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(12/06/06 12:00pm)
With the rise of Internet publishing, upcoming reporters often wonder what prospects exist for them in the new medium. A panel of three online magazine editors, sponsored by Ed@TCNJ and Unbound, the College's online magazine, sought to give students insight in the opportunities open to them.
"There's a lot of hiring going on for online editorial positions," Blake Wilson, editorial assistant for the online magazine Slate, said.
According to Ray Hennessey, Editor in Chief for smartmoney.com, while print journalism isn't going away any time soon, it is still important for reporters to be flexible and willing to work in both mediums. A reporter who is determined to stay in only print or online publishing is less likely to be hired in either medium.
"Now moreso than ever, I think staying in one platform is indicative of stale thinking," Jillian St. Charles, editor for Redbook online, said.
St. Charles said she sees journalism as the combination of all forms of journalism, both print and electronic. She noted that a Web site won't cannibalize its print counterpart, and that Redbook actually sells more print subscriptions through advertisements on its online stories than through traditional inserts in its print edition.
All three panelists agreed that it is easier for a young journalist to be published online rather than in print. Since there are no space restrictions in the online platform, online publications are able to give untested writers a chance without worrying about wasting valuable space and are easily able to give exposure to stories that unexpectedly turn out well.
She also said that journalists should work with and learn from bloggers, rather than pretend they don't exist. Civic journalism, with more emphasis on being part of the community at the expense of being less objective, is on the rise.
He said the cycle is similar to that of print news, but at a much faster pace. Wilson described Slate as having the style and presentation of a weekly magazine despite being updated with new stories and features on a daily basis, with e-mail and instant messaging (IM) providing instant contact with other reporters and editors no matter the distance.
"The culture of the online magazine flourishes in IM and e-mail," Wilson said.
Hennessey said that one of the advantages of the online cycle is that editors know where exactly their readership lies. By looking at the number of hits each individual story receives, he said, you can see what topics draw readers and how many readers are watching the site in general, something newspapers lack.
The availability of space and jobs makes online journalism a good prospect for new reporters. However, despite the difference between the two mediums, traditional points like the wall between the news and business staff still exists.
"Left to their own devices, the business side will always make (the Web site) look like a NASCAR car," Hennessey said.
(12/06/06 12:00pm)
I think the absurdity of my entire existence can be summarized in my dislike of coffee.
Despite staying up until all hours of the night, averaging four to five hours of sleep a night my first semester as editor, working in a caf? and having a java-loving roommate, I still can't stand the stuff.
This works out well, 'cause I'm pretty sure you can't be a serious journalist without a complete disregard for personal comfort, health and sanity. So while weak mortals may turn to mere plants for energy, the race of super-humans who call themselves "Signal Editors" make due on their own indomitable iron will.
In my career serving The Signal, I briefly wrote a column that featured underwear as a masthead, edited more evolution versus creationism debate stories than I'd care to recall, used "balls in your face" in a headline and helped unleash Satan upon the world. All in all, I've led a fulfilling, caffeine-free life.
I would like to thank the staff of The Signal for making me realize that I'm not the only one in the world psychotic enough to give up one full day and many random hours every week to decide which on-campus events are worth painting on thin tablets of dead tree.
Here, I have seen the fine art of snark refined to such a degree that some of us can be sarcastic in our sleep. Or at least I assume we would be, if we ever actually got sleep. Regardless, I will forever miss the insubordination and verbal jousts as I resign myself to becoming a highly paid professional, or at least a reporter.
Now that I am leaving the paper, there will be a huge, 20-hour void in my Monday night schedule that I can only hope to fill with excessive amounts of drinking and sex with beautiful women. It will be hard to adjust I admit, but I am sure I will persevere despite the lack of editing to keep myself occupied.
Farewell, sweet Signal, and goodbye to both the good times and the bad. I will miss cutouts, and will never witness the glory of a fading picture, but I shall remain in spirit.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
(09/06/06 12:00pm)
Students will now need to swipe their ID cards to access any computer lab on campus, as the last several labs staffed by student personnel will start using roving staff.
According to Patricia Pasinski, assistant director of User Support Services, the change is not because of budget cuts, but rather the growing number of students who don't need technical support on a regular basis.
"In the past, student workers were positioned in the labs to help students with computer questions," Pasinski said. "We discovered a few years ago that our students are very well versed with technology and rarely needed that assistance."
According to Pasinski, the 24-hour swipe-in also helps prevent theft. In addition to preventing non-College students from entering the labs, swipe-in records can be checked in the event that equipment is stolen, giving a better idea of who was using the computer labs at that time.
To this end, Pasinski urged students to leave the doors closed after swiping in.
"If you prop a door open after you swipe in, you could be contributing to theft in the labs," Pasinski said.
The reduction of student staff began in Fall 2002. Originally, each lab had its own staff, but Information Technology condensed these workers into a single group that traveled between all labs on campus. This change allowed the College to use staff more efficiently and to keep the labs open longer, Pasinski said.
Until this year, the Music, Bliss and Holman computer labs retained constant staff, but have started using roving staff now that swipe-ins are required.
According to Pasinski, while students in these positions were not rehired for this semester, they were directed to open Information Technology positions they could apply for.
