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(09/05/16 9:49pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Alexis Bell
As we approach the long-awaited sports season of touchdowns and quarterbacks, stickers are undoubtedly the last thing on the mind of the average American. However, bring up the words “sticker” or “decal” around any of the Dallas Cowboys and prepare to be on the receiving end of an impassioned rant.
Jason Witten, Cowboys tight end, initiated the design of an “Arm in Arm” decal for players to wear on their helmet to support the Dallas Police Department in light of the tragic attack in July. Five officers were killed and nine suffered injuries as a result of an ambush following a Black Lives Matter protest.
The Dallas Cowboys had been wearing the decal during training camp as a means of demonstrating unity with their hometown. Camp even began with all of the players, coaches, police officers and family of the slain officers walking on the field, arm-in-arm. While I perceive this as a heartwarming show of support, the National Football League (NFL) is extremely against the Arm in Arm decal. They told the Cowboys it violates the NFL uniform policy and would not be permitted once preseason began.
Personally, I strongly disagree with the NFL’s ruling, as I feel the Cowboys were in the midst of establishing a positive movement that could have initiated support nationwide. Not only would the decals have honored the slain and injured Dallas officers, but it would have been a tribute to all law enforcement officers across the country.
Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, responded to the NFL’s decision.
“I’m proud of our team, proud of our team leadership, Jason Witten particularly, for really instigating and putting that together,” Jones said. “We made the statement and we’re proud of it, but we certainly respect and abide by the wishes of the NFL.”
The uniform policy is understandable, as this isn’t a backyard game of touch football we’re talking about. However, that is precisely the point. The NFL is a remarkably acclaimed organization that could have had the opportunity to garner an increased level of awareness and respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day.
Other charities and movements have received backing from the NFL for years. These include the month of October being dedicated to breast cancer awareness, an environmental program to help the league reduce waste and become eco-friendlier and “Salute to Service” that shows appreciation for the military. Other causes supported by the league include the prevention of childhood obesity, prostate cancer, domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. While these are all causes deserving of attention, it’s simply upsetting that the same can’t be done for the Dallas Police Department.
My father is a retired police officer, which is why this probably frustrates me more than the average person. I grew up seeing him proudly decked out in the blue uniform and hearing unbelievable stories from a cop’s perspective. I was always proud to tell people what my dad did for a living. Despite my naïve younger self not comprehending the risks associated with the job, I’ve always known that being a police officer is an amazing tribute to our country, the spirit of patriotism and the protection of the American people.
This is why the decision of the NFL is so unsettling. Law enforcement officers have always been worthy of recognition, but deserve even more after the calamities of recent months. The Dallas police shooting was the greatest loss of law enforcement officers since 9/11. These officers were protecting the lives of people protesting against them, yet they were the ones whose lives were taken away.
By no means am I saying we should boycott the NFL or give up Sunday night football games, but I believe this football league should have used their influential position to their full advantage following Witten’s idea. The Cowboys should have been permitted to wear the decal during the regular season and other teams should have been allowed to decide for themselves.
I want to commend Witten and the Cowboys for their considerate display of support. Lastly, I want to acknowledge the Dallas Police Department and all law enforcement officers for the sacrifices they make each day just to keep us safe. Blue lives really do matter.
(09/05/16 9:41pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Ane Rudorfer
As a young woman in college, I constantly think about what the future will hold. My peers and I are hopeful about our lives, but also anxious. We strive to achieve our academic goals, having been told by society this is the way to prosper economically.
At the same time, we are saddled with student loans, which we have taken out because of the astronomic costs of higher education. We know that politics can help determine our futures. Who we vote for now can set policies that will last our lifetimes. Taking this all into account, I strongly support the Democratic Party and my goal is to help it win the 2016 presidential election.
Democrats have a clear platform to support middle-class Americans in this era of economic anxiety. The party supports policies such as raising the minimum wage, paid parental leave and expanding healthcare. In addition, the Democrats support proposals to make college more affordable and alleviate student debt. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton supports debt-free college and has a plan that would allow students to restructure and refinance their debts.
In contrast, the Republicans have no concrete plans to help the middle class. Typically, the GOP supports cutting taxes for the rich and slashing government spending that benefits social welfare. The republican nominee, Donald Trump, spends his time making incendiary remarks and rarely offers coherent policy positions. It is unmistakable that the Democrats have the right policies to steer the United States to a successful future.
In addition, I am lucky to have had the experience of traveling to many places and being born in a multicultural household. My mother is Spanish and my father is Austrian. I have lived in Spain and Germany and am fluent in Spanish. These experiences have solidified my position as a Democrat.
From a young age, I have been exposed to a variety of cultural practices. This has led me to be more open minded about different ethnicities and cultures, and I think that this mentality reflects the beliefs of the Democratic Party. The Democrats welcome people of all ethnicities. The party supports legalizing the status of undocumented immigrants and puts forth efforts to help people of color.
In contrast, Republicans spew xenophobic rhetoric about how a wall should be built across the U.S.-Mexico border and Muslims should be banned from entering the country. Trump also said he thinks most Mexicans are rapists and criminals. This language is an affront to America’s core values. The vast majority of Americans are either immigrants or are descendents of them. This country has welcomed immigrants before and recognized the potential of every human. We must continue this tradition and not let ourselves be overtaken by fear and prejudice.
The 2016 presidential election is the most important in generations. The future of the United States is at stake. We can decide whether to revert to a bygone, so-called “great” era or we can vote to usher the country into modernity.
If we want to support the middle class and continue our stance as a welcoming country, it is clear for whom we must vote and I will not rest until the correct choice is made.
(09/05/16 9:37pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Julia Marnin
The United States has made the controversial decision to admit 8,000 Syrian refugees into the country this year, Reuters reported. Amidst the protests from the American people, this decision is, without a doubt, the right one. The Syrian refugee crisis may be the most urgent humanitarian issue of our time and those people deserve to seek asylum in America, despite many U.S. citizens’ strong opposition.
The country of Syria has been in turmoil under the reign of its president, Bashar al-Assad. Protests made against Assad during the Arab Spring were met with deadly force from the Syrian government. In March 2011, Syria erupted into a nasty civil war. Following the outbreak of the war, an estimated 11 million Syrian refugees fled their home and 386,000 people have ended up dead as a result of the fighting — and of the 386,000 slain, 14,000 were innocent children, according to World Vision.
