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(11/18/14 8:23pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
• Campus Police were dispatched to the third floor of Travers Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 3:50 a.m., in response to a report of an intoxicated student. They found a student seated on the floor by the elevators being attended to by Lions EMS. The student said he consumed various kinds of alcohol earlier in the evening, according to Campus Police, and that while looking for a friend in Travers Hall, he had accidentally walked into another room. The room’s residents told Campus Police they had left their door unlocked when they went to sleep and were awoken by the sound of the door opening. One of the residents said the intoxicated student “entered the room, sat on her desk chair and began urinating on the chair and floor.” Both residents told the student to leave, and he told them to “go back to sleep.” The intoxicated student was charged with consumption of alcohol in a public place.
• A student met with Campus Police on Monday, Nov. 10, at 2:45 p.m., to file a report on a forged check. The student said a check from the College, issued in Sept. 2013 for about $4,000 had been forged and cashed without his authorization, and he had not reported it stolen since. Campus Police are conducting an ongoing investigation.
• A student told Campus Police on Monday, Nov. 10, that $40 had been stolen from his wallet on Friday, Oct. 31, at around 5 p.m. When the student left his room to use the bathroom, his wallet — which he left on a desk — contained $42 as well as a $10 Canadian bill. When the student returned, he said $40 was missing. The victim does not wish to file criminal charges and has been advised to contact Ewing Court if he wishes to file at a later date.
(11/06/14 9:54pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
At the height of Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 1:45 p.m., Campus Police approached a male student suspected of underage drinking in Lot 4. The student scuffled with officers and attempted to run away, according to Campus Police, who then placed him under arrest and found cocaine in his possession. The student was transported to Mercer County Jail and was charged with two counts of aggravated assault in the third degree, two counts of resisting arrest in the third degree, one count of possession of a CDS in the third degree, one count of possession of a CDS in a 1,000-foot range of a school in the third degree and one count of criminal simulation of a driver’s license in the fourth degree, according to Campus Police.
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There were nine other Homecoming-related police incidents last weekend, all of which involved underage consumption of alcohol in a public place, according to Campus Police. In one case, an underage student in Lot 4 was caught sharing a beer with a friend while he was coloring his white wristband — indicating he was underage — with a black permanent marker. Five other students wearing white wristbands were caught drinking by Campus Police, and there were eight transports total.
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On Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1:20 a.m., an officer was notified by a College employee that someone was lying on the grass next to the Brower Student Center. The officer investigated and found a disoriented student, who was unaware of where he was. When asked by Campus Police where he was, the student replied, “I’m at the castle,” and admitted he had taken “party drugs.” The student had the smell of alcohol on his breath and was uncooperative, according to Campus Police, who told him to stay seated while Lions EMS evaluated him. EMS found that he needed further medical treatment, and the student was transported to Capital Health System - Hopewell.
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On Monday, Oct. 27, Campus Police were alerted a Macbook Pro laptop and its dock — which were valued at $500 by the victim — had been stolen from an office in Bliss Hall sometime between 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, and 12:20 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27.
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A student reported that his longboard, valued at $195.99, was stolen in Roscoe West Hall sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m on Friday, Oct. 24. The student told Campus Police that he had been studying in the building and forgot his longboard when he left the building. The longboard was described by the victim as having “orange wheels, tan in color, with the ocean painted underneath bearing the name ‘Sector 9.’”
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A student eating at The Atrium in Eickhoff lost more than her lunch money at Sunday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m., when she reported to Campus Police that her wallet had been stolen. The $35 dollar Vera Bradley wallet had a “white/black paisley design” and contained a Barnes & Noble gift card valued at $25, a dorm key and the key to a public restroom.
(11/06/14 9:49pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
At this time last year, freshman Andrea Rosario had no inkling of what her future held. Then in her senior year of high school, Rosario had the grades as well as the ambition to attend college, but she was in a singularly unusual position: As one of New Jersey’s undocumented residents, Rosario would have needed to pay an impractically high out-of-state premium for a local higher education.
“I always knew I wanted to go to college, I just didn’t know how,” Rosario said. “And I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer and study law from a very young age, I just didn’t know how I was going to get there.”
But the stars aligned when the New Jersey DREAM Act was signed into law on Dec. 19, 2013, allowing undocumented students to attend college at an in-state rate and opening a window of opportunity for Rosario — an aspiring lawyer with a double major in history and political science, as well as minors in women’s and gender studies and pre-law — to attend the College.
“And so when the law was passed — Chris Christie signed it last year — I was in tears. I kneeled down and said ‘thank you’ to God, and I was just like, ‘wow,’” Rosario said. “I wasn’t prepared to come to college. Prior to that being passed, I didn’t think I was going to college. I said I’m going to wait until I get my residency because I can’t afford this.”
Rosario’s dream became a reality
this fall, as she became the first member of her Dominican family — which immigrated to the U.S. from Spain — to attend college. But pulling together tuition funds became unsustainably draining for Rosario and her family, emotionally and financially.
Even with the in-state rate factoring into the equation, the cost of college for undocumented residents is abnormally high. Rosario is unable to apply for any financial aid from the College, such as scholarships or loans, and she found herself spending too much time trying to figure out how to stay in school.
“It affected me academically, it affected me as far as the courses and grades — I had missed a lot of days of classes just because I was in meetings, speaking to people and trying to figure out a way of staying here,” Rosario said. “So my attention, at a time, was not in school.”
Whether schools should offer financial aid to undocumented students is a legitimate question, but not one the College is able to answer because of factors outside of its control.
“The College’s hands are tied when it comes to providing student aid to undocumented students,” said David Muha, associate vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management. “Eligibility for state and federal grant and loan programs is set by the state and federal governments and applies to students at all colleges and universities, not just TCNJ.”
For Rosario, trying to juggle a collegiate course load, hold down a part-time job on campus and devise financial strategies proved to be too much. The 17-year-old needed a Plan B as her situation became more dire.
Then, a College adviser working with Rosario came to her with an outside-the-box idea: She should tell people her story and start a fundraiser for tuition funds on gofundme.com, a popular crowdfunding website.
