The Signal: Spring '14, No. 13

Breaking news, blogs, and more at TCNJSignal.net.

Vol. XL, No. 13

April 23, 2014

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Planning to make hall ‘Bliss’

‘Neknomination’ challenge sweeps across campus

By Julie Kayzerman News Editor

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Bliss Hall’s current condition is in need of repairs, according to students on campus.

By Jonathan Edmondson Review Editor The College’s campus is home to numerous academic buildings in which students spend a majority of their time during the semester.

Some locations, such as the School of Education Building, are brand new with top-of-the-line facilities and an aesthetically-pleasing design. These beautiful buildings, however, do not cover up the lessthan-appealing locations.

In particular, Bliss Hall is wildly unpopular with students. Out of a surveyed 64 students, 75 percent said they do not look forward to having class in Bliss Hall. see BLISS page 3

What started out in Australia has quickly begun sweeping the United States. Now, it has reached the College campus. Everything about the “neknomination” changes, from the types of drinks people use to who is being nominated for the challenge.

But despite traveling from Australia to the College, the game has managed to keep a constant in all of its change — it’s lethal to the body and unforgiving to the future.

The “neknomination” is a drinking game that utilizes social media to spread its competition rapidly around the world. A person’s participation in the game begins once they are nominated, meaning they have been challenged to film themselves drinking large amounts of alcohol in order to top the nominator’s previous combination of drinks. They then must nominate other people

to complete the challenge within 24 hours.

Having already claimed five lives, the game has taken a dangerous toll on its participants — and yet people continue to play it, as not completing the challenge can reportedly result in online ridicule, according to the New York Daily News.

The issue of underage drinking is nothing new to the public. If The Signal’s Cop-Shop column is any indicator, it’s even more obvious on campus. But this game has taken drinking to a competitive level in which people forego their limits and do whatever it takes to outdrink their opponent.

“This is a lethal game,” Dr. Sarah Jarvis, medical adviser for the UK-based charity Drinkaware, told CNN. “The point about alcohol is that it affects your ability to recognize that you’re in danger, and it absolutely affects your ability see DRINK page 3

Talent takes the stage

Animation dancing wins

Colleen Murphy Features Editor

Where could you have seen a comedic juggler, a saxophonist, a contortionist, dancers and singers all on the same stage? At the fifth annual TCNJ’s Got Talent, of course.

Approximately 30 acts auditioned for a spot in the show’s line-up, but only nine were chosen to perform on Thursday, April 17. Ultimately, it was sophomore accounting major Stephen Fabiano who impressed the judges with his animation dancing to take home the title of the College’s most talented student.

“When I won, I was absolutely shocked,” Fabiano said. “Having seen everyone’s performances and the level of talent, I thought there was no way I’d win. Everyone did an amazing job, bringing such a high level of talent to the show.

I’m just glad I could do my part to make the show great.”

Fabiano, who was also a part of the show last year, said he never considered

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 5

himself a dancer until his senior year of high school when a group of peers formed a circle around him during homecoming.

However, it wasn’t until his freshman year at the College that he realized how talented he actually was.

“Once my floor saw what I could do during Welcome Week, they encouraged me to keep improving,” Fabiano said. “As I kept learning and trying new things, I gained confidence and eventually got the ‘I can do this’ mindset.”

The judges, associate vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand Management Dave Muha, vice president for Student Affairs Amy Hecht and assistant director of the Career Center Lynette Harris, awarded second place to freshman psychology major and contortionist Shirley Wang.

Wang got her start in contortion after having to end competitive figure skating when entering college and still having a drive to perform. see TALENT page 2 Editorial / Page 7

Women’s lacrosse The Signal Late comeback yields win over Montclair State @TCNJsignal

See Sports page 28

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

The College welcomes Hoodie Allen, Karmin and Panic! At The Disco for the annual Spring Concert in the Rec Center. Read more on page 14.

Opinions / Page 9

Features / Page 10

Arts & Entertainment / Page 14

Sports / Page 28

Drag Show River Queen takes the crown

Kal Penn Kumar takes on the White House

See Features page 10

See A&E page 14

page 2 The Signal April 23, 2014

Rwanda in AMPD club is music to SG’s ears retrospect, 20 years ago

By Sydney Shaw News Assistant

By Connor Donnelly Correspondent

This April recognizes the 20th anniversary of one of the most horrific atrocities in recent history, the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

On April 7, 1994, a 100-day killing-spree of Tutsi Rwandans began in the tiny country of Rwanda, which left about 800,000 people dead to ethnic conflict.

History professor from the College Matthew Bender gave a special lecture to a large group of students on Monday, April 14, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide. Bender, whose specialty centers on African history, featured an introduction on the topic followed by the screening of the documentary film “Ghosts of Rwanda” as part of the lecture.

“I like to think of Rwanda as a case study of the best and worst of humanity,” Bender said in his introduction.

Appropriately, “Ghosts of Rwanda” showcased Bender’s point as to why Rwanda would be a case study for the worst of humanity.

The film focused on the days leading up to the genocide, the days during the genocide and the days after the genocide by giving the students a true idea of the horror. Through images and interviews with witnesses and victims, the film retold the atrocity in a harrowing visual format.

Although many of the students in attendance already had some knowledge of the genocide, the images and stories from the film seemed to shock every person in attendance.

“I found the film and the lecture overall to be very interesting and shocking,” freshman communication studies major Michael D’Angelo said. “The images in the film really gave me a better idea of how horrible this was.”

After the film, Bender answered questions from the students in the audience, many of whom were curious to hear more about the subject.

“Along with the Holocaust, Rwanda is one of the best examples of genocide,” he said.

The lecture made students appreciate just how safe the United States is today and made them aware of how tragic and horrible the genocide really was. Its impact still shocks and appalls 20 years later.

Four clubs were approved

by Student Government at the general body meeting on Wednesday, April 16.

The first club — the Association for Music Production and Discussion, or AMPD — seeks to create an environment for music discussion, music production collaboration and recording.

The group was previously derecognized, mainly owing to loss of access to the oncampus recording studio as it underwent renovation, but even so, AMPD continued to co-sponsor events such as The Drop, a biannual electronic music event.

“We had The Drop last year and we brought in DJs from outside, but we also showcased some students’ music,” AMPD executive board member Chris Flannery said.

Governmental Affairs unanimously voted in favor of the organization, believing it will be a creative addition to campus.

The next group that presented was the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, a non-partisan group that hopes to create awareness about issues such as on-campus housing equality, Internet privacy, LGBTQ rights and an understanding of the student code of conduct.

GA was impressed with the initial programming ideas for the club.

Next to present was the Student Alliance to Facilitate Empathy, or SAFE, an organization meant to bring disability awareness to campus.

The group will offer a stigma-free environment and supportive, studentrun meetings.

Finally, the Arabic Club was approved after GA recognized the lack of Arabic

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

SG is impressed by the Arabic Club and ACLU.

representation on campus.

The club plans to focus on raising awareness of various Arabic customs and allowing members to practice the Arabic language, along with hosting film screenings, Arabic cooking classes and guest speakers.

“Many people have been

comparing the Arabic Club with the Muslin Students Association already on campus,” freshman class council member Javier Nicasio said, “but not everyone of Arabic descent is Muslim. That’s exactly why we need this club on campus, to educate people about Arabic culture.”

Chipotle price hikes, beef with fans

By Courtney Wirths Opinion Editor

• The home improvement store Home Depot is known for offering consumers tools, lawn materials, appliances and construction material. Despite the bulky nature of its key products, the retailer is now expanding its online shopping options. This past year, the home-improvement giant opened more distribution centers than stores. One store it did open, however, was in North Dakota, stationed in the oil and gas town of Minot. The oil and gas boom has created large population growths in remote areas of the country as construction and oil production workers move to new extraction and exploration sites.

• Google Inc. is taking apps to a new level. In a phone being designed by the tech giant, consumers would be able to not only purchase apps, but also hardware accessories that could be attached to a standard phone body through slots and magnets. Some of the potential hardware options would be various cameras and blood sugar monitors.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill is raising its prices, menu-wide, for the first time in three years. The company says the reason for the increase is the continuously rising prices of key ingredients such as beef and avocados.

• China’s own version of Twitter, Weibo Corp., raised $286 million in its initial public offering last week, rising 19

percent from its initial price of $17 per share. The tech company, which means “microblog” in Chinese, allows users to post short statuses, comment on other users’ posts and repost. While the IPO did not live up to expectations, still over 33 million shares exchanged hands on the first day of trading.

• Gas and oil prices are on the rise due to the approaching summer season, which means more Americans are traveling long-distance and exports of American gas are increasing to foreign countries.

The national average for gas prices has now risen to $3.63 per gallon, or 12.1 cents per gallon higher than last year’s rate. New Jersey alone has seen prices jump nine cents per gallon.

All information courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.

Talent / Nine acts compete for crown NYC Queer continued from page 1

“I started practicing contortion with videos on YouTube,” Wang said. “Over fall, winter and spring breaks, I took classes at several aerial arts studios and discovered a new love for aerial silks, lyra and trapeze. Along with aerial classes, I took contortion classes, which I also enjoyed.”

According to Wang, getting to know the other performers made the night even more enjoyable.

“Everyone was super friendly and easygoing, and it was a very energetic and positive atmosphere,” she said.

Freshman health and exercise science and education dual major Christine Levering probably had something to do with lightening the mood backstage. Levering was awarded third place not only for her juggling skills, but also for her added comedic quips.

As the performers finished, they were able to rejoin the audience to watch the other ongoing talents. Because she performed early on, Wang saw most of the performances and said she loved them all.

“They were all amazing, and I was so

impressed by everyone’s talents,” Wang said of the other performers.

Although there were only nine total

performances, the show represented only a small portion of the College’s immense pool of talent.

Culture a go

By Julie Kayzerman News Editor

PRISM was the sole presenter at the Student Finance Board’s weekly meeting on Wednesday, April 16.

SFB fully funded PRISM with $650 to hold a Queer Culture Day in New York City. The club will travel to the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, followed by a discussion about the Stonewall riots at the Stonewall Inn. The funding from SFB will cover the bus quote for the trip on Saturday, Sept. 20.

PRISM was also zero-funded to host a PRISM Center Open House for prospective students to explore the club. As SFB typically doesn’t fund open-house events, the request for funding was denied.

Kyle Bennion / Photo Assistant

Wang takes second place, getting a leg up on the competition.

Disclaimer: Though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place.

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 3

Drink / ‘Neknomination’ kills for drunk thrills continued from page 1 to react to danger. So now we have a double whammy.”

However, students at the College have decided to partake in this game because they felt they knew their bodies’ limits well enough to avoid danger, making it no more lethal than going out to a party on the weekend.

“I think it could be seen as a problem for underage teens to (do the “Neknominator” challenge) because there’s a lot of alcohol, and people don’t know their limits,” said an anonymous sophomore business and pre-med double major who participated in the challenge. “That gives it a bad reputation for everyone else who can do it safely and in a controlled environment. I guess the difference is I knew that I would be able to handle what I drank. Other people think, ‘Here’s 10 shots, I’m gonna outdrink my friends and look cool,’ and that’s where the problem starts.”

Aside from the obvious safety issues to those who participate in this viral drinking game, the more astounding issue is that they have been posting the videos of themselves actually underage-drinking for anyone to see, including future employers. The game has even surpassed Facebook and hit YouTube, allowing videos without privacy settings to be viewed by anyone. For example, a YouTube

video titled “The Gnarliest #Neknomination ever” shows a male consuming large quantities of liquor. He then participates in a ‘man-shot,’ where he snorts a line of salt, takes a shot, squeezes lemons into his eyes, gets punched in the face and finally downs a mystery cocktail. This participant may have felt he proved his masculinity by completing the ‘man-shot,’ but it can probably be inferred that a future employer may not be as convinced.

“My motivation was pretty much, ‘Why not?’” the anonymous student said about accepting his nomination. “I have posted a video online with me drinking. However, I changed the privacy setting so only a few of my closest friends could see it that I trust. If (the participants) don’t change the setting on the video, then they are just stupid. There’s no reason everyone needs to see that, and it only harms yourself.”

Whatever the argument may be regarding the safety of the game — whether it’s kids just being kids or a health hazard — it is undeniably endangering students’ future endeavors and hard work. They could be losing a job opportunity, all in the name of the game, just to post a threeminute video proving their worthiness of a “neknomination.”

It’s even gone as far as leading a woman to strip down in a supermarket and down a drink. Another man chose to drink out of a toilet while other players mixed their

youtube.com

Nominees one-up their opponents, even squeezing lemons into their eyes. spirits with dead mice, insects, engine oil and dog food, according to CNN. And the best part? All of these videos are free for the public to see and some of them have been picked up by news sources and spread around through social media.

While there’s been enough said and done about the issue of underage drinking, the “neknomination” brings teens to force

themselves to drink voluminous amounts of alcohol in order to avoid getting mocked for bailing out on their nomination. But for those who are able to survive the game, it may be too late for them to right their social media faux pas. They are posting illegal activity for the world to see, leaving its mark in cyberspace forever — and possibly ruining a bright future before it even begins.

Bliss / Humidity, mold make for dismal conditions

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Left: Students occupy the ever-humid lounge of Bliss Hall. Right: The building basement remains unkempt and aesthetically unappealing. continued from page 1 The building, which is home to classes in philosophy, English, journalism and world languages, among other subjects, is in desperate need of repairs. From an outsider’s perspective, it would seem that the College is pouring all its effort into other areas on campus and ignoring this current, crumbling location.

