SFB funds Alpha Phi Alpha, Ambiance
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
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By Len La RoccaNews Editor
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Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
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By Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La Rocca News Editor
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La RoccaNews Editor
By Len La Rocca and Alanna Jenkins Distribution Manager and Staff Writer Under an archway of blue and yellow balloons lead the path to the Student Recreation Center, which hosted a momentous occasion in the College’s history — where Dr. Kathryn A. Foster would be inaugurated as the 16th President of the College on May 3. Faculty, students and guests filled the seats before an elegant stage with a grand podium, two screen projections and a massive blue banner that read, “For Tradition. For Tomorrow. For TCNJ.” In a grand ceremony, the College honored Kathryn A. Foster by inaugurating her as the school’s 16th president after a year of serving as Interim College President. State officials, delegates from other institutions and College alumni came to the podium to speak on the momentous bestowal of the College medallion. The Wind Ensemble performed music during the precessional, while drummers marched along in a single-file entrance of student organizations, staff and delegates in their diverse gowns representing their respective colleges. After all were seated, the ceremony began. Susanne Svizney (‘79), the chair of the Board of Trustees, called the ceremony to order and introduced Alyse Watson (‘20), who sang the National Anthem with help from the Wind Ensemble. “This is indeed a great day for the College,” Svizney said. “The trustees of The College of New Jersey thank you and those attending via our live webcast for joining on this special occasion in celebrating our past, present, and future.” In attendance were former College Presidents Gitenstein and Eickhoff. Former President Brower watched from the webcast. “President Foster, you have already proved to us that you’re going to be a strong leader who will lead by example, who will bring energy to the campus, and you have already shown so much love for TCNJ,” Watson said. “So with sincere excitement and honor, I’d like to say, on behalf of the staff, thank you and welcome to The College of New Jersey.” On behalf of the academy,Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber congratulated Foster on her achievement.“Today’s festivities celebrate jubilant new beginnings, but in many ways this is also a homecoming,” Eisgruber said. Foster had earned her doctorate at Princeton University in public and international affairs. Eisgruber praised Foster’s research on political orders and the arrangement of local governments. “Her research resulted in an award-winning dissertation that went on to be published by the Georgetown University Press,” Eisgruber said. “This original work established Kate as a promising academic and demonstrated her commitment to scholarship.” Svizney then put the medallion displaying the College’s seal around Foster’s neck to wear as the College’s officially inaugurated president. Foster then delivered her inaugural address. “I propose to the broader community of TCNJ, campus and beyond, that we turn this challenge into an abundant opportunity to plan together,” Foster said. Andrew Chamberlain, a freshman special education and psychology double major, expressed his excitement for Foster’s presidency. “It’s really exciting,” he said. “I didn’t know too much about Foster, but I kinda have an idea of what she believes in and the direction she’s taking this school.” Foster reviewed the 164-year history of the College and poked fun at the College’s six name changes. “The College has famously had six names and a few of you are lobbying me to change (it) to a seventh,” Foster said. “Which, for the record, is not at the top of my priority list.” Foster closed out the grand ceremony with consideration of the past, present and future. “I can not wait to plan with you,” she said. “To explore where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Here’s to three tenses at once ...for tradition, for tomorrow, for TCNJ. Thank you very much.” Following the ceremony was a campus-wide celebration to welcome the College’s new president. Throughout the Brower Student Center were different food stations including fried ravioli, meatballs and tomato pie. Foster had her own signature drink, the “Foster Fizz,” which consisted of sparkling lemonade to toast the occasion. There was a dessert called “Banana Foster” in honor of the newly inaugurated College president as well. The atmosphere was upbeat with the College’s Jazz Ensemble playing various tunes from the bandstand in front of Lions’ Stadium. Attendees had the opportunity to mingle and congratulate Foster. At the entrance of the student center were multiple students from the TCNJ Guitar Ensemble, as they played to welcome people to the event. Several students were elated at the end of Foster’s inauguration. Megan Blakeley, a freshman biomedical engineering major, said it was “heartwarming and exciting to welcome (Foster).” Danielle Silvia, a senior communication studies major, also expressed her enthusiasm at the ceremony. “I was so excited to be a part of a great event where the whole community came together,” she said. “I can not wait to see the amazing things that the College does in the coming years.”