Students will still be able to swipe in to all computer labs with their cards, regardless of major or status. The only restriction comes when a class is being held in a lab. Currently the hours of every lab on campus can be found on the Information Technology Web site, and class schedules are posted on the door of the labs in which classes are held.
The new program will not reduce Information Technology's ability to respond to technical problems, according to Pasinski. The roving staff has always handled problems that go unreported, and will continue to do so, along with some full-time personnel. In the case of a serious problem, students can still contact the help desk for aid.
The wandering staff will still come in at night to close labs, although Pasinksi said they are working on an automatic shutdown method to further free up the staff's time and increase the amount of time labs are available for students.
"We hope through this initiative that we are giving our students the lab access that they need," Pasinski said.
(08/30/06 12:00pm)
"The Class of 2010, large and in charge," was the rallying cry of James Norfleet, vice president of Student Life, at the keynote speech delivered for Welcome Week on Sunday.
Norfleet, who was hired last semester, gave the freshmen advice to help them in their four years at the College.
"You are no longer children," Norfleet said. "You are adults in your own right."
Norfleet urged students to learn responsibility, and to strike out on their own, away from their parents' control. He said college is to prepare students for real life, and that they should prepare to make difficult decisions on their own.
He told students to accept responsibility, make sure they know their class syllabi and warned them to watch out for parents who still treat them as children.
Norfleet said students shouldn't be afraid to speak to professors and administrators and work to solve problems themselves. If there is a problem with a roommate, he suggested they try to work it out with each other and their friends.
He urged students to, when comfortable, embrace the diversity found at the College and meet people from different backgrounds and different parts of the state and country.
According to Norfleet, though the college experience begins by "trying to make yourself at home away from home," students should go out, meet new people and try new things.
"College is not a solo act. Lone rangers do not make it in college," Norfleet said.
Norfleet called for students to watch out for each other. If a friend drinks too much at a party, don't leave her there, he said. She isn't in a position to make good decisions. If you know a friend is in trouble, you should stick by him or her.
He warned students to stay away from bad friends who pressure others to do things they don't want to do. Norfleet said sometimes the hardest thing to do is admit that who you thought was a good pal isn't a friend at all.
"Sometimes the most difficult task is the journey inwards," Norfleet said.
Norfleet admitted that college is much harder and far different from anything an incoming freshman has ever experienced. However, he said that this is what helps one look inside.
According to Norfleet, what makes the job of serving on the faculty at the College so joyful is helping students find their calling in life by helping them focus on what they want to do and how to reach that target. The goal of college is to not only educate, but teach students how to succeed in life, he said.
"We will witness the unfurling of your wings over the next four years as you soar to heights not thought possible," Norfleet said.
(08/30/06 12:00pm)
Students studying at the library finally have a way to refresh themselves thanks to a new caf?, featuring Starbucks coffee and espresso, which opened Tuesday.
Steven Hugg, director of marketing and business development for Sodexho, said the caf? will use Starbucks products, but allow for the sale of other items and for pricing to be adjusted to the College's standards.
In addition to hot drinks, the caf? will carry Starbucks iced and frozen beverages, fresh fruit smoothies and frozen yogurt, Hugg said.
According to Paula Rainey, library program assistant, plans for the caf? were included with the blueprints for the New Library. However, time was needed to set up the area and plan how the service would be run before the area could be put to use as a caf?.
Drinks are still banned outside of the caf?, Rainey said, because there are too many books that are too old or valuable to risk spills and stains.
"(Students) can just relax and get their drinks," Rainey said. She also said she expects many students to bring their laptops into the caf?, creating a new study area.
The caf? is also creating several opportunities for student employment, Hugg said. In addition to two full-time Sodexho employees, 14 students were trained to work part-time at the caf?, and two business students are interning as managers.
Caf? hours are weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is currently no news on whether or not the caf? will have later hours during finals week, when the library is open 24 hours.
(08/24/06 12:00pm)
In anticipation of the arrival of the College's largest incoming freshmen class in nine years, the lounges on each floor of Travers and Wolfe Halls were revamped and redesigned.
Unlike the 2006-2007 academic year, the lounges of Travers and Wolfe will no longer be used as common areas. Instead, they will help house the incoming freshmen.
The lounges now contain beds, desks, dressers and closets. Each lounge has been redesigned to hold four freshmen.
However, some incoming freshmen will live off campus this semester, according to Chris Farrell, assignments coordinator for the Office of Residential and Community Development.
"There are some (freshmen) who didn't accept housing," Farrell said. In previous years, freshmen were required to live on campus and purchase a meal plan, but this year some were allowed to live off campus due to the number of new students and housing complications related to the abandoned Metzger Apartments.
The increased class size and new living arrangements are not a new challenge for the College, and revamping the Travers and Wolfe lounges is not the only such measure the College has used in prior years.
"Lounges in Travers and Wolfe have been used as quads off and on for the past six plus years," Kellie Perkowsky, resident director of Wolfe Hall, said.
Other rooms in Travers and Wolfe will also be altered to accommodate the incoming freshmen.
One such room was a former computer lab. The room, located on the second floor of Travers, was used as a triple for years.