With the school of Humanities and Social Sciences catering to a large portion of the campus community, many students have a majority of their classes in Bliss Hall.

These classrooms are often dirty, cluttered and out-of-date. Even some of the professors who have offices in Bliss complain about the conditions. Take, for example, English professor Diane Steinberg,

who had to be moved from her office due to a mold problem. It is evident that students are not the only ones dissatisfied with the building’s current state.

There were also plenty of other statistics to back this up, such as 34 students ranking Bliss Hall as the worst building on campus.

Finally, 85 percent of students surveyed believe that Bliss Hall is in need of repairs.

Luckily, complaints have been heard and changes are on the way.

“In response to employee complaints and reports of apparent humidity-related issues, TCNJ engaged specialized consultants to inspect (Bliss Hall) and make recommendations on possible repairs,” said David Muha, associate vice president for Communications, Marketing

and Brand Management.

A potential framework for rennovations has also been planned.

“There are plans for partial renovations to Bliss Hall,” Muha said. “The project is designed, and we expect to seek bids from contractors within the next several weeks. The work is aimed at remedying building humidity and associated environmental conditions that can affect air quality and occupant comfort.

The bids should be received within approximately a month and work will be completed over the summer.”

When asked about how the College decides which buildings to renovate, Muha said they take a careful and thoughtful approach in determining which projects to advance and which

to defer until more resources become available.

“In the spring of 2011, the Provost, the Treasurer and the vice president for Administration advanced a proposal for prioritizing projects to the Committee on Planning and Strategic Priorities (CPSP),” Muha explained.

The College has been operating under prioritization criteria ever since the CPSP proposal.

The criteria by which projects are advanced, Muha said, are in order of importance.

The first projects that pass are those that involve improvements to conditions in life safety, health and security. Followed are projects that involve building code deficiencies, projects that will prevent more expensive damage

in the future, repairs that were already started and repairs that will enhance enrollment capacity.

Benjamin Rifkin, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, recently sent out an email to all faculty within his department stating that during the summer it will not be possible to access offices within Bliss Hall. Without going into many details, Rifkin stated that work would be done to manage the mold and humidity problems on all three floors.

These improvements, while necessary, will still not address the physical condition of many classrooms and interior hallways of the older building. Perhaps as more attention is drawn to problems that arise, a total renovation of Bliss Hall will occur sometime in the future.

page 4 The Signal April 23, 2014

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

United Nations investigates civil attacks in Sudan

By Mylin Batipps Nation & World Editor

According to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, hundreds of South Sudanese people were killed by their own neighbors because of their ethnic traits, the Los Angeles Times reported.

On Monday, April 21, the U.N. condemned the Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition for sexually assaulting and killing people of the Bentiu community because of their ethnicity. According to U.N. spokesperson Joe Contrearas, children were also victims of the killings because of their refusal to join the opposition group. “...Women and children were killed for hiding and declining to join other Nuers who had gone out to cheer the (SPLM) in Opposition forces as they entered the town,” Contrearas said, according to the

Los Angeles Times. “Individuals from other South Sudanese communities, as well as Darfuris, were specifically targeted and killed at the hospital.”

Men, women and children have hidden in mosques to ensure they would not be seen by the opposition group. However, the rebels entered these mosques, killing some of the civilians and escorting others home. Civilians also hid at a Roman Catholic church, only to be found and killed by the gunmen. A total of 200 people were killed, and 400 people were injured.

These killings are the latest of a series of disputes that have been taking place in Bentui, according to the Los Angeles Times. On Thursday, April 17, a U.N. compound was destroyed by rockets, targeting 22,000 people who fled to the base because of their fear of getting killed.

A total of 70,000 South Sudanese citizens are now sheltered in these bases.

AP Photo

South Sudanese civilians search for shelter after fleeing from their homes to hide from the Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition.

The disputes have left about seven million people without food, and 770,000 people have escaped their homes.

Raisedon Zenenga, leading officer of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, has declared that the U.N. look

further into the disputes in Bentiu.

“These atrocities must be fully investigated and the perpetrators and their commanders shall be held accountable,” Zenenga said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Marathon runners striding on the road to recovery

AP Photo

A marathon runner who lost her legs from the Boston bombing last year runs this year’s race.

BOSTON (AP) — Some ran to honor the dead and wounded. Others did it to prove something about their sport, the city or their country. And some were out to prove something to themselves.

With the names of the victims scrawled on their bodies

Obscure & Offbeat

Miss America Nina Davuluri.

AP Photo

But first ... let’s prohibit selfies

Bryant University’s president has created a rule preventing students from taking selfies at the university’s May 17 graduation. He said the selfies would lengthen the ceremony.

Miss America asked to prom

A Pennsylvania high school student was suspended for three days for asking Miss America to the prom during her speech at the school.

More information from AP

or their race bibs, more than 32,000 people crossed the starting line Monday at the Boston Marathon in a powerful show of defiance a year after the deadly bombing.

“We’re marathon runners. We know how to endure,” said Dennis Murray, a 62-year-old health care administrator from Atlanta who finished just before the explosions last year and came back to run again. “When they try to take our freedom and our democracy, we come back stronger.”

The two pressure-cooker bombs that went off near the end of the 26.2-mile course last year killed three people and wounded more than 260 in a hellish spectacle of torn limbs, smoke and broken glass.

The runners this time hit the streets under extraordinary security that included a battery of surveillance cameras, more than 90 bomb-sniffing dogs and officers posted on roofs.

By late afternoon, as runners continued to drag themselves across the finish line more than six hours into the race, state emergency officials reported no security threats, other than some unattended bags.

In what some saw as altogether fitting, Meb Keflezighi, a 38-year-old U.S. citizen who came to this country from Eritrea as a boy, became the first American in 31 years to win the men’s race.

As he was presented with the trophy and laurel wreath, “The Star-Spangled Banner” echoed over Boylston Street, where the explosions rang out a year ago.

“I came as a refugee, and the United States gave me hope,” said Keflezighi, who wrote the names of the three dead on his bib along with that of the MIT police officer who was killed during the manhunt that paralyzed Boston.

Later in the day Monday, at 2:49 p.m., the time the bombs went off, a moment of silence was observed at the finish line. It was followed by some of the loudest cheers of the day as people whooped, clapped and rang cowbells.

“Boston Strong” — the unofficial slogan adopted after the terrorist attack — was everywhere as the second-largest field of runners in the 118-year history of the race took part. Many of them were runners who had to abandon the race last year because of the attack.

Around the World:

Syria

Election glances at Syria’s future DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria called a presidential election for June 3, aiming to give President Bashar Assad a veneer of electoral legitimacy in the midst of a civil war that has killed more than 150,000 people and driven a third of the population from their homes.

The opposition and the United States denounced the vote as a farce, and a U.N. spokesman said it will “hamper the prospects for a political solution.”

But Assad’s government appears determined to hold the election as a way of exploiting its recent military gains.

The announcement Monday by Parliament Speaker Jihad Laham raises questions about how the government intends to hold any kind of credible vote within the deeply divided country, where large areas lie outside government control and where hundreds of thousands of people live in territory that is either contested, held by rebels or blockaded by progovernment forces.

“There will not be any voting centers in areas controlled by the gunmen,” Syrian lawmaker Sharif Shehadeh told The Associated Press. He said the Syrian army was present in many provinces across Syria, “and this will make up for the areas outside of government control,” he added.

AP Photo

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks with civilians to give them a boost of confidence in the midst of the country’s civil war.

But Nazeer al-Khatib, an opposition activist in the northern city of Aleppo, said “the only people who will vote are the ones who support Assad.”

“Unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately, in the elections on June 3, Bashar Assad would be holding elections over the blood of Syrians,” Ahmad Alqusair, another opposition activist, said via Skype from a rebel-held town near the Lebanese border. “If we are being blockaded from even eating bread, how can I vote?”

Assad, who has ruled the country since taking over from his late father in 2000, has suggested he would seek another term in office, reflecting his determination to show he is the legitimate leader of Syria.

With the unwavering support of his strong allies, Russia and Iran, Assad has strengthened his once-tenuous hold on power in recent months with an ongoing crushing military assault to recapture key urban areas, likely hoping to have them under government control before the vote is held.

page 6 The Signal April 23, 2014

14

MAIN EVENT APRIL 30th, 2014 Wednesday

April 25

A DAY OF CELEBRATION

8:00 am-12:00 pm

Civil Engineering Senior Design Project Presentations Education Building 212

8:00 am-12:50 pm

Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Project Presentations

9:00 am-1:00 pm

Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Design Project Presentations Armstrong Hall 144 Biomedical Engineering Senior Design Project Presentations Armstrong Hall 154

8:30 pm-1:30 pm 11:30 am

Computer Science Awards

11:30 am-1:00 pm

Chemistry Department Student Awards Ceremony SC-C121

1:00 pm

Undergraduate Paper Presentations many depts.

Brower Student Center/Social Sciences Building

12:30 pm

EVENTS HELD THROUGHOUT THE MONTH April 3

8:00 pm

TCNJ Contemporary Music Mayo Concert Hall

April 25

5:00 pm

IMM Spring Laboratory AIMM Building

April 4

8:00 pm

TCNJ Jazz Ensemble Kendal Main Stage

April 30

All Day

Main Event Campus Wide

April 8

8:00 pm-10:00pm TCNJ Woodwind Quintet Mayo Concert Hall

April 11

8:00 pm

TCNJ Percussion Ensemble Mayo Concert Hall

April 12

8:00pm

TCNJ Women’s Ensemble, College Choir, and Orchestra Mayo Concert Hall

April 13

12:00 pm

School of Business Honor Society Induction Ceremony Brower Student Center 202

April 21

11:30 am

Mathematics & Statistics Honors Talk: Tyler Higgins Science Complex P229

April 30 -May 15

Mathematics & Statistics Honors Talk: Ryan Manheimer Science Complex P229

May 1

evening

May 2

NJ Collegiate Business Administration Association Honor Society Induction Ceremony NJ State House

April 22 April 23

11:30 am 6:30 pm

Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony Mayo Concert Hall Phi Beta Kappa Induction Ceremony Mayo Concert Hall

April 25

11:30 am

Mathematics & Statistics Honors Talk

For further information and locations please visit: http://www.celebration.pages.tcnj.edu

8:00 am-12:00 pm Civil Engineering Senior Project Design Presentations Education Building 212 8:30 am-1:30 pm

Biomedical Engineering Senior Project Design Presentations Armstrong Hall 154

9:00 am-1:00 pm

Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Project Design Presentations Armstrong Hall 144

11:30 am

Chemistry Department Student Awards Ceremony SC-C121

11:30 am

Computer Science Awards Senior BFA Exhibition TCNJ Art Gallery Department of Mathematics & Statistics Awards Dinner

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 7

Editorial College construction causes chaos After enduring a long and cold winter, spring has finally sprung. It’s that time of year when the campus comes to life with students playing beach volleyball, throwing a frisbee around and lying in the sun. However, with the College’s transformation into the Construction site of New Jersey this past semester, it’s not quite the spring experience on campus that it should be.

Last year, some of my favorite college memories consisted of several students lying outside in the sun in front of the Towers, playing games, laughing and enjoying the day.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor But it’s unfortunate that now those memories are blockaded Students should be able to see the beauty of campus, not the construction. by wire fences, tractors and lawn that has turned into what looks like a BMX course with the amount of mud overpowering the patches of grass.

The College has tended to always pride itself on its beauty.

This is especially important since the location of our school doesn’t favor students leaving — as there really isn’t anywhere to go unless you want to drive for 15 minutes.

However, this is what we signed up for, while knowing that tcnjsignal.net we have a beautiful campus to walk on and play recreational sports on one of the many lawns. But what we didn’t sign up Email: signal@tcnj.edu Mailing Address: “I’ve really for are the swamps in front of our residential halls. The opTelephone: portunity to get outside and de-stress is fading fast as the lawn learned that it’s Production Room The Signal in front of the Towers, Cromwell and Decker is completely (609) 771-2424 c/o Brower Student Center not much at dug-up and destroyed.

Business Office The College of New Jersey Of course I understand the need to fix piping issues and (609) 771-2499 all about what P.O. Box 7718 such in residential halls. However, there must be a better time Ad Email: Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 you’re doing, or way to complete the project without unearthing the entire signalad@tcnj.edu ground in order to do so. With the newly limited space to play but it’s who recreation sports to welcome in the summer, there should at least be something to balance out the loss. Perhaps this could Editorial Staff Mylin Batipps you’re doing come in the form of allowing students to use the soccer comNation & World Editor it with that’s plex or football field without permission or allow us to play Amy Reynolds batippm1@tcnj.edu soccer or other sports in the recreation center besides just basEditor-in-Chief Mike Herold important. I have ketball and volleyball. reynola1@tcnj.edu Fantasy Sports Editor a tough time But whatever the consolation, the current state of our ColChris Molicki heroldm1@tcnj.edu lege is completely unacceptable, and has turned desirable Managing Editor Jonathan Edmondson remembering views into everyday eye sores. I guess suffering from a slushy molickc1@tcnj.edu Review Editor and icy winter wasn’t enough, it’s not time for mudslides and Julie Kayzerman edmondj5@tcnj.edu most of my ditches in the fields that de-stress us with exercise amidst our Tom Kozlowski Regina Yorkigitis matches and everlasting studying for finals.

