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(05/02/17 4:28am)
By Jessica Ganga
Staff Writer
Students at the College became the judges of writer and actor B.J. Novak’s jokes on Tuesday, April 25, during the College Union Board’s Spring Comedy show, deciding which ones made the cut and which ones would never again see the light of day.
“I did bring some jokes, I am going to try them out and I do want you to be honest,” Novak said. “The jokes that you don’t like, stay here. In New Jersey.”
Before Novak took to the stage, the College’s premier improv comedy group The Mixed Signals helped warm the audience up by playing improvisational games on stage.
Next, Kiss on the Lips entered the stage to dimmed lights and an intro video on the big screen, giving a little background on the group. The New York City improv sketch comedy group got their start performing in the basement of the their friend’s home in Ewing, N.J. and is comprised of College Alumnus Alex Guaglianone (’15), Alumnus Jonathan van Halem (’16) and Garrett Verdone, a senior marketing major.
The comedic trio viewed opening up for Novak as a great opportunity.
“What was so nice about opening for B.J. Novak is that the audience was so eager to laugh,” van Halem said. “We had won them over with our first sketch, and from there on out it was smooth sailing. Performing at TCNJ again was a dream, and we'll keep coming back until they don't want us anymore.”
Novak had requested for student comedy groups to open up his show, something he does for every college show he performs, according to Verdone.
The group was eager to introduce Novak, who brought with him a suitcase and a copy of The Signal.
“I wanted to know what kinds of stuff you guys are used to, so I went through The Signal,” Novak said. “I have a lot of competition tonight because I know that you are used to ‘Fun Stuff.’”
Novak went on to inform the audience that, instead of coming to the show that night, they could have stayed home and matched flowers, which was the content for that week’s edition of “Fun Stuff.”
“Now, I really want to be sensitive to any potential color blind editors, but this is a black and white paper,” Novak said. “Imagine how much more ‘Fun Stuff’ it could be if this fun game were colored.”
He didn’t just stop there. Novak continued going through the paper, turning to a portion of The Signal: “Cop Shop.” The audience cheered at the mention of the column that reports on College crime.
“Oh you’re proud of this?” he said. “Interesting.”
Like most comedians that perform at the College, Novak did his research. He joked about the numerous name changes the College has been through in its 162-year history. When the College was first established, it was called New Jersey State Normal School, an ironic title Novak did not hesitate to point out.
“It’s really shady when someone keeps switching their name around, like another example of that would be The College of New Jersey,” Novak said. “‘So where do you go to school? Normal College. Just Normal College.’”
Novak, who is well-known for his role as Ryan “The Temp” Howard on the comedy series “The Office,” along with being a writer, producer and director of the series. Novak talked about the success of two great comedic writers –– Charlie Chaplin and Benjamin Franklin.
According to what Novak read in a book about the silent film actor, in 1917 Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest and came in third place. This narrative is what made Chaplin a superstar and, to Novak, posed as a lesson for those trying to reach that level of fame.
“The story had a great moral… even Charlie Chaplin can’t catch a break sometimes,” Novak said. “If you think about it, that was the biggest break in show business because if Charlie Chaplin had won that look-alike contest — which we should have every expectation he would have done — the moral of that story would be the complete opposite. The moral of the story would have been ‘Charlie Chaplin is a fucking dick.’”
Novak continued talking about Franklin who was not only a comedy writer, but was also a contributor to historical U.S. documents.
“I’ve been in some pretty good writer’s rooms, (but) this guy was in the room that wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and he just kept upping levels,” he said. “He discovered electricity, separately… and he did it by flying a kite in a rainstorm, which I consider his greatest accomplishment right there.”
For other aspiring comedians, Novak is admired as highly as he regarded Chaplin and Franklin.
“B.J. is an incredible writer. I'm inspired by how witty and smart he is when it comes to his one-liners and bits,” Guaglianone said.
A post shared by Kaylin Nguyen (@meeowff) on Apr 26, 2017 at 8:41pm PDT
With a stack of notecards in hand, Novak showed the audience his talent for writing when he trusted them to decide which of his jokes were funny.
“I spent four years in college myself,” Novak said. “Didn’t learn a thing. I learned literally nothing in college. It was my own fault — I had a double major in psychology and reverse psychology.”
In reality, college was quite the opposite for Novak. He graduated from Harvard University and was a member of the university’s undergraduate humor publication, The Harvard Lampoon. Novak would occasionally perform in different shows with fellow classmates.
Novak got his own big break while performing stand-up in Los Angeles, where he was discovered by Greg Daniels, the creator of “The Office.” Daniels noticed how Novak used facial expressions between each joke like he was smarter than other people –– a quality Daniels thought made sense for a temp.
It wasn’t easy getting to where he is now, according to Novak. Like his joke test run at the comedy show, he went through a lot of trial and error.
“(It was a lot of) telling a lot of jokes that didn’t end up in the trash, essentially,” Novak said. “I did a lot of open mic nights and the jokes were all bad except for one, then all bad except for two.”
During his performance at the College, some of his jokes ended up, literally, in the trash as he dropped each failed attempt in a trash can beside him.
“I used to sponsor an orphan in South America until I saw an ad on TV that said for the same cost I can buy myself a cup of coffee every day,” Novak said. “I have so much more energy now. That ad changed my life.”
The joke was followed by some scattered boos prompting Novak to trash the joke and move on.
Despite the failed joke, Novak is known for his sharp comedy writing. He also has written a couple of books that landed on The New York Times bestseller list.
“One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories” is a compilation of funny short stories that were inspired by his own personal life. One story that Novak spoke about involved a robot that was able to express the human emotion of love, to only be rejected by her owner.
“He becomes a famous national punch line because he’s the guy that returned the landmark piece of robotics that felt love because he didn’t want a relationship,” Novak said.
Along with the novel, Novak wrote a children’s book that he took inspiration from reading to his friend’s children. “The Book with No Pictures” is what the title suggests, and has readers say ridiculous things and make the words come alive.
“You have to say everything the book says,” Novak said. “So you end up saying, ‘Yes I am monkey. Also I’m a robot monkey. What?’”
Students couldn’t resist asking Novak questions about “The Office” such as who’d he want to play other than Ryan. He would have played Toby. One student asked if the actor and his co-star Rainn Wilson was similar to his character on the show, Dwight K. Schrute.
“Want to call him?” Novak asked the audience as he pulled out his cellphone and proceeded to call the actor, who didn’t answer. The audience left a voicemail shouting “Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica,” a famous line from the show.
“To answer your question, he’s a huge asshole,” he said.
It was evident that despite almost four years since its series finale, the show still has a special place in Novak’s heart. Novak showed his gratitude to the audience for being fans of a “very weird, little, soft, bizarre show” that might ultimately define his career.
“This is going to sound self-serving, but I want to picture it going in the reverse way,” he said. “Picture me as a mirror thanking you for the support (to) anyone who’s a fan of ‘The Office.’ Round of applause and thank you.”
Featured image via Instagram
(03/06/17 3:51pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Staff Writer
“Imagine loving food and fearing food. Imagine fearing your favorite food.”
This is the reality that Fabriana Andriella, a sophomore deaf education and psychology double major, faced when she had an eating disorder.
“I’ll admit I’ve had a complicated relationship with food, and I’ve suffered many years from poor body image,” she said.
Eight students shared how they struggled to overcome their eating disorders on Monday, Feb. 27, at the National Eating Disorder Awareness Monologues hosted by Counseling and Psychological Services Peer Educators and Delta Phi Epsilon.
No two monologues were the same, but each shared similar themes including losing friends, struggling to have a normal lifestyle and fighting to take back the control the disease had over them.
“At the time, I liked the control I had over myself,” said Olivia Gorski, a sophomore health and exercise science major. “I admired myself for being able to adhere to the strict eating patterns I had developed. Looking back now, I can see how distorted my thought processes were back then. The things that I was doing actually seemed normal.”
According to Gorski, her eating disorder developed from positive parts of her life like her love for eating healthy and running. But those spiraled into negatives, causing her to miss out on other aspects of her life that could break her newfound eating patterns.
“I usually found myself avoiding going out to dinner with my friends or barbecues in the summer because it was just easier for me not to put myself in the position where I’d have to eat unhealthy or possibly go over my calorie limit,” she said.
Andriella said that in her case, even if she was happy with how she looked, the disorder was always there.
“Control. It’s all about control. Even when I’m comfortable in my skin, I know it’s because of control,” Andriella said.
Though difficult, the women talked about how they slowly took charge of their lives.
Maya Beal, a freshman communication studies major, did what most people with an eating disorder do: She focused solely on calories. Now, her focus is on schoolwork and being comfortable with what she is eating.
“The control is now aimed at bringing my feet back to the ground when I get carried away and not keeping myself afloat on really nothing but self-destruction,” Beal said.
Sophomore marketing major Kerry Silverman personified her eating disorder and named it “Ed,” a common strategy for those with eating disorders, as the voice inside their head becomes a separate entity that they tackle.
“I wasn’t living for Kerry anymore. I was living for Ed,” she said.
Silverman ended up in the hospital because she developed a heart condition. Now, Silverman shares her success story as she is in recovery, something she said wouldn’t have been possible without people by her side.
“An illness like anorexia is something that can’t be fought alone, and luckily, I had an army fighting alongside me,” she said.
For others, the support they received helped them accept and love themselves.
“Having that constant love and care and support has activated my self-love and self-acceptance,” Andriella said.
Senior psychology major Lauren Plawker didn’t just use her support system to help on a journey toward recovery, but rather the monologues themselves. Plawker had already spoken in two NEDA monologues prior to this one.
“Speaking at the monologues was one of the most cathartic things I had ever done,” she said about her first NEDA monologue.
She shared with the audience that it was during her first monologue that she first spoke the words “I have an eating disorder” to people who weren’t a part of her recovery process.
Now, she uses the monologues to inspire others.
The following year, a girl approached Plawker and said she was the reason that she had sought treatment for her eating disorder.
“It was the most incredible and heartbreaking thing that had ever happened to me,” Plawker said.
During Silverman’s recovery, she published a series of articles, which she shared on her Facebook wall. Eventually, people reached out to her for advice. Like Plawker, she chose to speak at the monologues to reach out to others.
