The Signal: Fall '19 No. 13

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Vol. LI, No. 13

December 4, 2019

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Exonerated Five member reflects on Central Park, fights for reform

Faculty march for new contracts

By Camille Furst Managing Editor “Guilty” rang in the room like a deafening cymbal, overpowering shrieks and screams of shock.

The word was said over and over again — so many times that Yusef Salaam lost count. Before this, he was certain the truth would be revealed and he would be found innocent. He was certain he would finally be free.

Instead, the then-16-year-old was told to stand and place his hands behind his back. He was handcuffed and immediately placed into custody — into what he called the “belly of the beast.”

“All of a sudden, you find your whole life interrupted,” he said. “And there, we cried.”

Salaam was one of the Central Park Five: the group of five boys — four African-Americans and one Latino — who were found guilty of raping Trisha Meili, a young woman jogging in Central Park. She was found so badly beaten early in the morning on April 20, 1989, that she would remain in a coma for weeks to follow, having no memory of being attacked.

Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Salaam all faced sentences ranging from five to 15 years in prison before they would be exonerated by DNA evidence see PRISON page 5

Jennifer Somers / Photo Editor

Professors demand action from Foster.

By Len La Rocca News Editor

“Fair contract now” chants erupted from faculty and staff at Quimby’s Prairie in an American Federation of Teachers demonstration against the lack of contracts for professional staff.

Having been without contracts since July, professors and staff members gathered with signs in hand on Nov. 20 to express their frustration with New Jersey’s

inability to negotiate a fair contract. Nancy Lasher, the College’s AFT president, began the demonstration by declaring the grievances of those affected.

Holding up the former contract, Lasher articulated the current situation of the College’s professional staff.

“The state and the presidents are doing their best to put it through a shredder,” she said. “We make proposals in good faith.

We not only get our proposals back with a red line through them, but rights that we

had in our contract have come back to us … with red lines through them.”

The key demands of the AFT include full-time-to-adjunct faculty ratios, equal pay for equal work, academic freedom for adjuncts, reasonable contract durations and binding arbitration for local agreements.

The final demand, crucial to AFT, regards a current lack of necessity for the president of the College to comply with non-binding agreements.

“That means we have no power,” Lasher said. “When we negotiate locally, we don’t have binding arbitration. We have a dispute. The arbitrator finds in our favor and do you know what a college president can say? ‘Thank you very much, but I’m doing what I want to do.’ This is a problem.”

Head nods from the passionate crowd followed the call for binding arbitration.

“By impacting the working conditions of faculty and professional staff, these agreements impact the services we provide to our students,” the AFT demonstration flier stated. “If college presidents are not bound to honor them, your educational experience lacks predictability and stability.”

Lasher described the importance of professors as they educate and advise the future workers of the world.

“We are the professors who are not only here to teach the students, but talk to the students about what they’re going to do see PROTEST page 2

Campus responds to mental health programs Forcina Hall conditions spur controversy

By Garrett Cecere and Jane Bowden Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

When Quint Meredith, a junior business management major at the College, began drinking at age 16 to help him socialize with other people, he didn’t think he’d develop substance use disorder, nor did he think recovery would ever be an option.

“I was anxious. I had a hard time talking to people,” he said. “But the drinking just … made me really able to open up. The first time I drank … was life-changing.

At the time, I didn’t want to get sober. I equated being sober with being miserable.

But that’s a result of substance use disorder.”

After repeatedly entering 12-step programs at age 18, Meredith’s family held an intervention, and his mother presented him with

INDEX:

By Len La Rocca News Editor

Peer educators help students with de-stressing.

an ultimatum. “(She said), ‘you can go to treatment, or we’re not gonna support you,’” Meredith said.

His mother’s words

Nation & World / page 7

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compelled him to seek sobriety—which he achieved four years ago—and later start his next goal: to earn a bachelor’s degree from the College.

Editorial / page 8

Opinions / page 9

Meredith, now 24, has found comfort in the College’s community that has surrounded him since transferring

For many students, the building has become a cliche synonymous with dread at the College and a place on the edge of campus that has seemingly taken on a life of its own. Yet, with countless blemishes, a dated design and being the home forced upon the computer science department, Forcina Hall lives in infamy as students question why they are taking classes in a building that once had plans for demolition.

The 50-year-old building features worn-down bathrooms, water damage and an outdated design of the late ‘60s, creating what many students argue is a dim learning environment.

“The general atmosphere and the feel of that building doesn’t feel like a welcoming college campus,” said Ethan Zeigler, a senior computer science major. “It feels like being shoved into the past.”

Built in 1969, the building served as the home of the College’s education department until a single-floor wing of Forcina Hall was demolished in 2010 to make room for what is now the Education Building.

Shrouded in controversy from the College community, the administration then planned to use Forcina Hall

see MHS page 6

see BUILDING page 2

Instagram

Features / page 11

Arts & Entertainment / page 14

Sports / page 20

Looking ahead to 2020s Students share resolutions for the next ten years

Megan Thee Stallion Fall Concert draws mixed reviews from students

Swim/Dive Lions top SCSU, remain undefeated

See Features page 11

See A&E page 14

See Sports page 20

page 2 The Signal December 4, 2019

Protest / AFT votes to authorize strike continued from page 1

Lasher leads the demonstration at Quimby’s Prairie.

Jennifer Somers / Photo Editor

after college,” she said. “And you know what?

We are being treated like a fungible good.”

Equality in the number of students each professor is assigned to advise is also a major issue staff members are facing.

“Some people have five kids and others have 100 kids,” said Lisa Simeus, the assistant director of Student Accounts. “That’s not fair to have one person advise 100 students and another person advise five.”

Lasher and AFT Vice President Dave Prensky sat down during the week before the demonstration, for what they thought would be a negotiation, according to Lasher.

“We were told the state is about done talking,” Lasher said. “If this plays out the way it could, that means the state is getting ready to declare an impasse and impose its last best offer. What do we have to think about that? I have to say that last best offer is not very good.”

Lasher began the march around Green Hall — home to the office of College President Kathryn Foster — and the rest of the crowd

followed, chanting and repeating the phrase “fair contract now.” Signs poking fun at the College’s “Hi” marketing campaign read “Hi! Remember us?” and “Hi time for a contract.”

Following the march, Lasher told the crowd that AFT members would be voting later in the day to authorize a strike in an effort to send a message to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The vote followed, which authorized the union to call a strike.

“We can take a positive strike authorization vote to the governor and say ‘yeah, it’s this bad. We’re this angry and you’ll be the first democratic governor whose been struck in modern memory,’” she said.

Mo Gonzalez, a freshman early childhood education and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies double major, took the mic to speak for students who stand by the professors.

“I wouldn’t be able to be here and none of the students would be able to be here if it wasn’t for the teachers,” Gonzalez said. “We need to be investing in our teachers and we need to be less worried about building benches and basketball courts.”

father was a methamphetamine addict. Despite how bleak his life seemed, he discussed his childhood with the good humor and wit befitting of a comedian.

He told stories of how when his father was high, he would tell him to tell people who weren’t there to be quiet. He also discussed how he found thousands of dollars in the floorboard of a gas station, which he affectionately called “floorboard money.”

Smith also mentioned that when child services came to his house, which was shortly after his father had just begun to get clean, they told his parents that they were a model family and wanted them to become a foster home.

Smith also recounted his history as a teacher

working in the suburbs at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, Penn.

“Every parent thought their kid was special — they weren’t,” he said. “We didn’t have books (at the high school). That’s like being a math teacher and someone telling you that you don’t have numbers.”

Smith ended his talk with a few words of wisdom. First, he mentioned the class he will teach next semester, CRI-170.

He said that he was glad he did not go through with his suicide, because it allowed him to do what he enjoys: making people laugh, teaching and raising his two daughters.

“Speak up,” he said. “Closed mouths don’t get fed.”

Speaker inspires students to choose life over suicide

By Alex Baldino Staff Writer

Comedian, father and soon-to-be professor at the College Christopher Smith is a man who wears many hats.

While he currently serves as the departmental secretary in the College’s criminology department, on Nov. 21, he found himself in Mayo Concert Hall telling a theater full of students and faculty about his time growing up, his teaching experience and his suicide attempt in 2008.

Smith opened with letting everyone know that he was making jokes about his life. “(Humor) was the only way I ever got

through it,” he said.

He wanted people to see a “different perspective.” In fact, he told the audience that before the show he had been crying for an hour, demonstrating that despite what his tattoos and appearance may suggest, he still had emotions.

After he told more jokes, Smith got to the main topic and began to recount his suicide attempt. After being inundated with various issues in his life, he only survived thanks to the efforts of his mother. Had she not pulled him out of his car, where a tube was running from the exhaust to the driver-side window, he would not have been able to give his talk.

In his family, Smith had grown up poor — his mother had rheumatoid arthritis and his

Building / Students, faculty question academic space continued from page 1 as a temporary location, also known as “swing space,” for college operations while other buildings were being renovated or completed.

Forcina would then be demolished in 2021 as scheduled in the 2008 Academic/Administrative and Housing Facilities Master Plans, according to a fall 2007 TCNJ Magazine article. Norsworthy and Centennial Halls were also slated for demolition in 2014 and 2017, respectively. However, these plans never came to fruition and the two residence halls still stand to this day.

Marking an end to the hope of demolishing Forcina was the destruction of the former home of the computer science department, Holman Hall. The 2013 demolition made room for what is now the STEM Building, which officially opened in October 2017.

During construction of the STEM Building, the computer science department was moved to the fourth floor of Forcina Hall with the understanding that it was a temporary swing space. Essential renovations were made to the fourth floor to accommodate a learning environment fit for the computer science curriculum. Still, the general belief was that this move was temporary.

Chair of the computer science department Monisha Pulimood, along with the rest of the department, had always thought the space lost in Holman Hall would be returned to them in the new STEM Building.

“We were always under the assumption that we would be coming back into this space here (STEM) and that we would be teaching here,” she said. “It’s only later on in the design process (that) suddenly we realized that the classrooms and the labs that we had expected would be in the building were not going to be in this building.”

The computer science department was not alone in thinking that the new building would be its new home. According to the TCNJ Magazine article from 2007, “Holman Hall will be demolished in 2013 to make room for a new academic building, which is scheduled to be completed by 2015. The new building will house the computer science department.”

Yet, the STEM Building does not adequately house the entire department, as there are only two possible classrooms for computer science majors to use. With no plans set to move the majority of computer science classes to the building, Forcina

Hall appears to be the permanent home of the department.

“STEM only has one computing/teaching lab and it has one classroom,” Pulimood said. “Both of them are shared with engineering. So we get a fraction of the time every week in that classroom.”

The computer science department received exclusive access to the STEM Building’s project workshop lab due to the lack of lab access for students to work in.

“Because the teaching labs are all so heavily utilized now … students don’t get enough time in there in between classes,” Pulimood said. “So that’s the purpose of the project workshop lab, but that’s not enough, right? And so that’s the frustration that faculty and students are facing — we still have to go over to Forcina Hall for classes.”

Zeigler has taken classes in Forcina Hall since he was a freshman.

“We didn’t expect for this to become a problem,” he said.

“We were led to believe that once STEM was up, Forcina was going to be a long, distant memory that we could forget,” he said. “If you look at the plans that they made for the STEM Building in the first place, it’s pretty clear that was never the intention, and if it was the intention, there was a serious lack of thought there.”

Rather than working in the state-of-the-art STEM Building, computer science classes take place in a building that was once deemed fit for demolition by the College. Conditions such as paint chipping from the walls, flimsy bathroom stalls and windowless hallways are often cited by students when discussing the flaws in Forcina Hall.

“The conditions in that building … it’s not conducive to academics,” Pulimood said.

However, the College has addressed the major mechanical issues in the deteriorating building, such as fixing the leaking roof and troublesome HVAC system. Professor of computer science John DeGood believes that these fixes have changed Forcina from an unfavorable place to teach to an enjoyable one.

“There’s pre-renovation and there’s post-renovation,” DeGood said. “So pre-renovation, it was an embarrassment. The roof had huge leaks and the hallways were full of buckets and trash cans … Every time it rained, it was like a waterfall in the hallways. The bottom line is the building looks somewhat dated just because of its age, but mechanically, it seems very solid now and I’m no longer embarrassed to have students

Len La Rocca / News Editor

The windowless halls create a dim environment.

taking classes in it.”

While Forcina Hall has stood for 50 years, the College has shown its capability to maintain older buildings, such as Green Hall, which opened its doors in 1931, yet remains an iconic site for many students at the College. Some students question why Forcina Hall has been allowed to deteriorate.