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager In a chaotic bar full of people looking for love, eligible bachelors and romance, everyone was scrambling to find their next successful date. TCNJ Lyric Theatre captured this moment of lust and ambition through its performance of composer Michael Ching’s comedic operetta, “Speed Dating Tonight!,” which was complete with vibrant characters and breathtaking singing on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, 27 at 8 p.m. in the Don Evans Black Box Theater. The operetta, a short opera with a humorous theme and light dialogue, documented the anxieties of single people looking for love while also providing entertainment through opera singing, acting and clarinet and piano playing. The lightheartedness of the speed dating plot dismantled the audience’s preconceived notions that opera is intimidating and ancient. The scene for the operetta was set in Joe’s Bar, where a speed dating night was full swing. Daters of various ages came together in fiveminute intervals and shared their stories in hopes of landing a second date. One of the bachelors, played by sophomore music education major Joseph Rippert, leaned in for an unsolicited kiss before being rejected, a scene which shed light on the discomfort of dating culture. Things got interesting when another bachelor character, played by Union County College student Jason Muldowney, ran into his ex, who was played by Courtney Woods, a senior music education major. This encounter added tension to the plot, which was portrayed through the pair angrily belting their lines in high-pitched tones. Another pair of guests spent the entire event looking down at their phones, which ultimately caused them to bump into each other. When they realized they “shared the same obsession,” they sang a duet about virtual relationships. “You don’t care that I love my phone,” the couple sang together as their devices remained an inch away from their faces. Even the bartender and the waitress in Joe’s Bar ended up hitting it off and was making plans for a date by the end of the show. The audience left the theater pleased with TCNJ Lyric Theatre’s memorable and entertaining contemporary take on opera. “It was a really good performance,” said Natoli Lamendola, a freshman history major. “It was an interesting take on this whole speed dating thing ... ” The speed dating coordinator, Alyse Watson, a senior early childhood education and music dual major, gave some parting advice to the participants. She stressed that worrying too much about their dating lives takes the fun away from the process of meeting new people. “Enjoy the process,” she sang. “Enjoy the view.”
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager The Office of Student Involvement’s Fraternity and Sorority Life discussed the price of being a leader at its event, “The Leader That Could And Did” on Thursday, April 18 at 8 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 216. Student leaders and leaders-in-training gathered to soak in tips as they gear up to tackle the future obstacles involved with organizational leadership. Jessica Snell, the interim coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Aimee Wardle, the assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority life, presented on how to maneuver and plan events as an organization’s leader. The two speakers began by telling students to take note of the good habits of the leaders in their own lives, as well as areas where they need improvement, and learn from their mistakes. “I’ve had people do it well for me and I’ve had people do it not so well for me, but I still look up to them,” Wardle said. “It’s really important to look at ... not the great things and kind of figure out how you would’ve done it differently.” Snell and Wardle discussed how leadership could be uncomfortable at times, and how crucial it is to get used to feeling this way. “Practice things that make you uncomfortable,” Wardle said. “I know Jess mentioned that she wasn’t comfortable with public speaking — so was I.” Being uncomfortable is one of the prices of leadership, Wardle explained. She found that through practice, she was able to push past the awkwardness and succeed in situations that made her nervous, such as speaking in front of an audience or having to fire an employee. “I was like, alright, I have to work on this, put myself out there in an uncomfortable position, be afraid to clam up and sweat in front of people,” Snell said. Understanding that no one is perfect was a crucial point made by the presenters. They emphasized the need to be able to improve through constructive criticism. “Be open to feedback and criticism and use it to grow,” Wardle said. “This is a big key one. I hate confrontation and I lumped criticism in with that when I was in college. I was just like, ‘I don’t wanna hear what you have to say because it’s gonna make me feel (like) I’m doing a crappy job.’ In reality it’s that you’re doing a good job and here’s how you can do something better.” The word ‘no’ and its application to a leadership lifestyle was another subtle key to sustaining success, according to Wardle. “Know that it’s okay to say the word ‘no,’” she said. “You do not have to say ‘yes’ to everything. At some point you will learn ... you will burn yourself out so quickly.” Wardle showed the students in the audience that saying ‘no’ can be articulated lightly and effectively. She explained that by simply declining a task and realizing the amount of work one person can handle, the leader is not letting others down, but is instead delegating work when appropriate. “TCNJ students are usually so over-involved and, while it’s a really great thing … we tend to burn out,” Snell said. The students in the audience found Wardle and Snell’s advice about being a strong and effective leader to be inspiring. “It taught me that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to make a difference,” said Casey Hendrickson, a junior communication studies major. While most success stories begin from the bottom, the duo sent the crowd on its way with the advice to climb the ladder to leadership opportunities. “Look for opportunities to advance yourself and your organization,” Snell said. “Whether you have a title or anything, look for ways to advance — always finding new ways to push an organization, but also yourself as a professional.”