Amnesty International, among dozens of media outlets, has accused the Syrian government of committing a multitude of human rights violations. Included in these crimes are chemical weapons, terror shootings and bombardments against citizens. Most recently, the Syrian government used chlorine gas attacks on the city of Aleppo, according to BBC. The rebel armies in Syria have also abused human rights by attacking civilians and recruiting child soldiers.
The chaos in Syria has made the country uninhabitable for its citizens. Currently, Amnesty International estimates that 13.5 million people within Syria require humanitarian aid. Many refugees have escaped to neighboring countries, but even more are awaiting their getaway.
Now, there are too many Syrian refugees with nowhere to go. The European Union promised to take in 160,000 refugees, but is currently only accepting 6,000 of them, according to The Guardian. This is why the United State’s decision to admit refugees into the country is major one. The U.S. is accepting 8,000 of the 10,000 refugees promised sanctuary on its soil. In doing so, America is providing more safety to refugees than the entire European Union.
America's decision to accept the refugees has received much backlash from its citizens. Many criticisms include the fear of compromising our national security for the refugees. People are worried that ISIS terrorists impersonating refugees may come into the country. Some worry that American culture is in jeopardy if these outsiders are allowed into the nation.
Despite the oppositions of America’s decision, this human rights crisis outweighs all of the criticisms. The Department of Homeland Security concluded that accepting refugees is the right thing to do. The U.S. is a country based on the foundation of immigrants. Syrian refugees, like all people, had no say in the country in which they were born. They have the right to leave a poisonous environment and move elsewhere to protect their lives.
Hindsight shows the last time America denied refugees trying to enter the country was a huge mistake. The U.S. government turned away thousands of Jewish refugees when anti-Semitism spread throughout Europe. The fates of those shunned refugees were often gruesome under Nazi-occupied Europe. This is why Syrian refugees deserve a better chance at life in America. By accepting 8,000 refugees, the U.S. could spare many lives from a violent end.
The fear of allowing terrorists to enter the country by accepting the refugees is a rational one, especially after recent attacks in Paris, France, and in other countries. However, American citizens must realize that Syrian refugees harbor the same fear as Americans. They, too, are trying to escape terror attacks.
The Syrian refugees are people, just like us. They are mothers, daughters, fathers and sons. They are sisters and brothers. Some of them now have been made into widows and orphans. Their fates are being held in the world’s hands. People must forget that we are separated by countries and instead, remember that we are all unified by the human race. The United States is right in recognizing that these Syrian refugees matter.
(09/04/16 11:34pm)
By Jahnvi Upreti
Staff Writer
The world wept on Sept. 2, 2015, when 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s lifeless body washed ashore on a Turkish beach. Public outcries were heard throughout the world, as the brutality of the Syrian Civil War started to dawn on general populations. Political leaders were pressured more than ever to intervene, and aid organizations received an increase in volunteers and donations.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Nullifier Demir, the photographer of the picture of Kurdi, said that “the only thing (she) could do was to make his scream heard,” in hopes that something finally changes. Almost exactly a year later, it’s evident that little has changed.
While ISIS has lost control in Iraq to militaristic government forces, Syrian rebels elsewhere have been supported by Saudi and Qatari beneficiaries to lead a new attack against the tyrannical President Bashar al-Assad, according to the Independent. This has lead to a new wave of warfare in Syria’s capital, Aleppo.
External interventions, such as the U.S.’s and Turkey’s recent decision to send in supplies and forces to fight ISIS with the hopes of simultaneously combating Kurdish advances, further complicate the situation, as they are fighting Russia and Iran, who support the military regime. These interactions are causing the Syrian war to be the “most significant proxy war since Vietnam. (And) it is the civilians who suffer,” the Independent reported.
BBC noted that Oxfam, an international group dedicated to ending hunger, according to its website, released a report that stated the mortality rate has increased by 20 percent in the last year, resulting in the loss of another 1,000 refugees. Although, this statistic could potentially be larger, since the information does not include the undocumented individuals who perished at sea.
Currently, hundreds of refugees, including unaccompanied minors, are trapped in multiple camps throughout Turkey and Syria, hoping for rescue from European governments, the Independent reported. Unbeknownst to them, many European nations are falling short on their promise to take in a number of refugees. For example, Britain recently expressed concern that it would not be able to house 20,000 refugees by 2020, as it had offered earlier, according to The Guardian.
The U.S. is about to accept its 10,000th refugee on Saturday, Oct. 1. David Milliband, president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told CNN that the "IRC encourages the White House to consider this 10,000 milestone 'a floor and not a ceiling.’”
He continued by urging President Barack Obama to increase the number of accepted refugees to 140,000 by 2017. Other countries, like Macedonia and Slovenia, are closing their doors to refugees completely, BBC reported.? Other notable changes within the past year include the results from the University of Sheffield’s 2015 study, which reported a shift in language regarding the Syrian crisis. While newspapers and headlines had previously labeled the individuals as “migrants,” the use of the term “refugee” among the public has increased greatly.
"There is a shift in language that signals a shift in the sense of people's responsibility,” said Frank Duvell, a senior researcher in the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society at Oxford University. “Talking about refugees means acknowledging some responsibility for international protection, which the word 'migrant' doesn't entail,” BBC reported.
In 2015, many hoped that Kurdi would be the catalyst for change and aid toward the Syrian crisis. However, merely three weeks ago, the photo of a dazed and bloody Omran Daqneesh, surrounded by the remains of a Russian explosion, had surfaced, proving that not much has changed.
(09/04/16 11:16pm)
By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
Since the drug company Mylan bought the EpiPen in 2007, the price has increased from $100 to $600, according to The New York Times. The EpiPen is used to aid someone having a severe allergic reaction.
Washington Post reported that people generally carry around the EpiPen to guard themselves against anaphylactic shock, which typically comes as a surprise and, in serious cases, can kill an individual.
Mylan classifies the EpiPen as “a generic” medicine, as opposed to a “brand-name drug,” which allows them to give a smaller discount to the states and make state Medicaid programs overpay for the drug, according to The New York Times.
While many are concerned how they will afford this increased cost, the price hike also raises some questions about how thoroughly the government is monitoring the prices of drugs and other various medicines paid for through health programs.
In 2016, the federal government issued a rule that stated all companies with drugs that have been approved under what the Food and Drug Administration identifies as a “new drug application” must either reclassify them as brand-name drugs or seek a waiver, according to the New York Times. Mylan was one of the several companies that planned to seek a waiver. Mylan argued that the rule was a reversal of a longstanding policy and that many older products would not benefit from the “same patent protections and market exclusivity” as other branded products, according to the New York Times.
