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(04/26/16 4:03pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
The TCNJ Ski and Snowboard Club and the TCNJ Political Union both earned Student Government (SG) recognition at the Wednesday, April 20, general body meeting, amid votes and debates about bills.
TCNJ Ski and Snowboard Club, which is “on the border of being a club or a club sport,” according to club representatives, is open to students of all skill levels. The club has already obtained a club sport insurance policy, as well as approval from Director of Recreation Robert Simels, before meeting with the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee on Sunday, April 3.
Club representatives intend to book biweekly weekend trips to mountains near the College, including Blue Mountain and Spring Mountain in Pennsylvania, with the help of Student Finance Board (SFB) funding. Should SFB be unable to fully fund the club’s request for busing every other weekend, members plan to fundraise or have members with cars transport the club to the resort.
Based on the club’s flexibility and the charter member list that boasts 28 freshmen, 20 sophomores, 14 juniors, eight seniors and one graduate student, SG voted to approve the club.
TCNJ Political Union seeks to “increase and sustain student involvement in the political process” by engaging students, staff and faculty, regardless of political affiliation, according to the GA report. The club itself is nonpartisan, but it encourages members to express diverse political viewpoints, club representatives said.
The club has been recruiting members to write posts for The Signal through its “We, The Campus” blog. It has also been forming alliances with organizations like the Center for Community Engaged Learning & Research, Residential Life and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life in order to reach as many students as possible. Next semester, according to representatives, the club wants to work with Lions Television to increase engagement.
The club will also host biweekly panels on political issues that resonate with the College community and bring in speakers. They will need SG recognition to reserve space for events and obtain funding from SFB to book speakers.
General body members passed the club without debate.
Next, Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ceili Boles presented B-2016-03 — a bill that would repeal the Fall 2015 semester’s “General Member Bill” (B-F2015-06) and relax requirements to join SG as a general member. Under the new bill, students would join by emailing the SG account to be recognized as a general member with no additional requirements.
A spirited debate broke out, with some members arguing that relaxed requirements would not bode well for SG’s status as a reputable organization with highly involved members.
Ultimately, with no proposed replacement for B-S2016-03 in place, general body members moved to table the bill.
B-S2016-04, or the repeal of the “Student Teaching Bill” (B-F2015-05), would allow any members with academic commitments, like student teaching posts or internships, to be excused from general body and governance meetings as needed. The bill did not pass, so B-F2015-05 remains in effect.
Finally, B-S2016-05 would redefine the role of SG’s parliamentarian, who oversees debates and familiarizes the general body with SG’s constitution. The bill would allow them to vote and debate. However, the bill was tabled indefinitely after much debate.
After the presentation of the three bills, Boles announced that the Wednesday, April 27, general body meeting will be held at the New Jersey State House. It is an annual meeting that general body and elected members attend each spring semester.
“The State House is beautiful, and we get to be all fancy and have our meeting there,” Boles explained to prospective SG members in attendance.
Student Trustee Kevin Kim announced that on Tuesday, April 26, at 2:30 p.m., College President R. Barbara Gitenstein held a public session in room 106 of Loser Hall for the Board of Trustees annual tuition hearing. The meeting was open to students who could learn about upcoming changes to tuition costs.
Adviser Elizabeth Bapasola updated the general body on the College’s search for the first Director of Student Involvement — a position that was created after former Director of Student Activities Tim Asher retired in February 2016. The Office of Student Involvement resulted from a merge of the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, according to Bapasola in a Signal article from Tuesday, March 22.
“It’s a really important hire and we value student feedback,” Bapasola said.
The finalists for the new position will visit the College for open fora with students, faculty and staff on Monday, May 2; Tuesday, May 3; Monday, May 9; and Tuesday, May 10, according to Bapasola.
(04/12/16 4:19pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Director of Dining Services Karen Roth, General Manager of Sodexo Patrice Mendes and Associate Provost for Liberal Learning and Curriculum Christopher “Kit” Murphy spoke before the Student Government (SG) general body on Wednesday, April 6, bookending a meeting that included a fervent debate over the possible passage of the Scientista Foundation at TCNJ.
To start off the meeting, Roth and Mendes answered questions about the upcoming closure and renovations to the Lions Den that will start on Monday, April 18, and wrap up by the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester.
Some of the changes to the Lions Den will include a variety of grab-and-go options, as well as a grill station, a pasta and pizza station, a “noodle concept” that will feature Asian-style cuisine and a sushi station, Roth said.
Tackling questions about the salad station, which general body members said is often more expensive than less healthier options and frequently fluctuating in price, Mendes confirmed that the pricing will be more clear in the food court’s signage but acknowledged that prices for items like salad, which depend on weight, will fluctuate.
“I want everyone to eat healthy,” Mendes said, before adding, “We’re trying to be economical.”
The “servery,” or food stations, in the Lions Den will be greatly expanded during renovations. According to Mendes, the salad station “will be almost triple the size we have now” and other stations will be similarly expanded.
In addition, the cash registers just beyond the food stations will be relocated so there are registers on both ends of the food court and in the middle.
“You won’t feel like you’re in a corral,” Mendes said, referring to the somewhat claustrophobic nature of the registers’ proximity to the food stations that create long lines and crowding inside the servery area.
Furthermore, the Fresh Pride Cafe will be relocated to the second level of the Brower Student Center, Roth said.
Roth and Mendes also fielded questions about Eickhoff Hall, beginning with Roth conducting a brief survey.
Roth would say a statement and asked the students to stand if they agreed with it. The first statement was, “Eickhoff’s weekend hours meet my needs.” Few general body members stood.
A second question about the availability of healthy foods in Eickhoff Hall prompted many students to stand up in agreement.
“We’ve come a long way,” Roth said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve come a long way.”
As a follow-up question, Roth asked, “Do we do a good job of promoting healthy products on campus?” In response, no general body members stood.
Mendes spoke about an upcoming initiative in Eickhoff Hall starting in a few weeks that will feature healthy tips at every station about how to eat the healthiest meal possible. Giant signs and banners will help students take advantage of the healthy options in Eickhoff Hall, which are often obscured by the overwhelming variety of food, Mendes said.
She later offered an example to a general body member, who spoke about the lack of broccoli in Eickhoff Hall, suggesting that students can get broccoli at the 91.3 Wokery, which is available every day. Mendes said they can ask Eickhoff workers to steam it for them and pick out an entrée at a different station while waiting for the broccoli to finish cooking.
“Or you could heat it up in a microwave and save time,” Roth chimed in.
As for the availability of fresh produce on campus, Mendes sympathized with students who want more variety in the fruits offered on campus, aside from apples, bananas, oranges and melon.
“We’re trying to be sustainable and local,” Mendes said, adding that the majority of the school year takes place during the fall and winter, making it difficult to secure fresh fruits like berries, for instance.
As for organic produce, “it doesn’t have pesticides, it doesn’t have anything to prolong its life,” which makes transportation difficult and shelf life shorter, according to Mendes.
“You are our customer. That’s the bottom line,” Roth said after fielding questions. “That’s the beauty of it all… Your feedback through the years has been incredibly important to us.”
After the presentation, Scientista Foundation at TCNJ appeared before the general body to gain formal SG recognition, which would allow the club to secure Student Finance Board (SFB) funding and give it the ability to reserve space for meetings.
Scientista Foundation at TCNJ, which was approved by the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee on Sunday, March 20, has been in existence for several months, following an interest session and one meeting. It is part of a slow-growing national nonprofit that is beginning to crop up on college campuses, representatives said.
According to the GA briefing, the club seeks to “empower pre-professional women to pursue careers in the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).”
The club is already planning to volunteer at the Young Women’s Conference at Princeton University and to attend the Scientista Symposium in New York City, according to the same briefing. Representatives also intend to bring speakers within the STEMM field to the College to participate in discussion panels and networking events.
Fielding questions from general body members, representatives said that this club seeks to empower women in STEMM who may feel discouraged in a male-dominated field and to keep them engaged.
According to President Casey Dowling, GA found that the Scientista Foundation at TCNJ does not conflict with any other science clubs on campus.
After a lengthy debate, which resulted in 21 votes to approve, 22 voters to disapprove, and eight abstentions, Scientista Foundation at TCNJ was not formally approved by SG. However, since the club gained approval from GA, it can re-present to SG at its earliest convenience, Dowling said.
Javier Nicasio spoke about TCNJ Student Organization Advancement Retreat (SOAR), which will take place on Wednesday, April 13, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring the theme “Meaningful Cosponsorship.”
TCNJ SOAR is effectively taking the place of Passport to Programming.
“Passport to Programming is no longer a thing,” Nicasio said, to applause, before emphasizing several times that “this is a pilot run meeting,” and will develop over the years.
“It’s something that we thought would be a better thing to have so that there could be more conversations across campus between student leaders,” Nicasio said.
Rather than discussions about issues pertaining to a particular school on campus, these conversations “might be about diversity or inclusiveness on campus,” Nicasio said.
Student organizations that cannot attend TCNJ SOAR in room 201 of Roscoe West Hall for an excused reason will attend a make-up meeting, but organizations that do not attend will be derecognized or placed on probation, which includes the inability to book spaces or advertise, Nicasio said.
“Our hope is for next year that this can become a more regular thing, but we want to see how the pilot (meeting) goes to then see what we can do moving forward,” Nicasio said.
Finally, Murphy presented the findings of the College’s liberal learning self-study, which began in October 2015 and was completed after a year and half and also of an external review conducted by two “nationally recognized” experts in the field of higher education in early December 2015.
The recommendations fell into two categories. The first is major recommendations, which will yield “the most potential for improvements to liberal learning” and require governance to enact changes. The other is minor recommendations, which are administrative in nature, Murphy said.
