The Signal: Spring '18 No. 7

Breaking news and more at 7&1-6LJQDO QHW

Vol. XLVIII, No. 7

March 7, 2018

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

ACT portrays modern ‘Medea’

Natalie La Spisa / Staff Photographer

A vengeful wife and mother destroys her family during the tragedy.

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Students prepare for cross-country run

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College admissions office supports peaceful protests

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Photo courtesy of Josh Kashmann

Civil protests gain momentum in New Jersey schools.

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INDEX: Nation & World / page 7 Editorial SDJH Opinions SDJH Features SDJH Arts & Entertainment SDJH Sports SDJH Pan Asian Pageant Slam Down The Walls Baseball Follow us on...

Men from different Asian Students recite Lions win first game of clubs compete in original poetry the season The Signal talent show See Features page 15 See A&E page 19 See Sports page 21 @tcnjsignal

page 4 The Signal March 7, 2018 page 2 The Signal March 7, 2018

SFB funds six events at weekly meeting

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

The board grants TMT funding for a fight choreographer.

By Eric Preisler Staff Writer

Six events were funded at this week’s Student Finance Board Meeting on Feb. 28. Additionally, Lauren Bsales, the current administrative director of SFB and a junior deaf education and iSTEM double major, was elected as next year’s executive director of SFB. TCNJ Musical Theater was fully funded $1,200 for a fight choreographer to help with scenes in its production of “Spring Awakening,” which will be performed from March 28 to March 31 in the Kendall Main Stage Theater.

The fight choreographer will help with violent and intimate scenes that require precise rehearsal.

“This would be teaching violent scenes safely,” said Cat Jannis, TMT’s president and a senior psychology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major. “My biggest concern is the violence … because I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

The choreographer will also help students act out and feel comfortable with the

production’s intimacy scenes.

“It’s to making sure it’s flowing well, to make sure that it doesn’t look stupid and also to make sure that everyone is comfortable,” Jannis said. “We also want to make sure we’re presenting it to an audience well because we want to be respectful to the audience.”

The Sophomore Class Council was partially funded $4,135 to provide five buses for its bus trip to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on April 7 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., which would allow for up to 190 sophomores to attend a Phillies baseball game.

“The purpose of this activity is to bring sophomores together in a unique setting that most sophomores might not get to experience on a usual basis,” said Justin Lewbel, sophomore class president and a history and secondary education dual major. “Some benefits of this activity will be to socialize with friends and experience a sporting event in a relaxed setting but also a professional setting.”

Synergy Dance Company was fully funded $3,685 for its Synergy Spring Spectacular dance recital, which will be held on April 14 in the Kendall Hall Main Stage Theater.

Funding will cover the costs of Kendall Hall fees, costumes and decorations.

The purpose of this annual dance recital is for members to showcase the work they have been doing for the past year, according to the proposal.

“We work on our dance technique during the fall semester, then dedicate the spring semester to creating and perfecting this recital, which is 100 percent student choreographed,” the proposal stated.

All College Theatre was fully funded for its event, “An Evening of One-Act Shorts,” which will be held on April 21 and April 22 in the Don Evans Black Box Theater.

ACT was funded $2,100 to cover the cost of props, costumes, set pieces, scripts and royalties.

This event usually showcases three to five short performances, which are either studentwritten or professionally written, according to the proposal.

“They are all student directed, all student pro-staffed and all student acted,” said Molly Knapp, a junior public health and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major and ACT’s treasurer and production manager. “This is one of our larger events in terms of student involvement.”

The Association of Students for Africa was partially funded $5,359.96 for its Akwaaba event, which will be held on April 20 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Brower Student Center Room 100.

Full funding was provided for the costs of food, decoration, drinks and utensils. Partial funding was provided for ASFA to select two of the three proposed entertainment aspects of the event, which include the Universal African

Dance and Drum Ensemble, a host and a DJ. Akwaaba is an annual banquet that celebrates and showcases African culture through performances, food, attire and music, according to the proposal.

“The meaning of Akwaaba is to welcome everybody to enjoy the African culture,” said Oreoluwa Nubi, president of ASFA and a senior public health major.

The Japanese Student Association was funded for its TCNJ Night Market event, which will be held on March 23 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Green Lawn.

JSA was fully funded $3,899 for tents, a fortune teller, digital signage, a banner and various food items, but JSA was tabled for the cost of a food truck. SFB requested further explanation for the food truck and how it adds to event’s mission.

TCNJ Night Market will celebrate the street markets of Asian nightlife and feature food from various countries such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Korean Student Association, Barkada, the Chinese Student Association, AsianAmerican Association, International and Domestic Student Organization, Alpha Phi Omega and Student Government will be co-sponsoring this event.

“TCNJ doesn’t have anything like this,” said Christine Papas, president of JSA and junior mathematics major. “Multicultural buffet is kind of similar but it only features food rather than activities and performances.”

There will also be a fortune teller, which reflects the current pop culture of various countries, said Elisa Liang, treasurer of JSA and a sophomore psychology major.

Vital Signs: Catch some Zs to get some As Check out SC&I’s Master of Communication and Media (MCM) Program!

The knowledge you gain during the Master of Communication and Media program is abundant, which definitely helps you forward in your career.

– Bindi Sakai, MCM ‘17

Sleep deprivation can lead to moodiness and a reduced attention span.

By Anna Kellaher Columnist

Learn more about our MCM Program Attend our On-Campus Information Session 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick March 28, 2018 & May 2, 2018 Attendees get their application fee waived!

Go to comminfo.rutgers.edu/mcm

@RutgersCommInfo #RUSCI #RutgersCommInfo

Trying to balance academics, extracurricular activities and a healthy social life as a college student can leave very little time for sleep.

People between the ages of 18 and 24 are supposed to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Falling slightly short of this quota once in a while is not particularly harmful, but constantly getting inadequate sleep can put you into a state of sleep deprivation, according to the American Sleep Association.

Sleep deprivation can cause clumsiness, weight fluctuations, daytime sleepiness, moodiness and a reduced attention span. The ASA warns that maintaining a sleep-deprived state for a long period of time can increase your risk of developing more serious health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, a weakened immune system and depression. If you feel yourself dozing

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off during the day, try using some of these tips to catch some more shut eye.

Wake up and go to bed at similar times each day, even on the weekends. Pick times that are realistic for you and your schedule. Put your phone and computer away during bedtime, since the bright light from the screen disrupts the normal process in your brain that helps you fall asleep, and it can be hard to get rest with a lifetime’s worth of potential Netflix binges at your fingertips.

Exercise regularly. Using more energy throughout the day will make you more ready to fall asleep at night. But be careful not to exercise soon before you plan to go to sleep, because this can keep you awake. Try to exercise in the morning — a lap around the loop as the sun rises can be a refreshing start to your day.

Avoid smoking. On top of all of the damaging effects to your lungs, withdrawal from nicotine in cigarettes and vapes can wake you up throughout the night.

March  7,  2018  The  Signal  page  3

SG  hears  of  improved  mental  health  initiatives

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

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By Grace Gottschling Staff Writer Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Angela Chong visited Student Government on Feb. 28 to speak about the &ROOHJH¡V UHVRXUFHV DQG WKH 'LYLVLRQ RI 6WXGHQW $IIDLUV¡ Ă&#x20AC;YH year strategic plan. Newly elected SG members were also sworn in by Chris Blakeley, SGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive president and a junior civil engineering major.

Chong began the meeting with a presentation document ing recent efforts Student Affairs has taken regard ing student satisfaction of health and wellness, Wel come Week and recreation services.

Chong discussed certain focus areas of the newly developed Student Affairs strategic plan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, resilience and leadership.

Chong has been interim vice president of Student Affairs since 2014, and said her main priorities are increasing the ac cessibility of the Division of Student Affairs as well as priori tizing studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mental health and diversity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mental health of students is a really critical goal of mine as well as diversity, but we still have a long way to go,â&#x20AC;?

Chong said.

Under Chongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership, Student Affairs has started regular meetings with the student body and student organiza tions. Student Affairs has also adopted an â&#x20AC;&#x153;open doorâ&#x20AC;? policy as well as â&#x20AC;&#x153;ask the vice president anythingâ&#x20AC;? days, according to Chong. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We think our students are going to change the world,â&#x20AC;?

Chong said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to own and embrace that â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is what we use to choose what to work on and our priorities.â&#x20AC;?

Chong commented on the increasing number of students who have approached the Division of Student Affairs with concerns from just 150 students in 2015 to more than 700 students so far in the spring 2018 semester. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This tells us that the need is greater, that stu dents need support, but also that they feel comfort able approaching available resources,â&#x20AC;? Chong said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would rather this be a greater number, because I would rather students in need come in than not.â&#x20AC;?

6WXGHQW UHFLGLYLVP LV GRZQ E\ Ă&#x20AC;YH SHUFHQW WKLV DFDGHPLF year and 99 percent of graduated students from the College, ZLWKLQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW \HDU DUH HLWKHU LQ JUDGXDWH VFKRRO RU HP ployed, according to Chong.

Chong also noted that Welcome Week leaves 92.8 percent of participating students feeling welcome and acclimated to the College. Student Affairs is currently working to gather

statistics on the transfer student acclimation process and sat isfaction rate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re beating our peer institutions (in stu dent satisfaction), weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still not where we need to be in our goals,â&#x20AC;? Chong said.

Regarding Health and Wellness, Chong reported that CAPS appointments are continuing to increase each year with more clients coming back more often, which she cites as evidence that the stigma surrounding mental health is go ing down, allowing students to come forward without fear of judgement. ´:H DUH YHU\ LQWHUHVWHG LQ \RXU KHDOWK DQG ZHOO EHLQJ DQG I want you to know that,â&#x20AC;? Chong said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safety has always been priority number one.â&#x20AC;?

Students at the College experience higher rates of anxi ety and stress along with poorer resilience and coping skills than students at similar institutions, according to Chong. To address this, Student Affairs has begun to host open mental health events and workshops that introduce students to cop ing methods such as meditation and yoga.

After Chongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation, Blakeley swore in the newly elected senators as well as the newly elected Alternate Stu dent Trustee, Juan Carlos Belmonte, a sophomore account ing major.

Protest  /  College  values  activism  in  prospective  students mind, Trahan said the College should be prepared to support the escalation of stu dent activism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we continue to grow nationally and globally, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for our institution to be prepared for these situations,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The student advocacy advisers group will be here to support students as they be come more active.â&#x20AC;?

Elizabeth Bapasola, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, urges the need for student activism to bring forth so cietal change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think we all need to be mindful of the TCNJ policies and procedures when Flickr wanting to advocate for change and utilize 6WXGHQWV FRQGXFW FLYLO SURWHVWV UHJDUGLQJ JXQ FRQWURO UHIRUP the many avenues already in place at TCNJ, continued from page 1 sees a political candidate they think would be such as our shared governance system,â&#x20AC;?

EHVW IRU WKDW RIĂ&#x20AC;FH WKH\ VKRXOG YROXQWHHU RQ Bapasola said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In short, student leadership continue to protest over gun violence, stu their campaign. If a student wants to help with development matters, student political and dents agree that there is a clear divide be the large homeless population in their town, social activism matters, and now, more than tween peaceful and violent protests. they should volunteer at the homeless shelter.â&#x20AC;? ever, our society needs leaders who have the â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, the line between civil disobedi Don Trahan Jr., the director of the Col skills, capacities and passion to work with ence and violence is clear,â&#x20AC;? Felix said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Civil OHJH¡V 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH RI 'LYHUVLW\ DQG ,QFOXVLRQ VDLG others to bring about positive social change.â&#x20AC;?

