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(04/29/09 12:00pm)
While taking classes at the College, most students are required to work with others in a group project or presentation. In these situations, some students are magically able to sync schedules and arrange meeting times, while others are left with reply all e-mails and attachments. But now, one class is taking the notion of working together to a whole new level.
Students of communication studies professor Anntarie Sims have collaborated all semester on a detailed project for their Small Group Communication class. Sims deemed this particular assignment a "Pay-It-Forward" project.
The "Pay It Forward" project was based on the same concept as the 2000 film, in which a social studies teacher gives a young boy the assignment, to "think of something to change the world and put it into action." But for this class, Sims split students into four groups and assigned them to contribute, in some way, to a worthy organization, charity or community.
"We were looking for a charity in most need of help," Chris Serge, senior communication studies major, said.
Serge, along with group members and fellow communication studies majors, Alexis Johnson, Gina Colati, Alexis DeBurgos and Kellyn Klapko chose to focus their efforts on Hunterdon Hospice. According to its Web site, the nonprofit organization, located in Flemington, N.J., provides care for patients with progressive and life-limiting diseases along with their families. The cause was close to Johnson's heart as the former residence of her grandmother.
During their final presentation on Monday, group members explained that care provided is not just medical, but also spiritual and emotional.
For their project, the group aimed to host a benefit concert to raise money for the hospice, but faced the problem of a tight budget. When addressing each group member's strengths and weaknesses, Johnson was praised for canvassing local businesses and organizations for donations.
"When we started this project, we wanted to make it as big as we could," Johnson, a communication studies major, said.
Both ShopRite and Wegmans donated different food items for the event, including fruit and sandwich platters and cookies. Dunkin Donuts added a java jolt to the event with six Boxes O' Joe, and decorations were donated by a Party City. When the benefit concert expanded into a tricky-tray, more businesses donated toys, minor league baseball tickets, small electronics, gift certificates and other miscellaneous items. The students put together 30 gift baskets for prizes. Even the location was acquired free of charge from Johnson's Flemington church.
"People wanted to help. People wanted to do good things," Johnson said.
The planning continued and a last minute bake sale had the five in the kitchen baking an assortment of cupcakes and brownies to sell at the concert.
When the big day came on April 4, a large number of attendees were treated to performers Helena and Maria Mehalis, a magician, face painting, prize winning and information about Hunterdon Hospice.
After all the prizes were won and most of the treats sold, the event raised $2,300 for the hospice.
"I was blown away when I walked into that church," Sims said about her students' event. "It was amazing what people contributed."
The other groups in the class were just as ambitious. One organized a clothing drive for the Salvation Army. Setting up in the Brower Student Center from April 6 until April 10, the group collected 300 articles of clothing for the Trenton organization.
"We were a little na've before we went," Courtney Payne, sophomore communication studies major, said. "We didn't understand the severity of the situation."
According to Jillian Irizarry, freshman communication studies major, the group also sold lollipops with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army as well. The project encouraged Irizarry to think about community service more often.
"Back at home, I usually give my clothes away, so this further motivates me to help more," she said.
Yet another group worked alongside Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) to raise money for the annual Relay for Life event. In total, they raised more than $600 for the American Cancer Society with a benefit concert in the Rathskeller featuring student performers. At the actual relay, the group hosted "penny wars," a game where each team has a jar for donations. Every penny or paper bill counted as positive points while silver coins were deducted. Each team collected change and attempted to foil competitors by throwing the silver coins in their jars. Winners were given gift certificates donated by local restaurants.
Most group members chose to work with CAC because each had a personal experience with a loved one diagnosed with cancer.
The last group of students focused their efforts on assisting soldiers overseas by arranging care packages. The project was inspired by senior communication studies major James Henderson, a veteran of the armed forces. The groups compiled packages with toothbrushes and toothpaste, snacks, drinks and toiletries among other things. Rather than looking for donations only on campus, each group member was responsible for bringing in donations from outside churches, organizations and businesses. After getting organized, the packages were sent overseas to Henderson's old unit.
Despite the vast differences in each of their projects, the consensus among most students is that the class served to inspire them. While some are looking forward to creating a second annual event, others are looking to get involved with other charitable organizations. The length and depth of the project also provided students with a better sense of teamwork and the importance of equality among group members.
After the final presentation, Sims addressed her students' accomplishments. "Everyone far exceeded expectations," she said.
With additional reporting by Randolph Portugal
(04/22/09 12:00pm)
As classes wind down, the focus for most seniors lays on their future. This semester's procrastinated papers and forgettable presentations are merely speed bumps on the fast track to graduation. But for a group of seniors, their final College semester may have more of a lasting impression.
For their capstone course, Women's Leadership and Social Change, students and Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) members have devoted time to this year's activist project, Libraries Educating All Prisoners (LEAP), to build a library for women prisoners in the nearby Albert M. "Bo" Robinson Education and Training Center in Trenton.
The center serves as a step in between state prisons and halfway houses for inmates. According to Davey Parziale, senior women and gender studies major, inmates are eligible for parole and usually only stay for up to 90 days.
"They receive counseling and training to enhance their own skills before they get out," he said.
Though the majority of Bo Robinson's residents are men, the center does have the capacity for up to 80 females who, up until last week, were severely lacking any reading material compared to their male counterparts.
Caryn Monta, senior sociology major explained that, "Even in the prison system, there's inequality among the genders."
The male residents in Bo Robinson had access to a library, but female residents were left with a book cart of around 20 books.
Last Friday, students from the class spent five hours hauling thousands of books to the center after spending most of the semester collecting mysteries, romance novels, fiction, poetry and anything in between. Although there is no official count, members estimate between 2,000 and 3,000 books were collected.
The overwhelming response to the book collection has the students completing the move-in this Friday and allowed the students to add on the men's current library as well.
"There was a lot I didn't know about the prison systems until we started reading about the state and federal systems," Parziale said, addressing misconceptions about prisoners.
"Most people are serving a year or two. A large majority are in there for misdemeanors," he added.