Some of the major recommendations included the “integration between liberal learning, the majors and co-curriculars,” Murphy said, before asking, “How many of you feel liberal learning gets in the way of your major?”
Most general body members indicated that this was the case.
Murphy cited evidence that 47 percent of College students agree or strongly agree that liberal learning courses are “essential,” while nearly 88 percent of faculty and staff members feel this way. The disparity is alarming to Murphy, who said that employers are looking for well-rounded college graduates who know about the world outside of their major.
Additionally, 49 percent of College students see liberal learning requirements as an obstacle to completing major courses, Murphy said.
Among the proposed solutions include involvement from class councils.
“Send us what you think students should be learning… Send input via SG representatives,” Murphy said. “If you think (liberal learning) was the stupidest thing, make sure your voice is heard. We’re going to be moving ahead with this unless we get a lot of pushback.”
(04/05/16 4:18pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Brower Student Center Manager Seth Zolin and Assistant Campus Architect Mark Kirchner visited Student Government’s (SG) Wednesday, March 30, general body meeting to brief members on the student center’s renovation process.
According to Zolin, the project is currently in Phase One, which included the recent installation and opening of the Traditions restaurant, as well as ongoing renovations to the north face of the building.
Phase Two will include renovations to the south face of the building, and Phase Three, set to take place in 2017, will include the installation of the new north entrance to the building and an atrium that will allow more natural light into the building, Zolin said.
“The goal was to stop the ‘bunker’ feel to the student center,” Zolin said.
Both Zolin and Kirchner, who managed the design aspect of the project, said that the process is “quite complicated,” given that each phase of the project contains multiple phases.
“It’s actually like six phases,” Kirchner said.
On Friday, April 15, the Lions Den will close to accommodate for the construction of four new grab-and-go food stations that will include pasta and salad stations, a grill area and a sub sandwich station, Zolin said.
Zolin also announced that given the fact that the Lions Den will be closed for construction until the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester, T-Dubs will be available for meal equivalency during the week.
Due to the heavy amount of construction taking place both inside and outside of the student center, Zolin announced that no further student events will be held in the atrium for the rest of the semester, adding that it was a decision based on the unpredictable nature of the construction environment.
“We’re excited,” Zolin said. “The project is coming along… By the time you guys come back (in the fall, the Lions Den) should be open.”
Kirchner spoke about the changes to the student center’s exterior. In the fall, the patio next to Traditions is scheduled for completion, which will add about 80 seats to the restaurant’s capacity, Kirchner said.
The original structure of the student center, which was completed in 1976, had a lot of “weird nooks and crannies,” as Kirchner put it, that will be filled in this summer. For instance, the entrance to the student center closest to Lot 5 will be moved closer to the sidewalk, and should be completed by the end of the summer, Kirchner said.
Other changes to the building’s exterior include the future installation of the “art wall” that currently sits outside the student center, and an outside plaza, Kirchner said.
As for office space on the building’s second floor, which will become available by late May or early June, Zolin said that “the College made conscientious decisions” about assigning spaces to organizations on campus.
“I think you guys have all heard about the (College’s) commitment to diversity and supporting different populations on campus,” Zolin said, before announcing that the cultural organizations on campus — PRISM, Union Latina, Women’s Center, Black Student Union and Asian American Association — and the governance organizations — Inter Greek Council, College Union Board, Student Finance Board and Student Government — have all been allotted office space in the student center.
Zolin also spoke about the future installation of three lounges, two of which “will have distinct focuses,” as one is called the Global Corner and another is referred to as the Media Corner.
The Global Corner, which will be in the building’s northeast corner, will feature “mounted displays” and TVs that show global news, Zolin said.
“They are to encourage global communication and talking about what’s going on in the world,” Zolin explained.
The Media Corner, located near the current first floor bathrooms, will feature “booth-type seating that curls around” with tables that allow students to plug in their laptops and project their screens onto a larger screen at the table, which will be useful for group project meetings, Zolin said.
Finally, there will be couches set up facing the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building for “soft seating,” Zolin said.
Zolin is the primary contact for questions about the renovation, as President Casey Dowling reminded the general body.
After the presentation, Dowling asked for feedback on the Enterprise car share service at Campus Town, per the request of Vice President of Student Affairs Amy Hecht.
“What she’s been hearing from Enterprise is that a lot of students aren’t using it,” said Dowling, who then asked the general body to submit recommendations for either keeping or eliminating the service on campus.
“Our word isn’t the end word,” Dowling said, but mentioned that the feedback was important, regardless.
General body members cited problems with Enterprise’s advertising, saying that it might be useful to market the service directly to freshmen during Welcome Week, since their target demographic is students without access to a car on campus.
Other general body members mentioned that with TCNJ Rideshare and Strivr, both free services that students can access through an app and request rides or coffee delivery, there doesn’t seem to be much of a need for a car share service.
However, when Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio clarified that the service costs $1 to sign up and $5 per hour of use, plus a $5 tax, general body members expressed interest in keeping the cost-effective service on campus, albeit with more efficient marketing strategies in place.
Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro reminded general body members of the upcoming Spring Back event that will be held on the T/W lawn on Saturday, April 16.
Freshman class President Carly Mauro spoke about the class’s New York City bus trip, which is still scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 9.
(03/29/16 4:15pm)
By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor
Two clubs, which recently received formal recognition, proposed upcoming plans during the Wednesday, March 23, general body meeting of Student Government (SG).
First, the TCNJ Tap Ensemble, which earned unanimous approval from the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee on Sunday, Feb. 28, fielded questions from the general body about the club.
Club representatives said that they are “dedicated to teaching both novice and expert tap dancers and preserving this classical art form.” Beginner tap dancers do not need tap shoes to dance and can learn modified versions of advanced choreography if they wish to participate in performances, representatives said.
TCNJ Tap Ensemble executive board members said there are 13 charter members, with 10 freshmen and three sophomores, which assures them that the club’s longevity will not be a problem in the near future.
According to the club’s official proposal, TCNJ Tap Ensemble needs formal recognition from SG in order to book practice space and to hold performances in Kendall Hall’s Black Box Theater. It would also need Student Finance Board (SFB) funding for costumes and stage design.
Because the executive board members are all experienced tap dancers, they are comfortable teaching novice tappers and assured the general body that teaching experience is not necessary to help fellow students learn tap, members said. They also said that TCNJ Synergy’s advisor, faculty member Kevin Potucek, will also serve as TCNJ Tap Ensemble’s adviser.
TCNJ Tap Ensemble, unlike TCNJ Synergy, is “a completely tap-based group,” executive board members explained in response to a question about the differences between the two dance groups. TCNJ Synergy blends different styles of dance in its routines and holds auditions for experienced dancers, whereas TCNJ Tap Ensemble invites dancers of all levels to join and only teaches tap routines, members said.
Next, the TCNJ Physician’s Assistant Club presented to the general body. It gained approval from GA on Sunday, March 6.
According to the official proposal, TCNJ Physician’s Assistant Club “helps students gain knowledge on necessary requirements and prerequisites to apply to physician’s assistant (PA) school.” The proposal also outlined events that the club is planning to hold, such as an alumni panel, as well as a program with local hospitals that would help prospective students meet graduate school requirements.
Formal recognition from SG will allow the club to book event space and use an official College email account. A representative for the club also expressed interest in getting SFB funding for trips to PA school open houses.
The general body approved both clubs without prior debate before transitioning into announcements from cabinet members.
Vice President of Administration and Finance Tyler Holzer then unveiled his detailed plans for proposed changes to the Loop Bus service.
According to the plans, there would be two buses that run within 30 minutes of each other, beginning at 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. There would be different options for loops on specific days of the week.
For instance, one option would be an evening on which both buses run between the College, Hamilton Train Station, AMC movie theatre and Quaker Bridge Mall all night long.
On another day, the buses might run from the College to the Hamilton Train Station and then return to the College to loop between the College, Princeton, Market Fair, Nassau Park Pavilion and the Mercer Mall, Holzer said.
Most of the options outlined had Princeton or AMC movie theatre as the last pickup location because people tend to stay in Princeton or at the movies until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.
Holzer also took suggestions for a possible mobile app on Android and iOS devices. As the plans stand now, Holzer believes that the app will feature a map of the Loop Bus route and a screen on which students can input their start and end locations and the day of the week so that their desired route pops up on the map. A second tab would display the Loop Bus schedule in full and a third tab would provide information on each location.
Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio then announced an upcoming organizational retreat on Wednesday, April 13, following adviser Elizabeth Bapasola’s verbal confirmation on Wednesday, March 9, that the College is seeking alternatives to its Passport to Programming, the annual day-long session in September where all club and organization representatives gather to learn the logistics of planning events on campus.
“We’re hoping this can replace Passport in the future,” Nicasio said.
Liaisons from student organizations on campus will convene in Roscoe West Hall so that “student organization leaders can network with one another, build connections and build co-sponsorship,” Nicasio said.
Liaisons will attend a meeting run by SG President Casey Dowling and then regroup into sessions with cabinet members, head senators and representatives from organizations within each school at the College, Nicasio explained.
Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ceili Boles announced that starting on Friday, April 1, GA will start a voter registration initiative in Travers Hall, in which the floor that can prove it has the highest number of registered voters will win a pizza party. Boles added that because GA can only obtain 200 voter registration forms at a time, it would be too difficult to run the initiative in both of the freshman towers.
Next, student Trustee Kevin Kim announced that SG has secured a lawyer to represent all students and student organizations for a maximum of $2,000. The lawyer was hired for 20 hours, meaning that she will be paid $100 per hour, Kim said. Hiring a lawyer has been talked over by SG for some time, ensuring that student voices are heard.
