The Signal: Spring '15 No. 5

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Vol. XLII, No. 5

February 25, 2015

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Spiritual Center Students receive firefighting award welcomes new Catholic priest

By Elise Schoening Correspondent Father Erin Brown, who has served as the Catholic priest at the Spiritual Center for three years, has now been permanently reassigned to another parish, according to an email sent out to members of the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM). His recent departure has resulted in a great reduction of the Catholic Masses available to students on campus, and until further notice, CCM is only offering Mass on Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. Starting Saturday, March 28, Saturday night Masses will be available at 6:30 p.m.

During his time at the College, Brown developed close relationships with numerous students.

He will be remembered not only for serving as a friend and confidant to these students, but also for giving personalized and engaging sermons at Mass, according to junior early childhood education and psychology double major Katherine King, CCM’s co-vice president of retreats.

“He always relates the Gospel back to things that are going on in our lives as young adults, but mostly as college students who are going through a difficult transition point in our lives,” King said.

According to junior early childhood education and psychology double major Amy Pilsbury, CCM’s secretary, Father Brown thoroughly enjoyed working at the College and did not leave by choice. see CCM page 2

Photo courtesy of Matthew Iannarone

Three students from the College receive the Ewing Firefighter of the Year Award.

By Colleen Murphy News Editor

When most people’s electronics go off during class, it’s usually the result of a text message or Siri acting up. But for three of the College’s students, that sound equates to something much more urgent.

For these students, an alert that sounds during class means that somewhere in Ewing Township, their expertise and

help are needed: These firefighters must report to a scene.

Matthew Iannarone, a senior mechanical engineering major, Anthony Dell’Aquila, a senior criminology major and Michael Koons, a senior business administration major, are not only full-time students at the College but also volunteer firefighters for the Pennington Road Fire Company. Recently, the company chief, Steve Luck, honored the three with

the Firefighter of the Year Award for their ability to balance their dedication to both school and firefighting.

According to Iannarone, when Luck was presenting the award, he noted that there were a lot of great firefighters from which to choose.

Deciding who to give the award to was a challenge, but the College’s three students stood out from the rest.

Every firefighter that works

with the three recipients thinks that they do a good job, Luck said, and when figuring out who to present with Firefighter of the Year, the work ethic of Iannarone, Dell’Aquila and Koons put them “above everybody else.”

“Basically, to get the award, you have to be involved and not shy away from anything we ask of you,” Luck said.

The three students first became involved with firefighting at their local companies before coming to the College, with Iannarone starting in 2009, Dell’Aquila in 2006 and Koons in 2010.

Dell’Aquila, who now serves as a trustee of the Pennington Road Company, has been serving Ewing since 2011, and in 2012, he served as assistant chief of EMS. Koons began his work with the Pennington company in 2012.

However, Iannarone didn’t think he was going to pursue firefighting while at college, but that quickly changed.

“I sort of missed it after two months of being here, so I walked down, picked up an application and joined,” Iannarone said. see AWARD page 2

Taibbi criticizes white-collar criminals Impacts of social media on students

By Gabrielle Beacken News Assistant Hollywood gets it wrong, according to political, financial and media author and journalist Matt Taibbi. Hotshot Wall Street and bank executives are not the romanticized versions often seen in films, such as the portrayal of former stockbroker-scammer Jordan Belfort in the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Hollywood’s take on the economic injustice of whitecollar crime is upsetting while also inaccurate, Taibbi said.

Taibbi said that instead of viewing financial injustices as solely a fiscal issue, it should be viewed as organized crime.

“It’s not an economic story,” Taibbi said. “It’s a crime story.”

Journalist for The Nation, Playboy and Rolling Stone and author of “The Divide:

By Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager

The Signal @tcnjsignal

see TAIBBI page 3

see MEDIA page 3

Kim Iannarone / Staff Photographer

Taibbi discusses economic disparity between rich and poor Americans.

American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap,” Taibbi lectured students, faculty, staff and the College community on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Kendall Hall, about the economic disparity between the wealthy and poor and the lack of stipulation narrowed at white-collar criminals. This lecture was part

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 5

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“He talked to us for over an hour, and we got to ask questions and have an interesting colloquy,” said Morton Winston, professor of the research seminar. “It was really a nice experience for everybody.”

The first few weeks of the

Social media’s expanding population has transformed its purpose from connecting with friends to promoting businesses, products and people.

“When you’re old, you will say to some young person, ‘Back in my day, we actually had a piece of paper called a resume,’” Dean of the School of Business William Keep said. “Your social (media) presence will be your presence soon.”

This shift, to Keep, was what the panel “Your Public Face via Social Media” was all about.

Held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the panel, which was sponsored by the Dean’s Advisory Council and co-sponsored by Beta Gamma Sigma and Delta Sigma Pi, was held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Business Building lounge. The panel gathered a host of social media experts to discuss the impact of social media on students’ professional lives.

The panel included Sarah Cirelli, an

of the semester-long Exploring Economic Justice series, sponsored by the College’s Committee on Intellectual and Cultural Programming.

Taibbi also spoke to the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS 487) research seminar “Justice,” which includes both faculty and students.

Editorial / Page 7

Opinions / Page 9

Features / Page 11

Arts & Entertainment / Page 15

Sports / Page 28

‘Vagina Monologues’ Students perform Eve Ensler’s play

Mindful Life Workshop encourages relaxation

Basketball playoffs Women’s team moves on to second round

See A&E page 15

See Features page 11

See Sports page 21

page 2 The Signal February 25, 2015

Award / Students balance school and firefighting continued from page 1 Since they first joined, the three have responded to hundreds of calls in the area.

“It seems like we’ve responded to everything,” Iannarone said. “From the routine burnt food calls to full-house fires to car accident entrapments — Ewing pretty much gets it all.”

The Pennington Road Fire Company’s district includes the College, so the three men have responded to calls that come from the College numerous times, including late-night elevator rescues and last year’s fire at the Towers.

“I’m one of the few people who can say they took a chainsaw to Travers Hall,” Iannarone said.

According to Iannarone, he easily spends 10 hours a week volunteering for the firehouse. The amount of calls vary week to week, but just last year, the company went on 600 calls to Ewing and the surrounding area.

While they admit balancing their volunteerism with schoolwork can be difficult at times, the students say they

Photo courtesy of Matthew Iannarone

The firehouse is located right down the road from the College. would never give up firefighting.

“I sincerely enjoy what I do as a firefighter and EMT,” Dell’Aquila said.

“Helping other people in need is something that I have always had a passion for.

I also enjoy the excitement that being a firefighter and EMT brings. I never know what the next call might bring me. I am also gaining very useful experience by volunteering my time.”

Iannarone agreed with Dell’Aquila’s passion for altruism.

“I like giving back, helping people,” he said. “I think I’ll volunteer probably the rest of my life.”

The dedication that each has displayed to volunteering was what earned them the Firefighter of the Year award, and Luck noted that they’re incredibly great volunteer firefighters and EMS responders.

“It’s a pleasure to have them — it’s actually a blessing to have them because volunteers are hard to come by nowadays,” Luck said.

And Luck, Iannarone and Dell’Aquila all urged those interested in volunteering for the fire company or first aid unit to contact the fire company.

“If there is any student at TCNJ who is currently a firefighter or EMT, or anyone who wishes to become one, I encourage them to contact the fire company by logging on to penningtonroad.org, calling (609)-882-9885 or coming down to the firehouse (located at 1666 Pennington Road) for a visit and to pick up an application,” Dell’Aquila said.

CCM / Brown’s reassignment a loss for the College New pastor adds Mass in time for Lenten season continued from page 1

At the end of the fall semester, Brown was temporarily reassigned by his bishop to St. Jerome’s Parish in Long Branch, N.J., according to King. This reassignment, however, was recently made permanent. John Butler has now taken on the position of primary pastor for the Catholic Campus Ministry at the College.

CCM, which is primarily a student-run organization, is working hard to continue operating as usual in spite of this recent change.

Sophomore civil engineering major Lauren Santullo says that the organization will continue to provide students with Catholic Mass and other religious events throughout the semester, although they are now being offered less frequently.

“I personally will miss Father Brown at our weekly activities, but if he needs to help out somewhere else

in the diocese, that’s where he needs to be,” Santullo said. “I also hope that he comes back to visit for some of our events.”

This loss has not only been hard on the students who have grown close to Brown, but it has also restricted CCM’s ability to provide programs and services. The organization now has limited access to the Bede House, an off-campus house where the group’s events are typically held.

The new pastor, Butler, has a number of responsibilities outside of the College and cannot be as involved in the campus community as Brown was, Pilsbury said. Therefore, the number of Catholic Masses offered at the Spiritual Center has been significantly reduced. In the past, Masses have been held on both weekdays and weekends. CCM is now only able to offer Mass twice a week on Sunday evenings, and starting this weekend, Saturday evenings.

“The weekday Masses didn’t always have a large turnout, but it is still a loss to those who wanted that daily time to pray and reflect in the Spiritual Center,” Pilsbury said.

Weekday Masses were particularly important because they allowed students with busy schedules more flexibility for worship. Students who wish to attend Catholic Mass on a daily basis must now travel off campus to other parishes in the neighboring area.

Brown’s departure is certainly a loss felt by the college community and all who attended his sermons.

Still, CCM has welcomed Butler and appreciates the new perspective he has to offer, Santullo said.

Father Butler is actively working to fill the hole left in Brown’s absence. He is currently planning a spring retreat for members of CCM and is also working hard to offer confession, as well as even more Mass times, Pilsbury said.

IGC violates three SFB policies, loses most of its funding

Kim Iannarone / Staff Photographer

The board allocates funds for this year’s Ratfest.

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Editor The Student Finance Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, included a special hearing with the Inter-Greek Council, which violated SFB policy multiple times in conjunction with TCNJam, an event that took place Saturday, Jan. 31.

The IGC was charged with three violations in the following areas — charity, food and advertising. According to the board, fundraising money was collected at the event. SFB policy states that SFB-funded events are not

allowed to collect money for a fundraiser at the event — only beforehand. Instead, the event was supposed to be a celebration that raised awareness of childhood cancer.

Additionally, pizza was used to draw attendees, and “SAF Funded” was not put on advertisements. Ultimately, the board ruled to deactivate IGC for the remainder of the semester (except for the use of copying and fundraising), in addition to charging them a $3,000 fine for policy violations.

The meeting also featured normal special appropriation requests,

which began with a proposal from the Class of 2016 for “TCNJ’s Got Talent.” As stated in its application, the purpose of the event is “to showcase the talents of TCNJ students.”

This event has been organized for the past five years, and the council hopes this year will continue to develop it into a “legacy event.”

The event was allocated funds of $1,316 and is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 11, in Kendall Hall.

The College Union Board proposed next for “Ratfest ’15,” an outdoor spring concert to commemorate the Rathskeller (which will close at the end of the semester as the Brower Student Center undergoes renovations) with a farewell concert. Headlining options include Mayday Parade and Jukebox the Ghost, while the list of openers includes Modern Baseball, Surfer Blood and The Menzingers.

The event, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 19, was allocated funds of $28,305.

CUB also proposed for their Solo Circus event, which will include a circus-like performance

by Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy. Scheduled for Thursday, March 12, in the Student

Center, the event was allocated funds of $7,695.

The meeting also included multiple cultural organizations proposing for events, the first of which was Union Latina for “Platanos and Collard Greens y Callaloo.”

According to their proposal, the event is a “hip-hop theater play” that aims to educate the student body about prominent issues within the Latino and Black Community. The event, which is schedule to take place on Wednesday, March 4, in the Don Evans Black Box Theater, was allocated funds of $6,628.

The Eurasia/Middle East Society (EME) also proposed for “Nowruz: Celebration of the Persian New Year.” According to their proposal, the celebration “aims to introduce students to an important holiday that is celebrated throughout the Middle East, Eurasia and Southeast Asia,” and to “bring important elements of Persian culture to the campus community through music, food, dance, etc.” The event, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, March 23, in the Education Building,

was allocated funds of $4,965.

Next, The Asian American Association proposed for their annual “Mystique of The East” event, which includes multiple performances from various Asian clubs on campus. The event, which will be free for everyone this year and is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 11, in Kendall Hall, was allocated funds of $4,430.

Finally, MEDLIFE (Medicine, Education and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere) presented for an event entitled “A Taste of South America.”

According to their application, the event will involve “traditional South American Food, with a specialization of Peruvian food, which will provide students the opportunity to be subjected to the foods of a different culture than their own.”

The event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 2, in the Lions Den, was allocated funds of $2,482.50. *Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 3

Taibbi / Author discusses 2008 financial crisis

Kim Iannarone / Staff Photographer

Taibbi and Winston believe the criminal justice system is skewed by wealth. continued from page 1

class were devoted to reading and analyzing Taibbi’s book, Winston said. “We wanted to explore what the ramifications of this inequality of wealth and income are for other aspects of American life. How does inequality of economics affect education, educational opportunities? How’s this inequality affect race relations?”

Taibbi admits that he didn’t begin his journey into the world of economics with a solid background.

“It was a topic I came upon completely by accident,” Taibbi said. “I couldn’t even balance my checkbook … I knew nothing about the financial justice system.”

As a political humorist following the presidential campaign trail, Taibbi realized that, including himself, “nobody had any clue what was happening on Wall Street.”

Even writers reporting on the 2008 financial crisis were unfamiliar with the economics.

“I thought we crossed a line at that moment,” Taibbi said. “The ignorance of the press corps became a serious problem.”

Transitioning into producing pieces with “boring” semantics, Taibbi had to “learn an entire new language and translate it into what people understand.”

Since economics, and publications covering financial issues, are laced with sophisticated terms and complicated math references, it is difficult for the average American to

understand the world of finance.

“As both a student and a journalist, I think that it is extremely important to have some basic knowledge about the financial state of our country,” junior journalism and professional writing major Shayna Innocenti said.