“It’s hard to really explain why Forcina is really what’s been left over,” Zeigler said. “Forcina is on the edge of campus. It’s kind of out of the way. It isn’t as much of an image to the campus would be one of my guesses.”

Throughout the campus, Forcina Hall sticks out. Structures such as the R. Barbara Gitenstein Library and the Arts and Interactive Multimedia Building set a quality standard for the campus that many students and faculty believe Forcina Hall does not meet.

“How does this building get to this point where it almost feels like it was forgotten about?” Zeigler said. “We need to do real work to make this reflect the kind of environment we want for TCNJ and the kind of environment we want to show for the people who want to come here.”

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 3

Sleeping Giants co-founder discusses activism

By Gabrielle Pagano Correspondent

Public speaker Nandini Jammi visited the College to share her story in the Library Auditorium on Nov. 19. She spoke of her experience as an activist and co-founder of Sleeping Giants, a social media organization striving to keep companies accountable of their advertisements that promote bigotry and sexism.

Her cause has grown to 400,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook combined, with active branches in 10 other countries. Her mission is to connect with brands and inform them where the billions of dollars they put into their ads actually end up.

“Some of the biggest companies with advertising budgets have no idea where that money goes after it leaves their pockets,” Jammi said.

In many cases, the revenue will fund misinformation, hate groups and child predators.

In Jammi’s first campaign reaching out to advertisers in 2016, she asked them to reevaluate whether they were comfortable with their income funding the far-right website Breitbart.

The response was overwhelming.

“You could see this effort could get results, these little advertisers were dropping these companies,” she said.

After just 3 months, Breitbart — once on track to cash in on $8 billion — had lost 90 percent of its revenue.

At its core, Sleeping Giants is a movement for the public to mobilize and hold companies accountable for the content they promote on their platform.

Jammi described how hate groups were comfortable openly chanting antisemitic and white nationalist rhetoric.

Incidents like Charlottesville and Proud Boys rallies around the country “We live in a world where Unite the

Right felt comfortable enough to organize a rally in Charlottesville, chanting anti-semitic slogans,” she said.

“People have been radicalized by groups like this, and they’re coming and destroying our communities,” she said. “What Sleeping Giants did — we showed the world that this didn’t happen by accident. Tech companies made it possible.”

By confronting businesses with this reality and questioning whether they are complacent in their funding, Sleeping Giants has encouraged customers to take matters into their own hands by ensuring that companies uphold the values their mission statement and public image claim to support.

It’s a matter of ethical consumerism, according to Jammi. “The answerability is an era in which brands are publicly expected to answer for what they enable and monetize,” she explained. And even when a company offers no answer when such findings are brought to light, she said, that in itself is an answer enough.

“... we live in a world where Unite the Right felt comfortable enough to organize a rally in Charlottesville, chanting anti-semitic slogans.”

—Nandini Jammi

Co-founder of Sleeping Giants

Jennifer Somers / Photo Editor

Jammi shares her disappointment with bigotry in America.

Campus Police cracks down on intoxication Faculty member reports vandalism at Bliss Hall

By Jennifer Somers Photo Editor Police respond to disorderly conduct at fall concert On Nov. 19 at approximately 9:30 p.m., a member of the Strike Force Security team advised Campus Police that there was a student that appeared to be intoxicated at the Fall Concert in the Recreation Center.

Campus Police spoke with the student, who stated that he had taken six shots of alcohol before he arrived at the concert.

However, he did not state what type of alcohol he drank.

He was unable to balance properly, had slurred speech and his breath smelled like alcohol. He was taken to the medical room and evaluated

by TCNJ EMS. While being evaluated, he vomited into a trashcan and was transported to Capital Health Hopewell by Ewing EMS for further treatment. He was issued a B summons on Nov. 24 for Consumption of Alcohol while under the legal age.

Theft occurs in townhouse west laundry room

On Nov. 24 at 9 p.m., a student arrived at Campus Police Headquarters to report that her clothing was stolen. She stated that earlier that day, she was washing her clothes in the Townhouse West laundry room and left while her clothes were in the washer.

At approximately 5 p.m., she returned to campus and placed her clothing into the dryer before leaving campus again. At around 7 p.m., she returned to campus and found that her clothes were missing. Campus Police advised that she search the entire laundry room, but after doing so, she stated she was left with negative results.

She described her articles of clothing as three black leggings, four t-shirts, a white bra, seven pairs of underwear, 10 pairs of socks and a tan turtleneck. All together, the clothes totaled a value of approximately $162.

There are no security cameras in the area. Campus Police advised her to contact them again if her property was

recovered or if she obtained further information. There is no further investigation.

Employee reports vandalism of Bliss Hall On Nov. 20 at approximately 7:20 a.m., Campus Police was dispatched to Bliss Hall to speak with a Building Services employee on a report of criminal mischief to Bliss Hall’s window.

Upon arrival, Campus Police met with the employee at the southwest door of Bliss Hall.

Campus Police asked what happened, to which she advised that at some time between when she left yesterday, at approximately 3 p.m., and at 7 a.m. the next day, someone threw eggs onto the second-floor window above Bliss Hall’s southwest d o o r, leaving egg yoke on the window and ground as well as egg shells. The employee stated that this was not the first time that this has happened to Bliss Hall.

She advised that the first time she noticed it was around

Halloween, and it was the window on the west side of the building, facing Metzger Drive.

Campus Police asked her if she had heard of any other building where this has happened, and she advised that she had not.

The windows required cleaning, but there was no other damage from the eggs. Campus Police advised her that the officers will give more passing attention to the building at night and requested that she notify them if it happens again. The case is still open.

Police find intoxicated female at Forcina Hall On Nov. 22 at approximately 11:53 p.m., Campus Police was dispatched to the area of Trenton State College Park on a report of an intoxicated female.

Campus Police arrived on the scene at approximately 11:55 p.m., and was flagged down by a student who advised that the individual was on a sidewalk bench between Forcina Hall and the Education Building.

The student escorted Campus Police to the bench where the individual was observed as semi-conscious and being held

up by another student, along with a student from the College. They were escorted inside the atrium area of the Education Building. TCNJ EMS and EMTs, arrived on the scene at approximately 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 23 to evaluate and treat the suspect’s condition. TCNJ Professional Staff arrived on the scene at approximately 12:10 a.m. to record the information on the incident.

One of the students said she had consumed raspberry-flavored New Amsterdam Vodka via a water bottle, in addition to several mixed, “jungle juice” drinks and several cans of beer at an off-campus party, according to the report. The exact amount of alcohol she consumed is unknown. She refused medical treatment and signed a medical refusal form.

She was not cited for underage consumption of alcohol and granted amnesty as per the New Jersey 9-1-1 Lifeline Legislation Act due to the student contacting Campus Police for help.

Anyone with information can contact Campus Police at 609771-2345.

page 4 The Signal December 4, 2019

College diversity workshop covers white privilege

By Kaitlyn Bonomo Correspondent

The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion held the final workshop for the Diversity Education Series on Nov. 22 in the Brower Student Center Room 225.

The last session was titled “Racial Privilege: A Primer,” which Robin Parker, the executive director of the Beyond Diversity Resource Center, described as the most challenging of the five-part series.

The session encouraged participants to put on their “racial clothing,” as referred to by Parker, to explore how racial privilege, or the absence of it, influences people’s lives through interactive exercises and discussions.

“If we understand privilege, we understand what we are walking through the world with every day,” Parker said.

“It can be painful to look at. Nevertheless, we believe it’s very healthy.”

Parker began the session by explaining and expanding the working definition of race as a social construct, which she said places African-Americans at the very bottom of the established racial hierarchy.

“They were seen as cultureless, savage, from the ‘dark’ country … unfortunately, that legacy is still with us today,” Parker said. “There is no magic about racial categories. They are simply invented.”

Pamela Smith Chambers, the training director of the Beyond Diversity Resource Center, and Marvin A. Carter, the Interim Director of Diversity and Inclusion, then led the audience in a discussion of the origin of the concept of white privilege.

“What continues to lag is the issue of oppression in society,” Chambers said.

Chambers credited activist Peggy McIntosh to a great shift of culture in America, as she referred to her list of white privileges from the article “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” which has been shared on racialequitytools. org. McIntosh’s list, as explained by Chambers, became the foundation on which anti-oppression work began to teach and initiate the conversations.

“The concept of white privilege is difficult because it changes the responsibility for what it means to work on the

Parker and Carter review the working definition of race with the audience.

elimination of oppression,” Chambers said.

Chambers discussed how McIntosh’s list guided one’s understanding of privilege and oppression, and utilized the list in an activity with the audience. Every participant was asked to close their eyes and get comfortable in their seats while Chambers asked them 50 questions.

“If you are white, as you listen to the list of racial privileges, think about what the presence of those privileges have meant in your life,” Chambers said to the audience.

“If you are a person of color, think about what the absence of these privileges have meant in your life.”

Following the exercise, Chambers invited the audience members to a group discussion, where they deliberated their general feelings after listening to the reading of

Vital Signs: Fighting off the flu season

Facebook

Fruits, vegetables and nuts help to boost immune systems in time for the winter.

By Victoria Giardina Columnist

boost, you can infuse lemon or lime into your water to incorporate more citrus into your diet.

Let’s face it — even if we don’t want it to be, it’s flu season. As college students, we most certainly do not want to catch ourselves with a box of tissues in one hand and medicine in the other. To give your immune system an extra boost, here are three health-happy foods to finish off the semester strong.

Mushrooms This food may not seem like it can spike your wellness, but it has properties that can trigger an immune system boost. According to WebMD, mushrooms include riboflavin and niacin — B vitamins that can lead to a severe flu if you are low in them. Incorporate mushrooms into your salads at the main dining hall or even opt for this healthy helper on your hamburgers.

Citrus Fruits Yes, citrus fruits are a great source of adding to your daily fruit and veggie count, according to CBS News, but they are also an excellent source of vitamin C — a chief vitamin in building up your immune system. Vitamin C also helps increase the number of your body’s white blood cells, which is crucial to fighting infections. If you are looking to shield yourself from sickness this semester, reach for grapefruit, oranges and tangerines, which will help your immune system, according to Healthline. For an extra

Almonds and Mixed Nuts Reach for trail mix before heading to the gym, because eating almonds can pack your body with healthful immune boosters.

Almonds, which have vitamin E, contain rich antioxidants, according to VeryWellHealth. Top your oatmeal or acai bowls with almonds — and even peanut butter, which also contains vitamin E — for a nutrientdense meal.

Jennifer Somers / Photo Editor

the questions. Chambers asked the white audience members and people of color what the presence of privilege meant to them.

“Life can be hard for everyone,” Chambers said.

“But the conversation is powerful if we can dig into, in spite of that, what the presence of privilege means to … an individual.”

Cynthia Fulford, the assistant director of the Support for Teacher Education at the College, attended the meeting and believed the discussions were important in the College’s environment.

“I think it’s important so we can help students see that no matter our racial backgrounds, we all need to be learning and engaging together,” she said.

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 5

SFB tables events pending investigation

The board’s allocations cannot exceed 65 percent of the SAF.

By Ian Kreitzberg Staff Writer

The Student Finance Board began its Nov. 20 meeting in the Brower Student Center Room 104 as usual. However, the board ended up tabling all events pending an in-depth review of their finances and actions in relation to its constitution.

The catalyst for the 40 minute-long discussion that resulted in this decision effectively to suspend all SFB activities pending completion of the review was a special appropriation request by the Late Night Take and Physics Club to bring Bill Nye to campus in March 2020.

Hazy estimates and quotes had determined that the venture would cost approximately $80,000.

According to SFB’s guidelines, it cannot allocate more than 65 percent of the Student Activity Fee, which funds the board in the first semester, an objection that was raised by several members of the board.

“We cannot continue to blatantly violate the rules that we have stipulated. And I understand we’ve already done it, but it doesn’t make sense to continue to banter about this,” said Rishi Konkesa, a junior economics major and representative at large. “It’s very explicit in our rules. We cannot spend

Ian Krietzberg / Staff Writer

more than 65 percent. Lloyd has pointed out the obvious and egregious mistake we have made. And now, we’re continuing to do it? That just doesn’t make sense.”

The debate centered around the fact that while the SFB has violated this guideline, having already allocated 100 percent of the SAF, allocation is not necessarily equivalent to gross spending.

“Last year, we allocated around $2 million and … 600 grand went into reserves. I feel like this money should be going

towards events and not just going back to reserves. I’d rather see the campus community benefit from someone coming in that they admire, and I think it’s kind of fiscally irresponsible to not give students an event that they’ve already paid so much money for,” said Aagna Patel, a junior finance major and SFB’s operations director.

