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(03/05/13 5:11pm)
Student Government announced upcoming events, visits and meetings at their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
Three clubs will be attending the next SG meeting in hopes of being recognized. Soka Gakkai International will be the first Buddhist organization on campus, if it is approved next week, according to SG. TCNJ F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and TCNJ JIVA, an Indian dance club, are the two other student organizations looking to be officially recognized.
At an upcoming SG meeting, a Barnes & Noble presentation will be given, updating the SG body on Campus Town plans.
Matthew Wells, alternate student trustee, gave a brief update on what occurred at the Board of Trustees meeting last week.
“The Board of Trustees applied for basically six different resolutions passing for the application of funding the new STEM building, accet renewal projects, science building renovations, Armstrong Hall renovations, IT technology infrastructure, as well as academic equipment,” Wells said.
In addition to plans for funding with the Board of Trustees, Wells announced that the College is set to enter a 15-year contract with Sodexo, Inc. SG is looking forward to the opportunities for renovation projects on campus with Sodexo, according to Wells.
SG attended the vice president of Students Affairs search and kept their SG general body meeting brief.
(02/26/13 5:37pm)
Campus Police responded to a report of assault on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 1:05 a.m. in Phelps Hall. According to police, the victim was in his dorm when someone knocked loudly on his door. He opened the door, and the suspect yelled, “You’re the fucking guys that were talking shit through the window!” He then preceded to swing both his fists in the victim’s face. The victim said the suspect appeared to be intoxicated and missed striking his face.
Attempting to close the door, the suspect grabbed the victim’s left shoulder. The victim then kicked the suspect’s legs and closed the door shut. When closing the door, the victim struck his head on the metal door frame, causing minor bleeding.
Desk attendants said they did not see anyone matching the description of the suspect, who was said to be a white male about 5’11” and 235 lbs.
Neither the victim nor the witness could identify the suspect and did not know if he was a student at the College. The witness said he appeared intoxicated and had a large tear on the inseam of his jeans.
Lions’ EMS arrived and evaluated the student. He refused to go to the hospital. There is no further information on the case.
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A blue Vera Bradley satchel was reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 17. A student evacuated her room for a fire drill in Wolfe Hall at 6 p.m. and returned to her room around 10 p.m. Police said she then noticed her satchel containing her passport, black wallet, student ID, EOS pink lip balm, Visa debit card, non-driver’s license and $45 were missing. The missing property was valued at $154. There are no suspects in the case.
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A possible break-in was reported on Monday, Feb. 18 at 8:15 a.m. The area secretary of the Allen Hall Area Office Room 110 arrived at the office and saw the 5x7” glass panel of the office door shattered, with glass spreading across the surrounding area. According to reports, the door was locked and nothing was missing from the office. There are no suspects.
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Two students left their laptops unattended on the second floor of the Library on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. to go to Eickhoff. According to reports, when they returned an hour later, the Apple MacBook Pro and Dell 17” Inspiron were missing. They reported the theft to Campus Police and searched the area with negative results. Police watched the camera footage at the Library, but noticed no suspicious activity. The stolen property was valued at $2,420.
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A black Nike windbreaker containing a white iPhone 4S with a black Otter Box case was taken from the Brower Student Center. The student told police he left the jacket on a chair by the pool table around 9:30 p.m. and when he went to retrieve it at 11 p.m., it was gone. He searched the area and contacted Verizon to have his service disconnected. The property was valued at $365.
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A student left his black Rayban sunglasses on a coffee table on the first floor lounge of Townhouses South Unit 6 on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 3 a.m. When he returned to retrieve them at noon, they were not there. He searched the area with negative results. The glasses were valued at $100.
(02/26/13 5:00pm)
Christina Kopka, Student Government president, gave the State of the Campus Address on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the weekly SG meeting.
Kopka opened with a clear intention for her speech, “to clarify a vision for the future so that the legacy of our work will continue on for years to come,” and continued by listing several achievements the College has earned in
The College has been recognized by the U.S. News World Report as the number one public college in the northern region and Kiplinger’s once again ranked the College as the state’s Best Value Public College. The College has also been recognized for the students’ dedication to service by the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor roll.
“These accolades should come as no surprise to us, as it is the hard work of our students, faculty and staff as well as the strength of our community that has earned us such recognition,” Kopka said.
Kopka noted new staff members who were welcomed to the College community in the past year. The Cabinet of Student Advisors and the Community Engagement Internship program were implemented under the leadership of Vicky Triponey, interim vice president for Student Affairs.
With the direction of Susan Bakewell-Sachs, the interim vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, the College has “moved forward on the strategic planning process … This planning is critical to the future of our institution,” Kopka said.
Jackie Taylor will be joining the College as the new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, having previously served as the associate vice president for Academic Affairs and the associate dean of Graduate Studies in liberal arts and sciences at DePaul University in Chicago.
Kopka updated SG on the advancements in construction projects around campus.
Campus Town is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2014, while Cromwell Hall will be reopened for students this year. Kopka stated that Centennial Hall is also in need of renovations. The Building Our Futures Bond referendum granted approximately $22-26 million to the College for academic building construction.
“TCNJ will be utilizing these funds to replace Holman Hall with a state of the art STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) facility, which will give TCNJ students the competitive edge they need to excel in the constantly changing world of science and technology.”
Kopka additionally addressed issues at the College regarding space for the growing student body. She said resolving this problem is a priority for SG.
