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(02/17/11 12:47am)
As I see so many of today’s young girls obsessing over Justin Bieber, I must confess, “it’s tearin’ up my heart.” What happened to pop music?
Back in the day, a different Justin was a predominant force in the industry — known for his voice, perfect style and ability to melt hearts across America.
Sound familiar?
Sorry J. Biebs, but Timberlake was the original tweenage girl’s dream.
He too was known for having great hair of a different sort. Remember that ’fro?
Personally, I preferred Lance Bass. After all, in light of his stint with NASA, you could argue that he was out of this world — except he never actually became an astronaut, did he?
Admittedly, I still have a Bass bobble-head sitting on my bedroom dresser.
It’s gotten dusty over the years, but when I see it, the same thing happens as when I hear the songs “It’s Gonna Be Me” or “Just Got Paid” — overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia, I am reminded of how “in sync” these five guys were with our culture and what an integral role they played in my adolescence.
Back in fourth grade, the categorization of whether you were an *NSYNC fan or a Backstreet girl was as serious as asking someone if they’re a Democrat or a Republican.
Individuals ferociously defended their favorite grouping of males, and it could instantly make you BFF with someone, as long as you agreed to let her have JC when you married Justin.
In my opinion, *NSYNC was the greatest boy band of all time.
Unlike those frequent Backstreet Boys reunions that everyone brags about attending, not much has been said of the onetime music-making marionettes.
It seems as though their careers have gone “bye bye bye,” excluding Justin, whose solo route has been seemingly successful. He went on to collaborate with hip-hop superstars, like T.I. and Timbaland.
Meanwhile, Joey Fatone hosted a singing spelling-bee show on NBC and J.C. Chasez served as a judge on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”
Lance came out of the closet, thus shattering my childhood dreams of marrying the man — but, good for him. Plus, if I can’t have him, I’m content knowing no other woman can either.
Besides a guest spot on Nickelodeon’s cartoon “The Fairly Odd Parents,” it seems as though Chris Kirkpatrick hasn’t done much. But, it’s okay because he wasn’t really anyone’s favorite, was he? Sure, I loved the Busta Rhymes-esque braided ponytail thing Chris had going on in the earlier days of “I Want You Back,” but I don’t recall much else about him.
Something I do remember is feeling like the coolest fifth-grader on the planet when I saw the band in concert at Continental Airlines Arena during its tour in 2002. Who cares if I was literally sitting in the second-to-last row of the entire stadium? I was in the same vicinity as the kings of “Dirty Pop.”
Although I’ve seen other concerts since, nothing quite measures up. If current teeny-boppers step back and compare past music to present, they’ll realize nothing can truly top “Pop.”
As a matter of fact, the group said it best, in that very song: “The thing you got to realize / What we’re doing is not a trend / We got the gift of melody / We’re gonna bring it ’til the end!”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/17/11 12:20am)
Broken windows in Norsworthy Hall were examined by campus police at 7:05 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5. The building’s ARD informed officers that an unknown person(s) shattered the two lower windowpanes in the first floor lounge’s door.
The four upper windowpanes were intact and the adjoining door was not damaged, campus police reports said. Campus police then contacted Building Services to remove the remaining glass from the door.
…
A female student left her property unattended in the Eickhoff Dining Hall around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and 45 minutes later, when in the library, she realized her belongings were gone.
According to reports, the missing items include a black and silver iPod Touch, a light blue women’s wallet, her driver’s license and College ID, a TD Bank card and a key ring with a dorm room key attached.
…
While in Holman Hall, a male misplaced his wallet, either in the computer lab or hallway, after leaving his property momentarily at 9:50 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 1.
His black cloth wallet purchased at the College’s bookstore, Wachovia Bank debit card, health insurance card, driver’s license and $30 were reported as stolen.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/17/11 12:01am)
Today, Bliss Hall houses the English, journalism/professional writing, languages, religious studies, philosophy and women’s and gender studies departments.
Filled with classrooms, offices, basement computer labs and bookshelves, it’s hard to imagine this building actually being considered a home.
Although it has changed significantly since, Bliss Hall was originally a male dormitory.
The late William Hausdoerffer, professor emeritus of mathematics, was designated as dean of men and lived in an apartment, in what now is the English department’s office.
Several former students and professors recall Hausdoerffer creating his apartment and
residing with wife Rosemary,
and late son William ‘Billy’
Hausdoerffer.
If you’ve ever wandered around in the backrooms of the English department’s office to see the book collections, there is one room that has a fireplace.
Personally, I always questioned its purpose, but through conversation with Pete Manetas, associate vice president of Development and Alumni Affairs, I learned that the fireplace was a part of the Hausdoerffer’s home.
This also explains why the English office area appears so spacious.
As dean of men, Hausdoerffer was in charge of overseeing the male student population.
Len Tharney, professor emeritus and alumnus, said, “(Hausdoerffer) selected me to become the assistant dean of men, in a building right next to Bliss Hall that used to be called ‘New House.’”
While Centennial Hall is still structured with gender separate floors, it can be hard to imagine female and male students residing in entirely different buildings.
Sure, students sometimes take a snooze in class — although this is not advisable — but it’s interesting to think that about 50 years ago, those at the College actually did sleep and dorm in those very classrooms.
Any campus legends you’ve always want to explore? Just send an e-mail, and maybe you can become the column’s next detective!
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/10/11 1:13am)
“I feel very scared” and “I feel threatened by him” were two phrases a professor told Campus Police officers when they arrived to a conference room in Loser Hall at 1:47 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
A male student in a white T-shirt refused to leave a private, closed-door seminar, and then lingered in the stairwell, police said.
When officers approached the male, he refused to leave. Officers told him why he was unable to stay, and he had to exit the building until the class ended, according to reports.
…
When a male student arrived at the Campus Police Department at 9:05 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 28, to retrieve his backpack that had been found on the Green Lane fields, he was subsequently placed under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to reports, a multicolored glass pipe, believed to be used to smoke marijuana, was found in the knapsack, and the student admitted it belonged to him. He received a summons from Ewing Township for drug paraphernalia with intent to use.
…
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, an unconscious female was reported to be in the first floor bathroom of Ely Hall. When officers arrived at 1:10 a.m., they found her, smelling like a combination of alcohol and vomit, talking to the building’s ARD.
According to reports, she stated she had consumed some shots of gin. Lions EMS arrived and evaluated her, as did Pennington Road EMS.
The female’s friend was found in the hallway outside her room in Ely with another male student. The pair smelled like alcohol and when asked if they also drank gin, they both said yes. Upon entering the dorm room, another male was sitting on a bed, who admitted to having one shot of gin, police said.
All four students were issued summonses.
…
On Saturday, Jan. 28, an intoxicated male was found smelling like alcohol and slurring his speech at 3:35 a.m. in Wolfe Hall, reports said.
The student vomited several times before officers arrived on the scene. Lions EMS arrived, followed by Pennington Road EMS who transported him to Capital Health Systems at Mercer.
