Spring '25 Issue No. 8

Vol. LIII, No. 8

The Signal

‘Direct from Domingo’: Marcello Hernandez performs CUB comedy show

By Victoria Gladstone and Alena Bitonti Former Editor-in-Chief and Arts & Entertainment Editor

Marcello Hernandez, best known for his role on “Saturday Night Live,” came to campus on Feb. 4 to deliver a witty comedy show to a sold-out audience in Kendall Hall.

Hernandez’s headliner performance began with jokes about the College, stating he heard everyone was under the effect of the many steam pipes around campus and he was served food from Eickhoff Dining Hall that made him “not feel so good.” His routine also included personal anecdotes about growing up in a Latino household, the chaos of air travel and his “I don’t care” attitude toward current political debates.

New York City-based actor and comedian Tait Winston opened the show and put on display his talent for speaking in accents.

The College Union Board Live Event Coordinator Nicole O’Sullivan played a large role in planning the show, starting back in November, and was happy with how the event played out.

“I could not be happier with how the event turned out,” said O’Sullivan, a senior marketing major. “Everyone was laughing and smiling, which was all I could ask for after putting so much hard work into this event with

the rest of my LIVE board.”

Tickets for the event went on sale for the campus community on Jan. 28, but seating was on a first-come, firstserved basis. Students began to line up outside of Kendall Hall as early as 3 p.m. for the 8:30 p.m. show. Upon arrival into the theater, all audience members were required to put their phones and electronic devices into a sealed pouch with Yondr, a phone-

free experience company Hernandez’s management team requested to be used.

“I honestly think the crowd was more engaged and Marcello performed in a more carefree way because there were no phones,” said O’Sullivan. “Marcello ended up performing for way longer than he was contractually supposed to, which goes to show that he was having a great time too.”

Trump executive orders could impact TCNJ policies and programs

By Tristan Weisenbach, Ally Uhlendorf and Isabella Darcy Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editors

President Donald Trump has signed a slew of executive orders since his inauguration on Jan. 20. Many of the orders are wide-ranging, covering issues such as immigration, federal funding, diversity and inclusion policies and more.

“An executive order is a directive by the head of the executive branch, the president, to the executive branch agencies or all the federal bureaucracy about how they should be interpreting the law going forward,” political science professor Sara Morell told The Signal. “While congress passes laws, the executive branch implements the law.”

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the College may feel impacts from some of these executive orders if fully enforced.

Morell said there is “a lot of uncertainty” about which executive orders could affect the College’s policies and procedures.

Some directives issued by Trump target undocumented immigrants, increasing enforcement efforts to arrest and deport them. Michael Bernstein, the College’s president, declined a request for an interview at this time, but sent an email to the campus community on Jan. 28 announcing that “the college cabinet is closely following announced changes in policy coming from the federal government.”

Bernstein’s email directs students to the Dean of Students office for any questions or concerns related to federal policy changes.

The president also wrote that if anyone on campus is approached by a federal official, they should direct them to the Office of the General Counsel in Green Hall. This office is the only entity on campus authorized to accept formal documents such as subpoenas.

A memo sent by Trump’s budget office days after his inauguration enacted a freeze on nearly all federal loans and grants. However, this memo was rescinded two days later after widespread confusion and concern, according to AP News.

“A lot of faculty funding comes from the research that we do, some of which is funded by the federal government,” Morell said.

OPINIONS page 4

Understanding DEI

Given a recent wave of federal pressure, many people have come to missunderstand what DEI actually is.

Amidst the confusion, Christopher Fisher, interim dean of the school of humanities and social sciences, sent an email to HSS department chairs on Jan. 30 directing them to continue work on all sponsored awards unless otherwise directed.

School of Education Interim Dean Tabitha Dell’Angelo also sent an email to her school’s community, addressing an executive order that directs the secretaries of education, defense and health and human services to work with the U.S. attorney general on an “ending indoctrination strategy.” This will be done through examining funding streams and building a plan that eliminates funding schools that have any K-12 instruction that “directly or indirectly support or subsidize the instruction, advancement or promotion of gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology,” according to the executive order.

“It’s really disheartening to know that your students won’t be able to understand the world as a whole and they’ll only get a tainted view of what Trump wants to see in classrooms,” junior elementary special education and history major Brendan Branosky said.

Trump has continued to sign executive orders, raising many potential situations for higher education institutions such as the College. It remains to be seen whether these executive orders will be fully enforced by federal departments and agencies.

EDITORIAL page 5

RSO hate speech

The Signal reports hate speech to Student Conduct, no punative action taken.

CUB who hosted the comedy show, held a ticket giveaway to promote the event. Members of the CUB Live board announced on Instagram livestream that they were at a secret spot on campus and gave front row tickets to the first ten people who found them.

Hernandez, 27, has been a cast member of NBC’s comedy series “SNL” since 2022. One of his most famous sketches, performed alongside featured host Ariana Grande, was a parody of the Sabrina Carpenter song “Espresso,” sung by a group of bridesmaids to the bride, Chloe Fineman. He played ‘Domingo,’ a man the bride had an affair with on her bachelorette trip.

“I am probably Marcello’s biggest fan,” said Ben Bisignaro, a sophomore communication studies major who was one of the first students to wait in line. “I grew up watching ‘SNL’…and [Hernandez’s Weekend Update Skit] really made me fall back in love with ‘SNL.’”

Bisignaro later was called up on stage by Hernandez during a short questionnaire portion to sing a few lyrics of Chris Stapleton’s country song, “Tennessee Whiskey.”

To find more CUB events like this one, visit their Instagram page @tcnjcub.

Faculty responsibilities get an update in the LIONS Plan

By Raeanne Raccagno Copy Editor

Before the start of the spring semester, the College’s faculty was informed of LIONS Plan updates regarding faculty responsibilities in terms of workload, support of scholarly activities and a teaching release model.

Suzanne McCotter, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, biology professor Matthew Wund, and chemistry professor and Faculty Senate President Abby O’Connor signed an email to the College’s staff, detailing the progress their LIONS Plan working group has made.

According to the email, the additional workload for full-time faculty is no longer being considered after conversations between the LIONS Plan working group, the College’s President Michael Bernstein and many stakeholders. The canceled proposal is also due to an improved budget outlook along with stakeholders making arguments for the usefulness of maintaining the teacherscholar model described in the Memorandum of Agreement #62.

In the early 2000s, the College underwent an academic transformation that changed the faculty’s workload.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT page 9 Trentones compete

The College’s accapella team peformed in the ICCA quarterfinals with hopes of advancing to the semis.

See LIONS Plan page 2

SPORTS page 12 Men’s basketball update The men’s basketball team sits at 15-5 with a real chance to claim their second straight NJAC Title.

Marcello Hernandez performed in front of a sold out crowd in Kendall Hall.

Photo by Erin Reily

Photo by Andre Paras

Uncertainty looms over executive orders.

Over 1200 high school students participating in TCNJ dual enrollment

By Raeanne Raccagno Copy Editor

The College’s dual enrollment program, designed to give students more access to college classes and encourage them to apply to the College in the future, is profiting more than the estimated revenue this academic year.

From September 2021 to September 2023, the College received a $1 million Opportunity Meets Innovation Change Grant. The grant was designed to partner with local high schools in Trenton, Ewing and Willingboro. It aims to give high school students access to “TCNJ-rigor coursework,” according to Ivonne Cruz, executive director of student success and retention.

The grant mandated that the College explore ways to advance dual enrollment with state high schools, and it has been doing so since 2023.

“Our dual enrollment model allows students to earn TCNJ college credits by successfully completing a course offered at their high schools,” Cruz said. “Research shows that earning college credits while in high school increases the likelihood that students will attend and complete college.”

This academic year, 1220 students are taking 1514 courses through the dual enrollment program. The group of students will be a focus for recruitment and their readiness for post-secondary classes will be monitored if they attend the College.

The projected revenue from the program was $234,000 but due to more partnerships and courses offered, the profit will exceed that. Students are charged $550 per course and final calculations will be summed at the end of the semester.

This 2024-2025 school year, the College has partnerships with 14 school districts involving 24 high schools.

“TCNJ’s strategic working groups identified the dual enrollment program as a worthwhile initiative that would increase TCNJ’s visibility among potential applicants and help defray the cost of a four-year degree for future students,” Cruz said.

According to the College’s dual enrollment webpage, high school students who register for the College’s credits will have their application fee waived, and be enrolled as non-matriculating

students, giving them access to library services. The students’ dual enrollment grades will be calculated toward their college GPA if they decide to attend the College.

Most of the courses offered are at advanced placement level, with the curriculum being structured by the College Board. Non-AP courses need to go through an approval process, and the curriculum and instructor’s resume are reviewed by the appropriate academic department at the College, according to Cruz.

Most of the dual enrollment courses are taught by the high school’s teachers, except for one. The exception is a course at Trenton Central High School, where a professor from the College teaches due to an arrangement from the OCIA grant.

Currently, there is no limit to how many dual enrollment courses a student can take. According to Cruz, many New Jersey and Pennsylvania high schools have reached out to join the dual enrollment program for the next academic year.

Cop Shop: Winter break and first week roundup

By Alena Bitonti Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Signal and Campus Police work together on a weekly basis to inform the campus community about crime on and around campus. All records given to The Signal are public records and do not contain personal information. Some information provided may be triggering for some students.

Dec. 17: Carjacking on campus

The campus community was informed via email at approximately 6:10 p.m. of a suspected armed carjacking incident that occurred on the top level of Lot 7. The stolen vehicle fled off campus in an unknown direction.

On Jan. 30, Chief of Police Timothy Grant sent an email providing an update. No members of the campus community were involved as criminals or victims in the incident, and the stolen vehicle has been recovered. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the crime. The investigation is ongoing.

