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(11/19/13 6:15pm)
A CUB tradition, the annual Welcome Back Lecture was funded by the Student Finance Board for $14,915 during its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Options for the lecture include Ross Matthews, American television personality; Carly, Chris and Jessimae, personalities from Guy Code/Girl Code; Rob Delaney, comedian; and Justin Willman, host of Cupcake Wars and Halloween Wars.
Chabad also presented to SFB again for its Chanukah Festival and received $4,794.90 in funding. After being tabled last week due to requests for unnecessary expenses that didn’t relate to the theme of the event, Chabad came back with new plans.
In an effort to celebrate and learn about the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, Chabad will be providing menorah kits, holiday crafts, air brush T-shirts and traditional food.
In addition, they will have five actors from Comedy-Sportz Entertainment. The event will take place in the Brower Student Center on Monday, Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
SFB also allocated $4,000 to INK for their Master Series to present A.M. Homes. This series will provide an opportunity for creative writers and readers to meet author, journalist and television writer A.M. Homes.
The official date has not yet been set, but the event is scheduled to take place during the week of February 24 in the Library Auditorium.
Finally, the Class of 2014 was funded for $300 to host a Real Life Cooking Series called “Holiday Treats.”
(11/19/13 6:00am)
You’ll probably see the women’s cross country team boasting huge smiles around campus, but it’s not because they love their workouts so much. For the first time in five years, the women’s team has earned a highly desired bid to Nationals, making them one of four teams out of the Atlantic region to earn an at-large bid to the meet.
“It was probably one of the best feelings ever,” junior Tara Nealon said. “Especially because we qualified as a team.”
After winning back the much sought after NJAC title, the women have had a successful past few weeks that they look to continue in Hanover, Ind. this Saturday at the championship meet.
The great news of their national bid came after competing in their best performance of the season at the 2013 NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships, in which the 7th-ranked Lions placed a terrific third against 38 competing programs.
“It made us all so happy to achieve that goal,” Nealon said. “It still doesn’t feel real.”
With senior Megan Flynn leading the lion pack in the 6K event to a 13th place finish event out of 269 runners, she put her team in an excellent position to receive an at-large bid, clocking in at 21:45.4.
Nealon and senior Anginelle Alabanza followed in 22nd and 24th places with times of 22:05.4 and 22:07.3, respectively.
The Lions have certainly made themselves known this season as individual recognitions have been pouring in. Head coach Justin Lindsey was named NJAC coach of the year, alongside five runners with all-conference honors, including Flynn and Alabanza and juniors Nealon, Megan Stack and Jillian Monzo.
The men were not as successful as the women but still placed a valiant 8th place of 39 programs at the meet, placing a spot above their 9th place ranking.
Freshman Andrew Tedeschi once again carried the team in the 8K event.
Tedeschi finished 30th in a field of 275 runners, crossing the finish line at 25:50.2.
(11/12/13 5:22pm)
The Muslim Student Association was half-funded by the Student Finance Board for $5,500 to host a comedy night at their weekly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The MSA’s reason for presenting the event was that the comedians would bring cultural diversity.
“I like the event, I just don’t see three comedians being justified,” said programming director Brian Green in regard to MSA’s request for three comedians, all of whom would require $11,000 in funding.
Operations director Brian Hurler agreed, motioning to allocate funding for MSA to either host comedian Dean Obeidallah at $5,500 or host both Preacher Moss and Maysoon Zayid, together totaling at $5,500.
The motion passed, allowing MSA to make their decision on which comedians will perform at the Brower Student Center on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.
The Leadership Development Program presented to SFB for their annual Leadership Lock-up, requesting funding of $5,414.26.
The request was tabled due to the fact that they did not provide the required clear break-down of expenses.
Green brought up during the meeting the point that “we (SFB) need to be more consistent.”
“I think it’s our responsibility to make sure that they have the invoice,” Green said.
Finally, Chabad was tabled for their request of $4,828.75 for a Chanukah festival event.
“I think this is a wonderful event but I think that half of the expenses are unnecessary,” sophomore representative Christina Grillo said in reference to Mexican food and a surfboard ride, which most of the Student Finance Board members felt had no relevance to the theme of the event.
(11/12/13 6:44am)
Living in America, we are often privileged with the benefits of distance from horrific events and tragedies that often take place in countries with far less security than ours. It may not exactly be the distance that makes us feel separate, but rather the pure secrecy of tragic issues such as human trafficking.
“It’s happening here,” said Emma Kumpf, sophomore internatioal studies major and advocate for human trafficking awareness. “It’s like modern-day slavery. It still exists in the U.S. because people don’t know about it, and they’re not fighting it, and we don’t have enough legislation to fight it.”
Kumpf is a member of an up-and-coming club on campus, Project Stay Gold, which is in the process of being recognized under the leadership of freshman Matthew Newman.
“It is a club completely dedicated to fighting human trafficking, which we designate as modern-day slavery,” Newman said. “There’s a lot of parts of modern- day slavery that have an issue in the real world where we designate it is as child slavery, sex slavery and forced labor.”
The club was first founded at Newman’s middle school and high school of Jefferson Township where he was an active member. He is now making the effort to bring the club to the College’s campus as well as other college campuses in order to spread awareness about this under-represented issue.
“People don’t know about it, and people don’t understand it fully,” Newman said. “They think it’s just people being moved from one place to another and it’s not as simple as that. It’s a lot more complicated. It has a lot of psychological issues with it.”
Newman passionately explained that the mission of the club is to educate people on campus on human trafficking through several awareness nights, fliers, chalking and more, as well as working with other school systems such as those in Trenton.
Newman explained an encounter he had at a Project Stay Gold awareness night in which a police officer came up to him and said he never even knew about human trafficking issues.
Newman explained that due to lack of knowledge, there’s a very big disconnect with legislation in which convictions are inconsistent and tend to label the victims as the criminals.
Therefore, as Project Stay Gold will strive to educate people of the issue, Newman hopes that eventually the issue will be stopped as he explained that, “in effect, awareness kills injustice of some kind.”