“As a student body, we have outgrown our Student Center, the lounge spaces in our residences halls and the Recreation Center, and no student should have to forgo an opportunity to plan an event or skip a workout due to a lack of the right space,” Kopka said.
Here for Home, the College’s effort to aid in Hurricane Sandy relief, raised over $5,000; over 220 volunteers dedicated 1,300 hours in service and donated 4,500 pounds of food to Sandy victims, Kopka announced.
“We will continue to serve our neighbors at the shore with bus trips to the areas still recovering and we stand in support of all those who are rebuilding their lives,” Kopka said.
Kopka addressed the success of the individual SG committees. The Committee on Advancement has worked toward improving the relationship between the College and Ewing community.
Adam Bonnano joined SG this semester as their vice president for Academic Affairs and is working on promoting the use of on-campus resources through the Norm Campaign.
The Committee for Governmental Affairs worked on the Election Awareness initiative and the Building Our Futures referendum in the fall.
“We must continually commit ourselves to facing the challenges that lie ahead with action and ardency, never forgetting the purpose of our work. In this way, we will trans
(02/19/13 5:41pm)
While some residents in Ewing may have their grievances with rowdy party-goers at the College, local businesses see the student population as an asset when it comes to the economic boost and acts of volunteerism the College brings to the area.
“From a business perspective, I never heard anybody complain about TCNJ,” said Nicol Nicola, economic policy specialist for the Mid Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
The College employes over 900 people, she said, in professors, maintenance workers, etc. The direct economic impact the College has on Ewing involves the people it employs and the approximately 6,000 students it brings in, living in the area and paying tuition. The indirect impact is that these people that the College brings in become consumers in the area.
Due to the housing situation this year, approximately 100 students resided in two Ewing hotels. As a town that is not a tourist attraction, Nicola said, the hotels benefited from the College in this aspect.
Students and College employees eat in Ewing restaurants, fill their tanks in Ewing, shop in local pharmacies, and commuters even stop in the Dunkin’ Donuts in Ewing for their morning caffeine fix.
Mamma Flora’s Trattoria owner, Gary, said his restaurant sees “probably a 20 to 25 percent boost when the College is in session.” Mamma Flora’s is just one of the restaurants in Ewing which sees the College as a positive asset to the town. Gary said he is sure it benefits the whole economy of the area.
Not only is the College beneficial to the local area, according to the owner, but he said he has had positive encounters with College students 99.9 percent of the time. Like any restaurant, he has had to deal with a “few unruly kids,” but he is proud to be able to give back to the College through fundraisers and other events.
The town, according to Nicola, is trying to bring even more revenue to Ewing. Through current projects, such as Campus Town and the reconstruction of the GM site, the town hopes to deter students from going outside Ewing for shopping and spending. They hope to establish a better reputation for Ewing, as well as associate the College’s name and reputation with Ewing, like in Princeton.
College students can been seen as assets to the local economy, in addition to their non-profit work. Student organizations such as the Bonner Center and the co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, volunteer in Ewing often.
Each member of APO is required to perform at least 20 hours of community service per semester. While the sites for their community service are not exclusive to Ewing, groups from the fraternity volunteer once a week at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank and the Ewing Animal Shelter Extension League. In February, APO accepted an award for the large amount of food donations from the College in 2012.
However, it is not just the required hours that keep volunteers going back to lend a hand.
“Students who volunteer at one of our many weekly projects in Ewing keep going back every single week because they truly enjoy giving back to the town of Ewing and knowing that they are making a difference,” said Danielle Mignella, vice president of service. “It is important to show the community that we care about them.”
The Bonner Center has also been collaborating with Ewing on town projects.
“At present, we are working with Ewing’s Green Team to help them complete actions and become certified with Sustainable Jersey,” said Heather Camp, senior program director for CEL II & special initiatives.
In addition to volunteering with the Green Team, the Bonner Center organizes Community Engaged Learning Day in and outside of Ewing.
“Hopefully our relationship will continue and expand as there are many more ways we hope to work together in the future,” Camp said.
(02/19/13 5:00pm)
The State of the Campus Address, originally planned to be held at the Student Government meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13, was postponed. SG president Christina Kopka is now expected to give the State of the Campus Address on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the SG meeting.
Although several organizations were announced as derecognized by SG last week, two organizations have reached out to SG so far in an attempt to become reinstated as student organizations. Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society, and Students for Disabilities Awareness, plan to present themselves to SG next week.
“We are looking forward to hopefully reinstating them,” said Devin Dimmig, vice president for governmental affairs.
Annie Montero, executive vice president for student services, announced updates for the mile marker templates for the loop going around campus. She invited SG members to design potential templates for the project.
Finals Fest planning has begun and the committee is looking to add new events to this year’s program.
SG Equity and Diversity will be bringing LINK to campus on Thursday, March 7 at 8.30 p.m. The speakers will discuss the political situations in North Korea.
SG announced additional activities preceding the Relay for Life event, including paint the campus purple week, an open mic night and a zumbathon.
(02/12/13 5:46pm)
Student Government announced that planning for the third annual Funival, a campus carnival, is well underway at their weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The event is set to take place on May 3, the Friday after classes end, and is co-sponsored by SG, the Student Finance Board and the College Union Board.
Last Tuesday, Feb. 5, students and town members alike, attended the Town Gown meeting, where concerns pertaining to campus/Ewing relations were expressed.
“When they saw students there, I think it really did make the impact on how they reacted to what we presented,” said SG president Christina Kopka.
