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(04/07/11 2:04am)
A red wristwatch, one of the College’s basketball jerseys, “Party Rock” foam fingers, glow sticks, confetti and condoms in zebra-print wrappers were among the items tossed into the sea of students by performers at the College’s Spring Fest 2011.
The show, presented by the College Union Board on Tuesday, March 29, featured musical artists LMFAO, Mike Posner and Sam Adams.
Audience members lunged toward the treats, pushing forward and waving their arms frantically. Those lucky enough to acquire any airborne artifacts gripped these items tightly, refusing to let go.
Electronic hip-hop duo LMFAO doused the crowd in sparkling cider, as they explained that they weren’t allowed to bring actual alcohol into the Recreation Center.
This, of course, was prior to performing their song “Shots.”
With shiny purple pants and white sunglasses, Redfoo was joined on stage by his partner in rhyme — Sky Blu, wearing a “Hi Mom” T-shirt, which he said makes a cameo in all of their videos.
The two catered to the College audience by changing the lyrics in their song that’s normally about being in Miami. As they sang “I’m in New Jersey, bitch,” the crowd erupted in cheers.
This impromptu remix is not their only association with the state; the pair is responsible for “Get Crazy,” the song that plays as the theme for MTV’s megahit “Jersey Shore.”
In a pre-show interview with The Signal, LMFAO praised the “Shore,” somewhat sarcastically, as having an “amazing cast” and categorizing it as a “dynamic show.”
Redfoo explained the magic, as he said, “I remember when I saw the first episode ever and Snooki had a real attitude, and she just didn’t give a fuck. They were like, ‘You’re gonna be working. You’re gonna be doing this.’ And she was like, ‘Look, I don’t work.’ It was crazy.”
Additionally, they mentioned how MTV has yet to play their “Party Rock Anthem” music video but added that they would love for them to show this video so they could finally fulfill their dreams of hosting MTV’s next Video Music Awards.
As LMFAO danced around on stage with members of their Party Rock Crew, images of SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star flashed on the screen in an explosion of neon colors. At one point, Redfoo jumped into the crowd.
Mike Posner also took a dive into the audience earlier in the evening. This was not the only commonality of the night, however.
Performers Posner and Sam Adams shared similar wardrobes, each starting their sets in varsity jackets, which could be considered appropriate since it hasn’t been too long since either was in school.
Twenty-three-year-old Posner, who opened the show with his single “Please Don’t Go,” graduated from Duke University just last May and made sure to complete his degree,
despite the fact that he had already signed a record deal and was recording an album.
He explained to The Signal prior to his performance, “Most people in the world don’t get the opportunity to go to college at all — let alone a college like Duke, so it was important for me and my family for me to finish and get my degree.”
While he found himself “juggling the two,” he was always making beats in his dorm room and going to class on weekdays, and then flying out to record on Thursdays.
Reflecting back on his musical accomplishments from the past year, Posner said, “These were all goals of mine. I didn’t think that they would become realities as quickly as they did.”
On his latest single “Bow Chicka Wow Wow,” he collaborates with Lil’ Wayne.
When performing this song for the College, he called a female audience member on stage to serenade and handed her a teddy bear while the lyrics appropriately chronicled his actions, crooning “I gave you flowers and a teddy.”
Performing at Spring Fest was the first stop on Posner’s spring tour, he said.
“Is the College ready to party with us?” Posner asked students, before saying that although he’s been to other colleges, “I’m going to venture to say you are the rowdiest crowd of them all.”
Sam Adams also commented on the audience’s abundance of energy.
“It’s really interesting to see how the crowd reacts to different songs, so we sort of build our set while we go,” Adams said during a Signal sit-down after his performance. “Unlike most people that have a routine or a set and the band knows when to transition, we sort of just ad-lib that ‘cause we just like to have fun.”
During the concert, Adams asked the crowd if they liked dubstep, to which the audience crazily cheered. Realizing they were such fans of the bass-heavy genre, he then incorporated more dubstep into the show with songs like “Some Chords.”
While he has a song called “I Hate College,” Adams admittedly does not detest institutions of higher education.
“I loved it,” Adams explained in the post-show interview. “It was more just defining my hate for my teachers and being in class.”
It is because of the connections he made during his years in school that Adams was able to sell as many songs as he did last year, even causing critics to accuse him of buying all his own music, Adams said.
In their eyes, he came out of nowhere, but according to Adams, his ever-growing fan base stems from word of mouth and keeping good relationships with people.
The 22-year-old is passionate about positivity, and it is this optimism reflected in his music that’s caused some to question his credentials.
“There’s a lot of critics and hip-hop people who are like, ‘He’s not hip hop. He’s not rap,’” Adams said, discussing the discrepancy. “It’s like — good, don’t put me in that fucking genre anyway. I’m ‘a good time’ music.”
Adams brought his “good time” to the College, as audience members went wild for his song “Driving Me Crazy.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
For sound clips and excerpts from The Signal's interviews with the artists, click here.
(04/07/11 1:37am)
Two years ago I was one of the high school seniors walking around this campus for Accepted Students Day, but looking back, it seems like merely a blip in my memory bank …
Maybe that’s because I only remained at the College for approximately an hour before asking my mom to drive me back home.
Seemingly the worst timing in the world, Accepted Students Day fell only a few days after I found out that I was rejected from my dream schools.
I had never ventured to this campus for a visit prior to that fateful day in April, so in my mind, there was no way it’d measure up to the others. Nothing could compare to Columbia University, right? (I was wrong, by the way.)
This caused my first impression to also be the worst impression.
As silly as it may sound now, I burst into tears as I looked out onto the College’s green grass and saw students clothed in medieval armor, complete with shields and swords, participating in a faux fight.
This seemed like a joke and only made me feel even more upset that this was the school I would be attending. I wanted someone to pop up with a sign that said they were “joust” kidding.
That day, after attempting to attend some presentation in the Library that I could not bear to sit through, I went in the bookstore to pick up a sweatshirt and then left immediately.
My rationale was that since I was “stuck” going here anyway, I would see the campus eventually.
This mental misstep prevented me from seeing potential in this place that I have now grown to love.
I never took a campus tour, which made it quite tricky that September when I had to sneakily carry around a map so that I could navigate my way to class. (The buildings all looked the same to me.)
While senior year of high school can be a stressful time, my theory is that the whole “finding the right college” process is a collision of luck and fate.
Many times during my freshman year, I had conversations with fellow floor mates or kids in my classes, which went something like, “I almost didn’t go to this school,” but the underlying message always wound up, “But, I’m so glad I did.”
To all the students and families that are here this weekend for the same reason that I was two years ago, my sincerest congratulations.
However, be cautious of following in my foolish footsteps (unless of course, you choose to go here and write for the paper, then I entirely encourage you to do that!). I mean, don’t make my mistakes of closed-mindedness.
Remember that first impressions are not everything, and wherever you wind up, it can become the home to your happiness, if you give it a chance.
P.S. I guess mothers do know best, because I only applied here after my mom insisted on giving it a shot. As a second-semester sophomore, I can now admit that she knew better than I did, and who knows if I’d have been equally happy anywhere else?
P.P.S. No offense to the medieval club. I think it’s cool how there are organizations on campus that appeal to all interests. Keep doing your thing!
(04/07/11 12:43am)
After a male student removed property without permission from a table in the Eickhoff Dining Hall on Wednesday, March 23, he was confronted by the female whose purse he had taken. According to reports, a Dining Services manager got involved and when doing so, the purse dropped to the floor. Campus Police responded to the scene but called in the suspect later for questioning. He was subsequently arrested.