“We’re the generation of people who are going to be the world changers and be people who can make a difference,” Kumpf said. “The more people know about the issue, the more people can be working against it to get rid of it.”
(11/06/13 9:49pm)
With 1:26 left on the clock in a five-minute overtime period, men’s ice hockey senior captain Scott Rothlisberger sniped the puck into the net, giving the College a dramatic win against Kutztown University on their home ice this past weekend on Friday, Nov. 1.
“It felt amazing to get that goal,” Rothlisberger said. “Kutztown won the league last year. It was great to get a big win.”
After being outskated by Kutztown and skating sluggish for the first two periods, the College trailed 3-1 at the end of the second period before finally picking up their game in the third.
“We started playing better in the second half,” head coach Joseph Cucci said. “We were just looking for that one goal. Our philosophy is if we get that next one, we’ll be fine. We’ll get the momentum back on our side and we’ll build. We were able to get it late in the period and then we were just playing hockey, finally. It took us two and a half periods.”
Nevertheless, “incredible” was the word Cucci used to describe his feeling as he stepped off the bench. “We were resilient,” he said.
With 5:20 left in the game and the College trailing by two goals, senior captain Kush Patel finally capitalized on a power-play goal, giving his team the momentum to get out there and go for another.
Shortly after, sophomore Sal DiBrita scored his second goal of the season and the game-tying goal off of a one-touch pass from senior Nick Lisciandro, forcing the game into an exciting overtime and eventually to a 4-3 victory with nothing but smiles from the players as they skated off the ice.
“The game we lost last Sunday was one of the worst losses I’ve had here just in terms of feelings,” Cucci said in reference to the College’s 6-5 loss against Central Connecticut State University. “I thought we played well enough to win last time and it just was a hard battle. We were on the other side of it last week, so to come back and fight back tonight is just the other side of the coin where you’re just so happy that you can’t put it into words.”
But Friday night’s game wasn’t the only dramatic play of the weekend for the Lions as they took to their home ice again on Saturday, seeking revenge against Muhlenberg College, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.
“This weekend was one we circled once the schedule came out,” Rothlisberger said. “We wanted revenge against Muhlenberg and I don’t think there’s any other team in our league we want to beat more than Kutztown. We wanted these games badly.”
It was another tough struggle for the College until late in the third period, despite freshman Will Sulpizio scoring early in the first 30 seconds of the game.
The Lions seemed to continuously fall victim to several turnovers near blue line as they let up two shorthanded goals during the game, not playing with their usual intensity.
However, the turning point of the game came with 10 minutes left in the third period as Muhlenberg took a five-minute major penalty from an elbow to the head with the score at 3-3, with defenders Rothlisberger and junior Nick Wilechansky contributing the second and third goals for the Lions.
Muhlenberg’s second shorthanded goal of the night came during the five-minute power play after junior goalie David Laub made an incredible first save.
Finally, the Lions got fired up as two rookies, Sulpizio and freshman Luke May, each scored two power-play goals within 20 seconds of each other, giving the College a 5-4 lead to hold off for a nerve-wracking seven minutes, until the buzzer finally sounded, giving the Lions their highly-sought after revenge.
“We found a way to win another one,” Cucci said. “Somehow we’re finding ways. I’m happy with the win, of course. It’s a win. But I’m not happy with the play these past two games. We need to get better. Every weekend we have to work to improve individually and as a team. I wish we would’ve played better, but a win is a win.”
With Laub playing a solid two games this weekend, saving a total of 83 shots on goal, this weekend’s third periods proved to be the period of strength for the Lions in both games as they visibly wanted the win more than their opponents, leaving their hearts on the ice to find their ways to exciting success.
(11/06/13 8:53pm)
TCNJ Holiday is coming back to the College as CUB was funded by the Student Finance Board to host the “Illuminate the Night” themed event for $19,347.
The event was tabled the week before, as SFB felt that continuously funding CUB staff shirts for every event is unnecessary.
“I really like this event but I think the staffing credentials are unnecessary,” freshman representative Sarah Speight said.
They were funded for the event the following week, subtracting their requested $239.75 for staff T-shirts.
The event is set to take place on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
Also coming to campus will be the Campus Moviefest, hosted by the Student Film Union after being funded by SFB for $13,100.
“I think the enthusiasm for the club is there and it seems like a really fun and interesting event,” sophomore representative Tom Athan said, motioning to fully fund the event that got passed by a unanimous vote.
SFB also funded the Asian American Association’s comedy show, featuring Hari Kondabolu in the Mayo Concert Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Members of SFB were impressed with the price request of $5,310.50 for the show’s talent and unanimously passed a motion to fully fund the event with little discussion.
This past week, the freshman class council presented to SFB for funding for a freshman semi-formal to promote class unity. They were fully funded for $7,678.83 to host the event on Friday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m., charging $15 per student.
The New Jersey Christian Fellowship also presented to SFB for their event, “Something Beautiful,” for $3,470. The event will be an outdoor concert in effort to provide an environment in which students can relax, enjoy warm drinks, meet new people and listen to professional music geared toward promoting deep thought.
It will be held on the T/W lawn on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
Back on the multicultural side, the Chinese Students Association was fully funded for $1,158.25 to host a Tea House on Friday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. in the Brower Student Center. The event will highlight a variety of on-stage talent performances of Chinese culture alongside cultural cuisine.
The Black Student Union was also funded by SFB for $720 to host a bus trip for students to see the play “Fences” on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the McCarter Theatre, as they believe it will inform the College community about the African American experience of the 20th century.
SFB also funded the French Club for $250 to bring writer Gary Lee Kraut to present on Normandy and World War II at the College.
Finally, Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood at TCNJ was tabled for their event “Virgins and Sluts” in which they hoped to bring Jill McDevitt to speak at the College. However, SFB tabled the event to give them the opportunity to come back and present with a new speaker because McDevitt has already spoken at campus several different times.