Overall, the course left its students with more than a stack of graded papers.
"It was definitely a learning experience," Parziale said. In addition to gaining better people and teamwork skills, "It was great to finally take what we're learning in the classroom and apply it to reality."
(03/18/09 12:00pm)
As the Earth's population rapidly increases, its dwindling resources continue to take a hit. The U.S. census bureau estimates more than nine billion people will inhabit the Earth by 2050 - a projection that has some calling for action right here and now.
Several College students are promoting just that, attending Power Shift '09, a climate change summit in Washington D.C. from Feb. 27 to March 2. Organized by the Energy Action Coalition, Power Shift '09 compelled more than 12,000 people, 11 from the College, "to take a message of bold, comprehensive and immediate federal climate action to Capitol Hill," according to its Web site.
The four-day conference was jam-packed with workshops and panels encouraging students to lead their school in reducing its carbon footprint.
"Ultimately, we want to have no green gas emissions produced by the College," Meagan Terry, President of Water Watch, said.
More than a dozen government employees and environmental watch-group representatives reinforced the conference's message with several presentations. Speaker Majora Carter, a South Bronx native, has made it her life mission to conquer the environmental challenges presented by urban communities. In 2003, she implemented a program offering "green collared jobs" to city residents.
"She was just so inspiring," Terry said. "The places she's working and the people she's working with. It's amazing."
Terry, also a member of the College's Climate Committee and one of five students to attend the conference in 2007, worked relentlessly to recruit more students for this year's event. While Terry is graduating this year, she hopes the number of attendees from the College to the next conference will double.
The last day of the summit was deemed "Lobby Day." Participants assembled on the lawn of the Capitol Building and marched on to Congress to speak with their state's congressmen and push for effective climate legislation.
Close to 200 students from colleges throughout New Jersey attended the conference resolving to work together afterward and lobby for a greener Garden State.
"This is so important because those in N.J. have really ambitious plans for energy reduction," Terry said.
Those attending from the College were aided financially by the School of Culture and Society, President's Climate Control Committee and the Bonner Center, in addition to registration fees covered by the Student Finance Board.
"(Power Shift '09) opened my eyes to just how many sustainability issues there are," Julia Flagg, sophomore Water Watch secretary, said. "It's a multi-faceted issue. Everyone can get behind the movement."
Both Terry and Flagg are looking to gain more support from College students.
"We're looking to expand to more than just the environmental organizations on campus. There really is strength in numbers," Terry said. "It's clichE but we only have one planet. We really need everyone."
(03/04/09 12:00pm)
You may not know it from looking at him, but in a few years, the student sitting next to you in class may be rappelling from a helicopter in some far-off, foreign land. That girl you've seen at all the Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) events may spend some of her day marching in line adorned in full Army gear. That same guy leading all the Student Government Association (SGA) meetings may have woken up before sunrise for physical training on the track.
Among the students at the College, 13 are preparing for more than a job after graduation, occupying the dual role of student and Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadet. A life in the military is on their horizons.
"I've wanted to serve my country for a while," explained Andrew Mason, junior criminology major. The cadet joined last semester and is already planning for time in the Army after graduation, in addition to earning his master's degree in government.
Cadets from Princeton University occupy the Tiger Batallion of Princeton's Army ROTC, adjoined with students from the College to form the Lion Company. Dan Scapardine, President of SGA, is the Lion Company Commander. The senior history major has been involved with ROTC since hearing about it from his uncle and seeing a recruiter table at his freshman orientation.
"I put my name on the list, started getting e-mails from them and decided to give it a try," Scapardine said. "It's was a good fit. Challenging."
The cadets are challenged each week: They're required to attend at least two early-morning physical training sessions at the College.
Several Fridays throughout the semester are devoted to Leadership Labs to provide additional training.
Last Friday, cadets from both the College and Princeton lined up at their Princeton base on Alexander Street for one such Leadership Lab. Under the supervision of Senior Military Instructor, Master Sgt. Michael Ellis, the cadets practiced, fake guns in hand, the procedure for "clearing a room." Repetition is vital in this training, as small squads continued to line up in the makeshift room over and over until the drill was perfected.
According to Scapardine, the "seniors run the show" while "juniors lead the exercises." Scapardine evaluated one junior squad leader as he briefed his particular group of cadets on that day's training mission. The mission? According to a secretive Scapardine, a patrolling exercise that - unbeknownst to the cadets - would eventually lead to a van trip and "an assault on the McCauley House," the ROTC headquarters at the College.
"The missions are basically to see how they react to different things thrown at them," Scapardine said. "It's a measure of good leadership."
Most training is in preparation for the semester's Army Physical Fitness test, consisting of two minutes of push-ups and sit-ups and a two-mile run. Each particular event is scored out of 100 points and cadets are individually ranked depending on their outcomes.
Despite devotion to the program required by cadets, most find time to enjoy their College life.
"There's a reason we didn't go to West Point," Scapardine said. "We wanted to have the college experience too. Overall, we're pretty involved."
Scapardine mentioned his ties to SGA and that some cadets are involved with Greek life and other campus organizations like WILL. The group also participates in intramural sports, forming soccer and dodgeball teams. Most handle a full course load at the College and a one to three-hour military science class in addition to their ROTC training and extra-curricular commitments.
"They understand though. Academics come first," Mason said.
Freshmen and sophomores can begin training with the ROTC without any obligation to join the army. According to Scapardine, those who stay their junior year are usually contracted for service after graduation. Most contracts include three to four years in active duty with an additional four years in reserve.
The program also includes five female cadets, some of whom are in the nursing program at the College and training to work at military hospitals or other medical facilities. Some may be deployed overseas.
Debra Cho, junior women and gender studies/biology major, explained that after graduation, she plans to further her education.
"I don't want to just be a soldier," she explained. "I want to be a lawyer/soldier or a doctor/soldier. There are so many options."
The junior explained that her time in ROTC has changed her mindset and helped conquer her fears of portable toilets.
"When I first came here, I was a prissy girl," Cho said. "Now I don't think twice about rolling around in the dirt during training."
