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(09/26/12 5:21pm)
Imagine a kitchen complete with a stove, coffeemaker, dishwasher and toaster; access to a gym not packed with students; a full bathroom with a waterfall showerhead; and weekly housekeeping services.
This is the residential reality for College students living in the Element by Westin hotel.
The Element is one of two hotels provided as alternatives to living on campus. With Cromwell Hall closed for renovations, there was an estimated shortage in bed spaces.
Through Residential Housing and Education, upperclassmen signed up to live in the Element by Westin and the Courtyard Marriott — both located in Ewing, approximately 10 minutes from campus.
According to Ryan Farnkopf, director of housing operations, there are around 100 students living in hotels this school year.
“Almost all of the available rooms were filled,” Farnkopf said in an email. “We have a couple open spaces that are being offered off our waitlist.”
Matt Luppino, junior biology major, chose the hotels because of the potential bed shortage and how hotel residents were selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“To make things easier and less stressful, it seemed like the best option,” said Luppino, who lives in the Element. “But lo and behold, everyone got housing, so it kind of worked out for everyone.”
Likewise, Rachael Voysey, who is a senior health and exercise science major, decided to live in the Element because she was not guaranteed housing. Junior graphic design major Mallory Guzzi also feared not getting housing.
Unlike the other three, senior cognitive science major Taylor Enoch lives in the Courtyard. Still, he made the decision for similar reasons.
“It was scary to be advised that upperclassmen ran the risk of not getting housing for this academic year,” Enoch said. “Also, the chance to live in a hotel for a year seemed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
In the Marriott, College students make up a majority of the top floor of the five-story building, while students in the Element take up the second floor.
“Being on the fifth floor, my view is gorgeous,” Enoch said. “The design and size of the rooms are luxurious as well, and I feel like I’m living in a home now, rather than in a dorm.”
Guzzi agreed about the aesthetics.
“The rooms are beautiful, and the bed is the most comfortable slice of heaven I’ve ever slept on,” she said. Some rooms in the Element have queen-sized beds, while others have standard TCNJ beds.
Students residing in the hotels can access hotel amenities. These include breakfast, pool/gym usage, air-conditioning and a flat-screen TV.
Luppino described the Element’s continental breakfast as having plenty to choose from. Options include hot sandwiches on half bagels or biscuits, and sometimes breakfast burritos. There is also yogurt, cereal and fruit.
Meanwhile, Enoch said the Courtyard doesn’t offer a continental breakfast, but provides coffee — however he prefers brewing his own.
Residents can use their hotel’s 24-hour fitness centers. Voysey enjoys not having to make reservations for a treadmill or deal with open swim hours.
Fitness freedom is not the only liberating aspect of hotel life.
According to Guzzi, “It is definitely nice being here and not having all the restrictions we have in on-campus housing. I feel like I’m not being baby-sat. We don’t need to check in guests and can just do our own thing.”
The buildings are staffed by the hotel and community advisors from the College.
All four students spoke highly of the personable hotel personnel. The desk staff is cheerful, as are the housekeepers.
Maid service is one of Luppino’s favorite perks. “I don’t mind cleaning, but it’s nice when someone does it for you,” Luppino said. One maid cleans the bathroom while another dusts and vacuums. They also take out the garbage or wash dishes.
For liability reasons, students must be present for cleanings. Though Guzzi enjoys the service, she finds the mandatory timeframe “a little bit inconvenient,” having to wait in the room for a four-hour period each week.
For transportation, a shuttle service runs from the two hotels to the bus stop outside the Brower Student Center.
Luppino described the shuttle as a good option. “It also makes me maximize how much use I get out of my gas,” he explained. He usually drives to campus once a day, but uses the shuttle if he has to go back and forth.
Guzzi uses the shuttle more frequently because it drops her off closer to class.
“We were told the shuttle would go from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. every half hour, but the shuttle currently runs 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. about every 45 minutes, and only 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, once an hour,” she said.
Voysey agreed that more frequent shuttles would be beneficial.
Though she likes the service, Voysey feels like she is “always waiting for it” and it does not coincide with class times. She has class at 10 a.m. but the shuttle gets to campus at 10 a.m., so she winds up late.
While Farnkopf said housing has received “largely positive feedback” from students residing in hotels, he acknowledged the importance of student feedback.
“I’m grateful to the few students who have reached out to express their interest in extending the shuttle hours, and we will keep their interests in mind when reviewing the schedule with our vendor,” he said.
Originally students were told they would use commuter parking (Lots 4 and 6) but were then moved to residential parking (Lots 8 and 9, behind the Towers and Cromwell Hall), according to Guzzi. This shift happened only two weeks prior to move-in.
“For me, the parking was a big part of agreeing to live in the hotel,” Guzzi said. She is an art student, who stays in the art building until all hours of the night and serves on the College Union Board’s Executive Board, and sometimes staffs late-night events.
“I now have to walk to the opposite side of campus by myself — a five-foot tall female — from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.,” she continued. “This is something my parents are very uncomfortable with, and I probably wouldn’t have agreed to live there had I known that’s where they would be making me park.”
Enoch brought up similar points to Guzzi: “The worst part is the fact that we have to park in Lots 8 and 9,” he said. “This is what is most inconvenient to me, since it seems so far away from the hustle-and-bustle of campus.”
After calling the school multiple times regarding parking, Guzzi was eventually put in touch with a supervisor, who was helpful, but her phone calls have since gone unreturned. As it was explained to Guzzi, the parking location switched because the amount of students needing commuter parking was underestimated and hotel students have shuttle access.
Despite slight disadvantages, Voysey is happy with her decision to live in the hotels. “I really enjoy living in the hotel,” she said. “If I had the chance to do it again, I totally would.”
Guzzi sums up her experience on a partially positive note.
“I love my room, and the hotel is great, but we were promised a lot of things at the beginning that have now been taken away,” she said. “The entire process, all the way through move-in, was very stressful and unorganized.”
Meanwhile, Luppino has no regrets about residing in the hotels. When asked how he thinks it compares to previous residential experiences, he said, “I think it’s a lot better quite honestly.”
Likewise, Enoch said he’s ecstatic with the living arrangement and deemed it the best he’s had, after previously residing in Cromwell, Norsworthy and Hausdoerffer Halls.
“Whenever I talk about the hotel to anyone I say this: the pluses are big pluses, the ‘minuses’ are big minuses, but all in all, it’s an incredible experience,” Enoch said.
“I thank TCNJ for setting this situation up, and Marriott for cooperating,” he continued. “Each day I’m welcomed with a smile and a ‘welcome back home.’ And I have to say, I do feel welcomed and at home.”
(09/18/12 8:49pm)
When Chief Information Officer Jerome Waldron first came to campus in May, the task at the top of his to-do list was to work on the College’s wireless network.
Suggestions from students and staff alike resulted in making improved Internet access a priority.
After attempts at jump-starting work on the wireless network several times over the past few years, the issue is finally being addressed.
Waldron said, “What I think finally hit home is that they were hearing from new students and applicants. One of the first questions they ask is, ‘Does your campus have wireless?’ A lot of schools do and TCNJ does as well, but there were some areas where it didn’t for a lot of different reasons. So we’ve really focused in on that.”
There is a five-year plan to add wireless access points at locations all around campus, though according to Waldron, a majority of the plan will be completed in three years.
“The goal in these three years is really to hit the high-value targets. The high-value targets are residence halls and academic buildings,” he said. Buildings that are currently not in heavy use and have uncertain futures are not at the top of the priority list.
