The Signal: Spring '16 No. 4

Breaking news, blogs and more at TCNJSignal.net.

Vol. XLIV, No. 4

February 17, 2016

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Gamers geared Black Monologues give perspective for friendly, competitive play

By Andrew Street Social Media Editor A close-knit group of gamers came together to create a place for people to share what they are passionate about — where hardcore and casual players alike can test their skills against one another: a place called the Competitive Gaming Club (CGC).

Before CGC came to the College, players relied on the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) to hold occasional tournaments for the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) “League of Legends.”

The infrequency of tournaments led current Vice President and senior accounting major Martin Faynor and current President and senior biology major Mitch Vaughn to form the Competitive Gaming Club in Fall 2014. However, their formation was not an easy task. Faynor said that they struggled with getting Student Government (SG) to officially recognize the club.

“We faced issues with the Student Government. They failed us probably three times over the course of a year,” Faynor said. According to Vaughn, this was due to the

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Students speak at the monologues, detailing personal stories.

By Elise Schoening Features Editor

black community here at the College?

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, students and faculty of the College took the stage in the Library Auditorium to share their perspective on the black experience in the first ever Black Monologues.

Hosted by the College’s Black Student Union (BSU), the event aimed to give voice to black members of the community and allow others a chance to listen and learn from their peers.

“I was inspired to start the Black

Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown. These names and stories have become all too familiar. So has the narrative of police brutality and unwavering racism that plagues our nation from Ferguson, Mo., to Chicago, Ill. But the black experience is a varied one that differs from person to person and place to place.

What are some of the stories of the see CGC page 2

Monologues because I saw the need for a forum that would serve as both a platform for students and faculty of color and as a learning environment where student could come to educate themselves on the different layers of black culture,” said sophomore marketing major Baldween Casseus, the chief financial officer of BSU. “Generalizations are often made of people of color, but by listening to someone’s story, I hoped that it would trigger a realization of how unique and dynamic we all are.”

Demand for the event was so great that each seat in the Library Auditorium was filled long before the monologues began.

Members of BSU even created an additional three rows of seating to accommodate the large turnout, but were met with another wave of students just minutes later. Eventually, the organization had to turn people away.

The Black Monologues was just one of the many events organized by BSU for this year’s celebration of Black History Month. If you weren’t able to grab a seat at this year’s Black Monologues, you will be glad to learn that the organization already has plans to host the event again next year.

“The Black Monologues will definitely be happening next year,” said senior communication studies major David Brown, the president of BSU. “We’ve already started looking at different spaces around campus to hold it.” see SPEECH page 17

Spring Activities Fair attracts new students Recent grad

Keri Fitzpatrick / Staff Photographer

Organizations on campus set up tables and seek new members.

By Chelsea LoCascio News Editor

Unsure students searched through the mass of circus performers, fraternity brothers and environment enthusiasts,

wondering which of these groups they will be representing for the remainder of their time at the College.

The biannual Student Activities Fair took place on Wednesday, Feb. 10, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Recreation

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 8 Editorial / Page 9 Chinese New Year Follow us at...

Students celebrate cultural festivities The Signal See Features page 21 @tcnjsignal

Center. According to swipe data collected through Lion’s Gate, a mix of 574 transfer students, freshmen and upperclassmen attended. “(The fair) is geared toward all students. (For freshmen), it might be intimidating to come their first semester… or there are upperclassmen just looking for some experience,” Program Assistant for Student Engagement Devan Kowalek said. “I think it gives them out-of-theclassroom experience and a chance to meet people not in their residence hall.”

Despite the sizeable turnout, the spring fair generally receives less attention than the one in the fall, College Union Board (CUB) Stud Chair and junior English major Natessa Mallalieu said.

As one of the more well-known clubs on campus, CUB typically collects 12 pages worth of interested students’ signatures during fall activity fairs, according to Mallalieu. This time, they received only about a quarter of that amount.

“With the midyear fair, you don’t get as many people because you’re inside,” Mallalieu said. “It should be a requirement for all freshmen and transfers to come here.”

Opinions / Page 11

passes away

By Sydney Shaw Managing Editor According to an email sent to College faculty, staff and students on Thursday, Feb. 11, alumnus Jeremy Wasserman died in his off-campus apartment in Ewing, N.J., on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

The cause of his death is still under investigation, pending further study by the medical examiner, according to the email.

Wasserman, a criminology major, graduated in December 2015. “(Jeremy) was an active member of student life at the college,” President R. Barbara Gitenstein wrote in the email announcing his death.

Originally from Pompton Lakes, N.J., Wasserman was a member of the College’s bowling team and a brother of Alpha Chi Rho (AXP), according to College spokesperson Dave Muha. According to the AXP website, Wasserman was tasked with incorporating safety and risk management-related precautions into AXP’s programs as the see GRIEF page 3

see FAIR page 5 Features / Page 17

Arts & Entertainment / Page 22

Sports / Page 32

‘Deadpool’ Review Hit movie lives up to the hype

Track Lions run in Valentine’s Day Invitational

See A&E page 23

See Sports page 32

page 2 The Signal February 17, 2016

CGC / Overcoming obstacles, new club thrives

Andrew Street / Social Media Editor

Members of the club often gather and compete in different tournaments. continued from page 1 abundance of paperwork required during the submission process.

“They would turn us away for a minor error in paperwork and make us go through the process again,” Vaughn said.

After months of redoing paperwork and submitting their application, the club joined the College’s list of official organizations, Faynor said.

Many people may ask, “Why is this a

club?” or “What are the members doing besides playing games?”

To this, Faynor has a simple answer.

“We are trying to build a community for TCNJ students to come play competitive games in a light and friendly atmosphere,” he said. The club aims to bring together students of all different demographics to share their love and passion for videogames, Faynor added.

To some, it may seem like simply playing a videogame, but there is a growing

community at the College that has bonded over its love to compete in these games.

The CGC’s competitions vary from games like “Dota 2” to “Super Smash Bros.,” and each tournament draws a crowd of passionate players looking to join in on the action.

Vaughn said there is something for everyone since the club puts great effort into listening to member suggestions and has formed numerous internal committees to organize specific events.

Freshman interactive multimedia and computer science double major Ryan Strenkowski recently stepped up and created the “Super Smash Bros. Melee” community, which plans and hosts all of those tournaments.

Certain tournaments, such as those for “League of Legends,” often take significant time and effort to organize, according to Vaughn. This is because of the effort needed to plan each event and ensure that they are properly supplied with equipment by students. In addition, the club’s partnership with Riot Games, the creators of “League of Legends,” allows them to make the prizes more worthwhile for students.

All of these moving parts seem to pay off in the end.

The impact of the club is evident in its tournament attendance, which averages between 40 and 50 students, according to senior interactive multimedia

major Jon Sofo.

According to Sofo, the club’s next event, which is open to all skill levels, is a tournament for the competitive card game, “HearthStone,” on Saturday, March 5. Due to the club’s open nature, new members are allowed to drop in to compete or even just to get a feel for the club.

For those who have dedicated their time to creating CGC, the club has become a significant part of their college experience. “(CGC) means a lot to me. I feel like it’s a bit of my legacy and I feel like I am going to come back and see that my time and effort went toward building a place for TCNJ gamers… to come to meet,” Vaughn said.

Like Vaughn, Faynor is proud of the club they have created together.

“In a way, it’s mine and Mitch’s baby,” he said. “We were the ones who got together in the beginning. It’s a labor of love and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but when events come out and everyone is having fun, it feels really great. It’s a very fulfilling feeling.”

They laugh together, play together and share their passions. The CGC was born out of its founding members’ love for games and their desire to share that love with others on campus.

Both Vaughn and Faynor are adamant that what they have created here will continue to grow and offer an environment for students at the College to play, be themselves and bond with fellow gamers.

SFB approves funding for annual Campus MovieFest

By Roderick Macioch Staff Writer

During its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Student Finance Board accepted proposals for several multicultural events, allowing for a potentially varied campus event calendar in the coming weeks.

The first student organization to present a proposal was TCNJ Saathiya, which is “a nationally ranked fusion dance team specializing in both modern and traditional dance,” according to the request form they presented.

The team asked for funding for transportation to competitions in Canada and South Carolina, as well as for costumes required for their performances in those competitions. In total, the group requested $6,760.60, more than 7 percent of SFB’s remaining budget for Special Appropriations. With the prospect of such a large investment, the board members were quick to scrutinize TCNJ Saathiya’s breakdown of expenses.

Ultimately, the board agreed that tabling the discussion would be the wisest course of action, in hopes that some cost-cutting could be achieved.

Representatives of the Student Film Union (SFU) entered to propose their plan for Campus MovieFest (CMF). As stated in SFU’s proposal, the event is “the world’s largest film festival and a premier outlet for the next generation of filmmakers, giving them the tools they need, such as camcorders and Apple laptops, to make movies in one week.” Thus, the event “fosters creativity, helps to build a community of filmmakers on campus and helps to create opportunities for networking for students interesting in pursuing a future career in television, film, public relations and business endeavors.”

The board unanimously voted to fully fund the event, in the amount of $13,800, most of which covers the event fee that pays for the equipment. The event will take place over several days in April. The finale will be held on Monday, April 18, in Mayo Concert Hall.

Medicine, Education and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere (MEDLIFE) then proposed A Taste of South America. Co-sponsored by Union Latina, the event seeks to “provide students the opportunity to be subjected to the foods of a different culture than our own,” according to the request form. Additionally, the event will give attention to issues of public health in South America and “spread the word about MEDLIFE and get people involved because MEDLIFE informs its volunteers about the health situations in third world countries and lets them travel to these places to do charitable work.”

In addition to food and information about MEDLIFE’s humanitarian efforts, the event will feature performances by two of the College’s a cappella groups iTunes and the TrebleMakers, as well as Ritmo Latina, the College’s traditional South American dance team.

When the time came to vote, the requested $4,718 was granted, which will pay for catering, supplies and decorations. The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 3, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Decker Social Space.

The Italian Club then requested funding for Una Serata Italiana (An Italian Evening), co-sponsored by the College’s Italian program.

This event “will introduce (the College’s student body) to the rich history of Italian music. It will also give them a sense of what popular music is in contemporary Italy,” according to the request form. Specifically, “the band I-Talians will sing Italian hit songs and present some history behind them. I-Talians is a band of Italian musicians.”

Noting that the event looked pretty straightforward and that the breakdown of expenses all seemed in order, full funding in the amount of $520.81 was granted. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Library Auditorium.

Black Student Union (BSU) requested funding for a lecture by Terrell L. Strayhorn — just one of the BSU events happening during Black History Month. Strayhorn is “a one of a kind speaker who uses personal rhetoric and academic research to decipher some of the issues that minority students face while in higher education,” according to the request form.

The lecture itself had previously been approved by the board in an email vote, so all that remained to be done was to approve the proposed reception to follow the lecture. According to BSU Treasurer Baldween Casseus, a sophomore business and marketing double major, holding a reception with Strayhorn immediately after the lecture will allow students to “have one-on-one interaction with Dr. Strayhorn, for those who feel intimidated about asking him questions in the concert hall.”

SFB Operations Director Tom Barr, a senior economics major, said that the reception would “make a good event better,” and the board agreed and voted to fully grant BSU’s request in the amount of $792. The event, catered by Sodexo, is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 23, in Mayo Concert Hall at an undetermined time.

The junior class council proposed the seventh annual TCNJ’s Got Talent. According to the request form, “the purpose of this event is to showcase the talents of TCNJ

David Colby / Staff Photographer

The board OKs plans for TCNJ’s Got Talent.

students. Student performers may represent different organizations, friend groups, classes, etc. All of these various groups will come together and unify to perform in front of other students, organizations, faculty and campus community members.”

The only topic of debate regarding the event was the amount of money that should be given away as prizes.

The board decided to reduce the amount of prize money that Student Government had originally planned to give, but otherwise kept the proposal intact and unanimously voted to approve the $1,026 of funding.

The final order of business was the Eurasia/Middle East Society (EME)’s Nowruz, a celebration of the Persian New Year. The event will provide “a unique opportunity to experience the music, food and art of the region that the media wrongly associates with conflict and violence. (The) event thus encourages the campus community to experience the region in a new way,” according to the request form.

A performance by Amir Vahab and his Ensemble, a group that performs traditional music of the region using authentic instruments, will be followed by dinner catered

by King Pita Palace and Cairo Cakes.

The board’s motion to fully fund the event was unanimously passed and the requested $5,165, which will cover the cost of things like the music, catering and flowers (an integral part of Nowruz), was granted.

The event will be held on Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in the Decker Social Space. *Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 3

Grief / College alumnus passes away suddenly

Wasserman remembered for ‘infectious smile,’ personality Campus Resources

Anti-Violence Initiatives: (609) 771-2272 Alcohol & Drug Education Program: (609) 771-2572 Campus Police Department: (609) 771 2345 Counseling & Psychological Services: (609) 771-2247 Dean of Students (609) 771-2201 Disability Support Services: (609) 771-3199 EEO/Title IX Complaints: (609) 771-3139 Residential Education & Housing: (609) 771-3455 Student Health Services: (609) 771-2889 TCNJ Clinic: (609) 771-2700 TCNJ Cares: 609-771-2273 Concerned about a friend? Submit a report at: sa.pages.tcnj.edu/student-of-concern or call (609) 771-CARE continued from page 1 risk management chair on the fraternity’s executive board.

Rabbi Akiva Greenbaum announced via Facebook that the Shabbat on Saturday, Feb. 13, would be dedicated to Wasserman.

“Together with students, faculty, family

and friends, we mourn the passing of a sweet and dear Jewish soul,” Greenbaum wrote in a post. “Jeremy Wasserman was a first class mentsch who inspired us with a sense of responsibility to help others.”

Wasserman’s friends also remember him as an overwhelmingly positive force in their lives.

“The TCNJ Club Bowling Team is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate,” said President James Napoli, a senior English and secondary education dual major. “Throughout his four years on the team, Jeremy was a dedicated student, competitor, e-board member, teammate and friend. His upbeat personality, sense of humor and infectious smile were constants at our practices and tournaments.”

Even those who didn’t know Wasserman too well were struck by his charisma.

“Each time I met him, he had a smile and we were able to exchange a few words,” said Mylin Batipps, a 2015 alumnus of the College. “I only met him three times… he was just so friendly and easygoing. He was lighthearted and didn’t take everything too seriously, which was something I admired.

“It says a lot that someone can leave such a lasting positive impression on you, even though that person has only been a part of your life for a few moments,” Batipps said.

The College first sent out an email and made phone calls announcing Wasserman’s death to faculty and students in the criminology department prior to sending out the campus-wide email announcement, according to Muha.

“The College, just generally as a practice, works to reach out to those who might have known the individual in order to give them a heads up and to offer support,” he said.

Gitenstein’s email detailed the resources the College has available for students and faculty struggling with this loss: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), TCNJ Clinic and TCNJ Campus Police, as well as the Employee Assistance Program for employees of the College.

“Staff members from Counseling and Psychological Services are reaching out to Jeremy’s roommates and friends,” Gitenstein wrote in her email. “If you are concerned about someone (students, staff or colleagues), please reach out to the resources above. It’s OK to ask for help.”

Wasserman is the second student from the campus community to die this year. Junior computer science major Daniel Thielke died by suicide on Saturday, Sept. 19.

In the aftermath of tragedies such as these, administrators at the College stress the importance of offering support to fellow students who may be struggling to cope.

“It is incredibly sad,” Muha said. “We lost somebody who just earned their degree a couple of months ago and was really at the beginning of their life with so many doors open to them. It’s a tragic loss.”

Galore of green vegetation garners police response

By Ellie Schuckman News Editor

• Campus Police were dispatched to Travers Hall on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 10:45 a.m. after two community advisors (CAs) found contraband in a student’s room during a fire drill, according to police reports. While conducting room safety inspections during the scheduled drill, the CAs discovered controlled dangerous substances and drug paraphernalia, according to Campus Police. The residents were not in the room when the safety inspection took place, police said. Campus Police entered the room and saw a one-liter plastic bottle partially filled with water created in a similar fashion to a water smoking bong.

Across the desk in plain view was an herb grinder containing green vegetation, believed to be marijuana, police said. Next to that was a Ball mason jar containing green vegetation. The CAs also found a 16-ounce plastic bottle with green vegetation in plain view on top of a desk by the window. No criminal charges were filed as the search was conducted without a warrant, according to police.

