The Signal: Spring '15 No.2

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Vol. XLII, No. 2

February 4, 2015

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

TCNJam raises $50,566 to end cancer College’s CEL

Photo courtesy of Brendan McGeehan

Students raise money for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

By Sydney Shaw News Editor Over the course of 12 straight hours, 1,000 students from the College danced to support children fighting cancer and raised

over $50,000.

Co-sponsored by InterGreek Council and Student Government, the dance-a-thon TCNJam was held in the Brower Student Center on Saturday, Jan. 31, to raise money and

awareness for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.

The organization funds pediatric cancer research and encourages people to “Live Like Andrew,” meaning that individuals should set goals,

strive to be their best, show affection and be comfortable with themselves.

The event, which lasted from noon to midnight, is comparable to Penn State’s “Thon.”

“Everyone has been working so hard for so long,” said Navid Radfar, a senior biology major who was instrumental in organizing the event with his Student Government committee. “To see it finally come to fruition is amazing.”

The area where students usually sit and eat food from the Lions Den during Meal Equivalency was cleared and decorated for the all-night dance party. Colorful streamers wound around the cement pillars, balloons were tied everywhere and signs bearing inspirational messages were hung on the walls.

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference,” one read. Other signs encouraged participants and their teams to donate to the B+ foundation.

Of the 27 teams, at least five individuals had to be dancing for the full 12 hours.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 5

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The Signal @tcnjsignal

By Mylin Batipps Social Media Editor Any student who has experienced being a freshman at the College can say they have impacted a community outside the campus through Community Engaged Learning (CEL) programs. Not only has this shown the College’s dedication to student-led service, but it has also won the school a Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

The award is highly competitive, and only 8 percent of colleges and universities across the nation have received the award, according to see CEL page 3

see TCNJam page 3

The Mowgli’s headline concert There’s no better way to start off the semester than a night of dazzling lights, wicked dance moves and exuberant live performances. CUB’s Welcome Back Concert on Saturday, Jan. 31, featured the indie-pop sensation Misterwives and the Southern California, eight-piece folk rock group The Mowgli’s in Kendall Hall’s Main Stage Theater.

After its wildly successful EP “Reflections” and being named one of MTV’s Artists to Watch in 2015, Misterwives has already garnered a great amount of attention and acclaim for a band that has yet to release a full-length album.

The bubbly young group, comprised of vocalist Mandy Lee, bassist William Hehir, drummer Etienne Bowler, guitarist Marc Campbell and keyboard and trumpet player Jesse Blum, bopped around the stage playing a few tracks off its upcoming album for the first time ever live.

Dynamic frontwoman Lee danced around the stage with an ensemble and demeanor that matched Gwen Stefani’s fiery, girl-power persona.

program called one of the best

Photo courtesy of the Bonner Center

The CEL program began in 2006.

Older students in the classroom

By Natalie Kouba Former Editor-in-Chief

House,” which featured a fresh and funky trumpet and saxophone solo at the end.

The band’s first full-length album, also entitled “Our Own House,” will be released on Tuesday, Feb. 24, which will be followed by a spring headlining tour with opening act Borns.

In the short span in two years, Valerie Tomaszewski, 45, found her life completely changed from a being a stay-at-home mother of three to becoming practically a single mom — juggling classes at the College during the day, caring for her children before and after school and the whole family visiting her husband together in a nursing home throughout the week.

Her husband, Jon, suffered from brain injuries after a news-breaking doubledecker bus accident on Sept. 11, 2010, in which he attempted to drive the bus under a bridge with a low clearance hidden around a bend in the road. Four people died, a two-year long court case followed. Just when he was acquitted and things began looking up for the family, tragedy came again when he had a stroke in 2012, leaving him permanently brain damaged and

see CONCERT page 13

see STUDENTS page 2

Samantha Selikoff / Photo Editor

The Mowgli’s sing ‘Emily’ and ‘Clean Light’ as part of their set.

Performing new tracks like “Vagabond” and “Not Your Way,” the band had the crowd moving and clapping to the music.

Halfway through the show, the band switched gears and opted for a synthhappy cover of Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Misterwives wrapped up its set with a bang, playing the new track “Our Own Editorial / Page 7

Opinions / Page 9

Features / Page 10

Arts & Entertainment / Page 13

Sports / Page 20

Whammy!

‘Anchorman’s’ David Koechner visits campus

WIRED The 24-hour play competition is a success

Track & Field excels Several athletes earn top honors at Invitational

See Features page 10

See A&E page 13

See Sports page 20

page 2 The Signal February 4, 2015

Students / Adults struggle to adjust at college

Photo courtesy of Valerie Tomaszewski

Tomaszewski and her family visit her husband at a nursing home. continued from page 1 with dementia. He continues to deteriorate everyday into an infant-like state, Tomaszewski said, and is living in a nursing home because his level of care is too great for her to manage.

“My husband was the primary breadwinner, and now I had to do something,” Tomaszewski said. “He has suffered a lot, too, and I just pray for him to have peace. Tomorrow will be 13 years I have been married, and it will probably be the last anniversary. It’s sad. I miss him.”

Anticipating her husband will not recover from his diminishing state of health, Tomaszewski knew she needed to be able to support her family financially, and so, she returned to college when she was 43 years old. Pursuing a degree in English and secondary education, she hopes to continue on to study for a master’s, possibly right here at the College.

College campuses bustle with excited high school grads thrilled with living on their own for the first time, cramped up in an old dorm room, finding new friends and developing themselves into productive young adults.

But there is a group of students not typically thought of as an average “college student,” those not pictured in the college pamphlets scattered across campus — those students enrolling in college as adults, not immediately following their high school graduations.

“When you first walk in to the first day, they all kind of look at you like, ‘Is this the professor?’” said English major Deborah Fade, 49, who just completed her last semester.

Adults with not roommates, but spouses; not dorm rooms, but houses; and not meal plans and mini fridges, but kitchens and a sink full of dishes, are either heading back to college or starting a bit later than most people do.

At the College, a small margin of students are of 25 years or older and pursuing higher education.

“There are 238 undergraduate students that are age 25 or older attending TCNJ (fall 2014). That’s approximately 3.5 percent of our undergraduate student population,” said David Muha, associate vice president of Communications, Marketing and Brand Management. “Breaking that out a little further, 116 are full-time and 122 are part-time,

149 are matriculating (pursuing degrees) and 89 are non-matriculating (taking classes for interest).”

Some of these students already have degrees from other colleges or universities, while for others, this is their first pursuit of higher education.

“After high school, I didn’t want to go to college. I just wanted to get a job right away,” Fade said. “During that time, I had a job at a newspaper, a couple of ad agencies, small time ones in New Jersey. Not big New York stuff, but always working with the copywriters or secretaries or the president of the company.

But it was always secretarial positions.”

Because she lacked a degree higher than her high school education, Fade could not advance into any higher positions at her entry level jobs, and she had a family to look after while her husband went to work each day.

Following a typical family plan, she married and now has two teenage daughters: Molly, 16, and Rebecca, 11.

It wasn’t until seven years ago when a friend suggested she begin taking classes since her children were of school age. With a “Why not?” attitude, she started at Middlesex Community College with two classes and earned her associates degree four years later. Afterward, she found out about a transfer scholarship at the College, which she received, and enrolled as a full-time student.

Attending college while raising her children has also brought on struggles, time constraints and self-doubt on herself to an extent.

“I get home from here, scramble to get dinner together, or sometimes stop to do grocery shopping before I go home.” Fade said.

“By the time everybody is settled, it’s like 10 p.m., time for homework, and I’m falling asleep reading, basically.”

Not only does Fade manage her own schooling and her family’s schedules, but both her daughters have struggled with serious health conditions. Molly struggled with mental health — self-harm and depression — in her earlier teen years and, as a result, was checked into the hospital two times in the past four years.

“She went through cutting. The first time this came up, she had suicidal thoughts,” Fade said. “They evaluated her and put her in the hospital. That was right before I

graduated Middlesex, within a few weeks actually. Somehow I made it through that.”

Rebecca, on the other hand, struggles with a physical health condition since beginning puberty, one which Fade herself battles with as well — although hers is currently in remission. Described as an autoimmune disorder, similar to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis is only treatable, not curable.

“She is currently on a cancer medication, actually,” Fade said. “It suppresses your immune system, so the poor kid can actually catch anything very easily.””

Ailments aside, Fade said her children are doing better, and she even hopes they can one day attend the College. In the meantime, Fade is hunting for jobs for post-graduation, passing along her résumé through right here at the College’s English department.

After high school, Tomaszewski graduated with a double associates degree in Patternmaking and Accessories Design from the prestiged fashion school in the hub of New York City, the Fashion Institute of Technology. But once she had children, she realized she wanted to be home, and a career in teaching seemed to be the perfect fit.

Even before her needs changed in the wake of her husband’s accident, Tomaszewski knew she wanted to go back to school.

This semester was her first one at the College, as she previously studied at Kean University. Knowing of the College’s excellent education program, she applied three times before getting accepted. Now, she juggles homework after bedtime and attends class between Girl Scout meetings and cooking dinner for her three children: John, 12, Matt, 8, and Julianna, 6.

Her days begin at 6 a.m., sometimes a few hours earlier depending on the assignments she has to do. After waking up her children, eating breakfast and rounding everybody up in the car, she drops them off at school. Once home, she packs her lunch for the day, maybe squeezes in a load of laundry and heads to campus from her home in Bordentown for a day of classes.

“I have to stop studying by 4 p.m. because then I have to make dinner, pick up my kids from school, bring my son to Kumon two nights a week, Girl Scouts, read with the kids every night, check homework and get them ready for the next day,” Tomaszewski said.

And while her children have their own extracurricular activities, Tomaszewski finds little time to pursue any of her own.

“Going to school is really good because it gives my mind something to focus on,” she said. “And the other thing is that having that goal and seeing that vision is what gets you through the hard times. And I can’t quit.

Sometimes this school is so hard, that I think, ‘Oh, forget it. I can’t do this.’ But I can’t quit, because then I think about, well what else am I going to do?”

Sandra Leith just turned 30 in October and is a full-time commuter at the College, pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary deaf education with a minor in women’s and gender studies.

“TCNJ just fell into place,” Leith said.

“It’s funny, actually. I’ve been involved in this college for more years than I have been a student here.”

As a part of Circus Place, a circus arts education, training and party host, Leith made connections with the College when Circus Place teamed up with the Circus Club on campus. She spoke with many students and asked questions about the school before applying and enrolling.

“There have been times where I have felt out of place, when listening to other students’ stories,” Leith said. “I guess I just try to keep in mind that we’re all on the path to complete our degrees, so I can interact with them in terms of studying and asking for their input on projects.”

Tomaszewski noticed the lack of respect she felt from younger students at the College, almost like they devalued her opinion because of her age instead of respecting it because of her experience. At Kean, the higher diversity and number for adult students made them feel not so out of place. But students pursuing higher education at the College over the age of 25 can often be left feeling out of place as the minority.

While they don’t return to a dorm room with a group of like-aged roommates, adult students search for balance in their schedules. For many, it isn’t always easy squeezing in time for homework after a day caring for a family, but it is necessary.