These include locations like Roscoe West and Holman Hall.
A rise in smart phone, laptop and tablet usage makes Waldron aware that students and faculty are seeking ways to easily access their devices.
Almost every building on campus has at least some amount of wireless, Waldron said. Over the summer access points were added to Norsworthy and New Residence Halls.
Information Technology asked Residential Education and Housing to rank which dormitories have the highest priority, regarding the need for Internet access.
Due to renovation plans, some buildings rank higher than others. For example, Ely, Allen and Brewster Halls are slated to get wireless during fall break, but Travers and Wolfe Halls will not likely be given full wireless access until 2014 or 2015. This is because when buildings have scheduled renovations, the school sometimes waits until then to add wireless Internet.
Another goal of IT’s wireless improvements is to make students’ ability to log into the network quicker and simpler.
Speaking of authentication or network access, Waldron said, “We’ve made some tweaks to that this semester. One of the things I’ve heard from students is that they complained about getting kicked off the network.”
Up until this year, the College had three wireless networks, which have since been combined into one. The school plans to continue growing that one network and make its usage more comfortable for students.
“Our goal, for the short-term, is to have you authenticate once a day,” he explained. “In the longer term, what we’d like to have you do is authenticate once a semester.”
Though sometimes seemingly a hassle, Waldron pointed out the necessity of authentication when logging into the network.
“Authentication is more important than people think,” he said. “When you’re in a residence hall or a library and get up and walk away, we want to make sure you’re the one using the device. If it’s stolen or someone walks up and uses it, that’s where authentication and security come into play.”
“We’re certainly not watching what people are doing on the network every minute,” Waldron added.
Other future focuses include improving cell phone service on campus and developing a mobile plan. While the projects take time, Waldron encourages students to offer insight and suggestions.
“I would definitely love feedback as we go along,” he said. “The goal is to make (wireless Internet) comfortable, quick, everywhere.”
“I’m excited to be here,” Waldron continued. He believes it’s important when students voice concerns “to make sure that the students are aware that we hear it, we know it and we’re on it. That’s really what we’re all about — trying to get things where they need to be technologically.”
(09/18/12 8:42pm)
Six-and-a-half years later, the mystery remains unsolved. It is still unknown what exactly happened to freshman John Fiocco Jr. when he disappeared from Wolfe Hall in March 2006.
One month after he went missing, Fiocco’s body was discovered in a landfill in nearby Bucks County, Pa.
The story, which has basically become an urban legend on campus, has perhaps reached as much of a conclusion as it ever will.
After four years of litigation, the civil lawsuit filed by the Fiocco family against the College and the state of N.J. reached a $425,000 settlement in March, according to a legal release provided by the Office of the Attorney General.
Looking back
Drawing, listening to Green Day and watching professional wrestling were among Fiocco’s favorite hobbies.
The 19-year-old graphic design major had a “total South Jersey accent” and was “handsome as hell,” according to former floormate Myles Ma, ’09.
Fiocco even resembled George Michael from Wham! — or at least Ma thought so.
Ma saw Fiocco hours before he disappeared on March 25, 2006. Although Fiocco had been drinking, his mood was “nothing disastrous,” Ma said.
As a freshman, Ma resided on Wolfe 4 with Fiocco and described him as “probably the most chill guy on the floor.”
The two got to know one another because Ma went to high school with Fiocco’s roommate, and according to Ma, he spent a lot of time in Fiocco’s room. On the night of the disappearance, Fiocco happened to pay a visit to Ma’s room after returning from a party.
“He was in a really good mood so that put me in a better mood as well,” Ma recalled. Later on, Fiocco fell asleep in a girl’s room.
The next day only his shoes were there and nobody knew his whereabouts.
As the day went on, Ma and other students eventually called Fiocco’s parents and Campus Police, but the authorities could not act before he had been missing for a full 24 hours.
“It progressed from there, to where it started to sink in that he was truly missing. The mood on campus got more hysterical as more people started to find out,” Ma said.
He described an atmosphere where reporters were constantly on campus, even lurking outside Wolfe Hall and trying to sneak in through the swipe-access doors.
While the disappearance and death of Fiocco affected the entire College community, it felt extremely personal for the residents of Wolfe 4.
“To me it sort of felt like we were kind of insulated, like we were going through this thing and nobody else on campus was,” Ma said. “We kind of felt like we were surrounded by rumor and speculation and we kind of hated everyone else for it — or at least I did.”
Though at times it seemed like Fiocco’s former floor was dealing with this on its own, Ma said, “At the same time, everyone on campus was amazingly supportive.” He fondly remembered residents of Travers Hall hanging a sign that his floor could see from their Wolfe elevator lobby, saying something along the lines of: “We love you, Wolfe 4.”
Legal battles
In 2008, Susan and John Fiocco Sr. filed a $5 million wrongful death suit against the College and the state, claiming insufficient security measures led to the incident.
According to legal documents, Fiocco was last seen alive on March 25, 2006 at approximately 3 a.m. in Wolfe Hall. On the morning of March 28, a “voluminous amount of blood” was found on and around the floor of a trash compactor room located on the lower level of Wolfe Hall. The trash compactor room was allegedly not securely locked.
According to the court documents, “The Court finds that a jury could reasonably conclude that TCNJ’s failure to ensure exterior doors leading into Wolfe Hall were closed and locked created a dangerous condition.”
The court documents cited “gross negligence” on behalf of the College. Examples include 16 daily hours of open access to Wolfe Hall; failure to ensure the doors to Wolfe Hall and its compactor room were locked; open access to the compactor room; and allowing individuals to enter Wolfe Hall without signing in at the front desk when sign-in was required.
In October 2011, the Fioccos alleged that an unnamed College alumnus privately admitted to murdering their son, but no criminal charges were made and the cause of Fiocco’s disappearance remains undetermined.
A conclusion?
To avoid a lengthy trial and the cost of ongoing litigation, a settlement was reached on March 30, 2012.
“We are pleased that The College of New Jersey has finally, after six years, recognized its responsibility for John’s death in failing to provide adequate security for the students in Wolfe Hall,” said Christine O’Hearn in an email. O’Hearn, of Brown & Connery, LLP, represents the Fiocco family.
O’Hearn also provided comment on behalf of the family, stating: “While we are pleased to have reached a settlement to the civil case, it will not in any way lessen the loss of our son, John Fiocco Jr.”
“Although six years have now passed, we continue to hope that law enforcement will at some point develop sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against the perpetrator of this crime,” the family’s statement said.
The College also commented on the settlement.
Matthew Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations, provided a statement via email in May: “The sorrow resulting from this tragedy has been compounded by the realization that we do not yet know and may never learn how John died. Although the State of New Jersey has determined that settlement of this matter was prudent to avoid the continued expense of litigation, there has been no finding of any wrongdoing or liability.”
“Nevertheless, our top priority continues to be the maintenance of a safe, secure and welcoming campus, and our deepest sympathies remain with John’s family and loved ones,” Golden continued.
Reflecting on what happened, Ma mentioned how some of Fiocco’s former floormates don’t even like to talk about it.
Ma concluded, “He was a great kid and it was a horrible thing that happened to him and that happened to all of us.”
(09/12/12 7:54pm)
“I don’t understand why feminists today are so angry. I never did anything to you. Back in the day, they were seeking equality, but now there’s no reason to be angry.”
I am paraphrasing, but a statement similar to this is what made a typically calm person, such as myself, actually mad during class this past week.
