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(03/27/17 2:10am)
By Kayla Lafi
Staff Writer
Feminism, race and sexual violence were just a few of the many social justice issues discussed in the Education Building as students were encouraged to approach different tables and explore presentations by its respective organizations.
In an effort to bring the College community together, Residential Education and Housing hosted Activism Out Loud: A Social Justice Exposition on March 20.
The event was the brainchild of four passionate students: junior business marketing major Baldween Casseus, senior public health and psychology double major Aditi Mahapatra, sophomore biology major Madhav Patel and junior interactive multimedia major Gabe Salazar.
“We are four students who are really passionate about all intersecting issues of social justice,” Mahapatra said. “We all have our own passions within social justice, but we all care strongly about social justice as a whole.”
The event took around a year to plan, but the students were happy with the event’s impact.
“We felt there was a need for students to learn more about different social justice issues and interact with different groups both on and off campus,” Casseus said. “We wanted (the event) to bring everyone together.”
The planners of the event made sure to include a range of topics and presentations.
“We wanted to have a little bit of everything ranging from race, class, gender and economic status,” Casseus said.
Members of Women In Learning and Leadership emphasized the importance of intersectional feminism, a concept regarding the ways oppressive institutions are interconnected.
“I am a white straight woman,” said Sam Franz, a general member of WILL and a sophomore communication studies and English double major. “My experiences with the world are different than those of a black, Asian or Latina woman.”
Bailey Falco, a co-chair of WILL’s Internal Affairs Committee and a junior psychology major, presented and stressed that non-intersectional feminism does not take into account the system of oppression that impacts all women differently.
“For example, white feminism is the focus of the (feminist) movement,” Falco said. “A common statistic is that women make 78 cents to a man’s dollar, but that’s really only true for white women. Black women make 64 cents to a man’s dollar and hispanic women only 56 cents.”
Meanwhile, Abbi Ankar, president of Best Buddies and a senior special education and psychology double major, represented the College’s Best Buddies program and emphasized the need for inclusion through language.
“We are not only trying to end the use of the R-word, but we believe that all words matter,” Anker said. “We are all more alike than different, and the way that we address people really matters. That’s our big push today.”
Additionally, local organizations including Planned Parenthood, Habitat for Humanity, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and Womanspace were represented at the event.
Womanspace seeks to prevent domestic and sexual abuse, as well as protect families and individuals that have been impacted by it.
“You may see different types of domestic abuse, but it's all the same and it can happen to anyone,” said Susan Adams, a volunteer and community outreach coordinator for Womanspace. “I have been with the agency for 29 years, and I have seen the difference we can make.”
The College’s Anti-Violence Initiative also had two presentations on bystander intervention and sexual violence and consent. AVI educates the College community about issues like sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.
“We are talking about this because in a rape culture, social messages such as those seen in pop culture normalize instances of power-based personal violence and place a lot of the blame on victims,” said Matt Hardy, a Student Anti-Violence Education peer educator for AVI and senior woman, gender and sexuality studies and sociology double major.
Along with rape and sexual assault, the topic of immigration has been a crucial topic at the College.
Thelma Carrera, a junior philosophy and Spanish double major, and Genesis Rubio, a junior psychology major, dispelled the myths of immigration during their presentation.
One myth was the generalization that all undocumented immigrants are criminals.
“If you are an undocumented immigrant the last thing you want to do is bring attention to yourself,” Carrera said.
In addition, the Muslim Student Association discussed Islamophobia.
“(This conversation) is really important because of President Trump and the media,” said Kanza Tahir, a junior biology major. “Even though we feel that TCNJ is very liberal, there might be some unconscious bias about Islam, which is why it is so important to have this conversation and answer people’s questions. It’s better that they hear it from a Muslim than a person who doesn’t know the facts.”
Farsha Rizwan, a senior biology major, also believes it is essential that students are aware that the College is not safe from prejudice.
“I think, sometimes, it seems like TCNJ’s in a bubble,” Rizwan said. “(Students) know what is happening in the political climate, but they don’t really know that it is actually happening to Muslim students at the College.”
