The Signal: Spring '18 No. 4

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Vol. XLVIII, No. 4

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Juuls  prevalent  among  non-cigarette  smokers

Animals give therapeutic support

By Emmy Liederman Opinions Editor He had never smoked a cigarette in his life, EXW RQH IUHVKPDQ ÀQDQFH PDMRU VWLOO IHOW WKH need to buy a Juul — an electronic smoking device that utilizes disposable pods containing à XLG ZLWK KLJK DPRXQWV RI QLFRWLQH ³ GXULQJ his senior year of high school. Each Juul pod contains the nicotine equivalent of a pack of cigarettes, and he began to go through one pod each day.

Within a year, the habit went from a casual VWUHVV UHOLHYHU WR D ÀYH GROODU D GD\ DGGLFWLRQ Similar to many other students, the male student, who spoke to The Signal on the condiWLRQ RI DQRQ\PLW\ PD\ QRZ ÀQG LW KDUGHU WR light up on campus.

On Nov. 29, the Committee on Student and Campus Community held an open forum to gauge students’ thoughts on creating a smokefree campus. This conversation was not just about cigarettes. The CSCC conducted a qualtrics survey asking students about the possibility of banning Juuls. Although the CSCC is starting the conversation, it is not advocating for any particular change in policy. “There are different models for a tobaccofree campus, but that’s way down the road,� said CSCC Co-Chair Margaret Martinetti. “We are currently analyzing all of the data from the 1,300 plus responses we received to the qualtrics survey.� see HABIT page 4

Dogs like Bob create a less stressful atmosphere for

By Isabella Donnelly Correspondent Jean Kirnan, a professor at the College specializing in industrial and organizational psychology, addressed a small audience on Wednesday, Feb. 7 in the Social Sciences Building on animal-assisted interventions, and how they can help us understand

occupational psychology.

Animal-assisted intervention is an umbrella term for animal-assisted therapy, education and activity.

These interventions typically supplement existing therapy programs and range from individualized, goaloriented interventions to informal, friendly visits.

Kirnan was searching for

Skinner’s operant conditioning methods, different forms of behavioral training, to train and certify her dog, Nelly.

Kirnan began her work with Nelly more than 10 years ago.

They began visiting a senior citizens facility in Pennington once a week. After Nelly passed away, Kirnan trained and certiÀHG WZR RI 1HOO\¡V SXSSLHV Bailey and Bob. She brought Bob, an endearingly calm and droopy-eyed dog, to her lecture to demonstrate the role of a therapy dog, which differs from that of a service dog.

Service dogs typically undergo intensive training which prepares them to serve a particular individual.

Conversely, therapy dogs are trained to work with a wide range of clients in different setGrace Gottschling / Staff Photographer tings like schools, senior cenchildren. ters, prisons and hospitals. After a community service proj- Kirnan relocated to the shore, ect for her son to complete she began volunteering at West as a high school requirement Belmar Elementary School when she stumbled upon the where she and Bob took part in concept of animal-assisted a program called “Tail-Waggin’ interventions. After a friend Tutors.â€? Once a week, Kirnan explained that their dog had and Bob visited a classroom UHFHQWO\ EHHQ FHUWLĂ€HG DV D where children read to Bob to therapy dog, Kirnan was in- practice their reading skills in a spired to certify her family’s low-stress environment. dog as well. As a psychologist, Kirnan employed B.F. see DOGS page 5

Fair showcases opportunities abroad

Grace Gottschling / Staff Photographer

Students learn about what international colleges have to offer.

By Alexandra Raskin Staff Writer At the College’s spring Study Abroad Fair, held on Feb. 7 in the Brower Student Center, prospective travellers explored a wide array of programs, each promising to take students outside both their comfort zones and the U.S.

INDEX:

Nation & World / page 7

Follow  us  on...

The  Signal @tcnjsignal

February 14, 2018

)URP SORZLQJ ÀHOGV ZLWK R[HQ LQ (Fuador to interning in London, the College and its partner programs, which include the Foundation for International Education, Undergraduate Program for Central European Studies, International Studies Abroad, European Study Center and a number of other universities, have tailored VWXG\ DEURDG H[SHULHQFHV WR ÀW WKH ZDQWV Editorial / page 9

Beta Theta Pi Fraternity celebrates one year on campus See Features page 13

and needs of each student.

The fair, hosted by the College’s Center for Global Engagement, offered paths centered on academics, internships, research opportunities, service learning and volunteer work. Certain trips were advertised based upon language immersion, others on sustainability practices or international student teaching.

The College has connections with over 150 cities worldwide, according to the Center for Global Engagement’s website.

Programs include shorter trips during summer and winter terms, as well as options lasting an entire semester or academic year. While prices vary, students can often use their existing scholarships and ÀQDQFLDO DLG SDFNDJHV WR FRQWULEXWH WR WKH cost of their trips. Details about additional scholarships are also available on the Center for Global Engagement website.

Freshman history major Kathy Dobrow was interested in national programs with a focus on U.S. history, especially the facultyled American South program. Dobrow also saw value in various international programs.

Opinions / page 10

Professor discusses themes of sexuality in opera

By Stephanie Sonbati Correspondent Axel Englund, an accomplished writer and associate professor of literature at Stockholm University, presented a lecture on themes of sadomasochism in operatic works on Friday, Feb. 10 in Mayo Concert Hall as part of the College’s Brown Bag series.

6DGRPDVRFKLVP LV GHĂ€QHG DV WKH JLYLQJ RU receiving of pleasure, which is often sexual, IURP WKH LQĂ LFWLRQ RU UHFHSWLRQ RI SDLQ RU KXmiliation, according to Psychology Today.

Englund received his doctorate from Stockholm University in Sweden, and is the author of the book, “Still Songs: Music In and Around the Poetry of Paul Celan.� His studies mainly concern the relationship between art and media.

His presentation titled, “Opera and Sadomasochism: Erotic Power Exchanges on the Contemporary Stage,� discussed opera’s

see SCHOOLS page 5 Features / page 13

see BDSM page 3

Arts & Entertainment / page 16

CUB Alt Rozwell Kid and Vundabar headline in Student Center See A&E page 16

Sports / page 24

Ice Hockey Lions make it to the CSCHC playoffs See Sports page 24

page 2 The Signal February 14, 2018

Students fail to hide paraphernalia Campus Police charges student for maintaining nuisance

By Brielle Bryan News Editor

Student uses shower steam as scapegoat On Feb. 1 at 11:30 p.m., a security officer reported that a smoke alarm was activated in a room in Decker Hall. Upon reaching Decker, the security officer reported an odor of what he believed to be marijuana, according to police reports. Campus Police arrived at Decker and also detected the odor. As Campus Police approached the suspected room, the odor became more pungent. Campus Police observed the red smoke alarm indicator light on the ceiling outside the door to be on. Campus Police knocked on the door multiple times, but no one answered.

A male student was walking down the hall toward Campus Police when he was asked by the officers if the room with the strong odor was his, and he replied “yes,” police said. Campus Police also observed the male student’s eyes to be watery, bloodshot and have ptosis (drooping eyelids). Campus Police explained to the student that they were at his room to investigate the

activated smoke alarm.

The male student opened the door to his room and Campus Police immediately observed a plastic bag covering the smoke alarm, along with a strong odor of marijuana, according to police reports.

The male student told Campus Police that he took a shower, and the steam set off the fire alarm.

Campus Police observed that the student was fully clothed and that his hair was dry, showing no signs of having recently showered. There was also no steam in the room. The male student was issued a summons for maintaining a nuisance.

Wine spotted in plain sight On Feb. 3, at approximately 8:45 p.m., while conducting a vehicle patrol, Campus Police observed a red Jeep parked on the sidewalk of Townhouses South. Campus Police approached the vehicle and determined it was unoccupied. Campus Police also observed an open bottle of Prosecco wine on the rear passenger floorboard in plain sight, police said.

Campus Police requested for TCNJ Dispatch to contact the

student registered to the vehicle, whom the officer met with minutes later. The female student who the vehicle was registered to gave Campus Police her driver’s license, and Campus Police was able to determine that the student was 20 years old. Campus Police inquired about the bottle of wine in the vehicle, and the student said she was taking the bottle home after being out to dinner at a restaurant.

The bottle of wine was confiscated, photographed and destroyed, according to police reports. The female student was issued a summons for possession of alcohol while under the legal age to do so, and was issued a verbal warning for being parked on the sidewalk.

Male student caught drinking alone On Feb. 4, at 11:25 p.m., Campus Police was dispatched to Wolfe Hall on a report of an intoxicated male. Upon arrival, Campus Police met with a male student who was sitting on the floor outside his room, alert and conscious, according to

police reports. The male student’s eyes were observed to be watery and bloodshot. Campus Police also detected an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath, police said.

The male student stated that while he was alone on Campus Town Drive, he consumed six beers, according to police reports. A community adviser was on scene and stated she observed the male student, possibly intoxicated, “stumble” into the elevator from the lobby.

TCNJ EMS arrived on scene at approximately 11:45 p.m., police said. The male student refused any further medical aid and was issued a summons for underage consumption of alcohol.

Student loses laptop in Eickhoff Hall On Feb. 3 at approximately 5:40 p.m., Campus Police was dispatched to Campus Police Headquarters to meet with a male student who wanted to report a stolen laptop, police said.

When Campus Police met with the male student, he stated he went

to Eickhoff Dining Hall with his friends to eat dinner around 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, according to police reports. The student said he put his backpack down when he went to get his food. He said he left the dining hall, but did not realize his backpack was missing until approximately 8:30 p.m. He stated he went back to Eickhoff to attempt to locate his backpack, but it was closed, police said. He said he went back first thing that morning, Feb. 3, but no one had recovered a backpack.

The item is described as a black Jansport backpack with a tan leather bottom, according to police reports. Inside the backpack was the male student’s silver 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, as well as some of his notes. The backpack is valued at $55 and the laptop is valued at $500, police said.

The male student was able to provide Campus Police with the serial number and model number for the laptop. A victim notification form was filled out and given to the male student, police said.

Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at (609) 771-2345.

Entrepreneurship Club welcomes corporate leader

Parada now works as a political consultant.

By McKenna Samson Correspondent

Students and members of the College’s Entrepreneurship Club welcomed entrepreneur, political consultant and former business owner Glenn Parada to the Business Building on Feb. 6.

YouTube

Club members — many of whom are aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners — hoped to absorb bits of Parada’s wisdom as he detailed his journey as a businessman from humble beginnings.

Parada and his family’s immigrated to the U.S. when he was a young child in the 1980s, during the civil war in his home country of

El Salvador.

For as long as Parada could remember, his father instilled the importance of financial independence in him.

“My father was a minister. He always talked about the importance of a personal income,” Parada said. “The offering money went directly to the church, and the money he made, came directly to him.”

As a young adult, Parada joined the military. Following his service, he became intrigued with the mortgage business and shadowed his brother, who worked in the mortgage industry. After six months of experience in the mortgage field, Parada became his own boss.

Throughout his speech, Parada pushed the importance of corporate dominance, networking and not taking “no” for an answer. After losing his job as a stockbroker on Wall Street due to the stock market crash of 2008, Parada networked with the nearby street vendors and started selling alongside them, maintaining his do-it-yourself entrepreneurial mindset.

Parada credited risk-taking for much of

his success throughout his 15-year career in finance and marketing.

“You don’t go where everyone is creating something, (you) go where others aren’t,” Parada said.

He now works as a political consultant, which involves networking and making significant connections for politicians.

Parada’s lecture drew interest among nonbusiness majors as well. Matthew Koch, a senior criminology major and the chief adviser of the Entrepreneurship Club found value in Parada’s speech.

“I was referred by a friend to join the club,” Koch said. “Although I’m not a business major, I benefited from many of the events and speakers.”

Jesse Stiller, a sophomore journalism and professional writing major, felt inspired after hearing Parada speak.

“He didn’t hold anything back. He told it like it is and I respect that,” Stiller said.

“The fact that the gentleman that spoke tonight started from nothing and made his way to Wall Street –– it’s something I hope to accomplish.”

Presidential Search Committee establishes pool of finalists

By Michelle Lampariello Managing Editor

The Presidential Search Committee has narrowed its selection of candidates to serve as the College’s next president to a small group of finalists, according to a campuswide email from Presidential Search Committee Chair Susanne Svizeny (’79) sent on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

While information about the candidates’ identities remains confidential, Svizeny told The Signal that “they are thoughtful, successful leaders.”