Dec. 24: All I want for Christmas is a flooded townhouse

A fire alarm at Townhouse South was triggered due to a burst heating pipe, caused by an open window. Water leaked from the first-floor ceiling, spreading across the floor and into multiple rooms.

At 9:50 a.m., Ewing Township Fire Department and Prospect Heights Fire Department arrived on the scene.

Despite attempts to silence the alarm, they were unsuccessful. By 9:59 a.m., the College’s HVAC specialists and building services were contacted for assistance. Students were relocated for the time being. At 10:52 a.m., the alarm system was reset and returned to normal, allowing students to remain in residence.

Jan. 7: Burnt burrito

At 7:45 p.m., Campus Police arrived at Travers Hall after a caller reported an unclear fire alarm panel reading. The panel showed no active alarms, but the system indicated a fire alarm activation. Upon entering the third floor, officers noticed a

faint cooking odor that grew stronger and a slight haze in the hallway.

It was determined that a resident had been cooking a burrito on a hot plate, causing the alarm to sound. The student attempted to silence it by fanning air below the smoke detector head, and the audible alarm stopped. The Ewing Fire Department arrived on the scene, and the resident was instructed to open windows. The alarm was reset and all units cleared the scene.

Jan. 14: Smoke break gone wrong

Campus Police were dispatched to Lot 7 for a fire alarm activation. Upon arrival, the audible alarm and lights were activated. The fire alarm panel indicated smoke detection in the Stairwell 1 elevator shaft. The Ewing Fire Department squad arrived on scene and determined that smoke from a cigar activated the alarm. The cigar was already extinguished by the time of their arrival, and the alarm was reset.

Jan. 15: Please no more hot plates

Campus Police were dispatched to the third floor on Travers Hall at 11:20 a.m. in response to an active fire alarm. The source was traced to a hot plate sitting on a desk, along with an order of burnt food, but no signs of fire.

Ewing Township Fire Department and Prospect Heights Fire Department arrived at 11:30 a.m. and determined there was no threat to life or property. The alarm was reset, and the resident was advised that hot plates were not permitted in dorm rooms.

Jan. 27: Forcina Hall allergic reaction

A female student self-administered an EpiPen in Forcina Hall at 10:27 a.m. after experiencing an allergic reaction. Campus Police arrived at 10:35 a.m. and found the student sitting in the last row of the classroom, alert and not in immediate distress. The student told Campus Police that she had eaten an energy bar which she was unaware contained nuts, and her throat began to close up.

EMS arrived at approximately 10:45 a.m. and seated the patient on a stretcher

to perform their own evaluation and questioning. Due to an elevated heart rate and throat pain, she was transported to Capital Health Medical Center.

Jan. 28: Unconscious student Campus Police were dispatched to Trenton Hall after a student passed out, hit her head, and was found unconscious and bleeding. Upon arrival at 9:40 a.m., officers found the student seated in a wheelchair. She had bruising on her face and dried blood in her hair. Her head laceration had stopped bleeding and did not require further care. She was transported to Capital Health Medical Center for further evaluation.

Jan 28: Car break-in

The campus community was informed via email of a burglary and attempted car theft of a 2015 Hyundai that was parked in Lot 7. The email stated that investigators have reason to believe the thieves are targeting older model Hyundais.

Campus Police gave away a limited number of The Club-style steering wheellocking devices on a first-come, firstserved basis. The investigation is ongoing.

Jan. 28: Intoxicated student

At 11:30 p.m., Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated student in Cromwell Hall. The female student was lying on the ground and going in and out of consciousness. She was accompanied by three others who repeatedly called her name, causing her to respond. The student began to vomit in a garbage bucket.

EMS arrived at 11:33 p.m. and took over care. The student had consumed approximately eight shots of Pink Whitney vodka. As TCNJ EMS monitored her vitals, she continued vomiting. Campus Police found the bottle of Pink Whitney in a backpack under her bed.

Ewing Township EMS arrived at 11:42 p.m. and transported her to Capital Health Medical Center for further medical assistance. TCNJ ProStaff confiscated the alcohol, but no charges were filed under New Jersey’s Lifeline Amnesty Law.

Jan. 29: Seizure

On a report of a student having a seizure in the Education Building, Campus Police arrived on scene at approximately 3:35 p.m. They found the student alert and conscious but struggling to answer basic questions about his location and the day of the week.

EMS arrived at 3:40 p.m. and took over patient care. The student refused further medical assistance, but EMS advised the student that if he were to have another seizure that day, he would be transported to the hospital.

Jan. 29: Medical emergency in New Res

A student in New Residence Hall was transported to Capital Health Medical Center experiencing fatigue, a headache, and a numbing sensation. Upon arrival at 11:32 p.m., Campus Police found the student laying on his bed alert and conscious. At 11:35 p.m., TCNJ EMS arrived and assumed patient care.

The student reported having difficulty walking from Wolfe Hall to New Residence Hall to see his girlfriend and had been feeling ill since approximately 10:30 p.m. According to the student’s girlfriend, his symptoms worsened over time and Excedrin was the only medication he had taken.

Jan. 30: Booted

While conducting parking enforcement in Lot 17, Campus Police booted a gray Ford Focus. The vehicle with New Jersey registration had three unpaid citations totaling $150, making it bootable. Two additional tickets were issued — one for not having a valid decal and another for the boot placement — bringing the total outstanding fines to $250.

February 2: Bad lunch in Eick

A student in the dining hall reported feeling faint at approximately 12 p.m. TCNJ dispatch was called, and upon arrival of Campus Police, the student mentioned that her stomach was upset and she was not feeling well. Ewing EMS arrived and evaluated the student, who declined medical attention and transport. The student returned to the dining hall.

This academic year, the College has partnerships with 14 school districts.

Photo by Erin Reilly

Campus Town restaurant Blueberry Tap + Kitchen closes permanently

By Aidan Mastandrea News Editor

After opening just a year ago, Blueberry Kitchen + Tap in Campus Town has closed down for good. The closing comes just 11 months after its grand opening in February 2024. According to their website, Campus Town has seen an influx of businesses occupying their locations in recent years. The likes of Redberry

frozen yogurt, Mexican Mariachi and Frutta Bowls reside in buildings directly across from the College’s campus.

Blueberry Kitchen + Tap was filling the shoes of Arooga’s restaurant, which inhabited the same building for just over a year prior.

After Arooga’s shutdown in 2023, the new venture seemed like a much needed replacement.

“It’s a great place and a great

LIONS Plan / Faculty to see more support

Continued from page 1

“There was an MOA between the union, the AFT and the administration at that time that said that three of the faculty weighted hours, or the equivalent of one class, would be used for scholarship,” McCotter said. “And three would be used for mentoring, advising and course redesign.”

The LIONS Plan proposed increasing the faculty workload by the equivalent of seven classes across the year.

“That was what we were thinking about and trying to come up with, would this work? What would this do to who we are at TCNJ and what’s the trade-off with it? So those were the questions that we were thinking about,” McCotter said.

McCotter, O’Connor and Wund also said in the email that they will be writing to the Steering Committee to ask for Shared Governance to consider a change in the Faculty Professional Activity Form and Library Professional Activity Form, which are documents that confirm how faculty and librarians are accounting for their time.

The change to the FPAF/LPAF form would require post-tenure faculty to account, more thoroughly, for their creative or scholarship process aligning with their individual disciplinary standards’ expectations. It will also be proposed that faculty who are not engaging in a scholarship program, as described by MOA 62, either seek an

community,” A.K. Patel, one of the restaurant owners, said to The Signal after the grand opening. “We want to make sure that every customer comes in and has fun.”

Despite the lively environment, the restaurant struggled to bring in customers.

“We only went several times last semester, but that seems to be more times than the average TCNJ students because everyone always laughed when we said we were going there,” said Kathleen McMullen, a fifth year deaf and hard of hearing early childhood education major at the College. “Also everytime we went there, it was pretty empty.”

The food and drink menu was vast and filled with many classics, along with some surprise options such as grilled octopus and duck legs. Described on their website as “Where Fork Meets Fun,” the food and atmosphere was targeting its college audience. Whether it be with Happy Hour or DJ Bingo night, Blueberry Tap + Kitchen tried to be a successful staple at the College.

“For me, this seemed to be a very lowkey place to go to at night for cheap drinks and a fun environment to hang out with your friends to play trivia and bingo,” said McMullen.

There are some students that will miss the short lived restaurant.

“I am so sad to find out about the closing because their happy hour deals were unbeatable,” said Aislin Fine, a deaf and hard of hearing elementary education and sociology major at the College. “I hope all the workers find new work opportunities.”

A representative from Campus Town did not respond to a request for a comment on the restaurant’s closing.

Campus Town’s building six was also once home to Landmark Americana Tap and Grill. The restaurant and bar was a part of a major controversy in December 2018. According to My Central Jersey, David Lamar V, a West Windsor resident had too much to drink, left the restaurant and proceeded to get behind the wheel of his car. Consequently, Lamar was a part of a head-on collision, injuring five and killing the designated driver, 20-year-old Michael Sot, a student of the College.

The campus community was hit hard with this news and the restaurant was closed less than a year later in November 2019.

After Landmark Americana’s closing, and with Arooga’s and Blueberry Kitchen + Tap lasting only about a year each, time will tell how Campus Town plans to fill the space in the future.

alternative administrative assignment or attain their three faculty-weighted hours via instruction.

“We expect that the shared governance process, in collaboration with the AFT, will develop a modified FPAF/LPAF that is thorough, fair, not too onerous to complete and which will efficiently integrate with the five year review process,” the email said.

According to the email, discussion has begun on funding the reinstatement of scholarly activities, and in the coming weeks, the College will ask for a volunteer task force to help reimagine SOSA.

