Breaking news, blogs and more at TCNJSignal.net. Vol. XLIV, No. 9
March 30, 2016
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Journalism leaves English Department
Students travel around the Stud
By Emily Solinski Correspondent Change is hitting the Journalism and Professional Writing Program (JPW) at the College for the upcoming Fall 2016 semester. Looking at better access to labs, digital resources and new high-definition cameras in the television studio, journalism students are intended to reap major benefits in the future as the program is now recognized as an independent major, according to a TCNJ Today article from Tuesday, March 15. “The big change is our status,” Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of the JPW program Donna Shaw said in an email interview. “Now we’ll be a freestanding major, which gives us a lot of opportunities.” Previously, JPW had been an interdisciplinary major within the English Department. Now recognized as “freestanding,” the major can move from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences to the School of Arts and Communication. Even with this shift between schools, the JPW program will work in conjunction with the School of Arts and Communication and English Department so students can remain eligible for the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta, and be able to also join the communications honor society of Lambda Pi Eta, according to an email sent to JPW students on Saturday, March 12 from Shaw. see JOURNALISM page 3
Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant
Epcot gives students the opportunity to learn about different cultures. By Kelly Corbett Staff Writer
In between bites of falafel, perogies and churros, students took a trip around the world — or rather, just around the Brower Student Center — as Student Government’s Center for Equity and Diversity hosted TCNJ Epcot on Thursday, March 24. Aimed at helping the campus expand its cultural knowledge, promote diversity and launch students into a deeper conversation about cultural differences, the event featured 20 different cultures. A rainbow of streamers and national flags draped from the Atrium’s ceiling as students swarmed to see the main spectacle of the night — the performers. Whether they were recording a Snapchat video or cheering on their friends, all eyes were focused
on the rhythmic jives of the nine groups that performed. Sigma Lambda Beta got down on the dance floor to “Down in the DM,” Union Latino’s dance group, Ritmo Latino, treated the audience to some suave partner footwork and the TCNJ Association of Students for Africa Dance Team incorporated some booty shaking and backflip action into its routine. Other festivities of the night included a mechanical bull challenging students to hold on, sumo wrestling matches, henna tattoos and a photo booth where students could pick from a variety of landmark backgrounds, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Great Pyramid of Giza. The student center was lined with tables informing students of the various cultures represented that night. Sigma Lambda Gamma supported breast cancer awareness
by having students put their beer pong skills to the test, during which students aimed for bras instead of red solo cups, to learn a fact about breast cancer. At Sigma Lambda Beta’s table, students could design their own masks, adding colors and symbols representative of their culture. The Global Minds, which promotes diversity and helps international students integrate into the College campus, had a table that invited students to mark where they are from on a world map and any locations that they have visited. Senior communication studies major and Ritmo Latino performer Orlando Salas said that events like TCNJ Epcot are important because of the lack of diversity on campus. “As a minority, I do feel very isolated from the student body here on campus, but with events like Epcot, we were able to educate the student body about the different cultures that are underrepresented on campus,” Salas said. He also said he believes cultural events are significant in the betterment of the campus community. Created last year, this event was made with the expectation that it would become a TCNJ Legacy Event, Student Government’s Vice President for Equity and Diversity Priscilla Nuñez said. She said the committee wanted “a fun event to educate the TCNJ community at large about different cultures.” This year’s event took about four months to prepare, as the committee had to work around all the student center renovation obstacles. “The logistics always become problematic with contracts and how many things are time sensitive, but the Student Finance Board student activities and student center staff really worked together with me to make TCNJ Epcot a success,” she said.
Feminist alumnae give advice for life post-college
Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant
Panelists share their experiences as feminists. By Tom Ballard Opinions Editor The future may seem uncertain for women’s and gender studies (WGS) students at the College, but an alumnae panel called “Designing Feminist Futures: College and
INDEX:
Beyond” on Wednesday, March 23, in the Library Auditorium aimed to change that by discussing feminism outside of the College. The panelists included ’03 graduate and Pace University Assistant Professor of WGS Emily Bent, ’01 graduate and Regional
Nation & World / Page 5
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Editorial / Page 6
Manager of Law School Engagement with Bloomberg Law Noelle Petruzelli-Marino and ’01 graduate Jackie DeVore, who worked as an assistant district attorney in Bronx, N.Y., where she prosecuted sex crimes and crimes against children. The panelists opened the event by discussing how they began to identify themselves as feminists. Most of the panelists said that it was not until college that they were able to identify themselves as feminists. “I grew up in a very conservative area and I was always angry and didn’t quite know why,” Bent said. “I didn’t have the right language to call myself a feminist because that really wasn’t a term that people used, so I think when I started to identify as a feminist Opinions / Page 7
was in college.” Bent said that her years as a teenager gave her the experience to question the difference between herself and male students. “There were lots of kinds of moments that added to my teenage angst about why am I really bothered by sexist practices in my high school or isn’t it really strange that girl dress codes are really different from a boy’s... Teachers were always calling home to talk to my parents about the weird questions that I would ask in class,” Bent said. “But I think that it was always something that I would have identified with, but not something that I would have attached that word to.” DeVore said that the materials that she had learned from the WGS program at the College have
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guided her in life since graduating. “(My vision of being a feminist) was always sort of there but never really explicit (until college),” DeVore said. “That sort of revelation (my) sophomore year has legitimately carried me through the past nearly 20 years of my professional development — like that was the foundational aspect of my understanding of feminism, how I adopted feminism and how I started to bring it out in my own life and use it in various and practical ways.” According to the panel, society promotes an ideal image on how each genders are meant to act and should be portrayed. “Seeing from the time you are pregnant, the gendered stuff see WGS page 3
Arts & Entertainment / Page 15
Sports / Page 24
Art lecture Dyslexic artist turns science into art
Reading Series Students showcase creative writing
Baseball Lions win eight games in a row
See Features page 12
See A&E page 15
See Sports page 24