As for Scapardine, after graduation he's going to work for Princeton ROTC as a "gold bar" recruiter, hanging flyers and sitting at tables in the Brower Student Center. His plan is to go into the Air Defense Artillery branch after more training in January in Oklahoma. Afterward, he will report to his assigned duty post, a location that is unknown to him for at least a few more weeks.
"I should be finding out soon," he said. "There's a lot of uncertainty of what's coming, but I generally have the next year planned out."
Still, all have plenty of training to do before possibly being deployed. So for now, the College cadets continue to train alongside their Princeton counterparts. But is there a rivalry between the two groups of students?
"Absolutely," Mason said with a laugh.
"But, it's a friendly rivalry," added Scapardine. "We're all close. Really."
For more information visit princeton.edu/~armyrotc.
Kristen Lord can be reached at lord2@tcnj.edu.
(02/25/09 12:00pm)
Members of Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) are calling out to students for their luscious locks next week.
The group is setting up in the Brower Student Center on Tuesday, March 3 for their second annual fundraiser, Cuts for Cancer.
Collaborating with Sigma Pi Fraternity, the group is bringing in stylists from Great Clips, a nearby salon, and offering haircuts for a donation of $25. Those willing to part with eight or more inches of hair have the opportunity to donate it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.
Donated hair goes toward creating free wigs for women with cancer. According to the program's Web site, it takes six ponytails of hair to create one wig.
The fundraiser is set to begin at 6 p.m. in Brower 202W and will feature music from WTSR. Those not in need of a haircut can get in the door for a $1 donation.
All proceeds are going toward the American Cancer Society.
"We raised a lot last year," JoAnna Wilson, vice president of CAC, said. "And I'm hoping for a big turn-out again."
According to Wilson, Cuts for Cancer raised $1,000 at last year's event. The group is now avidly trying to raise money for the College's Relay for Life. The annual relay is scheduled for April 3 and currently has 33 teams participating.
For more information on Cuts for Cancer contact Colleges Against Cancer at cac@tcnj.edu.
(01/28/09 12:00pm)
When Frank Warren was in fourth grade, a new kid moved into the neighborhood. The boy was charming and charismatic, and he quickly became popular with all the other boys. After school one day, the boy convinced two of Warren's friends to pin him to the ground, hold open his eyelids and take turns spitting in his eye. It was a painful childhood memory and a secret Warren kept to himself for years.
On Jan. 21, Warren revealed his and other's secrets to a packed Kendall Hall audience in a College Union Board sponsored event. Warren is the mastermind behind PostSecret, a project that has people across the nation divulging their deepest, darkest secrets to complete strangers.
"When we keep secrets, the secrets are really keeping us," he said. "The reason I started PostSecret was because there were secrets in my own life I was struggling with."
During the last four years, Warren has received more than 300,000 artfully decorated postcards and letters at his home in Germantown, Md. Warren brought some of his favorite postcards to the event, reading them throughout the night while projecting some onto the big screen in Kendall.
"You called me an idiot, so I sent your bags to the wrong destination," wrote one baggage handler. "I guess you were right."
One postcard, featuring a gloomy picture of the World Trade Center, read, "Everyone who knew me before 9/11 thinks I'm dead."
PostSecret began in Washington, D.C., where Warren walked the streets passing out blank postcards with his home address. He encouraged people to write down a never-revealed secret with no restrictions. Slowly postcards trickled in, until some started arriving from nearby states. Eventually, Warren stopped passing out postcards. But the mail never stopped.
Over the years, secrets have been sent on more than just postcards. According to Warren, he has received secrets written on fruits, vegetables, money, checks, death certificates and even a bag of coffee.
Online, people anxiously wait at their computers for the weekly Sunday posting of 20 new secrets at postsecret.blogspot.com. In the short time Warren has been collecting secrets, he has released four books containing hundreds.
Warren concluded the evening by allowing audience members to ask questions or even reveal one of their own secrets.
An audience question concerning his wife's secrets prompted Warren to whip out his cell phone and call his spouse on stage. After a quick speaker-phone conversation, Warren produced his wife's "secret postcard" and read, "I want to sleep with Richard Gere."
Prompted by another audience question, Warren admitted he has a wonderful relationship with his mail carrier, Kathy.
"Lets just say she gets a big tip around Christmastime," he joked.
Warren assured the audience that exposing secrets was truly a therapeutic process.
"If I could go back to fourth grade to prevent that incident, I wouldn't," he said. "The pain it caused stayed with me until the PostSecret project allowed me to bring it out into the light and share."
Kristen Lord can be reached at lord2@tcnj.edu.
(11/12/08 12:00pm)
From lectures to talent shows, Prism painted the campus red last week to support the annual AIDS Awareness Week.
"We wanted the students to notice all the red around campus," Elaine Smolen, president of Prism, said. "So even if they didn't know about any of the events planned, at least the red piqued their interest."
Those eating in Eickhoff Hall the night of Nov. 5 saw the group's promotion firsthand with a red-themed dinner.
Prism co-sponsored the week along with 22 other student organizations. The week was packed with events promoting AIDS awareness, including a movie screening of "Philadelphia" and a lecture titled "Living and Loving in a World with AIDS," with guest speaker Elaine Pasqua.
"Pasqua was good to learn about statistics and real stories," Hannah Knight, public health chair of Prism, said. "(And) to find out how we can protect ourselves," she added.
One of the highlights of the week was the AIDS Benefit Talent Showcase. According to Knight, the event raised more than $250 for the Hyacinth Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the HIV/AIDS community.
Knight started planning for the week months ago.
"Starting early helped us gather a large number of co-sponsors and made it less stressful during the semester," she said.
The group started publicizing early and often with tabling in Brower Student Center, sidewalk chalk messages, banners and red ribbons tied around trees and poles.
"This year, we definitely want to get the campus more involved," Smolen said. "Students need to realize that it doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, black, white or Latina. Everyone has the responsibility of protecting themselves from AIDS."
