Montclair SGA stops student newspaper Apartments to

Transcription

Montclair SGA stops student newspaper Apartments to
Press battle at MSU
Legal ramifications
Page 5
Editorial from an editor
of The Montclarion
Page 8
The Signal staff editorial
Page 9
The College of New Jersey, January 30, 2008.
Vol. CXXVIII.
No. 2.
Montclair SGA stops student newspaper Apartments to
Legal implications could affect all college publications
By Michelle McGuinness
Editor-in-Chief
and Megan DeMarco
News Editor
In a controversial decision that some
believe could have repercussions for college media across the state, the Student
Government Association (SGA) of
Montclair State University halted printing
for the first Spring issue of the student
newspaper.
The editors of The Montclarion discovered their budget was frozen, preventing
them from printing, on Tuesday, Jan. 22,
the first day of the Spring semester. In an
exclusive interview, SGA executive president Ron Chicken said The Montclarion
violated SGA policy. Chicken said they
did this by consulting a private attorney about SGA’s potential violation of
New Jersey sunshine laws, which prohibit
public bodies from conducting closed
meetings. According to Chicken, The
Montclarion should have consulted SGA’s
attorney.
“This is not a question of censorship,”
Chicken said. “It’s a matter of them (the
staff of The Montclarion) breaking rules
and regulations that they’ve agreed to
follow.”
Although Montclarion attorney Sal
Anderton has since been released from
service, Chicken is requesting that correspondence between Anderton and Editorin-Chief Karl de Vries be turned over
to SGA. De Vries refused to disclose the
documents, citing attorney-client privilege.
As of press time, The Montclarion was still
without the funds necessary to print, but was
publishing online.
Lawyers say Chicken’s move could have
legal ramifications that would affect college
papers across the country because of the ease
with which a student government organization stopped a student newspaper from printing. Chicken, however, maintained that SGA
was simply following its financial policy.
The Lawyer Controversy
A letter signed by Chicken and executive
see MONTCLARION page 5
Super motivated for ʻSuper Tuesdayʼ
Megan DeMarco / News Editor
Courtesy of Mike Tracey
Some students at the College are working hard to ensure victory for their candidates of choice on Feb. 5, the day
New Jersey will hold its primary along with 21 other states. Senior political science major Matt DeLuca (right)
interned for Mayor Giuliani while members of TCNJ for Obama attended a rally in Newark in October.
be completed
August 2009
By Kelly Duncan
Features Assistant
Construction on two new student apartments is scheduled to begin this semester and
should be completed by August 2009, the
College recently announced via mass e-mail.
In addition to the two new student apartments, the College announced four other projects for Spring 2008, including construction of
the new Art and Interactive Multimedia building, several renovations to Brower Student
Center and the replacement of Packer Hall’s
roof.
These projects, listed in an e-mail sent
to the College’s community on Jan. 21, are
part of the 15-year Master Building Plan,
according to William Rudeau, director of
Construction.
According to Matt Golden, director of
Communications and Media Relations, and
Curt Heuring, vice president of Facilities
Management, Construction and Campus
Safety, the cost of the six projects will be
approximately $75 million.
Rudeau said the contract for the new apartments was awarded to Thomas P. Carney, Inc.,
of Langhorne, Pa. According to the College’s
e-mail, the apartments are being constructed
across from Lot 3 to Lot 6 and should be
completed in August 2009.
Despite a previous attempt to construct
student apartments that was abandoned in
November 2004, Golden said concerns are
now at a minimum.
“We have the same concerns as we
would for any major construction project,” he said. “We have mitigated many of
the major risks and have a talented team
see CONSTRUCTION page 2
Security concerns increase on campus
By James Queally
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Campus Police
Fliers banning this man from campus instruct
students to contact Campus Police if he is seen.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Women’s Basketball — 75-50 (W)
Men’s Basketball — 76-60 (L)
Wrestling — 20-16 (W)
The vague threats made against
the College during Winter break and
the posting of fliers reporting the
banning of a man from campus last
week have led to a general increase
in vigilance at the College.
Sources within the College administration have confirmed that the
“unsubstantiated threat” made against
the College on Jan. 4 was not isolated
to the campus itself. According to Matt
Golden, director of Communications
and Media Relations, the College was
only one of numerous properties and
public figures allegedly threatened.
“We were one of many public
entities and individuals named in this
threat,” Golden said.
Campus Police are still investigating the alleged incident, along
with multiple other law enforcement agencies, including the Bucks
County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer
County Prosecutor’s Office, the State
Attorney General’s Office and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The off-campus agencies were
unable to shed any light on the
situation.
“I don’t know anything beyond
what you’ve already printed,” Angelo
Onoffri, assistant prosecutor for the
Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office,
said Friday.
John Collins, the newly-hired
Bonners help rebuild Louisiana, page 14
The Collegeʼs Bonner Scholars spent a week in New Orleans
over Winter break. Thirty-nine members of the group visited the
city to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
director of Campus Police, refuted
the notion that the alleged threat was
in some way tied to the Trenton
Psychiatric Hospital. Previously, local
law enforcement sources suggested
that a resident at the state mental hospital could have been responsible for
the incident.
“We didn’t publicize further
because we didn’t want to alarm
anyone,” Lt. James Lopez of Campus
Police said.
The publication of specific information regarding the alleged threat has
been slowed by the fact that neither
campus, state, local or federal agencies have been able to completely
see FLIERS page 3
INSIDE
Editorials, Et Cetera
Opinions
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Arts & Entertainment
Funstuff
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10
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28
Pesky guests bug dorms Fliers / Link to threat
not officially reported
page 2 The Signal January 30, 2008
By Jessica Mickley
Copy Editor
a reddish tint because they had just
fed. There were also a few clear
ones. They were pretty small, about
College Ambassadors were not the size of the head of a pin, if not
the only ones who welcomed Jessie smaller,” she said.
Lamotta to campus her freshman
Foderaro’s roommate developed
year. Lamotta had to deal with “weird red bumps on her shoulder,
pesky bed bugs as well, following a arm and chest.”
trend that an increasing number of
The room across the hall had a
residents have run into on campus particularly bad case.
in the freshman dorms, especially
“Theirs was so bad that one boy
Cromwell Hall.
was covered from head to toe,”
Jessie Lamotta, now a junior Foderaro said.
history major at the College, was
Even after Foderaro’s room was
pestered by bed bugs on Cromwell initially treated, the problem was
3 from move-in day to sometime in not fixed.
October during her freshman year.
“Afterwards, we had two more
“My roommate woke up with cases of bed bugs before the problittle red bumps on her body, and lem was resolved,” Foderaro said.
I found little blood stains on my
Cooper Pest Solutions, the
bed sheets,” Lamotta said. “Also, extermination group that deals with
at night when we pulled our sheets the College’s pest problems, mainback, the bugs would scurry and tains a Web site titled “Bed Bug
hide.”
Central.”
“The doctor (at Health Services)
“This pest that was virtually nonsaid that my roommate and I had existent just a few years ago is now
scabies and that we should stay affecting colleges and universities
away from other students and not
nationwide,” Cooper Pest
transport any of
Solutions’ Web site says.
our belongings
Megan Roe, junior
to other rooms,”
communication studies
Lamotta said. She
major at the College,
and her roommate
has not experiwere given body
enced bed bugs on
cream to wash
campus, but was recently
es
with twice a day.
bitten when visiting a friend in
Imag
oogle
Bed bug adults are G
New York City. Roe discovered a
small, brownish insects, just under line of red bites on her arm. Oddly,
a quarter of an inch long.
friends who recently stayed in the
Sophomore elementary and same bed didn’t experience any
early childhood education major bites.
Nicole Foderaro got a glance of the
When Roe visited a doctor, she
bugs when she had a run-in with was told different people have difthe frustrating critters her freshman ferent reactions to the bugs. “Mine
year.
stayed for three or four days,” Roe
“The bed bugs we saw were of said. “My skin was itched raw.”
Cooper Pest Solutions recommends a few measures college students can take to prevent bed bugs,
suggesting that students pay special
attention to seams, folds and zippers, since they are ideal places for
bed bugs to hide.
When feeding, the bed bugs
“inject a tiny amount of their saliva
into the skin,” the Harvard School
of Public Health Web site says. The
Harvard School of Public Health
site confirms that bed bug bites,
though annoying, are relatively
harmless. The bugs have not been
proved to transmit diseases.
“(R)epeated exposures to bed
bug bites during a period of several
weeks or more causes people to
become sensitized to the saliva of
these bugs; additional bites may
then result in mild to intense allergic responses,” Harvard School of
Public Health’s Web site says.
Kait McCarthy, a Community
Advisor in Cromwell, said she had
bed bug issues on her floor this past
fall. Her residents woke up with
bites on their arms. Cooper Pest
Solutions exterminated the threebedroom suite two to three times.
McCarthy learned a valuable piece
of information after all that.
“You’re not going to get it from
someone sleeping on your bed,”
McCarthy said.
But it seems that Cromwell Hall
is done with bed bugs. If the bugs
could read, they would realize just
how unwanted they are.
“Bed bugs are NOT welcome!
We’re sick of you so get the fuck
out!” a sign on a Cromwell door
reads, complete with a bright red
slash through a tiny drawing of the
small insect.
CUB cashes in for ‘I Grew Up
in the ’90s’ Latenighter event
By Matt Lawyue
Staff Writer
The Student Finance Board (SFB) voted
unanimously to fund the College Union
Board’s (CUB) $27,231 request for this
year’s Latenighter event, themed “I Grew
Up in the ’90s.”
The majority of the funding will be
for popular entertainment from the 1990s.
Events will include a gladiator joust, video
game tournament, oversized board games
and a video dance party.
“It’s nice to see that
they’re changing it up
and not doing the same
things,” Bill Fenimore, SFB
administrative director, said.
Other ’90s-themed paraphernalia will
include Pogs, hula hoops and airbrush tattoos. The remaining funds will be for food,
music and prizes. Some expenses will be
used for stickers and buttons as forms of
publicity, along with ads in The Signal.
The event is scheduled for March 1 in
Brower Student Center. Following CUB
Latenighter tradition, the event will likely
last until 3 a.m.
Voices for Planned Parenthood received
full funding of $3,000 to host motivational
speaker and poet River Huston. Huston
will educate students about sexual health
and other wellness issues during “Sex 101:
Surviving the Weekend.” The event is
scheduled to take place on Feb. 25 in the
Travers/Wolfe main lounge.
The Protestant Bible Fellowship (PBF)
requested $1,875 for its “Unchained/
International Justice Mission” event. The
board voted unanimously to allocate them
$1,610, subtracting some costs for advertising and dinner fees.
A speaker from the International Justice
Mission will come to the College to inform
students about modern-day slavery and
human rights abuses, and how they can help
to change these practices. The event will
take place on March 25 in Science Complex
room 101.
PBF also requested funding for two separate events to lead up to the International
Justice Mission speaker. They asked for
$318 to fund the “Amazing
Grace Movie.” This movie will
teach students about the antislavery movement in 18th century England. The board voted
unanimously to allocate $248,
removing some advertising expenses.
It will take place on Feb. 19 in student
center room 210.
PBF also requested $464.50 to fund another movie, “The Devil Came On Horseback.”
The board unanimously awarded $244.50.
Some advertising expenses were removed.
This event will be held on March 4.
Mike Stolar, operations director said
PBF could have condensed its expenses.
“If they placed the events together it
would make more sense,” Stolar said. The
board also suggested PBF change the room
to allow for a larger audience for the March
4 screening.
continued from page 1
verify the legitimacy of the threat,
leaving the College open to legal
consequences if it released incorrect details.
“If we were to say someone
threatened the College without
proper documentation to back it
up, we could be pursued for libel or
slander by this individual,” Golden
said. “It would put the College in a
precarious position.”
The wide range of the alleged
threat has also become an issue. According to Golden, Campus Police
does not have jurisdiction over the
alleged incident because the threat
allegedly was levied against more
institutions and persons than just
the College.
When asked if there was a connection between the fliers and the
alleged threat, Golden declined to
comment.
Collins could not comment on
a possible link between the fliers
and the alleged threat because his
office is still investigating it. However, he did clarify that the person
pictured in the fliers is not currently a student or employee of the
College.
The College’s ability to release
information concerning the fliers
have been severely limited by the
lack of pending criminal charges
against the man it depicts.
“This situation differs from Michael Larkin because he was convicted of a crime,” Golden said,
referencing last semester’s shooting
hoax in which Trenton resident Mi-
chael Larkin was charged with false
public alarm.
During the aftermath of the November hoax, Campus Police and
the administration distributed fliers displaying Larkin’s mug shot
around campus and notified students via mass e-mail. However, the
State Attorney General’s office has
restricted the College from using
mass e-mail regarding the alleged
threat on the fliers.
“Our legal counsel told us to distribute the flier to campus security
personnel and anyone involved in
access to dormitories and buildings,
but we were not allowed to use
mass e-mail,” Golden said.
Lopez added that the fliers were
posted most prominently in the
Brower Student Center because it is
a “high traffic area” for students.
When asked if he was concerned that students might take the
fliers lightly because of the lack of
substantial information regarding
the incident that prompted their
posting, Golden said the College
is extremely limited in what it can
divulge.
“The limitation of what we can or
cannot include in an announcement
like this is certainly a concern,” he
said. “We have received everything
second and third hand.”
Despite his frustrations, Golden
said his office has been as open as
possible with the campus community throughout the incident.
“It is our protocol to release as
much information as possible,”
Golden said. “We want people to be
alert.”
Alum advocates teaching program
By Lauren Gurry
Staff Writer
Abby Wentworth, a 2002 graduate of the
College and former Student Government
Association (SGA) executive vice president, spoke to SGA members about an
organization called Teach for America
at the Jan. 23 meeting. Wentworth now
works for the nonprofit organization and
explained that Teach for America recruits
the nation’s top college graduates and
asks that they teach for two years in an
underprivileged community.
Wentworth explained that
many students in these communities often under-perform, don’t graduate or
don’t go to college. It is
Teach for America’s goal
to break this cycle. “We are
creating a movement to end education
inequity in this country,” Wentworth said.
A teaching degree is not necessary to
apply for the job. In fact, 90 percent of
teachers who work for Teach for America
did not major in education. Instead, teachers go through a five-week teacher “boot
camp,” and almost everyone completes
the program with a teaching certificate.
Although Wentworth said the hours are
long and the work is hard, she was quick
to point out how meaningful her teaching
experience was. “Even on the worst day, I
could see that it was working,” she said.
Tim Asher, director of the office
of Student Activities and Leadership
Development, explained the Lions’ Edge
Program to SGA members. The Lions’
Edge Program is designed to help students
at the College prepare for job and graduate school interviews through resumé
building, mock interviews and student
critiques.
Asher said Career Services discovered
during interviews that students would
often mistakenly discuss what they did
at college rather than what they learned.
This is a blunder Lions’ Edge helps to
keep students from making.
There are only 36 spots in the program,
and Asher urged SGA members to apply.
“This is the place to learn. This is the place
to make mistakes,” Asher told members.
After these presentations, SGA discussed weekly business matters. Christine
Cullen, SGA executive president,
announced a number of open
positions in the organization.
She then urged members
to go on the organization’s
retreat. “This is really an
opportunity to align ourselves,”
she said.
Cullen announced that the College’s
search for a provost has been narrowed
down to three candidates, who will all
make visits to the College. Each candidate will be hosting an open forum and
spending time with SGA, and Cullen
encouraged members to attend each of
these events.
Lauren Russo, executive vice president,
told SGA members about an upcoming
campus event called Luna Fest. SGA is set
to assist in the event. Luna Fest will host
“films about women, made by women.”
All proceeds are to go to charity.
Billy Plastine, speaker of the Senate,
made a motion to consider a campus
debate team, which was approved.
Senior counsel noted that Senior Week
is back on, and they are currently working
with Alumni Affairs and SFB on funding.
College removes 24-hour security desks in T/W
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 3
Pablo Moretto / Staff Photographer
The 24-hour security desks in Travers and Wolfe halls, one of which is
pictured above, were removed last week.
By Joseph Hannan
Opinions Editor
The 24-hour security desks in the
Travers and Wolfe dormitories, which
were controlled by the private security
firm U.S. Security Associates Inc., were
removed as of Jan. 21.
The announcement of the discontinuation was made in a campus-wide e-mail,
signed by Jim Norfleet, vice president
for Student Affairs, and John Collins, the
recently-hired police chief/director of
Campus Police.
According to the same e-mail, the
campus security consulting firm Margolis, Healy & Associates, LLC, will
conduct a security audit of the College
in order to assess potential areas of improvement. A press release on the firm’s
Web site said it had been contracted “for
a campus-wide safety and security audit;
public safety management study; and review of emergency response & recovery
policies.”
“The complete security audit will cost
about $105,000,” Matt Golden, director
of Communications and Media Relations,
said.
