The Signal Spring '15 No. 1

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Vol. XLII, No. I

January 28, 2015

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Kiplinger’s ranks school as best value

Eve Cruz: beloved Eick worker

By Colleen Murphy News Editor

For the 10th year in a row, the College has been included on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “Best Values in Public Colleges” list.

This year, out of the 100 four-year colleges on the list, the College was ranked as the 23rd most valuable public college in the nation for in-state students. It was ahead of the four other New Jersey public schools included on the list: Rutgers University — New Brunswick (43rd), Ramapo College (82nd), Rowan University (85th) and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (100th).

Kiplinger also ranked the College as the 16th best valuable public college for out-ofstate students.

The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill was ranked number one for both in-state and outof-state tuition while the University of Virginia was second in both areas.

According to Kiplinger’s website, “Unlike other college rankings, ours are based entirely on measurable criteria, such as student-faculty ratios, admission rates, on-time graduation rate, sticker price and financial aid. Neither our opinion nor anyone else’s affects the calculation.”

The company uses a formula of accounting the quality of the school as 55 percent of the total score and cost criteria as 45 percent of the ranking.

The list cites the College as having a 43 percent admission rate, as well as a 73 percent fouryear graduation rate, which were both factors see VALUE on page 3

Photo courtesy of Connor Nasto

Students admire Cruz for her sense of humor and unwavering dedication to her ‘kids.’

By Julie Kayzerman Managing Editor When Eve Cruz opened a card from one of her “kids,” she cried.

“Eve, I don’t even come to Eick for the food anymore,” it read. “I come to see you.”

The 40-year-old Sodexo cashier greets students as they walk into the dining hall at the College with bits of inspiration, wacky jokes and a huge grin across her face.

“One more day girls and boys, we got this,” she says with a smile.

We. It’s always “we” for Cruz, because during her seven years working at the College, she’s developed a love

for the students, who she refers to as her kids.

“It’s about the College. I could’ve left this job, but I don’t because I’ve bonded with the kids,” Cruz said. “I’m not there for the money, I’m there for my kids. We have a bond now.”

With a line of hungry students walking into the Atrium of Eickhoff Hall in between stressful classes, they know they can count on Cruz to brighten their day. And Cruz says she can always count on them to brighten hers.

Sometimes putting on a funny hat or wig, Cruz will cook up a plan to make her students happy. She even brought out a fake mustache to wear for No Shave November.

“Y’all are so awesome, you make my day,” she said. “Y’all say I make your day just getting you in and getting you through the week. Well we do the same for each other.”

Although Cruz’s job with Sodexo pays $8.85 an hour, Cruz wouldn’t know — she doesn’t pay attention to the money. To her, that’s not what the job is about. Instead, greeting every student with a smile and words of encouragement, Cruz explained that her true job is to get her “kids” through the day by spreading positivity energy.

“That’s the top priority for me,” she said. “We’re a team in here.” see EVE on page 9

Winter thaws as students travel to Cuba

By Sydney Shaw News Editor

Photo courtesy of Christine Garrity

Students visit the National Capitol Building in Havana.

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 5

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Editorial / Page 6

For the first time in the College’s history, 23 students spent a winter session in Havana, an epitome of the burgeoning thaw in American-Cuban relations.

The trip occurred just a month after President Obama ordered the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the island and the opening of an embassy in Havana in a surprise announcement that outlined plans to stamp out the last remains of Cold War tensions.

Students were immersed in the culture of Cuba’s capital city from Sunday, Jan. 5, to Saturday, Jan. 18, for the class “Landmarks: Opinions / Page 7

Art and Culture of Cuba,” a visual arts and art history collaboration. These two weeks consisted of salsa dance classes, trips to museums, cultural scavenger hunts and exploring famous edifices around the city. The trip also presented students with a view of Cuba’s past and present that has persisted, largely unchanged, for several decades.

“It’s pretty incredible to think that we were some of the last people to see Cuba as it has been for over half a century,” said Christine Garrity, a senior secondary education and Spanish double major who attended the trip.

Dr. Lois Fichner-Rathus, professor of art history, was instrumental in initiating the project.

Features / Page 9

She went on the trip as program director, along with associate art professor Anita Allyn and art professor Elizabeth Mackie.

“My favorite part was probably the trip we took to a farm called Finca La Coincidencia,” Garrity said. “The farm was huge, and apart from harvesting crops, it also served as a sort of outdoor art exhibit that hosted all different types of pieces from a number of different artists.”

Students decorated ceramic pots at the farm to bring back to the states — with a promise, however, that they would one day return to the farm to redisplay the pots. see CUBA on page 3

Arts & Entertainment / Page 12

Sports / Page 24

Dear Judith Check out The Signal’s new advice column

Monterey Local trio releases new EP “Sailors”

Coach of the Year Field hockey coach Pfluger wins award

See A&E page 13

See Features page 11

See Sports page 15

page 2 The Signal January 28, 2015

An updated T-Dubs is back in business

By Mylin Batipps Social Media Editor

After a nearly eight-month shutdown due to repairs, T-Dubs is back and better than ever.

The newly renovated dining facility has an updated serving area, as well as a polished dining area with freshly painted walls and a cleansed glass solarium.

“The new T-Dubs will offer a welcoming décor and will continue to offer the grill, pizza, Mexican food, salad bar and other selections,” said David Muha, the College’s vice president for communications, marketing and brand management.

This is the dining facility’s first major update since 1983, according to Muha.

The renovation of T-Dubs was supposed to only take place last summer before opening to students upon their return to the College for the fall. However, with the rise of plumbing and mechanical issues, repairs slowed down the renovation process, causing T-Dubs to remain closed for the rest of the fall semester and winter break.

And according to Muha, it wasn’t necessarily easy for Campus Planning and Construction to troubleshoot the issues while renovating the space.

“Construction projects have many simultaneously occurring activities, with many tasks overlapping,” he said. “This makes it difficult to attribute cause and effect between any single construction item and the extended duration of the project.”

Furthermore, Muha noted last August

that the project would’ve been months ahead of schedule had it been completed before the start of the fall semester. The College and Sodexo originally planned on completing the construction by this month, which means the renovation has actually finished in a timely manner.

Students of the College have waited over the previous semester and winter break to set foot back into T-Dubs and indulge in its classic selections. According to sophomore history and economics double major Conor Reid, the College was not the same without T-Dubs last semester.

“T-Dubs is the very essence of (the College), its lifeblood,” Reid said. “Friendships beyond measure were forged and cemented in a booth at T-Dubs late into the night.”

Reid added that although the Lions Den in the Brower Student Center extended its hours late into the night to compensate for the closing of T-Dubs, it still failed to fill the void. “(The Lions Den) was missing the partial claustrophobia, the mildly disgusting smells and stark colors, and the buzz of TVs tuned to a myriad of channels all playing movies which looked wildly familiar but you weren’t quite exactly sure what movie it was ... that made T-Dubs the mad and wonderful experience that it was,” he said.

On the other hand, some students, such as senior English major Michael Baumann, were barely affected by the closing of T-Dubs.

“It hasn’t really fazed me,” Baumann

Samantha Selikoff / Photo Editor

T-Dubs offers students a wider selection with an updated seating area. said. “While I went pretty frequently my freshman year, I have gone maybe three times in the two years before it closed this past semester.”

This year’s freshmen, however, have never even experienced T-Dubs, unlike most sophomores and upperclassmen of the College. Junior communication studies and interactive multimedia double major Folake Ayiloge said she is interested in how freshmen will receive the dining facility.

“A lot of upperclassmen have been

saying the freshmen have been missing out on a key part of the freshmen experience without T-Dubs,” Ayiloge said.

Muha is excited about the completion of the renovation paving the way for future projects, stating that it “has created the swing space necessary to launch the renovation of the Brower Student Center this spring.” Reid, however, has not looked that far and only has his mind on two things.

“My orange juice and chicken fingers, oh how I’ve missed thee,” he said.

Morrison recognized for her work with students

tcnj.edu

Morrison has collaborated with students for over 25 years.

By Gabrielle Beacken News Assistant

Dr. Janet Morrison does not have to rely on her belief that faculty-student engagement works.

She has seen the beneficial results of professor-student collaboration firsthand.

With over 25 years of research with undergraduate students, including positions such as Director of Faculty-Student Scholarly and Creative Collaborative Activity at the College, Morrison surely understands the importance of professor-student research relationships.

Morrison, a professor of biology at the College, has been recommended as the inaugural recipient of the Barbara Meyers Pelson ’59 Chair in FacultyStudent-Engagement. The award

praises and promotes tenured, full-time professors with an outstanding history of studentfaculty research, collaboration and teaching.

According to the College’s website, this is the school’s first-ever endowed chair. Class of 1959 alumna Barbara Meyers Pelson donated $1 million to fund the faculty-student collaboration program.

“This inaugural chairship celebrates the engagement of students in their own education and the creation of a collaborative intellectual community as hallmarks of the TCNJ experience,” according to the website.

The professor recommended for the award will serve a threeyear chair appointment and receive funds for faculty-student research.

“I am very honored and

pleased to be chosen for the Barbara Myers Pelson ’59 Chair,” Morrison said. “I am looking forward to the opportunities it offers to extend my work with undergraduates in plant ecology research while also working on initiatives in faculty-student engagement for the entire campus.”

As a part of her application for the award, Morrison suggested new programs to increase faculty-student research and collaboration. Morrison proposed to focus on two areas that she thinks would most benefit from an enhancement.

“First, I will follow up on a long-standing commitment I have to provide more access to research opportunities to underrepresented students, in all program areas of the college,” Morrison said. “Second, I plan to work on developing more capacity for this type of engagement in the professional schools where it has not typically been the norm to do much in the way of facultystudent collaboration.”

Part of the budget that the Chair receives will go toward “TCNJ Workshop Series in Faculty-Student Engagement” and to the annual Barbara Myers Pelson ’59 Lecture, Morrison said.

Through experiences in research collaboration, Morrison has defined a method for allowing students to work together on large, shared projects while also receiving individual attention and mentoring. Typically, after students join a research team as a “shadow,” the student then continues as a full-time researcher during the semester for Independent Research

course credit or through the Mentored Undergraduate Summer Experience (MUSE).

“The research and our own experiences here clearly show that deep engagement in collaboration with an invested, caring mentor maximizes learning,” Morrison said. “Also, it has a huge positive influence in sustaining and deepening student interest in the subject, which is very important for retaining students in challenging fields.”

Since Morrison’s students stay with her in the lab for three or more semesters, including a summer, Morrison has had the opportunity to become colleagues with her students, rather than solely their professor.

The collaborations are very rewarding, Morrison said. She and her students have engaged in a variety of projects that includes the study of plant and pathogen interactions, competition studies between different species in a greenhouse and a field and plants interactions with deer.

“Research and collaborative creative activity is full of teamwork, long-term planning, problem solving, analysis of complex results and communicating to many audiences,” Morrison said. “It provides a terrific avenue for students to develop the higher-order intellectual skills that they are here in college to nurture.”

Students in Morrison’s Ecology courses also benefit from semester-long research projects.

“Those focus on a huge range of questions — and not just about plants,” Morrison said. “For

example, we almost always have a group that studies the behavioral ecology of squirrels.”

Morrison desires to entice science and non-science majors to learn more about ecology through research.

“It would be great to have more people interested in the science of ecology, since it has so much to say and offers such a powerful lens (but not the only one) through which to understand humans’ environmental challenges,” she said.

Morrison is also excited to offer a new course for non-science majors that discuss invasive species in our environment called “The Biology of Alien Invasions.”

Since information is presented in “bite-sized bits these days,” Morrison encourages those unaware of environmental issues or the field of ecology to develop their own research by reading articles from science publications.

If it were not for undergraduate students, professors would not be able to maintain active research, Morrison said. According to the professor, by involving students in professional research, they are “engaged in real scholarship that is right there in the mix with other professional scholars.”

“These are not skills that you develop from doing short term class assignments and studying for exams,” Morrison said.

“They are the skills that will put you in an excellent position to pursue high-level careers in the future, with a nimbleness of mind that will serve you well in a rapidly changing world.”

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 3

Cuba / Ending an era of turmoil and restrictions continued from page 1 “It really was just a lovely and serene place to be,” Garrity said.

According to Garrity, many Cubans hope Obama’s words are not simply sweet sentiments, but will bring about real change and help transition the country into the 21st century.

“Cuba is so advanced in terms of taking care of its people, especially in educating them, and yet internet is practically impossible to come by,” Garrity said. “When you have (internet), it takes five minutes to load every page. And there are medicinal shortages, as well.

The embargo that the United States has put on Cuba has hurt the people more than the government.”

According to students, there is a billboard in Havana that reads, “The embargo: the longest genocide in history.”

“Educational activities may be conducted despite the current trade embargo with Cuba, but these activities are monitored quite strictly, and CIEE

Photo courtesy of Christine Garrity

Students decorate ceramic pots at the farm Finca La Coincidencia.