…
A Wolfe Hall resident told officers that he checked his bank account on Monday, Jan. 31 and discovered a negative balance.
The male had contacted his bank to report the discrepancy and was told that an online purchase was attempted using his debit card information. The purchase was valued at $431 and occurred between 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30 to 6 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 31. He was advised by his bank that the purchases were not approved.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/03/11 5:54am)
Like powdered sugar being sifted over a carnival funnel cake, snow steadily sprinkled the College’s campus on Wednesday night.
Unexpected phenomena, like a hailstorm and a snowy thunderstorm, also occurred.
The end result? A phone call around 5:20 a.m. on Thursday morning to those who subscribe to the College’s emergency alert system and an e-mail at 5:45 a.m., confirming the inevitable — a snow day.
With more than 15 inches accumulated on the ground, the robotic recording brought a sigh of relief, as it announced, “All classes are cancelled and offices are closed at (the College) on Thursday, January 27.”
But who decides when to close school, and why does it take such a seemingly long time to arrive at what many assume is an obvious decision?
According to information provided in an e-mail sent out by the College Relations Department, the provost or executive/vice president is the final decision-maker but first consults others of authority, including Campus Facilities, the College’s grounds crew, Campus Police, the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management and administrators at nearby institutions.
The College usually tries to get the decision out via e-mail, its official website, the phone alert system and local media outlets by around 5:15 a.m., the Emergency Management section of the College’s website states.
According to the Emergency Management section, in the case of “inclement weather,” factors weighed include the predicted snowfall and whether it will be heavy at the start and end of classes, the wind and its effect on campus roads and walkways and lastly, the overall conditions of the streets and highways.
“A decision to open, delay or close will rarely satisfy all students, faculty and staff,” explains the College Relations Department’s Emergency Management: Inclement Weather statement. “Students on campus who can easily get to class may wonder why the College is closed, while those living off campus question a decision to stay open as they cannot safely navigate roads.”
The statement goes on to explain that when the school remains open, there still may be areas unreached by a plow; plowed walkways are not “guaranteed,” but “the majority are considered clear of snow.”
In making decisions, the school believes “safety is paramount, and each individual needs to consider personal safety in deciding whether to come to campus. Finally, decisions to open or close are based on weather predictions, which are not always accurate,” the statement said.
While the school closed Thursday and had an early dismissal on Wednesday Jan. 26, Student Affairs still provided plenty of activities to occupy students.
The aroma of buttered popcorn lingered in the Brower Student Center, as BSC Staff handed out hot chocolate and bags of popcorn, while playing movies on a large projection screen.
Films included “Inception,” “Despicable Me,” “The Other Guy” and “Get Him to the Greek.”
Student Affairs also held a snow-sculpting contest, where the winners of various categories, such as “most creative sculpture” and “silliest sculpture,” would receive $50 gift
cards to local restaurants.
The biggest crowd-pleaser seemed to be Bingo games hosted by the Residence Hall Association on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
Even from outside Room 202 of the Student Center, enthusiastic cheers and chatter could be heard, as an entire roomful of people participated in an activity typically geared toward the elderly.
“I came to win. I want to win prizes,” Elena Curcio, sophomore fine arts major, said, before entering the crowded room.
Five hundred dollars worth of gift certificates were awarded, including $5 gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, $10 to Barnes and Noble and $25 to P.F. Chang’s, which caused the crowd to erupt in applause when announced.
“Bingo’s fun and exciting, but frustrating if you keep losing,” Chika Akparanta, sophomore biology major, said. “But I’m happy that the school offers activities to do on snow days, because I don’t know what else I’d be doing otherwise.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/03/11 5:48am)
After drinking vodka in an igloo, an intoxicated male was found vomiting in a trashcan at 1:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 28 in the Norsworthy Hall lobby. Visibly shivering, he told officers that he had been drinking Smirnoff in the snow on the Green Lane Fields with his girlfriend, but came inside of Norsworthy to find help, since the female was unable to walk on her own, reports said.
Officers subsequently dispatched to Green Lane Fields for the unresponsive female, who was found in the igloo. Upon arrival, officers could hear her shouting, “Who is there?”
According to reports, her legs were surrounded by several inches of snow. She was able to speak but exhibited signs of hypothermia. She also smelled of alcohol. Lions EMS arrived on the scene and placed an emergency blanket around her before assisting her out of the snow-covered field. Pennington Road EMS assumed care and transported her to Capital Health’s Mercer Campus.
Both received summonses for underage drinking.
...
A male in an orange hooded-jacket was placed under arrest for use and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at 12:44 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26. An officer observed him sparking a lighter numerous times and holding a clear, 16-ounce water bottle to his mouth, police said.
As the officer approached him on the sidewalk between Lots 8 and 9, a strong odor of burnt marijuana was present, reports said.
...
With an inexplicable abrasion on her right knee, an intoxicated female unintelligibly slurred her speech as she spoke to officers at 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19 while sitting on a bed in Decker Hall. She was unable to stand and did not know how or when she hurt her knee, police said. She was issued a summons and transported by Ewing EMS to Capital Health Systems at Mercer Campus.
...
Consumption of jungle juice at an off-campus fraternity party caused two individuals to receive summonses for underage drinking.
According to reports, the male and female were found at 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19 in Wolfe Hall with the odor of alcohol on their breath and clothing. The male was uncooperative. Lions EMS and a Community Advisor arrived on the scene.
...
A brief physical altercation occurred at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 on the fourth floor of Travers Hall.
A Community Advisor said she caught the end of the fight, and those involved were physically separated from one another, police said.
The victim stated that he was walking back from the bathroom, when the accused male was standing at his door, saying unfavorable things. When the victim tried to side-step the other male, confrontation ensued. Lions EMS arrived and medically cleared the victim.
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(02/01/11 2:37am)
When some people are told “no,” they simply accept it and move on with their lives.
This isn’t true for filmmaker Andrew Jenks, the mind behind the MTV show “World of Jenks.”
To him, the phrase poses a challenge, and instead of ceasing his creative thoughts, it only fuels them.
Passion and persistence were two themes highlighted in the College Union Board’s Welcome Back Lecture, featuring Jenks, on Jan. 20.
“It sounds really cheesy,” the documentarian said on Thursday night to a crowded Kendall Hall auditorium. “But, ‘no’ has become a turn-on to me.”
After a slight pause, “That’s not the best advice for a relationship or with girls,” he added, with a laugh.
If he had listened to all the rejections he’s received, Jenks may not be where he is today.
Although only 24, he already has his own television series and made an ESPN-funded documentary in Japan, about baseball manager and former player Bobby Valentine called “The Zen of Bobby V.”
Yet his real breakthrough came several years ago. At age 19, Jenks moved into a nursing home.
He had asked numerous facilities for permission to spend time as one of their residents, he said, but he repeatedly received the same response: “Absolutely not. That’s absolutely ridiculous,” he recalled.
