Archive for October, 2012

Don’t Look Back

October 26, 2012 at 1:30 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , ,

By Jaryd Frankel

The world is hinged upon change.

A circadian rhythm, just as sure as the ebbing tides and flows of the sea or change in seasons; as dependable as a lingering snowflake who’s overstayed his welcome. A wanted criminal lurking in the frigid shadows, only to be exposed by a surprising sun-kissed spring afternoon, a sultry premonition of summer days to come.

Life is hotwired like some universally inspired video game. No matter how close you come to your ultimate demise, life can be rejuvenated by the click of a tiny red reset button. As if directed by some divine order from the heavens above, the planets defy the laws of physics and shift the universe back to default.

If, but for a brief instance, we put faith in the idea that our destiny is set in stone, forever engraved in the infinite cosmos, the reality of the world with which we are presented is manipulated into absolute nothing; manifested into something small and delicate to be tossed and twisted by a devilish zephyr just itching to shake things up.

Whatever you think you know, think again.

As I approached my sophomore year, I knew I had to keep this mentality in the back of my mind. I’d have to admit that things have changed. Our class was uprooted from our T/W neighborhood and scattered in all corners of this year’s diaspora. Although friendships were lost, part of growing up means adapting to your environment and seeing life in a different perspective. Becoming a chameleon and changing your colors in order to survive the social Darwinism of a new school year has become a necessity. Survive to stay alive.

So instead of stressing over what’s been lost, why not take the “glass half-full” approach? Think about the new opportunities and friendships that lie ahead. The chance to start over and recreate a fresh new identity. The possibility and prosperity of finding happiness and Zen. Why not do something stupid, stay up way too late, eat way too much, and just live life? We take for granted all the free time we have in school, choosing to fill our minds about worries of the future when we should really be living in the present.

After surviving my first few weeks at school, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Getting back into the swing of things made sophomore year seem a little dichotomous. I felt older and more experienced, yet new to the whole SYE independence. I’d have days when I’m having a blast with my friends, and others where I sat at the loner tables at Eick before my awkwardly timed 9 AM (come on, everyone’s done it). I’d be so excited to get to lecture on the first day of classes but then find myself struggling to stay awake in class a few weeks later. The list goes on and on.

Change may not always be easy, but it’s necessary. Why should we be forced to live a Technicolor life? We need to shake things up to change who we are and veer off course a little to get back on track with our life’s journey. Don’t be held back by uncertainty over what change the future holds.

The only limitations you have are the ones you place on yourself.

Jaryd Frankel is a Psych major (on a Pre-med track) at The Conj. He dreams of one day going to med school, in hopes of ultimately becoming a psychiatrist. He’s fascinated by photography, dabbles in music (singing, songwriting, guitar), and would love to travel everywhere he can so he can expose himself to different cultures and new horizons.

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Sophomore Differences

October 26, 2012 at 1:27 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

By: Jess Cutler

Well, one thing is for sure, sophomore year is turning out to be way different than freshman year. I don’t mean this in the sense of my education, my classes have only gotten slightly harder, but a lot more in regards to the social aspect. For one thing, I live in Centennial which has turned out to be a lot better than I expected and no, the rumors are not true, the walls don’t ooze green slime and I have yet to see a rat/bat infestation. But the one thing I do miss in my room, is a sink, something that seems very simple but makes me feel that I have been down graded from the towers. Last year I feel like all I did was complain about my floor and living conditions in towers but now I miss it more than anything. Last year, we were a very tight knit group, we would grab meals together and socialize outside of our floor. We even had a close relationship with our CAs and they would join in on some of our activities, of course we were babied a little, but we needed it, we were the new kids in school. But now, a lot has changed, I only see people from my floor last year in passing, I do keep in touch with a few but now that we’re all spread around on campus it has become harder and harder to stay together. On my current floor, I can barely remember anyone’s name and almost never do we greet each other on the floor, let alone in public. It is a huge step down from hanging out with floor mates every night in each other’s rooms. However, our CA is making attempts to organize floor activities so maybe we will become more acquainted in the future. I will keep you updated!