“I’m here sharing my story today so no one has to be alone as I once was,” Silverman said.
Plawker labeled eating disorders as an addiction with some good or bad days, and some not so easily defined. According to Plawker, recovery from an eating disorder is not a day-to-day process, but rather a second-to-second process in order to keep from relapsing.
Today, Plawker is making the choice to live her life, something she said she finally understands.
“I didn’t get to choose my addiction, but I eventually got to choose to fight back against it,” Plawker said. “I actively make choices to allow me to keep thriving.”
As the monologues came to a close, the speakers offered messages of hope for those who are battling an eating disorder. For Silverman, she gained strength.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ll ever endure, but I’m stronger because of it,” Silverman said. “Life is beautiful, and I am finally able to realize that.”
Gorski assured the audience that there is a chance to get better, and recovery is possible for everyone.
“Recovery is possible, and there’s always hope. It’s not going to be easy,” Gorski said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, and there’s going to be plenty of bumps in the road. But it’s possible, and everyone is capable of it, and everyone’s worth it.”
(10/25/16 8:22pm)
By Jessica Ganga
News Editor
For Jerry Greenfield of the famed Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, getting into the ice cream business was not part of his plan.
During the College Union Board’s Fall Lecture in Mayo Concert Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 18, Greenfield told the story of how the company that began in a used gas station eventually grew into a multi-million dollar ice cream business.
Greenfield and his business partner, Ben Cohen, grew up in Merrick as childhood friends in Long Island, N.Y. The pair went their separate ways after high school.
While Cohen worked odd jobs and took a less conventional approach to life and education, Greenfield aspired for academic greatness, but was rejected from every medical school to which he applied. This led them to join together and begin their own business.
“There we were, failing at everything we were trying to do,” Greenfield said. “Ben and I said to each other, ‘Why don’t we try being something that’s fun — be our own bosses? Since we always liked to eat, we should do something with food.’”
With knowledge from a cheap ice cream making course at Pennsylvania State University and $4,000 saved between them, Cohen and Greenfield moved to Burlington, Vt., — a town without an ice cream parlor.
From there, they created a business plan in order to receive an $8,000 bank loan. To their surprise, the bank lent them the money, and the two worked on opening their shop.
Ben & Jerry’s started small by distributing ice cream in pint-sized containers to mom-and-pop grocery stores. Eventually, the company attracted the attention of large distributors from Boston and Connecticut.
“It was the first time we were going to be selling ice cream into major markets,” Greenfield said.
Soon after the trucks started carrying their ice cream, Cohen and Greenfield were told that the Pillsbury company, which owns Häagen-Dazs ice cream, didn’t want the distributors to carry Ben & Jerry’s. They had found their first competitors.
“I made my way to Minneapolis — to the Pillsbury Headquarters — where I was a one-person picket line,” Greenfield said. “I was walking up and down the sidewalk in front of Pillsbury Headquarters. I had a picket sign that said, ‘What’s the Dough Boy afraid of?’”
They had multiple tactics and recruited their faithful consumers to help them with the campaign to get their ice cream back on the distribution trucks. The story was picked up by major newspapers like The Boston Globe, so Häagen-Dazs backed down.
“That’s what permitted Ben & Jerry’s to distribute across the country,” Greenfield said.
As their business grew, Cohen and Greenfield realized they were turning into businessmen — a new and uneasy feeling. This changing role almost led them to leave their business behind. However, convinced by a friend to continue, the two chose to grow their business, with a few unique quirks. They needed more funding, but went about it in a non-traditional way.
“We said, ‘What we would like to do is use this need for cash that the business has and use it to have the community become owners of the business, so that as the business prospered, the community as owners would automatically prosper,’” Greenfield said.
By holding a public offer, Cohen and Greenfield raised $750,000 and one out of 100 families in Vermont became owners of Ben & Jerry’s.
After local success, Cohen and Greenfield expanded the offer to the national level, and they established the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, another way for them to give back to the community.
“The foundation would receive 7.5 percent of the company’s pre-tax profits,” Greenfield said. “That was the highest percentage of any publicly held company. The reason we chose such a high percentage was that our feeling at the time was… if we wanted to be as much (of) a benefit to the community as possible, we should give away as much money as possible.”
In no time, the foundation began receiving grant requests from nonprofit organizations that supported those struggling with issues like hunger and housing.
Greenfield found that the best way to run their business was to figure out the important components of the Ben & Jerry’s plan and integrate it with social and environmental issues. This idea proved to be easier said than done.
“It’s sort of like any process of innovation and figuring out something that you don’t know how to do,” Greenfield said. “It’s a matter of coming up with some ideas — you try them, usually they won’t work, you try and learn from that and you make changes, and you try again. Eventually, through trial and error, you get things figured out. That’s the way you learn how to do things.”
The company discovered Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, N.Y., a nonprofit pastry shop that provided jobs and job training for impoverished people.
“Ben & Jerry’s came up with a flavor, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, using brownies from the Greyston Bakery,” Greenfield said. “Ben & Jerry’s bought over $5 million worth of brownies from Greyston.”
Greenfield and Cohen continued to look into ways to help their customers.
Now, the company owns about 250 franchises, 14 of which are PartnerShops, or stores that are owned and operated by nonprofit social service agencies that work with at-risk youth.
“For those agencies that own Ben & Jerry’s shops, any money they make goes into funding their programs,” Greenfield said. “At the same time, they provide job training and jobs for (all) the people they work with.”
Along with their charitable ventures, the two are vocal about pressing issues in the country, such as democracy, environmentalism and social justice, and the company recently offered a statement on the Black Lives Matter movement.
In an interview with The Signal, Greenfield said that with their platform, large companies have the opportunity to show support on important issues.
“The feedback that Ben & Jerry’s got for that statement was overwhelmingly positive and it may be because of the people that follow Ben & Jerry’s or eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are more supportive of that,” he said. “I think most businesses (don’t) do it because they don’t want to take a risk… Their primary purpose is to make money and they don’t want to do anything that interferes with that.”
Despite the company’s successful charity work and stance on important issues, the pair still received criticism — a bizarre response, according to Greenfield.
“Several years ago, Ben & Jerry’s started to get criticized in the media that we were trying to convince people to buy more ice cream in a cynical (way) by doing good deeds,” he said.
The two responded to the media backlash in the best way they knew how — with positivity that highlighted their core beliefs.
“Probably most important of all, it helps with building a deep and genuine bond with our customers over shared values,” Greenfield said. “What we’ve been learning at Ben & Jerry’s is there is a spiritual aspect in business just as there is a compliance of individuals. As you give, you receive. As you help others, you are helped in return.”
No matter what, the company will stick to its business plan to incorporate its most valued beliefs and serve its community.
“We’re all interconnected and as we help others, we can’t help be helped in return,” Greenfield said. “For business and people, it’s all exactly the same.”
(09/14/16 10:03pm)
By Jessica Ganga
News Editor
Once again, the College is making major changes to its annual Homecoming tailgate. The new policy has sparked debate.
On Thursday, Sept. 1, a brief email sent to the College community from Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht and Vice President for College Advancement John P. Donohue, both co-chairs on the Homecoming Steering Committee, detailed what was to be expected for this year’s Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 29, and highlighted the fact that the Homecoming Steering Community is looking to “ensure that all (their) guests enjoy the day safely.”
So, how is this being done? By having a third-party vendor supply alcoholic drinks and by prohibiting outside alcohol being brought into the tailgate.
Last year, the school restricted how much alcohol one person could bring into the tailgate, and in 2014, the College attempted to have two locations for a tailgate, with one for underage students and the other for students and alumni 21 years old and over. Students and alumni were so enraged by the separate tailgates that a petition circulated via change.org, and the College did not go through with its initial plan.
This time around, students pointed out how the change will take away from their Homecoming experience. By having to wait in long vendor lines for what are most likely going to be overpriced drinks, the time students are able to spend with alumni and friends is shortened.
However, the biggest problem is what might happen before the Homecoming gates even open. Each year, when a new change is put into place, students threaten to drink more alcohol before they get to the tailgate, since there are many obstacles to drinking alcohol there. With these changes, many students might drink as much as they can before they head to the tailgate, which endangers themselves and the people around them.
I do understand that the College wants to keep students’ safety a priority and that drinking doesn’t equate to the amount of fun students can have. We can have fun without being drunk. But as college students, Homecoming is a social event we look forward to — it’s the day when we can all relax and not have to worry about any bad grades or that paper that’s due the following week.
I was looking forward to finally being 21 years old at Homecoming and celebrating my senior year with friends and alumni at the College.
Sadly, the College is known for not displaying as much school spirit as larger universities, evidenced by often low attendance at sporting events and, of course, a small and hyper-supervised Homecoming tailgate.
With these changes, it seems as if administrators at the College intended to lessen the possibilities of problems arising related to alcohol, but the changes take away from the real reason we all look forward to Homecoming — students and alumni coming together. If the College really wants this to “enhance the memorable Homecoming experience,” it should come to a compromise and work with students work with students to reach a happy medium.
Despite the changes, I still encourage students to attend Homecoming, stay safe and show the College that we can be responsible for ourselves.
(09/13/16 2:58am)
By Jessica Ganga
News Editor
The College is addressing the “increasing number of complaints” the library administration has received in the past few years about how loud the library has become, according to an email sent out on Tuesday, Sept. 6 by Taras Pavlovsky, dean of the library. To ensure the noise in the library is kept at an appropriate level, the library administration drafted a Library Noise Policy.
“Last year the ‘Library Building and Safety Committee’ (which includes student representatives) held a series of campus-wide open forums, both to collect testimony on the issue itself, and to collect reactions to the preliminary proposal,” Pavlovsky wrote in the email. “The resulting final proposal was sent to me in May.”
The new policy clearly outlines the different locations in the library and denotes the parts of the library that should serve as silent areas, or “Quiet Study Areas.” Access Service staff members will be seen making periodic sweeps of each floor to make sure the noise level is as expected.
The First Level, which includes the Library Café, Access Service Desk and reference desk, is described as having “occasional noise emanating from these areas.” The second floor is described in the same way. The third and fourth floor are considered to be “Quiet Study Areas.” The email also reminded students that the Group Study Rooms are not soundproof and noise should be kept at a minimal level.
