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(04/03/17 11:46pm)
By Elise Schoening
Staff Writer
It happens in college dorms. It happens in off-campus houses and fraternities. It happens to both men and women.
Sexual assault happens.
On Wednesday, March 29, the College’s Office of Title IX held a screening of the documentary film “The Hunting Ground.”
The purpose of the event, which was co-sponsored by Residence Education and the Inter-Fraternity Council, was twofold: to shed light on the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses and spark a discussion within the community that supports survivors and works toward solutions.
“I am always trying to find different ways to highlight the issue of campus sexual assault and I believe that this is a very well-made documentary that is relatable to the college population,” said Jordan Draper, the College’s Title IX coordinator.
“The purpose of the event is to continue highlighting the important issue of campus sexual assault, provide a space for people to reflect on this at our campus and ensure that our students know their rights and resources if an incident ever happens to their friend or themselves,” she added.
Last year’s showing of “The Hunting Ground” took place in the Library Auditorium. Due to popular demand, this year’s venue was moved to Kendall Hall. Even so, the room quickly filled to capacity. By the time the opening credits rolled, there was not a spare seat in sight.
The documentary depicts a harrowing tale of sexual assault. According to the film, more than 16 percent of women are sexually assaulted while in college. Of them, nearly 88 percent do not file a report.
“Rape is a scary word,” said one student in the film. “You don’t want to fall into a category. You don’t want to be a victim.”
The film demonstrates that the few survivors who do step forward and share their stories publicly are often met with disbelief and blame.
After reporting his assault to college administrators, one student was told to drop out of school until “everything just blew over.” For another, a counselor she confided in later admitted to having completely forgotten about her report.
“The Hunting Ground” is a deeply personal and powerful film. Many students left Kendall Hall with tissues in hand and tear-stained cheeks.
The reality of sexual assault on college campuses is a harsh truth to face. By giving voice to survivors and presenting shocking statistics, “The Hunting Ground” succeeded in making this difficult topic both tangible and approachable.
“We can’t be naïve that issues like these haven’t happened at TCNJ in the past and that they’ll never happen in the future,” said Andrew Statkevich, Inter-Fraternity Council president and a sophomore communication studies major. “Joe Biden hit the nail on the head last year when he spoke to Congress and he said, ‘We are never going to solve this epidemic until men get involved.’ They have to be a part of the solution.”
Following the film, students broke out into small discussion groups. The women, as well as the men, were encouraged to speak up, share their thoughts on the film and develop ideas for enacting positive change on campus.
“Screening this film is a powerful way to continue the conversation outside of the purely educational setting of a classroom,” said Aditi Mahapatra, a community adviser and a senior public health and psychology double major. “The documentary is powerful and, at times, dark, but we want to remind students that they can be empowered and empower others through advocacy and activism.”
Before and after the film, counseling resources were projected on screen, urging survivors to seek help and utilize one of the many on-campus resources available.
“The movie puts colleges in a negative light, so we want you to understand that while this is really highlighting an important issue, it’s not reflective of the values that we have here at TCNJ,” Draper said. “We want students to report incidents and know their resources. We want to help provide a safe environment for all students, and we want to provide fair and equitable adjudication processes should students choose to pursue holding the person who harmed them accountable.”
The College is fiercely committed to addressing sexual assault, and its pledge to protect survivors spans all levels of administration, according to Draper.
“We saw a huge highlighting of college presidents that have had some issues with whether or not they take reports seriously,” Draper said. “At TCNJ, President Gitenstein has been invited to the White House at least on two separate occasions to talk about sexual violence, so this is an important issue to her and that trickles down to the entire College.”
Students seeking support for themselves or others are encouraged to visit the Office of Title IX, located in room 201 of the Brower Student Center.
(03/27/17 8:03pm)
By Elise Schoening
Staff Writer
Most of the seats in the Business Building Lounge were already filled on Tuesday, March 21, when a Rutgers-Newark Law School student stepped to the front of the room to share her story.
Marisol Conde-Hernandez has made quite the name for herself. While in college, Conde-Hernandez founded the first undocumented, youth-led immigrant rights activism group in New Jersey. This May, she will become the first undocumented immigrant to graduate from a New Jersey law school.
The rising immigration activist shared her wisdom, as well as words of advice with students as part of the College’s series “Activism 101 and 102.”
In her keynote address, Conde-Hernandez opened up about her past and the personal struggles that came with growing up as an undocumented immigrant in a mixed-status family.
“I use my family as an example of the reality of immigrant families, in that it’s not composed of all undocumented people or citizens,” Conde-Hernandez said. “This is what a mixed-status family looks like. This is what an immigrant family looks like.”
From a young age, Conde-Hernandez understood that her family was different from that of her peers. At 10 years old, she was urged to apply for a scholarship program at a better school, but her illegal status made the seemingly simple task of filling out the application impossible.
“When I looked at the application — and I was always the one to fill out all the applications because I’m the one who spoke English — I noticed that it asked for a Social Security number, and I just turned the paper away,” Conde-Hernandez said.
She described a childhood tainted with the knowledge that she did not have a Social Security number and would, therefore, limit her opportunities in life.
However, the DREAM Act, a legislative bill introduced in 2001, aimed to create a path for Conde-Hernandez and other undocumented immigrants to obtain a green card and pursue higher education in the United States.
Conde-Hernandez still remembers the pivotal moment of hearing about the bill.
“I was sitting at home watching the news in eighth grade when I heard about the DREAM Act,” Conde-Hernandez said. “I think that’s really what started shaping my mind as an advocate. I learned that it’s beyond me. There’s other people like me because if there weren’t, these legislatures wouldn’t have drafted a bill to help them.”
Efforts to ratify the DREAM Act have repeatedly failed to pass through Congress. Nevertheless, the notion that undocumented immigrants deserve equal rights and opportunities has stuck with Conde-Hernandez and propelled her toward a life of activism.
“I didn’t intend to be an advocate for immigrant population,” Conde-Hernandez said. “It just turned out to be that way. I saw a need and tried to fill that need.”
