Band Texas in July performed in Trenton on April 20, 2013 at the Championship Bar and Grill. Photo courtesy of Evan Perigo.

Texas in July, a five piece metalcore band from Lancaster, PA, played an explosive set to a sold out crowd at the Championship Bar and Grill in Trenton on Saturday, April 20, 2013. This marks the long awaited return of the band after they played their last set in Trenton exactly two years prior.

The show also marked the return of Texas in July to the touring scene after a two month break that followed the band’s last tour earlier this year.

A seasoned touring band, Texas in July has played shows at venues all over the United States, in Canada, and as far away as Germany. The band has been playing shows at Championship dating back to before they released their first full length album, I am, in 2009.

“It’s definitely a smaller place, but you never really know what the vibe is gonna be like in any room, and it just so happens that this venue holds a great vibe.” said Ben Witkowski, the band’s bass player.

Texas in July’s set did not begin until 10 on Saturday night, but the excitement in the air at the venue could be felt much earlier than that. Fans started arriving as early as four o’clock in order to socialize with fellow concertgoers and to watch the sets of the six supporting bands that played leading up the main event.

“A lot of people come out,” said Witkowski. “So when we play here it’s not only a show it’s like a reunion with people we’ve known since the beginning. I really enjoy the shows here.”

When it came time for Texas to take to the stage the air outside was crisp and chilly, but inside the room that houses Championship’s backstage it was damp and heavy. Fans packed themselves into every available bit of space in the classroom sized stage area.

The moment that the band played the first note of Bed of Nails, the first single off of their recently released self-titled album, the crowd broke out into utter chaos. Fans near the front of the stage jumped in time with the music and screamed out the lyrics, while behind them a space was cleared for more energetic fans to mosh and dance to their heart’s content.

Alex Good, the band’s vocalist, did an excellent job at getting his crowd engaged in the music. While bellowing his guttural vocals into the mic, Good prowled back and forth across the stage, making sure to address as many crowd members as possible. It was also exciting to watch Good share his microphone with fans that were eager to sing the lyrics with him.

Getting a chance to watch Adam Gray, Texas in July’s drummer, was a spectacle unto itself. Gray wore a face of utmost concentration throughout the set and played even the most technical parts with incredible precision. Gray also managed to toss his drumsticks in the air, almost as if juggling them back and forth, only to catch each stick the moment he needed it to hit the drum again.

Ryan Lawrence, Mercer Alum and Communications Major at Stockton College stood front and center through the duration of the set. “The show was fantastic. They put on one of the best live shows I have ever been to, and the crowd was awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better night.” said Lawrence.

When the set was over the band walked off stage, but the crowd was not ready for the show to end. In traditional fashion, the room chanted “One more song!” Taking the cue, Texas in July returned to the stage to play one final song. The song, Elements, has been a crowd favorite since the band’s sophomore release. At the end, the band and the fans came together to shout the songs final lyrics. “I am the fire, the wind, and the sea/I will surround you like a spreading disease.”

Following the set, the band members took some time to meet with their fans . The sense of camaraderie between the band and their fans was overwhelming.

“It was an awesome opportunity to play a show with a big national act that I actually listen to myself. Not often does a chance like that come around, especially with the NJ metal scene not being at its strongest.” said Tyler Arce, vocalist for the band Endless Obsession, who performed as one of the supporting acts that night.

Texas in July puts on an exciting and memorable live performance that stands out.

Even music fans that are not metal fans would be hard pressed to not appreciate musicianship and energy present throughout their performance.

The post Texas in July, metalcore band, returns to Trenton after two years appeared first on The VOICE.

Carl Ferdoko.

Two deeply religious brothers born outside the US move to Boston, and after living there a while, they have a powerful religious experience that causes them to believe they are meant to act on behalf of the almighty, serving swift and righteous justice to people they consider “evil.” So, after arming themselves to the teeth, they begin targeting and eliminating those who fall short of their ultimate morality, smiting the enemy whenever possible in the name of their god. Their crimes go unsolved at first as Boston writhes in the wake of the bloodbath created by the two foreign-born brothers. A massive manhunt ensues and both brothers are severely wounded in an epic firefight. The End. If this sounds like Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan, that is false. It’s a summary of the plot to the movie Boondock Saints (1999). Amid the litany of “support Boston” hyper-nationalist propaganda that dominated Facebook, the picture that kept popping up on newsfeeds featured the two lead actors surrounded by white text reading something like, “Remember what happened the last time somebody messed with Boston? LOLZ!!”

People who re-posted or shared that image clearly missed the irony. First off, it was a bad movie in which nearly all the characters fit established stereotypes. The main characters in Boondock Saints are religious extremists at best.

At worst they’re psychotic mass-murdering domestic terrorists who spout a pseudo-religious family creed in unison before they blow your skull to pieces with nickel-plated .45 caliber pistols.

Social media users might as well have posted pictures after 9/11 of John McClane from Die Hard that said “Remember what happened the last time someone planned to blow up buildings and kill NYPD detectives?” Or after the government bailout during the Great Recession you could have used images from Die Hard 3 that read “Remember what happened the last time someone messed with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York?”

Still, the “Boondock Saints” became a meme as to testify to the toughness and solidarity of religious blue-collar Anglo-Americans in the midst of a tragedy. #YIPPIEKIYAY!

In reality, the brothers’ actions in the movie are more similar to the suspected actions of the Chechen Tsarnaev brothers than they are different.

Recently, social media has become the main conduit through which information travels. Craig Smith reports on digital media site expandedramblings.com that as of April 2013, Facebook has 1.06 billion active monthly users with 680 million mobile users, and Twitter has 500 million total users.

For comparison, the four most watched TV programs in history are the series finale of M*A*S*H, and the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Super Bowls, respectively. They are the only TV programs in history to top 100 million viewers, according to the ratings gurus at Nielsen.

That means on any given day, YouTube’s 1 billion users who accumulate 4 billion hits are more than twice the amount that tuned in for the four most watched TV events in history combined. #GOOGLEISSKYNET!

From engagement announcements to same-sex marriage legislation, live-tweeting sports results to breaking news tragedies like the Boston bombings and mass shootings, social media outlets touch more eyes and ears than television or radio.

Unfortunately, this paradigm shift is often responsible for quickly spreading misinformation. Members of the huge internet newsgroup community Reddit created a spreadsheet of potential suspects on www.reddit.com/r/findbostonbombers after examining thousands of photos and videos posted on that site.

Reading the comments reveals the grassroots sleuthing as little more than conjecture and amateurish speculation as to whom in the pictures “had a bag,” or “looked suspicious.”

Despite growing mistrust for the mainstream media, there is a distinct responsibility and code of journalistic ethics to which reporters are held that is inherently lacking in the social media universe. I’m not going to lie and tell you the media always gets it right, but someone tweeting their opinion in 140 characters or less doesn’t adhere to the same level of integrity as the journalist whose name is on a story.

Still, many bona fide journalists sacrificed that same integrity by failing to fact-check information regarding the bombings before they reported it. The drive to be first took precedent over telling the Truth, which is an example of a shameful trend in not only American news media but also of American culture as a whole.

The total acceptance of a 24 hour news stream has convinced the media that people care more about the quantity of information they ingest than they do about the quality of that information. The cultural paradox, of course, is that the media assumes their increased supply of constant information is in response to increased demand. This is false. The media creates demand by providing seemingly infinite content.

