The Signal: Fall '18 No. 7

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Breaking news and more at TCNJSignal.net Vol. XLIX No. 7

October 10, 2018

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

College responds to mold in Townhouses

Students protest Kavanaugh

By Emmy Liederman Features Editor

By Michelle Lampariello Editor-In-Chief For some residents, moving into their room in Townhouses South marked their first time living without a roommate. For others, their first time with air conditioning. But for several Townhouses South residents, their arrival was not focused on new amenities or an upgraded living situation — instead, they were faced with an unexpected presence of mold in their dorm rooms and common areas. Mold was visible on “window frames, certain wall surfaces, furniture, some clothing and other interior surfaces,” according to Luke Sacks, the College’s head media relations officer. Students also reported smelling mold-like odors. The College has since taken steps to remove mold from the residence halls. The remediation process in each afflicted area was dependent on the amount of mold found, according to Sacks. “Typically, mold on surfaces was removed through wet wiping methods using products specifically intended to address such growth,” Sacks said. “If there were leaks onto carpeting and similar materials, the response was to address the leak, extract and treat the carpet and the use of dehumidifiers and fans to assist with drying.” see SOUTH page 4

Alumna runs for Ewing Town Council

on Oct. 3 in Alumni Grove. Three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault. The most prominent accuser is Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California. Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have also come forward. Ramirez is a volunteer coordinator at

When Kate McKinley (’11) received a letter from Trenton Water Works six weeks ago that stated her water contained toxic chemicals, she began to think about the lack of transparency between local government and its residents. She then received a voting ballot in the mail and noticed that many Ewing candidates were running for office with no opposition. As an alumna of the College and a longtime Ewing resident, she knew she had to do something to change the way her town was run, so she decided to run for town council. The 29-year-old believes that she can contribute a fresh perspective to a group that lacks young voices. As a town council member, McKinley would attend meetings twice a month, take questions from community members and advocate for the needs of residents. “I kind of just decided that it was something I had to do,” McKinley said. “I noticed that there was no one around my age or the student population age here on town council. I have the perspective of both student and resident.” McKinley felt that she could not just sit back and watch Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann win without facing any competition.

see VOICE page 3

see VOTE page 17

Protestors support sexual assault survivors. By Nicole Zamlout Reviews Editor

Armed with colorful posters and an array of chants and demands, students gathered to protest against the Senate hearings regarding allegations of sexual assault against then-Supreme Court Judge nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has since been confirmed,

Miguel Gonzalez / News Editor

Campus Police introduces body-worn cameras

Sgt. Mastrosimone wears a body camera during his shift. By Nicole Viviano Correspondent

After being awarded a federal grant this summer, Campus Police finished equipping its officers with body-worn cameras at the start of October.

Campus Police began the discussion and application process to meet all U.S. Department of Justice criteria nearly two years ago. From the moment an officer receives their shift briefing, their cameras are fastened on the center of their chest. The cameras are

INDEX: Nation & World / page 7

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Editorial / page 9

Miguel Gonzalez / News Editor

worn throughout their shift, however are not constantly recording. The devices are triggered automatically during certain situations, such as when an officer turns his or her police lights on, or if he or she is at a scene where another officer’s device is activated. Opinions / page 11

Dash-cams on vehicles and body-worn cameras are synchronized while on duty. For instance, both would be activated when an officer’s car lights are turned on. The technology organizes the video taken per officer and per case. In the event of a second officer arriving at a scene where the first officer’s camera is activated, any video taken by the second officer will be filed in the same case as the first officer’s recordings. According to Police Captain Tim Grant, body-worn cameras are both a safety and training instrument for officers. Grant explained that the body-worn cameras will allow officers to review encounters with the public through archived video, which creates an opportunity for learning and improvement for officers and the department’s administration. Campus Police officers received training on how to use the body-worn cameras prior to implementation, and continue to learn on the job. According to Campus Police

Features / page 15

Lt. James Lopez, officers are understanding the device’s basic operations and learning to be more conscious of its presence while they are responding to calls. Lopez hopes that with rigorous training the College’s officers will achieve the device’s fullest potential. Lopez believes that the cameras will provide Campus Police with a new learning mechanism and a method of self evaluation. “When you play it back you actually get to see factual information for when you write your report,” Lopez said. Lori Thompson, director of strategic initiatives and program development in the College’s Office of Grants and Sponsored Research, acted as the grant writer for Campus Police. She spearheaded the process for the $43,000 federal grant, issued by the U.S. Department of Justice. The College of New Jersey Campus Police Services BodyWorn Camera Policy and see DEVICE page 3

Arts & Entertainment / page 19

Sports / page 24

Block Party

Anthony Fantano

Women’s Soccer

See Features page 17

See A&E page 19

See Sports page 24

Campus Town hosts festive community event

YouTuber offers insight on popular music

Lions continue seven game winning-streak


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