Frustration with racial bias incident sparks controversy
By Camille FurstManaging Editor
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By Camille FurstManaging Editor
By Camille FurstManaging EditorMcKenna Samson has always gone to school with students who don’t look like her. Attending the College — which has a 6 percent black population, according to Forbes in 2018— doesn’t come as much of a culture shock.
By Camille FurstManaging Editor
By Camille FurstManaging Editor
By Camille FurstManaging Editor
By Camille FurstManaging Editor
By Camille Furst and Alexander ReichManaging Editor and Staff Writer
By Camille Furst News Editor Herve was always “that guy.” As a former student at the College for two years, Herve Borgella said he was doing everything he wanted to do — from drinking and smoking to making money selling drugs. “People knew me as the frat kid, the frat boy, the drug dealer,” he said. “But God redeemed me.” On April 15, students gathered in the Brower Student Center Room 225W at 8:30 p.m. for the Gospel United Ministries’ event, “How I Knew God Was Real,” where College alumni shared testimonies of how they came to their Christian faith. Even though Borgella felt he had been just the way he wanted to be, he said he still always felt there was something more out there for him. So, he started going to to church almost every Sunday with his parents. He then described how in August 2017, he was driving back from a campsite he and his friend spent the week working at to make some extra money. And then he hit what felt like both rock bottom and a spiritual awakening. “I was in this car with this kid — he was actually in the same fraternity as me,” Borgella said. “I laid back to take a nap. I felt my heart start beating really fast, and I could not move. And then, all of a sudden, I hear this voice in my head, saying, ‘Junior, you know what to do.’” After trying to sit up, he said he kept feeling physically pushed down into the car seat. Again he heard, “Junior, you know what to do.” Borgella said he then demanded his friend to pull the car over. When he did not, Borgella pulled the car over himself and got out of the car. “I’m trying to walk away from the car, but I find it very hard to walk,” he said. “I’m trying to wave people down, nobody’s stopping. And something that I’ve never done, I started praying. And the same voice tells me, ‘They’re not going to do anything for you. Only I can.’” He then recalled having a flashback in which his parents were praying and continually saying the name Jesus. “He placed that flashback in my head. ‘Just call on the name of Jesus,’” he said. “Because when I was in that car, knowing that I’ve done wrong by the Lord all my life, I’ve cursed his name all my life … he still called my name.” Despite everything he was doing, he did not find it difficult to turn his life toward his newfound faith. “Why would I give up the easy money? The alcohol? Why would I give it up?” he said. “And then Jesus shows up and says, ‘I’m the reason.’” Jarrett Locke (’18) also gave his testimony of how he came to faith. After beginning with a prayer, he recalled how, throughout his adolescence, he always participated in his faith by going to church on Sundays and praying with family. He felt he was doing it “for the sake of religion, (but) not for the sake of God.” Similarly to Borgella, he also felt like he was missing something in his life. “My grades were good, I had money, I had a job, my friends were good,” Locke said. “But I felt an emptiness inside my stomach that I could not explain.” After he said he fell into sin for most of his life, he knew there was something more. Then, he hit his lowest point. “I will never forget this moment as long as I live,” he said. “I just remember lying on my bed, and I literally felt like I was in chains. I literally felt trapped, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t move. I can’t live like this. I can’t live like this.’” He then knelt down on his floor in his bedroom and prayed, asking God to change his way of thinking. He said how, in that moment, he felt set free from the pain of his sin. “That wasn’t me — I could not have possibly done that,” he said. “And from that moment forward, I knew that God was real.” Locke and Borgella then reflected on the presence of the Bible Believers, a religious organization that garnered strong opposition from students when they came to protest on campus earlier this month. “They spew out lies,” Borgella said. “They want to misrepresent Jesus. Please, don’t believe those lies that you hear, (that) ‘Jesus hates.’ Jesus hates the sin. He loves you.” The two former students went on to explain their perspective on what they see as differences between their beliefs and religion. To them, religion merely reinforces rules and rituals; however, they saw simply a relationship with God by asking for forgiveness and welcoming him into their lives. “Religion is not the way — religion is a sham,” Borgella said. “Religion is a ploy set to divide people. Religion will not save you … rules can’t save you. (He is) just a loving God. Please don’t believe the lies. Don’t believe the lies.” Locke said that God created mankind to have a relationship with them, not to just idly follow rules and obligations. Rather, “what God wants is a relationship.” One student in the audience, junior communication studies major Lorriann Guzman, reflected on what moved her during the event. “I came to support my friend Jarrett, to hear his testimony,” she said. “It was interesting hearing it from alumni and a student who used to go here, and their experiences at the College that closely relate to ours … It was more relatable.” The event concluded with final words from both Locke and Borgella, who reinforced the idea that Jesus is the one who can save individuals from the burden of their sins. “He wants to make you clean, he wants to make you new,” Borgella said. “But the only way he can do that is if you let him in. He’s not going to barge in, he’s not going to drag you. The Holy Spirit is knocking at hearts, (saying,) ‘I want to make you who you’re supposed to be.’”