The College is proud to have a relatively open selection process for the presidential search. Svizeny encourages members of the campus community to make their voices heard as the committee continues to interview the final candidates.

Other institutions for higher education opt for a closed process to maintain confidentiality of the candidates, but Svizeny assured campus stakeholders that they can still have a role in the selection process without the committee

revealing the identities of the candidates.

“Please be assured that we are identifying these opportunities for members of our community, beyond the search committee membership, to be engaged in the next stage of candidate evaluation,” Svizeny said. “These individuals will help to shape the consideration of the finalists, while still meeting the privacy wishes of our distinguished group.”

The committee is on track to recommend a final candidate to the Board of Trustees by the end of the spring 2018 semester before current President R. Barbara Gitenstein retires in June.

Svizeny is confident in the committee’s ability to not only select a candidate on schedule, but to select the most fitting candidate from the small pool of finalists.

“Please know that everyone in the community had the opportunity to provide feedback to the profile that was used through the search process by the committee and our consultants in developing the pool,” Svizeny told The Signal. “The committee has broad representation across the

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Gitenstein is set to retire in June.

campus and was careful to rely on this community input in its vetting of the candidate pool​.”

After a rigorous vetting process, the committee is pleased with the group of finalists that has emerged.

“I can tell you that the committee is thrilled with the quality and caliber of the candidates,” Svizeny said.

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 3

SFB funds Best Buddies for ‘Glee’ star guest speaker

SFB fully funds i-Tunes’ a capella concert.

By Eric Preisler Staff Writer

Six events were funded, one event was tabled and one event was denied funding at this week’s Student Finance Board Meeting on Feb. 7.

Best Buddies was fully funded $2,343.88 to have Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome who starred on the TV show, “Glee,” visit the College as a guest speaker.

The event will be held on March 7 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Mayo Concert Hall.

Funding for this event will cover costs of Potter’s appearance, Mayo Concert Hall fees, security fees and refreshments for after the event.

This event is part of Best Buddies’ weeklong “Spread the Word to End the Word” initiative, which aims to spread awareness about the detrimental effects of using of the word “retard,” according to the event’s proposal packet.

“During this week we spread awareness as to why using the word ‘retarded’ is derogative, offensive and exclusive to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Melissa Heintz, president of Best Buddies and a junior special education and women’s gender and sexuality studies double major.

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

Best Buddies hopes that by having Potter speak about this issue, people will be less likely to use offensive language in the future.

“We feel as though having Lauren Potter here will spread awareness in a more wide variety than just our club,” said Melanie Loth, a member of Best Buddies and junior math and statistics double major. “Her presentation will help to create a more inclusive environment at TCNJ.” The i-Tunes a capella group was fully funded for its first annual “Blends with Benefits Invitation” on April 16, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Mayo Concert Hall. $601 from SFB will cover costs for expendable supplies, student technicians, student ushers and the student house manager.

A capella groups from Ramapo College, Drew University and Villanova University were invited to perform alongside i-Tunes.

“This concert benefits the student body because they can attend the event and listen to a diverse repertoire from multiple groups,” the proposal stated. “It will attract students from on and off campus, giving them a chance to see something new and fresh from our acapella community.”

The College’s chapter of Chi Upsilon Sigma, a national Latin sorority, was partially funded for its event “Snuggle your

Insomnia Away,” which will be held on Feb. 22 from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Social Sciences Building.

The club was partially funded $250 to cover the cost of fabric that will be used to make blankets.

The purpose of “Snuggle your Insomnia Away” is to provide the campus community with information about how to deal with insomnia and create better sleep habits, according to the proposal packet.

There will also be an interactive component in which students can make their own blankets.

“Through this program we provide an education of how much sleep is enough sleep, how to better regulate your sleep and how much time you should take for a nap,” said Dianelis Mendoza, a junior nursing major and treasurer of CUS. This event matches up with the sorority’s core values, which are based on helping the campus community, explained Mendoza.

“Based off of our organization we have four awarenesses –– educational, political, cultural and social,” Mendoza said. “This program will target an educational and a social issue.”

CUS did not receive funding for its proposed event, “Red Affair.” Red Affair, to be advertised only as a social event, was meant to educate the campus community on rape culture, domestic violence and sexually transmitted infections by integrating music and dance sessions.

The proposal was not funded because of a lack of organization, conflicts with advertising and issues with the way in which the mission of the event would be carried out, SFB explained.

While SFB is not against the mission of the proposed event, some members expressed concerns about creating a party atmosphere at an event that is supposed to educate students about risk management.

TCNJ Chinese Students Association was fully funded for its annual Chinese New Year Celebration, which will be held on Feb. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 100.

SFB provided $3,433.74 to cover the costs of food, utensils and delivery fees.

Chinese New Year has great significance to the Chinese culture, members of CSA explained.

“Chinese New Year is one of the most important and major holidays in Chinese

culture,” said Alice Li, a senior statistics major and treasurer of CSA. “It is a festival that celebrates the turn of the Chinese lunar calendar.

The Chinese New Year celebration is more traditional and authentic than other events hosted by CSA, according to Stephanie MacDougall, a sophomore international studies major and president of CSA. This event will also provide educational components about Chinese culture. Between performances, attendees will be presented with a narrative intended to help students learn about the history of Chinese culture, according to the event’s proposal packet.

The College’s Black Student Union was fully funded for its event, “Melanin Expressions,” which will be held on Feb. 21 in Mayo Concert Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and was tabled for its “Black Excellence Ball,” which would be held on Feb. 27 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in Decker Hall.

SFB contributed $613 for “Melanin Expressions” to cover the costs of Mayo Concert Hall fees. Originally called “Black Monologues,” the name of the event was changed to “Melanin Expressions” to allow for a wider range of self expression than just monologues.

“This is an event that allows faculty, students and staff a safe place to express themselves,” said Anisa Douglas, a sophomore early childhood education and psychology double major and treasure of BSU. “This really hits TCNJ’s core values of inclusiveness and self reflection.”

The Black Excellence Ball, which cost more than $1,000 last year, was tabled because SFB wanted further justification for the costs of the band and decorations requested by BSU. Eurasia/Middle East Society was fully funded $4,275 for its event, “Nowruz,” a Persian New Year’s celebration, which will be held on March 22 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Education Building Room 212.

Funding will cover costs of food from King Pita Palace, decorations, flowers, traditional Middle Eastern music and a sound technician. “(The event) exposes our campus to a global celebration that many haven’t had experience with before, and it creates a community atmosphere for Middle Eastern students and for students interested in the Middle East,” according to the event’s proposal packet.

BDSM / Scholar presents lecture on sadomasochism continued from page 1

natural transition into the world of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism. During his lecture, Englund focused primarily on German operas, which tend to be more heavily influenced by whips and the sexual allure of violent acts. Such operas include “Rinaldo,” composed by George Frideric Handel.

“I’m sure this seems weird to you all,” Englund said, drawing laughs and some gasps from the crowd.

The audience was guided through a series of pictures and clips from operas that depicted scenes of bullying, bloody women and “sadistic foreplay,” as Englund called it. BDSM, as viewers learned, opens a gateway for the opera to bring up important topics such as abuse, rape and even politics.

Sadomasochism expresses the

inner desires many people share, according to Englund. BDSM is often a hyperbole of human nature, exaggerating the dominant and submissive roles played in daily lives. Opera works in the same fashion –– it serves as a hyperbole for the real world. This is why the transgression between the two realms is so natural.

The music in this type of opera also tends to begin at the same time as the onstage role-playing, accentuating the fantasy. Englund explained that even in torture scenes, characters are often receiving the foreplay that he or she craves. For example, in the opera, “Tosca,” when Cavaradossi is tortured in his lover’s bedroom, he receives the pleasure he wanted.

“Such transgressions attract people to the opera, just as it attracts people to BDSM,” Englund said.

Some audience members were stunned by some of the aspects in

Maggie Paragian / Staff Photographer

Englund perplexes his audience with graphic images of German opera.

Englund’s lecture.

“I didn’t know opera was that sexual,” said Paige Restaino, a freshman open options arts and communication major.

Other audience members, such as Cecelia George, a freshman

graphic design major, felt overwhelmed by what Englund had to say.

“It was a lot to take in,” George said. “It’s something I never considered or knew before –– it was an experience.”

Despite the influences of erotica, the opera is a safe space for people to think about their sexuality and violence as a means of pleasure. Just like BDSM, the opera is a way to express one’s desires and curiosities.

page  4  The  Signal  February  14,  2018

SG  learns  of  CAPS’  updated  services

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

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By Grace Gottschling Staff Writer Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Mark Forest visited Student Government during its meeting on Feb. 7 to speak about the College’s mental health services. SG also voted to approve two new clubs, Dancers of NJ and the Japanese Student Association.

Forest began the meeting with a presentation docuPHQWLQJ WKH UHFHQW HIIRUWV WKH 2IĂ€FH RI +HDOWK DQG :HOOness is taking, including the Alcohol and Drug (GXFDWLRQ 3URJUDP 6WXGHQW +HDOWK 6HUYLFHV and Anti-Violence Initiatives. +HDOWK DQG :HOOQHVV KDV LQFUHDVHG LWV VWDII by more than 50 percent since the fall of 2014, and has enhanced referral capabilities for long-term treatment options, according to Forest.

Forest reviewed the College’s mental health statistics in relation to the national average. Currently, the College matches the national average in regards to students experiencing serious considerations of suicide, at 8.6 percent.

Students at the College who experience depression

match the national average at 32.8 percent. The rate of students at the College with chronic anxiety is 56.4 percent, which is more than two percent higher than the national average.

Forest also discussed the Center for Integrated +HDOWK (GXFDWLRQ DQG /HDUQLQJ WKH &ROOHJH¡V QHZ FOLQLF :KLOH WKH FOLQLF LV QRW \HW DFFHSWLQJ QHZ VWXdents into the treatment program, the clinic’s staff is currently working with students who have been waitlisted. They are expecting to double the amount of students accepted as patients in the next academic year. +HDOWK DQG :HOOQHVV KDV DGRSWHG D ´KROLVWLF model,� which emphasizes aspects of healthy living such as yoga and meditation. ´:KHQ VWLJPD JRHV GRZQ GHPDQG JRHV XS ¾ )RUHVW VDLG ´, EHOLHYH VWLJPD KDV JRQH GRZQ LQ RXU FXOWXUH ¾ Forest also wants students to feel comfortable reaching out for assistance, rather than allowing feelings of anxiety or depression to accumulate. ´:H GRQ¡W ZDQW SHRSOH WR ZDLW XQWLO WKH\¡UH LQ FULVLV WR VHHN KHOS ¾ )RUHVW VDLG ´,W¡V PXFK HDVLHU WR EXLOG

resilience for when those issues arise.�

CAPS does not limit student access to long-term mental healthcare. Rather, it stylizes care plans depending on individual needs. Clinicians never turn away a student in need of mental health services, but will often recommend off-campus services if a student’s needs warrant the extra care, according to Forest.

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Dancers of NJ is not audition based, and will host dance lessons featuring multiple styles and techniques.

The group is also planning on hosting dance-related events twice per semester.

The Japanese Student Association, which strives to provide students with a better understanding of Japanese and Asian-American culture, had already been operating XQRIÀFLDOO\ IRU VHYHUDO VHPHVWHUV $IWHU DWWUDFWLQJ PRUH than 40 members, the organization decided to seek ofÀFLDO UHFRJQLWLRQ

Habit  /  Vapes  contribute  to  smoking  policy  controversy continued from page 1 Once CSCC has completed analyzing the survey data, Martinetti says that the committee plans to start a next a discussion about the next steps for potential policy change.

Assistant Dean of the School of Nursing, +HDOWK DQG ([HUFLVH 6FLHQFH $QWRQLR 6FDUpati acknowledged the controversy behind changing the College’s smoking policy. ´%HIRUH DQ\ VHULRXV FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI proposing a policy change, we’re obliged to become more informed and seek input from the campus community,� ScarSDWL VDLG ´7KLV LV D FRPSOLFDWHG LVVXH DV we’re still learning about the still learning about the wide variety of tobacco products and usage.�

The Juul is designed for portability, with a small, thin design that makes it resemble D à DVK GULYH -XXOV DUH LQWHQGHG IRU DGXOW smokers as an alternative to cigarettes, DFFRUGLQJ WR -XXO /DEV¡ RIÀFLDO ZHEVLWH +RZHYHU D SURGXFW LQWHQGHG WR FXUE DGdiction has become an addiction in itself as Juuls increase in popularity among high school and college students.