• On Sunday, Feb. 7, Campus Police responded to a call about an intoxicated individual in Wolfe Hall at 1:20 a.m., according to police reports. Upon arriving

on scene, police noted a male student sitting upright in bed with two other individuals around him. One was identified as the student’s roommate, who said he called because he found the student intoxicated and vomiting.

The intoxicated male said he had an unknown amount of whiskey. TCNJ EMS arrived and assessed the student before Ewing Township EMS came and transported him to the hospital. He was issued a summons for underage drinking, according to police.

• At 7:35 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7, a male arrived at Campus Police headquarters to report a stolen wallet. The man stated he was the owner of K Sound LLC and was helping to clean up after TCNJam when he noticed his missing wallet.

He said that at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 7, he placed the wallet on a speaker at the event and noticed it missing at 1:45 a.m. The wallet contained $300, multiple credit and debit cards as well as a few personal items, according to police. The credit cards were used at three locations in New York before the wallet was reported missing, police said.

• Campus Police were dispatched to Norsworthy Hall

on Monday, Feb. 8, after receiving a call about an intoxicated person. At 1:35 a.m., police arrived on-scene and discovered that the hallway floor outside of a student’s dorm room was covered with urine, Campus Police said.

Police opened the unsecured door and entered the room.

The floor inside the room was covered with urine as well, according to reports. Officers found a male student lying face down on his roommate’s bed. Vomit covered the corner of the mattress by his head and the floor below him, according to police.

The student slowly responded to officers calling his name and proceeded to admit he had consumed beer alone in his room. He was unable to provide more information, according to police. When the student spoke, the officer noted the smell of alcohol emanating from his breath.

TCNJ EMS arrived and instructed the student to sit up.

They, too, had difficulty obtaining personal information due to the level of intoxication, police said. TCNJ EMS determined he could stay in his room. Ewing Township EMS arrived, but left when the student refused transportation to the hospital. A summons was issued, police said.

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

College’s contract with Pepperidge Farm null for now

By Colleen Murphy Editor-in-Chief Goldfish, Pretzel Thins and Milano cookies are just some of the products that you will no longer find on campus in the near future. These, along with all other Pepperidge Farm products sold on campus, will not be shipped to the College due to regulatory issues, according to Patrice Mendes, Sodexo’s general manager at the College.

Sodexo had been purchasing directly from Pepperidge Farm and according to Mendes, like all companies that sell products on campus, Pepperidge Farm had to pass Sodexo’s strict requirements in order to have their products on campus.

“We have certain criteria for the vendors we use in all our locations. Approved vendors pass strict requirements, such as having a (hazard analysis and critical control points)-approved facility for production and delivery,” Mendes said. “It is not that

any aspects were not up to par, but rather that (Pepperidge Farm) had not yet begun the verification process as required to be approved (to be a vendor for Sodexo at the College). I would not want to imply the facilities are in any way substandard, as I do not believe they are. Completing the process allows us to verify and document that their facilities are in compliance.”

Bread is a staple in senior special education and women’s and gender studies double major Ashley Doctor’s diet, and she was quite frustrated to not find bread in the store until recently.

“I’m happy that Sodexo finally got replacements, but I think the response took too long and the lack of communication with the student body was unfair,” Doctor said. “I went into the (Convenience Store) C-Store and asked almost weekly what was happening to the delivery, but no one had any answers for me.”

According to Mendes, Sodexo does

Different brands of bread now sit on the C-Store shelves.

plan on bringing Pepperidge Farm products back to campus.

“We are working with our vendor to remedy this situation, and be assured they are as eager to return as we are to have them back. The process is not quick and requires verification of processes and inspections of facilities,” Mendes said.

Until the products return, Sodexo has found other companies from which

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

to buy products. Last week, bread from an approved provider found its return to C-Store shelves. On Monday, Feb. 15, cookies were scheduled to be delivered to replace the rows that Pepperidge Farm products once held.

While Mendes said that she is unsure of when Pepperidge Farm products will be approved to return to the College, she assures students that there will continue to be similar products available in the interim.

page 4 The Signal February 17, 2016

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 5

Fair / Clubs attract new members through event

continued from page 1

CUB’s general board welcomes newcomers to attend their meetings on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in the Decker Social Space, Mallalieu said.

Also at the fair was the Rebel Art Movement (RAM), a smaller organization that started last semester. This club was responsible for the Arter’s Market on Friday, Dec. 4, in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building’s courtyard.

During the Arter’s Market, members sold student, faculty and staff’s art and baked goods, according to sophomore graphic design major Zach Paige, who serves as RAM’s faculty liaison. They plan to put together another Market at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, according to Paige.

“We want to promote art on campus and make (the College) have a more artistic feel,” Paige said.

The club, which is meant for more than just art majors, is looking to really “shake things up,” co-President and sophomore fine arts major Kelly King said.

“The campus is pretty cookie-cutter. (Joining RAM) is a good way to get people to think differently,” King said.

RAM’s meetings are more sporadic and are only held

Keri Fitzpatrick / Staff Photographer

Students approach clubs’ tables and learn about what the organizations have to offer.

when necessary, according to co-President and sophomore fine arts major Molly Revie.

With such a wide array of values, interests and missions, it can be difficult for some students to pick just one of approximately 100 clubs that had a table at the fair. For sophomore communication studies major Jovia Ferris, this fair helped her branch out from the clubs she is already in and seek out new interests.

“Personally, I think (the fair) is a great way to showcase all the clubs and see what’s available,” Ferris said. “I think I can never be a part of too many organizations.”

For students like Mallalieu, joining clubs on campus is more than just a résumé builder or hobby. It is a way to find a place to belong in college.

“A college campus doesn’t start feel like home until (you) get involved on campus,” Mallalieu said.

SG members learn about new Rideshare app

Korean Student Association receives formal recognition

Kim Iannaronne / Photo Editor

SG members listen to Potter’s TCNJ Rideshare app presentation.

By Alyssa Sanford Web Editor

Brian Potter, a political science professor at the College and a member of the President’s Climate Commitment Committee (PC3), spoke at Student Government’s (SG) Wednesday, Feb. 10, general body meeting about green initiatives on campus, including a new ridesharing service exclusive to the College.

Because PC3 has identified that 80 percent of the College’s carbon emissions comes from energy usage on campus and the remaining 20 percent comes from commuting, the committee drafted the help of computer science majors from the College to design a ridesharing app called TCNJ Rideshare, available on Apple and Android devices.

“It’s like Uber, but it’s free and limited to the TCNJ community,” Potter said.

In order to use the service, students, faculty and staff create accounts using their College email addresses and then enter information about their cars if they wish to offer rides to people on campus. Those who need a ride may make a ride request and will be matched with a driver who is going to the same location, or two drivers can use the chat function to determine who will drive, Potter explained.

“We need a certain threshold of people to use (the app),” Potter said. “It doesn’t work if only three people are using it. Once we get up to hundreds of users, it’ll take off.”

When President R. Barbara Gitenstein signed the PC3 pledge in Spring 2007, she made a commitment to monitor the College’s carbon emissions. The ridesharing

app will calculate how significantly carbon emissions are reduced with each carpool, Potter said.

Although the service is free and those who request rides are not obligated to compensate their drivers, Potter pointed out some incentives to offer rides. For example, there are four designated spots in front of both Lots 5 and 7 that will be reserved for those who frequently offer rides for a month at a time.

Potter said that the service is intended for both commuters and residential students, but he doesn’t expect that it will compete with the Loop Bus service or Campus Town’s Enterprise Rent-a-Car service. As the Loop Bus follows “a fixed route” and Potter feels as though many students are not taking advantage of the Enterprise service on campus, he believes that TCNJ Rideshare can be extremely beneficial.

As for improved sustainability efforts on campus, Potter said that the College had prepared grants and proposals through the federal government for solar panels and window replacements to cut down on energy usage, but “that was pulled out from under us.” At this time, the cost to implement these changes is prohibitive, Potter said.

Potter also fielded questions about composting on campus. He acknowledged the Bonner Center’s monthly plate scraping initiatives and said that while a lot of food is wasted on a daily basis, “composting is not feasible for us money-wise” at present.

Prior to Potter’s presentation, the Korean Student Association came before the general body to seek formal SG recognition of their organization.

Previously, the Korean Student Association presented to Governmental Affairs (GA) on Nov. 8, 2015, and they voted unanimously in favor of the organization. The Korean Student Association needed SG recognition in order to secure funding from Student Finance Board (SFB) for events on campus, including a variety show.

At each meeting, members discuss current events in North Korea and South Korea, learn the Korean alphabet, as well as some common words and phrases, and break off into “families” that engage in conversations related to Korean culture, club representatives said.

A main concern among SG members was that the club wouldn’t be sustainable because the representatives were all seniors, but representatives assured the general body that three freshmen sit on the executive board and that there are many underclassmen involved in the club. Approximately 50 students belong to the Korean Student Association because the club is open to students of all backgrounds, representatives said.

After a lengthy debate, SG members overwhelmingly voted in favor of formally recognizing the Korean Student Association.

President Casey Dowling swore in the new speaker of the general assembly, Megan Vantslot, at the beginning of the meeting.

Darshak Vekaria, vice president of Academic Affairs, spoke about a proposal to the College’s provost Jacqueline Taylor about the extended library hours during finals week.

Although SFB granted funding for extended library hours for the last two semesters, SFB stipulated that SG could no longer use Student Activity Fee (SAF) funding because

those fees are intended for programming, not academic events, Dowling explained.

Dana Disarno, alternate student trustee, also mentioned that SG can’t ask for funding through the Office of Student Affairs because “we’re a very mindful campus” and to keep the library open 24/7 would be “promoting unhealthy living.”

The proposal would ask Taylor to include the cost of keeping the library open 24/7 in the budget so that SG doesn’t have to apply for SFB funding each semester. In addition, Vekaria proposes that the College seek an outside sponsor to fund the 24/7 library hours event.

Ceili Boles, vice president of Governmental Affairs, announced that the deadline for organizations to undergo constitutional review has passed. The clubs that didn’t respond to several email reminders from GA to update their constitutions will now have their Lion’s Gate accounts frozen and will not be able to book rooms or post flyers for events, Boles said.

“We really want to get these clubs back in action and functioning,” said Boles, who advised affected clubs and organizations to get in contact with Devan Kowalek, the program assistant for Student Engagement who manages the Lion’s Gate system, in order to take the appropriate next steps.

Later, junior class President Robert Kinloch announced that TCNJ’s Got Talent will be held on Wednesday, March 9, with further details forthcoming. In past years, the show was held in Kendall Hall.

Sophomore class president Kelsey Capestro said that the class will co-sponsor a blood drive with TCNJ EMS in the T/W Lounge on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 11 a.m.

Kim Iannaronne / Photo Editor

Students discuss library hours, constitutions and TCNJ’s Got Talent.

page 6 The Signal February 17, 2016

Center for Student Success

The Center was established to provide students with access to personalized coaching and advisement with the goal of strengthening their academic performance and promoting student retention. The staff is dedicated to the academic success and development of the whole student. CSS also houses targeted retention programs; the PRIDE Mentoring Program an the Male Empowerment Program.

Services Provided: Personalized Academic Coaching - Students can be coached on various academic success skills and techniques to

suit their individual needs. Academic coaching topic examples include; time management, effective reading and note-taking, test taking, academic motivation, and much more!

Supplemental Academic Advising - Serving as a supplement to the Departmental Academic Advisor, CSS can provide resources and support for students seeking guidance in areas such as course selection, transition and major exploration.

Extensive Academic Success Workshops - These workshops teach innovative academic strategies and techniques to assist students with their own unique challenges and experiences.

CSS Spring Workshop Series Wednesdays, 2:00pm-2:50pm, Roscoe West Hall Room 201 Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Effective & Efficient Reading

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Review/Recharge to Finish Semester Strong

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 Preparing for Finals & Test Taking

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Note Taking

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 Maximizing Advising and Registration

For more information on the content of these workshops, visit the CSS Lions Gate page.

CSS Peer Advising Coaches Not sure what questions to ask your advisor?

Want help navigating PAWS and departmental websites?

Need clarification on college policies and procedures?

CSS Peer Advising Coaches can help!

Helps students prepare for advising appointments (which supports faculty/staff-advisee relationships) Provides student-focused guidance for scheduling questions, researching programs, and policy/procedure clarification

Peer Advising Coaches will be available during peak advising/registration times!

(No Appointment Necessary!)

March 7 through April 15 Location: Roscoe West Hall Lobby PAC@tcnj.edu

pac.pages.tcnj.edu

Look for PAC-coordinated workshops and events throughout the semester!

Roscoe West Hall 131, 609-771-3452 Email: css@tcnj.edu, Website: css.tcnj.edu facebook.com/tcnjcss

@TCNJ_CSS

For more information on the PRIDE Mentoring Program: Email: mentor@tcnj.edu, Website: css.tcnj.edu/mentoring @TCNJ_PMP tcnj_pmp

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 7

New leadership group gives men a voice Members discuss men’s place in power-based violence

By Abigail Faith Correspondent There is a new group coming to the College and it is bringing something different to the discussion of powerbased violence: men. In a society where violence prevention is largely advocated for by women, the College’s Men’s Leadership Group is working to break down the walls of gender stereotypes and help men find their voice in a place where it is typically muted.

The Men’s Leadership Group was created in Fall 2014 after 2015 alumnus Chris Davis proposed the idea to Mark Woodford, a professor in the department of counselor education. According to Woodford, Davis was moved by a lecture on March 12, 2015, given by Jackson Katz, an anti-violence advocate who believes that violence against women is also a men’s issue.

Using his experience from coordinating the Circle of Compassion program, a group on campus in which members meet for lunch and discuss books that promote empathy, Woodford set out to create a judgement-free space for men to discuss ways to prevent power-based violence at the College.

“We wanted to make it an intergenerational discussion between people who identified as male and wanted to have a discussion about masculinity and leadership,” Woodford said. “Not laugh along with it, not remain silent, but stand up and create a pure culture where people were supporting being compassionate toward each other.”

At the same time that these ideas were being presented to Woodford, Michelle Gervasi, coordinator of Anti-Violence Initiatives on campus, noticed a deficit in male voices when it came to the subject of power-based violence.

Women, it seemed, were more dominant in the discussion, which left men to sit silently on the sidelines, Gervasi said.

“What we discovered is that we, typically in our prevention work — we had conversations that put men on the defensive,” Gervasi said.

Gervasi also spoke about the White House Task Force

to Protect Students from Sexual Assault launched by President Obama in 2014. After its conception, the Not Alone Report was released and focused on the idea that sexual assault is a large problem on college campuses.

The task force attempted to establish different ways to guide leaders in the community and, in turn, help bring down victimization rates.

“You can tell men what not to do, but you have to give them something healthy to move toward,” Gervasi said.

“It’s... about breaking down some of those gender stereotypes and allowing men to grow in a way that feels more consistent with being a human being as opposed to being a man with all of these societal expectations.”

— Michelle Gervasi

Anti-Violence Initiatives coordinator

Eventually, after receiving guidance from the White House, the Anti-Violence Initiatives and Circle of Compassion came together to create a meeting place for men.

Zach Gall, a co-facilitator of the group and a graduate student at the College, applauds the organization’s goals and feels passionately about his involvement.

“I’ve always felt kind of strongly that men aren’t

engaged the way that can be most effective in the field, and so I really wanted to be part of something where we were trying to do it differently,” Gall said.

Like Davis, Gall was deeply moved by Katz’s lecture, which drew about 400 people to Kendall Hall that spring. About one month after hearing him speak, Gall contacted Gervasi to learn about clinical positions in the Anti-Violence Initiatives.

Along with Woodford, Gall helps organize the lunches for the group meetings that happen on most Fridays in the Brower Student Center. The group plans to meet 11 or 12 times throughout the semester, Gall said. Anyone who identifies as a male is welcome to participate in the luncheons. Some weeks, however, they hope to include female members of different clubs on campus for a panel discussion atmosphere, where the two groups can discuss ideas and open the conversation to both genders, Gall said.

Brian Garsh, who graduated from the College in December 2015, is also a key player in the Men’s Leadership Group. His first experience with Anti-Violence Initiatives and Circle of Compassion came when he was asked to be in their “1 is 2 Many” public service announcement (PSA). Adapted from the White House’s own campaign, the PSA focuses on the disturbingly high rates of sexual assaults on college campuses. Garsh is a graduate assistant who helps with logistical planning, advertising and coordinating the lunches.

All of the leaders in the group are optimistic and hope that it will make a difference on campus while also giving men a safe space to speak freely about their role in preventing the spread of violence.

