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(04/08/14 5:20pm)
Approximately 900,000 people in New Jersey don't have health insurance, according to Alescia Teel, the communications lead for the New Jersey chapter of Enroll America.
“That is a big number of people, and our focus is trying to reach as many as those 900,000 people as we can and help them get educated,” Teel said.
Researchers and educators from different nonprofit organizations across the country have been working to communicate with millions of uninsured Americans and inform them on the Affordable Care Act, the country’s new healthcare reform law. Enroll America, a national nonpartisan organization, has been extending its services to young adults and students, since they can be covered by the law.
Representatives of New Jersey’s chapter have visited institutions including Union County College, Camden County College, Montclair State University and TCNJ. They have spread their message to other public places as well.
“We’ve been at bus stops, Laundromats, churches, synagogues, food stores … Our mission is to bring information to people where they are,” Teel said. While the Affordable Care Act presents benefits to adults who enroll for insurance, it also presents benefits to children and young adults, including students of the College. For instance, young adults can be insured under their parents’ health plan until they are 26. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, insurance companies could once remove children from their plan when they turned 19.
Children covered under their parents’ plan can also have a pre-existing condition now. According to the ACA, health plans can no longer deny benefits or coverage for a child younger than age 19 because of a health problem he or she developed before joining the plan, a core motivation for passing the ACA in 2009.
Sophomore political science major Symone Yancey is signed up under her parents’ health plan, and she is very satisfied with it.
“It is nice to know that I am taken care of in that respect through law school,” Yancey said. “It lets me focus on other things, like my grades.”
According to sophomore accounting major Julie Ciak, 26 may be a little too old for someone to be covered under their parents’ plan.
“I can’t say I am aware of the specific ramifications for insurance companies, healthcare and the economy regarding this change,” said Ciak, who is also enrolled under her parents’ plan. “But 26 offhand seems very old to me, compared to something more reasonable, such as 23, for students who may just be obtaining full-time jobs.”
What about those students, though, who are not insured under their parents’ health plan? They can enroll for their own health insurance, according to the ACA. Half of adults ages 18 to 34 who are eligible to purchase insurance on the marketplace could get covered for $50 a month or less, which is less than what students pay for their phone bill or even gas.
Even students who just graduated from an institution and are not committed to an employer can be insured.
“If you’re a freelance writer, you can be covered,” Teel said. “In the past, you didn’t have that ability.”
Junior political science major Nick Simonelli said that while the monthly premiums would be low, a trip to the doctor’s office could be costly as a result.
“I think this low fee sounds like a great idea, but it might increase out-of-pocket costs and co-pays,” Simonelli said. “However, it’s still better than paying the mandatory fee for people who choose not to purchase health insurance.”
While the March 31 deadline of enrolling for insurance has passed, students will have another opportunity in November to enroll for 2015. They can also enroll by visiting healthcare.gov or by dialing a toll-free number that will direct them to the Health Insurance Marketplace.
However, if students are not insured under their parents or do not have student health insurance with the College, they would have to pay a fee each month they are without insurance.
For this reason, Teel and representatives of Enroll America are reaching out to students in multiple ways to inform them on the ACA. Students are able to follow the organization on Twitter at GetCoveredNJ or GetCoveredUS, as well as other social networks. According to Teel, celebrities are also pushing for young adults to enroll through their Twitter handles.
“T.I., Mindy Kaling, Janelle Monae and other huge names are giving their voice and emphasizing the importance of ACA and why it matters for young people,” she said.
According to Yancey, the negative opinions people have about the healthcare law hinder them from taking an in-depth look at it.
“I definitely think that more people should be aware, because ignorance is one of the biggest reasons people oppose ObamaCare,” Yancey said. “You can’t support what you don’t understand or even bother to think about.”
Teel said that it’s important for young adults to think ahead when it comes to considering health insurance.
“Everyone needs healthcare because anyone can have an accident,” Teel said. “If you have a broken arm and are uninsured, it could cost you $7,000 in the emergency room. We all have to get started somewhere.”
