The Signal: Spring '14, No. 8

Breaking news, blogs, and more at TCNJSignal.net.

Vol. XXXX, No. 8

March 19, 2014

Serving The College of New Jersey community since 1885

Addicted The destinations of college tuition to the War on Drugs

By Jessa Gianotti Correspondent

When most Americans think of the War on Drugs, turbulent countries like Mexico, Colombia and various South American states come to mind. However, most Americans overlook the ongoing War on Drugs right here in the United States.

Over 2.3 million Americans are currently incarcerated in the United States.

Of those incarcerated, over 500,000 people are in jail for nonviolent drug crimes — a daunting social issue, according to the documentary “The House I Live In.” On Wednesday, March 5, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and NJ Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) hosted a screening of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival-winning documentary written and directed by Eugene Jarecki.

The documentary displays the perspectives of many people involved in the ongoing drug war, including family members of those affected by the drug war, drug dealers, addicts, inmates, policy makers, physicians and law enforcement agents.

“The House I Live In” offers a glimpse into the drug problems spanning the United States, including

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Despite the College’s effort, students still bear the brunt of continued tuition hikes.

By Chris Molicki Managing Editor

The struggles college students endure when it comes to paying for tuition are getting worse and worse every year. Although the College is generally regarded as having a more manageable tuition, it hasn’t been immune to its share of increased costs. So what does the College do to help its students and their families with affordability? David Muha, associate vice president for Communications, Marketing and Brand

Management, explained the College’s “three-pronged approach.”

“TCNJ continues to invest in scholarships and tuition discounts for students,” Muha said.

“The percentage of TCNJ’s budget allocated to institutional commitment to student financial aid is larger than almost all New Jersey public institutions. TCNJ actively seeks new ways to contain operating costs … (and) identify new revenue sources to support its operations and academic enterprise.”

Students want to know how

the College is helping them pay for school and what exactly the tuition goes into. That’s why the Office of the Treasurer has the College’s 2014 fiscal operating budget, which lays out how much money the school receives, how much it spends, and what it spends it on.

The College’s 2014 base budget resources amounts to $225,884,000, including $107,390,000 from tuition and $45,523,000 for room and board. In addition, the 2014 base budget allocations — or the

money the College spends — is at $225,143,000. The fiscal operating budget breaks down everything the College uses that money on, which includes salaries expense ($92,649,000), computing hardware and software ($1,349,000), Library Facilities ($1,642,000) and debt service requirements ($28,102,000), among other things.

Muha said many of these allocations are actually influenced by external factors.

“Union contracts are negotiated by (the) state of New Jersey, and thus dictate the level of salaries, fuel and utilities, (which) are driven by market conditions,” Muha said. “Debt service is determined by bond covenants that provide the funding necessary to build stateof-the art facilities or upgrade existing facilities, including the library. Computer hardware and software upgrades and replacements are planned on a pre-determined, cyclical basis.”

In order to make sure the College has the right budget decision-making direction, the Committee on Strategic Planning and Priorities created three principles, which were approved by the College’s Board of Trustees.

They are: To preserve the health, safety and security of the students, faculty, staff and visitors,

For human rights, hope is on the horizon see DRUGS page 2

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Forsythe takes comfort knowing that advocacy has steadily improved.

By Sydney Shaw News Assistant

In an evolving world of agency groups, from Amnesty International to Human

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

Rights Watch, there has been a remarkable progression in the way human rights are framed and dealt with. Students had the opportunity to examine the history of human rights during David Forsythe’s presentation Editorial / Page 7

Opinions / Page 9

“Human Rights in the World,” sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa on Monday, March 4.

Forsythe, distinguished political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is one of the leading experts in human rights studies. Whenever he feels frustrated about ongoing human rights violations, he takes a step back and looks at it from a historical perspective.

“Concern with what happens to individuals has advanced greatly in recent decades,” Forsythe said. “There were periods of perceived security threats that correspond with violations of human rights policy.”

Forsythe mentioned the Japanese internment during World War II and witchhunt McCarthyism during the Cold War era as examples.

With regard to American history, Forsythe described Franklin D. Roosevelt as a powerful catalyst in the fight toward improving human rights.

“FDR understood that if you needed health care and you couldn’t get it, you were not a free person,” Forsythe said.

Features / Page 10

see TUITION page 2

Forsythe also cited famous economist and author Amartya Sen, who defined freedom as the capability to develop one’s human potential.

“The United States is the only developed democracy that has controversy over socio-economic rights, such as health care,” Forsythe said. “Canada, Japan, Israel, South Korea, you name it. They have universal health care.”

To Forsythe, organizations such as the Atrocities Prevention Board and the International Criminal Court indicate considerable progress in how the world deals with atrocities like genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and systematic rape.

“Forsythe’s presentation was an enlightening look into the importance of international organizations, like the ICC, for improving human rights for all people,” junior international studies major Sean Harshman said.

“If states took international human see RIGHTS page 3

Arts & Entertainment / Page 14

Sports / Page 28

Wrestling Lions earn two AllAmerican spots

R-Word Monologues Spreading the word in order to end the word.

‘Anchorman 2’ again The R-rated version makes its debut.

See Sports page 28

See Features page 10

See A&E page 14

page 2 The Signal March 19, 2014

Drugs / A culture of drug use and dealing continued from page 1

New York, Iowa, Oklahoma, Vermont, Florida and Rhode Island. More importantly, it shows the vicious cycle associated with the drug war and reveals problems within the American prison system.

“What drugs haven’t destroyed, the war against them has,” said David Simon, creator of the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire” and commentator in “The House I Live In.” The documentary exposes that certain races, specifically African Americans, along with those of the lower socioeconomic bracket, are marginalized and forced into environments where drug use and dealing has become a normalized counterculture.

In the United States, there are mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, and even in the most heartbreaking or unfortunate circumstances, these charges cannot be lessened, as explained

Jessa Gianotti / Correspondent

A screening of the ‘House I Live In’ explores the ongoing drug war here in America.

in the documentary by federal judge Hon. Mark Bennett.

The vicious cycle continues when these inmates are released from jail and cannot matriculate back into society without difficulty. Convicted felons have trouble finding jobs and receiving government aid for educational

tuition and public housing.

“America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse,” said Richard Nixon on June 17, 1971, in a clip shown in the documentary.

“In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new all-out offensive.”

The problem with the theory behind this “offensive” against the drug war is that more incarcerations are not necessarily the solution. More preventative measures need to be taken to help those entangled in this mess of a war, which is the goal of SSDP and DPA.

A chapter of SSDP is currently forming at the College. Jason Klosek, a junior psychology major, is chartering the organization on campus to advocate for legislative fairness for drug punishment.

After the showing of the documentary, Amanda Bent, a policy associate from the New Jersey office of the DPA, spoke about the ongoing drug problem with Klosek.

“We are neither condemning nor condoning drug use. We are finding sensible solutions,” Bent said.

The Drug Policy Alliance acts to implement alternatives and preventative measures for the war on drugs, including Good Samaritan policies, proper drug education, safe needle exchanges and the Higher Education Act. Organizations such as the DPA and SSDP are advocating for these marginalized people and working to restore fairness in the American legal system regarding drug charges.

Tuition / The meaning behind the numbers continued from page 1 to preserve the integrity and excellence of the educational programs and services through which the College realizes its mission, and to preserve the institutional integrity of the College, including the obligations to staff, faculty and students.

With all of these expenses, it’s important to make sure the College is giving back enough to the students. That’s why, within the operating budget, it says that the percentage allocated to direct student support should be no less than 67 percent of the total educational and general operating expenses. While 61.8 percent of revenue does come from student tuition and fees, 67.3 percent of the College’s expenses go to direct student support.

“TCNJ is obligated to pay for certain fixed operating costs necessary to support the entire College enterprise,” Muha said. “The College determined that, after accounting for those mandatory fixed operating costs, the majority of the remaining budget would be focused on the academic core.”

Granted the accuracy of the figure, it would signal a fair and shared cost between the College and its students.

“If the college is, in fact, using 67 percent of the total educational and general operating expenses toward direct student support in the form of scholarships and financial aid, that is an impressive number and I am

pleased to hear it,” junior marketing major Matthew Scapardine said. “However, I do believe and hope that number could be higher because I believe financial aid and scholarships are essential to a truly healthy and thriving institution.”

Still, the constant increase in tuition is an issue. The College saw a 2.5 percent increase in tuition and a 3.2 percent increase in room and board from last year to this year. Muha explained that certain reasons for the increase are controlled by the state.

“Many of the operational costs that require increases in the tuition rate are driven by factors outside of TCNJ’s direct control,” Muha said. “For example, as a public institution, increases in faculty and staff salaries are largely contractually determined by the state of New Jersey. However, although TCNJ is a public institution, state support for higher education has decreased over the years, resulting in a bigger gap between operating revenue and operating costs. There is a direct relationship between the level of state support and the need to adjust tuition rates.”

To combat this, the College is doing its best to help students with scholarships and financial aid, as it invests in institutionally-funded financial scholarships. From last year to this year, College-funded scholarships saw a 3.4 percent increase.

“TCNJ has increased its investment in institutionallyfunded scholarships to address the increasing demand for financial aid,” Muha said.

After doing the math, the difference between the base budget resources and the base budget allocations is $741,000 in surplus funds. This money, Muha said, has been used on upgrades to the College’s campus.

“Slide 10 in the (operating budget) shows how that surplus and additional revenues were applied to support such enhancements as additional library acquisitions (and) purchase of new academic equipment,” Muha said.

Even with all of the help the College has directed toward students in the operating budget, it may still, unfortunately, not be enough. Many students have diverse financial situations, and because the general cost of college is monstrous as is, there’s never such a thing as too much help.

“The College does a good job of helping students take advantage of federal and state grants and loans available to college students,” Scapardine said. “However, I would love to see the College’s endowment increase and more grants provided directly from the school to students. Although the ability to do that comes from generous alumni and supporters of the school, ultimately, I would love to see a more robust financial aid program provided by the school.”

Approval of new on-campus organizations

By Sydney Shaw News Assistant Five new on-campus organizations were presented to Student Government at the general body meeting on Wednesday, March 5.

The Student Transfer Association, Queer Inclusive Bible Study, Omicron Delta Kappa honor society and Student United Way were approved by Student Government, but Liberty in North Korea was not.

“Student Transfer Association aims to facilitate the transitional period for transfer students coming to the College,” Senator of Humanities and Social Sciences Jessica Glynn said.

The organization hopes to bridge the gap between transfers and current students through social trips, such as ice skating and visits to Princeton.

Queer Inclusive Bible Study strives to teach members about the intersectionality between faith and sexuality and provide a safe space for queer people to explore the Bible, Glynn explained.

Student United Way advocates for the

advancement of common good through education, income and health and stresses the impact that the three have on each other.

SUW was voted unanimously into favor and was described as “one of the most organized presentations of the year” by the Governmental Affairs Committee.

The nation-wide organization has internships available for students who are members.

Omicron Delta Kappa, or ODK, is an honor society for juniors and seniors in leadership positions with at least a 3.4 GPA. The organization is looking for students who show leadership in areas of scholastics, athletics, community service, religion, government, media and performing arts.

“Students from different parts of campus can come together through ODK,” Student Government President Tyler Liberty said. “If you have someone who excels in athletics at the same table with someone who excels in performing arts, they can come up with better ideas together.”

“The President of the College, the Provost and the Vice President of Student Affairs all wrote letters recommending ODK,”

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Student United Way was among the organizations approved by SG. Vice President of Governmental Affairs Alex Brown said. “That says a lot. This is definitely something they want to see on campus.”

The only organization that was not passed was Liberty in North Korea, or LiNK. “LiNK aims to raise awareness of the plight of North Korean refugees to the public and hopes to raise funds to help those people,” Glynn said. “They don’t want to focus on any political positions. They just

want to give voice to the victims.”

Rathskeller concerts, restaurant fundraisers, volleyball tournaments and film screenings were all presented as ideas to raise money and awareness for the organization.

“Student organizations are not just on campus to serve students,” said Vice President of Equity and Diversity Sadia Tahir, who was disappointed by the rejection of LiNK. “They should serve greater causes.”

High school visits College Human rights

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 3

By Gabrielle Beacken News Assistant The College’s Society for Parliamentary Debate, along with the New Jersey Forensics League, hosted New Jersey’s Forensic League High School Championship at the College’s campus on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8.

The tournament consisted of debate events, specifically set in a high school debating format, for high school students involved in the New Jersey Forensics League.

Nearly 700 students deriving from 30 different high schools, all across New Jersey, participated in this championship tournament, according to chief planner of the event, president of the Society for Parliamentary club Andrew Miller.

“This was their state championship, so there was a huge turnout,” said Steven Schwering, sophomore

psychology and English double major and publicist for the Society Parliamentary Debate.

High school students began to arrive at the College early Friday afternoon and settled down in the Brower Student Center, where their presence filled up the majority of the building.