…
Police stopped a vehicle after it entered an area with a “do not enter” sign at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 27. When the car was stopped, an officer observed an individual in the backseat slumped over with his head in his hands. There was vomit inside and outside the car’s window closest to this passenger.
When the male looked up, he had vomit on his face and clothing. The driver stated that he had picked up the intoxicated male at an off-campus location. EMS personnel and residence directors (Pro Staff) evaluated the condition of the passenger, who had a strong combination of alcohol and vomit emanating from his breath, reports said. It was determined that he couldn’t remain on campus but did not need to be transported. As a result, he remained with Pro Staff members until his parents arrived to remove him from campus.
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Unwanted and excessive amounts of text messages and Facebook messages resulted in officers meeting with a female in the Travers Hall lobby at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28, who wished to file a report of harassment against her ex-boyfriend, police said. She had told him to stop contacting her, but the messages containing name calling, rude comments and argumentative messages continued, as frequently as 10 to 50 messages at a time a few days each week. The victim categorized the messages as annoying, not threatening, but decided that she did not wish to file any charges at that time.
…
While at a party in the 1900 block of Pennington Road, a female left her property in the care of a friend when she went to dance at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, according to police. When her friend got up off the couch the female went to retrieve her belongings but could not find her purple T-Mobile My Touch phone, green Sony Camera, pink College wristlet, Sovereign bank card, College ID and key. In total, the property is valued at $487.
…
When a female went to work out in the Packer Hall Physical Enhancement Center she placed her pink ID wallet holder in one of the cubbies on the wall at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. She went to grab it after exercising but could not find it, reports said. Missing items include the ID holder, $25, a Visa debit card, her College ID, driver’s license and dorm room key.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu
(04/07/11 12:31am)
Over the course of the past two weeks, sometimes as late as 10 p.m., a group of 30-something girls gathered wherever space was available to rehearse their routines three nights a week.
Although some students were going to sleep at that time, it was when the members of the Synergy Dance Company came together to practice their dances, which were all choreographed by members of the company.
The culmination of months of practice came on Sunday, April 3 when the Synergy Spring Spectacular took the Kendall Hall Main Stage.
Several styles of dance — tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and contemporary — filled the show.
Musical numbers were also incorporated, with a tap performance to “Step in Time” from Mary Poppins, complete with chimney sweeps as props and a jazz version of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango,” during which a few male dancers joined in.
Tributes occurred throughout the recital, as the show opened with homage to Michael Jackson, a jazz number titled “The King,” in which the entire company performed together to “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.”
A 1950s tap number was choreographed by senior special education major Theresa Lombardi, who is one of three captains, because her father loves music from the ’50s, the announcer explained.
The closing number was also dedicated to a decade, as the graduating seniors took into consideration the fact that they were technically the last class to be born in the 1980s.
Complete with leg warmers and neon-off-the-shoulder T-shirts, the group began by combining aerobics with other classic, nostalgic moves associated with the ’80s, in the jazz number featuring “Love Shack” and “Eye of the Tiger.”
The show’s entirety did not all take place in other time periods; a ballet number to “Pokerface” by Lady Gaga and a hip-hop heavy performance to a compilation of Lil’ Wayne songs called “Wayne’s World” were modern music selections.
An emotionally powerful, contemporary performance to Coldplay’s “Fix You” was the vision of captain Maggie Christel, senior health and exercise science major, and began with a dissatisfied girl looking in the mirror and drawing a big, red “X.” As the performance progressed, other girls wrote “fix me” and by the end, the “X” was turned into a heart.
The show ended with all of the dancers on stage and acknowledgment of seniors, the executive board and captains, highlighting the hard work required to make the recital a reality.
While the afternoon of dance was free, the girls collected donations for multiple sclerosis.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu
(03/30/11 10:14pm)
After reading Michael Kimmel’s “Guyland” in his “Men and Masculinities” course, Brad Gilbert was inspired.
The book explores how males in the age range from 16 to 26 exist with a “guy mentality” where “if you are any way outside the hetero-normative, you are not a guy,” Gilbert explained.
In the text, Kimmel is additionally critical of fraternities, and this sparked the junior English and women’s and gender studies double major’s idea to form an interest group to bring a new Greek organization to campus.
Gilbert is in the process of making his goal of starting a chapter of Delta Lambda Phi a reality.
After his friend was accepted into a pledge class of the organization at Rutgers University, Gilbert didn’t think much of it, he said, “but then I actually saw Jack Halberstam’s lecture, who’s my favorite queer theorist, and then I saw the Ralph Nader, Jesse Jackson lecture and I was like, ‘I need to do something.’”
Delta Lambda Phi is a fraternity whose mission statement focuses on “progressive men,” and is created for and by men in the homosexual and bisexual community.
“It’s very hard to, sometimes as a gay man, or a bisexual man, or just queer in general, to relate to other men first of all, and then second of all, to (relate to) each other,” Gilbert said. “There’s a lot of animosity sometimes, and there shouldn’t be.”
The organization aims to provide an alternative to those who feel as though they don’t belong in the pre-existing Greek groups.
“I’ve considered joining frats but I kind of felt out of my element, because I am gay,” Billy Cavallo, sophomore biology major, said.
“Not saying that they don’t take it well,” Cavallo continued. “But just saying that it’s a very different environment, so having a frat that’s not really pro-gay, but more pro-acceptance is a more comfortable setting for people that are in the same situation as me.”
Adam Fisher, who tried rushing other fraternities twice this year, said, “All the guys were very accepting and welcoming, but at the same time, I did feel that disconnect, where I knew I didn’t really fit into that crowd.”
Speaking of the prospects of Delta Lambda Phi, the freshman graphic design major said, “It’s definitely something I was looking for this past year.”
“Because it is going to be a smaller, closer knit community, it’s going to be more of a brotherhood than just being in a frat,” Fisher said.
This interest group, consisting of a Facebook group with about 25 members, has looked to Dave Conner, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at the College, for assistance.
According to Conner, the Inter-Greek Council (IGC) expansion committee assesses the current Greek life existing on campus each semester and decides whether or not there is room or need for any new groups.
While Conner said that things are “still very much in the preliminary stage” with Delta Lambda Phi, it is possible that the group can attain pre-active status as early as the fall semester.
“I think they bring something very unique, and not only a support mechanism, but an environment where they may essentially bring out a large chunk of men we haven’t necessarily seen represented in the fraternity community,” Conner said.
When discussing the potentially inevitable reputation as “the gay fraternity” on campus, Gilbert said, “People are going to want to label everything.”
Pointing out such absurdity, he added, “Calling it ‘the gay frat,’ sounds to me like it’s going to be an orgy or something.”
“It comes with all these connotations,” he continued. “It may be a group founded around a differing sexuality, but that doesn’t mean that it comes with all the negative stereotyping. It’s actually trying to disprove that sort of thing.”
Echoing similar thoughts, Cavallo said, “I don’t want that stigma. I want it to be the alternative frat.”
Although it has created a positive buzz on campus thus far, there have been polarizing opinions, namely from those in the LGBT community.
“My main concern is that to my understanding it is not inclusive to women or transgendered people,” said Melissa Nesi, a sophomore women’s and gender studies major and a member of PRISM. “Not that I would necessarily like to be a part of it, but I would like the option.”
Nesi explained that she has a transgendered roommate, who although he is a male mentally and presents himself that way, because he is not physically a male, he may not be allowed to join.