(03/18/14 3:13pm)
With no trace of zombies left, students of the College can finally breathe again and continue their academic endeavors.
TCNJ Manhunt hosted “Humans vs. Zombies” from Monday, Feb. 24, at 12 a.m. to Friday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 p.m. Played once or twice a semester, the game starts with one zombie whose objective is to tag as many humans as possible so they turn into zombies. The last human standing wins the game.
“The game has been around for about four years,” president of TCNJ Manhunt and junior history and secondary education dual major Jonathan Vanderhoof said.
The humans don’t have to just avoid the zombies, though, in order to survive. They can also temporarily stun the zombies, using Nerf swords, Nerf guns or sock balls. Players who are zombies are forbidden from playing the game for 15 minutes after they have been stunned. Players can only tag each other inside the College’s residence halls and anywhere outside, but only on campus.
According to Vanderhoof, the latest game of “Humans vs. Zombies” was a huge success.
“I know I had a blast playing it this time around,” he said. “Those that played had an amazing time, and we had no major issues with the campus community that we have to adapt to.”
This game in particular was played a little differently than past games. It started off with a few veteran players who volunteered to be zombies, thus making it a little more difficult for the humans to avoid them. Nonetheless, the humans gave it their all and eight of them advanced to the finale after working together.
“Both the humans and the zombies were really enthusiastic and creative this past game,” Vanderhoof said.
Sophomore communication studies major Jared Sokoloff managed to stay in the game until the finale, which was his favorite part. The finale took place in the woods behind Lake Ceva, which was covered in ice and branches. Nothing but darkness filled the sky.
“I love challenges like that,” Sokoloff said. “None of the humans thought they’d survive that part, but a few others and I made it through. The game was a lot of fun.”
This is not the only fun that TCNJ Manhunt has, though. The club also meets every Friday night and some Wednesday afternoons to play various outdoor games, including “Capture the Flag” and “Manhunt.” According to Vanderhoof, TCNJ Manhunt assembles “a unique group of students.”
“What makes this club from year to year great are the people that come out and play,” he said. “We do have a large consistent group that comes every week to play.”
Vanderhoof expects the club to grow exponentially, and he hopes to someday make connections with other colleges and universities that play “Manhunt.” For now, though, his eyes are set on “Humans vs. Zombies” and the spring weather that is to come.
“We will be having a second game once it gets warmer,” he said.
(03/18/14 5:00am)
The province of Crimea recently voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, according to The New York Times and Time.
In a public referendum carried by the province on Sunday, March 16, approximately 95 percent of Crimean voters expressed interest in leaving Ukraine and becoming a part of Russia. According to Time, Russian warships circled Crimea during the vote, claiming to protect the predominantly Russian peninsula from Ukrainian troops.
Western leaders, including President Barack Obama, expressed disappointment in Crimea’s referendum, according to The New York Times.
“The referendum in Crimea was a clear violation of Ukrainian constitutions and international law, and it will not be recognized by the international community,” President Obama said in a statement provided by the White House on Monday, March 17.
President Obama also mentioned that he would impose more sanctions on Russia should the country choose to annex Crimea or even continue its military interference in Ukraine. Time reported that White House press secretary Jay Carney believed that the annexation of Russia destroys Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence that it declared back in 1991.
“This referendum is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law,” Carney said, according to Time.
Ukrainian officials and citizens are not too thrilled about Crimea’s referendum, as one might expect. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called the peninsula’s overwhelming vote “a circus performance,” Time reported.
“Military intervention and violation of international law will bring increasing costs for Russia — not only due to measures imposed by the United States and our allies but also as a direct result of Russia’s own destabilizing actions,” Yatsenuyk said.
According to The New York Times, President Obama said that he will partner with Congress to support Ukraine economically and improve their security. In the meantime, though, Western leaders and Ukraine wait for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s decision.
(02/25/14 8:37pm)
When it comes to raising money for all kinds of charities, you can count on students at the College to get on board.