(10/22/13 3:37pm)
There’s nothing better than take-out Chinese food on a rainy day when being productive just isn’t in the cards and Eickhoff just won’t cut it.
Luckily, the surrounding area is filled with an array of quality Chinese cuisine options, so I hopped into my car and drove about 10 minutes to Lawrenceville Township’s Golden Empire to try something new.
In the mood for my personal favorite, I ordered the sesame chicken and white rice along with a side of plain lo mein. Its aroma tortured me during the 10-minute drive back to campus, before I could savor the meal. I should’ve just asked them for delivery, but I felt like going for a drive.
My excitement was so unbearable that I snuck a few noodles on the way as I hiked back to Decker in the rain.
The chicken was so sweet and tangy with well-distributed sesame seeds on top. The portion size was also good, leaving me with leftovers for a delicious, non-Eick dinner the next day.
The white rice that came on the side was cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful when mixed in with the sauce from the chicken. The chicken also came with a few pieces of broccoli that were probably tasty. But I don’t like broccoli, so your guess is as good as mine.
The lo mein on the side was definitely satisfying, although it wasn’t as good as other restaurants like No. 1 China, where I could’ve gotten an egg roll with my meal for roughly same price I paid for this one, $12.45. Overall, the lo mein was fine, but it just wasn’t as great because it seemed a tad burnt, with a “charcoal-y” taste.
I was certainly full after my meal and excited for the next day’s leftovers, since it was delicious. But I’m not sure I’ll be ordering from there again, as No. 1 China certainly is still number one.
I did learn how to say “cherry” in Chinese from my fortune cookie, though, so bonus points there.
(10/22/13 3:10pm)
The third runner-up of “America’s Best Dance Crew,” Phunk Phenomenon, will be coming to the College for a dance show hosted by the College Union Board. CUB was allocated $10,957.52 last Wednesday, Oct. 16 by the Student Finance Board to host this event co-sponsored by Lion Latenight.
Phunk Phenomenon will entertain with creative urban dance moves highlighted by breakdancing, following an opening act by Synergy. The show will take place in the Brower Student Center on a date that has not yet been set. Admission will be free.
TCNJ Barkada also presented to SFB to request funding for “Barkada Barangay,” a multicultural presentation of Filipino art forms through several performances and a display of culture through a variety of traditional food.
SFB had concerns over the increase in food quantity compared to previous years, but ultimately decided to allot funding for the event for $1,571 with the stipulation to charge $3 per non-student. Student tickets will be free.
The rest of SFB’s weekly meeting was spent hearing new club requests for eligibility of SFB funding.
The Public Health Communication club impressed SFB with the extensive programming they have already achieved without SFB funding.
“I’m thoroughly impressed by the things they’ve accomplished without funding,” said administrative director Sara Stammer.
“That was the most impressive club request I’ve ever seen,” programming director Brian Green said in agreement. He proceeded to implement a motion to pick up the club, which passed by a unanimous vote.
SFB picked up several more clubs, including TCNJ Saathiya, the Chinese Students Association, Off Campus Student Organization, She’s The First*{TCNJ} and TCNJ Secular Student Alliance.
Net Impact was not picked up as an SFB recognized club by just one vote.
“I love their mission but they don’t have a sense of what SFB does,” sophomore representative Tom Athan said, explaining that SFB’s job is to allocate money that benefits the student body as a whole, not the local communities.
The majority of members agreed with Athan, voting to not back the club.
(10/22/13 5:54am)
Despite being severely shorthanded from injuries, the Lions showed no signs of slowing down as they dominated their home ice this past weekend and put wins over Monmouth University and Georgetown University in the books.
Suffering collectively from shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle and several other injuries, the offensive powerhouse “purple line” — consisting of sophomore Sal DiBrita and seniors Nick Lisciandro and Kush Patel — still ran down the defense of both opponents, collecting a total of nine points over the weekend.
“I thought the entire line was really strong,” head coach Joseph Cucci said. “They led the way for us again tonight.”
Monmouth focused most of its energy on trash talking and dirty play rather than playing hockey, and a hard hit forced left-winger Lisciandro off the ice only minutes before getting slashed in the wrists — injuries that left him unsure of his ability to play Saturday’s game against Georgetown.
Nevertheless, the Lions finished with a 3-0 win off goals from Lisciandro, junior Alex D’Alessio and freshman Luke May, despite many being shut down on several breakaway opportunities by the fantastic play of the opposing goalie.
Against Georgetown, the Lions cut their Homecoming experience short to take the ice again on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Lisciandro made the last-minute decision to play despite his injuries, giving the purple line an explosive showing against a faster team than they usually play.
“He got hurt yesterday and it was gutsy effort to come out here,” Cucci said. “He wasn’t even sure if (he) was going to be able to play. He played exceptional.”
The line, yielding three goals for the College, showcased the defensive tactics of forward DiBrita, blocking shots and winning back the puck to provide forwards Lisciandro and Patel with several offensive plays.
The chemistry of Patel and Lisciandro was unbelievable, with Patel capitalizing on two goal opportunities assisted by Lisciandro.
The sixth goal of the night stemmed off of a breakaway from Lisciandro, who brought the goalie over to him while flawlessly dishing the puck off to Patel for a one-touch into the open net.
“The chemistry on offense this year is as good as I’ve ever seen it,” Lisciandro said. “I’ve been playing with Kush for three seasons now, so we’ve gotten real good at those one-touch goals.”
Lisciandro himself put one on the board during an evenly played second period at 6:28, when he beat the goalie after a play by Patel from DiBrita.
But it wasn’t just the veterans who impressed on the ice as the explosive speed of freshmen May and Will Sulpizio gave the Lions three more goals.
“With injuries to three key returners, we’re lucky that some of the freshmen like May and Sulpizio have stepped up and meshed together so quickly,” Lisciandro said. “When everyone is healthy, we have legitimate scoring threats on every line.”
