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(11/30/05 12:00pm)
The College's Chapter of Habitat for Humanity held its fourth annual Sleep Out to Speak Out Against Homelessness on Nov. 16. Although many clubs on campus run activities to promote awareness about important causes, few take such bold steps to get their message across.
The Sleep Out is distinctive in this respect - it began at 7 p.m. on Nov. 16 and ended at 10 a.m. the following day. Members of Habitat volunteered to stay outside for the whole night, using only cardboard boxes as sleeping quarters to raise awareness about the number of people living in poverty so close to campus, a fact that many students may not consider.
"There are many amenities that we take for granted, like running water and heat, that not everyone has access to," Dupal Patel, Habitat liaison, said.
Habitat members accepted donations throughout the event. All of the money raised will be donated to the East Trenton Chapter of Habitat. Pat Abolt, volunteer coordinator for Trenton Habitat, explained the impact the College's activities have as a whole.
"Every event that takes place on behalf of the Trenton Area Habitat for Humanity helps in many ways - getting volunteers, getting information about our projects out and sometimes getting funds," Abolt said.
Abolt also explained that donations are put toward a number of things at the Trenton Habitat. The center has a food pantry, a produce distribution program, programs that provide sleeping arrangements during cold weather months, as well as clothing distribution.
"Our organization's goal is to provide affordable, decent homes for adults and children who were previously living in substandard or overcrowded conditions," Abolt said. "To date, we've built 60 homes and have more in the process of construction. Our affiliate's goal is to eliminate substandard housing in East Trenton by 2010."
In addition to the Sleep Out, Habitat also conducts other activities on campus. On Oct. 27, they held an event entitled "Habitat Rocks the Rat." Two bands were featured at the fundraiser, Quimby Mountain Band and Don't Wash David. Members were able to generate a profit of $130.
On Nov. 9, Habitat held a meeting that featured a guest speaker, Stephen Brame, the director of the East Trenton Chapter. Brame spoke about a new plan to help rebuild Trenton. The plan focuses on community development and building to "critical mass," which refers to a cluster of homes in a given region that can provide support for families by preventing the problem of gang violence. To implement this plan, Trenton Habitat plans to build a total of 10 to 15 homes per year.
Brame also spoke about programs geared more toward children, such as an after-school program and summer programs. The College's chapter of Habitat is in the process of coordinating ways to interact more with the East Trenton chapter. For instance, groups of students will soon be helping to tutor children at the East Trenton community center during the after-school program.
"Students will be tutoring in various subjects, ranging from math, English, social studies and everyday health," Stephanie Giordano, co-chair of Habitat's education committee, said. "There will also be reading programs to help teach children how to read, as well as increase their reading levels."
Students will also be able to help with the food pantry at the community center.
The events that the College's chapter of Habitat are most known for are its site visits. Once a month, members travel to Trenton to assist the East Trenton chapter in the construction of its houses. Once finished, these homes are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with no-interest loans. Trenton Habitat currently has several properties under construction that students are able to contribute to. Site visits are open to all students; both members and non-members are selected to participate through a lottery system, since not all volunteers are able to go at once.
Trips are also organized during both winter and spring breaks. This year's winter break location will be rural Exmore, Va. from Jan. 8 to 14. Inga Hye, acting co-president of Habitat, shared her thoughts on her previous trips.
"Only after attending a spring break trip with Habitat for Humanity in order to fulfill a freshman seminar requirement did I really become aware of the beauty of Habitat for Humanity as an organization . my experiences with the winter and spring break trips have contributed to some of my favorite memories in all of my time at the College," Hye said.
Students interested in joining Habitat for Humanity can attend its meetings Wednesday afternoons at 12:30 p.m. in Brower Student Center, Room 202 West.
(10/05/05 12:00pm)
In the fast-paced, industrialized world that we live in today, the condition of the environment is not always a top priority. However, there are students at the College who are working to ensure that our local waterways are being appropriately cared for.