Conde-Hernandez urged students of the College to find their voice and rally behind issues of interest. She conceded that turning activism into an actual career isn’t easy. Most people don’t get paid for the activism they do, but this doesn’t dilute the importance or necessity of such work, according to Conde-Hernandez.
“If we all spoke up the way that I’ve spoken up, we would actually have legislatives and executives who listened and were held responsible by constitutes and citizens,” Conde-Hernandez said. “They have been in control of the government for decades because we have been passive. We can’t be passive.”
Conde-Hernandez challenged the students seated before her to internalize her message and create change in their own communities.
“You don’t have to have a college education to have a gut feeling about the world and to learn about the world,” Conde-Hernandez said. “But because you all are in college, how are you going to take advantage of the wealth of information you have available to you to further the causes that you care about?”
Senior international studies and Arabic double major Alessandra Testa left the event inspired. Conde-Hernandez’s words resonated and pushed her to reevaluate her own actions.
“I think it’s so easy to get trapped in the TCNJ bubble, view current events in a detached way and disassociate with the ‘real world,’” Testa said. “This was a good lecture to have on campus. It forced me to think about how I can use my education to make practical, effective change happen.”
(02/28/17 2:43am)
By Elise Schoening
Staff Writer
Stitched on the shirt of one performer were the words “Black Lives Matter” in bold lettering. Another shirt read, “Danger: educated black woman.”
Welcome to the Black Monologues.
Students and faculty gathered on Thursday, Feb. 23, for the College’s second annual Black Monologues, which had been postponed due to a snowstorm on Feb. 9. Demand for the event was so great that the Black Student Union decided to move the monologues from last year’s venue of the Library Auditorium to the larger Mayo Concert Hall.
“The Black Monologues were created as a space for members of the College community to share their experiences in the black community,” said Sarah Bennett, president of BSU and a sophomore elementary education and math double major.
This year, 11 performers took the stage to share their stories. Despite the event’s name, the students did not share monologues, but, instead, recited poetry or sang.
In a poem entitled “Living Hell,” Daisy Tatum, a junior history and secondary education dual major, gave a gruesome view of race relations in modern America.
“I don’t want my children to grow up in this racist-ass place,” Tatum said. “I want them to live chain free, but currently, I see nothing but the shackles on the feet of my friends.”
Tatum touched on police brutality and the way in which black Americans have become the target of violence time and time again.
“My chest is compressed, and I can’t breathe,” said Tatum, referencing Eric Garner, who died in the chokehold of New York police officers in 2014. “I’m tired of this system. I’m tired of being oppressed. … A bullet has no name, but it sure has a color.”
Junior communication studies major Brianna Shepard echoed a similar sentiment. Shepard’s poem, titled “You Died Last Night,” was an ode to lives lost in the Black community.
“Your mocha-colored skin has been subjected to objectification, turned to nothingness and disregarded,” Shepard said. “You died last night, and although you will live, your soul will be missed.”
Political performances predominated the night. Students did not shy away from sharing their thoughts on current events and newly elected leaders.
“I’m very outspoken, and I like to stand up for what I believe in,” said Kevyn Teape, a sophomore marketing major. “Today, I just want to talk a little bit about politics and what it implements for my community.”
In his poem, Teape alternated between attacks on President Donald Trump and praise for his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
“We all know that most of the time the sequel sucks, but I can’t even call this a sequel because Obama believed everyone was equal, and Trump wants to build a wall and kick out the so-called ‘illegal people,’” Teape said. “I guess no matter how far we move in the right direction, some people won’t be satisfied unless it’s the right that’s doing the progressing.”
Unlike those before him, Teape expanded his message beyond the Black community. He spoke of Muslim rights and other minority groups that are threatened under the Trump administration.
“Who is the real American president?” Teape said. “Is it the one who unifies citizens or the one who promises to get rid of and alienate some of them? Is it the one who was wrongfully called a Muslim or the one who is wrongfully calling out Muslims?”
Themes of suffering and discontent were common throughout the night, but the performers also presented a message of persistence and strength within the Black community. Freshman international studies major Yanaja Joyner was no exception.
“I am society’s worst mistake,” Joyner said. “I am the nightmare they will never wake up from. I am a strong, educated Black woman. I am no one to be played with.”
(12/15/16 8:01pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
When my supervisor approached our staff this week and asked if we would be interested in doing a Secret Santa, I was surprised to see one of my colleagues on the verge of tears.
“I don’t have the money,” she said. “I’m begging you guys — please can we do something else?”
The thick-rimmed glasses that framed her face couldn’t hide the tears that began to spill over. Finances were tight, she explained. Christmas was fast approaching, and she was expected to buy gifts for every member of her family, second cousins included. Simply put, she didn’t have the money to spare for Secret Santa.
So, we scrapped the idea of gift giving and settled on decorating each other’s clipboards instead. But as I walked out of our staff meeting that night, the moment stuck with me.
In the four months we had worked together, I had never seen my colleague cry. She was always bursting with positivity during tough times and was, without fail, the first person to step forward and lend a helping hand.
She had demonstrated time and time again that she cared for each member of the staff and didn’t need to buy us any gifts to prove it. Yet in American culture, materialism is often associated with meaning.
Every time a birthday or holiday rolls around, we break the bank buying gifts. But for many students at the College, bank accounts are already low. Between buying overpriced textbooks at the start of the semester and getting groceries each week, spare money can be scarce.
Perhaps it’s time to let go of the antiquated notion that the amount of money you spend on a person correlates to how much you care for them. Surely it is the memories we make, not the materials we give that truly matter.
I know I can’t remember half of the gifts I was given for Christmas last year, but ask me to name a fond memory for every friend and family member I received a gift from and I could talk for hours on end.
As the holiday season approaches, let’s remember to be grateful for the loved ones we have who have shown their affection for us all year long in ways that money can’t buy and time cannot erase.
(11/30/16 8:34pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Kel Mitchell stepped onto the Mayo Concert Hall stage accessorized with his Nickelodeon backpack and “All That” jacket.