“We want to make sure that we are taking a really open and honest look at, what are activities of our teacher scholarmodel that we can support with SOSA?” McCotter said. “You don’t often have an opportunity to re-envision something that’s been going on for a long time, so we want to ask people to think creatively about it.”

The email also disclosed that the Council of Deans, in consultation with AFT, is developing a model to equitably allocate teaching releases to department chairs and program coordinators. According to McCotter, for about the past 20 years, the College has been trying to come up with a consistent design for department chair reassignment.

Due to the absence of a determined formula, different departments have decided on their own teaching releases, leading to inequity. Once the new model is fully developed, a letter to Steering will be considered by Shared Governance.

The email outlines that there will be an increase in tenure track positions which will be assigned based on demand, along with reviews of disciplinary trends and evolving teaching practices.

The email also noted that the more positive budget outlook is a plus, but more will need to be done “to make sure that our organization is as efficient and sustainable as possible.”

“The better budget outlook is the result of really hard and sometimes difficult work by everyone on the campus,” McCotter said. “We don’t want to take that for granted, this has been a real team effort and will continue to be a team effort.”

New director of online learning to make learning accessible for all students

at The College

By Victoria Gladstone Former Editor-in-Chief

The College has a new director of online learning to help make online learning as accessible as possible for all students and to encourage the growth of continuing education programs.

Ellen Farr, formerly a staffer at the Department of Special Education, will fill this role and says she aims to improve the learning experience for undergraduate students as well as graduate students and “life-long learners” or those who wish to come back to school after working in their field.

“There’s been a renewed focus on expanding educational opportunities beyond our traditional undergraduate students,” said Farr, who affirmed that undergraduate learners will still be the primary focus.

As the new director of online learning, Farr will be looking closely at the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II to ensure a certain level of accessibility for all online tools. Her role will be focused on the delivery of resources in classes

and supporting faculty in good course design. This position has no say over the content or how professors choose to teach their students.

The Office of Instructional Design restructured Farr’s new role to consider the new initiatives surrounding emerging graduate programs and the upcoming TCNJ 2027: Extending Our Excellence strategic plan that looks to “address a new audience of learners,” she said.

According to the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s website, Farr “works closely with campus partners to promote a culture of teaching excellence and studentcentered learning.” She has been an employee of the College for over 25 years, starting out as a curriculum writer who designed inquiry-based lessons for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Farr graduated with a doctoral degree in design of learning environments at Rutgers University. At the start of her educational career, she attended the College to study elementary education and history. She later went back to the College to receive her masters in educational technology.

Photo by Erin Reilly

Blueberry Kitchen + Tap was located in building six of Campus Town.

Photo courtesy of Ellen Farr

Judi Cook and Ellen Farr at a professional development conference.

Photo by Andre Paras Faculty workload may be increased.

People do not fully understand what DEI actually is

been a highly contested issue within these past few weeks.

By Lake DiStefano Opinions Editor

President Donald Trump has made many changes within the first few weeks of his second presidential term. Among his many contested ideologies, the main one I see argued the most is that of his distaste for the various diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies throughout the country — both on a federal and private level. DEI is essentially any program or policy which aims to provide access to minority groups. Such policies are often facilitated by training programs, resource networks and recruiting practices.

The debate centers mostly around the feasibility and necessity of such policies. After all,

the American dream, in all its flawed yet endlessly cited glory, is inherently a meritocracy.

My curiosity regarding this was sparked recently when, during a news conference about the tragic Jan. 30 plane crash in Washington, D.C., Trump adamantly suggested that DEI programs were inadvertently responsible, due to allowing “less qualified” air traffic controllers to be involved in the operation.

In tandem with Trump’s impassioned condemnation of DEI, a slew of companies have rolled back their internal DEI policies as a result of this federal pressure, including Amazon, Target and Toyota.

This idea of help towards those perceived as diversity hires, however deserved, sits awkwardly

C-Store is unnessacrily overpriced

By Deeya Doshi Correspondent

The other night, I was walking and decided to go into C-Store. I was on the hunt for a sweet treat, and it was close and therefore convenient. I was browsing the aisles when I started noticing the absurdity of the price tags.

All the prices were high, as they always are, but when I got to the milk section, I was particularly alarmed. C-Store was selling a quart of Almond Breeze sweetened vanilla almond milk for $7.05. I saw this 32 oz container — the size of a medium water bottle — and I was shocked by how much it cost.

Initially, I excused it with the fact that almond milk is expensive, and what do I even know about groceries? But then I looked up the price in comparison to other grocery stores, and what I found was worse than I had expected.

C-Store’s almond milk cost almost three times as much as the same one at our local Target. Target sells the almond milk for $2.39, compared to C-Store’s $7.05.

In the interest of avoiding outliers, I found other stores selling the same brand of almond milk — including Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and ShopRite — and found that C-Store’s prices were consistently 2.08 to 2.90 times more expensive.

I was so shocked by this that I decided to compare prices of another staple item: peanut butter. C-Store sells a 16 oz jar of Jif creamy peanut butter for $7.15. Online, Food Depot sells the same peanut butter for $2.39, meaning C-Store has prices three times as high.

Food Depot seemed to sell fairly cheap groceries, so I compared the price to the same peanut butter at Target as well. Target sells this exact peanut butter for $3.19 — less than half the price that C-Store sells it at. For

with many. Shouldn’t we strive to award merit based purely on merit’s sake? Why should we lower the barrier of entry for people based on attributes which seemingly have nothing to do with capability and qualifications?

This is the misconception which animates this debate. I too was skeptical of such an approach, and decided to do some research into what the benefits of these policies actually consisted of.

While the immediate image of DEI that comes to mind is hiring people of different minority groups simply to meet a quota — in theory leading to underqualified hires simply for the sake of meeting said quota — DEI in actuality is far more nuanced than that.

Many groups of people enjoy the benefits of these policies, and in many cases, they are far from being about the hiring process at all. For example, policies which accommodate already hired and working parents, via flexible hours, often qualify as DEI.

Furthermore, DEI programs also extend benefits to veterans via federal funding — which President Trump’s executive order is working to cancel — as well as accommodations for disabled students who need extra time on exams, assistive technology for note-taking or accessible housing on campuses.

All of these things fall under DEI initiatives, and I feel that these benefits are objective goods being done — all the while having nothing to do with any idea of being qualified for some arbitrary position.

If an opposition in this case were to be a person with empathy, I don’t really get how one could fully say these benefits do not at least make the discussion a little more nuanced than “DEI must DIE,” as Elon Musk, a close supporter of President Trump, wrote on X.

It becomes clear, the more you squint at it, that DEI is not solely about hiring to meet a quota —

although admittedly that is undeniably a part of it in many cases. DEI is sometimes simply about accommodating those who need a little extra support, and are otherwise perfectly qualified for whatever they are taking part of — whether it be a company, school or simply living life.

Surely, if these opposing sentiments are being levied with a genuine care for a lack of fairness, wouldn’t there be a better way to go about expressing it? It seems to me that DEI is being used more as a sacrificial symbol for the end of the Biden administration, and all the ideals associated with it, than an actual set of policies which fall under its umbrella.

In this case, it makes any and all critique of DEI, however true, feel painfully unempathetic. There must be an attempt made to convey the topic with its full range of pros and cons, rather than selectively painting it as something that it is categorically not — at least not in its entirety.

So no, I don’t personally feel people actually know what DEI is. It seems impossible to me that anyone can see some of the great accommodations afforded as a result of DEI, and declare that the entire thing is, for lack of a better term, woke.

While I am always for any needed pushback to diversity quotas and self-indulgent policies of progress which do more harm than good, I can’t help but wish that people would take the time to properly articulate about DEI when discussing it. One should provide caveats, or at the very least theoretical reforms for it, when declaring that we should do away with the whole thing.

If the American dream is truly about everyone being able to succeed, regardless of circumstances, I find it ironic that we would want to eliminate the very means that help certain Americans do so. We shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, and being rash about upending programs which have helped fellow Americans for years now feels like exactly that.

reference on all prices, see the table below:

While many may argue that C-Store prices are fair because of its convenience, when compared to other convenience stores such as CVS and Walgreens, C-Store is still 1.5 to 2.5 times more expensive for both peanut butter and almond milk. The convenience of being on a campus just does not justify this extreme of a price increase, especially when the prices are compared to other stores that serve similar functions.

These C-Store prices are especially egregious because of the population of students on campus. Not everyone can afford these prices, as evidenced by the many students using some form of financial aid.

In order to get food, these students are forced to pay double or triple the cost of an item. Furthermore, just because these points feel like fake money doesn’t mean they are, as 1 point is equal to $1.

When you have to pay 7 points for a jar of peanut butter, that’s $7 you’re spending. Can you imagine going to ShopRite or CVS and choosing to spend that much money on peanut butter?

C-Store also accepts SNAP benefits, which is a positive, but those customers are still paying double or triple amounts for items which they can already scarce afford.

Some may argue that C-Store is commonly sold out of many items, meaning that the pricing must be okay. But sold-out products mean nothing.

Many students at the College who do not have cars are forced to shop at C-Store because they have no other option. How does one go shopping for cheaper groceries when there are no other stores within walking distance of campus? Of course C-Store will sell out if it’s a student’s only option.

Read more on our website!

Illustration by Sky Stewart

DEI has

When is it enough? Students deserve action from Student Conduct

By Signal Editorial Board

“Both of the Signal writers last names tell me all I need to know.”

What could this mean? Is it just a joke, or is it offensive?

“That last name is more Jewish than the world bank.”

How about that one? Clearly anti-Semitic, right? Even though the second quote wasn’t addressing The Signal’s writers, what if the same individual who wrote it also wrote the first message. Does that change your interpretation of it?

“Both of the Signal writers last names tell me all I need to know.” What provoked someone to say this?

A screenshot of an Instagram comment section.

