Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, was the College’s homecoming. For the football team, it was their second New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season. After a crushing defeat to Salisbury in their first NJAC game, a statement win was necessary, and they delivered. The College took a commanding win at home against William Patterson with a final score of 42-0, all while donning throwback jerseys, paying homage to the Trenton State days.
When asked what the mindset going into this game was going to be, head coach Tyler Moody said, “It was respond, right, and that’s what we did. We had to respond on Monday in the weight room, and we did that. It was really just one day at a time for us to get here, get the win, and put us at 4-1. We’ve got 24 hours to celebrate the 4-1 and let’s move on to be 5-1.”
The College continued a run-heavy offense this game, just like every other game this season, posting 226 net rushing yards with 54 attempts. When asked the reasoning behind the reliance on the rush, Coach Moody said, “I think you see why. It’s a mentality, it’s a mindset, it’s toughness, it’s an identity, that’s what I think TCNJ is. We wore the Trenton State unis today, I think that’s about toughness as well,
and I think that’s what running the ball does, it makes you tough, and it forces teams to play tough.”
The win against William Patterson was a must-win game, and the Lions delivered. So far, their run-heavy offensive scheme has not failed them yet. The benefits of keeping the ball on the ground is limiting turnovers as well as improving the safety of the quarterback. It limits sacks since the quarterback spends less time sitting in the pocket. On top of that, if you have a run game that nets you at least 3.5 yards per carry, in theory, a team could never have to pass the ball since the team will get 10 yards in at least three downs.
Senior running back Joe Visaggio led the team in rushing yards (56) and touchdowns (two). Senior wide receiver Jaiden Johnson recorded his first touchdown of the season early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Jordan Morrell got the second touchdown of the game in the first quarter and was third in rushing yards for the team.
It wasn’t just the offense that played well; the defense had major plays as well. Sophomore linebacker Matt Cassidy had a 26-yard defensive touchdown after intercepting the ball late in the fourth quarter. That wasn’t the only defensive touchdown in this game. Freshman linebacker Chimmy Ozokpor recovered a fumble made by a sack from senior defensive back Christian Bennet
President Trump and other world leaders sign declaration facilitating Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal
By Zo Terrana Staff Writer
In an effort to take steps to end the Israel-Hamas war, President Trump, along with leaders from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, signed the “Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity” in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13.
The signing ceremony of the ceasefire deal marked an official start to what is to be the beginning of lasting peace and a return of all the remaining Israeli hostages, along with the nearly 2000 Palestinian detainees.
According to Time Magazine, other world leaders were present at the peace summit. France’s Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, both remarked positively on the declaration.
“President Trump, this is your achievement. I thank you for your tireless efforts to deliver this moment,” Starmer stated at the summit while pledging to assist in the plan’s full implementation.
President Macron also stated that the peace summit was a “historic day” for the people of Israel and Palestine. Before embarking from Egypt, Macron added, “Let us prepare for what comes next together with humility.”
The declaration, according to the
White House, stated, “In this spirit, we welcome the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangeme nts in the Gaza Strip, as well as the friendly and mutually beneficial relationship between Israel and its regional neighbors. We pledge to work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy, building institutional foundations upon which future generations may thrive together in peace.”
However, following the peace summit, various questions are still unanswered. Within the agreement, there is no information on a U.S.-recognized Palestinian state nor a future of governance for Gaza, according to Time Magazine.
In President Trump’s initial 20-point peace plan, the groundwork was laid for a “self-determined” Palestinian statehood on X. This statement posted on X is counterintuitive, as Trump did not mention a Palestinian State during his address at the signing ceremony.
On Oct. 13, reporters questioned the president on a two-state solution. Trump stated, “I’m not talking about a single-state or double-state or two-state. A lot of people like the one-state solution, some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see.”
See CEASEFIRE on page 10
in the endzone early in the fourth quarter for a touchdown.
When asked about the fumble recovery, Ozokpor said, “It feels amazing, CB (Christian Bennet) came in on a blitz, killed the guy and the ball fell right into my lap and I was able to get the touchdown.”
Their next game is on Saturday, Oct. 18, away at Castleton. Despite being in Vermont, this will be their third NJAC game of the season. Castleton is coming off a three-game losing streak after opening up their season 2-0. So far, they have lost both of their NJAC games, the first of which was to William Patterson.
Eateries at TCNJ show progress on safety violations, but problems still remain
By Isabella Darcy Managing Editor
Patrick Whitehead stopped into The Atrium at Eickhoff Hall last spring to satiate his hunger with some chicken from the Wok station. An hour later, he began to feel the first signs that something was not right.
“My stomach was a mess. I was throwing up all night,” said Whitehead, a sophomore criminology and psychology double major. “It wasn’t a great experience.”
What Whitehead didn’t know that spring day is that The Atrium at Eickhoff has consistently not been in full compliance with sanitary regulations — and it’s not the only eatery at the College that has failed to fully comply.
The Ewing Township health department, over the last three years, has flagged the College for 288 health code violations involving unclean food contact surfaces, improperly maintained kitchen equipment, poor handwashing practices and more, according to records provided to The Signal through a public records request.
Overall violation totals decline, though some eateries remain repeat offenders
Sixty percent of eateries available on campus, in Campus Town and through the College’s catering services violated at
least one health code standard in the last 12 months, contributing to 76 total violations.
Blazin’ J’s in Campus Town was responsible for nearly one-fourth of all violations, with 18 total. The most recent inspection of the eatery in February uncovered violations, including but not limited to: multiple filthy surfaces, a dirty and disorganized dishwasher and an employee neglecting to wash their hands after handling raw chicken.
Since opening in 2022, Blazin’ J’s has annually accrued violations due to a repeated lack of cleanliness. It is responsible for the second-largest number of violations across all eateries in the past three years.
Blazin’ J’s co-owner Gary Danehower told The Signal that issues related to food safety are the most concerning to him. The restaurant immediately works to resolve these types of issues when they arise by correcting them on the spot and educating employees on proper protocols, he said.
Danehower emphasized, and records corroborate, that while his restaurant has accumulated violations related to food safety, none of those violations were due to food — specifically chicken — being undercooked.
See CODE VIOLATIONS page 2
Photos by Andre Paras
CODE VIOLATIONS / Food safety improving at TCNJ
Continued from page 1
The most important thing to Danehower is that food is cooked properly and that ingredients are fresh to prevent foodborne illness, which is why Blazin’ J’s pays close attention to the temperature of its products and does weekly turns of its inventory.
Another way Blazin’ J’s is mitigating food safety issues is by requiring all its employees to go through a food handler certification course. This obligation was implemented in February.
“We pride ourselves on food safety, so we’re continuing to improve,” Danehower said. “[We are] not perfect but improving.”
IndiGrill and The Atrium at Eickhoff Hall followed as the only other eateries with violation counts in the double-digits since this time last year.
The Atrium at Eickhoff Hall was primarily not in compliance with health code standards due to unkempt facilities. Moldlike substances were discovered in an ice machine (a recurring finding across many eateries), shelves were rusted in a walk-in fridge and a plumbing system needed updating.
At IndiGrill, there were fewer violations than in the past. The 6-year-old Campus Town restaurant has consistently accumulated violations that predominantly relate to improper handwashing, incorrect storage of items that touch food and inappropriate han-
dling of food.
Conditionally satisfactory ratings were issued to IndiGrill in 2022, 2023 and 2024, because it was not in substantial compliance with sanitary requirements. While the violations did not pose an immediate health threat, they still required correction.
IndiGrill is continuing to work on improving its food safety, according to Naveen Kumar, the restaurant’s owner.
“I have hired a third party who visits once a quarter to conduct checks and educate on preventing future violations,” Kumar told The Signal in a written statement.
Like IndiGrill, the total number of food safety violations across all of the College’s food establishments has declined in recent years, even though each individual eatery has not experienced improvement.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic partially shut down dining at the College until 2022, the amount of food safety violations across all eateries peaked at 122 in 2023, lessened to 85 in 2024 and dropped to 44 in the first 10 months of 2025.
To address sanitary concerns at on-campus dining locations and catering services, the College works with its dining partner, Sodexo, and the Ewing Township Health Department, according to Emily Dodd, the interim head media relations officer at the College.
The corrective process begins with immediately fixing any issue and verifying that
By Natalia Tomczak Opinions Editor
Wheely Concerning Activity
On Oct. 5, a bike was stolen at 4 a.m. The owner of the bike did not secure his bicycle to the rack, went to his residence hall, and returned to find that his bicycle was gone. He later found what he believed to be his bicycle on Facebook Marketplace listed around 1:30 p.m.
On Oct. 8, Campus Police was in touch with the seller and then visited the house that the seller told them to meet at. They found two parked vehicles in the driveway, but neither were on campus nor associated with the seller. They spoke with the two residents who advised that they did not know anybody by the seller’s name, but had noticed suspicious activity outside their home since the evening on Oct. 3. According to them, a known man who appeared to be homeless was dropped off by a vehicle over the weekend with luggage and a bicycle. He appeared to be staying on their property. On Oct. 5, he appeared again, this time with two bicycles.
When campus police checked near where the man had been staying, they found a suitcase and a gallon jug with an unknown liquid. Twenty yards away from the suitcase was a red ShopRite grocery bag with 30-40 pounds of copper piping and wiring. No bike was found in the area.
Campus police contacted Ewing PD to inquire if there had been any reports of copper piping stolen/missing and requested information on the person of interest. He had been
most health code violations in recent years occurred in
the restorative actions taken were effective in solving the original problem. The College then documents the remediation and provides additional staff training if needed. Re-inspections by the health department also follow in instances where a conditionally satisfactory or unsatisfactory rating is issued.
In addition, the College conducts routine internal audits to ensure ongoing compliance and food safety, and would escalate any persistent issue through corrective action plans and increased monitoring, according to Dodd.
Most violations involve equipment and cleanliness
When food safety inspections are conducted, health codes are broken down by category. Most codes violated by eateries at the College fell under the “Equipment, Utensils and Linens” classification, meaning dining locations failed to properly clean, sanitize, maintain or use such items to prevent food contamination.
Codes under the “Physical Facilities” classification were the second most violated, indicating that establishments’ physical structure, maintenance or general sanitation were inadequate. Other recurring issues were related to food not being kept at the required temperature, food being stored incor-
rectly, and staff lacking knowledge of or erroneously following food safety standards.
A broader look at health inspection ratings
In Ewing Township, N.J., dining establishments are typically inspected by the health department annually to ensure that state standards are met, according to the township’s website.
Eating establishments at the College have overwhelmingly received satisfactory scores from health inspectors, meaning they were found to be operating in substantial compliance with state health code. Even with satisfactory ratings, violations can be present.
Some conditional satisfactory ratings have been issued, as has one unsatisfactory rating in September 2023, when the health department was called to The Atrium at Eickhoff for an emergency inspection, following a grease fire at the Wok station. In these cases, the health department re-inspected eateries within 30 days. Most violations were corrected by re-inspection. However, in cases similar to IndiGrill and Blazin’ J’s, issues sometimes recurred from year to year.
As this year comes to an end, records will soon show whether or not the annual downward trend in violations has carried on.
arrested previously by Ewing PD on Sept. 12 and 19, both for burglary.
The suspect attempted to sell stolen goods on Facebook Marketplace before, but would then take the listing down in an attempt to cover his tracks. A warrant request for the seller has been completed for receiving stolen property.
Elevator Entrapment
There were two incidents of elevator entrapment on Oct. 8. The first one took place at 1:21 p.m. in the Brower Student Center. When approaching the elevator, Campus Police could hear the students trapped inside.
Ewing Township Fire Squad 31 arrived on the scene and an OTIS elevator representative was able to open the elevator door. The students had no injuries, and the elevator was temporarily placed out of service as OTIS made repairs.
At 5:46 p.m., someone was trapped in an elevator on the ground floor of Travers Hall. Emergency services arrived on the scene and shut the elevator’s power off so the student could be released. A work order was placed to the electric department for OTIS to make repairs. The student had no injuries.
False Alarms
There were nine incidents of fire alarms between Oct. 3 and Oct. 11. They took place in Cromwell Hall, the Physics building, Lot 7 stairwell, Townhouses East and Norsworthy Hall. Causes include: a blow dryer, a faulty report of a carbon monoxide leak, alarm malfunction, steam, an air fryer and improper cooking in a microwave.
Fifteen dining locations violated health code standards in the last year.
Chart by Isabella Darcy
The
2023.
Chart by Isabella Darcy
Cop Shop: False alarms, facebook marketplace and fraud
Ellen Hopkins talks on the importance of having stark realities in literature during National Book Ban Week
By Raeanne Raccagno News Editor
Ellen Hopkins shared her life’s struggles to exemplify the purpose behind the poignant stories that some areas have classified as unfit for their libraries during her talk at the College on Oct. 9 for National Book Banning Week.
National Book Banning Week was Oct. 5-11 this year, which was founded in 1982 by a librarian named Judith Krug. The American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers teamed up with Krug to organize the first event after a surge of book challenges and censorship occurred in schools, public libraries and bookstores, according to the American Library Association.
“It’s tempting,” Hopkins said, referring to the contemplation of “scrubbing” her writing to avoid censorship. “I made a pact with my readers that I would always tell the truth … so I have to write the good and the bad. So I have been tempted to, but no, I refuse to.”
Hopkins has been near the top of the list of most-banned authors, with 523 bans during the 2022-2023 school year regarding 19 of her books, according to PEN America. She joked during her presentation that Stephan King has surpassed her in being the most banned author in America.
The event was planned by Kristen Luettchau, an adjunct professor in the English department, and Ewa Dziedzic-Elliott, an education librarian at the R. Barbara Gitenstein Library. It was co-sponsored by the School of Education, Department of English, the library and multiple student groups: Kappa Delta Pi, Sigma Tau Delta and the Student New Jersey Education Association.