Water Watch is an environmentally friendly student organization that is dedicated to improving water quality in the Trenton area. This is accomplished through various activities, including stream walking, cleanups and the education of younger students.
Stream walking is an activity that involves traveling to various bodies of water, testing them for chemicals, cleaning up litter in the surrounding area and checking for any sources of pollution. There are many streams, tributaries, ponds and lakes in the Trenton area that members of Water Watch test for cleanliness. Some of the sites include the College's own Lake Ceva, Shabakunk Creek, Assunpink Creek and Cadwalader Park.
The chemical test results are compiled in logbooks, which have been maintained for several years. With the help of the logbooks, present data can be collected and compared to previous years, showing if there have been any significant changes in water quality. Stream walking expeditions normally take place on Wednesdays at 2:15 p.m.
Water Watch also takes pride in its cleanup projects. At least three community cleanups are organized each semester. During cleanups, roughly 20 to 25 people work to clear trash and debris away from waterways. During the club's first cleanup on Sept. 17, the site was Lake Ceva.
"The first cleanup ... went as well as it could have, considering how clean the lake was already," Steve Schulze, cleanup coordinator for Water Watch, said.
Although the first cleanup was in a relatively clean area, the senior biology major recalled some of the items that were found on
previous cleanups.
"We've hauled out some interesting items in the past - a newsstand from Lake Ceva, shopping carts, mattresses, road signs, myriad bottles and bikes," Schulze said.
On Sept. 30, the second cleanup project was held at the Lamberton Boat Launch on the Delaware River. Both the sizeable turnout and the beautiful weather made the cleanup a success. Over 20 people participated, and they were able to fill 21 trash bags with garbage. One lucky person was awarded for attending the cleanup.
"Someone even pulled $64 from a plastic bag on the bank of the river," Schulze said.
Cleanups last from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Both the stream walking and cleanup projects consist of Water Watch members, volunteers and students who are fulfilling their Civic Engagement (formerly Service Learning) requirements.
The education program is focused mainly on elementary, middle and high school students, as well as community organizations. Children are taught about the benefits of environmental protection. The water cycle, water conservation and pollution are discussed with them.
Oddly enough, Water Watch's beginnings are a mystery to its current members. According to Katy Healey, president of Water Watch, the group used to be part of a statewide, non-profit group known as New Jersey Community Water Watch. However, in 2001, the College's Water Watch group ended its affiliation with the state organization. The members are now focused mainly on revitalizing the club and teaming up with other community organizations to work toward a common goal.
"The environment is this amazing facet of society that encompasses all regardless of political orientation, class, race, religion (or) creed," Healey, senior journalism major, said.
In addition to its cleanup activities, Water Watch also holds social activities. On Sept. 28, they held an Italian water ice social in Decker Main Lounge, which also featured a screening of the movie "The Day After Tomorrow." Students were drawn to the event in part for the free Italian water ice, but mostly out of interest in the club.
Chris Ongaro, publicity director for Water Watch, was impressed with the interest shown by students.
"Several dozen students signed up, which is surely indicative of the welcoming atmosphere," he said.
Current members are happy with students' growing interest, but not only because of the amount of new publicity the club is receiving. To them, new members mean the potential for a cleaner and more protected environment.
"(Water Watch) not only directly benefits the environment, but also aids in cultivating a society of (College) students who will make eco-friendly decisions in the future," Ongaro said.
Student interested in joining Water Watch can attend one of the group's meetings, which are held on Monday nights at 8 p.m. in Brower Student Center.
(09/28/05 12:00pm)
Ed on Campus @ TCNJ (Ed@TCNJ), a new club on campus, will benefit students who aspire to become magazine editors by the year 2010.
Ed@TCNJ made its debut at the College on Sept. 20 with its first induction ceremony, which was followed by a panel discussion featuring alumni who are now working in the magazine and newspaper industry.
Among the panelists were: Pete Croatto, assistant editor at Vitamin Retailer Magazine Inc., Sean Ryan, assistant editor at Real Estate New Jersey, and Elise Young, senior writer for The (Bergen) Record and freelancer for NJ Monthly. Annemarie Conte, associate editor of JANE and Joanna Saltz, deputy editor of Seventeen, were also scheduled to be part of the panel but were unable to attend.