The question was also raised that the Bill Nye event is set to take place in the spring semester, and that, as such, it might supersede the rule that states the

board cannot allocate more than 65 percent of the SAF. Members also brought up the fact that SFB has been in violation of another guideline, which states that agency fees in excess of $7,500 are not allowed. For years, all College Union Board-sponsored singers and performers have necessitated an agency fee that has been at or less than that number. However, CUB-sponsored agency fees have recently exceeded $7,500. The board has continued to approve and fund these events, thus violating its constitutional guidelines.

An aspect of the Bill Nye event includes agency fees that are unclear and may exceed the $7,500 limit, even though this rule has been violated for other events during the semester.

“We have done a poor job of adhering to our own guidelines,” said Padmore, a senior finance major the executive director of the SFB. “Moving forward, we can’t not adhere to our guidelines. It doesn’t matter if other groups have benefitted from past oversight.”

As such, all requests — including the Bill Nye event — have been tabled pending an in-depth monetary and constitutional investigation.

Some clubs are already being affected by the tabling’s results, including Lion’s Eye, for which their funds will be inaccessible until the end of the semester, meaning the organization will be unable to print until the beginning of next semester.

Prison / Salaam looks back on incarceration, redemption continued from page 1

and later named the Exonerated Five.

It would be 30 years after his wrongful conviction when Salaam visited Kendall Hall on Nov. 20 to tell his story of longawaited justice and redemption.

“It is an honor and privilege to host him here today,” said Ivonne Cruz, the College’s interim vice president of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

To tell his story, he started from the beginning — when the judge provided his sentencing, and asked Salaam if he had anything to say beforehand. While Salaam’s family and friends advised him to “throw (himself) on the mercy of the court,” he did the opposite.

“I’m not gonna sit here at your table and watch you eat, and call myself dinner,” he said to the judge. “Sitting here at your table doesn’t make me dinner, just like being here in America doesn’t make me an American.”

Salaam told the audience of the anger

“Sitting here at your table doesn’t make me dinner, just like being here in America doesn’t make me American.”

— Yusef Salaam

Member of the Exonerated Five

the judge had for him afterward, and that the only way to understand the anger was to go back in time — to the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Under the amendment, all citizens are declared free from slavery with the exception of due punishment for crimes.

Many opponents of the principle, including Salaam himself, believe that the stipulation in the amendment is allowing for continued oppression against African-Americans in the form of mass incarceration.

“They can turn them back into slavery under the punishment of crime,” he said.

“I was the 1,113th person to enter (the prison) … and it was only February.”

Unlike the experiences of other members of the Exonerated Five who spent time in prison, many of the other inmates who surrounded Salaam knew he was innocent — some even looked to him as a leader. He turned to drawing, meditation and prayer for his livelihood while incarcerated, and told The Signal of his growing interest in learning about different worldviews at the time.

He read the Quran and the Bible during his incarceration.

“Most of it was trying to remain mentally free, even though my body was in bondage,” he told The Signal.

During his speech at Kendall Hall, he elaborated on his position as a Muslim looking back on his experience. He said he felt that he had to go through the false conviction and wrongful imprisonment in order to help others and create change today. He described the Central Park Jogger case as a “love story between God and his people.”

“It’s a story about a people who can

Jennifer Somers / Photo Editor

The speaker reflects on the production of ‘When They See Us.’ be brought low only to rise, because the truth can never stay buried,” Salaam said. “Instead of a social death, we emerge from the ashes like the phoenix.

Because as they built the fire to consume us, they forgot about the owner of the heat.”

During the Q&A session after his speech, Shad Yasin, a senior biology major, was able to address Salaam.

“I think your story is extremely inspirational,” he said.

In an interview with The Signal, Salaam elaborated on his reaction to seeing “When They See Us,” the Netflix

miniseries about him and the other four members of the Exonerated Five.

Despite his physical bondage for years, the process of producing and seeing the final product “was one of the most powerful, liberating experiences you can imagine.”

But what he cherished the most was the title — he told The Signal that it reflected the opportunity for the public to see them for who they really are.

“Those layers behind the curtain begin to peel back, and you begin to see a person and say ‘wow, I can finally see,’” he said. “‘I can finally understand.’”

page 6 The Signal December 4, 2019

MHS / College provides resources for students continued from page 1

from LaSalle University this past spring — and Meredith isn’t the only one.

Across campus, students who struggle with their mental health — whether it be substance use disorder, depression and anxiety or general stress — use the College’s services for support and reassurance that they’re not alone.

“The demand for mental health services has been increasing steadily over the years,” said Mark Forest, the director of Mental Health Services. “We’ve been trying to address that.”

MHS, previously known as Counseling and Psychological Services, has increased its staff by 35 percent since 2014, according to Forest. Now consisting of eight full-time clinicians, four professionals or graduate students in training and one part-time psychiatrist, MHS is accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Centers. The IACC is an organization that sets standards for student-to-counselor ratios (one full-time counselor for every 1,000 to 1,500 students) at higher-education facilities.

In response to last year’s racial bias incidents and the deaths of multiple students and a staff member. MHS has also revamped the College’s immediate care response, which now includes more specific protocols and a campus-wide post-vention team that immediately accesses and supports the campus.

“It was a brutal year in many different ways,” Forest said.

“When something like that happens, there are ripple effects throughout the community … and what that means is there’s an influx in the demand for (Mental Health) Services.

To accommodate the flow of students who need immediate care, MHS increased its Available Initial Spot program, in which after an individual fills out a Request for Services form either for themselves or for another, one of the two assistant directors will rapidly assess the severity of the situation and immediately schedule an initial consultation to figure out the next step, according to Forest.

Also motivated by last year’s events, Brittany Mariah, a junior elementary education and psychology dual major, has been working with Active Minds to create stickers that include the National Suicide Hotline and Text Crisis Line phone numbers. Starting in the spring, the stickers will be placed on every new student’s ID, and the phone numbers will soon be permanently printed on each card when the College orders its next batch, according to Forest.

“Students need immediate access to mental health resources when they’re in crisis,” Mariah said. “I wanted to eliminate the number of steps a student would need to make to get the information they need.

The more direct we make it for students, the more likely they’ll

not only use the resources, but know we are here for them.”

Forest said its collaboration with students, such as Mariah, and other community members can help raise mental health awareness and support across campus.

“Mental Health Services can’t do this work alone,” Forest said. “We literally need to partner with virtually every other department on campus, faculty, other staff members, students and student groups to come together to address what is really a national (mental health) crisis.”

A study published by the American Psychological Association shows that the number of mental disorders and suicides has increased in adolescents and young adults, especially women, within the last 10 years.

However, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 43.3 percent of U.S. adults who have a mental disorder received treatment in 2018—a trend that can be seen at the College as more students, such as Meredith, become involved in services like the Collegiate Recovery Program.

Before Meredith transferred, he applied for one of the College’s scholarships for people in recovery, through which he learned about the CRP’s Lions’ House, which offers a substance-free environment for residents on campus.

When Meredith applied to the College, he wrote in his essay that he had been in recovery.

Through an admissions employee’s recommendation, he contacted Christopher Freeman, the head of the CRP. Giving students in recovery the support they need, the CRP also provides individuals with counseling.

Within the program, members of the Collegiate Recovery Community, a club that promotes substance use disorder awareness and recovery, have found comfort in discussing their struggles, which they are able to do through the weekly all-recovery meetings.

Although some members have received counseling in the past, many have said that the meetings and the program itself act as therapy, including the organization’s vice president of advancement, senior psychology major John Brezina.

Brezina was first introduced to MHS during his freshman year, when he began using it to help with his anxiety and depression. Since seventh grade, he had sporadically used therapy. Then, in high school, he lost two close friends — one to an overdose and the other to a suicide.

“I was kind of only ever in (therapy) to deal with big situations that were occurring. I was never in it consistently,” Brezina said. “I’m sure there were points for … freshman and sophomore year where I was … popping in and out when I felt like I really needed help.”

Since the end of his junior year, he has used the College’s services on a more routine basis, a habit that he has found to have

The Lions’ House provides substance-free housing on campus.

long-term benefits.

“I started using it more consistently, with trying to establish a routine of therapy for myself,” he said. “I’m not just treating issues as they arise, but helping myself work towards … preventing them.”

Brezina has appreciated the help he has received from MHS. According to him, his counselors have been proactive in ensuring that he gets therapy when necessary, including during the summer and breaks in the semester.

“When this past spring semester ended, a couple weeks before, the counselor who I was seeing … was working with me … to be set up with a counselor for the summer,” he said. “I would be able to transition seamlessly and still have that assistance.”

To support students like Brezina, MHS has a variety of services that are focused on a diversity of topics, such as one-on-one therapy and group therapy covering over 20 different mental health topics — such as eating disorders, sexuality and stress management — which have proven to be some of the most beneficial programs on campus.

“Not only are you benefitting from the feedback from the therapist in group, but you’re also both getting feedback from other group members, (and) you’re also supporting and giving to other group members,” Forest said. “(Group therapy is) an interpersonal situation, so that tends to facilitate improvement in relationships overall.”

Another mental health program offered by the College is the Center of Integrative Wellness.

Located in Forcina Hall, CIW

provides students with low-cost, longer-term counseling by graduate students from the Schools of Education, Nursing, Health and Exercise Science and the Department of Public Health.

One student who hopes to attend the College’s graduate school is Julia Richards, a senior psychology major who hopes to get her license in professional counseling and work with children.

In pursuing a career in counseling, Richards recently became involved with the College’s MHS peer education program.

The program consists of approximately 15 students who aim to advocate for mental health and educate groups on campus. According to Richards, one way to accomplish that goal is to give presentations to freshmen, as well as other groups that may request them, such as residence halls and fraternities. “(For freshmen, we go over) the statistics of … college students and what they go through — anxiety, depression, homesickness. And we do it through tabling and events to address those issues,” she said.

However, in presentations for fraternities, the subject may expand to different issues that aren’t as widely discussed, such as men’s mental health.

“When I presented, we had them … talk about why they think that they have a hard time reaching out for help,” Richards said. “Men have these … standards that they have to live up to — that they have to be tough, that they have to be strong, that they can’t cry, that they can’t show … any sort of weakness.

And we’re telling them … it’s

Garrett Cecere / Editor-in-Chief

OK to.”

The program has also assisted in organizing events, such as the Stigmonologues, which Richards attended both this year and in 2018. The annual event aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health by having students share their experiences, which Richards thought was an important aspect of the Stigmonologues.

“Everyone has mental health,” she said. “You may not have a mental illness, but you have mental health, and hearing from your own peers — students who may be going through the same thing — is really important and meaningful because they know you’re on the same page as them. You know what it’s like to be a student here, too.”

In hearing many students speak about their struggles with mental health, Richards felt that the event served as a reminder to people that they are not alone.

“A reason why people don’t speak out is because they think they’re in this alone, that they think, ‘this isn’t really an issue, this is just me,’” she said. “But seeing that they’re not alone and that other people, other students go through this, makes them feel like they’re not alone and … they can get through it.”

For students who continue to use the College’s programs like Meredith, there is a hope that people struggling with mental health issues or substance use disorders continue to seek recovery.

“Never give up,” Meredith said. “No matter how dark it seems … I’ve been through some dark times, but hope’s gotten me through it.”

Nation & W rld

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 7

Bloomberg announces 2020 campaign bid

By Liya Davidov Nation & World Editor

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his 2020 presidential campaign on Nov. 24. According to CNN, he will run as a Democrat and aim to defeat President Donald Trump.

“I just wanted to briefly tell you why I’ve decided to enter this race,” Bloomberg wrote in a letter on his candidacy website. “I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and to unite and rebuild America. It’s really that simple.”

His late bid into the 2020 running poses a new level of uncertainty just three months before the first round of voting begins, according to CNN. However, Bloomberg is not the only late bidder. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick also said that he will run as a Democratic candidate, according to CNN. Bloomberg’s aides said that due to his late entry, he will not compete in the first four voting contests, which will take place in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, according to CNN.

His plan is to build support in the states that hold primaries on “Super Tuesday” on March 3. In the meantime, the first opportunity for Bloomberg to debate will be this month, according to CNN. According to The New York Times, Bloomberg has already invested over $35 million in multimedia advertisements, in which he outlines his biography and political intentions. “‘I offer myself as a doer and a problem solver not a talker,’” Bloomberg said, according to The New York Times. “‘And someone who is ready to take on the tough fights — and win.’”

His candidacy plans to strengthen the middle class and create good paying jobs in renewable energy and other industries, according to ABC News. In addition, there is a focus on education and an interest in more lenient attitudes toward immigration policies.

