Issue No. 2 Fall '26

Vol. LV, No. 2

The Signal

https://www.tcnjsignalnews.com/

Serving The College of New Jersey since 1885

September 4, 2026

Remembering Frank Kasper: A light amongst the TCNJ community

Photo courtesy of Zachary Dorner

Frank Kasper was a freshman political science major at the College.

By Ashley Ragone Managing Editor Though he did not attend the College for long, Frank Kasper made a significant impact on his friends and professors in his department. Kasper died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Aug. 27 following a valiant fight against leukemia.

A freshman political science major, those closest to him describe him as a dedicated and extremely passionate student.

“He was in my American Government class with Professor Foster and in my stats class…he was one of the first ever friends I made in college last year,” said sophomore politi-

cal science major Zachary Dorner.

Dorner fondly remembers bonding with Kasper over their shared major and interests. “Even though me and him had many different views and were on different parts of the political spectrum, we always managed to have civil discourse and discussions about current and/or historical political events.”

Jacob Newman, a senior psychology major, said Kasper was an extremely kind and caring member of his class. “Frank really engaged with the class and had a lot of interesting insights when it came to political science. He was always open and respectful to hearing other points of view too.”

Sarah Chartock, an associate professor and chair of the political science department, noted how Kasper’s impact was deeply felt in the classroom. “Anyone who worked with him or came into contact with him knew he was a force,” she said in an email to the campus community. “He was the model of everything we hope to see in our students: true engagement with the material and with his classmates, curiosity, and intellectual prowess.”

President Emerita and Professor Kathryn Foster remembers Kasper as “informed, prepared, interested, wry, perceptive, engaged. I and his fellow students greatly valued his comments and participation.”

Dorner echoes this, recalling Kasper to be a very skilled conversationalist.

“He was so intelligent that he changed my perspectives on one or

two topics which is very hard to do.

He was a very reasonable person and used facts or logic to back up his claims, which is something I really respected,” he said. Dorner cherishes memories of going to lunch and organizing a study group with Kasper, which further established their friendship.

Sophomore political science major Daniel Canizares, who also studied with Dorner and Kasper, looks back warmly at his political science class experience with Kasper.

“He did excellently in the class, the most important thing I remember is him extending the invite to me and [Zachary] Dorner to study in the library with him for the final exam on December 3rd. The three of us spent three to four hours simply going over the review sheet and talking about the class before we went to lunch in Eickhoff and kept talking,” Canizares said. “To me Frank was that special type of person that you think of to better yourself, he was a model student and was the type of person that made class discussion fun.”

Canizares shared with The Signal that he will miss having Kasper’s presence on campus. “I was hoping to see him more often after he returned to the College so that me, him, and Zach could spend more time discussing our futures in political science, and the campus is going to feel a bit emptier with the knowledge that I won’t see him in future classes.”

Kasper was also an avid gamer, making friends far and wide through collaborative gameplay. “Though you may not live to see the final moments

of Demon Slayer in animation, and never again explore the edges of space with me in Starscape, know that my memory of you will always come back to bring a smile to my face when I now do these things without you,” shared one memory on his tribute wall.

Kasper was the only child of Darrel Kasper ‘93 and Karin Kasper ‘94.

He was a graduate of the International Baccalaureate program at Morris Knolls High School.

On Feb. 22, 2023, while a junior at Morris Knolls, Fighting for Frank was hosted at the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Rockaway, New Jersey. The joint blood drive, fundraiser and bake sale honored Kasper in his fight against leukemia.

“He fought leukemia bravely and met every obstacle with stoicism,” his obituary read. “His proudest achievement was to complete a semester at The College of New Jersey…he earned a 4.0 GPA, taking his final exams from a hospital bed.”

The College’s political science department is proud to keep Kasper’s memory alive through the Frank Kasper Fund in Political Science.

Established in collaboration with his parents, both alums of the College, the endowed scholarship will be presented to a political science major with aspirations to work in public service, like Kasper himself. Monetary gifts can be made toward Frank’s Fund.

A celebration of life was held for Kasper on Sept. 2 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Norman Dean Home for Services in Denville, New Jersey.

Campus Town Grill brings halal option to TCNJ students

By Alena Bitonti and Ashley Ragone Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor With the start of a new academic year at the College brings a new Campus Town dining option with a uniquely halal mediterranean menu. This restaurant replaced IndiGrill, which closed last year.

The family-owned and operated Campus Town Grill was brought to the College in hopes of bringing something new to the community, while keeping it accessible to students who may be unfamiliar.

Campus Town Grill’s unique menu profile joins an ever-growing list of diverse food options offered to students directly off-campus, including vegan, Mexican, a pizzeria and a Nashville hot chicken restaurant soon to come.

The restaurant adheres to a strictly halal menu, a traditional set of Islamic dietary laws which has ties to teachings within the Quran.

Permissible foods include fruits, vegetables, and meat prepared in a specific method of slaughtering. Pork, alcohol, and certain animal by-products are forbidden.

“For us, serving halal food is about quality, transparency and inclusivity. We recognized

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that there are students and community members looking for certified halal options and wanted to provide more variety for them,” said co-owner Shah Chowdhury in an email to The Signal. “At the same time, we want anyone whether they are familiar with halal food or not to feel welcome and simply enjoy the fresh, flavorful food and variety that our menu has to offer.”

Despite the halal restrictions, Campus Town Grill’s menu maintains its accessibility for students with varying taste palates.

“The idea behind Campus Town Grill was to create a fast-casual restaurant offering flavorful, high-quality food with enough variety to appeal to a wide range of customers,” said Chowdhury. “Our menu centers around HMScertified halal Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired food, including shawarma, rice platters, wraps, and grilled items. We also offer classic Indian dishes such as vegetable samosas, butter chicken and chicken tikka, served with fresh tandoor naan, along with burgers, wings, and other American classics.”

The student response to the new establishment has been positive. For many, it is their first time trying shawarma and other

FEATURES

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Mediterranean dishes, but for others, the restaurant offers a convenient spot to enjoy food that connects them to their culture.

“A lot of the food items on the menu is part of my culture and it tasted so authentic,” said Rhema Daniel, a sophomore biology major.

“The staff was also so welcoming and kind.”

David Amorosi, a senior english and secondary education major, found it to be a particularly cozy new addition to the offerings of Campus Town.

“I got the mixed platter once and then recently a chicken wrap, and the service was always on point,” he said. “It looks like a pretty nice place to grab food and hang out right on campus.”

Looking ahead, Campus Town Grill hopes to establish itself as a dining destination for both students at the College and the surrounding community. The restaurant plans to continue improving its menu and customer experience by listening to feedback from customers.

“As we grow, we hope to expand our presence within the TCNJ and broader Mercer County community through catering, campus events, partnerships with student clubs, activity groups, sports teams, and Ewing community

OPINIONS

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo by Shah Crowdhury

The restaurant held its grand opening event on Aug. 22. involvement,” Chowdhury told The Signal.

“However, our immediate priority is building a strong foundation here in Campus Town and becoming a restaurant that TCNJ students and members of the Ewing community genuinely enjoy and want to return to.”

Campus Town Grill is located at 300 Main Boulevard East in Suite 501. Their business hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant currently accepts Campus Town Dollars as one of its forms of payment. page 9

SPORTS

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Recreational sports

TCNJ Bookstore

Peter Cullen

Field Hockey No.2

Students say recreational sports improve mental health and social life

The TCNJ Bookstore should have stayed in Campus Town

“Transformers” actor Peter Cullen passed away on Aug. 26 at the age of 85

TCNJ field hockey ranked No. 2 in NJAC preseason polling

page 2 The Signal September 4, 2026

Upperclassmen face housing changes amidst Townhouse closure

Photo courtesy of Brooke Zevon

The Townhouses East are closed for a fire alarm system update, causing students to have to adjust their plans.

By Natalia Tomczak News Editor An email was sent to students who were supposed to live in the Townhouses East this semester on July 30, communicating that, due to issues with the fire alarm system, they would have to relocate. The estimated completion date for these changes is Oct. 1.