“I think it’s really important to note that this isn’t just about the prevention of power-based personal violence,” Gervasi said. “It’s also about breaking down some of those gender stereotypes and allowing men to grow in a way that feels more consistent with being a human being as opposed to being a man with all of these societal expectations.”

Damage to Chem Building, freshman towers also affected

Do you want your advertisement to be featured in The Signal?

Freshmen wait outside Wolfe Hall during the flood.

By Ellie Schuckman News Editor

Visit www.tcnjsignal.net/advertise for prices and information!

Or contact us for more details: signalad@tcnj.edu

Heading to class in the chemistry wing of the Science Complex? Think again. On Monday, Feb. 15, a break in a sprinkler line caused significant damage to the building, shutting down the basement, first and second floors, according to Dave Muha, spokesman for the College.

“To allow for cleanup and because of the lack of fire protection, classes in the chemistry wing have been canceled for (Feb. 15),” Muha said.

A remediation company was brought in for the cleanup, yet it may take a week to repair the damage, according to Muha. He noted that it is possible classes could resume in the building sooner, and that in the meantime, the Chemistry Department is working with Records and Registration to “adjust and reschedule classrooms” for students.

No one was hurt during the incident.

On the same day, Travers and Wolfe halls also suffered water damage as the result of a leak in a sprinkler line on the first floor near the front entrances, Muha said.

Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor

Student reports, however, state that a steam pipe burst, which resulted in water seeping into a room. The fire alarm was then triggered by the amount of steam in the room.

Around noon on Monday, Feb. 15, the leak flooded parts of the buildings. Approximately two dorm rooms in Travers and nine dorm rooms in Wolfe were flooded, along with sections of the hallways and main lobbies, Muha said.

Freshman psychology major Gigi Garrity said that the first floor of Wolfe had the most damage, but Travers was still affected.

“The worst (Travers) got in terms of flooding was on the high side of (floor) one.

Someone’s room had to be cleared out,” Garrity said.

According to student reports, the computer system in the Wolfe Hall Main Office was also down as a result of the flooding.

Building Services worked to clean up the affected areas, while Residential Education worked to coordinate and document damage to the students’ rooms.

“I wanna thank the custodial staff for coming to our rescue so quickly. They deserve nothing but praise,” Garrity said.

page 8 The Signal February 17, 2016

Nation & W rld

Taiwan earthquake causes massive damage

AP Photo

A Taiwanese rescue worker scans the damage.

By Jahnvi Upreti Staff Writer

On the morning of Saturday, Feb. 6, Taiwanese citizens watched in horror as the ground shook beneath them and the 17-story Wei-guan Golden Dragon building collapsed to the ground, CCTV America reported. The collapse of the huge

building took place in Taiwan’s oldest city, Tainan, located in the southern part of the country. At least 38 people were killed in Tainan and over 150 are currently missing — they are presumed to be buried under the rubble or dead. There were two deaths reported outside Tainan. Among the people missing, CNN reported that dozens of them are children.

The Taiwanese government is currently investigating the circumstances regarding the collapse of the Wei-guan complex. Following its collapse, Taiwanese citizens have noted its weak infrastructure, with “witnesses (even describing) materials such as tin cans and plastic foam spilling from the building’s concrete columns as it crumbled,” TIME reported. Lin Minghui, the developer of the complex, went missing following the collapse of his building. He was swiftly located and arrested by Taiwanese police on Monday, Feb. 8. According to a Tainan official, Minghui has “record of dubious business transactions,” CNN reported.

This earthquake was particularly devastating not just in its magnitude, but also because it cast a dark shadow over Taiwan’s most important celebration of the year: Lunar New Year. “Imagine something like this happening during a major

holiday, like Thanksgiving or Christmas,” one Taiwanese citizen reported to CBS. The new year officially started on Monday, Feb. 8, but celebrations were put on hold. President Ma Ying-jeou and President-elect Tsai Ing-wen canceled the traditional handing out of envelopes of cash in their hometowns, CBS reported.

Tensions have risen among families, relatives and friends who still have loved ones missing as they demand answers from the rescue teams, according to CBS. With helicopters flying and volunteers pouring into the city, all anyone can do is wait and see.

The earthquake was measured at a 6.4 on the Richter magnitude scale, CNN reported. Though the measurement is rather high, the quake was shallow and the damage was not extensive. Taiwan has experienced more disastrous earthquakes before, including an earthquake with a 7.6 magnitude in 1999, CBS reported.

Despite the current unfortunate circumstances, Taiwanese citizens still plan to go forth with their celebrations, hoping to reverse their luck from the earthquake and enter the new year with a resilient spirit.

Federal Reserve chair recommends caution

By Roman Orsini Staff Writer

In a monetary policy report to Congress on Thursday, Feb. 11, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen imparted a more cautionary tone than she had in some of her previous meetings, outlining several factors opposed to continued economic growth.

Since the central bank raised interest rates in December 2015, its first such move since 2006, equity markets around the world have been rattled by losses.

According to CNN, over a trillion dollars was lost in the U.S. stock market by Sunday, Jan. 17, due to a series of selloffs that have persisted into February.

Just as Yellen delivered her testimony, precipitous falls in stocks sent international investors scrambling to purchase gold bullion in record numbers, according to the Telegraph, as a bulwark against any global financial crisis.

The main sources of difficulty, Yellen cited, arise from weak foreign trade and volatile equity markets, stemming from China in particular. Yellen signaled that economic expansion in the United

States may be subject to downturns internationally, given the increased interdependence of global financial markets and trade.

The slump in oil and commodity prices has depressed growth in many developing countries, lessening the demand for U.S. exports, according to Bloomberg. The rebounded strength of the dollar, relative to other currencies, has also made American goods less competitive for international trade, reducing net exports.

For these factors, the U.S. gross domestic product only grew at a rate of 0.75 percent last quarter. Financial markets are also experiencing greater dealings in higherrisk assets to investors demanding higher returns, given the uncertain environment.

CNBC reported that analysts from Citigroup, a large investment bank, warned that the global economy was on a death spiral due to a stronger dollar, reduced international trade and weaker growth in China and developing countries — many of the same causes Yellen described.

Indeed, a crisis of confidence within the banking sector has been a major impediment to a more boisterous, nonfinancial, economic growth in the years

since the last crisis. It took almost a decade of loose monetary policy by the Federal Reserve and other central banks aimed at expanding credit to support greater investment and a ultimately recovery. While short-term rallies in stocks have, until recently, been a mainstay of the Fed’s credit expansion, little can be demonstrated in terms of real economic growth.

By nearly all measures, the years since the financial crisis represent the worst economic recovery after a recession, compared to the last eight recessions since 1960, according to CNBC. Domestic commercial banks have kept a combined two trillion dollars dormant by purchasing safe assets, such as U.S. bonds, instead of engaging in lending or investment, according to Bloomberg.

Foreign banks have also been less keen on lending, instead shoring up their reserves with government bonds.

Governments are increasingly responding with negative interest rate bonds, which make the buyer pay a rate just to lend his money with the government.

Central banks in Europe and Japan have begun to apply negative interest rates to

Yellen talks monetary policy.

AP Photo

their shorter-term bonds, the idea being to disincentivize banks from hoarding their cash by charging them instead of paying them interest.

Many perceive such a move as a sign of desperation by central bankers, who have used up their available tools to improve conditions. Yellen, however, when asked about the possibility of negative interest rates in the U.S., said, “it is something we will look at,” according to the New York Times.

Einstein’s century-old theory is confirmed

AP Photo

Scientists announce what they’ve heard and observed.

By Jennifer Goetz Nation & World Editor

Scientists confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 11, that they heard and recorded two black holes colliding together, according to the New York Times. Using tools such as lasers and mirrors, according to National Geographic, scientists have been able to

“directly observe gravitational waves,” or “a wrinkle of time in the space time continuum.” This discovery supports the last aspect of Einstein’s theory of relativity, the New York Times reported.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) listened to two colliding black holes, one 36 times larger and the other 29 times greater than

our sun’s mass, that are thought to be 1.3 billion light years away, according to the New York Times.

These two “L-shaped antennas” (located in Washington and Louisiana) vibrated from the force of these gravitational waves and reached a pitch of a high C before suddenly stopping. The sound was nothing more than a “chirp” in space, the New York Times reported.

“We have detected gravitational waves,” David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO project, told journalists in Washington, D.C., at a news conference, according to BBC. “It’s the first time the universe has spoken to us in gravitational waves,” Reitze said according to National Geographic. Both of these antennas needed to vibrate at the same time in order to be considered a gravitational wave.

Einstein first predicted the presence of gravitational waves

in 1916. They are only produced after extreme events, such as the collision of two black holes, National Geographic reported. They are violent enough to warp space and cause it to expand and contract. The New York Times reported that Einstein’s theory managed to change the way scientists view the universe — as something that can be morphed and changed when an event such as this occurs.

Black holes are, according to National Geographic, regions of “intensely curved bottomless spacetime.” They are so dense that the gravity they emit traps nearly everything in sight, including light. Alan Weinstein, a leader of LIGO at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), describes a black hole as a “kind of roiling mess of curved space, rapidly changing.”

These two black holes spiralled

out of control until they eventually collided with each other, National Geographic reported.

The three scientists that have been leaders in the LIGO project are Kip Thorne of Caltech, Rainer Weiss of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ronald Drever, formerly of Caltech and now retired in Scotland.

“We are not only going to be seeing the universe, we are going to be listening to it,” said Gabriela Gonzalez of Louisiana State University, a spokesperson of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, according to National Geographic.

BBC reported that this research was published on Thursday, Feb. 11, in the Physical Review letter, a peer-reviewed, scientific journal with more than 1,000 authors. BBC also reported that this discovery could potentially win these scientists a Nobel prize.

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 9

Editorial

Valentine’s Day should celebrate all forms of love

At the College, students can see Valentine’s Day coming from a mile away. Cupcake grams from She’s the First went on sale, alongside a slew of other treats that other organizations sold for students to buy for their Valentines. There were a number of Valentine’s Day dances and concerts throughout the week. Ink hosted a coffeehouse on Friday, Feb. 12, to celebrate the holiday. From the comfort of campus, students could purchase roses, carnations, cards and boxes of chocolate wrapped in pink paper. They could even send loved ones a personalized singing gram.

While there is never a shortage of February festivities, this might be a lonely time of year for students who didn’t have a special someone to share the couple-centric holiday with. For those individuals, my word of advice is this: The idea that Valentine’s Day is only meant to celebrate romantic love is as dead as Saint Valentine himself.

I’m not suggesting that students in relationships ignore their significant others to go out with their friends next Feb. 14, but rather reminding them that there are so many people in our lives who might not always receive the appreciation they deserve, whether it be parents, siblings, friends, and yes, significant others. But whether or not you are in a relationship, use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to shower all the people you love with some extra affection.

And if you’re not in a relationship, that’s just as well. If you don’t have a significant other to whom to send chocolates, send your best friend a candy gram. If there is nobody around to cook you a candlelit dinner next year, just do what I did this Sunday, Feb. 14: splurge at a fancy restaurant with your housemates and watch as many rom-coms together as you can when you get home. If you can make it through the other 364 days of the year solo, Valentine’s Day should be no different.

Most importantly, though, on this day meant to celebrate love, don’t forget to love yourself first. Your relationship with yourself is the most paramount one you’ll ever have, so feel free to spend next Valentine’s Day doing something special just for you. Put on your favorite music and spend a relaxing night in. Order your favorite food and watch your favorite movie. I’d call it a “non-traditional” holiday celebration, but ultimately, there is no “correct” way to spend Valentine’s Day. Every Valentine’s Day from here on out, remember that there is no need to wear black in protest of the lovers’ holiday, even if you’re single. Deck yourself out in shades of red and pink and celebrate love in all its beautiful forms — romantic love, familial love, friend love and self love.

— Sydney Shaw Managing Editor

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

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

AP Photo

Valentine’s Day is usually only associated with romantic love, but it should also be an opportunity to celebrate self love, friend love and other forms of love.

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

Editorial Staff Colleen Murphy Editor-in-Chief murphc16@tcnj.edu Sydney Shaw Managing Editor shaws4@tcnj.edu Ellie Schuckman Chelsea LoCascio News Editors schucke1@tcnj.edu locascc1@tcnj.edu Michael Battista Jessica Ganga Sports Editors battism3@tcnj.edu gangaj1@tcnj.edu Elise Schoening Features Editor schoene1@tcnj.edu Kimberly Ilkowski Arts & Entertainment Editor ilkowsk1@tcnj.edu Thomas Ballard Opinions Editor ballart1@tcnj.edu Kim Iannarone Photo Editor iannark1@tcnj.edu

Mailing Address: The Signal c/o Forcina Hall The College of New Jersey P.O. Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 Jennifer Goetz Nation & World Editor goetzj1@tcnj.edu Jackie Delaney Review Editor delanej2@tcnj.edu Sean Reis Production Manager reiss2@tcnj.edu Alyssa Sanford Web Editor sanfora1@tcnj.edu Andrew Street Connor Smith Social Media Editors streeta1@tcnj.edu smithc57@tcnj.edu

Emilie Lounsberry Advisor lounsber@tcnj.edu Ricky Zhao Business/Ad Manager zhaof1@tcnj.edu

In last week’s issue, we incorrectly reported that TCNJ Epcot stood for “TCNJ Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,” the acronym Disney uses for its version of EPCOT. According to Student Government’s Vice President of Equity and Diversity Priscilla Nunez, TCNJ Epcot is not an acronym, but rather the event name stands alone.

Quotes of the Week “A college campus doesn’t start to feel like home until (you) get involved on campus.”

— Natessa Mallalieu, College Union Board stud chair

“We really control our own destiny, which is a great feeling... we want to do everything possible to play as long as possible.”

— Nick Alaimo, junior guard on men’s basketball team

page 10 The Signal February 17, 2016

Spring 2016 Career & Internship Day Friday, February 26th, 2016 Rec Center 9AM– 2PM Sampling of Employer Representatives

Profit ADP Aerotek Allstate Insurance Appraisal Economics AroundCampus Group ASRC Federal Mission B-Fair Tutoring Bank of America Bayada Home Health Care Billtrust Blinds to Go Breakaway Technologies Bristol-Myers Squibb Brown + Brown Burlington Stores C&A Financial Group CBIZ Valuation Group CDW Cenlar FSB Cintas Corp.

CIT Group Cohn Reznick Deloitte Dodge Data & Analytics Doka USA Dungarvin Enterprise Holdings ESF Summer Camps Excellis Health Solutions EY Fastenal FDM Group Ferguson Enterprises Fitness + Wellness Professional Services Foresters Financial Fortren Funding Grant Thornton Guardian Life Insurance HCS iCIMS Inductotherm Corp Innovative Wealth Partners Insight Global Johnson & Johnson JP Morgan Chase Kelmar Associates Konica Minolta

KPMG LLP LG Electronics LGS Innovations LifeCell Little Kicks Soccer Local Wisdom Martin Insurance Group Maser Consulting McAdam Financially Advanced MCC Warwick Family Services McCann Health McMahon Associates Merck Metlife Premier Client Group of NJ Michael J. Hennessy Associates MPI Munich Re America New Jersey 101.5 New York Life News America Marketing Northwestern Mutual Omicron Development Patriot Energy Group PEF Services LLC PFP Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) Princeton Partners Inc. Prudential Prudential Advisors R3M Engineering, Inc. Robert Half S&P Ratings Schneider Electric SHI International Corp Simon & Schuster Six Flags Adventure SMC Corporation Sordoni Construction Company Staples Stewart Business Systems Sunhillo Corporation T&M Associates Target Tekmark Global Solutions TFS Wealth Management Mercadien Group The Sherwin-Williams Company The Whiting-Turner Contracting

Under Construction Builders UPS Urban Engineers US Foods Vastek Group Verizon Wireless Vivant Waddell & Reed, Financial Advisors Walgreens Weidel Real Estate Wilkin and Guttenplan WithumSmith+Brown Workwave Non-Profit AmericCorps Bonnie Brae City Year Cooper’s Ferry Partnership Educational Testing Service Electrochemical Society Enable, Inc. Rise 1A Community Service Partnership Save Barnegat Bay The ARC Mercer Washington Center Womanspace Government Abington Township Police Navair NJ Department of Agriculture Peace Corps Pennsylvania State Police Philadelphia Police Department Prince George’s County Police Department U.S. Air Force U.S. Army, ARDEC U.S. DEA U.S. Federal Air Marshals U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission

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

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 11

Opinions

Rubio is the most viable Republican candidate

AP Photo

Marco Rubio has the best chance at getting the Republican party’s nomination.