This is a dangerous practice. At one time, Walter Kronkite was voted the most trusted man in America. Generally, people believe what they see on TV and the internet. News organizations know this and they use it to their advantage in a process Noam Chomsky dubbed “manufacturing consent.” The people, the consumers of information, accept the things they see on TV and read on websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit simply because the information is out there.

The 24 hour news stream has become the elevator music of daily American life. Think about it: your Facebook has a “newsfeed” that constantly updates automatically and so does your Twitterfeed.

The societal reverberations of the Boston Marathon bombing weren’t limited to the internet, though. A plane scheduled to leave Boston’s Logan International Airport was grounded during the manhunt because two men on board were overheard speaking Arabic.

The two men committed no crime, but they were obviously suspicious because they were “brown” and speaking a foreign language; a language that is not, in fact, native to Russia or Chechnya. They were later convicted in the court of public opinion for DWI- Distressing White Idiots.

The anti-Muslim backlash stemming from this tragedy is the kind of hate that would make George Wallace proud. The overt and depraved nature of this racism has politicians using Twitter; calling publicly for torture and human rights deprivation for the teenaged bombing suspect.

New York State Senator Greg Ball (R) tweeted “So, scumbag #2 in custody. Who wouldn’t use torture on this punk to save more lives?”#TheWorldAccordingToDickCheney Doubtful that fellow Republican Senator John McCain would use torture on this “punk,” Senator Ball.

Representative Louie Gohmert (R) of Texas quickly linked the Boston bombings to gun control, saying: “Let me ask you, if you’re sitting in your home and you know there are only two possibilities for people coming to your door; one is law enforcement and the other is somebody who has already killed Americans and continues to do so, how many rounds do you want to be limited to in your magazine as you sit in your chair and wait?”

As long as law enforcement can kick down doors and execute warrantless searches under the guise of homeland security, the number of rounds per magazine shouldn’t worry the public as much as a suspension of their civil rights. #PATRIOTACT!

Despite the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and anti-terror legislation like the Patriot Act, the threat of terrorism uniquely looms large over the American psyche. Fear bred from ignorance prevails, and it seems to be gaining momentum with every new threat.

Would the American people support more stringent anti-terror legislation even if it allows the government to operate outside the Constitution? I’d like to say people wouldn’t support it, but if the rash of racist and xenophobic sentiment that permeated American social media after the Boston bombings is any indication, it wouldn’t surprise me if they did. #theskyisfalling

I guess American ignorance isn’t all bad. As long as Republicans and Tea Partier’s don’t figure out Chechnya is in Russia, I won’t have to suffer profiling by the TSA because of my last name. So at least I’ve got that to look forward to.

The post Ignorance breeds fear: More PATRIOT Act please! appeared first on The VOICE.

“No,” I said, jerking my head away from his. “You can do that other stuff, but I ain’t gonna let you do that.”

“Come on,” he insisted in strange irregular breaths, as he tried to strong-arm my slight fifty-six inch frame back towards him. “It’ll feel good. You’ll like it.” Sure–if I wanted to kiss a Brillo pad. The guy had a full beard and mustache. They were neatly trimmed, as was his dark, almost black, hair. He reminded me of the G-I Joe action figure I had been playing with—except for his square black glasses and lack of muscles. He had actually been in the army and recently returned from Viet Nam–discharged. I was dying to know what it was like to be in a war, but he avoided the subject.

“No fuckin’ way,” I countered, breaking free of his embrace. I backed off a couple of paces to our RCA stereo console and sat on it, facing the front door where the guy had just come in. He was never very patient after he arrived.

The house was a small three bedroom ranch in Vienna, Virginia, filled with clutter. After my mom’s departure to New England, the year before, it stayed that way. Scattered yellowing newspapers hid the tired beige carpet that had been rarely vacuumed since she left. A couple of days’ worth of dishes lived in the sink, with more on the dining room table. The place smelled of greasy dishwater. It lingered with the odor of dirty laundry, leaking from an overfilled hamper and bedroom floors. Living in the disgusting mess was humiliating, but the guy never paid it any mind. He was too intent on me.

After I escaped the embrace, he took the three steps needed to get to the console. I decided to stand in front of it, when he approached, thinking I could get away. Instead, I froze and the guy got on his knees. He undid the things that held up my pants and helped them drop to my ankles.

Dreading what I knew he was about to do, I asked, “Can’t you find someone your own age?”

I was a seventh grader–too embarrassed to shower in front of the guys after gym class because I had no hair. The contrast of his bristly mouth, exploring that smooth part of me, only my mother had seen before, highlighted the absurdity of what he was doing. I felt dirty.

He did what he was doing as if he was working for something. It felt good. I didn’t want it to feel good. I bit my lip, so it wouldn’t. I couldn’t let him be rewarded for this work. And I never wanted him to believe I enjoyed it. I bit my lip harder. My eyes stared at the ceiling, looking back to the previous year before I met this guy. Back then, I saw things different—clearer—especially in my dreams.

In the sixth grade I dreamed of kissing girls. In reality, I had never kissed a girl. I didn’t even know people kissed with tongues.

My best friend that year was Richard “Ricky” White. We were awkward, shy, and annoying–in need of friends. I was shy. Ricky was annoying. And we both were awkward—outcasts from the select set of our class—destined to be best friends.

Ricky was openly obsessed with belonging to the cool clique, as I was in secret. He decided to throw himself a birthday party and invite girls. This move was daring enough to attract some very popular girls—girls who had never given either of us a moment of attention. They agreed to come, as well as some of the popular boys.

The clique, which included Ferris Donald and Libby Beach—Peter Sanders and Missy Bush—Sandy Pyle and Martha Burns—all arrived in confident style. Ricky and I, who made the boy to girl ratio even, greeted them with nervous excitement.

My new album, Runt, was displayed to make an impression. I felt it was important to promote it to the possibly critical guests for approval. Sandy Pyle said she liked my taste in music. I became encouraged and wondered if she liked me.

The girl I really had a crush on though, was Martha Burns. She was wearing a white V-neck sweater. It defined the shape of her breasts—quite voluptuous for a girl of 12. Her faded blue jeans were enticingly tight, until the calves, where they flared to the rawhide moccasins that protected her feet. She wore scarlet lipstick and smelled of “Charlie Girl” perfume and cigarettes.

Smoking was the initial highlight of the evening. No one smoked, but Martha, who offered to teach the rest of us with her full pack of Marlboros. At first, I was too timid to join in, as the others learned how important it was to inhale when one smoked. Ricky, trying hard to be a good student, took a bold drag and embarked on a coughing trip that would last ten minutes. Having nothing to lose, I asked Martha for a private smoking lesson on the dark chilly patio, while the others were inside laughing at Ricky.

He recovered and Martha, back indoors, began to share some of her exploits. Accompanied by the aggressive chords of the Eagles’ Witchy Woman, she revealed she had learned to give a high school guy something called a blow job. I wondered what kind of work that was and why it was her duty to give it to him. What did she have to learn—why did the high school guy want her to? By the time the album reached the title track of Take it Easy, I was left in gawkish awe by the revelations uttered by some of my more sophisticated peers.