“When I got the email, I was definitely really stressed immediately,” said sophomore elementary and English education student Bridget Haney. Haney is currently living in Phelps Hall as a result of the issues.

“It was so soon before school had started, and as a transfer student I had already been overwhelmed picking housing in the first place, not really knowing campus. But ultimately I was happy it didn’t happen once we had moved in instead,” Haney added.

In the email students received, Tina Tormey, executive director of Residential Education, Housing and Dining, communicated that “These issues necessitate an immediate, unplanned upgrade to the system, as the safety of our residential students is our top priority.”

The email stated, “There is sufficient available housing on campus, and we will make every

effort to accommodate— but cannot guarantee— your preferred building or room type.”

Additionally, the College is prorating student housing costs from move-in through Oct 1. Students who temporarily moved to other campus housing options and remain on campus will also receive priority room selection during the next housing selection.

Students were given the opportunity to select a new room from the spaces on campus that were available by logging onto the portal during their assigned time slot on Aug 4. If students didn’t select a spot by the end of the day on Aug. 6, they would be reassigned to

an available room.

Student staff assigned to Townhouses East were reassigned as well.

Students with housing accommodations provided through the College’s Accessibility Resource Center were automatically reassigned to new spaces that would meet their needs on Aug 3.

Additionally, students living within driving distance from the College who preferred to commute were instructed to email Housing by the end of the day on Aug. 6, and informed that they may cancel their dining selection for the duration of the academic year by the end of the day on Aug. 6 as well.

Many students have adapted to housing options originally unpreferred or have decided to commute on such short notice.

Sophomore graphic design student Riley Morrell explains that it has been an adjustment living on the tenth floor of Travers. “During move-in I mostly just felt out of place. Especially since I lived in the towers my freshman year. I felt like I already paid my towers dues and just wanted some air conditioning.”

Junior graphic design student Sydney Vilensky is hopeful, despite being temporarily relocated to the tenth floor of Travers. “The towers were the only things available when my slot came, which was expected.

I definitely wasn’t excited at first, but as someone who’s living in the towers a second year, I’ve learned to appreciate the location of where they are. The heat isn’t ideal, but otherwise it’s really not so bad,” she said.

In spite of less than ideal circumstances, students are adapting to this temporary situation and will be back to living in the Townhouses East by the estimated date of Oct. 1, according to Tormey.

Dolly Parton: Looking back on the singer who was loved

By Jadyn Buccilli Staff Writer

Beloved country singer Dolly Parton died at the age of 80 on Aug ust 5, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones in Nashville, TMZ reports. While she was known for being one of the most iconic country singers, there is so much more that Parton has done besides performing that has contributed to her admiration from millions of people.

Many people know Parton for her music. As a country singer, some of her most famous songs include “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and plenty of others that have been hits for decades. She was also the original artist behind the song “I Will Always Love You,” which was famously covered by pop and R&B artist Whitney Houston.

The cover of the song was a huge success, and Parton earned around 10 million dollars in royalties, which she put into her community by investing towards a property in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Nashville.

This was later called “The House that Whitney Built.”

That commercial property was not the only thing Dolly invested in to give back to the community. In fact, Parton was all about putting her money into things that benefited the people around her. One of the most notable things that she established was Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is still running to this day. For 31 years, this program has been mailing books to children once a month in between the time they are born until they turn

five years old and start kindergarten in order to promote childhood literacy.

This program is free of charge, no matter the income, and delivers books in countries such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia and the United Kingdom.

According to a letter from Dolly herself in Imagination Library’s website, the program is a tribute to her father, who lived his life being unable to read. Dolly has made it her goal through this organization to make sure that children grow up not only being able to read, but also by enjoying the magic of reading a good book by mailing books that are age appropriate for small children. At least three million children have benefited from this program so far.

Another way Parton has contributed to her community was by becoming a coowner of Silver Dollar City Tennessee, a small theme park, and transformed it into the resort millions know today: Dollywood. Dollywood is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and not only has been an award winning theme park, but also demonstrates Parton’s love for her community. This resort, consisting of a waterpark, theme park and a hotel, provides over 19,000 jobs to people in the Pigeon Forge region.

It also raises over 200 million dollars worth of taxes on state and local levels, promoting community development. For all of its employees, the Grow U Program covers 100% of college tuition, once again promoting literacy and higher education. The park also promotes the culture of the

Dolly Parton showcases her country fashion in style.

Appalachian and southern regions through their themes, showing Dolly’s true love for the place that she came from and the people who live there.

Parton has contributed a massive amount of money, resources and kindness to her Tennessee community and beyond, all while releasing 49 studio albums within her lifetime. Her

Photo courtesy of IMDb

services have assisted so many people that there is talk of naming Nashville’s International Airport after her, which was backed by Tennessee governor Bill Lee. Whether or not this idea becomes a reality, it is clear that Parton’s legacy will always be remembered by all of the people that looked up to her for many years to come.

Features

Students say recreational sports improve mental health and social life

Kendra Baker plays volleyball with friends on campus at the College.

By Isabella McHugh Nation & World Editor On warm weekend evenings, Kendra Baker, a sophomore psychology major, plays volleyball with friends, chatting between points. Everyone smiles and cracks jokes while maintaining friendly competition, even though the game is purely recreational.

“I think playing with friends helps me to sort of de-stress, especially after a long day of either classes or homework,” Baker said.

Baker said schoolwork can feel “daunting” at times, and having a physical outlet helps her refocus when she returns to her assignments.

Baker’s experience reflects what students and a campus counseling expert describe as a broader campus trend of using recreational sports to de-stress and build social connections.

Dr. Beverly Mason, director of Counseling and Prevention Services, said experiences like Baker’s are common among students.

She explained the mental health benefits of physical activity through a metaphor, describing exercise as depositing money into an emotional bank.

“Then when stress comes around, you have a reserve to draw from,” she said.

Mason said CAPS encourages students to take breaks when they feel overwhelmed with homework or other responsibilities rather than letting schoolwork consume their lives.

Stress levels on campus often rise during midterms, finals and April, Mason said. During those periods, maintaining healthy habits such as exercise, social interaction and scheduled breaks becomes especially important.

Many students say recreational sports provide both physical activity and opportunities to connect with others.

Hope Margarum ‘26, an international studies major, said recreational sports can support both social and emotional growth during college. She said these activities can be particularly valuable for freshmen adjusting to campus life.

To help new students connect, orientation leaders often organize activities that combine movement and social interaction.

During Welcome Week, orientation

leaders plan activities that combine movement and social interaction, according to Margarum. She mentioned activities such as ultimate rock-paperscissors and other icebreaker-style group games.

Margarum said these activities help students break out of their shells and interact with others in a low-pressure setting.

She added that recreational sports are highly social and can help students become more comfortable meeting new people.

She said students may say, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know anyone, I don’t know what to do,” adding, “But I see people playing volleyball, so why don’t I get out of my head, get out of my comfort zone and just go and talk to people and hang out?”

For many students, these casual games become regular routines with friends.

Ashton Villaverde, a sophomore Nursing major, said he plays tennis with friends several times a week.

He said his nursing coursework is heavy, and stepping outside to play tennis offers a break from academics.

“I think it’s kind of relieving in

Photo by Arion Owes

a way, because nursing is a lot,” Villaverde said. “I think tennis is a nice way to de-stress, especially if it’s just for fun with my friends,” he added.

Villaverde said he played tennis throughout high school and wanted to continue at the College. Instead of joining a formal team, he found it easier and more enjoyable to meet friends for casual games.

Rather than playing full matches, Villaverde said he and his friends usually rally back and forth without strictly keeping score.

However, Villaverde said he adjusts his attention depending on how skilled his friends are.

Villaverde said that if his friends aren’t as experienced, he feels like he doesn’t “have to try as much,” but if they also played in high school, he focuses more.

Baker described a similar approach to volleyball. She said she never played competitively, and most of her friends approach the game casually.

“Sometimes we keep track of points, but a lot of the time we’re like giving redos and not playing seriously,” she said. “I think the important thing is that we’re being active and getting a

Mason said recreational sports can help students decompress from everyday pressures.

chance to talk about what’s going on in our lives — just catching up,” she added.