"For this year," Perkowsky said, "(the College) has reinstalled the wall that used to be (in the room) and it is going to go back to being two double rooms."
Additionally, some apartments previously used as housing for Graduate Assistants have been changed into freshmen housing. The apartments, located in Wolfe and Cromwell, can house two to four freshmen each.
The College has revised its housing options for freshmen several times. Formerly, freshmen were housed in Norsworthy Hall, according to Michael Robbins, area director for the office of Residential and Community Development.
The new living arrangements will affect not only the incoming freshmen class, but also the Community Advisors (CA) living and working with them.
The lounges of Travers and Wolfe were used last year as convenient gathering places for CAs to host events and conduct floor meetings. This year, according to Perkowsky, CAs will alternate between the classrooms located on the second, third and fourth floors of Travers and Wolfe.
"While residential life professional and student staff would like to have more common space, it hasn't seemed to negatively impact our programming or student satisfaction in any way," Perkowsky said.
The increased class size was implemented this year as a measure to help offset some of the College's financial burden due to the state budget cuts. The budget cuts, finalized during the summer, cost the College over $8 million.
In addition to increasing the size of the freshman class, the College also admitted a record number of transfer students, many of whom will live in Cromwell.
(04/26/06 12:00pm)
The College's student chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) honored United States Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff with its Gene Carte Memorial Award last Wednesday.
However, because of security concerns, students were not informed of the event until a few hours before it began.
The award honors New Jersey natives in "positions of notable leadership in criminology and justice," with recipients chosen by the executive board of ACJA. Chertoff, a New Jersey native from Elizabeth, was chosen because of his lofty position in the criminal justice field.
"It (was) an incredible honor to have the secretary accompany us today," Brian Vanadia, junior criminology and justice studies major and president of ACJA, said. "We believe the secretary puts his life on the line every day in his position as well as protects the citizens of this country."
"It's not every day our students are able to witness a keynote address by such a distinguished speaker," John Krimmel, associate professor of criminology and justice studies, said.
The award is named for Gene Carte, a former professor at the College who founded the criminology and justice studies department in 1976. The award was dedicated to his memory after Carte was killed at the University of Cincinnati when coming to the aid of a student who was being attacked.
In his acceptance speech, Chertoff noted the difficulty and hard work that students in the criminal justice profession face.
"Until you've sat with someone accused of a serious crime and talked to them as a person, you don't realize the toll that the criminal justice system takes on them," Chertoff said.
He spoke about 9/11's implications for our country, comparing its importance to that of World War II for his father's generation.
"It was either leaving ourselves open for another attack . (or) really substantially damaging our society and way of life," Chertoff said of the delicate balance that had to be struck in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. Chertoff has since helped connect the attack to al-Qaida, as well as pushed for more sharing of information between government intelligence agencies.
While he believes that the country has done a good job of balancing "freedom, prosperity and safety," he does admit that it hasn't been free of hardship.
"We do pay a price, seen in soldiers (that have died) in Afghanistan," Chertoff said.
Prior to becoming the Secretary of Homeland Security, Chertoff served as assistant attorney general, as well as a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. According to Lisa McCarthy, director of Alumni Affairs, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1978, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Later in the program, the Law and Justice Alumni Chapter gave George Wagner, director of public safety for Hunterdon County and director of the Hunterdon County Department of Corrections, the Law and Justice Alumni Award.
Wagner, who received a degree from the College in criminology and justice studies in 1997, has worked in the field of criminal justice since 1980.
The Law and Justice Alumni Award is granted to alumni of the College who demonstrate "outstanding contributions" and have been active in the field of criminal justice.
Due to security reasons, the time had to be changed so that the two awards were given out in separate programs at separate places. Chertoff received his award in the New Library auditorium at 4 p.m., and Wagner was given his at 5:30 p.m. in Brower Student Center.
"Because of the high security concerns with him, we went back and forth (with Chertoff) on whether the press would be allowed in," McCarthy said.
Chertoff was grateful for the award, particularly because students in the field were the ones who chose him as the recipient.
"I don't think there is a more rewarding area of public service than criminal justice," Chertoff said.
(03/29/06 12:00pm)
Music students will have to bring in their own stands to practices and recitals, at least temporarily, according to the music department.
Partly due to several music stands that went missing during Spring Break, the music department is forcing students to purchase their own stands until a resolution can be found.
Suzanne Hickman, associate professor of music, spoke to students about the issue at a meeting March 22. She explained that the issue was not a sudden backlash against students, but rather the result of years of music stands disappearing and being found randomly throughout the building, including in hallways and stairwells.
Professors and ensemble directors have discussed the issue previously, and, for the time being at least, accepted the new policy as a solution. Hickman pointed out that many other colleges and conservatories abide by the same policy.
"What we came up with over three years was that students should have their own stands anyway," Hickman said, equating the purchase of a music stand with buying a textbook.
Students, however, saw the stands as a form of school-issued equipment, like desks or microscopes.
Also of concern to many students was the limited communication between faculty and students before decreeing that the stands should be taken away. Students felt that they had been forced to purchase new stands without being first given a chance to discuss the issue.
"Even though we're all upset about the stands, we're really upset about the lack of communication," Shannon O'Connor, sophomore music education major, said.
