Breaking news and more at TCNJSignal.net Vol. L, No. 9
April 3, 2019
Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885
Sabbatical-prize winner presents research By Brenden Edgeworth Correspondent
Artists rock Cub Alt
In an effort to expose the severity of water management and scarcity issues around the world, an associate professor of history a the College discussed his research on March 27 in the Education Building Room 212. Matthew Bender was the recipient of the 2016-2017 Gitenstein-Hart Sabbatical Prize. This award helped him gain the support needed to finalize his book, “Water Brings No Harm: Management Knowledge and the Struggle for the Waters of Kilimanjaro.” After an introduction from William W. Keep, the interim provost and vice president of academic affairs, Bender reflected on the origin of his interest in the subject of water scarcity and management. Having gone to England on a study-abroad program, he became interested in former areas of the British Empire, specifically Kenya. “After I came back home, I went to Kenya in order to collect research,” Bender said. “I found it to be a life-changing experience that challenged my perceptions of the region, and I became drawn to the topic of African history.” Bender explained how his research brought the issue of the global water scarcity crisis to his attention, especially in Africa. Bender stressed how the issue of water scarcities and contaminants, shown through both see WATER page 3
Samantha Shaw / Staff Photographer
Community hosts vigil in wake of mosque shooting By Amani Salahudeen Staff Writer One was a well-known soccer player. Another was visiting New Zealand for the first time. One had become a father just days before. Another was only three years old. On March 15, 50 victims were killed by a 28-year-old gunman in Christchurch, New Zealand at the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre. Across the world, thousands of people gathered to mourn and honor the innocent victims through vigils and donating to the victims’ families online, according to theNews.com. Although they are thousands of miles away from New Zealand, many students at the College were deeply impacted by the tragedy. The College hosted a candlelit vigil to honor the victims on March 28 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Spiritual Center. The victims’ names were spoken and remembered, as students recited du’aas (supplications) and had a moment of silence. “I think that the shooting is horrible and tragic,” said Lorena LiMato, a senior music education major. “I believe that any loss of life is something we should all grieve, especially if an innocent group is targeted.” Many students also added that the tragedy could have happened to anyone. “This was definitely heartbreaking and I cried
Musicians bring their sound to campus. Read the story on page 19.
see GRIEF page 15
Tcnj-snap’s actions spark confusion, controversy By Jane Bowden Features Editor
When Jennifer Massa, a junior special education and English dual major, wanted to sell a few pairs of her used sneakers back in October, she had a range of options. Online resale stores such as ThredUp and Poshmark had thousands of customers nationwide, while local thrift shops like Plato’s Closet offered convenience with a 15-minute drive. As a college student on a budget, every dollar and second mattered to Massa. It could take months for her shoes to sell online, and even then, most retailers only give back 15 to 40 percent of how much they sell, according to ThredUp and Plato’s Closet. That was when Massa turned to tcnj-snap. Tcnj-snap is an unofficial, student-run account on the popular multimedia messaging app, Snapchat. Students at the College often advertise club events, items they are selling and more for no charge on the account’s Snapchat
story, which receives more than 4,000 views per story, according to the owner of tcnj-snap who has agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. The owner is a College graduate, according to Massa. In order to receive the promotion, students must message tcnjsnap via Snapchat, at which time tcnj-snap will post the advertisement on its story. However, when Massa reached out to tcnj-snap to sell her three pairs of shoes, the organization would not post the advertisement until she paid $12 to “TCNJ M” on Venmo and claimed that the charge would be given to other clubs and organizations on campus. Without proof that the money from the charge was going back to the College, Massa was hesitant to accept. Months later, news of tcnjsnap charging students like Massa sparked outrage across the campus, causing many to question if the platform has the right to sell promotions and if the money is being donated to the College. “When they have the word
INDEX: Nation & World / page 7
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Editorial / page 9
‘TCNJ’ in their Snapchat, a lot of people thought they were affiliated with the College, but that’s not true at all,” said Abhi Vempati, a freshman computer science major after he was charged $12 to sell an iPhone X on tcnj-snap in December. “What’s the guarantee that the money goes back to the College?” Vempati asked. Vempati also claimed that he learned through experience that if the student’s item does not sell after three weeks, tcnj-snap still keeps the money it charged. “Doing that means they’ll get the guaranteed sale and they keep your money,” the computer science major said. “That’s what quite bothered me at least.” Although news of the charges only became public in late February, senior biology and public health double major Justine Wilson said tcnj-snap’s charges are nothing new. In February 2018, Wilson asked tcnj-snap to promote the Biology Club’s T-shirt tabling event, where the sales of the shirts were being donated to
Opinions / page 11
Flickr
Users can sell items and promote events on the account.
charity. However, when tcnjsnap said they would not post the advertisement unless it was paid, Wilson stopped answering. “I didn’t ask how much, because I thought it was an abuse of their platform to charge students to advertise things,” Wilson said.
Features / page 15
While many students followed Wilson’s footsteps in refusing to comply with the charges, others took matters into their own hands. On March 5, a student at the College — who wished to remain see APP page 5
Arts & Entertainment / page 19
Sports / page 24
Campus Style Flowy dresses are in style for spring
‘In the Groove’ Exhibit Students explore history of music
Lions defeat four rival opponents
Baseball
See Features page 15
See A&E page 19
See Sports page 24