I’m Jess or (as some call me) “that crazy girl from that party”. I’m majoring in Graphic design and minoring in Weird Things. I’m the small girl who walks around campus begrudgingly, in combat boots, giving signature nasty looks to the foliage and pavement. I’m fluent in sarcasm, and am a self proclaimed cynic that somehow manages to endear others with abrasive honesty. I would be lying to you if I said I was normal and from reading my little spiel you should have already gathered that I place honesty above all other virtues. I am a strange person, with many quirks and am not everyone’s cup of tea. Although I am well versed in the writing of essays and have, in fact, won two very prestigious writing awards I am very modest about my achievements. My purpose on this blog is not to bore you with facts or five point structuring, but to humor you and maybe even relate to you, if that’s even humanly possible. In addition to this blog I have four tumblrs each dedicated to one my many obsessions- deer, breakfast, unmade beds and art respectively. However, I would hardly consider those to be proper blogs and would not recommend their viewing so for now they remain anonymous. So, welcome to my small piece of internet space I hope you enjoy my monthly thoughts. BUT, if you absolutely love my column and waiting each month is just too much to bear, you can also listen to me on our school’s radio station, 91.3 fm WTSR, every wednesday from 3-5 p.m!

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Procrastination…

October 22, 2012 at 11:40 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , ,

By Janet Park

Procrastination… This has always been my vice and I’m sure many of you continue to suffer from this weakness as I do. A salient, recent example of my procrastination can be this blog post, and how its due date slipped my mind after repeated postponement.

My goal this year (which unfortunately continues to be a goal as it seems impossible to conquer completely) is better time management and work ethic. To me, this mainly entails being proactive and aware. However simple those two elements may sound, they have proved to be demanding but of great yield to me.

I see being proactive as a great method to excel. Making the effort to see professors during office hours can give you a great advantage to better understand assigned material. You must make it purposeful, and prepare to see your professor with questions and topics in mind. Choosing one of the first due dates for group project or presentations can give you similar advantages. Besides, there’s less expectation to meet and surpass as the first group going. You can avoid the cruel comparison that is inevitable because none have gone before you. The ideas here are simple, but the actions required to follow through gets trampled by laziness and wicked mental persuasion.

Being aware is also key. Honesty with yourself, your work ethic and grades, is crucial when making changes and striving towards a goal. You have to come to terms with your bad habits in order to isolate and change them. I’ve caught myself trying to persuade myself out of meetings or neglecting to participate or ask questions in class simply because I didn’t feel they were worth the effort. But these simple actions can keep you on task and put you in the mood to bang out a tedious assignment you’ve been avoiding.

I can think of two moments in which I have accomplished both of these this semester, and I consider them to be more daring in contrast to my usual reserved nature. I used to think that because of my relative independence, I didn’t need office hours, extra help from my professors or even my peers. Now, I don’t view this as undercutting my independence but rather, taking advantage of the opportunities present for me to do well.

Finally, just for fun, I’ll share a list I deliriously wrote one late night freshman year about my procrastination (from a personal blog I have):

“While my roommate gets a good night’s sleep every night… here is a list of things I do

-play tetris
-drink water
-pee
-try not to late night snack
-eat snacks
-take long, hot showers
-write a couple sentences for essays
-listen to john mayer
-reblog pretty pictures on tumblr
-hardcore stalk on facebook
-play tetris
-watch the clock
-have internal struggles and debates about whether or not to stay up
and finish work
-stay up and fail to finish work
-go online window shopping
-add items to cart as if I had the money to buy them
-bookmark things I want online
-read over old texts
-play tetris
-think about how great life will be after I finish the current work that is creating a huge, heavy ass burden in my relatively simple life

I haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

Lately, I’ve been sleeping slightly more than not much. Hopefully, I can continue to improve my work ethic and hopefully, I’ve encouraged you to do the same.