The accomplished actor, writer and director got his start on the hit ’90s television series “All That” and “Kenan and Kel.” Years later, Mitchell can still be found working for Nickelodeon with a lead role in the television series “Game Shakers.”
“I love family entertainment. I can go to sleep at night knowing I didn’t play something that I’m going to feel weird about later,” Mitchell said in an interview with The Signal. “I’m still the guy to go home and watch cartoons. Me and my wife are into that, so I think it’s just awesome to be in that work and doing something positive for the next generation.”
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Mitchell took a break from his packed schedule to perform a free comedy show for students at the College.
Mayo Concert Hall filled to capacity with students eager to relive their childhood days, but students at the College aren’t Mitchell’s only fans.
“I love my ‘Good Burger’ fans, but some of y’all get a little crazy. Even gangsters like ‘Good Burger’,” Mitchell said before launching into a story about gang members in Los Angeles who asked Mitchell to review their mixtape.
During the stand-up comedy show, Mitchell also told tales about the death of chivalry and his experience growing up in the South Side of Chicago.
“I grew up in Chicago and we had these kids who used to always try to beat me up. They tried to punk me,” Mitchell said. “But I was good, though, because I had a cousin who always had my back, who always looked out for me and everybody was scared of her.”
Mitchell told The Signal that his challenging childhood is the reason he now dedicates much of his time to giving back to those in inner cities across the country.
“I got into drama at a young age,” Mitchell said. “It kind of saved me from going down the wrong path, so I wanted to give that back to a lot of different kids however I could. Through my speaking and through the different events that I put on, I always try to do that.”
In between acting and producing, Mitchell visits inner cities to perform for at-risk youth. Mitchell told The Signal he has been doing it for so long that some of the kids are now in college.
“We still stay in contact,” Mitchell said. “They hit me up on Instagram or they come on set. It’s just awesome to see them grow up.”
Mitchell’s youthful enthusiasm shined through in his routine at the College. While onstage, Mitchell showcased his moonwalking skills and danced to the Nae Nae and Cat Daddy. It was a comedy show unlike any other.
“You work out? Come up here and do butt kicks,” Mitchell told one audience member. “This is going to be an interactive show.”
Throughout the night, the comedian called several students onstage to act out old bits and catchphrases from “Good Burger.”
Selected students were unable to mask their excitement and could be seen
bouncing up and down onstage or pulling out their phones to capture their moment with Mitchell on Snapchat.
The show ended with a question and answer segment, followed by a meet-and-greet with Mitchell.
When asked if he has kept in contact with his old co-star, Kenan Thompson, Mitchell reassured students that they have remained close in the decade and a half since their television show, “Kenan and Kel,” ended.
“Me and Kenan hang out all the time,” Mitchell said. “That’s my home boy, and my wife and his wife are really good friends. Ain’t no ‘Good Burger’ beef.”
(11/29/16 2:06am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
People across the nation cleared their schedules to binge watch the revival of “Gilmore Girls” this weekend. Many students of the College may have grown up watching the show from the comfort of their homes, but few may have imagined seeing themselves on the big screen one day. Yet in 2005, one student made it onto “Jeopardy” and finished the televised game show in second place.
All little children have big dreams —they want to be ballerinas, doctors, firefighters, or United States presidents. But Liz Lackey, senior education/music major, had different plans — she wanted to be a “Jeopardy” contestant.
The popular television game show, which features host Alex Trebek and airs on ABC, has fascinated Lackey for as long as she can remember.
Last Wednesday, Lackey’s dream came true when a show taped in early September aired and she took second place in the evening’s competition.
The process began when Lackey signed up for a tryout taking place in April in New York City while visiting Jeopardy’s Web site.
At the audition, each of the participants was required to take a 50-question test that covered 50 different categories. Upon completion, the test was graded immediately and those who had passed were notified.
“They never tell anyone what their score was,” Lackey said. “So if you fail the test, you can tell everyone that you missed it by one point. Out of about 70 people in my audience, only six passed, including me.”
Since she had passed the test, Lackey was asked to stay to play a mock version of the game and be interviewed. Even then, though, Lackey’s chances of actually being picked to appear weren’t a sure thing.
Finally, in August, Lackey did receive a phone call. A day later, a FedEx package arrived with a contract, forms to fill out and instructions on what she should wear.
Despite a bout of nerves, Lackey stacked up quite well against her competitors. She ended up taking second place, with the defending champion taking first.
And of course, win or lose, Lackey did get the chance to meet host and game show icon Trebek.
“During a commercial break, he started talking to me in an Irish accent,” she said. “I think the red hair and freckles gave him an idea. He also has a very firm handshake. He almost crushed my hand.”
(11/15/16 3:44am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Chloe Sklans, a sophomore psychology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major, followed the election coverage on CNN until the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 9. The TV in Sklans’s Campus Town apartment hummed with voter turnout updates and swing state predictions. Seated beside her on the couch was Sklans’s girlfriend.
“We were laughing and talking and hanging out,” Sklans said. “Until, all of a sudden, we saw the electoral numbers start to shift with huge numbers on the Donald Trump side… We sat there in shock.”
The couple watched together as the electoral college count climbed in Trump’s favor. Disbelief turned to dread as the reality of a Trump presidency set in.
“Once we saw that it was over and there was no way (Hillary Clinton) would win, we turned to each other and cried,” Sklans said. “It just felt like the celebration we had two years ago of finally feeling like we mattered and our rights were the same as the rest of the population was shattered.”
While watching the results roll in, Sklans wondered how her life would change over the next four years. Would she lose the right to marry her girlfriend? Would it be unsafe for them to hold hands in public?
Sklans and members of the LGBTQ+ community on the College campus and across the country worried in the wake of the election that LGBTQ+ progress would be rolled back under a Trump and Mike Pence administration.
“I went to bed having lost any fragment of hope I had left for a Clinton win,” said Jordan Stefanski, a senior nursing major who identifies as gay. “When I drove back to school the next day, the atmosphere had completely changed. Everything just felt heavy and sad, even to the point of walking into my nursing lab class and people were so quiet… it almost felt like a funeral.”
