Many musicians and performers will be featured, including award-winning organist Camilla Jarnot, and fellow composers Ken Guilmartin, Sheena Phillips, and Dale Warland.The Princeton Area Homeschool Choir will be featured, as well as Indian dancer and Bridgewater Raritan High School freshman, Divya Nayar.

Dr. McMahan is a recognized authority on the American composer, Carl Ruggles, and has published articles in American Music, Sonneck Society Bulletin, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and New Grove Dictionary of Music. He is presently working on a book on the life and works of Ruggles.

Dr. McMahan’s primary instrument is classical accordion, and he has tirelessly promoted the instrument in serious contemporary music throughout his career.  He has been commissioned to write works for the accordion by various individuals and organizations, including the American Accordionists’ Association and the New York State Council on the Arts.  He has recorded on the CRS and Orion labels and is published by Ernest Deffner Music. Dr. McMahan has also been featured in articles by others in Keyboard Magazine, The Music Connoisseur, High Fidelity, Who’s Who in American Composers:  Classical, and several other highly regarded publications.

Ms. Valerie Bloom is a Jamaican-born poet and novelist, living in England since 1979. She attended the University of Kent at Canterbury earning an honors degree, and was later awarded an honorary Masters degree. She has published several collections, the most recent of which is Whoop an Shout!

All are welcomed and encouraged to attend “Time Passing, Time Standing Still: Musical Perceptions of Time” on Saturday, May 18 at 8:00PM at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Princeton, NJ. To hear Dr. McMahan speak, to learn more about the event, or to purchase tickers, please visit http://www.voiceschorale.org/

Futerfas, a top Communication Studies major with an interdisciplinary concentration in Health Communication and minors in Professional Writing and Marketing, will pursue a PhD in Health Communication at the University of Maryland beginning in August 2013. Being directly accepted into a Ph.D. program is exceedingly rare, and Futerfas is one of only a few students from the department in the past twenty years to do so. In addition to her doctoral coursework, Futerfas will be responsible for teaching two undergraduate introductory courses to incoming students in communication studies.

“It’s surreal,” Futerfas beams. “I’m in shock. Thrilled and excited, but in shock.”

The process was daunting, the application tedious, and the statement of purpose intense. Once submitted, she then had a lengthy phone interview with the department chair.

“I was nervous, but confident,” Futerfas admits. “I knew this was my dream and had to prove it in the interview.”

Her hard work paid off. She was contacted almost immediately with a fully funded offer for admittance to the doctoral program.

“I was speechless,” she laughed. “My jaw dropped. I was with my friends and just couldn’t believe it!”

Futerfas’ interest in health communication first began when she took a Theories of Persuasion course, led by Professor Gary Woodward. Her work there inspired her to take Health Communication Campaigns, a class led by Professor Katherine Margolis, which expanded her knowledge of the field and pushed her to think outside the box. Margolis was impressed with her work and offered her an internship at HealthEd, a healthcare marketing agency focusing on Direct To Patient marketing and education, which Futerfas eagerly accepted. There, she worked on a variety of projects for major pharmaceutical companies and focused her time on a project for patients diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus. It was this work that most prompted her decision to pursue her PhD.

When asked about her time at TCNJ, Futerfas replied eagerly, “The experiences and opportunities I had at The College of New Jersey shaped my career path.  I look forward to one day becoming a professor and inspiring students as I was here at TCNJ.”

U-Jin Lee, an honors student and a Communication Studies major with a concentration in Radio/TV/Film and a minor in Journalism, received a similarly exciting email—one which admitted her to Columbia University for a Master of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Lee’s mother emigrated to the United States from South Korea when Lee was five, leaving her husband behind, to ensure that her children could take advantage of the creativity encouraged by the United States system of education. Lee immediately began to pursue music, playing the piano and flute, and advancing to violin when she was nine. In middle school, Lee was accepted, through rigorous audition, to the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School and continued her musical studies there for eight years.