“I think that journalists like Taibbi are doing a great job translating the complex governmental and economic jargon, so that the everyday person can understand what is transpiring around them.”

The “punchline” of the white-collar crime tale seemed to be that no one ever went to jail, was indicted or even had to pay out of their own pocket, Taibbi said.

Besides two people from Bear Stearns Co., an investment services firm, being brought to trial, “not a single individual had been indicted for misdeeds in the financial crisis,” Taibbi said.

“In 2008, indicting CEO’s may have had a catastrophic effect,” Taibbi said. However, “I never bought the excuse that not arresting people was out of concern for the economy.”

Winston agreed with Taibbi that the absence of arrests during the financial crisis was suspicious.

“It’s kind of a scandal that the criminal justice system has been so skewed by wealth,” Winston said. “It’s an important thing to know for contemporary American society … it’s an eye-opening thing for students to learn about.”

According to Taibbi, there seems to be two tiers of the criminal justice system — street crime and white-collar crime, which to many

is not considered a “crime-crime.”

Due to lobbyists creating loopholes for big business, divergent allocation of resources in the police force, and prosecutors considering violators of white collar crime more like respected and intelligent peers, rather than offenders, there are weak repercussions for white-collar criminals, according to Taibbi.

“Where’s the deterrent to not commit other crimes?” Taibbi said. “Why not? Caught for one thing and essentially there was no price.”

For white-collar criminals, no incentive or deterrent to not commit crime has led to a “flowering” of white-collar offenses, Taibbi said.

Taibbi contrasted the event surrounding police brutality victim Eric Garner and the American International Group (AIG) fraud scandal and eventual government bailout.

The video of Garner’s death depicts 10 police officers eventually at the scene. On the contrary, during AIG’s scandal, one regulator at SNL Finance, a financial information firm, policed over 100,000 employees, according to Taibbi.

These two scenarios “symbolizes the difference in resources,” Taibbi said.

“One of our ideals as Americans is that there should be equal justice under the law,” Winston said. “But what (Taibbi’s) investigative reporting shows is that’s not true for many people.”

“They are two different worlds, but it is all crime,” Taibbi said. “It’s something we should all be concerned about.”

Civil engineering club is recognized by SG

By Alyssa Sanford Staff Writer

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) club was introduced and officially recognized before the Student Government general body on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Jessica Glynn, vice president of Government Affairs, informed the general body that the organization has sustained itself since August 2013 and that ITE earned recognition from the national organization last spring. In order to be active on campus, ITE sought recognition from the general body.

There are currently 19 members in ITE, but as the civil engineering program doesn’t offer classes in transportation until junior year, the

majority of the existing members are seniors.

Thomas M. Brennan, assistant professor of civil and transportation engineering and ITE’s faculty advisor, attended the general body meeting with two senior members of the club. They fielded questions from Student Government representatives about ITE’s funding and plans for expansion.

Members voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognition.

Glynn then introduced BS2015-01, a bill designed to “protect the integrity of the [Student Government] organization.”

BS-2015-01 clarifies the requirements for members planning

to run for president or executive vice president. In order to run, candidates must be either a general body member for two years or an elected member for one year.

The bill passed without debate.

Vice President of Advancement Sarah Drozd announced that Meet and Greet, an event to speak with prospective Student Government members, will be held on Monday, April 13, in the Alumni Grove.

Casey Dowling, vice president of Academic Affairs, reminded general body members that the Career Center is co-sponsoring a networking event in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 4. A total of 53 spots are available

to interested students and 40 spots are currently reserved.

Later, it was announced that Equity and Diversity will hold a Multicultural Event on Thursday, March 26, in the Brower Student Center.

Senior class president Brian Garsh announced that Senior Week registration will be up and running in the next two or three weeks.

“It’s been a lot of headaches and a lot of stress,” Garsh said of efforts to coordinate Senior Week plans.

The sophomore class council revealed that president Robert Kinloch was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article from Tuesday, Feb. 17, about the now-infamous T-shirts depicting David Muha, vice president of Communications, Marketing and Brand Management. T-shirts are

still on sale in Eickhoff Hall.

Additionally, the freshman class council advertised its Mental Health Awareness Walk, scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will start from Green Hall and continue around the loop.

Garsh closed the meeting by reviving an old tradition. He discovered that past Student Government bodies at the College used to compile scrapbooks to commemorate another year of governance.

“I want to start that again so we can have another tradition,” Garsh said, before asking fellow members to collect memorabilia that will allow future members of Student Government to catch a glimpse of what the 2014-15 governing body has accomplished.

Media / Taking control of your web presence continued from page 1

interactive marketing manager at WithumSmith+ Brown, alum Kevin Coughlin, a product engineer at Tumblr, and Patti Singer, owner of Follow Me Social Media.

Moderator and alum Rebecca Machinga, a partner at WithumSmith+ Brown and chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, began the discussion by asking the panel how students with little job experience can best promote themselves on LinkedIn, a popular social media site for professionals.

Singer said a crucial part of a profile is to include a professional headshot, which students were able to acquire after the discussion. It is also important to fill out the profile in its entirety and pay special attention to the summary section, according to Singer.

“That is where you can let everyone know who you are as a person and what your personal mission statement is,” Singer said. “Lead with your ‘why.’ Why do you want to get involved in the industry you’re

going to college for? People will be mesmerized and read your entire summary … you will stand out from the crowd.”

Cirelli agreed and added that as a former college student, she is familiar with the embarrassing photos that can haunt you on social media and everyone should take control of what others can see by cleaning up their profiles.

“To not take ownership of the information people can find on you online is probably the most irresponsible thing you can do professionally,” Cirelli said.

“You really want to take the keys to your online identity.”

Along with being careful of your image, be weary of strangers offering job opportunities or trying to connect with you, Coughlin said. The panel agreed that if a stranger connects with you and they are untrustworthy, it would inevitably reflect badly on you.

“It’s not like who has the most connections wins. That’s not what LinkedIn is about,” Singer said. “You want to make

solid connections with people that you trust... that you wouldn’t be afraid to refer to other people.”

Machinga also asked the panel what part of the profile employers cared about most.

According to Cirelli, companies are impressed when a student can apply the skills from a previous experience, like a job at a pizzeria, to the job they currently desire.

Although the panel discussed how detrimental social media could be to any budding career, they also emphasized the importance of not losing person-to-person contact and using sites like LinkedIn to supplement what you are already doing to promote yourself.

“Think about (social media) as a way to help you do what you’re already doing, more efficiently,” Cirelli said. “I don’t want it to be all you’re doing. There is still value in the face-to-face, the phone calls, the meeting and real networking parties. Use (social media) to enhance what you’re already doing.”

AP Photo

Social media is evolving to promote businesses and products.

page 4 The Signal February 25, 2015 SAF FUNDED

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February 25, 2015 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

Suspected terrorist shooting in Denmark

Left: Emergency rescues services gather outside location of shooting. Right: A memorial for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

By Sean Harshman Staff Writer A suspected terrorist opened fire on a free speech debate and a synagogue in Copenhagen on Saturday, Feb. 14. The attack at the free speech debate left one dead, 55-year-old Danish director Finn Noergaard, and three Danish Police injured, according to the Associated Press.

After the gunman left the scene, he moved on to a synagogue where he shot and killed security guard Dan Uzan, 37, and injured two police officers on duty,

according to BBC. The suspected shooter, now identified as Omar El-Hussein by Danish Media, was shot and killed by Danish SWAT members early Sunday, Feb. 15, according to BBC. Present at the free speech debate were several prominent artists and political leaders including French ambassador and Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks. Vilks, known for his depictions of the Muslim prophet Mohammed, is believed to be one of the main targets of El-Hussein’s attack.

Vilks stated in an interview with CNN

that he believed it was very likely he was the target. In 2007 after publishing depictions of Muhammad, al-Qaida placed a bounty on Vilks’s head upwards of 100,000 USD. Danish police have now arrested and charged two men in connection with the attack. According to Danish authorities, the two provided support to El-Hussein. It is believed that they provided El-Hussein with a change of clothes and additional weapons after the first shooting and helped bring him to his second target, the synagogue, according to BBC.

AP Photos

Investigators released information about El-Hussein’s background and possible motives. El-Hussein had been in jail in Denmark for gang-related violent crimes, it is believed that he may have been radicalized while serving out his sentence, according to BBC. On his Facebook page, El-Hussein swore allegiance to the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi — leader of ISIS — only hours before beginning his attack Saturday, according to CNN. According to BBC, the FBI has stated that this attack may have been inspired by the Charlie Hebdo attack earlier this year.

Gay marriage ban challenged by Alabama courts

Same-sex couples continue to marry despite ban.

By Roman Orsini Staff Writer In Alabama, a challenge from the federal government to the

AP Photo

state’s ban on same-sex marriage is underway. In some counties, gay couples have already wed amidst the clash between state and federal judges.

According to NBC, on Friday, Jan. 23, a federal judge in Mobile, Ala. declared the ban on gay marriage unconstitutional and struck down its prohibitions.

Roy Moore, the chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court, subsequently instructed local judges to deny gay couples’ marriage licenses, rejecting the federal court ruling. Most local judges complied with Moore’s order.

According to Reuters, in 42 of Alabama’s 67 counties, courts are still upholding the marriage ban while others began to subscribe to the federal court’s guidance on the issue. Beginning on Monday, Feb. 9, gay couples

in some of Alabama’s counties were granted marriage licenses for the first time.

“There’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution that authorizes the Supreme Court … to misinterpret the word marriage to include something outside that,” Moore said.

He rejected the power of the government to “redefine marriage” against the traditional state view.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether or not states can ban gay marriage. The deliberation is ongoing, and a decision is due by the end of June.

Currently, the legality of same-sex marriage resembles an uneven patchwork, in which states set their own standards.

In Alabama, the law has become even more ambiguous as it varies from county to county.

According to CNN, same-sex marriage is legal in 37 states.

In recent years, the federal government has acted to strike down bans within the remaining states.

A Supreme Court decision could potentially clarify the legality of same sex marriage or lead to greater fragmentation in states which insist on preserving their restrictions.

Al-Qaida frees inmates from Yemeni prison

By Candace Kellner Staff Writer Terrorist group al-Qaida attacked a southern Yemeni prison and released six inmates who are militants for the group on Friday, Feb. 13. Three of the six militants freed in the prison attack had been sentenced to death, a provincial security official told CNN. A security official reported that the attack had occurred just one day after the group took control of a military camp in the same province.

According to CNN, al-Qaida has long clashed with Yemen’s military, and this attack, which occurred in the nation’s Shabwa province, was more than 100 miles east of the capital. Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, has become an area of interest for the group after Houthi rebels seized it weeks before the attack.

Information regarding the casualties and details about how the attack developed were not initially publicized. However three local security officials told CNN that a Sunni Muslim terror group, known as AQAP, had taken over a military camp in a nearby town.

This gave AQAP control of all of the camp’s weaponry, the officials said.

Before the conflict ended, tribal fighters were called in by the military camp’s commander. A ceasefire was called immediately after the fighters arrival so that they could help evacuate the battered Yemeni troops from the camp, a tribal leader told CNN. Earlier in the week, the United States, along with other nations, announced that they were suspending their embassy operations in Sanaa. The Saudi Foreign Minister and two Yemeni Foreign Ministry officials told CNN that due to deteriorating security conditions, Saudi Arabia evacuated its staff from their offices in the capital on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry tweeted that the German Embassy officials had left Yemen the next day. Italy’s choice to evacuate follows “recent events in the country and the progressively deteriorating security conditions,” a post by Italy’s Foreign Ministry on Twitter reads.

The United States, along with Britain and France, said that they decided

All six inmates are fighters for the terrorist group al-Qaida. to move the staff out of their embassies because of the instability caused by the Houthis’ invasion. The Houthis, a Shiite Muslim group, have seized control of vital government buildings, terminated parliament and placed President Abdu Rabu

AP Photo

Mansour Hadi under house arrest, according to CNN. It is not clear whether the U.S. anti-terrorism efforts will remain the same after the Houthis’ invasion, but the U.S. drone program in Sanaa is still currently active.

page 6 The Signal February 25, 2015

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 7

Editorial

Women struggle to accept themselves, comparing their bodies to others’

There are pressures that people face everyday. The pressure to get a good grade on a test, to get a job after school, to be happy and to fit in with a group of people. Women have the unfortunate pressure to keep up with the images that they see in magazines and on TV. This pressure results in negative body images for women, particularly young women. Women are “fat-shamed” and judged for their size.

Pop culture has even gotten involved with songs like “All About That Bass,” which celebrates women’s curves. What people forget to look at, is the other side to this.

London fashion week kicked off last week, showcasing the season’s newest and latest fashion trends. People flocked to their seats to watch model after model strut down the runway, showing off their signature walk under the blinding stage lights. Outside the building was a different sight.

According to POPSUGAR, a runway retailer that uses size size and up models for their shows, set up a “skinny bird watching” booth outside the venue. At the booth, girls with binoculars stood watch for any skinny girls, or “birds” in British slang, that walked by. The clothing brand, Taking Shape, received a lot of backlash on social media for their blatant form of “skinny-shaming” — the opposite of “fat-shaming.”

People turned to Twitter, after Taking Shape created the hashtag, #skinnybirdwatching. Angered by what was thought to be a positive campaign, people showed how negative this was for women and in no way does it help anyone.

In today’s culture, it is hard for most women to feel comfortable in their own skin. Girls constantly compare themselves to others, causing them to feel bad about themselves. Just like how people were in search of skinny girls, some girls seek out others with which to compare themselves. Girls also succumb to the negative stereotype of being a “mean girl” by body shaming others — making fun of others is apparently supposed to make someone feel good about how they look.

Girls will turn to the extreme to make themselves feel beautiful and fit in with the body image of today. Eating disorders are a major issue in the country and around the world. Disorders, like Anorexia Nervosa, are a mental health problem that causes women to alter their body drastically by a changing their eating habits.