According to ABC News, when Bloomberg spoke in Phoenix on Nov. 26, he said that “‘ripping kids away from their parents is a disgrace.’”

Bloomberg carries with him into his

candidacy previous “political baggage” that includes “a complex array of business entanglements, a history of making demeaning comments about women and a record of championing law enforcement policies that disproportionately targeted black and Latino men with invasive searches,” according to The New York Times.

On Nov. 17, Bloomberg addressed a church congregation in New York, expressing his regret for his implementation of the “‘stop-and-frisk’” policy during his mayoral term, according to ABC News. The policy gave police the authority to detain criminal suspects, but resulted in biases by white policemen toward people of color. “‘I can’t change history,’” Bloomberg said, according to ABC News. “‘However today, I want you to know that I realize back then I was wrong.’”

His candidacy has an opportunity to influence the primary in a number of ways.

According to The New York Times, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigeig, who currently lead the Democratic candidates, have

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The former mayor says he will run.

political vulnerabilities along with their limited finances, as opposed to Bloomberg’s millions.

Despite his resources, Bloomberg is aware of the challenges he faces as he progresses with his campaign. At 77 years old, Bloomberg will join Biden and Bernie Sanders as one of the oldest to assume the presidency if elected.

Spanish police seize drug-infested submarine

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Galicia’s inlets provide connection to Colombian cocaine.

By Sarah Adamo Staff Writer

Spanish police seized a 20-meter semi-submersible submarine containing over 4,400-pound of cocaine on Nov. 24, according to the BBC. When the craft ran aground off Galicia’s coast in the northwest, two culprits were retained but the third escaped. They are believed to be from Ecuador, the BBC reported.

The submarine was on its way from Colombia. Current investigations are determining whether it went all the way from South America with the drugs. The BBC reported that the submarine was refloated and examined following police seizure.

Upon analysis, many from the joint operation between the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Portugal have speculated that the cocaine was intended to reach Great Britain, according to The Guardian. The

U.K. National Crime Agency revealed that the cocaine is potentially worth 100 million euros, or $110,181,500 USD. Spanish authorities initially learned of the craft when the European Union’s Maritime Analysis and Operation Centre informed their counter-terrorism and organized crime intelligence headquarters of the vessel’s progress toward the country. According to The Guardian, the police received reinforcements while an air-sea search was conducted to locate the craft.

The Guardian reported that the NCA’s deputy director international, Tom Dowdall, considered the seizure a victory for Britain. “‘It is highly likely a lot of this cocaine would have ended up on the streets of the U.K., fuelling serious violence and impacting on the most vulnerable members of society,’” Dowdall said, according to The Guardian.

According to The Guardian, the cocaine — divided into 152 bales — is stored in the port of Aldán in Pontevedra, a Galician province not far from the submarine’s capture.

The trend of transporting drugs overseas is on the rise. CNN reported that drug traffickers have used submarines to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. in June and September. Lately, Central and South American drug cartels have employed semi-submersible submarines at much higher rates.

Europe is more immune to these incidents of “‘narco-submarines’” because the construction of such vessels necessitates expensive materials and remote locations. According to Fox News, this latest vessel was likely the first “‘narco-submarine’” for arrival in European waters to be caught.

Moreover, Spanish authorities have announced this as a doubly

unprecedented occasion — it was the first time a submarine utilized in drug trafficking was examined by the nation, Fox News reported.

However, statements from investigators are still unclear on some of the details. According to The Guardian, a statement by Spain’s Guardia Civil read, “The investigation into both the origin of the drugs and the gang that was set to handle them in Spain is ongoing.”

Many are concerned that Galicia’s rías (inlets), which have long provided an entryway for smugglers, is now being used to forge clandestine European connections for Colombian cocaine, according to The Guardian. “‘Most of the vessel is underwater, so it’s hard to pick out,’” Coast Guard Lt. Commander Stephen Brickey said of a semisubmersible submarine, according to CNN.

Inquiry reveals greater congressional complexity

By Ian Krietzberg Staff Writer

As the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s potentially corrupt dealings with Ukraine nears its conclusion, its scope and reach continue to widen, encompassing a potentially greater number of co-conspirators than originally thought, according to CNN. Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Trump’s attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told CNN via his lawyer on Nov. 23 that he is prepared to testify that Rep. Devin Nunes was in touch with Ukrainians a year ago with the goal of “digging up dirt” on the Bidens.

Nunes, a Republican who has been a longtime defender of Trump, has called the reports “demonstrably false” and has filed a lawsuit against CNN, according to The New York Times. This revelation raises a question of more expansive senatorial or congressional involvement with the president, which could influence future votes on impeachment.

Meanwhile, with the first two weeks of House Intelligence hearings officially conducted, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and his office are in the process of compiling a report that will summarize the information garnered in the public trials and might lead to legitimate articles of impeachment, according to CNBC.

At this stage, the House Judiciary Committee is taking over and will hold its first public hearing today. Chairman Jerrold Nadler has extended a formal invitation for the president not only to attend, but also for his legal team to question any witnesses, according to CNBC. The hearing, which is titled “The Impeachment Inquiry Into President Donald J. Trump: Constitutional Grounds for Presidential Impeachment,” according to the letter, will discuss the “historical and constitutional basis of impeachment, as well as the Framers’ intent and understanding of terms like ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors.’”

In the same letter, Nadler reminded Trump that his ability to participate in this hearing is “not a right, but a privilege or courtesy” that is being extended to the president and his counsel.

Regardless, Trump and his team have yet to say whether they will be attending the hearings. “‘The White House is currently reviewing Chairman Nadler’s letter — but what is obvious to every American is that this letter comes at the end of an illegitimate sham partisan process,’” said White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham in a Nov. 27 statement, according to CNBC. The exchange comes just days after a judge ruled that Don McGahn, the former General Counsel to the White House who previously refused to testify, according to Trump’s instruction,

is now legally obligated to testify before Congress in regards to presidential obstruction of justice during the Mueller probe, according to CNN. In her opinion, which effectively destroyed the president’s argument of absolute immunity, District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson said that “Presidents are not kings,” a ruling that could be influential in the coming weeks.

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Parnas implicates Nunes in impeachment.

page 8 The Signal December 4, 2019

Editorial People should value their achievements For most of my life, I’ve had a habit of second-guessing myself, taking forever to weigh my options and questioning many choices, all of which were apparent to me during my time as editor-in-chief.

Journalism revolves around deadlines you only have so long to make a decision about something before it’s time for publication. And, if you’re like me, the decisions don’t stop once the story is done.

I would often look at the stories I wrote, along with the paper after it was printed, and I would think about what I should’ve done differently, whether it was a description, structure, a quote placement, a photo or a headline. While I would notice improvement with my writing and the layout, I was never completely satisfied.

As the top editor who has the final say on the layout and the last read on an article before publication, I was also frustrated by mistakes that would make me kick myself for not seeing them on production night — from the most minute grammatical errors in the middle of a story to big blunders like printing the wrong person’s name in a caption beneath their photo … on the front page (oops) — I’ll be the first to take responsibility.

But taking responsibility doesn’t mean that your work is going to be flawless in the future. After all, even though you might excel at a certain job or career, that doesn’t mean you’ll stop learning.

Could I have done better with running the paper? Of course. Am I proud of the stories I’ve written? Absolutely. Is my work ever going to be perfect? Hell no.

While I believe that last part is important, people also shouldn’t get so caught up in trying to improve their work that they forget about all their accomplishments up to that point.

Near the end of one of my favorite sports dramas, “Moneyball,” general manager Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s have just defied odds to win an unprecedented 20 consecutive games. However, he seems rather indifferent, as he tells his colleague, Peter Brand, that their work will mean nothing unless the A’s go on to win the World Series (they didn’t).

Brand then shows Beane a video of an overweight player hitting a baseball during a game and attempting to do what he never does — round first base. But on his way to second, he stumbles, falls and scampers to get back to the bag, much to his humiliation.

The player then learns that he actually hit a towering home run without knowing it, which Beane realizes is a metaphor for his accomplishment.

I’m not suggesting that being the editor of a college newspaper is the same as managing a professional baseball team. What I am suggesting is that this situation is applicable to anyone trying to get better at what they do.

I’m never going to be completely satisfied with my work, but I’m not going to forget about the progress I’ve made with writing and editing, and — most importantly — I’ll never stop learning.

During my time at The Signal, I’ve had the pleasure of covering some compelling stories and meeting many fascinating people. As editor-in-chief, I oversaw an amazing staff, whom I can’t thank enough for their work, their effort and the hilarious, spontaneous moments that made our production nights more enjoyable.

Don’t stop trying to get better at whatever you do. But when you look at your work and think about how you could’ve done better, don’t let your desire for improvement overshadow your appreciation for how far you’ve come.

— Garrett Cecere Editor-in-Chief

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

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

Flickr

In ‘Moneyball,’ Beane learns to appreciate the work he has done.

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

Editorial Staff Emmy Liederman Editor-in-Chief-Elect liedere1@tcnj.edu Jane Bowden Camille Furst Managing Editors-Elect bowdenj1@tcnj.edu furstc1@tcnj.edu Len La Rocca Madison Pena News Editors-Elect laroccl2@tcnj.edu penam9@tcnj.edu Anthony Garcia Sports Editor-Elect garcia27@tcnj.edu Liya Davidov Features Editor-Elect davido11@tcnj.edu Richard Miller Arts & Entertainment Editor-Elect miller20@tcnj.edu Kalli Colacino Opinions Editor-Elect colacik1@tcnj.edu Ian Kreitzberg Nation & World Editor-Elect krietzi1@tcnj.edu Chelsea Derman Reviews Editor-Elect dermanc1@tcnj.edu

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“We are the professors who are not only here to teach the students, but talk to the students about what they’re going to do after college. And you know what? We are being treated like a fungible good.”

— Nancy Lasher President of the College’s American Federation of Teachers

“Everyone has mental health. You may not have a mental illness, but you have mental health, and hearing from your own peers — students who may be going through the same thing — is really important and meaningful because they know you’re on the same page as them. You know what it’s like to be a student here, too.”

— Julia Richards Senior psychology major

“So pre-renovation, it was an embarrassment. The roof had huge leaks and the hallways were full of buckets and trash cans …

Every time it rained it was like a waterfall in the hallways.”

— John DeGood Professor of computer science

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 9

Opinions

Community college deserves more respect

By Jane Bowden Managing Editor

Where are you going to college?” — a question that I avoided like the plague for three years.

Why? Because I went to community college, or what many referred to as “High School Part II,” to which people often responded with “Oh...that’s nice.”

During my senior year of high school, as friends talked about what they’d be writing for their Common App essay, I felt out of place and insecure.

I couldn’t relate to my peers who were embarking on college tours with their families, wearing shirts decorated with their school’s colors and waiting for the letters that would determine where they’d be going for the next four years.

To me, the years of spending hours on homework and studying, taking the SAT multiple times and stressing about my GPA had gone to waste. Since everyone who applies to community college is accepted, I didn’t need to convince a dean of admissions why I belonged at their school with a college essay.

Instead, my letter of acceptance came in the form of an automatic email that read “Congrats!” only seconds after I applied online.

When my freshman year of college started, social media became a major trigger for loneliness, depression and F.O.M.O. — fear of

missing out. While others spent their days hanging out with new friends and going to parties, I was stuck in my hometown, working part-time at my retail job and spending most of my time in my house. Everyone at college looked happy on social media, and I wanted that happiness.

As crazy as it sounds, I even wanted to live in a dorm without air conditioning, spend every day in the library while stressing about assignments and eat totally-not-digusting food from the dining hall. Although the grass didn’t really look greener on the other side — and I have to admit that going to community college did have its perks — I wanted what the average college student had, even if that meant swapping home-cooked meals for undercooked chicken and powdered scrambled eggs.

The worst part about being at community college? The amount of guilt I had from feeling ashamed in the first place.

How dare I be ungrateful for receiving an education that many people would dream to have or that other students had worked hard to afford?

I also felt guilty about my feelings of loneliness, which eventually led to depression and other mental disorders. How would my parents and thenboyfriend feel knowing that even when they were around, I

still felt alone and hated being in my hometown? Would they be heartbroken and feel like they weren’t enough to make me happy? Was I even allowed to feel stressed and sad, since I had the luxury of living at home?

Despite all of this shame and guilt, I knew that although there was not much I could do about where I was going to school, I could alter my perspective on community college — and that’s when everything changed.

Now that I’m a senior at the College and a proud transfer, I can honestly say that going to community college was the best decision I’ve ever made, and it’s a choice that I recommend to everyone.

