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(09/13/14 6:02pm)
By Colleen Murphy
News Editor
Students and local residents can begin looking forward to eating soup from sourdough bread bowls and indulging in crispy paninis close to campus next year because Panera Bread is coming to Campus Town.
Campus Town announced on its Facebook page on Friday, Sept. 12, that the eatery was the newest addition to the $86 million project, and there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from students in the comments section of the post, as well as some jealous feelings from students who will graduate before Panera Bread opens up shop.
Junior communication studies major Theresa Soya said that Panera is her favorite chain restaurant and thinks it will be a great addition to the community.
“I know there are going to be a lot of great places to eat in Campus Town, but I think Panera is going to be constantly packed with students and faculty. I know I’ll be eating there at least once a week,” Soya said.
Panera will have its own 4,300-square-foot building on the north end of the complex — opposite of the Barnes & Noble — and will have a drive-through window, Greg Lentine, director of University Campus Development at PRC Group, told The Times of Trenton.
Soya won’t be living at Campus Town next year but says she will enjoy the newest addition to campus, regardless.
“I’m beyond excited for its opening,” Soya said. “It’s going to be beautiful. It’s going to add so much convenience. It’s going to advance the already incredible atmosphere of TCNJ as a campus community, and I am so excited to get the chance to be a part of it.”
According to Lentine, about 50 percent of the 83,000-square-foot available retail space has been leased out. Panera will join Piccolo’s Trattoria Italian restaurant, Red Berry frozen yogurt, Yummy sushi, Mexican Mariachi Grill and a Starbucks Coffee within the Barnes & Noble bookstore as eateries the community can enjoy.
(09/09/14 4:50pm)
It’s generally believed that a room assignment at the College can be narrowed down to one key component — gender. Well, not for students in the College’s Gender Inclusive Housing program.
Those who feel as though their sex should not be factored into room assignment selection and who desire an accepting space are encouraged to sign up for housing through the College’s GIH program.
This year, 25 residents are involved with the program and live in spaces throughout Decker Hall, the townhouses and the college houses.
The housing option has been available, in some shape or form, for four years now, according to director of Housing Ryan Farnkopf.
“We kind of tailored it to the people who were interested in it at the time,” Farnkopf said. “One year we did an apartment as a trial. One year we did some spaces in sophomore and upperclass housing.”
According to Farnkopf, having this option of housing available to students is important because, simply, it is what the students want.
“Students want it, and if students want it, it’s our obligation to provide it for them,” he said. “It’s something that makes people feel comfortable. It’s something that helps people acclimate to college. It helps people feel secure in their own environment, and so we want to offer it if people want it.”
Sophomore deaf and hard of hearing education and iSTEM double major Sophia Roth chose to live in GIH because she wanted to live with her best friend, whom happens to be a boy.
“Living in GIH isn’t really any different from living in ‘normal’ housing. I knew living with him would be the best and most comfortable situation for me,” Roth said. “I love living in gender inclusive housing. I share a bathroom with a boy, but that is no different than living at home.”
Residential Education and Housing believes customizing its processes and services to meet residents’ demands is crucial to college students’ development.
“Issues of gender are certainly central to who we are as people,” Farmkopf said. “If you have a bad experience, if you live with somebody who is not comfortable with you — and there are a lot of issues that can arise from that — that hurts someone’s development. That hurts someone’s educational career. And so we want to make sure people feel safe, comfortable and at home in our facilities.”
Becoming a member of the GIH community was a smooth process, according to Roth.
“It was really easy to apply,” she said. “I just had to fill out a simple questionnaire, and I was in. The housing rooms were set aside already, so when I went into my housing portal, I knew which rooms were included and picked from those.”
Farnkopf said that he hopes that GIH can expand in the future, and predicts that as gender identity becomes more common in everyday conversation, the College will see an increase in requests to be a part of the GIH community.
“Right now, it’s mostly upperclass students who request (GIH housing), but occasionally we will have a first year student who does,” Farmkopf said. “We will deal with them on an individual basis right now, but I think, in the future, maybe even the near future, we’ll have something institutionalized for each class. That would be my goal, to offer it to anybody that wants it regardless of class year.”
Residential Education and Housing encourages for people to reach out to them about the program and says that it wants the community to be student-driven.
“In order for it to meet student needs, it has to come from the student body,” Farnkopf said. “We don’t feel as though we have a lot of students who really reach out to us and complain about issues, and certainly there are more people who have issues related to this than voice our concerns to us. So if they can bring our concerns to us, that could help us design a program that meets those needs.”
According to Farnkopf, there are many reasons that a student might want to live with someone of a different sex, and Residential Education and Housing hopes to find a solution.
“Whether they have issues or concerns with living with someone of the same gender, whether they have internal kind of deliberations about their own gender identity, if they feel like they’re transitioning or they just want to live with somebody because they want to live with somebody — there’s a lot of different populations that fit into this group regardless of what they are,” Farnkopf said. “If they reach out to us, we can design a community that reaches all those needs.”
(09/09/14 4:33am)
By Colleen Murphy
News Editor
Students and faculty can continue to attend their Zumba, Yoga, Pump Up the Pulse and Kickboxing classes without opening their wallets — at least for now.