According to those in the interest group, the status regarding gender queers or transgendered individuals being able to join is currently undetermined, but if the group forms a chapter of Delta Lambda Phi, which is a national organization, it would have to be a male fraternity.
“It is an organization that is sex-based, but at the same time, it’s not an ideal group, but it’s working towards a more ideal campus environment,” Gilbert said. “It’s the lesser of two evils, compared to not having one.”
Creating this organization could help open the minds of others on campus.
“We’re not the flamboyant stereotypes that you see on TV. We’re just like everybody else. We deserve a table at the Inter-Greek Council,” Gilbert said. “It’s long overdue, I think. It’s just another step in the right direction.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/30/11 9:42pm)
Within 15 minutes of the start of Margaret Cho’s stand-up routine, a few audience members headed for the exit, and this trend continued to occur as the performance progressed.
Perhaps the crudeness of her comedy was too distasteful for some to stomach.
Yet the Korean comedian was unapologetic, and blatantly blunt with the subject matters of which she spoke during the College Union Board’s Spring Comedy Show.
This actress of Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva” and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant took the Kendall Hall Main Stage on Saturday, March 26, after John Roberts, recognized from his YouTube videos, opened the show.
Throughout the night, Cho shared tales about her proclivity for promiscuity and engaged in excessive discussion about her excrements. She confessed her love for marijuana and voiced her vexations toward the Palin family.
Additionally, Cho mocked her mother and berated the Bible-loving individuals who try to hide the existence of homosexuality — sometimes quite literally, like when those at her local gym in Peachtree, Ga. placed religious magazines over her copies of The Advocate.
Beneath the veneer of vulgarity, Cho did show some heart — expressing discontentment with the lack of focus or care shown toward the people of Japan after the tsunami and advocating for the LGBT community.
“You could say I’m a bisexual, but I’m also attracted to transgendered people,” Cho said, “so I guess you could say I’m greedy.”
In discussing why she is “very into talking about gay things,” she explained, “From my fag hag perspective, being a gay man has to be the greatest existence possible.”
When someone is born as a gay male, Cho believes “you’re probably near the end of your reincarnation cycle,” for several reasons.
Two of these are: “You can rollerblade all the time” and “You never have to stop listening to Lady Gaga ever. I do not want to ever stop,” she said.
While she will never get to actually be a gay man, an attainable life goal she has is to continue having sex for the rest of her life, or as long physically possible.
Her limitless libido became a topic of discussion, as she told the crowd she hopes to “fuck (her) way right into the nursing home.”
The 42-year-old said, “I want to be so old that when I ask what’s my name, it’s because I really need to know.”
Her Korean heritage, she said, aided her in frequently finding men to sleep with when she was in her twenties.
“All I had to do was pretend to not speak English,” she said, while giggling with her hand in front of her mouth and flashing a peace sign with her fingers to demonstrate her
stereotypical technique.
Cho explained that she has “become more slutty with the invention of texting. I like sexting … but if you’re going to be sexting, check the number you’re sexting.”
She recounted a time where a message, stating she was about to “come,” was mistaken by her mother as an indication that she was paying her a visit.
Speaking of her mother, Cho discussed her time on “Dancing with the Stars,” which she categorized as her mom’s favorite TV show.
“I had to go up against Bristol Palin,” Cho said, who then explained how Palin was “not a good dancer” and always had a look on her face “like a girl when you’re fucking her and she’s not into it.”
Cho also prided herself on the fact that she had “the most pronounced cameltoe” in “Dancing with the Stars” history, and that she is the only contestant to have ever been banned from returning.
“I’m putting the cunt back in country,” Cho told the crowd, after performing a song with a surprisingly good voice, comparing herself to the likes of Susan Boyle, whose voice you also wouldn’t expect to come from “that face,” she said.
She sang several songs throughout — one about murder, another about why she “loves dicks.” During the latter number, John Roberts returned to the stage, sashaying across the back of the stage in a nude bodysuit with only a replication of the song’s namesake showing.
As the opener, John Roberts went wild with wigs, with each representing a different character or personality — from his own mother to gossipy girls.
He returned to the stage for the evening’s final performance — a duet with Cho called “My Puss,” in which the two melodically rapped all the reasons why their “puss” is superior to yours.
A few times throughout the show, Cho stopped herself and said she had gone too far, yet this understatement did not actually hinder her off-color performance; known for crossing the line, this comedian held nothing back.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/30/11 7:32pm)
An unknown vehicle was parked near the track at 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, on Metzger South. After approaching the car and asking the driver if everything was OK, an officer noticed a male unable to sit upright in the backseat.
The vehicle’s operator stated that she and her friend were driving and saw the male fall near the track field. He was conscious but smelled of alcohol and had vomit all over his body. According to reports, he was unable to stand and stated he had consumed approximately seven to 10 shots of vodka that evening.
Lions EMS arrived and assumed patient care. Pennington Road EMS transported him to Capital Health System at Helene Fuld. The incident was reported to the Office of Student Affairs for unacceptable behavior.
…
Criminal mischief was reported after a female parked her vehicle at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, in Lot 11, the parking lot located near Eickhoff Hall, and returned days later to find a scratch on the car. She returned at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 24, which is when she observed the faint scratch, approximately 22 inches long on the driver’s side door, extending along the car’s side, police said.
…
While attending an art class at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in the Arts and Interactive Multimedia Building, a student placed her bag on a classroom desk with her wallet inside — containing one $100 bill, one $10 bill and one $5 bill. She and the other students left their property unattended in the room, reports said. The victim stated that the class received random break periods and when she finally returned to the room, the cash had been removed from her wallet.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau@tcnj.edu.
(03/23/11 11:55pm)
March: It’s the most wonderful time of the year — in my opinion, at least.
Why?
Spring, my birthday and that seemingly silly basketball tournament in which many people become way too emotionally — and financially — invested.
Yet, I too am guilty of spending hours watching those games, and filling out a bracket in the hopes of predicting the unpredictable.
But what do I know about sports?
My women’s and gender studies minor and failed attempts at being an adolescent rec. basketball all -star would predict the answer: little to nothing.
Although it may frustrate those who scour over statistics and have their eyes glued to the screen throughout the entire season to have someone like me enter their pool, I believe it’s better that way.
I think the magic of the madness lies in the fact that as many hours as one spends scrutinizing a piece of paper, what will happen can surprise you.
Personally, last Thursday I was pulling for Princeton, a 14 seed and our neighboring college, to beat one of last year’s elite eight contenders: Kentucky.
As many predicted, Kentucky took the win. But what people didn’t expect, the team only won by two within two seconds of the final buzzer.
This little incident goes to show that anything is possible.
Unfortunately for me, I am currently in second-to-last place in the pool to which I submitted a bracket. (I had picked Pittsburgh to be the national champion, not only because of their adorable panther mascot, but also the fact that they were a first-seeded team).
Lucky for me, I got over it and can look back on the situation recognizing that lessons learned from the tournament can be applicable to all aspects of life.
Expect the unexpected. As many hours as you can spend planning things, they will go wrong and there’s bound to be upsets.
As I found myself stressing over the outcome, I realized — it’s a college basketball game. I am not participating nor does it have any lasting effects on my life. I quickly calmed down.
In the end, it’s all about the fun in the process.
Whether you win or lose, the more enjoyable part is looking back fondly on the memories of watching the game with friends.
— Jamie Primeau
(03/23/11 11:55pm)
Students filled a majority of the lower level seats in the Kendall Hall Main Stage Theatre on Saturday evening.
What, what, what were they doing there?
