The Sophomore Year Experience at TCNJ

By Matt Janansky

One of the many benefits of a college community is the opportunity for a free exchange of thoughts and ideas between one’s peers from a diverse range of backgrounds and walks of life. TCNJ is no exception, as it offers a multitude of platforms for such activity.

Fun and games can be imported into the campus. For instance, indie rockers Pearl & the Beard, as well as a magician made very successful appearances at the Rat on Friday nights. You all might also remember the tumultuous fury that ensued when Tucker Max came to the campus to discuss his various adventures and life experiences. The Student Center was even filled with the raucous sounds of The Nerds, a flannel-clad cover band who brought a quirky blend of musicianship and humor to the meal-equivving masses.

While these events were all very successful and entertaining, one can find outside entertainment virtually anywhere. The real value of a campus is the added bonus of having opportunity for local cultures to develop and flourish. So, what kind of culture can TCNJ offer to its inhabitants?

Fortunately, there is a relatively steady supply of chances for students to perform or display their own creativity. Students can often be found on stage at the Rat during open mic nights. In order to raise awareness for the current crisis in Haiti, acts were allowed to perform in the middle of the Student Center during lunch hours. Often, when bands, comedians, or other entertainers are brought onto campus, students have the opportunity to compete for a chance to open for the act.

More formal methods of expression are also utilized by the campus. Plays and musicals frequent Kendall Hall; whether it’s the popular musical Reefer Madness, or a performance of the Vagina Monologues. Student organizations put on their own shows which welcome student participation. Staff and students alike were invited to speak and express their personal experiences, beliefs, and goals in both the Coming out Monologues and a Celebrate Women event.

Students can also take it upon themselves to bring a cultural event onto the campus. Several members of Res Ed campaigned to bring Terra Naiomi, a singer-songwriter, to the school for a fundraising event. The proceeds went to the One Simple Wish organization, which strives to grant wishes to at-risk youth and impoverished families. While this may not be direct expression from members of our community, they still used their campaigning abilities to bring the values and opinions of the organization to the campus.

And we’re not even done! Some students have taken more unconventional but just as fulfilling approaches to bringing culture to the campus. Last semester, students were welcomed into Holman Hall on a Friday night to an open mic night. Canvases and pastels were distributed around the stage, and attendees were invited to use the music as on-the-spot inspiration for their own personalized art creations. Further still, the same group later had an open art gallery and performance night in an off-campus house.

So, for those complaining of a lack of on-campus activity, you might want to look into the many opportunities offered not only by the campus, but by the students themselves. Whether it’s a play, an open mic night, or your own special brand of creativity, the campus has a wide variety of chances allowing for personal expression, exchange, and culture.

Editor’s Note: Additionally, the 4×4 Student Exhibit Series is going on now in the IMM building. Students Crystal Kan and Sophia Liu are curating an art exhibit that invites TCNJ community members to submit their own artwork for a community exhibition inspired by Edvard Munch’s 1893 masterpiece “The Scream.” Many of you have experienced the stress of finals or frustration for some reason or another. Express it! To submit your own artwork, you need:

• a self-portrait of yourself imitating “The Scream.”
• you can use the medium of your choice (photo, crayons, etc.)
• It must fit on an 8.5×11 inch piece of paper and be flat for installation purposes.

Submissions are due by April 12 and can be posted on their Facebook event wall, e-mailed to Kan2@tcnj.edu or submitted in person to room 233.

Matt Janansky is a Political Science major and currently a Sophomore. He plans on going to grad school for either a Law Degree or a PhD in Philosophy. He enjoys playing banjo and the pleasant things in life.