The Library Noise Policy was enacted on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
(05/04/16 10:52pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
It has been a dream season for the College’s baseball team. An overall record of 28-8 and a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) overall record of 12-6. A majority of the players have had outstanding performances and their hard work was rewarded. Even with a couple of losses last week, the team qualified to compete in the NJAC tournament. The team ousted Montclair State University in a doubleheader, 10-2 and 3-2, on Saturday, April 30. It was the perfect way the team could end their dominating season.
Despite the cloudy weather on Saturday, the baseball team came out hot against Montclair, sweeping its opponents in a doubleheader win.
In the first game of the day, senior pitcher Steven Volpe took to the mound and tossed an impressive game for the Lions. The veteran went eight innings and allowed Montclair just one earned run throughout the game and struck out four opponents. With the win, Volpe earned himself his sixth win of the season and 15th of his career.
On the offensive side, the Lions jumped out early in the game — something they have been consistent with all season.
In the third inning, senior catcher Garen Turner singled to left center, advancing sophomore infielder Patrick Anderson to second and bringing around junior infielder Ben Varone to home.
The Lions packed on the runs in the fourth inning, earning themselves four runs and a 5-0 lead. Montclair’s error on the field and wild pitches by their pitcher played a key role in the rally. Senior outfielder John Rizzi reached base on an error by Montclair’s third baseman, allowing Varone to advance to third and senior catcher CJ Gearhart to cross home plate. Turner stepped up to the plate singled to the shortstop, scoring Rizzi.
Rizzi had a busy night, coming up in the fifth to single to center field, scoring sophomore outfielder Mike Follet.
The offense continued their scoring in the eighth-inning, extending their lead to 6-1. Junior infielder Alex Christian slapped a single to right field. Varone advanced to third and senior outfielder Pat Roberts added to the Lions’s score.
Montclair tried to come back at the top at the ninth, scoring one run against the Lions, but would be shut down as sophomore pitcher Matt Curry took to the mound to get the final two outs for the team.
The College and Montclair struck out a 10-inning game in the afternoon game of the doubleheader, with the Lions trailing in the beginning.
Montclair scored two runs in the fourth off of a bullet down the rightfield line and an RBI ground out the Lions second baseman that scored a player.
Zeros remained across the board until the Lions came back in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Rizzi lead off by being hit by a pitch, advancing him directly to first. He dominated the bases, stealing second and advancing to third on a ground ball and made it to home by a ground ball off of Roberts bat, pushing the score, 2-1.
Turner came up to bat with the bases empty. With the count at 1-1, Turner blasted a tremendous shot, hitting the left field netting for a solo home run to tie the game at two. He was met by elated cheers by his fellow teammates, who couldn’t keep their excitement in while on the bench.
After Curry pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the 10th, Follet led off the bottom of the inning with a single to center field. Varone laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance Follet, but ended up reaching first on an infield error by Montclair. Rizzi stepped up in the box and moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt. The Montclair pitcher intentionally walked Anderson to load the bases.
Roberts capped off the game with a walk-off single to left field on a 1-0 count, plating pinch runner and freshman outfielder Erik Rano.
Sophomore pitcher Joe Cirillo pitched a stand-out game on the mound, going nine innings and limiting Montclair to only three hits.
The Lions did register two losses against Rutgers University-Newark, one on Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29, falling 5-0 and 7-5 to their opponents. The losses did not make any difference to the team that had an outstanding 2016 season.
(05/04/16 6:30pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
Vice President of Student Affairs Amy Hecht hosted a series of open fora on Tuesday, April 26, and Thursday, April 28, to discuss four positions — three new and one current — whose salaries would be funded through the Student Activities Fee (SAF).
Hecht plans to use $300,000 of the SAF for the full-time positions, which will include a business operations manager to work alongside the Student Finance Board (SFB), a diversity and inclusion counselor, a club sports and intramural Director and will have the College Union Board (CUB) adviser be paid from the SAF. However, Hecht said that she would be willing to pull back on the CUB adviser position.
“I am presenting (for these positions) because I think this is a cumulation of what I’ve heard from students — what students need,” Hecht said. “I do not think I have it perfect. I do not think it’s exactly what we need to do and that’s why I need your feedback and your thoughts, so I welcome them in a respectful (way).”
Hecht was met with plenty of student feedback regarding her plan to fund these positions using the SAF, a fee “collected by the College on behalf of the Student Finance Board (SFB),” according to the College’s Website. SFB, in turn, is responsible for allocating those funds to organizations, such as CUB and Student Government (SG), both of which need money for programming. The fee is included in College students’ fees every year. In the 2015-16 school year, students paid $277.40 each for the SAF, according to the breakdown of student fees in PAWS.
During the fora, Hecht introduced students to the business operations manager position — a full-time staff member who will work alongside the SFB student staff. According to Hecht, the staff member would make sure checks were being cut, would keep the office open during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the work week and will be around over the summer while the SFB student staff is away.
Hecht said she proposed the idea for the position due to recommendations given to SFB from an audit firm — an outside third party that ensures SFB's financial statements are presented fairly.
Although Operations Director of SFB and senior economics major Thomas Barr said that SFB passes its audits every year, Hecht said that she must address the issues that have been presented to her during her two years working at the College. However, students voiced concerns about the necessity of having a full-time staff member working with the student employees of SFB.
“I’m just not necessarily seeing the viability of hiring a full-time (business operations manager),” Barr said. “I don’t think the concern is there to the extent (of) keeping the office (open from) 9 to 5. I think that’s something (that) us as students can work out.”
Barr went on to explain his concern for the leadership opportunities that students have in SFB.
“I would really hate to see an SFB leadership, any leadership job on campus, taken away,” Barr said. “I think that would be a true disservice to students.”
Hecht made it clear in the fora that she would not be taking away the responsibilities of the SFB staff members, but instead, the person would just be assisting the students in the office.
“I’m not taking away the allocation (of work) from SFB. I’m asking to have an office that will be available from 9 to 5 to make sure that the operations are happening that’s accountable to the College, that’s on the College’s system,” Hecht said.
Another concern raised about hiring a full-time staff member was be the amount of money the College would be paying the individual to help SFB.
According to Barr, it currently costs the College about $40,000 a year to have SFB’s services. It would cost the College about $50,000 more, according to Barr, to pay for a full-time staff member. That would make the total cost to run SFB $90,000 annually, Barr said.
Executive Director of SFB and senior accounting major Brandon Klein voiced the same concern as Barr did.
“I’m not really understanding why someone would replace a less costly structure with a more costly structure, although there’s been consistent success in the program,” Klein said.
Although Hecht received unsure responses for the first position, she was met with a different reaction for the diversity and inclusion counselor, a staff member who would assist students with issues such as culture, race and identity. Hecht hopes this would would help strengthen diversity and inclusion on the campus.
“I would speak to students of color and they would say, ‘I don’t see myself at The College of New Jersey,’” Hecht said.
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Elizabeth Bapasola explained the educational purpose of the position, emphasizing that it would not only be for those of minority groups, but those that are in majority groups so they can better understand the diverse culture surrounding them on campus.
“What we’re looking for is a person… who could provide that higher level (of) expertise for students, that mentoring advising for students that they’re not currently getting, (as well as) educational programs to support students,” Bapasola said.
The students in multicultural organizations in attendance expressed support for the plan, saying that it would give other students a chance to get to know other cultures at the College.
A possible third position that Hecht plans to create is a club sports and intramural director, who would help oversee and manage the 20 club sports the College has on campus — a number that, according to Hecht, is too many for one person to manage. Without this position, she said, there would have to be cuts made to the number of club sports at the College.
“We know we (have) to figure out a way to have some more oversight,” Hecht said. “ If nothing were to change… I (would still only) have one person (Robert Simels) overseeing all of recreation, so we’re talking about the Fitness Center, we’re talking about classes, intramurals, club sports and so we’ll need to bring that down.”
The last position, which Hecht said would possibly be taken away, received the most criticism and harsh feedback from students. Hecht originally proposed that the CUB adviser’s salary would be moved to the SAF, allowing there to be more money to pay for a second case manager for students.
“My initial proposal was to move that position onto the fee because I would not have a need for that position if it weren’t for (SAF),” Hecht said.
With Hecht’s original plan, Assistant Director of Student Activities and CUB adviser Jess Claar would have an expanded role and would be able to do more than she does now with class councils and for all student organizations in regards to contracts, Hecht said.
Toward the end of the forum, Hecht explained that Claar’s position would most likely not be moved and she would still receive her salary from the Brower Student Center fee, another fee that students pay each year, which was $124.50 for the Spring 2016 semester.
As each position was discussed, it became clear that there were multiple issues with having the money come out of the SAF. Students offered suggestions for cost-effective ways that the SAF could be used in case that the $300,000 is taken out.
Since the SAF is paid by the students, when a student attends an SAF-funded event — such as a comedy show or concert — they are essentially getting their money paid back to them.
Throughout both forums, students made it clear that the main issue at hand was simply where the money was coming from. Students pointed out that the money taken out of SAF was money that is meant for student programming.
According to Hecht, in this year alone, CUB received 51 percent of the fee, or about $900,000 out of the $1.8 million that SFB was originally allocated.
Next semester, CUB will be receiving about $750,000, according to Hecht. Some students didn’t understand the need to cut money from an organization that has successfully planned weekly events for College students to enjoy.
According to Hecht, the amount came from the people in CUB.
“We looked back historically at the past three to four years of spending for the (CUB) and they averaged between $740 (thousand) and $770 (thousand) per year, and they’ve always been able to provide a pretty successful calendar of events,” Claar said. “Knowing that this year, CUB took advantage of SFB’s willingness to give money. They fully admit that they asked for a lot and they received a lot and they were able to do some pretty amazing programs.”
Claar noted that the $200,000 difference between this year and next is not an “entrical” part of CUB’s successful programming on campus, and the money could be used for other programs that need funding for events.
Even though losing $200,000 would not greatly affect CUB and its programming, students questioned what that would mean for ticket prices.
According to Claar, this year was the first year that tickets were offered at a very low cost — the Spring Concert was $10. Claar said that CUB and SFB discussed significantly lowering the cost of the tickets for the school year. Usually, concert tickets at the College cost between $15 to $25, so the price of the tickets would go up, but it wouldn’t be a substantial difference, according to Claar.