Those in the campus community came together to watch a presentation by the Second City Network’s Sassy Gay Friend, commonly recognized for his YouTube fame.
Sassy Gay Friend, clad in the same black shirt and orange scarf as in his viral videos, told the crowd that the show was going to be gay, even possibly too gay for his outspoken, flamboyant self.
The phrase “splatter the walls gay” was used to describe Sassy’s plan of action, to which he added that even he himself did not know what this meant, but hoped it would catch on as new slang.
He “shared the stage” with Brian Gallivan, a 42-year-old former middle school English teacher.
It was no coincidence that Gallivan appeared strikingly similar to Sassy; they are the same person, with the only difference being wardrobe — Gallivan wore a blue hoodie to distinguish himself from his audacious alter ego.
Through monologues — and song — Gall-ivan shared scenarios from his own life.
He explained that many of these moments could have been significantly less terrible if he had his own sassy gay friend to help him out.
In his skits, Sassy travels back in time, usually to the settings of well-known literary works — mostly those of Shakespeare — and saves the females, who he refers to as “stupid bitches,” from their tragic downfalls.
These ladies included Juliet, Lady Macbeth and Desdemona — three women notorious for making, in some respects, rash decisions.
Through his blunt remarks, Sassy snaps the girls back to reality, to which a voiceover narrator sets the scene, explaining how these tragedies “could have been avoided if (insert name of distressed female) had a sassy gay friend.”
Because the actress who plays Desdemona was unable to attend, Sassy reverted to casting in the same way as in Shakespeare’s day — he found a boy to play this female lead.
Matthew, a student at the College, was chosen from the audience and joined Sassy on stage to assume the role of the soon-to-be-smothered damsel.
Throughout the show, Sassy also helped two freshmen audience members with relationship advice.
First, Leo shared her own dating dilemmas and received reassurance from Sassy that she was capable of fighting her crush’s ex-girlfriend, if need be. Then, Graham called his friend from home, who Sassy called out for dumping his ex-girlfriend for a frivolous reason.
Sassy was quick to critique the individuals in a candid, joking manner, whether it be Leo’s braces or Graham’s tendency to speak in a high-pitched voice when nervous.
The College’s improv comedy troupe, the Mixed Signals, opened and closed the show.
The crew performed several original skits, after seeking suggestions from the audience for different terms to incorporate into their improvisation.
When Gallivan finished his show, he called the Mixed Signals back on stage, where he and the actress, who played Juliet and Lady Macbeth, joined the group in a game.
While the show was filled with a variety of skits, there was a constant in each act; whenever Sassy exited, he broke out into impromptu, idiosyncratic dance moves as he leapt across the stage.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/23/11 9:48pm)
A female student was found unconscious from alcohol consumption in the Allen Hall bathroom at 12:12 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, according to a campus police report.
Upon arrival, officers met with the female’s boyfriend who said the female had consumed alcohol with himself and two visiting friends. According to reports, he said that she had shots of hard liquor but seemed fine until she went to the bathroom and started to vomit.
While Lions EMS evaluated the female, she began vomiting. Capital Health System ALS arrived on the scene as well as Trenton EMS, who then transported her to Capital Health Systems at Mercer.
The four individuals each received a summons.
…
After smelling marijuana in the stairwell of Level 4 of the Lot 8 parking garage, police officers arrived at 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16 to find a security officer speaking to the accused male. When asked why he was there, he stated that he was smoking a cigarette.
Upon searching the male, police uncovered a metallic, cylindrical container, which, when asked, the male stated had marijuana inside. He then removed a sock, which contained an eight-inch glass water pipe.
He was placed under arrest for possession, use, or being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance and for drug paraphernalia with intent to use.
…
Lions EMS tended to an intoxicated male with visible signs of vomit on his person at 2:13 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16 in Centennial Hall. He was breathing, but slow in response, reports said. When Pennington Rescue Squad arrived, the male attempted to stand and had trouble with his balance. He was transported to Capital Health System at Mercer and received a summons.
…
During a 12:30 p.m. class in the Arts and Interactive Multimedia building, a female student left her wallet in the classroom after the instructor told the class to leave their belongings as they went as an entire class to another room on the first floor. According to reports, when she returned to the room during a 2:30 p.m. break, the female noticed that $100 was missing from her wallet. After class ended at 4:30 p.m., she realized an additional $25 was gone.
…
An unresponsive male was found in a Centennial Hall men’s bathroom stall at 4:26 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16. Police observed the male wedged in between the stall, and he was unresponsive to attempts to wake him, police said. Lions EMS arrived and helped him stand. He received a summons.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu
(03/16/11 10:00pm)
Sitting in front of a wooden coffee table, John Laughton, dean of the School of Arts and Communications, was accompanied by Harriet Fulbright for the Brown Bag Series event on March 3, where they asked the crowd to “join the living room.”
The pair invited everyone closer, to “have a conversation,” creating an atmosphere in the Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall that was akin to sitting around and chatting comfortably in one’s own home.
Laughton directed the discussion as Fulbright, widow of United States Sen. J. William Fulbright, spoke of her late husband’s Fulbright Scholarship Program and the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center, that, as its name suggests, the two created together.
Fulbright, who described herself as someone who always “loved art,” served as the executive director of the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, where she spent time working with the White House’s executive branch, with Hillary Clinton as her honorary chair, she said.
Her job was to “tell the country how important the arts are, not only in the field of education, but (in) life and living.”
She first met the senator when the pair had lunch together after she was asked to run the Fulbright Association, she recounted.
She said she always rode her bicycle all over Washington until one day she was waiting at a red light and was hit by a truck.
The accident split her femur in three parts, but while she was in the hospital, she received a call from Fulbright saying she would have supper at his house from then on.
The two became best friends, and he asked her to marry him. She described their companionship as a “truly wonderful relationship, (that was) extraordinary for both of us.”
The pair traveled frequently, to England and back and forth to Arkansas, she said.
J. William Fulbright, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1942, attended the University of Arkansas and eventually became the university’s president — until Fulbright was fired by the man who he later ran against to become senator.
Fulbright explained how the Fulbright Scholarship program, “comes from the life of Fulbright,” whose English teacher persuaded him to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship after graduating.
According to his wife, traveling to England challenged Fulbright to work harder than ever before.
He felt as though “more Americans needed that kind of experience,” and for this reason, he started the program, Harriet Fulbright said.
Taking place in 340 countries worldwide, the program allowed recent college graduates to gain international experience in whatever field they had studied — everything from “neuroscience to the arts,” she said.
After World War II, Japan and Germany were among countries that “appreciated the program” and the “opportunity to again become respected members of the global community,” when Fulbright Commissions were set up there.
“It meant everything, being able to regain respectability and good standing in the eyes (of other nations),” and it showed that they were “capable of peaceful exchange,” Harriet Fulbright said.
The commissions, of which there are 52, “paid more attention to needs of the specific country,” and were “designed in order to make the whole process of exchange more formal and flow more freely.”
During the event, Fulbright shared her own experiences traveling, including an anecdotal tale of teaching 20 teenagers in Cypress.
The group had students from the North and South, she said, but they all came together to learn about art.
She had sent disposable cameras and asked them to photograph their environments. Through photography, each shared his or her own story — whether it was pictures of their families and pets, which a majority were, but one young man brought in picturesque images of a mountain. Fondly recalling the experience, she said, “Those pictures were a real window into (the lives of) these people.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/16/11 9:45pm)
Judith “Jack” Halberstam, author and professor of English at the University of Southern California, has been interested in the mega-stardom of Lady Gaga ever since the video for “Telephone” premiered.