By Camille Furst News Editor Students and faculty gathered in Mayo Concert Hall on April 17 at 4 p.m. to hear what College alumnus Bryan Faller (’09) had to say. When Faller attended the College, he switched his major from biology to art and art history, which helped him garner a wide range of skills and use the interdisciplinary knowledge to his advantage. Now working in New York City as a professional art investor and financial advisor, he stresses the importance of interdisciplinary thinking, both in college and throughout one’s career. Faller said that he was able to use his degree in art history and his M.B.A. from Rutgers Business School to combine all of his interests and turn his passion into a career. “I love biology, but … I realized there’s a whole other set of skills that I’d like to explore before taking on that vocation,” he said. “How am I going to create an experience where I’m educated (and) explore all of those concepts? Who do I want to be and how do I get there?” His parents were not supportive of the switch at first. Coming from a family deeply involved in business and finance, Faller said his parents were “horrified” when he first told them he was switching to a major in art and art history, but he did not let that stop him. He then explained why majoring in art and its potential for interdisciplinary studies would grant him more fulfillment down the road. By combining business with art, he was able to succeed in expanding his academic horizons, which allowed him to achieve a career down the road. “It was a much richer conversation for me,” Faller said. “I think biology is a very rich conversation … but to have something so interdisciplinary — you’re reaching from history, you’re reaching from politics, you’re reaching from engineering, marketing … (it’s) a much more engaging experience.” Throughout the discussion, Faller noted similarities between the art industry and the other industries, such as business and biology — specifically, the way in which each industry has its own distinct disciplines. He presented different works of art with which he has dealt and emphasized the need to see each work as separate and distinct, which he equated to other industries outside of art. “Each artist and each work is its own separate discipline,” Faller said. “Each group, each artist, each market is completely different — the same way that the energy markets are different, the bio markets are different, aerospace … so as an investor, it was a very easy translation from art history. You’re able to translate across disciplines.” Although he focused on interdisciplinary studies throughout his time at the College, Faller attributed his most valuable job experience to his time working at Starbucks when he was getting his M.B.A from the Rutgers Business School. “I got a job at Starbucks because I was so poor and didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I never learned more than working at Starbucks. I never worked harder for $9 an hour. I think it’s important — learning about business, people, being kind to people. It’s exceptionally important because it doesn’t end.” Faller then opened up the conversation and began taking questions from the audience. Many students who had questions at the discussion were art majors. One student, Haley Mosseri, a junior fine arts major, sought advice from Faller concerning the business side of the art industry. In response to questions concerning the convergence of art and business, Faller stressed the importance of studying business to anyone interested in pursuing fine arts. “I thought it was really eye-opening because as a fine art major I’m more focused on the art side, whereas I hadn’t really thought as much about the economics and business side,” Mosseri said. “Seeing how important that is, I want to make sure that before I graduate, I get more of an understanding on the business aspect of the art market.” Freshman history and secondary education dual major Lucy Fleischmann also found Faller’s points to be eye-opening. “A lot of times, society sees people as either science and business or humanities,” Fleischmann said. “I think this was a great example of (how) you can do both and you can succeed with both.” Faller left the audience with one last piece of advice — to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.” “Know your limits, but knowing this is uncharted territory — that’s where the value is,” he said. “We all are constantly struggling in the world. There’s a struggle to be interesting enough. I want you guys as students to be able to talk, to have a conversation, to engage across disciplines. It’s being able to be outside of yourself, and to have … enough insight to say, ‘I need to change. I need to grow. I need to evolve.’”
By Camille Furst and Kalli Colacino News Editor and Production Manager The two-letter word has been used countless times on hats, banners and in many advertisements promoting the inclusivity the College has been striving for throughout this past year. Now, the College’s “Hi” campaign has been promoted both on and off campus since the administration officially launched its new public relations campaign earlier this month. The program has been active since April 2, when Associate Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Brand Management Dave Muha released a campus-wide email explaining the details of the campaign and its efforts to engage students and spread the word of the College throughout the state. The new program consists of a month-long contest with prizes for current students, a distinct social media presence using the hashtag #TCNJsaysHi and different spins on the word “Hi,” such as “Hidrate” as displayed on new College water bottles, and various terms such as ‘Hi energy’ and ‘Hi potential,’ found in the viewbook given to incoming students. After the program’s inception in 2016, Muha found it necessary to include input from students at the College by hiring student interns. They would offer a fresh perspective and be able to tap into the mindset of the program’s intended audience. The student interns consist of junior communication studies major Kristen Frohlich, senior marketing major Collin Pecci, sophomore communication studies major Bryanna O’Keefe, junior marketing and communication studies double major Urja Sevak, senior business management major Kelly Kozar and junior biology major Teresa Dinh. “By doing this, we wanted to show mostly how we are a friendly campus … by saying ‘Hi TCNJ’ you’ll be able to find lifelong friends, internship opportunities (and) take cool classes,” Frohlich said. The interns said the main audience for the PR program is current students, and the goal is to promote a sense of community at the College rather than simply focus on academics. “Dave has really been pushing us to show off the excellent community here at TCNJ,” Pecci said. “A lot of people know we are a high-quality school … (but) we want to kind of bring the community back together … to remind people what kind of community is at TCNJ.” The interns also kept in mind the potential impact the program could have on incoming students. Currently, there are multiple Instagram posts with the official hashtag of the campaign, #TCNJsaysHi, posted by incoming freshmen who have committed to the College for the class of 2023. “We were able to help provide the student perspective and how students would be able to engage with the ‘Hi’ campaign,” Frohlich said. “We were really able to kind of hone in on things that would pique the interest of students.” The College’s official Instagram account has more than 10,000 followers and can reach a variety of current and future students. The interns used this platform to develop an interactive community engagement campaign –– an Instagram competition. In his campus-wide email sent out on April 2, Muha shared the news of this month-long competition and the prizes that students could potentially win. “This challenge will help us tell the story of our school,” he said in the email. “What makes this college special? It’s more than just the high quality of the education, it’s also the quality of our community. TCNJ is a place where people say ‘hi.’ We’re welcoming. We value and support one another.” For this month’s competition, people must post a photo to their Instagram story with the caption #TCNJsaysHi. As long as the account is not private, they are entered to win College-themed merchandise, such as a hat or water bottle. Five winners are reposted daily on the College’s official account and different prizes are offered every week. “One of the biggest goals was to engage the campus community and to highlight the people who have left a positive impact on the campus,” Sevak said. Each intern also stressed how the recent tragedies at the College, including the deaths of students Jenna DiBenedetto and Charles “Charlie” Shulz, have impacted the strategies considered while producing the project. “Unfortunately our campus has had a lot of tragedy this year — this PR program is not trying to hide away all of that,” Frohlich said. “I think it’s more to embrace the culture of TCNJ and what it means to be a TCNJ student. I have a lot of pride being here. I really like this school, and I think this contest is able to show that excitement that people have for being here.” Pecci also said how he and the other student interns had taken the recent tragedies into account when brainstorming different ideas. “In other schools, it’s not as tight-knit,” Pecci said in reference to the College’s response to tragedies. “There’s an emotional response rather than just a news headline. And I think this campaign is coming in at a good time, to remind people that this is more than just a school. It’s a group of people that come together from every background.” But one of the greatest challenges for the student interns in getting the program on its feet has been the fact that “anything could happen,” according to Frohlich. “We had to wait a while to launch this PR program, because one of the things that Dave said to us in the beginning — I’ll never forget this — ‘You never know when an unexpected situation will happen.’ (The death of DiBenedetto) happened just a couple days after,” Frohlich said. The interns are spreading the word about the College’s inclusiveness, according to O’Keefe, and the idea that the student population is “friendly and open to get to know other people.” Each intern mentioned the importance of the word “Hi” and how just two letters can make such a big impact in welcoming members into the College community. “We want to advertise our campus to neighboring states and even the country,” O’Keefe said. “We want more people to know about it.” Currently, more than 60 posts on Instagram use the hashtag #TCNJsaysHi as of April 13, and electronic banners throughout the campus and in Newark Airport display the new campaign, as shown on the official Instagram account for the College. According to the student interns, the PR program appears to be on the right track. “I think people are starting to get more excited about TCNJ and what to post and to say to make them different from other students,” Frohlich said. “I think TCNJ students are trying to see what makes them stand out.”
By Camille Furst News Editor When I first stepped onto campus on move-in day, I didn’t know what my religious beliefs were. If I had to label them, I would say that I was agnostic, refusing to claim either faith or disbelief in a god. Seven months later, I now define myself as a Christian. Over the course of this time, however, I have developed a fascination in understanding other worldviews and ways of thinking. I have also discovered something that has the potential to be very dangerous to our community –– the willingness of individuals to isolate themselves from others’ beliefs. While I celebrate and recognize freedom of religion, I still believe it is important to expose yourself to the different ways of thinking and living throughout the world we live in. Bill Bishop, author of “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart,” describes how social psychologists have been studying the clustering of like-minded groups, the phenomenon where individuals subconsciously spend their lives surrounded by people who think, act and believe in the same things they do. These social psychologists came to the conclusion that what happened over the course of the study wasn’t a simple increase in partisanship, but a “more fundamental kind of self-perpetuating, self-reinforcing social division.” The lack of exposure causes paranoia toward other beliefs in our nation, creating a sharp divide — commonly referred to as the “God Divide” — between two worlds in which the wall that separates them is much more fragile than seen at first glance. If individuals open themselves up to other worldviews and ways of living, this wall would be broken down and they would see that, as humans, perhaps we are more similar than we might think. I’m currently enrolled in a course called Religion in American Culture where we are reading “Unlikely Disciple” by Kevin Roose. As a liberal student attending Brown University, Roose decides to cross the God Divide and experience the ways of thinking and living at Liberty University, an evangelical Christian university founded by conservative televangelist Jerry Falwell. Roose slowly finds that many individuals choose to isolate themselves from unfamiliar beliefs. While many students at this evangelical university choose not to expose themselves to the culture of other individuals their age, Roose states that “51 percent of Americans don’t know any evangelical Christians.” Choosing not to expose oneself to other belief systems makes everyone walk somewhat blindly into their faith, whether that be Christianity, Judaism or atheism. Roose writes that “without skepticism, without challenging our own views, what we’re learning is lifeless.” If anything, I have learned that exposure to others’ beliefs is vital to understanding the world we live in and connecting with people who may have differing beliefs. Regardless of your belief system, it is crucial to learn about others’ beliefs in order to develop a conviction of your own. This will then help us develop a stronger, more inclusive community.