News Editors Web Editor

Quote of the Week

— Julie Kayzerman, News Editor

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

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

kayzerj1@tcnj.edu kozlowt1@tcnj.edu Peter Fiorilla Sports Editor fiorilp1@tcnj.edu Shayna Innocenti Arts & Entertainment Editor innoces1@tcnj.edu Colleen Murphy Features Editor murphc16@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Opinions Editor wirthsc1@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Photo Editor wirthsc1@tcnj.edu

Jess Ganga Web Assistant Gabrielle Beacken Sydney Shaw News Assistants Andrew Grossman Sports Assistant Production Manager

Emilie Lounsberry Adviser Lucas Haber Business/Ad Manager

practices, but I’ll never forget the people I went through with them. I’ve had the best teammates and coaches I could’ve asked for and luckily those relationships are something I could take with me even after I graduate.”

— senior tennis player Howard Telson.

page 8 The Signal April 23, 2014

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 9

Opinions

United Kingdom says porn is for adults only Identity confirmation an Internet privacy issue

By Sydney Shaw

AP Photo

Prime Minister David Cameron worries that access to pornography puts innocence at risk.

It’s about to become more difficult for minors in the United Kingdom to access porn websites.

Under the new system scheduled to be introduced at the end of the year, users must prove they are over 18 before being granted access to online pornographic material.

I understand the idea behind the push for reform — according to Atvod, an industry regulator, 200,000 children under the age of 15 view “extreme” adult material each month. Atvod went on to say that Pornhub, a site based in Luxembourg, received 112,000 visits from British boys aged 12 to 17 during one month last year.

British Prime Minister David Cameron warned that the Internet is “putting the innocence of our children” at risk and “corrupting childhood.”

“(The Internet) has an impact: on the children who view things that harm them, on the vile images of abuse that pollute minds and cause crime, on the very values that underpin our society,” Cameron said.

It’s not hard to see why parents wouldn’t want their children looking up risqué photos and videos on the web, but this new system might not be the easy fix parliament was hoping for.

One of the more popular ideas for users to prove they are of-age is based around being prompted for a driver’s license number upon entering a porn site.

Regardless of whether a user is 15 or 45, I can’t imagine that the majority of people who frequent porn sites would be willing to give up their identities to do so. It brings up issues of privacy and Internet rights.

In most cases, pornography is a

victimless crime. It’s not the end of the world if a 17-year-old looks up a sex tape of two consenting adults who were paid a salary and signed contracts to partake in said video. Pornography is a popular business and global web traffic patterns prove it.

Child pornography, on the other hand, is a serious offense with real victims. That’s why it’s so ironic that the UK “War on Porn” leader Patrick Rock was arrested last month on suspicions related to child pornography.

If you’re going to put up a fight against something, it might help your cause to not be guilty of the most serious form of the very thing you are criticizing.

It’s a noble crusade to try to protect the world’s youth, but the UK is doing it all wrong. Find a better campaign figurehead and find a better way to keep kids from exploring the raunchy reaches of the web.

Let the little things make, not break, college life

By Mike Herold Fantasy Sports Editor I hate the song “Titanium.” Not because I think it is a particularly bad song, mind you. When I first heard it, I just thought it wasn’t my particular cup of tea, and would have likely just ignored it forever, like I do countless other songs that just aren’t to my taste. Everyone has songs they just don’t listen to, and this was just going to be added to my list.

I have heard the song “Titanium” at least 4,000 times, and that isn’t an exaggeration. I have memorized every word and note of it, and occasionally hear it as the backdrop to my nightmares. Why have I heard a song I don’t like thousands of times? Because one of my roommates loves it and played it on repeat for a few months last year and has played it quite often ever since.

As you may have guessed by now, this piece is not about a song I don’t like.

It’s about life in college, and all the little things that can drive you crazy about life in college sometimes. It’s also about how those things don’t really matter in the long run, and how if you can learn to enjoy them, even a little bit, your time here is going to be amazing.

A little info to back up my cred so you’ll listen to me even a bit more seriously: I’m a fifth-year senior, so all those classes you’re taking right now are similar to ones I’ve already lived through. All the crazy plans you have for your future college years are sitting comfortably in my rearview mirror. More importantly, all those problems

you have with where you are right now are ones I’ve long-since worked through, and trust me, they aren’t quite as scary as realizing that you have less than a month left of school and no job yet.

So here is my lesson, and I hope you hear it well: Enjoy college to the absolute fullest. You don’t need to go drinking or do anything illegal — I’ve avoided all that and still have more crazy and wacky adventures to tell than most. All you need to do is find the people who bring out the best and most fun sides of yourself. If that’s the guy who tells you which club is slamming hardest on a given night, that’s fine, but if it’s the girl who makes it seem cool to sit at home and play cards on a Saturday night, that’s fine too. The important part is that you stay true to who you are, because college is the absolute best time to figure out who that is exactly.

I know, I know, all of these things are pretty cliché and sound like your parents.

But here’s the thing about clichés: Usually they’re true.

Personally, I found the people who bring out the best in me the day I came to the College. My roommates and I (there are five of us in total) never met before we signed the lease to our off-campus home.

We are all different majors and have different backgrounds. We have different opinions about pretty much everything, and as you may have guessed from the opening of this piece, we have varied tastes in music.

In a different setting, at a different time, we may have never become more than casual acquaintances, if we even lasted past the first few minutes.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Staying true to who you are can make your college experience one filled with positive memories and experiences.

Today, I honestly cannot imagine my life without these guys. In three incredibly short years we’ve become more family than friends, and they have definitely been the best years of my life.

So here’s the message I hope all of you reading this can take away from this piece: College is not about the classes, even if those are important for your future career. It isn’t about the wild nights or the crazy stories, even though those will definitely be fun memories later on. It isn’t about the extracurriculars, as great as those may be, or about the significance of living on your own for the

first time, as big as that is.

College is about the people you meet who make you the best version of yourself that you can possibly be, and about the time you share with those people that will last forever. College is about hearing the same freaking song you hate thousands of times and not caring because the person playing it is family.

I got lucky — I met my college family on my first day here after signing a lease with a bunch of guys I’d never met. Maybe you haven’t found yours yet, but don’t worry, you will. You have some time left, so start looking.

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page 10 The Signal April 23, 2014

Features

Drag show raises money for charity

Michael Cort / Staff Photographer

Ms. Rosetta Stone is accompanied by her ‘Rosebuds.’ This was Stone’s fourth and final time hosting the show.

By Julie Scesney Correspondent Thunderous applause met the announcement of the winner of the donation-based contest for PRISM’s 11th annual Charity Drag Show, as a shaking but fierce River Queen took the stage to claim her crown.

The total amount of donations for the night totaled $1,545.47, more than double the amount raised for last year’s event. River Queen, the drag queen alias of Zach Ott, a junior special education and English dual major, raised almost a third of that total, with a record-breaking $448.44. All donations benefited the organization New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth, which helps “LGBT youth ‘go beyond’ homelessness and transition into stable adult lives” after they have been kicked out by unsupportive parents, as stated on the New Alternatives website.

“It was actually really overwhelming,” River Queen said about the amount of money she had raised.

She went into the bathroom to fix her wig after an event worker told her the news and “just started crying.”

A drag show usually features performances by drag queens, men who dress up as over-the-top interpretations of women. The word “drag” is a commonly accepted acronym for DRessed As Girl, as explained by the host of PRISM’s show, Ms. Rosetta Stone, a College alumnus and former president of PRISM, the “first queer-straight alliance at The College of New Jersey,” as

stated on its website.

This was Ms. Rosetta Stone’s fourth and final time hosting the event. Throughout the show, Ms. Stone entertained the audience with cheeky remarks like, “I know you can go deep. Wink,” when referring to audience members digging into their pockets for cash. She was accompanied by her “Rosebuds,” three male College students sporting only black briefs, bow ties and cufflinks.

The acts mostly consisted of lip syncing and performing to various songs, except for one queen, Dean the Ice Queen, who sang “Let It Go” from the musical “Frozen” in a bejeweled blue dress and silver braided wig that would have made Elsa proud.

River Queen’s routine — performed to a part English, part Spanish mix of Toni Basil’s “Mickey” — featured a back roll, kicks in five-and-a-half-inch heels and a frightening death drop, where a person folds backward and falls on his back during a dance routine. The drag queen’s get-up included a long, crimped magenta wig, black fishnets, black and white pinstripe short shorts, a black embroidered corset and a fur coat that she quickly threw into the audience at the start of the act.

When asked about her inspiration for the act, Ms. Queen said her favorite thing to do for drag performances was to keep the original meaning of a song but change the context. Mickey is about “unrequited love,” explained River Queen, but she took a grittier route. “I turned it into a hooker going after a client.”

Third-place finishers Brooklyn

Swaggington and Lady Godiva raised $300.82 for New Alternatives and performed to TLC’s “No Scrubs,” a song denouncing a man who “thinks he’s fly” and can get any girl he wants, while a parade of girls took the stage holding signs emblazoned with “things ‘scrubs’ would say.”

“You’re too pretty to play sports,” read one of the signs.

Drag queens Ms. Virginia Hamm and Miss Mars came in second place, raising $329.40. They performed to “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag” from the musical “Chicago,” mimicking the movements of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. The pair even had water guns similar to the guns toted by Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 2002 movie version of the musical.

Last year’s winner, drag queen Davida Luxe, did not place this year, but captivated the crowd as she whipped a sparkly black cape around her body matador style to Jennifer Lopez’s “Goin’ In.” She closed the night with a performance to Miss Li’s “Forever Drunk.”

Campus Advocacy Chair of PRISM Ryan Eldridge coordinated the event.

A freshman political science and women’s and gender studies double major, this was Eldridge’s first time running PRISM’s Annual Charity Drag Show, but he organized PRISM’s 11th Annual Queer Wedding earlier this semester.

“The turnout was wonderful,” Eldridge said.

All seats around the stage, as well as the surrounding area and overlooking balcony in the Brower Student Center,

were filled, and not only with students from the College. There were many adults in the audience, as well as young children, showing that PRISM’s annual Charity Drag Show has evolved into a community-wide event.

Some members of the audience were even brought on stage. A surprise performance at the end of the show featured audience participants in a drag ensemble collectively called “4 Money.” A brave mother, under the drag name “Feather Bunny,” shook a feather boa and walked a cheerful catwalk down the stage.

This number allowed audience members to better connect with the drag show and the act of dressing in drag.

One audience member, Ronald Gomez, a sophomore international studies major, came to the event to “support (his) best friend, River Queen,” but also recognized the significance of such an event at the College.

“In reality I come here to open up my mind,” said Gomez, who grew up in a “conservative household” that “never would have given these activities a chance.”

PRISM’s annual Charity Drag Show not only supports a deserving cause, but also offers a way for students of the College and citizens of Ewing to open their minds to a different culture, the culture of drag.

If that openness encourages acceptance of LGBT youth, so that children are no longer made homeless because of unsupportive parents and organizations like New Alternatives are not necessary, then that is a success for PRISM, the College and LGBT youth and supporters everywhere.

Michael Cort / Staff Photographer

River Queen won the contest, raising $448.44 for the organization New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth.

Exercise and talk at the Mindful Mile Take a stroll with the College’s dietitian

By Christine Aebischer Staff Writer

College students are masters of multitasking. They can write a paper while watching Netflix and also making the obligatory weekly phone call home. Free time is just something to be dreamt about, so the more that can be accomplished at once, the better. The Mindful Mile, led by the College’s registered dietitian Aliz Holzmann, combines physical activity with the opportunity to get any nutrition-related questions

answered all in about 20 minutes.

Every Monday, weather permitting, students, faculty and staff can join Holzmann in walking a mile while asking whatever nutrition- or diet-related questions they have in a casual setting. The walk begins at 12 p.m. outside of the 1855 Room and traverses the sidewalks of campus, completing a mile-long route.

“A lot of students have a hard time getting physical activity in and have nutritional questions, so this combines both,” Holzmann said.

This resource was previously

available under a different name, “Walk and Talk with the Dietitian,” and has since been brought back under the new “Mindful” initiative branded by Sodexo this past fall.

This initiative, in addition to the Mindful Mile, brings a new wellness menu to the Eickhoff dining hall. Indicated by a “Mindful” icon, these dining options offer students healthy and nutritious choices, according to Holzmann.

Holzmann is also available to students for one-on-one meetings.

She is located in the lower level

of Decker residence hall, and appointments can be made by phone or email. However, for students who do not wish to meet in this setting, the Mindful Mile gives them the opportunity to ask their questions while in the company of friends and fellow students, all while getting in some exercise.

“It reminds (students) to include little things in their day,” Holzmann said.

While Holzmann hopes that walking around campus will let more students know she is an available resource, she does say

that many students are already aware of this. The beginning of a new semester, before a break and before finals are some of her busiest times, she said. As the year winds down and finals week begins, the Mindful Mile is a great way to find out which foods are best for effective studying and test-taking without having to make a set appointment.

Even if students do not have specific questions, Holzmann encourages them to join her and to bring a friend.

“The more the merrier,” she said.

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 11

Hello, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’

Williams is back.

fabfashionfix.com

By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist HELLOOOOOO. I am pleased to inform you that a “Mrs. Doubtfire 2” is in the works.