At the time, his grandfather was struggling with dementia. This inspired Jenks to delve into a world not otherwise seen, he said, explaining that he wanted to view senior citizens as people, “not statistics.”
Although many didn’t take him seriously because of his age, he continued pursuing the project until eventually a facility in Florida accepted. The finished project became “Andrew Jenks: Room 335,” a documentary picked up by HBO after winning best picture awards at several film festivals.
After seeing “Room 335,” MTV contacted Jenks and offered him a show.
His response? “No, I’m not going to be on MTV. That sounds like a terrible career choice.”
After much deliberation, though, he took MTV up on the offer, only to find that it wasn’t so terrible. In fact, he now speaks highly of the network.
“I had 100 percent creative control, as much as you can,” he said. “Everyone blames MTV for airing ‘Skins’ and ‘Jersey Shore’ and all that crap, but they gave a guy like me, who’s 24, complete creative control, and that’s a pretty damn cool thing.”
Jenks is the executive producer of “World of Jenks” and in each episode he moves in with a young adult for a week, sharing the individual’s story as much as the restriction of a 21-minute segment will allow.
“What inspires me is trying to find those pockets in the world where there’s people doing great things, but no one’s documented them,” he said.
Over 12 episodes, he follows a homeless girl named Danielle, who goes by the name “Heavy D” and prefers to classify herself as “houseless”; Chad, a young man with autism; Maino, a Brooklyn rapper, and
nine others, including a poker player and a female surfer.
During the Q&A session, Joe Webb, an audience member, marketed himself to Jenks, in the hopes that he could be cast for the show. The English major and transfer student with “a British last name” received the response of “maybe” from the filmmaker.
While it’s doubtful that Webb will be featured on the show, Jenks did share information about next season.
“Right now, we’re researching for season two. We’re out and about looking for subjects,” he said. This time around, he plans on following only three or four individuals for the entirety of the season.
As of now, prospective subjects include a terminally ill young woman, who spends time creating comic books in the hopes that money raised can be given back to children struggling with her strain of cancer; a man who tours with and takes the stage before Lady Gaga; a NASCAR driver; and a transgendered man, who transitioned from female to male.
Jenks would also love to feature an Amish teenager on his show, or someone fighting overseas. He explained what he typically seeks for the show.
“It’s usually worlds I’ve always wanted to explore,” he said.
The evening of anecdotes was tied together by three lessons that Jenks learned through his travels: adaptability, or respecting and understanding the culture of those he’s living with, never taking “no” as an answer and to “fake it ’til you make it.”
When asked what’s been the biggest change in his life since being on television, he automatically responded, “Girls.” With a grin, he said, “Next question?”
After a moment, he answered seriously. “I’m the same person I was a year ago, and no one wanted to listen to what I had to say a year ago.” He also gained 12 new friends, he said, because he’s gotten close with those he documented and makes an effort to keep in touch.
“I usually like to find people that are difficult to find, since they’re that much more interesting,” Jenks told The Signal in a pre-show interview, when asked who would be his ideal subject. “I almost prefer to stay away from celebrities because they tend to be obviously overexposed, otherwise they wouldn’t really be celebrities.”
“I love the Danielles of the world, (the ‘houseless’ girl in San Francisco),” he continued. “No one knew her story, not even her parents. I think that was a fantastic opportunity to really get to know someone that would have never crossed my spectrum otherwise.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu.
(01/21/11 11:11pm)
Seaside Heights isn’t the only Jersey locale to recently be featured on MTV.
The College served as the set of an episode of “True Life,” as camera crews documented the daily difficulties of an at-the-time senior last spring.
Tamra Wroblesky, who graduated last May, is one of three women to share her story in the episode titled “True Life: I Can’t Have Sex,” which premiered in December.
During Wroblesky’s time at the College, she was a varsity tennis player and an active member of Women in Learning and Leadership, performing in the program’s production of “The Vagina Monologues.”
Amidst all these activities, Wroblesky was simultaneously struggling with an inexplicable and excruciating pain.
“When I first started having pain three and a half years ago, I went from doctor to doctor and received misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis for almost six months,” she said. “I was confused, upset and felt alone.”
Wroblesky was diagnosed with vulvar vestibulitis, which she describes on the show as a chronic pain condition that causes inflammation of the vaginal muscles. In the episode, when discussing how it makes sex painful, she says, “I would describe it as swords or needles going right into my vagina.”
According to WebMD, the condition affects at least 200,000 women in the United States. Vulvar vesibulitis causes inflammation of the tissue surrounding the vagina and symptoms may include burning, stinging and irritation or rawness of the affected area.
When she decided to be on the show, her purpose was not only to educate and advocate, but also to prevent others from experiencing similar feelings of solitude.
“I wanted to do anything I could to promote awareness for an unheard of condition,” she said. “Going on the show would mean giving vulvar vestibulitis, pelvic floor dysfunction and other pelvic disorders their first truly national television coverage.
“It seemed like a great way to educate a wide audience and let fellow sufferers realize they are not alone in their fight,” she continued.
When over 50 hours of filming is condensed to fit into one-third of an hour-long television timeslot, it seems like some details may get left out, yet Wroblesky said she was ultimately satisfied with the episode.
“I would have thought it virtually impossible to share my story in 11 minutes, but I think my producer did a wonderful job. Although so much of my history and current story was left out, I felt who I am as a person came through. I think it was a great beginning and I’m eager to see more and more coverage (of vulvar vestibulitis) as the years progress.”
Wroblesky first shared her story when she began a women’s health blog three years ago. She was even awarded the title of a Top Health Blogger by wellsphere.com, an online communal health site.
It is due to her blogging that she was given the television opportunity.
“I received an e-mail from MTV in late March through my blog asking if I would be interested in sharing my story for a documentary about pelvic pain,” she said. “Things moved very quickly after that. I called them up and spent a few hours sharing my health history and how it has affected my life. They started filming three days later.”
While the site allowed her to voice her daily struggles and successes, this reached a limited web audience. When featured on
“True Life,” Wroblesky opened herself up to the entire country.
Admittedly, the blogger considers herself a private person, but because she is truly impassioned about raising awareness, her apprehensions became of secondary importance.
“I was extremely nervous about being on television … Although I shared a lot of personal information through my blog, it is very different to be behind a keyboard, without a face. I also have complete control
over each blog post, whereas MTV (shot and edited hours of footage), which I would not see until premiere night.”
When the episode did premiere, Wroblesky had a viewing party with some of her closest friends, a few of which were even seen with her in the episode.
“We watched at a house near school,” she said. “My friends that were too far away to come also had their own viewing parties, so there were a couple going on in different states.”
The television series picked an angle to attract attention to the segment, and subsequently, a majority of the episode focused on the women’s sex lives, or lack thereof.
“I know a lot of women were upset with the show because a lot of attention was focused on social lives and less on medical history and treatments. Some also felt the health conditions were overtly sexualized,” she said.