Kopka mentioned concerns that Ewing Township and its residents expressed, such as smashed mailboxes, excessive noise and stolen street signs. For each street sign that goes missing, the town must pay $300 to replace it, and $150 for every stop sign. Kopka reported that the town is up to almost $20,000 in damages from sign replacements alone and will most likely be attaching GPS tracking chips to each sign in town so they will be able to locate signs if stolen.
“Overall, it was a really positive meeting,” Kopka said. “I think we moved forward and are starting to patch relationships between the residents and ourselves.”
The next Town Gown meeting will be held in April.
There was a deadline last semester for student organizations to register with Student Activities. Devin Dimmig, vice president of governmental affairs, announced some clubs, such as Bonner Volunteers, the Engineering Honors Society and Russian Club, that will be derecognized by SG. These clubs can become recognized again by SG by going through the same process that new clubs do.
Class council informed SG members of fundraising efforts for their classes. The junior class reported the success of their blood drive, where over 50 people donated blood.
In this coming week, class of 2014 tank tops will be coming in, which say “So College” on the front and “of New Jersey” on the back. The juniors will also be co-sponsoring the career fair on Feb. 22.
The sophomore class announced they have selected all 12 contestants for the Mr. 2015 contest and advertising for the event will be coming soon.
(02/12/13 5:17pm)
Campus police were called to Norsworthy Hall on Saturday, Feb. 9 around 2:25 a.m. Two community advisors said there was an intoxicated student in the men’s restroom on the first floor. When police approached the student, they said he was sitting on the floor next to a toilet. The student said he pregamed with three shots of strawberry vodka in a dorm room before heading to an off campus party where he consumed five cups of jungle juice and a cup of beer. According to reports, the student was alert and conscious, but smelled of alcohol. Lions’ EMS arrived and evaluated the student. He was issued a summons.
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A student reported to campus police that $256 was taken from his wallet on Thursday, Feb. 7 between 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The student said he was in a Packer Hall locker room around noon and later realized his wallet was missing. According to reports, the student went back to the locker room to look for the wallet, and found it lying on the floor with the money missing. Nothing else was missing from the wallet. Police checked the surrounding area with negative results. There are no suspects in the case.
(02/05/13 7:06pm)
Before the Trentones came back from winter break, they spent three full days singing, dancing and rehearsing their song set for the quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Over the past two weeks, they practiced three times a week. They usually have more time to prepare, said Danielle Bellomo, senior accounting major and Trentones president. Apparently this year, however, the limited amount oftimewasenough.
“The closest we’ve ever come in the five years we have been competing in the ICCAs was my freshman year we got third place,” Bellomo said.
The Trentones were founded in 2002, and up until the Quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 2, they had never made it to the Semifinals. The competition was at Rutgers University and consisted of 10 a cappella groups, including the Trentones.
The Trentones showcased a dramatic set, consisting of clapping, falling to the stage and stomping, which created an intense plot along with the music, according to The A Cappella Blog.
The Trentones began with a mashup of “Some Nights” by fun. and “Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel, continued with “Slow Me Down” by Emmy Rossum and finished the set with “Bottom of the River” by Delta Rae.
Dylan Lloyd, senior music education major and music director for the Trentones, arranged the pieces and is looking into changing up the set for the semifinals. Lloyd said he intends to keep the first and last songs in the set, but will replace “Slow Me Down.”
“I don’t think that song is going to cut it for the semifinals,” Lloyd said. “I’m going to make an arrangement of Skyfall from the soundtrack of the newest James Bond movie, which Adele sings.”
Demetrios Frangos, sophomore nursing major and Trentones a cappella singer, thought that they would impress the judges, but did not want to get their hopes up.
“We put together a pretty cool set and I guess they liked it,” Frangos said.
Although they were intimidated listening to the other groups during the performance, they pulled through, never scoring less than an eight out of 10 or a four out of five.
“We lost it!” Frangos said, describing how they felt when they found out they were moving on to the next round.
“I can say there was overwhelming jumping and screaming on the stage,” Bellomo said. “We didn’t even know who won first because we were so distracted by the fact they said our names.”
(02/05/13 5:34pm)
A theft was reported to Campus Police on Tuesday, Jan. 29 around 4 p.m. Residents from a Decker suite said they left their dorm room locked when they left for winter break on Friday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. When they returned on Monday, Jan. 21 at 1:30 p.m., the three residents noticed items missing from their rooms. According to reports, a blue iPod touch, which was left on the bathroom counter, was reported missing from one student, while the other two students reported that a black Keurig coffee maker and a white surge protector were missing as well. The missing items are valued at $330. There was no suspicious person or activity reported.
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Four students were reported to Campus Police for pushing the Decker Hall lobby counter around on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 3:15 a.m. When police arrived at Decker Hall and approached the students, they reported that the students smelled like alcohol and said they were drinking earlier. All of the students were under 21, but were drinking beer at off-campus parties. The students each drank between three and 10 beers, they said. Police noted that the students were polite to the officers. The students were issued a summons for underage drinking.
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Campus Police were dispatched to Eickhoff Hall on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m. due to an intoxicated student. According to reports, the student was sitting in a chair in the Eickhoff Hall office. The student’s clothes were disheveled, his shoes were not all the way on his feet and his face was red and his eyes bloodshot. “I have been drinking beer since 12 this morning,” the student told police.