(Council on International Educational Exchange) must have a license from the U.S. government to support our program there,” director of Center for

Global Engagement Jon Stauff said.

According to Stauff, students flew to Miami, Fla. on Sunday, Jan. 4. From there, they flew to Cuba on special

charter flights arranged according to the rules set by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which regulates the flow of people between the U.S. and Cuba.

As tensions ease, it is anticipated there will be fewer restrictions on travel, banking and intergovernmental activity between the United States and Cuba in the future. The embargo has yet to be officially lifted by Congress, but Obama has continued to lay the foundations for its repeal.

“When what you’re doing doesn’t work for 50 years, it’s time to try something new,” Obama said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 20. “Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere, removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba … and this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo.”

“I’ll be happy to see (the embargo) end so that students can get the materials they need and Cuba can better begin to connect with the world,” Garrity said.

Psych professor published in prestigious journal

Crawford’s study appears in Psychological Science.

Mylin Batipps Social Media Editor

After months of careful research on “political extremists,” psychology professor Jarret Crawford found his study in the highly selective journal, Psychological Science.

Published in mid-December, Crawford’s research focuses on

tcnj.edu

how individuals form political beliefs that fall under extreme left-wing and right-wing categories. He did not conduct the study alone, however, as he collaborated with two professors from Tilburg University — Dr. Anthony Evans and Dr. Mark Brandt.

“I had been a regular collaborator with (Brandt), the lead author of the paper, for some time

prior to conducting the studies reported in Psychological Science,” Crawford said. “He and I realized a few years ago that we had been conducting some similar work independently, and decided to join forces.”

Dr. Evans was then brought on board as “an expert in judgment and decision-making,” according to Crawford.

In the study, Crawford and his collaborators concluded that when asked questions, extreme conservatives and liberals seldom rely on information presented in the questions to formulate an answer corresponding to their beliefs.

“What we found is that political extremists are more confident in their judgments, and thus are less likely to let the information provided in the question, or the anchor, influence their ultimate judgments,” he said. “As for where their confidence comes from, this is an interesting question.”

According to Crawford, although many previous studies have explored political extremists’ confidence-based beliefs, or cognitive rigidity, most of

the studies are based on “selfreport” measures, which leave an opening for bias in the research.

Therefore, he and his collaborators used behavioral measures instead, to produce results that are objective from their perspective.

For instance, they found that when they asked a sample of people to guess the distance between two cities, those people generated responses that are influenced by the estimate provided in the question.

“People will give higher estimates for the distance between New York City and San Francisco when told that the distance between them is more than 2,000 miles, and will give lower estimates when told that the distance between them is more than 500 miles,” Crawford said.

For political extremists, however, they provided estimates that were farther away from the numbers given in the question, suggesting a resistance to anchoring bias.

“What’s important to remember, though, is that the judgments they were making were non-political — thus, their confidence in one domain (politics) appears

to spill over into unrelated domains,” he said.

An alumnus of the College, Crawford earned his doctorate degree in social psychology at Rutgers University and became an assistant professor for the College in 2008. Since then, he has worked on many collaborative studies in social and political psychology and has over 30 publications in various psychology journals.

“I’ve had the good fortune to have my work recently appear in several other journals that are widely read across psychology, and to have some of this work featured recently in The New Yorker,” he said. “I am proud to show that impactful scholarship can be produced at smaller liberal arts colleges like (the College).”

Crawford’s success doesn’t stop here, though. Although he is on sabbatical for the spring semester, he will be traveling to Tilburg University to continue his collaboration with Brandt and Evans.

“I am in a constant state of working on studies and have many in progress,” he said.

Value / Quality makes up for higher costs at College continued from page 1

in the College’s ranking.

Additionally, the College was ranked as the 89th best value college in the nation.

This list of 300 schools included both public and private colleges. Princeton University took the top spot on this list.

Kiplinger’s rankings came out just several months after the College was named one of the costliest public colleges in the nation by the U.S. Department of Education. In that list, which was released in July, the College was ranked the ninth most expensive state college with a tuition rate almost twice the national average of $7,407, according to an article from July 6 in The Star-Ledger.

Kiplinger factored student debt after graduation into its ranking of colleges

with the best value, and students at the College can expect to have an average of $32,362 of debt.

In response to the earlier U.S. Department of Education ranking, David Muha, the vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management, pointed out to The Star-Ledger that the College’s high ranking on lists like Kiplinger’s is what makes the school worth the price.

His words also echo the financial and quality formula Kiplinger uses to choose its ‘Best Values’ colleges.

“With consistently strong outcomes and the fifth highest four-year graduation rate in the country among public institutions, TCNJ delivers the kind of education typically associated with highly-regarded private institutions, but at a fraction of the cost,” Muha said.

tcnj.edu

The College was ranked the 23rd most valuable public college in the US.

page 4 The Signal January 28, 2015

TCNJ Art Gallery Presents

Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement January 28 - March 1, 2015 Opening reception: January 28 at 5:00PM Film Screening: Danny Lyon, Los NiĂąos Abandonados 10:00AM in Kendall Hall Screening Room

TCNJ Gallery Hours: Sunday 1:00-3:00PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 12:00-7:00PM For more information: tcag@tcnj.edu or 609-771-2633

Danny Lyon, A Toddle House in Atlanta, which had the distinction of being occupied during a sit in by some of the most effective organizers in America when the SNCC staff and supporters took a break from a conference to demonstrate, 1963, gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in., Š Danny Lyon, New York & Magnum Photos, New York/courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

Obama gives optimistic State of the Union Address

AP Photos

Left: Obama delivers the State of the Union Address to Congress. Right: The President speaks about initiatves for middle-class families.

By Roman Orsini Staff Writer

President Obama delivered the 2015 State of the Union Address before the newly Republican-led Congress on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The main thrust of the address centered on proposals aimed at improving America’s economy. Obama also spoke to the threat of Islamic State terrorism in the Middle East and Russia’s meddling in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.

Obama described 2014 as a breakthrough year for the U.S. in which increased energy production and reduced unemployment had contributed to a return of economic normalcy.

In keeping with positive economic trends, Obama’s initiatives target middleclass families in particular. Raising the

minimum wage and providing childcare, funded by closing tax loopholes, which benefit the wealthy, are part of what Obama called “middle class economics.”

Middle-class economics “means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change,” Obama said, along with building the most competitive economy to attract growth. Obama also introduced plans to guarantee workers seven days of paid sick leave, expand the availability of the Internet and a project to improve America’s infrastructure.

The President spoke of the 21st century economy and the premium it places on knowledgeable workers with greater skills. He pointed to increasing rates of college graduation as a positive trend. Yet, as this new economy demands more college graduates, many students are priced out of

higher education or take on debt to afford it. Obama plans to provide two years of free community college — to help the 40 percent of students who enroll in them — while reducing the burden of existing student debt for college graduates.

On the nation’s foreign policy, Obama said we are most influential when we combine our diplomatic and military power and build coalitions to resolve disputes. He pointed to Russia’s increasing diplomatic isolation and economic decline as a testament to this power, applied to curb Russia’s ambitions in Ukraine. In East Asia, coalitions have also been formed to uphold trade law and settle maritime disputes between neighbors.

In Syria, the U.S. is supporting moderate reel groups and coordinating with other Arab governments in the fight against the

Assad government. Terrorist networks like ISIS are continuing to be dismantled and degraded. Obama said he will ask Congress for a formal autorization for the use of military force against ISIS, as well Obama advocated for continued negotiations with Iran to prevent that country from developing nuclear weapons — averting another costly war in the region. Any new sanctions on Iran would be vetoed, as they might derail the ongoing talks.

“That’s how America leads, not with bluster but with persistent, steady resolve,” Obama said.

For the last two years of the his presidency, Obama will face resistance from a Republican dominated Congress, largely opposed to his agenda. Many of his domestic policies, in particular, may never be fully realized.

Thousands of ISIS fighters killed in recent battles

By Candace Kellner Staff Writer

U.S. diplomatic officials announced last Thursday, Jan. 22 that the coalition fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has killed thousands of fighters, including members of their top command. This is the first time the number of fighter casualties has been publicized.

According to CNN, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones, told Al Arabiya television that an estimated 6,000 fighters have been killed. Jones optimistically stated that the military effort has proved to be a “devastating” impact on ISIS. However, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel would not confirm the estimate, which was calculated by the U.S.

Central Command. Hagel told CNN that he is skeptical about whether the body count is a sign of progress, saying, “It’s a measure, but I don’t think it’s the measure.”

Hagel referred to his service in Vietnam, saying, “I was in a war where we did body counts, and we lost that one.”

The Pentagon has avoided discussing the subject, other than to estimate that thousands of fighters may have been killed. Rear Admiral John Kirby told CNN reporters that the U.S. is not keeping any “body count” and to state that such a count exists would be wrong. Kirby insists on calling the estimate a “tally” and said that the notion of a body count mirrors Vietnam War-era statistics. Kirby stated that the ISIS tally was not intended to indicate any metric of success against the enemy.

All of this speculation comes after Iraqi criticism

of the U.S. for not providing them with enough aid to combat ISIS. The U.S. has held that they have provided airstrikes that are aimed at degrading ISIS as a threat, but they would not take on the terrorist organization by themselves. Kerry told CNN reporters that the airstrikes have “halted” the ISIS force and reclaimed “more than 700 kilometers” of ISIS-controlled land in Iraq.

A U.S. military official also told CNN that the airstrikes around Mosul, Iraq have been amplified in support of the Peshmerga fighters who are hitting ISIS on a major offensive in the area. The military official addressed the estimate issue by stressing that the U.S. cannot confirm the exact number. The U.S. has based its calculations on pilot reports and other intelligence involved in the airstrikes.

Local Frontier Airlines cancels flights to US cities

By Gabrielle Beaken Staff Writer

Due to lack of demand, Frontier Airlines has cancelled five of its 18 flight destinations from Trenton-Mercer Airport in January, according to the Trenton Times.

Frontier Airlines is a low-cost, U.S. airline which prides themselves on their inexpensive tickets. For the TrentonMercer Airport’s 85th anniversary, Frontier Airlines offered a one-day-sale of a $22, one-way fare.

“We’re thrilled at the embrace our friendly, low-fare service has received in Trenton,” Frontier Airline’s director of corporate communication, Todd Lehmacher, told the Trenton Times.

Ascending its first flight in November of 2012, Trenton-Mercer Airport and Frontier Airlines have had a good relationship that had resulted in economic growth. The Airport still had yet to turn a profit. However, with the introduction of Frontier Airlines, the airport’s revenue led a progressive revenue growth, while the Airport’s deficit was riding a downward trend, the Times reported.

AP Photo

Frontier Airlines is an inexpensive airline for Trenton-area travelers.

A March article in the Times stated that smaller airlines in the past have “tried and failed to succeed at offering passenger service at Trenton-Mercer.”

Frontier Airlines began in November of 2012 at Trenton-Mercer with one flight to Orlando, yet by June of 2013, the Airline encompassed 73 weekly flights serving 17 destinations.

Excitement spread through Mercer County as the airline announced the possibility of flights from Trenton-Mercer to the Bahamas.

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, a vocal supporter of the airline, told the Times, “This is more exciting news for the Mercer County region in

that for the first time in the history of Trenton-Mercer Airport, a commercial carrier could offer international service with direct flights to an island resort.”

Yet, Trenton-Mercer Airport would have to wait for their historical significance, as Frontier Airlines cancelled plans for flights between the Airport and Bahamas because of a “lack of demand,” according to the Times.

Lehmacher stated that though the airline still desires to eventually plan a flight path to the Bahamas, there is no specific date in mind, according to the article.

The discontinuation of flights pursued in January of 2015, when services to Nashville, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee

and Cleveland were cancelled.

Lehmacher said that the airline’s relationship with Trenton-Mercer is still new and is therefore unable to analyze “historical route data” that would reveal what flight paths are in demand in Mercer county versus what flight paths are not as popular, according to the Times.

Both Lehmacher and Hughes say that Trenton-Mercer Airport and Frontier Airlines are still in a committed relationship, despite the recent discontinuation of flights.

The more profound presence of Frontier Airlines at Philadelphia International Airport will not impact the Airline’s presence at Trenton-Mercer, senior Vice President Daniel Shurz told the Times.

Hughes reinforced his confidence in the airline as he discussed the County’s proposal for airport renovations, originally discussed in 2012, such as a new passenger terminal.

Yet, despite the recent changes, Trenton-Mercer has not lost their confidence in the airline.

“These guys know how to run an airline,” Hughes told the Times. “I believe they have a bright future in Trenton.”

page 6 The Signal January 28, 2015

Editorial

New dining policy provides a difficult routine for the students

This semester, the College is enforcing a policy that will restrict students’ dining options. According to the Dining Services website, “If a student takes advantage of Meal Equivalency, access to The Atrium at Eickhoff is no longer unlimited, as access will be prohibited during the Meal Equivalency period.”