“I never really thought of creating one, and then one of the advisers here — his name is Mr. (Jamal) Johnson — he told me ‘you should start a ‘gofundme’ to help pay for your tuition,’” Rosario said. “So I put my story there. I had my high school teacher edit it and I had my professor here edit it, also. When I thought it was ready, I published it.”
The fundraiser blew expectations away within weeks, humbling Rosario. On the back of an anonymous $1,000 donation and contributions from her peers at the College, Rosario has been able to raise $2,589 and avoid taking a leave of absence for the semester.
“The support I’ve gotten here is insane. I’m a freshman. It’s my first semester. I’ve only known some of these people for half a semester — September, October — and just the amount of support is insane, from CAs, from freshmen, from upperclassmen, from advisors,” Rosario said. “Everyone was so supportive and just trying to brainstorm and help me, so just the amount of assistance and support I’ve gotten here is what’s keeping me going.”
One other undocumented student anonymously reached out to Rosario after starting the fundraiser, proof that she’s not alone at the College. Now, Rosario hopes that future students in similar circumstances won’t have to go through what she did — and that financial aid, whether it be in the form of grants, loans or scholarships, is as accessible to undocumented students as it is to everyone else.
“I’m looking for some change, to start it locally and then broaden it out,” said Rosario, who has been contacted by coalitions like the New Jersey DREAM Act to share her story. “I’m just hoping that things change, and I want to become an advocate.”
(11/06/14 2:07am)
Finishing the year on a high note, the men’s soccer team battled for arguably its best result of the season — a 2-0 win over Rowan University — while saying farewell to an influential class of seniors last Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The Lions (7-9-2, 3-6), already eliminated from postseason contention, still managed to leave their mark on the playoff race by stunning the Owls at the Soccer Complex. As a result, it was a feel-good game for the home side, which featured six seniors playing their final minutes for the College.
“It was important for us to end the season with a win over a conference rival in Rowan,” said freshman forward Thomas Hogue, who scored the game-winning goal in the 21st minute. “We wanted to send the seniors off with a victory in their final collegiate game and make sure their last game was an enjoyable one ... Keeping Rowan from scoring was an added benefit and a credit to the team’s effort.”
It was an aggressively fought contest, as Rowan was looking for three points in order to qualify for the NJAC playoffs. But the College won the Lions’ share of 50/50 tackles, stayed organized and dropped a few midfielders back to help out the defense as needed, ultimately denying Rowan until the final whistle.
“When an opposing team is playing for their season, emotions are going to show,” senior defender Steve Cukar said. “We knew that if we kept our heads and stuck to our game, we would take care of business, which is exactly what we did.”
The effort was fittingly symbolic of the defensive grit which has defined the Lions in the past few years, including the 2013 squad which went 12-6-2 record en route to the NJAC semi-finals.
Many of those games were won on the back of a defense including Cukar, senior defender Ryan Sullivan and senior goalkeeper Maciej Libucha, mainstays on the backline who made a combined 95 appearances for the College.
“A large part of racking up shutouts comes down to chemistry and communication between center backs and their goalkeeper,” Cukar said. “After playing with one another for four years, we became very comfortable playing with one another and familiar with what type of player each one of us are. With the help of the coaching staff and years of experience playing together, I believe we were able to become a strong defensive unit that had success more often than not.”
Senior midfielder Kevin McCartney was often an influential player for the Lions in midfield, racking up 31 points over the years. Senior midfielder David Delooper made 37 appearances for the College since transferring from New York University in 2012, and senior forward Jason O’Donnell scored four goals this year, including the second against Rowan.
All six seniors played a role in ending the season with a bang rather than a whimper, as it took a team effort to stuff the Owls.
“As you can imagine, it felt great to close out the season and my Lions career on a high note with the shutout,” Cukar said. “Winning is obviously the most important aspect of the game, but holding the other teams to no goals makes it even sweeter, especially when the game is against a conference rival like Rowan.”
The game featured some offensive aptitude, too, particularly when high pressure and hustle from Hogue led to the opening goal in the 21st minute.
“On the first goal, I pressured the defender since he was running back to his own goal to clear the ball, which is where mistakes often happen,” Hogue said. “The defender muffed the clearance, and I was able to pick the ball up, take a touch into space, and have a shot which managed to trickle into the goal — eventually.”
The Lions pieced together a statistically overwhelming performance overall, as they had 22 shots — 10 of which went on frame — and scored a second goal when O’Donnell headed the ball past Rowan’s goalkeeper in the 32nd minute.
“Our team was able to create many scoring chances from playing passes behind Rowan’s defense and having one of our forwards run onto it,” Hogue said. “Once we scored our first two goals, Rowan definitely became more desperate by pushing more players forward as the game progressed. This opened up a lot of space for us on the counter attack once we had the ball and allowed us to get a lot of shots off, either off breakaways of through crosses into the box.”
Rowan furiously fought for a lifeline in the second half, but to no avail: This was the College’s night, a showcase for the Lions when they were at their best.
(10/31/14 12:42am)
The men’s soccer team fell in overtime to William Paterson University, 1-0, in an anticlimactic penultimate game that eliminated the College from NJAC playoff contention.
(10/22/14 7:09pm)
Now in a rejuvenated form entering this season’s home stretch, the men’s soccer team rallied for its first two NJAC wins — over New Jersey City University, 3-0, and Ramapo College, 1-0 — while suffering a 3-0 setback on the road to Rutgers-Camden, improbably clawing its way back into the playoff picture.
The Lions (6-8-2, 2-5) have started clicking on both sides of the ball in time to stay in contention and now sit in seventh place with two conference games on the schedule. The top six teams qualify for the post-season.
“It was nice to pick up a pair of wins as our NJAC schedule wraps up,” said sophomore midfielder Nick Costelloe, who converted a penalty kick for the team’s second goal against NJCU. “Although it is late in the season, our team is still coming together, as we are constantly learning more about each others style of play.”
The Lions started turning their fortunes around in their home game with NJCU, as they grabbed a much-needed win at home.
