NEXT STEP The new criminal justice reform proposal will continue progress from the First Step Act
KYLIE JENNER As part of reality TV royalty, calling her “self-made” is doubtful
MEN’S BASKETBALL It is postseason time in Chicago for the Knights
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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
WEDNESDAY MARCH 13, 2019
Empty Chair campaigns for violence awareness
HackRU holds its annual competition for undergraduates
CATHERINE NGUYEN NEWS EDITOR
CATHERINE NGUYEN NEWS EDITOR
Last weekend approximately 600 students participated in HackRU, a 24-hour hackathon hosted by Major League Hacking and the Undergraduate Student Alliance of Computer Scientists (USACS), where they SEE UNDERGRADUATES ON PAGE 4
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Approximately 600 students attended this year’s HackRU, which is the largest hackathon in New Jersey and also one of the oldest student-run hackathons in the nation. BENJAMIN CHELNITSKY
This week, purple folding chairs have been scattered across campuses in New Brunswick as part of the annual Empty Chair campaign hosted by the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA). “The campaign raises awareness and seeks to prevent incidents of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and other
forms of interpersonal violence on campus,” said William Pauwels, coordinator of special programs for VPVA. Each of the chairs contain a sheet with stories that are fictional, but based on real experiences from survivors of interpersonal violence. Since these issues affect people from a variety of backgrounds and identities, VPVA also made sure to present stories that SEE AWARENESS ON PAGE 5
Health team receives $29 M grant for clinic treatment development CATHERINE NGUYEN NEWS EDITOR
A research team led by Rutgers has been given a $29 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to develop treatments for patients based on their laboratory and clinic results, according to TAPinto. The grant, which will cover five years of research, was awarded to the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science (RITMS), as well as Princeton University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. All of the schools will also be contributing financially to the program, which increases the total amount of funding given to $45 million, Rutgers officials said in a statement. The term “translational science” refers to using the obser vations taken in laboratories, clinics and settings in the community to create interventions to improve
people’s health. This involves diagnosing the patient, medical procedures, behavioral interventions and other measures, according to the article. “The ultimate goal is bringing more evidence-based treatments to more patients more quickly,” said Reynold Panettieri, vice chancellor for Translational Medicine and Science and director of RITMS. The award they were given is part of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (CTSA). The program funded by the award will be named the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS). Rutgers, along with its two partner schools, will be working to build new infrastructure for research across New Jersey. The purpose of the infrastructure will be to give patients access to the most current methods of care in clinical trials. Data will also be analyzed as part of the program, which will be used to
see if there are trends in the health of the population. Research units involved in the program include the Adult Clinical Research and Pediatric Clinical Research Unit at Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and centers based at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute. Brian Strom, the chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) and executive vice president of the University’s health affairs, said the program would not have been possible without a combination of resources from the other universities, as well as funding from a partnership with RWJBarnabas Health. “It indicates to the world and to New Jersey industr y that New Jersey is now in the big leagues of academic clinical research,” Strom said.
Reynold Panettieri, the vice chancellor for Translational Medicine and Science, said the goal of translational science was to use observations to bring more evidence-based treatments. RUTGERS.EDU
Email to Rutgers community informs of meningitis outbreak BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN NEWS EDITOR
The specimens of the two meningitis B cases for Rutgers undergraduates have been found to have identical genes after special testing done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to an University email sent to the Rutgers community. “While we cannot predict whether there will be additional cases of meningococcal disease
on campus, having two cases occurring over a shor t time with genetically related organisms suggests that there is an outbreak associated with Rutgers University—New Brunswick,” the email stated. The University email strongly recommended members of the Rutgers community to get the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine, especially the following at-risk populations: all current and incoming undergraduates,
including transfers, and graduate students who live in off and oncampus housing. Meningitis vaccines for different strands that are required by the University do not protect against meningitis B, according to the email. “People in the at-risk populations above who have not previously received a MenB vaccine should receive the first dose as soon as possible,” the email stated.
The Rutgers community can receive the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine, provided by any student health center on campus. CURSTINE GUEVARRA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
VOLUME 151, ISSUE 28 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • OPINIONS ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 8• DIVERSIONS ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK
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Campus Calendar WEDNESDAY 3/13 Mason Gross School of the Arts presents “Dance Studies Lecture: Bill T. Jones” at 12:30 p.m. at Nicholas Music Center on Douglass campus. This event is free and open to the public. Special Collections and University Archives and Rutgers University Libraries present “Stolen Art and History: A Curator Uncovers Theft from the Edward Hopper Estate” from 4 to 6 p.m. at Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus. This event is free and open to the public. The Department of Nutritional Sciences presents “New Findings in Folate Homeostatis and Their Implications in Cancer Therapy” at 2:30 p.m. at Food Science and Nutritional Sciences Building East on Cook campus. This event is free and open to the public. THURSDAY 3/14 The Institute for Research on Women, Rutgers Global, Institute for Women’s Leadership, the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and the South Asian Studies Program present “Engendering
the Adivasi Question” from 4 to 6 p.m. at Ruth Dill Johnson Crockett Building on Douglass campus. This event is free and open to the public. Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program presents “Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program Seminar: Dr. Cynthia Downs ‘Immunology Across Biological Scales’” from 4 to 5 p.m. at Marine Sciences Building on Cook campus. This event is free and open to the public. Eagleton Institute of Politics presents “Kwame Anthony Appiah” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Eagleton Institute on Douglass campus. This event is free and open to the public. FRIDAY 3/16 Department of Plant Biology presents “Agronomy of Hemp” from 12:30 to 1:30 at Foran Hall on Cook campus. This event is free and open to the public. Mason Gross School of the Arts presents “Motion: New Dance Works” at 7:30 p.m. at Loree Gymnasium on Douglass campus. This event is $5 for students.