Last November, The Signal asked numerous students at random with differing political views to summarize how they were feeling post-election. Photos of those students and their answers were then posted on our Instagram page as well as our website.

Soon after the post was made, The Signal received a tip that the TCNJ College Republicans, a Recognized Student Organization, were sending seemingly antiSemitic messages in a public GroupMe chat that targeted two Signal editors.

As reporters do, we investigated.

Through a join link in the TCNJ College Republicans’ public Instagram bio, we

accessed the RSO’s GroupMe chat where every message that had ever been sent was available to read. Any individual in the world could have accessed this chat.

Racism, homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism. These were themes commonly found throughout many of the TCNJ College Republicans’ conversations, some of which were directed at students, by name, who identify as part of marginalized groups.

The Signal is choosing not to publish a majority of the most hateful messages that were uncovered to protect the identities of affected students and the other RSOs they represent.

The entire Signal Editorial Board strongly condemns the statements made by the TCNJ College Republicans. And let us be clear that our condemnation has no relation to the political nature of this RSO; we would condemn these comments no matter who said them.

In defense of their actions and hateful words, the group used the First Amendment as a shield. While The Signal strongly supports the First Amendment, how far is too far when your freedom of speech is harming your fellow students?

As one of multiple student organizations that felt victimized by their hate speech, The Signal decided to voice our concerns to the Office of Student Conduct in November. After filing a bias report, we spoke with members of the department about the situation, providing details and direct screenshots from the GroupMe.

On Dec. 18, we were informed that “there isn’t sufficient information or evidence that arises to charges of violations of the Student Conduct Code or Recognized Student Organization Privileges & Responsibilities at this time.” So when is it enough? What crosses the line of a violation?

According to the College’s Student Rights through the Office of Student Conduct, all students should “respect the right of fellow students to participate in College or outside

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organizations, associations or relationships with other students without fear, threat or act of hazing.”

Apparently the College doesn’t consider calling out individual students of specific RSOs by name with homophobic or transphobic comments to be fearful or threatening.

“Respect the rights of others to pursue an exceptional education free from harassment, bullying, defamation and discrimination,” another expectation of Student Conduct’s Student Rights says.

Apparently the College doesn’t consider the comments of the TCNJ College Republicans to be harassment, bullying or discrimination, either.

So what does the College consider an active example of harassment, bullying and discrimination? This isn’t a rhetorical question; we’re genuinely asking.

If the College declines to enforce components of the Student Conduct & Expectations, what’s the point in even having it?

How can students feel comfortable disclosing sensitive information to Student Conduct without a promising outcome or solution?

The Dec. 18 email from Student Conduct also stated that “in similar circumstances, we have opted to have an educational conference to address any concerns raised.” However, after we received that email, we did not hear anything further from Student Conduct. We were not made aware of how much action was truly taken, but what we do know is that the TCNJ College Republicans are still an actively recruiting RSO.

In such a divided political climate, students should be able to feel safe among their peers. Students should be able to participate in their respective organizations without fear of receiving hate. Students should be able to simply exist on campus without fear.

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The Signal is published bi-weekly during the academic year and not financed by the Student Activity Fund, but solely by advertisement revenue. Any student may submit articles to The Signal. Publication of submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors. All materials submitted become the sole property of The Signal.

The Letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed.

The Signal willingly corrects mistakes. If you think we have made a mistake, contact us at signal@tcnj.edu.

Illustration by Liam Simonelli

Messages from the TCNJ College Republican’s public GroupMe chat regarding students.

Trump Administration ramps up ICE raids in effort to crackdown immigration

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro Staff Writer

During President Donald Trump’s first week in office, Americans witnessed federal immigration enforcement intensify under his administration. The effects of his administration’s policies have been felt on local ground in Newark, New Jersey, where the business Ocean Seafood Depot was targeted. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were seen rounding up both undocumented immigrants and American citizens, Reuters reported.

This unexpected raid has sparked controversy for Trump, while Newark mayor Ras Baraka has been praised for his policies protecting migrants, particularly in response to Trump’s immigration plan. Baraka said that the ICE raid violated citizens’ constitutional rights, citing the arrest of a U.S. military veteran who was humiliated after being questioned over the legitimacy of his military documentation.

Typically, immigration officers are allowed to enter public areas of businesses. However, according to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, when accessing non-public areas,

ICE must have a valid and signed warrant or the direct owner’s permission. In a statement, Baraka expressed that the state of Newark “will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized.”

Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, stated that, according to the employees, ICE agents abruptly entered the business armed and blocked off entrances, delivery ramps and exits. The agents also banged on bathroom doors, all without presenting a warrant, NBC News reported.

Beyond Newark, ICE has been raiding major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and more. However, according to the Colorado Public Radio, an ICE raid planned for Aurora, Colorado, was postponed due to extensive publicity. Officials have not released accurate information that would help distinguish migrants with criminal records from those who are law-abiding or have permits, according to NBC.

Throughout Trump’s campaign, he prioritized the deportation of migrants with criminal records. Yet, despite this, a majority of arrests have been made in workplaces, targeting undocumented individuals who, according to Baraka, were not rapists, murderers or criminals.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X, claiming that the 538 people arrested by ICE were criminals, including Tren de Aragua gang members, a suspected terrorist and some with criminal records of sexual assault.

“Some of the tactics could very well make

Hamas-Israel ceasefire updates

By Paige Gould Staff Writer

The Guardian reported on Jan. 16 that after 460 days of conflict, a ceasefire agreement was reached between The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas and Israel.

According to Al Jazeera, on Jan. 19, Qatar’s Prime Minister Al Thani announced that the ceasefire would take effect, marking a temporary halt to the fighting.

The deal calls for an immediate end to Gaza bombings and includes plans for exchanging captives, Reuters reported. Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and Israeli captives held by Hamas are to be returned. The agreement also envisions Palestinians returning to Gaza.

The first phase of the ceasefire is set to last six weeks, according to Al Jazeera. During this period, there will be a limited prisoner exchange, a withdrawal of some Israeli troops and increased delivery of humanitarian aid. One area, the Netzarim Corridor, will take longer to clear because of its heavy military presence, requiring several steps before it can be fully returned to civilians.

Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, humanitarian actions began. According to United Nations News, Israel agreed to allow 600 trucks carrying aid into northern Gaza each day to help ease famine risks and allow displaced Palestinians to return home.

Israel has also promised to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt so that injured Palestinians can get medical treatment. However, some targets remain unmet, according to The Times of Israel. At around the same time, efforts for prisoner exchange were underway.

Al Jazeera reported Israeli authorities released 90 Palestinian prisoners from Ofer Prison, despite seven people being injured during

us less safe, for instance, by making people in our communities fearful of coming forward and reporting crimes,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said, according to NBC News.

This crackdown comes after President Trump’s executive order signed on Jan. 20, “PROTECTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST INVASION,” addressing immigration within the United States. This directs the Department of Homeland Security to expand detention infrastructure and detain immigrants deemed fit for deportation, according to Vera. DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman declared two directives that the administration considers essential to end the country’s immigration problem.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the first directive calls for the rescinding of the Biden Administration’s guidelines for ICE and demands that Customs and Border Protection should expand their search to include “sensitive” areas such as schools and churches.

Meanwhile, the second directive stated that there has been an abuse of the humanitarian parole, claiming that the previous administration allowed 1.5 million immigrants into the U.S. Moving forward, the program will return to its original purpose of evaluating immigrants on a case-by-case basis, DHS stated.

Under the Biden administration, “collateral arrests” were banned, PBS reported. ICE and CBP will now begin phasing out parole programs deemed unnecessary — “no one has a free pass anymore,” especially after the Laken Riley Act was passed.

Laken Riley’s case involved a Venezuelan migrant, and fueled scrutiny around parole programs such as Venezuela’s Temporary Protection Status and the CBP One application. Despite Alejandra Mayorkas extending Venezuela’s TPS status for another 18 months, his successor, Kristi Noem chose to erase the program, not wanting Venezuelan migrants to “violate our laws,” reported El País.

The CBP One application allowed hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Haitians, Cubans and Venezuelans to enter legally under an economic sponsor. However, Trump intends to revoke their legal status completely.

In a shocking move, Trump has declared that a mass detention camp is set to house deportees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. It will be used to hold 30,000 migrants who Trump describes as “the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” according to the Washington Post. Trump further stated that some migrants are so dangerous that the U.S. does not trust other countries to detain them, making Guatánamo Bay the ideal location due to its inescapable location.

According to the New York Times, Guantánamo Bay would only hold a fraction of the millions of migrants President Trump hopes to deport, and it would come at a high cost to operate. The Cuban government has also voiced concerns, stating that holding 30,000 migrants would create a “scenario of risk and insecurity.”

Read more on our website!

Good News Lion: Dogs detecting cancer and AI understanding animals

celebrations. In exchange, Hamas handed over three Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which then facilitated their return to Israeli control outside Gaza.

However, according to NPR, while Hamas claimed commitment to the ceasefire, they also blamed delays on the ambitions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Al Jazeera reported international efforts continued as the World Health Organization evacuated 39 patients and 55 caregivers from Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu traveled to Washington, D.C. to hold talks with United States officials about the situation.

The Times of Israel reported negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire are uncertain, leaving many questions about next steps. In the West Bank on Jan. 19, an Israeli raid in Sebastia resulted in the fatal shooting of a Palestinian teenager, according to Middle East Eye.

Tensions in the occupied West Bank have risen due to increased clashes involving Israeli forces, Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents. Military operations have led to arrests and property damage, while Israeli settler-Palestinian confrontations have escalated. Restrictions on movement and land disputes contribute to ongoing unrest, prompting protests and responses from all sides.

According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian Authority has firmly asserted that “Palestinians will not accept any resettlement plans or an alternative homeland.”

