Pictured from left: Alissa Paulison, Paul Brennan, Briana Burkert, Sara Catherine Lichon, Lindsey J. Gray, Jerard Guevarra, Reeve Olivia Harden, Thomas Morel, Jimmy Grissman

Nine Ramapo College students presented recently at the Northeast Regional Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity Conference of the Council of Public and Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). The annual two-day conference was held at Mansfield University, Pennsylvania.

“Showcasing their research, scholarly interests, and artistic creativity, Ramapo College was excellently represented across the five schools by our students,” said Ramapo College Vice Provost Emily A. Williams.

Students, who are juniors and seniors and did their research under the guidance of faculty mentors, presented their works in poster and oral presentation form. They are:

• Paul Brennan — “Technology, Family, and Semiotics in Videodrome” (faculty mentor Todd Barnes)

• Brianna Burkert –– “Instagram Happiness: PDA and Relationships” (faculty mentor David C. Oh)

• Lindsey J. Gray – “New Methods to Probe and Explore Magnetoelastic Properties of Amorphous Ferromagnetic Alloys” (faculty mentors Catalin Martin and Philip Anderson)

• Jimmy Grissman — “The Politics of Sister Wives: Is Polygyny Misogynistic” (faculty mentor Rebecca Root)

• Jerard Guevarra –– “The Effectiveness of Snapchat and Instagram as Promotion Tools and Experimental Study” (faculty mentor Christine Chung)

• Reeve Olivia Harden — “The Experience of Pain: The Impact of Personal Characteristics on Perceptions” (faculty mentor Nicholas Salter)

• Sara Catherine Lichon — “Identity Crisis: How the Outcome of the Cold War Affects Our Understanding of the Crisis in the Ukraine” (faculty mentor Tae Kwak)

• Thomas Morel –– “Rank Up: An Autoethnography on Masculinity in Gaming Space” (faculty mentor David C. Oh)

• Alissa Paulison – “Identity Construction” and “Chaos and Connection” (faculty mentor Ann LePore)

Ramapo College is one of eight regional COPLAC participants in the Northeast. Students at COPLAC institutions have the opportunity to present the results of their undergraduate research at regional conferences where they can meet and discuss their work with peers and faculty members. COPLAC is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality, public liberal arts education in a student-centered residential environment.

Ramapo College of New Jersey Music Program Announces Launch of New Record Label and First Release

The Ramapo College Music Program is proud to announce the launch of RAMIX RECORDINGS, a new college-based independent record label. Ramix is dedicated to developing and promoting Ramapo student talent and providing Music Industry majors with hands-on, real world experience. The label released its first recording in November, Ramix Volume 1, a compilation featuring 14 Ramapo student artists and bands.

Ramix is an important new addition to the Music Program, which already has a strongly contemporary focus and has experienced tremendous growth in the past several years. Recent graduates have found great success in the popular music and entertainment industries, and the new label is designed to help students to start building their careers as performing/recording artists and music industry professionals while still in school. In addition, the label will give the Music Program broader exposure, increasing its profile nationally and internationally. The school’s state of the art Les Paul Studio, created thanks to a grant from the Les Paul Foundation, opened in 2016 and will serve as the primary production facility for Ramix releases.

Ramix Volume 1 will feature 13 songs by different Ramapo current students and 2017 graduates. The recording will be released as a series of individual songs through all major digital outlets such as Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes, as well as on a limited edition CD. The wide ranging genres represented on the first release include R&B, hip-hop, rock, EDM, dubstep, and jazz/orchestral, reflecting the Music Program’s diverse student interests.

Highlights include Maple Leaves by experimental R&B artist Ehiorobo, who has gained critical praise from major national press outlets and established a strong online following; The Scientist, a dubstep track by 8.0.Ace aka Jason Travers who has released music on Canadian label Defco; and the electronic/world music hybrid Venezuela by Black Tibet aka Theo Sayers.

All of the music was written by the student artists, and most of the recordings were produced in the school’s on-campus recording and production facilities.

The development and launch of the label was part of the curriculum for the Spring 2017 upper level Music Industry courses, and the ongoing process of producing future recordings will be integrated into subsequent classes and research projects. A record release concert on the Ramapo campus is being planned, details to be announced soon. The label’s website, www.ramixrecordings.com, will coincide with the launch of the recording.

For information, contact Benjamin Neill, Associate Professor of Music (Industry and Production) and Executive Producer of RAMIX Recordings at bneill@ramapo.edu or 201-684-6283.

Pictured cutting the cake are: President Mercer, Board of Trustees Chair William F. Dator, Trustee Susan Vallario, SGA President Stephan Lally and students from the SGA.

Ramapo College Celebrates 48th Year at Founders’ Day Event

Ramapo College of New Jersey celebrated its 48th birthday during a celebration of Founders’ Day in November at the historic Havemeyer Arch and in the campus Grove. The event was sponsored by the Student Government Association and the Office of the President.

“I’d like to thank the Student Government for its enthusiastic support,” said President Peter P. Mercer, who also acknowledged several of the founding faculty members who are still with the College: Paul Elovitz (Associate Professor of History, Psychohistory and Interdisciplinary Studies); Michael Fluhr (Associate Professor of Politics and Social Processes) and Edward Saiff (Interim Dean, School of Theoretical and Applied Science). Also in attendance was Board of Trustees Chair William F. Dator, who also has been actively involved with the College since its founding.

The event coincided with the first-ever Day of Giving, an initiative to help provide countless student scholarships, fund faculty-student research and support special College projects.

Faculty, staff and students enjoyed a delightful lunch buffet and refreshments and festivities included a photo booth, music, a caricaturist and a t-shirt tie-dying table.