The Signal: Fall '12, No. 7 by TCNJ Signal

William Dobson of Slate visits the College

The Lions women’s tennis team has been able to run through the NJAC

See News page 2

See Sports page 28

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 7

October 10, 2012

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

College opens up to surrounding community Ewing residents picket By Cameron Dering Staff Writer

Julie Novak / Staff Photographer

A student choir takes the stage, entertaining Community Fest visitors. By Jamie Primeau Editor-in-Chief

Beneath tents on Quimby’s Prairie, local organizations and businesses joined student volunteers for a day filled with food, live performances and more. Ewing residents and College students congregated on campus for the township’s annual Community Fest on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each autumn, the College partners with Ewing Township and Ewing schools for this day-long event. Throughout the day, bands and local choirs provided live music on a large stage set up behind Green Hall. With inflatable obstacle courses, crafts and face-painting, there were activities for guests of all ages. Various student organizations volunteered at the event. Lions’ Emergency Medical Services provided blood pressure screenings and were on-call to respond to any emergencies, including if anyone needed a bandage. Speaking of this year’s event, Megan Wyles, junior biology major and deputy chief of Lions’ EMS, said, “I think Community Fest on Quimby’s Prairie is a lot more conducive to the family vibe. It’s always good, but it’s better this way.” In previous years, the event was held in the campus parking lots. Members of the College’s American Medical Student Association had a table for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity that

raises funds for childhood cancer research. The group gave away lemonade and collected donations. AMSA President and senior biology major Jaya Kanduri said, “We know childhood cancer research is consistently underfunded and it’s an organization our chapter feels strongly about supporting.” Among the many tables were representation from Mercer county political groups, Pennington Family Chiropractors, the Coalition for Medical Marijuana and the Body Language Dance Center. Another group that had a table was Womanspace, a local not-for-profit agency that provides services to victims of domestic and sexual abuse, including shelter and counseling. When explaining why they were there, Susan Adams, coordinator of volunteers and community outreach, said, “Our main purpose here is for people to learn who we are.” “A woman will walk by and it may register who we are, but she hasn’t had the strength yet to come to us,” Adams continued, “and just seeing our name might be that moment where she says, ‘I do need to call.’” In the past, various College organizations, including Anti-Violence Initiatives and Women in Learning and Leadership, have partnered with Womanspace. While the event was a way to integrate members of the community with the College, there were considerably more Ewing residents in attendance than College students.

TCNJ raises awareness By Katie O’Dell Staff Writer

The lecture hall was filled with students, professionals, community members and guide dogs as representatives from Freedom Scientific paid a visit to the College for a workshop on assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The workshop was conducted by assistive technology salesmen Charlie Madsen and Ryan Jones, both of whom have low vision. Madsen began the workshop by relating the

INDEX: Nation & World / Page 5 The Signal @TCNJsignal

role that assistive technology played in his own life. He alluded to the final line from The Jeffersons’ theme song, “finally got a piece of the pie.” “What does that mean? Getting your fair share with success being a pie,” he explained, adding “What do I need to serve the pie? That’s what I want you to think the technology we’re going to show you. These are the tools that are going to get that piece of the pie.” see VISION page 3

Opinions / Page 6

Sorority goes pink ZTA raises awareness for breast cancer See Features page 11

Editorial / Page 9

This past Saturday, a dozen or so Ewing residents stationed themselves at the Pennington and Green Lane entrances of campus to protest off-campus student conduct. These residents are members of the Ewing Park/Braeburn Civic Association, which, according to its mission statement, is an organization aiming to “be pro-active in maintaining the quality and property of our homes” and “provide a medium for the exchange of ideas and concepts that promotes harmony, safety, and a wholesome neighborhood.” Their signs read: “Show our Community Respect” and “Shh.” Meanwhile, in the center of campus, the College was hosting its second annual Community Fest, which is a cooperative effort between the Township of Ewing and the College to provide a day full of

activities and food, sponsored by vendors and companies from within the community and staffed by many student volunteers from the College. While residents from Ewing were enjoying the event on campus, these protesters gathered to picket against “student conduct/behavior included but not limited to” property damage, unreasonable noise, disorderly conduct, littering, loitering, low morals, traffic violations, (and) health and safety violations including drugs and alcohol.” Their biggest complaints revolved around off-campus partying, because they claim that is when students are most disruptive, throwing up and littering on neighbors’ lawns and making unreasonable noise when they leave past 2 a.m., either talking loudly as they walk through the streets or waking up neighbors by slamming their car doors and locking their cars with loud beeps.

Photo courtesy of Cameron Dering

Neighbors of students come to campus to have their voices heard.

Bent works with U.N. By Amy Reynolds Features Editor

From undergraduate student to professor at the College, and everything in between, Emily Bent has been an active member of activities and organizations involved with women’s and gender studies. The ’03 graduate from the College is currently a member of the United Nation’s Working Group on Girls, is finishing up her Ph.D. at the University of Galway in Ireland and is the executive director of Sage Girl. All in addition to teaching women’s and gender Features / Page 11

Ashley Long / Photo Editor

WGS professor and alumna Emily Bent. studies classes at the College, including an FSP course on WILL, feminist theories and a course which delves into women, culture and society. Bent is currently preparing for the first annual Day of the Girl, of which she is working with over

40 organizations to put together a virtual summit for Thursday, Oct. 11. Bent said that she absolutely loved her experience as a student at the College, and that it was the perfect fit for her at the time. see BENT page 15

Arts & Entertainment / Page 17

Sabermetrics have come to the forefront AL MVP vote could come down to advanced statistics See Sports page 26

Sports / Page 28

‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ All College Theatre puts on fall performance See A&E page 17

page 2 The Signal October 10, 2012

Slate editor discusses love of foreign affairs

Dobson details his journey through journalism By Hillary Siegel Staff Writer William J. Dobson didn’t go to school to become a journalist. In fact, he never took a single journalism class in college, and had no intentions of becoming a journalist at all. But now, as the Politics and Foreign Affairs Editor for Slate, Dobson puts his political and foreign knowledge to use in the media-driven world. fact checker for Foreign Policy, and when he was given pieces to read through and edit, he was appalled at the quality of the writing. He then began writing his own pieces, and was

international politics, appearing in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Newsweek and many other publications. But writing for the news media isn’t his only outlet for his love of international affairs. Dobson’s new book “The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy” explains the somewhat relentless struggle between democracy and dictatorships. He explained that dictators and other leaders learn things about their opponents by playing it from their point of

view. “To play chess, you have to see it from both sides,” he said. He went on to say that in today’s society that is seeing more and more democracies, it has “never been so hard to be a dictator.” According to Dobson, the collapse of the Soviet Union hurt many dictators. Many countries and their dictators had relied on the USSR for support, and were in part lost by their collapse. As time has gone on, into the 21st century, dictators have been faced with more pressure as citizens

ed section of the New York Times. He described being published as “sheer joy,”and that it was hard to give it up once world. He said that he loved “being able to ing had by other people.” Dobson’s true love is for politics and foreign affairs. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School, and a Masters degree in East Asian Studies form Harvard University. Dobson has been published widely on

Photo by Warren Fields

Dobson talks to students about his experience in the journalism world.

strive for democracies. “If 2011 taught us anything,” he said, “it’s that we’ll do anything for democracy.” But he also said that some dictators are savvy, and adapt to the changes happening around them. They know how to preserve power and “refashion the dictatorship for the modern age.” Dobson has met with political advisors and militaries in many countries, including China, Malaysia, Egypt, Venezuela and Russia. He met with “unexpected networks of people,” learning of stories and struggles within the countries and their leaders. According to Dobson, the struggle between dictatorships and democracies can be seen as a constant learning process. It is a central element of our time, and we have to remember that it is almost never a struggle between nations, but between the people. He also explained that some dictators use nationalism as an excuse for their regime, and this furthers the struggle between dictators and citizens. Alex Monday, a freshman at the College, thought that Dobson was “well-spoken, appealing and interesting,” and he said that he had recently.”

SFB deliberates over CUB’s potential fall latenighter By Tom Ciccone Arts & Entertainment Editor The Student Finance Board met on Wednesday, Oct 3., to discuss funding the College Union Board’s Night at Casino fall latenighter event and a request from the Homecoming Spirit Week Comittee. SFB motioned to fully fund CUB’s fall latenighter for $20,340.75. The third annual fall latenighter will be held in the Brower Student Center on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. and will feature a variety of activities and

mock-gambling tables. Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold’em and slot machines will be available for students to enjoy, as well as a hypnotist and magicians – all coinciding with CUB’s fall latenighter theme. Students will not use their own money for this event. Some concerns were raised by board members that the gaming tables would need a realistic strategy for organizing the people that will line up to

gamble, as the fall latenighter has attracted an average of 500 people, according to CUB’s funding request to SFB. “We had suggested having casino night in the past, and we brought it to our general board … so that’s why we decided to do it,” said freshmen marketing major Michelle Ibarra. Photo booths, air-brush tattoos and a non-alcoholic bar will also be available for the student’s enjoyment, according to CUB. The Homecoming Spirit Week Commit-

tee then presented their request to receive additional funding for a rally towel printing and give-away. As part of Spirit Week, on Friday, Oct. 19, blue and gold rally towels will be given out in the student center atrium. After some debate, 250 towels were added to the original request for funding the purchase of 500, and through assisting the bylaws, SFB motioned to fully fund the new $5,450 total. tain events, there is no guarantee that these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.

Pattern recognition spans several disciplines By Brian Kempf Correspondent What exactly is a pattern? Why do genetically similar organisms respond differently to external stimuli? How can manipulating proteins stem the onslaught of gypsy moths? The School of Science’s colloquium, “Pattern Recognition Across Disciplines,” answered these questions and more, providing an exciting look at projects on which the faculty have been working, as well as possible applications for their research. Andrea Salgian, assistant professor of computer science, was physicist Satosi Watanabe, she noted that a pattern isn’t merely a regular repeated structure, but “a pattern is the opposite of chaos.” Patterns are sorted into classes and thus recognized, either by computers or humans. Pattern recognition technology is all around us, from Roombas to Facebook photo tagging. To do so, computers must emulate human vision: recognizing objects and tracking their movement over time. A 3-D object must be converted to a two — dimensional matrix of numbers — then an image is produced. There are two approaches to image recognition: supervised

features information put in by hand, or unsupervised learning patterns in existing data that can be used to label new data. But there are For example, a cake looks different from the top than it does from the side, but it is easy to surmise that it is indeed a cake. A computer can’t pick up on that unless it is told to do so. Or, what if the cake was in a dimly lit room, and then the lights were turned up? The computer may not be able to recognize that it is the same object because the colors are different. Any number of factors conspire to make image recognition no piece of cake, so to speak. Salgian gave an example of a particularly interesting application of computer recognition. By tracking an orchestra conductor’s hand movements, it can be inferred where beats occurred in the musical piece. Thus, by extracting patterns from the musical score, information can be generated to set the stage to talk about the central theme of the colloquium — analyzing the construct of Cytochrome P450’s, or in layman’s terms, the very structures of the catalysts that makes life possible. Leann Thornton, assistant

Photo by Brian Kempf

Professors take the podium in the ‘Pattern Recognition Across Disciplines’ colloquium. professor of biology, then took the stage to discuss patterns in Cytochrome P450. Thornton started her lecture anecdotally. “Why is it that when I take caffeine I get all jittery, but my very geneticallysimilar brother can take a nap?” Thornton said. Or why do two of the same kinds of plants grow differently? The answers lie in DNA, which, among other jobs, sends messages to ribosomes about how to encode protein, which are built from chains of patterns of amino acids. How these amino acids — and thus, enzymes — are structured is of the utmost importance. On the molecular level, even the most minute change in structure can have the widest of implications. Two similarly designed genes would

have two different purposes: one is a plant growth hormone, the other is the gene that tells the plant to stand tall. By isolating genes, they can be manipulated in order to modify a plant’s behavior or development. Thornton concluded with the fact that plant growth depends on enzymes that regulate a plethora of chemicals, and that the smallest of changes to these patterns results in different Cytochrome activity. Stephanie Sen, professor of chemistry, was the last to take the stage, speaking in the context of protein function. After mentioning that the two proteins in question are part of the same biosynthetic pathway, she asked, “Why are we interested in this?” Sen’s research is concerned with

using these two proteins to block isoprenoid production in insects, in other words, blocking the production of the necessary natural products needed for insect development. By manipulating these genes, the gypsy moth invasions and pests that continually wreck agriculture could be a thing of the past. According to Sen, if the research is picked up, a tangible application may be only a few years away, and that natural events such as deforestation and crops damaged by pests could be mitigated by halting development in insects altogether. Of course, with 40,000 isoprenoids all being synthesized by the same pathways, this promises to be a Leviathan of a task, yet one that be accomplished using pattern recognition.

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 3

Vision / Piece of the pie Board talks via phone Trustees examine surplus continued from page 1

“What does that mean? Getting your fair share with success being a pie,” he explained, adding, “What do I need to serve the pie? That’s what I want you to think about the technology we’re going to show you. These are the tools that are going to get that piece of the pie.” “PIE is also going to be an acronym for our mantra for today: Productivity, Independence, Empowerment,” he said as he introduced his first product, an assistive tool called SARA, or Scanning and Reading Appliance, a scanner programmed with Optical Character Recognition Software that allows it to read books out loud. He demonstrated the product’s advanced features, including screen display and voice modification options, a catalog of 222 free public domain books and a Braille display that renders it accessible for individuals who are deaf and blind. Jones also demonstrated a slew of technology, including the Focus 40 Blue, a wireless Braille display with Bluetooth connectivity, and JAWS for Windows, a software program that reads the text on a computer screen aloud. The event was hosted by Amy Dell, director of the Central New Jersey Assistive Technology Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired and a professor of Special Education at the College. “We want people to know that independence is the most important thing,” she noted in an interview last Friday. “People who are blind or visually impaired want to work, want to go to school. They don’t

want to be coddled or felt sorry for.” Assistive technology is the key to fostering this level of independence, Dell remarked, noting that technology has the power to transform a disability into nothing more than “an inconvenience.” Fostering independence and sharing information about the opportunities available to people who are blind or visually impaired will be recurrent themes for Blindness Awareness Month, a month-long series of events dedicated to spreading awareness about issues relating to blindness and visual impairment at the College. The month will be marked by events including a performance by 15-year-old jazz musician and ambassador for the Little Rock Foundation for blind and visually impaired children Rocco Fiorentino, a screening of the movie “Blindness,” and a lecture about guide dogs. “It is an exciting initiative and I cannot be more pleased with the positive response from our campus community,” enthused Special Education professor Jerry Petroff, who is coordinating the event in conjunction with the Little Rock Foundation and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement. “We want to make people aware in general,” Dell said when asked about the goals for the month. “People know that blindness exists, but we want them to be aware of the fact that there are technologies available.” She referenced a quote from the National Federation of the Blind’s website: “The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist.”

