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(09/18/18 4:37am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
Hustling at Green Lane Fields on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a group of students lace up their cleats and practice every drill, every strategy and every play. A typical club sport. Yet, they’re not swinging a bat, perfecting a corner kick, bumping shoulder pads or even tossing a frisbee.
Sprinting with a large, egg-shaped ball on his fingertips, senior criminology major Ryan Parker devotes his time to the men’s club rugby team simply for the sake of brotherhood.
“I’ve played this sport for about seven years now,” Parker said. “You really come into contact with a lot of diverse individuals and I think that’s what I value the most. We get on the field –– there’s 15 of us as one –– even though we come from different backgrounds.”
After three winless seasons, the men’s club rugby team demolished Montclair State University 56-5 on Sept. 9. The miraculous victory was not a fluke, as this year’s rugby team is more competitive and team-centric thanks to new leadership under Head Coach Brian Brott-Turpie.
The rugby team competes in USA Rugby Division II, Tri-State conference, where they play against several experienced teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
Brian Brott-Turpie, an Australian native who has lived in New Zealand for 10 years, transformed the team with his rugby expertise. He gained experience playing the sport at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
After coaching the Hillsborough High School boys rugby team in Hillsborough, New Jersey, Brott-Turpie became interested in coaching college rugby. Once he heard about the College’s club rugby team’s need of a coach, he was eager to help.
Cameron Kamer, a sophomore interdisciplinary business major, recognizes how Brott-Turpie’s rugby experience has led the team to drastic change.
“Our coach has done big things between last fall and this fall — you can’t even measure the gap,” Kamer said. “Last fall, we struggled to get numbers out and to win games. We didn’t win a game last year. We just won 56-5 against Montclair. Just a one year turnaround. It’s the same core of guys.”
Brott-Turpie further develops the rugby team’s skills through patience and respect. He sees the players as mature, young adults, in addition to being a college athletes.
“These guys are adults,” Brott-Turpie said. “I treat them like adults. I respect them and they respect me. It’s mutual. We’re all about team work and efforts and doing things the right way. With American football, it’s all about injuring the players and hurting them to do as much damage as you can. I don’t coach like that.”
Despite the team’s past struggle with recruiting high-caliber athletes, Parker believes Brott-Turpie has united the team.
“Size doesn’t matter for our team,” Parker said. “What matters more is being together. With a coach, we have a sense of leadership and someone to guide us. So, I think that really drives the team forward.”
Aside from higher team morale and exceptional coaching, the team features three international players, determined veterans and a freshman eager to contribute.
Billy Graessle, a senior biomedical engineering major and team captain, has witnessed many issues within the team in the past.
“It was super cool to see the team grow after having all the seniors leave my freshman year,” Graessle said. “We were at the bottom when I came in during my freshman year. I saw a lot guys who didn’t commit. We didn’t have a coach. It was hard to keep guys interested.”
According to Graessle, the club’s executive board initiated major reform by persuading Brott-Turpie to coach the team and change its culture.
“Once we got a team and a coach, we started to work with our fundamentals,” Graessle said. “I knew we had potential and last Sunday we showed it. That was just wonderful to see. I’ve been on this team for so long. We had so a habit of losing and now we can come on top. It feels really good.”
Reflecting on the team’s history and brotherhood, Graessle recalled how he got his nickname, “Billy Philly” after he arrived to his first practice wearing a Philadelphia Eagles shirt.
“First day of practice, I wore a Philadelphia eagles shirt and they asked me what my name was,” Graessle said. “I said ‘Billy’ and they were like ‘Oh, Billy Philly!’”
Hailing from Gamlingay, England, Will Kitson, a junior biology major, sees a tremendous difference between American rugby and English rugby.
“It’s more competitive (in England),” Kitson said. “(American rugby) not in the same level as in England and Europe. But there’s definitely good college teams out here.”
Before competing with the men’s club rugby team, Kitson was a kicker for the College’s football team during the 2016 season. After playing rugby for two years, Kitson hopes that rugby will become just as popular in the U.S. as football is becoming abroad.
“It think football is definitely on the up in Europe,” Kitson said. “I hope rugby becomes the same way here. I feel like a lot of Americans would enjoy rugby.”
Standing at the sidelines at every practice and game is David Crain, a freshman biomedical engineering major. Despite being injured, Crain keeps himself active by recording statistics during matches and watching games to learn rugby.
“This season is great,” Crain said. “(I) love these boys. It’s great to learn how to play rugby and have fun with it. I expect a great season.”
On Sunday, Sept. 16, the Lions continued their winning-streak when they trounced Molloy College 51-24 at Green Lane fields. While the blistering heat slowed down the team’s offense in the second half, the team took a timeout to rally themselves and clinch its second win of the season.
“I think we did get a little comfortable with the big lead after the first half,” Kamer said. “We missed some tackles. Then we got together as a team and connected again.”
In spite of two resounding victories, Kamer contends that the rugby team needs to increase its effort so it can become a more popular club sport on campus.
“I think we can continue to grow this team if we continue to win games and get our name out on campus,” Kamer said. “We’re starting to get more recognition. We’re going to get more drive to go to practice because (players) know what it’s like to win.”
Parker emphasized how commitment and devotion helped the team earn its first win in years.
“It’s building a sense of teamwork,” Parker said. “It’s all about dedication. It’s about getting these guys out here and practicing. As long as we build that teamwork and team ideology, we can get guys out here all day.”
(09/18/18 3:55am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
The School of Arts and Communication kicked off its fall 2018 faculty lecture series with a presentation titled “A Personal History of Game Design,” in Mayo Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 14.
Josh Fishburn, an assistant professor in the interactive multimedia department, led the first faculty lecture by focusing on the perception of video games and their ultimate purpose.
Fishburn first introduced himself by explaining his previous experience as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his interest in the audio and visual movement of video games.
Fishburn captured the audience’s attention when he explained how video games stimulate imagination.
“You can be as anonymous or authoritarian as your heart desires when you play a game,” he said.
Video games can range from action games such as Fortnite or Super Smash Bros, to imaginative games like Minecraft, according to Fishburn.
Fishburn then reminisced of his childhood, when he often played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Nintendo Entertainment System with his brother. Fishburn praised the video game’s catchy soundtrack and vivid graphics.
“It was the first game I played where I felt like a cartoon,” he said.
Fishburn recalled the public outcry against the release of Mortal Kombat in 1992. In the game, players can beat up and kill off their opponents through fatality moves, which feature gory visuals of fighters ripping heads off, impaling chests and tossing defeated opponents onto a floor of spikes, according to Hardcore Gaming 101.
Despite criticism from parents and politicians about the game’s violent visuals, Fishburn admired the gaming experience.
“I wasn’t fixated on the visuals — I was fixated on the sounds,” Fishburn said. “It made me feel powerful as a kid. It was cool. I could defeat these really powerful characters.”
Fishburn explained his path to college and his admiration for unconventional video games. As a first generation college student, Fishburn claimed he once doubted the usefulness of his education until he enrolled at the University of Denver’s master’s program in emergent digital practices.
During his mentorship under game developer Rafael Fajardo, Fishburn realized how video games can be more than just entertainment. Fishburn noted how Fajardo’s two games, Crosser and La Migra, portrayed humanitarian and social issues.
“I find these games to be radical in the best sense of the word,” Fishburn said. “It challenges us to think about how we play games and in context, what are games meant for.”
According to Fishburn, in Crosser, the player is an immigrant whose goal is to cross the Rio Grande river in Texas. The player must avoid coming into contact with border patrol agents in order to win, according to Fishburn.
In contrast, in La Migra, the player is a border patrol agent who tries to arrest as many immigrants as possible at the Rio Grande river, according to Fishburn.
Evan Vallecilla, a freshman interactive multimedia major, was fascinated by Fishburn’s dedication to video games.