“We postponed the fees because there was a misunderstanding, and we are still in the midst of figuring out what we need to do, budget-wise, with higher jurisdiction,” junior Fitness Center manager and Zumba instructor Kristina Kondakji said. “Also, we realized that students’ views of a good time does not involve emptying their piggy banks.”
As reported in the Wednesday, Sept. 3, issue of The Signal, the Fitness Center instituted membership fees for the first time in three years in order to enhance the center with more classes and updated equipment. Students would have had to pay $20 per semester, while faculty would have had to pay $50 per semester.
Students and faculty who already paid their fees will be reimbursed. However, according to Kondakji, not many people had signed up for a membership. While she is unsure of the exact number, she said that she could probably count the amount on her two hands.
Students and faculty are told to enjoy the free classes while they are here, because it is uncertain whether the fee will be put into effect once again this semester or in the spring.
“Hopefully it stays free all semester long — and even better if we could stretch it to all year long,” Kondakji said. “As of right now, I am not entirely sure when they will be reinstated, and if they will be at all, this year. My guess is the fall semester will remain free since it already started. But if we can keep it free, we sure as heck are going to.”
(09/02/14 2:36am)
By Colleen Murphy
News Editor
When people think of Trenton, many think of its crime statistics and politcal scandals. This is what junior history and urban studies double major Sam Fogelgaren was cautioned of upon entering the College.
“Like many incoming freshman, I was warned to stay far, far away from Trenton,” Fogelgaren said. “Although it is just a bike ride away from campus, many students come in and go out of TCNJ without ever getting to know our state’s capital city.”
Fogelgaren paid no attention to that warning, though.
Now living in South Trenton, he works closely with local politicians and residents to better Trenton and get more people politically active.
This interest in bettering Trenton began his freshman year when he chose Trenton as his research project for his Freshman Seminar Program, which focused on New Jersey’s cities. The research project had a major impact on his life, because now, two years later, Fogelgaren is involved in many local groups and initiatives to make Trenton a better place for everyone, including the disabled and the youth.
In 2012, Fogelgaren proposed that the city start its first-ever Trenton Americans with Disabilities committee. Last year, the city council approved the creation of the committee to ensure that the handicapped citizens of Trenton have an increased accessibility to buildings and fewer obstacles throughout the city, according to a Times of Trenton article from Dec. 21, 2013.
Fogelgaren is also working with the Arc of Mercer County, a group that “empowers all people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to choose and realize their goals,” according to the site’s mission statement.
The poor conditions of Trenton Central High School made headlines last year, which Fogelgaren helped bring to light through his work with local officials and community activists. Additionally, he has served on a working group with the West Ward Alliance, a local community organization, to build programming for youth outreach.
Fogelgaren wants to help change the political landscape of Trenton, as well. He currently serves on Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson’s Youth Council and is working to have Trenton City Council President Zach Chester elected to the Trenton West Ward Council and assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman elected to Congress.
“Trenton is an extraordinarily welcoming place,” he said. “People, in most circumstances, are receptive to those who make sustainable commitments to a cause or a community. There are so many amazing people doing remarkable things in Trenton, and we need to build stronger bridges between the Trenton community and the TCNJ community.”
Fogelgaren said the key to bridging the gap is sustainability.
“College can be tricky because students are in and out in four years, but TCNJ is starting to expand (its) presence and programming in Trenton, which is an encouraging sign going forward,” he said.
To bridge the gap even more, Fogelgaren will serve as the president of the College Democrats to promote local politics, specifically those in Trenton and, on a larger scale, Mercer County.
“We want to build the College Democrats into an organization that gets students excited and passionate about the important issues of our generation, while simultaneously providing a variety of opportunities to get involved and learn from experienced politicians and advocates,” Fogelgaren said.
To do so, College Democrats will be campaigning for several local elections and will be primarily working on Bonnie Watson-Coleman’s campaign for Congress.
“We will be looking for students to intern with her campaign and will be providing assistance as an organization,” he said. “We will also be working with Cory Booker’s Senate campaign and local Mercer County campaigns.”
According to Fogelgaren, the College Democrats is a founding member of the New Jersey College Democrats — the newest statewide chapter of the College Democrats of America — which, he says, tries to unite College Democrats from across the state.
“In the past two years, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to be a part of various community organizing efforts, non-profit and community development initiatives, political campaigns and issue advocacy campaigns,” Fogelgaren said. “Those experiences have enhanced my knowledge, questioned my beliefs and strengthened my values.”
What began as a research project freshman year has grown into a life goal for Fogelgaren, and though he is unsure of his exact plans after graduation, he is certain that he will continue to work closely with people in order to get them excited about their communities.
“Right now, I want to continue to focus on engaging people in civic and political action,” he said. “We live in a time where physical presence is being trumped by virtual communication. Paying attention, showing up and speaking up seem like small tasks, but they make a world of difference. I dare everyone reading this article to try it.”
(08/26/14 4:09pm)
The College was ranked one of the best colleges to work for in the country by The Chronicle of Higher Education’s seventh annual “Great Colleges to Work for” survey. Only 92 of the 278 colleges in the survey received special honors, and the College was the only college in New Jersey to make the list.
