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(07/14/15 9:37pm)
Funeral arrangements have been announced for retired assistant provost Pat Donohue, according to an email from College spokesman Dave Muha.
Donohue died last week after he reportedly jumped off the George Washington Bridge, according to The Times of Trenton. He retired from the College on Wednesday, July 1, after working closely with the Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement for nine years.
A wake will be held on Friday, July 17 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Bordentown Home for Funerals, 40 Crosswicks Street in Bordentown. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, July 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 343 S. Broad St., Trenton.
In lieu of flowers, the family is establishing a college tuition/family assistance fund for Patrick James, Cate, and Donna. The family will share details on how to make a gift via the funeral home website, once the fund is established, the email said.
(07/13/15 6:36pm)
The Bonner lounge will be open today through Wednesday, July 15 from 4-5 p.m. as a space for people to gather and share thoughts and memories about Pat Donohue, according to an email sent out by Michael Nordquist, Interim Executive Director at the Bonner Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. The lounge is located in Forcina Hall 319 and 320.
Donohue, a retired assistant provost at the College, was confirmed dead today when his body was recovered in the Hudson River, after he reportedly jumped off the George Washington Bridge, according to The Times of Trenton.
Donohue retired from the College on Wednesday, July 1 after spending nine years working closely in the Bonner Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
The gatherings will serve as an open house for people to support one another in the wake of Donohue's death.
Nordquist stressed the importance of supporting one another in his email and included resources for students and faculty during this time:
For TCNJ students:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Eickhoff Hall 107
609-771-2247
Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
TCNJ Clinic
Forcina Hall 124
609-771-2700
Hours: Monday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Tuesday –Thursday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
TCNJ Campus Police
Contact Campus Police by dialing 911 from any campus phone or 609-771-2345 from a cell phone.
After hours, or on weekends, you can call the NJ Hope Line at 1-855-654-6735 or the National Suicide Prevention Life Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Both are available 24 hours, every day of the year.
For TCNJ employees:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Forcina Hall 124
609-771-2139
After hours: 609-571-0677
(07/10/15 9:22pm)
Update: Pat Donohue was confirmed dead after he jumped off the George Washington Bridge, according to the Times of Trenton.
The College received tragic news this morning as Patrick Donohue, retired assistant provost for community engaged learning, was reported missing and is presumed to be dead, family told The Times of Trenton.
The Times is reporting that Donohue went missing on Tuesday, July 7 and is speculated to be dead after his car was found near the George Washington Bridge on Friday, July 10.
Donohue, 50, worked at the College for nine years and was responsible for the TCNJ Bonner Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, the Institute for Prison Teaching and Outreach and TCNJ TrentonWorks, according an email sent out in May from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jacqueline Taylor, announcing Donohue’s retirement.
“This is heartbreaking news,” Gitenstein said in a public statement on Friday morning. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Pat had been a passionate advocate for one of TCNJ’s signature experiences, community engaged learning. This will be very difficult for the many students, staff and faculty who worked closely with him and held him in such high regard.”
Donohue was described as a “passionate advocate for one of our signature experiences – community engaged learning,” Taylor wrote in the May email.
According to Taylor’s email, the Bonner program increased from 24 to 101 students and the number of First Seminar Program community engaged learning sections grew to over 40, while under Donohue’s leadership.
The Times article detailed that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police said a witness reportedly saw a man jump from the George Washington Bridge at about 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, however a body has not yet been recovered from the river.
The Times later reported that the witness confirmed to police that a photo of Donohue matched the man seen jumping from the George Washington Bridge.
“As a caring community, we must support one another in this very difficult time,” Gitenstein said in the email. “Please remember that the college has extensive resources available for anyone in need of support.”
Gitenstein encouraged all those needing assistance during this time to contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 609-771-2247.
[The Times of Trenton]
(06/30/15 5:10pm)
The Give Something Back Foundation donated a $1 million gift that will provide 50 high school students with an education at The College on Tuesday, June 30, according to a press release.
“GSBF is thrilled to partner with The College of New Jersey to provide maximum access to a four-year college education to qualified students of modest means,” said Robert Carr, founder of GSBF and CEO of Heartland Payment Systems in Princeton, in the press release. “TCNJ shares our mission of helping students realize their full potential.”
GSBF aims to provide under-privileged students an opportunity to get an education. Carr joined President R. Barbara Gitenstein to announce the gift in the Education Building this afternoon. The gift is at no cost to the College, the release said.
GSBF aims to target ninth grade students by assigning them a mentor to advise and prepare them to succeed in college. The program is designed to allow students of under-privileged homes to graduate college in four years free of debt. The first students are expected to enroll at the College in the fall of 2019, according to the release.
“As a public institution, we are committed to serving talented students from all socioeconomic backgrounds,” said TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein in the release. “This gift will help ensure that anyone who is intellectually capable will have access to a high quality TCNJ education.”
(03/03/15 5:35pm)
By Julie Kayzerman
Managing Editor
Ryan Herrington stood before a packed audience of students in the Education Building on Monday, March 2, and asked them to raise their hands if they've ever been bullied.
As a slew of people threw their hands up, Ryan explained that using the word “retard” is a form of bullying. He then asked that the “R-word” be changed to “respect,” a request that was met with a huge applause.
“Be an advocate,” Ryan said during his R-word monologue. “Never give up. Don’t be a quitter. Use Respect.”
With these words, Ryan kicked off “Spread the Word to End the Word” week at the College, hosted by Best Buddies and Students for Disabilities Awareness. Ryan is the 25-year-old brother of Evan Herrington, a junior special education and English double major at the College. Ryan was born with Down syndrome, but according to his brother, “We are more alike than different.”
“Ever since I can remember, my best friend has been my older brother, my role model, my source of inspiration and a giver of unconditional love,” Evan said in regard to Ryan, who was sitting front and center to hear his brother. “The fact of the matter is, he knows that he has Down syndrome, and you know that he has Down syndrome, but the thing that people fail to realize is that he knows, (and) that you know, that he has Down syndrome.”
Evan explained that his hero has had massive success in life, graduating from Point Pleasant High School, being on the Prom Court and acting as the captain of his ice hockey team.
“I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have a Ryan to teach them about respect and dignity and love,” Evan said. “Not everyone is fortunate enough to be instructed firsthand why “retard” is the most hateful word in our language.”
The word retard was introduced as a medical term to use for someone with an intellectual disability. Since then, however, it has become an offensive term, often used to deem people as stupid.
“By using the word, you are destroying the dignity of the most innocent collection of people,” Evan said. “You are rejecting a group of individuals with the most to offer and teach.”