Police said he smelled like alcohol and was drinking natural light beer and malt liquor. He also told police he was at Eickhoff to “party with a girl,” but was unable to give her full name. His speech was slurred and he was swaying from side to side. The student was transported to Capital Health at Hopewell and he was issued a summons.
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An intoxicated student was lying on the floor of the men’s bathroom on the first floor of Wolfe Hall on Friday, Jan. 25 at 11:50 p.m. when police arrived. According to reports, the student had vomit on his clothes, was unable to sit up, and was extremely slow to answer questions. He vomited several times while Campus Police were with him and was also falling asleep. The student said he drank two cups of mixed drinks, according to police. The student was transported to Capital Health at Hopewell and he was issued a summons.
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A student reported to Campus Police that his Playstation 3, two of the system controllers and four Playstation games were missing from his room when he returned from winter break on Monday, Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. He left his dorm locked when he left campus on Monday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. When he got back, the items were missing, but the Playstation power cord was left plugged into the wall outlet. The items are valued at $650. There is nothing further to report at this time.
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A worker in the Brower Student Center reported to Campus Police on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 11:15 a.m. that pieces of furniture were missing from the student center. The worker left around 3:30 p.m on Friday, Jan. 25 and returned on Monday, Jan. 28 at 6 a.m. According to police, one section of a blue couch with no arms was missing along with a wood-grain 14” x 28” table with electrical outlets. There is no further information at this time.
(02/05/13 5:17pm)
Student Government met in the 1855 Room to recognize Caraugh Ball, junior self-designed speech pathology major, for her “exceptional work in governance” on Wednesday, Jan. 30.
“This is an individual who really embodies what it means to be a Student Government member,” said Christina Kopka, SG president. “This person has gone above and beyond to make sure that not only our voices, butthevoices of the entire student body is heard on governance.”
Patricia Van Hise, a member of the Committee on Academic Programs and the Staff Senate, was recognized as the Staff Awardee, and Susan Bakewell Sachs was honored for “her contributions to shared governance at TCNJ” in the brief ceremony.
After the awards in the 1855 Room, SG gathered back in the Brower Student Center where they swore in five new senators. Jamie DeMarco, Sarah Drozd and Nikki Grabowski were sworn in as the senators of Education, and Joseph Sgroi and Brittany Kirk were sworn in as new senators of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Kopka announced that the College is currently finishing the hiring process for the assistant dean of Students.
“This person is basically going to be working to develop a concrete leadership program,” Kopka said. “The end goal, the end mission of this project is so that students can come through these programs and graduate with a leadership certificate.”
The three remaining candidates for the position are Avani Rani, Ed Feldman and Kerri Cissna-Heath.
The annual Relay For Life event will be on March 22 and 23, extending the length of the event from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. The theme is “Relay Around the World” and will feature other promotional activities such as a themed night in Eickhoff Dining Hall and “Paint the Campus Purple” week.
After the success of Mr. 2014, the sophomore class will be holding a similar Mr. 2015 event on Wednesday, March 6 from 8-10 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 202 W.
(01/29/13 5:37pm)
A student reported his Play Station and its contents missing on Friday, Jan. 22 at 4:40 p.m. According to police, the student left his room locked on Dec. 21 around 8:30 p.m., and when he returned about a month later, the game system was not to be found. Campus police conducted a search of the area with negative results. The missing items were valued at $515. There are no suspects at this time.
(01/29/13 5:18pm)
In the first meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 23, Student Government updated the assembly on advancements with the Here for Home campaign, a new vice president of Student Affairs for the College, and additional forthcoming events.
Christina Kopka, senior Spanish and marketing double major and SG executive president, announced changes being made to an academic position on campus.
“This semester, unfortunately, Dr. Triponey will be leaving us at the end of the school year,” Kopka said. “She truly has a passion for what we do in this organization and for all students. She truly, truly cares for the work that you are doing and to make your experience here better.”
The new search process will be starting soon with Kopka as the student representative. According to Kopka, they do not expect to have a replacement appointed by the end of the school year.
Continuing with the Here for Home campaign, Kopka, Student Activities Director Tim Asher and the Here for Home committee met over winter break to make plans to schedule trips to various volunteer locations.
Here for Home will be asking for $10 deposits this semester. The deposits are refundable and will hold spots on the buses.
Members of student organizations are required to sign up individually, rather than as a group, if they want to participate in a Here for Home volunteer trip. In addition, students will be required to sign waivers before going on a Here for Home trip.
“I have a couple of other exciting things in the works as far as Here for Home goes. I will be updating you guys once those details are a little bit more concrete,” Kopka said.
Adam Bonanno, English and secondary education double major and vice president of Academic Affairs, announced that events with the Norm Campaign will be coming in the near horizon.
“(The campaign is) our committee’s effort to show the TCNJ campus that it is okay to ask for help from the resources available,” Bonanno said.
Annie Montero, junior communication studies major and vice president of Student Services, informed SG of the changes made to the Take the Stairs campaign.
Instead of continuing with that campaign, Student Services will be working with other student organizations on Healthy Heart Awareness week.
Events for the week of Feb. 4-8 are still being planned. One part of the campaign is to add mile markers around the loop so that runners can track how far they are running.
The junior class council informed SG of the success of the Mr. 2014 event before winter break, which raised over $500. The junior class will also be holding a blood drive on Monday, Feb. 4. For each pint of blood donated, the junior class will receive $10.
*Correction: This article originally stated that there would be a search for a new provost; it has been corrected to note that the search is for a new vice president of Student Affairs.
