the signal spring '12 no. 2

24
Nation & World Editorial Opinions Features Arts & Entertainment Fun Stuff Sports 5 7 9 11 15 20 24 INSIDE Vol. CXXXVI. No. 2 ‘The Simpsons’ writer Mike Reiss speaks at the College Read about his lecture on the award-winning show! See A&E page 15 tcnjsignal.net The College of New Jersey Student Newspaper since 1885 January 25, 2012 Cop Shop is back! Take a look at some fresh stories of alcohol abuse and petty theft See News page 2 N.J. governor uses proposal by College professor Learn about Governor Chris Christie’s new initiative See News page 3 By Brianna Gunter Editor-in-Chief Popular nightclub and restaurant KatManDu was packed last Thursday night, as its younger patrons gathered to celebrate the last “college night” for a while. The Trenton club came under new ownership late last year, and officials announced on Jan. 13 that it is closing for renovations. When it reopens, the beloved nighttime hotspot will have a new look and a new name. “KatManDu transformed and changed with the times, but, like everything else, all good things come to an end,” an announcement on the club’s website read. The announcement also extends an open invitation to its farewell party tomorrow night on Thursday, Jan. 26. Despite rumors of a large cover charge, a post on KatManDu’s Facebook page Jan. 20 said that there will be no cover until 8 p.m., from which there will be an admittance charge of $10. However, those with a college ID card will only have to pay $5 after 8 p.m. The post also said that the cover “might increase after 11:30 p.m.” “The new concept will still be a restaurant, bar and nightclub along with a banquet facility, and we will have a complete upgraded facility,” said Joe Surdo, the club’s director of marketing. Patrons who attend the farewell party tomorrow night will be given a preview of the new concept, according to the website. Surdo also said the club was bought out in November. An article from Nov. 14 on NJ.com said a sale was imminent as KatManDu has faced financial troubles since 2004, and had run up $100,000 in unpaid rent. While the Trenton/Ewing area is not without other nightclubs, restaurants and bars, KatManDu has been unique since its opening in 1997. According to the club’s initial real estate developer’s website (silverandharting.com), KatManDu was constructed for $3.5 million from Trenton’s abandoned Copper Iron Works building on the Delaware River. see CLUB page 13 KatManDu will close Photo courtesy of Andrew Bak Chiddy Bang tear up Kendall By Alex Wolfe Sports Editor In this year’s highly-anticipated Welcome Back Concert sponsored by the College Union Board, Chiddy Bang brought it like few rap groups can with an interactive fan experience and a fresh sound. The event was held on Kendall Hall Main Stage to a near-capacity crowd, and although the venue was small, it created an electric atmosphere while Chiddy and Xaphoon Jones — the members of Chiddy Bang — rocked the stage. The duo brought its upbeat, energetic brand of hip-hop to Kendall, complete with Xaphoon playing the drums live for the band’s set. Chiddy, the band’s lyricist, kept the crowd engaged, frequently getting everyone to put their hands up and get into the infectious lyrics and beats. see CHIDDY page 15 By Tom Ciccone New Editor Like many of its students, the College is getting some good grades. Fitch Ratings, an international rating agency that provides independent financial rating opinions, recently affirmed a “AA” rating on New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority revenue bonds that were issued on behalf of the College. The $363.3 million dollars in NJEFA bonds were given a “Rating Outlook” of “Stable,” noting that they are payable “from legally available funds.” According to the Fitch Ratings report that was originally issued on Dec. 14, the “AA” rating is essentially a positive one, reflecting the College’s consistently positive operating margin, strong demand and moderating financial leverage. The report not only comments on the College’s prudent financial management and resulting stability, but also on how solid demand for enrollment has given the College financial flexibility. Freshman applications grew 7.2 percent for the fall 2010 class, allowing the College to increase its incoming class size by 11 percent, or just over 1,400 students, without a serious impact on selectivity, the report said. The increase in revenue from a higher rate of student enrollment allowed the College to respond to a 6 percent cut in base state appropriations for the fiscal 2011 year. The report also said the College administrators had planned for a decrease in the size of the incoming fall 2011 class, yet at 1,371 it remains above those of previous years. Despite the increase in incoming class sizes, the College is still considered one of the most selective public universities in N.J., having an acceptance rate just below 50 percent of applicants, the report said. The report also mentions the average SAT scores of incoming classes exceed all other four-year public colleges in New Jersey. Commenting on the College’s siginificant debt burden, the report noted that it is the highest among public colleges and universities that Fitch has given the “AA” rating to. However, the report also said that the College has generated a sufficient net income to manage its debt obligations. The College has generated a 4.3 percent margin for the fiscal 2011 year, and while this margin has declined for four years in a row, the margin remains strong, the report said. The resulting surpluses have also allowed the College to establish solid reserve levels of available funds that cover 51.2 percent of the fiscal 2011 year’s operating expenses, and while coverage of the College’s long-term debt was weaker at 25.4 percent, this is still an improvement from prior years. “Fitch expects the cushion will continue to grow as TCNJ generates annual surpluses and limits its future debt financings,” the report said. The report also mentioned Campus Town, a recent project resulting from a public-private partnership between the College and PRC Group, a private company. According to Fitch Ratings’s report, the project is not expected to have significant credit effects. KatManDu is scheduled to close down for renovations on Jan. 13. The Trenton club was bought out in November. Kelly Johnson / News Editor Seth Meyers to bring laughs At the Chiddy Bang concert, the College Union Board announced that Seth Meyers, best known for his work as head writer for “Saturday Night Live,” will be headlining CUB’s spring comedy show. Seth Meyers has also appeared in major motion pic- tures, including “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist. Further information about CUB’s comedy show has yet to be announced. The College receives ‘AA’ rating for financial management AP Photo A Debating ‘Thrilla in Manila’ Students debate at championship in the Phillipines See Features page 11

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Page 1: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

Nation & WorldEditorialOpinionsFeatures Arts & Entertainment Fun StuffSports

579

11152024

INSIDE

Vol. CXXXVI. No. 2

‘The Simpsons’ writer Mike Reiss speaks at the College

Read about his lecture on the award-winning show!See A&E page 15

tcnjsignal.net The College of New Jersey Student Newspaper since 1885 January 25, 2012

Cop Shop is back!Take a look at some fresh stories of

alcohol abuse and petty theft See News page 2

N.J. governor uses proposal by College professor

Learn about Governor Chris Christie’s new initiative

See News page 3

By Brianna GunterEditor-in-Chief

Popular nightclub and restaurant KatManDu was packed last Thursday night, as its younger patrons gathered to celebrate the last “college night” for a while. The Trenton club came under new ownership late last year, and officials announced on Jan. 13 that it is closing for renovations. When it reopens, the beloved nighttime hotspot will have a new look and a new name.

“KatManDu transformed and changed with the times, but, like everything else, all good things come to an end,” an announcement on the club’s website read. The announcement also extends an open invitation to its farewell party tomorrow night on Thursday, Jan. 26. Despite rumors of a large cover charge, a post on KatManDu’s Facebook page Jan. 20 said that there will be no cover until 8 p.m., from which there will be an admittance charge of $10. However, those with a college ID card will only have to pay $5 after 8 p.m. The

post also said that the cover “might increase after 11:30 p.m.”

“The new concept will still be a restaurant, bar and nightclub along with a banquet facility, and we will have a complete upgraded facility,” said Joe Surdo, the club’s director of marketing.

Patrons who attend the farewell party tomorrow night will be given a preview of the new concept, according to the website.

Surdo also said the club was bought out in November. An article from Nov. 14 on NJ.com said a sale was imminent as KatManDu has faced financial troubles since 2004, and had run up $100,000 in unpaid rent.

While the Trenton/Ewing area is not without other nightclubs, restaurants and bars, KatManDu has been unique since its opening in 1997. According to the club’s initial real estate developer’s website (silverandharting.com), KatManDu was constructed for $3.5 million from Trenton’s abandoned Copper Iron Works building on the Delaware River.

see CLUB page 13

KatManDu will close

Photo courtesy of Andrew Bak

Chiddy Bang tear up KendallBy Alex WolfeSports Editor

In this year’s highly-anticipated Welcome Back Concert sponsored by the College Union Board, Chiddy Bang brought it like few rap groups can with an interactive fan experience and a fresh sound.

The event was held on Kendall Hall Main Stage to a near-capacity crowd, and although the venue was small, it created an electric atmosphere while Chiddy and Xaphoon Jones — the members of Chiddy Bang — rocked the stage.

The duo brought its upbeat, energetic brand of hip-hop to Kendall, complete with Xaphoon playing the drums live for the band’s set. Chiddy, the band’s lyricist, kept the crowd engaged, frequently getting everyone to put their hands up and get into the infectious lyrics and beats.

see CHIDDY page 15

By Tom CicconeNew Editor

Like many of its students, the College is getting some good grades.

Fitch Ratings, an international rating agency that provides independent financial rating opinions, recently affirmed a “AA” rating on New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority revenue bonds that were issued on behalf of the College.

The $363.3 million dollars in NJEFA bonds were given a “Rating Outlook” of “Stable,” noting that they are payable “from legally available funds.”

According to the Fitch Ratings report that was originally issued on Dec. 14, the “AA” rating is essentially a positive one, reflecting the College’s consistently positive operating

margin, strong demand and moderating financial leverage.

The report not only comments on the College’s prudent financial management and resulting stability, but also on how solid demand for enrollment has given the College financial flexibility.

Freshman applications grew 7.2 percent for the fall 2010 class, allowing the College to increase its incoming class size by 11 percent, or just over 1,400 students, without a serious impact on selectivity, the report said.

The increase in revenue from a higher rate of student enrollment allowed the College to respond to a 6 percent cut in base state appropriations for the fiscal 2011 year. The report also said the College administrators had planned for a decrease in the size of the incoming fall 2011 class, yet at 1,371 it

remains above those of previous years.Despite the increase in incoming class

sizes, the College is still considered one of the most selective public universities in N.J., having an acceptance rate just below 50 percent of applicants, the report said.

The report also mentions the average SAT scores of incoming classes exceed all other four-year public colleges in New Jersey.

Commenting on the College’s siginificant debt burden, the report noted that it is the highest among public colleges and universities that Fitch has given the “AA” rating to. However, the report also said that the College has generated a sufficient net income to manage its debt obligations.

The College has generated a 4.3 percent margin for the fiscal 2011 year, and while this margin has declined for four years in a row,

the margin remains strong, the report said.The resulting surpluses have also allowed

the College to establish solid reserve levels of available funds that cover 51.2 percent of the fiscal 2011 year’s operating expenses, and while coverage of the College’s long-term debt was weaker at 25.4 percent, this is still an improvement from prior years.

“Fitch expects the cushion will continue to grow as TCNJ generates annual surpluses and limits its future debt financings,” the report said.

The report also mentioned Campus Town, a recent project resulting from a public-private partnership between the College and PRC Group, a private company. According to Fitch Ratings’s report, the project is not expected to have significant credit effects.

KatManDu is scheduled to close down for renovations on Jan. 13. The Trenton club was bought out in November.

Kelly Johnson / News Editor

Seth Meyers to bring laughsAt the Chiddy Bang concert, the College Union

Board announced that Seth Meyers, best known for his work as head writer for “Saturday Night Live,” will be headlining CUB’s spring comedy show.

Seth Meyers has also appeared in major motion pic-tures, including “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist.

Further information about CUB’s comedy show has yet to be announced.

The College receives ‘AA’ rating for financial management AP Photo

A Debating ‘Thrilla in Manila’

Students debate at championship in the Phillipines

See Features page 11

Page 2: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 2 The Signal January 25, 2012

SFB funds Black History Month celebrationsBy Andrew MillerNation & World Editor

The Student Finance Board granted a total of $12,510.80 to the Black Student Union for three separate events, each of which furthers BSU’s goal to advertise and celebrate Black History Month.

The main event, a Gossip and Retro-Funk fashion show, will include performances by three dance groups.

“The theme of this event is to be yourself,” Stevenson Demorcy, senior mathematics and secondary education double major and BSU’s vice president for special event, said. “One of the dance groups — Vogue Evolutions — is entirely LBGT, which we think will draw more people to the show and further our message.”

Rachel Leva, an international business major and SFB freshman representative said, “I think that the dance crews will really draw people because this fashion show is so different from the typical fashion show.”

SFB allocated $6,360.80 to BSU for this event.

SFB also granted $4,050 to bring Robert Moses to the College. Moses is a renowned civil rights activist, educator and speaker, according to Demorcy.

“He was the former leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s (SNCC) Mississippi Project in the 1960s,” Demorcy said. “He also created the Algebra Project, which emphasizes math skills and pedagogy for kids.”

The education and mathematics deans supported bringing Moses to the College, and SFB primarily debated the weight to assign to the deans’ endorsement of the event.

“It’s frustrating when the deans push for

something, but when it’s a good idea, does it matter where the idea came from?” asked Kaminsky, SFB executive director and senior accounting major.

BSU also received $2,100 to bring two actors to the College to perform “Soul of Langston.” “The play describes the life and accomplishments of the poet Langston Hughes,” Demorcy said. “The actors will read his poems, and ultimately demonstrate that he was the person who got African Americans into the media.”

Demorcy argued that the play accurately describes the daily struggles that African Americans have faced, and still face. “This play will be an asset to our Black History Month program,” he said.

Kelsey Norton, a senior accounting major and SFB financial director, expressed her

support for the event. “This event seems really cool. I don’t think that we’ve ever had a one-man play on campus before,” she said.

The Senior Class Council was granted full funding in the amount of $3,265 to bring Tyrese Gibson, an actor known for his performance in “2 Fast 2 Furious,” to

the College for a motivational lecture during Senior Week.

Last year, Gibson was supposed to come to the College for Senior Week, but

he canceled four days prior to his arrival. Because Gibson breached his contract with the College, he is required to speak for free. The Senior Class Council still needs to pay for his transportation and other miscellaneous fees.