Janet Park is a sophomore English major, currently exploring paths
outside the teaching track (although teaching is still a future
option). She spent most of her summer interning for a wonderful
non-profit online litmag called Wild River Review
(www.wildriverreview.com) and driving down to the beach with friends.
She hopes to be fluent in Spanish one day and is excited to study
abroad and later, travel the world.

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Eat Your Heart Out, Hillary.

October 19, 2012 at 1:12 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

By Johnanthony Alaimo

Oh my LANTA. The past month has been quite the experience. Can we all just discuss that I’m a bona fide intern now? Like I’ve been waiting my whole life to do something that is relevant to my political science major and my past work experience of scanning someone’s smelly fish at Stop & Shop was not cutting it.

Over the summer, I applied to become a VSFS intern for the U.S. Department of State. What that meant was, the Dept. would accept students to be virtual interns. That meant I could do classy federal work from the comfort of my shoebox dorm room.

 

I mean it’s practically the Oval Office.

            I applied to three positions, wrote up a stirring resume (the fish experience was omitted from the final draft), and pressed SEND and then I probably fell asleep watching My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.

I applied at the end of July and was hoping for a response ASAP. The only emails I got were from Forever 21 telling me about half-off cardigans, which I wasn’t complaining about.

 

Fierce as hell, am I right?

Eventually, I thought I was not going to be accepted and decided that I would just become a professional hoarder. Probably of cardigans.

School started up again and I totally forgot that I even applied. Then, my life changed one fateful night. About two weeks ago, I was laying in my bed reading more cardigan emails when I found an email that did not look like the others. I clicked on it and insanity ensued.

The email read “CONGRATULATIONS” and as I continued reading, I just started to shake. It told me that I was accepted to be a part of the VSFS program and that I had been chosen in a very competitive selection process. My reaction could best be described as what Tyra does in the following video:

            I was with my friends at the time in my dorm room and they had to forcible restrain me from smashing my fan. LIKE FOR ONCE I WAS ACTUALLY WANTED. I instantly deleted my Cat Fan Club membership at that moment.

I wanted to report to duty immediately. The specific program entailed the study of LGBT people across the globe, something I am quite interested and passionate about. The department will entrust me with research, as well as other media related activities. I don’t care what they want me to do, I was ready for my close up and a powder.

That night I strolled around campus and I swam in the fountain. I didn’t care; I had diplomatic immunity or something at that point, right? I was the king of the world.

However, it’s been two weeks since I accepted the position and I have yet to receive any other information. So maybe the email was an awkward mistake. Or maybe Hillary is jealous of my hair, I don’t know, there’s so many possibilities. Regardless, I am still excited and waiting for my first duty. Until then, do you think ordering twelve cardigans is excessive?

-John

P.S.

Literally my face when reading the email:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello fellow TCNJ students! I’m Johnanthony Alaimo, a current sophomore political science major, TCNJ enthusiast, and pizza fan. I live currently in Ely where I will document all my sophomore experiences from! I hope you check in frequently. You don’t want to miss out! 🙂

 

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Forming your own opinion…no matter what it is!

October 19, 2012 at 1:05 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

By Vicke Wong

Let me just start with the fact that I am a natural skeptic and tend to question everything and anything around me. Politics in itself is an extremely sensitive topic and I certainly do not want to impose on other people’s beliefs. I always believe that you are your own and do not need other people to tell you what to do or think.

Now, with the upcoming election, I’m sure political banter has been a central theme in several conversations. I’ve contemplated the candidates and reforms that we should vote on but who can we really trust? All I hear is a bunch of words and no actions. With the recent gun control trauma, like that of the Aurora shooting and Empire State building, sparks some questionable controversy. I’ve read several articles claiming that the government has been maliciously plotting these incidents to sway the decisions of voters on the 2nd amendment and have actually been doing this for centuries.