Fear over the election results within the LGBTQ+ community goes beyond the struggle for same-sex marriage. Transgender rights are also up for debate, and people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum expressed concern that discrimination and violence against the entire queer community might result from the Trump campaign.
“Knowing that I could easily be attacked or killed for expressing my sexuality in public... that is more than a bitter pill to swallow,” Stefanski said. “In the coming years, will I have to worry about getting evicted from an apartment if my future partner and I decide to move in together? When I apply for jobs, will I have to worry about staying in the closet as a matter of job security? These are the important questions that even moderate Republicans don’t seem to want to ask, but are a reality for all LGBTQ+ people nationwide.”
At this time, the future of the queer community remains uncertain. Trump’s views on LGBTQ+ rights shift frequently. Meanwhile, Pence remains an outspoken opponent of the queer community.
On Sunday, Nov. 13, Trump said he supported same-sex marriage and that the issue had been settled by the Supreme Court. During the “60 Minutes” interview, Trump said he was "fine" with it.
The recent remarks contrast previous statements by Trump in which he called himself a supporter of “traditional marriage” and said that if elected, he would “strongly consider” appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Pence, on the other hand, has often acted against the interests of LGBTQ+ individuals.
In 2000, Pence proposed diverting funds for HIV prevention to conversion therapy programs. He later opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and discouraged repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ban for military personnel. Last year, Pence signed the Religious Freedoms Restorations Act into law, allowing Indiana businesses to legally discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Trump at times has claimed to be a candidate for the LGBTQ+ community, (but) I do not think he has once backed up that claim,” said Rosie Driscoll, a junior history and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major. “Trump’s choice of Pence makes it clear that LGBTQ+ rights are not and have never been a priority of his campaign.”
Driscoll and many members of the LGBTQ+ community see Pence as a threat to their rights.
Trump supporters, however, trust that the president-elect will stand by LGBTQ+ rights, as he promised to do in an address following the Pulse nightclub shooting.
“As president, I will do everything in my power to protect (LGBTQ+) citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” Trump said.
Many Trump supporters expressed the belief that LGBTQ+ rights are fundamental rights and as such will not be repealed during Trump’s presidency.
“It has been said many times that gay rights are human rights, and I fully believe that,” senior nursing major Katie D’Auria said. “The LGBTQ+ community is just as worthy of the dignity, respect and rights of any other American citizen.”
D’Auria does not think LGBTQ+ Americans will be negatively affected by the president-elect.
“(Trump’s) entire platform is based upon uniting the citizens of this country, and it would be negligent for one to assume he would exclude the LGBTQ+ community,” D’Auria said.
Supporters of Trump and Pence can even be found within the LGBTQ+ community.
“I support Donald Trump and am quite happy to see him elected,” a junior computer science major who wished to remain anonymous said. “I think that he truly has the best interest of the American people at heart. I identify as bisexual and don’t believe my or any LGBTQ+ rights will be affected.”
The 2016 presidential election has proved divisive for the American people, and the LGBTQ+ community is no exception.
“Many (LGBTQ+) people have voted for both candidates,” said Scott Borton, a freshman international studies major who identifies as gay. “The community itself, while united in a common desire for equality, is very diverse with many opinions differing within it.”
Both Trump and Clinton supporters in the queer community stressed the importance of remaining hopeful and resilient for years to come as the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights continues.
“The queer community will persist,” said Max Nazario, president of PRISM and a junior chemistry major. “We’re not going anywhere.”
(11/15/16 3:19am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The president-elect has pledged to ban all Muslims for entering the country in an effort to combat ISIS. This rhetoric is reminiscent of the anti-Muslim sentiment that pervaded American society in the wake of 9/11 and could be found on the College’s campus. In September 2001, anti-Muslim chalkings were discovered outside of Townhouses East.
A student found a chalking that read, “Fuck the Arabs!” Fuck Afghanistan!” outside the Townhouses East on Sept. 16, according to Jesse Rosenblum, vice president of college relations.
The student notified Campus Police at 3:25 p.m. of this incident. Rosenblum said they quickly responded and removed the chalking.
Campus Police is investigating the chalking. State police and the attorney general’s office were also informed, according to Julius Quinn of Campus Police.
“We don’t take (these situations) lightly,” said Quinn.
However, Quinn said this appears to be an isolated incident.
“The message was not directed toward an individual. It was one incident of bias,” he said.
Rosenblum called the chalking “just ridiculous.” He also said that people cannot generalize a whole ethnic group of people or a country.
In response to the chalking, Ann DeGennaro, director of campus wellness, said that the campus community condemns this act and continues to pull together.
DeGennaro has been working in conjunction with psychological counseling services and student life to meet the needs of all students following the recent terrorist attacks in an effort to let students know that they have somewhere to go. DeGennaro said debriefing support groups and additional counseling services have been implemented.
Around the nation, people of Middle Eastern descent are facing threats and discrimination in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC.
“We denounce the terrorists attacks. They don’t reflect the behavior and thought of the majority of Muslims. And... we are Americans too,” said Joshua Salaam, civil rights coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
(11/08/16 12:27am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
Over the past few weeks, the College community has been dealing with an influx of residence hall intruders. The incident has left students uneasy and led to an uptick in police presence on campus, although this is not the first time that crime has plagued the campus community. In 2004, a murder shook the College. No students lost their lives, however. Instead, a local cat was shot and killed by a few students of the College.
Four students are being investigated by both Ewing police and the College in the murder of a cat on Pennsylvania Avenue.
According to a Times of Trenton article from January 30, the cat belonged to Al Jones, an employee of B&B Mowing Services on Pennington Road. He found the cat wounded and a few boys standing nearby holding a pellet gun.
After the cat died that same evening, an X-ray found a pellet in its brain. The boys accused of the crime rent a house on Pennsylvania Avenue near the B&B Mowing Service. The murder took place in the backyard of the house, which is adjacent to the business.
Detective Lieutenant Ken Pieslak, who was quoted in the article, said that the boys accused of killing the cat could face animal cruelty and weapons possessions charges.