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Director weighs in on new maternity leave bill APARNA RAGUPATHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Last month, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) signed a bill to further expand and improve both the TDI and FLI programs as well as amend the New Jersey Family Leave Act to protect the jobs of small business workers who take an FLI-qualifying leave. The United States is currently the only developed country in the world that does not have paid maternity leave, said Yarrow Willman-Cole, assistant director of Policy Analysis and Community Engagement at the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University. Instead, the gender-neutral federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives employees job protection for up to 12 weeks while they take an unpaid leave for family or medical reasons, Willman-Cole said. New Jersey has, for decades, had a Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program that provides cash benefits to individuals who are deemed unable to work due to a non-workrelated injury or illness, including pregnancy. Willman-Cole said in 2008, a Family Leave Insurance (FLI) program was created to expand the state’s TDI program and extend benefits to individuals that had to care for a newborn, newly adopted child or seriously ill family member. Maternity leave, or the period of time leading up to delivery and after having a baby, falls into the category of temporary disability
and workers can receive partial wages from the TDI program while on maternity leave, Willman-Cole said. Gov. Murphy’s bill is not just about protecting workers’ jobs, but about removing barriers of access and making sure that workers can afford to take the leave, she said. For both the TDI and FLI programs, the wage replacement rate during leave will be increased. Currently, workers receive 66.7 percent of their average weekly wage during their leave with a cap at $650 per week. WillmanCole said under the revised law, workers will receive 85 percent of their average weekly wage with a cap at roughly $860 per week. This is particularly important for low-wage workers who have to receive essentially all of their wages to be able to afford the time off, Willman-Cole said. While TDI is already available for up to 26 weeks in a year, the law will double the available FLI period from 6 to 12 weeks. An important distinction between the two, Willman-Cole said, is that while the current program requires individuals to take leave for bonding in one-week increments, the new program allows workers to take off in smaller increments that can be spread out for convenience. The number of days available for intermittent use will also increase from 42 to 56 days in a year, William-Cole said. The bill also expands the definition of family. Currently, caregiving only applies to a child
under the age of 19, a spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner or parent. Now, the FLI defines family as anyone who is related to you by blood and anyone who is like family, Willman-Cole said. “It’s a pretty huge shift. It recognizes the reality that many people aren’t in traditional family arrangements and often rely on others for support,” she said. The bill also allows individuals to receive leave benefits if they
they can find a different job,” she said. “We seem to have difficulty passing protections when we talk about the collective, but I think that’s changing. We have been fighting for a number of years to show that there are collective benefits to providing paid leave.” New Jersey’s implementation of the bill is evidence-based and takes these collective benefits into account, thanks in part to the research done by the Rutgers University Center for Women and
“Oftentimes in the U.S., we think that if an employee doesn’t like the policies where they work, they can find a different job. We seem to have difficulty passing protections when we talk about the collective, but I think that’s changing.” YARROW WILLMAN-COLE Assistant Director of Policy Analysis and Community Engagement at the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University
are dealing with issues arising from sexual assault or domestic abuse, or caring for an individual dealing with those issues. While New Jersey’s Safe Act protects an individual’s job for up to 20 days in these situations, she said the bill makes taking necessary time off affordable. New Jersey is one among a handful of states that provide any type of paid leave and is at the forefront of what is being offered in the United States, Willman-Cole said. “Oftentimes in the U.S., we think that if an employee doesn’t like the policies where they work,
Work, Willman-Cole said. According to the center’s research reports, both men and women in states with paid family leave are less likely to receive public assistance such as food stamps, because they make use of the paid leave programs available to them. The center has also shown that paid family leave increases the economic productivity of women post-childbirth — their wages increase and they are more likely to remain in the workforce. Knowing these benefits exist, the bill aims to increase access to the programs, she said.
“If you think about what employees are notified about, you think about those giant posters in break rooms that tell you about your rights. Employers are probably posting that, but employers themselves are probably misinformed or unaware,” Willman-Cole said. The outreach will likely include traditional marketing such as ads on buses and billboards. She said another important piece of increasing awareness is developing collaborative relationships between the Department of Labor and community-based organizations like the NJ Time to Care Coalition. “Employees are going to be more apt to be aware of and take advantage of the programs if they’ve seen a billboard and then they’ve heard about it from their local library or social service organization,” Willman-Cole said. The grassroots initiatives of groups like the NJ Time to Care Coalition helped inform the bill as well, with workers taking the time to communicate with both the public and the state legislature about why the current program, while effective, did not meet their needs. While a very similar bill went through the state legislature last year, it was vetoed by former Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.). With new administration, grassroot efforts and the support of research, Willman-Cole said the opportunity was there for the changes to be implemented. The changes go into effect beginning July 1, 2020.
Maternity leave, which is the period of absence from work given to a mother before and after the birth of a child, is considered a temporary disability in New Jersey, so workers can receive partial wages from the Temporary Disability Insurance program. MAXPIXEL
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March 13, 2019
UNDERGRADUATES There are 20 different prize categories, including Best Magic-Related or Humor Hacker CONTINUED FROM FRONT
worked together to create and build software or hardware projects. Known as the largest hackathon in New Jersey and one of the oldest student-run hackathons in the nation, HackRU is an overnight event where participants spend 24 hours building their projects, which range anywhere from robots, social innovations, video games and more with the chance to win awards and prizes at the end, said Brandon Yu, the executive co-director of HackRU and a School of Arts and Sciences senior. This semester, HackRU was sponsored by 12 companies, including Facebook, Google Cloud, Smartcar, Linode and more. The “hackers,” or participants of HackRU, had opportunities to compete for 20 different prize categories, the prizes adding up to more than $13,000. Some of the prize categories included Best Rutgers Hack, Best Hardware Hack and Best Artificial Intelligence Hack. The theme for this semester was magic and fantasy, so another prize category was Best Magic-Related or Humor Hack. There was also a Best Failure to Launch Hack, as a consolation prize for those who spent the weekend building a project but failing to finish with a working product. One of the participants was Shrikar Patel, a School of Arts
and Sciences junior. He won second place in the prize category sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Merck, titled “Best Use of Merck API.” Aside from the competition and prizes, he said he enjoyed HackRU because of the opportunities to meet new people, industry experts and mentors. “HackRU was a great experience and I met a lot of new people with great ideas. It’s crazy to see how much technology can do, it almost seems like it has no limits,” Patel said. Yu said hackathons were important because they offer an environment where people and students can learn new skills, apply them, make connections, find potential job opportunities and join a community — all at once. Regardless of coding ability and academic interests, he said the event welcomed all students to participate. Before the actual hackathon, HackRU also offered free workshops that taught people the basics of certain skills. During HackRU, mentors were also present to help out participants. “The greatest thing someone can come out of a hackathon with isn’t a prize, but the experience — whether it’s meeting other creative and intelligent people, building their skills and relationships with their team members or enjoying a weekend full of free food, swag and events,” Yu said.
For 24 hours, participants of HackRU work to collaborate and build projects, which can range anywhere from robots, social innovations, video games and more. This semester, the event was sponsored by 12 companies, including Facebook, Google Cloud and Smartcar. BENJAMIN CHELNITSKY Heman Gandhi, the co-director of HackRU and a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said he was involved in producing the QR codes and judging tool for the event. The QR codes are beneficial because they help to provide tangible numbers on how many people get food at the event, and the judging tool allows projects to be assessed without doing the numbers by hand. Going into the work required to organize HackRU, Gandhi said
there was a team of 80 people that was heavily involved in planning. “Some anecdotes from just this semester include the fact that we rewrote our mobile app in three weeks — each day of which would have included hours on top of classes of coding work for the pair of developers who undertook this,” he said. “Before this, over Christmas, a separate team of three rewrote the website — another large sacrifice of free time.”
Harshil Parekh, a School of Engineering junior, has experience attending hackathons but said he always looks forward to the environment fostered by the people who competed in the events. “Everyone there is either working on one of the challenges, a personal project or just doing their homework and taking breaks throughout by participating in one of the mini events or indulging in the endless supply of snacks,” he said.