One issue students raised was that a department-wide e-mail to music majors came across as accusing students of stealing the stands. Hickman acknowledged the mistake and said she was glad that students organized and came forward to deal with the issue.
"No one said that this stand policy was permanent. I'm glad that we're looking for solutions," Hickman said.
Roger McKinney, associate professor of music, agreed with the sentiment, and noted that students aren't the only ones who need stands.
"I'm just as inconvenienced as you are," McKinney said.
Students offered to be part of the solution, and help deal with the problem by cleaning up when they find stands in the hallway and helping keep track of stands that move from classroom to classroom. McKinney agreed that students should be a part of the solution.
"This is the bottom line," he said. "We want to have this luxury, let's play ball."
(02/22/06 12:00pm)
Man found making sexual comments in Packer
Campus Police are currently investigating a man who was "discussing things of a sexual nature" near the men's locker room in the Packer Hall aquatic center.
According to Campus Police, the man had been harrassing a student, but had left by the time they recieved a call, and there has been no further sign of him since the incident.
The man was described as being of slender build and five foot nine inches, with dark brown skin, dark hair and wire rimmed glasses.
According to Sgt. James Lopez, all further information available at this time is in the timely warning e-mail issued by Campus Police.
Campus Police urge anyone who sees any suspicious activity on campus to call them at x2167.
College employee to lead statewide forum
Nadine Stern, chief information officer at the College, has been selected as co-chair of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) Forum of NJEDge.net.
NJEDge.net is a non-profit organization that was designed to enhance teaching, research and public service missions at colleges and universities across New Jersey.
The new, official CIO Forum will meet two to three times a year, and will serve as a focal point for discussion among CIOs, as well as an opporunity for colleges to share services and offer staff training workshops.
According to a press release from the College, Stern said that there have been informal meetings between CIOs for the past two years, and that these meetings have become a valuable source of information to help solve problems, as well as a place to share general ideas and strategies about information technology management.
(02/08/06 12:00pm)
Sesquicentennial celebrations win awards
The events held by the College in honor of the Sesquicentennial have earned it three awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education's (CASE) District Accolades Awards Program.
The College received the gold award in the category "Visual Design in Print: Logos/Nameplates" for its "Once We Were Normal" series of logos.
It also received the silver award in the category "Web site: Publication/Special Purpose" for the design of the official Sesquicentennial Web site.
The College also received the bronze award in the category "Special Events: Event Series" for the Sesquicentennial program held throughout the 2004-05 year.
These awards are given out on a yearly basis, and honor schools based on their achievements in print, multimedia, communications, events and program development.
CASE started this event in order to enhance the alumni and community relations of the institutions that participate in the program.
Trenton resident scammed out of $6,000
A Trenton man lost $6,000 to two con artists posing as police officers Feb. 1, police told the Times of Trenton.
The thieves convinced the man that they were conducting a criminal investigation and convinced him to make a withdrawal from the bank in order to help with their inquiries. There is no information as to how the criminals took the money at this time
This is the second such scam to occur in Trenton this year, after a man lost $18,000 last month to two men pretending to be federal investigators looking into a prior scamming incident, police told the Times of Trenton.
(02/01/06 12:00pm)
The College rose through the ranks to be named 19th for in-state students in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's top 100 best values among public colleges country-wide.
Kiplinger's Web site explains that over 500 schools nationwide were considered for this list, and they were ranked based on cost, quality and availability of financial aid, as well as each college's overall academic strength.
These were further narrowed into such categories as freshman retention rate, average debt held by graduates of the college and student-to-faculty ratio.
Of the categories, those that represented overall academic strength carried the most weight, and counted for nearly two-thirds of the criteria for a college's rank.
According to Matt Golden, director of communications and media relations, the College did very well to achieve such a high rank in the list, as it has had to compete alongside far larger colleges that have many more students and receive more state aid for their programs.
"To finish in the top 20 is a noteworthy accomplishment," he said.
Golden partly attributes the College's high ranking to the fact that despite a rise in tuition costs at public schools statewide, the inflation of tuition costs at the College has been kept to a minimum.
As the financial crisis in the state has lowered funding to the College, officials have worked to minimize the burden that falls on students.
Keeping costs as low as possible while still allowing the College's programs to retain a high level of quality has been the main issue, which Golden refers to as a "delicate balancing act."
"We worked very hard to keep our budget as austere as possible," Golden said. "We try to defray tuition costs from the students."
Kiplinger's also ranked the College as fourth-best value in public colleges for out-of-state students, a category in which the increase in costs for out-of-state students was weighted in deciding a college's rank.
The list was based on four-year traditional colleges, and did not factor in specialized schools or those with special requirements, such as the Naval Academy, which requires students to serve in the military after they graduate.
Golden said that he expects the College to continue to rise through the ranks of the academic world as the standards for new students and the number of applicants increase each year.
The College has also recently been recognized as one of the top 75 most competitive schools according to Barron's 2005 ranking, and the top school in the North in the category "Top Universities - Master's" according to a U.S. News and World Report survey.
According to Golden, the College's high rankings in national surveys show how the College is becoming one of the best public schools in the nation.