“Originally, Gibson charged $25,000 just to speak, so $3,265 is a great deal,” Bryana Bonfanti, senior class president and

psychology and special education double major, said.

SFB asked the Senior Class Council whether or not the day of the week and time of the event — Monday, Feb. 13 at 12 p.m. — would affect the number of attendees.

“We are opening up the event to all classes, not just seniors, so we are confident that people will come,” Robert Poss, senior vice president and economics and political science double major, said.

Russian Club asked SFB for $2,000 to bring Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale University, to the College to speak about his new book, “Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin.”

“Snyder will talk about a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by Hitler and Stalin as two aspects of as single history,” Igor Ponomarev, senior international business major and president of Russian Club, said. “Students will be educated about the genocides, and specifically about the quality of life during that time.”

Russian Club estimated the total cost of the event to be $3,400. However, the club raised the remaining cost of $1,400 on its own, making the request to SFB only $2,000.

“I’m really impressed that the club raised that much money on their own,” said Warren Samlin, SFB’s administrative director and senior finance and political science double major.

The expenses included food for a reception, which SFB deemed unnecessary for the event, but still awarded the amount requested. Kaminsky explained this by saying, “Our money is going to cover some of the cost of bringing the speaker here (a total of $3,000), and so we’re not really paying for the food.”

Ashley Long / Photo Editor

SFB Executive Director Alexa Kaminsky, right, and Operations Director Milana Lazareva, left, debated funding BSU’s three-part event.

Drunk student covered in mud, property stolenBy Brendan McGrathFeatures Editor

A male student whose pants were covered in mud and sweatshirt had pine needles on it was observed stumbling on the sidewalk outside New Residence Hall at 3:20 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1, according to police records. A Campus Police officer on patrol observed the student and approached him to ask his name. Upon speaking to him, the officer noticed that the student’s eyes were glazy and smelled a strong alcoholic odor emanating from the student’s breath. After evaluating him, Lawrence Township EMS transported him to Hopewell Medical Center. He was issued a summons for underage consumption of alcoholic beverages.

…A female student was found vomiting in the women’s

bathroom on the first floor of Eickhoff Hall at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16. Lions EMS evaluated the student, and Campus Police issued her a summons for consumption of alcoholic beverages while being underage. According to reports, the accused student stated that she had consumed two glasses of wine and a shot of rum, and then

decided that she wanted to go to Eickhoff to have something to eat.

…A door alarm was activated in Decker Hall at

approximately 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 and Campus Police dispatched two officers in response. As they were entering the building, the officers observed two men in hooded sweatshirts in the basement, through a window. The officers searched the basement, but the men were no longer there, officers said. During an exterior search of Decker, the officers saw the men exiting from the front of the building. Both were taken in, and one man was arrested and charged with trespassing.

…Two pairs of Skullcandy headphones, one pair of Bose

headphones, a gray Cannon Power Shot digital camera and an electronic charger were reported stolen from a male student’s room in Cromwell Hall between Dec. 15 and Jan. 17, while he was away on winter break, according to Campus Police. Campus Police advised the victim of his rights and

issued him a victim notification form. There are no suspects.…

After losing her iPhone 4 in Lot 4, a female student used her GPS tracking system to locate the phone. After determining that its location was an off-campus residence, the student notified Campus Police at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday,

Jan. 18. Police recovered the phone using this information and returned it to the student, who then observed that it had been

wiped clean of its contents. Campus Police returned to the residence and were directed to the College’s track to find the male accused of wiping the phone. Police arrested him and

served him a summons for theft.…

A student residing in a house on Pennington Road reported that her black Cannon EOS Rebel XS camera with a telephoto lens was stolen from her house on Wednesday, Jan. 18, according to Campus Police. The student told police that the side door of the residence was unlocked at the time. The camera was last seen during the daytime and upon returning around dinnertime it was missing.

SG plans for semester aheadBy Kelly JohnsonNews Editor

Student Government announced that it will be taking a look at the key priorities for this semester and will also be analyzing the success of this past year during its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

SG members went on a retreat this past weekend and identified “ideas and initiatives … for this semester and next semester,” said Olaniyi Solebo, SG president and senior political science major. Solebo will also give a formal State of the Government address on Feb. 1 where he will talk about SG’s goals for the semester, as well as give

an overview of the last calendar year. SG also announced details of the

Senior Real Life series, which will consist of several events for soon-to-be graduating seniors.

A free cooking class will be held on Jan. 30 for seniors. A $5 deposit is required to reserve a spot in the limited class. The class will be football themed and students will learn classic Super Bowl dishes.

On Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, at least two speakers will appear at the College to inform seniors about post-graduation scenarios like managing personal assets, buying and renting an apartment and purchasing an

engagement ring. Junior history and secondary

education double major and vice president for academic affairs,

Katie Cugliotta, will be participating in interviews of Provost Candidates as

the College works to fill the position.SG is also actively engaging

with College administrators as they are still deciding about housing availability for next year. SG is making sure that students will be informed promptly after a decision is made, according to vice president for advancement and junior marketing and Spanish double major Christina Kopka.

Have a news tip? Email

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could be yours.

Speak up!

[email protected]

Page 3: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 3

Maymester a practical option for studentsBy Tom CicconeNews Editor

It may seem like a strange time of the year to take another class, but many members of the College community insist Maymester courses are a valuable and convenient option for students.

The College’s 2012 Maymester program will run from May 7 to 24 this year, featuring a wide variety of classes in communication studies, psychology, history, literature and statistics.

Assistant professor of communication studies Susan Ryan will be teaching Languages of Film & Television during the 2012 Maymester. Ryan explained the appeal of Maymester classes.

“It allows students to take classes that fill quickly during the regular semesters,” she said in an email. “It is also good for students who may have had to drop a course during the regular semester and need to make up units in order to graduate on time.”

Jason J. Dahling, assistant professor of psychology, plans to teach PSY 374, an Industrial and Organizational Seminar during the Maymester.

“The Maymester is only

three weeks long, so the course material must be covered faster. However, students generally take only that one course, as opposed to four courses during a regular semester. So things balance out,” Dahling said via email.

While intensive, Maymester classes are a strategic option for upperclass students who wish to spend time abroad but are in need of more credits, Dahling said.

“Another benefit is that the class size is smaller,” he said. “This allows me to interact with students in a more personal manner, as well as to tailor lectures to the needs of individual students. It also permits me to include class activities that I cannot do in a big group.”

“I love teaching (during the) Maymester,” said Michele Tarter, associate professor of English in an email interview. Tarter is scheduled to teach LIT 317, The Witch in Literature, a course focusing on the archetypes of witches and witchcraft in American historical documents and literature.

For graduate student Courtney Polidori, her Maymester course with Tarter was initially intimidating upon first

glance at the syllabus.“Maymester functions

like bootcamp for the brain,” condensing a semester’s worth of work into three weeks, she said.

Polidori also added that any student who “is looking to immerse themselves in a subject, think critically, push themselves academically and meet other students who share their passion for a subject will excel in Maymester.”

Tarter pointed out the benefits of participating in such an intense semester.

“What is particularly wonderful about the Maymester schedule is that this is the only class students are taking,” Tarter said. “As a result, they devote their time and energy to this course — and we get to travel together as well.”

Tarter’s course includes a trip to Salem, Mass., where students spend multiple days researching archives for original documents, visiting museums and taking commercial tours based on the course’s subject material.

“This four-day trip adds so much to our overall syllabus. It is experiential learning at its best, and it wouldn’t be possible without the Maymester opportunity,” Tarter said.

Photo courtesy of Courtney Polidori

Professor Michele Tarter and her Maymester students pose in front of a landmark in Salem, Mass. during their course last May.

AP Photo

N.J. Governor Christie pushed for a new proposal written by Professor Stout last week.

Gov. uses professor’s idea on rehabBy Kelly JohnsonNews Editor

Governor Chris Christie’s conservative notions and stances have caught the attention of many, but he seems to be changing his tone as he is now pushing for mandatory rehabilitation for all non-violent drug offenders instead of jail time, a proposal that emerged from a report written by associate professor of criminology at the College, Bruce Stout.

In his State of the State address last Tuesday, Gov. Christie announced, “Every one of God’s creations can be redeemed. Everyone deserves a second chance,” according to an article in the Wall Street Journal on Jan 20.

Specific details of the proposal have not yet been released, but the original report was written by Stout in 2009 while working as senior adviser for former Gov. Jon Corzine.

Stout said that he had hoped that Corzine would adopt the idea, but he had his “focus and attention on other things.”

“ ( G o v . Christie) believes in the effectiveness of treatment … He is very supportive of providing treatment to addicts,” Stout said in a phone interview. The governor very much believes in giving everyone

second chances as long as they haven’t hurt anyone, he said.

According to Stout, one out of four N.J. prisoners and non-violent offenders and majority of them

have serious addictions.

The topic also hits close to home for the governor, as he and his wife have worked e x t e n s i v e l y with Daytop

Village, a drug treatment program for teenagers near their home in Mendham, according to the professor.

One of the advertised benefits of the proposal is the cost effectiveness

of rehabilitating rather than incarcerating. An average of $250 million is spent per year locking up non-violent offenders, Stout said, contesting that treatment would be cheaper and will break the cycle of crime.

Gov. Christie has combined Stout’s proposal with another, more conservative plan. He is pushing to change New Jersey bail laws to keep violent drug offenders off the street while awaiting trial to see if they are determined to be a danger to society or a flight risk, according to the article.

Nevertheless, this new idea could potentially require an amendment in the state’s Constitution, according to Edward Harnett, a constitutional law professor at Seton Hall University of Law in South Orange, N.J. If enacted, the proposal could violate the section of the constitution that gives all defendants the right to post bail.

The proposal is being seen as a reach across the aisle and a step toward bipartisanship as the idea is supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat who has found himself at odds with Gov. Christie in the past, said, “I’m personally happy he’s talking about second chances,” in the article.

Stout said that he is happy with Gov. Christie’s decision. The new mandate will “save lives, cut crime and reduce costs,” he said, “and that’s a win, win, win.”

“Every one of God’s creations can be redeemed. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

— Governor Chris Christie

By Jamie PrimeauManaging Editor

Two recently reported instances of suspicious activity at residences on Pennington Road resulted in Campus Police Services sending out a campus-wide alert on Thursday, Jan. 19, encouraging members of the College community to be aware of their surroundings.

An email from College Relations arrived in inboxes at approximately 2:50 p.m. and was shortly followed by an “emergency alert” text message at 2:55 p.m.

The first incident occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 18, according to Stacy Schuster, executive director of college relations.

As explained in the email alert, an unknown male entered a Trenton State College Corporation residence, and when encountered by someone who lived there, he asked about the need for lawn-care services. After being asked if he was affiliated with TSCC, the man left.

According to the College’s website, TSCC “offers rental housing to eligible full-time faculty and staff members of The College of New Jersey. Both single-family homes and apartments are available within the housing program.”

Property was reported missing at a residence, also belonging to TSCC, where the side-door had been unlocked, the email said. Schuster confirmed in an email that the property was reported missing on Jan. 19.

“It was the combination of a suspicious entry and the later report of missing property that made us want to alert the community,” Schuster said.

Police are unsure whether the two incidents are related, but concluded the email alert by reminding everyone to lock the doors and windows of vehicles and homes.

Anyone who has further information or becomes aware of any suspicious activity should immediately contact Campus Police at 609-771-2345.

Students advised to exercise caution

Page 4: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 4 The Signal January 25, 2012

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Page 5: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Social workers and volunteers will fan out across New Jersey this week to survey the homeless and provide them with food, clothes, per-sonal items and social services in what has become an annual winter drive.

The census being conducted Wednes-day will not be as robust as last year’s count, which was a biannual survey re-quired by the federal government.

But officials say information gath-ered in the “point-in-time” look will help them develop plans to provide the home-less with shelter and permanent housing.

Experts say there were about 14,000 homeless people in New Jersey last year — a figure that includes those who were living in temporary housing but still fell under the definition of homeless. In 2009, the state’s homeless population to-taled about 13,000.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Chris Christie continues to defend his proposal to cut state income taxes by 10 percent across-the-board.

Christie discussed the plan on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

Host David Gregory asked Christie how the state could afford the tax cut, noting that Christie scrapped a planned New Jersey-to-Manhattan rail tunnel in 2010 because the state was “broke” and couldn’t afford to pay its share of the $8.7 billion project.

Christie said he was able to deliver balanced budgets — without tax increas-es — through “very difficult, aggressive” spending cuts.

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 5

Nation & W rldRights group asks West to end ‘Arab exception’CAIRO (AP) — Popular uprisings sweep-ing the Arab world exposed biases by Western governments that supported Arab autocratic rulers for the sake of “stability” while turn-ing a blind eye to their repressive policies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Sunday.

The New York based group urged democratic governments to adopt persistent and consistent support for peaceful protesters and to press both autocratic rulers and newly emerging democra-cies to avoid intolerance and seeking revenge.

“The events of the past year show that the forced silence of people living under auto-crats should never have been mistaken for popular complacency,” HRW’s executive di-rector Kenneth Roth said. “It is time to end the ‘Arab exception.’”

The Arab Spring revolts began in Tunisia in late 2010 and quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain, deposing or challenging authoritarian rulers as citizens who long seemed incapable or unwilling to rise against decades of repression took to the streets in a stunning awakening.

In some ways, the unexpected uprisings amounted to a slap to the United States and other Western governments, which had sup-ported autocratic regimes that served as bul-warks against Islamists hostile to the West and appeared to offer stability in a volatile region.

Western governments also have been ac-cused of being selective in supporting the protesters, with NATO airstrikes proving key to the ouster of slain Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Meanwhile, the West has stood largely on the sidelines amid continued crackdowns in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria.