“Maybe (the accused students) should get involved more involved in the campus activities, so that they don’t do things like that anymore because shooting a cat is wrong on quite a few levels,” Deep Gill, freshman biology major, said. “There are a lot of activities during the week that students with extra time can get involved in.”
According to The Times of Trenton, Patrice Coleman-Boatwright, secretary for the Board of Trustees at the College, said that they will look into the case in terms of not only different judicial proceedings, but also relationships with the community.
Mary-Elaine Perry, dean of Student Life, said the case will first be handled by the Ewing Township Police and then will be referred to the All College Discipline Board for a possible hearing.
Perry said that, as of now, the College has not begun a formal investigation into the case. The township has requested that the College not use any disciplinary action until the case is handled by the township police.
“The school and the community were both affected and should therefore take action together to show that the are just as disgusted by this act as we all are.” Michelle Dunlap, freshman communications and history major, said.
(10/31/16 10:56pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
A forum held this week detailed plans for the possible demolition of Travers and Wolfe halls, which would be replaced by a new dormitory for freshman and sophomore students. Construction is slated to start in five years. Losing Travers and Wolfe halls also means losing T-Dubs, the late night dining hall that connects both buildings. The dining hall is a staple of the freshman experience, although it saw a surprising decrease in business in 2004.
Late night wings, cheesestakes, frozen yogurt and white paper bags filled with candy are some things most sophomores, juniors and seniors at the College fondly remember getting from T/W in their slippers when they lived in the Travers and Wolfe Halls as freshmen.
“We ate there at least five times a week,” Chris Civitarese, junior marketing major, said.
Freshmen living in the Towers this year, however, feel they cannot take advantage of the downstairs dining hall’s convenience.
“No one ever wants to go (to T/W) and waste their points,” Maureen Haggerty, freshman Spanish major, said.
This is because food can only be purchased from T/W with points of which freshmen on campus have a limited supply under the Carte Blanche system.
“I think a lot more people would go there if the meal plan was different,” Haggerty said. “(T/W) is so much more convenient and I like the food better.”
Sodexho employees have noticed a considerable difference in business this year from previous years.
“A lot less people have been coming in here (compared to last year),” Tanesia Dean, a Sodexho employee working in T/W, said.
This is despite the recent additions of a CD jukebox and two pool tables to the dining hall.
“The jukebox is cool,” Civitarese said, “But that dining hall was created primarily for the freshmen. So therefore, the emphasis should be placed on their experience and convenience.”
Mike Chiumento, junior English and secondary education major, said he likes the fact that he no longer has to wait in line for food at T/W.
As a College Ambassador, Civitarese said having T/W downstairs is one of the best perks to living in Travers and Wolfe Halls. “And that’s something that I always talked up in my tours,” he said. “Now they can’t really take advantage of it.”
(10/25/16 1:16am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
This week, the College hosted its first annual Break the Silence Monologue. The event worked to combat the stigma domestic violence victims face far too often. Earlier this month, the College’s Title IX office held a campus-wide campaign to raise awareness for students’ rights to safety. But the College’s efforts to curtail violence date back to 2001, when two professors brought the White Ribbon Campaign to campus.
With so many organizations on campus, it is hard to tell one apart from the other.
The White Ribbon Campaign is a movement for men to actively participate in ending violence against women.
Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge to never commit violence against women.
It is also a pledge to not condone acts of violence or make excuses for those who do commit acts of violence.
The campaign began in Canada in 1991, when a group of men decided they needed to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
This group came together over the outrage a Toronto shooting where a man targeted only women.
The campaign is being organized at the College by John Landreau and Michael Robertson, professors who teach courses in the women and gender studies department.
Robertson said that “20 to 40 percent of all college women are a victim of sexual assault.” He asserts that the statistic proves that every man on campus has a personal friend who has been a victim of violence by men.
As a result, he believes that ever man on campus should support the campaign to make a positive step toward ending violence.
According to Landreau, many countries have taken part in the campaign’s international movement. Landreau feels this campaign will work for “men who are concerned and want to do something rather than male-bash.”
Robertson feels that, “most men aren’t violent. This campaign is a way for the silent majority to make a difference.” That difference can help sisters, friends and girlfriends against the violence of a small majority of men.
The campaign is not exclusively for men. Women can also take a part.
Many chapters become successful because women encourage their boyfriends or brothers to show support.
(10/18/16 9:02pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
When Maria Hinojosa stepped into the headquarters of NPR, she was overcome with nerves — an unfamiliar feeling for the award-winning journalist who covered everything from the fallout of 9/11 to the rise of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Born in Mexico City and raised in Chicago, Hinojosa became the first Latino hired at NPR. Walking into the whitewashed newsroom was more nerve-wracking for Hinojosa than hitting the streets of the South Bronx in New York City to report on the heroin epidemic there.
“I wasn’t terrified to be in those neighborhoods,” Hinojosa said. “I’ve reported in those neighborhoods. I’ve lived in those neighborhoods. I’ve partied in those neighborhoods... This is to say we all have a different perspective.”
In a lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 12, in Mayo Concert Hall, Hinojosa shared her story with students at the College for Hispanic Heritage Month.
“I am Mexican,” Hinojosa said. “I’m an immigrant, I’m a woman and I’m a journalist.”
Hinojosa spoke with pride. She stressed the need for diverse representation in the media and urged those before her to follow in her footsteps.
“I did what I am asking you to do. I’m asking you to own your own power, your own personal narrative,” Hinojosa said. “I jumped in and I created my own non-profit media company because who decides what stories are told and how stories are told really matters, especially now.”
Hinojosa, who was also the first Latina correspondent at CNN and PBS, launched her own non-profit news network, Futuro Media Group, in 2010. She has received four Emmy awards, among many other awards, in her 25 years as a reporter.
In her lecture, Hinojosa discussed the changing demographics in America. Minority populations are on the rise and yet, they are rarely represented in the mainstream media.
Through her reporting, Hinojosa has attempted to give voice to these groups.
“What I have dedicated my life to is to make the invisible visible,” Hinojosa said. “My job is to go into these communities and understand, ‘What’s going on for you?’”