"We are now ranked with the best of the best," Golden said.
(02/01/06 12:00pm)
Language professor judges literature contest
Teresa San Pedro, associate professor of Spanish, served as a judge for the essay category of the Ricardo Mir? National Literature Award in Panama.
The government of Panama chose San Pedro to be on its panel of judges because of her work with Central American literature. Her honors include numerous published papers in publications worldwide as well as extensive experience as a critic of Central American writing.
The award recognizes outstanding works of Panamanian and other Central American literature in the categories of novel, short story, poetry, theater and essay.
Each panel has three judges, two international and one Panamanian, and each judges' credentials are based on their work with Central American literature.
The recipient of the award will win a $15,000 cash prize.
(01/25/06 12:00pm)
Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong's impassioned sermon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day spoke not only of equality among people, the value most strongly tied with King's memory, but also its ultimate purpose: freedom, and our duty to protect it.
"If you're really going to honor Dr. King's legacy, stand up," Armstrong, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton and a member of the College's Board of Trustees, said.
Incorporating excerpts from King's famous speeches into his own sermon, Armstrong delivered a powerful message while honoring the memory of King, whom he called "a man many have called the greatest prophet that America has ever produced."
"He calls us today to be people who pursue truth and stand for truth," Stephen Briggs, provost of the College, said of King.
Armstrong said that King worked not just so that the oppressed could be equal, but so that all people could become free, to understand each other and embrace the diversity among us.
"The true expression of multiculturalism is knowing what folks believe and why they believe it," Armstrong said.
He spoke of King's embrace of nonviolent protest. "The amazing self-respect, refusal to hit back, causes the oppressor to be ashamed of his own actions," Armstrong said.
Most of all, Armstrong focused on how every person was responsible for creating a better society and challenging any threats to freedom, be it racism or any other sort of oppression.
"If you do not challenge it in the smallness of your community, God will not use you to challenge it in the largeness of humanity," Armstrong said.
In quoting from King, Armstrong reminded the audience what King stood for, the intrinsic worth of every person and that even if one is free in his mind, he is not truly free until his body is as well.
Armstrong's speech was accompanied by performances by the Shiloh Baptist Church Ensemble, who sang several pieces before and after Armstrong delivered his keynote speech.
Armstrong received a bachelor's degree in public policy from Stanford University, where he helped piece together the King Papers Project, which seeks to gather all of King's writings and sermons into a single series.
He also received a graduate degree in divinity from Princeton Seminary and has studied at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
"As a pastor in the community, it's my hope to reach out to students of all races on campus to do work off campus," Armstrong said in an interview after his speech. "As a trustee, it's my goal to foster a stronger sense of connectedness between (the College) and the community."
While Armstrong admitted that it might not be possible to truly overcome narrow-mindedness, the memory of King reminds everyone that it is still possible to make a difference.
"Maybe that day (when all have freedom) is relegated to when we go to heaven, but maybe we bring a bit of heaven here," Armstrong said.
(01/25/06 12:00pm)
SGA VP of Equity and Diversity Resigns
Joanna Holguin, SGA vice president of Equity and Diversity, resigned from her position over winter break, due to other personal interests.
The position requires at least one year experience on the SGA Senate. There are currently three candidates who are running to take over the position. SGA will elect the new vice president on Jan. 25.
Corzine asks 500 state employees for resignation
Newly inaugurated governor Jon Corzine's administration has asked nearly 500 appointed state workers to hand in their letters of resignation.
Corzine said that some will keep their jobs and some can be replaced by new workers.
Although it is not unusual for a new governor to ask officials appointed by their predecessors to step down, Corzine's initiative is part of his promise to cut 800 state jobs as part of his plan to help the state's ailing economy.
(12/07/05 12:00pm)
Earlier this semester, students participating in the Global Student Teacher program were informed that they would lose housing upon their return to the College during the spring semester.
The conflict was recently resolved, but not all students have been pleased with the solution.
According to Chris Farrell, assignments coordinator for the office of Residential and Community Development, students who participated in the program were traditionally moved into whatever housing was available upon their return midway through the semester.
In the past, the program has been very small, and the College has had no problems finding housing for all students seeking it.
However, this year there are many more students in need of housing, and the College had to make sure that there would be enough bed for them all.
"In the past, there have traditionally been only a handful of residential students participating in the Global Student Teaching program, but this year, the program has expanded," Farrell said. According to him, there are 20 students participating in the program this year.
"They say the confusion has happened because there was such a spike in the number of participants this year," Keri Benton, a senior art education major who is going abroad, said in an e-mail several days before the issue was resolved.
To compensate, students have been given two choices. One is that they can cancel their current housing contract and begin a new one next semester, which would exempt them from paying for housing the eight weeks they spend abroad.
However, it would also place them into a random room upon their return, similar to the solution used for all participants when the program was smaller.
"In the past, we have always moved (the students) to other housing assignments upon their return," Farrell said.
A student can also choose to retain their contract and their room, but they will be forced to pay for room and board at the College during the time that they are studying abroad, despite their absence.
The process was influenced at least partly by the concern of the involved students.
According to Farrell, several visited his office in search of information about the problem, and voiced their concerns.