“That’s a significant amount and should
demonstrate (the College’s) commitment
to providing a safe and secure educational
environment,” he added.
Golden said a budget for security improvements has yet to be established. “No
budget projections for potential security
enhancements can be made until we know
what the audit reveals,” he said.
According to Collins, the office of
Campus Police will be working closely
with the firm. He described the firm in an
e-mail interview as “a tool to help us improve what we are doing.”
“Being new here, I am still in the process of determining what security improvements, if any, are needed here,”
Collins said. “The work of Margolis will
assist in that process.”
Norfleet was unavailable for comment
as of press time. However, Magda Manetas, assistant vice president of Student
Affairs, was able to respond to inquiries
on the subject.
According to Manetas, the utilization
of Margolis, Healy & Associates, LLC, is
taking place under the oversight of the office of Facilities Management, Construction and Safety.
“The cabinet (of College President R.
Barbara Gitenstein) determined in the
wake of what had occurred at other campuses like V-Tech (Virginia Polytechnic
Institute), as well as concerns on our own
campus, that it would be very helpful to
contract a consulting team,” she said.
A request for service proposal (RSP)
was drafted and circulated, to which the
College “received several responses,”
Manetas said. Margolis, Healy & Associates, LLC, was selected “for the quality of
their proposal.”
Manetas added that the RSP and scope
of the firm’s project is divided into four
phases, including evaluations of residential facilities and academic and administrative facilities, a police department management study, and an evaluation of the
critical incident plan.
“Within those phases — and I think
they’re going to move sequentially through
them — they will be looking at programs,
structures, communication, documents —
anything related to those areas within the
scope of their contract,” she said.
Curt Heuring, vice president of Facilities Management, Construction and Safety,
said that the firm conducted a “preliminary
trip” to the College on Dec. 14 “to review
the terms of their contract, scope of services and work plan.”
“They also had a project kickoff visit
on Jan. 14 and 15,” Heuring added. “Margolis has been looking at the facilities, the
operations, the security and safety policies
and meeting with (Gitenstein), select cabinet members, the project committee and
the project manager.”
Heuring said the decision to use a
consulting firm was made by investigating the security procedures of peer institutions. After conducting this investigation, administrators decided to use a firm
that would tailor “changes to suit the
unique characteristics of (the College’s)
community.”
Manetas said that throughout the pro-
cess of evaluating the effectiveness of the
24-hour security desks, the input of Travers
and Wolfe residents was considered. “We
had several meetings with Travers/Wolfe
residents from the time of the hoax call on,
seeing if they had questions, telling them
what was proposed, explaining that there
was going to be this private security firm,”
she said.
A final meeting with Travers and Wolfe
staff from the office of Residential Education and Housing was held prior to Winter
break, at which additional feedback was
collected from student staff members.
“The closer (students) were or may
have been to the hoax call incident, the
more they felt like, ‘OK, this is appropriate.’ The further out from that, we were
starting to hear feedback that students
weren’t thrilled to have a private security firm in the building and not necessarily feeling like it added to their security,”
Manetas said.
“For some individuals, although it
seems more the minority, they did not
have an issue with them being there. For
other students, they were asking us when
that was going to be taken down,” Menetas said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by
Jaimie Bass and Colleen Ford, both freshmen art education majors and Travers
residents. “They (U.S. Security Associates) didn’t really know what they were
doing,” Bass said. “It was obviously a
good idea, but it wasn’t executed well.”
Ford thought that hall security workers,
student staff employees of the office of
Residential Housing and Education, performed a better job. “They would actually
look at your key rather than just let you
pass by,” she said.
Martha Eleftheriou, freshman accounting major and Wolfe resident, said “At
first, (the desks) helped, but it dragged on
for too long.” Eleftheriou thought that the
desks might have been put in place to calm
the worries of parents.
The projected cost of U.S. Security Associates Inc. for the Fall 2007 semester
was $69,000, as reported in the Oct. 31 issue of The Signal.
Construction / Work resumes on Metzger apartments
Chris Gifford / Photo Editor
Construction recommenced last week on the lot on Metzger Drive reserved for student apartments as part of a campus-wide construction program.
continued from page 1
managing the project as well as
an experienced architect and a
well-regarded and capable contractor. We anticipate a very successful project.”
Once completed, Golden said
the apartments may temporarily be used as a “housing swing
space” to allow for the renovation of other residence halls. The
apartments will then be used to
house upperclassmen.
Construction on the new
Art and Interactive Multimedia
building is scheduled to begin in
April and be completed by December 2009. It will be located
between Brower Student Center
and Loser Hall.
According to Golden, the
building is one of the last projects from the 1999 Campus
Conceptual Facilities Master
Plan Framework. It is designed
to replace Holman Hall as the
location of the art department.
“Holman Hall no longer satisfies the needs of the art program,” Golden said. “In addition, Holman Hall is reaching
the end of its useful life. Over
the next several years, major
building systems would need
to be repaired or replaced to
keep the building functional. Instead, the College has decided it
makes much more sense to build
a new, modern facility to meet
the needs of Art and Interactive
Multimedia.”
In order to accommodate the
70,000 square foot building,
Rudeau said changes to Lot 2A
and the sidewalks will have to
be made.
“Until the final sidewalks
are in place, temporary walks
will be installed to maintain the
normal paths of travel as best as
possible,” he said.
Two projects are scheduled
to begin in the student center.
Revolving doors will replace
the two sets of sliding doors in
March and should be completely
installed by April.
“The revolving doors will
save energy costs by minimiz-
ing the heat loss from both
sliding doors being open at the
same time, as is the case now,”
Rudeau said. “Students will be
encouraged to use the revolving doors more than the double
set of doors to the side of the
revolving doors once the installation is completed.”
The terrace surrounding the
student center will also undergo
renovation in March and is expected to be finished in May.
Golden said funding for the replacement of the building’s roof
is included within the College’s
asset renewal plan as well.
During the course of the semester, the roof of Packer Hall
will be replaced. Golden said the
project has presented challenges,
as the building will continue to
be occupied during that time. He
also said there will be some degree of impact on the College’s
environment, particularly “added noise, construction workers
and demolition debris that facility users will encounter.”
In addition to the major projects scheduled for the semester,
the College will be rebuilding
the manholes and replacing the
manhole covers where steam
stacks currently stand.
According to Rudeau, once
the project is completed, the
steam stacks will be removed
and steam will no longer escape
from the manholes.
page 4 The Signal January 30, 2008
R.I.P.
HEATH LEDGER
April 4, 1979
—
January 22, 2008
signal@tcnj.edu
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 5
Health Services warns students of flu season
By Tom Dunford
News Editor
As flu season blows onto campus,
Health Services is advising students to
take extra precautions to avoid catching
the virus.
“We’re trying to be more proactive,”
Janice Vermeychuk, associate director of
Health Services, said. “We don’t want to
wait until we have a lot of cases on our
hands.”
As a result of this desire to be more
proactive, Health Services released a
campus-wide e-mail last week reporting
the confirmation of a flu case on campus
and cautioning students about the risks
of catching and spreading the flu.
“We have had two confirmed cases
at this point,” Vermeychuk said Monday
afternoon.
“These are diagnosed through a lab
test we perform here at Health Services.
It’s not based on symptoms. It’s typical
that we see a lot of flu cases on campus
each year, but the first case came early
this year, so we took it upon ourselves to
notify students to be careful.”
Also reported in the e-mail advisory
was an increase in the number of gastrointestinal virus diagnoses on campus.
Students were advised to wash their
hands regularly, avoid hand contact with
their eyes and mouths and avoid attending class if sick.
“The ideal situation would be for
the patient to go home and rest. But we
recognize that that isn’t always possible
and that students might not be in good
enough condition to drive themselves
home,” Vermeychuk said.
In the waiting room at the Health
Services office in Eickhoff Hall, a sign
instructs students seeking treatment for a
cough to wear a surgical mask while they
wait, so as not to spread their cold or flu
to other students.
Vermeychuk said in the future, the
staff at Health Services plans to release
similar health advisories during outbreaks of other illnesses.
Symptoms of the flu include cough,
muscle aches and high fever.
Symptoms of the gastrointestinal
virus include vomiting, diarrhea and
some stomach cramping.
Montclarion / Press battle could ensue
continued from page 1
treasurer Melissa Revesz told
The Montclarion that its budget
was frozen because the newspaper had spent its SGA-allocated funds illegally by using
them on Anderton without having a contract approved by SGA.
In addition to the letter, The
Montclarion’s printer, RFM
Printing, was contacted by SGA
and told not to print until further
notice.
Chicken said that if The
Montclarion wanted legal
counsel, it could have utilized
Schiller & Pittenger, P.C., the
official legal counsel of SGA.
The Montclarion is not independent from SGA.
De Vries felt this system was
flawed, however.
He said if SGA’s lawyer
was to advise or represent The
Montclarion, he would be “representing his client against his
client.”
According to Peter Schaus,
managing editor of The
Montclarion, the former SGA
president approved Anderton,
himself a former Montclair SGA
president, as the newspaper’s
lawyer.
Chicken, however, objected
to the paper pursuing an independent lawyer.
“How is it possible that there
is a separate attorney for The
Montclarion to sue SGA?”
Chicken said. “It’s all part of
one organization. You can’t sue
yourself.”
Anderton’s attorney, Chris
Adams, said it would be a conflict
of interest if The Montclarion
had used SGA’s attorney. He
said the lawyer would be legally
obligated to say no to counseling
the paper. SGA’s lawyer would
be unable to advise the paper on
matters about SGA.
“It’s contrary to all legal principles,” he said.
As of press time, SGA’s lawyer
was unavailable for comment.
Douglas McIntyre serves
as both chief copy editor for
The Montclarion and executive
secretary for SGA. He said he
stands by SGA’s decision.
“I don’t feel conflicted
because I stand by what the
executive board (of SGA) decided,” he said.
McIntyre said in previous
years The Montclarion had been
told by SGA administrations that
it was following SGA policy
by talking to an outside lawyer.
McIntyre said this year, however, SGA members realized that
it was not their policy and are
working to fix it.
Joe Specchio, attorney general for SGA, asserted that SGA
is simply following a policy.
However, he said he understands
the implications of shutting
down the newspaper.
“I could see how it looks like
we’re repressing the voice of the
school,” he said. “You’re taking away something the college
needs. It looks bad.”
Specchio, whose duty is to
advise student organizations on
the school’s laws and policies,
said he did not vote for shutting
down the budget and is unhappy
that he was not consulted.
He said he believes the legislature of SGA will unfreeze
the newspaper’s budget at its
Wednesday meeting and added
that actions may be taken within
SGA in the future to challenge
Chicken’s authority.
The Documents
Although the matter will be
addressed at SGA’s Wednesday
meeting, neither Chicken nor de
Vries seemed likely to budge on
turning over the documents.
Chicken said because de
Vries never had a valid contract
with Anderton, no attorney-client privilege ever existed.
He said the newspaper was
contacted several times since
September asking for the correspondence. He said that because
SGA is separate from Montclair
and The Montclarion is “a media
organization of SGA,” SGA was
technically Anderton’s client.
Due to this, SGA should be able
to have all the correspondences
from the attorney, Chicken said.
“I will not hand over the correspondence between myself and
the attorney. That is attorney-client privilege,” de Vries said.
Adams, Anderton’s attorney, said de Vries will not turn
over the documents under any
circumstances.
“He has an attorney-client
privilege,” he said. “No request
from Mr. Chicken or his lawyer
is going to do anything eviscerating that privilege.”
SGA
attorney
general
Specchio agreed.
“(De Vries) believes in attorney-client privilege. There’s
nothing in those letters,” he said.
“He doesn’t want to be strongarmed by SGA.”
De Vries did say, though, that
The Montclarion is not a separate entity from SGA.
Chicken said SGA has about
$33,000 in its budget for the
newspaper this semester for
printing costs.
“We’re not independent of
them in any sense, unfortunately,” De Vries said.
The newspaper generates
about $50,000 a semester in
ad revenue, but until recently,
Chicken said, most of this ad
money went to SGA and only a
small portion was re-allocated
back to the paper. Chicken said
he and the SGA executive treasurer, Revesz, recently instituted
a policy that allows the newspaper to use all of its ad revenue.
Legal Implications
Chicken’s actions attracted
media attention because of the
lack of legal precedent surrounding censorship of college media.
Mike Hiestand, an attorney
and consultant for the Student
Press Law Center (SPLC), said
student newspapers are rarely
shut down, and never for “such
an outrageous excuse.”
Tom Cafferty of the New
Jersey Press Association agreed.
“I’ve never heard of it before
at a college paper,” he said.
Hiestand said SGA is clearly
violating the law.
“The law really is clear,”
Hiestand said.
“Student government at public colleges cannot shut down
student publications.”
Adams agreed.
“To think that the elected student official of a public university
has such little respect or knowledge of the First Amendment is
scary,” he said.
Hiestand said SGA is not justified in requesting to see the
documents.
“It’s outrageous to think that
the student government thinks
they have the right to violate
attorney-client privilege,” he
said.
Adams said Anderton would
not represent The Montclarion
if a legal battle ensues because
he is a witness, but said SPLC is
setting up lawyers to represent
the paper. Adams said the paper
could bring a lawsuit either
against Montclair, or Chicken as
an individual. He encouraged the
montclair.edu
The president of SGA at Montclair froze the student
newspaperʼs budget last week, preventing it from printing.
school to advise Chicken to drop
the request.
School administrators did not
immediately return phone calls
requesting a comment as of press
time.
Hiestand and Cafferty both
said other college papers should
be concerned.
“Every college paper needs
to be very concerned,” he said.
“The president (Chicken) doesn’t
seem to care what the law says.
He just wants to do what he
wants to do.”
“If the decision stands, then
I would think this is something
other New Jersey papers should
be worried about,” Cafferty
said. “It could have profound
implications.”
De Vries agreed that The
Montclarion’s dilemma could
have far-reaching consequences
for all college media.
“This is much more than
whether or not (Montclair) has
a printed paper,” he said. “Every
student newspaper should be
terrified of what’s happening at
Montclair.”
Hitting Home for the College
Unlike the College, Montclair’s
SGA also acts as its Student
Finance Board (SFB).
Chicken explained that the
system is modeled off of the
federal government. Montclair’s
SGA contains a judicial, legislative and executive branch, as
well as an executive board for
cabinet officers who work with
the executive president.
All checks and balances for the
SGA come internally. This system is part of the reason Chicken
and others feel they are legiti-
mately upholding their financial
policies.
Leo Acevedo, SFB executive
director at the College, said the
College’s system, which defines
SFB, SGA and all student organizations as separate groups, is
more beneficial to students.
“It completely factors out politics,” Acevedo said.
Dan Scapardine, vice president of Legal & Governmental
affairs for the College’s SGA,
lauded the split system here. He
noted that the SGA has “no control over The Signal and that’s the
way to do it.”
The SGA does, however, have
to approve any amendments made
to The Signal’s constitution.
Additionally, SFB can freeze
The Signal’s budget if the newspaper is in violation of policies and has as recently as last
semester.
However, because of The
Signal’s independence and
because it is largely funded
through its own ad revenue, the
temporary budgetary freeze did
not halt or disrupt The Signal’s
publication in any way.
“Thank goodness that we
have a separate SGA and a separate student board,” Acevedo
said. “Whether we finance (a
group) or not, they’re still independent organizations.”
Scapardine said that to
him, the situation at Montclair
seemed like a case of SGA
asserting authority.
“It’s probably a case of them
(SGA) reasserting their authority over the newspaper,” he
said.
“Obviously, it can be
resolved in a more diplomatic
way.”
page 6 The Signal January 30, 2008
“Its amazing how
the amount of
news
that happens in
the world
every day
just exactly fits
the newspaper”
-Jerry Seinfeld
signal@tcnj.edu
5x8
Nation & World
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 7
Corzine still has promises to keep two years later
TRENTON (AP) — New Jersey
Gov. Jon S. Corzine promised
more property tax relief, tuition
aid, more affordable health insurance and that he would tackle political corruption when he ran for
governor two years ago.
With Corzine having celebrated his second anniversary as governor on Thursday, putting him
halfway through his first term, a
look back at the Democratʼs 2005
campaign promises shows heʼs
fulfilled some vows but has much
to do to accomplish others.
“We didnʼt promise miracles,”
Corzine said recently as he looked
back on his first two years. “We
promised progress and I think that
is exactly what we are delivering.”
Hereʼs a look at Corzineʼs
2005 promises and what he has
accomplished:
College Tuition
Promise: Corzine promised
to increase tuition aid and new
scholarships for New Jersey college and high school graduates.
Outcome: Corzine increased
tuition aid grants, helping, among
other things, 686 more county
college students get an average
of $517 each to use toward tuition
last year.
However, since Corzine took
office in 2006, the average tuition
at New Jersey state colleges and
universities has increased by 14
percent, from $5,745 to $6,573.