“I would call us an intimate group, but I’m not discouraged by it,” Dziedzic-Elliott said, describing the smaller crowd size. “Each and every one of you carries some kind of interest in the subject, some kind of spark that I hope you will share.”
To give more insight into the inspiration behind her books, Hopkins gave a “Life=Challenges” presentation that described her personal history.
Hopkins shared with the audience how her daughter struggled with an addiction to crystal meth for 25 years. Watching the drug change her daughter’s life is what inspired her first book, “Crank,” which was published in 2004.
“That is the book that changed my life,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins started writing “Crank” when her daughter went to prison. She explained how she wanted to get inside her daughter’s head to “figure out what happened to my kid.”
When Hopkins first started writing the book, she did so in prose, but she put it away after a while because she struggled to properly display her daughter’s voice. She eventually did a workshop at a conference with Sonya Sones, who had recently published her verse novel, “Stop
Pretending.” Hopkins said “Crank” started working when she attempted to do it in a verse style.
Hopkins said there was a time when she was invited to schools to talk about “Crank” when students were doing drug prevention programs to hear about the personal toll of addiction.
“That book went into schools, it was taught in schools,” Hopkins said. “And now all of a sudden we’ve got into this place where they don’t want it, they don’t like it because it’s got drugs in it. It’s about addiction. I cannot write a book about drugs without putting drugs in the book.”
Since being published, Hopkins has received thousands of messages regarding “Crank” from her readers, telling her how it changed their lives for the better and helped many who were struggling with addiction or looking for insight on the issue.
“Do my books take you to dark places?
Yes. Because those places exist, and also because there is light beyond the darkness,” Hopkins said.
After her presentation, the conversation was opened up to attendees who wanted to ask the author any questions.
“Book banning is just everything that’s wrong with our country right now,” said Sarah Tamagny, a junior English major, who attended the event. “As someone who wants to be a writer myself, I really value that she [Hopkins] writes from personal experience, but does it in such a meaningful way that so many people can connect with.”
Before Hopkins gave her presentation, the event also included a screening of “Banned Together,” a 2025 documentary that follows three students and the adults who supported their initiatives to fight against book bans happening in their schools.
Read more on our website!
TCNJays win student prize in Wings Over Mercer birding competition
Two Double-crested cormorants resting.
By Sarah Neil Correspondent
The College’s birding team, TCNJays, won a county-wide birding competition last weekend, beating out competitors from Stockton University and a local high school.
On Oct. 4, a team of the College’s students faced off against
event, held by the Wild Bird Research
Group, was a day-long contest to see who could find the most species of birds in Mercer County. TCNJays and the team from Stockton University both found the most species in the student team category, 54, but the College’s team won in a tiebreaker, having submitted their entry first.
As winners, TCNJays received a $25 gift certificate to a window collision prevention company, a tote bag, a postcard, a field guide for hawks and a bookmark.
The timing of the competition takes ad-
vantage of the fall migration season, with many novel birds passing through the area on their way to their winter homes. As the weather gets colder, birds from Canada and the northern United States pass through New Jersey on their way to the warmer southern states, many of which cannot be seen in the area for most of the year.
The competition included multiple categories of teams, such as Student Team, New to Birding Team and Competitive Team.
Starting at Mercer Meadows just after sunrise, TCNJays then made their way to Rosedale Lake, Colonial Lake, Mercer County Park, and finally, Lake Carnegie Dam in Princeton.
The team recorded almost 500 individual birds, spending nearly 10 hours on the hunt.
Lyndsay Williams, a junior interactive multimedia major, knew it would be a challenge.
“I knew we were gonna be doing a lot of walking… it would be a lot of exhaustion for me,” she said.
They walked through grasslands, shorelines and forests, finding bald eagles, cormorants and sparrows along the way.
Shira Weiss, a senior biology major, was proud of her ability to identify the birds, a skill she picked up in Luke Butler’s Avian Biology class during the Spring 2025 semester.
“It was so awesome to be on this jour-
ney with them,” she said about working with the birding team.
Weiss also noted the public’s interest in the TCNJays’ birdwatching. She said while the team was on the trails, they would let interested passersby look through their telescope. They also encountered other birding teams along the way, most of which ranged widely in age and experience.
“There’s such a good community in birdwatching, and I hate that it’s seen as an ‘old-person’ hobby... it’s really not, it’s so accessible to everyone, and I feel really good that they had the student teams because it encourages students to get into it,” said Theresa Musto, a junior biology major and member of the TCNJays. Other student teams came from local high schools.
Thanks to outreach by organizations like the Wild Bird Research Group and the popularization of apps like eBird and Merlin, birding is on the rise, especially among younger people. Between 2016 and 2022, the number of birders aged 16-24 more than doubled, according to surveys by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The team agreed that getting young people interested in birds is vital for protecting local ecosystems, as public awareness is one of the first steps in successful conservation.
“Birds are everywhere. They are always with us, whether you see them or you don’t,” said Williams.
Photo by Kristen Luettchau
Hopkins discussed how her journalistic roots helped her transition into book writing.
other birders in the Wings Over Mercer birding competition. This
Photo courtesy of Theresa Musto
Features
How TCNJ freshmen are adjusting to college
By Aaron Rigby Correspondent
With fall break now behind us and midterms right around the corner, freshmen at the College are in the whirlwind of their first semester, having gotten a sense of what they can expect over the the next four years.
It is no secret that freshman year, at every education level, is one of the toughest years that students will endure. A new environment with new people and living away from everything you’ve ever known is highly stressful for young adults entering the next phase of their academic careers.
However, every year, upperclassmen from high schools around the nation visit colleges with a set of goals and an ambitious drive to establish themselves for future success in a desired career field. Now, the newest class of freshmen at the College has set out to pursue those goals..
Zachary Dorner is a freshman political science major, said he is taking the transition relatively well, and better than he had anticipated.
“I love all of my classes and the new friends I have made so far,” Dorner said.
One of the biggest differences between high school and college education is the time and frequency of classes. The College, offering fewer classes at later times, allows Dorner to have a morning routine that is more “lenient and easygoing” as a result. “Waking up at 9 a.m., which is much later than what was necessary in high school, makes a big difference in college,” he said. He also expressed the joy in being able to have “fun night adventures” with his new friends and roommates because of his flexible scheduling.
Though Dorner enjoys the classes he has and likes the professors in those courses, he admits that it has been a struggle to adjust to the required courses, which are unrelated to his major.
“I’m taking one or two classes that I need help in, unrelated to my major, but otherwise I’m doing good transitioning academically,” he said.
Despite enjoying the company of his new friends and roommates, Dorner continues to struggle with the harsh reality
of the tight bonds he once had becoming looser because of the distance college creates.
“There are definitely some [home] relationships I want back,” he said. “That’s probably the worst part about college, not being able to see family or hometown friends as frequently as I once did.”
Dorner says he goes home on the weekends to spend as much quality time with his relatives as possible.
Dorner continues to look towards his future at the College.
“I am looking forward to creating my own schedule next semester; picking classes I want at certain times will be a very fun thing to do,” he said.
Emilee Schulz is a freshman education major at the College, and similar to Dorner, her transition has gone smoother than she thought it would.
“I didn’t expect to make as many friends as fast as I did,” said Schulz. “I randomly hung out with people at the playfair, and later over time they became my best friends and we hang out pretty often.”
To deconstruct the fear of adjusting to new environments, Schulz says that you simply “just have to put yourself out there and be yourself.”
As it pertains to academics, Schulz acknowledges that she also had a difficult time transitioning into college-level learning.
“It was a little rough in the beginning… actually, really rough in the beginning,” said Schulz. “But, over time, it’s balanced itself out.”
She said it has been difficult adjusting to her schedule, specifically “the amount of school work and my Thursday schedule, learning to deal with back to back to back classes all day, but it’s gotten easier for sure.”
Schulz also said she was surprised to have had some unexpected experiences this semester, only a little over a month in.
“I didn’t really expect to make as many friends as fast as I did,” said Schulz.
Something Schulz says she misses, which many college freshmen can relate to, is the loss of employment while being away from home. She said she “misses working and money.”
While dealing with some hardships in her personal life regarding familial relationships at home, Schulz has been able to see the positives in all situations she has found herself in.
“There’s a lot I miss from home. I feel like I kind of left everything behind, but I’ve been able to embrace the new,” she said.
Understanding the rough patches and how emotionally draining freshman year can be to new students, sophomore Sandra Abrantes offered some advice and words of encouragement to current freshmen at the College.
Abrates is a visual arts major with a specialization in graphic design and is minoring in fine art. She added that she had chosen her major and minor prior to her first semester at the College, and has “stuck with it” ever since.
“It’s normal to be nervous at first, so was I; but I made friends pretty fast and I’m still close with all of them,” said Abrantes.
She empathized with the feeling of lost home relationships, or at least having those relationships without being as tight as they once were.
“I don’t get to see [home friends] a lot because our schedules just don’t match. But it’s a two-sided thing; nobody knows exactly how to keep consistent communication, but we’re still figuring it out,” Abrantes said.
Schulz wondered whether it was worth the cost to stay on campus in comparison to commuting daily.
Swipes, snacks, and savory bites: Students reflect on meal plans at TCNJ
By Katherine Burgos Correspondent
A new school year always brings about the same burning conversations on campus, whether that be parking, what places have the best and worst food, best housing options, and most importantly, meal plans. Despite paying thousands of dollars for meal plans, many students continue to rely on quick dorm meals, such as ramen and granola bars.
Sophia Datz, a senior at the College, like many students, initially struggled with her meal plan upon starting college. Finding accommodating foods at the
dining hall and figuring out when to use meal equivalency or points were of high concern to Datz. “I was just reflecting on what it was like coming to the school and starting with the meal plan and the dining hall experience, and it was just really overwhelming and stressful, especially because of my anxiety.” This is a reality for many students at the College, and oftentimes, there is no one there to guide you in the right direction.
Students at the College wonder if meal plans are actually a fair representation of college eating habits, and luckily, I got to discuss this with a few students.
Meal plans at the College are broken down into a few different categories. The first category covers meal plans that grant students visits, or “swipes” into Eickhoff Hall, as well as Flex Points that act as dollars.
One Flex Point is equivalent to $1, and can be used at places such as the Convenience, or “C,” Store, T-Dubs, Brower Student Center locations and various cafés around campus. These meal plan opinions are divided into 19, 15 and 10 swipe plans into the dining hall, and with more swipes, less points are given.
The second category of meal plans, A La Carte and Apartment plans, are only available to upperclassmen. These students are able to select plans consisting of only Flex Points that range from about 1,200 points to over 2,000 points per
semester.
The third category of meal plans is for commuters, which allows students to have either two or three swipes into the dining hall, along with a small amount of Flex Points.
Some students say Flex Points are a big factor when deciding what meal plan they will have. Students can become tired of eating at the dining hall for every meal, and often explore other dining options on campus. However, the College has other options available outside of what meal plans explicitly offer.
Students at the College can rely on the meal equivalency program, which allows them to convert one swipe into a maximum amount of $9.80 at most dining areas other than Eickhoff Hall. Meal equivalency can also be used after 9 p.m. at T-Dubs.
Yet, this wasn’t always the case.
Amelia DePaolis ‘25 shared how her experience during freshman year changed once she had access to meal equivalency.
“I definitely knew meal equiv used to be a thing so, like, there was the knowledge of what we didn’t have, I guess. And I definitely remember running out of points,” DePaolis said. “So me personally, I might be a little bit of an outlier here, but I used [meal equivalency] every single day, consistently, in the morning to get a breakfast sandwich at the stud.”
Additionally, DePaolis also spent two years of her college experience living off campus, during which she had a commuter meal plan. DePaolis said she wished there was another plan in between what already exists to accommodate students who may reside off campus.
She also believes that A La Carte and Apartment plans may consist of too many points.
“I know people who really only get through them by paying for other people, which is fine, but I do know some people want to save money, and they don’t really go to the dining hall that much. Why not allow for a plan that gives you less points, and then you’re not wasting money?”
Meal equivalency has become a vital part of student life, and most current students at the College have never lived without it. With that being said, even with meal equivalency, there are still times where students would rather resort to making ramen rather than eating on campus.
Nicoletta Dinolfo, a transfer student who joined the College at the start of the Spring 2025 semester, is living on campus for the first time this semester. Dinolfo said she wishes she was given more information about meal plans when she transferred.
Photo by Andre Paras
Freshmen share how their experience at the College has been so far this year.
Photo courtesy of Andre Paras
Meal plans at the College offer several options for student dining.
Spreading environmental awareness around TCNJ with the Environmental Club
Environmental
By Zo Terrana Correspondent
As environmental awareness grows across college campuses, students at the College have begun an initiative of their own for increasing such awareness with the Environmental Club. In spreading environmentallyfriendly initiatives around campus, the Recognized Student Organization advocates for a cleaner and more sustainable campus and greater community.
The College’s Environmental Club is committed to supporting environmental protection and sustainable practices on the College’s campus and in the local community. Members of the Environmental Club strive to aid the environment through various campus initiatives. These include cleanups to keep the College pristine and environmentally safe.
At these cleanups, student volunteers are provided with tools to safely dispose of litter. The litter is
Alumni Adventures:
then weighed and disposed of correctly.
The Environmental Club also obtains water samples from campus lakes and Ewing Township, N.J. streams, in an effort to monitor water safety. These projects contribute to New Jersey’s Water Watch database by supplying an analysis of water quality through biological assessments to help prevent contamination.
The club’s president Brigette Wixted, a junior political science and environmental studies dual major, has spearheaded the College’s effort for a more sustainable campus life.
“Through the Environmental Club, I am able to channel my passion and energy in pursuing and doing environmental initiatives throughout the campus with assistance and help from my incredible executive board and advisors,” Wixted said of her passion for the College’s environmental movement.