            These conspiracies all sound so believable- who am I to say there was no gunpowder in the World Trade Center, or that the world isn’t going to end in December 2012? Did Neil Armstrong really land on the moon? (Rest in peace). Is global warming a real concern? All I can collect is what I gather from the media, and we all know how corrupt the media can be….  Ultimately, I have no more proof than the next person.

So it comes down to whom to instill our trust in. On the topic of voting, I wonder, where can I find a completely unbiased source? Are we electing the right officials to represent us? Does my vote even matter? After all, the Electoral College has the final presidential decision; our opinion is just seen as a guiding force of popular opinion. So is everything we do all in vain?  I begin questioning not only my political beliefs but also the country that I live in. Do you see my skepticism now? However, although our votes may not really count, it certainly does have some effect on the country- or so I’d like to believe. One sure thing I can tell you is that our opinions actually do count. I like to believe in a trickle down effect and that at some point our voices will be heard and received with some fervor. It is definitely reached on a much, much smaller caliber- nonetheless it is still present.

Now to tear away from my banter and somewhat relate to a sophomore experience… I hope you’ve gathered this by now, but a good goal to keep is to develop your own opinion. I can’t stress how important it is to let yourself shine through. If you’re interested in something, find out for yourself. If you don’t agree, voice your thoughts- maybe just not to the extent of those Evangelist preachers that pay a special visit to our campus every month or so. Nevertheless, it did give birth to the courage of Sean Harshman and Kyle McCabe to support their new theory of believing in the Bat where Christian Bale is the true prophet, the Batman utility belt will protect you from danger, the Green Lantern is gay but Batman still accepts his choice. This is a great example of sharing their own curiosity and ingenuity of something they cherish. And if anything, it’s something on campus to talk about! So keep your head up and believe in the best!

Oh, by the way- I recently got accepted in the English major, so now you are reading from the blog of the newest Psychology and English double major!

Victoria “Vicke” Wong is currently a Psychology and English double major and is exploring secondary education as well. She has an affinity for reading and pinteresting. She has the loudest sneezes known to man and a knack for puns. She has a quirky and inquisitive attitude and is excited to share all her sophomore year adventures with you!

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Feedback…

October 17, 2012 at 10:00 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

Feedback.  This word alone can cause terror in many individuals.  Whether it is getting a paper back from a tough professor or being told you need to speak to your roommate about a concern, it causes most individuals to clam up.  Many do not want to receive feedback for fear they are going to be told they are wrong while others do not want to give feedback because one does not want to hurt someone’s feelings.   Somewhere along the way feedback received a negative reputation when in actuality it is a positive experience that helps an individual grow and mature.  Giving feedback when it is positive is the easy part, but what about when it is constructive?  Constructive feedback allows someone to become aware of a situation, see how it impacts others and to make appropriate changes.

I admit there are times when I am the most oblivious person in the world and unless someone tells me what I am doing I am not always aware of it.  I have learned to welcome feedback and have enjoyed learning how to give feedback as well.  This is not something that happened overnight but over a series of years.

In college I was shy and hated speaking up for fear of offending someone or losing them as a friend.  During my freshmen and sophomore year of college I roomed with the same individual.  Unfortunately during our sophomore year I became increasingly upset with her when she shared information that I told with her in confidence.  While she did not think this was a big issue because the individuals she told also lived in our suite, I felt extremely betrayed and upset.  I can honestly tell you that I did not handle the situation in the most mature way.  Thankfully, I eventually gathered my courage and shared my feelings with her in an appropriate manner instead of just ignoring or yelling at her.  Luckily we were able to work the issue and repair our friendship that still exists almost 10 years later.