On Friday, only a few beginner rounds took place. The tournament’s rounds continued into Saturday, with more indepth and longer rounds.

On Saturday, during the afternoon, the “outrounds” began: octo-quarters, semi-finals and ultimately, the finals.

These rounds narrowed down which teams would be participating in the finals. The debate categories consisted of 10 speech categories and three diverse kinds of debate: public forum, Lincoln Douglas and Congress.

“We are really proud of all of our members for giving up their time,” Schwering said. The entire Society for Parliamentary Debate club participated

in the event, according to Schwering.

The College’s students helped ensure the success of the tournament through judging and check-ins, to simply lending a spare hand to whenever one was needed.

Not only did the College’s students help out with the State Championship tournament, but the staff of the College helped out as well.

“The staff of TCNJ were a huge help,” Schwering said.

Schwering noted that Yakima Melton, Daytime Assistant Manager of Brower Student Center, was extremely helpful not only during the setup of the event, but during the actual tournament as well.

According to Schwering, the tournament was a great achievement for the club and the event faced few errors.

“We spent over a year preparing for the tournament,” Schwering said. “(We) are really happy with how well the tournament ran.”

Amazon prices raise concern

By Courtney Wirths Opinions Editor

• Amazon.com is raising the price of its two-day shipping membership, Amazon Prime, from $79 a year to $99 as a result of rising shipping costs. Members worried about getting their money’s worth should know that in addition to the fast shipping, instant video streaming and Kindle benefits, the e-commerce giant is also developing a musicstreaming service for Prime members.

• While much of the country is still enduring a harsh winter filled with snow and record-low temperatures, the economy just might be ready to shake off some of its winter blues. Manufacturing output jumped 0.8 percent in February, which is the highest gain since August and beat out expectations of a 0.2 percent increase.

• Tesla Motors Inc. will be forced to stop selling its luxury electric vehicles in New Jersey on Tuesday, April 1. The state has decided it will not grant the auto company a license to directly sell vehicles to consumers without the use of a franchised dealer.

• This has been a week for initial public offerings. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the Chinese e-commerce giant filed for a U.S. IPO, which would be one of the largest in market history. GoDaddy Group Inc., famous for its risqué Super Bowl commercials, is also preparing for its IPO. Finally, King Digital Entertainment PLC, known for creating the “Candy Crush” game, is expected to be valued at around $7.6 billion in its IPO later this month.

All information from the Wall Street Journal.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Forsythe calls for human rights progression. continued from page 1

laws seriously, we would have more human dignity in the world,” Forsythe said.

Forsythe went into detail about more specific examples that point to the progression of human rights worldwide, such as decolonization, HIV/AIDS being addressed in Africa, the fact that most South American dictators are gone, and R2P, or the Right to Protect.

“R2P voids state sovereignty,” Forsythe explained. “If a state is unwilling or unable to stop atrocities from happening, other states have the ability to step in.”

Although there has been significant progress over the past several decades, Forsythe admitted that not everything is moving in the right direction.

He mentioned that some major states, such as China, Russia, Syria and Libya, are still illiberal. The Assad regime in Syria is even supported by countries like Russia, Iran and Iraq.

Forsythe also expressed his disappointment that although the Congo is the rape capital of the world, it gets virtually no news coverage in the U.S. “It doesn’t seem to affect our stock market or our daily lives, so nobody is engaged in a decisive way,” he said.

We may not live in a perfect world, but Forsythe hopes the treatment of individuals will continue to improve until all people are guaranteed basic human rights.

Split board funds $6,000 to HSA for band

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

SFB funds several events including ‘ROCK.’

By Julie Kayzerman and Jonathan Edmonson News Editor and Review Editor

It’s the time of year again for improvisational comedy to welcome in the spring season. All College Theatre was fully funded for their event the “ROCK” by the Student Finance Board on Wednesday, March 5. The event will be free to all students.

Following performances by the Mixed Signals and other local troupes, UCB Tourco, a professional improv comedy group, will perform.

“They’ve brought them every year,” executive director Brian Hurler said. “It’s a really cool event.”

With that, SFB passed the motion to fully fund the event for $4,150 to be held in Kendall Hall on Saturday, March 22.

Last meeting, the Haitian Student Association was funded to host their event “Ambiance” without their requested band, totalling $6,000. This week they returned, requesting once again for funding for the band, meeting

the board with a split decision.

“I like the event, but I’m not sold on spending $6,000 for a band,” freshman representative Sarah Speight said alongside junior representative Kevin Harty who didn’t “think it (was) worth it at all” to spend that amount of money for a band.

Additionally, assistant SG representative Hajar Lakhouili felt “they didn’t really make any sacrifices” in regard to changing their previous proposal.

However, programming director Brian Green disagreed and said, “I think it’s fair culturally. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t have it when other cultural clubs do.”

“It’s important for these small clubs to have these bigger events,” sophomore representative Tom Athan said.

Ultimately, the board passed the motion to fully fund HSA with the band for $6,000 in order to fully represent Haitian culture at the event that will take place on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m.

The Asian Student Association came back after being tabled to request funding for “Mystique of the East” with a clear breakdown of expenses — as they were previously lacking one. Members were concerned about the amount of money being asked for concerts, but several agreed that they really wanted the event to happen.

It was funded for $3,338 to host performances from Taiko, Barkada, Jiva, CSU, Erhu and Saathiya to feature Asian cultures. It will be held on Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. in Kendall Hall and will be free to all students and charge $10 for non-students.

The Women’s Center was also among the presenters of the day, asking for $3,430 in funding to bring Lillian Faderman to the College to discuss Lesbian marriages, as a part of Women’s History Month.

The event was fully funded by SFB and will be held on

Wednesday, March 19, in room 115 of the Education Building.

The Synergy Dance Company also presented for another performance event, their annual Synergy Spring Spectacular.

They were funded with $1,400 to hold the event in Kendall Hall but were not funded for their request of $396 to fund costumes. It will be held on Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m.

Following, “Orchestrating Orgasms,” a workshop

by Megan Andelloux, was funded as SFB allocated $1,509.59 for Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood to hold the event on Thursday, April 24, at 8:30 p.m. in room 115 of the Education Building.

Andelloux, a Clinical Sexologist and certified Sexuality Educator, will discuss the latest advances in sexual science and bring to light conversation topics that students might be hesistant to ask.

This spring semester will also seek to host INK’s The Goods once again — showcasing student artists and providing interaction with poets and authors.

The event will headline poet Dorothea Lasky and will be held in the The Rathskeller on Saturday, April 12, as it was funded for $2,275.

Chabad was also allocated $2,390 to host a Passover Seder on Monday, April 12, in the 1855 room.

SFB also funded the Spanish Club to host a Washington D.C. Bus trip on March 29 for $1,947.

Also, look out for the Art Students Association Street Art Workshop that was funded for $1,007 to provide a form of visual art on a mural outside on campus.

The Senior Class Council was also allocated with $230 to take a bus trip to the Riverhouse Brewing Company. *Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.

page 4 The Signal March 19, 2014

For media, race exploitation still runs rampant

By Hillary Siegel Staff Writer On Monday, March 17, students across the School of Humanities and Social Sciences listened to a lecture by Natalie Byfield about the connection between race and the media, as shown in her book, “Savage Portrayals: Race, Media, and the Central Park Jogger Story.” Byfield was brought to the College as a part of the Gloria Harper Dickinson lectures, bringing scholars to discuss African studies and social issues.

Byfield was a reporter for the New York Daily News in 1989 when a news story broke about a jogger who was brutally raped and beaten by a group of boys in Central Park. After the woman was attacked, it was immediately assumed that a group of AfricanAmerican and Latino boys was responsible for the attack.

“There is an injustice in blaming all the nation’s problems on the little black boy or Latino,” Byfield said. “People of African descent have been

viewed so differently from those of European descent that it was thought they shouldn’t be considered human.”

In the Central Park jogger case, the accused boys were reported to have been “hunting” a white girl to rape. Byfield noted this as one of the biggest examples of the media marginalizing black males.

“The sheer improbability of the statement is astonishing,” she said.

Byfield explained that pejorative language has been used to describe blacks and Native Americans for centuries, and throughout the height of the Jim Crow era, the idea of all black males being dangerous was perpetuated, and realities were distorted throughout the media.

When Byfield first heard of the jogger being attacked in Central Park in April 1989, she said she had two immediate first thoughts: that she wanted to be the one to report on the story, and that she hoped the person who did it was not black. She knew the significance of the story would come from the victim being white, and

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Byfield helped investigate the Central Park jogger story. this would turn the “Central Park jogger” story into so much more.

During the investigation, Byfield said there was much more marginalization of blacks and browns than ever before. Groups larger than three black or Latino kids weren’t allowed in the park anymore without identification, and Byfield couldn’t even get the New York Daily News to report it. Juvenile justice laws passed in

the ’90s made it easier for juveniles to be tried as adults, and the black and Latino youth were once again ostracized.

Byfield’s book on the “savage portrayal” of race in the media and her lecture focused on the idea of the young black or Latino being considered a “superpredator” in the community.

“Fear and loathing of black and Latino males was rampant,”

Byfield said.

Beginning in the Nixon and Reagan eras, Byfield explained that the media and government were focusing on the “War on Drugs” and the “War on Crime,” but never noted the link between the two. There was more money spent on jails and courts than education, and blacks and Latinos were being directed into the criminal justice system, but the war on drugs and crime were never connected on the news.

The boys accused of assaulting the Central Park jogger confessed due to a feeling of force and obligation — a savage portrayal by the media. The jogger’s class, race, job and education were highlighted in media reports — another savage portrayal of the accused.

Though this happened in 1989, Byfield said she could still see something like this happening again: people being wrongfully accused of violent crimes only because of the color of their skin.

“I see echoes all the time,” she said. “Not only could it happen again, but it might be worse.”

Bio program watered down by spring showers

By Tom Kozlowski News Editor

On Wednesday, March 5, at 4:30 a.m., a suspect engaged and activated the Bradley Shower between rooms 256 and 257 in the Biology Building, flooding its first two floors. According to Campus Police, the flooding raised two inches of water on both floors, seeping through and damaging carpets, ceiling tiles and other infrastructure. Total property damage was estimated at $80,000, Campus Police said. During the subsequent investigation, Campus Police ultimately arrested a 20-year-old male student charged with Criminal Mischief and Trespass for pulling the shower head.

Several other individuals were also arrested for trespassing after assisting the student in breaking into the Bio Building, Campus Police said. ...

An intruder was reported in Travers Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 12:40 p.m.

According to Campus Police, the intruder was sighted wearing all-black, a knit cap

and “nurse’s shoes,” suspiciously loitering on the first floor of the building. When Campus Police arrived on the scene, the suspect was missing — soon after, he was spotted again in the first floor lounge of Cromwell Hall. He was arrested there and charged with Criminal Trespass, Campus Police said. After some investigation, the suspect was found to have previously been roaming the Brower Student Center, asking students questions and causing alarm. The suspect was also found to have a $100 warrant from Camden, N.J., Campus Police said. ...

On Saturday, March 8, at 11:30 a.m., several items were stolen from the Lions Stadium Press Box, said Campus Police. A $50 pair of Eddie Bauer handheld binoculars and a $2 box of 20 pencils were stolen from an unsecured black cabinet inside the Press Box. The student who called in the claim said that he had last seen the stolen

property on Thursday, March 5, placing the top of a cardboard box and a lacrosse rule book on top to conceal the items. When he returned three days later, Campus Police said the box and book had not moved but the items were missing. ...

Appearing on the Brower Student Center’s first floor bathroom, a Swastika was drawn on the wall within the stall and reported on Saturday, March 8, at 6:10 p.m. According to Campus Police, the symbol was drawn with black magic marker and consequently taped over with paper until maintenance could arrive. The student who found it said he had been to the bathroom several times that day but had not noticed the Swastika earlier. ...

On Thursday, March 6, at 4 p.m., a student was arrested for trespassing in Hausdoerffer Hall, according to Campus Police.

The student had signed out the key to room

100B at the hall office before being reported, at which point Campus Police arrived on the scene. The officers then noticed a passing student matching the profile — according to his answers, he was confirmed as the suspect. Campus Police said the student was aware he had received a letter banning him from campus, but that he had returned to move out of his room. The student was then arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass. ...

Students were charged with underage drinking on Friday, March 7, at 12:35 a.m. in the Decker Hall basement. Campus Police arrived to the sounds of loud music from down the hall — upon opening the door, officers observed a visible wine bottle atop the dresser. Campus Police also said the odor of alcohol was pungent and all inhabitants of the room had glossy, bloodshot eyes. Officers performed Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Tests on each student, and each matched the characteristics of intoxicated individuals, according to Campus Police.

Summons were issued to all.

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rld

Crimeans turn on Ukraine and look toward Russia

AP Photo

Ukrainians fight for their territorial integrity, as Crimeans vote to secede from the country.