“I need to do this for myself,” Fade said, “I’m doing it for my family, but hey, now I can get a good-paying job and start moving up.”

Photo courtesy of Deborah Fade

Fade attends graduation at Middlesex Community College.

SFB allocates funds to bring Ewabo to College

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Student Finance Board met for the first time this semester on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to discuss proposals from two different organizations.

Chabad was he first group to come in, presenting for two events. The first was The Shabbat Experience — a weekly dinner in order for “Jewish students to fully celebrate their culture as well as share the beauty of it with the wider campus community.” The event was run throughout

the fall semester.

After a vote, the SFB decided to fund the event to occur once a month, allocating Chabad funds of $2,498.

Chabad also proposed for a Passover Seder to take place on Friday, April 3, in the 1855 Room. The purpose of the event is to engage the campus community in a traditional Jewish experience for the holiday. The event was allocated funds of $1,699.99.

The Black Student Union then proposed three events. The first of which was “Kickoff,” which serves

as an opening event for Black History Month. The event, which will take place on Monday, Feb. 2, in the Lions Den, was allocated funds of $1,055.

The second event was Caribbean Trio, Ewabo, which will spread culture through music. It will be on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the T/W Lounge, and was allocated funds of $1,500.

Finally, the Sankofa Ball — a closing ceremony for the month — was allocated funds of $168.58 and will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Business Building Lounge.

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 3

CEL / College’s program receives top honors continued from page 1 Patrick Donohue, assistant provost for Community Engaged Learning and executive director of the Bonner Institute.

“To be honest, it is still sinking in,” Donohue said. “Since it is February now, I will say it is similar to winning the Super Bowl, with one exception — we get to keep the trophy on our mantle till 2016, when the designation expires and we have to reapply.”

Students are given many opportunities by the College to immerse themselves in CEL. Whether it’s through the graduation requirement in which they have to participate in an eight-hour “CEL Day” during freshman year, or whether it’s through Advanced CEL programs that are specific to some majors, students are constantly being provided ways to give to the communities in Trenton and make sure no one who is in need is left behind.

According to Donohue, the College’s initiative for the CEL program blossomed in 2006.

“At that time, there were approximately 24 Bonner Scholars, a handful of FSP sections engaged in CEL or Advanced CEL courses and two staff members,” Donohue said. “There are now 100 Bonners, 42 participating FSP sections, approximately 26 engaged Advanced CEL professors and 22 full and part-time staff — almost all of which are grant-funded.”

There were a number of factors that contributed to the CEL program evolving into an integral part in every student’s college experience, Donohue mentioned.

One of them was the expansion of the Bonner Community Scholars program, a four-year scholarship program that allows students to perform extensive community service while enrolling full-time at the College.

Because of the increase in the size of the program, members were able to create a graduation requirement for all students, which is a first-year curriculum requirement for freshmen. This allows students

Photo courtesy of the Bonner Center

The College joins the 8 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities that have received the competitive award from the Carnegie Foundation. to work with professors during their firstyear seminar programs and partner with community organizations in Trenton.

The collaboration among students, staff and organizations, in turn, earned the College a $500,000 endowment gift by the Bonner Foundation a few years ago — a milestone rarely achieved by institutions in the nation.

“We are the only endowed school in New Jersey and one of only a few in the country,” Donohue said.

It takes more than a student paying attention in class for him or her to become successful, which is why Donohue and the Bonner Center implemented community engaged learning. According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities, community engaged learning has the largest positive “boost” effect on student learning and development than any other high-impact practice.

“In other words, it really enhances the impact of a traditional course,” Donohue

said. “You can’t always learn everything you need to learn to be a good and effective citizen or a professional in your future field from a comfortable campus or home.”

Upperclassmen still look back to their CEL Day from their freshman year and think of how it shaped them. Senior sociology major Jason Hammer visited the Arc Mercer, a center in Trenton that prides on creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I greatly appreciated the experience as it allowed me to be introduced to a part of the new community that I would be living in for the next four years,” Hammer said. “I think it is especially important for freshmen to leave the ‘College bubble’ and get more involved in the incredibly diverse community that surrounds campus.”

Many programs and organizations at the College allow students to travel to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), which provides more than 3,000 meals a week to

the hungry in Trenton. For junior deaf and hard of hearing education major Samantha Falvey, this was her CEL Day. “I think the event added a new aspect to the idea of a soup kitchen,” Falvey said.

“Because the organization was not only giving out food but also introduced free shows and activities for kids (sports games, face painting, balloon making and crafts stations), it was able to emphasize on the idea of a united community willing to help one another.”

For some students, however, the Trenton community came to them at the College.

Senior self-designed religious studies major Britta Nippert taught mini lessons to students that visited the college from an elementary school in Trenton.

“I would say even if the children didn’t learn much from our lessons, engagement on a college campus can be inspiring for young students who may not know what options are open to them and what it feels like to participate in a college atmosphere,” Nippert said.

According to Donohue, the College’s CEL program is looking to expand even more within the next few years. For instance, he and the Bonner Center are looking to integrate Advanced CEL courses into every single major at the College, as well as provide separate major and minor programs dedicated to community-engaged learning.

Those are to only list a few.

“We’d like to create a Faculty Fellow position that would help us develop a more deliberate undergraduate research program that focuses on community problems or challenges,” Donohue said. “We’d also like to create more pilots like the one we are involved in with the IMM department — that creates opportunities for students to work on CEL projects for credit for an entire year.”

Until those plans are put to action, Donohue, the Bonner Center and the campus community can celebrate how far the College’s program has come with Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification.

“It means a great deal — it is extremely satisfying and humbling at the same time,” Donohue said.

TCNJam / Students dance with their ‘heroes’ continued from page 1 “It was amazing,” said junior history and secondary education double major Dane West, who attended TCNJam to represent his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta. “I’ve never been a part of an event like that before. To see all of Greek Life and Student Government come together to raise that much money was honestly inspirational.”

As the night wound down and the lights turned off, the Student Center turned into a sea of students wearing glow-necklaces and was flooded with colorful lights.

In addition to the dance-a-thon, there were arcade games, air hockey tables, a DJ contest and zealous matches of Dance Dance Revolution. TCNJam was also replete with a corn hole tournament, minute-to-win-it games and musical chairs.

“There was a Zumba session as well,” West said. “And some of the B+ heroes were there, so it was awesome to see them, too.”

The “heroes” are children who have beaten cancer. Select on-campus organizations supported the B+ Foundation by spending time with them, Radfar explained.

“My fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, has a hero named Will who beat cancer,” he said. “We took him to a football game and raised money for him.”

The fraternity hung a banner for Will at the event decorated with images of his favorite things, such as Batman and the New York Giants.

Photos courtesy of Brendan McGeehan

After 10 hours of dancing, the atmosphere of TCNJam changes into a glow-themed event.

Many of the heroes were in attendance at TCNJam and were presented with gifts during the activities.

At the end of the evening, students held up signs that read “$50,566.54 for

our heroes.”

“I hope we get even more organizations involved next year,” West said.

Last semester, TCNJam was shot down by the Student Finance Board, and the

event scheduled for Monday, Nov. 8, had to be cancelled. It was later approved for $30,000. Additionally, a 5K was held in November to raise money and awareness for the B+ Foundation and TCNJam.

page 4 The Signal February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

Obama abandons proposal to end 529 plans

Debt is one of the biggest issues students face after graduation.

By Candace Kellner Staff Writer The White House decided to back down from Congress afer an ongoing fight over the Obama administration’s proposal to end 529 college savings plans.

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, a White House official told CNN that the provision created unnecessary turmoil within Congress.

“Given it has become such a distraction,

AP Photo

we’re not going to ask Congress to pass the 529 provision so that they can instead focus on delivering a larger package of education tax relief,” the official told CNN. The controversial college savings plan, also known as “qualified tuition programs,” consists of 529 plans that grants holders the ability to save money and withdraw it tax free, provided that the money be used towards approved college expenses. These expenses usually include

tuition, fees, room, board and other essential school-related supplies. Another state-provided savings plan allows holders to prepay for future tuition and to freeze current rates.

The White House’s increasingly unpopular proposal indicated that the administration did not foresee the popularity of the college savings plan and the opposition it would face against any proposal to end the program. Republicans speculate that the Obama administration’s reversal contradicted the President’s recent State of the Union address that emphasized “middle-class economics.”

“It’s another example of his outdated, top-down approach when our focus ought to be on providing opportunity for all Americans,” House Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday, Jan. 27, according to CNN. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican and Senator of Maine, said the plan

never made sense.

“It would have led to more student loan debt and undermined the very values that we should be promoting,” Collins said in a statement.

In his recent State of the Union address, Obama did not mention the proposal. He broadly addressed the education plans, saying, “We need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we can achieve that together.”

A White House official told CNN that the administration can still easily fund its education proposal, even without the 529 provision, based on savings generated by closing the “trust fund loophole” for the wealthier Americans.

A White House official also told CNN that, despite their reversal, the administration remains loyal to the other components of their education tax reform plan.

Saudia Arabian King dies after treatment failure

By Roman Orsini Staff Writer

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died during treatment for pneumonia on Friday, Jan. 23.

The 90-year-old led the Saudi monarchy since the death of his half brother, King Fahd, in 2005. Abdullah’s half brother, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is to succeed him as King, according to Aljazeera.

King Abdullah controlled the top oil producing country in the world, amassing a fortune of $21 billion, according to Forbes. He is credited with diversifying the oil dependent economy by opening the country to foreign investment projects. Moreover, Abdullah modernized the educational system – orienting toward maths and sciences – against the wishes of religious conservatives.

The Saudi royal family came to power under its first king, Ibn Saud, who founded the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Prior to the Kingdom’s founding, the Arabian peninsula was home to various tribes, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Saud led a military campaign to unite the tribes and end Ottoman control. He fathered 45 sons, creating a succession of leadership up

to the present day.

After the discovery of vast oil reserves in Saudi Arabia in the late 1930s, the Kingdom would begin to wield greater leverage in international politics. Saudi Arabia has long enjoyed a key strategic relationship with the United States, underpinned by the need to secure its store of oil.

In 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait, the U.S. launched the Gulf War to protect Saudi Arabia from an Iraqi takeover. Today, Saudi Arabia remains a close U.S. partner in counterterrorism and regional security.

The Kingdom is one of the largest customers for the American and British arms trade. According to the New York Times, in 2011 alone, the U.S. sold Saudi Arabia $33.4 billion in weapons systems. The tremendous sales were based on fears of Iranian nuclear development.

Saudi Arabia receives much international rebuke for its human rights record and treatment of women. Human rights groups like Freedom House and Amnesty International continually rank the authoritarian government as among the worst abusers of rights.

The government routinely breaks up peaceful protests with force and arrests dissidents. A State Department report

released in 2013 describes systemic use of torture and arbitrary killings by authorities. According to BBC, a Saudi blogger named Raif Badawi was recently sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for posts criticizing Islam.

The Kingdom is based on the Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam – an orthodox teaching that requires women to have a male guardian in public. Laws also forbid women from driving and working alongside men, according to CBS.

