For some, homecoming is a time of nostalgia — some alumni come to reflect on their time at the school they once knew as Trenton State College, while others reconnect with old friends. This fall’s Homecoming Spirit Week was an opportunity for the campus community to reunite with alumni, showcase school spirit and get to know our new president, Kathryn Foster.
Students shared their perspectives on what sets the College apart as a diverse institution at the inaugural “I am TCNJ monologues” on Thursday, Oct. 18 in the Brower Student Center Room 100.
When Kate McKinley (’11) received a letter from Trenton Water Works six weeks ago that stated her water contained toxic chemicals, she began to think about the lack of transparency between local government and its residents. She then received a voting ballot in the mail and noticed that many Ewing candidates were running for office with no opposition.
TCNJ Students for Life planted blue and pink flags across green lawn last April in a displayed titled The Graveyard of Innocents. Each flag represented 10 fetuses that had been aborted in New Jersey in the past month. This display caused an uproar among pro-choice students, who decided to vandalize the display and post a video of the vandalization on social media.
Between clubs, schoolwork and social obligations, it is common for students at the College to become so wrapped up in campus life that they forget to engage with the larger community. This is where Ewing Community Fest — an annual festival featuring music, food trucks and representation from local businesses –– comes into play.
A September 1980 issue of The Signal documents the sexual assault of a female freshman. The student came back from a party under the influence and “awoke in the woods with her pants and panties removed. She was bruised and was bleeding from the vaginal area.”
In a February 1977 issue of The Signal, two student members of the LGBTQ+ community, Carol and Keith, were profiled on what it was like to come out to both their families and the campus community. Although the students were accepted by some of their peers, they were ostracized by others.
In October of 1993, the College established a smoking policy that was considered strict for its time. The policy banned smoking throughout campus except for designated areas and dorm rooms, given that the residents had had their roommate’s permission to smoke and that the door was closed.
Today, T-Dubs is the perfect spot for late night dining, satisfying your sweet tooth and filling up on deep fried cravings. In the past, the Towers had a traditional dining hall in the lower level known as the TW Cafeteria.
For some students at the College, the convenience store is not much more than a place to stock up on toiletries, microwavable meals and overpriced candy. Meanwhile, other students will find themselves in the store for hours on end with nothing on their shopping list — they just came in to pay a visit to their friend, cashier Malaysia Ford.
For many students at the College, safety does not seem to be a concern — students feel comfortable roaming the campus alone at any time and even sometimes leave their dorm rooms unlocked. But in February of 1980, a Travers resident was held at knifepoint, robbed and physically abused by two men after declining to give them marijuana.
Welcome Week at the College usually consists of settling into the dorms, attending icebreaker activities and scoping out the best spots on campus to eat, study or simply spend time with friends. For many students, it is also an opportunity to meet people they connected with on social media in the flesh.
While relationships with alumni remain important to the College, the way in which the school interacts with its graduates has changed with time. In a...
Recent Comments