“She can’t represent you in a court case (or offer legal advice in academic integrity cases, or) for anything through the school,” Kim explained, but the lawyer could represent students having disputes with landlords or student organizations that wish to move their bank accounts off campus.
Kim said that there will be a Google Form to fill out in order to get legal representation.
The junior class council thanked all volunteers and attendees of “TCNJ’s Got Talent,” which took place in Kendall Hall on Wednesday, March 9.
“It was one of the best talent shows that we’ve ever had,” Vice President for Operations Levi Klinger-Christensen said. “The talent there was phenomenal.”
Klinger-Christiansen also mentioned that the junior class is hoping to host a bus trip to Colonial Bowling or a similar venue before the end of the semester.
Sophomore class president Kelsey Capestro announced that SFB fully funded Spring Back, which will be held on Saturday, April 16, on the lawn in front of Travers and Wolfe halls. Capestro said there will be a gladiator joust, obstacle course, photo booth, foosball table and inflatable basketball hoops among other things at the event.
Lastly, the freshman class council’s New York City Bus Trip was fully funded by SFB for Saturday, April 9, according to President Carly Mauro.
(03/22/16 2:32pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
The Wednesday, March 9, general body meeting of Student Government (SG) opened with a discussion about possible changes to the Loop Bus service on campus, updates on the library hours proposal sent to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jacqueline Taylor several weeks ago and an announcement that the College is seeking applicants for a director of the newly-formed Office of Student Involvement.
Vice President of Administration and Finance Tyler Holzer, who serves on the Loop Bus task force, discussed a resolution with general body members that the task force would submit to the College’s administration for further consideration.
According to Holzer, 150 students responded to a Loop Bus survey in Spring 2015 and offered feedback and suggestions for changes to the service. One of the most frequently requested changes was a revised schedule “to make it more accommodating to students,” Holzer said.
The revised schedule, if approved by the administration, would include a daily route for commuting students, staff and faculty. The Loop Bus would start running at 7 a.m. to pick up students at the Trenton Transit Center and drop them off before 8 a.m. classes start, and would then return to the train station at 7:45 a.m. for those who start classes later in the day, Holzer said.
There would also be a shuttle between the College and the train station starting at 5:30 p.m. each day, and it would make several trips back and forth during rush hour, Holzer explained.
Holzer said that he is considering making the Loop Bus schedule accessible as a mobile app because the existing copy of the schedule is difficult for students to read and interpret.
“Frankly, I don’t even understand (how to read it),” Holzer said. “(The proposed app would allow you to) input the time and location of where you want to go.”
Holzer also said that the Department of Computer Science and the Student Finance Board (SFB) would possibly collaborate with him on creating the app.
If any changes to the Loop Bus service are implemented, Holzer says that there “will likely be a nominal increase in student activity fees,” but when asked just how nominal these increases would be, he explained that “it’s kind of up to the Student Finance Board for funding.”
Ultimately, Holzer said that passing the resolution would mean that SG supports the proposal, “not that these changes are actually going to go through” immediately.
The resolution passed with no debate. Holzer will present more information about different options for Loop Bus routes at the general body meeting on Wednesday, March 23.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Darshak Vekaria announced that he received “verbal confirmation from the dean of the library that the library will be open until 3 a.m. during finals week” and that the extended study areas will be open 24/7 once the main floors close.
Vekaria also said that Dean of the Library Taras Pavlovsky and Taylor are working on adding the cost of keeping the library open 24/7 “to the base budget of the fiscal year,” so that next year, SG will not have to apply for SFB funding for the event.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and SG Advisor Elizabeth Bapasola congratulated the general body for securing funding through the administration for finals week library hours.
“You really represented your student voice, and the administration heard you,” Bapasola said.
Bapasola also announced that as of late last week, the College began searching for applicants to become the new director of Student Involvement.
After the former Director of Student Activities Tim Asher retired earlier this semester, the College has been searching for someone to fill his shoes.
Under Asher’s direction, the Office of Student Activities used to oversee many aspects of student life, including management of the Brower Student Center and Greek life. Over the last decade or so, Asher’s position on campus “evolved over time,” and new offices formed to oversee his duties — Seth Zolin became the Brower Student Center manager and Dave Conner became the assistant director for Fraternity and Sorority Life on campus, Bapasola said.
Bapasola explained that during the Fall 2015 semester, external consultants visited the College and concluded that fraternity and sorority life on campus “has been growing quite a bit in the past eight years or so.” The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life is expanding and ultimately requires more than a single staff member to manage all of its business, Bapasola said.
As a result, the College decided to merge the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to create the Office of Student Involvement, according to Bapasola.
“About 50 percent of his or her job will be advising all the councils” involved in Greek life on campus: the Inter-Greek Council, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council and the Unified Greek Council, Bapasola said.
Additionally, the new director will be responsible for co-advising SG. While Bapasola will handle “advocacy issues” and direct committees toward the appropriate offices and faculty members on campus, the director will handle class council affairs and programming needs for campus-wide events, Bapasola said.
The final three candidates will come to the College in early May for interviews with SG members and the College’s administration, according to Bapasola.
Bapasola also spoke about changes to the way the College manages organizations on campus. For instance, Bapasola said she understands that students hate spending an entire Saturday doing “Passport to Programming” each year — a program that organization leaders are required to attend in order to learn about programming.
“We’ll never do it again as it stands now,” Bapasola said, followed by a round of applause. She added that the College is exploring doing these training exercises as a leadership conference of sorts, or possibly as a series of online tutorials and quizzes.
During the cabinet members’ reports to the general body, Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ceili Boles reminded members that SG is co-sponsoring Union Latina’s debate night on Monday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium.
Parliamentarian Ken Rubin provided more information about the event, explaining that “both sides, (Democratic and Republican), will be represented,” and that students will give short presentations on each candidate’s platform and stance on various issues.
Professors from the history department will also give presentations “on why it’s important to vote,” Rubin said.
Vice President of Community Relations Brittany Angiolini discussed the upcoming Youth Outreach Day on Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Vice President of Equity and Diversity Priscilla Nuñez announced that TCNJ Epcot will be held on Thursday, March 24, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
Alternate Student Trustee Dana Disarno then announced upcoming spring elections for cabinet, class council and head senator positions.
Interest sessions will be held between Monday, April 11, and Friday, April 15. All paperwork for candidates is due on Wednesday, April 20, and elections will be held on Thursday, April 28.
Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro, noting that many students didn’t seem enthused about the class’ “Date Auction” fundraiser, announced that the class will now hold a competitive eating contest between different student organizations on Wednesday, April 13, and suggested that there might be a cash prize for the winning organization. More details will follow in upcoming weeks.
(03/09/16 3:14pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
This past week, Gloria Steinem — the celebrated women’s rights activist and journalist — visited the College to deliver a lecture. I can’t decide if this was poor or impeccable timing, given how often Steinem has been making headlines lately.
We all know the controversy by now: In early February, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Steinem spoke at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of the New Hampshire primary. The duo essentially said that any young woman who is supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders instead of Clinton is not a true feminist. This, coming from two well-regarded feminists in our nation’s recent history, is dangerous.
“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other!” Albright reportedly said, according to the New York Times.
In an interview with Bill Maher, Steinem suggested that young women are voting for Sanders because they’re hoping to attract male attention: “When you’re young, you’re thinking: ‘Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie,’” she said, according to the same New York Times article.
Steinem has since apologized for these controversial remarks, but women are still objecting to Steinem. The backlash has gotten to the point that the clothing company Lands’ End had to pull a featured interview with Steinem from their upcoming spring catalog.
I respect Steinem and all that she’s done to advance women’s rights since the 1960s. As a feminist, I certainly can’t begrudge her the right to speak out in favor of women supporting other women in politics. I believe it’s time to put a woman in the White House, too.
But I object to being told that it’s my duty as a young woman and a feminist to vote for a woman, just because it’s politically expedient.
At that rally in New Hampshire a few weeks ago, Steinem, Albright and Clinton advocated for an outdated brand of feminism. They asked women to rally behind a female politician for the sake of female empowerment.
To me, that’s not feminism. That’s tokenism.
I’m still undecided about who I’m going to vote for in November, but I know that whoever I do choose to support, it will be the candidate who is most qualified to be president. It won’t be because he or she represents an underrepresented class of people.
I resent the implication that all young feminists are obliged to vote for Clinton because she’s a woman. Personally, I feel that feminism is about giving women the freedom to make choices without having to explain themselves. If young female voters want to support Sanders or Rubio or a third-party candidate, it’s ultimately their decision. If they rally behind Clinton because they believe she is the best candidate, that’s perfectly acceptable, too.
I won’t be guilted into voting one way or another. Even though they’re from a bygone era of feminism, I think Steinem’s words are pertinent here: “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
(03/08/16 5:50pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Student Government’s (SG) Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio opened the Wednesday, March 2, general body meeting with an announcement about a campus climate survey.
“It’s not about the weather outside,” Nicasio said, but a survey that focuses on the “diversity and inclusiveness on campus.”
Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Kerri Thompson Tillet sent the survey to the campus community via email on Friday, Feb. 26.
“TCNJ continually strives to ensure that students are having the best college experience possible and we need your feedback to continue these efforts,” Tillet wrote in the email.
Nicasio, who served as the vice president of SG’s Equity and Diversity committee last year, said that not enough students participated in the campus climate survey last year. According to Nicasio, it was “hard for me to figure out” how students felt about diversity and inclusivity at the College.
Though the email from Tillet last month said that the survey closed on Monday, Feb. 29, Nicasio said that the survey is still open due to a low response rate and urged general body members to inform their peers and constituents to participate, as well.