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Caplan opened the scoring in style in the 39th minute, running onto a ball from junior midfielder Jordan Kayal and lobbing the Knights’ goalkeeper for his first of the year. The College had a chance to immediately add to the lead, but a missed penalty kick in the 42nd minute kept the game close at half-time.
A desperate NJCU side, which was also pointless in conference play at the time, pushed hard for an equalizer early when the teams came out in the second half. Yet the defense and junior goalkeeper Maciej Libucha were up to the task, as Libucha made six saves and a strong effort in the back allowed the offense to ice the game late.
“Our back line, held together by Ryan Sullivan, has been solid all year,” Costelloe said. “That being said, our attacking players are very young and are still getting important NJAC experience with each match.”
When the College earned its second penalty in the 73rd minute on a handball which earned NJCU a red card, Costelloe coolly converted it for his team-high fourth goal this year. Sophomore midfielder Sean Etheridge rounded out the scoring four minutes from time.
The Lions’ 1-0 win over Ramapo was less emphatic in terms of the scoreboard, but another hard-earned shutout from Libucha and a penalty kick goal — this time from Etheridge in the 32nd minute — threw the Lions a lifeline in the standings.
Ramapo had come into the game with a 1-4-1 conference record, and along with NJCU, are a combined 1-11-2 this year — they were teams that the Lions needed to beat in order to move up the standings.
“All of our NJAC matches will be tough competitions. I do think that playing some young teams such as Ramapo and NJCU gave us a chance to generate offense and work on attacking,” Costelloe said. “Winning games will always give us confidence to take our game to tougher opponents.”
Sandwiched between the victories was a 3-0 defeat on the road to Rutgers-Camden, as the Lions couldn’t recover from falling behind in the 35th minute. The hosts opened the scoring with a header off a throw-in and a pair of second-half goals sealed the result.
With just two games left in the season, including a game at William Paterson on Saturday, Oct. 25., the College will need to steal a result on the road in order to return to the playoffs.
“Our match against William Patterson will not be easy, especially away from the soccer complex, but we will come out hungry knowing that snatching up two conference wins will give us a chance to make the NJAC tournament,” Costelloe said. “Although we have struggled in the conference so far this season, we are in good spirit, and we will fight for our place in the postseason.”
(10/07/14 4:13pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
Driven by an inspired performance from sophomore Jake Burbage as Romeo, All College Theater’s modern interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet” jerked at audiences’ heartstrings during a four-day run at the Don Evans Black Box Theater last week.
This version of “Romeo and Juliet” was nothing if not ambitious, as it juxtaposed Shakespearean tragedy with contemporary humor — a twist which felt natural and added to the experience.
The tragic undertones were established from the onset through the grisly, black-and-white checkerboard looming in the back of the Theater. Red roses pinned to the board highlighted the central theme of star-crossed lovers, while blood smeared on the tiled floor served as a reminder of the tragedy reflected in the play.
Much of the play’s personality was then showed through ACT’s ownership of the content. To add a new perspective on the dark source material, director Curt Foxworth and company added complementary touches to make the production refreshingly contemporary.
“Life is funny — sometimes tragedy is funny,” Burbage said. “There were very few times during the show where there was comedy done for comedy’s sake — in other words, milking it and expressing it in an exaggerated manner for the sake of comedy. A lot of the comedy came from simply saying lines differently, giving them a different tone or shedding new light on them that, in turn, completely changed the way you’d normally expect them to be.”
Humor was also generated through the visual display: A bluetooth-equipped assistant followed around Lady Montague, Paris popped his polo’s collar and the Capulets threw a dance party with red Solo cups — features seamlessly integrated into one of theater’s most familiar plays.
The pinnacle of the changes, though, came though the actors’ interpretation of the script.
“A great example is Romeo’s ‘But soft’ monologue,” Burbage said. “That speech is beaten to a pulp with lovey-dovey, puppy-dog
fascination when most actors performed it. We took a step back and realized that this is a teenager out to score with a girl that he likes, essentially creeping on her from a short distance. When you look at it that way, there’s almost an inherent silliness to it, as opposed to something contrived and calculated.”
The expressive cast added layers of personality to the production, including the Nurse (senior Carly DaSilva) taking a greater share of the spotlight. A flamboyant and exaggerated character with a penchant for big dramatic pauses and even bigger eye-rolls, DaSilva’s Nurse kept “Romeo and Juliet” fresh, and she connected the various storylines with aplomb.
There were plenty of other memorable performances from the cast, including Romeo’s entourage of Mercutio (senior Daniel Czarnowski) and Benvolio (senior Dan Malloy). The three packed enough on-stage chemistry for a trio that — while fatally flawed — had more than enough camaraderie, swagger and affection for each other to win audiences over.
“Czarnowski and I were good friends coming into the experience, so there was already a sense of towel-snapping chemistry that existed in our normal friendship that we effortlessly transported into our characters,” Burbage said. “Along with Dan Malloy, we used constant repetition for rehearsing the scenes in order to foster and maintain the tight pace that was — hopefully — observed by the audiences.”
Lord and Lady Capulet (seniors Nick Muoio and Shannon McGovern, respectively) also formed a successful partnership, albeit for wildly different reasons. The pair expertly transitioned from tone-deaf aristocrats to treacherous villains between acts, and Muoio mustered up a terrifying energy in Lord Capulet’s ultimatum that Juliet marry Paris.
But Burbage was always at the heart of the show, putting on an electrifying performance with the depth and intensity required for the role of Romeo. He handled the play’s wide range of themes with an equally broad set of abilities: showing the pubescent joy that goes hand-in-hand with young love, building a resolute affability while around his friends and showing an unstable, gloomy mood in the wake of tragedy.
With such a well-known, treasured part, it can be almost impossible to live up to expectations, but Burbage added memorable dimensions to a production that deserved it. And chemistry among everyone else in the play — including the swaggering, brotherly Mercutio, a fatherly Friar Laurence (junior Keith Mellea) and of course the lovely Juliet (senior Alexa Logush) — made “Romeo and Juliet” feel greater than the sum of its parts.
One of the flaws of the production was, with back-to-back hours of fast-paced Shakespearean dialogue, some of the lines — being spoken by a character sitting down, for example, or facing the back of the theater — were understandably hard to hear.