To not make the same mistake I made a recommend talking to someone when concerns arise instead of waiting until it is too late.  When you are going to give someone feedback it is important to remember the following tips:

  • Be descriptive not prescriptive when giving feedback. It is helpful to describe as objectively as possible what you saw the person do or heard the person say.
  • It is important to stay away from labels that are unclear or ambiguous. Words such as “unprofessional” or “irresponsible” are not descriptive.
  • Be exact in the words you use to describe. Words such as “always,” “never,” or “sometimes” are not helpful because the receiver will end up defending the exaggeration instead of responding to the real issue.
  • Avoid words that express judgment and put the giver in the role of controlling parent. For example, words like “good,” “bad,” “should,” or “must” become prescriptive and not constructive.
  • Don’t give someone feedback when you are angry.
  • Don’t give some feedback when the other person is not ready for it.
  • Speak for yourself when giving feedback and don’t defer to an absent or anonymous person.
  • Direct the feedback at modifiable behaviors, not at something which the receiver has little or no control over.

Remember when giving feedback to use “I” statements.  You own your feelings and someone cannot argue with what you are feeling or tell you that you are wrong to feel a certain way.  It also helps the individual understand where you are coming from.  An example of this is:

“When you (describe a behavior that you observe in the other person) I feel (one or two words that describes a feeling) because (explain as well as you can why you react this way).”

Here is an example from my roommate conflict:

“When you share something I told you in confidence I feel betrayed and hurt because it makes me believe that you do not care about or value our friendship.”

Remember that when you give feedback you need allow the other person a chance to process what is being said and given an opportunity to communicate their feelings as well.  Receiving feedback can be just as difficult as giving feedback.  Below are several tips that can help make receiving feedback better and allow you to truly understand what is being said to you so you can grow as an individual.

  • Listen carefully to what the giver has to say and don’t interrupt.
  • Make an effort not to be defensive. Evaluate what is being said with an open mind and try to understand it.
  • Seek examples of the behavior at issue to help you understand.
  • Summarize in your own words what you understand the giver of the feedback to be saying. This helps you check for misunderstandings.
  • It is okay to share your feelings about the feedback, being sure to avoid becoming defensive. This can be helpful for both the giver and receiver because it can lead to a better understanding of the issue or behavior at hand.
  • Don’t forget to breathe. Receiving feedback can be stressful so remember to breathe. The more relaxed and alert you can be the more useful the feedback can be to you.
  • As the receiver you determine what you can take from the feedback and how you will modify or change your behavior. This may mean giving yourself some time to think about or sort out what you heard.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of giving a roommate or friend feedback, talk to your community advisor.  They can offer you additional tips and pointers to help with the conversation.  If needed, community advisors can schedule a mediation between you and the other individual.  Professional staff members are also available to help as well.

Giving and receiving feedback is a skill that you need to use in a wide range of areas including roommate and suitemate relationships, communicating with professors and supervisors, working with colleagues or even with your friends.  The hardest part about giving or receiving is starting the conversation.  Once the conversation starts remember the tips above and allow yourself to grow as an individual.

Sources: “The Learning Cirrcumlum: Giving and Receiving Feedback” Sue Baughman. University of Maryland Libraries (http://www.lib.umd.edu/groups/learning/lmarticles/GivingandReceivingFeedback.pdf)

Colleen current serves as the Residence Director of Wolfe Hall. She went to Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York for undergrad where she majored in Sociology and minored in Women’s Studies. Colleen completed her graduate work at Syracuse University in Community Counseling. While learning to give and receive feedback has become second nature at times, she still reaches out for advice when handling difficult situations.

Colleen giving “feedback” to her co-worker at Travers’ Annual Pie Your CA Program, October 2011 (side note- giving feedback by shoving a pie in your co-workers face is not an appropriate means of communication unless done for charity)

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Political thoughts

October 15, 2012 at 1:21 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

By Jack Meyers

DISCLAIMER: I am not registered with a political party and this is the first election I have been legal to vote in. I am not pleased with (most of) the choices. It is, however, exciting for me to be around so many of my politically charged peers.