By Paul Mulholland Since the modern primary system was introduced, no Republican has ever been nominated without winning in either Iowa or New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Primary uses a proportional system with a 10 percent threshold, with all remaining votes being awarded to the overall winner. Businessman Donald Trump won overall with 10 of the 23 delegates. John Kasich, current governor of Ohio, received four, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Senator Marco Rubio each won three. Keep in mind that Cruz won the Iowa caucuses earlier this month. If history is any indicator, the Republican nominee will either be Cruz or Trump, the two “non-establishment” candidates.

But history is no indicator this time around. Rubio will be winning the nomination.

The Iowa and New Hampshire contests award few delegates, which means mathematically speaking, any candidate still in the race could win.

Iowa and New Hampshire combined awarded 53 of the 2,472 delegates at the Republican National Convention, or about 2.1 percent. However, these two early contests signal to voters which candidates are viable and which ones are not. They encourage consolidation of similar voters (and donors) behind one candidate and abandon ideologically similar rivals, a form of strategic voting (or donating).

Republicans who want to win the general election will push for Rubio, despite his “robo-Rubio”

moment in the ABC debate from Saturday, Feb. 6, during which he repeated the same line several times about President Barack Obama deliberately ruining America, even after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had called him out on it. All candidates rehearse segments for debates — he just got caught doing it.

Rubio, Bush and Kasich are all from strategic swing states (the latter from Ohio, while the two former are from Florida), and the Republicans need all the help they can get in the electoral college, since they can still easily lose while winning Ohio and Florida. However, polls from RealClearPolitics, a Chicago based polling aggregator, show that Rubio is more popular than Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on the national level, something neither Bush nor Kasich can say.

Rubio is also Latino, a demographic that traditionally leans Democratic, and more moderate than Cruz, the only other Latino in the race. The only thing that might hold Rubio up is the fact that, according to an article from the New York Times from Monday, Feb. 1, pro-Bush super political action committees (PACs) have raised four times as much money as Rubio PACs. The issue with this observation is that the Rubio campaign has raised nearly as much money as the Bush campaign — between $29 million and $31 million — implying that Bush’s PACs have been raising money from large donors. This means that Bush’s money does not imply wide popularity and it is unlikely to make him popular.

One also might say that Cruz

and Trump will just split the “anti-establishment” vote and leave Rubio to rise late. But this is an oversimplification. Although Cruz and Trump supporters overlap somewhat, they largely represent different demographics.

If Cruz and Trump were in a great conflict over the same voters, it would be hard to explain why they both did so well in Iowa and New Hampshire.

According to a Washington Post article from Tuesday, Dec. 15, Trump’s base is men who have little education and little money.

He has the largest gender gap of any candidate, with a margin of 19 percent separating male and female supporters. According to the same article, he is mostly popular with whites, he maintains decent support among black Republicans, but is unsurprisingly unpopular with Latinos.

Trump’s campaign of hypermasculinity is a caricature

of itself. Appeals to “Make America Great Again” by economic protectionism and military spending appeals to men who feel left behind in a globalized economy and really want to be “Great Again” themselves. Among men, Trump is particularly popular with those making less than $50,000 a year and without a college degree.

Republicans without a degree are 13 percent more likely to support Trump than those with a degree, the largest gap of any Republican candidate. Educated male Republicans generally support other candidates, such as Rubio or Cruz — not because they are smarter and know more things, but because they gain economically from competing with less capital-intensive countries, while uneducated men lose by competing with laborintensive countries.

Trump appeals to the sense of competition that uneducated white men feel toward foreign labor and their sense of envy toward educated or wealthy white men. The fact that Trump is rich makes this even better. He is their man on the inside and cannot be bribed by special interests. And of course, no discussion of Trump’s appeal is complete without mentioning political correctness, but that is too broad of an issue for this article alone.

Cruz, on the other hand, is more popular with women, older voters, evangelicals and people who emphasize social issues over economic ones. Cruz’s base is those who are very socially conservative, whereas Trump does better with moderates and independents. If these two candidates are not splitting the vote, then the “establishment”

had better figure out who they are falling in with, and quick, since “Super Tuesday” is on Tuesday, March 1. On this day, 565 delegates of the 2,472 are awarded for the GOP and four of the states holding primaries that day have proportional systems with a 20 percent cut off, meaning that any candidate that does not receive at least 20 percent vote is counted as receiving zero percent. If the Republican field is not reduced to three or fewer candidates by then, it will be afterwards.

Rubio, the most viable “establishment” candidate and the most viable GOP presidential candidate overall, has appeal with moderates and strategic voters who care about winning in November. Rubio has the most to gain from a narrowing field, as most of the voters who support Bush, Kasich and Christie will likely flow to him. Many young men and moderates who support Trump may vote for Rubio, as well, when they realize Trump is very unlikely to win the general election. Cruz appeals to a minority of Republicans and cannot win on a purist agenda.

Rubio’s robo-Rubio gaffe will fade because people have short attention spans when it comes to these sorts of things. Most events that a candidate holds on the campaign trail are not broadcasted, so they can get away with repeating the same lines over and over and over. Rubio forgot that national debates are different, but his strong performance at the debate on the Saturday, Feb. 13, demonstrated that he will not forget again.

Ultimately, the Republicans must favor electability over all else. Rubio gives them their best chance to win.

The GOP convention this summer will come down to a close competition.

AP Photo

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

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

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

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

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

page 12 The Signal February 17, 2016

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 13

Students share opinions around campus Is Rubio a viable choice? Should puppy mills be illegal? “(Rubio) is a bit too extreme to be president... I think someone such as John Kasich is a better fit for the job.”

Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor

“Yes... It’s just not right.”

Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor

Owen Kaiser, freshman history and secondary education dual major.

Jayson Speran, junior psychology major.

“I have mixed feelings with Marco Rubio... I disagree (with him) on a number of issues.”

“No... (I think) it’s up to the people to decide... (but puppy mills) should be kept in check with more standards.”

Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor

Tom Ballard / Opinions Editor

Brenden Edgeworth, freshman psychology major.

Matt Velzy, junior statistics major.

The Signal asks...

Describe the 2016 presidential race in one word.

Owen: “(A) circus.”

Brenden: “Bizarre.”

Jayson: “Chaotic.”

Matt: “Stalemate.”

Rob Birnbohm / Cartoonist

In the 2016 presidential primaries, Donald Trump sets out to ‘trump’ his competitors.

page 14 The Signal February 17, 2016

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 15

Public must stand up to abusive puppy mills

By Alyssa Gautieri

Anyone who walks into a local pet store will find it easy to fall in love with the beautiful, sweet, little puppies. Yet people fail to realize that around 90 percent of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills, according to paws. org, an organization dedicated to helping animals. Animal adoption should be favored, while puppy store shopping should be rejected. The world deserves to know the truth about the horrors of where their pet store puppy came from.

Puppy mills are dog breeding facilities that mass produce dogs for high profits while forcing dogs to withstand shockingly cruel conditions. For years, organizations such as The Puppy Mill Project or National Puppy Mill Project have been trying to spread awareness of these horrors, but some people have refused to listen.

Puppies that grow up in puppy mills are not touched or played with during their time there. They are denied basic rights of cleanliness, as well. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), puppies are separated from their mothers at a young age, so they receive little social interaction. Because they are not taught behavioral and social skills, some dogs grow up to be violent, shy, aggressive, scared or anxious. Most of these puppies avoid human eye contact and shake and cry at the sight of a hand reaching to pet them.

According to the National Puppy Mill Project, the treatment of the dogs at the mill is dismal to say the least.

Most of the puppies born at puppy mills do not receive any medical treatment. Instead, if they are unhealthy, they are either euthanized or given to animal shelters. Puppy mills are all about profit and mass production, so they do not bother to give care to unhealthy animals.

Despite this, puppies from puppy mills are lucky in comparison to their parents. The mothers are kept pregnant and endure litter after litter with no proper veterinarian care. If a cesarean section is necessary, most mill workers will perform the procedure themselves without any anesthesia. Also, mill owners often try to hide how many dogs they have from neighbors so they cruelly debark them, or remove areas of the dog’s tissue from their vocal

AP Photo

Puppies in puppy mills often live in harsh conditions and are bred to be sold to pet stores. folds using a tool, such as a scissor.

Facilities often have no free running water, so the dogs are forced to drink from tubes, such as a hamster feeder. When puppy mills are raided, dogs are often found with dirty and rotten teeth, sometimes to the point of having rotten jaws.

In order to minimize feces buildup in cages, dogs often live in cages where floors are made of wire. The floors cause animals to receive serious damage to their paws and legs. These injuries, if overlooked, can lead to infection. In addition, the cages are often stacked on top of one another to maximize space. When not cramped indoors with no sunlight, the puppies are kept completely outside where they are forced to endure all weather conditions.

Shockingly, puppy mills are not illegal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is supposed to monitor and inspect kennels to ensure that they are not violating the housing standards of the Animal Welfare Act. Yet even some mills that are regulated by the Animal Welfare Act are still considered inhumane. Under the act, it is legal to keep dogs in small, wired and stacked cages for the entirety of the dogs’ lives. But according to The Humane Society of the United States, there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills in the United States and fewer than 3,000 of them are actually regulated by the USDA. For the USDA, regulating puppy mills is a low priority because of the cost and time consumption. Before a mill

is raided, officials must obtain warrants. Once a mill is raided, the dogs need to be provided expensive health care and need to be found homes on short notice. According to the ASPCA, there can be anywhere from 10 to 10,000 dogs in a puppy mill.

When consumers shop online or at pet stores, they give breeders the capacity to continue raising powerless puppies in unsanitary conditions.

Every day, puppy mills are raided and more dogs are put up for adoption at shelters. While puppy mills are mass producing puppies for exorbitant profits, shelters are overcrowded with dogs searching for love.

With adoption, buyers know what they are purchasing because they are able to track where the animal came from, whereas puppy stores try to allude (to the few customers that bother to ask) that their animals come from reliable breeders.

When choosing a new pet, buyers have the power to change how dogs of the future will be treated. For the puppy mills that continue to be overlooked by the government, buyers are supporting the cruelty and pain that breeders inflict onto dogs whenever they shop at pet stores. If the public would stop buying pets from pet stores, the puppy millers would be forced to stop breeding. The power is in the hands of the public to put an end to this cruelty. Adopt, don’t shop.

Scalia’s seat should be filled as soon as possible

By Tom Ballard Opinions Editor On Saturday, Feb. 13, the country was rocked with the news of the death of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. After a few moments of shock and the words “breaking news” being painted across the screen of most major news networks, the coverage began to get political — really political. Anchors and commentators quickly gelled over who Scalia was as a judge and a man to ponder who his replacement will be on the nation’s highest court. The fact that this year is an election year has led some, mainly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to say that President Barack Obama should leave the seat vacant for the next president to nominate a potential replacement, according to a Washington Times article from Saturday,

Feb. 13. However, it is the obligation of the current president to fill the vacant seat, and President Obama should do all in his abilities to fill the seat as soon as possible.

Article II, section two of the U.S. Constitution affords the president the right to name justices to the Supreme Court. “(The President) shall have power…,” the section reads, “(to) nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint… judges of the Supreme Court.”

It is the president’s constitutional right and duty to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat regardless of how much time is left on their term. It is also, as the section shows, the constitutional right and duty of the U.S. Senate, the body in which McConnell serves, to vet and approve or reject any nominee that the president sets forth. Regardless, according to the same Washington Times article, McConnell said in a statement that “the American people

AP Photo

Vacant seats on the Supreme Court should be filled as soon as possible.

should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president,” and, as McConnell hopes, a Republican one.

The fact of the matter is that it will be no easy task for the Democratic president to get a Supreme Court nominee through a Senate that is firmly under Republican control. According to Congressional records, the last time a president had to nominate a member for the Supreme Court while the Senate was controlled by the opposite political party was President George H. W. Bush, a Republican, who nominated Clarence Thomas while the Senate was under a firm Democratic majority of 56-44. Thomas’s nomination barely squeaked by in the Senate, passing with a 52-48 vote to succeed Thurgood Marshall as a justice on the Court.

McConnell is hoping, as many Republicans are, for the 45th President of the United States to be a Republican. This would clearly make the nomination and approval process more painless while also most likely assuring that a conservative justice, one whose views are aligned with the common views of the Republican party, gets to serve on the Court until their death or retirement.

As an American and a registered Republican, I find the view that we can “delay, delay, delay (nomination of a Supreme Court justice),” as Donald Trump said in a recent debate, according to a Washington Post article from Saturday, Feb. 13, to be repulsive, and quite frankly, unAmerican. The courts were not established to be a political entity, but one that can keep the legislative and executive branches of government in balance. According to a

USA Today article from Sunday, Feb. 14, the Supreme Court currently faces a heavy course load, including cases that deal with issues such as abortion, affirmative action and voting rights. The vacant seat should be filled with another justice — a person who can offer insight and reasoning into these cases — as soon as possible to ensure that the Court is making the right decisions for the American people.

Perhaps being a person who was born and raised in New Jersey, one of only 12 states that, according to the American Bar Association, does not have any form of popular elections to choose State Supreme Court Justices, the idea of having people play a role in selecting judges, especially the most powerful judges, seems foreign.

Regardless, the pressure of having the potential party nominees for president use one of the most important jobs that a president has, the nominations of Supreme Court justices, seems to undermine the significance of that role while turning the situation into a political-sideshow in which candidates might be expected to paradearound who their nominee would be if they became president.

The Supreme Court is not supposed to be a body mucked-down in political meddling, but one that is meant to use logic and reasoning in interpreting the Constitution so that the rights of Americans, and their government, can be protected. If President Obama plans on replacing Justice Scalia in his term, as an article from CNN from Sunday, Feb. 14, reports that he does, he should nominate a person who is seen as impartial or moderate on political issues and who will act as an enlightened jurist that would place the well-being of our country above politics.

page 16 The Signal February 17, 2016

Did you know that The Signal is active on social media?

Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on breaking news: @tcnjsignal

Like us on Facebook to find out about campus events: /TCNJSignal

Follow us on Instagram for more! Stay tuned for upcoming Q&A’s with The Signal editors! @tcnjsignal

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 17

Features

Speech / Black Monologues highlight diversity Students and staff members share their stories

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Students take the stage to open up about experiences.

continued from page 1

While there may have been a shortage of seats at the monologues, there was certainly no shortage of speakers. A total of 16 performers braved the ever-growing crowd before them to speak candidly about their experiences with race. The event also included a special musical performance from the Gospel United Ministries

during intermission.

All the speakers recited either original poems or essays. The Library Auditorium proved to be an intimate setting for these brave speakers to share their personal stories.

In a powerful slam poem, freshman psychology major Sabrina McIntosh shared her thoughts on being a black woman: “Who said black isn’t great?

Black won’t leave you. Black is there when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. Black is beauty. Black is grace.”

McIntosh also acknowledged the adversity that Black Americans face.

“Black has others following you around the store. Black has cameras on sight. Black moves people away from you on the street. Black keeps you calm while talking to the police,” McIntosh said. “Black defines you before you know you, before you can get a job and as simple as that, takes it away. Yet we still love our black.”

In the midst of student speakers, two faculty members came forward to share their perspective on the black experience. Assistant Director of Financial Aid Dionne Hallback and Residential Director Marvin Carter each recited their own original poems.

“Sometimes I just want to walk without being a threat. No offense, but I don’t want anything you have to offer and I can’t apologize for blending in with the

night,” Carter said. “I can’t relinquish my skin ‘cause it’s burned on me… I’m built black from the soil of this land and yet my own country doesn’t understand.”

Each performance offered a different take on the hardships that come with carrying a darker skin tone. Whether a speaker chose to deliver an original poem or essay, all were met with a rousing round of applause from the audience and rewarded for taking the time to share their stories.

“This event is important because I feel that it has and will continue to foster a greater appreciation for diversity on this campus,” Casseus said. “As students, we are often so caught up in our own lives that we rarely take the time to interact with people outside of our immediate social circles. The monologues gave students a window into the lives of people that generally they might have never taken the time to get to know.”

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

BSU is currently celebrating Black History Month.

Gamers gear up for annual Global Game Jam

By George Tatoris Sports Assistant

After only one week of classes, sophomore interactive multimedia major Evan Jones found himself inside the Arts and Interactive Multimedia (AIMM) building at 6:00 a.m., working industriously in front of a computer monitor.

He wasn’t there to study or to do a project — he was there to participate in the Global Game Jam (GGJ), a 48-hour video game-making marathon hosted at different sites around the world, from New Zealand to Hawaii. It is the largest game jam in the world.

