Westfield Student Strikes Up the Band To Build Neurodiverse Community At Rutgers

WESTFIELD, NJ — For Ben Wancier, finding community at Rutgers University-New Brunswick was not easy at first.

The 19-year-old sophomore from Westfield, who is autistic and studies in the School of Arts and Sciences, said music became a way to build those connections.

Now, he is leading 8PAC, a new student band tied to the Open Arms community on Livingston campus.

The five-member group performed its first official appearance during the fifth annual Rutgers NeuroAccessibility Summit on Oct. 9 at the College Avenue Student Center.

The band plays songs including "Cantina Band," "Lean on Me" and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

Wancier said the name "refers to the eight original members from our first gig."

Wancier said he met several bandmates through "Chamber Jazz 3," a small-group performance course at the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Students from different academic backgrounds played together there, including at an event hosted by the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services.

He said he wants to recruit more students who love music and want a sense of belonging.

That idea grew out of his experience with the Jewish Community Center of Central New Jersey in Scotch Plains. Wancier worked during the summer at Camp Yachad, a day camp for children, and said, "There's a band there that plays every Friday afternoon. I actually loved listening to that band for years since I was a camper there."

He said Mike Goldstein, the center’s chief executive, encouraged him to join that group.

"He was one of the first people outside of high school to genuinely see my potential," said Wancier. "I wanted other musicians who are neurodivergent or have special needs to have that same experience.” He also said, “I want to get away from video games. I want to be involved in the real world."

Open Arms, now in its third year, is run by the Residence Life Department in the Division of Student Affairs at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

Rutgers says it was created as a supportive living-learning community where students can build connections, develop leadership skills, and advocate for their needs. Students do not have to identify as neurodivergent or as a person with a disability to join.

Kimberly Kosinski, assistant director for residential care with the Department of Residence Life at Rutgers-New Brunswick, said Wancier struggled during his first year.

"Ben felt in his first year here at Rutgers that he had a very difficult time finding community," she said. "His hope is that through this band other students won't have that same struggle that he did – and music could be a way for students to find a common interest and connect with one another."

Wancier said Kosinski and Deja Thompson, residential care coordinator for programming and outreach, have helped with rehearsal space, scheduling and performance opportunities.

"Kimberly and Deja are actually sort of our logistics, sort of like our managers," Wancier said. "They're just helping me out with booking gigs and finding space."

He said he hopes the group becomes a regular part of Residence Life programs and other campus events.

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