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(04/01/15 10:58pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
With over 1,300 prospective jurors in January, a jury of eight men and 10 women were selected on Tuesday, March 3, to serve as the jury for the trial against accused Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The next day, Wednesday, March 4, the trial of Tsarnaev, who is accused of killing three people and injuring more than 260 people at the 2013 Boston Marathon, began in Boston federal courts.
The trial was delayed by approximately two months because of prolonged evidence examination, change of venue requests (ultimately denied by the defense team), snow blizzards hitting Boston and 256 individual jury interviews, according to the New York Times and CNN. Pleading not guilty, Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges, including 17 charges that carry the death penalty.
Well-known San Diego capital punishment attorney, Judy Clarke, leads the defense team. Clarke, known for “keeping clients off death row,” has successfully defended “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, gunman Jared Loughner, who wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph, according to CNN.
One of the counts against Tsarnaev includes the murder of Officer Sean Collier of the M.I.T. Police Department, according to a Times article. The authorities concluded that the gun used by Tsarnaev’s brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was the same gun that Dzhokar used to the officer.
However, the defense team claims that it was Dzhokhar’s older brother who killed the police officer. Clarke and the rest of the defense team are arguing that although Dzhokhar “was involved in the crimes,” he was “cajoled” by his older brother and should not bear the burden of an execution, according to the Times.
Dun Meng, the Tsarnaev brothers’ hostage after the bombing, detailed his account to the jury on Thursday, March 12. After Meng was carjacked and kidnapped, Tamerlan told him that he “just killed a policeman in Cambridge,” according to the Times. Terrified, Meng took advantage of an opportunity to escape the brothers and inform the police of the GPS tracking device in his Mercedes, according to the Times.
On Monday, March 16, the jurors then heard the account of on-the-scene police officers. In these accounts, it was revealed that during the eight to 10-minute shootout between Tamerlan and the police in Watertown, Mass., Dzhokhar drove his car, aiming for the police, and drove over his brother, according to the Times.
“An attempt to kill them would undercut the narrative that the defense is trying to establish,” a Times article said.
Before crashing into a police cruiser, Dzhokhar’s car dragged his brother 20 to 30 feet, according to the Times.
On Monday, March 16, jurors were taken to a classified location in Boston, where jurors were able to see the boat Dzhokhar was hiding in when the police captured him, theTimes reported. The inside of the boat includes a message, written by the younger Tsarnaev brother, explaining the justification for the bombing.
Due to the boat being “riddled” with more than a hundred bullet holes, certain words of the message are illegible, according to the Times.
The owner of the boat is to testify Tuesday, March 24.
(03/26/15 3:25pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
With over 1,300 prospective jurors in January, a jury of eight men and 10 women were selected on Tuesday, March 3, to serve as the jury for the trial against accused Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The next day, Wednesday, March 4, the trial of Tsarnaev, who is accused of killing three people and injuring more than 260 people at the 2013 Boston Marathon, began in Boston federal courts.
The trial was delayed by approximately two months because of prolonged evidence examination, change of venue requests (ultimately denied by the defense team), snow blizzards hitting Boston and 256 individual jury interviews, according to the New York Times and CNN. Pleading not guilty, Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges, including 17 charges that carry the death penalty.
Well-known San Diego capital punishment attorney, Judy Clarke, leads the defense team. Clarke, known for “keeping clients off death row,” has successfully defended “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, gunman Jared Loughner, who wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph, according to CNN.
One of the counts against Tsarnaev includes the murder of Officer Sean Collier of the M.I.T. Police Department, according to a Times article. The authorities concluded that the gun used by Tsarnaev’s brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was the same gun that Dzhokar used to the officer.
However, the defense team claims that it was Dzhokhar’s older brother who killed the police officer. Clarke and the rest of the defense team are arguing that although Dzhokhar “was involved in the crimes,” he was “cajoled” by his older brother and should not bear the burden of an execution, according to the Times.
Dun Meng, the Tsarnaev brothers’ hostage after the bombing, detailed his account to the jury on Thursday, March 12. After Meng was carjacked and kidnapped, Tamerlan told him that he “just killed a policeman in Cambridge,” according to the Times. Terrified, Meng took advantage of an opportunity to escape the brothers and inform the police of the GPS tracking device in his Mercedes, according to the Times.
On Monday, March 16, the jurors then heard the account of on-the-scene police officers. In these accounts, it was revealed that during the eight to 10-minute shootout between Tamerlan and the police in Watertown, Mass., Dzhokhar drove his car, aiming for the police, and drove over his brother, according to the Times.
“An attempt to kill them would undercut the narrative that the defense is trying to establish,” a Times article said.
Before crashing into a police cruiser, Dzhokhar’s car dragged his brother 20 to 30 feet, according to the Times.
On Monday, March 16, jurors were taken to a classified location in Boston, where jurors were able to see the boat Dzhokhar was hiding in when the police captured him, theTimes reported. The inside of the boat includes a message, written by the younger Tsarnaev brother, explaining the justification for the bombing.
Due to the boat being “riddled” with more than a hundred bullet holes, certain words of the message are illegible, according to the Times.
The owner of the boat is to testify Tuesday, March 24.
(03/26/15 3:19pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Christine Bader, author of “The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil,” was convinced “business is where it’s at.” British Petroleum (BP) went “above and beyond progressively and holistically about the environment,” Bader said as a satisfied employee of the company.
After eight years of positive experiences with the oil business, Bader advocated BP’s strong environmental sustainability and social responsibility efforts.
And yet on Saturday, April 20, 2010, when BP’s oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, creating what is considered to be the worst oil spill in American history, Bader’s perspective shifted. She began questioning the moral accountabilities big businesses are willing to bear — including those of her once-revered BP.
Bader — a speaker, author and advisor on corporations’ social responsibility — shared with students her positive and negative experiences with big business, as well as the lessons she learned about human-impact responsibility and sustainability on Wednesday, March 11, in the Business Building lounge.
After earning her Master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Yale University, Bader got a job at BP, working on large-scale projects in Indonesia, China and the United Kingdom.
“I was pleasantly surprised by what I found there (at BP),” Bader said about her first experiences with the company. “Everyone seemed to be in constant conversation about responsibility. I didn’t know people talked about this stuff in companies.”
In the early 2000s, according to Bader, there was no official “corporate responsibility” or “human rights” position — a multinational corporation championing responsibility, then, was striking.
Bader began her human-impact studies career during an important BP project in Indonesia, where she volunteered to head the social responsibility aspect of the project.
In the course of her human rights impact assessment, BP allowed Bader to hire environmental and international standards experts and also offered her a budget for her endeavors.
The company was going “above and beyond” to make sure Bader was “truly consulting and engaging with the community,” according to Bader. In these community consultations, Bader would explain to citizens what their new environment with BP would smell like, sound like and look like.
Since BP was so supportive of Bader’s projects on social responsibility, Bader thought to herself, “I love big oil! This is so cool!”
“It was an amazing experience,” Bader said. “What I didn’t realize at the time was that it was so unusual.”
Leaving BP in 2008, Bader joined the United Nations’ Secretary General as a special representative for business and human rights. There, Bader drafted guidance for human rights for corporations.
Bader’s U.N. mandate lasted through 2011, the year after BP’s oil spill.
“Oh, that’s not my BP. That’s the wrong company,” Bader said when learning the news of the oil disaster and the public outcry that ensued. “Or was that my BP? Did I miss something?”
Bader became “frustrated” with the public conversation about “another example of a greedy evil company doing greedy evil things.” The author began discussing with peers who had similar roles in business at other large corporations. She would also ask them, “Are we really making a difference at all?”
“I wanted to reframe the conversation,” Bader said. “I wanted to tell these people’s stories.”
The long-term goal is to move “big-tanker” companies in the right direction, Bader said. While she recognizes that she is not able to “transform all of BP,” a company that she “didn’t know as well” as she thought she did, Bader does recognize the tens of thousands of households and workers that she did positively affect while at BP.
“It’s not bad — not good enough,” Bader said. “But that’s not bad.”
Bader’s optimism — that corporations can make progressive social change — impressed students.
“It was refreshing hearing from someone with experience in corporations (who) still has faith that big corporations can have a positive social impact,” sophomore finance major Liam Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s fellow finance major, junior Cynthia Timko, agreed.
As a member of the College’s Net Impact club, a club promoting “corporation responsibility and sustainability,” Timko also appreciated Bader’s principles and was inspired that “she genuinely cared about what she was doing.”
Bader’s book is filled with dozens of interviews that beg the question, “Why do we fail?” and “What do we need in order to succeed? From everybody.”
There are four major themes in “The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil,” according to Bader.
“No one gets rewarded for what doesn’t happen,” Bader said. The ones who manage disasters get recognized, but the ones who prevent disasters from occurring rarely receive the same recognition, according to Bader.
The second theme is the importance of bearing witness, Bader said. Higher-ups in companies start “losing sight” of the impact their decisions have. Therefore, it is beneficial to have the CEO or CFO in a company experience firsthand what conditions their factories are in or how the employees and environment are being treated, according to Bader.