AP Photo

King Abdullah bin Abulaziz Al Saud leaves behind massive oil fortune after death.

Mercer County recovers from false-alarm ‘blizzard’ ‘Juno’ comes and goes with little problems for area

By Gabrielle Beacken Staff Writer What was expected to be the biggest snow blizzard of the season turned out to be a typical, light-snow storm for New Jerseyians. Fortune was with Mercer County as the blizzard “Juno” moved east and left the county with only two to four inches of snow. Yet, snow blizzard or not, Mercer County was prepared.

While the students of the Mercer region schools were enjoying their snow day, New Jersey officials were busy trying to resume normal operations.

It began at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lifted the statewide travel ban, according to a Times of Trenton article.

The RiverLINE NJ Transit service located in Trenton, as well as the SEPTA service back and forth from Trenton, began moving their trains as early as 8 a.m.

Frontier Airline flights at TrentonMercer airport were stopped on Tuesday. However, a representative said all

AP Photo

Snowstorm causes many Northeast states to declare a state of emegency. flights would resume on Wednesday, Jan. 28, according to the Times.

According to Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson in a Times article, 16 plow truck drivers were clearing “the most highly traveled areas” in Trenton.

“We have some trucks everywhere,” Jackson said in the Times article.

Aid organizations such as The Rescue Mission of Trenton, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and the American Red Cross in Princeton were all well prepared for the

consequences of the storm.

“We were at the ready,” said Diane Concannon, spokeswoman of the American Red Cross in Princeton. “Fortunately we were not activated.”

Though no American Red Cross shelters were open the night of Monday, Jan. 26, representatives of the organization kept in contact with their emergency offices just in case the storm hit.

Concannon was very happy to see that everyone was prepared, even though the

storm was not as bas as predicted.

On that same night, The Rescue Mission of Trenton serviced 215 people at their shelter, which holds the capacity of 225 people. According to The Rescue Mission of Trenton Chief Operating Officer Barret Young, a typical number of people in the shelter in January is 177, he said in a Times article. Surprised that the shelter did not reach full capacity, Young reasoned this was because conditions were not as bad as expected.

Although the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen was closed on Tuesday, Jan. 26, TASK packed bagged lunches for The Rescue Mission of Trenton “to help with the demand for food,” according to the Times.

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and The Rescue Mission of Trenton were expected to resume their normal schedules on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Although the blizzard “Juno” was not as drastic as anticipated, Mercer County was thoroughly equipped and ready for the possible snowstorm.

“We prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Concannon told the Times.

page 6 The Signal February 4, 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 Arete, Inc. Around Campus Group Bank of America/Merrill Edge Blinds To Go Brainerd Communications, Inc. Burlington Stores CBIZ Valuation Group Chubb Cintas Corporation CIT Group, Inc. CohnReznick LLP Covance Core e-business solutions Deloitte Emergency Medical Associates Enterprise Holdings 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 McCann Torre Lazur Mercadien P.C. CPAs Miles Technologies Morgan Stanley News America Marketing NJ 101.5FM - Townsquare Media Nordson EFD, LLC Northeast Planning Corp.

Northwestern Mutual Central NJ/Bucks County Northwestern Mutual - Morristown Philadelphia Insurance Companies Pickering, Corts & Summerson PLS Logistics Services Power Home Remodeling Group Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) Sherwin-Williams Company SHI International Corp.

Six Flags Great Adventure South Jersey Industries Sparta Systems Inc. Target ThyssenKrupp Elevator Unum UPS Visual Computer Solutions Vydia Inc. Whiting-Turner Contracting Wilkin and Guttenplan WithumSmith+Brown

Non-Profit Alternatives, Inc. The Arc Mercer Bonnie Brae Camden Riversharks Catholic Charities CISabroad City Year Community Charter School of Paterson Educational Testing Service (ETS) International Sculpture Center SERV Behavioral Health System,Inc. Teach for America Uncommon Schools Washington Center for Internships Womanspace Government Delaware State Police Easter Seals NJ IRS Criminal Investigation Division Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) New Jersey Judiciary NJ State Parole Board Peace Corps Prince George’s County Police Department U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) U.S. Federal Air Marshals (TSA/DHS)

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

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

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 7

Editorial

Social media creates personal distance and false sense of self

Being a part of the social media dependent generation, I find myself more disconnected than ever before. I’m supposed to love taking selfies and uploading them to Facebook or Instagram for all 600 of my closest friends to see. But who are these people, and do they really care about what I ate for lunch or what movie I’m watching?

As a journalism major, professors have drilled into my head that social media is an unavoidable part of any job I get after I graduate.

They say that social media is a way to market my talents and build my online presence for future employers to see. They’re obviously not wrong, but social media has become such a painful annoyance in my life that makes me question if the positives truly outweigh the negatives.

First off, social media takes away from interpersonal interactions and can be addicting. However, the main problem is that not too many people care about the person behind the profile. Most people keep you as a friend on social media not because they really want to know you but because they want to check if you are still in that “trainwreck” relationship or if you posted any more “risqué” pictures for them to gawk at or criticize. Every social media user receives an unavoidable and harmful negative attention whether they are the poster or the one “stalking” the poster’s profile.

Personally, I don’t care what you post, in the sense that it’s your choice and you can do what you want. But don’t do it for a reaction. One of the worst days in social media history is coming up: Valentine’s Day. I suggest avoid posting about how much you love your significant other because you want to prove you’re the perfect couple or because you can’t stand others thinking your relationship is a mess. Besides, the love you share with someone doesn’t need to be legitimized by a post. If you truly care, your significant other, family member or friends will know. Just don’t do it for the ego boost that accompanies likes and positive comments.

Confidence does not stem from others’ online approval but rather from your own. Stray from the use of social media as a way of judging others and yourself, and consider only using it to promote what you have to offer the world, whether it’s your work, your talents or your aspirations.

—Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager

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.

AP Photo

Interpersonal interaction continues to lessen as students continue to become addicted to social media, using it to boost their confidence from behind a screen.

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

Editorial Staff Tom Kozlowski Editor-in-Chief kozlowt1@tcnj.edu Julie Kayzerman Managing Editor kayzerj1@tcnj.edu Colleen Murphy Sydney Shaw News Editors murphc16@tcnj.edu shaws4@tcnj.edu Matt Bowker Sports Editor bowkerm1@tcnj.edu Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Editor edmondj5@tcnj.edu Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor ilkowsk1@tcnj.edu Ellie Shuckman Opinions Editor shucke1@tcnj.edu Samantha Selikoff Photo Editor selikos1@tcnj.edu

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 Mylin Batipps News Assistant battipm1@tcnj.edu Emilie Lounsberry Advisor lounsber@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Business/Ad Manager wirthsc1@tcnj.edu

“Be better than everybody else. Have a goal. Don’t ask someone else, ‘How do I do this?’ You got to investigate how to do something and then go out and do it. Be the person they have to see.

That’s really what it boils down to.”

— David Koechner, comedy actor

“I’ve never been a part of an event like (TCNJam) before. To see all of Greek Life and Student Government come together to raise that much money was honestly inspirational.”

— Dane West, junior history and secondary education double major

“The success has been contagious, and watching people consistently improve has been inspiring to everyone.”

— Kateln Ary, senior track runner

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page 8 The Signal February 4, 2015

EXPLORING ECONOMIC

JUSTICE

NEW JERSEY, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD

video exchange:

how we talk to each other through film presented by:

louis massiah mr. Louis massiah, acclaimed documentary filmmaker, macarthur Foundation Fellow, & founder and executive director, scribe Video Center, the philadelphia region’s leading media arts

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Library auditorium 6:00 pm Sponsored by: The Black Student Union This program is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

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

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 9

Opinions New rules for Meal Equiv stir up controversy

Perry performs poorly at halftime

By Kelly Corbett This semester we said hello to a newly renovated T-Dubs, but also to some stricter rules on our favorite two and a half hours of the day — Meal Equivalency.

The new regulation is putting a limit on how much a student can eat for lunch. A student can either get one meal at Eickhoff Hall during Meal Equiv or $7.25 worth of food elsewhere, no longer both. But the real question is, is it fair?

The hours between 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily was probably the most anticipated time of the day, where students with a meal plan could treat their taste buds to food other than the typical selections of Eickhoff Hall, yet still swipe into the Atrium if their stomachs growled.

However, with the College now enforcing their rule allowing either the use of Meal Equiv or a swipe into Eick, some feel the meal plans purchased at the start of the semester are false.

According to the College’s website, students with meal Plan A or Plan B enjoy unlimited swipes into Eickhoff, and those with meal Plan C enjoy unlimited swipes after 11 a.m. However, with this new rule, “unlimited” is not really the ideal word to use when students are restricted access from Eickhoff during the Meal Equiv period. The website does make note of the new Meal Equiv rule when selecting a meal plan, though it is mentioned toward the bottom of the page. However, prospective students reading up on the College may miss that minor detail and be mislead.

With the prices on food at other dining locations on-campus being so expensive, $7.25 is not enough money for a student to get a proper lunch. Access to Eick ensured full stomachs and that students did not necessarily have to use their Carte Blanche points to buy an extra bag of chips, or a bottle of water.

Now, of course one could argue that, if a student is afraid of going over Meal Equiv and wants to save their points, they could just eat at Eickhoff during the designated time slot. This is true.

However, after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same place daily, a student is entitled to other options without worry.

If the College truly began losing money as students took advantage of the “free” items, then a plan should have been set up to enable one or two snacks from other dining locations when a swipe into Eick is used, not complete and total restriction.

No matter what the solution may be, one thing is certain — the strict use of Meal Equiv or entrance to Eickhoff Hall is an unfair change hurting the student body.

AP Photo

Perry makes a roaring, grand entrance at the Pepsi Halftime Show.

By Ellie Schuckman Opinions Editor The Super Bowl is often breaking records, whether it’s the amount of viewers who tune in, the teams playing the actual game or those notorious commercials.

However, while the big game attracts an average of 111.5 million viewers every year compared to the typical 20.3 million who watch any given NFL game a week, the sudden rise in viewership begs the question — do people tune in to watch the game, the commercials or the often infamous halftime show performance?

In the last decade alone, we have seen

legends from Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, subpar performances from the Black Eyed Peas and LMFAO and last year’s flawless display of a true talent, Bruno Mars.

And this year’s lucky winner? The one and only, Katy Perry.

While the “Queen of Pop” has had three million-selling albums, her vocal ability remains questionable. With the rise of autotune, almost anyone can put on a sparkly costume, have help writing a catchy song and suddenly become a star. However, it takes talent to have a positive lasting memory, especially with a performance seen around the world.

From her grand entrance on a shiny lion to her flying escape on a shooting star, Perry’s performance was downright cheesy and unmemorable.

While it is hard for any performer to deliver stellar vocals while putting on a decent show, Perry’s lip-synching was delayed, and sounded nothing like the tracks on her albums.

With controversy surrounding this year’s halftime show performer, as reports spread that the NFL wanted the lucky artist to pay to play, Perry booked the deal without paying a dime.