Following his words, Kerry Magro, national speaker and disability advocate, joined the College to deliver his own monologue. Magro, an eloquent and confident speaker, explained that he was diagnosed with autism at 4-years-old and wasn’t able to verbally communicate for several years. He was called the R-word and severely bullied in school – an experience that has stuck with him forever.
But Magro confessed to the audience that when he finally was able to communicate well and made his first friend, he wanted to do anything to prove that he was cool and could make even more friends. Ultimately, this meant calling someone else the R-word. As Magro admitted his biggest regret in tears, he explained that the shame he felt from that moment on led him to become an advocate.
“I can never tell him I was sorry for what I did,” Magro said, having lost touch with the boy whom he insulted.
Other monologues were delivered by Katie Burns and Daniel Lapidow, Career and Community Students; David and Diane Perry, Friends of TCNJ Best Buddies; Karrie Mikotowicz, a mother of a Best Buddies member; and Dr. Jerry Petroff, professor of Special Education at the College. While each speaker described their different experiences with the R-word, each united in the same message – the R-word must to be stopped.
As the event closed, Best Buddies President Rebecca Havens asked audience members to sign a pledge to stop using the R-word. Students will be given the opportunity to sign the pledge throughout the week during 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
Magro closed his monologue with an original poem titled, “I am Kerry and I have PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified).”
“My name is Kerry and I have PDD-NOS. This means that I have autism. It does not mean I am autism,” Magro read. “My disability cannot define me. I define my disability every single day of my life.”
(02/11/15 6:42pm)
By Julie Kayzerman
Managing Editor
With an array of pictures from previous seasons strung on the walls of the Loucks Ice Center alongside cut-out letters spelling “2x Champs” — Saturday, Feb. 7, was a night to remember for the Lions Ice Hockey team and more importantly for the seniors.
Dominating the New Jersey Institute of Technology 6-2, the College’s seniors — all members of two championship teams — ended their regular season home ice time in the best way possible — on top.
“It’s always a bittersweet night,” coach Joseph Cucci said. “For the seniors, it was a great win. Those guys have been awesome, every one of them, so it’s great to see them get a win on their night.”
The Lions honored seven seniors: captains Alex D’Alessio and David Laub, defenders Daniel Guglielmo and Nick Wilechansky and forwards Ryan Grum, Craig Ismaili and Daniel Castellucci.
D’Alessio, the heart of the team with his consistent support and energy, has been sidelined by injury with a torn ACL for a majority of the season, yet has never failed to motivate his team.
He was applauded loudly during the senior honoring ceremony as he took his home ice one last time. He threw his crutches up into the air, imitating the moves of Olympian Jack O’Callahan in “Miracle” — symbolizing that despite injury, he’ll remain as the heart of the Lions as long as he can.
While the game remained uncomfortably close during the first period and a half for the Lions — a clearly more seasoned team than NJIT — it was goalie Laub who stood out during the night to hold off the pressure until his team re-invigorated its drive. With a string of three impressive saves followed by two more in the last minutes of the first period, Laub allowed his team to walk into the locker room with a 1-0 lead off a goal from junior captain Salvatore DiBrita, assisted by line mates Tyler Viducic and Kevin Collins.
Gearing up for the second, the Lions continued to come out flat, allowing NJIT to score twice. But it didn’t get any better as the Lions fell victim to a serious injury when freshman defenseman Dylan McMurrer went down with a broken leg after crashing into the boards. This was a huge loss for the Lions just before playoffs as McMurrer has proved to be the backbone of the College’s defense while also adding momentum as a forward at times, scoring vital goals throughout the season.
But with the unfortunate event of McMurrer’s injury, his team seemed to rally up a deeper drive and finally proved themselves as the better team on the ice, leaving the second period at 3-2 with a goal from senior Craig Ismaili off a DiBrita assist and a late power play snipe from Viducic off a pass from junior defender Matt Martin.
The drive continued as the third period previewed a team with a hopeful run in the playoffs, sporting a dynamic chemistry between DiBrita and Collins, who racked up the scoreboard as the Lions outshot NJIT 20-6 in the third and led in shots 57-37 overall.
DiBrita netted his second of the night early in the third followed by two straight goals from Collins who dominated his way through the Highlanders’ defense and past their talented goalie.
Now the Lions look to gain a point in their last regular season game against UPenn on Friday, Feb. 13, to clinch third place in playoff standings.
“If we play our game like the last 35 minutes, it’ll be interesting,” Cucci said.
(01/30/15 12:18am)
Julie Kayzerman
Managing Editor
Coming off a huge win at Nationals, field hockey Coach Sharon Pfluger was recently named the Field Hockey / NFHCA Division III National Coach of Year. This is the highest honor from her peers and the second time in the last four seasons she’s won it.
“I really feel like it’s an honor for the whole program and the entire coaching staff,” Pfluger said. “I’m flattered, and I feel very honored to have the support of my colleagues in the field hockey coaching world, but I just truly feel that it’s about all of us, it’s not just about me.”
This is Pfluger’s third coaching honor after being named the 2014 NJAC coach of the Year and the 4U Field Hockey / NFHCA Division III South Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year. She has coached the Lions to nine NCAA Division III Championships in her 30 years of coaching at the College.
This past season, Pfluger coached a team that went 23-1 and finished the year on a 15-game winning streak. However, despite her recognition, she realizes none of it would’ve been possible without the girls on her team.
“Every single player is so valuable to us, everybody is important,” Pfluger said.
She also made sure to recognize her experienced coaching staff, especially her full-time assistant, Robin Selbst, who has been extremely valuable to the program for over 13 years, according to Pfluger. The staff also includes the talent of assistants Richard Cox, Jackie Scullin and Kelly Mitchell, all of whom Pfluger highly praised as being vital to the team’s success.
“It’s a very experienced staff, so I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by such good coaches and good people,” Phelps said. “It’s special to be a part of.”
As Pfluger spends the spring season coaching the College’s lacrosse team, she is greeted with familiar faces as several girls play both field hockey and lacrosse, linking the two programs together with a tight bond.
Going into her upcoming lacrosse season, Pfluger thinks her team is more pumped than ever after several girls drove down to watch their teammates and friends win the field hockey National Championship last semseter.
“I think the lacrosse players are saying, “Yeah I want that, too” and it just excites the level of enthusiasm and motivation.” Pfluger said. “When they see their peers attain such a wonderful achievement, then they say, ‘It’s doable, we can do this.’”
(01/29/15 6:52pm)
By Julie Kayzerman
Managing Editor
When Eve Cruz opened a card from one of her "kids," she cried.
"Eve, I don't even come to Eick for the food anymore," it read. "I come to see you."