The company may now be realizing that its goal of ending addiction has been lost through the product’s growing popularity among young people. As of Aug. 23, the minimum age for purchasing a Juul was UDLVHG WR \HDUV DQG -XXO /DEV XVHV DGYDQFHG DJH YHULÀFDWLRQ WHFKQRORJ\ WR HQforce this policy, according to its website. ´, GHÀQLWHO\ WKLQN WKDW \RXQJ NLGV XVLQJ it outweighs the smokers who are trying WR TXLW ¾ WKH DQRQ\PRXV IUHVKPDQ ÀQDQFH major said.

Jennifer O’Neill, a sophomore history and political science double major and student representative of the CSCC, mentioned at the open forum that if it weren’t for student input, the committee wouldn’t

have been aware of the Juul trend.

The invisibility of the product allows students to use the Juul in places where traditional vaping would never be permitted. ´, VRPHWLPHV -XXO LQ FODVV ¾ WKH DQRQ\PRXV IUHVKPDQ ÀQDQFH PDMRU VDLG ´,W¡V kind of funny when the teacher’s back is turned and then you do it.�

As of Nov. 1, New Jersey state law has also increased the minimum purchasing age of all tobacco products to 21, according to NJ.gov. That being said, the purchasing age in the majority of states is still 18 years old. Smoker’s Express in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, where many students SXUFKDVH WKHLU -XXO SURGXFWV LV RQO\ D ÀYH minute drive from the College.

-RH +DGJH DVVLVWDQW GLUHFWRU RI WKH &ROlege’s Drug and Alcohol Education Program, said that few students have come to him about vaping, and acknowledged that he was also unfamiliar with the Juul trend. ´0DQ\ RI WKH à DYRULQJV IRXQG LQ YDSHV have been approved for ingestion by the (Food and Drug Administration), but have QRW EHHQ VWXGLHG IRU LQKDODWLRQ ¾ +DGJH VDLG ´6RPH YDSHV KDYH VLJQLÀFDQWO\ more nicotine than others. The impact of vaping is not as clearly seen as with other substances as we are still learning.�

The CSCC’s discussion for a tobaccofree campus was also attended by students who don’t use nicotine products, but feel that banning them from campus would do more harm than good. ´6PRNLQJ LV KDSSHQLQJ QR PDWWHU what,� said Joshua Goikhman, a junior (QJOLVK PDMRU ´, GRQ¡W WKLQN WKDW WKLV LV an avenue that will make anyone better off. I think it’s just wasting everyone’s time. It is costly and time-consuming to change policy.�

Since the damaging effects of cigarettes often receives media attention, many believe that the Juul glamorizes smoking the

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

7KH -XXO LV D WUHQG\ QHZ DOWHUQDWLYH WR VPRNLQJ FLJDUHWWHV same way that cigarettes did in the past. ´, WKLQN D ORW RI SHRSOH XVH FLJDUHWWHV WR look cool,â&#x20AC;? said Isabella Donnelly, a freshPDQ VRFLRORJ\ PDMRU ´%XW WKHUH LV QRZ D VWLJPD DVVRFLDWHG ZLWK FLJDUHWWHV <RX GHĂ&#x20AC;nitely get judged a lot more for smoking a cigarette than for having a Juul.â&#x20AC;?

Although many believe that the Juul has become an unnecessary addiction, some claim that it also has positive effects from the mellow feeling experienced by users shortly after smoking. ´, -XXO EHFDXVH LW JLYHV PH D VOLJKW EX]] and it personally helps me cope with anxiHW\ Âľ VDLG %ULDQD ,DQQX]]L DQ RSHQ RSWLRQV KXPDQLWLHV DQG VRFLDO VFLHQFHV PDMRU ´7KH feeling is a light head rush that lasts two to Ă&#x20AC;YH PLQXWHV Âľ Associate Director of Campus SecuULW\ %LOO 6WUDQLHUR DJUHHG WKDW WKHUH LV QRW enough information about the effects of vaping, but he also acknowledged that it may have a negative impact on users. ´, EHOLHYH WKDW DQ\WKLQJ IRUHLJQ \RX SXW LQ your body such as cigarettes, alcohol, drugs

and vaping smoke are detrimental to your KHDOWK Âľ 6WUDQLHUR VDLG ´, ZRXOGQ¡W LQFOXGH the words â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;healthier alternativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to any conversation involving the use of vaporizers.â&#x20AC;?

6FKRRO RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOV DQG ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW are not the only entities expressing these concerns â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those who use the Juul on a daily basis are also unsure of what they are consuming. ´7KH -XXO LV D UHODWLYHO\ QHZ GHYLFH VR no one is completely sure what chemicals they are putting into their body, which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure cannot be good,â&#x20AC;? Iannuzzi said.

Although the Juul was introduced with the intention of ending cigarette addiction, it has also glamorized a new form of nicotine consumption for a generation that was largely moving away from the substance. ´0\ ZKROH OLIH , KDYH QHYHU IHOW JRRG DERXW FLJDUHWWHV +DGJH VDLG ´,W¡V WKH RQO\ legal product that when used as intended, harms and possibly kills. On one level, vaping could possibly be an improvement, but there is so much we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know because it has yet to be determined.â&#x20AC;?

February  14,  2018  The  Signal  page  5

Dogs / Kirnan presents research on therapy 6WXGHQWV OHDUQ DERXW EHQHĂ&#x20AC;WV RI SXSS\ ORYH

Grace Gottschling / Staff Photographer

Left: Bob helps children cope with anxiety and other maladaptive symptoms. Right: Kirnanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research reveals the advantages of animal therapy. continued from page 1

concern about the subjectivity of the measures used in her research, which are primarily observational. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very anxious,â&#x20AC;? Kirnan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think 'HVSLWH WKHVH GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWLHV WKH LQWHUYLHZ GDWD .LUQDQ the dog brings that down because they perceive him as a has collected from the school faculty reveals improvefriend and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just completely non-threatening. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really PHQWV LQ UHDGLQJ RUDO Ă XHQF\ H[SUHVVLRQ YRFDEXODU\ beautiful to watch.â&#x20AC;? and writing.

While Kirnan has noted improvements in the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The most notable improvements occurred among kinreading when Bob visits, she has encountered some ob- GHUJDUWHQHUV ZKR GHPRQVWUDWHG VWDWLVWLFDOO\ VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQW stacles while conducting research on animal-assisted edu- differences in their reading grades. These results led Kircation. Early research, in particular, is anecdotal and thus nan to conclude that starting therapy earlier is more benGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR FRUURERUDWH HĂ&#x20AC;FLDO IRU VWXGHQWV 6LQFH .LUQDQ LV ZRUNLQJ ZLWK FKLOGUHQ LW LV GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR Amanda Rego, a senior early childhood education establish a control group because that would mean deny- and psychology double major, expressed enthusiasm ing some children the opportunity to see Bob. There is also for Kirnanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, but acknowledged the need for more

objective results. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think there just needs to be a better way to measure the actual outcomes,â&#x20AC;? Rego said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There could be novelty or placebo effects, especially in places like senior centers because the seniors arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t being exposed to that many exciting things â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is their blood pressure going down because of the dog or just because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting and new to them?â&#x20AC;?

Although the study of animal-assisted therapy has posed some obstacles for Kirnan as a scientist, raising therapy dogs has proved to be immensely rewarding for her, both as a dog owner and an active member of her community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have an audience that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care if you stumble, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care if you stutter,â&#x20AC;? Kirnan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do feel that physiologically they bring down stress.â&#x20AC;?

Schools  /  Students  explore  chances  to  study  in  foreign  countries

Grace Gottschling / Staff Photographer

Academic programs from around the world attract students at the fair. continued from page 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;It might give you some kind of different experience that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get in the classroom here,â&#x20AC;? Dobrow said.

Jennifer Margherito, the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study abroad adviser, emphasized the impact studying abroad can have on students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Campus is a wonderful, welcoming environment, but sometimes you need

that semester away to give perspective to your life here, as well as to gain new perspective on a culture abroad,â&#x20AC;? Margherito said.

Interested students were able to connect with different professors, Center for Global Engagement staff and other representatives from assorted programs and universities.

Several students who already completed study abroad trips were stationed at the

tables, eager to share their stories.

Matthew Walck, a junior history and international studies double major, spent the past fall semester in Heidelberg, Germany. He felt his time abroad fostered significant personal growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was surprised about how uncomfortable I was in the beginning, but I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most important things,â&#x20AC;? Walck said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting over that, I feel like I can just get thrown into any situation now.â&#x20AC;?

Karina Pedraza, a junior psychology and marketing double major, travelled to Heidelberg with Walck. Their time abroad led to them picking up bits of the German language, learning how to navigate public transportation and getting to know the locals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most people have a tendency to fall into routine, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to get comfortable with your surroundings, but almost too comfortable, to a point where you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really expand yourself,â&#x20AC;? Pedraza said.

Kaelyn DiGiamarino, a senior marketing major, felt that spending a semester at Charles University in Prague had a tremendous impact on her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt completely different when I came back,â&#x20AC;? DiGiamarino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your perspective on yourself and the world changes. I IHHO D ORW PRUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW DQG RXWJRLQJ Âľ The past experiences of students who had studied abroad gave other students a better idea of the different opportunities available to them.

´, ZDV VXUSULVHG about how XQFRPIRUWDEOH , ZDV LQ WKH EHJLQQLQJ EXW , WKLQN WKDW¡V RQH RI WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW WKLQJV Âľ â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 0DWWKHZ :DOFN -XQLRU KLVWRU\ DQG LQWHUQDWLRQDO VWXGLHV GRXEOH PDMRU Margherito is a big supporter of the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study abroad program, and often gives presentations on studying abroad to prospective students and their parents.

During the fair, she spoke highly of the programs, and felt that each student should try to participate before graduating. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think study abroad is a great opportunity, and I think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a one-sizeĂ&#x20AC;WV DOO IRU VWXG\ DEURDG Âľ 0DUJKHULWR VDLG â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can have an impactful experience on a two to three week faculty-led program as much as you can have on a semester DEURDG ²² ZKDWHYHU Ă&#x20AC;WV LQWR \RXU DFDdemic program is something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to add value to your academic experience here at TCNJ.â&#x20AC;?

page 6 The Signal February 14, 2018

Nation & W rld

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 7

Protests against hijab law prompt arrests

By Megan Mayernik Correspondent Iranian police arrested 29 women on Jan. 31 for protesting an Iranian law that requires all women to wear a hijab, a traditional Islamic veil.

Iranian women have protested the law for nearly four decades, but a new wave of outcry across the country is drawing more attention than ever and has sparked a personal freedoms debate in Iran, according to The Guardian.

Demonstrations against the law are steadily gaining momentum. Eyewitness accounts describe over two dozen women ripping off their hijabs in protest, according to The New York Times.

One proponent of the protest movement is Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist based in the U.S. Alinejad has called on the women of Iran to engage in a movement called “White Wednesdays,” in which participating women wear all white, remove their veils and place them at the end of sticks to wave them around like flags, according to The New York Times.

In the past, women who allowed their

hijabs to slip were often reprimanded by Iranian religious police, yet under the moderate President Hassan Rouhani, rules on hijabs have become more relaxed, according to CNN. Easing the enforcement of this law in Iran has empowered younger women to be more defiant in protesting for their freedoms. Despite the looser enforcement of the law, the 29 protesters who deliberately removed and waved their hijabs were imprisoned, according to The New York Times.

Vida Movahed, a 31-year-old Iranian activist, attracted global attention following her arrest in December, after an video of her protesting the compulsory veiling law by waving her hijab from the end of a pole went viral, according to CNN. Soheila Jolodarzadeh, a female member of * Iranian Parliament, explained that the protests were the result of longstanding and unnecessary government restrictions of personal freedoms, according to The Guardian.

“We imposed restrictions on women and put them under unnecessary restrains. This is why ... girls of Enghelab

Women unite against Iran’s mandatory hijab-wearing policy.

Street are putting their headscarves on a stick,” Jolodarzadeh said, according to The Guardian.

The demonstrations compounded the disagreement between President Rouhani and Iranian conservative religious leaders, according to The New York Times.

Rouhani sided with the demonstrators, insisting that they had a right to speak out and stated, “One cannot force one’s lifestyle on the future generations.”

AP Photo

The Trump administration praised the protesters on Feb. 2, according to The New York Times. Involvement and support from the U.S. along with Rouhani’s backing indicate a hopeful future for the expansion of freedoms for Iranian women.

