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(05/01/18 5:21am)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
After President Donald Trump appointed multiple climate change skeptics to his Cabinet, Jonathan Lu, a senior computer science major at Princeton University, knew he had a duty to advocate for change. Instead of just raising awareness on Princeton’s campus, Lu was determined to make waves on a national level.
Lu spoke at the Education Building Room 107 on April 25 to encourage any students who may share his interests to join his research team, which consists of a diverse group of Princeton high school, undergraduate and graduate students who have come together to do something about climate change.
Before beginning his efforts last May, Lu was not an environmental specialist — he was just an average student who cared a lot about climate reform and strived to be politically active. As the research director of the Princeton Student Climate Initiative, he is well on his way of doing just that.
“I don’t actually have any formal background on (environmental policy) — people of all backgrounds can help conduct this research,” he said. “This is something that we are desperately understaffed on. There is a lot of research that still needs to be done.”
The Princeton Student Climate Initiative advocates for a national carbon and pollution tax policy. Lu believes this tax is a bipartisan solution to climate change that will reduce air pollutant emissions while protecting the economy. The more energy condensed a pollutant is, the more it would be affected by the tax.
“Proposing a carbon tax will target fossil fuels, making it more expensive to pollute,” he said. “If you are choosing between using solar or coal to run your powerplant, a carbon tax would put coal at a less competitive price, making it cheaper to use solar.”
Although Lu and his team have dreams of making national change, they know their advocacy must start at the state level. Team members have been working with New Jersey Assemblyman and physicist Andrew Zwicker to develop their ideas into public policy.
“We have a few state legislatures that are interested,” Lu said. “Right now, we are trying to talk to a lot of New Jersey environmental groups and get their support before we introduce a bill. Then we can start lobbying our state representatives.”
Lu believes that in a state like New Jersey, where residents are deeply affected by and are passionate about climate change, it would not be difficult to garner support for his initiative.
“Climate change is really threatening in New Jersey,” he said. “Coastal residents are especially at risk of needing to relocate and fossil fuel emissions are the cause of 8,000 premature deaths in New Jersey each year. If we cut emissions by implementing this tax, we can improve health and see economic benefits by spending less on asthma and lung cancer treatment.”
The plan is also widely favored by economists because the tax revenue is returned to households, according to Lu. The revenue increases disposable income while promoting a environmentally-friendly lifestyle.
“This is a just and effective climate policy that incorporates the needs of all communities,” he said.
Lu believes that with the support of local politicians, dedicated research and a relentless attitude, his team has a real potential to make environmental change.
“With Phil Murphy in office, it is a great time to take leadership on climate change,” he said. “We get really excited by this because it is not just an environmental policy on a college campus — this is affecting the eight million people that live in New Jersey and potentially setting an example for the world.”
(04/24/18 1:17am)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
In elementary school, I remember struggling to learn my times tables and memorize the names of state capitals. I spent first grade in Hoboken, New Jersey where Spanish was the first language of most of my peers. I listened to my friends speak effortlessly to their parents, and wondered if I would ever be able to understand.
When I moved to a predominantly white suburb, a Spanish teacher visited my class once every two weeks and taught us the names of a few fruits and colors in Spanish. The American education system prioritizes the memorization of state capitals, but being able to communicate with our neighbors becomes an afterthought.
The U.S. has no official language, so is the study of French and Spanish really the study of foreign languages? To reside in the “melting pot of America,” shouldn’t bilingualism, or trilingualism, be required?
In order to graduate from my high school, students were required to complete only two years of foreign language classes. According to Pew Research Center, students in European countries study their first language before the age of nine, and in more than 20 European countries, studying a second language is mandatory.
For a country that is supposedly a world leader in diversity and tolerance, this doesn’t seem to make much sense. By refusing to enforce biliteracy, we are not only neglecting the ideals of our nation, but also putting ourselves at a personal disadvantage.
Learning a second or third language improves our ability to speak our first language. A foreign tongue enhances our vocabulary, listening skills and memory, which is a clear investment for success in all fields of study, according to Auburn University.
Despite the lack of a nationwide foreign language mandate at any educational level, four out of five jobs in the U.S. are created as a result or foreign trade, and the ability to speak multiple languages is a huge skillset in the global economy, according to Pew Research Center.
The lack of required language classes should not prevent students from taking advantage of a major personal investment. We must teach young kids new languages at a rigorous level — high school is far too late for beginner French.