While recreational sports can be enjoyable, Mason said some students hesitate to join games because they worry about their athletic ability.

Mason said students often refrain from playing recreational sports with others because they “fear being embarrassed.” She added, “The good thing is that most of the casual recreational activities around here don’t require athletic skill.”

Margarum said that mindset can sometimes prevent students from trying something new. She admitted she is not athletic but said, “it’s about jumping into it, and just being like, ‘Oh, I suck too, but come on, let’s play.”

Villaverde agreed that playing sports recreationally with friends is a great way to build social skills.

He said it takes a certain level of confidence to approach someone new and ask them to play. “If someone were too shy or, like, they didn’t have many friends, they wouldn’t do this kind of stuff where they would ask their friends, ‘Hey, do you want to play tennis?’”

For Baker, volleyball has become part of her routine with the friends she met during her first few weeks on campus.

Baker said she was nervous when she first came to the College, but was grateful to meet people on her floor who she’s become close with.

“I feel like us playing volleyball outside is just, like, one of our things,” she said, laughing. “I mean we do lots of different things together, but having something active is a different feeling, and really improves my mood after,” she added.

Mason said recreational sports can help students decompress from everyday pressures, though she emphasized that managing stress requires multiple strategies.

“When students are overwhelmed, we try to work with them and see how they’re doing and organize their time,” she said, adding, “We always encourage students to reach out, get support, and avoid the pressure of never-ending productivity.”

Photo by Sandra Abrantes

OPINION: The TCNJ Bookstore should definitely have stayed in Campus Town

Photo by Jadyn Buccilli

The shelves of The College’s recently opened bookstore at the library.

By Jadyn Buccilli Staff Writer Ever since Campus Town was first established 11 years ago, Barnes & Noble has been a staple to our campus community, and many students, including myself, have the core memory of excitedly walking into the store to buy their first “swag gear.”

However, as of the Fall 2026 semester, this iconic retail location has been moved out of Campus Town and into the first floor of the R. Barbara Gittenstein Library, just across from the Library Cafe.

Overall, this new bookstore location is still a decent addition to the school, and I am sure that a ton of hard work

has been put into it. However, the change of location has caused some problems that make me believe that this move should not have happened.

Firstly, the library already had a lack of places for a student to study in as it is. Even before the bookstore made their big move into the library, students constantly struggled to find study rooms that were not already occupied.

By eliminating an entire floor’s worth of study rooms and overall library space, there is no doubt that more students will be frustrated at the lack of study space as part of the adjustment.

The library is a place where students are meant to learn, and I feel that tak-

OPINION: Hollywood hasn’t lost its audience. It lost the event.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Hollywood’s problem isn’t making certain kinds of movies, but making movies worth showing up for.

By Jack Salaki Opinions Editor Modern Hollywood is often worried about losing its audience. It’s said that people have flocked to streaming and won’t come back, and that theaters are going to die out soon.

Hollywood’s solution?

It’s usually to offer up more of the same on a different colored platter: lazy sequels, remakes and half-baked concepts turned into feature films.

However, 2026 has proven that audiences will still show up and swarm to the theater in big numbers if studios take more than ten minutes to make a movie.

According to industry analysts, the box office this year is tracking to be the largest it’s been since the pandemic days. Sure, tickets are more expensive than they used to be, but that doesn’t explain everything. And it isn’t just that people are going back to the movies because they’re bored. There is starting to be a reason to go back to theaters.

Earlier in the year, “Project Hail Mary,” an original movie adaptation of

Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, became a monster success.

The movie grossed $684 million and showed that when presented with a novel concept, people would show up.

And it was about space, which tends to help.

Then there was the dual horror explosion of “Backrooms” and “Obsession,” with both of these movies shattering box office expectations.

“Obsession,” specifically, was filmed on a shoestring budget of $750,000 and grossed 600 times that.

It became a massive success, especially among Gen Z, and had an incredible word-of-mouth advantage that helped its numbers increase even after the opening and subsequent weekends, something that is extremely rare.

Both of these movies became pop culture phenomena virtually overnight.

And they were both directed by members of Gen Z. Kane Parsons, director of “Backrooms” is twenty-one years old. His counterpart, Curry Barker, who made “Obsession” is 26.

Read more on our website!

ing away study space in exchange for a merchandise store does not foster the idea of learning in a library.

I am aware that a new study area is being worked on in the section in between Lib Cafe and the bookstore, but as of right now it is still under construction and will be significantly smaller since half of that space is taken up by the store.

Additionally, this bookstore is considerably smaller in this library space than it was in its Campus Town Location.

Since Barnes & Noble’s Campus Town location was being built at the same time as the rest of the town’s buildings, it was able to have more freedom in the store’s size.

Granted, this location had its own cafe and Starbucks, which is not required in the new location since the Library Cafe already has a Starbucks, but even then, the bookstore was not as limited size wise.

Since the library’s dimensions have already been set, the bookstore has only a certain fixed amount of space that could be used, and while it still has plenty of room, it is undeniably not as large as the Campus Town location.

One of the admirable things about the College’s bookstore is the number of things that could be bought in one retail space alone. As a freshman, going to campus town and being able to buy such a variety of items while walking a short distance was so relieving, especially since I had no transporta-

tion.

While there is still an abundance of things that can be bought, it is mainly merch and textbooks that are found behind the desks in the back of the store.

The most noticeable thing is the lack of books for entertainment purposes in the new location.

Students and other customers are still able to buy stuffed animals and board games, but the thing that made our bookstore an actual bookstore is practically gone.

I understand this is likely a copyright issue now that the store is on campus, but it is a shame that we are making recreational books less accessible to students when reading things that you actually enjoy in your free time is a really good habit to pick up.

I would like to emphasize that I do not think that having a new bookstore is entirely a bad thing. It is more convenient for campus residents to walk their heavy books to their dorm at a shorter distance, and having a bookstore in a frequently used student space helps attract more customers into checking out some of the College’s spirit items.

However, as a student who has both experienced the old location and is currently experiencing the new one, I will miss the lively atmosphere of the Campus Town bookstore. My biggest hope in all of this is that the retail space where the bookstore was will be filled with a place that is just as beneficial to the entire campus community.

OPINION: TCNJ Campus Police’s escort system is flawed

By Andre Paras Managing Editor

It was a harsh welcome back to campus for me, navigating the College’s uneven pavement and walkways through muggy heat and even a flood watch, while on crutches with a sprained ankle.

Fortunately, there were times I was bailed out by the amazing community and friends I have alongside me, offering rides from where I live on campus to buildings where my classes met, or to grab food as well.

However, the top resource I was told to take advantage of during my experience was rarely able to help, and as a result led to getting around myself more than I would’ve liked to.

“Campus Police is available to escort people across campus 24 hours a day,” the College’s Parking Services website states.

“Call the Campus Police dispatcher at extension 2345 (from a cell phone 609-771-2345) to obtain escort assistance.”

I followed this exact advice several times, but unfortunately none of my calls successfully led to an escort directly.

Sometimes I was told by dispatchers that this escort service wasn’t offered during the day, and to call back later in the evening, which goes directly against their “24 hours a day” claim. Another told me that only walking escorts were available at my time of calling – which would be pretty redundant since the goal was to not walk across campus in crutches at all.

I was even referred to call the Accessibility Resource Center to see if they could do anything about it a couple times. When I called them and explained my situation, they weren’t able to help me on campus and instead redirected me to an off campus medical supply company where I could buy my own knee scooter to get around – hard pass for me, already having to pay hospital bills for my

Photo by Andre Paras

A Campus Police cruiser drives through Townhouses West at the College. injury.

And even when I listened to the advice of calling later in the evening, I was told there weren’t any vehicles available at the moment to bring me anywhere.

To be fair, one call was made during the involvement fair with heavy Campus Police presence there, but I made another on a night with nothing substantial happening on campus.