“People should be free to choose the clothes they wear, and practice their faith as they desire,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, according to The New York Times.

Tight security accompanies Super Bowl LII

AP Photo

Minnesota authorities work to prevent trafficking.

By Kiana Stockwell Correspondent

All eyes were on Minneapolis, Minnesota on Feb. 4 as the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots went head-to-head in Super Bowl LII. The game drew an enormous crowd of football fans, and unbeknownst to many, a large number of human traffickers as well.

“The Super Bowl is the greatest show on Earth, but it also has an ugly underbelly,” said former Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot, according to USA Today. “It’s commonly known as the single largest human trafficking incident in the

United States.”

The stadium’s massive crowds of tourists and spectators provide sufficient cover for human trafficking, prostitution and other illegal acts, according to The Huffington Post.

Minnesota is ranked 13th in the U.S. for highest amount of incidences of sex trafficking, according to The Root.

Clemmie Greenlee, a former sex trafficking victim, spoke about her experience at large events like the Super Bowl in The Huffington Post.

“If you don’t make that number (of sex customers), you’re going to dearly, dearly, severely pay for it,” Greenlee said. “I mean with beatings, I mean with over and over rapings.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension engaged in a “sting operation” to find and arrest sex buyers and traffickers in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Undercover police took to social media, where sex trafficking often flies under the radar. Over 30 traffickers were arrested on probable cause for solicitation of a minor. Additionally, seven were arrested for sex trafficking or promoting prostitution, and 14 women were “rescued from trafficking situations,” according to The Star Tribune.

Lauren Martin, a representative from the University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, spoke about Minnesota’s human trafficking

problem in an article by The Root.

“We are a wealthy state, predominantly white state; we’re a northern state; we have a lot of corporate headquarters here; we have an international airport,” Martin said. “We have a lot of conventions and things that draw people in.”

23 law enforcement agencies have been combing through hotels and online sex websites to target suspicious individuals in preparation for the game, according to Reuters.

According to CBS, overall arrests decreased in downtown Minneapolis as compared to last year’s number of 117.

There were 75 arrests on the night of the game.

“We were able to (affect) a good number of arrests and rescue some people that in fact were being trafficked,” said John Elder, an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, according to CBS. Bradley Myles, the chief executive of Polaris, an anti-sex trafficking group, spoke to Reuters about the persistence of human trafficking in the U.S. “All this is, is a one-day snapshot into what otherwise is a 365-day problem,” Myles said. “The same traffickers ... during the Super Bowl, they’re going to wake up in the morning on Monday and do the same thing.”

For resources or more information call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888, or visit humantraffickinghotline.org.

Migrant boat accident off Libyan coast kills 90

By Danielle Silvia Copy Editor

A boat smuggling Pakistani and Libyan migrants capsized off the coast of Libya on Feb. 2, killing an estimated 90 people aboard, according to CNN. Migrants departing from Libya aim to enter Europe through countries like Italy and Greece by way of the Mediterranean Sea. Later that morning, 10 bodies were found washed ashore near the Libyan town of Zuwara, according to CBS. The boat appeared to be sailing in calm waters but became unbalanced and wobbly as the boat approached Zuwara, according to The New York Times.

Leonard Doyle, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, explained the

likelihood of finding more survivors in an article by CNN. “They are still searching for survivors, but it is very, very unlikely, it seems, at this point,” Doyle said.

In January of this year alone, about 246 people have died while traversing the Mediterranean migrant route, according to CNN. “We are told that two survivors swam to shore, and one person was rescued by a fishing boat,” said Olivia Headon, a spokeswoman for IOM, according to CBS. “We are working to get more details on the (capsizing) and where the survivors are so that we can assist them better.”

The number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea has been rapidly rising.

Pakistanis make up one of the largest portions of migrants using the route. In January of this year, they

composed the third-largest contingent, according to CBS. “(The refugees) find themselves stuck in a horrible situation, vulnerable to human rights violations and the slave market.

So they may have no choice but to seek a crossing to Europe,” said Flavio Di Giacomo, a United Nations migration official, in an article by The New York Times.

Di Giacomo hypothesized that several migrants may have chosen the path to migrate through Libya as opposed to other routes, such as through Turkey or Greece, because such routes are much more dangerous to cross AP Photo during winter months, according Zuwara is a common destination for Pakistani migrants. to The New York Times.

Due to the ongoing political to Europe, according to The New to CNN. “So far we have probturmoil and violence in Libya, York Times. ably seen the only survivors we the nation has become a hub for “It’s an absolutely shocking are going to see, let’s hope there migrants looking to be smuggled tragedy,” Doyle said, according are more.”

page 8 The Signal February 14, 2018

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 9

Editorial

Valentine’s Day should not be stressful

Are you stressed out about Valentine’s Day? Feeling lonely because all you have is your dog and “The Notebook” to get you through those 24 endless hours? Feeling nervous that your significant other will not be happy with what you have planned? Feeling sad and undervalued because someone special forgot to make plans with you?

I’m here to tell you to stop being upset, because the meaning behind Valentine’s Day is far greater than a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses.

The name “Valentine” is believed to be derived from a saint who was murdered. He was believed to be either a priest who performed marriages in secret or a man who was killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, according to HISTORY.com.

Either way, he became an infamous martyr who has been celebrated ever since he was killed.

Lupercalia, a fertility festival celebrated by the ancient Romans, was originally held in the middle of February. During this feast, the women of the village would actually line up for men to beat them with goat hides because they believed it would make them fertile. In an effort to “Christianize” the Pagan celebration, Valentine’s Day was believed to be held on the same day as Lupercalia, according to HISTORY.com.

Basically, Valentine’s Day originated with the celebration of a man’s death, and naked men beating women to get them pregnant.

Thousands of years later, we have evolved. Valentine’s Day has turned into an excuse for couples to stress out, single people to feel lonely and for Hallmark to make copious amounts of money.

According to the National Retail Federation, each American spent an average of $146.84 on Valentine’s Day in 2016, with total sales reaching about $19.7 billion, Mic Daily reported.

While Valentine’s Day has been commercialized and made into a day that entices couples to splurge, the true meaning of Valentine’s Day — showing everyone how much you value the ability to love — has little to do with spending money.

Love, however, is a word that has been used so interchangeably that its actual meaning has been twisted and confused.

You probably describe love as how you feel about someone romantically. You also probably refer to love when you speak with your parents and close friends. You might have even gushed to a friend that you loved the pizza you ate for dinner last night, or that you loved that song that played on your car’s radio.

Love can be used in so many contexts, but each use has the same fundamental meaning.

Love is unconditional, unselfish and unyielding. Love isn’t a chemical reaction, or a feeling. Love isn’t simply a physical or emotional connection.

Love isn’t black and white.

Love is something that is unexplainable, and is as mysterious to us as what happens in the afterlife. As confusing as love can be, when it’s real, you just know.

Love is a mother looking into her newborn baby’s eyes. Love is the sun warming your face in the middle of a cool winter season. Love is the space between sentences, the wind carrying a bird’s wings and the rain that ends a long drought.

Love is something that lifts you up. Love is being at peace, with yourself and with the world.

So, make Valentine’s Day about the gift of love. Make it a day to appreciate all of the little things, and all of the people surrounding you.

You have the power to control the way you celebrate the holiday. Don’t spend your time stressing out about the perfect date or the perfect movie to watch by yourself. Besides, the origins of Valentine’s Day weren’t even based on dating, so you wouldn’t be doing any of its founders an injustice if you spent it the right way — celebrating your ability to love.

— Brielle Bryan 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, Sports, Review and Social Media editors and the Business and Production managers, 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.

Twitter

Valentine’s Day has become a very commercialized holiday.

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

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Mailing Address: The Signal c/o Forcina Hall The College of New Jersey P.O. Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 Nadir Roberts Reviews Editor robertn5@tcnj.edu Meagan McDowell Photo Editor mcdowem4@tcnj.edu Julia Marnin Production Manager marninj1@tcnj.edu Heather Haase Web Editor haaseh1@tcnj.edu Maddi Ference Kristen Frohlich Social Media Editors ferencm2@tcnj.edu frohlik1@tcnj.edu Emilie Lounsberry Adviser lounsber@tcnj.edu Thomas Munnia Business/Ad Manager tmunnia@gmail.com

“Campus is a wonderful, welcoming environment, but sometimes you need that semester away to give perspective to your life here, as well as to gain new perspective on a culture abroad.”

— Jennifer Margherito, The College’s Study Abroad Adviser

“My whole life, I have never felt good about cigarettes. It’s the only legal product that when used as intended, harms and possibly kills.”

— Joe Hadge

Assistant Director of the Alcohol and Drug Education Program

“You have an audience that doesn’t care if you stumble, doesn’t care if you stutter. I do feel that physiologically they bring down stress.”

— Jean Kirnan Psychology professor and therapy dog owner

page 10 The Signal February 14, 2018

Opinions

SG should promote inclusion

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

SG votes down a bill that would instate a casual dress code.

By Rosie Driscoll

On Jan. 24, Student Government debated and ultimately voted down a bill that would have amended its constitution to define a “smart casual” dress code — a

step below business casual, and two steps below its unofficial, de facto business professional dress code. The bill’s intention was to make SG more accessible to those who may not own or cannot afford professional wear.

I have heard that many students view SG as elitist. If that is truly the case, then it is our job, as per the College’s mission statement of inclusion, to change that.

Before joining SG my junior year, I was largely unaware of the weight of its influence — students who attend governance meetings affect the policies that shape our experience as students. If the voices of SG representatives are not diverse and representative of the entire student body, we as a governing body fail in our sworn duty to protect all students at the College.

I come from a middle-class family, so I can afford to buy the clothes I need to meet the unofficial business professional standards. The median family income for a student of the College is $133,000, which means 62 percent of us are members of the top 20 percent income bracket in New Jersey, and only four percent are in the bottom 20 percent, according to The New York Times.

Although SG’s dress code is feasible for most students, we cannot ignore the four percent of students who may not be able to afford professional attire. Their voices, experiences and needs must be considered

as valuable as any other student’s. If we cannot even get them in the room, our institutional mission of inclusion amounts to empty words.

The College’s diversity and inclusion policy encompasses race, gender, class, ability, sexuality and ethnic diversity. One reason I decided to join SG was because I felt the LGBTQ+ community was not adequately represented in its general body.

This bill would not have forced anyone to dress less professionally, but would instead have allowed those who do not own professional attire to participate in SG without shame.

I am disappointed that this bill did not pass, and I urge my fellow student representatives to consider if there has ever been a time in their lives when they did not have access to something they needed. They should consider how their college experience would differ if they could not afford to “dress the part,” pay organizational dues, buy a round of drinks or order takeout.

If there is a barrier to class diversity in SG, it should be removed. None of us enjoy being excluded — we need to start working towards inclusion.

US should welcome more refugees

Immigration laws unfair for migrants

By Suchir Govindarajan Before the end of his term as Gov. of New Jersey, Chris Christie told former President Barack Obama that the state would no longer accept any more refugees from Syria.

Christie’s reasoning was that these refugees will bring “unacceptable peril” to New Jersey and U.S. citizens. But the dangerous people that many Americans fear will sneak into the U.S. are the same people these refugees are fleeing from.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to reverse Christie’s antiimmigration rhetoric by welcoming and protecting refugees, according to NJ.com.

We as Americans, but more importantly as human beings, must side with Murphy — we have a moral obligation to help those in need. We need to align ourselves on the right side of history.

Innocent Syrian civilians are trapped within the conflict between the Islamic State and the sadistic Assad regime in Syria.

Deprived of resources, shelter and separated from their families,

these refugees are desperately trying to find a place to survive.

Nations like Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, along with Sweden, Germany, Serbia and Turkey have already taken in thousands of refugees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Today, many turn to Germany, France, Italy and Greece. It is imperative that these nations do their parts to accept as many people as they can, but refugees are often met with huge opposition.

Camp conditions are often disgusting and unlivable. Refugee camps in Germany are unsanitary, with flooded bathrooms and scarce housing. In Jordan, refugees are placed indiscriminately amongst one another, creating conflicts between factions, according to The Independent.

Refugees are willing to face all of this strife for the chance to escape the horrors of the Assad regime and the oppression of the Islamic State. Those who have risked their lives and spent all their money to immigrate to the U.S. deserve safe passage.

According to NJ.com, New Jersey has accepted 275 Syrian

refugees since 2007, which is a fantastic start. But we have still a long way to go. We must open our borders and welcome refugees that need our assistance.