“When you have vulvodynia, pelvic flood dysfunction and other women’s health problems, one of the last things on your mind is sex,” Wroblesky explained. “Each day is a daily battle with intense pain and suffering. Your focus is on finding the correct specialists, finding a treatment plan that works for you and just getting through one day at a time. Although the focus of the show was not solely medical, I was very happy with the way my segment was edited.”
Camera crews followed the 22 year old from April to June of 2010. In the episode, familiar locations from the College’s campus can be seen, such as a dorm from New Residence Hall, where Wroblesky served as a Community Advisor, and the Library Auditorium.
“It was surreal being followed by a television crew and a lot harder than I originally expected,” she said.
“It took a lot of getting used to, especially the looks I would get when I was out in public. It’s very hard to blend in when you have three or four people, microphones and a big camera following you all the time.”
Although she graduated from the College with a double major in history and women’s and gender studies, unexpected circumstances have caused Wroblesky’s goals to change.
Upon graduating, she took a job in Denver, Colo. from Environment America, but her pain became too intense, and she had to return to New Jersey to resume medical treatment.
“After I left my job and came back home, I was searching for a purpose and what I wanted to do with my life. I soon came to realize that I want to get involved in medicine and become a healer,” she said.
“I want to become a physical therapist and be able to help others like mine have helped me,” Wroblesky said. “I think I will have great interactions with patients because I know what they are going through.”
She will begin taking science prerequisites within the next few weeks and plans on applying in June to the Jefferson School of Health Professions’ Doctorate in Physical Therapy for 2012.
“Jefferson has a great reputation, especially with women’s health, and it is located in Philadelphia, so I can still be around my doctors and receive proper medical care. I’m very excited for what the future holds, especially turning my experience into something positive,” she said.
While helping others heal is part of Wroblesky’s prospective plans, more time in front of the camera is not a priority.
“I’m not in any rush to be on television again, but I am happy that I had the experience,” she said. “People are now recognizing me on the street, which surprises me every time. I’m actually looking forward to (the craziness of) my life dying down a bit and reclaiming my life for myself.”
Jamie Primeau can be reached at primeau2@tcnj.edu
(12/09/10 5:29am)
The dog didn’t eat their homework, but Robert Veith and Zach Friedrich had an equally unrealistic-sounding excuse as to why they were absent from and tardy to class on Thursday, Dec. 2 — a car hit their house.
These juniors at the College, along with Vince Henry, junior criminology major, reside in an off-campus house together in the 1600 block of Pennington Road, adjacent to campus. The boys got an atypical wake-up call that morning, around 6:40 a.m.
“I was sleeping and all of a sudden I woke up and felt my house shaking,” Robert Veith, graphic design major, said. “I looked out my bedroom windows and didn’t see anything, so I figured I imagined it. Then literally a minute later I heard a screech and a crash, looked out the window and saw a car on my front lawn. I ran downstairs and went outside to check it out and found out it had been two separate crashes.”
The Pennington Road home is in the same building as the Jane David’s Salon. Veith, Friedrich and Henry rent the apartments located in the front, while the salon is located in the back.
The cause of the crashes was a patch of black ice on the road, according to an ABC 6 Action News report.
After hearing the commotion, Veith and Friedrich rushed outside to see what was going on.
“First an 82-year-old man slid off the road and drove his pickup truck into the corner of our house, which is what initially woke me up. He got out of the car and a woman had been walking by at the time and went over to check on the man. As both of them were standing there, another car came, hit both the man and then woman and somehow landed on top of the woman and pinned her underneath the rear passenger tire,” Veith said.
According to an article in The Times of Trenton, police said the 65-year-old woman was simply being a good samaritan, attempting to help the man who was hit, when a second car hit the same patch of black ice and landed on top of her. It took over 20 minutes to free her, and she was subsequently sent to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.
The woman broke her leg but did not break any bones where the vehicle was stuck on top of her, reports said. The home was also in better-than-expected condition.
“The front corner of the house is dented and chipped a little bit,” Veith said. “Overall the fire marshal said there was only minimal damage to the basement, otherwise the house is surprisingly fine. I called our
landlord to let her know about the accident and I’m assuming she’ll take care of what little damage was done.”
An onslaught of police and medical personnel arrived to the scene, yet somehow they were not noisy enough to wake all of the housemates.
“(Friedrich) had to miss his 8 a.m. class because the cars and police were blocking the driveway,” Veith said. “There were cops and ambulances everywhere. It was insane. My other housemate Vince somehow slept through the crash and didn’t wake up until an hour later when the cops were inside asking us questions.”
Pennington is a four-lane road with no shoulder alongside it, and there isn’t a railing. Campus Police Chief John Collins gave a general statement of warning: “As far as students walking, on campus or off, the only advice I can give them is to walk on sidewalks wherever possible, and to always be aware of the traffic and road conditions around them.”
In a short local news segment on ABC 6 Action News, the house residents were shown for a few seconds speaking about the incident.
“It was pretty cool being on the news!” Veith said. “The interview actually made me late for class, but that night and the next day I got a couple of texts and wall-posts from friends back home saying that they saw me on the news. They (also) interviewed my housemate Zach and his girlfriend. It’s like we were local celebrities for a day.”
(12/09/10 4:13am)
The following are police reports not previously published in last week’s issue.
Criminal mischief was reported at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 20 when a blue chair was found on the grass area between the Brower Student Center and Packer Hall. The chair had been moved from its original location on the patio facing the Social Science Building and the back leg of the chair was broken, reports said.
…
Graffiti was discovered at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21 on a light pole at Lions’ Park. What appeared to be the initials “RK” or “RX” were spray painted onto the netted light pole. No other damage was observed and the spray cans could not be found.
…
After a Community Advisor reported the smell of burnt marijuana coming from the sixth floor of Wolfe Hall at 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21, officers knocked and entered the suspected room. When asked where the marijuana was, the male lifted a piece of paper off a desk to reveal a bag of green/brown leafy vegetation, a wooden storage device used to contain marijuana and a small metal pipe resembling a cigarette used for inhaling marijuana smoke, police said. The accused male was then taken to Campus Police Headquarters for processing and was issued a summons.
(12/02/10 3:41am)
Some yellow has been added to the sea of blue seats of the College’s softball field, but this is not an act of school spirit.
Caution tape cordons off an end section of the bleachers, and there is a jagged, two-foot-wide hole in the middle of two rows. Black residue surrounds the hole, and the metal sags.
Below the stands, a metal storage shed is now rusted and darkened, with one side peeled outward and bent. A fire-scarred chair sits beside it, and the shed’s contents have been emptied out.
This is the aftermath of a fire that occurred around 11:20 p.m. in the shed underneath the bleachers of Lions’ Park, the College’s softball field, on Saturday, Nov. 20.
“We received a dispatch from campus about a fire in the vicinity of the track,” Stephen Luck, assistant chief of the Pennington Road Fire Company, said. As fire personnel were on their way to the scene, they found out the fire was actually on the third base side of the softball field and located in the storage shed.