To achieve a more sustainable future for the College, Wixted stated the Environmental Club needs a coordinated plan to initiate environmental change for future environmental aspirations and initiatives.
Through the Environmental Club, students, faculty and staff come together in front of the College’s administration to show that environmental sustainability is an important issue to tackle around campus. Wixted said this is a fundamental part in initiating change and bringing awareness to campus.
“We all should continuously want and to strive for being more sustainable in our everyday lives because every little action goes a long way to making
the college more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” Wixted said.
Wixted also said that she would spark future change within the local community by collaborating with environmental groups around the College including The Watershed Institute, Climate Revolution Action Network and Raritan Headwaters Association.
This semester, Wixted, along with First Year Community Engaged Learning, conducts invasive species removal every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. behind the Decker Hall parking garage. The Environment Club’s executive board is orchestrating field trips for this year to environmentally friendly places including TerraCycle in Trenton, Princeton University and workshops with CRAN and The Watershed Institute.
As for the RSO’s Water Watch program Wixted said, “unfortunately, there are not any new developments for the water watch program. However, over the summer, the College has gotten two grants that will fund environmental initiatives on the campus. One of the grants is going to be used to create a native and medicinal food forest which will be protected by deer fencing along the perimeter.” The grant obtained by the College is not only for the RSO aswell.
Ewing Township, N.J., outside of the College, is surrounded by various environmental organizations that share the same vision and mission as the College’s Environmental Club, which include environmental Groups
like The Watershed Institute, CRAN, the Sourland Conservancy, Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space and Friends of Princeton Open Space.
As to achieve a more sustainable future within our community, Wixted has stated that government funding for environment programs is beneficial, however funding is not necessarily needed for a more sustainable future.
Political action by local communities is paramount in enacting legislation that protects the environment by pressuring local and state government officials.
“Anyone can create a more sustainable future even through small actions like by planting more native species in their lawns and to stop mowing their lawns on a less frequent basis or talk to workers at environmental organizations about how to be more sustainable or volunteer,” Wixted said.
The Environmental Club is partnered with “Re:wild Your Campus,” a leading national movement to transform college campuses and universities into more sustainable environments.
The College partnered with The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Program of The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, which is a self reporting framework for institutions to measure sustainability performances to ensure that the college is progressing towards an 100% environmentally sustainable future.
Sustainability and the rise of environmental awareness on the College’s campus can promote a safer and healthier college environment for many students according to Wixted.
Jared Williams’ journey from political aspirations to law school
By Brinda Patel Staff Writer
Since graduating the College summa cum laude and starting law school at New York University shortly after, Jared Williams ‘25 has left an indelible impression through his academic excellence, contributions to the College community and professional pursuits.
As a political science major and the executive president of Student Government, Williams broke barriers
all throughout the College’s community. His involvement and leadership within organizations, including the Bonner Program, Omicron Delta Kappa and Late Night Take required a significant commitment of his time and energy, inspiring current students and past graduates alike.
“Jared’s time at this College showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to as long as I am passionate about what I’m doing,” said Sarah Kasziba O’Rahilly, the Student Government
vice president of government affairs and senior political science major.
Williams has also had many prolific professional experiences throughout his academic career. In the summer of 2023, he was a congressional intern for Sen. Cory Booker. In the summer of 2024, he interned for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
Williams chose the College because the faculty were “kind and very welcoming.” The recent graduate told The Signal, “some of the best qualities of TCNJ is that no matter where you come from, what your background is or what your perspective and experiences are, you’ll be welcomed at TCNJ.” He adds, “The NYU community is really nice and very kind, which definitely reminds me of TCNJ.”
When applying to the College in 2020-2021, Williams was deciding between marketing and psychology to be his major, but eventually chose political science.
He said he knew he made the right choice because from the first class he took, he constantly enjoyed learning from his professors and peers. Williams also tailored his own curriculum to add in more government-focused classes by consulting his advisor. He mentions that his major offered the flexibility to add additional courses that aligned with his interests.
During his sophomore year, as the Student Government’s vice president of government affairs, he worked with TCNJ Votes. He was able to plan and organize various events, including TCNJ Votes: Ballot Bowl Competition, registration drives and a documentary showing to inform the campus of the
importance of registering to vote. Williams also advocated for various initiatives. These included the Meal Equivalency program, a foosball table in Brower Student Center and Chicken Tender Thursdays in The Atrium at Eickhoff Hall. Meal equivalency, specifically, was very important for Williams, given that he brought it back after a period of no equivalency program available during his freshman year.
For all of his contributions to the College, he repeatedly gives credit to his peers and the College itself because this was not an independent effort. He thanks his mentors and family members for where he is today. His grandmother, in particular, is his hero.
“She was somebody who sacrificed a lot for me to be in the seat that I am in, and I think that a way of paying that forward is by opening doors of opportunity for other people,” Williams said.
It is his goal to work in New Jersey or New York after law school. Williams has ambitions to become the governor of New Jersey and eventually run for president.
His advice to students at the College is that “it all works out,” and “it’s not about where you started, it’s about how you finish” in school and professionally.
“A healthy amount of stress is important, right?” said Williams jokingly. “But know that all that you accomplish so far is indicative of the excellence that you can demonstrate, and you’ll be able to carry that into the workforce.”
Photo courtesy of Brigette Wixted The
Club is creating a sustainable future for the College.
Photo courtesy of Jared Williams Jared Williams embarks on his first year of law school at New York University.
TCNJ needs to let students reserve group study rooms
By Tasnim Oyshi Staff Writer
On Sept. 26, @tcnjlibrary, the Instagram account for R. Barbara Gitenstein Library, posted an image of the third-floor study rooms with the caption, “Fun fact: Gitenstein Library has more group study rooms than any other public college library in NJ. Get your group work done today. No reservation needed. Study rooms are first-come, first-serve.”
The first part of that statement is great news for students at the College. After all, so many study rooms should mean that there would be plenty of quiet places to choose from when you want to have a study session with your friends or have a group project. However, this hope crumbles when you actually step into the library with the intention of finding a room to get your work done in. The truth is:
finding an empty study room at the library is rare.
The typical experience of an average library frequenter at this institution is to scour each floor in anticipation of stumbling upon just one empty study room only to be met with every single one being in use. Sometimes, there’re multiple people in there. Other more frustrating times, it’s just one person. But the worst scenario of all is to come across a room occupied by a backpack, an open laptop and a water bottle, the owner nowhere in sight.
This is not the only struggle of attempting to obtain a group study room. There is also the battle you have to be prepared for if you do happen to see an empty room at the same time another group of people do. You better hope they’re not closer to the room than you are and make fast work of your legs. It’s an awkward and desperate race as you
both zero in on inconspicuously trying to speedwalk quicker than each other in the quiet of other students studying.
I, along with many other students, I’m sure, have faced disappointment with the library’s lack of empty rooms. There have been more times than I can count where I’ve entered the library with friends or a group from class and had to settle down at the usually crowded Library Café so as not to disturb students in the quieter areas. Unfortunately, I’ve learned my lesson and study rooms are no longer the first places I search when I go to the library with other people, instead, setting my backpack down somewhere on the first floor or opting to go someplace else altogether.
Of course, the College does have certain policies in place regarding the use of study rooms. These are pasted on the glass walls of each group study room as well as listed on a page on the school’s website in more detail. Although, it has been about 11 years since the rules on the website have been last revised. They essentially boil down to this: group study rooms are for collaborative work and if you’re in one by yourself, you might be asked to move.
With the amount of singular people that are constantly in the study rooms, however, it is clear that no one takes these policies that seriously. In addition, asking someone to leave a room they found first can be an uncomfortable experience. Even if you ask a member of the library’s staff to do it for you, there still might be some guilt involved.
An easy solution to this problem is to implement a system with which students can reserve group study rooms. Institutions like Rutgers University, Montclair State University and many others give this option to their students. In fact, there are already QR codes on the doors of our study rooms that promise the ability to do that and check the availability of when each study room is open. When you scan it, however, you are led to a page with the words, “Item not found.”
This can be incredibly disheartening, on top of being misleading. The College should either rectify this system or create a new one where students actually can look at and reserve rooms. It would allow them to be much more productive as the first moments of their visit to the library won’t be spent on looking for empty rooms and it would weed out those who go into the rooms by themselves. There should at least be a two person minimum rule to utilize the rooms and the system should allow students to book rooms for certain amounts of time so more people are able to use them.
Having so many group study rooms at our college is a luxury. On the very few chances I’ve had to use them in the past, I’ve had quite efficient study sessions. This is an opportunity that everyone at the school should be allowed. When we have the most study rooms of all public colleges in New Jersey, the College should make it a priority to give every student a fair shot at using them.
OpenAI’s Sora will be the death of human creativity
By Jack Salaki Correspondent
I was scrolling on Instagram when I noticed a strange watermark: Sora. The video that appeared was of a golden lab retriever being pulled over by the police. Yes, you read that correctly — a dog was driving a car. After being questioned, the retriever quickly drove away. This video was created by Sora, an artificial intelligence video generation app created by OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT. The app first launched on the app store on Sept. 30 and quickly rose to the top of the charts. As of right now, we don’t have any information on how
many active users are on the platform. It is an invite-only app, but codes are reportedly being sold.
Sora is quite simple. Well, it’s simple for the user at least. The user provides the app with a text prompt describing the scene that they want generated. They can also upload an image or video to remix, allowing the AI to add its own touch. From there, Sora uses its algorithm to rebuild your text prompt into a real video. Currently, there are rumors of a 30-video creation limit over 24 hours. However, OpenAI doesn’t provide any information about limits on its website.
When I first heard all of this information, I was far from surprised. I had suspected that something like this
would arrive sooner rather than later. However, as AI has shown us, things rarely go according to schedule.
Although many users are thrilled by creating ridiculous scenarios with this app, its consequences have yet to be felt. In recent years, both the Writers Guild of America and the Actors Guild have gone on strike due to fears of AI taking their jobs. These fears are quickly becoming a reality as mass AI content swamps the internet.
For some, AI-generated videos might not seem like a big deal. After all, they create content that looks and sounds just like human content. What is so bad about that?
But what these questions fail to
account for is what AI is doing to human creativity. For as long as humans have been alive, we have been creating. Whether it’s paintings on caves, writing dense books about human existence or making films, humans have been creating for a very long time.
More importantly, countless people have poured their souls into their work. Whether it’s paintings, books, movies, or even music, human creation is a reflection of the human experience. It reflects back to us our greatest joys, sorrows, hopes and fears. Human creation takes time.
Now, AI doesn’t have to take that time. It doesn’t have to “pour effort” into its work. A human can tell it what to create and it’s done. This cheapens the art of creation, and creation simply loses its meaning when we make things this way.
Additionally, it should be said that AI isn’t creating anything. Everything that Sora makes is based on what someone else has already created. It is literally the textbook definition of plagiarism. The more we engage with this AI content and rely on it for our entertainment, the more we are essentially saying that we don’t need anything new. Humans have said everything they can say. Let’s let AI say the rest for us.
Unfortunately, AI is here to stay. There is nothing that I or anyone else can do to stop that. But what we can do is choose. Rather than spending time on this AI-generated content, we can spend time on works of art that are created by actual human beings. By doing this, we can at least slow down the death of human creativity.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
OpenAI’s Sora is creating a whole new realm of AI-generated content.
The lack of empty study rooms at the library can be frustrating.
Photo courtesy of Tasnim Oyshi
Conversion therapy should stay illegal
By Lake DiStefano Nation & World Editor
A case regarding the constitutionality of state bans on conversion therapy for minors reached the supreme court recently.
The Oct. 7 oral argument regarding Chiles v. Salazar presents a vision of a torn court, however the main sentiment to glean from the discussion is clear: much of the court appeared more or less sympathetic toward Kaley Chiles’ claim that Colorado’s state ban violates her free speech rights as a Christian therapist under the Constitution’s First Amendment.
Conversion therapy is a disavowed and unscientific practice that seeks to actively change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Regarding the methods themselves, talk therapy is the most widely used, but another commonly used method is called aversion therapy, in which people are exposed to painful or uncomfortable sensations like electric shocks and/or nausea and paralysis causing drugs. This is done in hopes of forming a negative cognitive association with the person’s attractions or gender identity in an effort to correct it, according to WebMD.
In terms of it being unscientific, this is because conversion therapy is not condoned by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, The American School Counselor Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, very well could overturn this ban on conversion therapy. While the trial is about Colorado’s ban specifically, the legal precedent set by siding with the plaintiff, in this case, will pave the way for many other
states to legalize conversion therapy to various degrees.
So what is the argument exactly?
According to the SCOTUSblog, during the deliberation Justice Samuel Alito posed a question that I find seems to be the main crux of the free speech debate at the heart of this: “Have there been times when medical consensus has been … taken over by ideology?”
This line of thought has functionally become the main one which the entire debate is centered around: does the Colorado law amount to discrimination against Chiles based on the religious views that she wants to express with her therapy?
Justice Alito certainly agrees, calling it “blatant viewpoint discrimination.”
While certainly not a legal expert myself, I find it responsible of me to speak to this line of inquiry as best I can as a queer man myself. Allow me to dispel some of the more baseless misconceptions about queerness for the sake of reducing the argument to solely the factual information.
Right off the bat, Justice Alito seems to present the argument that queer identity should legally be treated as an ideology. The possible reasons behind this line of thinking aside, I find it to be strange that queerness is so often not regarded as the biological reality that it is.
Even just personally, I have many childhood memories of feeling emotions towards fellow boys, that I only now know as an adult, was attraction. Furthermore, I was raised in an extremely homophobic environment, and these queer attractions only ramped up when puberty hit, so therefore it is only logical to assume this is my biological disposition.
It’s certainly not a psychological condition, because if it was the case I would
have succeeded with my many efforts to somehow convert myself to heterosexuality via conscious thought — which is something conversion therapy claims is possible.