Stereotypes regarding what defines a feminist are commonplace and oftentimes inaccurate. Mistaking the assumed actions of extremists (i.e. bra-burning, man-hating, etc.) as fact causes the term to frequently be taken out of context.
According to Merriam-Webster, by definition “feminism” is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men.”
While the word can hold different meanings to individuals, at the root of it, I take it to mean that women should not be limited in actions or everyday life because of their gender.
This topic came up in an English class discussion because we were reading Mary Wollstonecraft’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Women.” Written in 1792 during the French Revolution, the focus of this literary work is that women deserve an education. Unapologetic and direct in her delivery, Wollstonecraft may have scared/scarred some people with her boldness.
Though this piece is 220 years old, it still holds relevance in today’s world.
Yes, now there are women in school (and hey, there’s even more of us at the College than there are men), but did you know that in the developing world, 70 percent of the 130 million uneducated youth are female?
This statistic is the foundation for non-profit organization She’s the First, which sponsors girls’ education in developing nations. Its goal is to help girls become the first in their families to graduate, making it the first step in achieving their dreams.
The organization is actually the brainchild of an ’07 College alumna, Tammy Tibbetts. Now things are coming full circle as a group of students and I are in the process of starting a chapter of the non-profit here on campus — She’s the First TCNJ.
I am not aiming to self-promote our club, but I think that we should all realize how fortunate we are to be attending school and do our best to help others achieve an education as well — whether it be getting involved with groups like She’s the First, or volunteering through the Bonner Center at schools in our neighboring city of Trenton.
Even though women have come a long way since the 18th century, things aren’t as peachy-keen as my classmate’s comment made it seem.
Today working women in the U.S. still make 78 cents to men’s dollar. Before you complain about having to take a women’s and gender studies class as a part of your liberal learning requirements, I hope you actually open your minds and learn during those classes. There’s a lot to still be discussed.
To that kid in class who could not comprehend why feminists are “angry” — mystery solved, buddy: the answer is in stereotypical statements like yours.
(09/11/12 9:05pm)
Despite rumors swirling around campus that Hassan Emara — the lovable late-night pizza deliveryman — has quit, he confirmed himself that this is not exactly true. At least not for now.
Hassan plans to continue delivering pizzas this upcoming Friday and Saturday, but depending on how things go in the next few weeks, he may be taking a break or making deliveries less frequently.
During a phone conversation, Hassan explained that while he has loved bringing pizzas to students at the College over the past 15 years, the economy makes it challenging to continue selling the pizzas at only $5. Another cause of hesitation is that students sometimes given him a hard time.
“I do my work. I do my job,” Hassan said, but this can become difficult when students sometimes argue with him or make it more of a hassle.
He also says he is exhausted and now faces competition from other eateries. His pizza is no longer the only food available for students at the College past midnight, with places like Taco Bell and Burger King bustling during nighttime hours.
While he noted he would miss all of the students if he does discontinue his deliveries, he hopes to someday open his own business somehow serving students at the College.
“I know it’s not easy,” Hassan said, but he will see what happens.
(09/05/12 6:13am)
Upon returning to Ewing for the semester, there were two places that I couldn’t wait to visit as alternatives to eating in Eickhoff — Piccolo Trattoria and the Ewing Diner.
Though I haven’t had a chance yet to dine at my favorite 24-hour eatery, this past week I headed to Piccolo’s for a late lunch with a few friends. As usual, Piccolo’s did not disappoint.
Located near Stop & Shop on Denow Rd., it is a two-part Italian restaurant. One side is a pizzeria, while the other features fancier dining and cuisines. Personally, I prefer the pizza side.
The beauty of Piccolo’s pizza is that with the variety of toppings available, a single slice becomes a meal within itself.
There’s buffalo chicken pizza, taco pizza, white pizza, cheesesteak pizza, chicken Caesar salad pizza, bruschetta pizza and chicken alfredo pizza, just to name a few.
The menu isn’t limited to cheese, crust and tomato sauce. There are sandwiches and an assortment of other items available for dining or takeout. I’ve previously gone with vegetarian friends, who have gotten veggie paninis and enjoyed them just as much.
During my recent Piccolo’s trip, I ordered a slice of chicken parm pizza and got a ziti slice to take home for another time because it was too tempting to resist.
While I understand pasta usually belongs in a bowl or on a plate, and not atop a pizza, for some reason it becomes instantly more delicious when placed upon crust.
For less than $10, I got a bottle of water and two meals not prepared by Sodexo. Not that there’s anything wrong with the school’s food, but sometimes it’s great to get off campus and try something else.
Fun fact: Piccolo’s is located next to a Carvel. For anyone who is like me and prefers dessert to actual food, you should save room for post-meal ice cream. It’s definitely a good decision.
(09/05/12 5:42am)
Frequent visitors of the College’s website may have done a double-take when looking at the page anytime after Aug. 20. This is because its home page has been redesigned.
An email that the Office of Communications and College Relations sent to students announced the changes and stated that they were made “in our continuing effort to improve The College of New Jersey’s online presence.”
The new page features a large multimedia slideshow and a white background, compared to the previous blue one. There are also news stories with thumbnail photos.
“(The site) dynamically displays news stories from TCNJ’s News website as well as emergency alerts from TCNJ’s Emergency Management website,” said Matthew Golden, associate vice president for Communications and College Relations.
The intentions were to improve site navigation and the presentation of information, Golden said.
Direct links to the College’s mail system (Google Apps and Zimbra), SOCS and PAWS are now only one click away at the top right-hand side of the site. Links to the bookstore, Career Center and study abroad office are also more visible.
These changes were implemented by the Office of Communications and College Relations along with Information Technology. Golden explained that the homepage upgrade was accomplished internally and without bringing in consultants or contractors.
According to Golden, “We recently moved TCNJ’s home page to our WordPress server, which uses a modified version of a TCNJ theme that was originally released in January 2009.”
Upperclassmen definitely recognized the differences and have reacted in varying ways.
“I actually noticed it pretty quickly,” said Brian Hurler, sophomore economics major. “The website was definitely in need of an upgrade and was lacking compared to other college websites, so it’s good to see it got updated. It’s also much more organized and accessible than it used to be.”
Though senior Mariko Curran noticed of the updates as well, she did not come away impressed.
“I don’t really like that the home page slideshow takes up almost my entire screen — it makes navigation harder,” the English major said.
“Also, I’m not sure what’s necessary in order for this to happen, but I really hope the redundant URL is changed. Tcnj.pages.tcnj.edu? Really?” Curran commented in her critique of the site.
Echoing similar thoughts, senior Robert Catona, an interactive multimedia major, said, “I think it is great TCNJ is trying to update their website and create a better mobile home page, but they have really missed the mark.”
Explaining his opinion, Catona believes the previous home page was better in appearance and accessibility.
“It looks juvenile — it could be for my town’s elementary school, not a college,” he said. “Other state institutions like Rutgers have very attractive home pages. They are bold, visually appealing, and still informative. TCNJ’s current home page overwhelms you with the amount of information on it.”
While Catona is not fond of the page’s current appearance, he noted that this is simply because he holds the school to a higher standard.
“I really hope it is updated again soon and its aesthetics and functionality are improved,” Catona concluded. “TCNJ is a great institution academically and socially and that should be reflected when navigating to their home page.”
(09/04/12 11:59pm)
Last Tuesday evening, I paced around my apartment in shock and ranted to my friends about how I couldn’t believe what just happened.
Why?
The summer finale of “Pretty Little Liars” was too much to handle. Perhaps that sounds melodramatic, but within the episode’s final five minutes, everything viewers thought they knew about the series was completely turned upside down.