Darshak Vekaria, the vice president of Academic Affairs, announced that per the general body’s decision to ask Provost Jacqueline Taylor to include funding for the 24/7 library hours during finals week in upcoming budget proposals, SG will need to seek out options for outside sponsors for the event.
According to Vekaria, Red Bull declined requests to sponsor the week-long event.
Vice President of Student Affairs Olivia White asked general body members if anyone was interested in serving as the new Spirit Squad chair. SG established the Spirit Squad in November 2015 and described it in a campus-wide email as “a new team that will work to spread school spirit and pride through a variety of avenues.”
The new chairperson would be responsible for putting together “really cool stuff” during the Spirit Week preceding Homecoming, White said.
On Monday, March 28, GA will co-sponsor a Union Latina debate in the Library Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., Parliamentarian Ken Rubin said.
According to Rubin, students will present “background research” about the Democratic presidential candidates and debate the merits and flaws of each candidate and “present ideas of what the Democratic candidates each believe in.”
The College Democrats “have not reached out to Union Latina in sponsoring the event,” Rubin said, so any students interested in participating are welcome to volunteer to speak.
Vice President of Community Relations Brittany Angiolini announced that Youth Outreach Day is taking place on Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Senior class President Emily Montagna had exciting news about Senior Week, which will last from Tuesday, May 17, to Wednesday, May 18, with ceremonies beginning on Thursday, May 19.
“It’s finalized,” she said.
On Tuesday, May 17, seniors will embark on a moonlight cruise.
“Shoutout to the sophomore class council for giving us the idea,” Montagna said, referring to the class’s successful proposal to the Student Finance Board (SFB) to hold a moonlight cruise as a sophomore class fundraiser after SFB initially zero-funded the event.
The guest speaker on Wednesday, May 18, will be Aron Ralston. Ralston was forced to cut off his own forearm while trapped after a climbing accident in Utah in 2003. His story was the subject of the 2011 film “127 Hours,” which starred James Franco.
“It’s inspirational,” Montagna said in a nod to Ralston’s ability to overcome incredible adversity.
Montagna also mentioned that there will be a field day, a toast from President R. Barbara Gitenstein and a gala at Celebrations in Bensalem, Pa., on Wednesday, May 18.
While more details are forthcoming, the packages for Senior Week are between $185 and $220, if seniors wish to stay on campus on Thursday night.
“It’s cheaper than last year,” Montagna said. “We’re happy about that.”
The sophomore class will hold their Date Auction on Wednesday, March 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the location is yet to be decided. The event is $2 at the door.
Class representatives explained that “a couple people from Student Government are going to be auctioned off” along with other members of the College community to go on a “date” with the highest bidder. All proceeds will go to the Class of 2018.
(03/08/16 5:39pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
The National Eating Disorder Awareness (NEDA) Monologues on Thursday, March 3, featured seven speakers who have struggled with eating disorders and insecurities with body image, but the overwhelming theme of the evening was self-love and acceptance.
Standing at the podium in the Library Auditorium facing dozens of members of the College community, these speakers shared their stories and struggles. Some were painful to recollect and difficult for friends and peers to hear. Nonetheless, the audience took in each monologue with compassionate silence.
Senior math major Rose Costanzo spoke frankly about her forays into emotionally abusive relationships, a pattern that she connects to her past struggles with body image and self-love.
“I loved to love others,” Costanzo said. “Unfortunately, not everyone gives back the love they receive.”
Costanzo revealed that it took years for her to come to terms with her eating disorder and that it wasn’t until she transferred to the College in her sophomore year that she “decided to take control back” and finally help herself.
“Here I stand, telling the story of a once-broken girl,” Costanzo said. “I no longer feel broken.”
Junior elementary and urban education double major Maureen Hudson talked about her experiences with meditation and how it has helped her cope with a negative body image.
“I woke up to the present moment,” Hudson said. “(And) It felt better than any amount of food could.”
Because eating disorders and body dysmorphia are considered mental illnesses by organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the speakers didn’t pretend that their struggles were completely over.
Lauren Plawker, a junior clinical psychology major who, by her own admission, is “holistically better” now than she was even a year ago, said she is still working toward acceptance.
Plawker co-founded the College’s Student Alliance to Facilitate Empathy (SAFE) in 2014 to provide a supportive and all-inclusive environment for students that is stigma-free. Plawker thanked another speaker “for getting me back up here” to share more of her story at the monologues once again.
“It gets better… when you acknowledge your situation,” Plawker said. “It is finally better when you learn to love yourself.”
Senior political science major Francesca Buarne told her story about struggling with an eating disorder in her junior year of high school. Buarne said that she was pleasantly surprised that she is “in a better place five years later.”
“I felt everything in life was against me, but really, I was against myself,” Buarne said.
Junior journalism major Kelly Corbett, who covered the monologues last year for The Signal, admitted that since her recent diagnosis with an eating disorder, she’s “been doing better… A lot better than I was a year ago.”
In spite of the challenges with which Corbett has dealt, she said she looks at her experiences as an opportunity to learn more about mental illness.
According to NEDA’s website, “the goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is to put the spotlight on eating disorders and improve public understanding of their causes, dangers and treatments. Millions of people across the country suffer from eating disorders, but by increasing awareness and access to resources, we can encourage early detection and intervention.”
The speakers reflected an awareness that their stories also represent the silent struggles of others within the campus community. They each offered bits of advice for audience members: surround yourself with people who want to lift you up, refuse to define yourself in terms of your appearance and recognize that you don’t know everyone’s story.
The message of the night was best reflected by Plawker’s words, “Be strong. Be brave. Be kind and be-you-tiful.”
The College offers resources for students who might need help dealing with eating disorders and other mental health struggles. Counseling and Psychological Services, which sponsored the event, is a free on-campus resource staffed by counseling professionals who offer group and individual therapy sessions.
The National Eating Disorder Association offers a helpline — (800) 931-2237 — and a click-to-chat feature on its website so help is easily accessible for anyone struggling.
(03/01/16 9:42pm)
By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor
The Student Government (SG) general body meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24, opened with a presentation from TEDxTCNJ, a club “designed to help communities, organizations and individuals spark conversations and connections through local TED Talk experiences,” according to SG’s Governmental Affairs (GA) committee.
On May 3, 2015, TEDxTCNJ held a day-long conference with 13 speakers, eight of whom were students and professors at the College. The club sought formal SG recognition in order to obtain funding from the Student Finance Board (SFB) and to book space for events on campus.
According to TEDxTCNJ’s representatives, TED is an international organization that allows private institutions, like colleges and corporations, to hold smaller conferences with TEDx branding. Essentially, TEDxTCNJ must apply for a license to hold a TEDx conference at the College and each step of the application must be approved by the official TED organization.
Licensing through TED is free, according to TEDxTCNJ representatives.
Last year, TEDxTCNJ relied on the College’s Office of Leadership Director Avani Rana and Brower Student Center Manager Seth Zolin to provide funding and space for the conference in May, but representatives said that this is not an option anymore.
With formal SG recognition, TEDxTCNJ representatives would be able to secure funding for their annual TEDx conference in the spring, as well as host viewing parties for TEDx talks that would be followed by “Socratic discussions” about the talks, representatives said.
The cost of a TEDx conference was about $2,000 last spring, club representatives said.
General body members approved the club with no prior debate.
Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio then introduced a resolution, R-S2016-01, which Vice President of Academic Affairs Darshak Vekaria brought to the attention of general body members on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
The resolution, which will be passed along to the College’s Provost Jacqueline Taylor, “(concerns) the matter of the budget and apportionment toward the library,” according to the resolution.
Nicasio explained that the resolution is “basically talking about the budget for extending library hours during finals week.” Because SG can no longer use Student Activity Fee (SAF) funding due to the program’s academic nature, the general body is issuing a “formal recommendation” to the provost to include the cost of keeping the library open in future budgets.
General body members cited statistics that indicated “a sharp decline (in library patronage) in the hours past 3:30 a.m.”
According to the resolution, “TCNJ SG recommends that the library open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 4 a.m., with extended study being accessible till 7:30 a.m. for the duration of the finals period,” which would effectively keep the library open for 24 hours a day, even though the main library floors would close after 4 a.m. Students could still work in the Library Cafe after that point.
President Casey Dowling and Nicasio then discussed upcoming changes to the Brower Student Center, according to Zolin and Dining Services Director Karen Roth.
According to Nicasio, “(renovations to) the Lion’s Den is projected to be completed in the fall,” and the addition to the Brower Student Center will likely be completed this summer.
Dowling revealed that the Lion’s Den will close around Monday, April 18, per her conversation with Roth.
Roth will give a presentation to the general body after spring break about “what they’re looking for with the Lion’s Den,” Dowling said.
“We’re going to give (Roth and Dining Services) feedback on the Lion’s Den… What we like about it, what we don’t like, food offerings, things that we want to see there (in the future),” Dowling said.
Vice President of Community Relations Brittany Angiolini then announced that Youth Outreach Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Student Trustee Kevin Kim updated the general body on the internal lobbying committee, which is doing “a million different things” around campus.
“Since we’re doing a lot of research and requesting things like longer hours (at the library), the main problem is the funding for it,” Kim said. “We’re actually going to start doing a lot of research into looking for grants (and) looking for scholarships (to get funding for these initiatives).”
Adviser Liz Bapasola spoke about a potential “emergency hire” of a new program assistant in the Office of Student Activities within the next few weeks.
The recent retirement of the former Director of Student Activities Tim Asher, was “a big loss,” said Bapasola, who acknowledged that with all of the upcoming spring semester programming, a new staff member at the Office of Student Activities will be essential to making those programs run smoothly.
The program assistant will likely work at the College starting “around spring break time,” and stay on through the summer, Bapasola said.
Senior class President Emily Montagna announced that the class council is finalizing its Senior Week budget. Registration for Senior Week is set to open around Friday, March 11.