Even though the film came out 21 years ago, America still has not gotten its fill of men dressing up as old women. It just tickles us in that special way. According to “The Hollywood Reporter,” Robin Williams and original director Chris Columbus are attached to develop the next installment. The script is planned on being penned by “Elf” writer David Berenbaum. If Williams and Columbus

like it, then get out the powder, because Robin’s going to need a lot of it. The actress who played the youngest daughter in the film, Mara Wilson, tweeted less-than-stellar comments about the supposed plans. Honestly, what could you possibly base this movie on? Does Mrs. Doubtfire meet Big Fat Momma? Does she infiltrate an old folks’ home and befriend Elvis?

Sally Fields doesn’t have time for this — she’s got a Boniva commercial to film, dammit!

HASHEESH MON. At least that’s what I think Whoopi Goldberg is saying at this very moment. That or, “Sherri, I swear to God I’ll kill you if you open your mouth again.” Whoopi has been tapped by the Denver Post to write a column that covers Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana. Damn, I see the view Whoopi really has is from high up. Hopefully “Sister Act 3” is based in Denver. It could just be about Sister Mary Clarence just eating a brownie for two hours. Nothing Jennifer Anniston has been in lately can top that.

OH NOOOOO. Leonardo DiCaprio was captured on video last week dancing like an idiot at the Coachella music festival. Thank God he’s famous enough that he’ll never be asked to go on “Dancing With the Stars.” Leo must have been on something from Denver, because if you see the video, you can tell he’s not all there.

But hey, who am I to judge? I don’t work for the Academy. So continue dancing the night away, Leo. Maybe you’ll bump into an Oscar.

Campus Style

By Jordan Koziol and Heather Hawkes Columnists

razor to fray the edges and then throw the shorts in the wash to finalize the effect.

As spring is approaching and the temperature begins to climb (thank God), we shimmy out of our winter blues and into our fair-weather apparel. There are few better ways to make the adjustment into the warmer months than with a new pair of short shorts. No money? No problem!

As always, we’ve got you covered.

Before you throw out those old jeans you don’t really wear anymore, grab a pair of scissors and some chalk and get to work.

Another option is to leave the shorts on and fold up the bottom to make a rolled cuff effect until you reach a length you are happy with.

1. First, try on the jeans and make sure the waist and thigh areas have a nice fit to them. If they are too tight, your short will bunch in all the wrong places. Jeans that are a little bit looser will have a more desirable cut as shorts.

2. With the jeans still on, use the chalk to mark out a good length. We recommend marking a spot a bit longer than you actually desire because you always have room to make them shorter.

3. Once you have your length marked, you can take off the jeans and begin to cut.

4. Cut along the marked chalk line and throw the jeans back on to see how they fit.

5. If they are longer than you want, keep repeating the chalk marking and cutting until the desired length is achieved. Once you have the right length, you can take a

fabfashionfix.com

You can make your own perfect pair of shorts for spring.

How to make your sushi a healthy choice The vegetarian roll can be a great option and regular bowel movements.

In addition, brown rice is an excellent source of other essentials, such as magnesium, selenium and manganese.

• Beware of the crunchy rolls.

Crunchy rolls include deep-fried ingredients. Specifically in the Lions Den, the crunchy shrimp tempura and crunchy roll are covered with deep-fried onions, a topping you and your health could certainly do without.

AP Photo

If you’re looking for a healthy meal, make sure you pick a nutritious type of sushi.

By Ruchi Shah Columnist

If you’re anything like me, the new sushi bar in the Lions Den has got you excited for a variety of reasons. First off, SUSHI. Who doesn’t love it? And I suppose a secondary reason could be that

sushi is also a healthy meal option. However, just like any other item, there are certain rolls that are healthier than others. If you’re not ordering right, you might be getting the equivalent of chicken tenders and fries at the grill.

Here are a few general rules that should be followed when it

comes to ordering sushi:

• Ask for the brown rice instead of the white rice. In the Lions Den, it is only $0.50 more, and it’s worth it, because brown rice contains a good amount of fiber. Fiber is necessary in maintaining healthy digestion

• When choosing a roll, go for fish that are full of omega-3s, which helps prevent heart disease by lowering your levels of “blood fat.” Omega-3s can also reduce depressive symptoms.

Salmon and tuna are great sources of omega-3s, and they’re very tasty. While eel is also a good source of omega-3s, it tends to be covered in a brown eel sauce that is counterproductive to its

nutritional value.

• Don’t ignore the wasabi and ginger — both have a lot to offer. Wasabi is full of antioxidants, while ginger helps boost the immune system.

• Avoid the spicy mayo and cream cheese. Both are filled with unnecessary calories. In the Lions Den, the crunchy shrimp tempura and crunchy rolls are generally topped with spicy mayo. A salmon and avocado roll is a great alternate for the Philadelphia roll.

• The vegetarian roll is a great option. It includes avocado, cucumber and carrot, three raw vegetables that can do no harm.

Be sure to keep these rules in mind when you’re ordering sushi — your body will thank you later. Happy eating!

Call for Columnists We are currently looking for dedicated writers to start a new column for the Features section next semester. Contact wirthsc1@tcnj.edu with ideas!

page 12 The Signal April 23, 2014

The Office of Student Activities NOW HIRING: GRAPHIC ARTISTS Search for the position at:

Apply today!

For more information, contact tcnj.graduate.assistant@gmail.com

Career.pages.tcnj.edu Graphic artists are responsible for completing banner, flyer, and logo design requests made by student organizations.

You must include a resume as well as samples of your work with your application: - 1 piece made by hand - 1 piece made using Photoshop or other graphic design program

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 13

Project Stay Gold raises awareness of trafficking

By Andreia Bulhao Columnist The bathroom walls of the vacant Newark home seemed to be moving in the dark. As the light switched on, swarms of cockroaches appeared in the illuminated room. The building was crawling with them.

Numerous mattresses were crammed on the floor of each room. It was impossible to believe people were living there.

That is how Joe Salavarria, Homeland Security special agent, described the scene of a labor trafficking home, in a case where he — along with other members of law enforcement — rescued nearly 20 young women who he said were forced to work in hairbraiding salons day and night back in 2007.

The issue of slavery is often believed to be a dark part of our past, but the harsh reality is that it continues to exist today in our own backyards. The College’s

own Project Stay Gold hosted its trafficking awareness week, with events that included various speakers, a film screening and an activity night to educate attendees on the issue of human trafficking.

Trafficking can come in many forms, including forced sexual acts or labor, and according to authorities, movement across borders is not required. Involuntary labor can be present in a variety of industries, often in agriculture and the beauty industry, according to Lynne Wilson, Homeland Security victim specialist.

“I guarantee you they are in every town. They are everywhere,” Wilson said of these businesses.

Project Stay Gold was brought to campus by freshman communication studies and interactive multimedia double major Matthew Newman. The club’s goal is to raise awareness and educate students about the ongoing issue of human trafficking, which they refer to as modern-day slavery.

The events kicked off on Wednesday, April 9, when Danielle Douglass, a survivor of sex trafficking, spoke of her experiences and her work with advocacy. The night also featured signing a petition on change.org.

On Monday night the following week, the College was visited by victim specialist Lynne Wilson and special agent Joe Salavarria, from the Department of Homeland Security in Newark. Both recounted what to look for and spoke of one of the largest cases of labor trafficking that occurred within the state.

Wilson, who primarily deals with counseling of the victims, discussed some of the resources the department offers and why victims often have difficulty coming forward.

“When we’re talking about the impact on victims, people who are traumatized and living in fear will not come forward,” Wilson said.

She explained that often those who are trafficked are shamed

into keeping quiet, threatened or fearful that they themselves will be penalized by law enforcement.

Her role is to ensure that the victim feels they can cooperate in the investigation while their needs are being met. This includes providing safe housing, and resources, such as immigration relief.

“These people are out there all around us, and we don’t see them unless we know what to look for,” Wilson said.

Salavarria then took the floor to discuss one of the largest labor trafficking cases he had worked on in recent history. The case involved The Afolabi family, immigrants from the West African nation of Togo who had been accused of bringing young girls from their home country in Africa to the United States and forcing them to work in three different hair-braiding salons for 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Salavarria.

He explained that when labor trafficking occurs, it is often

inside of a legitimate business, such as these salons.

When enough victims had come forward and evidence was collected, a search warrant was put in place and the girls were removed from the three homes they were forced to live under supervision of different Afolabi family members.

It took three years for the traffickers to face a conviction.

Salavarria shed light on the amount of trust that is necessary between victims and law enforcement in any trafficking face to see success.

“Our job doesn’t end when we pull them out of these houses,” he said. “The bottom line is you have to follow through with what you say.”

Following the talk, events continued throughout the week, including a screening of the documentary “Very Young Girls” on Tuesday, April 15, and an activity night on Thursday, April 17, which allowed for hands-on and interactive discussion of the topic.

Four years later, spill still has harmful effects

AP Photo

The 2010 oil rig explosion is still having a negative effect on the environment.

By Frank Saverino Columnist

Since the explosion in the Gulf of Mexico occurred in 2010, BP’s resulting spill of over 200 million gallons of petroleum has been called the “worst man-made environmental disaster ever,” as even President Obama had termed it in his Remarks on the BP Oil Spill. Gulf Coast fishermen are still calling on BP to help aid their ailing oyster economy, which accounts for two-thirds of all of the U.S.’s oysters and 40 percent of our seafood catch, and has seen a steady

decline in population since the spill four years ago. Naliah Jefferson’s recent documentary, “Vanishing Pearls,” voices the concerns of many of Louisiana’s fishermen. The fishing industry is still struggling to recover its industry and seek compensation from BP, despite the company’s claims made in 2011 after the spill that “no direct oiling of sampled reefs was noted during annual sampling of public oyster seed grounds in Louisiana.” BP’s cleanup process and efforts have cost the company $26 million in fines, damage reparations and penalties awarded to the victims (the

explosion killed 11 workers on the rig), inhabitants and business owners who depended on the Gulf’s fishing areas for a living.

Jefferson’s film documents how many of those who were compensated for BP’s spill took BP’s flat offers of $5,000 because they were desperate for any assistance after going months without pay and/ or business. With the oyster economy still declining four years later and seven fishing areas still blocked off from coastal workers, many still feel that the compensation given by BP to Louisiana has been largely ineffective in recovering the Gulf and restoring lost business, and has been unfair in its allocation. Jules Melancon, a local fisherman, feels he has been unjustly compensated, since he still has been unable to find live oysters in his leased fishing area following the spill.

“They got an advert on TV saying they fixed the Gulf but I’ve never been fixed,” Melancon said.

Jefferson’s documentary exploits BP’s most recent advertisement claims that the Gulf is clean and that the “waters and beaches are open.”

A study by CNN has shown that since the BP spill, Louisiana’s oyster catch has fallen by 25 percent, and although other

studies have shown a rebound in fishing areas affected by the spill, there is still a decline in other seafood catches, such as blue crab and shrimp. George Barisich, an oyster boater, saw many dead oysters and “spats” of oil in his catch, and he has heard the same from other fishers in the Gulf.

“You get a spike in production every now and then, but overall, it’s off,” he told CNN worriedly. “Everybody’s down. Everywhere there was dispersed oil and heavily oiled, the production is down.”

Since then, Barisich has retired from the oyster trade.

Although much of the oil on the surface from the spill has been broken down by high-carbon molecules, environmental scientists have been concerned with testing the effect that the dispersants used by BP over the thousand miles of affected water has had on the Gulf’s ecosystem, which has seen a decline in several other species such as crickets, grasshoppers and ants.

Although some of the Gulf areas have bounced back and tourism has seen an increase, the demand for oysters is down and oil prices for boaters have gone up, and the areas hit hardest by the BP spill are still suffering from the disastrous consequences the spill had on their homes and businesses.

Take Back the Night calls for an end to violence

By Kelly Corbett Staff Writer

Campus flooded with chants such as “2-4-6-8, no more date rape” or “people unite, take back the night,” as the 21st annual Take Back the Night took place on Thursday, April 17, in the AIMM Amphitheater.

Take Back the Night was created in order to address all forms of violence against women.

This powerful night kicked off with a series of startling statistics to illustrate the dangers of domestic abuse women encounter.

One statistic that made its mark in the audience’s mind is that “on the (College) campus, one in four women and one in 10 men will experience sexual violence.”

The audience members were then given candles to hold up high as they marched around campus. This group of both survivors and supporters let it be known that domestic violence needed to be stopped, as they bellowed a series of chants against date rape.

After making their march across campus, the audience returned to the AIMM Amphitheater for a special

guest speaker. Crystal Leigh Endsley graced the podium as she treated the audience to some spoken-word poetry.

This Penn State women’s studies instructor and recipient of numerous awards and honors in the women’s study and playwriting category used spoken-word poetry to illustrate her experiences with sexual abuse.

“I never wanted to write poetry, I just wanted to express my pain,” Endsley said.

She told the tragic tale of her high school boyfriend who took advantage of her in the worst way possible and then told her there was “nothing to love here.”

For years, Endsley had blamed the incident on herself — she believed that she would never be loveable.

She began dressing more open and became more promiscuous, believing that “if (she gave) it to them, they can’t take it.”

However, all along she was just searching for the thing that her high school boyfriend had stolen from her. She found her voice through spoken-word poetry, the voice that ultimately was silenced during her painful encounter.