According to Forbes.com, the lucky halftime performer receives no pay for playing the show, but does receive compensation for all travel, lodging and production expenses. The free publicity often serves as pay all in its own right.

After last year’s performance, Mars’s latest album rose 92 percent the week after the Super Bowl, according to the same article.

However, no matter his album sales, Mars delivered a performance which captivated most who watched it. His vocals were flawless, the production was not overdone, he showed off some stellar dance moves and many even begged to have him perform again this year.

Mars managed to entertain his audience, regardless of age or gender, something that Perry was unable to do.

‘Elastic Heart’ raises concerns for youth

By Alyssa Sanford It’s not unusual for a music video to come under fire for some objectionable content, and Sia’s “Elastic Heart” video — which has over 84,000,000 views — is no exception.

The video features Maddie Ziegler, a 12-year-old dancer best known for her appearances on Lifetime’s reality show “Dance Moms,” and Shia LaBeouf, the 28-year-old actor who spent much of 2014 in the limelight for his bizarre antics.

Not long after the “Elastic Heart” video was released on Wednesday, Jan. 7, viewers started vehemently objecting to the pairing of Ziegler and LaBeouf. The controversial video depicts the two dancing in a giant cage, wearing nothing but flesh-toned underwear.

They appear to be alternately fighting and clinging to each other, but the video offers no context for the dramatic scene playing out on-screen. Many viewers were disturbed by the overtones of pedophilia.

“I anticipated some ‘pedophelia!!!’ Cries (sic) for this video,” Sia tweeted in response to the public outcry.

“I apologize to those who feel triggered by #ElasticHeart.

My intention was to create some emotional content, not to upset anybody.”

But this video seemed ripe for controversy. Ziegler appeared in Sia’s “Chandelier” video in May 2014, wearing the same nude leotard and blonde “Sia” wig while dancing in a provocative manner. Meanwhile, LaBeouf was stirring up controversy of his own in 2014, kicking off the year infamously donning a paper bag over his head with the words “I Am Not Famous Anymore” scrawled across it.

In fact, LaBeouf’s paper bag stunt closely resembled a photo shoot that Sia did for Billboard magazine in November 2013, in which she wore a paper bag over her own face.

Sia claims that casting Ziegler and LaBeouf in the video was a natural choice. She sees them as representations of “two warring ‘Sia’ self states,” as she wrote on Twitter.

The fact that LaBeouf is 16 years Ziegler’s elder is simply irrelevant, regardless of how much it offends her audience.

There is, of course, undeniably objectionable content in the

YouTube.com

LaBeouf sparks heated debates in Sia’s music video. video. Certain movements carry sexual overtones, and the rapid shift between displays of violence and raw emotion are disturbing.

But is “Elastic Heart” any more controversial than any other music video?

Music videos have shock value. Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” video depicts an alter ego who was an obsessive, violent and downight crazy ex-girlfriend.

“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj boasted women in revealing outfits and highlighted images that play on double entendres.

Maroon 5’s “Animals” offended many people because of its romanticized take on stalking.

These videos, while shocking and perhaps offensive, garnered a lot of attention and effectively promoted the artists.

Perhaps Sia wasn’t trying to offend her audience, but rather trying to evoke an emotional response, which can run the gamut from empathy to disgust.

Music videos are art, after all, and art is intended to elicit emotional reactions.

There is no denying that it’s a disturbing video. However, it is Sia’s right as an artist to tell emotionally-charged, inspirational stories through song and dance, just like thousands of artists before her have done.

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.

The letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed. All letters should be sent via e-mail to signal@tcnj.edu. Handwritten letters should be sent to The Signal, c/o The Brower Student Center, The College of New Jersey, PO Box 7718 Ewing, N.J. 08628 or placed in our mailbox in the Student Life Office.

Letters must be received by the Friday before publication and should not exceed 300 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be honored only if there is a legitimate reason.

All materials submitted become the sole property of The Signal. The editors reserve the right to edit or withhold all articles, letters & photographs.

The Signal willingly corrects factual mistakes. If you think we have made an error, please contact The Signal at (609) 771-2424, write to the address listed above or e-mail us at signal@tcnj.edu.

page 10 The Signal February 4, 2015

Features

David Koechner gives laugh-filled lecture ‘Anchorman’ actor takes Kendall Hall

AP Photo

The actor is known for playing reporter Champ Kind in ‘Anchorman.’

By Chelsea LoCascio Production Manager Actor David Koechner began his lecture describing his relationship with his favorite drinking buddy — where staying up until the early morning, being kicked out of bars and doing doughnuts on an old nemesis’s lawn was a typical night out.

“That’s the relationship I have with my wife,” said Koechner, defining his idea of a perfect marriage.

Koechner shared more of his comical wisdom about life, marriage and kids in the College Union Board’s spring lecture-turned comedy show on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Kendall Hall’s Main Stage Theater.

Hidden underneath the jokes, impressions and singing was advice students could take away and apply to their lives after college. Yet, despite the good intentions, Koechner felt he had to filter his thoughts while talking to a younger audience.

The

“‘Don’t talk down to us, we’re grown-ups now.’ No you’re not,” said Koechner, providing a perspective from an adult who has seen it all. He later warned the students, “I’m your future.”

Koechner told stories about his kids, such as receiving an unwarranted “World’s Best Dad” bracelet and an incident where one of his sons neglected to save him from drowning in their pool.

He also chronicled his relationship with his young son, Charlie, where any topic — especially anything inappropriate — is open for discussion.

After plenty of jokes, Koechner got back to the real reason he was here: to bestow some knowledge on students at the College.

“I was just told this is a lecture. Is that what you guys were expecting?”

Koechner said. “I love to lecture. I have five kids. I can lecture all day.”

As predicted by most students, Koechner went a different direction with his lecture portion of the show. He roasted the College, with references to

recent snow day activities, past names of the College and the unfair ratio of girls to guys.

The rest of the lecture continued with amusing anecdotes of married life, Missouri carnies from his childhood and a man who lost his leg from a La-Z-Boy recliner. After the show, students asked Koechner about past roles and how he got started in acting.

Koechner said that he went from taking acting classes in Chicago to being a part of “Second City Theater” and later “Saturday Night Live.” Koechner has currently played over 100 characters, usually loud and imprudent, according to IMDB.com.

He talked about his more famous roles as Todd Packer from the television sitcom “The Office” and Champ Kind from the “Anchorman” series. Fans of the movie happily applauded as Koechner yelled “whammy” and joined in to sing the chorus of “Afternoon Delight.”

In an exclusive interview with The Signal, Koechner said that although those roles were fun, he could play Nathan, an

annoying neighbor in Mike Judge’s “Extract” for the rest of his life.

However, he keeps his options open for any job and has no preference between acting in television or movies, writing or voicing a character.

“If you just have a(n) (acting) job, that’s the best,” Koechner said. “(With) television, I can stay home with my kids, which is the best part, given if it’s in Los Angeles. I can drop my kids off in the morning and pick them up most days, not miss any games, just be there all the time. That would be the best.”

During the lecture, Koechner said that the hardest part of reaching a goal is having one. In an interview with The Signal, he gave aspiring actors or anyone with a dream advice on how to achieve what they want most.

“Be better than everybody else …

Have a goal,” Koechner said. “Don’t ask someone else, ‘How do I do this?’ You got to investigate how to do something and then go out and do it. Be the person they have to see. That’s really what it boils down to.”

Photo courtesy of Jade Mannheim

Koechner tells many anecdotes about married life and his five children.

Hollyword: A Kidz Bop blunder

AP Photo

Schwarzenegger stars in a new ‘Terminator’ film.

By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist

Do you like dancing to songs that have the word “anal” in them? How about ones that children sing?

Well, you’re a very disturbed individual, but look no

further than “Kidz Bop 27!” I can imagine a Kidz Bop executive sitting in his office screaming at his secretary, “How can we make “Kidz Bop 27” push the envelope even FURTHER??? What are all the kids into these days?” Well, apparently we got our answer.

In the Kidz Bop version of “All About That Bass”

by Meghan Trainor (who is 2015’s version of Carly Rae Jepsen), they attempted to censor the word “booty” in the line “I’m bringing booty back,” but instead made it sound like they are saying “I’m bringing anal back,” which I’m pretty sure was the working title of Justin Timberlake’s song at some point. What the kids are really trying to say is, “I’m bringing it all back,” but as all children do, they fuck shit up. So please, for hopefully the first time in your life, go pick up a copy of “Kidz Bop 27.” You will not be disappointed. Well you will. But it’s funny to laugh at the word “anal.”

It’s also funny watching Arnold Schwarzenegger do, well, anything. The actor/former overlord of California is starring in the new “Terminator” film called “Terminator: Genisys.” A 30-second ad spot has been released which played during the Superbowl. If you ever wanted to watch a governor jump out of a helicopter and didn’t want to wait for Chris Christie to do it, here’s your chance. The film looks like any other past “Terminator” film has, except now Arnold is old. Like really old.

They explain this strange appearance as the result of his

“cybernetic skin” aging. But there are plenty of murderous cyborgs who get rid of their wrinkles — just look at Courteney Cox! I’m not buying this, sorry. The next installment of the robo franchise will be released July 1, 2015, just in time to have something to talk about with your straight uncle at the next family Fourth of July barbeque.

And Justin Bieber released a video “apologizing” for his behavior. Who cares, jump out of a plane, bye.

AP Photo

Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ is covered.

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 11

: The1960s

91.3 WTSR gets its start

Kimberly Ilkowski/ Features Editor

The March 1960 front cover of the State Signal offers a different layout.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor

Before it was The Signal, the College’s newspaper was called State Signal and was a bi-weekly publication. State Signal subscriptions went for $2.00 a year and single copies were sold for 15 cents. In March of 1960, the paper was only composed of a single page that documented the goings on around campus and the community. Activities available for students at the time included a Sock Hop in the gym, a showing of the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds” and a Saturday night semi-formal dance for the cost of just $1.50 per couple.

1960 also saw the emergence of the College radio station 91.3 FM WTSR. Formerly known as W.T.S.C. to stand for Trenton State College radio, their debut was captured on a front page story series that highlighted all the new and exciting aspects of college radio.

Contributor William Gayton offered an inside look into one of the radio’s first speciality shows, “The Big Harangue.”

As many of you know, Trenton State College radio station, W.T.S.C., is now on the air.

In the February 16, 1960 issue of the Signal, the purpose and personnel of W.T.S.C. was introduced to you. In the forthcoming issues, W.T.S.C. will give you, the students, an insight into the type of programs which will be presented during the remainder of the semester.

If any ardent listener of W.T.S.C. has been listening lately, I’m sure they have heard the familiar strains of The Sophisticated Swing

by Jimmy Dorsey, playing over the air. This is a unique theme used by Ernie Rydell, senior English major, in introducing his program, “The Big Harangue.” This interesting show can be heard on Monday at 9:30 to 10:30 and on Friday from 8:30 to 9:30.

“The Big Harangue is a show which offers something for everyone. Ernie, in his cool relaxed manner, makes announcements concerning weather in this area, campus news and has quizzes which offer many unusual and humorous prizes.