According to both the New York Times, Mylan wants to address the criticism by saying it will offer more financial help with costs that are deemed “out of pocket” for patients. The company also intends to expand the number of uninsured patients who can obtain EpiPens without cost.
A generic version with a lower retail price is said to be introduced to the market, as well, according to the New York Times. Many doubt this final part of the agreement, however, since Mylan the only company currently selling the EpiPen.
According to the New York Times, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, was one of the senators who wrote a letter asking the Medicaid agency for more information — her daughter has severe allergies and relies on the EpiPen.
“It just seems like we opened up a powder keg here, potentially, if in fact this is not only with Mylan but is just par for the course,” Klobuchar said. “The government has to go back and review all these drugs, and the practice has to stop.”
(09/03/16 9:32pm)
By Rosie Driscoll, Olivia Laura and Reid Maglione
Picture this: You’re a first-semester freshman. You’ve been on campus for three weeks, you don’t have a car and don’t know anyone well enough to ask them to drive you to a doctor’s office. You don’t feel comfortable asking your parents for help. Where do you go if you need to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
The College is the only campus in New Jersey with a Planned Parenthood Health Center located on site. This means that students have access to all of the important reproductive health care that Planned Parenthood provides right on campus. The services include STD testing and treatment, pregnancy tests, counseling, pelvic exams, birth control and pap tests for cancer screenings.
Planned Parenthood is widely known for its professional, nonjudgmental and quality healthcare, and is a convenient and affordable option for students at the College.
For freshmen and other students without transportation, the on-campus Planned Parenthood health center may be their only easily accessible source of reproductive services. That’s why it matters that it not only remains open, but also have a variety of hours for students to access those services.
In 2009, Gov. Christie cut $7.45 million in funding for family planning services in New Jersey according to an article on NJ.com. This money had previously been reserved for health centers, including Planned Parenthood locations. It allowed them to provide their lifesaving services at affordable costs. The results of the funding cuts were that six New Jersey health centers closed.
Some, including our Planned Parenthood location, reduced hours and staff. This decreased the organization’s accessibility to those in need of care. Our students only have access to this convenient health care on campus three days per week. If you have classes or an internship on the few days of the week when the center is open, you may wait longer for care and put your health and future on the line.
“I needed care from Planned Parenthood, but they weren’t open on campus that day,” said a senior who chose to remain anonymous. “I don’t have a car on campus, so my friend had to drive me, and we both missed class. It would have been easier to just get what I needed on campus.”
According to data from the New Jersey Department of Health, sexually transmitted infection rates have risen 27 percent across New Jersey since family planning funding was cut. In some counties, the rate has risen nearly 50 percent according to a study done by Planned Parenthood.
This is unacceptable. If we want to reverse this trend in our state and ensure that health centers remain open and accessible, we need to step up and take action.
Fortunately, there are many ways that you can help restore funding to health centers. One easy way to take action is to contact your state legislators. A bill to restore funding recently passed in the state legislature, but Gov. Christie quickly vetoed it. This fall, there will likely be a vote scheduled to override his veto. Call or email your legislators’ offices and ask them to support funding for family planning services. You can find out who your legislators at njleg.state.nj.us.
Other ways to take action to support Planned Parenthood on campus include signing up to volunteer with Planned Parenthood, educating others about Planned Parenthood’s services, making sure you and your friends are registered to vote so that you can elect legislators that support reproductive health and access and following Planned Parenthood Action Fund of NJ (PPAFNJ) on social media to stay up to date with their current campaigns and issues.
You can also sign up to attend PPAFNJ’s Reproductive Health Summit: Student Activist Training, which is set to take place right here at the College on Wednesday, Sept. 17. There, you can learn more ways to get involved. By taking action, you help ensure that our campus health center always remains open and accessible for all students.
(09/03/16 9:27pm)
By Paul Muholland
Law and order candidates, who are infamous for endorsing illegal state violence against groups they and undesirable, have little respect for the law as evident through their own actions.
Donald Trump, this season’s law and order candidate — as he called himself in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) — told George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” that he promotes torture of prisoners of war “beyond waterboarding,” as well as the murder of their non-combatant families, both of which are illegal under U.S. and international law. His immigrant “deportation force,” a term he coined in 2015 to describe his efforts to deport 11 million unauthorized immigrants, would require warrantless searches and detentions.
Two recent presidents who peddled law and order rhetoric frequently, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon, were both nearly removed from office for their erratic and flagrant violations of the law.
I mention all of this because I drove out to Cleveland, Ohio, this July for the last three days of the RNC. I was curious — it seemed as if every other person in the city was a police of cer. I met many interesting and friendly people, including Vermin Supreme: a satirical third party candidate and YouTube personality who wears a boot on his head and promises free ponies if elected.
I also saw several members of the Revolutionary Communist Party arrested for burning the ag, just outside of Quicken Loans Arena, where the convention was being held. As they were ushered into a police van, one Trump supporter, who I spoke to later on, yelled to the of cer, “You guys have to be nice now, but just wait until Trump gets in. He’s going to unleash you guys.” He was greeted amicably by a few Cleveland officers.
Hoping for the police to be “unleashed” is not the sort of sentiment I am prepared to endorse. But it is one that is supported by Trump supporters and by Trump himself. The police have too much power to search and detain Americans as it stands today, and I will not vote my remaining liberties away.
Trump and his supporters do not howl for more law enforcement for any halfway respectable reason, such as a recent spike in violent crime. In fact, violent crime has been steadily falling for a generation. Trump’s appeals to law and order invariably argue for state violence to be wielded against groups associated with the political left, and should be understood as a power struggle against it.
In George Orwell’s “1984,” O’Brien tells Winston when he is locked up that “Power is not a means; it is an end... The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”
This line is worth bearing in mind. According to the Senate’s Report on torture, many Guantanamo Bay detainees were kept awake for days at a time, locked in boxes and stress positions and at least one was frozen to death. This is not done to gather useful intelligence. Someone kept awake for a week by listening to pinging noises will not be in a position to report actionable intelligence. So why do it? Torture is committed for its own sake.
Although I won’t vote for a police state, I refuse to accept the racketeering state that a second Clinton administration would introduce. Hillary Clinton lies so incessantly about her private email server that she may not actually remember what the truth really is, and Bill Clinton — my least favorite part of Hillary’s campaign — is so corrupt that I think he would pay for the pleasure of selling himself.
The most egregious instance of what Trump has labelled “pay for play” was the pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive sanction dodger who made millions helping states, such as Iran and Sudan, work around U.S. sanctions. Luckily for him, he was a donor to the Clintons and the Democratic party.
