The Signal No. 4 2/8/2012

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Women ‘open up’ for V-Day

W.I.L.L. held an art show in support of the

Fashionably fabulous! ‘Project Runway’ winner Anya Ayoung-Chee dropped by the College on Monday.

upcoming “Vagina Monologues.” See A&E page 16 See Features page 13 The College of New Jersey Student Newspaper since 1885

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February 8, 2012

Suite life off-campus for students at the College Housing lottery to begin next week Local hotels are options No. 4

Vol. CXXXVI.

By Jamie Primeau Managing Editor and Tom Ciccone News Editor

Upcoming renovations of Cromwell Hall have caused the housing lottery to undergo some remodeling as well. An email from Residential Housing and Education on Feb. 1 offered information about the housing lottery process, as well as announcing the school’s plans to use hotels near campus as an extra option for upperclassmen. Students interested in living on campus can register for the lottery between Feb. 13 and 19, according to the email. On Feb. 22, rising sophomores will receive time slot information, and the upperclassmen find out on Feb. 23. “There will be approximately 1,000 upper class beds available, and about 2,000 rising juniors and seniors who are eligible to apply,” said Ryan Farnkopf, director of housing operations for Residential Education and Housing. “Housing won’t know exact numbers until after the application period has ended, but I project we’ll receive about 1,400-1,500 applications.” Rising sophomores, who are all guaranteed housing, will be placed in Decker Hall, Eickhoff Hall, New Residence Hall, Centennial Hall, Brewster Hall and most of Townhouses West, while rising juniors and seniors, who receive

time slots, can choose from Townhouses East, Townhouses South, Hausdoerffer Hall, Phelps Hall, the College Houses and parts of the Townhouses West, the ResEd email said. Because of Cromwell Hall’s closure, Norsworthy, Allen and Ely Halls will be used for first year housing, Farnkopf confirmed. Three years ago there was a similar shortage in spots when Decker Hall underwent renovations, resulting in sophomores living in parts of Townhouses during the 20092010 school year. This was also the first time sophomores moved into Eickhoff Hall. “It does compare to that,” said Sean Stallings, executive director of Residential Education and Housing, acknowledging the potential lack of beds for juniors and seniors. “The difference is that we have a larger sophomore class, because last year it was a very large freshman class.” “We see that we may come up short and that’s why we started exploring the hotel option in the first place,” he said. The Courtyard Marriott and the Element by Westin are considered top options among five hotels that are being evaluated by the College, the email said. The Holiday Inn Princeton, the Trenton Marriott and the Churchill Corporate Services are also bidding for approval to house

students of the College. According to Stallings, the final decision is pending contracts. Another major change to the lottery is the removal of a $100 deposit to secure students’ participation in the lottery. Stallings said, “I’m waiving the $100 deposit because of the timing of it,” explaining how in previous years students would have such information as early as January, and now housing runs close to the time of spring break. Expanding upon this idea, Farnkopf said, “With the loss of Cromwell, we anticipate having more bed spaces than applications, and do not feel as though requiring a deposit is worth the effort this year.” As defined on the housing site, a time slot is “a randomly generated date and time on which students are eligible to pick a room. Because Housing usually receives more applications than we can accommodate, not every student receives a time slot.” Students who do not receive time slots can choose to be placed on a waiting list, and Farnkopf anticipates that a significant portion of waitlisted students will probably be removed from it before the fall begins. ResEd plans to schedule information sessions about the various housing options and encourages students to check the housing site for updates.

Photos courtesy of Residential Education and Housing

The Courtyard Marriott, left, and the Element by Westin, right, are two of five hotels bidding to house students next year. By Jamie Primeau Managing Editor

Living in Eickhoff Hall is commonly compared to staying in a hotel. With swipe access cards and personal bathrooms, this residence hall has been considered among the top choices for students at the College. Now, there’s a shift in the housing system, as residing in hotels is actually an option for upperclassmen. Complete with access to the facilities’ fitness centers, pools and weekly maid service, 140 beds will become available for rising juniors and seniors, according to recently released information on the Residential Education and Housing website. While the College has yet to sign contracts or confirm which hotels will be used, two likely locations are the Courtyard Marriott and the Element by Westin, both in Ewing and approximately three miles

away, according to Sean Stallings, executive director of Residential Education and Housing. “These are two of the top finalists, pending the final award of the contract,” Stallings said. Further information provided on the College’s housing website states that students who would like to live in hotels must sign up separately from the on campus housing lottery. Rooms will be assigned on a first-come, firstserve basis. Those selecting the hotel option will enter a contract, which will be managed by Residential Education and Housing. For this reason, students cannot choose hotels and then decide to switch on-campus, Stallings explained; but if a student does not receive a time slot for the on campus lottery, the hotels may be an available option. see HOTELS page 5

Fiocco trial deferred By Matt Huston Staff Writer

Kate Stronczer / Staff Photographer

Performers dazzled students in Brower Student Center on Thursday with an assortment of daring circus acts. see A&E page 17

File Photo

John Fiocco Jr. was found dead in 2006 as a freshman. to Terrie Cook, the judge’s team leader. The trial is the latest scheduled proceeding in a threeyear-old lawsuit over the 2006 death of Fiocco, who was a freshman at the

Triple loss for wrestling team The wrestling team faced a triple loss this past week although Denver shined.

Carats, cut, color and clarity Married alumni taught students the ins and out of buying the ring.

See Sports page 21

See News page 5

INSIDE

Circus in the STUD

A trial in the legal confrontation between the College and the parents of John Fiocco Jr. has been postponed until May 7, according to a court official. The trial was originally scheduled to begin on Feb. 6. Deputy Attorney General Karen Jordan planned to leave the state attorney general’s office, necessitating additional time to find new representation for the College, according

time of his disappearance. The cause of his death remains unconfirmed. The Fioccos charge the College with liability in their son’s death due to residence hall security gaps, which they say enabled an intruder to enter Wolfe Hall, where Fiocco was last seen alive. They allege that an unnamed College alumnus has privately admitted to murdering Fiocco. No criminal charges have been made in connection with the case at this time.

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