With college students facing so many yearly expenses from tuition to housing to textbooks, lessening the value of a meal plan exploits students and disrupts their daily routines.

The College’s Dining Services Twitter account explained on Wednesday, Jan. 7, that this has always been the intent of the College, but “the register system did not allow us to set the proper parameters until a recent upgrade.”

One student replied and inquired, “Was that upgrade financed by the revenue generated from your overpriced food?” It’s not a bad question.

I have Carte Blanche B, the smallest plan that gives me unlimited access to the dining hall all day, along with 250 points to spend.

It cost me $1,920.96 for the fall semester and $1,824.39 for the spring — a whopping $3,745.35 for the year.

An ABC News article from July titled “How Do Median Income Families Spend Money?” estimates that $100 a week for groceries is enough to feed a family.

But let’s say $100 is only enough to cover a single college student’s meals for a week. Multiply that by the number of weeks students at the College spend living on campus in a school year and the total comes to about $3,400. Adding those 250 points back onto the total still doesn’t meet the cost of my meal plan.

The bottom line is students aren’t receiving any special deals when purchasing a meal plan, which is why the incentive of Meal Equivalency is so important.

“For added flexibility and variety,” the website states, “Meal Equivalency allows a Carte Blanche meal plan holder to forgo unlimited swipes into The Atrium at Eickhoff during the Meal Equivalency period for $7.25 worth of food at The Lions Den, The Library Cafe, The Rathskeller, Education Cafe and KinetiCart… Using Meal Equivalency at these designated locations will prohibit you from entering The Atrium at Eickhoff during Meal Equivalency period (11:00 a.m. — 1:30 p.m.).”

Many students utilize Meal Equivalency as a substitute for lunch, but others use it in addition to eating a meal in the dining hall.

Some students use Meal Equivalency to get a coffee from the Library Cafe before entering Eickhoff to eat a real meal. Others use Meal Equivalency to get a couple protein bars from KinetiCart before a workout, and then head to the dining hall afterwards. This new policy now only allows students to purchase these items at the cost of their points or instead of a quality lunch from the dining hall.

Another student, sophomore health and physical education teaching major Monica Murphy, expressed concerns on Twitter about limited gluten-free options on campus. If she wants to eat lunch in the My Zone section of the Atrium at Eickhoff to ensure her meal has not been contaminated by gluten, she must forgo Meal Equivalency every day.

Furthermore, if a student goes to Eickhoff to eat at 11 a.m. and then gets hungry again before 1:30 p.m., they can return to the Atrium and eat there again. If a student eats at the Lion’s Den, however, and is hungry again before 1:30 p.m., they have no dining options that will not cost them points.

This new policy, or rather the enforcement of it after four years, forces students to pay more money for fewer dining options, makes planning meals more difficult for students and is harmful to individuals with dietary restrictions. The College should reconsider its policy and return to the system that has worked for the past few years.

— Sydney Shaw News Editor

Editorial Content Unsigned editorial opinions are those of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing, News, Features, Arts & Entertainment, Opinions, Photo and Sports editors and the Business Manager, unless otherwise noted.

Opinions expressed in signed editorials and letters to the editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Signal.

tcnj.edu

The College’s new policy restricts students from eating in Eickhoff Hall if they have purchased food during the hours of Meal Equivalency.

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“I love to give because people need.

You never really know what a person’s situation is.

Sometimes you might give even when you don’t have it, but you’ll get it another manner.

As long as I see that somebody is happy, I’ll give them the shirt off my back if I gotta because I got plenty more shirts at home.”

— Eve Cruz, Eickhoff worker

“I really feel like it’s an honor for the whole program and the entire coaching staff. I’m flattered, and I feel very honored to have the support of my colleagues in the field hockey coaching world, but I just truly feel that it’s about all of us, it’s not just about me.”

— Sharon Pfluger, field hockey coach

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 7

Opinions

Freedom of speech battles against terrorism

Recent string of attacks raises concern over free expression

By Alyssa Sanford

In the United States, freedom of speech is a constitutional right. Members of the press and the entertainment industry are often protected by First Amendment rights.

So when extremists threaten with violence as retribution for free speech, it’s jarring.

The last several months of 2014 and the early weeks of the new year were tense, as groups opposed to free speech fought to stifle it. North Korea threatened the United States with “a resolute and merciless” response to the release of Sony Pictures’ “The Interview” on Thursday, Dec. 25, and the threats were taken seriously enough for the FBI and the White House to become involved and for theatrical premieres to be canceled.

Several weeks later, on Wednesday, Jan. 7, cartoonists at the Parisian satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, were killed by Franco-Algerians offended by the paper’s unflattering depiction of the Muslim prophet, Mohammed. 17 people died during the attack, including senior editors of the paper, cartoonists and police units responding to the shooting.

According to the Associated Press, a German newspaper was in need of police protection after reprinting Charlie Hebdo’s offending cartoon on Sunday, Jan. 11, because arsonists had attempted to torch the headquarters.

These were efforts to silence free speech and creative expression, and certainly not the first instances of violence perpetrated

against members of the free press.

For instance, in January 2006, a Danish newspaper came under fire for portraying the prophet Mohammed “as an apparent terrorist with a bomb in his turban,” which prompted upheaval throughout the Middle East.

Equally unsettling was the cyber attack launched against Sony Pictures and “The Interview.” The movie depicts American journalists asked by the CIA to assassinate North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un while there, hosting an interview with him.

Though North Korea denies involvement in the hack, FBI investigations conclude that the sophisticated malware seems to have originated from there.

“The challenge that movie studios and theaters face is real because they have to balance the issue of freedom of expression with safety and commerce,” said Fareed Zakaria, a Washington Post columnist and host of CNN’s weekly podcast “Global Public Square,” in an episode on Sunday, Dec. 21. “The right response, then and now, must be to affirm freedom of expression.”

Certainly, the depictions of Kim Jong-un and the prophet Mohammed were unflattering and offensive. But the responses to these depictions were extreme.

Federal governments got involved.

Innocent people died for the sake of satire.

Americans and the French feared for their safety and security in countries where freedom isn’t just a right, but a value.

Concern for public safety demanded that “The Interview” be pulled from

AP Photo

Demonstrators unite in Paris to show solidarity after recent terrorist attacks. theaters on Christmas and that copies of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoon be removed from circulation. While prudent, this response to threats of violence and terrorism admits defeat. Essentially, the free world relinquishes freedom of expression to appease extremists. It is a white flag of surrender.

Though “The Interview” was not shown by major theater companies, thousands fled to small venues which opted to still release the film. YouTube agreed to stream it online to those willing to pay a few bucks. The movie still managed to make $17.8 million according to Forbes.com. Even under the threat of a terrorist attack, people fought back by

watching the movie.

In Paris, though the satirical magazine lost key staff members, they published another issue depicting Mohammed on the front page. According to CNN, Charlie Hebdo is now printing 7 million copies of the “survivor’s issue”— which has sold out the initial 1 million published. Typically, the magazine prints 60,000 copies of each issue.

Zakaria is right. We have to practice freedom of expression instead of letting extremists win with threats of violence. Free speech liberates us from living in fear of offending someone, for as they say, the pen is mightier than the sword.

New Year’s resolutions prove too difficult to keep

Ellie Schuckman / Opinions Editor

Students pack the school gym at the start of the new semester.

By Ellie Schuckman Opinions Editor

Every year come December, wish lists are often made of goals to accomplish for the following year. People make promises to “do better” and “be better,” while telling themselves when the new year hits that it’s game on.

The clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1 and the celebrations ring on. Meanwhile, hopeful individuals know that tomorrow starts the change. No more late night snacks, no more binge watching television shows and promises to study harder.

January starts out pretty well, with better eating habits and a regular sleep schedule. Gyms are

busier than usual, and when the second semester begins, grades seem to be OK. Then hits February.

After an entire month of sticking to ambition, the plan seems to be falling apart.

Stomachs growl at midnight, beds seem to be inescapable, Netflix is only a click away and soon enough the fragile thoughts of “next semester will be better” creep in.

What makes sticking to those New Year’s resolutions so incredibly hard?

According to Forbes.com, just 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals, compared to the estimated 40 percent of Americans who make them.

“I think people lack the money, motivation and time to follow through with their New Year’s resolutions,” freshman urban elementary education and English double major Kailey Stangle said.

It is astonishing that every year the same pattern occurs

— make a promise, try the promise, break the promise, try again next year.

Individuals are often so consumed with the idea of a fresh start that when the opportunity comes for one, they fail to act.

People are often bound by routine and suddenly disrupting what had become “normal” proves overbearing.

Some individuals simply lack the mindset to make a permanent change, and easily slip back into bad habits.

“My New Year’s resolution was to keep my room clean, but I failed the first day I got back,” freshman deaf education and history double major Olivia Colomier said.

By walking around campus, or even down the halls in the dorms, students are constantly heard saying “tomorrow.” Whether it’d be putting off writing that paper or running on the loop, goals set at the start of the year never seem to make it to the end.

“Tomorrow” has turned into

“one day.”

Naturally, the stresses of performing well day after day call for a break every once in awhile, but when a day off becomes a week, a week often turns into more. Watching just one more episode of “Friends” is almost as impossible as eating just one more Pringle.

Changing bad habits takes time, and stopping anything cold-turkey is most often arduous. Consider a light snack a few hours after dinner instead of at midnight. Set a goal to exercise three days a week so it is not too excessive. Study for 15 minutes every few hours instead of forcing yourself to sit down for a full 60 minutes.

Promises made to oneself cannot work unless that individual is willing to commit to their decisions fully. However, drastic changes almost always fail to deliver positive results.

Simple, gradual differences may just be the key to keeping those promises.

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page 8 The Signal January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 9

Features

Alternative Break Club hits the road

By Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager While some students spent time with family over break, others found a new one while driving across the country, building houses for victims of Hurricane Katrina or giving ill children an unforgettable experience.

“You are thrown into an amazing and adventurous situation with people who want to make the world a little better through volunteering,” said Ashley Fuzak, a sophomore history and secondary education double major and executive vice president of Alternative Break Club.

Rather than work, watch television or sleep in like many students at the College this break, members of ABC spent Monday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 11, driving nearly 20 hours to volunteer in either New Orleans, La. or Kissimmee, Fla. Among the 90 volunteers that went to New Orleans, Jeremy Nevitt, a senior graphic design major and president of ABC,

said they worked with a nonHomecoming to rebuild houses and communities. The volunteers had various jobs throughout the week, such as installing hard-

The 15 volunteers in Kissimgroup Give Kids the World to build hope instead of homes, allowing terminally-ill children to experience the fun of amusement parks and attractions without the burdensome costs.

“We helped with GKTW’s mission of making the families’ experience as magical and amazing (as) possible,” Fuzak said. “We could be doing anything from helping serve breakfast and dinner, scooping ice cream, delivering food in golf carts to the villas, to running the enchanted castle or the carousel. We also helped with the nighttime activities.”

The families were housed in GKTW’s village with over 200 villas, according to Fuzak.

The volunteers in New Orleans, however, lived in what “Volunteer Village,” Nevitt said.

“We really were a little village of college kids, cooking meals and doing daily chores,” sophomore biology major Carey Davidson said. “I think the reason everyone gets so close during these trips is because there is no escape. You sleep, eat, work, clean and drive around with them for (almost) 10 days straight. You either talk and get to know each other or work in silence for a week, and I think (or) hope most people choose the former.”

In their free time, new friendships grew during outings to local jazz bars or historical sites and tasting cuisine in New Orleans cafes. In Florida, members grew closer on rides at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, at Universal Studios or while watching a Cirque du Soleil show.

“Whether it was bonding during dinner or strolling down Bourbon Street, there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t having

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Nevitt

Students work together closely while rebuilding homes. fun,” sophomore nursing major Ruth Tyan said. “However, other than just having fun, we took a driving tour of the various parts of New Orleans affected by the hurricane. Seeing the rebuilt neighborhoods and hearing about what more perspective on what I was

actually doing in New Orleans. It was amazing to see how resilient the people of New Orleans are.”

Nevitt encourages those who are interested to sign up for the trip in March and open their minds to different experiences and perspectives while helping others and having fun with new friends.

Eve / Eick employee energizes students continued from page 1 Beginnings Cruz worked at a Sunoco gas station in New York before coming to the College.

One day, she ran into her childhood friend, Terrek Johnson – affectionately known to her as Bunks – who was working for Sodexo at the College. Johnson encouraged Cruz to come work there, and after beginning on Oct. 23, 2007, it became clear that the decision would change her life.

“Before y’all, I didn’t really have a life,” Cruz said.

Currently residing in Trenton, Cruz is the mother of her 13-year-old son, Mikey, who stays with Cruz’s aunt throughout the week so he can attend a good school and stay off the streets. But while she misses Mikey during the week, she knows she has over 6,000 other kids who provide her with happiness.