By Camille Furst News Editor Tears welled up in his eyes as he learned of his acceptance to his dream school. The College’s big envelope and blue and gold pennant awaited him with a surprise in the principal’s office of his high school. Through illness in the family, his mom’s loss of employment and eventual homelessness, his acceptance letter unfolded a story of victory amidst his life’s challenges. Dylan Chidick, a first-generation immigrant from Trinidad and a senior at Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, received his acceptance to the College the morning of March 19 — his 18th acceptance overall, but the one he was looking forward to the most. “This is the happiest day of my life,” he told CBS New York in an interview on March 19. College President Kathryn Foster sent out a campus-wide email before CBS broadcasted the story, saying that it was worth the breaking the promise of a quiet spring break. Having been born and raised in Trinidad until the age of 7, Chidick did not realize how different the U.S. was until he immigrated with his family. “I grew up in the countryside,” he said in an interview with The Signal. “I grew up in a wooden house with five other people. And then we all went to America. I didn’t know what air conditioning was … it was really humbling.” While the U.S. brought him and his family more opportunity, his family faced some challenges as well. Chidick’s two younger brothers developed a severe heart condition that put a strain on the family. Those illnesses, coupled with the fact that his mother, Khadine Phillip, lost her job, landed them in a homeless shelter from May to mid-August of 2017. Chidick described the shelter as constantly nerve-wracking, as he and his family never knew the true intentions of the other people there. “Even though we made some good friends … everyone would be looking for a way out as fast as they can,” Chidick said. “So you never knew what anyone would do to achieve that goal. We were always scared that … our stuff was going to get taken away (or) someone would break into our room … I knew that I never wanted to end up back in that situation again so I knew that I had to work harder than ever.” Chidick had known since he was a young boy that he wanted to go to college and become a lawyer. He found his family was supportive of his dreams. Chidick, however, questioned whether he would get into any of the schools he applied to. For him, the college admissions process was long and strenuous. “I remember we were waiting for one more college — The College of New Jersey. He would love to go to that College,” Phillip told CBS News. Having already gotten into 17 schools by March 12, including the University of Dayton, Rowan University and Quinnipiac University, he was still waiting on the College. On the morning of March 19, Chidick was called to his high school principal’s office, thinking he must be in trouble. He had no idea what else it could be. When he noticed the College’s Director of Admissions Grecia Montero, he was shocked. “‘My family went through a lot and there has been a lot of people saying, “you can’t do that,” or “you’re not going to achieve this,” and me getting these acceptances kind of verifies what I have been saying. I can do it and I will do it,’” he told CBS News. Amidst the recent college admissions scandals involving a number of wealthy celebrities reportedly bribing members of elite colleges to admit their children to their schools, Chidick’s experience is a “feel-good story … in a week when so much of the news surrounding college admissions has been negative,” Foster said. “I just think it’s unfair that people who have these kinds of connections are given priority, but it just proves that people who are not born with the same privileges and connections have to work ten times harder to achieve the same goals,” Chidick said. Although not officially committed yet, Chidick said that he will be committing to the College soon and is excited to be a “part of the college life.” “There were many times I felt I wanted to give up,” he said. “But if you find that one person or one group of people that will help you push through that obstacle, then you will be able to achieve great things in the future –– keep going, keep pushing.”
By Camille Furst News Editor Music flooded the room as participants got up from their seats and danced in celebration of tradition, community and Judaism. While cherishing the past and looking toward the future, members of the Chabad community at the College cultivated an atmosphere of laughter and joy during their bar mitzvah celebration created to honor of the organization’s 13th year as a recognized student organization on campus. While a bar mitzvah is a Jewish tradition in which individuals celebrate a boy’s coming-of-age at 13 years old, Chabad used this to symbolize the celebration of the organization’s 13th year of existence at the College. The event was held in the Education Building Room 212 on Sunday, March 3 at 1 p.m. “When you are Jewish, you celebrate a Bar Mitzvah when you’re 13 years old, so that was the point of this event,” said Sarah Goldstein, a junior special education and iSTEM dual major and member of Chabad. “This event is pretty awesome I think because it’s our 13th anniversary on campus. It’s just a little home away from home.” The event began with the official donation of a Torah, the Jewish holy scripture, from Aliza Scheinfeld and her family to Chabad in memory of her husband, who recently died. Scheinfeld’s nephew is Rabbi Akiva Greenbaum, the adviser for the campus organization. “(The Torah) takes over a year to write, so we are so grateful,” she said. “And so here we are. The more we use the Torah, the more we do good deeds in his memory, (and) the greater the happiness of his soul.” While keeping with the theme of bar mitzvah celebrations, Chabad honored the belated bar mitzvah of one student at the College. Freshman economics major Zach Sperling had his bar mitzvah during the event since he wasn’t able to celebrate when he turned 13. During the ceremony, Rabbi Greenbaum clothed him in the traditional garb that bar mitzvah boys wear in honor of their milestone – a white shawl, known as tzitzit, and black leather phylacteries called tefillin. “(This tradition) symbolizes the connection that we have to our past, which is so valuable,” Rabbi Greenbaum said. “If you don’t know what you’re coming from, how do you know where you’re going to?” He began to describe how the bar mitzvah emphasizes the purpose of every individual. It is a symbol that “we are part of something larger than ourselves.” Once the ceremony concluded, the dancing commenced. Dozens of audience members got up from their seats to dance together in circles and celebrate Chabad’s and Sperling’s milestone. Many lifted Sperling up on a chair, which often happens at Jewish celebrations. Roscoe the Lion even joined in on the celebration, which added excitement to the event. Junior psychology major and Chabad member Angelo Di Cori emphasized the importance of this sense of community in his life. “Judaism to me, if you have to sum it up in one word, is family,” he said. “Both of my parents are Jewish (and) I grew up with very strong Jewish roots. Although we are not actually blood related, to me, all Jews are one family so I’m here to support my family.” The event concluded with an award ceremony for community members who have helped Chabad grow for the past 13 years, which included the founding brothers and sisters of Chabad at the College. “The Jewish people have a rich history of overcoming challenges and everybody in their own life has their personal challenges,” Rabbi Greenbaum said. “(Judaism) means that we are here to make the world a better place, and we are well on the way.”