GLVREHGLHQFH LV E\ PRVW GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWLRQV QRQYLR the College has a responsibility to protect stu Lance Taylor, a senior interdisciplinary OHQW VR DV , XQGHUVWDQG LW $Q\ QRQ SHDFHIXO dentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights to freedom of speech. business major, saw student advocacy as a protest canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be considered within the um â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an institution, we have the duty to VWURQJ WUDLW DPRQJ Ă&#x20AC;UVW \HDU DSSOLFDQWV +H EUHOOD RI FLYLO GLVREHGLHQFH SURWHVWV Âľ protect the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; freedoms,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said. believes universities desire students who are Abigail Lee, a junior political science ma â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think students have a passion to use their capable of proposing changes to communities. jor, contended that student activism reaches voice and their constitutional right of freedom â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being an activist means you are willing across different levels, such as advocacy for of speech. In some cases of protesting, the to stand up for what you believe, in hopes QRQSURĂ&#x20AC;W RUJDQL]DWLRQV students might fear of admissions rescinding of furthering a concept or idea that you feel â&#x20AC;&#x153;A student activist is someone who has WKHLU RIIHU RU WKH 2IĂ&#x20AC;FH RI 6WXGHQW RI &RQ ZLOO EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W VRFLHW\ Âľ 7D\ORU VDLG ´6WXGHQW ZRUNHG RQ FDPSDLJQV RU ZLWK QRQ SURĂ&#x20AC;WV OLNH duct questioning them. We want to honor free activism requires courage, perseverance, Habitat for Humanity or local animal shel dom of speech with dignity and respect.â&#x20AC;?

VHOI VWDUWLQJ DQG JHQXLQH FDUH IRU WKRVH ters,â&#x20AC;? Lee said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are great traits in col Trahan anticipates a future growth of stu around you. I struggle to think of any uni lege applicants. Violence is obviously not a dent activism like the civil rights movement. versity that would not want a student with positive aspect in a college applicant.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Student activism is becoming more ac those qualities to attend their institution.â&#x20AC;? /HH EHOLHYHV VWXGHQWV VKRXOG WDNH D KDQGV tive and exposed to media,â&#x20AC;? Trahan said.

Taylor emphasized that every high school on approach to tackling any social issues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It appears that students are coming more and college student should be open minded â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think high school and college students politically and socially conscious, similar to while addressing political and social issues. can learn that the best way to solve a problem the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s and early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The current state of politics is so divisive is a hands on approach,â&#x20AC;? Lee said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a student With the growth of student activism in that many individuals are afraid to talk about

their beliefs,â&#x20AC;? Taylor said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Civil discourse and community engagement supports the idea that everybody has a voice and everybody should EH KHDUG 7KLV SURPRWLRQ RI RSHQ PLQGHGQHVV is a crucial principle that should be carried by high school and college students, the future of our country.â&#x20AC;?

Peter Shenouda, a sophomore political sci ence and history double major, said he wants students to keep in mind that their freedom of speech is protected as long as it is passive and does not interfere with the student code of stu dent conduct. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines that students did in fact have free speech in schools,â&#x20AC;? Shenouda said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the years, however, the Court would narrow their ruling and protect political speech in schools, so long as it was passive and did not interfere with the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mis sion of education.â&#x20AC;?

Shenouda believes that students should be prepared for any possible consequences re sulting from their activism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The behavior of these students is dis ruptive to the learning environment of their schools, and their actions will have conse quences,â&#x20AC;? Shenouda said.

Shenouda proposed alternative methods to student activism such as volunteering for campaigns instead of directly protesting. He believes that students can create more substan tial change by collaborating with legislators and being involved in policy reform. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Activism should absolutely be consid HUHG D SRVLWLYH WUDLW LQ Ă&#x20AC;UVW \HDU DSSOLFDQWV but I believe that the activism should be ad vanced through different means,â&#x20AC;? Shenouda said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Passionate students should volunteer on campaigns or for other interest groups ... putting in long hours at a congressmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Ă&#x20AC;FH LV D PHDQLQJIXO ZD\ WR DIIHFW FKDQJH Âł leaving in the middle of math class is not.â&#x20AC;?

page 4 The Signal March 7, 2018

Students party too hard before spring break Female individual gets charged for false public alarms

By Brielle Bryan News Editor ‘Geeb’ sends student to hospital On Feb. 27, at about 11:35 p.m., Campus Police was dispatched to the College’s tennis courts regarding a student under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, police said. Upon arrival, Campus Police met with a male student who seemed to be struggling to walk.

The student stated that he called Campus Police because he felt “really high.” According to police reports, the student said that he smoked something called “colored geeb” while he was in Cromwell Hall. The male student was incoherent and unable to provide Campus Police with further information on who provided him with the controlled dangerous substance, police said. The student was vomiting and was unable to remain standing.

TCNJ EMS arrived and provided patient care and evaluation, police said. Pro-staff was also notified and spoke with the student. Ewing Township EMS arrived and transported the male student to the hospital, police said. Since the student called police seeking help, he was not criminally charged due to New Jersey’s 911 Lifeline Legislation.

Female individual pulls fire alarm to save boyfriend from police On Feb. 25, at approximately 1:50 a.m., Campus Police responded to a fire alarm at Eickhoff Hall. Upon arrival, Campus Police proceeded to the panel that had been pulled and saw no signs of smoke or fire.

According to police reports, a female student received a text message stating, “(Female individual) said she pulled the fire alarm twice if we doc’ she’s not

allowed back.” The female student identified the female individual who pulled the fire alarm to Campus Police.

When the students were allowed back into the building, residents passing by the front desk and were asked to show identification, police said. The female individual who pulled the fire alarm attempted to walk by without her TCNJ ID. After she was stopped, she then identified herself and was asked by Campus Police what happened that night.

The female individual stated, “I was scared. I pulled the fire alarm because I was scared. I thought my boyfriend was in trouble with the cops at a party.”

The female individual was placed in handcuffs and transported to Campus Police Headquarters for processing, police said. She was charged for false public alarms, was issued a complaint summons and given a court date.

Student hits toilet after off-campus frat party On Feb. 24, at approximately 2:50 a.m., Campus Police responded to Norsworthy Hall in reference to an intoxicated male. Upon arrival, Campus Police met with a male student who stated that his roommate was intoxicated and passed out in the bathroom stall, police said. The male student stated that he called Campus Police when he found his intoxicated roommate.

According to police reports, the intoxicated student was observed to be sitting on the toilet covered in red vomit, with the odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. The male student advised Campus Police that he had not seen his roommate all night and was not aware of what or how much he drank.

The intoxicated student told Campus Police that he was at a fraternity party off campus. He stated that he

was not aware of what or how much he had to drink at the party. TCNJ EMS evaluated the intoxicated student and determined that he did not need to be transported for further medical attention, police said. The intoxicated male was not charged for underage possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages due to New Jersey’s 911 Lifeline Legislation.

Campus Police call intoxicated student’s parents On Feb. 24, at approximately 11:40 p.m., Campus Police responded to New Residence Hall in reference to an intoxicated male. Upon arrival, Campus Police met with the community adviser who stated she was contacted by the front desk staff advising her that someone was vomiting near the men’s bathroom, police said.

The intoxicated student had vomit covering his pants and shirt, along with an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath. The student stated that he consumed two shots of Smirnoff vodka, police said. Ewing Basic Life Support and TCNJ EMS arrived on scene to evaluate the student and determined that he did not require medical transport.

The intoxicated student’s parents were contacted and advised of the situation. The student did not have friends nearby to watch him for the night, and his father was told that the student would need to be brought home for the night for his safety, police said. The student’s father agreed to pick him up at Campus Police Headquarters.

The intoxicated student was issued a summons for underage possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages and given a court date, police said.

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

NYU professor raises awareness of media bias Journalist shares experiences at final Brown Bag of semester

Kim Iannarone / Staff Photographer

Latty discusses how impoverished areas are marginalized by the media.

By Diana Solano Correspondent

New York University professor Yvonne Latty spoke on Friday, March 3, at the College’s final Brown Bag lecture of the spring 2018 semester.

Latty’s career began in film school at NYU where she studied photography, print journalism, podcasting and teaching. She expressed how proud she was of her

background and upbringing.

“I will always think of myself as a girl from 108 St., Apartment 5, hanging out of the second-floor window looking at all the drama happening in the neighborhood,” Latty said.

She spoke on her life growing up in Harlem, where harrowing scenes occurred on a regular basis.

When the media visited her neighborhood, they portrayed a negative image of the community, ignoring

their perspectives by not interviewing them about the crimes being committed.

“They looked at us like monsters — a freak show,” Latty said. “The people of the inner city … so scary, look how they all kill each other.”

Latty knew her community was not as the media described. Her mother immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, and her father was sent to the U.S. from Jamaica when he was 2 years old.

Latty said her mother dreamed of moving to the U.S. and seeing what she thought would be streets made of gold.

Due to her parents’ hard work, Latty was able to attend Mother Cabrini High School, which led her to study film at NYU and the opportunity to leave 108th Street.

Latty was unable to get a job after graduating, since the film industry lacked diversity and white men held most of the positions, according to Latty. This discouragement led her to become a fashion photographer in Europe.

While she was hesitant to break into the field of journalism, she eventually returned to NYU, applied to graduate school to study journalism and became a print reporter at the Philadelphia Daily News.

Holding on to the desire to tell the stories of the people from the inner city, she reported on shootings and robberies.

While working in Philadelphia, a call from a stranger led her to tell the story of George, an AfricanAmerican World War II veteran. He worked as a waiter in a submarine, but when under attack, he would have to take on a station like any other soldier to help defend the craft.

“George saved people’s lives and was a hero, but didn’t get any recognition,” Latty said.

Inspired by George’s story, Latty wrote, “We Were There,” a book with short stories told in the first person perspective of AfricanAmerican veterans.

Later in her career, she presented an award-winning documentary

that she directed and produced, “Sacred Poison,” which shed light on the negative health effects of water contamination near a Navajo tribe.

“No one talks about it,” Latty said. “Being a journalist and storyteller, this is what motivates me and drives me to tell stories.”

Latty spoke of wanting to create a chain effect in which people see her work and want to help people who can’t help themselves.

She credited her successful career to the education she was able to receive, unlike others in her community.

“In my heart, it’s what I wanted to do,” Latty said. “I have the opportunities. I had to push through because of what my mother did coming from the Dominican Republic to America.”

Ashley Urena, a freshman psychology major, viewed Latty as an inspiration.

“I’m Dominican too, and her presentation showed the power of a good education, and most importantly, what you can do with the education to help others,” Urena said. “She held onto her community instead of forgetting them like the media did to her.”

Latty plans to continue giving a voice to the voiceless. She is currently working on a book proposal for Alzheimer’s disease in honor of her mother who was diagnosed with the condition. Latty said that everyone knows someone who is affected by this illness, shedding light on yet another prevalent, yet underreported topic.

March  7,  2018  The  Signal  page  5

Political  interest  groups  show  historic  change

By Elizabeth Zakaim News Editor Associate politics professor John Kastellec of Princeton University visited the College on Friday, March 2 to give a lecture on his research concerning hyperpluralism, or strongwilled activism, in the context of Supreme Court justice nominations â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as members of interest groups can use their voting power to keep or throw out their state senators if they agree or disagree with a Supreme Court judge nomination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different kind of way in which people interact with the government through the intermediary of membership organizations,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said of the change in interest group activities throughout history. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to call this hyperpluralism â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; many groups battling it out in the political sphere.â&#x20AC;?

While his paper, co-authored with other colleagues, has not HYROYHG LQWR D IDOVLĂ&#x20AC;DEOH WKHRU\ DV RI \HW KLV ZRUN LV SDUW RI a larger book project he is currently working on with another colleague, which will shed light on how the changes in nomination politics explain broader changes in American politics.

Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data provides compelling evidence of how interest groups have grown more active since their inception in .DVWHOOHF¡V UHVHDUFK Ă&#x20AC;OOV WKH GDWD JDS RI LQWHUHVW JURXS activity before the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s. He and his team monitored evidence of all types of political advocacy groups from 1930 until 2017 via any mentions in The Los Angeles Times.

Kastellec found that the rise in interest groups in general, though different lobbying groups have been around since the V VLJQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQWO\ LQFUHDVHG LQ WHUPV RI SROLWLFDO DFWLYLVP by two or threefold around 1965. Kastellec also found that in the context of the Supreme Court, there was an explosion of interest group activity, or mobilization, in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s. These groups were becoming increasingly more invested in how the justices ruled on different cases.