Although students were assured that programming would not be affected, concerns were raised by Klein about how students’ fees are really handled.
Klein brought up a NorthJersey.com article from Wednesday, April 27, that listed colleges in New Jersey that didn’t make it clear how money was being spent. The article said that the College, along with Kean and William Paterson universities, failed to explain the payroll costs in the description of how the money is used.
According the article, College spokesperson Dave Muha said that the College is transparent with the cost of attendance. The article went on to say that the College would be looking into developing “written policies and procedures for the fees.”
During the fora, students questioned whether or not full-time salaries should be paid for out of the SAF. Many students had interpreted the description of the SAF to mean that the funds could only go toward funding student programs.
According to Hecht, though, part-time coaches salaries — about $4,000 — are currently being paid for by the SAF. Students argued back that full-time positions are more expensive than part-time ones, and therefore the SAF should not be used to fund them.
“We have not dipped our toe into paying for a full-time staff and benefits out of the fee (yet),” Hecht said. “However, nationally, 99.9 percent of institutions pay for full-time staff.”
According to Hecht, it is not enough for the fee to just be used for student programming and choices need to be made to help students.
“These are the choices we have to make,” Hecht said. “Do we trim some things to lessen the burden on staff or do we pay for some staff? The fee just being used for programming and activities is causing staff costs. You’re not realizing because the College is supplementing.”
At the forefront of the fora, the importance of student programming held true.
Students cast out that the reduction of SAF funds being used for student programming might prohibit the number of events that occur on campus.
Freshman urban education and history double major Max Falvey said that these programs are what students look forward to and is a major draw in for students seeking to attend the College.
“Bringing up CUB and all of our other organizations that do amazing programs, it definitely is a major draw in point to (the College) — it’s something that we are known for,” Falvey said.
Favey also said that while the SAF may be used to pay staff salaries, its intended purpose is to serve the students of the College.
“To me it comes (down to): Where is that money coming from? And if it’s from the SAF, though the purpose of the SAF is not for programming, to my knowledge, that’s the only money programming gets,” Falvey said. “I didn’t know it was also allocated to be a staffing budget. I feel like in the beautifully scenic, somewhat desolate Ewing, N.J., the programs give students something to do instead of just going out and sitting in their room at night.”
(04/26/16 7:42pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
The College’s baseball team split their games, going 2-2 against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponents. The Lions pounced on Rutgers University-Camden two days in a row on Thursday, April 21, and Friday, April 22, winning the games, 6-4 and 4-0, respectively. The team, which is now 26-6 on the season, fell to Ramapo College in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23.
The Lions captured their 11th straight win on Thursday against Rutgers-Camden. Senior catcher Garen Turner had, arguably, the best game of his season so far, hitting a grand-slam in the third inning and opening the door for the Lions to take home a win.
Turner also surpassed the 100-RBI milestone, hitting his 102nd of his career and in grand fashion. His current total stands at 105 career RBIs.
In the fifth inning, the Lions added another run to their score. Senior outfielder Patrick Roberts reached base on an error made by Rutgers-Camden and scooted around to third off a bullet to center by Turner who landed on first. Eventually, Roberts tagged up and touched home to score on a sacrifice-fly by sophomore infielder Zachary Shindler.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Zachary took the mound against Rutgers-Camden and earned the decision, making him 6-0 on the season. Zachary kept his opponents’ bats silent up until the seventh. Rutgers-Camden attempted a rally, scoring four wins in the inning, but it was not enough for the team that currently stands at 21-11 on the season.
The following day, senior pitcher Eric Teesdale stepped on the mound and helped the team shutout Rutgers-Camden, 4-0. The exceptional right-hander put forth one of his best performances on the mound for the Lions. Teesdale went eight innings, gave up only four hits and struck out four of his opponents.
In true Lions fashion, the team jumped out on the board early, scoring a run in the first inning. Sophomore infielder Patrick Anderson smacked the ball to right-center for a double. Roberts stepped up to the plate and singled to left-center, allowing Anderson to race home.
During the fourth inning, Teesdale ran into a bit of trouble. Rutgers-Camden loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks. Teesdale remained calm and got himself out of the jam when his opposing batter flew out to left to end the inning.
The Lions continued their scoring in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, the team took advantage of a Rutgers-Camden error. Anderson reached base off the error made by the Rutgers-Camden right-fielder and was able to advance to second, allowing sophomore outfielder Mike Follet and junior infielder Ben Varone, who were both already on base, to score.
Sophomore pitcher Matt Curry came onto the mound at the end of the game in the ninth to shut it down. The 6’4” right-hander struck out the first batter he faced and recorded a ground out to third. Rutgers-Camden put two runners on base with a pair of singles, but it ended there. Shindler, who was in the game as shortstop, fielded a ground ball and executed a flip to second to secure the shutout and extend their win-streak to 12 games.
The win-streak would come to an end when the team faced Ramapo on Saturday with two crushing losses against the Roadrunners, the first game ending at 9-7 and the second, 11-2. Ramapo came out swinging in the first inning, scoring three runs off of senior pitcher Steven Volpe.
The Lions’s offense supported its strong right-hander in the bottom of the first, scoring five wins to take the lead away from Ramapo. Anderson smashed his second homerun of the season over the trees in left field. Roberts came up to bat and ended up drawing a walk. Turner entered the batter’s box and lasered a single down the left-field line, tying the game at 3. With a single by junior catcher CJ Gearhart and Follet, the tie would eventually be broken, 5-3.
It was not enough for the Lions, who ended up scoring a run in the sixth. The Roadrunners ended the hope of a win when they scored four runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth.
There would be no luck for the Lions in the second game of the day. The team fell flat against Ramapo who jumped out to another early lead, scoring four in the first inning.
The Lions got on the board in the third inning, scoring the only two runs they had in the game. Anderson doubled to right-center, sending senior outfielder John Rizzi to home. Tuner had another productive game, coming up to bat to single to right field, allowing Anderson to score, but that would be it for the Lions as the Roadrunners continued stacking up runs against the team.
Despite the losses, the Lions remain second in the NJAC standings, 10-4, just behind Kean University, 11-3. The Lions look to continue their success against Cairn University on Tuesday, April 26.
(04/19/16 3:57pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
As the weather got hotter at the College, so did its baseball team. The Lions continued their success with a nine-game win streak and added to their overall record, which currently stands at 23-4 on the season. The team faced three New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) teams and came away with a win against each of them, bringing its conference record to 8-2, a testament to the hard work the men put into every game.
In the Lions’s first game against NJAC opponent Stockton University on Monday, April 11, it was freshman pitcher Michael Fischer’s arm on display in the 3-0 win, as he pitched a complete-game shutout. The right-hander retired the first 10 batters, silencing their bats completely. Fischer faced only 30 batters, walked none, allowed five hits and kept Stockton’s score at zero across the board.
For the offense, it was senior catcher Garen Turner who broke the scoreless tie between the teams in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Turner singled down the infield line, allowing senior outfielder John Rizzi to cross home plate.
The Lions would go on to score two more runs in the eighth. With bases loaded, sophomore infielder Zach Shindler smacked the ball to right center for a single, sending outfielder Pat Roberts and Rizzi around to score.
Later in the week, the Lions faced Rowan University for an away and home game on Thursday, April 14, and Friday, April 15, respectively.
On Thursday, the team defeated the Profs, 10-1, and had valuable performances from the end of the lineup. Rowan got on the board early, scoring one run off sophomore pitcher Brandon Zachary, but that would be it, for the NJAC opponent as Zachary dominated the mound for the rest of the game.
The College jumped out in the fourth inning, scoring four runs to take the lead. Roberts got the scoring started with a single to right field allowing Rizzi to score.
In the top of the sixth, Shindler slapped the ball to right-field center, racing to second for a double. Shindler showed off his speed on the bases by advancing to third on a wild pitch and eventually made it home on a another ball to the backstop.
The following day, the team defeated Rowan, 8-3, at home. Senior pitcher Eric Teesdale earned the win for the Lions. Once again, the Lions got on the board early in the second inning, but lost their lead in the fifth after the Profs rallied with three runs. The Lions answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
It is evident during each game that the team works hard out on the field to ensure that they walk away with a “W” on the record. Head coach Dean Glus attributes the men’s success to their idea that they can win, even after a so-so 2015 season during which the team still made it to the NJAC playoffs.
“This goes back to last year — at the end of our season last year — we didn’t start very well and at the end of the year, we played pretty well and almost pulled out the conference,” Glus said. “I think that gave the guys a belief that they can do it.”
The Lions have a motive for the season that they derived from last season with an understanding that they can succeed no matter what.
“That’s been their motive all year: ‘Hey, we’ve been there, we bought into the plan and we are going to succeed because (we) are that good,’” Glus said.
The team used their will-succeed motto to finish off the NJAC doubleheader sweep against New Jersey City University (NJCU) on Friday, April 16.
In the first game, 4-0, senior pitcher Steven Volpe got the win for the Lions in a complete-game shutout while improving his personal record to 5-0 on the season. The top of the lineup was busy for the Lions, they accounted for seven of the nine hits during the game. Rizzi broke the scoreless tie in the fifth and drove in another run in the sixth, scoring Shindler to stretch the lead to 4-0.
The Lions would go on to defeat NJCU in the afternoon, 7-5.
Glus, who recorded his 200th win as a coach during the College’s game against William Paterson University on Sunday, April 10, is proud to have been a part of the team’s success during this season.
“I’ve been here 25 years overall and the last nine as head coach,” Glus said. “I’ve loved every minute of it. The guys are great. It’s a special family, so it’s been a very positive thing.”
(04/12/16 7:57pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
Last week, the Lions showed what it means to get back up after being knocked down. The baseball team went from losing three in a row to winning four straight, improving its outstanding overall record to 18-4 on the season.
The College scored a whopping 14 runs against Immaculata University, who scored a respectable eight on Tuesday, April 5. The Lions shut out Stockton University Ospreys three days later on Friday, April 8, 7-0. On the road in Wayne, N..J., the Lions took home two wins against William Paterson University Pioneers on Sunday, April 10, 11-3 and 11-0, capping a successful week for the team.
Immaculata got on the board first in the first inning with a run, but the Lions answered back the best way they knew how — by scoring four solid runs in the first inning.