According to the Center for Disease Control, the number of AIDS diagnoses in the United States continued to significantly increase within the last decade, especially in ages 18-24. Approximately 56,300 people are infected each year.
Most importantly, members of Prism hope to fight the stigma associated with AIDS.
"The social death and exclusion of people who are living with HIV or AIDS is oftentimes just as excruciating as the symptoms of the disease itself, if not more so," Knight said.
She also emphasized the importance of getting tested for AIDS.
Knight said, "You are not invincible. Go out, get tested, be safe."
Kristen Lord can be reached at lord2@tcnj.edu.
(11/06/08 12:00pm)
This election season, several College organizations made sure there wasn't any excuse for students not to vote, with numerous voter registration and absentee ballot drives occuring on campus.
For the Student Government Association (SGA), reaching out to potential voters has been a semester-long agenda.
"In total, SGA helped about 400 people to register to vote," Michael Peters, vice president of legal and governmental affairs, said. "And we estimate that between the coalition of clubs who worked with us, we were able to register over 600 students."
According to Peters, SGA also sent in almost 300 absentee ballots.
SGA's efforts started with a Welcome Week voter registration for the College's newest class, co-sponsored by the Bonner Center. A table with registration forms was set up as freshman signed up for their Community Engaged Learning requirement.
The early outreach proved successful. According to senior Michael Strom, alternate student trustee, an overwhelming 246 students were registered during Welcome Week.
In the following weeks, SGA ran a voter registration and absentee ballot drive for approximately one month.
"We used a number of different methods to help get people registered, including table sitting in (Brower Student Center) and attending meetings of large organizations on campus to get their members registered," Peters said.
Peters also mentioned SGA's communication with ambassadors and Residential Education and Housing as a way to reach out to more residents. Through the Inter-Greek Council, SGA members contacted numerous fraternities and sororities to ensure their members were registered.
Members of Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) as well as Vox, Voices of Planned Parenthood also worked closely with SGA members for most of the voter registration campaign.
Kari Osmond, president of Vox, explained the voter registration drives were a big campaign agenda for Vox and Planned Parenthood.
"Every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of September, we canvassed the campus, hitting the dorms, outside of (Eickhoff Hall) and the Student Center to register people," Osmond said.
Like SGA, Vox also handed out applications for absentee ballots.
"A majority of the students were already registered, so we gave out absentee ballots for the most part," Osmond said.
In addition to the numerous drives, SGA also promoted voting with a viewing of the movie, "Holler Back: Not Voting in an American Town." The documentary addressed why voting is important and why some people choose not to vote.
Peters also stressed that all the efforts to get students to vote were non-partisan. Volunteers were allowed to wear or say anything endorsing any candidate.
"This is why, in this case, we tried to keep our distance from the efforts of the College Republicans and College Democrats," he said.
With the election over, most students at the College had the opportunity to vote if they chose to.
"We haven't received any complaints of people not being registered or not
receiving an absentee ballot we sent in," Peters said. "So, I think we did a good job at
getting out the paperwork for the students in a timely manner, and made
sure everything got to the right place."
(10/22/08 12:00pm)
Students can be assured a watchful eye is looking out for the environment at the College. Members of Water Watch, the College's only environmental group, are out in full force, attempting to provide a clean environment for the campus and surrounding community.
Out in the field, the group consistently tests the stream of water connecting the College's two lakes - an action they call "stream-walking." Most recently, stream-walking coordinator Emily Stumpf, junior biology major, conducted a comparison between the chemical components of the College's stream water, filtered water, fountain water and Aquafina bottled water.
Water from the water fountain was found to have amounts of chlorine, iron and copper. All of the water tested was found to contain phosphate and dissolved oxygen.
Following this year's passage of the Global Warming Response Act and President R. Barbara Gitenstein's signing of the American Colleges and Universities President's Climate Commitment, Water Watch has expanded its outreach to include other pressing environmental issues - recycling and climate control.
"Yes. (The College) recycles," Meagan Terry, senior sociology major and Water Watch president, said. "Recycling is a huge issue on campus, since it is one of the easiest things that we can do, yet it is not an efficient and effective program here at (the College)."
An ongoing goal of Water Watch is to establish recycling containers wherever there is a trash bin on campus.
"Recycling only works 100 percent effectively when there is a trash bin directly next to a recycling bin," Terry said. "This is not a common sight on campus, but that will soon be changing."
In the last month, the group has been working to collect 5,000 plastic water bottles to construct a public art sculpture for the upcoming Community Fest.
"The sculpture is going to represent various statistics concerning plastic water bottle consumption in the United States and the world," Terry said.
So far, the group is halfway toward reaching its goal. The group will be set up in Brower Student Center today from 11-2 p.m. and in Wolfe Hall from 4-7 p.m. collecting bottles.
Today also happens to be Campus Sustainability Day "for colleges and universities to organize events and education for students surrounding sustainability, environmental issues and climate change," according to Terry.
"We need as many bottles as possible to really make an impact and have people realize that 5,000 bottles were collected in just a month," Terry said. "That is a lot of bottles."
In addition to the water bottle sculpture, Water Watch will also be the "recycling assistants" of Community Fest, making sure bottles, cans and paper are in their respectable receptacles. They will also have a coloring craft for kids.
Community Fest isn't the first time the group has reached out to the younger generation. In the past, they have given presentations at elementary and middle schools about pollution and water conservation.
While Water Watch has been doing its part, Terry can't stress enough the importance of student awareness.
"I think we are slowly but surely moving in the right direction for campus sustainability and awareness of crucial environmental issues," she said. "However, we have a long way to go."
(10/22/08 12:00pm)
The Homecoming Lip Sync and Dance competition was once again the highlight of this year's Spirit Week. The teams at the annual event put a twist on classic movie favorites, including "Star Wars," "Goldfinger" and "Animal House."
Ten teams made up of Greek and student organizations competed, filling the night with comedic one-liners, choreographed action sequences and a variety of dance moves.
Actors mouthed their lines to pre-recorded sound clips. In addition to the actors, each skit required the work of a director and writers.