Kastellec taxonomized the 199 different types of political groups by category and their activity by time period. From 1937 until 1969, most political groups consisted of occupational groups, industrial unions, labor groups and core civil rights groups such as the NAACP. From 1970 to 1985, some conservative groups were replaced by identity groups and more civil rights groups like the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights. Today, narrow-purposed and donor-funded public interest groups such as abortion-related groups dominate political advocacy groups in government.

In nomination politics, liberal groups mobilized earlier than the conservative groups â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there were fewer instances of mobilization before nominations for justices such as Robert Bork in the late 1980s.

There was a spike in interest group activity for both parties in 1987, particularly around the time of Borkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supreme court nomination, according to Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bork was a controversial nominee,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said.

Upwards of 60 interest groups rose to either support or

Grace Gottschling / Staff Photographer

Kastellec argues that political groups have changed their tactics and values over time. oppose Borkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nomination â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the U.S. Senate eventually rejected his nomination.

Borkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversy sparked a resurgence of public interest group mobilization. Many started mobilizing not just in opposition of a nominee, but in support as well. Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data shows that while liberal groups may have had a head start, conservative group mobilization now exceeds liberal mobilization.

Kastellec and his colleagues also found that the tactics different interest groups use have changed over time.

From approximately 1930 to 1969, most interest group PHPEHUV PDGH SHUVRQDO FRQWDFW ZLWK VWDIIHUV DQG WHVWLĂ&#x20AC;HG directly before judiciary committees. They also had direct contact with members of Congress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This makes sense, given that interest group network is sparse and the technology was different in 1940 compared to today,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said.

From 1970 onward, groups switched to outside and grassroots tactics where they either started advertising, holding press releases or organizing rallies and protests in order to instigate change.

Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data implied that there might be an overall advantage to those models for each type of interest group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There seems to be some kind of global shift going on where at least in this environment outside and grassroots tactics deserve more attention than inside tactics,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said.

Kastellec and his colleagues also conducted a regression DQDO\VLV WR Ă&#x20AC;QG RXW ZKDW DVSHFWV RI D QRPLQHH SUHGLFW PRELlization of interest groups. He found that interest groups are more likely to cast votes for nominees who do not have any scandals in their past and share similar political ideologies.

Before 1987, the quality of the nominee was a much stronger predictor of mobilization than political extremity, which resulted in a more opportunistic form of mobilization. Interest

groups were more likely to mobilize if the nominee had a history of scandals than if the nominee had differing political views. $IWHU WKH SDWWHUQ Ă LSSHG ,QWHUHVW JURXSV FDUHG OHVV about legal quality and more about political ideology. ´4XDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQV GRQ¡W GR PXFK HLWKHU ZD\ Âľ .DVWHOOHF VDLG â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though, most nominees in the post-Bork period have been of high quality because most presidents have learned from past mistakes.â&#x20AC;?

The timing has also changed during the modern period from 1987 to 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most groups began advocating before the nomineeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s week-long hearing at the judiciary committee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Groups are not waiting to learn much about the nominee,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mobilization decision is planned ahead of time â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the groups are ready to go.â&#x20AC;?

The campaigns have changed from opportunistic to more systematic and immediate forms of mobilization on both sides. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lots of people complain that the hearings are staged and not informative because a lot of information about the nominees has already come up,â&#x20AC;? Kastellec said.

The tactics have changed, according to Kastellec, likely because the federal government has grown over the years and there are now more issues at stake. Interest groups want more of a say in how the government makes decisions â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they DOUHDG\ KDYH D ODUJH LQĂ XHQFH RQ WKH DJHQGD RI ERWK SDUties and how they change as seen through Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research on their impact on the justice system.

Freshman international studies major Karin Thio gained insight from Kastellecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it was really impressive how he was able to take certain components of how statistics change over time, how GLIIHUHQW HUDV DQG SROLWLFV LQĂ XHQFH KRZ SHRSOH YRWH DQG KRZ different types of groups emerge during those political eras,â&#x20AC;?

Thio said.

Hemophiliacs  fall  victim  to  pharmaceutical  corruption which revolutionized the drug market.

Hemophiliacsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives were brief and severely limited before the introduction of these new drugs in the late 1960s, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but there were problems from the beginning,â&#x20AC;?

Shaw said.

Shaw was given two years to exclusively research the story for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she had been employed for almost 20 years.

After a long and thorough fact-gathering process, Shaw uncovered systematic failings in both the legal system and the world of business, as dangerous truths about these drugs were discovered by the corporations manufacturing them, but hidden from the public eye.

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor Within months of being introduced to Shaw exposes malpractice in the production of blood-clotting drugs. the market, hemophiliacs on the new drug

By Jada Grisson industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intentional malpractice in the began to come forward with diagnoses of Correspondent manufacturing of clotting drugs meant to hepatitis and other blood-borne illnesses. Ă&#x20AC;[ EOHHGLQJ FRPSOLFDWLRQV UHODWHG WR KH- Shawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research found that the number The Faculty Senate held its 22nd semi- mophilia â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an inherited disease that pre- would only continue to grow as the drug annual Colloquium for the Recognition of vents blood from clotting properly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the stayed on the market.

Research and Creative Activity on March 1. warning signs leading up to what she deShaw reported on early studies of the Donna Shaw, professor and chair of the scribed as one of modern medicineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s larg- drug that revealed its tendency toward Department of Journalism and Professional HVW GLVDVWHUV DQG WKH UDPLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQV IDFHG E\ contamination and capacity to spread inWriting at the College, presented a lecture patients in North America and Europe. fection. The blood samples necessary to centered around her recently published book, The disease disproportionately affects one manufacture it were not put through the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blood on Their Hands: How Greedy Com- in every 5,000 males, according to Shaw. standard processes meant to kill viruses bepanies, Inept Bureaucracy, and Bad Science A research team at Stanford University fore use, as they were harmful to the plasKilled Thousands of Hemophiliacs.â&#x20AC;? developed a method to separate the necessary ma, a necessary component in the drugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shaw recounted the pharmaceutical clotting proteins from blood plasma in 1964, clotting effect.

Even after a process was developed to solve this issue, there was a delay in its distribution in the U.S., until companies began to face competition from international markets.

Pulling paid donors from high-risk regions and known areas with high rates of infection, such as developing countries, exacerbated this issue, according to Shaw.

The Food and Drug Administration was aware of the usage of samples from highrisk donors at the time, and upon the development of a proper cleansing method, did not require data to be collected on blood samples so long as they had been through WKH WUHDWPHQW UHJDUGOHVV RI HIĂ&#x20AC;FDF\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a running joke,â&#x20AC;? Shaw said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new guys at the manufacturing plants were assigned to dump the blood samples into the vats â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they would contract hepatitis just from being in the room.â&#x20AC;?

Attempts to release studies on the samples by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control that found high rates of contamination were blocked by other high UDQNLQJ RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOV Shaw recounted the results of this negligence, sharing with the audience that thousands of hemophiliacs in the U.S. and around the world died due to complications with blood-borne illnesses such as hepatitis and AIDS. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anytime politicians interfere with scientists, I think we all need to worry,â&#x20AC;? Shaw said.

page  6  The  Signal  March  7,  2018 WHNL ;OL :PNUHS 4HYJO

Mathematician sheds light on gerrymandering from 80 percent African-American to 100 percent white.

Duchin then explained how math could be used to help discover districts that are unfairly drawn. The Isoperimetric Theorem involves the relationship between area and perimeter. A circle is the way to maximize area in relation to perimeter, according to the theorem.

Districts that have a very small area-to-perimeter ratio are likely those that have been drawn unfairly in order to serve a political purpose.

Maps for districts are still drawn by hand despite the technology available because, according to Duchin, it would be impossible for a computer to fairly represent socio-geographic boundaries â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only humans have the capability to be socially just. What computers can do, though, is sample maps and determine likely election outcomes, and these statistics can help determine fairness and accuracy.

In response to a question from an audience member about why computers could not be used to draw district lines, Duchin replied that a computer could not be used to Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor measure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Duchin views gerrymandering as a crime against democracy.

Duchin explained that gerrymandering is a crime

By Ariel Steinsaltz Democratic-Republicans, would win elections against against democracy, and that a more objective algorithm Staff Writer the Federalists. The shape of one of his districts resem- for distinguishing between districts could and very well bled salamander, which led to the name â&#x20AC;&#x153;gerrymander.â&#x20AC;? should be created.

The School of Science and the Department of MathThroughout U.S. history, just about every major politâ&#x20AC;&#x153;All the small choices you make shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be carefully ematics and Statistics presented a lecture by Moon Duch- ical party has used this practice. Currently, Republicans, chosen to advantage your side,â&#x20AC;? Duchin said. in, a mathematics professor at Tufts University, on the who control most of the state legislatures, have districts Duchin became interested in the concept of gerrymanmathematics of gerrymandering, as part of the School of gerrymandered in their favor. dering â&#x20AC;&#x153;by teaching it,â&#x20AC;? and also through her â&#x20AC;&#x153;mathematiScience colloquium series on Feb. 27.

Duchinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture stressed the power of the pen. Neutral cal curiosity.â&#x20AC;? She came to lecture at the College to inspire Duchin studies geometric group theory, geometric to- boundaries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those which could be drawn by a computer others to become informed of the process of gerrymanderpology and the history and culture of science. She was â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are not the same as fair boundaries, which take social ing, and stressed the importance of mathematical outreach. recently hired by the state of Pennsylvania to help redraw justice issues into account.

When asked why she chose to look at gerrymandering its district lines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ability to draw the boundaries has an enormous from both a mathematical and social lens, she said there Judit Kardus, an assistant professor in the Department impact on the type of election outcomes that will occur,â&#x20AC;? was â&#x20AC;&#x153;no choiceâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the topic simply required both. of Mathematics and Statistics at the College brought in Duchin said.

Many students were excited about the lecture. Rebecca Duchin for the lecture, and said the College was fortunate Duchin described the various factors that go into how Conn, a junior math major, said that when she heard about to discover Duchin in an article about her in the Journal districts are drawn, such as population equality and shape, the event she looked up Duchin, and was â&#x20AC;&#x153;super excited of Higher Education and invited her to speak before she as well as the various issues such as several lawsuits about the lecture.â&#x20AC;? was hired by Pennsylvania.

DJDLQVW GLVWULFWV WKDW VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDOO\ JHUU\PDQGHU FHUWDLQ DUHDV â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really liked the talk. She spoke about the math side The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;gerrymanderingâ&#x20AC;? comes from Elbridge to disenfranchise minorities. of her work but explained everything that made it easy to Gerry, a Massachusetts governor in the early 19th cenDuchin referenced Tuskegee, Alabama, as an example XQGHUVWDQG Âľ VKH VDLG DIWHU WKH HYHQW ´,W ZDV WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WDON tury, who manipulated district lines so that his party, the when in the mid-20th century, it became a district that went Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to where I feel like I understood it.â&#x20AC;?

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 7

Nation & W rld

Bombings in Syrian suburb kill over 600

By James Wright Correspondent Hundreds of Syrian citizens were killed after a series of military bombardments, beginning on Feb. 18 and occurring sporadically over the following weeks, devastated the rebel-held capital city Damascus, according to The New York Times.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights totaled the death count at over 600, including at least 121 children. The bombardment was authorized by the Syrian government, led by President Bashar alAssad, according to The New York Times.

The U.N. responded with strong opposition to the bombardment. Panos Moumtzis, the U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis, released a statement that read “Such targeting of innocent civilians and infrastructure must stop now,” according to The New York Times.

The U.N. also unanimously passed a resolution on Feb. 24 calling for a 30-day ceasefire, according to CNN, yet it seems to have done little to prevent government aggressions.

The ceasefire was violated only hours after it was passed, as the Syrian government continued its siege of the territory,

according to Al-Jazeera.