The faults were few, though, and minor enough to fade in reflection. The best parts of ACT’s “Romeo and Juliet” are also those which will be genuinely memorable: clever changes to the content, a more-than-complementary cast of characters and a distinctive lead performance that helped make this more than just another production of “Romeo and Juliet.”
“I don’t like ‘Romeo & Juliet,’” Burbage said. “That being said, I loved our version, and the finished product that we created, will go down as one of my favorite and fondest theater experiences. The idea of flipping the show upside-down and making it a bit more relatable to audiences was not only artistically important but quite necessary, given the fact that so many people struggle to understand Shakespeare.”
(10/07/14 3:59pm)
Despite breaking a four-game goal drought in a 2-0 win over College of Staten Island, the men’s soccer team dug itself deeper into a hole last week with a 2-1 loss at NJAC leaders Montclair State University.
The result left the Lions (4-7-2, 0-4) winless in NJAC play nearly halfway through the season and in desperate need of points — as well as a little luck — to make a late-season push for the playoffs.
There were only a few positives to take away from the loss at Montclair, but the highlight was freshman forward Thomas Hogue scoring the College’s first goal in conference play.
“The play was set up by Peter Dresch dribbling past the Montclair defenders and crossing the ball centrally,” Hogue said. “I drifted into the open space at the top of the box where I would be able to get an open shot off if the ball came to me. (Senior midfielder) Kevin McCartney was able to find me, and I got a shot off that went to the side of keeper and into the net before he had time to react.”
The goal came in the 42nd minute to put the Lions in good position for the second half while on the road against a talented team ranked 22nd in Division III.
“The goal definitely improved the team’s morale going into halftime,” Hogue said. “We felt optimistic in getting a positive result against a good team. We knew we would have to be alert the second half because Montclair would be fired up after going down a goal.”
It would not be enough, though, as the Red Hawks would tie things up in the 80th minute and score the game-winner almost immediately upon entering overtime.
“Montclair is tough to play against due to their strength in the back and speed on the flanks. The wingers use their speed to get in behind us and cross balls into the box which creates problems for our defense,” Hogue said. “Their goal came from a forward getting on the end of a cross played in from the right flank.”
The loss overshadowed a drought-breaking performance mid-week against Staten Island, who the Lions skinned on set pieces for a 2-0 win in Lions Stadium.
After a fairly even and uninspiring first hour of play, the scoring started in the 65th minute. McCartney hit a low free kick from the right of the penalty box to senior defender Ryan Sullivan, who was left unmarked at the near post.
Sullivan hit a shot across Staten Island’s goalkeeper, who got a glove on the ball but couldn’t keep it out for the Lions’ first goal in 371 minutes.
Freshman forward Michael Kassak added his second of the season for the Lions just 15 minutes later, as lax marking from Staten Island punished the visitors yet again.
Kassak was left alone on a late run toward the six-yard box, and was able to roof his shot and double the College’s advantage in style.
It was only a consolation victory, however. The Lions will ultimately be judged by their results in the NJAC, and their last opportunity to salvage the season could come up against similarly fruitless New Jersey City University (1-9-3, 0-4-0) this Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the soccer complex.
“A win against NJCU is a must for turning the season around,” Hogue said. “With only five conference games left, every one is crucial if we want to qualify for post-season play, and defeating NJCU would be a great place to start.”
(10/01/14 5:52pm)
Struggles to produce goals have put the men’s soccer team in a hole after just three conference games, as losses in all of them — including setbacks this week to Richard Stockton College, 1-0, and Kean University, 4-0 — leave the College at the bottom of the NJAC standings.
At the heart of the problem, the Lions (3-6-2, 0-3) have had difficulty getting on the board, as they’ve been shut out in all of their conference games so far.
They also have been unable to start games on the right foot, including against Richard Stockton College when they conceded the game-winner in the 10th minute.
Forward Alex Kourahanis sent in a tantalizing cross that narrowly went past the College’s center backs and into the path of onrushing midfielder Ian Carmelia, who pounced for his first goal of the year.
“Conceding a goal before half time is really a matter of concentration and mentality, and we’ve come out slow and nervous in many of our games and we’ve gotten punished for it,” said sophomore goalkeeper Jake Nesteruk, who made six saves. “We need to break the habit of letting up goals early, any time you can keep the game scoreless you have a shot at winning.”
After giving up the early goal, the Lions bent, but never broke, defensively to keep the game close until the final whistle.
That was largely because Nesteruk denied Stockton with numerous big-time stops, including on a short-range blast in the 53rd minute, and a goal-line clearance several minutes later preserved the score.
“We really focused on a few key players who make them tick, and our goal was to shut them down,” Nesteruk said. “Our biggest strategy in handling them is keeping the ball ourselves and playing our possession-oriented game so we wouldn’t have to play long stretches of defense in our own half.”
It helped that Stockton’s offensive standout, Anthony Colofranson, was out of the game due to yellow card accumulation, but the Ospreys did all they needed to do on offense for the win.
And while the Lions had fewer touches inside the box than their opponents, they still came up with opportunities to equalize.
High pressure upfield created a few turnovers in the final third, and the Lions had a few dangerous passing sequences in the second half. But, they ended up being near-misses — a blast just wide of net and a save for the Stockton goalkeeper.
It didn’t get any better in the road trip to Kean, where the Lions again conceded first and couldn’t convert on their chances.
Sophomore midfielder Nick Costelloe hit the post in the seventh minute, and the Lions put five more shots on net, but a Kean goal in the 32nd minute would be all the Cougars needed for the three points.
That goal changed the complexion of the game, forcing the Lions into opening up and chasing the game in the second half.
“We have had to make adjustments going into the second halves of games and later, as well, to push numbers forward to equalize the score and at least get a point from the game, which has made us vulnerable to the counter-attack,” Nesteruk said.
That led to Kean adding insurance goals off a 42nd minute penalty kick, during a loose ball situation in the 72nd minute and off a rebound from a header to round out the scoring in the 77th.
The result leaves the College in last place of the NJAC, having played one more game than most of the other 10 teams.