The governor also hasnʼt created
new scholarships.
Property Tax Relief
Promise: Increase property
tax rebates 10 percent per year,
call a special legislative session
on property tax reform and support giving citizens the right to
convene a constitutional convention to propose tax reform.
Outcome: Corzine failed to
increase rebates in 2006, but significantly boosted them last year,
increasing them by about $700 to
$1,051 per homeowner.
Corzine called the legislature into a special tax reform
session in July 2006, an effort
that resulted in several new
laws designed to control the
nationʼs highest property taxes.
He decided against supporting a
constitutional convention.
been held, but Corzine overhauled
the troubled agency that oversees
school construction. The previous
agency was criticized for wasting
money and failing to complete
expected projects.
Stem Cell Research
Promise: Ask voters to support
borrowing for stem cell research.
Outcome: Voters were asked to
borrow $450 million in November but rejected the idea. Corzine
lobbied hard for its passage, and
was disappointed by the outcome,
but said it sent a message to politicians to get their financial house
in order.
Health Care
Promise: Make health insurance accessible for 766,000 of
1.4 million uninsured New Jersey
residents, including insurance for
all children and pregnant women.
Outcome: The state enrolled
116,667 new residents under 21
years old in a state-run health insurance program from January 2006
to last year. Corzine also created a
new program to provide low-cost
insurance for an estimated 15,000
more children.
Still, the state still lacks a program to insure all pregnant women, and about 250,000 children
still lack insurance. Corzine has
lately emphasized that the federal
government must play a major
role in making health care more
affordable.
Housing
Promise: 100,000 new homes
to be built for low- and moderateincome families.
Taxes
Google Images
After two years in office, Gov. Jon S. Corzine has followed
through with some promises while failing to keep others.
Outcome: Corzineʼs administration is completing regulations on a plan that would bring
166,000 affordable new homes
and apartments by 2018.
Ethics
Promise: Corzine was hoping to tighten limits on campaign
contributions from government
contractors and prohibit county
political parties from sharing
money among themselves.
Outcome: Corzine failed to
support several failed Republi-
Gaza border breach causes chaos
RAFAH, Egypt (AP) — Hamas militants joined
Egyptian forces for a second day Monday in trying to
restore control at three breaches in the Gaza border,
building a chain-link fence to seal off one opening
and directing traffic at two others.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have
flooded into Egypt unchecked last week since Hamas
militants blasted holes in the border partition in an attempt to puncture an ongoing Israeli blockade. Since
then, Palestinians have been voraciously buying up
food, fuel and other goods made scarce by Israeli and
Egyptian closures of Gazaʼs borders.
Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory in
June, but before the breach, it had no role in policing the
border with Egypt. Now the Islamic militant group is
hoping that will change and is pressing for some kind
of future role in border administration.
At a meeting in Cairo, Arab government officials
were forceful in their opposition to that idea.
Egypt and the foreign ministers of the Arab League
have firmly backed the Palestinian Authority led by
moderate President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in its
power struggle against rival Hamas. They have called
for a return to a 2005 international border monitoring agreement that excluded the Islamist organization
entirely.
“They (Hamas) should not interfere. They should
just simply get out of the way and allow this to happen,”
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said.
In the divided town of Rafah, however, Hamas forces were very much in control.
“There has been continuous and direct cooperation
with Egyptian security officials over the last couple of
days,” a Hamas security official said.
can efforts to pass such reforms
through the Legislature. However, last year, he signed a law banning all newly-elected officials
from holding multiple elected offices, but the law allowed all current dual office holders to keep
their positions.
School Construction
Promise: Hold a referendum
that would ask voters if the state
should borrow more money for
school construction.
Outcome: No referendum has
Promise: Corzine said raising
taxes would be a last resort, but
made no promises.
Outcome: At Corzineʼs urging,
the state increased sales, cigarette
and other taxes by $1.84 billion in
2006, easily the largest total tax
increase among states that year.
In 2007, however, when all state
legislators were up for re-election,
no new taxes were imposed.
In 2008, Corzine signed into
laws bills allowing Newark arena
tickets to be taxed and allowing towns to tax parking during
special events.
Schools
Promise: Examine school
funding laws to try to find a
more equitable formula for rural
and suburban schools.
Outcome: Corzine recently
signed a law to send more money
to rural and suburban schools.
News Bits
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page said Monday he was
ready to take the iconic band on a world tour after burning
up the stage at last monthʼs reunion concert in London.
But it probably wonʼt happen before September.
In his final State of the Union address, President George
W. Bush proposed a $300 million initiative to help struggling young people caught in failing inner-city schools
and also will announce plans to eliminate many federal
programs and host a major hemispheric conference in
hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.
AP Photo
Egyptian forces repair part of the breached
border wall between Egypt and Rafah.
“They asked us to only allow trucks to enter and
not civilian cars to make the operation as orderly as
possible.”
Traffic was still chaotic on the Egyptian side as
more Palestinians poured in to snap up whatever
goods they could find.
Food and fuel were in short supply in Gaza since
Israel, responding to growing rocket attacks from
Gaza, sealed its border days before the militants blasted open the Egyptian frontier further to the south.
The Egyptians deployed about 100 riot police at
the two remaining openings Monday.
“Egypt intends to gradually regain control of its
border with Gaza and bring the situation back to an
acceptable form,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed
Aboul Gheit said in a message to European countries
and the United States.
New on the McDonaldʼs menu: a take away diploma. The
British government is giving the burger chain the right to
award credits toward a high school diploma for their onthe-job training programs. Itʼs part of a plan to improve
skills while preparing some students for the work force.
New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says Mary-Kate
Olsen will not be questioned by detectives about Heath
Ledgerʼs death. Numerous phone calls were allegedly
made to Olsen from Ledgerʼs apartment during the time
surrounding his death.
Chinese officials are scrambling to prevent riots as freak
snowstorms stranded about 500,000 people trying to return home for the Chinese New Year, the countryʼs busiest
holiday.
Information from APExchange.com
page 8 The Signal January 30, 2008
SGA freezes presses of student newspaper
Given the halted production of The Montclarion, the student newspaper of Montclair State University, The Signal invited the
newspaperʼs staff to print the editorial below in this newspaper. The editorial appears with only minor edits to align it with
Signal style. A letter from the Montclair SGA freezing The Montclarionʼs budget is also printed below.
Montclarion editor speaks
through the silence
Peter Schaus
Managing Editor
The Montclarion
Normally, weʼd express our dissatisfaction in the
Opinion section of The Montclarion. Unfortunately, the
SGA has frozen our budget and ceased production on the
printed version of our publication.
On the front page of our paper, it says that The Montclarion
is “The Student Voice of Montclair State University (MSU)
Since 1928.” This is a motto that is carried out through every
aspect of our publication. It is our job to reflect the student
experience as it stands at MSU. Itʼs not our job to write press
releases for our university and its bureaucratic heads.
Which isnʼt to say that there arenʼt great aspects of
MSU. Weʼre in the middle of a historic period of growth for the university. What was once
a commuter school is quickly becoming a self-contained community. But MSU is far from
a utopian society. The campusʼ expansion has made resources far more limited, especially in
terms of parking and housing. For every new building, thereʼs another one that has become
old and run-down. For years, the residents in Freeman Hall (myself included) had been living
with inconsistent heating, forcing many to use space heaters in the dead of winter. Countless
work orders were filed but no progress seemed to be made. The Montclarion broke this story
in January of 2007. As of now, the heating in Freeman Hall is in working order.
Itʼs stories like this that makes our work at The Montclarion worthwhile. Weʼve
learned firsthand that the power of the press is integral in exposing what others would
prefer to remain hidden, thereby forcing change.
Itʼs public knowledge now that the impetus behind the halted production of The Montclarion has to do with several important public meetings that were held behind closed doors.
We have a unique situation here at MSU wherein the university gives the Student Government Association (SGA) over $1 million a year of student fees to spend on student organizations and on-campus programming. In its weekly Wednesday meetings, the SGA decides how
these filtered public funds will be spent.
When the SGA began to illegally go into closed session during its public meetings, it
prevented The Montclarion from reporting to the campus community how their student
fees were being spent. We sought the aid of legal representation with the funds that had
been allotted to us in the SGA operating budget for the past three years.
When the SGA once again went into closed session, Montclarion Editor-in-Chief Karl
de Vries reminded the organization that in doing so, it was violating the New Jersey Open
Public Meetings Act and could face legal reprimand. The next day SGA executive president Ron Chicken sent a letter to The Montclarionʼs legal counsel, Sal Anderton, informing him that he had been relieved of his duties as The Montclarionʼs legal representation.
This began a series of back and forth attacks between Chicken and The Montclarion,
which culminated in the SGA freezing our account and telling RFM Printing, which publishes The Montclarion, to cease production until further notice.
Chicken explained that our budget was frozen due to the “unauthorized hiring of (our)
attorney,” and “the expenditure of funds for compensation of said attorney.” However,
the former SGA president and treasurer signed the purchase requisite for Andertonʼs employment, thereby authorizing it. Chicken also cited our “withholding of documents related to the services provided by Mr. Anderton.” However, all correspondence between
Anderton and The Montclarion is protected under attorney/client privilege laws.
Given the facts, it seems that Chickenʼs decision to freeze The Montclarionʼs budget
has little to do with his adherence to SGA guidelines. If that were true, he would have
known that in The Montclarionʼs constitution it clearly states in Article XII that “neither
The Student Government Association, Incorporated of Montclair State University or the
current Administration of Montclair State University can make any attempts to interfere
with The Montclarionʼs rights as a news organization.”
By freezing The Montclarion, he is essentially preventing The Montclarion from printing any information that might cause the student body to questions his ethics, his actions,
and his competence as a student leader.
By doing this, Chicken isnʼt just shutting down The Montclarionʼs home away from
home where we spend an embarrassing amount of time. He isnʼt just preventing the
student body from receiving an important on-campus service that they all pay money
for. He is sending a serious message to the student body that calls him their leader. He
is telling them that they donʼt have a right to know how he, his fellow elected executive
board members and his legislature conduct business. That they donʼt have a right to the
information of how their student fees are being spent. That they donʼt have a say in deciding their own fate as an MSU student. By shutting down The Montclarion, Chicken is
proving himself to be the kind of corrupt public figure that itʼs our jobs to expose.
We will not back down from this. We will continue to print on our Web site, which is
provided free of charge by collegepublisher.com and therefore out of the SGAʼs jurisdiction. If they kick us out of our office, we will relocate. We will fight for this at 3 p.m.
on Wednesday when the SGA decides our fate. Because we arenʼt just fighting for our
organization and publication. Weʼre fighting to make sure that this case does not set a
precedent which allows other school newspapers to be silenced by the whims of corrupt
student leaders like Chicken. Weʼre fighting not just to keep the voice of the student
populous at MSU from being silenced, but for college students all over.
You can follow this story on our Web site by logging onto themontclarion.org. Also,
if youʼd like to help us in our fight for a free press at MSU, feel free to join our Facebook
group “Help Save The Montclarion.”
Timeline of events leading to budgetary freeze
The timeline of events which follows was compiled based on information from both
Karl de Vries, Editor-in-Chief of The Montclarion, and Ron Chicken, executive president of the Student Government Association (SGA).
Aug. 30: Chicken and Andrea Khan, SGA executive vice president, meet with de Vries, Shana Jacobs, Montclarion news editor, and Sal Anderton, then-attorney of the
Montclarion. At the meeting, the newspaperʼs staff members discuss their intentions
to make SGA subject to state sunshine laws that require it to keep its meetings open
to the public.
October: Chicken is advised by the SGA attorney that sunshine laws “did not apply
to SGA.”
Nov. 14: SGA holds a closed session to name members of its judicial panel. When the
meeting is re-opened to the public, de Vries says SGA is in violation of the sunshine
laws by closing the meeting.
Nov. 15: SGA sends a letter to Andertonʼs office dismissing him. The letter is mistakenly sent to the wrong address.
Nov. 29: The Montclarionʼs front page story details action taken by SGAʼs executive
board, including Chicken, in shuting down WMSC radio. The newspaper also includes
a “strongly worded” editoral admonishing Chicken, according to de Vries.
Nov. 30: Chicken calls Anderton and lets him know his service is terminated.
Dec. 6: The Montclarionʼs front page story details SGAʼs dismissal of Anderton.
Dec. 10: Chicken gives the newspaper written clarification for why Anderton was
fired.
Dec. 12: De Vries sends Chicken a letter requesting legal counsel from SGAʼs
attorney.
Dec. 13: Chicken sends de Vries a letter detailing three prior meetings between the
two in which SGA requested that all correspondences between the newspaper and
Anderton be turned over to SGA. A Dec. 14 deadline is given in the letter for de Vries
to turn over the correspondences.
Jan. 22: The newspaper receives a letter informing it that its budget has been frozen
by SGA.
Jan. 24: Because its funds are frozen, The Montclarion publishes online.
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 9
Editorial
Montclair paper, SGA
treading risky new ground
The ongoing dispute between student leaders at Montclair
State University could have broad implications reaching far
beyond the bounds of the campus there. The Montclarion, the student newspaper at the university, had its budget
frozen last Tuesday, Jan. 22, after Ron Chicken, executive
president of Montclair’s Student Government Association
(SGA), said the newspaper violated SGA’s policies. He said
the paper’s staff did so by corresponding with a private attorney in an attempt to force SGA into holding more open
meetings in accordance with state sunshine laws.
Image from Wikipedia
Chicken is right — the newspaper did violate SGA finanMontclair’s Student Government Association froze the student newspaper’s budget,
cial policy. But this situation is not on the radars of college
and professional newspapers all over as a study in student which resulted in the newspaper having to halt print publication temporarily.
government. What editors, writers and readers of student
media are concerned about is the precedent of a student
government shutting down a student publication.
The Montclarion is not like The Signal. Unfortunately,
because of The Montclarion’s status as a media organization of SGA, which is a separate entity from the university,
“To think that
the newspaper is not independent.
The Signal enjoys a greater amount of independence. Yes,
the elected
cast your vote @
• The Giants
this newspaper receives certain things from the Student Fisignal-online.net
• The Patriots
student offinance Board (SFB) — the salaries of the top two editors and
• Tom Petty
one new computer per year for example. However, the cost
cial of a pubof all of these things is overshadowed by the ad revenue The
lic univerSignal generates itself and uses to pay for printing.
Jan. 23 results:
The Montclarion is produced in a terrible situation for any
sity has such
newspaper. It is technically part of the Montclair SGA.
How do you feel about being
little respect
Not only that, the entity of which every newspaper is deback at school?
signed to be a watchdog, the government, may not be subor knowledge
ject to open public meetings laws in the case of the Mont• 45% SHIT
of the First
clair SGA. And unlike The Signal, The Montclarion has no
• 19% I forgot how bad Sodexho was.
control over the ad revenue it generates. At Montclair, SGA
Amendment is
• 19% I miss home!
holds the newspaper’s purse strings. For this reason, the
• 17% Good, home was boring.
scary.”
only place The Montclarion’s editorial is appearing in print
• 0% Awesome! I love learning.
this week is on the previous page.
— Chris Adams, atShould this dispute ever go to court, the possibility of a
torney to Sal Anderton,
legal precedent harming the independence of college publiformer attorney to The
cations everywhere is all too real.
Montclarion, on Ron
For high school newspapers, all it took was one ruling
Chicken, executive
against one high school newspaper to set a legal precedent
president of Montclair
signal-online.net
infringing on the First Amendment rights of all high school
State University‘s SGA
newspapers. It is scary to think that all it could take is this one
Telephone:
Mailing Address:
Production Rm - (609) 771-2424
The Signal
dispute, if it ever became a larger issue, to set the same type of
Business Office - (609) 771-2499
c/o Brower Student Center
legal precedent for college and university newspapers.
The College of New Jersey
Fax: (609) 771-3433
P.O. Box 7718
E-mail: signal@tcnj.edu
We don’t believe the SGA of Montclair is acting with the
“This is not
Ewing, NJ 08628-0718
intention of setting a permanently damning legal precedent
Editorial Offices
a question of
for all college media. Its members seem to genuinely believe it is simply a matter of financial policy.
Michelle McGuinness
Alyson Greenwood
censorship.
But the terrifying reality is that if this issue isn’t resolved
Editor-in-Chief
Jess Mickley
Jasmine Overton
Myles Ma
It’s a matquietly, the rights and protections currently provided for
Sharon Tharp
Managing Editor
college and university presses could be diluted or even reMegan DeMarco
Copy Editors
ter of (The
voked entirely.
Tom Dunford
Michael O’Donnell
The Weekly Poll:
Who is going to win the
Super Bowl?
Have an opinion about the editorial?
The Signal wants your feedback!
Send letters to the editor to
signal@tcnj.edu by Friday @ 5 and
see your name (and opinion) in print.