“The shelling has not stopped. The (Syrian) regime has not abided by the timings of the ceasefire. The violations of the truce are constant — 24 hours a day,” said Abdelmalik Aboud, a Syrian citizen who lives in the Damascus suburb of Douma, according to Al-Jazeera.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war which has resulted in over 465,000 civilian casualties, according to Al-Jazeera.

After the toppling of dictators including Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, pro-democracy activists in Syria formed the Free Syrian Army in an attempt to overtake the Ba’ath government led by Secretary General Bashar al-Assad.

One of the last rebel-held areas near Damascus is Ghouta, a suburb outside Syria’s capital city, according to Al-Jazeera.

Many civilians are speaking out about their government’s persecution of the many people that it considers to be terrorists, such as the citizens of Damascus.

“We might die any moment,” said Tareq al-Dimashqi, a resident of Eastern Ghouta with a 5-month-old baby, according to The New York Times. “You don’t know where the rockets might come from

Syrian government-led attacks destroy residential areas of Damascus. and end our lives.”

Since the beginning of the war, the Syrian government has been looking to reclaim its lost territory by bombarding cities overtaken by rebel groups, displacing over 12 million people in the process, according to Al-Jazeera.

Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., Vassily Nebenzia, spoke about the “extensive and exhaustive” process of forming the resolution, according to CNN. “Because by decrees of the Security Council, you cannot install a ceasefire,” Nebenzia said. “A ceasefire is reached

AP Photo

by laborious and painstaking process on the ground.”

The Syrian American Medical Society reported that though pro-government Syrian officials have denied using chemical weapons, 16 people, including six children, have been treated for exposure to chlorine gas, according to CNN. Despite the ceasefire, many are beginning to lose hope.

“Nothing has changed,” said Dr. Hamza Hassan, a doctor from Ghouta’s Arbeen Hospital, according to CNN. “The airstrikes are continuing.”

China abolishes 10-year presidential term limit

Xi lacks a clear political successor.

AP Photo

By Anandita Mehta Staff Writer

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his intent to abolish the nation’s two-term limit for presidents on Feb. 25, according to The New York Times.

In China, a presidential term lasts for five years, limiting each president to a maximum of 10 years in office. In addition to serving as China’s president, Xi serves as the Communist Party’s general secretary and military chief, which are positions with indefinite term limits, according to The New York Times.

The term limit was originally put in place in 1982 in an effort to prevent leaders like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping from having lifetime tenures. During the Cultural Revolution, which spanned from 1966-1976, Mao gained influence by using fear tactics, according to The Washington Post.

“Xi Jinping has finally achieved his ultimate goal when he first embarked on Chinese politics,” said Willy Lam, Xi’s biographer and a political analyst at the Chinese University in Hong Kong, according to The Washington Post. “That is to be the Mao Zedong of the 21st century.”

Xi’s previous two predecessors abided by the 10-year limit, and until recently Xi was expected to as well. The abolishment breaks tradition and is an indicator of increasing centralized government control, according to The Washington Post.

Xi has undertaken anti-corruption campaigns and harsh security measures preventing anti-government public protests, making public backlash against the term abolishment seem unlikely, according to The New York Times.

The announcement comes at the peak of Xi’s political career, as well as at the end of his first presidential term. For most Chinese leaders, authority begins to decrease as the end of the term grows nearer. Xi also lacks political competitors,

which further reinforces his position, according to The New York Times.

Xi has also broken political norms and traditions by failing to appoint a clear successor at a meeting of the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017. He appointed older men closer to his own age to the rather than following the precedent of appointing younger men, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump also broke political precedent by expressing optimism in Xi’s decision in a speech to Republican donors at his Florida estate on Saturday, March 3, according to The Washington Post. “(Xi is) president for life. No, he’s great. And, look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great,” Trump said. “Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.”

Even though Xi is at the height of his political power, his future standing will depend on his handling of government debt, social welfare reform and China’s relationship with other powerful countries, according to The Washington Post.

“Xi Jinping is susceptible to making big mistakes because there are now almost no checks or balances,” Lam said. “Essentially, he has become emperor for life.”

White House targets North Korean economy with sanctions

By Megan Mayernik Correspondent

President Donald Trump announced new sanctions against North Korea on Feb. 23, indicating an aggressive attempt to use economic means to put pressure on Kim Jong-un’s government, according to The New York Times.

The sanctions directly target 56 shipping companies and aim to eliminate sources of revenue for the secluded country. They also intend to limit resources including coal and fuel, which the regime uses to fund its nuclear programs and military, according to NBC. The sanctions, which were announced at the end of President Trump’s speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, are an attempt of economic isolation, according to CNN.

“North Korea, we imposed today the heaviest sanctions ever imposed by our country before,” he said. “And frankly, hopefully something positive can happen.

We will see.”Sanctioned companies are based in China, Singapore and Panama, according to The Washington Post.

The PyeongChang Olympic Games brought a brief respite to the tension in the Korean Peninsula. South Korean President Moon Jae-in told The Washington Post that the Olympics “served as an opportunity for us to engage in active discussions between the two Koreas, and this has led to lowering of tensions on the peninsula and an improvement in inter-Korean relations.”

After the sanctions were announced on Feb. 23, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin affirmed

the U.S.’ new combative tone.

“The U.S. is aggressively targeting all illicit avenues used by North Korea to evade sanctions, including taking decisive action to block vessels, shipping companies, and entities across the globe that work on North Korea’s behalf,” Mnuchin said in a statement, according to CNN. When Trump was questioned on the possibility of the sanctions’ ineffectiveness at preventing further North Korean weapons advancements, he hinted at a “phase two” that involved possible military actions that would, as Trump said, “be very unfortunate for the world,” according to NBC. Vice President Mike Pence chimed in at the Annual Conservative Gathering to remind attendees that the U.S. “doesn’t stand with murderous dictatorships, we stand

Trump hints at further aggressive policy decisions.

up to murderous dictatorships,” according to NBC. In a statement on Feb. 25, North Korean media outlets condemned the sanctions and accused the U.S. of trying to undermine the newly improved inter-Korean relations brought about by the

AP Photo

Winter Olympics.

“The two Koreas have cooperated together and the Olympics was held successfully,” said state media, according to NBC. “But the U.S. brought the threat of war to the Korean peninsula with largescale new sanctions.”

page 8 The Signal March 22, 2017

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 9

Editorial

Coping skills are necessary to kick unhealthy habits

Over winter break, I volunteered at a detox unit in my local hospital.

Though I was only there for a few weeks, I learned so much more than I expected to.

I didn’t know what I was getting into when I was buzzed through the hospital doors on the first day. The long hallways of the unit reminded me of a cross between a dormitory and a prison. Counselors and doctors shuffled up and down the hallways, buried deep in their caseloads.

Patients of all ages paced about the common room, pouring themselves orange juice while trading stories of their pasts and plans for their futures.

I was given more responsibility than I thought I would be given, which I was extremely grateful for. I was able to shadow different counselors and learn about their responsibilities. Each counselor was assigned 10 cases a day — 10 patients they had to meet with to discuss which long term rehabilitation programs they would be eligible for and different medications they could take to help curb their addictions.

I was also able to help conduct intakes, where counselors interviewed new admitants about their history of drug use and their plans for future care.

While there was so much to learn, what stuck with me the most during my experience was the mental illnesses that most patients suffered from alongside their addictions.

A lot of events in these patients’ lives contributed to their unhealthy coping habits, drug use included, as a reaction to the stressors in their lives.

Some patients also suffered from anxiety and depression over their current circumstances. While most wanted to move past their addiction, many found themselves forming a permanent cycle –– they would enter detox, move onto rehab and stay clean for a little while only to fall off the wagon over and over again.

But unhealthy habits range far from just drug addiction. Everyone falls into detrimental cycles of their own — excessively eating, shopping and many other activities can hurt us more than they help.

Younger generations are more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress than older adults, according to the American Psychological Association. Whether our stress comes from our relationships, work or school, it’s important that we build healthy habits early on that help us confront our stressors instead of suppressing or avoiding them.

Unhealthy habits manifest differently for everyone, and in order to combat the causes for those habits, it’s important to find coping mechanisms that give us the strength to solve the problems that so often wear us down.

— Elizabeth Zakaim 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.

Flickr

Addictions are often related to mental illness.

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

Editorial Staff Thomas Infante Editor-in-Chief infantt1@tcnj.edu Michelle Lampariello Managing Editor lamparm2@tcnj.edu Brielle Bryan Elizabeth Zakaim News Editors bryanb2@tcnj.edu zakaime1@tcnj.edu Miguel Gonzalez Malcolm Luck Sports Editors gonzam23@tcnj.edu luckm1@tcnj.edu Lily Firth Features Editor firthl1@tcnj.edu Heidi Cho Arts & Entertainment Editor choh2@tcnj.edu Emmy Liederman Opinions Editor liedere1@tcnj.edu Breeda Bennett-Jones Nation & World Editor bennett4@tcnj.edu

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

“To threaten to rescind the acceptances of these high school students who have just found their voice would be misguided. The involvement of high schoolers in these national debates that affect them so deeply should be actively encouraged.”

— Felix Aidala, Junior economics major

“Anytime politicians interfere with scientists, I think we all need to worry.”

— Donna Shaw Professor of journalism and professional writing

“It feels really great to win. But it’s not about winning. It’s about being here with everyone tonight.”

— Calvin Potter

Freshman chemistry major and winner of the Mr. Pan Asian Alliance pageant

page 10 The Signal March 7, 2018

Fun Stuff Help the gold coins find their way into the pot!

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 11

Opinions

Shooters do not deserve sympathy Pitying perpetrators disrespects victims

Victims should be the focus of media attention following a tragedy.

By McKenna Samson An active shooter invaded Marjory

Instagram

Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, claiming the lives of 17 teachers and students on Feb. 14. Following the

shooting, several news outlets and major media networks published articles that sympathized with the shooter.

Action News anchor Matt O’Donnell tweeted, “An orphaned 19-year-old with a troubled past and an AR-15 rifle was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder in Florida this morning.”

Why do media outlets paint a sympathetic picture of mass shooters after they terrorize innocent civilians?

This is far from the first time a mass shooter has been pitied in the media. This pattern of using mental illnesses and troubled childhoods to explain or excuse the actions of mass murderers is problematic.

Able-bodied people are more likely to feel sympathetic for those with disabilities, which could result in these pitying headlines, but it should be pointed out that many of these shooters don’t actually suffer from mental illnesses. Simply labeling all shooters as mentally ill further stigmatizes those with mental illnesses as “dangerous.” It should also be noted that when a crime is committed by a person of color, the mental illness narrative is rarely applied.

Mass shooters should be categorized as domestic terrorists since their actions instill fear in the general public. It seems when a mass shooter is a white male — which is a majority of the time — the media rushes to paint him as a victim of circumstance. The shooter should be seen for what he really is — a monster and terrorist. Anyone who takes the life of an innocent person should never be viewed as a victim.

For many Americans, it’s difficult to identify someone who looks like them as a terrorist. Despite the awful crimes committed, there will always be pity for the white male shooter.

Some outlets have even blamed the victims for missing signs that the shooter was dangerous. This is not only extremely problematic, but deeply twisted.

Victim blaming sells a story of sympathy for the perpetrator rather than the victims and survivors, who should be shown overwhelming sympathy and support. This ongoing sympathetic narrative is dangerous for society, particularly people of color and those suffering from mental illnesses.

Students should feel comfortable at gym

By Kristen Frohlich This semester, I became the person I never thought I would be — the person who actually goes to the gym almost every day.

I have always been insecure about my body. I am fortunate to have never struggled with my weight, but I feel as though I am constantly defined by my

lack of muscle and naturallythin physique. I decided that I wanted to gain muscle mass with the help of one of my friends, a fitness enthusiast who exercises frequently.

Before my first day at the gym, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and began to wonder if I could actually follow through with my plan. I knew I wasn’t very strong

Students should treat the gym as a judgement-free zone.

tcnj.edu

and probably would not be able to lift weights. I also assumed I would not know how to use the equipment or follow along with my friend’s workout regimen.