The episode entitled “Lady Killer” featured death, gunshots, kidnapping, love and major betrayal.
I know what some people may be thinking — the ABC Family show is for high schoolers and very overrated — but allow me to defend it.
If you have Twitter, chances are your newsfeed was filled with less-than-140-character statements ending with the hashtag “PLL.”
This is because the season’s final episode made television history — generating the greatest Internet buzz for a single TV episode, accumulating 1.6 million comments on Facebook and Twitter, according to an article on Mashable. The show also broke Twitter records, averaging 36,000 tweets per minute.
Yes it’s a show about a group of high school friends, but it is no “Saved By The Bell.” For those of you who think it is just about pretty girls who tell lies, it is so much more.
Plots centered on murder and blackmail make it inevitably intense and spooky. Yet the adorable relationships among the main characters and their significant others simultaneously make hearts melt.
Though the plot sometimes verges on unrealistic, the show still manages to remain relatable to viewers. Topics like relationships, friendships, parental problems, sexuality and other typical high school travails make this show about the fictional town of Rosewood, Pa. seem not too far from home. (Ironically, if Rosewood High did exist, it might be somewhat close to Ewing. The show regularly references Bucks County and Philly.)
With cliffhangers concluding nearly every episode, it is practically impossible to watch only one episode and not crave more answers. The quest to understand what exactly is going on and who’s causing the commotion help retain viewers from week to week.
If you’re unfamiliar or confused by the show’s plot, here is a summary: Ali, the relentless ringleader of her friend group, was murdered in the first episode. After her death, Ali’s four closest friends — each girl with her own secrets that only Ali knew — begin being blackmailed by an entity known as “A.”
The mystery comes from the fact that viewers aren’t even entirely sure who A is. Last season ended with a character named Mona being caught as A and winding up in a mental institution, but as this season’s finale concluded, it is confirmed that there is an entire A team and no one is truly trustworthy in Rosewood.
The television series is based off of novels by Sarah Shepard. Some viewers were disappointed when the show seemingly followed the book’s plot, when Mona was revealed as A in the season two finale. However, the most recent episode even surprised the cast. Three alternative endings were filmed in order to prevent any secrets from being leaked.
If opportunity arises, sit down and watch a marathon on ABC Family. That way you’ll be all caught up to speed when the Halloween episode comes out in October. Give it a chance and you’ll be hooked in no time.
(08/28/12 4:44pm)
Venturing into the unknown and pursuing challenges were two themes in Monday morning’s convocation ceremony, in which the freshmen officially became members of the College community.
(08/24/12 5:37pm)
As the saying goes, you are now the small fish in a big pond. With over 6,000 students swarming around, it can be easy to blend in — unless, of course, you showcase these stereotypical freshman traits. If you want to use these tips to identify your peers, that’s great. But if you’d rather not be recognized immediately as a first year student, avoid these red flags:
• Wearing a lanyard. Yes, they’re convenient, but using a lanyard is also the equivalent of hanging a sign around your neck that says “freshman.” If you already bought one, at least stick it in your pocket.
• Traveling in packs. Bonding with your floor is great since nobody wants to venture into the unknown alone. Still, it’s an obvious sign you’re repping a freshman floor when always trekking around campus in herds.
• Asking for directions. Other students will gladly point you in the right direction, but when everyone is in a rush, it can be tough. Avoid getting lost by concealing a small map inside your planner and finding your own way. (Cut ours out and use it!)
• Using meal points in the wrong places. Learn the difference between meal points and Get It points. You can’t use your meal plan at the bookstore and you can’t get Meal Equiv outside of 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Mistaking The College of New Jersey for the Jersey Shore. During nicer weather, the lawn outside Travers and Wolfe Halls basically transforms into a beach. Girls tanning on towels and guys throwing Frisbees are common occurrences.
• Huddling in parking lots. On the weekends, groups of freshmen tend to congregate in parking lots. Why? They’re most likely headed to a party. Without cars on campus, students rely on designated drivers to pick them up.
In all seriousness, freshman year is super exciting and you should embrace it. It’s also the only time where “I’m a freshman” is an acceptable excuse for almost anything. Enjoy it and know that everyone else wishes they could rewind to that time.
(05/12/12 5:46pm)
A friendship that began in seventh grade gym class led to a now-famous business partnership, and a run-down gas station became the pair’s first of many ice cream shops across the country.
In 1978, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield co-founded Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream shop in Burlington, Vt.
Greenfield recounted these sweet memories during the Senior Week 2012 lecture on Thursday, May 10.
It was after his rejections from numerous medical schools and Cohen’s attempts at attending various colleges that the pair pursued a career in business.
“Since we always liked to eat quite a bit, we thought maybe something with food,” Greenfield told a packed Kendall Hall audience. “We picked ice cream and knew nothing about it.”
To adequately educate themselves, the duo split the cost of a correspondence course, where they received a textbook and took tests through the mail. They then set out to find a rural college town, “because college kids eat a lot of ice cream,” Greenfield said.
After researching and scouring the states for a warm college town, Greenfield and Cohen discovered that all the warm college towns already had ice cream shops. Instead, they headed to Vermont.
"We opened it up in May of 1978. It was a beautiful summer," Greenfield recalled.
As the company began to grow, the two began to get sick of the idea of business.
“We had grown up in the ’60s. To us, business had all these negative connotations and we felt that our business was another cog in the economic machine,” Greenfield said.
After this realization, Ben & Jerry’s decided to become a business that supports the community, in the sense of social causes and environmental issues.
According to Greenfield, spirituality and business are interconnected, in the sense that doing good for others results in greater good.
Greenfield is the president of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, which he described as “the charitable arm of the company.” The foundation funds non-profits with grassroots campaigns for social change through a grant application process.
“It’s interesting and ironic, a few years ago Ben & Jerry’s started to get criticized in the media — that we were trying to manipulate our customers into buying our ice cream by doing good deeds," he explained. "Our response is that our actions are based on deeply-held values.”
These values include helping better the community and giving back.
Though he was alone on stage, he spoke fondly of the other half of the company’s namesake in an interview with The Signal.
“Ben is a genius, very entrepreneurial — loves to try new things,” Greenfield said. “We are a very good balance. I like to know what I’m supposed to do. Ben just hates rules. He’s a real rule breaker.”
After all these years, not only have the two stayed friends, but they've also remained fans of ice cream.
“I guess people wonder if Ben and I still eat ice cream, and I eat a ton of ice cream,” he admitted to The Signal. His favorite flavor is AmeriCone Dream, named after Stephen Colbert of “The Colbert Report,” which is vanilla ice cream with a caramel swirl and fudge-coated pieces of waffle cones.
“My all-time favorite flavor was actually made, but no longer is in existence,” Greenfield said, speaking of Coconut Almond Fudge Chip. This flavor has gone to the Flavor Graveyard — the home for all flavors that don’t sell as well as the others.
During his interview with The Signal, he shared his advice for college students interested in starting their own businesses.
“You should do something you’re really passionate about and not do something just because it seems like a good idea to make money,” Greenfield said. “Whenever you do a business, you run into tough times, and if you’re doing something you really love and it’s aligned with your own personal values that will allow you to work through those difficult times.”
(05/05/12 5:28pm)
The civil lawsuit against the College and the State of New Jersey filed by the family of John Fiocco Jr. has been settled after four years, according to a legal release dated March 30, 2012 and provided by the Office of the Attorney General.
