(02/11/04 12:00pm)
The Holman Art Gallery is currently hosting the 2004 Mercer County Photography Exhibit, a biennial exhibition open to anyone 18 years or older who lives, works or goes to school in Mercer County. The exhibit was officially opened to the public during a reception that was held on Jan. 21 at the Gallery. The exhibit continues to run until Feb. 18.
Awards were given to the best presentations in several categories, and the recipients were honored at the opening festivities. Pieces that were submitted for judging were sought out and submitted in mid-November of last year.
The exhibition is sponsored by the College's art department, as well as a grant from the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission. This grant was also used to provide funding for the artists' awards.
The exhibit is also funded by the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.
Professional photographer Judy Gelles was on hand to judge each submitted piece and choose the winners. Gelles received her MFA in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991.
She currently teaches photography at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the International Center of Photography in New York City. Her works can be found in collections at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There were over 200 pieces entered into the competition, and 43 were chosen to receive awards and become part of the exhibit.
Photographers had the opportunity to win $300 for Best of Show. Several Purchase Awards were also given. These pieces will be purchased by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission and become a permanent part of their collection.
A $100 Princeton Photography Club Award was also given, in memory of John Apostolos, a former member and co-founder of the club who died several years ago. Juror Merit winners were picked by Gelles herself for having special artistic value. Entrants were judged for their subject matter, their overall composition and their technical excellence.
According to Judy Masterson, director of the Art Gallery, about 98 percent of the entrants did their own printing of their submissions, either in photography classes or other professional studios.
She explained some of the different types of printing methods used to produce the wide variety of prints that received awards.
"An iris giclee print (for example) is done on an iris printer which is a high-quality inkjet printer that sprays out the ink towards a rotating roller. It helps the artist get a warm, atmospheric print. (Several of the winning prints were) done from 35 mm negatives," Masterson said.
A silver gelatin, on the other hand, is a basic black-and-white print, she said.
The Best of Show Award went to Dominic Lipira of Trenton for his iris giclee print entitled "A Child's Dream."
Laura Kruglinski of Berkeley Heights, sophomore art education major received a Juror Merit Award for her digital book entitled "Bathroom Status." Matt Sochocki of Toms River, junior fine arts major also won a Juror Merit Award for his c-print "Ugliest Chair I Could Find."
The four other winners of this award were Alina Bliach of West Windsor, who won for her platinum print "The Ward;" Fame Dileo of Princeton, who won for his silver gelatin entitled "Hamilton Marsh Series;" Beth Gross of Levittown, P.A., for her black and white double print "Face to Face," and David Simchock of Titusville for his ultrachrome "Pre-Inca Artifacts."
The five winners of the Purchase Awards were Joel Greenberg of Princeton for his digital entitled "Phalaenopsis;" John Monahan of Three Bridges for his silver gelatin "Pas de Deux;" Steven Richman of Plainsboro for his giclee print "Miami;" M. Teresa Simao, who won for her digital "Flora;" and David Simchock of Titusville, a second award for his ultrachrome "Pre-Inca Artifacts."
"You really should go see the prints for yourself, to appreciate them fully," Masterson said. The College Art Gallery is free and open to the public. Hours are: Monday through Friday noon to 3 p.m., Thursday 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Gallery is on the first floor of Holman Hall.
(11/18/03 12:00pm)
When most students graduate from the College, or any college for that matter, the last thing on their minds is coming back, let alone to working there. But, such was the case for Lisa Myers, media relations manager at the College.
Myers graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in journalism and professional writing. While she was able to pursue her chosen field after graduation for a period of time, she returned to the College to take on public relations, a job she found to be as challenging and rewarding as reporting.
Myers lived in Williamstown before she came to the College in the fall of 1987, and she has great memories of her years in the dorms.
"At that time, there were no freshman dorms," she said. "Back then, (the classes of students) were all mixed together."
She started her college experience in Travers 10, then known as "the Penthouse," described by Myers as "a party floor."
"It was a total culture shock for me," she said. "I came from an all-girls school in Newfield, with 180 girls in all. I was used to strict rules. (College life) was way more lenient."
It took a while for Myers to get used to living on a co-ed floor, as well as "people running around at 3 a.m., and pizza 24-7." She said going home on weekends helped her to gradually adjust to the new freedoms of college life.
"It was pretty much a 'suitcase college' back then, too," she said. "I went home a lot at first, until I found more friends like myself with our own interests."
She was one of the first to pledge with the newly formed chapter of Chi Upsilon Sigma Latin sorority, when it first started on campus in 1990.
When asked if she had any anecdotes to share from her college days, Myers recalls there was supposed to be a huge food fight in the Decker dining hall on its last open day in 1991. It was an all-girls dormitory back then, she said, notorious for its lousy food. There was going to be a major closing-day send-off in the form of a genuine "Animal House" style food fight. "But I missed it, because I had to be in class," she said, a fact she still regrets.
Myers sees the campus activities today as pretty much the same as they were back in her day, but with a few exceptions.