Seven students were recently chosen to be campus representatives for Serengetee, a clothing company founded in 2012 that donates proceeds to 32 nonprofit organizations from all over the world. The representatives promote the company by sharing posts and pictures of garments from Serengetee’s social media pages, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Local artisans from all over the world donate their fabrics to Serengetee. Fashion designers from the company create pocket T-shirts, incorporating the fabrics into the shirts. Each shirt with the specific fabric represents a charitable cause.
For example, a local artisan from Indonesia donated the Gili fabric. Proceeds that are made from selling T-shirts that incorporate the Gili fabric are sent to the Bebali foundation, which helps weavers who live in underdeveloped villages turn their crafts into desperately needed income. Poland’s fabric, Krakow, represents Polish Gift of Life, which is an organization that raises funds to help support children with heart defects.
“I’ve personally bought multiple fabric from Soles 4 Souls,” mass communications and public relations major Ashley Reed said. “This is a company that provides shoes to people in need.”
Reed is excited to be a campus representative for Serengetee.
“It was founded independently by students, actually, which is why I think Serengetee is awesome,” Reed said. “It was founded right out of their dorm rooms.”
Jeff Steitz, founder and CEO of Serengetee and graduate of Claremont McKenna College, decided to start Serengetee while studying abroad. He and his partner Ryan Westberg of the University of Arizona toured 15 markets around the globe and brought home authentic fabrics.
They spread the word out to different college campuses across the company, including the College, and encouraged students to join the company so they could help promote it.
“My roommate was a representative last semester, and another Kappa Delta was a representative,” sophomore biology major Natalia Zak said. “I just saw it last-minute and applied. And I got it, which was awesome.”
Zak added that the Serengetee is encouraging campus representatives to promote the company in a larger scale.
“I might do something with Kappa Delta and see if I can get a bunch of Kappa Deltas involved,” she said. “All of us (representatives) are trying to do a bigger project together to make it well-known on campus.”
From Serengetee’s progress, one can assume that the College’s representatives will have no trouble getting its fellow peers on board to promote the company. It has already made $4,000 from this month alone and over $52,000 in total donations. Over 173,000 people support the company through social media.
“That’s why I like this company,” Zak said. “A lot of the times, companies don’t tell you where the proceeds are going. But with Serengetee, it shows you exactly where it’s going, exactly how much they’re making and how much they’re giving out.”
Reed is proud to be one of those supporters who is giving to those in need.
“Knowing that by buying these products I can support young entrepreneurs, local communities and charities is a really great feeling,” she said. “Everyone I’ve worked with at Serengetee is incredibly devoted and enthusiastic, which also contributes to the positive work environment.”
(01/22/14 8:46pm)
The College’s Alternative Break Club kicked off the new year by putting more pieces of New Orleans back together after Hurricane Katrina shattered the city almost nine years ago.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, over 100 students from the club traveled to Louisiana to help “Project Homecoming,” a nonprofit organization in New Orleans, rebuild homes in the city that were destroyed because of the natural disaster in 2005.
“The group did everything from finalizing and painting homes that are almost completed to starting construction and demolition on new projects for Project Homecoming,” junior graphic design major and ABC treasurer Jeremy Nevitt said.
Alumnus Michael Strom founded ABC in November of 2008. Before he graduated from the College in 2009, Strom organized seven trips to “The Big Easy” with the help of the Bonner Center and the Phi Alpha Delta fraternity.
While New Orleans was no longer in the news years after the disaster, Strom knew the city was still desperate, which is the reason he decided to organize the trips.
“After each trip, I would receive many messages from people who were interested in me planning another trip for them to participate in,” Strom said. "At that point it seemed certain that a club should be formed.”
For five years, members of ABC have traveled across the country to work on numerous projects. In addition to visiting New Orleans multiple times, they also traveled to West Virginia in the spring of 2012 to work on building and repairing homes for the homeless.
“This was important to the club because we wanted to ensure that our efforts were felt in more than one place,” alumna and former ABC president Katie Gallagher said.
Fundraising is what makes ABC’s trips possible, according to Nevitt. The members participate in canning at local businesses and hosting fundraisers at restaurants, and the proceeds help cover three meals a day for the members during their trips, as well as lodging and gas for transportation. ABC’s largest fundraiser takes place every fall at Terhune Orchards in Princeton, in which they volunteer for the farm and help with its fall activities.