As Endsley wrapped up her story, she opened the floor to any other brave souls who wanted to share their experiences

with domestic violence.

Members of the audience began opening up, telling stories of sexual violence encounters with friends, a nanny and even their own family members.

Chelsea VanOrden, a junior women’s and gender studies major, was impacted the most during this part of the night.

“You really felt like you were a part of their lives,” she said.

The night closed on a more positive note, as Robbin Loonan, coordinator of the Anti-Violence Initiatives at the College, opened up her door and her email inbox to anyone who needed to share any experiences they may have had.

She reminded the audience that they needed to speak out and regain their voice — something that had ultimately been taken away from them.

All in all, it was a very powerful night for both survivors and supporters.

All proceeds from the night will go Providence House, a nonprofit organization that works to end domestic abuse while providing a safe haven from abuse.

page 14 The Signal April 23, 2014

Arts & Entertainment

Urie fury was unleashed during Spring Concert

Courntey Wirths / Photo Editor

Students lined up in the rain for Hoodie Allen, Karmin and Panic! At The Disco, who all gave stellar perfomances in the Recreation Center.

By Shayna Innocenti Arts & Entertainment Editor Despite the drastic drop in the temperature and the pouring rain, students lined up outside of the Recreation Center on Tuesday, April 15, excited to see the longawaited Spring Concert featuring Hoodie Allen, Karmin and Panic!

At The Disco.

Hoodie Allen was the first to take the stage, with a colorful piñ ata banner in the background. This high-energy rapper helped thaw out the frozen and damp students.

Though a newcomer to the rapping scene, the Boston native has a nearly sold-out tour and will be releasing his first full-length album this upcoming summer.

“I’m really sort of someone who hears the music and sort of associates and writes from that,” Allen said in reference to his album. “So really just a collaborative process from just the beginning.”

According to Allen, his tour has a twist, in that it features a variety

of small venues in hopes of connecting with his fan-base.

“Well, I think I just like the opportunity to play in front of a new and diverse crowd,” Allen said.

“But there’s something really cool about winning over a crowd who may not be as familiar with you.”

Some songs featured in Allen’s set were “No Interruption,” “Eighteen Cool” and a song that was close to Allen’s heart, “Small Town.”

Karmin, the dynamic duo of Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, effectively commanded the stage after Hoodie Allen’s set.

The undeniable chemistry between the two certainly made for an amazing performance.

Known for their double platinum hit “Brokenheart” off of their 2012 EP “Hello,” Karmin gave an electrifying performance that definitely showed their ever-stretching ranges as artists.

“Our music live is definitely going to sound different than what people expect from us,” Heidemann said in an interview with The

Signal before the show.

Their music, which usually holds a heavy electronic sound similar to that of Nicki Minaj, was stripped away from several of their songs, which showcased the group’s undeniable vocal talent.

The rather vulnerable mashup of Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” and Karmin’s own “I Hate To Love You” was a shining moment for the pair, as the sound greatly contradicted the original online version, in a great and creative fashion.

“So we did YouTube and we broke out on YouTube,” Heidemann said. “Now people only think of us as a ‘YouTube band’ and we’re a little bit more than that.”

In late March, Karmin released their first full-length album, “Pulse,” titled after their rollercoaster journey of ascending beyond their extremely successful YouTube platform and breaking into the music industry.

“The whole idea of the album is to portray the highs and lows of life,” Heidemann said.

Aside from a few false alarms from over-excited Disco fans, the screaming commenced and the crowd surged forward the second Panic! At The Disco ran on stage.

Eccentric lead vocalist Brendon Urie — who was still recovering from celebrating his birthday the weekend prior — arrived on stage with much enthusiasm and energy with bassist Dallon Weekes and guitarist Ian Crawford.

Punk-rock vibrato echoed throughout the Rec Center with the classic opening song “Time to Dance.” The crowd heavily participated, shouting the lyrics “shotgun wedding, shotgun wedding.”

Despite the song’s lyrics, the crowd’s composure and posture was lost as they made sure to jump, clap, shout and attempt to sing along to every song, even the two surprise covers of Journey’s “Anyway You Want It” and AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” at the show’s end.

Panic! played several songs from their 2005 album, “A Fever

You Can’t Sweat Out,” of extremely lengthy song titles, and included crowd favorite “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.”

Some of the iconic Vaudevillian classics, however, were strategically infused with the band’s new technology-based-beat featured on Panic!’s most recent album, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” (2013) with Urie manding the keyboard.

Other songs, like “Nine in the Afternoon,” remained untouched, being perfect vessels of familiarity. Unfamiliar to songs such as “This is Gospel” and “Let’s Kill Tonight,” however, was the unanticipated interjection of falsetto notes from Urie that momentarily would render the audience speechless — momentarily.

Overall, Panic! had a very clean and professional performance. Every song change was timed perfectly with intermission music playing between.

Regardless of the day’s drab weather, the electrifying Spring Concert proved to be more than worth the wait.

Kal Penn: From ‘House’ to White House

By Kimberly Ilkowski Staff Writer

Kal Penn is not your typical actor. Sure, he can play a variety of roles — from a stoner on an odyssey to find the perfect hamburger, to a suicidal doctor working under Dr. Gregory House — but his best role yet has been in real life, working for the White House. Penn visited the College on Monday, April 14, to give a heartfelt lecture about his transition from Hollywood to Washington D.C. in Kendall Hall’s Main Stage Theater.

The actor-turned-civil-servant proved to the audience that there was much more behind the man than what many fans see in his films and television shows by sharing personal anecdotes about scoring his first major audition and organizing events for the President.

As the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, Penn has given his all to making a difference in the country where he sees major flaws, like the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the overwhelming student debts. He willingly took a sabbatical from his flourishing acting career following Barrack Obama’s first presidential election and continues to go back and forth between the two jobs.

“It can be done. It (staggers) your career

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Penn discusses his transition from actor to working for Obama Admin.

development in your primary career so you just have to be okay with that,” Penn said about juggling his multiple responsibilities in an interview with The Signal.

In October 2007, Penn saw that Obama was down 30 points in the polls. Along with his aversion to the injustices he found around him, he was inspired to volunteer with his

then “House” co-star Olivia Wilde, working as campaign surrogates.

Once Obama won the election the following year, there was an open position for the job that Penn had occupied during the campaign. When he was later offered the position full-time, Penn recalled thinking how he could never turn it down.

“I’m sorry, Mr. President. I have another stoner movie to do. I’m going to have to decline,” Penn joked.

Since then, Penn has continued working on getting the nation’s youth to vote as well as promoting Arts and AsianAmerican outreach.

Of the night’s many White House stories, Penn reflected on one of the first events he had to organize for the President, who would be signing an executive order for the Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Penn could feel the pressure creeping up on him on the days before the event.

“I could only imagine a Politico article coming out the next day with the headline ‘Kumar screws up first White House event,’” Penn laughed.

In his final moments on stage, Penn wanted to give students a few pieces of advice to adhere to, one of them very pertinent to people in the room who have been struggling deciding their career paths and switching majors.

“If your interests change, people will probably call you crazy, and it’s probably a good thing,” Penn said. “It’s okay to find happiness from something other than a steady income.”

So go out there and follow your dreams.

Kal Penn told you to.

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 15

‘Captain America 2’ surpasses the original

AP Photo

The Winter Soldier returns as a villian in Marvel movie.

By Mike Herold Fantasy Sports Editor

clichés (Samuel L. Fury fakes his death, an old villain returns from the dead as a computer villain and Captain America’s old friend Bucky Barnes comes back from the supposed-but-not-confirmed dead as the amnesia-plagued titular antagonist), the new character’s jetpack wings are not terribly realistic and Cap’s iconic shield bounces off way too many things perfectly.

With the flaws out of the way, I’m going to begin gushing, because I loved this movie.

I saw “Captain America 2” as I have the last several Marvel movies: with my roommates on opening night as a last-minute rally. This experience was a bit

For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I will warn you ahead of time: this article features heavy spoilers for the newest installment into the franchise, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Do not read ahead if you have not yet seen this film and do not wish to have your world rocked and possibly shaken to its very core.

Now that that’s all taken care of, I feel free to discuss this movie, starting with the flaws — because there are so few of them.

Here were my beefs with this flick: it has a few comic book movie

different from the others, in that when we arrived at the theater an hour before the show started, we found ourselves the only ones in line. There wasn’t the buzzing, hyperactive atmosphere that had accompanied the last three Avengers-related films, possibly because the first Captain America movie in the franchise had seemed like filler, something the studio had to do so that he could appear in “The Avengers.”

So settling in, my hopes for this movie were not particularly high, despite the amazing trailers. I was just hoping this movie would be decent, a good way to fill in the gap between Avengers movies, much as the prior two Phase Two Marvel movies had done.

Two-plus hours later, I was raving about how great this movie was. It had everything that the first Captain America movie had lacked: our hero was torn between his morals and loyalty (ultimately deciding that he was loyal to his morals), he had partners who were almost as awesome at stuff as he was, the entire plot made sense and included no bogus plane-flying-into-a-glacier devices and, most important of all, we got to see Captain America just straight up pummel dudes. A lot of dudes. Basically a quarter of the movie involved Captain America beating people up, in

the best way possible.

As for the plot itself, Marvel really outdid itself on this one — the movie involves a massive splinter cell within S.H.I.E.L.D, essentially the governing body of the Avengers combined with the world’s most insanely huge spy network.

The cell is made up of the new and far deadlier version of Hydra, the enemy operators from the first Cap film, which has invaded and taken over most of S.H.I.E.L.D. and threatens the world with massive heli-carriers equipped with tons and tons of explosives. Using only his own personal shield, new hero Falcon’s jetpack-wings (Falcon is awesome at life, by the way), Black Widow’s super-spy skills and Fury’s hidden eye, Cap has to

take down a global conspiracy and three massive warships.

And it all works beautifully.

The best parts, though, are the battles — when Captain America and the Winter Soldier finally throw down, the audience gets the evenly-matched fight with the barely-superpowered Captain we’ve wanted since the first movie. I won’t even spoil how amazing those sequences are, you’ll just have to see the movie yourself.

So, if you’ve been on the edge about seeing Cap 2, let me tell you this: If you don’t like superhero/ Marvel movies, don’t bother going. If you do, prepare for the best Marvel movie since Avengers, and I cannot give much higher praise than that.

AP Photo

Evans and Johansson bring the fury in ‘Captain’ sequel.

Freeman shows religion The unoriginal script behind iconic heroes hurts ‘Bad Words’

AP Photo

‘Gundam’ is a Buddhist vehicle.

By Amanda Vuocolo Correspondent

Renowned voice actor and mythology scholar Crispin Freeman offered wisdom on life, mythology and anime on the evening of Wednesday, April 16, at Mayo Concert Hall.

An expert and fan of anime, Freeman presented his lecture highlighting the differences between American and Japanese storytelling. “Giant Robots and Superheroes: Manifestations of Divine Power” is one of Freeman’s many topics from his Mythology and Meaning series of lectures.

According to Freeman, the purpose of the lecture was to explain “why Americans

talk about superheroes and the Japanese talk about robots.” He did so with the help of an interactive PowerPoint presentation featuring text and video of crucial scenes from Superman and Astro Boy. Freeman’s formalist analysis of Eastern and Western storytelling revealed that their respective story arcs are often derived from religious tradition: American superhero stories tend to have a Christ-like protagonist, while Japanese giant robots often represent Buddhist vehicles to enlightenment.

Freeman cited the Gundam franchise as a perfect example of a Japanese giant robot story. In this series, Gundam are gigantic mechanical suits that are piloted by humans. According to Freeman, the Gundam storylines feature these giant robots as “yana,” or “fairyboats,” which are metaphorical vehicles to enlightenment in Buddhist tradition.

Freeman’s most conclusive example to support his argument revolved around one climactic battle scene in the Gundam series in which the protagonist, Amuro, left his Gundam in order to survive while his opponent remained inside of his suit and died.

After the presentation, Freeman opened the floor to a robust questionand-answer session, which covered female hero stories, dragons and Western themes in anime.

When questioned about his own knowledge and success, he replied, “In order to be an authority, you must author your own life.”

Freeman concluded with a mantra.

“Amuro did it, you can too!”

This event was sponsored by the Japanese Club, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, The International Studies Department, the Society for Creative Endeavors and the Asian American Association.

By Chris Minitelli Staff Writer

In any type of competition, there are always different back stories and components that people never think of. This even goes for a national spelling bee. In the movie “Bad Words,” many of these things are shown and exaggerated.

This movie centers on Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman), a 40-year-old without a high school diploma who finds a loophole in a spelling bee and decides to try to win as an adult. Obviously, Guy’s actions cause a great deal of uproar and anger amongst parents, contestants and the competition’s administration. Each of these frustrations and outbursts ultimately cause different outrageous happenings and backlashes against Guy and other people involved.

Alongside Bateman, who made his directorial debut with this film, “Bad Words” has a pretty talented cast, which includes Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Philip Baker Hall and Allison Janney. Each of these actors brings a certain element to the film that gives it an interesting and often pretty

funny flair.

While the cast of “Bad Words” is quite impressive, the writing of it is not. The plotline of the film lacked a certain relatable and believable quality that is very important for a film to have. The script and dialogue of “Bad Words” also lacked any originality and strong humor. Although there were particular lines and actions that were pretty funny, for the most part, the punchlines fell flat.