After my first trip to the gym, I learned that my anxiety was unwarranted. The gym is a judgement-free environment, and I didn’t feel like anyone was staring at me, which was one of my biggest fears. I realized that everyone is there for themselves — no one was focusing on what I was doing.

When I told my friends that I was finally getting into exercising, I received both positive and negative comments. While many of my female friends were supportive, some of my male friends said that I was not strong enough to work out at the gym, or that I shouldn’t be sore because I only lifted fifteen-pound weights — and these comments were very upsetting.

I am well aware of my lack of strength — it is the reason I started going to the gym in the first place. No one starts off lifting massive weights, and while my starting place might not be the

Some students feel self-conscious while working out. same as theirs, it does not give them an excuse to laugh at mine.

People have no right to decide how others should feel after their workout. I have the right to complain about feeling sore if I am using muscles that I didn’t even know existed. I have the right to express pain, as that means I am making progress and working hard to build the muscles I want.

People have attempted to make

tcnj.edu

me feel inferior by claiming I have not earned the right to feel pain, which is something that I will not stand for.

I am going to the gym to get stronger and better myself. I know I will not be able to reach my goals overnight, but with time, hard work and dedication, I know that I will eventually gain muscle and feel comfortable in my own skin.

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 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be honored only if there is a legitimate reason.

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

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

page 12 The Signal March 7, 2018

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 13

Students share opinions around campus “Do mass shooters get too much media attention?”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Gianna Agnello, a sophomore early childhood education and psychology double major.

“The shooter and his motives should be covered if it will result in a change in policy.”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Felicia Selvakumar, a junior philosophy major.

“It is sickening how media coverage honors the shooter by giving him what he wants.”

“Have you ever felt judged for your abilities at the gym?”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Marina Zupko, a freshman communication studies major.

“I don’t like to venture over to the weight section because I’m intimidated by the built people.”

Emmy Liederman / Opinions Editor

Julia Komosinsky, a sophomore art education major.

“I’m proud of my abilities, but I’m afraid of being made fun of in the weight section.”

The Signal’s cartoons of the week...

page 14 The Signal March 7, 2018

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 15

Features

Pace / Students train for marathon across US

Runners work to raise money for cancer patients continued from page 1 Ravikumar’s fundraising page and Okun’s fundraising page are currently at about the halfway mark toward this fundraising goal. After reaching out to family members and friends for donations, Ravikumar and Okun have started to reach out to companies and small businesses to provide additional donations.

“I think it’s really cool that we get this opportunity to not just run for ourselves, but also run to help others and make a difference,” Okun said.

None of the money Okun and Ravikumar raise will be used during their 49-day run, as all of the money will go directly to cancer patients. It will be up to them, along with the rest of the group, to cover their own

“I think it’s really cool that we get this opportunity to not just run for ourselves, but also run to help others and make a difference.”

—Alana Okun

Ulman Cancer Fund runner

expenses throughout the trip. The group will be asking for donations from small businesses and restaurants for their meals, according to Ravikumar and Okun.

A group of 30 individuals, dubbed Team Boston as a nod to the team’s final destination, come from all across the country.

Although Team Boston has a GroupMe, a Snapchat group and other means of communication, they will not meet in person until they begin their run.

“We spend 49 days completely with them, so it’s going to be interesting. They all seem really awesome and I’m excited to get to know them,” Ravikumar said.

Ravikumar and Okun were both introduced to the UCF by friends in their respective hometowns. While they are friends at the College, they signed up to run across the country with the UCF together purely by coincidence and both joined Team Boston before either one realized that the other was participating.

Coordinators are available to help participants prepare for the run, and make sure that each person will be capable of keeping up with the group’s pace. Okun explained that on Jan. 1, training logs were sent out so participants to can keep track of their progress to see if they are “on par” with the rest of the group.

“These training logs also provide an idea of how many rest days to take and a general idea of what you should be doing to prepare for this run,” Okun said.

Each participant is expected to run an average of 13 miles per day, though participants can run anywhere between 6-16 miles a day, according to the UCF. The group will also be traveling with

Photo courtesy of Alana Okun

Okun (left) and Ravikumar (right) are eager to run for charity. two vans and will be split up during the day, according to Okun. One group drives ahead while the rest of the group runs until they meet up at a lunch destination, and then the roles are reversed for the second half of the day.

There will be 10 rest days interspersed within the 49-day marathon, during which runners will have the opportunity to visit hospitals and meet cancer patients, according to Okun. Participants will also have a chance to give out scholarships with the money that is raised.

“We present the scholarships to the

cancer patients,” Okun said. “We’re actually in the process of reading through the applications … and we get to decide who gets to be the finalists.”

The run from San Francisco to Boston will give Okun, Ravikumar and the rest of Team Boston a chance to meet new people, have new experiences and make a difference for families that have been affected by cancer.

“I think it will be a really cool perspective to actually be in the towns and not see them as a tourist … you get to really interact with the community … I’m really excited about that,” Okun said.

Students compete in Mr. Pan Asian Alliance pageant

By Gianna Melillo Copy Editor

The T/W Lounge was adorned with streamers, balloons and banners as the College’s Asian culture organizations co-hosted the third annual Mr. Pan Asian Alliance pageant on Friday, March 2.

One contestant from each of the five organizations strutted their stuff to compete for the prestigious title, all the while representing a charity selected by their organization.

Many organizations were represented, including the College’s Chinese Student Association, Japanese Student Association,

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

Contestants answer questions about cultural identity.

Korean Student Association, Asian-American Association and Barkada organization all were represented by one male contestant. All of the night’s proceeds, which totaled over $575, went to various global charities. This was the biggest sum raised in the event’s three-year history.

“A lot of the talents are cultural based. We really want to educate and spread awareness of all the different cultures,” said Alexa Sia, a senior nursing major and current president of Barkada, a Filipino organization.

Sia is proud of Barkada’s choice to donate its proceeds to a shelter for children in the Philippine province of Cebu. Other organizations selected charities that empower people with disabilities, provide medical and educational aid or provide disaster relief.

The entry charge for the event was $3. Throughout the night, attendees could donate to each individual organization’s charity by entering a raffle. At the end of the night, the proceeds for each raffle were calculated and points were added to the final score of each contestant, depending on who got the most donations throughout the night. Five, 10

and 15 points were added to the score of three respective contestants with the most donations.

A panel of five judges assessed the performances. Alumna Jessica Perez (’15), was among those selected to pick the winner of the evening.

“I was contacted by the current Asian-American Alliance president … The AAA was a very big part of my college experience,” Perez said.

Each contestant went through various rounds of the competition, including a question and answer period and formal wear section, where each contestant wore a traditional garment representative of their association’s Asian country.

A talent section included performances in hip-hop and Bachata dancing, a song and dance routine to music from “Mulan” and even a cooking demonstration.

Each contestant then went on to perform in the cultural talent portion of the evening. Traditional drum performances took place alongside ribbon dancing and a reenactment of a Korean soap opera.

Senior elementary education and psychology double major

Eileen Change, enjoyed experiencing the variety of Asian cultures with her friends.

“I heard about the event through friends. It’s really great how all the organizations came together,” Change said.

The crowd went wild as each contestant performed. The competition was fierce and in the final portion of the evening, each contestant was called up on stage to answer questions regarding their Asian identities.

Each contestant gave a moving answer to the questions, but was then forced to switch gears to answer trick questions from the hosts.

As the raffle winners’ names were drawn, the judges deliberated and tallied up their scores.

In the end, Calvin Potter, a freshman chemistry major, took home the title of Mr. Pan Asian Alliance as a representative of the Korean Student Association. Potter’s organization raised $92 through the raffle alone, thus adding 15 points onto his final score.

“It feels really great to win,” Potter said, as adoring fans surrounded him. “But it’s not about winning. It’s about being here with everyone tonight.”

page 16 The Signal March 7, 2018

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 17

:

April‘84

Campus Style

Women’s studies enters general curriculum

Photo courtesy of the TCNJ Digital Archive

The major now encompasses women’s, gender and sexuality studies.

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

Recently, the women’s and gender studies major at the College added another component to the major — sexuality. The major now encompasses women’s issues as well as sexual identity and sexual discrimination. In 1984, women’s and gender studies courses were approved to be a part of the general education curriculum to inform students who normally would not have taken these courses about common societal issues rooted in gender.

Students may be more inclined to fit Women’s Studies courses into their course load this fall than in the past. The Academic Policies Committee gave final approval on Monday to include four courses in Women’s Studies as options in the general education requirements, Dr. Nadine Shanler, professor and member of the Women’s Studies faculty, said.

Three of the courses, Introduction to Women’s Studies (WGS 200), Psychology of Women (PSY 350) and Women in World Perspective (SOC 303), can be counted towards Group B requirements or the history and social sciences and one course, Women Writers (ENG 233), can fulfill an arts and humanities requirement, she said. Before, these courses were only available as part of the Women’s Studies minor, general electives or a major discipline area.

“Having Women Studies’ as general education distribution requirements makes them more accessible to students,” Dr. Karen Howe, Women’s Studies coordinator and assistant professor of psychology, said. “It’s a statement by the college that it’s important that students take courses that deal with women’s lives honestly and

openly, past and present,” Shanler said.

Howe said she hoped that eventually the subject matter of the Women’s Studies courses would be part of the rest of the college curriculum. The lack of focus on women in traditional courses led to the development of the Women’s Studies program, she said.

“The idea behind Women’s Studies courses in general is that many different fields have been very male oriented; the research has usually been done by men and the people who were studied often were men, Howe said. “So the male experience is really what has been studied in these fields.”

“What Women’s Studies courses do is try to make up for the male bias by exploring women’s lives, studying research by women and focusing on various influences in women’s lives,” Howe said. “In Women’s Studies, you see people being able to use the information and ideas in their own lives, to deal constructively with relationships at word, at home and literally to make things better.”

Most of the men who take the class also reap rewards from them. Howe said they learn about women, about themselves and about relationships with women. The number of male students in the Women’s Studies courses is very few. “They are reluctant to take the course. Some women are afraid to take the course as well.”

Women who do take the courses usually feel more positive about themselves.

Shanler said. “Women become more sure and more assertive Often they explore and reevaluate their relationships, values and career aspirations,” she said.

The Culinary Club Presents...

Lions Plate

Left: Olive green utility jackets spice up neutral outfits. Right: Versatile bags are an essential wardrobe component.

By Lexy Yulich Columnist As fashion trends come and go, it is important that you have a few staple pieces in your wardrobe to complement the edgy leather jacket or stylized denim you bought on a whim. I created my wardrobe by finding a few timeless pieces that can go with any outfit, and then built up from the basics to create my own signature style. Here are five wardrobe essentials that every college student needs.

1. Collection of neutral t-shirts. V-neck or crew neck t-shirts pair well with essentially any outfit, and they are very comfortable. I love pairing a soft black tee with ripped jeans and a cream cardigan.

2. Olive green jacket. These jackets come in an assortment of styles such as bomber, tailored and even leather or suede. I purchased mine from Nordstrom about four years ago, and I’ve been wearing it almost everyday. You can dress up the jacket or wear it casually. While I wear my olive green jacket with many outfits, I like to pair mine with comfortable leggings, grey

Instagram

suede slip on sneakers and a t-shirt.

3. Form fitting jeans. As much as I love ripped or embroidered jeans, it is important to have at least one pair of regular denim jeans. I personally gravitate toward dark wash jeans over light wash because it is easier to dress up dark wash jeans. I try to find jeans that are comfortable and soft, but still fit my body type.

4. Little black dress. You truly never know when you are going to need a black dress. Little black dresses come in many styles, so you can find one that suits your preferences. For example, I am under five-feet tall, so I need a more tailored look with a shorter hemline.

5. Versatile bag. Having a staple purse or tote bag is just as important as essential wardrobe pieces. I’ve never been one to own a lot of purses. Instead, I save up for one purse and use it for years. I love having a bag that is fit for any occasion. Currently, my favorite purse is a large black tote bag that I purchased from Nordstrom. It is big enough to hold my laptop, keys, wallet, notebook, planner and any other random items that I carry around.