“The people driving the Arab Spring de-serve strong international support to realize their rights and to build genuine democra-cies,” Roth said in the group’s annual report, which covers some 90 countries. He added

that the Arab world is in a “transformative moment,” and it will not be an easy one.

HRW pointed to five main issues that domi-nated the relationship between Western gov-ernments and their Arab autocratic friends: the threat of political Islam, the fight against terror-ism, support for Israel, protection of the oil flow and cooperation in stemming immigration.

Even after the leaders of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia were toppled, Western governments re-mained hesitant to lean too hard on other shaky authoritarian leaders, the group said.

As an example, the watchdog group singled out the United States, saying it has been reluc-tant to “press Egypt’s ruling military council to subject itself to elected civilian rule,” nearly a year after the country’s longtime leader was ousted following an 18-day uprising.

Roth acknowledged Western governments were re-evaluating their policies as new govern-ments emerge in the region, but said changes have been selective.

“The West has not put Bahrain under pres-sure, and other monarchs, to carry out reforms,” he told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the report’s release in Cairo.

The organization also blamed the West-ern hesitation in part on the ascendence of political Islam in most of the countries that witnessed the fall of their autocratic rulers like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

The popular uprisings also have alarmed other repressive regimes such as China, Zim-babwe, North Korea, Ethiopia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan, where rulers were worried about facing similar fates. The group said that Chi-na and Russia in particular acted as “obstruc-tionists,” using their veto power at the U.N. security council to halt pressure on Syria to stop killings of protesters.

The group also claimed that even member states of the European Union have violated human rights through restrictive asylum and migration policies.

No Wikipedia? What if the Internet crashed?WASHINGTON (AP) — If a day without Wikipedia was a bother, think bigger. In this plugged-in world, we would barely be able to cope if the entire Internet went down in a city, state or country for a day or a week.

Sure, we’d survive. People have done it. Countries have, as Egypt did last year during the anti-government protests. And most of civilization went along until the 1990s without the Internet. But now we’re so intertwined socially, financially and industrially that suddenly going back to the 1980s would hit the world as hard as a natural disaster, experts say.

No email, Twitter or Facebook. No buying online. No stock trades. No just-in-time industrial shipping. No real-time tracking of diseases. It’s gotten so that not just the entire Internet but individual websites such as Google are considered critical infrastructure, experts said.

“Nobody would die, but there would be a major hassle,” said computer security expert Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure in Helsinki, Finland.

If an Internet outage lasted more than a day or two, the financial hit would be huge, with mass un-employment, said Ken Mayland, a former chief bank economist and president of ClearView Economics. Eugene Spafford, director of Pur-due University’s Center for Educa-tion and Research in Information Assurance and Security, worries about bank runs and general panic.

Psychologically, too, it could be wrenching. “I think it’s easier to get off heroin,” said Lisa Welter of

New York City, who weaned herself for a month last year from just the social aspects of the Internet — she still paid bills online — and felt as if she was “living in a cave.”

“There would be a sense of loss: What would I do with my time?” said Kimberly Young, a psycholo-gist who directs the Center for In-ternet Addiction and Recovery.

On Wednesday, certain websites, most prominently Wikipedia, went dark to protest legislation in Con-gress that would crack down on pi-rated movies and TV shows. It was a one-day stunt. But it raises ques-tions about our connectedness.

It is possible that hackers, terrorists, accidents or even sunspots could take down the Internet and cause areas to be-come cut off, said Spafford, one of the foremost experts on computer security. The U.S. and other developed nations

have multiple and robust routing sys-tems that make it unlikely large areas would be affected, but smaller coun-tries could be vulnerable to nationwide outages, Hypponen said.

The world only has to look back one year to Egypt to see what a sudden un-plugging could spawn.

The government of Hosni Mubarak tried to stop protests in January 2011 by switching off the Internet. The shutdown halted businesses, banking operations and — at the height of the demonstrations — the ability of the protest leaders to organize and com-municate with one another.

With the shutdown, the protests swelled as people unable to follow minute-by-minute what was going on took to the streets.

“No Internet meant that more people went down and realized that this was for real. The protests grew, and so did the anger against the government domesti-cally and internationally,” Saleh said.

He said that the lack of Internet also allowed him to “live the mo-ment” because he was not distracted with tweeting and posting on Face-book or analyzing the situation. This, he said, strengthened real face-to-face connections between people.

Nicholas Christin, associate director of the Information Networking Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, said that while a prolonged Internet outage would be uncomfortable, it might also bring out the best in people.

“I think you would find that people are very resilient,” he said. “We would go back to the libraries.”

Caving to public pressure, Beijing’s en-vironmental authorities started releasing more detailed air quality data on Saturday that may better reflect how bad the Chi-nese capital’s air pollution is. But accord-ing to one expert, measurements from the first day were low compared with data U.S. officials have been collecting for years.

...Former House speaker Newt Gingrich came from behind in the South Carolina prima-ries on Saturday to overtake Mitt Romney in a state that for decades has chosen the eventual Republican nominee.

...Vilified by the Republicans who want his job, President Barack Obama stood be-fore the nation Tuesday night determined to frame the election-year debate on his terms. He used his State of the Union ad-dress to outline a lasting economic recov-ery plan that will “work for everyone, not just a wealthy few.”

...A European agency is investigating a mul-tiple sclerosis treatment drug, Gilenya, made by industry giant Novartis to de-termine whether the medicine played any role in the deaths at least 11 patients.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

This image represents the day that Wikipedia shut down to protest the passing of SOPA.

News Bits

Protesters chant at a rally honoring those killed in clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012.

AP Photo

AP Photo

N.J. News

Christie defends tax cut plan

Head count on homeless

Page 6: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 6 The Signal January 25, 2012

Page 7: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

Editorial

Editorial Content Unsigned editorial opinions are those of the Editorial Board, which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, the Managing, News, Fea-tures, Arts & Entertainment, Opinions, Photo and Sports editors and the Business Manager, unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed in signed editorials and letters to the editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Signal.

The Weekly Poll:What was your first job?

• Babysitting.• Retail.• Working at a restaurant.• An office job.• I’ve never been employed.

Previous poll’s resultsWhat’s your New Year’s resolution?

• Stress less. 44%• Find a new hobby. 38%• Exercise more. 13%• I don’t make resolutions. 5%• Oops! Too late, I already broke mine. 0%

Arts & Entertainment Editor Julia Corbett relays her tales of retails and advice on how to make shopping experiences pleasant for all involved.

cast your vote @ tcnjsignal.net !

Mailing Address:The Signalc/o Brower Student CenterThe College of New JerseyP.O. Box 7718Ewing, NJ 08628-0718

Telephone:Production Rm - (609) 771-2424Business Office - (609) 771-2499Fax: (609) 771-3433Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

tcnjsignal.net

Quotes of the Week

“We generally just seek fun, or I guess

fun seeks us.”

— Xaphoon, of hip-hop duo Chiddy

Bang, from CUB’s Welcome Back Concert

“Whatever this ‘new concept’

is, it has a lot to live up to.”

— Diana Bubser, ‘11 alumna, on the closing

of KatManDu and its future renovation plans

“Maymester functions like bootcamp for

the brain.”

— graduate student Courtney Polidori

“Defense is our bread and butter. Our defense has

been instrumental this year for our

success.”

—senior Kelsey Kutch, who scored her 1,000th

point on the women’s basketball team

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 7

In retail, something doesn’t always register between customer and employee, whether that actually is at the register or on the sales floor. There is an unspoken discon-nect in the form of common courtesy.

Anyone who works retail, and that is a lot of college stu-dents, knows just how mean customers can get. No one is per-fect — not an employee and not a customer. However, at times, it feels like customers take advantage, belittle and argue with employees over things that are out of the employee’s control.

Even the nicest of associates have gotten their fair share of glitter short shorts literally thrown in their faces (or maybe that’s just me). Why did this happen? Because I asked what size they wanted.

It’s our job to make sure that the customers’ shopping expe-rience is rewarding and that they, in turn, reward us with big profits and store credit cards by the end of the day. Or at the very least, give us enough revenue to make our managers happy.

Not all customers are mean. A lot of them are nice and willing to, at the very least, tolerate us. Some invite our opin-ions and advice, but others truly are downright awful.

Here’s the lowdown for all mean customers out there — employees really don’t care what size you are and we really don’t feel like getting on our knees to pull out those size 6 jeans that you could easily get on your own.

My all-time favorite is when customers try to argue with the register, telling employees that we are wrong, when in fact, we are just relaying the information that the system is telling us.

Basically, when you treat us rudely and whip past us as we try to tell you the deals, we will purposely trail you until you hear every word we have to say. We do what we do because we have to. It is what gets us more hours each week.

And this bitterness is all coming from a rather non-argumentative person.

The fact of the matter is that we all have to work at some point and most of us wind up in retail at one time or an-other. Most people can relate to enduring this conduct.

No one likes this kind of treatment, but we have to suck it up and deal with it, unless, of course, the conduct is totally unac-ceptable (i.e. screaming customer bitching out the manager).

If you treat us nicely, with just an ounce of decency, we are glad to return the favor. We’ll probably make your shopping experience even more rewarding.

I’m not going to lie, before working retail, I hated when an associate pounced on me the minute I walked into a store. I didn’t want to tell her how I was — “Good, thank you,” was too much talking — and I didn’t want to give my email, that also required me to speak too much at the register. Now, I sympathize.

The truth is, as many people say, you do not understand retail until you work it. Or at least maybe read this editorial.

So, throw the employee a bone and make up a fake email, if nothing else. “I don’t have an email address” might be the biggest lie of the century.

Be courteous and respectful, as I’m sure most of you are. And to those select individuals who lack all common courtesy for the workingman, well, I feel bad for you.

You never know, your next job could be at the mall this summer.

Happy shopping!

– Julia Corbett, Arts & Entertainment Editor

AP Photo

Editorial Staff

Brianna Gunter Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Primeau Managing Editor [email protected] Ciccone News Editor [email protected] Johnson News Editor [email protected] Wolfe Sports Editor [email protected] McGrath Features Editor [email protected] Corbett Arts & Entertainment Editor [email protected] Orlich Opinions Editor [email protected]

Ashley Long Photo Editor [email protected] Weinbaum Production ManagerAndrew Miller Nation & World EditorMelissa Easaw Copy EditorChris Molicki Sports Assistant

Emilie Lounsberry Advisor

Business Staff

Dan Lisi Business/Ad ManagerNatalie Schiavi Business Assitant

The reality of working retail

Page 8: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

GRADUATE PROGRAMIN GENDER STUDIESAnnouncing a new graduate certificateprogram in Gender Studies at TCNJ

STRENGTHEN YOUR CAREER POTENTIALIN A LABOR MARKET INCREASINGLYORIENTED TOWARD MANAGINGISSUES OF GENDER AND DIVERSITY.

The Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies is designed to serve both working professionals and students preparing for further graduate study. It will be especially useful for teachers, who will gain strategies for navigating the gendered terrain of the classroom. The Certificate can be completed on its own or combined with a Masters of Arts in English.

The deadlines to apply for Fall 2012 matriculation are February 1 (priority) and August 1 (final). For further program information, contact Ann Marie Nicolosi, Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies Department, [email protected]. An applicationcan be obtained by visiting the Office of GraduateStudies website at http://graduate.pages.tcnj.edu/apply.

http://graduate.pages.tcnj.edu/apply

page 8 The Signal January 25, 2012

You talked. We listened.

Online appointment scheduling has arrived. www.tcnj.edu/healthservices

TCNJ Student Health Services and TCNJ Planned Parenthood Eickhoff 107

Page 9: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

Stop: saying Joe Flacco isn’t that good, biting your nails, quoting the discount double check commercial, forgetting your umbrella in the rain.Caution: overconfident Giants fans thinking it’s 2007, colds going around, a very crowded Eickhoff. Go: watch Ben Stein

speak on campus, console a sad Ravens fan, follow more people on Twitter.

The Signal says ...

Policies The Signal is published week-ly during the academic year and is financed by the Student Ac-tivities Fee (SAF) and advertising revenue. Any student may sub-mit articles to The Signal. Publi-cation of submitted articles is at the discretion of the editors. The letters section is an open forum for opinions. Submissions that announce events or advertise in any way will not be printed. All letters should be sent via e-mail to [email protected]. Handwritten letters should be sent to The Sig-nal, c/o The Brower Student Cen-ter, The College of New Jersey, PO Box 7718 Ewing, N.J. 08628 or placed in our mailbox in the Student Life Office. Letters must be received by the Friday before publication and should not exceed 300 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All letters must be signed, with a phone number and address of the author. Requests to withhold the author’s name will be hon-ored only if there is a legitimate reason. All materials submitted be-come the sole property of The Signal. The editors reserve the right to edit or withhold all ar-ticles, letters & photographs. The Signal willingly corrects factual mistakes. If you think we have made an error, please con-tact The Signal at (609) 771-2424, write to the address listed above or e-mail us at [email protected].

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 9

Opinions The unintended consequences of SOPA

By Frank Orlich

Anyone trying to look up who starred in “Pulp Fiction” or the winner of Super Bowl X last week was disappointed to learn their favorite website for finding that type of information, Wikipedia, was blacked out for the day. Protesting against The Stop Online Privacy Act, Wikipedia prompted its users to think about a world without the popular websites we use regularly.

It’s a troubling thought. a censored web. The most transformative innovation of the last 30 years blocking access to content. Could SOPA really do all that?

SOPA expands the government’s ability to fight online trafficking of copyrighted property and counterfeit goods. SOPA intends to protect the intellectual property rights of content creators, an admirable goal. Intellectual property has been a staple of the American economy since our country’s inception. It has led to the creation of numerous jobs and its innovations have created a more competitive marketplace. Furthermore, protecting intellectual property ensures profits go to innovators, rather than other websites stealing content.