NJ close to passing marijuana legislation BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN
percent, and towns with growers can tax them 2 percent, according to the article. The final rules and regulations New Jersey became one step closer to legalizing recreational of the new industry will be passed marijuana yesterday, as Gov. Phil by a five-member Cannabis RegulaMurphy (D-N.J.) and top state tory Commission, according to the lawmakers have reached a tenta- article. But this would only happen tive deal, according to an article after the legislation has passed. Three members will be apby NJ Advance Media. The bill, which will tax $42 an pointed by Murphy and two by the legislature, ounce on state according to growers and the article. legalize recreThe bill will ational marijua“I believe that this also likely exna for people legislation will establish punge previous over 21, is set marto go for vote in an industry that brings low-level ijuana convicthe state legislafairness and economic tions, according ture on March to the article. 25, according to opportunity to all of But lawmakers the article. our communities ...” are quick to The tax on point out that growers is exPHIL MURPHY the vote is not pected to fall Governor of New Jersey certain to pass, back on conas they believe sumers, aca lot of work cording to the still needs to article. “I believe that this legislation be done to get the appropriate will establish an industry that amount of votes to pass both brings fairness and economic chambers of the legislature. If the bill were to pass on opportunity to all of our communities, while promoting public March 25, the industry would still safety by ensuring a safe product need time to get set up, according and allowing law enforcement to to the article. Murphy said his “best guess” focus their resources on serious would be that sales will begin crimes,” Murphy said. Towns with marijuana stores “early next year,” according to will be able to tax an additional 3 the article. NEWS EDITOR
Marijuana is illegal for recreational use, but is permitted for medical purposes in New Jersey. The proposed bill would tax $42 an ounce on state growers and legalize recreational marijuana for those over the age of 21. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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March 13, 2019
AWARENESS For Empty Chairs, 20 seats will be spread out among different departments, campuses CONTINUED FROM FRONT
reflect and represent all of these different experiences this year, Pauwels said. The campaign used chairs as a symbol because they represent how a person’s absence in a room can be due to circumstances that others are not aware of. In total, approximately 20 chairs will be spread out among different departments and campuses. The chairs serve as a way to capture people’s attention, since
others may not. There is no perfect survivor, everyone responds differently to violence,” he said. Some effects of interpersonal violence include PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts, hopelessness and anxiety, Pauwels said. These factors may be reasons why a survivor does not attend class, a club, an event or other activities, which impacts them throughout their college experience. Regarding Rutgers, a campus climate survey in 2015 found that 24 percent of undergraduate women reported experiences of sexual
with the resources that they can provide to their friends.” The campaign also hopes to highlight that the impact of interpersonal violence that go beyond physical and mental effects, such as influencing everyday life and routines.
“If you see someone missing within your class, groups or organizations, be mindful and aware that it isn’t out of the realm that interpersonal violence could have been a factor,” Pauwels said. “More importantly, I hope this
campaign adds to the ongoing conversation that interpersonal violence is real and occurs at Rutgers University … we all need to be of the conversation and movement to end violence along with being active bystanders.”
“Whether you’re a survivor or a friend, there is a good chance you know someone, or someone within your surrounding has experienced a form of violence.” WILLIAM PAUWELS Coordinator of Special Programs for the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance
they are strategically placed in spaces where chairs normally would not be found. The hope is that people passing by would ask why they are there in the first place, Pauwels said. As for the color of the chairs, purple is a color that represents both the VPVA and domestic violence awareness. Pauwels said interpersonal violence, along with trauma, affects people in a variety of ways, which is an important fact for people to realize. “A lot of people might question why survivors are able to perform certain tasks in their daily life, while
assault even before coming to the University. Twenty percent of undergraduate women at Rutgers reported at least one incidence of unwanted sexual contact since coming to the University. “Whether you’re a survivor or a friend, there is a good chance you know someone, or someone within your surrounding has experienced a form of violence,” Pauwels said. “There is also a very high chance that a survivor will first communicate their experiences to their friends, which is why it is so important for students to be aware of these issues, along
For the campaign, 20 chairs are placed across campus, containing sheets with fictional stories that are based on real experiences of survivors of interpersonal violence. INSTAGRAM
The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance is located at 3 Bartlett St. on the College Avenue Campus, and provides resources for those who have experienced forms of interpersonal violence such as stalking and sexual assault. RUTGERS.EDU
OPINIONS
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March 13, 2019
Students’ inhibitions leave for spring break
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s Rutgers embarks on its “do not ask, do not tell” week of YVONNE OLAYEMI trouble-making, mischief and potentially poor decision making, I cannot help but think about how significant the concept of spring break has become to our age demographic. A conversation that I was having with a few friends led to one of them posing the question: Is spring break really an excuse to wild out? By “wild out,” I mean go nuts, behave in a substantially less concerned manner, partake in scandalous or taboo activities, etc. I believe we have been socialized, especially as college students, to regard spring break as the time to disregard inhibitions and throw caution to the wind. But is this much-needed break from school enough justification for what goes on during the week? I am especially thinking about this, as many people I know are preparing to go to Florida and California for the break. Now, I am not saying that spring break has not always been a staple of debauchery and mild recklessness. I am sure we all remember MTV’s annual coverage of spring break, along with all of its vivid messiness. In fact, I used to eagerly anticipate finally getting to this age so that I could partake. But, there is no doubt that this generation of youth is a little different. It is not that we are necessarily any more or less wild, but rather that it is much easier to be outed for our spring break recreational activities. With the growing role of Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat as tools of exposing individuals and their shenanigans, it feels as though no one is safe. This advancement in surveillance, and consequent increase in nosiness, also brings to light the possibility that maybe we go a little too far when it comes to this particular vacation. Last academic year was the first time that I saw, first-hand, media’s relentless exposure of individuals just “having fun.” No gender, school or region was spared. If you made the bold decision to step foot on a beach at any point in that entire week, you were at risk. It was like prom weekend on crack. Alcohol, drugs, nakedness: The whole shebang. Twitter chronicled the launching of relationships as well as the public and messy deterioration of others. I was awe-stricken and confused as to whether participation in this college ritual was really worth all of the resulting drama.