The idea to bring Ed@TCNJ to the College was sparked by Tammy Tibbetts, junior journalism major. She first heard about the club when she discovered it from a friend who attends Syracuse University, a school which is affiliated with the national organization, Ed2010.
Tibbetts felt that it was the kind of club that students would want to take advantage of, so she set out to form a chapter at the College.
"I felt students interested in magazines could gain so much from meeting professionals and bonding with one another," Tibbetts said. "We are so lucky to be this close to New York City, the media capital of the world, so why not take advantage of that?"
Ed2010 was originally founded in 1998 by Chandra Czape, who is currently the deputy editor of CosmoGIRL!. At the time it was founded, Czape was an assistant editor at Glamour.
The club began when she and her friends got together and routinely exchanged information regarding job openings and discussed what was going on in the industry. Ed2010 subsequently reached over a dozen cities and 22 college campuses in the United States and Canada.
After inductions at 8 p.m., there was a question-and-answer session, which was attended by both inductees and non-members who came to the event.
The panelists began by describing their experiences at the College and the job searches that followed which led them to where they are today. It was made quite clear to the journalism students that it will take a significant amount of effort and drive to achieve the career that they truly desire.
"Be prepared to walk a very twisted path before you go," Croatto said.
Many other topics were discussed, such as the benefits of internships, the differences between newspaper writing and magazine writing, editing and freelancing.
The panelists also shared their thoughts on the pros and cons of graduate school. However, the most interesting question that Tibbetts asked the panelists was what they knew today that they wish they would have known while they were still in college. Elise Young gave some of the best advice.
"There's no better time to have fun, to make your mistakes than right here, right now," she said.
Ten students were inducted into Ed@TCNJ, and all of them seem excited to participate and enjoy the networking opportunities that will be given to them.
"When I heard about (Ed@TCNJ), I decided that the advice and inside look into the field that this club is offering was invaluable and I couldn't pass it up," Kristen Pihokker, junior English elementary education major, said.
Tibbetts pointed out that meeting new contacts is not the only benefit of joining the club. She explained that it is also a club that allows students to meet people who have the same interests as they do.
Most importantly, according to Tibbetts, it encourages success in the writing industry "through camaraderie ... not through ruthless competition."
Although Tibbetts will soon be leaving for a semester abroad in Spain, vice president Donna Kardos, senior journalism major, will be taking Tibbetts' place until her return.
The club's upcoming activities are schedule to include guest lectures, trips to New York City magazine offices, dinners and r?sum? critiquing sessions.
For information on Ed@TCNJ, e-mail tcnj_ed2010@yahoo.com or visit the Web site at geocities.com/tcnj_ed2010/.
(03/30/05 12:00pm)
Sigma Tau Delta, the College's English Honor Society, traveled to Kansas City on March 16 to attend the annual Sigma Tau Delta (STD) conference. Roughly 500 students and 100 faculty members attended, representing dozens of schools.
Six students from the College went on the trip - senior English majors Tierney Dwyer, Christina Maffa and Matthew Miller and junior English majors Jessica DeLisi, Jessica Gill and Courtney Rydel. The students were accompanied by Diane Steinberg, assistant professor of English and one of the group's three chapter sponsors.
All six students who attended the conference submitted essays to the National English Honor Society prior to the trip and all were selected to read their essays at the competition. The essays ranged from critical essays on literature to fiction, poetry and non-fiction. A faculty team organized by the national organization was responsible for selecting essays for the convention.
Dwyer, Maffa and Miller submitted critical essays on James Joyce, Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" and "King Lear," respectively. DeLisi submitted a linguistics essay on synonyms, Rydel wrote on Jane Austen's "Emma" and Gill wrote a fictional story from a hamster's point of view.
It was quite a feat for all of the College's students' works to be accepted.