"The ongoing litigation over this tragic matter was appropriately concluded by way of settlement reached between the parties,” said Leland Moore, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office, in an email. “The terms of that settlement included payment of $425,000 to the family of the deceased.”
Fiocco was a 19-year-old freshman at the College when he disappeared from his dorm in Wolfe Hall in March 2006. His body was discovered a month later in a landfill in Bucks County, Pa.
Susan and John Fiocco Sr. filed a $5 million wrongful death suit against the College and the state in 2008, claiming insufficient security measures allowed the incident to occur.
A trial, scheduled for Monday, May 7, 2012 after being postponed in February, is no longer occurring as a result of the settlement.
“We are pleased that The College of New Jersey has finally, after six years, recognized its responsibility for John’s death in failing to provide adequate security for the students in Wolfe Hall,” said Christine O’Hearn in an email. O’Hearn, of Brown & Connery, LLP, represents the Fiocco family.
“The decision to resolve this case now rather than proceed to a jury trial was based on many factors, most importantly not wanting to put the family of John Fiocco Jr. through a long and difficult trial,” O’Hearn explained.
O’Hearn also provided comment on behalf of the Fiocco family, stating: “While we are pleased to have reached a settlement to the civil case, it will not in any way lessen the loss of our son, John Fiocco Jr. We hope this case has raised awareness of the need for colleges to improve the security provided in student dormitories.”
“We believe the lack of prompt action to search for John when he was first reported missing complicated the ability of law enforcement to achieve a final resolution in the case of our son’s death,” the email statement continued. “Although six years have now passed, we continue to hope that law enforcement will at some point develop sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against the perpetrator of this crime.”
In October of 2011, the Fioccos alleged that an unnamed College alumnus privately admitted to murdering their son, but no criminal charges were made and the cause of Fiocco's disappearance remains undetermined.
Matthew Golden, associate vice president for communications and College Relations, provided the following statement about the settlement via email.
He said, “Our college community was profoundly saddened by John Fiocco's death, and the sorrow resulting from this tragedy has been compounded by the realization that we do not yet know and may never learn how John died. Although the State of New Jersey has determined that settlement of this matter was prudent to avoid the continued expense of litigation, there has been no finding of any wrongdoing or liability.”
“Nevertheless, our top priority continues to be the maintenance of a safe, secure, and welcoming campus, and our deepest sympathies remain with John's family and loved ones,” Golden said.
(04/10/12 7:35am)
Academy Award-winning actress, best-selling author, finalist on Donald Trump’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” guest star on television shows ranging from “Law & Order: SVU” to “Blue’s Clues,” activist, wife and mother of four — as evidenced by her extensive résumé, Marlee Matlin has held numerous roles over the course of her career, despite being Deaf.
“Deaf people can do anything they want to do,” Matlin told an audience at the College last week. “The only thing they can’t do is hear.”
This quote came from a statement given by I. King Jordan, the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university specifically for deaf students.
Overcoming obstacles and pursuing one’s dreams was the focus of Matlin’s presentation at the College on the evening of Wednesday, April 4, as part of the Deaf-Hearing Connection’s second annual Deaf Awareness Day.
Joined on stage by her longtime interpreter Jack Jason, Matlin signed to the crowd using American Sign Language, accompanied by a projector so all in the Kendall Hall audience could see.
Topics ranged from her acting career to advocacy work, which currently includes trying to make contacting 911 in an emergency accessible through text messaging, since this is currently not an option.
Matlin previously lobbied in Washington for closed captioning, which is now guaranteed for all television content placed on the Internet.
Diagnosed as Deaf at 18 months, Matlin was kept at home by her family instead of sending her away to a school, which was the suggestion of physicians at the time.
Matlin credits her family for instilling her with confidence, saying, “Despite the many barriers I faced, I was inspired by my family to dream big.”
Her family also taught her how to combat criticism and teasing from other children while growing up in their Chicago suburb in the ’70s.
“Growing up as a Matlin meant you had an answer for everything,” she said, which included taking her father’s suggestion and saying her hearing aids were bubble gum in her ears. Her brothers attributed how she spoke to a mysterious accent resulting from parents who were foreign spies.
“I envisioned my life as one long episode of ‘The Brady Bunch,’” Matlin said,
noting that in her mind, she was Marcia Brady. If applying this analogy to her present life, she jokingly said she now plays the role of Alice the maid, as she cares and cleans for her children.
Matlin said that her Deafness has become “more humorous than distressing” lately, citing examples from her recent appearances on reality television competitions, such as “The Celebrity Apprentice” where a co-star went to whisper in her ear despite the fact that she couldn’t hear them. A flight attendant also saw her and Jason speaking sign language once and mistakenly brought Matlin a menu in Braille.
Things turned more serious, as she said, “No matter what level of abilities you possess, all of us not only deserve respect, but we deserve to be heard. It’s about believing in yourself and watching your dreams come true.”
Matlin is the youngest person to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, which she received at age 21 for her 1986 role in “Children of a Lesser God.” Dean Mark Kiselica noted in his introduction that this movie was where he personally became a Matlin fan.
“But seriously, life is good,” Matlin signed. “Despite predictions of critics in Hollywood that I would never work again after my Oscar, I’m still here.”
She is the only Deaf performer to receive an Academy Award.
Matlin’s autobiography “I’ll Scream Later,” published in 2009, appeared on the best-seller list and she autographed copies of the book for guests after the presentation.
Speaking of books, Matlin told the crowd that as a child she turned to Judy Bloom books for comfort, and then her mother helped her discover her love of acting.
Matlin participated in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” at a community theatre for hearing and Deaf children, where she went into the audition insisting that she would be Dorothy and got the role.
This was the beginning of an acting career, where Matlin has since guest-starred on numerous television shows, including “Desperate Housewives,” “Seinfeld,” “The L Word,” “Family Guy,” “West Wing” and most recently, “Switched at Birth.”
Matlin told The Signal in an interview after the show that “Switched at Birth” has been her favorite role as a guest star so far, saying, “Because all of the things the show has incorporated, which is aspects of the Deaf community and American Sign Language. The fact that there are several cast members who are Deaf. That hasn’t been seen in television history and I’m really proud to be a part of that show.
She concluded her presentation by sharing a mathematical equation, a sum of success, which she had the audience sign with her: “courage + dreams = success.”
All College Theatre, Women In Learning and Leadership, Delta Zeta, Alpha Phi Omega, the Juggling Club, the College Union Board and TCNJ Cheerleaders were all co-sponsors of the Deaf Awareness Day, which featured a panel earlier in the afternoon with six Deaf students from Neptune High School.
According to Deaf-Hearing Connection president Jeni Doughan, the Neptune students told the audience about a special program and opportunities provided by their high school, allowing them to play sports like soccer, bowling and swimming.
With interpreters, the students discussed their friends, home life and post-high school plans.
“Every one of the students had ambitions that were not limited by their deafness,” said Doughan, sophomore English major, who noted the best part of the presentation was a full Library Auditorium of attendees.
The faculty also told personal stories about learning ASL and gave advice about becoming teachers of the Deaf, Doughan said.
“It was great to see so many TCNJ students in attendance, especially interacting with the students from Katzenbach or Neptune after every event,” she continued. “I’m so happy with how the event turned out.”
Not only did the panel go well, but Matlin’s lecture filled nearly the entire lower level of Kendall.
“I thought Deaf Awareness Day was a huge success that would not have been possible without the hard work of all the members of the Deaf-Hearing Connection. We’ve been planning this event since the summer and it was exciting for it all to come together. Both of the events were well-attended“ Doughan said in an email, adding that Deaf Awareness Day is a tradition they hope to continue.