Such talk aroused appetites. We enjoyed some food and music—pizza, burgers, ice cream, the Eagles, Chicago, and the Doors—Sandy requested that my Todd Rundgren album be played. The third track, We Gotta Get You a Woman, moved someone to suggest a game of spin the bottle. This was a game I never heard of. I hoped my natural athleticism would carry me through—regardless of the game’s difficulty.

The first rule however, called for everyone to sit in a circle. This revealed to me that it was not a sporting game. We sat boy-girl, on an orange shag carpet, around a pale white candle mounted on a small crate. Ricky, in an oversized Redskin’s jersey, got up to kill the lights. Martha drew her Zippo lighter to torch the candle. An air of vanilla sweetened the mustiness of the basement room. Emboldened by the dim glow, flickering amid youthful tensions, Ferris Donald offered to be the first to go. This was good because I still did not know how to play.

“Where’s the bottle, Dick?” Even at his own party, Ricky got razzed for being named Richard.

“Down your coke, Ferry, and use that,” he snapped over the chuckles. Everyone heard what he said, but didn’t acknowledge the attempted comeback. Ferris took a final swig.

He laid the seven and a half ounce bottle on its side and gave it a vigorous spin. The bottle’s last rotation pointed the mouth of it in the general direction of Libby Beach. Donald crawled on his hands and knees to her place in the circle. He leaned his head to hers and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Most of the circle laughed—I blushed inside.

It was Libby’s turn to spin and she had to kiss Peter—Peter then kissed Sandy—Sandy’s spin chose Ricky. Ricky spun and the bottle stopped, pointing directly at Ferris Donald.

“Faggot,” Donald teased. “I ain’t kissing you. Spin again.” This time the bottle found the vicinity of Martha. I envied him as his lumbering lips met hers.

“Don’t you guys know how to French?” Martha asked. Her question encouraged everyone’s agreement to French kiss. Martha spun the bottle and it ruthlessly chose me. A peck would have been easy—it might have been blissful—instead, I could only envision disappointing her.

Martha sensed my panic. The others couldn’t hear her tell me to open my mouth. “Not too wide,” she cautioned. Her eyes glistened like azure pools inviting a swim. Closing them, she whispered, “Shut your eyes.” And I dove into my first kiss. Nothing ever felt so good.

My eyes opened to cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling. I released my bottom lip from my teeth. “We goin’ to 7-Eleven?” I asked the guy, who was still working to pleasure me.

He took a break to reply, “When you get off,” he answered, going back to work with increased effort. I bit my lip again.

The guy finally grew weary of his fruitless labor after a quarter of an hour more. Keeping his pants on, he used my body in a peculiar fashion to do what he was trying to get me to do. He shuddered. I was relieved because I knew I could pull my pants up. I refastened everything and quickly ran out the door to his van.

The van was a sleazy vehicle. He let me drive it one night when he took me and some other boys around selling newspaper subscriptions. The others were dropped off first so he could bait me behind the wheel. Before what happened next was even conceivable to me, I was sucked in. Afterward, the stink from the smutty business done in that van became too familiar.

“Can I drive?” I asked, knowing the answer already.

“It’s too light out.”

“Take me to 7-Eleven?”

“You have any money?”

“You do.”

“I have to make twenty dollars last until Friday.”

“That’s OK,” I said. “Alls I want is a Big Buddy, a pack of smokes, and a root beer.” The gum, cigarettes, and soda cost less than two dollars. Still, the guy shook his head and sighed. “And a cheeseburger and fries from Burger Chef,” I added with a sly smile.

I enjoyed my burger and fries in the van while it was cruising down a side street back toward my house. We were both satisfied. Neither of us wanted to talk, but I forced it.

“What made you a faggot?” I asked, lighting up an after-meal smoke.

“I don’t want you smoking in the van,” he shot back, glaring at me.

“Look at the fucking road,” I replied, laughing. But I presently saw something to interrupt the laughter—Ferris Donald, riding in his older brother’s gold ‘67 Camaro, coming right at us.

It was Donald who, when we were playing football in the field by the water tower, one day told us the guy was a pervert. The guy had been stupid enough to come to the field with some unfortunate young kids he was babysitting. I remember those kids climbing all over him as he watched us playing ball from a distance. I was heartsick when he warned us of this guy’s intentions—it was too late for me–and those poor kids.

The Camaro and van met at a stop sign. Ferris Donald’s eyes expanded with amazement at the sight of me in the van with the infamous guy. I closed mine in despair.

Ricky White leered, “Martha Burns is a slut.”

Squinting, I questioned, “A slut?”

“Yea. A whore gets paid for it and a slut just does it because she likes to.”

“Does what?”

“Hangs out with guys, stupid.”

Why was he telling me this? He knew how I felt about her. We kissed so many times that night, I couldn’t wait to go to bed and think about her. I dreamed that she liked me.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Ferris Donald told me. By the way, you wanna make some money selling subscriptions to the Washington Star?”

It appeared to be a smart idea at the time.

A new life came into view my senior year of high school. I had gained some notoriety in what was popularly being called the fast lane. Ricky White was no longer around. Ferris Donald had become my new best friend. The friendship was an illusion nurtured by cash, weed, and cocaine. Donald never mentioned seeing me with the guy that day.

The older I got, the less the less the guy came around. After three years of periodic encounters, I never saw him again.

Approaching the end of that school year, I got wasted and put on a tuxedo for the prom. I chose to look like a waiter. The jacket was sky blue with black pants. My mom made a special trip from up north, just to take photos. She loved me too much to tell me how ridiculous I looked and dutifully snapped the pictures of me formally dressed. There was disappointment when I told her none could be taken with my date, who had been plucked from my imagination, because she was to meet me later.

I met Ferris Donald at his house–Peter Sanders was there. They had dates, but wanted to catch a buzz before they picked them up. My task was to provide the cocaine and weed. They gave me some camaraderie in return, not knowing I was dateless. Everyone got the same story; that I was meeting someone later.

Donald asked me to follow him to his girlfriend’s house. Debbie Dickerson looked gorgeous in her pea green gown. Her dirty blonde hair was layered exquisitely to the nape of her slender neck, which was adorned with a brilliant string of pearls. I lied to her as well, when she inquired for my date.

In separate cars, we drove to the Wolf Trap Sheraton. I walked Debbie and Ferris to the door. Shuffling back to my little car, I decided to kill time, smoking and listening to tunes.

Two Neil Young tapes and numerous cigarettes later, Debbie startled me with a tap on my back windshield. “Hey—whatchya doin’—where’s your date?”

“Uh—couldn’t make it.”

She smiled in my open window as she sashayed her way around to the passenger door. Once inside, the smile turned seductive and she asked, “You wanna take a ride?”

We listened to Bad Company and Led Zeppelin tapes, while travelling the same country roads I drove with the guy on our perverted excursions. Running out of fuel and conversation, Debbie asked if I wanted to go to a hotel. Minutes later, we pulled into the remote parking lot of Hunter’s Mill Hotel, listening to Jimmy Page’s erie, bluesy guitar from Dazed and Confused.

A sentimental front desk clerk, aware that it was prom night, allowed me to book a room. Ignorant of any clear direction of where things were going, I ambled my way, behind her, to it.

Inside, the darkness of the room added to my anxiety. I found a lamp and clicked it on. Then, fiddling with the television, I asked, “So what happened with you and Ferris?”

