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(08/26/14 8:09pm)
By Sydney Shaw
Opinions Editor
The NFL’s lax two-game suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice incited outrage across the country and demands that the league crack down on players who commit misdemeanors.
“You wonder what kind of message is sent when pot smokers get longer suspensions than people who engage in domestic violence,” Bob Kravits of the Indianapolis Star wrote in an editorial about the incident.
Rice allegedly punched his then-fiancèe Janay Palmer during a fight in February while inside an Atlantic City elevator.
This comes shortly after the season-long suspensions of Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns, LaVon Brazill of the Indianapolis Colts and Cardinals’ Daryl Washington for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. All three tested positive for pot.
Fans are wondering why a hit to your significant other’s face is more justifiable than a hit of marijuana.
Others have argued that the suspension of Rice without a suspension of Colts owner Jim Irsay shows favorable treatment of the higher-ups who sign the checks.
Irsay was arrested in March and charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.
While these instances have most frequently been held up against the Rice suspension, I wondered what other crimes the NFL finds more severe than assault.
In 2006, Odell Thurman of the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for four games, twice as long as Rice, after failing to appear at a scheduled drug test. Just a couple months later, Thurman was arrested for a DUI and missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Vincent Jackson pleaded guilty in February 2010 to driving under the influence and was suspended from the San Diego Chargers for three games.
Houstan Texan Antonio Smith was suspended in August of last year for just one game less than Rice after swinging around the helmet of an opposing player.
So, by that logic, swinging around two helmets is pretty much the same thing as knocking your fiancée out cold.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games (which was later reduced to a four-game sentence) after prosecutors decided to not even charge him in a sexual assault investigation.
And who can forget when Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg, earning himself a four-game ban?
Looking back, it is clear that when Roger Goodell became commissioner in 2006, he demanded that the league stop being so lenient about players performing violent hits, but something still had to be done about some players’ unacceptable off-the-field behavior.
In April 2007, Goodell introduced a new Personal Conduct Policy following a year of significant scandal surrounding some players’ actions off the field.
But after this recent suspension, I’m not sure if Goodell has cracked down hard enough.
Several members of the United States Senate agree.
“The decision to suspend Mr. Rice for a mere two games sends the inescapable message that the NFL does not take domestic or intimate-partner violence with the seriousness they deserve,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen, Tammy Baldwin and Sen. Chris Murphy wrote in the letter to Goodell and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome.
When Rice puts on his uniform, he accepts a position as not only a running back for the Ravens, but also as a role model for individuals across the country.
Rice should be ashamed of his actions, and the NFL should be ashamed of the meager slap-on-the-wrist that he received.
(08/26/14 5:24pm)
By Sydney Shaw
Opinons Editor
Nothing beats an evening of punk rock under the stars.
The Monumentour made its way to Holmdel, N.J., where dual-headliners Paramore and Fall Out Boy took the stage at the PNC Bank Arts Center on Saturday, June 28.
New Politics, featuring Lolo, opened with new hits like “Harlem” and “Give Me Hope." Both bands were recently signed with DCD2 Records, headed by Fall Out Boy’s bassist Pete Wentz.
Paramore opened as the sun began to set with the latest radio hit “Still Into You.”
Lead singer Hayley Williams strutted around stage clad in a neon ensemble, with electric turquoise eye shadow to match her latest hair color.
The band, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, played a balanced medley of songs from all four albums.
Throughout the show, the crowd went absolutely wild and held up homemade signs for both of the bands. Of the ones that made it on-camera, the most memorable read: “We missed graduation for this.”
During Paramore’s hit single “Misery Business,” the band had a surprise in store for one outstanding audience member.
“We’ve been scanning the crowd to see who has what it takes, to see who knew every word to every song,” said Williams. “Where is the man with the Blue Mohawk?”
Sure enough, the cameras landed on a young man with a mohawk dyed the same shade of turquoise as Williams’s hair. The look of utter shock plastered to his face was quickly replaced by an ear-to-ear smile as he was invited on-stage.
His name was Phil, and he had taken a plane from the U.K. to see Paramore play live for the sixth time this tour.
As a reward for his dedication, Phil was granted a golden microphone, along with the chance to sing a solo in front of 17,500 other fans.
Paramore ended with “Ain’t It Fun,” a song with a bridge that may hit home for many college students: “Don’t go crying to your mama / ‘cause you’re on your own in the real world.”
Finally, the highlight of the night (and perhaps of my entire summer) began when the lights fell and the sounds of an orchestra erupted from the stage.
“Put on your war paint,” demanded Fall Out Boy vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump, accompanied by Wentz on bass, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley in their opening song “The Phoenix.”
Songs from the band’s fifth studio album “Save Rock and Roll” largely dominated the evening, but I was also able to enjoy a few songs from my favorite album, “From Under the Cork Tree,” released in 2005 (and no, I didn’t cry when they performed “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” I just had something in my eyes).
Stump leads Fall Out Boy with his stellar vocals. (AP Photo)
During “Just One Yesterday,” Wentz asked audience members in the back to turn their cell phone flashlights on and the lawn lit up like the night sky.
For the double encore, the band threw it back to 2007 with one of their biggest songs “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs,” proceeded by “Saturday."