However it is not the goals, but the unintended consequences of the act that have people worried. The law would enable courts to order internet companies, online payment processors, and online advertising networks to block the access of sites merely suspected of allowing the trade of pirated goods.

The fear is that by putting so much power into the court’s hands, by letting them decide what constitutes a rogue site, many legitimate website could be blacked out. In a society that promote free speech and civil liberties above all else, it’s

concerning to watch our legislators give judges the authority to arbitrarily stop the flow of information.

This idea of act first and ask questions later is a direct violation of our First Amendment rights. The courts have repeatedly ruled that prior restraint, which is censoring material before it is published, is unconstitutional. Other than in matters affecting national security, it is better for the content to be published and available to society, then censored if need be. And while I do think it is morally wrong and illegal, I do not think it is a threat to our national security to pirate episodes of “How I Met Your Mother.”

Many tech companies, search engines and advertising agencies have spoken out against the bill. “The Internet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can’t let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the Internet’s development,” Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. Google also showed its disapproval of the act by blacking out its famous logo.

This bill seems very much a battle

between two familiar foes — music and movie producers versus tech websites. And while the general populous seems to side with tech websites, they still may have something very troubling to worry about. Those websites, including Facebook, Google and Yahoo, spent $14.2 million in 2010 on lobbyists. On the other side of the debate, the Entertainment Industry, including Time Warner, Disney and Comcast spent $185.5 million in 2010 on lobbyists. That stark contrast in funds has many worried about not only SOPA, but future conflicts between these two groups.

SOPA may be well intentioned, and there’s no debate that piracy is an issue that needs reconciling. But limiting free speech and putting more power in the hands of copyright holders is clearly not the answer. The dissemination of information and ideas is at the crux of what the internet is all about. SOPA undermines these intentions. Fortunately, the House Judiciary Committee postponed plans to draft the bill. However, they remain committed to finding a solution to online piracy.

Last week, Wikipedia blacked its website out in protest of SOPA.AP Photo

Test your mental strength and write for The Signal!

Email your opinions to [email protected]

SignalSpotlight

What are your goals for the semester?

“To get good grades”

—Andrew Mound, sophomore chemistry major

“To save a puppy from a burning building”—Matt Dwyer, sophomore international business major

“To have a super fun time living life”

—Erin McNaught, sophomore English and special education double major

“To do well in my classes and get a summer internship”—Matt Vulcz, sophomore finance major

AP PhotoAP Photo

Page 10: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 10 The Signal January 25, 2012

The College of New Jersey Honors Program is pleased to recognize

Laurie Delatour

Recipient of the Honors Program’s Outstanding Scholar Award

Fall 2011

Contact Deborah Simpson at 609-771-2190 or [email protected] or Ed Dean at

609-771-2190 or [email protected] with any ques�ons.

· Easy to create a team or register as a free agent · View schedules and league standings · Manage team rosters · Schedule team prac�ces · Stay up-to-date with game cancella�ons via team text messages ·Much more!

www.imleagues.com/tcnj

Raymond Pettibonearly drawings

Wednesday, January 25, 5:00–7:00 p.m.Art Gallery, 115 Art & IMM Building

Tue, Wed, Thu 12:00 – 7:00 p.m.Sun 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

[email protected]/~tcag

gallery info

receptionjanuary 25–february 29

It’s YOUR

TUTORING CENTER

For that challenging course…

get help from a tutor in…

101 Roscoe West Hall. Weekly sessions Single Session Writing Conferences Study Groups

Tutoring begins Monday 1/30.

Sign ups MUST be done IN-PERSON starting Monday 1/23 at these times: Mon-Thurs 11 am-1 pm 2-4 pm 5-7pm

Fri 11 am-1 pm 2-4 pm For more information, contact us at www.tcnj.edu/~tutoring 609-771-3325 [email protected]

R:\\Tutoring\OUTREACH\SignalAds\Spring Start-up & Sign-up Times

Page 11: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 11

Debaters represent College on world stageBy Brendan McGrathFeatures Editor

The College’s debate team is making its voice heard around the world with a relent-less pursuit of success that kept some of its members busy throughout winter break.

Ashley Vogt, junior English major, and Morgan McElroy, junior nursing major, flew to the Philippines to compete in the World University Debate Championship (Worlds) from Dec. 27 – Jan. 4.

“Worlds is the Olympics of debate,” said McElroy, the club’s executive adviser and re-cording secretary.

“It’s the most competitive international tournament for college debate,” Vogt, the president, added.

TCNJ Debate is starting to establish

itself as a force on the national debate scene even though it is only in its fifth year of existence. After turning in a strong per-formance on this trip to De La Salle Uni-versity in Manila, the club has shown it is capable of debating with premier teams from around the world as well.

Approximately 1,400 debaters from 40 different countries participate in Worlds — competing in the tournament is not something that either of these students would take on lightly.

“It’s such a competitive tournament,” Vogt said. “The last thing you want to do is go and embarrass yourself, your school and your country on an international scale.”

The club held its own , however, ar-guing topics from immigration to nation-alism, and pulling out 13 points in the

nine-round tournament. “I’m really proud of how well we did given

that it was our first Worlds,” McElroy said.Moving beyond this successful venture,

the club is seeking to establish itself as a more permanent fixture, both in the collegiate de-bate world and on campus.

“We’ve been at a little bit of a disadvan-tage because we’ve sort of been pulling our-selves along in the dark, trying to feel our way,” Vogt said. “But we have been getting more competitive.”

TCNJ Debate suffered from the gradu-ation of many of its founding members last year, but Vogt and Morgan have stepped up to take leadership in the organization. An in-flux of new members, however, has provided a challenging yet bright future.

“I love all of our freshman and they’re learning so fast and they’re doing so well al-ready, that I feel like they’re going to be in a really good position to be competitive.” Vogt said. “They’ll do a really good job of draw-ing people in and keeping them there because they’re so passionate about it.”

With the encouragement and aid of the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben Rifkin, as well as many oth-ers at the College, TCNJ Debate is compet-ing with schools that have significantly larger budgets and longer legacies.

“Debate at TCNJ is a champion for the values and goals we hold most dear in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences,” Rifkin said. “I am particularly proud of how debaters work to read and think analytically and communicate effectively in speech.”

Rifkin is working with the club as it

prepares for its next big step toward na-tional prominence and personal achieve-ment — a debate tournament hosted here at the College.

Despite the protest of some members of their governing organization, the Ameri-can Parliamentary Debate Association, the club was granted the right to host its own competition on Feb. 10-11. Propo-nents argued that TCNJ Debate had done more than anyone else in preparing a bid and deserved this tournament.

Upwards of 100 debaters from many different schools will participate, and the final rounds will be open to public viewing in the Brower Student Center.

Features

Photo courtesy of Morgan McElroy

The top collegiate debaters from around the world gathered in Ma-nila for the World University Debate championships.

College juniors Ashley Vogt (left) and Morgan McElroy travel to the Philippines for debate.

Photo courtesy of Morgan McElroy

Dear Emily,

After months of waiting, worrying and packing, I’ve finally ar-

rived in Newcastle upon Tyne. I’d like to say that I entered the

country with dignity and grace, shrouded in that aura of mystery

that comes from being a world traveler. Because that’s what we

are now, you know: world travelers. Sophisticated women who are

perfectly at ease jumping on planes and trains and other rhyming

forms of transportation, speeding off to adventures unknown.

Except there wasn’t anything very sophisticated or worldly

about my travel experience. Actually, I’m fairly confident that I

looked terrified to the point of nausea during the entire 14-hour

ordeal. I almost ended up on a plane to Poland at Heathrow, and

looked ridiculous trying to lug suitcases heavier than myself

throughout Newcastle International Airport. To top it all off, I

wasn’t able to buy bedding the first day and spent the night us-

ing my jacket as a blanket and my stuffed Lorax as a pillow.

Not exactly sophisticated.

Newcastle doesn’t look very similar to the brochure. In

fact, my first impression of it was “WHY IS THIS PLACE SO

GREY?” It’s an odd mix of really traditional-looking build-

ings and random steel, blocky contraptions. It’s like

it couldn’t figure out whether it wants to be Pittsburgh or

Hogsmeade, so it decided to become some sort of unholy

offspring of the two. But I’ve been exploring it a bit more

and I’m not as horrified as I was when I first got here.

Cheers,

Shaun

Dear Shaun,

Glad to hear you’ve made it safely. I know right where you’re coming from

(and not just because we both flew out of Philadelphia) – getting here was

far from a smooth process for me, too.Now that I’m beginning to get settled, I’m starting to explore my mid-size

English town, and I keep running into two things: history and dubstep.

England seems to have an uneasy relationship with its history. (The same

cannot be said for its relationship with dubstep – more on that later.) To

embrace it fully is to shoulder responsibility for thousands of years of

imperialism, but to deny the presence of the “old world” is impossible – it’s

everywhere, from the buildings to many people’s attitudes. This state-

ment would have sounded far-fetched to me a few weeks ago, but I didn’t

know then how much effect fortified 16th century castles and the pres-

ence of a monarchy had on a place’s atmosphere. This has been the strangest part of the U.K. to me so far. Walking through

the U.S., you aren’t confronted with the past. It’s a “new” place. This is

the “old” world, and I’m still adjusting to that. Tradition and formality are

important here. This can occasionally translate to stuffiness and reliance

on arcane rules.

But not always. I’ve met a lot of people who buck that trend, and I’m find-

ing that like all cities, Oxford has a colorful side. It’s not all grey skies and

cathedrals. I bet you’ll find the same is true about Newcastle.

Which brings me back to the dubstep: It is very much a thing in the U.K. I

hear it playing on the street, in stores, in cafes. I’ve traveled thousands of

miles, and I can’t escape the drop. (But, really, was I looking to?)

Stay safe, and keep me updated.Best,Emily

British Invasion: The Signal crosses the Atlantic

Shaun Fitzpatrick and Emily Brill, two of last semester’s editors, have just landed in England. Follow them and see where their travels can take you.

Page 12: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

Try something new this

semester

Write for The Signal!

page 12 The Signal January 25, 2012

Come out to the New Pre-Vet Club!

We are meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 25 @ 2 p.m. in the Bio Building 209.

This week we are doing a school spotlight: The University of Pennsylvania!

This club is welcome for all majors! There will be free snacks & drinks, too.

Politics Forum spring 2012

Thursdays, 11:30-12:30

Jan.26: Pierre Le Morvan (Phil), "Corporate Interests and the Manufacture of Unhealthy Skepticism" [223 SSB]

Feb.9: Sharon Weiner (American Uni.), "Bureaucratic Politics and Nuclear Proliferation" [223 SSB]

March 22: Jesse Bucher (Hist.), “Care, Recovery, and the History of Political Transition in South Africa” [223 SSB]

April 12: Mark Kiselica et.al. (Ed.), "Teacher Tenure in New Jersey Public Schools: Historical and Political Perspectives" [library auditorium]

Page 13: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

By Katie OcchipintiColumnist

Let’s face it, the odds may be against us. According to the American Council on Exercise, 40-65 percent of new exercis-ers will quit within three to six months. The Association for Ap-plied Sport Psychology say that as much as 80 percent of people who begin an exercise program don’t stick with it.

Like clockwork, busy gyms die down in the months follow-ing January, a representation of fitness resolutions gone awry. That time is approaching. With the start of the semester, ex-cuses come easy and exercising becomes hard. One month into 2012 are you still going strong and getting strong?

Have some precautionary measures in place to help you stay on track. Here are some ways to avoid the burn out of your workout:

• Find an activity that you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t run! Try swimming, bik-ing or Zumba-ing. Hit up the T/W Fitness Center for some fun exercise classes. Boot camp, extreme yoga and kick boxing … yes, we have those here and they are free!• Learn a new way of being active. Look into joining TCNJ Crossfit for a fresh, new and in-tense workout and to make some fit new friends or inquire about a personal trainer at the Physical Enhancement Center. • Start slow and gradually in-crease your workout intensity, frequency or duration. It’s a marathon not a sprint! A com-mon mistake for new exercisers

is to set unrealistic expectations for their workouts and expect un-sustainable regimens. • Schedule your workouts ahead of time. Sit down and map out your week to make yourself a priority in your busy life. Pencil in your work-out like you would a meeting with a professor. • Track your progress. Invest in a journal and jot down small changes that you notice in en-ergy, strength and how well your jeans fit. Every small im-provement will help keep you motivated.•Work out with a buddy, but choose wisely. A work out bud-dy can help add accountability to your program, if it is not a friend that you are likely to skip with for Happy Hour. One study published by the Journal of Social Science found that we tend to mimic the exercise behavior and intensity of our partner during a workout. • Most importantly, get out the door. If you start talking yourself out of going to the gym, decide on a shorter workout instead of none at all. Your something is better than your nothing. See you at the gym!

By Victoria Moorhouse and Albert MatlockColumnists

Next time you’re seeking some ensemble inspiration, you may just want to take a stroll around the men’s clothing section. No, you’re not find-ing a rather thoughtful gift for your grandpa or brother — you’re shop-ping for yourself.

A quick way for a woman to change up her look is incorporating menswear into her closet. The best part? You potentially have the male members of the College population to borrow from. Who doesn’t like a day of lax jeans, roomy button downs and v-neck sweaters?

Just because clothing is consid-ered menswear doesn’t necessar-ily mean it has to look masculine. For instance, a well-fitted oxford or chambray shirt paired with pearls can be elegant without crossing into

a formal territory. A “school boy” blazer with a colorful pocket square and pair of khaki’s is menswear in-spired, yet can be both classy and fun when paired with neutral wedges.