In game jams, participants called “jammers” must create an original game focused on a given theme within 48 hours.

The College has been a part of the Game Jam world since 2009, when a group of students organized a trip to the Philly Game Jam and returned with two awards. One team, TCNJ Yellow, came back from the trip with the “Most Innovative Game” and “Best Adherence to Theme” awards.

Since then, students organized two more trips to the Philly Game Jam — one in 2011 and another in 2012. In 2014, the College became a site for GGJ, offering the services of the Arts and Interactive Multimedia Building to local jammers.

The theme for this year’s GGJ was “ritual.”

“I saw it as a chance to improve my skills in a stressed environment and to emulate what it would be like to work on a team,” said Jones, who has made games both for classes and on his own in the past.

In 2012, the College’s team, again

AP Photo

The 48-hour video game-making marathon is held in the AIMM building. comprised of both students and alumni, won the “Most Innovative” and “Judges’ Choice” awards for a game that allowed the player to control time to solve puzzles.

They called it “Kairos.”

Alex Cap, a 2011 alumnus of the College, was part of Team Kairos. It was his second Game Jam. Cap was a music major at the College, so it was only fitting that he wrote the music for the game, which he still features on his website, alexcapmusic.com.

“Of course I enjoyed (winning awards), but what is most exciting to me is what happens during the Jam — fast-paced creation and problem solving,” Cap said.

Cap feels the experience helped his career in the long run.

“In general, the jams helped me to think on my feet and go with my gut in making creative musical decisions,” Cap said.

After having no GGJ on campus last year, participants were happy to have it

back at the College this year.

According to Fishburn, one neat aspect of the College’s GGJ site is that the gaming groups had access to the entire building instead of being cloistered in one room.

As a result, groups spread across different rooms of the site.

Jones wasn’t the only student who stayed late — some even slept on floors and beanbag chairs. Jones tried to take a nap on a table before deciding he preferred a bed.

“Tables are not comfy,” Jones said, “nor is the floor.”

Sites are allowed to give out awards like “Best Adherence to Theme” or “Most Creative Use of Theme” if they wish, but according to the GGJ website, this Jam’s primary function is to “stimulate collaboration,” not competition. The College did not hand out awards.

One way the GGJ encourages collaboration is by making sure teams are formed on the spot. For the most part, it is strangers

working together to meet a deadline.

“The experience of working on a team with people you possibly have never met before is probably the most powerful part of game jam,” said Josh Fishburn, assistant interactive multimedia professor and organizer at the College’s GGJ site.

This is Fishburn’s fifth year organizing a GGJ. Though this is only his second semester at the College, he previously organized events at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

There is also some collaboration between groups themselves. When Jones stretched his legs, he headed over to another group to playtest their game and give feedback. Seeing everyone’s progress encouraged Jones to work harder.

“It’s not a competition, but at the same time, you don’t want to be the worst game there,” Jones said, “so you kind of are just trying your hardest to keep up with everyone else.”

Jones teamed up with junior interactive multimedia majors Christian Czmar and Malakye Otey.

The group made a game titled “Tomorrow Never Comes,” which focuses on the mundanity of rituals by following the daily life of a protagonist working in a field.

Other groups put a religious spin on the theme or had their player perform rituals to cast spells.

Fishburn hopes that they will be able to pull in jammers outside of the College community next year. Some familiar faces might also be there in 2017.

“It was stressful. It was painful. It was horrendous,” Jones said. “And I loved every second of it and I want to do it again.”

page 18 The Signal February 17, 2016

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 19

: March ‘95

Housing policy changes

Elise Schoening / Features Editor

The Student Government Association addresses housing confusion.

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

Students of the College submitted their housing applications last week and will soon be hearing back with their time slots.

The College currently has a policy ensuring that freshmen and returning sophomore students are guaranteed on-campus housing, according to its website. This policy was cleared up in the spring of 1995 after some campus-wide confusion.

A discrepancy revolving around the number of credits needed for a student to be eligible for on-campus housing was discussed at the SGA meeting and has since resulted in a temporary change in housing policy.

Also, an SGA committee announced that it is working with Health Services to prevent students from encountering future problems with registration due to hold flags.

A memorandum from Kyle O. Johnson, acting manager of Residence & Dining Services, states: “In an attempt to remain consistent with the registration process, the 1995-96 lottery process will incorporate the ASTRO credit/year status breakdown.”

According to the “Detail of Housing Lottery Process” in students’ lottery packets, a student would need 64 credits to be considered a junior. Now, according to Johnson’s letter, the number has been changed to 60 credits to coincide with registrar’s office. The amount of credits needed for each of the other years has also

been adjusted.

Laura Rudowki, a Residence Hall Association (RHA) representative, said the housing policy is “rewarding” students for taking fewer credits, because some junior students could be considered sophomores by completing less course work and thus could qualify for an additional year of guaranteed housing.

Michelle Hughes-Gray, vice president for Community Relations, said some students enter Trenton State with many advanced placement (AP) credits from high school and that these students might not be guaranteed housing by their second year because by their second year because they would have too many credits.

Hughes-Gray said her committee would like to see a campus-wide standard adopted. She said there also does not seem to be a standard among academic apartments.

“Are you guaranteed housing for two years, or are you guaranteed your freshman and sophomore years?” Veronica Gonzalez, senator-at-large and parliamentarian, asked.

Johnson’s letter states that “full-time students admitted to the college for the first time are guaranteed on-campus housing for two academic years.” A student who is entering his/her third year but has earned or attempted under 60 credits is considered a second-year student but is not guaranteed housing.

Celebritease

Campus Style

By Jordan Koziol Columnist In the midst of uninspiring weather and in the spirit of spring cleaning, I bring you a magical concept — the fivepiece French wardrobe. Thrown around the fashion lexicon for years, this capsule movement is based on minimalism, quality and a bit of je ne sais quoi. It focuses on curating the direction of your closet and can guide your choices with one simple question, “Does this fit into my longterm vision of my wardrobe?”

With the following in mind, step one is to do an audit of your current apparel. You are searching for quality basics across five categories: tops, bottoms, jackets, shoes and accessories. The “basics” are pieces that you wear, love to wear and that go with everything you own. Rather than being trendy, they have a timeless feel and are made of good material. Don’t hesitate to fill gaps in a particular category, but remember: quality over quantity.

Once you’ve established the basics,

Were you single this Valentine’s Day? Well there is good news from the set of the “Gilmore Girls” revival to make you feel not so jaded over love — all three of Rory’s love interests have signed on for the revival. That’s right, Logan, Dean and Jess are all on their way back to Stars Hollow.

The news broke when Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Jess on the

Flickr.com

Start by taking an audit of your current wardrobe.

detox the remains. Although it may be difficult, it really is time to throw away the fringed leather skirt (tags intact) that you bought from Forever 21 three years ago. That brings us to step three: regulation of future purchases. The idea is to limit yourself to five new “non basic” items each season. Without indulging the need for unconscious retail therapy, this rule of thumb will keep your wardrobe current and fresh. Better yet, being cognizant of each piece you purchase will bolster your personal aesthetic.

Much like planning out your college career, the five-piece concept forces you to make wise, careful choices that will influence your future. It will save you money on fads and frustration when choosing outfits and will help you create a wardrobe that you will love for years to come. Mixing quality basics with touches of personality is the simplest recipe for fashion success… just ask any French woman!

:‘Famous’ sparks feud

West releases a new, controversial song that references his rocky past with Swift.

By Mackenzie Cutruzzula Columnist

Flickr.com

It’s time to go back to the basics.

show, posted a photo on Twitter of a copy of his script, thus breaking the Internet. It was then confirmed that Vanessa Marano will be reprising her role as Luke’s daughter, April Nardini. Some fans were disheartened by the news because it means uncertainty for soulmates Luke and Lorelai.

One character not on her way back to the Dragonfly Inn is Sookie St. James. The show’s creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, reported that Melissa McCarthy

AP Photo

was too busy to return to the revival, but McCarthy alleged that she was never asked to return.

Whether it was a miscommunication or not, the adorable head chef will be missed.

Kanye West and Taylor Swift were not feeling the love this holiday weekend when West’s new track, “Famous,” dropped.

In the middle of all the hype over his Yeezy Season 3 fashion line unveil at Madison Square Garden, one line from the new

track could not go unnoticed.

“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. I made that bitch famous,” West raps.

When Swift’s famous girl squad began speaking out in her defense, West tapped back into Twitter after his epic Wiz Khalifa feud to justify his decision to use the line. There was disparity between the two sides over whether Swift had known that her name would be used in such a way.

West even accused Swift of being the mastermind behind the line when she was out to dinner with a mutual friend by allegedly joking that she could never be mad at West for his MTV Video Music Award outburst because it made her famous.

Swift fired back through a representative, who stated that Swift was never made aware of the actual lyric, but encouraged West not to release the song because of its misogynistic message.

Swift’s brother, Austin, reacted to the line by posting a video

to his Instagram where he can be seen throwing out his pair of Yeezy sneakers. Gigi Hadid also took to social media to support Swift. While modeling Yeezy’s latest clothing line, Hadid tweeted to set the record straight that just because she was modeling in the show did not mean she supported the designer’s views.

After West had already raised eyebrows for tweeting his thoughts on Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual assault and rape charges, actress Ruby Rose tweeted in support of Taylor Swift and Cosby’s victims.

Rose noted that she would not be a feminist or a friend to Swift if she supported West’s comments.

The world’s best boyfriend, Calvin Harris, has yet to formally comment, but he did show support on Austin Swift’s Instagram video by liking and commenting on the video. It can only be assumed that he gave Swift the best Valentine’s Day ever to make her feel better and is probably already plotting his revenge against West.

page 20 The Signal February 17, 2016

SENSE FOR RANDOMNESS IN NEURAL CIRCUITS

Many neural circuits are interconnected with remarkable precision, but others appear to be wired randomly. How extensive is randomness and how can randomly connected circuits perform useful functions? I will address these questions using experimental data and models.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016 12:30 P.M.–1:30 P.M. EDUCATION 212

LARRY ABBOTT Ph.D. Dr. Abbott received a PhD in physics from Brandeis University in 1977 and worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, CERN, and Brandeis University in theoretical particle physics before transitioning to neuroscience research in 1989. In 1993 he joined the Biology Department at Brandeis where he directed the Volen Center (19972002) and in 2005, he joined the faculty of Columbia University in the Departments of Neuroscience, and Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and became co-director of the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Dr. Abbott is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, received an NIH Directors Pioneer Award, as well as the Swartz Prize for Theoretical Neuroscience in 2010 and the Mathematical Neuroscience Prize in 2013. Dr. Abbott is currently the William Bloor Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia.

His research involves computational modeling and mathematical analysis of neurons and neural networks.

Sponsored by The School of Science and Department of Mathematics and Statistics

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 21

College celebrates Chinese culture with New Year

Heiner Fallas / Photo Assistant

Left: Dancers hold up a traditional Chinese dragon during the celebration. Right: Huang demonstrates her marital arts skills for the audience.

By Erin Cooper Staff Writer

On Saturday, Feb. 13, the wind was frigid, but inside, a drum was sounding, summoning students downstairs to the Decker Social Space. There, red lanterns were strung from the ceiling and the walls were adorned with red and gold streamers.

Red tablecloths were sprinkled with gold stars and red banners hung behind the stage, emblazoned with Chinese characters wishing everyone well in the new year.

It was time for the College’s Chinese New Year celebration, hosted by the Chinese Students Association (CSA).

The Year of the Monkey had arrived. Drawn by the promise of free food and a wide range of cultural performances, the hall was soon filled with people and hardly a spare seat could be found.

Junior biology major and coPresident of CSA Zachary Lo

was the night’s master of ceremonies. The entertainment began with the crowd chanting “Happy New Year” in Chinese to coax a pair of colorful lions into the room. The lions, Lo said, “scare away demons, ghosts and giants, so if you have any problems with those, we’ve got your back.” The creatures, each consisting of two costumed dancers, wound their way through the tables to the sound of drums.

Freshman computer science major Julie Huang demonstrated her martial arts skills, dressed in bright red — a lucky color in Chinese tradition. Huang turned flips, executed kicks and swung her staff in homage to the monkey king.

Dressed in vivid pink, CSA’s dance group, the DragonFlies, twirled yellow and green parasols for their umbrella dance. They had been looking forward to this.

“It’s a great turnout tonight,” freshman biology major and DragonFlies member Rose

Maisner said. “So I’m excited to see how people will react to the new dance.”

During intermission, students eagerly crowded to sample the wealth of Chinese food available. Plates were heaped high with dumplings, shrimp and lo mein. Freshman finance major Kevin Luu served food to the audience members and was quick to name his favorite dish of the night — Char Siu. “It’s a type of barbecued pork marinated in red sauce,” he said, pointing out a tray brimming with it. As for his favorite part of the evening, he didn’t hesitate to answer, “It’s the performances, all of the performances.”

Those performances continued with the Chinese yo-yo tricks of Alex Hsieh, a fifthyear elementary education and iSTEM double major. He made his yo-yo hover in midair and then made it fly.

“Happy New Year” was chanted again to summon the

dragon for the final event. Held aloft and manipulated by 10 dancers, the dragon coils circled cleverly around the room. The Chinese believe the dragon, like the lion, wards off evil spirits and instead, brings luck for the new year.

At the end of the event, everyone was welcomed to take part in a huge group photo with the two lions and one very long dragon.

“Chinese New Year is all about family,” Lo said. “Right now, you are all our family.”

There was also a Wishing Tree on the stage. CSA invited students to write out their wishes and hang them on the tree.

“You’re sending your wish up to heaven so your wish can come true for the whole year,” Lo said.

This is the third year that CSA has brought the Chinese New Year celebration to campus.

“It brings an awareness of Chinese culture,” Lo said. “Literally the biggest thing that happens in China, and most people

don’t know. I want them to know that... there’s other things going on around the world — that this is how Chinese people party.”

The Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days. This year, it began on Monday, Feb. 8. The last day is the Lantern Festival, which will fall on Monday, Feb. 22.

Celia Liu, a professor of Chinese at the College, was enthusiastic about the crowd, which represented a diverse mix of students. Liu said she wants the College community to be aware that all students are welcome to CSA, no matter their heritage. It is a goal of the club to involve students of different backgrounds, in the spirit of crosscultural exchange.

“This kind of energy is what we need,” Liu said. “And the TCNJ dragon and lion are so full of spirit. I just like to see students enjoy and share the culture. It’s everybody. That’s what our world needs, right?”

Sociology professor discusses Superstorm Sandy

By Melissa Natividade Staff Writer

Discussing everything from the benefits to the shortcomings of rebuilding what nature tears down, the College’s sociology and anthropology departments hosted a studentreader’s panel on Tuesday, Feb. 9, with the College’s very own sociology professor, Diane Bates. The purpose of the panel was to honor Bates’s recently published book, “Superstorm Sandy: The Inevitable Destruction and Reconstruction of the Jersey Shore.”

With over 40 people in attendance at the Library Auditorium, the discussion panel consisted of four sociology majors who were given the opportunity to read Bates’s book in advance. Each was then allowed to ask her a question addressing a particular issue discussed in the book. The student were all hand-chosen by Bates for their critical reading and interpretation skills in order to stimulate analytical feedback during the discussion.

At the conclusion of the student-reader’s discussion, the floor was opened up to the audience for questions. Many asked how Bates would directly act as leader in times of natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy. Bates made her viewpoint on the issue crystal clear.

“We have to be realistic,” Bates said.

“Even if you can afford rebuilding something you know is going to get destroyed,

Kim Iannarone / Photo Editor

Students are hand-selected to participate in a readers panel with Bates.

maybe you still shouldn’t.

“When a natural disaster like Sandy occurs, maybe we should see it as a good time to retreat from those places, despite economic incentives, that were never supposed to be commercialized in the first place,” she added. “If I were in power I would put it simply as, ‘If something gets destroyed, it will not get rebuilt.’”

Superstorm Sandy was one of the most destructive hurricanes in all of American history, only falling short of Katrina. The main difference between these two natural

disasters lies in how immediately the efforts to “Restore the Shore” began in comparison to the rebuilding efforts that followed Katrina. The waters had barely even receded from the Jersey Shore when cleanup, demolition and rebuilding started up — most of which occurred without anyone questioning whether rebuilding should even occur.

“The biggest issue for me is the concept of building the same exact way and expecting different results when it is clear that this storm is not an isolated case.”

Bates said.