"(The office of Residence Life (ORCD)) has met with most of us and has been relatively understanding so far. They realize we are in a special circumstance," Benton said.
While most students are glad to have the conflict resolved, many are unhappy with the answers the College came up with.
"To say the least, I am very disappointed. I waited 3 years to live in the townhouses with my friends and now they're going to take that away from me," Laura Munice, senior early childhood education and sociology major, said.
"They did solve the problem to the best of their ability but I am still going to choose to live at home," Michele Weight senior English/secondary education major, said.
She also said that while she didn't like the option of either paying for a full semester or getting a random housing assignment, she doesn't blame ORCD for the problem, but rather the pressure between pleasing students and making money at the College.
Even though the official resolution has been passed, concerned students can still speak with ORCD about any issues they have.
"I will continue to assist the Global Student Teachers to the best of my ability in the coming weeks," Farrell said.
Many of the involved students felt that the problem and its unsatisfactory resolution were not due to any specific people or departments, but the disorganization that has plagued the College in all of its projects, from the Global Student Teaching program to the Metzger Drive apartments.
"I feel as though after so many years of having this program in place, everyone involved would be slightly more organized and have plans for situations like this," Weight said.
(11/30/05 12:00pm)
Four women were killed in a major car crash Nov. 25 on Route 29, just north of Lower Ferry Road in Ewing.
According to the Star-Ledger, Antionette and Shanna Miller, 20 and 21, of Ewing, Latonya Woodley, 22, their cousin, also of Ewing, and Amanda Amison, 18, of Trenton died in the accident.
Martin Amison, 50, of Trenton and Spring Patterson, 17, of Ewing were injured in the crash.
Police told the Star-Ledger that the crash occurred at 9:15 p.m., when Woodley lost control of her Acura Legend, crashed into the median, and flipped onto the southbound side. The car was struck by Martin Amison's Jeep Liberty while airborne.
According to the Star-Ledger, Woodley lost control of her vehicle while avoiding a car that was coming up from behind.
Trenton police were involved in a chase on Route 29, but state and local police said that it was unrelated, according to the Star-Ledger. Details of the chase have yet to be released by the Trenton police.
Since May 2003, upgrades have been made to highway medians in Trenton, but there have been no improvements in Ewing.
"We took a look after the last unfortunate fatal over a year ago at the entire stretch of (Route) 29 from Calhoun Street to just about Scudder Falls," Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Jack Lettiere told the Star-Ledger. "The Ewing (section) did not have a particularly high accident rate or fatality rate."
Lettiere announced Nov. 27 that the DOT will wait until the police investigation has concluded before taking any action.
(11/16/05 12:00pm)
Students win
communications award
A current and two former communication studies majors from the College won the award for the best co-authored student paper at the 2005 Stephen A. Smith Awards.
Stefanie Gratale, senior communication studies major, and Laura Dey and Jennifer Hagert, Class of 2005, shared the award for their paper entitled "Cross-national Newspaper Coverage of the United Nations Fight Against AIDS: A Community Structure Approach," which discussed worldwide media coverage of United Nations efforts to fight the AIDS virus.
All three will receive a plaque and a check for $100 in honor of their academic work.
Also, all three recipients are members of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Studies Honor Society at the College.
Smith, for whom the award was named, was the founder of Lambda Pi Eta.
Professor emeritus
honored in South Korea
Leonard J. Tharney, professor of education emeritus, was honored by People to People International (PTPI) at its annual awards meeting in Seoul, South Korea, receiving their Outstanding Leadership Award for his lifetime of work.
Tharney graduated from the College in 1954, and went on to spent 33 years in the military, to reach the rank of colonel, and 38 years as a professor of education at the College, including chairing the department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education from 1988 to 1992. He taught classes in science education and curriculum.
Tharney has been a member of the PTPI board of trustees since 2000, and is currently the president of its greater Princeton chapter.
PTPI was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to promote international understanding through education and humanitarian efforts, and the direct exchange of ideas between peoples of different countries and cultures.
Tharney was also honored at the College's Alumni Association Leadership Convocation last February, where he received the annual Distinguished Service Award.
(11/09/05 12:00pm)
He played new music and songs from his old album, and covered the hits of Smokey Robinson and Sam Cook. And he did it all to thunderous applause from the audience.
"I challenge any of those punk-ass rock bands to play any of this shit," he yelled out to the audience, guitar in hand.
Gavin DeGraw succeeded and then some when the College Union Board (CUB) brought him to Kendall Hall on Sunday night.
"A lot of people were actually asking to see Gavin DeGraw come to the College," Nicole Gough, CUB event coordinator for the concert, said. "There is a huge fan base here for him."
DeGraw, who released his debut album, "Chariot," in 2003 featuring all self-penned songs, performed to a sold-out auditorium and the applause of 800 students.
"I fell in love with the sound of music," he said. "Before I became a musician, I was a fan of music first. You're a fan first and then you start trying to emulate things you like about it and all of a sudden you have a trade."
Although he said he finds a great power in music, he did not always want this career. He said when he was young, he believed he was actually going to be an ophthalmologist.
"Then I went to a concert, and I said, 'Wow, this is healing, this is medicine,'" DeGraw said. "This is what I love to do, I love playing music."