Sophomore infielder Zach Shindler got the scoring started with a triple to center field, allowing for senior catcher Garen Turner and senior outfielder Pat Roberts to reach home. The Lions tacked on two more runs and the scoring did not stop.
The Lions would tally up nine more runs in the next couple innings, scoring four runs in the second inning and scoring a dominating five runs in the third inning. Roberts was the star of the second inning, blasting a grand-slam home run.
In the bottom of the third, senior outfielder John Rizzi — who has been an offensive asset for the Lions this season — hit a hard double and eventually came around to home.
The Mighty Macs attempted to rally in the fourth and the eighth innings, scoring four runs and one run, respectively. But it wasn’t enough against the pouncing Lions, who made sure their opponents’ bats were silenced.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Zachary had a strong showing against Stockton on Friday, going eight innings without letting an opponent cross home plate. Zachary impressively increased his record to 4-0 on the season with a 7-0 shutout against the Ospreys.
In typical Lions fashion, the team jumped out early in the game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. Once again, it was the duo of Turner and Rizzi that helped the Lions rack up runs early. In the first inning, Turner slapped a run-scoring single to right center, getting sophomore infielder Patrick Robinson and Rizzi to home plate.
During the bottom of the fourth inning, with sophomore outfielder Mike Follet and junior infielder Ben Varone already on base, Rizzi laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to home.
On the defensive side, Zachary kept the Stockton offense at bay, only allowing runners to reach base in the first five innings, but the bats remained silent for the rest of the game. Zachary also had the defensive help of junior catcher CJ Gearhart, who was active behind the plate. Gearhart made numerous stops and threw out runners trying to advance throughout the game.
The Lions continued their winning streak and strong offensive/defensive play against William Paterson in a Sunday, April 10, doubleheader.
In the first game, senior pitcher Steven Volpe tossed seven impressive innings, only giving up three runs in two innings and improving his record to 4-0 on the season. The veteran pitcher had plenty of support from the offense who had 14 hits, taking full advantage of errors made by the Pioneers.
Rizzi had a busy first inning. The outfielder was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third, taking advantage of an error made by the William Paterson catcher. Anderson stepped up to the plate and grounded out to short, allowing Rizzi to advance to home and put the Lions on the board.
The Pioneers tied the game up in the next inning and attempted to come back in the seventh with two runs. The Lions were too strong, scoring three runs in the third, five runs in the sixth and two runs in the ninth inning to cap off the first game of the day.
Volpe ended the game with eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Senior pitcher Joe DiLorenzo took the mound in the eighth inning to finish the game, only throwing 18 pitches in the final two innings.
For the final game of the day, it was sophomore pitcher Joe Cirillo and senior pitcher Eric Teesdale combined forces to shutout William Paterson, 11-0.
Cirillo only allowed the four hits in seven innings with Teesdale pitching two scoreless innings to cap off the game.
The Lions are scheduled to play New Jersey Athletic Conference rivals Rowan University on Thursday, April 14, where they hope to improve their record.
(04/12/16 4:11pm)
[slideshow_deploy id='42965']
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
At the College Union Board’s Spring Concert on Tuesday, April 5, the last thing on anyone’s mind was going home. Multi-talented R&B singer Jason Derulo kept the College’s students’ feet moving and voices singing all night in the Recreation Center. The concert, featuring Boston-based rapper Sammy Adams, was one that students will never forget.
Flooded with bright, white light, Derulo took to the stage to the sound of the screaming audience, who had their phones at the ready for the singer’s anticipated performance. Derulo started his set with his hit song “Trumpets,” from his 2013 album “Talk Dirty.” The melodic beat had the crowd swaying and singing along.
Derulo performed a balanced mix of old and recent songs for the College and had students belting out lyrics to hits like his first single, “Whatcha Say,” which debuted at No. 1 in August 2009 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart off his self-titled album “Jason Derulo.” The single ladies in the crowd made sure their voices were heard as Derulo performed “Ridin’ Solo” off the same album.
A lucky girl had the chance to sit on stage and be serenaded by the debonair Derulo as he sang the 2011 crowd-favorite “It Girl.”
“Is my ‘It Girl’ in New Jersey tonight?” Derulo asked before the song, as he was greeted with screams from females left and right.
Sadly, many hearts were crushed, as only one girl got to stare into his sparkling eyes.
“Much more than a Grammy Award / That’s how much you mean to me / You could be my it girl,” Derulo sang to the lucky student.
Not only were Derulo’s vocals on display during songs like “It Girl” and “In My Head,” during which he showed off his undeniable range, but he also effortlessly glided and took control of the entire stage with his slick dance abilities. Alongside his “Derulo Dancers,” the suave singer kept everyone’s eyes on center stage as he executed his mesmerizing moves.
Derulo also treated the crowd to a performance of his brand new single, “If It Ain’t Love,” that he released earlier this month.
He performed the song for the first time on the iHeartRadio Music Awards stage in Inglewood, Calif., which he also hosted, just two days before his show at the College. The song was one that Derulo did not originally have on his setlist, so everyone in attendance got to share in the special moment of watching him perform the smooth new single.
Derulo’s fourth studio album “Everything Is 4” has seen success for the veteran performer. “Everything is 4,” which was released in June 2015, has had four singles make the Billboard Hot 100 chart. For the new record, Derulo teamed up with Grammy Award-winning music producer Ian Kirkpatrick, who helped produce and write songs such as “Cheyenne” and “Want to Want Me.”
“He’s an amazing producer,” Derulo said of Kirkpatrick in an interview with The Signal. “I’m someone who is always searching for new talent. I’m constantly looking for people with a new sound that has something fresh and new that will stand out and he is no different. He had something that was special, so I wanted to work with him.”
Derulo capped off the night with the Michael Jackson-esque song “Want to Want Me,” which is the most recent hit single off his new album. The crowd, which was already pumped by Derulo’s non-stop performance, bursted with even more energy — everyone couldn’t help but sing along.
Before Derulo’s performance, Adams got the crowd’s energy right where it needed to be, springing himself into the audience at the beginning of his set. Like Derulo, the lively rapper played a variety of his songs, dipping into albums such as his 2010 EP, “Boston’s Boy.”
Bathed in colored, flashing lights, Adams commanded the stage and got the crowd going with songs like “Fall Back” off his 2012 pre-album mixtape “OK COOL.” The song is representative of the diversity found in Adams’s music, which could be described as a mix between rap and electronic dance music.
“It’s electronic, but at the same time, it’s just a big mix of my favorite types of music,” Adams said in an interview with The Signal. “Sometimes I’ll throw in a weird country, classical rock hook on a hood-trap song. That’s fun to me.”
Adams made sure it wasn’t just him having the time of his life on stage, but that everyone at the concert was having a night to remember. The crowd sang along to well-known songs, such as “Driving Me Crazy,” “Comin’ Up” and “Only One.”
Adams continued his energetic set with new tracks off his recently released March 2016 album, “The Long Way.” “Overboard” had the crowd jumping up and down to its dance-floor beat. The song “Helluva” was the perfect mix of club-anthem weaved with Adams’s rap verses describing a wild night — a theme of most his songs.
The album marks Adams’s first time in his career releasing a full-length record — his last two albums, in 2010 and 2013, respectively, were shorter EPs. In an interview with The Signal, Adams said that the decision to release an LP in 2016 was one based on the fans and how long they’ve stuck by his side during his eight-year career.
“It’s probably the biggest example of music I’m really proud of,” Adams said. “In and out of major labels, in and out of indie deals, working with my favorite producers, I was able to finally cultivate what I wanted to be my LP, which is such a special feeling.”
“All Night Longer,” Adams’s notorious 2012 college party anthem, was the perfect end to the rapper’s performance. The crowd screamed the lyrics “I wanna go all night longer,” as Adams took videos and pictures of everyone going wild for his song.
Despite the high life and partying that most of Adams’s songs describe, the Cambridge, Mass.,-born rapper began his career humbly, cutting tracks at home and in his Trinity College dorm room. The song, “I Hate College (Remix), ”which he performed for the College, is a remix of rapper Asher Roth’s song “I Love College” and was the first song Adams publically released on YouTube in 2009. The song became an instant success and is what led Adams to create “Boston’s Boy.”
Adams attributes his time growing up in Boston, Mass., for making him the rapper and person he is today, as he pulls inspiration from the New England city.
“The first album was very Massachusetts-, Boston-centered,” Adams said. “It was crazy because I was this Boston kid from a middle-class family who definitely didn’t think I would become this or anything close to playing the amount of shows that I do. It’s awesome. It’s sort of a testament to the city for influencing me.”
Like Adams, Derulo also began his career small. The Miramer, Fla., native began his career ghostwriting songs for artists like Danity Kane, Pitbull and Lil Wayne — an opportunity that he didn’t necessarily seek out, but something he didn’t let pass him.
“It kind of just fell into my lap,” Derulo said. “I always wanted to be the person delivering the message. I always wanted to be the front man. Life kind of takes you on twists and turns and I was going to make it by any means necessary.”
Derulo eventually went from being a behind-the-scenes writer to the triple-threat frontman he is known for being today. To date, Derulo has had 11 platinum singles and sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Even after so much success, Derulo still appreciates how he began his career.
“Whatever cards life dealt to me, I was going to make the best out of those cards,” Derulo said. “So, if I had to write songs to make my way in, that’s what I was going to do. Eventually, I got noticed and the rest was history.”
Thanks to our friends at Lions Television for filming the interviews.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJQSP-RbZV8
(04/05/16 4:22pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
Senior James Shangle was sure that a dream had just come true. After touching the wall, he looked up at the clock. Did the time allow him to qualify? Did he make it to the Olympic time trials or not?
He had.
Though there was no announcement, his childhood fantasy became a reality in that moment
With a time of 1:03.64 in the 100-meter breaststroke, the veteran swimmer qualified to swim in Omaha, Neb., for the Olympic time trials starting Sunday, June 26. At first, Shangle wasn’t sure if he had qualified due to the fact that the announcer never said his name.
“I was pulling myself out of the water, pointing at the time, yelling at my disappointed coach, ‘Hey that’s a pretty fast time,’ over and over, secretly thinking and knowing that the announcer had made a mistake and that I had just barely qualified,” Shangle said. “I met my coach five seconds later at the side of the pool, both of us unsure if I did it, until my mother screamed down from the balcony 20 feet away, ‘You did it!’”