May returned this weekend from a shoulder injury that he acquired two weeks ago in a game against Wagner College and showed that he was ready to be back on the ice as he grabbed two goals for the College, while Sulpizio finished with a quick catch-and-release power play goal.
The defense of the Lions proved to be strong despite two of the top defensemen being out due to injuries. Sophomore Steven Czachor stepped up to block shot after shot and senior Scott Rothlisberger contributed three assists.
The College nearly missed out on a shutout, though, as Georgetown capitalized on a goalie mistake and a defensive letdown, putting two goals into the net during the last two minutes of the game. The Lions, though, still led by four goals — an impressive showing from a game with almost even shots on goal at 31-30 in favor of the Lions.
“I loved it,” Cucci said. “This one tonight, we needed it. If we want any hope of regionals now, these games are must-wins. So I know we’re shorthanded now but we have to find a way to pull them out and we were able to with these two wins. I thought we played very well tonight.”
(10/15/13 3:44pm)
Going full speed ahead with programming for the College, the College Union Board was funded for three different events by the Student Finance Board on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Receiving full funding of $33,035, CUB will host the annual Welcome Back Concert in Kendall Hall. CUB hopes to get its first choice band: 21 Pilots.
“I think this is something that has become a staple for TCNJ students to expect,” said administrative director Sara Stammer, whose motion to fully fund the event was passed.
It will cost $5 per student and is expected to take place on Saturday, Jan. 25.
CUB’s second most expensive request came in the form of a proposed a cappella show headlined by Pentatonix and opened by the Trentones.
CUB was allocated $18,573 to host this event in Kendall Hall on April 1 at 8 p.m., costing students $10 per ticket.
CUB’s final request for funding was for $3,173 to host “Haunted TCNJ,” with Derek Bartlett, which passed by a unanimous vote.
This event will provide a guided tour by Bartlett through Kendall Hall — infamously known by the student body to be haunted after an unsolved murder in 1977.
Bartlett’s presentation will take place on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. in celebration of Halloween. The tour will only be open to the first 30 students who sign up.
On the multicultural side, the Asian American Association was allocated $4,320 to fund their multicultural buffet on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The event will showcase food from various Asian cultures, as well as a performance from TCNJ Taiko.
It will charge $3 per student and $1 extra for bubble tea.
The Black Student Union was also among the participants, presenting for “Write it Out,” highlighting two different workshops to improve creative writing, featuring renowned poet Bruce George.
SFB liked the event, allocating $1,500 to BSU to host the workshops on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The sophomore class council also made a successful appearance, receiving $2,077 in funding for a sophomore class NYC trip on Saturday, Nov. 23.
A pair of health-related events was also funded during SFB’s weekly meeting, as the Gospel United Ministries was funded $188.84 to host the United Health Fair and the Pre-Dental Club was funded for $326 to host “Keep Your Fangs Clean on Halloween,” in effort to promote dental hygiene during the holiday infamous for increased candy consumption among students.
Finally, SFB received a total of four conference requests from Amnesty International, The Women’s Center, PRISM and Circle K International.
The Women’s Center was allocated $1,304 and PRISM was funded $1,601.93 to send students to national conferences.
Amnesty International was funded $1,110 to send members to a regional conference, while Circle K International was zero-funded for their regional conference request.
“For the cost, I’m not sure that this benefits the student body,” said operations director Brian Hurler, and SFB members agreed.
(10/09/13 4:13pm)
All of the blatant banter between the two hockey teams wasn’t even the biggest spectacle on the ice at last Saturday’s game. Instead, it was the extremely controversial calls of the head referee that left fans screaming, players and coaches disqualified and the College with a severe disadvantage for more than half of the game.
With over 16 penalties called against the College, the game became more about mental composure rather than physical talent. Although it was clear that the players were frustrated with the skeptical calls, they were able to keep focused and shut down their opponent, putting the game away with a 6-2 win against Wagner College on Oct. 5.
As the only consistent part about the referee’s calls was the sounds his whistle made when he blew it, the College spent a significant portion of its game on penalty kills. Nevertheless, they skated through the mental frustration under the leadership of senior captain Scott Rothlisberger.
“I just tried to let them know that regardless of what we do, the calls aren’t going to go for us,” Rothlisberger said. “With that, we need to just focus on playing hard and keep our minds off of the officiating.”
The first goal of the game resulted from a play by Rothlisberger that allowed freshman Will Sulpizio to assist junior Ryan Grum, who picked up the goal at 13:36 in the first.
It didn’t take long for several small fights to break out between players, which were followed by a slew of roughing, holding, boarding and slashing penalties throughout the game, leaving the College excessively shorthanded.
Whether legitimate or not, being shorthanded often forced junior goalie David Laub to step up and play one of his best games this season, making save after save.
“It got a little out of control,” assistant coach Andrew Ferencevych said.” “The ref was attempting to settle it down but he doesn’t do a very good job of that, and for some reason the penalties went against us and not against them, and you can’t explain that.”
The refereeing was so badly received that both teams’ coaches were visibility upset with the calls. The College’s head coach, Joseph Cucci, received a game misconduct at the end of the second period due to his reaction to one of the ref’s calls, leaving Ferencevych in charge.
The second period seemed to be a constant penalty kill for the Lions, but it didn’t even matter as they still came out faster and stronger than Wagner, scoring three more goals in the period.
A little under three minutes into the period, Rothlisberger snuck the puck past the goalie during 4-on-4 play, with an assist from senior John Czarnik.
Exactly six seconds later, the Lions plowed through Wagner’s defense with another 4-on-4 goal by Sulpizio, once again assisted by Czarnik.
The most beautiful goal of the game came from junior Alex D’Alessio who, in a game full of frustration, skated through the opponent’s defense on a breakaway with excellent composure and a quick release, executing a phenomenal shot that put the Lions up 4-0 at 7:17 in the second.
As things heated up at the end of the second, though, the College found itself down a man once again. Wagner finally capitalized on one of their many power plays, scoring a goal during a play that left Laub screened and unable to see the puck.