“We’re training business leaders the wrong skills,” Bader said, explaining the third theme of “The Masters in Social Work is the new MBA.” Skills in communication and social work are important for businesses attempting to have a positive impact on humans and society, Bader said.
Incrementalism, the process of making many small changes instead of a couple of large adjustments, is the fourth theme Bader discussed. This approach is a more reasonable solution, according to Bader, and people like her doing their part in big corporations are making a difference.
Part of why it is so difficult for big corporations to have widespread positive impact is that “the problems are deeply contextual” and “big companies are incredibly complicated,” according to Bader.
“I am no longer that girl who fell in love with big oil 15 years ago,” Bader said. “But I am a corporate idealist.”
(03/23/15 7:17pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Hillary Rodham Clinton wasn’t the first Secretary of State to use her own personal email address, but she is the first one to exclusively use her private account. The use of the her e-mail accounts raises questions of “transparency and government security, according to CNN. Former Secretaries of State, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, both used private accounts, as well as their government emails, according CNN.
It was revealed on Monday, March 2, that while serving as Secretary of State from 2009 until 2013 under President Obama’s administration, Clinton used a personal email account to conduct official government business. This news has sparked a discussion about government transparency and cyber security, especially concerning White House officials.
According to the original New York Times report on the revelation, Clinton’s aides “took no actions to have her personal emails preserved on department servers at the time,” which the Federal Record Act necessitates.
“I can recall no instance in my time at the National Archives when a high-ranking official at an executive branch agency solely used a personal email account for the transaction of government business,” said Jason R. Baron, a lawyer at Drinker Biddle & Reath and former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, in a Times article.
According to the National Archives and Records Administration, emails and letters sent to federal officials’ personal or governmental accounts are supposed to be preserved and accessible to the media and public as government records. There are exceptions to the rule, such as classified or sensitive information.
A specially-appointed White House committee investigating the Benghazi attacks in 2012 was the first body to notice the lack of official White House emails sent from Clinton. After State Departments meetings with Clinton’s lawyers in August 2014, the State Department sent letters to the secretaries of state, dating back to Madeleine Albright (1997-2001), asking for any of their government related documents, according to the Times article.
In December 2014, with 50,000 pages of emails sent from Clinton to the State Department, there were about 900 pages linked to the attacks in Libya, according to the Times.
On Wednesday, March 4, Clinton responded to the email disclosure by Tweeting, “I want the public to see my email. I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible.”
The State Department has confirmed they would review Clinton’s request, though the process could exceed several months, according to the CNN article.
The White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, defended Clinton’s use of her personal email. According to a CNN article, the administration’s policy “allows individuals to use their personal e-mail address as long as those e-mails are maintained and sent to the State Department, which, if you ask Secretary Clinton's team, that’s what they completed in the last month or two.”
As a favorite for the presidential Democratic nomination in 2016, several congressional Democrats have either vocally supported Clinton or have declined to comment, according to the CNN article.
While Elijah Cummings, U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 7th district, believes that it’s “very unfortunate” that Republicans are making every effort “to go after Hillary Clinton,” the Republican National Committee (RNC) insists on a complete investigation.
A letter addressed to the State Department Inspector General sent from chief counsel at the RNC said, “The American public deserves to know whether one of its top-ranking public official's actions violated federal law,” according to the CNN article.
According to a Washington Post article, Clinton’s successor, John F. Kerry, has “promised” that the emails will be reviewed, as well as publicly released.
(03/11/15 2:32pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Artificial Intelligence (AI), superb at social engineering and manipulation, will eventually become more charming than Bill Clinton, said James Barrat, author of the book “Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of Human Era.”
Having similar perception, vision, hearing and language as human beings, machines of rapidly progressing AI will exceed human intelligence, Barrat said.
According to the author, these facts beg the questions, “What is intelligence?” and “How can we control something more intelligent than we are?”
Students, faculty and the Ewing community filled Mayo Concert Hall on Monday, March 2, to engage in a conversation with Barrat about the future of AI and the ethical dilemmas it presents.
The College’s School of Business Center for Innovation and Ethics, as well as the School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Nursing and Exercise Science, sponsored this event. The Net Impact Student Chapter, the Economics Club and Phi Beta Kappa honor society were also co-sponsors.
“It’s the most inwardly looking exploration of ourselves,” Barrat said, discussing the ethical considerations of AI. Barrat has also written and produced documentaries such as “The Gospel of Judas” and “Egypt: Secrets of Pharaohs” for National Geographic, PBS and Discovery. “This conversation is the most important conversation of our time.”
According to Merriam-Webster, AI is “the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior.”
“We will create AI machines that are better at AI research than we are,” Barrat said.
According to Barrat, the short term question of AI is “Who controls it?” while the long term question is “Can it be controlled?”
“It is clear that artificial intelligence will play an increasing role in our lives over the coming decades,” said Kevin Michels, professor and director of the School of Business Center for Innovation and Ethics. “AI is now recognizing our speech, faces and motions, trading on Wall Street, and before too long, it may be driving our cars and diagnosing our medical conditions.”
Though AI offers beneficial solutions and inventions that have encouraged business start-ups and scientists, the morals of this new type of intelligence should be deliberated, according to Michels.
“The ethics challenges are daunting — from concerns about the behavior of robots to the longer-term existential concerns identified by James Barrat,” Michels said.
Programming morals into a machine is “extremely hard,” according to Barrat. To program ethics, one has to develop a universal definition of what humans consider to be good, bad, right and wrong.
Barrat offered the example of trying to program the statement, “Have a good life.”
“If we can’t even agree when life begins, how can we program that?” Barrat said. “Humans differ from place to place.”
There is no foolproof solution, according to Barrat, but there are “precedents.” AI-makers are not even “considering how to control it.”
“The first step toward a solution is to develop an awareness of the ethical challenges posed by AI,” Michels said. “Awareness may lead programmers and those who finance their projects to reflect more deeply on their responsibilities.”
“Some people with deeper pockets are only thinking of autonomous robots and drones,” Barrat said. “DARPA will keep creating because there is nothing illegal about it.”
Agencies such as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and National Security Agency (NSA), large corporations such as Google, International Business Machines (IBM) and Apple, and advanced countries such as the U.S., Israel and China, are the top “people-pursuing” AI innovations, according to Barrat.
“AI will dominate the 21st century,” Barrat said. “There is rapid product development without ethical research.”
In the near future, Michels thinks humans will encounter the “autonomy paradox.” As AI machines and robots are given more freedom to “work on their own,” these machines will cultivate a more independent and autonomous nature, according to Michels.
“Machines that learn and improve, program themselves, gain self-awareness and massive computational power will, in Barrat’s view, one-day achieve ‘super-intelligence,’” Michels said. “For the first time, we will share the planet with entities that are vastly smarter than ourselves.”
As machines of intelligence, AI will have “basic drives,” according to Barrat. These drives include efficiency, creativity, self-protection and resource acquisition.
“They don’t want to be turned off,” Barrat said. “It’s rational for them to prove their intelligence.”
While this does not mean AI will be dangerous, according to Barrat, AI machines will want to be able to use all of its possible resources to be as sufficient as possible, which could cause a threat to humans.
“AI is a dual use of technology. It’s something that can be used for great good and great harm,” Barrat said. Though “life is pretty good for AI designers right now,” it doesn’t make them “evil,” according to Barrat — they are “just like us.”
At this point, the termination of AI is not an option, according to Barrat.
“There’s too much money to be made and there is too much public interest,” Barrat said. “It’s pretty much unstoppable.”
(03/04/15 11:07pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Many of the College’s students graduate with three summers of “solid internship experience,” according to Steven Schreiner, dean of the School of Engineering. And whether a student is a rising sophomore or a senior about to graduate, Schreiner said finding internships is always possible.
“Students who look do find opportunities,” Schreiner said. “I encourage all students to seek internships.”
Sharply dressed students quickly filled the Recreational Center on Friday, Feb. 27, as the College hosted its spring semester Career Fair, allowing students to interact with professionals of a variety of fields and discuss job and internship opportunities.
“It’s important to understand what the marketplace is like,” Allstate Insurance Corporation associate Normeba Lane said. “Especially for graduating seniors.”
According to Lane, it’s important for companies to understand what students are looking for in an employer.
“New graduates bring a new perspective to the company,” Lane said. “It’s important to have that relationship.”
According to junior interdisciplinary business major Ryan Quindlen, it’s “pretty fun” that, while you’re trying to impress employers, they are trying to impress you, too. Quindlen found several companies that stood out to him while searching for marketing internships, such as Enterprise, Target and Johnson & Johnson.
Allstate is looking for “young, nice, talented and educated undergraduates,” according to Lane. Companies such as Unum insurance and CohnReznick, an accounting and tax advisory company, are also looking for “motivated” individuals.
“We’re looking for a young, determined and motivated individual looking for success,” Unum representative Ariella Faccas said. “We’ve met a lot of very qualified, intelligent students … (We’re) very impressed.”
Two alumni who currently work with WithumSmith+Brown accounting firm were also impressed with the College’s students.
“We met a lot of great kids,” said Elizabeth Schullstrom, a WithumSmith+Brown associate from the company’s New Brunswick location. “We had nice conversations, and students had great questions.”