By Sydnee Weinbaum Features Assistant

The board of trustees met in Loser Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 3. This time, however, the meeting ran a little differently than usual. Many of the board members responded via phone conference because “everyone was all over the world,” according to President R. Barbara Gitenstein. Although the board of trustees meetings usually run fairly long, this session lasted a mere half hour because all of the material had been processed in committees, according to senior student trustee Megan Coburn. The main discussion dealt with the surplus of money from the Education Building bond. After voting on this, the board has decided to use the excess money from the bond to fix underground infrastructure along with making the College’s campus completely wireless. “This will be a three-year wireless plan that started in May,” said Curt Heuring, vice president of administration. In fact much progress has been made. Since the summer, all of the old wireless equipment was replaced with a single system which will allow the College to start adding new features and services to wireless. Basically what this means is that when going from building to building, one will not be required to login to the wireless again. Another improvement occurred in the library where more wireless access points

were added for better coverage. Now, mostdevices should be able to gain internet access throughout campus. Other improvements include New Residence Hall being completely wireless while Norsworthy Hall has wireless hotspots in their main lounge, lower-level study lounge and lower-level game room as well. In the future, Ely, Allen and Brewster Halls are going to receive wireless when the College can schedule a time that is not too disturbing for all of the residents, and the Education Building should be completely wireless by the fall. “The reallocated money from the bond from the Education Building allows us to process wireless quicker,” Heuring said. By fall 2013, the Science Complex and the Business Building should be wireless, while in the fall of 2014, Armstrong Hall, the Brower Student Center, Kendall Hall, Norsworthy Hall, the Science ComplexBiology, Social Science Building and the townhouses should be completely wireless. By fall of 2015 to 2017, the Administrative Services Building, Bliss Hall, Forcina Hall, Green Hall, Holman Hall, Music Building, Packer Hall, the Recreation Center, Roscoe West Hall and the Towers should be completed. President Gitenstein said this progress “is a wonderful opportunity.” Hopefully by 2017 the entire College campus will be completely wireless. The next board of trustees meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

Trail of urine leads to man covered in chocolate By Natalie Kouba News Editor

A male student was observed urinating on the walkway by Lot 8 on Sunday, Oct. 7 around 2:50 a.m. by campus police. The trail of urine was approximately 30 ft. long, going along the street lamps of the parking lot. When approached, the student said he was fine and just wanted to go to sleep. He also said it was “a stupid choice” to urinate on the sidewalk. According to police, the student appeared to be covered from head to toe in a substance which looked like chocolate sauce. The student had been drinking at an off-campus party, which included throwing chocolate sauce on one another. Police said he would not tell them

where the party was, because he “didn’t speak Greek.” Lions’ EMS evaluated the student and he required no further treatment. …

Police responded to a report of an intoxicated student in a residence hall on Monday, Oct. 8 at 2:40 a.m. The student was found passed out on her bed with a garbage can containing vomit on the floor nearby. When she woke up, her speech was slurred, as she said she had been drinking whiskey and “woska” earlier that night. She refused to give the names of the other students with

whom she had been drinking. Lions’ EMS arrived and evaluated her. She was transported and issued a summons for underage drinking. …

Police were notified of an intoxicated student Monday, Oct. 11 around 10:15 p.m. in one of the residence halls. He was sitting upright in his bed, slumped over a trash can, vomiting. His speech was slurred, said police. The student said he drank too much, about 10 shots of vodka, in celebration of his birthday. Lions’ EMS arrived, evaluated him, and transported him. He was issued a summons.

The Phelps Hall sign was reported missing Monday, Oct. 1 at 12:30 a.m. The 3.5ft by 2.5ft brown sign with “Phelps Hall” in white lettering is valued at $672. Police searched the area, but nothing was found. There are no suspects in the case. …

An iPhone in a purple lifeproof case was reported missing Sunday, Sept. 30 at 1:00 a.m. The owner of the phone said she had been dining in Eickhoff the evening before, and that was the last time she remembered seeing the phone, according to police. When she realized it was missing, she locked it, making it inoperable. The phone is valued at $600.

Two clubs receive stamp of approval from SG By Natalie Kouba News Editor

Student Government approved two new clubs for official recognition on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at the weekly meeting. Following the perimeters of the new bill now used for approving clubs, Devin Dimmig presented the intentions of the first club, Cards for a Cause. This club is designed to teach members

how to play card games, organize tournaments, and raise money for selected charities. The founders of the club stressed that this is not a gambling club. Participants would contribute about $5 to play, and could win small prizes. “Gambling is not an issue at all,” said Alexandra Brown, junior communication studies major. The profits from the tournaments would be donated to a charity of

the club’s choice. Currently, they are focusing on Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Some SG members doubted the club’s ability to fund themselves as they requested no funding. They questioned if Cards for a Cause would have enough supplies to hold a tournament and give away prizes. After briefly debating, the significance of the club proved to be vital to the campus.

Lianna Lazur / Staff Photographer

Student government uses new guidelines to approve Cards for a Cause and She’s the First.

“There is a void for card playing at the College,” said Kyle Magliaro, senior marketing major and executive vice president of SG. She’s the First, a non-profit organization founded by a College alumnus, was the other club to be approved by SG. The goal of She’s the First is to raise money to sponsor girls in developing countries so they can become the first in their families to graduate high school, college, or even the first to become literate. Jamie Primeau, senior journalism and English double major and Signal Editor-in-Chief, pointed out that the girls chosen to be sponsored really care about education. Without an education, most of these girls would have limited possibilities for significant achievement. Some of the sponsored girls hope to become doctors after graduation — a dream practically impossible for them without the proper schooling.

According to SG, there were no potential weaknesses in the club, but instead “promise, a clear concise mission and dedication.” SG also recognized the potential of the club to co-sponsor with other student organizations, such as sororities. Voter registration sign-ups in the Towers have been successful, reported SG. “We were so surprised by how many people were so enthusiastic,” Dimmig said. SG advisor Magda Manetas announced memorial services for two students who passed away last semester. A ceremony for Ryan Alley will be held Friday Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Spiritual Center. Alley was a senior marketing major, who passed due to injuries following a car accident. Another memorial service will be held for Paul Traina, a junior sociology major who suffered a brain aneurism. It will be announced later in the year, according to Manetas.

page 4 The Signal October 10, 2012

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October 10, 2012 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

Chavez wins close vote CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s electoral council says President Hugo Chavez has won re-election, defeating challenger Henrique Capriles. National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena says that with most votes counted, Chavez had about 54 percent of the vote. It was Chavez’s third re-election victory in nearly 14 years in office. The victory gives Chavez another six-year term to cement his legacy and press more forcefully for a transition to socialism in the country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves.Both camps said turnout was high, with millions of Venezuelans casting ballots. Chavez’s challenger, Henrique Capriles, united the opposition in a contest between two sides that distrust each other so deeply that some expressed concerns whether a close election result would be respected. “We will recognize the results, whatever they are,” Chavez told reporters after casting his vote in Caracas. Chavez was greeted at the polling center by American actor Danny Glover and Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu. He said he was pleased to see a “massive turnout.” Capriles said after voting that the election had been free of violence. “We’ve shown the world that we’re resolving our differences peacefully through the vote, as it should be,” Capriles said. He noted that he had never lost an election and said he was wearing his “lucky” brown suede shoes. “Today Venezuela is going to

AP Photo

Three voters take pictures of their inked thumbs with a cell phone after voting at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela.

win,” Capriles said. “We’re going to respect what the people say.” The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Chavez wins a new six-year term, he gets a free hand to push for an even bigger state role in the economy, further limit dissent and continue to befriend rivals of the U.S. With a Capriles win, an abrupt foreign policy shift can be expected, including halting preferential oil deals with allies such as Cuba, along with a loosening of state economic controls and an increase in private investment. A tense transition would likely follow until the January inauguration because Chavez’s political machine thoroughly controls the wheels of government. Carlos Julio Silva, a bodyguard employed by a private security company, said whatever his faults,

Chavez deserved re-election. “There is corruption, there’s plenty of bureaucracy, but the people have never had a leader who cared about this country,” Silva said after voting for Chavez at a school in the Caracas slum of Petare. Chavez’s critics said the president has inflamed divisions by labeling his opponents “fascists,” “Yankees” and “neo-Nazis,” while Chavez’s loyalists alleged Capriles would halt generous government programs that assist the poor. Political analyst Ricardo Sucre said he expected the election to show “two halves, more or less even.” Regardless of the result, he said, Venezuelans are likely to remain deeply divided by politics for years to come.

Quick Bits

Capital city report

In an effort to curb scrap metal thefts that have increased since the 2007 recession, state legislators have advanced a bill in the assembly that would place new regulations on how scrap metal yards pay for and keep records of transactions. The Military Family Support 360 Project, which over five years was to provide $1 million to assist 400 military families in N.J. with disabled children, has been cut short by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after three years. It was a victim of federal budget cuts. The state health commissioner said Friday that about a thousand patients treated at six medical facilities in N.J. were injected with a steroid linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak that has left five people dead nationwide. All info from AP Exchange

Election corner 2012

• A privately owned rocket was launched Sunday night on the first of a dozen space station supply missions funded by a megacontract with NASA. • A letter in which Albert Einstein dismissed the idea of God as a product of human weakness is being sold on eBay for a starting price of $3 million. • Two common fungi are responsible for the most recent deadly meningitis break out. The fungi contaminated a steroid shot for pain release. The shot, which is administered in the back, provides a rapid way for the fungi to cause a serious infection. • Turkey and Syria fired artillery and mortars across their volatile border for a fifth consecutive day on Sunday, in one of the most serious and prolonged flare-ups of violence along the frontier. The exchange of fire stoked fears that Syria’s civil war will escalate into a regional conflagration drawing in NATO member Turkey, once an ally of President Bashar Assad but now a key supporter of the rebels fighting to topple him. • After gas hit $4.66 on Monday in Calif., the Governor ordered the release of a “winter-blend” of gas to slash prices. The “winter-blend” evaporates faster than other types of gasoline. That allows more raw gasoline to evaporate into the atmosphere. The blend is usually released on Oct. 31. All info from AP Exchange

AP Photo

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have different ways of trying to save Social Security.

As part of a weekly series, The Signal will publish the viewpoints and policy records of President Obama and Mitt Romney. Each week will feature a different topic until election day, which is Nov. 6. This week’s topics are: education and Social Security. WASHINGTON (AP) — On education: Obama: Has approved waivers freeing states from the most onerous requirements of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law with their agreement to improve how they prepare and evaluate students. “Race to the Top” competition has rewarded winning states with billions of dollars for pursuing education policies Obama supports. Won approval for a college tuition tax credit worth up to $10,000 over four years and more money for Pell grants for low-income college students. Wants Congress to agree to reduce federal aid to colleges that go too far in raising tuition.

Romney: Supported the federal accountability standards of No Child Left Behind law. In 2007, said he was wrong earlier in career when he wanted the Education Department shut because he came to see the value of the federal government in “holding down the interests of the teachers’ unions” and putting kids and parents first. Has said the student testing, charter-school incentives and teacher evaluation standards of Obama’s “Race to the Top” competition “make sense” although the federal government should have less control of education. On Social Security: Obama: Has not proposed a comprehensive plan to address Social Security’s long-term financial problems. He is firmly against any cubacks. However, during budget negotiations in 2011, he proposed adopting a new measurement of inflation that would reduce annual increases in Social Security benefits. The proposal would reduce the long-term financing shortfall by about 25 percent, according to the Social Security actuaries. Romney: Also has not proposed a comprehensive plan to address Social Security. He is in favor of protecting the status quo for people 55 and over but, for the next generation of retirees, he wants to raise the retirement age for full benefits by one or two years and reduce inflation increases in benefits for wealthier recipients. He also advocates a progressive price indexing tied to a lower inflation groth model.

page 6 The Signal October 10, 2012

Opinions The Signal says ... Stop: threatening to cut PBS funding in front of Jim Lehrer, blaming the altitude for your poor performance Caution: spending your anniversaries with the romantic Mitt Romney Go: find the best vice presidential debate drinking game before Thursday, watch an actual debate between Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly, check the facts

By Tom Kozlowski Opinions Assistant In the wake of Wednesday’s presidential debate, the 24-hour news networks have taken the liberty of ravenously picking winners. Their conclusions are far from objective; they’re more accustomed to shaking

lounged on the defense, thoughts aloof on the misery of spending his Who the news networks choose to crown king is of little concern whose debate moderation was encroached upon by the elderly desire to sleep by 8 p.m. The other is the collective dismemberment of facts, those treasured gems in debate speak that are used second and

the truth. Yet, one is a fonder murderer of logical argument than the other. Romney may be praised by the news networks for his aggressive misconceptions and missing, dead facts. hay in a needle stack. Perhaps we should look at Romney’s frontline

cuts is stretched; it’s actually $480 billion by calendar year 2015, a

all the Romney plan will ever be. believing what he says.

debate, it’s that Romney too can form assertive opinions. The catch is that on many occasions, they’re raining down from a high horse with no ties to logical ground below. There’s little evidence; there’s even less prefer to slap the winner label on, then they’re just as factually mistaken as Romney’s debate performance.

Conversing with the extremists By Jack Graham

When I passed by the student center this past Thursday I heard “those religious

When we enrolled into college, most of us wanted to learn about ourselves, others and the

praiseworthy, I believe we need to continue to ask ourselves how we might achieve Letters must be received by these goals outside the classroom. I would

the Friday before publication and should not exceed 300 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. 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. come 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 write to the address listed above or e-mail us at signal@tcnj.edu.

slumping forward, but at least it’s not a lie. Evidently, then, Romney’s prime tactic is still a barrage of negativity against his opponent. The emptiness of this approach, both in facts and new material, inevitably recycles cobwebbed statements and turns

aren’t enough loopholes in the system to make this plan feasible.