"Many other chapters had attendees who were only there to listen since their works had not made the cut," Steinberg said.
In addition to having everyone's essays chosen, the College's chapter of STD was asked to prepare a display for the "Outstanding Chapters" room at the conference. The College's chapter was one of 10 schools asked to do this. Steinberg speculated that this was because they have a very large chapter, journalists from STD had sent in articles reporting on their activities and they have won two out of the three national awards for which they had applied.
Another positive outcome of the conference was Gill's election to the governing board. Gill, co-vice president of STD, attended a leadership workshop while at the conference. After mentioning that the College's chapter had 120 members, she was approached by the President of STD, who encouraged her to run for a position on the governing board. Once she spoke with other members of the board, Gill, along with DeLisi, both ran for positions.
After giving a short speech in front of a large crowd of people, each college voted and Gill was elected associate student representative from the Eastern Region, which is comprised of 161 chapters. With her new position comes new responsibilities.
"I have a say in what happens in next year's conference in Portland, Oregon and I help put together a newsletter from the schools in the Eastern Region," Gill said.
To add to the already long list of accomplishments of the group, Rydel was also a runner-up in the "Best Critical Essay" category at the conference. Rydel's essay was based on Jane Austen's "Emma," but focused on a minor character, Harriet Smith. The essay was entitled, "'More conversable than I expected': Harriet Smith's Miss-education."
"I was surprised and thrilled to be chosen as one of the top five essays at the convention," Rydel said.
Although STD members did have to pay for some of the trip, it was funded primarily by Susan Albertine, dean of the School of Culture and Society. The students were very appreciative, since the trip would not have been possible without help from Albertine.
"It's an honor to have our students present their work in such venues, and we are proud to assist as much as we can," Albertine said.
The group returned from the conference with a newfound confidence in their work (along with plenty of "Wizard of Oz" memorabilia), and both the students and their advisor were pleased with the outcome.
"This conference showed them that they could hold their own with everyone there, and that they were stronger than most," Steinberg said.
"Having the quality of writing and scholarship that goes on in the College's English department recognized at a national convention was very exciting for all of us," Rydel said.
(03/02/05 12:00pm)
Thirteen enthusiastic students gathered in the Travers/Wolfe Main Lounge to unveil their musical abilities to the rest of the College community. These talented students were part of "TCNJ Idol," a smaller-scale version of the TV hit "American Idol," sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Leadership Development Program (LDP).
The lounge was filled with roughly 150 students who came out for the show on Feb. 22. Both the performers and the students coordinating the event were very pleased with the large turnout, since the $2 admission fee supported the Tsunami Relief Fund.
Many attended because they thought it would be a fun way to spend a Tuesday night, while others came to provide moral support for friends who were performing.
"I'm here to support my friend, and it sounded like a good charity event," Julia Hughes, sophomore history major, said.
Kevin Kelly, freshman English major, along with the aptly-named Kevin Kelly's Band, opened for the show with a rousing rendition of Ashlee Simpson's hit "Pieces of Me." After their performance, each contestant proceeded to get up on stage and show the audience and the judges what they were made of.
Over the course of the evening, many talented singers were revealed and there were also a couple of "wildcard" performances. One of these performers was Michael Wargo, freshman communications studies major, who sang a "Mary Poppins" medley, but not before donning a frock and some heels so that the audience felt as though they were watching the cheery British nanny herself, rather than Wargo.
The types of songs that were showcased varied with each contestant, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Lauren Hill. A Broadway selection even made it to the stage when Nicole Gust performed a song from "Wicked," one of the most popular musicals on Broadway.
The College's show was set up exactly like the TV version. There was, however, a lot less anxiety among the performers, most likely because they did not have to face Simon Cowell, the famed self-esteem destroyer, after their performances. Instead, three student judges evaluated the performers and, thankfully, their comments were not as brutal as some of the criticisms given out on "American Idol." All three judges were members of the SGA: Annelise Catanzaro, junior communications major, Joanna Holguin, sophomore journalism major, and Kelly.