The skits were aimed toward promoting College spirit, with the heroes of each movie being portrayed as College students, while the villains as someone from Homecoming opponent William Paterson University.
A skit by Alpha Psi Chi and Sigma Sigma Sigma featured students playing "Animal House" characters Otter and Bluto. In the skit, the burden of winning the Homecoming football game for the Lions rests on these two crazy characters. Of course, the two triumph in the end, with the audience chanting, "Toga! Toga! Toga!"
Four teams were disqualified during the competition due to infractions of the event's strict rules.
"There are some rules," Justin Schiavone, junior psychology major and Alpha Chi Rho member, said. "Props have to be carried in by one person or else they're considered too big. And the skits have to be family-appropriate, so no cursing."
Schiavone's fraternity collaborated with Theta Phi Alpha, Lambda Sigma Upsilon and Uníon Latina for all of the Spirit Week events. The team modeled its dance after "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," featuring costumes and an impressive display of dancing and back handsprings. The dance even featured a mock sword fight accompanied fittingly by "Pirates of the Caribbean" music.
"So much time and energy is put into the skits," Schiavone said.
Most teams had practices over fall break and clocked in even more hours in the days leading up to the event.
"I actually had to skip some other (Homecoming) events to practice for the Lip Sync," Schiavone said.
This year, the event was moved to the Student Recreation Center as opposed to Packer Hall, where it had been held in previous years.
"I think the rec center worked out really well," Dominique Sauro, junior chemistry major and Theta Phi Alpha member said, "There was more seating and you could see the stage better."
"And it was a lot cooler," added Carlie Voros, junior art education major and Sigma Sigma Sigma member, referring to past events where the large audience caused temperatures to rise.
Overall, the event did not fail to meet its high expectations. Fits of laughter from the audience were common throughout the night.
In the end, two winners emerged. The team consisting of Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Tau, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi took first place in the Lip Sync competition with their movie theme of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
Kappa Delta, Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Sigma were awarded first place for their dancing skills accompanying their theme of "Guys and Dolls."
"It's fun watching all of the skits," Sauro said. "I think it's something that brings everyone together."
(09/10/08 12:00pm)
His students knew him as the likable professor who always had a minute to talk. His colleagues pinned him as a man with a great sense of humor, who strove to make his students better teachers.
But Sept. 4, the College community suffered greatly from the passing of professor Terry O'Connor after a prolonged battle with cancer.
"He was one of the most brilliant men I ever had the honor of working with," Jacqueline Norris, department chair of Educational Administration and Secondary Education, said. "He was visionary in the sense of the big picture - the long-term plan."
O'Connor first came to the College in 2002 after accepting the position of dean of the School of Education. Upon his arrival, O'Connor became crucial in overseeing the school's "academic transformation" as part of the College's Teacher Education Advisory Council.
After the curriculum had been successfully revamped, O'Connor stepped down as dean to return to his first love - teaching.
"He was always very approachable," Kelly Archibald, class of '08, said. "He taught the class what he needed to, but made it so each student could use their own personal approach."
Colleagues also praised the professor for challenging his students to think on a deeper level when it came to their own teaching methods.
"I believe my role is to create a learning atmosphere and invite students to take on whatever learning they are ready for," O'Connor wrote on his Web site.
O'Connor's thirst for knowledge was evident early on. After obtaining his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, O'Connor went on to earn both his M.Ed and Ph.D from the University of Virginia.
In 1986 he began teaching at Indiana State University. During his 16-year tenure at the University, O'Connor was appointed director of the University's Center for Teaching and Learning. It was at this time O'Connor refined his focus on new approaches to classroom instruction, faculty development and diversity.
Outside the classroom, O'Connor spent much of his time in the great outdoors - traveling, taking pictures and enjoying his favorite pastime, building boats.
"It was how he relaxed," Norris said. "He would always try and convince me to go out on the water. He loved it."
In recent years, O'Connor built and refurbished his own personal fleet of sail and row boats including Fluffy, a 12-foot row boat named after the three-headed dog in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
His passion for travel took him to places around the globe, but his self-proclaimed favorites included Brazil, Ireland, Spain and Thailand.
Services for the professor were held Monday night in Pennington. Despite his demanding career, O'Connor was hailed as a family man who showed nothing but love and support for those close to him, especially his four children.
"What can I say?" Bill Behre, dean of the School of Education said. "He was a gracious, good guy. He will be missed."
(09/03/08 12:00pm)
For some, getting to class may include a simple five-minute walk across campus or a two-minute drive down Pennington Road. But for hundreds of others, making it to class includes a slightly longer commute - with a stop at the gas pump along the way.
Each day, commuters make their way to the College from across the state, choosing to live at home as a cheaper alternative to both on and off-campus housing. But with haunting predictions of gas prices spiking once again to over $4 a gallon, commuting to the College has become anything but cheap or easy.
Meghan Kennedy, senior psychology major, makes the commute to campus from Hackettstown, N.J. - more than an hour away - at least twice a week. To save on time and money, Kennedy relies on friends for a place to stay some nights during the week.
"I have a Tuesday night class and a Wednesday morning class," she said. "So, it's just easier to stay in the area."
While the price of gas has steadily plummeted in the past seven weeks, the decline pales in comparison to the average price one year ago - almost a full dollar less. Still, even those who considered rising gas prices when applying for student loans are falling short.
"I tried to take out some extra cash for gas when I applied for loans," commuter Katherine Lukianov, senior English major, said. "But I know that some loan companies won't give much more than the actual cost of tuition."
The result leaves commuters with huge out-of-pocket costs and very little options otherwise.
(08/27/08 12:00pm)
At 1 a.m., it isn't odd to see countless numbers of students making their way to one of the only open on-campus food options - the C-Store.
Along with the bags of chips lining the wall or the smorgasbord of frozen food options, students attending the College over the past few years have become accustomed to the friendly face behind the counter.
The store's night supervisor, Katie Currington, welcomed students searching for that midnight snack while always providing a laugh or smile while making genuine conversation - seemingly unaware of the late hour.