The Signal is published weekly during the academic year and -

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

You can pretend to be playing nice now, boys, but the debates are going to get ugly, fast.

this are his proposals to maintain military funding at current levels,

Policies mit 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 print-

AP Photo

much as I wanted to stay and watch peoples’ reactions, I unfortunately had to run to class; but two hours later, when I was let out, the

what became evident within the few seconds most of the students reverted to one of three

they do have something to say. Yes, this may sound like promoting a cause with which you most likely do not agree. However, you might actually learn from a few people that do have some good reasons for standing outside all day, preaching like madmen. There must be some story. How can we just pass these guys off as a bunch of the right answers? To be fair, how sure are you that you have any answers? You may talk, think, conjecture and then eventually leave still disagreeing, but if you had a fair and honest conversation, perhaps your own views may grow stronger. Why

verbal retaliation or simply repulsion. to react with anger or some other intense emotion when you truly believe that what the opposition is saying is entirely false. However, what I propose we do instead is accept the fact that we may not agree, just as a professor may say something that does not agree with our internal belief system Ashley Long / Photo Editor

Heated arguments aren’t going to embrace our interest in ourselves, others and change the mind of protesters.

embrace those views which are drastically different from our own. We can learn to accept and embrace diversity that we usually don’t get to see at a pretty liberal college. both more knowledgeable and wise, I would only humbly suggest conversing with these speakers; and to be entirely fair, they are both reasonable and intelligent, and frankly, have some interesting things to say.

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 7

Post-debate coverage

Barack Obama

Mitt Romney

TAXES:

Argued that his tax cuts have aided 98 percent of families and that he aims to keep small business tax cuts at current levels.

Argued that his proposed tax cuts would allow owners to hire more employees, and for people to invest more in the economy.

Obama has actually maintained a number of tax cuts for small businesses including the healthcare tax credit and startup deductions.

Romney elaborated, stating that small businesses are taxed at the individual rate and, therefore, increasing individual taxes would dramatically increase costs for small businesses.

THE ECONOMY:

Stretched the truth with regards to the current unemployment rate.

– “In the last 30 months, 5 million private sector jobs were created” Contrary to this statement, there was a very small net gain of jobs in that time period. What Obama failed to mention is that more than 4 million jobs were lost—with only slightly more being created.

– “We’ve got 23 million people out of work” In reality, low-wage jobs increased once the economy began to bounce back. So, for the “23 million” statistic to be technically true, Romney factored in

FEDERAL DEFICIT:

By re-working the domestic budget and the healthcare system, he made significant deficit cuts

Discussed plans to cut funding to several “inefficient” social programs For example, he stated that Obamacare is high up on his list of programs to end. (Also, he mentioned cutting the subsidy to PBS in front of the host of PBS’s NewsHour)

Specifically, sums added up to a $4 trillion deficit reduction plan.

UPCOMING DEBATES: When? Thursday, Oct. 11 at 9-10:30 p.m. Who? VP Joe Biden vs. Congressman Paul Ryan What? Foreign and Domestic Policy

When? Tuesday, Oct. 16, 9-10:30 p.m. What? Foreign and domestic policy (town hall format) Who? President Obama vs. Governor Romney

When? Monday, Oct. 22, 9-10:30 p.m. What? Foreign and Domestic Policy Who? President Obama vs. Governor Romney

Information compiled by Jack Meyers.

Numbers in some battleground states 20 Electoral Votes

13 Electoral Votes

Pennsylvania

Obama 50.2%

Virginia

Romney 42.2%

Obama 47.8%

18 Electoral Votes

*polls from realclearpolitics. com as of Oct. 8.

29 Electoral Votes

Ohio

Obama 49.0%

Romney 47.5%

Florida

Obama 47.0%

Romney 47.0%

9 Electoral Votes Colorado

Romney 46.0%

Obama 47.4%

Romney 47.2%

page 8 The Signal October 10, 2012

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 9

Editorial

Election coverage

In this week’s issue, we decided to add a new election section. We have devoted a page to covering the weekly progress of the election. For example, this week we highlight bits about the first debate and show some important polls. As we move toward the election on Nov. 6, we will increase our coverage as we figure out AP Photo what we think may be helpful to College stuOur attempts to inform the campus electorate will hopefully make the next few dents looking to become more informed. While we feature pieces in Opinions about weeks a more enlightening and meaningful period. the election, we wanted to provide an overall guide about things that students should know. The Weekly Poll: Quotes of From here we will look toward the College Did you watch the debate? the Week Republicans and College Democrats on cam• Absolutely. I want to be an informed voter. pus. Their views will be outlined in next week’s • Yes, but all I remember is something about edition of The Signal, but we would like to enBig Bird. “To play chess, courage any other campus organizations that • No, but I plan to tune into the vice you have to see it feel that they want their political voices heard presidential candidate debate this week. from both sides.” • Nope, and I have no desire to watch the rest. to contact us at signal@tcnj.edu. — Slate Politics and For those of you who feel that you do not have cast your vote @ tcnjsignal.net ! Foreign Affairs Editor enough information to make a decision, we reWilliam Dobson spect that and hope that we are able to create an Previous poll’s results educational tool that will help you if you do deWhat is your attitude about the election? cide to vote. • I already know who I’m voting for this year. 78% Even if you did not tune into last Wednesday’s • This will be my first presidential election. I “Pretend this debate, chances are you heard about it or read can’t wait. 20% is Wal-Mart. about it. Facebook and Twitter feeds were flood• I guess I should vote, but I don’t know who for. 7% ed with people’s opinions about the topic. Who Nobody can judge • I’m not even registered to vote and don’t plan knew all of our friends were political experts? you at Wal-Mart.” on changing that. 0% We are in the process of beefing up the cover— solo artist Casey age in this new section over the next few weeks, Crescenzo and will expand beyond our basic coverage this week. At the same time, we would like to call for tcnjsignal.net any opinion pieces pertinent to the election. If “We make people Telephone: Mailing Address: you have an idea, please email our Opinions Production Rm - (609) 771-2424 The Signal comfortable Editor at fitzpa28@tcnj.edu. Business Office - (609) 771-2499 c/o Brower Student Center with being The College of New Jersey Fax: (609) 771-3433 We’re not trying to preach at you, but we P.O. Box 7718 Email: signal@tcnj.edu uncomfortable.” Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 think a decent amount of us could use a politiAd Email: signalad@tcnj.edu cal refresher, and we will try to provide it. — president of Editorial Staff Thalia Ortiz – Signal Editorial Staff

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.

Jamie Primeau Editor-in-Chief primeau2@tcnj.edu Brendan McGrath Managing Editor mcgrat28@tcnj.edu Brandon Gould Natalie Kouba News Editors gould9@tcnj.edu, kouban1@tcnj.edu Chris Molicki Sports Editor molickc1@tcnj.edu Amy Reynolds Features Editor reynola1@tcnj.edu Tom Ciccone Arts & Entertainment Editor ciccont2@tcnj.edu Shaun Fitzpatrick Opinions Editor fitzpa28@tcnj.edu Ashley Long Photo Editor longa1@tcnj.edu

Production Manager Chris Rightmire Nation & World Editor Peter Fiorilla Sports Assistant Tom Kozlowski Opinions Assistant Sydnee Weinbaum Features Assistant Betsy Blumenthal Arts & Entertainment Assistant Julia Corbett Melisa Easaw Juliana Fidler Copy Editors Janika Berridge Matthew Mance Vicki Wang Photo Assistants Emilie Lounsberry Advisor Business Staff Dan Lisi Business/Ad Manager

the Leadership Development Program Chris Markulic

Correction

In the Sept. 19 issue of The Signal, an article about the Helen Shaw Staff Excellence and Special Achievement Awards incorrectly stated the awards were given to and by faculty. The awards are actuallen given by staff, to staff. We regret the error.

page 10 The Signal October 10, 2012

SPRING 2013 REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT PERIOD Initial Registration Period for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Tuesday, November 6 through Friday, November 16 

Your enrollment appointment reflecting the first time you will be eligible to register for both the Spring and Summer 2013 semester can be accessed via your PAWS account. To view your scheduled enrollment appointment, visit the Enrollment Appointment section in the PAWS Student Center. Once eligible, students remain eligible throughout the registration period. Undergraduate Students who do not register by 11:59pm on Sunday, November 18th will be subject to a late registration fine. Graduate Students have until 11:59pm on December 15th: Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $125



The Spring and Summer Schedule of Classes is available on PAWS and can be viewed by using the Search for Classes button.



Visit the PAWS HELP website for complete information on how to log-in to PAWS, search for classes, browse the Course Catalog, view your Holds, add courses to your Shopping Cart, and register for classes: http://pawshelp.pages.tcnj.edu/

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Use the Validate feature directly from your PAWS Shopping Cart to check for potential pre-requisite issues before registration! For more information on the Validate feature, visit: http://pawshelp.pages.tcnj.edu/files/2011/07/validate.pdf

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Check PAWS for Holds that will prevent you from registering. All Hold Flag information can be viewed under the Holds section in the PAWS Student Center. Advising Holds and Health Holds have been posted. Financial Holds will be posted throughout October. Check your account early and frequently for Holds.

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Access your Academic Requirements Report on PAWS to view your degree requirements via the Advising Tools link.

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Make an appointment to see your advisor to discuss your Academic Requirements Report. Your advisor’s name and email address can be located in your PAWS Student Center.

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Double-check call numbers and course sections prior to your registration appointment for schedule changes and periodic updates.

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Graduate Students: If you are a non-matriculant who is applying for Spring matriculation, you should not register during this timeframe. If accepted for matriculation, you will be invited to register during the Orientation program scheduled for January 10, 2013.

THE OFFICE OF RECORDS AND REGISTRATION EXTENDED HOURS DURING THIS REGISTRATION PERIOD Tuesday, November 6th through Friday, November 16th 7:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 11

Features

ZTA raises breast cancer awareness By Nicole Ferrito Correspondent

Pink is the color of hope, strength and courage. It has become a symbol of breast cancer awareness and the fight to find a cure. As Joanne Smith-Tavener, a College adjunct professor from the health and exercise science department, who spoke at Zeta Tau Alpha’s Pink Out Week on Wednesday night said, “There is a very ugly side to pink.” It is this side that represents the battle the victims of breast cancer must face. That is why the Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity at the College has dedicated much of their time and effort into their philanthropy, breast cancer awareness and education, by hosting their annual Pink Out Week. The events which began on Sunday, Oct. 1, included activities such as: $10 haircuts in the Brower Student Center, pink hair dying, a balloon release, a zumbathon, a Tshirt sale, carnival-type games and cotton candy, volleyball games, inspirational speeches and a pinkout football game. The proceeds of the week are to go to the Zeta Tau Alpha foundation and divided between various breast cancer awareness and education organizations. “Hakuna Matata” read the popular shirts that ZTA has been selling as part of their fundraising and promotion of breast cancer

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Snedeker and Janika Berridge / Photo Assistant

Zeta Tau Alpha’s Pink Out Week involved pink hair dying, a balloon release, a zumbathon, a T-shirt sale, volleyball games, a pink-out football game and inspirational speeches. awareness. Anna Poruks, a sophomore member of ZTA and biology and psychology double major, said the selling of their shirts “was really successful.” They raised over $1,000 in just one day. The girls kicked off their week Sunday morning with the “Race for the Cure” walk at Six Flags, where they worked the survivor’s tent. Monica Watson, a sophomore elementary education and English double major and member of ZTA, recalled how touching the experience was as the girls gave away T-shirts and gift bags to survivors at the walk. That night was their Balloon Release, where people came, bought

pink, biodegradable balloons, and wrote the name of a person they knew who had battled breast cancer. Before releasing the balloons, Leanne Puia, the ZTA Chapter Advisor spoke on behalf of her own battle with breast cancer. Bryanna Kirner, a member of ZTA, and junior elementary education and math/science/technology major, stressed the importance of Puia’s speech. Puia was able to catch her breast cancer early and went into remission because she knew how to detect the signs. Kirner explained Puia’s work with Zeta Tau Alpha’s philanthropy “literally saved her life.” “We were all choked up,” Poruks

said about the emotional experience. Last Monday, they gave out pink cupcakes and self-examination shower cards at Eickhoff. Emily Weisman, sophomore special education major, recalled how so many were appreciative of their event because many of them knew victims of the disease. Weisman continued to say she realized “how many people are affected whether indirectly or directly” by breast cancer. On Wednesday evening, Joanne Smith-Tavener, and Matthew Wund, a professor from the biology department, spoke on behalf of their own experiences. Smith-Tavener emotionally shared the devastation she felt after being diagnosed

with breast cancer and how battling it has made her a stronger woman. Shortly after, Wund discussed the Christina S. Walsh foundation. Christina was his sister that lost her battle against breast cancer, and in memory of her he raises money for breast cancer patients and informs people of how to protect themselves from it. Christina Rodriguez, sophomore open options science major, said reflecting upon the speech as well as the week as a whole, “seeing all the people it affects ... it’s eye-opening.” “Kiss Away Cancer” was another event held by ZTA this week, where as Kirner explained, there was a “banner we make and have in the Stud. We have lipstick samples donated and people can donate $1 to the cause in exchange for getting to put on some lipstick and kiss the white banner and write their name next to their kiss.” They ended the week with two big football games. They first teamed up with the College football team, cheer team and dance team — all wearing pink in honor of Pink Out week. The football team donated $350 to their cause. Finally, on Sunday, Oct. 7, they teamed up with other Zeta Tau Alpha organizations in the region, selling rally towels and car magnets to raise over $4,000 towards their breast cancer awareness and education philanthropy.

Yo~Licious Twist is good, but not great By Jamie Primeau Editor-in-Chief Up until this school year, I always thought I had to venture to Princeton when craving frozen yogurt. Nassau Street tends to be a hub for froyo, with delicious destinations like Twist and Fruity Yogurt. I’m also fond of the Bent Spoon and Thomas Sweet. While all of that Ivy League ice cream is great, it’s a somewhat far distance to travel 20 minutes just for dessert. I was delighted to recently find out that we have a frozen yogurt shop right here in Ewing. Located at 195 Scotch Rd., Yo~Licious Twist is only a short drive from campus and covers all of the same bases as Red Mango, 16 Handles, etc. From cookies and fresh fruit, to Reese’s peanut butter cups and chocolate chips, Yo~Licious features an array of toppings and sauces to put atop your frozen yogurt, sorbet and ice cream. Yo~Licious is a self-serve spot, where you place however much yogurt you want in a cup, add toppings and weigh it at the register to determine the price. The prices are reasonable and I spent less than $5. Just a warning: You can only pay in cash, so be sure to visit the ATM beforehand. Also, the cups only come in one size and are rather large — so be wary of over-indulging.