Decontee Davis, a senior sociology major, gave a presentation on the ideology of color blind racism and why it’s detrimental to diversity.
“(The ideology) ignores race, and when you ignore race, you ignore the different experiences of minorities,” Davis said.
The forum served as an open door that encouraged students and community members to discuss important and interconnected social justice issues.
“It is impossible to talk about activist issues without considering how they are all interconnected,” Rubio said.
The event brought together activists leading the movement for local, national and global change, and it created a safe space for students to learn about these issues.
“Now that we created this event, we hope that it will become a legacy event and each year, hopefully, it will become a little bit better,” Casseus said.
(03/17/17 4:14pm)
By Kayla Lafi
Staff Writer
“Today we are celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim, which, like all Jewish holidays, is about people trying to kill us,” said David Lapidow, vice president of Chabad and a fifth-year career and community studies major.
Every year, Purim is celebrated to commemorate the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Prime Minister Haman’s plot to annihilate all Jews in a single day.
After marrying King Ahasuerus, Esther hosted a feast where she revealed her Jewish identity. This led to the hanging of Haman and a festival of celebration.
Chabad and Hillel, two organizations dedicated to the College’s Jewish community, came together on March 6 in the Education Building to celebrate the holiday. The event featured a flipbook photo booth, complementary food and a comedy show.
“I think that the Purim Party was so successful because Hillel and Chabad came together to put on the event,” said Rachel Miller, a junior communications studies major. “Purim is one of the most fun holidays in the Jewish religion, a day for celebration and being among friends.”
As guests arrived, there was upbeat music playing, a YouTube video about Purim streaming and a buffet filled with kosher food such as pasta, vegetables and sandwiches.
The buffet featured the traditional Purim holiday cookie, Hamantashen. The triangle-shaped cookies, which symbolize Haman’s defeat, are filled with different kinds of filling such as fruit preserves or poppy seeds. According to tradition, the triangle shape represents the prime minister’s tri-corner hat.
“I think the Purim Party was an important event because it brought the community together of Jewish students and others who wanted to learn about our culture in a really enjoyable, interesting way,” Miller said.
Lapidow also emphasized the holiday’s importance.
“(Purim) is not one of the most known holidays,” Lapidow said. “But people think that Hanukkah is a big deal, when really Hanukkah is one of the least significant holidays in Judaism. Purim is actually more important.”
According to Lapidow, the holiday is supposed to be about fun. In celebration, children usually dress in costume and indulge in the festivities.
To continue with this tradition, ComedySportz Philadelphia provided the night’s entertainment. The comedy troupe, comprising Kristine O’Brien, Sean Roach, Jessie Preisendorfer and Josh Holober-ward, arrived in sports jerseys and a referee uniform.
“Almost every year I perform at a Purim show at the College and at a couple of other synagogues,” said Preisendorfer, a player who has been with ComedySportz Philadelphia for 18 years. “It's not a tragic story, it's a festival, so people are always in a good mood.”
During the performance, two teams of comedians competed for points by playing a series of improv games and encouraging active participation from the audience.
Although some students arrived at the event with little knowledge about the holiday, they went home with a new perspective.
Students celebrated Purim by dressing up in costume and taking photographs in the photobooth.
“The holiday of Purim is celebrated as a party with costumes to represent that God’s hidden, but if you look hard enough you can find him,” Lapidow said. “Also, it represents that we aren’t always what we seem to be.”
The event featured a flipbook photobooth that printed out 28 photos in a stop-motion style booklet in addition to party favors like kosher treats, a plastic crayon coin bank and colorful to-go cups.
Both Hillel and Chabad created a fun environment to remind students of their new home at the College.
“We are here for the Jewish community at the College to let them know that when they come to campus, Chabad is here to make them a home away from home,” Lapidow said.
