35 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(09/02/14 4:06pm)
Five years ago, the College implemented Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) to enable students to respond to challenging alcohol-related situations. More recently, the College was awarded the 2014 TIPS Award of Excellence as one of just five chosen institutions out of the 1,200 colleges and universities that offer TIPS programs, according to an article posted on the College’s website on Monday, Aug. 11.
The College was chosen based on several factors, including the amount of students certified, the feedback from TIPS trainers and the community leaders involved in the program.
A free, two-hour program for students, TIPS aims to lessen high-risk drinking behavior among students. Drunk driving accidents, serious injuries and academic flops are just a few of the negative effects that college students face as potential consequences of binge drinking. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website, “more than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape,” and “about 25 percent of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall.”
TIPS has been a platform for the College to educate students about issues such as binge drinking. Over 700 students at the College have been certified since TIPS was established on campus.
“I learned the dangers of a level one, two and three drunk,” junior chemistry major Daniel King said, who was trained through TIPS.
During Greek Week, members from each organization within Fraternity and Sorority Life attend TIPS training. The Department of Student Affairs, the Alcohol and Drug Education Program, and Student Conduct and Residential Education also host TIPS sessions for students.
“I think (TIPS is) very beneficial for the student body,” junior communication studies major Jared Sokoloff said. “As an issue that hits close to home for me, I applaud its current successes and future implementation.”
In future years, the College hopes to train even more students through TIPS.
(04/30/14 2:17pm)
Once a year, seniors gather around the Science Complex fountain to kiss the College goodbye. An elegant affair during Senior Week, the president’s toast to seniors is the final step before students walk the path from the fountain to the Brower Student Center — a march that signifies the bridge from student to alumnus.
As they raise their champagne glasses with President R. Barbara Gitenstein, seniors’ eyes may turn toward the fountain — a landmark of the College, a meeting spot for classes on sunny afternoons and a center for campus organizations’ fundraising events.
For junior criminology major Colleen Warwick, the fountain made the trek to her difficult chemistry class a bit brighter.
“My teacher had us go outside and do work by the fountain,” Warwick said. “I think it’s very pretty. It adds to the beautiful campus.”
“The fountain is an identifier and creates a sense of place — ‘meet me at the fountain,’” said Emily Dodd, communications officer for the College. The fountain appeals to our senses, she explained. “We can see it, hear it, feel it, either when the wind blows a light mist on us as we walk by or by sticking our hand in the water.”
The brick-and-stone fountain is filled with about 3,500 gallons of water. Jets line the circumference of the fountain, causing water to arc and crash onto the stone sphere in the center of the fountain. Each winter, the fountain is drained and then refilled when spring arrives.
The beauty of the fountain is admired by its passing students.
“Well, I have put my hand in it,” junior sociology major Tara Fries said. “It’s aesthetically pleasing.”
But for some students, the fountain is more than a pretty sculpture. It is the center of a treasured campus tradition.
During Welcome Week, many freshmen learn that swimming in the fountain is a must-have addition to their college bucket lists.
“It’s a rite of passage,” senior biology major Colleen Stalter said.
The fountain plunge serves as a bonding ritual for freshmen or a last hoorah for seniors before they jump into the real world.
“I like when they put colored lights in the fountain,” Fries said.
During warm months, the fountain is illuminated by blue lights in the evening — providing extra appeal for any late-night dippers.
When student ambassadors lead potential students on tours of the campus, they are always sure to include a stop at the Science Complex.
Some ambassadors even created a video called “The College Rocks,” which was posted on YouTube on Nov. 16, 2008.
“You may or may not know, (but) the College was named ‘the hot college’ by the New York Times. Come on everyone, let’s go cool off!” one ambassador speaks directly to the camera.
The ambassador then whips off his shirt and runs into the fountain. Eight other students seated around the fountain follow suit, unable to resist the sparkling water. The students giggle as they toss a plastic beach ball in the air and slosh around with their friends.
Swimming in the fountain is not sanctioned by Campus Police, based on the account of several students.
“I felt a little on edge because I thought we would get caught,” junior journalism major Kris Alvarez said. The late-night swim was a bonding experience between Alvarez and his freshmen floor, but as he said “it was early freshmen year. We didn’t have anything to lose.”
Junior sociology major Dawn Kreder was splashing with her friends in the fountain when Campus Police approached and asked them to get out of the fountain immediately. The officers said that the fountain is “not ever cleaned, it’s not filtered and you can get hurt from the jets,” Kreder said.
But Tom Hasty, supervisor of landscape maintenance, said that the fountain can cause little damage to swimmers.
“The fountain’s like a pool, really,” Hasty said.
In order to prevent algae from forming, the fountain is treated with bromine and calcium chloride, chemicals found in public pools. Yet the water jets could potentially poke someone’s eye.
The water jets “come out pretty tight,” he said.
However, Campus Police appear to be somewhat understanding of the tradition.
“After the Eickhoff Ball on the last night of 2009 Senior Week, myself and about five other (sorority) sisters waded into the Science Complex fountain in our dresses,” ’09 alumna Katie Maricic said.
The sisters were swimming in the fountain when Campus Police approached and said, “You girls are so loud you could raise the dead.” After exiting the fountain, Maricic “asked the police to take a picture of us in our soaking wet dresses, and they agreed.”
The final toast for the Class of 2014 is fast approaching. When they raise their glasses around the College icon, some seniors will fondly remember the late-night plunges they took with their friends when they were wide-eyed freshmen. Others may still be hoping to get their final swim in before they toss their cap.