Whenever I visit froyo places, I usually face the dilemma of not knowing what to choose — basically I get overwhelmed by all of the options. Since I’m indecisive, I try small amounts of various flavors and then pick a few toppings. During my trip to Yo~Licious, I chose four of the six available flavors. These included kiwi-strawberry, chocolate, cake batter and cookies ’n cream. When it came to toppings, I added strawberries, mini peanut butter cups and candy rocks. I chose the candy rocks because they were colorful, but they were overly crunchy and looked prettier than they tasted. It was definitely not the best frozen yogurt I’ve ever had, but at the same time, when you choose your own toppings and flavors, you can’t really go wrong. Overall, the yogurt tasted decent, but the flavors did not really go together. This is probably partly my own fault. Even though they were all seemingly delicious things combined into one cup, the flavors lost their distinctness and all melted together. Though I enjoyed the trip, I’m pretty sure I prefer the flavor selection at Princeton’s Twist, where they have red velvet and peanut butter. Still, if you don’t feel like traveling all that way, Yo~Licious is definitely a suitable substitute. Also, I just saw on their Facebook page that they now have pumpkinflavored yogurt. That makes it seem worth a trip back!

Jamie Primeau / Editor-in-Chief and Twitter

When choosing your own frozen yogurt flavor and toppings, it’s hard to go wrong, but be sure not to combine too many flavors. Yo~Licious Twist Frozen Yogurt

Overall Ratings (3 out of 5):

Where: 195 Scotch Rd., Ewing, N.J. Number: (609) 538-8500 Follow them on Twitter @YoLiciousTwist or find them on facebook at facebook.com/ Yolicioustwist

Have a favorite local food establishment? Let us know, so we can send our astounding food reviewers out to give it a try. Send recommendations to reynola1@tcnj.edu.

1 Large Cheese Pizza! 10 Wings! A 2-Liter Soda!

ALL JUST $16.95 Come to Mamma Flora’s by 10/17/12 to use this great coupon! INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 fabulous films followed by thought-provoking discussions THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH

Library Auditorium 6:30PM

East/West dir. Régis Wargnier (1999), Russian and French with English subtitles.

Discussion led by: Dean Ben Rifkin

The International Film Festival is sponsored by: Department of World Languages and Cultures, The School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The School of Arts and Communication, The Center for Global Engagement, TCNJ Center for the Arts If you have questions/comments, please contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures @ 609.771.2235.

Text “Mamma” to 91944 for VIP specials and freebies!

page 12 The Signal October 10, 2012

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 13

LDP’s annual retreat is a big success

Photo courtesy of Kylie Moore

Through games, workshops and group bonding, LDP helps students develop leadership and communication skills. By Amy Reynolds Features Editor After hearing “Come on this retreat, it’s ‘Hunger Games’ themed,” many students may have been a tad hesitant to immediately jump on the bandwagon. After all, the theme of this camping trip is a book/movie where the goal is to be the last alive. However, this past weekend, 100 students from the College attended Leadership Development Program’s annual Fall Leadership Retreat at Diamond Ridge Campground in

Bucks County, Pa. “The whole point is to bring the students who attend the retreat closer together and help teach them new things about being a leader,” said Ben Levine, sophomore psychology major and member of LDP. “The events, games and workshops deﬁnitely accomplished that.” After arriving at Diamond Ridge, the retreat began with team bonding games and team skits, which were followed by a bonﬁre and s’mores. The following day was full of team activities including work-

shops, outdoor games and the ﬁnal challenge. “We wanted fun, interactive workshops that worked with the theme and got people excited,” said Kylie Moore, junior communication studies major. Moore and Julia Nelson, the two FLR committee chairs, had been planning the event since March. “The stress we went through to plan it was all made worth it once we got to Diamond Ridge and saw that people were already having fun,” Moore said. However, being a part of LDP is more than just fun, games and s’mores. “(LDP) is a great opportunity to build conﬁdence, problem solve, and build communication skills in a fun, nopressure environment surrounded by some of the nicest people I’ve met on campus,” said Kelsey Snedeker, sophomore elementary education and math/science/technology major. Although LDP consists of fun games and several ice-breaking activities, there is still a clear underlying goal. “The mission of the Leadership

An apple a day can keep the doctor away By Ruchi Shah Columnist You have likely heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” or at bay at least. But how much truth is actually associated with this idiom? More truth than most would think. A good old apple has much more to offer than its peers (…or should I say pears?). Over time, it has proved to be the reigning king of fruits in terms of the plethora of nutritional beneﬁts it brings to the table. The apple is often overlooked in its simplicity — drinks such as Snapple often boast fancy fruits on their label that one has never heard of to draw your attention. There’s nothing that mangosteen or noni can supplement your body with that a readily available apple can’t. Apples kill two birds with one stone when it comes to cholesterol. They contain phenol, which reduces LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good cholesterol). In fact, eating an apple a day has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 8-11 percent. Eat two and this number becomes 16 percent. Apples are brain food. They contain quercetin along with phytonutrients. These substances protect the brain from free radicals that have been correlated to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Apples can combat cancer. Consuming one of these a day reduces the risk of breast cancer by 17 percent; take three and you’re up to 39 percent. The skin of apples alone can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 43 percent and the risk of liver cancer by 57 percent. In addition, those who consume apples on a daily basis have a 50 percent less chance of

developing lung cancer. Research done by Cornell University toxicologist Rui Hai Liu showed that apples prevented the growth of tumors. Apples are good for the heart — the more you eat, the longer you live. Because they contain ﬂavonoid, apples can prevent not only coronary heart disease but cardiovascular disease as well. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, so make apples a daily must. And forgive Eve — she was only engaging in natural selection. Apples also promote oral health. Speciﬁcally, the juice in apples kills up to 80 percent of the bacteria that causes tooth decay. If you’re not a big fan of dentists, apples are the fruit for you. Just remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away … but if the doctor (or dentist) is cute, screw the fruit.

Development Program is to encourage and develop qualities of leadership among our student body in order to help all interested reach their full potential,” said Aaron Creuz, LDP’s vice president of Retention and Recruitment. A main way they accomplish this is through the use of their facilitators who work with other organizations, including high schools, to present workshops on any area or topic that the organizations feels they need work on, including conﬁdence, time management and transitioning into the organization. Chris Markulic, president of LDP said, “Every person will have something different that they can get out of LDP, from public speaking and communication to goal setting and résumé building.” The events at the retreat helped to epitomize what LDP is truly about. Going into the retreat, I knew a total of three people at the event. However, in just a day, I was much closer with my team and really got to know a great group of people. “Everyone seemed to be having fun and you could tell the dif-

By Victoria Moorhouse Columnist It’s getting to be that spooky time of year, and with that, there has never been a better time to tap into your dark side—the dark side of fashion, that is. The all-black silhouette is a style move that is grossly underplayed on campus and it’s about time we reap its beneﬁts. Audrey Hepburn mastered the monochromatic look and so can you. Here are a few tips to make this single color combination a tad easier to understand. 1. Try to match AP Photo

Do you ever hold your black pants to your black tee and realize they are two completely different colors? You can blame your washing machine to an extent. When buying a completely new outﬁt, make sure to match up the two articles of clothing. To make sure they are the same, hold both items up to the light. If one item seems a little grey, search for another. To keep your blacks black, watch how many times you are washing them and try using a special laundry detergent designed for dark clothing.

The classic qualities of this look are lost if you pair black fur with dark snakeskin jeggings. If you want to add some jazz to your outﬁt, pick only one item. So if you want to wear a top with sparkles, keep the bottom portion of your outﬁt simple.

Apples can combat cancer, and have other health beneﬁts as well.

Photo courtesy of Kylie Moore

Students have a great time during the ﬁnal challenge.

Campus Style

2. Watch for texture

AP Photo

ference in people in only 24 hours. Everyone appeared more comfortable in front of others, whether they were teammates or not,” Moore said. “Through skits, bonﬁre stories and team challenges, people visibly became more comfortable around the other participants. It was evident that everyone came out with a number of new friends.” Levine echoed that being a part of LDP is a great way to make new friends and try new things. Markulic conﬁrmed LDP’s mission by saying, “We make people comfortable with being uncomfortable.” As Moore said, “Truthfully, we’re just one big quasi-functional family who loves making fools of ourselves in front of each other.”

3. Find a ﬂattering line The slimming qualities of the color

No matter the occasion, all-black silhouettes can be chic looks. black are sacred. If you’re feeling a little self-conscious, it’s the perfect reason to keep the color flowing from head to toe. Still, you have to make a conscious thought when it comes to size and style. An oversized boho top and a flowy skirt may not create the most flattering line. It’s helpful to stick to an opposite’s rule like pairing tight black jeans with a loose sweater. 4. Play it down This look isn’t reserved for super dressy occasions or funerals. A pencil skirt would obviously work better in the office than the movies, but don’t forget you can downplay these pieces. Office cardigans can go just as well with tanks and jeans as tailored pants. Whatever preconceived notions are engraved in your mind, the all-black silhouette isn’t just for Wednesday Addams. Sample the dark side of fashion and you’ll look chicer than ever.

page 14 The Signal October 10, 2012

TCNJ AMBASSADORS Do you want to become an Ambassador? Come to our interest sessions to find out more about the program and how to apply! TAKE OUT

TAKE OUT

Apply Online by December 1st: http://ambassadors.pages.tcnj.edu

Interest Sessions: WED., OCT. 10TH, 1:00-2:00PM, FORCINA HALL 226; WED., OCT. 17TH, 8:00-9:00PM, SCIENCE COMPLEX P101; SUN., NOV. 18TH, 12:00-1:00PM, SCIENCE COMPLEX P101

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 15

Bent / Organizing the Day of the Girl continued from page 1 “I tried to be involved with many clubs here on campus, and at the same time really found a home in women’s studies as a student and also found a passion academically and I think that’s really what sparked my professional interest as well,” Bent said. “I think (TCNJ) was the perfect place for me to have gone for that time in my life.” After arriving at the College, she soon got involved with the Women’s Center and eventually became its president, was a member of the first graduating class of Women in Learning & Leadership, started the Bod Squad and was a part of the Vagina Monologues. According to Bent, WILL is an alternative women’s leadership program that teaches female students not only how to become leaders, but also how to become activist leaders by working collaboratively in groups for a cause or an issue. “When I was a student (WILL) was very small and, like I said, my graduating class was

just me and one other person. Now there’s a hundred, whereas when I first started it was brand new. I think my true connection with WILL came after I graduated, to a large extent.” Since receiving her master’s degree in women’s and gender studies at Rutger’s University, Bent has worked for various non-profit organizations, including Sage Girl, Girls Learn International, Working Group on Girls and is currently preparing for the first annual Day of the Girl. “(Day of the Girl) is essentially a day to both celebrate and honor girls as powerful change agents, but it’s also about recognizing the unique challenges that they face around the world in various capacities to become those change agents,” Bent said. She hopes to give girls a space to share their experiences, give one another encouraging messages and to talk about the issues that are important to them. Bent said that any of the times she gets to hang out with a group of girls is inspiring because she

simply finds them fun to hang out with. However, if she had to pick one specific experience that was most inspiring to her, it would be when one girl said to her, “Can you imagine what girls could do if we never had to think about what we looked like?” “It was so inspiring to me because, one, it was such recognition of the constraints that girls go through in a patriarchal culture, but just this very unique way of saying girls can do these great and amazing things and what would happen if we had no constraints at all?” she said. “You know, how cool would the world look then? I hold on to that particular statement.” Other than teaching at the

College, all work that Bent has been a part of has been nonprofit. She genuinely cares about what she’s doing. “Take risks and try something new. Take on challenges. Anytime I get the chance to travel I take it in a second,” Bent said. “You can do something unique or take a different career path and change your mind. I think there’s just so much out there to engage in. Take risks, just take a chance on something.” Once Day of the Girl is over and once she’s officially become Dr. Bent, she’s excited to simply see what’s next. She’s excited to read some fiction novels, hang out with her friends again and simply see where life takes her.

Dayofthegirlsummit.com and Ashley Long / Photo Editor

Bent attended the College as an undergraduate student and is now a professor of women’s and gender studies. She is also organizing the first Day of the Girl.

Rihanna and Chris Brown caught ‘canoodling’ By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist Now I know talking about the debates may seem out of character for me, but it involves the biggest celebrity of our time: Big Bird. Last week, GOP hopeful Mitt Romney promised he would cut government funding to PBS since it is not an “essential” government expense. “Sesame Street” reps said that without government funds, the show would go off the air. How will kids learn to count? I guess they could count the number of teeth a guest has on the “Jerry Springer Show,” but then they’ll never learn what comes after 11. This is absolutely dreadful to hear. PBS accounts for a miniscule amount of government spending. I’m sure Mitt spends more on bronzer. “Sesame Street” is a beloved childhood necessity. How could Romney think that by bulldozing it, he’ll be helping America? Leave

these beloved characters alone. They already have one hand up their ass — they don’t need yours too, Mitt! Sorry for that little diatribe. I had to get it out of my system. Now let’s move on to less important stuff. So apparently, Rihanna was caught “canoodling” with Chris Brown. Now unless that’s slang for a new wrestling move, I’m appalled. Why is Rihanna doing this? Apparently, last Monday in NYC, Rihanna and Chris attended Griffin nightclub in the Meatpacking District. Before anyone could even yell out “SOS,” Chris and Rihanna were sharing a table. Now, RiRi should have pulled a Rose and shoved that jackass into the water, but instead they decided to get all up in each other and DISAPPEAR INTO THE BATHROOM TOGETHER FOR 20 MINUTES. Now I know what they did was anything BUT charmin’. While Chris and Rihanna left the club at different times, they were seen leaving the

same hotel later that night. Plus, on Tuesday afternoon, Chris sent his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran, roses, a teddy and chocolates. Is that what passes as “I’m sorry” now? Wow, I didn’t realize Build-A-Bear got into the adultery business. Chris, stop stuffing bears and definitely stop stuffing Rihanna. To make matters even more muddy, Chris has since broken up with Karrueche to focus on his “friendship” with Rihanna. Chris is not the greatest multi-tasker it seems. Honestly, this relationship is so fucked up that Taylor Swift would write a song about it. Finally, let’s revisit our favorite judges table. Oh, look out, Nicki has a gun! Wait, that’s not a gun, she’s just pouting her lips. Anyway, things are heating up at “American Idol” and it’s not pizza rolls, so calm down Randy Jackson. A video shows Mariah and Nicki having an intense verbal altercation. Apparently, Nicki was pissed over Mariah’s divaness because Mariah was probably complaining that she couldn’t wheel an ice cream cart around. But honestly, I’m coming down on Mariah’s side. I mean, how would you feel if a piece of cotton candy yelled at you? What

kind of state fair is this? Obviously, the producers are worried that Nicki and Mariah’s “feud” will interfere with the show. I’m just hoping that both these bitches get it together and act professionally. Looking for America’s next dollar store bin star is serious business.

AP Photos

Chris Brown is focusing on his ‘friendship’ with Rihanna.

How to get there — choosing the right career path By Julia Corbett Columnist

AP Photo

Career fairs are great places to ask questions about opportunities for the future.