According to Luck, the contents inside the shed were on fire and the flames extended upward, melting a section of the aluminum bleachers.
The incident is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. After calling the state Division of Fire Safety, The Signal was directed to the Arson Investigation Unit and told that its personnel cannot discuss open investigations.
The Pennington Road Fire Co. extinguished the flames with the assistance of the West Trenton Fire Department.
“None of us were there when it happened,” said Michelle Casale, varsity softball player and sophomore Math, Science and Technology (MST) and elementary education major. “We went as a team the next day to see the damage.”
“The shed underneath our stands was filled with all our equipment and field maintenance supplies. Everything inside was burned and ruined and it burned a hole through the stands above it as well,” Casale said.
“It was reported to us at about 11:25 p.m. Saturday night, and was extinguished by the fire department shortly thereafter. No one was injured,” Chief
John Collins of Campus Police said in an e-mail.
“We have no conclusive information about the cause of the fire at this time,” Matthew Golden, vice president for College Relations and Advancement, said.
Softball coach Sally Miller said in an e-mail, "I'm grateful to the two students who were alert while walking campus ... and ran into campus police to notify them. It could have been so much worse had the time line been lengthened."
“As a team, we’re really upset about the entire situation,” Becca Florczyk, varsity softball player and junior journalism major, said.
“We work really hard and we take a lot of pride in our field,” Florczyk said. “Coach has always been big on maintaining the field and looking as best as we possibly can as a team. It’s just unfair that we have to deal with something like this. No team deserves to go through it.”
(12/02/10 2:32am)
Wrapped up in the happenings of one’s own college life, it’s easy to lose sight of what goes on beyond the College’s bubble. On Tuesday, Nov. 16, students decided to walk in the shoes of those in poverty — or in this case, sleep in their boxes.
The Brower Student Center Atrium was transformed into a cardboard community during “Box City: A Homeless Simulation,” an event for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week presented by the Coalition for Change (CFC).
“We’re hoping people are uncomfortable,” Micaela Ensminger, junior English and secondary education major, said. “And that people realize the hardships (those in poverty face) and that this sticks with them and moves them in a positive way.”
Ensminger founded CFC on campus, which is an alliance of the College’s multicultural, fraternal and religious organizations.The Bonner Center, Habitat for Humanity and Women in Learning and Leadership are also involved with CFC.
“The purpose of the week is to raise awareness of the issues that surround poverty,” Ensminger said. “These issues affect millions of people and are often ignored so we’re giving them some face time this week. We want to show (the College’s) campus the power of working together and inspire them to take up their own activism.”
Many organizations and individuals came together to create the Box City neighborhood. Each group was given at least one box, which would become their “home” for the evening and they used glitter, markers and spray paint to decorate.
Franklin Tapia, junior interdisciplinary business major and brother of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., said, “I come from an impoverished area. The people I spent my time (growing up) with were of that nature. I think it’s a great cause. I thought, ‘How could I be coming from where I come from and not take part in this?’ ”
Kafele Boothe, senior international business major and member of the Bahá’í Campus Association, took a marker and wrote the phrase “You must love and be kind to everybody, care for the poor, protect the weak, heal the sick, and educate the ignorant” across the cardboard.
“I’m decorating the box with quotes from the Bahá’í faith about poverty. (The religion) is about the oneness of humanity. This whole week is in line with what the Bahá’í Campus Association stands for, so (our involvement) is a natural thing,” Boothe said. “I’m really glad people came out. When you talk about hanging out in boxes, most college kids don’t want to do that.”
Each group took the identity of a hypothetical family in poverty to “put names and purpose behind the statistics and issues,” Ensminger said.
Hillel represented the fictional Jacobi family’s situation: Joyce Jacobi, a 19-year-old high-school dropout, lives with her one-year-old son Josh. She rents a mobile home and pays for a spot in Lot 4 of 863 Apple Street. Jacobi’s father doesn’t pay child support and an income of $278 per month in cash benefits and $150 in food stamps from the government is not enough to cover the monthly costs of $425 for housing and utilities, plus $55 for food per week.
“We’ve been involved with the CFC since its inception last year and try to have a representative at each meeting,” said Evan Greenberger, senior philosophy major, of Hillel’s involvement in the event. Hillel decorated their box with blue and gold paint, and drew a Star of David and menorah on its side.
Patrons and artists from the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) shared poems and music. The Funktastics, a band of TASK patrons, performed original songs.
“The Funktastics were really powerful. They were such selfless, creative individuals even though they come from rough backgrounds. It’s really inspiring. It was the highlight of the night,” Ensminger said.
Other activities included a soup line simulation and a letter writing campaign, asking state legislators to support tax credits benefiting low-income families.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week occurs annually and nationwide during the week before Thanksgiving. This is the second year the College has had its own adaptation.
“During my freshman year we just had the Hunger Banquet,” said Rana Shariatdoust, junior economics and political science major.Then (Carolina Chica, junior communications studies and women’s and gender studies double major) and I met Micaela (last year). Slowly it’s evolved. One event that was just the Hunger Banquet became a week, and now it’s the second annual. It’s a cause that’s bigger than all of us.”
Shariatdoust and Ensminger, along with Carolina Chica, were the driving forces in making the week happen. Other events included a film screening of “Precious” and an event entitled “Perform Against Poverty.”
“We had a really diverse group of people and had to compete with other events going on,” Shariatdoust said. “After talking to the people here, I think we got our point across. And now we have some people who want to sleep in the rain.”
The event was originally scheduled to happen on the lawn Travers and Wolfe Halls, but weather interfered.
“We had it in the student center because of rain, but people who are impoverished don’t have that option,” Boothe said.
Although planned activities concluded around 10 p.m., wet grass didn’t stop members of Unión Latina from leaving behind their beds, and spending the night on the T/W lawn.
Unión Latina’s box was adorned with phrases about strength in unity. With glitter and paint, it read: “As strong as you are, united we are stronger.”
(12/01/10 6:00pm)
After being dissatisfied when her boyfriend-at-the-time’s article for The Village Voice excluded a gendered and race perspective on the Central Park Jogger case in 1989, Joan Morgan was given 36 hours to write a story.
She had never taken any journalism courses, but through her article “The Pro-Rape Culture,” Morgan explored the influence of gender and race in the infamous case where a white woman was brutally beaten and raped by a gang of teenagers while jogging in the park.
“It took the cover story, which was shocking, but more shocking was it said ‘black feminist writer Joan Morgan.’ They outted me as a feminist,” she said.
While she didn’t embrace the label at first, it now defines her career.
On Thursday, Nov. 18, Morgan gave a lecture entitled “My Mic Sounds Nice: Hip-Hop and Feminism,” presented by the College’s National Council of Negro Women in the Ernest and Mildred E. Mayo Concert Hall.