Those who oppose a foreign language mandate argue that they distract from the core curriculum — classes like math, English and history. I would ask those people to think about the following scenario: a child is sitting in his social studies class next to a new student from Venezuela, who is putting in his very best effort to understand the teacher’s fast-paced lecture. The students are introduced to the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson’s famous words, “all men are created equal.”
But if one kid is breezing through the lesson and the other is struggling, don’t we owe it to Jefferson to help that kid out and learn some Spanish? By instilling a foreign language mandate, we are dispelling ethnocentrism, embracing diversity and making the kid next to us feel that much more comfortable.
The U.S. I know is one that welcomes all people with open arms and builds bridges toward diversity, not walls toward uniformity. Maybe if we start emphasizing the importance of learning foreign languages, we will realize that even if someone is different, they deserve the same opportunities. Maybe if our students are taught that value exists outside of their native language, they will realize that this nation, and the opportunities that it holds, is made to be shared with others.
Students share opinions around campus
“Should foreign language classes be mandatory for all students?”
“I was upset when I learned I didn't have to take a language. Students should be well-rounded.”
“It's not fair biology majors need to take three levels and other majors don't need any.”
(04/02/18 9:55pm)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
During spring break of my junior year in high school, I happily accompanied my family on a vacation to Florida. Just one year later, I was admitted to the psych ward at Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
After a visit to Overlook Medical Center to be treated for a state of depression, a psychiatrist who had never met me before deemed that I needed inpatient care at a psychiatric hospital. At 1 a.m., I was transported to Trinitas Regional Medical Center in an ambulance. I then changed into hospital scrubs and said goodbye to my parents in tears. “Be that brave girl that I know and love,” my mother said to me in between sobs.
My state of depression was triggered by some terrible college application results — 10 rejections really took a toll on my self-confidence. I am not trying to dismiss what I was going through, but this experience definitely put my life in perspective. Elizabeth is a 20-minute drive from my hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, but in this case, it was a world away.
The next morning, I began to learn how extensive the rules at this hospital were. Patients were rarely allowed to talk to each other. During meals and most activities, patients had to yell, “Staff, can I come out?” every time they needed to leave their bedrooms and had to raise their hand and request to throw something out even if the trash was only feet away.
When we were permitted to talk, anything “personal” was off limits. I was scolded after asking a high school junior if she planned to apply to college next year. Any type of writing utensil was prohibited from the bedrooms, which was difficult for me to accept. In times of sadness or fear, I turn to a pen and paper. Because the hospital was so rule-oriented, it felt a lot more like punishment than rehabilitation. I was only in the unit for 48 hours, and felt isolated and deprived of my freedom. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for some of the other patients I met, who had much longer stays.
In group-therapy sessions, I sat in disbelief as I listened to the stories of other patients, many of whom lived in Elizabeth. We all had stories, but some of these revealed to me how difficult I could have it. I was eager to remain silent, fearful that someone would ask me what I was doing there. My background would be compared to that of a girl with a schizophrenic mother and alcoholic father, or someone who believed that getting into physical fights in school was the only way to gain respect. These sessions made me realize that while I am more fortunate than many of the patients I came in contact with, I am in no way more capable.
The powder blue walls of the unit were coated with juvenile art projects, in which patients had to fill in a response to prompts like “I am special because…” and “I am unique because…” Grammar and punctuation errors in these projects were commonplace, but the ideas were sophisticated. If those projects had gone through spell check, they would have been indistinguishable from art hanging on any prestigious school’s walls. An underfunded education system is faulty — not its students.
We all like to believe that talent always breeds success since it makes us feel more in control of the uncontrollable. But the more time I spent around other patients at Trinitas, the more I came to realize that success has a lot more to do with luck. We all just happened to be born in the right zip code.
I had a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old roommate at Trinitas. The 12-year-old had been arrested twice and was put in the hospital for attempted suicide. The 13-year-old was raped as a young girl by her mother’s ex-boyfriend and ended up at Trinitas after attempting to run away from her foster care center. I, on the other hand, was dealing with some depression about college. I laughed with my roommates, complained with my roommates and sat in sorrow with my roommates. We come from different worlds but share the same potential. I just have the opportunity to use mine a lot more often.
48 hours after I was admitted, the hospital decided to discharge me. As I waved goodbye to the patients at Trinitas, I couldn’t help but notice their envious expressions. I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital because I felt like I was cheated out of something I deserved. But the other patients I met have truly deserved better for their entire lives.