Ultimately, I went home with mascara on my cheeks, (permanently?) damaged vocal chords and memories I know I’ll savor for a long time.
My middle-school self would be proud.
(08/26/14 5:23pm)
By Sydney Shaw
Opinions Editor
This summer, 2,500 athletes and their families wandered up and down the boardwalk, lay out on the sand, enjoyed rides and ate their weight in funnel cake.
No, they weren’t down the shore. They were right in Lot 4 at the College for the New Jersey Special Olympics Summer Games and 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.
The Summer Games opening ceremony on Friday, May 30, included the traditional torch lighting of the cauldron and a speech by Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood.
The night was capped off by a B-Street Band concert and a spectacular fireworks show.
The games began on Saturday, June 14, when athletes competed in seven different sports, including track and field events, bocce in the soccer stadium, softball, swimming in Packer Hall, powerlifting in Kendall Hall and tennis on the outdoor courts. Gymnastic events were hosted at the Schafer School of Gymnastics in Lawrenceville.
Between events, athletes had the chance to test their luck at games of chance and skill, enjoy amusement park rides and taste classic boardwalk treats.
“Genuine Jersey Pride defines Special Olympics New Jersey and celebrates the impact we have on all who participate as well as those privileged to witness the magic every time an athlete with an intellectual disability takes the field, scores a goal, achieves a personal best time, or simply experiences the joy of participation,” the Special Olympics New Jersey mission statement reads.
Two weeks later, 215 of the athletes who competed in the N.J. Summer Games returned to the Mercer County area to represent Team New Jersey in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.
Those athletes, along with almost 3,300 competitors from other states, were invited to every Trenton Thunder baseball home game that week.
Volunteers for the games numbered more than 10,000.
While the College has hosted the Special Olympics New Jersey State Summer Games competition since 1990, this is the first time that the National Games, which take place every four years, have been hosted in New Jersey.
“It showcases their abilities on that playing field, but also shows them that they can succeed off the playing field in life,” spokesperson Heather Andersen said. “There are so many other things for them.”
The national games included several more sports — athletics, baseball, basketball, bowling, cycling, flag football, golf, soccer, triathlon and volleyball.
The College hosted basketball, bocce and powerlifting for the 2014 Games, as well as holding the triathlon awards ceremony.
Some of the competitors from the Garden State who went home with a medal include Ryan Hardgrove, with first place in aquatics for the 100-yard butterfly; Jacklyn Fuentes, with first place in the 100-meter run; Victor Yarnall with first place for the powerlifting male squat and John Rosati, with second place in the male bench press.
The dynamic duo Iris Tucker and Jane McCarney won third place in doubles bowling, while Shaleena Tomassini won first place in the 400-meter wheelchair race.
For many athletes, though, the games aren’t about taking home the gold. They are about proving to themselves that they can accomplish what was previously believed to be impossible. The games and their athletic performances are about never giving up.
They are not about overcoming disability, but succeeding in spite of it.
“We hope that their memories will last a lifetime of their week in New Jersey,” said Special Olympics USA Games Chairman and CEO T.J. Nelligan.
(04/29/14 10:59pm)
I woke up at 11:27 a.m. on Monday morning to the buzzing of my cell phone on my nightstand. It wasn’t a message from a friend or an oddly-timed alarm — it was another TCNJ alert.
According to the College’s website, “TCNJ has implemented a text- and voice-messaging emergency-alert system that will be used as one means of providing emergency alerts, timely warnings and informing the College community of major campus shutdowns, such as weather-related closings.”
This text-alert system is certainly a useful tool and has been implemented several times this year to notify students of class cancellations due to snow or emergency situations. But in the midst of these crises, it becomes easy to forget how lucky we are to have this alert system in place.
The @TCNJPROBLEMS Twitter account retweets countless students’ posts regarding emergencies on campus every time an alert is sent out, mostly criticizing the College and its efforts to alleviate any danger.
“Come to TCNJ,” one user wrote. “We have everything ranging from black men in nursing shoes to chemical spills to gas leaks!”
“A few weeks ago, chemical contamination and now there’s a gas leak on campus? Get your shit together,” a student tweeted on Monday, April 28, shortly after the gas leak was publicized.
“Less than a year at TCNJ and I’ve been exposed to a gas leak, a chemical spill, an intruder, a dorm fire and a dangerous man on a red bike,” another complained.
The College can’t prevent a chemistry student from accidentally exposing herself to the dangerous chemical benzyl bromide, but it can take precautions by notifying students of the threat and securing possible contaminated locations until they are deemed safe by officials.
On that particular day, NBC Philadelphia opted to report on the snarky Tweets posted by students from the College in just as much detail as the actual hazmat situation.
Early morning on November 23, a roof fire broke out in the walkway between Travers and Wolfe. The College responded by evacuating all students and staff from the towers and no injuries were reported.
Something can be said for the many fire drills that students typically take to social media to complain about, since they certainly came in handy when there was a real emergency.
Unless a security guard is stationed at every parking lot, sidewalk and at entrances to every building 24/7 (and let’s be honest — nobody wants that), the College cannot prevent a man wearing nurse’s shoes from sneaking into Travers or a suspected criminal cutting across campus on a red bicycle as he fled from police.