During the Democratic primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton to put out her transcripts for a speech she gave to Goldman Sachs, in which she was paid $250,000. It should hardly matter because according to research done by Todd Purdum at Vanity Fair, Bill Clinton made over $50 Million in speaking fees alone between 2000 and 2008.
(09/03/16 8:43pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Alyssa Bononcini
One of the greatest privileges of turning 18 years old is the opportunity to vote in the upcoming election. I have never been an individual who was interested in politics, and I was often a shadow in the background as I listened to relatives and friends debate certain topics. However, the two U.S. presidential candidates have caught my attention and compelled me to speak out.
When I first was made aware that Donald Trump was running for president, I thought it was a joke. I honestly could not stand the guy or his egotistical behavior. As time went on, my opinions have changed drastically. I now support him, not solely for the reason that I am a Republican and he is the nominee, but rather that I strongly agree with his viewpoints on numerous topics. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, will never obtain my vote.
One of the attributes that every leader should possess is honesty. We all know Trump is not afraid to speak his mind, despite the reactions that may ensue. On the contrary, almost everything I have heard come out of Clinton’s mouth has been refuted and makes me question why anyone would want her to make choices for the United States.
She mentioned numerous times in her campaign that she was “under sniper fire” upon landing in Bosnia in 1996, while video footage has proven this to be false. In her speech at George Washington University in 2008, Clinton said, “There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to the base.” In the video, she is shown greeting a number of people with no apparent threats.
The most well-known lie is Clinton denying the deleting of emails from her private server, for which she is no longer being held accountable. She even went as far as proclaiming that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest. In a Politifact article, Louis Jacobson provides the encounter between Clinton and Hillary. In the discussion, Clinton told Hillary that her mother, Dorothy, read an article about Hillary’s mountain climbing and had liked the name and decided to name her daughter after him. However, the mountain was climbed in 1953, while Hillary was born in 1947. Hillary had not reached fame at that point in time and could not have inspired Clinton’s mother.
Although it may be a trivial lie, it is still dishonest all the same. Honesty is the most important trait to me in any situation, and I could never trust this woman to run this country.
Unlike most presidential candidates, Clinton does not have a standpoint in which she truly believes. From what I have seen, she tells people what they want to hear, even if the statement is contradictory to what she has said in the past.
Do we really want the first woman president to be an individual who will do anything for her own personal gain, rather than someone who is genuine and wants to benefit others? Rather than holding herself accountable for her actions, she switches the focus to Trump and hopes that the country will ignore her crimes.
I may not agree with Trump’s loose tongue and often racist remarks, but I do believe he will be honest and an asset to helping this country. He has a business-oriented mind and the confidence that comprises a leader.
A vote for Trump is a vote toward making America great again.
(09/03/16 8:22pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Lia Lumauig
This past spring, I completed my capstone research project for my Russian studies major — a task I was anxious to begin. I decided to conduct a discourse analysis of Russian political leaders, which led me to break down speech transcripts and investigate their significance within the appropriate context. In the four months I worked on this, my capstone adviser consistently asked this question every time I reached a conclusion: If so, then what?
This is a question that pushed me to go deeper than just proving my thesis. It meant that I had to convince the reader why he or she should care about my conclusions. It is also a question that I have kept in the back of my mind as I follow this year’s election cycle, a historic one that has generated so much buzz, especially among young voters.
If so, then what? Why are a large bulk of the 75 million millennials in America — now outnumbering the Baby Boomers — much more involved in today’s politics than, say, in 2008, when we elected our first black president? Millennials identify as Democrat over Republican by almost twice the margin — why is that?
I will not speak for all millennials, but as a woman-of-color immigrant, I can tell you that the answer is pretty clear for a lot of people. When a candidate uses fear-mongering rhetoric to appeal not to conservative politics but to extreme hatred, then the problem speaks for itself.
Though hateful language is serious, the problem is much deeper than social issues. The trouble is, at its core, in the polarization of politics.
Multiple researchers have noted that this is the most divisive election this country has seen in decades — if so, then what? For many people, issues are no longer subject to open discussion — if so, then what? For government officials and candidates, the demands for narrowly-defined policies are, at best, remarkably intense and, at worst, non-negotiable — if so, then what?
What this election cycle has shown us is that the divides of this country are now more rigid than ever, limiting us to think about issues and policies not only as zero-sum — which is dangerous enough — but more so as battle arenas. As voters, we are indirectly thrown into taking a side, while spewing fire at the opposing one. We rush to one corner of the field, instead of meeting in the middle. We don’t negotiate or compromise — it’s all or nothing.
And sure, many of us feel that some issues are simple, no-brainers. I, for one, believe that building a giant wall along America’s southern border is not only bad politics, but outwardly obnoxious. While some have disagreed with me, the chances of my opinion changing is far slimmer than the possibility of the Mexican government paying for this wall.
If we get into a habit of treating politics in strict black-or-white terms, we refuse to acknowledge the multifaceted aspects of what make a democracy function well: constructive criticism, engaging debates and respect for opposition.
Truth be told, the most contested issues among politicians, such as the economy, world affairs and social topics, cannot be productively discussed with extremism on either side. These areas need to be approached with collective reasoning and bipartisan consultation. I cannot imagine the consequences if our president won’t even allow such a platform to exist.
When I cast my vote this fall, I am doing so in the belief that it will support a candidate that is not only ready to lead this country with careful hands, but also with the intention of working with those they disagree with, instead of terrorizing them. The leader of the most powerful country in the world should welcome the differences of our populations, celebrate diversity and refrain from treating fear as a commodity in exchange for popular support.
The United States spends billions of dollars promoting democracy abroad, but after this election, will it be able to say that it supports democratic values within its own borders? If its population elects a business expert that uses divisive language to amass votes instead of constructive policy recommendations, what kind of direction will the U.S. set out into? A hateful one.
In the words of Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, “Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country.”
Unlike Trump, I believe we are better united. Let us not push one another on either side of a battle arena. Instead, let’s keep learning to meet each other in the middle.
(09/03/16 8:09pm)
This article was one of the submissions for The Signal’s Fall 2016 opinion writing contest.
By Nivetha Srinivasan
The United States is a country known for the various races represented in its current demographic. Sadly, however, the country is still plagued by an unspoken racial binary that divides people into black and white categories. Latinos, Asians and Native Americans are simply put into the “other” category. This racial binary has caused the underrepresentation and inaccurate portrayal of other minorities in the media.