“He got drunk—goddamn jerk.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe. Am I being a jerk?”

“No,” I conceded.

“You know what Ferris told me about you?”

“What?”

“He told me you’re queer.”

“I ain’t that way.” I replied, unwilling to admit that I whored myself.

“It’s OK,” she smiled. “Queers turn me on–thinking about guys together makes me…wet.” Wet?

Struggling to locate words for a response, I looked into her sedated emerald eyes and became lost. The only reply I could find was a passionate kiss–my first, since Ricky’s party.

Debbie was moved to slip out of her elegant chiffon gown with no hint of remorse. “Get the light,” she commanded. I obeyed while she casually doffed her lace panties. In the glow of the mute TV, my eyes feasted on her femininity. Raw angst overwhelmed the carnal thrill. I stumbled through many subtle maneuvers. She yanked me down on the bed and shrouded my face with her chest. I needed to make her feel good, but felt incapable.

Debbie wasn’t concerned with my capabilities. She was comfortable with her lust and knew how to satisfy it. After she helped my pants down to my ankles, Debbie guided me inside her. The intimacy felt slick, easy, and good. I almost started to bite my lip. Instead, I wondered—if she felt good—what I should do to make her feel better. I worked hard to forget about biting my lip. I worked hard, but achieved nothing. I only pretended to when she expressed satisfaction with a series of shudders. The moment this business was completed, my filthy secret twisted into bitter thoughts and held me in sullen self-contempt.

Debbie climbed off and went to the washroom. My eyes followed her—then strained to locate cobwebs on the ceiling.

The post Innocence Lost appeared first on The VOICE.

Ron Pierce after one of the races on April 20 at the Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack. Photo by Dylan Vaughan.

A field of nine horses and all the pacers are at the post. It is the 2008 Meadowlands Pace. The audience is about to witness a world-record upset. Off they go. Mucho Sleezy, Somebeachsomewhere, World-Record then, and Art Official fight for the lead. After a quarter Art Official goes to the front on the outside. With a half mile to go Somebeachsomewhere takes the lead. Art Official is right on his tail coming into the third quarter. Art Official and Somebeachsomewhere are neck and neck. At the wire, Art Official upsets the Meadowlands Pace field in a world record time of 1:47.

This was one of the greatest upsets in the history of harness racing. Art Official’s driver that day was a man named Ron Pierce.

Pierce, a 56 year old harness driver, Milltown Township, NJ resident, has won all the major races including The Meadowlands Pace, Hambletonian, The Little Brown Jug, The North American Cup and The Canadian Trotting Classic.

“These are all races that go for over a million dollars and I’ve won them all several times,” said Pierce. He receives five percent of the total prize.

One of Pierce’s biggest accomplishments is to be the only harness racer in history to win a million dollar race six consecutive years.

According to the United States Trotting Association, Ron Pierce is number 4 in number of wins as of May 2nd, 2013, with over $2 million dollars earned. The number one is Brian J Sears with over $3 million dollars.

Pierce told the VOICE that he was born in a horse’s stall in Bay Meadows, California. “My mom was cleaning a stall and all of a sudden her water broke and boosh, there I came out right on some straw,” said Pierce.

He grew up on that same farm and recalls his childhood, watching the jockeys and drivers during training hours. “I would spend time in the jocks’ room and I’d see what those drivers would go through to make weight. They would literally starve themselves,” said Pierce.

Drivers are heavier than jockeys, averaging 130 to 160 pounds versus a 110 pound jockey. Another difference between drivers and jockeys is that harness drivers ride a race bike located behind the horse and the jockeys ride the horse.

Seeing the struggle of jockeys to maintain the weight turned Pierce off from becoming a jockey and inspired him to become a driver.

According to Pierce, as a little boy he already knew what he wanted to do with his life. “It dawned on me that I was going to be a harness racer, when I was seven years old,” said Pierce.

He pursued his dream of becoming a driver throughout his childhood. In 1976, at the age of 16, Pierce received his qualifying license and shortly after, at 18, he had turned pro.

Harness race at the Harra’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack on April 20, 2013. Photo by Dylan Vaughan.

Pierce explains that he would win a couple races, travel the world and only return to the racing scene when he was out of money. “I’ve seen the world and more than a couple times,” said Pierce.

After traveling around the world, Pierce says he felt ready to get experience as a harness driver and moved to California in the early 1980s, where he became the leading driver at the local tracks. Soon after, Pierce wanted to start a family and also allow his career to take off.

In 1987, Pierce moved to New Jersey because of its reputation. “Central Jersey is the harness racing capital of the United States,” said Pierce.

Here he made his career and wrote his name is harness race history.

Rocky Bivona, a groomer for John Cabot in Dover, Delaware, said Pierce is “one of the best drivers out there. If I have a horse racing for big money, that’s who I want on my horse.”

Bivona is not the only one in the business with praise for Pierce. Brian Magie, a trainer for Winners International Farm in Chesterfield, New Jersey, has worked with Pierce several times throughout his career.

Magie describes him as a, “country boy” who is a, ”tremendous driver.” Magie also said, “he’ll be remembered long after this business is over.”

Ron Pierce’s oldest son, 18 year-old Jesse Pierce, is a professional motocross racer. Jesse says he is inspired by his dad’s success and focus.

Jesse told the VOICE, “[My dad] being one of the best drivers in the world definitely helps me out with being mentally prepared. He knows what it takes to be on top.”

Pierce’s elite status ensures that he will be remembered for a years to come. He has been in the California Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the National Hall of Fame since 2004.

“They put me in there because of my accomplishments and because I was lucky,” said Pierce.

The possibility of greater reward was matched by greater risk. The harness race horses reach speeds of forty miles an hour and crashes can be fatal.

“One thing that I got going for me is that I land good, but sometimes you don’t. Some guys land so bad that they get killed. I’ve been in a couple races that someone’s been killed,” said Pierce.

Ron Pierce and the drivers are lined up to start the race at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack on April 20, 2013. Photo by Dylan Vaughan.

Pierce remembers one of the accidents he’s been involved in during a race. “The horse ran me over from behind and that really rung my bell.”

He also said that he has had a lot of broken bones throughout his career because of accidents. “Almost every bone in the right side of my body has been broken at one time or another,” said Pierce. But there is one in particular incident he says he can’t forget. “The one that bugs me the most is probably when I broke my neck,” said Pierce.

All the accidents and injuries haven’t stopped Pierce from racing and he explained how he’s been able to recover from those moments. “Stay flexible and tuck and roll you’ll be in better shape when you fall, and if you don’t get ran over by the horse behind you that always helps,” said Pierce.

Now in his fifties, Pierce is one of the few competitive racers in his age group. Although thinking about retirement Pierce says he still has business to take care of. “I want to win all of the big ones again. The money comes in really handy,” said Pierce with a smile.

Pierce said that he doesn’t know exactly how long he will race but he knows exactly when he is going to end his career. “I don’t know how many more years I can stay on the top level, but as soon as I’m not at the top level, or I’m not racing the top horses to drive, then I’m going to retire,” said Pierce.

The post PROFILE: Ron Pierce: a man with many purses appeared first on The VOICE.

Susie works with a boy doing hippotherapy. Photo by Kristie Kuschyk.

“Twinkle twinkle little star,” sang a little girl during her first horseback ride. Out of context this is unextraordinary but this little girl had never spoken a word in her life before that bright and cloudless day.