What the College can do is alert students of intruders and quickly work to remove them from campus.
The College cannot prevent a hired construction worker from accidentally striking a gas line, but it can order evacuations and send out text alerts to students and staff so that in case something terrible does happen, everybody remains safe.
Accidents happen, but it’s how the College responds to them that matters. And so far, it has responded very well.
Instead of complaining when things occasionally go astray, focus on all that the College has accomplished this year.
Students should not take these emergency text alerts as a joke, and we should all appreciate how much effort the College puts into keeping us safe.
(04/29/14 4:43pm)
Graduating seniors bid their final farewells and new elects were sworn in at the Student Government general body meeting on Wednesday, April 23.
Senior Tyler Liberty concluded his final meeting as Student Government president by passing the gavel down to Matthew Wells, the new president for the upcoming school year.
Other senior members looked back on their tenures in Student Government during the emotional final meeting: senator of science Chloe Fama, vice president of Advancement Jen Toth, assistant ACM representative Hajar Lakhouli, vice president of Governmental Affairs Alex Brown, senior class council secretary Katrina Xyloportas, senior class council treasurer Josephine D’Amico, vice president for Student Services Annie Montero, senior class council vice president Santina Mazzola, speaker Devin Dimmig, senator of Humanities and Social Sciences Anushka Patel, Executive Vice President Daria Wells, senior class council president Grace Moran and vice president of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir.
Before the conclusion of her last meeting as vice president of Equity and Diversity, Tahir announced that the third issue of Diversity University has been published.
Tahir went on to explain the “I, Too, Am TCNJ” campaign, intended to highlight instances of racial microaggression.
“Harvard, Oxford, Berkeley and other colleges have this campaign, too,” Tahir said.
Students can add their own experiences to the wall outside the Brower Student Center, which currently lists phrases like, “‘At least you aren’t that dark’ isn’t a compliment,” “Black culture is not ghetto” and other examples of racism faced by students.
Moran spoke later in the meeting about Senior Week planning.
“It’s the culmination of the senior experience,” she said.
Moran told students who have any questions to contact her for more information regarding Senior Week.
(04/25/14 8:04pm)
By Sydney Shaw
It’s about to become more difficult for minors in the United Kingdom to access porn websites.
Under the new system scheduled to be introduced at the end of the year, users must prove they are over 18 before being granted access to online pornographic material.
I understand the idea behind the push for reform — according to Atvod, an industry regulator, 200,000 children under the age of 15 view “extreme” adult material each month. Atvod went on to say that Pornhub, a site based in Luxembourg, received 112,000 visits from British boys aged 12 to 17 during one month last year.
British Prime Minister David Cameron warned that the Internet is “putting the innocence of our children” at risk and “corrupting childhood.”
“(The Internet) has an impact: on the children who view things that harm them, on the vile images of abuse that pollute minds and cause crime, on the very values that underpin our society,” Cameron said.
It’s not hard to see why parents wouldn’t want their children looking up risqué photos and videos on the web, but this new system might not be the easy fix parliament was hoping for.
One of the more popular ideas for users to prove they are of-age is based around being prompted for a driver’s license number upon entering a porn site.
Regardless of whether a user is 15 or 45, I can’t imagine that the majority of people who frequent porn sites would be willing to give up their identities to do so. It brings up issues of privacy and Internet rights.
In most cases, pornography is a victimless crime. It’s not the end of the world if a 17-year-old looks up a sex tape of two consenting adults who were paid a salary and signed contracts to partake in said video. Pornography is a popular business and global web traffic patterns prove it.
Child pornography, on the other hand, is a serious offense with real victims. That’s why it’s so ironic that the UK “War on Porn” leader Patrick Rock was arrested last month on suspicions related to child pornography.
If you’re going to put up a fight against something, it might help your cause to not be guilty of the most serious form of the very thing you are criticizing.
It’s a noble crusade to try to protect the world’s youth, but the UK is doing it all wrong. Find a better campaign figurehead and find a better way to keep kids from exploring the raunchy reaches of the web.
(04/22/14 10:09pm)
Four clubs were approved by Student Government at the general body meeting on Wednesday, April 16.
The first club — the Association for Music Production and Discussion, or AMPD — seeks to create an environment for music discussion, music production collaboration and recording.
The group was previously derecognized, mainly owing to loss of access to the on-campus recording studio as it underwent renovation, but even so, AMPD continued to co-sponsor events such as The Drop, a biannual electronic music event.
“We had The Drop last year and we brought in DJs from outside, but we also showcased some students’ music,” AMPD executive board member Chris Flannery said.
Governmental Affairs unanimously voted in favor of the organization, believing it will be a creative addition to campus.
The next group that presented was the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, a non-partisan group that hopes to create awareness about issues such as on-campus housing equality, Internet privacy, LGBTQ rights and an understanding of the student code of conduct.
GA was impressed with the initial programming ideas for the club.
Next to present was the Student Alliance to Facilitate Empathy, or SAFE, an organization meant to bring disability awareness to campus.
The group will offer a stigma-free environment and supportive, student-run meetings.
Finally, the Arabic Club was approved after GA recognized the lack of Arabic representation on campus.