But it’s really Cruz who seems to give those 6,000 students the extra push to get through the day.

“She’ll manage to put a smile on my face by the little things she says,” junior accounting if she’s having a bad day, which is a great quality that I admire her for.”

Spreading positive vibes Dressed in the Sodexo attire, black pants and a navy shirt with a name tag fastened loosely on, Cruz stands at the entrance of Eickhoff Hall, swiping in students one-byone, addressing each of them by their name as it pops up onto her screen.

With her constant energy, Cruz has become a household name at the College, famous all across campus for her joyous attitude and positive embrace.

But Cruz says she gets the strength to stay positive from seeing the reactions of her kids. Together, Cruz and students get through the day, feeding off one another for support during a tough day or a laugh to brighten up an already good one.

“She’s made an impression on me since put it very simply, she always has a smile on her face, and when you have a rough week, she’s always greeting you saying, ‘Cheer up, the week’s almost over.’”

Cruz’s whole mentality on life is to spread positivity. While she doesn’t come from a background of wealth, she gets up every day knowing that she is rich in life.

“I try to tell people when you come in to work, bring in your positive energy,

Photo courtesy of Eve Cruz

Cruz has taken on many roles during her years of working at Eickhoff.

said. “Y’all need that.”

Family away from home As typical students spend their college careers living on campus and away from home, they can have waves of loneliness and homesickness. But Cruz is determined to minimize those negative feelings as much as possible.

She sets her mind to attend several student events on and off campus to show her support for what her kids are participating in.

“I love when y’all invite me to events because then I get to come there and support y’all,” she said. “Sometimes family can’t make it out, and you need somebody to give y’all some support and show that y’all are doing a great job.”

Cruz was seen at several different events this past semester, supporting athletic teams in the bleachers, attending Greek Life events on and off-campus and staying extra hours at the College to take part in activities.

And of course, taking a picture with her seems to be the main attraction, as always.

“I love to see y’all do the positive stuff you do,” Cruz said. “You’re doing a great job, and soon you’ll be changing the world. It just makes me smile when I see you guys coming in smiling.”

A Helping Hand Cruz is a glass half-full kind of person. Her positive attitude is natural, though, as she always looks to help others – and not for any other reason than it makes her happy to see others smile.

As Cruz doesn’t even pay attention to the amount of money she makes, it’s obvious she doesn’t care about the material things. This was clear more than ever on Halloween when she bought $300 worth of candy out of her own pocket for students to take as they walked in and out of Eickhoff.

“I love to give because people need,” Cruz said. “You never really know what a person’s situation is. Sometimes you might give even when you don’t have it, but you’ll get it another manner. As long as I see that

somebody is happy, I’ll give them the shirt off my back if I gotta because I got plenty more shirts at home.”

For Cruz, helping people allows her to leave work knowing that she made someone happy — and that’s all she needs to get through the day.

Last Stop Cruz has grown attached to her students, seeing them through their entire college careers. While it’s obvious that students across campus know and love the famous Eve Cruz, she, herself likes to show her kids how much they mean to her.

She receives several cards and pictures from students throughout the year who want to thank her for being a consistently positive source for them over the course of their stressful college years. In fact, on the “Giving Thanks” billboard outside of the Brower Student Center that encouraged students to write what they are thankful for, a student wrote, “Eve.” The relationship between Cruz and otic relationship — the reason Cruz addresses the students with “we.” They go through the daily struggles of life and through the joyous moments together.

But it’s always together, because once Cruz is in someone’s life, she’ll be there for them forever.

“Four years. I see y’all for four years,” she said. “We have four years together.

We’re together more than we’re home.”

So with that, she makes sure to attend every graduation with the intent to see her kids off and encourage them to visit her back at the cashier booth in Eickhoff Hall — because she knows she’ll still be there when they come back.

“Five to 10 years from now, I’ll be here,” Cruz said. “This is my last stop, no more jobs after this.”

And her kids wouldn’t have it any other way.

page 10 The Signal January 28, 2015

: Oct. 1985

Chance of co-ed dorms

Kimberly Ilkowski/ Features Editor

The cover of the October 1985 issue features a performance by Cheap Trick.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor This year, The Signal enters its 130th year of publication. To celebrate the occasion, we’ve wiped the dust off of Signals past and uncovered some of the most notable events through the College’s history.

In the Oct. 29, 1985, issue, Jim Schwartz of the College Press Service wrote about a Supreme Court’s decision that could have changed living in dormitories on campus as we know it.

“Despite some negative input from a college president last week, Congress seems ready to pass a law forcing most college programs to treat male and female students equally.

The bill, actually called the Civil Rights Restoration Act, would overrule a 1984 decision that excused many college

departments from having to pledge not to discriminate women.

But some administrators and apparently some students as well worry the measure would let the federal government “interfere” in campus programs.

“It sounds like a new fear to me,” says congressional aid Kris McManiman. “We get students calling up from Baptist colleges asking if (they’re) going to have to room with a man.”

“We want to protect our independence,” Charles MacKenzie, president of Grove City College (Pa.), told Congress in hearings last week. “The government at some point may want to impose their secular values on our campus.”

The bill’s sponsor say they only want to give college women a legal tool with which to challenge discrimination, which a court — not the government — would then treat.

Last week’s hearing only continued a

Campus Style

By Heather Hawkes & Jordan Koziol Columnists

Goodbye 2014 and hello to a whole new year of fashion! But is it really?

While studying all of the new trends from 2015 Fashion Week, we couldn’t help but notice that so many collections are odes to past eras; mainly, the ’90s. Just about two seasons ago, grunge inspired styles like crop tops and plaid shirts around the waist became a huge sensation that, quite honestly, still hasn’t died out. So what is it about the ’90s that makes it so popular?

It was the introduction of minimalism and the celebration of the teenage lifestyle. We can’t even count how many times we’ve had conversations with other ’90s kids about the shows we used to watch, the games we used to play and the things we used to wear. We ’90s kids are very protective and almost infatuated with an era that many of us were too young to even understand or appreciate.

This got us thinking, perhaps we are so in love with ’90s fashion because it gives us a second chance to dive in and re-experience the era at an age that is capable of understanding how debate that began when Congress approved Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

Title IX, of course, bars colleges that take federal money from discriminating on the basis of gender.

Many women’s groups say Title IX provided the legal tool to open admissions to certain degree programs to women, gain more resources for female students’ scholarship programs and even funnel money into women’s sports teams and facilities.

Several schools — the University of Richmond, Hilsdale College and Grove City College among them have gone to court to escape the law.

They’ve argued Title IX should not

thebestfashionblog.com

2015 fashion replicates ’90s trends.

cool it truly is.

So while it’s still here, let’s slip on our slouchy boyfriend jeans, throw on a cropped band T-shirt and embrace it even more in 2015. After all, we are old enough to pick out our own outfits now. cover whole colleges, but only programs that get or use the federal government’s money. Grove City asserted the government simply should leave campus programs to campus administrators to run.

“We do not want to accept the principle of federal jurisdiction,” Mackenzie told Congress last week.

It was Grove City’s legal challenge to the jurisdiction that made it to the Supreme Court last year. The court ruled Title IX applied only to programs that directly got federal money, not to all programs on a campus that took some kind of federal aid.”

Here’s to another 130 years and more reflections on the College’s past.

The Hollyword: Lights out for Lohan

By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist

As we emerge from hibernation this winter, we do so with heavy hearts (filled with saturated fats), full bladders and a dead computer battery. OK, maybe that’s just me.

But I KNOW I had a better holiday season than Jennifer Aniston.

All she had was “Cake.”

Let’s start off this column this semester the right way— with well researched stories and hard-hitting facts. Or we could talk about LINDSAY LOHAN BEING HOSPITALIZED WITH A RARE VIRUS. I’m down with exploring the latter.

Lindsay is now the most famous person to contract CHIKUNGUNYA, which sounds like a flavor of Hamburger Helper but is actually a rare and incurable virus transmitted by mosquitos.

The actress/current viral incubator traveled to Bora Bora where she got Mora Mora than she bargained for. The disease unfortunately causes severe joint pain and a high fever, but I guess

AP Photo

While on vacation in Bora Bora, Lohan contracts the rare virus Chikungunya.

that’s better than being in Jamie Lee Curtis’s body where you would feel all of that plus an unstoppable urge to eat yogurt until you shit yourself.

Lindsay is not letting this jungle fever get in the way of her enjoying her new life, however, as she Instagrammed a photo of herself with the caption, “I refuse to let a virus (affect) my peaceful vacation.” The picture shows Lindsay

leaning against a wall with severe duckface. Medical experts are baffled as to what is causing the facial distortion. I wish you the best though, Lindsay! If you survived “I Know Who Killed Me,” you can get through this!

While Lindsay caters to her biggest fans (mosquitos), Justin Bieber is simply trying to get people to like him. Comedy Central has announced plans to

roast the Biebs, unfortunately not Bora Bora pig style though.

It will be a traditional roasting in which fellow celebrities and comedians get to rip Justin a new asshole. Hopefully we get to see that in the next Calvin Klein ad.

Apparently, Bieber has wanted this all along, tweeting that he has been wanting it “for years” but that Comedy Central wanted him

to provide more “source material” first. So that’s why you egged your neighbor’s house, drove recklessly and assaulted a man, amongst other silly things. It all makes sense now and is definitely worth it. Hopefully they roast Miranda Cosgrove next! That bitch.

But if roasts are not your thing, maybe geopolitically controversial films with dick jokes are!

“The Interview” is premiering on Netflix Saturday, Jan. 24, so if you want to see the Seth Rogen film that caused a cyber terror attack and plunged the world into a debate about free speech which only the most Oscar-worthy films could vie for, go right ahead and press play. I streamed the film upon it’s release to online services and let me tell you, if this movie had caused World War III resulting in my death, I would have DEMANDED a refund. I’d rather die watching something much more engaging, like “Big Momma’s House.” Now that was a film worth fighting for. It had everything: justice, family values and spanx. God bless.

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 11

Local rock trio Monterey releases new EP ‘Sailors’ shows a smashing new sound

Photo courtesy of John Posado

Henry leads the band through unpredictable shows around the area.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor

After being together for six years and crafting several releases, the guys in Monterey have learned a thing or two.

Whether it’s how to survive a gig in a claustrophobe’s nightmare of an overflowing frat basement or how to stop riots at The Stone Pony, which ended with dudes being dragged out in headlocks by female bouncers, the band takes it all in stride. Following the fall release of their EP “Sailors” and a string of tour dates this winter, who knows what they’ll get themselves into next.

The rock trio, originally based out of New Brunswick, N.J., began as friends attending Rutgers University who discovered — and subsequently dove head first into — the rapidly growing underground music scene taking place there.

“For so long I didn’t even know it existed,” lead vocalist and guitarist Carter Henry said. “There’s all these houses, The Banana Stand, The Jock Strap, The Bomb Shelter, they organize these shows and they do a really awesome job.”

The basement shows, promoted and run by fellow college students, helped cement Monterey, and many other local bands like them, as regulars in New Brunswick’s well-oiled music machine.

“The fans are really awesome because it’s people that really like music, they come out to all the shows,” Henry said. “Because you’re in a basement you can talk to them after, you can be a part of the crowd more, you can get a little more reckless.”

After spending nearly five years in New Brunswick, though, it was time for a change of pace and a change of scenery for the guys. Recently moving the band’s headquarters to Belmar, N.J. to become more involved in the powerhouse music scene of Asbury Park, Monterey was finally able to find their true sound while recording at Lakehouse Recording Studio for the November 2014 release of “Sailors.”

“We felt like it captured the energy especially better than any project we’ve ever done,” bassist Chris Beninato said of the new recording space and team. Along with drummer Matt DeBenedetti, the band worked closely with head engineer Tim Pannella, who notably worked with The Front Bottoms.

“It was three days, 10 hours a day and then it’s all done, you just walk out of there. But there’s something about that, you just capture that feeling, that moment,” Henry said. “If you go in spaced out over a month singing the same song, adding pieces to it, it’s not that one coherent, cohesive piece of music.”

The songs off “Sailors” are just that: A snapshot of a certain time and place in the band’s history, their feelings, struggles, triumphs and setbacks. Through the four songs on the EP, the band was able to capture a fluid, yet dynamic range of emotions and riffs that display a heightened sense of maturity and self.

“A lot of it is that you have to be close with the people you play music with, in my mind, because it’s an intimate thing,” Henry said. “Everyone’s putting themselves out there. In a way it’s like a relationship, you put yourself and your feelings out there.”

This kind of heart-on-your-sleeve openness can only be found amongst lifelong friends. In fact, Beninato and Henry first developed a friendship and a love of their instruments in the eighth grade — a bond that has helped them in good times and bad.

“Even if there is an issue or something, it’s all because there’s so much passion behind the project,” Beninato said. “Issues are almost a good thing in the sense that we’re gonna get something done and get further along with the song. Every day I feel like we write a new song.”