In her interview with The Signal, Matlin delved deeper into advice for college students who are trying to achieve goals but find barriers in their way.
“There will always be obstacles in your way, no matter what type of life you lead,” she said. “For every single person there is an obstacle. It’s just a matter of learning how to overcome them, learning how to walk around them and learning to maneuver around them.”
(03/20/12 7:24pm)
“All you need is love.”
John Lennon created a hit Beatles song with this title, but it is also a fitting mantra for the mock marriages performed at the College on the evening of Tuesday, March 13.
Though no one actually tied the knot, a symbolic ceremony took place when Prism, the campus organization for LGBTQ students and their straight allies, presented its ninth annual Queer Wedding to a roomful of students in the ABE Drawing Room.
A traditional nuptial ceremony was transformed into four marriages, with a single purpose.
“Here’s the key,” said Taylor Enoch, executive vice president of Prism, and junior cognitive science major, who welcomed the crowd. “It’s all rooted in love.”
Another goal of the event was to bring attention to marriage equality, he said.
“I feel like it’s very important, especially now. To keep the awareness and to just promote the equality of love,” Enoch said in a post-ceremony interview.
Four pairs represented different types of couples at the event: male-female, male-male, female-female and transgendered.
The ceremony was performed by Lisa Caton, the reverend of the College’s Episcopal Church. This was her fourth year participating in the annual event.
Caton said, “The union of two people is for their mutual joy.”
The eight students participating in the wedding stood before her as she asked each pair if they promised to love, comfort, honor and keep one another in sickness and in health.
As each said, “I do,” the process proceeded. The crowd was asked if they accepted the marriages, and in unison said, “We will.”
The event was originally scheduled to take place in the Spiritual Center. During the ceremony, Caton referenced the change and attributed it to a “scheduling snafu,” but said she was very sorry that happened, saying it was time for LGTBQ couples to move into synagogues and churches to perform such ceremonies.
“Everyone has that same right to be married,” she said. Caton then quoted bible verses, and explained the discrepancy between what people take as evidence to oppose gay marriage, and what the text actually means.
She referred to love as a sacrament, and the importance of supporting one another on life’s journey, because no one can do it alone, she said.
The couples later recited vows and exchanged rings, to symbolically give themselves to one another.
Caton then pronounced the pairs married, for the purpose of this occasion, and they kissed.
A reception with cupcakes, cheese, crackers and cider followed.
Each of the participants had a different motivation for “getting married.”
Remi Lourenco, junior women’s and gender studies major, helped out in last year’s event soon after transferring to the College and deemed it beautiful and touching, so she decided to participate this year.
“Whether or not you believe in marriage, whether you’re straight or gay — some people don’t just believe in the institution of marriage — I think it’s important and this is really symbolic,” she said.
“One of the main reasons I decided to do this was marriage, and the idea of marriage, is something that scares me,” said Megan Osika, freshman English, secondary education and women’s and gender studies major. “In participating in this event, I was hoping it would help me to overcome that fear a bit, and I think it has.”
Alison Ball, sophomore communication studies major, serves as Prism’s campus advocacy chair and planned the event — in fact, it’s the first campus event she’s planned.
“I’m so glad to see so many people here and giving their support. It’s more than just a symbolic ceremony, it’s about marriage equality as a whole,” said Ball, who acknowledged some bumps in the planning process, namely the location change. She attributed this to a computer error with the R-25 form used to book events.
“Even with the issues that we were having with the location of the event,” Osika said, “All these people still came, and that’s incredible. It says something. The fact that all these people were looking for the signs that said ‘Come here,’ instead of there.”
Prism’s weekly meetings are Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Prism Center, downstairs in the Brower Student Center basement.
(03/13/12 6:18pm)
I didn’t want to watch it.
However, to adequately educate myself, I pressed play and sat there for 30 minutes.
In case you don’t have Facebook or haven’t watched the news lately, a viral video called “KONY 2012” has acquired over 75 million views on YouTube as of Monday night.
It’s been the subject of numerous articles and blog posts, including an Opinions piece in our own paper.
This self-proclaimed “social experiment” by filmmaker Jason Russell promotes his organization Invisible Children, which aims to raise awareness about the atrocities committed by Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda.
I will admit a few things: The video is well made and Joseph Kony’s actions are awful. And the word “awful” is an understatement.
But I must say, reposting a video on your Facebook page does not actually accomplish much. If anything, this shows how people can blindly follow propaganda.
While I applaud the recent burst of activism among people our age, and acknowledge that the power of social media does exist, I think this energy should be channeled in a more proactive way.
Posting the video with the message, “OMG! Everyone has to see this!!!” does not end child slavery.
A #StopKony tweet does not speed up the process of the International Criminal Court finding this man who is already number one on their Most Wanted list.
The video tugs at our heartstrings, yes, but reporters and Ugandan citizens alike have questioned its perhaps “over-simplified” portrayal of the country’s complicated history.
According to articles published by The New York Times and NPR, some argue that it does not accurately reflect the reality of Uganda today.
Before hopping on a bandwagon, people should do their research and know what exactly is onboard.
Prior to being taken down from YouTube, Rebecca Black’s music video “Friday” had over 167 million views last year, and since being reposted to the site in September has gained 25 million more.
As evidenced by this example, just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s actually good or worth the hype.
KONY 2012 is kind of like a virtual Occupy Movement, in the sense that it shows our society calling for change, but the actual end results of the efforts are questionable and likely intangible.
Can we please turn this spirit, this desire to make a difference, toward more attainable outlets?
Instead of assuming a foreign country needs us, righteous Americans, to come to its rescue, why not look to the surrounding area, somewhere within reach?
Of course, I’m not discouraging people from dreaming big, but it’s unlikely that your 400 Facebook friends are members of the government who can go out and catch Kony right this minute.
Instead, go volunteer in Trenton. There are children outside our campus that could benefit from someone taking an interest in them. Helping tutor or leading an afterschool program can go a long way. Serve dinner to families at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
If you actively try to make a difference, that’s great. But sharing a link does nothing more than staying on a screen.
(02/28/12 9:30am)
A musical’s mission is to transport the audience into another world.
Or at least this is the belief of the Man In Chair, the main character in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a musical within a musical, which first debuted on Broadway in 2006.
TCNJ Musical Theatre successfully achieved this goal through their production of the show from Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 25 on the Kendall Hall Main Stage.
The snarky commentary style of Joan Rivers, combined with the comfort and approachable manner of Mr. Rodgers, is a fitting way to describe the disposition of the Man In Chair. Complete with a brown cardigan that could have come right out of Rodgers’ closet, this Broadway snob (in the most endearing way possible) has his favorite musical, also titled “The Drowsy Chaperone,” come to life in his living room once he begins to play a record of the soundtrack, which takes him back to November 1928.
The Man In Chair (played by Adam Ziering, freshman math/science/technology and special education double major) was the man of the hour — or the hour-and-a-half that the show lasted.
Even when there were elaborate dance numbers going on alongside him, Ziering stole the show, dancing and singing from his seat on the stage. He perfectly portrayed this hilarious hermit, who hates answering the phone but loves show tunes.
As the tale unfolds, a bride named Janet Van de Graaff (played by sophomore marketing major Kelly Cosentino) tries to avoid seeing her groom, Robert Martin (played by freshman vocal performance major Justin Binnix), on the day of their wedding because it is bad luck.
The plot revolves around various characters either trying to encourage the wedding, or tear it apart.