An appreciation for people of other colors is crucial to stop the marginalization of those affected by racism. In order to keep up with the globalized world and various American subcultures, the media in the United States needs to develop an accurate understanding of race and race relations.
There have been many positive changes to the images of race in the media since the early days of television, but these changes have mostly been for people of color. There are many television shows and films with white and black casts, but there is still little representation of Asians, Latinos and Native Americans.
This issue was exposed in February during the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. The movement for more minorities to receive more Oscar nominations was spearheaded by Jada Pinkett Smith and other prominent black actors, however, it is the other minorities who are still being marginalized. The percentages of character appearances for minority groups do not reflect population proportions in the Unites States, leading to a major underrepresentation of a large portion of the growing country.
There are a few exceptions to the underrepresentation and depiction of minorities in television. Netflix’s “Master of None” is one of the few attempts by someone in a minority — actor, writer and producer Aziz Ansari — to utilize mass media to question and correct the social construct of the racial binary in the media. In the episode “Indians on TV,” Ansari exposes that “white people will feel alienated” if there is more than one minority in a show, and stresses that he feels like that while “watching TV literally all the time.”
Ansari points out the flaws in mainstream media by criticizing the limited scope for minorities in television and film. Many actors are forced to have a fake accent to even audition for a minor role that requires a minority. This is true for actor Kunal Nayyar, who plays Raj Koothrapalli from “The Big Bang Theory.” He maintains a stereotypical Indian accent for his role, even though he speaks fluent English with an American accent in reality.
Efforts are being made to include more accurate depictions of minorities as leads in TV shows, as evidenced by “Quantico” and “Fresh Off the Boat,” but prime time shows and talk shows rarely have minority actors and anchors.
Hollywood has been portraying racial identities with stereotypes. Latinos have usually been represented as gang members or construction workers, and Arabs have been represented as terrorists. Asians are usually portrayed as scientists or as exotic. Most minority actors are given supporting roles rather than the main role. Having watched movies that undervalue the role of minorities, I feel people have created a mindset that the main character is usually a white person.
It is important to change the social climate that the media has helped shape. One of the most effective methods to include more accurate and frequent depictions of minorities is to put more minorities in positions of authority in the media. Misinformed portrayals are associated not only with distinct viewing preferences among various racial groups, but also with the danger of increasing racial prejudice and stereotyping. By developing a strong interconnectedness between races, Americans will be able to work with people of different colors to boost productivity and quality of life.
There are more than just two colors that define America and the existing racial binary is a result of racism that is still prevalent against other minorities. It has not been openly questioned until recently, leaving the atmosphere unchanged for decades. If the media portrays all minorities equally and accurately, then we are one step closer toward creating racial harmony.
(09/03/16 4:12pm)
By Thomas Cilla
Correspondent
This summer, a bill that would have increased the scrutiny required for an abortion in Texas was struck down by the United States Supreme Court, according to CNN.
On Monday, June 27, Justice Stephen Breyer announced that the Supreme Court voted 5-3 in favor of striking down Texas House Bill 2 (HB2) and upholding the precedent set in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The Court ruled that HB2 caused an undue burden on women looking to receive an abortion in Texas.
HB2 would require doctors who perform abortions to admit their patients to a hospital that is no more than 30 miles away from the patient’s home, and that the hospital must provide obstetrical and gynecological health services. The doctor must also provide women with a phone number to request assistance 24 hours a day should any complications arise.
The petitioner in the case was Whole Woman’s Health, an organization that provides gynecology services including abortions, according to their website. Whole Woman’s Health challenged HB2 on the grounds that it violated the Supreme Court’s judgement in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
In that case, the Court held that a state is allowed to pass laws that increase the scrutiny required for a woman to get an abortion as long as it does not pose an undue burden on her legal right to do so, as established in Roe v. Wade.
Kirk Cole, the Texas Department of Health commissioner and respondent in the case, argued the constitutionality of HB2 in front of the Court on Wednesday, March 2.
In front of the Court, Cole challenged that giving the doctors who are performing the abortions admitting privilege ensures that they are qualified, and that it forces a continuity of care when complications from the abortion procedure arise.
The brief filed by the State of Texas also states that the majority of childbearing women in Texas live within 150 miles from an abortion clinic that meets the demands of HB2.
Whole Woman’s Health argued that these requirements infringed on the right for a woman to receive an abortion and places an undue burden on the patient.
Whole Woman’s Health’s reply brief argued that HB2 would force the closure of three-quarters of Texas abortion clinics. The 100,000-square mile area west of San Antonio would be devoid of any abortion facilities, forcing women in that area to drive to the closest one in New Mexico.
Petitioners also argued that metropolitan areas would be hit especially hard, as Houston’s 10 abortion clinics would be reduced to two for a population of over 6 million people.
When the arguments reached the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project for the American Civil Liberties Union, was against HB2.
“Many medical procedures, including childbirth, are far more dangerous to patients, yet are not subject to ambulatory surgical-center or hospital admitting-privileges requirements,” Ginsburg wrote in her concurring opinion.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito filed dissenting opinions to the majority.
(09/01/16 10:06pm)
This week, WTSR Assistant Music Director Nelson Kelly highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: Dinosaur Jr.
Album: “Give a Glimpse of What yer Not”
Release Number: 12th
Hailing From: Nashville, Tenn.
Genre: Alternative Slacker Jam Extravaganza
Label: Jagjaguwar
Dinosaur Jr.’s back with “Give a Glimpse of What yer Not.” For 30-plus years, these Nashvillians have been pumping out music that’s both grungy and psychedelic, featuring catchy pop melodies that compliment droning riffs and soul-crushing solos. “Give a Glimpse of What yer Not” upholds the band’s proud neo-grunge traditions perfectly. From the opening of “Goin Down” to the pop single “Tiny” through the heart-wrenching guitar solo on “Good to Know,” the album reminds fans why they love Dinosaur Jr. The band sticks to its roots well without sounding like they are trying too hard (a welcome change from the summer’s slew of pop-punk comeback albums). Overall, “Give a Glimpse of What yer Not” stands testament to a band that’s been around for decades, and it is clear that they do not intend to give up anytime soon.
Must Hear: “Tiny,” “Be a Part,” “I Told Everyone” and “Good to Know”
Band: The Frights
Album: “You Are Going to Hate This”
Release Number: 1st Full-Length
Hailing From: Southern California
Genre: Garage Surf Punk
Label: Dangerbird Records
The Frights deliver a charmingly aggressive dose of garage surf punk that rattles with post-adolescent angst and Southern Californian sunshine. From the anthemic first single “Kids” to the trippy fever-dream of “Puppy Knuckles” and the shimmering guitar lines and frank pop confessions of the new single “Afraid of the Dark,” The Frights killed it. The Frights debut album “You Are Going to Hate This” — produced by FIDLAR’s Zac Carper — can be ironically so very easy to love.