By Mylin Batipps Nation & World Editor

The province of Crimea recently voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, according to The New York Times and Time.

In a public referendum carried by the province on Sunday, March 16, approximately 95 percent of Crimean voters expressed interest in leaving Ukraine and becoming a part of Russia. According to Time, Russian warships circled Crimea during the vote, claiming to protect the predominantly Russian peninsula from Ukrainian troops.

Western leaders, including President Barack Obama, expressed disappointment in Crimea’s referendum, according to The New York Times.

“The referendum in Crimea was a clear violation of Ukrainian constitutions and international law, and it will not be recognized by the international community,” President Obama said in a statement provided by the White House on Monday, March 17.

President Obama also mentioned that he would impose more sanctions on Russia should the country choose to annex Crimea or even continue its military interference in Ukraine. Time reported that White House press secretary Jay Carney believed that the annexation of Russia destroys Ukraine’s sovereignty and

independence that it declared back in 1991.

“This referendum is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law,” Carney said, according to Time.

Ukrainian officials and citizens are not too thrilled about Crimea’s referendum, as one might expect. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called the peninsula’s overwhelming vote “a circus performance,” Time reported.

“Military intervention and violation of international law will bring increasing costs for Russia — not only due to measures imposed by the United States and our allies but also as a direct result of Russia’s own destabilizing actions,” Yatsenuyk said.

According to The New York Times, President Obama said that he will partner with Congress to support Ukraine economically and improve their security. In the meantime, though, Western leaders and Ukraine wait for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s decision.

Gay community stands its ground at St. Patrick’s parade NEW YORK (AP) — A weekend of St. Patrick’s Day revelry and tensions over the exclusion of gays in some of the celebrations culminated Monday in New York, where the world’s largest parade celebrating Irish heritage stepped off without the city’s new mayor and Guinness beer amid a dispute over whether participants can carry pro-gay signs.

The parade of kilted Irish-Americans and bagpipers set off on a cold, gray morning. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined Fifth Avenue, but the shivering, bundled up crowd was only about half as thick as in previous years.

De Blasio held the traditional St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at Gracie Mansion with the Irish prime minister, Enda Kenny, but he was boycotting the parade because organizers said marchers were not allowed to carry gayfriendly signs or identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Police Commissioner William Bratton marched with a contingent of uniformed officers. Gay activists protesting the exclusion of official LGBT groups held a news conference before the march to say they didn’t

Obscure & Offbeat

AP Photo

A brand-new treehouse built in Wenatchee, Wash.

Miss Congeniality caught shoplifting

Washington’s Miss Congeniality, Chloe Curry, was charged for shoplifting makeup from a Walmart in Lewis County days before she was awarded her title. Judges were never aware of the incident.

Goodbye, treehouse

A resident of Washington was asked to take down his treehouse that he built for his sons, two months after it was built. Officials say it presents safety issues.

Information from AP

think the NYPD officers should participate in uniform.

“I know that there are thousands and thousands of gay people marching in this parade,” said Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who greeted passing dignitaries in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and was wearing a woolen Irish cap over his red cardinal’s skull cap. “I know it. And I’m glad they are.”

Dolan noted that he’s not part of the parade leadership and therefore not responsible for who participates, but he said he supports the participation of individual gays. The cardinal declined to comment on the mayor’s boycott.

“I’m just hoping this is a day of unity and radiance and joy, I hope, bringing us all together,” Dolan said.

Across the Atlantic in the land that inspired St. Patrick’s Day, an estimated 400,000 tourists and locals packed the center of Dublin for Ireland’s major parade. The hourlong procession featured loads of wit, brightly colored costumes and dancers, including from Ireland’s gay community — and nobody had a public word to say about it.

For the second year running, the parade included

AP Photo

Proud homosexuals share the festivities in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

groups from Ireland’s gay rights groups, Dublin Pride and BeLonG To. Gay groups are a big part of the Dublin community dance groups, which wear flamboyant outfits and feature in each year’s Dublin parade.

Around the World:

Malaysia

Plane still nowhere to be found KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The search for the missing Malaysian jet pushed deep into the northern and southern hemispheres Monday as Australia scoured the southern Indian Ocean and China offered 21 satellites to respond to Malaysia’s call for help in the unprecedented hunt.

French investigators arriving in Kuala Lumpur to lend expertise from the two-year search for an Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 said they were able to rely on distress signals.

But that vital tool is missing in the Malaysia Airlines mystery because flight 370’s communications were deliberately severed ahead of its disappearance more than a week ago, investigators say.

“It’s very different from the Air France case. The Malaysian situation is much more difficult,” said Jean Paul Troadec, a special adviser to France’s aviation accident investigation bureau.

Malaysian authorities say the jet carrying 239 people was intentionally diverted from its flight path during an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 and flew off-course for several hours.

Suspicion has fallen on the pilots,

AP Photo

Crew members of the US Navy board an aircraft to search for the Malaysian plane that went missing on Saturday, March 8. although Malaysian officials have said they are looking into everyone aboard the flight.

Malaysian police confiscated a flight simulator from the pilot’s home on Saturday and also visited the home of the co-pilot in what Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar initially said was the first police visits to those homes. But the government — which has come under criticism abroad for missteps and foot-dragging in their release of information — issued a statement Monday contradicting that account by saying police first visited

the pilots’ homes as early as March 9, the day after the flight.

Investigators haven’t ruled out hijacking, sabotage, pilot suicide or mass murder, and they are checking the backgrounds of all 227 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as the ground crew, to see if links to terrorists, personal problems or psychological issues could be factors.

For now, though, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said finding the plane was still the main focus, and he did not rule out finding it intact.

page 6 The Signal March 19, 2014

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 7

Editorial

College leaves an impression on students’ hearts

As students of the College, we often hear about and experience quality academic programs, top-notch residence life on campus, the variety of dining options that are available and even different clubs and organizations that welcome students of all kinds. While these different elements are certainly reasons why the College is one of the top schools in the nation, it is also the people — students, faculty and workers — that help our institution live up to its great reputation.

Out of all of the people I met here so far, I can honestly say that I’ve hardly interacted negatively with anyone. When I walk into the dining hall, for example, all of the workers have smiles on their The College can become a home away from home. faces and they say a simple “hello” before asking me what I want.

Before I walk into the Brower Student Center, people whom I have never seen before that moment will hold the door for me before exiting. When I meet my professors during office hours, they are always asking me if there is anything they can do to help me succeed in my classes. It is these simple examples that convince me to believe that the people here at the College make up my favorite aspect of the institution. tcnjsignal.net I can’t really say the same for some of my peers back at home, and neither can some of my colleagues. I remember having a conEmail: signal@tcnj.edu Mailing Address: versation with a few of my floormates freshman year after returning Telephone: to campus from break, and we would talk about how everyone here Production Room The Signal at the College is much more personable than people whom we call (609) 771-2424 c/o Brower Student Center our best friends back at home. For this very reason, I felt more comBusiness Office The College of New Jersey fortable in joining more clubs and activities and becoming more (609) 771-2499 P.O. Box 7718 active on campus.

Ad Email: Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 As a student staff member of the Department of Residential Edusignalad@tcnj.edu cation and Housing, I work with kind and caring students who are dedicated in their position and are always willing to help each other out. I’ve learned quite a bit from the first-year students that I live Editorial Staff Mylin Batipps with, and if they see that I am working on a few things at once, they Nation & World Editor offer their help. As president of TCNJ Circus club, I have learned Amy Reynolds batippm1@tcnj.edu lots of juggling techniques from the members, and they are one of Editor-in-Chief Mike Herold the most inviting groups of people. As Nation & World editor of reynola1@tcnj.edu Fantasy Sports Editor The Signal, I work with staff who inspire me to perform at my best Chris Molicki heroldm1@tcnj.edu because of their dedication. On a side note, they are all also incredManaging Editor Jonathan Edmondson ibly hilarious. molickc1@tcnj.edu Review Editor And finally, as a student of the College, I feel like there is a place Julie Kayzerman edmondj5@tcnj.edu for me here. Yes, student organizations, the dining experience, onTom Kozlowski Regina Yorkigitis campus living and the endless academic opportunities make up the News Editors Web Editor reason I feel that way. But more importantly, the people I interact kayzerj1@tcnj.edu Jess Ganga with here every day cause me to believe that I am living the ultimate kozlowt1@tcnj.edu Web Assistant college experience.

Peter Fiorilla Gabrielle Beacken

— Mylin Batipps, Nation & World Editor

Sports Editor fiorilp1@tcnj.edu Shayna Innocenti Arts & Entertainment Editor innoces1@tcnj.edu Colleen Murphy Features Editor murphc16@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Opinions Editor wirthsc1@tcnj.edu Courtney Wirths Photo Editor wirthsc1@tcnj.edu

Sydney Shaw News Assistants Andrew Grossman Sports Assistant Production Manager

Emilie Lounsberry Adviser Lucas Haber Business/Ad Manager

AP Photo

Quotes of the Week “I think that loss is as hard as it gets when you are right there and it is so close.

Brian deserved to win and that kid deserved to win because he was a great wrestler, but sometimes, it just doesn’t go your way.”

— Senior wrestler Zach Zotollo on fellow senior wrestler Brian Broderick.

“FDR understood that if you needed health care and you couldn’t get it, you were not a free person.”

— University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor David Forsythe

Corrections

From the March 5 issue

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

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

In the article “Breaking Muslim stereotypes,” the term “halal” was used as the word for the Muslim headscarf many women wear.

The correct term is “hijab.”

We regret the error.

page 8 The Signal March 19, 2014

FALL 2014 REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT PERIOD Initial Registration Period for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Tuesday, April 1 Through Friday, April 11 

Your enrollment appointment reflecting the first time you will be eligible to register for Fall 2014 semester can be accessed via your PAWS account. To view your scheduled enrollment appointment, visit the Enrollment Appointment section in the PAWS Student Center. Once eligible, students remain eligible throughout the registration period. Undergraduate Students who do not register by 11:59pm on Sunday, April 13th will be subject to a late registration fine. Graduate students have until 11:59pm on July 15th: Late Registration Fine Undergraduate: $150 Graduate: $125



The Fall 2014 Schedule of Classes is available on PAWS and can be viewed by using the Search for Classes button.



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



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



Check PAWS early and frequently for Holds that will prevent you from registering. All Hold Flag information can be viewed under the Holds section in the PAWS Student Center.



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



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



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



Graduate Students: If you are a non-matriculant who is applying for Fall matriculation, you should not register during this timeframe. If accepted for matriculation, you will be invited to register during one of the Graduate Studies summer orientation sessions.

THE OFFICE OF RECORDS AND REGISTRATION EXTENDED HOURS DURING THIS REGISTRATION PERIOD Tuesday, April 1 through Friday, April 11 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 9

Opinions

Assertive and kind — compassionate arguing A more positive approach to communication

AP Photo

Masters of compassionate discourse share their ideas with world leaders.

By Maria Mostyka

Compassionate arguing is not an oxymoron. It is a tangible and indispensible type of discourse that must be practiced if we are to understand one another deeply. Before making a case for compassionate arguing, I will briefly outline the problems with the way we typically argue.

The goal of a typical discourse is to defeat the opponent by proving him or her wrong. It is all about finding the weak spots and aiming right there. In such talk we don’t listen to each other, and if we do, our listening is selective: what can I prove wrong and what should I dismiss?

How do we feel afterward? From discussing controversial issues to arguing about mundane matters, we so strongly identify with our opinions that our opinions become us and a critique of what we say becomes an assault on who we are. Both victors and losers experience emotional damage: we are left being extremely angry or upset or slightly disgruntled or even just in a bad mood. As Danny DeVito said in the movie “The War of the Roses,”

“There’s no winning, only degrees of losing.”

An alternative to this type of discourse is the one filled with compassion. But first, I would like to say that talking with compassion does not mean to agree with everything your opponent has to say. When people engage in what they think is a compassionate discourse, they tread very cautiously, being afraid to offend or stir a controversy. Although this is considerate and nice, such discourse often doesn’t lead anywhere because people end up censoring their opinions and being squishy. We can hug each other and go home while reaching no consensus on topics as global as America’s involvement in the business of other countries or as personal as the existence of God and the purpose of faith.

But how exactly do we engage in a compassionate discourse? The goal is not to “win,” but to enrich our understanding of the issue and to realize the extent of our ignorance. It is to find where we might be wrong— why are we so sure of our position and where are our blind spots? As Donald Davidson, the late professor of philosophy at the University of California Berkley, explains, “If we want to understand others, we must count them right in most matters.”

Such understanding comes from a place of deep compassion. From the very beginning we have to be empathetic to the person while making in our minds at least the possibility that he or she might be right. In the end, we might not agree with their position, but to appreciate their view we must take in the whole context of their opinion.

To achieve this goal, we must listen with an open mind and with an open heart. It means to listen not only to the words, but also to the body language, to the intonation and to the unspoken. Karen Armstrong, a British author, recommends that we pay special attention to angry speeches in order to decode their meaning, making an effort to hear the pain behind the anger and frustration.