Regardless of what’s happening on campus, in my opinion there should always be at least one vehicle on campus able to mobile escort people as well as officers there for walking escorts. And if this vehicle is occupied, just to communicate that wait time with a student rather than complete disregard.

Throughout an entire week of attempts, I was only successful twice in getting an escort, and this came after my requests not being fulfilled over call, and actually beginning to walk across campus myself until I could flag down a Campus Police vehicle myself and ask in person.

Sure, I was still physically able to get across campus, but it still meant the inconvenience of my time and physical ability in summer weather, creating more risk in my life just to get to class and extracurricular activities.

Read more on our website!

Editorials

Meta’s safety guardrails leaves out those who grew up without them

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Meta plans to roll out new safety features for minors on their apps after their $17 billion settlement.

By Tasnim Oyshi Editorialist Online safety for children has been an issue since the inception of the internet. In the early days of social media, platforms such as Facebook and MySpace weren’t necessarily concerned or even aware of how children’s mental health would eventually be affected as new features and algorithmic changes were developed and added over the years.

As of recent years, the concerns regarding child safety have reached the foreground of parents’ minds.

With more and more minors being

exposed to harmful content, becoming addicted to social media and facing negative mental health effects, a majority of U.S. states have taken action with a lawsuit against Meta.

After about eight days in trial, Meta announced on Aug. 26 that the company will be settling the case with about $17 billion, which isn’t a considerable amount for a company that brings in billions of dollars per year. Although Meta did not own up to the accusations of knowingly installing addictive features to their apps, they stated that they will be adding new safety features to their apps for those underage and even

encouraged other social media apps to follow.

These safety features include: a two-hour usage limit, lack of access to feeds, stories and reels during the night and school hours, the ability to disable autoplay, a removal of likes, the choice to select a non-algorithmic feed and stronger technology to make sure those under 13 are not making accounts, according to CNBC. These regulations are meant to protect underage social media users of the current and next generation. This is undoubtedly important as children are the most vulnerable people in society. However, these new features,

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Editorial Staff Alena Bitonti Editor-in-Chief

and the case overall, leaves out those who did not grow up with those same guardrails but faced the same dangers.

It has not been long since social media has been taken seriously as an addiction. When many members of Generation Z and the Millennial generation were overusing social media as teenagers, it was considered to be a mere waste of time by parents at first.

However, more and more research has been done over the past decade about how deeply social media addiction can impact teens.

Read more on our website!

Administrative Staff Sandra Abrantes Multimedia Coordinator & Editorial Cartoonist Erin Reilly Social Media Editor

Andre Paras Ashley Ragone Managing Editors

Tasnim Oyshi Editorialist

Gloria Vittadello Natalia Tomczak News Editor

Parker Gatts Web Editor

Devyn Briones Arts & Entertainment Editor

Sandra Abrantes Editorial Cartoonist

Jack Salaki Opinions Editor Sky Pinkett Features Editor Jhett Laurie Sports Editor

Michael Darcy Business Manager

Abhinav Aima Faculty Advisor

Isabella McHugh Nation & World Editor

POLICIES The Signal is published bi-weekly during the academic year and not financed by the Student Activity Fund, but solely by advertisement revenue. Any student may submit articles to The Signal. Publication of submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors. All materials submitted become the sole property of The Signal.

The Letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed.

The Signal willingly corrects mistakes. If you think we have made a mistake, contact us at signal@tcnj.edu.

Back to School Crossword!

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Flash floods in Nepal and Tibet leave thousands dead and missing

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Nepal-China border is currently in an emergency state.

By Mary-Simone Collazo Correspondent Nepal and Tibet were hit with devastating flash floods on Aug. 26 at 8:37 a.m., causing significant destruction across the region and leaving thousands homeless, according to CNN. As of Sept. 1, over 1,000 were found dead in Nepal and Tibet. More than 4,000 total people were reported missing in the two areas, with rescue efforts intensifying, according to The Associated Press.

Nepal is a landlocked country between China and India. It shares an international boundary along the Himalayan mountain range with Tibet, an autonomously governed region of China, located on its northern border.

Several areas of ice in the

Himalayas are melting because of global warming. A glacier collapse of massive proportions occurred at Langtang Lirung, a Himalayan peak on the Nepalese side, sending ice and debris tumbling. The piece of glacier was estimated to be over 2,000 feet wide, CNN reported.

“This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change. Therefore, this region must be alert, and at the same time, it is time for us to strongly raise the issue of disasters caused by climate change before the international community,” said Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah in a social media post Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. Geological Survey mistakenly reported a magnitude 4.1 earthquake due to the shaking from the

debris.. It is believed that a landslide occurred at the same time. The mud, rock and ice combination fell into the Lhende Khola and Trishuli rivers, which flow from Tibet into Nepal.

The fast-moving stream of water caused avalanche debris to pick up other sediment, creating a monstrous flood wave moving at 120 mph, according to CNN. The dense, tarlike flood wave swept across various river valleys, swallowing villages, bridges and roads, while trapping Nepalese workers inside hydropower plant tunnels.

Officials are struggling to identify bodies mutilated beyond recognition, according to The Guardian.

In the district of Bharatpur, DNA smples were taken from every single body. Bodies were given location numbers, tied up with a plastic bag, and placed in a surface-level grave, so they may be identified by loved ones in the future, The Guardian reported.

Pictures of those recovered by relatives were placed on PowerPoint slide shows and uploaded to the Nepal police website. Photos of those who have not been recovered are being posted on the outside walls of the morgue of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, according to The Guardian.

“It felt like I was flying over an entirely different landscape. I can see the pain in their eyes. It’s heartbreaking,” said Bimal Sharma, a rescue helicopter pilot who frequents the area, according to The Associated Press.

Hydropower workers make up

the majority of the missing. Nepal’s hydropower industry was flourishing, but now more than 900 workers are trapped inside the underground hydroelectric tunnels that the flood wave sealed, according to The New York Times.

At the Trishuli 3A Hydropower site in Nepal, a team of 90 people, composed of police and rescue dogs, are attempting to free the trapped worker. A 2-by-3-foot-hole was created in the tunnel as the rescue crew descended on ropes, but efforts to make contact with the workers inside proved futile, reported The New York Times.

The team has been working 24 hours a day to reach the workers, and “blasting operations” are next on the list of methods. Tourists from around the world who were swept up in the flood wave are also part of the missing persons count, including 90 Americans, according to BBC News.

Rescue efforts continue around the region, with the Nepalese army using helicopters to reach citizens.

Humanitarian organizations across the globe are raising money to send aid to Nepal and Tibet, focusing on medicine, healthcare and daily supplies, according to The Associated Press.

Dan Hovey, vice president of emergency response at Direct Relief, which provides medicines and health care to disaster-struck areas, said, “Nepal is a very disaster-prone country,” he said. “On the disaster vulnerability indexes, it’s one of the highest – from earthquakes, floods, drought, wildfires.”

Canada retaliates against US tariffs as the trade war continues to sever relations

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

President Trump meets with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval office in 2025.

By Isabella McHugh Nation & World Editor Canada pushed back against U.S. tariffs with up to 50% tariffs on more than $20 billion of American goods, according to The Associated Press.

This list contains goods such as “steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment,” according to The Associated Press. The list also includes certain types of seafood, according to The New York Times.

Relations between the two countries are growing more tense as the trade war escalates. CBS News

reported Canadian trade officials’ recognition that raising the tariffs up to 50% on American goods is intended to place pressure on the Trump administration.

“We are picking products that will target states in the U.S.,” Melanie Joly, Canada’s industry minister said Aug. 25, according to CBS News, adding, “We’re being wise and strategic to put political pressure, and that’s why we think it’s the right thing to do right now.”

She also encouraged Canadians to purchase Canadian goods to help protect jobs in the country and es-

tablish a “movement of resistance,” according to The Associated Press.

Economists estimate that these tariffs may be a heavy blow to the Midwest and Northeast in particular, according to CBS News.

The tariffs are set to go into effect after Labor Day. Canada’s tariff rates will match the rates imposed by the Trump administration, according to The Hill.