Must Hear: “All I Need,” “Kids,” “Afraid of the Dark” and “Puppy Knuckles”
(09/01/16 10:05pm)
By Danielle Silva
Staff Writer
U.S. Olympic swimmer and 12-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte, along with gold medalist teammates Jack Conger, James Feigen and Gunnar Bentz, tainted their winning reputations in Rio de Janeiro during this summer’s Olympic Games in Brazil.
According to Fox News, the swimmers reported that they exited a cab to go to the bathroom at a gas station after 5 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14, at a Shell gas station in Barra de Tijuca. The swimmers had allegedly vandalized the bathroom and were approached by a security guard asking for money for damages. Due to a language barrier, Lochte said he interpreted the encounter as a robbery attempt, as the security guard pulled out a gun to control the situation. To avoid further confrontation, Feigen handed over the money, the swimmers said.
Fox News also reported that Lochte had been arrested and later released. During an interview, Lochte stood by his original robbery story, but had changed some details.
“The Lochte Mess Monster,” as some news outlets have been calling him, admits that he left out a fair amount of details, such as what he had done to provoke the confrontation and the fact that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident, along with the vandalism and rowdiness at the gas station.
People Magazine reported that Lochte is “taking full responsibility for the incident,” and while his teammates are detained back in Rio, he is putting his immaturity in the past and promises to not let his image or country down again.
CNN quoted Lochte, who claimed that he is “100 percent sorry for his actions” and wants to remedy his mistakes. However, Lochte faced some repercussions, as he lost all four of his commercial sponsors: Ralph Lauren, Airweave, Syneron-Candela and Speedo.
The Washington Post explained that Lochte had signed a 10-year deal with Speedo back in 2006, but the company does not want him representing its products, or the company itself, any longer because of his actions. Speedo chose to donate $50,000 of Lochte’s fees to the Save the Children charity, an organization that aids young children all over the world—in this case Brazil specifically—with any issues they have. The organization helps developing countries and their children get an education, health care, goals for their futures, as well as relief from natural disasters and assistance during times of crisis, such as war or other governmental conflicts.
As for Lochte, he wishes to continue his swimming career and attend the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, according to the Washington Post.
(08/31/16 10:37pm)
By Maddi Ference
Staff Writer
Any punk lover that grew up in the past 20 years has to be familiar with the revolutionary alternative rock band Blink-182. The band influenced countless others with its music over the years, such as Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco and the All American Rejects. When most people found out that the group was gearing up for the California Summer Tour, they could not get their hands on tickets fast enough. Blink-182 was ready to perform again, and what better way to do it than a summer tour?
From diehard fans in their mid-30s who have been fans of Blink-182 since its inception in 1992 to younger fans just discovering the band, the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J., was packed to capacity on Friday, Aug. 14, with fans from all over eagerly anticipating Blink-182 to close the night after openers All Time Low and A Day to Remember. It was a hot and humid day, but no one seemed to mind as they were stuck in traffic on the Garden State Parkway, with many blasting Blink-182 songs until the moment they walked into the venue.
All Time Low started the night off with nine lively songs, closing with the band’s most popular track, “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” which had nearly everyone on their feet and singing.
A Day to Remember then showed off a much heavier set. Mosh pits broke out all over the lawn and the energy in the crowd was terrifically high, which only added to the excitement for the night’s headliner.
Once the first drum beat was heard, the crowd went ballistic. Blink-182 ran out and opened the night with “Feeling This.” The entire audience erupted into song as everyone screamed the lyrics in unison while frontman and bassist, Mark Hoppus, danced around on stage. He was joined by drummer Travis Barker and the newest band member: guitarist, Matt Skiba (formerly from Alkaline Trio), who recently replaced founding member Tom DeLonge.
Blink-182 kept the audience entertained and singing for about an hour and a half, making sure to play some new material from its most recent album “California.” The band also dug into its backcatalog for some classics, such as “I Miss You” and “All the Small Things.”
Blink-182 concluded its set with a newer song, “Los Angeles,” but of course, the audience wanted more, so an encore was in order. The band ran out on stage one more time and played a few more songs until it ultimately concluded the night with “Dammit.” At the very last chord, confetti cannons shot into the audience. Fans left the venue with the knowledge that Blink-182 can still put on a great performance and is not going anywhere anytime soon.
(08/30/16 8:39pm)
By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
As the fall season approaches, the College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams are ready to gear up for another great season.
Both cross country teams are led by coach Justin Lindsey, who is entering his fourth season as head coach and eighth season as a member of the program. Lindsey led the Lions to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championships berth during the 2015 season.
The cross country teams will begin with an invitational meet on Saturday, Sept. 3, titled the Blue/Gold Invitational. Following that meet will be the Rider Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
The men are hoping for their 23rd consecutive crown, while the women are aiming for their fourth. Given their impressive results last year, this should not be too much of a challenge.
During the last Regional Meet, the Lions were able to finish ninth for both teams in a total field of 41 men and 37 women — about 300 runners in total.
Junior Andrew Tedeschi qualified for NCAA Nationals and finished 12th in the race with a time of 25:43, while senior Jon Stouber finished 34th and earned regional honors crossing the finish at 26:14.
While Stouber graduated in May, Tedeschi, along with fellow seniors Brandon Mazzarella and Ed Bohi, are expected to lead the Lions again and fuel an energized season for all.
As for the women, Marissa Lerit, who finished 32nd at 22:58, recently graduated, so now the team looks up to see who will be leading the pack.
Senior women include Caroline Moore and Laura Straub.
This cross country season should be filled with plenty of surprises, successes and an overall love of the sport.
(05/24/16 2:46am)
By Ashley Thomas
Staff Writer
Donald Trump, bondage and cement shoes are some of the art pieces highlighted at the College’s 2016 BFA Senior Art Exhibition, “Pushing Edges,” on display from Wednesday, May 4, to Friday, May 20, in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building’s Art Gallery.
The artwork represented politics, sex and identity while sharing personal memories and society’s history. The exhibit went beyond social expectations and challenged traditional museum confines through its loud and truthful pieces.
Seven female artists and graphic designers broke boundaries through their portfolios on display, many of which examined the human experience.