Junior nursing major Gina Brucato, along with many of her student peers, will be satisfied when she stands around the fountain for her final goodbye to the College.
“I’ve been in it,” she said. “Mission fulfilled."
(04/01/14 9:43pm)
In an effort to enhance community engaged learning and give students a desired taste of urban life, the College has opened Trenton Works, a satellite office in downtown Trenton.
“I’ve really been amazed at the interest that we’ve had,” said Madeline Bell, policy and public relations coordinator for the Bonner Center. She is “very impressed that TCNJ is coming back into the community.”
The Trenton Works building is situated on the two floors above the Dunkin Donuts at the intersection of State Street and Broad Street, about 10 minutes away from campus. According to a March 28 article published in The Times of Trenton, the College partnered with the Trenton Downtown Association to find and lease the site.
Through Trenton Works, students, regardless of major, will have the chance to work with faculty and participate in various programs.
“It will open up the opportunity for students both in the Bonner program and outside to connect with the community,” Bell said.
Projects that have already taken place at the satellite include film screenings, guest speakers, citizenship assistance for immigrants and student entrepreneur programs.
“We really envision it also being a meeting spot for students,” Bell said.
The second floor of Trenton Works has desk spaces and a conference room, which can be converted into a classroom if the need arises. The building also has a new multimedia design lab. But the couches on the third floor have “a kind of coffeehouse lounge setup,” which can serve as a welcoming rendezvous point for students, Bell said.
Rajashekar Manimaran, a sophomore interdisciplinary business major and a Bonner scholar, said that the Bonner program hopes the College’s efforts, through its new downtown setting, will help restore the capital to its former beauty.
“Having an office downtown not only shows that TCNJ is committed to Trenton’s transformation, but it is also an opportunity with endless possibilities because we are now at the center of rebuilding our capital city,” he said.
Trenton is a city burdened with political scandal, crime and poverty. But Manimaran believes the College community can make a difference.
“There are crime issues, a recently convicted mayor and more abandoned buildings than anyone can account for,” he said. “But in reality, the closest synonym to Trenton is and should be: potential.”
(03/23/14 1:48pm)
(03/05/14 8:11pm)
Is healthcare a right or a privilege? Should Roe vs. Wade be overturned? How can the relationship between Ewing residents and TCNJ students improve?
Interested in sharing your opinion about a TCNJ, State, or National issue? Or would you like to respond to an article already published in The Signal? The opinions section ofThe Signal welcomes writing submissions from students, alumni and faculty.
If you would like to learn more or submit your opinion, contact our opinions editor, Courtney Wirths: wirthsc1@tcnj.edu.
(03/05/14 2:20pm)
(03/04/14 2:24pm)
When I think of food in a bar/bowling alley, generally my expectations are low. Visions of stale pizza, dirty alleys and the memory of my Unfortunate Bowling Game of 2002 come flooding to my mind (always gutter, never strike).
Monday night, I journeyed with a team of self-proclaimed food experts — my housemates Melanie and Laura — to see whether this thought applied to Doc’s Bar & Grill in Lawrenceville.
Tucked inside Colonial Bowling and Entertainment, a bowling alley, laser tag arena and arcade center, Doc’s Bar & Grill was a pleasant surprise. The bar and grill, about 10 minutes away from the College, had a fun, friendly vibe. It is, thank goodness, clean.
You have to have respect for a place that plays ‘90s music videos on the big screens over the bowling alleys — people who think “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry is not the greatest song ever should seriously reconsider their life decisions.
Our food came in about 20 minutes, and good thing, because hours of finding new ways to avoid homework can make you very hungry, trust me.
True to form, I ordered a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I’ve had many cheesesteaks in my time, but this one was especially yummy. The cheese to steak ratio was right on point. The bun was fresh and well toasted, and I would definitely order it again.
Laura, a vegetarian, ordered a cheesy margherita flatbread personal pizza. The tomatoes and basil were clearly fresh. Too often, flatbread pizza is cooked too long and burnt, but this one was cooked to perfection. Her one critique was that the pizza could have a little less oil, but that is a complaint Laura finds with most pizza.
Melanie, our designated house baker, ordered a barbecue chicken sandwich. The chicken was cooked well, and she enjoyed her meal, but she hoped that the chicken would be barbequed, not just topped with barbeque sauce. The sea salt on the french fries was a superb choice, but she likes her fries with a little bit more crisp.
Overall, we agreed that coming to Doc’s was an excellent decision and not just because we didn’t have to wash dishes, although that is always a bonus. The food was tasty, the serving size was generous and the atmosphere was hip-and-happening. I’ve heard great things about their build-a-burger dish option. The 21 and over crowd can enjoy a wide array of cocktails and beer selection. We’d definitely return to Doc’s, maybe for a karaoke night. Fingers crossed that we convince Laura to do her rendition of an Andrea Bocelli song.
Where:
2420 Brunswick Ave.
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Contact:
609-882-7700
Hours:
Mon. - Thurs.: 4 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Fri. - Sun.: 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.
(03/02/14 7:57pm)
Interested in creating a blog or contributing to an already existing blog? The Signal welcomes ideas and encourages students to write for us.
The Signal currently has six blogs for the Spring 2014 semester: Lions' Playlist, The Elephant in the Room, From the Roberts, The Awards Forecast, Lime Correspondent and Echoes.
If you would like to learn more, send an email to our web editor, Regina Yorkgitis: yorkgir1@tcnj.edu.
(02/20/14 8:04pm)
(01/21/14 8:01pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 9:33pm)
(01/17/14 7:52pm)
(01/17/14 7:52pm)
(01/17/14 7:52pm)