Also, as the film progressed, it became more and more predictable. There were absolutely no surprises in this film, which also took away some entertaining qualities from it. As I was watching “Bad Words,” I felt as if I had already seen it before. Much of the storyline — and even dialogue — seemed like it came from other similar films, which just added to its unoriginality.

While I am a big Jason Bateman fan, “Bad Words” was a letdown for me. This is definitely a film that looks a lot better as a trailer than it actually is. Although the cast was pretty good in this movie, its unoriginality and lackluster punchlines ultimately make it a film that may not be worth going to see.

Despite Bateman’s flair, ‘Bad Words’ falls short in humor.

AP Photo

page 16 The Signal April 23, 2014

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 17

Major League is a major hit at final Rat show

Courtesy of Mallory Guzzi

Students rock out to three bands during the last show.

By Kimberly Ilkowski Staff Writer

Fans and friends let their inhibitions go and moshed to their hearts’ content at the Rathskeller

while Save Face, Batten Down The Hatches and Major League performed, marking a spectacular end to the CUBRat spring lineup on Friday, April 18.

The College’s own Save Face

opened the show, immediately immersing the crowd in their heavy punk sound.

The band consists of Tyler Cranden, a junior marketing major on guitar and vocals, and sophomores Chris Hranj, a computer science major on bass, Shane Dermanjian, an international studies major on guitar, Tyler Povanda, a mathematics major on vocals, and Chris Flannery, an interactive multimedia major on drums.

They rocked out to songs off their recently-released EP “I Won’t Let This Take My Life” and the 2013 EP “Lost At Heart,” including “Teeth In The Floor,” “Clockwork” and “No Harm Done.”

Throughout the set, Povanda threw himself around the stage and put his microphone into the pit for people to scream along the words.

Dermanjian, also a member of CUB and next year’s Rat chair responsible for bringing acts to campus, is excited to continue the tradition.

“My co-Rat Lauren and I plan on making next year’s schedule just as stacked as they have been since we both came to TCNJ,” he said.

Next up was Batten Down The Hatches, a rock group from Freehold, N.J., that was performing at the College for the first time.

Vocalist John McManus, guitarists Joey DiCamilo and Adam Lotfi, drummer Kevin Sardy and bassist Bryan Little powered through a killer set of songs off their 2012 EP “Beginnings” and split EP with Random Holiday.

Their set included “In Case We Haven’t Met,” which led right into “Unique New York” and “Rich Mahogany.”

“This song goes out to everyone that got a cheeseburger wrap like me!” Lotfi joked with the crowd.

The night concluded with the headliner Major League taking the stage.

The punk rock unit from Mantua, N.J., was comprised of Brian Joyce and Matt Chila on guitar and vocals, Kyle Bell on bass and Luke

Smartnick on drums.

The crowd burst into excitement as they played songs off their 2012 album “Hard Feelings” like “Walk Away” and “Because Heaven Knows.”

Before the band played “Arrows Crossed,” they dedicated the song to Batten Down The Hatches.

“We’ve been playing together for three years,” Joyce said. “They always have our backs and let us crash at their house.”

The show was certainly the perfect ending to a series of talented musical performances throughout the semester that brought music lovers of all genres together.

Thomas Barr, a sophomore economics major, always enjoys coming to the Rat on his Friday nights.

“The Rat fosters a culture you can’t get anywhere else on campus,” Barr said.

This special feature is what keeps students coming out week after week. Here’s to another year of awesome live music.

From movie to television show, ‘Fargo’ does all

By Karl Delossantos Staff Writer Few films have ever matched the absolute irrational realism that Joel and Ethan Coen’s film “Fargo” reached in 1996. The off-kilter Academy Award-winning film so delicately treaded the line between absurd comedy and honest human interaction to create one of the greatest films of all time. So, to take this world and humor the Coens so adeptly put together and transfer it to television was an exciting prospect.

Not only does the TV version deliver, it absolutely matches the charm and grit of the original film, partially thanks to the Coens’ involvement in the development of the television series.

Similarly to the film, the television version starts with the familiar note and warning: “This is a true story.” Then, we see the familiar snowfall that introduces the mood of isolation and desolation. A car crashes through the snowfall to set off the deconstruction of this seemingly pleasant scene.

Stylistically and thematically, the television series doesn’t mimic the film, but rather utilizes the style. That is probably the series’ biggest success in terms of its adaptation. So often adaptations to television either try too hard to mimic the source material or do too

AP Photo

Television show manages to successfully capture film’s dark humor.

much to differentiate it. “Fargo” found the golden ratio. However, other factors play into its absolute success.

The series follows Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), a down-on-his-luck, bumbling insurance salesman whose life takes an odd turn when he meets a mysterious drifter, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thorton), who comes through town.

Martin Freeman, in the role equivalent to

William H. Macy’s in the film, is a delight to watch. He balances comedy so well with the complexity of his completely awkward yet endearing character.

Throughout the episode, he has to deal with his overbearing and condescending wife, successful younger brother and an old classmate who used to bully him in high school. What makes the episode so compelling is the arc Lester goes through. The

development kicks off with what is looking to be a fantastic season of television.

Billy Bob Thorton is equally as good, and the character is sure to be a hit with the audiences. His role in the grand scheme of things is going to be an interesting one, but the writers seem to have a clear vision and are definitely leading toward it.

Allison Tolman portrays Molly Solverson, a young and eager deputy in the small town. The set-up of her storyline and character showed us that she is going to be a major character and possibly be taking the role made famous by Frances McDormand.

It is hard to talk about the episode without ruining what ends up being a gamechanging plot development, but what can be talked about is the writers’ ability to balance the dark humor with an incredible forward momentum that will carry the series through its conclusion.

There is something so charming about it.

Maybe it’s the simplicity, the characters or maybe even the Minnesota nice accents, but what is certain is that this is an adaptation done right. By the end of the first episode, you will be grasping for more and that is what good television should do. “Fargo” will have you laughing, crying and everything in between, but more importantly, it will keep you entertained to the very end.

Steve Mumford documents Iraq War with art

By Sarina Gupta Correspondent When he first arrived in Iraq in April of 2003, artist Steve Mumford took out his camera and began taking pictures, only to find himself feeling like a fraud.

Stuck with two reports and no way back to his hotel in Kuwait, Mumford pulled out his drawing pad and began the first sketch of many depicting America’s war on Iraq.

Originally from Boston, Mumford attended The School of Visual Arts in New York, and after multiple tours overseas, Mumford now teaches at The New York Academy of Art.

As part of the Visiting Artist Series, on Wednesday, April 16, in the Library Auditorium, Mumford told students how he began his project on the Iraq War in April of 2003, in an attempt to document life in Iraq in a way that mirrored Winslow Homer’s depictions of the Civil War. Mumford found it difficult at first to feel as though he belonged among the American soldiers he traveled with, but he soon realized he was an artist in a war zone and therefore had the right to document what was going on.

In the early days of war, Mumford would go out into cities and see what he could find.

“I wanted to draw from life,”

Mumford said. “The war was going on, but it was surprisingly hard to find.”

Battles began late in 2003, and this shift is evident in Mumford’s work, as sketches appear more frantic and red ink splatters the wounded bodies of Iraqis and American soldiers alike.

He spent time in the Baghdad Emergency Room, witnessing amputations and surgeries of all kinds, as well as the reality of death in a time of war.

Mumford recalls seeing stretchers drying in the Baghdad sun after being washed clean of blood. He also saw ceremonies for American soldiers who passed with the deceased’s boots, rifle and helmet on display as

a memorial and how his unit and his doctors would stand at attention as the body was carried away.

Although Mumford was in Iraq as an artist, he definitely felt the sting of war, recalling that one day he just started sobbing. “(The result was the) pent-up emotions of all this mayhem,” Mumford said.

Mumford describes his time in Iraq as a powerful, moving experience and hopes his work “might relate to all wars on some level.”

He wants more artists to consider the “notion of being an artist and applying yourself to current events,” as he did in Iraq, because, “it just feels like now is the time.”

Juhi Kapadia / Staff Photographer

Mumford retells war using art.

page 18 The Signal April 23, 2014

Lions Fantasy World Nothin’ But Net

Well, it’s finally over. I had, up to this point, never lost a fantasy sports league I’d been a part of: I was 7-0 in fantasy basketball leagues in particular. Now, after a fantasy season in which I went undefeated right up until the finals, I’ve finally lost. This makes me the fantasy sports version of the 2007 New England Patriots, which is somewhat ironic since I’m a Giants fan.

Anyway, congratulations to Gabe, who truly deserved this championship win: He had the most points overall during the regular season as well but lost a few matches in down weeks. Gabe is repeating as champion of this page’s fantasy basketball league (I didn’t take part last year), which means this league is just like the NBA, in that the same team keeps winning year after year.

I’m talking about this league because it is my last chance to do so. I’m graduating this year, so this will be the last fantasy league I run on this page. It’s somewhat sad, but I’m also extremely glad that I no longer have to record the results of every week’s matches.

It is difficult to copy and paste from the Internet to this page, so the process was rather tedious. I’m also glad that I no longer have to figure out all of the stuff that appeared on the bottom of this page for the past three semesters, as sorting through an entire league of players for a few to watch out for over the next week takes hours and hours of time for a short paragraph.

Going back to this semester’s competition, I’m pretty glad with how it all turned out, even though I lost. I’d also like to thank everyone who participated in this league, even and especially those of you who I forced into joining hours before the season began. It was a wild ride, and I was on eggshells every week watching my team go undefeated in the regular season. The playoffs were pretty intense — three of the four matches were decided by less than 200 points — and in the end the best team overall won.

So now I’ll go back to merely participating in leagues, not running them. And, like every defeated team, I’ll use the mantra that keeps fans coming back year after year: I’ll win it next time.

By Mike Herold Fantasy Sports Editor

Final League Standings

THE CHAMPION: Gabe Allen, Love Train Runner-Up: Mike Herold, Fantasy Guys Third Place: Victor Vazquez, Team Vazquez Fourth Place: Bryan Dunphy-Culp, Off the Backboard Fifth Place: Marco Amaral, Team Amaral Sixth Place: Amy Reynolds, Team Reynolds Seventh Place: Chris Molicki, Team Molicki Eigth Place: Rob Matos, Team Matos Ninth Place: Ashray Jha, Team Jha Tenth Place: Pete Fiorilla, Rasheed Wallace

Fantasy Award Winners Fantasy MVP Kevin Durant Most Improved Fantasy Player Anthony Davis Biggest Fantasy Surprises Lance Stephenson DeAndre Jordan Biggest Fantasy Duds Derrick Rose Larry Sanders Fantasy Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams AP Photo

I May Be Wrong, But...

Here are my predictions for the opening round of the NBA playoffs:

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks A rematch from last season, the Hawks surprised a lot of people by winning Game 1. Call me crazy, but a mad Pacers team looks scary.

Pacers in Six.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks The Spurs will win — this series is boring.

But what Popovich said to an ailing Craig Sager makes this series worth watching even if it will be quick.

Spurs in Four.

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Bobcats This series was always going to be won by the Heat. Until Al Jefferson’s injury, I thought the Bobcats might scare them with a couple wins.

Heat in Four.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies Late in game one, with the Grizz making a comeback, I saw a look in Durant’s eyes that I’ve seen before. It said he’s done losing.

Calling it early: Thunder take home the title.

Thunder in Five.

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Toronto fans are way too confidant about this series, and without good reason. The Nets are old and slow, but built for the playoffs.

Nets in Six.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors Allow me to be the 87,000th person to tell you that this series is going to rock.

I predicts a full seven close games with at least three fights. Edge: CP3.

Clippers in Seven.

Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards The Wizards are young, exciting and can surprise people — that’s how they took the first game. But the Bulls have been here before.

Bulls in Seven.

Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trailblazers This is the only series where my prediction changed after the opening game. I thought Harden and Howard would out-duel Lillard and Aldridge. I was wrong.

Blazers in Six.

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 19 Cheap Seats

NBA age requirement is unfair to players

AP Photo

For every college-star-turned-NBA-star like Durant, there is at least one Daniel Orton, aka wasted potential.

By Kevin Luo Staff Writer New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently said that one of his top priorities is to raise the NBA age requirement from 19 to 20 in an attempt to eliminate the “one-and-dones” from the college game. It appears that NBA owners and the NCAA would be heavily in favor of this: NBA owners would save money because they will be able to draft players more ready for the NBA, while the NCAA would get another year of some of the top players in the nation.

This rule would seem to help everyone — aside from the players.

But it is completely unfair to the players, especially the ones who are clearly ready to go to the pros. I understand for every superstar one-and-done like Kevin Durant, there is a Daniel Orton, who never does anything significant in the league, but it’s the GM’s job to evaluate talent better. If GMs are so worried about these one-and-done players, they don’t have to draft them ­— yet they still keep going at the top of the draft. The way that teams are drafting now also benefits players coming out early since players

are being drafted based on potential. A lot of players like James Michael McAdoo hurt their draft stock tremendously by returning to school.

People will make the argument that the NFL requires players to be out of high school for three years before they enter the draft. Football and basketball are completely different, though. Basketball is a contact sport. Football is a collision sport. There are legitimate safety reasons behind making football players stay in college as long as they do before entering the NFL

Draft and playing football against fullgrown adult men. Kevin Durant is going to be league MVP this season and he’s not a big, strong bull, but he can more than adequately handle himself in the world’s top league.