This is all to say that identity is not ideology when it is, in fact, objective reality.
However, from a devil’s advocate perspective, perhaps what he’s trying to get at here is that regardless of this, if one’s religion feels negatively about queerness then they are entitled to that through freedom of religious expression.?
Of course, the counter in this case is simple: freedom of religion via the first amendment can not, and should not, extend into disrupting another’s own pursuit of happiness. How does religious rhetoric within therapy do so? Let’s look at the facts outside of my own experience.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide, and more than two and a half2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts, according to The Trevor Project.
These findings are more empirical evidence to counter any claim that this legal notion will pass without consequence, and even beyond the horrific outcome of more potential successful suicides, comversion therapy has been found to leave people with a whole host of other long-lasting social and emotional consequences, including: depression, anxiety, substance abuse, PTSD, loss of connection to community and damaged familial relationships.
One aspect of this, which continues to confound me, is this seemingly willing ignorance towards the reality that these minors are most likely not choosing this of their own free will. A lot of them will be forced into conversion therapy purely by virtue of them being minors under their guardians supervision and purview.
We’ve established that conversion therapy is objectively harmful, and we also know that the law does not, and has never, allowed guardians to do whatever they want with their children. There has always been a line when it comes to unjustified harm done onto children in one’s care, regardless of personal parenting styles.
Given the aforementioned extremity of conversion therapy’s most contested methods, and the copious amount of
data regarding its negative after-effects, why should it be treated any differently legally? Scientifically backed- up bans on practices proven to be both ineffective and traumatizing, can not be called into question from a legally subjective point of view — such as religion.
Free speech should not supersede the reality of direct harm that is objectively caused by a course of action. Punching someone in the name of a perceived justice is still assault, just as attempting to cure someone of queerness with conversion therapy in the name of a God is still abuse.
The main part of this that I struggle with is this insistence that nuance must always exist. The main fallacy of this argument is the idea that this is something up for debate. It’s not. The evidence, which is rooted in objective reality, immediately disproves any perceived benefit conversion therapy has within a subjective religious perspective.
Let’s not beat around the bush here: if this precedent is set legally, queer children will die because of this. The evidence shows this, and given that information, there is little moral grayness in this to me.
From a personal perspective, when I was struggling to come to terms with my own queer sexuality at age 14, the rhetoric which informs these practices was often thrown at me within many religious environments.
To put it simply, I would not have survived conversion therapy at that time in my life — and that was with supporting parents. I cannot imagine the loss of life that will result from queer children in worse home situations as a result of this potential ruling.
Ultimately, I cannot concede that there is any nuance in this debate. There is no speech to protect in this case, because it stops being speech once harm is caused. It’s just violence then, and free speech does not equal free violence.
Queer kids will lose their lives if the court sides with the plaintiff. The data shows that.
Political conjecture is not a game to win. Rhetoric can take lives, and in this case it is going to.
A decision is expected by the summer, according to the SCOTUSblog, and I can only hope that when it comes that it is a moral one.
Analyzing how the New York mayoral election will play out
By Michael McKee Correspondent
A few months ago, Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, D-N.Y., defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York Democratic mayoral primary. This was seen by many as a shocking upset, and has led to questions of what it means for the general election.
Americans are wondering who the candidates are, what they stand for and who will win. With these questions in mind, it helps to examine the candidates and their dynamics in order to make a well-informed analysis of the election.
Mamdani started his campaign with low name recognition and was way behind the other Democratic candidates. The assembly member ran as a socialist and was able to quickly rise in the polls due to a variety of factors, including his charismatic personality and his effectiveness at communication.
Another factor was his savvy use of social media, where his charisma was able to reach politically disengaged and unaware voters. He was also able to tie his left-wing policies back into concerns relatable to New Yorkers, specifically in how he made the
theme of his campaign affordability.
An additional aspect to his victory was his ability to create coalitions with important political figures and voting blocs. Mamdani has received endorsements from well-known progressive figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Robert Reich, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the Working Families Party and even former rivals such as Brad Lander, D-NY, and Michael Blake, D-NY. He was also endorsed by Sen. John Liu, D-N.Y., an important figure in New York’s Chinese American community who is pro-Israel, unlike Mamdani who is pro-Palestine.
Mamdani’s willingness to reach out to voters who disagree with him on this contentious issue showcases his political flexibility resulting in positive outcomes. He has made non-English language advertisements to appeal to immigrant communities starring politicians from those communities, Liu being one of them.
During the Democratic primary, Cuomo was for some time the race’s frontrunner. He is the son of legendary Gov. Mario Cuomo and the brother of political pundit Chris Cuomo.
Cuomo served in various positions
including as President Bill Clinton’s secretary of housing and urban development and as New York’s attorney general before being elected Governor in 2010.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his handling of the global emergency was so praised that he was even considered a potential future presidential candidate. That was until it was revealed that he allegedly covered up COVID-19 deaths that took place in nursing homes and allegedly sexually harassed several women, after which he was forced to resign.
In this most recent election, Cuomo led in the polls by 40-point margins due to his high name recognition. The most important factor in his loss, other than Mamdani’s charisma, is Cuomo’s personal issues, which helped massively in chipping away at his lead. After losing the Democratic nomination, he continued running as a candidate of Fight and Deliver, a political party he created.
Curtis Sliwa is a Republican activist as well as the founder and leader of the New York-based vigilante group the Guardian Angels. Sliwa has been an eccentric figure in New York City for years, starting when he began the Guardian Angels in the 1970s
to combat a crime wave.
Sliwa later became incredibly vocal about animal rights, advocating no-kill shelters, which many see as an unorthodox position for a Republican. In 2021, he ran for Mayor of New York City, though he lost to Eric Adams by a wide margin. This year, Sliwa won the Republican nomination again.
Adams began his career as a policeman before becoming a state senator and then the president of Brooklyn Borough. In 2021, he ran in the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor as a tough-on-crime moderate and won against more progressive candidates.
During his mayoralty, he governed in a pro-police, tough-on-crime manner and received criticism for collaborating with the Trump administration in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. In 2024, Adams fell into hot water when it was revealed he was allegedly being bribed by Turkish government officials leading to federal charges, later dropped by the Trump Administration. On Sept. 27, Adams dropped out of the race though his name remains on the ballot.
Conversion therapy has long been a highly contested topic.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
TCNJ should revamp the Meal Equivalency system
By Tasnim Oyshi Staff Writer
If you have a meal plan at the College, you are likely familiar with the concept of Meal Equivalency swipes. Considering the complexity of the meal plans, it can be hard to truly understand it, no matter how many times it’s explained to you, until you actually start using your meal swipes, Flex Points or Meal Equivalency swipes at their particular, designated times.
While the entirety of the meal plan system can be confusing at times, it is Meal Equivalency swipes that are the most complicated to use. Most colleges have an option where you can eat at your dining hall by swiping in and you are typically given
points that you can use to eat at other dining areas on campus. The College is no different, allowing students to pick a meals-per-week plan that presents them with these two options.
Meal swipes can be used once per meal period at The Atrium at Eickhoff Hall, and Flex Points can be used at any of the dining locations during any part of the day.
Meal Equivalency swipes are an additional perk that students get when they sign up for a plan that includes meal swipes. This, however, is much harder to navigate than the simpler meal swipe and Flex Points structure as they come with many more restrictions. The current rules of the Meal Equivalency system at the College are as follows, according to the the College’s Dining Services website:
One Meal Equivalency swipe is equivalent
‘Wicked: For Good’ mirrors political climate
By AJ Mun Staff Writer
In “Wicked: Part One,” we are able to see the untold origin stories of the classic witches of Oz. Through frilly songs such as “Popular” and “What is this feeling?” the film holds a lighthearted and nostalgic air about it, but fans of the full story know that it couldn’t be more opposite when examining “Wicked: For Good.”
When we left the first film, our heroine painted villain Elphaba Thropp fled the Emerald City after discovering her mentor, Madam Morrible, and her idol, The Wizard, were responsible for the silencing and capturing of animals in Oz. While Glinda stays behind in the Emerald City, embraced by Morrible, Elphaba flies off into the sunset, determined to change the way that things are.
While we don’t know exactly how big director Jon M. Chu will make the time jump between the first and second film, it’s assumed that anywhere between three to five years has passed since the two witches had seen each other. Glinda is now a public figure and the personification of goodness to the people of Oz, whereas Elphaba is hated and feared, now labeled as the Wicked Witch of the West.
With the animals now being kept in cages and extorted to work, Elphaba is determined to stop the construction of the yellow brick road and to expose The Wizard for the fraud that he is. Though Glinda is somewhat blissfully unaware of the happenings in Oz, she feels as if it is all out of her control and she’s doing what she can to lift the spirits of the people of Oz.
While there is no city made of emeralds and no one is exactly flying around writing messages in the clouds, one cannot help but notice the parallels between Oz and the United States. The concept of a con man slowly stripping certain groups of their voices and their freedoms is something both Ozians and Americans can understand. More and more every day we see members of the marginalized groups being silenced. Americans, both documented and not, are being kept in cages much like the animals of Oz. With places such as Alligator Alcatraz existing in our current climate, can we really turn a blind eye anymore?
I recall the scene from “Wicked: Part One” where Dr. Dillamond, an esteemed professor, was brutally taken from inside his own classroom and never seen again for
to $9.80.
Students with a meals-per-week plan have one Meal Equivalency swipe per weekday, Monday through Friday.
Meal Equivalency can be used at all dining locations other than Fresh Pride Café, Sushi, Teri Yaki, 1855 Room, Just Baked, C-Store and for C-Store items at T-Dubs.
Students can use either a meal swipe or a Meal Equivalency swipe during one meal period. Meal swipes and Meal Equivalency swipes are then locked until the next period.
Meal Equivalency swipes can be used during the late-night dining meal period from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at T-Dubs and before 8 p.m. at the Library Cafe.
Meal Equivalency swipes do not reset at midnight and cannot be used more than once a day.
This means two things for students at the College. First of all, you have to remember all of these limitations if you want to use your Meal Equivalency swipes. Secondly and more importantly, if you do not use your Meal Equivalency swipe for the day, it will basically go to waste. As explained on the Dining Services website, that is $9.80 gone to waste.
As the semester progresses, many students find themselves running out of their Flex
Points quickly. It can be hard to budget so that the amount you select lasts you the entire 15 to 16 weeks you spend on campus. Some may even end up having to spend actual money that isn’t prepaid through their tuition. For a college student who is already paying so much for their education and will likely end up having student loan debt, this is asking for too much.
It would be considerably easier to make points last if Meal Equivalency swipes could be used more freely. The College students should be able to use Meal Equivalency during the weekend, at any point during the day, instead of at such unnecessarily specific times, at any location on campus, and to get any food items. Frankly, it does not make any sense to not be able to purchase sushi, Teri Yaki and the other restricted food items with Meal Equivalency.
Getting rid of these regulations and allowing a more easily accessible Meal Equivalency system would ensure that students are not throwing away a perk that can be so beneficial to their dining plan. The College should advocate for students to take advantage of the benefits the College gives and reconstructing Meal Equivalency would be a useful and valuable way to do so.
‘The Long Walk’ deserves Oscars praise
the rest of the film. This scene struck me specifically because we’re now seeing Latin Americans being ripped from their homes, their cars, their schools and their jobs, to be handcuffed and mistreated until they are ultimately shipped off to a different country that they’ve never known.
While I love the Glinda character, we must see her as Elphaba does. Someone who knows of the issues going on around them and yet chooses compliance as it benefits them and their position. We see this a lot with some of the wealthier upper class citizens who benefit from President Donald Trump’s tax cuts and policy changes. Much like The Wizard and Madam Morrible though, Trump isn’t working in the benefit of anyone but himself. While she was complacent, Glinda comes to her senses by the end of the Wicked story and makes things right. Vowing to work hard to truly become “good.”
As a people, we should all try to be more like our favorite green witch Elphaba, and use our voices, power and identities to fight for what we believe in. What happens when our little bubbles burst and we can’t just ignore the injustices around us? Glinda doesn’t wake up to the dark side of things happening until it directly affects her, seeing how the smear campaign against her best friend goes too far and calls for a witch hunt.
More and more we see small “coincidences” of people being silenced for speaking out. Judges’ houses being burned. Talk show hosts being pulled off air. Unlawful arrests and detentions being made in the streets and outside of schools. At what point though do we call out our “Wizard” for the con man that he is. A liar, a thief, and an insecure criminal. All of those adjectives seemingly relate to both Oz’s leader… and ours.
In “Wicked: Part One,” Dr. Dillamond says “It’s happening. You’ll find if you make it discouraging enough, you can keep anyone silent.” Nothing reigns more true in our society. Many people of color are scared to be alone outside of their homes in fear that they will be taken away, never to see their families again.
It’s as Elphaba Thropp says “...no one should be laughed at, or scorned or told to keep quiet.” In our current climate it’s more important than ever to use your voice to stand up for what we believe in. If we’re complacent for too long, a house just might drop on us next.
By Michael McKee Correspondant
With the year coming to an end and critically acclaimed films such as “Sinners, Caught Stealing” and “One Battle After Another” gaining attention as shoe-ins for Oscar nominations and possibly even wins, there is one film that has gone sadly under the radar. That film is “The Long Walk,” which was released on Sept. 12 and directed by Francis Lawrence, adapting the 1979 Stephen King novel of the same name.
The story is set in a post-civil war America in the midst of an economic depression and concerns a deadly contest where a group of boys and young men must continue walking above the speed of three mph or risk getting shot. The walk continues until there is one winner who will get endless riches and one wish.
The main heart of the film is its characters, specifically its main characters, The Four Musketeers, including the beleaguered mama’s boy and protagonist Ray Garraty, played by Cooper Hoffman, the upbeat and optimistic Pete McVries, played by David Jonsson, the religious and loyal Art Baker, played by Tut Nyuot and the neurotic but determined oddball Hank Olsen, played by Ben Wang. The brotherhood that these characters develop and share serves as a bittersweet and powerful contrast to their horrific situation.