“I grew up playing lots of 2-D and 3-D games, especially fighting games like Mortal Kombat,” Vallecilla said. “I really enjoyed Fishburn’s lecture. As a IMM major, I want to do what Fishburn has done.”
Fishburn discussed how video games evolved to be tremendous experiences for 21st century players. He pointed out how Passage, a game made by Jason Rohrer that was released in 2007, gave consumers an eye-opening experience.
According to Fishburn, the player begins as a person who gets into a relationship that eventually transforms into a marriage. The couple then walks through mazes that portray stages of life until the couple dies of old age — all in a matter of five minutes. Fishburn found games like Passage to redefine the purpose of video games.
“Are video games art?” Fishburn asked the crowd. “Are they supposed to express things? With experiences like these, do we question that video games are supposed to be entertaining?”
Fishburn concluded his lecture by evaluating a video game that his mother adored. His mother used his Playstation 3 to play Flower, a video game developed by Thatgamecompany.
In Flower, the player plays as the wind by using the controllers’ thumbsticks. Using this mechanism, players can push flower pedals and explore numerous forests and gardens, according to Fishburn.
Despite his love of action games, Fishburn recognizes the importance of interactive games like Flower.
“I loved this game because it showed me that there are audiences for many types of experiences,” Fishburn said. “You have to know who those people are and what they value. My mom valued nature and the game spoke to her because she could push a flower petal around.”
(09/11/18 2:38am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
While cool air blew through the trees and a soft drizzle came down at the College, students radiated warm energy in the Decker Social Space at the For the Culture Cookout on Saturday, Sept. 8.
The event was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Pride Mentoring program.
Several cultural organizations, including Alpha Phi Alpha, the Haitian Student Association, the Black Student Union and the College’s NAACP chapter sought to showcase the College’s ethnic diversity while offering food and entertainment.
Anisa Douglas, a junior elementary and early childhood education and psychology double major, was excited to represent her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta.
“We’re here to represent the multicultural organizations on campus, especially for freshmen,” Douglas said. “It’s nice to be here to eat food, dance and enjoy music while promoting our organization.”
Meanwhile, students like sophomore accounting major Antonio Gamboa wanted to spread the messages and goals of their respective organizations. As a member of the National Association of Black Accountants, Gamboa emphasized inclusivity.
“As a new club on campus, we want to welcome everyone — not just what our name implies,” Gamboa said. “Half of our e-board aren’t finance majors. We strive to give opportunities to network with professionals. It’s all for the betterment of TCNJ.”
Don Trahan Jr., the director of the College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, was delighted to see a significant turnout for the cookout.
“We thought it was important to come together so all of you would have an opportunity to engage and celebrate with each other and have fun,” Trahan said.
Students were served hot Jamaican food such as brown rice with beans, steamed cabbage and savory jerk chicken.
Once their stomachs filled up, students took to the center of the Social Space for some energetic, lively dancing to songs such as Beyonce’s “Love on Top” and Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie.” The Social Space only got hotter when DJ Taj’s “Work” (Jersey Club remix) rang through the air and inspired students to demonstrate their signature dance moves.
By the end of the event, students were better informed of the numerous diverse groups on campus.
“This event was for exposing our culture to the community,” said Gibson Val, a sophomore computer science major and publicity chair of the Haitian Student Association. “Not only were we providing food and music, we also provided students to a chance to know about diversity and different ethnic groups.”
(09/11/18 2:34am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
After a few club announcements and a brief prayer, the New Jersey Christian Fellowship introduced guest speaker Jonathan Walton for the NJCF’s “How does God view diversity?” event in the Student Center Room 100E on Thursday, Sept. 6.
Before diving into his lecture, Walton showed the music video of Joyner Lucas’ “I’m not racist,” a controversial video in which a white man and a black man confront one another. Walton used the video to start a conversation about how God does not judge race and how people can connect to Jesus while confronting current racial issues.
Walton initially talked about racially insensitive incidents happening on college campuses such as Ku Klux Klan members recruiting students, Hispanics being targeted as undocumented immigrants and Chinese students being discriminated against. He used these examples to emphasize that conversations about diversity do not begin peacefully.
“Most of our conversations about race and class and culture do not start with Jesus at the center,” Walton said. “Yes, there are people angry about race and class and status. And the center of the conversation is anger. All of our emotions is at the center of the conversation.”
Walton explained his own ethnic background. Born in Brodnax, Virginia, Walton questioned how people assume he is black despite being 25 percent European with a Cherokee grandmother.
“The country likes to classify me through these boxes, but do these boxes exist in the kingdom of God?” Walton said.
Walton spoke about four different reactions when a racially insensitive incident occurs: appeasers, blamers, computers and distractors.
According to Walton, appeasers want the situation to be contained and forgotten quickly. He points that in Lucas’ music video, the black and white men try to resolve the conflict quickly, before they get to know each other more. Walton uses college campus’ reactions as an example of appeasement.
“Something happens on campus,” Walton said. “The appeasers come out. Let’s send an email. Let’s have a town hall. Jesus had a town hall, but he died on a cross.”
According to Walton, blamers look to further divide people by creating debates.
“People pick sides and people have conversations,” Walton said. “Not really conversations, they’re just debates. We can debate points, we can’t debate faith. We reduce people to the point of the side they take, instead of taking them in the kingdom of God.”
Distractors look to stay away from racially insensitive situations as much as possible, according to Walton.
Walton then emphasized that all racial groups are part of the kingdom of God, but racism is not.
“The skin I received was not a curse — it was a blessing from God,” Walton said. “Brothers and sisters in this room whatever skin color you have, somebody thinks you’re messed up because of it. In the kingdom of God, God says that you are accepted.
After a brief pause, Walton encourages students to not tolerate, but to love all people, regardless of their race, sexuality or disability.
“God calls to love your neighbor,” Walton said. “Pray for your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. God says to love them because everyone is made in his image.”
To cap off his lecture, Walton asserted that white people should not feel guilty about the past oppression of minorities.
“White guilt is not in the kingdom of God, nor is it in the Bible,” Walton said. “It’s destructive, it’s not helpful and it’s not the language in the kingdom of God. It’s impossible to interact with someone and not interact with their history.”
Joshua Bae, a junior communication studies and interactive multimedia double major, recognized the power of unity within Christian communities.
“To me, we as Christians always look to worship God and pray as a community,” Bae said. “Whether it be because of good, bad or struggling times, we are all family in the kingdom of God.”
(09/10/18 11:54pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
The men’s soccer team was roaring and pouring goals at the Soccer Complex all week.
The Lions remain undefeated this season after cruising past the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Wednesday, Sept. 5. This weekend, the College hosted the 2018 Men’s Soccer Classic where the team triumphed over Gettysburg College on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Elizabethtown College on Sunday, Sept. 9.
After traveling for the first two games of the season, the Lions returned to Ewing, New Jersey for their home opener and won against Mount Saint Vincent with eight goals against their rival.
In the 11th minute, freshmen defender Timmy Suchora sent a cross from the right side of the field. Standing at the penalty area, sophomore midfielder Ryan Vazquez ran through and leaped for a header to put the Lions ahead, 1-0.
Vazquez went on to score two more goals starting with a tap-in goal from the left goalpost in the 20th minute. Just two minutes later, Vazquez completed a hat trick when he leaped for another header shot from a corner kick by senior midfielder Nick Sample.
In the 30th minute, sophomore forward Abdullah Afridi scored the team’s fourth goal when he kicked a screaming, powerful shot from 25 yards out. Just a minute later, Sample joined the Lions’ scoring rampage when he netted off a volley pass from Suchora.
While Lions’ offense was cooking, the team’s defense stifled Saint Vincent and only allowed one shot. Taking advantage of Saint Vincent’s sloppy touch skills, the Lions’ defense kept feeding pass after pass to Vazquez and Sample.