The 40-year-old Sodexo cashier greets students as they walk into the dining hall at the College with bits of inspiration, wacky jokes and a huge grin across her face.
"One more day girls and boys, we got this," she says with a smile.
We. It's always "we" for Cruz, because during her seven years working at the College, she's developed a love for her students, who she refers to as her kids.
"It's about the College. I could've left this job, but I don't because I've bonded with the kids," Cruz said. "I'm not there for the money, I'm there for my kids. We have a bond now."
With a line of hungry students walking into the Atrium of Eickhoff Hall in between stressful classes, they know they can count on Cruz to brighten their day. And Cruz says she can always count on them to brighten hers.
Sometimes putting on a funny hat or wig, Cruz will cook up a plan to make her students happy. She even brought out a fake mustache to wear for No Shave November.
"Ya'll are so awesome, you make my day," she said. "Ya'll say I make your day just by getting you in and getting you through the week. Well we do the same for each other."
Although Cruz's job with Sodexo pays &8.85 an hour, Cruz wouldn't know — she doesn't pay attention to the money. To her, that's not what the job is about. Instead, greeting every student with a smile and words of encouragement, Cruz explained that her true job is to get her "kids" through the day by spreading positive energy.
"That's the top priority for me," she said. "We're a team in here."
Beginnings
Cruz worked at a Sunoco gas station in New York before coming to the College. One day, she ran into her childhood friend, Terrek Johnson – affectionately known to her as Bunks – who was working for Sodexo at the College. Johnson encouraged Cruz to come work there, and after beginning on Oct. 23, 2007, it became clear that the decision would change her life.
“Before y’all, I didn’t really have a life,” Cruz said.
Currently residing in Trenton, Cruz is the mother of her 13-year-old son, Mikey, who stays with her Aunt throughout the week so he can attend a good school and stay off the streets. But while she misses Mikey during the week, she knows she has over 6,000 other kids who provide her with happiness.
But it’s really Cruz who seems to give those 6,000 students the extra push to get through the day.
“She’ll manage to put a smile on my face by the little things she says,” junior accounting major Katie Padmore said. “You can never tell if she’s having a bad day, which is a great quality that I admire her for.”
Spreading positive vibes
Dressed in the Sodexo attire, black pants and a navy shirt with a name tag fastened loosely on, Cruz stands at the entrance of Eickhoff Hall, swiping in students one-by-one, addressing each of them by their name as it pops up onto her screen.
With her constant energy, Cruz has become a household name at the College, famous all across campus for her joyous attitude and positive embrace.
“She treats us like her kids, and it’s obvious that she cares about us, which is always a nice feeling,” Padmore said.
But Cruz says she gets the strength to stay positive from seeing the reactions of her kids. Together, Cruz and her kids get through the day, feeding off one another for support during a tough day or a laugh to brighten up an already good one.
“She’s made an impression on me since the first time I met her,” Padmore said. “To put it very simply, she always has a smile on her face, and when you have a rough week, she’s always greeting you saying ‘cheer up, the week’s almost over.’”
Cruz’s whole mentality on life is to spread positivity. While she doesn’t come from a background of wealth, she gets up every day knowing that she is rich in life.
“I try to tell people when you come in to work, bring in your positive energy because that reflects off of people,” Cruz said. “Y’all need that.”
Family away from home
As typical students spend their college careers living on campus and away from home, they can have waves of loneliness and homesickness. But Cruz is determined to minimize those negative feelings as much as possible. She sets her mind to attend several student events on and off campus to show her support for what her kids are participating in.
“I love when y’all invite me to events because then I get to come there and support y’all,” she said. “Sometimes family can’t make it out and you need somebody to give y’all some support and show that y’all are doing a great job.”
Cruz was seen at several different events this past semester, supporting athletic teams in the bleachers, attending Greek Life events on and off-campus and staying extra hours at the College to take part in activities.
And of course, taking a picture with her seems to be the main attraction, as always.
“I love to see y’all do the positive stuff you do,” Cruz said. “You’re doing a great job and soon you’ll be changing the world. It just makes me smile when I see you guys coming in smiling.”
A Helping Hand
Cruz is a glass half-full kind of person. Her positive attitude is natural, though, as she always looks to help others – and not for any other reason than it makes her happy to see others smile.
As Cruz doesn’t even pay attention to the amount of money she makes, it’s obvious she doesn’t care about the material things. This was clear more than ever on Halloween when she bought $300 worth of candy out of her own pocket for students to take as they walked in and out of Eickhoff.
“I love to give because people need,” Cruz said. “You never really know what a person’s situation is. Sometimes you might give even when you don’t have it, but you’ll get it another manner. As long as I see that somebody is happy, I’ll give them the shirt off my back if I gotta because I got plenty more shirts at home.”
For Cruz, helping people allows her to leave work knowing that she made someone happy — and that’s all she needs to get through the day.
Last Stop
Cruz has grown attached to her students, seeing them through their entire college careers. While it’s obvious that students across campus know and love the famous Eve Cruz, she, herself likes to show her kids how much they mean to her.
She receives several cards and pictures from students throughout the year who want to thank her for being a consistently positive source for them over the course of their stressful college years. In fact, on the “Giving Thanks” billboard outside of the Brower Student Center that encouraged students to write what they are thankful for, a student wrote “Eve.”
The relationship of Cruz and her students truly exemplifies a symbiotic relationship — the reason Cruz addresses the students with “we.” They go through the daily struggles of life and through the joyous moments together. But it’s always together, because once Cruz is in someone’s life, she’ll be there for them forever.
“Four years. I see y’all for four years,” she said. “We have four years together. We’re together more than we’re home.”
So with that, she makes sure to attend every graduation with the intent to see her kids off and encourage them to visit her back at the cashier booth in Eickhoff Hall — because she knows she’ll still be there when they come back.
“Five to 10 years from now, I’ll be here,” Cruz said. “This is my last stop, no more jobs after this.”
And her kids wouldn’t have it any other way.
(12/01/14 9:03pm)
It was junior captain Salvatore DiBrita who the Lions ice hockey team relied on heavily as they split games this past weekend. DiBrita dominated on the offense, picking up six points by assisting every goal of the weekend and scoring once himself — a performance that pushed him to the top of the team’s point list with a season total of 20.
DiBrita’s play sparked the attack when the Lions rolled over local rival Princeton University, 4-0, at the Loucks Ice Center on Friday, Nov. 15, commanding for a full 60 minutes.
DiBrita scored while the Lions were shorthanded and Collins added a goal in the win, racking up 10 points for their line, while defensemen Matt Martin and Gary L’Heureux added an assist each during the night.