Many of us think that we need to choose a certain career path in college. In reality, we hit a lot of crossroads, forks and different routes along the way. Instead of having a clearcut plan, try to have a few ideas of what you want to do. A variety of options were displayed at the Opportunities Fair, sponsored by Career Services, on Friday, Oct. 5 in the Recreation Center. Students presented résumés to recruiters, spoke about internships and ultimately had the chance to see an assortment of options for the future. However, while most students spoke to representatives from companies that seemed to fit in with their major, it was also important to explore different options. “I like looking at possibilities. I don’t like narrowing it down to one choice,” said director of Career Services Debra K. Kelly. “My goal and our office’s goal is to talk about the possibilities so that you can narrow it down.” When considering post-graduation plans, ask yourself several questions. What do you like to study? What are your outside interests? What do you most enjoy doing? These

will all give you a better idea of where you see yourself in a few years. If you have a passion for comedy writing but you are an economics major, never be afraid to try out a writing internship. You might be the wittiest comedy writer on the “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” someday. “What I like about (career fairs like this) is maybe you just thought of one area and if you just happen to say, ‘Hi, tell me a little bit about yourself, this is my background, this is what I’ve done, how could I connect it with your organization?’ you’ll learn more about where you want to go,” Kelly said. Even if you don’t plan on attending a career fair, ask questions to an expert or someone in the field you are interested in. You don’t know what a job is like until you are either in it or find out the nitty-gritty details from someone else. Reach out to alumni, make connections and constantly ask questions. You never know where life will take you, but keeping your options open will guarantee the chance to explore different avenues you never thought possible. Ask questions to others as well as yourself and hone in on what you’d like to do. You very well may be that hysterical comedy writer with a B.S. in economics.

page 16 The Signal October 10, 2012

TCNJ FACULTY-LED STUDY ABROAD 2013 Winter | Maymester | Summer

Information Sessions Wednesday, October 10 Exploring London through the World of Art & Chemistry with Prof. Elizabeth Mackie & Prof. Lynn Bradley 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Social Science Bldg. 326

Monday, October 22 Silk Road: Uzbekistan & Tajikistan with Dr. Jo-Ann Gross 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Social Science Bldg. 241

Wednesday, October 10 Tanzania: Gender & Development with Dr. Marla Jaksch 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Bliss Hall 114

Wednesday, October 24 Literary Landscapes in England (Harlaxton) & Magic of Archival Research in Cornwall with Dr. Michele L. Tarter 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Bliss Hall 145

Thursday, October 18 Silk Road: Uzbekistan & Tajikistan with Dr. Jo-Ann Gross 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Social Science Bldg. 241 Monday, October 22 African American Women’s History & Global Women Writers in New Orleans with Dr. Annie Nicolosi & Dr. Mary Lynn Hopps 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Bliss Hall 147

Wednesday, October 24 Rome of the Caesars, Rome of the Popes with Dr. Lee Ann Riccardi & Dr. Lois Fichner-Rathus 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Art & Interactive Multimedia Bldg. 230 Thursday, October 25 Tanzania: Gender & Development with Dr. Marla Jaksch 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Bliss Hall 114

Applications now open! Space is limited!

Go to http://www.tcnj.edu/global for more information and to apply. January 2013 (October 19, 2012 Deadline) England – Shakespeare in London & Stratford New Orleans – African American Women’s History May 2013 (December 1, 2012, Deadline) Australia – Sustainable Engineering in the Built Environment Central Europe – Holocaust Study Tour Ecuador – Natural History of the Galapagos** European Union – Doing Business in Europe Italy – Gendered History of Food** Germany – Science in the Early 20th Century Rome – Rome of the Caesars, Rome of the Popes Silk Road – Uzbekistan & Tajikistan

Summer 2013 (February 22, 2013 Deadline) England – Literary Landscapes in England (Harlaxton) England – Magic of Archival Research in Cornwall London – Exploring London through the World of Art & Chemistry Madrid – Summer Study at the Cumplutense Tanzania – Gender Politics of Development **Wait-list only

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 17

Arts & Entertainment

‘Judas’ is worth the 30 pieces of silver

Photos courtesy of Tim Lee

‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ featured a litany of modernized versions of the characters from the original biblical tales of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. By Shaun Fitzpatrick Opinions Editor

“No parent should have to bury their child.” But what if that child was one of the most hated men in history? What if that child’s name was synonymous in some religions with traitor? “No mother should have to bury her son.” But what if that son was Judas Iscariot? All College Theatre’s performance of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” performed on the Kendall Hall Main Stage from Oct. 4-6, didn’t make a plea for Judas, nor did it condemn him. Instead, the play, which revolved around Judas’s trial in purgatory, presented the facts of Judas’s life and left his ultimate fate up to the audience. Who was Judas Iscariot? That depends on who is asked. To his mother, junior English and secondary education double major Bree Florek, he was a boy who might have sold his family’s food for a toy, but who also gave that toy to a boy less fortunate than him. To Thomas (some might know him better with the adjective “doubting” attached), freshman history and philosophy double major Zachary Elliot, Judas was a “dick,” but one who covered for him when he was unable to heal the sick. Witness accounts showed Judas in a startlingly human light: as a loyal man who had his flaws, much like anyone. The only difference is that Judas’s mistakes had a far greater consequence. At the heart of the play was junior English and secondary education double major Jaclyn Trippe, senior biology major Dan Loverro and fifth-year senior psychology major John

Eldis — the defense lawyer, prosecution lawyer and judge, respectively — who use the trial as a way to work through their own sins. After all, they too are in purgatory, and have pasts that must be contended confronted. As this synopsis shows, “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” is not a lighthearted show. It had its funny moments, of course, but even many of those were steeped in melancholy — bitter, vulgar and heartbreaking. The fact that audiences were left feeling this way, however, is a compliment to, not a complaint about, the cast. This play required real, raw emotion, not pouting and stage tears, and every actor who took the stage delivered. As Judas, Anthony Coppola was amazingly relatable, bringing real depth and sympathy to the character. His scene in a bar with Satan was surprisingly natural — most actors overplay drunk scenes, but Coppola perfectly captured the attitude of a man drinking to forget his sins without veering into the ridiculous. His final scene with Jesus, played by junior history major Jacob Cafaro, was tragic enough to cause even the sternest believer to feel sorry for Judas. The rest of the cast more than held their own against the play’s namesake. Eldis, playing a number of roles besides Judge Littlefield, shined as Caiphas, who must defend himself against Trippe’s accusations. As the sassy Saint Monica, sophomore English major Carly DaSilva was hilariously feisty, taunting the comatose Judas with lines like, “Got change for 30 pieces of silver, motherfucker?” She proved she wasn’t all ripped fishnets and cigarettes, however; she was capable of being surprisingly tender to Judas, a maternal shoulder to cry on. Senior history major Thomas Hoesly’s Butch

Honeywell, a juror who only recently realized he had died, confides in a comatose Judas that he had cheated on his beloved wife, a moment that struck a deeply realistic chord and brought the play back into the present day. The real star of the show, however, was junior computer science major Graham Mazie as Satan, or “Lu” as he was often referred to. Mazie was perfect in his dark suit and slicked back hair, nursing a drink and calmly wreaking verbal havoc on the court. When on stage, it was impossible not to focus on him — he had all the charm and charisma of the Devil himself. Like Coppola’s Judas, Mazie’s Satan is meant to cause audiences to reevaluate the way they view Old Scratch, who might not be a bad guy, just a cruelly truthful one. No show is without its flaws, of course, but for the most part the problems were technical. With only hanging mics to help them, the actors were forced to project more than they would with personal mics, making it difficult to understand everyone at times. In scenes that involved yelling, it was often hard to make out exactly what was being said. Loverro was hilarious, but the thick accent he employed sometimes made it impossible to make out his jokes. Again, all of these problems were not totally the actors’ faults; they had to make the best with the equipment that they had, and it fell flat at times. At the end of the play, Judas is found guilty. He is left motionless on the stage as Jesus begins washing his feet. As the stage goes black, audiences are allowed to decide for themselves whether or not one of the greatest traitors in history deserves his title. Is there forgiveness for all? More importantly, for what does Judas truly need to be forgiven for?

Student soloists perform covers and originals By Jessica Malone Correspondent

Student soloists lined up to perform at another edition of the College Union Board’s Student Soloist Night at the Ratshkeller on Friday, Oct. 5. First to grace the stage was singer/ songwriter Katie Miller, junior history and political science major, whose soft voice and acoustic guitar seemed to turn even the dirty Rat into a corner coffee-shop. While playing covers of Bon Iver, Dawes, Bright Eyes, Ray LaMontage and Bob Dylan in addition to an original song, Miller’s cool stage confidence never faltered, laughingly

confessing that she “forgot the chords there” at one point, and “you win some you lose some” when making her only other mistake. Completely changing the vibe on the stage, Matt Layton strolled onto the platform after Miller, dressed as if he were attending a garage rock-and-roll band practice, with a backwards baseball cap, flannel plaid and well-worn jeans. He sang and played multiple original songs; one entitled “Cute Kittens,” and also performed some songs from an old repertoire of his band, The Dundees. Only playing the guitar seriously for six months, Layton’s audience was oblivious, bobbing their heads to the

stronger beats of his songs. Layton is a junior math major. Warming up with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” Kristina Ali began her vocal-centered performance, gently strumming her guitar, sans pick. Hitting, and holding, the most incredibly high notes, Christina again introduced a different genre of music to the stage, singing a few originals mixed among acoustic covers of hit pop songs, including Maroon Five’s “Payphone” and Justin Bieber’s “As Long as You Love Me.” To read the rest of this article, just go to tcnjsignal.net.

Janika Berridge / Photo Assistant

A student soloist performs at the Rat.

Avett Brothers take on a gothic romance By Paul Kibala Correspondent

hitfix.com

‘The Carpenter’ touches on a more dark romantic vibe with great songwriting.

“The Carpenter,” The Avett Brothers’ seventh studio album, intimately blends sadness and soul into a soothing mix of their distinct bluegrass-infused folk rock sound. They pick up right where 2009’s breakthrough, “I and Love and You,” left off with catchy melodies and passionately touching lyrics tailor-made for the crisp autumn days ahead. In an NPR article this

August, Seth Avett noted that as he ages life grows to resemble merely “biding time between tragedies.” As the group matures and assumes this introspective form, nearly every track on the album displays a stirring emotional quality, focusing largely on mortality and desire. Even the seemingly cheery tracks such as “I Never Knew You” and “Live and Die” synthesize jangly hook-filled tunes with a heavy poignant core. Most other songs convey their serious thematic direction

with relaxed instrumentation and songs centering on death and devotion. “If I live the life I’m given / I won’t be scared to die” croons Scott Avett in the album’s opening ballad, “The Once and Future Carpenter.” The playful, sprawling 97-second “Geraldine” completes The Avett Brothers’ repertoire of talents, offering lighthearted tracks reminiscent of their early albums. Produced by the prolific Rick Rubin, “The Carpenter” contains a collection of 12

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The Avett Brothers write songs that are as serious as their facial expressions.

earnestly affecting songs, beautifully crafted in the stead of a heavy heart.

page 18 The Signal October 10, 2012

Crescenzo delivers an elite performance

Matthew Mance / Photo Assistant

Casey Crescenzo performs all originals during his set Tuesday night. By Shayna Innocenti Correspondent

Students filled the seats and lined the stage of the Rathskeller Tuesday night to see the performances of A Great Big Pile of Leaves and the solo artist, Casey Crescenzo. It was the second time that the Brooklyn band, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, has visited the College. Their last visit to campus was about a year ago. “This is a cool place,” said the bassist, Tucker Yaro. “It’s good to be back (at the Rat).”

Matthew Mance / Photo Assistant

A Great Big Pile of Leaves opened up the show.

Four members make up A Great Big Pile of Leaves: the lead vocalist and guitarist Pete Weiland, bassist Tucker Yaro, lead guitarist Matt Fazzi and the drummer Tyler Soucy. This indie rock band quickly engaged the audience with their melodic music, drawing out a mainly positive response. People lined the front of the stage, mimicking the motions of the instrumentals and banging their heads to the beat. Even those seated and eating could not help but to clap their hands and tap their feet to the rhythm. An easy way to describe the music of these four men is to relate their songs to the feeling of a rollercoaster. The band thrived on building up the energy of the audience through unexpected twists and turns. Some of the songs had mystic openings that carried the audience on a short-lived journey that was quickly followed by intense lyrics and wailing guitars. Other songs remained upbeat throughout but had sudden stopping points that teased the audience and tricked them into thinking the song was over. Their music was definitely one ride that no one wanted to end. The lead guitarist Matt Fazzi was undeniably the most entertaining with how deeply he connected with the music. Throughout the entire show, Fazzi frantically jumped and stomped around the small stage, treating it like his own personal arena. This sort of energy that flowed from the band fed the audience a wave of life that no one could ignore. Halfway through the concert, Yaro, the bassist, announced, “I have story. We went to Minnesota and recorded a brand new album. It’s a short story but I am pretty excited about it.” The cheering and whistling audience seemed pretty excited about it too. This excitement carried on through the remainder of their performance. “The last song they played, ‘We Don’t Need Heads,’ has such amazing instrumental components. You feel like you are literally dancing without your head,” said Matt Helm, freshman, business management major. This Helm’s second time seeing the band live and he was all smiles prior, during and after their performance. “Their music literally gives me chills.” Even a group of five students from Rider University, 15 minutes from the College,

traveled to the Rat just to see the band perform. Collectively the group has seen them perform live about 15 times. They were true fans who knew every lyric. “A Great Big Pile of Leaves is a band that everyone would love to listen to,” said Mike Silverman, junior psychology major at Rider. As A Great Big Pile of Leaves dispersed and went to a side table in the Rat to sell signed posters and CDs, Casey Crescenzo of The Deer Hunter took to the stage. Crescenzo can be described as a man who, with his guitar, controls the stage and captivates the audience with his voice. All of his songs told a deep story. With his words, Crescenzo painted vivid pictures about rivers and starry nights, struggling erstwhile to deliver wisdom and describe pain. His haunting tone amplified this as he belted emotions ranging from love to hatred to the sadness of death. One of his newest songs — that he admitted he wrote the day before — addressed a lot of life’s questions. The chorus rung true: “Why are we here? Why do we die?” A deep contrast to Crescenzo’s brutal honesty was, in his own words, his “awkward” personality. His modesty, if anything, brought a lot of laughs to the audience. “I’m just traveling around alone,” he admitted. “I often ask people what there is to do around town. They tell me all of this cultural stuff to go and see, but … I like seeing movies.” At an audience member’s request, Crescenzo played a song off of his newest record that he said he normally does not play on acoustic guitar. “I’m probably going to mess up,” said Crescenzo. “I guess you wouldn’t know if I messed up. But I’ll tell you. I will feel compelled to.” This comment, coupled with Crescenzo’s rueful smile brought a round of laughter throughout the Rat. In the closing moments of his performance, Crescenzo pondered over what he would play for his final song. When he finally picked, he asked for the audience’s participation. “Please sing along if you know the words. Nobody will judge you,” he said. With a little less seriousness he continued, “Pretend this is Wal-Mart. Nobody can judge you at Wal-Mart because they’re at Wal-Mart too.” Again, there was a chorus of laughter and understanding as he closed the set.