CohnReznick June Summer Leadership Program is looking for students “that are motivated, open-minded and are able to grow and develop,” according to Lindsay Infield, its human resources specialist.
“It’s a great way to introduce (students) to the world of accounting — to a top 10 firm.”
Johnson & Johnson, a healthcare company based in New Jersey, is looking for student candidates for its co-op program.
“We’re looking at a variety of majors with strong leadership experience and for someone who’s really passionate about J & J,” Johnson & Johnson representative Amanda Spicker said. “It’s great to see everybody here today coming out.”
The College’s Career Fair is valued by not only potential employers, but especially by the students in attendance.
“The Career Fair presents great opportunities for students to find internships and job opportunities in students’ areas of study,” sophomore biology major Kate Kearns said. “(The College) did a great job getting a range of employers coming together.”
Schreiner agrees with Kearns, but said that the range of companies can always be increased.
“We work with the Career Center to continuously increase the presence of companies on campus,” Schreiner said.
Students from all years submitted their resumes to potential employers at the fair, hoping to land a job or internship opportunity.
First-time Career Fair attendee, junior nursing major Christian Dy, was pleased he went to the event, even though it was “a little overwhelming.” Striving to become a military nurse, Dy was able to communicate with the U.S. Army booth, even though there were not many booths directed toward nursing, according to Dy.
Looking for a summer internship, this was also sophomore finance major Kurmaine May’s first Career Fair.
“I’m looking for a good place to start off,” May said. “It’s not what I expected, but I’m glad I found out.”
The younger the students start coming to the Career Fair, the better, according to Mike Holyoak, senior radio frequency architect at LGS Innovations. Holyoak, who is “looking for the best and brightest engineers” to fill LGS’s internship position, told students not to be discouraged if they don’t receive their desired position.
“Even if you don’t get anything, make relationships with the person at the company,” Holyoak said.
Networking with professionals and building relationships is very important, according to Schreiner.
“Today I spoke with a recent alumnus who returned to recruit more TCNJ engineers,” Schreiner said. “He was taken aside at a TCNJ Career Fair for an on-the-spot interview, which landed him his position. Career Fairs can be powerful, (and) I absolutely encourage students of all levels to come.”
(02/25/15 7:32pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Hollywood gets it wrong, according to political, financial and media author and journalist Matt Taibbi. Hotshot Wall Street and bank executives are not the romanticized versions often seen in films, such as the portrayal of former stockbroker-scammer Jordan Belfort in the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Hollywood’s take on the economic injustice of white-collar crime is upsetting while also inaccurate, Taibbi said.
Taibbi said that instead of viewing financial injustices as solely a fiscal issue, it should be viewed as organized crime.
“It’s not an economic story,” Taibbi said. “It’s a crime story.”
Journalist for The Nation, Playboy and Rolling Stone and author of “The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap,” Taibbi lectured students, faculty, staff and the College community on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Kendall Hall, about the economic disparity between the wealthy and poor and the lack of stipulation narrowed at white-collar criminals. This lecture was part of the semester-long Exploring Economic Justice series, sponsored by the College’s Committee on Intellectual and Cultural Programming.
Taibbi also spoke to the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS 487) research seminar “Justice,” which includes both faculty and students.
“He talked to us for over an hour, and we got to ask questions and have an interesting colloquy,” said Morton Winston, professor of the research seminar. “It was really a nice experience for everybody.”
The first few weeks of the class were devoted to reading and analyzing Taibbi’s book, Winston said. “We wanted to explore what the ramifications of this inequality of wealth and income are for other aspects of American life. How does inequality of economics affect education, educational opportunities? How’s this inequality affect race relations?”
Taibbi admits that he didn’t begin his journey into the world of economics with a solid background.
“It was a topic I came upon completely by accident,” Taibbi said. “I couldn’t even balance my checkbook … I knew nothing about the financial justice system.”
As a political humorist following the presidential campaign trail, Taibbi realized that, including himself, “nobody had any clue what was happening on Wall Street.” Even writers reporting on the 2008 financial crisis were unfamiliar with the economics.
“I thought we crossed a line at that moment,” Taibbi said. “The ignorance of the press corps became a serious problem.”
Transitioning into producing pieces with “boring” semantics, Taibbi had to “learn an entire new language and translate it into what people understand.”
Since economics, and publications covering financial issues, are laced with sophisticated terms and complicated math references, it is difficult for the average American to understand the world of finance.
“As both a student and a journalist, I think that it is extremely important to have some basic knowledge about the financial state of our country,” junior journalism and professional writing major Shayna Innocenti said. “I think that journalists like Taibbi are doing a great job translating the complex governmental and economic jargon, so that the everyday person can understand what is transpiring around them.”
The “punchline” of the white-collar crime tale seemed to be that no one ever went to jail, was indicted or even had to pay out of their own pocket, Taibbi said.
Besides two people from Bear Stearns Co., an investment services firm, being brought to trial, “not a single individual had been indicted for misdeeds in the financial crisis,” Taibbi said.
“In 2008, indicting CEO’s may have had a catastrophic effect,” Taibbi said. However, “I never bought the excuse that not arresting people was out of concern for the economy.”
Winston agreed with Taibbi that the absence of arrests during the financial crisis was suspicious.
“It’s kind of a scandal that the criminal justice system has been so skewed by wealth,” Winston said. “It’s an important thing to know for contemporary American society … it’s an eye-opening thing for students to learn about.”
According to Taibbi, there seems to be two tiers of the criminal justice system — street crime and white-collar crime, which to many is not considered a “crime-crime.”
Due to lobbyists creating loopholes for big business, divergent allocation of resources in the police force, and prosecutors considering violators of white collar crime more like respected and intelligent peers, rather than offenders, there are weak repercussions for white-collar criminals, according to Taibbi.
“Where’s the deterrent to not commit other crimes?” Taibbi said. “Why not? Caught for one thing and essentially there was no price.”
For white-collar criminals, no incentive or deterrent to not commit crime has led to a “flowering” of white-collar offenses, Taibbi said.
Taibbi contrasted the event surrounding police brutality victim Eric Garner and the American International Group (AIG) fraud scandal and eventual government bailout.
The video of Garner’s death depicts 10 police officers eventually at the scene. On the contrary, during AIG’s scandal, one regulator at SNL Finance, a financial information firm, policed over 100,000 employees, according to Taibbi.
These two scenarios “symbolizes the difference in resources,” Taibbi said.
“One of our ideals as Americans is that there should be equal justice under the law,” Winston said. “But what (Taibbi’s) investigative reporting shows is that’s not true for many people.”
“They are two different worlds, but it is all crime,” Taibbi said. “It’s something we should all be concerned about.”
(02/20/15 6:59pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
Staff Writer
What was expected to be the biggest snow blizzard of the season turned out to be a typical, light-snow storm for New Jerseyians. Fortune was with Mercer County as the blizzard “Juno” moved east and left the county with only two to four inches of snow. Yet, snow blizzard or not, Mercer County was prepared.
While the students of the Mercer region schools were enjoying their snow day, New Jersey officials were busy trying to resume normal operations.
It began at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lifted the statewide travel ban, according to a Times of Trenton article. The RiverLINE NJ Transit service located in Trenton, as well as the SEPTA service back and forth from Trenton, began moving their trains as early as 8 a.m.
Frontier Airline flights at Trenton-Mercer airport were stopped on Tuesday. However, a representative said all flights would resume on Wednesday, Jan. 28, according to the Times.
According to Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson in a Times article, 16 plow truck drivers were clearing “the most highly traveled areas” in Trenton.
“We have some trucks everywhere,” Jackson said in the Times article.
Aid organizations such as The Rescue Mission of Trenton, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and the American Red Cross in Princeton were all well prepared for the consequences of the storm.
“We were at the ready,” said Diane Concannon, spokeswoman of the American Red Cross in Princeton. “Fortunately we were not activated.”
Though no American Red Cross shelters were open the night of Monday, Jan. 26, representatives of the organization kept in contact with their emergency offices just in case the storm hit.
Concannon was very happy to see that everyone was prepared, even though the storm was not as bas as predicted.
On that same night, The Rescue Mission of Trenton serviced 215 people at their shelter, which holds the capacity of 225 people. According to The Rescue Mission of Trenton Chief Operating Officer Barret Young, a typical number of people in the shelter in January is 177, he said in a Times article. Surprised that the shelter did not reach full capacity, Young reasoned this was because conditions were not as bad as expected.
Although the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen was closed on Tuesday, Jan. 26, TASK packed bagged lunches for The Rescue Mission of Trenton “to help with the demand for food,” according to the Times.
Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and The Rescue Mission of Trenton were expected to resume their normal schedules on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Although the blizzard “Juno” was not as drastic as anticipated, Mercer County was thoroughly equipped and ready for the possible snowstorm.
“We prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Concannon told the Times.
(02/20/15 6:38pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
One of America’s most famous and admired TV journalists, Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” has been suspended for six months without pay due to the recent discovery of his false account about being in a U.S. military helicopter that was shot down by enemy forces in Iraq.