In 1999, she wrote the book “When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost,” which coins the term “hip-hop feminism” and shares Morgan’s journey of reconciling her role as a feminist with her love for hip-hop music.
She said that hip-hop has become “hyperaccessible” and “hypercomericial,” but there is more to it than that.
“Hip-hop is bigger than what you hear on the radio. Music is only part of the culture. There’s the dance, the art, the people,” she said.
“Hip-hop forced me to become a better feminist,” she said.
She read an excerpt from her book, where she refers to feminism as “the F-word” and says she wanted to avoid a “lifetime constantly explaining what I’m not,” referring to the fact that feminists are assumed to be male haters and lesbians. She may be a feminist, but still appreciates chivalry and prefers not to pay for her own dinner.
“This was not my foremother’s feminism,” she said, reading from the text. “We need a feminism dedicated to keeping it real. A voice to match our music.”
While working as a music critic, Morgan had to listen to “some pretty heinous shit” that degraded women, but began to wonder about women’s roles and responsibility in this occurrence. She referenced women who line up barely dressed to participate in music videos that depict “male fantasy worlds.”
When asked by an audience member if she thinks the depiction of women in videos has improved, the author said, “I don’t think things have changed, they just look different.”
An audience member then raised a question Morgan preferred not to discuss.
“I made a vow I would not talk about Nicki Minaj,” she said. “Nicki Minaj is not interesting to me as an artist. People raised the same kind of stink when Lil’ Kim came out and when Foxy did… I’m happy she has a career and presence in hip-hop, but she’s not my cup of tea.”
Morgan credits Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown for women’s involvement in hip-hop, but acknowledged that Minaj is currently holding down the industry, which is one where women have difficulty succeeding.
After the presentation, Morgan said people often ask how she became journalistically successful without any formal training. She was an original staff writer for Vibe magazine and became the executive editor of Essence.
“You can teach the who, what, when, where, why, but voice is something important to you and the way to strengthen it is to take chances with writing,” she said. Morgan said she may have broken all the rules of journalism, but through articulation of what she knows, she found her voice.
“She knows who she is and isn’t a man-hating feminist,” Lauren Sampson, senior health and exercise science major, said.
Sampson is president of the College’s NWC and says they chose to bring Morgan because she empowers women through hip-hop and shows it is more than just obscenities.
(12/01/10 5:45pm)
Large chess pieces were stolen sometime during the “TCNJ and the Deathly Hallows” event occurring on Thursday, Nov. 18 in the Brower Student Center. According to reports, one pawn and knight were the pieces missing, and there are no suspects.
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An extremely uncooperative, intoxicated male was belligerent at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 20 in the Wolfe Hall Main Lobby. His clothing was disheveled and he was confrontational with Wolfe Staff and Lions EMS police said. While being evaluated, he told EMS staff, “Leave me the fuck alone.” Pennington Road EMS arrived and transported him to Capital Health Systems at Mercer.
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An iPod in a silver and white case was stolen between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 from the Library Café. The victim said someone removed the iPod from her bag while it was on the window ledge, according to reports. The iPod is valued at $200.
(11/17/10 7:38pm)
A strong odor of marijuana was noticeably present at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1 from the “low side” of the second floor of Wolfe Hall. After knocking several times and identifying themselves, officers entered the room. When asked about the marijuana’s location, a male stated it was in the top desk drawer, from which he removed a plastic bottle of Motrin IB, police said. Green leafy vegetation believed to be marijuana was inside the bottle. The male was then transported to Campus Police headquarters for processing. He was fingerprinted, photographed and released on his own recognizance.
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Officers arrived to the fifth floor of Decker Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 9 on report of marijuana. After entering the room, the odor of marijuana was present and a small brown pouch was observed on an open windowsill with a fan blowing towards it, police said. Inside the pouch was a clear Ziploc bag containing small clear Ziploc baggies, and a multicolor pipe containing burnt residue believed to be marijuana.
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A green four-door vehicle was parked on the grass in a secluded area at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31 near the Green Lane Facilities Compound. After officers illuminated the vehicle with a spotlight, a male exited the driver’s side door. Another officer arrived and a female was asked to exit the passenger side of the vehicle. When asked what he was doing, the male stated they were just talking. Officers found a “grinder” used for processing marijuana, reports said. The male said it belonged to him, and was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and paraphernalia.
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A Blackberry Curve was reportedly stolen between 7:15 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1 from the dining area of Eickhoff Hall. The female explained to officers that she left her property on a table to go put her tray away, and when she returned her wallet was on the floor and her phone was missing.
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At 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4 a male entered Eickhoff Hall with his backpack, planning to eat at a table with friends. He then received a phone call and exited the dining area. He believed he placed his backpack on a chair, and when he returned at 9 p.m. it was missing, police said.
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A silver Macbook Pro laptop and its black case were taken sometime after 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6 from Eickhoff Hall. According to reports, a female left her backpack while getting her meal, then she ate, studied in the library and returned to her room at 9 p.m. She then realized her belongings were missing and she had not seen them since Eickhoff.
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A sign was stolen sometime between 9 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29 from a hallway in Forcina Hall. The brown plastic sign had gold lettering, with the College’s logo and the words “The College of New Jersey Clinic” and a directional arrow.
(11/10/10 5:52pm)
Avery Faigenbaum, professor of health and exercise science, began his lecture with an anecdote about how he spent his weekend at his nephew’s fifth birthday party with sugar-filled, energized youngsters.
“Children have an innate desire to move,” he said.
He then went to a 50-year-old’s birthday party and noted the contrast.
Speaking of the lack of excitement and energy at the second party, “What happens between age five and 50?” he asked.
Faigenbaum explored this issues at a Colloquium for the Recognition of Faculty Research and Creative Activity on Nov. 3 in the Ernest and Mildred E. Mayo Concert Hall, during his presentation titled “Physical Activity and Children’s Health: Implications for Youth, Their Families and Our Health Care System.”
The Faculty Senate presents the colloquium, and each year selects two professors who exemplify outstanding research. Faigenbaum was the eighth to receive this honor.
Faigenbaum considers himself a “pediatric exercise scientist.”
During his lecture, he focused on the effectiveness of neuromuscular conditioning.
Faigenbaum emphasized the importance of “FUNdamental training” of America’s youth.
“What we’re really trying to do is spark a lifelong interest in physical activity,” Faigenbaum said of his research.
According to the professor, consequences of inactivity include cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, psychosocial and health care problems.
He showed a picture of an 11-year-old weighing 270 pounds and told the audience to “put a 100 pounds dumbbell in your knapsack and go for a jog.” This would be the equivalent of the child trying to run with the 100 extra pounds he’s carrying.
“Kids are not miniature adults,” Faigenbaum said, explaining that children can’t be expected to perform the same activities adults use to lose weight.
“I have a different focus. If I enhance their motor skills and make them better movers, they’re more likely to engage in physical activity,” he said.
Playground activities provide short bursts of energy, as well as ways to strengthen the body and muscles, Faigenbaum explained.