The second half was no different. In the 59th minute, freshman midfielder Ryan Santos ran past opponents at the penalty and scored a tap-in goal off an assist from Afridi. In the following play, Afridi scored his second goal when he kicked a diagonal shot from the right side of the penalty box.
Sophomore midfielder Ethan Muller finished the Lions’ offensive burst off a rebound a shot. Altogether, the team dominated Saint Vincent and recorded a whooping 54 shots.
The team was in for a challenge at the start of the 2018 Men’s Soccer Classic. Coming off a successful 2017 season, Gettysburg College proved to be a worthy opponent, but the Lions still captured a 2-1 win.
Despite a scoreless first half, Gettysburg struck first in the 46th minute when freshman midfielder Oladayo Thomas gathered a pass and shot straight into the Lion’s’ net.
Vazquez equalized the match when he leaped for a header shot in the 63rd minute. Both teams then entered into a stalemate until senior midfielder Joerg Jauk helped the Lions break through.
With the Lions securing a free kick opportunity in the 88th minute, Sample kicked a long pass toward Gettysburg’s net, where Jauk jumped and headed the game winning goal.
On a breezy, damp Sunday afternoon, the Lions battled Elizabethtown College and seized a 3-1 victory. Afridi quickly put the Lions on top when he dribbled past Elizabethtown’s goalkeeper and effortlessly scored a goal.
Elizabethtown immediately responded with more physical play. As both teams pushed and bumped each other for possession, the Lions captured an opportunity.
In the 17th minute, Jauk hit a laser shot to the left post and put the Lions ahead, 2-0, off a penalty kick. During the second half, the team withstood Elizabethtown’s comeback attempt and added an insurance goal to ultimately win the match, 3-1.
The Lions hope continue their hot 5-0 start on Wednesday, Sept. 12, when they take on Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham at the Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m. The team then faces their first New Jersey Athletic Conference match against Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Soccer Complex at 1 p.m.
(09/04/18 3:40pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
Introduced during Welcome Week, the College’s newest mobile app, Roar*, provides students a faster way to communicate, learn about campus organizations and stay up to date on the latest events across campus.
Roar*, operated by Involvio, LLC, is available for both Android and iOS devices and allows students to create a profile and connect their social media accounts to the app.
After students go through the app’s setup and identity verification processes, Roar*’s simple user interface becomes accessible. Starting at the dashboard page, students can open up an agenda feature, which is a calendar that displays current and upcoming events on campus. Events can range from ongoing periods such as add/drop week, to scheduled fall sports matches and club events. Students can also schedule reminders for events they are attending.
Apart from the calendar, students can post on Roar*’s student message board. On the student feed, students can chat, reply to and like comments. Students can discuss a wide range of topics such as courses, WiFi issues, organizations and more. Students can also text each other privately through the app’s direct message feature.
Conor Collins, a sophomore biomedical engineering major and an orientation leader during Welcome Week, found Roar* to be an instrumental tool for freshmen.
“Roar* was a very friendly app for freshmen,” Collins said. “It gave many opportunities for them to attend different events, yet also providing a student feed for easy communication.”
Barry Beal, the assistant director of athletics for communications and game operations, sees Roar* as an opportunity for students to engage with the College’s NCAA Division III teams and attend matches.
“Certainly the hope is that more students will attend sporting events strictly based on the fact that more students will be aware of them,” Beal said. “TCNJ is a very engaged community and the new app will only serve to further connect the members of this community. Having this as another avenue to promote our athletics events is something that we welcome.”
The app’s campus page gives students access to a map of the College, information on student organizations and campus services such as the Career Center. During Welcome Week, freshmen often used the campus map to navigate the school.
“(Roar*) helped me guide through events during Welcome Week,” said freshman applied mathematics major Matthew Delaney. “The map was very useful for finding buildings around TCNJ. It also keeps track of what’s going on. I’ll definitely use this all the time.”
On the app’s top menu bar, students can search within the app. The search bar has received mixed responses due to its lack of functionality. Some searches will not yield any results unless they are searched for under a specific category.
This proved to be inconvenient for some students, like freshman accounting major Evan Verbaska, who was trying to search for the ultimate frisbee club. Verbaska’s search for “ultimate frisbee” camp up empty since it was not searched for under the “groups” category in the search bar.
“I was trying to find the Ultimate Frisbee club, but it wasn’t easy on (Roar*),” Verbraska said. “Besides that, “(Roar*) was easy to navigate and very user friendly.”
One of Roar*’s prominent features is its ability to scan Quick Response (QR) codes for check-ins for ticketed events such as concerts and fairs. So far, the feature has allowed student organizations manage traffic during campus events.
Max Falvey, a senior communication studies major and director of the College Union Board, is hopeful that Roar* will further connect the campus community.
“Roar* will help us for promoting CUB events,” Falvey said. “(The Office for) Student Involvement has been transparent throughout the process. They are always monitoring and critiquing the app daily, which is cool. We’re excited to see how Roar* affects clubs and brings students together.”
(09/04/18 3:34pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
The College’s Committee on Student and Campus Community announced revisions to the Title IX policy, Involuntary Health or Safety Withdrawal policy and Student Conduct Code and introduced a student travel policy on Thursday, Aug. 30.
The College’s Title IX policy received the most revisions, including two new resolution process options for investigations pertaining to Title IX.
Option one focuses on administrative hearing for cases involving student respondents. In the Title IX policy, the College defines the reporter as the student who “is alleged to have experienced an act of prohibited conduct.”
The College defines the respondent as the student who is “subject to an investigation, procedural requirements including proceedings, remedial measures and/or sanctions” based on the file report.
The procedure for option one allows both the reporter and respondent to provide information about the incident while the College’s Title IX Coordinator compiles the Title IX investigation report. Once the Title IX investigation report is finished, the assistant vice president reviews it to ensure it has been thoroughly executed, according to the College’s Title IX policy. Afterward, the assistant vice president decides if the investigation will move to the hearing administrator.
Jordan Draper, the dean of students and the College’s Title IX coordinator, emphasizes that while option one and the preexisting second option allow both the reporter and the respondent to equally provide information, option one opens more opportunities for due process.
“Option one was added to the Title IX process to be compliant with recent guidelines and litigation, and is the College’s default resolution process, specifically because it offers both students involved the greatest amount of due process,” Draper said.
According to the College’s Title IX policy, option two utilizes the investigatory model. After the investigation report is gathered, the “lead investigator will make a determination of responsibility based on a “more likely than not’ standard to determine whether a violation of the Policy occurred,” according to the College’s Title IX policy.
The College will also institute option three, the alternative resolution for cases involving student respondents. According to the College’s Title IX policy, option three “is a voluntary process that allows the respondent to accept responsibility for their behavior.”
In this option, the reporter and the respondent enter into a resolution process through the guidance of the Title IX coordinator.
Afterward, the reporter and the respondent can use restorative processes to mediate the conflict. These processes include a formal restorative process, an informal restorative conference and informal restorative statements. Additionally, the College outlines more remedial options such as counseling sessions, monthly check-in meetings with the Title IX Coordinator and community service. Draper asserts that option three was created in a response to feedback from students, anti-violence initiative staff and investigators.
“Information was collected, both through quantitative and qualitative feedback, in which some reporters shared that they wanted non-punitive options to hold respondents accountable,” Draper said. “The alternative resolution process was then drafted and vetted through previous reporters, AVI staff and peer educators, general counsel, Campus Police and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office.”
Draper also affirms how the restorative process is meant to identify who was harmed and how to move forward. She explained that the process is more educational and supportive, rather than confrontational.