“We pretty much have everything set in stone,” Montagna said.
The junior class council is hosting TCNJ’s Got Talent in Kendall Hall on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Sophomore class president Kelsey Capestro announced a “date auction” fundraiser on Wednesday, March 23, with more information to come.
The class council will also present to SFB next week to obtain funding for Springback, which will be held on Saturday, April 16, from noon to 5 p.m.
(02/23/16 10:00pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Student Government’s (SG) Wednesday, Feb. 17, general body meeting opened with a vote on BS-2016-01, an internal bill that will affect how the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee will proceed with constitutional review of student organizations.
“In light of the constitutional review that my committee has done over Winter Break, and even last year before I was VP, I want to make sure that me and future vice presidents (of GA) are responsible for responding to clubs in a timely manner with these amendments,” Vice President of GA Ceili Boles said.
Dozens of clubs found their Lion’s Gate pages frozen and their publicizing privileges, such as posting flyers, revoked on Wednesday, Feb. 10, for not submitting a revised constitution to GA for approval by Feb. 10, according to Boles.
The bill “is written to establish a new procedure for approving amendments for TCNJ-recognized organizations, such that the vice president of Governmental Affairs must respond when an organization submits an amendment to the committee within five business days,” Boles said, reading directly from the bill.
Members voted to approve the bill without debate.
Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio announced that SG and the College Union Board (CUB) were fully funded by the Student Finance Board (SFB) for Funival, the on-campus carnival that marks the end of the spring semester.
“It’s a very big event, so we’re going to need a lot of Student Government support,” said Nicasio, who noted that as co-sponsors, general body members will need to volunteer to staff the event.
Tyler Holzer, vice president of Administration and Finance, announced that the committee is still selling crewnecks for $25 apiece and beanies for $5 each.
Boles announced the viewing of the upcoming Republican debate that will air on Thursday, Feb. 25, ahead of the Tuesday, March 1, primary in Alabama. The viewing will be in room 103 of the Social Sciences Building, but as “the time has still not been released yet,” further details are forthcoming.
On Monday, March 21, GA will co-sponsor a mock debate with the College’s chapter of NAACP in room 115 of the Education Building from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to Boles.
The debate will “bring further awareness concerning the political process,” Boles said.
Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro informed the general body that the class was able to deliver 150 Valentine’s Day cards to a local children’s hospital last week.
Carly Mauro, freshman class president, announced the class will start selling T-shirts for $15 apiece.
Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Head Senator Eashwayne Haughton announced that an “advising report” for HSS advisors is “in the works,” similar to the existing advising reports that the School of Business already has at the end of each semester, on which HSS students will be able to provide feedback on their academic advisers and indicate whether or not they were helpful.
(02/17/16 3:22am)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Brian Potter, a political science professor at the College and a member of the President’s Climate Commitment Committee (PC3), spoke at Student Government’s (SG) Wednesday, Feb. 10, general body meeting about green initiatives on campus, including a new ridesharing service exclusive to the College.
Because PC3 has identified that 80 percent of the College’s carbon emissions comes from energy usage on campus and the remaining 20 percent comes from commuting, the committee drafted the help of computer science majors from the College to design a ridesharing app called TCNJ Rideshare, available on Apple and Android devices.
“It’s like Uber, but it’s free and limited to the TCNJ community,” Potter said.
In order to use the service, students, faculty and staff create accounts using their College email addresses and then enter information about their cars if they wish to offer rides to people on campus. Those who need a ride may make a ride request and will be matched with a driver who is going to the same location, or two drivers can use the chat function to determine who will drive, Potter explained.
“We need a certain threshold of people to use (the app),” Potter said. “It doesn’t work if only three people are using it. Once we get up to hundreds of users, it’ll take off.”
When President R. Barbara Gitenstein signed the PC3 pledge in Spring 2007, she made a commitment to monitor the College’s carbon emissions. The ridesharing app will calculate how significantly carbon emissions are reduced with each carpool, Potter said.
Although the service is free and those who request rides are not obligated to compensate their drivers, Potter pointed out some incentives to offer rides. For example, there are four designated spots in front of both Lots 5 and 7 that will be reserved for those who frequently offer rides for a month at a time.
Potter said that the service is intended for both commuters and residential students, but he doesn’t expect that it will compete with the Loop Bus service or Campus Town’s Enterprise Rent-a-Car service. As the Loop Bus follows “a fixed route” and Potter feels as though many students are not taking advantage of the Enterprise service on campus, he believes that TCNJ Rideshare can be extremely beneficial.
As for improved sustainability efforts on campus, Potter said that the College had prepared grants and proposals through the federal government for solar panels and window replacements to cut down on energy usage, but “that was pulled out from under us.” At this time, the cost to implement these changes is prohibitive, Potter said.
Potter also fielded questions about composting on campus. He acknowledged the Bonner Center’s monthly plate scraping initiatives and said that while a lot of food is wasted on a daily basis, “composting is not feasible for us money-wise” at present.
Prior to Potter’s presentation, the Korean Student Association came before the general body to seek formal SG recognition of their organization.
Previously, the Korean Student Association presented to Governmental Affairs (GA) on Nov. 8, 2015, and they voted unanimously in favor of the organization. The Korean Student Association needed SG recognition in order to secure funding from Student Finance Board (SFB) for events on campus, including a variety show.
At each meeting, members discuss current events in North Korea and South Korea, learn the Korean alphabet, as well as some common words and phrases, and break off into “families” that engage in conversations related to Korean culture, club representatives said.
A main concern among SG members was that the club wouldn’t be sustainable because the representatives were all seniors, but representatives assured the general body that three freshmen sit on the executive board and that there are many underclassmen involved in the club. Approximately 50 students belong to the Korean Student Association because the club is open to students of all backgrounds, representatives said.
After a lengthy debate, SG members overwhelmingly voted in favor of formally recognizing the Korean Student Association.
President Casey Dowling swore in the new speaker of the general assembly, Megan Vantslot, at the beginning of the meeting.
Darshak Vekaria, vice president of Academic Affairs, spoke about a proposal to the College’s provost Jacqueline Taylor about the extended library hours during finals week. Although SFB granted funding for extended library hours for the last two semesters, SFB stipulated that SG could no longer use Student Activity Fee (SAF) funding because those fees are intended for programming, not academic events, Dowling explained.
Dana Disarno, alternate student trustee, also mentioned that SG can’t ask for funding through the Office of Student Affairs because “we’re a very mindful campus” and to keep the library open 24/7 would be “promoting unhealthy living.”
The proposal would ask Taylor to include the cost of keeping the library open 24/7 in the budget so that SG doesn’t have to apply for SFB funding each semester. In addition, Vekaria proposes that the College seek an outside sponsor to fund the 24/7 library hours event.
Ceili Boles, vice president of Governmental Affairs, announced that the deadline for organizations to undergo constitutional review has passed. The clubs that didn’t respond to several email reminders from GA to update their constitutions will now have their Lion’s Gate accounts frozen and will not be able to book rooms or post flyers for events, Boles said.
“We really want to get these clubs back in action and functioning,” said Boles, who advised affected clubs and organizations to get in contact with Devan Kowalek, the program assistant for Student Engagement who manages the Lion’s Gate system, in order to take the appropriate next steps.
Later, junior class President Robert Kinloch announced that TCNJ’s Got Talent will be held on Wednesday, March 9, with further details forthcoming. In past years, the show was held in Kendall Hall.
Sophomore class president Kelsey Capestro said that the class will co-sponsor a blood drive with TCNJ EMS in the T/W Lounge on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
(02/09/16 8:32pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Student Government President Casey Dowling opened the Wednesday, Feb. 3, general body meeting with a discussion about the Lion’s Gate system, now that it has been operational for a full semester.
General body members offered feedback for possible improvements to the system. Among the suggestions were calls for accessibility via mobile devices, although representatives for Lion’s Gate reiterated that the CollegiateLink system offers an app called Corq that is “pretty responsive.” The app is available on Apple and Android devices.
Members also noted that “the benefits of Lion’s Gate aren’t really clear” to the campus community, aside from the ability to register for clubs and organizations on campus. While the system is supposed to keep the campus community informed of upcoming events and circulate internal information within organizations, students tend to use email lists and Facebook to stay on top of things.
Lion’s Gate representatives assured the general body members that they would take the feedback and suggestions into consideration.
To kick off a new semester of governance, Dowling invited newly-appointed cabinet members and head senators to the front of the room for a swearing-in ceremony.
Notably, Darshak Vekaria and Dana Disarno were sworn in as vice president of Academic Affairs and alternate student trustee, respectively. They promised to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Student Government and the students of The College of New Jersey” in their oaths.
Theresa Holzheimer was also sworn in as the senior class council’s vice president of Public Relations.
Senators of business, education, arts and communication, humanities and social sciences and science also took their oaths.
Vice President of Administration and Finance Tyler Holzer announced an ongoing crewneck sale. Shirts are $25 apiece and are black with yellow, teal or white lettering.
Holzer also announced that Political Science Department Chair Brian Potter and Presidents’ Climate Commitment Committee (PC3) will address the general body on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to discuss ideas for sustainability on campus.
According to Holzer, Potter and the PC3 team, which was established by President R. Barbara Gitenstein in the spring of 2007, set an initial goal “to make the campus carbon-neutral by 2020.”
Vice President of Advancement Amanda Williams and Vice President of Equity and Diversity Priscilla Nunez both announced their respective committees’ co-sponsorship with the College’s Black Student Union for Black History Month.
“There are cool, fun, interesting events,” said Williams, urging general body members to attend.