“We did not choose this conflict, but when our economic integration is used as a weapon rather than the foundation for a win-win partnership, we need to stand up,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in French, according to The Associated Press.

Canadian government data revealed that Canada is the top customer for exported goods in 27 US states, CBS News reported.

Mary Lovely, a U.S. trade expert and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told CBS News that the retaliatory tariffs will affect states differently since they target hundreds of products across various industries that span across Republican and Democratic states.

However, a large portion of economists believe that Canada’s retaliatory tariffs will actually harm their companies. Many economists estimate that Canada’s economy is roughly 12% the size of the US economy, and therefore be less effective in the trade war, T he New York Times reported.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement that “America’s heartland states like Michigan and Indiana have been some of the worst hit by unfair foreign trade practices, including by Canada, and were resoundingly won by President Trump because of his pledge to put American workers, farmers and businesses first,” and further claimed that Canada had been “offered the best trade deal of any trading partner,” according to CBS News.

President Trump threatened to increase auto tariffs on Aug. 24, which would be a pitfall for Canadian car plants, The New York Times reported. He also threatened Canadian auto parts which are not subject to tariffs at the time being.

President Trump once again took to the offensive on Aug. 25, according to The Associated Press, saying the US was deeply considering renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

The President signed an executive order invoking the name change, with claims that this action was “official,” and “effective immediately,” according to the BBC. In regard to this, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote “We know that the U.S. is changing.

Their trade relations, their foreign policy, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” adding, “Canadian women and men also know that things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario – today and forever.”

page 8 The Signal September 4, 2026

Ocean levels reach record high temperatures with El Niño as the wire-puller

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

World oceans reach 21.1 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded temperature.

By Emma Alejandro Correspondent The world’s oceans reached their hottest temperatures ever recorded on Aug. 22, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced, according to The Associated Press. The average surface temperature of the water was 21.1 degrees Celsius.

El Niño may be the strongest it has been since 1950, according to the Climate Prediction Center, a prospect that could make 2027 to be the hottest year on record.

The National Ocean Service describes El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO as a climate cycle that occurs in the Pacific Ocean and carries warm surface water along South America’s western coast. It occurs periodically every two to seven years and upheaves global weather patterns lasting nine to 12 months or longer.

During El Niño, global sea levels temporarily rise and trade winds typically weaken, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, influencing marine life, water temperatures, coastal flooding, wildfires and upwelling. Yet, according to the EU Climate Monitor, the world’s oceans have already “hit their hottest ever recorded temperatures for July,” a finding reported by the BBC. NPR, the Council on Foreign Relations, and National Geographic have all called this year’s weather event a “Super El Niño.” It begs the question: Why is this naturally occurring phenomenon now reaching such extreme levels?

NOAA noted El Niño is a natural fluctuation in the Pacific Ocean–atmosphere system, but today it is unfolding within a climate system that has accumulated an unprecedented amount of heat.

According to NPR correspondent and Climate Desk reporter Lauren Sommer, “The

planet is already about 2 1/2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter from burning fossil fuels.”

Climate scientist Julia Nicole of the University of Michigan, compared past El Niños to today’s. She reported that, “What we found is that the modern El Niños are significantly stronger than the ones that we saw in the preIndustrial Era. So that leads us to believe that strong El Nino events that we’re seeing now are a consequence of being in a warmer world.” Her findings revealed that modern El Ninos are 36% stronger than those before the Industrial era.

Greenhouse gas emissions have caused the planet to retain more heat, and the oceans have absorbed the overwhelming majority of that additional energy (NOAA). El Niño’s intensity and its effects are due to how it is now operating on top of an already much warmer baseline according to Chico Harlan of The New York Times).

Global climate correspondent for the The New York Times, Chico Harlan, spoke about the possible effects people may see once they approach El Niño’s peak in December.

Harlan reported in The New York Times’ The Daily that there was another historically large El Niño that occurred in 1877.

The event coincided with the Global Famine of 1876–78, one of the deadliest environmental disasters of the nineteenth century. According to researchers at Columbia University, El Niño brought severe droughts to already vulnerable regions across Asia, Africa and South America.

As a result, there were an estimated 50 million fatalities.

“It was a famine that killed…about 3 percent to 4 percent of the population…There were droughts at the same time in Ethiopia, China, Egypt, Morocco, Brazil…El Niño came and exacerbated those circumstances,” he said.

Harlan continued to explain that “this El Niño is already big in August, already big enough that if this was its December size, its full-grown size, it would already be one of the biggest on record.” There is still time for El Niño to grow even larger.

Over the next few months, ocean

temperatures are expected to continue warming.

According to The Associated Press, Jane Lubchenco, an oceanographer and former chief of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said “An ocean this warm destabilizes weather patterns and threatens food security, economic prosperity and marine life. A warmer ocean is not our friend” According to NASA, water expands as it warms, contributing to sea-level rise. At the same time, the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, increasing its acidity and in turn, threatens marine organisms and disrupts food webs and fisheries. Warmer waters also exacerbate coral bleaching because corals are forced to release the symbiotic algae they depend on (NOAA).

Experts like Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead for Copernicus are skeptical that marine life will be able to maintain their normal ecosystems under the conditions the supersized El Niño is bringing.

On an international scale, El Niño is directly correlated to dry spells and crop failures. The United Nations World Food Programme says that El Niño could move an additional “49 million to experience acute hunger” by the end of 2027.

The reach of El Niño is already visible across different regions. In Panama, declining rainfall threatens the water supply that keeps the Panama Canal operating. In Indonesia, suppressed rainfall is intensifying wildfire conditions. Ethiopia and Kenya are experiencing prolonged droughts that are putting agricultural production at risk.

According to Reuters, India entered the summer with one of its driest Junes on record, threatening crops that heavily depend on monsoon rainfall.

El Niño does not produce the same outcome everywhere. While it is suppressing Atlantic tropical activity overall, according to The New York Times, Tropical Storm Dolly has “grown organized enough for a name since the season began in June” and was among four storms to do so.

Ohio judge temporarily blocks proof of citizenship for voting registration

By Isabel Conforme-Coello Correspondent A federal judge temporarily blocked Ohio from requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote at motor vehicle offices Aug. 2.

In a 54 page opinion, U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. ruled that Ohio’s new proof-of-citizenship requirement likely violates the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to request only “the minimum amount of information necessary” for voter registration, according to The Hill.

Oliver found that the state’s revised “motor voter” process demands more documentation than Ohio’s other registration methods, which rely on a signed attestation of U.S. citizenship. His injunction halts enforcement of the rule ahead of the Oct. 5 voter registration deadline for the fall midterm elections, ABC News reported.

The provision was added in 2025 when Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 54, which requires individuals to present a passport, birth certificate or other citizenship document when registering to vote while applying for a driver’s license or state ID. The law sparked a lawsuit from Red Wine & Blue and the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, which argued the requirement was preempted by the NVRA and created barriers for eligible voters who may lack certified documents, according to NBC4.

Oliver also found that Ohio’s motor voter system has improperly

limited registration opportunities to individuals who successfully obtain a driver’s license, rather than offering voter registration to everyone who submits an application, as federal law requires, ABC News reported. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he “strongly” disagreed with the ruling and would immediately appeal.

“Under this order, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles would be required to offer a voter registration form to a person who’s applying for a driver’s license, even if that person can’t verify that they’re a citizen,” LaRose said in a statement to The Hill.

LaRose pointed to a Franklin County case in which a lawful permanent resident voted illegally in 2018 after a Bureau of Motor Vehicles clerk mistakenly told her she could register. A judge later found her not guilty by reason of entrapment, NBC4 reported.

Oliver’s order prevents Ohio from requiring any driver’s license applicant to produce citizenship documents before being offered the chance to register to vote, including applicants who are ultimately denied a license for lacking proper paperwork. The injunction does not apply to individuals who indicate they are not U.S. citizens, according to ABC News.

Ohio is among several states implementing proof-of-citizenship requirements for the first time this year, alongside South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Arizona already requires citizenship documentation for state and local elections, ABC News reported.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. blocks voter proof of citizenship for voting.