A lot of top players have plans of getting to the NBA as soon as possible even when they’re still in high school. They are looking forward to that big NBA payday, but in the NBA, the second contract is the most important, and these big-time young players want to get to that big second contract as quickly as possible.

I think players should be allowed to go to the NBA right from high school, but there are some benefits to players going to college for one year. They’ll get a little bit more notoriety while seeing how their skills compare to some better competition before going to the league. The NBA and NCAA are doing an injustice to these players by trying to keep them in college as long as possible where they don’t make any money.

Obviously, education is very important, but it’s not that important to everyone, and I don’t think the NCAA always prepares these players with “real educations” anyway. If they keep forcing players to stay in college longer, college basketball is going to lose more and more talented players to the international game or the NBA D-League, where they can at least get some form of paycheck. If a person can fight for our country at 18, why should they have to wait until 20 to play in the NBA?

Track & Field

Track treks on in Princeton, Bethlehem

By Peter Fiorilla Sports Editor

Both the men’s and women’s track teams achieved great success this past week, with much of it occurring at the Larry Ellis Invitational — a large meet hosted by Princeton University with plenty of schools on Wednesday, April 16, and Thursday, April 17, in which junior James O’Connor took part in a decathlon.

Decathlons, heptathlons and pentathlons belong to a section of track and field events called a multi, in which one athlete partakes in several events.

“Out of all of them, the decathlon is without a doubt the hardest,” O’Connor said. “I continue to do them because I love how they aren’t like any other event in track and field.”

Of the 10 events, O’Connor took first in the 1,500-meter run and second in the high jump.

At the Morovian Collegehosted Greyhound Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., a team of four Lions comprised of sophomore Jake Lindacher, senior Scott Lisa, freshman Zach Hubner and senior Michael Spekhardt triumphed in the 4x100 relay with a seasonbest time of 41.91 seconds.

“I led off the relay, and all I remember is handing the baton off to Lisa in the lead and watching that lead get bigger and bigger

every step of the way,” Lindacher said. “That is one fun part about leading off: doing your part and then watching the team win.”

That time is also the 13th highest registered during this past weekend.

Hubner also took part in the 200-meter and 400-meter runs.

He placed second in the 200meters with a time of 22.29 seconds and placed third in the 400meters with a time of 48.96.

On the women’s team, sophomore Marissa Lerit had an especially exciting win in the 5,000-meter event, beating Peggy Lai from Lehigh University by a mere 0.3 seconds with a time of 18:30.59.

“Marissa stayed tough during the entire 5k and worked her way up to the front from the beginning,” senior teammate Anginelle Alabanza said.

“She definitely fought back when another runner tried to outkick her in the end and was strong enough to keep ahead of her through the finish line.”

Alabanza also saw success at the meet in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event, in which the current TCNJ Female Athlete of the Week won first place with a time of 11:22.19.

“Personally, this was my first time running the steeple race, and the steeple water pit and competition were perfect for it,” Alabanza said.

Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Hubner competes in the 4x100 relay at the Greyhound Invitational.

Also in the steeplechase was freshman Laura Straub, who finished fifth with a time of 11:54.34.

Many other Lions had their fair share of personal successes at the meet as well.

Sophomore Tyler Grimm won his first college event with a 33:10.72 finishing time in the 10,000-meter run.

Freshman Brandon Mazzarella ran the best he ever has this spring in the 1,500-meter

run with a finishing time of 4:00.98, wtih the effort earning Mazzarella first place in the event.

The women’s team saw the same trend.

One example includes junior Megan Stack, who ran her fastest time this season in the 1,500-meter run, placing second with a time of 4:46.15.

Another is Katelyn Ary who got the 15th best time in the country registered this

past weekend with a time of 1:03.63, earning her third place at the meet itself.

“The majority of the team made new personal records this weekend,” Alabanza said.

The Lions hope to qualify for nationals in the long run.

“The way coach Lindsey prepares us, both physically and mentally, is to compete at the highest level possible,” Lindacher said. “And for us, that is nationals.”

page 20 The Signal April 23, 2014

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April 23, 2014 The Signal page 21

LIONS

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Andrew Grossman “The Ref”

Chris Molicki

Managing Editor

Mike Herold

Fantasy Sports Editor

George Tatoris Staff Writer

In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Andrew Grossman, asks our panel of experts three questions: will Chris Johnson be the weapon the New York Jets have been lacking at RB, is New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka’s strong start to the season a fluke, and who can upset Rafa Nadal in next month’s French Open?

1. How much of an impact will Chris Johnson make with the Jets?

Chris: It all depends on Johnson’s attitude.

We know he has the talent — he rushed for over 2,000 yards one year and over 1,000 yards every year in his career. Now being with the Jets, there are two ways he can go.

He can either be rejuvenated by coming to New York and have one of his best seasons in years or he can be satisfied by his new contract and continue to play poorly and unmotivated. I think the former will happen. Johnson has something to prove, and the hype of him going to the Jets has been big. Johnson is also not an incredibly big back, so having Christopher Ivory to spell him will help him out and keep him healthy. The Jets could do some interesting things on offense with Michael Vick and Johnson, so don’t be surprised to see some gimmicks as well.

Mike: Honestly, not much of one. I suppose Johnson did technically gain more yards rushing last season than any single

AP Photo

Jet, but his average of 3.9 yards per carry was below the team’s average of 4.4 in that all-important rushing statistic. He also definitely isn’t the all-time great rusher he makes himself out to be. Other than

his one great season in 2008, he’s been a good, but not great, running back in the NFL. He’s also been plagued by injuries throughout his career, which is never a great sign for a player who has been in

the league for a while. Furthermore, the Jets are looking to be better on offense by strengthening their passing game, either by continuing the development of Geno Smith or by hoping Michael Vick has one more great year left in him. Neither of those options is helped tremendously by a star running back, especially not one who needs a huge amount of carries to be successful like Johnson.

George: Johnson will definitely provide an element that the Jets offense sorely lacked last season. His phenomenal speed will play nicely off fellow RB Chris Ivory’s more powerful running style as they share the load next season, improving the Jets’ running game. Johnson’s oft-overlooked ability to catch the ball, demonstrated by his average of 45 catches per season and his 503 receiving yards during his 2000rushing yard season, means he’ll be able to run screen passes for the Jets as well. This will give the Jets’ offense the variety they were missing last season.

Chris gets 3 points for describing Johnson’s motivational issue, Mike gets 2 points for saying Jets needs a passing game, and George gets 1 point for discussing Johnson’s catching ability.

AP Photo

2. New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has started out the season strong. Is his 2-0 start and 28 strikeouts in three games a fluke, or will he be able to maintain it throughout the season and justify his $155 million contract?

Chris: While I don’t think it’s a fluke, Tanaka will probably come down to earth a little bit, similarly to how Yu Dravish did in his first year in the majors. It’s simply a case of hitters seeing Tanaka more and figuring him out. That’s not to say that Tanaka

won’t be good. He’s still got ace potential and filthy stuff, so expect those strikeout numbers to stay steady. With the way he pitched in Japan and the way he’s started so far, it’s easy to be very optimistic. The gophers might come, but I wouldn’t be too worried about them. That’s what happens when you play at Yankee Stadium.

Mike: I would say it’s a little of both — I don’t think Tanaka’s great start is a fluke, but I also don’t think he’ll be able to maintain this level of domination for very long.

I mean, before we get too excited about this guy let’s look at the teams he’s faced so far: Toronto, Baltimore and the Cubs aren’t exactly striking too much fear into the hearts of the opposition, although the Blue Jays and Orioles do have a few dangerous hitters. So I’d like to reserve judgment just a little bit until we’ve seen Tanaka pitch against better clubs, especially once they know what to expect from his pitching.

That all said, a 14-to-1 K/BB ratio is just about as good as it gets, and boasting a 2.05

ERA after three major league starts is nothing to scoff at. I think Tanaka could end up being a very good pitcher in this league, but I also think he’ll cool off a bit later in the season when better teams are prepared to face him.

George: Tanaka’s stats are inflated at the moment because he’s only played three games. Batters don’t have enough film of his pitches to study, just like with every new pitcher. Also, one-third of the batters Tanaka pitched to were Cubs. Those factors are going to skew things a little bit. But I still think the Yankees have something in Tanaka. His first three games demonstrate control having only walked two players.

He’s adapting fast to the American league as well, showing obvious improvement as a game goes on. In his debut against the Blue Jays, his only two mistakes occurred during the first three innings. This is important for players transitioning from a league as different as NPB, which is less competitive in general than MLB.

Mike gets 3 points for mentioning the Yankees schedule, Chris gets 2 points for making the Dravish comparison, and George gets 1 point for saying stats were inflated.

3. With the French Open happening in reclaim his lost crown, rather than having about a month, what tennis player has other players chase him for it. I could get the best chance of overthrowing the fancy and pull a wild card like Horatio King of Clay, Rafa Nadal?

Zellabos, the other man besides Djokovic Chris: It’s the easy pick, but it’s the only and the ever-aging Roger Federer to take pick — Novak Djokovic. Tennis is a very down the Rafa in a clay final, but the playtop-heavy sport. The elite players usually er with the best chance at this point absocome out on top. Djokovic is Nadal’s true lutely has to be Novak. He’s beaten Nadal rival now, and he favors playing on hard- in their last three matches, he beat Nadal er courts (I know, Nadal loves his clay). last year, and he’s just the best shot to do The reason why Djokovic has a shot is it again. That said, I’d say Nadal still has because of the combination of his fierce, to be considered the favorite, since he’s cold-blooded approach combined with won 93.4 percent of the matches he’s ever the fact that Nadal just lost on clay for the played on clay. first time since 2004 David Ferrer. This George: Current No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinmortality could be all Djokovic needs to ka can topple the King of Clay on his own go in for the kill. turf. He’s already proven he can do so on Mike: I really wanted to give a differ- at least a hard court with his victory at the ent answer than Novak Djokovic. I really Australian Open, which made him the first did. But there isn’t much point in deny- player outside the Top Four to win a Grand ing the facts: The Djoker is one of just Slam title since 2009. During that tournathree players to have ever beaten Nadal ment, he not only beat Nadal, but also No. in a clay-court final, and he’s done it three 2 Novak Djokovic as well. His winning the times, including last year. In fact, given Monte-Carlo Masters this year against forthat he beat Nadal on clay last year, one mer No. 3 Roger Federer can be seen as a could argue that Nadal is attempting to testament to his ability to play on clay.

Chris gets 3 points for mentioning Nadal’s most recent loss, George gets 2 points for making a risky prediction, and Mike gets 1 point for pointing out Djokovic’s recent success.

AP Photo

Chris wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4

page 22 The Signal April 23, 2014

The Thought of the Week:

fun stuff

Should I keep the salad in the fridge?

...Or should I TOSS it?!

Fun Facts with Morgan Freeman

•More than 50 percent of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

•in a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand.

•Human birth control pills work on gorillas.

• It is impossible to lick your elbow • Over 75 percent of people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

• Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

You know you read these in my voice.

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 23

the last hidden pikachus There are seven Pikas “hidden” on these Fun Stuff pages. Can you find them all?

Nintendo’s original Game Boy system turned 25 this week. Feel old yet?

Eight Reasons it Stinks to be a Senior in College: 1. You have to enter the real world and actually get a job 2. People keep asking you if you’ve gotten a job yet, even though the answer is no if you aren’t a finance major or super lucky 3. You have to move, AGAIN 4. If you move back home you have to get used to living in whatever your parents turned your room into 5. The end of Finals week just means the start of more work 6. No more pencils, no more books, no more not having to cook 7. Seriously, why does food have to be so difficult to make edible? Just why 8. Real life does not have free planned events every weekend

This weekend my roommate and I decided to get a pizza and watch the Squirtle Squad episode of the original Pokemon show.

The pizza place was closed so we settled for Chinese. During the episode, Team Rocket said that they were tired of pizza and wanted to eat Chinese food instead. I’ve never been more happy with my lifestyle choices.

page 24 The Signal April 23, 2014

All College Theatre Presents

{PROOF} Directed by: Pat Albanesius

By: David Auburn

April 23rd-25th at 8pm April 26th at 2pm and 8pm Don Evans Black Box Theater SAF Funded

Students: $5.00 Public: $8.00

act@tcnj.edu

April 23, 2014 The Signal page 25

Tennis teams warming up at season’s end

By Chris Molicki Managing Editor

Amid a couple of cancellations, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams were able to pick up wins this past week as the season is coming to a close. The women started with a victory against New York University by the score of 6-3, while the men beat up on Muhlenberg College 8-1.

The men were too much to handle for the Mules. Despite senior Howard Telson losing in first singles, the team won in every other match, along with Telson pairing with sophomore Pierce Cooper for an 8-2 doubles victory.

“I was really proud of the way the other guys stepped up and contributed,” Telson said. “It was great to see that even when I had an off day, I knew I could count on my team to pick me up and pull out a good win.”

Cooper won his singles match 6-2, 6-2, and the rest of the College’s singles bouts went their way. Sophomore Dan Presuto, freshman Mike Stanley, junior Ezra Klemow and junior Andrew Grossman earned points. Stanley teamed with sophomore Billy Buchbinder to nab an 8-2 win in second doubles, while Grossman and Presuto shut out the Mules in third doubles.

The only match of the week for the

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Stanley had two wins against Muhlenberg in an 8-1 victory. women on Wednesday, April 16, saw the power of two on display for the Lions.