Contrary to the slogan “Stronger than the Storm,” Bates discussed how the artificial separation between urbanization and the environment is not a realistic way of addressing our impact on the environments. Humans are indeed a part of our own ecosystem, despite our ability to alter it.

As the students participating in the discussion were quick to address, what separates this book from other publications about Sandy is Bates’s unique sociological approach that take a unique and honest approach to our flawed relationship with nature, rather than masking it. Nevertheless, the book still regards the importance of human identity in regards to cultural iconography, such as the Jersey Shore.

In her book, Bates provides an explanation to this cultural connection to the Jersey Shore by invoking sociologist Kari Norgaard’s concept of double reality. According to Bates, the theory states that “people are deeply and emotionally connected to an environment that they know is intimately linked to insecurity.”

Despite regarding and understanding this human longing for that which we can’t have, the main takeaway Bates emphasized is that the desire to maintain what we know and like cannot trump that which is sustainable and necessary — a truly vital concept that she hopes the book’s intended audience, the current generation, can value and embrace.

page 22 The Signal February 17, 2016

Arts & Entertainment

Solo student singers showcase soaring songs

By Maddi Ference Staff Writer

Music consumed the Decker Social Space on Friday, Feb. 12, with the talents of the College’s very own. A small yet attentive audience filled the seats to watch as a student performed and confidently showed off his talents by both freestyle dancing and singing. His performance was followed by that of a student with only her guitar and phenomenal vocal abilities.

Singer Christopher Minick, a

sophomore communication studies and marketing double major, started the event with a little help from his friends, who compared themselves to The Temptations.

They swayed to the beat, performed backup vocals to Minick and livened up the crowd. Even after the entourage took their seats among the audience, Minick continued to wow with his solo performance for the remainder of the set.

During the middle of the set, Minick slowed down the tempo with Musiq Soulchild’s song, “Love.”

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Minick is joined by friends during his performance.

He performed with such heart that the audience could not help but watch in awe and cheer when there was a break in the song.

“I feel like (‘Love’) showcases all I can do with my voice and it’s a song that is very well written that I wish I wrote myself because I am a songwriter as well,” Minick said.

After loud applause from the audience, Minick said, “My favorite thing about performing is that it is one of the times that I feel like I can really be myself.

I let everything from my week and just everything in life go and sing.”

After Minick’s lively performance, the atmosphere in the room instantly relaxed when Hannah Beal, a junior communication studies major, came onto the stage and played acoustic songs on her guitar. The combination of her music and voice sounded perfect for a coffee shop setting and she calmed the audience with covers of various love songs.

Beal sang a rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “I Heard Love is Blind” that showcased her vocals in a different way. Normally, the song is performed by a raucous singer, like Winehouse, yet Beal sang with a calm and melodic

David Colby / Staff Photographer

Students enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of the evening. voice that gave the song a totally different sound. “(‘I Heard Love is Blind’) is my favorite song to play on guitar and I like singing it and performing it,” Beal said.

Other songs that she performed were “Magnets” by Disclosure and “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday.

“I just like having an outlet to play my songs,” Beal said. “I kind of do it as a hobby, but I really like sharing it with people.”

The College Union Board’s Student Soloist night was a successful event that showed off the many talents of students on campus. Students showed their true colors on stage through confident singing (and a little bit of dancing) in front of a supportive audience of their peers. The showcased songs ranged from upbeat hip-hop to acoustic ballads, but one common theme was shown through all performers — the College has talent.

Director Tarantino returns with ‘Hateful Eight’ Riveting western features bountiful bloodshed

By Lillian Firth Correspondent

“The Hateful Eight” recently debuted as director and writer Quentin Tarantino’s eighth movie, hence part of the reason for the play on words in the film’s title. Some fans were worried the movie would not live up to the high standards placed on Tarantino following his two recent hit films, “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” yet viewers were certainly not disappointed. “The Hateful Eight” somehow makes a movie that takes place in one setting — a snowedin cabin in the middle of nowhere during the 1800s — incredibly interesting.

One of the most notable aspects of the movie is the unique plotline that pulls in the viewer almost immediately.

The film starts by introducing bounty hunter John Ruth (played by Kurt Russell) being pulled in a horse-drawn carriage in a heavy snowstorm, transporting a wanted murderer, Daisy Domergue.

On the way, he picks up Major Marquis Warren (played by Samuel L. Jackson), a retired black officer from World War II, along with a supposed sheriff named Chris Mannix, who is very racist. They are forced to stay in a cabin overnight because of the impending blizzard, and when they arrive, a paranoid John suspects the other guests at the cabin to be involved in a plot with Daisy. The guests include a hangman, a traveling cowboy, an old Southern general and a Mexican stable head.

As a viewer, because John is set up as

a paranoid character from the very beginning, the suspicion is easily scoffed at.

That is, until it becomes evident that he is correct. The movie soon turns into a scramble to uncover which dangerous person is there to help Daisy escape.

Lots of bloodshed, schemes and heated arguments follow. All the while, the mysteries of who is helping Daisy, and why, still linger in the air.

The characterization in the movie is very impressive. Tarantino takes time to make the characters seem realistic, unlike how many directors in Hollywood cut out the boring stuff. They have long, sometimes unnecessary and trivial conversations, but Tarantino makes it work.

The conversations are interesting and realistic, and they uncover the personalities of the characters without explicitly stating them.

Each character is complex: John is paranoid, but immediately trusts the wild stories that Marquis tells him about the war. Marquis is black, yet despite the time period, does not cower before the white men in his presence. Although Marquis is a character you root for, he reveals some evil he’s done in the past with no remorse. Chris is racist and somewhat less intelligent than the other people there, but is very skittish and actually has a conscience, despite his despicable views. The hangman, Mobray,

Jackson plays Major Warren, a retired World War II officer.

AP Photo

is a genial, stay-out-of trouble character, but seems to take immense joy in his job of hanging criminals. The cowboy, Gage, is shy and brooding, yet talks about visiting his mother for Christmas.

The characters should be unrelatable in the time period and circumstances they are found in, yet they are very believable and each has flaws and different layers of contrast that everyday people would have.

Critics of the movie claim that it does not have the same amount of action as Tarantino’s previous films and that it moves a bit slow. On the contrary, the way that he develops a complicated and interesting plot just through his characters and the conversations they have is the exact brilliance of the movie. And of course, there is the underlying mystery that the viewer is trying to solve, picking out little details in these seemingly-insignificant conversations to see if there are any hints as to who is part of the scheme. Tarantino doesn’t disappoint with lacing violence in the plot, either. Like many of his films, the finale goes out with a bang (literally and figuratively), to get rid of the slow tension that was built over the last three hours of conversation. And honestly, Tarantino fans are always ready for a bloodbath.

To anyone who is looking for a new movie to watch this winter, “The Hateful Eight” is truly an interesting piece that will satisfy even the most critical cinema-lover. Tarantino really took his time to perfect this movie. With the positive turnout and hard work put into it, it is clear that Tarantino is continuously able to deliver hits.

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 23

‘Deadpool’ makes his movie debut

By Kevin Shaw Staff Writer

With a character seemingly custom-fit for him, Ryan Reynolds rocks it with his portrayal of everyone’s favorite “Merc with a Mouth,” Deadpool.

Surprisingly, this is not Reynolds’s first on-screen depiction of the character. In the abysmal box office flop “XMen Origins: Wolverine,” viewers are casually introduced to Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, as part of an elite mutant task force. He is criminally underused, cast aside and then literally has his mouth sewn shut — his best feature!

But I digress.

This time around, Deadpool receives the respect he deserves and it makes for a truly fantastic film.

The Red Band trailers, the producers and even the character himself, in a

fourth-wall-breaking fight sequence, admit that this “isn’t your average superhero movie.” And they’re right. This is the first R-rated Marvel film in recent memory.

With headshots, knife and sword wounds, a plethora of profanity and even a little dismemberment, it is safe to say this is not a film fit for the whole family.

Without spoiling anything, the plot of the movie was solid. The story progression was great, too. It seamlessly flowed from real-time events to flashbacks and back again.

The few problems I had with the movie were with the side character development. The villains are just all right. I’m not sure if Gina Carano’s character had a single line and Ed Skrein’s character is your stereotypical British bad guy. Neither was anything special.

Unfortunately, the “X-Men” sidekicks suffered a similar fate. Both Colossus

Reynolds does a superior job portraying the offbeat superhero.

AP Photo

and Negasonic Teenage Warhead were just kind of dropped into the film and really didn’t contribute much. Viewers don’t see any spectacular use of Negasonic’s powers — she mainly pushed stuff around with her nuclear explosions. It was pretty boring. But this is a Deadpool movie after all, so I’m glad they focused mostly on him.

My biggest fear going into this movie was the writing. No matter how cool the explosions are and no matter how good the story is, if the portrayal of Deadpool himself was cheesy or the jokes weren’t funny, this movie would have been a bust. Thankfully, my fears never came to fruition.

All of the jokes made in the movie were on-point. The constant digs at Reynolds’s “Green Lantern” movie, the verbal abuse of the production company and the references to other characters in the Marvel Universe had me laughing from the beginning credits to the hidden after-credit scene (definitely watch until the very end. It’s well worth the wait).

I can’t forget about the man of the hour (and 48 minutes): Reynolds. Due credit has to be given to the writers for coming up with such funny jokes, but half of a joke is its delivery, and Reynolds delivers big time.

Every actor has a character he or she was born to play. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote are just a few.

The only word I can use to describe Reynolds’s portrayal of Deadpool is perfect. He was born to play this role and it’s something you’ll have to see for yourself. “Deadpool” is my new favorite Marvel movie and I think you’ll enjoy it too.

G-Eazy: ‘A poet with 16-bar stanzas’ Rapper releases sophomore effort

By Sean Reis Production Manager

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Gerald Earl Gillum (G-Eazy) echoed the lines from Welsh writer Dylan Thomas’s iconic poem to introduce “When It’s Dark Out” — the Oakland rapper’s second studio album.

While poetry professors might grumble that Thomas rolled over in his grave when G-Eazy recited the famous villanelle, the lines were the ideal intro for the album.

Released by RCA Records in December 2015, “When It’s Dark Out” is much more than an album. In the hip-hop scene, which has changed so much since the genre’s birth, this album was art, overshadowed by the biggest names in the game who have continued to rap distasteful lyrics over heavy, hyped-up instrumentals.

While hip-hop trio Migos has rapped ridiculousness hit after hit, G-Eazy rapped, “And respect for art will always come first before money and fame” (Track 11: “What If”).

“When It’s Dark Out” tells an actual story — G-Eazy’s story — which, although included alcohol, drugs and sex, was not solely about these vices that tend to comprise the aforementioned distasteful lyrics.

“Me, Myself & I,” featuring Bebe Rexha, has been played on the radio recently, but even that catchy chorus has deeper, poetic meaning. And not only is the biggest G-Eazy hit an allusion to Billie Holiday’s 1937 song, but it also represents the two artists who have begun to sing the old phrase today.

These are only three songs from an absolutely amazing album. From the first to final track, G-Eazy wrote beauty after beauty with help from featured artists, including Big Sean, Chris Brown, Kehlani and many more.

My favorite track from G-Eazy’s artful album is “Sad Boy” because I did not feel like G-Eazy the artist was rapping, but rather like Gerald, the emotional human being, was reciting heartfelt poetry when he asked himself, “Gerald, what you so sad for? Why the hell you got the blues? Everybody wanna be in your shoes.”

Although I would “wanna be in (G-Eazy’s) shoes,” I did not know — nor do I even know now — if I would “wanna be in (Gerald’s) shoes,” because although “When It’s Dark Out” told G-Eazy and Gerald’s story, these two were not always the same person.

“Drifting” is about Gerald’s struggles with commitment and “Everything Will Be OK” describes the hardships Gerald went through before the G-Eazy fame. Gerald had to betray his brother by leaving Oakland to pursue a music career. He also had to accept his mother’s relationship with another woman, who was later lost to depression.

G-Eazy rapped, “This shit is not random. Imagine it, put the hours in and stayed passionate… Pay attention, none of this is happening by accident” (Track 2: “Random”). Gerald deserves the G-Eazy fame. “When It’s Dark Out” is art and truly testimony to why, at only 26 years old, G-Eazy now lives the life of which many will only dream.

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

Band Name: Everyone Is Dirty Album Name: “Dying is Fun” Hailing From: Oakland, Calif.

Genre: Psychadelic Indie Pop Label: Tricycle Records Don’t let the female vocals or popmelodies fool you ­— Everyone Is Dirty lives up to its name. “Dying is Fun” is the first full-length effort from these talented guys and gals, though its production value and strong songwriting make them sound like regular pros. Frontwoman Sivan Lioncub’s smooth vocals contrast nicely with the rest of the band’s dark, sinister tones. On top of that, she shreds electric violin throughout the album to give it an even more haunting appeal in this crunchy, hard-hitting punk.

This album is solid from front to back, so I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from Everyone is Dirty in the future.

Must Hear: “Dirtbag Side-Effect,” “California,” “Meltyface,” “I’m Okay” and “Devastate”

Band Name: The Leafcutters Album Name: “Half of What You Want To Be” Hailing From: Los Angeles, Calif.

Genre: Indie Rock Label: Self-released The Leafcutters come out swinging on its debut album, “Half of What You Wanna Be.” This album is packed full of smooth vocals, crunchy riffs and songwriting that would make every ’90s alternative rock fan pee a little bit. The songs on this album are throwbacks to songs from bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and Foo Fighters, while the vocal performances pay homage to greats like Tom Petty. All in all, this makes for quite the tasty rock combination. Hopefully these guys will be picked up by a label soon so more people can get into this. While this album offers nothing special or groundbreaking, any rock fan can pick it up and immediately dig it.

G-Eazy’s new album delivers powerful proses.

AP Photo

Must Hear: “Paris Green,” “Save You,” “Babydoll Goodnight,” “40 Days Gone By” and “September”

page 24 The Signal February 17, 2016

20% off any regular priced item (excludes specials, take-out only)

AUDIO PRODUCTION WORKSHOPS Learn from experts in audio production. Recording, mixing, leveling, mastering, and audio effects.

Wednesdays, 4:00-6:00pm February 24-April 6, 2016 Recording Studio, AIMM 235

FREE to TCNJ Students RSVP on Lion’s Gate. Search “Sound Thinking.”

(Reservations are required. Attendance is limited to 15.)

Students who attend a workshop will receive a co-curricular participation badge in Lion’s Gate.

Made possible through an Engagement Mini-Grant from the Office of Student Activities & the School of the Arts and Communication.

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 25

Sports

Wrestling wins close match on criteria Wrestling

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Sophomore James Goldschmidt helps the Lions battle the Aggies.

By Connor Smith and Sean Reis Social Media Editor and Production Manager

The wrestling squad battled adversity during its final matches of the regular season. The Lions ended their home schedule in exciting fashion — clinching an undefeated record at home on Friday, Feb. 12, by edging out Delaware Valley University (DVU), 21-20, on scoring criteria. The Lions — still ranked 10th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III poll — were back in action on Saturday, Feb. 13, falling to No. 4 Messiah College, 29-10.

“We work hard in the room and it shows on the mat,” sophomore Stephen

Boncimino said.

The Lions honored seniors Jimmy Gill, Joe Paton, Steven Schneider and Antonio Mancella prior to the match on Friday. All four seniors were in action in the team’s back and forth effort against DVU. The College was forced to fight from behind after an early 1-0 decision at 125 gave the Lions an early 3-0 deficit.

Sophomore James Goldschmidt tied things up at 133 with a tight 3-2 decision.

This weekend, the Lions were without sophomore Ryan Budzek, who is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation at 141 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, as he is currently dealing with some swelling in his knee.

DVU scored a 23-9 technical fall at 141, snagging an 8-3 lead over the College.

Schneider, who celebrated Senior Night with his last win at home, fought for a 3-2 decision at 149. Mancella also won his final bout in Packer Hall with a 7-2 decision at 157.

Delaware Valley ended the seniors’ short streak at 165 by scoring a 9-2 decision.

With only four bouts remaining, the 11-9 deficit grew more and more urgent. Senior Doug Hamann stepped onto the mat with all the intensity you’d expect from a seasoned veteran. Hamann made his last home match of the season count, as he completed a dominating 18-0 technical fall of his opponent at 174. He’ll be back next year to compete, as he only completed three seasons of the allowed four due to injury.

Delaware Valley would not go down without a fight, though, something that became evident when the team tied the match back up with a 5-2 decision at 184.

On a night dedicated to the seniors, it was sophomore Stephen Boncimino who broke the tie with a game-changing pin at 197.