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 19

‘Centipede’ delivers more of the same

By Matthew Jannetti WTSR Music Director Animal Collective “Centipede Hz”

cloudfront.com

There is one thing that anyone who picks this album up needs to know upfront, “Centipede Hz” is not “Merriweather Post Pavilion.” “Merriweather” was Animal Collective’s most accessible and poppy effort to date, but “Centipede” is a much different album. The new album still contains most of the building blocks that Animal Collective has been known for over the years such as electronic music based around synths and harmonies with some organic and ambient sounds thrown in. What makes this album so different from previous releases is the harshness that pervades it. Everything has a hard edge to it on this album which is a stark contrast to the smooth sound and transitions that Animal Collective fans are used to. Songs like “Moonjock” sound dissonant and noisy and even the more melodic songs, such as “Applesauce,” make use of hard vocal effects and instrumentation. Not only do those effects make the songs more cacophonous, but they make the tracks more populated. Each track has so many layers that it can be hard to understand exactly what is happening. The busy feeling of this album could easily alienate some of their newer fans. Overall, “Centipede” is a decent album with some entertaining moments though, it will never be the classic that some of their previous albums, such as “Feels and Strawberry Jam,” were. However, after a couple years have passed, this album may just come to be appreciated in its own right.

Attention aspiring writers: Do you like music, movies, books and TV? Then write about it! Just contact us at ciccont2@tcnj.edu

Brown Bag showcases student films By Shayna Innocenti Correspondent

Ashley Long / Photo Editor

A number of student films were presented at this week’s Brown Bag, most of them produced in the College’s television and film classes.

The Brown Bag presentation last Friday, Oct. 5, featured the screening of six student films. Most of the films were produced for television and film classes, and many of the students who made them are now working in the television and film field. The presentation began with an introduction from professor Lauren Johnson of the communications studies department. Following the introduction, the films were shown. The first film was made by former student Pablo Moretto. The shots of the film were taken mostly from afar and they showed a man walking through the woods. During these shots there was a narrator describing, in first-person narrative, some of the adventures that he had in Maine. One incident is mentioned in which the narrator pridefully shoots a bird, but is later struck with feelings of guilt at killing an innocent animal. The film ends with his giving the bird a proper burial. The next film relates a common problem between roommates: after-hours visits and the awkwardness that ensues when the terms are not fully understood by both people. The filmmaker implies that one roommate engages in a sexual encounter, which he augments with

sound effects, while his roommate is present. Lying awake in his bed, staring up at the top bunk, the film ends with a definitive, “Fuck my life,” from the main character, which drew a roar of laughter from the audience. The third film, made by Jenna A. Bush, is about a young deaf girl who gets surgery that allows her to hear. Most of the story is about the young girl’s trip to the kitchen in the middle of the night following the surgery. This activity may seem meaningless and ordinary to most people, but for a young girl who has just begun to hear for the first time, it is an adventure. She listens to ice cubes hitting the bottom of an empty glass, the sound of the rain and the notes on a piano. It is an excellent example of the significance of sound in film. The next film, called “The Cure for Boredom,” is about the daily activities of two schoolgirls who find a dog and convince their father to keep it. The fifth film was titled, “Lines.” It features the lives of a man that works at a pizza restaurant and a student. It shows how both of their lives are affected by drug use. The final film was a documentary called “Sell Me A Dream.” This documentary shows how military recruitment is misleading and wrongly glorified, emphasized by interviews with current and former American soldiers. It also touched on the problems of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was passed in 2001.

page 20 The Signal October 10, 2012

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October 10, 2012 The Signal page 21

Novelist’s life is subject of entertaining biography

csmonitor.com

D.T. Max chronicles David Foster Wallace’s life in his new biography. By Paul Kibala Correspondent David Foster Wallace was a revolutionary, influential writer, captivating readers with sincere prose such as the gargantuan “Infinite Jest,” the short story collection turned film “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men” and two acclaimed non-fiction collections. In an era marked by insincerity, Wallace’s eccentric political and social satire, coupled

with piercing wit and authentic, life-like characters have contributed to a popularity far outliving him. D.T. Max’s (New Yorker writer and “The Family That Couldn’t Sleep” author) “Every Love Story is a Ghost Story” details Wallace’s public, literary life and deep inner turmoil. At once evocative and saddening, Max’s biography spans Wallace’s precocious youth and prolific, troubled early adulthood, concluding with his tragic suicide at the age of 46. The biography is deliberately titled “A” rather than “The” life, suggesting a specific facet of Wallace’s life as the central focus. His tormenting anxieties quickly become Max’s centerpiece, effectively tracing a clear connection between real-life models and their literary forms. The personal letters and texts contained in the biography provide a closeknit relationship between fiction and painful reality. Don Gately, The Ennet House and nearly all primary characters in “Infinite Jest,” the wayward youth in “Westward,” the protagonists of “The Depressed Person” and “The Broom of the System”: all are loosely fictionalized portrayals of experiences and people in Wallace’s life. The relationship appears credible and provides a deft engine and crux to the narrative. It is so evident and

constant throughout Wallace’s writings, he even mocks this link in “The Pale King,” creating a character named David Foster Wallace. Max likens Wallace’s writing struggles to his many, varied manifestations of emotional anxieties and instabilities: the pot-smoking wastoid, the cripplingly obsessive boyfriend (Max recounts a scene in which Wallace allegedly tried to purchase a firearm from an ex-con in order to shoot his girlfriend’s husband), the debilitated alcoholic and the insecure writer at discord with contemporaries and the world around him. This is all situated within a serious and touching narrative that the evolution of a tremendously gifted and conflicted adolescent to the foremost patron of postmodern fiction, and realized in nearperfect fashion. The title “Every Love Story is a Ghost Story” is a line Wallace pined over and scribbled occasionally in the margins of his hand-written letters. Thus, it is a testament to Max’s thorough research, attention to detail, and excess of information with which he was provided. Much of this concentrates on Wallace’s magnum opus, “Infinite Jest.” This deservedly occupies nearly a third of the biography as this seminal text forever

LIT CORNER

shaped Wallace’s career. He recounts the difficulties writing, editing and getting a grant to work on a nearly 1,200 page novel, Wallace’s subsequent anxieties over plugging the novel through talk show appearances and public readings and the conclusive troubles of managing fame and teaching all while attempting to recapture Jest’s fluidity of style and acute social commentary in following works. Through copious letters written to renowned authors (Jonathan Franzen, Don Delillo, Mark Costello), unpublished manuscripts, interviews with jilted lovers, family members and friends and excerpts from the author’s texts, Max paints a delicate depiction of a troubled genius as intimate and touching as a love note. Max’s biography succeeds in its connection between Wallace’s actual relationships and experiences and those delineated in fictional writings, culled from talks with friends, the author’s personal letters and a profuse amount of primary sources. He wisely produces a coherent account of Wallace’s personal, deepseated twinges, simultaneously evading and explaining the events that lead to his untimely demise. The biography achieves its goal so well that it comes off as a bit fragmentary in the omission of Wallace’s placement in the broader tradition of 20th fiction writers and a more complete story. However, the shortcomings are few and Max’s descriptive (rather than interpretive) take on the biography is brilliantly conceived and executed.

Recital showcases student musicianship

Chandler Hart-McGonigle / Staff Photographer

Student musicians perform a number of classical pieces at this week’s Wednesday Recital. Whitman (right) performs ‘Michi’ on the marimba, a percussive, xylophone-like instrument. By Elizabeth Dinsmore Correspondent At last week’s Wednesday Afternoon Recital Series, eight of the College’s very talented student musicians performed on stage at the Ernest and Mildred E. Mayo Concert Hall. From classical to jazz to new age and beyond, the recital was as much about the collection of compositions as it was about showcasing the performers. The first musician of the afternoon was Kevin Whitman, a junior music education major. Whitman played Keiko Abe’s

four mallet “Michi” on the marimba, a percussion instrument consisting of wooden bars with resonators resembling a large xylophone. The piece Whitman performed was upbeat and dramatic, yet dreamy and trance-like. Using four mallets, two per hand, the piece begins quickly with fast, repetitive beats on the instrument that fill the auditorium with a sense of urgency. He explained how he began playing the marimba, “I started percussion in eighth grade, then a friend of mine told me that marimba is similar to the piano, and then by the time I got to high school I had really gotten into percussion, especially marimba.” Whitman’s performance featured not only his mastery of such an unusual instrument, but also the

skill with which such a composition can be played. Mozart’s “Sonata in C Major KV 330 Allegretto” followed Whitman’s “Michi.” A lovely contrast to the dramatic nature of the previous composition, this piano piece proved to be light and exciting. With its dottedeighth rhythmic motif, “Allegretto” is a playful, joyous movement ending one of Mozart’s most popular piano sonatas. Alto saxophone, clarinet and trumpet performances followed the Mozart sonata, then next on stage was Evan Wallach on the guitar playing Mauro Giulani’s “Sonatina, op. 71 No. 3 Andantino Sostenuto” and “Tempo di Marcia - Trio.” With nothing but guitar in hand, Wallach played allowing the intrinsic sound of the guitar to radiate throughout the concert hall. This particular performance really stood out because of the guitar’s entirely different sound and also because of the mellow and relaxed nature of each piece, offering a beautiful transition from some of the more upbeat pieces played in the beginning of the recital. “Tempo di Marcia - Trio” was particularly captivating because of the piece’s playful movement from low to high and a motif heard throughout the piece that showed the musician’s talent in handling the instrument because of its quick pace and complexity. The final performance of the afternoon was of Gliere’s “Intermezzo, op. 35 No. 11.” Played on the horn, this piece ended the recital gracefully with its lingering notes and piano accompaniment.

‘Ages’ provides a cheap thrill, cast may disappoint By Christopher Minitelli Correspondent

The movie-musical, “Rock of Ages,” is the film adaptation of the current Broadway show of the same name. This film tells the story of a small-town-girl named Sherry, played by Julianne Hough, who meets the aspiring rock star, Drew, played by Diego Boneta, as they both try to achieve their dreams in Hollywood. “Rock of Ages” takes places in the 1980s and features classic rock songs from the time period. While this movie had a great soundtrack and an A-List cast, which included Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Mary J. Blige, it still failed to fully deliver. I had seen the Broadway show a few years ago, and in my opinion, the film version of “Rock of Ages” definitely does not compete with the show. I thought that there were a number of awkward parts

to the movie, including much of the cast and some of the songs. Throughout the movie, it seemed that a number of the cast members really lacked chemistry that is definitely necessary in a film like this. For instance, it just seemed like an extremely awkward pairing of Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand as two friends/bar owners. Along with this, many of the songs that were performed in the movie seemed to have pretty awkward transitions that just made them seem random and unnecessary — which is the polar opposite of what a musical is supposed to do. In the end, with all of this in mind, “Rock of Ages” is a pretty entertaining movie while you are watching it; however, you will most likely forget about it soon after it ends. Although the film version of “Rock of Ages” is not very good, the original Broadway show is great, entertaining and a lot of fun and I would highly recommend going to see that.

impawards.com

‘Rock of Ages’ is now available on DVD.

page 22 The Signal October 10, 2012

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 23

Second half stall leads to football loss Football

By Chris Molicki Sports Editor In a riveting conference matchup, the College was unable to hang with SUNY Cortland as the Red Dragons pulled away late to win the contest 42-28. It seemed like the Lions (2-3) were in a position to take control of the game at times, but the offense was inefficient and Cortland simply overpowered them. On the Red Dragons’ second drive, senior quarterback Chris Rose turned it over as senior defensive back James Siracusa came up with the interception. This would prove important as the Lions’ ensuing drive lasted 13 plays and saw a heavy dose of senior running back Justin Doniloski running hard, breaking tackles and catching passes. From two yards out, the senior plunged towards the goal line and was pushed across the plane by his teammates for six. “Turnovers are an important part of the game,” junior defensive back Vince Nocera said. “If you don’t get turnovers, you can’t put your offense in good positions.” The score was equaled quickly as Cortland’s senior wide receiver Mike Hum-

phrey caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. After that, a pick-six against senior quarterback Dan Dugan made the score 14-7, and left a bad taste in the Lions’ mouths. The next drive for Cortland was actually a breath of fresh air for the Lions. Senior defensive back Zach Friedrich was targeted twice in man coverage with a big pass, something the College has struggled mightily against all year, but was able to break up both passes. “We’ve just been getting at it at practice,” Nocera said. “Everybody’s been on our butts all week that we can’t give up the big pass, so we’ve been working hard at practice to avoid it.” However, the next drive ended in a 33yard Cortland score for sophomore wide receiver Jack Delahunty, showing that there is still work to be done. Nearing the end of the first half, the College was in the hurry-up offense desperate for a score. Although Dugan was sacked, a 25-yard pass to junior wide receiver Fred Sprengel set up a 6-yard bulldozing touchdown run by Doniloski. As efficient as they were on the scoring drive to end the first half, the Lions may have been even better to open the second

half. Dugan got going with a 24-yard run on the first offensive play. The entire drive consisted of only run plays until the last one, which was ironically a screen pass that Sprengel took 26 yards to the house. More hard running by Doniloski enabled the College to pull even with their opponents. Later on, madness ensued that started with a Doniloski fumble. The Red Dragons found themselves in field-goal range, but ran a fake and tossed it into the end zone, which drew a pass interference call and great field position. Then when they scored the touchdown, it was negated by a holding call. Finally, junior linebacker Nick Bricker recovered a Cortland fumble. While it seemed like momentum was now on the Lions’ side, they were forced to punt. After that, the Red Dragons began to pile it on, scoring three consecutives touchdowns. In between the Cortland scores, the College’s offense just could not get into a rhythm. They looked a bit slower than usual and could not take advantage of Cortland penalties. Dugan was able to score on a 3-yard touchdown run, but by then the game was out of reach. It wasn’t an easy pill to swallow, but the Lions showed some promise against

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The Lions couldn’t finish.

a tough Cortland team. They need to continue getting better and prepare for their next game on Saturday at Montclair State University. “We played a good team,” Nocera said. “We didn’t win, but we didn’t back down and kept coming at them. They were physical, but we matched their physicality. Hopefully it’s a lesson to keep playing.”