“We are going to go gaga together,” Halberstam said to a crowded Library Auditorium on Monday, Feb. 28. “And I invite you to think with me.”
Halberstam, who also is the director of The Center for Feminist Research at the university, explored Gaga’s influences as the first in a series of lectures celebrating Women’s History Month at the College.
The lecture, appropriately titled “Going Gaga,” discussed what Halberstam calls “Gaga Pheminism.” This “pheminism” is meant to encompass the idea of phoniness within the traditional spelling and idea of feminism.
Androgyny is a concept that Halberstam believes Gaga embodies, which makes her fitting to be the face of a generation. Gaga embraces both a masculine and feminine persona, which was seen when she posed as a man for Japan’s Vogue, the author said.
Rumors previously circulated that Lady Gaga has male genitalia, which is a topic Halberstam discussed.
“The point is at no point did Lady Gaga reject the idea,” Halberstam said. “She is perfectly happy to occupy a space of ambiguity and not settle it for anyone.”
The professor believes Gaga is “suggesting something different about how sex and gender work together.”
Halberstam clarified that this is not a new feminism; instead, its roots trace back to early English punk from the 1970s.
This “pheminism” is one focusing on performances that “dismantle the character of women,” Halberstam said.
“The name for that in this particular moment is Gaga,” the professor said. “What I mean by ‘going gaga’ is an excessive performance in which she loses control.”
Halberstam first heard the song “She’s Lost Control” by Grace Jones in 1979, which epitomizes this concept.
Halberstam described Jones’ song as the “sound of a punk diva coming undone” and said that it blurs the line of genre since it is a combination of punk and R&B music.
When male performers go crazy on stage, it is acceptable and “seen as the choreography of rock,” Halberstam said.
However, when women act out, they are considered hysterical. Halberstam’s examples of this included Britney Spears and her head-shaving incident.
Halberstam highlighted the double standard and explained how “female stars have very little room for bad behavior.”
Throughout the lecture, Gaga was also compared to the likes of David Bowie, who also possessed gender ambiguity; Yoko Ono, who performed a duet with Gaga where the pair yelped and screamed on stage; and Andy Warhol, since Gaga also “manages her own star power.” When making these comparisons, Halberstam tried “to find musical, gender, generic, (and) cultural hybridity that takes root and has cross appeal.”
Halberstam said that Gaga combines the popular or mainstream with the avant-garde. The “Telephone” music video, from which a clip was shown, is what Halberstam believes turned Gaga from a superstar into a megastar.
A Thelma and Louise-esque plot fills the video, where after Beyoncé bails Gaga out of jail, the two women go off on a killing spree.
In the video, Gaga critiques the emphasis on technology in society and even enters realms of lesbianism in the scenes taking place in the jail courtyard, Halberstam said.
“She’s infectious,” Halberstam said. “There are a million songs out there, and not all imprint themselves on your conscience in that way.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/16/11 9:34pm)
While walking over the bridge near the west side of Ceva lake, an officer observed a group of two males and two females standing in a circle on the other side of a tree around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26. As the officer approached, the males passed a pipe between them and an odor of blunt marijuana was present.
According to reports, while one male was placed under arrest, officers found a ziplock bag filled with green leafy vegetation. The other male was also placed under arrest for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and drug paraphernalia.
…
After a community advisor reported the smell of a controlled substance coming from a room on the fifth floor of Travers Hall, police knocked on the door and asked permission to enter at 11:50 p.m. on Thursday March 3.
An individual yelled, “come in,” and as the officer entered, he observed an odor and a grinder. When asking the accused what the item was, the male stated that it was a “pot grinder.”
He was placed under arrest and taken to headquarters. At approximately 1:25 a.m. he was released on his own recognizance with a copy of his summons and a court date.
…
Three reported thefts occurred on Thursday, March 3, in Eickhoff Dining Hall.
A Marc Jacobs wristlet containing a female’s house and car keys, driver’s licence, ID, room key, debit card and N.J. State Police gold card was left unattended at around 6 p.m. When the owner returned, the belongings were gone.
Similarly, a black and white Coach wrist wallet was taken at 6 p.m. when an individual left the wallet and a cell phone unattended for approximately five minutes, reports said. Her wallet contained her license, ID, Wachovia card, a $10 bill, her room key and house keys.
Another female left her property near the Wokery when waiting on line for 15 minutes between 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and it was gone when she returned.
The March 3 incidents are among six reported thefts of Vera Bradley wristlets, wallets, Samsung cell phones, money, keys and various forms of identification from Feb. 24 through March 3.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(03/02/11 11:19pm)
Since when does crooning “baby, baby, baby” during the chorus of his hit song constitute Justin Bieber as an expert in reproductive rights?
Apparently Rolling Stone saw abortion as a fitting topic to explore in a heated interview with the heartthrob.
The magazine recently posted an excerpt from this discussion on their website but a chunk of his quotation was missing, because the person transcribing it “accidentally” excluded a vital part of his verbatim.
When asked about abortion in the case of rape or incest, which is undeniably a touchy topic, he was quoted on the website as saying, “Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”
There was no insert of an ellipsis to indicate any words were missing, and many mistook what he meant — myself included.
As it turns out, Rolling Stone later reported that the full quote, which will appear on newsstands March 3, reads, “Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”
The quote’s entire tone changes with the additional line. Yet because it was already printed on the site, it’s too late to fully fix the mistake.
As a journalism major with a women’s and gender studies minor, I am torn about how I feel. While my inner feminist would be quick to condemn him for such a statement, I can’t help but feel pity for him, since he was misquoted.
When I initially heard he said this, I was disgusted.
To make such a blanket statement, basically saying that these atrocities to womankind “happen for a reason,” as if some deserved fate, is egregious — yes, egregious. (That’s the one adjective my high school English teacher taught us to reserve only for extreme cases of repulsion).
And to say he “guesses” he hasn’t been in that position is simply silly. As a member of the male population, of course he himself will never be in the position where he must decide whether or not to carry out a pregnancy conceived in his body as the result of rape or incest. It’s physically impossible.
While I’ll admit the additional line in the amended quote does not, in my eyes, make it much better, it indeed makes a difference in his sentiments.
Whether it was a publicity stunt meant to draw attention to the magazine, or really was a mistake, thorough checks should be made before anything is posted to a news source, especially such a well-known one.
I’ll admit I’ve made my share of typos — just last week for example — yet never anything as detrimental as the Bieber remarks.
This is reminiscent of the false reports that congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had died, when she was, in fact, alive.
The Justin Bieber matter is different since it’s not a matter of life or death … Or is it?
He was also initially quoted as saying, ‘“I really don’t believe in abortion. It’s like killing a baby?”’
This was corrected to: “I really don’t believe in abortion. I think [an embryo] is a human. It’s like killing a baby.”
Why the change from a question mark to a definitive period? Why do such little changes make such a difference? More importantly, why are we making such a big deal about what a teenage boy has to say?
After all, music is his forte, not politics.
— Jamie Primeau
(02/24/11 4:09am)
Groups of local workers gathered at the College’s entrance as early as 7 a.m. with signs hanging around their necks in a union protest on Friday, Feb. 18.
The picket line, which received frequent honks of approval and thumbs up from those driving past, was held to raise awareness about the College’s hiring of out-of-state, non-union workers to perform construction on the new education building, specifically the erection of steel. The picketers gathered on Wednesday and Thursday mornings as well.