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager AJR’s Lead singer Jack Met jumped onto the darkened stage in his iconic fur-lined trapper hat as he teased the opening track, “Come Hang Out,” by mixing up the instrumental on a beat machine. “I’ll be there next time,” Met sang as the stage bursted with energy. The purple lights engulfed the stage with smoke, the lead singer danced across the set and the three brothers began to play. When Met introduced the band, which includes him and his two brothers, his comedic energy was immediately apparent. “That’s Adam, I’m Jack, that’s Ryan over there in the glasses … What was that? That was like the most sarcastic wave ever,” Met joked. “You don’t even give a shit with that wave.” The College Union Board’s spring concert was thumping with energy for headliner and indie pop sensation AJR and R&B singer and rapper PnB Rock, who opened for the band. Their music tore down the Recreation Center with unforgettable performances of their hit songs on Tuesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. While PnB Rock appealed to rap lovers, AJR has taken charge in the pop music scene with hits like “Weak,” “Sober Up” and the famous number, “Burn The House Down,” which has generated more than 88 million streams on Spotify. After the band finally made its way onstage, the group performed its hit song, “I’m Not Famous.” The extravagant combination of AJR’s sweet-sounding, high pitched and intoxicating vocal melodies along with percussion, electric piano and trumpet made for an impactful performance. The band took a moment in their set to interact with students and have some fun with each other. “What I wanna do is take a minute and point out people in the crowd that I’ve seen this far in the show,” Met said. “I had my eye on someone. It’s you in the glasses over there. I was noticing those glasses and they’re so bizzare looking. I think Ryan would look so good in those glasses. Pass those glasses up here.” The bright yellow glasses were soon passed up, and its look on the AJR brother made the crowd burst with laughter. This humor continued as the lead singer himself tried them on much to the audience’s amusement. The brothers kept up this high energy throughout the night. They performed songs from their album “The Click” as well as covers of outside tracks such as “All Star” by Smash Mouth and even the theme song to the popular sitcom, “The Office.” To close the show, the lead singer took the audience on a behind-the-scenes journey of how the brothers make their beats. After a combination of snare patterns, drum kicks and trumpet sounds, it became apparent that the band was about to play its most popular song, “Burn The House Down,” causing the crowd to erupt in applause. Many students vibed with AJR’s performance and loved the party atmosphere that the band brought to the stage. “It was amazing,” said Kayla Gosselin, a freshman health and exercise science major. “I already loved AJR before I came here and this show was just amazing. I love the song ‘Burn The House Down.’ That’s my favorite song by them.” PnB Rock’s set appealed to the rap fans in attendance as he came out to perform his featured chorus in Kodak Black’s, “Too Many Years”. “I done gave the jails too many years — years that I won’t get back,” Rock sang out to an eager audience. He also performed a slew of solo hits such as “In My Feelings,” “There She Go” and “Misunderstood.” Rock even paid tribute to the late rapper XXXTENTACION, who was killed in June of 2018. PnB performed the song “Changes,” which he originally collaborated on with the late rapper last year. “This one’s for my brother, Jahseh,” Rock said. He connected with audience members sharing his grief when he sang, “My heart can’t take this damage and the way I feel can’t stand it.” PnB Rock continued his performance on a lighter note with his popular remix of “Unforgettable” by French Montana. He wrapped up a stellar set with YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” with Rock on the chorus. “Everyday we lit,” Rock chanted as the diamonds in his Cuban link chain glistened. “You can’t tell me shit. Remember I was broke. Now I’m getting rich.” The night united the campus community and acted as a well-deserved break for students who have worked hard all semester long. “I thought it was amazing,” said Kate Matro, a sophomore English major. “It was really fun. It's just nice to have everyone come together and have an event with music and dancing.”