LIFE AT RU
“We can live as a more reckless version of ourselves for a week, not fearing the consequences of our actions, and return home as if none of it ever happened.” Instagram and Twitter timelines were bombarded with pictures and videos of us — “us” meaning people of our age, area and even our school — for lack of a better term, wildin’ out. I saw singing, dancing and regular partying, which is to be expected. But I also saw a countless amount of alcohol-induced fights. I saw stripping of an already negligible amount of clothing due to what I presume was a combination of substance use and adrenaline overcoming restraint. I even saw individuals’ scandalous relations with strangers that can be characterized as about everything but sex. There has even been an ongoing joke at my job as spring break approaches, that those who are going to Miami should be careful so that they do not get stuck in the elevator with people having sex (a reference to last year’s very real Twitter scandal). Because I am a little older, and less removed from the college shenanigans that often surface around junior and senior year, I cannot help but jokingly ask myself: Why are we doing so much? Has spring break really always been this untamed? Would spring break really be spring break without this kind of enticingly problematic behavior? One could argue that spring break is incomplete without this isolated but nonetheless deviant activity. Whether you are one who actually goes on these trips over break, or if you are like me and live vicariously through the people who do via social media, it is fair to assert that one of the perks of being in this prime stage in life between childhood and adulthood is that we can do this. We can live as a more reckless version of ourselves for a week, not fearing the consequences of our actions, and return home as if none of it ever happened. Others may contrast that opinion in saying that social media has eradicated the anonymity and lack of consequence that was once associated with spring break tripping. As for me, I will not lie and say that I am necessarily turned of f to the idea of experiencing this college tradition before I graduate, in fact I do plan to next year. But that does not make me any less fear ful of what foolishness I may be exposed to in this exer tion of my postadolescent freedom. Yvonne Olayemi is a School of Arts and Sciences junior majoring in biological sciences. Her column “Life At RU,” runs on alternate Wednesdays.
UNIVERSAL UCLICK
EDITORIAL
We must solidify First Step, take next step Sen. Booker’s Next Step Act continues reform progress of criminal justice
A
new day was meant to dawn. But the apparent rising sun of progress and reform seems more and more to be only a mirage of a society lost in a desert without the free-flowing waters of justice. We passed the First Step Act at the end of last year, a historic criminal justice reform bill meant to unleash the tides of change that was, in light of its namesake, the first step in addressing the inequality and injustices of our nation’s criminal justice system. But, with 2018 ending days after the bill’s passage and no funding for the reform’s programs in the 2019 budget, the bipartisan support of the bill put faith in funding allocation in federal government’s 2020 budget. But, while the law seeks $75 million a year for five years, President Donald J. Trump’s released budget priorities for 2020 explicitly list only $14 million for the act’s programs. “It appears that the same bureaucrats that fought the First Step Act at every opportunity are trying to starve it to death through the budget process,” said Pat Nolan, director of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform. Monday marked the beginning of the lengthy budget process with many revisions and debates to come, but Trump’s “A Budget For A Better America” indicates where the administrations’ priorities and intentions lie moving forward. And moving forward, we now see that the current path is one of hollowed promises and undermined progress. “In order for the First Step Act to live up to its promise of transforming our federal prisons and improving public safety, it must be fully funded. Right now, it is unclear to me from the president’s initial budget request whether or not this includes the $75 million authorized by the First Step Act for FY 2020. I am hopeful that it does but will wait for more details to be released later this week,” said Jessica Jackson Sloan, national director of the prisoner advocacy group #Cut50. While prison reform advocates lobby and watch to see how the budget process unfolds, New Jersey
Sen. and presidential hopeful Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is ready to make headway on the “Next Step.” The First Step Act was most consequential for its provisions on meaningful and reasonable sentencing reform to confront the rise of mass incarceration in recent decades. In addressing federal mandatory minimums, we addressed a catalyst for the surge of harsh sentencing that swept through the nation. Booker’s Next Step Act will ambitiously attempt to carry the torch one step further. His proposal would eliminate the racially-driven disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences. It would also unlock and open the labor market’s door for those who went through the justice system, served their time and now look to build themselves up post-conviction. By prohibiting “federal employers and contractors from asking job applicants about their criminal history until the final stages of the interview process,” the bill provides more opportunity for applicants to combat the shackling stigma around having a criminal history. If we believe in the validity of our nation’s punishment system, we must not extend the constraints of incarceration beyond the confines of the prison. Once deprived of liberty as punishment for their crime, the formerly incarcerated would receive reinstated voting rights under Booker’s proposal. The Next Step Act would also end the federal prohibition of cannabis and provide “better training for law enforcement officers in implicit racial bias, de-escalation and use-of-force.” Many reformers and politicians have begun to take up the tools necessary to deconstruct our carceral society. Mass incarceration undermines everything we as nation desire and strive to be. The dishonoring of our democratic obligation must not continue. The progress of legislative reform cannot be hampered by the forced malnourishment of justice. We must, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.” A fully-funded First Step Act must solidify our progress as we take the next step forward.
The Daily Targum’s editorials represent the views of the majority of the 151st editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff. Twitter: @Daily_Targum Instagram: @dailytargum facebook.com/thedailytargum youtube.com/targummultimedia
March 13, 2019
Opinions Page 7
US must uphold democratic values in tech race with China TRAIPSE THE FINE LINE SRUTI BEZAWADA
W
hether you are invested in technology or politics, the race between the United States and China over the fast-approaching 5G network is bound to impact all of us: From the way we communicate, down to our very right to freedom of self-expression and privacy. 5G is the star successor to the 4G wireless connection systems first released 10 years ago. Through extensive, billiondollar installations of fiber-optic networks, internet transmission speeds could potentially surpass 100 times those of 4G, achieving rates of 10 gigabits per second and bandwidth allowing a full-length, highdefinition movie to download in seconds. This is critical for “the internet of things,” which are items ranging from smart fridges to driverless cars to FitBits to Google Homes to dog collars, all of which require the internet to collect, send and display data: All of which are skyrocketing in demand. At the moment, households function on several wirelessly-connected devices. 5G “promises a radio wave-rich environment where billions of chips, sensors, cameras, appliances and electronics around us will be interconnected, pinging information back and forth,” according to Bloomberg. It
is estimated that by 2024, 22 billion devices will be connected to the internet, carrying five times the amount of data in existence today with 5G networks spanning more than 40 percent of the world’s population. The sheer possibility is spectacular, but unnerving. With the incorporation of 5G and the increasing interconnectedness of homes and lifestyles comes an influx of private, sensitive information. This poses an alarming security risk. Whoever dominates 5G technology will essentially acquire immense power over the flow of information and give the host country a significant geopolitical advantage. Not since the creation of nuclear weapons has there been technology with the potential to allow governments to wield such power. The stakes are high, the prize is clear and the race is on. At the present, U.S. and Chinese companies appear to be the top two contenders. Chinese companies, with full backing of their government, seem to be ahead. Under normal circumstances, this could have been a healthy competition beneficial to the consumer, but the major concern is an undemocratic and authoritarian system of government. Unlike the U.S., the heart of capitalism and the free market ideal, China, headed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is notorious for curbing freedom of speech and exercising control over its corporations and every aspect of the society. At the forefront of the