But when raiding any guy’s closet in attempts of creating a menswear look, remember these simple tips:

Know the Difference There is a difference between

wearing men’s inspired clothing and actually wearing men’s clothing. Some things out of the men’s sec-tion just won’t work on a woman. (Like those gym shorts or his baggy jeans — a big no-no.) Want some boyfriend jeans? Don’t borrow your boyfriend’s. Run over to the Gap and buy your own. Others items like that spacious men’s pullover worn with leggings and boots will draw positive attention. …Bring in a Feminine Edge

Keep in mind when wearing menswear to try to bring in femi-nine items such as heels, skirts and jewelry to the mix. Makeup and hair are easy areas to add a wom-anly touch as well. More impor-tantly, wear them with confidence and a feminine edge. …Size it Up

Conquering the look requires some thought on sizing. Menswear pieces are often larger, making it ideal for layering. But be careful of pairing more than one large article of clothing together. Loose-fitting sweats and a large, chunky knit won’t exactly complement your figure, and in the end, you’ll end up drowning in your clothes. …

Don’t Forget the AccessoriesIf you’re not into wearing large

sweaters, varsity tees or business blazers, hit up the accessories. Thick-banded watches in neutral colors, aviators and oxford shoes all have a bit of masculine edge. For headwear, think newsboy caps and fedoras. …Fabrics and Patterns

Herringbone, plaid, tweed, var-sity stripes and pinstripes all give off a strong, sturdy vibe. These fabrics can stand alone without any glitz and glamour. Your best bet is to try to find well-built pieces like jackets and pants in these fabrics and patterns.

Remember to keep it classic. Try channeling brands like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. In the end, think clean lines and structure. You’ll be sure to add a little male flair without any added testosterone.

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 13

alterationsneeded.com

Campus StyleIf you can’t beat the odds, change the game

continued from page 1

The club has since become a hotspot with a wide radius, and has even hosted a wide range of celebrities over its 14-year span.

In a sense the building is a variety of dif-ferent places grouped together. Upon enter-ing KatManDu, patrons maneuver between a variety of bar areas, a main dance floor and stage, a separate pub (the Cooper Iron Works Pub) and another stage and dance floor outside. KatManDu’s main dance floor does have a giant disco ball, but the club itself currently boasts a colorful and amus-ingly tasteless mixture of tropical designs and southwestern facades.

“Honestly, senior nights were the best because all your friends were there which is what made it epic,” said Lizbeth Veliz, ’10. “I was not that fond of it on a regular Thursday College Night, but I did like the décor.”

Still, College Night has been popular with many students of the College and nearby Rider University for some time. According to Surdo, these discounted nights were start-ed a year or two after the club first opened. Held every Thursday night, female students needed only their college ID cards for free admission before 11 p.m., while male stu-dents received a discounted price. Inside, all students enjoyed $1 bottles of beer and $4 mixed drinks. For the average stressed-out

and cash-strapped college student, spending only a few bucks on a night at Kat has been a more than welcome way to blow off steam.

“After freshman year, everyone basically hung out in their own groups, and Kat was a great place for these different cliques to con-

verge into one happy, drunken family,” said Diana Bubser, ’11. “Kat was also the cata-lyst for stereotypical college shenanigans. A few years ago, my friend walked back to campus from Kat at 3 a.m. Dangerous and irrevocably idiotic, yes, but also an incident

that will be talked about for years to come. Whatever this ‘new concept’ is, it has a lot to live up to.”

In fact, students of the College have enjoyed the club so much that they have been holding senior nights there for the past several years.

“I was not the biggest frequenter of Kat-ManDu, but that place, mainly due to its size and proximity to campus. was the best senior night venue by far. I feel very bad for the seniors who won’t get to experience a place that was for the most part, clean, well-kept and fun,” said Bobby Olivier, ’11.

Indeed, students who have yet to turn the legal age are feeling the letdown of this change.

“I feel like I’ve been cheated out of my Kat memories,” said Erin Ehrola, junior English and secondary education double major.

Nevertheless, KatManDu officials are looking forward what the future will bring.

“We are excited for the change, and we realize that the college students have been great customers of ours and we will see them back when we reopen,” Surdo said. Fortunately for the students of the College and Rider, Surdo also said they will be bringing back College Night.

In the meantime, students will simply have to find another place as wild, fun and wonderfully tacky as KatManDu.

Club / As Kat changes, memories remain

Brianna Gunter / Editor-in-Chief

As the lights go down on KatManDu, College students create some final memories at the club that has been a fixture since 1997.

mistercrew.com

Maintain a feminine edge while sporting menswear.

A bit of men’s clothing can go a long way.

Take a walk down the men’s aisle

Page 14: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 14 The Signal January 25, 2012

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

BOWLING

SPRING 2012

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR TEAM MAY REGISTER ON LINE

AT IMLEAGUES.COM

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT THE STUDENT

RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY 6:00PM.

ACTION STARTS: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012

DAYS AND TIMES: WEDNESDAY 1:00PM-4:00PM

LEAGUES: A MAXIMUM OF THREE PLAYERS PER TEAM

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING PLACEMENT ON A TEAM WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING TEAM CAPTAINS.

CAPTAIN’S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL

BE GIVEN BY INTRAMURAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE. ALUMNI ARE NOT

ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

DEBORAH SIMPSON, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, 771-2190

DANNY ZANE, BOWLING SUPERVISOR, [email protected]

 

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

CO-REC VOLLEYBALL

SPRING 2012

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR TEAM CAN REGISTER ON LINE

AT IMLEAGUES.COM

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT THE STUDENT

RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY 6:00PM. ALL CARDS MUST

INCLUDE A $30.00 ENTRY/FORFEIT FEE. IF TEAM DOES

NOT FORFEIT THEY WILL RECEIVE $15.00 BACK AT END

OF THE SEASON. LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE

ACCEPTED! NO EXCEPTIONS!

ACTION STARTS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

DAYS AND TIMES: MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY 6:00PM-10:00PM

LEAGUES: CO-REC AND MEN’S

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING PLACEMENT ON A TEAM WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING TEAM CAPTAINS.

CAPTAIN’S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL

BE GIVEN BY INTRAMURAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE. ALUMNI ARE NOT

ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

DEBORAH SIMPSON, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB DIRECTOR, 771-2190 [email protected]

ED DEAN, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB ASSISTANT, 771-2190 [email protected]

 

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

FLOOR HOCKEY

SPRING 2012 (MEN’S & CO-REC)

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR TEAMS MAY REGISTER ON LINE

AT IMLEAGUES.COM

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT THE STUDENT

RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY 6:00PM. ALL CARDS MUST

INCLUDE A $30.00 ENTRY/FORFEIT FEE. TEAMS WHO DO

NOT FORFEIT WILL RECEIVE $15.00 AT END OF SEASON.

LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! NO

EXCEPTIONS!

ACTION STARTS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

DAYS AND TIMES: MONDAY & WEDNESDAY 5:00PM-10:00PM

LEAGUES: MEN’S A & B LEAGUE, CO-REC

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING PLACEMENT ON A TEAM WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING TEAM CAPTAINS.

CAPTAIN’S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL

BE GIVEN BY INTRAMURAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE. ALUMNI ARE NOT

ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

DEBORAH SIMPSON, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB DIRECTOR, 771-2190 [email protected]

ED DEAN, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB ASSISTANT, [email protected]

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

INDOOR SOCCER SPRING 2012

(MEN’S, WOMEN’S & CO-REC)

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR TEAMS MAY REGISTER ON LINE

AT IMLEAGUES.COM.

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT THE STUDENT

RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY 6:00PM. ALL CARDS MUST

INCLUDE A $30.00 ENTRY/FORFEIT FEE. TEAMS WHO DO

NOT FORFEIT WILL RECEIVE $15.00 AT END OF SEASON.

LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! NO

EXCEPTIONS!

ACTION STARTS: THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012

DAYS AND TIMES: TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, & THURSDAY 5:00PM-10:00PM

LEAGUES: MEN’S A & B LEAGUE, WOMEN’S, CO-REC

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING PLACEMENT ON A TEAM WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING TEAM CAPTAINS.

CAPTAIN’S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL

BE GIVEN BY INTRAMURAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE. ALUMNI ARE NOT

ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

DEBORAH SIMPSON, INTRAMURALS AND SPORT CLUB DIRECTOR, 771-2190 [email protected]

MATT KARSH, INTRAMURAL SOCCER ASSISTANT, 771-2190 [email protected]

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

SOFTBALL

SPRING 2012 (MEN’S, WOMEN’S & CO-REC)

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR YOU MAY REGISTER ON LINE

THROUGH IMLEAGUES.COM

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT THE STUDENT

RECREATION CENTER FRONT DESK BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 BY 6:00PM. ALL CARDS MUST

INCLUDE A $30.00 ENTRY/FORFEIT FEE. TEAMS WHO DO

NOT FORFEIT WILL RECEIVE $15.00 AT END OF SEASON.

LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! NO

EXCEPTIONS!

ACTION STARTS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

DAYS AND TIMES: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY 6:00PM-

10:00PM

LEAGUES: MEN’S A & B LEAGUE, WOMEN’S, CO-REC

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING PLACEMENT ON A TEAM WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING TEAM CAPTAINS.

CAPTAIN’S PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS WILL

BE GIVEN BY INTRAMURAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE. ALUMNI ARE NOT

ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

DEBORAH SIMPSON, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB DIRECTOR, 771-2190 [email protected]

ED DEAN, INTRAMURAL AND SPORT CLUB ASSISTANT, 771-2190 [email protected]  

THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRAMURALS AND RECREATION SERVICES

TENNIS

SPRING 2012

(MEN’S, WOMEN’S, & CO-REC)

ENTRY CARDS: MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE STUDENT RECREATION

CENTER FRONT DESK OR PARTICIPANTS MAY REGISTER

ON LINE AT IMLEAGUES.COM

ENTRY DEADLINE: ENTRY CARDS MUST BE DROPPED OFF BY FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 @ 6:00PM

DAYS AND TIMES: DAYS AND TIMES VARY

LEAGUES: MEN’S, WOMEN’S, & CO-REC

RULES: MAY BE FOUND ON THE INTRAMURAL WEB SITE-

WWW.TCNJ.EDU/~INTRAMUR. IT IS THE CAPTAIN’S

RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE RULES.

ELIGIBILITY: ALL THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY STUDENTS, STAFF,

AND FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

DEBORAH SIMPSON, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, 771-2190 [email protected]

EMILY PETERSACK, PROGRAM SUPERVISOR, 771-3021

Page 15: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

By Julia CorbettArts & Entertainment Editor

What exactly does a spider-pig do? Even Mike Reiss, writer and producer for “The Simpsons”

and contributor to “The Simpsons Movie” could not answer that.

He could, however, take blame for contributing to the increase of couch potatoes in the world today.

Reiss visited the College on Thursday, Jan. 19 for the College Union Board’s Welcome Back Lecture. He spoke

about his Harvard University background, his short-lived animated show “The Critic,” the 20- episode “Queer Duck” and, of course, his work on “The Simpsons.”

Reiss showed clips throughout the lecture, providing anecdotes of each situation, including one of his first-ever “Simpsons” clips featuring a cameo from Mary Poppins. Reiss claimed that he took the episode to Julie Andrews herself and she allegedly cursed him out.

Little did she know, “The Simpsons” would end up shaping both American and international cultures.

In 1989, Reiss and his fellow writers forecasted that “The Simpsons” would only last for six weeks, as most new shows often do. This year, Fox will air the show’s 500th episode on Feb. 16.

Now of course, if “The Simpsons” actually aged, Reiss predicted that Marge would be collecting social security and Homer would have already been dead for five years.

The 23-year-old show has no end in sight, however, and continues to evolve. Lisa, for example, has gone from a vegetarian to a Buddhist, and Reiss said that if the show keeps going, “We will make her a cannibal, or go to Rutgers.”

Another example of the evolution of a character is Smithers. After the first season, Smithers’ race and sexual orientation completely changed.

“Smithers is the first man in history to go from black and straight to white and gay,” Reiss announced, to which audience members laughed.

Aside from his writing, “Simpsons” fans may recognize Reiss from an actual episode.

The writer showed a clip of an episode from 1991, when Lisa developed a crush on her substitute teacher. Reiss based the character off of one of his own teachers and kept telling the artists that he wanted the substitute to have some sort of a

deformity. “The deformity was they made him look like me,” he

revealed. The audience instantly started laughing as they recognized the episode.

Reiss eventually left “The Simpsons” (not for that incident) and made his own show, “The Critic.”

He showed a clip from “The Critic” where a Howard Stern reincarnated cockroach received the same birthing rituals as Simba. The clip caused many people to question why the show was ever canceled to begin with. Despite this rather entertaining clip, the show did not receive much praise and was canceled. The clip caused many people to question why the show was ever canceled to begin with.

Reiss went on to write 17 children’s books, including, ironically, Christmas books.

“For those of you who haven’t seen a Jew before, this is a Jew,” he said, referring to himself.

Next up for Reiss was a return to “The Simpsons” and a new venture “Queer Duck,” a rather self-explanatory animated series. The show is extremely popular, Reiss said, especially in Britain.

Reiss was also one of the writers behind “The Simpsons Movie.”

As for this, he cannot believe that one of the most memorable moments for moviegoers was spider-pig. According to Reiss, the joke was written randomly for no reason and thrown in at the end of the creation process.

A single episode of “The Simpsons” takes from eight months to a year to produce, so it was

understandable that Reiss was flabbergasted as to why a random joke put in at the end would be such a hit. But perhaps lightning really does strike when least

expected. Reiss knows this firsthand.

Watch the interview with Mike Reiss on tcnjsignal.net!

Reiss proves to be quite the character at ‘Simpsons’ lecture

Arts & EntertainmentJanuary 25, 2012 The Signal page 15

Semester kicks off with a ‘banging’ start

The 2012 music forecast offers upcoming artists and albums

continued from page 1

One of the highlights of the show came when Xaphoon put down the drumsticks and picked up the mic, asking the audience to give Chiddy anything they could think of to rap about.

The chosen subjects ranged from Rosie O’Donnell to the College to gorillas on Mars (a topic Xaphoon himself admitted he had never heard requested before). Xaphoon then dropped a beat on his drums as Chiddy rapped about the topics given to him.