(03/20/18 5:50am)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
Throughout R. Barbara Gitenstein’s presidency, the College has raised more than 47 million dollars, increasing its endowment by over 1,200 percent.
This fundraising has allowed the College to offer more scholarships, hire additional professors and improve its facilities. These improvements have likely contributed to the College’s impressive graduation rate, which is the fifth highest among public institutions in the nation.
If that isn’t enough, she is also the first woman ever to serve as president of the College.
These accomplishments have allowed Gitenstein to secure The CASE District Chief Executive Achievement Award for District II — the largest district in the country — making the award especially competitive.
“Winning this award was absolutely wonderful,” Gitenstein said. “This is partly because I was able to thank the people that were the backbone of this campaign. The president can come in as the closer, but if somebody hasn’t developed the relationship with a donor earlier, I can’t just say ‘Hello, my name is Barbara Gitenstein I’m the president of TCNJ. I’ve never met you before, but can you give me one million dollars?’”
Gitenstein’s advancement team is comprised of public relations professionals who are responsible for explaining the College’s vision and forming relationships with donors.
According to Gitenstein, what makes the College deserving of donations is its ability to offer a private school feel for a public school price.
“The College has a private school feel not in an elitist sense, but in the fact that there is an individualized relationship between the professor and the student,” she said. “Professors aren’t just here to complete their six hour obligation and go home.”
This environment can only be achieved with the help of donors, as money from the state of New Jersey is scarce.
“The state is not going to give us additional resources — it doesn’t have the money,” she said. “As the College has started having bigger aspirations, we had to develop a bigger bench for people who would be raising money. How do we find additional money to support students for scholarships and for faculty to do their work?”
Gitenstein cites the College’s ability to cater to low-income students as the most important use of donations.
“I would like us to have enough resources so that no student who has the capacity to come to The College of New Jersey ever turns us down because they can’t afford it,” she said. “We’re not there yet, but people should never be forced to make that decision.”
Under Gitenstein’s leadership, 60 percent of the College’s current staff has been hired, and through the help of donors, she has been able to recruit professors who are genuinely interested in each of their students.
Donations have also allowed the College to expand its curriculum to foster individualized learning.
“At TCNJ, students are given credit for a fourth hour of instruction, which is not based on time sitting in a classroom,” she said. “It’s based on faculty-student research and an individual relationship.”
Although the College does have some debt, Gitenstein is proud that money has always been spent for academic purposes — projects that do not directly relate to academics are funded through partners. According to Gitenstein, Sodexo invested $31 million in the renovated Brower Student Center, and Campus Town is entirely supported by developers.
“A lot of criticism for higher education these days is that students are coming for lazy rivers and climbing walls,” she said. “That’s not true for our students. The students love Campus Town, but they’re coming here because they want to study here.”
Although Gitenstein recognizes the award as a collective achievement, her advancement team is quick to praise her for her individual contributions in making these improvements possible.
“I think Gitenstein’s willingness to listen and hear all sides of any discussion is really to her credit,” said Head Media Relations Officer Luke Sacks. “She always willing to hear new ideas and has earned the respect and admiration of everyone that has come in contact with her.”
(03/19/18 9:17pm)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
The beginning of my freshman year consisted of awkward Welcome Week ice breakers, countless Taylor ham versus pork roll debates and hoping that I would never have to eat alone at the dining hall.
The thought of having breakfast by myself was intimidating — I envisioned walking into Eickhoff Hall with the entire study body and staff looking at me and wondering why I hadn’t made friends yet.
As the semester progressed, my friends and I realized that due to our conflicting schedules, sharing every meal together would be impossible. So I sucked it up, ate my pancakes by myself and soon realized that there is something peaceful about being alone.
Having a meal by yourself can be an opportunity to catch up on the news, do some last-minute homework or simply reflect on your day. Feeling like you always have to coordinate your meals with your friends is unnecessarily stressful, especially since no one could care less if you are eating by yourself or not.
When sitting alone, I am more aware of my surroundings — I can sit in the library, drink my morning coffee and think about how lucky I am to attend such a competitive college. As I walk across Green Lawn on my way to class, I am reminded of the beauty of the College’s campus and all the opportunities that the next four years will bring.