(02/28/17 8:13am)
By Kayla Lafi
Staff Writer
"TCNJ Career & Internship Fair (Spring 2017)" (Lions Television)
Students dressed in business casual attire arrived at the Student Recreation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22, with their résumés in-hand for the College’s biannual Spring Career and Internship Fair. The fair attracted students looking for summer internships, full-time positions and networking opportunities.
The Spring Career and Internship Fair brings together company representatives and students to network in an informal setting. The Career Center started preparing and planning the event after the Fall Spring Career and Internship Fair.
“It’s geared towards everyone that is either looking for an internship or a full-time opportunity,” said Debra Klokis, associate director of the Career Center. “It is for all majors, as well. Freshmen can really get the lay of the land and start building connections. For sophomores, companies are looking for them for internships.”
The day before the event, the Career Center prompted students to download the Career Fair App, which allowed students to filter companies by major or position and shows an interactive map of the fair. At the beginning of each semester, the Career Center hosts two workshops called “Prepare for the Fair,” during which students can learn tips on how to engage with employers and representatives at the table.
“Every student should get connected with the Career Center early through LionsLink workshops and open hours,” Klokis said. “A lot of employers here today have an active posting on LionsLink, and that’s a great way to do some follow up after the fair.”
The Career Center is open every day of the week except Wednesdays. During these hours, students can come in and ask for résumé help, career advice and interview tips. In addition, the Career Center offers LionsLink workshops to help students navigate the College’s online employer-student database.
“I would say the Career Center was pretty on target on how to prepare for this and with the résumé, they kind of clean it up a lot more than where I had it,” said Bill Wells, a sophomore finance major. “It resulted in a more articulate résumé and general advice (that) was useful.”
Among the many companies present, Target enjoys coming back to the College because they “feel that TCNJ offers good students and we can see as good leaders for the future. At Target we are looking for diverse, different kinds of people from different backgrounds and majors to kind of take us to the next level,” said Jon Case, Target’s executive team leader of logistics.
As students navigated the fair while networking with different companies, alumni represented their respective companies. Engineering alumnus Matt Morgan (’14) represented Ferguson Enterprises at the both seasonal fairs.
“We were asked to come back, and you can’t really pass up an opportunity like that,” Morgan said. “One, to see some familiar faces and two, to let kids know that I am with Ferguson Enterprises and let them know what we are all about.”
The fair allows students face-to-face interaction with companies. It also introduces new opportunities to students outside of an online job posting.
“I am a sophomore, so I’m looking to see if I can get an internship over the summer hopefully,” said Erika Hausheer, a sophomore finance major. “I wanted to find out more about the companies and hopefully get an internship. This is my first time at the career fair. I like it. There are definitely a lot of good companies here.”
(09/26/16 9:07pm)
By Kayla Lafi
Staff Writer
As you walk through Campus Town, you might hear the faint sounds of Mexican music. Follow it, and it will lead you to the front door of the Mexican Mariachi Grill.
“The music is always playing because we want to create a comfortable and fun atmosphere,” said Eugenia Flores Ramos, co-owner of Mexican Mariachi Grill. “The music is both traditional Mariachi and more modern music, so it’s for everyone.”
Ramos and her husband, Ricardo, decided they wanted to take part in the American Dream and opened their first Mexican Mariachi Grill seven years ago in Ewing, N.J.
“We chose the name ‘Mexican Mariachi’ because Mariachi is about romance, love and remembrance,” Ramos read from one of the menus. “We want everyone to feel like family and to remember the tastes and smells.”
The Mexican Mariachi Grill is a family-owned and operated business with three locations in Mercer County, N.J. The Campus Town location is the first and only quick-serve style restaurant. Its prices and menu items cater specifically to the fast-paced, college lifestyle. The Campus Town location is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, but closes at 9 p.m. on Sundays.
“We came to Campus Town to bring the students delicious and authentic Mexican food,” Ramos said. “We want to be a part of the community.”
According to Ramos, the Campus Town location opened nearly a month and a half ago. Ramos and her husband are planning a grand-opening celebration for their third location.