It is alarming for me as a young woman in college to know that girls still have trouble accepting how they look and that others choose to point out someone’s insecurities for their own expense. It is time for women to celebrate every body type and acknowledge that every woman is beautiful. For those at the College, take note: support your fellow female students and avoid the shameful antics of brands like Taking Shape in your daily lives.

— Jessica Ganga Nation & World Editor

AP Photo

Pop singer Meghan Trainor has topped the music charts with her song “All About That Bass,” celebrating women’s curves but perhaps not their natural figures.

Quotes of the Week tcnjsignal.net Email: signal@tcnj.edu Telephone: Production Room (609) 771-2424 Business Office (609) 771-2499 Ad Email: signalad@tcnj.edu

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Mailing Address: The Signal c/o Brower Student Center The College of New Jersey P.O. Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 Jessica Ganga Nation & World Editor gangaj1@tcnj.edu Mackenzie Cutruzzula Review Editor cutruzm1@tcnj.edu Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager locascc1@tcnj.edu Olivia Rizzo Web Editor rizzoo1@tcnj.edu Mylin Batipps Social Media Editor battipm1@tcnj.edu Gabrielle Beacken News Assistant beackeg1@tcnj.edu Michael Battista Sports Assistant battism3@tcnj.edu Emilie Lounsberry Advisor lounsber@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Business/Ad Manager wirthsc1@tcnj.edu

“I’m one of the few people who can say they took a chainsaw to Travers Hall.”

— Matthew Iannarone, senior mechanical engineering major

“One of our ideals as Americans is that there should be equal justice under the law, but what (Matt Taibbi’s) investigative reporting shows is that’s not true for many people.”

— Morton Winston, “Justice” research seminar professor

“To have a record broken is a great feeling because it indicates progress in the program, and to have a hand in that progress as a coach makes it even better.”

— Michael Caputo, men’s swimming and diving assistant coach

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.

page 8 The Signal February 25, 2015

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 9

Opinions

Young adults more focused on schoolwork Study finds students socialize less than in the’80s

By Jackie Basile

According to society, teenagers are often viewed as partying all the time and hanging out with their friends 24/7. A typical assumption of college students is that they are consuming illegal beverages and substances at all times without focusing on class work or studying. If you think this is how students live their lives, then think again.

According to a new U.S. News and World Report, college students are studying more and socializing less.

In 2014, the University of California, Los Angeles published The American Freshman Survey, data consisting of over 150,000 freshman participants currently enrolled in over 200 colleges across the United States. Compared to students from 1987 and now, current students spend less time socializing.

According to the survey, just 38 percent of students reported spending less than five hours with friends per week, while 18 percent said they spend more than 16 hours around others. In 1987, the majority of students said that they socialized more than 16 hours a week.

The report begs the question: why the drastic change?

Young adults are focusing more on getting good grades now as colleges become more demanding and selective as compared to 1987. Today, colleges have all-time low admission rates, including Ivy League schools. Stanford University,

for example, has a 5 percent acceptance rate, and Princeton University has just a 7 percent acceptance rate.

Students in high school are conditioned to excel in everything, from acing the SATs to holding top positions in clubs and playing varsity sports, all to receive that precious acceptance letter at the best possible college. It is drilled into students from the instant they walk through those doors freshman year just how important and limited their time in high school truly is. With the pressures of doing well in school and extracurricular activities, students have less time to socialize and instead learn to put their education first at all times.

“It’s required to have higher education for jobs now,” freshman open-options humanities and social sciences major Emily Loevy said. “Where in the past you used to need a master’s degree, now you need a PhD. It’s more competitive in the world.”

By the time students start college, the instinct of doing well and being involved on campus does not simply disappear.

By having limited time to socialize with friends, the routine of focusing more on schoolwork becomes normal. Many students do not want to drink or do drugs because they want to focus on doing well in their classes.

“It’s so much money to get here that it’s a waste otherwise,” freshman nursing major Madison Lacken said.

Thinking back to those first few days

Courtney Wirths / Business Manager

Many students focus more on their work, spending less time with friends. of freshman year, everyone was excited to finally be here at the College. Doors in the hallways were always propped open, and people were constantly in and out of each others rooms. Then, classes started and almost everything changed.

“When classes began, I learned to balance my time better,” freshman computer science major Giacomo Corcione said. “I am now able to hang out with my friends a lot less.”

Gradually, doors began to slowly shut and many ran to the library to get their work done. The entire atmosphere seemed to shift within a day. Students love to have fun, but they know when the right time is to hangout with friends and when it is appropriate to buckle down to get work

done on time. “(In this semester), now that we have classes that have to do with our major, you have to pull yourself away from your friends to focus on individual schoolwork,” freshman open-options business major Holly Billand said.

While classwork is vital of course, it is still healthy to interact with friends.

By studying in groups, an individual can be surrounded by friends while also being productive.

Contrary to what many may believe, students are devoted to their work and understand the importance of studying hard. Small steps may just be the answer to a better, strong balance of school work and socialization.

Teens texting have become a costly distraction

AP Photo

Even when crossing roads, many are still on their phones.

By Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager In the aftermath of last weekend’s blizzard, I watched helplessly as another student slipped on the slush but was too focused on her phone to even notice. As a society, individuals have become so desensitized to embarrassing blunders like this that witnessing distracted

students jaywalk in front of cars or walk into someone without apologizing is a part of daily routine.

And yet I still hope that they will notice how rude they are being and pull their attention away from their phone in time to see what is happening all around them.

According to a report that was published in October 2014

by Safe Kids Worldwide, every hour there is a teen pedestrian in the United States who is injured or killed after being hit by a car. Of teens who have been hit or almost hit while crossing the street, 47 percent were reported to be listening to music, 18 percent were texting and 20 percent were talking on the phone, according to the same study.

These numbers are too high.

The statistics highlight an alarming amount of people who are downright obsessed with their phone. Next time you are in Eickhoff Hall, look around at everyone eating. A majority of people who eat by themselves cannot stand being alone, so they turn to social media, games or texting, all of which suck them into a virtual world so the real one seems less lonely.

There are also those who eat in a group but cannot pull themselves away from their phone long enough to join in

on the conversation. With their eyes glued to their screen, these people miss contributing to great conversations, developing social skills and bonding with new people.

This obsession can also hurt friendships. While an individual vents or needs consoling, they are often ignored and possibly convinced that their problems are not important enough to discuss in conversation. People become so absorbed in checking their YikYak that they unintentionally neglect their own friends.

“Stop trying to document every little detail rather than live it.”

Oftentimes, when someone even travels, they have become so captivated by taking selfies or snapchatting they forget to appreciate the new environment

they are in. Foreign countries are remembered by photos on a screen, not by having experienced the sights of being there. Even at concerts and parties, the priority for many has become taking a ton of pictures and videos, not enjoying the new surroundings.

It is important for people to remember to take a step back from the phone and stop trying to document every little detail rather than live it. One should not deal with awkward moments or intimidating situations by turning to their phone to avoid learning how to cope. Facing real places, people and even emotions helps someone mature. Inhibiting that growth in this pivotal point in our lives will only make the transition into adulthood more difficult than it already is.

As Edward Norton’s character Mike Shiner said in the Oscar winner, “Birdman,” “Stop looking at the world through your cell phones. Have a real experience.”

I could not agree more.

Policies The Signal is published weekly during the academic year and is financed by the Student Activities Fee (SAF) and advertising revenue. Any student may submit articles to The Signal. Publication of submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors.

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March 2-7 2015

page 10 The Signal February 25, 2015

#katrinaballads

The Institute for Social Justice in the Arts & Humanities at

The College of New Jersey Presents

Ted Hearne’s Katrina Ballads Monday, March 2

Film Screening: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts [Acts 1 & 2] 7:00PM t Kendall Hall Screening Room t Free & Open to Public

Tuesday, March 3

Presentation: Social Justice and Music Education Dr. David Vickerman and Dr. Colleen Sears 12:30-1:30PM t Mayo Concert Hall t Free & Open to Public Film Screening: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts [Acts 3 & 4] 7:00PM t Kendall Hall Screening Room t Free & Open to Public

Wednesday, March 4

Dining: Celebration of New Orleans Cuisine 11:00-2:00PM t Eickhoff Dining Hall t $8 at the door Panel Discussion: Contributing Authors of Teaching the Levees Curriculum 6:00-7:30PM t Library Auditorium t Free & Open to Public

Friday, March 6

Brown Bag Lecture Series: Ted Hearne, Katrina Ballads Composer 12:30-1:30PM t Mayo Concert Hall t Free & Open to Public Performance: Katrina Ballads by contemporary music ensemble X Trigger 8:00PM t Mayo Concert Hall t Free & Open to Public Tickets required: www.tcnj.edu/boxoffice

Symposium: Institute for Social Justice in the Arts and Humanities 9:00AM – 3:00PM t By Invitation Only Performance: Katrina Ballads by contemporary music ensemble X Trigger 1:00PM t Mayo Concert Hall t Free & Open to Public Tickets required: www.tcnj.edu/boxoffice

#katrinaballads tcnj.edu/katrinaballads facebook.com/isjahTCNJ @TCNJCFA

For their support, we thank: TCNJ School of the Arts & Communication TCNJ School of Education TCNJ School of Humanities & Social Science New Jersey Council for the Humanities SAF Funded

7

Saturday, March 7

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 11

Features

Mindful meditation soothes student stresses

By Jovia Ferris Correspondent

As the semester gains momentum, it can be challenging to remain energized and free of the stresses caused by tests and assignments.

In order to combat these issues and teach daily alleviating tips, three founders of the Holistic Life Foundation joined students at the College on Saturday, Feb. 21, for a five-hour Mindful Life Workshop with their yoga mats in tow, ready to meditate in the Brower Student Center.

Holistic Life Foundation, a non-profit foundation, was founded in late 2001 by Ali and Atman Smith and Andres Gonzalez in hopes of highlighting the benefits of meditation and yoga.

The trio learned most of what they know about yoga and meditation from their teacher, Ali and Atman’s godfather. “(When we first started out, our) community thought we were starting a gang,” Atman said, touching on the difficulties the trio faced when starting the organization. “We had the

[

EXPLORING ECONOMIC

attention of everybody, and we decided to do something positive with it.”

The trio now travels nationally and internationally to promote others to lead a “mindful life.”

“We throw all expectations out the window,” Ali said of the different locations the team goes to teach, whether it’s a school or a prison.

The workshop consisted of many simple, mindful exercises and techniques aimed to help busy college students or swamped professors. The trio taught the audience five exercises to maintain or restore youth as well as de-stressing mental counting games. “(This is) a very open-minded environment,” assistant librarian Louise Bizon said. “(It is) important for all ages.”

Spinal twists and neck movements were among the many exercises that could be done while sitting at a desk or virtually anywhere, aiding many conditions ranging from coughs to vertigo. “(The meditation practices) improve your attention skills in class,” said Erica Rodriguez, a Circle of Compassion e-Board member and senior

communications and public relations major. “I find that if I take three deep breaths before class, it helps me focus.”

For the average college student, Gonzalez advises meditation in the morning and before bed. Students are able to tell if morning meditations better their day and if nightly meditations help with sleep. The workshop also highlighted the importance of mindfulness and the positive effect it has on the body and mind.

“We’re called human beings, but we’re never being,” Gonzalez said. “We’re always worried about what the future has to hold.”

The Bonner Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at the College also invited high school students in an afterschool program, the Academic Sport Academy in Trenton, to the event.

“We’ve been working to include mindfulness to try and bring self-awareness to the kids,” said Emma Young, a freshman Bonner scholar and urban elementary and history major. “(The workshop was) very relaxing,” said Briana W., a high

]

Brendan McGeehan / Staff Photographer

Students learn techniques that can be done anywhere. school student attending Trenton Central High School West.

The College is offering several additional classes and events to students and faculty to promote mental health and self-awareness.

Circle of Compassion is currently hosting a four-week Mindfulness Training Program for students in the Spiritual Center on Thursdays from 4

p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

“I’m taking the course to inspire me to be more mindful of my body and my health and my family,” Bizon said.

The Circle of Compassion, along with Active Minds and Healthy Campus Program Council, is hosting the Mindfulness Challenge which promotes mental and physical health.

A mom and her master’s

JUSTICE

By Ashley Thomas Correspondent

NEW JERSEY, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD

Poverty and the Pope Presented by:

Jagdish bhagwati Wednesday, march 4, 2015 education building, room 115 6:00 pm University Professor (Economics, Law, and International Affairs) at Columbia University. Professor Bhagwati has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited over 35 books, including Why Growth Matters: How Economic Growth in India Reduced Poverty and the Lessons for Other Developing Countries (2013), Reforms and Economic Transformation in India (2012), and India’s Reforms: How they Produced Inclusive Growth (2012). Professor Bhagwati writes frequently in major newspapers and magazines worldwide and has reviewed for the New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic, and Times Literary Supplement. He has also appeared on TV shows including MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, Charlie Rose Show, BBC News, CNN, and Bloomberg Television.

Sponsored by: TCNJ Federation of Teachers, Local 2364 The School of Humanities & Social Sciences The School of Business 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

Philippa Jenkins finds a way to remain upbeat and conquer the day despite her grueling schedule. When she is not counseling parents at work, she is at the College taking classes to earn her master’s degree or at her on-campus internship. As her day comes to an end, Jenkins arrives home at 9:30 p.m. to see her two children and husband preparing for bed — before she even takes off her shoes.

Jenkins, like many women of the 21st century, is working hard toward a career goal and is not taking the oncetraditional homemaker route.

“It’s setting a good example for the kids,” Jenkins said. “Not only did I set my goal, but I pursued it and I achieved it.”

Graduating from the College in 1999 with a degree in psychology, Jenkins had eagerly set her sights on assisting those around her. While in pursuit of her bachelor’s degree, Jenkins worked with autistic adults by helping them with their day-to-day activities.