Sometimes, filling time with another conversation with a friend about last weekend’s party, the chem lab they haven’t started or how much sleep they didn’t get the night before is both unnecessary and unfulfilling.
When I’m alone, I’m not worried about making anyone happy but myself. I can eat at my own pace, listen to my favorite Spotify playlist or actually click on that New York Times notification without feeling rude or unengaged. I don’t have to pretend I’m in a better mood than I actually am or think of a funny story to tell for the sake of someone else’s entertainment.
I have learned that alone time has allowed me to become a better listener — it’s hard to immerse yourself in other people’s lives without making time to reflect on your own.
At a young age, we have been taught to befriend the kid who is sitting alone in the school cafeteria. Growing up, I would often pity the man who sipped his coffee alone at the diner, wondering if all of his friends were too busy that day to spend time with him. But for many people, being by yourself is a beautiful thing. Independence is such an admirable quality— once in awhile, we all need to be able to enjoy our own company.
So, next time you’re hungry after class and no one in your group chat answers that “anyone wanna go to Eick?” text, don’t go back to your dorm and settle for ramen noodles. Instead, think about how much you might actually enjoy a meal by yourself.
I promise that no one is staring at you, and if they are, they would probably benefit from some alone time as well.
(02/13/18 8:22am)
By Emmy Liederman
Opinions Editor
He had never smoked a cigarette in his life, but one freshman finance major still felt the need to buy a Juul — an electronic smoking device that utilizes disposable pods containing fluid with high amounts of nicotine — during his senior year of high school. Each Juul pod contains the nicotine equivalent of a pack of cigarettes, and he began to go through one pod each day.
Within a year, the habit went from a casual stress reliever to a five-dollar-a-day addiction.
Similar to many other students, the male student, who spoke to The Signal on the condition of anonymity, may now find it harder to light up on campus.
On Nov. 29, the Committee on Student and Campus Community held an open forum to gauge students’ thoughts on creating a smoke-free campus. This conversation was not just about cigarettes. The CSCC conducted a qualtrics survey asking students about the possibility of banning Juuls. Although the CSCC is starting the conversation, it is not advocating for any particular change in policy.
“There are different models for a tobacco-free campus, but that’s way down the road,” said CSCC Co-Chair Margaret Martinetti. “We are currently analyzing all of the data from the 1,300 plus responses we received to the qualtrics survey.”
Once CSCC has completed analyzing the survey data, Martinetti says that the committee plans to start a next a discussion about the next steps for potential policy change.
Assistant Dean of the School of Nursing, Health and Exercise Science Antonio Scarpati acknowledged the controversy behind changing the College’s smoking policy.
“Before any serious consideration of proposing a policy change, we’re obliged to become more informed and seek input from the campus community,” Scarpati said. “This is a complicated issue, as we’re still learning about the still learning about the wide variety of tobacco products and usage.”
The Juul is designed for portability, with a small, thin design that makes it resemble a flash drive. Juuls are intended for adult smokers as an alternative to cigarettes, according to Juul Labs’ official website. However, a product intended to curb addiction has become an addiction in itself as Juuls increase in popularity among high school and college students.
The company may now be realizing that its goal of ending addiction has been lost through the product’s growing popularity among young people. As of Aug. 23, the minimum age for purchasing a Juul was raised to 21 years, and Juul Labs uses advanced age verification technology to enforce this policy, according to its website.
“I definitely think that young kids using it outweighs the smokers who are trying to quit,” the anonymous freshman finance major said.
Jennifer O’Neill, a sophomore history and political science double major and student representative of the CSCC, mentioned at the open forum that if it weren’t for student input, the committee wouldn’t have been aware of the Juul trend.
The invisibility of the product allows students to use the Juul in places where traditional vaping would never be permitted.
“I sometimes Juul in class,” the anonymous freshman finance major said. “It’s kind of funny when the teacher’s back is turned and then you do it.”
As of Nov. 1, New Jersey state law has also increased the minimum purchasing age of all tobacco products to 21, according to NJ.gov. That being said, the purchasing age in the majority of states is still 18 years old. Smoker’s Express in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, where many students purchase their Juul products, is only a five minute drive from the College.
Joe Hadge, assistant director of the College’s Drug and Alcohol Education Program, said that few students have come to him about vaping, and acknowledged that he was also unfamiliar with the Juul trend.