The little girl was invited to the farm by its’ owners, Laurie Landy and her husband, to participate in a program for handicapped kids. Landy, an occupational therapist, and the other onlookers at the farm that day were blown away by what had happened. A little girl who had never spoken words before sang an entire song.

Shortly after this experience, Landy decided that she would give hippotherapy another go.

Hippotherapy is a medical model that can only be performed by an occupational therapist, physical therapist or a speech pathologist. The program uses equine movement to produce a neurophysiological change.

Amanda Sowa , lead horse trainer at Landy’s farm said, “Riding (the horse) is so magical and beneficial because it stimulates all senses, muscles and joints.”

Laurie Landy has been a practicing occupational therapist working with special needs children for thirty years now. Her primary focus is in Hippotherapy.

Landy invited another young boy from her class to the farm in hopes that it would help his condition. The boy was unable to walk on his own and used loftstrand crutches to assist in locomotion. Landy explained to the boy’s mother her belief that if he came out to the farm, he would walk on his own. Landy’s hypothesis was proven correct after only two sessions with the horse. The boy began walking on his own.

Landy said, “There is no piece of equipment that works in three different planes other than a horse. When someone is sitting on a horse every single balance reaction is stimulated; every muscle and every joint. At the same time, you are in a pro-gravity position.”

Landy knew this was the kind of work she was supposed to do so in 1998 she started the “Special Strides” program. Special Strides is a 501(C3) nonprofit organization. The program started out with only four clients, one horse and a notebook. In addition, everyone involved with Special Strides worked exclusively as volunteer-workers for two years.

Fifteen years later, Landy has over 130 clients that come on a daily basis and an assortment of horses on the farm. Special Strides also offers four different types of programs: hippotherapy, therapeutic driving, equine facilitated movement and a recreational model.

The program’s clients range in age from 18 months to 75 years, who have disabilities such as Cerebral palsy, autistic spectrum disorders, spina bifida, Down’s syndrome, learning disabilities, muscular dystrophy, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, visual impairments and multiple sclerosis.

The recreational model is a therapeutic model in which the clients learn to ride horses while allowing them to feel good about themselves and have fun.

Therapeutic driving places the clients in carriages behind the horse. It is primarily for adult clients who have medical restrictions that inhibit them from riding the horse itself but it can be used if the client is scared of the horse or if they are too large for the horse.

PATH international was founded in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. It was formed to promote safe and effective therapeutic horseback riding throughout the United States and Canada.

Today, PATH International has nearly 800 member centers and over 6,300 individual members all over the world who help and support over 42,000 men women and children with special needs each year through a variety of equine assisted activities and therapy programs.

Landy and her staff will be starting an enrichment program that will take students who are at a very low reading level and allow them to come to the farm to practice their reading and writing skills.

Being a nonprofit organization, two thirds of the Special Strides program relies on fundraising. Therefore Landy and her marketing director have come up with the junior committee; a group of teenagers who raise money for the kids at Special Strides.

Each fall the committee and staff hold a dance where they turn the barn into a huge party. This raises nearly 250 thousand dollars each year. In addition to this, the junior committee just hosted a “color fun run” which raised an 90 thousand dollars.

For those who are not able to afford this treatment the board of directors created the Stephen Werthen fund. The fund is named after a director’s son who passed away and gives out 120,000 dollars to families who cannot afford the therapy. Landy stated “We’re very proud of it.”

The post Hippotherapy helps children with disabilities appeared first on The VOICE.

Henry Hicks was writing an e-mail blast in the Phi Theta Kappa office, part of his regular duties as vice-president of communications for the honors society, when he heard shouting coming from the Student Activities Hall.

Soon, several students from various clubs were outside their offices, and it became clear that a conflict was escalating. “Other students were trying to hold people back because they were about to fight each other” said Hicks.

Jessica Cardona, Funerary Service major and Megan Dell’Arena Liberal Arts major have been dating for five years. Photo Illustraton by Dakota Burr.

Hicks then made an effort to diffuse the situation. “I said ‘you guys have to stop before security gets called.’”

What Hicks received was a hostile reaction. One of the participants began approaching him, and even began to shout: “he started coming towards me and yelling, and he used the word ‘faggot’ once,” Hicks, who identifies as bi-sexual, recalled.

“After they approached me and used the slurs, I said, ‘what did you call me?’” said Hicks. “After they repeated it and came closer I felt threatened, so I closed the door and said ‘Okay fine, I’m calling security”

According to Hicks though, someone had beat him to it:“Security must have been called by someone else because as I was trying to contact them, they arrived.” As security arrived, the students involved in the fight scattered.

As things around the activities hall settled down, the weight of the situation became clear: “At the time I didn’t realize how serious it was until it sunk in” said Hicks, somewhat shaken “I was anxious and nervous for a few days. I didn’t feel safe enough to come to school”

This isn’t the first time students at MCCC have seen controversy surrounding LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender) issues. An incident reported in May 2010 involved another student who had slurs directed at him from security staff.

The use of hate-speech towards LGBT students isn’t an MCCC-exclusive phenomenon. The 2011 National School Climate Survey, a study which examines experiences of LGBT students, found that over 70 percent of LGBT students have heard slurs often, and that nearly 85 percent of LGBT students have reported being verbally harassed.

“And when someone uses a slur in a hateful way, you can tell,” said Hicks.

According to Dr. Diane Campbell, Dean of Students at MCCC, the administration is not blind to the issue. “[President Donohue] asked us to do some research in order to find posters that would make some statements about diversity,” said Campbell, “and also to look at how those posters can send a message that would be related to humanity on campus.”

Will Leavey, a second year digital film major and president of the LGBTF club at MCCC, doesn’t feel this is enough. “It’s a step in the right direction, but posters can only do so much,” said Leavey. “I believe actual meetings with students, like some kind of seminar or class, are much more important”

According to Dean Campbell, student attitudes towards LGBT students seem to be steadily improving. “I think this generation is more open than any other generation ever,” said Campbell. “When the LGBTF club used to meet, there were students who would come by and say really nasty things. After a while though, the club got more support as more faculty supported it.”

In 2010 the VOICE reported a clash between members of the LGBTF (LGBT and Friends) club and staff at MCCC, in which students participating in a kiss-in event were pulled apart by security. Dr. Diane Rizzo, English Professor and Faculty Advisor to the LGBTF club offered some insight to the changing culture on campus.

“There have been kiss-ins since then without incident,” said Dr. Rizzo, “I’d take that as a step forward. I’d be really surprised if something that charged happened again… I think there’s been a change, at least tacitly, in the culture at that level.”

Several students have also expressed acceptance towards the LGBTF club and community on campus.

Miles Applegate, an exercise science major at MCCC said, “I think it’s kind of cool to have your own set group that supports who you are and supports what you’re doing, but that also involves people from outside the club.”

Christopher Robinson an architecture major at MCCC empathized with LGBTF’s cause, “It’s a good thing, everyone should feel free and have an opportunity to feel free.”

However, some students have expressed discomfort with the club and community.

Timothy Brown, an EET major at MCCC said, “They kiss right here, that’s about all I know about them. That’s a little uncomfortable for me.”

Members of the club have found it to be a source of friendship and community.