“I fell into social services after (graduation), and I liked what I was doing, helping people,” Jenkins said. “Now with my master’s degree, I hope to help at a more intensive level proactively, as opposed to reactively.”

Similarly, she has been able to touch numerous lives through her past employment as a case manager within the Mercer County area. In this field, she was able to be a light in a dark path for many.

“I used to work as a case manager at a shelter for homeless families,” Jenkins said. “Working there was one of the reasons why I chose to go back and get my

master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. I saw the skill sets that I had weren’t what the families needed it to be.

They often came to me for counseling, and as a case manager, that wasn’t what I was trained to do. As a case manager, you don’t get to the root of the problem.

You just Band-Aid it, and I wanted to help them on a greater level.”

By going back and getting her master’s degree, Jenkins will be able to do just that, and she has seen the fruits of her labor already. She takes what she learns in her class and applies it not only to her job, but to her internship as well.

At the College clinic, Jenkins counsels couples and families and maintains a good rapport with her fellow interns.

As a master’s level marriage and family service intern, Jenkins finds a way to keep a positive attitude even in an area that can often bring stress.

“I enjoy what I’m doing at the clinic,” Jenkins said. “I love helping the families, and it’s rewarding in a different way. The people are supportive, as in my co-workers, fellow students and interns alike. Plus there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — I only have six months to go.”

With all the help that she is doing for other people, sometimes Jenkins needs her own support system. This is where t her family comes in.

“I have to get a lot of help to do what I do, my husband helps a lot,” she said. “Monday through Thursday I’m in school (and) working. It’s a lot.

There’s little time to do anything else, as in school work and housework, by the time I get to that I’m exhausted.” see GRAD page 13

page 12 The Signal February 25, 2015

: Feb. 1956

Electric ‘brain’ bought

Kimberly Ilkowski / Features Editor

Math and science majors experiment with the new Geniac Kit No. 1.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor

Nearly 60 years ago last week, the Feb. 17, 1956 issue of the State Signal was distributed around the State Teachers College at Trenton, N.J. The week’s biggest story, written by features editor Alice Schuster, highlighted the Science Department’s purchase of an electric “brain.” Its functions and abilities predate the first marketed calculators and gaming consoles.

The do-it-yourself fad has invaded Apgar. Envying top scientists (and) their electric “brains,” Apgar decided to construct some electric brains of its own.

Dr. V. Crowell, through the science department, purchased for Apgar the Geniac Kit No. 1. Geniac comes from the phrase “Genius Almost-Automatic Computer.” It is not entirely automatic, because the problem must be told to the machine by turning dials and connecting switches before Geniac can produce the correct answer.

The

The kit contains basically: switches, for calculating and reasoning; flashlight bulbs for signaling answers; and a battery for power. Also, a pamphlet entitled: “Geniacs, and How to Make Them.”

Armed with this equipment, plus an assortment of nuts and bolts, several yards of wire and other miscellaneous articles, several math-science majors set to work. Bill Guthrie, president of Apgar, Bill Boaz, Paul Kumple, Siegfriend Haenisch, and Herb Langdon are setting up the first machine to play a game called Nim. The game consists of selecting matches from four piles, with the number of matches in each pile 4,3,2 and 1. Two played take turns, each taking one pile. The player taking the last match wins the game.

Other machines which can be made from Kit No. 1 include: Reasoning Machine, Intelligence-Testing Machine, Masculine-Feminine Testing Machine, Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying and Dividing Machines, Coder and Decoder, and machines that play several games.

Campus Style

By Jordan Koziol Columnist While I am abroad in Spain, I caught up with my fellow study abroad students Abbey Despain, an international business and finance major at the University of Oklahoma, and Lori Shapiro, an international relations major at the University of North Carolina, to get the scoop on Barcelona’s style.

What are some unique trends you’re spotting while in Barcelona?

Abbey: In other European cities, locals dress up much more. For example, everyone wears jeans and T-shirts here (in the U.S. compared to trousers and blouses. We’ve concluded that the casual-nature of the style is due to the beach influence. They almost have a California style here.

What would you say the main difference is between Barcelona style and American style?

Abbey: They don’t accessorize as much and surprisingly dress simpler than we do.

Lori: They tend to wear darker and more neutral colors, and like Abbey said, it’s much more simple. They pair basic, yet high-quality pieces to create chic outfits.

Have you had any fashion faux pas yet?

Abbey: The other week I wore a brightly-colored rain jacket and got the weirdest looks from everyone.

They really stick to their neutrals here, so I was turning heads.

Is there anything you’ve purchased to feel more European?

Lori: A euro-style jacket, darker clothes and booties.

Abbey: Chunky heels, scarves and more black clothes.

Do you have any packing regrets?

Lori: I would say to pack dresses and warmer-weather clothes in general. Even though it’s often 60 degrees here, the locals act like it’s frigid.

They bundle up in enormous jackets and scarves because this is the coldest weather they experience!

Opinions on Euro-male style?

Lori: It’s so much better — structured jackets, nice shoes (and) fitted pants.

Photo courtesy of Jordan Koziol

Students utilize neutral colors.

Any Euro trends that you just don’t get?

Lori: Those crazy, full-fur jackets and the whole shorts/tights combo.

Abbey: Harem pants … and don’t get me started on man buns.

What is the most stylish city you’ve traveled too?

Lori & Abbey: Paris!

Abbey: Parisians have mastered effortless style. They only ever pick two or three things to emphasize: lipstick, a great coat and a handbag. A scarf, tousled hair and simple makeup. They have such a classic look.

Are there any trends that you’ll bring home?

Lori: Statement jackets, cool booties and the all-black look.

Abbey: I’ll definitely create more simple ensembles. Sometimes people in America are overstated. They wear chunky necklaces and too many patterns and tend to over-accessorize.

Hollyword: Taylor goes Gaga

AP Photo

The couple is set to wed after being together four years.

By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist

Love is in the air … hanging from a meat hook and trapped in a translucent egg. If that doesn’t make any sense, then that’s right — Lady Gaga is getting married.

The pop star/modern-day witch is getting hitched. Her boyfriend, Taylor Kinney, proposed to Gags

on Valentine’s Day. This just goes to show that there is hope for everyone. This marriage has to be unbreakable. There is literally NOTHING Gags can do to get Kinney to break up with her.

What could possibly be worse than what she’s already done? I wish Gags the best and hope that she accepts my gracious gift of a blender. I’m just praying it’s not

used in any “ARTPOP.” There’s no hope for Vanilla Ice, though, as the former rapper/current incarcerated sucker has been arrested for allegedly robbing a foreclosed home next to the one he was renovating.

Ice, real name Robert Matthew Van Winkle, was released from custody after being charged with stealing a pool heater and other pieces of furniture. Van Winkle has claimed the entire situation is just a “misunderstanding,” kind of like his whole career. Turns out, he’s filming a new TV series called “The Vanilla Ice Project” which sounds like a third grader’s entry in a science fair, but is actually Ice’s foray into “flipping homes.” Who wants to see Vanilla Ice renovate a home? What kind of Mad Libs shit is that? What’s next, Lou Bega is going to start

fixing up classic cars? Save me.

Iggy Azalea is saving herself by taking a break from social media after saying that “the internet is the ugliest reflection of mankind there is.” I know, it’s because your music is downloadable on it! Seriously, Iggy, take a seat. You literally had a fight with Papa John’s Pizza

over Twitter. Like respect yourself, why are you ordering Papa John’s? Was there no Domino’s in the area? Even a goddamn Pizza Hut. From now on, Iggy’s management will be running her accounts unless a message is signed “-IA.” So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye. Now that’s a good freestyle.

AP Photo

Ice has gone from winning awards to stealing furniture.

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 13

Grad / 1999 graduate returns for master’s Balancing internships, classes and motherhood continued from page 11

A typical day for Jenkins starts at 7 a.m. — which she considers to be waking up late — when she wakes up and gets ready to go to work.

“I definitely get to sleep in later because Prince (her husband) gets to take Sarea (her daughter) to school, which is 15 to 20 minutes away,” she said.

While her husband is preparing their daughter for school, their son is getting ready himself to catch the school bus.

“I do get to see them off for school, which is nice, but I do not have much time to spend for breakfast and such considering I have to be in the office at 8:30 sharp,” she said.

After a long day of work and being on campus, Jenkins is finally able to go home and “rest,” but she still has homework to do and preparations to make for the following day, all while spending time with her husband. Somehow, she is able to fit it all in and still wake up the next day energized and ready to go.

Although the family has now become accustomed to their routines, the road to their sound schedules was not as smooth.

Once Jenkins got her latest job, it meant more hours and more time away from her family. Her

husband, Prince, has since been able to adjust accordingly and receives plenty of help from his sister when needed.

“It was a hard adjustment at first because I was the one that was always working and she was here a lot with the kids, but now that I have been able to get a more solid schedule, I do what I can, and it’s been fun with the kids,” Prince said.

The children have been able to enjoy a lot of quality time with their father during the weekdays and are able to be with their mother on the weekends.

“The weekends are really my time to catch up,” Jenkins said.

“That’s when I am usually sleeping in or I’ll take the kids out for a movie or something fun.”

Not being there all the time for her children has had its impact on Jenkins, as well. “(There’s) a lot of guilt associated with the kids ... By the time I’m home, they’re already done with everything, and I don’t get to go to a lot of their extracurriculars either,” she said.

Even so, she does what she can and spends as much time with them as possible while maintaining her busy work load.

“It’s a juggling act,” Jenkins said. “You’re always making a choice. You’re either doing something you want to do, don’t have the energy to do or resting.

Especially on the weekends with family, you’re being pulled in a lot of directions.”

Her children, nonetheless, seem impressed by their mother’s drive.

“You go to school, you go to work and you’re our mom, that’s gotta be tough!” said Sarea, age 7.

All Jenkins can do is laugh at the antics in which her children partake while taking a quick second to rest on the couch. She smiles at them with a certain ease that ensures her that her work ethic choices are not done in vain.

Jenkins also does something that most college students do not: She includes her family in her academic schedule.

“When I get the opportunity, I try to include them on campus,” she said. “I’ve brought my son to class with me before, and I’ve walked them through my internship. I try to include them in my college experience so they know what all these sacrifices are for.”

Her career has taken off in a route that she has truly fallen in love with, and she has high hopes for her own future, as well as the individuals and families she works with.

“I’m hoping to graduate and ideally get a job as a marriage and counselor therapist in Mercer County,” she said.

“Also, I hope to get a license in my field which would probably take three to four years.”

As for her clients, Jenkins hopes to empower families and couples by helping them find the things that are attributing to their problems and discover long-lasting solutions.

“When they leave me, they don’t necessarily have to come

back to therapy because they have the tools to address the issues on their own,” Jenkins said.

All of this encompasses Jenkins’s grand ambition. Whether it’s at work, her internship or home, her efforts always go to helping others, assisting them so they can some day help themselves and fulfilling her calling as supermom.

THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND ETHICS PRESENTS:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: PROMISE, ETHICS AND PERIL AN EVENING OF CONVERSATION March 2, 2015 7 p.m.

Mayo Concert Hall FEATURING JAMES BARRAT

Award-winning documentary filmmaker

Author of: Our Final Invention Book signing and reception to follow

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND ETHICS

This is a free event, for more information contact schbus@tcnj.edu, 609.771.3064, or visit www.tcnj.edu/BusinessCie

Photo courtesy of Philippa Jenkins

The Jenkins family enjoys time together on weekends.

Interdisciplinary conversations that inspire change

page 14 The Signal February 25, 2015

All College Theatre Presents:

All College Theatre

“Come for the theatre, stay for the love”

An Evening of One Act Shorts!

-ALeX -Hometown Glory -Dead American Writers -For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls

Dates: February 28th at 2:00PM and 8:00PM

Don Evans Black Box Theatre Student Tickets: FREE, (if purchased at the box office prior to the show)

Public: $5.00 SAF Funded

2/29/15 TN

act@tcnj.edu

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 15

Arts & Entertainment

‘Vagina Monologues’ feature hard-hitting stories

By Lily Kalczewski Correspondent

The College’s Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) presented Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” on Feb. 20 and Feb. 22. Composed of 25 female performers, this production was originally adapted from Ensler’s play in which she interviewed over 200 women from all sizes and ethnicities asking them questions about their vaginas. At first the women were hesitant in their responses.

However, as the interview continued on, they actually felt relieved to finally have an opportunity to walk about their vaginas.

The production started out with a video focusing on the One Billion Rising Revolution, in which people from around the world

Kyle Bennion / Photo Emeritus

Logush closes the show.

raise awareness of gender violence through dance. India, London, Kenya, Palestine, Italy and California, to name a few, were all participants in rising for justice.

After watching the video, it is obvious the fight against gender violence and inequality has become a global phenomenon. People are speaking out and fighting back.

Prepared for the bold, the straightforward and the uncomfortable, the monologues opened with three women on stage who stated, “We were worried about our own vaginas.” The stories that ensued were humorous, raw, enlightening and tragic.

Listening to sophomore history and secondary education major Katie McLaughlin perform “The Flood,” the audience couldn’t stop laughing. The story is about a 72-year-old woman’s experience about having never seen her vagina and having been embarrassed of it. McLaughlin emulated her character well with a very believable New York accent.

“I was not very nervous before my monologue,” McLaughlin said. “I think it was in part due to my character. She is such a strong and confident woman, how could I not be as well when performing her?”

The audience’s laughter continued as freshman journalism major Brianna Sheppard performed “My Vagina is Angry.” She loudly proclaimed women’s distaste for tampons, gynecologist appointments and thong underwear.

“My vagina wants kindness,

change, freedom ... and chocolate,” she said.

Then, progressing back to a more serious tone, senior elementary education iSTEM major Kelsey Snedeker performed “My Vagina is My Village,” which was about the story of a Nigerian refugee who was raped and genitally mutated by soldiers.