The club plans to focus on raising awareness of various Arabic customs and allowing members to practice the Arabic language, along with hosting film screenings, Arabic cooking classes and guest speakers.
“Many people have been comparing the Arabic Club with the Muslim Students Association already on campus,” freshman class council member Javier Nicasio said, “but not everyone of Arabic descent is Muslim. That’s exactly why we need this club on campus, to educate people about Arabic culture.”
(04/19/14 12:30pm)
Members of Student Government traveled to the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton for the General Body meeting on Wednesday, April 9.
Senator of Humanities and Social Sciences Emily Reyes introduced Assemblymen Raj Mukherji and Gary Schaer who took time to speak with the Student Government.
Student Government President Tyler Liberty opened by explaining that the main agenda item of the statehouse meeting was to endorse the Student Finance Board’s budget for next year.
Brian Hurler, the executive director of the Student Finance Board, presented the budget to the General Body as members asked about the changes that are being made for the upcoming year.
One of the biggest changes to the budget will affect Greek life on campus.
Greek life organizations and many other non-SAF funded clubs are now encouraged to apply to use the special appropriations fund.
Special appropriations are applications to propose funding for events on campus.
There is an increase in funds apportioned for special apps on campus since SFB anticipates an increase in presentations for funds from these organizations.
Vice President of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir informed members that the third and final issue of Diversity University will be released on Monday, April 21.
Finally, Junior Class Council President Brian Garsh announced that the junior class will be having a fundraising night at Applebee’s on Monday, April 21, and Sophomore Class Council President Shap Bahary informed members that the class is selling $5 sunglasses that say “TCNJ” and have a paw print on them.
(04/19/14 12:08pm)
Synergy Dance Company proved that hard work does pay off at the 14th annual Spring Spectacular, held in Kendall Hall on Saturday, April 12.
The show opened with an immensely energetic performance to Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.” The full-cast dance certainly caught the audience’s attention.
Afterward, the performers Kristina Kondakji, McKenzie Montana, Danielle DiPasquale and Erin O’Connor moved almost perfectly in sync to A Great Big World’s hit, “Say Something.”
Kondakji, a sophomore, poetically choreographed the emotional dance about lack of communication with someone you love.
“I lost a very good friend this past year because of a lack of understanding and communication,” Kondakji said. “So I wanted to express that in the best way I know how to: by dancing and getting caught up in the movement. I love how you can tell a story without saying one word on stage.”
At the end of their performance, all but Kondakji shed the men’s dress shirts they had worn.
“(The shirts) symbolized the relationship and how it is fragile and can wrinkle so easily, like a shirt,” Kondakji explained. “I had the girls shed them away at the end, signifying giving up. I, however, kept my shirt on, still clinging to the minuscule hope I had left.”
Kondakji also choreographed the “World Town” dance. The girls were dressed in leopard print and moved to the tribal beat of the song.
After, audience members were treated to a guest performance by The Trentones, who sang renditions of “You Remind Me” by Usher and “The Morning Comes” by Delta Rae.
Choreographer Lauren Rodgers and Alexa Abraham wore matching blue leotards and skirts as they danced to Birdy’s song “Skinny Love,” played by pianist and senior accounting major Mike Halperin.
Later on in the performance, Hannah Beal, Toni D’Amato, Alex Dispensiere, Mackenzie Hickey, Emilee Kim, Lauren Langbein, Danielle Lukas, Cecilia Muscarella, Danielle Nagle, O’Connor, Rebecca Shaber and Alyssa Scull danced to Jason Derulo’s new popular hit, “Talk Dirty.”
“I actually didn’t know about this song until a friend told me about it, but once I heard it I knew it was exactly what I wanted,” choreographer Hickey said. “This was back when it wasn’t on the radio every day.”
The dancers utilized strobe lights in their performance and wore sweatpants and brightly colored tank tops.
“I knew I wanted bright colors to reflect the intensity of the song and the dance, so that’s how the red/orange/yellow color scheme came about,” Hickey said.
The epic finale was the senior dance, choreographed by the senior class — Abraham, Carmella Holl, Langbein, Muscarella, Rodgers, Michelle Sanders, Alex Skula and Briana Williams.
Synergy succeeded in illustrating the power of music and dance as a tool for conveying stories and emotions in their truly “spectacular” performance.
(04/13/14 2:17pm)
There has been a growing movement on social media platforms like Tumblr for the past several months that can be summed up in four words: grades don’t define you.
Users cite random tidbits of information, mainly about intelligent, successful celebrities who performed poorly in the classroom.
Posts remind people that Albert Einstein failed miserably in school and how Microsoft mogul Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard at age 20 before receiving his degree.
Kate Winslet (you know, Rose, from “Titanic”) and William Shakespeare were dropouts too.
Photos of Scantrons bubbled in to read THIS DOES NOT DEFINE YOU are reblogged hundreds of thousands of times.
Maybe the system is whack, maybe some people are bad test-takers and maybe the SAT doesn’t measure intelligence as well as it could (hey, that’s why they’re revising it, right?).
It is true that getting good grades doesn’t always equate to superior intelligence and getting bad grades doesn’t necessarily equate to stupidity. It’s true that individuals are more than numbers in a grade book.
But, in reality, grades matter. Plain and simple.