The Mexican Mariachi menu features family recipes that were passed down from Ramos’s mother, who grew up in Saltillo, Mexico. Ramos, her husband and their son, Ricardo Jr., switch between all three locations, where they prepare and cook the food, while also managing the restaurant.
“Everything here is authentic, natural and fresh. We serve natural drinks and Mexican drinks (like) Horchata, Jamaica and Tamarindo,” Ramos said. “We have a woman that comes in during the lunch time to make fresh tortillas for the customers. We will soon be serving Mexican-style street corn-on-the-cob.”
The Mexican Mariachi Grill caters to the diverse needs and wants of its customers. There is something for everyone, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. Free tortilla chips and salsa are included with each meal.
“We prefer to do it fresh and cook at the moment, rather than make a lot of food at once and have it sit there,” Ramos said. “That’s important to us — that our customers know everything is freshly prepared on-site.”
Although the Mexican Mariachi Grill is family-owned and operated, its owners have hired some student employees to help out at the Campus Town location. Other employees, like Esteban Lopez, have been working with Ramos’s family since 2010 at their first location.
“I really enjoy this location because I get to practice my English by talking to the customers. I enjoy the fast-paced service,” Lopez said. “I think the response has been good so far from the area.”
When asked about the most popular item on the menu, both Lopez and Ramos answered with the burrito, which can also be made into a Chipotle-style burrito salad bowl. Lopez prefers his burritos with pork and jalapeño peppers, whereas Ramos sticks to the vegetarian calabacitas burrito, which includes zucchini, corn, onions and tomatoes.
“We do have jalapeños and habaneros for our customers who love spicy,” Ramos said. “We also have three different salsas: spicy, mild and volcano. Though our food is not spicy at taste, a customer can always ask for it.”
The response from the Campus Town and College community has been overwhelming positive.
“I love the guacamole from here because it’s so fresh,” sophomore accounting major Nicole Modafferi said. “Being that I am Mexican and it’s my favorite side dish, I am glad they know how to make it well.”
(12/01/15 9:21pm)
By Kayla Lafi
Features Assistant
Two kids race to the front door and rush inside the shop with wide smiles stretching from ear to ear. Their mother follows closely, telling them to grab a cup and fill it to the brim with frozen yogurt — every kid’s dream. With over 15 flavors to choose from and the option to mix two flavors together, it’s impossible to choose just one. So they mix and match their favorites flavors before heading over to the toppings bar.
The choices are seemingly endless, with over 50 toppings available, including fruit, candy, chocolate and even sprinkles. The kids top off their yogurt and head over to the register, where the owner comes over to greet the family. When they leave, the kids are laughing and bursting with excitement, all because they just made their very own frozen yogurt treat at the new Redberry in Campus Town.
The frozen yogurt and smoothie bar recently opened in Campus Town, which will transform into a bustling town center for the College and Ewing Township in the coming months.
For now, Redberry is one of the only open businesses in the area. Although the weather is getting colder and the prime season for frozen yogurt is long over, Redberry is thriving. The small business is packed from 8 p.m. to midnight most nights of the week, though it opens at 11 a.m.
“I think it’s exciting that Redberry opened up because it’s one of the first chains and restaurants to open (in Campus Town). It’s really hyping everyone up,” junior communication studies major Kaley Stockhaus said. “The selections are great. My favorite flavor I think is dark chocolate. I got it both times. It’s really good.”
Redberry is a family-owned and operated business with three locations, two of which are located in Bucks County, Pa., and Plainsboro, N.J. The Plainsboro location is privately owned by an outside party.
“My wife is from Ewing, so we were excited to open a store here,” Redberry owner Art Havier said. “Campus Town is nice (and) clean, what’s not to like? We are the first ones to be here but with all the upcoming shops, it will bring more of the community out here. Overall, it’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
Since it opened last month, Redberry has held a fundraiser almost every night for the College’s various student organizations, as well as Ewing Township’s public schools.
“We’re happily inundated with fundraisers,” Havier said. “We have one almost every day, without any effort on our part. We get just phone calls all the time for fundraisers, and we’re happy to do each and every one of them.”