Next up for the Lions is a home friendly against the College of Staten Island on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and they head to the NJAC-leading Montclair State University in need of a result on Saturday, Oct. 4.
“We know what we are capable of, and we haven’t played up to are standards so far,” Nesteruk said. “At this point, we need to start turning things around and picking up wins. At 0-3, we definitely consider our NJAC games must-wins. We have to have that determined mentality in every game we play if we want something to materialize from this season.”
(10/01/14 5:35pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
Recently, the College discussed the possible options of either installing Wi-Fi in the freshman Towers or closing the loop on campus. This would hypothetically amount to adding sidewalks for the safety of outdoor runners, a move that would serve the needs of fewer people — nobody was exactly clamoring for more sidewalks on campus, whereas the lack of Wi-Fi is a running gag — but nonetheless, it’s a commitment I feel would ultimately serve the campus community better.
The arguments in favor of Wi-Fi are as obvious as they are numerous. An institution charging nearly $30,000 a year for room and board should reasonably be expected to supply accessible internet in the year 2014, even if it’s of shaky quality and requires Safe-Connect.
Wi-Fi makes completing and submitting homework assignments, e-socializing and an infinite number of other tasks more convenient and streamlined. Middle and high schools across the state have no problem supplying it — I never had any problems with the internet at Watchung Hills Regional High School more than five years ago — while College freshmen are still plugging in ethernet cords like it’s 1983.
What this ultimately amounts to is a huge inconvenience, and one that should be a priority for the administration to remedy. But it’s just that: an inconvenience. Students can live without Wi-Fi in their dorms, and there are hotspots as close as the Travers/Wolfe lounge if they absolutely need Wi-Fi for anything.
Running the loop, on the other hand, has the potential to amount to something more serious. As is, running the loop requires various acrobatic skills to evade oncoming cars and an unhealthy tolerance for danger to go running every day. The loop generally isn’t very wide, and if you consistently go on the road, there will inevitably be near-misses. The transition in the loop from behind the Education Building to Centennial Hall, for example, can be genuinely scary.
As noted in a Sept. 17 article in The Signal, “Wi-Fi in the Towers voted down,” there have been no running-related incidents reported by Campus Police since 2011, and that’s a great sign. But that’s not a predictive measurement — it doesn’t mean anything won’t happen in the future — and after years of running the loop on a regular basis, I think the current setup enhances the possibility of a critical incident occurring. Keeping runners as far removed from that kind of danger should be important to the administration, even more so than supplying freshman with what is ultimately a luxury convenience.
(10/01/14 5:35pm)
By Peter Fiorilla
News Editor
Demonstrating a clear lack of musical imagination in its newest album, “Songs of Innocence,” U2 shows it has more ideas about how to distribute music — this time in a way that grabbed the attention of the world, with an unexpected invasion onto the devices of all Apple users — then how to make it.
“Songs of Innocence,” U2’s first studio release since 2009, was originally intended by polarizing lead singer Bono to deviate from the group’s unusually strict musical style, according to Pitchfork Media. And the album does put the slightest of twists on the U2 formula, as Bono sings at length about the regrets and experiences he had growing up in Dublin, Ireland.
For fans of the band — and no matter how mockable U2 is, they have many fans — there is a healthy helping of new content via the lyrics, which have a novel-like continuity throughout “Songs.” U2 still puts together albums with narratives and a shared theme in a time when everyone else is busy lumping together 11 distinct viral hits, which means this dinosaur of a band can actually feel refreshing at times.
In a pop music culture in which it’s easy to be singularly cynical or sexy, Bono also goes against the grain with his intent of spreading an uplifting message. Throwing out lines like, “we know that we fear to win / and so we end before we begin” throughout “Songs,” Bono encourages his listeners to fight through personal adversity and find their own unique voices. This is an album which, for better or worse, is trying to convince you it can authentically mean something to everyone, and if you compare it to the other mega-pop hits of the year — think Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande — then it almost achieves depth.
It takes more than some generic lines from Bono to make a worthwhile album, though. His message and story aren’t compelling enough to stand on their own, and his public persona guarantees the lyrics were a huge turn-off for many people before he wrote them. But rather than creating genuinely fresh or countercultural music to complement the lyrics, blazing its way to the top of the charts like it did in the 1980s, U2 seems content to rest on its laurels and churn out yet more wishy-washy mediocrity.
This is because “Songs” goes back to the same vanilla, alternative sound that — in combination with the generically inspirational lines from Bono — have both given U2 widespread appeal and made them an easy target. Among the harshest detractors of the band’s style are music critics, and it’s easy to understand why. “Songs” has no signature spark, no shock to the system or left hook to make it stand out.
The music is not terrible, per se. It’s poppy and smooth, and often sounds like an electronic dance party held underwater in a sea of synths and disco lights. The production is impeccable, albeit almost overly so — the album can feel sleek and over-produced, taking away the raw edge that made U2 likeable in its heydey.
Yet there’s nothing interesting about the music, either. Each of the 11 songs adheres to the conventional verse-chorus structure U2 has abused for the last four decades, and at its worst, which is most of the album, “Songs” sounds bereft of ideas, an electronic dance party that probably should have ended 20 years ago.
That means for U2 fans, “Songs” is a so-so release that will take you only as far as your love of Bono. For everyone else, the delivery of the album will be the pinnacle of its achievement. Now that you’ve been reminded U2 exists, the band has made little effort to convince you they still matter.
(09/24/14 6:16pm)
Running up against a pair of talented teams, including NJAC rivals Rutgers-Newark in a 1-0 defeat and FDU-Florham for a 1-1 draw, the men’s soccer team played well defensively but couldn’t pull out a win in this season’s opening games at Lions Stadium.
The Lions (3-4-1) opened NJAC play against a streaking Rutgers-Newark squad — which had won six games in a row coming into the match — but a Scarlet Raiders goal in the 18th minute proved to be the difference.
“Rutgers-Newark was definitely a tough team to break down,” sophomore midfielder Nick Costelloe said. “They are very athletic and have a lot of pace and goal-scoring talent up front. They created a lot of chances and were able to be threatening on multiple occasions.”