“Prior to adding this resolution option, we did not have a process which allowed for a more educational approach, and students either had the option to pursue a formal/punitive option, or nothing at all,” Draper said. “We feel this option provides students with greater autonomy and the ability to determine what exactly they need to feel as though the harm has been acknowledged and reparations have been made.”
During the initial testing of the alternative resolution last October, Draper saw positive feedback from both reporters and respondents. Draper hopes that the alternative resolution option provides reassurance for reporters who wish to pursue a Title IX investigation.
“It is our hope that through continued promotion of this resolution option, and the more feedback we receive, the more reporters will feel comfortable coming to speak to our office about the multiple options for resolution of Title IX incidents, and the better we will be able to continuously improve students’ overall experience as they go utilize Title IX processes,” Draper said.
In the revised student conduct code, the All College Standards Board will no longer be a formal hearing option in the procedural standards of the College’s Title IX Policy.
According to the College’s student travel policy document, the new policy sets guidelines to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff during off-campus trips during an organized or a College-sponsored event, and sets standards for student organizations seeking authorization requests and expectations for travel behavior.
According to the College, there are three types of travel. Academic-related student travel pertains to students traveling for “professional conferences, class field trips and course assignments,” such as a community engaged learning trip.
The student travel policy also establishes the role of appropriate administrators and designated officials for campus organizations.
Recognized student organization travel refers to student organizations traveling for conferences, activities and events funded by the Student Finance Board and Student Activities Fund, while administrative-sponsored travel refers to which are trips that are not academic-related or connected to recognized student organizations.
(09/04/18 3:04am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
Starting the season with a win is nice, but two wins are twice as nice.
The men’s soccer team shined at the Drew Fall Festival in Madison, New Jersey. They shut down Centenary University, 3-0, on Friday, Aug. 31. The following Saturday, Sept. 1, the Lions defeated Marymount University, 3-1.
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Vazquez led the Lions offense, scoring two goals against Centenary. After the team missed seven shots in the first 25 minutes, Vazquez netted the first goal of the season off a long pass from sophomore defender Dylan Teixeira.
The Lions continued to press forward for the rest of the first half, but were unable to score. The team’s best chances to score occurred in the 31st minute, when senior midfielder Nick Sample launched consecutive corner kicks.
In the second half, the Lions offense came in blazing against Centenary. Vazquez claimed his second goal when he dribbled past multiple defenders and snuck his shot past the net.
In the midst of the strong offensive effort, the Lions defense stood firm against Centenary, as its opponents did not record a shot until the 68th minute. The team continued to stall Centenary for the remainder of the match until Sample netted a goal.
With four minutes remaining, Sample gathered possession and hit his shot past Centenary’s goalkeeper. The Lions offense recorded 13 shots during the match, and that was just the beginning of their domination.
The following Saturday, the men’s soccer team dismissed Marymount University in a 3-1 win.
Sample lead the Lions offense with a pair of goals, and the squad didn’t stop as Vazquez and sophomore midfielder David McMillan recorded shots to end the first half.
The Lions continued to push toward another goal in the second half. Sample netted his second goal to put the Lions ahead, 2-1, when his shot deflected past Marymount defenders.
Holding onto a 2-1 lead, sophomore goalkeeper Michael Kayal kept the score intact when he saved a shot in the 72nd minute.
At the 78th minute, sophomore forward Abdullah Afridi shot toward Marymount’s goalkeeper. Standing near the opposing goalkeeper, freshman midfielder Ryan Santos caught the rebound and scored his first collegiate goal for the Lions.
With a commanding 3-1 lead, the College secured the Drew Fall Festival team title with two wins.
After a successful start to the season, the Lions look to continue their momentum in their first home match at the Soccer Complex on Wednesday, Sept. 5 against the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 4 p.m.
The team will face Gettysburg College and Elizabethtown College this weekend as they host the 2018 Men’s Soccer Classic hosted in the Soccer Complex.
(08/29/18 3:21am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
The competition may be formidable and the double overtime losses can be draining, but the men’s soccer team is ready for any challenge.
After a disappointing season last year, the Lions are looking to rebound with a more experienced squad. Despite being ranked eighth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s soccer preseason coaches poll, the Lions have the pieces to assemble a contender.
The team will feature senior midfielders Nick Sample and Joerg Jauk, who received conference honorable mentions last year. On offense, the Lions will be fueled by sophomores such as midfielder Ryan Vazquez, midfielder James Pike and forward Abdullah Afridi. Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Kayal will lead the Lions on defense.
Kayal, who gathered 63 saves last season, will play a key role in keeping the Lions intact during close matches. Last season, the team couldn’t prevail in overtime, as they tied three matches and lost two matches.
Head Coach George Nazario is confident that the sophomores will lead the team to victories in the NJAC.
“We have a good group of sophomores who are ready to play tough, competitive opponents,” Nazario said. “Their experience will come in handy.”
Another obstacle the Lions have to overcome this season is injuries. Nazario emphasizes the need to adapt when some team members aren’t able to play.
“Last year, we dealt with many injuries and setbacks,” Nazario said. “So far this season, we don’t have Nick Provenzo and Dan Walsh playing because of injuries. So, we have to adapt and use our resources to the fullest.”
Competing in the NJAC will be a challenge, as the Lions will encounter fierce competition.
Both Rowan University and Rutgers University-Newark are returning opponents that competed in last year’s NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. Meanwhile, William Paterson University and Rutgers University-Camden are coming fresh off of solid playoff performances at the 2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.
The Lions will also dispute against tough non-conference opponents. Both Stevens Institute of Technology and Drew University reached the Sweet 16 round of the 2017 NCAA tournament.
Nazario looks forward to the matchup against Brooklyn College on Monday, Oct. 15.
“Brooklyn College will be a good match because they are looking to play competitively,” Nazario said.
“For an out-of-conference opponent, they are striving to improve and become a contender.”
This weekend, the Lions will begin the hunt for their first NJAC title since 2005 by opening up with a pair of matches at the Drew Fall Festival.
The team will journey on a trip to Madison, New Jersey to face Centenary University on Friday, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. and Marymount University on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m.
(08/28/18 2:02pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
While most students were busy moving into their residence halls, exhibit attendees in Roscoe West Hall were riding the waves.
The College’s Sarnoff Collection hosted a guided tour on Wireless Word, a pop-up radio exhibit, on Sunday, Aug. 26 in Roscoe West Room 204.
The exhibit showcased radio artifacts from The Radio Corporation of America between 1910 to the late ’80s in celebration of National Radio Day, which was Aug. 20. Florencia Pierri, the Sarnoff Collection’s curator, guided a discussion about numerous radio artifacts.
Pierri started the tour by demonstrating the Crystal set, the first popular type of radio introduced in 1913. According to Pierri, the Crystal set brought radios to a wider audience and laid the foundation for radio enthusiasts. During the 1920s, enthusiasts would purchase parts and instruction books to assemble their own radios.
Pierri followed up by presenting the first radio of RCA’s iconic radiola series, the Aeriola Sr. Receiver radio, Type RF. Introduced in 1921, the radio sold for $75. The device was not successful because RCA did not include necessary accessories such as vacuum tubes, antennas and batteries.
Pierri then showed the radio’s successors, the Radiola II and the Radiola III. The Radiola II, introduced in 1923, proved to be RCA’s first smash hit because of its distance range. Using more than one vacuum tube, the Radiola II had an impressive 2000 mile range. During the 1920s, it was commonly referred to as the radio music box, according to Pierri.
In the following year, RCA created a budget version of the Radiola II with the Radiola III. According to Pierri, it sold for $35.
While RCA had several successful radios, it also encountered struggles as radio broadcasts were still developing.
“In 1923, radio was great, but if you didn’t have headphones it wasn’t useful,” Pierri said. “The only radio stations at the time were in Pittsburgh and New York City. Those radios only broadcasted 30 hours a week.”