To compensate for more open borders, extensive screening of those entering the U.S. would be a much more humane alternative.

We must not think of these refugees as groups, numbers or statistics — they are individuals.

Each refugee is a mother, brother, friend or child.

Think of the thousands of children killed on the journey, including Aylan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian boy whose image made global headlines after his lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach. Will New Jersey ignore a 5-year-old orphaned immigrant on the off-chance that he is accompanied by a terrorist? Does the prevention of a couple fanatics entering the country justify the deaths and suffering of thousands of Syrians? Their lives are just as important as those lost in Paris, London or New York. We are all humans, and humanity knows no ethnicity, race or religion.

The very foundation of our

Flickr

Children are victimized most by closed immigration policies. nation is based on our values promoting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we are to defend our principles, we musn’t let fear triumph our American ideals.

By succumbing to fear, racism and anti-Islamism, we let

extremists and terrorists control our strength as a nation. We cannot let ourselves fall to that level, which is why it is imperative that New Jersey, amongst other states, promptly open its borders to more Syrian refugees seeking shelter, medicine and hope for the future.

Policies

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

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

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

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

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 11

page 12 The Signal February 14, 2018

Students share opinions around campus “Does a student’s income affect his or her opportunities at the College?”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Sarah Suarez, a junior accounting and political science double major.

“If you’re from a low-income area, you might not feel comfortable getting involved in all activities.”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Fizzah Ehsan, a freshman chemistry major.

“Low-income students may feel like they don’t fit in, which can affect their confidence.”

“Should New Jersey have a more relaxed immigration policy?”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Jesse Schmidt, a junior mechanical engineering major.

“If our country has more diversity, differing perspectives will lead to more productivity.”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Paige Finnerty, a sophomore sociology major.

“We are not letting in enough people who have nowhere else to go.”

The Signal’s cartoons of the week...

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 13

Features

Student letters give single mothers hope

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

Left: Students for Life encourages participants to customize their messages. Right: Volunteers write supportive sentiments to single mothers.

By Alyssa Louis Staff Writer

“Dear Brave Girl” was written on the tops of papers distributed to volunteers attending the Students For Life Club’s first meeting of the semester on Feb. 7. Embracing the power of the written word, participants gathered in the Social Sciences Building to write meaningful letters to support single mothers embarking on the wild adventure that is motherhood.

Students for Life paired with Embrace Grace, a nonprofit organization that discourages women from getting abortions and provides them with support during and after their pregnancies.

Students for Life requested that students donate a baby item to join the optimistic and reassuring letters, so that Embrace Grace could make care packages for the brave mothers-to-be, explained Victoria Kiernan, a junior nursing major and the president of Students for Life.

Members of Students For Life and fellow students wrote words of encouragement to single pregnant women. The intimate group that gathered for the meeting was

comprised of pro-life students on campus.

“Even if it could help one girl, it would be worth it,” said Grace Gottschling, a senior English major and vice president of Students for Life.

While Students for Life’s roots were established on an anti-abortion platform, the club reformed its goals under the leadership of Kiernan.

Kiernan, a transfer student, saw a “choose life” sign when she visited the College and grew enthusiastic about becoming part of a community that was both prolife and pro-women.

Once Kiernan arrived on campus, she discovered that there had been a lack of interest in the club and that it was essentially dissolved, so she decided to revive it with Gottschling’s help.

Students for Life sometimes faces difficulty as a prolife organization on a predominantly liberal campus.

“The group had written a message in chalk with contact information for those that are pregnant and in need of assistance (and) it had been washed away within a few hours,” said Peter Shenouda, a club member and sophomore political science and history double major.

“How do we get our message out there when we are being silenced?”

The club’s association with pro-life values has hindered the progress of establishing a child care facility at the College. Gottschling has taken the issue to professors and Student Government, while petitioning to see if students and faculty are interested in it as a potential resource.

Gottschling feels that development of a family service facility should appeal to all, “no matter what their viewpoint is or what identity they subscribe to.”

According to Kiernan, Students for Life is responsible for collecting donations for organizations like Embrace Grace and Good Counsel, a home for single pregnant women, and they are looking to become involved with local crisis pregnancy centers.

Members of Students for Life made it clear that they are not a club focused on promoting a political agenda — the organization operates with the goal of assisting women and children.

“We are a group that advocates for the betterment of mothers and children, especially under difficult circumstances,” Shenouda said.

Beta Theta Pi celebrates one year on campus

By Michelle Lampariello Managing Editor

After only one year on campus, Beta Theta Pi has proven to be a productive philanthropic and social organization as the College’s newest fraternity.

Beta’s colony at the College began in the fall of 2016, when its original 24 founding fathers felt as though greek life on campus was missing the kind of brotherhood that Beta offers. With 47 active members at the start of this semester, Beta is eager to recruit new brothers in the spring 2018 semester.

“Being a fall founding father, to me, meant setting the sails for the future of a brotherhood, whether that future is five years or 500 years,” said Kevin Hurler, a senior physics major.

For the fall 2017 semester, Beta earned an average term GPA of 3.342 — the highest out of all fraternities on campus. The seven members who joined Beta last fall earned an average GPA of 3.25, displaying the organization’s commitment to maintaining academic excellence.

Bryant Fiesta, Beta’s colony development coordinator, taught the founding fathers about the fraternity’s history and

The brothers of Beta Theta Pi volunteer at TASK.

Photo courtesy of Beta Theta Pi

values, and helped them prepare to run a chapter. Fiesta ceased his involvement shortly after these lessons, leaving Beta on its own to develop an identity at the College.

Matt Pollock, a sophomore health and exercise science major and Beta’s vice president of recruitment, recognized that this was a daunting task for the new brotherhood.

“A year ago, we were just individuals unprepared about how to expand Beta’s mission, Pollock said. “We were worried about developing a colony and getting recruits.”

Many people watching the organization develop throughout the year wondered how will Beta planned to expand its presence on campus.

Beta began to integrate itself into traditional campus activities for greek organizations at the College, like having a philanthropy week. During the spring 2017 semester, Beta supported Doctors Without Borders. This semester, Beta will be promoting the Make-A-Wish Foundation during its second philanthropy week.

“My goal is to find new ways to engage with the campus and the community in a fun and constructive way,” said Nate Gambrill, current president of Beta and a sophomore marketing major. “I’m glad I have the chance to build a brotherhood that other worthy men can enjoy for many years in the future.”

The brothers are no strangers to community service — they have visited the

“My goal is to find new ways to engage with the campus and the community in a fun and constructive way.”

—Nate Gambrill

President of Beta Theta Pi

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, participated in a walk for multiple sclerosis in the spring of 2017 and helped organize a Trenton thrift shop.

The Beta brothers have achieved substantial growth in their expansion both as a fraternity and as individual members.

Former fraternity president and senior biomedical engineering major Alec Paterno placed third in the race to be the College’s 2017 Homecoming King, and Chris Blakeley, a junior civil engineering major and member of Beta, currently serves as president of Student Government.

Beta’s founding fathers hope to create an example for future brothers as the fraternity prepares to enter its second year at the College.

page 14 The Signal February 14, 2018

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Jan.‘78

Campus Style

Skiers break Guinness world record

Photo courtesy of the TCNJ Digital Archive

Skiing remains a popular sport among students.

Every week, Features Editor Lily Firth hits the archives and finds old Signals that relate to current College topics and top stories.

Eager to watch the world’s best athletes compete for the gold, people have been anxiously waiting the start of the Winter Olympics. Events in this year’s Olympics include a variety of cold-temperature classics, like bobsled racing, figure skating, freestyle skiing and more. 2018 marks the 40-year anniversary of when two students from the College broke the Guinness world record for continuous downhill alpine skiing in 1978.

It was over a few beers at the Franklin Tavern on a warm July night where TSC students Ian Smith and David Brown first decided to try to break the Guinness world record for continuous alpine (downhill) skiing. Two weeks ago, they did just that.

Smith, 22, a senior criminal justice major and Brown, 23, a part-time business student who works full time at his father’s Lawrence township construction business, broke the record by skiing 54 hours and 8 minutes, with only one five minute break an hour allotted to them by Guinness at Vernon Valley Ski Area in McAfee, New Jersey.

The two skiers will be entered in the next edition of the Guinness Book of World Records if their record is not broken by the end of the year.

“We made our mark — but if someone breaks it, we’ll probably do it again,” said Smith.

“They would have to be awfully determined, but with good weather it could be broken,” added Brown.

The previous record was set in Brettonwoods, New Hampshire in December 1977, and was broken by Smith and Brown by 2 hours and 8 minutes.

“In all respect for the other poor bastards,

we had to break it by more than eight minutes,” said Smith.

Although neither Smith or Brown are cigarette smokers, they held this event to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, but ran into quite a few problems getting ski manufacturers to sponsor them.

By the morning the marathon was scheduled to begin, twelve leading ski manufacturers had donated cash contributions to the cancer society, as well as ski equipment that would be raffled off during the weekend Smith and Brown skied. Approximately $6,000 was netted during this time for the organization.

To help endure the long nights, the ski patrol provided walkie-talkies for the skiers that were hooked up with a local radio station. The biggest test for them was the first night out, when the wind chill factor dropped the temperature to the equivalent of minus 20 degrees.

“We were sure we were going to make it after seeing the sun come up the first time,” said Brown. “There were two things we were fearing — the icy conditions and the cold, but by then we were numb,” Smith added.

Both agreed their number one problem was staying awake. Smith said after a while their minds “snapped.”

“We had to keep bullshitting and busting each other’s ass to stay awake.” Although the idea of being recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records is appealing to the two skiers, they said it was not the only reason for the ski-a-thon.

“We wanted to do our bit of good will in the sport of skiing and to open up some doors in the skiing industry,” Smith said. “We just wanted something unique to do that wouldn’t kill us.”

The Culinary Club Presents...

Lions Plate

Instagram

Left: Make a casual outfit edgier with ripped jeans. Right: Fringe jeans add spunk for a personalized touch.

By Lexy Yulich Columnist Jeans have taken the world by storm as one of the most popular trends in fashion right now. They have almost always been in style, but new trends that encourage people to wear jeans that fit their individual preferences are flourishing. Jeans with fringe bottoms, ripped jeans, jeans with embroidery and jeans paired with belts are some of the more popular styles. The best part about this trend is that you don’t have to splurge to find a cute pair that fits your style. Here are three easy ways to find trendy jeans that don’t break the bank.

1. Shop online. It’s no secret that I love stores like Free People and Anthropologie, but when you’re a college student, it’s hard to shell out $100 for a pair of jeans. Instead, I find inspiration from big brand stores and search for duplicates or similar styles from online stores such as ASOS, Misguided and SheIn. If you do order jeans online, make sure you pick a

store that has a fair return policy in case they don’t fit.

2. Go thrift shopping — you never know what you’re going to find there. Some of my favorite funky jeans have come from thrift shops. You will be more likely to find jeans in stores like Plato’s Closet, but I’ve seen nice jeans in Goodwill too.

If you’re planning a trip to New York City or Philadelphia any time soon, there are tons of thrift stores that will alter jeans and resell them. Check out AuH20, Urban Jungle or Angel Street Thrift Shop.

3. Make your own. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest that show you how to create ripped jeans using a pair that you already own. Based on personal experience, making your own ripped jeans is the easiest out of these options. I like to purchase an inexpensive pair from Forever 21, or find a really old pair that I haven’t worn in a while, and reimagine them. There’s something so satisfying about recycling your old clothing items and turning them into something more stylish.

Homemade cookie dough

Left: Egg-free cookie dough lowers the risk of getting sick when eaten raw. Right: Homemade cookie dough is an ideal bite-sized treat.

By Julia Dzurillay Columnist We’ve all snuck a taste of homemade cookie dough from the mixing spoon before popping some cookies into the oven to be baked. I’m even guilty of sticking my finger in cake batter after mixing it to its sweet, sugary state. It wasn’t until I got food poisoning that I took my mom’s warnings seriously.

The main ingredient in raw dough or batter that could cause harm is eggs. With this egg-free recipe, Lions Plate is

bringing you the best parts of cookie dough with less risk of getting sick. Make sure to keep any leftover dough refrigerated due to the dairy in this recipe.

Makes: Two servings Ingredients: 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 tbsps butter, melted 1/8 tsp of salt 1/8 tsp vanilla

Flickr

1 tbsp white sugar 1 tbsp milk 5 tbsp flour 3 tbsp chocolate chips Directions: 1. In a large bowl, mix together butter, both sugars, salt, vanilla and milk.