A chaperone, played by Elizabeth Gerger (junior digital arts major) must keep the two separated, though she is much more focused on finding champagne during this time of prohibition.
The chaperone is distracted by a Latin lothario named Aldolpho (played by Nick Vitovitch, junior mathematics and computer science double major) whose mission it is to sleep with the bride-to-be so that the wedding will be called off. He mistakes the chaperone for Janet, and seduces the wrong woman.
Feldzieg, a producer (played sophomore mathematics and secondary education double major Jim Bloss), tries to separate the pair; otherwise, Janet, a showgirl, will leave the business.
Kitty, an over-eager, wannabe showgirl (played by Dana-Joy Carducci, freshman math/science/technology and special education double major) follows him around in the hopes of getting Janet’s role.
Ziering’s character pauses the record to add in commentary throughout the show, as the cast comes to a stop-still until the Man In Chair resumes the music.
Some songs were about silly subjects, such as one called “Monkey on a Pedestal,” where Janet laments over her love for Robert, whose pet name is “Monkey,” but the songs are purposefully absurd — as pointed out by the Man In Chair’s commentary throughout.
Though singing is a strong point of a show, another key is choreography. The cast members were masters of movement, whether taking on tap dancing, or roller-blading blindfolded across the stage.
Other highlights of the show included the punny pastry chefs, who were gangsters in disguise. They integrated dessert-related plays on words into all of their sentences.
In the finale, an airplane lands on the set, and the pilot, Trix the Aviatrix (played by senior psychology major Stephanie Wallace) doubles as a minister and marries the four love matches that develop over the course of the musical.
The Man In Chair’s love for the show is contagious, as the audience soon feels taken to another world too.
(02/28/12 9:07am)
A person’s lifespan can be classified into categories.
Toddlers are between ages 3 and 5, while a 12 year old is considered a tween. The teen years begin at 13, and middle age starts in a person’s 40s.
However, a territory tackled less frequently is ages 16 through 26.
Michael Kimmel, known for his scholarly work regarding men and masculinity, refers to this time as “Guyland.”
This stage of development was the focus at “An Afternoon With Dr. Michael Kimmel,” sponsored by PRISM, the College’s organization for LGBTQ individuals and their allies.
Kimmel spoke from the Kendall Hall Main Stage at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20. This was his second visit to the College; the first occurred seven or eight years ago, but no one at the event recalled an exact date.
The sociologist discussed his book “Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men,” published in 2008 based on interviews with 400 males across the country.
“Guyland is not the Peter Pan syndrome,” Kimmel said. “It is not about young people refusing to grow up. It is a ‘Peter Panic’ syndrome — young people desperate to grow up.”
This is a time of questioning and turmoil, he said.
Kimmel listed five markers of adulthood: finishing an education, getting married, getting a job, moving out and having children. In the 1950s, 20.3 years was the average age of marriage. Currently it’s 28.4, according to statistics shared by the speaker, who noted that it now takes a decade after high school for a person to settle down.
Kimmel attributes this to changing trends in society, including a longer life expectancy.
“You are going to live longer than any generation,” he told the audience. The average age of death is projected to be 93.
Another factor that contributes to creating “Guyland”is the economy, saying that students would likely change the field they work in two or three times, during their lives.
He explained that workers in our generation move laterally across different career fields, rather than moving up the career ladder. He attributed this to the “three-month itch,” where a person takes a job, realizes it isn’t going anywhere and moves to another.
He called this “serial jobogamy,” to which the audience responded with laughter.
Changes between parents and children is another issue, which Kimmel referred to as “helicopter parents,” who micromanage every nanosecond of their kid’s life.
“It’s making a generation that is less resilient and far more risk averse,” he said.
When these young people go to college, they experience a withdrawal from the presence of adults in their lives.
“You have a whole group of men coming into college desperate and eager to prove their masculinity, and the grown ups are all gone,” Kimmel said. “So what you have on many college campuses is 18 year olds trying to prove their masculinity to 19 year olds. And that cannot work.”
He described in detail initiation rituals he learned about during his interviews, whether among athletic teams, fraternities or military organizations.
Another aspect of “Guyland” is its implications for women.
Women’s lives have changed fundamentally in the past 30-40 years, Kimmel said. They have made gender more visible, entered the workplace in unprecedented numbers and found better ways to balance work and family. Women also feel entitled to pleasure.
Still, women are unequal to men, and this is because of men’s privilege. The author explained that privilege is invisible to those who have it, whether regarding gender, race or class.
Kimmel said that equality cannot be discussed without confronting entitlement, and the resentment males have toward women entering arenas of their lives.
He discussed how not only is there a wage gap between women and men, but there is also an orgasm gap. According to a sex survey he helped conduct on college campuses, which reached more than 25,000 students, two-thirds of men admitted to having orgasms, while only one-third of women did.
Another discovery was that men dramatically overestimated the orgasm of their partners.
Kimmel explained this by saying that women fake it to make men feel good, which illustrates the common occurrence of women retreating to a position of taking care of men’s feelings.
Women’s role in “Guyland” is that they can either be “a babe or a bitch,” Kimmel said, and there is not much of an in-between.
Kimmel deemed unequal social lives the biggest irony of “Guyland," but said his point is not to make people avoid this stage of development; he wants people to go through it effectively and more consciously, and acknowledge those who are marginalized.
(02/14/12 9:39am)
I have a few gripes about this year’s Grammys.
Don’t get me wrong — I applaud Adele’s sweep, winning six out of six awards, including Album of the Year. And I’d have a lot more issues with the show if she had lost.
As much as I loved her rendition of “Rolling in the Deep,” however, why did she perform only one song?
Strong and simple, yes — especially which compared to Nicki Minaj’s demonic disaster (more on that later) — but I would have rather seen a medley of her music. Some “Someone Like You” or “Rumor Has it” would have been great, or her recent single “Set Fire to the Rain.”
Nevertheless, she sounded and looked marvelous, and I couldn’t have been happier for her. Standing ovations were well-deserved.
Someone that was not worthy of the stage, though: Chris Brown.
Not only did he perform, but he also won a Grammy at the Sunday night ceremony.
Three years ago, he assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna before the show. I’m surprised this man was even allowed to show his face in that place.
Another anomaly was the fact that LL Cool J hosted. It’s nice that they brought back a host for the first time since 2005, but where is his relevance today? I can’t take anyone seriously whose name is an acronym for “Ladies Love.”
In his introduction, he mentioned that the show was the 54th annual, and deemed it “music’s biggest night.”
He also acknowledged the Feb. 12 passing of Whitney Houston, occurring only a day before the show, and began with a prayer.
Houston, an N.J. native and music megastar, was no stranger to award shows or musical honors during her 48 years.
Jennifer Hudson’s homage to Houston was touching and powerful. She sang“I Will Always Love You,” likely Houston’s best-known ballad. I would have deemed the performance perfection — if only it had served as the show’s closing.
While some may have thought the Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh and Dave Grohl rock collaboration was a fitting finale, it was not my cup of tea. Still, I’m fine with the show ending in this way; I just wish Nicki Minaj’s performance did not happen after Hudson’s.
Her eccentric exorcism — complete with dancing priests and chants about Roman, one of Minaj’s alter-egos — was over-the-top, even for those who are no stranger to typical Gaga numbers.
Speaking of Lady Gaga, for someone who strives on standing out, her black mesh facemask didn’t even compare in outlandishness to Minaj’s Little Red Riding Hood-esque ensemble. We didn’t see much of GaGa, and sadly it wasn’t until the end, when Album of the Year nominees were announced, that I realized I missed her.