For Shangle, this has been an eighth grade dream in the making. With his hard work and determination throughout his four seasons swimming for the College, he has always remained focused and trained his hardest. Training for the trials will not be any different.
“I’m doing everything I can to do my absolute best,” Shangle said. “I’ve been in the water every day since NCAAs and I intend to be in the best shape of my life when I get on the block.”
At the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, N.C., Shangle, who had to qualify with a time of 1:03.69 at most, was just one of three out of 100 swimmers to make it to the trials.
Although Shangle has been a consistently dominant swimmer for the Lions and has had a successful career at the College, he almost left the sport for good. But a change of thought kept the swimmer in the water.
“My sophomore year, I really wanted to quit swimming and I remember being in (head coach Brian Bishop’s) office telling him that I wanted to quit and that the only thing stopping me was him and the team,” Shangle said. “This group of people supported me in so many ways other than in the pool and I really would have quit that year if I was not with this team or with this coach.”
That decision to stay led Shangle to four school records and 14 All-American honors with the Lions.
Although Shangle has worked hard to make his dream a reality, he has a group of people that he is thankful to have as his support system. When he emerged from the water and saw the time, he couldn’t help but think of everyone who has been with him every step of the way.
“At that moment, and still now, I felt like it is a gift from my family, coach and team to get that time — a gift from everyone to get to go,” Shangle said. “I feel that it is a gift from my talented coach, who paid attention to me to reach my fullest potential; a gift from my parents, who came to all of my races and supported me in every way possible; and a gift from my very talented teammates, who motivate me to be the best I can be. There are some things I think I earned in this sport, but this was something I could not have done without my coach, parents and team.”
(03/29/16 4:12pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
The crowd held on to their seats. The baseball team felt the pressure and intensity of the game. With 10 innings played, the Lions needed to break out in the 11th to win.
Wham.
Senior catcher Matt Facas blew the game wide open for the College on Saturday, March 26, against Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) in the second game of the doubleheader that day.
With the dramatic win against F&M, the team improved its overall record to 13-1 on the season.
The Lions continued their hot streak by picking up three wins last week and they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
During the first game of the F&M doubleheader, the Lions jumped out early to take the lead in the first inning. Senior outfielder John Rizzi got the Lions on the board with a leadoff double. Senior outfielder Pat Roberts smacked the ball into right field, sending Rizzi home.
Rizzi stepped up again in the second inning of the game by slapping a single to right field, scoring juniors infielder Alex Christian and catcher CJ Gearhart and bringing the score up, 3-0.
Senior pitcher Steven Volpe tossed his second complete game of the season, going all seven inning and allowing only one run to score in the seventh.
In the electrifying afternoon game against F&M, the Lions started out slow. The College trailed F&M, 5-1, after the second inning, but in the third, sophomore Patrick Anderson cut the deficit to 5-3 when he scored sophomore outfielder Mike Follet on a double.
The Lions tied the game up in a thrilling sixth inning, scoring three runs and evening the score at 8. All the runs scored by the College were unearned. After sending junior infielder Ben Varone home, Roberts advanced to second on a wild pitch. On the same pitch, Rizzi, who was on third, darted toward home and scored the tying run.
Both teams had a back and forth for the rest of the game, with the Lions losing their lead in the bottom of the eighth and again in the bottom of the tenth.
The 11th inning was the last, with the College breaking out and scoring a total of six runs, taking advantage of mistakes made by the F&M defense, to take the commanding lead. Anderson singled and advanced to second on an error in right field. Freshman infielder Tom McCarthy came home from third to score. McCarthy’s run would be the eventual game winner. Facas secured the win for the team with a two-run single.
Earlier in the week on Wednesday, March 23, the Lions triumphed over Alvernia University at home, 5-3. Sophomore pitcher Joe Cirillo would get the win for the Lions, going seven innings with only three earned runs. The right-hander earned himself eight strikeouts (SO) during his time on the mound, bringing his total SOs to 19 on the season.
The pitching staff was one of the highlights of the game, with the relief pitchers taking the ball and shutting down Alvernia for the rest of the game. Senior pitcher Eric Teasdale took the mound after Cirillo, going one and one-third innings with two SOs. Sophomore pitcher Matt Curry only needed to face two batters, striking out both, to finish up the game.
On the offensive side, Roberts had an impressive game, going 2-for-3 with a home run in the first to get the Lions started on the board. During the following inning, Roberts stepped up to the plate again, this time roping a single to right field in the second, scoring Rizzi and Varone.
The Lions offense was on display again during their game against Ursinis College on Thursday, March 26. With 15 hits total in the game, the Lions earned the “W” with a final score of 7-4.
Once again, the College got on the board early, scoring two runs in the second inning. Sophomore infielder Zachary Shindler started the scoring off with a double to right-center. Varone sent Shindler to home with a single to the right. Rizzi, who has been an offensive asset for the Lions, stepped in the box and hit a rocket in the middle, scoring Gearhart.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Zachary earned his second win of the season, going six innings and only giving up two runs. The young right-hander struck out six batters during the game.
The Lions look to continue their eight-game winning streak during the week of Sunday, March, 27, with a games against Widener University on Tuesday, March, 29, Haverford University on Wednesday, March 31, and Kean University on Saturday, April 2.
(03/22/16 8:24pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
The weather in Florida was hot, but the bats of the College’s baseball team were hotter last week during the team’s annual trip to the Sunshine State. From come-from-behind wins to earned double-digit runs, the team demonstrated what the true definition of “teamwork” really is, something that has so far been evident in the beginning of the season. The Lions took home seven wins out of eight games played, bringing its overall record to 9-1 on the season.
The Lions’s first game on Saturday, March 12, against Roger Williams University set the momentum for the rest of the trip. With the leadership of the team’s seniors, including pitcher Steven Volpe, the Lions defeated the Hawks, 12-2.
Volpe dominated the game, getting his first 15 outs in only 39 pitches. The veteran pitcher allowed only two opposing runners to reach home and struck out five during his complete game.
The Lions took the spotlight, with play after play throughout the game. Senior center fielder John Rizzi showed range by making six putouts during the game. Rizzi’s nonstop effort gave Volpe the confidence to attack all parts of the strike zone against the opposing hitters, allowing him to give them his toughest pitches.
“The players have all worked hard in all aspects of the game,” head coach Dean Glus said. “They have paid attention to details and that has built confidence in each one to go out and play to their ability.”
The team’s hitting was on fire throughout the game, with the offense recording 15 hits while runners were on base.
“The hitting by the entire team was outstanding,” Glus said. “After 10 games, I believe we are hitting at a .380, clip and that is outstanding. The starting pitching was very good, as we had over five complete games by our starters. “
The next day, Sunday, March 13, the team split two games in a doubleheader against Fitchburg State University. Even though the Lions outhit their opponents, 12-8, the team couldn’t come back after Fitchburg State exploded in the fifth inning with five runs. The Lions fell to them, 10-7.
In the afternoon, the Lions drew their claws, defeating Fitchburg State, 8-3. Freshman Michael Fischer made his first collegiate start and had an impressive debut, pitching all seven innings for a complete game. The freshmen have made their mark early in the season and have helped the team tremendously during the start.
“The veteran players have taken the freshmen under their wings to show them support, guidance and how to work the right way at their skills,” Glus said. “The freshman class has a lot of ability and they feel they are big part of the success.”
Fitchburg State jumped out early and scored in the first inning, but the Lions’s offense answered back with a run. Rizzi reached base after being hit by a pitch and eventually darted out to steal second. Senior catcher Garren Turner smacked the ball up the middle for a single and earned himself an RBI as Rizzi touched home. The team went on to score seven more runs, with Fischer allowing only two in the fifth and last inning of the game.
Similarly to how the Lions came close to overtaking Fitchburg State, the team was able to keep Eastern Connecticut State University at bay on Thursday, March 17. The College got on the board quickly with sophomore infielder Zach Shindler leading the charge. Shindler earned himself four hits and three RBIs in just five at-bats.
The Lions took control over the game in the fourth, advancing the lead to 10-1. Turner blasted the ball into the field for a run-scoring triple. Shindler then stepped up to the base and slapped the ball to the middle, scoring Turner. Shindler eventually reached home on a single by sophomore outfielder Mike Follet.
In the eighth inning, Eastern Connecticut inched closer to a victory by scoring six runs in the eighth inning, making the score 10-9.
It was sophomore pitcher Matt Curry’s turn to shine on the mound as he kept the opponents’ offense back. The 6’4” right-hander went one-two-three, ending the game with a fly ball to center.
For Glus, the close win was a game that stuck out in his mind after the trip came to a close.
“We took a 10-3 lead and they came back to make it 10-9 and then we shut the door,” Glus said. “It’s not easy being up and then in a tight game and having the confidence to close it out.”
The Lions met the coach’s expectations during the week they were in Florida, defeating Babson College, 10-1, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 20-3 and Westfield State University, 4-0 and 6-2.
“In the first 10 games, they met all expectations and more so,” Glus said. “The coaching staff set expectations for each player to take the next step in their games and for the most part, they have done that.”
(02/09/16 8:47pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
Coming off a win last week where both teams took home New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) titles, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams came into their meet against William Paterson University Pioneers the same way they left off last week.
The Lions took control of the pool, beating the William Paterson by a staggering score on Saturday, Feb. 6, in Wayne, N.J. The men’s team crushed the Pioneers, 148-83, and the women flew past their opponents, defeating them, 161-80.
The men’s team got the winning-day started by taking first place in the men’s 400-yard medley relay. Freshmen Alex Skoog and Jason Ivins, sophomore Chris O’Sullivan and junior Scott Vitabile raced into first with a time of 3:32.06. The win set the momentum for the rest of the meet for the Lions.
It would be a day of sweeps for the men’s team, winning three events during the day. In the men’s 1,000-yard freestyle, freshman John Gregory, sophomore Logan Barnes and Ivins went one, two and three with respective times of 10:33.48, 10:45.41 and 10:47.85. The Lions would go on to sweep the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke with senior James Shangle taking the top spot in the 100-yard back with a time of 54.02.
In the 100-yard free, junior Anthony Gurrieri led the pack, touching the wall with a time of 49.33. O’Sullivan sped in right after with a time 50.22 and junior Vince Masciandaro took third with a time of 51.52.