The audience felt that love as he walked onstage to a standing ovation and screams emanating throughout the auditorium. He walked over to the piano and took a seat at his instrument, and the applause swelled as the first notes were played.
"His music is appealing to so many people, and the people who don't know every song on his CD will recognize the ones they hear on the radio," Gough said. "But most of all, he was able to interact with everyone while onstage and after the performance, which goes above and beyond just standing onstage playing music. He got very into the music he played, so the audience got into it as well."
DeGraw began his set with several of the songs from his album, ncluding "Follow Through," his latest radio single.
"It's about two people coming together and they're sort of beginning a relationship and, upon discussion, they learn about each other's failed relationships," he said. "They're talking about what they're looking for in a future relationship."
DeGraw was able to rile the crowd during covers of "Papa was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations and Sam Cook's "Cupid," among others, when he climbed on top of the speakers and then proceeded to walk out into the crowd and across the arms of several seats. Standing in the middle of the crowd, he encouraged the audience to clap and sing along before he danced with a girl in the audience and returned to the stage.
This became the perfect opportunity for two girls from Zeta Tau Alpha to stick a note in DeGraw's pants pocket. Several songs later, they yelled out to him to check his pants where he found the aforementioned note. Later in the concert, a few more girls placed a note on his piano in another attempt to communicate with him.
DeGraw continued with several songs not on his album, prefacing many with comments to connect with the audience.
As he prepared to play a song about stalking a girl, he explained the situation behind the lyrics.
"I thought it would help her if I showed up everywhere she went," DeGraw said to laughter from the crowd. "If I'd had a crush on Biggie or Tupac, they'd still be alive."
Although he has a huge fan following now, it took DeGraw some time for his career to really take off. His first record deal offer came when he was 19, but he refused it at first, saying he was making more money at a lumberyard than the record company was willing to offer him.
"For the first part of my negotiations with the record company, I think . I was really enjoying saying no to these companies and I was enjoying being courted by them," he said.
DeGraw eventually did sign a deal with the legendary Clive Davis in the spring of 2002 and followed with his debut. He recently re-released "Chariot" as an acoustic version, titled "Stripped."
"I didn't feel like the original recording had everything," he said. "I liked the recording, but I felt like it was missing a little bit of that homegrown feeling and I wanted what fans that I had already interested in the record to hear something a little bit different and that felt a little bit more authentic."
Although it may be some time before he releases a new album, he does have a few pieces he is working on, including one about prescription medicine, called "Medicate the Kids."
He also plays a new song in concerts concerning alcohol or, as he calls it, "the other medicine."
With this song and others, DeGraw continued to play off the audience and the screams and requests thrown at him. At one point, two girls yelled out, "We Belong Together!" referring to one of his song titles.
DeGraw whipped his head around to face them, yelled, "That's right!" and began playing the song.
Probably the loudest applause and most excited reaction came for a song he played toward the end of the night. To preface it, he looked out at the audience from behind his piano and said, "This song's about having your own damn identity. Hard to come by lately."
With cheers emanating from the auditorium, he began playing his first single, "I Don't Want to Be." This song is also featured as the theme song for the WB's "One Tree Hill," something DeGraw said he was not keen on at first proposal.
According to DeGraw, the show's executive producer, Joe Davola, approached him after the album had been released and said he wanted to use the song for a new coming-of-age television show.
"I thought the best-case scenario would be a TV show I used to watch when I was a little kid called 'The Wonder Years,'" DeGraw said, referring to Joe Cocker's version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends." "I used to look forward to seeing that show every week just because of that 30 seconds of that song, so best-case scenario would be that. It definitely helped to move the song into being played in that circle of Top 40 radio stations and it helped get more play on VH1 (and) MTV."
According to DeGraw, the song may not have been played otherwise. "I think a lot of it is due to the image of someone who writes songs. Maybe I don't wear enough body oil on my naked chest to get play on a lot of video stations and I don't pretend to be in some half-assed gang from Los Angeles," he said. "I didn't have the right cartoon-like imaging to appeal to a lot of that sort of programming. The show helped me get that sort of play without having to be seen. I just want people to hear me."
The concert also featured Dirtie Blonde as the opening act, with Amie Miriello as the lead singer. Their 45-minute set included songs from their album to be released in February off Jive Records, as well as several covers.
Miriello said she began playing music upon deciding she was a terrible actress at an arts boarding school. After teaching herself to play guitar, she joined with her best friend, Jason, an acoustic guitar player, and began looking for more band members.
The band's sound includes a very '70s influence and can be defined by Miriello's strong vocals.
In this, their third gig together at the beginning of their first tour, they found themselves opening for Gavin DeGraw and, according to Miriello, they are excited, but nervous.
"This is very nerve-racking for us, but we're very excited and happy," she said. "It feels like a dream come true."
Overall, the concert was a huge success and many met DeGraw in a special meet and greet afterward.
"I thought it was really awesome, obviously, and I liked how he combined covers, new songs and the album," Lauren Windle, junior secondary education/history major, said. "I liked how interactive he was with the audience."
Breanne Murray, junior marketing major, and Noelle Jaeger, junior accounting major, have seen DeGraw perform in larger venues, but like the intimacy of the small concert hall better.