What these Tumblr users forget to mention is that Albert Einstein flunked because, well, he was literally a genius and school was just too boring for him. It’s doubtful that everyone who plays the Einstein-was-a-failure card is under-engaged in class because they are just too brilliant.
Bill Gates may have left Harvard early, but hello, he still got into Harvard and that didn’t happen with a transcript of Ds and Fs.
And unless you’re planning on dropping out of school to become one of the most widely recognized actresses on the planet or a poet whose works will prevail for almost half a millennium, your argument is invalid.
It’s true that failing a math quiz every once in a while won’t kill you. Those are the days when you can tell yourself, “My grade is just a number on a piece of paper,” and try not to let it happen again. But skating through your education and rejecting the idea that grades measure anything important is just absurd.
There needs to be some kind of middle ground. Don’t smile at your straight-F report card, but don’t have anxiety attacks over your 89 average, either. Just do your best, study for your exams and learn as much as you can. The rest should come naturally.
(04/08/14 10:18pm)
Two new clubs were approved by Student Government and the decision on a third was tabled at the general body meeting on Wednesday, April 2.
Russian Club and Kappa Pi, an art honor society and fraternity, were unanimously approved by the Governmental Affairs Committee.
Phi Delta Epsilon, a medical fraternity, was tabled until SG could learn more about the processes in which a fraternity goes through to become a legitimate chapter of an organization.
“Russian club aims to enhance conversational skills in Russian and to highlight Russian culture,” Senator of Humanities and Social Sciences Jessica Glynn said.
A typical meeting of the club would ideally be set in a laid-back environment, with cultural food and activities to accompany the events.
“The student who presented to General Assembly was so incredibly passionate about this club,” vice president of Governmental Affairs Alex Brown said. “I’ve never seen anyone that passionate about Russian in my entire life.”
The second club to be approved, Kappa Pi, serves as an honorary art fraternity as well as an art honor society.
“Any art student with a 3.6 GPA will be notified by the board of their induction as an honorary member,” Glynn explained, but any student can join as a general member.
Glynn added that General Assembly has faith in the sustainability of Kappa Pi.
The decision on Phi Delta Epsilon, however, was tabled because the Inter-Greek Council lacked the necessary knowledge about the organization.
“We wanted to check with Dave Conner (assistant director for Fraternity and Sorority Programs) and Inter-Greek Council before we fully approve them,” Glynn said.
PhiDE is an international medical fraternity that currently has chapters in every state, including chapters at Rutgers and Rowan.
Some of the fraternity’s philanthropies include combating child abuse and illiteracy.
If approved, the chapter at the College plans to collaborate with the chapters at Rutgers and Rowan to expand events and reach out to more students.
(04/08/14 10:18pm)
Five bands, ranging from folk to hardcore punk to funky ska, performed at the third annual Battle of the Bands, co-sponsored by CUB Rat and 91.3FM WTSR, on Sunday, April 6.
Pine Barons won first place, high-rotation airtime on WTSR and an opening spot in one of next semester’s shows at the Rat.
In second place with low-rotation airtime was Old Briar Road, comprised of Michael Cort on banjo and percussion, Kyle McCabe on guitar, drums and vocals and Daniel Crowley on guitar.
Unfortunately, vocalist Julia Malak was unable to attend.
The indie folk band performed “Harvest,” “Like Father Like Son,” “Settle Down” and other rustic originals from their debut album “Creek Fables,” which is scheduled to be released this summer.
Pine Barons took the stage next, with Keith Abrams and Brad Pulley on guitar and vocals, Collin Smith on traps and vocals and Shane Hower on bass and drums.
The self-described “psych-folk-harmonious-americana-rock and roll band” played “Carnival,” “Alpha-igloo-bet,” “Chamber Choir” and more from their self-titled debut album.
“We were friends before we were a band, but then the stars aligned and we realized our rock and roll destiny,” said Pulley, an electrical engineering major at Drexel.
On Your Marks, composed of Alex Piraquive on vocals and guitar, Freddie Koechlin on bass, Matt Arnone on drums and Phil McGarry on guitar and vocals, has played alongside headliners such as Man Overboard, Such Gold, Pentimento and State Champ.
The Monmouth County-based band played songs from their EP “Ripped Out By The Roots,” including “Coma,” “Anxiety” and “Time Lock.” The official music video for “Time Lock” is available to view on YouTube.
Alternative rock band, The Blithedale Romance, comprised of guitarists and vocalists Rob Graham and Brian Rennwans, bassist and vocalist Jason Renna and drummer Andy Onorato, performed “Master of Time,” “December 1854,” “Future Plans and Old Mans” and other hits from their first EP “Kings,” available on iTunes.
The Phonies finished the afternoon with a unique blend of brass, strings and percussion.
Sean Conlon on guitar and vocals, David Greiff on drums and vocals, Brandon Conlon on bass, Ben Godwin on trumpet, Chris Linden on alto sax, Jake Fike on baritone sax and Mike Rilli on trombone performed “In The Blink of an Eye,” “Breathe” and a cover of Muse’s “Muscle Museum.”
When Conlon’s guitar string snapped, Pulley from Pine Barons didn’t hesitate to lend over his own turquoise guitar for the remainder of the set.