The first half-hour of this show is

Campus Style

By Heather Hawkes Columnist As I turn the page of my calendar from January to February, I begin to come to the sad realization that winter is not going to end anytime soon. At this point, it is often difficult to harness the inspiration to put together a fashion-forward outfit every single day of this dreary season (sorry, winter lovers). I mean really, I only have so many long-sleeve shirts and snow-appropriate boots in my wardrobe. It’s so much easier to just hibernate inside all day and watch countless hours of Netflix in my pajamas until spring finally arrives.

If any of this resonates with how you feel during the middle of winter, I urge you to find a style icon that can reboot your frozen love for fashion.

The greatest thing about fashion is that it is a form of self-expression.

So, when trying to find your fashion icon, look toward someone who not only dresses well, but also resonates with who you are and what you’re interested in. Let the way you dress represent who you are and what you’re passionate about. Too often, people misrepresent fashion as a superficial, materialistic obsession that holds no real value. I’m here to tell you that true fashion inspiration comes from dedicated to different guest stars (individuals or groups). Many of your favorite bands and instrumental and singing groups can be heard.

For those who prefer show tunes or some particular style of music, Ernie devotes the second half-hour of his show. Here are heard jazz, dixie, and Broadway hit show tunes

AP Photo

Find inspiration through style icons like actress Emma Watson. within, and it is something that can inspire us to be our best selves. Why wait for a special occasion to feel good about yourself when you can do that every single day?

I challenge you to research some awe-inspiring people and pay attention to how they represent themselves through fashion. Let them respark your passions and inspire you to represent your best self and do whatever makes you feel good.

which appeal to everyone.

With his own intimate style, Ernie Rydell is quite capable of handling a show of this caliber. With his cheerful personality, timely quips and interesting highlights, Ernie is able to bring to you, the students of Trenton State College, a show worth listening to. Tune in his next show and see for yourself.

page 12 The Signal February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 13

Arts & Entertainment

Concert / Misterwives revitalize student spirits continued from page 1

In an interview with The Signal, Hehir recounted what went through his mind when he found out almost every show of the tour had sold out.

“Our manager called us up and was like, ‘We got the Bowery show ... We actually think it sold out,’ and we were like, ‘No way man, there had to be an error,” Hehir said. “It’s baffling for us to sell out in New York but then to have the opportunity to sell out

around the country is the most humbling thing of all time.”

Last month, the group had the opportunity to record a song at the renowned Electric Lady Studios in New York City, covering a song by John Oates in part of a project with Kia, where the former Hall & Oates member surprised the band at the very end of the session.

“It was like a religious experience,” Hehir said. “We just walked into the place and immediately got goose bumps.”

Samantha Selikoff / Photo Editor

Earl, Mowgli’s vocalist, dances to the band’s catchy songs.

The Mowgli’s kept the energy levels high as they took the stage next.

The band, made up of Colin Louis Dieden on vocals and guitar, Katie Jayne Earl on vocals, Matthew Di Panni on bass, Josh Hogan and Spencer Trent on guitar, Dave Appelbaum on keyboard and Andy Warren on drums, showcased its large sound with its equally large stage presence.

Aside from Dieden and Earl, the other members of the band also contributed vocals throughout many of the tracks, giving the songs a fuller sound.

Songs like “Emily,” “Clean Light” and “Love Is Easy” off its 2013 album “Waiting For The Dawn” made for upbeat sing-alongs, while never-beforeheard releases like “I’m Good” and “Sunlight” offered a glimpse into what its new album “Kids In Love” will sound like when it is released in the next few months.

The group’s breezy, beach

Samantha Selikoff / Photo Editor

Misterwives get the crowd on its feet in Kendall Hall. vibes and positivity radiated out of each member during the set, which was reminiscent of Grouplove when they performed at the College in the fall of 2013.

The night came to a close as The Mowgli’s performed its biggest hit “San Francisco,” which stirred the members of Misterwives — who were previously dancing in front of the stage with students — to hop on stage to join in on the dancing and singing.

For its new album, the band will be hitting the road again

this spring, something the band members are all too familiar with at this point in their lives.

“We were out touring almost one year straight (before),” Earl said in an interview with The Signal. “And we’ve just gone completely crazy. We’re having fun, that’s how we’re still alive.”

Each band brought the crazy and the fun to Kendall to revitalize student spirits for the beginning of another semester, now complete with an exciting new soundtrack.

Carell’s performance fails to save ‘Foxcatcher’

By Chris Minitelli Staff Writer

There has certainly been a lot of buzz from critics and audiences alike about Bennett Miller’s recent movie “Foxcatcher.” This buzz has been mixed with varying reactions and thoughts, most of which I have to agree with.

“Foxcatcher” tells the true story of one of the greatest Olympic wrestling champion team led by two brothers who decide to join Team Foxcatcher. This new team is led and financed by the multimillionaire John E. du Pont of

the du Pont family and du Pont chemical company (portrayed

by Steve Carell). The wrestling brothers, Mark and David Schultz, are played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, respectively. The story follows the brothers along with du Pont as they train for the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea.

However, this new partnership leads these men into very difficult and dubious circumstances.

As I was watching this film, I found myself constantly trying to think of why this was even made into a movie. The storyline for

this film was a bit too flat and underdeveloped for me. I felt that nothing really happened in the movie until the last 30 minutes or so. Understandably, this movie was about a wrestling team and its preparations to compete.

However, I felt that other personal components of the characters were ignored. Especially in the case of Ruffalo’s character, I thought that more background and development should have been given in order for the audience to actually identify and empathize with him.

Although I felt that there

should have been more focus on the characters’ lives, the three main actors definitely gave powerful performances. Ruffalo and Tatum did a good job portraying the brothers and give their characters proper portrayals. However, the true standout in this film is Carell, who gave a performance that I do not think anyone saw coming. He definitely showed that he is able to now cross over into more serious and dramatic roles. As du Pont, Carell managed to have the audience feel as uncomfortable and confused as the other

characters in the film — which is definitely difficult to do.

With the Academy Awards coming up, “Foxcatcher” has accumulated five nominations, including Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor and Carell for Best Actor. While both of these men had stellar performances, I do not think “Foxcatcher” will actually sweep the Oscars.

Ultimately, “Foxcatcher” is only really worth watching just to see how much Steve Carell is actually capable of doing as an actor. Besides his performance, this film is neither very memorable nor worth investing much time in.

‘Wired’ produces theater magic in 24 hours

By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Review Editor

All College Theater and TCNJ Musical Theater come together once a semester to hold “Wired,” a 24-hour playwriting competition that can only be described as “theater magic.”

The competition began on Friday, Jan. 30, as writers and arbiters gathered to start the play process. Arbiters can be compared to the “game makers” in “The Hunger Games” — creating a theme that writers have to follow, along with twists and turns to be added throughout the night. This year’s theme was reality TV shows with a sub-genre, classic Disney theme park rides.

The actors and actresses are only given their scripts about 11 hours before showtime.

They have to block their movement, memorize the script and prepare the props and costumes. Each group is only given a nineminute technical rehearsal in the space.

“Inside the Arbiter room, we just try to throw out as many ideas as possible until something sticks,” Head Arbiter and junior biology major Ken Abes said. “For this, we

Photo courtesy of Rhiannon Picioccio

Muzaffar wins Best Actress for her portayal of housewife Dominique.

try to think as out of the box, weird and creatively as possible.”

Twists that writers had to follow included a horoscope prediction or fortune, breaking the fourth wall to the audience, lyrics from a popular song to be dialogue, product placement and creating a word.

In particular, the play “Spaceless in Seattle” based on “Bridezillas,” written by sophomore communications major Brooke Buonauro and sophomore open options major Julie Scesney, had to incorporate Tide-to-Go as their product placement. Before the bride’s typical major breakdown, the wedding planner realized there were stains on the bridal

gowns and in perfect harmony everyone on stage broke character to hold up the Tide-toGo stick, leaving the audience in stitches.

“We paced around the library basement and danced the Charleston while we thought,” Scesney said.

“And finally we had a breakthrough and a plot and that changed the night for us,” Buonauro said in conjunction.

The writing duo was the wildcard team amongst the four other groups, given that neither had ever written for “Wired” before this semester. In spite of that, they went on to win Best Play of the night with their quirky show about a lesbian couple getting married,

incorporating a dad in space and the best man having feelings for one of the brides.

Other breakout performances included junior English and childhood education double major Masooma Muzaffar playing a dead housewife who loves to drink martinis in the Hollywood Tower Hotel — landing her the Best Actress award. Best Actor went to freshman chemistry secondary education major Eric Schreiber. Schreiber made the audience laugh playing an actor who portrays a Mormon dating the daughter of the Devil in a “Hell’s Kitchen” sitcom remake.

The most plot driven show was “To Build A Home,” which was based on “House Hunters” and followed a group of sisters and their penguin trying to find a home. With a “Frozen” feel that included a sassy blizzard and sisterly love, the play was sweet and “chill.”

“The best feeling is once my cast and I are finished and we can just sing and dance to celebrate,” said Alyssa Freitas, sophomore management major and actress in “Your Interview Begins In…” Regardless of theater experience, everyone involved left exhausted but still laughing and smiling until the end.

page 14 The Signal February 4, 2015

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February 4, 2015 The Signal page 15

Have Mercy draws largest Rat crowd in years

Kimberly Ilkowski / Features Editor

Swindle passionately belts Have Mercy’s signature sound.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Features Editor

CUBRat had one of its biggest turnouts in years during its first show of the spring semester, with New Jersey bands Forever Losing Sleep and On Your Marks opening for alternative rockers Have Mercy on Friday, Jan. 30, in the Rathskeller.

Forever Losing Sleep opened the night with its dark and often

By Judith Signal Advice Columnist

times somber sounds. Made up of Joe Kelly on vocals and guitar, Aaron Facher on bass, Freddy Pruden and Anthony Webster on guitars and Noel Herbolario on drums, the band commanded the attention of the overflowing bar.

The band played multiple tracks off its October 2014 full-length release “I Lost Myself Again,” which features heavy emo influences.

Up next, On Your Marks brought their signature energy to the stage.

The punk quartet hailing from Oceanport, N.J. was comprised of vocalist and guitarist Alex Piraquive, drummer Matt Arnone, bassist Freddie Koechlin and guitarist Phil McGarry.

The first half of their set included songs off their new EP — which is expected for release in the spring — like “Reflect,” “Repeat” and “Replace.” The remainder of the set featured tracks off their LP “Ripped Out By The Roots,” including “Anxiety” and “Perfect.”

They dedicated their song “Cemetery Hill” to a friend that recently passed away at just 19 years old.

“I’m so fucking grateful to be alive and to be here playing music for you guys,” McGarry said before ripping into the songs first chords.

The band has previously played their own personal brand of fast pop punk at the Rathskeller last April for the Battle of the Bands competition.

On Your Marks is part of the Mayflower Collective, a new DIY entertainment group who recently set out on a small concert tour with

the College’s own Save Face.

Finally, Baltimore-based band Have Mercy closed out the night.