“ I used to be kind of a shut in, I never talked to many people,” said Sam Peterson, a first year high-school jumpstart student at MCCC. “It’s definitely helped me branch out”

Leavey also said that the administration should take a clear stance on the issue, and the consequences of bullying on campus. “The administration should put out an e-mail stating that discrimination on campus will not be tolerated.”

The post LGBT students seek shift in campus climate appeared first on The VOICE.

Trenton Thunder catcher, JR Murphy swings at a pitch from RIchmond Flying Squirrel Justin Valdez during the first inning of the April 12, 2013 game at Arm and Hammer Park. Photo by Sam Foster.

The Trenton Thunder won their second home game of the season with a 5-3 win against the Richmond Flying Squirrels on April 12 at the newly named Arm & Hammer park. The game was called short by umpires at the beginning of the 8th inning due to weather conditions.On their home opener, the Thunder won 6-5 in 11 innings against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The second home game wasn’t quite as exciting as the home opener.

One of the stars on the team is catcher JR Murphy. The 22 year-old catcher has 18 RBIs (Runs Batted In) and 4 home runs as of May 7. This is Murphy’s second season behind the plate for the Trenton Thunder.

Before the April 12 game, the Thunder’s Manager, Tony Franklin, said that he was very impressed when JR Murphy joined the team last season. “It was a heck of an addition,” said Franklin.

Franklin also said that the quickest catcher he has ever seen was Johnny Bench, now a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, and that Murphy is almost as fast. “I can’t say he is as quick but he is pretty close.” He also said that the catcher “was quite exceptional” during the home opener.

The Thunder added new players to their roster this season. One of the new acquisitions is pitcher Caleb Cotham. Cotham was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2009 MLB draft. Cotham ended last year playing for the single-A Tampa Yankees where he finished the season with 101.1 IP ( innings pitched) according to the Trenton Thunder website.

Cotham told the VOICE, he is excited to be at a AA class team. “It is nice to advance a level, which I did. I am fortunate in that.”

Caleb Cotham has been playing baseball since he was five, and he is still passionate about it. “For whatever reason I’ve kept the passion,” said Cotham. “I am fortunate I got good parents that didn’t push me, didn’t put me through any situation kinda let me do my own thing and I just kept at it and kinda snowballed in college and now I’m here.”

Cotham’s early passion for baseball is being repeated by seven year old Zach Reanhart from Yardley, PA. Zach was one of the 3,655 fans that, despite the weather, went to the ARM & HAMMER park to watch the Thunder’s second consecutive victory over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on April 12.

The seven year old told the VOICE that his passion for baseball started when he was four. “I was watching a Phillies game on tv and it just hit me,” said Reanhart.

Jackie Reanhart, Zach’s mom, said that he loves baseball. “It comes after eating and sleeping.” According to Mrs Reanhart, Zach’s room “is full of Trenton Thunder’s stuff.” She also said that more than the team, he loves the players. “They [the players] are his gods,” said Mrs Reanhart.

As of May 7, the Thunder has a record of 17 wins and 14 losses, which places them in 2nd in the Eastern League Eastern division, behind the Portland Sea Dogs with 19 wins and 10 losses. The top two teams in each division earn a spot in the playoffs.

The Trenton Thunder Arm & Hammer park is located at One Thunder Road, Trenton NJ. The schedule can be found at www.trentonthunder.com.

The post The Trenton Thunder leads off the season with a double appeared first on The VOICE.

Dan Denton at batting practice before the game against Lackawanna. Photo by Matt Arnold.

The Mercer baseball team swept a doubleheader against rival Lackawanna College in West Windsor on Saturday, April 27. This was the first meeting between the teams since Lackawanna defeated Mercer in last year’s Region 19 Championship.

In two tight games, the Vikings defeated the team ranked seventh in the nation winning the first game 6-4 and the second game 6-3.

In the four meetings between Mercer and Lackawanna last season, Mercer failed to win a single game, but by winning the only two meetings this season, Mercer secured the top overall seed and a bye for the Region 19 Tournament.

Each game of the doubleheader had innings that swung the momentum in the Vikings direction and in the first game of the series, it was the sixth inning. With Lackawanna batting in the top of the sixth, Mercer was clinging to a 3-2 lead with two outs and runners on first and third. Looking to force the issue, Lackawanna sent the runner from first who was gunned down at second by Mercer Catcher Andrew Immordino to end the threat and preserve the one-run lead.

“We spend a lot of time and energy on controlling the running game and I think throwing out a runner there swung the momentum back in our favor,” said Mercer Head Coach Kevin Kerins.

The caught-stealing out ended Lackawanna’s threat in the top of the inning. Freshmen Mark Tomei led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single.

The next hitter, cleanup man, sophomore Dan Denton turned on an inside fastball and launched it approximately 400 feet, sailing over the trees behind the left field fence for a two-run homerun. Denton’s longball gave the Vikings a 5-2 lead.

Coach Kerins spoke about the significance of Tomei’s infield single, “Mark (Tomei) has been doing a great job for us all year and his single to lead off the sixth set the tone for the inning,” the Mercer skipper said, “his speed and threat of stealing gets Dan (Denton) more fastballs.”

Lackawanna rallied again in the seventh scoring two runs off a couple singles and two wild pitches. Mercer’s freshman closer Joe DiGiovanni would eventually leave a runner stranded on third by striking out Lackawanna outfielder Ian Redetzky looking, to end the game and preserve a 6-4 victory over the Norsemen.

Denton, nicknamed ‘Stache’ for his Rollie Fingers-like mustache, was prepared for the at-bat. “They were throwing me a lot of fastballs, but with two strikes you have to be looking for anything to hit and I got a fastball I was able to turn on,” said Denton.

Tomei and Denton have been standouts all season long. Tomei is leading the team in batting average at .375 and Denton has provided power from the four-spot as the team leader in home runs, with three, and RBIs, with 26 on the season.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Vikings used small ball and timely hitting to scratch out runs. It began in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Denton.

After Freshman shortstop Heath Filmeyer singled putting runners at first and third with one out, designated hitter, Sophomore, Darren Heisse executed a perfect hit and run, grounding the ball past the Lackawanna shortstop Luis De’Oleo, who had vacated his position to cover second. Heisse’s hit and run single scored Denton from third to give Mercer a 2-0 advantage.

The Vikings added four more runs in the third inning by beating out infield singles and scoring on wild pitches. Coach Kerins has been preaching fundementals all season. “We have gotten our team to take pride in the little things,” Kerins said, adding, “in big games it’s the things that don’t require talent that help you win”.

Lackawanna rallied in the top of the fourth by loading the bases. Shortstop Luis De’Oleo scorched a ball into left center, but it was speared by Mark Tomei who darted full speed into the gap to track it down. Although one run scored on the sac fly to make the score 6-1, Mercer avoided further damage by not allowing any more runs in the inning.

Mercer held on to a 6-3 victory in the second game to give the Vikings a sweep of the doubleheader and earn a little sense of redemption.

Kerins downplayed the rivalry stating, “the sophomores and the coaching staff let the team know that playing Lackawanna is not ‘just another game’ but this doubleheader had more to it; recruiting and national ranking implications, regional tournament seeding and a bye in the regional tournament were at stake”. The first round bye for the Region 19 tournament will put the Vikings in good position to succeed.