The other characters stuck in this hopeless death march are the imposing Billy Stebbins, the disturbed Gary Barkovitch, the defiant Collie Parker, and aspiring author Richard Harkness. These contestants are humanized, and given depth through the actors’ excellent portrayals, which makes the audience empathize with them and makes their inevitable deaths all the more painful.
Also of note is the film’s direction. Director Francis Lawrence had previously worked on post-apocalyptic dramas such as “I Am
Legend” and most of “The Hunger Games” franchise. The running theme throughout Lawrence’s work is how close bonds can get people through hopeless situations such as the bond between Robert Neville and his dog Samantha in “I Am Legend” and the various tributes in “The Hunger Games” franchise which makes him a great choice for this film. The tone Lawrence establishes as well as his creative choices creates an oppressive atmosphere that digs into the audience. The decision to show most of the executions in close brutal detail is haunting and establishes the stakes of the deadly competition.
At the same time Lawrence also imbues his story with warmth and is able to endear us to the walkers with a focus on their interpersonal bonds, banter, personalities and backstories. This balancing act definitely pays off in creating a story filled with tragic complexity. Any analysis of this film would be incomplete without mentioning the excellent score by Jeremiah Fraites which is haunting and powerful. Especially notable is the theme for Olsen which stays with the viewer long after they leave the theater.
While there is much to praise about the film many book readers felt disappointed by the film’s changes to story and characters, including cut characters such as Scramm and the Hopi twins and a different and somewhat vague ending. Putting these changes aside, the film still works on its own and is accessible to newcomers.
If I were to pick which Academy Awards this film should be nominated for, I would choose Cooper Hoffman for Best Actor, David Jonsson and Ben Wang for Best Supporting Actor, Francis Lawrence for Best Director, JT Mollner for Best Adapted Screenplay, Jeremiah Fraites for Best Original Score, and of course “The Long Walk” for Best Picture. With all of this in mind, it is clear that “The Long Walk” is a film that deserves widespread acclaim and should be remembered as one of the year’s best films for decades to come.
There are too many limitations on Meal Equivalency swipes. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Four Musketeers serve as the film’s main characters.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Editorials
TCNJ needs to provide a clear stance on AI usage
By The Signal Editorial Board
Artificial intelligence has become a growing topic of discussion within educational settings in recent years. With the release of ChatGPT’s chatbot in 2022 and the human-like developments made in AI-generated media, many question how teachers and students alike will accommodate these developments.
As one of the most widely used AI tools since its launch in 2022, ChatGPT continues to roll out new models with further knowledge and updates to benefit these users. However, many have growing concerns over the amount of work requested of these chatbots, with some students feeding their assignments into AI software to have essay questions written, math
problems solved or completed work revised. It is uncertain how schools will continue forward as the line between original thought and artificial creation becomes blurry.
While the College has not yet announced an official stance on AI, their recent actions appear to not be entirely against its usage.
On Sep. 26, the Office of Student Conduct notified students through email of mandatory completion of Hazing Prevention training. The training modules, which are due on Nov. 1, were created in response to the passage of H.R. 5646, or the Stop Campus Hazing Act. The law states that higher education institutions receiving federal student aid are required to disclose information on campus hazing incidents, as well as their preventative programs in place.
This law was enacted in December 2024.
The training modules were made available to students through PlaidLMS, an online learning platform boasting over 27,000 users.
Aimee Wardle, assistant director for student life, and Melissa Andreas, assistant director of student conduct, said in an email statement that “Plaid LMS was chosen after reviewing several programs because the content was developed by experts and clearly delivers the message that hazing can affect any student, not just members of fraternities, sororities, or athletic teams.”
However, quickly after students began the mandatory training, several complaints were raised as to the quality of the program. Within each module, students were virtually placed in different scenarios, questions and interactive buttons populating the screen to prompt the student to learn more about the details and prevention of hazing.
The graphics and production of the software quickly came into question.
Within the program, a digital moderator appeared with robotic speech, visuals experienced arbitrary delays and some content appeared impersonal while discussing such pertinent information.
Students are prompted to choose a situation, where they undergo a hypothetical hazing scenario; the options include a fraternity setting, sports team and newspaper editorial team. The scenarios provided examples of demeaning activity that could be inflicted upon new members of these organizations, such as the newspaper team being forced to wear
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humiliating clothes and hats.
If students chose the newspaper pathway, they would not be provided with information and insight as to the deadly consequences of hazing, exposed only to a light-hearted example of a hazing experience. The provided example makes light of the real experiences of students nationwide, hazing being amounted to embarrassing clothing.
“One particular section uses AIgenerated visuals, but the educational content comes directly from specialists. We have been working with Plaid since Spring 2021 on other educational modules and have found them to be very receptive to feedback,” Wardle and Andreas said. “All colleges and online training platforms had a limited timeframe to develop and implement training under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, and Plaid offered the best combination of quality, engagement, efficiency, and cost.”
For students who do not support AI usage and may not want to engage with this program, they face consequential holds being placed on their account or potential referral to the Office of Student Conduct and Off-Campus Services.
With no consistent stance on AI usage and varying policies among educators, this becomes very confusing for students, and provides little guidance for what is deemed appropriate within the College.
College campuses need a clear stance on AI usage, and a plan of action to tackle the evolving AI presence to provide guidance to their students, which can be accomplished through open and honest conversation.
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Supreme Court hears challenge on ban for conversion therapy for minors
By Isabel Conforme Coello Correspondent
A widespread debate regarding free speech and LGBTQ+ rights was reopened by a Supreme Court hearing on Oct. 7, when Kaley Chiles, a Christian professional counselor, challenged Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors.
In the 90-minute argument, the justices discussed whether the so-called conversion therapy covered by the Minor Conversion Therapy Law causes harm to minors.
MCTL was added by the Colorado legislature in 2019 to the Mental Health Practice Act, prohibiting the provision
Furloughed workers not guaranteed back pay after government shutdown stated by White House memo
By Zo Terrana Staff Writer
Approximately 600,000 laid off federal government workers could be denied back pay from unpaid work after the recent government shutdown ends. The idea, suggested by President Trump, could overstep a 2019 law intended to ensure federal employees are reimbursed after a government shutdown.
According to NPR, Trump supported a drafted White House memo arguing for the denial of workers pay. Speaking in the Oval Office on Oct. 7 Trump stated,
“I can tell you this: The Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy, but it really depends on who you’re talking about. But for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we will take care of them in a different way,” he said.
The draft from the Office of Management and Budget was confirmed by a senior White House official who was not authorized to discuss the memo. A political fight between Democrats and Republicans over the extension of healthcare subsidies for millions of Americans has now split over to federal workers pay, furthering the government shutdown.
The legal argument for the White House memo on federal employee pay contradicts the instructions issued by the Office of Personal Management and a 2019 signed bill by Trump during his first term, according to NPR.
The 2019 bill states that “each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period
of conversion therapy to minor clients. The violation of the statute could result in disciplinary actions, which could include the revocation or suspension of the practitioner’s license and a fine of $5,000 per violation.
The case began in September 2022, when Chiles filed a pre-enforcement lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. After losing in both district and appellate courts, the Colorado counselor petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in November 2024 to review the decision.
During the hearing, several conservative justices appeared sympathetic to Chiles’s argument that the law restricts free speech by limiting what licensed professionals can say to clients.
James Campbell, Chiles’s lawyer, said she doesn’t “seek to cure” clients of same-sex attraction or to “change” anyone’s sexual orientation.
According to Campbell, Chiles’s counseling sessions do not involve physical restraints or any form of coercion, and she simply wants the freedom to discuss a range of views on sexuality and gender identity with her clients.
Representing the state, Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the law by highlighting the high rates of suicide among minors who question their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Stevenson explained that under Colorado’s conversion therapy ban,
a therapist cannot promise to “cure” or “transform” a gay teenager into a straight one. However, she noted that the law still allows minors to discuss doubts or confusion about their identity within therapy.
The debate over conversion therapy arrived at the Supreme Court only months after the conservative majority upheld a Tennessee law prohibiting certain medical treatments for transgender youth that the state deemed unsafe.
Later this term, the Court also allowed bans preventing transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports to take effect. These decisions have deepened concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates about the direction of the Court’s rulings on gender-related issues.
Chiles started her profession in mental health services, working with individuals who had experienced trauma, then expanded her field, assisting clients facing addiction and personality disorders.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, describes Chiles as “a committed Christian who seeks to live out her faith in every aspect of her life, including her work.”
The organization argues that Colorado’s therapy ban pushes minors “towards experimental drugs and surgeries” and prevents counselors from offering different perspectives. “That is not counseling — it’s coercion,” the ADF states.
of the lapse in appropriations.”
The 2019 Act titled, “The Government Employee Fair Treatment” was a bipartisan law established after the 2018 government shutdown lasting 35 days, imparted language to the Antideficiency Act that automatically institutes back pay government workers for “any lapse in appropriations that begins on or after December 22, 2018” according to NPR. Congress has previously had to approve retroactive funding after a shutdown with new legislation.
The draft memo, according to NPR, is the latest step in the Republicans “press campaign” to punish Democrats amidst the government shutdown, including efforts to try and cancel grant funding for energy projects. The administration also threatened widespread “reduction-in-force” efforts at federal agencies which have not come to fruition.
As of recently the Senate on Oct. 6 pushed the shutdown to officially one week as Democrats blocked Republicans stopgap funding bill for a fifth time according to the Hill. The Democrats are now insisting the stopgap bill include an extension of the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that are estimated to expire at the end of the year.
Senators voted 52-42 on the Housepassed bill, which needed 60 votes to continue to fund the federal government until late November. This vote marks another stalemate between the two political parties. Seasoned lawmakers have met at times to consider a path forward, however Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have not met to discuss the recent government shutdown according to the Hill.
President Trump and other world leaders sign declaration facilitating Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal
Continued from page 1
In progression toward an end to the Israel-Hamas war, both parties exchanged hostages and detainees in an effort to keep the peace deal intact. However, on Oct. 14, NPR stated Hamas accused Israel of violating the peace deal.
Israeli forces killed at least six Palestinians, according to a hospital morgue and Palestinian rescue services in the area within northern and central Gaza.
Israel’s forces allegedly deemed the people they opened fire on a threat when the Gazans were approaching the line of control in Gaza. As the situation within Gaza complicates, the United Nations humanitarian office in Gaza said it was informed by an Israeli military agency that Israel would reduce allowed aid into Gaza due to Hamas allegedly not returning the bodies of the 24 dead hostages believed to be still within Gaza, according to NPR.
As of late Oct. 14, eight bodies have been handed over to Israel. Hamas has stated that it will take time to discover all the remains under the rubble of destroyed buildings by Israeli airstrikes. However, the day before Israel celebrated the return of 20 living hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023, according to NPR.
Recently, one of four bodies returned by Hamas overnight was not of a known hostage, as stated by Israel. The Israel Defense Forces
disclosed that forensic tests at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that the fourth body did not match any of the other hostages. Israel has stated that Hamas has to return the deceased hostages, according to Time Magazine.
The ceasefire agreement provisions stated, for every Israeli body handed over by Hamas, Israel would return 15 Palestinian bodies. Israel has transferred 90 bodies to Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is advancing the civilian transfers. The hostage and deceased persons trades between Israel and Hamas have only complicated and intensified the fragile nature of the truce.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
This is one of the first cases the supreme court has heard this term.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Greta Thunberg blasts Israel after facing ‘torture’ in their prison
By Isabella McHugh Staff Writer
After being released from Israeli custody, activist Greta Thunberg speaks of the mistreatment she and other prisoners experienced. Besides her, there were about 478 other people sending aid to Palestine near Gaza through the use of flotillas. These are fleets of water used to
transport cargo. The activists wanted to lessen the famine of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. They were swiftly intercepted by Israeli authorities and detained in Israel.
Thunberg spent a few days in a prison before being deported and flown to Athens, Greece on Monday, Oct. 6. A large crowd of supporters awaited Thunberg upon her arrival. She appeared in a state of disbelief
as the story of her captivity unfolded before her audience.
Throughout her discussion, Thunberg brought up the ways in which she and other prisoners faced torture, but consistently turned the conversation to face the issue of genocide, she claimed Israel is executing.
“What happened was not only that Israel kidnapped us, and tortured us, but that above all, during an ongoing escalating genocide in which Israel is openly trying to erase the entire Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people,” Thunberg is seen saying in a YouTube video.
An official visited her cell and wrote of its conditions in an email addressed to people close to Thunberg. She claimed the cell was infested with bedbugs, and Thunberg “received insufficient amounts of both water and food,” as written in The Guardian.
A Turkish journalist and participant in the Global Sumud Flotilla, Ersin Celik, said that Thunberg was tortured in prison. He claimed they dragged her on the ground and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. “They did everything imaginable to her, as a warning to others,” he said.
This testament was echoed by another detainee, Lorenzo Agostino, who claimed the Israeli officers wrapped Thunberg in the Israeli flag for others around to see.
The Italian legal team representing the Flotilla also claimed the detainees were treated unjustly. They said no food or water was provided to the
prisoners for a long time. The team also reported cases where prisoners faced physical and emotional abuse.
Israel’s interception is being investigated. The head of Amnesty International believes it to be “a calculated act of intimidation” targeted at those against Israel’s actions, calling it an “unlawful blockade on Gaza.”
Those defending the Flotilla claimed Israel illegally intercepted them, while Israel claimed the Flotilla was instigating, according to CNN. Turkey called out Israel on this interception, saying it was an “act of piracy,” according to AP News.
This event set off a great number of protests across large cities around the world. In Italy, a 2-millionperson strike resonated across the country. Citizens rallied in support of Gaza and “a humanitarian aid mission,”according to Italy’s largest union.