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Quotes of
the Week
Montclarion)
breaking rules
and regulations that
they’ve
agreed to
follow.”
— Ron Chicken,
executive president of
Montclair State
University’s SGA
page 10 The Signal January 30, 2008
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 13
Opinions
Guild Wars offers chance at online gaming redemption
To those who have never heard
The bigger environments and higher level cap do not
of a massively multiplayer online make WOW a better game. They simply make it a bigger
role playing game (MMORPG), time trap and keep players addicted for longer. For a
let these words serve as a warning, monthly-fee based game, the bottom line is not quality,
a consumer recommendation and it is to keep players addicted, to keep them playing and
humble video game guidance. To paying.
those of you who proudly play
There are a number of ways in which “Guild Warsa”
your level 70 paladins, warlocks proves itself to be the better game. Some of the most stark
or rogues, this is your chance for advantages of “Guild Wars” are the visuals themselves.
redemption.
“Guild Wars” has far more richly detailed
Scott Kieffer
I say redemption because no environments and explorable areas. These areas are
one should be at level 70. No one should be paying $15 also far more realistic looking. The characters in “Guild
a month when there is a game that is not only better, but Wars” are also more detailed and realistic. WOW, by
cheaper.
comparison, looks like a shoddy Disney movie from the
No one should be duped into thinking that “World pre-digital era.
of Warcraft” (WOW) is the
Then there is the gameplay
best or only way to play an
itself. When WOW characters
WOW, by comparison, looks like go out to complete quests or
MMORPG.
Hereʼs the run down: a shoddy Disney movie from the
objectives, they can bring all
WOW and “Guild Wars” pre-digital era.
of their skills and abilities
are two of Americaʼs
with them. This allows for
most popular MMORPGs. As in other role-playing laziness in gameplay and makes player vs. environment
games (RPGs) the MMORPG player creates a highly relatively easy.
personalized character that they use to play through the
Restrictions make a game more difficult, and
game.
difficulties demand creative solutions. The unrestricted
Players accumulate experience by killing enemies gameplay of WOW means that users do not need to think
and completing missions or quests. This experience to win.
then allows their characters to gain levels and become
Rather than mindless hack-and-slash gameplay,
stronger.
“Guild Wars” requires tactical planning as rich as any
Massively multiplayer online means that literally strategy-based game. There is a pool of well over a
millions of these players are interacting with each other thousand skills in the game, but before setting out on
in expansive online environments.
each mission, a player must choose only eight skills to
WOW has dominated the MMORPG market since use for that session.
its release in fall of 2004, but it had the advantage of
With only eight skills, a “Guild Wars” player has to
brand recognition. The previous three installments in make each skill count. This forces the player to have a
the “Warcraft” world (none were MMORPGs) had been deep understanding of what their skills do, the strengths
hugely popular games.
and weaknesses of each skill, and how the skills interact
WOW had an anticipatory fan base before it was with each other.
even released, and it was released months before “Guild
Just as the skill limit adds tactics and creativity to the
Wars.”
game, limits on team size add a need for strategy and
The fact is, WOW is simply neither the best cooperation.
MMORPG, nor is it the best buy. WOW players, after
“Guild Wars” players may only form parties of four
paying an initial $50 to purchase the software, must pay to eight people, but WOW raiding parties can be as large
$13-$15 a month to continue playing that game.
40 players.
“Guild Wars,” by contrast, is a one-time investment
In “Guild Wars,” players must communicate with
of $50. It has no monthly fees. Most MMORPG users each other to design specific team builds to beat more
play the games for many months or even years. Over the difficult areas and missions.
course of two years, a WOW player spends at least $300
Take the tactics involved in one build with eight
more than his “Guild Wars” counterpart.
skills, and multiply it by four to eight players. “Guild
Many WOW players justify the higher price by Wars” is not only a more challenging game, it is also
claiming they are getting a bigger and better game.
a more team-based game that encourages social online
With a high level cap (70 in WOW, only 20 in gaming.
“Guild Wars”) and a massive explorable world, they are
All of these benefits and tactical aspects create a game
probably right about the size of their game and the time that focuses on an individualʼs skill and intellect, rather
it takes to beat it. Some users play for more than a year than on how many hours they log on the game. “Guild
without even reaching the highest level on one of their Wars” is a cheaper, a more challenging and a more social
characters.
game.
But do size and required time equal quality? I think
Donʼt be fooled by the WOW conspiracy any longer.
not.
Let “Guild Wars” save you today.
“
“
World of Warcraft and Guild Wars screenshots
Guild Wars (top two) offers more challenging
gameplay, no monthly fee, better graphics
and opportunities for advanced cooperation,
instead of the more costly and easier World of
Warcraft (bottom).
AP Photos
Weʼve been listening to their opinions for months.
By now, youʼve probably begun to form some of your own.
Send your opinions to hannan2@tcnj.edu
page 12 The Signal January 30, 2008
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Stop: Stomping into
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cheap beer.
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gym, cats fighting
behind Townhouses
East, wearing black
and brown clothing
together,
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Tuesday, take some
vitamin C, listen
to The Molotov
Cock tails,
away from
my window,
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Calendar.
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January 30, 2008 The Signal page 11
College ʻlost its luster?ʼ
Letters
Foley missed the point
Bryan Foley, you missed the
point so hard that I feel sorry
for you. The outrage over the
fliers advertising the College
Republicansʼ Christmas (not
Holiday, Christmas) Party last
semester wasnʼt because they
dared to proclaim their love of
Christmas. This wasnʼt a matter
of being politically correct or
incorrect, it was a matter of not
being a huge asshole, which is
what the idiots who decided to
put these fliers up are, were and
forever will be: huge assholes,
insufferable douche bags, giant
steaming piles of crap. You get
the picture.
Not all the College Republicans
are among this herd of jackasses.
Since these fliers went up, Iʼve
heard that it was only one or two
people who designed them, got
them approved and put them up
on campus, so this is not directed
at the College Republicans as
a whole, just the dicks who put
these up.
After all, do you have to be
Christian to be a Republican?
No. Do you have to celebrate
Christmas to be a Republican?
No.
These are not requirements
for entry into the Republican
Party, yet these delinquents felt
obligated to label their entire
group as having the same narrowminded opinions as they did.
Do some of the College
Republicans share their beliefs?
Probably. All of them? I doubt it.
Also, this concept of the
American Civil Liberties Union
ruining Christmas just baffles me.
I donʼt know if youʼve checked
recently, but Christmas is winning
the Put-Giant-Bright-ObnoxiousS h i t - O n - Yo u r - H o u s e - F o r -
The-Holidays War. Christmas
decorations have red and green
lights, inflatable Santas, reindeer,
trees, elves, presents, muppets,
Jesus, shepherds, the Grinch and
Jim Carrey.
How many Christmas movies
are there? How many Christmas
sequels? I bet the number of
Christmas movies starring Tim
Allen alone would be more than
every Hanukkah movie ever
made, times two.
Non-Christians werenʼt the
ones pissed off at the College
Republicans (or rather, the
imbeciles who tried to speak for
them). Every sane human with a
rational thought floating between
their ears was pissed off at them.
Yes, you can walk down the
streets of Anytown, U.S.A., and
find a church, a mosque and a
synagogue blocks away from
each other. By the way, where
is Anytown, U.S.A., because
I sure as hell have never been
there? OK, real quick, think of
a synagogue within a mile of the
College. Now a mosque. Now
think of a church within a mile of
the College. I Googled all three:
No mosques, one synagogue and
more than 70 churches. Then
again, this isnʼt Anytown, U.S.A.
This is Realityville, N.J.
Christmas is flourishing in
America. What is misconstrued as
the ruining of Christmas is actually
giving other holidays room to
publicly
celebrate
alongside
Christmas.
The people who tried to speak
for the College Republicans werenʼt
whining because Christmas was
ruined; they were whining because
they used to have the whole pie,
and now they have to share it.
Sean Curry
Students only concerned with bottom line
Has the college campus lost its luster?
The college campus contains the most ableminded group of individuals with the greatest prospect to create innovation and initiate
change. These individuals exist as the most
powerful threat to the system.
However, it appears that the college scene
has evolved. The free-loving, free-minded
revolutionaries seem to have been replaced
by a career-oriented and much more mediaM. J. Angelo
inspired society.
The world works differently now. No longer can we act how we did when we were young. As Bob Dylan
said, “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.”
Even at our ages, it appears we have our future to lose, because
society frowns on the individual who does not complete higher education. Risk, faith and inspiring leadership can mobilize people
to accomplish great things.
But how can we attempt to take part in things like rallies, protests and peace movements when we are so pressured to “make
something of ourselves?” Now, it seems the only way to make
something of ourselves is through a grade, a dollar sign, a title
and a diploma.
I do not suggest that we are robotic, but we are pressured so
incessantly to become something great. It does not even matter
what it is, as long as we are important and appear to be well off,
we are considered to be OK by society.
The reason for this may lie in the prevalence of the middle
class and the relative appearance of wealth in the hands of more
people. Possibly the reason is the technological revolution that
gives people the illusion of better living conditions, and certainly
more media distraction and possessions to covet.
Somehow these factors and others have caused individuals to
aspire to attain the rich life. Fifty-five percent of youth in America
said they believe they will be rich one day. If more than half of us
believe we can be rich within the system, why work to change it?
Not to say that the college campus provides no inspiring ideas,
but more of a group consciousness could never hurt. The campus
will always remain a place of inspiring innovation, earth-shattering research and free thinking. I simply suggest that we all elect
to be a part of that side of education as much as we do our formal
one.
Maybe I do suggest an optimistic nostalgia, but nonetheless
I suggest we make a conscious choice to create the future rather
than simply exist in it. It is undeniable that we are not just the
future. We are the current that washes in waves of innovation, attempting to cleanse the world of its misgivings. By floating along
we can survive, but we will not fully live.
Information from — Bill McKibbenʼs “Deep Economy”
Signal
Spotlight What is your favorite class this
semester so far?
“Marketing 380.
I want to take up
advertising so Iʼm
very excited for that
class.”
“Race and Gender.
We get to discuss
the material as a
class so itʼs not
boring.”
— Edmer Martinez,
junior
communication
studies major
— Daphnie Borno,
sophomore
nursing major
“Psychology of Women
and Women in Learning
and Leadership capstone
seminar. They involve
putting theories Iʼve
learned into action.”
— Stephanie L. Natera,
senior
women and gender
studies major
“Women, Culture
and Society. It
digs deep into why
stereotypes are the
way they are.”
— Chamel Carela,
junior
graphic design
major
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 14
Features
Bonner Scholars lend a helping hand in New Orleans
Photos from tcnjbonners.wordpress.com
Rotting and ruined houses like this one litter the landscape in much of New Orleans (left). The trip wasnʼt all work and no play: Bonner Scholars competed in a scavenger hunt in the French Quarter of the city (right).
By Kaitlin Tambuscio
Staff Writer
For 39 of the Collegeʼs Bonner
Scholars, 2008 “started with a bang” —
of the hammer that is.
While most students were home,
reuniting with high school friends or still
recovering from a New Yearʼs celebration,
the Bonner Scholars devoted a week of
their Winter breaks to rebuilding homes
in New Orleans while blogging about
the experience at tcnjbonners.wordpress.
com.
On Jan. 12, students departed from
New Jersey. For many of the students,
this was their first service trip to New
Orleans.
Hurricane Katrina struck the New
Orleans area in August of 2005, and
although two and a half years have passed,
it will take many more to restore the city
to its former glory.
For many, Hurricane Katrina was
merely something they only heard about
and saw secondhand media accounts of,
much like the tsunami that struck Asia in
December of 2004. It seemed as if it was
affecting a foreign nation.
The Bonner Scholars visited New
Orleans because the destruction that
Hurricane Katrina caused is, unfortunately,
not yet a part of the history of the United
States.
The students who participated realize
something that the American public may
not: Hurricane Katrina is still affecting
thousands of displaced individuals.
As Brian Hackett, sophomore political
science major, explained, “I had ʻreverse
expectations.ʼ I never expected (the
damage) to be as bad as it was.” He was
under the impression that he would be
working to “tie up loose ends,” not help
rebuild one of the thousands of homes that
remain untouched well after the hurricane
struck.
While this was Hackettʼs first trip to
New Orleans, for junior political science
major Michael Strom, this was his fourth
service trip since Hurricane Katrina.
“I can say with complete honesty that
this is the most successful service trip that
I have ever been a part of,” Strom wrote
in the blog.
When Strom, who wrote an original
song about his experience, first visited
New Orleans eight months after Hurricane
Katrina, he possessed the same mentality
as Hackett — he was under the impression
that he was there to finish the recovery
efforts and see the last phases in effect.
Todd Stoner, senior political science
and international studies major, had a
clear reason for making his second trip
to New Orleans. As he wrote in the
blog, “We are here, or I am here rather,
because we can no longer wait for the
government to act.”
While in a home in New Orleans,
Stoner observed that the only thing that
indicated how much time had passed
since the hurricane struck was the mold
that has progressively crept up the sides
of the rotting walls.
Although the damage to these homes
is devastating, for Stoner, the trip to
New Orleans revealed more than the
struggle of the destroyed houses and
lives. He is concerned with the social
impact that this tragedy has had on the
United States.
“Class. It is a forbidden word in
America. ... We grow up viewing
class and race conflict as a thing of
the past, yet both cannot be ignored
when viewing government response
following Rita and Katrina,” Stoner
wrote.
Sophomore finance major and
attendant of the trip Tariq Shabazz said,
“I saw a lot of things that the media
missed.” Recently, there has been little
in the news regarding the status of New
Orleans. Instead, the news reports are
flooded with buzz over the looming
2008 election.
One thing Shabazz, Strom and
Stoner found particularly appalling
after visiting New Orleans was the
fact that not one presidential candidate
has established, or even mentioned,
development of a recovery plan.
Stoner said, “There are three things
that you wonʼt hear a presidential
candidate talk about: poverty, class and
New Orleans.”
Because of the sparse government
involvement, religious organizations,
non-profits and volunteers like the
Bonner Scholars are taking the initiative
to assist New Orleans homeowners.
If the recovery efforts in New Orleans
are ever completed, volunteers like the
Bonner Scholars will be responsible for
rebuilding an incredible city.
Facebook security causes student concern
By Jeffrey Roman
Staff Writer
The millions who flock to
Facebook everyday to check for
updates, look for friends and
maintain their personal pages
may be in for a surprise. What
these carefree users donʼt know
is that Facebook is holding on to
quite a bit of information from
each of them, making many
people unhappy.
Fears have been lurking for
months as to just how much
information Facebook has and
how much is being leaked
to interested parties. Back
in September, the company
opened its members list to
search engines over the Internet,
allowing anyone to search the
social utility client for its users, a
large concern for the many who
are concerned with keeping their
personal information private.
The new threat is bringing
up even more concerns for
the estimated 39 million
users of Facebook. When a
Facebook account is deleted,
the information is stored in
Facebookʼs database. So once a
user confirms that their account
is deleted, the information is
still stored somewhere, meaning
that all the data hasnʼt been
erased. To properly erase all the
information, a user has to delete
all the information on their site
manually, taking down everything
from pictures to interests and
other text data. Then, they must
contact Facebook and tell the
company to erase everything.
Questions are being raised as
to just how much information
is being stored and how
much is getting out to others
searching for it. Many are upset
with the policies Facebook is
implementing, feeling insecure
about why their personal data is
being compromised.
Rachel Razza, freshman art
education major, feels concerned
now about the information
presented on her page.
“Before signing up for
Facebook, they should have
made their users aware that
information would be stored,”
she said. “However, I wouldnʼt
mind removing my information
before deleting my account.”
Google Images
The difficulty in deleting
a Facebook account has
many upset over privacy.
Steps are being taken by outside
organizations to investigate this
situation. The United Kingdomʼs
Information
Commissionerʼs
Office (ICO) has risen to the
challenge of addressing the
many concerns being voiced
by Facebookʼs growing online
community.
The process is considered
way too involved by many and
the legal issues dealing with user
policy are being looked into.
Freshman Anthony Cianciarulo,
history education major, feels
strongly about what Facebook is
doing.
“If youʼre giving your
information to Facebook, posting
pictures and writing things about
yourself, Facebook has every
right to do with it what they want.
Theyʼre allowing you to post
information on their Web site,”
he said.
The debate has many sides
to it, from those aware of the
information posted to those who
feel the information should be
better protected. But as long as
Facebook abides by the laws
enacted by the many countries
who have users with accounts,
there is no way that it can get
blamed for what it is doing.
“I guess the real problem
is no one telling the user what
theyʼre doing. If a message was
presented on the home page,
no one would be complaining
because they would know the
policies from the start,” Razza
said.
As the age of technology
continues, and more and more
users sign up to Facebook and
other social networking sites,
the argument on private data
is constantly being challenged
by those who aim to exploit
information and those who want
to protect it.