Rich Dark Chocolate Bark

Left: Adding crushed nuts to chocolate bark adds a rich, salty flavor. Right: Cherries are a sweet complement to bittersweet dark chocolate.

By Julia Dzurillay Columnist

We’ve all heard rumors about the health benefits of dark chocolate, but most chocolate lovers will tell you that the real reason they flock to this dessert is because of its smooth, rich taste. This week, Lions Plate incorporates this delicious dessert with a quick and easy dark chocolate bark recipe.

There are many ways to make chocolate bark — my family makes peppermint bark with melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes during the holidays. This recipe, however, uses dried cherries and roasted pistachios to bring both sweet and salty elements to rich, bittersweet dark chocolate.

Makes: Six servings

Ingredients: 1 cup roasted shelled pistachios 3/4 cup dried cherries Zest of one orange 1 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp coarse sugar (optional) 24 oz. dark chocolate chips Directions: 1. Pour pistachios in a large plastic bag and seal it. Using the back of a spoon, smash pistachios until most of the

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pieces are broken in half. Add dried cherries, orange zest, sea salt and coarse sugar. Shake bag until ingredients are mixed well.

2. In a microwave, melt dark chocolate chips in 30-second intervals until smooth.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate onto baking sheet.

4. Coat chocolate with pistachio-cherry mixture. Add more sugar, if desired.

5. Place in refrigerator to harden for at least one hour.

6. Remove bark from refrigerator. Using a knife, cut bark into large chunks.

7. Enjoy!

page 18 The Signal March 7, 2018

Arts & Entertainment

Play / ‘Medea’ keeps audience on edge ACT puts contemporary spin on ancient tragedy

Natalie La Spisa / Staff Photographer

Left: Medea manipulates those around her between emotional outbursts. Right: The production juxtaposes ancient and modern life.

continued from page 1

because of that, but she’s not completely the only enemy of the play.”

In adapting the ancient tale, ACT and Glading added some contemporary elements to the play. The actors wore modern formal attire, evoking a relatable yet elegant air to the production. The front half of the set was remarkably modern, with sleek furniture, photo albums and a small bar comprising its landscape, while the back half of the set was comprised of Greco-Roman pillars, and the dialogue was spoken in a formal, almost archaic manner.

Molly Knapp, the show’s production manager and a junior public health and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major, elaborated on the creation of the set. “(Glading) was actually really great in giving our designers a lot of free reign to sort of do what he wanted.” Knapp said.

“We decided to put a contemporary spin on it, so you’ll see that ‘Medea’ is set in this cosmopolitan, Grecian setting.”

The play did not entirely leave its Greek origins behind, according to co-sound lead and junior history major Christopher Loos.

“We still have some Ancient Greek inspirations — the preshow and intermission music, for example, are all Ancient Greek songs or those inspired by that style,” Loos said. “(Glading) wanted to develop a contrast between these thousandyear-old pieces followed almost immediately by the aria that opens the show.”

Through these endeavors, the play juxtaposes ancient and modern life, almost as if the characters have been transposed directly from ancient Greece to 2018.

None of this would have been effective if not for the cast’s performances that sold the concept to the audience. Colleran’s portrayal of Medea was hypnotizing, alternating between wild emotional outbursts to sauntering, manipulative witch at a moment’s notice.

At times, it was impossible to determine when Medea was lying and when she was being truthful, perhaps because the

character herself did not know.

“It’s a really hard piece to do,” Colleran said. “It’s a really sad piece to do, but it’s really rewarding.”

Rob Hicks, a junior political science major who portrayed Jason, elevated the performance by carrying the swagger of someone who knows he is a Greco-Roman hero.

From his perfectly coiffed hair to his dismissive snobbishness whenever he shares the stage with Medea, Hicks’ portrayal was crucial in developing sympathy for a woman who will go on to do unspeakable things.

The two shared a bevy of powerful emotional moments throughout both acts of the play, and the tension carried between them kept the audience on edge as they awaited the inevitable tragic conclusion of the play.

“I think it went really well,” Colleran said. “I’m extremely happy with the way that the show came together.

Our cast has put so much hard work into this and I’m super excited for the finished product that we’re able to put on stage for people.”

Recital series kicks off with classical inspiration Students demonstrate musical skill and dedication

By Kayla Rivas Staff Writer

Five students impressed friends, family and classmates at the first Tuesday Afternoon Recital of the semester on Feb. 27 by showing off their musical prowess in Mayo Concert Hall.

All of the students’ classical performances were accompanied by pianist Kathy Shanklin.

Sophia Isnardi, a sophomore music education major, gently opened the show with her flute in a light, airy performance of “Allegro giocoso” by Jindrich Feld, which gradually shifted into higher notes that emanated a frightful aura. The notes rapidly quickened at a pace listeners could compare to stress-inducing scenes from horror films.

Shanklin and Isnardi both delivered the piece flawlessly. Isnardi took a bow and flashed a large grin at the audience. She left the stage beaming, proud of her performance.

Christopher McEwan, a junior music education major, took the stage next. He blew the audience

away with his “Violin Sonata” by Johannes Brahms. The piece took on a somber, romantic tone.

Near the end of the piece, McEwan momentarily held the bow of the violin at his side to pluck at the violin strings. The plucked chords fell in time with Shanklin’s piano notes, as the classical combination of instruments filled the hall with sonic harmony.

His performance showed off the musical experience that he gained after 12 years of training.

“I was overall pleased with my performance in the recital,” McEwan said. “As with any performance, there is always room for improvement, but I feel like I was well prepared and played in a way that reflected the work that I put into the piece.”

Steven Plattman, a sophomore music and accounting double major, braced the audience for his performance, “Trumpet Concerto,” by Johann Neopmuk Hummel.

Plattman’s trumpet let out bold, declarative notes, filling the hall with a cheerful aura. The trumpeter often waited for the pianist’s cue to be played, but when the instruments

did play simultaneously, the trumpet outshone the piano.

Emma Schell, a freshman music education major, humbly entered the hall with her flute, but showcased plenty of raw talent. In her delivery of “Sonata in F Major”

by Georg Philipp Telemann, Schell maintained an upbeat and polished

performance alongside Shanklin’s piano playing.

Ryan Galik, a senior music education major, fittingly performed “And Everything is Still” by Andy Scott to close out the recital.

Galik’s saxophone captivated the audience as its metallic gold surface glittered under the

stage’s bright spotlights as he played the finalé.

After the recital concluded, the student performers’ friends and family flooded the lobby, as a friend of Isnardi excitedly ran to her and embraced her tightly after a musical performance that brought many people together.

Performers amaze audience members with polished deliveries.

Meagan McDowell / Photo Editor

Students share stunning slam poetry

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 19

By Tiffany Rutkowski Correspondent INK, the College’s student-run creative writing club, hosted Slam Down The Walls, a biannual slam poetry competition, for student-artists to debut 10 minutes of their best spoken-word poetry in the Bliss Hall Lounge on Thursday, March 2.

The competition began with a random selection of three students from the audience who volunteered to be potential judges. They were quickly briefed on how to judge the performances.

All performers were given a ranking on a scale of one to five, based on any criteria chosen individually by the judges. The scores were averaged and compared at the end of the event to determine the winner and runner-up.

“You don’t get a lot of opportunities like this on campus,” said Emily Miller, a junior English major and co-president of INK. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Kevyn Teape, a junior marketing major, stood up in excitement to kick off the competition as the opening performer.

He revealed the topic of his first poem, family, as he performed “Generational Curses” to set the tone for an emotional three-piece performance.

“I just can’t write about anything beautiful,” Teape said in his second poem, “What I Wrote About the Flowers.” “Because I am not beautiful.”

The audience listened, engrossed by his raw performance. Teape took second place in the competition, only narrowly losing to the first-place winner.

Madeline Febinger, a sophomore computer science major and audience member, enjoyed having the chance to experience such passionate performances of poems.

“I just enjoy listening to poetry, and I’m here to support my friend who is performing,” Febinger said.

Lauren Guest, a freshman deaf education major, was the second to perform.

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

Grace Gottschling / Staff Photographer

Contestants put emotion behind their words to win over the judges.

Guest also expressed gratitude for a friend in the audience who drove an hour and a half to the College to see her performance.

The next poet was Brian Peng, a sophomore English and secondary education dual major and the treasurer of INK. Peng uses spoken-word poetry to help shed light on his struggle with mental illness.

“My poems are about my experiences with mental illness,” Peng said. “But I try to make it funny.”

Peng’s pieces articulated some of the feelings and thoughts that can occupy the mind.

“The things I cannot control — control me,” Peng said in one of his pieces.

Peng has been writing poetry since he was in high school and has been a member of INK since his freshman year at the College. He finds INK to be an ideal medium for people to creatively express themselves through writing.

“I just really love this club,” Peng said.

Amanda Riccitelli, a freshman chemistry major, performed third and stood out

with one of her pieces called “A Gringo’s Lament,” a bold poem that included a mixture of Spanish and English.

“I’m in love with a language that’s not mine to claim,” Riccitelli said.

Jessica Shek, a freshman English major, followed up Riccitelli with an animated performance that elicited some laughs from the audience. Shek spoke confidently as she recited her poems, “To That Guy From That Thing,” “Wingding Intercoms,” “Radioactive People,” “I Love You” and “The Moon Needs Some Accutane.”

Guest closed the competition with an extra poem she had been working on in addition to her 10-minute performance.

In the end, Shek wowed the judges with her variety of pieces and won the competition, earning herself an INK button.

Miller and Kelly Noll, co-president of INK and a senior English major, were pleased with how the event turned out.

“It’s such a niche art form, and everyone is very supportive and people always bring their friends,” Miller said.

Band Name: Hurry Album: “Every Little Thought” Release Number: Fourth Hailing From: Philadelphia Genre: Dreamy power pop Label: Lame-O Records Hurry’s fourth effort is similar to most of its already established Philly pop repertoire.

Right off the bat, the listener is greeted with familiar guitar jangles, smooth buttery vocals and a rhythm section that will not quit.

The lyrics on this album are light and cheery and address subjects such as interpersonal relationships, healthy mindsets and being content in general. It is a very solid album from a WTSR station favorite.

Must Hear: “Waiting for You,” “Every Little Thought” and “Jamie”

CUB Alt indie rockers impress audience

By Alexis Bell Staff Writer

The stage in the Brower Student Center was washed in the signature purple hue of CUB Alt’s lighting on Feb. 27, as the growing crowd eagerly awaited the appearances of three featured performers — Laura Stevenson, Major Pursuit and Fire is Motion.

Indie band Major Pursuit took the stage first. Olivia Bellito, the band’s main vocalist, introduced the group. Bellito started the show with a few solo songs, but was later accompanied by the rest of her band.

“I’m really excited to be here,” Bellito said. “I see the shows you have here all the time and I always think ‘I should go to that school.’”

Major Pursuit is from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The band’s debut album, “We Don’t Make Mistakes, We Have Happy Accidents,” was released in June 2016, and features mellow songs with soft, melodic instrumentation and at times wistful lyricism.

Fire is Motion followed up Major Pursuit’s set with harmonic vocals, as more students trickled in and the audience grew.

The indie rock band drew

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

Fire is Motion takes pride in its New Jersey roots.

the crowd in by performing various pieces off its albums such as “Still, I try,” “Flowers in Kawameeh Park” and “Days 1-7.”

Fire is Motion was formed in Union, New Jersey, and is fronted by lead singer and guitarist Adrian Amador. The band’s latest project, “Still, I try,” was released in November 2016, mainly featuring songs with cozy and laid back acoustic instrumentation.

“I haven’t listened to any of their music coming into it but I’m a fan so far and definitely will be listening more after the show,” said Sondra Nieradka,

a senior communication studies major and a CUB live event coordinator.

Headliner Laura Stevenson was the final act to take the stage as the crowd waited excitedly for her folk rock, indie and power pop songs.