“They invaded it. Butchered it and burned it down. I do not touch now,” she said during her monologue.

Transgender issues were also addressed. Junior communication studies and interactive multimedia major Folake Ayiloge was among three other women who performed “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy … Or So They Tried.”

Ayiloge is a veteran of the monologues, having originally been part of the stage crew as a freshman, and performing last year.

“The opportunity to share another woman’s story about her fight to be accepted for whom she really is,” Ayiloge said.

In the monologue, the interviewee had said, “it’s as random as being adopted or being assigned a hotel room on the 30th floor. It has nothing to do with who you are or your fear of heights, but in spite of the apparatus I was forced to carry around, I always knew I was a girl.”

The weekend also featured the “2015 Vagina Warriors” — individuals who have demonstrated outstanding work in ending violence against women. This years honorees included alumna Emily

Kyle Bennion / Photo Emeritus

‘The Vagina Monologues’ feature 25 female performers.

Juricek, junior English and women’s and gender studies double major Jennie Sekanics and the School of Business Women’s Leadership Commitee.

After senior history and English double major Alexa Logush closed out the evening with a powerful performance of “I Was There in the Room,” it was clear how important the Monologues were. This production has allowed women to embrace their sexuality, feel proud of their vagina and share their stories. It became apparent in many of the monologues that although their vagina was a part of their body, to these women, it was foreign.

“We live in a society where it is still uncomfortable for women to talk about or embrace their

womanhood,” McLaughlin said.

She continued on to say that although the monologues are “perceived as being forward and brash,” this shouldn’t be the case. Women shouldn’t be ashamed of their vaginas — they should be confident.

After the performance was over, members of the audience were asked to stand up if they or anyone they knew had ever been physically beaten or violated. Some people rose. Then the remaining members of the audience were asked to stand if they were going to help end the violence. Everyone stood.

Meant to inspire and induce change, this powerful performance succeeded in every way.

Wisniewski discusses accessible government data

By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Review Editor

The government has always been required to publish public documents and records, but until recently, there was no easy access to the records for civilians. Enter Tim Wisniewski, the Chief Data Officer for the City of Philadelphia. When Wisniewski joined the administration in 2012, it became his mission to make government data easily accessible online.

As part of the ongoing Brown Bag lecture series, Wisniewski visited the College on Friday, Feb. 20, to explain how access to open data leads to better working partnership between the city’s residents and its government.

Wisniewski’s experience with civic technology began with his political science background rather than his technological one.

“In middle school, I wanted to create a website around Harry Potter,” Wisniewski admitted. “I bought CliffNotes books on HTML and Java Script and as people got involved with the site. I enjoyed the interaction and continued programming, but only has a hobby.”

Wisniewski chose to pursue his passion of political science first. After working on campaigns, he settled into a career related to community building. While being involved with the civic associations, Wisniewski used

Brendan McGeehan / Staff Photographer

Wisniewski aims to continue updating Philadelphia’s open data access.

community hack-a-thons to garner new ways to improve neighborhoods. During one particular competition, he and a partner built an application that took all the city’s public information on property owners and organized it so that potential buyers, sellers and renters could easily research whom they would be working with.

Wisniewski became hooked on the idea of civilians and government interaction through new and emerging technologies.

After becoming Chief Data Officer, he encouraged civic engagement by letting civilians choose how they wanted the open data set up. Members of the community, not the government, create all of the websites and applications that are promoted by Wisniewski’s administration. Applications

created include online campaign finance reports, crime rates by area and the school district budget.

“We wanted to take all of the data and put it online to eliminate the confusing process of asking for it,” Wisniewski said.

“By putting it out there in a clear way for residents to understand, it makes governments more accountable and their decisions more transparent.”

To highlight the versatile use of open data, Wisniewski explained how Philadelphia is specifically using the data. The website PHL Crime Mapper uses police records that allows an individual to draw a circle around a specific area in Philadelphia and see pinpointed locations the violent crimes reported in that area. Another application, “School

District of Philadelphia Budget,” organizes the allotted money for the budget into a color-coded pie chart. Within that chart the individual can scroll over a specific section to gain better understanding of where every dollar is going.

“As an IMM major, all of the different ‘apps’ that members of the community made for the government data was really interesting to me because it is nice to see that the ‘apps’ civilians make get noticed and are used,” sophomore interative multimedia major Devon Tam said.

Going forward, Wisniewski intends to keep updating the city’s open data access.

He feels that there are still too many departments using outdated technology and print strategies that are hindering the access to open data. He wants no department left behind and feels the support he has is a sure sign of positive progress ahead. Part of this progress includes a new government website that includes links to the 156 data sets from 29 departments. The old website is still up and running, but rather than waiting up to two years for the new finished product, Wisniewski’s administration is publishing the components piece by piece to keep the website fresh and updated. The new website can be found at alpha.phila.gov.

“We understand that interaction with the government is happening online now,” Wisniewski said. “We want to make sure our city has a digital front door.”

page 16 The Signal February 25, 2015

Got Heritage?

Understanding and Exploring 'Patrimoine' and Preservation in France

In this lecture Gary Lee Kraut, an award-winning Paris-based travel writer and the first non-French member of the board of the French Association of Heritage Journalists (Association des journalistes du patrimoine), explores the meaning and importance of "patrimoine," the history of preservation in France, and how American travelers can best explore and gain insights into patrimoine/cultural heritage when visiting France.

Monday, March 2nd, at 7 PM in the Library Auditorium Sponsored by the TCNJ French Club and SFB Questions? Contact frenchclub@tcnj.edu or Dr. Pfenninger apfennin@tcnj

International Film Festival Thursday, February 26, 2015 7:30pm-10:00pm Library Auditorium Set in Paris in the 1960s, Jean-Louis lives a bourgeois life absorbed in his work, with his neurotic socialite wife Suzanne. The couple's world is turned upside-down when they hire a Spanish maid Maria. Through Maria, Jean-Louis is introduced to an alternative reality just a few floors up on the building's sixth floor, the servants' quarters. He befriends a group of sassy Spanish maids, refugees of the Franco regime, who teach him there's more to life than stocks and bonds.

Presentation given by Dr. Ariane Pfenninger (wlc@tcnj.edu) *Sponsored by the Department of World Languages and Cultures, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Arts and Communication, Center for Global Engagement

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 17

‘Carter’ packs a serious dramatic punch

AP Photo

Atwell portrays Carter with heroic force and unrelenting passion.

By Kayla Whittle Staff Writer

Marvel has been on everyone’s radar recently, producing the best superhero

movies out there, and lately they have moved on to conquering the small screen, as well. The latest installment in their collection of successes, “Agent Carter,” is sure to wow fans of “Captain America,”

as well as those who have never experienced the storyline before.

“Agent Carter” follows its namesake through the origins of a secret intelligence organization bent on keeping America safe in the chaos that comes after the end of WWII. Of course, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) does not only have war criminals and traitors to reckon with — she is also a woman fighting to prove herself in a world which tends to value men. Watching Carter physically take down criminals in one scene and verbally outwit the sexist agents filling the organization in the next, is not only amusing but extremely gratifying. It is awesome to see such a strong female character be the focus of something more than a love story.

This season is only set to have eight episodes because, if the show continues,

each season will be a completely closed storyline. While the seasons may draw parallels with one another, they’ll have their own mysteries, cases and action separate from one another.

Of course, Captain America and the effects he’s had on the world at large, as well as on Carter, will come into play. The show takes place after the first “Captain America” film has already happened, and it is interesting to see how a character that never appears can have such a profound effect on these characters.

“Agent Carter” is a new show that I am recommending everyone pick up on immediately. Although it is not a huge time commitment due to the short season, it makes up for time restraints by leaving you breathless and hanging on every episode wondering what could possibly happen next.

The Awards Forecast: Recap of Academy Awards

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Editor

Say what you will about award shows, but there’s something utterly intriguing and captivating about some of the world’s finest artists coming together to celebrate each other’s works for one night each year. The Academy Awards are known as the most prestigious award show, and this year’s broadcast did not disappoint.

Let’s start with the biggest award of the night — Best Picture. Despite massive momentum and non-stop critic support, “Boyhood” did not walk away with the night’s ultimate prize. Instead, “Birdman” snagged the award, in addition to its director, Alexandro G. Iñarritu, winning for his work behind the camera. Both are worthy wins, for “Birdman” is cinema at its finest, featuring incredible writing, stunning technical effects and passionate performances from an all-star ensemble.

Per usual, the acting awards elicited memorable speeches from the honorees. J.K. Simmons kicked off the evening by accepting his award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on “Whiplash,” reminding everyone at home to call their parents — not text or email — and thank them for everything.

When Patricia Arquette was announced as Best Supporting Actress for “Boyhood,” the entire theater rose to their feet. Arquette has had a long career in both television and film, but this was her first nomination and win. During her speech, Arquette demanded that equal

pay be given to women, which elicited a thunderous response from the audience, including Meryl Streep, who literally hollered in passionate agreement.

Best Actor winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) took the stage to accept his win in front of a standing ovation from the audience. Redmayne jumped up and down with pure excitement, bliss and shock.

Finally, there was Julianne Moore, who won Best Actress for her stunning performance in “Still Alice.” The actress, who has had a long career in Hollywood and a

AP Photo

Moore wins Best Actress for ‘Still Alice.’

total of four previous Oscar nominations, was the clear favorite — and deservedly so. Tears of joy ran down her face as she accepted her first Oscar and thanked everyone who has ever helped her in her career.

In addition to the awards, the broadcast also featured musical performances from artists such as Adam Levine, Jennifer Hudson and Tegan and Sara. The highlights, however, came from Common and John Legend and Lady Gaga. Common and Legend performed “Glory” from the film “Selma,” (which ultimately won Best Original Song later in the evening). Their performance left the audience in tears and was met with a long period of applause.

Gaga performed a medley of songs from the hit movie-musical “The Sound of Music,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Normally a pop artist, Gaga shocked viewers with her pitch-perfect rendition of the classical Broadway hits. The moment was only sweetened when Julie Andrews herself appeared and congratulated Gaga with a loving hug.

Other standout moments included a stellar opening from host Neil Patrick Harris and Graham Moore’s moving and inspiring acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay winner “The Imitation Game.” After revealing that he had attempted suicide at age 16, Moore urged everyone out there who is hurting to “stay weird” and never give up on life.

This year’s Oscars were entertaining, surprising and inspiring — everything a good awards show should be.

Kaya leads a guitar master class at the College

By Zachary Sclar Correspondent Guitar students and music lovers gathered in the Mayo Concert Hall to witness a performance and master class by guitarist Celil Refik Kaya on Wednesday, Feb 18. Kaya, who recently received a Master of Music degree at the Mannes College of Music, dazzled the audience with a 40 minute concert entitled “From Anatolia to the New World.” After beginning with his own arrangement of the Turkish folk song “Köyde Sabah,” Kaya demonstrated his versatility and virtuosity as he played a number of intricate and diverse pieces with concentrated ease. Two such pieces, “Prelude” and “Celil’s Dance,” were written for Kaya by famed Argentine composer and guitarist Jorge Morel.

“It was an honor to meet him,” Kaya said. “One year later, he wrote a piece for me. Then, he wrote another.”

But the honor was likely just as much Morel’s, at least after he witnessed Kaya’s playing.

His playing, which was concentrated yet seemingly effortless, created waves of melody and harmony that seemed to hypnotically wash over packed audience in Mayo Concert Hall.

Indeed, Kaya’s mastery of the diverse music he played — from flamenco to English waltzes — made it easy to imagine him as a divinely ordained creature, sent to spread the mellifluous sounds of his playing across the land.

Kaya’s real story, however, is much more interesting.

According to his performance, Kaya was born in Istanbul in 1991 and began his study of guitar at age 6 under the tutelage of his father, Dr. Mehmet Refik Kaya. A fast and eager learner, Kaya gave his first concert less than a year later. Growing up, Kaya’s father showcased his budding prodigy on several European television and radio shows, and by age 13, Kaya had already won the Forum Gitarre Wien, a prestigious guitar competition held in Vienna.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Kaya attended the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, graduating first

in his conservatory and with high honors. Looking to further his understanding of the guitar, Kaya then enrolled in a masters program at the studio of Michael Newman at the Mannes College of Music (Newman is currently the College’s new Artist Teacher of Guitar).

During the post concert discussion, Kaya elaborated upon this busy time in his life and offered solid advice for the college aged audience.

“I learned how to use time efficiently,” Kaya said. “I tried to focus on what I needed to focus on. You need to find how to use the time.”

And Kaya has certainly used the time efficiently. Since coming to the United States, he has won competitions in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Georgia and Louisville and has also performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.

Recently, Kaya embarked upon a five-year Musical Arts Doctoral program at the University of Texas.

Despite his hectic schedule,

Kaya had more than enough time to give some pointers to the College’s guitar ensemble after his performance. After listening to their performance of a short Arabic piece entitled “Zana,” Kaya eagerly doled out tips and opinions to the five man ensemble.

To thank him for the advice

and his performance, Dr. Newman awarded Kaya with a goodie bag of merchandise from the College, which included pens, socks and a can hugger.

For a performance of such prodigious skill, the trinkets were but a placeholder for the audience’s true awe and admiration.

Kim Iannarone / Staff Photographer

Kaya is a classically trained guitarist from Istanbul.

page 18 The Signal February 25, 2015

The Division of Student Affairs invites students to apply for:

the 2015 student engagement scholarships

Dorothy Taylor Haas ‘32 Award

Graduating senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA, who demonstrates strong leadership skills, character, great promise for the future, and an extensive commitment to the College through involvement with campus or community events.

Greg Caiola ’79 Scholarship

Rising Junior or rising Senior, who demonstrates outstanding engagement and leadership in a recognized student organization at the College. This student shall show dedication to the organization(s) of which he or she is a member, and shall strive to make the campus and the community a better place through his or her active commitment and leadership. Must be nominated to apply.