Since the ceasefire deal, at least 103 Palestinians have died and 264 have been wounded by Israeli attacks by Jan. 17, Al Jazeera reported. As the death toll rises, there is more Israeli state-sanctioned violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank.

this week’s Good News Lion article is human and animal collaborations.

By Aliyah Siddiqui Correspondent

The Good News Lion is the Nation & World section’s bi-weekly news segment, highlighting positive news in the country and around the world. The theme of this article is human and animal collaborations.

Dogs trained to detect bowel cancer

The Medical Detection Dogs Charity recently started a study to teach seven dogs, including cocker spaniels, labradors and flat-coated retrievers, how to detect tumors. Although more research has to be done, the dogs have now shown signs that they can detect colorectal cancer from urine samples.

According to the New York Post, the process to train the dogs to detect diseases starts with researchers placing pots of urine on stands linked with computers that can track dogs’ sniffs. If a dog believes that the urine sample has cancer traces, the dogs signal the humans, such as through standing still, and are then rewarded for correct detections.

“If they identify a positive sample, which takes less than 10 seconds, they’ll get lots of treats, cuddles and affection,” said Gemma Butlin, the head of communications at the charity, to the New York Post.

Due to the sensitive nature of dogs’ noses, the Medical Detection Dogs Charity has performed numerous studies with dogs being able to detect a variety of conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, malaria and the pseudomonas bacteria that can cause lung infections. The organization has also used dogs to detect prostate cancer with high specificity and sensitivity.

Andreas Mershin, founder and chief science officer of RealNose.AI, said that the work the Medical Detection Dogs Charity did, especially on prostate cancer, can be beneficial to developing new disease-detecting technology.

“Over the next two decades we continue to learn from the canine behavioral protocols developed at MDD how to create technologies that can detect and learn scents just like the dogs,” Mershin said. “The impact of MDD’s work is foundational and seminal to a whole new slew of emergent technologies.” The charity is currently working on implementing double-blind testing to confirm the results in the coming months.

AI being used to understand animals

The Earth Species Project has started using artificial intelligence to try to understand the ways animals speak. The nonprofit laboratory, which has already done work to understand the vocalizations of different species including crows and beluga whales, hopes that AI will also allow humans to understand interspecies relationships.

The theme of

Graphic by Sandra Abrantes

ICE raids spark controversy.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

China’s DeepSeek challenges U.S. AI dominance, poses threat to investors

By Parisa Burton Nation & World Editor

DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence model, released its latest version of R1 on Jan. 20, quickly capturing the attention of consumers and investors alike. Its wide capabilities and low costs raise important questions about the future of AI, concerning whether the U.S. will lose its market dominance in the industry.

According to The New York Times, Chinese engineers claimed to have spent 10 times less on building DeepSeek’s technology than Meta spent on its latest AI technology. Additionally, they only required 2,000 specialized computer chips, whereas global AI leaders use up to 16,000.

“The days of the U.S. stock mar-

ket’s outperformance on a global stage are about to end,” said Michael Hartnett, a Bank of America global strategist, in Business Insider.

Hartnett pinpointed DeepSeek as an explanatory variable for this downfall. In recent years, the fortunes tech companies spent on AI infrastructure went unquestioned and are predictably set to exceed a quarter trillion dollars in 2024, according to Forbes. However, with DeepSeek’s rise, a key question emerges: if it demands less energy and investment than U.S. rivals like ChatGPT, why would investors continue to put all their eggs in the U.S basket?

According to Hartnett, DeepSeek represents the peak in AI expected returns on capital expenditures. In other words, its investment efficiency has

surpassed that of its competitors, leaving them unlikely to recover, which has sent major U.S. tech stocks tumbling.

Reuters reported that following DeepSeek’s launch, the Nasdaq stock index declined by 3.1% on Jan. 27, with NVIDIA shares falling by nearly 17%, marking the largest one-day loss for a U.S. stock. On this same day, DeepSeek became the “top-rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States.”

President Donald Trump described the company’s release as a “wake-up call” for U.S. tech industries to stay “laser-focused on competing to win.”

According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the National Security Council is working to assess potential national security risks to “ensure American A.I. dominance.”

American Airlines jet and U.S. Army helicopter collide midair near D.C. airport

By Brinda Patel Staff Writer

Whilst approaching the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, an American Airlines passenger plane collided midair with a United States military helicopter at 8:48 p.m on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. over the Potomac River.

The Bombardier CRJ700 jet was nearly full, flying from Kansas. The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three trainees. When the two aircrafts converged, an intense orange blaze was visible, followed by a veil of smoke from the burning wreckage. Both aircrafts descended rapidly into the Potomac.

There were no survivors; a total of 67 people died.

Crash victims included 12 young figure skaters and four figure skating coaches. Other victims included the American Airlines crew, financial and IT professionals, a lawyer, a law professor, college students and multiple union members.

The wreckage of the American Airlines plane was lifted out of the Potomac River on Feb. 3, and taken to a hangar for further examination by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Trump Administration and Federal Aviation Administration restricted any and all helicopter traffic around the Ronald Reagan Airport.

The U.S. concern about losing the AI race to China has been building up, even before DeepSeek’s arrival. According to Reuters, former President Joe Biden’s administration imposed restrictions on exporting AI chips and related technology to China to curb their AI growth. This focus on security has continued under the current administration.

On Jan. 30, members of Congress urged Trump to restrict the export of NVIDIA’s AI chips, citing concerns that DeepSeek’s recent sophisticated model made “extensive use” of NVIDIA’s chips. These restrictions are meant to prevent China from accessing its most advanced chips.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently investigating NVIDIA over accusations that its restricted chips were smuggled into China for use by DeepSeek, according to Reuters. The company denied any violations, insisting its partners comply with export laws.

According to the BBC, given these constraints, DeepSeek will likely adopt innovative strategies to maximize the effectiveness of its available resources.

DeepSeek has put U.S. tech giants under intense scrutiny, demonstrating that AI advancements can be both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. ChatGPT emits over 260 tonnes of carbon per month. “The equivalent of 260 flights from London to New York,” according to the BBC.

In contrast, according to AP News, DeepSeek’s model operates with significantly less energy demands, having been trained for just $5.6 million using less powerful AI chips not restricted by U.S. export controls.

DeepSeek’s emergence has sparked significant attention in the AI industry, highlighting the potential for cost-effective and energy-efficient advancements. As U.S. companies face pressure from investors to innovate more efficiently, the battle for AI supremacy forces policymakers to reconsider what defines success in the AI race.

The cause of the collision has not been determined. There were no poor weather conditions, it was a clear night. The ongoing investigation released data from the moments before the collision. It showed the military helicopter fluctuating its path away from the prescribed route along the east side of the river multiple times.

Black boxes, the flight data recorders, have been recovered from both aircrafts.

All three crew members of the Black Hawk have been identified. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reported that the pilots were “fairly experienced” and were conducting an annual night training mission, also known as a “check ride.”

On Feb. 1, a female Black Hawk pilot was identified. At the request of her family, the Army is withholding disclosure of the pilot’s name. Two soldiers, Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, have been identified.

This is now the deadliest U.S. Aviation crash in nearly 25 years. The last major plane crash occurred when a Colgan Air flight crashed on Feb. 12, 2009, near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 passengers and crew. One person was killed on the ground.

As of Feb. 4, all 67 victims had been recovered from the river. 66 out of 67 have been identified. The cause of the collision remains unproven.

DeepSeek quickly gained popularity, threatening ChatGPT and other U.S. AI platforms.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Midair collision over the Potomac River kills 67.

TCNJ Art Gallery features Chinese calligraphy

By Sky Pinkett Staff Writer

An ancient art form found itself displayed with fresh interpretations in the College’s new Art Gallery exhibit, “Dancing with the Qi: TransMediating Chinese Calligraphy.”

Qi (pronounced “key”) is the energy of artistic creativity, and shares a rich history as old as the art form of calligraphy itself. On Feb. 5, both took center stage in the visual works of six Chinese artists: Cui Fei, Zhen Guo, Sin-ying Ho, Huang Xiang, Xin Song and Yin Mei.

Altogether, the works from the six artists made for a diverse showcase of Chinese calligraphy in all its glory. Viewers could walk inside the College’s Art Gallery and be welcomed by three 30-foot long paintings by artist Mei, all featuring an array of colors, brushstrokes and emotions, or could turn to the right and find themselves towered by Guo’s visual dream of embroidery, fabric and multimedia objects.

Around the corner stood the work of 84-year-old poet Xiang, whose bold calligraphy drew the eyes of all in the room. Xiang’s work was as striking as his own life, as he was both revered and expelled, imprisoned and celebrated throughout his life for his tireless efforts to amplify human rights in China.

The showcase began with opening remarks from curator Jia-Yan Mi, associate professor of Chinese and English at the College. Mi invited the crowd to sit and enjoy a musical performance by Yun Wang to start off the show.

Wang began with an ancient Chinese composition that is about 5,000 years old called “Raining in the Mountain.” Playing on an instrument called Gu Qin, Wang enthralled the crowd with haunting tones set against a pre-recorded audio of nature sounds.

Wang’s second composition was entitled “Falling Water.” Wang explained how “Falling Water” was selected by UNESCO in 1977 as an example of intangible cultural heritage, standing as a voice of the earth in efforts to connect with any life in the universe. It was the only instrumental musical composition

that was selected for this task.

After Wang’s performance, dancer and visual artist Mei treated the crowd to an interpretive dance called “Yellow Women” set against a wide white sheet of paper, on which she spread paint and charcoal using her body movements. On the white sheet was a projection that became muddled with Mei’s painting, so much so that it was challenging to read the social commentary and history being projected.