Out of the Global Sumud Flotilla, most activists have been released from Israeli captivity. Six are still being detained, and their lawyers are working to free them.
Greta Thunberg said in a speech, “Israel once again violated international law and prevented humanitarian aid, medicine, food, and water from reaching a starving population.”
This event has incited retaliation from countries around the world and strengthened enraged sentiments towards Israel. The war between Israel and Palestine continues, galvanizing foreign opinions in its destruction.
ICE shooting leaves one dead, two injured Jane Goodall, revered primatologist and conservationist, has died
By Isabella McHugh Staff Writer
Terror erupted in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 24 after a sniper shot at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, causing the death of one person and injuries to two others according to NBC News.
The shooter, who was later identified as Joshua Jahn, age 29, was found dead, presumably from suicide. Victims of this shooting included three ICE detainees. Law enforcement in this facility remained uninjured according to the New York Times.
Joe Rothrock, an FBI special agent said in a statement the messages found in the bullet near the shooter were “anti-ICE in nature.” He also believes the motive was intended as “targeted violence.”
Officials did not find any evidence suggesting the attacker belonged to “any specific group or entity, nor did he mention any specific government agency other than ICE.”
The attack was thoroughly planned out. This included the shooter “scouting facilities and writing threats” according to a brief in Fox Four News KDFW.
However, the shots were fired “indiscriminately” at the office as well as at an ICE transportation van which the detainees were in.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson said the goal of the attack was to strike fear in ICE agents, to provoke “real terror of being gunned down.”
It appeared that Jahn didn’t intentionally try to kill or harm the detainees, since it seemed his targets were the ICE agency. Furthermore, a handwritten note from him suggested he “expressed his hatred for the federal government.”
Todd Lyons, an acting ICE Direc -
tor expressed his thoughts regarding Wednesday’s attack as his “worst nightmare.”
“People always ask me what’s the thing that keeps me up at night. It’s the safety of the men and women of ICE,” Lyons said in a statement. The shots were fired in the morning commute hours, Lyons also explained, which was surprising, but also made it easy for more people to have been harmed by it.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance released statements targeting the Democrats.
“This violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis,’” Trump expressed in a social media post.
“I AM CALLING ON ALL DEMOCRATS TO STOP THIS RHETORIC AGAINST ICE AND AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT NOW!” Trump additionally wrote.
Vance commented about the attack in North Carolina on Wednesday when he visited stating the attacker was a “violent left-wing extremist.”
The shooting also drew White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to comment on it, saying, “Democrats must stop demonizing the heroic men and women of ICE who are just doing their jobs to keep Americans safe.”
On the Democratic side, Senator Chris Murphy responded to the backlash from Republicans. “Criticizing the way that ICE is rounding up people in this country in a deeply inhumane and immoral way is not an incitement to violence,” he said.
The issue with this event has been met with various commentary and appears to have opened some wounds in political tension between the Democratic and Republican parties.
By Abigail Holliday Copy Editor
British primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall died at 91 from natural causes on Oct. 1.
Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, Jane Goodall is famous for her 65-year study of chimpanzees in Africa, leading to her becoming a revered humanitarian, conservationist, ethologist, a Dame and a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Dr. Goodall was enamored by animals and wildlife ever since she was a child, dreaming of traveling to Africa as a chance to study them and publish books on them to educate others.
Dr. Goodall would have done anything to be able to get to Africa, working as a waitress to make enough money to get to Kenya. It was there that she was encouraged to meet Dr. Louis Leakey, a respected paleontologist.
Leakey hired her as a secretary at the National Museum in Nairobi, giving her the opportunity to join him and his wife in search of fossils. Noting her dedication, Leakey asked Goodall to travel to the forest of Gombe, Tanzania, to study the wild chim-
panzee families, according to the New York Times.
According to the Jane Goodall Institute, it was in 1960 that Dr. Goodall and her mother arrived in Gombe at the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve, where she started making groundbreaking discoveries about man’s closest living relative.
Throughout her time in Africa, Dr. Goodall observed the Kasakela community through many generations, a troop of 30 to 40 chimpanzees. She observed chimpanzees hunting and eating a red colobus monkey, making chimps not vegetarians, as previously thought, but omnivores.
She also studied the chimps as they made and used tools to hunt, using sticks to draw out termites. This observation was groundbreaking, forcing the world to “redefine what it means to be human,” calling homo sapiens “Man the Toolmaker,” according to the Jane Goodall Institute.
Dr. Goodall had yet to obtain a degree in her field so Leakey set her up in a PhD program in Ethology at Newnham College, Cambridge. She completed her thesis, “The Behaviour of Free-living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve,” in 1965, according to the Jane Goodall Institute.
The same year, National Geographic filmed and released “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees” which documents Goodall’s time in Gombe with her chimps, who she believes will help to get a better and “thorough understanding of chimpanzee behavior will lead man toward clearer understanding of himself.”
In 1974, Dr. Goodall observed a war between two rival chimp groups, the Kahama splinter group and the Kasakela group. What was dubbed the “Four Years War” revealed more hidden secrets about chimpanzees, including cannibalism. A mother and daughter duo stole, killed and ate babies in their own troop, as is written by the Jane Goodall Institute.
Read more on our website!
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate activist.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
World renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has died at age 91.
‘DOPE’: TCNJ Wind Orchestra and Ensemble take the stage
By Danica Ward Staff Writer
The College’s Department of Music proudly presented their first show of the academic year on Oct. 12.
Titled “DOPE,” both the Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble showcased their craft at 4 p.m. on the Kendall Hall Main Stage. The show lasted a little over an hour, with both music groups playing a set of three pieces with a short intermission in between.
A half hour before the show began, audience members were invited to a preshow event, where faculty and students engaged in discussion about the show’s
musical pieces and their meanings.
The concert began with the Wind Orchestra, conducted by Assistant Director of Bands, Adam Warshafsky. The first piece, titled “In Living Color,” was composed by Katahj Copley in 2021. As noted in the concert’s program, Copley wrote the piece “as an ode for live music, especially music performed on the wind band stage. The piece offers a “kaleidoscope of colors and energy from modern jazz artists,” as stated in the concert’s program.
The orchestra subsequently performed two more pieces: “Reminiscence,” a 2019 piece by Kathryn Salfelder, and “Incantation and Dance,” a 1963 piece
Tim Portlock: A city revisioned
By Molly Tursi Staff Writer
On Oct. 10, the College was joined by artist Tim Portlock via Zoom to discuss his digitally rendered image featured in the “Futures without Guns” exhibit currently displayed in the AIMM art gallery on campus.
The talk was held in the art gallery and students and educators were encouraged to ask Portlock questions following the session.
Coming from a traditional art background, Portlock earned a graduate degree in painting. After refining his art skills in muralism, his creative pursuits led him to continue his education with a degree in digital technology.
Inspired by interactive storytelling media, Portlock found his niche in creating desolate depictions of urban landscapes and city life. Portlock noted that the bulk of his work is based on his place of residence at the time, namely Philadelphia and St. Louis.
“One of the big motivations to make this work was relocating to Philadelphia, which at the time had 30,000 abandoned buildings. I was really impacted by the sort of scale of destitution in Philadelphia and I decided to make work that focused on that,” Portlock explained.
When discussing the technological process behind the creation of his images, Portlock credited various software applications and real life photographs.
“I go into my software and try to recreate a three digital version of the buildings from reference photos and then I would make a library of these buildings until I had enough to make my own version of the city.”
Portlock’s work is concerned with a future that is dictated by our current reality. Within his images, the artist conceptualizes both the threats and promises of the future
by John Barnes Chance.
Both pieces showcased the orchestra’s inimitable ability to stay completely in sync. With compositions that sounded like a movie score, a chaotic nature was harnessed to produce a smooth, melodic set.
Warshafsky ended the set expressing his gratitude, saying it gives him “great pleasure, twice a week, a couple hours each time, to work with [the students], stand in front of them and listen to the incredible sounds and their amazing growth that they’ve had over the course of the semester.”
After a brief intermission, the wind ensemble took the stage. Their more complex set began with “Festive Overture,” a piece by Dmitri Shostakovich, which was chosen as a celebration of legacy on the 50th anniversary of the composer’s passing. Enthusiastically conducted by Dr. Eric M. Laprade, the ensemble seamlessly wavered between wispy and royalsounding, to staccato and sharp.
The ensemble also chose “Nocturne,” a 2021 piece by Zhou Tian, which evoked a sense of thought and solemnity from the audience. In between these final pieces, Laprade took time to inform the audience about the Joy Project, an initiative created by the College’s Artivism Project “centered on exploring, understanding, and sharing joy through creative, crossdisciplinary practice.”
For herself, orchestra member Riley
Freeswick, a freshman Music Education major, defined joy and art through music with expression. She stated, “It’s not everyday I get to perform, but when I do, I don’t just want to be technical. I want to be in the moment and experience every moment.”
Finally, the Wind Ensemble closed out the show with the titular “DOPE,” another work by Copley. Strongly emotive, it acted as a soundtrack of sorts, allowing the audience to listen while also getting lost in their own thoughts. Led by a strong percussion section, “DOPE” crossed multiple genres, even including short piano interludes and a drum solo.
Inspired by and attributed to black musicians from Miles Davis and John Coltrane to Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar, “DOPE” was split into three sections; Undeniably (the partial score), Unapologetically (the middle section), and Undisputedly (the finale, which culminated in members of the ensemble coming into the audience with their instruments). The three movements were performed attacca, or without pause.
Laprade again thanked the audience for continuously supporting the students, and said that it’s “a privilege, and that’s an understatement, to stand with them and get to perform with them.”
In addition to the department’s weekly Tuesday recitals, their next ticketed event is the Choir Concert, which will be held in Mayo Concert Hall on campus, Oct. 17.
and moves his audience to consider the hidden truth.
During a Q&A session, Portlock outlined the broader scope of his work and how his piece corresponds to the greater idea of the exhibition. “For this show, I was thinking of a really specific framework. Like, imagine a future without guns. And so for my image, I was like, well what were the needs to be to happen in Philadelphia,” he further explained.
Although Portlock’s work is predominantly inspired by American cities, he discussed his interest in foreign cities in Indonesia and the environmental inspiration that his travels have offered.
Despite this, he expressed hesitation to depict other cities and cultures unfamiliar to his own. “I think you have to be really careful when you make work, like obviously that’s something I’m concerned about, but when you make work about a place that you don’t live in you need to be extra careful,” he added.
In the contemporary state of art, there has been a controversial uptick in the use of artificial intelligence to generate images deemed as artwork. Many artists of varying disciplines fear that AI will replace their role entirely, a prospect that threatens the authenticity of art.
“I’m always interested in new technology, obviously,” Potluck said. “And then I started to see art, like people who sort of stuck with it on my Instagram feed. I was like, oh that’s really interesting. I’ve never seen work like this. This is the work that was impossible before AI. So I was like, oh there’s something there, there are new qualities to this.”
Moving forward, Portlock plans to explore speculative and alternative history of America in his next projects. His image “Time After the Hunter” will be on display in the AIMM Art Gallery until Oct. 19.
TCNJ’s first senior solo art show of the year
By Sky Pinkett Staff Writer
What better way to start a new month than with a new art exhibit? On Oct. 1, the College featured some of its very own in the opening reception to the first senior solo series of the year.
Seniors Raquel Faria, Gracie Harkins, Murphy Pickering and Shane Tomalinas were the talented artists that kicked off this series, with two seniors per room. From painting to sculpture to multimedia formats, the show truly had a diverse range of mediums.
Tomalinas, for example, uses a mix of clay, wood, plastic, and more to create seven dragon heads that represent each of the seven deadly sins. These dragon heads and their mythos are derived from several different cultures such as India, Greece, the Philippines and more.
“Looking at these larger stories is really interesting,” Tomalinas said. “You see how different plot elements and themes tie together throughout different cultures.”
The idea and fear of sin throughout these cultures and their mythologies is what ties them all together. According to Tomalinas, this common thread reveals the universal human experience.
“Every monster and god is a reflection of the inner human self and that was exciting to paint,” he added.
Sharing the room with Tomalinas was Faria, who centered her artwork around mental illness. A series of colorfully graphic and large paintings served as a visual representation of the struggles millions around the world, and even Faria herself, have had to deal with.
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Photo by Brooke Zevon
Both music groups played a set of three pieces during the show.
The exhibit is a celebration of fine arts at its finest.
Photo courtesy of Shane Tomalinas
Beloved Academy Award winner Diane Keaton dead at 79
By Brinda Patel Staff Writer
Beloved Hollywood actress and Academy Award winner Diane Keaton died on Oct. 11 at the age of 79. Her cause of death has not been confirmed. However, she was taken away by an ambulance after a dispatch call to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“There are no further details available at this time, and her family has asked for privacy in this moment of great sadness,” a spokesperson for Keaton said.
Keaton was born in Los Angeles, Calif. and grew up in Southern California. Years later, she moved to New York to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. She resided in Brentwood, Calif. for many years. In March, she put her “dream home” on sale for $29 million as her health began to decline suddenly.
She is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke, both of whom she adopted in her 50s.
Her passing was confirmed by film producer Dori Rath, who produced
some of Keaton’s recent films.
She was known for films including “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” trilogy, “Father of the Bride,” “Something’s Gotta Give” and “First Wives Club.”
Her role in “Annie Hall” earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978.
Keaton also directed, known for films such as “Unstrung Heroes” and
“Marvin’s Room.” In 2016, she voiced Dory’s mom in “Finding Dory.”
She was also known for her trademark style, which included a turtleneck, suit, hat and glasses, according to People. In an email to the magazine, she describes her style as “simple yet chic.”