However, the night’s performance also highlighted two goals by sophomore Dylan McMurrer. The former defenseman was moved up to the first offensive line, playing alongside DiBrita and sophomore Kevin Collins, and has continuously proven to be a vital player on the ice.
“We were looking for a little spark to get our offense going a little bit and we thought that by moving (McMurrer) up it settled some of the lines,” coach Joseph Cucci said. “Dylan is Dylan, so anywhere you put him, he’s going to produce and he’s going to execute.”
The team skated around the Tigers all the way through, out-shooting them 50-22 and earning the shutout for senior captain and goalie David Laub, who saved 22 shots in the win.
“(There were) a lot of good things,” Cucci said. “We played a solid overall game. We had a good commitment to defense. We limited their shots. We won puck races, and when you do that and you give an honest effort with no shortcuts, you’re going to win more than you lose.”
But on Saturday night, the Lions took to their home ice again to play West Chester in an important league game that ultimately ended with a tough loss, 4-2.
While junior forward Tyler Viducic fired up the offense scoring both goals for the Lions, one on the power play, the College succumbed to unforeseen injuries on the bench.
Early in the first period, McMurrer and senior captain Alex D’Alessio went down with injuries from hard hits, forcing the two to leave the bench for the rest of the game — a tough loss of key players that the College couldn’t come back from.
“It was a very important two points that we really wanted,” Cucci said. “It was an important game, but I thought we’ve been playing some very good hockey, maybe it doesn’t show on the record but we’re building as a team.”
The Lions return to the home ice at the Loucks Ice Center seeking to redeem themselves over rival, Rider University on Friday, Nov. 22, after falling to the Broncs earlier in the season, 2-0.
(10/31/14 12:24am)
After the College’s ice hockey team felt a discouraging 2-0 loss against Rider, they took the ice the following day on the main rink at the Prudential Center, where they rolled over NJIT, 6-2.
(10/22/14 7:12pm)
The bench of the College’s ice hockey team erupted into cheers when junior forward Alex Moskal scored against the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, Oct. 18.
They didn’t need the goal, it was the team’s final and seventh goal to cap off a 7-2 win — but it was certainly the most celebrated.
Scoring his first collegiate goal, the team rallied around Moskal — a player with a clear admiration from his team on and off the ice.
“He makes the team laugh and really lightens the mood more than anyone,” co-captain and senior Salvatore DiBrita said. “He’s stuck with (the team) even when the cards weren’t in his favor. So to see someone who the team genuinely respects pocket a goal, it really brought an ear-to-ear smile to everyone’s face.”
And to top it all off, it was a beautiful goal, with Moskal receiving the puck on the left side and sniping into the low right corner of the net.
Saturday night lent itself to a phenomenal showing from the College’s first offensive line, comprised of DiBrita, senior Tyler Viducic and sophomore Kevin Collins, who collectively racked up a total of eight points throughout the night. DiBrita and Viducic paired two goals each with an assist while Collins scored one and assisted.
The line’s play demonstrated an improved chemistry with more confidence and composure.
“The whole line is just starting to click and get better,” DiBrita said.
While the win gave freshman goalie Mickey Avenoso his second win in his second showing, it was the defense in front of him that stepped up tremendously.
Junior Gary L’Heureux dominated this weekend as a top defenseman, playing the man during one-on-one’s to prevent goals while adding an offensive drive from the point alongside the solid support of freshman Dylan McMurrer.
“Gary has really embraced the role as a top two defensmen,” DiBrita said. “Gary and Dylan as a pair — they’re the kind of pair that if you see them behind you, you just have a lot more confidence. You can be more free and creative with the puck because you have two solid people behind you to keep the puck in the zone.”
On the offensive end of the ice, the consistent goal scoring also displayed a slap shot into the net from freshman forward Nick Paranzine, who assisted junior forward Billy Regan’s goal in the third.
While co-captain and senior Alex D’Alessio found himself out after getting hurt on Friday night, junior center Matt Martin finally found his way back on the ice after a little over a month of being out on injury.
“It’s huge (to have him back),” DiBrita said. “To have someone be as patient with the puck as Matt can is very helpful for the team. He’s probably the most patient person with the puck on the team, and he always seems to have a calmness about him. Having that veteran leadership is definitely going to lead the team.”
It was eight months ago when the Lions ice hockey team won the GNCHC Championship with the help of alumni Scott Rothlisberger and goalie coach Gary Biggs.
However, it was Friday night that reunited the team with them once again — but on opposite sides of the bench this time.
With Biggs taking a head coaching position at Seton Hall University and Rothlisberger jumping on board as an assistant coach, the Lions took on two former teammates in an intense overtime game.
The Lions led the Pirates 3-0 in the first period with goals from forwards Craig Ismaili, an unassisted snipe from freshman forward Nick Paranzine and senior co-captain Alex D’Alessio sneaking the puck through the opposing goalie’s legs — benching him after the first period.
But it was a second-period letdown that gave Seton Hall the opportunity to leave the College’s home rink with a 5-5 tie, tying the game up with 17 seconds left in the game on 6 on 5 play after the Pirates pulled their goalie.
Collins added the latter two goals for the Lions while co-captain and senior goalie David Laub made several strings of saves throughout the night.
And while Friday’s game didn’t go the team’s way, it was that vengeful, Saturday-night drive that brought them back with a dominating win.
“We started the same way we did against Seton Hall, but I think the difference was (that) we sustained it over the course of the 60 minutes,” DiBrita said. “We just made sure to come out hard and maintain that same pressure.”
(10/07/14 4:04pm)
With the taste of victory still fresh in the minds of the Lions Ice Hockey team, a season of changes — some anticipated and others unexpected — has forced the players to adjust to a whole new style of play this year.
Last year, the team’s success relied heavily on alumni Scott Rothlisberger’s rocket from the point, Nick Lisciandro’s knack for finding the net and the dominating sophomore pair of Will Sulpizio and Luke May to rack up points on the scoreboard — a highly offensive style of hockey that landed them as the GNCHC Champions for the second time in three years.
But with six graduating seniors gone, including Rothlisberger and Lisciandro alongside the unexpected loss of Sulpizio to injury and May to personal issues, Head Coach Joseph Cucci is now trying to focus his team on working with a defensive strategy this year.
“We kind of expected that things were going to change, but we’re a little bit more surprised from the other losses we had,” Cucci said. “We relied on our centers a lot, and we’ve had to juggle quite a bit with the guys that never made it back, so it’s been a challenge.”
Now, joining a new conference this season, the Colonial States College Hockey Conference, Cucci still expects his team to compete at a high level and adjust to the new style on the ice.