Mei’s performance was meant to convey the fraught history of Chinese women, as well as the struggles they still face today. Taking turns dancing, standing still, and even convulsing on the ground, Mei certainly expressed the emotional weight of her subject matter.

Following Mei’s performance was an artist panel. Dean of the School of Arts and Communication Pamela Barnett opened up the segment with comments on how the works related to the department’s mission.

“School of the Arts and Communication enshrines our core values of creativity and communication, and this is an exhibition that really manifests those values,” Barnett said.

Speaking specifically on the art of calligraphy, she went on to say, “You see evidence of a rigorous and expressive creative practice.”

Curator Mi brought the ancient form of calligraphy into a modern context when he asked all the artists to relate their opinions on artificial intelligence in terms of the art world and their own craft.

“As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating art, we must ask what remains uniquely human of artistic expression. Is AI a collaborator, a tool, a competitor, or a part of the creative process?” Mi proposed.

Guo answered first with, “We need to be aware of our human needs, and human nature…There’s a lot of things that the process, particularly material based process, is very hard to replace.”

Mei gave a very simple yet powerful affirmation, saying, “If there is room for humans to exist, then there will always be human expression.”

The conversation turned to Xiang next. Despite speaking in his native language and using Mi as a translator, Xiang captured the crowd’s understanding with his expressive body language and large gestures.

“My creativity does not isolate in a cave. My paintings, calligraphy, and art are poetry.” Speaking in grandiose metaphors, Xiang went on to say, “Transcend, go beyond the thinking of time and space into the universe.”

Ho spoke next, identifying herself to the crowd as an American artist rather than strictly a Chinese artist due to her residence in the U.S. for over 40 years.

“As artists we like new stuff…creating all things different from everybody else… but AI art…you have to talk to it to get what you want. It cannot paint, it cannot draw,” Ho said.

Fei gave a new take on the topic of AI. “For me, I think AI is a tool. So now it’s pretty new and I want to see what it will do in the future.”

Speaking in the last few minutes of the panel, Song agreed with Fei’s view of AI as a tool, as she uses technology on a regular basis for her lemon glass, metal and glass stain works.

“I’m not against it,” she said. “I’ve been using technology in my work…I feel that technology is okay for me because I think the artist needs to be always learning new things and not get so upset…it’s just a tool for me.”

The artists’ various responses gave an overall hopeful view for the future of art, and the role humanity plays in its creation and authenticity.

Speaking on the overall exhibit, Barnett said, “You have this rigorous and expressive creative practice, and calligraphy communicates both visually and textually. So we see the exhibition as very close to the values that we hold as a school.”

The exhibit will remain open to the public through March 13. Check the gallery’s hours to plan your visit to this culturally enriching experience.

Photo by Andre Paras

Visiting artist Yun Wang kicked off the show with a musical performance.

Photo by Andre Paras

“Dancing with

The Trentones advance to the ICCA Mid-Atlantic semifinals

By Mia Shea Staff Writer

The Trentones, the College’s only competitive a cappella team, placed second and advanced to the semifinals after competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic quarterfinals. The competition was held in Kendall Hall on Feb. 1.

The competition featured 10 teams from various schools in the mid-Atlantic region, including Rowan University, Stockton University, Rider University’s Westminster Choir College, Rutgers University, Towson University and Salisbury University.

The a capella group Off Track from Towson University placed first, and RAAG from Rutgers University placed third. Off Track and the Trentones will be advancing to the semifinals.

At the ICCA’s, the group performed a total of three songs within their setlist: “Beggin’” by Måneskin, “Hot Mess” by dodie and “me” by Kelly Clarkson. The soloists featured were senior communications major Nate Witkowski, junior psychology major Ella Arnauer and junior accounting major and Trentones President Ella Malatesta.

Malatesta shared that the Trentones had a five-day weekend retreat over winter break. “That is ICCA go time,” she said.

The songs were arranged by senior deaf education and math major and Music Director Leonor Fontanez, as well as senior physics major and Assistant Music Director Kayla Wason. Choreography was also done by Wason.

Freshman Trentones member and clinical and counseling psychology

major Gianna Melhorn shared that after advancing, she is “feeling hype and grateful to be a part of the group.” She added, “Us advancing just validated all of the work we put into it. I’m super excited to be able to show it to an entirely new audience.”

Junior communications major and audience member Sarah Borriello attended the competition, as well as the Trentones’ ICCA Showcase that was held in Mayo Concert Hall on Jan. 29. The showcase served as a way for audience members

to critique and give constructive feedback at the Trentones’ final rehearsal before competition.

Borriello shared that she “thought the performance was spectacular, and after attending the open rehearsal it was really cool to see the performance go from just a rehearsal to the full performance.”

Boriello also noted that “their confidence absolutely skyrocketed and everyone did so well.”

Junior communications major and vocal percussionist Perry Edelman also received the

Varsity Vocals Outstanding Vocal Percussion Specialty Award for his beatboxing in the song “Hot Mess.” When asked about advancing to the semifinals, Malatesta said, “it feels incredible and so good to know that all of the hard work paid off and that we get to perform it again. We all compete because we love it, we’re not looking for a prize.”

The Trentones will compete in the ICCA Mid-Atlantic semifinals on March 22 at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware.

Live from New York: 50 years of musical achievement at ‘Saturday Night Live’

By Ashley Ragone Arts & Entertainment Editor

Since the show’s first episode in October of 1975, “Saturday Night Live” has become a defining element of the cultural zeitgeist. Over the last 50 years, hundreds of musicians have performed on the Studio 8H stage, as catalogued by “Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music.”

Ever since the first musical appearance of Billy Preston, the documentary’s opening montage reintroduces notable performances from Freddie Mercury, Cher, Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Tina Turner and numerous

others. The experimental and revolutionary nature of the show was a departure from the norms of the time, maintaining the relevancy of “SNL” in media by keeping its finger on the pulse of pop culture. Former cast member Maya Rudolph noted the show’s importance for the youth, as “kids were looking to SNL for the information, for the take on stuff.”

For musical artists, the opportunity to perform on “SNL” is momentous. For pop singer Olivia Rodrigo, who first appeared on the show in 2021, she noted how “being on SNL is such a rite of passage. [She

is] so honored to have gotten to perform here.” The show, which has attracted millions of viewers per episode, has the ability to catapult a career, or destroy one.

For Adele, who first debuted on “SNL” in 2008, her album climbed to the top of the charts practically overnight after her performances. But for Ashlee Simpson, who was caught in a lip syncing scandal on a show praised for live performance, she was met with high criticism.

These dichotomous outcomes are what makes the “SNL” stage so highly prized, but also feared. Jack White of The White Stripes band agreed that it is a difficult thing to grapple with.

“When things start cooking, you can’t tell if you’re the flavor of the week and this is gonna be all over within a couple weeks, or if this is the beginning of a new path that you’re going down that’s gonna go on for years,” White said. For him, it was the latter; the year after the band’s performance saw the release of “Seven Nation Army,” a song now recognized worldwide as a sports anthem with over a billion streams on Spotify.

Outside of the musical guests, “SNL” has seen continued success by integrating musical elements into its sketch comedy. Ever since the comedy group Lonely Island

started creating music-based skits in the early 2000s, music has become a much larger part of the overall show outside of the traditional two performances by the artist of the week.

“SNL” has still met its share of controversy. During a 1992 a cappella performance, Sinead O’Connor notoriously ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II in protest against suspected abuse within the Catholic Church. She encouraged people to “fight the real enemy,” and she was subsequently banned from the show. In 2018, following the first election of President Trump, Kanye West called negative attention to the show after wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and going off-script to discuss his political views toward the end of the episode’s airing.

“Saturday Night Live’s” musical legacy over the past 50 years is a testament to its unique ability to influence and grow alongside popular culture, elevating or crumbling the careers of the countless musical artists who have featured on the show. Through iconic moments, controversies, and a continual evolution of musical integration into sketches, the show remains a powerful force in the intersection of comedy and music.

Photo courtesy of Niko Degruccio

The Trentones pose in front of Green Hall during a photoshoot.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

The documentary explores the life and legacy of musical performance “SNL.”

Musicians band together at FireAid Benefit Concert to raise money for LA fires

By Abigail Holliday Staff Writer

Popular artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Gracie Abrams and many others performed at the FireAid Benefit Concert on Jan. 30 to raise money for the victims of the Los Angeles fires.

The concert was held at two separate venues, the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, California. A few well known headliners at the Kia Forum were Stevie Nicks, Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The musicians headlining at the Intuit Dome included Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams, according to FOX 11.

According to Cal Fire, the Los Angeles fires began on Jan. 7. Over the course of the month, there were 337 wildfires, beginning in the Pacific Palisades as a brush fire and covering almost 58,000 acres. Evacuations were issued in all surrounding areas, resulting in 16,244 structures including homes, schools, libraries and religious buildings being burned down and destroyed. At least 29 people have died from these fires,

and officials warned it could take weeks to fully process the damage.

The concert was announced three days after the fires began as an effort to raise money for those affected by the fires as well as relief aid. The event required two venues due to the amount of artists volunteering to perform, leading to some musicians even getting turned down due to the large number of people willing to help, according to the Associated Press.

Determined to make the concert a time of unity and support, memorable performances included a Nirvana reunion, a new song debut from Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre performing “California Love” and Katy Perry singing “California Girls” while proudly waving the California state flag across the stage.

Artists were also encouraged to share personal stories about how they were affected by the Los Angeles fires as a way to encourage people to donate. “When Harry Met Sally” actor Billy Crystal shared that he had lost the home that he had lived in for almost 50 years and had been wearing the clothes he had on when he was forced to evacuate, according to ABC7.

Stevie Nicks praised the Santa Rosa firefighters for saving her and her house from the fires. At least 2,000 seats were reserved for firefighters, police officers, first responders and those who have lost their homes due to the fires, according to the Associated Press.