2. Add flour to mixture, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a proper cookie dough consistency.

3. Add chocolate chips. Enjoy!

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 15

The School of the Arts and Communication Visiting Artist Series Presents

Whitney Dow, “Facing Whiteness”

Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 5 PM Education 212 White people and white culture have been the dominant societal and political forces in our country since its inception, but only recently has the idea of whiteness as unique racial identity gained prominence in the ongoing American racial discussion. What does it mean to be a “white”? Can it be genetically defined? Is it a cultural or social construct? A state of mind? An ethnicity or a race? How does one come to be deemed “white” in America and what privileges does being perceived as white bestow? Award winning filmmaker Whitney Dow has been traveling the country for five years gathering data and interviewing hundreds people who are white, or partially white his multi-platform Whiteness Project, which he is doing in partnership with PBS and Columbia University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Theory and Empirics (INCITE). Dow will discuss what he has learned by leaning into the uncomfortable discussion of whiteness, and his journey from directing low budget liquor commercials to leading the first large-scale academic study on white identity by a major research institution.

Sponsored by The School of the Arts and Communication, The Office of Institutional Diversity, The Department of Communication Studies, Alan Dawley Center for the Study of Social Justice, and The Bonner Center for Community Engagement and Research.

page 16 The Signal February 14, 2018

Arts & Entertainment

CUB Alt starts semester on high note

By Brandon Agalaba Staff Writer

Indie rock bands Vundabar and Rozwell Kid headlined the first CUB Alt concert of the spring 2018 semester in the Brower Student Center on Feb. 6, featuring New Jersey-based band Ragged Lines as the opener.

Vundabar, a Boston indie rock band, was the first of the headlining acts to perform. Vundabar was formed in 2012 by singer and guitarist Brandon Hagan, bassist Zack Abramo and drummer Drew McDonald. The band released their first album, titled “Antics,” in 2013, and their most recent album “Gawk” in 2015.

Vundabar’s set was exciting and unpredictable. The band played wild, capricious songs that featured guitar solos and unexpected pauses. Abramo and McDonald had excellent musical chemistry, with McDonald creating spontaneous and energetic drum beats to match Abramo’s intense bass riffs.

One of the songs that Vundabar played was “Fast Car.” The band

members made jokes amongst themselves and with the crowd as audience members formed a lively mosh pit. The lead vocalist damaged a tree that was at the concert, and he joked about lawsuits in front of the audience. Additionally, Linkin Park, 311 and Pearl Jam were brought up during the concert.

McDonald listens to bands like Modest Mouse and The Fall, and the other members of Vundabar are into ’80s and ’90s punk bands such as Circle Jerks and Bad Brains. The lead vocalist of Rozwell Kid grew up listening to Weird Al, Green Day, Weezer and The Shins.

Rozwell Kid ended the concert with a set of original, upbeat poppunk songs. The West Virginiabased band was formed in 2011 by singer and rhythm guitarist Jordan Hudkins, bassist Devin Donnelly, lead guitarist Adam Meisterhans and drummer Sean Hallock, who also provided backing vocals during the show.

The band mainly played material off their latest album, “Precious Art,” released in 2017. With

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Hagan jokes about a lawsuit from the College for damaging a decorative tree.

an up-tempo sound falling somewhere between early Green Day and Weezer, the band played songs including “UHF On DVD,” Total Mess,” “Futon,” “Boomerang” and “Wendy’s Trash Can.” Rozwell Kid’s performance at the College was their first show of 2018.

Ragged Lines opened the show, energizing the audience with upbeat, melodic rock music that alternated between soft guitar lines and crunchy, distorted riffs. Harmonies

backed the vocals, and the band played all of their songs available on Spotify, as well as two new songs entitled “Bud Light Summer” and “Keep Talkin’.”

Carter Henry, Ragged Lines’ main vocalist, is into older bands from the ’60s and ’70s. Henry also draws inspiration from The Strokes, Sam Cooke and soul music like Motown. Matt Viani, Ragged Lines’ drummer, enjoys Manchester Orchestra, and backup

singer Ally Wepner listens to an eclectic mix of genres, including hip-hop and R&B. Students in the audience were impressed by the concert. Carolyn Mandracchia, a junior fine arts major and a graphic artist for CUB, is happy to kick off a semester full of CUB Alt shows.

“Everyone had a great time,” Mandracchia said. “Having stuff like this changes the atmosphere of the school.”

Mixed Signals shows sense of humor at ‘Date Night’

Heidi Cho / Arts & Entertainment Editor

Left: Devoe introduces the comedians to the audience. Right: The group acts out a scenario inspired by a key word from the audience.

By Heidi Cho Arts & Entertainment Editor Students dressed in their Sunday best were serenaded by the Mixed Signals’ warm-up noises — a cross between yodelling and screaming — outside of the Library Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 10, as the group prepared to present its “Fancy Date Night” show.

The comedians entered in pairs, sporting formal attire and laughing with one another.

Once everyone was on stage, Nolan Devoe, a senior communication studies major, announced the new members of the group, as well as older members of the group who will soon graduate as “Bignals.”

The group then jumped into its first improvisation scenario, in which the actors in the scene incorporated a key word that was provided by an audience member.

Logan Paul was the inspiration for the scene, which included a director and three actors respectively playing as a protective mother, a lovestruck daughter and a reckless boy that is taking her to prom.

“Just because I smoke my weed with

Juuls—” said Dylan Lembo, a freshman international studies major, in character as the obnoxious bad boy defending himself to his date’s mother.

Devoe played the director, and had the actors repeat the scene three times, changing it to reference Logan Paul more and more each time.

The first time, Lembo and the other performers could talk normally. The next, the three actors were all zombies acting out the scene. Lastly, the three actors could only communicate in trumpet noises, which produced fits of laughter from the audience.

The category for another scene’s conflict was first-world problems, and an audience suggested that there should be no Wi-Fi in the scene.

A couple played by Paul Chukrallah, a junior marketing major, and Stephanie Sonbati, a freshman English and journalism and professional writing double major, tried to post a selfie of themselves on Instagram.

Mixed Signals members from the seats onstage provided the error and retry sound effects when his phone failed to connect to her house’s Wi-Fi, because her dad

changed the password on him.

“The last girl I dated gave me Wi-Fi the first night,” Chukrallah said to his girlfriend of four hours in the scene.

Coyly, Sonbati said that she knew how to reset the Wi-Fi by going to the modem in the kitchen.

After double-checking the girl was of age, the boyfriend agreed to “do it in the kitchen.”

When Chukrallah and Sonbati went to push the modem’s power button, Sonbati instructed, “Two fingers.”

Whenever a scene was losing steam, the Mixed Signals would introduce a new element, like sound effects or a fictitious loose emu, to the scenario from the sidelines.

For the game “World’s Worst,” Devoe pulled out a piece of loose-leaf paper with role suggestions from the audience for actors to impersonate.

Any actor could step forward and act out a few seconds of any scenario in the game.

The “World’s Worst” game is a favorite of Emily Litwin, a junior marketing major.

“They’re a really close knit group,” Litwin said.

In another game, actors would even

“swipe” or change the scenario around on each other seamlessly, showing how well the members knew each other’s capabilities and strengths.

Sam Miller, a graduate student and English major, found the group’s chemistry to be one of the best parts of the show.

“They are always trying to learn and get funnier,” Miller said. “They have a good sense of what people can handle.”

Miller “loves the Sigs,” and attends many of their shows.

Another crowd-pleaser the group performed was a scene involving Charlie, an unseen character whose traits were developed by actors onstage as the scene progressed.

Charlie would then walk on stage, exhibiting all of the traits mentioned. To everyone’s amusement, Charlie was a lasagna lover, and an excessive fainter in the presence of a masked doctor.

The audience had a hilarious night out with the Mixed Signals. The group delivered crowd-pleasing pair scenarios and hilarious group scenes, and may have left some audience members hoping for a second date.

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 17

page 18 The Signal February 14, 2018

Timberlake lost in ‘Man of the Woods’

By James Mercadante Staff Writer Justin Timberlake has dominated the Billboard charts several times since the genesis of his career with unforgettable songs like “Sexyback” and “Can’t Stop The Feeling.” Back in the spotlight, Timberlake has returned with his fifth studio album “Man of the Woods,” released on Feb. 2.

Timberlake’s newest 16 tracks off “Man of the Woods” consistently lack the aforementioned appeal of his earlier work due to his failed attempts in fusing incompatible genres of music together.

Fans who follow Timberlake’s career may give him the benefit of the doubt, as he was exploring his Tennessee roots and attempting to create an original body of work. Yet forgiveness may be more difficult for those who are not as loyal to the artist.

“Man of the Woods” has two personalities — half of the songs are funk, country and rhythm and blues with awkward blends of trap music, while the other half are folk and pop ballads.

The LP’s polarized sound is represented in the artwork, as there are split images of Justin in a suit and in a flannel shirt with denim jeans.

Timberlake was transparent with the album’s experimental nature, but he failed to execute it properly in light of the fact that he gives us blends of music that simply do not mix well.

From his first single, “Filthy,” audiences were exposed to a sonically displeasing track, as

Twitter

Timberlake’s album is musically disjointed. it opens with a rock-guitar solo and then abruptly transitions to a techno-funk beat, which pairs poorly with his effect-laden vocals and vapid lyrics.

“Haters gonna say it’s fake. I guess I got my swagger back,” Timberlake repeated in “Filthy.”

Essentially, it seems like the track took no effort to write. Its production and structure are messy, the chorus sound like verses, and his verses sound badly improvised.

Another failed experimentation was his second single, “Supplies,” as he incorporates a trap-inspired beat with a folk-pop melody and sings in a nasally voice: “I got supply-ay-ays.”

The majority of songs on “Man

of the Woods” are disastrous, as most are pressed for energy and lead nowhere, but there are some notable tracks worth recognizing.

“Midnight Summer Jam” had the potential to be the lead single for this album, since it contains a marketability not present in the other songs. It brings the listener to the backlands of Tennessee with sweet falsettos and the delicious sounds of fiddles, harmonicas and acoustic guitars. While embracing the country lifestyle, this infectious song encourages listeners to sing and dance along.

“Y’all can’t do better than this, act like the south ain’t the shit,” Timberlake sings on the track.

One memorable ballad from this album, titled “Morning

Light,” features Alicia Keys. Their voices compliment and bounce off of each other, as they both share the same amount of soul in their vocals, especially when they harmonized. This track is most suitable during a long car ride with the windows down, since the track exudes serenity.

Timberlake ends his album with “Young Man,” a song that serves as a tribute to his son, Silas.

Silas means “Man of the Forest,” in Latin, which unveils more insight to Timberlake’s album title.

The song features snippets of his son’s voice saying “dada,” which provides the listener a warm feeling, but the lyrics are directed towards Silas, as Timberlake tries to convey the wisdom he has accumulated over the years. This song is a satisfying conclusion that makes the album feel more cohesive.

“It’s alright if you need to cry.

You got my permission,” Timberlake sings, assuring his son that he is allowed to be vulnerable and should never be afraid of being himself.

“Man of the Woods” proves to be a self-discovery album, as Timberlake tackles topics like his self-assurance, early life and sexuality, and we get to see a vulnerable side of him. It is nice to see how he utilizes all that he has learned about himself to pass down to his son.

Timberlake had the right intentions, and the album certainly felt original, but its many chaotic, messy tracks cannot be ignored and drag the album down as a whole.

Brockhampton showcases skill in ‘Saturation’ trilogy

Twitter

Brockhampton’s music blends styles from hip-hop and pop music.

By Jack Lopez Correspondent Self-proclaimed boyband Brockhampton released three projects, titled “Saturation,” “Saturation II” and “Saturation III” throughout 2017. Heavily influenced by both hip-hop and pop music, the collective of rappers, singers and artists have created a diverse array of songs that exhibit their versatility in both genres.

The trilogy intended to saturate the market with Brockhampton’s music, and the band succeeded. The 17, 16 and 15-track albums respectively showcased the band members’ talents and abilities.

With “Saturation,” the members of Brockhampton exhibited both their hip-hop and popinspired roots. Songs like “GOLD,” “FACE,” “SWIM” and “FAKE” feature catchy hooks from two of the members, Kevin Abstract and Russell “Joba” Boring. These choruses often rely on vocal pitch-shifting to establish a separate voice from their raps. “SWIM” is the best example of a pop-influenced track on the album.

Brockhampton uses autotune or pitching

techniques to create a beautiful song about love, reflection and hope.