By Camille Furst News Editor After one racial incident last semester that targeted Marcus Allen, a junior African American studies and journalism and professional writing double major, the student took to Twitter to voice his concerns. “I am truly disheartened by this experience,” Allen wrote. Shortly after, Kim Pearson, a professor of journalism and professional writing who knew Allen since his early childhood, responded to his tweet. “This young man is my student and someone I have known since he was a baby,” she tweeted. He said that he later reached out to Pearson to communicate what happened and to receive more support. This was not the first time a student of color has reached out to a professor for help on the College’s predominantly white campus — and certainly not the last. Some students felt like a minority from their first day at the College. “I actually hated the school and felt like I didn’t belong here,” said Andrea Hormaza, a junior public health major, in reference to her time at the College before she joined the PRIDE Mentoring Program. While Black 18-24 year olds make up 16.9 percent of the citizens in New Jersey of that age range, only 5.6 percent of that demographic are represented at the College. Essentially, Black students at the College are represented 11.3 percent less than Black individuals ages 18-24 who live in the state, according to a study conducted in 2016 by the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center. These statistics earned the College a failing grade for statewide equity compared with other state colleges and universities. Many students of color have been utilizing both informal mentoring, such as going to a professor’s office for advice, and formal mentoring, such as the PRIDE Mentoring Program and the Cooperman Scholars, as a way to seek a sense of belonging and receive guidance during their time at the College. Pearson has helped many students at the College with their social justice efforts, particularly students of color and women. Some of them are now her colleagues. “Mostly my conversations have been checking on them, (asking), ‘are you focusing on you?’” she said. “I’m so proud of them.” She has met with several students during her office hours who sought advice on how to react to the racist or sexist comments that would come up during their classes. One student mentioned overhearing a faculty member saying that girls would “have a harder time because they have smaller brains,” according to Pearson. Pearson worked as a support system and helped this student be heard. Referencing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she said, “‘if I could help somebody … my living will not be in vain.’” Another mentor whom students often consult in times of distress is Piper Williams, a professor in the English and African American studies departments. Williams has helped many students, particularly those who are African-American, over the course of her time at the College. “I feel like a lot of my mentoring is helping black kids or kids of color negotiate this white space,” Williams said. “(I) mainly tell them to keep most of the noise of racism out of their heads and try to graduate.” Her experience as an academic adviser has also contributed to her dedication to helping students. She recalls the satisfaction she felt with being able to help a group of freshmen who reached out to her for advice. “That was very exciting, (trying) to get them to spread their wings,” she said. “They all did turn into these very confident and beautifully accomplished women.” For Williams, the difference between informal and formal mentoring is based on how much the College acknowledges the need for such services. “This college shouldn’t be so dependent on the invisible labor of their faculty of color to do this work,” she said. “(They) could try to formalize more mentoring things by putting their money where their mouth is ... because it is a lot of work.” Williams was previously a mentor for the Cooperman Scholars, a highly-competitive program in which minority students from Essex County are granted scholarships toward a post-secondary education. The College is a partner of this program, which provides a faculty mentor for each student. The students selected for this program mainly come from low-income communities and school systems. In wanting to ensure these individuals graduate with a college degree, mentoring is a required component of their college careers. “It’s a really intense kind of mentoring based on a lot of research in how you retain how students can make it through college,” Williams said. “If you can really give them a solid foundation in their first two years, they’re much more likely to graduate.” Williams has mentored these students involved in this program in the past, but is now only involved in informal mentoring. The College’s PRIDE Mentoring Program is dedicated to supporting and guiding minority students through their time at the College. Jamal Johnson, the senior assistant director for mentoring and retention, has worked with PMP since its inception and now runs the program on a daily basis. “Both formally and informally … it could be anywhere between 75 to 100 students a week who are coming through for some type of guidance,” he said. “There’s a lot of different ways you can mentor and have an impact on a student.” Andrea Hormaza has been one of his students and mentees. She acknowledged Johnson’s support and said that she would have felt lost at the College without his guidance. Hormaza now feels a sense of belonging at the College. “She wouldn’t have said that her freshman year,” Johnson said, recalling his mentorship experience with Hormaza. “I remember our first encounter was actually negative. She didn’t want to give TCNJ a chance.” Helping minority students with their personal and academic struggles has always been Johnson’s passion. “It’s my life,” he said. “It is my calling. It’s not a job, it’s not my profession. It’s a calling,” However, in the wake of the racial incident last semester, difficulties arose for both Johnson and the students he mentors. “I can tell you that it was an experience I never had,” he said. “I remember driving to work one day … receiving calls and messages. I literally had to pull over, because I was defeated before I even walked in the door.” He knew that after the incident became known to the campus community, the students he mentored would be flooding his office. He realized it was all about listening and giving them a shoulder to cry on. In terms of possible solutions to prevent another racial incident, Johnson believes that mentoring is a significant factor. “When people know you care, then they know they can be their authentic selves,” he said. “They can be vulnerable. But if they don’t know you care, they’re always going to have a wall up.” Hormaza stated that the connection between students and mentors happens in the office. While Hormaza believes the tension has died down since the racial incident in which Allen was targeted, she still notices the hostility on campus. She believes that, while there is still a lot that needs to be improved upon, nobody is talking about it. That is why she feels professors are the best people to go to for one-on-one informal support. Since the racial incidents that occurred last semester, the College has continued to inform students and faculty of the steps that the school is taking toward a more inclusive community. While aspects involving the Liberal Learning Program and reforming the Student Conduct Policy are being mentioned as ways to promote diversity and inclusion, mentoring was given little attention in terms of possible solutions. Hormaza and Johnson agreed that in the aftermath of the racial incidents on campus, there is still much to be done in terms of building a support system for students in need. “Mentors should be those who enlighten … those who empower and they should be those who uplift,” Johnson said. “That doesn’t take much. Listening, hearing somebody out, can do all of those things. And I think that we’ll be a stronger community and a more inclusive community when people learn to listen.”