“We believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action,” said NBC News President Deborah Turness in a USA Today article. “This was a very hard decision.”
It started with what seemed an honorable gesture — taking a brave and appreciated Iraq veteran to a New York Rangers ice hockey game. Alongside this game invitation, Williams personally thanked veteran Command Sergeant Major Tim Terpak for ensuring the safety of himself and his team in 2003 while on a U.S. military helicopter that was forced down by enemy fire.
After Williams’s 2015 segment about the inflated 2003 Iraq account, military veterans came forward asserting that Williams’s account was false because he was never actually in the aircraft that was shot down.
“The admission raises serious questions about his credibility in a business that values that quality above all else,” said Fox News analyst Howard Kurtz in a New York Times article.
The issue became a frenzy on social media after Williams apologized on the air, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, saying that he was in the aircraft behind the one shot down and “conflated” the two helicopters, the Times reported.
According to the Times, Williams received widespread criticism and ridicule for his apology on Twitter with the hashtag “#BrianWilliamsMisremembers.”
“My inbox is filled today with producers who went to Iraq with me, to Afghanistan with me, to Haiti with me, all kind of wondering how you could mess this up,” said former CNN anchor Aaron Brown in a Times article. “I have no answer for that. I will tell you that getting shot at is not something you forget.”
Williams gained the trust of Americans, as his “Nightly News” show brought in 9.3 million viewers a night — an impressive number, according to a Times article.
In a USA Today article, broadcast journalism professor at the University of Maryland, Mark Feldstein, questioned whether or not Williams can retain his credibility upon his six-month return.
The embellishments in Williams’s story has had millions of Americans questioning the integrity of his past reports, as well as the ethics at NBC news. NBC has initiated an investigation into Williams and his past news accounts. The investigation is still continuing, according to NBC News.
NBC is hoping that a six-month leave will be a sufficient cooling-off period for the network, according to Feldstein.
“We felt it would have been wrong to disregard the good work Brian has done and the special relationship he has forged with our viewers over 22 years,” Turness said in a USA Today article.
NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke urged the millions of “Nightly News” fans to forgive Williams.
“He deserves a second chance, and we are rooting for him,” Burke said, according to USA Today. “Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone’s trust.”
While Williams is on leave, journalist Lester Holt will fill in on “Nightly News” until his return.
(02/11/15 7:36pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
At least once a day, one should be accountable for being appreciative of oneself and one’s life, said Jennie Sekanics, a junior English literature and women’s and gender studies double major.
According to Sekanics, gratitude is a beautiful notion that should be celebrated, embraced and encouraged.
“When my resident, Sarah (Sutherland), passed last semester due to suicide, I became attuned to the efforts on campus geared toward positivity and creating a safer, more inclusive space for those who struggle,” said Sekanics, a community advisor in Wolfe. “At the core of it, this is for her and those who have ever felt like their voice wasn’t worthy or couldn’t find the words or place to speak.”
This is precisely the mission of the TCNJ Gratitude Journal Facebook page, created by Sekanics.
The Gratitude Journal is a page that “keeps a record of moments, people, places and occurrences that essentially made one’s day worth living,” Sekanics said.
“I wanted to provide a place where someone could speak without saying, ‘Hey, listen to me,’” she said. “A place where someone could acknowledge and be acknowledged without asking, without much effort.”
Numerous clubs and organizations on campus have been sponsoring positive mindfulness such as Circle of Compassion, Humanitarian Yoga and the College’s Counseling and Psychological Services, and now the Journal is prepared to join their ranks.
“I thought about the ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ campaign and how we could become an interconnected community and help each other be grateful and more positive,” Sekanics said.
Sponsored by the College’s Healthy Campus Program Council (HCPC), the “Breathe In, Breathe Out” campus-wide, month-long challenge asks students to shift off autopilot gear, become more aware of their surroundings and increase their mental health and mindfulness while dealing with the stress.
The “Breathe In, Breathe Out” campaign is part of a national initiative of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities, according to Carole Kenner, co-chair of the Healthy Campus Program Council and dean of the School of Nursing, Health and Exercise Science.
“I am proud to be part of this event,” Kenner said. “The ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ challenge will be fun, but also raise awareness of the need for physical and mental health and how to decrease stress.”
The HCPC consists of faculty, staff and students at the College “whose mission is to create a campus culture defined by on-going holistic health-related programs, policies and practices, focused on enhancing the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of students, faculty and staff,” according to Ashley Borders, psychology professor and leader of the “Breathe In, Breathe Out” challenge.
The HCPC decided to draw emphasis to mindfulness strategies that decrease stress and increase positive state of mind, Borders said.
“Mindfulness is unique because, in addition to reducing stress, it can also promote self-awareness, self-regulation and kindness (to oneself and others),” Borders said.
Practicing meditation, yoga and breathing techniques that sharpen your mindfulness can allow the mind to clarify personal values and increase emotional self-control in distressing predicaments, according to Borders.
Another aspect of the “Breathe In, Breathe Out” campaign is the Team Challenge element. These teams host smaller competitions that are sponsored by various clubs and organizations on campus.
“Team Challenges are crucial for both informing and motivating students, faculty and staff,” Borders said. “Team challenges allow organizations and departments to create friendly internal competitions and to tailor the challenge to their specific members.”
Though the mindfulness challenge may seem daunting to students, faculty and staff who are constantly on the go, there are simple meditative exercises to practice that will reduce stress and normalize a fast heart pace.
“It is surprisingly hard to set aside our many responsibilities for even 15 minutes a day so that we can cultivate calmness and inner peace,” Borders said.
Borders recommends to students to start noticing their breathing while working or in class because a minute or two of noticing your breathing can reduce stress. Students will still be able to pay attention to their professor, but “they may just slow down the clutter in their own minds a bit,” Borders said.
The Challenge’s website includes visualizations, guided meditations and breathing exercises that can be helpful for students with trouble falling asleep.
“One of my favorites (audio clips) is called the Lake Meditation, a lovely, 10-minute, guided imagery meditation that promotes inner calm even in the midst of a busy life,” Borders said.
“We appreciate that starting a mindfulness practice is no small feat,” Borders said. “Despite the many benefits, it is much easier said than done.”
The “Breathe In, Breathe Out” challenge, along with the Gratitude Journal, has supplemented the campus’ practicing positive mindfulness opportunities.
Sekanics posts on the Journal’s page every day for her own health and self-love and to remind herself of what she is grateful for each day.
“I would like to openly express my gratitude for the interactions I had with my resident, Sarah,” Sekanics said. “It is important to make space, to speak and to listen, to reflect and to be grateful, and I owe it to Sarah for reminding me of that fact and for inspiring me to practice mindfulness, presence and gratitude each and every day.”
(01/29/15 6:53pm)
By Gabrielle Beaken
Staff Writer
Due to lack of demand, Frontier Airlines has cancelled five of its 18 flight destinations from Trenton-Mercer Airport in January, according to the Trenton Times.
Frontier Airlines is a low-cost U.S. airline which prides themselves on their inexpensive tickets. For the Trenton-Mercer Airport’s 85th anniversary, Frontier Airlines offered a one-day-sale of a $22, one-way fare.
“We’re thrilled at the embrace our friendly, low-fare service has received in Trenton,” Frontier Airline’s director of corporate communication, Todd Lehmacher, told the Trenton Times.
Ascending its first flight in November of 2012, Trenton-Mercer Airport and Frontier Airlines have had a good relationship that had resulted in economic growth. The Airport still had yet to turn a profit. However, with the introduction of Frontier Airlines, the airport’s revenue led a progressive revenue growth, while the Airport’s deficit was riding a downward trend, the Times reported.
A March article in the Times stated that smaller airlines in the past have “tried and failed to succeed at offering passenger service at Trenton-Mercer.” Frontier Airlines began in November of 2012 at Trenton-Mercer with one flight to Orlando, yet by June of 2013, the Airline encompassed 73 weekly flights serving 17 destinations.
Excitement spread through Mercer County as the airline announced the possibility of flights from Trenton-Mercer to the Bahamas.
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, a vocal supporter of the airline, told the Times, “This is more exciting news for the Mercer County region in that for the first time in the history of Trenton-Mercer Airport, a commercial carrier could offer international service with direct flights to an island resort.”
Yet, Trenton-Mercer Airport would have to wait for their historical significance, as Frontier Airlines cancelled plans for flights between the Airport and Bahamas because of a “lack of demand,” according to the Times.
Lehmacher stated that though the airline still desires to eventually plan a flight path to the Bahamas, there is no specific date in mind, according to the article.
The discontinuation of flights pursued in January of 2015, when services to Nashville, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Cleveland were cancelled.
Lehmacher said that the airline’s relationship with Trenton-Mercer is still new and is therefore unable to analyze “historical route data” that would reveal what flight paths are in demand in Mercer county versus what flight paths are not as popular, according to the Times.
Both Lehmacher and Hughes say that Trenton-Mercer Airport and Frontier Airlines are still in a committed relationship, despite the recent discontinuation of flights.
The more profound presence of Frontier Airlines at Philadelphia International Airport will not impact the Airline’s presence at Trenton-Mercer, senior Vice President Daniel Shurz told the Times.