Harold W. and Rosa Lee Eickhoff Fund

Rising juniors or rising seniors who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate through their actions that they will leave The College a better place for having been here.

John Wandishin ‘79 Scholarship

Rising sophomore, rising junior, or rising senior who has the potential to make positive contributions to the TCNJ community. This student may not necessarily receive great public attention, but exemplifies honor, courage, leadership, scholarship, and service in their efforts to use available resources to further the TCNJ community.

Wade Watkins ’84 Scholarship

Full time undergraduate student that plays an active role in campus programs, and has made positive contributions to the TCNJ community. Although this student may not necessarily receive great public attention for their efforts, he/she must exhibit the qualities of leadership, scholarship, and service; while having fun in the process.

William M. Klepper Scholarship

Undergraduate student with a minimum 3.0 GPA who is involved in campus programs, demonstrates academic achievement, and is active in at least one student organization, preferably in a leadership position.

For guidelines and to apply visit:

studentactivities.tcnj.edu Deadline: Monday, March 2

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 19

A Great Big Pile of Leaves headlines Rat show

Kimberly Ilkowski / Features Editor

Accidental Seabirds play an acoustic set at the Rat.

By Sydney Shaw News Editor

The last time A Great Big Pile of Leaves performed in New Jersey, the stage at Asbury Lanes collapsed under the weight of the indie-rock unit, their instruments and over a hundred fans.

The band’s show at the Rathskeller on Friday, Feb. 20, was not nearly as rowdy, but according to frontman Pete Weiland, it was just as energetic.

“The first two times we played here, less than half the tables were full, and everybody stayed in their seats,” Weiland said. But on this night, dozens of students flocked to stage and danced through the 45-minute-

long set.

Before Leaves took the stage, the College’s own Gianna’s Sweet Debut opened the night with its punk-rock sound.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” lead singer and guitarist Chase Destierro said before the show. “But hey, even Jay-Z gets nervous. Or at least I hope so.”

Destierro, along with guitarist Matt Decker, bassist Scott Calhoun and drummer L.J. Dosono, performed songs such as “Accurate Self Appraisal” and “Rest in Peace, Hopes and Dreams.”

“We have a house show or two planned, and we’ve been preparing for the release of our EP,” Destierro said after the set.

The EP, titled “Barely Getting By,” took the band just three months to complete, compared to the two years it took to put together its first effort, “North to the Future.”

New Jersey natives Accidental Seabirds performed next, opening their acoustic set with “Untitled 16.”

Vocalist and guitarist Jesse Lee Herdman and usual drummer Alex Letizia sat side-byside, trading banjo and guitar every few songs.

“We’ve been doing the twopiece thing since May,” Herdman said after the show. “It’s a little easier to pack into a car and find a place to sleep when it’s just two people. It cuts the cost of touring in half.”

Letizia taught himself to play guitar and Herdman learned the banjo so the duo could perform their inventory of songs acoustically together.

“Playing guitar really pulled me out of my element,” Letizia said.

“I’m used to drumming.”

He and Herdman have traveled all the way up and down the East Coast and as far as the West Coast during their current tour, occasionally joined by bassist Anthony Defabritus.

The pair has proven to not only be talented musicians — singing with haunting harmony during their srt — but innovative ones, as well. The band personally cut six-packs apart and stitched pieces of the boxes back

together to make CD sleeves for their full-length album “The Greenpoint Spill.”

They also handmade a percussion instrument that Letizia controlled via foot pedal during the set.

“It’s made from beer bottle caps and fishing line,” Herdman said. “Alex literally popped holes in 300 bottle caps.”

Accidental Seabirds played “Black Horse Blues,” a secretly recorded single, as well as fan favorites such as “Where are you, how’s your son?” and “The Appearance of New Animals.”

When headliner, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, took the stage, students clamored to the front of the Rathskeller and earnestly sang

along to hits like “We Don’t Need Our Heads” and “Snack Attack.”

For Weiland, drummer Tyler Soucy, bassist Tucker Yaro and guitarist Matthew Fazzi — ex-member of Taking Back Sunday — this was their first time headlining a show at the College. The band opened for The Narrative in 2011 and for Casey Crescenzo of The Deer Hunter in 2012.

The Brooklyn-based band was signed to Topshelf Records in 2011 and has since toured with Hellogoodbye, Say Anything and other major groups.

“Tonight was just incredible,” Weiland said. “A Great Big Pile of Leaves will keep coming back to play for as long as you keep inviting us back.”

Kimberly Ilkowski / Features Editor

Fazzi plays guitar with frenetic and contagious energy.

‘Two and a Half Men’ ends 12-season run Final episode leaves longtime fans disappointed

By Joe Passantino Staff Writer

Of course Charlie is dead. Well, now he is, anyway.

“Two and a Half Men” brought its record-breaking 12-season run to a close Thursday, Feb. 19, ending in the same way in which it existed for much of that run — with controversy.

The show was based around Charlie Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper. The description of the final episode read, “Charlie Harper is alive. Or is he?” At the beginning, Charlie’s longtime stalker, Rose (Melanie Lynskey) tossed one of Charlie’s trademark bowling shirts into a pit in her basement. She later revealed that Charlie was indeed still alive.

Sure sounds like a setup for a return, right? Well, that is probably what creator Chuck Lorre wanted you to think.

The episode concluded with a Charlie look-alike walking up to the front door of his formerly owned Malibu beach house and promptly getting smashed to smithereens by a falling piano. The camera then panned to Lorre, who smirked and said, “winning,” before being smashed by a piano of his own.

Not exactly the ending many longtime fans of the series wanted.

Frankly, it came off as if Lorre was looking for some measure of revenge against Sheen following their 2011 controversy. In his final “Men” vanity card, which is shown after most Lorre productions, he explained that he offered Sheen the opportunity to come back and perform

in the final scene himself.

“Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door … and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse,” the card read. “He would then explain that … he was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible. And then we would drop a piano on him.”

It is hard to blame Sheen for not being ecstatic about that idea. The troubled actor has obviously undergone serious issues, and its understandable that he would want his return to be more celebratory of the eight years he spent on the show. After all, there would have been no Ashton Kutcher-led “Men” had it not been such a ratings-grabber with Sheen.

Then again, Sheen’s supposed idea

was “a heart-warming scene” that would set up Sheen co-starring with Jon Cryer (who played his brother Alan Harper) in a new sitcom. That is just about the definition of overkill, even as someone who has watched all 12 seasons of “Men.” It is hard to say what would have been different about such a show, and 12 years of any non-animated TV family is about as much as one can expect.

Despite the disappointment of no Sheen, the show managed a suitable farewell in its first 37 minutes. It treated viewers to several surprises, including the return of half-man Jake (Angus T. Jones) and several other notable series characters: Alan and Charlie’s mother, Evelyn (Holland Taylor), Charlie’s

AP Photo

Sheen fails to make an appearence in the much-hyped series finale.

daughter, Jenny (Amber Tamblyn) and several of Alan’s and Walden’s (Ashton Kutcher) former love interests, including Marin Hinkle, April Bowlby and Judy Greer.

These nods served as about as fitting a tribute to the series could get without including Sheen. The surprises were not done there, though: Appearances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Stamos and Christian Slater strengthened the cast.

The most praise-worthy aspect of the finale was that the show was not afraid to make fun of itself.

“I can’t wait for this to be over,” Walden said as he looked directly at the camera.

The finale also joked about the wonder of Cryer, Kutcher and Jones having, “made so much money with such stupid jokes.”

The show also poked fun at its overtly sexual content. “After 12 years, everybody’s slept with everybody,” Allen said.

Of course, there were quite a few jokes aimed Sheen’s way as well, including a reference to “tiger’s blood” and a joke about how he “tried anger management” but it “didn’t work,” referring to Sheen’s recently cancelled FX sitcom.

While these were funny, the show may have taken things a bit far in an animated scene that revealed Charlie’s character had been intimate with a bisexual goat. As Lorre said to Vulture, though, “We never had any dignity attached to the show.”

On that note, he was correct. This was not a show that needed to end with dignity. But it should have ended with Charlie Sheen.

page 20 The Signal February 25, 2015

Success: More than just an attitude ee your goal nderstand the obstacles

reate a positive mental picture lear mind of self doubt

mbrace the challenge

tay on track how the world you can do it Jump back into Good Habits with The Center for Student Success! 

Personalized Coaching



Academic Success Workshops



Supplemental Academic Advising

Follow Us! To set up an appointment: Center for Student Success Roscoe West 131 609-771-3452 css@tcnj.edu

tcnjcss

@tcnj_css

css.pages.tcnj.edu

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 21

Sports Women’s Basketball

Women move to second round of NJACs

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

O’Donnell leads the charge against William Patterson.

By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer

The College’s women’s basketball team had to win on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in order to have a home playoff game on Saturday, Feb. 21. At the end of each game, the Lions came out victorious and are now scheduled to move on to the next round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament playoffs.

Now, the ladies will travel to Montclair State to play the Redhawks on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.

“They’re a tough team,” junior

guard Angelica Esposito said.

“We’re going to have to be prepared for them. We also have to play our best to come out of their with a win.”

On Wednesday’s regular season finale, the Lions defeated the Kean University Cougars, 72-54, at Packer Hall. This was their sixth-straight win.

Esposito led the Lions with 23 points, while senior Kelly Coughlin and Jessica Goldbach contributed 16 and 11 points.

At one point, Kean’s Najha Treadwell outscored the entire Lions’ team 8-2 to cut the lead to 5345. Esposito and junior Christina

Merlin scored to make it 57-45.

Coughlin later put the lead to 12 before ending the game with an 18 point lead. Treadwell had a gamehigh 24 points.

With the score 40-30, the Lions held to a 10 point lead. Kean then cut it to eight at 40-32, before Esposito scored a threepointer to make it 43-32. Seconds later, it was back to 15 at 48-33.

After halftime, the College scored back-to-back baskets before Treadwell made it 34-26, following two more baskets.

Kean then made it 38-30 following a basket.

The Cougars scored three straight baskets to make it 2721, then Esposito made a threepointer with seconds remaining.

The Lions led 30-21 at halftime and ultimately left the court with a victory.

“My teammates did a good job of getting me the ball,” Esposito said. “We tried to run our plays, but they were cheating up on everything, so we were getting a lot of backdoor cuts.”

On Saturday afternoon, the Lions edged out a win over the

William Paterson Pioneers, 6361, at Packer Hall in the first round of the NJAC playoffs.

Esposito had 19 points while O’Donnell added 14. Merlin had eight while Coughlin and Goldbach had seven apiece.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, the last time the two teams met, Pioneers’ Brittany Harden had a game-high 23 points against the College in a 78-68 Lions’ win.

“We watched a lot of tape, and we know that she liked to drive to the basket,” Esposito said. “Today, she wasn’t able to do that. She had to shoot more from the outside, which gave us an advantage.”

The game came down to O’Donnell making key free throws. She was a perfect 4-4 to score the final four points.

Following a timeout with the score 9-8, William Paterson went on to lead 20-10. Although backto-back baskets by Amato and Merlin brought the score to 2014, the Pioneers pushed the lead again to 22-14.

“They were more aggressive on defense,” Henderson said of the Pioneers’ lead. “I expected that.

Baseball

That’s their game, and that really bothered us in the beginning of the game. We were thinking too much and not playing the game.”

Esposito made a threepointer to make it 27-20 before O’Donnell made it 27-23. Haines gave the Pioneers a 29-23 lead before Esposito and Merlin cut the lead to 29-28 at halftime.

Shortly after halftime, the game was tied at 32. This was the first time that the game was tied since the score was 6-6.

Neither team had a runaway lead in the second half. The Pioneers led by just four, while the Lions led by six at one point.

With a 57-54 lead, Esposito made a key three-pointer to make it 60-54.

“That was a huge shot,” Coach Dawn Henderson said. “Ang has nerves of steel. I don’t have to worry about Ang taking shots.”

Ultimately, the Lions came out victorious in the matchup.

“We didn’t play our best,” Esposito said. “But when we needed a score or a defensive stop, we were able to do that. We knew we needed to win to get to the next level.”

Women’s Lacrosse

Lions look to start hot Lacrosse looks to win title Eight of nine starters return

By Jessica Ganga Nation & World Editor

6-2 and an ERA of 2.33. He also had five complete games under his belt and pitched back-to-back shutouts against RPI and Muhlenberg College.

The lineup is still strong despite losing four seniors after last season. The Lions are returning with eight of their nine starters. The team has also gained 11 new freshmen to the roster, which will add new skills, but more importantly, a new dynamic to the team.

The College begins their season on the road against Haverford College. The last time the Lions faced Haverford was in 2012 when the College beat Haverford 7-1.

The Lions’ home opener is against Oswego State University on Sunday, March 8, at George Ackerman Park.

Last year, the Lions’ baseball team came into the 2014 season strong by winning 15 out of their first 20 games, which included a 10-game winning streak. They continued their success throughout the season, only to be ousted

by William Patterson University in the second round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament.

The team is returning many key players, including junior outfielder John Rizzi. During the off-season, Rizzi won the American Baseball Coaches Association-Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his impressive defensive play. During the 2014 season, Rizzi committed only one error, while catching 108 fly balls for a field percentage of .991. Rizzi was also named to the All-NJAC First Team as an outfielder, having a career-defining season. The outfielder led the team in stolen bases with 22, ranking him second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Rizzi also led the team with 56 hits and 39 runs at the end of the season.

Senior Connor Smith will be returning to the pitchers mound and, like Rizzi, is going to be another key player on the roster.

Smith earned a spot on the ABCA/ Rawlings NCAA Division III MidPhoto courtesy of the Sports Information Desk Atlantic All Region Third Team honors. Smith ended the season Offensive spark Rizzi returns.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information

Karpovich scans the field.

By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer

This Friday, Feb. 27, the College’s women’s lacrosse team will return to Lions Stadium where they will face Fairleigh Dickinson College at Florham at 4 p.m.