With this plethora of new material comes time dedicated to analyzing and rearranging verses to get them just right.

Vibing off one another has helped not

only in creating the instrumentals but writing the lyrics. Many fans noticed a harder sound on this EP than on the April 2014 EP “The King’s Head,” which the band agrees to be true.

“It’s a little more angry, a little more emotional,” Beninato said.

Henry was helped in the writing process by DeBenedetti, who suggested he write a song about a man on trial for a murder he didn’t commit. What originally came as a challenge was ultimately fulfilling for Henry, and eventually became the somber “The Pit and the Pendulum.”

“I wrote about something that had never happened to me personally, but you draw from your own experiences so no matter what you do, that’s still going to come out in your writing,” Henry said.

“No matter what you write, whether its lyrics or poetry or books, pieces of you will come out.”

In the past few years, Monterey has narrowly escaped having their amps destroyed by jungle juice and has taken the heat for their friends beelining the stage and causing chaos. Although sometimes the guys have no control over what happens at their shows, there’s one thing they know for sure: as long as they have each other, they can conquer whatever life (or rowdy fans) throw at them.

Photos courtesy of Greg Beninato

Monterey’s latest EP offers darker elements than its previous releases.

Lions’ EMS: Beware of strep throat College students more susceptible to illness

AP Photo

Visit your doctor if strep throat symptoms persist.

By Steven King Columnist

As we head into the colder months, it is not uncommon to start dealing with some pretty nasty illnesses.

The common cold and the flu are certainly constant

threats, but it’s important not to forget about the other bugs out there — particularly the ones that are responsible for strep throat.

Even a normal sore throat is quite painful, but having strep throat takes the pain to a new level. Luckily, there are ways to prevent yourself from getting this infection as well as tips to make your life a bit easier if you happen to catch it.

First, it’s always important to understand what this illness is. Strep throat is an infection caused by the streptococcal bacteria, which tends to hide on the throat and skin. It usually spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

This bacteria easily spreads in places where people are in close contact, such as college dorms. It can take two to five days for symptoms to appear after becoming infected and take another three to seven days to clear out of your system.

Symptoms of strep throat can be quite debilitating.

A person who has strep throat will develop a severe sore throat and will have a hard time swallowing.

Aside from these symptoms, a person will most likely develop a high fever and white or yellow spots on their throat. You should see your doctor if these symptoms

develop and the sore throat does not feel better by the second day. It’s also common to experience a headache and swollen tonsils when this bacteria is in your system. Fatigue is another common symptom when dealing with strep. Occasionally, one can also develop stomach pains when sick.

Doctors are able to perform very quick tests to see if you have strep throat. If you are diagnosed with strep, you and your doctor can develop a treatment plan, usually one that includes antibiotics. It is suggested that you increase your vitamin C intake by eating foods such as oranges or cherries. You can also gargle salt water, but make sure you only use a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. Salt contains anti-bacterial properties that can help fight the bacteria. While you are sick, do your best to avoid dairy products and alcohol, since these can make the infection worse. Along with these steps, make sure to get a lot rest and drink plenty of water.

So, be cautious as we go through the winter months.

To avoid strep and other illnesses, practice good hygiene and try your best to avoid sick individuals. By doing this, you can take some pretty strong steps toward keeping yourself healthy.

page 12 The Signal January 28, 2015

Arts & Entertainment

Women strive for equal representation in theater

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Academy Award nominations, announced on Thursday, Jan. 15, were met with immediate backlash. The biggest uproar came from the acting categories containing no people of color (the first time this has happened since the 1990s). More criticism came from the fact that, once again, no women were nominated for Best Director, despite critically acclaimed work from Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) and Angelina Jolie (“Unbroken”).

Hollywood has classically been a man’s game from the beginning, but take a jump to the East Coast and land on Broadway, and you won’t notice much of a difference here. In fact, theater in general still has a long way to go in giving equal representation (and power) to women.

Some might find this odd, for there are arguably more women involved in theater than men, especially at the regional and collegiate level. Yet more and more men are popping up as directors, stage managers and producers, while women are appearing solely onstage or not at all.

The College has two student-run theater organizations: All College Theater and TCNJ Musical Theater. This year, the two organizations are run by senior music major Shannon McGovern and senior psychology major Mariah-Lynn Black, respectively.

They lead their organizations in presidential positions, as well as producing shows.

“When I was a freshman and sophomore especially, there would be moments where my male peers would be recognized for their leadership skills and accomplishments — which were nearly exactly the same as mine — and I would be left in the dust. And it hurt,” McGovern said, addressing her

Courtney Wirths / Business Manager

McGovern has starred in multiple shows at the College with ACT and TMT.

path to becoming president of ACT. Despite these struggles, McGovern never gave up. In fact, the lack of appraisal and acknowledgement fueled her desire to work harder. In her junior year she served as the publicist for the organization before becoming president in the fall of 2014.

Alexa Logush, senior history and english double major and vice president of ACT, had similar obstacles to overcome on her way to recognition and success.

“It was often difficult and frustrating because everything seemed much more malecentered and a little less accepting,” Logush said, reflecting on her years as an underclassmen in both organizations. “I’ve been a lead set designer for five productions at TCNJ, and my first experience as a lead designer was particularly challenging because the director neglected to recognize that I was the lead designer and not just an assistant.”

Like McGovern, Logush has used this

experience as a reason to work harder. She became secretary her junior year before taking over the role of vice president.

While men seem to dominate leadership positions, both women seem to agree that there has been a shift in the way that females are portrayed in plays and musicals.

“I think it’s been a slow mobilization, but (a shift) certainly exists,” Logush said. “I feel like women are aiming to share their stories and situations more so than ever before, and whether that is through acting, designing or writing, it’s a strong effort.”

She’s right — over the past 10 years, there have been a slew of new Broadway shows containing dynamic and complex female roles. These shows, such as “If/ Then,” “Wicked” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” contain great stories of female empowerment while also flaunting commercial successes. This is a type of theater that did not grace the

stage during most of the 20th century.

“I am hopeful that musicals like this will continue to make it in the Broadway scene and that full, complex female characters will not be such an anomaly in the entertainment side of the industry,” McGovern said. “I think Maggie Gyllenhaal put it so well at the Golden Globes. We’re not searching for … superhero women on screen or on stage; we want an honest portrayal of these women as people, whether they are good, bad or somewhere in between. I think we are moving in that direction, and I’m super excited to see where it will bring us.”

And while women may be carving out defined roles on stage, they are still underrepresented on the production-staff side. In a New York Times article published in 2013, females reportedly make up only 15 to 20 percent of Broadway directors. It’s an increase from previous decades, but still an indication that there is work to be done before equality — and respect — is achieved.

“I just want to stress how important it is to believe in your abilities and the abilities of those around you,” Logush said of leadership in theater. “Being on the executive board of a theater organization for two years has taught me how great it is to be a part of a team. It’s always a team effort, and it’s such a privilege to be a part of it.”

McGovern, who is preparing for her final semester at the College, had similar sentiments while reflecting on her experience.

“I’m really proud of the theater community we have here at the College,” she said. “It’s come a long way since my first year here in 2011. I think we’re doing a good job at making sure that the people leading our organizations are capable, qualified and dedicated people, no matter what their gender is.”

‘Woods’ shows an alternate ‘happily ever after’

AP Photo

Streep portrays the Witch with vicious sincerity.

By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Review Editor

In Disney’s “Into the Woods,” a Baker and his wife set off into the forest to obtain “a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold.” These ingredients are set to break an old curse on their household, cast by the Witch next door — a wickedly marvelous Meryl Streep — that prevents the couple from having a baby. When the Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) learn that collecting the items is their only chance to have a baby, they set off into the woods where multiple fairytales cross paths.

Famous fairytale characters were portrayed by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in this rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s famous musical. Stars included Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp as Cinderella, her Prince and the Big Bad Wolf, respectively.

Joining the cast were breakout newcomers Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood and Daniel Huttlestone as Jack (of beanstalk fame). The youngsters carried heavy roles on their shoulders with major solos, going head-to-head with actors who have decades of acting and singing experience.

Going from stage to screen, the script underwent some changes, although the central plot was not affected. Most noticeable were missing songs including “I Guess This Is Goodbye,” Ever After” and “No More” that had to be cut along with others for time constraints.

Characters that were cut included Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, eliminating a subplot where the two princes cheat on Cinderella and Rapunzel. The most violent deaths, Jack’s Mother and the Baker’s Wife, were toned down for the child friendly film, but their impact was not lost on screen.

Stealing the show, Cinderella’s Prince (Pine) and Rapunzel’s Prince (Billy Magnussen) performed “Agony,” showing the shallow depth of the nameless characters in a hilarious fashion. Comparing the misery that accompanies loving a damsel out of reach, the men continue to one-up each other, as they are always “10 steps behind” or “10 feet below.”

The song garnered lots of laughs from the audience as the duo ripped open their shirts and couldn’t contain their woe, wondering whether they were not charming or handsome enough. Making a joke of the princes was a nice touch by the company that seems to have been trying to reinvent their idea of the perfect fairytale.

Blunt also gave a strong performance as a woman who would not stand to the side when commanded by her husband. She overcame the difficulty of showing how human a fairytale character. She balances the role of the Baker’s Wife’s inclination to be strong but often giving into her weaknesses. This included an affair with Cinderella’s Prince just before her death, showing a different side of fairy tales where happy endings aren’t always what they are expected to be.

All of the characters were given a different fate than the familiar ones, giving a fresh perspective on Disney culture, while still providing closure, albeit not the “happily ever after” one might expect.

AP Photo

Kendrick puts a modern twist on Cinderella.

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 13

College implements policy regarding ‘the wall’

Mackenzie Cutruzzula / Review Editor

‘Black Lives Matter’ mural sparks discussion across campus.

By Jillian Festa Staff Writer

The Green Lawn Wall — the College community message board located outside the Brower Student Center — was created as a means for campus organizations to raise awareness for current issues or events in a creative, interactive fashion. The most recent display, a “Black Lives Matter” mural, was painted anonymously in response

By Judith Signal Advice Columnist

to the controversial grand jury outcomes in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, Ny. The wall included paintings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and other African Americans who were killed in controversial altercations.

Despite student efforts to preserve the mural, it was repainted in early January to comply with the newly official reservation policy regarding use of “the wall.”

According to the new official

reservation policy, student groups who wish to utilize the wall must now email stureg@tcnj.edu.

Reservation blocks begin on a Tuesday and extend through Thursday of the following week, no extensions allowed. There is limited availability, so it is advantageous to plan ahead to ensure acceptance of time-sensitive material. The design of the artwork must be submitted to the Office of Student Activities for approval. It must comply with College policy and federal, state or local law and must not include any trademarked or copyrighted materials. The name of the sponsoring organization must be clearly displayed on the mural — anonymity and failure to complete the reservation requirements may be deemed as vandalism. In addition, latexbased paint is the only material allowed on the wall. Complete information on the policy can be found on the College’s website.

The policy change, though harmless to most students, was met with some hostility.

“Frankly, the new reservation policy is more or less meaningless,” freshman economics major Jonatan Moukh said. “If the ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural were painted today, a more powerful message would have been broadcast, the core of which is humanitarian concern and its ability to transcend certain rule.”

In response to the “Black Lives Matter” mural, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Angela Lauer Chong wrote the following in an email sent to its creators earlier this month: “The (‘Black Lives Matter’ mural) on the ‘wall’ was created after it was erected, but before the reservation policy and process was finalized and published, therefore it has remained on the wall to this present day. However, to make this important medium available for its intended purpose, the wall will be painted over this week to ready the medium for groups to reserve this spring.”

Despite Chong’s sentiments, some students — including Moukh

— are still disappointed.

“It is not astonishing, but rather shameful to see the administration react with an amended reservation guideline rather than an amended attitude,” Moukh said, “an outlook showcasing solidarity both with those affected by the misfortune’s broad trajectory and the students who bother to care, to remain informed, to enact change.”

However, the “Black Lives Matter” message will continue to be addressed — there will be an open forum on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to noon in room 210 of the Student Center. According to Chong, the forum will focus on “where TCNJ goes from here..to foster a more inclusive, socially just campus community.”

Chong also noted that key administrators have already confirmed their commitment to this issue. Additionally, there are high-quality photographs of the mural that can be used to produce banners or other reprinted materials so the artwork is preserved in that respect.

– Moving On The Awards Forecast:

Dear Judith, Unfortunately, I suffered a pretty bad breakup the summer before last semester started. Although I’m feeling a bit better and have gotten right back into being with friends and all my clubs, it continues to hurt as a bad feeling in the back of my mind, so I ask you: How have you gotten over an ex, especially one who you loved?

-Moving On Dear Moving On, I absolutely feel for you — going through a breakup is one of the most difficult, confusing and crushing experiences we go through.