Chiddy used his freestyling prowess to incorporate all of the subjects into his rap, including saying something was fat like Rosie O’Donnell, and referring to the members of the crowd when he said he was “chillin’ with my gorillas on Mars.”

Chiddy Bang’s debut album “Breakfast” is coming out on Feb. 28, and the group played a couple of their tracks — “Ray Charles” and “Mind Your Manners”— during the show. They also debuted a brand new track off the album.

The group has big plans for the record.“We’re pushing a lot of boundaries,”

Xaphoon said in an interview prior to the show. “And we’ve got a couple more high-profile features, but we wanted to definitely make a statement with the album and not do any, huge samples. ‘Opposite of Adults’ is a big song, but we also sampled a big song. And with this album, we wanted to definitely step away from that.”

The band is also looking to reinvent hip-hop, shooting for a fresh sound on the album and some “deeper meanings,” the members said.

“Just layers of sound” Xaphoon explained. “It’s a very international album, it’s very futuristic. It’s kind of us with a budget. Before we just had a laptop and a mic, now we have a laptop and a mic and a piano and a string section and crazy synth. We just have more tools at our availability. And we’re also older, so our mind works in different ways now and we’ve just been sitting on some of our best material for almost a year and a half.”

The biggest factor that made the show a success was that the group really seemed to have fun on the stage, from Xaphoon slamming on the drums in an exaggerated fashion to Chiddy constantly prompting the crowd to get on their feet and sing along.

The band thinks that fun is an important concept for everyone, not just in music.

“If you’re not having fun, what are you doing?” Xaphoon said. “You’re probably in the wrong line of work.”

“We generally just seek fun, or I guess fun seeks us,” Chiddy said. “You know what I’m sayin’? In a lot of situations.”

The crowd definitely had fun as well, especially when the pair played its smash hit “Opposite of Adults.” Chiddy got the audience jumping and the roof was rocking in Kendall as seemingly every person in attendance sang along.

The Jane Doze, an all-female DJ group consisting of Claire Schlissel and Jen Mozenter, started off the show. They mashed up popular songs from Drake, Lady

Gaga, Rihanna and others during their set.Jane Doze started the show off with

some more obscure tunes, which led to many in the crowd staying in their seats.

However, by the time the group hit the end of their set, the pair was mashing some more prominent songs, which got the crowd up and going. The crowd went even crazier when the duo came down from the stage and danced through the crowd.

While it might not have been the

best venue for a mash-up artist because it was a little cramped for dancing, the group did a good job and did not

take away the

essence of the songs they were mixing.Overall, at the Welcome Back

Concert, Jane Doze set the scene, and then Chiddy Bang tore it up.

Listen to the full interview with Chiddy Bang on tcnjsignal.net!

Chiddy/ Hip-hop group lays down beats on Kendall stage

Matthew Mance / Photo Assistant

Writer and producer of ‘The Simpsons,’ Mike Reiss, discusses his background, work on the show and other humorous, animated endeavors.

coolspotters.com

Photos courtesy of Andrew

Bak

For more exclusive coverage on Welcome Back events, check out

our website.

Page 16: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 16 The Signal January 25, 2012

Performances bring new atmosphere to RatBy Gary KehoeStaff Writer

The Rathskeller was full of dancing students on Friday thanks to performances by River City Extension and opener Accidental Seabirds.

The College Union Board brought the famed folk/rock headliner to the Rat, and as the small bar quickly exceeded its maximum seating, the night promised to be exceptional.

River City Extension brought everyone to their feet with their thrash/folk/alternative rock sound.

The band had a full, wild sound. The formidable compilation of guitars, horns, banjo, keys, vocals and percussion extended all the way to the back of the Rat, where students who could not find tables stood and enjoyed.

“I have been to a lot of Rat shows at TCNJ and this was one of the best,” said junior communications major Brianna O’Connor. “I love the shows where the place is packed and people actually get to dance.”

River City Extension lead man Joe Michelini made sure to communicate intimately with the audience.

“There are really great things that come out of traveling,” said Michelini, recalling a long road stint, which had

kept the band from its N.J. home. “One is a little something called perspective. Your whole life is perception, and regardless of politics or religion or ideology, we all see the world from a narrow point of view. We need to realize on a daily basis that good can be found in the world with a little more understanding.”

The band previewed songs from their new album, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger,” which had been completed just a day before.

The Toms River natives tour around the world. After coming to the College, they will visit The Fire in West Philadelphia on Feb. 16 before flying to Australia.

“No matter where we go or what we see, I want the music to remain true and honest,” Michelini said.

The Accidental Seabirds, an alternative band from Lakewood, N.J. opened the show and warmed the crowd with friendly individualism.

The group played numerous songs from their album “The Snow and the Full Moon,” which was composed entirely in Herdman’s Brooklyn apartment.

Lead guitarist Jimmy James Cutrera

worked the foot pedals while front-man Jesse Lee Herdman grooved across the stage.

After their last number, Herdman encouraged the now jam-packed

Rathskellar “not to feel obligated to sit down, but get up and dance.”

In an interview after his set, Herdman insisted, “It’s

not about money — we will play anywhere:

museums, parties, coffee shops. We just

want people.” The band hits Asbury

Park next at Trinity and the Pope restaurant, but they expressed a deep desire to branch out of Monmouth and Ocean County and spread their sound.

Once River City Extension took the stage, an increasing amount of musical energy emerged.

It turns out, audience members listened to Herdman’s advice as people emerged from their seats to dance — something not common for the Rat.

After the last twang from River City’s guitars, an impression was noticeably made on the crowd.

Friday night was an exchange of appreciation and energy between audience and artist, something the College would certainly welcome again.

By Nick ElliotBook Critic

“So Much Pretty”

It’s not often that a book leaves me with such mixed feelings as Cara Hoffman’s debut, “So Much Pretty.”

The novel takes place in Haeden, a local town in upstate N.Y., and revolves around the disappearance of Wendy White, a young local waitress.

Stacy Flynn, a reporter from Cleveland moves to town to investigate the environmental impact of the town’s dairy farm, instead becoming consumed with cracking Wendy’s case. Wendy’s story is told alongside that of Alice Piper, an intelligent and mature high school student who has always been cast as a bit of an “outsider.” Alice’s parents move from New York City to Haeden to escape the chaos of the city and raise their family in a more nurturing environment, but are never able to fully acclimate to the town’s tight-knit culture.

After Wendy’s body is found in a ditch on the side of the road five months after her disappearance, tension in the town escalates. The lives of the three women — Wendy, Flynn and Alice — all drive the novel’s exploration of violence against their gender. Frustrated with Haeden’s small-town mentality, Alice decides to take matters into her own hands.

You’ll have to find out for yourself how the novel ends, but I certainly closed the book feeling conflicted.

“So Much Pretty” moves slowly at first and takes time to settle into, but once Hoffman establishes her method of adopting multiple character perspectives and points of view, the story becomes a page-turner.

A former investigative reporter, Hoffman’s style is exact and specific, but also stylish and engaging. Whether you love the book or not — and I do think the ending is polarizing — Hoffman ensures her story will linger in the heads of her readers for some time.

By Chris DelaneyBook Critic

“While Mortals Sleep”

“While Mortals Sleep” is a collection of previously unpublished short stories by Kurt Vonnegut. These works were likely written when Vonnegut was just

starting out and honing his craft. All together there are 16 stories with topics ranging from Christmas lights to model trains.

For those familiar with Vonnegut’s work, these stories are more optimistic and cheery than his later work. However, they do not lack the moral instructions that are such an integral part of his prose. For instance, the story “Ruth” exemplifies the timeless Vonnegut theme of caring for others and foreshadows Vonnegut’s novel “God Bless You Mr. Rosewater.”

You can see the seeds of Vonnegut’s later work in the lessons he tries to teach and the types of characters he uses in these early stories. To be honest, I was pessimistic about reading this book and I put it off for a year, but I really wish I hadn’t.

This is not just a collection of stale stories published to make money — this is something you will really

enjoy. It is not equal to the caliber of “Cat’s Cradle” or “Breakfast of Champions,” but it is quality

— think “Welcome to the Monkeyhouse” without the science fiction.

The book also includes some of Vonnegut’s artwork. The first page

includes a black background with white stars dancing in the sky and a caption that says, “Some Of These Are Galaxies.”

Looking at this artwork makes me wonder if any of those galaxies light-years away have their own Kurt Vonnegut. I

doubt it.

River City Extension and Accidental Seabirds evoke new energy at the Rat.

LIT CORNER

Reviews of the new and old Black Keys collaborate with black sheep

By Matthew JannettiWTSR Music Director

The Black Keys“El Camino”

The Black Keys’ last album, “Brothers,” was very successful. Most people will probably remember the band’s hit single “Tighten Up.” However, the Black Keys have been around since 2001, and their seventh album, “El Camino,” brings back a little more of a blues influence.

On this album, the Black Keys turned back to legendary indie producer Danger Mouse.

Some Black Keys fans might not have been happy with this announcement, however. Danger Mouse produced their 2008 album, “Attack & Release,” which is often considered to be the black sheep of the band’s discography. However, this time around the collaboration was a success.

Plenty of newer fans will find some great singles, like the fast-paced “Lonely Boy” or catchy “Gold on the Ceiling.” The album really shines on tracks like “Run Right Back” and “Nova Baby” and these most definitely bring back the bluesy feel of early Black Keys, albeit with more production.

Also, the slower, more melodic, “Stop Stop” shows the depth of the Black Keys. The Black Keys have been steadily evolving since they released their first album. They adjust and make changes to their sound as they see fit and don’t seem to be too affected by pressure from fans or the music industry. Since they have consistently dropped good albums for 10 years, it is nice to see them continuing to get the attention that they deserve.

Focus Tracks: “Run Right Back,” “Nova Baby,” “Stop Stop”

Additional Info: Release Number: 7thHailing From: Akron, OhioGenre: Bluesy RockLabel: Nonesuch

carahoffman.com , vonnegut.com

While late writer Kurt Vonnegut’s formerly unreleased works are published, new author Cara Hoffman releases her first novel.

Vicki Wang / Staff Photographer

Page 17: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 17

Delaware Valley looms in showdown at homeWrestling gets ready for big meet

Wrestling

By Peter FiorillaStaff Writer Over the weekend 11 members of the wrestling team competed at the Messiah College Open to help determine who will help the Lions finish their season, which continues on Wednesday when the College hosts its first home dual meet in more than two months against No. 20 Delaware Val-ley College (7-7). There was no team scoring at the Mes-siah event, a meet which helped the Lions “figure out what roles certain members of our team will player from here on (out),” head coach Joe Galante said. A handful of the 27th-ranked Lions at the event made deep runs into the tourna-ment. Freshman Josh Garzio (149) earned second in his weight class after going 3-1, junior Jason Ecklof (149) also took three

wins for fourth place, and sophomores John Palsi (141), Justin DeAndrea (165), Rich Cordero (174) and freshman Michael Larcamp (285) each won two bouts.

The meet came just days before the Lions hope to improve to 8-4 on the sea-son — and 2-3 against ranked teams — against a hot Delaware Valley team in

a potentially pivotal event for the Col-lege’s wrestling team, which can sig-nificantly improve its conference and national standing with a victory. “(The meet against Delaware is) very important because they are conference match ups and they are ranked above us,” Galante said. “The team needs to and can step up to the challenge.” Delaware Valley has gone 4-1 since starting the season 3-6, most recently pick-ing up an impressive 18-15 win against No. 19 Messiah College during a 4-0 tear before falling, 24-13, to Centenary College last Friday. The meet will be played in Packer Hall tonight at 7 p.m. This weekend, the Col-lege will compete at the NEWA-Metro Conference Duals, held at Roger Williams University, and play a road dual meet at Springfield College.Although it wasn’t scored, the College took high marks at Messiah.

Remembering Joe Paterno, the coachCheap Seats

By Alex WolfeSports Editor

Let me preface this article by saying that I am not a Penn State fan. I never have been, and I never will be. I used to be a Notre Dame fan, but in the past few years I’ve become more of a broad-scale college football fan. That being said, I just want to set something straight. I want to make sure everyone remembers who Joe Paterno was. Paterno, the head coach of Penn State football for 44 years before his ousting midway through last season, passed away this past Sunday, Jan. 23. He left behind a legacy that, to some, is tainted by the assumption that he didn’t do enough to stop former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky from molesting young boys, charges that Sandusky is currently being tried on. Paterno, for the record, was never charged with anything in the case and was only asked to make one court ap-pearance in the time before his death. However, I want to remind everyone about the other part of Joe Paterno’s legacy — the football part. The part that made him arguably the greatest col-lege football coach of all time, let alone one of the greatest coaches of all time, period. Paterno played college ball for Brown University, in one average season at quarterback in 1949. He threw for 337 yards, rushed for 140 and even returned kicks, taking one back for a touchdown. Not all-star numbers, but he wasn’t awful either. Paterno’s college playing career is hardly remembered, however, because his coaching résumé is not comparable to any other coach in the history of football. Or, again, in sports in general. He started his career with the Nittany Lions in 1950 as an assistant coach. Paterno served under coach Rip Engle during Engle’s entire time with the team from 1950-1965, and took over the team in 1966. Paterno coached the Nittany Lions for 44 years and part of a 45th, a single-team number that is the biggest in Divi-sion I history. Only one coach, John Gagliardi of Division

III St. John’s University in Minnesota, has coached one team for a longer tenure in college sports. But in a con-stantly-revolving coaching carousel in Division I football that sees coaches ousted for one losing season at times, Paterno’s tenure is made even more impressive. Paterno coached the most games in Division I history with 548. He won the most games as well, posting a num-ber of 409 that is eons higher than the next coach on the list, retired Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, with 346. He has 37 bowl appearances, again considerably ahead of the next best coach on the list (Bowden again with 33). He

posted 24 wins in those tries, also the best in history. He was Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 1986, an award given to the sports personal-ity who conducts himself the best on and off the field in any given year. He won 26 various Coach of the Year awards during his time at Penn State, eight of those coming during Penn State’s Orange Bowl run

in 2005, when they prevailed over Florida State. Paterno was also not one to hold onto his job if he wasn’t deserving of it. At one point in the 2004-05 offseason, Paterno conceded that

he would leave his post if the team wasn’t having success under him anymore. The previous four years

had resulted in a 26-33 record for Paterno — well below his usual standards. People were calling for his job, saying that his age had caught up to him and he wasn’t capable of coaching anymore. Paterno gave himself a one-year ul-timatum, that if he didn’t win that season he would call it quits. Well, he did the former, finishing with an 11-1 over-all record and besting Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Paterno’s efforts off the field can’t be overlooked either. He was a strong proponent of student athletes getting their degrees and being prepared for a life after football, and Penn State’s above-average grades for its football players was a testament to that. He also donated over $4 million to the school, includ-ing contributions toward the Penn State All-Sports Mu-seum, which opened in 2002, and the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, opened in 2003. Paterno also helped raise and gave funds for a wing of Penn State’s library, which was named Paterno Library after the legendary coach.