“This is an informative presentation we’re making here,” said Ross Boyko, of Iron Workers Local 68. “We have an out-of-state contractor doing work at our local schools, and here we are, local workers, we live in the local Trenton area, and we’re not getting jobs that are right here.”
The members of Iron Workers Local 68, a Trenton-based union, have in the past worked to assemble the steel of multiple campus buildings.
More recently, however, the College’s contractor hired Low Bid Inc., a Long Island, New York sub-contractor employing out-of-state workers for steel erection on the education building project, according to Ralph Edelbach, president of the College’s American Federation of Teachers (AFT) chapter.
Stacey Schuster, executive director of College Relations, said the hirings are in keeping with state law requirements.
“State College Contracts Law requires the College to competitively bid construction projects and to choose the lowest responsible bidder,” she said. “In addition, State College Contracts Law does not allow for discrimination against workers who don’t live in the state, or businesses that aren’t New Jersey-based.”
Mark Docie, another union member, was categorized by other workers as one of the protest’s main organizers and emphasized that it was an “informational picket line.”
“Some of the other trades on the (construction) job are union,” Docie explained. “The plumbers are union, and the electricians are union. So that’s why we’re here because all that steel is going up with non-union people.”
Left without work, members of the Iron Workers Local 68 said they resort to creative means to gather any money they can.
“I play the guitar on the side and sing. I make up the difference that way,” Dan Montagano said. “I make Christmas wreaths too.”
Yet for some, these side jobs are not nearly enough, they said.
“I’m homeless,” Boyko said. “I don’t have a home, because I don’t have any work.”
When asked who the protest was targeted toward, Boyko said, “the public’s attention.” He further defined the picket’s intended audience as “anybody that’s interested in why
people are on the streets not working, because out-of-state contractors are taking our jobs, local jobs.”
While explaining the situation, Montagano said, “The teachers here are union. It’d be like if teachers came in here and weren’t union.”
As fellow union workers, the protesters felt a sense of solidarity with the school’s professors.
“All the teacher’s were giving us thumbs up,” Jack Cottone, of Iron Workers Local 68, said. “They’re behind us.”
“They’re upset too,” Docie said, referring to the College’s professors. “We’re all union people, whatever we do. You have non-union people back there, that’s not right.”
“The Ironworkers are concerned that a local project, funded primarily by the state of New Jersey and student tuition, is using a company from out-of-state and their employees instead of hiring local residents, who pay taxes in this area and spend their money here as well,” Edelbach, who teaches technological studies, said.
“Everything in the past here has been done union,” Docie said. “All the buildings we have put up here in the past has been done by us, union Local 68 Iron Workers.”
“This is the first time in awhile where they have a non-union steel erection company in here,” he said. “And we’re all upset and aggravated about it.”
While it was the Iron Workers crew that were not hired by the College, the painters and crane operators came out in support of their fellow workers.
“We’ll see if it gets turned around, where these guys get out of here and we go in there and finish the job,” Docie said, explaining the group’s goal. “Like it’s supposed to be.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/24/11 4:00am)
While some museums are plastered with “do not touch” signs, or have personnel who will tell you to avoid getting too close to the exhibits, a different experience exists at the Liberty Science Center.
Located in Jersey City, the Liberty Science Center is a common destination for New Jersey middle-school class trips.
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, I had the opportunity to relive my childhood when the center held a press preview for the opening of their new Touch Tunnel, a dark maze that simulates blindness, where one must navigate the tunnel by relying entirely on the ability to feel.
I had taken two previous trips to this interactive museum — once with my Girl Scout troop, where I was too fearful to even attempt entering the tunnel, and another in the fifth grade, where I finally triumphed over my trepidation.
Upon entering the museum again, I entered an environment intertwining knowledge and nostalgia.
Little did I know that I would have to actually crawl through the tunnel — I thought I was just finding out information about the interactive exhibit’s opening.
Luckily, six-year-old Samuel Merced told our group that he would protect us. He held true to that promise, as he frequently called out, “Is everybody all right?” as we crawled through the dark.
After making it through, he was too focused on filling his plate up with the complimentary cookies to tell me much besides, “It was dark.”
Nevertheless, he and his crew of children quickly got in line again to go through the tunnel a second time, indicating it was an enjoyable experience.
Merced was at the event because his father, Angel Merced, helped make the tunnel and brought along Samuel’s four siblings and five friends to try it out.
According to Angel Merced, he spent the past few weeks inside the dark maze, doing everything from installing cameras to arranging the modules.
Prior to entering the tunnel, Bryan Vallejo, hospitality associate, made sure to tell participants to keep their left hand on the left wall, and use this as their guide.
According to Vallejo, the center is “expecting maximum capacity” at the Tunnel’s official unveiling on Feb. 18.
Mary Meluso, a 2005 graduate from the College, is now the associate director of communications at the center.
She explained that in 2005, the center closed for a 22 month, $109 million dollar reinvention project, where all the exhibits and experiences were replaced.
“When we reopened in 2007, from then until now, we’ve had a steady stream of guest feedback, pretty much demanding the touch tunnel’s return,” Meluso said. “There were Facebook groups about it and petitions. People just really loved this iconic experience.”
While the center brought back a crowd favorite, it is not the same old maze.
“It’s a new touch tunnel,” Meluso explained. “It’s slightly different from the old one, in that there’s many twist and turns. It’s still a pitch-black, crawl-through maze, but this time the modules are moveable so you might visit today and experience one maze, and then come back in a few months and it’ll be an entirely different course.”
When Meluso was asked if she had tried out the new tunnel herself, she said, “Alright, I’ll admit, I have not gone through just yet, but I’m building up my courage as we speak, and I suspect by the end of the day I will too have conquered the Touch Tunnel.”
“I did go through the original Touch Tunnel when I was on a field trip here to Liberty Science center in 4th grade, but I have not experienced the new one just yet,” she added.
While it may seem spooky, just outside the tunnel there is a panel of screens, connected to cameras that prevent anyone from becoming trapped inside.
The tunnel can also be disassembled in the case of panic or emergency.
For those who had experienced the passage’s predecessor, a screen was connected to a touch screen device, synced with Twitter, allowing memories and thoughts to be shared about this tunnel versus the old.
Other sensory exhibits provide ways to get in touch with smell, sound and taste. This includes one with taste testing where cocoa, sugar and salt are swabbed on the tongue to discover the organ’s different taste zones.
Not only does the exhibit cater to the various senses, but it also appeals to individuals of all ages.
“I think that Liberty Science Center has a lot to offer college students,” Meluso said. “As you entered the touch tunnel yourself, I’m sure you realized that that’s allotted for big kids as well as the little ones here. So there’s a lot that this institution has to offer for learners of all ages.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/24/11 3:12am)
In an effort to build a bonfire, three male students attempted to use the basement stove in Decker Hall to ignite pieces of paper on Sunday, Feb. 20, after they were unable to find matches, according to Campus Police reports.
At 3:05 a.m., officers gathered the accused in the Decker Hall lobby after conducting a search to find those matching reported descriptions. The first male was found in the vicinity of Decker wearing a white sweatshirt and was asked if he had been drinking. In slurred speech he stated: “No, not at all. I was watching a movie with my friend in Cromwell … I wasn’t in Decker tonight,” reports said.
The other two males were detained for further investigation.
While holding a burnt paper towel in his hand, one of the two admitted to drinking. The other grew belligerent, according to reports. His inability to cooperate resulted in a summons for obstruction of administration of the law. The other got a summons for underage drinking. The third received one for disorderly conduct.
…
Officers found a male lying face down in Lot 18 at 2 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12. He stated that he had consumed “three, four or five beers,” police said.