Alongside the men’s team, the women’s team came into the water hot, with dominating performances all around.
Sophomore Cassidy Bergeron had an impressive day in the water, taking first in two individual events — the women’s 100-yard freestyle and the 1,000-yard freestyle, an event she usually does not race in.
“It is not my usual event to race, so preparing for it was quite different than my regular events,” Bergeron said. “I got advice from my coaches and teammates on how the best way to swim it is. My top fear for this event was that I would go out too fast and not be able to maintain my speed, so it was important for me not to go hard in the beginning of the race and instead take my strokes long and smooth.”
Bergeron coasted into the wall with a time of 12:10.22 in the 1,000-yard freestyle. She went on to race for an impressive time of 59.82 in the 100-yard free.
Competing alongside classmates Marta Lawler, Robin Lukens and Emily Rothstein, Bergeron helped the team gain first in the 400-yard freestyle relay, clocking in a time of 3:21.43.
Senior Eilish Devine had a busy day in the water, taking the top seed in two individual events — the women’s 200-yard freestyle and the women’s 500-yard freestyle. In the 200-yard free, Devine swam to the wall with her Pioneers opponent on her tail. Devine took first with a time of 2:07.41, a second in front of her competitor. It was another race of just mere seconds when Devin later competed in the 500 free, during which she won with a time of 5:38.57, again, beating her opponent by a second.
The women, like the men, once again boasted another winning season and shared many memories and highlights throughout.
“This season has been a blast and I’m sad to see it end,” Lawler said. “An individual memory I’ll take away from this season is winning two events at the Lion Invite. It was a really exciting time for me because the wins really showcased all of my hard work.”
As the regular season comes to a close, both teams are looking forward to competing the Metropolitan Conference Championships (METS) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships.
Head coach of the women’s team, Jennifer Harnett, now has to prepare her team for the challenging road ahead.
“This week, we start tapering for METs, which means we decrease the yardage and practice time so they are more rested for the MET championships,” Harnett said.
Even though it has been a season with hard work and tiring practices, Harnett is proud of everything her team has done. Looking back at the season, Harnett reflected on her team’s accomplishments.
“It has been a great season both in and out of the pool,” Harnett said. “I think the Lions Invitational and Rowan (University) meet are two of my favorite meets because of the energy the team brought. Outside of the pool, we had some fun team building activities, such as going to a rope course and indoor rock climbing, that created a lot of memories. I am very lucky because I get to work with so many interesting and amazing student-athletes. This year was a true testament to that.”
The teammates themselves know just how hard they have pushed themselves this season and Lawler witnessed that as they took home the NJAC title the previous week.
“‘Pride’ is the first word that comes to mind when I think about winning the NJAC,” Lawler said. “I’m a proud member of my team and I’m even more proud of every member of the team for their performances thus far. This season, we made winning a top priority, and I’m proud to say that we’ve accomplished something we set out to do.“
(02/02/16 9:41pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
It was an emotional night filled with celebration and good-byes for the College’s men’s and women’s swimming teams as the two squads captured New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) titles against Rowan University on Friday, Jan. 29. The seniors on both teams swam their last meet at the College, making the night bittersweet, but the wins for both the men and women made the meet an even more memorable one.
“I am so proud of this team,” said Jennifer Harnett, the head coach for the women’s team. “They work so hard and have such amazing team spirit that it is great to see them keep checking off the goals they have set for themselves this year. It let them realize that all their sacrifices are worth it.”
The hard work was evident across the board, as both teams had great performances in the water.
The men dominated Rowan by defeating their opponents, 162-136.
Senior James Shangle commanded the water, taking first in three events. In the 100-yard breaststroke, he swam for a time of 57.19, beating his Rowan opponent by just one second. Shangle beat his opponent again by a second in the 200-yard breaststroke, touching the wall at 2:06.54. The two were neck-in-neck, but it was Shangle that held out and got the top spot. In the 200-yard IM, Shangle once again beat his opponent, this time with a two-second difference, clocking in a time of 1:57.49.
Shangle also helped the Lions win the 200-yard medley relay, swimming alongside classmate Joseph Dunn, junior Ryan Gajdzisz and freshman Alex Skoog. The quartet was able to clock in a time of 1:32.65.
The young swimmer, Skoog, had great races in the water, winning both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events with times of 52.59 and 1:54.36, respectively.
In the 200-yard freestyle, the Lions went one, two and three, in what was another close and exciting meet. Junior Scott Vitabile touched the wall with a time of 1:42.80, with junior Jason Ivins and sophomore Phil Binaco following close behind with times of 1:44.32 and 1:44.56, respectively.
Men’s head coach Brian Bishop was proud of how his team swam and that they took home their fourth-straight NJAC title, eighth overall, but said it was important to note how they accomplished the win.
“While winning the NJAC title is a great accomplishment, the manner in which the team won it is more important,” Bishop said. “This squad has had somewhat of a difficult time finding its identity this season and the selfless, team-first approach that everyone took in preparation for this meet will pay dividends at the Conference and NCAA meets.”
The women’s team took home their eighth-straight NJAC title, having another successful night in the water, defeating Rowan, 187-107.
Senior Lauren Rothstein had an impressive final home meet, having top finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay. In the close 200-yard freestyle, she clocked in a time of 2:01.28, one second before her Rowan competitor. Alongside teammates junior Brenna Strollo and sophomores Emily Rothstein and Allison Huber, the quartet got an impressive time of 3:42.20 in the always-exciting relay. Strollo had a great night as well, as she took home top finishes in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events with times of 1:00.55 and 2:10.73, respectively. In the 100-yard back, the Lions completed the sweep with sophomores Katie Kilfeather and Jill Galindo swimming for times of 1:03.56 and 1:03.83, respectively.
The team remained motivated the entire night, something Harnett said was due to their friendly NJAC rivalry with Rowan.
“In general, it is always easy to be motivated for a meet against Rowan,” Harnett said. “We have had such a fun rivalry with them from even when I swim here. The challenge this year was that we were ready to swim last weekend. Since we had to move the meet twice because of the snow, it changed some of training we were doing. We actually trained harder this week than last week to prepare for our upcoming taper.”
Both teams now look forward to the rest of the season, keeping their focus on upcoming meets that allow the team to continue their success while hoping to gain more.
“Our meet next weekend is our last NJAC meet against William Paterson as well as our final dual meet,” Harnett said. “Having already clinched the NJAC title takes some of the pressure off. It will be a great meet to focus on racing since they will be able to swim in some different events that they do not normally get a chance to swim during the year due to points that are needed in the main events. After that, it’s on to the MET Conference Championships!”
(01/26/16 10:58pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Sports Editor
While College students were keeping warm during the six-week long break, the men’s and women’s swimming teams were hard at work in the pool finishing up the last of their meets for the first half of the season. Both teams have one goal in mind: to make it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships.
Before the break began, the men’s and women’s teams competed in the Lions Invitational, a three-day trials and finals meet hosted by the College that spanned from Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 6.
The men’s team, who at the time was ranked eighth in the nation, earned second place at the invitational, racking up 1,200 points with seven event wins. Along with the wins, the men’s team was able to post 12 NCAA Provisional Cuts. There were great performances all around, as the men had numerous top three finishes and took home the top spot in all five relays.
Junior Scott Vitabile, senior James Shangle and freshmen Alex Skoog and Logan Barnes were among many Lions who had notable performances, with all of the men posting NCAA Provisional Cut times. In the men’s 1,650-yard freestyle, Barnes swam into first with a Provisional Cut time of 16:10.59. Barnes also took home first place in the men’s 400-yard Individual Medley with a Provisional Cut time of 4:04.32. Shangle had an impressive day, not only winning both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events with Provisional Cut times of 55.07 and 2:00.85, but also breaking the College’s record for the 100-yard breaststoke that was previously set by Myles O’Connor in 2009.
The women’s team was equally successful in the Invitational, taking home first place with 1,126 points and, like the men, had dominating performances in the water. Sophomore Marta Lawler had a strong weekend. She finished the women’s 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:26.47, which was only four seconds faster than her second place opponent. Junior Brenna Strollo also had success, placing first in the 200-yard backstroke final with a time of 2:09.06.
According to head coach Jennifer Harnett, the team’s successes are also due to the chemistry between the women, something that has been a key for the entire season so far and that they continued to strengthen during the break.
“We trained really hard over winter break,” Harnett said. “Five weeks is a long time to be on campus practicing twice a day. We added in some team building session and activities this year to break things up and keep it fun.”
Along with the Invitational, the women competed in a meet against the Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The women once again worked their hardest in the water, but came out of the meet with a 146-116 loss. Strollo had a busy meet, placing first in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke with times of 1:00.26 and 2:08.12, respectively.
The men also competed against Stevens and dominated the meet with a 158.5-102.5 win against the Ducks, but it was their win 163-124.5 against Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday, Jan. 6, that has helped the team remain motivated for the end of the season.
“The win against Hopkins is a great motivator and also provides direct feedback for all the hard work and preparation the team has put in,” head coach Brian Bishop said.
At the time of the meet, the Lions were ranked ninth in the NCAA and Hopkins was ranked fourth. Skoog got the first win of the meet for the Lions in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.70. Once again, Shangle had another impressive meet with a win in the 100-yard breaststroke with an NCAA B-cut time of 56.45.
The men’s team is looking ahead, keeping their goals of making it to the NCAA Championships in sight.
“Our whole season is designed to peak for the Conference Championships and then again for the NCAA Championships,” Bishop said. “Our focus at the conference is more on qualifying swimmers for NCAA’s than on winning the meet, however, winning the meet is certainly the next priority.”
Harnett has also kept the women motivated, with their goals being the Metropolitan Conference Championships (METS). With the to-be-determined meet against Rowan University, the NJAC champions will be determined and then the women will focus on preparation for the METS. Harnett has been really proud of all the hard work her swimmers have put into each meet and cannot wait to see where it will take them.
“To me, the most exciting thing this season has been watching the team chemistry grow into this bond that we have now,” Harnett said. “It has really helped keep the fun and the focus in practice and the energy and excitement at the meets. With that kind of commitment to each other and the program, I’m excited to see where it will bring them.”