The good news, is that you’re not letting it stop you from living. This is a key step.

You’re back with your friends and doing activities with clubs. You may not realize it, but this is so important.

Little voices probably eat away at you everyday. You may be having a perfect day and suddenly you think of a past experience with an ex that made you happy and suddenly you’re crying in your room because you miss them so much. Trust me, I’ve been there. We have all been there.

Have you thought about the future, Moving On? Maybe something (or someone) better is about to come along and totally consume you. Maybe you had to go through this breakup to realize what you really need is something totally different.

I know this might not sound comforting.

Maybes don’t mean shit to someone who is hurting. I’ve experienced a breakup with someone I loved. But I’m still standing.

Want to know what helped me? Facing those bad feelings head on. It’s like staring at yourself in a mirror for an extraordinary amount of time and letting every bad thought consume you. Absorb it. Cry. Scream. Punch something. But don’t stop looking. Fight back, but also let go. Allow yourself to grieve and experience those feelings, as raw and scary as they are.

Because once you do, you will finally begin to understand how these feelings can actually help you. They will make you stronger. They will pave the way for finding happiness. After all, we cannot achieve such a place without first knocking down the obstacles in the way.

Don’t be afraid, Moving On. You’re strong.

You’re important. And pretty soon your reflection will show nothing but smiles.

Love, Judith

The race for best actress

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Edtior In recent years, the Academy Award for best actress in a leading role has gone to some of Hollywood’s biggest names, such as Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock.

This year, the women who were nominated prove that they deserve a spot among those aforementioned legends.

Felicity Jones for “The Theory of Everything” and Rosamund Pike for “Gone Girl” are hardly household names, yet they give intimate performances in stunning films. Pike is wildly psychotic and sickeningly sweet as Amy, the central character behind “Gone Girl,” and Jones is a visionary as Jane, the husband of the famous physicist Stephen Hawking.

Then there’s Marion Cotillard, who snuck into the race

AP Photo

Moore is the best actress front-runner for ‘Alice.’

for her portrayal as struggling factory worker Sandra in the little seen, but well-received “Two Days, One Night.”

Perhaps the real race, however, is between veterans Julianne Moore for “Still Alice” and Reese Witherspoon for “Wild.”

Moore is a tour de force as a professor suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, while Witherspoon portrays Cheryl Strayed, an author who embarked on a 1,000 mile hike to find herself.

While all the women are superb, I have to give this one to Moore. With four nominations and no wins, she is more than overdue for a win. While the other women may be princesses of their own genres, Moore is the queen of them all.

‘Big Eyes’ is a riveting biopic directed by Burton

By Tristan Laferriere Staff Writer

If you’re anything like me, you may find that Tim Burton’s films have been steadily declining from the once very original ideas of “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands” and one of my favorites, “Mars Attacks!”

Since the ’90s have left us, Burton has gone on to create box-office friendly films ranging from “The Corpse Bride” to “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.”

What classic Burton fans such as myself were missing, however, was a film that used a cast other than Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter and a little

AP Photo

Waltz and Adams bring a fueding flair to the real-life Keane couple.

less of the stop-motion animation. Well, we asked and he delivered. His latest film “Big Eyes” is a real treat for those classic Burton fans who were hoping for something original this time around.

Going back to his “Ed Wood” days in which Burton directed a biopic based on the eccentric filmmaker, “Big Eyes” follows the true story of painter Margaret Keane and her struggles as an artist as her husband, Walter, takes credit for her work for more than 10 years. Featuring a brilliant leading cast with Amy Adams as Margaret Keane and Christoph Waltz playing her jealous husband, “Big Eyes” is one of Burton’s best.

These two performances were excellent as usual, coming from two of the greatest actors in Hollywood today. Adams has already won a Golden Globe for her memorable performance of the famous painter, and Waltz gives yet another serious but humorous portrayal of the late Walter Keane.

Having been “re-discovered” by Quentin Tarantino six years ago for his war epic, “Inglourious Basterds,” Waltz has since gone on to claim two Academy Awards.

In addition to the stars of this film, the set decoration shines through on the big screen.

Taking place from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, any retro geek will find “Big Eyes” beautiful for its journey back in time to the mid-century styles of the United States. Appropriately, Margaret Keane’s “Big Eye” paintings are a symbol for 1960s art and contribute to this film’s wonderful look at America’s style of the time.

All in all, “Big Eyes” was an enjoyable film. I would recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Burton’s “Ed Wood,” because in my opinion his biopics are his best films. What makes “Big Eyes” even better is the fact that Burton is straying from the path and using a set of new actors to make this piece original.

EVENT

page 14 The Signal January 28, 2015

[

EXPLORING ECONOMIC

11

]

JUSTICE

NEW JERSEY, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD

INEQUALITY & THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN ST DEMOCRACY IN THE 21 CENTURY Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 4:30 pm Library Auditorium Dr. Dorian Warren, Associate Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and host of ‘Nerding Out’ on Shift by MSNBC Sponsored by the Black Student Union This program is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

The College of New Jersey | 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718

Sports

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 15

Cheap Seats

All-Star games continue to underwhelm

NFL players refuse to risk injury in the Pro Bowl.

By Matt Bowker Sports Editor

If you are like most people, you probably made the wise decision to pass on watching this year’s Pro Bowl. If you did unfortunately watch the game, my only question for you is: Why? For years, the Pro Bowl, as well as every All-Star game in the major sports, has been a joke. It’s a football game without the hitting, effort and meaning of a true NFL game.

You would be more entertained watching a local pee-wee football game or your little brothers play Madden. Those 5-year olds may not

AP Photo

know the rules, but at least they give it their all.

The problem with All-Star games is that the players refuse to subject themselves to injury by participating in these games, and rightly so.

Why should players risk losing millions of dollars to play in a game that has absolutely no meaning or consequences? Players have no incentives to play in these games. This year, Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals made the Pro Bowl coming off an exceptionally average season, because seven quarterbacks in front of him dropped out of the game. This man has no business in a game with the purpose of showcasing the best

talent in the league. He’s a ginger, for God’s sake! He belongs in the Weasley family, not in an All-Star game.

The NFL and NHL have tried various things to attempt to spark interest in the games. Both leagues have gone to a fantasy draft format, where team captains select players from the league, regardless of conference. This is a good building block to success, which certainly adds some interest to the event. It is fun to see bitter rivals play on the same and teammates play against each other.

The NFL has toyed with moving the game to the week before the Super Bowl in the host city. That way, they would play the game while football season is still ongoing rather than the week after when football is an afterthought. The problem with this is that the Super Bowl is played almost exclusively in the same five stadiums. The NFL should learn from the other three major leagues and host the Pro Bowl in a different city each year. This would ensure higher ticket sales to the game. Say the game is played in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are terrible, and their fan base has not seen an All-Star player since the fall of the Berlin

Wall. Fans in the area might go to the game just to see what a star player is and to escape the reality of living in the armpit of Florida for a few hours.

While the draft and the skills competition in the NHL and NBA are exciting and refreshing, the problem still lies in the main event of the weekend: the game.

The MLB has by far the most interesting All-Star game. Tune in to Fox to see which steroid-ridden man will hit the ball the furthest! The game matters because it determines which league will receive home-field advantage in the World Series. This is a great

way to ensure players’ interest and effort.

The problem with the NHL and NFL is that they cannot simply copy the MLB’s model. The risk of injury is too high with the physicality of hockey and football, whereas in baseball the biggest risk of injury is getting indigestion from eating one too many dollar dogs.

The NFL, NHL and NBA, to the dismay of fans everywhere, will not change their All-Star format while the events still make money, and sadly they do.

So for now, enjoy your mundane football, hockey and basketball All-Star “competitions.”

The MLB is the crown jewel for All-Star events.

AP Photo

Coach Pfluger honored Lions keep pace in NJAC Field Hockey

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Head coach Sharon Pfluger.

Julie Kayzerman Managing Editor

Coming off a huge win at Nationals, field hockey Coach Sharon Pfluger was recently named the Field Hockey / NFHCA Division III National Coach of Year. This is the highest honor from her peers and the second time in the last four seasons she’s won it.

“I really feel like it’s an honor for the whole program and the entire coaching staff,” Pfluger said. “I’m flattered, and I feel very honored to have the support of my colleagues in the field hockey coaching world, but I just truly feel that it’s about all of us, it’s not just about me.”

This is Pfluger’s third coaching honor after being named the 2014 NJAC coach of the Year and the 4U Field Hockey / NFHCA Division III South Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year. She has coached the Lions to nine NCAA Division III Championships in her 30 years of

coaching at the College.

This past season, Pfluger coached a team that went 23-1 and finished the year on a 15-game winning streak.

However, despite her recognition, she realizes none of it would’ve been possible without the girls on her team.

“Every single player is so valuable to us, everybody is important,” Pfluger said.

She also made sure to recognize her experienced coaching staff, especially her full-time assistant, Robin Selbst, who has been extremely valuable to the program for over 13 years, according to Pfluger. The staff also includes the talent of assistants Richard Cox, Jackie Scullin and Kelly Mitchell, all of whom Pfluger highly praised as being vital to the team’s success.

“It’s a very experienced staff, so I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by such good coaches and good people,” Phelps said. “It’s special to be a part of.”

As Pfluger spends the spring season coaching the College’s lacrosse team, she is greeted with familiar faces as several girls play both field hockey and lacrosse, linking the two programs together with a tight bond.

Going into her upcoming lacrosse season, Pfluger thinks her team is more pumped than ever after several girls drove down to watch their teammates and friends win the field hockey National Championship last semseter.

“I think the lacrosse players are saying, “Yeah I want that, too” and it just excites the level of enthusiasm and motivation.” Pfluger said. “When they see their peers attain such a wonderful achievement, then they say, ‘It’s doable, we can do this.’”

Men’s Basketball

Team gears up for playoff push

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Eric Murdock, Jr. leads the Lions past Montclair.

By Otto Gomez Staff Writer

The Lions, having lost three straight games entering winter break, looked to bounce back against Penn State-Harrisburg on New Year’s Eve in Pennsylvania.

The three-week rest period between games seemed to give the team an extra boost, and the Lions came away victorious, 66-58, behind 20 points from senior guard Jayson Johnson.

In the following two weeks, the team returned home to face off against Fairleigh DickinsonCollege at Florham, Ramapo College and New Jersey City University, winning each contest by an average of 10 points. During the stretch, Johnson averaged 14.6 points per game on 37 percent

shooting. Fellow returning starter, junior forward Bobby Brackett, continued to rebound well, averaging 10 boards over the three games, including a 17 rebound effort against Ramapo College.

The Lions traveled to New York City to square off against the then-10-3 Baruch College Bearcats on Monday, Jan. 12.

While the Lions played an overall solid game, the Bearcats were able to come back from a first half deficit to secure the victory, 65-63.

Brackett posted another double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, but it was not enough to stop the sharp shooting of the Bearcats in the second half. Since that game the team has played inconsistent basketball, beating Kean University away and Rutgers-Camden at home, both by

double digits, and surrendering an 18 point defeat to the William Paterson University Bears. Senior forward Skyelar Ettin stepped up during those games to average a team high 16 points and more than one steal a game.

In the last game before classes start, the College played on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Montclair State University, where the Lions were able to pull away with a gritty 6562 win. The victory put the team at a 6-5 record in NJAC play, good for fourth place tied with Rowan University.

Johnson continued to be the focal point of the Lions offense, scoring 21 points, including a pair of huge free throws at the end of the game. Brackett also had a great game, adding 20 points and 14 rebounds, giving the Lions a force inside when their outside shooting was weak throughout the game.

Perhaps the biggest difference makers were freshmen Erick Murdock, Jr. and Elias Bermudez, who have both started all but one game during the entire season.

Murdock, Jr. added needed offense with 11 points, and Bermudez collected a huge offensive rebound and putback with less than two minutes left to permanently give the Lions the lead.

The Lions continue to fight for a playoff spot with their fifth consecutive conference game away against Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m.

page 16 The Signal January 28, 2015

Wednesday February 4th 11 am - 2 pm

Where will you land?

4 6

LIONS

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 17

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Matt Bowker “The Ref”

Michael Battista Staff Writer

Otto Gomez Staff Writer

Chris Drabik

Correspondent

In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Matt Bowker, asks our panel of experts three questions: Have the Patriots or Seahawks been more impressive this seasoon, who should be the starting quarterback for Ohio State next season and can the Cavaliers turn around their season in time for the playoffs?

1. Both the Patriots and Seahawks were counted out early in the season. Which team has had a more impressive turnaround and why?

Michael: To be honest, neither team really showed a lot of weaknesses all year. The Patriots started the season off with a loss to Miami, a team that has fluctuated from a joke to a contender in recent years. Minus the week four trainwreck that was the Chiefs game, New England’s special teams and offense were performing at a solid pace and didn’t have any apparent weakness. That being said, the Seahawks have had the biggest turnaround this season because of the pressure a defending world champion has to contend with. The Legion of Boom continued to cut off their opponent’s passes, and while Russell Wilson isn’t the best quarterback in the league, he’s been put with a team that allows him to succeed.