On his way back to his room in Norsworthy Hall, he tripped in the parking lot, causing several lacerations on his mouth and nose. Lions EMS and Pennington Road EMS arrived on scene to evaluate. Residential Education and Housing staff arrived to document the incident and he received a summons.
…
After leaving his black and orange Timberland messenger bag on a chair beneath his coat in the Student Government office at around 1:50 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, a male student returned at 4:20 p.m. to find that his jacket had been moved and the bag had disappeared. Contents of the bag included a red Macbook Pro computer, an albuterol inhaler, RayBan sunglasses and various College office keys, reports said. In total, missing items valued over $1,600.
…
While sweating profusely, an intoxicated male was found hunching over a chair in the T-Dubs dining hall at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17.
According to reports, he said he consumed six to seven beers off-campus and had began drinking at 10:30 p.m. Lions EMS treated him and Pennington Road EMS transported him to Capital Health System at Mercer Campus.
…
Upon visiting her friend’s room in Travers Hall, a female discovered that her friend consumed 10 shots of Smirnoff vodka around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday Feb. 20. She called 911 for help when the victim was breathing but unresponsive. With the assistance of another friend, the two carried the intoxicated female to the lobby of Travers, who was then transported to Capital Health System at Mercer Campus, police said.
No charges were filed because the friend had dialed 911 for aid and remained with the intoxicated female in the process, all while cooperating with police.
…
A Vera Bradley card holder with a keychain attached was among the items a female lost after leaving belongings unattended near Ceva Pizza and Pasta in Eickhoff Dining Hall from 11:30 to 11:40 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 18. According to reports, other missing items included a driver’s license, College ID and a Travers Hall room key.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/24/11 1:33am)
Whales and dolphins swam in New York City’s harbor and beavers built dams in the middle of Manhattan. Wolves abounded and mountain lions prowled what are now the streets of Harlem.
This is not the plot of a fantastical children’s story. In fact, it could be a page right out of the city’s history book, describing 1609.
During a School of Science colloquium, held on Wednesday, Feb. 16, ecologist Eric Sanders presented research and information from “The Mannahatta Project,” which he directed and turned into a book, regarding probable ecological descriptions of what the island of Manhattan looked like 400 years ago.
Sanders works at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and focuses on the field of “landscape ecology,” where different terrains are analyzed, as well as the life forms residing in these habitats.
Throughout the presentation, he used an interactive map on the computer, which allowed him to show what Manhattan most likely looked like centuries ago.
Sanders described the map as “a picture of what the ecosystem may have looked like and what mammals may have lived there,” subsequently explaining that such information is determined by a system of analyzing historical data and considering habitats versus the probability of certain life forms surviving in such locations.
“(The system) can take otherwise separate habitat descriptions and connect them together to form networks,” he said.
This network structure was described by the ecologist as “quite general,” yet a necessary means for analyzing and organizing the ecosystems. Based on food, water and other characteristics, the system can determine what the ecosystem may have looked like hundreds of years before.
“This matrix is what Facebook does with you,” Sanders said. “Imagine you and your friends and how Facebook connects all of you.”
“There were up to 1000 different types of plants, 85 species of fish and up to 300 species of birds,” Sanders said, when explaining Manhattan’s inhabitants 400 years ago.
“Beavers on most of the streams in Manhattan,” he said. “They were important to the landscape. They build dams, which slows down water and creates other habitats.”
Sanders shared a quote from “one of his heroes,” John Muir, a naturalist in California, who once said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
“That’s what we do every day at WCS,” Sanders said. “There’s potential for biodiversity everywhere. It’s not something that only exists in rain forests or the coral reefs.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/17/11 10:18pm)
New Residence Hall, Decker Hall, Cromwell Hall, the athletic fields, Travers and Wolfe Halls, parking lots and garages, all the Townhouses, the Phelps and Hausdoerffer apartments, the Spiritual Center and the Student Recreation Center.
What do these campus locations all have in common?
Although you may mistake this as the lengthy list of everywhere you’d rather live next year instead of Centennial Hall, the actual reason for these places being grouped together may make you reconsider your resentment for Cent.
According to an e-mail sent out by the College Relations Department on Tuesday, Feb. 8, these locales were among the many affected by a power outage.
Good thing they sent out that message, otherwise I would have never known.
As I sat in my dorm room – lights on, laptop plugged into its charger and refrigerator running – I realized that this incident provided further proof for a theory I developed shortly after move-in day: Centennial is not that bad. In fact, it’s not bad at all.
To all those freshmen who are already hating on this residence hall, let me tell you, you’ve got it all wrong.
Built in 1955, this piece of architecture provides lakeside views of the College’s scenery, or a nice glimpse at the equally and aesthetically wonderful library, depending on which side of the building you’re on. (Unless you live on the first floor, then you can’t see out some of the windows, since you’re technically living underground.)
I think living here can be a fantastic experience. As in, literally fan-tastic, where using three or more fans at the same time can make you forget air-conditioning was ever invented.
In all seriousness, the place has its perks.
Close enough to the library, I can access its Wi-Fi connection. This means no need for Ethernet chords – I’m sure I can’t be the only one who’s ever tripped over those pesky wires.
And, where else can you reach the third floor by only having to take one flight of stairs? It’s a nice break, after living a life where trekking to anywhere above Travers 5 is basically the equivalent of mountain climbing.
What other building automatically evokes pity from whoever asks about where you live or a sense of solidarity among those who toughed it out before you? Personally, I am tired of hearing: “They didn’t knock that down yet?”
It’s that time of year again, where those planning to reside on-campus are paying deposits and hoping for advantageous timeslots.
I must say, I feel your pain and share your stress … That is, unless you’re a freshman (soon-to-be-sophomore), which means you will have GUARANTEED HOUSING next year.
What about all us upperclassmen who potentially can log into MyHousing on February 22 and see a blank screen? Shouldn’t we be the ones concerned?
Admittedly, I’m slightly terrified at the thought of being the only one of my friends without a lottery number and left to fend for a place to live out in Ewing.
Then I remember that it’s only a month into the second semester, and the following fall semester is literally eight months away.
Stop over-worrying about what will happen a year from now, and enjoy your on-campus abode while you still have one.
I’ve learned it’s a long walk to T-Dubbs from … well, anywhere besides Travers and Wolfe.
If you do receive an unfortunate timeslot, it’s not the end of the world. I was in your shoes a year ago, and wish someone had told me what I now know.
The only thing I miss about life in the Towers? The sinks.
Go wash dishes, drink a glass of water, clean your face and brush your teeth from the convenience of your own room while you still can.
Otherwise, when you’re living with your friends, anywhere can become your own “New Residence Hall.” I’ve come to believe that the seemingly overused advice is true – it’s what you make of it.
(02/17/11 1:15am)
The sundial sitting outside the Brower Student Center is the creation and donation of William H. Hausdoerffer and can be viewed as an artifact of his ardor.
Hausdoerffer, 97, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 5 from natural causes, according to Emily Dodd, communications officer for media relations and marketing, on behalf of the College’s public relations department. But his legacy will continue to live on for many in the College community.
The solar structure is only one of many contributions that the mathematician has shared with the College.
As the sundial’s inscription indicates, the structure is an original design by Hausdoerffer and the Trenton State College (TSC) Sundial Committee. It was contributed by colleagues, students, organizations, family and friends in order to honor Hausdoerffer, who was a member of the graduating class of 1936. Hausdoerffer was also pro-fessor emeritus of mathematics, department chairman, dean of men, TSC Athletic Hall of Fame honoree, alumni executive board member and an advisor to many. He was officially a part of the College community from 1940 to 1979.