Cheap Seats

Greedy hockey lockout hurting the hearts of fans By Julie Kayzerman Correspondent

After losing my voice screaming at the television during the NHL playoffs, all I wanted was for next season to start so that I could root for the Rangers to take it all the way this time. After constantly hearing about trades like the one that gave the N.Y. Rangers forward Rick Nash and signings like the one that left the N.J. Devils without their beloved Zach Parise, I’m left feeling falsely led on toward a season that doesn’t seem to be arriving any time soon.

The 2012 NHL lockout has left hockey fans, like me, void of the one thing that we look forward to throughout the week — a few hours to sit and watch a fast paced and high quality game of puck. The fact that the players can’t come to an agreement on their salaries with the NHL is really just appalling. Little kids look up to these athletes because of their valiant efforts during the game — efforts that truly exemplify the meaning of leaving your heart on the ice. So why can’t they just suck it up, stop asking for more money and play the sport that they loved enough to make a career out of it?

Eighty-two regular season games were just cancelled following the cancellation of the preseason due to the absence of a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players Association and the NHL, according to NHL.com. As no negotiations have yet been made, Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been publicly tweeting what we’ve all been thinking — what about the fans? After the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, fans have slowly but surely made their way back to showing support for the sport. So this lockout seems to me a slap in the face, considering the players are only

AP Photo

No NHL, no Lundqvist.

concerned about their personal gain and not the fans that actually allow them to do what they love for a living. I guess they never thought about the need for fans in order for them to continue playing the game, huh? As much as I wish I could retaliate with a fan lockout and boycott the NHL, my love for the sport and the N.Y. Rangers just won’t allow me to do so. I’m pissed at the lockout situation and the players, but more so, I’m pissed that my loyalty will ensure that I’ll still be here when the lockout is resolved.

Men’s Soccer

Goal-y cow! Men’s soccer scores win

Get back on winning track after this week’s split

Lauren Del Turco / Staff Photographer

Shaw led the team to a solid win.

By Peter Fiorilla Sports Assistant

It was week of highs and lows for the men’s soccer team, which did its best Cyclone impression by pairing a clunker against middling Muhlenberg College with a win over Salisbury University on the strength of a late goal from sophomore midfielder Kevin McCartney. The Lions (5-9) ended a five-game losing streak with their 1-0 win over the Sea Gulls, a team that has broken in and out of the national

rankings this season, despite a performance not necessarily better than what the team put forward in previous games. “I would say we probably had more opportunities in other games and didn’t stick them away and today it just happens to go in, and it winds up being a 1-0 win,” head coach George Nazario said. The result was another reminder of the importance of scoring first, as it improves the Lions to 3-0 when they score the opening goal and leaves them 2-9 when they do not. “When we score first it gives us confidence to play better as a team,” McCartney said. “It boosts the morale of the team (and) makes us play better overall.” “It’s always easier to play with the lead,” Nazario said. Goalscoring opportunities were few and far between until the second half, when freshman goalkeeper Mike Libucha was called upon to make a pair of saves and the Lions threatened several times themselves. Senior midfielder Kevin Shaw put senior Sean Casey in behind the Salisbury backline for a preview of the goal, which came in the

85th minute when Shaw threaded a perfectly weighted ball past three Salisbury defenders and into the path of an on-rushing McCartney. “I saw Shaw get the ball, turn quick and I saw an opening down the middle,” McCartney said. “I had to make that run, and he played it to me perfectly.” McCartney is naturally a technical midfielder who Nazario has put up top for the Lions in an effort to create more goalscoring opportunities. “Originally I was an advanced midfielder, and the past two or three games (Nazario’s) played me up as forward to try and hold the ball up, create more opportunities, (and) get the ball moving,” McCartney said. The move paid dividends with the dramatic winner, a slick interchange between Shaw and McCartney which put on display the understanding between the team’s attacking players. “I can connect with them well,” Shaw said. “It’s easy to read the game when you’re on the field, they know what I’m thinking and I know what they’re thinking. It’s just a matter of, in the final third, finishing our chances.” The win over Salisbury could not have

been much different the nightmarish first half against Muhlenberg a few days earlier, when the Lions fell behind 3-0 in the team’s worst 45 minutes of the season. “There was a pretty strict half-time talk,” McCartney said. Senior defender Vince McEnroe and Casey made it a close game by scoring in the second half, with McEnroe ending a teamwide 422-minute scoreless streak and both goals providing scoreboard evidence there was improvement in the second half. “We just wanted to come out with motivation and we couldn’t go out losing at our home field 3-0,” McCartney said. “There was a little bit more urgency, a will to try and come back into the game.” The end result was a disappointing loss, though, and despite Saturday’s win the Lions are four games below .500 with four games remaining in the season.“I think we technically still have a chance to make the playoffs, so we just got to come out as hard as we can,” McCartney said. “We (have) to stay composed and be confident in our strategy and the way we play.”

Page 24 The Signal October 10, 2012

Fun Stuff

Help the frog and the squirrel through the mazes!

4 6

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 25

LIONS

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Peter Fiorilla “The Ref”

Mike Herold Staff Writer

Jim Cortiglia Correspondent

Brandon Gould News Editor

In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Peter Fiorilla, challenges staff writer Mike Herold, correspondent Jim Cortiglia and news editor Brandon Gould to answer questions about the Arizona Cardinals’ hot start, what will happen as a result of all of the Jets’ injuries, and who is worthy of being named AL and NL MVP.

1. The Kevin Kolb-inspired Cardinals are 4-1 and have a couple of impressive wins, including one over the reigning AFC Champs. Are the Cardinals contenders? MH: Not after that loss to the Rams, they’re not. Anytime the opposing QB goes seven for 21 and you don’t win, that’s a bad sign for the whole “contender” thing. Especially once you consider that Kevin Kolb was sacked more times in that game than, I can’t even think of a proper analogy. Nine times? Seriously? Anyway, the impressive 4-0 start is reminding me of the Bills last year — they look really good, beat some tough opponents to make themselves seem like legitimate threats, then, just like those Bills did, start fading away. The Bills finished 6-10 after a 3-0 start that included a win over the Patriots, and I’m seeing a similar result for the Cardinals this year. Especially if Kolb keeps getting hit like that. Seriously, I’m still trying to think of a funny enough comparison to make, all I have so far is something with Princess Peach not being sacked so many times in a week, you know, the kidnapping angle. The Cardinals offensive line was so bad that only lame jokes remain! Once that happens, any contender talk has to fly right out the window. Like a sack of potatoes. OK, I’ll stop now.

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JC: While most signs point to the Arizona Cardinals as a young team on the rise, I am going to have to go against the grain and say no, they are not contenders. Dating back to last season, the Cardinals are 9-1, which is the best in the NFL. However, this 4-0 start shares a similar likeness to the Buffalo Bills of last year, a lot of luck, and luck can’t carry you all the way through the season. As we saw with the Bills, they eventually imploded when their defense gave out and Fitzpatrick started turning the ball over. Taking a look at the four teams they have beaten so far: both the Seahawks and Dolphins were starting rookie QBs in Arizona, an awful kicking day for the Patriots, and the turnover-happy Eagles. While I must admit that their defense is legit, I’m not ready to hop on the Kevin Kolb bandwagon. The schedule for the rest of the season is rough, as well. Two games against the 49ers, at Minnesota, at Green Bay, at Atlanta and home versus Detroit and Chicago. This team will be lucky to finish 8-8. BG: I do not believe that the Cardinals will be able to sustain this run much longer, which was evident in their loss Thursday night to the St. Louis Rams. In the Cardinals first four wins, two came against rookie quarterbacks and one only happened because of a missed field goal by the Patriots, hardly impressive overall. The Cardinals offense is bad. Against the Rams, the offensive line let up nine sacks and the run game recorded 45 yards, total. What has been impressive though is the defense. In five games they have 17 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and 38 quarterback hurries. They’ve also forced 11

turnovers from their most notable performance of four against the Philadelphia Eagles. They can attack from all levels of the defense and that’s what has kept them in games. However, that type of defense won’t make up for 63.4 rushing yards per game much longer. Brandon brings home the bacon for arguing that the Cardinals’ force-of-nature defense can’t hide a poor offense forever. Jim earns 2 points for detailing how much Bills-like luck the Cardinals have had so far this year. Mike gets 1 point for pointing out Kolb’s sack rate is unsustainable.

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2. It’s not looking good for the J-E-T-S: Revis is out with an ACL, the team’s young players are underperforming, Sanchez is regressing, and the Jets only have one more game against the Bills this season. Will the Jets get their act together and make the playoffs, and if not, should Rex Ryan get canned? MH: I’ll agree that things are not looking good for N.Y.’s lesser yet somehow more talked about team, but I don’t think things are quite as bad as the question makes them seem. The rest of their schedule has only four games I count as losses — the Texans this past game, the Chargers Week 16, and two out of their three games with New England and Miami. Every other game seems winnable, especially if/when Rex Ryan realizes that his backup QB has mystical powers/is a divine entity and gives him the reins. It’s the story we’ve all been waiting for, “Tebow Time Takes Times Square”. I say it happens starting Week 6. As for Ryan’s job security, even if the Jets miss the playoffs, there’s the always reliable “My best guy was injured” excuse to give him one extra year. Unless Tebow says he goes, in which case who knows what will happen. JC: At the beginning of the preseason I predicted Rex Ryan as the top coach on the hot seat. After watching the team struggle to actually score any points, I knew that it would be a rough year for Gang Green. The Week 1 game was a testament to how inconsistent Mark Sanchez actually is. Since that great performance, Sanchez has boasted completion percentages of 37, 46.7 and 44.8. And I thought Tim Tebow couldn’t complete a pass. To be fair, the Jets have faced some tough defenses in Pittsburgh, Miami and San Fran, but at this stage in his career, Sanchez should be able to compete with the tougher teams. As for the rest of the team, the offensive line cannot block and there is absolutely no help from the running game. With Revis out, their defense will be completely exposed as they can only generate pressure on the opposing QB by blitzing and relying on their man-to-man coverage. Worst of all, the fans have completely given up on the team. I was at the Jets-49ers game last weekend and by the third quarter it felt like a game in Candlestick Park, with the few remaining Jets fans chanting

for Tebow to start. With all due respect to the Jets fans, not even Tebow can save you at this point, and I believe this is Rex Ryan’s last year in N.Y. BG: As a Jets fan, it is disheartening to admit that the forecast does not look good. They’ve lost Revis and now Santonio Holmes — injuries that kill a team with a lack of depth. This is not Rex Ryan’s fault though. If you want to point a finger at someone, it needs to be GM Mike Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum is way too aggressive in the draft and does not draft well in the later rounds. He has traded up to get Revis, David Harris, Dustin Keller, Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene and Stephen Hill. All of these trade ups produced solid talent — Greene has started to look like a bust though — but it has killed the Jets depth. Late-round picks are what load up the back ends of teams. The Jets cut four out of five picks they made after the third round in 2012. The process works only when your starters stay healthy. Brandon gets 3 points for a thought-provoking indictment of Tannenbaum and his disastrous draft techniques. Jim gets 2 points for pointing out how Sanchez, who’s not getting any better, has no help from his offensive line or running game. Mike gets 1 point for implying Tim Tebow might be the answer. 3. The MLB playoffs have begun, but the end-of-season hardware has yet to be rewarded. Who are your AL and NL MVPs? MH: The question in the American League comes down to two players — the one who won the Triple Crown and the one who everybody has been picking to win it for the past two to three months. OK, so Trout has great hitting numbers just like Miggy, plus leads the league in steals and runs, and also plays really good defense, while Cabrera, oh forget it, Trout has this thing locked up. To me, the interesting part is that both players were not seen as the best on their own teams heading into the season — not with Pujols signing with the Angels and Fielder and Verlander with the Tigers. In the National League, it’s more of a toss-up for the hardware — Buster Posey for the majors-leading batting average/defense, Ryan Braun for the power numbers, or Andrew McCutchen for the wefeel-bad-for-Pittsburgh angle? I think Posey will win it, because his team is in the playoffs, which matters in MVP voting, unless there’s a rookie phenom who everyone’s been picking for months involved — that could beat, like, a Triple Crown winner. JC: I think we can all agree on who the AL MVP is. Miguel Cabrera not only had the best season on the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers, but he also captured the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski did it for Boston in 1967. Thanks to his .330 BA, 44 HRs and 139 RBI’s, Cabrera joins some prestigious company by

being only the 15th player to achieve the Triple Crown. Given the phenomenal year for the slugger, I don’t think there is any way that the AL MVP award does not return to Detroit for the second straight season. As for the NL, there is a lot more discrepancy. While my three top players are Buster Posey, Ryan Braun and Andrew McCutchen, I would have to give the edge to Posey. While he has less home runs than the other two candidates, he boasts the highest batting average and is right up there in RBIs. This is more impressive given the fact that he is playing day in and day out as a catcher. Furthermore, Posey and the Giants are playing post-season baseball while the Pirates and Brewers are watching from home. This plays a big role in MVP voting, as Braun was given the edge over Kemp last season due to the Dodgers not making the postseason. BG: The NL MVP can only go to one man and that is Buster Posey. Posey batted .336 and got on base 40 percent of the time, while hitting 24 home runs and driving in 103 runs. All of this on top of managing one of baseball’s best staffs, which explains why he leads the NL with a WAR of 7.2. The real debate is in the AL, where the vote seems to be split between two players and two schools of thought. Mike Trout is a sabermetric dream, while Miguel Cabrera is your old-school slugger. Cabrera seems to be the favorite because he hit for the Triple Crown — the first one to do it in 45 years — and led the Tigers to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Trout posted a 10.4 WAR and supplied great production from the leadoff spot. It’s not an easy choice, but my vote goes to Trout. He brings so much more to the table than Cabrera does on the bases and on defense. Ultimately though, my main train of thought is that if Josh Hamilton had hit two homers in game 162, would this even be a discussion?

AP Photo

Brandon gets the 3 points for saying Trout offers more on the bases and on defense than Cabrera, as well as providing a solid argument for Posey. Jim takes 2 points for talking about the rarity of Triple Crowns and bringing up Posey’s position as a reason to vote for him. Mike gets 1 point for pointing out team success matters in decision of who should be MVP.