“We were just telling them to play between the whistles,” Ferencevych said of the obvious frustration coming from the team. “And to stay out of the scrums after the whistles, keep their hands down and just not get involved so they won’t get suspended.”
But even so, both the College and Wagner suffered from player game disqualifications. Wagner’s came early in the first as a player was thrown out for checking a player from behind, forcing him headfirst into the boards.
That type of dangerous play has not ended well for the Lions as freshman Luke May and senior captain Anthony Santisi were both injured this past week due to hits from behind.
Sulpizio also received a game disqualification for spearing.
“I think that call was a little exaggerated on their (the refs) part,” Ferencevych said. “They were both battling back and forth and the call didn’t warrant a disqualification, but we can’t change the score sheet.”
As the pattern of penalties never let up in the third, Wagner found their way to another goal, not long after the College’s fifth and sixth goals were scored: first by a quick release from sophomore Gary L’Heureux and then by Rothlisberger who put the puck in the net off of a beautiful pass from senior captain Kush Patel.
However, despite the unpredicted challenge of facing not only an opponent, but also the inconsistency of the referee, the College managed to keep their heads in the game and walk away with the win.
“The team has been great so far this year,” Rothlisberger said. “It’s fun to watch some of these guys work together. No matter what the lines are it seems everyone has been able to play well with each other.”
(10/08/13 4:42pm)
The Muslim Student Association was funded last week by the Student Finance Board for $4,404.24 toward food and music for their 8th annual Eid Al-Adha Dinner, the international Muslim celebration that closes the annual pilgrimage.
“I feel like it’s a very informative event,” said administrative director Sara Stammer. “They really try to get everyone involved and a lot of people get a lot out of this event.”
Several SFB members agreed with Stammer but disputed MSA’s request to allow non-students in for free.
Many members felt that because it is a holiday, most of the non-students would likely be family and therefore should not be charged. However, operations director Brian Hurler motioned to charge each non-student $3 “because students pay the student activity fee,” he said.
The motion was passed by a split vote. The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 8:30 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
Another multicultural request was presented, resulting in the allocation of $2,152.25 to the Japanese Club for “Banzai.”
This event is hosted every year by the club and will include activities highlighting Japanese culture such as performances by TCNJ Taiko and TCNJ Aikido.
Banzai will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
INK also presented to SFB for their event, “The Goods,” comprised of a day-long list of performances, and were fully funded for $2,221 by a unanimous vote.
“It reaches a small niche group on campus,” said programming director Brian Green. “I think it’s really important because a lot of students get to perform.”
This event will be an ongoing showcase of students’ creative writing pieces from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Rathskeller on Saturday, Nov. 16. Renowned writer Tao Lin will also be a special guest performing poetry and prose.
The final presentation was from the Deaf Hearing Connection Club for a bus trip to Gallaudet University.
“It’s a huge cultural thing,” said presenter Lea Marx, “and that’s (Gallaudet University) the home of deaf culture.”
The event was fully for $1,678 to fund a coach bus as members, like Hurler, felt strongly that events like these help “bridge the gap” between the deaf and hearing.
(10/08/13 4:35pm)
For most high school students, prom is a significant staple in their memories, providing old pictures to look back on. However, it’s often forgotten that several students consistently fall victim to the pressures of not only having a date, but having a socially acceptable one.
That’s where PRISM’s Queer Ball comes in.
“A lot of LGBTQ kids in high school never got to go to their prom or not with the people that they wanted to go to their prom with,” sophomore psychology major Disha Dass said.
Dass, however, was among the few able to take her girlfriend at the time to her high school prom, but not without facing severe backlash from her peers.
“I was told I shouldn’t be allowed to go school,” Dass said, recalling her high school prom. “One of my friends told me that we were ruining the symmetry (of the prom pictures) because all of the boys were wearing black tuxes and my girlfriend and I were wearing dresses.”
Dass was given a second chance to attend a prom-like setting at the 4th annual Queer Ball on Tuesday, Oct. 1 with her current girlfriend, Megan Osika. Both are proud to be on the executive board of PRISM, which put together this event. “People really do feel free to be themselves,” said Osika, a junior secondary education, English and women’s and gender studies triple major. “They get to dance with whoever they want to dance with and talk to whoever they want to talk to. They don’t have to worry about being stigmatized.”
Room 202 of the Brower Student Center, where the Queer Ball was held, was exactly the type of atmosphere that Osika described. Students, regardless of their sexual preference — queer or straight — united together, dancing, laughing and genuinely enjoying themselves in a room void of judgment — something that is so rarely found.
Open to everyone, including non-students, the event was free, offering a large dance floor DJ-ed by WTSR and pizza to eat at tables provided on the side. Continuing their tradition of crowning a Queer Ball King and Queen, PRISM decided to make a new addition, including a gender-neutral Queer Ball monarch, won by senior Devhon Romulus.
Queer Ball King was awarded to senior Remy Lourenco while Queer Ball Queen went to Dass, completing the night she never experienced in high school.
Students dressed to their comfort level and danced wholeheartedly with no hesitation, following the example of the stunning guest appearance of drag queen alumna, Ms. Rosetta Stone.
“It’s just really fun to dress up, but you don’t have to,” said Dass, commenting on the flexibility of the event. “You can wear anything from sweat pants to a ball gown.”
But the outfits of the students were as irrelevant as their gender identities, as the most significant factor of the night were the obvious smiles plastered on each participant’s face.
“It’s really just like the prom you never got to go to in high school,” Osika said. “It’s just a really nice opportunity to dress up, go out and have fun with someone you love.”
(10/01/13 5:25pm)
It was a tough day going to cover the memorial service for alumnus Ryan Alley last year, but I’ll never forget the beauty of the service — not just in the touching words of friends and family, but in the emotional and passionate Coldplay medley sung by TCNJ International Tunes (i-Tunes), which left me with goose bumps all over.