Chinese drive to win the race is Huawei Technologies Co. More than 230 cities worldwide are already using Huawei’s 4G infrastructure or have signed up for Huawei’s 5G technology, securing Huawei $92 billion — nearly half of its annual revenue. So far, only the U.S. and Australia have banned the company’s efforts from expanding. In the wrong hands, U.S. officials said “control over 5G networks could allow an enemy to wreak mass industrial sabotage and social collapse.” This is not to say the U.S. is saintly when it comes to privacy issues or throwing its weight around. But at least U.S. citizens are free to vote out elected representatives and challenge their government if they perceive a threat to their freedom. Martin Thorley, a specialist on international Chinese relations, said that CCP domination of global communications would be akin to the United Kingdom’s conservative party controlling “the army, the judiciary, all newspapers, the police force, major companies, all universities.” Huawei, when viewed as an independent corporation, is not without its good sides. Huawei originally specialized in constructing telecommunications systems for rural, isolated townships at a price 20 to 30 percent less than that of competitors. In fact, it helped approximately 24 U.S. companies expand mobile networks to some of the poorest regions in the nation. Huawei’s campaign is promising. It can provide lightspeed internet service at
half the cost. For the U.S. to compete, its domestic carrier services must provide 5G at affordable prices. Though the services provided by U.S. networks are not stellar, the thought of using Huawei’s network and granting an authoritarian regime more sway around the world is worse. I would prefer a winner from a free market economy with open societies where human rights are valued. So far, the President Donald J. Trump administration has proven successful on several fronts. Through peaceful, diplomatic negotiation, Japan and New Zealand have agreed to restrict Huawei technology. Moreover, Europe is reconsidering its stance on Huawei after a Polish intelligence official and a Huawei employee were arrested on grounds of colluding to spy for China. Britain, Germany, France and the Czech Republic are removing Huawei technology from their infrastructure. I have nothing against China. In fact, if China wins the race, my phone bill would be cheaper. But I would not trade a few dollars of savings for a world that respects human rights and promotes freedom of expression. Unfortunately, the Chinese government falls in the opposite category. Sruti Bezawada is a Rutgers Business School and School of Arts and Sciences sophomore double majoring in marketing and communications. Her column, “Traipse the Fine Line,” runs alternate Wednesdays.
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March 13, 2019
Her cup runneth over: Is Kylie Jenner truly ‘self-made’? CLARISSA GORDON CORRESPONDENT
After being celebrated by Forbes for her estimated net worth of $900 million last year, Kylie Jenner reached a new milestone last week when the magazine declared that the 21-year-old TV star and makeup mogul had become the world’s “youngest self-made billionaire.” In reality, Jenner’s alleged billionaire status is questionable. Since Jenner’s company Kylie Cosmetics is private, Forbes’ numbers for this declaration were largely based on its own estimations and reports from Jenner herself that are hard to actually prove. But the claim that quickly became even more debatable is that the Kardashian brood is “self-made.” Forbes caused a minor controversy after using the same terminology to describe Jenner’s multi-millionaire status in its July 2018 issue, yet still gave the star self-made credit last week. Dictionary.com hilariously retweeted the Jenner article with the caption: “Haven’t we gone over this? Self-made: Having succeeded in life unaided.” The tweet went viral for its sarcasm and
sass, considering most people agree it’s hard to classify Jenner as such. The question is still up for debate: Does the fact that Jenner used her privilege and following to make something of her own prove her to be self-made, or does being born in the lap of luxury disqualify her from such claims? Let’s start with the latter. Not only was the young businesswoman born wealthy, giving her a financial boost in funding the launch of Kylie Cosmetics, but also she’s a member of one of the most arguably famous families in America. She has been a reality TV star since the age of 9, when “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” first aired, and her large fan base and recognizable family name practically secured her company’s wild success. When we hear the words “self-made,” most of us think of individuals who grew up in poverty and worked their way up to fame and fortune. Jenner, on the other hand, was raised with privilege, although she insists she has worked hard for her own money. In an interview with Paper Magazine, Jenner said her parents cut her off financially when she was
With a national spotlight shining on her since she was in the single digits, it's clear that Kylie Jenner had, at the very least, a massive head start on building a successful business. TWITTER 15 years old. "My parents told me I needed to make my own money, it's time to learn how to save and spend your own money, stuff like that," she said. "What I'm trying
to say is I did have a platform, but none of my money is inherited." Evidently, Jenner has worked from her very privileged starting point to make a name for herself and
more money she could have ever earned from her famous name alone. This claim lends credence to the argument that Jenner is, in fact, self-made, just incredibly lucky, too. Still, it’s hard to imagine she started from the bottom. The counter-argument is that being a star on an immensely popular reality show is the type of advertising that nobody else in the world could buy, meaning she didn't succeed off the strength of her product, but from the social reach she has: A social reach the Kardashians built the foundation for. Either way, the question still remains: If Jenner isn’t self-made, where do we draw the line regarding who is and who isn’t? When it comes down to it, we’ll have to rely on the short and sweet Dictionary.com entry. While Jenner might have been smart to use her millennial fan base to her advantage, her undeniable wealth, privilege and fame make it nearly impossible to consider her success as unaided. As for her billionaire status? We’ll have to break the probability of that down in another article.
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DIVERSIONS
March 13, 2019
Mark Tatulli Horoscopes
Lio
Page 9 Eugenia Last
Happy Birthday: Emotions will play a role in the way things go this year. Take a step back and assess each situation that surfaces. Impulse and excess will be what holds you back. Forge ahead with determination, preparation and knowing what you want and how best to turn your idea into something tangible. Focus on progress, not emotional chaos. Your numbers are 9, 16, 22, 24, 31, 38, 46.
Over The Hedge
T. Lewis and M. Fry
Non Sequitur
Wiley
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Concentrate on being the best you can be. A compliment will be offered if you make a subtle change to the way you look. A generous offer should be carefully considered. Don’t reveal personal information or secrets. Romance is highlighted. 4 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be realistic about what you can do. Trust facts and use common sense when it comes to your health and well-being. Put your efforts into peace and harmony, not friction and chaos. Don’t overreact or underestimate. Precision is key. 5 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Start doing your own thing. Be unique and show that you are a self-starter and ready for whatever challenge comes your way. It will be your actions and responses that will help you advance, not copying someone else. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take a break and give yourself a chance to rejuvenate. Do your best to avoid getting into a scuffle with someone close to you. Listen attentively and offer suggestions that will appease you as well as others. 3 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Consider what it is you want and how best to go about getting it. Don’t rely on anyone offering unrealistic promises that are likely to lead to disappointment or regret. Follow your heart, and use your skills to excel. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t let your emotions take over. If someone says something you don’t like, walk away. Trust in yourself, not information you get secondhand. Put more energy into looking your best and taking better care of your health. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your emotions locked up somewhere safe and out of the public eye. You’ll accomplish far more if you are rational and approach your daily responsibilities with discipline and the intent to finish what you start. Look over contracts and agreements. 3 stars
Pearls Before Swine
Stephan Pastis
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make positive changes at home that will give you more time to relax or to work on something you enjoy. Spin an unexpected turn of events into an opportunity. Don’t let someone from your past interfere in your personal life. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Easy does it. Slow down and consider the best route to take before you react. Inconsistent or unpredictable behavior will not help you keep the peace or get what you want. Someone is likely to embellish the facts. 4 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Personal improvements should be handled with care. You can get good results without going overboard or over the budget. An unexpected opportunity can turn into extra cash. Allocate your time and energy wisely. 5 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Trust in what you know, not what someone tells you or tries to persuade you to do. A change should be carefully considered, especially if it will affect your health or disrupt a relationship with someone close to you. 2 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your unique way of looking at things can be enlightening but also costly. Select your options carefully. Follow the most conservative path to eliminate getting in over your head emotionally, physically and financially. 2 stars
