4 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/14/03 12:00pm)
GUTS (the Gay Union of Trenton State) and other members of the campus community celebrated National Coming Out Day last Saturday.
Approximately 20 members of GUTS set up tables outside the Travers/Wolfe Halls with pizza, music, pamphlets and decorations as part of the College's Community Fest events. GUTS members also "chalked" the campus sidewalks Thursday night with quotes, drawings and statistics about being gay and National Coming Out Day.
Keiko Suwa, president of GUTS, considered the turnout very successful.
"People are a little intimidated to stop by," Suwa said. "They see the pizza, then they see the rainbow (tablecloth) and think 'oh, its gay pizza,'" she said jokingly.
Families and students stopped at the tables to talk and eat or look at brochures. "We got a lot of visibility today, which is good," Suwa said.
National Coming Out Day was founded by two gay rights activists in 1988. This was the first anniversary of the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which took place on Oct. 11, 1987.
An anonymous member of GUTS said this day is important to gays and lesbians, but is also important to bisexuals, transgendered people and those who are "bi-curious, bi-attracted, bi-affectionate and I don't know how many more sexual orientations."
Dawn Alamia, co-vice president of GUTS, said, "I always knew I was different, but I was always told it was OK to be gay." Others agreed that they usually saw signs early in life that they might be gay.
Jeremy Grey, a sophomore psychology major, secretary of GUTS, said that the hardest part is admitting to yourself that you are gay, "which is a major first step." Grey recalled many unfinished sentences in his high school notebooks that read "I think I might be . "
Grey believes that being gay is not a stigma at the College. "New Jersey is a very liberal state, and that attitude is reflected in the students of TCNJ," Grey said.
Grey is one of the two facilitators of The Haven, an e-mail-based support group for students questioning their sexuality. The Haven also provides monthly forums for the discussion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered issues.
Other students listed numerous disadvantages of being gay. "The (gay) community is harassed and ostracized constantly," Lenny Irgang, senior communication studies major, said. "We are part of a minority. That puts enormous burdens on the (gay) community."
Grey spoke of disadvantages of having to hide his personal life from his family and some friends.
"It's hard to have to deal with things completely in private," he said. Grey also had to lie to his parents when he went out, which created a growing distance between himself and his family.
Another anonymous member of GUTS criticized the law against same-sex marriages. He also thinks it is unfair that he is afraid to hold hands with another man and to go to parties where the majority of people are "ignorant" heterosexuals.
"I fear being attacked for who I am," he said. "No one should have to live like that."
The anonymous student also said that a common misconception is that homosexuality is a choice. "I would never choose a life with so much difficulty involved," he said.
Alamia agrees that sexuality is not a choice. "But," she said, "I don't see it as so bad that no one would want to choose it. You can't let bigots run your life."
Irgang is glad that the College provides an organization like GUTS. "Knowing that they are there is comforting. It makes me feel like I'm not alone," he said.
Several members of GUTS offered advice to those who are considering coming out. Alamia said the first step is to "find someone you can trust and talk to."
Ryan English, junior women's and gender studies major and co-vice president of GUTS, suggested starting with people you trust, then branching out from there. English also suggested adopting an honesty policy. If you are not ready to tell people you are gay, just be honest with them if they question you about it. "Never be afraid to be honest," English said.
(10/07/03 12:00pm)
Dieting has become the craze on campus. It may be from fear of "the freshman 15," unidentifiable Sodexho food or just because mom's not around to make you eat your veggies.
It seems like wherever you go, you hear people talking about counting carbs and fat intake. Even sitting in class, you are almost guaranteed to overhear a conversation about so-and-so who lost 20 pounds on the Atkins and her friend who dropped two sizes on Weight Watchers.
Everyone wants a perfect body and most people want to eat healthy, but all the different diets are enough to make your head spin. With so much different advice, it is almost impossible to determine what is good for you and what's not.
There are people who have lost hundreds of pounds on the Atkins diet by eating bacon and eggs and greasy hamburgers every day, even though this would be a major no-no on any other diet. Atkins also avoids fat free foods, while most people would assume that they are a healthy choice.