Brandon wins Around the Dorm, 9-6-3

page 26 The Signal October 10, 2012

Field hockey sees winning streak end Field Hockey

By Brandon Gould News Editor

A few days after a scoring outpour against Cabrini College, the College struggled to find an offensive groove as they watched their 24-game winning streak come to an end in a 5-1 loss to No. 10 Montclair State University on Saturday, Oct. 6. While the Red Hawks were able to pressure the College’s defense with 11 shots on goal, the No. 3-ranked Lions only managed to direct three shots at the cage. “We were in a position where we had to take more shots.” head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “We got the ball downfield and got in the circle, but we didn’t get anything off of that and we need to.” The loss was the Lions’ (10-1) first in almost a year — the last one coming at the hands of Salisbury University on Oct. 9, 2011. Although the Lions played poorly in the first half, according to Pfluger, the score at the break only read 1-0 after a Red Hawk goal with 33 seconds left in the half. However, Montclair was able to extend their lead to 2-0 shortly after the second period began when senior midfielder/ forward Frances Schaefer tallied her second goal of the contest.

As the College attempted to get their offense in gear, the Red Hawks – who fell to the Lions twice in 2011 – kept the pressure on and kept the Lions away from the cage. That hustle allowed the Red Hawks to create more opportunities for themselves and senior forward Kate Norgard paid the dividends, notching a pair of goals in a four-minute span. “(In this game), the breakdowns were higher on the field and I think Montclair got momentum,” Pfluger said. “We’ve been on the other side where you get momentum and everybody starts playing well and even if you make a mistake, you make up for it. So, I think (for Montclair) it was just that emotional momentum thing.” Senior midfielder Camille Passucci noted the Lions’ defense just wasn’t “in groove or connecting and Montclair took advantage of that.” Freshman goalkeeper Roisin Dougherty made four saves in her first collegiate loss, but a barrage of Red Hawk shots just proved to be overwhelming. Senior Christy Wham made two defensive saves on top of Dougherty’s stops, but Pfluger believes that overall her defense just did not play up to its full ability. “I don’t think that we played

as smart as we could have,” Pfluger said. “I felt like we kept making the same mistakes. It was hard to stop what we were doing wrong even though we were telling them. It was kind of like we weren’t feeling it.” The Lions were finally able to break through and get on the

board in the second half off a penalty corner when sophomore midfielder Erin Waller made it a 4-1 game, finding the back of the cage after receiving a swift pass from Passucci. “There was a point where I thought to myself, ‘Wow, they just have to play,’” Pfluger

Photo by Julianne Grandal

The Lions lose for the first time in nearly a year.

said. “They couldn’t really absorb anymore and they just had to play and work it through and that’s what happened when we scored.” The Lions’ offense was night and day during their two games this week as they saw five different players score in a 5-1 victory over Cabrini College on Thursday, Oct. 4. Passucci netted the first goal of the game and was followed by senior forwards Caitlyn Jenkins and Jillian Nealon as well as sophomore midfielders Lauren Pigott and Victoria Martin. “(Against Cabrini), we had a lot of off-ball movement,” Passucci said. “A lot of the forwards and midfielders were interchanging, so it allowed a lot of different people to get in the circle to score.” Despite being 10-1, the same record they had last year at this point, there will be a bad taste in the Lions’ mouths until they erase the memory of what losing feels like when they next take the field, according to Passucci. It’s a motivation that will have the Lions more focused than ever. “Losing never feels good and we really hate to lose,” Passucci said. “We were reminded of that feeling (against Montclair) and we are motivated more than ever to not feel like that again.”

Cheap Seats

Baseball advancing to futuristic stats Sabermetrics show who is the true AL MVP By Kevin Lee Staff Writer

Lots of wins, a low ERA, a high batting average and a ton of home runs make a player good, right? We all have at some point, or still do, believe that these are the best indicators of a player’s true talent. Well, let me introduce you to the world of sabermetrics. As per Wikipedia, sabermetrics is defined as the specialized

AP Photo

No triple crown? No problem.

analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The key word in Wikipedia’s definition is objective. Many are under the impression that sabermetrics believe that it’s just a bunch of complicated numbers for stat nerds who need to understand that baseball is played on the field. When placed in context, sabermetrics is an extremely useful tool that is a great predictor and excellent indicator of how good the player actually is. Most of these statistics take into account luck, ballpark factors, defense and much more, eliminating things the player cannot control. Yes, it involves a lot of complicated formulas, numbers and statistics like xFIP, wOBA and UZR primer. However, when understood, the meaning of each there, really is a valid rationale behind most of the statistics. Again, there are some statistical measures that need to be placed in context. I was once the casual fan, looking at only surface stats like wins, ERA and batting average. My interpretations of these stats changed when I was watching a Yankees game a few years back. While watching this game, I learned a valuable lesson: Wins are meaningless. I saw Mike Mussina let up five earned runs in a mere five innings, yet still credited with a win, which doesn’t happen often. This sparked my interest in a deeper understanding of baseball statistics, which ultimately has made my understanding of baseball all the more enjoyable and rational. For me,

I’d like to see sabermetrics used more for the rational evaluations in media. I’m tired of hearing that Matt Harrison was awesome this season. This shift in understanding baseball can all change with the 2012 AL MVP potential winner, which is between Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. Looking solely on the three “important” statistics, batting average, homeruns and RBIs, it’s not even a close race. Miguel Cabrera should win the award by a landslide, by winning the Triple Crown. RBI is a meaningless stat to me, and batting average and homeruns needed to be adjusted slightly at face value. The Triple Crown is fun for fans, but really has no implications on how valuable the player was to his team. The award completely ignores other very important facets of the game, such as walks, doubles, triples, defensive value, positional value and park effects. When comparing Trout and Cabrera from a more sabermetric approach, Trout is the clear winner. WAR is a statistic that measures a player’s total contribution to his team, taking into account both offense and defense. With that said, Trout has a 10.4 WAR compared to Cabrera’s 7.2 WAR. Trout’s WAR would place him 20th all time in single season WAR, higher than Barry Bonds’ 2004 season and Alex Rodriguez’s 2000 season. Talk about historic. One might wonder where this huge discrepancy in WAR comes from. First off, many believe that Cabrera’s offensive output is so much better than

Trout’s. This myth is debunked with the notion that, Trout’s wOBA is 0.06 higher than Cabrera’s, a more precise measure of OPS. The key difference, however, lies within Trout’s positional value and the fact that he plays it well, which can be assessed using UZR. UZR measures the runs saved on defense where a player is able to get to the ball and field it. Using this statistic, Trout saves 13 runs and Cabrera costs his team nine runs in a less demanding position at third base. Furthermore, value to a team is added through base running, which favors Trout. Trout has 46 stolen bases, compared to Cabrera’s mere four stolen bases. Looking at these two players from a subjective point of view, Trout still wins. Even though WAR does not take into account the quality of competition, Trout wins by playing in a tougher division. The argument for Cabrera for subjective reasons is that he carried his team down the stretch in August and September. This is an arbitrary endpoint when considering the whole architect of a player’s true value. Cabrera did have a better September, but that completely ignores Trout’s contributions to his team in July. Games are of equal importance in September and July — a win is a win in the standings, regardless of the month. With that, Trout deserves this MVP award. Trout winning the award would shift the way many view the game of baseball. Back in the day, ERA was a relatively new stat that determined how good a pitcher was. It wasn’t always accepted initially, but it did its part. Now, it’s time to accept a new generation and progress of advanced metrics that explain even more. It’s time for change.

October 10, 2012 The Signal page 27

Lions Roundup STUDENT ATHLETE OF

Charts `N Things

THE WEEK

burns’ tackles by year

Greg Burns Football Made 14 tackles, forced turnover vs. Red Dragons Greg Burns, senior linebacker for the football team, made 14 tackles and forced a fumble deep in the Lions’ half to prevent a SUNY Cortland score in the College’s 42-28 loss. Burns and the rest of the Lions defense held SUNY’s conference-leading rushing offense to just 130 yards, 117 fewer than its average coming into the game. The tackles improve Burns’ program-leading career total to 299, and he can become the first Lion to break 300 when the team visits Montclair State University this Saturday.

margins of victory for field hockey in win streak

This Week In Sports men’s soccer leaders, points

Football (2-3) Oct. 13 @ Montclair State University, 3 p.m. Field Hockey (10-1) Oct. 11 vs. Neumann University, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 @ Ramapo College, 4 p.m.

Predictions from the staff Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills vs. Green Bay Packers Arizona Cardinals

Game 3, Yankees vs. Orioles

Game 3, Nationals vs. Cardinals

Antigua and Barbuda vs. USA

Men’s Soccer (5-9) Oct. 10 @ William Paterson University, 7 p.m. Oct. 13 @ Kean University, 4:30 p.m. Women’s Soccer (11-1) Oct. 10 @ Johns Hopkins University, 6 p.m. Oct. 13 vs. Kean University, 1 p.m.

Chris Molicki Peter Fiorilla Brandon Gould

Men’s, Women’s Cross Country Oct. 10 @ Lafayette Leopard Inv., 10:30 a.m.

Brendan McGrath Jamie Primeau

Men’s Swimming and Diving Oct. 10 vs. Blue/Gold Intrasquad Meet, 2 p.m.

Andrew Grossman Last Week: Chris (4-1), Andrew (3-2), Peter (2-3), Brandon & Brendan & Jamie (1-4) Wins: Chris (3), Peter & Brandon & Brendan (1)

Last Week’s Signal Trivia Answer:

Signal Trivia This is the estimated amount of money the NHL lost in preseason revenue due to the lockout.

AP Photo

The five major sports events from June 17, 1994 as seen in ESPN’s documentary of the same name: O.J. Simpson drives around Southern California holding a gun to his head, the World Cup kicks off in Chicago, Arnold Palmer plays his final day of golf at a U.S. Open, the Knicks and Rockets play Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and the Rangers celebrate their Stanley Cup win.

Signal

Sports

Women’s soccer rebounds with ease

Lions grab pair of wins in bounce-back week

Photo by Julianne Grandal

The College continued their push to an NJAC title with two victories. By Chrissy Onorato Staff Writer The Lions are continuing their strong drive into the second half of the season with victory after victory. With each week the team looks stronger, hopefully on their way to a New Jersey Athletic

Conference title. The first game of the week came on Wednesday at Gettysburg College. The Lions took on the Bullets in a game that was a hard fought nail-biter from the beginning. Sophomore goalie Kendra Griffith had a great four saves in goal and held off the Bullets on the way to a

1-0 victory for the College. The team was led by junior midfielder Sloan DePiero, who had four shots on goal, while senior forward Allyson Anderson and many others showed some stellar offense. The Lions had a total of 10 shots on goal. However, the only goal that was scored for the College was the winning goal by senior midfielder Amy Van Dyk. Sophomore forward Korrie Harkins provided the assist and Van Dyk sent the winning kick flying. This was Van Dyk’s first goal of the season, and notably one of the most important to the team. The team’s defense had completely dominated the Bullets, allowing only six shots to the Lions’ 18. The second game of the week came at home against William Paterson University on Saturday. The Lions went into this NJAC contest ranked highly at No. 23. The 3-1 victory for the Lions began with just 14 seconds into the game. As soon as it began, junior forward Katie Lindacher took the ball straight down the field and assisted DePiero on her fourth goal of the season. The next goal came with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Harkins was assisted by senior forward Katie Landrigan

for her third goal of the season. The Lions struck again at 54:13 in the second half. Van Dyk assisted DePiero with a ground pass, who scored her second goal of the game. Griffith went the entire game in goal and only allowed one goal. She had three perfect saves. In total, the Lions had 10 shots on the Pioneers’ goal while the latter had only four on the Lions’. It was another game in which the offense and defense both showed up and dominated. The rest of the season looks to be an even greater challenge for the team, but they are confident they can continue to fight until the end. “The second half of the season is more of the tougher teams we will be going against,” Lindacher said. “I’m almost glad we got that one loss out of the way because now it is just fueling us for the rest of the season. Our overall goal is always a national championship in the NCAA tournament, so now is when we bunker down and focus one game at a time, take on the NJAC, and do what we need to win.” The Lions have another tough week coming up with a game at Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and a home game against Kean University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Lions’ dominance is a product of focus

Women’s tennis knows what’s at stake every match By Amanda Lappa Correspondent

The College’s women’s tennis team won every conference match they played in the 30-year history of the sport’s inclusion in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, yet head coach Scott Dicheck admits that he gets worried at the beginning of most matches. Dicheck, who has presided over the team since 2000, now has 13 NJAC Championships with the Lions and coached the team to 66 consecutive conference victories. The Lions dominance has stretched over 148 undefeated conference matches and 30 straight conference titles. Despite his nerves at the beginning of matches, the quick starts his doubles teams have given the Lions on their way to dominant victories often calmed him. “We have been very successful with the doubles and getting off to quick leads,” Dicheck said. Nerves still exist though, especially for some players, simply for the mounting pressure to not be the team that ends the incredible run. “There’s a lot of pressure every time we step on the court to continue our 148-match conference win streak,” senior quad-captain Paige Aiello said. “Although it’s exciting and something that we take a lot of pride in, it’s also always in the back of our minds that we don’t want to be the one to ruin the streak. The streak has very rarely been in danger though, as the Lions won every best-of-nine match by a score of 9-0 since Sept.

Lions’ Lineup October 10, 2012

I n s i d e

20, 2006, when the team dropped their third doubles match to Richard Stockton College, and even then they achieved an 8-1 team victory. This year’s continuation of conference perfection came with an added challenge as one of the team’s top players, senior Allison Tierney, is currently participating in a study abroad program. The nature of college athletics makes it hard to maintain such a lengthy string of dominance, as players graduate in four

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Despite the pressure, the College succeeds.

years and new, younger players must constantly be integrated into the lineup with the expectation of maintaining the current level of play. One such younger player is Jasmine Muniz-Cadorette, a freshman from Union, Muniz-Cadorette is 6-0 in NJAC play this year, having lost only five games over the course of 12 sets (each set requires the victor to win six games). “The tennis team competes at a very high level,” MunizCadorette said. “That was made very clear to me when I was learning about the team. When I came in, I was pleasantly surprised to be placed in the lineup, but this of course came with a lot of responsibilities and pressure.” As new players come in, the older players must guide them on how to beat the rigors of a 148-match conference win streak. “If I could give new players advice for the streak, it would be to not overthink it and just go out onto the court and play like you always do,” Aiello said. Muniz-Cadorette would share the advice given to her by a coach back home. “He told me, ‘Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.’ This quote is exactly what I try to live by and what other athletes should live by as well,” she said. Winning has been a constant, repetitive theme for these Lions, but that certainly doesn’t mean they’re tired of it. “Although we’ve won the championship for the four years I’ve been playing, it certainly doesn’t get old,” Aiello said. “Every year we see the representative from the NJAC at our last match and we know what’s waiting for us.”

46 53 Around the Dorm page 25

Football falls page 23

Baseball Cheap Seats page 26

Soccer gets a win page 23