"It was nice that we could see him in such an intimate setting," Murray said.
DeGraw's performance, which included an encore of two songs, including his album's title track "Chariot," ended in a standing ovation as he thanked the audience and shook the hands reaching up towards the stage.
"If you want to make something happen, don't waste any time," he said. "If you fall in love with something that you're good at and you can make it your career, you must pursue it. One regret that I never want to have is because I didn't try to make something incredible happen for myself."
(11/09/05 12:00pm)
This week, Lions' Emergency Medical Services (LEMS) is participating in National Collegiate EMS Week, celebrating the work of EMS units across the country, as well as educating students on campus about different health issues.
LEMS members are on call 24-hours-a-day during weekends and weekday nights; the more veteran members staff all day weekdays, working around classes and other obligations to be on call in case of an emergency.
They receive no pay, and work on an entirely voluntary basis.
But according to Nimit Saraiya, publicity chair of LEMS, their work is far from unnecessary. Saraiya said the group receives 250 to 300 calls a year, and members stand by at all sports events in case of an emergency.
"For no pay, and barely any benefits to themselves, these people sacrifice their weekends, sleep and time for that one moment to help a person in need," Bruce Cheong, EMS deputy chief of operations, said. "I am very proud and honored to serve with the men and women of Lions' EMS."
It has been six years since LEMS was started by Brian White, when a patient died on campus due to a lack of first responders at the College. Since then,
the club has grown by leaps and bounds.
"We currently have over 60 members, and around 35 are actively on duty," Saraiya said.
LEMS offers free Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training to any students interested in joining, allowing them to recruit beyond students who were trained previously or who are biology or nursing majors.
According to Saraiya, nearly every major in the College is represented.
Many interested students are trained every year.
"I think one of the best parts of being in Lions' EMS is the free EMT training," Cheong
said. "This is how I got my start in EMS, and I don't think the club would be where it is now without that benefit."
According to Cheong, about 10 new EMTs are trained by LEMS every year.
Some students remember seeing LEMS members carrying huge bags of indiscernible purpose around campus with them, the purpose of which Cheong explained.
"Those packs are pretty much a 49-pound ambulance in a bag," he said.
Since LEMS doesn't have its own ambulance, they use the backpacks, filled with tools and supplies needed for an emergency, to get what they need to any sort of emergency.
Over the course of the week, LEMS will be hosting events in Brower Student Center to inform the campus about LEMS and general health issues.
Wednesday, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., LEMS will be giving out information about their club, giving health information and holding a bake sale to raise money. There will also be contests where prizes will be given out.
Thursday the organization will present "A Day in the Life of an EMT" from noon to 3 p.m., where members of LEMS will demonstrate what they do while on duty and allow volunteers to participate in the examples to see what their work is like.
"It will give people an idea of what an EMT does," Saraiya said.
Friday brings the Lions' EMS Demonstration Expo, described by Saraiya as a finale to the week's events.
During the day, LEMS members will practice response to various emergencies and hold contests such as guessing the time it takes for members to rescue someone from a car accident.
LEMS is always accepting new members, whether you have had full training as an EMT or are just interested in what they do.
"There's no other club where you are literally saving lives," Cheong said.
Regardless of whether you want to be active in the field or just help with the club, LEMS welcomes new members to share in their work.
"There is a particular bond among members of EMS," Cheong said. "It's one of those things you have to be in to really appreciate it."
(11/02/05 12:00pm)
William Green Farmhouse to receive informational signs
The Friends of the William Green Farmhouse, a group devoted to protecting and restoring the historic building, have plans to place an informational sign on the fences near the farmhouse to inform passersby of the house's importance.
The sign will explain who William Green was, as well as why the house is an important as a historical building.
Green was one of the first judges in Hunterdon County, and several of his descendants served in the Civil War. The house itself, which was purchased by Green in the early 18th century has seen various additions over the years. It changed owners several times after the Green family until the College bought it in 1960.
More information on the William Green Farmhouse can be found at www.williamgreenhouse.org.
Student and alumna win Upsilon Pi Epsilon scholarship
A College student and alumnus received two of 19 prestigious scholarships given out worldwide from Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), an international organization for computing and information disciplines.
Eric Thul, a senior computer science major, and Megan Thurber, a graduate student at Drexel University and former student at the College, each received a $1,000 scholarship for their award.
Thul is currently in the Golden Key Honor Society and the Table Tennis Club. He also works for the Departmental Application Development Team, for which he writes Web-based applications.
While studying at the College, Thurber was president of its chapter of UPE.
Lisa McCarthy named director of Alumni Affairs
Lisa McCarthy, former acting director of Alumni Affairs, has been named director of the office. She has been the acting director for the past five months, and was manager of Residence Assignments, assistant director of Residence Life, and assistant director of Athletics prior to this position.
McCarthy graduated from the College in 1988 with a degree in criminal justice, and worked at the College as a residence director in five different buildings until 1994.
In her new position, McCarthy will work to strengthen two-way communication between the College and its alumni and to create effective affinity programs in conjunction with the leadership of the Alumni Association and the campus community John Marcy, vice president for development and alumni affairs, said in a College press release.