“Fell in love but it ain’t gonna last, hydroplane like I ain’t gonn’ crash,” rapped Dom McLennon in “SWIM,” which shows a more sensitive side of the group.

Conversely, in songs like “HEAT” or “STAR,” which showcase the band members’ rapping capabilities, the members of Brockhampton seem to be in friendly competition with each other to see who can deliver the best lines.

“HEAT,” which references violence, sex, drugs and alcohol, stands in direct contrast with “SWIM.” These two songs are mustlistens for fans who want to fully experience the versatility of the band.

In “Saturation II”, the band seems to focus more on hip-hop influences. Most of the tracks on this second installment include rapping, with shorter hooks and more aggressive production.

Joba, who mainly was featured on hooks and bridges in the first project, is afforded the opportunity to rap on a few tracks, which turns out well. It is hard to believe that he is the same

guy who sings, “I just wanna love ya, just wanna hold ya, never would lie to you,” in “FACE” when his verse about the struggles he’s experienced in life comes on in “SWEET.” The pop-inspired songs are still there in tracks like “GAMBA,” but “Saturation II” shows off the group’s technical rap skills.

Matt Champion, one of the more lyrically proficient members of the group, raps about rape culture on the track “JUNKY.” “Saturation III,” on the other hand, could stand alone as a pop record. The entire album is full of melodic hooks and up-tempo, danceable beats. “BOOGIE,” “ZIPPER,” “STUPID,” “BLEACH” and “RENTAL” are all songs that use the same vocal pitching techniques present in songs like “SWIM” from “Saturation.”

Other songs on the album are more hip-hop inspired, but it really seems that on “Saturation II” and “Saturation III” the boys tried to go for two distinctly different sounds — which flow together seamlessly.

There is one song on each of the three projects that does not fit into either of the two genres the band is influenced by. These three tracks happen to be the closers to each album: “WASTE,” “SUMMER” and “TEAM” respectively.

These songs feature Bearface, one of the more reclusive members of the band, on his own. Bearface plays guitar and sings on each of these tracks, which are not anywhere near the other types of tracks we have heard so far on the albums.

These songs almost stand independently, but still work to close out each project beautifully and transition into the next project.

Go out and listen to the “Saturation” trilogy, and listen to each member’s distinct voice and ideas. Be a part of this movement in music — you do not want to miss it. The internet’s newest boy band is here to stay.

This week, WTSR highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.

Band Name: Hot Snakes Album Name: “It’s For You!: The Incomplete Hot Snakes” Release Number: 10th Hailing From: San Diego Genre: Post-hardcore Label: Sub Pop Hot Snakes are a post-hardcore band from San Diego that started in 1999, broke up and reformed in 2011. The sound bounces back and forth between noisy leads and bright chords that complement each other extremely well. At the band’s best, it combines the two into aggressive melodies like in the songs, “Light Up The Stars” and “Paid In Cigarettes.” The pounding and scratchy guitars come through stronger on the songs without a bass, punctuating the band’s aggressive sound. Supposedly, the band has a new album in the works to be released later this year. If these songs are anything to go by, it should be good.

Must Hear: “Light Up the Stars,” “Paid in Cigarettes,” “Salton City” and “Plenty for All”

Band Name: Loma Album Name: “Loma” Release Number: Debut Hailing From: Texas Genre: Hypnotic Tingly Dream Pop Label: Sub Pop Loma’s music is enigmatic. It is overwhelming and understated all at once. A lot is going on, but it is mixed so masterfully that it feels like each song contains one cohesive musical movement. Haunting melodies, pounding syncopated rhythms, soft guitar jangles and ethereal vocals wash over you as you listen to this album. To listen to this album is to dream with your eyes open. The promising debut makes you look forward to hearing more from this band.

Must Hear: “Black Willow,” “Dark Oscillation,” “Relay Runner” and “Joy”

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 19

Sports Women’s Basketball

Women’s basketball defeats Montclair

By Miguel Gonzalez Sports Editor

Despite the heavy rain, Packer Hall was filled with spectators, students and family members from both ends of the court to celebrate the women’s basketball team’s senior day on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Yet, the Lions’ main priority that day was the visiting team, Montclair State University, who ranked No. 22 nationally according to D3hoops.com. After a close and heated game, the Lions prevailed over opponent Montclair State with a 62-59 win.

The senior trio of guard Charlotte Schum and forwards Nikki Schott and Chiara Palombi had their own banners posted above the stands.

Sophomore forward Jen Byrne was looking forward to senior day.

“Coming into the game, it was a big match against Montclair,” Byrne said. “ It was really exciting, especially for senior day.”

The match started slow as both teams fought for points. Montclair State struck first as senior guard/forward Katie Sire caught a pass and scored a layup.

The Lions immediately responded on the next play when Schum scored a layup of her own.

Montclair then began to pick up the pace, scoring four times and gaining a lead of 11-5 over the College. In the eighth minute, Schott stopped Montclair’s

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Junior guard Nicole Shatsky dribbles through Montclair’s defense.

momentum by making two free throws.

Byrne followed with a jump shot to finish the first quarter.

The Lions still couldn’t slow down Montclair’s offense in the second quarter. With the Lions down 22-13, Schum sparked a rally by scoring back-to-back layups. Afterward, junior guard Kate

O’Leary got into the groove and scored a layup along with a free throw.

The team kept shooting more layups as the second quarter continued. With 19 seconds remaining, Schott stole Montclair’s possession and assisted O’Leary’s threepointer. By halftime, the Lions gained a 29-25 lead.

Schott and junior forward Samantha Famulare led the Lions’ offense in the third quarter. Schott drained three free throws while Famulare produced two three-pointers off the arc. Despite Schott and Famulare’s efforts, the Lions held only a slim 46-44 lead by minute 30.

In the fourth quarter, the Lions were able to withstand Montclair and secure an important conference victory. Famulare drove to the hoop and scored a layup, followed by a free throw. Both Montclair and the College remained stagnant until Montclair senior forward Taylor Harmon scored a layup in the 35th minute.

The score then went back and forth, with the Lions holding a narrow lead, 60-59. In the last 13 seconds, Famulare scrambled open for a pass until an opponent fouled her. She then scored two consecutive free throws for the Lions to ultimately win, 62-59.

In an earlier home game on Feb. 7, the Lions defeated William Paterson University, 64-56.

The women’s basketball team is now undefeated at home this season, currently ranked second in the NJAC with a 14-3 conference record.

The Lions will travel to Newark, New Jersey to take on Rutgers UniversityNewark on Wednesday, Feb. 14, for the chance to clinch home field advantage for the NJAC tournament.

Track and Field

Lions blow away competition in Boston

Track and field prepares for conference championships

By Malcolm Luck Sports Editor After a rough outing in Lawrenceville, New Jersey against Rider University on Feb. 2, the Lions looked to regain traction at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational which lasted from Friday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, Feb. 11.

The women’s team began the College’s quest for redemption on Friday, Feb. 9. Numerous comeback performances were complimented by impressive New Jersey Athletic Conference seasonal records.

In a packed slate of 166 competitors in the 800-meter event, junior Kathleen Jaeger claimed 44th place with her time of 2:14.84. Jaeger earned herself the top mark in the NJAC this season, dethroning sophomore teammate Katie LaCapria and her mark of 2:16.12 set at the New York City Gotham Cup on Jan. 19.

Sophomore Samantha Gorman one-upped her teammate by setting new top marks for two events in the NJAC this season.

In the 400-meter event, Gorman claimed 34th place out of 154 runners, clocking in at 57:17. Gorman continues to excel this season. With this time, she outdid the

previous mark, also set by herself, by almost two seconds.

Also finishing in the top half was senior Jenna Ellenbacher, claiming the second best NJAC time on the season, putting forth a mark of 58.76. The Lions now own the top six women’s 400-meter performances in the NJAC this season.

A strong, collective effort from the 4x400 relay team of Gorman, Jaeger and freshmen Dana DeLuca and Shannon Lambert claimed a new first place mark for the NJAC as well.

Their time of 3:58.38 is almost five seconds faster than the second place mark held by rival Rowan University. The Lions currently hold the top 4x200 and 4x800 relay times as well.

Similar jaw-dropping NJAC marks were not set on the men’s side a day later, but redemption was achieved nonetheless.

Top tier performances were highlighted in the mile run, where senior Dale Johnson and junior Luke Prothero finished with times of 4:20.66 and 4:22.31, respectively.

These times were good for third and fifth place in the NJAC this season. Johnson and Prothero were also followed

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Gorman claims 34th place out of 154 competitors in the 400-meter event. by freshmen Joey Erskine and Matthew Kole, who finished with times of 4:24.51 and 4:28.85 respectively.

Other notable performances came in the 60 and 200-meter dashes, both led by senior Nicholas Genoese. In the 60-meter event, Genoese claimed 11th

place out of 48, clocking in at 7.27. In the more competitive 200-meter event, Genoese still managed to stay afloat, finishing in the 101st spot out of 198, clocking in at 22.86 for his personal best time.

Both teams are looking to carry positive momentum to the

NJAC indoor championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, New York on Monday, Feb. 19.

In the midst of a season filled with tough Division I competition, the Lions look to challenge conference opponents in a highly anticipated meet.

page 20 The Signal February 14, 2018

February 14, 2018 The Signal page 21 Wrestling

Messiah College slams wrestling team

Left: Schinder pins his opponent in less than two minutes. Right: Kilroy wins his bout by major decision.

By Maximillian C. Burgos Staff Writer

The wrestling team had a bittersweet weekend, devastating Delaware Valley University on Friday, Feb. 9, with a final score of 33-5. The next day, the Lions travelled to Grantham, Pennsylvania to face Messiah College, who narrowly defeated the College by just two points.

The Lions, ranked No. 19 nationally, managed to win eight out of the 10 bouts against Delaware Valley, ultimately securing the win.

Sophomore Dan Ortega got the Lions off to a quick start at the 125-pound bout by pinning his opponent in less than two minutes. Senior James Goldschmidt continued the momentum by winning his match 8-3 at the 133-pound bout.

After dropping a match at 141, the Lions rebounded with a major decision win at 149 by junior Eric Friedman.

The Lions continued their success until losing another bout at 184 pounds.

Seniors Pat Schinder and Kyle Cocozza ended the night.

Schinder pinned his opponent in one minute and 46 seconds at the 197-pound bout, while Cocozza shut out his opponent, 4-0, at the heavyweight match.

Cocozza attributes the team’s success to an intense training regimen during the season.

“We’ll been training hard all semester,” Cocozza said. “We practice more than twice a week, not many teams do that.”

Cocozza, who formerly attended Delaware Valley, was glad to have the opportunity to compete against the school.

“This match was special to me because I transferred from Delaware Valley after my first semester,” Cocozza said. “It was pretty cool.”

On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Lions competed against Messiah College in a match that came down to the wire. The

Men’s Basketball

Hoop / Lions celebrate senior day

Murdock scores a season-high 39 points.

continued from page 24

we need to focus on us,” Goldsmith said.

“Obviously, we need to game plan and be on the same page, but if we can play hard and execute the way we know we can, we will put ourselves in a position to get a positive result on Saturday.”

Going into an emotional senior day for the Lions, team earned a memorable, thrilling victory over Montclair State University.

It wasn’t easy for the Lions in the first half.

Montclair State blew them over with buckets while locking down on defense.

With only three minutes left in the second half, Montclair was ahead with a 55-41 lead. The Lions proceeded to step it up, with Murdock torching Montclair with basket after basket, leading him to a

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

39-point performance and helping the Lions ultimately prevail.

Junior forward Jordan Glover scored a critical three-pointer to push the Lions over the top, 59-56. The College was in great shape after those plays, because its momentum shifted to furious offense.

Both of the Lions’ two long range shooters, Walko and Glover, scored a combined 32 points.

With less than six minutes left, Murdock continued scoring three-pointers to breathe more life into the Lions and increase their lead to 86-75. The Lions held the lead for the rest of the half, eventually winning 94-78.

The College plays its final game of its regular season on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in Newark, New Jersey against Rutgers University-Newark.

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Lions stumbled initially, losing the first bout of the night.

Goldschmidt claimed the lead by getting a major decision over his opponent and putting the Lions up, 4-3.

Freshman Robert Dinger contributed to the lead at the 141-pound bout after pinning his opponent in four minutes and 29 seconds. The Lions then dropped a bout at 149, but freshman Dominic Fano pinned his opponent at 157 in four minutes and six seconds, putting the Lions at a 16-6 lead.