And while change has seemed to poke holes in the roster, junior co-captain Salvatore DiBrita is trying to focus on the addition of several new players in order to fill in the missing pieces.
“We are just focusing on who we have and trying not to dwell on who we’ve lost,” DiBrita said. “With so many new people, chemistry has been tough to build, but we need to power through and come together.”
The Lions have welcomed an abundance of new players, including freshmen forwards Nick Paranzine and C.J. Muller, freshman defender Dylan McMurrer, junior transfer Nick Zanoni on defense and sophomore transfer Kevin Collins, who’s had an impressive showing up top as a forward thus far, with four points in five games.
Freshman goalie Mickey Avenoso also joined the team, backing up starting goalie, senior co-captain David Laub.
“We’re not as high-end offensively as we were, but we’ve gotten some good players this year that maybe aren’t replacing those guys, but (are) good in their own way,” Cucci said. “We’re going to have to be a more defensive team — we have to be more defensively responsible.”
DiBrita added that the additions to the team are fitting in well, balancing the attitudes of those who can keep the mood light in the locker room with those who have the drive to turn things around on the ice.
Unfortunately, the team has continued to take hits with early injuries that have been extremely detrimental to the Lion’s play thus far, with juniors Matt Martin, Billy Regan and Zanoni out for the next coming weeks.
However, DiBrita mentioned despite some big injuries, “it will give other people a chance to step up and establish themselves on the team, and even a chance for veterans to take on additional responsibilities.”
Martin, who Cucci and the coaching staff “expected to be one of our best defensemen this year,” has had to step up as a center in light of the unexpected changes. He’s predicted to help the offense succeed upon coming back from his shoulder injury.
“He’s got very good puck skills, and he’s also defensively responsible, so we thought that was a good move,” Cucci said.
Former defenseman Tyler Viducic has also been skating up top in order to compensate for the offensive losses. Junior Gary L’Heureux, and seniors Nick Wilechansky and Daniel Guglielmo continue to be strong veteran forces in the back, pairing nicely with the addition of rookies Zanoni and McMurrer.
But the Lions have also been led by a key player this year with senior co-captain Alex D’Alessio at forward.
While this is D’Alessio’s first year as a captain, Cucci recognizes his consistent show of leadership throughout his four years on the team and called him a “natural choice” as captain this year, alongside Laub and DiBrita.
“They’re looked up to in the locker room, and they do everything the right way,” Cucci said of his co-captains. “They’re not afraid to tell other people what they think and what they think will help the team, and we’ll certainly have to rely on them this year.”
While the team has begun the season with an undesirable 1-4 start, its only option now is to skate ahead and continue to fight through the obstacles as they come.
“Our goal is to always go as far as we can in the season, but we need to take it one game at a time so that we don’t overlook any opponents,” DiBrita said. “This start is not ideal by any means, but we know what we need to do in order to improve. So now the onus is on us to execute and pick up our season from here.”
The Lions will take on Princeton University next at the Hobey Baker Rink on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 9 p.m.
“After a start like this, we can’t afford to let any games slip,” DiBrita said.
(09/24/14 6:20pm)
By Julie Kayzerman & Kyle Bennion
Sports Editor & Photo Editor
Junior Pierce Cooper was one match away from calling himself an All-American.
He didn’t earn the title yet, but he’s still got another year to do it.
Winning five straight singles matches in the USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Championship, Cooper earned himself a spot in the finals, coming back with a win in the semi-finals after losing the opening set 6-4. He won the next two matches 6-2, ousting an opponent from New York University to take a shot at the final.
Although his tournament run came to end against top-seed Matthew Heinrich from Stevens Institute of Technology, where he lost 6-2 and 6-3, Cooper stunned the College with an admirable tournament performance for the Lions’ tennis team — finishing the three-day tournament with five singles wins in six matches.
“We’re extremely happy with his performance both on and off the court,” assistant coach Mike Klimchack said. “Hopefully in the spring, he can get some revenge over Heinrich.”
Klimchack was the last Lion on the men’s tennis team to receive an All-American singles title in 2007.
Only one other player on the men’s team has also reached the singles title — Mark Hill in 2000.
“I love being on (Cooper’s) court and being able to coach him,” Klimchack said. “We’re hoping he can do it next year. He showed great promise today. I’d love to see his name up there with mine.”
On the women’s side, the tennis team saw action on back to back days this week, hosting Kean University on Saturday, Sept. 20, and visiting William Paterson University the following day.
Both matches were victories that pushed the team’s win streak to 159, while the latter match also sealed the team’s 32nd straight New Jersey Athletic Conference title.
Against Kean, the College won with an overwhelming score of 9-0.
Doubles play saw junior captains Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette and Emma Allen winning by the margin of 8-1, while sophomore Anna Prestera and freshman Maddy Stoner next teamed up to win 8-0.
The final doubles point was secured by sophomore Katie Buchbinder and freshman Danna Tsay by a score of 8-0.
Singles action saw similar results, with Muniz-Cadorette, Buchbinder, freshman Brittany Reedman, Allen, Stoner and Prestera all recording victories.
The following day, against William Paterson, the girls secured an 8-1 victory by starting fast in doubles play. Muniz-Cadorette and Allen won the first match 8-4, while Prestera and Stoner won the second by a margin of 8-1.
Buchbinder and Tsay finished off doubles action with a resounding 8-0 victory.
Five points were earned in singles play to finish off the opposing team, with points contributed by Reedman, Allen, Stoner, Buchbinder and Prestera.
The Lions finish off their conference schedule at Rutgers-Newark on Sept. 25th, at 4 p.m.
(09/09/14 7:54pm)
The crowd was electric as a sea of blue packed into the bleachers on the home side of the College’s Lions Stadium, with students hopeful that the football team would bring home a win in its season opener game last Friday.
But while a win wasn’t in store for the team, it was an overwhelming display of school spirit that made its debut.
Igniting the fall season with an explosion of school pride, the College’s “Blue Out” was an obvious success in lifting morale for Lions football with approximately 1,400 cheering in the stands, according to Tim Asher, director of student affairs.
The “Blue Out” encouraged attendees of the opening football game to sit together in the crowd with blue attire, face paint and accessories in order to stand united as one school.
But despite the poor showing on the field, the outstanding performance by the students of the College proved to be the best spirit showing in years, according to several students.
“In my three years at TCNJ, it was nice to finally see everyone together for an event other than Homecoming, and I would love to see this support happen more often,” junior finance major Michael D’Agostino said.
The event was coordinated by the athletic program in partnership with student affairs, dining services and sports information, according to David Muha, associate vice president for communications, marketing and brand management.