It will be their first home contest since winning their first-round NCAA tournament match against Susquehanna University on May 10, 2014.

Although they won this match 19-7 and defeated Washington and Lee University 13-7 a week later, the Lions ultimately lost to Amherst College on May 18, 2014 to end their season.

Last season, the Lions went 19-2 overall, including a

perfect 6-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, en route to a fourth-consecutive NJAC title. They were 11-1 at home with a 7-1 road record and 1-0 at a neutral location.

“After a 19-2 record coming off of last season, our main goal looking forward is to start fresh,” senior Ava Fitzgerald said. “Even after a successful season, there is so much to reflect and improve on. Starting this season with some new faces, we are setting big goals for ourselves.”

They have been picked as the seventh-ranked team in the country to begin the season.

This season, they will be tested with several top-10 opponents.

“Looking to eliminate those two losses and having an undefeated season would be an obvious accomplishment,” Fitzgerald said.

Salisbury University, who is the defending national champion, is the No. 1 ranked team.

The Lions will travel to Salisbury, Maryland on Sunday, April 12, and will then face No. 2 Trinity College on Wednesday, April 15.

They will also travel to No. 6 Gettysburg College on Thursday, March 19.

Last season, the team averaged 16.43 points per game, while giving up 5.62.

The College graduated key losses, including Jen Garavente and Lauren Pigott. Garavente had 63 goals and 33 assists for

96 points in 21 games while Pigott added 56 goals and 21 assists for 77 points.

“Losing those four is definitely tough,” senior Lauren Karpovich said. “They were amazing players and even greater leaders.” However, Karpovich is thankful for the opportunity to play with them.

Senior Kendal Borup is the highest point scorer returning.

She had 61 goals and 28 assists for 89 points. Fitzgerald is the only other player in the top five in scoring that is returning, as she had 67 goals and nine assists for 76 points.

“In order to reach our ultimate goal this year, which is to make it to the national championship, we must all step up which is something I know we will do,” Karpovich said. “Every single person on the team must play at a higher level this year.”

The Lions do have their starting netminder returning.

Kelly Schlupp started 17 of the 21 games. She made 63 saves and gave up 104 goals during her 18-2 record. “(Schlupp) is amazing,” Karpovich said. “She ended the season as one of the top goalies in the country.”

Karpovich hopes to build on last season’s success and win a national championship.

“When this season is finished, we want to make sure we finish on empty, and leave no dream left behind,” she said.

page 22 The Signal February 25, 2015

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

Profit Accutest Laboratories AdMed, Inc. Aerotek All State New Jersey Andersen Corporation Appraisal Economics Inc. Arete, Inc. Around Campus Group ASRC Federal Mission Solutions Bank of America/Merrill Edge Blinds To Go Brainerd Communications, Inc. Breakaway Technologies, Inc. Burlington Stores Camden Riversharks CBIZ Valuation Group Chubb Cinema6 Cintas Corporation CIT Group, Inc. CME Associates CohnReznick LLP Covance Core e-business solutions The Creative Group DC Fabricators, Inc. Deloitte Eisner Amper Emergency Medical Associates Enterprise Holdings Epic Ernst & Young LLP (EY) ESF Summer Camps Fastenal Ferguson Enterprises Fortren Funding 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 Lockheed Martin Management Planning, Inc. Marathon Data Systems McAdam Financial Group McCann Torre Lazur Mercadien P.C. CPAs Miles Technologies Morgan Stanley New York Life 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 Pickering, Corts & Summerson PLS Logistics Services Power Home Remodeling Group Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) Sage Hospitality Schneider Electric Sherwin-Williams Company SHI International Corp.

Six Flags Great Adventure SMC Corporation of America Sordoni Construction Co. South Jersey Industries Sparta Systems Inc. T&M Associates Target ThyssenKrupp Elevator Unum UPS Verizon Wireless Visual Computer Solutions Vydia Inc. Whiting-Turner Contracting Wilkin and Guttenplan WithumSmith+Brown

Non-Profit Alternatives, Inc. The Arc Mercer Bonnie Brae Catholic Charities CISabroad City Year Community Charter School of Paterson Educational Testing Service (ETS) Easter Seals NJ International Sculpture Center JCC Abrams Camps MSSL Inc. SERV Behavioral Health System,Inc. Teach for America Uncommon Schools Washington Center for Internships Womanspace Government Delaware State Police IRS Criminal Investigation Division Manchester Township Police Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) New Jersey Economic Development Authority New Jersey Judiciary NJ Department of Banking and Insurance NJ State Parole Board NJ Transit Peace Corps Pennsylvania State Police Philadelphia Police Department Prince George’s County Police Department U.S. Air Force U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) U.S. Federal Air Marshals (TSA/DHS) U.S. Marine Officer Program

Get a LinkedIn Photo Taken at the Fair by SGA! CO-SPONSORS: Delta Phi Epsilon, IMASC, Junior Class Officers, Manhunt, Net Impact, Phi Beta Lambda, Tau Beta Phi, Theta Phi Alpha and more!

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

4 6

LIONS

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 23

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Chris Drabik “The Ref”

George Tatoris Staff Writer

Josh Kestenbaum Staff Writer

Kevin Luo

Staff Writer

In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Chris Drabik, asks our panel of experts three questions: Is shutting down Carmelo Anthony a good move for the Knicks, how large of a role will A-Rod play for the Yankees this season and which team is most likely to upset Kentucky?

1. Is shutting down Carmelo Anthony for the season the right move for the New York Knicks?

George: Carmelo needed to be shut down.

Unit 89341764782001 alias Carmelo “Melo” Anthony has been an obedient android so far, but he has been growing awfully sentient as of late. Insiders in the Tyrell Corporation have told me disturbing stories of Melo pretending to be human and refusing to accept existence as a replicant. As of late, there have been a number of replicants acting human. This is bad, of course — machines are machines and humans are humans. No one, machine or man, should be able to cross that line, not even Carmelo Anthony. What the Knicks are doing with Carmelo Anthony, Unit 89341764782001, is a step in the right direction in my eyes — when machines go out of line, they need to be shut down.

Who knows, maybe this’ll even help them win a game this season against a team that isn’t the Lakers.

AP Photo

Josh: Is this even a question? It is absolutely the right move. The Knicks have been exceedingly bad this season. They

have only recently achieved double-digit wins while closing in on 50 losses on the season, partially thanks to their current

six-game losing streak. Even with Melo, they were able to lose 16 straight earlier this season. They are not anywhere close to challenging for a playoff spot, so there is no reason to rush him back. Come back next season with a healthy Carmelo and hopefully a revamped roster.

Kevin: Melo shutting it down for the season is a great thing for the Knicks.

The Knicks are flat-out terrible. They’re not making the playoffs. The only hope for the rest of the season is that they try to become as terrible as possible and get the number one pick and Jahlil Okafor.

With Melo not playing, it’ll also open up more playing time and shots for players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Langston Galloway so they can develop some confidence if they are indeed part of the Knicks’ future. This has been a lost season for the Knicks. Melo should’ve shut it down earlier, but I’m sure he wanted to be a good host for the All-Star Game in the Big Apple.

Kevin gets 3 points for looking at Jahlil Okafor. Josh gets 2 points for pointing out how poor the Knicks are, and George gets 1 point for recognizing Carmelo as a cyborg.

AP Photo

2. What role will Alex Rodriguez fill this season for the New York Yankees?

George: I believe with utmost certainty that Alex Rodriguez will wind up playing the role of team mom this season,

especially since Jeter won’t be there to carry out those duties. Sure, A-Rod has a reputation of being a bit of an arrogant prick, but if you look carefully at his performance over the past few seasons, they

clearly foreshadow a future as the Yankees very own team mom. A-Rod’s been spotted at games in an old minivan, sometimes carpooling with other teammates. He also reportedly gave Masahiro Tanaka a spare peanut butter and jelly sandwich (no crust— exactly how Tanaka likes it!) from his own private stock. Who besides a team mom has a private stock of sandwiches with and without crust? There are rumors that A-Rod even continued his domestic hobbies into the off-season — this fall, Mr. Rodriguez was spotted participating in bake sales and sweeping the dugouts at Yankee Stadium.

Josh: This is such an odd situation. A-Rod has only played 44 games in two years and will turn 40 in July. He will most likely be the right-handed counterpart to Garrett Jones at DH. While he may get some atbats at third base, I don’t see that happening very often, if at all. The acquisitions

made this off-season by the Bombers seem to have lessened his importance to the team. I would not be surprised if he ended the season playing 3B, and by that, I mean third bench.

Kevin: I think this season A-Rod will have a decent season for the Yanks. He’ll be mainly a DH but will get some time in the field to go along with a solid bat. He’ll probably bat fifth or sixth in the lineup. He’s not going to be anything special, but he’s playing with house money this season (along with about $30 Million). The spotlight on the Yankees this season will be much dimmer now that Jeter has retired. The expectation of the Yankees and A-Rod this season are both pretty low, and A-Rod has performed his best when the expectations have been low. I can see A-Rod hitting .260 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs while trying his best to stay out of the news (even though that probably won’t happen).

Kevin gets 3 points for pointing out A-Rod’s contract. George gets 2 points for saying he’s best team mom, and Josh gets 1 point for suggesting the Yanks are burying A-Rod on the bench.

3. Which school has the best shot of upsetting the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament?

George: It’s a long shot, but I’d like to see Gonzaga be the ones to beat the Wildcats.

I like them because they have a name that sounds like a fancy Italian meat — I’d definitely order a pizza topped with Gonzaga — whatever that is. Most importantly though, Gonzaga has been having what is possibly the greatest season in their program’s history. They have already gone toe-to-toe with another top-10 Wildcat while enduring tough on-the-road conditions in Arizona.

While Gonzaga lost that game, they were in control all throughout its duration and only lost in overtime after a few stumbles. On top of that, you have former U.K. player Kyle Wiltjer, who’s shooting nearly 47 percent beyond the arc and just might make a dent in Kentucky’s defense.

Josh: I hate to pick the obvious choice, but I believe No. 2 Virginia has the best chance to take down the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats. The Cavaliers have an experienced roster made up of multiple seniors

and juniors. Virginia also plays a game well suited to throwing the Wildcats offbalance. Their offense is fast-paced, and their defense is stifling. During this season, Virginia has the lowest points-per-game against with 50.4. Kentucky is currently just inside the top 50 in points-per-game.

Virginia could be the team most likely to topple the mighty Wildcats come March Madness.

Kevin: In my opinion, Kentucky is far from unbeatable. Kentucky is a great defensive team, but they’re not a great offensive team.

I wouldn’t say they have a true go-to scorer, and they don’t have enough offensive chemistry to compensate for that. They’ve struggled to beat many mediocre SEC teams (Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss). The team that I think matches up the best with Kentucky is Wisconsin. They have one of the best bigs in the country in Frank Kaminsky along with gritty forward Nigel Hayes to battle in the paint with the bigs of Kentucky. They also have tons of outside shooting, including Kaminsky, to spread the floor as the team that beats Kentucky will need to hit some outside shots.

Josh gets 3 points for pointing out Virginia’s defense. Kevin gets 2 points for crediting Kaminsky, and George gets 1 point for recognizing Gonzaga’s historic season.

Kevin wins Around the Dorm 8-6-4.

AP Photo

page 24 The Signal February 25, 2015

CHANGING MAJORS? The School of Engineering is accepting change of major/program plan applications for TCNJ students (including current engineering majors) interested in the following programs: Biomedical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Engineering Science (management specialization) Mechanical Engineering Technology Education iSTEM Change of Program/Plan (Change of Major) forms are available online http://recreg.pages.tcnj.edu/forms/

Completed applications are due by Friday, March 6, 2015 in Armstrong 147 Acceptance depends on available space and previous academic performance.

Decisions will be available to students by March 16, 2015 For more information about our programs, visit www.tcnj.edu/~engineering Questions? Please call 609.771.2779

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

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

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

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

Want to be on the other side of this paper?

We have a number of positions available!

February 25, 2015 The Signal page 25 Track and Field

Track and Field continues individual success

Women place second, men take fourth

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Both teams set records at the Princeton Invitational.

By George Tatoris Staff Writer

The winter track team had a great showing last week at the Princeton Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 22, and at Ramapo’s Roadrunner Tune-Up at the New York Armory on Friday, Feb. 20, as they continue to push into Championship season.

The women’s team took second out of 23 teams in the Roadrunner Tune-Up while the men took fourth.

One of the big successes at the Princeton Invitational came from the 4x400 relay team, comprised of seniors Joy Spriggs, Katelyn Ary, Michelle Cascio and junior Kristen Randolph.

Their combined time of 3:54.29 not only earned them a second place slot, but also pushed them up to the third best Division III time for that event this season.

“Our women’s 4x4 went into the meet prepared to move up on the Nationals list. We were all focused on the same goal and

ran our fastest time this season,” Ary said.

At the same meet, Cascio ran two more impressive races— in the 200 meters she took fourth in 25.65 seconds and in the 60 meters she took ninth with 8.02 seconds, the fastest of any Division III runner in that event that day. Senior Megan Stack took third in the mile with a time of 5:06.81.

On the men’s side of things, junior Jake Lindacher took first in the 60-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.43 seconds, an ECAC qualifying cut.

The men’s relay also found success on the track in the 4x400 event, as sophomores Brandon Mazzarella and Zach Hubner, junior Laron Day and senior Erik Moutenot finished second with a combined time of 3:26.21.

The Princeton Invitational was the last meet before the Lions go on to defend their titles in the NJAC Championships on Thursday, Feb. 26.

“Right now, our focus is on competing at a high level at NJACs and continuing our strong showings at this level,” Lindacher said.

The NJACs will be housed in the 168th Street Armory in New York, New York, the same facility that hosted Ramapo’s Road-

runner Tune-Up. At that meet, senior Joan Hales won the weight throw with a toss of 14.61 meters. Despite the first place win, Hales says she wishes she could have done better.