The Chronicle stands as the “number one source of news, information and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators,” according to its website, and more than 43,000 college employees responded to The Chronicle’s questionnaire in order to compile the list.
According to The Chronicle’s report, the College has 1,473 employees, including full-time and part-time faculty, administrators and staff. The faculty and staff were asked to agree or disagree with survey statements related to each of the 12 categories the list was based on.
The College was recognized as one of the best medium-sized, four-year colleges for tenure clarity and process, one of the 12 categories taken into account, and as a result The Chronicle classifies the College as a “great” college.
A report on The Chronicle’s website “finds that successful academic workplaces create a culture of accountability. They also promote common values through strong shared-governance policies, making employees feel that they are all players on the same team.”
Rahmaan W. Simpkins, the College’s assistant director for Human Resources, believes that the College is such a great place to work because employees are highly respected.
“To me, this is one of the reasons that the College has been recognized as a “2014 Great College to Work” for and has earned national recognition for it’s commitment to excellence,” Simpkins said. “At the end of the day, it’s about the people, and I believe the College’s success is a direct reflection of the fact that we put our most valuable resources, our human resources, first in everything that we do.”
According to The Chronicle’s report, the College has a voluntary turnover rate of 17.8 percent for faculty members and 6.5 percent for other staff members. Simpkins said that the College is a desirable place to work because of the opportunities employees have to share their ideas and talents with the College community.
“The College has a deeply rooted commitment to fostering a customer centric culture and climate of excellence that values the uniquely diverse perspectives and contributions of each and every member of our community,” Simpkins said. “This collaborative and inclusive approach has given rise to a personalized, high-quality learning environment that nourishes student achievement and success.”
(04/24/14 1:25pm)
Where could you have seen a comedic juggler, a saxophonist, a contortionist, dancers and singers all on the same stage? At the fifth annual TCNJ’s Got Talent, of course.
Approximately 30 acts auditioned for a spot in the show’s line-up, but only nine were chosen to perform on Thursday, April 17. Ultimately, it was sophomore accounting major Stephen Fabiano who impressed the judges with his animation dancing to take home the title of the College’s most talented student.
“When I won, I was absolutely shocked,” Fabiano said. “Having seen everyone’s performances and the level of talent, I thought there was no way I’d win. Everyone did an amazing job, bringing such a high level of talent to the show. I’m just glad I could do my part to make the show great.”
Fabiano, who was also a part of the show last year, said he never considered himself a dancer until his senior year of high school when a group of peers formed a circle around him during homecoming. However, it wasn’t until his freshman year at the College that he realized how talented he actually was.
“Once my floor saw what I could do during Welcome Week, they encouraged me to keep improving,” Fabiano said. “As I kept learning and trying new things, I gained confidence and eventually got the ‘I can do this’ mindset.”
The judges, associate vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management Dave Muha, vice president for Student Affairs Amy Hecht and assistant director of the Career Center Lynette Harris, awarded second place to freshman psychology major and contortionist Shirley Wang.
Wang got her start in contortion after having to end competitive figure skating when entering college and still having a drive to perform.
“I started practicing contortion with videos on YouTube,” Wang said. “Over fall, winter and spring breaks, I took classes at several aerial arts studios and discovered a new love for aerial silks, lyra and trapeze. Along with aerial classes, I took contortion classes, which I also enjoyed.”
According to Wang, getting to know the other performers made the night even more enjoyable.
“Everyone was super friendly and easygoing, and it was a very energetic and positive atmosphere,” she said.
Freshman health and exercise science and education dual major Christine Levering probably had something to do with lightening the mood backstage. Levering was awarded third place not only for her juggling skills, but also for her added comedic quips.
As the performers finished, they were able to rejoin the audience to watch the other ongoing talents. Because she performed early on, Wang saw most of the performances and said she loved them all.
“They were all amazing, and I was so impressed by everyone’s talents,” Wang said of the other performers.
Although there were only nine total performances, the show represented only a small portion of the College’s immense pool of talent.
(04/15/14 5:31pm)
According to a new report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). New Jersey has the highest rate in the country of children with autism with one in 45 children having a form of autism.
To raise awareness about the disorder, the College’s Center for Autism, which seeks to help support families and children with autism as well as educate the community and campus about ASD, held Autism Awareness Week. From Monday, April 7, to Thursday, April 10, the Center held a fundraiser, showed a movie and had experts speak to teach people understanding and acceptance of the disorder.
“We strive for a world in which inclusion is the norm and people understand and embrace each other’s differences,” senior psychology and special education dual major and Center project assistant Jennifer Pote said. “This includes differences in cognition. Autism is classified as a disability, but it also comes with a whole new outlook as well as incredible abilities — this is true of every disability. We want people to focus on expanding their knowledge and tolerance as opposed to increasing pity or ‘fighting for a cure.’”
Another goal of the week was to raise much-needed funds for those with ASD.
“We also do want people to understand the amount of resources needed to appropriately accommodate a student with autism’s needs — educationally, socially, technology, medical bills — which is why fundraising is important,” Pote said.
Pote believes the week’s two lectures and film helped in the Center reaching its goals.