Still, Adele definitely deserved her awards.
While the Grammys may have had its lows, there was something for everyone. Whether indie Bon Iver taking Best New Artist or the Beach Boys coming out of nowhere, and Taylor Swift playing a banjo, it was an eclectic evening.
(02/08/12 5:55pm)
Living in Eickhoff Hall is commonly compared to staying in a hotel. With swipe access cards and personal bathrooms, this residence hall has been considered among the top choices for students at the College.
Now, there’s a shift in the housing system, as residing in hotels is actually an option for upperclassmen.
Complete with access to the facilities’ fitness centers, pools and weekly maid service, 140 beds will become available for rising juniors and seniors, according to recently released information on the Residential Education and Housing website.
While the College has yet to sign contracts or confirm which hotels will be used, two likely locations are the Courtyard Marriott and the Element by Westin, both in Ewing and approximately three miles away, according to Sean Stallings, executive director of Residential Education and Housing.
“These are two of the top finalists, pending the final award of the contract,” Stallings said.
Further information provided on the College’s housing website states that students who would like to live in hotels must sign up separately from the on campus housing lottery. Rooms will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Those selecting the hotel option will enter a contract, which will be managed by Residential Education and Housing. For this reason, students cannot choose hotels and then decide to switch on-campus, Stallings explained; but if a studentdoes not receive a time slot for the on campus lottery, the hotels may be an available option.
The hotel rooms will be doubles, and the amenities are similar, but slightly vary between the hotels.
Rooms at the Courtyard Marriott feature two queen-sized beds and a 37” plasma television, according to a description on the housing site. Some of The Element by Westin rooms have queen beds, while others are extra-long twins.
The Element rooms also have a kitchenette area, which includes a dishwasher, refrigerator, stovetop and microwave.
Each of the facilities feature personal bathrooms, some with a bathtub.
While residents receive complimentary breakfast, such as hot breakfast sandwiches and smoothies served at The Element, these students will still be required to have a meal plan, the website said.
Prices have not been determined and will be decided at a Board of Trustees meeting in July 2012, a note at the bottom of the Housing website stated.
According to Ryan Farnkopf, director of housing operations for Residential Education and Housing, students living in hotels will pay $150 more a semester than on campus residents.
Farnkopf described in an email interview the security measures at the hotels, saying, “Both hotels have 24-hour front desk staff, key controlled side doors and cameras. In addition, both hotels will be staffed by Residential Education and Housing.”
“The College is always concerned with safety and security, and encourage all our students to take proper precautions and exercise good judgment. Whether residing on campus, off campus, or in a hotel,” he continued.
Shuttles will serve as transportation to and from the College, according to the website, and will likely run every half hour. Students with cars may park in provided lots, and a commuter fee would be added.
Stallings explained that the shuttle schedule will be determined after a public bidding process takes places to select a transportation company.
So far, students have mixed reactions.
While sophomore business major Molly Crawford said the hotels’ amenities sound nice, she prefers the convenience of residing on campus.
“I’d rather be here and do things on my own time, not on a shuttle schedule,” she said.
As an out-of-state student and scholarship recipient, Crawford is guaranteed housing, but said if this were not the case, she may have considered the hotels.
Jonathan Velez echoed Crawford’s thoughts on the convenience of on-campus living.
“The library is here,” the junior English and secondary education double major said. “If you need a professor, you can just leave your room and go.”
Velez transferred to the College this year and currently resides in Norsworthy Hall. If he doesn’t receive a timeslot, he said, “I’m just going to hustle and go off campus. “
Meanwhile, some students anticipated the shortage of housing and decided months ago to branch off.
“I already signed my lease,” said Robert Myers, sophomore biology major.
“I didn’t want to risk not getting housing… If I knew about the hotels and saw the pictures, I might have considered taking the hotel because I have a car,” Myers said, adding that he would’ve liked having his room cleaned once a week.
Unlike Myers, not all upperclassmen own vehicles, which adds hesitation to trusting the transportation system.
“I don’t have a car,” said Shannon Dooley, sophomore math and secondary education double major. “I don’t know if I would feel secure using a shuttle system, considering we’ve never done it before.”
Though Jaclyn Trippe also wants to live on campus because of the convenience, she acknowledged the upside of this new option.
The sophomore English and secondary education double major stayed in one of the rooms for a fraternity formal and said, “I’ve actually been to one of the hotels, The Element, and it’s really nice. I wouldn’t mind living there at all. It’s beautiful.”
Hotel information sessions are being held Tuesday evening, Feb. 7 in Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall, and again on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Kendall Hall. Live online info sessions are also in the works.
(02/01/12 1:52am)
Up until last semester, food options in the Rathskeller mostly meant various items topped with mozzarella sticks.
Now the Rat has ditched the sticks, and instead switched to fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato bruschetta atop their Margherita burgers and cheesesteaks.
Why?
Its menu has gotten a makeover.
Though mozzarella sticks still appear among the appetizers, they are joined by 11 new pre-meal options, according to Joanna Brunell, marketing manager of Dining Services. These include popcorn chicken, flatbread bruschetta and mac & cheese bites.
Another surprise: Curly fries are no longer a staple at the Rat. Instead, the potatoes are now are served as waffle fries.
This change in spud shape is a direct result of students’ comments regarding what they wanted to see in this dining facility that doubles as a pub.
“We love getting feedback from students and we take survey results and comment cards seriously,” Brunell explained in an email, adding that employees’ opinions are also considered. “Based on student input … we knew that there was a desire for change.”
“After looking at what products sold well at The Rat, we decided that we had some opportunities to remove or rework some of the items,” she said.
Additionally, a new executive chef George Miliaresis joined the College’s dining team and Brunell classified him as “a real catalyst for change.”
“Prior to this hire, we had one executive chef for all dining operations on campus, but now Chef Miliaresis focuses solely on our retail dining operations and is therefore able to dedicate much of his time to the food we offer,” she said.
The menu now includes “standard pub fare,” according to Brunell, such as sausage, peppers and onions, fish & chips and turkey burgers.
There is also a new line of “Naan-inis,” which are flatbread sandwiches grilled in a panini press, including Mediterranean grilled chicken or falafel.
“We have definitely seen a positive jump in customer counts that was not expected,” Brunell said, who noted an 18 percent increase in sales since this time last year.
While the eatery still experiences the madness of meal equiv, this is not its only busy time.
“We have found that students are coming back through the afternoon and bringing life to The Rat in the evening, where in the past, it was a ghost town,” she said.
Though the increase is good for business, not all customers are pleased. Some admitted to waiting for over an hour or more to receive food on busy days.
Nevertheless, students appear to appreciate the new options overall.
“I like the new selections,” said Rosanna Percontino, junior psychology and special education double major. “It’s great we have different choices.”
“Even if you want to eat healthy, there’s the new paninis,” she continued. “And the popcorn shrimp is really good. You want something different — after a while you’re going to get bored if you’re eating in the same place.”
Not only can students grab a bite for lunch or dinner, but the Rat also opens every Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m., offering new omelets and breakfast sandwiches.
Expanding upon early morning eating, Brunell said, “Every last Sunday of each month, we’ll have a special breakfast called the Last Sunday Jazzy Breakfast that includes an endless stack of specialty pancakes and live jazz music. This event is co-sponsored by (College Union Board).”
Dining Services encourages students to offer input by attending their committee meetings, which are held every other Wednesday in BSC 239 at 2 p.m. The next meeting will be on Feb. 8.