Lee always wanted to major in music. As a musician, she craved being able to communicate through sound and performance and understood the impact that various forms of communication could have on those listening. When arriving at TCNJ, she joined the Orchestra, but was encouraged to begin to explore the communication side of performance as well. Surprisingly, she found that communication was where she belonged, and decided to pursue the Radio/TV/Film track.

Through internships and coursework, Lee honed in on her true passion. She spent the summer of 2011 in South Korea working for Educational Broadcasting System, the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory, and the only South Korean radio and television network without a separate regional service. She was responsible for planning a large scale documentary film festival, as well as other smaller scale productions. She knew she loved the television side to the industry, but production planning was not for her. In the summer of2012, Lee interned at Fox Channel 9 News in Secaucus, NJ. There, when assisting anchors and shadowing reporters, she decided her ultimate goal was to become a foreign correspondent.

“I speak English, Spanish, and Korean,” she laughed. “I hope that helps!”

Lee is seen as a role model in her track, working closely with faculty and encouraging and supporting her peers.

“I think it’s all about having a passion,” Lee mused, when asked about her career. “Find something you love, ask questions, be inquisitive, learn all you can, work hard. That’s certainly something I learned during my time here at TCNJ.”

TCNJ communication studies students presented multiple professional papers at state and national levels in March and April, extending scholarly paper records set by previous students.

Juniors Jordan Kohn and Sally Milnes with TCNJ communication studies professor Dr. John C. Pollock at the biannual DC Health Communication Conference

On March 29 two communication studies students were the only undergraduates in the nation selected to present refereed papers at the biannual DC Health Communication Conference held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Junior Jordan Kohn presented a paper co-authored with Christiana Nielsen and Dasia Stewart on “Cross-National Coverage of Child Labor: A Community Structure Approach.”  Junior Sally Milnes presented a paper co-authored with Christine Rehm,Olivia Hannis, and Jonathan Day on “Nationwide US Coverage of Medicated Children: A Community Structure Approach.” Two years previously (2011), TCNJ students Katie Ward and Erin Prendergast, were also the only undergraduates in the United States invited to present papers at the DC Health Communication Conference.

On April 20, six teams of TCNJ students presented refereed papers at the annual statewide conference of the New Jersey Communication Association (NJCA) meeting at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Among the papers focusing on nationwide US samples of major metropolitan newspapers were: Kelsey Zink and Maggie Rogers’ “Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Detainee Rights: A Community Structure Approach” (co-authored by Eric Moran and Matthew Salvatore); Ashley Reed, Kaitlyn Allen, Kylie Moore, and Clayton Fabrizio’s “Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of Planned Parenthood”; Tyler Fugazzie, Lisa McKeegan, and Elizabeth Hutner’s “Nationwide Newspaper Coverage of the Vaccination-Autism Link; A Community Structure Approach”. Alli Wentling presented a paper co-authored with Olivia Hannis, Stephen Tarnowski, and Ben Iturralde: “Cross-National Newspaper Coverage of the European Sovereign Crisis: A Community Structure Approach”. Jordan Kohn also reprised her paper on cross-national coverage of child labor.

Kelly Alexandre, Cynthia Sha, Kelsey Baire(not pictured), and Jessica Johnson(not pictured) won the “best undergraduate paper for 2013″ at the NJCA annual meeting.

Kelly Alexandre, Cynthia Sha, Kelsey Baire, and Jessica Johnson won the “best undergraduate paper for 2013″ at the NJCA meeting, for co-authoring  “Cross-National Coverage of Human Trafficking: A Community Structure Approach.” By examining sample of leading newspapers in different nations, Alexandre, Sha, Baire, and Johnson found that coverage favoring government responsibility in resolving human trafficking  was more pronounced in countries with higher proportions of foreign investment and with higher levels of female empowerment.