“Other goals were of course for people to learn something and feel empowered, which I think was also accomplished at both of the talks, as well as the film, ‘Black Balloon,’” Pote said. “We learned about where treatment, acceptance, understanding and education of people with autism has started and how far it has come and how far it has left to go.”
The progress that is still needed was especially seen during Richard Blumberg and Jerry Petroff’s presentation, Pote said. Blumberg, special education professor and director of the Center for Autism, and Petroff, special education professor and the Center’s associate director, discussed their recent work in Africa with the Ghana Autism Project. National Autism Speaks speaker and author Kerry Magro also gave a funny and moving talk.
“It was just a great presentation and everyone’s reactions were really positive,” Pote said. “People were still talking about it after — goal accomplished. He was funny, talented and informative. He was open about his struggles with social skills, speaking, certain subjects, fine and gross motor abilities and emotions as a child and says he is still working on learning more every day.”
Magro was an example of how far someone with ASD can go.
“When no one thought he’d even be able to fully talk he impressed everyone by not only doing that, but also by being a fantastic basketball player, being a famed national speaker and author and by helping Hollywood writers and directors cast actors to appropriately and accurately represent people with Asperger’s and other autism spectrum disorders,” Pote said.
Pote hopes that next year’s week will be even bigger and that the events will continue to have such a great turnout.
“People should go to next year’s Autism Awareness Week to continue to promote inclusion, support the movement for disability rights, advocacy and celebrating human unique-ness,” Pote said. “My main hope for next year is that more people will have a better understanding of what autism is.”
(04/15/14 5:19pm)
Easter is a joyous time. Most importantly, it is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but there are other aspects that help make the day enjoyable, as well: We are welcoming the beautiful spring weather, there is good food, Easter egg hunts, Peeps, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies — lots and lots of chocolate bunnies.
Here are some fun facts from DoSomething.org and ABC to help you celebrate the day. Plus, you can even impress your dinner guests with some of this trivial knowledge.• Households spend $131 on Easter each year and $14.7 billion in total.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy-consuming holiday. In fact, 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year.
• In the U.S., 90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million Peeps are produced each year.
• What’s the first part of a chocolate bunny to go? 76 percent of people eat the ears first. 5 percent of people eat the feet first and 4 percent eat the tail first.
• Americans consume over 16 million jelly beans on Easter, enough to circle the globe three times.
• About 120 million cards will be sent or exchanged this Easter. That means it holds the fourth spot of the largest card-sending celebration in the U.S.
• The first White House Easter Egg Roll was hosted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1878.
• If you lay all of the PAAS Easter egg dye kits sold each year end-to-end, they would reach from Miami, Fla., to Chicago, Ill. — that’s about 1,400 miles.
For all those who celebrate, enjoy the time with your family this weekend.
HOPPY EASTER!
(04/08/14 3:13pm)
I love mini-golf to death. It is my game. I will own you and then win a free game on the last hole to do it all over again. I also love activities that a 10-year-old would like. So, naturally, I couldn’t wait to go to Monster Mini Golf — a mini-golf course that caters specifically to children.
Monster Mini Golf is fun for all ages. The first time I went to Monster Mini Golf was with my four cousins. It was their birthday present to me. I had such a good time that the second time I went, I dragged my mom along. I’m considering the next time I go I will bring an actual friend, but we’ll see. Though I have gone with people of all ages, it is definitely a place geared toward children. So, if you do not like children, stop reading — this is not the place for you.
When you enter the building, all the sunlight immediately disappears and you step into a dark, neon-lit room full of screaming children at a birthday party. After walking past the arcade area and having your eyes adjust to the sudden darkness is when the real fun begins, because that’s when you see the golf course.
Now, it does look quite uneventful just from looking at it. There are no hills, no waterfalls. However, most of the holes are quite challenging, and playing in a darkened room is a cool twist on the game that is typically played in sunshine. At one hole, the player spins a wheel to see what obstacle will be added to the course, for example, having your opponent stand on the green.
If you decide to enter the (friendly) monster-themed building, make sure to look online for coupons. It costs $9 to play for an adult, but both times I went, the cashier took a coupon that was not even for that particular location. The company’s website also offers several specials, including Tuesdays being Couples Day where a couple can play for just $10.
Monster Mini Golf sure is a different experience. The course is fun, the atmosphere is exciting and the staff is friendly. Plus, being in the dark and seeing the whites on your clothes light up is always cool. The spins on the traditional obstacles make up for the lack of super-thrilling obstacles. However, if there is a birthday party going on, the kids can crowd the building, but that should be expected at a place like this.
Where:
1045 Bustleton Pike,
Feasterville, PA 19053
Contact:
(215) 396-6700
Hours:
Mon.: Closed
Tues. - Thurs.: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Fri.: 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat.: 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Sun.: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
(04/08/14 3:10pm)
Room 310 in the Chemistry Building used to be just another storage space at the end of a hallway. It was cluttered with desks and books and was rarely visited by students or professors. But under all those chairs and textbooks, senior chemistry major Jake Levene saw the potential for a new student lounge.
In November, Levene sent out a survey to students asking what they would use a lounge for and what they would like to see in one. Then, in December, Levene began the physical process of changing the room from a storage space to an open and welcoming student lounge.
“It’s come a long way since the dusty, old storage space that it was,” Levene said.