The College won all three of their doubles matches, which was ultimately the difference in the 6-3 win.

The sophomore duo of Jasmine MunizCadorette and Emma Allen blanked their first doubles opponent, 8-0. The freshmansenior pairing of Katie Buchbinder and Tara Criscuolo won handily, 8-1. Finally, junior Sarah Lippincott and freshman

Anna Prestera finished off the job in third doubles, 8-4.

Criscuolo, Allen and Prestera were all able to pick up singles victories as well in third, fourth and fifth singles, showing the depth of the team. Criscuolo and Allen steamrolled the competition by scores of 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-1, respectively. Prestera had a bit of a tougher time with her match going to a third set, but she got the job done.

The match scheduled for Thursday,

April 17, against Muhlenberg College was postponed.

With the season winding down and the postseason coming into view, both teams are incredibly focused. Even more so is Telson — who after playing four years at the College and reaching several milestones will settle for nothing less than a strong finish.

“Mainly to just make the most of it and really enjoy these last couple weeks with the team,” Telson said about what his focus is on going forward. “It’s been a great ride and I’m hoping we could finish this year strong with a trip to nationals and a good showing there.”

Being on the team for four years has certainly taught Telson a thing or two. As a college athlete, he’s experienced a journey that not many students do and has gotten a lot out of it.

“I’ve really learned that it’s not much at all about what you’re doing, but it’s who you’re doing it with that’s important,” Telson said. “I have a tough time remembering most of my matches and practices, but I’ll never forget the people I went through them with. I’ve had the best teammates and coaches I could’ve asked for, and luckily those relationships are something I (can) take with me even after I graduate.”

Sheer number of rivalries is overwhelming Cheap Seats

By Peter Fiorilla Sports Editor

The New York Red Bulls’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union was one of sports’ most fascinating events last week, if for reasons completely unrelated to soccer and the result: it continued a bizarre trend of so-called rivalries feeling less like emotionally tolling grudge matches and more like forced hype.

Since coming into the league, Union fans have been adamant about calling the Red Bulls their rivals, and Red Bulls fans have continually responded by ignoring Philadelphia — with good reason. In sports, the need to turn every team into a pair of rivals has become overwhelming.

College sports is the worst offender. Notre Dame, for example, is rivals with everything that moves, and it was refreshing when football coach Brian Kelly dismissed the media’s hype of his team’s “rivalry” with Michigan last year. The NHL is not alone among major leagues in creating “Rivalry Week” as a way to build excitement for some otherwise boring matchups, including Buffalo Sabres-Detroit Red Wings — a tame game by anyone’s standards. And the most topical case is the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, who — while battling each other in the NBA playoffs for the first time — are being called rivals because both teams have been pretty good lately and the players don’t seem

to like each other much.

This ubiquitous presence of rivalries across sports cheapens the real thing, like the Oakland Raiders and Kansas Chiefs or the Red Bulls and their real rivals, D.C. United. Not only have those teams’ fans passionately loved to hate each other for a very long time, but everyone in those organizations — from the coaches down to strength and conditioning coaches — has good reason to feel the same way. A win over United is something to savor for the rest of the year for the Red Bulls fans, regardless of whether it’s a meaningful game or not.

That’s what a rivalry is, and why ESPN should be hesitant to call the Clippers and Warriors one: any ill will that with a life

AP Photo

Red Bulls fans denying the Union ‘rivalry’ last August. expectancy of a few years doesn’t do justice to actual rivalries. In five years’ time, the fans and players won’t hate each other, just as the

Notre Dame faithful don’t have much reason to dislike Michigan and Sabres fans will never get excited about playing Detroit.

Lions sweep NJCU as Miller wins 500th

By Chrissy Onorato Staff Writer

The softball team staged an impressive turnaround mid-week as they rallied for a pair of victories over New Jersey City University, their first wins in the NJAC. The week began for the Lions (8-18, 2-12) with a doubleheader against Rowan University, in which the Lions came up just short both times.

Rowan took the first game 3-1, scoring first with two runs in the first inning and one more in the fourth, establishing a 3-0 lead.

The Lions refused to be shut out, though.

In the seventh inning, freshman infielder Jessica Kennick hit her third homerun of the season to narrow the gap.

Senior pitcher Alex Carisone was on the mound for the Lions with another impressive outing and was able to quickly recover from the first inning.

In the next game, the Lions came even closer but still fell 2-1 in nine innings.

Sophomore pitcher Ashton Helmer took the mound for the College and pitched a

stellar game, with a no-hitter through full six innings. With 11 strikeouts, Helmer had had one of the best games of her career.

The game was held at 0-0 through nine innings until sophomore outfielder Christine Desiderio scored for the Lions on a single from sophomore catcher Jamie Purcell.

Rowan scored in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single, clinching the win.

When the Lions faced NJCU later in the week, though, it was a different story, as they came out stronger than ever before.

“Our coach Sally Miller said to us, ‘Adversity shows true colors,’ and this is something that sticks with me every day,” Desiderio said. “We’ve learned the importance of picking yourself up when you’re down to never give up.”

They easily took the first game in a season-high victory of 13-1, exhibiting some of the best play seen all season.

The Lions started out well with two runs in the first inning, beginning with an RBI single from Purcell, and more came in the next few innings thanks to a sacrifice fly from sophomore utility player Deanna Utter,

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Strong pitching propels the Lions to their first NJAC wins of the year. an RBI double from senior infielder Lindsay Williams and two more hits from Purcell.

In the next game against New Jersey City University, the Lions dominated again for a 6-4 victory to give coach Sally Miller her 500th career win with the program.

The Lions put some runs on the board early again when Utter sent home the first runner and Williams added another RBI.

Desiderio then sent home another run with a base hit, while freshman infielder Colleen Phelan was also hot at the plate.

“This season has taught us that sometimes there are more important things to focus on than just the ‘W column,’” Desiderio said.

This week, the Lions will take on RutgersNewark on Tuesday, April 22, and William Paterson University on Saturday, April 26.

page 26 The Signal April 23, 2014

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April 23, 2014 The Signal page 27

ports Week In Review AP Photo

Like us on Facebook to follow the College’s breaking news.

Number of wins per season Baseball 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 0

Follow @TCNJSignal on Twitter to get all the latest updates and more!

5

10

15

20

25

30

Check out the new and improved Signal web page!

Team total: 204 Alex Spark 53 Jillian Nealon 35 Jen Garavente 34 Lauren Pigott 23 Erin Waller 20 Kendal Borup 11 Lauren Karpovich 9

ST U D E N T AT H L E TE O F

THE WEEK Ava Fitzgerald Women’s Lacrosse Scored eight points against Montclair State

Junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald had a memorable day against undefeated NJAC rival Montclair State University. In the 19-9 victory, Fitzgerald scored six goals and two assists. The junior now leads the team with 42 goals on the season.

This week’s picks from the staff

(NBA) Rockets (NBA) Clippers (NHL) Blues vs. (NHL) Bruins Point leaders vs. Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Blackhawks vs. Red Wings Chris Molicki 5 Andrew Grossman 4

The Horizon For

Sports Baseball April 24-25 vs. Rowan University, 3:30 p.m.

April 26 vs. Richard Stockton College (DH), 11:30 a.m.

April 28 vs. Arcadia University, 3:30 p.m.

Softball April 26 vs. William Paterson University (DH), 1 p.m.

Women’s Lacrosse April 24 @ Cabrini College, 6:30 p.m.

April 26 vs. Kean University, 12 p.m.

Track & Field April 24-26 Penn Relays April 25-26 Lions’ Invitational Men’s Tennis April 23 vs. Stevens Institute of Technology, 3:30 p.m.

Mike Herold 4 Julie Kayzerman 4

Women’s Tennis April 26 vs. SUNY Geneseo, 10 a.m.

Amy Reynolds 3 Peter Fiorilla 3

?

Signal Trivia

?

Which two teams competed in the first World Series?

AP Photo

Last week’s Signal Trivia Answer: The first professional NFL team to put its logo on the helmet was the 1950 Los Angeles Rams. Their blue leather helmets had yellow horns hand-painted on. Today, 30 of the 32 teams have their logos mounted on helmets.

Signal

Sports

Lions down previously undefeated MSU NJAC title on the horizon after huge win

By Andrew Grossman Production Manager

It is not how a team starts that defines it, it is how they finish.

After a sluggish first half against undefeated NJAC rivals Montclair State University, the lacrosse team put it into high gear to close out the game on a 12-3 run to win 19-9.

“It was definitely a rough start,” senior midfielder Lauren Pigott said. “They were a very aggressive team, and we had to compose ourselves because there was a lot of fouling so it was a hard-fought game. We knew it would be a challenging game for us where we would have to work for it because it wouldn’t be given to us.”

After falling behind early 5-4, the Lions quickly tightened up to take a one-point lead to end the first half. Come halftime, however, head coach Sharon Pfluger pulled her team aside and had a heartfelt motivational talk.

“She basically said that we weren’t playing our game in the first half,” Pigott said. “I think the biggest thing at halftime was

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The Lions fell behind early, but closed out the game on a 12-3 run.

calming us down and helping us to refocus and playing our game and not so much worrying about what they were doing.”

And when the second half started, the Lions did not hold back, scoring five straight goals to begin the period.

“We just started scoring goal

after goal after goal, and I think we just really set off the momentum and we did a lot better job just (placing) our shots,” Pigott said. “Once we had that lead, we didn’t rush our shots and took our time and didn’t panic.

I think it just started out with gaining momentum and getting

the goals.”

Junior attacker Ava Fitzgerald led the team with six goals and two assists. Five more players contributed by scoring multiple goals, making the Montclair win an overall team victory.

“I can honestly say that everyone did a great job on (attack),”

Pigott said. “I think that the best thing about our attack is that everyone has the complete capability of scoring, whether it is six goals or three goals.”

After beating their longtime rivals, the Lions now stand firmly on top of the NJAC conference.

“You want to be a respected team in the NJAC and I think our team and Montclair are the two top teams, so (the win) is good going into the postseason,” Pigott said. “We were able to come out on top, so it is a definite boost of confidence for us, and we get respect from the other teams in our conference, so it also prepares us for what is ahead in the playoffs.”

With the postseason quickly approaching, all eyes are on how the Lions will finish their season.

“We have three more regularseason games, so of course we want to win the rest of them,” Pigott said. “The most important thing is just keeping our intensity up in practice and in the games and making sure our confidence is high enough so we go into the playoffs feeling ready to take on any team that we might come up against.”

Struggling Lions not ready to panic yet

Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Baseball ends its losing streak while staying in sixth place in the NJAC.

By Matt Bowker Staff Writer

After starting the season 15-5, head coach Dean Glus’s best start in seven seasons at the helm, the Lions have gone 2-8 over the past two weeks. The team has fallen all the way to sixth in the NJAC standings, with an overall record of 17-13, but

Lions’ Lineup April 23, 2014

I n s i d e

had a 6-8 record in that two-week span.

The top six teams in the conference make it to the NJAC playoffs. The College is currently tied for the last playoff seed with Rutgers-Newark University.

“I don’t think it’s time to panic,” freshman second baseman Ben Varone said. “As long as we hit and the pitching keeps doing what they’re doing we will be fine.”

The Lions were able to salvage a win this week, ending the team’s five-game losing streak. The College defeated NJAC foe Rutgers-Camden University in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19, by a score of 6-2. In the next game, the Lions were downed 6-3 by the Scarlet Raptors.

Lions’ ace junior pitcher Connor Smith pitched deep into the game en route to his team-leading fifth victory on the season.

Smith pitched the first eight innings before handing the ball over to fellow junior pitcher Benito Gonzalez, who closed out the game. It was the first time this season that Smith has not pitched a complete game in a game he started. Smith surrendered nine hits, but worked his way out of jams all afternoon to hold Rutgers-Camden to just one earned run.

Clinging onto a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning, the Lions’ offense blew the game open with a three-run inning to expand their lead to four runs.

Coming off their first win in over a week, the College raced out to a 3-1 lead in game two. However, the Raptors came back to score runs in each of the last four innings to seal the 6-3 victory.

Earlier in the week, the College dropped both games of a home-and-home with fourth-place Montclair State University.

The Lions were shut out in the first game 4-0, but were able to muster two runs the next day, still falling to MSU 6-2.

The College’s game on Monday, April 14, at Farmingdale State College was cancelled due to inclement weather. To make up for the loss, the team added a home game with Messiah College on Wednesday, April 16.

Like the Messiah himself, the Falcons offense rose from the dead to score in the 12th inning to pick up the win. Messiah relief pitcher Pat Broomell tamed the Lions’ offense, pitching five scoreless innings. The Lions’ four errors on the field were not forgiven, as two of them led to Messiah’s winning run. The College’s offense was unable to resurrect the win in the bottom of the inning and fell 3-2.

The Lions will begin their push for the playoffs this week with games against FDUFlorham University on Monday, April 22, followed by a home-and-home with Rowan University. The College will host a doubleheader with Stockton College on Saturday, April 26, before closing out their regular season with a home game against Arcadia University on Monday, April 28.

“We know we have the talent to win a lot of baseball games, and as coach Glus says, it will come,” sophomore pitcher Evan Edelman said.

46 53 Around the Dorm page 21

NBA age rule is unfair page 19

Tennis warms up page 25

Softball gets in the W column page 25