Remembering Tim Curry, a legend since 1973

Tim Curry in the 1997 sitcom, “Over the Top.”

By Devyn Briones Arts & Entertainment Editor Tim Curry, the British actor known for his most memorable roles in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “It” and “Clue,” died from coronary artery disease in his Toluca Lake, Los Angeles home on Aug. 25, at the age of 80.

In 2012, Curry suffered from a serious stroke, leaving him with paralysis on the left side of his body. This made it difficult for him to walk and speak. He spent many years recovering through speech and physical therapy, but eventually began

Photo courtesy of IMDb

using a wheelchair. Although he died from coronary artery disease, he also had a history of stroke and kidney cancer listed as contributors towards his death.

Curry had been building his career for over five decades. He was a film star, stage actor, singer and voice performer whose broad range allowed him to jump from different roles and genres. He’s performed in Shakespearean dramas, musical comedies and as an infamous creepy clown.

Born Timothy James Curry on April 19, 1946, in Cheshire, England, Curry spent much of his childhood traveling. At just six months old, he was living in Hong Kong

with his family.

His father, Jim Curry, was a Methodist Naval Chaplain, and his mother, Maura Curry, came from a family of seafarers.

After his father suffered a stroke, the family moved to Plymouth to live with Maura’s father. In 1958, Jim died from another stroke and pneumonia.

Curry first discovered acting at school.

After his father’s passing, he was awarded a scholarship to Kingswood School in Bath after attending its preparatory school, Prior’s Court. Prior’s Court is where Curry’s acting journey began. He acted in school plays and continued while enrolled at Kingswood. Tim then went on to attend Birmingham University studying Drama and English from 1965 to 1986.

Curry’s first professional acting job after university was a musical called “Hair” at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1968. He then went on to perform in Royal Shakespeare Company, the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre, the West End and smaller television shows.

His first big hit was “The Rocky Horror Show,” the original 1973 live stage musical. Curry played the character Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a “flamboyant, pansexual” mad scientist. The musical set off his career, as it brought him to Los Angeles, where he performed at The Roxy on Sunset

Strip. The Los Angeles production would then create the movie that would change his life: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Similar to the musical, the 1975 version was adapted by the live musical into a film.

Now, five decades later, this film remains a cult classic.

Although the musical was a hit for some, it wasn’t for all, especially on Broadway. In 1975, Curry returned to the stage for “The Rocky Horror Show” at New York’s Belasco Theatre. Not everyone was a fan, as some people strongly disliked its style as it didn’t fit what was seen as traditional for the time. The show stopped running after 45 performances.

This didn’t keep Curry down. He later moved on to “Travesties,” and “Amadeus.” “Amadeus,” “My Favorite Year” and “Spamalot” all earned him Tony Award nominations. Curry is also featured in the fantasy film “Legend,” “Clue” and one of his most popular films, “It” as Pennywise the Clown.

Even behind the screens, Curry’s voice was still used for cartoons. He voiced Nigel Thornberry in “The Wild Thornberrys,” and Captain Hook in “Peter Pan and the Pirates,” which also won him an Emmy. He is also in many audiobooks and video games.

As Dr. Frank-N-Furter sings, “Don’t dream it, be it.”

Peter Cullen: His star shines on, a true icon

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Peter Cullen at an event celebrating the 2007 live-action “Transformers” movie.

By Michael McKee Correspondent In the aftermath of singer Dolly Parton and actor Tim Curry dying

on the same day, the world was saddened to hear that the legendary Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen had died soon after on Aug. 26 at the age of 85.

Cullen is most famous for his role portraying the main hero of the “Transformers” franchise, Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots as well as several other famous voice acting roles throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Cullen was born on July 28, 1941 in Montreal, Quebec to Henry and Muriel Cullen. He would later enroll in the National Theatre School of Canada and was among its first graduating class in 1963.

After graduating, Cullen’s early career in the late 1960s and early 1970s saw much involvement in a variety of shows focused around famous personalities, such as the Smothers Brothers, Sonny & Cher and the Hudson Brothers.

Eventually, Cullen would get involved in voice acting, voicing the titular monsters in the 1976 “King Kong” remake, several vocal effects in 1984’s “Gremlins” and 1987’s “Predator.”

In television, he provided several voices for Hanna-Barbera cartoons, the “Voltron” franchise and had many small roles in iconic cartoons throughout the 1980s. He also voiced the Knight Automated Roving Robot in the hit series “Knight Rider” and Monterey Jack in “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Cullen ranks as one of the most recognizable voices of the decade.

However, Cullen’s most iconic performance as Optimus was inspired by his brother, Larry Cullen, a veteran of the Vietnam War. According to KTLA 5 News, his brother advised him,“Don’t be a Hollywood hero type with all the BS and all the yelling and screaming and trying to be tough… be strong enough to be gentle.”

Cullen’s time as Optimus came to a temporary end in 1986 when Optimus Prime was killed off to

make way for a newer generation of characters in “The Transformers: The Movie.” Though it received much backlash at the time, to the point where Optimus was brought back in later episodes of the series, Optimus’ death has become one of the most famous cinematic moments of 1980s animation.

In the aftermath of the original “Transformers” series, Cullen was cast as Eeyore for the “New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” in 1988.

Cullen would go on to be the primary voice of Eeyore in the “Winnie the Pooh” franchise through the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2007, Cullen reprised his role as Optimus in a live-action adaptation of “Transformers” directed

by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. Cullen’s return was widely applauded and led to him voicing the character in six additional live-action movies ending with “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” in 2023, as well various tie-in video games.

In 2023, Cullen was cast as the alien leader Thaedus in the superhero animated series “Invincible.”

Cullen would continue to voice this role for two additional seasons in what would be his final voice acting role before his death this year.

Cullen is survived by his four children and three grandchildren.

From the 1980s onwards, millions of children grew up with characters voiced by Cullen. His career has touched so many in ways that are still hard to quantify. It is hard to find the right words to send off such a legendary figure, but perhaps Cullen’s own will suffice.

At the end of “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” Optimus Prime says, “Whenever you look to the stars, think of one of them as my soul.”

Well said, Optimus.

page 10 The Signal September 4, 2026

‘Welcome to the Black Parade’: My Chemical Romance takes over Citi Field

By Isabella McHugh Nation & World Editor My Chemical Romance welcomed audience members to join their Long Live The Black Parade tour at the band’s first North American stop, Citi Field in Queens, New York on Aug. 9.

The monumental 2000s alternative rock band released their album titled “The Black Parade” in 2006, and have toured across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas since 2025 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The stadium entrance was packed with concertgoers in full costume inspired by one of My Chemical Romance’s distinct eras.

Some wore the band’s iconic marching band jackets pulled straight from “The Black Parade” album and painted their faces white.

Others took from their album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” and wore red ties and button down shirts with fake blood streaming down. Some people even dressed as the featured dancer in My Chemical Romance’s music video for “Helena.”

Kayleigh Becker, a 15-year-old high school student, put her own spin on the classic “Helena” costume. “I kind of just thought of it with my friend, and they helped me out, like putting it together,” she said.

Becker’s outfit featured a black corset with a black ruffled skirt and a red bow in the center. “I think it took us about a week, and we just finished it yesterday,” she said, and her friend nodded.

The concert kicked off at 7 p.m. with the opening band Franz Ferdinand. The band played 10 of their hit songs including some well-known tracks like “No You Girls,” “Take Me Out” and “This Fire.”

The lead singer, Alex Kapranos, brought wild energy to the stage, jumping and kicking his legs during intensive musical sections, while lead guitarist Dino Bardot pulled a behind-the-back guitar move and played fast, complex solos.

My Chemical Romance entered the stage

Photo by Isabella McHugh

Gerard Way sings “Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us.” by 8:40 p.m. as their alter egos, “The Black Parade.”

The stage was set in the fictional Soviet Union-esque country, Draag, where the “Black Parade” band members were subject to an authoritarian leader called the Grand Immortal Dictator.

My Chemical Romance’s “Black Parade” album songs are part of a theatrical performance and embrace a unique storyline the band reinvented from the roots of their original concept back in 2006.