On Aug. 19, Currington, a Dining Services employee for 27 years, passed away in Trenton.
"She was good with the students," John Higgins, Sodexo general manager, said. "She treated them like family."
Currington had a long history with the College. She worked as a dining services supervisor in the Phelps Building, (the College's former dining hall) Decker, Travers/Wolfe and Eickhoff for more than 25 years. Most recently, she was the night supervisor at the C-Store working almost every day from 5 p.m. until 1:30 in the morning.
"She was nothing but dependable," Higgins said. "Whatever needed to be done, she did it."
Those who knew the 62-year-old praised her as a loving woman with deep affections for her family, which includes three daughters and son-in-laws, as well as eight grandchildren.
Services for Currington were held Saturday in Trenton, drawing an enormous turnout.
Higgins said, "All I can say is she was a quality person and I know everyone will miss her dearly."
(04/30/08 4:00pm)
The No. 3 Lions prepared to close out the regular season this week, coming away with two big wins over in-state rival Rowan University and Frostburg State University.
The Lions celebrated Senior Day at their final regular season home game of the year, honoring senior defender Christine Cavallo, senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory, senior midfielders Toni-Anne Cavallo and Karen Doane, as well as senior forward Diane Haddeland.
"They have been outstanding leaders both on and off the field," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "They have done such tremendous things on the field for us and are terrific role models for our younger players."
Their efforts were honored with a final 18-8 home victory over the Profs of Rowan University.
The Lions put the first three points on the scoreboard, with junior defender Kelly Mitchell scoring the game's first goal six minutes in. Sophomore Lisa Seldeen netted her ninth and 10th goals of the season, scoring twice in less than one minute.
The Profs quickly responded with a shot on goal that just managed to get past the Gregory's stick.
Seldeen collected a hat trick in the first half, netting her third goal with just over 16 minutes left to play.
The two teams traded goals again before the Lions put together a three-goal offensive spree coming off the sticks of junior midfielder Katie Reuther, freshman attack Alison Jaeger and Seldeen. The final goal by Seldeen left the Lions with a comfortable 9-3 lead going into halftime.
The Lions' offense was equally effective in the second half with the team doubling the score by the final whistle.
Rowan was the first to jump at a scoring opportunity in the second half, their first goal coming 1:15 into play.
Toni-Anne Cavallo was able to break the Profs' defense three times in five minutes, allowing the Lions to take their biggest lead of the game with a score of 15-6. Cavallo scored once more in the final half for a game-leading five goals.
Gregory tallied eight saves in the game for her 25th career victory.
The Lions continued their winning streak, earning their fifth-straight victory on Saturday and offensively dominating the Bobcats of Frostburg by a score of 14-1.
The Lions gained control of the game almost instantly after Doane scored off of the opening draw. Jaeger quickly followed with two goals of her own.
The remainder of the game was just as one-sided. The Lions scored 14 goals before the Bobcats were able to sneak one goal past with 24 seconds left to make it a 14-1 game.
Gregory split shifts with her successor, freshman goalkeeper Mary Waller. Both players recorded a save in the game.
The Lions rounded out the regular season yesterday, playing their final regular season game against the No. 19 Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology.
The Lions' extremely successful 11-1 season earned them a surefire bid to the NCAA tournament for the 24th consecutive year in the program's history.
"One of the most important parts of having a successful team is the team unity," Pfluger said. "It is a vital concept that each player understands that wearing the uniform of their team is only the beginning and that it is so important to completely understand that playing time is a result of productivity at practice and in games ... on and off the field."
Last season, the Lions reached the quarterfinals before suffering an 11-10 loss at the hands of Middlebury College. This season, the team is gunning for a championship.
Pfulger said, "We are all looking forward to a great finish as we want nothing more than to have our seniors walk off the field completely happy."
(04/23/08 4:00pm)
The lacrosse team's loss to Salisbury University became a distant memory as the Lions earned two huge victories over Cabrini College and Washington & Lee University, 18-9 and 12-8, respectively.
In the game versus the Cavaliers of Cabrini, the Lions were the first to find the back of the net, but their defense was quickly challenged when the Cavaliers scored two consecutive goals.
Control of the game swayed back in the Lions' favor after senior midfielder Karen Doane netted a free-position shot only to take the ball downfield and score again less than two minutes later.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the Cavaliers were not going down without a fight. They took the lead once again roughly halfway through the first half.
The teams continued to battle offensively and defensively, trading the lead up until the final 10 minutes of the half. With the Lions trailing by one point, senior attack Diane Haddeland commenced what turned into a scoring frenzy by the Lions. Five different Lions scored six goals in less than six minutes.
After slaughtering the Cavaliers' defense, the Lions took a permanent hold of the lead with a score of 12-6 going into halftime.
The second half brought another array of goals by the Lions. Freshman midfielder Leigh Mitchell earned a hat trick, scoring three consecutive goals to begin the half.
The Cavaliers scored three times in the second half, as the Lions took home an impressive 18-9 victory.
Doane netted six goals while senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory collected six saves.
Two days later, the No. 2 Lions were back on the field again, this time in a nationally-ranked matchup against the No. 6 Generals of Washington & Lee University.
"It is great to be challenged in highly competitive games," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "We learn more about ourselves in every one of these games and they help us to become a better team every day."
Offensively, the Lions wasted no time scoring four of the game's first five goals, three of them attributed to Doane.
The teams traded goals back and forth until five goals by the Generals in the last minutes of the half had the two teams tied at 7.
Defense was the focus in the second half as the two teams fought to keep control of the ball. Eventually, the Lions penetrated the Generals' solid defense with freshman midfielder Alison Jaeger and Haddeland making contact with the back of the net.
The Generals trimmed the Lions' lead down to one when senior attack Christine Bender scored on an unassisted goal with 16:09 left to play, but the Lions were able to hold back the offensive surges by the Generals before notching the last three goals of the game for a 12-8 victory.
The Lions were led once again by Doane, who netted five goals against the Generals, leaving her with 50 on the season.