Watching my roommates compare the nutrition facts of five different cereals the other day made me realize there are no set standards for eating healthy. One cereal has less carbs but more sugar and sodium than another. So which one is better? Is it better to have more fat grams or more calories? And wait - fiber is supposed to cancel out carbs, right? It seems like no one really knows.
The food pyramid was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1992 to promote healthy eating habits. It promotes a diet with little fat and sugar intake and a broad base of carbohydrates.
However it began to change in January. This means that food you have always considered healthy might not be.
According to an article in the January 2003 edition of Scientific American, "research has shown that the (1992) USDA pyramid is grossly flawed and provides misleading guidance". USDA said now that "some fats are healthy for the heart, and many carbohydrates clearly are not".
The revised food pyramid is not expected to be completed until 2004. Until then, how do we know what to eat?
Moderation and exercise seems to be the key. I am not a health expert, but no one dispute that these two factors will work in your favor.
Unfortunately, our society makes it almost impossible to follow these rules. Restaurant dining portions are bigger than ever, and far exceed those of most other countries.
When you're not preparing your own food (like most college kids) you're almost tricked into overeating.
Exercise also seems to be a thing of the past. We live in a fast-paced world where convenience is the main goal.
We expect our lives to be quick and easy, and are willing to pay for this luxury. It's no wonder that we live in the fattest country in the world.
Companies and celebrities are making millions off fad diets. They must know that most people are lost these days when it comes to eating healthy and losing weight.
Some people will jump on the bandwagon as soon as they hear of the latest plan that works faster and is easier than the others.
When I asked my doctor what diet she would suggest, she told me to find one that works for me. Needless to say, she was no help either.
In the midst of all this nutritional confusion, there are two bits of advice that I have found helpful in my four years at the College: skip the late-night trips to Halo Farms for its $1.65 ice cream quarts and switch to light beer.
(04/08/03 12:00pm)
The TCNJ Foundation held its third annual Spring Gala on Friday, April 4 at the Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville. Sixty of the College's scholarship recipients were invited to attend.
The money raised at the Spring Gala will be used to provide scholarship funding for students. This funding is especially important this year due to the proposed state budget cuts.
In the past two years, the Foundation has been able to raise thousands of dollars for student scholarships. The goal of this year's event was to raise $40,000. The Foundation raised $16,000 at the 2001 Gala, and $25,000 in 2002.
This money is given to the Outstanding Student Recruitment Program (OSRP) at the College. The OSRP is dedicated to attracting potential students statewide and providing scholarships for those top students.
This year, the Gala was moved from Trenton Country Club to Greenacres Country Club, due to increasing interest in the event. Approximately 220 people attended. Tickets cost $175 per person.
Peter Manetas, assistant director of developmental and alumni affairs, said the Gala is "a community fund-raising event," but also "an event to honor a corporation and three individuals who have sustained interest and support in the College."
Lenox Incorporated was awarded the 2003 TCNJ Corporation of the Year.
Lenox and First Union Bank were the top two sponsors of the event. Each contributed $10,000 to the Foundation. "Lenox sponsors a student scholarship here and has done a lot for the College over the years," Manetas said.
Walter D. Chambers, the chair of the Board of Trustees, was awarded 2003 TCNJ Presidential Honoree of the Year.
Walters has provided the College with "devotion and commitment of the highest degree," Manetas said.
Thomas N. Loser, the former president and founder of Wyrough & Loser Incorporated, was named as the College's Citizen of the Year.
Loser presented a large donation for Paul Loser Hall, which was named after his father.
Donald R. Waters Sr., the former chief executive officer of Waters & Bugbee Inc., and Foundation Executive Board member, received the College's Leadership Recognition Award. Waters died in January, and his son accepted the award on his behalf. Waters was responsible for getting corporate sponsors for the College throughout the Trenton area.
He and his wife fundeded an annual business scholarship at the College.