Otto: No doubt that the Patriots have had the biggest turnaround in the season. The 41-14 loss that they suffered in the beginning of the

AP Photo

season to the Kansas City Chiefs was devastating, and it was a primetime game that everyone saw. The Seahawks, on the other hand, while losing more games in the early part of the season, were only defeated by a small margin each time, and the struggles could have been attributed to the pressures

of repeating after a Super Bowl title and just some early season nerves. The Patriots were completely dominated by the Chiefs and had no real excuse to fall back upon. They looked slow and old, hence making their turnaround a lot more impressive. Once they got Gronkowski back, the team looked fresh

and started to play quality football. Many figured Seattle would figure it out, but no one expected the Patriots to shift the way they did and as quickly as they did.

Chris: While both of this year’s Super Bowl teams had tough starts to the season, I consider the New England Patriots’ turnaround to be more impressive. After the Patriots lost in a blowout game to the Kansas City Chiefs in week four to even their record at 2-2, New England was considered down and out, and the Belichick-Brady era was all but over. All the Patriots did next was close out the season winning 11 of 13 to clinch the AFC East and the No. 1 overall seed in the conference.

While the Seahawks started out 3-3 on the year, the NFC West title pretty much fell into their lap after the Arizona Cardinals sunk like a stone when they were forced to start thirdstring quarterback Ryan Lindley after their first two options went down with injuries, all after a 10-1 start to the season. New England both faced, and answered, more critics with their early season turnaround.

Chris gets 3 points for mentioning the Cardinals’ collapse. Otto gets 2 points for citing Gronk, and Michael gets 1 point for pointing out the added pressure facing the champions.

AP Photo

2.With Cardale Jones returning to school and Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett coming back from injury, who should be the starting quarterback for Ohio State next season?

Michael : Ohio State’s natiomnal title is

thanks to Cardale Jones, and his amazing games against Alabama. However, with his 28-8 record between 2011 and 2013, I would have to bring back Miller as the starting quarterback through his senior year. He made a strong case in 2013,

showing improvements in his passing game, and had continued to show he was solid at rushing. The saying goes, “if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but I would have to stay with the guy who has been putting up solid numbers for the team over multiple years rather than two players who may be “flashes in the pan.”

Otto: The Buckeyes probably can’t mess this decision up if they tried. Either way they are going to have a fantastic season trying to repeat as national champions, and I think Cardale Jones will be the quarterback leading the squad. Coach Urban Meyer recognizes that he should ride the hot hand and give him as much playing experience as possible. Meyer understands that senior Braxton Miller can be a Heisman-worthy player in any program and should not be shocked if he decides to transfer. J.T. Barrett, on the other hand, will be a redshirt sophomore in the upcoming year, and so he still has two

years of eligibility left if he backs up Jones.

Jones will surely declare for the draft after the season, but the Buckeyes will still have Barrett ready to go after a season of gaining experience as a backup.

Chris: I am not just going to tell you who the starting quarterback should be, but who the starting quarterback WILL be for Ohio State next season: Cardale Jones. Jones, at least for next year, is the answer at quarterback. A big reason why this will hold true is because of the future of Braxton Miller.

Miller, who has already graduated and is eligible to transfer without sitting out a season, is being recruited by big name school like Florida State and Oregon to come play for them. I predict that Urban Meyer uses that speed and transforms Miller into a dangerous wide receiver for the Buckeyes. In the Jones vs. Barrett debate, I think Cardale Jones walks into spring practice and wins the job.

Otto gets 3 points for his plan for the future. Michael gets 2 points for his loyalty to Miller, and Chris gets 1 point for being a Michigan fan.

3. With the season at its midpoint, can the Cavaliers turn it around in time for the playoffs?

Michael:This needs to be prefaced by saying the East is terrible. Two of the top eight teams are under .500. Cleveland has been dealing with a lot this season, from the homecoming of Lebron James and his injury, and the inept defense that had been displayed for the last month. However, the recent win against the Bulls and the addition of Iman Shumpert, shows the team is starting to get back on track. The biggest help, though, may come in the form of recent acquisition Timofey Mozgov. The seven-foot tall Russian showed just how effective he could be on defense against the Bulls, blocking multiple shots from 2011 MVP Derrick Rose. If Cleveland can keep this up, they have a great chance of pulling ahead in the East.

Otto: Without a doubt. I’ll go as far as to say that they will be very dangerous in the playoffs. They have made great acquisitions, particularly Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith.

The short break that LeBron James took to rest from injuries has seemed to do wonders

for him. The offense will continue to improve as the season goes on, allowing the chemistry to continue to build and the defense to improve. Mozgov serves as a great rim protector, and Iman Shumpert, an excellent perimeter defender, will be a great addition coming off the bench. LeBron will serve as an experienced leader for the rest of the season, and along with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the team at its best is very scary.

Chris: About a quarter of the way into this NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have really struggled to mesh as a team so far.

Luckily for them, they play in the extremely weak Eastern Conference and also have the best player on the planet, LeBron James. A huge move that was made was bringing in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Shumpert is the perimeter defender that Cleveland desperately needed, while I think Smith will be a dangerous scoring option off the bench who is able to generate his own shots. It is only a matter of time before the Cleveland Cavaliers pass the likes of the Bulls, Raptors and Wizards to compete for the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 1 seed in the East.

Everyone gets 3 points for mentioning the Cavs’ recent acquisitions of Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert.

Otto wins Around the Dorm 8-7-6.

AP Photo

page 18 The Signal January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 19

Swimming and Diving

Swimming and Diving continue late success Women prepare for METRO Championships

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The women’s swimming and diving team dominates Rowan.

By Jessica Ganga Nation & World Editor

Last week, the College’s swimming and diving teams added wins to their already successful seasons. The men’s team won two in a row, while the women’s team took home one win. Both teams continued to dominate in the water and show off the hard work they’ve put into the season.

On Monday, Jan. 19, the men’s swimming and diving team competed against Stevens Institute of Technology and came out strong in the first event — the men’s 200-yard medley relay. Senior Aleksander Burzysnski, juniors James Shangle, Joseph Dunn and sophomore Andrew Nesbitt swam to a winning time of 1:34.20.

Shangle had a great night, placing first in the two other events he competed in — the men’s 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.

Shangle posted impressive times of 58.79 and 2:11.66, respectively.

Dunn also swam for two wins in the men’s 50-yard freestyle and the men’s 100yard butterfly with first place times of 21.32 and 50.90, respectively.

Sophomore Ryan Gajdzisz added points to the 150-110 victory over Stevens. Gajdzisz

touched the wall at 1:42.59 in the men’s 200yard freestyle. Later in the meet, Gajdzisz topped the field again with a winning time of 4:42.22 in the men’s 500-yard freestyle.

The men’s team ended another successful meet with Dunn, Gajdzisz, sophomore Scott Vitabile and senior Brett Pederson winning the men’s 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:07.97.

Although the women’s swimming and diving team did not have the same success, they still posted great times, showing that the women always work hard for a win. Not only do these women train hard for meets, but their support for each other during races is what helps them jet through the waters.

“During meets, we are always cheering one another on,” sophomore Brenna Strollo said. “(We) like to make our goals known for each race, that way our teammates can be a part of our success.”

Strollo competed in the women’s 50-yard freestyle and won a close race — just touching the wall at 25.45. Strollo also competed in the 200-yard medley relay with teammates freshmen Katie Kilfeather, Ali Huber and Marta Lawler where they placed as runner-ups with a time of 1:54.48.

Huber was in the water again at the end of

the meet alongside senior Summer Thomas, junior Lauren Rothstein and freshman Emily Rothstein, all competing in the women’s 400yard freestyle relay. The winning foursome posted a time of 3:42.08 with Thomas clinching the win in the final leg of the race.

Jennifer Harnett, the coach for the women’s team, commented on the race saying that she “was happy with how everyone swam” and that the meet allowed for some teammates who had been previously injured to be worked back into the lineup.

“Our focus is on Rowan,” Harnett said.

The team would go on to have a day-andnight performance against Rowan University on Saturday, Jan. 24.

The team was able to take nine events and both of the relay races. Thomas had a successful night, winning three individual events. Thomas posted a time of 10:58.06 in the women’s 1,000-yard freestyle, beating her competitor by about a minute. Thomas came in first again in the women’s 200-yard freestyle, posting a time of 1:58.46, and then continued the streak by winning the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:1.90.

Every contribution counted and helped the team finish their dominating, 188-100 win over Rowan.

“It wasn’t just about the first place finishes,” Harnett said. “The third, fourth and fifth

places were just as important.”

Strollo and Kilfeather both went one and two in the 100-yard backstroke. Strollo clocked in a time of 1:00.37 and Kilfeather followed behind with a time of 1:02.05.

The men’s team also won 155.5-138.5 against Rowan with, once again, impressive performances from every corner of the lineup.

The Lions swept the top three spots in the men’s 200-yard IM led by Gajdzisz with a time of 1:50.90 followed by sophomore Jin Roh and freshman Chris O’Sullivan with times of 1:58.16 and 1:59.26, respectively.

Gajdzisz also won two of his individual events, touching the wall first in the men’s 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:50.06. He was in the water again — winning the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:41.71.

With these successful meets, the teams and their coaches have their eyes set on the Metropolitan Conference Championships and NCAA championships.

“We use the METRO championships as our opportunity to qualify for the NCAA championships,” men’s swimming coach Brian Bishop said. “Our goal is to win the conference, qualify as many swimmers as possible for NCAA’s and place in the top five at the NCAA championships.”

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Ryan Gajdzisz helps the Lions to victory over Stevens Institute.

Track and Field

A slew of runners qualify for Championships

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Runners on both teams qualify for the ECAC Championship.

By George Tatoris Staff Writer

The men’s and women’s winter track teams gave stellar performances just down the road at Princeton’s Tiger Open on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Several Lions on both teams earned ECAC-qualifying marks at the Open.

Athletes only needed to meet the marks once before the ECAC Indoor Championships this March.

On the men’s team, sophomore Brandon Mazzarella bested 32 other runners

in the 800 meters for an ECAC-worthy time of 1:55.75.

“The meet was definitely great all around for TCNJ, with tons of great performances,” Mazzarella said.

Senior sprinter Erik Moutenot, who took fifth in the 500 meters with a time of 1:07.78, also qualified for the ECAC. Moutenot joined sophomore Zach Hubner, junior Laron Day and freshman Tristan Gibson to finish seventh in the 4x400 relay with an ECAC-qualifying time of 3:26.2.

Senior Juan Giglio also qualified for

ECAC, clearing 4.5 meters in the pole vault, the highest of any Division III performer in that event.

Junior sprinter Jake Lindacher was another ECAC qualifier with a time of 8.58 seconds, which placed him in 13th place in the 60-meter high hurdles. That was not Lindacher’s only ECAC qualifying time this season — he ran ECAC-worthy times in the same event every meet so far this season.

“The ECAC qualifying marks are great,” said Lindacher. “We want everyone to hit the marks so we can take a big group to ECACs.” On the women’s team, senior Katelyn Ary capsized her competition in the 800 meters, with an ECAC-qualifying time of 2:16.41. In the mile, fellow senior Megan Stack came in fifth with a time of 5:08.33, netting her a bid for ECAC, as well.

Ary, along with seniors Joy Spriggs and Michelle Cascio and freshman Emily Mead, also qualified in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:02.68. Spriggs was also 10th in the 400 meters with an ECACqualifying mark of 9.41, the fastest performance of any Division III runner in that event.

In the 1,000 meters, freshman Allison

Fournier finished eighth with a time of 3:05.04, another ECAC mark. In the 500 meters, junior Kristen Randolph came in ninth, qualifying with a time of 1:21.00.

Senior Tara Nealon also qualified in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:38.11, placing 14th. Fellow senior Joan Hales qualified in the weight throw with a toss of 14.05 meters, placing 15th.

Many of these athletes already met the ECAC standards of their respective event. Spriggs, Cascio and Ary all qualified for the 4x400 already this season.

According to Lindacher, once a Lion meets an event’s ECAC mark, the goal becomes to consistently push past the mark. To some, just reaching the mark is an important goal. However, many Lions have already reached this goal and are working to move as far past the figure as they can.

Qualifying for ECACs gives members of the track team the opportunity to qualify for Nationals — the ECAC Championship is the last meet before the big one.

“As long as people are improving and continue to improve, the meets will continue to go well as they have been so far this season,” Lindacher said.

page 20 The Signal January 28, 2015

Spring 2015 Career and Internship Fair Friday, February 27, 2015 Rec Center 9AM– 1PM

Sampling of Employer Representatives Profit

Want to be on the other side of this paper?