To do so, Hinojosa has traveled the country, conducted countless interviews and told thousands of stories. Most recently, she spoke to Latino voters in Florida and Muslim Americans facing Islamophobia in Ohio.
“Being a Muslim American today in Cleveland, Ohio, is like being in Selma (Ala.), every single day,” one person told her. “We feel like we’re being attacked every day. We’re being watched. People’s bank accounts are being closed. Visas are being denied. People are being deported.”
Hinojosa collects these stories and diligently gathers the facts in order to tell the narrative of a changing America, one in which Islam is the fastest growing religion and Latinos have become one of the largest incarcerated groups in the nation.
She finds reporting on minority groups and demographic change exciting, whereas some of her colleagues have been apprehensive about approaching the topic. For Hinojosa, being bicultural is an advantage that colors her journalism and empowers her to seek out untold stories.
In the wake of 9/11, Hinojosa recognized that illegal immigrants would be among those affected by the terrorist attacks. She found the family of an undocumented immigrant who lost his life while working in the Twin Towers that day, and told his story to the nation.
This year, Hinojosa investigated the mysterious death of a Latino man in an Arizona detention center.
“A Mexican man committed suicide the same week that Sandra Bland died,” Hinojosa said. “Everyone knows Sandra Bland’s name. We don’t know José de Jesús.”
Throughout her career, Hinojosa has investigated the lives of minority groups and brought their issues and identities to the forefront. However, the mainstream media still has a ways to go.
In her lecture, Hinojosa shared her disappointment over the media’s coverage of the 2016 presidential election and the overwhelming lack of Latino representation.
“Mexicans. Latinos. Immigrants. Women. We are kind of front and center in the entire political conversation,” Hinojosa said. “And yet, none of us was chosen to ask one question at the presidential debates. How is that?”
Representation matters, Hinojosa said. Diversity within the newsroom and at presidential debates is of the utmost importance, as selected journalists have the power to shape the political conversation.
“What would have happened if we had Jewish journalists able to pose questions to Adolf Hitler?” Hinojosa said. “What would have happened we if had someone who lived that experience able to pose a question to him? What would have happened? Would things have changed?”
(10/17/16 11:23pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
Everyone knows Eve and Big Larry. The two Eickhoff Hall employees are a staple of the College community, always there to offer a smile and some encouraging words during a rough week. But over 10 years ago, there was a different celebrity on campus. Edith, 87, ran a small coffee shop in the Student Center. She did more than simply serve students their morning brew. Edith was known as the campus mom, who would offer words of wisdom and comfort students when sick.
Though Edith doesn’t stand much taller than her coffee bar, “Edith’s Place,” she’s a larger-than-life legend among early risers and caffeine cravers.
Edith wakes up every morning at 4 a.m. to go to work in the Student Center, making espressos for her customers — students bustling through before class.
Yet, many say that it isn’t just coffee that draws them to Edith’s counter every day.
Since her last name translates to “rooster” in German, it may have been in the cards for her to have the job of waking people every morning. When Edith heard this correlation, she opened her eyes wide and smiled broadly, leaning her head back to let out a crisp laugh. It’s this Edith that students come to see every morning.
Before working for Sodexho, Edith was self-employed in the candy business.
Edith, 87, has been working for the College for 13 years, and has been at “Edith’s Place” for six years. She said the coffee bar was established to relieve traffic from the student center.
“I really like it here,” she said. “The students are wonderful. I haven’t had one that wasn’t nice to me.”
Ask most of her customers, and they’ll say the same of her.
In addition to providing a friendly face each morning, Edith occasionally plays mom in the Student Center, recommending teas to ease ailments.
“If they’re sick, they come to me (and ask), ‘What’s good for a stomach, for a headache?” she said.
Edith not only enjoys conversation with students, but likes to see her customers in their extracurricular activities.
With her youthful smile, easygoing nature and avid ear, you’d think she was a new recruit at the College. She remembers your name and recognizes your face. She always returns a smile and your purchase with a the warm low of her simple “thank you,” all the time, every time. Thank you, Edith.
(10/04/16 12:39am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
The College was painted pink this week as Zeta Tau Alpha sorority held its annual breast cancer awareness week. To raise funds for a cure, the sorority sold T-shirts, smoothies and cupcakes. However, past efforts to stomp out cancer have been less traditional. In 2009, Alpha Epsilon Phi fraternity commissioned a used car and held a “Destroy a Car Fundrasier” on campus. Students who donated a dollar to fund children’s cancer research were given armed with a sledge hammer and given free rein over the car. The event brought in over $600.
In the late morning hours of Nov. 5, booming echoes could be heard throughout campus. Unaware of their source, one might have mistaken them for construction static. However, it was the sound a sledgehammer makes when slammed against a car. Alpha Epsilon Phi patrolled the sidewalks nearby, encouraging students to trade money for a chance to take a swing at a dilapidated vehicle.
Every dent and nick made by participants represented a dollar donated to Chai Lifeline — a charity that finances children’s cancer research.
The “Destroy a Car Fundraiser” (DCF) concept was originally conceived by past Alpha Epsilon Phi members. Success following the first DCF inspired other chapters to replicate the idea. The College’s Alpha Epsilon Phi wanted to organize the event for quite some time.
Much planning was necessary. Hawk’s Towing in Trenton provided a junkyard car, as well as free towing services. Permits were required in order to allow the car on school grounds. Most importantly, safety provisions such as gloves, caution tape and goggles needed to be secured.
The scene itself maintained an air of slap-stick aggression. Crowds quickly accumulated around the site, cheering when a partaker hit the mark or catcalling when a weak attempt failed to do damage. The act of tearing something down in order to build up a higher cause appealed to many.
“College is a very stressful time, especially since it is midterm season,” said senior philosophy major Ryan Gerber. “It could be considered a stress-reliever. Also, destructive behavior is prevalent everywhere — movies, TV. Consequently, everyone always has these thoughts in the back of their mind. Often times, we wonder, ‘Wow, what would it be like to hit a car with a big hammer?’”
Most people’s curiosity has now been vanquished.