(01/22/13 7:19pm)
A water leak was reported to Campus Police on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 4 a.m. When police arrived they noticed a pool of water was leaking from under the door of a dorm room. Police heard the shower running and knocked on the door. They opened the door for an emergency welfare check and yelled into the bathroom, but there was no response.
Police said they pulled back the shower curtain and saw a nude student lying on the shower floor in a fetal position with vomit next to his face. The police officer yelled at him to wake up, but the student was unresponsive. He opened his eyes when the officer tapped on his feet. When asked for his name, the student responded, “Bad cop.” Police turned off the shower, assisted the student to sit upright, and handed him a towel.
The student, according to police, smelled strongly of alcohol, had red and glossy eyes, and said he drank vodka. Police asked the student a series of questions, to which the student had difficulty responding. When asked what city he was from, the student answered, “Five,” and when asked if he knew where he was, the student said he was at the police officer’s house. Lions’ EMS arrived at the scene and the student was transported to Capital Health of Hopewell. The student was issued a summons for underage drinking.
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Campus Police were dispatched to Decker Hall on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2:40 a.m. on report of an intoxicated student. Upon arrival, police met the student, who was conscious and sitting in a chair. Lions’ EMS were already at the scene and informed police that they were treating him. The student was on the floor, unconscious when Lions’ EMS arrived.
Although the student reportedly smelled of alcohol, he would not say how much he drank, and then denied drinking anything. The student was unable to spell his last name, his speech was slow and slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was unable to keep his balance during the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, failing to perform the test.
He swayed from side to side as he attempted to collect his belonging from the lounge. The student was transported to Capital Health Hopewell and issued a summons for underage drinking.
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While performing a routine building check of the Facilities Building at 2:50 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, Campus Police observed two male students sitting on a bench on the south side of Lake Sylva. According to campus police, the students lit an object which appeared to be a pipe, multiple times. Police approached the students on foot, and reported faintly smelling “burnt marijuana.”
When one of the students saw the officer approaching, he placed something in his shirt pocket. The students had two glass pipes with residue in them, as well as a 1.5” x 2” bag with “green, hard vegetation,” which police believed to be hashish marijuana. Police found another bag by the students’ feet.
They were arrested, searched and transported to the TCNJ Police Department for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and drug paraphernalia. There is no further information at this time.
(01/22/13 6:11pm)
While for many students the biggest decision faced during the first week of winter break was whether to unpack their books from first semester or catch up on “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, there were a good number of students who were mentally in “study mode” while preparing for a winter course with the College’s winter session program.
Over this year’s winter term, 180 students enrolled in classes that met in January and ran just shy of two-and-a-half weeks. According to the TCNJ Winter Session website, there were 19 different courses, ranging from Japanese-American Experiences in California to Principles of Macroeconomics, on campus.
Although the winter session was initiated in the 2011-2012 school year and is still pretty new, it has proven to be quite successful.
“Student enrollment has grown,” said William Behre, interim vice provost at the College. “Course evaluations that are completed by both faculty and students suggest that, in general, both groups believe that the courses are worthwhile.”
According to Behre, the registration almost doubled from last year’s session.
“Some students were transferring in courses that they took elsewhere between semesters,” Behre said. “We decided to offer some courses here to see if there was interest.”
Taylor Dickinson, senior elementary education and Math/Science/Technology double major, has participated in summer sessions for the past three years.
Dickinson said she benefited from the summer sessions. At the end of the spring semesters at the College, she was still in “school mode,” which made it easier to make a smooth transfer into another semester.
Dickinson took an education course in Philadelphia, which she also enjoyed.
From these experiences, Dickinson learned of different possibilities for career paths using her major.
“Learning about professions that are related to science education but do not necessarily involve being in a classroom, such as educators at a zoo, the Liberty Science Center or in similar settings, opened the door to new ideas that I would have never considered otherwise” Dickinson said.
Junior Brandon Schiff took a summer course to help lighten the demanding schedule of a mechanical engineering major. While in retrospect he was happy he took Thermodynamics I over the summer so he could concentrate solely on that class, he thought he should have just taken it at a community college instead.
“A summer class at my community college was $350 and it fills the same requirement that I could’ve taken at TCNJ,” Schiff said.
However, Talha Cheema, a senior biology major, thought the courses at the College were more valuable than those at a community college.
“My advisors and professors told me that it looks better for medical schools,” Cheema said.
One course unit for the winter session costs $1591.72 for in-state students, while the summer session costs $1901.68 per unit.
It was not only the cost of the program Schiff did not like, but also who was selected as an instructor.
Schiff said his instructor, Shih Yu Lu, was not faculty at the College.
“With summer session you usually would get someone who doesn’t normally teach. And that makes it annoying cause my professor never taught before and was kinda boring,” Schiff explained. “He said he worked at some engineering company but was asked to teach the class. If I remember right there was a different teacher, then (Lu) replaced him before the classes started.”
Emma Colton, freshman journalism major and Signal Web Editor, on the other hand, participated in a winter session this year and thought her instructor was exactly cut out for the job.
“(Marla Jaksch) was very thorough and took full advantage of technology to supplement the class,” Colton said. Although most of her class was online, she found that her professor taught the material well.
“Our office works with department chairs to determine what courses should be offered and which faculty would be appropriate to teach,” Behre said on selecting instructors.
Another aspect of the summer and winter sessions is the opportunity to study abroad.