©2018 By Eugenia Last distributed by Universal Uclick
Universal Crossword ACROSS
61 Rope source
1 Committee type
62 Hardly clumsy
6 Use a StairMaster
63 Water under the bridge?
10 Hunk of bacon
64 Anita of jazz
14 Spot for a lazy day
65 Carried in a bag
15 Catch some waves? 16 Groening strip setting
DOWN
17 *DC Comics cosmic
1 Pinnacle
construct (“Madness”)
2 Gloomy
19 Piedmont wine region
3 Grass-skirt dance
20 Historical period
4 National Coming Out
21 *Project leader (“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”)
Day mo. 5 Contribute
23 Snitch
6 Arab leader
24 “Nothing ___”
7 Arctic bird
25 Sliced burger topper
8 E, on a map
28 Stoops (to)
9 ___ school (Exeter, e.g.)
31 Sockeye relative
10 “Casino” co-star Stone
32 Blackmailer’s conclusion
11 Minimalist’s axiom
34 Rapper ___ Def
12 “Iron Chef America”
37 *London travel hub (“Alone”)
host Brown
36 RBI, for one 38 Salma of “Frida”
40 Gathering dust, say
13 Rapper’s flashy accessories
39 Frida, e.g., in “Frida”
41 Not in class
18 Otto ___ Bismarck
44 Rise to stardom
42 Carpeting calculation
22 Garden border tool
45 Australian burrower
43 Be against
23 Print maker?
46 “Out!”
45 Seize
25 Dos x cuatro
47 Sneak preview, informally
46 Reckon, casually
26 Christmas, in carols
48 Tearful
48 Gamer’s “Yay!”
27 “News to me!”
49 Crew need
50 *Wicketkeeper’s squad
28 Donald Duck nephew
51 Tunnel effect
29 Panache
52 ___ the line (conformed)
54 Hand-me-down source, for short
30 “Really?”
53 HBO drama rating, often
57 Took, as a ski lift
32 Spheres
54 Bad mood
58 Tribute groups, or a hint to what
33 Santa ___ (city
55 Run without moving
(“White Room”)
bookends the starred answers 60 “You got that right!”
near Sonoma) 35 Some contain iron
56 Future teacher’s deg. 59 Long ___
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s Solution
Page 10
March 13, 2019 GYMNASTICS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Breakdown of Knights’ road to NCAAs ALEX FABUGAIS-INABA
BEAM
CORRESPONDENT
Big Ten Championships are around the corner, and the Rutgers gymnastics team has only two weeks left to finalize its lineups. For some of the Scarlet Knights, this will be their biggest meet of the season, but their hope is to get the entire team through to NCAA regionals afterwards. Rutgers has no doubt already secured multiple key gymnasts in its event lineups, but anything can happen.
The biggest up-in-the-air question for the Knights is who will compete on the beam at Big Tens. “Beam is the puzzle we quite haven’t figured out yet,” said head coach Umme Salim-Beasley. “Our lineups have never really been solidified on beam and we’re trying to find that right formula. It’s not from lack of desire or lack of effort. We just have to go up and put it all together at one time.” All-arounders senior Michelle Amoresano and sophomore Belle Huang have most likely secured
their spots in the lineup, but the rest is up for grabs. True freshman Mia Betancourt worked her way up to vault, beam and floor lineups, but suffered a concussion that set her training a few weeks back. Since coming back to competition, Betancourt hasn’t been the same. Her main focus right now is on the beam, as it’s the only event she has consistently competed in over the last three meets. Betancourt’s 9.725 at Kent State has a good chance of putting her in the lineup at the Big Ten Championships.
Potential spots also lie with true freshman Kiera Doherty-Herwitz and junior Kaitlyn Hall. Earlier in the season, Doherty-Herwitz excelled in beam, capturing multiple wins in the event, but hasn’t seen much improvement since. Hall has also been on and off the beam lineup, but like Doherty-Herwitz, has averaged high enough scores to put their names in the event. The sixth and final spot on beam is really anybody’s game. Senior Jenna Rizkalla could be put on the lineup, although beam hasn’t been her best friend over the weekend, with scores of 9.125 and 9.175. True freshman Sage Littlejohn shouldn’t be left out of the count too, with her most recent exhibition of 9.675 that would’ve ranked her the third highest Rutgers gymnast in the lineup. She has also been all over the board, with a low of 8.225 on senior night and a solid score of 9.575 at the Big Five meet.
FLOOR
Senior team captain Riahanah Ali totaled a 9.900 floor score, earning a first-place finish in her last home meet, against Penn State. CURSTINE GUEVARRA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / FEBRUARY 2019
For the floor lineup, senior Riahanah Ali, Huang, Amoresano and Rizkalla are the Knights’ most consistent point scorers in the event. Sophomore Toni Williams has started the lineup multiple times this season, and will probably stick with that role heading into Big Ten Championships. Sophomore Sophia Atienza put together a breakthrough performance and career high of 9.725 at Kent, Ohio. She has been an exhibition on floor a couple of times, but really stepped up when put in the lineup for the second time this season since the season opener.
BARS
The bar was set high with the bar lineup against Penn State and at the Big Five meet this season. The order of sophomore Emily Drauss, Ali, Huang, Hall, Amoresano and junior Shannon Farrell have put together the highest team event scores of 48.975 and 48.950. But, over the past couple of meets, true freshman Abigail Karolewski threw down a massive career high of 9.800 last Sunday, while Drauss has yet to put together consistent scores to secure a spot in the lineup.