A Scarlet Raiders offense, which is scoring 2.6 goals per game, was mostly held in check, with junior goalkeeper Maciej Libucha making nine saves to keep it a one-goal game until the end, and the Lions looked more dangerous in the second half.
“After watching the video clip of the game, I definitely think that we can hold our own against teams of this caliber,” Costelloe said. “In the second half we were able to run at their back line and keep the ball a bit more. What makes Rutgers-Newark a dangerous team to play against is that can score, but they also have the defensive discipline to close out a game.”
The result extended the Lions’ winless streak to four games, a stretch of 400 minutes in which they have only found the back of the net once.
“We certainly have had a dig in goal-scoring as of late,” Costelloe said. “Now that we are playing NJAC opponents, scoring will not get any easier. These games are tough, and without a go-to goal scorer, we will need to play even better as a team in the final third. I believe we do have the talent to score goals as we have shown earlier in the season, and once we find a rhythm going forward, I think the goals will come.”
The Lions did get on the board in their tie with FDU-Florham. Pressure from freshman forward Michael Kassak paid off just seconds after half-time, as Kassak forced a turnover deep in the Devils’ end and tucked the ball to the far post on a breakaway.
It would be a short-lived lead, though, as FDU-Florham struck back 62 seconds later. A Devils midfielder carved a through ball over the top of the Lions defense, and Devils forward AJ Carnevale got on the end of it to score the only other goal in a game that went to extra time with no winner.
The Lions have more than enough opportunity to get back into a scoring rhythm, though, with more meaningful NJAC games next up on the schedule — at home against Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and on the road at Kean University on Saturday, Sept. 27.
“Like I said, I think that we will rebound from this loss and hit our stride in NJAC play,” Costelloe said. “It is tough to open NJAC play against one of the best teams in the conference. Now we are more experienced, and we can work to get ready for Stockton on Wednesday.”
(09/24/14 2:24pm)
An officer patrolling near the College’s rear entrance noticed five students “carrying a big screen TV” at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, according to Campus Police. The students staid they found the TV on the side of a house on Crescent Avenue and were taking it to their room to see if it still worked, according to Campus Police. Smelling alcohol on the students, the officer asked them if they had been drinking, and the students responded they drank “beer at a off campus party here in Ewing.” All five were issued complaints for underage consumption of alcohol in a public place.
Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated female in Townhouses East on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 3 a.m. One of the residents as well as a H.A. said their housemate was drunk, and officers found the student on the floor of the bathroom dry-heaving. The student was transferred to Capital Health-Hopewell on the recommendation of Lions EMS, and then issued a summons for underage drinking.
Campus Police were dispatched to Wolfe Hall on a report of a stolen bike on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 4:44 a.m. The victim said she moved her purple Electra Cruiser bike sometime on Saturday, Sept. 13, from outside of Wolfe to a bike rail on the first level of Lot 11. The victim said she had secured her bike to the rail with a four-number combination lock, which was left near the bike rail.
On Sunday, Sept. 21, at 1:05 a.m., Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated female in the Decker Hall lounge. Officers observed the student passed out on the ground and being treated by Lions EMS. Ewing Township EMS then arrived to transport the student to Capital Health-Hopewell, and she was issued a summons for underage drinking.
A Campus Police officer conducting property checks on TSC Corporation homes at 7:58 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, noticed one of the homes — located on Pennington Road — had a ground-level window which was left open. Nothing appeared to be stolen, according to Campus Police.
(09/18/14 7:41pm)
Showing flexibility and discipline on the road, the men’s soccer team shut down Drew University while down a man in a 0-0 tie following a 2-0 loss to Stevens Institute of Technology.
The Lions, 3-3-1, had their work cut out for them in both games, starting with the trip to Drew. Thirty-two minutes in, Lions junior goalkeeper Maciej Libucha was ejected when the referee judged he handled the ball outside the box.
“At the end of the day, (Libucha) followed his instincts to make a save and keep Drew’s goals on the day at zero,” senior defender Steve Cukar said. “The referee made the call that he had to.”
The College quickly adjusted to the first-half red card, though, and kept its third shutout of the season in adverse circumstances.
“I think it was just us stepping up to the challenge,” said sophomore goalkeeper Jake Nesteruk, who came in for Libucha. “We played very intelligently in the back, and that’s credit to (senior defenders) Ryan Sullivan and Steve Cukar for organizing the team. We knew we would have to grind out this game, and that’s exactly what we did. It was a true team effort.”
It was the first time the College has been reduced to 10 men this season, but practicing with the event in mind paid off: The Lions were able to shift formation, defend as a unit and force the Rangers offense to drift harmlessly wide.
“When going down a man, communication becomes even that more important,” Cukar said. “From the goalkeeper through to the strikers, players must be communicating to keep our form and track the runs the opposing players are making. We also changed around our formation giving them some more room on the flanks while keeping our numbers in the middle of the pitch.”
The College faced 13 shots, but Nesteruk was only called upon to make a pair of saves. The Lions saw the game out while managing to threaten the Rangers’ goal as well.
“Each player must limit mistakes and play safely,” Cukar said. “We were able to do these things while still playing our game and being dangerous on the offensive end.”
The Lions also had opportunities to score in the 2-0 loss to Stevens, but failed to score for the first time this season as the Ducks defense held firm.
Stevens’s goals on both sides of halftime — the game-winner coming on a penalty in the 39th minute — dropped the College to .500 to end its long, season-opening road trip.
The Ducks’ tallies were the only goals conceded by Nesteruk in his 310 minutes playing for the Lions, though, and he has teamed up with Libucha to allow just one goal per game this year.
“I think it really comes down to the standards of (head coach George) Nazario,” Nesteruk said. “We know what is expected of us, and its just a matter of us not wanting to let him or our teammates down. A lot of credit goes to our back line, (which) has been very consistent, and Maciej, who has been playing very well. Maciej and I have really pushed ourselves during preseason and training, and we are each others supporters and source of motivation.”
The Lions have a chance to get back in the win column this week as they return to home turf on Wednesday, Sept. 17, for a game in Lions Stadium against FDU-Florham.