“I thought it was a great idea that was executed well,” D’Agostino said. “I think it succeeded in uniting the school.”
Muha was also pleased with the freshmen attendance at the game — a turnout that was able to mark their first college football game in style. He said the new students were a major factor in making it a memorable event on campus.
“The turnout for the football opener was the best we have had in many years,” Muha said. “The concept for the ‘Blue Out’ was a great one because it made the evening at the stadium more than just a football game — it was an exciting college experience. The ‘Blue Out’ was a great way to pull everyone together to support our team and have a great time.”
The feeling of unity at the College, however, seems to be a new concept to several of the veteran students such as D’Agostino, who finds himself typically yearning for more showings of the school pride that was on hand Friday night.
“I’m actually quite disappointed with the support our student body usually shows,” D’Agostino said. “Very few students show up to the sporting events at TCNJ, resulting in an extremely underwhelming environment for the players.”
But Friday was a step in the right direction, he said.
Muha thinks “there’s plenty of school spirit here,” but he understands that students are often busy and can’t always show it.
The blue crowd in the stands wasn’t just a show of spirit with the colors of the school, however. The color blue has been found to be commonly associated with confidence, according to the College’s website. Therefore, the school has found a way to double the meaning of the color in order to unite the students and promote confidence in the athletic program.
Katie Yorke, a junior diplomacy major, hopes that supporting the athletic program can become a permanent staple at the College.
“I wouldn’t say we’re not a proud school. I think we just have a lack of student involvement with TCNJ athletics,” Yorke said, missing the large attendance at sporting events that she often found prevalent at her high school, Pearl River high school in New York.
But feeling similar to D’Agostino, Yorke would like the spirited start to the year to find its way back soon.
“It would be great to see more events like “Blue Out,” Yorke said. “It would be cool to branch outside of football. I know there are other sports teams that are equally as good or better that definitely deserve some support, too.”
With crowd attendance noticeably dwindling during home games at the College, several students mentioned that having more events like “Blue Out” would help bring people to games, following the similar model of large Division I schools like Penn State, who have annual “white and blue outs” at games.
Yorke even suggested that the athletic department take student participation to another level by offering busing for big away games in support of the College’s different varsity teams.
“With busing to big away games, we would be able to bring a piece of TCNJ wherever the teams travel to make them feel more at home,” Yorke said.
She also suggested making the event annual, while also finding ways to incorporate it into this year’s Homecoming — noting that the success of the “Blue Out” should be a sign for its continuation.
“I think it would be cool to incorporate ‘Blue Out’ into Homecoming every year in order to unify the student body more,” Yorke said. “It would offset the separation of each of the school’s organizations at the Homecoming tailgate. Wearing blue would be the unifying factor of the day to remind us all that no matter what groups we’re in, we’re all Lions at heart.”
(09/02/14 7:46pm)
Starting off mornings rowing together at 5 a.m. and working to move in perfect unison as one cohesive team, the members of TCNJ Crew must hone a high level of discipline in order to achieve success. But as far as achieving a close connection with one another, it’s clear they’ve already succeeded at that.
“We very much consider ourselves a family,” president Mike Baumann said. “The crew is filled with individuals with strong personalities and strengths, and with members like this, we are able to form a versatile, well-rounded team.”
But this family connection isn’t any coincidence. Baumann describes it as being vital to the sport itself.
“Our closeness is tied to the most basic foundations of rowing,” Baumann said, explaining that a rower must always be in tune with the person in front of him/her, the person behind him/her and the boat as a whole. While the men and women race separately, they practice together, leading to a very interesting team dynamic, Baumann said.
As the team members each fulfill a particular role, the purpose of every rower and coxswain remains the same — to move the boat as one.
“There’s no room for selfishness or big egos,” Baumann said. “Personal achievement is still important, of course, and the entire team benefits when someone gets even a little bit stronger and a little bit faster. Races are not won by a rower — they are won by a crew.”
The club, founded a little over a decade ago, began just by fundraising in order to actually obtain the equipment to first get on the water.
However, it was the dedication of the crew’s founders — some of whom graduated before even seeing their efforts come alive — that continues to drive the team to be determined as a whole, Baumann said.
The team members typically practice five days a week, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, followed by a long Sunday practice from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. During both fall and spring seasons, they take to the water on their home course, Mercer County Park, as well as practicing on land. They are currently led by head coach Alison Pollini and assistant coach Katie Samsel. However, both are leaving in the fall to pursue new career opportunities — leaving the team with the obstacle of replacing their coaches.
This commitment is all in preparation for each regatta they compete in — a feat that takes them around the state as well as the Dad Vail Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, the largest collegiate regatta in the country, according to Baumann.
Constantly looking to improve, Baumann says he’s seen tremendous growth in the success of his team over the past year, with its membership doubling as well as the number of boats increasing from four to nine.
Now they are looking to continue growing as a competitive team in the region.
“After every morning practice, I am astounded by the strength and determination shown by every one of our members,” Baumann said. “Whether it’s a novice who first picked up an oar just a few days before or a varsity member who has been rowing for years, it’s amazing to consider how much hard work that goes into this beautiful yet masochistic sport.”
(08/26/14 8:37pm)
Losing only one graduation senior last year, veterans of the women’s field hockey team have formed a close-knit bond that will be a key factor in its anticipated success in the upcoming season.
Beginning preseason camp a few weeks ago with double sessions each day, the Lions have been focusing on living up to their preseason poll ranking as the top seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament.
“We have been focusing on improving small parts of our game so that we can properly execute once the season starts,” junior Mikalya Cimilluca said.
“Our own team is each other’s best competition, so we’ve been scrimmaging each other in order to prepare for our first game.”
The NJAC boats a competitive conference — but the Lions have set their eyes on winning it. Even further than that, Cimilluca says the team is hoping to win a National Championship, but to do that, she says they must “take no opponent lightly and we must leave everything we have on the field each time we play.”
“We always say that our goal is to be happy after each time we play field hockey,” Cimilluca said. “In order to do so, we want to win each and every game, starting with our home opener.”
With their first game of the season on Friday, Aug. 29 against Stevens Institute of Technology, Cimilluca says her teammates must push each other to play to the best of their ability and leave it all on the field in order to be successful.
“We have so much talent on our team, and as long as we work hard success will be in our future,” Cimilluca said. “Team unity is so important because it will determine the outcome of our season. With the hard work, desire and talent, I have no doubt in my mind this team can accomplish anything we believe if we put our mind to it.”
With the incoming freshman making their debut on the field, Cimilluca says that have really challenged the returners during preseason.
“They are extremely hardworking and help push the upperclassmen to work harder,” she said. “The freshmen are a great addition to the TCNJ field hockey team.”