Featuring Brian Swindle on vocals and guitar, Andrew Johnson on guitar, Todd Wallace on drums and Nick Woolford on bass, they played songs off their new album “A Place of Our Own,” released on Hopeless Records in October of 2014.

The band thrashed through songs like “To Convey” and “Two Years” as well as the crowd favoriteturned-singalong “Let’s Talk About Your Hair,” off the 2013 full-length “The Earth Pushed Back.” For their final song, the band performed the melancholy “My Oldest Friends” off a 2012 EP of the same name.

“We never went to college, so we’re gonna pack it all into one night,” Johnson laughed as he proceeded to try and make plans with audience members after the show.

This year’s new CUBRat cochair, sophomore communications major Connor Meany, organized the night’s show and was blown away by how many students and friends

were in attendance.

“We had to have at least 130 kids in there, really packed the floor space and then some,” Meany said. “Have Mercy are some of the most genuine dudes I’ve met and really brought a crowd with them. It was just a really cool experience for my first Rat show, seeing my friends in On Your Marks and Forever Losing Sleep tear it up right before Have Mercy took the stage for a super intimate set.”

In between songs, Swindle couldn’t help but wonder what acts had come to the Rat before.

“You guys have Connor setting up these shows now,” Swindle said.

“What if back in the day some hoity toity dude was like, ‘We’re gonna bring Beethoven over here!’”

Have Mercy is planing to tour this spring with Head North and You, Me & Everyone We Know.

Catch next week’s stacked Rat lineup with Superheaven, Elvis Depressedly, Young and Heartless and Glassgrade.

– Our Purpose The Awards Forecast: The race for best actor

Dear Judith, The big questions of life have really been coming down on me lately, like who are we, why am I here and what is my purpose?

All great questions with few solid answers.

Any advice on finding some meaningful solutions to these soul searching questions?

—Purpose

Dear Purpose, First off, please know that you are not alone. I’m pretty sure almost every college kid thinks about these type of questions on a daily basis. The ’20s are an extremely exciting time in a person’s life, but they can also be incredibly terrifying. It’s a deep period of change and confusion, so I understand these questions. Let me try and break it down for you: Who are we? Well, Purpose, we are human beings. Humans are comprised of many elements — love, fear, happiness, sadness, ambition, jealousy and greed.

We are strong. We are fragile. But, we are also beautiful. I hope you know all of this, Purpose. All of these things make up

who we are — plus your passions, your dreams and your goals. It’s a lot, isn’t it?

But that’s OK. It’s what makes us uniquely ourselves. I find it best to not get too existential, because I don’t think it’s going to get us anywhere. We are here. We are surrounded by love and opportunity.

For me, that is enough. I urge you to start thinking the same way. Live in the moment. Accept yourself.

Why are we here? I don’t know what your religion is, Purpose, or even if you believe in a higher being. Regardless, it doesn’t affect my answer too much. You’re here because you have a purpose. To be a friend, a son, a brother, a sister, a daughter, a creator — anything you put your mind to. Being true to yourself and following the identity you have created is absolutely key.

So that leads me to your last question — What is your purpose? If you don’t know yet, you will soon. You’ll know it when you feel it within your heart and you feel a kind of unadulterated happiness. Trust me, Purpose — it’s coming.

And when it does, the only questions you’ll be asking yourself is, how did I ever think I couldn’t find happiness in the first place?

Love, Judith

AP Photo

Keaton may finally win.

By Jonathan Edmondson Arts & Entertainment Edtior

This year’s tightest race in the Oscars is certainly the competition for Best

Actor, which features four newbies and one veteran.

The first man up for the Oscar is Bradley Cooper for his portrayal of America’s deadliest sniper, Chris Kyle, in Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper.” Cooper, who gained weight and muscle to portray the reallife Navy SEAL, plays the role with steely concentration and internal conflict.

Steve Carell portrays the wealthy psychopath John du Pont in “Foxcatcher,” a role for which the comedian completely transformed. He is almost unrecognizable in the role, which he plays with understated force.

The most heartbreaking performance comes from British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrayed

Alan Turing in “The Imitation Game.” Turing, the real-life mathematician who helped crack Nazi codes during World War II, was punished for being a homosexual and forced to undergo chemical castration.

Despite these three performances, the real race is between Michael Keaton for “Birdman” and Eddie Redmayne for “The Theory of Everything.” Keaton portrays Riggan Thomson, a fading Hollywood star trying to break back into the scene by directing, writing and starring in a new Broadway show.

Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking, the famous physicist, with real conviction.

All the men are powerful in their own right, but I’m voting for Keaton.

Lyon captures Civil Rights Movement in exhibit

Samantha Selikoff / Photo Editor

Students gather to view and discuss Lyon’s influential work.

By Jillian Festa Staff Writer

The Art Gallery in the AIMM building was bustling with students, professors, alumni and local residents on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The spring art exhibit, titled

“Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement,” was chosen as part of this year’s intellectual theme of justice in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. It features 50 of the most iconic black-and-white photographs of photographer and

filmmaker Danny Lyon.

Among the many perusers of the gallery on its opening night was Trenton resident Elise Mannella.

“I’ve known about Lyon and I’m very interested in this period in American history,” she said.

Born in 1942 in Brooklyn, Lyon published his first photographs working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

From 1962 to 1964, he traveled the Mid-Atlantic and South documenting the Civil Rights Movement.

He provided pictures for SNCC’s propaganda and press releases. He received the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship for photography in 1969, then for filmmaking in 1979.

His pictures not only captured moments of the movement, but immortalized the emotions of

their subjects.

“There was a very interesting diversity in the photography,” freshman biomedical engineering major Bella Nicholson said. “It really did capture the highlights of the SNCC and all they tried to accomplish during the movement.”

Junior graphic design major Danielle McDermott, who also visited the exhibit, was struck by the artist’s deeply-moving work.

“I read about (this exhibit) on a flyer and it seemed pretty interesting,” McDermott said. One of her favorite works was captioned “Arrested for demonstrating in America’s Georgia, teenage girls are kept in a stockade ... This photograph was taken through the broken glass of the barred windows.”

Lyon’s style is described as

photographic New Journalism, in which the photographer becomes immersed and is a participant of the documented subject. He accomplished more than just documenting the Civil Rights Movement — he created beautiful pieces of art. Printed on the wall in the gallery was a quote by U.S. Congressman John Lewis regarding Lyon: “This young white New Yorker came South with a camera and a keen eye for history.

And he used these simple, elegant gifts to capture the story of one of the most inspiring periods in America’s twentieth century.”

The exhibit is open to the public from Jan. 28 to March 1, and Lyon’s 1975 film, “Los Niños Abandonados,” will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 10 a.m. in the Kendall Hall Screening Room.

page 16 The Signal February 4, 2015

Sports

Cheap Seats

Hawks’ success comes from fundamentals

The Atlanta Hawks own the best record in the NBA.

By Kevin Luo Staff Writer The center of the sports world this week partially involved the Seattle Seahawks. However, I want to talk about another group of Hawks, the Atlanta Hawks.

If you asked a group of casual sports fans what team is the best team in the NBA this season, how many of them would guess that it is, indeed, the Atlanta Hawks? But I don’t want to just talk about their success this season, I want to talk about how they’re winning and about my hopes that the rest of the league

AP Photo

will play more like them.

You would think that the Hawks, who are now 40-8, would have multiple stars on their team, but how many casual sports fans could name multiple players on the Hawks roster? Although they have three All Stars (you could argue they should have four), they have no players averaging more than 35 minutes, 18 points, nine rebounds or eight assists per game.

So how have the Hawks been so successful this season? They have been so successful because they actually play team basketball, also known as “Spurs

basketball.” Of course, the head coach of the Hawks is now Mike Budenholzer, who was an assistant under Gregg Poppovich in San Antonio for a while.

Usually when I watch the NBA, a large percentage of the half-court offense consists of one or two star players dribbling the air out of the basketball while the rest of the players stand around and watch. Most of the possessions end in tough jump shots or a one-on-one drive to the basket. Not only does this type of basketball lead to inefficiency on the offensive end, but it also leads to a lack of confidence and effort by all the players who are just standing around and watching. Along with being a bad brand of basketball, it’s really not that enjoyable to watch.

However, when the Hawks or the Spurs, — last year’s NBA champion­ — play basketball, there’s some symphony and harmony with the way they play. Everyone touches the ball. Everyone shoots. Everyone passes. It’s truly a pleasure to watch. This leads to more confidence for the whole

roster so that starters get more rest.

This also leads to the entire roster playing with more energy when it comes to defense, rebounding and fighting for loose balls. It sounds simple, but playing like a team rather than just five individuals is what sets these teams apart from the rest of the league.

Team basketball would be great to see more often, but oneon-one basketball has become a systematic flaw in how basketball is played and coached at every level. More and more colleges, high school and youth basketball teams are playing more like the pros because the stars on

the team think they are the next Lebron James or Kevin Durant.

I even see it when I play pickup. Anyone who’s played pickup basketball has experienced playing with a teammate that is a basketball black hole.

If they touch the ball, they’re going to dribble it around for at least 10 seconds, make a few moves and shoot the ball. I usually don’t want to play with this person, just like I’m starting to not like watching this type of play. Props to the Hawks and the Spurs. Hopefully, their successes will cause the rest of the league to play like them.

AP Photo

Al Horford is one of three Hawks to reach the All-Star game.

Basketball on a roll Wrestling splits weekend Win by criteria vs. Springfield Men’s Basketball

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Freshman Eric Murdock, Jr. Otto Gomez Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team continued their great play as they defeated conference opponents Richard Stockton and Rutgers-Newark last week.

The team traveled to Galloway to face Stockton and left with a great come-from-behind victory with a score of 66-63. The game featured a very strong performance by junior Bobby Brackett, who in a team-high 36 minutes posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Brackett also converted on a lay-up followed by a free throw with two seconds to go in the game. On the ensuing possession, sophomore Eric Klacik stole the ball to ensure the Lions victory.

The upset over the 13th-ranked Stockton Ospreys was the eighth win in the last 10 games for the Lions, putting them at 11-8 on the

regular season, and it gave Richard Stockton only their third loss of the season.

Fresh off a great victory, the Lions kept gaining momentum on their way to their second game of the season with Rutgers-Newark.

Previously on Saturday, Dec. 6, the Lions traveled to Newark only to come away with a 66-56 loss.

However, this time playing in Ewing, the result was different.

In front of a great crowd in Packer Hall, the Lions bested the Scarlet Raiders by a convincing score of 74-62. This was a well-rounded victory for the team as it saw contributions from many different players. Freshman guard Erick Murdock, Jr. scored 17 second-half points, senior forward Skyelar Ettin finished with 14 points, including three 3-pointers, and Brackett missed a double-double by one rebound, ending with a statline of 10 points and nine rebounds.

Unlike the previous game, the Lions got off to a great start right off the tip, seizing a 36-25 lead at half and never looking back.

While they got great productivity from their offense the entire game, it was the defense that was the game changer in the closing minutes. The Scarlet Raiders were not able to make a field goal from the 5:07 mark until there was under 30 seconds left in the game. Late free throws clinched the home victory for the College.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Lions look to stay hot against NJAC rival Rowan University at home, a squad who bested the Lions 76-59 back on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Wrestling

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior Nathaniel Leer defeats his opponent.