First of all, I saved a ton of money. As a result of the high grades I received in high school, I was able to attend my community college for free, only paying textbooks and gas.

Even if that weren’t the case, the average cost of community college is about $6,125 per year, according to Community College Review.

Second, despite its infamous “High School Part II” nickname, community college still provided me with an education that challenged me and made me excited to learn new things, like American Sign Language and astronomy. I was even able to study abroad in Ireland for 10 days and take classes that

Students who embrace where they go to school are happier. would eventually count towards my major at the College, which allowed me to pick up a minor.

Finally, I was able to get part of the college experience I thought I’d miss out on. Sure, I will never have the obvious thrill of living in Travers and Wolfe Halls. But community college gave me the opportunity to work as an editor for the newspaper, form friendships with people I still talk to today

Instagram

and feel more prepared to be a student at the College.

Today, I don’t carry the immense shame and guilt I once had. I’m proud to have gone to community college, and I support anyone who has to go or wants to go. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you went to college — what matters is the relationships you formed, what you learned and how you will shape your future.

Indulging in guilty pleasures should not bring shame Watching reality television, eating chocolate benefits mental health

Binge-watching shows is a valid pastime.

By Richard Miller Opinions Editor Trashy television, impulsive shopping and tempting junk food — these are just a few common guilty pleasure items we often see people secretly obsessing over.

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A guilty pleasure is something that a person enjoys, despite knowing that the thing, item or activity is not very popular and may even be widely disliked or seen as unusual.

Guilty pleasures can be the key to unlocking who someone really is. It’s

easy to fall in line and enjoy something or someone that is already beloved by the masses i.e. Oprah, corgis, pizza, Baby Yoda — things like that.

But interests and likes that are kept personal and behind closed doors help us understand someone a little better.

Nothing forms quite as strong of a bond as when two people stumble upon a mutual guilty pleasure. Mine right now? The Disney+ hit “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” and when I overheard a relative talking about at Thanksgiving, we instantly bonded — more than we ever had before.

A recent New York Times article reported how taking part in these guilty pleasures should actually cause you to feel no guilt at all. The mental break and decompression you get from indulging yourself in this often mindless task or hobby can prove to be crucial for happiness and a good overall mental state. The mental health benefits of letting yourself enjoy your guilty pleasure are comparable

to spending the same amount of time meditating or exercising.

Guilty pleasures are an act of selfcare — often an act that many of us skip because we are too busy and that’s the first thing to eliminate from a busy schedule. Self-care is one of the most important things we can do to improve everyday living. You deserve to feel good and treat yourself.

Often times, the only reason we feel the smallest bit of guilt about liking something is because we have been socially constructed not to. It’s time for us not to let social norms dictate what we enjoy and consume in our lives.

Don’t let anyone judge you for your secret obsession. We all have them and it’s OK. It is part of what makes you who you are, and it allows you to learn more about yourself every day.

Embrace the things you enjoy.

Dance to that Taylor Swift song, cry while watching a Nicolas Sparks movie and take that second helping of mashed potatoes — do what makes you happy.

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Letters must be received by the Friday before publication and should not exceed 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be honored only if there is a legitimate reason.

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

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

page 10 The Signal December 4, 2019

Students share opinions around campus “What is your guilty pleasure?”

Kalli Colacino / Social Media Editor

Akshad Thirugnanam, a sophomore biology major

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“Peppermint bark, because I got them today and they’re my breakfast.”

Kalli Colacino / Social Media Editor

Khushi Kanda, a freshman political science major “Pickles. They’re yummy. I eat them a lot.”

“What do you think about community college?’’

Kalli Colacino / Social Media Editor

Chrystal Lawson, a sophomore criminology major

“I think it’s a great money saver for people who want to take that route.”

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Kalli Colacino / Social Media Editor

McKenna Samson, a junior English and African American studies double major “I think it’s a great resource for people that may not be able to go to a four-year college at first.”

The Signal’s cartoon of the week ...

The Chip: The College’s Top 10 Screw Ups of the Semester

By Rachelle Stiletto Correspondent Ah, yes. The College. You want condoms? Mosey into the C-Store and purchase those colorful bad boys with your points. You want better mental health support?

Here. Pet a dog for a few minutes. That’ll ease your crippling anxiety and depression.

Like any education system that “totally

cares about the health and well-being of its students and isn’t just in it for the power and money,” the College ain’t perfect!

Just take a look at the top 10 fuck-ups from this past semester.

1. There’s a power outage, and you really thought you were going to spend the night smoking up a fat cloud with your friends?

Nope! Buckle up, kids, because you’ve got one hour to evacuate the campus.

2. You really thought we were going to provide you with the basic human necessity of drinkable water? Time to say “bone apple teeth” and boil that poisoned H2O, because you’re on your own for that one, bud 3. What’s that? You want lower tuition

and cheaper textbooks? Well, that’s too bad, because you’re getting a useless basketball court between Phelps and Haus instead.

4. Aw, you were late to class because you couldn’t find parking? That’s cute. You’re still going to get points deducted from your participation grade, though.

5. Last year, when we added a $60,000 bronze Roscoe the Lion statue AND a swinging bench, we thought, “How could we possibly top those worthwhile investments?” Two words: #TCNJSaysHi banners.

6. #TCNJSayHi levels of algae in the Sylva and Ceva lakes.

7. Sure, Forcina is a death trap that should’ve been torn down and rebuilt years ago, but nothing says “top school

in New Jersey” quite like ruining thousands of people’s health with asbestos.

Forcina is here to stay, baby!

8. I mean, yeah, the National Weather Service did issue a severe winter storm warning, but we’re the College — we’re above the law. There are no off days when it’s final szn!

9. Fine, fine. We’ll give you half a snow day.

10. Ah, shit. It’s not even snowing anymore. Lol, sorry.

Whether you’ve totally lost faith in the College or not, here’s to another memorable semester at the wors- I mean, best college in New Jersey.

Disclaimer: This is obviously a satirical piece and does not reflect real event.

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 11

Features

New decade inspires reflection, hope

Students look forward to seizing the upcoming year.

By Jane Bowden Managing Editor

Binge-watching “The Office” on Netflix, sharing “forever alone” and “ermahgerd” memes on Tumblr and trading Silly Bandz like they were Pokémon cards — these are just a few of the things that defined the 2010s.

Now, with the dawn of a new decade only weeks away, many people — including students at the College — are reflecting on what challenges and memories the 2010s have brought them and what their hopes are for the next 10 years.

“Looking back on the past decade, I’d say so much has changed with technology, schooling and overall the world we live in,” said Dan Natoli, a senior communication studies major. “(The) 2010s brought a good

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four years of high school, college and a ton of friends I made and grew apart from over the last couple of years.”

Natoli felt that the most significant challenge he faced was the transition from high school to college.

“Living away from home was not easy at first, but I became more comfortable over time living alone,” he said. “You make friends that help keep you sane and learn to deal with situations without the help of your parents. It was a big challenge, but (it) ended up being a great thing for me to learn.”

Similar to Natoli, Julia Richards, a senior psychology major, also had trouble adjusting to a new set of expectations after she transferred to the College last fall. “(My) biggest challenge (was) transferring to TCNJ,” Richards said. “It was

a big change and (took) a lot of adjusting, but my family, my friends and my Griffin gang helped me significantly, and I feel more at place this year. I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I have great friends, connected with my favorite professor more and I am lucky enough to be part of a great organization.”

Karam Hallak, a sophomore computer science major, said that moving to the U.S. in 2016 after living in a war in Syria for six years proved to be his biggest challenge.

“It was challenging having to adapt to a new culture, language, mindset, school system and all of that in such a short time,” Hallak said.

For Jonas Brothers fans like Samantha Ratti, a senior business management major, the decade brought a plethora of lows and highs, such as when the band broke up in 2013, but then reunited earlier this year.

“I have so many great memories from this past decade, but one of the more recent highlights was seeing the Jonas Brothers,” Ratti said. “It made me feel really nostalgic and excited. It can be stressful being a college student, and their concert made me feel stress-free and 12 years old again.”

Many of the decade-defining songs, such as One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” and Drake’s “In My Feelings” also brought back memories from some of the Lions’ teenage years.

“Whenever I hear ‘Low’ by Flo Rida, it

immediately brings me back to middle school dances,” said Samantha Allen, a senior marketing major. “Those were definitely some of my favorite memories as a teenager.”

Looking forward to the future, Hallak wishes to continue working hard at the College in order to secure his happiness down the road.

“I want to just become a better version of myself every day and work my butt off because it’s now that I’m laying the foundation to a bright future,” Hallak said.

With the end of the fall semester approaching, many students have academics on their mind, such as Ryan Weltner, a junior mathematics major, who said that he would like to get his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the 2020s.

The turn of the decade also means that spring graduation is fast approaching for senior Lions, many of whom are hopeful that the new decade will bring them chances to advance in their professions and achieve their dreams.

“My biggest hope for the 2020s is to build my future by hopefully going to graduate school and gaining opportunities that will set me up for my career,” Richards said.

Ratti agreed, adding that regardless of where she ends up working in the near future, she wants to make the most of where she is.

“In the 2020s, I am hoping to find my place in a career I love and to be happy,” Ratti said.

Senior leads Lions Television, Student Film Union to success

By Marc Kaliroff Correspondent

Two rows of large computer panels that look like a set of props scientists would control in a sci-fi flick are sitting in a studio. As a student enters, he walks back-andforth between three rooms, he meticulously places various keys and knobs into specific positions that change the colors and messages appearing on the consoles located in the main room.

“Mic-check in the meantime … white balance is perfect … cameras are already set to 2.8 aperture.

You can start the audio,” he says into his headset to the local crew, who are on camera and working floor management in a large soundproof room next door.

Around him, seconds after starting an audio recording, multiple students race to their positions before he can start a countdown to begin filming. Doors shut, buttons click and the room ever so slowly begins to lose its sense of sound as it dies down to the point where even a pin-drop can be heard.

“In five … four … three … two … Cue fade-in” are his final words before the room falls dead silent under his grasp, as two newscasters take over on three LG-branded television setups.

This is only the beginning of a Wednesday routine for Jason Monto, a senior communication studies major and president of the College’s Lions Television and Student Film Union.

Monto officially began both of his leadership roles this semester and now aims to take the two

entertainment organizations into a broader direction as he sees the curtains close during the final act of his last two semesters.

On the Lion’s Television YouTube page, dozens of videos entirely created by the student body can be viewed, such as game shows, comedy sketches and music videos. Green screening, camera cuts, high-quality audio and — every so often — impressive computergenerated effects that are usually found in standard television broadcasts and independent films can be discovered throughout their overwhelming amount of content.

While their videos have always impressed and entertained students on campus, the studios strive to continue producing even higher quality content in both their current lineup of ongoing series and new originals approved by the board in charge with Monto at the helm. Expanding the studios’ range of students along with its relationships to upcoming multiple clubs and events has become a major priority this year.

“We are attempting to expand LTV and SFU by giving more production opportunities to students within the organization,” Monto said. “For LTV, we are going beyond our mainstay shows that we’ve had for years, and producing more one-off content, such as interviews with speakers on campus.”

Currently, Monto and the rest of LTV are seeking to create more original shows to add to their lineup of ongoing series. Monto has been open to the idea of adding more content each week to their filming schedule, but there is a process that

students have to go through to allow their visions to become a reality.

“There is a pitching process that we are internally creating to make sure we take the best of the best ideas and put them into production,” Monto said. “In my opinion, the more, high-quality content, the better.”

Last year, the students involved in both organizations took a bow like no other, as they brought home several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement and Best Picture award after being invited to Campus MovieFest’s national filmmaking tournament in Atlanta, Georgia — a competition that oversees thousands of college students creating five minute films in less than a given week of production time.

Campus MovieFest has become more important to the students in LTV and SFU than ever before, leaving Monto with the job of bringing not only the film festival back to campus for another year, but ensuring that the students are prepared to bring back another batch of awards if their efforts can pay off.

“Jason has already started to contact CMF and we’re excited that we have date and place set,” said Rebecca Silverman a junior communication studies major and secretary of Student Film Union. “He’s also always talking about the event to our SFU and LTV members to get them super excited too.”

Without alumni like Kevin Walsh (’19) and Tyler Law (’19), the award-winning short filmmakers and creators of West 19 Productions, the task of creating original hit short films again like “Marvin the Magnificent,” “Milkman” and

Monto and Law create movies for the competition.

“Ordinary People” may seem difficult, but Monto strongly believes that the knowledge inherited from the previous students and new talent will leave a significant impact on this year’s competition.