Accutest Laboratories Aerotek Arete, Inc. Around Campus Group Bank of America/Merrill Edge Blinds To Go Brainerd Communications, Inc. Burlington Stores CBIZ Valuation Group Chubb CIT Group, Inc. CohnReznick LLP Covance Deloitte Enterprise Holdings Ernst & Young LLP (EY) ESF Summer Camps Fastenal Ferguson Enterprises Grant Thornton LLP Guardian Life Insurance Company Harding Loevner Health Care Software, Inc. (HCS) Johnson & Johnson Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson JPMorgan Chase Kelmar Associates KPMG LGS Innovations LLC McCann Torre Lazur Miles Technologies Morgan Stanley News America Marketing NJ 101.5FM - Townsquare Media Nordson EFD, LLC Northeast Planning Corp.

Northwestern Mutual Central NJ/Bucks County Northwestern Mutual - Morristown Philadelphia Insurance Companies

We have a number of positions available!

We’re looking for: - Writers - Be the one who brings the story to the campus.

- Photographers - Caputre events on campus and bring the story to life.

- Assistants - Join our editorial staff and help make this paper happen.

CO-SPONSORS: Net Impact, Theta Phi Alpha, Junior Class Officers and more!

For updated list, please check the Career Center website: http://career.pages.tcnj.edu/

Contact Us: Signal@tcnj.edu - Located in the Brower Student Center basement (Use the staircase to the left of the info desk).

TCNJ STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES asKS… do you know about our services?

Services provided Include:

•

•

• • •

Assessment, diagnosis & treatment of your medical condition or injury

Curriculum required physical exams (fees may be incurred)

Vaccinations (fees may be incurred)

Laboratory tests (ie, blood work)

Women’s Health Care on Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment through our collaborative agreement with Planned Parenthood of Mercer County

Making an Appointment:

•

•

•

Cost of Services at Student Health Services:

•

•

•

FREE

Student Health Services is available and

to all currently enrolled TCNJ students during the 15 weeks of each semester.

Students can receive laboratory tests ordered by the TCNJ provider, x-­‐rays and medications according to their insurance plan coverage limits.

Students are responsible for payment at time of services for some items such as rapid strep tests. Please be sure to bring cash or credit card with you to your visit.

Upcoming Events:

Hours of Operation:

• Tb testing clinics: (cost $10.00) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30am-­‐6:00pm (evening hours)

Thursday and Friday 8:30am-­‐4:00pm

Tuesday January 27, 2015 3:00-­‐5:00pm – Loser Hall

Visit the Online Scheduling system at https://tcnj.medicatconnect.com

to schedule your appointment or call (609) 771-­‐2483

• Flu Vaccine (cost $20) by appointment

If you or a friend are experiencing a medical emergency, you should

call 9-­‐1-­‐1 from an on campus/TCNJ phone or (609) 771-­‐2345 from your cell phone

ALWAYS BRING YOUR MEDICAL INSURANCE CARD AND PRESCRIPTION INSURANCE CARD TO ALL APPOINTMENTS AT STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

Fun Stuff

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 21

Thought of the day: They called the storm “juno” because it’s asking, “ju-no where the snow is??”

->

SOLVE THIS WORD PUZZLE! -> ANSWER: “GET IN SHAPE”

From the classroom to the corner office.

Dr. Kathryn Yeaton, Associate Professor of Accounting, and her class engaged in student presentations.

Ramapo College offers eight accelerated part-time graduate degree programs designed to prepare you for the next step in your career. Ramapo’s graduate programs combine classroom and online study to allow students to balance their lives and their education.

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Regional Universities North category for public institutions

Featured in the Princeton Review’s “Best in the Northeast”

We offer graduate degrees in: • NEW Master of Social Work • MBA, Master of Business Administration • Master of Science in Nursing • Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies

• Master of Arts in Special Education • Master of Arts in Liberal Studies • Master of Science in Educational Technology • Master of Arts in Educational Leadership

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Listed by Kiplinger’s as one of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges

As a College of Distinction, Ramapo attracts and supports engaged students, great teaching, a vibrant community and successful outcomes

page 22 The Signal January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015 The Signal page 23 Women’s Basketball

Women’s basketball struggles after break Looks to rebound after four straight losses

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The Lions lose a tough game to NJAC rival Rutgers-Camden.

By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer As the spring semester begins, the women’s basketball team remains in a difficult position after dropping two straight games.

The Lions record is now 9-9 overall and 4-7 within the conference.

The team has shot just 36 of 125 from the field in their past two games.

“Every game from now on is very important to us to make the playoffs,” junior guard Angelica Esposito said. “We need to keep working hard in practice to improve everyday. When we are struggling with our

shooting, it is hard to score, but if we keep running our offenses and are confident, we will be able to hit the open shots.”

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Lions lost their first game to a fellow conference member, the Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors. The Lions did not have a single lead in the game.

The Lions had tied the game once before the Raptors went on a run to lead by 15 points with 1:40 left in the game.

Kamari Talley, who is regarded as a Division I talent, lead Rutgers-Camden with 20 points. She also had 14 rebounds, two assists, five steals and a block.

“She is a great player, and having her on their team really has helped them improve,” Esposito said. “She is very diverse and can handle the ball well, which helps them utilize their talented post players and outside shooters.”

Michelle Obasi was the only Scarlet Raptors player in double figures, as she had 14 points. She added five rebounds, two steals and an assist, as well.

Esposito scored a game-high 17 points for the Lions while both seniors Jessica Goldbach and Kelly Coughlin scored nine.

“Our team has always been about sharing the ball and finding the open player,” said Esposito of her game-high performances. “Over the last few games, my teammates have done a good job of finding me when I’m open, and I have been able to knock down some shots. Our team has so many great shooters that, each game, anyone is capable of scoring many points.”

Freshman Nikki Schott scored four points, while junior Christina Merlin added three.

Both freshman Cindy Napolitano and senior Kylie O’Donnell contributed two points.

On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Lions lost to NCAA/USA Today Coaches’ poll, sixthranked Montclair State Red Hawks. The Lions lost 64-45 in this game at Montclair’s campus.

This was the second double-digit loss.

Each of their four of losses since Wednesday, Dec. 10, were all by double digits.

“We can improve our intensity on defense through communication,” Coughlin said.

“This doesn’t mean screaming and getting

worked up, but rather strategically talking about cutters and shooters so that we can get stops. This frazzles the other team when we talk and increase ball pressure.”

The College led by one point at 16:45 in the first half. They had 15 bench points and 10 points in the paint.

Esposito also led the team with a gamehigh 13 points this past Saturday. Coughlin scored nine points.

Both O’Donnell and Napolitano scored six points. Junior Jess Lynch had four points, while sophomore Katy Amato scored three points. Both Schott and Merlin had two points.

The Red Hawks had three players in double-figures, as Janitza Aquino had 12 points, Melissa Tobie scored 11, while Katie Sire had 10.

Sage Bennett also chipped in nine points for Montclair, while Kayla Ceballos scored eight points. Tobie’s sister Kate scored six points, while Taylor Harmon had five points.

This week, the team will look to get their first win since Saturday, Jan. 17. The team travels to Richard Stockton on Tuesday, Jan. 28, before hosting Rutgers-Newark at home next Saturday, Jan. 31.

“I think to get two wins this coming week, we need to have a lot of energy consistently throughout the game,” Coughlin said. “We feed off of each other’s excitement during the game, and that’s what makes the game fun.

If we have fun and play together, we have such a strong group that not everyone can be stopped from scoring, and our offense will flow from our defensive intensity.”

Signal

Sports

Wrestling records four straight wins

All-American Zotollo leads Lions to victory

By Josh Kestenbaum Correspondent

The men’s wrestling team has been on quite a streak lately, and nothing changed Tuesday, Jan. 20, when they met the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on the mat. The Lions came from behind and defeated the USMMA Mariners, 25-16.

Two of the coaches in this match, Lions coach Joe Galante, ’07, and USMMA’s Greg Ilaria, ’04, were both All-American wrestlers here at the College. Galante earned his in 2005 and 2007, while Coach Ilaria achieved his in 2003 and 2004.

The Mariners jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but the Lions refused to be silenced. The comeback began with a definitive 7-1 victory at 141 by freshman Ryan Budzek and continued with junior Dylan Thorsen’s victory at 149.

Following additional victories at 157 and 165, the College led the Mariners by a score of 13-7.

The momentum carried through to the 174 weight class,

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Freshman James Goldschmidt wrestles his way to a win vs. Centenary College.

where Zach Zotollo, the nation’s top wrestler at that weight, pinned his opponent in just 3:50. The senior now has a record of 11-0 on the season.

The Mariners were able to pull within three with victories at 184 and 197, with only heavyweight left. However, the Lions emerged victorious after a pin by freshman Brandon Simon at 4:44

in the heavyweight match.

The Lions were back in action on Friday, Jan. 23, when they took on the Centenary College Cyclones. The Lions never trailed the Cyclones on their way to a decisive 26-12 victory.

Before the match, the school honored the 30th anniversary of the 1985 NCAA Division III National Championship wrestling team.

The Lions sprang out to an early 10-0 lead on the backs of a forfeit at 125 and a major decision at 133 by freshman James Goldschmidt.

Despite a Cyclones win at 141, the Lions remained in the lead thanks in part to another victory at 149 by Thorsen. With a win at 157, Centenary closed the Lions’ lead to 14-6. Freshman

Kellen Whitney earned a point for the Lions at 165 and extended their lead.

At 174, Zotollo further extended his undefeated record, advancing to 12-0 on the season, and the Lions’ lead to 20-6.

The final Lions win of the match came from a forfeit at 184 and pushed the Lions’ total to 26. The Cyclones were able to win the final two weight classes and close the gap to 26-12.

“Success over the past few matches has really been about persistence,” Zotollo said about the team’s recent hot streak. “You have to stay focused on what you can control, and I think we have done that.”

The Lions are now 10-4 on the season and have won four straight matches. They are in action again on Saturday, Jan. 31, when they host the Metro/ New England Duals in the Rec Center. The College will be taking on 16th-ranked Roger Williams University, 19th-ranked Williams College and Bridgewater State University.

Brady, Patriots not at fault in ‘Deflate-Gate’

By Kevin Luo Staff Writer

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve probably heard of the “Deflate-Gate” scandal surrounding the New England Patriots. The Patriots’ footballs in the AFC Championship Game were found to be deflated, allowing for better grip of the football in the cold weather.

Now, I like talking about shrinking balls just as much as the next guy, but this story has become too much.

I get it. Most of the football world outside of New England hates (and envies) the Patriots, especially QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, so all negative topics about them are magnified exponentially.

This story deserved one day (two days max) of major coverage. The Ray Rice scandal was getting less coverage than this, and that’s a real problem. It’s as if the rest of the sports world has stopped for “Deflate-Gate,” and I am more than sick of it.

Let’s start with my first problem with this story. The Patriots-Colts game where this controversy took place was a total manhandling by the Patriots. The Patriots actually played better in the second half when the footballs were replaced by properly inflated ones when

Lions’ Lineup January 28, 2015

I n s i d e

AP Photo

Tom Brady is the center of attention in the ‘Deflate-Gate’ scandal.

they outscored the Colts, 28-0. Many Colts players have come out and said that they were simply the worse team that day.

Next, let’s talk about the scientific plausibility that the Patriots didn’t actually do anything wrong, which “Dr. Bill Belichick” discussed in his press conference. Everyone seems to think that Brady or Belichick stuck a needle into the footballs and deflated them right before the game like they’re Barry

Bonds or A-Rod or that, alternatively, they ordered someone to do so.

Had the ball been inflated to its minimum level of 12.5 pounds per square inch (PSI) in a warmer environment, the balls could’ve easily deflated a decent amount in the colder field environment. Another potential factor, proposed by Belichick, is that the team performed a form of pre-game rub down of the footballs to prep them for the game. This

prepping may have caused them to temporarily increase the balls’ PSI, but the PSI would go back down once the ball was at its equilibrium state. Both of these theories are possible and are technically legal under the NFL’s ambiguous football preparation guidelines.

Lastly, my biggest issue with the inflation of this story is that nothing tangible is going to come out of this anytime soon. It’s been a week of speculation over what happened when nothing definitive is going to come out before the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Sunday will come and go with this situation remaining an ongoing investigation. So unless something tangible comes out about this case, it doesn’t need to be discussed 24/7.

The NFL would never do anything to jeopardize its most important event like suspending Brady or Belichick for the Super Bowl unless there was no other choice. So anyone calling for one of them to get suspended for the game should just save their breath because it isn’t happening.

Overall, the sports world needs to chill about “Deflate-Gate.” The Super Bowl is this upcoming Sunday. Who is going to win the game? Who will be the X-Factors? How will the Seahawks cover Gronk? How will the Pats contain Russell Wilson? Let’s pump some air into topics about the actual game.

46 53 Around the Dorm page 17

Pfluger wins award page 15

Swimmers excel in water page 19

Women’s basketball lags Page 23