Vice President of Community Relations Brittany Angiolini announced that Relay for Life will take place on Friday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“It’s great to have a big representation of Student Government there,” Angiolini said, by way of encouraging general body members to join the SG relay team.
Nunez proudly announced that Equity and Diversity’s event, TCNJ Epcot, was fully funded by Student Finance Board (SFB).
“We slayed it,” Nunez said of her committee’s presentation to SFB.
The event will take place on Thursday, March 24, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Student Trustee Kevin Kim announced an opportunity to apply for a Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) position. HESAA consists of “a lot of higher ed professionals” and “nine or 10 student representatives,” Kim said.
Colleges and universities in New Jersey get a certain number of representatives to advocate for students’ financial aid concerns. Dedicated representatives come from schools like Rutgers Univerisy and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), but the College doesn’t have that status at HESAA.
“If anyone has been through or has received financial aid, or has had a lot of experience with financial aid, and wants to advocate for students that need more financial aid, they want students who have received financial aid from their schools,” Kim said of preferred candidates for the seat.
Kim added, “It’s a really good opportunity for us as The College of New Jersey to have representatives on that board, but further down the line, I think we should start lobbying for having dedicated representatives since we’re The College of New Jersey, and Rutgers (University) and NJIT get one.”
The application deadline is not until the end of March. Applicants must be New Jersey residents.
Senior class president Emily Montagna announced that the semester’s first Senior Night, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, was approved.
“We sold 83 tickets in two hours,” Montagna said.
Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro announced that starting on Tuesday, Feb. 9, the class will be tablesitting so that students can make Valentine’s Day cards for patients at children’s hospitals in the area.
“We’re hoping to get at least 150 (cards),” Capestro said. “It’s your chance to put a smile on somebody’s face for Valentine’s Day.”
Capestro added that the class is co-sponsoring a blood drive with TCNJ EMS on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Freshman class President Carly Mauro announced a late-night bake sale in Travers and Wolfe halls on Friday, Feb. 12, from 9 p.m. to midnight.
(01/27/16 12:27am)
By Sam Fogelgaren
Blogger
It seems not a day goes by without an adult’s snide comment on the way today’s youth don’t care about politics. We all know the routine: it usually features civic-minded platitudes such as ‘if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain,’ followed by a reminder that they always voted (yeah, right). Our elders are half-right. As a generation, our voter participation rates are quite low (in 2012, the 18-24 age group turned out 25% less than 1964).
What adults often get wrong is that while we tend to be apathetic towards voting, we are far from politically apathetic. While previous generations have seen voting and candidate/party centered campaigns as the way to engage politically, our generation— discouraged by formative political experiences like the Iraq War, the Great Recession and extreme Washington gridlock — prefers alternative forms of political expression. Just look at the student organizing taking place at Yale, Mizzou, Ithaca College and many other schools around America. Whatever your thoughts are on these organizing campaigns, their size, persistence and goal achievement demonstrates a desire to meaningfully engage in politics, albeit a different outlet than parties, candidates and elections.
Young people aren’t avoiding the polls because we don’t care: rather, because we feel that our votes will not persuade politicians to address the issues we care about, the act of voting doesn’t carry the same sense of urgency it did for previous generations. And we apply that urgency to different forms of political engagement, such as direct action.
So how do we change the game? How do we parlay our deep passion for social and political issues into the more formal realms of politics?
Enter the TCNJ Political Union — a new student organization dedicated to improving and sustaining political engagement on campus. Our goal is to engage all students, with a particular focus on the substantial number of students who are politically disengaged. We will do this by meeting students halfway — by identifying intersections between politics and common areas of student interest, and working with student groups, faculty and administration, and off-campus partners to build effective programming.
And what you’re currently reading is the first installment in a new blog titled ‘We, the Campus.’ Each week, we’ll feature an opinion piece from a TCNJ student or faculty member concerning a politically relevant topic. We’re dedicated to finding new ways to reach students, spark lifelong interests in politics, and bring the campus together to do it.
As college students, we take the values and experiences formed here and bring them into our adulthood — we bring them into the jobs we have, the communities we live in and the families we raise. We have an extraordinary opportunity to instill a sense of civic and political urgency in our fellow students. Let’s run with it.
Sam Fogelgaren is the Executive Director of TCNJ Political Union.
Students and faculty members are welcome to contribute opinion pieces to this blog.
(01/26/16 9:01pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
After a full semester of renovations to the Brower Student Center, which permanently eliminated a popular dining option and forced student organizations to relocate their respective office spaces, exciting changes are on the horizon.
Curt Heuring, the vice president for Administration who is involved in campus planning, and Sodexo General Manager Patrice Mendes both confirmed that a new restaurant called Traditions will open in a few weeks in the Brower Student Center.
“The restaurant takes over the space previously occupied by the bookstore... (and will offer a view of the) Social Sciences (Building) and Music Building quadrangle,” Heuring said.
Traditions is a new on-campus dining option where students can use points to pay for food. According to Mendes, “meal equivalency will be honored at this location as it was in the Rat,” which they hope will break up the long lines at the Lions Den and the Library Cafe during those hours.
For students who are still mourning the permanent closure of the Rat, Traditions’ menu “will incorporate several favorites from the Rat,” Mendes said. In addition, the menu will boast “some new and exciting creations from our celebrity chef consultant, Carl Ruiz.”
Ruiz owns Marie’s Italian Specialties, a deli that also serves up classic Italian recipes, located in Chatham Township, N.J., that was featured on a 2013 episode of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Ruiz also recently appeared on an episode of Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” on Sunday, Jan. 3.
“Over the last six weeks, the kitchen and servery had extensive work completed and are very close to operational,” Mendes said. “The flooring for the dining room, the stage and new windows for the dining room have been installed.”
William Rudeau, director of Campus Construction, said that distressed tiles were recently installed, and showed off reclaimed walnut wood paneling that will accent the walls in the restaurant and the Brower Student Center.
The stage, which is reminiscent of the stage for student performances in the Rat, is still under construction, but the sound system is mostly installed, Rudeau said.
Because construction is still underway for Traditions, it is tentatively scheduled to open on Monday, Feb. 29, according to Mendes.
“We’re working out some equipment delivery logistics and other last-minute challenges, so the actual opening date is uncertain at this point in time,” Heuring said.
The second phase of construction, according to Rudeau, will include the installation of restrooms and a skylight lounge complete with furniture.
Both Heuring and Mendes confirmed that the existing dining options in the Brower Student Center will be updated in the near future.
“Traditions is the first step in new dining options in the Brower Student Center,” Heuring said. “The second phase will include a new servery” that will update the existing space in the Lions’ Den in time for the Fall 2016 semester.
Once Traditions is fully operational, the Lions’ Den and the Fresh Pride Cafe will undergo renovations this summer, Mendes said.
“The Fresh Pride Cafe will continue to highlight Mindful menu items with the addition of a large salad bar. The food court will be expanded to ease traffic flow and will offer sushi,” Mendes said.
In addition, the Lions’ Den will offer “a noodle bowl concept, sandwich concepts, pizza and pasta concepts, fresh burgers” and more, according to Mendes.
As for the rest of the building, the project is still in phase one, according to Heuring. This phase includes the construction of Traditions as well as offices on the second floor. The steel frames are scheduled to be installed during the week of Monday, Jan. 25.
“The multi-purpose room addition foundations are completed,” Heuring said.
In the midst of the extensive renovations to the Brower Student Center, and various buildings around campus, Traditions is being opened for good reason, according to Mendes.
“The renovation was staged to allow students to enjoy the food court while Traditions was completed and then to allow students access to the completed Traditions restaurant when the food court undergoes renovation for a Fall 2016 opening,” Mendes said.
(11/17/15 8:52pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Vice President of Administration and Finance Tyler Holzer presented more information on the Metzger Loop closure project during Student Government’s general body meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
According to Holzer, who recently met with the project’s director of construction and other faculty members on the Metzger Loop committee, the current plan would involve painting a “blue and gold stripe” and installing “mile markers” along a paved path that directs runners away from the road that encircles the campus. Closing the loop by extending the sidewalk all the way around Metzger Drive is too expensive, currently, according to SG.
According to Holzer, the College’s administration expressed interest in the project, which is tentatively called “The Lions’ Trail.”
“The faculty are actually pretty eager to get this going,” Holzer said before unveiling a campus map with the new loop system demarcated in purple lines.
Some new paved pathways and crosswalks would need to be installed, particularly near Lake Ceva and the campus entrance, as well as near Townhouses East. However, according to the map provided by the TCNJ Multi-Modal Access and Mobility Study of Pedestrian Deficiencies, much of the new loop system would cut through the perimeters of campus. For instance, part of the loop would cut around Forcina Hall.
“It would be a cheap move if we don’t have to put in any new pavement,” Holzer said.
Olivia White, vice president of Student Services, talked about the “signage” that would let runners know how far they’ve run around the loop, which she believes might be “an incentive” to use the new loop instead of the existing road around campus.
As for the stripes of blue and gold paint, White asked general body and elected members to speak to their constituents and find out if these “very discreet” lines on the pavement would detract from the College’s dignified, Georgian colonial aesthetic.
“Hopefully, we’ll stop running on the (existing) loop and start running on this loop that we’re going to create,” Holzer said.
Next, Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio announced a “town hall style discussion, basically about health and wellness on campus,” that will be held in Mayo Concert Hall on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m.
The event will focus on mental health and suicide prevention and will feature Psychiatrist Dr. Victor Schwartz from the Jed Foundation.
Later, White spoke about a new committee that she will be heading called the Spirit Squad.
Like Equity and Diversity’s committee, Bias Response Team, the Spirit Squad is not necessarily “a part of Student Government.”
“We’re calling it a Spirit Squad, and we’re going to try to increase school spirit by doing things like pep rallies,” White said, announcing the formation of this committee ahead of a campus-wide email.