“I know a few good songs from the headliner Laura Stevenson so I’m excited to see her play,” said Christopher Ratanski, a senior chemistry major and CUB executive board member.

Stevenson, who hails from Long Island, New York, captured the crowd’s attention with her upbeat, high-energy

set. With each succeeding song, the audience’s applause progressively grew louder.

Stevenson promoted her latest album, “Cocksure,” at the event and announced her upcoming tour dates across the country. “Cocksure” is her fourth overall album, and Stevenson said that this album had influences from Liz Phair, The Lemonheads, Weezer and The Smoking Popes.

“I’ve never listened to the bands before, but after watching, I definitely will be checking them out on Spotify. (The performances were) a nice surprise,” said Chloe Yelle, a senior urban education and English double major and member of CUB. Though some students may have been unfamiliar with the bands, the concert’s energetic atmosphere made the event an enjoyable experience.

“I know a little bit about the bands but not a whole lot,” said Christopher Rose, a junior communication studies major.

“I’m always excited to hear new music and see what different types are out there.”

As Stevenson left the stage, the crowd’s approval for her performance shone clear as the audience enthusiastically applauded the singer.

Band Name: Ride Album: “Tomorrow’s Shore” Release Number: 15th Hailing From: Oxford, England Genre: Classic shoegazing dream pop Label: Wichita Recordings Ride is a classic shoegaze band from the U.K. that was huge in the ’90s alongside its contemporaries, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Dream pop has made a resurgence over the past several years, and Ride has been right there at the forefront with “Weather Diaries,” released in 2017. This four-song EP features cuts that didn’t make it onto the aforementioned album, but do not be fooled — these songs are just as good, if not better. In fact, the brevity of this release makes it a more concise and cohesive listen. The album features the usual hallmarks of shoegaze, ethereal vocals, pop-dripping melodies, swelling guitars and that signature wall of sound that washes over the listener.

Must Hear: “Cold Water People,” “Keep it Surreal” and “Pulsar”

page 20 The Signal March 7, 2018

The Biology of Obesity and its Management Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • 12:30 pm • Education 212

Dr. Jason Brett, MD

Senior Medical Director Clinical, Medical & Regulatory Novo Nordisk in North America

Dr. Gabriel Smolarz, MD

Medical Director, Obesity Novo Nordisk in North America

The third of four lectures in the 2017-2018 TCNJ-Novo Nordisk Lecture Series on the theme:

Understanding Obesity: A Multidisciplinary Challenge Presented by Novo Nordisk and TCNJ’s School of Science; School of Business; and School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science

Go to tcnj.edu/obesity or e-mail science@tcnj.edu.

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 21

Sports Baseball

Lions blast Gwynedd Mercy on opening day

By Miguel Gonzalez and Alexander Reich Sports Editor and Staff Writer After capturing the New Jersey Athletic Conference title, winning more than 30 games and reaching the NCAA Division III regional championship last year, the College’s baseball team opened a new season with a 10-4 victory over Gwynedd Mercy University on Feb. 28 at George Ackerman Park.

The Lions’ starting pitcher, junior Michael Fischer, had a slow start as he walked the first batter.

He then committed an error trying to pick off the runner at first base.

The first inning made the Lions anxious with Gwynedd Mercy powering through with hits and smart baserunning.

Gwynedd Mercy scored first with an RBI single and a wild pitch to take an early 2-0 lead.

The Lions countered in the bottom of the first inning when senior utility player Austin Lindsay hit a line drive into center field to cut the Lions deficit to 2-1. The Lions kept firing away as senior outfielder Mike Follet smacked a base hit to right field to tie the game at two.

The Lions still had momentum going into the next batter when junior infielder Tommy McCarthy

hit a double to put the Lions ahead of Gwynedd Mercy, 3-2. In the bottom of the second inning, the Lions struggled to score as easily as they did in the first inning.

Going into the bottom of the third, sophomore outfielder Jacob Simon made a great effort to hit a single and steal second base. The Lions could not take advantage of Simon’s baserunning as sophomore pitcher Michael Walley grounded out to end the inning.

Afterward, the baseball team produced run after run on their way to a 10-4 win.

On the mound, Fischer ended up pitching 5.2 innings. Offensively, McCarthy ended up having an impressive game going threefor-three at the plate with three RBIs and a run scored.

Junior pitcher Andrew Rowan was impressed by the team’s offensive performance.

“We played well today, our hitters were seeing the ball well,” Rowan said. “Putting up 10 runs in our first game against a team that has a few games under their belt is a great way to open the season.”

Rowan also credited Fischer’s powerful pitching for the win.

“Our pitchers did well too, Fischer battled through to get to the sixth inning which allowed our bullpen to carry us the rest of

McCarthy goes three-for-three at the plate.

the way,” Rowan said. “Overall, it was a great team win, and we will continue that momentum into this weekend for a double header versus Keene State.”

The planned doubleheader against Keene State was canceled due to weather conditions. Despite the altered schedule, Simon was glad to be back at the field.

“It was really great to finally get out there and kick off the year,” Simon said. “We worked really hard in the offseason and preseason and it was really nice to see it come together out there.

Simon also acknowledged the substantial effort from each individual team member that helped the team take such a commanding

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

lead, and ultimately win the game.

“We played a complete team game today,” Simon said. “The pitching was there, and the bats were alive and we were very solid defensively. We got down early in the first, but we answered right back and did a great job building on the lead throughout the later innings.”

Track and Field

Track and field trudges through Atlantic Region Championships

Cooper takes second place at the 5000-meter event.

By Malcolm Luck Sports Editor

The Lions traveled north to run in the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships from Friday, March 2 to Saturday, March 3 at Ithaca College. Competing with a total of 22 teams, the women’s team took sixth place while the men fell to 15th.

Junior Natalie Cooper led the Lions in top finishes, as

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

she placed second in the 5000-meter event with a time of 17:56.63. Her performance marks the fastest New Jersey Athletic Conference 5000-meter time for the season by well over 20 seconds.

The next three competitors on the podium were all Lions, as second, third and fourth places were occupied by juniors Madeleine Tattory and Emma Bean and sophomore Gabby DeVito, respectively.

Sophomore Kaila Carter contributed four points to the

team’s total tally in the 60-meter hurdle event, where she placed fifth with her time of 9.12 seconds.

In the 200-meter dash, senior Danielle Celestin and freshman Shannon Lambert collectively earned the College five points as they placed sixth and seventh with times of 26.40 and 26.49 seconds respectively.

In the 4x400 relay event, the squad of Lambert, freshman Dana DeLuca and seniors Jenna Ellenbacher and Meagan McGourty completed the race in 4:02.00 to earn second place out of eight teams. McGourty also displayed her versatility in the field, where she earned fourth place in the high jump with a mark of 1.59 meters. Sophomore Allison Zelinski also dazzled in the field with her long jump mark of 5.47 meters, earning her fifth place and four points for the College.

For the men, a few performances overshadowed an overall disappointing finish.

In the 800-meter run, junior John Wood placed third with a time of 1:56.95, earning the team six points. Junior Noah Osterhus kept pace, finishing the same event in 1:58.60 and contributing four points to the Lions’ tally.

Senior Dale Johnson also placed third in the mile event. Johnson completed the event in 4:16.43, earning six points.

With his time, Johnson also achieved the third fastest NJAC mark for the mile event this season.

In the 4x200 relay, junior Nathan Osterhus, sophomore Tyler Andriopoulos and freshmen Daulton Hopkins and Tana Gawe earned eighth place and one point for the College with their time of 1:33.60. A team of Gawe, sophomore Mike Zurzolo and freshmen Robert Abrams and Joey Erskine competed in the distance medley relay.

The squad earned ninth place, narrowly missing a point-earning finish by .17 seconds.

Next up are the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from Friday, March 9 to Saturday, March 10 in Birmingham, Alabama.

page 22 The Signal March 7, 2018

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 23 Men’s Tennis

Men’s tennis smashes opponents

By Rohan Ahluwalia Staff Writer

The men’s tennis team began their season with a pair of wins at home, defeating both Dickinson College, 9-0, on Saturday, March 3, and Franklin and Marshall College the next day, 7-2.

“This was a great start for us,” said head coach Scott Dicheck. “We are very optimistic about the season. The toughest problem we’ve had to start the season is a lot of injuries, but the leaders we have on the team helped us through.”

Junior Matt Puig was one of the top performers for the Lions against Dickinson College. Forming a partnership in doubles competition with junior Omar Bokhari, both Puig and Bokhari went 8-0 in their game against senior Nick Reese and junior Derek Chen of Dickinson.

Afterward, senior Chris D’Agostino teamed up with junior Mitchel Sanders as they defeated the Dickinson duo of seniors Samuel Loring and Shawn Diniz, 8-5. Junior Tim Gavornik and sophomore Gokul Murugesan won their game, 8-1, over Dickinson freshmen Joey Bolanos and Vincent Tover Dias.

In the singles competition, Puig earned a straight set victory over Chen, winning both his sets 6-0.

Sanders managed to get the better of Diniz, winning both sets, 6-2 and 6-3. Bokhari defeated Loring in two sets, 6-2 and 7-5.

Gavornik and junior Achyuth Balijepalle respectively won their singles matches over Bolanos and Reese. Murugesan also won his singles match in three sets over Dickinson’s Bryce Perritt, losing the first set 4-6 but bouncing back in his next sets for 6-4 and 10-7 wins.

The next day, the Lions cruised to a 7-2 victory over Franklin and Marshall.

For the second match in a row, the Lions won all three doubles competitions. Puig and Bokhari continued their cohesive partnership with an 8-3 victory over junior Zack Levin and senior Will Samuels of Franklin and Marshall.

Gavornik and Murugesan also partnered up for their 8-5 win

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Sanders defeats his opponent in two sets.

over opposing sophomore Andrew Pace and junior Isaac Salas. Sanders and D’Agostino rounded out the doubles matches for the Lions as they won a close match against Franklin and Marshall senior Jack Rothman and freshman Sam Bellersen, 9-7.

In singles competition, Sanders continued his stellar performance as he defeated Rothman in two sets, 7-5 and 7-6.

The Lions did suffer two defeats against Franklin and Marshall, the first of which came when Puig went down against Salas. Salas won the first set, 6-3, before Puig won the second, 6-4. In the third and deciding set, Salas came out on top, winning 7-5.

Murugesan took the Lions’ second defeat when he lost in straight sets against Pace. Despite Murugesan trying his

best to outdo his opponent, he lost the first set 7-6 and the second set 6-3.

Despite the two losses, the Lions did manage to earn three wins which led to their victory over Franklin and Marshall. Bokhari defeated Levin in two sets, 6-2 and 6-3. Gavornik won his game against Bellersen in two sets, 6-3 and 6-4. Finally, Balijepalle won his game against Samuels in three sets, winning the first, 6-3, before losing the next set, 5-7 and finally winning the last set, 10-7.

After earning two victories, the Lions will return to training as they prepare to play New York University on Thursday, March 8 at the Recreation Center at 4 p.m. The team will then return to the Rec Center for another match against Goucher College on Friday, March 9 at 4 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Dunk / Lions celebrate this season’s achievements continued from page 28

RIT eventually cut the Lions’ lead by four, but couldn’t contain O’Leary long enough to surpass the Lions, as she drained her fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Lions up 39-32. Following a layup from Schum, O’Leary scored a basket off a layup in the paint, drawing a foul in the process with just one second left on the clock.

Her free throw sent RIT to the locker room with a 44-32 deficit.

RIT returned in the second half, hungry for an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Eight points proved to be an unsustainable lead as RIT clamped down on the defensive end of the floor in the fourth quarter. Following two free throws by RIT, Schum drained a three-pointer off an assist from senior forward Nikki Schott, but was quickly countered by back-to-back three-pointers from RIT senior guard Jessica Glaz.

RIT then followed up when junior guard Cori Okada made a layup to cut the Lions’ lead down to 66-65. Okada later tied the game with another three-pointer following a layup by Byrne.