Over the almost twenty years of its existence, the NJCA has given several “best student paper” awards to TCNJ, and the latest award affirms the continued excellence of communication studies students. Communication studies students from TCNJ hold the national record for largest number of papers winning “best student paper in the nation” awards presented by the national honor society (Lambda Pi Eta) of the National Communication Association. Said Prof. Lorna Johnson, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, “The continuing superb performances in professional paper writing and presentation by our students are a source of pride for our entire department.  These dedicated students set a powerful example of excellence for all students at TCNJ.”

Their five-minute film, “Focus,” features a college student who attempts to balance his passion for art with the external pressures of his college-level academics. He chooses to illegally obtain ADHD medication in hopes of controlling his artistic inclinations; his creative drive has severely conflicted with his mundane classwork towards a degree he is not enthusiastic about. Ultimately, this plan does not pan out, and he is left with a difficult choice.

The world’s largest student film and music festival, CMF is the only event of its kind that provides free Apple laptops, Panasonic HD camcorders, and training to students at participating colleges and universities around the globe. Students have one week to create their own five-minute movies, with each school hosting red carpet finales to showcase its top movies. The best of the best moved on to compete against hundreds of other top shorts at Campus MovieFest in Hollywood. CMF was sponsored at TCNJ by the Brower Student Center and the Department of Communication Studies.

Cast and crew of “Focus” include: Joshua Lewkowicz: captain, director, cinematographer, camera operator, Steadicam operator, editor; Andrew Kuserk: SpFX / animator, match-moving/compositing, rotoscoping (an animation technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films), rendering; Steven Munoz: lead actor; Alyssa Mangel: producer; and Kimberly D. Horner: supporting actor.

To watch “Focus,” please visit http://youtu.be/JmcvurbnM5Y
To learn more about Campus MovieFest, please visit http://www.campusmoviefest.com/

TCNJ’s Art Gallery and Department of Art and Art History are pleased to present THIRTEEN, the BFA Thesis Exhibition, on view in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building from Wednesday, April 24 through Friday, May 17. Artist talks will be presented on Wednesday, May 1, 3:00-5:00 p.m. The opening reception and design portfolio review will be Sunday, May 5, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The BFA seniors in the exhibition are Ryan Beebe, Kristin Blair, Bryan Borut, Anthony Chin, Kyle Czepiel, Ryan Czepiel, Kara Degeorgis, Johann Derflinger, Shannon Ehrola, Casey Gallagher, Liz Gerger, Ryan Janelli, Pam Marotte, Sam Prowse, Josh Sender, and Liz Swezey.

For more information, please visit www.tcnjthirteen.com.

Garguilo, a Bonner Community Scholar, kept the College mission of being a “national exemplar in the education of those who seek to sustain and advance the communities in which they live,” in mind while planning the day. Called Community Engaged Learning (CEL), freshman students are required to participate in a meaningful experience during their first year on campus. The vision is that all will return and participate in more advanced class-based projects during their final three undergraduate years.

The day began by Garguilo, TCNJ students, and Bonner representatives picking up the youth and heading to SAGE (Stylez Advancing Graffiti’s Evolution) Collective in Trenton. SAGE is a non-profit dedicated to initiating, planning, and establishing inner-city beautification projects. Formed in 2012, it has grown into a diverse group of visual artists, engineers, fabricators, musicians and teachers dedicated to the rebirth of Trenton. At SAGE they connected with Will “KASSO” Condry, a Trenton mural artist known for his unique and vivid portraits and aerosol based murals.

Condry explained SAGE’s projects to the students and took them on a tour of their own hometown, hoping they would be able to view it in a vastly different way. One stop on the tour included the Ghandi Garden, located at 223 East Hanover Street. The garden is a mix between a garden, art gallery, venue, and public park. The park and the beautification process of the space stems from the famous Mahatma Ghandi quote, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

After more discussion, the group headed to Artworks, Trenton’s downtown visual arts center and sponsor of Art All Night. Artworks is not simply a gallery space; many events, classes, and programs unfold there, and part of the mission is to continually look to provide opportunities for building and developing community through the arts. Led by Executive Director Lynn Lemyre, Artworks seek to build community among and between art students of all ages, professional and amateur artists, inner city and suburban residents, diehard art fans and first time art appreciators.