"Not only is she incredibly quick," Pfluger said regarding Doane, "she can read the defenders and use her speed and agility to her advantage."
Gregory tallied four saves. The victory ended Washington & Lee's 11-game winning streak. They fell to 15-2 while the Lions added another win for an 11-1 record.
The Lions take the field once again on Thursday versus the Profs of Rowan University. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m.
(04/16/08 4:00pm)
The lacrosse team's celebration as the newly crowned No. 2 seed was short-lived after a heartbreaking 11-10 overtime loss to No. 1 Salisbury University snapped the Lions' win streak and handed the team its first loss of the season.
Before the loss, the Lions held a 9-0 record on the season and a 17-game home winning streak dating back to 2006.
The Lions struck first as senior midfielder Toni-Anne Cavallo netted a goal on a free-position shot. However, the teams' lead was taken away by back-to-back goals by the Sea Gulls.
"Salisbury has some very strong players and they had a very patient attack," head coach Sharon Pfluger said.
The Lions regained the lead after senior midfielder Karen Doane and sophomore attack Angela Wilmer each scored a goal. Within the next four minutes of play, the Sea Gulls snuck three goals past the pads of senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory to make the score 5-3 and take their biggest lead yet.
After two successful free-position shots, the Lions tied the score at 5. In the last five minutes of the half, both teams scrambled to get a shot on goal before going into halftime deadlocked at 6.
The Lions struck first again in the second half as freshman attack Alison Jaeger netted her first goal of the game 43 seconds into the half. Doane, the Lions' leading scorer, found the back of the net minutes later, coming up with her 39th goal of the season.
The two teams traded goals back and forth until the final 10 minutes of the game when the Sea Gulls led the Lions 10-9. As minutes continued to tick off the clock, the Sea Gulls struggled to keep control of the ball away from the Lions.
Finally, with just more than two minutes left in regulation, freshman midfielder Leigh Mitchell forced the two teams into overtime, netting an unassisted goal to tie the score at 10.
"One of the best things we did was to get the ball back when Salisbury was stalling at the end of regulation," Pfluger said. "I was proud of the girls for . tying the game."
Possession of the ball changed hands frequently throughout the six-minute overtime period but it was the Sea Gulls' leading scorer, senior attack Sue Ackermann, who netted the sole overtime goal with 3:11 remaining.
In the final minute of the game, it looked like the two teams were headed for another overtime period when the Lions' offense gained control of the ball in Sea Gulls' territory. However, the Sea Gulls were able to force a turnover to end the game and ruin the Lions' perfect season.
The win added to Salisbury's perfect record of 16-0 while the Lions fell to 9-1. Gregory made eight saves.
"I believe we played well, yet I am positive we are capable of playing much better in such a highly competitive game," Pfluger said. "It was great to have a game like this one and I know we will learn from it and become an even better team."
Earlier in the week, the Lions achieved their ninth win in a victory against the Dolphins of Mount Saint Vincent College by a score of 17-2. The Lions scored the first six goals of the game in the first five minutes before leading the Dolphins 12-2 at the half.
In the second half, the Lions' defense shut out the Dolphins while the offense tacked on five goals to the score. Doane led the team once again with four goals and two assists.
The Lions head out on the road again tomorrow in a game against Cabrini College at 6:30 p.m.
(04/09/08 4:00pm)
What was supposed to be a battle between two of the nation's top defensive teams turned into an offensive showdown with the Lions coming out victorious over the Bullets of Gettysburg College, 17-13.
Going into the game, the undefeated Lions held the title of the nation's top defensive team, allowing only 3.29 goals per game while the Bullets held their opponents to 5.29 goals per game.
"It was very intense," senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory said. "We didn't play a perfect game, but we knew we needed to win and were determined to come out on top."
Less than five minutes had ticked off the game clock before Gettysburg launched an offensive strike, scoring twice to take an early lead.
The Lions regrouped offensively when freshman midfielder Leigh Mitchell netted the Lions' first goal off a pass from senior forward Karen Doane. Doane took control of the game, netting two consecutive unassisted goals minutes later.
Unfortunately for the Lions, it only took 26 seconds before the Bullets tied the score.
Freshman midfielder Alison Jaeger was the next to tally a point for the Lions, netting the go-ahead goal before assisting junior midfielder Katie Reuther for another point with just more than seven minutes left in the first half.
The two teams continued to trade goals for the remaining minutes, and the Lions took an 8-5 lead into halftime.
Toward the beginning of the second half, a seemingly revamped Gettysburg knocked in four quick goals while its defense held strong against the Lions' offensive assault.
After nearly 15 minutes without a Lions goal, sophomore forward Angela Wilmer lifted the Lions with another point on an unassisted goal. With the score tied, the Lions ran away with the lead, netting five consecutive goals from four different players.
"They double- and triple-teamed Karen Doane the entire game," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "Since the team is very well balanced, we had eight players contribute to the scoring."
With less than 10 minutes to play, the Bullets tried in vain to close the gap, scoring twice more. Holding on to a 14-11 lead, the College responded with three more goals before Gettysburg put in the last two goals of the game to make the final score 17-13.
The 13 goals were the most allowed by the Lions this season. Gregory made six saves.
Doane, the Lions' leading scorer, added four goals while Jaeger contributed three.
"The team is really psyched and feeling confident with everyone on the team," Pfluger said. "They are all ready to meet the next challenge."
The team returns to Lions' Stadium Saturday to take on the Sea Gulls of Salisbury University at 5 p.m.
(04/02/08 4:00pm)
The Lions extended their perfect season in their first three home games versus Eastern University, Ursinus College and the University of Mary Washington.
Last Tuesday, the Lions dominated their home opener, winning 19-1 over Eastern. Senior forward Karen Doane scored early and often for the Lions, netting half of the first six goals. Doane tallied six goals total during the game.
The Eagles were shut down offensively for almost the entire game, netting their lone goal early in the first half on a free-position shot. In the first half alone, the Lions outshot the Eagles 24-3.