By Josh Kestenbaum Staff Writer

The Lions’ winning streak came to an end on Saturday, Jan. 31 when the College hosted the annual Metro/New England Duals. The College wrestled against three teams: Bridgewater State University, 14th-ranked Roger Williams University and 27th-ranked Williams College.

The Lions came out strong with an early 45-3 win over the Bridgewater Bears. The College only lost one weight class. That class, however, was not 174, where senior Zach Zotollo continued his incredible season by extending his undefeated record to 13-0.

After taking that decisive

victory, the Lions were not as successful against their two ranked opponents. Against Roger Williams University, the Lions won at 125, 149 and 174.

With their wins, junior Dylan Thorsen and Zotollo each ended the day with 2-0 records.

“Losing focus should never be an issue,” Zotollo said in regards to staying focused after falling behind. “Every guy has worked hard and prepared well, so regardless of what the team score is, each wrestler’s job is to stay focused on winning their match.”

In their final match of the day, the Lions were defeated

by Williams College by a score of 21-15. This match also saw two more Lions wrestlers improve to 2-0 on

the day: sophomores Kevin Corrigan and Dan Wojtaszek.

The next day, the Lions were once again in action, as they took on the Springfield College Pride. The College was victorious by a score of 19-18.

After all the weight classes had finished, the match was tied 18-18. This forced the match to be decided by criteria. Each team won five weight classes and each had one victory by fall. This brought the fate of the match down to total points scored, in which the Lions eked out the Pride 45-44. This gave the Lions the extra point and the win.

Freshman Ryan Budzek started off the match with a victory at 141, but the Lions proceeded to drop the next three weight classes and fall behind 9-3. However, the Lions struck back with wins at 174 and 184 by freshman Kellen Whitney and Wojtaszek, respectively, to come back and tie Springfield at 9-9.

After a pin by Springfield at 197, the College took back the lead with wins by senior Nathaniel Leer and Kevin Corrigan. The match ended with a Springfield win at 133 that tied the score and forced the match to be decided by criteria.

The Lions will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 6, when they travel to Willes-Barre, PA to take on Wilkes University.

4 6

LIONS

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 17

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Otto Gomez “The Ref”

Kevin Luo

Staff Writer

Josh Kestenbaum Staff Writer

George Tatoris Staff Writer

In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Otto Gomez, asks our panel of experts three questions: What should be the penalty for the Patriots’ “Deflate-Gate” scandal, who was the biggest snub or suprise selection to the NBA All-Star Game, and can the Kentucky men’s basketball team finish the regular season undefeated?

1. What do you think the punishment should be for “Deflate-Gate,” and how could it affect the Patriots in the future?

Kevin: Honestly, I’m not sure what the punishment should be for “DeflateGate’”because I’m not sure what actually happened. I think it’s both plausible that the Patriots did nothing wrong and that the league won’t be able to prove they did anything wrong. If that’s the case, there will be no punishment. However, if the league proves there was systematic cheating on the Patriots’ behalf, I expect Brady and/or Belichick to be suspended for a couple games, fined and the team will lose a first-round pick. I personally don’t think this is a big deal, but this on top of Spygate, along with the scrutiny the league has been on this season, will lead to this harsh punishment if the Patriots are found guilty.

Josh: I don’t think the Patriots should be harshly punished for “Deflate-Gate.” While some of the coaches and higher-ups may

AP Photo

have known of the plan or even ordered the balls to be deflated, I don’t believe the players had such knowledge. And, in hindsight, I really don’t think the deflated balls had much impact on the game. The Patriots beat the Colts 45-7 in dominant fashion. I think the Patriots would have won handily

even without the ball pressure help. Even Colts tight end Dwayne Allen tweeted, “They could have played with soap for balls and beat us. Simply the better team.” The Patriots organization should be assessed a fine or, at most, docked a late-round draft pick. Their future will

be affected as much as it was by Spygate: a slight hit to their reputation and nothing more.

George:”Deflate-Gate” is the most heinous football crime of our day, and its perpetrators deserve strict and sudden castigation.

All the big players involved will surely be weeded out one by one, but the question will remain: Did the Big Cheese, star quarterback Tom Brady, know what was happening? Mr. Brady will deny any involvement, but I hear from my anonymous source — let’s refer to him as Deep Throw — that Mr. Brady records every conversation that takes place in the locker room. If the tapes reveal that Mr. Brady did in fact know about “Deflate-Gate” beforehand, I believe the only punishment suitable would be the swift impeachment of the Pats quarterback. As for what this means for the Patriots’ franchise, “Deflate-Gate” will forever smirch the organization known for four Super Bowl wins, eight Super Bowl appearances and freeing the slaves.

George gets 3 points for reminding us of the emancipation. Josh gets 2 points for saying the balls were irrelevant during the game, and Kevin gets 1 point for mentioning Spygate.

AP Photo

2. What was the biggest surprise from the NBA All-Star team selections?

Kevin: I was going to say the biggest All-Star snub was Boogie Cousins, but he got chosen as Kobe’s replacement. I’ll go with the other obvious snub instead, Damian Lillard.

I thought Lillard’s clutch performances last postseason put him on the map enough that a good first half of the season would definitely make him an All Star, and he had a really good first half of the season. You can make a strong argument he’s been the second best

point guard in the west behind Steph Curry.

So in order for there to be a snub, there has to be someone who doesn’t belong. They’re both incredible players, but at least one of the Thunder stars, Westbrook or Durant, doesn’t deserve to be an All Star this season. They’ve both missed a chunk of the season, and their team isn’t in the playoffs right now.

Josh: The biggest surprise from the NBA All-Star selections was the absence of Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver. While the Hawks are already being represented by three other players plus their head coach, Korver is a big reason why the Hawks currently sit atop the Eastern Conference and have won 19 straight games. The 12-year vet has not posted offthe-charts numbers in points, assists or rebounds, but he has put up incredible shooting percentages. Korver is currently shooting 51.8 percent from the floor, 53.4 percent from behind the arc and 92.3 percent from the free throw line. If he keeps up these numbers, he

is headed for two league records: first player to post a 50/50/90 shooting slash and the best overall shooting percentage of all time. With percentages like this, Korver deserved to be invited to New York to take part in the festivities.

George: The biggest surprise by far is the fact that there are no actual stars on either roster. Sure, they got Melo, King James and the Boshtrich, who are all pretty good players, but where’s Aldebaran? Betelgeuse? Polaris? And don’t even get me started on Sirius. These guys are in their prime right now, but time flies. In a couple billion years, these star players will become hot enough to fuse helium into carbon and oxygen through the triple-alpha process and eventually turn into white dwarfs. Some of the bigger stars might even exceed the largest possible mass supported by degeneracy pressure, experience a core-collapse supernova and become black holes or neutron stars.

And neutron stars can’t be ballers.

Kevin gets 3 points for mentioning the Thunder’s injuries. Josh gets 2 points for the Korver analysis, and George gets 1 point for assuming that neutron stars can’t be ballers.

3. Will the Kentucky Wildcats go undefeated throughout the rest of the regular season and win the March Madness Tournament?

Kevin: I don’t see Kentucky going undefeated throughout the whole season. They’re in a mediocre conference, but they also had to go to OT to win their first two conference games this season. They’re tremendously talented, smothering on defense and have two full squads of future first-round picks. However, they are not without flaws. I don’t think they have a true go-to option on offense and have the potential to go through droughts on offense when they can’t force the opponents into turnovers. They’re also just crazy young, and it’s super difficult to go undefeated in college basketball.

Josh: I think there is a better chance of the Wildcats going undefeated in the regular season than there is winning the national championship. Kentucky does not play another ranked team for the rest of the season, and they are firing on all cylinders right now after retaining most of their monstrous 2013 recruiting class.

While their schedule seems to point toward an

undefeated regular season, the real danger lies in the tournament. Every year, high-seeded teams fall to lower-seeded teams in shocking defeats. Last year, No. 3 Duke fell to the 14th-ranked Mercer. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and I don’t think Kentucky is immune to this perennial occurrence. A No. 1 seed has only won the whole thing once in the last 13 years. Undefeated? Probably. Champions? History says probably not.

George: It’s possible they’ll be defeated, but not by any big team. Instead it’s going to be a team they’d never expect to beat them.

The Wildcats play well against good teams.

They dominate the court when they share it with someone of equal caliber. For example, UCLA, North Carolina and Kansas all fell to the Wildcats. What the cats will struggle with is when they go against a team that they underestimate. Take for example, their game against unranked Ole Miss. The Cats had to drag the game into overtime to win, and beforehand were struggling defensively. While this game may have been a one-time thing, it revealed cracks in the seemingly flawless Wildcats strategy.

Josh gets 3 points for acknowledging the danger of the Tournament. George and Kevin get 2 points each for talking about the weaknesses of the Wildcats.

Josh wins Around the Dorm 8-7-6.

AP Photo

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page 18 The Signal February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015 The Signal page 19 Women’s Basketball

Lions look to remain in playoff hunt Must finish strong against NJAC rivals

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The Lions fall to Richard Stockton in a division game.

By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer Angelica Esposito has had to carry the women’s basketball team in scoring the past two games. As her junior regular season is coming to a close, she wants to get to the playoffs.

Esposito and her teammates still have an opportunity to make the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs. At 10-10, they know they must win three to four of their remaining conference games to make it.

“We’re excited to be back at .500,” Coach Dawn Henderson said. “We tried a couple of

different things, and it worked for us. We struggled and didn’t shoot particularly well at times.

I’m glad they were rewarded for the hard work.”

The College lost 62-52 to Richard Stockton at the Sports Center in Galloway, New Jersey on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

The team struggled to score 30 points in either half.

The Ospreys were up as much as 13 points in the first half. And although the College held a three-point lead at 11:35 in the second half, the gap gradually closed.

The team was led by Esposito, who had a team high of 15 points.

She was followed by juniors Jess Lynch and Christina Merlin, who had 10 points each.

“My teammates did a good job in getting me the ball,” Esposito said. “We do a good job of sharing the ball. I was able to make the shots, while other days, it could be any one of my teammates.”

Freshman Nikki Schott contributed six points, while fellow classman Cindy Napolitano added five. Senior Jessica Goldbach scored four, while senior Kelly Coughlin had two.

For the home team, Sara Farrell scored 15 points, as well.

Sasha Williams scored 13, while Lauren Alwan had 11.

However, later on the College defeated the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, 65-57, at Packer Hall on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Rutgers-Newark led by as much as eight points with 4:58 left in the first half. The Lions also had an eight-point lead with 1:27 left in the game.

Jade Howard had 21 points for the Scarlet Raiders. Shala Glenn added 12 points, while Maria Simmons had seven points. “(Howard) is a very good player,” Esposito said. “Luckily, we got her into foul trouble in the first half and early in the second half, so she was in and

out. It was hard for her to be comfortable and get a rhythm.

She’s a great player, and the best player on their team by far.”

Both Rutgers players Arianna Williams and Sharée Gordon scored six points. Jasmine Lombard had five points.