Cimilluca, who described her team as extremely close, said that they are eager to get to know new freshman right away.
“I believe that the family like aspect is one of the most amazing things about being a part of such a tradition-filled, cohesive team like the College’s field hockey program,” Cimilluca said. “Our camaraderie makes being successful that much easier. Not only do we play for ourselves, but we play for each and every person that is and once was a TCNJ field hockey player.”
(04/30/14 2:34pm)
It was the perfect day for sitting on the bank of Lake Ceva while watching the impressive work of students as they competed in the annual Cardboard Boat Regatta, hosted by Residential Education and Housing and Upper Class Experience, on Friday, April 25.
The event highlighted the difficulty of constructing a cardboard boat, stable enough to hold two people and race for time across the lake, paired with the humor of themed boats, costumes and sinking ships.'
Despite the need for experience in mastering the physics of a cardboard boat, it was a group of four freshmen for “Boaty” who took first place with a strong showing at 2:21, rivaled by the second place time of 2:35 belonging to “The Ark.”
“The Flying Squirrel” took third with a time of 2:49, sporting members from the College’s manhunt club who dressed in pirate gear.
The first place team of Alin Boyjkovic, Thomas Approvato, Tim Laux and Eric Brokaw, whose construction was titled “Boaty,” boasted an American fish-themed boat that was able to hold off the growing speed of “The Ark” and take the top trophy.
“That was terrifying,” Laux said of “The Ark” trailing them closely behind. “Noah hits the gym like all the time, so we were very scared.”
From the hours of 1 p.m. to 4 a.m., the boys spent their entire day constructing “Boaty,” whose performance proved their effort to be time well spent.
“We had a lot of haters, everyone thought it would sink,” Approvato said. “We were pleasantly surprised. I think ours was just a little bit straighter so it was easier for us to go faster, but (“The Arks”) was solid as a rock.”
With bed sheets tied around their bodies as togas in resemblance of Noah, the team of JT Schwindt, Christian Balevski, Mike Misdary, Sam Chen and Matt Scapardine — who created “The Ark” — gave a competitive showing in effort to overtake “Boaty” in the closest race of the day, but ultimately couldn’t catch up.
“‘Boaty’ was right in front of us and we were just trying to catch up,” sophomore political science major Schwindt said. “We just didn’t even up the paddle well … (but) Noah’s Ark is ready for the flood, just look at the thing.”
The most inspirational showing of the day, however, belonged to “I-House,” the winners of the Best Spirit and Sportsmanship awards. “I-House” struggled through the race as their boat sank deeper and deeper, leaving its paddlers basically sitting on water as the rowers slowly but surely found their way back to the bank in order to complete the race without fully sinking. The perseverance of the team was noted by the judges who presented them with their two awards.
Unfortunately, other participants weren’t as lucky, with boats not being able to withstand the weight and water combination, resulting in several boats capsizing. However, the most spectacular of the boats that capsized belonged to the “Titanic,” recipient of the Best Sinking award, as the riders of “Usain Boat” embraced their boat’s sinking nature by jumping off into the lake with a celebratory cheer.
With 13 competitors and five heats, the event proved to be an awesome success allowing people to enjoy the excitement of a cardboard boat race, great music from the DJs at WTSR and a relaxing view of the campus’s beautiful lake. In the midst of final exam stress, the event provided an interesting escape for students to spend a spring day outside in the company of friendly competition.
(04/30/14 2:29pm)
With two high volume requests, the College Union Board was fully funded for both the Fall Comedy Show and Fall 2014 Concert at the weekly board meeting on Wednesday, April 23.
Fully funding CUB for $70,550 to host the Fall Concert, SFB approved the list of possible headlining artisits, including Young the Giant, Taking Back Sunday, Matt and Kim, Hot Chelle Rae, Cher Lloyd, American Authors, Mayday Parade, New Politics and Ra Ra Riot. Possible openers include The Front Bottoms, The Downtown Fiction and Hey Ocean!.
The $70,550 is the highest cost the concert will be if the top choices of Young the Giant and The Front Bottoms come through. However, with cheaper bands, the money funded by SFB will get washbacked to the Student Activity Fund.
CUB was also allocated with $50,680 in hopes of getting one of their top choices in John Mulaney, an American comedian and writer for SNL, Jay Pharoah, a stand-up comeddian and actor for SNL and Steve Rannazzisi, a stand-up comedian and actor for the television series “The League.”
Other backup options include Patton Oswalt, Kate McKinnon and Moshe Kasher. Once again, the money funded by SFB will be the highest price spent if CUB’s top choices are received — all money not spent will be washed back into the SAF.
The third highest request stemmed from Union Latina, which was fully funded with $10,350 to host “Salsafied.” The event is intended to have the campus unite in dance with the inclusion of a narrated, lively and inclusive performance of salsa.
The event is scheduled to be held on Friday, Oct. 10, in Kendall Hall.
The last request came from PRISM, which requested $3,055 to bring comedian Erin Foley to the College. This well-known lesbian comedian has been featured on Conan, Chelsea Lately and Comedy Central and features work that seeks to debunk stereotypes about the LGBTQ community in a funny way.
PRISM was fully funded for this event and hopes to bring her to campus on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
*Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
(04/30/14 2:28pm)
A renowned mathematical genius once stood on the porch steps of his old, Chicago house in a horrific rage. He had truly succumbed to his mental illness and could no longer practice the work to which he had dedicated his life.
With the arms of his daughter Catherine around his neck, in a heart-wrenching scene where she cried softly, his daughter whispered to the sick man that she loved him and wouldn’t leave him — even though it meant sacrificing her future — in All College Theater’s production of David Auburn’s “Proof,” directed by alumnus Patrick Albanesius.
The audible gasps of the viewers sitting in the Don Evan’s Black Box Theatre during this flashback were a testament to the superb acting of the cast members — each of whom embraced the volatile and grief-stricken characters with poise well beyond the years of a college student.
It certainly helped that they were able to perform on a beautifully designed and detail-oriented set that even included vines under the porch, a ratty old couch to coincide with the aged house and, of course, the porch steps — home to most of the play’s big action.
While Catherine (played by Morgan Teller) must cope with the recent death of her father Robert (played brilliantly by Jake Burbage), she struggles to prove the authorship of her own proof — resembling only the genius work of her father — while trying to maintain stability in her fear of inheriting her father’s madness.
Burbage’s performance of the professor was undeniably accurate in its portrayal of the mad man. He showcased fast-paced sentences ravaged with stuttered words and shaky hands which guided him through the most emotional of scenes in his terrifyingly violent arguments with Catherine.