Compassionate discourse is assertive and kind, empathetic and honest. It might not be politically correct, it might touch raw nerves, but we must address difficult questions from the place of sincere caring. Instead of looking across, we will look in the same direction — at the issue itself and try to reach a consensus. We will no longer be opponents,

but companions. We will emerge from such discourse feeling peaceful and content while having a much deeper appreciation of a different viewpoint.

I hope you will soon have a chance to put these principles to practice, and in any case, I’m open to a compassionate discourse, well, about compassionate discourse.

AP Photo

Listening with an open heart and mind is key when communicating with compassion.

The College’s students are good neighbors This letter is written in response to Sydney Shaw’s article, “Love thy neighbor: Ewing’s plea,” published on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

By Regina Morin World Languages and Cultures Department

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Students are great additions to community life and Ewing neighborhoods.

I read with interest the article regarding problems off campus with the College students and the surrounding community. I teach here at the College and live in Ewing. I know the problems described in the article are real. I have experienced them firsthand at other institutions. However, I would like to come out in defense of the great majority of our students who do not cause problems and are responsible citizens of our community.

There are a number of houses around mine that are rented to our students. In the seven years I have lived in Ewing, we have never experienced any problems.

Today, I had a particularly heartening experience. I was walking my dog, as usual, when a pit bull came out of nowhere and would not leave us

alone, jumping up on me and grabbing at my dog.

I was scared to death, and truth be told, a little bit hysterical as anyone who knows me might imagine.

But the other dog’s owner was nowhere in sight.

A gentleman driving by saw the problem and stopped to help. Four young women from the College, runners, also saw the problem. One came and took my dog out of my arms to carry him, and all four of them surrounded me, putting themselves between us and the pit bull, while the other man distracted him.

They told me they were from the College, and I jokingly told them that so was I, and they might wind up in one of my Spanish classes. But the point is that I have great faith in our young adults in general because of what I see every day in our students.

While there are a few bad apples, students like the ones who helped me today should be commended. I believe that most of our students are like them.

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

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

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

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

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

page 10 The Signal March 19, 2014

Features

Spread the word to end the word

Best Buddies calls for an end of the r-word

By Chelsea LoCascio Correspondent

According to the Best Buddies program at the College, derogatory words like “retarded” can really hurt.

In fact, the sting of the word, regardless of its context, could be felt by the entire audience on Thursday, March 6, in the Library Auditorium as Best Buddies members, College students and various others recounted their emotions and memories in The R-Word Monologues as part of the club’s “Spread the Word to End the Word” week.

“It made it all real to me,” sophomore elementary education and psychology dual major Laura Stiefbold said. “I knew it was bad but this was real evidence.”

The event began on a serious note, as videos showed several

people who have been affected by the r-word because of a disabled relative or friend.

The videos immediately brought to life Best Buddies’s “spread the word to end the word” motto.

The tone of the monologues swayed between serious and upbeat as those recounting their pain could still look to the future with optimism.

People everywhere are advised to avoid offensive language and become an “UPstander” by positively confronting those who use the r-word, according to Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum executive director Lynne Azarchi.

Azarchi said that 10 percent of people are victims to the use of the r-word in a derogatory manner, and as many as 69 percent are merely bystanders to the act.

“Bullies just want power over you,” Azarchi said.

She then asked the audience to “pair share” and put themselves in a situation in which they must confront an r-word user.

She told people to tell the user that you heard them say the rword and then remain silent until the perpetrator realizes the effects of their offensive language.

No one truly understands the impact of the r-word until they have witnessed the passionate monologue that was given by College career and community studies (CCS) graduate Lauren Hyer.

Hyer screamed her feelings of disgust for the offensive word into the microphone for all to hear and the audience definitely got the message.

“I got chills multiple times,” said Diane Iannacone, a junior special education and history dual major and activities coordinator for Best Buddies. “When you hear

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Iannaccone calls for an end of the r-word. people’s stories, you put yourself in their shoes.”

Junior special education major and CCS house mentor John Nally said having a platform to speak out about issues like using the r-word is very important.

“They have a voice and to have a platform like this was needed,” he said. “(It) was needed 34 years

ago during institutionalization.”

Matt Iannaccone, a junior CCS student, said if he was the governor of New Jersey, he would fine anyone who used the r-word.

“It’s insulting just to say it … it makes them ignorant,” Iannaccone said. “I persuade other people to use words like unique, special or even magical.”

Deaf Awareness Day comes to campus

Ramos discusses his book.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

By Colleen Murphy Features Editor

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about two-thirds out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. Just minutes from the College’s campus is the century-old state-run Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf.

However, the College’s Deaf Hearing Connection president and senior communication disorders and deaf studies double major, Lea Marx, believes that

many people are unaware of deaf culture.

“It is important for the club to educate the College community,” Marx said. “There are major differences between the deaf world and hearing world that students should understand.”

To bridge this gap, the club held its annual Deaf Awareness Day on Wednesday, March 5.

“The Deaf Hearing Connection hosts Deaf Awareness Day each year to garner appreciation for deaf culture, as well as spread awareness of deafness,” Marx said. “We want (College) students to gain respect and understanding of the world of deafness. We aim to educate the (College) community, as well as entertain those who attend our events.”

Several events, each with an interpreter, were hosted throughout the day in the hopes they would “spread awareness of deafness, educate the College community about deaf culture, inform students about the communication options surrounding deafness and provide entertaining and interactive ways to learn about deafness,” Marx said.

The day included a panel of professionals in deafness and a showing of the movie “95 dB.” Angel M. Ramos also gave a lecture about his book, “Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle,” which explains the 1988 “Deaf President Now” movement at Gallaudet University. The day ended with a comedy show by C.J. Jones and Keith Wann.

Freshman interactive multimedia and computer science double major Kevin Bohinski, a student in ASL 101, went to the comedy show and said he could pick out “bits and pieces” of what the comedians were saying.

According to Bohinski, while he says the only major difference between the deaf and hearing is their way of communication, the comedy show did teach him more about the deaf community.

“It taught me that they have their own language, mannerisms, sense of humor and ideologies,” Bohinski said.

Marx encourages students to attend at least one event at next year’s event not only because they are fun and informative, but also because it’s a great opportunity to connect with those in the deaf community.

“Deaf Awareness Day is a great opportunity for students to engage with professionals in the field of deaf education, as well as people from the deaf community,” Marx said.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Wann tells jokes using ASL.

It’s been a bad week for Bill and Piers

By Johnanthony Alaimo Columnist

Juan Pablo can’t say ‘love.’

AP Photo

In a shocking turn of events, “The Bachelor” failed to unite two people in holy matrimony. How could this possibly happen? Juan Pablo Galavis failed to propose to any woman on the finale. He technically chose Nikki but didn’t put a ring on her finger. And you know what Beyoncé said about all that. Nikki and Juan Pablo are apparently still together, but honestly, I’ve seen more chemistry between myself and a slice of pizza. Once again, ABC has showed us that reality television is a hopeless place for love unless you’re

Flava Flav and a jacuzzi.

Bill O’Reilly, in a possible suicide attempt, said bad words against Beyoncé.

Does he not care for his life anymore?

The talking head/disillusioned idiot thinks Beyoncé is a bad role model for girls since she glorifies sex, especially in the “Partition” music video.

Listen, bitch, let’s get one thing straight: Beyoncé can sing about whatever the hell she wants. She owns you. She owns me.

She owns everyone. The meaning of life is to BE yoncé. So congratulations on your ticket to Hell. You’ve deserved it.

Talk show hosts are not having a good week, with Piers Morgan getting burned

by Chelsea Handler. Piers apparently

tweeted during a commercial break, prompting Chelsea to call him a “terrible interviewer” for not paying attention to his guests. Piers fired back, saying Chelsea wasn’t keeping his attention.

Well, Piers, you’re not going to be a bad interviewer soon once you’re show is canceled. Please don’t miss the flight with Bill O’Reilly.

AP Photo

O’Reilly better wacth his back.

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 11

A treat to welcome spring

Campus Style

By Jordan Koziol and Heather Hawkes Columnists

Walmart.com

Enjoy the start of spring with Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats.

By Colleen Murphy Features Editor Spring starts this week, and here is a great treat to kick off the season. I’ll admit, I’ve never made these, but they look so delicious and fun to make that I cannot wait to make them this year.

Kellogg’s calls these Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats, but I don’t think we need to wait until Easter to make them — these delicious snacks deserve to be eaten now.

Ingredients (for serving size of 12): • 12 plastic snap-apart 3x2-inch Easter eggs • 3 tbsp. butter or margarine • 4 cups miniature marshmallows • 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal • ½ cup M&M’S • Canned frosting or decorating gel (this is optional) Directions: 1. Clean then coat the inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

3. Add Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal.

Stir until well-coated.

4. Using greased hands, firmly press 1/4 cup of the cereal mixture into each plastic egg half. Use fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.

5. Place about six M&M’S in one half of each egg. Gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick.

Cool completely.

6. Decorate with frosting and additional M&M’S (if desired). Best if served the same day.

Expect this to take 40 minutes and enjoy!

This recipe is taken from the Kellogg’s website.

Dressing in business attire can be a serious struggle. There is a very fine line between conservative and chic, and the trick is to find the right balance between the two. As a young college student, you want to be able to display your youth and freshness, but you don’t want to look like a little girl playing dress-up.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be surprised with how many job offers you get.

when dressing for business events. An outfit should always give a little reflection of who you are, so don’t hesitate to add a tiny bit of yourself through a necklace, ring or even a jewel-accented blouse, as long as it is tasteful.

1. Size is everything. If you show up in a suit jacket that looks like it’s swallowing you whole or squeezing the life out of you, your discomfort will be evident, and it will be very difficult for an employer to take you seriously. Be sure to try on a suit jacket, skirt or pant before you make your purchase. Your outfit should be loose enough to allow you to move freely, yet fitted enough to still give you some shape.

2. Don’t be afraid to play with color.

One of the biggest misconceptions with business attire is that you are limited to only black and gray. A light-blue oxford shirt with a tan or beige pencil skirt and jacket is a great color combination to give your look a little more brightness.

You can virtually mix in any color that you want, so long as you’re careful not to stray away from professional. Pastel colors are great for giving just the right touch of chic.

3. Add your own personal touch. We always encourage uniqueness, even

cupcakesandcashmere.com

Even at work, adding your personal style is important.

Chitin may offer solution to plastic problem

AP Photos

Plastic quickly builds in oceans, but Chitin is a new compostable material made from primarily marine animals that might help the problem.

By Neha Vachhani Columnist It’s no secret that synthetically-developed plastics are among the worst products for the environment, yet they are consistently manufactured nationwide.

Regardless of BPA-free, recycled and supposedly “eco-friendly” replacements to traditional plastic products, the industry overall still negatively impacts the environment at an alarming rate. Plastic is so fiscally attainable that it has come to replace many other mediums. Petroleumbased plastics often omit toxic chemicals while being used, and once they are discarded, the waste builds up in oceans and continues to spread toxic pollutants that affect marine life.

Postdoctoral bio-engineer of Harvard University Javier Fernandez created black and white chess pieces made of plastic — but not the traditional hormone-ridden plastic that we have come to know. The plastic pieces are composed of a compostable material called “Chitin.” It is primarily composed of animal and insect byproducts — such as shrimp shells and butterfly wings. Fernandez raves about the abundance and how affordable it is because it can be found in almost every living organism aside from vertebrates and plants. Many audiences find themselves initially shying away from the concept of Tupperware made with fly wings. However, the reality of what plastic containers are made with currently are much more detrimental to

people’s health, as well as the environment. Although using Chitin for everyday household products is still a very hypothetical reality, it may be an affordable and environmentally cautious step in the right direction.

Since most of the components of the Chitin-based bioplastic comes from animals (primarily marine animals), the material is completely compostable and can be used as soil for household gardens.

Fernandez and his colleagues are in the works of processing a form of Chitin, called Chitosan, that could potentially be manufactured on a larger scale. In today’s society, everything comes down to cost and if this new form of plastic is healthier all-around and produced at a cheaper rate, the $375-billion-a-year

plastic industry is going to need to reevaluate their sources.

The Food and Drug Administration dictate that their approval is necessary before any chitosan-based plastic materials are used to package food products.

Similarly, the Environmental Protection Agency is placing a watchful eye on the manufacturing of variations of the chitosan plastics. There are other alternatives to petroleum-based plastics in the works, such as plant-based bioplastics.

Brands like NatureWorks derive sugar from crops such as corn and create clothing, water bottles and other consumer goods. Chitin offers a different solution to the plastic problem — one that uses discarded materials to create one of the most-used materials in the world.

page 12 The Signal March 19, 2014

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 13

Celebrating two long-time College workers

By Liane Librizzi Correspondent

Liane Librizzi / Correspondent

Brown and Coon mark their 25th year working at the College.

