HINDU\’S SAY: TCNJ refuses to withdraw its newspaper labelling Hinduism as “unforgiving”

Despite Hindu protest, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing is refusing to withdraw printed copies of its student newspaper “The Signal” from various locations, which states “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”.

“…we decline your requests to retrieve printed copies of The Signal or to remove the article”, “The

Signal” Editor-in-Chief Emmy Liederman wrote yesterday in an email to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest. The printed January 29 issue of \”The Signal\” (Spring 2020 No. 1) in PDF, hosted by Issuu, carrying this objectionable statement, also continues to be posted on “The Signal” website.

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It was highly inappropriate and insensitive for the newspaper of a “Top Public College” funded by tax dollars and student fees (many of whom were Hindu) to belittle Hinduism, world’s oldest and third largest religion with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said in Nevada today.

Despite repeated requests through emails by Rajan Zed to the College President Dr. Kathryn A. Foster and others, the student newspaper containing “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”, continues to be available in many campus locations and its website. This type of continual and unwarranted denigration of their religion was heartbreaking for the Hindu community in general and the Hindu student population of TCNJ in particular, Zed noted.

Zed had also urged New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis to launch an enquiry into it; and TCNJ Trustees Chair Susanne Svizeny and President Foster to offer a formal apology to the Hindu community. Zed is also requesting an introductory article about Hinduism in the next edition of “The Signal” to clear the misconceptions thus created.

Such a derogatory statement against a religion coming out of a public educational institution was really shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community; which had made lot of contributions to New Jersey, USA and society in general; and continued to do so; Rajan Zed added.

Is this how TCNJ accomplishes its Mission of developing “responsible citizens”, Vision of serving “as a national exemplar of public higher education”, Values of \”treat each other with civility and respect\” and “committed to building a diverse and inclusive community\”; Zed wonders.

Rajan Zed further said that Hindus were for free speech and artistic expression as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees.

The feature-article, which began with “Hinduism is an unforgiving religion”, was written by \”Nation & World Editor\” of award-winning “The Signal” (among the oldest collegiate weeklies, since 1855).

“Highly selective” awards-winning TCNJ, on 289 tree-lined acres, enrolls about 7,400 graduate and undergraduate students and offers over 50 programs.

There are about three million Hindus in USA. New Jersey reportedly has the highest percentage of Hindus in the nation.

Devitt powers TCNJ women over Rutgers-Camden

EWING, N.J. (Jan. 4, 2020) – Junior forward Shannon Devitt scored a game-high 27 points and sophomore guard/forward Rachel Gazzola added 18 to lead The College of New Jersey women’s

basketball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 66-53, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Saturday afternoon.

The victory snapped the Lions’ two-game losing streak and lifted TCNJ to 7-5 overall and 4-1 in the conference. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 5-5 overall and 0-5 in the NJAC with their fourth straight loss.

TCNJ has won its last five games against Rutgers-Camden and leads the all-time series, 59-12.

The Scarlet Raptors had a quick start, jumping out to a 13-6 lead before TCNJ closed the gap to 15-10 after one quarter. Rutgers-Camden led by as many as five points in the second quarter (23-18) and held a 25-21 advantage before the Lions scored the last five points of the half to take a 26-25 lead into the break. They took the lead for good with 10 seconds remaining in the first half on a jumper by senior forward Jen Byrne.

TCNJ led by as many as 15 points, 66-51, late in the game.

Devitt notched 18 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to power the Lions. In addition to Gazzola, Byrne also finished in double figures, scoring 11 points. Devitt added a game-high four steals and seven rebounds, while Byrnes had a game-high five assists and six boards.

Morgan Heller paced the Lions with nine rebounds, tying for game-high honors with the Scarlet Raptors’ senior guard

Fatimah Williams.

Williams also had 13 points, three assists and three steals.

Sophomore guard/forward

Tamara Johnson

paced the Scarlet Raptors with 14 points, while adding eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Freshman center

Kayla Newton

notched 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots, tying Devitt for game-high honors in blocks.

Freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

also added eight rebounds for the Raptors, while collecting eight points.

Rutgers-Camden held a 48-40 advantage off the boards, but also made 20 turnovers to the Lions’ 15. The Scarlet Raptors shot 22-for-64 (34.4 percent) from the floor and 5-for-15 (33.3) from the foul line. TCNJ went 24-for-64 (37.5) from the floor and 10-for-16 (62.5) from the line.

The Scarlet Raptors return to action Monday night with a 6 p.m. non-conference game at Penn State-Abington.

Destin on doorstep of milestone, but Raptors fall to TCNJ men

EWING, N.J. (Jan. 4, 2020) – Rutgers University-Camden senior forward

Isaac Destin

moved to within one point of reaching the 1,000-point milestone, but the Scarlet Raptors lost to The College of New Jersey, 83-65, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s basketball game here Saturday.

The Lions improved to 6-6 overall and 3-2 in the NJAC, while the Scarlet Raptors fell to 4-6 and 1-4.

TCNJ has won its last 10 games against Rutgers-Camden and holds a 67-18 lead in the all-time series.

Destin notched 20 points, aided by 8-for-16 shooting from the floor and a 4-for-7 day from the foul line, to raise his career point total to 999. He should become the 14th player in program history to reach 1,000 points when the Scarlet Raptors play a 7 p.m. non-conference game Monday at Gwynedd Mercy University.

Despite Destin’s fifth game of the season with 20 or more points, the Scarlet Raptors couldn’t counter the TCNJ duo of senior guard Randy Walko and senior forward Ryan Jensen. Walko scored a game-high 32 points, aided by 7-for-11 shooting from three-point range, and added nine rebounds, while Jenson notched 21 points and added five assists.

Walko scored 18 of his points in the second half as TCNJ opened up its 48-40 halftime lead.

Junior guard P.J. Ringel added six assists and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Lions.

Destin paced the Raptors with seven rebounds and a game-high four steals, to go along with his team-high 20 points. Junior guard

Arian Azemi

notched 15 points and added a game-high seven assists, while junior guard

Victor Nyanway

scored eight points and sophomore guard

Keysean Simmonds

added seven. The Raptors received six points apiece from sophomore forward

Jake Petrik

and junior center

Roy Bond.

Rutgers-Camden shot 26-for-65 (40 percent) from the floor and won the turnover battle (17-9), but the Lions’ field goal shooting (27-for-54, 50 percent) included 11-for-28 shooting from three-point range. They also held a 43-28 advantage off the boards.