Pierri then shifted the visitor's attention to the Radiola 13. The device, distributed in 1928, was the first radio that operated on an alternating circuit. According to Pierri, it was an important step in radio technology because the device was plugged into an outlet and no longer relied on batteries.
The device also played a crucial role in RCA’s marketing. During the 1920s, radios were usually placed in basements because of their heaviness and dull appearance. But with the Radiola 13, RCA pushed consumers to use their products in living rooms.
Pierri then paused the tour to discuss RCA’s most significant business decision. In 1929, RCA acquired the Victor Talking Machine Company. According to Pierri, RCA was able to utilize the company’s large manufacturing plant in Camden, New Jersey and market the company’s iconic mascot, Nipper the dog, to improve its sales. As a result, RCA was no longer dependant on General Electronic for materials.
According to Pierri, the manufacturing plant was the largest in Camden at the time, employing 10,000 people. The majority of employees were women, because RCA knew women were unable to unionize like men could.
Pierri emphasized how new the radio industry was in the early 20th century. Unlike today’s world, where customers subscribe to satellite radios such as Sirius XM, the radio market was widely open during the ’20s.
“You didn’t need to buy a license to listen to radio broadcasts,” Pierri said. “It was like The Wild West. You could listen to all the music. Ads didn’t appear until 1923.”
Pierri explained ubiquitous radios were despite the failing economy during the Great Depression. During the 1930s, RCA manufactured 9,000 radios per day.
“People wanted radios even during the Great Depression,” Pierri said. “People were known to sell their beds before radios. Radios were considered to be people’s connection to the world.”
After World War II, RCA faced financial difficulty as more consumers wanted televisions. According to Pierri, RCA countered by introducing transmitter radios in 1955.
RCA’s transmitter radios were portable and durable. According to Pierri, RCA illustrated the radios’ durability by dropping them off a helicopter in advertisements. By the ’70s, RCA marketed these radios as “pockette” radios to attract younger customers. Pierre showed a colorful design by holding the RZG 105Z, which had a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme.
“RCA was trying to be hip at the time because radios were perceived as media parents only enjoyed,” Pierri said.
Pierri concluded the tour by discussing the decline of RCA during the ’80s, and emphasized RCA’s inability to challenge emerging companies such as Sony and International Business Machines.
“In 1971, David Sarnoff passed away. By the following decade, his son, Robert, made many bad managerial decisions. RCA’s spiral continued as RCA’s computer department could not compete against IBM and SONY’s technologies in the 1970s,” Pierri said.
(08/28/18 4:40am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
News Editor
The College ranked 35th nationally and second in New Jersey on MONEY Magazine’s 727 “Best Colleges in America,” which was published on Aug. 13.
Behind only Princeton University, the College placed higher among public institutions, ranking 23rd nationally and reigning first in New Jersey.
MONEY magazine based its rankings upon “educational quality, affordability and alumni success.”
According to the magazine, students at the College had an average debt of $23,000. Earlier in 2018, MONEY magazine reported that college graduates under 35 have an average student debt of $32,900.
In terms of affordability, 39 percent of students in need at the College received grants, while students paid an estimated price of $24,100 with grants.
College Spokesman Dave Muha sees the importance of MONEY Magazine’s rankings and its impression on prospective students and their parents.
“I think the MONEY ranking is especially meaningful because of what it attempts to measure — academic quality, affordability and outcomes,” Muha said. “These are three things that probably matter most to students and their parents. The College has invested carefully in the academic program and student experience to deliver an exceptionally high-quality education.”
Muha also attributes the College’s success to its dedication to undergraduate research and use of new state-of-the-art facilities.
“New facilities like the STEM Building are certainly part of that, but so too has been the College's focus on things like mentored undergraduate research and the faculty's commitment to the teacher-scholar model,” Muha said.
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Elizabeth Bapasola owes the College’s success to student efforts.
“Our students help build our College's strong reputation in a number of ways,” Bapasola said. “These include, but are not limited to, organizing outstanding campus events, actively participating in our governance process to voice the student perspective, excelling in athletics and demonstrating leadership through peer education and peer mentoring.”
The magazine reported that the College’s alumni garner an average of $54,400 in early career earnings, which is only a small decrease from the College’s Class of 2017.
According to the Career Center’s Class of 2017 first year out survey report, which accounted for 1,024 out of 1,417 graduates, the College’s Class of 2017 graduates had an average salary of $56,200. The College’s Class of 2017 has also seen success in being admitted to top graduate schools.
Muha sees a bright future as the College continues to build its reputation among regional and national peers.
“I look forward to watching the reputation of the College continue to grow,” Muha said. “In four of the last five years, the College has set new records for the number of applications received. I think that speaks to a growing recognition that TCNJ delivers a high quality, affordable education that translates to continued success beyond graduation.
(05/01/18 7:35am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
College President R. Barbara Gitenstein announced on April 25 that Angela Lauer Chong, the interim vice president of student affairs, will be departing after nearly nine years at the College.
Chong has recently accepted the position of associate vice president for student affairs at Florida State University, according to Gitenstein.
In her time at the College, Chong was the associate dean of students, dean of students, assistant vice president for student affairs and the interim director of athletics.
Several executive team members at the division of student affairs have praised Chong’s strong contribution to the College.
Sean Stallings, the interim associate vice president for students affairs, believes Chong’s most distinguished accomplishments are rewriting the student conduct code and working diligently at the Division of Student affairs. Stallings commends Chong’s efforts to reform many issues concerning the student body.
“We have seen immeasurable contributions through governance, departmental reorganizations, clear understandings of Students Rights and Freedoms, mental health advocacy and much more,” Stallings said.
Elizabeth Bapasola, the assistant vice president for student affairs, applauds Chong’s effort to communicate with the student body.
“Angela has done an incredible job reaching out to students to hear their concerns and do all she can to address them,” Bapasola said.
Chong has tabled with Student Government cabinet officers in the Brower Student Center, chatted with numerous students during lunch and met regularly with SG members, according to Bapasola.
Most recently, Chong facilitated the Critical Conversations forum in the wake of student counter-protests against the Bible Believers.
Bapasola also highlighted Chong’s leadership and decision-making for the Division of Student affairs.
“She leads with grace and emotional intelligence and does a superb job bringing people together to reach shared goals,” Bapasola said. “I appreciate Angela’s thoughtful approach to decision-making, her values-driven leadership style and her ability to build authentic relationships with students, faculty and staff in order to best serve the institution.”
Susie Orecchio, the director of administration and operations for Student Affairs, has witnessed Chong forge vital relationships since Orecchio joined the Division of Student Affairs in 2014.
“Angela gives the perfect balance of support and empowerment, and she truly values and appreciates her team,” Orecchio said. “She is a remarkable role model and I have learned so much from her.”
Bapasola says the College will miss Chong as she heads out to her new position at Florida State.
“Angela strives for excellence in all endeavors and I admire her ability to remain nimble and steady in challenging and every-changing circumstances,” Bapasola said. “I am so grateful to have worked for and with her during my time at TCNJ, and she will be greatly missed.”
(05/01/18 6:27am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
Students got a glimpse outside the stadium and inside the world of a career in sports at the “Business of Sports” conference, hosted by the School of Business on April 25.
Nine alumni shared advice with students interested in working in sports communication, marketing, event planning and sales operations. After a brief introduction by William W. Keep, dean of the School of Business, alumnus Luis Perez (’86) delivered a keynote address on the profound impact of the business of sports.
While he never played or coached professional sports, Perez, who was the former chief financial officer for the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions, emphasized that the business of sports is like an ecosystem of opportunities and careers, rather than simply selling concessions.
“Typically when people think about (the business of sports), they think about selling tickets, selling beers, selling viewership.” Perez said. “Their view is usually very narrow. I spent all of my 20 years in sports at teams. That is just one narrow path within this vast ecosystem.”