Hughes reinforced his confidence in the airline as he discussed the County’s proposal for airport renovations, originally discussed in 2012, such as a new passenger terminal.
Yet, despite the recent changes, Trenton-Mercer has not lost their confidence in the airline.
“These guys know how to run an airline,” Hughes told the Times. “I believe they have a bright future in Trenton.”
(01/28/15 10:20pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Dr. Janet Morrison does not have to rely on her belief that faculty-student engagement works. She has seen the beneficial results of professor-student collaboration firsthand.
With over 25 years of research with undergraduate students, including positions such as Director of Faculty-Student Scholarly and Creative Collaborative Activity at the College, Morrison surely understands the importance of professor-student research relationships.
Morrison, a professor of biology at the College, has been recommended as the inaugural recipient of the Barbara Meyers Pelson ’59 Chair in Faculty-Student-Engagement. The award praises and promotes tenured, full-time professors with an outstanding history of student-faculty research, collaboration and teaching.
According to the College’s website, this is the school’s first-ever endowed chair. Class of 1959 alumna Barbara Meyers Pelson donated $1 million to fund the faculty-student collaboration program.
“This inaugural chairship celebrates the engagement of students in their own education and the creation of a collaborative intellectual community as hallmarks of the TCNJ experience,” according to the website.
The professor recommended for the award will serve a three-year chair appointment and receive funds for faculty-student research.
“I am very honored and pleased to be chosen for the Barbara Myers Pelson ’59 Chair,” Morrison said. “I am looking forward to the opportunities it offers to extend my work with undergraduates in plant ecology research while also working on initiatives in faculty-student engagement for the entire campus.”
As a part of her application for the award, Morrison suggested new programs to increase faculty-student research and collaboration. Morrison proposed to focus on two areas that she thinks would most benefit from an enhancement.
“First, I will follow up on a long-standing commitment I have to provide more access to research opportunities to underrepresented students, in all program areas of the college,” Morrison said. “Second, I plan to work on developing more capacity for this type of engagement in the professional schools where it has not typically been the norm to do much in the way of faculty-student collaboration.”
Part of the budget that the Chair receives will go toward “TCNJ Workshop Series in Faculty-Student Engagement” and to the annual Barbara Myers Pelson ’59 Lecture, Morrison said.
Through experiences in research collaboration, Morrison has defined a method for allowing students to work together on large, shared projects while also receiving individual attention and mentoring. Typically, after students join a research team as a “shadow,” the student then continues as a full-time researcher during the semester for Independent Research course credit or through the Mentored Undergraduate Summer Experience (MUSE).
“The research and our own experiences here clearly show that deep engagement in collaboration with an invested, caring mentor maximizes learning,” Morrison said. “Also, it has a huge positive influence in sustaining and deepening student interest in the subject, which is very important for retaining students in challenging fields.”
Since Morrison’s students stay with her in the lab for three or more semesters, including a summer, Morrison has had the opportunity to become colleagues with her students, rather than solely their professor.
The collaborations are very rewarding, Morrison said. She and her students have engaged in a variety of projects that includes the study of plant and pathogen interactions, competition studies between different species in a greenhouse and a field and plants interactions with deer.
“Research and collaborative creative activity is full of teamwork, long-term planning, problem solving, analysis of complex results and communicating to many audiences,” Morrison said. “It provides a terrific avenue for students to develop the higher-order intellectual skills that they are here in college to nurture.”
Students in Morrison’s Ecology courses also benefit from semester-long research projects.
“Those focus on a huge range of questions — and not just about plants,” Morrison said. “For example, we almost always have a group that studies the behavioral ecology of squirrels.”
Morrison desires to entice science and non-science majors to learn more about ecology through research.
“It would be great to have more people interested in the science of ecology, since it has so much to say and offers such a powerful lens (but not the only one) through which to understand humans’ environmental challenges,” she said.
Morrison is also excited to offer a new course for non-science majors that discuss invasive species in our environment called “The Biology of Alien Invasions.”
Since information is presented in “bite-sized bits these days,” Morrison encourages those unaware of environmental issues or the field of ecology to develop their own research by reading articles from science publications.
If it were not for undergraduate students, professors would not be able to maintain active research, Morrison said. According to the professor, by involving students in professional research, they are “engaged in real scholarship that is right there in the mix with other professional scholars.”
“These are not skills that you develop from doing short term class assignments and studying for exams,” Morrison said. “They are the skills that will put you in an excellent position to pursue high-level careers in the future, with a nimbleness of mind that will serve you well in a rapidly changing world.”
(12/09/14 7:13pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Pouring rain and icy weather couldn’t hinder the protesters’ spirits — students fought the challenging climate conditions and marched from the Education Building to the Towers in a demonstration supporting black lives and an end to police brutality on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Starting in Alumni Grove and wrapping its way around campus, the peaceful protest, “March for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, and all others who had their lives taken,” was handsomely attended. The march mirrored demonstrations around the country in the wake of two failed indictments of white police officers who killed unarmed, black males in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island.
“There has been no justice for the people whose lives have been taken by the police,” senior psychology major and chief organizer of the protest Gabriel Rojas said. “The officers involved in these various murders have not been charged for their crimes, and so there is a powerful force here in America that is continuously getting away with exerting their power wrongfully.”
The dispute over the use of deadly force by law enforcement and its tendencies to unfairly criminalize black males has become a contentious issue since the shooting of Michael Brown in August. The issue was further brought to light by the deaths of Eric Garner and Akai Gurley at the hands of the police, but a multitude of similar, yet less publicized incidents have routinely occurred around the country.
Unarmed, 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson on Saturday, Aug. 9. Many details of the case remain ambiguous due to inconsistencies in witness testimony and evidence provided at the trial, and a grand jury subsequently refused to indict Wilson on charges of murder and manslaughter.
Unarmed, 43-year-old Eric Garner fatally sucumbed to an NYPD-banned chokehold method, implemented by police officer Daniel Pantaleo, on Thursday, July 17, in Staten Island. A video that shows the altercation was shared on the Internet and has since gone viral. Garner is heard several times in the video saying “I can’t breathe,” and protests over the grand jury’s refusal to indict Pantaleo have echoed his dying words.
Unarmed 28-year-old Akai Gurley was accidently, yet fatally, shot by a novice police officer, Peter Liang, in a dark stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project on Thursday, Nov. 20. The Brooklyn district attorney plans to convene a grand jury.
Moreover, according to a ProPublica.org analysis of federally collected data on fatal police shootings, recent studies suggest that young black males are 21 times more likely of being shot dead by police than their white counterparts. The ProPublica analysis specifically focuses on black males from age 14 to 19.
As a result, unrest has erupted across the nation, with relations between law enforcement and racial minorities have been increasingly strained. Many universities and colleges have hosted protests, as well, including the University of California Berkeley, Texas A&M University and Colorado College.
“I absolutely disagree (with the fact) that neither of them were indicted,” senior creative writing major Ashlee Cain said of officers Wilson and Pantaleo. “It’s outrageous with everything that has happened.”
Various chants were recited during Saturday afternoon’s campus protest, such as "Hands up, don’t shoot,” “No justice, no peace,” “Black lives matter,” “We can’t breathe, stop police brutality” and “Two hands in the air, but they don't really care.”
“At this point I’m angry,” sophomore psychology major Ijal Thompson said. “I’m focused on activism. Hopefully, change comes in with legislation.”
An overarching theme of the protest was “Black Lives Matter,” as seen on the mural painted on the community message board outside the Brower Student Center. In response, some students questioned why the theme chose not to say “All Lives Matter.”
“The most important message from this protest is that black lives matter,” Rojas said. “Many people have been trying to say that all lives matter, but that is not the issue at hand.”
Rojas explained that, while human life should be universally protected, black lives are being taken and targeted by law enforcement officers at exceptional rates. This is an injustice that “we will not stand for,” Rojas said.
Students participated in the protest to spread awareness of the issues addressed in the Brown and Garner cases.
“I felt like I couldn’t do anything to help until I heard they were doing this,” Cain said.
Cain was excited to hear that there was a way to express her viewpoints through the convenient protest on campus.
“It’s easy for somebody who can’t go out into the world to show their support,” Cain said. “I really hope to spread awareness.”
Rojas and Campus Police coordinated together to map out a route for the protesters to march.
“Campus Police were actually very supportive of the protest, and they helped in planning the route that we marched,” Rojas said. “They told me that they wanted to help us get our message across and wanted to make sure it all ran smoothly, which is exactly what they did.”
The protest marched past Centennial towards the Education Building and then marched around all of the campus school buildings. Students living in Townhouses South, Travers and Wolfe, Cromwell, Decker, New Residence, Allen, Brewster and Eli Halls were all able to see and hear the protesters marching.
Protesting on campus not only affects the students participating, but also the students observing the demonstration and its messages.
“I just hope that the people who could not make it to the protest heard what we had to say and that it got them thinking about what we were protesting about,” Rojas said. “If we were able to just catch the attention of a few people, and inspire those people to at least think or talk about the current injustice against these black lives, then we have succeeded in making one step toward progress and fighting for the change that needs to come.”