(09/16/14 6:00pm)
By Peter Fiorilla & Mylin Batipps
News Editor & News Assistant
On Friday, Sept. 12, at 3:30 p.m., a preacher who had been publically speaking outside the Brower Student Center reported a theft to Campus Police. The victim said someone stole a white, two-by-three feet sign — which read: “Atheism is a temporary condition” in black letters — while he was giving a sermon. He also told police he does not know who is responsible for the theft and does not want to press charges, but wants the poster to be returned.
On Friday, Sept. 12, at 11:50 p.m., Campus Police observed two males carrying a third male on the sidewalk south of the softball stadium. The student being carried was dragging his legs with his arms around the others’s shoulders, and when Campus Police stopped the students, the officers smelled alcohol on them. The male being carried said he had “pre-gamed the pre-game and then pre-gamed,” consuming Jack Daniels whiskey and beer throughout the night. He received medical attention and a summons for underage consumption of alcohol.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, at 12:05 a.m., Campus Police arrived at Wolfe Hall on reports of a student lying unconscious on the floor of a women’s restroom. While Lions EMS examined the student, Campus Police asked a female standing at the bathroom door if she was with the unconscious resident. She said the unconscious student was her friend from home and that they were both drinking vodka in the resident’s room. The unresponsive resident was transported to Capital Health, and the guest was issued a summons for underage alcohol consumption.
(09/16/14 5:43pm)
Most of campus suffered a power outage starting at 12 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, with the affected facilities including The Atrium at Eickhoff and the Lion’s Den during the brunt of meal equiv.
The cause of the outage is still under investigation, but the College currently believes it was caused by a blown fuse.
“This is what we believe happened. An extended brownout with PSE&G electrical service caused a fuse to blow on three of our on-campus electrical feeders,” said David Muha, vice president of communications, marketing and brand management. “This caused thetemporary power disruption until facilities staff could implement repairs.”
Dining options on campus became limited as a result: Preparing new food was impossible, and some students couldn’t get into The Atrium.
“I thought Eick would be open by the time I got there in the afternoon, so I was annoyed that the workers told me told to go somewhere else for lunch,” freshman biomedical engineering major Rose LoPiano said. “My friends and I went to the Lion’s Den, only to realize that it was closed as well. By the time we went to the Education Cafe and waited on line, meal equiv was already over, they ran out of turkey wraps and I wasted a good part of my afternoon searching for food.”
Students that did get into Eickhoff also had limited options, as the overhead blowers — which remove fumes from the kitchens, making it safe to cook — and dish machines stopped working altogether, according to Eickhoff supervisor Steve Gallagher.
“Once those are done, we’re dead,” Gallagher said. “All of a sudden a couple thousand people are hungry, and it’s controlled chaos.”
Stations such as the Omelette Bar, C-Street Grill and 91.3 Wok were temporarily shut down, with the latter re-opening at around 5 p.m., according to Gallagher.
The Atrium served the food that was already cooked, though, and there were several other options for students in need of a quick lunch fix.
“Dining Services was able to operate the Library Cafe, School of Education Cafe, and the 1855 Room without service interruption,” Muha said. “The Atrium at Eickhoff was able to maintain operation of service using food maintained in heating cabinets prior to the power outage.”
The electrical problem was solved at around 1:30 with the help of PSE&G, according to the College’s Twitter account, at the very end of meal equiv — disrupting many students’ lunch plans.
“I think it would be a nice gesture for TCNJ to reimburse some students who were unable to use their meal equiv today,” LoPiano said.
The electrical problem affected nearly all residencies, a handful of academic buildings, the Spiritual Center, Packer Hall, parking garages, athletic fields and the Rec Center.
(09/13/14 1:03am)
Most of the campus suffered a power outage starting at 12 p.m. today due to a blown fuse, according to Eickhoff supervisor Steve Gallagher, and the affected facilities included the Atrium at Eickhoff and the Lions Den during the brunt of meal equiv.
Dining options on campus became limited as a result: Preparing new food was impossible, and some students couldn't get into the Atrium.
“I thought Eick would be open by the time I got there in the afternoon, so I was annoyed that the workers told me told to go somewhere else for lunch,” Rose LoPiano, freshman biomedical engineering major, said. “My friends and I went to the Lions Den, only to realize that it was closed as well. By the time we went to the Education Cafe and waited on line, meal equiv was already over, they ran out of turkey wraps, and I wasted a good part of my afternoon searching for food."
Students that did get into Eickhoff had limited options, as the overhead blowers — which remove fumes from the kitchens, making it safe to cook — and dish machines stopped working altogether, according to Gallagher.
“Once those are done, we’re dead,” Gallagher said. “All of a sudden a couple thousand people are hungry, and it’s controlled chaos.”
The Atrium served the food that was already cooked, but stations such as the Omelette Bar, C-Street Grill and 91.3 Wok were temporarily shut down, with the latter re-opening at around 5 p.m. according to Gallagher. No food was wasted or spoiled.
The electrical problem was solved at around 1:30 with the help of PSE&G, according to the College’s twitter account, at the very end of meal equiv — disrupting many students’ lunch plans.
"I think it would be a nice gesture for TCNJ to reimburse some students who were unable to use their meal equiv today,” LoPiano said.
The electrical problem affected nearly all residencies, a handful of academic buildings, the Spiritual Center, Packer Hall, parking garages, athletic fields and the Rec Center.
(09/09/14 7:57pm)
A reinvented offense continues to complement a steady back line for the men's soccer team, and the Lions (3-2) needed both to split its pair of games at t he Stockton Seashore Classic last week.
After opening the tournament with a 2-1 defeat to John Carroll University, the College had a 4-0 rout of Brooklyn College in which four players got on the scoreboard.
Nine Lions have scored already this season, just one shy of last year’s total — a statistic that helps illustrate the team’s shift in offensive philosophy.
“We have definitely adopted a new style of play this year as we are trying to replace Kevin Shaw’s attacking talent,” said sophomore midfielder Nick Costelloe, who scored the opening goal against Brookyln. “This year, we cannot rely on one person up top.”