Instead of training for a specific sport, he teaches FUNdamental movement, a training method called “developmental symmorphosis,” the concept that “no single component should develop faster than the rest of the system as a whole.”
The training consists of using balloons, lunges, games, medicine balls and other fun, age-appropriate activities.
When discussing his program’s success he put a picture of an 8-year-old girl holding a giant dumbbell on the screen, “At this point in the show, you’re probably thinking ‘He’s nuts,’ ” he said.
Yet the girl was not actually holding a heavy weight; it was merely illustrating her proper weight lighting methods.
He said it is about “physical re-education,” and implementing usage of medicine balls and hopscotch to improve overall fitness. When the muscles are strengthened properly, individuals are less prone to injury.
During his research, students from the College worked with him at the Trenton YMCA, building gardens and teaching children about healthy eating.
The photo of the 11-year-old from the beginning of the presentation was placed on the screen again, and Faigenbaum told the audience how the boy has not been gaining weight, but has gained confidence in his ability to be physically active after starting the conditioning program. But for the boy, the greatest part was that he got invited for the first time to another child’s birthday party, at age 11.
“So this is the work I do,” he said. “Here’s my argument: We need to make children better movers and increase their confidence in their ability to exercise.”
(11/04/10 2:15am)
Two homes in Ewing Township were invaded last week — one incident involved armed gunmen at a student home and the other resulted in injury.
Officers were dispatched on Tuesday, Oct. 26 to a home on Hazelhurst Avenue after residents reported the intrusion of masked gunmen, The Trentonian reported.
“A (College) student was one of the occupants of the residence involved,” stated Lt. Gerald Jacobs, in an e-mail.
While the three victims were sitting in their living room, “four unknown, tall black males, three with handguns, came into the house,” Jacobs told The Trentonian.
Reportedly wearing hoodies and bandanas, the individuals demanded the victims give up their wallets and cell phones, and to tell them “where the ‘weed’ was.” They gave over belongings, but told the invaders they did not know what weed they were referencing, The Trentonian stated.
After, the invaders went upstairs in the house and unsuccessfully attempted to get into two rooms where victims had locked themselves in.
“The suspect went back downstairs while the other three searched through the first floor,” Jacobs said in the news report. “The suspects then left the house, and one victim ran to the front door and slammed it shut, securing it.”
The second incident occurred a day later, on Wednesday, Oct. 27, after two males knocked on the door of a Parkside Avenue home.
Both males appeared to be about 20 years old, one was white and the other was black, the Ewing Township police blotter reported.
After they told the victim they were collecting money for their basketball team and the victim declined to donate, the black male kicked the door. The door struck the victim’s head, causing him to fall to the ground and lose consciousness temporarily, he told police.
During that time, the suspects fled the scene.
Ewing EMS arrived to check the individual and transport him to Capital Health Regional Medical at Fuld to treat the gash on his head, the blotter said.
Earlier in the month, a robbery occurred when a home in West Trenton, also belonging to students from the College, was invaded.
On Oct. 8, two armed gunmen forced themselves into a home on Stuyvesant Avenue and residents gave up a wallet, an iPod, money and a payroll check to the intruders.
Regarding whether or not the home invasion incidents are all related, Jacobs said, “That is being looked at but no relation has been made at this time. The investigation is ongoing.”
(11/04/10 2:12am)
In the culminating event of PRISM’s Queer Awareness Month, cast members from “The Real World” and a contestant from “America’s Next Top Model” participated in a panel in Kendall Hall on Oct. 28.
“We’re going to take turns speaking about LGBT issues. Actually, we’re going to go in that order — L-G-B-T,” Ruthie Alcaide, cast-mate of “The Real World Hawaii,” said, acknowledging the fact that the seating order of the panel corresponded to the order of the words in the acronym [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual].
An alumna of Rutgers University, Alcaide discussed how there were no gay role models in her Hawaiian hometown.
“I didn’t know I was a flaming lesbian until I found out what that was, and then I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s me,’ ” she said.
She discussed how “The Real World” was one of the first shows to feature openly gay cast members.
“(The show) was very prehistoric, gay-wise. It was gay-storic.” she said.
Speaking of the show, Alcaide said, “I didn’t want to be ‘the gay girl.’ I just wanted to be Ruthie.”
She auditioned because she finally felt comfortable with her sexuality, something she had struggled with as a teen. Before bed, she’d often pray she would wake up and be straight.
Her first experience with another girl occurred at sixteen and was “pure accident.”
While sleeping over at her best friend’s house and sharing the bottom bunk, she rolled over towards her friend.
“I had an overwhelming sensation and desire to kiss her. I went in for the kill … and kissed her. And my head exploded and I died, in a good way.”
The two had a secret relationship until her desire to be straight resulted in external displays of homophobia. She pushed away her friend, while denying her own sexuality.
When she finally opened up to friends and family, she never felt backlash.
“I think it’s because I don’t approach my sexuality with a spotlight — like having to come out. You just have to be yourself. I just approach it so naturally that no one even flinches.”
Next, J.D. Ordoñez from “The Real World: Brooklyn” spoke. Although he’s achieved his childhood dreams of being a dolphin trainer and working with the likes of Flipper, his life hasn’t always been so positive.
Growing up, he was physically abused by his father to the point of hospitalization. After time in foster care, his lesbian godmother, took him under her wing. Her support helped Ordoñez become comfortable with himself as a homosexual male.
“The advice that I give to those who don’t have a support group, find one,” he said. He explained how his passion to be a whale and dolphin trainer gave him self-confidence. According to Ordoñez, he became the world’s youngest dolphin trainer at age 18.
“This showed me that you can come from nothing and make something of yourself. You can come from dirt and not be dirty … It does get better, it did for me,” he said.
He attended “The Real World” auditions in Los Angeles after feeling something was missing.
“I felt like I had a story to tell and I wanted to connect with people my age. I wanted someone to relate to me and to relive my childhood and college years,” he said.
Mike Manning (“The Real World: D.C.”) recounted his experiences as both a jock and bisexual male in high school.
“I had this façade, or front. I dated girls and had friends and didn’t see any need to change that. (In college) I needed to be a serious business student and have my priorities in order. I knew I was different but didn’t accept it.”
It was not until sophomore year, while interning at Walt Disney World in Orlando that Manning first acknowledged his bisexuality. “I worked as a Disney character, but my point is, Disney didn’t make me gay,” he joked.
“My first guy on guy make-out experience was with Prince Charming underneath the Magic Castle,” he said.
During Season 23, he worked with the Human Rights Campaign, lobbying with congress on LGBT issues such as the military and marriage.
“The point is, because I was honest and open about it with America, my family, friends and myself, it was an empowering experience and 99 percent of my fears I had about coming out never happened,” he said.
Isis King, from Cycle 11 of “America’s Next Top Model,” set precedents as the first transsexual or transgender to compete on Tyra Banks show.