The number 25 can mean different things to different people. For a 5-year-old, 25 cents means being one step closer to that dollar bill. To a young adult, 25 years defines a final freedom into adulthood. But for Joyce Brown and Bertha Coon, it marks dedication to the College’s campus.

It was early afternoon and the brisk March air brought a chill into the Bliss lounge, where the ladies in navy blue attire sat, eating soup and sandwiches notably purchased from the Brower Student Center or some other on-campus food source. A College emblem was embroidered on one of their navy blue jackets, a pink ribbon for breast cancer placed on the other’s. Both women seemed to sit in their own state of friendship “bliss” (pun-intended), talking and laughing about personal matters and inside jokes.

Brown of Ewing and Coon of Trenton

both work as building maintenance workers in Bliss Hall. This August, Brown will be celebrating her 25th year serving the campus, while Coon will be following respectively in 2015.

“I’m here, thank God,” Brown said in reflection about her work on campus. “It really helped me along with my children.”

Brown had previously served in Green Hall and Holman Hall before working in her current position in Bliss. She has two children, her daughter, 32, and son, 27, who graduated from William Paterson University in 2010.

“I have worked hard, just to get them through,” she said.

Coon’s family resides in Newark while she lives in Trenton. She’s able to keep in contact with them periodically, but finds that working with people on campus has provided special connections that she enjoys.

As Brown added how she appreciates

students who show the slightest appreciation for her work, a student sitting at an adjacent table interjected.

“For the last seven years I’ve worked at a summer camp … (you’d be) surprised how little things can come off as rude and how it feels like a thankless job,” junior secondary education and English dual major Alyson Hogan said about her job as a lunch server. Hogan’s experience on “the other side,” as she put it, has challenged her own perspective about College workers and their commitment to the school. “It means a lot … when someone does … (go out of their way) to say hello or remember their name … so now I try to take that into account,” she said in a follow-up interview.

Coon and Brown smiled at the thought.

It was one thing to work at the College for 25 years — it was another to be understood and genuinely appreciated.

After all, 25 years is a very long time.

Behind the scenes of ‘Humans vs. Zombies’

By Mylin Batipps Nation & World Editor

With no trace of zombies left, students of the College can finally breathe again and continue their academic endeavors.

TCNJ Manhunt hosted “Humans vs. Zombies” from Monday, Feb. 24, at 12 a.m. to Friday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 p.m.

Played once or twice a semester, the game starts with one zombie whose objective is to tag as many humans as possible so they turn into zombies. The last human standing wins the game.

“The game has been around for about four years,” president of TCNJ Manhunt and junior history and secondary education dual major Jonathan Vanderhoof said.

The humans don’t have to just avoid the zombies, though, in order to survive. They can also temporarily stun the zombies, using Nerf swords, Nerf guns or sock balls. Players who are zombies are forbidden from playing the game for 15 minutes after they have been stunned. Players can only tag each

other inside the College’s residence halls and anywhere outside, but only on campus.

According to Vanderhoof, the latest game of “Humans vs.

Zombies” was a huge success.

“I know I had a blast playing it this time around,” he said.

“Those that played had an amazing time, and we had no major issues with the campus community that we have to adapt to.”

This game in particular was played a little differently than past games. It started off with a few veteran players who volunteered to be zombies, thus making it a little more difficult for the humans to avoid them. Nonetheless, the humans gave it their all and eight of them advanced to the finale after working together.

“Both the humans and the zombies were really enthusiastic and creative this past game,” Vanderhoof said.

Sophomore communication studies major Jared Sokoloff managed to stay in the game until the finale, which was his favorite part. The finale took place in the woods behind Lake Ceva, which was covered in ice and branches. Nothing but

darkness filled the sky.

“I love challenges like that,” Sokoloff said. “None of the humans thought they’d survive that part, but a few others and I made it through. The game was a lot of fun.”

This is not the only fun that TCNJ Manhunt has, though.

The club also meets every Friday night and some Wednesday afternoons to play various outdoor games, including “Capture the Flag” and “Manhunt.” According to Vanderhoof, TCNJ Manhunt assembles “a unique group of students.”

“What makes this club from year to year great are the people that come out and play,” he said. “We do have a large consistent group that comes every week to play.”

Vanderhoof expects the club to grow exponentially, and he hopes to someday make connections with other colleges and universities that play “Manhunt.” For now, though, his eyes are set on “Humans vs. Zombies” and the spring weather that is to come.

“We will be having a second game once it gets warmer,” he said.

Students are ‘married’ at the Queer Wedding Six couples celebrate the state’s step to equality

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

Ms. Rosetta Stone ‘marries’ students under the theme ‘A Celestial Celebration.’

By Tiffani Tang Correspondent Decked out with navy stars and white lights, the drawing room in Allen Hall received a makeover for PRISM’s 11th annual Queer Wedding. This year’s Wedding’s theme was “A Celestial Celebration.”

Six couples were “married”

by Ms. Rosetta Stone, a regular PRISM event attendee. “(We’re here) to witness the marriage of those who have helplessly and completely fallen

in love,” Stone said. “Marriage is a promise. Not just for today, but forever.”

The audience laughed and cried along with the “spouses” as heartwarming stories about when the couples first met were shared. “(Love) allows us to face uncertainty without fear,” Stone said.

Among the couples were lovers, best friends and supporters, who watched as they exchanged vows and gifts, such as rings, stuffed Pokémon and Ring-Pops.

“You may now kiss your man candy!” Stone said, making

everyone chuckle.

Some couples surprised their partners with an extra step.

There was a Celtic knot ceremony, original poems and an acapella rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” The 2014 Queer Wedding is especially important because New Jersey recently became the 14th state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage.

“What a difference a year can make,” Reverend Lisa King said.

A marble heart was passed

around the room and everyone was invited to voice what they thought about this major step toward marriage equality.

“Progress,” said PRISM’s campus advocacy chair, Ryan Eldridge, a freshman political science and Spanish double major.

Progress is happening as other states, such as Colorado and Nevada, follow suit and work toward marriage equality for all.

“It means that one day, I can watch my best friends get married,” freshman biology and secondary education dual major Ryan Goolic said.

Many other attendees agreed.

“I’ve been seeing this (event) advertised around campus since freshman year, but I’ve never been able to make it,” senior sociology major Biju Egwuonwu said. “I’m really excited, especially because

I’m graduating.”

There were a multitude of “I wills,” “I dos” and “We dos” exchanged between people who care very much about each other. Participants and spectators were joined together to witness these special bonds and were later invited to a reception in the Brower Student Center to celebrate with cake, music and lots of fun.

No one saw gender, sex or societal “norms.” There was only love in the air.

PRISM president Megan Osika, a junior English, secondary education and women’s and gender studies triple major, closed the night with some important words.

“Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow we continue to fight for justice,” she said.

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

The legislative progress the state has made is celebrated.

page 14 The Signal March 19, 2014

Arts & Entertainment

Oscar-winning cast in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’

AP Photo

Leto wins his first Oscar.

By Chris Minitelli Staff Writer

Among the very strong contenders at this year’s Academy Awards was the film “Dallas Buyers Club,” which is based on a true and very

important story. The movie takes place in 1985 and centers on Ron Woodruff (Matthew McConaughey), an electrician and rodeo swindler who contracts AIDS. Shortly after his diagnosis, Ron is ostracized by his friends and is forced to reevaluate his life. Once he realizes that Food and Drug Administration-approved medications and American doctors will not be able to save his and other AIDS patients’ lives, Ron begins obtaining other medications for them. As he begins this business, he partners with Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender male who is also sick with AIDS. While “Dallas Buyers Club” was a small-budget film that could have easily been overlooked, I think it

is fantastic that the exact opposite has happened for it. The story that is portrayed throughout this film is one that is definitely still very important and relevant.

While the storyline was very good in this film, the acting in it was even better. Ron Woodruff was amazingly portrayed by McConaughey, who has certainly come a long way in his career. I never expected to see such a strong and emphatic performance from McConaughey. However, with his incredible portrayal, he has certainly put aside any doubts.

Another noteworthy performance came from Leto, who played Rayon. While Leto may also be known for being the lead singer of the band 30 Seconds to Mars,

he has undoubtedly established himself as a strong actor. With his unforgettable performance, Leto definitely brought this complicated yet important character to life in more ways than most actors could have. Other members of the cast of “Dallas Buyers Club” include Jennifer Garner, Denis O’Hare and Michael O’Neill.

This film received a total of six Academy Award nominations, three of which it won. The film took home Best Hair and Makeup, along with Oscars for both Leto and McConaughey. All of these awards, especially those for the actors, were extremely well-deserved and ultimately solidified how important and significant “Dallas Buyers Club” really is.

AP Photo

McConaughey wins Best Actor.

Simmons dishes about life on the road

Courtney Wirths / Photo Editor

NGHBRS energizes the packed Rathskeller with alternative-grunge music.

By Michael Nunes Staff Writer

Not a table was empty on Tuesday, March 4, as a trifecta of talented performers took to the stage at the Rathskeller, entertaining Rat-goers with a collection of high-energy performances.

First to take the stage for the night was

the College’s local band, The Dundees. They primed up the audience with their acoustic guitar and soulful songs.

The Dundees only had two of their members, Matt Iayton and Dan Gibson, but their performance still felt like the complete experience. The band, who met each other their freshman year at the College, have been a common sight at Rat shows.

“We’ve been doing it together for two years. We have great chemistry,” said vocalist and guitarist Gibson.

According to Gibson and Iayton, The Dundees have performed at the venue over five times. Despite being such a recognizable fixture, they give every performance their all.

The second act of the night, NGHBRS, spiced things up with their new-age alternative grunge style. The Long Island natives’ powerful vocals sent shock waves of energy through the crowd. For lead singer Ian Kenny, playing to a packed house was a memorable experience.

“Sometimes we play college shows and no one shows — this is great,” Kenny said.

During the show, the band gave out a free download code to check out their newest album, “21 Rooms,” which came out last summer.

Next week the band will be heading to the South By Southwest music festival in Texas.

The headline performer, Jon Simmons, gave the crowd an intimate performance. He

not only enticed the crowd with his original songs and covers, but also told personal anecdotes about this life on the road.

As Simmons explained, it’s not every night he opens up to the audience about his drunken adventures in New York City eating pizza and conversing with a random taxi cab driver.

“No,” said Simmons when asked if he usually gets personal on stage, “tonight was special. I felt comfortable.”

The crowd responded well to his performance, and many thought he did deliver the goods.

“I came here to see Jon Simmons, and I was surprised by how good he was,” sophomore communication studies major Dylan Short said.

Simmons, who is the lead singer for the band Balance and Composure, performed without the rest of his band.

“It was a lot of fun — they were really good acts,” freshman English major Brooke Schmidt said.

R-rated ‘Achorman 2’ increases in size and humor

By Chad Berman Staff Writer Longer, funnier and even more outrageous than the original, the R-rated re-release of “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” can either be seen as an exercise in narcissism or a unique treat for “Anchorman” fan boys. Clocking in at two hours and 23 minutes, it is certainly not for those with short attention spans.

The R-rated “supersized” (as the film’s marketing team dubs it) version of the film barely earns its R-rating, featuring a few extra f-bombs and other profanities.

However, it includes essentially all new dialogue, while still hitting the major plot points of the original release.

It rids itself of the original version’s unnecessary and unfunny shark sequence, replacing it with a much wittier musical number about being a member of the LGBT community in the workplace. Brian Fantana’s (Paul

Rudd) condom sequence is prolonged and more hilarious than in the original. The scene in which the news team smokes crack while live on the air is also extended, which results in the film’s funniest sequence. Even the loud and bombastic Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), a much-maligned complaint of the original version, is more tolerable in the re-release.

This version allows the audience to see the actors engage in more improvisation, which is where they generate comedic gold.

However, due to this haphazard style of ad-libbing, the structure and pacing of the original “Anchorman 2” can be further appreciated.

It becomes blatantly evident why scenes were cut in the manner depicted in the film’s original release.

While the R-rated version is holistically funnier, it is often meandering and sloppy.

During the film’s climax, Ron Burgundy’s (Will Ferrell) son is playing the piano in a recital. The film cuts away to another location.

When it cuts back to Burgundy’s son, what are clearly an old man’s hands have replaced those of the young boy. It is an obvious and undoubtedly intentional gaffe of the filmmakers, as cinematic perfection is not director Adam McKay’s goal. He is fearlessly pushing the boundaries of his comedy and is providing the “Anchorman” faithful with what will likely be the last version of any “Anchorman” film ever released in theaters.

For those fans, this version of “Anchorman 2” can be enjoyed more so than the original theatrical release because of its unexpectedness, which reprieves the film of the elevated expectations of the original “Anchorman 2.” It need not concern itself with living up to the unreachable standards of the first “Anchorman” because it was never intended for theatrical release. Thus, it is a pleasant surprise for the hardcore fanbase. I repeat, hardcore fanbase.