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager The vibrant hues of the stage lights fused together to form a polychromatic aura of turquoise, purple and red, which set the scene for a night of alternative rock and entertainment. The CUB Alt Show captivated campus on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 225. Four bands stopped at the College on their tours across the country to shred their guitars, clamor their drums and sing their hearts out to college students seeking an alternative getaway. The bands on the ticket were Career Opportunities, Fruits and Flowers, Leggy and the headliner, Slow Pulp. The lineup’s hints of alternative magic stirred up a mix of head-banging, hipswaying and mind-calming music in the diverse, modern era of alternative rock. Slow Pulp produced tropical sounds that made for a soothing experience for the audience. The prowess of the band was evident in its teamwork — with every drum beat and guitar strum, every member was on the same page.The band performed without hiccups and delivered a cosmic-sounding guitar solo that melted faces. Wrapping up their set, guitarist and vocalist Emily Massey showed hope that the growing band would continue to make strides toward greatness. “Thank you everybody,” Massey said. “(This is) our first show in New Jersey and not our last!” Slow Pulp took the stage after Career Opportunities, a band based in Toms River that performed a new EP called “Nothing, No One, Past Gone.” The band members began their set by going full throttle with aggressive drums and beaming electric guitar. The track then calmed with low, strung-out singing floating atop light drums and an ambient, high-pitched guitar. A guitar solo ensued, which left the crowd in a satisfied daze. In an interview after his set, Kahn paid homage to his artistic influences. “Some of my influences are jazz rock based,” he said. “I love The Fall of Troy or George Benson. Our EP just dropped a month ago. It’s called ‘Nothing, No One, Past Gone’ and it’s available everywhere. Spotify and everything.” Up next came Fruits and Flowers from Brooklyn, who brought a psychedelic take on alternative rock to the College. The instrumental lineup was quite diverse — two guitarists, a drummer and a synth machine player wielding a saxophone. The combination was vibrant and mystic. Once lead singer Caroline Yoder presented her sweet-sounding vocals, a trance was set upon the entire room. “You better run, run baby as fast as you can,” Yoder sang. “You’ll be a sorry man if I ever see you again.” Yoder couldn’t help but notice how different the College atmosphere was from her usual Brooklyn setting. “It was a good time,” Yoder said. “Definitely different from NYC.” Leggy, a band based in Cincinnati, Ohio, was up next. The guitarists sported an elegant, aqua blue guitar and a stunning all-white guitar. The band described its sound as “lush punk” and brought personality to the show with ripping guitar solos, anthemic singing and humor. “For real if anyone has meal swipes we’ve been talking about going to a College cafeteria,” said lead singer Véronique Allaer. The band’s humor persisted throughout the set. “Do you have a soft-serve machine?” asked guitarist Kerstin Bladh. “Yes? Then we want to go.” In all, the performances left audiences laughing and rocking out throughout the night.
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager Graphic design students put their creative genius on display at their senior showcase on April 7 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Art and Interactive Multimedia art gallery. The display featured work that encapsulated the students’ mastery of design, which they have been developing throughout the past four years. Parents, friends and fellow students visited the 30 senior displays that were scattered across the IMM building, showcasing graphic design that ranged from album artwork to beer bottle labels and advertisements. Students were tasked with formulating mock companies and developing a design aesthetic that would reflect said company’s values. “A lot of the companies and brands are ones that we made up,” said Paulina Costello, a senior graphic design major. “We created the company and values and had to design around those values.” Maria Reyes, a senior graphic design major, represented her skills by designing the box of a fake tea brand. The packaging for “Sweet Dreams Tea” was a dreary, midnight blue, while her “Rise and Shine Tea” box was a sun-like yellow. Her showcase also included a drunk driving awareness display, which featured a vertical bar that transitioned from a cool blue with a blood alcohol content of .4 percent to a fiery red with a BAC of .31 percent, indicating that getting behind the wheel with this level of intoxication is a life-threatening choice. Jim Capalbo, a senior graphic design major, showcased the design of a restored train, which offers a touch of history while also merging several generations of design. “The whole theme was to bring back the old style into this modern touch, like the floating text behind the smoke,” Capalbo said. “Its cohesive, but still old.” Sarah Chang, a senior graphic design major, designed a mental health app called “Healthy Vibes” and felt that the friendly, light pink colors she used in design reflected her personal brand. “It’s supposed to be an app that helps you process your feelings and gives you personalized recommendations on what to do with those feelings,” Chang said. Megan Hyjack, a senior graphic design major, designed mock covers for The New Yorker magazine and a promotional poster for a bar. She also designed an affordable, friendly airline promotion. “I took their illustration style from (The New Yorker) covers and kind of made it my own by highlighting different things people do in the city, whether it’s commuting or sitting in a cafe before work,” Hyjack said. All in all, the night was a rousing success, showcasing each students distinctive graphic design skills.