This year’s trip to New Orleans was junior sociology major Kaitlin West’s first trip with ABC. She assisted others in rebuilding a house on Annunciation Street for a grandmother of seven. Four of them will be living with her in the new house, according to West.
The most “eye-opening” part of West’s experience, she said, was looking inside of the devastated houses that were in shambles and seeing belongings that still remained — almost nine years after the hurricane struck.
“There were toys, clothing, shoes … everything imaginable,” West said. “It made me realize that this city will never go back to the way it was without the help of volunteers.”
Senior statistics major Matt Rusay assisted in painting the interior of a home, as well as breaking concrete and leveling the ground in its backyard.
“It was an amazing experience,” Rusay said. “You didn’t realize how much help the city needs even eight and a half years later.”
But there’s also a token of reflection given to the volunteers after their exposure to a forgotten reality.
“There’s a gratitude taken from the trip after meeting people who have lost everything and can be so grateful for the small imprint we put in their lives from our one week of helping,” Nevitt said.
Later this year, ABC is looking to help rebuild the Jersey Shore every month with the Bonner Center and Here for Home, as they have done in the past. They will travel to New Orleans again this spring and summer, and in 2015 they will plan a trip to Central Florida to house kids with various disabilities.
Founder Michael Strom is pleased with ABC’s progress and continuous efforts to reach out to the less-fortunate all over the country.
“It is a testament to the will of the members and the enormous benefits that come through these service programs that the club has endured and continues to grow year after year,” Strom said. “I could not be more proud of them.”
(12/03/13 7:22pm)
It’s important to take initiatives to help those who are in need of food and a home, especially since the rate of poverty in the nation keeps growing. The College’s Theta Phi Alpha sorority recognized that by adopting its first annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
From Monday, Nov. 18 through Thursday, Nov. 21, Theta Phi Alpha joined the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) to help feed people in Trenton who are struggling to pay rent by providing food for their families. After students at the College bought baked goods and donated canned goods and toiletries throughout the week, the sorority brought all of its donations to TASK.
“Our philanthropy is dedicated to helping the hungry and the homeless,” said junior communication studies major and chair of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week Regina Yorkigitis. “We’ve been involved in TASK as a sorority for a while and volunteer occasionally, so we wanted to put a lot of time into this.”
The community relations development specialist of TASK, J Steinhauer, visited the College on Thursday, Nov. 21 to cap off the awareness week and talk about the nonprofit organization’s functions. Monday through Friday, the Soup Kitchen has a dozen cooks who serve two meals per day to the hungry in Trenton, and anyone is welcome to come in and volunteer.
“We have well-balanced meals that are USDA-approved,” Steinhauer said. “They include a starch, salad, protein and dessert. We have a milk option in the morning and then we have juice.”
Steinhauer added that the TASK relies heavily on donations. Sixty percent of their funding comes from individuals from Trenton and other towns, and the rest comes from government organizations, religious organizations, foundations and corporations. The $2.3 million organization served 209,900 meals last year — the highest number of meals they have ever served.
In addition to providing meals for the hungry, TASK also has an adult education program. The program teaches computer classes that consist of résumé writing and job training. It also teaches high school subjects to those who haven’t had the opportunity to receive their high school diplomas.
“This year, we celebrated 21 students who received their GED through the program,” Steinhauer said. “That’s an unbelievable accomplishment, especially when the GED test is a lot harder than getting your high school diploma.”
The Soup Kitchen also has a performing arts program. They have a music group called “The FunkTASKtics” and a poetry group called the “Share Project.” These groups perform Mondays and Thursdays. Steinhauer explained that TASK implements these programs to present opportunities to people who don’t normally have them — the people of Trenton.
“You have Princetion, Lawrenceville, Pennington … all these places with all this stuff happening around Trenton,” Steinhauer said. “And then you have this poverty-stricken area right in the center of all this wealth. How does this happen?”