I had a conversation with a friend about politics recently. Actually, if I’m being honest here, I’ve had lots of conversations about politics with friends recently. I feel as if there’s so little to really prove sometimes about certain issues, but there really is so much that can be said when discussion arises.

Specifically though, I had a handful of insightful discussions with two of my most politically-driven companions. The first was with my friend Charlie, a (super) senior at Rutgers who has probably written to his legislative district’s federal representative more times than most of us have written a letter at all. He is a fabulous(ly) opinionated fella: one weekend in September I had taken the train up to New Brunswick to visit him and, with the presidential debates impending, he had a particularly pointed tone to his opinion on election coverage.

“They just use the social issues as a talking point to distract people from more important issues like the economy and foreign policy!” he spit out angrily. I can’t say that I disagreed with him, truthfully. It sometimes does seem like presidential coverage is predominated by mud-slinging and marriage “re-definitions”; ludicrous debates on things like the “legitimacy” of rape; and the Bible’s scripture on family planning and contraception.

To me, the social issues take a back seat to economic issues especially when the job market is as terrible as it is. And, being a college student right now that is my main focus: electing the candidate that will help get the economy back up on its feet by the time I’ve graduated.

Another friend of mine, a transgendered man here at the College, is a passionate liberal. He is a very close friend of mine although, taking his political views into consideration, I typically avoid in-depth political discussion with him [Also, he’s much more informed than I am, so there wouldn’t be much me for me to go on]. But one day recently I had the wherewithal to bring up the elections. I off-handedly mentioned my mild distrust for one of the presidential candidates which then raised an interesting conversation: he stood and outright said, “Obama is not my ideal candidate.” I was floored.

This goes to show that even in an America as polarized as today’s there is plenty of grey area. Self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives have the capacity to question their political allegiances. Perhaps most significantly, college students have the capacity to become politically minded. Not everyone needs to talk politics all the time. But I’d suggest knowing what you’re talking about, just in case you do.

Jack Meyers is a Journalism and Professional Writing major, with a minor in Spanish. He has an affinity for walking in (big) circles for exercise and recently gained an interest in politics. Pictured above, in Montreal this summer, he hopes to one day travel the world and write about his experiences.

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Fly Lab Woes

October 12, 2012 at 9:38 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

By Ragha Suresh

This semester, I became the adoptive mother of approximately 300 small creatures. Here’s a picture of one of them — he has my eyes.

Completing the “Fly Lab” is a stressful, but necessary rite of passage for all Biology majors. You have to check on them at ungodly hours to make sure that they’re not trying to have sex with their children. Sometimes, they spontaneously die which is more than slightly inconvenient. They also smell really bad. But I guess if you can overlook all that, they have a certain charm to them. Whenever I leave my flies in the incubator overnight, I like to pretend that I’m a parent dropping my child off at daycare — it makes me feel very cool and grown-up.

Anyway, I think that the most important lesson that I will take from the experience thus far, is to understand what I’m doing. It sounds so absurdly simple, yet it is often overlooked.  I still remember how my roommate and I came back to the dorm after the first day of the lab. We were so confused about the procedure – we didn’t even fully understand what we were trying to figure out. After moping around for a good four hours, eating Ramen noodles, and watching a sitcom, we decided that we were going to figure this lab out. We read and reread the instructions, referenced the textbook, and probably drew about a million diagrams. Then it hit us. I can honestly say that that moment of enlightenment was the most wonderful feeling ever. Even though tending to the flies is tedious, the fact that I know what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how to do it makes the process more bearable and allows for efficient troubleshooting. I think this is true with any task. For example, the thought of completing 200 problems in organic chemistry when you’re completely clueless about the material is overwhelming. But once you understand the concepts, it doesn’t seem as bad (time-consuming maybe, but certainly not impossible).

In an effort to help my fellow students get their own “moments of enlightenment”, I applied to be a tutor at the TCNJ Tutoring Center. I’ve only been tutoring for about 2 weeks, but I really enjoy it. Being a tutor has taught me to be patient and resourceful, but more importantly it has made me selfless — I genuinely want to see these hardworking students succeed. Coming from a competitive high school, I’ve never really felt that way before and I like the feeling of working with someone to help them do well.