FireAid raised over $60 million from both celebrity donations and people around the world donating to show support to the victims. Rock band U2 donated $1 million, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer pledged to match all donations made during the show, and plenty of other big names such as Beyoncé, Doja Cat and The Weeknd have donated, according to ABC7. All donations made will be distributed by a committee under the Annenberg Foundation and given to the charities and funds after conducting research, according to the Associated Press.

Donations can be made in support of the victims of the Los Angeles fires by visiting fireaidla.org.

Here’s what you missed from the 2025

By Chiara Piacentini Staff Writer

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards was one for the history books. The event was hosted by Trevor Noah and was held in the Crypto.com Arena. It featured performances by Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, Doechii and more.

The show began with a rendition of “I Love L.A.” by Lady Gaga. Bruno Mars also performed “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas.

Beyoncé made her own personal history with her first ever Album of the Year Award for “Cowboy Carter.”

“I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all the firefighters for keeping us safe,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance

speech, in reference to the wildfires that have been wreaking havoc on California since igniting just weeks ago. “I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years.”

The Los Angeles County Fire Department presented the award to Beyoncé and gave a speech about the first responders who are fighting the Los Angeles wildfires.

“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers remain with all the families who have lost loved ones, friends and neighbors, along with everyone who has lost homes, businesses and been displaced,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. “We are thankful to our many partners, including all of you for standing alongside our residents and communities to offer continued support. I’m confident we will

Grammys

recover. We are LA.”

Many celebrities wore blue heartshaped pins in support of the non-profit organization MusiCares’ relief efforts. By the end of the night, Noah announced that donations reached over $7 million for wildfire relief efforts.

Surprising many, Taylor Swift went home empty-handed despite being nominated in six categories.

On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar was awarded the most Grammy trophies with a count of five wins, including two in the “big four” categories, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

“This is what it’s about, man, because at the end of the day, nothing [is] more powerful than rap music,” Lamar said. “I don’t care what it is. We are the culture. It’s gonna always stay here and live forever.”

Charli XCX took home three awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Recording Package. She also lit up the Grammy stage with performances of her hit numbers “Von dutch” and “Guess.”

Alicia Keys won the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, and topped her win by giving a shoutout to fellow musicians Missy Elliot and Linda Perry.

“I always had to fight for a certain level of respect as a songwriter, composer, and especially a producer,” Keys said. “It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers like Quincy or Dre or Swizzy, but female producers have always powered the industry.”

This year’s Grammys was a success, and we’ll see what music releases 2025 brings.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Artists such as Billie Eilish, Stevie Nicks and Lady Gaga performed at FireAid to raise money for victims of the LA fires.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

The 67th Grammy Awards took place on Feb. 2.

The Signal’s Super Bowl LIX predictions

By Eddie Young, Aidan Mastandrea, Tyler Morello and Joseph Caruso Sports Editor, News Editor and Staff Writers

Super Bowl LIX is here, featuring a starstudded matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City, led by three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, is the league’s current dynasty, as this is their fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last six seasons, and they will be looking to become the first team to win three straight. Philadelphia is looking to avenge their Super Bowl loss two years ago against the Chiefs, and they have a new improved rushing attack led by Saquon Barkley. The sports staff of The Signal will be giving their predictions on what to expect in this matchup.

Eddie’s winner: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have consistently been one of the best teams in the NFL since Mahomes became their starting quarterback. They have won 17 straight one score games dating back to last season, and their ability to seemingly escape losses by any means necessary is a great trait for a team looking to win a Super Bowl. The Eagles have a great rushing attack that will be hard to slow down, but the Chiefs defense is led by a great coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo and a star lineman in Chris Jones. At the end of the day, you never want to bet against Mahomes and Andy Reid. Philadelphia will keep it close like they did two years ago, but the Chiefs will come away with a tight 27-25 victory.

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Track and field impresses in busy weekend

By Eddie Young Sports Editor

The College’s track and field team put together an impressive weekend from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2., competing in three different events in the area.

The weekend was highlighted by freshman Maxin Rychkov’s performances at the Scarlet Knight Open on Jan. 31 at The Armory in New York City. He put on a clinic in the 200-meter dash, coming in first with a time of 21.63 seconds, setting a new school record for the event.

Rychkov also helped the College take first place in the 4x200-meter relay. He was joined by sophomore Jack Attali, fifthyear Ray Schmitt and freshman Anthony Senatore in the event. The four Lions came together to run the relay in a time of 1:27.97, beating second place Vermont by just over a second. This time set another school record, giving Rychkov his second of the night.

“It feels great knowing that the hard work I’ve been putting in has been paying off,” Rychkov, a mathematics major, said about his record-breaking performances. “But I also couldn’t have done it without my team by my side, supporting me and giving a great atmosphere at practice and at competitions.”

Schmitt and Rychkov also put together respectable efforts in the 60-meter dash, coming in third and fourth place respectively. Schmitt ran the event in 6.83 seconds, with Rychkov just behind him at the 6.85 second mark.

At The Armory, the College’s women’s team was led by their performance in the 4x200-meter relay. Sophomore Mackenzie Burke, senior Erin Picklo, sophomore Rukky Daranijo and junior Cameron Ruffini teamed up to earn a second place finish in the event. They finished in 1:45.37, just onehundredth of a second behind the first place finisher, Delaware State.

At the Seamus McElligott Invitational in Haverford, Pennsylvania, the College put together a great showing in the field. Sophomore Tyler DeMarco, freshman Matthew Corrigan and freshman Zach

Prop bet: National Anthem over 120.5 seconds

Aidan’s winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Just a year removed from a season that ended in turmoil, the Eagles have looked nearly unstoppable all season. The addition of running back Barkley has been discussed at length as the reason for success, but the Philly defense is one of the best in the league. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio revamped a lackluster squad, and players like Zach Baun and Jalen Carter have been game changers and will make things tough on Kansas City. Despite Barkley’s success, this game will come down to Jalen Hurts. With their stout defense, if Hurts can take care of the ball, the Eagles will lift their first Lombardi trophy since 2018, winning 2623.

Super Bowl MVP: Zach Baun Prop bet: Coin toss to be heads

Tyler’s winner: Kansas City Chiefs

My prediction from about two months ago was that despite all of these other up-andcoming teams emerging, the Chiefs would still find a way to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Now, with key contributors such as wide receiver Hollywood Brown and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor returning from injuries, Kansas City is once again in a great position to win for a third year in a row. Mahomes is playing in his fifth Super Bowl and knows how to come out on top in every big game. The Eagles are no slouch, as Barkley has been torching every defense the Eagles have played here in the playoffs. However, it is hard to believe the Chiefs will get outplayed by a Hurts-led team.

Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Prop bet: Travis Kelce proposes to Taylor Swift

Joseph’s winner: Philadelphia Eagles Going for his fourth Super Bowl in just seven seasons, Mahomes has been unbeatable, now on an unbelievable nine-game playoff winning streak, throwing for 2,176 yards and 16 touchdowns with just one interception during that streak. Despite his greatness, the Kansas City offense has a lot less firepower than in previous seasons. Missing breakout wide receiver Rashee Rice, the evident decline of Travis Kelce and not a whole lot of help from the running game, it has been a rather pedestrian season for the Chiefs offense. With that being said, Kansas City has been able to lean on their defense, which ranks fourth in opposing points per game. On the other side, Philadelphia will be seeking revenge from their 2022 campaign, where they fell 38-35 in a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs. The Eagles have hit their stride at the most opportune time, scoring 105 points through three playoff games, more than they did during any three-game stretch during the regular season, and leading all playoff teams. They are led by Barkley, who became just the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards, dispelling the argument that running backs do not matter. The rushing tandem of Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts has given the Eagles the best rushing attack in the NFL. However, it is not just Hurts and Barkley that the Chiefs have to worry about. Other stars, including A.J. Brown, Carter, Baun, Devonta Smith, Quinyon Mitchell and the entire Philadelphia offensive line will prove too much for the Chiefs to handle, and the first Super Bowl three-peat will have to be put on hold, as the Philadelphia Eagles will win by a score of 34-26.

Super Bowl MVP: Saquon Barkey

Prop bet: Jalen Hurts anytime TD

Women’s basketball continues NJAC dominance

Kosinski swept the podium in the pole vault, coming in first, second and third places respectively. DeMarco reached a height of 4.10 meters, Corrigan reached 3.80 meters and Kosinski reached 3.65 meters.

The College also did very well in the men’s weight throw, taking four of the top five spots. Senior Steve Daramola came in first with a throw of 15.98 meters, senior George Agyei-Sam came in second with 15.53 meters, junior Jayden Wright came in fourth with 13.99 meters and senior Brandon Kuse came in fifth with 13.59 meters.

Daramola and Wright also helped the College take second through fourth places in the shot put. Daramola came in second with a throw at 14.95 meters, sophomore Christian Farhat earned third with 14.71 meters and Wright got fourth with 14.08 meters.

Seniors Jessica Reilly and Kerri McCarthy took first and second place in the women’s weight throw. Reilly won with a throw of 14.85 meters, just outdoing McCarthy’s second place throw of 14.75 meters.

Other performances from this invitational include freshman Anthony Thomas’ second place finish in the men’s 800-meter dash, junior Evan Melito’s second place finish in the men’s 3000-meter race and junior Liz Claros’ third place finish in the women’s 5000-meter race.

The final stop on the College’s busy weekend itinerary was the Ithaca College Bomber Invitational, which wrapped up on Feb. 2.

Junior Jayvee Dumas was the lone male athlete sent here as he took fifth place in the heptathlon. His best event in the competition was the pole vault, where he took first with a height of 4.05 meters.

Senior Eliza Bruncaj finished sixth in the pentathlon. Her top event in this competition was the 800-meter dash, which she won with a time of 2:29.88.