“As much as we will miss our alumni, this year is a huge opportunity for new talents to emerge,” Monto said. “CMF this year, is a time for filmmakers from all across campus to step up and show us what they got. There are plenty of experienced filmmakers from previous years excited to shoot for the top four this year, and I can’t wait to see what they, and newcomers, create.”

While Monto is excited to work on this year’s newest ongoing series, such as “Life At TCNJ” and, of course, Campus MovieFest, his younger peers have bittersweet feelings in regard to working with him during his final two semesters.

“There isn’t a single person here that doesn’t respect him,” said Jason Thorpe, a junior history and secondary education major and producer of his own original LTV production,

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“Thorpe’s Sports.” “I’m sad he’s graduating. It’s a lot of knowledge and experience going out the door,” he said.

Other students, such as Faris El Akbai, a junior communication studies major and creator and producer of “Faris on the Street,” said that Monto has been a mentor to him when it came to filming and editing, but most importantly, he made him think generally more positive about college.

Monto leaves behind a legacy at both clubs with two main intentions — bringing the two campus entertainment organizations closer together and ensuring that both stay on a path to monumental success.

“I want LTV and SFU to work in tandem,” Monto said. “They should both be environments where students can feel free to learn and create whatever art they desire. From a leadership perspective, I want both the organization’s leaders to work together so that students involved in both groups can reach their highest potential.”

page 12 The Signal December 4, 2019

December 4, 2019 The Signal Page 13

: Dec. ‘11

Campus Style

Students learn how to de-stress before finals

Instagram

Photo courtesy of TCNJ Digital Archives

The end of the semester can give individuals anxiety.

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

As finals and flu season approach us, it’s important for students to remember how to relax their minds and bodies in order to avoid getting stressed and sick. Yes, finals season is the worst, but it’s important to allow yourself to release some stress and enjoy the little things, such as grabbing coffee with a friend, laughing about how much you have to do and blowing off some steam at the gym with a friend.

In a December 2011 issue of The Signal, a reporter wrote about how students are taught how to combat pre-exam stress and, in turn, avoid getting sick during this stressful time in our lives.

Sniffles and sore throats aren’t the only things currently circulating campus.

While the common cold spreads rapidly when people are packed together, there’s an equally contagious issue afflicting the student body — otherwise known as endof-the-semester stress.

Over the past week I’ve noticed that almost everyone is on edge as they attempt to juggle numerous assignments.

Last weekend, though, I realized that while it may seem like every exam is of utmost importance, it’s also necessary to

put things into perspective. Thinking of the big picture can really help ease assignment-related anxiety.

In the bookstore, I ran into several alumni who visited campus and decided to pick up some school-spirit gear.

Then, on Sunday, I encountered a slew of former students at a Signal staff reunion.

Approximately 30 alums reunited to talk about where they are now, while offering advice to current students reflecting on their college experiences. None of them said, “Oh, wow. I’m so mad about that time I got a B- on my bio exam.”

If anything, the recurring regret I’ve heard from graduates is: “I wish I enjoyed myself more.”

Five years from now — and probably even in five months — chances are you won’t remember the grades you got on the majority of the assignments you’re stressing over now.

Thinking long-term can make you realize that you will survive college, and one exam is not the end of the world.

I’m not trying to downplay the importance of grades — they do matter, of course.

I just think people’s sanity ranks superior in the big scheme of things. Try your best, but don’t beat yourself up over it.

Lions’ Plate

Left: Pair a yellow skirt with a white top to create a stylish look.

Right: Make your outfit bold with a red jacket.

By Diana Solano Distribution Manager

During the cold winter season, it’s easy to fill a closet with hoodies, sweatpants and moccasins, and it’s even easier to throw on basic outfits under a parka when snow starts to fall. I love comfy clothes as much as the next person, but I think it’s time that we all get out of our relationship with sweats. Colors can be a little intimidating to add to one’s closet. However, if we set our fears aside, we will discover a whole new world of fashion.

These colors are not only trendy, but they are important in showing what you stand for.

1.) Yellow Yellow clothing was never the easiest to find in stores, nor was it ever in high demand until this past spring and summer.

Some trends come and go, but I believe that yellow clothing is here to stay. A yellow shirt with blue denim jeans, a yellow summer dress or a yellow skirt with a white top are a few outfits to consider.

Yellow clothing is the most fashionable and trendy item to have because of how it can make you feel like sunshine. Wearing yellow makes you feel bright, and nothing else other than positive.

2.) Red It’s that item in the back of your closet

that you’re always too scared to pull out and include as part of your outfit. It’s time to conquer that fear head-on and put it on.

Whether it’s that red dress, jacket or top, “bold, beautiful and bright” is my internal mantra when wearing red. It’s always been described as a color that makes you feel more empowered. Red is that color to wear when you want to stand out, but that’s also why it should be a part of our everyday outfits because it provides a way to stand out.

Red never goes out of style when it comes to clothing, and it could just be that missing piece to your look. A simple pair of black denim jeans with a red top is a perfect way to incorporate color into your wardrobe.

3.) Blue If you want to make a classic fashion statement, blue is the color to wear. “Ask me why I’m wearing denim” is a slogan that goes along with Denim Day to raise awareness of sexual assault, and it’s one of the most powerful fashion statements you can make. Put on your favorite pair of skinny, flare or mom jeans that you have in your closet. Pull out that denim jacket and wear it on top. Conquer that fear of wearing denim on denim. This is a perfect example of stepping out of your comfort zone. There are so many colors in the world and their meanings are so powerful, so why not liven up your wardrobe?

Sweet Apple Pie

Left: Top the dessert with vanilla ice cream for added flavor. Right: The dish is perfect for a chilly winter night.

By Elizabeth Casalnova Columnist In my household, there was always a debate on Thanksgiving about apple and pumpkin pie. For my final recipe of the semester, I am sharing a delicious apple pie recipe. Unlike the pumpkin, the apple pie is best when served warm. A fun trick I learned is to put it back in the oven while we eat dinner — that way it’s nice

and hot by dessert. In my opinion, the apple pie tastes best when smothered in vanilla ice cream, but you can eat it with whatever you like best.

Ingredients: -1/2 cup sugar -1/2 cup brown sugar -3 tbsp all purpose flour -1 tsp cinnamon -1/4 tsp nutmeg -1/4 tsp ginger

-7 cups of tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced -1 tbsp lemon juice -1 tbsp butter, cut in pieces -1 large egg -Pastry for 9” double-crust pie -Extra sugar for topping Directions: 1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) In a small bowl, mix the sugars, spices and flour until well combined.

3.) Separately, toss the apples in the lemon juice in a large bowl.

Add the sugar mixture into the larger bowl, and toss until the apples are evenly coated.

4.) With half of the pie pastry, line a 9” round pan. Then, pour in the apple mixture and sprinkle the butter pieces on top.

5.) With the second half of the pie pastry, roll it on top and seal the edges by pressing them together with a fork all the way

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around. Make sure to cut slits in the top.

6.) Beat the egg until foamy, and brush over the top crust.

7.) Sprinkle with the excess sugar and loosely cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.

8.) Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown, and enjoy!

page 14 The Signal December 4, 2019

Arts & Entertainment

CUB’s Fall Concert leaves crowd polarized

By James Mercadante Reviews Editor

Students, friends and visitors huddled around an illuminated stage, feeling the sweltering heat from jumping, swaying and twerking to rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who brought “hot girl summer” to the Recreation Center on Nov. 19 at the College Union Board’s Fall Concert.

Before Megan, the Brooklyn-raised rapper/record producer Joey Bada$$ adrenalized the crowd with his charttopping songs, like “Pull Up,” “Temptation” and “Devastated.”

However, there were two incidents where he stopped in the middle of his performance due to the crowd’s lack of energy, which prompted him to demand the audience to be more excited and restart over.

“He’s a great performer,” said Dean Zindacki, a concert visitor. “But I don’t think he was at his full potential tonight.”

Despite some criticism, his performance was favored by the audience.

When Megan took the stage, a refreshing energy surged through the crowd.

The rapper gained a tremendous amount of media attention this year with her first full-length project, “Fever,” with hit songs like “Cash Shit” and “Simon Says,” and her official trademarked phrase “hot girl summer” that circulated endless tweets and Instagram captions.

Audience members donned themselves in accessories and fashion with animal prints, neon-colored textiles,

Darby VanDeVeen / Staff Photographer

Megan belts her iconic hit, ‘Hot Girl Summer.’ bedazzled cowboy hats and flashing sequins, which emulated the wild energy the rapper represented.

The hot girl coach opened her setlist with the track, “Realer,” which had the crowd immediately shouting and screaming the lyrics while she shook her glutes, patted her crotch and playfully stuck out her tongue.

In her leather shorts and cropped sweatshirt, Megan stressed the significance of sexual liberation through her lyrics and dance moves, encouraging others to come on the stage to “really throw that shit” and “bust it open like

a freak.”

Her encouragement solicited hips rotations, backflips and leg splits from the selected participants on stage, which impressed both Megan and the crowd.

Her performances of songs like “Big Ole Freak” and “Sex Talk” gratified the dancing listeners.

“I feel like she’s all about female empowerment and getting an education, but also having fun,” said Amanda Tarantino, a senior English and secondary education dual major.

Female empowerment was an evident theme in Megan’s performance, as she

told her fans that the crowd was occupied with “college pussy” and “smart pussy,” reminding them they do not need to depend on a man in any capacity.

During her track, “Hot Girl Summer,” she bounced up and down to the lyrics “And who gon’ tell him that my bitch is getting her degree? / And when we say it’s Hot Girl Summer, we ain’t talkin’ ‘bout degrees.”

Senior communication studies major Kat Menze helped coordinate the event, which was accomplished by contacting middle agents with desired artists and choosing based on availability/prices.

“I think the event went well with a larger crowd than expected and CUB is really happy with the outcome,” Menze said.

That night, the majority left the Recreation Center, breathing heavily from the booty-popping workout they pulled off and felt transformed into certified hotties; ones who were determined to exert hot degrees while receiving academic ones as well.

The concert rendered the experience unforgettable for many students, including senior psychology major Lindsey Seidman.

“I didn’t know who she was at first and I kept calling her Megan Thee Trainor till someone corrected me,” Seidman said, laughing. “But I’m glad I went to see her because I thought she put on a great performance.”

Ultimately, Tarantino embraced Megan’s lyrics and personality, along with the rest of the crowd.

“She was so humble and down to earth, but also hot as hell,” she said.

Honors Festival showcases high school talent

By Julia Duggan Staff Writer

It was a busy night at Kendall and Mayo Concert Hall for the College’s music department, as 250 high school students arrived and were split into two concerts that both performed at 8 p.m.

The performances marked the conclusion to the Honors Festival, a program where the music department invites high school students to work with its professors and showcase their talent.

“Music-making is collaborative at its core,” said Eric Laprade, an assistant professor of music and director of bands. “It’s a collaborative art form at least in large ensembles.

Ensemble music-making is dependent on a group of people coming together and working towards a goal that is far greater than what any of them can achieve on their own.”

Uli Speth, director of the College Orchestra, coordinator of strings and a violin professor, explained that the high school students’ music teachers recommended them as a way of enhancing their skills.

“The playing abilities are really quite high,” Speth said.

The orchestra performed first starting with “From Holberg’s Time, Op. 40 (Suite in Olden Style)”

by Edvard Grieg. The students performed all five movements of this piece, which took about 20 minutes,

and the students showed no signs of fatigue. The other piece that the orchestra played was “Pavane, Op. 50”

by Gabriel Faure, where the choir joined the musicians on stage.

“It is a funny piece it is with an optional choir, (Faure) wrote the orchestra piece first and then wove in the choir later. But it works very well,” Speth said.

The choir and orchestra blended well together, and the sound echoed beautifully throughout the hall. Due to spacing, the choir sang from the balcony, which enhanced the beauty of the music.

The choir performed for the next song, where music professors John P. Leonard and Nicholas McBride conducted the group.

The performance began with “Let the River Run,” which was originally by Carly Simon and was later arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. The choir followed with “Modimo,” arranged by Michael Barrett, and then “The Gound from Sunrise Mass” by Ola Gjeilo.

The final piece of the night was “I Sing Because I’m Happy” arranged by Rollo Dilworth, where Jacob Ford – a sophomore music education major – performed on the congas and Shrish Jawadiwar – a junior double major in political science and music – played on double bass. Near the end of the song, the choir had the audience join in clapping to the music,

while others began singing along.

In Kendall Hall, Gold and Blue Wind Ensembles performed, while the Alumni Trombone Octet kicked off the night. There were seven trombones and one tuba, which consisted of a combination of College alumni and current students.