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 15
In a relationship, love is all you need
Dear Sweta,
Iʼve been with my girlfriend
for a little less than a year now
and suddenly when we came
back from Winter break, she said
we needed to talk. Immediately,
I thought there was something
wrong and that either she was
going to dump me or that she had
cheated on me.
It turns out she is bisexual. She
told me that she experimented
with women before we started
going out, but was too afraid to
tell me.
I know that a lot of guys would
find this news to be wonderful, but
I just see it as more competition.
Also, I feel like my family wonʼt
accept her. I donʼt really know
how to deal with it and I still
want to be her boyfriend, but Iʼm
afraid it will just be too weird.
What should I do?
Sincerely,
Straight Talker
Google Images
In her show ʻA Shot at Love,ʼ Tila Tequila revealed that
she is bisexual.
Dear Straight Talker,
Sexuality is generally a very
difficult term to define because it
means different things depending
on the person. You may see
yourself as a heterosexual male,
but Iʼm sure every male has
a feminine side, just as every
female has a masculine side.
Just because your girlfriend
is bisexual does not mean her
feelings for you have changed.
She has been with you for almost
a year because she likes you as
a person. The question you need
to ask yourself is simple: do you
trust her?
Either way, straight, gay,
bisexual or other, people will
have more than one person that
may care for them and try to
court them. Does it really make a
difference whether a girl is trying
to get her attention over a guy? I
donʼt think it does.
The point is, if you trust her
and you know she wants to be
with you, then it really isnʼt more
competition. Itʼs just different
types of people.
I can see why you may feel
shocked and uncomfortable,
especially since youʼve been
with her for a quite a bit of time
without knowing. But what you
need to understand is that she
didnʼt tell you because she was
afraid of how you might react.
Instead of getting upset or
feeling weird about being with
her, you need to look at all the
great times youʼve had. She
was bisexual before you knew
she was, and you still liked her
enough to be with her for that to let them know and tell them
long, so why would anything that you support her and want
change now? What you need to to be with her no matter what.
do is make her feel comfortable Even if they resist, they are your
about being herself around you.
family and they love you, so the
Bisexuality is just like only thing they should truly care
anything else. A lot of people about is your happiness.
have something
Like I said,
different
sexuality is
about them
ill-defined
that they
because it
donʼt know
depends on
if they can
the person.
reveal
to
It shouldnʼt
their significant
matter whether
others. Would
your significant
Google Images
you feel uncomfortable
other is a bisexual or not. The
with her if she told you that only thing that really matters is
her passion was collecting gum how much you care about them.
wrappers?
If you keep an open mind and just
The information she shared follow your heart, things have a
with you was shared because she tendency to fall into place.
felt comfortable enough to tell
you her deep feelings. Instead Sweta
of feeling strange about being
with a “bisexual,” you should
feel proud that your girlfriend
trusted you with such important
information. Your job now is to
make her aware that youʼre OK
with it.
Sexuality in this day and age
should not even be an issue.
If anything was to be learned
from Tila Tequilaʼs debut as a
bisexual on national television, it
Send Sweta your raciest
is that everyone, no matter what
their sexual orientation, is just
questions.
trying to find someone in this
ever-changing, sometimes cruel,
She’s not shy.
world to love.
As for your family, my advice
E-mail shah36@tcnj.edu
to you is to ask your girlfriend if
it is OK to tell your family about
her bisexuality. If it is, you need
Love
&
Sex
Keeping it simple keeps you organized
By Alex Seise
Staff Writer
My mother has kept lists posted on the
refrigerator since I can remember. There
have been chore lists, grocery lists and
lists of upcoming band competitions.
Each
list
was
organized
in
a
different way. Some
featured chronological
bullets of what needed
to be accomplished in a certain order.
Sometimes, she would scratch items off
the list and other times, she would add
more.
The lists worked at organizing
our household, and my mother still
prides herself on never being late for
appointments and always keeping the
house tidy.
Lists are a great way to keep organized,
but they can become harmful. Overorganization can become an obsession.
Some people continually add to lists
until they become overwhelmed and
neurotic. Some people wind up making
dozens of lists instead of getting tasks
done. The key is, as always, organized
moderation.
Anything that is even mildly difficult
to access will eventually fall prey to
laziness. This especially goes for lists.
If your list of tasks is written somewhere
on a notepad that might be in one of
your drawers underneath a pair of socks,
it will likely remain untouched for many
moons.
The best solution is to keep a notepad
and attached pen handy where you work.
If you spend a lot of time at your desk,
leave a pad of sticky notes and a mug
filled with pens on one end. Perhaps
youʼre a kitchen aficionado; a magnetic
stationery pad and clip-on marker will
stick to the fridge and keep your tasks
close at hand.
You can easily transform any number
of tasks into a
convenient
list.
If you want to
streamline your
major
projects
for the semester, compile them with the
dates they are due. You can keep the
chronological grouping as is, or you
can add the information to a monthly
calendar.
If youʼre feeling particularly ambitious,
you can even take the assignments from
multiple syllabi and create a master list
for the entire semester. This can get
chaotic very quickly, but if you have
time to kill and the will to make it all fit,
you can condense everything into one
simple reference tool.
Other important information can be
converted into lists. Birthdays will never
be forgotten if conveniently ordered in a
handy location.
Youʼll never have to fret about running
out of toilet paper at an embarrassing
moment if you keep a list of items to
pick up at the store. If you keep a running
record of your CDs and DVDs, youʼll
find that they wonʼt go missing quite as
often when friends borrow them.
Electronic lists are incredibly useful
when it comes to picking up groceries.
You never have to worry about forgetting
your list at home when itʼs stored in the
memo section of your cell phone.
If youʼre working at the library and
need to remember to work on a certain
problem set later in the evening, you
can e-mail a list to yourself and pick up
where you left off later on.
In Windows Vista, you can even
install a virtual sticky note that can be
moved around the screen. All of these
technologies make life just a little bit
easier.
Of course, itʼd be impossible (and
impractical) to list every detail of
your life. Sometimes, though, these
little organization tools can make a
big difference in getting things done
efficiently. Iʼm a firm believer in
efficiency; it means thereʼs always extra
time to kick back and have fun later on!
So grab a pen and some paper and
scribble down what you need to do later
today. Then, you can even jot down a
few ideas about how youʼll spend the
free time afterward.
Is your laundry list of chores
longer than youʼd like? How do you
force yourself to stick to a list? Email your ideas and questions to
DormSpaceAlexSeise@gmail.com and
you might just see them in print!
Google Images
Making lists is a good way to keep yourself organized as long as you
donʼt let them get out of hand.
page 16 The Signal January 30, 2008
Arts & Entertainment
‘Super’ duo cracks up College
Cara MacNeil / Staff Photographer
Magician Mike Super included the audience in most
of his tricks and illusions Saturday evening.
By Liz Hannah
Staff Writer
Nick Thane has always
envied those agile enough to do
a back flip. He has watched street
performers do back flips for
three or four hours and one time,
he was in a bank packed with
people when a guy in the back of
the room with a baby in one arm
and a gun in the other shouted,
“I will shoot this fucking baby in
the head unless someone does a
back flip right now!”
So he did one. Or so he says.
Nick Thane and Mike Super
both
suspended
audience
members’ belief on Friday night
at the College Union Board
(CUB)-sponsored comedy and
magic show in Kendall Hall.
Thane opened the show
with a comedy act ranging in
subject matter from race to
relationships to masturbation to
having to use his father’s screen
name when he first got America
Online at the age of 14. (It was
“salmonerd.”) He presented
the crowd with one-liners
(“Dear Texas, thanks for all the
instruments,”)
idiosyncratic
stories detailing, for example,
the behavior of a friend getting
high, and Demetri Martin-esque
guitar-comedy songs including
pieces like “Butterflies.”
In “Missed Connection,”
Thane comments on the feature
of Craig’s List that allows users
to contact people whom they
could share a “connection” with.
If you are his missed connection,
he asks you to e-mail him at
Playa5000@yahoo.com.
“I actually wish they had
seated you all in the upper level,”
Thane said at the beginning of
the performance.
He harped on that again at the
end of the show, implying that
Matt, an audience member brave
enough to sit in the front row at a
comedy show, would go home and
post a missed connection letter to
Nick professing his attraction to
the comedian.
Mike Super included audience
members in his act in a more
benevolent way, using them as
witnesses to the sincerity of his
tricks. Super has won numerous
awards and has been touted as
“The #1 Mystifyer in The World”
by NBC, where he will soon
begin airing his own television
show.
He talks quickly, cuts rope
quickly and performs card tricks
even quicker. His act combined
illusion and comedy, as well as
the help of quite a few audience
members.
Two
highlights
included his signature “voodoo”
presentation and his final bit
involving a paper rose.
In his signature trick, he took
a student out of the audience and
performed “voodoo” on him
with a doll. When he tapped the
doll, burned the doll or poked
the doll, the audience member
reacted in shock. For his last
trick, he turned a napkin into a
paper rose, levitated it and then
set it on fire, leaving a real flower
in its place.
Super ended his show on an
emotional note, creating snow
over the audience as a heartfelt dedication to his recently
deceased mother.
Pillow fights: the new
post-lunch pastime?
Pablo Moretto / Staff Photographer
A group named the ‘Sidewalk Raiders’
surprised College students on Thursday
when a pillow fight broke out between
Eickhoff Hall and the New Library at
12:15 p.m. From freshmen to seniors,
students lined up for the random battle
royale and slapped each other silly in an
attempt to take a breather from the first
week of classes after Winter break.
Pegasus Jetpack takes flight from the Rat
By James Queally
Arts & Entertainment Editor
A trio of bands injected the Rathskeller with its first
dose of rock ʻnʼ roll this year when the College Union
Board (CUB) held its first student band night of the semester on Jan. 25.
Pegasus Jetpackʼs piano-driven sound meshed with
post-hardcore quintet Faster than Fate and a group of garage-rockers dubbed Crashing Monty to provide Friday
night Rat patrons with the first of many eclectic shows
on the spring concert schedule.
Pegasus Jetpack seemed to be the crowd favorite, entertaining the relatively docile audience with a catchy,
melodic set that induced foot-tapping and head-nodding
around the room. The four-piece indie outfit is the newest project headed by lauded College
soloist Jon Irizarry.
“At this point in time, my solo
music is on the backburner. I really
enjoy writing with a band,” Irizarry, sophomore business major, said.
“ I
imagine at some point Iʼll do some more solo stuff, but
for right now, Iʼm focused on the band.”
The focus is paying off. A departure from his part-psychedelic, part-experimental solo record, Irizarry, who is a
triple threat as a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, delighted
the crowd as he nimbly pounded the ivories and paired
off with vocalist/bassist Rick Rogers for some dazzling
soft harmonies throughout their hour-long set. The bandʼs
mellow, yet engaging sound displayed a heavy influence
from Ben Folds Five, which was only cemented when the
group covered his ʼ90s hit “Army.”
“Ben Folds Five is definitely one of our bigger influ-
ences, but we also like to add some funk, like the Red
Hot Chili Peppers. For us, itʼs really just a mix of fun
music to play and listen to,” Irizzary said.
The bandʼs subdued performance was a radical departure from the high-octane thrash fest that preceded
them in the form of Faster than Fate. Hailing from Ben
Salem, Pa., the band had no qualms about acting as an
electric shock to the typically sedate audiences that attend CUBʼs Friday night concerts. Guitars and microphone cables swung freely as the group raced through
a set list comprised of post-hardcore and screamo style
songs that are typically native to the Jersey scene. Despite receiving a ho-hum reaction from a crowd unfamiliar with its sound, guitarist Kyle Macmanus continued to
act like he was headlining the Warped Tour, even doing
a flip off his bassistʼs back at one point.
“That was actually pretty low-energy for
us,” Macmanus said after the performance.
“When there are people who are into
the music, weʼre way crazier.”
Surprisingly, it was the bandʼs
quietest piece that garnered the most
attention. As vocalist Tim Khun exited the stage
mid-set, the band unleashed an unnamed four-minute
instrumental full of chorus-delay effected guitar that
managed to turn a few heads. While the song didnʼt
even belong in the same area code as the bandʼs aggressive openers “Show Some Spine” and “30 Pieces,”
its distant but poignant sounds seemed like they would
have been right at home on Circa Surviveʼs emotionallycharged debut album “Juturna.”
Openers Crashing Monty, who claimed they were
playing again for the first time in six months, took the
stage with a set of guitar-heavy rock songs that em-
ployed enough power chords to make you never want
to hear one again. The quartet of sophomores, split between Rowan University and the College, produced a
series of structurally-safe, standard rock tunes accentuated by the vocals of Joe Conboy, whose sing/scream
style danced along the lines of Bear Vs. Sharkʼs Marc
Paffi.
CUB holds its student band nights all semester, so be
sure to stop by the Rat to see whatʼs hot and whatʼs not
in the Collegeʼs music scene.
Michael Smith / Staff Photographer
Pajama clad indie-rockers Pegasus Jetpack
headlined CUB’s ‘Student Band Night.’
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 17
He-man woman haters CUB? Keep on
By Erin Duffy
Features Editor
Looking at the list of possible artists
for the College Union Board’s (CUB)
Spring Concert, I couldn’t help feeling
as if I had traveled back in time in Doc
Brown’s De Lorean. Lifehouse? Third Eye
Blind? Were these really possibilities
or merely a look back at one of
my seventh grade mix tapes,
minus, of course, Lou Bega
and LFO?
Considering the plethora of talent that has
been brought to the College in the past, acts
like Ben Folds, Dave Chapelle and even the
legendary Tom Waits (in the Rathskeller,
no less. Tom Waits, in the goddamned Rat),
it’s disappointing to see how every year the
concert headliners seem to get worse and
worse. I know CUB works hard to book
great talent, but often the money just isn’t
there, and I doubt acts like Kanye West are
itching for the opportunity to perform in
Ewing, N.J.
Nevertheless, the survey list of artists
released on the Web, whether selected
solely by students or not, as CUB claims,
is full of lackluster and dated musical acts.
Much of the list is composed of artists who
ceased being relevant years ago (cough,
Third Eye Blind, cough). Sure, “SemiCharmed Life” is great to sing along to on
the radio once in awhile, but are we really
going to fork over $70,000 for a little bit of
guilty-pleasure ’90s nostalgia?
The majority of the remaining artists
are just as bad. Like every other CUB
concert organized in the past few years,
the list is dominated by boring, talentless,
angsty, emo boys waxing poetic about
girls in deck shoes and skinny jeans who
won’t blow them. We’ve already had the
aural bores that are Copeland, The Academy Is and Saves the Day. Do we really
need Yellowcard, Brand New and Cartel
to expand on the theme that it’s hard out
there for a suburban, So-Cal white boy?
And though I wasn’t necessarily surprised, I was certainly dismayed at the absolute dearth of female talent on the list,
which did laudably include a few black
artists for a change.
“There aren’t that many female artists
that are out with hot stuff right
now,” said one student in a
previous Signal article on the
subject.
Really? I guess no one
on campus has heard
of women or womenfronted acts like Rihanna, Feist, Tegan and Sara, Colby Cailat,
Cat Power, M.I.A., Jenny Lewis, Lilly Allen, Ani DiFranco, Paramore, Kelly Clarkson or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Including 15
men and no women on a list is not only
incredibly disappointing, but indicative of
the cock-rock trend that often dominates
the music scene, both nationally and at the
College.
I’m tired of these musical choices that
constantly pander to the lowest common
denominator. I know we can’t bring huge
artists to our provincial little state school
and I’m not saying we have to. I am sick,
however, of the powers that be that keep
trying to shove shitty bands down our
throats. The mentality seems to be, “well,
we aren’t going to get much better than this
so we might as well settle” to what amounts
to be not second, but seventh best. Instead
of bringing the same tired bands over and
over again, why not bring a fresh musical
talent here, or, gasp! an indie act with actual talent? Where are the Andrew Birds,
the Lupe Fiascos, the Sufjan Stevens, the
Peaches? How about Band of Horses, Rilo
Kiley, Of Montreal or Rogue Wave?
I know that probably won’t happen, but
in my heart of hearts I’m still holding out
hope. If CUB can’t bring great talent to
campus, than I at least pray that it will further raid my seventh grade music selection
and bring Sisqo.
Google Images
Is Third Eye Blind representative of the College’s ‘cock-rock’ culture?
Features Editor Erin Duffy thinks so as she mans the mic this week.
There will be blood... will awards follow?
By Pete Spall
Staff Writer
As the Oscar season is
approaching and the writers
strike has put the main
festivities in jeopardy, the Best
Picture category is still hotly
debated. While movies such as
“Juno” and “No Country for
Old Men” are heralded for their
distinct storylines and authentic
characters, another film trumps
these two in the battle for best
movie of 2007.