“I just went out and did what I had to do,” Boncimino said.

With the score at 20-14, DVU could only hope for a tie at 285. Proving to be the most persistent pest the Lions have faced all season, DVU managed a pin in the final bout and put the match in the hands of criteria at 20-20.

The Lions had already suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of criteria against No. 3 Roger Williams University, so another tie-breaker could have put a damper on an otherwise exciting Senior Night. Luckily

for the College, the scoring criteria gave the wrestling team a 21-20 win, thanks to a razor-thin 48-45 lead in match points.

Having been pushed to the limit during the previous night, the Lions faced a rematch with No. 4 Messiah College on Saturday, Feb 13.

Messiah’s wrestlers proved their strength with an early technical fall at 125.

Goldschmidt replied with a 15-2 major decision at 133. Messiah then managed its own major decision at 141, before Schneider and Mancella scored back-to-back decisions to tie up the match at 10-10 heading into the final five bouts.

That would be the closest the Lions would come, as Messiah scored three straight decisions, a technical fall and a pin down the stretch to hand the College its worst loss of the season, 29-10.

With their second loss to Messiah, the Lions closed the regular season with a 18-3 record in duals.

“I’m just trying to get ready for regionals,” Budzek said. “I’m trying to get better at every position.”

The Lions will have ample time to regroup and prepare for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) East Regional Championships, which will take place at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Feb. 27, and Thursday, Feb. 28. Each wrestler will battle for top three finishes, which yield an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12.

Women’s Basketball

Lions pounce on rival Roadrunners at home

Loss to Pioneers dashes NJAC playoff hopes

By Anthony Caruso Staff Writer

The College’s women’s basketball team split their games last week, beating the Ramapo Roadrunners on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at home, 51-39, and falling to William Paterson University on Saturday, Feb. 13, 61-57. However, with the loss, the team’s New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoff hopes ended as they were eliminated from contention and will miss out on further postseason play.

On Wednesday, the team defeated the Ramapo Roadrunners, 51-39, in Packer Hall, improving to 12-11 overall and 8-8 within the NJAC. “It’s big that we are keeping our postseason hopes alive,” Lions head coach Dawn Henderson said.

“We’re taking it one game at a time right now and we know what we need to do — we need to win our next two games in order to make the playoffs. If we lose one, we know that our season will come to an end short of our expectations.”

The Lions jumped out on the Roadrunners in the first quarter, as they scored the first eight points in the game, before freshman guard Alexandra Seedes scored a threepoint basket for the visitors. The

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Senior forward Christina Merlin receives honors prior to the Ramapo game.

first quarter ended with the Lions leading 17-7.

The team led throughout the first half. Junior guard Kim Dana gave the Lions an extended lead going into the break, as she made a two-point basket just before the buzzer rang for the half to make it 29-20.

Before Dana’s basket, the Roadrunners had cut the team to 27-20 after three straight points.

Senior guard Angelica Esposito had four out of six points when the Lions scored three straight baskets.

“We got away from our game

plan there (with Roadrunners junior forward Kellie Lane scoring six straight),” Henderson said.

“She was able to score against us, then I called a time out to change things up. After that, we stopped them from doing those same things and I don’t think she scored another point the rest of the game.”

Lions sophomore center Nikki Schott scored a basket just before Esposito scored to make it 46-35.

Both teams traded baskets in the final minutes, but it was Dana who made a three-pointer for the

final basket of the game.

“I’m happy for Kim,” Esposito said. “She’s a good player and she was hitting her shots. It’s good to get others involved in the game and have them lead the team in scoring for a game.”

This was also the final home game for Esposito, guard Jess Lynch and Merlin. Each senior knew that her season was coming to a close.

“It’s been a great journey,” said Esposito, who has had 62 wins with the Lions. “To be a part of this team for the past four years, it’s something that I don’t want to

end. It’s been a fun ride and I’ve enjoyed being around these girls.

Hopefully, we’ll have at least one more game here so this isn’t the last one.”

On Saturday, the Lions lost to the William Paterson Pioneers, 61-57, officially ending their playoff hopes.

The Lions cut the lead to 59-57 when Lynch made a basket. But the Pioneers made two late free throws to seal the win. The game was tied at 55 before William Paterson went on a 6-2 run to end the game.

The team began the fourth quarter with the lead at 48-44, and held a 55-47 lead, before the home team starts to mount its comeback.

The College dominated the Pioneers in the third quarter, as they scored 22 points. After the game was tied at 39, the Lions went on a 9-5 run to end the quarter.

Esposito had seven of the team’s nine points in the second quarter.

The game was tied at 19 when Pioneers senior forward Brittany Harden made a basket. Esposito’s three-pointer gave the Lions a 22-21 lead before the Pioneers led the rest of the quarter.

They are 12-12 on the season and will close out their season on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Kean University.

page 26 The Signal February 17, 2016

SPECIAL FX:

HOW 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES ARE REVOLUTIONIZING HOLLYWOOD PRESENTED BY: JASON LOPES, LEGACY EFFECTS

ENGINEERS WEEK EVENT Legacy Effects is a special effects shop that creates practical effects for hundreds of movies and commercials annually – from creature design to prosthetic make-up to animatronics and specialty suits. Their team is responsible for the designs in iconic feature productions like Iron Man 3, Life of Pi, Thor and Avatar.

Jason Lopes is Lead Systems Engineer at Legacy Effects and has worked there since 2006. It was there, nearly a decade ago, where 3D printing really started to emerge in the special effects workflow. Today, 3D printing offers an elegant solution that enables fluidity and rapid prototyping under tight timelines, while encouraging both artistry and precise

engineering.

February 24, 2016 11 a.m.

Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall JASON LOPES, ARTIST AND LEAD SYSTEMS ENGINEER LEGACY EFFECTS

Jason Lopes is responsible for all of the 3D scanning, 3D printing, and the overall work flow and pipeline from the design room to the physical fabrication of the workshop at Legacy Effects. Inspired by making skateboard videos as a kid, Lopes decided to go to art school and entered the film industry through art school internships. He received a degree in Specialized Video and Film Technology from The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Sponsored by: The School of Engineering The School of The Arts and Communication

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 27 Cheap Seats

NBA’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Cousins stirs up controversy for the Sacremento Kings.

By Matthew Ajaj Staff Writer

Rims are red, basketballs are orange and the Philadelphia 76ers still stink. Some things never change, but the first half of the ’15-’16 NBA season has brought plenty of action and surprises to be excited about — for better or worse. Here are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly heading into the All-Star Break.

THE GOOD The Golden State Warriors are good.

Real good.

At 48-4, the Warriors are on pace to have the best regular season record in NBA history, surpassing Michael Jordan’s legendary 72-10 ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls team. Golden State’s championship defense season has been commandeered by their three All-Stars, who are putting up some outstanding numbers:

AP Photo

• Stephen Curry, who has 29.8 points per game (PPG), 6.6 assists per game (APG) and 5.3 rebounds per game (RPG), is poised to break the single-season record for three-pointers made (a record he currently holds) while still shooting a mindboggling 45 percent from beyond the arc.

The Splash Brother will likely be named the MVP for the second year in a row.

• Draymond Green (14.2 PPG/ 7.2 APG / 9.5 RPG) leads the league in triple-doubles with 10 and, in conjunction with his outstanding play on defense, he is a dark horse candidate for MVP. • Klay Thompson (21.3 PPG/ 2.2 APG / 3.7 RPG), the other Splash Bro, is perhaps the second best three-point shooter that the league has to offer. When he gets hot, the Warriors are unbeatable.

THE BAD What’s an NBA season without a little

off-the-court controversy?

DeMarcus Cousins single-handedly stopped a Lunar New Year (commonly categorized as Chinese New Year) celebration at the Sacramento Kings Sleep Train Arena due to his own sensitivities.

The promotion was scheduled to provide fans with a Lunar New Year T-shirt, which depicted a monkey in accordance to 2016 being the Year of the Monkey.

However, Cousins — who is black — felt that the shirts were offensive to people of color, given that the Year of the Monkey shirt giveaway fell on Monday, Feb. 1, which is coincidentally the first day of Black History Month. The T-shirts were taken out of the stands before game time solely because of Cousins’s complaint (as he was the only one to complain), thus ruining a fine cultural celebration for the sake of one man’s misguided ego. The Sacramento Kings also share much of the blame here for shamelessly appeasing their infamously unstable superstar to keep him on their good side.

A somewhat relevant fun fact: Sacramento has more Asian people (18.3 percent) than African American people (14.6 percent) as of 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau. I am sure many of the Asian fans in attendance were disappointed to see their ancient cultural celebration hindered

by Cousins’s oversensitivity.

Los Angeles Clippers superstar forward Blake Griffin also made headlines after punching the team’s equipment manager outside a restaurant this past January, according to CBSSports.com.

The incident resulted in a broken hand for Griffin. The Clippers’s forward had already been sidelined for a month because of a torn quad, but his fractured punching hand is going to keep him out for at least another month. As a cherry on

top, the Clippers suspended Griffin for an additional four games for his actions.

THE UGLY Where, oh where have the coaches gone?

Five NBA coaches have already been fired before the All-Star Break. Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale was the first to get the boot after a 4-7 start, despite navigating his team to three straight playoff performances in the rocky Western Conference. The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks would send Lionel Hollins and Derek Fisher packing during just their second seasons. Jeff Hornacek was shown the door in Phoenix after a miserable showing from an equally miserable Suns roster. The most shocking coaching dismissal was that of Cleveland Cavaliers head man David Blatt, who was fired in late January despite his team holding the first place position in the Eastern Conference and coming off an NBA Finals appearance last season.

The life of an NBA coach is a fleeting one these days. Hollins, Fisher and Hornacek were provided with awful personnel, but were all forced out of town despite having less than three full seasons to work with their players. McHale and Blatt are both good coaches with recent success, but apparently, that was not enough either.

Coaches’ leashes are shorter than ever, with NBA front offices leaving their lead dogs muzzled with little sense of security. These coaches can’t even settle in and get comfortable anymore, which creates an unhealthy, unstable environment for the whole team.

Alas, no matter how bad NBA front offices may mishandle their teams, all coaches, players and fans can take solace in the fact that they are not part of the Cleveland Browns organization. It doesn’t get much uglier than them.

Men’s Basketball

Lions shut down by conference opponents Despite losses, the team has a shot in the playoffs

By Otto Gomez Staff Writer

The Lions continued their late season push for a playoff spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with two games in the last week. The College first faced off against Ramapo College at home on Wednesday, Feb. 10, and then traveled to Wayne, N.J., to battle William Paterson University on Saturday, Feb. 13.

In their first game of the week, the Lions came out with a great moral victory after being defeated, 78-77, in an overtime thriller. Ramapo, who is 11-5 in NJAC play, has been a strong team all season.

The Lions took a 77-76 lead with 26 seconds remaining in overtime when sophomore guard and captain Eric Murdock, Jr. made a layup. Ramapo sophomore Thomas Bonacum, who led all scorers with 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, was then fouled with eight seconds remaining. He converted both free throws to put the Roadrunners up by a point.

On the ensuing possession, junior guard and fellow captain Eric Klacik released the potential game-winner that appeared

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Lions have a close game between Ramapo, but come up short . destined for the bottom of the net. But the ball rimmed out to end a thrilling conference showdown that was enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

Murdock led the Lions with 18 points and six assists, while Klacik finished with 15. The duo teamed up for seven three-point field goals in the game. Junior guard Nick Alaimo, who has been great all year off the bench,

finished with 12 points, while freshman guard Kevin Bloodgood also reached double figures with 11 points in the game.

“I think I did a pretty good job with my role of coming off the bench this year,” Alaimo said. “Last year, I would get minutes here and there, but now that I’m a little older, I know my role better and am more comfortable. This allows me to

play more consistently and with a lot of energy each game ready to contribute.”

Without a doubt, his contributions have led to the Lions’ success this year.

Still in pursuit of a playoff spot, the Lions squared off against William Paterson on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for the team, the Pioneers controlled every facet of the

game and came away with an 83-47 home win.

While the first half was relatively close at 36-23, with William Paterson in the lead, a 4724 second period put the Lions away, officially classifying the game as a blowout. The Pioneers were strong on both sides of the ball, starting the game 12-0 and forcing 18 turnovers throughout the day.

Even with the devastating loss, the Lions sit at fifth place in the NJAC, and, as of now, would make the playoffs since the top six teams advance. Fortunately for the team, they can keep it simple and advance to the playoffs by winning their last game of the season against Kean University on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

“We really control our own destiny, which is a great feeling,” Alaimo said. “ We just talk about going out and playing 40 minutes of TCNJ basketball. If we win our last two games, we don’t have to worry about other teams and ‘what if’ scenarios.

Controlling our own destiny is a good feeling and we want to do everything possible to play as long as possible.”

page 28 The Signal February 17, 2016

4 6

LIONS

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 29

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

George Tatoris “The Ref”

Colleen Murphy Editor-in-Chief

Michael Battista Sports Editor

Matthew Ajaj Staff Writer

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” George Tatoris, asks our panel of experts three questions: What was the best play in Super Bowl 50? Which NBA team outside the top 10 can make the playoffs this season and which golfer has the best chance to win the FedEx Cup?

1. What was the most impressive play of the Super Bowl?

Colleen: Without a doubt the best play of the game was Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller’s sack of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton that forced a fumble. The fumble was recovered for a touchdown and was really the first (and one of the few) impact play of the game. Miller went on to win MVP and his team the Super Bowl, and this clutch play early on in the game definitely had some influence on both of those things. It also set the defensive tone of the game. However, I think the best play of the Super Bowl in general would have to be the infant’s quick moves out of the womb in the Doritos commercial. That baby had, arguably, more speed than Miller when he got around the Panthers’s offensive line to make the sack. The newborn undoubtedly deserves the crown for best play of the game (If you got that crown/ birthing reference, thank you).

Michael: The most impressive play of the Super Bowl was ColdPLAY. The band

AP Photo

rocked that stadium with its set and the addition of Beyoncé and Bruno Mars was awesome. All right, all right! In all seriousness, Miller breaking Carolina’s defense and making Newton fumble not once, but

twice, was very impressive. Miller, along with the rest of his MVP caliber defensive unit, sacked Newton seven times throughout the game and made him go 18 for 41 in passing attempts (just under 50 percent

efficiency). But it all started and ended with Miller’s pressure on the quarterback as he helped the Broncos reach “Paradise.”

Matthew: In a game dominated by defense, there were plenty of interceptions and sacks across the board, including a strip-sack fumble by Miller that would lead to a touchdown.

It was a game-changer that stuck out in the minds of many as the defining play of the game. However, the Super Bowl’s most impressive play occurred after the game clock struck zero. Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, a five-time MVP relegated to a game manager in 2015 because of the pains of old age, refrained from making the game about himself by refusing to announce his retirement at the end of the game, despite the media’s multiple pleas. Manning is sure to formally declare his departure sometime in the coming months, but in denying a concrete answer for the retirement question, he was able to keep himself out of the spotlight and instead let the dominant Denver defense deservedly have its day.

Colleen gets 3 points for birth-punning. Michael gets 2 points for Coldplaying and Matthew gets 1 point for Peyton Manninging.

AP Photo

2. Now that the NBA season is half over, which teams outside of the top ten have a chance at making the playoffs?

Colleen: With the recent firing of head coach Derek Fisher, the New York

Knicks can be that team that has enough new fire to make its way into the playoffs.

If the transition to their interim coach is a smooth and fruitful one, you can expect to see the Knickerbockers start their

ascent to the playoffs. Staying healthy and making some important trades will also be a key factor in the Knicks making it to the playoffs. And rookie Kristaps Porzingis can only become more dominant as the season moves forward. With increased play time comes better ability and Porzingis can definitely be a huge part in the Knicks moving on.

Michael: You’re asking me to scrape the bottom of a pretty empty barrel. If I had to pick a team, I would go with the Denver Nuggets. While they play in the bloodbath that is the Western Conference, they might be able to squeak in enough wins to get an eighth seed instead of Utah Jazz or Portland Trail Blazers. Players like Danilo Gallinari, who is leading the team in points per game at 19.7, and Kenneth Faried, who is leading the team in rebounding at 8.9, can make this team compete with the lower standing Western teams and at least half of

the Eastern Conference. As for how they’d do in the playoffs, going up against the Golden State Warriors... yeah, no.

Matthew: Outside of the top 10 teams in the Eastern and Western conferences, there really isn’t much to be excited about. Most of these lowly NBA teams have little present ambitions, instead choosing to tank and stack young talent for future success.