Tyler Gallagher, a 23-year-old, said he loves “that they didn’t just sing the songs, but actually turned it into a complex performance.”

He also added, “The story evolved so much… a lot of it we still don’t know about Draag and who’s really in control.”

Gallagher pointed to Draag’s fictional language, Keposhka, which carries hidden messages, and in his view, helps build a complete, immersive world.

During the Citi Field performance, the band members were trapped in what is believed to be called the Ministry of Approved Therapy, a reconditioning camp meant to brainwash and force them to perform before audiences as part of national propaganda.

Audience members were all given MOAT postcards upon arrival.

“It feels now like we’re in Draag and about to watch them perform as part of this

propaganda machine,” Becker said regarding the postcards.

The performance began with the Draag national anthem, in which all the actors stood tall.

My Chemical Romance played through their entire “Black Parade” album as a rock opera, featuring dialogue and character interactions between songs which seamlessly weaved into the next ones.

During the songs “Cancer” and “Disenchanted,” audience members held up fake paper blood droplets over their phone lights so the crowd became a sea of red.

“Welcome to the Black Parade” had every audience member singing. Fans often describe the song as the band’s anthem, similar to a rallying cry. Gerard Way began singing to audiences behind a podium, portraying the patient and his will to survive and defy institutional control.

“Mama” may have been the most dramatic song of all. Pyrotechnics radiated up to the back audience rows as flames erupted from the stage. At one point, a man even sprinted across the stage ablaze.

“That was f—ing insane,” Gallagher laughed. “The theatrics were like, next level.”

The flames returned during “Famous Last Words,” this time surrounding the band as the song built to its climax.

There was a moment during “Famous Last Words” when Gerard Way stopped

singing and simply listened to the crowd as they belted out the lyrics. The barrier between the band and the fans vanished as audience members wept and swayed next to friends and loved ones. The stadium became unified during this moment.

The final song from “The Black Parade” album was “Blood.” During Citi Field’s performance, Gerard Way was seen stabbing another character called the Clerk, who was imprisoned in the MOAT like the rest of the band. For unconfirmed motivations, Gerard Way killed him in a dramatically humorous display.

Afterward, the band moved to the B-stage to play songs outside of their “The Black Parade” album and abandoned their former characters.

They opened with “Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For The Two of Us,” from their album “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love.” Each member brought electrifying energy and enthusiasm to the stage throughout the entire set.

The band continued playing iconic songs like “Na Na Na,” “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena,” but pulled some wildcards like “Bury Me in Black,” “Heaven Help Us,” “Summertime” and “Bulletproof Heart.”

“My Chemical Romance is my favorite band of all time because all their albums and lyrics are so deeply personal, and make me and I know a lot of other people too feel seen,” Becker said. She added that her favorite song is “Heaven Help Us,” and hoped they would play it that night.

My Chemical Romance concluded their set with “Demolition Lovers,” a six-minutelong emotional roller coaster with both tranquil and roaring verses. My Chemical Romance hasn’t often performed this song live, so audience members gasped and cheered at the starting guitar sequence.

“My jaw was on the floor,” Gallagher said.

“I’m obsessed with ‘Demo Lovers’ and I think it was really special that they played it here at our show.”

‘The World’s Best Guesser’ gets a deal at Netflix

By Danica Ward Staff Writer

Promotional photo for “The Kevin Langue Show.”

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Beginning Sept. 5, Kevin Langue and “The World’s Best Guessers” will have a new home on Netflix.

YouTube comedy creator Kevin Langue has amassed over 13.5 million followers across social media, entertaining viewers with both a game-show style format and his group of comedian friends.

The Senegalese entrepreneur has made a career for himself most notably in the last five years, though his first YouTube channel has been active since 2009.

Alongside comedians Denny Love, Aaron Branch, Zane Helberg and Herman Wrice, Langue has made a name for himself specifically on YouTube. His eponymous channel, focused on guessing games and social experiments, currently has 5.44 million subscribers and almost 3,000 videos in existence, which dates back to 2023.

“The Kevin Langue Show” is released every Saturday at noon, giving excited viewers their weekly fill of guessing the liar in a lineup of strangers. Some of the channel’s most popular videos include “5 Babies vs 1 Secret Adult” and “Match the 5 Girlfriends To The Five Boyfriends.”

Langue also created a second YouTube channel in 2024 called “Kevin Langue 2,” which acts as a more relaxed, candid version of the original channel. Whereas additional internet and celebrity guests are usually welcomed on the main channel, KL2 sticks mostly to the original “best guessers.” The group of five is known to have heated games of Uno, Cards Against Humanity, Mafia and various types of trivia, reaching over 4 million views per video. Both channels have garnered a steady fanbase, even allowing the friend

group to embark on two national and sold out tours: one in 2024 and one earlier this spring in 2026.

On Aug. 25, Netflix released a video on its own YouTube channel announcing Langue’s addition to the popular platform.

The video portrays Langue as a hacker at Netflix headquarters, with Helberg giving him instructions on how to add both channels to the Netflix show catalogue. This addition comes after several other internet creators have announced their move into the larger entertainment sphere in the past year. Creators like Ms. Rachel, Mark Rober and Rhett & Link of “Mythical Entertainment,” among others, have all worked with the subscription service thus far.

Starting Sept. 5, Netflix subscribers will be able to binge both a plethora of older episodes of “The Kevin Langue Show” and KL2, along with new episodes released every week. Both channels will still release videos on YouTube as well, but this foray into Netflix has definitely caused disruption within the YouTube company. It has also been widely rumored that the video-sharing platform has both offered internet creators millions of dollars and offered to fund their projects to ensure exclusivity and dissuade them from partnering with Netflix.

With Langue’s presence on both popular platforms, a wider audience can now enjoy the comedy and entertainment that both channels have provided for several years now.

In a statement to Variety, Langue said, “The fans have been the driving force behind this opportunity and to see what we’ve built now also on Netflix is incredibly special. I’m just so excited to continue bringing the energy of our shows to even more people around the world!”

September 4, 2026, The Signal page 11

Reason to believe: Men’s Soccer looks to return to NJAC Championship in 2026

Photo by Nick Kurti

Senior Sean Wood celebrates the Lion’s game-tying goal versus Kean with junior Omar Pollard.

By Shawn Retta Staff Writer An 11-5-5 record gave the Lion’s Men’s Soccer team their first winning season since 2019. This season, with seven starters returning, Coach Steve DeMatteo looks to bring this team back to the NJAC championship, and this time with some better hardware.

Under new leadership, Coach DeMatteo revived the program, leaving the Lions one goal away from claiming their first conference title since 2005. They the top seeded No. 20 Montclair State Red Hawks 4-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semi-

finals before falling 0-1 to Rowan in the conference championship.

On the offensive side of the pitch, senior forward Chris Meder and sophomore Matt Will look to continue off of last year’s success. Meder not only won first team NJAC, but also first team All-Region, scoring 13 goals and 11 assists. He’s notably the first Lion to have 10+ goals and assists since 1997. Right by his side, Will comes back this year with Second Team All-NJAC honors as a freshman, and looks to climb to first team honors this year.

When asked to give one word that would best describe this upcoming

season and why, Will responded “Hungry. We have most of the lineup returning from the team that made the final last year, and we’ve added a lot of exciting new players to the group. I think there’s a real hunger within this team to accomplish more.”

The Lions had another phenomenal freshman last year that will be an anchor of the defense this year.

Freshman Sean Najdzinowicz became the first goalie in the College’s history to be 1st team all NJAC as a freshman and also received second team AllRegion honors. He led the NJAC in save percent with a rate of 83.8% (62/74) and is looking to become

more of a lock for the Lions’ defense.

“As a goalie, you can’t have success without the guys in front of you, so all the credit goes to them and all of my teammates… Going into this season, I just want to keep building off of last year and continuing to get better each and every day in training so that I can do whatever I can to help the team succeed,” Najdzinowicz stated.

The Lions begin their quest to NJAC immortality when they face Manhattanville at home Tuesday, Sept. 1. Then, they hit the road where they travel to Elmira and Ithaca Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday Sept. 6 respectively.