“I encourage anyone who missed the Phonies’ set to correct that mistake — they were Radtacular,” Pulley said. “We had a blast playing and really appreciated the encouragement and enthusiasm of everyone at the event. All the bands were really great and we would have happily lost to any of them!”
All the proceeds from the event go to to the Trenton Community Music School.
(04/01/14 10:11pm)
Student Government President Tyler Liberty announced at the general body meeting on Wednesday, March 26, that Funival planning is in the works.
Funival is one of the most anticipated events of the year, falling on Friday, May 2, the day following the last day of spring classes. There will be games, rides, good music and tons of fun food vendors selling carnival favorites.
Early in the meeting, speaker Devin Dimmig introduced a new bill that affects the distribution of class council seats.
Dimmig explained that the position of Senators at Large has been eliminated, so Student Government has three extra spots available that will be put toward the sophomore, junior and senior class councils.
The bill was passed and will go into effect for the upcoming elections, so as of next year, there will be seven freshman class council seats and five per each of the other class councils.
“This makes the class council a more dynamic part of SG,” Vice President of Governmental Affairs Alex Brown said. “It provides more leadership opportunities to students who want to get involved.”
Later, Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Bonnano talked about the new wall that is outside the Brower Student Center.
Inside a magnifying glass pained on the wall, it says “Do you have a clue about TCNJ’s academic resources?”
“It is part of the NORM campaign to increase the use of academic resources on campus,” Bonnano said. “These resources are so beneficial in so many ways. The stats on the board prove it.”
The board includes statistics from the Tutoring Center, Career Services and Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS.
Vice President of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir proudly announced that the second issue of Diversity University is officially out as of Tuesday, March 25.
This issue talks about the history of the black freedom movement, Queer Inclusive Bible Study, Students for Disabilities Awareness as well as several other groups and events on campus that celebrate diversity.
(04/01/14 9:54pm)
If tomorrow was your last day on Earth, what would you say today?
That is the question Benjamin Rifkin, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, discussed in the second annual “Last Lecture” on Wednesday, March 27.
Rifkin gave his lecture with inspiration from his beloved golden retriever, Webster, who passed away last summer.
He said that he learned “the six C’s” from Webster: curiosity, communication, compassion, community, caring squared and carpe diem.
“We don’t have to understand everything, but let’s try to be curious. Marvel at the cultures of the world,” Rifkin said. “No matter what culture you are in, a smile is still a smile. A tear is still a tear.”
Webster did not understand many things during his time here on Earth, but Rifkin said that he never stopped being curious.
Rifkin went on to explain that Webster often communicated to him by howling with happiness.
“I think we need to do that too,” Rifkin said. “Howl with happiness. Whether you’ve fallen overwhelmingly in love or you’ve made a new friend that you know you will have for life, howl with happiness!”
Rifkin compared compassion to an overflowing sink and encouraged the audience to “keep it running. Let your compassion overflow onto those around you.”
He recalled one particular example of compassion demonstrated by students from the College that brought him to tears.
When a group came to campus with a giant sign reading “WARNING TO GOD HATERS, FORNICATORS, HOMOSEXUALS,” students reacted by peacefully surrounding the group and holding up rainbow flags.
“Our students responded to anger with compassion and love,” Rifkin said. “I wept.”
Part of Webster’s lesson to Rifkin on community came from spending countless hours with students from the College.
“I used to bring Webster to campus once in the fall and once in the spring,” Rifkin said. “Then, I started bringing him around during exam time, so students could stop by to pet him to relieve stress.”
Soon, other faculty joined in and the movement grew from a few students to a dozen dogs and over 600 students.
Finally, Webster taught Rifkin that he needs to seize each and every day as if it were his last.
“Find your inner tortoise,” Rifkin said. “Slow down. Recognize what’s unfolding right in front of you and you will find happiness.”
He ended by explaining that to his family, Webster was not a golden retriever.
“Webster didn’t like to fetch,” Rifkin said. “He wasn’t going to fulfill the ‘retriever’ part of his name because it didn’t make him happy.”
Webster was simply the Rifkin family Golden.
“Give up the thing that people expect you to do if it doesn’t make you happy,” Rifkin said.
(03/25/14 10:27pm)
A new website created to help students plan their course schedules was presented to Student Government at the general body meeting on Wednesday, March 19.
The site, sgacademicaffairs.weebly.com, gives students a quick and easy way to access course trackers for every major offered at the College.
“We were trying to think of ways to promote different advising tools that are available for students,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Bonanno said.
Users can select their school of study on the lefthand side of the page and then click on their major to download their course tracker directly to their computer.
“Students often take liberal learning classes that are redundant with courses they are already taking with their major,” Bonanno said. “So we are hoping to help eliminate that with this website.”
After the presentation, Nhi Lam was awarded Senator of the Month.
Lam, a Senator of Engineering, was described as “always volunteering and helping out.”
Later on in the meeting, Vice President of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir told members about “What I Be.” The project, which is co-sponsored by Circle of Compassion, runs from Sunday, March 23, to Friday, March 28.
“Photographer Steve Rosenfield is coming to campus to talk about insecurities,” Tahir said. “Then he’s going to write your insecurity on your body and take a photograph of you.”