By Camille Furst News Editor In an email sent out on Jan. 15, Steven Schreiner, the dean of the School of Engineering, announced that Armstrong Hall has closed for renovations for the 2019 calendar year. With the building reopening in January 2020, these renovations will allow for much needed space for design projects and student and faculty research, according to Schreiner. The reconstruction of Armstrong Hall is the third and last phase in the College’s STEM project, which has been at least five years in the making. This includes the previous construction of the STEM Building and the Science Complex, which opened in October of 2017. “The renovation of Armstrong is part of our largest strategic planning that we’ve been doing for many years,” Schreiner said. “So both the renovation of Armstrong (and) the new STEM Building are the result of looking at what the needs of the school are and making sure we provide them.” Until Armstrong Hall reopens, six buildings will substitute as space for classes and services. These buildings include the STEM Building, Forcina Hall, the R. Barbara Gitenstein Library and others across campus. The library will be used for its computer labs in the basement, according to Schreiner. On these computers, all of the previous software along with the software necessary for engineering students will be available for them to use. Many engineering students have varied opinions on the reconstruction process. “Forcina Hall wasn’t designed for engineering courses so it won’t be the best fit,” said senior engineering science major Albert Martin. “Armstrong is nicer than Forcina Hall. The only difference between the two will just be the size of the desks and the location of the labs.” While many students are concerned about the future spaces used for labs and classrooms, many believe the renovations are necessary and vital for the School of Engineering. “Although this is the current situation, the much needed renovations will allow for Armstrong to be a hub of education similar to (how) the STEM building is now,” said freshman biomedical engineering major Megan Blakeley. The results of Armstrong Hall are supposed to improve functionality, increase space for students and faculty and have architectural elements similar to that of the current STEM building, such as glass walls. “We’re doing the same thing in Armstrong so you can see into these spaces and have a more interactive and more collaborative atmosphere,” Schreiner said. “We’re always trying to save money as well –– we want to be very cognizant of that.” Current construction is moving quickly and, according to Schreiner, Armstrong Hall should reopen in January of 2020.
By Camille Furst News Assistant The School of Humanities and Social Sciences, along with the Criminology Department, hosted journalist Andrew Ford from the Asbury Park Press on Nov. 28 to present “Protecting the Shield,” a project that was the product of a two-year investigation into the hidden misconduct of law enforcement across the state of New Jersey. Andrew Ford began the presentation by discussing why this investigation should matter to the public. Over the course of the investigation involving the examination of over 30,000 legal and public records, it was found that police malpractice in New Jersey resulted in the deaths of 24 individuals and the physical or sexual harm of 137 others. “It could be you,” Ford said. The journalists on the story examined many situations in which police were involved in domestic abuse, sexual misconduct and the beating and killing of innocent victims. In many of these cases, the town settled the lawsuits for hundreds of thousands of dollars and the officers continued their careers –– some were later promoted. Ford then spoke of one of the most prominent and well-known examples of police misconduct in New Jersey. The article from the Asbury Park Press explained that the victim, Miguel Feliz, was driving home from work when he got into an accident that set his car on fire. The police who responded to the scene began kicking Feliz, who was left with four broken ribs and multiple burns. This incident was captured on camera by a bystander at the scene. The police department responded to the video, stating that the officers were simply trying to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, the officers involved were kept on duty after the incident. “New Jersey failed Miguel Feliz,” Ford said. “The Press found that more than $50 million in tax funds were used to hush allegations of police abuse since 2010.” This included Feliz’s lawsuit. Another example investigated by the team at the Asbury Park Press involved Timothy Harden, a resident of Belmar, New Jersey, who cried out to officers, “I’m gonna die,” as police held him face down on the ground at a music festival on Labor Day weekend in 2015. Approximately 20 seconds later, the officers witnessed Harden’s death. While the county autopsy declared that his death was caused by an accident due to “drug induced excited delirium,” a private autopsy conducted by another doctor concluded the death’s cause to be from respiratory failure due to forcible restraint. During an interview with the Asbury Park Press, Harden’s sister said that while there are many good officers, there are also “criminals that wear a badge.” Ford expressed his sentiment on the subject, stating that the investigation team has tremendous respect for those in law enforcement, acknowledging the danger and bravery of the profession. “The focus here was on trying to examine the system in place to make sure that officers and citizens are kept safe,” Ford said. “If I were assigned to cover NASA or education, I would be scrutinizing those systems just as closely.” He then opened up about his personal experience in investigating these situations. He spent many late nights digging through tens of thousands of legal and public records. He said he conducted all interviews and wrote all stories involved in a straightforward manner, letting the chips fall where they may. The team found that one of the main reasons these incidents of misconduct occur is the lacking or fragmented oversight by the higher positions in the departments. “I wish there was more we could do,” Ford said. “I wish we could get greater access to these records that exist out there and get a sense of how individual incidents were handled and also what is being kept track of, what is not.” Almost every seat in the room was occupied, most in attendance being criminology majors looking to pursue careers in law enforcement. Kevin Dray, a senior mechanical engineering major, was interested learning more about police corruption. “I was seeing (police brutality) a lot in the news so I actually came to this for that reason,” he said. “It seems that it happens on more of an individual level, which is good because it’s more of a rarity.” After the presentation, Kyle Bailey, a junior criminology major, applauded Ford for his bravery in presenting a discussion on police misconduct in front of this audience. “I just wanted to applaud you personally for giving a talk that’s … not highly in the positive light to a room of criminology students going into law enforcement,” Bailey said. “It’s important to be a part of the hopeful change coming.”