"Our offense can read each other very well," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "They work very hard for each other."
With a 10-1 advantage going into the second half, the Lions displayed their talent and teamwork with eight different players scoring the last eight goals of the game for the team's first home win.
"Playing at home is always a lot of fun," senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory said. "It really pumps the team up when friends, along with even more family, come and cheer us on."
The team's winning momentum carried it to another victory on Thursday as the Lions shut out the Bears of Ursinus, 15-0.
Freshman Allison Jaeger opened up the scoring for the Lions, netting her first goal less than a minute into the competition. Back at midfield, Doane gained control and scored 10 seconds later. After scoring again only 24 seconds later, Doane put the Lions ahead 3-0 within the first 1:32 of the game.
The Lions tacked on seven more goals in the first half and added five more in the second. Junior defenders Kelly Mitchell and Tara Klein, along with senior defender Christine Cavallo, played exceptional defense, limiting the Bears to six shots.
Gregory earned the shutout for the Lions with three saves.
The Lions pushed their winning streak to six games with a win over University of Mary Washington.
The Eagles entered the contest scoring an average of 15.3 goals per game, but the Lions' nationally ranked defense entered the game allowing 3.6 goals a game.
The scoring started early for the Lions as they netted the first five goals of the game. The Eagles put up their first point when senior forward Caitlin Erickson, the nation's leading scorer, snuck a goal past Gregory with 16:53 remaining in the half. The point broke the College's streak of 126:31 without an opposing goal.
The Eagles' goal did not discourage the Lions from scoring six more goals before halftime, including a free-position shot by Klein with no time left on the clock.
In the second half, the Lions' defense continued to control the game, allowing the Eagles one goal in the final 30 minutes. The Lions took home a commanding 18-4 victory.
Gregory tallied another three saves for the game.
Jaeger was the leading scorer, putting away four goals and one assist. Doane's three goals moved her into 10th place on the Lions' all-time goal list (154 goals).
This week Doane was named to the Tewaaraton Award Foundation watch list. In addition, Gregory was recently honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference as their goalkeeper of the week.
"Both Karen and Caitlin are outstanding in their positions and they are both total team players," Pfluger said. "Nothing matters more to them than the success of the team."
The Lions will return home on Friday for a 5 p.m. start against Gettysburg College.
(03/26/08 4:00pm)
The lacrosse team proved it was able to compete against another nationally-ranked team on Saturday as it crushed the No. 15 Red Dragons of SUNY-Cortland in a 16-4 victory. The loss snapped Cortland's 30-game home winning streak. The Lions were the last team to beat the Red Dragons at home in 2004.
"The Cortland game is always a highly competitive and challenging game," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "The team was very focused the entire game and stuck to the game plan. It was a total team effort."
The win extended the No. 5 College's perfect season another game, leaving it with a 3-0 record.
The Red Dragons were quick to attack, scoring their first goal 46 seconds into the competition. The Lions tied the score 24 seconds later with a goal from senior forward Karen Doane. Doane brought the Lions ahead a few minutes later with her second goal of the game.
The Lions led Cortland 10-3 going into the second half.
Sophomore Angela Wilmer opened the scoring in the second half for the Lions, netting her second goal of the game.
Cortland responded offensively less than a minute later, netting its one and only goal of the second half. The Lions netted the final five goals of the game to complete the victorious effort.
Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory made six saves for the Lions.
Doane scored four times. She leads the team in scoring this season with 10 goals.
Freshman midfielder Alison Jaeger had her breakout game of the season against Cortland. She scored four goals, three of which came in the first half and the last of which happened on a free-position shot with less than a minute in the game.
Yesterday, the 3-0 Lions returned to the College for their home opener against the Eastern University Eagles. Pfluger was looking forward to the opportunity to play on home turf.
"I think it will be nice to play home after having three straight away games," Pfluger said. "It is great to play on our home field and have more of our supportive fans at the game."
(03/19/08 4:00pm)
The lacrosse team made its debut over the break, securing two wins on the road in games versus Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham and Mount St. Mary's College (Md.).
The season's first game was postponed a few days due to weather, but when the Lions finally took the field, it was evident the team came ready to play hard.
The Lions dominated for nearly the entire game, sweeping the Devils of FDU-Florham in a 20-4 victory.
"The first game was very exciting for our team," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "There was balance all over the field, from the defensive end through the midfield and on the attacking end, as seen by the goal scoring."
Teamwork was definitely evident with seven different Lions scoring the first 10 goals of the half.
FDU-Florham was hardly given a chance to retaliate, netting only two goals in the first 30 minutes as the Lions led with a score of 11-2 at halftime.
Early in the second half, the Devils tried to stage a comeback, striking twice within the first six minutes. However, their offensive spree was quickly quieted by the Lions, who proceeded to shut out their opponent for the rest of the game, but not before scoring nine more goals of their own.
Several new faces could be seen on the field as a handful of freshman made their collegiate debutes.
Freshman midfielder Leigh Mitchell helped out the team, adding one goal and one assist while fellow classmate and midfielder Alison Jaeger added two goals and two assists of her own.
"From a freshman's standpoint," Jaeger said, "the upperclassmen have been so welcoming and helpful in our transition from the high school to the collegiate level of play."
Senior midfielder and All-American Toni-Anne Cavallo led the Lions' offense, recording five goals. Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gregory finished with 12 saves.
On Sunday, the Lions once again handed out defeat as they slipped past the Seahawks of Mount St. Mary's College with a score of 13-9.
Senior Karen Doane was the first to score for the Lions, netting a goal nearly four minutes into the first half.
The Seahawks responded quickly with a goal of their own less than 30 seconds later.
After another Lions' goal by freshman Leigh Mitchell, the College continued to hold the lead for the rest of the game.
Junior forward Rachel Gordon led the Lions in scoring, putting away five goals. Gregory finished with nine saves on the day.
The Lions will look to extend their undefeated season to three games in a matchup at SUNY-Cortland on Saturday at 1 p.m. The team will play its home opener on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.