I guess my main point in all of this is, try to remember JoePa for what he was, not what he has been turned into. He wasn’t the one raping the boys. He was a man who made a mistake. But that one mistake shouldn’t overshad-ow a lifetime of sports greatness and humanitarianism. So, I ask this. Remember Joe Paterno, the coach, the humanitarian, the cheery, resilient old man. Try not to re-member him as this cover-up artist that he has been painted as in recent months. He is a man that made one mistake in a lifetime of good. Let’s try to remember the good, and for-give him for some of the bad. Everyone makes mistakes, and Paterno was no different.

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

AP Photos

Paterno shouldn’t be criticized in death.

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Page 18: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 18 The Signal January 25, 2012

Add some spice into your schedule

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Page 19: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

By Mike PietroforteStaff Writer

The College’s women’s swimming and diving team pulled out a victory against the William Paterson Pioneers on Saturday, Jan. 21. The Lions’ seniors led the way, winning every event they competed in, and finishing the meet with a final score of 195-92. Senior Traci Hofer continued her successful season, finishing first in the 100-yard backstroke with a fin-ishing time of 1:03.32. On top of that, she swam on

the winning relay teams for the 200-medley and 200-freestyle events. Other seniors with first-place finishes were Aman-da Waldner, who won the 100-freestyle event with a time of 51.37; Kelsey Herchenrider, who took first in the 100-breaststroke (1:12.47) and Danielle Morrone, who won the 100-butterfly event (1:01.46). Waldner also competed on the first-place 200-medley and 200-freestyle teams. To cap off the victory, sophomore Sabrina Lucchesi, the NJAC Diver of the Week, prevailed in two diving events, with final scores of 286.65 in the 1-meter dive and 301.35 in the 3-meter dive. The men’s swimming and diving team also topped the Pioneers with a decisive score, posting a 183-99 final. The Lions won all events but one (the 200-meter backstroke), and like the women’s team, the men also

received a big push from their seniors. Senior Jesse Taylor took part in the 200-free relay team that won with a fin-ishing time of 1:30.27 and finished first in the 50-freestyle, and senior Jeff Capone finished first in the 200-fly with a winning

time of 2:10.96. Fellow senior and four-time NJAC Diver of the Week, T.J. Burns, won both diving events with final scores of 327.45 and 347.92 in the 1-meter and 3-meter events. This will be the Lions’ last weekend of competition before they compete in the Metropolitan Conference

Championships. The Lions’ next meet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. against Rowan in Packer Hall, where they will look to lock up the NJAC title. “We are starting our taper in a couple weeks, so we will be well rested and ready to go for our final meet (METS) at the end of February,” Taylor said. “Go-ing into our meet against Rowan this weekend we are trying to keep the same mindset that has carried us through our season so far. We’re going to be focused on our final goals for the season and ready to race.”

The women took every event against Paterson.

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 19

Swimming and Diving

Track and Field

By Chris MolickiSports Assistant

TheCollege’strackandfieldteamstrav-eled to Haverford College and took their op-ponents by storm on Friday night, Jan. 20, capturingseveraltopfinishesinalldifferentareas. The schools they competed against were Haverford, New York University and Widener University. The story of the day for the women was top freshman performances, starting with

freshman Michelle Cascio, who made her mark on the meet. She won the 200-meters withablazingtimeof27.41andalsofinishedsecond in the 60-meter dash at 8.36 seconds. Freshman Liz Johnson matched her with a firstandsecondplaceaswell,pacingawinin the mile at 5:17.21 and taking second in the 800-meters with a time of 2:24. 75. “The team and I have been training re-ally hard since October so it feels really good seeing the rewards of it play out,” Cascio said. “So far, I guess I’ve been pretty successful, but there is definitelyroom for improvement and I’m hoping that with even more training this season will continue to be a really good one.” Thebonanzaoftopfreshmanfinishesdidnot stop there. Freshman Ketelyn Ary was thewinnerofthatsame800race,finishingjust a step ahead at 2:23.64. Another fresh-man, Katie Johnston, won the 400-meters with a time of 1:02.53. “The other freshmen have been doing so well and it’s awesome to watch each other’s successes, because we all understand how nerve-racking it was to make the transition from high school competition to collegiate competition,” Cascio said. Junior Brielle Doremus and sophomore Katie Knight were top-two in the 60-me-ter dash at 9.95 and 10.42, respectively.

Five out of seven running events were won by the Lions. Senior Steven D’Aiutolo led the Col-lege’s winning ways for the men as he cruised to a victory in the long jump, leaping6.45meters.Hefinishedalmostafoot farther than the second-place jump-er, who was from Widener. “I did not expect to win by that much, but every time I go out and compete, I attempt to win the event,” D’Aiutolo said. “This was my season opener in the long jump, so it’s a good way to start the season.” Receiving a personal best and dipping under seven seconds, senior Christopher Medinarocketedtoasecond-placefinishinthe 60-meter dash with a time of 6.97. He only lost to the College’s assistant coach, Ashhad Agayapong, who ran unattached. Freshman Louis Fisher added to his stel-lar rookie season by winning the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.12 seconds. “We’re really close as a team and we all knew that Chris was working real hard to get under seven seconds,” D’Aiutolo said about the race. “Having him start off the meet with a big PR (personal record) like that really doesfireuptherestoftheteamandsetsthewhole tone for the meet.” Second-placefinisheswerealsoaplentyfor the Lions. Senior Andrew Herschman

grabbed the No. 2 spot in the mile with a time of 4:22.31. Sophomore Michael Spekhardt got second in the 200-meters with 23.50. In thefieldevents,twofreshmenshowedtheirstuff with second place finishes as JamesO’Connor got 1.77 meters in the high jump and Jamie LeRoy launched the shot put 12.03 meters. The meet was a dominant showing for the Lions, who had at least a sec-ond-place finisher in the majority of the events. It is a promising sign for what’s to come this season. The College will run again on Satur-day when they travel to the University of Delaware to compete in the Thomp-son Invitational.

D’Aiutolo won the long jump.Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Track leaves its mark at Haverford

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Lions (women) 195Pioneers 92Lions (men) 183Pioneers 99

Football

Brown takes home D-III Player of the Year hardware All-American Lions safety Shawn Brown accepted his Division III Football Player of the Year award this past Sunday from the New Jersey Sports Writers Association in front of a crowd of more than 500 people. Brown was one of 24 people honored at the event, which had a star-studded lineup including former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand (who was deemed likely paralyzed after an in-game accident and is now making steps toward walking again) and Al Leiter, former Mets and Yankees pitcher. Brown had a stellar season this past year, posting 56 total tack-les, five interceptions and two sacks on the year. Brown’s totals this season accounted for more than half of his career totals. “This is such a tremendous honor,” Brown said at the event. “I would also like to thank my family and the coach-ing staff at TCNJ.”

Both swim teams take down the PioneersBoth teams had many top finishers.

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

The men are one win from the NJAC title.

Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Page 20: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

page 20 The Signal January 25, 2012

Trivia QuestionAnswer to previous question: Milt Pappas (36 years have passed)The New York Yankees played their final game at historic Yankee

Stadium on Monday. Which Yankees superstar made the final out for the Bronx Bombers in their 7-3 victory over

Fun Stuff

SudokuEasy Hard

I’ve got two pages this week, so here’s some standard newspaper fun stuff.

Crossword Puzzle... Don’t ask why the words are already checked off. I dunno.

Heathcliff.He’s like

Garfield, but probably less

likely to sue me for copyright infringement.

Be happy with the Heathcliff.

http://www.onlinecrosswords.net/

Page 21: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 21

Trivia QuestionAnswer to previous question: Milt Pappas (36 years have passed)The New York Yankees played their final game at historic Yankee

Stadium on Monday. Which Yankees superstar made the final out for the Bronx Bombers in their 7-3 victory over

And here’s some Signal-style Fun Stuff

Check out deez monkeys!

It was just Chinese New Year, or so I’m told.

So here’s a dragon to color in celebration of the Year of the Dragon.

It’s not just any dragon.

It’s Charizard.

The coolest dragon ever.

Enjoy, and be sure to hug a dragon this year.

Confucius say: In this (Chinese) New Year, you make your own fortune!

Page 22: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

1. The Colts fired head coach Jim Caldwell just a couple of weeks after Bill and Chris Polian were shown the door. If Peyton Man-ning is the next to go, would the Indianapo-lis Colts be making a mistake?KL: Long-term, I can’t see how this would be a mistake. The Colts have the opportunity to draft the best quarter-back prospect in the last 25 years in An-drew Luck. Luck has the chance to be the face of the franchise, and the Colts need to give Luck every opportunity to start next season. All teams have to go through this at some point, and the Colts will have to let go of Manning eventu-ally, so why not do it now when there’s at least a justifiable reason — that be-ing Andrew Luck? The better question is does Peyton Manning even want to be part of the Colts next season? There are going to be new coaches and the ros-ter is essentially a rebuilding project. It may be best for both parties to cut ties with Manning and this would be the per-fect time to do so.BB: Considering the fact that the Colts went from perennial Super Bowl con-tender every year to the worst football team in the NFL, I believe it would be a huge mistake to let Peyton Manning go. Even though the Colts plan to draft quarterback-of-the-future Andrew Luck, there is no guarantee that he will be-come an elite quarterback, especially to the level that Peyton Manning is. Draft-ing a quarterback with the first pick in the draft is a crapshoot. For every suc-cessful quarterback drafted first overall (Eli Manning), there are twice as many unsuccessful (JaMarcus Russell and Da-vid Carr). The best thing the Colts could do is draft Luck and let him sit for a few years — the Aaron Rodgers route — and let Manning continue to be your quar-terback. It certainly worked out pretty well for the Packers.JS: Absolutely yes! There are several reasons why the Colts would be mak-ing a mistake to let Peyton Manning go. Manning has arguably the best on-field awareness of any quarterback in the NFL. The Colts need a quarterback like Peyton to run their complicated offense. Also, from a business standpoint, when the Colts acquire rookie sensation An-

drew Luck from the draft, having Peyton Manning on the team to coach him will create a lot of media buzz and ultimately put more asses in the seats. BG: Bryan gets the 3 for pointing out how bad the Colts were without Manning and how Andrew Luck could benefit from sit-ting behind him. Kevin gets 2 for saying there’s no better time than now to make a quarterback change. Johnny gets 1 for going with the economic angle.

2. Freshman center Anthony Davis al-ready has set the University of Ken-tucky’s single-season record for blocked shots, forward Michael Gilchrist is av-eraging 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds and guard Marquis Teague is averaging double-digit points on top of dishing out nearly five assists a game. Is this class of one-and-dones, I mean freshmen, head coach John Calapari’s best since coming to the Wildcats? KL: I’m going to say the John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins’ class was better. Both classes are extremely high profile, where Wall and Cousins were the num-ber one and number two recruits, while Davis, Gilchrist and Teague were all top-10 recruits. With that said, the only rea-son why I think that the Wall and Cous-ins’ class was better is because Wall and Cousins were the two that were the lead-ers of that squad. At such a young age, the two freshmen were able to lead the Wildcats to an impressive 35-3 record and an Elite Eight appearance, which is very impressive. With the current squad, it’s tough to single out who the star player is. In fact, sophomore Doron Lamb is leading the Wildcats in scoring. This team might be more balanced and have more depth, and for that reason Wall and Cousins’ class was better since they didn’t have as much help. BB: While this class of freshmen is pret-ty solid, I do not believe this is the best class Calapari has had in his three years at Kentucky. I believe his best recruiting class is the one he had in his first year at Kentucky, which featured the likes of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric

Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. That class produced four first round picks, includ-ing the No. 1 and 5 pick in their draft year. Both of these classes had high end talent, but Calapari’s first recruiting class I believe had a little bit more depth than his current class, even though both classes are outstanding. I give the edge to his first class because Wall and Cous-ins have already shown they are good NBA players and it’s hard to predict how players will transition into the NBA.JS: Yes. Once again the University of Kentucky basketball team is made up of some amazing freshman talent. The 2009-2010 Wildcats freshmen were also a very impressive bunch and included John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. How-ever, with Kentucky still undefeated in their conference and suffering only one loss in their overall schedule so far this season, this young team is a force to be reckoned with, and, in my opinion, the best group of freshmen that the team has seen under head coach John Calapari.BG: Kevin gets 3 for stating that Wall and Cousins led the team their fresh-man year, whereas this year’s freshmen have a couple of sophomores to lean on. Bryan gets 2 for referencing the fact that Calapari’s first class included four first-round draft picks. Johnny gets 1 for supplying us with Kentucky’s impressive record so far this season. 3. Ryan Braun officially received the NL MVP Award this past weekend. Since tests have shown elevated levels of tes-tosterone in Braun’s system, which led to a suspension for next season, should the outfielder give the award back and let the voters select another candidate?KL: Braun should absolutely not give the MVP award back. Yes, steroids are bad, and as an athlete you are supposed to be a good influence on younger kids, but the effect of steroids as perfor-mance enhancing drugs is still relatively vague. Who’s to say that steroids really give you an advantage in the first place? There haven’t been any scientific studies to suggest that you hit the ball infinitely farther or increase hand-eye coordina-tion by taking them. With the exception of stolen bases, Braun’s power numbers this season fall right in line with his ca-reer stats. There’s absolutely no clear correlation as to how much steroids af-fect performance on the field. We also don’t know when he first started using them or when he stopped. There’s just so much gray area in this matter that it’s completely unfair to strip Braun of the title. Previous high-profile steroid us-ers have tested positive, yet not a single

one has had to return an award. Braun should be no exception. BB: If Braun’s appeal of his failed PED test does not prove that he is innocent, then I believe he should return his NL MVP award. Baseball was finally start-ing to take a turn for the positive after the dark years of the steroid era, and Braun was supposed to be one of the bright young faces that were helping lead baseball in the right direction of young talented players who did not use PEDs. Unfortunately, that appeared to not be the case when it was announced last year that Braun had failed a PED test. Baseball was plagued with previ-ous MVP award winners who had taken steroids with the likes of Bonds, Sosa and Giambi, but the past few winners have all supposedly been clean, and I do not think baseball can afford to have an-other black mark on the MVP award. JS: Since Braun in maintaining his inno-cence in the allegation against him, I feel that if would not be in his best interest if he returns the NL MVP Award. Braun is in the process of appealing the re-sults of the drug test with Major League Baseball. Braun is innocent until proven guilty, and since he is so firmly standing for his innocence, he believes that his MVP award is rightfully his. However, if the MLB deems that he was in fact on steroids, they may take it away from him whether he likes it or not. BG: Bryan gets 3 for his argument that if Braun is guilty, then this new era of baseball needs him to give the award back. Kevin gets 2 for saying that per-formance-enhancing drugs don’t neces-sarily make a player great. Johnny gets 1 for going with the trademark “inno-cent until proven guilty” argument.

DORMAROUND THELIONS

3

4 6

5In this week’s Around the Dorm, the “Ref,” Brandon Gould, challenges Staff Writer Kevin Lee, Correspondent Bryan Bellanca and Cor-respondent Johnny Sisto to answer questions about what the Colts should do with Peyton Manning, whether this year’s freshman class at Kentucky is the best in John Calipari’s tenure and whether alleged steroid user Ryan Braun should give the NL MVP award back.

AP Photo

Brandon Gould“The Ref”

Bryan BellancaCorrespondent

Johnny SistoCorrespondent

page 22 The Signal January 25, 2012

Kevin LeeStaff Writer

AP Photo

AP Photo

“Cundiff, why do you have to suck?”

— Bryan

Bryan wins this week’s AtD, 8 - 6 - 3.

Page 23: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

This Week In SportsMen’s Basketball

Jan. 26vs. Eastern Connecticut State

University, 7 p.m.

Jan. 28Montclair State University, 3 p.m.

Women’s BasketballJan. 28

vs. Montclair State University, 1 p.m.

Track & FieldJan. 28

@ Thompson Invitational (hosted by University of Delaware), TBA

Swimming and DivingJan. 28

vs. Rowan University, 1 p.m.

Jan. 29@ Stevens Institute of Technology, 1

p.m.

WrestlingJan. 25

vs. Delaware Valley College, 7 p.m.

Jan. 28@ NEWA-Metro Conference Duals (hosted by Roger Williams), 12 p.m.

Jan. 29@ Springfield College, 12 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Christopher Medina

January 25, 2012 The Signal page 23

LIONS ROUNDUP

Track & Field

This Week’s Picks

Celtics vs. Magic

Knicks vs. Heat

Mississippi St. vs. Florida

Michigan vs. Ohio St.

Chris Molicki(2-2)

Alex Wolfe(1-3)

Brandon Gould(0-4)

Joe Caputo(1-3)

Men’s Basketball

Christopher Medina, sprinter for the men’s track & field team, dropped under seven seconds for the first time in the 60-meter dash by posting a time of 6.97 at Haverford College on Friday.

Medina was the first college student to finish in the race, besting all runners from NYU, Haverford and Widener.

—Chris Molicki, Sports Assistant

Lion ofthe Week

Trivia QuestionAnswer to previous question: Milt Pappas (36 years have passed)The New York Yankees played their final game at historic Yankee

Stadium on Monday. Which Yankees superstar made the final out for the Bronx Bombers in their 7-3 victory over

Trivia QuestionLast Week’s Answer: Cowboys, Redskins, Lions, Vikings and Falcons

The consensus No. 1 overall pick is Andrew Luck. Luck is expected to be one of the best QB prospects of the past decade or so, which means he will most likely need to win a Super Bowl to live up to the expectations. How many quarter-backs were picked No. 1 overall, and have started and won a Super Bowl?

AP Photo

Page 24: The Signal spring '12 No. 2

By Alex WolfeSports Editor

With a six-game losing streak behind them, the men’s basketball team is attempting to right the ship. With two wins in their last three games, they are well on their way to doing so. TheLions’firstwinof thenewyearcameagainstRut-gers-Camden on Jan. 19, winning by the score of 77-62.However,evenmoreimpressivewastheirblowoutagainstHunter College, where the Lions brought the Hawks totheir knees in PackerHall on Jan. 20with a stout defen-siveeffortcombinedwithplentyoffastbreakconversions. ThehighlightofthenightwenttofreshmanguardEm-manuelMatlock,whomadeadivingsavebeforedishingtheballoverhisheadtostreakingjuniorguardBrandonJohn-son,whonailedacornerthreetotheraucousapplauseofthecrowdofalmost100inattendance. “Just the hustle part, just trying to get the ball andhustle,” said Matlock, who was described by an assis-tantcoachasa“gentleman”afterthegame.“Andtohave(Johnson)inthecornerandjustgethimtheballasquickaspossible,andthenforhimtomakeit, Ididn’texpecthimtoshootitbuthemadeit.Itwasjustthegreatestfeel-ing.Wewerehavingfunoutthere.” Theteamhadalotoffun,tothetuneof19steals,11assistsand33.3percentfromthree-pointrange.Theteamranalotofthree-andevenfour-guardsetsduringthegame,whichledtoadisadvantagefromareboundingstandpointbutlettheLionsgetoutandrunagainsttheirless-speedyopponents.Thistends

toworkastheirgreatestadvantageattimes,butwhenitcomestoreboundingitbecomestheirbiggestweakness. “Whenthesmallguysareplayingthebiggerguysthey’reconcentratingalittlebitmoreinregardsofboxingoutandbeingintherightposition,”headcoachKellyWilliamssaid.“And they’re accepting it as a challenge, and they under-standthesizefactorandthedifference.” It’sariskystrategy,butonethatmitigatesthelossinthemiddleof former freshman forwardKyleCancillieri,wholefttheteamtowardtheendofwinterbreak. “(Cancillieri)justdecidedtowalkaway,and(he)justfeltthatplayingbasketballandbeingastudentathleterightnowjustwasn’thistoppriority,”Williamssaid.

Nowtheteamisstartingtodofineinhisstead,asfourplayersscoredindoublefiguresinthewinoverHunter.Johnsonledtheteamwith15points,whileseniorguardAlMatlock,seniorguard/forwardKyleRawsonandju-niorguardDonovanSmallsallhad11.EmmanuelMat-lock had nine points, four assists and six steals in theeffort,leadingtheoffense. “We need to be aggressive when we’re smaller, we have the luxuryofKyleRawsonbeing able toplay someone alittlebiggerwithhisathleticability,”Williamssaid.“He’sstilloutsidesometimes.Butwejusthavetocontinuetostayaggressiveandcontinuetobesmart.” Rawsonhasbeenabigpartoftheteam’srecentsuccess,playingalotbiggerthanhis6’1”height.Hegrabbedateam-highsixreboundsagainstHunter.However,toRawson,re-boundinghastobecomeateamgamenow. “Itjustfallsoneveryoneelse’sback,tokindofgangrebound, get in there,”Rawson said. “Ourguardshavebeen doing a good job rebounding to help out our bigmen. We’re not the tallest team or the biggest team, so it’sajointeffort.” Smalls,whowastheteam’sleadingscorerayearago,hasnowtakentomoreofaroleoffacilitator,takingalotlessshots than he did then. However, he has no problem taking onanewroleintheoffense. “Ihaveadifferentrolethisyear,soIjustdowhateverthecoachesaskmetodo,”Smallssaid. TheteamunfortunatelydroppedtheirgametoNewJer-seyCityUniversityonJan.21,62-54,buttheteamwilllooktoshakethatoffwiththeirgameagainstEasternConnecticutStateUniversity,Jan.26at7p.m.inPackerHall.

SignalBy Brandon GouldStaff Writer

Senior Kelsey Kutch re-alized she had scored a tonof points since recording herfirstbasketasaLiononNovember16,2007against Kings College, but she didn’t quiteknow exactly how many until a teammatepointeditouttoherlastThursday. Kutchwasinformedthatshehadrecorded986 points during her tenure at the Collegeand that aperformanceof at least14pointsonSaturday,Jan.21,againstNewJerseyCityUniversitywouldbringhertothe1,000-pointplateau—afeatthatKutchputawayin the

Lions’67-39victory. “Itisallverysurrealscor-ingmy1,000thpointincollege,”Kutchsaid.“Ithinkit’sanhonortobeapartofagroupofbasket-ballplayerswhoaresotalented.”

With2:50leftinthegame,Kutch,whowasstuckonpoint999,receivedapassfromsoph-omore forward/center LizWest in the paintandshotherselfintoarealmthatonly13otherLionshaveeverreached. “I am just humbled at how special myteammatesandfamilymadetheaccomplish-mentforme,”Kutchsaid.“Theteamwassogenuinelyhappyformethatitmadethemile-stonethatmuchmorespecial.TherewouldbenoothergroupofgirlsIwouldhavewantedtoexperiencethisaccomplishmentwith.” HerteammatesralliedaroundKutchincel-ebrationasiftheyhadallscoredtheir1,000thpoint, according to senior point guardKatieOcchipinti. “WeweresoexcitedtohaveKelseyreachhermilestone,”Occhipintisaid.“Althoughitisanindividualaccomplishment,tousitfeltlikeateamaccomplishment.” KutchledtheLionswithaseason-high15pointsandalsorecordedsevenassists,while West also played a major role in the Lions’winwith13points,ninereboundsandfourassists. The Lions recorded another conferencewin earlier in the week on Wednesday, Jan. 18,againstRutgers-University-Camden.The

Lionscameoutontop56-48inagamethatsawsomeimpressivedefensiveefforts. “Defense isourbreadandbutter,”Kutchsaid.“Ourdefensehasbeeninstrumentalthisyearforoursuccessbecausewhenouroffenseisn’trunningthewaywewouldlikeittorun,ourdefensepicksusupandweendupwin-ningtightgames.” Occhipinti credits the coaching staff andtheirpreparationfortheLions’abilitytosettledownandplaystrongdefenseintightgames. “Ourcoachingstaffhasdoneareallygreatjobofknowingwhichstyleofdefensewillbethemosteffectiveagainstwhich team,”saidOcchipinti,whohadfourstealsinthewin.“Inpracticewe spenda considerable amountoftimemakingsurethatwehavetheX’sandO’softhedefensedown,thatwayduringthegamewedon’thavetothinkaboutit,wejusthavetoworkourbuttsoff.” Junior center/forward Candice Vigo wasinstrumental for the Lions’ defensive effort,coming off the bench to register eight re-bounds,fourblocksandasteal.Vigoalsoadd-edtotheoffensiveeffortbyscoring10points. Senior guard Jessica Imhof was alsoeffectiveonbothsidesoftheballassherackedup11points,fiverebounds,threestealsandablock. Fellow senior Hannah Tait led the Lions with12points,makinga coupleof three-point attempts.Occhipinti played her partas the Lions main facilitator during thenight,dishingoutsixassists.

“Having a team full of solid shootersmakesmyjobeasy,”Occhipintisaid.“I justtrytofindwhoishotandget themtheball.We have a great team mentality, do whatever ittakestowin.Everyplayerknowstheirroleandmyroleistohelpcontrolthetempoandtosetmyteammatesuptobesuccessful.” Afterthetwoconferencewins,theLionsarenowinsolepossessionofsecondplacein the South Division of the New JerseyAthletic Conference. However, the Lionshaveno intentions stopping there,accord-ingtoOcchipinti. “Ourgoalistowintheconferenceanditstarts bywinningonegame at a time,”Oc-chipintisaid.“Wearehopingthatthelastfewwinswillgiveusthemomentumweneedgo-ingintothenextfewweeks.” TheLionswillbebackonthecourtagainstNJAC competition this weekend when theMontclairStateUniversitycomestotheCol-legeonSaturday,Jan.28.

Kutch scores 1,000th point as a Lion

Around the Dormpage 22

Lions’Lineup

I 4653

Swimming dominatespage 19

Lions 56Scarlet Raptors 48

Imhof led the team vs. Rutgers-Camden.Lauren Del Turco / Staff Photographer

Johnson led the team with 15 against Hunter.Ashley Long / Photo Editor

Track takes top finishespage 19

Wrestling ready for DelValpage 17

Men’s basketball back on track after 2-1 week

Senior drops 15 as Lions take down NJCU on the road

Sports

nside

January 25, 2012Cheap Seats

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Lions 67Gothic Knights 39

Kutch is one of 13 Lions to score 1,000.Courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Lions 79Hawks 60Lions 54Gothic Knights 62