This is not the first business venture for Havier, who has been in the restaurant and food industry for over 30 years.
“There was a time about two and a half years ago where I wanted to expand for my family and get another store,” Havier said. “I knew there was an opportunity going on here. I knew it was the right opportunity to be on a college campus and it seemed like the right product to be on a college campus. It was the right timing for myself and for the people I am leasing from that it just worked out.”
Redberry is family-friendly and open to the entire Ewing community. However, Havier says he likes to keep the college student first and foremost in mind. The Campus Town Redberry is the only location with a smoothie bar. The names of the smoothies are witty and daring from “Freshman 15” to “Walk of Shame.” Even the sizes of the smoothies have a creative spin to them, being tagged as either a Minor or a Major size.
There is something for everyone — from waffle cones to low-calorie smoothies to root beer floats. Redberry, for lack of better words, has it all.
“There was a lot of planning when I was going to open up this shop,” Havier said. “This is a very unique type of store for us. Most frozen yogurt shops are not open until 1 a.m., but we are in a college campus. That’s what we need to do. We are really catering to the kids.”
With the student in mind, there are USB ports and lounge seating scattered throughout the restaurant. There is also a television that usually plays MTVU, but students can suggest to watch sport games and various other programs. With plenty of chairs and tables available, Redberry is a good spot for students to get together with friends or do some studying.
Redberry has embraced the College culture and proudly placed a stuffed lion on a high shelf to show their support to the College’s mascot, Roscoe. Pictures of students are hung on the wall and an on-going photo reel shows students and community members enjoying the wide variety of frozen yogurt available.
In an anecdote of the wittingly named Pixel boba balls, Havier shared, “We were walking around campus, my son and I. We saw these big balls on campus, and we were like ‘what is that?’ and one of the students said ‘well that’s a pixel.’”
After the student explained the history behind the College’s pixels, Havier and his son decided to incorporate them into the new Redberry branch.
“We had the boba balls that we have in our other stores, but we were like ‘oh yeah, we got to call them pixels’ just to be apart of what’s going on here,” Havier said.
When planning to open the store in Campus Town, Havier asked the College about hiring student employees. He received over 100 applications from students and wanted to hire a large number of them. Currently, Redberry has 24 employees, with 15 being college students. He also hired high schoolers and other members of the local Ewing community.
“It’s very family oriented and I like that,” said sophomore business management major and Redberry employee Stephanie Agnes. “Other families come in here too, not just students. It’s a good atmosphere.”
(11/10/15 7:01pm)
By Kayla Lafi
Features Assistant
Director Danny Boyle and award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin have teamed up to bring audiences a behind-the-scenes look into the success story of the former Apple CEO in their new film, “Steve Jobs.”
“Steve Jobs” details three of Jobs’ iconic product launches and his subsequent rise to fame. The film begins with the 1984 Apple Inc. product launch of the first Macintosh computer. After being fired from Apple Inc., Jobs then launches his NeXT educational computer in 1988. It is 10 years later, when this company has failed that Jobs returns to Apple Inc., and launches the first iMac —kickstarting the Apple.
The main driving force of this film is director Boyle, who keeps the movie interesting throughout. While the film focuses on Jobs’ three main product launches, it also reveals Jobs’ innerself through backstage conversation with, coworkers, friends and even family. The script, adapted by Sorkin, allows for sparkling dialogue that is fast-paced and passionate, allowing audience members an exclusive glimpse into the man behind Apple.
“Steve Jobs” not only deals with issues between Jobs and his co-workers, but also the personal issues related to his ex-girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan, and their daughter, Lisa. The biopic drama focuses on the people around Jobs, with personal accounts and information from those involved in his life. A sequence of flashbacks reveals the backstories and personal details of Jobs, including how he was fired from his own company, Apple Inc., and his childhood adoption.
Michael Fassbender gives a magnificent performance as Jobs. He is arrogant, rude and easily enraged. Fassbender’s portrayal of Jobs is that of a confident man who believes he is going to change the world, despite what it may cost him along the way.