The group played “Shimmering Under the Sunlight from Grand Lakes Octet” by Eric Ewazen, Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria,” arranged by Sean Ferguson, and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” arranged by Christopher Bill, during which audience members could be heard singing along to the music.

The Gold Wind Ensemble took the stage next, where Laprade and music professor Colleen Sears conducted the group. The ensemble performed “Tricycle” by Andrew Boysen Jr., “Neys from Lake Superior Suite” by Cait Nishimura and “Songs of Old Kentucky movement one John Giley (with Wayfaring Stranger) and movement two Barn Dance” by Brant Karrick.

Audience members could be seen clapping along and swaying to “Songs of Old Kentucky.” For the final piece, “March from English Fold Song Suite” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the group was well balanced and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

The Blue Ensemble performed next, where both conductors walked out on stage to introduce a piece

Julia Meehan /Photo Editor

Students perform a variety of instruments at the concert. of music to the audience. To fit the concert’s theme, students in the ensemble were tasked with recording sounds that reminded them of home, which the conductors then took and arranged into a piece of music for the audience.

To close the night, the group then performed “Resonances I” by Rob Nelson, “Rippling Watercolors” by Brian Balmages, “Night Dances” by Bruce Yurko and Leonard Bernstein’s

“Mambo from West Side Story,” arranged by Michael Sweeney.

The audience was very excited for “Mambo,” as several members could be heard clapping for solos and screaming the song’s title along with the band.

“It’s always a pleasure getting to hear the final product of what is just over a day’s worth of rehearsals together,” said Kimberly Cook, a senior elementary education iSTEM major.

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 15

Percussion ensemble delivers smashing concert

By Julia Duggan and Joey Gibbs Staff Writer and Correspondent

Claiming the stage at Mayo Concert Hall on Nov. 22, the College’s percussion ensemble showcased a wide range of student talent that captivated the audience with a variety of instruments, themes and emotions.

As eager listeners took their seats, their eyes were met with an array of many different percussion instruments on the stage, which left everyone curious as to what each of them might sound like.

The night showcased a rather special performance, as there were several world premiers of pieces for percussion ensembles. Led by adjunct music professor William Trigg, the ensemble performed songs that were composed by either College alumni or students.

To start off the night, the ensemble performed “Autumn Thoughts” by former College professor Antonio Denicola, who had died in 2006. The piece blended keyboard percussion, which can play several different notes like marimbas and xylophones with various kinds of drums. Even 13 years after his death, Denicola’s love for music still shone through his composed pieces.

Next on the list was “Caccia as Caccia Can,” which was written in 2008 by music professor Robert Young McMahan.

This quirky and vivacious piece featured a rabbit chase melody between one side of the ensemble and the other.

A Caccia is a Renaissance style of composing that intends to depict the hunt. To capture the musical story, the piece called for two flutes, unexpectedly, as the ensemble’s pieces usually only have percussion instruments.

Sophia Isnardi, a senior music education major, then premiered her piece, “At Sea,” which is a work in three movements that depict different memories Isnardi had with her family at the beach.

The first two movements, “Winds and Waves” and “Solstice,” were atmospheric and incorporated the full lush range of the ensemble. The third movement, “Groove,” took the audience on a bike tour of an island and used even more natural sounding percussion instruments, such as a rainstick to create the wildlife

‘The

Julia Meehan / Photo Editor

The students plays a variety of captivating pieces. surrounding the ride.

“Writing for percussion provided an exciting challenge for me and opened many doors to both experiencing percussion music and developing compositional methods for percussion ensemble in a new and creative way,” Isnardi said. “I wanted the audience to understand that percussion music can offer an endless amount of sound colors and sonorities.”

Daniel Galow (’18) composed “Moonlight is all that’s out there,” which was an intimate duet for percussion and saxophone that sounded like a dialogue between the different instruments. The work’s title comes from Don DeLilo’s “White Noise,” a book he read recently that inspired him.

Daniel Beer, a senior computer science major, played to audience members’ emotions with his piece, “Time,” which tells the story of a man on his deathbed reliving the ups and downs of his life and ends with the sounds of a heart monitor. The audience was haunted at the one repeated note that Beer himself played on the vibraphone, which represented the man’s heartbeat that inevitably flatlined at the end of the piece.

“Lucky Seven” by Trigg focused on the number “seven” itself — from its chords, rhythms and solos, the number

Nutcracker’

enchants

was laced throughout this work, which focused on talent of Trigg’s seven percussion students, as each student had a solo.

“Put my rhythmic knowledge to the test, and also have a bonding moment with all the percussionists when a sweet groove is being played mid-song,” said Antonio Morra, a sophomore music education major. “It’s loads of fun while keeping me as focused as I could be on the music provided.”

“Overture” by Benjamin Reim (’18) closed the show. The piece, like its title, represented beginnings. Reim ran up to the stage before the piece and spoke with the audience about how he wrote “Overture” during his freshman year as the College, where he wanted to be expressive and experiment with melodic material and rhythm.

“It was really inspirational with this concert because it was all TCNJ alumni,” said Maxwell Milles, a senior music education major. “Most of them were people that I knew and they wrote such great beautiful pieces, there was such intensity in every which one of them. But it was really inspirational to hear my peers and people who have gone through the same institution that I have to be able to create such beautiful music.”

Kendall

Right: The cast performs an intricate ballet number. Left: The character Clara holds the doll as she dances on stage.

By Alexandra Bonano Staff Writer To kick off its 26th annual family tradition, Roxey Ballet debuted this year’s showing of “The Nutcracker” on Saturday, Nov. 30 on the Kendall Hall main stage.

The original performance of “The Nutcracker” took place at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, with music written by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.

The play has become one of the most popular and loved Christmas time performances to be told annually across the world by dozens of ballet dance companies.

The Christmas story is a fairytale type ballet that centers around the night of a family’s holiday celebration. A young girl, Clara, goes on an adventure to a different world that

involves a battle between her new friend, the Nutcracker, and the evil Mouse King. After the Mouse King is defeated, Clara is then brought into a magical world filled with dolls, dancing snowflakes and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

While the play is wildly popular, Roxey Ballet puts its own spin on the classic performance that is “...cultural, dramatic, technically breathtaking, and beautifully theatrical.”

Roxey Ballet presents invigorating, kinetic dance choreography that enables dancers to forge an interactive bond with audiences, beyond that of a traditional dance performance,” according to the group’s official website, at roxeyballet.org.

From dance performances inspired by various cultures to the perpetual beauty of ballet as an artform, the group gracefully fused the two

together to create the heart-warming, attention-grabbing display that came to life on stage.

“I love the whole story of ‘The Nutcracker’ … (the performance) is very animated and I think it’s excellent this year,’’ said Annette Redelico, one of the many non-student attendees, whose granddaughter was in the show.

Redelico, a dance teacher herself, has a legacy to enjoy at the Roxey Ballet, as her daughter was also once a dancer for the group and is now a professional dancer.

“I love the whole Roxey Ballet tradition of this, putting it on for the kids,” Redelico said. “It’s such a great thing for the children and to learn. A lot of times, even if you’re not in it, when you’re watching, you’re learning by watching. It’s absorption of the arts and I believe in the arts.”

The Roxey Ballet dance group

Hall

Photo Courtsey of Mark Roxey

identifies as a “...progressive company that produces out-of-the box dance performances…” that came to fruition in 1995 to the credit of the now executive and artistic director, Mark Roxey, according to its website. The company has remained a non-profit company rooted in New Jersey and now travels locally, nationally and internationally to exhibit its talents of dance and storytelling.

The company was never formed to be ordinary by any means, but aimed to inspire and forge new paths within the world of ballet, spreading this ambition through professional performances, residences, workshops, educational programs and master classes.

For the show at the College, Roxey Ballet was able to draw audience members into an immersive experience that held true to the values of family, dance and the Christmas spirit.

page 16 The Signal December 4, 2019

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 17

Coldplay makes comeback with new album

YouTube

Left: The band plays hits from ‘Everyday Life’ on BBC Radio 2. Right: William Champion and Martin perform ‘Sunset’ during a concert.

By Sam Shaw Correspondent On Nov. 22, Coldplay released its eighth studio album, “Everyday Life,” the most expansive one since the 2008 hit, “Viva La Vida.”

With this new release, the British rock band kept some of the rawness from albums such as “Parachutes” (2000) and “Ghost Stories” (2014), while taking some risks and trying new sounds.

The album is split into two parts: “Sunrise” and “Sunset.” Part 1 begins softly with the track “Sunrise,” in which string instruments build the melody slowly, much like a sun slowly brightening the sky as dawn approaches.

The intro flows seamlessly into the next track, “Church,” where the female vocals soar and compliment the song and lead vocalist Chris Martin sounds like he’s performing in an empty room with good acoustics.

Some of the tracks are politically charged,

such as “Trouble in Town,” which raises the issue, about senseless hate and police brutality in society. The reference is suggested by an inserted audio clip of a police officer behaving aggressively towards another person, as the victim says, “you’re not protecting me while I’m trying, while I’m trying to go to work” and the police officer coldly responding, “why don’t you shut up?”

The record also has some very tender moments. The track “Daddy” may spark some recognition for long-time Coldplay fans, as it echoes some of the sounds on the track “O” from “Ghost Stories.” The track is soft, yearning and beautifully captures how it feels to be physically or emotionally apart from a father figure, and the heartbeats near the song’s end add to its emotion.

One of the most powerful songs on this record sonically and lyrically is “Arabesque.”

The song is bold, with an effervescent horn section that gives the track undeniable energy.

The song has many layers, and just when you think it’s finished, there’s more. The track features Belgian musician Stromae, who mirrors Martin’s verse, but in French. Despite the difference in language, both are saying “We share the same blood.”

“Sunset” is a bit more muted, with the exception of the single “Orphans,” which is a fun listen and feels like a traditional Coldplay song, such as “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” There is a group of people singing in the background during the chorus of the song. Although the song is highenergy, Martin’s voice gets washed out among the crowd and it’s hard to hear him.

The final song is the title track, and it is perfectly placed, leaving the listener with a stripped piano and Martin’s vocals to process what they have just heard.

Coldplay has stated that they will not be going on tour to promote this album for environmental reasons, according to the

BBC. Instead, they performed the album on a rooftop in Jordan on the day of the album’s release and live-streamed the performance on Youtube.

They streamed “Sunrise” as the sun rose over the city and then, eight hours later, put on the “Sunset” portion as the day ended.

The Jordan performance felt like the most truehearted way the album could be performed live.

“Everyday Life” is one of those albums where it’s best experienced from listening to it as a whole. It’s incredibly cohesive, as each song flows into the next contains consistent sound effects that include beating hearts and street noises.

The album is a celebration of humanity and at its core, it conveys the message of recognizing that people are all different in beautiful ways, but we are all the same in that we are all human and everyone deserves the same fundamental rights.

‘Knives Out’ jabs at controversial social issues Star-studded cast wows audience with killer performances

The Thrombey family reunites to solve the murder of its patriarch.

By Christian Tsadilas Correspondent

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, “Knives Out” hit theaters on Nov. 19, and it brought the classic murder mystery story into 2019.

The film follows the investigation of the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy crime novelist and the patriarch of his family.

In the beginning, housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson) finding Thrombey dead in his study after an apparent suicide on the day after he had a party with his entire family for his 85th birthday.

The mansion in which the story takes place is fascinating, as it is an old, ornate building with creaky stairs and rooms that are decorated with puppets and

YouTube

a large portrait of Thrombey. But the decoration that draws the most attention is a large ring of knives in the living room. Soon after Thrombey’s death, his family and friends are called to the house to be questioned by the police about the night of his party.

The Thrombley family is portrayed as white, wealthy and elite. The combination of the setting and characters is reminiscent of classic whodunit movies, as well as the boardgame Clue. Johnson bases the film on this classic murder mystery setting.

However, he adds a spin, exploring the settings within the context of 2019, particularly immigration.

When the family is having a political discussion while Thrombey’s nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) is in the room, the scene references the election of President Donald Trump — whom much of the family supports —

and children who are detained at the border.

The film also comments on privilege and accesbility, such as with the character Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), Thrombey’s daughter, who boasts of building her real estate business from the ground up by herself early in the film. However, her son later reveals that she was given a $1 million dollar loan from her father, a nod to Trump’s infamous quote.

“Knives Out” especially excels due to its fabulous cast.

With stunning performances by de Armas and Daniel Craig, who plays detective Benoit Blanc, the actors shine in their roles, as they each add a different element that creates great interactions between the characters.