Perez spoke about his tenure with the Detroit Lions and how he used the team’s platform to give back to the community of Detroit. Perez renewed the team’s sponsorship with Meijer, a regional grocery chain concentrated in the midwestern U.S., to introduce more grocery stores in the heart of Detroit. Once the negotiation was made, Perez and the Detroit Lions marketed Meijer to the community.
“We drove brand awareness, we drove foot traffic,” Perez said. “We drove attention to those stores in the neighborhoods. They did that off of our platform. We had players there. That’s the business of sports.”
After the first lecture, students broke off into four different presentations facilitated by two alumni in different rooms of the Business Building.
In one presentation, alumnus Craig Haley (’91) and alumna Megan Hueter (’07) spoke about their careers in sports journalism and digital marketing, respectively. Haley, who currently is the senior editor of STATS’ Football Championship Subdivision, emphasized creativity and determination
“Be persistent,” Haley said. “Get those doors to open. Don’t just knock on doors. Sports is a fast-moving industry. It’s all about business development. You want to have ideas, whether you’re a writer or into sales.”
Hueter explained how she turned her passion for sports into a career at Endeavor, a prominent sports, fashion and entertainment media company.
Hueter seized the opportunity to go into digital marketing when her public relations firm was acquired by the International Management Group, the world’s largest sports marketing company at the time.
Once IMG was purchased by William Morris Endeavor and the firms merged into Endeavor, Hueter had her hands full.
“I spend a ton of time working on events,” Hueter said. “This is a global business. We have over 800 plus sporting events we produce annually. My group has a quota of producing 120 events across 26 countries and four continents.”
At the sales operations and event execution presentation, alumnus Christoph Schoenbeck (’10) and alumna Kristina Shemming (’10) spoke about the importance of gathering internship experience. Schoenbeck competed on the College’s men’s basketball team, while Shemming played on the women’s soccer team. Schoenbeck spoke of how he became the senior manager at Major League Soccer.
After finishing his career with the College’s men’s basketball team, he interned for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority at what is now MetLife Stadium.
He then interned for the New York Red Bulls before making a fortunate connection.
With the help of Shemming, Schoenbeck received a referral from the College’s women’s soccer assistant coach, Bob Turner. Schoenbeck has been at Major League Soccer ever since. At the other side of panel, Shemming underscored the importance of hands on experience.
After college, Shemming navigated through a series of internships at Sirius XM Radio, MTV Network and MLB Network before landing a sales associate job at the WFAN Yankees Radio Network. In 2013, Shemming moved over to the New York Mets and eventually became a Senior Account Executive for iHeartMedia.
Shemming urged students to be patient while pursuing a career in the sports industry.
“It puts a lot of pressure on you to take any job, especially if you’re doing something part-time,” Shemming said. “Sure, it’s not as sexy as what your friends are doing. For me, I took an internship after I graduated but I stayed on the path I wanted to be on.”
Other notable alumni who presented at the conference were Bradlee Downs (’05) and Rob Roche (’93), who discussed entrepreneurship and management. Alumnus Jason Cantor (’10) also collaborated with Perez to present on community relations. Many students, especially student-athletes, gained valuable advice on pursuing a career in sports during the lectures.
Randall Walko, who is a guard for the men’s basketball team and a sophomore health and exercise science major, benefited from making connections with alumni.
“As a basketball player, I’m always been interested and involved in sports,” Walko said. “I definitely want to stay motivated after college. This event has been very helpful, as I got to meet many former college athletes.”
(04/24/18 8:13am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
The second best team in the New Jersey Athletic Conference? No sweat. The number one ranked team in the country? No competition. A team all the way from Colorado? Just another day at Lions Stadium.
During the past week, the College’s lacrosse team claimed three victories. The Lions first defeated conference rival Rowan University, 16-3, at Lions Stadium on April 17. The team followed up with another home win, 10-1, against Salisbury University on Friday, April 20. On Sunday, April 22, the team hosted its last home match of the regular season and dismissed Colorado College with a 14-4 victory.
At Lions Stadium, the lacrosse team was more than prepared to deal with Rowan, who was ranked 21st in the country by Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Coaches poll. Rowan posed no challenge to the Lions as the team unleashed its mighty offense.
Sophomore midfielder Allie Gorman led the Lions’ offense with six goals. Despite Rowan forcing 25 turnovers and netting three goals, the Lions peppered Rowan’s goal with 46 shots.
The Lions’ next match was against the undefeated 14-0 Salisbury University, who was ranked first in the nation at the time according to the IWLCA Division III Coaches poll. Salisbury had been wrecking ranked opponents all season long.
Nevertheless, the Lions crushed Salisbury in a 10-1 victory. Jaeger and Gorman led the Lions’ offense again with three goals apiece. After outscoring Salisbury 9-1 in the first half, the Lions faced more aggressive attacks in the second half.
On Sunday, April 22, the Lions played their last regular season home match, overwhelming Colorado College, 14-4. Although the match ended in another blowout, the team celebrated the immense contributions of three seniors — midfielder/defender Jaclyn Douglas, defender Elizabeth Morrison and midfielder Amanda Muller.
The Lions will conclude their regular season on the road at Union, New Jersey when they take on Kean University on Saturday, April 28.
(04/24/18 6:33am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
Students took a trip through the eyes of three influential women in the gaming industry at the Pioneering Play: Women in Game Development and Design lecture in Roscoe West Hall Room 201 on Thursday, April 19.
Margaret Minsky, Cynthia Solomon and Joyce Weisbecker provided insight on the beginning of Logo Programming and its impact on programming education.
Minsky, who earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pioneered techniques for creating Haptic texture. She spoke about her role on the programming committee of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIGGRAPH.
SIGGRAPH plays a significant role in educating students on computer and graphic design skills, according to Minsky.
Alongside Minsky was Weisbecker, an independent contractor for the Radio Corporation of America. Weisbecker is considered to be the first independent game developer.
As a game developer, she wrote and programmed seven video games. Weisbecker still designs analog computers as a hobby.
Solomon contributed to research in human computer interaction and design for children. Her most significant project was a collaboration with Seymour Papert to establish Logo in 1967, a language used to help children learn programming.
Solomon credits Logo for developing a computing culture for children. She spoke about two games that were created through Logo –– “Guess My Number” and “20 Questions.” Solomon spoke of how children were amazed by the games.
“Pick an object in the room and you guys decided what the object is,” Solomon said. “In 20 questions, it was picking what the object was. It always blew the kids away.”
Solomon recalled her first encounter with computers in the early 1960s. At the time, she was developing a game by Atari called “Spacewar!” with Margaret Minsky’s father, Marvin.
Solomon explained how the game was entirely engineered on a new, revolutionary computer called the Programmed Data Processor-1.
Another notable accomplishment of Solomon’s was her co-written essay with Papert titled “Twenty Things To Do With A Computer.”
Solomon recognizes how games created in Logo have provided interactive entertainment for children.
“It’s a nice and sweet program with numbers,” Solomon said. “Kids love and still love to make quiz games. It could be math quizzes or geography quizzes. One of the purest things about that is seeing if kids got the right or wrong answer.”
When the panel opened up to audience questioning, Weisbecker and Solomon were caught in a debate about the effects of violent video games. Weisbecker asserted that movies are more graphic than video games.
“Why do you think they’re violent?” Weisbecker said. “It’s a picture on a screen. Look at movies, slasher movies with makeup — that really (looks) like violence.”
Weisbecker then argued that there are differences in how various types of people consume media.
“Depressed people listen to depressing songs and read depressing poetry and some of them commit suicide,” Weisbecker said. “But I don’t know any cheered up people who listen to depressing songs and read ‘down’ poetry with their friends. I’m not sure if people want a catharsis for taking things out that they can’t in real society.”