“My experience starts with Kimberly,” she said. “How many of you know the Pink Ranger?” Referencing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, King explained how she often looked at little girls and wondered why she couldn’t be like them.
“When I was a small child, I knew I was different. Not different in a weird way, but different,” she said. She always liked boys growing up and admitted to making out with boys against the wall while in kindergarten.”
“Being trans, I didn’t have anyone to look up to. There were no role models. Some people say there’s Ru Paul, but it’s different. He’s a man,” she said.
It was not until seeing “Paris is Burning,” a documentary about the ballroom culture of the transgender New York City community, that she realized she wanted to transition. This was put off, since her boyfriend at the time was unsupportive and abusive. She attended domestic violence therapy for three months.
“I wasn’t going to allow others to dictate my life. I said, ‘I’m going to transition.’ I’m going to live my life and not care what anyone says,” she said.
As a child she witnessed her mother suffering marital abuse. Having such a strong woman role model aided King in finding confidence. Even when they had to live out of a car, her mother never let her or her brother look homeless.
King once again was homeless while living in New York to undergo the transitioning process. Living in a shelter led to being selected as a background model in Cycle 10 of ANTM.
Her strength in modeling caught producers’ attention and she was cast the following season.
“Follow your dreams, and when it comes, don’t let it pass you,” she said. “My dream isn’t to be a supermodel. My dream is to be a successful artist, to be successful and have stability.”
Speaking of the show, she says, “My focal point isn’t, ‘Hey I’m the trans girl.’ I’m a woman. That’s my story.”
“I thought it was very interesting and motivational and eye-opening, even to people that are straight. It shows how similar we are, and how we all have to go through struggles,” Sarika Williams, senior psychology major, said.
(11/03/10 4:44pm)
A shirtless, intoxicated male with his shoes and a cowboy hat on the ground beside him was found sitting on the floor at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31 in Travers Hall. According to Residential Education staff, the male had been passed out on the floor and had difficulty waking up. He smelled strongly of alcohol and when attempting to answer officers’ questions, his speech was slurred and he had difficulty maintaining his balance while sitting, police said. Pennington Road EMS transported him to Capital Health Systems at Mercer, and he received a summons.
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Approximately 100 broken and unbroken green paintballs were found at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 on a table and the vicinity surrounding the entrance of Travers Hall. The Residential Director for the Department of Residential Education and Housing stated that one of the student workers advised her of the damage. Caution tape was placed around the broken paint until Building Services could arrive to clean it up.
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An intoxicated male was met at 3:10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 by officers in Travers Hall after he walked into a room that was not his and became ill. When officers arrived, he was sitting on a bed in his own room, wrapped in a blanket, with his head above a trash can containing vomit. According to reports, he stated he consumed beer and liquor but did not know how much or where. His speech was broken and he was unaware he was in his own room. Lions EMS arrived to evaluate. Pennington Road EMS arrived and transported him to Capital Health Systems at Mercer Campus. He was issued a summons.
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Four males were found at 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26 walking on the grass between Travers and Cromwell Halls. Three were carrying open cans of Keystone Light beer, police said. After showing IDs to the officer, it was determined that three of them were under the age to possess alcohol, while the fourth, a 21-year-old, still possessed an open container of alcohol in public. All beverages were emptied and placed in the nearest garbage.
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An ongoing investigation is in process regarding stolen property from the New Library. There are two suspects, regarding the $5,852.78 of unreturned library material. Campus Police would release no more information at this time.
(10/28/10 12:12am)
After receiving reports of a suspicious person, officers arrived at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20 to the rear entrance of campus. According to reports, the individual was found in the woods yelling for officers to come arrest him. He smelled strongly like alcohol. With cuts and scratches on his hands and arms, his clothing was dirty and disheveled. When speaking to officers, he began to cry and said that he “fucked his whole life up” and recently had crashed his car. When officers repeatedly asked for his information, he became belligerent and ran off. He was placed under arrest and was transported to police headquarters, where he yelled unintelligibly but refused to give his name or address. At 8:50 a.m. he was transported to Helene Fuld Medical Centers Crisis Center for evaluation.
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Yelling and screaming was reportedly heard at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17 coming from a unit in Town Houses East. When a security officer arrived, he could hear a female voice yelling to him from a second floor window. The victim stated that the accused male was inside her building and she wanted him removed, police said. She described him as a 6-foot 7-inch tall, light-skinned male. When officers entered, they didn’t find the described person, but upon knocking on the female’s door, they observed the door handle had been broken off and the door had scrapes and dent marks caused by the broken handle.
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At 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 20 police received reports of a suspicious person in a computer lab located in the Bliss Hall basement. A professor reported that two female students stated that while in the lab, an unknown white male wearing a t-shirt and baseball cap was looking at a pornographic website and allegedly had his hand down his pants. He possibly exposed himself or may have been doing inappropriate things to himself, police said. When an officer arrived on location, no one was found in either computer lab matching this description.
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An intoxicated male was found at 12:25 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17 in a room in Travers Hall. He was found sitting on the bed vomiting into a trash can, reports said. A male student was assisting him, while another was standing in the room. When questioning one of the males, he could not answer questions coherently and smelled of alcohol. When asked if the vomiting male had been drinking, one male stated that he had taken shots of Southern Comfort whiskey. Lions EMS arrived and treated the individual. The other males admitted they also drank whiskey. Two of the males were transported to Capital Health Systems at Mercer for further treatment, and all three received summonses.
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A car emblem plate was reported as stolen at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12 from a vehicle on the first level of Lot 6. The owner stated that she parked her 2007 Volkswagen Jetta in the lot at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8 and when she returned, the plate was missing from the rear trunk’s lid. There was no further damage to her car and the plate was valued at $30.
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The smell of marijuana was prevalent at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8 outside a room on the third floor of Cromwell Hall. Officers knocked on the door of the room where the odor was strongest, and a male answered the door. According to reports, he stated that he had been watching baseball with friends and was not involved with marijuana. He appeared nervous and his eyes were glassy. He was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters for processing, where he was released on a summons at 10:50 p.m.
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The theft of money and a necklace was reported at 5:10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8 from Travers Hall. The victim stated that two $20 bills and a sterling silver teddy bear charm necklace were stolen from her desk between Thursday, Sept. 16 and Friday, Sept 17.
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After community advisors reported the smell of marijuana in the halls, officers arrived at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13 to Wolfe Hall. When the two accused males opened the door, officers smelled burnt marijuana. After asking if they could enter, the officers found a small grey and red pipe with residue that smelled like marijuana. The males were processed at police headquarters and given summonses, police said. They were released and given rides back to their residence hall.
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A pink College lanyard with a black ID holder was reported stolen at 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 13 from the Eickhoff dining area. The victim stated that she left her property on a table while getting food at 9 a.m. and the items were missing when she returned at 9:05 a.m., police said. The lanyard and ID holder contained her College ID and room key.
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Campus Police welcomed its newest officer, Julia Verwers, at a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 19.