According to Levene, he got the idea to create the space after having a discussion with the Student Chemistry Association’s faculty advisor, Dr. Abby O’Connor. As a senior, he has a lighter schedule, so Levene said he was more than willing to take the project head-on.
“(O’Connor) mentioned that professors were kind of unhappy with having the students gather on the second floor near the professors’ offices, and that’s been going on for years,” Levene said. “They didn’t mind it, but sometimes students can get rowdy and it gets loud, and so she put in my mind that maybe we can have a new space for students.”
The Levenium Lounge, which is named after Levene himself, includes a chalk board, Keurig, refrigerator, microwave, couch, table and Periodic Table-themed mural that was painted by the chemistry club. The lounge is also home to a library. According to Levene, the old space had about 3,000 books, so he chose to keep eight shelves worth of books.
“A lot of them were old chemistry journals dating back to the 1960s, going all the way up through this year, that were owned by the head of the department,” Levene said. “He had no use for them because they were sitting there collecting dust, and when I was going through all these books, I happened to find a lot of textbooks that were copies or slightly older versions of things that we currently use, so I kind of got the idea to make a library for students to use because that way they don’t have to go to the actual library to rent a book — it’s right here. It has textbooks and solutions manuals and lab books and basically everything you could want.”
The lounge opened on Monday, March 24, and according to Levene, students and professors enjoy the lounge so far and use it every day.
“They love it,” Levene said. “They love the mural in particular because it’s really cool. They come into the lounge and they’re like, ‘Wow, this is a really good space.’ A couple of professors have told me they’re excited to use it in the summer for MUSE. Before, you could have group meetings but it was uncomfortable, and now it’s so much easier for kids to stand up there and talk about their research and they don’t feel like they’re crowded.”
Levene is graduating this year and said it is pretty cool that he will have some sort of legacy at the College. He hopes the lounge will continue to be a place where students can go to study and relax in between class time.
“I’m hoping it will continue to grow,” Levene said. “One of the chemistry club’s traditions is to do a type of mural every year. We have blank walls here, which gives us space to customize our lounge. We can do what we want with this space because it’s truly ours and truly up to the students, so they can paint whatever they want on the walls.”
(04/01/14 1:40pm)
“I am not my bathing suit,” “I am not my dysfunction,” “I am not my grades,” “I am not my relationships.”
Over 70 students, faculty and staff of the College met with photographer Steve Rosenfield from Sunday, March 23, to Friday, March 28, to share their biggest insecurities with the campus as part of his nationwide project, What I Be.
According to the Circle of Compassion’s Facebook event page for the project, “The purpose of the initiative is to encourage the building of security through our insecurities, acceptance of who we are and the ability to be vulnerable as a campus community.”
Rosenfield individually met with the participants in 30- to 45- minute sessions. After each discussion, Rosenfield took a picture of the person with words written on his or her face or arms reflecting their insecurity and completing the phrase “I am not my…”
Sophomore elementary education and English dual major Gabby Cruz knew about the project before it came to the College and was very excited to sign up for it, yet understood how difficult it might be to open up to a stranger.
“At first, I was pretty nervous to talk to Steve Rosenfield,” Cruz said. “Actually, I almost backed out of the interview because I was so nervous. Personally, I have a difficult time talking about a lot of things and opening up about your insecurities isn’t exactly any easy thing to do. Despite this, as I started to open up, it became easier the more I talked. It felt like a weight was being lifted off of my shoulders. I found that although Steven Rosenfield didn’t experience what I personally was going through, he was understanding and kind, which made the whole process a lot easier. It also helped that the setting was kept very casual and relaxed.”
According to Cruz, the project has empowered her.
“I remember walking out of the interview feeling so relieved, like I wasn’t the only person bearing the brunt of my fears anymore,” Cruz said. “Of course, I will continue to deal with my insecurities every day, but I was comforted by the fact that someone else knew about what I’m going through. I felt really proud of myself.”
She also believes that the What I Be project had a big impact on the College community.
“In this community and on campus, I think that everyone, whether they participated or not, can use this experience to reflect on themselves and everyone around them,” Cruz said. “I really think that this can help people realize that everyone has something that they have to deal with every day, something that makes them sad or scared or uncomfortable, and spreading love and acceptance is more important than succumbing to judgement or hate.”
(03/25/14 8:22pm)
One, two, three, four, Greek.This is what assistant director for fraternity & sorority life Dave Conner sometimes thinks to himself when walking around campus. One out of every five students at the College is a member of one of the 29 fraternities and sororities.
“Last spring, we broke 1,200 students, so roughly 20 percent of the undergraduate population,” Conner said. “This year, I expect that numbers will be dramatically higher. I expect once I have all the finalized numbers, we might actually be closer to 1,400 this semester. Long story short, we’ve had a trend of growth. When I got here in 2007, we had 476 fraternity and sorority life people.”
So why the growth? We hear the news stories of hazing from around the country. In fact, at least 59 students have died in incidents involving fraternities since 2005, according to Bloomberg News, with six others getting paralyzed. The stereotypes of the “frat bro” and the “sorority girl” are well known to several students. But still, people are joining in record numbers. Why do students at the College join Greek life?