“Many of the flavorings found in vapes have been approved for ingestion by the (Food and Drug Administration), but have not been studied for inhalation,” Hadge said. “Some vapes have significantly more nicotine than others. The impact of vaping is not as clearly seen as with other substances as we are still learning.”
The CSCC’s discussion for a tobacco-free campus was also attended by students who don’t use nicotine products, but feel that banning them from campus would do more harm than good.
“Smoking is happening no matter what,” said Joshua Goikhman, a junior English major. “I don’t think that this is an avenue that will make anyone better off. I think it’s just wasting everyone’s time. It is costly and time-consuming to change policy.”
Since the damaging effects of cigarettes often receives media attention, many believe that the Juul glamorizes smoking the same way that cigarettes did in the past.
“I think a lot of people use (cigarettes) to look cool,” said Isabella Donnelly, a freshman sociology major. “But, there is now a stigma associated with cigarettes. You definitely get judged a lot more for smoking a cigarette than for having a Juul.”
Although many believe that the Juul has become an unnecessary addiction, some claim that it also has positive effects from the mellow feeling experienced by users shortly after smoking.
“I Juul because it gives me a slight buzz and it personally helps me cope with anxiety,” said Briana Iannuzzi, an open options humanities and social sciences major. “The feeling is a light head rush that lasts two to five minutes.”
Associate Director of Campus Security Bill Straniero agreed that there is not enough information about the effects of vaping, but he also acknowledged that it may have a negative impact on users.
“I believe that anything foreign you put in your body such as cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and vaping smoke are detrimental to your health,” Straniero said. “I wouldn’t include the words ‘healthier alternative’ to any conversation involving the use of vaporizers.”
School officials and law enforcement are not the only entities expressing these concerns — those who use the Juul on a daily basis are also unsure of what they are consuming.
“The Juul is a relatively new device, so no one is completely sure what chemicals they are putting into their body, which I’m sure cannot be good,” Iannuzzi said.
Although the Juul was introduced with the intention of ending cigarette addiction, it has also glamorized a new form of nicotine consumption for a generation that was largely moving away from the substance.
“My whole life, I have never felt good about cigarettes, Hadge said. “It’s the only legal product that when used as intended, harms and possibly kills. On one level, vaping could possibly be an improvement, but there is so much we don’t know because it has yet to be determined.”
(11/05/17 7:02pm)
By Emmy Liederman
Features Assistant
When John Quiñones was 8 years old, he shined shoes in San Antonio for 10 cents a pair. When he was 13, he rode in the back of a truck to Northport, Michigan, and would spend two hours picking one bucket of cherries, only to be sold for 75 cents each. One day, while picking tomatoes in Ohio, his father asked, “Juanito, do you want to do this work for the rest of your life, or do you want to get a college education?”
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Quiñones spoke in the Brower Student Center on Tuesday, Oct. 31, and discussed how his personal struggles have shaped a career focused on equality and acceptance.
Quiñones became an ABC News Correspondent and creator and host of the hit television program “What Would You Do?” He’s won seven Emmy awards along the way. If you want to know what it’s like to overcome poverty and go on to build your own national empire, ask Quiñones.
“What Would You Do?” is a situational show that involves fake scenarios and hidden cameras, examining how Americans react to instances of discrimination, racism and conflict when they think nobody is watching.
Situations span from a woman being catcalled to a gay teenager being tormented by his peers. The show first aired in 2008 and now has 11 seasons, 120 episodes and more than 500 scenarios, but according to Quiñones, it is more important that Americans tune in today than ever before.
“You get the sense that respect and common decency are somehow taboo these days,” Quiñones said. “There is too much talk about building walls, when we should be talking about building bridges. The hidden cameras in ‘What Would You Do?’ remind Americans that despite the progress we’ve made, we still have some work to do when it comes to accepting people who are different from us.”
During his presentation, Quiñones mentioned a quote by Aristotle that says “educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
Quiñones claims that this concept of educating the heart is at the core of his series.
“The true test of character is what we do when we think no one is watching,” Quiñones said. “When you witness an injustice, there is always that little voice in the back of your head that asks ‘Do I step in, or do I step away?’”
The racial discrimination that Quiñones continues to face as a Mexican-American has fueled his desire to promote equality and allowed him to personally sympathize with victims of discrimination.
When Quiñones accidentally waited on the wrong line in a Dallas airport, a stranger commented that Quiñones didn’t understand the announcement because it was read in English.