When all of the students had performed, the voting process began. Two winners were chosen, a People's Choice and a Judges' Choice. Each winner had a choice of a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble or the Olive Garden.
To select the People's Choice winner, each performer stood on the stage with a jar, and the audience voted for their favorites by placing money in the various jars. Whoever earned the most money won the category.
A Judges' Choice was selected after the three judges deliberated over who they thought performed the best overall.
"The judges had a really difficult time picking a winner since there were so many impressive singers," Catanzaro said.
Once all of the votes were in, Joslyn John, senior biology major, was declared the People's Choice winner, collecting a total of $110. She won the respect of the audience after doing a great performance of "At Last" by Etta James.
Although John was excited about winning, she seemed more pleased with the turnout. "I just want to thank everyone who came out and supported the cause," she said.
After a few minutes of conversing, the judges also chose a winner, Kacie Rypisi, junior elementary education and English major, who gave a powerful performance of "Broken Wing" by Martina McBride.
"(It felt) amazing (to win)," Rypisi said. 'I came in and performed my freshman year, so I'm glad I won this time."
Rypisi, who has been singing since she was young, said she was glad that her work in choirs and shows had paid off.
By the end of the night, a total of about $500 was raised for the Tsunami Relief Fund and people walked away feeling impressed with the night's performances.
"I thought the performances were really entertaining. Some of the contestants were amazing," Catanzaro said. "The College's students are without a doubt a talented group."
(11/10/04 12:00pm)
The Alumni Association, a volunteer organization, has recently made a $150,000 contribution to the College. It was given at the start of the Sesquicentennial Celebration - $1,000 for every year the College has been in existence.
The donation is mainly being used for the Sesquicentennial Celebration, a new landscaping project and a new sophomore scholarship.
The money was raised through a series of fundraising activities done by the Alumni Association. The activities ranged from fundraising benefits to telethons.
"The Alumni Association has been wonderful about offering to support the College's fundraising efforts by being advocates not only for the College, but for the students who currently attend TCNJ," Peter Manetas, assistant director of development and alumni affairs, said.
Twenty-five thousand dollars of the donation was given to cover most of the expenses of the Sesquicentennial Celebration, which will run through October 2005. They also donated an additional $50,000 for Sesquicentennial celebration initiatives.
The Alumni Association also gave $50,000 to fund the development of a landscaping project that will be known as "Alumni Grove." It will be built on the south side of Lions Stadium and will include a fountain as well as many park benches.
There is also a plan to make bricks available for alumni to purchase. Their names will be inscribed in the bricks, and they will be used to form a walkway through the Grove. Most of the money made from the bricks would help finance the Alumni Grove, while any additional money would be used for the Sesquicentennial Celebration.
"In addition to providing much-needed scholarship support for students of future generations at TCNJ, the brick program is meant to provide all members of the College community to recognize the important people along the way who have contributed to their TCNJ experience," Manetas said. "Years from now, we hope that the Alumni Grove walkway will be visited by alumni and friends of all generations, thereby creating a sort of new tradition."
The remaining $25,000 of the donation is being used to form an endowed Sesquicentennial Alumni Scholarship. It would be an annual scholarship, and one or more would be given out each year.
Starting this fall, two $1,000 scholarships will be available for sophomores. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time, be in good standing and show that they are involved in the campus community.
There will be three members of the Alumni Board on the selection committee, which will make its decision based on academic progress, financial need, campus involvement and the required scholarship essay.
When students were informed of the recent donation, they had mixed feelings about how the money is being spent. Many appreciate the new scholarship opportunity but think that the rest of the money should have been used for other things.
"I think the scholarship part is very generous, but I don't think that the Alumni Grove is something that current students are going to use all that much," Brandon DiMartino, sophomore health and exercise science major, said.
However, Inga Hye, sophomore special education major, said she was satisfied with the ways in which the donation would be used. "I think it is really great that so many alumni have gotten together such a generous gift for our campus community."
"I did get some pretty nice Post-It notes during the Sesquicentennial celebration," she added.