According to Parliamentarian Ken Rubin, about 80 voter registration forms have been collected across campus as of Friday, Nov. 6.
Brittany Angiolini, vice president of Community Relations, announced that TCNJ Holiday, a popular event featuring crafts, giveaways and horse carriage rides to celebrate the upcoming holidays, will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Priscilla Nunez, vice president of Equity and Diversity, announced a meeting for all multicultural organizations on campus, which will be held on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. in the Social Sciences Building, room 130.
“There’s going to be a huge networking event where all the multicultural organizations” will be able to get in contact with one another and receive “networking opportunities,” Nunez said.
Next, the class councils updated the general body on their upcoming events.
The senior class was fully funded for its cooking class on Wednesday, Dec. 2, which is part of its “Real Life” series. A Qualtrics form will be sent out for sign-ups. The event will take place at 5 p.m. in the 1855 Room.
Spaces are still available for the junior class’s upcoming bus trip to Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 21. There are 110 seats in total and students can sign up in the Brower Student Center. There is a $10 deposit, but students will receive their money back on the day of the trip.
The freshman class will hold its formal on Friday, Nov. 20, at Cedar Gardens Banquet in Hamilton, N.J. Tickets are $15 apiece.
(11/10/15 6:57pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
A bill that strives to hold general members of Student Government “more accountable” passed during the general body meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
According to Vice President Javier Nicasio, the bill is essential as “some students can’t be general members because they don’t have time” for general body meetings, and others can’t attend committee meetings due to internships and other outside obligations.
“It’s hard to assign workload,” Nicasio said, given that some committees have “three members, while some have 10.”
The bill, known as B-F2015-06, would require general members to earn “six positive points per semester,” Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ceili Boles said.
Members who don’t earn the six points through going to events, working events or tablesitting will face the possibility of losing their status as a general member.
General body members moved to vote on the bill after quickly suspending debate. Ultimately, the bill passed.
Next, Nicasio discussed some “exciting news” for updating the Loop Bus service on campus.
According to Nicasio, SG conducted a student survey last year to evaluate the effectiveness of the service.
“As many of you might think, it might not be as effective” as it should be, Nicasio said.
Nicasio is part of a committee that is “playing around with a lot of cool ideas” for improving the service in the future.
Following Nicasio’s report, Vice President of Finance Tyler Holzer spoke about the Metzger Loop closure.
The Metzger Loop committee, which will work with members of the College’s administration to create a new path around campus for joggers and bikers to safely use, will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to Holzer.
Holzer also mentioned a Student Finance Board (SFB) forum scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m. It is open to all students.
“If anyone has problems or complaints with the Student Finance Board, you can go to that and you can talk to them and tell them what you think,” Holzer said. “They’ll consider your changes.”
Nicasio said any emails regarding issues that students might send for consideration at the forum to SFB’s advisor, Ceceilia O’Callaghan, will be anonymous.
Next, Dana Disarno, vice president of Academic Affairs, thanked SG members for their involvement in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 “Registration 101” event.
“The Records and Registration office was really pleased with the turnout because it (has) been low in previous years,” Disarno said.
Boles advertised Governmental Affairs’ (GA) next live screening of the presidential debates, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 in the Social Sciences building, room 103.
Parliamentarian Ken Rubin also spoke on behalf of GA, reminding members of the committee’s voter registration events on campus this month.
On Friday, Nov. 6, GA gave out cupcakes in Eickhoff Hall to students who registered to vote.
Next, Brittany Angiolini, vice president of Community Relations, said that SFB funded “TCNJ Holiday,” an event annually sponsored by the College Union Board, SG and SFB, for “over $23,000.”
Student Trustee Kevin Kim then talked about lobbying efforts on campus. Students have been surveying their peers about the extension of weekend hours at Eickhoff Dining Hall, the fitness center and the library this past week, and around 400 surveys have been collected.
“We’re going to be pushing hard for Health Services,” Kim added, explaining that the absence of weekend hours at Health Services is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Elizabeth Bapasola, SG’s advisor, announced that some consultants will be visiting the College over the next few weeks. Notably, three consultants will come for a “review of fraternity and sorority life,” and both affiliated and unaffiliated students are encouraged to meet with the consultants.
Class councils gave their reports next.
Senior class President Emily Montagna announced the first “Real Life” series event, keeping with a senior class tradition. Seniors are invited to enroll in a cooking class that will teach them how to prepare a holiday meal, which is a great skill to have in the real world, according to Montagna.
Montagna also announced the next Senior Night will be held at Havana Restaurant and Bar in New Hope, Pa., on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Junior class President Robert Kinloch announced that the class’s bus trip to Philadelphia was fully funded by SFB.
“If you’re a junior, now you know what you’re doing on (Saturday,) Nov. 21,” Kinloch said.
Kelsey Capestro, sophomore class president, said that the class is “still selling tickets for the moonlight cruise,” which will be along the Delaware River on Saturday, Nov. 21. Tickets are $12 apiece.
“We sold about 115 of the spots,” said Capestro, who announced that about 30 spots are still open to sophomores.
The class will also hold its educational event on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., which will feature panelists from different companies and offer students of all classes advice on how to land interviews and internships.
The freshman class council is still selling tickets at $15 apiece to its semi-formal, which is on Friday, Nov. 20 at Cedar Gardens Banquet.
(11/03/15 9:28pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Student Government voted to approve the new TCNJ Chess Club during its general body meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
According to the Governmental Affairs (GA) committee, which heard a presentation from TCNJ Chess Club on Sunday, Oct. 18, it’s “the only club of its kind” on campus.
The club provides “a friendly environment for students interested in the game of chess,” according to GA.
It was considered to be a club that will sustain itself for many years because it has a large number of freshmen on its membership roster. Also, some of the members “are certified in running chess tournaments,” according to GA.
TCNJ Chess Club will tutor students who are new to the game, as well as host “casual games and tournaments.” GA voted unanimously in favor of approving the club before the final presentation at a general body meeting.
Representatives for the club said that they sought formal recognition from SG so that they could post official flyers around campus, create a Lion’s Gate page and book room reservations on campus for events and tournaments.
The general body, however, approved the TCNJ Chess Club almost unanimously, without any prior debate.
Dana Disarno, vice president of Academic Affairs, announced an upcoming event, “Registration 101,” set to take place in the Travers/Wolfe Lounge on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The event, which is targeted at freshmen and transfer students, “will be extremely helpful,” Disarno said.
Tutorials on accessing PAWS’ shopping cart feature will be a significant part of the event. Disarno urged general body members to “invite all the people that you think this (event) would benefit.”
Vice President of Student Services Olivia White spoke about The Hunger Banquet, an event that SG is co-sponsoring with TCNJ Student United Way. The event is a nationwide movement “with the mission to end poverty and hunger.”
The banquet will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
White explained that when entering the banquet, “you get separated into high class, middle class and low class, and depending on your class, you get served a meal.” The separation is meant to give students a taste of how those in other parts of the world live.
Additionally, parliamentarian Ken Rubin announced tabling for voter registration. On Friday, Nov. 6, SG will have tables set up in Eickhoff Hall, where students who register to vote can get a cupcake.
“Simple as that,” Rubin said.
SG will also hold a bake sale on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20, to encourage voter registration.
Kevin Kim, the student trustee, talked about a lobbying committee that advocates for students’ complaints.
According to Kim, the lobbying committee is continuing to focus on “the trifecta from last year,” which is the extension of Eickhoff Hall’s hours, gym hours and library hours.
“Especially weekend Eick hours, because a 10 a.m. opening is a little ridiculous,” Kim said.
The committee will also expand its focus to extend hours for health services.
Following, sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro announced the council’s recent success after having initially been zero-funded by the Student Finance Board.
“We were fully funded for our moonlight cruise,” Capestro said, referring to the cruise that was initially rejected by SFB for funding. In their second proposal, the group asked for roughly $1,000 less.
All sophomores are eligible to attend the cruise, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21. The class will leave the College around 10:45 p.m. and return at approximately 2:30 a.m. Only 150 slots are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets are $12 per person.
(10/27/15 7:55pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Matthew Bender, a professor of history at the College and co-chair of the Steering Committee, gave a presentation on improving the governance system on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Student Government general body meeting.
The Steering Committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students, is essentially “the hub of the governance system,” Bender said. Any inquiries that come through the Steering Committee are redirected to the appropriate council or committee on campus. However, the Steering Committee is also dedicated to periodically reevaluating the College’s governance system.
Bender asked general body members if they had any feedback about the governance system, as many SG members sit on a wide variety of committees to represent the needs of their constituents.
The four main committees that the Steering Committee oversees included the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP), the Committee on Strategic Planning and Priorities (CSPP), the Committee on Student and Campus Community (CSCC) and the Committee on Faculty Affairs (CFA). All of these committees represent different aspects of operations within the campus community. General body members raised concerns about some of the committees that they sit on, prompting Bender to note that the Steering Committee is dedicated to looking at ineffective committees and choosing to either “collapse” them or reassign their duties to other committees.
“If there are committees where they meet for no reason, we need to know that,” Bender said.
Later, President Casey Dowling updated the general body on a recent Town Gown meeting, in which representatives from the College meet with Ewing Township to discuss concerns within the community.
“A lot of complaints from the township are noise complaints,” Dowling said.
Dowling also addressed the street sign theft problem in Ewing, which Ewing representatives addressed during the Town Gown meeting. A campus-wide email from Chief of Police John Collins on Wednesday, Oct. 7, said “more than 100 street signs” were stolen from surrounding neighborhoods in Ewing. Campus Police offered an amnesty period for anyone with a stolen sign to return it to Campus Police without consequences.