Women’s soccer preview: How the Lions will take back the NJAC in 2026

Photo courtesy of Derek Meola

Midfielder Jenny Ward charges for the ball to Ursinus defender Lily Ballard.

By Nick Kurti Correspondent The College’s women’s soccer team made the NCAA tournament 29 years in a row.

However, they’ve missed it twice the past four seasons. 2026 is the year Coach Danny Blank and his record 38-player squad will absolutely excel.

In the 2025 season, the Lions wrapped their season 10-4-6 (6-1-2) which left them third in the New Jersey Athletic Conference behind rivals Rowan and a Montclair State team that didn’t lose a game of conference play.

It was a solid team, but the College missed

out on important statement wins against serious ranked competition. The team took losses to No. 17 NYU and No. 24 Johns Hopkins, and tied No. 14 Swarthmore and Stevens.

Even in some conference matches, the Lions couldn’t come out victorious. They finished in 2-2 draws vs. Rowan and at Montclair State. Those four conference points are what separated first from third, and the inability to break ties in 90 minutes led to the ultimate consequence. In the 2025 NJAC semifinals, the Lions traveled to Rowan and ended 0-0, even after double overtime. Rowan went on to win the penalty shootout 3-1.

Having now missed the NCAA national

championship bracket for the second time in the 2020s, the Lions are looking to bounce back quickly, and they have all the ingredients to do so. One of the biggest components is the Lion’s biggest roster in a long time.

Since 2016, the College’s women’s soccer roster has floated between 31 and 28, with a few 33-34 player oddities here and there. For a Division III program, 38 players (23 returners and 15 rookies) looks like a staggering amount of heads to keep in play.

However, at the College’s performance in their first match of the season against Ursinus, the program showed no signs of slowing down after multiple rounds of substitution.

Freshmen like Bella Daley, Anna Guido and Hayden Tormasi have logged serious minutes, while junior Katie Naughton logged her first shot since missing her sophomore season to injury.

This has blended wonderfully with a seasoned class of returners like defender Isabella Charles and forwards junior Lexi Caruso and junior Maggie Murphy had massive contributions Tuesday. Caruso logged three assists while Murphy obtained her first ever hat trick as a Lion.

Across the rest of the state, the other two favorites are potentially slipping. Rowan comes into 2026 graduating eight seniors, leaving them without All-Americans Olivia Giordano and Julianna Giordano or AllNJAC First Team selection Lianna SanFelice.

Meanwhile, Montclair State is missing 2025 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-NJAC midfielder Emily Schuler.

For the 2026 season, Coach Blank and

the Lions are seeing a favorable playing field. The College has no slouches ahead of them either; their schedule features No. 13 Swarthmore, No. 18 Rowan, and a formidable Stevens side. The Lions will head to their first ranked opponent on Saturday, Sept. 5, where they face No. 23 Penn State Harrisburg. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.P

TCNJ Athletics Schedule Football Saturday, Sept. 5 Home against Lycoming Field Hockey Saturday, Sept. 5 Home against DeSales Wednesday, Sept. 9 Away against Haverford Men’s Soccer Saturday, Sept. 5 Away against Elmira Sunday, Sept. 6 Away against Ithica Women’s Soccer Saturday, Sept. 5 Away against Penn St. Harrisburg Wednesday, Sept. 9 Home against Arcadia

TCNJ field hockey ranked No. 2 in NJAC

Photo by Elizabeth Gladstone

Lion’s coach Sharon Pfluger looks to lead team to 26th NJAC championship.

By Jhett Laurie Sports Editor The College’s field hockey team is looking to shake up the rankings this season with some outstanding returners. The team enters this season ranked No. 25 in preseason coaches’ poll and No. 2

in New Jersey Athletic Conference rankings, only behind rival No. 14 Rowan University.

The Lions face some tough competition this season, facing off against No. 2 Johns Hopkins on Sept. 12 and No. 14 Rowan on Oct. 21.

After falling just short of the

NCAA Division III Tournament last season, the Lions look to pick up a few ranked wins in hopes of securing a playoff spot this year.

Notable returners include senior Jadyn Huff, junior Rachel Tetzlaff, and graduate Brigitte Racey, all of whom picked up First Team AllRegion while Huff secured AllAmerican nods by gaining a spot on the third team.

The return of Racey for a fifth season secures the Lions the reigning NJAC Goaltender of the Year, with other accolades including First Team All-Region and twotime All-NJAC First Team. She tallied 102 total saves last season, including six shutouts. Notable performances include a 10-save game last year against Rowan in the NJAC Championship and an 11-save shutout against Marywood University. Racey looks to serve as an anchor in goal for a Lions team pushing for a deep playoff run.

Huff is arguably the biggest asset to the Lions’ offense coming into this year. Including her First Team All-Region and All-American accolades, Huff also picked up NJAC Offensive Player of the Year and made First Team All-NJAC. She led the conference in assists with

13 and ranked third with 35 points.

Huff looks to make her mark on the team as a leading figure on a strong Lions offense.

Tetzlaff makes up a key part of the Lions standout defense as she returns for her third season as a starter. She became the Lions’ alltime leader in defensive saves last season with 16 career saves and only seeks to widen that gap. Tetzlaff also picked up two goals and five assists. She is now joined by her sister freshman Jillian Tetzlaff who is poised to have a breakout season in the backfield after a phenomenal high school career at Toms River North High School.

Other players to watch include senior Kara Wilson, sophomore Lindsey Hoffman and junior Prisha Dhruve, all of which had strong offensive seasons last year.

Senior captain Isabel Maher was ranked fifth on the team in points last season and had five goals to her name. Under her leadership, the Lions should be able to make a mark on the NJAC. The team takes on Catholic University on Sept. 2 in Washington, D.C., at 6 p.m. before facing DeSales in their home opener on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m.

TCNJ Football hopes to bounce back after shaky season

Photo by Andre Paras

The Lions Football team gears up for the season.

By Tyler Fennell Staff Writer Football season is upon us. Fans are finishing up their fantasy drafts, getting their predictions in and planning watch parties.

With the NFL season on the horizon, so is the NCAA. Students of the College get to look forward to Saturday games at Lions Stadium to watch the College’s football team compete for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship.

Last season, the College finished with a 6-4 overall record. The season started strong with a 6-1 record going into November. However, with a late season collapse, losing their last three

games saw them finishing fifth in the NJAC with a 3-4 conference record.

The College’s biggest weakness last season was the passing game.

While opponents averaged 176.1 passing yards per game, the College only averaged 74.1 passing yards per game. They made up for this lack of passing offense in the run game.

While opponents averaged 107.3 rushing yards per game, the College averaged 207.7 rushing yards per game. This forced opposing defenses to play a physical and exhausting style trying to stop the rush, worrying less about receiver coverage.

A major component of the Lion’s rush attack was junior Jordan Morrell.

Morell tallied 520 yards on 108 carries,

racking up a total of four touchdowns.

Against Wilkes University last year, he burst onto the scene with 126 yards and a touchdown. With 15 players not returning, including the Lions leading rusher, Morrell is set to guide the team behind the ball.

Other notable Lions returners include All-NJAC selections senior Tyler Addonisio and junior Albert D’Alessandro III. The team had 10 selections last season, yet only these two will return.

With any new season, there is an opportunity to switch things up. The quarterback role is open for taking, with a seasoned veteran and freshman rookie battling out for the position. It appears as though the veteran is winning the race so far, with transfer senior Raymend Lao entering the college after leaving Wagner

University. Unfortunately, Lao did not tally any snaps at Wagner.

The rookie is not giving up without a fight though. Freshman quarterback Cole Aquino in his final year at Washington Township High School posted 1,546 yards passing with 23 touchdowns, leading them to a 14-0 record. It will be interesting to see if the Lions hand him the reins to the team or give the transfer a shot in a young Lions offense.

The games are played for a reason.

We can try to predict how a season will go as much as we want, but none of that matters. On Sept. 5, the College will prove to its students what kind of team this is when they open their season against Lycoming.