VAULT
The most secure lineup as of right now would be the vault lineup. Williams has consistently started things off for Rutgers, and Hall has closed the lineup more times than one. With Rizkalla’s killer performances on vault, she has a good chance of closing at the conference championships. Ali, Huang and Amoresano will fill in the middle spots for the Knights’ most consistently-performing lineup. On March 23, Rutgers will compete at the Big Ten Championships during the noon session, hosted by the Nittany Lions. The Knights will vie for the top spot against Ohio State, Michigan State and Maryland. “We’re so pleased that they were able to have such growth in one season,” Salim-Beasley said. “They don’t let mistakes really deter them at all. They dust it off, pick themselves up and the next person goes out to do the best they possibly can.” For updates on the Rutgers gymnastics team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL KNIGHTS SEASON MAY CONTINUE IN NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
RU awaits at-large NCAA selection bid DELANEY ZUBRICK STAFF WRITER
Last Saturday, the Rutgers women’s basketball team played No. 2 Iowa in its final game in the Big Ten Tournament. The No. 3 Scarlet Knights (22-9, 13-5) were able to come back from a 20-point deficit to give the Hawkeyes (26-6, 14-4) a close game, but inevitably flew home with a loss by 5 points. “To our kids’ credit, they fought back and they didn’t get knocked out,” said acting head coach Tim Eatman. “They kept up the fight. We started to believe a little more in ourselves. We hope the people at RU are proud of these kids.” Sophomore guard Arella Guirantes was able to lead Rutgers with 16 points and a .500 field goal percentage. Guirantes made 6 of 6 free throws while grabbing two rebounds. She ended the season averaging 12 points per game. Graduate student guard Charise Wilson and fifth-year senior forward Stasha Carey both played their last games as Knights. Carey followed right behind Guirantes with 14 points while also totaling seven rebounds. The double-digit point deficit has been a recurring
instance for Rutgers, but this was the largest of the season. While previously the Knights were able to come back from such a large gap, this one was left unclosed. “We’re gonna play hard regardless of whether we’re down 10 or 20 points,” Wilson said. Freshman guard Noga Peleg Pelc was able to drain 4 3-pointers, giving her 14 points at the end of the game. Pelc has had a stand-out first season on the Banks and her future can only be brighter as she progresses. At halftime, Eatman had to take over the role of head coach C. Vivian Stringer, which he seemed to master. From this 20-point deficit, he managed to motivate them to a close 5-point game at the end. “Believe in what we’re doing,” Eatman said. “Look around at each other and say you got each other’s back and we’re gonna believe in the process. If we believe in what we’re doing, we’ll be fine.” After the game, Eatman was nothing but positive about how Rutgers played. Their regular season may have not ended the way that they wanted it to, but the
Freshman guard Noga Peleg Pelc had 14 points in the Knights’ loss to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament’s Semifinals. DUSTIN NILES / PHOTO EDITOR / FEBRUARY 2019 Knights never gave up — not this game or any game before. While Rutgers doesn’t have anymore regular season games to play, its postseason may not be over. On Selection Monday, March 18, the Knights will find out the selections for the 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at 7 p.m. Iowa ended up as Big Ten champions, when they took on
the No. 1 seed Maryland. The Hawkeyes won 90-76, with a blowout game in the last quarter. Whether it was beating then No. 4 Terrapins, crushing then No. 17 Michigan State or coming back from a 14-point deficit to win against Indiana, Rutgers has had an impressive year against some tough competition. While not all games were
successes, there was something to be learned from all of them. “They have to learn from this moment. Next time we play, we have to earn the right to play 40 more. No one’s going to give you anything else anymore,” Eatman said. For updates on the Rutgers women's basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
Page 11
March 13, 2019 MEN’S BASKETBALL 12-SEEDED RUTGERS - 13-SEEDED NEBRASKA, TONIGHT, 6:30 P.M.
RU faces Nebraska in 1st round of Big Tens COBY GREEN CORRESPONDENT
Former guard Corey Sanders scored 28 points at Madison Square Garden in the Knights’ 76-69 victory over the Hoosiers last year at the Big Ten Tournament. THE DAILY TARGUM / MARCH 2018
After capping off its best season since joining the Big Ten in 2014, the Rutgers men’s basketball team takes its talents up to Chicago, Illinois tonight for the first round of the conference tournament. And if things are at all similar to last season’s tourney, then the madness of March may be starting early again. The No. 12 Scarlet Knights (14-16, 7-13) finished the season 14-16, not showing an overall improvement record-wise compared to years past, but the real story lies in their performance in conference play. For the first time in the new league, Rutgers won more than three conference games. They were predicted to finish 14th in the preseason, and earned the No. 12 seed in this year’s bracket. Although the Knights came into the season as one of the youngest teams in the country, they still shot up the KenPom ranking system over the course of the season — Rutgers is the most improved Power 5 conference team this year, moving up 71 spots from November until now. The noticeable improvement may come as a surprise to some, but to the Scarlet faithful and to those with a watchful eye, the jump was imminent from the end of last season’s Big Ten Tournament. Again the No. 14 seed last year, the Knights erupted out of
nowhere at Madison Square Garden to upset No. 11 seed Minnesota in head coach Steve Pikiell’s third game ever in the league tournament. Former Rutgers guard Corey Sanders put up big numbers of 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Knights into the second round. “This is my third year, and this is the best I’ve seen the league by far, from 1 through 14. I think anyone can go into this tournament,” Pikiell said, according to scarletknights.com after the regular season finale. “Teams are dangerous all across the board. This is by far the best I’ve seen the league. And it was really good in my first two years. Especially for a program like us that’s fighting for everything.” Last season, faced against No. 6-seeded Indiana, alumnus forward Deshawn Freeman and then-freshman guard Geo Baker provided Rutgers with an extra boost off the bench in a high-intensity matchup that came down to the final minutes. Sanders poured in another 28 points to go along with 15 points each from Freeman and Baker to steal another victor y at the Garden and advance past the Hoosiers in a shocking 7669 win. The Knights were on a mission to prove they were more than just the bottom seed in this league. Rutgers ultimately proved that in its final game of the tournament against No. 3 seed Purdue,
where the near-Cinderella story came to an end. Despite a breakout performance from Baker (25 points) and another 23 from Sanders, the Boilermakers overcame a halftime deficit to come back and beat the Knights, 82-75. Its seven conference wins this year are the most in a season in 13 years, when it also won seven games during the 20052006 schedule as members of the Big East. The Knights will face No. 13 seed Nebraska tonight in Chicago for a shot to take on No. 5-seeded Maryland tomorrow. The Cornhuskers (16-15, 6-14) enter the matchup with ThirdTeam All-Big Ten guard James Palmer Jr., who averaged 19.1 points and 3.1 assists per game this season, ready to go. The last time these two squads saw each other was back at the end of January in the first game back from winter break. Rutgers pulled off a come-from-behind 76-69 win with the help of true freshman guard Montez Mathis (20 points and nine rebounds), Baker (16 points) and redshirt freshman forward Myles Johnson (13 points and 11 rebounds). “I know we are going to have to play a lot better basketball in the tournament. It’s 40 minutes, or your season is over,” Pikiell said. For updates on the Rutgers men’s basketball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
WRESTLING NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, MARCH 21, ALL DAY
Knights send 6 to NCAA Championships MATTHEW HOWE CORRESPONDENT
Last weekend in Minneapolis, all ten starters of the Rutgers wrestling team competed in the Big Ten Championships with a chance to keep their season alive by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh from March 21-23. After it was all said and done, six qualified, with another wrestler that still has an opportunity to secure an at-large bid from the NCAA committee. The weekend was highlighted by two of the No. 18 Scarlet Knights’ (12-6, 5-4) best wrestlers. No. 1 graduate student 149-pounder Anthony Ashnault mobbed his way to the 149-pound title, defeating Ohio State’s Micah Jordan 8-6, while No. 3 junior 133-pounder Nick Suriano defeated Ohio State’s Luke Pletcher in the 133-pound championship match by a score of 4-1. It was Ashnault’s third Big Ten championship, becoming Rutgers’ first ever three-time Big Ten champion. “It means a lot. It means a lot to kids trying to come to school at Rutgers knowing that they can come here and accomplish their goals of being a Big Ten champ one day,” Ashnault said. “There’s proof from me, and Suriano had a great tournament also, so, the proof is there that you can do it here.”