However, she spoke to the Los Angeles Times in 2019 about how she wore turtlenecks and hats due to health
reasons and to protect her from the sun after being diagnosed with “many skin cancers,” including squamous cell cancer, during her lifetime.
Keaton’s hobbies included renovating real estate, writing, photography and music.
Since her passing, many Hollywood celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Kerry Washington, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Reese Witherspoon, have paid tribute to Keaton and her legacy.
Filmmaker and longtime friend, Nancy Meyers, said the news of her passing has “not been easy” and she has “lost a friend of almost 40 years.” Meyers and Keaton worked together in films “Baby Boom,” “Father of the Bride,” “Father of the Bride Part II” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” spanning their collaboration from 1991 to 2003.
Actor Ed Begley Jr. told People that the last time he saw the actress was at a birthday party for Nicholson this past April.
“...She was a wonderful actress, a wonderful lady… So I’m glad I knew her these many years,” Begley Jr. said.
R&B legend D’Angelo dead at 51 Hollywood in uproar over AI actress Tilly Norwood
By Sky Pinkett Staff Writer
Iconic R&B musician D’Angelo has died at the age of 51 from pancreatic cancer.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” his family told People in a statement. “After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025.”
The singer had previously canceled his headline performance at Roots Picnic, a Philadelphia music festival, back in May, citing an unforeseen delay due to a previous surgery. The details of this surgery and whether it was related to his cancer are unknown.
With an over 30-year career that included three critically acclaimed albums, multiple Grammys and an attribution of defining the neo-soul movement, D’Angelo has been a staple in R&B music since the ‘90s.
By the time D’Angelo was born in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 11, 1974, the music charts were being dominated by the likes of Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder and many others. This, along with D’Angelo’s upbringing in his father’s Pentecostal church, inspired his musical sensibilities and nurtured his natural talents.
The young musician’s big break into the music world came when he wrote and coproduced the 1994 single “U Will Know” for Black Men United, an R&B superstar group that included Boyz II Men, Usher, Gerald Levert, R. Kelly, Brian McKnight
and more.
The single’s success helped catapult his solo career, eventually leading him to break out with his 1995 debut album “Brown Sugar.” As the ‘90s R&B landscape was dominated by hip-hop-laced instrumentals and heavy beats, “Brown Sugar” stuck out for its blend of old-school soul and contemporary sensibilities.
Songs like “Lady” and the title track “Brown Sugar” skyrocketed to the top of the charts and introduced the world to D’Angelo’s silky voice and high falsetto.
The album’s integration of traditional R&B with new-school style ushered in a fresh musical subgenre that critics would call “neo soul.” Other artists such as Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Jill Scott and Lauryn Hill would be labeled into this category, but they, as well as D’Angelo himself, expressed their distaste for the term.
“I think the main thing about the whole neo soul thing, not to put it down or it was a bad thing or anything, but you don’t... You want to be in a position where you can grow as an artist,” D’Angelo expressed in a Red Bull Music Academy lecture in 2014.
“You never want to be told, ‘Hey, well, you don’t do, you’re not doing what you did on ‘Brown Sugar,’ you know? I never claimed I do neo soul... I make black music.”
Writer’s block and fears of following up the high standards “Brown Sugar” made D’Angelo take five years before finally releasing his Grammy-winning sophomore album “Voodoo” in 2000. The album became one of the few albums given a perfect score on Pitchfork, and its funkinspired neo soul sound caused the record to be considered one of the greatest soul albums of all time.
This landmark album forever changed D’Angelo’s public image from a mere crooner to a sex symbol with the suggestive music video to the album’s hit “Untitled (How Does it Feel).” The singer showed off his vocal range with this song, winning a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
According to NPR, D’Angelo would grow increasingly uncomfortable with his fame, and developed body issues from the pressure “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” put on him as an object of desire. He would disappear from the spotlight after briefly touring for “Voodoo,” only emerging back out with his third and final album, “Black Messiah” in 2014.
By Isabella McHugh Correspondent
Hollywood is in uproar over Tilly Norwood, the new, beautiful brunette AI actress.
Actors and actresses are speaking out. Among those voices is “A Quiet Place” star Emily Blunt. “Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don’t do that,” Blunt urged in a statement.
While she hasn’t yet been signed, Norwood has attracted the attention of numerous talent agencies.
Variety magazine told Blunt that the CEO of Particle6, Eline Van der Velden, wanted Norwood “to be the next Scarlet Johansson,” to which Blunt responded, “but we have Scarlett Johansson.”
Norwood has been “posting” on her official Instagram account, and recently uploaded a video titled “AI Commissioner.”
People Magazine reported that the video received many spiteful comments, including one from the “Game of Thrones” star, Sophie Turner. “Wow… No thanks,” she wrote.
Turner wasn’t the only actor who disapproved of the video. “Nosferatu” star Ralph Ineson took to X and simply wrote “F**k off,” after hearing news of this development.
On Sept. 28, Van der Velden made an Instagram post, seemingly with the intent to diffuse the negative allegations. She claims that Norwood “is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.”
Van der Velden also made a point to say
that “AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre” instead of being “compared directly with human actors.”
Actress Whoopi Goldberg isn’t so sure about that. On her show, The View, she said, “in [her] humble opinion,” actors are now “suddenly up against something that’s been generated with 5,000 other actors.” She believes that “it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage, but you know what? Bring it on. Because you can always tell them from us.” Goldberg expressed her fears about the future of AI in the acting industry. “Maybe in two or three years it’ll be seamless,” she said, referring to the motions of AI in comparison to real people.
This is a reality many people fear, not only those in the industry. One user commented on the YouTube “AI Commissioner” video, “This is so dystopian.” The question then is, will society accept an AI actor on their screens?
Only time will reveal whether this becomes part of our reality or if a seemingly innocent AI actress crosses the line in society’s eyes.
Tilly Norwood is promoted as an AI actress who can be programmed in a short amount of time to do practically anything in films. (Photo courtesy of IMDb)
In the meantime, Particle6 has been working to craft the most polished and presentable image of Norwood for talent agencies.
“The girl next door vibes” is what they’re going for, as stated in their “AI Commissioner” video which was made entirely from AI.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Keaton was known for her trademark style.
Photo courtesy of Apple Music
Particle6 introduces the newest AI actress, Tilly Norwood.
D’Angelo has been a staple in R&B music since the ‘90s.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sentenced to more than 4 years in prison
By Devyn Briones Staff Writer
After being convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, Sean Combs, also known
as “Diddy” or “Puff Daddy,” was sentenced to 50 months behind bars.
The hip-hop rapper, 55, was found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking of his two exgirlfriends, Cassandra (Cassie) Ventura, who is known for her roles in movies like “The Perfect Match,” and another woman under the pseudonym “Jane.”
However, Combs was convicted of flying his girlfriends, male sex workers and others to engage in paid sexual encounters, which he called “freakoffs.” This is a violation of the Mann Act, created in 1910, a federal law that criminalizes transporting anyone for the purpose of prostitution or any other illegal sexual activity, according to Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute.
“My mother taught me better. My faith taught me better… I got lost in the journey of life. I got lost in excess. I got lost in my ego. Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom. I’ve totally destroyed my reputation. I’ve been humbled and broken down. I hate myself right now,” Combs said during trial. “I’ve been stripped down to nothing.”
In November 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of
Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl halftime show
By Olivia Suh Correspondent
Every year, America eagerly awaits the announcement of the next Super Bowl performer, and the wait is finally over. Announced by the NFL during the halftime of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers on Sept. 28, Bad Bunny was confirmed to headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and record producer credited as the “King of Latin Trap.” Bad Bunny began his career on SoundCloud and was pushed further into the global spotlight after featuring on Cardi B’s hit “I Like It.” Today, he is a 10-time Grammy nominee and holds three Grammy wins.
In 2020, his third solo album, “El Último Tour Del Mundo,” topped the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first all-Spanish album to do so. He repeated the achievement in 2023 with “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” which debuted at the number one position on Billboard 200. Earlier this year, “DeBÍ TiRAR MaS FOToS” quickly reached the top spot on Billboard 200 in its second week.
“DeBÍ TiRAR MaS FOToS” didn’t just dominate Billboard 200, it also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart, and it became the fastest male album to reach one billion streams on Spotify in just 13 days, according to Yahoo Entertainment .
“DeBi TiRAR MaS FOToS,” meaning “I should have taken more photos,” conveys powerful messages about Puerto Rico and serves as a call to action for its citizens. Bad Bunny urges his Puerto Rican fans to preserve their cultural heritage despite the challenges of gentrification and U.S. colonialism.
In his song, “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” he sings, “Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa. Quieren el barrio mío y que abuelita se vaya,” translating to “They want to take my river and my beach. They want my neighborhood and for grandma to leave.”
Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, made a statement on The Benny Show, a right-wing political podcast, saying, “I have the responsibility for making sure everybody goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it, and to leave –and that’s what America’s about. So yeah, we’ll be all over that place…We’re going to
rape and abuse. This case was settled a day later under undisclosed terms. Through his attorney, Combs denied all accusations. A couple of days after Ventura’s lawsuit, more women and men began to accuse Combs of sexual abuse. But again, through his attorney, Combs denied the allegations.
The following year in May 2024, CNN broadcast the video of Combs brutally attacking and beating Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway from 2016. CNN also included Combs’ apology response with the hotel footage.
On Sept. 16, 2024, Combs was arrested. About 10 months later, his trial began. He was convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offense, but found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. Combs’ lawyers were unsuccessful in having him released on bond, and he was again denied bail in Aug. 2025, forcing him to remain in jail until his Oct. 3 sentencing.
On Oct. 3, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Combs to four years and two months in prison, but he has credit for time he has already served, leaving him with only 36 months remaining on his sentence. He was also fined $500,000 and sentenced to five years of
enforce the law,” Noem said, “I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
Noem’s remarks highlight the political discourse surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl, especially with a Puerto Rican leading the halftime show. Her statement brings attention to debates over national identity and cultural representation.
As a feature on the Saturday Night Live Season 51 premiere, Bad Bunny claps back, saying, “You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And I’m very happy, and I think everybody’s happy about it, even FOX News!”
He then transitions into Spanish expressing that being chosen to headline the halftime show represents more than just a personal victory. He dedicates the movement to all the Latinos an Latinas in the United States who have worked hard to open doors for others. He adds that their presence and contributions in America are long lasting and cannot be simply taken away or erased.
Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance marks a significant moment in music, specifically Latin music’s growing global influence. Despite facing backlash from critics who question his selection and express their concern about the cultural representation, Bad Bunny continues to stay true to his message and roots.
By taking over one of the world’s biggest stages, Bad Bunny reflects the growing recognition of Latin artists in mainstream entertainment and the diverse audiences shaping today’s music industry.
supervised release, according to People.
“To Ms. Ventura and the other brave survivors that came forward, I want to say first, we heard you,” Subramanian said. “I know your families are proud of you, and your children, when they are old enough, will be proud of you. And I am proud of you for coming to the Court to tell the world what really happened.”
Combs’ lawyers had no choice but to acknowledge the evidence that Combs is a domestic abuser, according to The New York Times. Doing so allowed them to maintain credibility, but also argue that he is not guilty of racketeering or sex trafficking.
Brian Steel, one of Combs’ lawyers, was reported to have tears in his eyes during the trial as he pleaded with the judge to allow Combs’ return home. “I am honored to practice in this majestic courthouse. I sit here with tears in my eyes, I can’t believe we’re here,” Steel said. “Sean has impacted America in such a positive manner.”
Subramanian encouraged Combs to shift his focus to doing good for survivors of domestic violence.
“We all have voices,” Subramanian said. “You have a megaphone.”
‘The Life of a Showgirl’: Taylor Swift’s next era
By Alena Bitonti Arts & Entertainment Editor
“You don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe.”
Eleven-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift released her newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” on Oct. 3.
Swift announced her 12th studio album with a countdown on her website that ended at 12:12 a.m. on Aug. 12, followed by her appearance on the “New Heights” podcast the following day.
“New Heights” is co-hosted by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason. Swift has been dating Kelce for over two years, with their relationship beginning in the summer of 2023. The couple recently announced their engagement via Instagram.
On the show, Swift revealed the album title, cover art and gave fans a glimpse into the album’s creation.
“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said.
The showgirl aesthetic that was prominent throughout the album’s marketing felt disconnected from the actual sound of the record. Instead of the pop spectacle mixed with a theatrical, jazzy swing that was easy to expect, the album leans into a more straightforward pop production.
Leading up to its release, Spotify hosted a pop-up event in Manhattan from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, with celebrations continuing afterward through “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” premiering in theatres only from Oct. 3 to 5.
The 89-minute film includes the music video for the lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” and lyric videos for the album tracks, each introduced by Swift herself.
The 12-track album was produced by Max Martin and Shellback — two Swedish hitmakers behind some of Swift’s most notable songs, such as “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off.”
Martin and Shellback’s return to Swift’s discography should have signified a return to her most standard pop albums, such as “1989.” Instead, both the record’s production and lyrics brought a lot of mixed emotions and results.
The album begins with the first lead
single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” whose title sounds like it could have been pulled straight from “The Tortured Poets Department,” her 11th studio album released in April 2024. While the metaphors and emotional depth of TTPD are still present, the writing feels more elementary than her previous work, a pattern that continues throughout much of the record.
Despite this, “The Fate of Ophelia” stands out as one of the stronger tracks. It’s immediately catchy, though fans have noticed its sonic similarity to “Cool” by the Jonas Brothers. This familiarity makes it easy to enjoy and a destined radio hit, but also raises questions about originality in a lead single that is meant to define the era.