By Camille Furst News Assistant The Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion hosted “Campus Dialogue Day” on Nov. 14 in the Brower Student Center. The discussion touched on topics such as universal inclusion and implicit bias in the campus community. This event was held just days before an incident involving racial bias occurred on campus, which stirred controversy among students, faculty and staff alike. Both College President Kathryn Foster and Lora Fong, the Chief Diversity Officer of the Office of the State Attorney General, spoke at the event. During the event, the College’s Chief Diversity Officer Kerri Thompson Tillett interviewed Foster about her concept of “universal inclusion” and its connection to the campus community. With this term in mind, she explained the importance of cultivating a community in which every student feels like they belong. Thompson Tillett expresses her excitement to have this conversation, especially after Foster’s email about universal inclusion at the College was sent out to the campus community. In her email, Foster emphasized the need for more inclusion both on campus and in the larger community. She strongly urged people to speak out against bullying, discrimination, hateful language, aggression and violence. Foster’s concept of universal inclusion is rooted in the urban planning concept of universal design, or the idea of designing spaces that accommodate everyone. “Anyone can function in them,” Foster said. “The mirror, the analogous concept there, would be that … anyone on this campus feels that they belong and the sense of, ‘I can be my best self here.’” Foster said that she has heard from many students on campus who feel like they don’t belong in the community, and has since been trying to do more to change that notion. “Every time that happens, it can be heartbreaking,” Foster said. “There’s a lot of dreaming that happens when you come off to college, and to the degree, we can create that kind of community that we all want to be a part of.” One solution Foster spoke of to help build a more universally inclusive campus community is to ensure that each student’s name is pronounced correctly by his or her professors. This would be done by allowing students to create an audio file of them pronouncing their own name and having it submitted to their professors before the first day of class. “So then the first day of class comes … and there’s not any moment where the person has that first instance of not belonging,” Foster said. “It’s minor perhaps, but it’s the kind of thing that would make us stand out in a different way.” Fong then went into discussion about how implicit bias, a subconscious bias toward others, plays a role in everyday society. She gave examples of its occurrence, such as a test in which race played a factor for the employers choosing between two equally qualified candidates for a job position. As for eradicating bias, both implicit and explicit, Foster suggested that students be more aware of their interactions with each other. “Part of it is our awareness and our keen sensibility of being in a place,” Foster said. “We’re always going to be a work in progress with this.” .
By Camille Furst News Assistant Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 30, the New Jersey Department of Health reported that 27 pediatric patients at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, New Jersey contracted a viral infection and that 10 children have died as a result of this illness. Patients at the center range in age from toddlers to young adults, according to CNN. The outbreak is known as an adenovirus, and has in some cases compromised patients’ ability to breathe without assistance. Adenovirus can cause symptoms such as a common cold, sore throat, bronchitis and pneumonia, according to the state’s Department of Health report from Oct. 31. The department has been working closely with staff to control further spread of the infection, which can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing or by touching a contaminated surface or person, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Pathogens are known to grow on unclean surfaces, and while they normally do not cause such sickness in healthy people, those with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk. “I’m upset that the kids I took care of –– that were all getting better and getting stronger and learning to walk –– are now dead,” said former Wanaque Center employee Javier Guzman, according to CNN. There have also been four recently reported cases of the same virus found at Voorhees Pediatric Facility in Voorhees, New Jersey, according to CNN. However, preliminary tests done there show that the virus is of a different strain and that no one in Vorhees is currently in critical condition. The New Jersey Department of Health stated that it will not officially say the outbreak has finished until four weeks have passed since the last onset, according to the Oct. 31 report. Current and former staff at the Wanaque Center believe that the infection could have been prevented, and nurses agree that a shortage of both supplies and nursing staff may have contributed to the spread of the virus, according to CNN. During an unannounced inspection conducted on Oct. 21, inspectors found unhealthy hand hygiene in four of six staffers, but they also reported other satisfactory health practices. In an effort to prevent further outbreaks, the New Jersey Department of Health stated in its report from Oct. 29 that it will be sending infection control experts to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and four pediatric healthcare facilities in New Jersey to further train employees on infection control procedures.