Those who did not appreciate the original “Anchorman 2”

should not see this version, as it would only be an exercise in futility and masochism. To those who are not die-hard fans of the franchise, the film will appear as nothing more than pulpy excess.

While the dialogue is almost entirely original, the same style of humor and ostentatiousness is present within the re-release. The

oft-criticized aspects of the original “Anchorman 2” are only intensified in the R-rated version.

Ultimately, McKay has crafted a vibrantly and entertainingly fresh interpretation of “Anchorman 2” for his most pure and loyal fans, one that can be enjoyed sans the subtext of comparisons to the first “Anchorman.”

AP Photo

24 minutes of extra content is added to the R-rated film.

Mockingbird Sun makes country music fans

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 15

Courtney Wriths / Photo Editor

Dylan gives an intimate show.

By Michael Nunes Staff Writer

Ewing might be a long way from Nashville, Tenn., but that

did not stop Mockingbird Sun and their opening act, Erik Dylan, on Thursday, March 6, from giving a performance straight from America’s Heartland.

Cub’s Country Music Showcase was a day-long music event that started Thursday afternoon.

Setting up shop in the Brower Student Center, Mockingbird Sun gave students an acoustic performance in the hopes of getting them ready for a night of country music.

That night, Room 202 of the Student Center was transformed into the country music center on campus, complete with a stage

and cowboy outfits. Despite the meager turn-out, Mockingbird Sun and their opening act, Dylan, treated students to a more intimate performance.

Getting the mood going with his mid-western style songs, Dylan broke out his guitar.

Much of the Kansas-born singer’s songs were inspired by life back home, growing up in a blue-collar family.

“I get inspired by things that have happened in my life,” Dylan said.

With his songs like “There’s a Beer for That” and “Show Me Where the Party’s At,” listeners

got an insight into Dylan’s life.

Dylan, who estimates that he writes at least 200 songs a year, was happy to have people to perform for.

“What I loved the most was having everyone listening,” Dylan said.

Headlining the night, Mockingbird Sun played a medley of their hit songs, including “Lucky Guy,” which recently debuted on CMT. “It was a milestone for sure,” said keyboard player Truck Roley when asked how he felt seeing the music video for the first time on television.

The band takes their name from the mockingbird, which is a bird known for mimicking the sounds of other birds around it.

“Music is life — it is an analogy of what is around you,” Roley said.

When performing their song “Hometown,” the Nashville natives left the stage and got up close and personal with students.

“I enjoyed their enthusiasm despite the lack of crowd,” said junior special education and history dual major Diane Iannacone.

“I thought they were great and I’m usually not a country fan.”

Students show emotion at INK Reading Series

By Samantha Serra Staff Writer

The College’s creative writing organization, INK, hosted its Student Reading Series for this semester on Tuesday, March 4, in the Library Auditorium. Soft piano-playing filled the dimly-lit room, setting the stage for the three readers: Alena Woods, Blaire Deziel and Noor Azeem.

Woods, a freshman English major, began the event with nine powerful poems, echoing themes of religion, self-discovery and love.

Her first poem, titled “Matthew 5:30,” referring to the Bible scripture, immediately grasped the audience’s attention with its dark undertones and striking imagery, describing a girl’s first sexual encounter as “Eden in a

dirty room.”

“I used to be really religious when I was younger,” Woods said.

She also said religion has influenced her writing and how she explains things. Woods believes that since so many people can relate to religious themes, instilling it in her poetry helps to make it easier to connect with and understand.

The second reader, Deziel, a junior English and secondary education dual major, provided the audience with a bit of comical relief. Deziel’s 11 pieces of poetry, and one prose, were filled with wit, cynicism and plenty of cussing.

“I think people forget that I’m funny, so I said I’m going to read these today,” Deziel said about her humorous choice of readings.

From her piece titled “To the Boys on

OkCupid,” which addressed her colorful encounters with online dating, to her piece she created solely to make a “Uranus” pun, Deziel had the audience laughing through her whole performance.

Azeem, a freshman journalism major, was the third and final act of the night.

Azeem began with a piece titled “If I Should Have a Son,” mirroring spoken poet Sarah Kay’s piece “If I Should Have a Daughter.” The poem, which discusses the issues of accepting children for who they are, was captivating and thought-provoking, much like the rest of Azeem’s performance.

“I find it a lot easier to write when I’m pretending to be someone else,” Azeem said.

Many of her poems, such as her piece titled “10 Texts I Never Sent You,” are based on experiences her friends and

family have had, or sometimes ones she created herself.

“A lot of the times ideas for poems will come to me if I imagine a certain scene or a phrase out of the blue, and I can get a better feel for it if I mold an imaginary situation around it, rather than twist my own experiences to fit into it,” Azeem said.

Her imagination and creativity definitely showed during her performance Tuesday night, along with the other talented writers.

“I thought they were all fantastic,” president of INK and junior English major Carly DaSilva said.

DaSilva, who joined INK as its president this year, loves the reading series events and hopes more people will apply as well as come to admire the talent found here at the College.

‘Good Luck Charlie’ breaks Disney traditions

By Kelsey Collins Correspondent The Disney Channel sitcom “Good Luck Charlie” is in every way like the typical comedy show aimed at tweens: the show revolves around the lives of the Duncan family and their antics. The oldest daughter, Teddy, begins to make a video diary for her sister, Charlie, when she is born and signs off every entry by saying, “Good luck Charlie.” The show broke the traditional Disney mold a few weeks ago when they aired an episode called “Down a Tree” that featured Disney’s first ever same-sex couple.

The visit of a same-sex couple bringing their daughter to have a playdate with Charlie was mixed

into the episode along with Teddy and her friend getting ready for college and the oldest Duncan child dealing with being unable to pay his rent for his apartment.

This decision was met with some controversy and was protested by the conservative group One Million Moms, who considered this to be a political decision and not age appropriate for children. Others viewed the decision as progressive, such as former Disney star Miley Cyrus who tweeted, “I commend Disney for making this step into the light of this generation.”

I was quite impressed with Disney’s decision to include a samesex couple on one of its shows, especially since it is such a bold and somewhat risky move. When

I was younger and watched shows such as “Lizzie McGuire,” “That’s so Raven” and “Even Stevens,” I remember the shows included real-life issues such as racism, eating disorders and smoking. For a while it seemed that Disney was content with producing shows that only portrayed characters who were pop stars or actors living the life of the rich and famous.

“Good Luck Charlie” is the first show that Disney has produced in a while that is reminiscent of its original shows because it portrays the life of a normal family that deals with everyday problems. Bearing that in mind, it only makes sense that Disney would take the step to introduce a same-sex couple.

Nowadays, it’s quite common

AP Photo

A same-sex couple is featured on the Disney Channel. to meet a family with two moms or two dads, and it’s about time that a kids’ TV show addresses this modern-day reality. I liked the way Disney approached the topic — it was not political in any way, but merely reflected the changing times.

Although the Duncan parents were a bit awkward at first, they were gracious the entire time and realized that the two moms, Cheryl and Susan, were just like any other parents. I say kudos to Disney for demonstrating how easily this topic can be approached.

Modern Baseball dives into Rat crowd

By Kimberly Ilkowski Staff Writer The floor in front of the stage became a sea of brightly dyed hair, body piercings and pop punk apparel on Friday, March 7, as excited fans welcomed Citizen and Modern Baseball to The Rathskeller.

The walls were shaking as everyone in the full house was singing and head banging along to the music, in between bites of their cheesesteaks and onion rings.

Modern Baseball opened the night with their feel-good music and it was clear they were having fun on stage.

Brendan Lukens and Jacob Ewald, both on vocals and guitar, Ian Farmer on bass and Sean Huber on drums, played songs off their 2012 debut album, “Sports,” and

their recently-released album, “You’re Gonna Miss It All.” Modern Baseball played the songs “ReDone,” “Tears For Beers,” “Your Graduation” and “The Weekend,” which the crowd turned into a sing-a-long.

In between songs, the band would talk to the audience — which was comprised of the College students and outside fans — about their favorite television shows, movies and plans for spring break.

“There are some very cool shows here,” Ewald noted of the CUBRat event.

CUBRat co-chair Matthew Mance, a senior interactive multimedia major, has had an incredible experience working with the organization and helping get the acts to campus.

“There’s no other place like the Rat on campus,” Mance said. “A place … where

people have the opportunity to let go, where people can make connections with likeminded individuals and actually feel like a part of something — a crowd, a community, a family.”

The Rat was enveloped with chaos once Citizen took the stage, immediately inducing a mosh pit.

Vocalist Mat Kerekes, guitarists Nick Hamm and Ryland Oehlers, drummer Jake Duhaime and bassist Eric Hamm, had kids running around on stage with them and diving into the crowd.

Citizen recently began The Greatest Generation World Tour with headliners The Wonder Years, alongside Modern Baseball, Real Friends and Fireworks.

The hardcore band played songs off their 2013 album, “Youth,” and 2012 album,

“Young States,” including the songs “How Does It Feel?,” “Figured You Out” and “I Still Shut My Eyes.”

“If you know the words to the song come on stage and sing along,” Kerekes said.

The energy continued to rise in the Rat as the audience screamed the lyrics almost louder than the vocalist himself. Eric Hamm shredded so hard on his bass that after only two songs he began bleeding from his arm while Modern Baseball’s Ewald and Huber joined in and stage dived into the crowd.

Packed shows like this one make organizers like Mance glad to be so involved at the College.

“Music can change and save lives,” Mance said. “Here’s hoping that we’re bringing that potential experience to everyone we can.”

page 16 The Signal March 19, 2014

ARA 245 Modern Arabic Society and the Media: (taught in English) Readings and recordings will address major topics such as democracy and development, nationalism, Islam, feminism and the status of women, and socialism.

SPA 370 Literatura Mistica Hispanica: will cover the poetry and narrative work (via spiritual guides and short stories) of important mystics, ascetics and religious figures of the Spanish-speaking world. The course will cover from the late Middle Ages to contemporary Spanish-America. Some of the authors to be studied are Raimundo Lulio, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Fray Luis de León, Lope de Vega, Ignatius of Loyola, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Miguel de Unamuno, and Ernesto Cardenal, among other authors.

GER 101 German for Beginners I: An introduction to spoken and written German. Prepares student for situations which may be encountered in German-speaking countries.

ITL 312 Italy Since Unification: Learn about Italian contemporary history starting from 1861. Discuss major historical periods, issues related to Italian society, politics and culture, such as Feminist and Student movements, Environmental issues and Immigration.

SPA 210 Spanish for Heritage Speakers: Strengthen your Spanish speaking and writing skills and learn about HispanicAmerican culture.

For native Spanish speakers only

SPA 270 Cuentos de terror, de locura y de muerte: Will explore Latin American tales of horror, death and madness. This course will examine how these short stories illustrate evil, violence, fear, madness and magic, and how they perpetuate and subvert categories of gender and class within the framework of literary genres such as family drama, parody, magic realism and science fiction.

RUS 236 History of Russian Film: No knowledge of Russian is required, although students with Russian-language expertise can opt to take the course for LAC credit. Students will come to understand the richness of the Russian cinema, and will demonstrate appreciation for the leading filmmakers, landmark films, and aesthetic trends in the history of Russian film.

WLC 371 Asian Cinema in Global Context: (taught in English) Do you know what these terms “Bollywood, WuXia and Japanimation” mean?

This course explores 3 distinct Asian cinema genres—martial arts/wuxia, anime and Bollywood.

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 17

Lions Fantasy World Nothin’ But Net

By Mike Herold Fantasy Sports Editor

The Scoreboard

One of the things I love about sports is how unpredictable they are. One team can always beat another team, just as one player can always outper- (1) Fantasy Guys (19-0)* Owner: Mike Herold form another player. There is some rhyme and reason, but sometimes a wild (5) Team Amaral (11-8) card will pull through and take home the glory.

This unpredictable nature is why the fans keep coming back year after Owner: Marco Amaral year to support their lousy teams. You never quite know when a team will turn things around and become a contender, like the Miracle Mets or, well, (6) Team Molicki (8-11) the Clippers this year. You can also never tell when a team is going to be Owner: Chris Molicki completely under whelming, like the “Dream Team” Eagles of a few sea- (9) Team Matos (4-15) sons ago or the Cowboys pretty much every year. It makes things interest- Owner: Rob Matos ing, never really knowing what’s going to happen. It makes talking about sports more fun, because there can be discussion and debate about which (8) Team Reynolds (5-14) player is better or which team will eventually win.

Owner: Amy Reynolds All of this is really only a lead-up to the focus of this column, of course.

It’s a sports column after all — gotta keep things a little on the unpredict- (2) Off the Backboard (14-5)* Owner: Bryan Dunphy-Culp able side every now and again.

The real thing I want to shine a spotlight on today is the crazy world of sports betting. More specifically, I’m going to talk about odds in sports, (7) Rasheed Wallace (7-12) Owner: Pete Fiorilla which I maintain are perhaps the single dumbest part of sports coverage.

