Holzbaur finished second with a time of 22:12.79 and freshman Madeline Tattory placed fourth with a time of 22:14.42. “Unlike most of the other meets, I knew something was on the line,” Holzbaur said. “It gave us pressure to run our best.” Senior Carly Martz placed fifth with a time of 22:17.31. Like Lerit, Martz did not run for an extended period — she suffered an injury while studying abroad last semester and didn’t run at the beginning of the season. Junior Laura Straub was the last scoring runner, finishing ninth with a time of 22:38.16.

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