Ashnault has been the consensus No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country at the 149-pound weight class ever since he defeated Princeton’s then-No. 1 Matthew Kolodzik on February 3. Suriano and Ashnault were the clear favorites to advance to nationals, but there were a handful of other Knights vying for a spot as well. Graduate students No. 10 157-pounder John Van Brill and No. 9 184-pounder Nicholas Gravina punched their tickets, as well as first-time qualifier junior 141-pounder Peter Lipari. Sophomore 174-pounder Joseph Grello earned an at-large bid after missing the automatic qualification in the tournament. As for Van Brill and Gravina, qualifying has been a staple in their careers at Rutgers. This will be Van Brill’s third time qualifying, while Gravina has qualified in all four of his seasons on the Banks. After having an injury-riddled season, Gravina entered the 184-pound bracket at the Big Ten Championships with only a 4-2 record. He knew he had to wrestle a solid tournament in order to qualify, and after suffering a first round loss to Purdue’s Max Lyon, he would have to do so in the wrestleback portion of the bracket. “The qualification is great, and I loved that I was able to qualify
all four years,” Gravina said. “But, it’s really just about getting that All-American status, and I haven’t gotten it yet. I’ve gotten really close a couple of times, but that’s really what I’m aiming for.” Qualifying for the tournament for the first time is a huge accomplishment for someone like Lipari, who was in a roster battle for part of the season at the 141-pound weight class. Lipari, normally a 133-pounder, was forced to make the jump to 141 pounds after Suriano decided he would be wrestling at 133 this season. That pitted Lipari in a roster battle with returning starter at the weight class, sophomore 141-pounder Michael Van Brill. Like Gravina, Lipari suffered a first round loss in his bracket and had to wrestle all the way back to eventually place ninth, earning him an automatic qualifying spot. In just over a week, the five remaining starters will travel to Pittsburgh to compete in the NCAA Championships. Ashnault and Suriano will look to capture their first-ever titles, while the other three will look to earn that elusive All-American status by placing in the top eight of their weight classes. For updates on the Rutgers wrestling team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
Graduate student 184-pounder Nicholas Gravina will compete in his fourth and final NCAA Championships after qualifying in his fifth year. CURSTINE GUEVARRA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / FEBRUARY 2019
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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
SPORTS WEDNESDAY MARCH 13, 2019
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I know we are going to have to play a lot better basketball in the tournament. It’s 40 minutes, or your season is over.” — Men’s basketball head coach Steve Pikiell
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MEN’S BASKETBALL SEE FIRST ROUND PREVIEW ON PAGE 11
ONE LAST MARCH
The Rutgers men’s basketball team has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991, where it fell to Arizona State 79-76 in the first round. The Knights went to the Big Ten Quarterfinals last season, the furthest they’ve gone in the conference tournament in program history. CURSTINE GUEVARRA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / FEBRUARY 2019
What would it take for Rutgers to qualify for NCAA Tournament? JACKSON THOMPSON SPORTS EDITOR
The answer lies in the numbers. The worst scenario possible put the Rutgers men’s basketball team in third to last place over the weekend, as the two opponents to hand the Knights losses leap-frogged Rutgers to take the last of the first round byes. Now, the best case scenario for head coach Steve Pikiell’s young squad would have to play out in order for the Knights to qualify for the last NCAA Tournament of the decade. Can the balance of karma propel the Knights on an improbable run to a conference title? If so, it will once again begin in the first round, where Rutgers has begun their campaign every year in the Big Ten.
SQUARE ONE
In tonight’s first round, a round that seems to have spot perenially reser ved for the Knights, they will face Nebraska. There are only two teams beneath Rutgers in the Standings, Nebraska is one of them. While this should be one of the most ideal first opponents for Rutgers to face having already defeated them earlier this year, recent histor y works against them. The Knights have played eight conference opponents more than once this year, and have not beaten any of those opponents twice. If Rutgers is to go on a shocking title run, it will have to start with defeating one of the only teams beneath them for a second time when it matters most.
head coach of the softball team, announced that Zoe Rodriguez, a middle infielder from Luberton, N.J. signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Rutgers for the 2020 season. Rodriguez was chosen as a Most Valuable Player for several tournaments.
EVERYTHING ELSE
If they can get back to the quarterfinal just as they did last March under the leadership of Corey Sanders, they will face Wisconsin, a team they built a halftime lead against earlier this year. If they can be on the winning side of that rematch, just as they have six out of eight times this season, they will likely face Michigan State in the semifinal round, one of the teams they lost to twice but also built a halftime lead against in the most recent meeting. If they can walk away with one win in the those three meetings, it would be the win that sends them to the Final, where they would have to win just one more game to claim a conference title and a ticket to the NCAAs. It’s not crazy, it’s March Madness.
KNIGHTS SCHEDULE
EXTRA POINT KRISTEN BUTLER,
THE EASY PART
If the Knights push past the Cornhuskers, No. 5 Maryland awaits in the second round. Ironically enough, should they make it this far, recent history actually favors the Knights more in this round than the first. Since 2016, Rutgers has advanced one round further than the previous year, and that trend would continue with an upset over the Terrapins. Against the eight opponents the Knights have faced twice this year, they have only lost both meetings to two of them, so that figures to 75 percent success rate in rematches accompanied by a loss, versus the zero perecent success rate in rematches accompanied by a win. If they overcome zero percent odds, 75 should be a breeze.
NBA SCORES
BASEBALL
vs. Monmouth
Today, 3 p.m., Bainton Field
Cleveland Philadelphia
99 106
MEN’S BASKETBALL
vs. No. 13 Nebraska
Tonight, 6: 30 p.m., Chicago, Ill.
New York Indiana
98 103
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
vs. No. 7 Northwestern Tomorrow, 7 p.m., HighPoint.com Stadium
Milwaukee New Orleans
130 113