The Lions watched as their lead dwindled over the next four bouts. By the time Cocozza stepped up to the mat, he needed to pin his opponent or at least get a technical fall to tie the match. Cocozza pulled out a win, but it wasn’t enough to get the Lions a victory.

After this weekend, the Lions’ record stands at 15-5, a vast improvement over last year’s record. The wrestling team looks forward to the NCAA regionals which will take place on Feb. 24.

page 22 The Signal February 14, 2018

LIONS AROUND

D RM

Michael Battista “The Ref”

Miguel Gonzalez Sports Editor

Malcolm Luck Sports Editor

Kyle Olszak ATD Correspondent

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, “Ref” Michael Battista asked our panel of three experts — Miguel Gonzalez, Malcolm Luck and Kyle Olszak — three questions: 1. Did offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels make the right decision to stay with the New England Patriots? 2. Can the New York Knicks make it to the playoffs without Kristaps Porzingis? 3. Who do you think is winning the MLB World Series this year?

McDaniels. He previously com- New England. He is currently the McDaniels was given the opmitted to being the head coach of quarterback coach for the greatest portunity to join the Indianapothe Indianapolis Colts, but he de- quarterback in National Football lis Colts. After committing to a cided to pull out. Is it because the League history, and the offensive team led by Andrew Luck and New England Patriots lost the Su- coordinator for one of the most T.Y. Hilton, the New England ofper Bowl? Probably not. Is it be- consistent offenses that this league fensive coordinator decided to recause the Colts are a dumpster fire has ever seen. With that being said, voke his commitment. There are right now? Probably not. I think the manner in which he decided to two major reasons why this was McDaniels wants to stay with the stay with New England was dis- a bad move for McDaniels. First Patriots so he can be Bill Belich- respectful to the Colts. After be- and foremost, Tom Brady is getick’s successor. The only problem ing announced as the head coach, ting old and there is no replaceis that Tom Brady’s time is run- he withdrew from the position to ment for the future of the Patriots ning out at the same time strong stay in New England. I think this offense. This, coupled with inAmerican Football Conference decision will hurt him more than jury problems, is something that teams like the Jacksonville Jag- he can imagine in the future. If he does not bode well for the New uars are emerging. ever looks to leave New England, England offensive coordinator.

Malcolm: I think Josh McDaniels teams will question his loyalty and McDaniels was given the oppormade the right decision to stay ability to commit, two qualities tunity to coach a team with one with the Patriots in the sense that needed as a prominent coach in an of the top quarterback prospects his career will be more successful. NFL organization. since John Elway. Such an opporAP Photo The Patriots are the most dominant Kyle: No, Josh McDaniels did tunity is a rare one in this league, 1. Did offensive coordinator Miguel: There are traitors, snakes, franchise in all of sports through- not make the right decision. Com- and by not taking advantage of it, Josh McDaniels make the right snitches, Benedict Arnolds and out the last decade, so obviously ing off a season where the New McDaniels may have squandered decision to stay with the New Kevin Durants in sports. What lies he’s going to continue to have England Patriots were a league the best head coaching gig he will England Patriots? beneath all of these traitors is Josh success and build his résumé in leader in offensive production, ever be offered.

Malcolm gets 3 points for mentioning the disrespect. Miguel gets 2 points for looking at McDaniels as a successor and Kyle gets 1 point for comparing injury-prone Luck to Elway.

2. Can the New York Knicks make it to the playoffs without Kristaps Porzingis?

Miguel: I feel bad for Porzingis. He finally has Carmelo Anthony off his shoulders and can finally lead the Knicks to the playoffs. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL. Regardless of the situation, the Knicks still have productive players like forward Michael Beasley, guard Frank Ntilikina and centers Enes Kanter and Joakim Noah. Hopefully Kanter doesn’t get persecuted by Turkey. Other than those players, the Knicks do not possess neither the talent nor skill to reach the eighth seed of the eastern conference. With quality teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, it’ll be difficult for the Knicks to win. But hey, at least they’re better than the Brooklyn Nets.

Malcolm: Unfortunately, the Knicks can’t make it to the playoffs without Porzingis. Not only is he the best player on the team, but he also did things for the Knicks offense and defense that can’t be replaced by guys like Kyle O’Quinn or Lance Thomas. The Knicks already had trouble on the defensive side of the ball, and without Porzingis,

the league’s statistically best shot blocker, those problems will only get worse. On the offensive side of the floor, Kristaps’ ability to shoot three-pointers stretched the floor and opened up the paint for more scoring. Anyone who replaces him on the Knicks roster doesn’t have that same ability. Right now the Knicks are 11th in the conference with the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets in eighth, ninth and 10th place, respectively. The Pistons acquired Blake Griffin and the 76ers and Hornets are fundamentally better, leaving the Knicks no room to pass them in the standings anyway.

Kyle: Absolutely not. In the NBA, you need to have a star on your team if you want to make the playoffs. When the Knicks lost Kristaps for the remainder of the season, they also lost their chance at making the playoffs. They currently stand at 11th in the Eastern Conference and I expect the Chicago Bulls to overtake them soon. That would leave the Knicks in 12th place right after the all-star break, a place where nothing short of a miracle would be required in order for the team to make the playoffs.

AP Photo

Malcolm gets 3 points for discussing the hole left by Porzingis. Kyle gets 2 points for talking about star power and Miguel gets 1 point for mentioning the injured Joakim Noah. shortstop. Meanwhile, the Yankees have an arsenal of furious pitchers like Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Daniel Robertson, Aroldis Chapman and CC Sabathia. If the Yankees can overcome the Houston Astros this season, nothing will stop them in their quest for ring number 28.

Malcolm: The reigning world champion Houston Astros have the best chance of winning the World Series this year, without a doubt. The most efficient formula for repeating as world champions in any sport is to maintain your team’s key pieces. The Astros have done exactly that. Players like American League MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Dallas Keuchel and George Springer all came up huge for the team

last season. These players are all returning. Houston also managed to pick up one of the top arms on the market with pitcher Gerrit Cole, which only adds to their dominant pitching staff from last season. While some top AL teams like the Yankees added big free agents like Giancarlo Stanton, free agency has been pretty stagnant and no teams made enough moves to threaten the Astros from repeating as world champions.

Kyle: Although they came up short last year, I believe the New York Yankees are the clear favorite to win the World Series.

Although the team’s bullpen may not be the strongest in the American League, I expect their strong hitting and fielding to bring another pennant home to the Bronx.

Winner’s Circle

AP Photo

3. Who do you think is winning the MLB World Series this year?

Miguel: The New York Yankees are taking the commissioner’s trophy this year.

The Yankees were only one game short of

making it to the World Series last season.

The Bronx Bombers will feature perennial offensive players like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton. Didi Gregorius will provide strong defense at

Miguel gets 3 points for mentioning every players. Malcolm gets 2 points for looking at Houston’s roster and Kyle gets 2 points for balancing the Yankees’ stacked batting order.

Tom wins ATD 9-5-48-6-5 Malcolm wins ATD

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”Faccus repe “SOMEBODY HIT SOMEBODY!”

Signal

Sports

Lions surge ahead of conference opponents

By Alexander Reich Staff Writer The men’s basketball team had a great rebound week when they defeated William Paterson University, 74-70, on Feb. 7. On the same day, the NCAA announced the team was ranked No. 6 in the Atlantic region. On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Lions senior day, the Lions defeated Montclair State University, 94-78.

The Lions had trouble with their offensive play early in the game, missing layups and committing turnovers. William Paterson took advantage midway through the first half when they put 29 points on the scoreboard.

But William Paterson didn’t stay consistent with their lead as they lost scoring opportunities.

The College kept the score tight and ended up with a 33-29 deficit going into halftime.

Once the game resumed, the Lions performed with better chemistry. Senior guard Eric Murdock Jr. was aggressive in transition, leaving William Paterson unbalanced and exhausted from handling the Lions’ fast-paced offensive play.

The team steadily drilled

buckets, with a total of 30 points in the paint.

Sophomore guard Randall Walko helped the team take a 4036 lead with 16 minutes left in the game. Murdock helped increase the Lions’ lead with a layup, bringing the score to 42-38.

With less than four minutes on the clock, the Lions kept pulling away by receiving fouls and making free throws. William Paterson lost momentum in the second half, and ended up with a total of 18 turnovers, giving the game to the Lions.

According to head coach Matthew Goldsmith, the team is determined not to waste opportunities for the team to improve.

“We have a special group of young men and we are trying to push each other, grow together, and enjoy each and every day together,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith also discussed the team’s preparation for the game.

“Our focus last night was on us,” Goldsmith said. “It was on our execution and our fundamentals. If we played hard and focused on what we could control, the result would take care of itself.”

Murdock was able to score 26

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Walko contributes 16 points to the team’s win over Montclair State University. points against William Paterson because the team created space for him, according to Goldsmith.

“I think Eric is at his best when he has space to play in,” Goldsmith said. “A lot of what

we do is to create space and driving lanes for him. When he is getting out of transition and keeping that attack mindset, we are tough to slow down offensively.”

Goldsmith emphasized the

team’s game plan for its senior day matchup against Montclair State University.

“Heading into Saturday, I think see HOOP page 21

Club ice hockey team set for conference playoffs

McMurrer is one of the club’s top point leaders.

By Michael Battista Staff Writer

Coming into this season, the College’s club ice hockey team had the biggest target on its back in its 40-year history. The team’s 23 wins last season propelled the Lions to their third conference title, and their first in the Colonial States College Hockey Conference. The team also made its first trip to the American Collegiate Hockey Association regional playoffs.

Now, the team is skating back into the playoffs, which will be played on home ice because of last season’s conference title. As the fourth seed, the Lions are preparing to play fifth seeded West Chester University on

Lions Lineup February 14, 2018

I n s i d e

Photo courtesy of TCNJ Club Ice Hockey

Friday, Feb. 16 at Loucks Ice Center at the Lawrenceville School.

Head Coach Andrew Ducko admits that playing close to the College will give the players an upper hand over West Chester. “(It’s) very special to the boys as we play well at home,” Ducko said. “It puts the other teams out of their comfort zone.”

Ducko is in his third year of coaching the team to continuous success, following a regular season championship in 2016 and a conference title in 2017. The team, which plays in Division II of the ACHA, has posted a record of 14-13-2 during the regular season and 10-6-2 in conference against teams like Seton Hall University, Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Track and Field page 19

At the start of this season, Ducko wanted to prepare his team for a possible return to the playoffs. The preparation included scheduling out of conference games against some of the ACHA’s best teams.

“We scheduled six games against Division I ACHA teams and we played very competitive against them,” Ducko said. “We played Villanova’s top team and Towson’s top team.

We also scheduled all our non-conference games against teams that are ranked top 10 in our region.”

Defense has been an asset this season. The team posted the second fewest goals allowed against opponents in the league with 64.

“We’ve got a very solid squad back on defense,” junior goaltender Albert Gregorio said. “We’ve got people who are very responsible on the defensive end and they’re very talented offensively. We can rush the puck out of our zone which takes pressure off the goalies.”

One player who exemplified the team’s defensive play was senior defender and team captain Dylan McMurrer. Not only is he one of the team’s top point leaders with 26, but he has over 100 career points over his three year career, despite missing time due to an injury.

However, following a 6-3 loss on the road against Millersville University, the team learned that a significant leg injury would sideline McMurrer for the remainder of the season.

“Dylan is our captain and a huge part of

Women’s Basketball page 19

Wrestling page 21

our team’s success on and off the ice,” Ducko said. “Dylan blocked three shots a game, so three guys will have to block one more. He had a point a game, so every game someone will have to step up. He took six shots and had five takeaways, so we need to distribute those throughout the rest of the boys.”

Ducko compares this situation to backup quarterback Nick Foles leading the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I actually told the team two weeks ago it is similar to the Eagles losing Carson Wentz,” Ducko said. “At our team meeting we discussed that many different players can step up and be our Nick Foles.”

Several players have stepped up in the remaining three games of the regular season. Defensemen such as sophomore Matthew Liebers and sophomore Marc Tietjen have helped fill the gap. In the match against Monmouth University on Friday, Feb. 9, the Lions limited Monmouth to only 21 shots in their 3-2 overtime victory. “(Liebers has) really stepped up and played a lot of more responsible defense,” Gregorio said. “He’s always offensively minded, but now he’s bought in and played defensively more.”

The team has three games separating them from reclaiming the conference title for the second year in a row. With a squad lined with offensive depth, capable players and highly defensive lines, the Lions are ready to play in the CSCHC playoffs.

Around the Dorm page 22