When Quiñones passed the stranger on the way to his seat, he said, “You would do great on my show. You could play the part of the racist.”
Quiñones has combated racism and underestimation from a young age.
In high school, Quiñones asked his guidance counselor for tips on how to prepare for the ACT. While she appreciated his “big dreams,’’ she suggested that he shift his focus away from higher education and toward working in a woodshop or becoming an auto mechanic.
“I was constantly judged by the color of my skin and the sound of my voice,” Quiñones said. “I wanted to go to college, but my own teachers didn’t even believe in me. There is no denying that my ethnicity has influenced the stories I bring to the public.”
From a young age, Quiñones was determined to become a news reporter. Through hard work, dedication and support along the way, he defied all expectations. Outside of support from his parents, Upward Bound, a government-funded program that provides additional courses to kids in underfunded school districts, helped Quiñones take control of his future.
As a student at St. Mary’s University in Texas, Quiñones worked at a local pharmacy and delivered prescriptions to the elderly. Between deliveries, he would practice his American accent with a tape recorder in the back of the store. When the owner heard Quiñones practice, he helped him find a job at a local radio station, which eventually landed him a position at CBS News in Chicago.
At CBS, Quiñones shined a light on immigration by going undercover as a Mexican immigrant trying to cross the border to the U.S.
Quiñones made his way to Chicago, and he worked at a restaurant with seven other undocumented Mexican workers who had not been paid in 13 weeks. The owner told the workers that if they complained, he’d have them deported. The day after the program ran on CBS, the government shut down the restaurant, gave the workers the money they were owed and granted them temporary visas as they worked on their citizenship.
“These are the stories I could tell because of my background,” Quiñones said. “I understand the culture, the language and the struggle.”
Quiñones’ efforts to combat discrimination resonated with students at the College. Genesis Rubio, a senior psychology major, is a volunteer at the Bonner Institute’s El Centro program, which provides free English classes for Spanish-speaking adults in Trenton, New Jersey. For Rubio, one episode of “What Would You Do?” stood out, which involved a migrant worker receiving hateful comments about his accent while ordering a cup of coffee.
“My students try to practice English and sometimes, people say very bigoted things,” Rubio said. “They need to be reminded that not everyone is against you. There are people out there that will uplift you. As an ESL teacher, that episode made my support feel very needed.”
At 26, Quiñones was hired by ABC. He continued to travel to impoverished areas and give a voice to those who had been silenced.
One of Quiñones’ favorite episodes of “What Would You Do?” involves an elderly homeless man who passed out in the middle of a busy street in Newark. 88 people walked past and no one stopped to help the man, until a homeless woman named Linda Hamilton, who had recently suffered a stroke, came by. After the show aired, fans created a Facebook page to locate the woman and raised $8,000, which allowed her to open a bank account, buy the heart medicine she needed and find a place to live. People like Hamilton remind him why he is so fulfilled by his career, according to Quiñones.
“The next time you witness an injustice and the little voice inside of your head tells you to do something, remember Linda Hamilton,” Quiñones said. “She ended up getting all these benefits, but she had no idea anyone was watching.”
(10/30/17 9:44pm)
By Emmy Liederman
Staff Writer
For the first 18 years of his life, John Kuiphoff, an associate professor of interactive multimedia, did not have access to Google. When problems arose, the only tool he could rely on was his own imagination.
“Without Google, you owned your own problems and you created your own solutions,” Kuiphoff said. “It was all about the journey. We built tree houses that were three stories high. Learning was completely hands-on and completely unsupervised.”
But now, the 36-year-old professor is using today’s most advanced technology to guide his work.
In a Brown Bag lecture titled “The Maker Movement: Opportunities for Student Innovation at TCNJ,” Kuiphoff discussed ways in which students can use modern resources, such as 3D printers and laser cutters, to foster their individual creativity and refocus on ideas rather than rely on technology for inspiration.
Kuiphoff believes search engines like Google have hindered the creative process by creating solutions with the touch of a button. His solution is MakerSpace, a program at the College that combines modern technology and individual innovation.
“What if you could have the best of both worlds: the exploratory charisma of the internet and a space where you could build anything, from a circuit board to a longboard?” Kuiphoff asked the audience.
MakerSpace, located in rooms 214 and 215 of the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building, invites students to utilize technology like 3D printers and laser cutters, which can cut and shape any material using a beam that is the width of a human hair, to create projects that can be designed for a specific person or purpose.