Esposito scored a career-high 23 points for the Lions. Freshman Charlotte Schum also scored a career-high 11 points, while Coughlin added another 11 points.

“We were very excited coming into this game,” Schum said.

“We prepared very well, and we came out with a lot of energy. We had very good shots against their

defense … and we looked for the open gaps. Once we had an open shot, we had to make it count.”

Sophomore Katy Amato scored six points, Lynch and Goldbach had four points. Cindy Napolitano had three points, while Merlin had two points, and senior Kylie O’Donnell one point.

The past two games, the team shot only 38 of 118 from the field. They were shooting just 31 percent over this two game stretch.

“When we were going back and forth, our shots weren’t falling in the first half,” Schum said. “We knew they would fall eventually.”

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior Kylie O’Donnell helps the Lions to victory.

Signal

Sports

Track leads the pack at Invitational

Takes home three top finishes at Princeton

By George Tatoris Staff Writer

Sometimes a few inches is all it takes.

This is what junior track athlete Jonathan Wright learned last week at the Princeton Heptathlon.

Coach Justin Lindsey had noticed during training sessions that Wright was getting just a little too close to the first hurdle in the 60 meter hurdles, so in response Lindsey moved the starting block — just a little.

“This was my first ‘successful’ hurdle race in a full year, and it’s thanks to my coach making an adjustment five minutes before the race went off,” Wright said. “So I have to thank him for that.”

The last-minute adjustment resulted in Wright taking second place at the heptathlon with a total of 4,446 points. Just behind him was teammate senior James O’Connor, who collected 4,261 points.

“I didn’t run anything spectacular, in fact it was relatively slow,”

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior James O’Connor places third at the Princeton Heptathlon.

Wright said. “But it was kind of a redemption after failing so many times at that very track.”

Only two Lions, Wright and O’Connor, competed at the heptathlon. Coach Lindsey led the rest of the pack to successful outings at the Lehigh-hosted John Covert Classic last Saturday, Jan. 31, as well.

On the women’s team, three Lions took first place in their respectful events. Senior Joan Hales overtook 32 other throwers in the weight throw, even

toppling Division I athletes.

“Joan is having an amazing season so far, and I can’t wait to see what she does next,” fellow classmate and teammate Joy Spriggs said.

Spriggs, freshman Emily Mead and seniors Michelle Cascio and Katelyn Ary worked together to best their competition in the 4x400 relay.

Ary was the top finisher in the 400 meters as well, with an overall time of 59.94 seconds, adding a third top finish to the Lions’ total

wins that day. Ary expressed enthusiasm at the team’s successes so far.

Just behind Ary, Cascio took second with a time of 1:00.13, and Spriggs took fifth with a time of 1:00.72.

“The success has been contagious and watching people consistently improve has been inspiring to everyone,” Ary said.

The men’s team fared well at the Classic, too, with junior Jake Lindacher performing his best thus far

in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.37 seconds, earning him second place. He also took 10th after a 7.23 second long sprint in the 60 meter dash.

Sophomore Zach Hubner finishing third in both the 100 meter with a time of 7.17 seconds and 300 meter dash with a time of 23.23 seconds.

Hubner, along with junior Laron Day, freshman Daniel Lynch and senior Erik Moutenot, took second in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:28.09.

Juniors Roberto Guiducci and Tyler Grimm and sophomore Chris Gugliemo both earned sixth for their respective events — Guidicci in the mile with a time of 4:25.87, Grimm in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:49.04 and Gugliemo in the pole vault with a height of 4.05 meters.

Both teams feel positive about their performances.

“The team has improved by just getting stronger and always going after their race no matter what the conditions are,” Spriggs said.

Americans show growing interest in soccer

By Michael Battista Staff Writer

Every saturday starting in August and going till May, freshman Interactive Multimedia major Michael Martin breaks the usual trend of people his age by waking up early just to watch a soccer game.

7 a.m. start times on some days, 9 a.m. on others, all hoping to catch his favorite team Chelsea FC play, a full six hours ahead of him time wise in their home city of London, England.

But after the game ends, he won’t see advertisements using any of their players like Diego Costa or Eden Hazard. He won’t see Chelsea FC merchandize in Models or Dick’s Sporting Goods, nor will he see it for any Premier League Team. The way the American sports landscape is right now, soccer isn’t one of the top sports in the nation for people to watch.

But recent trends in both ratings and public interest after this year’s World Cup could be an indication of a change in the sports landscape.

Usually, when talking to sports fans in the United States, it almost seems as though people view soccer as more of a

Lions’ Lineup February 4, 2015

I n s i d e

AP Photo

Ratings show that soccer is a growing sport in the United States. hobby rather than a major attraction like other sports.

“Americans think it’s not action-y enough.” Martin says, “There are sports that are physical and quick like football and hockey, not technically heavy like soccer” What about America’s soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS)­ — How

does that fair in the standings with the other big sports?

According to a Sport’s Business Daily article, NBC Sports raked in about 112,000 viewers per match, a 0.1 on the Nielsen ratings, which records audience size. ESPN and ESPN2 both respectively averaged 220,000 per match, also a 0.1.

However, 2014 saw a jump in viewers, according to an article from Soccer America. ESPN2 jumped 20,000 viewers to reach a 0.2 rating, while NBC Sports gained 30,000, but stayed at 0.1.

In the last World Cup, which broadcasts on major networks in the United States, more people watched the U.S. team lose to Belgium in the final 16 of the tournament (16.5 million) then last year’s NBA finals game between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat (15.5 million).

It should be noted, however, that the World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina broke a television record in the U.S. for a soccer game with 26.6 million viewers on ABC. Still, the growing shifts are promising signs in a country with an abundance of sports to watch. Martin believes with some hope that these large numbers of big-name players may not have an impact now, but it could keep growing over time.

With more people tuning in for both Premier League and MLS, people like Martin may start to see more direct influences for their favorite sport in the near future for the first time in this country.

46 53 Around the Dorm page 17

Men’s Basketball page 16

Wrestling page 16

Women’s basketball Page 19

Students dabble in Online Timesheets

Roisin Dougherty stepped in for the Lions in 2012 See Sports page 26

See News page 5

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 6

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

October 3, 2012

Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney

By Christopher Rightmire Nation & World Editor

By Christopher Rightmire Nation & World Editor

For an American President used to dealing with international crises and speaking with world leaders, having to sit down to prepare for a debate is apparently “a drag,” as President Obama said to a political volunteer, according to the . time to do nothing but prepare for debate is almost impossible for the president,” Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, added in a statement to the New York Times. “The world doesn’t wait for debate prep.”

Despite his busy presidential schedule, Obama has gone to Las Vegas for three days to cram for Wednesday’s debate with his debate team that consists of veteran Democratic operatives and inner-circle White House advisers, like David Axelrod and David Plouffe.

Read more at tcnjsignal.net

AP Photo

AP Photo

Background Before becoming president, Obama served as a U.S. senator, representing the state of Illinois.

Background Romney served as the governor of Massachusetts before trying his hand in the 2008 presidential campaign.

2012 Presidential Debate Wednesday, Oct.3, at 9:30 p.m.

There was a $15 registration fee for each car, and all of the money registration will go straight to the Alzheimer’s Association, through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Cynthia Perez, the vice president of Philanthropic Services for Sigma Kappa, said that this event went exactly as planned. event, and we can only go up from here,” she explained. She said that it was “nerve-wracking

Andrew Bak / Staff Photographer

The College attracts car lovers in Lot 3 on Saturday.

By Hillary Siegel Correspondent Bill Kraft loves cars. He always has and always will.

So four years ago when he was presented with the opportunity to buy a 1953 Hudson Hornet, he turn down. And this semester, he found it equally as hard to turn down an opportunity to show off his pride and joy at the Sigma Kappa Driving Out Alzheimer’s car show on campus.

More than 15 cars and their owners set up in Lot 3 behind Loser Hall to show off their rides and talk to eager car enthusiasts on Saturday, Sept. 29. Kraft, of

Cranbury, was one of many car owners who could not wait to show off for such a good cause.

Tom Tortoriello, of Shrewsbury, said he bought his 1982 Corvette as a “mid-life crisis” resolution, and that he jumped at the opportunity to join the car show when his daughter, Alexa, a junior early child education and psychology major, told him about the upcoming Sigma Kappa event.

The car show was Sigma Kapof the year. They began visiting other car shows and calling for sponsorship last semester, knowing it would take a lot of time and effort to pull off such a big event.

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 7 The Signal @TCNJsignal

Opinions / Page 9

Habitat for Humanity AXP raises $1,005 during campout See Features page 13

to pre-register,” but they were very pleased with the outcome.

The sisters spent all of last semester and the summer planning car shows and drawing in support from the community. “This year we wanted to do something out of the ordinary, and something that would involve the community,” Perez said.

She described it as wanting to give the College a good face in the community, seeing that the sorority was doing something so sisters typed up a donation letter, and handed it out at car shows and throughout the community, so that people would better understand what their cause was.

Many students and members of the community came out to look at the cars and enjoy the

Editorial / Page 11

While Barack Obama has found some time to hunker down and prepare for Wednesday in his Las Vegas debate headquarters, Mitt Romney has been devoutly preparing for this moment since June, according to the New York Times.

His dedication to debate preparation was visible when he had a problem with a charter plane that kept him out until after midnight and his adviser, Beth Myers, asked if he still wanted to practice the next day.

“Painfully” he emailed, “but yes.”

During his extensive preparation, Romney, like Obama, has been working on fine-tuning his mechanics. According to a report by Yahoo, the goal of Romney’s aides has been to agitate him and teach him to keep his composure while not coming off as a scolder.

vendors, such as Naked Pizza, that were there on Saturday. A few brothers from the fraternity Alpha Chi Rho came to the sorority’s event. Brian Carey, senior history major, said he wasn’t that interested in cars. “We came to support Sigma Kappa,” he said.

Christian Palevski, sophomore business major, was one of the judges of the car show, along with Talha Cheema, senior biology major. Both love cars, and have been interested in them since they were children. Cheema said that he “fell in love with BMWs when James Bond used to drive them,” while Palevski called himself a “car and motorcycle enthusiast” who has worked as a car salesman in the past. They were judging the

Read more at tcnjsignal.net

cars in three categories: “Best in Show Pre-1960,” “Best in Show Post-1960” and “Best Paint.” year doing the car show, and they now plan on making it an annual event. In addition, they also do the Walk to End Alzheimer’s every year in another effort to take one step closer to the cure.

“A lot of our girls have family members with Alzheimer’s, so it touches the hearts of a lot of us,” Perez said.

Their next effort for their philanthropy will be the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Oct. 14. Anybody can join their team “Sigma Kappa TCNJ,” and Perez encourages people to do so, because each walk is seen as “one step

Brandon Gould / News Editor

Sigma Kappa goes back to the future in its charity car show.

Features / Page 13

Arts & Entertainment / Page 17

Wikipedia starting to gain some credibility Librarian looks into using Wikipedia as a tool See News page 3

Sports / Page 28

College comedy show Mixed Signals mix it up with alumni See A&E page 17