While de Armas’ subdued acting illuminates Cabrera’s kindness, making it easy to sympathize with her, Craig’s eccentric portrayal of Blanc creates an entertaining juxtaposition. Craig’s exaggerated southern accent, use of giant cigars and bold personality are perfect presentations of dichotomy to Cabrera. The clash of the two personalities makes for effective comedy as well as tender moments, which is helped by the clear chemistry between de Armas and Craig.

Another factor that makes “Knives Out” such a worthwhile flick is Johnson’s outstanding writing and directing. The script is creative and hilarious, as it uses subdued comedy at exactly the right moments to pack the most punch.

Every scene succeeds at pushing the plot along, thus making the story streamlined and allowing for a captivating mystery to stand out at the center of the film, which gives the audience a satisfying ending.

With the actors’ exceptional performances and a touch of commentary within this intriguing mystery, “Knives Out” is easily one of the best movies of the year.

page 18 The Signal December 4, 2019

Fun StufF

December 4, 2019 The Signal page 19

Sports Men’s Basketball

Men’s basketball drops two games

By Ann Brunn Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play with losses to Swarthmore College and Stockton University.

On Nov. 20, the Lions had Swarthmore — the No. 1 team in the country — on the ropes late in the game, but they couldn’t pull through with the upset and fell 88-81.

Three-pointers from senior guard Randy Walko and junior forward Travis Jocelyn, followed by foul shots from freshman forward Jim Clemente, put the Lions in front 15-7 with 12:54 to play in the first half.

Senior forward Ryan Jensen got hot minutes before halftime, scoring eight points in a row from a lay-up, converting the old-fashioned three-point play and cashing in from behind the arc.

Just before the half, Walko connected on another three-pointer to give the Lions a 44-41 advantage.

Swarthmore came out strong after halftime and built a 57-49 lead over the Lions.

Junior guard PJ Ringel countered this run with a strong take to the basket, followed by a Walko three, which cut the deficit to three, 57-54.

When it appeared as though Swarthmore was going to run away with the rest of the game, Jensen knocked down another three, assisted by Ringel and Jocelyn, to put the Lions in striking distance with three and a half minutes to go facing a six-points deficit.

The Lions hung on until the end of the game, but Swarthmore put an end to their hopes for an upset and held on for the seven-point victory.

Jensen paced the Lions with a doubledouble, scoring 27 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Jocelyn contributed 19 points and five boards, while Walko added 14 points. Ringel passed the ball around well and tallied seven assists.

The College was also edged by Stockton 79-77 in the NJAC season opener on Nov. 26 in Packer Hall. Walko and senior forward Mike Walley hit back-to-back threes to put the Lions up 8-3 early.

Jensen jumps to shoot over an opponent.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

With under seven minutes to play in the first half, Stockton held a 34-27 lead, but a layup and dunk from Jocelyn and free throws by Walko had the Lions within four.

Stockton took a 44-40 lead into the break.

The second half consisted of multiple lead changes, the largest being Stockton by seven with 13 minutes left to play.

With under a minute to play and Stockon leading 74-71, Jensen came up with a crucial steal and was rewarded when Walko found him for three to tie the game at 74 with 49 seconds remaining.

Having a chance to seal the game up by two, Stockton missed two free throws, which opened the door for a Walley three with an assist by Ringel that gave the Lions a 77-76 lead. A foul call sent Stockton to the charity stripe for three shots, where it converted to steal the 79-77 win over the Lions.

Walley had a career-high night, scoring 20 points and shooting 5-of-9 from three-point land.

Walko picked up 20 points along with Jocelyn, who cashed in 18 points.

Jensen notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lions are back in Packer Hall tonight at 8 p.m., where they are looking for their first NJAC win of the season against Rowan University.

Women defeat Hunter, Dive / Teams triumph move to 4-2 overall Women’s Basketball

By Matthew Shaffer Staff Writer

The College’s women’s basketball team traveled to Moravian College, where the team fell 68-54 on Nov. 19.

The loss marked the team’s second of the season, dropping it to an even 2-2.

The Lions started out hot with a quick basket from junior forward Shannon Devitt, but were never able to regain the lead afterward.

The team trailed by nine at the end of the first quarter and cut Moravian’s lead to three points midway through the second.

It was a story of giveaways for the Lions, as they turned the ball over 16 times as opposed to Moravian’s nine times.

At halftime, the College found itself down by nine, a deficit that carried through the third quarter.

The Lions were never able to make a comeback despite strong efforts from sophomore forward Rachel Gazzola, who had 16 points, and Shannon Devitt, who amassed an impressive 20-point double-double.

The Lions ultimately lost by 14 points against a team that they crushed by 24 last year.

With the New Jersey Athletic Conference filled with tough opponents, the College looked to steal an out-ofconference win at a home game against Hunter College.

The Lions handily beat Hunter College 73-49 to improve their record to 3-2. It was all Lions from the start, as Devitt and Byrne led the effort.

At the end of the first, the team was

ahead by eight and Hunter had just one player do all the scoring.

The women took advantage of the seemingly one-dimensional team and slowly extended their lead further as the game went on.

The team achieved a comfortable 24point win thanks to a career day from Devitt, who poured in 24 points and had a personal record of 23 rebounds.

It was the second most single-game rebound mark in the College’s history, as Byrne and Gazzola combined for 32 points and the Lions dominated Hunter on both sides of the court.

The Lions’ next game against Stockton University concluded their homestand on Nov. 26. They secured their second straight win of 24 or more points, as they defeated Stockton 75-50.

With dominant performances from Byrne and Devitt, the College was able to fend off a feisty team.

Down by four at the start of the second quarter, buckets from Devitt, Gazzola and Byrne sparked a 12-0 run.

The Lions then went up by 12 at halftime and never looked back. They outscored Stockton by seven in the third and six in the fourth.

Devitt was a dominant force down low, as she has six blocks, as well as a double-double along with Byrne. Gazzola tacked on 17 points, landing 5-9 from three point land and helping the Lions win their second straight game and improve to 4-2.

The College will look to carry this momentum into a home game on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. against Rowan University.

Swimming & Diving

continued from page 20

Freshman Gabi Valladares dove well on the 1-meter board, as she finished the day with the first-place score of 225.25, followed sophomore Hailey Stack, who took second at 194.70.

The pair also went one-two in the 3-meter dive with scores of 256.10 by Valladares and 199.95 by Stack.

Senior Annie Menninger won the 200-meter breaststroke with a final time of 2:31.89 and was followed by the dayending 400-meter freestyle relay win from the team of Carrazza, Menninger, Hannah and senior Kazia Moore.

The Lions touched the wall at an impressive 3:46.01 to finish out a successful day.

The teams returned to the pool on Nov. 23, as they traveled to Kingspoint, N.Y., for the United States Merchant Marine Academy Invite.

The men started competition off with a win from sophomore Mathias AltmanKurosaki in the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 4:52.13. Kneisel claimed a victory in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:58.25.

The group closed out the day with a second place finish in the 400-meter freestyle relay with the team of Kuscan, junior Kai Michaud, senior David Madigan and freshman Dixon Kahler, who touched the wall at 3:14.67.

The women had a successful day, as the group started off with a secondplace finish from its 200-meter medley relay team of Chan, Hesse, Menninger and junior Elise Fraser, who stopped the clock at 1:54.35.

Chan then went on to take second place in the 100-meter breaststroke with

a time of 1:12.59 and won the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 59.13.

Hesse followed with a win in the 50-meter freestyle at 25.48, while Mennonna took the gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, posting a time of 2:37.54.

Valladares took second out of 13 in the 1-meter dive with a score of 252.65.

The team closed out the day with the 400-meter freestyle relay team of Menninger, Hannah, Chan and Carrazza taking second place at 3:44.15 Both teams dive back into their season this weekend, as they will host the TCNJ Invite from Friday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 8.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Valladares pikes during a dive.

Sports

Signal

Swimming, diving shine at Invite, top Southern Connecticut State

By Christine Houghton Sports Editor

The men and women’s swimming and diving teams hosted Southern Connecticut State University on Nov. 22. The meet resulted in both teams coming out on top, with the men and women winning 200-93 and 175-116, respectively.

From the start, the men refused to slow down, as they earned a win in the 200-meter medley relay. The team of senior Derek Kneisel and juniors Griffin Morgan, Andrew Thompson and Andrew Duff took the race with a time of 1:35.34. In the 1,650-meter freestyle, Morgan took home the gold with a time of 16:18.60.

The Lions took the top four spots in the 200-meter freestyle as senior Harrison Yi touched the wall at 1:45.90 to take home first place. Following suit, the 100-meter backstroke gave its top two spots to Kneisel and freshman Sean Rave, who finished at 53.08 and 53.55, respectively.

In the 100-meter breaststroke, the College swept the podium as Duff took the top spot with the only time under one minute, finishing at 59.52. The team also placed a swimmer in the top four in the 200-meter butterfly, with Morgan taking the victory at a time of 1:54.54.

In the 50-meter freestyle, the Lions took the top three spots, with first place going to Thompson at 21.90. Yi would also win the 100-meter freestyle at 47.35 and the 500-meter freestyle at 4:50.05.

Kneisel and Rave took first and second place in the 200-meter backstroke, respectively. Kneisel won at 1:57.06, followed by Thompson winning the 100meter butterfly at 51.67. Morgan followed with a win

in the 400-meter individual medley at 4:13.17.

The 400-meter freestyle relay team of Thompson, Yi, junior Nolan Kuscan and freshman Matt Watts finished out the day, coming in at 3:11.75 for the win.

The women also started off their day with a victory, as the 200-meter medley relay team of freshmen Rachel Hannah and Cameron Carrazza, junior Chiara Mennonna and sophomore Zoe Chan took home the win with a time of 1:51.79.

Sophomore Meagan Healey won the 100-meter

backstroke, clocking in at 1:02.26. The team took the first, second and fourth spots in the 100-meter breaststroke, with Mennonna placing first at 1:09.34.

Chan went on to win the 200-meter butterfly, as she touched the wall at 2:09.08. She also won the 100meter freestyle with a time of 55.32. The Lions then swept the podium in the 50-meter freestyle, as freshman Shannon Hesse touched the wall at 25.26. see DIVE page 19

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Altman-Kurosaki flies through the water for a 500-meter freestyle win.

Wrestling beats York Abrams competes in NCAA Championship

By Samantha Gorman Correspondent

Improving to 3-1, the College’s wrestling team brought home the gold at its dual meet with York College on Nov. 22. Eight out of the 10 Lions won their matches, making the final score 31-6 over their opponent and marking the first time since the 2014-2015 season that the College has defeated York.

To begin the night, freshman Nick Denora of the 125-pound weight class fell short of a win, 7-5, to York’s Jared Kuhn. Bouncing back in the next match, junior Jake Giordano took the win at 133

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

McCarthy moves to strike.

Lions Lineup December 4, 2019

I n s i d e

pounds. Giordano earned a technical fall that put the Lions ahead 5-3.

Senior Robert Dinger and junior Nic Mele fed off the competitive energy and secured points in the 141- and 149-pound weight classes, respectively. Dinger, a 2019-2020 team captain, came away with a major decision win, scoring the team an extra point. At 157 pounds, freshman Matthew Sacco fought with determination, but did not see a victory, as he fell to Eric Hutchinson of York. Despite the loss, the Lions continued to lead with an overall score of 12-6 and saw no other defeat.

At 165 pounds, sophomore John Garda earned a decision win, scoring four points for the team. In just 1:01, sophomore Joe McCarthy continued his strong season, collecting his fourth pin thus far at 174 pounds. Following suit, junior Daniel Surich secured a win at 184 pounds, earning a 14-1 major decision. With two matches left, the Lions remained with the lead 25-6.

With a score of 8-4, junior Thomas Anderson took down York’s Farrow at 197 pounds.

At heavyweight, sophomore Thomas Marretta found a way to get his hand raised in overtime to close the night, as his win made the final score 31-6 in favor of the College.

The Lions will head back to Pennsylvania for the York Invitational on Friday, Dec. 6.

By Ann Brunn Staff Writer The College’s cross country team sent its only representative to the NCAA Division III Championship in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 23. Junior Robert Abrams flew solo for the Lions, placing 218th with a time of 26:12.2 for the 8-kilometer race.

After the first kilometer, Abrams was in 61st place among a pack that was three seconds behind the race leader. Around the

3-kilometer mark, when the field began to separate, he was 17.6 seconds behind the race leader in 124th place.

Abrams reached the halfway point at 12:54.5, which was good for 156th place overall. At the 6.4-kilometer checkmark, he was in 194th place with a mile to go.

Abrams, who was the New Jersey Athletic Conference Runner of the Year, will return for his senior season determined to return to the NCAA Championship meet.

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The runner celebrates upon crossing the finish line.

Men’s Basketball page 19

Women’s Basketball page 19