Both Cheema and Matt Reynolds, a senior English secondary education major, have taken advantage of study abroad in the summer and winter sessions.
Cheema spent two weeks in the Galapagos studying the natural history, in what he described as “the best two weeks of his life.”
The summer session gave him the opportunity to study abroad without stressing about fitting it into a typical semester.
Reynolds recently returned from the London and Stratford-upon-Avon program, studying British theatre.
“At first, it was really awkward because the 15 of us were split into cliques because we didn’t know each other, ” Reynolds said. “By the end, we were all going out at night together and acting as if we had known each other all throughout college.”
However, the trip was pricey. “This trip was crazy expensive. That being said, I would have paid more than what I did to get this experience,” Reynolds said.
Overall, students seem to have found the extra semesters beneficial. From the College’s point of view, the next step is determining whether or not to make the winter program a permanent option.
(01/22/13 5:41pm)
By Natalie Kouba
News Editor
Doctors from across the country told Brandon Pugh that he would never speak. They told his parents that there was no chance he would ever leave home. They said he would have to live with his parents for the rest of his life or be institutionalized. When he was six years old, he had still not uttered his first words and had the comprehension level of a one-and-a-half year old.
Just seven years later, at age 14, Pugh was living by himself in his own apartment just outside Buenos Aires, buying groceries, riding his motor scooter, and volunteering to teach English in Argentina.
Pugh, a sophomore political science major, is an avid volunteer in his hometown of Moorsetown, N.J., as well as abroad. Most recently, he gained attention for becoming the youngest elected member of the Moorsetown Board of Education from a pool of eight candidates.
“It is really a foreign idea for people that are this young to run,” Pugh explained, winning his ticket at 19 years old. “There is a statistic in the United States, specifically for New Jersey though, that only two percent of elected officials are under 35. So it is a pretty small minority. Under 20 is almost non-existent.”
During the campaign in October, Pugh, along with his treasurer and chairman, knocked on over 6,000 doors, printed ads in newspapers, created a website and set up four to five talk shows. He never saw his age as a barrier. Instead, he believes it might have been a great help for him.
“I think a majority of the people saw it as being a positive, because they were like, ‘Well you are not too far removed from the schools, so you know what works, what doesn’t work and you know what our students need going forward,’” Pugh said.
Going door to door, there were some Moorsetown residents who thought he was joking, but most people in his town knew that Pugh was quite serious, just by knowing his character. The pool of candidates was larger than normal, Pugh said. At one point, three of the candidates pulled their campaign efforts together,
running on one ticket against him.
“Traditionally it’s really small, like four people for three slots, or three for three. But I think a lot of people saw my age and thought, ‘Well if he can do it, I can do it. I have a Ph.D., I have an M.D., a J.D., whatever it may be. I’ll throw my name in.”
Pugh’s victory was not a long shot. Although he was the youngest candidate, he was by no means under-qualified for the job. In addition to his four months of volunteering in Argentina, Pugh has been working with Gov. Chris Christie for a year and a half, where he began working in the Office of Volunteerism, handling relations with youth and the college population and visiting all the colleges in the state. The other aspect of Pugh’s involvement with the Office of Volunteerism is coordinating all non-governmental organizations, such as The Red Cross and Salvation Army.
“When we hit Hurricane Irene, there was a big gap. There was nobody that was going to coordinate for the disaster. So I kind of got pushed into that direction,” Pugh said.
Last week, he returned from a business trip in New Mexico at the explosives range by New Mexico Tech. Pugh serves as an instructor for Homeland Security and teaches their incident management courses and explosives response courses to local police officers and sheriff’s departments.
Pugh’s latest project is writing a bill which is now in the Senate and Assembly, hoping to be passed. The bill would establish a New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs.
“I have realized that there is not a lot of opportunities for people under 18, especially college students, to really have their voices heard,” Pugh said. “It will form a council where people from all over the state’s colleges and high schools will serve on it. So any law that’s affecting us, it will have to go through this group.”
His interest in governmental affairs began in high school, where he began attending board meetings as a freshman in high school. He was curious to know who his teachers’ and principal’s bosses were, where the money came from, and how the district was run outside of the classroom.
Even though his difficult childhood had led him to a handicapped program at an early age, he gained more independence in middle school, spent time volunteering abroad and locally with the police department, and was taking AP courses by his freshman year of high school.
“I think ultimately what got me elected was, people know me in town, knowing that I was the person that anytime anything needed to be done, I would be more than willing to help out. And I think people knowing me thought that I would be a good addition to the school board and I think that is ultimately why they elected me,” Pugh said.
(12/05/12 7:14pm)
Navid Radfar, sophomore biology major at the College, stumbled upon a Dr Pepper scholarship ad on Facebook during the summer, so with nothing else to do, he decided to go buy a Dr Pepper and make a video to submit for the scholarship.
The Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway gave students the opportunity to win a $100,000 scholarship at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. during halftime of the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 1. All applicants had to submit a video explaining why they deserved the scholarship.
In November, Radfar was on his way to the Brower Student Center for meal equiv when he got the call that changed his life.
“I got a call from a doctor’s office and I thought it was health services, because I owe them $5,” Radfar said about when he first got the call. But once he realized it was Dr Pepper calling to let him know they selected him to be a semi-finalist, “I was like ‘Oh my god, get out of here.’”
The scholarship, Radfar explained, will go toward paying for college and, eventually, medical school. Radfar knows that his hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon could bring him deep in debt. But his inspiration for that career path came from a personal experience.