With “There Will Be Blood,”
Paul Thomas Anderson lives up
to the buzz. Having always been
compared to young directors
such as Quentin Tarantino and
Kevin Smith, Anderson has
finally surpassed his peers and
has created a film that stands out
as a work of cinema magic.
Unlike Tarantino and Smith,
who are still continuing to work
only in the realms of pop-culture
regurgitation, Anderson has
engineered a film that transcends
all of his previous work in the
medium.
Loosely based on the Upton
Sinclair book “Oil!,” the film
tells the story of ruthless tycoon
Daniel Plainview, magnificently
played by Daniel Day-Lewis,
and his thirst for domination
in the booming oil industry.
Originally working as a silver
prospector, Plainview gathers
up enough funds to finance a
venture into a small drilling
company that eventually evolves
into an empire.
A majority of the story
focuses on Plainview’s oil
endeavors in the small town of
Little Boston. Upon entering the
small community on a lead from
one of its residents, Plainview
sets out to tap the greatest oil
bed imaginable, one so full that
oil simply seeps through to the
surface. Over the course of his
conquest of the Little Boston
oil bed, Plainview descends
into madness and isolation,
ultimately declaring his hatred
for a greater part of mankind.
Although delving into the
relationship with his adopted son
and a bitter rivalry with a young
charismatic faith healer, the
heart of this story lies in the life
of man who sees his experience
on earth as only a means for
doing business.
Superficially this could
be seen simply as another
“Citizen Kane” knockoff, but
it’s the sheer brutality of DayLewis’ portrayal that makes
this character so superb. A
consistently first-rate actor, Day-
Google Images
Daniel Day-Lewis masterfully fills the role of oil
tycoon Daniel Plainview in ‘There Will Be Blood.’
Lewis slowly transforms himself
from a simple prospector into the
absolute anti-hero, a vile monster
who completely disregards
all elements of humanity and
civilized existence.
The stark, bleak landscape
of turn of the 20th century
California is beautifully captured
in every frame of celluloid and it
visually echoes the barrenness
of Plainview’s life.
One
of
the
most
extraordinary elements of the
movie is its blaring, discordant
yet powerfully moving score,
created by Radiohead’s Jonny
Greenwood.
While
this
soundtrack is executed flawlessly,
it nonetheless still can not top
the perfect musical juxtaposition
Anderson has shown in his
previous films, most notably the
climactic drug deal scene from
“Boogie Nights.”
The only factor that may
hurt this film is its run time.
Clocking in at 158 minutes,
“There Will Be Blood” may be
a bit too long for some people,
but the film is fast-paced and
accessible.
“There Will Be Blood” is
one of the paramount motion
pictures of the year, largely
in part to the unparalleled
performance of Day-Lewis, as
well as brilliant and versatile
directing from filmmaker
Anderson.
truckin’
By Chris Kubak
Staff Writer
Drive-By Truckers
“Brighter Than Creation’s
Dark”
4.5 out of 5 stars
The Drive-By Truckers
(DBT) don’t like to be pigeonholed. Upon the release of their
third album, “Southern Rock
Opera,” the band found itself
constantly shadowed by the
term “southern rock band.” Certainly you can hear a whole lot
of Lynyrd Skynyrd influences
scattered throughout all seven
of their albums, but the fact is
that there are just as many cues
taken from the Rolling Stones
and the Faces as well.
In the face of mounting tensions and exhaustion in the summer of 2006 following the release
of their last record, “A Blessing
and a Curse,” the band set out to
shatter those stereotypes.
The stress ultimately resulted
in songwriter and guitarist Jason Isbell’s departure from the
band. While lesser bands would
have been crippled by the loss,
DBT was strengthened by the
addition of John Neff on guitar
and the legendary Spooner Oldham on keyboard. All of this
leads us to the group’s seventh
full-length, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark.”
It’s one monster record: 19
songs clocking in at around 76
minutes. The main reason for
the Trucker’s success has always been in the songwriting,
and the tandem of Patterson
Hood and Mike Cooley has few
equals when it comes to the
great songwriters of the present era. In their own distinct
styles, the two of them are able
to craft stirring vignettes about
love and loss, desperation and
frustration, and despair and
hope. In addition to Cooley and
Hood, bassist Shonna Tucker
(Isbell’s ex-wife) takes her first
turns at songwriting and singing, contributing three solid
tracks to the record.
Though the songwriting
tends to get the brunt of the attention, you can’t discredit their
musicianship one bit. With a
two and three guitar attack, the
Truckers can growl and bark
their way through a rocker like
few bands can. However, with
elements of ’60s style R&B
and country thrown in now and
again, the band has done well to
break those stereotypes.
From start to finish this is one
hell of a record. Though it’s still
very early in the year, there is a
good chance that this may be the
best record of 2008.
Key Tracks: “A Ghost to Most,”
“The Righteous Path,” “3
Dimes Down”
page 18 The Signal January 30, 2008
Classifieds
Classified Word Ad
Rates:
Up to 20 words $5 per insertion; $2.50 for each additional
10 words.
Classified Display Ad
Rates:
$8 per column inch per day (off
campus). See Ad Manager for
on campus rates.
Contacting the Ad Office:
The Signal business office can
be reached at (609)-771-2499 or
signalad@tcnj.edu
Seeking Music Major
Seeking music major
who’s expert at acoustic guitar to give a lesson of approximately
an hour weekly to my
TCNJ beginner guitar
student. Can pay $100
per month.
Marion
Bergman: (609) 5878116. Leave message.
Terms:
1. All classified advertisements
must be paid in full at time of
placement.
Absolutely no exceptions.
2. Deadline for ads is 12 p.m.
Friday preceding publication.
Advertisement may be placed
at the Signal business office,
(TCNJ Brower Student Center
Basement), or mail with full payment to The Signal Classifieds,
Brower Student Center, TCNJ,
P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ
08628-0718.
3. Classifieds are non-cancellable. There are no refunds for
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5. Tearsheets or proofs will not
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6. All advertising is subject to
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at its sole discretion at any time
prior to publication.
7. The Signal will not consider
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advertisement involving typographical errors or erroneous
insertions unless notice is given
to the Advertising Manager
within ten (10) days of publication. The Signal shall not be held
liable for more than one incorrect insertion of any advertisement. If any error in an advertisement is made by The Signal,
its liability shall only be for such
portion of the entire cost of the
advertisement as the Advertising
Manager shall determine by the
extent of the error in relation to
the entire advertisement.
8. The Signal will make all reasonable efforts to see that advertising is published as accepted;
however; The Signal will not
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and complete liability for the
content of all advertising printed pursuant to this agreement
and shall indemnify The Signal
harmless against any demands,
claims or liablity.
10. Ads placed by mail, accompanied by payment and placement
authorization, will be accepted
subject to compliance with the
above conditions. Insertion of
such ads will constitute acceptances of all terms listed above,
even if the advertiser has not
signed a contract form.
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January 30, 2008 The Signal page 19
Funstuff
Crowns on Clowns
by Timothy Payne
Crossword Number 9... Number 9... Number 9...
ACROSS
1
3.
2
The newest film from the creators of “Scary Movie.” I
heard if you see it, your soul cries.
6.
3
4
This low-level bird pokemon eventually evolves into
Pidgeotto.
5
7.
One side effect of this weight loss drug is crapping yourself.
8.
Goldilocks liked this not-too-hot and not-too-cold.
11. She was George Jetsonʼs robotic maid.
6
7
12. If you start at the beginning of the encyclopedia youʼll run
into this animal first.
13. This fuzzy eight-legged arachnid makes a fantastic pet.
8
9
14. Eli Manning and Archie Manning attended this college.
15. A two word rhyming phrase: “Rooster Athlete.”
16. In 2004 he was John Kerryʼs running mate. He is currently
10
the third-favorite Democratic candidate in the primary.
11
12
13
14
DOWN
1.
A female fox.
2.
A dark bread.
4.
This African animal spends much of its time in the water,
yet is faster than an Olympic sprinter on land.
15
5.
An equilateral rectangle minus the letters “re.”
9.
Steve “
” was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in
1945. His record was 0-12.
16
Created with EclipseCrossword - www.eclipsecrossword.com
10. It will be really funny when they lose the Super Bowl.
page 20 The Signal January 30, 2008
Things I Don’t Understand
There are many things in this world that I donʼt understand,
and Iʼll be the first to admit it. I donʼt understand how computers work. I canʼt fathom the ins and outs of combustion
engines. I donʼt get why people like “Greyʼs Anatomy.” I
donʼt understand why women are inferior at sports (actually… thatʼs a lie. I do). Just like these random ideas, there
are millions of small enigmas that evade even my grasp. I
just canʼt wrap my head around them despite my immense
genius. The following are but a trifle sampling of those mysteries:
Girls with tramp stamps: Lower-back tattoos are ridiculous.
“Might as well be a bullʼs-eye” my ass — might as well be a
Surgeon Generalʼs Warning: Girls with tramp stamps contain
gonorrhea. Iʼm OK with tattoos, but lower-back tattoos just
scream, “Not only am I complete trash, but I love casual sex
with random guys and I donʼt use protection.” Thanks, but
Iʼll just as soon sodomize myself with a chain saw.
Taking prescription medications for small problems that
cause big problems: This, I find hilarious. Thereʼs a birth
control pill out now that eventually limits you to four menstrual cycles a year. Sounds nice, right ladies? At the end of
the commercial, they throw in the minor note that side effects
by Kevin Shields
include high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. “Yeah,
can I get some of these? I might die a horrifying death at an
unfairly young age due to health problems that I never had
any signs of before, but at least I wonʼt bleed every month.”
And maybe Iʼll start taking male enhancement pills that have
a chance of making my genitals melt.
Chick flicks: Maybe itʼs just me, but what is the appeal of a
movie like “27 Dresses,” which is out right now? The onesentence synopsis from imdb.com: “After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman (Katherine Heigl) wrestles
with the idea of standing by her sisterʼs side as her sibling
marries the man sheʼs secretly in love with.” Seriously? First
of all, what kind of idiot believes that thereʼs a woman on
earth with 27 friends who all ask her to be a bridesmaid?
Thatʼs just stupid — nobody has that many close friends. I
donʼt have that many total, despite what my deceptive Facebook account might tell you. “27 Dresses” is probably 90
minutes of jokes about ugly dresses, pointless conversations
that are supposed to be romantic, men cooking dinner for
their ladies, and other stupid shit that girls like. How many
reformed bad boys can steal the good girlʼs heart, and how
many mismatched couples can reconcile their vast differences before becoming the perfect couple, before women
stop watching? Judging by how much these movies almost
certainly all suck, we can safely assume thereʼs no graphic
violence, gratuitous nudity, farting, poop jokes or explosions
to be found in any of them. At that point, is there even a purpose in making films?
Eli Manning: At the end of Week 2 this season, I was fullout calling him “She-li,” “Not Peyton,” and assorted other
names that arenʼt fit for print (although this article is evidence
that The Signal will print almost anything, no matter how
horrible). The guy had the same face after a ridiculous comeback win as he did after he threw a debilitating interception
— I guess you could call his demeanor Terry Schiavo-like
(was that inappropriate? I hope so). Now? I believe. Call him
Elijah because heʼs taking us to the promised land. Elijah, we
need to put Tom Brady and his undefeated band of cheaters
in their places, and I think you might have a slim chance at
possibly being the guy that maybe can almost not screw it
up. On a side note, I might have a man-crush on Elijah now,
which means heʼs potentially joining elite company: Jack
Bauer, The Governator, Sonny Corleone, Derek Jeter, Scott
Baio (that might sound creepy, but seriously… go online and
find this guyʼs laundry list of partners in coitus, ʻtis impressive) and Ellen DeGeneres (that dude can dance).
CORNUCOPIA OF SCOPES
BY: SQUAW
Aquarius
January 20 — February 18
Gemini
May 21 — June 20
Libra
September 23 — October 22
Pisces
February 19 — March 20
Cancer
June 21 — July 22
Scorpio
October 23 — November 21
March 21 — April 19
Leo
July 23 — August 22
Sagittarius
April 20 — May 20
Virgo
August 23 — September 22
Capricorn
Aries
Taurus
Youʼre going to have problems
getting along with people this
week. Itʼs not necessarily your
fault; itʼs just that you manage to
say the wrong thing at the wrong
time. Donʼt worry too much because it will just blow over in a
week or two.
Relationships will be important to
you this week in all their forms.
Maybe you have been distancing
yourself from people you love recently and you will feel the urge
to make sure everyone around you
knows how you feel about them.
First impressions are generally
wrong, as you will find out this
week. Someone you barely knew
and thought little of will turn out
to be a great person and someone
you want to get to know better.
You have been taking someone
close to you for granted without
even knowing. This week, you will
need to tell that person how you really feel and prove those feelings
or else you will lose him or her.
Alone time is all well and good,
but sometimes you just feel the
urge to be around other people.
You will have a very social week
and meet a lot of new people.
Donʼt be scared to talk to the cute
boy or girl who sits net to you in
class.
There is a conflict going on in
your life right now that is dominating your thoughts. This time
it must be you who takes the
first steps and the person you
are fighting with will meet you
halfway. However, you need to
make an effort.
You have been unhappy with your
financial situation recently, but
things will soon change on this
front. You will be presented with an
opportunity to make some money
and it will be good for you to get on
board with it.
Youʼve had some issues with
making an important decision.
Itʼs been eating you up and
nowʼs the time to finally decide
what you are going to do. It
wonʼt be easy but you will feel
very relieved once it is done.
You will feed off the energy of others this week. Your wit will be unstoppable and your charm is totally
evident. Itʼs a great time for you to
be around friends and family. Explore the social scene.
Your love life will dominate your
week. A seemingly stagnant relationship will move to the next
level or you will finally meet a
possible special someone. Honesty is key in all of your relationships this week.
November 22 — December 21
A new challenge will present itself and you will attack it with a
vengeance. It wonʼt be easy and
you will doubt whatever impulse
made you take on the challenge.
In the end the outcome will be
worth it.
December 22 — January 19
Life is confusing to you right now
since nothing is turning out the
way you expected. This doesnʼt
mean bad things. In fact good
things are heading your way. They
will just be unexpected.
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 21
May’s Misfortune
A Led Zeppelin Story
YHan-Pan
by Daniel E. Mutter
A Story:
The Black Dog, while playing his Rock and
Roll, found himself in the Battle of Evermore. However, before he could make his
way up the Stairway to Heaven he had
another venture in which to partake. So he
made his way along the Misty Mountain
Hop with his Four Sticks because he was
Going to California. However, all was not
well, because When the Levee Breaks neither you nor he will have a place to go.
-- Thus Spoke The Hermit
And now: Sudoku
Puzzle Level: Hard
Look here next week for the
solution to this weekʼs puzzle!
Write for Funstuff or go eat an egg!
E-mail payne2@tcnj.edu with yoʼstuff!
page 22 The Signal January 30, 2008
Make your grandma proud
and write for
The Signal.
signal@tcnj.edu
5x8
Sports
Lloyd gives record-breaking performance
Violets prove challenging foes for Lion swimmers
By Bobby Olivier
Staff Writer
After home victories against Rowan
University last week, the College’s men
and women’s swimming and diving teams
attempted to continue their winning ways at
New York University (NYU).
The Violets handed the Lions a pair of
defeats. The men fell 167.5-132.5 and are
now 5-3, while the women are 2-7 after falling 169-128.
Despite the loss, junior Greg Lloyd had
a record-breaking performance in the oneand three-meter dives. He broke both NYU
Aquatic Center and College re cords when he
scored a 326.11 and 360.90 in the respective
events. He bested a one-meter College record
that had stood since 2003 while he broke his
own one-year record in the three-meter dive.
Coaches Brian Bishop and Jennifer
Harnett discussed the rivalry between the
College and NYU, and it was on the mind of
the swimmers as well.
“The older guys say we can’t lose to
NYU,” freshman Tom Medvecky said before
the meet. “I know I have three tough races
and it’ll be a dogfight, but it’ll come down to
whoever wants it more.”
Medvecky swam well against NYU, finishing second in the 200-meter freestyle
(1:44.84), the 200-meter butterfly (1:56.83)
and the 500-meter freestyle (4:48.43).
Other highlights of the meet for the Lions
Devon DeMarco / Staff Photographer
(Above) The men and women’s teams defeated Rowan University 176-123
and 189-108, respectively. The Lions went on from the win to fall to NYU.
were junior Thomas Nawrot’s first-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke (53.36),
senior Josh Forsman’s victory in the 100meter butterfly (52.52) and sophomore Myles
O’ Connor’s win in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:13.33).
The College also finished second in the
200-meter medley relay. Contributing to the
relay were Nawrot, O’Connor, Forsman and
senior Liam Gallagher. Junior Mike Molloy
came in second in the 1,000-meter freestyle
in 10:11.73.
Among the highlights from the women’s events was a continuation of freshman
Margaret Molloy’s impressive rookie season.