“There are currently 46 missing street signs,” Dowling said, noting that many of the signs were returned as a result of the campuswide email, before urging general body members to tell their constituents to return the signs.
Dowling cited concerns that the missing signs might hinder emergency response efforts, particularly “if there’s an elderly person who needs an ambulance,” and emergency responders are unable to quickly locate the caller.
Dowling also announced a Fall Leadership Conference, set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Education Building, room 212. It is open to all students who are looking to improve their leadership skills.
Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio asked general body members to “rethink different ways to allocate the money for the Loop Bus to make the service more efficient.” Nicasio has been coordinating this effort with Amy Hecht, the College’s vice president of Student Affairs.
The senior class is co-sponsoring “Dining Out in Professional Style” with the Career Center. The event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from noon to 3 p.m. Students who register will learn how to use proper dining etiquette when eating out with potential employers.
Sophomore class President Kelsey Capestro advertised an educational event sponsored by the Class of 2018, which will be held in the Physics Building, room 101, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The class is “looking to get people who work at Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and Target” to join a panel discussion that will inform students of all majors how to interview for internships at these companies.
Senators from the School of Arts & Communication announced Open Studio Nights in the Arts and Interactive Multimedia Building, where any art students looking for studio time in the from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. are welcome to attend.
Arts & Communication senators are also looking to create an updated, archived list of clubs associated with the school so that they can be identified and reached more easily.
The School of Engineering is looking for donations for equipment for senior projects According to head senators, anyone who makes a donation exceeding $50 will receive a sticker or magnet from the school.
(10/27/15 4:54pm)
By Alyssa Sanford
Web Editor
Meal plans are expensive. It’s a universal truth for college students across the country, but the fact doesn’t quite resonate with students as long as they can use those points as currency instead of taking cash out of their wallets. All it takes to shatter that illusion is one outrageous price.
For junior business major Nicole Alexandre, that moment came last semester when she visited the College’s Convenience Store to buy snacks before an upcoming visit from her cousin. After browsing the selection for a while, she chose a Nutri-Grain cereal bar, among other items.
A single bar cost nearly $3 in points. At Walmart, a box of eight Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars costs $2.68, which equates to roughly 33 cents per bar. That makes the C-Store’s price an approximate 900 percent markup from a chain store’s price.
“That’s ridiculous,” Alexandre said. “It’s actually ridiculous that bar cost me three dollars. I could go to Stop and Shop and buy six of them for the exact same price.”
There’s a clear discrepancy between prices at the C-Store and at local shopping centers, but the convenience of swiping an ID card to buy snacks and groceries blinds students to that fact.
Not surprisingly, the College profits from the points spent at locations around campus.
According to a 2012 document outlining the regulations for dining services at the College, “all funds for dining service contracts, debit cards and Get-It cards are collected and held by the College.”
Furthermore, the document states that “the C-Store serves as an on-campus alternative to off-campus convenience venues and is priced competitively with the local market.”
According to Patrice Mendes, Sodexo’s general manager at the College, the local market means “other convenience stores and mom-and-pop small grocery stores, as they are more closely aligned with (our) volume and business models.”
While Sodexo’s Marketing Department used to determine pricing in recent years, it now comes from upper-level management, according to Joanna Brunell, a Sodexo area marketing coordinator at the College.
“Pricing is covered in our contract with TCNJ,” Mendes said. “The pricing increases (because) established items are increased by the contracted amount annually. New items are priced in conjunction with the campus contract director based on cost and other factors such as pricing in like venues.”
In early October, students could purchase fresh produce at the C-Store, eliminating the need for venturing off campus. However, the prices, while reasonable, were not “priced competitively.”
While apples and bananas cost 89 cents apiece at the C-Store, ShopRite sells McIntosh apples for $1.29 per pound, and bananas at 59 cents per pound or 30 cents apiece, as of a circular from the week of Oct. 12.
Avocados at ShopRite cost 77 cents apiece, but they were offered at $3.29 each at the C-Store.
While students likely won’t buy potatoes in bulk, Russet potatoes are sold at approximately 60 cents per pound at ShopRite, while the C-Store charged 85 cents apiece.
The prices are fair, but the marked-up prices are difficult to ignore. Avocados were marked up almost 430 percent, and bananas received a nearly 300 percent markup.
According to Mendes, these markups are based on sales, or “lack thereof.”
“The markups on all the items vary greatly, and there is not one standard markup percentage or increase amount. Instead, we have an overall percentage we cannot exceed,” Mendes said.
Because some items at the C-Store are in high supply but low demand, the pricing reflects a need to sell those items to fewer customers and still manage to make a profit. Fresh produce can’t be offered at the same prices as a chain grocery store because it won’t sell, especially when students can grab apples, bananas and oranges at Eickhoff at no additional cost.
Furthermore, local markets are able to sell food items at lower prices than the C-Store because their clientele is able to bargain-shop at a wide variety of stores.
But some items are priced as low as possible to keep sales up, according to Mendes.
Items like dry cereal and certain ice cream brands kept their prices constant this year, “despite cost increases from our distributor, due to the fact that the retail price was already perceived as being prohibitive to sales,” Mendes said.
Thus, the C-Store’s clientele, made up of residential college students who are often without a means of transportation to local stores, have to pay a little more for the convenience of food shopping without having to leave campus.
In spite of the convenience, the price still matters to Alexandre.
“The price definitely matters for me... I don’t have any other options because I don’t have a car on campus,” Alexandre said.
At the University of Southern Indiana, which also uses Sodexo’s dining services, students who pay for their food in points don’t pay sales tax, according to the university’s newspaper, The Shield.
According to Mendes, there is no difference between paying in points and in cash.
“The price is the same whether a student/customer pays with cash, credit/debit or points. The C-Store services the students, faculty, staff and even our own employees,” Mendes said.
When asked if she would think twice about using cash to pay for food at the C-Store, Alexandre was resolute.
“Definitely. I remember that I went to the C-Store one time and didn’t have my ID on me,” Alexandre said. “I don’t think about it that much when I just use my ID card because I’ve prepaid the expense, but I don’t like paying in cash.”
Sodexo management tries to keep pricing under control, but as Sodexo is a business, the profits must come first.
As Alexandre said, however, “It’s still important to worry about the price.”
(10/20/15 4:54pm)
By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor
Laura Borawski, the College’s Annual Giving Coordinator within the Division of College Advancement, spoke before the general body on Wednesday, Oct. 14, about the upcoming Day of Giving.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, the College hopes to receive donations from 500 individuals within 24 hours, including donations from students, faculty, staff and community members. All gifts will go to the TCNJ Fund, which is “the College’s annual fund,” Borawski said.
According to Borawski, last year the College raised around $15,000 with the help of 109 donors, but hopes to exceed that level of participation with the #OneDayTCNJ campaign.
Borawski approached Student Government general body members to ask for volunteers. In order to volunteer, interested parties may make a gift to the College in any amount on Thursday, Nov. 5, then promote the event on social media using the hashtag #OneDayTCNJ. Donators are also are asked to contribute a quote to the wall on Green Lawn or on the College’s Facebook page.
While there is technically no “minimum gift” value, Borawski specified that those who make donations in person can donate $1 or more, while those who donate online will have to donate $5 due to credit card fees.
Donations can be earmarked for specific funds, Borawski said. For instance, the SG Scholarship is currently accepting donations, and any gifts made out to the College on the Day of Giving can be allocated to that scholarship fund.
“Every dollar goes toward the resources that you guys use everyday,” Borawski said.
In addition, three new clubs presented before the general body: the Rebel Art Movement (RAM), TCNJ Pre-Veterinarian Club and SPEAR (Students for Prison Reform and Education). All three clubs presented to the Governmental Affairs committee on Sunday, Oct. 4 and were deemed viable enough to present to SG.
Rebel Art Movement, so named because its 14 charter members want to break away from the stifling idea of traditional “arts and crafts,” would replace TCNJ Art Students Association (ASA), which was derecognized last semester by SG when it failed to “reapply for club status,” said SG President Casey Dowling.
The members of RAM mentioned plans to install permanent pieces of art on campus, including a 6’ x 6’ plywood “ever-changing cube” for which anyone in the campus community could submit design ideas.
The Pre-Veterinarian Club, which is open to anyone interested in working with animals regardless of their major, is “a great networking opportunity” and helps people “gain veterinary experience,” according to Governmental Affairs.
As the club is linked to the Animal Benefits Club, all active members of the Pre-Veterinarian Club must attend at least three volunteer hours with Animal Benefits members, according to e-board members.
SPEAR, which provides tutoring services for inmates, is open to students of all majors. Because inmates are tutored in literacy, math and writing, all students are encouraged to get involved, e-board members said.
The club doesn’t need SFB funding because their events revolve around inviting professors and other guest speakers to serve on panels at meetings, according to SPEAR e-board members.
Rebel Art Movement, Pre-Veterinarian Club and SPEAR all formally received SG recognition after a vote.
Executive Vice President Javier Nicasio gave a presentation on proper parliamentary procedure to general body members, in which he offered clarifications of governance terminology and outlined debate etiquette.
Vice President of Student Services Oliva White advertised the t-shirt swap, set to take place on Green Lawn on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The rain location is in the Brower Student Center.
Vice President of Governmental Affairs Ceili Boles was pleased with the turnout for the livestream of the first Democratic Debate. Subsequently, GA will host a screening of the next Republican debate on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Lions’ Den.
Sophomore class council President Kelsey Capestro announced that the class will hold an “educational event” open to all classes and majors on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that will cover preparation for job interviews and the search for internships. It is tentatively scheduled to be held in the Science Complex, room 101, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pending SFB approval, the freshman class formal is set to take place on Friday, Nov. 20. More information is forthcoming.