See, I’ve been hearing more and more about the odds of certain things (10) Team Jha (0-19) happening in any given sporting event. I’ve been watching the graphics Owner: Ashray Jha outlining the odds of a certain team coming back from a blowout, and how unlikely it was that they eventually did. The most glaring example was (4) Team Vazquez (12-7) during the NFL playoffs, when the Colts upset the Chiefs, where the “odds Owner: Victor Vazquez makers,” whatever they are, told everyone how unlikely a comeback was (3) Love Train (15-4) on almost a minute-by-minute basis. It was remarkable, really, how uninOwner: Gabe Allen teresting the odds made the comeback, especially when you took a closer look at them.

Here’s why odds making in sports is incredibly foolish: Sports, unlike cards or slot machines, do not contain certainties. Sports are played by people, who can always do better or worse than might be expected. People can also get injured, and no odds maker in the world will convince me that every injury is predictable.

So telling me that a team only has a 26.3 percent chance of victory at any given moment just makes me laugh. The odds maker probably doesn’t know, for example, that the star player of the “favored” team just ate some bad eggs and will miss the second half because he’s stuck, well, doing something unpleasant.

All this is to say that Warren Buffet is offering a billion dollars to anyone who can pick a perfect NCAA March Madness bracket. He’s doing this as a “safe bet,” apparently, since the odds of picking one are somewhere between a billion and 92 quintillion to one.

I, of course, entered this and every other potential big-bucks bracket challenge, because a billion dollars sounds really good to me. The odds don’t really scare me.

Sports may be unpredictable, but hey, anyone can get lucky.

1726 1117 1261 854 1343 1584 760 577 1327 1750 *Division Winner

Fantasy Player of the Week

AP Photo

I May Be Wrong, But...

Here’s what I would do in Fantasy Basketball this week: Trade: With the playoffs officially starting in many head-to-head leagues, plenty of teams will be out of the running. If you’ve made the cut, it’s a good idea to offer crazy trades to those who didn’t, since they might just say yes. An offer of Jared Sullinger for Chris Paul, usually insane, could now be viable.

Be Cautious Of: The Others. No, not a mysterious group of people on an island, but the other players in your fantasy league, especially the other playoff participants. While you trade, add and drop to maximize your playing time, they might be waiting to grab any good player you drop for a game, so be careful that you don’t give up a good player at any point.

Add/Drop: The regular fantasy season is a time when you can sit back with a dominant team and not add and drop players to maximize playing time. The playoffs are a time to see what teams are playing every night and change your roster daily. Go nuts with it, you never know when adding Reggie Jackson or Josh McRoberts could swing a fantasy match.

Look Out For: The San Antonio Spurs. OK, so this isn’t fantasy advice, but for basketball junkies, the Spurs just might be the most fun team to watch. They play basketball the way it was always meant to be played, with a focus on taking the open shot and always helping out on defense. It’s enough to make a Knicks fan weep.

AP Photo

page 18 The Signal March 19, 2014

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 19 Cheap Seats

NBA’s tanking issue overblown by media Put away your pitchforks, basketball fans

By Kevin Lou Staff Writer

The NBA is entering the Adam Silver era, after David Stern was the commissioner for the past 30 years. In comes new commissioner Silver to build on the work done by the Stern administration.

One of the most controversial topics right now in the league is the topic of tanking, or losing on purpose to try and get a better pick in the upcoming draft. In the NBA, it’s great to be a winning team, but it isn’t that easy to build a contender. One method is the way the Miami Heat won the championship: adding a couple big-time free agents — Lebron James and Chris Bosh coming to help star Dwyane Wade in 2010 — and building the team around them. This method is not practical for every team, though, especially teams in smaller markets that can’t attract stars as easily.

Another way to build a contender is to stockpile assets — first-round picks, promising young players — and trading those assets for a superstar. The Houston Rockets combined these strategies when they traded young assets for star guard James Harden before last season and signing star center Dwight Howard in free agency.

The only other way to build a contender in the NBA is through the draft. Technically, gems can be found anywhere in the draft. Most of the stars are drafted with high first-round picks, though, and the way to get high first-round picks in the NBA is to be bad. This is how the Oklahoma City Thunder was built. As the Seattle Supersonics, the team drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in consecutive drafts, all in the top five.

In the NBA draft, the way the draft order is determined is all the teams that don’t make the playoffs are put into a lottery.

The teams with the worst record have the most lottery balls and the highest chance at the No. 1 overall pick with each ensuing team having less and less lottery balls.

This system rewards losing in an attempt to try to have more parody in the league.

Therefore, the worst place in the league to

College stars like Wiggins are the payoff for tanking. be is in the middle, the seventh or eighth seed in a conference, or right outside the playoffs, a basketball purgatory of sorts.

Year by year, teams on the cusp of the playoffs will fight for a berth, but teams who have no chance at the playoffs are essentially in a race to the bottom. This is where tanking comes in. Are the bad teams trying too hard to be bad?

Tanking is a more pertinent topic in years when there are more and better potential “prizes” in the upcoming draft. This year, it is such a big topic because this upcoming draft class is considered to be the best since 2003, with promising prospects like Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. It’s obvious teams are tanking: The 76ers have lost their last 20 games and the team they put on the court every night just doesn’t look like it can compete.

They’re the most obvious example, but a lot of the other bad teams in the league appear to be tanking as well.

With all this said, I don’t think tanking is an issue in the NBA. Even if they aren’t playing that well, the players on the

AP Photo

tanking team are still playing hard. These players are playing for contracts and pride. Do you think 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, who has been a solid player in the league for a few years, is just going to stop running on the court and not look to score? Do you think Jazz forward Gordon Hayward, another solid player, is just going to suddenly start taking bad shots and dribbling the ball off his foot?

No player wants to play badly, even if they know their team is tanking, and coaches don’t tank either. If your team performs too poorly, you can get fired and you may struggle to get another coaching job on par with your current one. Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens knows the team he has lacks some talent, but he’s not going to coach to lose. He’s still going to run offensive and defensive sets. He’s still going to emphasize good ball movement, good effort and smart play from his team.

Tanking pertains more to the front office and the organization as a whole. General Managers of a tanking team may look to trade decent players they don’t see as

part of their future to open up more playing time for young players (while at the same time worsening their current year roster).

Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie traded his starting center Spencer Hawes to the Cavaliers midseason because he wasn’t going to be a part of the team’s future, and he could help the team win. Team owners and presidents may talk their coaches into giving younger players more playing time over veteran players who might be better for the current year’s team. They may encourage their talented players with injuries to sit out as long as possible.

Even though tanking might be rewarded in the NBA, it isn’t an exact science.

It isn’t like the NFL where the worst team gets the best pick. The worst team only has a 25 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick. The team with the worst record has only won the draft lottery and the No. 1 pick four times in the history of the draft lottery, which has been around for almost 30 years. There also aren’t players coming into the draft that are considered can’t-miss star prospects every year that are worth tanking for.

One of the biggest issues some analysts have with tanking is that it hurts the fans.

The paying customers that drive the league are being punished by these organizations when their tanking teams aren’t competitive. This may be the belief by some fans, but I think a lot of fans, especially the bigger fans, can see the big picture. Fan bases for bad teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz have started campaigns like “Winless for Wiggins” and “Sorry for Jabari.” They see that the organization realizes that they aren’t currently talented enough to compete for a title and getting a star prospect or two in the draft can help them compete in future years.

The NBA wants fans of teams of struggling teams to have hope that their teams can be successful in the future and they want the league to have as much parody as possible. All of these factors make me believe that tanking is not as big a problem as some people make it out to be.

Baseball

Baseball enjoys a sunny start in Florida trip Lions start out season on above .500 run

By Matthew Bowker Staff Writer

For most college students, a spring break trip to Florida is a vacation, a break from work and a time to relax. For the College’s baseball team, their annual spring trip to Florida was anything but a vacation.

The Lions played nine games in just eight days and finished their trip with a respectable record of five wins and four losses. The team’s five wins were the most victories the College has won in Florida in the three years since the Lions began their annual Florida season-opening trip.

The College opened its season against No. 17 Wheaton College with a tough 11-4 loss in Winter Haven. The Lions were scheduled to open their season on Friday, March 1, with a doubleheader at Immaculata University, which was canceled due to snow. The two sides are looking to reschedule those games. Oswego State was ready to visit the Lions

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The pitching staff combines for an admirable ERA of 4.67.

the following day, but that game was also canceled due to snow.

The Lions’ pitching rotation in Florida was led by junior pitcher Connor Smith, who went 2-0 in his two starts, with two

complete games and a stellar 1.69 ERA. This is Smith’s first season playing for the College after transferring from Division l Wagner College.

The entire pitching staff, including the

bullpen, combined for an admirable ERA of 4.67.

The pitchers were not the only one to excel in the warm weather. The Lions offense was firing on all cylinders with a combined batting average of .307, with nine different Lions hitting over .300. However, when the Lions were not driving the ball, they showed great patience at the plate. The College totaled 23 walks during their ninegame swing, including a team high of nine by junior outfielder Joe Dispoto. This all led to the Lions having a stellar .370 onbase percentage.

All in all, the Lions enjoyed a very successful season-opening trip — from hitting to pitching to defense, the Lions were strong in every aspect of the game.

This season, the Lions will look to exceed last season’s success when the College finished sixth in the NJAC, but fell to Ramapo College in the second round.

The Florida trip was the first step in the right direction to doing just that.

page 20 The Signal March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014 The Signal page 21

LIONS

AROUND THE

DORM 5 3

Matthew Bowker “The Ref”

Chris Molicki

Managing Editor

Gabe Allen Staff Writer

Courtney Wirths Opinions Editor

In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Matthew Bowker, asks our expert panel three questions: who are the biggest winners and losers in NFL free agency so far, which two teams from the NHL’s Metropolitan division will squeeze into the postseason and what team should be favored to win it all in March Madness this year?

1. NFL free agency is underway, and a lot of big names have already been signed.

So far, who is the biggest winner and the biggest loser of free agency?

Chris: It’s the obvious answer, but it’s the right answer: the Denver Broncos. Denver has been very active in bolstering their defense, and they’ve made the most big moves. First, they got DeMarcus Ware, a premier pass rusher in this league, to plug into their already fearsome front seven. Then, they grabbed Aqib Talib, one of the best corners in the NFL, and a better one than Denver has. Finally, they shored up the secondary with a solid safety in T.J. Ward.

Let’s not forget, the Broncos were one game from the Super Bowl last year, and the Seahawks showed them that a good defense can go a long way. Last time I checked, the Broncos’ problem wasn’t offense, and even if they lost Eric Decker and may lose Knowshon Moreno, Peyton Manning and his crew will likely roll.

Kudos to them for being aggressive.

AP Photo

Gabe: There have been some teams that have made solid moves already this NFL offseason. In my opinion, the most notable are the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and

Philadelphia Eagles. While the Colts added Hakeem Nicks to their WR core to join T.Y. Hilton and a hopefully healthy Reggie Wayne, and the Ravens added Steve Smith to pair

with Torrey Smith, the Eagles have had the best offseason thus far in my opinion. Trading a fifth-round pick for RB Darren Sproles has to have Chip Kelly psyched for the new season, as Sproles is sure to continue his excellent production in Kelly’s high-octane offense and provide valuable support and relief for star RB LeSean McCoy. The Eagles also signed Jeremy Maclin to a one-year deal, and while Maclin is coming off of a torn right ACL, he has been a big contributor in recent years for the Eagles, and it was feared that someone else would swoop in and sign him away from Philly. If things keep going at this rate, Kelly is going to have a lot of new toys to play with in the upcoming season.

Courtney: There is no such thing as a free lunch, but there is free agency. I’d say we are looking at our biggest winner being Tampa Bay with their new acquisition of Josh McCown. The biggest loser is Chris Molicki, who’s been on a strict turkey sandwich diet.

Chris wins for pointing out Denver’s focus on defense, Gabe gets 2 points for remembering Maclin can still be productive, and Courtney gets 1 point for highlighting McCown. race, and made a huge acquisition in trading make the playoffs. They also upgraded their for Martin St. Louis. They also have the best defense having acquired Andrew MacDonald goalie of these teams, which is a huge factor. from the New York Islanders. The Jackets will As for Washington, they’ve got the second fall behind the Flyers and Rangers because best power play in the league. If any team Sergei Bobrovsky has been struggling, and he is going to take an advantage of an opportu- had a very lackluster Olympic performance. nity, whether it be a power play or a playoff Further, the team lacks the defensive depth spot, they’re the most likely to. And, oh yeah, to help lift the team out of their slump. Still, they have Alex Ovechkin. With talents like injuries to key teams in the division should Ovechkin and Henrik Lundqvist, I expect the slow them down enough to allow the Jackcream to rise to the top. ets to slip into the playoffs. The Washington Gabe: The Penguins can lose every game Capitals also suffered a seismic blow to their from here on out and still win division, while playoff chances, as wing Dan Cleary has no the Rangers, Flyers and Blue Jackets are all timetable for return. These teams have been right about even. The Rangers are going to inconsistent all year, and losing key players is AP Photo make the playoffs, led by Henrik Lundqvist, never a good thing.