Junior psychology major Angela Tengelics agreed with Rojas: Seeing students protesting in the pouring rain makes a statement. Tengelics added that anything that can be done to get the conversation started is an important catalyst for social change.
“If no one else is going to stand up against this injustice, someone has to,” Tengelics said.
(11/18/14 8:02pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Young Democratic leaders of New Jersey gathered together to form a discussion panel for the event “Forging the Future: Stories of Success from New Jersey’s Young Democratic Leaders” on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to discuss the critical participation of young people in politics. The event was hosted by the College Democrats and College Democrats of New Jersey.
“Political engagement is at the core of building a better future,” said Sam Fogelgaren, junior history and urban studies double major and president of TCNJ College Democrats. “College occupies a unique period of time in our lives in which we are strongly encouraged to constantly question, develop and learn.”
The moderator, Jeannine LaRue, introduced the panel, including Daniel R. Benson, Tennille McCoy, Milly Silva, Chris James and Vin Gopal.
“I really wanted to be the change I talked about,” said LaRue, reminiscing about the beginning of her long political career. The purpose of the event was to teach young students how to get involved in politics to create the type “of change that you want to see,” LaRue said.
LaRue’s long political resume includes serving as deputy chief of staff for former New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine.
“There are so many areas ... where you can make change,” LaRue said. “There are so many things, so many options.” LaRue stressed that running for political office is simply one path to generating change.
“At the end of the day, I want to do something, not just be something,” New Jersey District fourteen Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson said.
Benson, former member of Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Hamilton Township Council, depicted the inception of his political career as knocking on doors and making phone calls.
“You see a campaign you don’t like? Speak up,” Benson said. Benson emphasized that calling citizens on the phone for hours a day is extremely significant, as “you are asking people to make an investment in you.”
“Putting in the time and getting rejected — it’s just part of the business,” Benson said. “It’s getting through it.”
Tennille McCoy, who has worked under four governors, agreed with Benson.
“It’s not something easily done,” McCoy said. “But at the end of the day, I agree with the sentiment.”
McCoy has learned that “it’s really about knowing the opportunity and what you’re able to do.”
If someone asked Milly Silva if she would run for public office a year ago, she would’ve responded with a clear “no.” However, now she says, “never say never.”
Barbara Buono chose Silva as the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the 2013 New Jersey Governor election.
“Each and every one of us has an opportunity to identify that space where we can come together,” Silva said. “You have to feel passionate about something — you can’t fake it.”
After over 20 years of experience building various organizations, Silva has interacted with a wide variety of people who wish to make New Jersey a better place to live.
“You connect with people from where they stand, not where you think they stand,” Silva said. “Whatever you do, take advantage of what you’re going to learn from it.”
Chris James, executive director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, suggested that students look into the issues in their area, find what interests them and then reach out to their legislators.
Growing up in politics, James initiated his interests by volunteering, which he suggested students to do the same.
“If you don’t try and are not willing to take a little bit of risk — you won’t get a lot of reward,” said Vin Gopal, chairman of Monmouth County Democrats and co-owner of My Community Publications.
Panels, like this one, offering advice to students interested in politics is a great networking opportunity, Gopal said.
The panel, as a whole, expressed that connecting and interacting with the community is a central step in the process of change.
“At the end of the day we’re all people, and we’re all looking for similar things: access to opportunities, kind treatment by others and a sense of purpose,” said Fogelgaren, who has been involved in several Trenton political campaigns such as that of current Mayor Eric Jackson and Congresswoman-elect Bonnie Watson-Coleman. “I believe community involvement is the key to a better future because it is our best fight against ignorance.”
“I learned that you should start young, regardless of experience or major,” junior marketing major Missy Bove said. “Start young if you want to make a change.”
Many students studying political science who wish to enter the political arena found the panel helpful, according to sophomore international studies major and College Democrats secretary Ambica Avancha.
“Also, the panelists were really cool and inspiring,” she said.
Fogelgaren encouraged students to become involved in the Trenton political community and disregard their preconceived notions of the state capital. According to Fogelgaren, there are numerous organizations that produce good work that are understaffed are in need of help.
“The idea behind the panel is: let’s get college students to hear the voices of passionate young leaders, so that this experience and the information presented can question their beliefs,” Fogelgaren said. “But that’s just the beginning.”
(10/29/14 10:13pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
The College hosted two separate political events this past week as the New Jersey 12th District Congressional Election, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4, quickly approaches. The 12th District includes portions of Union, Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer counties — including Ewing Township.
The events included a debate between the Democratic candidate, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Republican candidate, Dr. Alieta Eck, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and a Candidate’s Forum on Friday, Oct. 24. Director of the international studies program and assistant professor of political science Brian Potter moderated both events.
Wednesday’s debate, held in the packed Mayo Concert Hall, highlighted several critical national and campus-related issues. Such topics included federal marriage, public education, fracking, Middle Eastern relations, health care and campaign finance reform.
“I believe I can make a difference,” Eck said. Being that there are no female physicians in Congress at this time, Eck, a practicing physician, believes she can be a valuable asset. Eck and her husband founded the Zarepath Health Center, a free clinic for “the poor and uninsured,” according to her official campaign website.
Like Eck, Watson Coleman’s pointed out her expertise in her past experiences.
“I’ve been a leader in the legislature, working with Republicans and Democrats,” she said.
Watson Coleman is running with the support of current Democratic representative of New Jersey’s 12th District, Rush Holt, who has served in the New Jersey general assembly since 1998, representing the 15th District.
According to Watson Coleman’s website, she is the “first African-American woman to serve as Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly and the first African-American woman to serve as Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.”
The two candidates held contrasting views on several topics. While Eck was in favor of the possibility of sending ground troops to Syria and Iraq to combat ISIS, Watson Coleman argued that “boots on the ground is the last thing we should be doing.”
Another disputing topic concerned fracking. Eck stated that fracking, when proceeding with safety and caution, would be an affordable source of energy, while Watson Coleman argued that fracking negatively impacts the environment.
When answering a question about prison reform, Eck supported the decriminalization of marijuana, stating that especially for personal use, marijuana users should not be imprisoned.
“New Jersey may follow Colorado,” Eck said.
Watson Coleman responded by expressing her belief in the growth and expansion of drug courts, as well as providing treatment to addicts rather than following through on a policy of incarceration.
The most heated debate topic of the event, which included several rebuttals by both parties, was the discussion of job growth and the government’s role in the economy.
“Trenton has been treated poorly, but it can be an intellectual capital,” Watson Coleman said. Research facilities hosted in Trenton can create jobs, she added.
“To increase jobs, get government out of the way — not government jobs, private sector jobs,” Eck said, rebutting her opponent’s statements. “Obamacare is the biggest job killer New Jersey has ever seen.”
The second political event of the week was the Candidate’s Forum. According to an email distributed by College Relations to the campus community, all of the candidates were invited to attend, including: Allen J. Cannon (Democratic-Republican), Kenneth J. Cody (Truth Vision Hope), Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democratic), Don DeZarn (Legalize Marijuana Party), Alieta Eck (Republican), Jack Freudenheim (Start The Conversation), and Steven Welzer (Green Party).
However, only four candidates — Cannon, Eck, Freudenheim and Welzer — attended and participated in the event.
“The party system seems to be failing us,” Freudenheim said. “We’re all a little tired.”
Welzer agrees that citizens, when casting their ballots, should have more than two chief options between their parties.
“(We’ve) got to get beyond the only two-choice system,” Welzer said.
“It’s important that we dissolve party lines and think of personal lives,” Cannon said. “(The Democratic-Republican Party is) the party that set up the constitution, the foundation of equity for all American citizens.”
The federal legalization of gay marriage was the most discussed topic of the event, due to questions prompted by a student in the audience. The conversation delved deeper into the topic as the student prompted that the words “civil union” and “marriage” don’t carry the same social weight and equalities.
“We are arguing over a word, not the right for one person to love another,” Cannon said. Cannon argued that the word “civil union” holds the same rights and protection as the word “marriage.”
“We must respect the right of people to disagree,” Eck said, not in favor of the federal legalization of gay marriage. “We must treat everyone with the utmost dignity, no matter what.”
The topic of climate change also brought debate, as the Green Party promoted climate change as a valid and imminent threat.
“Ninety-eight percent of scientists say there is a warming,” Welzer said in response to Eck’s claim that scientists cannot prove that human activity is causing climate change. “There is really little debate here.”
“We know it’s happening,” Freudenheim said. “What can we do as a human race? We should take action.”
Students, too, should be asking questions and receiving answers from political officials, said sophomore international studies major and executive-board member of College Democrats Ambica Avancha.
“I was surprised that more people are not informed,” Avancha said. “I think it’s important for students to be involved in politics.”
(10/22/14 10:15pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
Project developments, budget overview and transfer of powers were all topics presented in the College’s Board of Trustees “Sunshine Agenda” meeting in Loser Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
After the Board of Trustees discussed the agenda in a closed meeting, a public session was held in order to review all sections of the agenda.
The Sunshine Agenda included three special components: swearing in of new student trustee, shift of chair position and an extended presentation on Campus Town.