“Weight” and “Drag Me Till I Tear” by senior art education major Amanda Intili featured art in motion and captured the weight of womanhood. Through physically walking in cement shoes and wearing dirty bedsheets, Intili used the human body as her art piece to show the draining realities that women face.
Senior visual arts major Jessica Cavanaugh captured photorealistic portraits that represented the intricacy of human emotion. Her piece “Presence of (the subject)” displayed facial expression and paint depth that reflected the inner man.
The work of senior fine arts major Ashley Monticello took a twist on the classic “Alice in Wonderland” through three photography pieces that showcased the conflicting relationship between her childhood innocence and adult sexuality.
Through ancestral designs, senior fine arts major Jessica Hargwood displayed the complexity of biracial identity. Her off-the-wall dimensions made the pieces “Origins” and “History Lost” fit her aesthetic.
Timed with the current presidential nominees’ campaigns, senior visual arts major Kristen Solis used quotes and paintings that depicted Donald Trump, his political views and the current state of U.S. politics. Her art screamed with emotional rage with lines like “My IQ is one of the highest, and you all know it! Please don’t feel insecure or stupid! It’s not your fault.”
The gallery also included senior fine arts Shannon Donaghy’s pieces that portrayed the emotional and physical experiences of her transracial adoption.
“I was adopted from South Korea,” Donaghy said. “My inspiration was my whole experience.”
Some of her pieces used surrealistic eyes, while her silkscreen pieces went beyond the flat canvas and related more to her personal history.
With most pieces evolving from silkscreen, paint, golden gel pens, paper, colored pencils and canvas, the artists and graphic designers showed the College abstract and thought-provoking art through a variety of materials.
Overall, the exhibition broke limits on artistic freedom of speech. Artists told their own stories and the stories of others while challenging viewers to relate yet feel uncomfortable. Their work did exactly what art has been known to do — inspire questions, thoughts and self-reflection.
(05/04/16 11:22pm)
By Brianna Cetrulo
Correspondent
A professional leader, retired athlete and mother of two, Cathy Engelbert, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deloitte — the largest professional services firm in the U.S. — inspired business students and educators at the College on Monday, April 25. The School of Business’s Women in Business sponsored Engelbert’s visit that filled the Library Auditorium with an audience that eagerly absorbed her words of wisdom.
Prior to serving as CEO, Engelbert has held leadership positions throughout her career at Deloitte. Serving as a member of the Deloitte LLP Board of Directors, she also held partner roles serving and advising pharmaceutical and multinational companies, according to Deloitte’s Website.
The CEO was recently featured as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women. She was made aware of this acknowledgment when her teenage daughter said, “Mom, you’re No. 21. You beat Taylor Swift.”
Engelbert is also the first female CEO of a Big Four accounting firm, which, in addition to the American firm Deloitte, includes British firms Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers and as well as the Dutch firm KPMG.
“I was taken aback by what a big deal this was,” Engelbert said.
The CEO attributes her success to an early foundation in leadership. While studying accounting at Lehigh University, she was a two-season athlete in varsity basketball and lacrosse.
“I have been competing since the day I was born,” Engelbert said, adding that she was one of eight children.
During her talk, Engelbert emphasized the importance of leadership in life.
“Aspire to be a leader and good things happen,” Engelbert said.
Along with leadership skills, Engelbert shared one of her tools for success. She calls it the “Three C’s.” The first “C” is “captain.” She said that it is important to be the captain of your own career and life. The second “C” stands for “coaches.” She advised the audience to surround themselves with mentors. Lastly, the third “C” represents “confidence.”
“Confidence is the biggest impediment (for) women,” Engelbert said.
Engelbert also stressed the importance of networking.
“You have to show a little aggression to make networking successful,” she said.
During the event, the CEO said she has her own version of the mantra “Work. Life. Balance.” called “Work. Life. Integration.” While following this, she was able to coach her daughter’s basketball team from the time she was in fourth to eighth grade, which evidently took place during an accountant’s busy season.
Engelbert found that it was more advantageous to be transparent with clients. She said that this has resulted in a change in the culture of the business interactions that she has participated in.
“There is a huge amount of flexibility,” Engelbert said. “We just don’t take advantage of it.”
Engelbert also noted that Deloitte does not have a quota on the number of women required to be employed by the company. However, Deloitte took on an initiative in 1993 concerning the advancement and retention of their female employees.
“My rising to CEO was an outcome of an inclusive culture,” said Engelbert, who acknowledged the success of the initiative.
During the Q&A part of the talk, senior accounting major Alyssa Blochlinger asked if there were differences in her expectations of being a CEO.
“I wish I listened more in psychology class,” Engelbert said.
She highlighted how important it is to be able to pick up on what motivates different people and the various different leadership styles.
In addition, senior accounting major Katie Padmore asked if there were any times that Engelbert struggled as a CEO.
Engelbert shared a story with the audience about a recent incident at a business round table event where she was stopped from entering the event by another woman, who told her that the dinner was for CEOs only.
Wrapping up the talk, Engelbert said that she wished that she had the opportunity to do a semester abroad during college. She said that “of all my internal time, 55 percent is spent globally.”
She also said that analytics is a necessary aspect of accounting that must be integrated into the business school.
Engelbert is proud to be a role model for women in the business field.
“We have to have this gender quake,” Engelbert said, encouraging women to enter into the field of business.
(05/04/16 3:08am)
By Camellia Carbonaro
Staff Writer
On Monday, April 25, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the kingdom would deviate from its dependence on oil. Huffington Post reported that the country has released a blue- print entitled Vision 2030 that seeks to increase Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenue from $43.6 billion to $267 billion by 2030. Prince Mohammed claims that his national transformation program will enable the kingdom to live without oil within four years.
This venture was brought about by the latest urgency caused by an unsustainable fiscal policy and economic structure, as well as the dropping revenue from energy sales. Reuters reported that, despite the country’s oil wealth, its people are still facing a 30 percent youth un-employment rate and an economic downturn. PBS NewsHour reported that the regime is currently stuck in a $100 billion budget deficit. During his first international news conference, Prince Mohammed declared that he would not allow his country to be at the “mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets” by helping kick the country’s “oil addiction.” He further explained that the addiction has been what has “disrupted the development of many sectors in the past years.”
According to Reuters, this will be no small feat — the distribution of oil revenue to client groups has been what has held the country’s economy and society together, even more so than conservative religion. Almost three-quarters of the government’s budget, especially defense, comes from oil revenues. The new plans would tear up the pre- existing social contract between the ruling al Saud and the kingdom’s population, which is, needless to say, very risky, according to Reuters.