“A lot of perception and a lot of rumor is essentially just perpetuated year after year,” Conner said. “Organizations, like people, change over time. Certainly, I don’t think we would have this many people joining and committing so much of their time and energy if it were a bad experience, or if people were buying friends, or were all very shallow or whatever else. There has to be some deeper root piece to this.”
According to Conner, being involved with Greek life provides students the opportunity to develop their whole self by engaging in out-of-the-classroom experiences.
“I think when it’s done right, fraternity and sorority life is probably the most impactful experience a student can have in college,” Conner said. “There are opportunities to develop yourself professionally, socially, cognitively— and really I would challenge one of the ways that’s most difficult, with your peers.”
Fraternity and sorority life does not only benefit the students directly involved with it, but also the surrounding community. A year and a half ago, the College’s fraternities and sororities had over 15,000 service hours. Over the course of the past year, they also raised $100,000.
“What we typically see, especially at the College — God love(s) you, type-A, over-achieving students — is not only that students are meeting whatever their national expectation is for a charity, but they’re (also) going passed that,” Conner said.
Greek life can benefit the school community, as well.
“In my opinion, we find that schools with a fraternity and sorority system tend to develop more engaged and more connected students,” Conner said. “You know, years back, the College’s going reputation was that we were this suitcase school, and I think having a fraternity or sorority system is probably a huge agent in changing that type of perception.”
Compared to other schools’ Greek life, Conner says the College’s is more cohesive, communicative and high-achieving. Conner attributes a lot of this to both the cubes in the Brower Student Center and the level of autonomy given to the groups.
“Most of our organizations here at the College are winning their national awards,” Conner said. “I think students have a very high expectation of themselves, and I have very high expectations of them. Mediocracy sucks. Why be mediocre when you can be great? I try to really push them to try new things, achieve greater outcomes, provide a better experience to their members, because I think they can. I think they have incredibly bright members who can figure out ways to make it better, and you don’t see that at a lot of schools.”
Interestingly, not many students go into college knowing they want to join Greek life.
According to Conner, 15 percent of an incoming class are “always joiners,” while 20 percent of students are “never joiners.” For the other 65 percent of students, it is gray whether they will join.
“If you think you would never want to join a fraternity, you’d probably be our best member,” Conner said. “You’d probably find that you’re in good company. In fact, a lot of our students had no intention.”
Sophomore English and women’s and gender studies double major Erin Shannon is one of those 65 percent of students who fell into that gray area. She decided she wanted to join a sorority during her freshman year and has been a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma since last spring.
“I joined a sorority because I wanted a sisterhood,” Shannon said. “I wanted a support group that would always be there for me, and I for them. I also wanted to meet new people.”
According to Conner, being a member of Greek life has the potential to change a person forever. Conner, a Theta Chi, considers joining the best decision of his life and still uses the fraternity’s motto of “extend the helping hand” every day.
“It finds ways to keep students connected to the school not only as undergraduates, but we find the affiliation the fraternity and sorority people have after they graduate is usually stronger than non-Greek students,” Conner said. “They not only had such an impactful experience, but there’s an organization that’s still there, that’s probably still providing the same opportunity for its members.”
Stereotypes and rumors concerning Greek life are always swirling, but Conner points out that “all these organizations were founded on very altruistic and ethical high-functioning values.”
“Just reconsider, or if nothing else, if you decide it’s not for you, don’t perpetuate what you think you know or what you’ve heard because ultimately, you might be affecting your roommate, or friend, or brother or whomever it is who’s really considering that experience — and it might be the best decision they’ve ever made,” Conner said.
(03/18/14 3:18pm)
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about two-thirds out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. Just minutes from the College’s campus is the century-old state-run Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf.However, the College’s Deaf Hearing Connection president and senior communication disorders and deaf studies double major, Lea Marx, believes that many people are unaware of deaf culture.
“It is important for the club to educate the College community,” Marx said. “There are major differences between the deaf world and hearing world that students should understand.”
To bridge this gap, the club held its annual Deaf Awareness Day on Wednesday, March 5.
“The Deaf Hearing Connection hosts Deaf Awareness Day each year to garner appreciation for deaf culture, as well as spread awareness of deafness,” Marx said. “We want (College) students to gain respect and understanding of the world of deafness. We aim to educate the (College) community, as well as entertain those who attend our events.”
Several events, each with an interpreter, were hosted throughout the day in the hopes they would “spread awareness of deafness, educate the College community about deaf culture, inform students about the communication options surrounding deafness and provide entertaining and interactive ways to learn about deafness,” Marx said.
The day included a panel of professionals in deafness and a showing of the movie “95 dB.” Angel M. Ramos also gave a lecture about his book, “Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle,” which explains the 1988 “Deaf President Now” movement at Gallaudet University.
The day ended with a comedy show by C.J. Jones and Keith Wann.
Freshman interactive multimedia and computer science double major Kevin Bohinski, a student in ASL 101, went to the comedy show and said he could pick out “bits and pieces” of what the comedians were saying. According to Bohinski, while he says the only major difference between the deaf and hearing is their way of communication, the comedy show did teach him more about the deaf community.
“It taught me that they have their own language, mannerisms, sense of humor and ideologies,” Bohinski said.