To learn more information or sign up to participate in “What I Be,” visit the event page on Facebook.
(03/18/14 10:24pm)
In an evolving world of agency groups, from Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch, there has been a remarkable progression in the way human rights are framed and dealt with. Students had the opportunity to examine the history of human rights during David Forsythe’s presentation “Human Rights in the World,” sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa on Monday, March 4.
Forsythe, distinguished political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is one of the leading experts in human rights studies. Whenever he feels frustrated about ongoing human rights violations, he takes a step back and looks at it from a historical perspective.
“Concern with what happens to individuals has advanced greatly in recent decades,” Forsythe said. “There were periods of perceived security threats that correspond with violations of human rights policy.”
Forsythe mentioned the Japanese internment during World War II and witch-hunt McCarthyism during the Cold War era as examples.
With regard to American history, Forsythe described Franklin D. Roosevelt as a powerful catalyst in the fight toward improving human rights.
“FDR understood that if you needed health care and you couldn’t get it, you were not a free person,” Forsythe said.
Forsythe also cited famous economist and author Amartya Sen, who defined freedom as the capability to develop one’s human potential.
“The United States is the only developed democracy that has controversy over socio-economic rights, such as health care,” Forsythe said. “Canada, Japan, Israel, South Korea, you name it. They have universal health care.”
To Forsythe, organizations such as the Atrocities Prevention Board and the International Criminal Court indicate considerable progress in how the world deals with atrocities like genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and systematic rape.
“Forsythe’s presentation was an enlightening look into the importance of international organizations, like the ICC, for improving human rights for all people,” junior international studies major Sean Harshman said.
“If states took international human laws seriously, we would have more human dignity in the world,” Forsythe said.
Forsythe went into detail about more specific examples that point to the progression of human rights worldwide, such as decolonization, HIV/AIDS being addressed in Africa, the fact that most South American dictators are gone, and R2P, or the Right to Protect.
“R2P voids state sovereignty,” Forsythe explained. “If a state is unwilling or unable to stop atrocities from happening, other states have the ability to step in.”
Although there has been significant progress over the past several decades, Forsythe admitted that not everything is moving in the right direction.
He mentioned that some major states, such as China, Russia, Syria and Libya, are still illiberal. The Assad regime in Syria is even supported by countries like Russia, Iran and Iraq.
Forsythe also expressed his disappointment that although the Congo is the rape capital of the world, it gets virtually no news coverage in the U.S.
“It doesn’t seem to affect our stock market or our daily lives, so nobody is engaged in a decisive way,” he said.
We may not live in a perfect world, but Forsythe hopes the treatment of individuals will continue to improve until all people are guaranteed basic human rights.
(03/18/14 7:23pm)
Five new on-campus organizations were presented to Student Government at the general body meeting on Wednesday, March 5.
The Student Transfer Association, Queer Inclusive Bible Study, Omicron Delta Kappa honor society and Student United Way were approved by Student Government, but Liberty in North Korea was not.
“Student Transfer Association aims to facilitate the transitional period for transfer students coming to the College,” Senator of Humanities and Social Sciences Jessica Glynn said.
The organization hopes to bridge the gap between transfers and current students through social trips, such as ice skating and visits to Princeton.
Queer Inclusive Bible Study strives to teach members about the intersectionality between faith and sexuality and provide a safe space for queer people to explore the Bible, Glynn explained.
Student United Way advocates for the advancement of common good through education, income and health and stresses the impact that the three have on each other.
SUW was voted unanimously into favor and was described as “one of the most organized presentations of the year” by the Governmental Affairs Committee.
The nation-wide organization has internships available for students who are members.
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ODK, is an honor society for juniors and seniors in leadership positions with at least a 3.4 GPA. The organization is looking for students who show leadership in areas of scholastics, athletics, community service, religion, government, media and performing arts.
“Students from different parts of campus can come together through ODK,” Student Government President Tyler Liberty said. “If you have someone who excels in athletics at the same table with someone who excels in performing arts, they can come up with better ideas together.”
“The President of the College, the Provost and the Vice President of Student Affairs all wrote letters recommending ODK,” Vice President of Governmental Affairs Alex Brown said. “That says a lot. This is definitely something they want to see on campus.”
The only organization that was not passed was Liberty in North Korea, or LiNK.
“LiNK aims to raise awareness of the plight of North Korean refugees to the public and hopes to raise funds to help those people,” Glynn said. “They don’t want to focus on any political positions. They just want to give voice to the victims.”
Rathskeller concerts, restaurant fundraisers, volleyball tournaments and film screenings were all presented as ideas to raise money and awareness for the organization.
“Student organizations are not just on campus to serve students,” said Vice President of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir, who was disappointed by the rejection of LiNK. “They should serve greater causes.”
(03/04/14 11:15pm)
Feedback was gathered for the Academic Standing and Dismissal policy at the Student Government general body meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
According to the current policy, “good” academic standing is defined as having a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.75, while having taken between four and eight courses. With 8.25 or more courses, the minimum GPA increases to 2.0.
A student will be placed on Academic Probation if “the student has attempted credits, in letter-graded courses, from more than four to eight courses and has a combined GPA of less than 1.75,” or “the student has attempted credits, in letter-graded courses, more than eight courses and has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0,” according to the policy.