Defeating Lackawanna is sure to have ranked Mercer top 20 in the nation. The Vikings ended the regular season at 32-13 and they now prepare for the Region 19 Championship Tournament at the Del-Tech Owens campus in Delaware. The tournament runs from Friday May 10th-Sunday May 12th.

Although the ball club exacted a measure of revenge on April 27th they know they could see Lackawanna again on May 12.

The post Mercer’s men baseball team win against rival Lakawanna College appeared first on The VOICE.

Professor Otten in his office at LA 173. Photo by Zac Santanello.

Anyone who’s visited the LA building and walked its hallway past room 173 has seen the table containing books and other literature. A sign posted above admonishes any would-be takers to refrain from being “greedy.”

The books and the table that holds them belong to Professor Ted Otten of the English Department. The purpose of that table is to allow the material to be recycled rather than trashed. For Otten, to dispose of books is “criminal.” His one lament with regard to the table is that “very seldom do people say ‘thank you’” for the items.

A mainstay on campus since 1968, Professor Otten will retire at the end of this year.

Otten, who hails from Williston Park, Long Island, has been an educator for the past 48 years, 45 of which he has spent teaching at MCCC. He completed his undergraduate education at St. John’s University and went on to receive a master’s degree in American Literature from New York University.

Prior to joining the faculty at MCCC, he taught high school for the NYC public school system.

His career at MCCC has included courses in community service, Italian opera, and film into literature. But Otten is perhaps best known for his teaching of English 101.

He is also regarded for his sharp wit and refusal to temper words. “Times have changed; I have not,” said Otten. “I don’t find the atmosphere very friendly anymore.”

He cited a sense of entitlement along with a decreasing sense of responsibility among students, as well as a change in attitude of some of his colleagues in the English department, as factors in his decision to retire.

Otten’s professorship at MCCC has been almost five decades long, starting when the only campus was located in Trenton. “The beginning was a challenge,” he said, alluding to a time when the classrooms were empty office buildings. When the campus was expanded to the present location in West Windsor, he went along for the ride.

Laura Knight, fellow Professor of English at MCCC, who has known Otten for the past 29 years said, “I’m very sad that he’s retiring. [He is]one of the smartest, most caring professors that Mercer has had the luck to have.”

“I will miss his straightforward manner,” said Knight, noting his willingness to “tell it the way it is.”

Dean Robin Schore, head of the Liberal Arts Department and a 40-year colleague of Otten, echoed Knight’s sentiments.

“[He] has one of the nastiest senses of humor on campus [and has] polished the art of being a curmudgeon to perfection,” said Schore.

Another person who can attest to Otten’s unique sense of humor is Tatiana Dodge. Dodge, currently an Administrative Specialist of Student Activities at MCCC, is a graduate of the class of 2010 and a former student of Otten’s, having taken his English composition course during her time as a student.

“His sense of humor is out of this world,” she recalled.

She also noted that Otten “didn’t mess around,” holding high expectations for his students and exhibiting a “passion for the art of writing.”

In addition to his passion for writing, Otten has long been dedicated to radio. He currently hosts two programs on the college’s radio station, WWFM. Strike Up the Band, now in its fourth year, showcases Otten’s selections of Big Band music.

The Dress Circle, which he has co-hosted for the past 29 years, deals with the musical aspects of both Broadway and Hollywood.

Winifred Howard, producer of The Dress Circle and Program Manager for JazzOn2, has worked with Otten at the radio station for the past 16 years.

“I’m honored to be a part of it,” she said of her time working with Otten. “Having a faculty member volunteer for the station gives us a certain cache.”

While Ms. Howard characterized Otten’s retirement from teaching as “a loss to the school,” she did note that there is a silver lining: “MCCC’s loss will be WWFM’s gain,” she said.

In addition to his radio programs, Otten intends to spend more time traveling after he retires. He currently visits London twice a year to attend operas, and he hopes to increase the frequency with which he goes abroad.

Otten’s final class will be offered in the Spring semester of 2014, after his official retirement.

The post Professor Otten retires after nearly five decades at Mercer appeared first on The VOICE.

While Sayen Gardens is a popular spot for weddings and events, the history of it’s pollution is in contention. Photo by Dan Asnis.

The alleged pollution caused by Mercer Rubber Company at Hamilton’s Sayen Gardens is still under contention, despite years of community concern and government investigations.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) examined samples of water and soil from Sayen Gardens in October 2006, following recommendations by the Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH).

The “Mercer Rubber Off-Site Investigation Fact Sheet,” published in September 2007 by the NJDEP concluded that “some areas of Sayen Gardens continue to have levels of contaminants above the most restrictive soil cleanup criteria.”

In the January 2013 Times of Trenton article by Mike Davis entitled, “For those near old Mercer Rubber Co., a mystery remains,” an area resident, Bruce Bovasso, surveyed his neighbors and petitioned state and federal agencies regarding the pollution in Sayen Gardens.

Bovasso actions spurred the state into conducting the 2006 testing. Bovasso told Mike Davis, “They substantiated a lot of what we believed, but they never really could connect the dots,” Bovasso said. “They were never really able to say, ‘This was here, that happened and caused cancer.’”

Sayen Gardens, a botanical garden, in the middle of the suburban spiral of Hamilton Township is 2 miles from MCCC’s West Windsor campus at the corner of Hughes Drive and Mercer Street.

The park includes the Sayen House, where the late Frederick and Anne Sayen lived and the gardens. Next to the gardens was the Mercer Rubber Company, Sayen’s former family business. Mercer Rubber was first opened in 1866 by the Sayen family and was sold in 1982 to Mason Industries from Long Island.

Over the years, there has been some controversy over the pollution that allegedly took place in the park. Some residents have been suspicious of what may have been dumped at Sayen Gardens, the former site of the Mercer Rubber Company, and that it may be leading to health concerns in the area.

The 2007 NJDEP report also indicated that the high levels of contaminants did not pose a risk to the public.

Lester Finch, Chair of Hamilton Township’s Environmental Commission said in an email that in the three years that he has been Commission chair, “there has been no discussion specific to Sayen Gardens and/or pollution at the site.”

When the rubber company closed in 1993, the land was redeveloped as upscale housing. Over the years, questions have been raised about exactly what remains at the site from Mercer Rubber and what waste may have been disposed of by the company on the Sayen property across the street.

During the past two decades, the Sayen House and Gardens have become popular venues for both private and public events. Eileen Gore, Hamilton Township’s Municipal clerk, serves as the President of the Trustees of the Friends of Sayen Gardens.

Originally, the friends oversaw events at the house, but a law change in 2008 put that function in the hands of the township. The current role of the Friends of Sayen Gardens, according to Gore, is “to fundraise monies and provide some touches to the house.” The Friends of Sayen Gardens holds a number of fundraising events, such as wine tastings. The fundraising is necessary because “the township doesn’t always have money to make the improvements,” said Gore.

When asked about the continuing allegations of pollution, Hamilton Director of Public Works David Carothers responded via email: “The extent of the debris that is located in [Sayen Gardens] is unknown at this time, due to the fact that it has been overgrown with vegetation over the years. Heavy equipment will be required to get into this area, excavation will need to be done with DEP approval and possibly permits.”

The post Mercer Rubber Company alleged pollution at Sayen Gardens is still debatable appeared first on The VOICE.

Trenton residents played a pick-up game of basketball during SouperFest held at the Trenton War Memorial. Photo by Kyle Kondor.