Celebrating their sixth year as a group, the i-Tunes have grown steadily as a co-ed, student-run a cappella group that performs a variety of songs ranging from international numbers to recent pop songs.
“It’s grown tremendously since I’ve been involved,” said junior co-president Jaryd Frankel, who’s been a member since his freshmen year. “It’s really different than other a capella groups because we’re more pop than just classical music majors.”
Although it may seem that the members of this musically talented group would inevitably be music majors, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I’m doing a pre-med track that requires a lot of time and a lot of science,” Frankel said. “It’s really cool to take a break from that. Singing is such a release and it’s awesome that I don’t have to be in a class to be involved.”
Having several different personalities and interests of students join forces, they are able to mimic the sounds of an instrument ensamble to accompany several lovely soloists throughout their performances.
It’s apparent, however, that it isn’t just the countless hours of practice that make them so enjoyable, but rather their obvious chemistry that stems from having fun.
“We love how we can have fun,” Frankel said. “It’s not extremely intense, and everyone from all walks of life can be a part of something special.”
The work and success of the group rests solely on the shoulders of the students. Senior Agnes Kalinowski coaches the group as its music director, while current members must conduct a competitive process of auditions and induct new members by a majority-rule vote.
In fact, during his first encounters with i-Tunes, Frankel was quite intimidated, thinking the upperclassmen were actually teachers. But, still involved in his third year, it is quite obvious he couldn’t be happier with his decision to join.
“The people are so interesting,” he said. “A lot of us aren’t music majors, so it’s a really good social outlet.”
i-Tunes is currently preparing to cover tracks by Adele as well as Swahili songs for their performance at “Acapellooza” on Saturday, Oct. 12.
“We look for energy and enthusiasm,” Frankel says. “Some people come in with a terrible attitude, but you have to a good attitude. It also helps to have a good knowledge of other cultures or languages (for international songs).”
If you’re interested in auditioning for i-Tunes, you can find more information on their website at tcnjitunes.weebly.com.
(10/01/13 4:32pm)
In a much-anticipated appearance, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said during a speech at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, Sept. 24 that his nation will agree to be open for negotiations regarding the highly-disputed nuclear weapon program, according to The Associated Press.
Rouhani’s speech was geared toward minimizing violence in the Middle East and resolving three decades of estrangement in hopes that “we can arrive at a framework to manage our differences,” The New York Times reported.
He also insisted that Iran would not make use of nuclear weapons but did not touch on a plan to reach a compromise on the nuclear dispute, according to The New York Times.
“We believe there are no violent solutions to world crises,” Rouhani said in his speech, offering a glimpse of hope to those in fear of previous long-term disagreements with Iran.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, is cautious of Rouhani’s words.
“Israel would welcome a genuine diplomatic solution that truly dismantles Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told The New York Times. However, he is not convinced.
“We will not be fooled by half-measures that merely provide a smoke screen for Iran’s continual pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told The New York Times hours before Rouhani’s speech. “And the world should not be fooled, either.”
“(Netanyahu) has to try and find the right balance between being cautious and warning the world that it should not fall for any of these ruses, but at the same time to be seen to give it a chance and to welcome it if it happens,” former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman told The New York Times.
With Rouhani expressing disfavor of continued violence in the Middle East, it is easy to feel a sense of hope that the nation of Iran, which commonly makes national headlines regarding violent interactions and the fear of nuclear weapons, will be less of a concern in the future.
However, it is tough to say how comfortable one can feel with Rouhani’s words due to his skeptical neglect of a proposal on nuclear negotiations. As Netanyahu advocates, actions speak louder than words, and we cannot fall back in comfort on “half-measures.”
(10/01/13 4:23pm)
The Wild West is coming to the College with a petting zoo, a mechanical bull, a rodeo roper, an electric cowboy, cow milking, a mocktail saloon and more as the Student Finance Board allocated $20,176 to CUB for its fall latenighter. This took place at SFB’s weekly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Members of SFB were conflicted during discussion as certain members felt that latenighters tend to offer too much.
“My biggest complaint about latenighters is that they’re too big,” operations director Brian Hurler said. “They’re not one cohesive event.”
Sophomore representative Christina Grillo was concerned about the similarity of certain activities requested by CUB.
“I think they’re similar enough that they overlap,” explained Grillo in reference to having a square dance caller and an electric cowboy who teaches line dancing. “It would be fiscally responsible to save money for other clubs.”
This led to a motion in which a request for $850 to fund a square dance caller was removed and everything else would be funded.
The Wild West latenighter will take place in the Brower Student Center on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.
CUB, however, was zero-funded to host Sam Lloyd, who would present his one-man show, “Fully Committed,” for which they were asking for $9,725 of special appropriation money.
“I’m a little disappointed in the topic,” junior representative Gordon Sayre said. “I feel like CUB is obsessing over Hollywood this year,” he said in reference to their hopeful fall lecture guests, who are all members of the Hollywood scene, alongside a previous presentation for a Coffee Town with Glenn Howerton and Ben Schwartz, for which they were also zero-funded.
“I really do think this is something cool and new that has never at TCNJ,” SFB’s executive director Milana Lazareva said.
But the motion to zero-fund was passed as several members agreed that the event wouldn’t be able to attract the predicted number of 300 students on a Saturday night.
The Art Student Association also made a successful appearance in which they received full-funding of $8,253 to bring guest lecturers Phil and Sarah Kay to present “Project VOICE,” which would include a workshop.
The presentation will include the unique art form of spoken word poetry, and a 25-person workshop on writing the art form will follow.
Little discussion was made before funding because SFB members thought it sounded like a great event.
Participants in the workshop will be determined by the first 25 people to reserve a spot by emailing ASA or its co-sponsors Ink, ACT and Lion’s Eye.
This same pattern followed for ASA’s other presentation for a tie-dye workshop.
It was funded for $365 and will include 100 shirts for tie-dying in the Art & Interactive Multimedia Building on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 12 p.m.
Finally, PRISM was fully-funded for both events it presented to SFB.