Marx encourages students to attend at least one event at next year’s event not only because they are fun and informative, but also because it’s a great opportunity to connect with those in the deaf community.
“Deaf Awareness Day is a great opportunity for students to engage with professionals in the field of deaf education, as well as people from the deaf community,” Marx said.
(03/18/14 3:16pm)
Spring starts this week, and here is a great treat to kick off the season. I’ll admit, I’ve never made these, but they look so delicious and fun to make that I cannot wait to make them this year. Kellogg’s calls these Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats, but I don’t think we need to wait until Easter to make them — these delicious snacks deserve to be eaten now.
Ingredients (for serving size of 12):
• 12 plastic snap-apart 3x2-inch Easter eggs
• 3 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• ½ cup M&M’S
• Canned frosting or decorating gel (this is optional)
Directions:
1. Clean then coat the inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Add Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well-coated.
4. Using greased hands, firmly press 1/4 cup of the cereal mixture into each plastic egg half. Use fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.
5. Place about six M&M’S in one half of each egg. Gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick. Cool completely.
6. Decorate with frosting and additional M&M’S (if desired). Best if served the same day.
Expect this to take 40 minutes and enjoy!
This recipe is taken from the Kellogg’s website.
(03/04/14 5:47pm)
According to sophomore history and urban studies double major Sam Fogelgaren, “disability at TCNJ is often seen as a topic that is ‘covered’ by the special education department.” However, he knew it was “important for the campus community to understand that disability impacts everyone, not just those with a disability or those who study it.”
To spread that message across campus, Fogelgaren, along with 2013 College graduate Colin Be, formed Students for Disability Awareness (SDA).
“Growing up with an Autistic brother made me realize that, whether we are personally touched by disability or not, we all encounter it, and most people do not know how to understand it, or even begin to start understanding it,” Fogelgaren said. “SDA looks to provide that start.”
SDA has several events planned in order to have a more open discussion with the community about disability. According to Fogelgaren, on Monday, April 7, SDA and the Bonner Center will be hosting a Disability Forum. Right after that will be the club’s second annual Disability Art Show.
“We are also developing an internship program with Trenton Special Parent Advocacy Group, a highly effective yet under-resourced organization that works with parents of children with special needs and Trenton Public Schools,” Fogelgaren said. “As for the future, we hope to host a student-faculty forum on disability issues in the fall, and will be pushing for the interdisciplinary inclusion of disability within the curriculum.”
SDA hopes to change not only the College’s and local community’s outlook on what disability is, but also how the issues of dialogue, policy and activism should be approached, according to Fogelgaren.
He hopes to work with other clubs, academic departments and organizations (both on and off campus) to promote dialogue about disability issues.
“SDA is a great opportunity to promote positive change at the College and beyond,” Fogelgaren said. “As college students, we take the values and experiences formed here and bring them into our adulthood — we bring them into the jobs we have, the communities we live in and the families we raise. Joining SDA is a chance to change your individual outlook, which in turn will change many other individual outlooks down the road.”
SDA meets weekly on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in room 212 of the Education Building.
(02/25/14 2:48pm)
To ring in the Lunar New Year, the Chinese Students Association (CSA) hosted the Chinese New Year Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 20.
To kick off the festivities, some fun facts and a brief background of the New Year were given. Then, to chase away evil spirits and ghosts, a lion dance was held.
The night also featured performances of Taiko drums, Chinese traditional long-sleeve dance and Chinese yo-yo. Ewing’s Southern Shaolin Kung fu Academy also displayed some Kung fu moves.
And, of course, there was a ton of Chinese food served throughout the event.
“We hope that the students had fun while learning about the culture and some of the aspects of Chinese New Year,” sophomore biology major and CSA secretary Stephanie Yong said. “Our biggest goal is to get the whole campus and the community to be more interested and involved in Chinese culture.”
(02/25/14 2:48pm)
Everything good must come to an end, and on Sunday, Feb. 23, the 22nd Winter Olympic Games were officially closed.
For over two weeks, we all witnessed the world’s best athletes come together to showcase their abilities. For over two weeks, our eyes were glued to the television, seeing which country would come out on top, by how many hundredths of a second someone won a race and by how many points a record was broken by.
This year’s Games were surrounded by skepticism. Was Russia’s security enough? Why were they being held in a country with so much political strife? Will the weather be too warm?
But 17 days later, the Games proved to go smoothly. While there were some events that highlighted Russia’s politics, including the violence in Ukraine, for the most part, it really was all about the athletes. And, boy, did those athletes do a fantastic job!
America had a great showing. We were second in the overall medal count with 28 medals, second only to the host country who earned 33.
Our athletes represented us well — they got us nine gold medals, they displayed good sportsmanship and they showed the world how Americans get things done. We set and broke records. We showed what American spirit is all about.
If you’re like me, you’re suffering from Olympic withdrawal. You miss seeing Bob Costas every night. You miss the Olympic-themed commercials. But most of all, you miss the competition. But don’t be too sad, because there is plenty more to look forward to in the upcoming months:
The World Figure Skating Championships are coming up soon. From Monday, March 24, to Sunday, March 30, you can see your Olympic favorites skate again.