Solomon provided a counter argument — children have more accessibility to violent video games than violent movies.
“I do know a lot of kids that do get affected,” Solomon said. “I don’t take kids to slasher movies. They have opportunity to get video games much more easily than they do to get into slasher movies.”
By the end of the panel discussion, the three wise women of the video game industry provided the audience with a comprehensive understanding of how the history of computer science has shaped the way children interact with technology.
(04/17/18 5:48am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
The New Jersey Athletic Conference has no answer to the mighty women’s lacrosse team.
The Lions, ranked third in the nation according Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Coaches poll, unleashed their sheer offensive dominance and blanked Rutgers University-Camden, 17-0, on April 10 at Lions Stadium. The team followed up with another blowout performance in Mahwah, New Jersey when it defeated Ramapo College, 20-3, on Thursday, April 12.
As the wind chilled Lions Stadium on Tuesday night, the lacrosse team blew past Rutgers-Camden without letting up a single goal.
Less than 30 seconds into the match, junior midfielder Erin Harvey netted the Lions’ first goal. The team never looked back as it blasted goal after goal against a feeble defense from Rutgers-Camden. The Lions were fueled by constant possession wins from senior defender Elizabeth Morrison, who secured a whooping 11 draw controls.
Sophomore midfielder Allie Gorman and senior midfielder Amanda Muller led the explosive Lions offense as they both netted a trio of goals. Harvey and sophomore midfielder Amanda Fitzpatrick also collected a pair of goals each.
Head coach Sharon Pfluger is consistently impressed by Muller’s ambition to succeed.
“Amanda is always motivated to play at her best,” Pfluger said. “Amanda has been an integral part of our team for the past four years. She certainly leads with the most experience, yet she is extremely unselfish and encourages everyone to perform at high levels as her goal is for the team to attain its goals.”
In the final 10 minutes of the game, sophomore midfielder Chloe Pottillo scored her first goal of the season with the help of efficient passing by Fitzpatrick and Morrison. Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Miranda Chrone stayed on top of Rutgers-Camden and saved two shots. Chrone never had so much as a close call as the Lions’ defense held its opponent to only three shots throughout the entire match.
The Lions’ next match was no different when they thrashed Ramapo College, 20-3. The College’s offense was a well-oiled machine led by junior midfielder Kathleen Jaeger, who netted a whopping seven goals. Fitzpatrick and Gorman played a significant part as well, scoring two and three goals, respectively.
Pfluger insists that the team plays as a collective squad offensively.
“I feel that every member of the offensive unit has the capability to lead the attack each game,” Pfluger said. “It is an extremely balanced unit and each individual is growing each day.”
Sophomore attacker Olivia Cleale recorded five assists and netted a pair of goals. Cleale currently leads the team in assists with a staggering 33. While Ramapo was able to get past the Lions three times, Morrison often thwarted the opponents by forcing six turnovers.
Despite dominant performances against Rutgers-Camden and Ramapo, Pfluger emphasizes on the significance of conference matches.
“The conference games are incredibly important to us,” Pfluger said. “We take one game at a time and do our best to succeed. The goal is to finish as high as possible in the conference rankings in order to compete in the conference championship tournament.”
With the victories behind them, the Lions turn over to tough business when they take on Salisbury University on Friday, April 20, at Lions Stadium at 6 p.m. Salisbury is currently the No. 1 team in the nation, according to the NWLCA Division III Coaches Poll.
The team competes in its last regular season home game against Colorado College on Sunday, April 22 at 1 p.m.
(04/17/18 4:18am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
In the aftermath of the student counter-protest against the presence of conservative religious group Bible Believers in Alumni Grove on Thursday, April 12, the College held the “Critical Conversations: Spring Edition” forum in the Education Building Room 115 to allow students to discuss their concerns about the day’s events.
Angela Lauer Chong, the interim vice president for student affairs and Don Trahan Jr., director of the College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, facilitated a student-led discussion of how the College’s initial response to the protest, the Use of Campus Property Policy and future plans.
Chong emphasized the College’s obligation to adhere to the First Amendment and use of public space, no matter the content of the speech.
“We are a state institution,” Chong said. “We are fulfilling and following certain federal and state law, which includes the First Amendment. We can’t make those decisions based on what they say. However, we can talk openly when things don’t align with our values.”
Chong acknowledged that the protests were difficult to face.
“We do have obligations we have to hold to,” Chong said. “Those are the same obligations that allow us to allow speech that is in sync with our values. That’s the tricky situation (that) our state institution is in. It’s hard for everyone.”
According to Section VII.1.7 of the College’s Use of Campus Property Policy, “Non-College Users who comply with the requirements of this Policy (including, without limitation, the restrictions on time and manner) may utilize Public Use Areas or Facilities for purposes of constitutionally protected speech, peaceable assembly or expression. Non-College Users utilizing a Public Use Area must provide identification when requested to do so by a College official.”
Chong also spoke about how Bible Believers were no different than other provocative groups. Students applauded as Chong commended the student body for not causing violence during the protest.
“Much like the Westboro Baptist Church, these guys are skilled at using institutions and organizations,” Chong said. “Another reason why they’re here is that they tried to provoke us. You did not take the bait.”
Timothy Grant, the College’s interim chief of police, spoke about maintaining safety in the midst of hostile outside groups.
“We were not out there to protect them,” Grant said. “We wanted to protect peace and protect everyone’s health and safety.”
Trahan agreed with Chong and Grant, expressing his pride in students for not turning violent during the tense demonstration.
“When someone’s trying to provoke and give into that and you demonstrate what they’re expecting, all we’re doing is fueling exactly what they’re looking for,” Trahan said. “But you demonstrated a level of dignity and respect in spite of the circumstances.”
Trahan said he saw the counter-protest as a valuable lesson for students at the College.
“One of the things I like most about higher education is that it is a training ground,” Trahan said. “Once you leave this space and go to the real world, people will try to test you — people will put you into circumstances that you do not want to be in. This was a learning experience that we all can grow from together.”
After discussion about the protests, Baldween Casseus, Student Government’s vice president of diversity and inclusion and a senior marketing major, stood beside Trahan and helped facilitate ideas for future action.
“There’s forms of explicit bias,” Trahan said. “There’s forms of unconscious bias. We make the effort, no matter who we are, what backgrounds we are, to decide how we will adhere to that or lack of thereof. I believe we can be a model of inclusive excellence. We demonstrated that today, but that’s today. How can we truly build that into the fabric of this institution?”
While students called for there to be on-campus mediation and relaxation events, Casseus emphasized finding closure and thinking about long-term solutions.
“We’re not trying to solve this situation with flowers or dog events in Alumni Grove,” Casseus said. “I think that it’s just abandoning the issue. A lot of people were traumatized and triggered today. How do we address the problem? How do we address these issues across campus and fix them as a campus instead of distracting students with an event? That’s a long-term plan.”
(04/17/18 2:52am)
By Miguel Gonzalez and Alexander Reich
Sports Editor and Staff Writer
The process has entered the next stage in Philadelphia.
After years of tanking, frustration and heartbreak, the Philadelphia 76ers are returning to the NBA playoffs. Unlike the 2012 team that fought hard to secure the eighth seed, the Sixers are rolling through the Eastern Conference with a 16-game winning-streak.
There is no doubt that the Sixers are capable of defeating the sixth-seeded Miami Heat. The question is whether or not Philadelphia can use their elite talent and make a run for the Eastern Conference finals. There has been a ton of hype in the “City of Brotherly Love” all season long, and this is the time when fans should be excited.
This team has gathered tremendous momentum to make a huge splash in the playoffs. Sixers star Ben Simmons has shown head coach Brett Brown his determination for success during the regular season.