Molloy took first in the 1,000-meter freestyle
with a time of 10:48.30 and also added a pair
of second-place finishes in the 100- and 500meter freestyle events.
Senior Ava Kiss also swam well as she
posted a pair of first-place victories in the
100-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle,
finishing in 58.88 and 54.76, respectively.
Kiss also contributed to a Lions victory
in the 200-meter freestyle relay with the help
of freshman Michele Wilson, sophomore
Ashley Robb and senior Lauren Pfeiffer. The
Lions finished in the first three spots in the
200-meter individual medley with freshman
Stephanie Seto taking the event in 2:19.35,
junior Brittany Collyer finishing second in
2:21.32 and junior Sara Casciano finishing
third in 2:23.88.
Harnett said the women will be “focusing
more on sprint work” during their training
Junior Greg Lloyd set records
in the one- and three-meter
dives at NYU on Saturday.
sessions.
The Lions continue their arduous training as they prepare for the Metropolitan
Conference Championships and the NCAA
Division III Championships to finish out
the season.
“We have been training incredibly hard
since the first week in December,” Bishop
said. “We are doing hard work now so we can
be rested for the tournament.”
Women’s Basketball
Lions down Profs, dealt loss by Pioneers
By Michael O’Donnell
Sports Assistant
charge, scoring a team-high 20
points while nabbing 15 boards
and swatting away four shots
The women’s basketball for the victors. Klimowicz
team split their twin bill, taking seemed pleased with her perdown Rowan University 75- formance, but mostly because
50 before falling to William of the team’s overall play.
“Rowan was a great game for
Paterson University 71-67.
The Lions first traveled to us because our inside-outside
Glassboro, N.J., and soundly game really came together,”
defeated the Profs by 25 points Klimowicz said. “(Junior guard
on Wednesday night. The Lions Alyssa Michella) was hot from
trailed 7-4 early in the game, the three-point line, helping to
but after going on a 9-0 run take away the pressure defense
from the posts, which made it
they never looked back.
“The bottom line is we stress easier to score inside.”
The junior guard
defense,” head coach
75 had a career game,
Dawn Henderson said. Lions
50 knocking down five
“We try to create oppor- Profs
en
tunities for us on that
Lions
67 three-pointers
route to a 16-point, 9end of the floor. Steals,
blocks, turnovers are Pioneers 71 rebound effort.
“She’s a great shooter,”
always what we’re looking for,
and I think that is a key reason Henderson said. “Not only that,
why we played so well against but she’s been an even more
consistent defender. I’m very
this good of a team.”
Junior
center
Hillary pleased that she’s found her
Klimowicz once again led the shot in the past few weeks to
round out her game.”
Senior guard/forward Sara
Best rounded out the doublefigure scorers with 12 points of
her own. She also attributed the
win to the Lions’ team game.
“On offense, we’ve been
focusing on running our plays
and looking for weaknesses in
the opposing team’s defense,”
Best said. “Rowan didn’t have
the height we have, so we used
that to our advantage by looking down low and feeding the
posts.”
The Profs may have been
easily taken advantage of by
the Lions, but the Pioneers of
William Paterson University
took them to the limit and eventually claimed victory.
In the tightly contested battle Saturday in Wayne, N.J., six
ties, 11 lead changes and physical play all occurred during the
first half.
After being tied 35-35 at halftime, the Pioneers regained the
lead by eight points. However,
the Lions stormed back and cut
the deficit to one, leaving the
score 53-52.
“We missed free throws,
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Junior Hillary Klimowicz
has led the Lions at center
to their current 13-4 record.
easy shots inside, we had a
lot of turnovers and (William
Paterson) had nine three-pointers,” Henderson said. “With the
score as close as it was, if we
could clean up one of the categories, we could have easily
won that game.”
The College had four players in double figures, including
Klimowicz, who led the way
with 20 points, 12 rebounds and
three blocks in the loss.
With the loss, the Lions
stand at 4-2 in the New Jersey
Athletic Conference (NJAC)
South Division and 13-5 overall, while the Pioneers improved
to 5-1 in the NJAC North and
13-4 overall on the year.
“Can we do better? Sure. We
just need to evaluate this game
and apply what we’ve learned to
the next game,” Henderson said.
The Lions will be back home
tonight as they host NJAC rival
Rutgers University-Camden at
6 p.m. in Packer Hall.
Inside Signal Sports
4 6
Super Bowl Predictions
page 23
LIONS
AROUND THE
DORM
Around the Dorm
page 26
Tr e n t o n D e v i l s H o c k e y
page 23
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 23
Minor League Hockey
Wrestling
Carbone wins Local Devils defeat No. 1 Elmira
under pressure
in close meet
By Lauren Kohout
Senior Editor
By Tom Galton
Staff Writer
Entering the evening’s final bout with the
score knotted at 16, senior co-captain Steve Carbone (285 pounds) knew the outcome of the wrestling team’s dual meet against Centenary College
hinged on his performance.
Wrestling conservatively to protect an early
lead, Carbone scored an 8-0 major decision over
sophomore Adam Pearsall to finish off a dramatic 20-16 comeback victory for the No. 21 Lions
last Wednesday.
With the win, the Lions improved their dual
meet record to 12-3, while the Cyclones dropped
to 5-4 in dual matches.
“You definitely wrestle differently when the
score is tied,” Carbone said. “I tried to stay in
good position and prevent giving up any points.
Normally, I would open up a little more on someone if I had a lead. However, in a tie match you
can sit on a lead a little bit and do what you have
to in order to get the win.”
Carbone’s decisive match was the last of five
consecutive wins for the Lions, who were behind
early after losing four of the meet’s first five
bouts.
Down 13-0, the Lions picked up their first four
points of the meet on an 11-3 major decision by
freshman John Barnett (149 pounds) in the fourth
bout of the match.
After dropping the 157-pound match, the Lions
rebounded with a 10-7 decision from freshman
Justin Bonitatis (165 pounds). The win kicked off
Senior Steve Carbone (285 pounds)
secured the Lions’ win last Wednesday.
Last Friday night, the Devils
hosted the then-first place Elmira
Jackets in a game that saw five separate fights break out between the
teams, not including the fights referees broke up before they escalated.
“(Elmira is) a physical team,”
head coach Rick Kowalsky said.
“They’ve got big forwards who can
skate, and they get in and they finish
their checks. They’re very physical
and that’s the style we play, so we
talked about matching that.”
Just five minutes away from campus, the Trenton Devils hockey team
takes to the ice each year to compete
for the Kelly Cup.
The Devils, a part of the East
Coast Hockey League (ECHL) perform on the AA level.
Two levels below the NHL, the
ECHL is a breeding ground for future
AHL and NHL stars and features an
intense hockey-viewing experience,
since fans are closer to the action at
Sovereign Bank Arena and the atmosphere is always exciting.
The Devils let one goal slip by
just 2:33 into the first period of their
game Friday night but answered
back with five goals over the course
of the game to claim a 5-2 win.
Center Jim Henkel, one of the
Devils’ veterans and co-assistant
captains, tallied a hat trick on the
night while All-Star defenseman
Ryan Gunderson picked up four assists in the win.
When a Gunderson shot during a
power play resulted in a free-for-all
in front of the net, Henkel was able
to sneak the puck through goaltender
Dan LaCosta’s legs.
Henkel’s second goal came off a
feed from left wing Eric Castonguay
and Gunderson, as Henkel stuck
one in the back of the net from the
middle.
Henkel also notched
an open-net goal for the
Devils after the Jackals
pulled their goaltender
in an effort to use the
one-man
advantage
and put together a
comeback.
The Jackals attempts were futile as
the Devils came away with the upset
victory.
“There’s no question it’s a confidence-booster,” Kowalsky said after
the win. “We just have to figure out
how to reciprocate this tomorrow
night and not have a hangover.”
the team’s stretch of five consecutive victories.
Building on Bonitatis’ win, fifth-ranked junior
Greg Osgoodby (174 pounds) picked up an 11-5
decision over junior Derek Schisler to improve
his overall season record to 23-4.
“Once we got a couple of wins, we fed off each
other and kept that energy,” Osgoodby said.
Senior Jim Tomczuk (184 pounds) carried
the team’s momentum into his match, where he
earned three crucial points for the Lions by beating freshman Benjamin Ostner in a 4-3 decision.
Tied at the end of the third period, Tomczuk tallied the winning point on a ride-out in the first
tiebreaker round.
In one of the meet’s most anticipated individual matchups, Centenary’s ninth-ranked senior
Mike Gummerson pinned eighth-ranked senior
co-captain Ray Sarinelli (133 pounds) in 5:45.
Senior Shawn Vanwingerden (197 pounds)
pulled out a 6-3 decision over freshman Kaleb
Wisner. With the score tied at 16, Carbone won
the next bout to seal the come-from-behind victory for the Lions.
“The biggest part of our turnaround was that
we kept our composure,” Osgoodby said. “Each
guy went out to win his match by wrestling how
he knows and not trying to do too much.”
Next, the Lions are scheduled to head to the
New England Duals on Saturday at noon followed by a faceoff at Springfield College on
Sunday at noon.
Congratulations!
On Saturday night, the Devils
could not avoid a hangover as the
Reading Royals managed to sneak
out a win in the 3-1 contest.
Scoreless through the first period,
the Royals found the back of the net
3:07 into the second period. Just 10
seconds later, Castonguay tied up
the game at one with a one-timer.
The Devils had plenty of chances after putting together 43 shots against
the Royals’ goaltender.
However, the Royals prevailed
when a third-chance rebound found
the end of right wing Kevin Suarette’s stick, giving the Royals the
lead 2-1.
Suarette scored
again on an open net
as the Devils looked
for a one-man-advantage goal in the waning
minutes of the game.
Despite the loss to
the Royals, the Devils
have plenty of confidence
facing the rest of the season
and look forward to playing out
the rest of their schedule. The team
plans to tweak its strategy depending on the opponent it plays.
“We don’t really have a style,”
Henkel said. “We’ll play any game
(our opponents) want to play.”
Super Bowl
Predictions
With four days left until the big game, The
Signal’s sports staff members weigh in with
their thoughts and predictions.
Allison: The Giants absolutely have
to win this one — I just bought a new
jersey. Don’t let me down, Eli.
Mike: Hell will freeze over as Eli
Manning finally proves he’s more
than just a man who looks like he
should be in high school.
Bobby: Though I’m a born-andbred kid from Joisey, I have to take
the Pats for the simple fact that God
loves the Pats.
Kristen: The Giants are comfortable with their underdog status and
will play the same game they’ve been
playing throughout the playoffs.
Tom: The Giants have said they want
everyone to pick against them, so that
is what I will do. Patriots win 27-17.
Steve: The G-Men are going to come
away with their record 11th consecutive
road win against the Patriots. Why?
Because Eli doesn’t suck anymore.
Leeann: The N.Y. Giants will defeat the elite New England Patriots
in a 24-21 victory thanks to Tynes’
superior field goal kicking skills.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Coraggio
The ice hockey team edged out rival Rider
University 6-5 on Friday night. On Saturday,
the team defeated Kutztown University 12-1
to complete the weekend sweep.
Duncan: The Giants’ gas tank is too
close to empty to keep pace with New
England’s multifaceted attack.
Lauren: If I were putting money on
it, I’d put it on the Patriots. As an
Eagles fan, I’m hoping both teams
get last-minute disqualifications.
page 24 The Signal January 30, 2008
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page 26 The Signal January 30, 2008
4 6
LIONS
AROUND THE
DORM
5 3
Steve Cohen
“The Ref”
Duncan Slobodzian
Staff Writer
Brandon Lee
Staff Writer
Lauren Kohout
Senior Editor
Welcome back kiddies! It’s a new semester and all of our Around the Dorm contestants are getting a fresh start. This week, the contestants will debate
the Giants’ best defensive plan of action, the right moves for the Nets’ GM to make and Roger Clemens’ future in the Hall of Fame. Staff writer Duncan
Slobodzian, staff writer Brandon Lee and senior editor Lauren Kohout will compete for those precious points. Staff writer Steve Cohen is the ref.
1) The Giants beat the odds as a wild-card
team in the playoffs and won three games
in a row to win the NFC Championship and
make it to the Super Bowl. What do the GMen need to do defensively to shut down
arguably the best offense in NFL history?
AP Photo
DS: It’s certainly a tall task for the Giants’
defense. The Patriots set all kinds of records this season and Brady has an array
of top-level targets to choose from. Maybe
the most impressive statistic is that they
set an NFL record for points scored, yet
they had the fewest possessions of any
team this year. The Giants’ strength all
season has been in their defensive line’s
ability to pressure the quarterback. This
game should be no different — if the front
four can overpower the immensely talented New England offensive line and get
Brady to make some rushed decisions, that
will give the linebackers and secondary a
chance to make plays. Against this prolific
offense, you can’t expect to match up and
have success against the receivers without
pressuring the quarterback.
BL: The Giants’ defense needs to execute
perfectly in order to stop the Patriots’ offense. For the Giants, it always starts and
ends with the line. If they can hit Brady
and plug up holes so running back Lawrence Maroney won’t run wild, they have a
chance. They need to hit Brady so he rushes
his throws and feels uncomfortable in the
pocket. If you stop Brady, then you have to
watch out for Maroney (see: Chargers). The
linebackers have to do their best in coverage
and stop all the underneath passes to Wes
Welker. The secondary needs to find some
way to stop wide receiver Randy Moss
deep and keep an eye out for tight end Ben
Watson over the middle. Most importantly
in the secondary, cornerback Sam Madison
needs to play like he’s not Sam Madison.
The same thing goes for cornerback Cory
Webster. Madison and Webster make too
many stupid mistakes and against the Patriots, you need to be perfect.
LK: They need to break down the O-line
and get to Brady. If you take Brady out
of the picture, the Patriots just aren’t the
same caliber team because there’s no one
else who can hit his wide receivers like he
can. So if the Giants can force some hurries, get some sacks and cut down the passing lanes to create some turnovers, they’ll
have a much easier time breaking down this
dynasty. However, the team isn’t going to
win unless they’re perfect on both sides of
the ball. Basically, everyone needs to have
a career game.
SC: All three of you see the importance
of getting pressure on Brady and make
valid points, but Brandon is wrong when
it comes to Webster. Webster has been
one of the biggest players for the Giants
in the playoffs. Duncan focused a bit too
much on the Patriots’ success; we all
know how good they are. Kohout gets 3,
Duncan gets 2 and Brandon gets 1.
2) If you were the New Jersey Nets’ GM and
you had an opportunity to either trade Richard Jefferson for forward Andrei Kirilenko
of the Utah Jazz or Vince Carter for forward
Zach Randolph of the New York Knicks,
which trade would you make?
DS: Those are interesting proposals, but
I just don’t know how much the roster
would be improved by following through
on either of them. It’s difficult to pinpoint the source of the Nets’ problems
this season — they have plenty of talent
on paper and play in a somewhat diluted
division (save Boston, of course). Jason
Kidd is having a career year and infuses
excitement into the team every time he’s
out there. He might see the floor better
than any player in the league right now;
often he makes perfect passes his teammates don’t expect. To me, the Nets’ biggest struggle is identifying the roles of the
supporting cast. As a GM, I’d be more interested establishing Jefferson and Carter
as distinctly different position players
than trading them for either Kirilenko or
Randolph. Or, barring the success of that,
make a move later on with the talent-rich
free agent class this off-season.
BL: Never make trades for Knicks players
unless you plan on cutting them or buying
them out. Randolph is a good offensive
player if he’s the focal point. Randolph is
not good at passing out of the double team
and holds on to the ball too much. He will
kill ball movement and is a huge liability
on the defensive end. Randolph also would
not be able to throw down alley-oops from
Jason Kidd. Although I would rather keep
Jefferson than Carter, I would rather have
Kirilenko than Randolph. Kirilenko can
do a little bit of everything and would be a
good fit to run with Kidd on offense. Defensively, Kirilenko can guard players from the
one to the four. Kirilenko is also a sensitive
player, so he might benefit from Lawrence
Frank’s “player’s coach” style.
LK: Neither of these trades is going to help
the Nets because they involve losing their
top scorers, but if I absolutely had to choose
one of them I’d go with Carter for Ran-
dolph. With Kirilenko you’re losing your
highest-scoring player in Jefferson and
downgrading to a player who scores less
than half as much. Randolph is at least averaging a double-double and the Nets could
probably use the extra offense his 10.4 rebounds per game is creating. Randolph also
has about 40 pounds on Kirilenko, so I’d go
with Randolph.
SC: Kohout gets 3 again for her short, tothe-point answer. The Nets are no longer
a defensive team, so Kirilenko does not
have enough value. While Brandon is
right about the type of player he is, you
can’t forget that Kidd makes everyone a
better player. The Nets have proven that
they can’t win with the team that they
have so something has to change, Duncan. Brandon gets 2 and Duncan gets 1.