(09/26/16 8:52pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
Nearly a dozen Asian organization on campus came together this week for the College’s Asian Culture Night. The event showcased the varied experiences and cultures that encompass Asia. In 2004, a number of foreign exchange students traveled from Frankfurt, Germany to Ewing, N.J., for the academic year. The exchange students opened up about the differences between both nations.
At one point or another during their college careers, a great number of students feel the urge to leave behind everything they know and explore a little bit of the world. Since so many students at the College get caught up in going abroad to places like Spain or Australia for a semester, it might come as a surprise that there are foreign students who want to leave their countries behind for Ewing.
This semester, the College is hosting exchange students from a variety of different countries. The largest group though, is formed by the 12 students who will be visiting from the University of Frankfurt in Germany throughout the year.
Thorsten Klonus, 23, Afsaneh Majdazari, 23 and Denise Donnebaum, 21, are three of the College’s exchange students. When asked why they decided to study in the United States, an application process that begins a year and a half in advance, all said they believed they would gain a lot through the experience.
“I came here because I wanted to learn about a different culture, a different school system, I’m getting away from regular life, it’s like an adventure,” Majdazari, a biology major, said.
So far, the biggest change for the students has been settling into a school system that is so different from their own. According to Klonus, the German school system combines the undergraduate and graduate programs, into one giant program. For example, Majdazari is working towards a “diploma” that takes five years of schooling and would lead her into getting her doctorate and Donnebaum is working towards a German Master of Arts.
Besides this, there are many smaller differences. For example, classes are structured differently.
“Here college is your life. In Germany, you have life and then your studies. The university is just academic, not social,” added Donnebaum, an American studies major.
Speaking of the College community, the exchange students all feel like they’ve been welcomed with open arms. Everyone is curious to learn about the foreigners and their culture.
(09/20/16 2:49am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
This week, Sigma Kappa sorority spent five days raising awareness and funds for those with Alzheimer’s. They worked to remind the campus how much we treasure our memories and how painful they can be to lose. Years before the sorority came to campus, a Holocaust survivor visited the College to share her stories with the hope that they would not be forgotten.
Carefully enunciating each word in a thick Austrian accent, Holocaust survivor Isle Loeb recalled a night in the winter of 1944 when she was almost captured by the Nazis.
A Jewish “hidden child” in German-occupied Holland, Leob had secretly ventured out with others to gather firewood. While they were chopping on evergreen, a Gestapo jeep approached. Miraculously, the tree did not fall until the vehicle had passed by.
Regardless of how many times Ilse Loeb has told “The Falling Tree Incident,” the emotion with which she spoke revealed both painful memories and joyous optimism.
Perhaps it was her will to survive that saved her from the Holocaust and brought her to the College’s Music Building auditorium 60 years later.
It was easy to tell that Loeb’s primary concern today is a different kind of survival: the survival of Holocaust memories, or more precisely, memories of what it took to overcome such a terrible event.
She admitted there were many miracles that allowed her to successfully avoid capture from the time of Vienna’s invasion in 1938 to the end of the war in 1945.
Loeb gave her recollections of the infamous Kristallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass,” in which mobs attacked Jewish families and individuals in their synagogues and places of work; almost 100 Jews throughout Germany, Austria and Sudetenland were killed and many more were injured.
When this happened it was still only late November 1938 and Loeb’s family hadn’t yet been forced out of their home. When the eviction notice finally came, Loeb was the only one able to escape to Holland.
With very little money, a passport bearing the label “J,” and a few belongings, Loeb bid farewell to her mother and father.
“I never saw my parents again,” she said. “Looking back I’m surprised myself how I was able to handle this at age 13.”
Few Holocaust survivors have felt comfortable speaking about their experiences; Loeb is one of the exceptions. Loeb feels it is important to teach today’s generation and become as big of a role model as possible.
(09/14/16 8:17pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every four years, the summer Olympics rolls around like clockwork. We set our DVRs to record the Final Five gymnasts and watch from home as Michael Phelps breaks world records yet again.
This year, junior graphic design and environmental studies double major Melissa Natividade, who is also a staff writer for The Signal, had a sideline seat for the action. Having spent her summer vacation as an Olympic translator in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Natividade was able to score tickets to the men’s soccer finale and greet Olympic athletes herself.
“This entire experience was hands down the best experience of my life,” Natividade said. “It was adventurous, it was exhilarating… it made history.”
Natividade, whose family originates from the South American country, has spent many a summer on the beaches of Brazil. This summer, she just happened to be in the right place at the right time. With only days left in her annual visit to Brazil, a friend forwarded her an email calling for individuals to work as translators for the Olympics. The requirements? Applicants only needed to be 18 years of age and demonstrate language proficiency in one of over 30 languages.
Natividade speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, making her an ideal candidate for the job. At the push of a friend, she submitted her application and was accepted just two days before her scheduled flight home to New Jersey.
Unsure of what to expect yet unwilling to pass up such a remarkable opportunity, Natividade rescheduled her flight home and prepared to experience her first Olympic Games.
For the following few weeks, Natividade utilized her skills as a translator. She was compensated 3,000 Brazilian reais, or $916, for her work.
According to the Rio Olympics website, over 70,000 people were recruited to work at this year’s games. Of them, nearly 8,000 were linguistic specialists like Natividade, who were tasked with a variety of roles from accompanying athletes to aiding press conferences and competitions.
Natividade’s first night of work was the opening ceremony — a night she is unlikely to forget.
“It was a night that left its mark on a girl who doesn’t easily get emotional, but couldn’t and didn’t even try to contain the marathon of feelings racing through her that night,” Natividade said.
The Olympic workers had no set schedule. Instead, their workweek shifted on a daily basis. Natividade was placed wherever additional help was needed. When she first started, Natividade was stationed at the Olympic Village, working at security checkpoints to keep the lines moving smoothly. Later on, she was stationed on the sidelines of Olympic competitions and trusted with translating for the athletes, along with other responsibilities.
“I would literally be in firsthand contact with the most incredible people, like the USA Swim team, Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix,” Natividade said. “It was the most surreal thing to see these people that I grew up watching on the TV right in front of me. Even if all I got to say to them was ‘right this way (enter Olympian’s name).’”