The film opens with the 1984 product launch of Macintosh, where Jobs is seen insulting and arguing with his lead developer, Andy Herzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg) and marketing chief, Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet). It is soon revealed that Jobs considers Hoffman to be his so-called “work-wife.” She devotes her time to working closely with Jobs and playing his keeper. She says this is because she is the “only one who can handle (Jobs).” Throughout the film, Hoffman is Jobs’ sense of focus — she brings Jobs out of the sky and closer to the ground.
We know that Jobs was not known as the engineer, coder or even the software developer of the company. He was a visionary and innovator — a man with ideas that would one day change the world. In a memorable scene, Jobs is confronted by his longtime friend and Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, who demands he give credit where it is due. Jobs’ remarkably cruel and genius answer to Wozniak is, “The musicians play the instruments. I play the orchestra.”
The statement is both telling and indisputably true. Jobs was the mastermind and showrunner of Apple. Although he may not have been the one to build the first iMac or bring these ideas to life, he is the one who gets all of the credit and will be forever remembered.
During the film, I could not help but both despise and admire Jobs. I felt for his daughter, Lisa, and hoped the two would find reconciliation. I was shocked by his attitude and behavior toward certain co-workers. Nevertheless, Jobs was an undeniable genius who helped create the world we live in today — a world of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple TV. The self-titled film helps shed light on the mystery of a man who revolutionized the tech industry.
(11/04/15 4:05pm)
By Kayla Lafi
Features Assistant
Queer Awareness has been a month-long celebration here at the College during the month of October. PRISM held its annual “Big Gay Bingo” event in the Decker Social Space on Thursday, Oct. 29. The event was hosted by Davida Sky, Miss Gay New Jersey At Large, and Cyannie Famouz, a drag entertainer from Trenton.
The event opened with a performance by Famouz. Dressed in a red devil costume, she lip synced to a mashup of various songs, walking through the audience with cheers. According to Famouz, this was her second time at the event.
“I love that TCNJ is acceptable, very acceptable and welcoming,” Famouz said. “The students are just simply amazing. I love coming here. I have been to other colleges but here, you feel at home.”
The second performance of the night was by Sky, a senior English and women’s and gender studies double major. Sky currently holds the title of Miss Gay New Jersey and is a drag performer.
During the event, Famouz and Sky clarified the difference between being transgender and dressing up as a drag queen for the audience — a significant difference that people may not understand at first. Famouz was born as a male but identifies as female, meaning she is transgender. Sky is a natural born male, but dresses as a woman to perform — a drag queen.
“I have been performing for four years and I have won 14 consecutive national pageants, such as Miss Queer New York, Miss Glamour Goddess, Miss Gay New Jersey and others,” Famouz said. “I am more so about putting on a show. I am very into the crowd and being entertaining.”
In attendance that night were counselors and representatives from Trenton’s HYACINTH AIDS foundation who provided free condoms to all audience members to advocate for the practicing of safe sex.
During the bingo game, PRISM gave out three tiers of prizes. A bingo winner had the choice of two tier one prizes or one tier two prizes. The tier three prizes were four American Express gift cards between $25-$50. Tier three prizes were saved for the end of the night. Two gift cards were given to the bingo winners. The other two were given to the winners of an impromptu runway competition.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in, but it was really awesome,” said Theresa Vitovitch, a freshman open options humanities and social sciences major. “Everyone did such a great job performing. I’m definitely coming back next year.”
The last two performances of the night were by drag entertainers, Miss Virginia Hamm and Duplissa. Miss Virginia Hamm performed “One Night Only” from the Broadway show, “Dreamgirls.” Duplissa closed the event with a performance to “Let’s Have a Kiki” by the Scissor Sisters.
“The purpose of Big Gay Bingo is for everyone to get together and have some fun, enjoy some drag performance, put a wig on and just have fun,” Sky said. “We lock ourselves up in the library all semester.
“We kind of stop to enjoy ourselves… so it’s kind of good to take some time to enjoy ourselves and remember that we are students, we are young, and it’s good to have fun.”