The College will now look ahead to next weekend, as they will travel to Utica University in upstate New York to compete in the Blue and Orange Invitational on Feb. 8.

By Joseph Caruso Staff Writer

The College’s women’s basketball team continued their stellar New Jersey Athletic Conference play with two double-digit wins against Stockton and Ramapo on Jan. 29 and Feb. 1, respectively.

On Jan. 29, the Lions traveled to Galloway, N.J. to take on the Ospreys of Stockton University, trying to add to an already great 9-2 conference record. Stockton had lost four of their last five contests heading into the matchup, but showed resilience against a tough Lions team, as it was just a two-point game heading into the halftime locker room.

Senior Nina Branchizio led the team with nine first-half points, sinking three three-pointers, giving the College a 29-27 lead at the end of two quarters.

Slowly distancing themselves from the Ospreys, the Lions would win the third and fourth quarters by five points each, en route to a double-digit win by a score of 70-58 to hold off a pesky Stockton team on the road.

It was a great day for junior Katie Fricker, who led the College with 17 points, followed by Branchizio, who chipped in 14 points of her own. A total team effort for the Lions saw four players reach double-digit points, along with fifth-year Jaclyn Feit chipping in nine.

Branchizio also had a season-high of five assists, and now is just one of four players in program history who is 17th or better in points and assists.

On Feb. 1, the College hosted a struggling Ramapo team, who were an abysmal 2-17 going into the matchup and sitting at the bottom of the NJAC with a 1-11 conference record.

The Lions went up 16 points after the first half, led by freshman Brooke McFadden, who had eight of her 12 points in the first half, missing just one shot the entire game.

A third-quarter explosion saw the College score 23 points, hit three three-pointers and extend their lead to 29 before the final 10 minutes. Another winning quarter in the fourth closed a 33-point Lions victory by a score of 7643, extending their winning streak to four games.

Another full team effort for the Lions saw McFadden and freshman Cassidy Brown each with 12 points to lead the way. The College’s bench scored more than the Roadrunners’ entire team, with 45 points. Their 14 steals were also a season-high for the team, and turned into 28 points off turnovers.

With this win, the College clinches a spot in the NJAC playoffs, as they are tied with Montclair State, each having an 11-2 conference record thus far. They will look to outdo their 14-4 conference record from last season, and still have five more conference games left to do so, including what will be a highly-anticipated rematch against the aforementioned Montclair who bested them by just one point earlier in the season.

The Lions will head back to the road to take on Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday, Feb. 5 to try and continue their winning ways and gun for the top spot in the NJAC.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Mahomes looks to help the Kansas City Chiefs win their third straight Super Bowl.

Photo courtesy of Arion Owes

Senior guard Nina Branchizio helped the College win their two most recent games.

Men’s basketball continues NJAC title defense amongst high expectations

By Aidan Mastandrea News Editor

Students have returned to campus for the spring semester, but the College’s men’s basketball team never left, battling in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Now 20 games into the season, the Lions sit with a record of 15-5, poised for a deep run in the postseason.

After a six game winning streak to start the year, the Lions cracked the national Division III Top 25 rankings for the first

time in 20 years, making it to No. 15. Immediately after that, they hit a bump in the road.

A home loss to powerhouse Stockton, followed by two more conference losses saw the Lions, the team picked to win the vaunted NJAC, with a 2-3 conference record.

“In this conference if you don’t have your best, you’re not gonna win the games,” said Head Coach Matthew Goldsmith. “I think we lost a little bit of our edge.”

The skid could have been damaging to a team with such high expectations, but Goldsmith and the coaching staff settled their ship, immediately winning four games in a row.

“[We] felt like teams would show up with a certain respect to the game where all this team is really good. It’s gonna be a hard night,” said Goldsmith. “Rather than understanding that every team will now want to come in and get you more.”

The Lions are led on the offensive end by junior guard Nick Koch. The finance major is averaging 20 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field. On Feb. 1 in Packer Hall, Koch came off a screen and hit a mid range jumper to eclipse 1,000 points in his career.

“I think the best thing about Nick is he is as competitive as anyone I’ve ever been around,” said Goldsmith. “If you play a shooting game with him, he’s gonna try to win it. If you play ping pong with him, he’s gonna try to win it. If you bowl with him, he’s gonna be upset if he loses.”

This competitiveness from one of the team’s leaders can be infectious, and can be seen in hard fought wins, most recently in the victory against Ramapo College on Feb. 1.

The College is currently situated in fourth in the NJAC standings, with Stockton University sitting in first. The Lions have fallen at the hands of the Ospreys twice this season, with the latest being an 85-57 loss in Galloway, New Jersey.

If the Lions want to claim their second

straight NJAC championship, they most likely will have to go through Stockton. Goldsmith is not putting too much on the teams previous matchups and believes his team has yet to play their best ball.

“We’re just trying to get better and get a little more consistent in our competing level,” said Goldsmith. “We’re hoping to keep kind of trending up and be playing our best basketball when we need it at the end of February.”

While Koch leads the way in the scoring department, the Lions have a very balanced attack. With five guys averaging double digit points, on any given night a different contributor could make the defense pay.

Junior big Matthew Solomon is averaging a near double-double with 11 points and 9.5 rebounds. He averaged nearly identical stats a season ago with 11.6 points and 10.5 rebounds.

With four games left in the regular season, the College will try to get in rhythm with hopes of a long playoff run. While a lot of their season came when students may not have been on campus to see the action, Goldsmith urges fans to pack the gym and cheer on the team.

“It’s a great time to come check us out because these games are gonna be hotly contested, they’re gonna be competitive, there’s gonna be some athleticism on display, there’s gonna be some really fun basketball,” said Goldsmith. “You’re gonna be entertained if you come to Packer for a home game, no matter who our opponent is.”

From sidelined to star, Marissa Lucca is an attacking force for women’s lacrosse

By Isabella Darcy Managing Editor

Junior nursing major Marissa Lucca joined the College’s lacrosse team to compete for a national championship title. When she officially stepped onto the varsity squad as a freshman, Lucca and her teammates were excited for a promising season.

“That was supposed to be the year everyone was saying we could win the national championship,” Lucca told The Signal.

Before she could even play in her first game, a high ankle sprain sidelined Lucca for her entire freshman year season. But after months of recovery, she returned to the field last spring to become one of the Lions’ most valuable players — even winning Rookie of the Year in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

“Marissa worked diligently to recover

from her injury and made a phenomenal impact for our team last year,” Head Lacrosse Coach Sharon Pfluger told The Signal.

Besides receiving Rookie of the Year in the NJAC last season, Lucca also earned Second Team Regional All-American honors and NJAC AllAcademic honors. According to her coaches and teammates, Lucca is equally hard working off the field in her academics and on the field playing lacrosse.

“We were not surprised at Marissa’s success last season,” said Pfluger. “We knew she had immense potential to excel on the collegiate level.”

The lacrosse coaching staff were excited for Lucca when she was finally healthy enough to play again, as was she.

Returning to play took day after day of working with trainers, icing her leg and building strength through physical therapy to heal the injury she acquired

during a preseason drill. Lucca still remembers the moment it happened: she and a teammate jumped to compete for an airborne ball, and when Lucca hit the ground, her ankle rolled.

“Immediately I could not walk,” Lucca said. “I tried to get up, but it was an excruciating amount of pain.”

Although Lucca did not get any playing time while she was recovering from the ankle injury, she still received a plethora of support from her teammates, coaches and family. Her parents even attended all her games despite their daughter being off the field.

“Having their support was really sweet,” Lucca said.

By the time the Lions were wrapping up their season, the resilient freshman was able to participate in some practices and warmup drills. It was only a matter of time before she was playing in her collegiate debut.

“You have to have the positive mindset that it’s going to be better eventually,” Lucca said. “And that it’s going to be worth it when you finally can return to play, and be able to step on the field again.”

During the opening game of her sophomore year season, Lucca proved to be an offensive force by scoring seven goals — the first of the 61 she scored for the Lions last spring.

“She is a very valuable player and an extreme asset to our team,” said attack player Ally Tobler, a graduate secondary special education and English major. “We both play the same spot on different sides and I would not be the same player without her skills.”

Tobler and Lucca grew up together in Washington Township, New Jersey, where lacrosse gained popularity just over a decade ago, according to Lucca. It was then, when she was in third grade,

that Lucca’s lacrosse journey began.

“All of my close friends in elementary school, we all started playing together and it really became one of my favorite sports ever,” Lucca said. “I look forward to every practice, every day, just coming home from clinical and going right to practice.”

Lucca still finds some of her closest friends on the field. She described the Lions as a team full of positive team chemistry and a sense of camaraderie. According to Tobler, Lucca plays a key role in fostering that atmosphere.

“Marissa is a very caring teammate and is always thinking about the wellbeing of our team,” said Tobler. “She is extremely humble, even though she is one of the best players on our team. She shows extreme compassion for everyone in her life.”

Lucca and the rest of the Lions are currently gearing up for their upcoming season, which kicks off on Saturday, March 1, with a matchup against Ursinus College.

The College’s program is the most successful in NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse history, having won 12 national championship titles since 1985. If the Lions win the national championship this year, it would mark their first title since 2006.

Lucca is excited to once again compete for the title and face tough competition this coming season — especially from teams the Lions lost to last year.

“I’m looking forward to playing top ten teams and seeing how we can battle through adversity with each other,” Lucca said. “It’s getting revenge, going back and playing them again.”

At each game, she will have her teammates, coaches and family cheering her on.

Photo by Arion Owes

Senior forward Matthew Okorie is averaging over 13 points per game.

Photo by Elizabeth Gladstone

Marissa Lucca delivered a standout performance last spring for the most successful program in National Collegiate Athletic Association DIII women’s lacrosse history.