2. The NHL is coming into the home- two playoff positions. Which two teams one of the top goalies in the NHL, as well Courtney: Picking two teams from the Metstretch of the season, with teams having from the Metropolitan can squeeze their as veterans Brad Richards, Rick Nash and ropolitan Division is always tough. I think we just under 20 games remaining to be way into the playoffs and why?

Martin St. Louis. The Flyers have the second- will likely see the Penguins and the Capitals played. In the tightest race in the league, Chris: Although it pains me to say this as a most third period goals in the NHL, meaning in the playoffs. Both teams bring a key player the Metropolitan Division has five teams, Devils fan, I have to go with the Rangers and they’re fighters. They simply aren’t going to — the Penguins with Sidney Crosby and the separated by just four points, fighting for Capitals. The Rangers are the leaders in this give up and that’s why I think they’re going to Capitals with Alex Ovechkin.

Gabe wins for highlighting each team’s strengths, Chris gets 2 points for including the importance of goaltending, and Courtney gets 1 point for mentioning the top stars.

3. March Madness begins this week. with great upside and ability, and yet the Which team do you think has what it majority of teams have been inconsistent takes to win the National Championship? enough that picking a true favorite isn’t Chris: It might sound a little crazy, but so easy, but if I had to pick one team as maybe the team that hasn’t lost yet? Wich- the favorite, I’d take Florida. Earlier in the ita State has been on a tear this season, season, if you’d asked me this question I’d and it’s not a fluke. Sure, their schedule have told you Kansas is the unquestionwas easy, but keep in mind, they did beat able favorite, but with Joel Embiid dealing Saint Louis on the road — along with ev- with a back issue that will keep him out eryone else. Cleanthony Early is the best through the first two rounds at least, the player. He can score from anywhere on Jayhawks are no longer my favorites. With the floor and provides a huge matchup head coach Billy Donovan at the helm and problem. Ron Baker has gone from just a a very balanced attack, the Gators haven’t sharpshooter to an excellent ballhandler lost since Dec. 2, and while fellow No. and calming presence. Fed VanVleet, who 1 seed Wichita St. hasn’t lost all season, broke out during last year’s Final Four they’ve faced considerably lesser opporun, has emerged into one of the best point nents. Wichita St. did make it to the Figuards of the country. And Tekele Cotton nal Four last season, and are considerably gives the Shockers a very solid fourth op- better this year, so I think they have a real tion. The biggest thing to remember is that shot at winning it all this year, but if I have this team has been there before — they to pick a favorite, Florida’s size up front made it to the Final Four last year, so they and depth is too hard to pass up on. know what it takes. After not losing much Courtney: Who has what it takes to go from the previous season, I truly believe all the way? Tough question. There is a lot that Gregg Marshall and his squad could that could happen in the coming weeks. make it all the way.

I’d say Duke has what it takes. They are Gabe: This year’s March Madness looks backed by a lot of school spirit. Though like it may be the most wide-open in tour- I’d love to see the CONJ come out of nonament history. There are so many teams where and steal the spotlight.

Chris wins for highlighting the mismatches that Wichita poses, Courtney gets 2 points for her school spirit, and Gabe gets 1 point for questioning Embiid’s health.

AP Photo

Chris wins Around the Dorm, 8-6-4

page 22 The Signal March 19, 2014

fun stuff The Thought of the Week: A Final Update on: twitch plays pokemon

Well, the interest had to fade at some point. Nearly a month after the phenomenon began, the journey that is Twitch Plays Pokemon, while still being played, has now fallen out of the public eye.

Down to just under 20,000 viewers at the most important recent event, it is safe to say that the internet has lost interest, proving perhaps once and for all that this experiment was the most pure and perfect showing of what the internet is that we’ve ever seen.

The story ended well, with the players defeating their original team from Red version with their new team in Crystal.

In doing so, the players showed not only growth, but that they, like the rest of the world, had moved on from this adventure.

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 23

I don’t remember exactly what my friend said about March Madness...

...So I’ll put it in BRACKETS!

Fun Facts with Morgan Freeman •More people are killed annually by donkeys than in aircrashes •Coca Cola was originally green •If you spell out consecutive numbers, you have to go up to one thousand until you would find the letter “a” •The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

•Pearls melt in vinegar.

You know you read these in my voice.

page 24 The Signal March 19, 2014

SUMMER and WinTER SESSiOnS

aT T Cn J

STaRT THiS SUMMER in SaLEM, MaSSaCHUSETTS! LiT / WGS317 / EnGL670 THE WiTCH in LiTERaTURE For more details on this Maymester course please email summer@tcnj.edu, or visit us at: http://www.tcnj.edu/intersession Memorial to those who were killed during the 1692 witch trials in Salem.

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

more fun stuff

March 19, 2014 The Signal page 25

An Easy Guide To: Picking your Perfect March Madness Bracket

• Don’t pay too much attention to regular season schedules • Good coaches can win games; bad coaches can lose games • Teams that are from the same conference usually perform similarly • Be wary of top teams with inconsistant offenses • Don’t pick a team just because they have NBA talent

• If, in the 8-9 matchup, when the team from the big conference is underacheiving and playing a scrappy team from a small school, pick the scrappers.

• Most importantly, be either psychic or extraordinarily lucky

Good Luck!

page 26 The Signal March 19, 2014

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March 19, 2014 The Signal page 27

ports Week In Review AP Photo

Like us on Facebook to follow the College’s breaking news.

Number of wins per season Men’s Swimming 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 0

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2

4

6

8

10

12

Check out the new and improved Signal web page!

Team total: 204 Alex Spark 53 Jillian Nealon 35 Jen Garavente 34 Lauren Pigott 23 Erin Waller 20 Kendal Borup 11 Lauren Karpovich 9

ST U D E N T AT H L E TE O F

THE WEEK Scott Lisa

Track & Field

Earned All-American status

Senior Scott Lisa placed eighth in the heptathlon at the twoday 2014 NCAA Division III Championships. This effort made him the College’s first All-American in this event. In addition to finishing eighth, Lisa broke the school record, previously set by the senior in January, with 4,947 points. The heptathlon consists of seven different track and field events.

This week’s picks from the staff Point leaders

(NBA) Bulls

vs. Pacers

(NBA) Spurs vs. Warriors

(NHL) Kings vs. Capitals

Andrew Grossman 3

vs. Devils

Sports Baseball March 19 vs. Gwynedd-Mercy University, 3:30 p.m.

March 20 @ Penn State Abington, 3:30 p.m.

March 21 vs. Drew University, 3:30 p.m.

March 22 @ Muhlenberg College (DH), 11:30 p.m.

March 25 vs. Arcadia University, 3:30 p.m.

Softball March 20 @ Muhlenberg College (DH), 3 p.m.

March 22 vs. SUNY Cortland (DH), 1 p.m.

March 25 @ DeSales University (DH), 3 p.m.

Women’s Lacrosse March 20 vs. Gettysburg College, 6 p.m.

March 22 @ Neumann University, 12 p.m.

March 25 vs. Ursinus College, 7 p.m.

Mike Herold 3 Julie Kayzerman 3 Chris Molicki 3 Peter Fiorilla 2

Swimming March 19-22 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Division III Chamionships

Amy Reynolds 1

?

Signal Trivia

?

(NHL) Wild

The Horizon For

How many feathers is on an Olympic Badminton birdie?

AP Photo

Last week’s Signal Trivia Answer:

The only sport to be played in outer space is golf. On February 6, 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit a ball while standing on the moon.

Signal

Sports

Two wrestlers earn All-American honors Broderick, Zotollo make noise at nationals

By Andrew Grossman Production Manager

Four wrestlers at the College flew three hours into the depths of Iowa to face off in a tournament against the country’s elite. While many wrestlers had dedicated their lives to reaching this stage, these four only had a two-day window to make an imprint and hoist a national title.

Sophomore Dylan Thorsen and freshman Kevin Corrigan both made their tournament debuts at 149 pounds and 125 pounds, respectively, and while the results did not go their way, the underclassmen learned what is necessary if they want to return next year.

“Dylan’s (opening match) was against the No. 1 kid in the country, who (eventually) took second, and he lost by a point or two, so he gave the kid all he could,” senior 174pounder Zach Zotollo said. “Kevin lost his first match in overtime to the kid who ended up taking third, so both were right there with the top three guys in the country so they wrestled really (well) … they will both be back next year and will be making noise.”

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Broderick finishes as national runner-up at 184 pounds.

As for Zotollo and the returning 184-pound nationalist finalist senior Brian Broderick, both seniors had experienced the tournament last year and knew exactly what to expect coming in.

“We have been there, and when you walk in there, it is a pretty cool arena, so there is a shock value at first,” Zotollo said.

“I think just being there before and knowing the environment, it helps you out with the nerves to

help you prepare.”

For the 174-pounder, his tournament was filled with close matches, with the main one coming in the quarterfinals against the top seed — and eventual champion — from Wartburg College.

“It was a close match and there was a questionable take down where it was called a take down and then they reviewed it and actually reversed it so that match is going to hurt for a while because

I really thought I had that one,” Zotollo said of his 1-0 loss. “I had a lot of close matches and a lot of tough ones, and I came out on the losing end.”

Although it may not have been the ideal ending, Zotollo can still be proud of reaching All-American status for the second straight year after finishing sixth in the country.

“It is not the best way I wanted to finish by any means, but anything could happen out here.

Anyone can be beaten and anyone can win matches,” Zotollo said. “Just being out on the podium and being a two-time AllAmerican (is cool) because not many people can get to experience that, so I can’t really get down on myself too much.”

As for Broderick, he was determined to make it back to the national finals. After winning four straight matches, the No. 2 seed was in the same position this year.

Unfortunately, the senior lost a close 3-1 overtime decision to the top seed from Wabash College.

“I think that loss is as hard as it gets when you are right there and it is that close,” Zotollo said. “Brian deserved to win and that kid deserved to win because he was a great wrestler, but sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”

Despite the upsetting finish, there is still a lot that Broderick, who finished with a career record of 108-8, can be proud of.

“Brian is an unbelievable wrestler and one of the best wrestlers that I have watched,” Zotollo said.

“He has been a great teammate and a great guy to have around, and he wrestled awesome all weekend.”

Lax stays perfect through four games Lions take care of business over break

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Natalicchio scores the winner against Manhattanville.

By Andrew Grossman Production Manager

It is just about a quarter of the way through the season, and the women’s lacrosse team is

Lions’ Lineup March 19, 2014

I n s i d e

standing firm. In their previous two games, the No. 7 Lions have outscored their opponents 37-3, bringing their record to an impressive 4-0.

“I think coming into this season,

we thought we would start off pretty (well) because a lot of our harder teams were later in the season,” senior midfielder Lauren Pigott said. “You are going to have some weaker teams and you are going to have some harder teams, but no matter what team you come across, you don’t take them lightly and you still play your game, so I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

While the Lions have definitely dominated their opponents thus far, their first true test of the season came against Messiah College, who at one point trailed by five points. The women were not fazed, however, and came back to clinch the game 16-14 in the final minutes.

“We really came together in the second half and just pushed it to the final whistle,” Pigott said. “We have to remember to be a full 60-minute team and not just step it up when we are losing. I think that true colors of an

athlete really come out when you play a good team, and we didn’t give up and we ended up winning in the end of the game.”

Leading the Lions against Messiah was junior attacker Kendal Borup. Not only did she score seven goals, but she also tied the game late in the second half. Just a few moments later, Borup was at it again and scored once more to give the Lions their first lead of the game.

“Kendal was definitely a standout and performed well in that game,” Pigott said. “I think everyone has been doing well, (but in our biggest game) against Messiah, Kendal stepped it up and scored a majority of the goals, so I am really proud of her for that.”

In the two games following Messiah, the Lions were never threatened, beating RutgersCamden and Manhattanville College 19-2 and 18-1, respectively.

“Those are some of the

weaker teams that we play, but it is still important that we don’t take them lightly because we still have to come out strong and we still have to play our game,” Pigott said. “We know that sometimes it’s hard for a team to continue their level of play against a weaker team and I think we did a good job of playing to our standards.”

This Thursday, March 20, the Lions will be back in action at home against No. 6 Gettysburg College.

“It is going to be good going in against them with a 4-0 record because we have confidence and we are doing (well) so far,” Pigott said. “I am pretty confident that if everyone is on their Agame, and if we (communicate) well with each other and prepare well this week, then I think we are going to come out on top.

This will be a huge win for our team and help us move on with the rest of our season.”

46 53 Around the Dorm page 21

Baseball above .500 page 19

NBA tanking not an issue page 19

The Odds Problem page 17