Approximately 20 students with scholarships offered by both the College and private corporate sponsors attended the Gala.
"This event gives donors a chance to actually meet the students they are supporting," Manetas said.
The Foundation consists of 30 volunteer members, most of whom are not alumni.
According to Manetas, the Foundation "exists as a private fund-raising forum in coordination with the Office of developmental and alumni affairs."
Connie Calisti, graduate of the class of '78 and member of the TCNJ Foundation, was responsible for organizing the Gala.
The TCNJ Foundation also hosted the annual Golf and Tennis Classic in October at the Trenton Country Club. One hundred and fifteen people participated in the event and $23,000 was raised.
"With the tight economy and budget cuts, we are overwhelmed by the support we have gotten. This is not a good year for the economy, and the fundraising has been a huge success," Manetas said.
(03/04/03 12:00pm)
Phi Alpha Delta fraternity hosted its first annual Root Beer Pong Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The tournament was held as an alcohol awareness program with prizes given to the first through fourth place teams.
The goal of the tournament was to promote responsible alcohol drinking habits.
"We looked to cater this program to the freshmen," Jake Hrywniak, president of the fraternity, said. "That's why we're holding it in T/W"
"This gives people something to do," Make Lavelle, new fraternity member, said. "Hang out without drinking."
The event was planned with support from Joe Hadge, coordinator of the Alcohol and Drug Education Program (ADEP). ADEP pens and stress balls were handed out at the registration table. Hadge also provided the fraternity with posters to display with facts about alcohol and the dangers of over-consumption.
Many felt that informing students about alcohol abuse is important. Hadge said that freshmen in particular, who have just left home, need to be aware of the risks associated with alcohol.
"Especially because there has been so much alcohol poisoning in the (freshmen) dorms this year," Jennifer Lopez, freshman law and justice major, said.
Phi Alpha Delta's tournament was well-supported. Thrity-two teams participated in the event, and about 25 people came to watch. Ten root beer pong tables were set up with numerous games being played simultaneously. Rules for the game were posted on each table, but many said that they were very familiar with the game and did not need to review the rules.
Teams were able to sign up beforehand or at the door for a small fee. Lavelle said that the fraternity was not necessarily holding the event as a fundraiser. The money went towards the root beer and the prizes.
"We just want to give back to the community and have a good time," Lavelle said.
The event was also held to publicize the fraternity as new member season begins.
"We're just trying to get our name out," Paul Riccioli, senior finance major and fraternity member, said. "We're a pretty small organization."
Currently, the fraternity only consists of 10 brothers, which makes it difficult for the organization to host many large events on campus.
"With some new members in the ranks, we are looking forward to putting on several events a year," Hrywniak said.
Most of those in attendance stayed for the duration of the tournament to watch all of the games. Laughter and cheers of encouragement could be hard throughout the spacious room as students cheered each other on during the matches. The brothers, identified by their maroon and grey shirts, ran around refilling cups between games. The brothers went through 60 cans of root beer during the tournament. The event lasted nearly two hours.
"It's fun, even though we lost," Shannon Bradford, freshman elementary education and psychology major, said. "This shows you can play drinking games without alcohol and still have a good time," Riccioli said.
The brothers agreed that the tournament was a success. Because of a lack of weeknight activities on campus, "we hoped this afforded some residents an opportunity to come out and enjoy themselves for a while," Hrywniak said.
The first place team, junior Dave Ust and junior Alex Czeto, won a DVD player. The two decided to hold a final one-on-one match for possession of the DVD player, which was ultimately won by Ust.
The second place team, freshman Ted Tyburczy and freshman Rich Kropp received a $20 gift certificate to Mama Flora's Italian Restaurant. The third place team, freshman Joe McKeever and freshman Mike Malatino, won a $20 gift certificate to IHOP. Fourth place team, senior Josh Cranz and sophomore Rob Cook, received a gift certificate for two free appetizers at The American Grill and Caf?.
Phi Alpha Delta plans to hold another tournament next spring.
"Don't worry, we'll be back next year," Cranz said as he received his prize.