AP Photo
3) Roger Clemens is the most recent big
name out of Major League Baseball to be
thrown into the mix of accused players who
took either steroids or HGH. While he denied
any involvement, his former trainer said he
injected Clemens as well as other players
who have come forward and admitted their
use of the performance-enhancing drugs. If
it were ever found to be true should Clemens be banned from the Hall of Fame?
DS: The Clemens/McNamee saga has
evolved into a he-said/he-said war of words
that is going nowhere fast. If they maintain
their respective stories in front of Congress,
someone will be guilty of lying under oath.
The way I see it, it’s an impossible task to
quantify the so-called steroids era: there’s no
way to know when it started, how many players are guilty and how rampant it was in the
minors. I’m with the school of thought that
the best possible thing for MLB to do is try to
move on and educate the younger generations
about the dangers of steroid abuse. The benefits of generating a list of players that used is
far outweighed by the costs, financially and
otherwise. To answer your question, I would
Photo from blog.kir.com
contend the Hall of Fame should be consistent with that sentiment and let players from
this era into Cooperstown. The last 20 years
shouldn’t be removed from baseball history,
just placed into their proper context.
BL: Clemens should not be banned from the
Hall of Fame. Even before he was accused
of using performance-enhancing drugs, he
was on the path to the Hall of Fame. Senator Mitchell also said before the list of players was released that players should not be
reprimanded for past uses and that MLB
should move forward. If you take Clemens
out of the Hall of Fame, then you should
also take away all his awards, Jose Canseco’s awards and other player’s awards
who have benefited from performance-enhancing drugs. The list can go on and on,
including Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and
Chuck Knoblauch. If you punish Clemens
then you must punish everyone else, and I
don’t see that happening.
LK: Unfortunately, yes. The Hall needs
to be consistent. If a player breaks a big
rule then he shouldn’t be in the Hall.
Otherwise, Pete Rose would be there. If
they let Clemens in, then they have to let
everyone who has broken one of the major rules in. If that were the case, Bonds,
Mark McGuire and Canseco would be
first-year-eligible Hall of Famers and it
appears that no one wants that. When it
comes down to it, if a player has physically-enhanced himself using illegal
substances after they were banned from
baseball then he shouldn’t be allowed in.
Otherwise, where do we draw the line?
SC: Duncan and Brandon’s answers are
right on target. Since I have nothing
that makes them wrong, I give Duncan
3 and Brandon 2 just because Duncan
referenced Chuck Knoblauch. With everything Clemens accomplished earlier
in his career, you just can’t keep him out
of the Hall of Fame. Kohout finishes last
this question and gets 1.
In a tight 7-6-6 battle, Kohout takes the first title of the semester.
There better be
some awesome
commercials Sunday.
—Kohout
AP Photo
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 25
Men’s Basketball
Lions trounced by trio of opponents
By Justin Jez
Staff Writer
ward Mark Aziz. But at the 11minute mark the Profs mounted
a 16-4 run that gave them a lead
It was a tough week for the (62-56) with 2:21 remaining.
men’s basketball team as they
“They changed from a twodropped two New Jersey Athlet- three zone in the first half to
ic Conference (NJAC) games to a one-three-one zone and they
Rowan University and William were extremely long, so it was
Paterson University and lost to difficult to get open shots,”
Brooklyn College at home.
Frank said. “And it didn’t hurt
With an overall record of 5- that they shot about 65 percent
12 and an NJAC record of 1-5, from the field in the second
the Lions are in the midst of a half.”
four-game losing streak.
Working their way back into
“Every game is a battle, but the game, the Profs managed to
we are still alive,” junior guard take 18 more free throw attempts
Jeff Molinelli said. “Our goal to during the game (29-11) while
begin the season was to make improving their shooting to 63
the NJAC playoffs and that has percent in the second half. The
not changed. We have
Lions also committed
62 10 more fouls during
a lot of conference Lions
68 the game (25-15).
games left and we Profs
believe that we can
“(The fouls) did
Lions
60 hurt us because it
still accomplish our
Pioneers
74 slowed the game down
goal.”
Despite a careerBridges
76 and enabled Rowan to
high 24 points by sophget back in the game
60 while the clock was
omore guard Jay Frank Lions
on Wednesday, the Lions surren- stopped,” Frank said.
dered a 20-point second-half lead
At the 1:13 mark, senior
to fall 68-62 at Rowan (12-4).
guard Jeff Warner pulled the
The Lions were able to take Lions to within two points with
a 36-21 lead into halftime by his second three-point shot of
playing smothering defense, the game. He would finish with
holding Rowan to less than 24 eight points on 3-for-9 shooting.
percent shooting from the field
While the Lions were unable
in the first half.
to score the rest of the game,
Early in the second half, the the Profs sealed the win with
Lions were able to extend their four made free throws to end
lead to 20 points with the help of the game.
a three-point play by senior forCo-captains seniors Aziz and
guard Corey Gilmore each finished with nine points.
On Saturday, the Lions came
up short, 74-60, against a William
Paterson team that is now undefeated in conference play (6-0).
“They came out and had a big
run to start the game off with,”
Molinelli said. “And then it was
tough because we had to play
from behind for most of the
game.”
The Pioneers jumped out to
an early 6-0 lead behind senior
guard Joey Spiegel, who was
the high scorer for the game
with 24 points. For the first
half, the Pioneers shot 50 percent from the field en route to a
37-21 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Pioneers’ shooting tapered off to
less than 40 percent, allowing
the Lions to get back into the
game. A three-point shot by
Aziz with 1:18 left brought the
Lions back to within eight, but
the Lions ran out of time and
were not able to draw the lead
any closer.
Frank led the Lions in scoring with 16 points on 5-for-7
shooting from the field, while
Aziz added 15 points and a
team-high seven rebounds.
Last Monday, the Lions were
defeated, 76-60, as they hosted
Brooklyn (13-4) in a non-conference matchup.
After a close 37-35 first half
in favor of the Lions, Brooklyn
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Senior co-captain and guard Corey Gilmore
drives toward the basket earlier this season.
ran away with the game during
the second, outscoring the Lions 41-23.
Three-point shooting hurt the
Lions in this game, as Brooklyn
shot 50 percent (8-for-16) while
the Lions only managed to net
28 percent of their long-range
shots (7-for-25).
Four out of five Lions starters scored in double-figures,
led by Gilmore and Warner who
had 15 points each. Molinelli
added 13 points on 5-for-10
shooting while Aziz finished
with 10 points.
Sophomore forward Richard
Jean-Baptiste led the Bridges
with a 26-point, 12-rebound
performance.
The Lions’ next game is
scheduled to be played tonight
at 8 p.m. when they play host to
Rutgers University-Camden.
Track and Field
Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam
Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan
Murphy, Elliot Steingart and Chris
Strait
Dan Marino’s cell phone went off
twice on a CBS Sprint Halftime Report. Turns out it was Tom Brady and
Eli Manning calling to rub it in.
The Super Bowl is set with the Giants and the Patriots. It’s about time
New York and Boston had some kind
of rivalry.
The good news is that Justine
Henin and Maria Sharapova battled
at the Australian Open. The bad news
is they were both fully clothed.
NCAA Division II will expand to
Canada in a new division known as
the N-C-Eh-Eh.
Bobby Knight has become the
first men’s Division I coach to reach
900 victories. Knight thanked IKEA.
The Lakers’ injury list continues
to grow. Pretty soon, Kobe Bryant
will run out of people to not pass to.
And Miami baller Alonzo Mourning announced he may not retire after this year. Just what Florida needs:
more old people who can’t drive.
Why not stick around? The team’s
doing great with him.
How bad are the Miami Heat? In
comparison, the Dolphins are now
just mediocre.
For more of the Sports Minute (Or So),
visit minuteorso.com.
Fast times at Princeton University
By Leeann Weiner
Staff Writer
The Lions continued to improve upon
their strong season this past Saturday at
the Princeton University Relays.
In the early onsets of the indoor track
and field season, the team has been posting plenty of ECAC-qualifying marks.
They continued this trend at Saturday’s
meet, as well as adding three NCAA provisional marks.
The performances on the women’s
Photo courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Junior Stephanie Herrick carries
the baton earlier this season.
end this past weekend were especially
strong. Junior Stephanie Herrick captured two NCAA provisional times in
both the mile and the 800-meter. Herrick
took first place in the mile with a time
of 5:00.91. In the 800-meter, she crossed
the line in fifth place with a finishing
time of 2:16.83.
The other NCAA provisional mark
came from junior Kristen Tricocci. She
was second in the long jump with a distance of 5.48 meters.
Tricocci also placed seventh in the
200-meter dash (26.85).
Junior Martine McGrath met an ECAC
standard in the 3,000-meter. She placed
first and achieved a personal record in a
winning time of 10:07.42.
Freshman Meryl Wimberley also met
an ECAC-qualifying time in the 800-meter. Wimberley placed 10th (2:22.49).
“There is always room for improvement, but we had a lot of good performances,” McGrath said. “These meets
are always good indicators of things
people are going to do throughout the
season.”
In the throwing events, freshman Sarah Wehrhan took fourth in the shot put
with an ECAC distance of 11.79 meters.
Freshman Cristina D’Amato placed seventh in the event with a throw of 10.71
meters.
Sophomore Ashley Krauss met an
ECAC-qualifying mark in the weight
throw, placing sixth with a throw of
12.30 meters.
The men’s performances were equally
as impressive. Junior Rob McGowan had
an ECAC-qualifying time in the 400-meter. He won the race in 50.57 seconds.
Additionally, McGowan was part of
the third place 4x400-meter relay team.
The team ran an ECAC-worthy time of
3:25.11. Joining McGowan in the effort
were sophomore DeShard Stevens and
seniors Pat Flinn and Steve Murray.
In the 3,000-meter run, junior Kyle
Alpaugh took home the gold with a time
of 9:07.12. Other ECAC standards were
met in the long jump by senior Andy Lim
and freshman Matt Rosana.
Lim finished second, sailing 6.62 meters, while Rosana was right behind him
with a leap of 6.61 meters (third place).
“It’s nice to be able to contribute to
the team,” Rosana said. “I really enjoy
the level of competition.”
Senior Brian Kopnicki finished fourth
in the mile (4:18.83), while junior Chris
Guerriero was fifth (4:19.34). Both met
ECAC standards.
Two additional ECAC marks were
met in the 1,000-meter. Freshman Dennis Waite took sixth in 2:32.04 while senior Galen Johnson finished the race in
2:35.40 to take the 10th-place spot.
In the throwing events, senior Brian
Donatelli captured fifth in the weight
throw, throwing a distance of 16.29 meters and meeting an ECAC standard.
Donatelli also placed eighth in the
shot put with a throw of 14.84.
“The team is hungry to push forward
in order get to the next level,” head
coach Eric Mobley said. “Everyone’s on
the same page. We are dedicated to becoming stronger and better each week.”
This Saturday, the College will head
to Haverford College to compete at the
McElligot Invitational. The competition
is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
January 30, 2008 The Signal page 27
LIONS ROUNDUP
Menʼs Basketball
Date
Opponent
11/16/2007
11/17/2007
11/20/2007
12/5/2007
12/8/2007
12/15/2007
12/19/2007
12/21/2007
1/5/2008
1/7/2008
1/9/2008
1/12/2008
1/16/2008
1/19/2008
1/21/2008
1/23/2008
1/26/2008
1/30/2008
2/2/2008
2/6/2008
2/9/2008
2/13/2008
2/16/2008
2/20/2008
2/23/2008
Date
@
@
@
@
vs.
vs.
vs.
vs.
@
vs.
vs.
vs.
@
vs.
vs.
@
@
vs.
@
vs.
@
vs.
@
vs.
@
Result/Time
King’s College
L 55-79
Lycoming College
L 56-58
Keystone College
W 69-67
Arcadia University
L 62-66
Rutgers University-Newark
L 53-59
Cabrini College
W 83-62
Buena Vista University
L 77-84 (2 OT)
Wesley College
L 57-58
St. Mary’s College
W 79-63
Buffalo State College
W 80-68
Albright College
L 67-71 (OT)
Montclair State University
L 63-70
Kean University
W 65-63
Richard Stockton College
L 55-75
Brooklyn College
L 60-76
Rowan University
W 75-50
William Paterson University
L 67-71
Rutgers University-Camden
6 p.m.
New Jersey City University
5 p.m.
Stevens Institute of Technology
1 p.m.
Ramapo College
6 p.m.
Kean University
2 p.m.
Richard Stockton University
6 p.m.
Rowan Unversity
1 p.m.
Rutgers Unversity-Camden
1 p.m.
11/16/2007
11/17/2007
11/18/2007
11/27/2007
11/29/2007
12/1/2007
12/6/2007
12/8/2007
12/16/2007
1/4-5/2008
1/7/2008
1/12/2008
1/14/2008
1/16/2008
1/19/2008
1/23/2008
1/26/2008
1/30/2008
2/2/2008
2/9/2008
2/13/2008
2/16/2008
2/20/2008
2/23/2008
@
@
@
vs.
@
@
vs.
vs.
@
@
vs.
vs.
vs.
@
vs.
@
@
vs.
@
@
vs.
@
vs.
@
Wrestling
Date
Opponent
11/4/2007
11/9/2007
11/14/2007
11/18/2007
11/28/2007
12/1/2007
12/4/2007
12/28/2007
12/29/2007
1/5/2008
1/11/2008
1/12/2008
1/23/2008
1/29/2008
2/2/2008
2/3/2008
2/10/2008
@
vs.
vs.
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
vs.
@
@
@
W 69-60
W 66-53
L 48-60
W 74-52
W 66-63
W 78-49
L 55-62
W 75-44
L 73-81
1st place
W 47-36
W 61-58
W 72-64
L 44-60
W 83-54
L 62-68
L 60-74
6 p.m.
5 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m.
2 p.m.
6 p.m.
1 p.m.
Result/Time
Ithaca College Invitational
New York University
Hunter College
Ursinus College Fall Brawl
No
King’s College
Spartan Invitational
No
Stevens Institute of Technology
Sunshine Open (Lakeland, Fla.) No
Sunshine Open (Lakeland, Fla.) No
North/South Duals
Budd Whitehill Duals
Budd Whitehill Duals
Centenary College
Wilkes University
New England Duals
Springfield College
University of Scranton
Diving
Lloyd broke four records this weekend, including two New
York University (NYU) Aquatic Center records and two of the
College’s records. Lloyd did so in the one- and three-meter
the two dives with scores of 326.11 and 360.90, respectively.
Result/Time
King’s College
Denison University
Marymount University
Moravian College
Dickinson College
Catholic University
Mount Saint Mary College
Rutgers University-Newark
Marymount University
Gwynedd Mercy Tournament
Salisbury University
Montclair State University
Elizabethtown College
Kean University
Richard Stockton College
Rowan University
William Paterson University
Rutgers University-Camden
New Jersey City University
Ramapo College
Kean University
Richard Stockton College
Rowan University
Rutgers Unversity-Camden
Greg
Lloyd
events, leading the Lions to victory. The junior placed first in
Womenʼs Basketball
Opponent
Lion of
the Week
1st place
W 30-6
W 30-9
team score
W 43-6
team score
W 24-16
team score
team score
(3-1)
(2-1)
(2-1)
W 20-16
7 p.m.
12 p.m.
12 p.m.
12 p.m.
Game of the Week
Men’s Basketball
The Lions will be looking to bounce back from a tough
Lions vs. Rutgers
road trip at Packer Hall this Wednesday as they go up
University-Camden
against their New Jersey Athletic Conference rival, the
Jan. 30, 8 p.m. Scarlet Raptors.
The one-meter record has stood since 2003, while he broke
his own record in the three-meter dive. Lloyd also posted an
NCAA provisional mark in the three-meter at Rowan as he
topped the field with a first-place score of 323.15, while notching
a second-place finish in the one-meter with a score of 263.15.
—Michael O’Donnell, Sports Assistant
This Week In Sports
Menʼs Basketball
January 30
vs. Rutgers University-Camden, 8 p.m.
February 2
@ New Jersey City University, 7 p.m.
Womenʼs Basketball
January 30
vs. Rutgers University-Camden, 6 p.m.
February 2
@ New Jersey City University, 5 p.m.
Wrestling
February 2
@ New England Duals, 12 p.m.
February 3
@ Springfield College, 12 p.m.
Swimming & Diving
February 2
@ William Paterson University, 1 p.m.
Track & Field
February 2
@ McElligott Invitational, 11 a.m.
Opinion-Nation Trivia!
How far will the New York Yankees delve into the playoffs
in their first year under the young Steinbrenners?
Hint: This year will make the last one seem like a World
Series ring... and it’s also a trick question.
If you don’t know by now, find out in the next issue of The
Signal!
Last week’s answer: The Knicks will win 0 championships! (As if you didn’t know already)