As the team moves away from its former high-octane, counter-attacking style, the core of the Lions’ game plan has become about keeping possession and spreading the ball around.
“Coach (George) Nazario has really emphasized getting the ball to the flanks and producing crosses,” Costelloe said. “This is an efficient style for us, and we can look to use (junior) forward Jason O’Donnell’s size and strength inside the 18-yard box.”
For the Lions, a large part of creating crossing opportunities comes through getting the defense involved in the attack.
“Since we are a team that likes to keep possession and get numbers up, getting the defenders involved, specifically the fullbacks, is very important to our game,” said junior defender Greg Kaye.
The changes and similarities have held up on the field: O’Donnell has scored three goals on just eight shots, and the Lions are averaging a gaudy three goals per game.
“I think we can attribute that to our new style of play,” Costelloe said. “Because we are looking to fill that gap that was left by Shaw, our midfield will work to create offense. (Sophomore) Clayton Flon and (junior) Jordan Kayal have both been great for us in the midfield and already have produced offensive chances and scored important goals.”
The defensive part of the game hasn’t gone neglected, though, and the team’s two goalkeepers — junior Maciej Libucha and sophomore Jake Nesteruk — have split playing time to combine for a 1.00 goals against average.
“I think it is also important to point out that our defense has been incredibly solid,” Costelloe said. “Our back line has been fantastic for us and has kept us in games.”
The defense is largely made up of veterans who were with the Lions last year, when the team kept five clean sheets — including a 2-0 playoff win over Richard Stockton College.
“I believe having the same defensive unit as last year will be crucial to our success this year,” Kaye said. “Chemistry and communication are two keys to our defense that will allow us to keep compact and hopefully not allow many goals this year.”
Libucha made two saves in the loss to John Caroll, but the Blue Streaks scored the game-winner on a corner kick to cancel out a strike from sophomore Nick Costelloe.
Nesteruk needed just one save for the shutout win over Brooklyn, though, in which Costelloe gave the College an early lead before O’Donnell, sophomore midfielder Thomas Hague and Flon periodically added insurance goals.
It was a complete team performance to show that despite some roster turnover from last year’s squad, which made a run in the NJAC playoffs, this Lions can be just as dangerous.
“This year will certainly be different having graduated some real talent, but now our team has a unique chance to come together and work for each other,” Costelloe said. “We have a group of committed players, and we are all working for a common goal: to win the NJAC.”
(09/09/14 4:47pm)
On Sunday, Aug. 24 at 11:50 p.m., Campus Police responded to a C.A. report of a controlled dangerous substance at Centennial Hall. A student told the floor’s C.A. her roommate had left marijuana on a desk, which the roommate said “was probably turf from the football field.” When police arrived, they detected an “odor of marijuana” in the air and the student admitted she was in possession of marijuana. The student was placed under arrest and issued a complaint summons and court date.
At 11 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, Campus Police responded to a report of intoxication at the Brower Student Center. They met with EMS and went outside to find a student squatting in the bushes, according to Campus Police, who said he was “hiding from them.” The student admitted to consuming vodka an hour before the incident, and was issued a summons for consumption of alcohol.
A bike was stolen from outside the Student Center on Thursday, Aug. 21, around 10 p.m., according to Campus Police. The victim, a local resident, said he put his bike on the bike rack and went into the Student Center for “a few minutes.” Whe the resident came back, his bike was gone. The bike was not secured with a lock or chain.
On Aug. 26 at 12:10 a.m., a C.A. on the fourth floor of Wolfe Hall reported underage consumption of alcohol to Campus Police. A girl on the floor had told the C.A. two males had inadvertently attempted to enter her room. When police arrived, they found one student was in his own room on a bed and had vomited on the sheets. The parties were issued summons for consumption of alcohol.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, at 10 p.m., a C.A. reported there were two intoxicated males on the sixth floor of Travers Hall. The students had been uncooperative, according to the C.A., who had made them pour their alcohol out before police arrived. Campus Police reported their speech was slurred, and both were issued summons for underage drinking and advised of court dates.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2:55 a.m., Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated person on the second floor of Travers Hall. A C.A. said a resident knocked on her door out of concern for a friend vomiting in the men’s room, and police observed the person sitting in the shower still vomiting. EMS arrived and, at 3:46 a.m., transported the student to Capital Health Systems. The student was issued a summmons for consuming an alcoholic beverage underage.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, Building Services reported there was a damaged ceiling and faucet in a women’s bathroom at Armstrong Hall. A representative of Building Services said the incident occurred between Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 9 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 6 a.m. Both parties were unable to determine a suspect for the incident.
(09/02/14 7:51pm)
The men’s soccer team showed well in its opening two games at the Glimore Alumni Classic tournament last week, holding No. 1 Messiah College in a narrow 2-1 loss before rebounding with a 4-1 win over Elizabethtown College.
The Lions (1-1) benefitted from the heroics of goalkeeper junior Mike Libucha, who made a combined 18 saves against 21 shots on goal, and five different players getting on the board over the course of the tournament.
Sophomore midfielder Clayton Flon was the first to strike for the Lions this year, opening his season account after just four minutes: Flon fired a shot on goal and then finished off his own rebound for a 1-0 lead against defending national champions Messiah.
But the Falcons made sure the College’s advantage was short-lived, as they equalized within a minute through a bomb from long distance.
Libucha made six saves in each period to keep the teams in a dead lock, but the Falcons notched the go-ahead goal 25 minutes after half-time and had no trouble closing the game out.
The Lions offense came out firing on all cyllinders in the follow-up game, a rout of Elizabethtown, as three Lions notched their first-ever collegiate goals.
Statistically, the game was close — the Lions only out-shot the Blue Jays 14-12 — but the College finished off its chances early and often, starting in the fifth minute.
Junior defender Dan McMillan sent a cross into the box that senior forward Jason O’Donnell headed into goal. While the Blue Jays equalized in the 45th minute, an Elizabethtown own goal gave the Lions a 2-1 lead heading into half-time.
The College added to its lead in the second half, with junior midfielder Jordan Kayal and defender Joe Martinico adding insurance goals, and Libucha made six saves to preserve the eighth win of his career.