“If you just go over to the MakerSpace, you’ll be inspired by the level of activity that exists in such a small room,” said Assistant Dean of the School of Arts & Communication James Day. “There are so many different ways that we can all be empowered by these tools, and you are only really limited by your imagination.”
Students can learn how to use the machines through a class called digital fabrication, which is offered every semester and over the summer.
One MakerSpace project used the printer to turn photographs into sculptures of faces. Last year, a nursing major used the printer to create a 3-D replica of her own bone. Kuiphoff is looking to design a prosthetic leg for his mother’s three-legged black lab mix, Rainey.
“Their dog is still a puppy and can get around using only three legs,” Kuiphoff said. “But we are big animal lovers and want to give the dog the best possible future.”
MakerSpace has received $25,000 from the College to fund its program and will receive more funding in the future, partially in private donations, to keep its technology sustainable.
Although the technology is advanced, it is easy for students of any skill-level to master, according to Kuiphoff. In January, the studio will be open to students for workshops.
“Many of the people who come to MakerSpace have never made anything in their whole lives,” Kuiphoff said. “This space fosters learning.”
Although MakerSpace is generally geared toward art and IMM majors, Kuiphoff encourages students from all majors to take advantage of the space.
“You are living in the most expressive time in human history,” Kuiphoff said. “You have more resources than anyone has had before us. As you go through your respective fields, think about how making can be important.”
(10/17/17 12:03am)
By Emmy Liederman
Staff Writer
A panel of former Peace Corps volunteers stopped by the Education Building on Oct. 11 to offer a real-life perspective on traveling the world to help those in need.
Panelists described lifelong benefits of stepping outside their comfort zone and leaving a familiar lifestyle behind. A typical Peace Corps mission is 27 months and consists of a three-month training period and 24 months of volunteer work.
The Peace Corps refers to its volunteer work as the “toughest job you will ever love,” and panelists echoed this slogan when sharing their stories with the audience.
During his three years of volunteer work as an economic developer in Peru, Peace Corps alumnus Joseph Coronado helped a group of students raise money for their graduation trip. The students had little financial experience, but with Coronado’s help, they were able to raise 3,000 soles and travel around Peru to celebrate their graduation.
“The best part is knowing there is a ripple effect,” Coronado said. “You help some people and the results continue. They now understand the value of saving.”
The central mission of the Peace Corps consists of three parts: providing service, sharing American culture and immersing oneself in a new culture. Many of the panelists noted that the minimalist lifestyle of their service countries made them recognize the flaws of America’s fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle. Alumna Amy Rivera (’01) shared her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya.
“There was no electricity or running water, but you get used to it pretty quickly,” she said. “When I wanted water and it hadn’t rained, I just paid the girl next door to get it for me because it was a bit of a walk away. Coming from a westernized nation and a comfortable lifestyle, there is a shock that you have to get accustomed to.”
For many of the panelists, the absence of a fast-paced lifestyle was one of the biggest culture shocks.
“For me, it was about slowing my mind down,” said Cape Verde volunteer Andrew Vernaza, who worked as a vocational educator. “If I was trying to get a proposal in, I knew that not everything would move slowly and efficiently. Nothing ever happened instantly.”
Although this was occasionally frustrating for volunteers, it also allowed for more relaxation, free time and deeper connections within the community.
“My community and my host family treated me so well,” said Barbara Amaya, who worked as a health volunteer in Peru. “They always made sure I had hot water for baths and gave me a dog so I had a companion when I walked far distances. Sometimes it feels like I left my family.”
A Peace Corps volunteer receives many benefits, including 12 months of non-competitive job eligibility, meaning they can apply for government jobs without a competitive hiring process. Additionally, the Peace Corps can defer and potentially forgive student loans.
For Coronado, one of the biggest rewards was his change in attitude towards traditional American values.
“It helped me put my life in perspective,” he said. “You don’t have to get into that cycle of going to school, graduating, getting a job and having babies. Peace Corps made me realize that I can do whatever I want, and that is amazing.”
The Peace Corps provided volunteers with a chance not only to immerse themselves in a new culture, but also to form powerful relationships.
“Before I left, I went into my favorite restaurant, told the owner I was leaving tomorrow and he started to cry,” said Vernaza. “I was a part of his family. When I was saying goodbye to the bread guy, restaurant guy and fish guy, I realized I had really integrated into the culture.”