SFB allocated $500 to PRISM’s “Big Gay Bingo,” an event highlighting drag culture as a fun ending to Queer Awareness Month on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 8:30 p.m. in the Lion’s Den food court.
On a more serious note, PRISM was funded for $155.66 to host a “For Those We Have Lost” balloon vigil.
“It’s very symbolic,” PRISM presenter Neepam Shah said. “It’s about just letting go of the feelings that build up at the vigil.” It will include speakers from administrative faculty and religious staff and will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 12 p.m. in Alumni Grove.
Finally, the TCNJ French Club was funded for $1,228 to pay for a coach to bus as transportation for a New York City bus trip.
The suggested itinerary includes a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and dinner at the French Culinary Institute on Saturday, Oct. 12.
(10/01/13 5:00am)
With 39.3 seconds left in the game, the Lions scored the winning goal against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) after becoming fired up due to a skeptical call on the ice that denied them of what should have been a goal about five minutes earlier in the period.
With the game just seconds away from ending in a 2-2 tie, senior captain Nick Lisciandro put the puck in the net during a power play for the Lions, sending a direct message that the controversial call wasn’t going to stop them.
Senior John Czarnik made the game a final score of 4-2 with an empty net goal with 11 seconds left on the clock.
“I told them in there that the puck never lies,” head coach Joseph Cucci said, upset with the call. “That was definitely a goal, but they responded. They executed.”
With RPI taking a timeout during the last minutes of the game, Cucci told his team to put the bad call behind them and forget about it, according to senior captain Kush Patel.
“We recognized it was a crappy call,” Patel said. “But we kind of just went by it and everyone on the bench was just reiterating that we still have a couple of minutes left and still have a chance at winning this, so let’s just try to score the next one.”
“Then we got that power play and we knew we had a chance of getting that goal and it happened,” he said.
Trailing 1-0 early in first, the College responded to RPI immediately, skating hard and blocking shots for a full three periods.
“We competed,” Cucci said. “We were fighting for the puck. I don’t think this was the best game that we’ve played all year by any stretch, but we just competed from start to finish.”
Allowing the Lions to walk off the first period with a tie was Patel with five minutes left, sneaking the puck past the goalie.
Coming out just as strong in the second period, Patel scored again at 11:15, giving his team the lead.
“I think we were pretty persistent throughout the whole game,” Patel said. “We never let up a single moment. Yesterday I think we somehow found a way to come back. They tied it 2-2, and we battled back the entire game. We never lost hope, and I think that was the biggest thing, especially after playing them last year. We were kind of redeeming ourselves (after losing to RPI 8-3 last year), if you will.”
In large part, the success of the College during the game was the undeniable chemistry of the “purple line,” made up of Patel, Lisciandro and sophomore Sal DiBrita, who collectively produced a total of four points, including three goals and an assist.
“Every shift you’re on there, go out hard until that last buzzer,” Patel said. “Our line is a good example of balance.”
Patel recalled a shot DiBrita blocked at Friday’s game against Lafayette, which ended in a 10-1 win.
“Sal blocked a big shot on Friday that actually led to a goal (for the College). That kind of sums it up right there. Sal’s defense transitions into our offense. I think it’s a good mix. He’s got more of a defensive aspect and Nick and I are more forward and we kind of complement each other, but without Sal, it’s not possible.”
Cucci has been coaching Patel for four years now, with Patel being a captain for two of those four.
“He’s a pleasure to coach,” Cucci said. “Every day he does the right thing, on the ice and off the ice. He’s always working. He’s helping other guys. I never have to worry about him. He’s been fantastic. He’s a great hockey player, even better person.”
With a record of 3-1 so far in their season, the Lions will go on to compete against NJIT for a second time this season on Friday, Oct. 4, following up with a home game on Saturday, Oct. 5 against Wagner College.
“We want the mentality to be here,” Cucci said. “Every time we step on the ice we’re going to work, work, work and we’re going to outwork the person across from us. I thought that shone through today with 60 full minutes of just competing.”
(09/24/13 5:28pm)
After coming back from a tough loss against William Paterson on Friday night, the Lions left their hearts on the ice with sheer determination in hopes of redemption and dominated three periods of hockey on both sides of the rink against NJIT, winning 8-1 at the Loucks Ice Center in Lawrenceville on Saturday, Sept. 21.
“We played against William Paterson (on Friday night)—one of the top teams in the country— and to be honest, the 8-2 score wasn’t indicative of how we played,” head coach Joseph Cucci said. “I thought the boys really competed, and it could’ve been a much different game, so to follow it up with that type of effort in this (game), we’re going in the right direction.”
Beginning the home opener favorably, senior Kush Patel forced the arena into the first of many “Olay TCNJ” chants after dumping the puck into the back of the net, scoring his first goal of the season at 4:38 in the first period.
Patel contributed two goals and an assist by capitalizing on the aggressive fore check of his linemates, forward sophomore Sal DiBrita and senior forward Nick Lisciandro, who had two assists.
“I think we hit,” DiBrita said. “I think we came out hard from the first shift. We played our game, a very physical, aggressive, cut-throat style. We’re an aggressive team and we can wear them down and by doing that. They get weaker, and we feed off of it.”
Their previous game against William Paterson featured several mental game-breaking lapses, so the Lions made sure not to let up after intermission again on their home ice against NJIT, as they steamrolled in with goal after goal in the second period.
Freshman Luke May continued to prove he deserves his spot on the ice with two goals and an assist, while fellow freshman Will Sulpizio also racked up three points with a goal and two assists.
Sulpizio played an impressive game, highlighting his explosive speed and willingness to fight. He scored one of the more memorable goals of the night as he battled his way through the opposing defenders on a breakaway and was able to deke the goalie and snipe the puck into the top of the net.
“He’s unbelievable,” Cucci said. “Basically from the first practice it was like, ‘man, we got a real gem in this kid.’ He’s fast, he competes, he’s not scared of the physical stuff, he sticks his nose in it. He’s been a big piece and a big help. All of our new guys this year have been top notch.”