"The Greek pledging activities are different now than they were then," she said. "Especially in the minority (Greek organizations). They used to make them dress alike and walk close together in a line everywhere. They don't allow that anymore - it's considered 'hazing.'"
Myers likes the success of liberal organizations on campus today, such as GUTS, the gay and lesbian organization on campus.
"I'm just in awe how far GUTS has come since then," she said. "Back then, their banners and flyers would be torn down, and they had to meet in secret, but now it's more open. I was shocked when I saw their flag in the student center. It's great that the other students are OK with it." She recalled one of her first encounters with the group back then. "I remember when GUTS went semi-public with a table in the student center, with buttons and flyers," she said. "They looked so scared at the time. I went over and took a button, and my friend said, 'Are you nuts? You're gonna get killed!' but I didn't care."
Myers also remembered the long, cold treks to classes when fall and winter came. "The many tall buildings created a wind-tunnel effect, so it was especially cold and windy - we used to refer to the campus in wintertime as 'the Tundra,'" she said.
She shares students' chagrin over the constant construction, although she is more used to it than most.
"I visited the College several times after graduation," she said, "and I was able to observe the construction of most of the new buildings, so it wasn't that much of a shock to me to come back here and see all the physical changes. The construction does cause navigation problems, however."
Myers remembers several of her professors warmly, especially in her journalism studies. She had high praise for Robert Cole, journalism professor, and Kim Pearson, associate professor of professional writing. She also remembers English professor Jim Brazell's and gender studies professor Ellen Friedman's classes.
"I remember how great I was treated by the profs here," she said. "They're very warm and caring."
Myers doesn't see too much change in the College as far as the overall atmosphere.
"I don't know if it's that I've changed or that (the College) has changed," she said. "There's still the same warmth, the same welcoming atmosphere that was there back then, but it is different, in good ways." She said the College was, and still is, "a great place to grow, to try on different things."
Myers wasn't as concerned about the logo change as most students seemed to be, but was more upset about the change of the name from Trenton State College in 1996. "It was always Trenton State College to me," she said, "and it took a while to get used to it, but you have to just go with it."
After graduation, Myers worked at a Franklinville paper, The Sentinel, and then became a part-time reporter for The Trenton Times. She then became a full-time reporter for The Courier-Post.
She said she enjoyed the work, but it took a lot out of her, so she searched for other employment options. During her search, she noticed the opening at the College in the Public Relations department, and decided to give it a try. She began her job in 2000, and has since become head of the department.
"I enjoy it," she said of her new career choice. "It's definitely different than reporting."
Myers is glad for her experiences at the College as a student, and still keeps in touch with several of her friends from those days. However, she said she looks forward to a future at the College as promising and fulfilling as her past has been.
(04/29/03 12:00pm)
The graduating class of 2003 will not be addressed by a guest speaker at its commencement ceremony, according to the President's office.
In place of the speaker, the senior class and College President R. Barbara Gitenstein have chosen Reverend DeForest B. Soaries Jr. and Marilyn vos Savant to be presented with honorary degrees at the commencement ceremony.
The change was made because more people have the opportunity to address the class when there is no single speaker.
The senior class provided Gitenstein with a list of candidates for the honor last spring, according to the President's Office.
Some students, however, feel that graduation will be somewhat incomplete without a guest speaker.
"I think it's ridiculous," Stephen DiStefano, senior history secondary education major, said. "I think they should have at least asked us for our opinion on it. I don't think they got much student input (before making the decision)."
Allison Durar, senior elementary education major, agreed.
"It's disappointing," she said. "Every year you look forward to hearing who the guest speaker will be," she said. "This is our only chance to graduate and we're missing out."
Some students, however, feel that the money spent on a guest speaker could be put to better use.
"I think it makes sense," Chris Larthey, senior business information systems management, said. "They pay too much to bring in someone to talk. The speakers in the past haven't been very good anyway, so maybe it's better to not have one at all."
Former SGA president Chris Portera had similar views. "I can see where Dr. Gitenstein is coming from. It's a lot of money for a 10-to-15-minute oration."
Portera said that he knows many students look forward to getting something special from the guest speaker's speech. However, he said, this is something students can receive in many other places.
"Bill Cosby was just here," he said. "I think it makes more sense to spend money on something that is two or three hours and that would reach a lot more people."
The College Web site provided information about the two individuals who will receive honors in the speaker's place.
Soaries will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. He serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln gardens in Somerset and helped form nonprofit organizations to serve the community.
Soaries, under the appointment of former Governor Christine Todd Whitman, served as N.J.'s 30th Secretary of State, where he helped preserve New Jersey. and its citizenry through arts history and culture.
Vos Savant will receive an honorary doctorate of letter. Known for her five-year stint in the Guiness Book of World Records under "Highest I.Q." for both childhood and adult scores, she has written the "Ask Marilyn" column in the national Sunday magazine Parade since 1986.
She also serves as chief financial officer at Jarvik Heart, Inc., a manufacturer of artificial hearts for use in the treatment of heart failure.
This year's graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 16, at 9:30 a.m., in Lions Stadium.