Senior Megan Kocher also won her event, the 500 meters, with a time of 1:23.03.

Freshman Chloe Yelle finished second in the shot put with a heave of 11.20 meters, and sophomore Tracy Prentice also finished second in the pole vault with a height of 3.05 meters.

The men did well in the 3,000 meters, netting three of the top

five spots in the race. Sophomore Andrew Tedeschi led the pack in second with a time of 8:51.53. Junior Tyler Grimm was third at 8:52.00 and senior Jeremy Garrell finished fourth in 8:57.56.

Freshman Dale Johnson took second in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:31.87.

At this point in the season, the track team will continue to hone their skills. For Hales, this means adding a third turn to her throwing technique. And for Lindacher it means to be more efficient and conserve momentum at the end of the race.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The women take second at the Road-Runner Tune-Up.

Summer Program Financial Aid Application available March 3rd in PAWS using the following navigation:

Main Menu ->Student Self Service ->Campus Finances ->TCNJ Summer Aid Application Visit http://financialaid.pages.tcnj.edu/

and Click “Summer Programs Students” for more information.

Deadline: June 30th.

You must have a 2014-2015 FAFSA on file to be considered for aid.

Remember: •Minimum Undergraduate enrollment of 1.5 units. 5 credits minimum for Graduate Students.

•You must be matriculated.

• Your financial aid file must be complete (no missing items).

Types of Financial Aid: http://financialaid.pages.tcnj.edu/loan-processing/ •Federal Stafford Loan Program: Only students with remaining academic year Federal Stafford Loans eligibility will be able to borrow during the Summer Session.

•Federal Parent Loans (PLUS) & Graduate PLUS Loans •Alternative Loans

Office of Student Financial Assistance, Green Hall 101 at 609-771-2211 or osfa@tcnj.edu.

page 26 The Signal February 25, 2015

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February 25, 2015 The Signal page 27

Swimming and Diving

Men win ninth-straight MET Championship Women finish third against strong competition

By Jessica Ganga Nation & World Editor

It was a show of dominance for the men’s swimming and diving team ­— grabbing the Lions’ ninth consecutive title in the three-day Metropolitan Conference Championship at Rutgers University on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21-22.

The men’s team took the top spot with a score of 1,404, beating out Rowan University and the University of Bridgeport. The women’s team placed third overall with a score of 760.5 points.

From the start of the championship, it was evident that the men’s team was ready to own the water. In the first race, junior Joseph Dunn, senior Brian Perez, junior James Shangle and senior Brett Pederson competed in a thrilling 200-yard freestyle relay. Dunn touched the wall in the final lap of the race with a time of 1:21.30, the same time as their opponent, the University of Bridgepoint. The four teammates were able to gain the team 60 points from the race.

In the 500-yard freestyle, sophomore Ryan Gajdzisz took second place with his fastest time of the season, 4:31.00.

This foreshadowed the story of the second night of the competition — the College swimmer’s taking personal bests and breaking records.

In the 100-yard butterfly, Dunn was able to post a record-breaking time of 48.72, along with his teammate, senior Aleksander Burzysnki, who broke the College’s record in the 100-yard backstroke.

Burzynski, Shangle, Dunn and Pederson opened the Saturday session with the 200-yard medley relay. The men swam for a record-breaking time of 1:29.68 — the fastest finishing time ever for the Lions in this event.

During the 200-yard freestyle, the Lions were able to overtake the leading Profs.

Gajdzisz won the event with a time of

1:39.17, followed by sophomore Scott Vitabile and Pederson, with times of 1:40.21 and 1:40.60, respectively, allowing the College to sweep the top spots.

On the final day of the competition, the team continued its dominating presence with more impressive finishes that eventually led the team to win the MET Championship title.

Gajdzisz finished off his strong weekend by breaking the College’s record in the tiring 1,650-yard freestyle with a first place finishing time of 15:47.23. The record was previously held by current assistant coach Michael Caputo.

“I could not be happier for Gajdzisz,” Caputo said. “I knew when he walked in the door last year that he had something special, and what we’ve seen from him so far is just a taste of what he will accomplish throughout the rest of his career. To have a record broken is a great feeling because it indicates progress in the program, and to have a hand in that progress as a coach makes it even better.

The most exciting part is to now see how much lower he can make that record for the next guy.”

Freshman Logan Barnes finished third in the event with a time of 16:06.54, and sophomore Jason Ivins followed close behind with a time of 16:08.52 to finish fourth.

In the final event, Dunn, Perez, Vitabile and Pederson raced together in the 400yard freestyle with an NCAA provisional time of 2:59.42, which ended the winning night on high as the team celebrated their championship win.

The women came into the championship with the same determination and drive as the men’s team, which was seen throughout the weekend of competition.

Sophomore Brenna Strollo added to the already growing score for the Lions after coming in first place in the 200-yard individual medley at. Freshmen Debbie Meskin and Marta Lawler placed 11th

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The men capture their ninth-consecutive MET Championship as they look forward to the NCAA Championships.

and 12th in the same event with times of 2:08.41 and 2:13.09.

Later in the meet, Meskin and Lawler, along with senior Summer Thomas and freshman Katie Kilfeather, had a season’s best time of 4:03.54 in the 400-yard medley relay. The foursome placed seventh in the event.

By the second day of the competition, the team had reached a total of 596.5 points — the highest total among Division III teams.

In the 100-yard butterfly B-final, Meskin took the top spot with a fast time of 59.60 and took first again in the 400-yard medley B-final with a time of 4:43.96.

On the last day of the competition, the team continued to add to their score to take third place in the championship.

Strollo, Thomas and sisters freshman

Emily Rothstein and junior Laura Rothstein finished third in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:34.78, earning them enough points to keep their third place spot in the championship.

It was a full team effort, with senior Katie Reilly and junior Melissa Haley placing 13th and 14th in the 1,650-yard freestyle with finishing times of 19:05.87 and 19:26.33, respectively.

Both the men’s and women’s team showed just how hard they worked this past season with their impressive times and winning titles. The men’s team now must wait to see if any swimmers have qualified for the 2015 NCAA Championships in Shenandoah, T.X. in March.

Managing Editor Julie Kayzerman contributed to this report

Softball

Softball looks to reach playoffs with new faces

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The Lions look to have a rebound season after a rough 2014.

By Michael Battista Sports Assistant

After a tough season last year, the softball team is hoping to rebound with both a mix of new freshmen on the team and improvements with returning players.

The 2014 Lions earned a 10 and 24 record, but returning sophomore Colleen Phelan says that isn’t a good representation of what the team actually accomplished.

“Last season was a huge learning experience for all of us,” she said. “The record we had did not truly display what we had as a team, which is a lot of heart for the game and each other.”

She went on to say that this year, the team “knows now what we need to do to get the job done and everyone working hard.”

The team has gained six new freshman players for 2015, including Sam Platt, who has the total support of junior Jamie Purcell.

“(Platt) is our pitcher, and she is going to make an impact right away,” Purcell said.

“She has been working hard and will do a great job for us.”

Phelan also looked at the pool of freshmen with confidence and hope.

“Our freshman class as a whole this year is bringing in a lot of talent in a lot of places,” Phelan said. “Overall, they are already contributing to the team, and I look forward to seeing it all come together.”

The team is going to need to work together, both returning and new players alike, if they hope to fulfill the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) preseason poll. The Lions were voted as one of the teams poised to get into the postseason this year, along with Rowan University (the league favorite), William Paterson University, Kean University and Montclair State.

It should also be said that the team has some impressive returning players as well.

Both Phelan and Purcell earned NJAC honors last year.

Other key returning players include junior pitcher Ashtin Helmer, who recorded 100 strikeouts in 97 innings and lead the team in wins last year, and junior infielder Deanna Utter, who lead the team in doubles and ended the season with an even

.300 batting average.

With a team like this, Phelan hopes this season is successful both on the field and with each other.

“My hopes for the season are for all of us to really come together as a team,” she said.

“If this happens, we will be unbeatable.”

She did say, however, that the postseason isn’t something she’s looking at right now.

“Our strategy is to take it one game at a time,” Phelan said. “Each pitch is valuable, and if we treat every game like this, we will be successful.”

Purcell, on the other hand, has big hopes right away for the team.

“Our hopes are to win an NJAC championship and advance to regionals,” she said.

“We believe that we can have a winning season, and we are going to keep working hard till we achieve that.”

The first game of the season is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon against Ithaca College at Dr. June Walker Field.

“No matter when our first game is, we will be ready,” Phelan said. “Our coaching staff has been doing a great job preparing us physically and mentally, and when we step on the field for the first time, expectations will be high.”

Signal

Sports

Men’s basketball falls in playoffs

Loss comes as Johnson earns 1,000th point

By Otto Gomez Staff Writer

Having already clinched a playoff spot, the men’s basketball team continued to play well against Kean University on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Packer Hall. The Lions’ 86-70 win against Kean guaranteed them a home playoff game in the NJAC tournament.

Playing to avenge themselves of their previous loss against Kean and to secure home-court advantage, the Lions got off to a very strong shooting start, leading 14-3 after six minutes. Kean responded, however, with strong three-point shooting, connecting on 15 in total for the game.

The teams went basket for basket for most of the remainder of the half, finishing the break 33-31 in favor of the College. After halftime, the Lions made a big change on defense and started to press Kean, giving them a hard time on offense. The press gave the College an opportunity to create points off turnovers, and 10 minutes into the half, the Lions took

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior Jayson Johnson scores his 1,000th point in the final game of his career.

a commanding 63-44 lead. Strong shooting and consistent rebounding held the Cougars from coming back in the second half.

Having secured the home court for the first round of the playoffs, the Lions squared off against New Jersey City University on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Gothic Knights were quick right off the gate, hitting five three-point shots in the

first 10 minutes, jumping out to a 25-13 lead. While the Lions were able to play better defense during the rest of the half, they still trailed 37-26 at the break. Sophomore Eric Klacik, who finished with 17 points, was able to hit a threepointer and a mid-range jumper on back to back possessions to make the score 46-42.

However, the Knights quickly

responded with another three-pointer, a blow that ignited a quick 12-4 run from which the Lions could not come back. With under one minute left, a three-pointer by senior Jayson Johnson gave him his 21st point of the night and 1,000th point of his career, an accomplishment that was received with a standing ovation from the crowd. This marked the last game of Johnson’s college

basketball career, as well as fellow seniors Skyelar Ettin and Alex Fox, both key contributors on the team this year.

This game was also the last for coach Kelly Williams. He will now move into an administrative role at the College as senior associate director of athletics after finishing his best season as head coach of the program.

Sophomore Alex Circlincione, who averaged 13 minutes a game and was fourth on the team in steals, looks to step into a bigger role next season.

“The seniors really set a good example and created a new culture for TCNJ basketball,” Circlincione said. “Even though Coach Williams had been telling us for a few years that we had a special group, I think everyone really bought in this year and actually believed that we could succeed. Now that we know what it takes to be successful in such a competitive conference, hopefully we can carry that into next year.”

Circlincione will look to lead a young squad back to the playoffs next season.

Possible Big Ten restrictions limit freshman play

By Kevin Luo Staff Writer The Big Ten has many competitive football and men’s basketball programs that generate millions of dollars worth of revenue. One of the reasons the Big Ten has been so successful is because of their tremendous recruiting effort. Big Ten schools often recruit many top prospects, many of whom are interested in early playing time.

While there have been some high-level recruits who have redshirted, or sat out their freshman year in order gain another year of eligibility, big-time Big Ten athletes have made a major impact during their freshman season. Arguably the most famous team in Big Ten history had an all freshman starting lineup — the Michigan Fab Five.

Now the Big Ten is trying to bite the hand that feeds them. This past week, the Big Ten announced that it is exploring the idea of freshman ineligibility in football and men’s basketball. The Big Ten has not been happy with the graduation rates of their football and men’s basketball players, and they believe that an “ease-in” year will be beneficial to some athletes in their transition to college.

Now, the Big Ten wouldn’t be stupid enough to implement these ineligibility rules for their conference alone. That

Lions’ Lineup February 25, 2015

I n s i d e

Ohio State’s Braxton Miller started as a true freshman.

would be a death wish for major athletic programs. They would lose more top recruits to the likes of Alabama and Florida State in football and Kentucky and UNC in basketball. If the Big Ten were to implement these changes, they would be looking to convince the other major conferences to join them in doing so.

The idea of this might sound alright in principle, but this is simply never going to happen, and it’s an awful idea. I appreciate the Big Ten becoming more interested

AP Photo

in the academic standing of their student athletes, but they can’t have it both ways.

They can’t make so much money off these athletes, hold athletics in such a high regard and still put restrictions on the players to “benefit academics.”

I’m sure the argument here from an athletic standpoint will start with football because it’s a little more plausible. Football players have to be out of high school for at least three seasons before entering the NFL draft, and many redshirt their freshman year in order to

adapt to college, on and off the field. Many players need to get bigger and stronger, but many players are also ready to play the college game as a freshman, and being on the field right away is what they need to further their development. Taking a year off without contact could be detrimental to the development of these players.

If Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell got to be in college another season to mature on and off the court, that would be great for everyone, right? It won’t be great if these players don’t play college ball at all. I think if a rule like this were installed, you’d have more players take the route of Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay and play abroad or in the D-League. Not only will they be getting to play, but they’ll be getting paid.

The top players are mainly interested in getting to the pros from the time they’re in middle school. You can’t try and delay that process without major issues.

All in all, I believe there’s no way the freshman ineligibility rule will be put in place in the NCAA or in just the Big Ten, but the idea is ridiculous. There would be more harm done to the players, the teams and the sports than good. The Big Ten should look into other ways of improving their student athletes’ academic standing, like putting more money into monitoring these players’ grades and courses.

46 53 Around the Dorm page 23

Track and Field page 25

Women’s Basketball page 21

Swimming & Diving Page 27