There are two student representations on the board: one alternate student trustee and one voting trustee. The alternate student trustee serves for one year then becomes the voting trustee.
“Students participate in all deliberations of the board, as permitted by state statute, on committees of the board and, like all trustees, represent the best interests of the citizens of the State of New Jersey,” said Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees Heather Fehn.
This year, new Student Trustee Kevin Kim was sworn in with a brief ceremony at the public session. Ryan Boyne currently serves as student-voting trustee.
Following the swearing-in of the new student trustee was the official transfer of the gavel: the initiation of a new chair of the board.
According to Fehn, the chair of the board holds responsibilities like publicly representing the board and working “with the President to ensure that the Board provides appropriate guidance and policy oversight for the institution.” Chair positions are typically held for two to three years, according to Fehn.
“It’s not my funeral. I’m not going anywhere,” said former Chair of the Board Christopher Gibson. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank President Gitenstein, the cabinet, faculty and staff.”
Gibson is transferring the position of Chair after a three-year term. “We’ve achieved many things these last three years,” Gibson said. “Take a look out the window, and you see things happening here.”
Due to his commitment to education, Gibson will continue to advocate for the value of education from outside the College’s board.
“We have to find a way to provide affordable education for all citizens,” he said.
New Chair of the Board, Jorge Caballero, former secretary and six-year board member, made two promises to the public.
“One: I will always do my best,” Caballero said. “And, two: I will always have the best interest of this institution.”
Caballero detailed his educational journey to the public and board. Coming to America at the age of 10 with his family, penniless, he has endured struggles along the way.
“Without these public institutions, I would’ve never been able to go to college and have a career,” Caballero said. By becoming the new chair, Caballero is “giving back and paying it forward.”
The Board carried all presented resolutions and reviewed alternative academic information.
An undisputed carried resolution includes the Resolution Concerning Implementation of Increase in Compensation for the President of The College of New Jersey.
“This item was taken very seriously by board and committee,” Caballero said.
This document details that the Board of Trustees “authorizes a one-time bonus of 3.090 percent and authorizes a 6.154 percent increase for the president effective (Wednesday), July 1, 2014,” according to the official resolution document.
The document also specifies that the President’s salary has remained unchanged since Monday, July 1, 2013, her most recent increase — an increase due to the efforts and services of President Gitenstein.
“She continues to move the institution toward its mission with unwavering principles and has been instrumental in the advocacy for the College and higher education not only in New Jersey, but nationally,” the Resolution said.
An additional carried resolution, approving a revised policy in repeating courses, explains that students must receive advisement before repeating a course. A student can only repeat a course once, and the prevailing grade, except in the Engineering Department, will be counted.
“I would like to clarify — this is a requirement for us to submit to the state of New Jersey,” Gitenstein said, introducing the Resolution Concerning Submission of the FY 2016 Capitol Budget Request Totaling $18,655,000 (for fiscal year of 2016) and $219,779,000 (seven year term 2016-2022). “We never get the resources, but we always ask.”
The high-ticket items of the 2016-2022 proposed budget were the STEM Complex Phase II in 2018, $30,000; the new Nursing Building in 2019-2022, $48,900; the Roscoe West Library renovation and renewal in 2019- 2022, $20,783; and asset renewal, academic and administrative, spanning through all four years with $41,007.
According to Caballero, representing the Report of the Finance and Investments Committee, the College has been doing financially well, even resulting in slight surplus this past fiscal term. Though there are slight revisions to the College’s investment procedure, he said, their investing policy is still moderate risk.
Reporting on the Student Affairs Committee, Rosie Hymerling commented on the Committee’s collaboration with the Alumni Association to plan a fun-for-all and successful Homecoming, as well as its new health initiations, such as appointing a new Director for Counseling.
Several other faculty and staff additions were announced, including six two-year term Athletics temporary staff labeled Project Specialist.
An extended Campus Town presentation was given at the conclusion of the public session, depicting the project’s positive and beneficial publicity, construction progress, retail and residence details and overall investments. An original $65 million investment has now increased to $86 million.
Campus Town October activity will include roofing, sheathing and the primitive steps to install windows. With 376 leases already signed, Campus Town currently has 58 beds left to fill.
Closed session topics included personnel actions, such as faculty hires, retires and resignations; pending litigation, including Susan Guerrini v TCNJ; and contract negotiations related to Campus Town.
The next public meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. Time and location are to be announced.
(10/07/14 4:00pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
It seems as though anywhere students walk on campus, they can see some type of construction happening in order to further the development of the College.
Campus Town, set to open in Spring 2015, and the new STEM building, planned to begin construction in the spring, are two highly anticipated projects that will benefit a wide range of students at the College.
The $94 million implementation of the new STEM project is possible because of financial help from the Building Our Future Bond Act, Higher Education Capital Improvement Fund, the Higher Education Technology Infrastructure Fund and the Higher Education Leasing Fund, according to the College’s official website.
The key players in this demanding project derive from a “STEM Steering Committee,” headed by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jacqueline Taylor, according to the College’s website.
The new 88,000 square foot, formal Georgian red-brick architectural style of the Biology Building will include classrooms, general and special laboratories and faculty offices for engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science, according to a Times of Trenton article from Oct. 1, 2014.
“Our outstanding science and engineering programs have struggled with inadequate laboratories and facilities,” Taylor said. “The new STEM building and the subsequent renovation of Armstrong and Science will finally give us facilities that match the high quality of our programs.”
The Times of Trenton article revealed that the new building, planned to be the home of the computer science and two engineering departments, would be physically attached to the Biology Building.
Linking these two buildings will be a glass-walled space named The Forum, Taylor said. According to Taylor, The Forum will be be a “high-ceilinged,
two-story structure ideal for students to gather for study groups and homework.”
“The physical link between the existing building and the new one also symbolizes the way the new space is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and to provide a welcoming environment for all TCNJ students,” Taylor said.
Not only is the Computer Science and Engineering Department receiving improvements, but the grant money offered to the College will also be spent toward the enhancement of Armstrong Hall, the Chemistry Building and the Science Complex, through additions and renovations.
Students will have to patiently wait before they begin to reap the benefits of the new STEM building, as construction commences in Spring 2015 and completion of construction is set to be in 2017, according to a Times of Trenton article from July 17, 2014.
This falls contrary to a Fall 2007 edition of TCNJ Magazine, predicting that the new STEM project would be completed by 2015. Though this article was published almost seven years ago, the author correctly predicted that the demolishment of Holman Hall would begin in 2013.
This new STEM project has been well-thought-out and developed for several years and students hope it will be worth the wait.
(10/01/14 5:38pm)
Stepping on stage with gold-studded, black, six-inch heels, music icon Sarah Dash spoke to students in Mayo Concert Hall about how growing up in the Trenton educational and music scene shaped her artist aspirations and singing career.
The Freshman Seminar Program, “Trenton Makes Music,” led by English and journalism associate professor Kim Pearson, sponsored this event on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
“We’re trying to spotlight the artists that come from Trenton,” Dash’s younger sister Diane Dash-Thomson said. “I think it’s great that she still lives in Trenton.”
During her childhood, the Trenton Church of Christ offered Dash a gateway into the medium of music. By the time she was 14, Dash had already lined up her first professional gig in a Trenton nightclub.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Dash on being the daughter of a pastor. “I grew up in the church.”
Dash was a member of the girl-group quartet Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles in the 1960s and 1970s. It eventually turned into the widespread, famous and successful girl-group trio LaBelle.
LaBelle produced many well-known hits during its run such as “Lady Marmalade,” which made its debut on the popular television show “American Bandstand.” The trio was known for its collaborative style of funk, blues and rock and initiated the “costume” phenomenon for girl groups, focusing on individual style rather than monotony.
“They were the trendsetters,” said Dash’s celebrity eyelash stylist and close friend, Austin Gary. “They were the Lady Gagas.”
In addition to her performances with “Labelle,” Dash collaborated with well-known acts, including The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and Keith Richards. After her time with LaBelle, Dash primarily moved toward the disco-dance genre while still exercising her big vocals and gospel lyrics.
Though Dash has traveled the world and performed with some of the most iconic artists in music history, she has found her way back in her childhood Trenton home.
“There was a spirit that I had no control over,” Dash said. “My mother’s spirit was what brought me back there.”
Dash noted that the Trenton of today does not parallel her childhood memories of Trenton. Her neighborhood, for example, is slowly re-gentrifying.
“I’ve been a part of that restructuring,” she said.
“You don’t hear about the good things that will gain self-confidence (in Trenton),” said resident of Trenton and faculty member of the School of Arts and Communications Mary Williams. “You always hear about shootings.”
When Williams learned about Dash’s return to Trenton, she believed that the news should be publicized since entertainment is a critical part in the lives of youth.
“To know that people flourish life, from a small town like (Trenton), should be broadcast,” Williams said. As a result, Williams believes the youth of Trenton can admire Dash and say, “She persevered. I can do that.”
“I do believe in the city, the capital of New Jersey,” Dash said. “We have a lot to offer, and we have a lot of restructuring to do.”
Dash is currently working on an exciting new Trenton project: the Sarah Dash Music Academy.