By Len La Rocca Distribution Manager NBC10 Philadelphia news anchor Keith Jones visited the College on Monday, April 8 at 11 a.m. to give a masterclass on his experience in broadcast journalism in the Kendall Hall TV Studio. Jones anchors the 5 p.m. broadcast timeslot on weeknights at NBC10. His passion for broadcast journalism has led him to report on a variety of entertainment and political events, such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Students and staff filled their seats and absorbed all they could from the New Jersey native, who is now a multi Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning television news anchor, as he revealed all that he has learned in his career. Jones opened up by expressing his gratitude for time in broadcast journalism. “Journalism is one of the most fulfilling, impactful, high-responsibility jobs that you guys can go after,” he said. “It is in many ways high risk, high reward, but it has opened doors for me in life that I never would have dreamed.” He played his résumé tape of news packages from his early years in the business to show his humble beginnings. “I had to fake it ’til I made it,” he said. “I wasn’t good on camera ... I lowered the volume of my voice in the editing software to give it more bass because I was so self-concious of my voice.” He encouraged journalism students to make mistakes, as they made his greatest lessons. “I made every mistake in the book,” Jones said. “I think there’s tremendous value in knowing that you learn more from failure than you do success — so go and fail and fail and fail.” Jones expressed that while some in the field may find President Donald Trump’s attempts to call news stories fake news to be detrimental, Jones said that he sees it as a test of journalistic integrity, which he calls the “Trump Opportunity.” “I know that people are watching with higher scrutiny than they ever have in the past and I think it's a great thing,” he said. “(Trump) provides a tremendous opportunity to be right, because you can’t criticize the truth.” While print and broadcast journalism share many principles, Jones made a vital distinction. “In print journalism, we reach the heart through the head,” said. “You read the words and your head decides whether or not your heart gets involved and you care about it. In TV news, it’s flipped around. In television you reach the head through the heart, meaning when you’re flipping through the channels on TV or on Instagram even, and you’re looking at memes or viral videos, your heart decides through the images and sounds you see whether or not you should think about it.” Jones explained why this heart-and-head connection is crucial to providing stellar broadcast journalism. “Our goal as broadcast journalists is to get people to think about the stories that we do,” Jones said. “The moment they go from heart to head is the moment we’ve hooked them.” Jones then showed the audience a news package he did for the 2018 college basketball national championship game, where he interviewed a group of Villanova fraternity members who drove down in an RV to San Antonio, Texas for the big game. “I could’ve talked to any fan, but it would've been really boring if I just grabbed a wealthy alum who took a private flight down to Texas,” he said. “I decided instead to put myself in the shoes of a college student … It takes a lot of extra effort to do something like this, to find a great character.” Relating back to getting the viewer to pay attention, Jones said he prefers the unexpected, interesting story over the predictable events. “I’m the eyes and the ears of the viewer back home,” he said. “If I’m showing them just some random person at a team hotel and not grabbing their attention, they’re never gonna stay for my full story or at least my full view of what’s going on.” Jones’ fresh take on journalism was refreshing to attending student writers. “I really enjoyed seeing Keith Jones,” said Julia Duggan, a freshman music major. “He brought a lot of new and different perspectives and I really hope that we see him again soon on campus.” Jones admitted that while he must stay light on his feet at all times in the hectic occupation of journalism, he would not trade his experiences or ability to inform the people for the world. “I found out at 7 p.m. once that Kevin Hart was in town,” he said. “They were like, ‘go interview Kevin Hart.’ Life doesn’t prepare you for these things. It’s strange, but it's exciting. It’s why this business is so fulfilling. At the end of the day, while these are all cool experiences, at its heart we are providing a service.”