On her days off, Natividade often opted to stay on site and watch countries vie for victory. Because of her status as a translator, Natividade was able to land tickets to a handful of sold-out events. She watched tennis, gymnastics, beach volleyball, soccer and even mountain biking, but the most she ever paid for a ticket was $20.
“I’ve always been a big fan of the games and have watched it ever since I was teeny,” Natividade said. “But it was definitely beyond anything I could have imagined as an outsider going in. It’s so much more than just individual athletes competing to be the best in the world. It’s more of a camaraderie… an opportunity to come in contact with the people that share the same passion and dedication as you.”
(09/13/16 12:03am)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
A construction trailer was reported missing from the College in 2005. While it wasn’t clear whether the trailer had been stolen by students or simply misplaced, Campus Police filed a theft report to the National Crime Information Center. A previous incident filed through the database dealt with a missing student on spring break.
Campus Police is unsure whether the trailer that was reported stolen from Lot 5 sometime between Jan. 19-21 was actually stolen or misplaced. The 20-foot long construction trailer was reported stolen by a representative from Penn Lyon Homes, Inc., the company that built the ill-fated Metzger Apartments.
Lieutenant Don Rizzo of Campus Police said that Detective Sergeant Jim Lopez is handling the case and no leads are apparent at this time. Rizzo also said that he does not know what the trailer contained.
When asked how a trailer being stolen could go unnoticed by the construction workers or anyone else on campus, Rizzo said that it could have taken place after the workers went home for the day at 6 p.m. and anyone who may have witnessed it may not have realized that a crime was occurring.
Brian Murray, director of Campus Planning and Construction, confirmed that the trailer is still considered stolen, as no one from Penn Lyon has come forward to say that it has been found.
However, both Murray and Rizzo expressed the opinion that a misunderstanding could have taken place within Penn Lyon and the trailer could have been misplaced rather than stolen. Rizzo said that occasionally it happens that someone from a construction company’s office may instruct someone to move a piece of equipment from one site to another without informing the first site’s foreman.
Rizzo said that the report of the trailer theft was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
This is not the first time that Campus Police has entered reports from campus into the NCIC. Rizzo said that a few years ago, a female student of the college went on Spring Break to Mexico with her boyfriend without telling her parents.
The student’s mother reported her missing to Campus Police, who then broadcast an alert with her information on the NCIC.
When the student arrived back in the country from Mexico, she was stopped by customs officials when they entered her name in their computer and the alert came up. No chargers were filed against the student.
(09/05/16 11:24pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
The College made headlines this summer when a civil engineering alumnus (’12) was featured on the latest season of “The Bachelorette.” But Will Haduch isn’t the only graduate at the College to make it on TV. Back in 2003, MTV cameras followed Lauren Wanko around for an episode of “True Life: I’m a High School Senior.” When Wanko came to the College the following fall, she was routinely recognized by her peers and deemed a campus celebrity.
True, the College can’t brag about the Olsen twins walking its hallowed halls. There are no paparazzi hidden under tables at Brower Student Center or trailing students as they walk to their English classes: no bodyguards securing the dining hall before lunch; no torrid tabloid incidents taking place on our campus. For the most part, we’re just a bunch of regular, wholesome college kids... or are we?
As a matter of fact, the College is home to some unique faces that have made headlines in the last few years.
Who can forget Lauren Wanko, the junior communication studies major who allowed MTV cameras to follow her around and document her senior year for an episode of their hit series “True Life”?
After participating in a casting call in her high school’s library, Wanko was selected by MTV producers to be profiled for “True Life: I’m a High School Senior.” Taping began one week after the initial interviewing process, and MTV’s cameras followed her around from February until her graduation.
Although the special aired months before the College’s freshmen moved in for Welcome Week in the fall of 2003, Wanko was still recognized by the majority of her classmates.
“I did not expect to be recognized as much as I was when I arrived on campus,” she said. “Total strangers were commenting about how I changed my hair color. I was definitely surprised by the amount of students who watched the show. I quickly realized just how large of an audience MTV had.”
These days, Wanko has taken charge of launching her career, without the help of MTV’s cameras. Last April, she signed a contract to work at New Jersey Network, located in nearby Trenton. She is both a reporter and associate producer for a weekly, half-hour program.
(08/30/16 3:53pm)
By Elise Schoening
Features Editor
Every week, Features Editor Elise Schoening hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.
The new school year is upon us. Residential halls have finally opened their doors and classes have officially begun. Most students on campus hail from throughout the state, with only a handful of New York and Pennsylvania residents enrolling in the College each year. But in 2005, over a dozen students at the College originated from Louisiana. The influx of out-of-state students was due to Hurricane Katrina and the devastation left on colleges and universities in New Orleans.
As the nation comes to terms with the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, the reality facing many students in New Orleans is that most of its schools are simply too damaged to accommodate them for the semester. The College, however, is making efforts to accept undergraduates who were to attend schools in New Orleans until their schools recover from the storm.
According to Lisa Angeloni, dean of admissions, as of Friday afternoon, the College has already admitted a number of students displaced by the hurricane.
“It could be up to 15 at this point,” she said. “It’s going to keep fluctuating. Our phones haven’t stopped ringing.”
The students, which Angeloni said represent Tulane University, Louisiana State University, Loyala University New Orleans and Xavier University, have been for the most part, New Jersey residents. However, Angeloni said the College would consider admission requests from out-of-state students as well.
“We probably will begin to get inquiries from out of state students. We’re all trying to help as much as we can,” she said. “It’s so horrific that it’s hard not to help people.”
Angeloni added that a hotline was set up for students who want to make inquiries over the holiday weekend. She said the number of admitted students will likely increase as the week progresses.
“Because this is such a dire situation, we are going to push ourselves beyond what we consider capacity under normal circumstances,” said Matt Golden, assistant director for the office of College and Community Relations. “Depending on how many students are interested in coming, we want to turn some of the lounges within the dorms into housing facilities.”
Golden said more than 20 faculty and staff members have offered to open their homes and take in refugees.