On a completely unrelated note, I wanted to share a picture of the toilet in my dorm. The little monster sticker makes me feel happy when I use the bathroom.

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What’s Up in the Alcohol Field?

October 10, 2012 at 12:33 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , ,

Hi all! I’m Joe Hadge, the Alcohol and Drug Education Program (ADEP) Coordinator. TCNJ’s ADEP stresses the creation of an awareness of choice, personal responsibility and understanding of consequences in deciding to use alcohol and/or other drugs. That is why I wanted to talk about a few key topics related to alcohol use, that I find to be especially pertinent to Sophomore’s.

One of the biggest issues I’ve found when working with students is gauging the amount you drink by the infamous “Red Cup.” Most of the time when students are sanctioned to come to my office, I’ll ask them what kind of cup they were drinking out of the night of the incident that led to our meeting. More often than not, students will say that they were using a red Solo cup. Most red Solo cups are between 16 -18 ounces, (oftentimes students think they are 12 ounces, which is the standard unit of measurement for a cup of beer when determining blood alcohol levels (BALs)). Therefore, students don’t understand why they become so intoxicated after two drinks. Really, they could have already had closer to three or more. If you think you’re drinking four drinks, you’ve really already almost had six. You can see how quickly those extra ounces add up!

When hard alcohol “Vodka” enters the picture, and students make mixed drinks in these red Solo cups, they tend to fill the red cups with more hard alcohol than they would if they were using a smaller (standard) cup. It’s pretty easy to lose track of how much you’ve had if you’re not using a standard cup size. If you are choosing to drink, please be aware of the size of the glass you are drinking out of so you can keep track of how much you’ve had. Two Red cups with Vodka could easily add up to 6 drinks or more!

One of the free services I offer to students, which you can find on my web page at http://www.adep.pages.tcnj.edu , is e-CHUG, or Electronic Check-Up to Go. If you’re curious to see how many cheeseburgers you’re drinking – yes I said CHEESEBURGERS you’re DRINKING, you should check out this brief, online tool. E-CHUG offers a different perspective about some of the factors that can contribute to drinking problems, some of which students are rarely aware about.

Oftentimes students also think that their peers are drinking a lot more than they actually are. For example, according to our Core survey data more than 60% of TCNJ students have two or less drinks in a typical week, with 14% not drinking at all during a typical week. It’s important to be realistic about what your classmates are doing to correct the misperception that ‘everybody drinks.’ The Core data shows us that everybody does not drink, and if you choose not to drink you are not alone.

If you ever feel like you are headed down a destructive path with alcohol, please don’t hesitate to call me and make an appointment at 609-771-2571 or email me at hadgej@tcnj.edu . I look forward to another successful school year with you all!

The Alcohol and Drug Education Program (ADEP) is located in 307 Holman Hall, and is run by Joe Hadge, MA, SAC, CPS. ADEP’s primary goal is to provide educational support services to the campus community and to create an atmosphere in which alcohol use is not the central focus of all social events. ADEP stresses the creation of an awareness of choice, personal responsibility and understanding of consequences in deciding to use alcohol and/or other drugs. That is why I wanted to talk about a few difficult topics related to alcohol use, that is pertinent to Sophomore’s.

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Trouble In Paradise: A Student’s Fall From Grace

October 8, 2012 at 11:09 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

By William Westerman

Perhaps the title above can illuminate some of the very intense struggles I have been facing recently.

It begins in August, the beginning of the school year, and my first experiences with the TCNJ I-House (you all know who you are, Kim may be the only one reading this…G’dday).