At Artworks, the youth were able to have lunch and wander through Control, Alt, Delete, an exhibition of paintings by TCNJ’s Advanced Painting classes led by Professor Gregory Thielker. Students in the classes used the theme of contemporary art and digital media to create works that were based on digital sources, filters, and tools along with traditional techniques. Garguilo, who had works on display, encouraged the students to wander around and take time to look at each piece. The TCNJ students led exercises and spoke to the youth about their experiences. Lemyre was also on hand to facilitate discussions, and Condry had the youth assist him with spray painting pieces for a community mural.

The day was a success, students were bubbling with excitement and fascination with what they learned. When reflecting upon it, Garguilo said, “It was emotional for me to experience the reactions of the Trenton youth. They were seeing their town from a completely different point of view, and they were awed. It was a day I will never forget.”

The Bonner Center, Artworks, and SAGE Coalition came together to inspire and enrich the youth and allow them to take part in a day they won’t soon forget. In the future, Garguilo hopes for opportunities to expand on the day and create a series of trips for each of the middle schools in the area. For more information on the Bonner Center, Artworks, or SAGE, please visit:

http://bonner.pages.tcnj.edu/

http://artworkstrenton.org/

http://sagecoalitionnj.com/

From left to right: Jason Schafer (2003), Gary Fienberg, Ryan Hewitt (2007), and Brian Plagge (2010)

Four TCNJ alumni and current members of the Princeton Brass Band, along with Facutly and Music Department Chair Gary Fienberg won the national title at the North American Brass Band Association’s 31st national championship held last weekend in Cincinnatti, Ohio.  Alums Jason Schafer (2003), Alex Costantino (2005) Ryan Hewitt (2007), and Brian Plagge (2010) competed with 21 bands from around the country, taking the top honors as winners of the competition’s championship section.

The Princeton Brass band was founded in 2004 with Professor Fienberg as one of its founding members as Principle Solo Cornetist.  Fienberg  inducted into the band’s cornet section three graduates from his Trumpet Studio: Schafer, Hewitt and Plagge;  Costantino is a tubist who was also a member of the Brass Ensemble at TCNJ when it was directed by Fienberg.

The Princeton Brass band is modeled after the British Brass Band tradition in which 28 brass instruments comprise a standard instrumentation. The early brass bands were formed in England at the beginning of the 20th century by coal mining companies with an elaborate and highly competitive “contesting” tradition.  Since that time, “brass-banding” has become an international phenomenon with an estimated 10,000 bands worldwide!  In England, the top bands and their featured soloists hold celebrity status.

The Princeton Brass Band entered its first competition in 2006 with a ten-year plan to reach the “championship section” of the competition with the top bands and where the most challenging repertoire is performed. This year was Princeton’s first appearance in the top section, causing a major upset by besting eight bands, five of whom have held the title at various times.

Campus MovieFest (CMF), the world’s largest student film festival, is at TCNJ! Sponsored by the Brower Student Center (BSC) and the Department of Communication Studies, CMF gives students an opportunity to make short films, win cool prizes, and head to Hollywood! Students who signed up for CMF received everything they needed to make a five-minute movie in a week – including an Apple laptop, Panasonic HD video camera, training, and support – all for free.

Sign ups ended on Tuesday, April 9, but top TCNJ movies are shown at a one-night-only Red Carpet Finale held in the BSC on Tuesday, April 23! Come out and support your peers!