He’s now transformed into a young, talented player who can help his teammates strive for greatness. He’s got great footwork and a ton of speed in transition. Even with Joel Embiid being out at the center position and recovering from a broken bone near his left eye, Simmons can successfully lead the Sixers to crucial playoff victories.
Meanwhile, Sixers guard Markelle Fultz has showed why he was the No. 1 draft pick in 2017. Despite analysts questioning his shooting ability, he grinded out and found a way to get playing time. Since then, he’s been a terrific help for the youthful Sixers. In the Sixers’ 130-95 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, April 11, Fultz became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He had a total of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 25 minutes while the Sixers picked up their sixteenth consecutive win.
The Sixers are embracing their motto “Trust The Process” to a whole new level this season. The amount of struggle the Sixers went through is quite a journey to prosperity. Looking back in the past two years, the Sixers never had a consistent roster. Just two years ago, the Sixers recorded an abysmal 10-72 record and were 47 games back from the Eastern Conference leading Cleveland Cavaliers. Sixers fans endured years of blowouts and missed opportunities.
At the other side of the court, the Sixers will need to repel a resurging Miami Heat. The Heat had trouble being consistent during the regular season. The team finished third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record, 15 games behind the Eastern Conference leading Toronto Raptors. The Heat will need to cope under the thriving atmosphere of Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. While the team isn’t as fierce as it used to be, this squad has playmakers who will push the Sixers to their limit.
The two effective playmakers are shooting guard Dwyane Wade and center Hassan Whiteside. Going back to the 2011 playoffs when the Heat faced the Sixers in game one of the opening round, Wade dropped 17 points and five assists. It’s definitely not going to be easy for the Sixers to contain Wade, even with home court advantage. It’s going to be interesting to watch how the Sixers control Wade on the perimeter and in the paint along with Whiteside.
Another player to keep an eye on is point guard Goran Dragic, because he is one of the most impactful players on the Miami Heat right now. He’s going to have to play efficiently and find a ton of open shot opportunities. It’s definitely going to be one heck of a battle to see him play against Simmons, Fultz and shooting guard Marco Belinelli.
The Sixers and the Miami Heat will fight for a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Despite all their momentum and talent, the Sixers will go to work against this Miami Heat squad from tip-off to the final buzzer.
(04/16/18 9:22pm)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
After a clear and crisp day outside, students headed indoors to see the latest global and local fashions at the Black Student Union’s Around the World Fashion Show on Saturday, April 14.
Co-sponsored by the Indian Student Association, Haitian Student Association, Union Latina and the Association of Students For Africa, many outfits, accessories, shoes and hats were dazzling on display.
Marcus Allen, a junior journalism and professional writing major and Zuri Gill, a senior psychology major, hosted the fashion show, hyping up the crowd as they went along.
The show first showcased the fashion of Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is cultural and fashion hub in Nigeria, similar to New York City in the U.S., according to the BSU’s slideshow presentation.
Students from the BSU had the crowd mesmerized as they embraced glossy and vivid dresses. Several males walked across stage with slick swagger and crossed their arms in the trendy “Wakanda Forever” salute from “Black Panther.”
The show then transitioned to the culture of Havana, Cuba. Students from Union Latina sizzled the stage with glaring white tank tops, sharp glasses, red dresses, pinstripe pants and snazzy sundress hats.
Afterward, the show moved to Mumbai, India. According to students of the ISA, Mumbai is a fast-paced, bustling city compared to the many rural communities of India.
With this in mind, the organization showed off colorful dresses, vivid scarves, fabric mats and a sky blue dress.
At intermission, Sarah Bennett, president of Black Student Union and a junior English and elementary education double major, held a raffle for clothes worn at the fashion show.
The fashion show then transitioned to the latest outerwear of Brooklyn, New York. To the tune of Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead”, students revealed messages such as “Follow your fucking dreams” on the back of a shirt. Next came jackets, black sweatpants, white Nike Free Runs, fedora hats and a white rain jacket stating “Fuck Fear” on the back.
The show then headed west to Philadelphia to demonstrate the style of RIVERISWILD LLC, a clothing company with offices in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Students sported colorful streetwear like a red, navy, brown and black long sleeve shirt and yellow pants. The long sleeves had the company’s logo sitting vertical at the right.
Last but not least, the show highlighted the styles on the street of Trenton, New Jersey. With the DJ bumping Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy,”, students walked across the stage displaying iconic sports and band names on their clothing. Some of the sportswear included a Michael Jordan Chicago White Sox jersey, an Allan Houston New York Knicks jersey and a Chicago Bulls shirt showcasing the Bulls’ 1996 trio of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
Students also paid homage to musicians like Notorious B.I.G., Pink Floyd and AC/DC. Among others, a few students wore Tommy Hilfiger athletic wear, camo jeans, black shirts and Air Jordan I sneakers.
“It was cool to have something to do for the weekend,” said Melissa Synsmir-Zizzamia, a junior chemistry major and fashion show participant. “I never have walked in a fashion show before. Honestly, this was the only reason why I stayed home this weekend. We even did a photoshoot which made all of us super pumped and meeting all the different designers was very cool as well.”
(04/10/18 5:23am)
By Miguel Gonzalez
Sports Editor
In its only doubleheader of the week, the softball team cracked plenty of hits.
The Lions defeated Rutgers-University Camden twice in 11-1 and 9-1 victories in Camden, New Jersey on Thursday, April 5.
With a strong pitching performance from freshman Alanna Namit, the Lions cruised by Rutgers in the first game. With second and third base occupied at the top of the third inning, freshman infielder Lauren Conroy hit a single to center field to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
The Lions’ bats then flourished at the top of the fourth inning. Junior outfielder Gaby Bennett started off with a single past second base and allowed freshman outfielder Katie Winchock to cross home plate.
Afterward, the team successfully loaded the bases and scored four runs off a walk from senior outfielder Madison Levine and a bases-clearing double by Conroy. Rutgers-Camden’s only run came in the bottom of the fifth, when Namit walked a batter with the bases loaded. Despite the walk, Namit struck out six batters and only allowed one hit.
Once the Lions transitioned to freshman pitcher Elizabeth Sweet, they added more runs to seal the 11-1 victory. At the top of the sixth, sophomore infielder Megan Mayernik took advantage of the opponent’s shaky infield defense and reached third base off a throwing error. In the next at-bat, Levine hit a long drive to right field to send Mayernik home.
Up 8-1, the Lions were not yet finished. Freshman outfielder Kaitlin Kocinski smacked a double to left field and scored two players.
The team was equally as dominant in the second match as senior pitcher Sam Platt only allowed one hit and one run. Kocinski got the Lions on the scoreboard at the top of the second inning when she blasted a home run over center field.
Rutgers-Camden countered in the next inning when a runner rushed to home plate off a wild pitch. With the game tied at one in the bottom of third, the Lions quickly got into scoring position with runners on second and third. Junior outfielder Gaby Bennett contributed two runs when she cranked a long drive to right field.
The Lions piled in more runs in the top of the fourth. With Conroy on second and Levine on third, Kocinski hit a pop up that Rutgers-Camden failed to catch, allowing Conroy and Levine to sprint through the bases to put the Lions ahead, 5-1.
Bennett later padded the Lions’ lead with an RBI double, and sophomore outfielder Helena Coppola blasted a two-run home run. In the midst, Platt recorded a whopping 11 ground outs.
Junior infielder Francesca Pugliese was impressed by the team’s pitching all around.
“Platt and Namit were great,” Pugliese said. “They were really strong and they know how to adjust to the umpire’s strike zones. Liz always comes in to finish out the win.”
The Lions look to continue their undefeated start in the New Jersey Athletic Conference when they play a doubleheader against Ramapo College on Saturday, April 14. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Dr. June Walker Field.