According to Steinhauer, Trenton’s per-capita income is $17,000 and Mercer County’s income is $116,000, so it’s quite difficult to understand such drastic economic differences of Trenton and the towns that surround it. But according to Steinhauer, there is one way to help Trenton by simply becoming more aware of its problems. He acknowledged that it’s because of the efforts of Theta Phi Alpha and other organizations on campus that TASK is able to donate hundreds of thousands of forks, knives and spoons, as well as bagged lunches for kids to take to school.
“It’s important to carry some of this awareness with you and know that people are going through serious situations right down the road,” he said.
(11/19/13 5:56pm)
While many can’t say they have traveled to another country, students at the College can say that countries from all over the world came to them.
Residential Education and Housing presented “Trip Around the World” on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the Brower Student Center. Co-sponsored by the Black Student Union, the International House and the Center for Global Engagement, the cultural show gave students at the College a taste of all of the different cultures on campus.
The TCNJ Hellenic Society showcased its Baklava — a rich pastry filled with chopped nuts and a syrupy sauce. Members of the student organization performed a dance for everyone, wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders and kicking their legs in sync. It was quite the spectacle.
My second stop was Australia, and after failing to figure out the names of the states, I decided to try their bread with vegemite, a yeast spread. It was very salty, but nonetheless, it was great. After getting my passport stamped, I traveled to Italy. The TCNJ Italian Club presented rainbow cake, assorted cookies and wafers with powdered sugar.
“When you think of Italy, you think of really good food,” said Morgan Giaimo, sophomore nursing major and secretary of the Italian Club. “You think of lots of pasta, desserts, pizza … It’s just a really family-oriented setting.”
Next, I traveled to Brazil, which featured different types of chocolates and tea. The visit was short, but sweet. The South American area was my next stop, and Union Latina showcased its Tres Leches cake, made of three different types of milk. It was very moist, but refreshing.
Junior accounting major and treasurer of Union Latina Rhina Brito said that the student organization wanted to let everyone know how diverse the Spanish culture is.
“We all have different cultures, different types of dances and different types of foods,” she said.
“Our motto is ‘United We Are Stronger,’” said Katrina Calderon, sophomore health and exercise science major and secretary of Union Latina. “We truly believe that it’s important to not just unite the Hispanic and Latino organizations, but everyone else as well, to give people knowledge of our culture.”
I got my passport stamped, and then I traveled to my next destination — the Philippines. TCNJ Barkada performed a dance that featured large bamboo sticks and impressive eye-foot coordination.
“It’s the Tinikling dance,” said Angelica Teneglics, sophomore psychology major and public relations manager of Barkada. “It’s basically the dance of the tikling bird and the bird dances between bamboo traps that are set by rice farmers in the Philippines.”
Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Inc. gave me a taste of the African-American culture with its pumpkin pie and apple cobbler, which was my last sampling of the night. My final stop was Asia, where the Chinese Student Association performed a dance that featured impressive costumes and masks.
“They were all handmade and brought from Taiwan,” Mandarin Chinese professor Celia Liu said. “The masks are lions, and in ancient times, we thought that (the lion) was a lucky animal that could scare away the devil and bring in good luck.”
Director of the International House Curtis Chan said that in years past the event was a program only done in the residence hall. But he decided to shake things up a bit.
“We thought that it might be good to reach out to all student organizations,” Chan said. “This is a good opportunity to show them that we also do programs and care about (multicultural students) outside the residence halls.”
Michael Evans, junior marketing major and vice president of the Black Student Union, said that BSU hosted a type of event like this in years past, called “Thanksgiving Remix.” But this year, the organization worked together with Residential Education and Housing to advertise the program on a larger scale.
“I really appreciate TCNJ for organizing an event like this,” said Amy Chen, junior English major and member of Taiko, which also performed for the event. “I think it’s really good for us to have more events and opportunities like this where you can be exposed to different cultures, especially the ones that you often forget about.”
“It’s really cool,” junior biology major Lesley Wu said. “It brings a lot of people together and you get all these different flavors of each culture.”