The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) celebrated its thirtieth anniversary at the Trenton War Memorial on April 20, 2013 by hosting a one-day festival called SouperFest to thank the community for its support.

SouperFest attendees donated 6,000 pounds of canned food to support TASK. People dropped off the goods into yellow buckets placed at the event’s entrance.

TASK Executive Director of six and half years, Dennis Micai, says he was very pleased with the event’s turnout. “One of the beauties of this event was everyone coming together, enjoying themselves, having a great day, and showing that, in the city of Trenton, some good things can happen. Hopefully this will motivate others to do things like we did,” said Micai.

At the festival were more than 250 volunteer workers, more than 1,700 guests, and live entertainment such as clowns, musicians, artists, magicians and more. Some of the activities at SouperFest included a free throw competition hosted by Rider basketball players, and an on-stage dance-along hosted by The Trenton Education Dance Institute.

The event was made possible by TASK’s very first endowment campaign that they completed just in time to host their first ever event of the sort.

According to Micai, TASK’s mission has three parts: feeding the hungry, helping people become self-sufficient, and advocating for those in need.

Former Mercer adjunct professor of photography Gary Saretzki and his wife, Cathy, attended SouperFest. They have been donating time and goods to TASK since 1983. “They do such a good job here, and they don’t waste their money. They use it for all the right reasons,” said Cathy Saretzki.

Micai repeatedly credited his dedicated staff comprised of 3,000 volunteers and donors for TASK’s 30 years of success. The volunteers come from local businesses and corporations, church groups, school clubs from colleges and high schools, while others serve just to do community service.

TCNJ senior Jennifer Ullrich volunteers at TASK eight hours every week. She attended SouperFest on behalf of TCNJ’s Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement.

Ullrich explained why she continues to volunteer for TASK: “I really enjoy getting to know the patrons, and the staff here works very hard. It’s good to see smiles on the faces of those in need, because then you know the hard work has paid off.”

In addition to their large volunteer network, TASK employs 23 part time workers who do a lot more than just serve food. In the past 18 months, TASK tutors have helped 35 people obtain their GED.

Dianne Alston of Mount Holly, NJ was a first-time TASK volunteer at the festival, serving free pre-portioned lunches all day. The meals included pasta salad, turkey and ham sandwiches, with a side of yogurt, an apple and a granola bar.

“It’s a fulfillment for me to give back to those who don’t have. It’s also nice to see all the activities here that give the kids something to do,” said Alston.

TASK assists an estimated 4,000 people and serves about 210,000 meals annually between the main location and its’ six satellite locations throughout Mercer County. All of this is made possible by the 2.2 million dollars TASK raises each year. Since they are a non-profit organization, any amount they raise that exceeds 2.2 million dollars is saved, put in the endowment fund, and used for events such as SouperFest.

The post SouperFest, hosted by the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, celebrated TASK’s 13th anniversary appeared first on The VOICE.

Cornelius Boakai, who was studying Communications at Mercer, was the fifth of five students lost to gun violence during the 2012-2013 school year. Photo from Boakai’s Facebook profile.

Five Mercer students have been murdered since September of 2012. All five lost their lives due to gun violence in Trenton.

The dead include:

Ruschell Fireall, 42, a former student, who was a Criminal Justice major through 2008, was shot multiple times outside of her car following a high speed chase by her attacker on November 12. The alleged shooter is William Marshall against whom Ruschell had a restraining order.

Tre Lane was 19 years old when he was shot in the chest during a drive-by shooting, on September 22, 2012. He was studying Computer Science at Mercer. Three other people were wounded in the shooting, and Lane had been using his body to shield two friends from the gunfire when he was fatally wounded.

Benjamin DaVila Jr. was the victim of a drive by shooting while sitting on the porch of his grandparents house on Calhoun Street on October 10, 2012. DaVila was 23 years old and was studying Graphic Design at Mercer.

James Austin, who had 5 month old twin daughters, was shot in the chest in a private residence on East State Street on February 26, 2013. Austin was studying Business Administration and was the son of a retired Trenton police Sgt.

The most recent victim was Communications: New Media major Cornelius Boakai, 21, who was murdered on April 11. According to official reports, Boakai was struggling with an unknown assailant when he was shot in the back at 7:35 PM. He was taken to the Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 8:00 PM.

When asked for additional details regarding the death, Trenton Police Department Detective Lieutenant Stephen Varne declined to comment, noting the ongoing nature of the criminal investigation.

Two memorial services were held in remembrance of the slain students, one on April 30 on the JKC campus, the other on May 8 at the West Windsor Campus.

Speakers included: Dean of Students Dr. Diane Campbell; James Kerney Campus Provost Monica Weaver; Communications Professor Alvyn Haywood, and Boakai’s father, Morris among others.

Third semester communications major Tanequa Clark, who lost her aunt to gun violence, spoke at the West Windsor memorial. “When it hits close to home, you can’t run from pain, you can’t run from violence, you can’t run from life itself,” she said.

Professor Haywood told The VOICE that the memorial was “For people to be able to express themselves, to grieve, and to share in their affections for those who are left.”

Dean Campbell explained, “They were victims of street violence. That was the commonality.” Dean Campbell said that the victims “were students who were on their way to try to have better lives and that’s what their families were expecting for them.”

Janisa Alicea, first year Communications: New Media major and classmate of Cornelius, said of her peer, “I was really shocked more than anything, and after the shock I cried for a few days.” She added, “I didn’t go to class for one day because I couldn’t. I just couldn’t go into class knowing that he wouldn’t be there when I got in there.”

Boakai’s mother, Selina, said that his dream had been to become a sports analyst. He had recently joined the Gattaca football program and was playing cornerback.

First semester Liberal Arts major, Cameron Harper, a friend and teammate of Cornelius said, “He was a very nice guy, always liked to have fun, to talk to everybody. He was never shy. He always had a smile on his face.”

Professor Steven Voorhees who had Boakai in his TV production class said, “When I learned that he had been killed, my heart just sank. It’s a feeling that you don’t feel often in your life, its hard to describe that.”

Voorhees continued, “It really puts everyone on the same level, it is not teacher and students, it is a room of people who cared about another person who lost their life.”

When reached for comment, other members of the Boakai family declined to be interviewed, citing the ongoing police investigation.

The Trenton Police Department conducted a gun buyback program during the last week of January in 2013 and recovered 2,603 firearms. That statistic includes more than 1,000 handguns and over 100 sawed off shotguns.

However, as noted in previous VOICE article published on February 18, 2013 gun buybacks have not proven successful by any research measurement; analysts have suggested this is the case in part because the kinds of guns relinquished are not the ones used in street violence and in part because the type of people who give up their arms are not the ones most likely to commit crime.

One effort at street crime reduction in Trenton that did produce results, however, was called Operation Ceasefire in 2008. Despite the measurable drop in gun crime, budget cuts caused the program to be discontinued in 2010.

In 2012, the Trenton Police Force was cut by 30 percent, and statistics show that crime rose 12 percent during the first 7 months of that period.

Benjamin DaVila – 10/10/2012

James Austin – 02/26/2013

Ruschell Fireall – 11/12/2012

Tre Lane – 09/22/2012

The post Gun violence in Trenton is cause of death of five Mercer students since last year appeared first on The VOICE.