This only begins to list the myriad of roles Hausdoerffer fulfilled. He served in the Navy during World War II. Friends also described Hausdoerffer as a ballroom dancer, bridge player, ice skater, multi-sport athlete and photographer, whose most interesting subject was perhaps Albert Einstein.
Evidence of his influence still surrounds the campus today — such as the apartment complex adorning his name.
While the school’s name has undergone several changes over the past century, Hausdoerffer’s presence has remained a constant.
“(Hausdoerffer) has been part of the College’s history for more than 75 years — that’s almost half of the College’s life,” President R. Barbara Gitenstein said in an e-mail. “His commitment to excellence and to the promise of our students’ future is extraordinary.”
Another unwavering presence has been the company of his other half.
Hausdoerffer is survived by his spouse of over 70 years, Rosemary Canning Hausdoerffer, who also attended and taught at the College.
“He was almost always accompanied by his wonderful wife, Rosemary, who has also been a great supporter of the College and its students,” Gitenstein said.
Former president of the College, Clayton Brower, agreed.
“You don’t know Bill Hausdoerffer, unless you knew Rosemary Hausdoerffer,” he said.
The pair spent time living in an apartment in Bliss Hall while he was the dean of men, Brower said.
According to former student Grace Starrett, 1953 alumna, who was in Hausdoerffer’s personal finance and astronomy classes, back when the school was called the New Jersey State Teacher’s College.
“We would meet outside in the athletic fields at nights, and therefore we were seeing the stars, not just reading about them in books,” Starrett said.
According to Siegfried Haenisch, professor emeritus and 1958 graduate, every year in May just before graduation, Hausdoerffer “would have the senior (mathematics majors) invited for picnics at his house in Pennington.”
While Haenisch first met Hausdoerffer as a student back in 1954, during a time when “the entire mathematics department consisted of only three faculty,” the two eventually
became colleagues.
“He was a great influence on the department,” Haenisch said. “He’s the gentleman who pushed for a requirement that all students, regardless of major, should take two courses in mathematics.”
His spreading of knowledge extended beyond the classroom setting, and often onto athletic fields or even ice rinks.
As a music major, Edith D. Ries, ’56, did not have Hausdoerffer as a professor but had asked for his assistance in ice skating. Ries would take weekly trips to the Princeton Skating Club with Hausdoerffer and his wife.
“He and Rosemary could not have been nicer,” Ries said. “They were extremely encouraging, and anytime I took ice skating dancing tests, (Hausdoerffer) would always be my partner.”
“What I would like to say,” Ries reflected, “is that he was a gentleman from his skating blades to his fingertips.”
Hausdoerffer frequently shared with friends his love for playing bridge — a skill he taught Brower and Brower’s wife, Dottie. Brower described Hausdoerffer as “an avid bridge player” and someone with whom he formed a life-long friendship.
“Mrs. Brower and I became very close friends with the Hausdoerffers through the years. He was a dear close personal friend from 1962 on,” Brower said.
Speaking of Hausdoerffer’s relationships, Pete Manetas, assistant vice president for Development and Alumni Affairs, said, “His was a friendship that hundreds, if not thousands, share.”
Through visits with alumni, Manetas realized how many lives Hausdoerffer touched.
“If I would mention Bill Hausdoerffer’s name in my introductory remarks, it was an automatic bonding experience,” he said.
“It’s been a marvelous walk hand-in-hand, with him for 60 years now,” Len Tharney, professor emeritus, said, who first met Hausdoerffer as a student in 1950.
“We hit it off very well,” Tharney said. “He found out I had military experience, and I found out he had had it. He was in the Navy and taught navigation and aviation skills, and I was in the Army.”
After receiving his bachelor’s degree and beginning to teach at his alma mater, Hausdoerffer served in World War II.
According to Manetas, “He had been to every commencement, except during his service in World War II, up until a few years ago.”
“He considered it a privilege to work in higher education and at an institution that grew the way it did,” Manetas added.
Over the years, Hausdoerffer participated in several of the school’s significant events.
“I have so many wonderful personal memories of Bill’s engagement in the life of his alma mater,” Gitenstein said.
Events that Gitenstein mentioned as memorable were when Hausdoerffer lit the cauldron in an Olympics-esque ceremony commemorating the school’s 150 years of existence. In 2009, he spoke to crowds of students at a ceremony for the opening of Hausdoerffer Hall.
“He adored (the school) as Trenton State Teacher’s College, and loved it just as much as The College of New Jersey,” Manetas said. “What mattered to him more than anything else, was the person in the classroom, or lacing up their shoes before an athletic event.”
According to Manetas, Hausdoerffer made it his mission to recognize the accomplishments of those whose efforts had not been adequately acknowledged.
“He would always call (the Alumni Department) whenever he felt there was a piece of history no one would know,” Manetas said. “He would be the champion for the overlooked professor, faculty member, student, athlete.”
After a moment, he added, “I use the word ‘champion,’ but Bill would never refer to himself that way.”
Hausdoerffer’s humility was also brought up by Tharney, who described him as a “marvelous man. Very human, very humble, very enlightening and just a great friend to have.”
As a former assistant football coach and collegiate athlete, Hausdoerffer combined math with sports during frequent visits during the school’s football season, Manetas said.
“Even when he had knee and hip surgery, he would still find his way up (to the press box),” Manetas said. “He would love to scour statistics at half-time and make commentary about what they should be doing.”
Football wasn’t his only extracurricular interest. Haenisch recalled Hausdoerffer’s love for tennis, while Brower spoke highly of the man’s ballroom dancing.
“He was a great golfer. He would be constantly intrigued with analyzing his golf swing,” Brower said. “He would always have a statistical analysis of my golf score, which I didn’t enjoy sometimes,” he added, with a laugh.
Tharney shared one of Hausdoerffer’s favorite anecdotes — his encounter with Albert Einstein in Princeton. “He and Bill spent the morning together. He allowed Bill to photograph him. Photography was really one of his favorite loves,” he said.
Another love of his was sundials. Haenisch recalled, “That was his hobby … He lived in Pennington Point, in a semi-retirement community, and even there, on his little patio, he created a little sundial.”
Brower, also speaking of Hausdoerffer’s enthusiasm for solar clocks, said, “He would see sundials that were placed and positioned at the wrong angle, and he would … write letters to the people who installed the sundial, instigating that they install the sundial with more accuracy.”
Meticulous and accurate were adjectives many used to describe the man who made a profession of precision.
“He really encouraged me to be the best possible teacher I can,” Haenisch said. “I tried to follow his example.”
Tharney similarly viewed Hausdoerffer’s career as one he wished to emulate.
“Just seeing Bill over the change of time was always bittersweet for me,” he said. “It was so consoling to see how well he carried himself in his later years, and it gave me a sense of propriety about how I want to carry out my professional life.”
“We lost a real gem of a person, whose life has mirrored the evolution of the College, from it’s original location in Trenton to here (in Ewing),” Manetas said.
“He was just a great friend, and a great critic,” Brower concluded. “I will cherish all these personal associations that I have, to all these interests of skating, dancing, bridge playing, sundial, photography.”
The College’s current president’s remarks agreed with Brower’s.
“Bill was a true ‘renaissance’ man, an avid football fan, a thoughtful mentor to students in their life outside of the classroom, and most importantly, a demanding and inspired professor of mathematics,” Gitenstein said. ?“He will be missed.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.