Another standout on the album is the third song on the tracklist, “Opalite.” The song begins modestly but builds into a chorus that’s catchy, upbeat and layered with harmonies. Like much of the album, it is about her relationship with Kelce. It’s clear that Swift is in a more positive place in her writing, enjoying a happy and healthy romantic relationship and moving away from songs about heartbreak. In “Wi$h Li$t,” she sings about her dreams for the future. “I just want you, huh / Have a couple of kids, got the whole block looking like you… / Got me dreaming ‘bout a driveway with a basketball hoop.” Two tracks on the album, “Father Figure” and “Wood,” feature language we don’t typically hear from Swift and surprisingly risqué lyrics that push the boundaries of her usual style.
Read more on our website!
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Combs was sentenced to four years and two months in prison.
Swift revealed the album’s cover art on the “New Heights” podcast.
Photo courtesy of Apple Music
Bad Bunny is the first Puerto Rican headliner of the halftime show.
Photo courtesy of Apple Music
Young club hockey nets first win against experienced William Paterson
By Nick Kurti Staff Writer
The College’s D1 club hockey team took it until the very end with a 5-4 win over William Paterson on Friday, Oct. 3. The club, featuring seven freshmen in their first year on the ice as a Lion, was able to hold an older and more experienced Pioneers from taking the
lead for nearly all three periods.
On their home rink at the Ice Vault in Wayne, New Jersey, William Paterson was the first team on the board, taking a 1-0 lead from a goal by Jason Lastra. But just two minutes later, Colin Helkowski would get into scoring position off a breakaway. He passed the puck back to Josh Kushnir, whose shot was saved by Pioneers goaltender Frankie Smith. The
Field hockey splits NJAC games including shootout against Rowan
By Jhett Laurie Staff Writer
The College’s field hockey team split their two most recent New Jersey Athletic Conference games, defeating William Paterson before losing to No. 14 Rowan in shootouts. The Lions now stand at 2-1 in the NJAC as conference play continues.
The Lions handily defeated William Paterson on Oct. 11 with a score of 6-0. The Lions smothered the Pioneers, not allowing a single shot on goal for the entire game.
Sophomore Avery Vacca scored her first goal of the season early in the first period on a pass from sophomore Rachael Tetzlaff. The Lions then put the pressure on in the second period, as juniors Isabel Maher and Jadyn Huff each found the cage to give the Lions a 3-0 lead.
Senior Mackenzie Hart managed to slip past the Pioneers defense early in the second half, scoring on a pass from Huff just 40 seconds in. Hart and Maher would each find the goal one more time to seal the game 6-0.
The College hosted Rowan on Oct. 15 with thoughts of being NJAC champions on their mind. Being the only two ranked teams in the conference, the winner of the game would likely go on to take the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament later in the season.
The Lions came out strong, with Hart scoring seven minutes in on a pass from freshman Lindsey Hoffman; however, the Profs did not want to go down easily, scoring the equalizer nine minutes later.
A strong offensive exchange between the teams saw junior Kara Wilson continue
her offensive dominance, coming off the bench to score her ninth goal of the season.
The Lions defense would battle it out with the Profs, keeping 12 attempted shots out of the goal. A breakaway for Hoffman gave the Lions a comfortable two-goal lead with just seven minutes remaining.
Tragically, things would take a turn for the worse, as glimpses of last season’s matchup appeared. During their 2024 regular season matchup, the Profs would overcome a two-goal deficit with just four minutes remaining, winning the game. History was about to repeat itself.
Huff was sent off the field after receiving a yellow card, keeping her out of the game for five minutes. Rowan attempted to capitalize on the man advantage, even pulling their goalie to make it a 11 vs. 9, and it paid off.
The Profs would score two goals within two minutes, forcing the game into overtime. The Lions would fail to capitalize on a man advantage of their own, forcing the game into a second overtime.
Both teams would remain immaculate on defense, preventing the deciding goal from happening. The stalemate would go to shootouts, the second time this year.
The Lions were unable to find the momentum, with sophomore Julia Neff scoring their lone shootout goal. The Profs would win after making two consecutive attempts early on. After going 15 years with no shootouts, the Lions have lost two this season.
The Lions fell to 8-4 on the season and 2-1 in the NJAC. The team is traveling to Montclair State on Oct. 18 with hopes of bouncing back from the loss.
puck came loose to Kyle Gregory, who sent it into the net to tie up the game. This, alongside a 4-on-3 goal by Ryan Walter, gave the College its first lead of the game to end the first period.
The game was much of the same style of play for the second period, albeit with fewer minutes spent in the penalty box. The first period saw eight penalties assessed as the Pioneers and Lions wrestled with the close game and contentious calls. On the defensive end, freshman goalie Christian Esposito had 30 saves, marking a save percentage of .882 for the Lions.
Halfway through the second period, Alec Osher would tie the game for the Pioneers at 2-2. Later in the period, Zach Duggan got the puck in front of the crease to EJ Gleie. It was a scramble between the William Paterson players, but the puck came loose behind Smith and Gleie had helped the lead extend to 3-2. The Pioneers would score on the power play to tie it 3-3, but Walter had yet another beautiful slapshot from the blue line to end the second period up 4-3.
In the third period, the Lions and Pioneers accumulated another seven penalties, racking up the aggression as both teams were desperate to walk away with the win. After five minutes of play,
the College was back on penalty kill duty after Alex Gibson took a minor. It was here that Lastra scored a power play goal to get the Pioneers tied up 4-4. The next ten minutes were heavily contested until, with just four and a half minutes left on the clock, the Lions had a chance.
The puck came loose and Duggan found it. He made a quick pass to Gibson, who went for the initial shot. There was another scramble in front of the crease as Kushnir added another shot. Duggan wrestled with defenders in front of the goalie, and his stick flicked the puck in between the pipes as he fell over. The crowd erupted, and the Pioneers already looked defeated, as the Lions were back up 5-4. This is where the American Collegiate Hockey Association matchup would end, marking a massive improvement over their season the year prior, where the Lions found themselves unable to beat the Pioneers across all three matchups.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, the Pioneers traveled to the Lions’ home at the Tsai Field House in Lawrenceville, where William Paterson won 3-0.
The Lions will be home again at the Tsai Field House to take on Drexel University on Friday, Oct. 10. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Football’s long haul for NJAC play
against Castleton
By Ashly Herlihy Correspondant
Opening their season 4-1 for the first time in nearly a decade, the College’s football team knows how to make an impression, but can that impression hold for a six-hour trip to Castleton, Vt.?
Approaching the middle of their season, the College has won its past three home games, going 1-1 in the conference, while Castleton has started 0-2. The two teams will play in the next conference game on Oct. 18 in Vermont. Castleton is the newest addition to the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and will bring the Lions to their home turf, six hours north of campus.
The team will embark on their trip on Friday morning, causing student athletes to be excused from classes and prior commitments. Traveling out to distant states for NJAC games is not out of the ordinary for the College, but for many students, this may be their first time and they need to properly prepare. Bill Westerby, a senior Linebacker and technology education major for the Lions, commented on the distance for the game, saying, “That’s what we came here to do. Play other people and show that we can do it, show what New Jersey’s about.”
Distance doesn’t matter for this team; they’re making history and it doesn’t just stop in Jersey. When traveling out to Vermont, the team will spend a six-hour bus ride together catching up on schoolwork, studying game plans, and enjoying New England foliage, all while preparing for a new NJAC conference matchup.
Traveling out of state to play received positive feedback from players, for the
experiences, team bonding and overnight stays, but with conference games, a lot is on the line for postseason play. However, after a dominating conference win on homecoming against William Patterson, spirits are peaking going into Castleton. But can the newly added distant conference game affect momentum?
Head coach Tyler Moody had this to say about the upcoming trip: “It’s an opportunity to strengthen the bond because you’re doing the thing, you know, just somewhere else.” Boiling it down to the basics, Coach Moody refers to it as “run fast, hit hard.”
Despite maintaining the academic workload on this trip, the structure and camaraderie of the college’s excursion are what keep the players determined, not distracted. Coach Moody explained that quick trips like these are good exposure for student-athletes. Balance and competition are a great mix in expanding the horizon for the Lions.
With Castleton being the newest addition to the NJAC, it’s currently uncertain if the conference will keep expanding and include more distant out-of-state teams. With the opportunity to play distant colleges and experience more of a potential NCAA bracket, teams in the NJAC can be equipped with more experience for postseason play.
As football prepares to take on the Spartans at their home field advantage, the players are confident in their abilities, on and off the field. For these student athletes, football is competitive and so is remaining diligent in the classroom. A constant stake between chasing wins and chasing grades, the college’s players are built to succeed.
Tune in to watch the Lions take on Castleton on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 12 p.m.
Photo by Nick Kurti
Lions freshman Kyle Gregory celebrates his goal.
Photo courtesy by Andre Paras
The Lions gear up for road trip.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Gladstone Field hockey competes in another close shootout.
Women’s soccer dominates Homecoming game
Lions grab top three spot in conference after huge week
By Joseph Caruso Sports Editor
The College played two games this week, including their Homecoming game against Ramapo, which they took in dominating fashion, as well as a hard-fought win over Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday.
On Saturday, the Lions hosted the Roadrunners for their annual Homecoming game, drawing their
biggest crowd of the season, aiming to impress former Lions in the stands. Getting off to a hot start, junior Alyssa Alfano scored her fourth of the season less than a minute into the game at the 0:42 second mark. Alfano scored again in the second half, the third time she has scored multiple goals in her collegiate career, and the first this season.
The College continued to press their foot on the gas, scoring two more times before halftime, with sophomore
Lexi Caruso and freshman Isabella Charles each scoring their first goal of the season to extend the lead to three heading into the locker room.
It was more of the same in the second half, with sophomore Maggie Murphy getting the Lions on the board just over five minutes into the half. In addition to Alfano’s second goal of the contest, sophomores Jenny Ward and Samantha Rizzi scored late to complete the College’s most lopsided victory of
the season, shutting out Ramapo while scoring a season-high seven goals.
The College dominated in all facets of the game, pelting the Roadrunners with 24 shots, 14 of them being on goal, compared to just six from Ramapo. Outpacing the opposing team in shots has been a theme for the Lions, as they have done it in every victory this season.
Now above the .500 mark at 5-44, the College traveled to RutgersCamden on Wednesday, Oct. 15 to take on the Scarlett Raptors for a key NJAC matchup.
Riding high from their highest scoring output of the season, the Lions played a much different game, with neither team recording a goal in the first half, with the College pacing the game with five shots to two.
The Lions came out firing in the second half, dominating the time of possession and not allowing a single shot from the Scarlett Raptors, with six shots on goal themselves. With that being said, it looked as though the Lions could be heading for their fifth draw of the season, with the match still knotted at zero through 80 minutes.
At the 80:33 mark, Alfano came through once again with her team-high sixth goal of the season, with an assist from Murphy to catapult the Lions in front 1-0, where the game would stand. Now with back-to-back NJAC victories, the College is feeling good as they sit third in the conference with a record of 3-1-1.
The College has four games remaining in its 2025 campaign, with three of them being at home, including a marquee matchup with first-place Rowan on the final day of the regular season. The College is back in action when they take on the Scarlett Raiders for senior night on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Men’s soccer earns first two NJAC wins back-to-back
By Nick Kurti Staff Writer
Another week of New Jersey Athletic Conference play is behind us, and the men’s soccer team has officially secured their first two conference wins, with a close 1-0 game at Ramapo College and a 2-0 win against RutgersCamden.
The Roadrunners and Lions played a heavily contested game in Mahwah on Saturday, Oct. 11, but the College’s young talent was able to hold Ramapo scoreless for the full 90 minutes. For most of the first half, neither team was able to make a shot. There were 10 shots in the first 30 minutes, five for both teams, but neither got on goal. It wasn’t until the 32nd minute when Roadrunners midfielder Dylan Perez failed to put it in the bottom right. This was Lions freshman Sean Najdzinowicz’s lone save of the half. Junior Chris Meder and freshman Aiden Grund would each try their own shot on the Roadrunners, but Zachary Natt saved both to keep the game tied going into halftime.
The second half was a defensive masterclass; Najdzinowicz had an allstar performance, with six saves in the latter 45 minutes of play. This tied his performance the previous week against Montclair State, marked his second career shutout, and helped him earn NJAC Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week.
In the 64th minute, coming off a goal kick, Ramapo lost the ball to Meder. He headed it to Matias Hornos, and a chance was beginning to form. The junior passed it to fellow captain, senior Massimo Rodio, where he had a defender pressing him all the way into the penalty box. With a quick feint, Rodio passed the ball to freshman Matt Will, who was out just too wide for Natt to stop it. The benches cleared as the freshman slid into the senior for a passionate hug. For Rodio, this is the first time he’s ever contributed to a goal against the Roadrunners.
The match was close, but their first conference win is now in their hands. With Will’s goal in Mahwah, he’s now second in points for the season with 10, behind only Meder’s 17.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Lions returned home to Ewing where Rutgers-Camden awaited them. The Scarlet Raptors were a physical team, contesting the Lions forward offense into minimal chances on goal. Across the whole game, Camden and the College stayed evenly matched; both teams had nine corners each, despite the Raptors outshooting the Lions 16-12.
With just two minutes spent in the second half, the Lions were taking a corner, where Will sent it to fellow freshman Matt Maceri. He lightly headed it into the bottom right, where it rolled past multiple Raptors defenders. They were unable to clear it,
and Camden keeper Aleksander Nycz couldn’t keep it out. The Lions were up 1-0.
In the 57th minute, Camden forward Rohan Castillo made a simple attempt to gain possession, where he slid, fell, and turned over the ball to Rodio. Matias Hornos gained the ball from him, and got the ball to Meder. In the span of fifteen seconds, the ball was deep in the Raptors defense, and the Lions captain sent it deep into the right
to
up the lead to two. Nycz and Najdzinowicz made three saves each; the only difference was the Lions freshman’s performance contributed to yet another shutout on the record of his first season. The College’s conference record extends to 2-2-1, and now has an overall record of 7-3-4.
The men’s soccer team hits the road this Saturday, Oct. 18 to visit RutgersNewark. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