If you’re participating and need some assistance, tech support is available:

Via phone: (541) CMF-TECH
Via email: support@campusmoviefest.com
Via AIM/iChat: campusmoviefest 

Want to know more? Visit the website and Facebook page:

The College of New Jersey School of the Arts and Communication is pleased to host The Gutsy Entrepreneur Boot Camp, an intellectually stimulating, fast-paced summer experience for High School aged participants. Gutsy is a fun and exciting week-long camp designed for creative thinking teens to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, what it takes to start and run a small business, and whether or not that path is right for them. The camp is designed to educate, inspire, and support bright, energetic, gutsy teens with an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for learning, and the desire to make this world a better place.

Design thinking, creativity, social media, and 21st century skills are central to the theme of the camp. Students form teams, work closely with mentors, and listen as industry thought-leaders share their experiences. Days are jam-packed with activities to help students discover, collaborate, problem solve, design, and communicate effectively, all skills that are important to success in business. Activities will also emphasize the importance of social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and fair trade practices. The final day of camp culminates with team presentations to a panel of mentors.

Wendy Richardson and Annette Velotto are the powerhouse duo behind Gutsy. Entrepreneurs themselves, Wendy gained experience at Software School, Inc., a graphics training and design business that she started shortly after graduating from college. Years later, she started a publishing company called Nerdy Books, and since then has authored, designed, produced, and published 12 Microsoft Office tip books and one book on environmental awareness.

Annette began as a part time meeting planner and eventually became Senior Vice President of Cardinal Health, providing integrated medical education to the healthcare industry. She then left the corporate world to begin her own medical audio/visual company. The rest of the Gutsy team is made up of others just like Wendy and Annette: entrepreneurs, industry thought leaders, educators, app and software developers, graphic designers, animators, social media consultants, yoga/Pilates instructors, and life-balance coaches.

Applications are being accepted shortly. For more information about Gutsy, please visit http://gutsy-entrepreneur.com. For general questions or information about the College, please contact biased1@tcnj.edu.

Nathan Erwin bands birds in Belize, in January 1991. Photo by Linda Hollenberg, Smithsonian Institution.

TCNJ Center for the Arts together with the School of Science are pleased to welcome Brown Bag guest lecturers Rosalind Erwin, Adjunct Professor of Music at the College, and Nathan Erwin, entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and one-time French hornist on Friday, April 19, at 11:30AM in Mayo Concert Hall. They will speak about how biology and music are intertwined in amazing and sometimes overlooked ways. Ms. and Mr. Erwin will lead a discussion about how and why insects were and continue to be the most diverse group of animal sound producers in nature, a follow-up to the April 18 Concert Band performance “Scrape, Bang and Blow,” featuring the works of contemporary composers David Gillingham, Jared Spears, Samuel R. Hazo, and Thom Ritter George.

This brother-sister duo will discuss when and why animal sound production evolved about 240 million years ago and how humans employ the same techniques in developing instruments used in bands and orchestras. They will also discuss how rhythm, pitch, and tonal quality are used by insects and humans alike to convey information.

Mr. Erwin is an entomologist and informal science educator. He has worked as a forest pest entomologist with the state of Maryland, staff scientist with the Rachel Carson Council, Inc., and curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s Insect Zoo and Butterfly Pavilion. He travels throughout Central and South America collecting insects, develops museum exhibits, leads teacher workshops on object-based and inquiry-based learning, and appeared on Discovery, NPR’s  All Things Considered, and the Late Show with David Letterman, while sharing his interest and enthusiasm for insects. For more information, please visit: http://www.mnh.si.edu/highlight/cicadas/ and http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears/profiles/nate_erwin.html.

A flexible, creative and highly accomplished conductor, Rosalind Erwin has been welcomed on podiums both in the United States and abroad. Her credentials include performances with the Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, Calais Chamber Orchestra in Portugal, in concert under the auspices of NATO in Croatia, and at home where in six years she built a fledgling regional orchestra in suburban Philadelphia into one attracting international attention, record executives and European solo artists. At TCNJ, Maestro Erwin teaches Independent Study in Conducting and directs the Concert Band. For more information, please visit: http://www.ckartists.info/html/rerwin/english/rerwin.html.