Everything from Burbage’s red face, which resulted from him harnessing the anger of Robert, to his gray-dyed hair, depicted Auburn’s character with grace and a true professionalism in the role.
Coinciding with Teller’s outstandingly emotional performance, her costumes of typically sweatpants and baggy sweatshirts provided the audience with a sense of her laziness, stemming from the grief of her hard life looking after her unstable father and not living up to her mathematical potential— or so he thought.
The play introduces Hal, an eager young mathematician and former student of Robert, who looks to makes sense of the hundreds of books Robert wrote during his final years of suffering through insanity. While Catherine’s rough-around-the-edges personality greets Hal with defiance, as she begs him to accept that the notebooks are filled with nonsensical gibberish, a romantic flame is later lit, and she finds herself warming up to him in even the most love-stricken ways.
Hal (played by Garrett Verdone) added a hint of humor alongside the heart-pressing drama. He left the audience in awe at his genuine passion for Catherine when he admits he’s always liked her. Verdone acted out the role, doing justice to Auburn’s writing with his fantastic portrayal of a math nerd with a soft-spot for Catherine.
In the wake of Robert’s death, his estranged daughter, Claire (portayed by Emily Brady) finds her way back to Chicago for the funeral. However, Claire provided a wonderful contrast from her sister, boasting pearls and a diamond ring marking her engagement to her well-off fiancé.
Brady’s performance offered the audience a taste of the life Catherine gave up in order to care for her father. Brady mastered the perspective of a woman hiding her shortcomings as a daughter behind her elegance — a mask that lasted until receiving a massive hangover after drinking with those “fucking physicists.”
In a scene that forced an uproar of laughter from the audience, a disheveled Claire exits the house in a robe with sunglasses, and it was clear that Brady did a wonderful job in her execution of the role.
As Catherine begins to fall for Hal, she provides him with the key to a drawer in her father’s study. It is here that Hal discovers the brilliant work of a proof that even he can’t wrap his head around.
In the final scene of Act I, Hal tries to explain some of the work in the proof with an overwhelming enthusiasm, hoping that Robert’s lucid year would provide him with one last ground-breaking proof in the field. However, Catherine startles the audience with her declaration that she already knows what’s in the notebook — not because she read it, but because she wrote it.
Catherine continues to struggle in proving to Hal and Claire that she produced the proof, as she inherited more than just her father’s rage and possibly his insanity.
But there was no question in proving that the choice in casting was impeccable. The production stayed true to the integrity of Auburn and showcased an incredibly mature performance in the relationship between a mentally-ill father and a fearful daughter, that is sure to make any director proud.
“The most important thing, to me, in the portrayal of Robert was exhibiting his humanity in the midst of his delusion,” Burbage said. “It’s the same goal I try to achieve in all of the characters that I play on stage — making them believable.”
(04/24/14 1:23pm)
What started out in Australia has quickly begun sweeping the United States. Now, it has reached the College campus. Everything about the “neknomination” changes, from the types of drinks people use to who is being nominated for the challenge. But despite traveling from Australia to the College, the game has managed to keep a constant in all of its change — it’s lethal to the body and unforgiving to the future.
The “neknomination” is a drinking game that utilizes social media to spread its competition rapidly around the world. A person’s participation in the game begins once they are nominated, meaning they have been challenged to film themselves drinking large amounts of alcohol in order to top the nominator’s previous combination of drinks. They then must nominate other people to complete the challenge within 24 hours.
Having already claimed five lives, the game has taken a dangerous toll on its participants — and yet people continue to play it, as not completing the challenge can reportedly result in online ridicule, according to the New York Daily News.
The issue of underage drinking is nothing new to the public. If The Signal’s Cop-Shop column is any indicator, it’s even more obvious on campus. But this game has taken drinking to a competitive level in which people forego their limits and do whatever it takes to outdrink their opponent.
“This is a lethal game,” Dr. Sarah Jarvis, medical adviser for the UK-based charity Drinkaware, told CNN. “The point about alcohol is that it affects your ability to recognize that you’re in danger, and it absolutely affects your ability to react to danger. So now we have a double whammy.”
However, students at the College have decided to partake in this game because they felt they knew their bodies’ limits well enough to avoid danger, making it no more lethal than going out to a party on the weekend.
“I think it could be seen as a problem for underage teens to (do the “Neknominator” challenge) because there’s a lot of alcohol, and people don’t know their limits,” said an anonymous sophomore business and pre-med double major who participated in the challenge. “That gives it a bad reputation for everyone else who can do it safely and in a controlled environment. I guess the difference is I knew that I would be able to handle what I drank. Other people think, ‘Here’s 10 shots, I’m gonna outdrink my friends and look cool,’ and that’s where the problem starts.”
Aside from the obvious safety issues to those who participate in this viral drinking game, the more astounding issue is that they have been posting the videos of themselves actually underage-drinking for anyone to see, including future employers. The game has even surpassed Facebook and hit YouTube, allowing videos without privacy settings to be viewed by anyone. For example, a YouTube video titled “The Gnarliest #Neknomination ever” shows a male consuming large quantities of liquor. He then participates in a ‘man-shot,’ where he snorts a line of salt, takes a shot, squeezes lemons into his eyes, gets punched in the face and finally downs a mystery cocktail. This participant may have felt he proved his masculinity by completing the ‘man-shot,’ but it can probably be inferred that a future employer may not be as convinced.
“My motivation was pretty much, ‘Why not?’” the anonymous student said about accepting his nomination. “I have posted a video online with me drinking. However, I changed the privacy setting so only a few of my closest friends could see it that I trust. If (the participants) don’t change the setting on the video, then they are just stupid. There’s no reason everyone needs to see that, and it only harms yourself.”
Whatever the argument may be regarding the safety of the game — whether it’s kids just being kids or a health hazard — it is undeniably endangering students’ future endeavors and hard work. They could be losing a job opportunity, all in the name of the game, just to post a three-minute video proving their worthiness of a “neknomination.”
It’s even gone as far as leading a woman to strip down in a supermarket and down a drink. Another man chose to drink out of a toilet while other players mixed their spirits with dead mice, insects, engine oil and dog food, according to CNN. And the best part? All of these videos are free for the public to see and some of them have been picked up by news sources and spread around through social media.
While there’s been enough said and done about the issue of underage drinking, the “neknomination” brings teens to force themselves to drink voluminous amounts of alcohol in order to avoid getting mocked for bailing out on their nomination. But for those who are able to survive the game, it may be too late for them to right their social media faux pas. They are posting illegal activity for the world to see, leaving its mark in cyberspace forever — and possibly ruining a bright future before it even begins.