When Radfar was in fifth grade, his father suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. A heart surgeon saved his father’s life after working for many hours.
“My life probably would have been completely different if he had not saved my father,” Radfar said. “I kind of want to do that for other people as well.”
Radfar received support and advice from fellow College students and professors.
“The TCNJ community was very supportive. Everyone was willing to help me. Everyone wanted to see me succeed, which was great,” Radfar explained.
Two semi-finalists would compete on the field during halftime to see who could throw more balls into a hole cut out of a large soda can in a given amount of time.
Howard Nelson, a business professor, advised Radfar to use the chest-pass, since past winners have also used this strategy.
The night before Radfar flew out to North Carolina for the competition, he
and his friends set up a mock competition in their dorm room to help him practice. They cut a two-foot diameter hole in a piece of cardboard, which was hung from the ceiling. With only three balls available for practice, his friends stood behind the cardboard, catching the balls and returning them to Radfar while timing him.
“We pretty much mimicked what we saw on TV,” Radfar explained.
Although Radfar admitted he does not drink soda often, Dr Pepper is the one soda he likes, now probably more than ever. “Who knew drinking a soda would get you $100,000?” Radfar said.
Out of 5,500 videos received, 20 were selected and then narrowed down to five semi-finalists.
Out of the five contestants there from the preliminary round, he tied for first place. Radfar lost the tiebreaker, but won when it mattered.
“I was on cloud 9. I jumped up, I yelled, I screamed,” Radfar recalled when he realized he won the toss. “I was probably the happiest kid in that stadium of 70,000 people.”
It was also a relief for him that his parents would not have to pay his whole tuition.
Radfar said he could not use his phone because he kept receiving text messages and phone calls of friends and family congratulating him. His Facebook page has been swarmed with posts and he even got over 400 “likes” on the photo of him holding his big Dr Pepper check.
This scholarship helped Radfar’s dreams become a reality. “When I submitted this video, I didn’t think I was going to get it, and I got it. Now I have college paid, and if I get into medical school, I know I can become a doctor and change the world.”
(12/05/12 6:29pm)
Christina Kopka, Student Government president and senior Spanish and marketing double major, opened the SG meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 28, with a reminder that students can still donate points for the Here for Home Hurricane Sandy relief effort. She announced that Here for Home is hoping to raise at least $1,855 from the point campaign. This specific number was chosen to be symbolic of the year the College was founded. All points donated will be used for cleaning supplies, such as gloves and work materials for volunteers.
The deadline for student organizations to register was Friday, Nov. 30, Devin Dimming, junior history and secondary education major, announced.
“There were an alarming number of club that did not register this year,” Dimmig said. Originally, there were 34 on-campus clubs that did not register, but at the meeting on Wednesday, Dimmig said that the number went down. If organizations did not register by that date, SG would have to derecognize them. The Engineering Honor Society, Bonner Volunteers, Her Campus TCNJ and Russian Club were just a few from the long list of unregistered organizations Dimmig read.
The annual TCNJ Holiday, which SG co-sponsors with the College Union Board, featuring a carriage ride, food and festive activities, will take place this Thursday, Dec. 6 from 7 to 11 p.m. in the Brower Student Center.
The junior and sophomore class senators announced class bonding and fundraising activities for the rest of the semester.
Mr. 2014 will be this Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 202. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the day of the event in the Library Café or at the door for $3. According to the Facebook event page, a portion of the proceeds will go to a charity of the winner’s choice.
The class of 2015 representative, Brian Garsh, a chemistry and secondary education double major, announced that the sophomore class trip to New York City will be held on Sunday, Dec. 9. The trip was fully funded and will be free for students who wish to participate. An email will go out this week stating where students can sign up. A $10 deposit is required to hold a spot on the trip, but will be returned on the day of the trip.
*This article has been updated to clarify that TCNJ Holiday is co-sponsored by Student Government and the College Union Board.
(11/28/12 6:34pm)
Significant damage to the men’s bathroom on the 10th floor of Travers Hall was reported on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. Police examined the area and noticed mud all over the sinks and floor, as well as light fixtures ripped down, stall doors, garbage cans and the water fountain outside the bathroom dented, shower heads and curtains ripped off, and damaged plumbing on the sinks. The toilets were reportedly clogged with toilet paper and the toilet paper dispensers were ripped off previous to Campus Police’s arrival. According to police reports, the cost of the damage was valued at $475. There is no further information at this time.
…
On Saturday, Nov. 17, Campus Police were dispatched to Wolfe Hall on report of an intoxicated student around 3:15 a.m. Upon their arrival, Lions’ EMS was with the student, who was sitting on the floor vomiting into a trash can. He was unable to recall what month it was or the United States’ current president, according to reports. Police said the student smelled of alcohol and stated he had consumed three, one-quarter cups of vodka at an off-campus location which he also could not recall. The student was transported to Capital Health System – Hopewell for further treatment and issued a summons for underage drinking.
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Campus Police were called to the Travers Hall lounge because of an intoxicated student at 3:40 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. According to police, the student was complaining that he drank too much alcohol, five to six shots of gin and one shot of vodka. Police reported the student was extremely tired, had slurred speech, and was unable to stand without support. Lions EMS arrived to evaluate the student and transported him to Capital Health System – Hopewell. He was issued a summons for consumption of alcohol in a public place and underage drinking.