Kim at the edge of campus

It is difficult to begin this post, as so many things have happened over the course of one month, so perhaps I’ll list for brevity’s sake: eating non-greasy food with athletes in T-Dubbs, making personalized logos and playing camp games during orientation, seductively lounging at the Princeton fountain, close encounters with the Naked Cowboy and NYC, an alcohol-free barbeque, a rainy movie night, (unsuccessfully) learning Thai, mingling with some of TCNJ’s biggest celebrities (I assure you non-believers that President Gitenstein actually does exist), many Eickoff dinners, and furious games of beach volleyball.

Moreover, as self-described “cultural partners” for our friends from around the globe, we have been taking our job of American acculturation very seriously. Indeed, we have made sure that coffee is being pronounced in the vernacular, as “caw-fee,” and that everyone knows the dialogue to the movie Grease. We’ve also been effectively training the students in the newest styles of dance (Step 1: Move uncomfortably close to another person and begin to gyrate your hips into any of their swimsuit areas, Step 2: Repeat), and hope to put our skills to good use soon. It has been a tumultuous month, but we believe our superior knowledge and patience has integrated these naïve individuals into the fabric of upstanding American society.

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If this sounds like a busy first month of school…you would be correct. For the majority of every waking hour, we have been in some sort of contact with any number of I-House-ers. So, pardon my surprise when I realize that being a student also includes academic responsibilities. Enjoying myself, am I? Maybe a fresh 74% on my first paper of the semester gives you insight into one of the deepest academic falls of my career. (And just because my professor felt the need to point out my incorrect use of “sophisticated” vocabulary, I shall utilize to the fullest extent a deepening array of immature phrases to superfluously elevate the elegance of mine prose, m’lord). Is this a wake-up call?

Perhaps yes and no. Yes, it is my goal to get A’s on every paper and be a model student and be commended and so forth (and not use run on sentences with little punctuation) but I also want to learn. For all of our concern on making the grade, how many of us actively care about learning? (Maybe you do, and this just shows more of my ignorance…moving rapidly along). It seems to me, somewhat unfairly, that at a time of youth and a chance to experience people from around the world, I am being penalized from learning too much, or, more dangerously, learning in a non-traditional setting. Which, to me, maybe wrongly, constitutes some of the allure of going to college: to learn about strange, new things in a supportive environment. If I do this by engaging in a conversation with someone from the other side of the world, or by reading the struggles of writers of minority status, and yet fail to achieve an A, is my knowledge somehow demoted? Are we to conclude that learning for personal enrichment is only to be viewed as necessary if it does not interfere with the calculation of major core requirements and GPA standards? Because then, perhaps, we are being taught the wrong things.

Or perhaps, I waited to write my paper the night before it was due.

Being seductive at the fountains

Failure, dear grade-grubbers, is a natural and necessary part of life, which I welcome with open arms (pending this failure does not get me kicked out of college). This, I would challenge, (but let’s be honest, your professors have always told you to make mistakes….except on exams, assignments, papers, and anything assigned in the class) makes all the difference. I may not remember the crappy paper I wrote during my sophomore year at the conj, but I will remember mastering (?) the Australian accent, learning that Germans do not always wear lederhosen, and that the Irish are not always leprechauns, nor always (?) drunk.

So, with the rudimentary power I possess over the 12 people who read this blog, I challenge (there is that word again) you to stay out later, eating more cupcakes, and read not because it’s your job, but to enrich your mind and world-view.

And learn the dialogue to Grease.

Until Next Time,

Kill Will Vol. 2 Westerman

P.S. Watanabe-sensei shout-out: 渡辺先生、こんにちは！いい秋学級があるよいいですね。私の日本語は上手じゃなくても、がんばんします．たくさん勉強すれば、日本人のように上手な日本語を話します。このブログコメントはぜんぜんアメリカ人が分かりません。楽しいですね！

William Westerman is currently major-less, but plans on a mixture of English, Japanese, and anything else he can manage. He is currently a resident of the TCNJ International House, and enjoys walking, traveling, walking while traveling, and a host of other infinitely interesting and lengthy hobbies

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