In the East, the only team outside the top 10 with a playoff chance are the New York Knicks, who have a somewhat formidable starting lineup headlined by All-Star Carmelo Anthony and Latvian rookie sensation Porzingis. The only thing keeping the Knicks from being competitive is a solid point guard, and if they can make a move for Jeff Teague before the trade deadline (as has been rumored), then they may have some hope. In the ultra-competitive West, no 11th or worse placed team has a ghost of a chance. Keep tanking, Timberwolves.

Matthew gets 3 points for Knickin’ it in da bud. Colleen gets 2 points for Porzingis and Michael gets 1 point for not believing in underdogs 3. Who has the best chance of winning the FedEx Cup? Colleen: Jordan Spieth. The guy had a commanding season last year, placing either first or second in all of his majors.

With a year of big boy play under his belt, Spieth has even more experience than last year, so we can expect even bigger things from him in the FedEx Cup. Jason Day is a frontrunner along with Spieth, but don’t sleep on Rickie Fowler who is up to No. 4 on the Official Golf World Rankings. While these other golfers will give Spieth a run for his money, it will still be Spieth all the way.

Michael: I’m not the biggest golf fan in the world, I’ll admit that right away.

But I have to say the odds on favorite is Spieth. The guy had an amazing 2015, winning five times, four second place finishes and earning the title of FedEx Cup champ last year. That isn’t to say the rest of the field is any laughing matter. Day, who had a better second half last year, finishing 12th or better in his last nine tournament starts, and Rory Mcllroy, who

won the European Tour Final in Dubai, both have opportunities to catch up to Spieth after his breakout year. While it will be hard to redo that success, I think his younger age means he can keep up his success going forward without father time affecting him too much. Let’s just hope that Dustin Johnson’s son doesn’t swipe Spieth’s putter again.

Matthew: Golf is a game of experience, so I’m going to go with a guy who has been there before and say Spieth has the best chance at winning the FedEx Cup. At just 22 years old, Spieth won last year’s FedEx Cup, along with the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open. That’s quite a résumé for a kid who had his first legal drink less than two years ago. The sport needs a young superstar to grab viewers’ attention, so perhaps the golf gods will be generous and let Spieth win this one as he continues his ascent to becoming water cooler talking material. As for a dark horse candidate, I like Smylie Kaufman. A guy with a name like that is going places.

Matthew gets 3 points for Spieth’s accolades. Michael gets 2 points for honesty and Colleen gets 1 point for Spieth.

Matthew wins Around the Dorm 7-6-5.

AP Photo

page 30 The Signal February 17, 2016

Tennis hoping to serve a successful season

By Connor Smith Social Media Editor

While most students have been bundled inside during the past few weeks, waiting for frigid temperatures to pass, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams were hard at work, preparing for the start of their spring seasons.

“This is the deepest team I’ve had in a long time,” head coach Scott Dicheck said.

Dicheck, who has coached both the men’s and women’s team for 15 seasons, has lead the men to qualification for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament for seven of the past eight years.

“We feel like we’re going to get great opportunities,” he said.

The women’s tennis team earned their 33rd straight conference title last fall. With the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title under their belt, the women’s team will use this time to prepare for their run in the NCAA Tournament.

“We have an incredible schedule with a lot of nationally ranked teams,” Dicheck said. The women will open their spring season at home on Friday, March 11, against Chestnut Hill College at 2 p.m.

The women are lead by three captains — seniors Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette and Emma Allen and junior Anna Prestera.

“We’re getting a lot of hitting in, working on conditioning, and they’re in the weight room three times a week,” Dicheck said. “Come May, the team should be well prepared.”

While the women’s team has already clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the men’s team must fight an uphill battle if they want to achieve their goal of making the cut this year.

“We’re facing a lot of nationally ranked teams — teams from Virginia, Carolina, upstate New York,” Dicheck said.

“These teams are traveling to come and play us because of what we did last year in the national scene.”

While there may be single matches, the team focuses on working together as much as possible.

“Our goal is to win as many matches as possible,” sophomore Sean Fernandez said. “It’s important to put the team before yourself.”

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Allen looks to be one of the three captains to lead the women’s team to victories.

The men must qualify by NCAA rankings due to their status as a nonconference team and are currently ranked at No. 37, according to Dicheck.

“Our ultimate goal is to make it to NCAAs,” Dicheck said. “We’ll go in as underdogs for half of our schedule, if you look at the rankings. We’re hoping to prove them wrong come year’s end.”

The men’s team will also see the return of last year’s starters, providing them with a strong sense of established team chemistry.

“We get along great,” senior Jason Prezant said. “You can find us all together in (Eickhoff Hall). People always trip on our tennis bags while trying to get by.”

Although all the starters will return from last season, a talented freshman class will help build the foundation for success down the road.

“Other teams know we have the same starters with such strong young talent coming up,” Dicheck said. “They want to play us and that’s perfect for us.”

Track

Run / Lions run personal bests

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Lions want to make an impact in NJACs after improvements in Boston. continued from page 32 to limits that you never knew that you had in you,” Lerit said.

Senior Jon Stouber raced past his record in the 5,000-meter with a 14:51.75 finish, good enough for 27th place.

“The 5K crew all went out aggressively,” said senior Tyler Grimm, who was also in the 5,000-meter. Stouber, Grimm and junior Andrew Tedeschi were split into three different heats in the 5,000 and were able to see each other run.

The men’s 4x400 relay team beat their season record with a finish of 3:19.68, the 15th fastest time on the field and the fastest time in the NJAC. Freshman twins Noah and Nathan Osterhus, freshman Kamal Williams and sophomore Daniel Lynch were responsible for that finish.

“We needed a race where we all ran well and we finally got that,” Noah said.

Noah had his own personal record in the 800-meter, placing 28th with a finish of 1:53.34.

Freshman Jekabs Hayes beat the milestone he set last weekend at Rider University in the 3,000-meter by almost six seconds, finishing 108th at 8:44.90. In the same race, senior Scott Savage also beat his personal record, coming in 114th at 8:46.95.

On the field, junior Chris Guglielmo went higher than he ever did in the pole vault at 14’9,” the second highest in the NJAC. A lot of Lions returned from Boston with a new milestone to beat, including Lerit, who dashed past one of her all-time college goals this weekend.

“I guess I’m going to have to set a new goal now,” Lerit said.

The men will face off against a number of teams, but their matchup on Monday, April 25, with Stevens Institute of Technology stands out as a chance for redemption.

“We almost beat Stevens the last time we faced off,” Prezant said. “I’m confident this is the year.”

The Lions will face off against another rival, New York University, on Wednesday, March 30. Both matchups will take place on the Lions’s home turf.

According to Prezant, teams will often opt for road matchups in order to use the College’s facilities. With so many matches at home, the home crowd will likely help tip the scales in favor of the Lions.

“Having the fans come out and support us has a huge impact the players,” Prezant said. “A lot of the game is just mentality. It can really change the outcome of a game… The vibe around the team is very positive. We definitely have something special.”

The men’s tennis team will open their season at home on Wednesday, Feb. 17, against Chestnut Hill College.

February 17, 2016 The Signal page 31 Cheap Seats

Daniel Bryan retires from wrestling

AP Photo

Daniel Bryan celebrates winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania XXX in April 2014.

By Michael Battista Sports Editor

Children sometimes view athletes as super heros. The colorful uniforms, amazing feats and personalities of these performers make us truly believe that they are unstoppable.

We often forget that they are human, that they are just as frail as we are and that their bodies are machines that can only take so much punishment.

On Monday, Feb. 8, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Daniel Bryan (whose real name is Bryan Danielson) announced his retirement from wrestling due to ongoing medical issues caused from traumatic brain injuries, including multiple concussions.

As I watched “Monday Night Raw,” WWE’s weekly live show, complete with multiple clips of Bryan’s career culminating with a retirement speech at the show’s end, I found myself tearing up.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was 18 years old,” Bryan said during his speech, in his home state of Washington, on Monday’s episode of “Raw.” “And within the first five months of my wrestling career, I’ve already had three concussions. And for years after that, I would get a concussion here and there, or here or there. And then it gets to the point when you’ve been wrestling for 16 years that it adds up to a lot of concussions. And it gets to a point where they tell you that you can’t wrestle anymore… I wanted to come back and wrestle. Because... I have loved this in a way that I have never loved anything else.

“But a week and a half ago,” he continued. “I took a test that said that maybe my brain isn’t as OK as I thought it was. And I have a family to think about and my wife and I want to start having kids soon.”

In an ESPN interview, Bryan said he has had 10 documented concussions during his career and has been suffering from

post-concussion seizures.

When wrestling is glamorized on TV, people forget just how frail the human body is.

I stopped watching wrestling in the early 2000s, only to get back into it just in time for Wrestlemania XXVIII in early 2012. With no previous knowledge of storylines or most of the current roster of superstars, I watched the event. I saw a young man, who was the World Heavyweight Champion, lose his belt in only 18 seconds after a kiss from his girlfriend left him open for a kick in the head and a pin.

That was my introduction to Daniel Bryan.

As a heel (a bad guy, in wrestling terms), I knew I was supposed to boo him. However, Bryan was different. While the crowd knew he was a bad guy, most of the audience members didn’t boo. They chanted “Yes.” After he won his Heavyweight Title in late 2011, Bryan was heard screaming the word over and over.

The fans caught on and chanted along, and so did I. As he became more of a heel after his loss at Wrestlemania, and much to his character’s anger, the “Yes” chants grew louder and louder.

For four years, the chants did not stop. No matter if he was the bad guy, yelling as his fiance left him at the altar, being paired with a demon in anger management and becoming a successful tag team or an underdog, Bryan kept fighting against an authority who didn’t think he fit the mold as a top superstar.

While wrestling’s outcomes are predetermined, the moves done by the athletes in the ring are just as spectacular and dangerous as in other sports. Bryan

excelled at these moves, with diving headbutts off the top rope and running out of the ring to throw the ropes onto “unsuspecting” opponents all being tools at his disposal.

He seemed like a superhero who could do anything and beat anyone.

But on a Monday, in front of a home state crowd, he was none of those things. He was mortal. He was Bryan Danielson.

During his speech, Bryan emphasized that wrestling didn’t owe him anything. He had traveled the world, met his wife Brie Bella (her real name is Brianna Monique Danielson) who is also a wrestler on the WWE roster, was able to retire in front of his hometown crowd and, in a special moment, shared one of the last memories of his late father.

“A little over two years ago, in this very arena, you guys hijacked Raw,” Bryan explained. “They... were combining the WWE Championship with the World Heavyweight Championship, and they had all the former champions out here, and this was going to be the most important match in WWE history, and you guys just wouldn’t stop chanting ‘Daniel Bryan...’ My dad got to see that.

His son getting that kind of reaction from all of you people, and that was the last time my dad ever got to see me wrestle, and you guys made it special, for him and for me, and for my entire family.”

While our heroes may be mortal, their words and actions are not always as such.

They transcend generations, unite people under a cause and make us feel happy.

Whether they are good, bad or weird, the memories of laughter, triumph and sadness will stay with us forever.

Because that’s what heroes do.

SUMMER AND WINTER SESSIONS

AT TCNJ

START THIS SUMMER IN SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS! LIT / WGS317 / ENGL670 THE WITCH IN LITERATURE For more details on this Session 1 course please email summer@tcnj.edu, or visit us at: http://www.tcnj.edu/intersession Memorial to those who were killed during the 1692 witch trials in Salem.

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

Signal

Sports

Lions show heart at Valentine Invitational

Photos courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Left: The Lions compete alongside exceptional athletes at Invitational. Right: Jaeger tops the 800-meter with her fastest time to date.

By George Tatoris Sports Assistant

It was a long Friday, Feb. 12, for Lions track. They boarded the bus at 6 a.m., arrived in Boston at 11:30 a.m., and after a two-hour rest, took part in a massive, twoday meet hosted by Boston University: the highly-competitive Valentine Invitational.

“Some of the best athletes in the world competed (in Boston) this past weekend and our Lions mixed it up right alongside them,” head coach Justin Lindsey said.

While the College didn’t do

as well overall as their Division I (D-I) opponents, the strong competition pushed many Lions to go faster, higher and farther than before.

Seniors Marissa Lerit and Carly Martz were two of those Lions.

Lerit and Martz had the longest day — their event, the women’s 5,000-meter race, was scheduled for 11:30 p.m. It was the last event of the day.

“I’m really happy with how I ran, especially given the conditions,” said Martz, who, along with Lerit, had to take a nap at the hotel to prepare for the race.

Lerit finished 39th, but her

17:53.11 finish in the 5,000meter was her fastest by almost a minute.

“I was on cloud nine after my race,” Lerit said. One of the senior’s college goals was to break 18 minutes.

Martz took 49th place with a time of 18:35.87, 13 seconds faster than her old record.

Lerit and Martz now have the top two fastest times in the 5,000-meter in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).

“This meet was not about place, it was about running fast and competing,” Lerit said.

The Lions did not set out to

beat the pantheon of D-I runners they were up against. That goal was “unrealistic,” according to Lerit. This was their last chance to improve conference seeds.

The Lions’s goal was to “Forget about your pace per lap and the heat you are in and just go out the hardest you can,” she said.

A lot of Lions kept that goal in mind. They came back with 21 personal bests, five national performances and three all-time program top-five performances, according to coach Lindsey.

Freshman Kathleen Jaegar ran her fastest 800-meter yet in her Boston debut, finishing

56th out of 192 at 2:15.90, now the fastest 800-meter time in the NJAC. Sophomore Danielle Celestin had a personal best time in the 200-meter, finishing 75th at 25.90 seconds.

Freshman Erin Holzbaur showed a four-second improvement on her personal best in the mile run, coming in at 5:06.43.

Lerit attributed her success to the wealth of talent in Boston that weekend.

“Racing against people that are faster than you can push you see RUN page 30

Devils salute ‘Marty’ Brodeur in captivating ceremony

By Sean Reis Production Manager

Drafted on June 16, 1990, by the New Jersey Devils, no one — not even the man who drafted him, Lou Lamoriello — foresaw the goaltender that Martin Brodeur would one day become, the career that he would have or the accolades that he would receive. Brodeur won the first of those accolades only three years later when he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the Rookie of the Year for the 1993-’94 season. Fast forward to last Tuesday, Feb. 9, for Brodeur’s most recent accomplishment.

With his family, friends and fans in attendance, among other notable individuals, the Devils retired Brodeur’s No. 30 jersey in order to honor the man who built their franchise, the greatest goaltender to ever play the position he had not only dominated, but also redefined — “Marty” Brodeur.

“Whether it was the poke check, his glove or the pad slide, Marty knew how to stop the puck like no one before him,” the NHL’s (despised) commissioner Gary Bettman said during the ceremony on Tuesday night. “And I dare say, no one who will come after him.”

Lions’ Lineup February 17, 2016

I n s i d e

AP Photo

No. 30 is raised up into the rafters as the number is officially retired.

Legendary goaltender Ken Dryden once described his position as “not fun” and “a grim, humorless position, largely uncreative, requiring little physical movement and giving little physical pleasure in return.”

However, Brodeur did not define his position as such and as the appreciation video, “A Salute to Martin Brodeur,” which was played at the ceremony, defined it for him,

“Goaltending is creativity, an expression of imagination and innovation. Artistry with pads, a glove and a mask.”

Brodeur turned the netminder into the third defenseman with such amazing puck handling that the NHL created a rule nicknamed after him.

Brodeur was unpredictable yet unflappable in net. Generally, the shooter makes the first

move and the goaltender reacts, but Brodeur loved to make the first move, forcing the shooter to react. This unique ability was why he ended his career as the winningest goaltender in NHL history with 691 wins — 140 more wins than Colorado Avalanche’s Patrick Roy. This number includes 125 shutouts, the most of any goalie. Brodeur was also awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy five times, the Vezina Trophy four times and led the Devils to win the Stanley Cup three times — not to mention too many more unbeatable feats of greatness to count.

Nonetheless, after everyone had honored Brodeur and the man himself spoke, the time arrived to lift the banner into the rafters. With his family by his side and an uncontrollable smile on his face, Brodeur watched as his beloved number was raised high, joining Devils legends Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko and Scott Niedermayer. The crowd had an energy rarely seen since Brodeur left the franchise, starting one of many “Marty” chants that evening. The No. 30 would never be worn by a Devil ever again, but the number will be seen by future generations of fans so they will know that the greatest goaltender of all time played there.

46 53 Around the Dorm page 29

Wrestling page 25

Women’s Basketball page 25

Men’s Basketball Page 27