(12/01/15 8:58pm)
By Jessica Ganga
Features Editor
Food is hard to come by. Constant hunger is a struggle for people in the lower class and is therefore commonly accepted. Water is not a nearby resource for many who end up having to walk five or even 10 miles a day to have water with their meals. This goes on each and every day.
For a majority of the world’s population, this is what they know and how they live. During Student United Way’s first annual Hunger Banquet on Tuesday, Nov. 16, the issue of hunger was brought to light for the students of the College with a dinner in the Business Building lounge.
“Hunger is an issue in the country and across the world,” said Raffaella Soriano, the president of Student United Way and a junior early childhood education and English double major. “I’m hoping that most people that go to this school don’t have to deal with the extremes when it comes to their daily meals.”
Students attending the banquet were able to experience and witness first-hand the differences in how people across the country and around the world eat on a daily basis.
Each student in attendance was split into four sections, each of which represented a different social class. Before everyone got a chance to have a meal, three guest speakers began the event by setting the scene of the banquet.
Elaina Boncich of Americorps VISTA United Way of Greater Mercer County gave an introduction about the global issue of hunger.
“Hunger affects everyone, in countries rich or poor and in urban or rural areas,” Boncich said. “Everyday resources like land and water are becoming harder to access… We are making progress. The number of hungry people has declined over the past two decades, but people still don’t have access to the food that they need.”
Evie Spadafora, a volunteer and patron services specialist at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) provided eye-opening facts about each group that the students represented and gave students a better idea of how many people struggling with hunger live around the world, and even right around the corner from the College, something Soriano wanted people to take away from the event.
“Poverty has become such a big issue in nearby towns such as Trenton, (N.J.), so this is a good way for people to relate the surrounding area to our school’s community,” Soriano said. “I want the school to have a connection with those that are suffering and realize ‘I can make a difference’ with just some basic knowledge.”
Once Spanish and linguistics professor Regina Morin described the menu for the evening, students were invited to get their meals.
The upper class, who represented 20 percent of the world’s population, did not have to leave their seats for food because they had the luxury of being served a delicious dinner of pasta, salad and bread with the choice of juice or water. Seconds were also offered to them after they finished their first helping.
Beans, rice and water were on the menu for the middle class, who had to get up to get their meals, but were still given a good amount of food.
The lower class had a different experience. When it was their turn to get their meal of a small bowl of rice and water, the women were instructed to remain seated while the men got their meals first. This represented how some women in poverty stricken countries let other people in their family eat before them, something that students were not used to.
“We had to wait for everyone else to get served before we can eat and even when it was our turn to eat, we had to wait for the men to eat before the women (were able) to eat,” sophomore applied math major Sarah Jennings said. “That wasn’t fun. I felt bad for the people that have to actually experience that.”
At the end of the event, the stomachs of the lower class students were still rumbling and all they wanted was more food. The event opened the eyes of the students that ate only a bowl of rice, as well as those that had to watch their peers eat less.
At one point during the banquet, Morin had middle class students move down to the lower class section to demonstrate how it is easy for a group of people to go from having a hot meal every day, to having to struggle for food.
“I think the biggest impact for me was seeing the transition from the middle class go to the lower class,” junior marketing major Chrystalla Socratous said.
Soriano ended the event with the wise words of the late Nelson Mandela that he spoke at an Oxfam event.
“We thank you for coming here today,” Soriano read. “Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be the great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Of course, the task will not be easy, but not to do this will be a crime against humanity. Against, which I ask all humanity to rise up.”
(11/18/15 12:41am)
By Jessica Ganga
Features Editor
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams made their way to the Big Apple this past weekend to compete against New York University (NYU). On Saturday, Nov. 14, both teams fell to NYU. Despite the losses, both teams performed well in various events and are focusing on the future, not allowing the one “L” in the column affect the rest of their season.
The men’s team lost a close meet to the NYU Violets, 151-147.
Once again, the Lions posted impressive numbers and dominated events in the water. Freshman Alex Skoog took first in two events from the meet. In the men’s 100-yard backstroke Skoog swam for a time of 52.24, just beating out his NYU opponent. Skoog competed in another close race, where he beat out an NYU swimmer by a second in the men’s 200-backstroke with a time of 1:52.61.
In the men’s 500-yard freestyle, junior Ryan Gajdzisz finished with a time of 3:46.69. In the men’s 1,000-yard freestyle — a 40-lap race — he posted a time of 9:59.00, taking third in the event.
In the men’s 100-yard breaststroke, senior James Shangle posted an impressive time of 57.19, just beating out his NYU opponent who had a time of 57.58. Shangle had another close race in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke, beating a Violet swimmer by one second, clocking in a time of 2:07.31.
The women’s swimming team fell to the Violets, 207-87, but came into the meet knowing that they were competing against a team who, at the time of the meet, was ranked fourth in the nation — the team has since dropped to fifth.
“NYU women’s team is ranked fourth in the country right now,” coach Jennifer Harnett said. “They are fast and have a lot of depth so we knew going into the meet that it was going to be challenging. We looked at it as an opportunity to swim against the type of team we want to get back to being in the next few years.”
Even with the loss, the women still performed their very best and never gave up in the water.
In the women’s 400-IM, the Lions went first, second and third in the event. Sophomore Debbie Meskin coasted into first with a time of 4:59.41. Seniors Melissa Haley and Sarah Richards followed to place second and third with times of 5:08.20 and 5:11.29, respectively.
Sophomore Marta Lawler inched out an NYU swimmer in the women’s 100-yard freestyle. Lawler placed third in the event with a time of 1:10.57, her opponent came in fourth with a time of 1:10.73.
The women dominated the 400-yard freestyle for a second week in a row, taking first, second and third in the event. The first place team consisted of Lawler, sophomores Ali Huber and Emily Rothstein and senior Lauren Rothstein. The team swam for an impressive time of 3:47.69.
Though it’s tough to see a loss in the column, both teams look to the future and focus on the next meets to come. In their case it will be the TCNJ Invitational, a mid-season meet that mimics the format of the Metropolitan Swim Conference, according to Harnett.
“We will do a couple days of rest for (the invitational) to hopefully produce some faster in season best times, but we will not do a full shave and taper like we do for the conference championship,” Harnett said.
(11/11/15 12:56am)
By Jessica Ganga
Features Editor
With any sports team, the success of the team is dependent on the chemistry between its individual members. For the College’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving team, the chemistry between the swimmers is evident as both teams took home wins this past weekend on Saturday, Nov. 7, against Ramapo College.
The men’s swimming and diving team defeated their New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rivals, 170-87. Once again, there were strong performances in each event from every swimmer. Coach Brian Bishop cited their success to what the team takes pride in — the closeness of the swimmers.
“That’s what we’re known for,” Bishop said. “We’re known for overachieving, and you can only do that with chemistry, and that’s been the strength of our program for the last 25 years. It’s the basis for who we are.”
In the first event of the meet, the men’s 200-yard relay, the College took first and second. Throughout the event, the swimmers kept a steady lead and were able to clock in a time of 1:36.63. Seniors James Shangle, Dante Colucci and Joseph Dunn and junior Scott Vitabile were the winning quartet of the event.
Shangle came out on top in the fast-paced men’s 50-yard freestyle. He finished with an impressive time of 21.96. The College went one, two and three in the event with juniors Ryan Gajdizisz and Anthony Gurrieri clocking in times of 22.07 and 22.49, respectively.
The College took the top three spots again in the men’s 100-yard freestyle. This time, it was Dunn who swam for a time of 47.30 to take first. Gajdizsz and Shangle were right behind Dunn, taking second and third with times of 48.49 and 49.48, respectively.
After the meet, Bishop commented on the focus the men’s swimming team has for the rest of the season.
“Our focus is always on the national championships,” Bishop said. “The dual meets are just tools for us. It’s all about getting to the NCAAs and finishing top 10, top five at NCAAs, so that’s our complete focus. Everything we do from this point until then is all in preparation for that. That’s our main focus.”
The women’s swimming and diving team had an equally successful meet, beating Ramapo, 168-93.
Throughout the various events, coach Jennifer Harnett could be seen jumping, whistling and cheering for her swimmers. Afterward, Harnett explained how there were women who shined in different events, which added to the excitement of the already intense meet.
“We had some girls really jump out today, which was great,” Harnett said. “That added to the feeling on-deck and the excitement. You can just feel it through the whole team, so it just made me more excited. As far as my style (of coaching), I’m always excited for the girls, especially when it’s this close. I want them to see it, I want them to feel the energy while their swimming it, too.”
During the women’s 1,000-yard freestyle — the longest distance event of the meet — the College trailed in the beginning, but the event became close after the 29th lap of the 40-lap race. Freshman Lion Gabi Denicola paced herself throughout and was able to take first with a time of 11:28.03. While she was pushing through the event, Harnett and the rest of the team could be seen cheering excitedly on the side of the pool, adding to the energy of the meet.
Sophomore Marta Lawler was another stand out during the meet. In the women’s 100-yard breaststroke, Lawler and a Ramapo swimmer were neck and neck, until Lawler was able to edge out her competitor to take first with a time of 1:10.86.
In the women’s 200-yard breaststroke, Lawler began the event swimming alongside the opposition, but was able to gain a commanding lead and took first again, clocking in a time of 2:32.71.
Lawler was in the pool again when the College went first, second and third in the women’s 200-yard IM. Junior Brenna Strollo coasted into first with a time of 2:16.96. Lawler followed, touching the wall at 2:20.96. Freshman Lindsay Rippey finished with a time of 2:27.68 to take third for the event.
At the end of the meet, Strollo commented on the feeling of seeing her teammates cheering her on, something that shows how close and supportive they are of one another.
“It’s a great feeling and I love having the team cheer for me, but I think, more importantly, is having the team chemistry during practice, as well,” Strollo said. “We do a lot of cheering here, but we do even more cheering at practice.”
Harnett attributes the success of the team to the chemistry that they have and how important it is for everyone to support each other during the meets.
“It just adds to the excitement of the meet,” Harnett said. “When someone is swimming a 500 or 1,000, it’s a long race and if you just see people sitting on the bleachers not engaged in the meet, it makes a huge difference on how they’re going to perform. But when you see your whole team lined up behind you, it’s going to bring you to that next level in what you can accomplish.”