But it wasn’t just the offense that came out strong, as the Lions’ defense collectively threw themselves at every puck and consistently blocked shots with what DiBrita summed up as a performance of pure “sacrifice.”
Sophomore Matt Martin successfully played tight defense, fighting back from a serious knee injury in which he tore his ACL and MCL.
However, Martin’s injuries from last season were not at all apparent in the game, as he also contributed to the scoreboard with a slapshot from the point, leaving the goalie with little chance at a save.
Also putting up an impressive showing was the Lions’ penalty kill, yielding shorthanded opportunities and offsetting the extra opponent with excellent blocking from sophomores Steven Czachor and Evan Herrington.
Herrington was also among the goal scorers of the night along with sophomore forward Gary L’Heureux, who also picked up an assist. Junior Alex D’Alessio, who received an assist, was a key player in the College’s offensive plays, blocking shots, hitting well and skating hard for the team.
For several fans in the stands watching the game, it may have seemed that the College’s offensive lines were without struggle. That was not the case, though, even after losing former foward coach Cliff Morichelli, who left for personal reasons.
“As a forward, this year is especially tough because (Morichelli) isn’t with us this year,” DiBrita said. “When the news broke to us everyone was just like ‘What, what do you mean he’s not coming back?’ Everyone loved him, he was just very down to earth. But I definitely think (coach Cucci) is handling it well. We just have to get used to it.”
However, despite the lack of Morichelli on the bench, the team certainly didn’t show any hindrance in their play.
Lions goalie junior David Laub only let in one goal in the 60 minutes of play, despite facing 24 shots.
The Lions are looking to win the championship this year, but are not overlooking their upcoming games against Lafayette College on Friday, Sept. 27 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at home on Saturday, Sept. 29, according to DiBrita.
“We all need to look each other in the eyes and be honest that we’re giving it 100 percent,” DiBrita said. “I think our goal should always be to win the championship. I think if that’s not your goal, then you’re not doing your sport right … so your eyes should always be on the prize, but just take it one game at a time, just one win at a time.”
(09/24/13 5:15pm)
As Homecoming Spirit Week rapidly approaches and students begin to wonder what this year’s festivities will look like, Student Government President Tyler Liberty will focus his attention on rousing school spirit in students.
In order to bring the College together for the annual Homecoming football game, Liberty presented to the Student Finance Board with a request to allocate $6,850 to rally towels, which can be used to cheer on the football team and as a souvenir from the event, at their meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
With little to no discussion, SFB passed the motion to fully fund the towels by a split vote.
The money will be used to fund the purchase of 750 pre-printed towels, as well as three towel press stations where students can print individual texts on their own towels.
Additionally, in an effort to bring the student body back in time to the 1940s, CUB and the College’s Swing Dance Club have been approved to host “TCNJ Wants You…to Swing” after being allocated $3,114 by SFB.
CUB originally asked for $5,914 to fund a more expensive jazz band, food and decorations.
However, most members of SFB agreed that the second choice band of the Jazz Lobsters would suffice for the event, especially for $2,800 less than the first choice band of Jump City Jazz Orchestra.
In addition, SFB disagreed with CUB’s original quote of $500 to go toward decorations, and instead decided to fund $300.
“I don’t understand why we need $500 for decorations,” SG representative Tom Verga said.
The event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
The Black Student Union also presented to SFB this week in order to be funded for a bus trip to Baltimore.
The event was allocated $1,650 and the itinerary will include a visit to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The trip will be on Saturday, Oct. 5.
(09/17/13 3:38pm)
Undergoing several failed motions and heated discussions, the Student Finance Board motioned to allot funding to CUB for $27,780 to host TCNJ Glow at its meeting this past Wednesday, Sept. 11.
This event was tabled last week, as SFB was not satisfied with the safety details outlined by CUB. They came back to present the event again with the suggested updates of supplying water, bathrooms and extra barricades at the event.
“I was not in favor of this event last week,” operations director Brian Hurler said. “But I am now.”
However, other members of SFB still held their concerns from the previous meeting.
“My biggest problem with this is there is no benefit (to the student body) and it is a rave scene. That’s not what TCNJ is about,” SG representative Tom Verga said. “Just because you add ‘glow’ to something doesn’t mean it’s a benefit.”
Hurler countered saying, “I think the benefit is that it’s a fun event that students will remember for a very long time.”
Sophomore representative Tom Athan agreed.
“I think this is absolutely safer,” Athan said in response to CUB’s changes. “I think TCNJ students are smart and will make good decisions.”
Junior representative Gordon Sayre did not agree.
“We’re all pretty scared that something bad is going to happen,” Sayre said. “I don’t think the risk is worth the reward.”
Senior representative Sam Hoffer felt that the event was too much money for CUB to be asking for out of special appropriation funds, since they had already received a high-volume budget.
However, sophomore representative Christina Grillo, who was unsure of the right decision throughout the discussion, finally took a side.
“With anything you do there’s an inherent risk. Accidents happen and it is a lot of money, but that’s what special appropriations are for and this affects 1,000 people, so I think the money is justified.”
The motion passed by a split vote with the stipulation to raise ticket prices to $15, add $1,000 for an extra barricade, and use leftover money from the fall concert toward funding this event.
It will take place on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in Lot 12.
However, although CUB narrowly got its way with the funding of TCNJ Glow, they were zero funded by a unanimous vote for “Coffee Town Live with Glenn Howerton and Ben Schwartz” that would require $29,578 in funding.
“I think this $30,000 could be better applied elsewhere,” Hurler said in agreement with Nicholas Ruppino, financial director, who felt that it’s “too similar to the fall lecture, and it would be insane in my mind to spend another $30,000.”
SFB was also presented with a multicultural request by the Eurasia/Middle East Society in hopes of receiving $175 to fund their event “The Voice of Rumi in Poetry and Music: Love, Knowledge and Discipline.”
The event was fully funded and has been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Library Auditorium.