As COVID-19 cases rise, Ewing businesses struggle to stay afloat
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of The Signal's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
30 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
By Kalli Colacino Opinions Editor
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
By Kalli ColacinoOpinions Editor
By Kalli ColacinoSocial Media Editor
By Kalli Colacino Production Manager The English department welcomed students and faculty to the Education Building Room 212 to celebrate William Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23 at 12:30 p.m. As part of the celebration, students could grab a slice of pizza, a beverage and a variety of snacks before settling in. Among those attending was College President Kathryn Foster, who sat in to listen to the guest speaker, Professor Jack Lynch. Lynch, the current chair of the English department at Rutgers University-Newark, teaches 18th-century literature and has studied Shakespeare since the 1990s. The talk of the day was centered around the idea of how to tell Shakespeare’s story. The celebration took place on the day that is widely regarded as Shakespeare’s birthday. However, Lynch opened his lecture by stating the bad news that resulted in laughter from the audience — no one knows if the day is actually the playwright’s birthday. With no records from Shakespeare’s lifetime detailing his exact birthdate, Lynch said it is uncertain when he was born. Lynch then discussed how information about Shakespeare’s life was not widely known until many years after he had died. “Today, I’d like to focus on some of the earliest attempts to tell Shakespeare’s story, and the cultural needs that story has served,” Lynch said. “Shakespeare was born in the 16th century, died in the 17th, but he didn’t get a life until the 18th century.” Lynch explained how there is a desire to learn more about Shakespeare’s life. He also said that based on research and records, Shakespeare most likely had an uneventful life. In short, his life does not tell the most thrilling story. “We have literary people, artists, musicians and so on,” he said. “What do they do with their lives? Busy writers, painters and musicians spend their days pretty much sitting down at home, writing, painting, composing. That doesn’t make for the most thrilling stories. We demand that these stories will provide insights into the works we care about.” After concluding his speech, Lynch opened the floor to student and faculty questions. Foster participated by asking a question of her own to Lynch. “I am curious about in your own background, given what you know and what you’ve done, if you’ve made any attempts to write like Shakespeare?” Foster asked. “If so, what forms that took?” Lynch responds to Foster’s question by mentioning how he has not written like Shakespeare, but he has been inspired by his works. “I have resisted that temptation,” Lynch said in response. “I published a scholarly book about forgery and, man, I felt powerful temptations to slip a little forgery in there.” “I liked how Lynch talked about the cultural implications,” said freshman English major Brianna DiGeronimo. “This event is a good way for English majors and others to learn more about Shakespeare.”
By Kalli Colacino Production Manager Each night after a long day of classes and school-related activities, I go home to do what I have been looking forward to all day — watching the Yankees game. Knowing I can get in bed, relax and enjoy some baseball helps get me through my day. On days when classes are stressful, I have exams or anything else that may be going on, it is a pleasure to destress and take my mind off school. Baseball has always been a passion of mine. Since I was born and raised in New York, I am a huge Yankees fan. I try to watch every game I can. Baseball season starts in March, so it is challenging to keep up with both school and my passion for baseball. Students need to take time to enjoy the little things in life. College students are under so much pressure to get good grades, participate in extracurricular activities, find a job — the list goes on. It is important for not only physical health, but mental health as well, that students take a step away from school for as little as 20 minutes a day. When I watch a Yankees game, I get so engulfed in the action. Who will win? Will I see my favorite player hit a home run? Everything else disappears for a while and I become completely entrenched in the game. I sit on the edge of my seat when Aaron Judge makes an astonishing play, I hold my hand over my mouth when the opposing team scores. It is something that I will always look forward to, even if the Yankees don’t win every game. It’s important to find something you love to pass the time with, whether that’s reading a book, going for a walk, exercising or watching a baseball game. It doesn’t matter what your passion is — how big or small — just that you let yourself enjoy it. As a freshman in college, I have experienced how stressful and hard college life can be. I’ve started to reward myself for getting through a tough school day by enjoying something I usually wouldn’t make time for — a baseball game. Going home and doing practically nothing for a little while is like a pat on the back or a reward for my hard work.
By Kalli Colacino Production Manager Soft background music and smiling staff members created a warm and pleasant experience for donors at the blood drive sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi. The blood drive was made possible by New York Blood Center, who set up camp in the Brower Student Center Room 100W. The New York Blood Center is a community-based nonprofit organization that is focused on supplying blood to over 200 local hospitals in the tri-state area. “Only two percent of eligible donors in New Jersey donate blood,” said Pat Colletti, a donor relations associate with the New York Blood Center. Delta Sigma Pi reached out to the blood center and worked out the details to have the organization visit the College, which allowed students to donate blood right on campus. “If you have donation services available, people are more likely to donate,” said Madison Pena, a freshman communication studies major. Students were asked to fill out a short medical questionnaire before having a brief medical checkup, which consisted of taking blood pressure, temperature and checking iron levels. After this, students are able to donate, so long as they met the physical requirements. A variety of food and beverages were available to students after donating, as tables and chairs were set up for the donors to relax and have snacks while they sat for the recommended 10 to 15 minutes before leaving. At one point, there was a line out the door of students wanting to give blood. “I volunteered at ‘Sister Pat’s Kids Camp,’ and all the kids there have rare blood diseases, so I like to do things like blood drives to help in any way I can,” said Allison Bronander, a freshman open options humanities and social sciences major. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, according to American Red Cross. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, traumatic injuries and much more. As little as one donation can save up to three lives. Since blood cannot be manufactured, volunteer donors are essential. “We did this to engage the community and bring awareness to donating blood,” said Urja Sevak, a junior marketing and communications double major and member of Delta Sigma Pi. Providing students with an accessible way to help their community is what Delta Sigma Pi aimed to accomplish by sponsoring the blood drive. As a result, the New York Blood Center collected more than 30 pints of blood from the College community. “I think it’s great that TCNJ supports these things,” Pena said. “It gives college students a chance to help others in a very convenient and welcoming way.”