With 1:32 minutes remaining, Schum drained a three-pointer to give the College a 74-72 lead. The home crowd’s roaring enthusiasm at Packer Hall was not enough to lead the Lions to victory in an elimination game.

RIT launched a comeback when freshman guard Sabrina

Schum drills two three-pointers against RIT in the fourth quarter.

Wolfe scored the game-tying layup. Okada then helped RIT reclaim the lead off a clutch threepointer. Following layups from Devitt and RIT junior forward Tara Lynch, Byrne tried to save

the Lions’ season with a gametying three-point attempt.

The hovering basketball did not find the basket, as the women’s basketball team’s season concluded with a 79-76 loss.

Miguel Gonzalez / Sports Editor

After a strong first half to take a commanding lead, the Lions were outscored 47-32 in the second half to cough up the lead. Jackson partially attributes the second half struggle to fatigue.

“I think our second half vs. RIT was due to a combination of factors. We haven’t played back-toback games since November, and so fatigue was a clear factor.”

She also credits RIT’s clutch offensive play down the stretch.

“RIT’s guard play was fantastic, and they hit some pretty remarkable shots late in the game to go on a few runs that we struggled to counter,” Jackson said.

“I think that our offense is really dictated by our defense, and so when we weren’t getting stops, it was increasingly difficult to score against them.”

Despite the tournament loss, Jackson was not ready to think about next season just yet. Instead, she continued to focus on the accomplishments her team achieved this season.

“I am hopeful that our returners can become more consistent moving into next season, but our roster will look very different next year, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself thinking too much about an NCAA tournament run quite yet,” Jackson said. “We really focused on one day at a time this year, and I want to continue doing that moving forward. I am incredibly proud of our team for everything we were able to achieve this season. Our seniors were tremendous leaders, and the entire group brought a renewed focus and energy into every new challenge. I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the future.”

page 24 The Signal March 7, 2018

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March 7, 2018 The Signal page 25

LIONS AROUND

D RM

Malcolm Luck “The Ref”

Kevin Kistner ATD Correspondent

Ryan Jin ATD Correspondent

Arjun Gupta ATD Correspondent

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, “Ref” Malcolm Luck asked our panel of three experts — Kevin Kistner, Ryan Jin and Arjun Gupta — three questions: 1. Can Dwyane Wade lead the Miami Heat into the playoffs? 2. With the NCAA tournament coming up, which school do you see becoming a Cinderella team? 3. Which team has a better offense right now: the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox?

1. Can Dwyane Wade lead the Miami Heat into the playoffs?

Kevin: As a big fan of Dwyane Wade, I do believe he has what it takes to carry the Heat to the playoffs. The Eastern Conference is not nearly as strong as the Western Conference, so to say the Heat can make the playoffs is very reasonable. Sometimes, chemistry and dedication get a lot further than just raw talent and I think this Miami team has great chemistry. With Wade coming back, the city of Miami is just glad to have him back. A loose and comfortable Wade might play better without feeling any pressure.

Ryan: Dwyane Wade is looking pretty damn vintage as of late. In that fresh new vice-style home jersey, his confidence has only grown. Look no further than that iconic game winner over

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia Sixers. Though his critics might look at his age, his numbers don’t lie. He’s averaging 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per game this season, which are pretty impactful numbers if you’re thinking about a veteran’s contributions in the scope of Miami’s young roster. With the help of energetic guys like Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters and James Johnson who push the in-game pace, the Heat could just lead itself into the playoffs.

Arjun: Yes, Dwyane Wade can lead the Miami Heat into the playoffs because Dwyane Wade is an all-star veteran player who has been playing in the league for 15 seasons now. Over the span of his amazing NBA career, he has accumulated many great awards and titles. He is a three-time

AP Photo

NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA First Team,

three-time All-NBA second team and an NBA scoring champion.

All in all, he has the necessary

qualities and the high-caliber skills to lead this team into the promised land.

Ryan gets 3 points for alluding to Wade’s game winner. Arjun receives 2 points for mentioning Wade’s accolades. Kevin receives 2 points for comparing the conferences.

AP Photo

2. With the NCAA tournament coming up, which school do you see becoming a “Cinderella” team?

Kevin: In the foreseeable future, I can see St. Bonaventure University becoming a Cinderella team.

They are one of the best perimeter shooting teams in the nation. They emphasize the saying “you live and die by the 3.” If St. Bonaventure gets a good matchup they like and are feeling confident and find their sweet stroke, this is a team that can put up a lot of points to compete with anyone in the nation. It’s all about creating the runs and limiting the opponents to as few runs as possible to win during this heated tournament. If this team strings a good few possessions together, they could be scary.

Ryan: College basketball hasn’t always been my thing, but in recent years I’ve gotten much more involved due to Sportscenter, Bleacher Report or House of Highlights hyping up crazy game winners and wet

shots. Speaking of crazy wet shots, Trae Young and the University of Oklahoma Sooners are looking pretty good as a Cinderella team. I mean, Trae Young is Cinderella in the flesh. His range and consistency are truly magical. I’ll be surprised if the Sooners get knocked out before the Sweet Sixteen, because I’m hoping to see them make some headlines this month.

Arjun: I see the University of Nevada, Reno becoming the Cinderella team and making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They are the Mountain West regular season champions, who have won eight of their last nine games, including a blowout victory against University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The team is averaging about 84 points per game and have four players who each are scoring over 13 points per game. Jordan Caroline is also a key player to watch out for as he is nearly averaging a double-double with 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Kevin gets 3 points for mentioning a legitimate Cinderella candidate and its offensive strength. Ryan gets 1 point because Trae Young and the University of Oklahoma are overrated. Arjun gets 1 point for mentioning a team that is too mainstream for the Cinderella label.

3. Which team has a better offense right now: the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox? Kevin: Regardless of where I live, I think the New York Yankees have the better offense right now. They have three of the best home run sluggers in the game right now — with Gary Sanchez, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, it could be as simple as three swings producing three runs. With the addition of Yankee Stadium being very well known as a hitter’s ballpark, it only creates an even more of an advantage for the Yankees. The Yankees might not be the better team in what is called manufacturing runs, but the Yankees do have the firepower to put up over four runs a night.

Ryan: How is this even a question? The “Boston Red Sux” can’t even hold a candle to the dominating powerhouse striking fear into all pitchers’ hearts that is the Yankees’ starting lineup. All the buzz about New York’s new “big three” of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez is finally paying off as spring training offers the Yankees an opportunity to flex early.

Let’s not forget Brett Gardner, the all around complete hitter and catcher who has been smacking dingers all preseason.

In their spring training matchup today, it’s no question the Yankees’ offensive lineup will have pitchers Chris Sale and David Price absolutely trembling on the mound.

Arjun: The New York Yankees have a better offense right now and will have one of the league’s best offensive lineups for the upcoming season. The Bronx Bombers already had a potent lineup and made it even more lethal with the addition of the reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, who has 7.6 wins above replacement and an MLBleading 59 home runs. Now paired with Aaron Judge, the Rookie of the Year and the runner up for the American League MVP award, along with Greg Bird, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius, the Bronx Bombers can and will do some serious damage.

Last season, the Yankees led the league in walks, were second in runs scored, third in on-base percentage and fourth in slugging average.

Arjun receives 3 points for alluding to the Yankees’ potent offense before the acquisition of Stanton. Kevin gets 2 points for mentioning the size of Yankee Stadium. Ryan gets 1 point for incorrectly saying Brett Gardner is a catcher.

AP Photo

Winner’s Circle Tom wins 9-5-4 Kevin winsATD ATD 7-6-5

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

page 26 The Signal March 7, 2018

Fun StufF The progression of midterms week until spring break, as told by e-cards

March 7, 2018 The Signal page 27

Fun Stuff Place numbers 1 to 9 in each row, column and diagonal

Signal

Sports

Lions conclude memorable season at Packer

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Barlow contributes 14 points in the College’s first round victory.

By Malcolm Luck Sports Editor

Despite the College’s loss to Montclair State University on Feb. 23, the team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III

women’s basketball tournament.

The Lions defeated Hilbert College 61-42 on Friday, March 2, but ultimately fell to Rochester Institute of Technology just a day later by a score of 79-76, ending the team’s spectacular season.

Coming into the tournament, head coach Chessie Jackson knew that the team felt further motivation to win.

“I think whenever we’re talking about an NCAA tournament game, there is extra motivation,”

Jackson said.

“We weren’t ready to be finished with our season, and falling short in the NJAC championship lit a fire in our squad for sure. It was also refreshing to have a full week between games and to play a non-conference opponent for the first time in a while. And hosting made the entire experience that much more special.”

The College’s first round matchup in Packer Hall against Hilbert was striking. Junior guard Kate O’Leary scored first on an assist from sophomore forward Jen Byrne. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions acquired a 15-9 lead.

Both teams fought more fiercely in the second quarter.

Despite two early three-pointers from Hilbert, the resilient Lions refused to trail off a strong effort from freshman forward Shannon Devitt. With dominant play inside the paint, she was responsible for all of the team’s final eight points of the quarter and gave the College a commanding 34-21 lead at the half.

Despite Hilbert’s six unanswered points in the middle of the third quarter, the Lions’ lead

could not be surpassed, as the team was up by 18 by the quarter’s end. They eventually won by 19 with a final score of 61-42.

Less than 24 hours later, the College returned to Packer Hall to take on RIT in the second round of the tournament. RIT, who defeated the University of New England in the first round, proved to be a tougher match for the Lions from the start.

The Lions benefitted from three-point shots early on, starting with a pair from junior forward Samantha Famulare to cut the College’s early deficit to 7-6.

O’Leary followed up with two three-pointers of her own, giving the team a 12-9 lead. RIT then countered with a fastbreak layup from senior forward Amanda Olsen. O’Leary’s hot hand found the bottom of the net on another three to end the quarter with the Lions up, 19-15.

In the second quarter, Byrne contributed to the team’s flurry of three-pointers, adding two more on back-to-back possessions off assists from senior guard Charlotte Schum and Devitt. By then, the Lions led 34-26. see DUNK page 23

Lacrosse tramples Haverford, remains undefeated

Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Left: Morrison holds Haverford to only three goals. Right: Fitzpatrick nets five goals to contribute to the College’s win.

By Miguel Gonzalez Sports Editor

Coming off a 14-2 win against Neumann University on Feb. 24, the Lions dismantled Haverford University, 16-3, in a home game on the breezy night of Wednesday, March 1.

The Lions, ranked No. 2 in the country according to a poll from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association coaches, displayed their offensive might against Haverford.

Senior midfielder Amanda Muller first got the Lions on the scoreboard in the fifth minute. On the next play, freshman defender Avery Sweeney added another goal. Fellow

Lions Lineup March 7, 2018

I n s i d e

freshman midfielder Erin Jaffe scored off a pass from Muller in the sixth minute.

In the eighth minute, the Lions built a 4-0 lead when sophomore attacker Olivia Cleale hurled in a shot on a free position attempt. Haverford countered with its first goal on the next play, but the Lions offense kept rolling.

Sophomore midfielder Alexandria Fitzpatrick contributed two goals for the team in the first half. Meanwhile, the defensive duo of senior Elizabeth Morrison and junior Brooke Lionetti relegated Haverford’s offense to only three goals.

The lacrosse team dominated Haverford on both sides of the field in the second half. In the 23rd minute, Fitzpatrick netted her third goal of the game. Sophomore

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midfielder Allie Norman then scored back-to-back goals, giving the Lions a commanding 11-3 lead.

The Lions were not yet finished, as they went on to net five more goals with contributions by Cleale, Morrison, Fitzpatrick and junior midfielder Erin Harvey. Overall, the Lions outshot Haverford, 38-15 and forced 24 turnovers.

The team’s defense proved to be rock solid — junior goalkeeper Miranda Chrone recorded five saves.

On the same day, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced Morrison as one of the 50 players on the women’s watch list for the annual Tewaaraton award. The award is given to the nation’s premier male and female college lacrosse players.

Morrison is currently the only Division III player to be on the watch list.

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Around the Dorm page 25