Tired of watching the events competed on snow and ice? The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held this summer in Brazil. America is in a tough group this year (Germany, Portugal and Ghana), so you can look forward to some good games.
Still, if it is the Olympics that you only look forward to, the wait isn’t that long. The 2016 Rio Summer Games are opening on Friday, Aug. 5, which means they’re only about 890 days away. Can’t wait for the next Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea? Those are only 1,442 days away.
This is the sixth and final part of “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” a weekly column of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
(02/18/14 4:21pm)
On Friday, Jan. 31, Russian journalist Elena Klimova was charged with “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” for starting an online project called “Children 404.” According to Amnesty International’s website, “‘Children 404’ began in March 2013, after Kilmova published a series of articles about LGBT teenagers, in order to support them and give them a space to speak about their problems. The project was named as an allusion to the message ‘404 Page not found’ one receives when a web page does not exist.” If the court does decide that Kilmova broke Russia’s anti-LGBT laws, then she will be heavily fined and “Children 404” will be shut down.
The College’s Amnesty International and PRISM staged a die-in on Monday, Feb. 17, in hopes to raise awareness of the unfair treatment of Kilmova, according to sophomore psychology and women’s and gender studies double major Disha Dass. Students were also able to sign a petition to appeal Russia’s homophobic propaganda laws.
Members of Amnesty International and PRISM laid down as if dead in front of the Brower Student Center with some holding signs explaining just a couple of the violent acts against LGBT citizens.
One sign read that, “On May 29, 2013, the body of Oleg Serdyuk, the openly gay director of Kamchatka airport was found in his burned out car, having been beaten and stabbed to the death the previous day.” Another read that “In Aug. 2013, an anti-gay Russian neo-Nazi group kidnapped and tortured a young Uzbek man to cure him of his homosexulaity.”
Dass said they hope to garner as many signatures as possible to see an end to this violence.
(02/18/14 4:19pm)
Slopestyle Skiing made its Olympic debut this year, and, because we’re America, we swept the event. Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper earned their spots on the podium with solid runs, making it the first time since 2002’s Men’s Snowboarding that America has swept the podium at a Winter Olympics. Their feat was incredible, but what has people still talking about them are the friends’ background stories. So here’s what you need to know about the three boys who People magazine dubbed “America’s Sweephearts:”
Joss Christensen: With a 95.80, 22-year-old Joss took home gold. The win was dedicated to his father who passed away in August.
Gus Kenworthy: You know the Olympian who found a family of stray dogs in Sochi and is taking them back to the U.S.? Yup, that’s Gus. The 22-year-old placed second in the competition with a 93.60. He also got a shout-out and a follow from Miley Cyrus because of his rescue efforts, which he said hit him like a wrecking ball.
Nick Goepper: The 19-year-old finished out the sweep with a 92.40. The Indiana boy taught himself to ski in his backyard and has since won gold at the Winter X Games. And if you’ve seen any weird/creepy tweets with Nick’s face and #iwanttodatenick, don’t be alarmed — Nick started a contest to find a Valentine for when he gets back to America. Yes, you bet I made a fool of myself and entered.
It’s safe to say that they skied right into America’s hearts.
(02/11/14 6:43pm)
Finally, the Games have arrived.
3,000 athletes from 88 countries officially kicked off the Winter Olympics last Friday, Feb. 7, with the Opening Ceremonies. There has already been fierce competition in the first several days. There have been triumphs: 15-year-old Russian figure skater Yulia Lipnitskaya, who some are calling the Russian doll. And there have been upsets: Americans Bode Miller and Hannah Kearney. As always, the Olympics are proving to be quite exciting. But this year is especially thrilling because of the 12 new events introduced.
According to NBC, “the International Olympic Committee added the events to provide a newer, fresher and more youthful flare to the Games, including many X-Games equivalent events for 2014.”
We’ve already seen a couple of the new events — Americans Jamie Anderson and Sage Kotsenburg both took gold in the first-ever Olympic Snowboard Slopestyle, while the American figure skating team took bronze in Figure Skating Team.
There are still eight events that we have not yet seen, though. And before they are aired, here is a basic rundown of what to expect:
Women’s Ski Jumping: You know when the men go down a long hill, jump off of it, fly with their legs stretched and then land? Well, now you’ll be seeing girls do that, too. America is expected to win big in this event with Sarah Hendrickson and Lindsey Van.
Biathlon Mixed Relay: Two women and two men make up one team in this event that combines cross-country skiing and shooting. The women ski the first two legs while the men race the last two. Each person shoots twice and the lowest combined time wins.
Ski Halfpipe (Men and Women): As one article on NBC put it, “Picture Shaun White doing flips, jumps, twists and turns on a snowboard — now picture him doing the same maneuvers on skis.”
Ski Slopestyle (Men and Women): If you saw Snowboard Slopestyle, this will be look very similar, except the athletes will be on skis. It is a downhill course with obstacles, including hills and rails.
Snowboard Parallel Slalom: NBC’s explanation is simple — “Two snowboarders race side-by-side down identical courses. There are no judges scoring. First one down wins.”
Luge Team Relay: This relay is made up of three teams — a doubles sled, a women’s single sled and a men’s single sled — and the fastest combined team wins.
With so many more events to go, including these new ones, it looks like the Games can only get better.