“The purpose is to bring into the community a sense of responsibility,” Dash said. The Academy would shape and encourage artistically talented students and groom them into “solid citizens,” according to Dash.
“One has to have a formula to remain focused,” said Dash regarding musically-oriented students. “Smart and not hungry.”
Dash also explained that being well-educated in all fields is important to success.
“I’ve continued to read and educate myself even in the fields of computer science,” Dash said.
The Academy will also provide an opportunity for seniors to achieve their musical aspirations.
“It’s a shame to die with something inside of you,” Dash said. “Music can be a lifeline.”
Two of the College’s professors who especially could appreciate Dash’s presence were Pearson and Reverend Todd McCrary, who teaches the FSP, “Evolution of African American Gospel Music.” Pearson discussed the lack of and segregation of efficient historical documentation in Trenton, while McCrary and Dash spoke about Trenton’s history of spirituality.
“What you’ve seen today is not rehearsed,” Gary said. “You really get to see who she really is. She teaches you a lot.”
But ultimately, Dash believes that music hasn’t just changed her life, but that of society altogether — and dramatically so.
“As you grow in your life, you need to understand what it takes to be a performer, if that is your quest,” Dash said. “To understand art is to understand life.”
(09/24/14 6:29pm)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
The English Department took a closer look at this year’s summer reading novel, Gary Shteyngart’s “Super Sad True Love Story” on Friday, Sept. 19, in the Education Building. In several close readings, English professors Michael Robertson, Mindi McMann and Jess Row conducted three separate and distinctly focused explications of the novel — interpretations designed to “unfold” literary themes through the analysis of a particular passage.
“Super Sad True Love Story” is set in the near-future of a dystopian American society in New York, where retail and media consumerism have dominated all civilization. There are two central characters: Lenny Abramov, a middle-aged, middle-class descendant of a Russian immigrant who, in turn, falls in love with Eunice Park, a young Korean-American girl. The novel depicts America’s current economic, political and social status as unstable — encouraging maximum participation in consumerism and abusing heavy military power, while also being deeply indebted to its Chinese creditors.
“The good news is, we’re in a golden age of dystopian fiction,” Robertson said. “The bad news is, we’re in a golden age of dystopian fiction.”
All three professors then proceeded to present their own personally-tinted perspectives on the novel’s themes, conflicts and more.
“It’s good to hear perspectives that conflict,” junior English and women’s and gender studies double major Erin Shannon said. “Everyone has different thoughts.”
Robertson initiated the discussion of the novel, elucidating four conflicts found in futuristic-type fiction that applied to the summer reading novel as well: utopian vs. dystopian, dystopian vs. anti-utopian, hard vs. soft and closed vs. open. Offering examples from famous dystopian novels, such as George Orwell’s “1984”, Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s “We.”, Robertson applied these dichotomies to Shteyngart’s work.
“Super Sad True Love Story” included all of these conflicts while examining both sides, according to Robertson. To support his argument, he proposed interpreting the ending of the novel as both “closed” and “open.”
According to Robertson, the last few lines of the novel illustrate a beautiful countryside scene, suggesting that the setting has reversed back to a “natural” world, leaving the ending “open” for improvement and progress. However, the last lines of the novel also imply a “closed” ending, as the text illustrates a completely silent and dark world where society’s admiration for materialism remains.
Following Robertson’s interpretation, McMann examined the role economic globalization and race played in the novel.
“The characters bury their heads in the sand,” McMannn said, noting how the fictional government’s inability to provide its citizens with basic needs perpetuated a “failed state.”
The U.S. dollar’s worth is null as international competitors have dominated America’s marketplace, said McMann. The novel’s language was additionally filled with heavily racist remarks and outlooks, specifically targeting those of Asian descent and those of Jewish religion. Overall, these elements crafted a state of frayed economic and social relationships.
Concluding their explications, Row provided a third perspective of the novel. He discussed what exactly makes a futuristic novel “futuristic.” Near-future novels, if they are to possess and address present-day problems in society, must incorporate them into futuristic qualities that will not become outdated by a novel’s date of publication.
“Super Sad True Love Story” was written from 2006 to 2008 and published in 2010. Now, in 2014, it has been six years since the book was written. Technology has progressed and evolved so rapidly over those six years that present-day readers can relate to some of the “near-futuristic” elements of the novel, Row said.
All three of the close readings presented analytical skills that can help foster discussion and further ideas on society’s most fundamental issues.
“The idea behind (close readings) is to build a stronger intellectual community between students and faculty,” McMann said. “I think we had a great turnout.”
Reflecting her optimism, the Education Building’s lecture hall was filled with students, many of whom prompted several inquiries and shared comments and reactions on the novel during the question and answer section.
To students like Shannon, “Super Sad True Love Story” was certainly an interesting, yet perhaps not entirely enjoyable read. Nevertheless, it is important to have faculty and students discuss their opinions and perspectives on such a contemporary work of literature.
“I think it’s a great English Department-wide event,” Shannon said. “It brings us much closer, and it’s great that students engage actively with faculty.”
(09/16/14 4:27am)
By Gabrielle Beacken
News Assistant
The College’s Campus Climate survey results, which measures levels of comfort and confidence in the College’s campus environment from answers given by faculty, staff and students, were released this week, representing a shockingly low participation percentage from the student body.
The highly anticipated results of the survey, which was distributed in the fall 2013 semester, were expanded upon in a presentation by Climate Survey coordinator and analyst Susan Rankin on Monday, Sept. 8, in Mayo Concert Hall.
“It is important to have research support what you do,” Rankin said of the survey.
But the survey included only about 8 percent of student participation, according to Rankin and her analytical team. As Rankin referred to this percentage as “abysmal,” there were moans throughout the audience, indicating disappointment in the oddly small number of student participation. Rankin additionally referred to the student response rate as “one of the lowest we’ve ever heard of.”
The highest percentage of student participation the organization has ever received was 86 percent. Though Rankin does not encourage offering incentives to take the survey, she said that many schools do, therefore resulting in high student participation.
According to the survey, a majority of students, faculty and staff offered very positive responses. Altogether, the results indicated that the campus environment was all-around positive, according to Rankin.
The survey included questions about the participants’ gender, sexual orientation, health, race, job position and more. Even though student participation was unfortunately low, 31 percent of staff and 38 percent of faculty participated.
According to the Survey, 76 responders were white, while only 8 percent of responders were black, 8 percent Hispanic or Latino, 6 percent Asian and 2 percent other. More women than men offered survey responses, as well. Although there is no “normal” standard, this tends to be the case among genders, according to Rankin. In the limited student response rate, a similar number of students across all years responded.
Rankin also told the audience to avoid saying blanket statements such as, “There is no sexism, there is no racism here on campus,” for they can be offensive and misleading.
“Given the prevailing culture in our country, TCNJ can be a safe haven, but it can never be a perfect safe haven,” English professor and chair of the English department Glenn Steinberg said. “We can never completely protect our own from outside cultural influences that may not be as open and welcoming as we want to be.”
The survey illustrated that white students felt more comfortable on campus than students of color, while heterosexual students felt more comfortable than LGBTQ students. The survey additionally reported that 45 percent of students experienced unwanted physical sexual contact. Rankin emphasized that unwanted physical sexual contact seems to be an unfortunate theme on college campuses.
“Our job is, in the short run, to make TCNJ the best safe haven that it can be for everyone and, in the long run, to transform the prevailing culture to eliminate discrimination,” Steinberg said.
The College’s classroom climate, according to the survey, was very positive. Eighty-two percent of students and 88 percent of faculty who participated in the survey reported a “very comfortable” class setting. The survey also expressed that one of the dominant reasons faculty stay at the College and enjoy teaching is because of the students.
“TCNJ is already a unique school,” Rankin said.
Steinberg was also impressed.
“I think the news from the climate survey was very good,” said Steinberg. “Most people here at the College feel comfortable and welcome. That’s good news.”
But there are still issues to be resolved and progress to be made.
Steinberg noted that while overall climate is positive, the College has the potential to have an even more comfortable and welcoming atmosphere — a goal that will come with its challenges.
“It’s difficult to plan concrete ways to improve conditions when conditions are basically good,” Steinberg said. “It’s like a student who is doing ‘A-’ work and wants to get an ‘A.’ That last hump from (an) ‘A-’ to ‘A’ can be very, very challenging.”
The Campus Climate Survey process included three phases: Assert Tool Development and Implementation, Data Analysis and Final Report/Presentation.
Even though there are always improvements to be made and progress to initiate, the highly positive climate report is an indication of the College’s efforts to create a comfortable and educationally stimulating environment for it’s staff, faculty and students.
“I commend President Gitenstein and the Provost for taking an active interest in doing what they can to make the climate on campus as welcoming and comfortable for all as possible,” Steinberg said.
Rankin is part of Rankin & Associates Consulting, an association that concentrates on “assisting educational institutions in maximizing equity through assessment, planning and implementation of intervention strategies via the Transformational Tapestry,” according to the organization’s webpage.
“This is very much about being action-oriented,” Rankin said to an audience mostly composed of faculty and staff. “We’re taking information from this and creating actions that work.”