By Camille Furst News Assistant The Sarnoff Collection presented an exhibit focusing on the the execution, recording and broadcasting of the Apollo missions on Wednesday, Oct. 24 in Roscoe West Hall. The collection, which documents the progress of the Radio Corporation of America from its inception to the present day, exhibited multiple RCA inventions that advanced national communication, specifically the manned space program. The company gained contracts from NASA to be the official corporation to record all missions into space. The audience was given time to explore the exhibit and become familiar with the RCA, which was followed by a presentation from Sam Russell, the former project engineer at RCA Astro-Electronics. Ever since he was a child, Russell was always intrigued by the idea of travel, space “and the possibility that someday a man might walk on the moon,” he said. After attending both Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology, he was able to exercise his engineering expertise during the Gemini GT-4 mission in 1965. Being one of six sailing out from Peru, he was part of the communication team during NASA’s first trip into space. “NASA decided just then to make this the first time a man has direct contact with space,” Russell said. “It was a really exciting time.” The minutiae of the “extremely slow” communication he was working with was juxtaposed with the monumental moment of man’s first contact with space heightened his passion for astro-electronics and communication. Although Russell said he was not directly involved with most of these missions, models of the communication devices used in these undertakings were presented at the exhibit. However, during Apollo 11 — the first mission to put man on the moon— Russell worked with other NASA employees who were working on the project in the TV laboratory in Houston as part of the Astro-Electronics Division of RCA. There were many complications with the previous Apollo missions in terms of recording it and having it broadcasted on television. For example, in a previous mission, the exposure of the picture was too high and the picture went blank. Because of the mistakes of capturing images of the previous missions, the stakes were high with Apollo 11. “Everyone’s reputation was on the line,” Russell said. “The whole Earth was watching. The most relief was when that picture came on the screen.” Russell then elaborated on the technology used for this mission. For it to be broadcasted to the country, it “was a separate autonomous television station” that was grounded on the moon. Audience members were enthralled by the revelation of these nuances involved in such a major space mission. Engineers, photographers and students alike were in attendance. College President Kathryn Foster also attended the presentation to learn about the “history of a memory.” “This kind of presentation brings people onto the campus who might never have otherwise come,” Foster said. “The Sarnoff Collection is phenomenal. I hope that people will go check it out.”
By Camille Furst With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both corporations and citizens alike have been smothered in the color pink, all in an effort to bring awareness to this disease. However, a light must finally be shed on the true consequences of these pink ribbons and other products being sold throughout the nation in the name of breast cancer awareness. According to the University of British Columbia, corporations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Reebok, KFC’s Bucket for the Cure, Avon and many others are guilty of “pinkwashing,” or the exploitation of the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness for their own profit. This surge of the commercialization of breast cancer awareness has been present and growing for the past two decades. While women are now able to talk freely and openly about their disease, unlike those who struggled with breast cancer several decades ago, there are severe consequences of this transformation. Through this overcommercialization, breast cancer has become oversexualized, oversimplified and completely misrepresented. Lara Huffman, in her article “My Disease Isn’t A Cutesy Slogan,” mentions various advertisements and slogans that are the product of this commercialization. These include “Save the Hooters” and “Save Second Base.” “What I and so many others have been through isn’t funny,” she wrote. “It’s time we start taking a life-threatening disease seriously.” This disease is also completely misrepresented — labeling an entire disease with the color pink assumes that it is innocent, pretty and fleeting. Justice Hehir in her poem, “I’m Not Buying It,” describes the deceptive association of the color with the disease. “None of it prepared me for laying back on the ultrasound table, as I waited for the killer to show itself,” she wrote. Not only are these corporations smothering such a horrible disease with a frilly facade, but the American people are purchasing these products without any awareness of the consequences it has for women with breast cancer. The consequences of the commercialization of breast cancer are so hidden in American society that many are not aware of what is truly happening. These women who struggle with breast cancer must undergo treatment and severe hardship while being expected to simply “think pink.” It is time we pay attention to the consequences of marketing and purchasing pink ribbons and other products. Hehir once again summarizes her argument by stating that “when women get sick … they bleach the red of our pain … and they make it pink.” When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she is expected to have breast cancer in a pretty way — one that doesn’t frighten others or show pain. They are expected to fight against this cancer by wearing pink and masking their fear. These corporations who are bleaching the red of this pain make it pink so that they can “sell it back to us,” according to Hehir. The one simple solution, however, is “not buying it.” One (in eight women) will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her life, according to cancer.gov. It’s time we put down the pink ribbons and products and instead take a deeper look into the disease that causes harm to so many women. We must take breast cancer seriously and truly acknowledge those women who have undergone or are currently undergoing treatment. Students share opinions around campus "Is breast cancer over-commercialized?" “It’s good to raise awareness, but it’s kind of branded for people’s profits.” “The way that it is commercialized is sometimes problematic. I don’t like ‘I love boobies’ slogans.”