“We’ve recommended that there be some sort of grace period,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Bonanno said. “If someone is struggling in their classes and then they switch majors, we think they should have a two-semester grace period to bring their grades back up.”
Bonanno added that this possible addition to the policy would affect “students who change majors and attain at least a 2.0 GPA in their first semester of the new major.”
Earlier in the meeting, Mike Chiumento, Senator of Science, asked about the possibility of the College hosting a Scholarship Workshop. It would be similar to a College Fair, but instead of providing information about prospective schools, it would teach students about available scholarships.
“We don’t tend to realize as college students how many scholarships exist for current undergraduates, rather than just incoming college freshmen,” Chiumento said.
Manetas suggested that the workshop could, in addition to showing which scholarships exist, teach students how to better search for scholarships that apply specifically to them.
In addition, Jaimie DeMarco, Senator of Education, announced that “Paint the Campus Purple” is this week, starting at Relay for Life.
She talked about events coming up such as the Piccolo Trattoria fundraiser on Monday, March 3, a Zumba-thon on Tuesday, March 4, and Purple Theme Night at Eickhoff on Thursday, March 5.
DeMarco encourages people to sign up for Relay for Life before Friday, March 7, as the price will double to $20 from the original $10 after the date.
(02/26/14 1:07am)
A demonstration for lionsmatter.com — a forum to post issues at the College — was presented to the Student Government general body during their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
The site was created by junior marketing and economics double major Patrick Kelly and junior marketing and IMM double major Michael Young.
“It’s a public platform for students to post comments and concerns about the College,” Kelly said. “We will forward the information to administrators so that they can do something about it, and we can see real results.”
Posts can be up- and down-voted, similar to YouTube videos, to let the College know which posts are most relevant and most important to students. Kelly and Young discussed plans for a moderation system to prevent spam.
“Since you have to sign into your TCNJ account, anything you post will be connected to you,” Young explained. He hopes this will deter students from writing up ludicrous posts.
“I think that the site has great potential for actual improvement of matters on campus,” freshman class council member Derek Carper said. “While the platform of @TCNJPROBLEMS on Twitter provides an output for students’ frustration, it’s not productive in solving the problems presented. So long as the system doesn’t get abused, I believe it has the potential to be a key tool in improving the little things on campus.”
Young believes that Lions Matter is superior to SpeakOut TCNJ — a similar site in the sense that problems can be posted and voted on — because posts are forwarded to administrators, allowing them to respond.
“One incentive we’ve been thinking about to try to encourage administrators to respond to posts is a Leader Board,” Young said. “It will show who is ‘winning’ or in other words, which administrators respond to the highest percentage of posts.
Freshman class council member Ryan Molicki expressed concerns about only checking the website once a week, in case more urgent matters are posted.
On Monday, for example, an anonymous user posted a photo on Lions Matter with the caption, “This is the ceiling of the Norsworthy 2 women’s bathroom. A large plate in the ceiling is slowly collapsing because the actual ceiling is crumbling. The entire plate is being supported by a wooden block on top of a pipe connected to a sprinkler head. This is absolutely ridiculous, and it has been like this for over a week.”
Kelly and Young stressed the importance of knowing when to submit a work order to Res Life instead of posting on Lions Matter.
Magda Manetas, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, fears that the site may get too personal. For example, students could use the site to complain about a professor they don’t get along with.
“That certainly is not the intended purpose of Lions Matter,” Kelly said.
He reiterated that a moderation system is in the works.
(02/18/14 4:22pm)
Student Government President Tyler Liberty opened the meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, by announcing Barbara Gitenstein’s 15th year serving as President of the College.
A theme throughout this week’s meeting was revamping social media platforms into new ways for the administration to help students at the College.
Arts and Communications Senator Tom Verga talked about lionsmatter.com, a website he compared to the Twitter account @TCNJPROBLEMS. Instead of just complaining about their problems, students now have a way to get in touch with someone who can help solve them.
“Information posted on the website will be sent to the administration,” Verga said. “It gives administrators more of a way to help the College.”
Michell Lin, a senator of Humanities and Social Sciences, presented a similar idea, but this time replacing a textbook-exchange Facebook group within the College. The new program is called “Textbook Friend.” You can simply type in your information online, whether you are a buyer or a seller, and you will then be matched up with another student looking to exchange books.
“This is a way to better organize and bring everyone together,” Lin said.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the meeting was the announcement of Colleges Against Cancer's Chipotle fundraiser on Monday, Feb. 24, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Students can order from Chipotle when visiting the Brower Student Center. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 25, the food will be delivered to the student center between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. CAC will receive 50 percent of all profits.
Near the end of the meeting, Assistant Dean of Students Angela Chong went into detail about the new Student Organization Code of Conduct and received feedback from students.
“We are holding them accountable as a group now,” Chong said.
Junior economics major Grace Moran brought up concerns about an entire organization being punished when only a few of its members violated the code of conduct.
Chong stressed that it will not affect an individual’s discipline record if members of a group violate the code, but the individual was not present at the time of the violation.
“It doesn’t mean that if one individual violates the code, the whole group will be punished,” Chong said. “Consequences will depend entirely on the investigation and the evidence gathered.”