The strategy involves the development of other sectors such as mining, manufacturing, retail, tourism, pilgrimage and healthcare. Prince Mohammed is looking to reimagine the country as a logistic hub for East-West trade and as a center for financial services, defense manufacturing and small- to-medium-sized enterprises. This would involve Saudi Arabia selling shares in Aramco and building a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund. The plans also included changes that push for women to have a bigger economic role and that offer green cards to foreign Arabs and Muslims. While the prince claims that improvements in government efficiency and restructuring are key to attaining this goal, Reuters is one of many critics contending that the prince is being naïve in thinking it would be this simple.
John Kemp, a Reuters market analyst, said that “true diversification requires developing industries which have nothing to do with the extraction of oil and spending of oil-related revenue.” In other words, while pilgrimage may work, the proposed transformation into a center for finance, logistics and manufacturing would be incredibly difficult. Kemp advised that Saudi Arabia’s rulers must first make their country more attractive to outside companies so they can be able to compete with other simpler alternatives like the United Arab Emirates. The Economist suggested that in order to attract investment, the government should create a more trustworthy image; they should clarify the privatization plans for their utilities and show how they can balance their books.
(05/03/16 10:16pm)
By Brian Guevara
Correspondent
John Laughton, who was hired as the dean of the School of Arts and Communication in 2009, will be retiring this December, capping an incredible run as dean. The School of Arts and Communication has shared major success under the guidance of Laughton. He has been a strong supporter of the combination of liberal arts and communication studies at the College, and has been a massive figure for the arts locally, nationally and internationally.
It was Laughton’s idea to combine arts and communication under one school, as he saw the similarities between two subjects.
“I think it’s a good match,” Laughton said in an interview with TCNJ Magazine in August 2009. “Considering… the way the arts play into the 21st century model of making contact with one another and with influencing and impacting ideas… The merging of those disciplines (like art, music and communications) was forward-looking on the part of the College.”
According to TCNJ Magazine, Laughton has traveled around the world as a higher education educator and administrator, international arts consultant and performer and trained mediator. His travels include Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and China. With that type of experience, he was the perfect candidate for dean at the College.
In the same TCNJ Magazine interview, he talked about his time at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, Md., and how it helped him build upon his vision for the College.
“I started my career as a professor at St. Mary’s College in Maryland and helped build that program into a school very similar to TCNJ,” Laughton said. “In fact, (St. Mary’s) was kind of a model that a lot of states looked at when developing liberal arts colleges as an alternative to large state universities.”
While the College may be better known for majors like business, nursing and education, the School of Arts and Communication has been moving up the ranks due to Laughton’s experience in this field and expansion of the school’s outlook. He helped establish the TCNJ Center for the Arts and transition interactive multimedia into a larger program that offers students a chance to explore new courses.
He set the standard for improvement in the School of the Arts and Communication and because of that, he has built strong relationships with alumni and donors, growing the school’s funding and endowment by more than $2 million.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jacqueline Taylor talked about the impact Laughton has made on the School of Arts and Communication.
“He increased the activity of partnerships internationally, while locally also supporting the Trenton arts community,” Taylor said. “He did a terrific job managing the resources to upgrade Kendall and Mayo concert halls.”
Taylor enjoyed working with Laughton for his commitment, passion and sense of humor.
“He has a gift for hospitality,” Taylor said. “Dean Laughton would open his doors for anyone. He is so passionate and supportive about the people he is leading.”
With his tenure ending in nine months, Laughton has his sights set on other projects, while also wanting to continue his musical performances and embarking on the issues of social justice that he is so passionate about. Laughton is an activist in violence prevention and has also worked with charitable organizations to raise money and awareness of how the arts can help communities, according to TCNJ Magazine. He organized campaigns in California and Massachusetts, where artists and musicians helped young people living in areas with high gang activity see the importance of community and unity.
Not only has Laughton been a trusted co-worker to Taylor, but also a friend and someone she admired.
“I compare our friendship to our dogs’ friendship,” Taylor said. “My dog, Trudy, looks up to his dog, Frida, literally and figuratively. That’s the same relationship we share and I am truly going to miss him.”
Laughton is not only proud of the work he has done for the College and the programs he has developed, but is honored to have worked alongside hardworking faculty at the College.
“My time at the College... has given me the opportunity to work with an engaged faculty, dedicated administrators and a community of students who exhibit enthusiasm and excitement for making a difference in the world,” Laughton said. “In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to help develop programs that connect to the community and to engage the arts and communication with important issues of social justice and entrepreneurship. For this, I am extremely grateful.”
(05/03/16 10:06pm)
By Danielle Silvia
While many claim that freshman year of College can be one of the best years of your life, others, like myself, saw the year as one giant transition. This past year has taught me so much about life and the changes that occur, all of which have brought me another step closer to the fringes of adulthood. Overall, my freshman year at the College is a monumental step toward adulthood due to the various life lessons I learned along the way.
Moving into college may seem scary at first, especially since the typical college freshman does not know many people besides their roommate. They will be introduced to all types of people from various cultures and backgrounds, and this ultimately will allow them to gain more insight into the world.
From the start of the semester, leaving home and transitioning to a completely new environment is very difficult, mostly because it is out of one’s comfort zone. By trying new things, though, despite a low level of comfort, freshmen are able to use their first year of college as a step toward independence.
Freshman year is a vital experience because it provides students with the opportunity to get involved in clubs and organizations that allow them to express themselves and make friends. College is one of the first opportunities in many people’s lives to meet all types of people and encounter various situations, affording them the chance to create their own thoughts and values.
As a freshman, the first few times I visited home made me feel like a stranger in my own bed. People would ask me how school was going and I felt urged to tell them, “It’s great,” but in reality, it was the first time in my life that I felt out of place. This feeling teaches freshmen how to have patience. Learning how to deal with uncomfortable situations is a key skill to have, along with developing persistence and perseverance — traits that can conquer any type of adversity in life.
When the Spring semester arrived, things got better for many freshmen. Even though they may constantly look back on the last year and see how much has changed, finals will quickly come up, bringing a close to their first year of college. A college workload is more intense than high school and at times, can be stressful. Learning time management skills to equally distribute study sessions and study breaks is a key skill for the workforce and life in general.
Throughout life, everyone will have the chance to close doors and open new ones, and during these life transitions, there will be challenges to overcome. Whether one commutes or lives at college, freshmen in particular will face situations beyond imagination. But by overcoming these challenges, freshmen learn to foster many new skills and life lessons. One can grow into a new person and be able to someday become an active member of society and make contributions that will change the world for the better.