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On Thursday, Nov. 15 at some time between 6:30 and 6:32 p.m. $50 was stolen from a student’s backpack. According to reports, she went into the women’s bathroom on the third flood of Travers Hall, leaving her backpack outside the bathroom door. When she came out, her bag was missing. She reported the theft to police at 7:20 p.m. and found her backpack in the stairwell at 8:55 p.m. She retrieved the bag, but noticed $50 was missing, said Campus Police. There are no suspects at this time.
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An intoxicated student was reported to be on the front sidewalk of Decker Hall on Friday, Nov. 16 at around 1:30 a.m. Campus Police were dispatched to the area, whereupon the student stated he had a little to drink, only “two or three shots of vodka.” Lions’ EMS arrived to evaluate the student and transported him.
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A theft was reported on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. after a student noticed her wallet had gone missing. The student was practicing a dance routine on the second floor of the Brower Student Center on Monday, Nov. 12 at approximately 10 a.m. She left her belongings against a wall to go to practice, and when she returned her wallet was gone. The wallet and its contents were valued at $12. There are no suspects on the theft.
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Campus Police reported a female student staggering by the rear walkway of Centennial Hall on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 11:50 p.m. She was leaning on the arm of an unknown male, according to police reports. Both students smelled of alcohol and stated they had come from an off-campus party, said police. The male student said he left to escort the female student back to campus after she had three beers. The male student said he had also been drinking, and his speech was slurred. Both students were issued summons for underage drinking.
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A victim of theft reported to campus police on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. that her black HP-DM4 laptop charger had been stolen. According to police, the student was on the first floor of the Brower Student Center on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8:30 a.m. She left her backpack near the entrance of a room, and returned to find her charger was missing from the backpack. The charger was valued at $25.
(11/27/12 7:24pm)
At the Student Government meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 14, SG announced alternative ways students can participate in Here for Home and help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Students who might be unable to take day trips to volunteer can still help out by donating points.
Christina Kopka, SG president and senior Spanish and marketing double major, explained how the points “go to a larger pool and that pool is donated to buy supplies” for the hurricane victims.
When students use their points to make a purchase or swipe into Eickhoff Dining Hall, they can tell the cashier if they would like make a donation. Students can donate anywhere from one to all of their points. Kopka announced that they had raised $215 in points after two to three days of providing students with this option.
The vice president for student services, junior communication studies major Annie Montero, spoke to SG about their most recent project. The committee for student services has been working on the EcoChallenge Mug Count. Their goal is to see how effective the reusable mugs have been so far and how they can get students to use them more.
The committee planned to hang a sign in the Library Café as well as a benchmark to display information about the mug usage on campus.
“It is a tangible, visible piece of how much the reusable mugs actually help cut out environmental waste,” Montero said about the benchmark.
Students were also reminded that with the carte blanche meal plan, they can pick up their free eco-friendly mugs at the C-Store.
The tech survey, designed to enhance the wireless and technological services on campus, will be sent out to students shortly before winter break.
Junior representatives announced that their Mr. 2014 competition planning is underway. Approximately 10 students will compete for the title on Dec. 5. The winner will be the candidate who collects the most donations.
(11/13/12 10:49pm)
The possible identity and promise statements for the College were presented, discussed and critiqued at the Student Government meeting last Wednesday, Nov. 7.
These statements will be used to describe the College, along with its goals and overall purpose.
Kyle Magliaro, senior marketing major and executive vice president of SG, presented on behalf of the Identity Task Force for the Committee on Planning and Priorities.
Magliaro said the presentation to SG was only the first step in moving forward with the strategic plan. He also stressed the importance of making these statements strong and effective, as “when (other institutions and communities) see TCNJ, this is going to be what they think of.”
After presenting both statements, SG members weighed in, critiquing the wording, length and overall purpose of the statements.
The proposed identity statement was long, tying together the founding of the College with the present role, impact and environment of the school. Some SG members disagreed with the statement regarding the College as “the best undergraduate institution in the nation.” While they agree the College is a respectable institution, they do not believe it is the best.
“It is a nice statement and I think it applies to TCNJ, but it could apply to other institutions as well,” said Devin Dimmig, vice president for governmental affairs and junior history and secondary education double major.
Annie Montero, junior communication studies major and vice president for student services, said the statement was, “very inconsistent, very inaccurate and very generic.”
While the statements received some praise, SG members expressed their concerns, which will be taken into consideration when they are revised.
The Table Tennis and Ski and Snowboarding clubs were presented and passed after a brief debate.
A few SG members anticipated potential problems arising from the Table Tennis club, since they do not have their own location where they would practice.
Instead, they plan on meeting early in the mornings in the Brower Student Center, relying on the early hours to provide those free tables. However, they cannot reserve tables, so there is no guarantee they would have tables to play on when they meet.
With enough fundraising, they hope to eventually relocate to a more stable practice area.
SG passed the clubs, finding strengths in the interest in them on campus, support from their advisers, and ideas for fundraising.
Here for Home was praised at the meeting, and reiterated the importance and purpose of the campus-wide effort.
Christina Kopka, SG president and senior Spanish and marketing double major, cleared some confusion among SG members who thought Here for Home was a relief effort intended for the Bonner Program.
Both Kopka and Magliaro stressed that Here for Home is not solely affiliated with Bonner, but with all student organizations.
Kopka explained that Here for Home is the College’s response to the Hurricane Sandy disaster, which funnels the energy from all student organizations into one outlet accessible to all students.