MILLIONAIRE TAX Murphy’s proposal is a lofty
goal, but important for debate SEE OPINIONS, PAGE 6
ART VS. FASHION The Jacquemus nano bag toes
the line between visual art and fashion SEE INSIDE BEAT, PAGE 8
WRESTLING The conference tournament will include 10 Knights this weekend
Weather Cloudy High: 40 Low: 25
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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2019
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Rutgers faculty union begins vote for official strike authorization BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN NEWS EDITOR
A vote for an official strike authorization for all faculty and graduate workers in the American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT) began yesterday, said Deepa Kumar, president of AAUP-AFT and associate professor in the Department of
Journalism and Media Studies, to The Daily Targum. A strike would aim to shut down all classes and disrupt the normal functioning of the University, Kumar said. “Their vote will determine whether our elected leadership is authorized to call a job action, up to and including a strike, if we do not start to make serious gains at bargaining,” Kumar said. “It’s
been a full year, and management remains intransigent on key issues of equal pay for equal work, job security and salary increases that keep pace with the increasing cost of living.” The union hopes a strike will also resolve several other issues, such as the current lack of gender and race equity in hiring, salaries SEE AUTHORIZATION ON PAGE 4
Molloy participates in town hall, talks budget oversight JAKE MCGOWAN CORRESPONDENT
Deepa Kumar, the president of AAUP-AFT and an associate professor at Rutgers. YOUTUBE
CNN analyst speaks at U. Access Week JAIMIN GANDHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Wednesday night, the Office of Student Access and Educational Equity hosted the James Dickson Carr Lecture Series, featuring guest speaker Laura Coates, a legal analyst for CNN and radio show host. The lecture, which was part of the annual Access Week at the University, involved a variety of speakers. Each year, there is a different theme for the event. Sabrina Riddick, the senior program coordinator, began the lecture by introducing this year’s theme: Equity. She said Coates was chosen as the prime speaker on the theme because she was an attorney for the federal government, so she had experience with advocating for rights.
SEE SPORTS, BACK
Jakora Holman, the director of Planning and Operations, said another reason why Coates was invited was to help students engage in activism. The office also wanted to honor the legacy of James Dickson Carr, the first Black graduate from Rutgers. The next speaker was James H. Whitney III, the assistant vice chancellor for Undergraduate Academic Affairs. He said this year was the sixth annual celebration of the James Dickson Carr Lecture Series. “We know the history that Rutgers has been dealing with over the years as we reckon with our past dealing with slavery and the oppression and circumstances that surround that and now Rutgers is moving forward to deal with that past,” he said. SEE ANALYST ON PAGE 5
Laura Coates, a legal analyst for CNN and radio show host, came to Rutgers to discuss topics such as pigeonholing, activism and taking a stand during her speech. VIVEK VIDYARTHI
Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) held a town hall featuring Chancellor of Rutgers— New Brunswick Christopher Molloy yesterday at the Student Activities Center. Molloy said his role is a mixture of executive vice president and dean of the University, while his main duty as chancellor is to manage the $2 billion budget for the New Brunswick campus. “The main thing I have to do, is manage a $2 billion budget, and the schools that roll up to that budget, and a whole variety of other things. We work closely with the central budgeting office that reports to the president,” Molloy said. His office works closely with the central budgeting office that reports to University President Robert L. Barchi and the University continues to receive strong support from the state government, Molloy said. This budget oversight includes what he said was the low pay, and lack of healthcare for part-time lecturers (PTL) is a result of the supply and demand, as well as economic markets, Molloy said. “I know people, I’ve had colleagues that have been PTLs in the past, and I understand that the amount that people are paid for courses is not something you can live on. If they don’t want to do this, they need to get another job. There are probably other people who can SEE OVERSIGHT ON PAGE 4
Student helps NASA find, study new exoplanets JACOB TURCHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A graduate student at Rutgers is currently interning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help analyze exoplanets, or planets that orbit stars outside of the solar system. Pedro Cesar Lopes Gerum, a doctoral student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, said he first heard about the internship from a friend, who had also interned for NASA. “He told me all about his experience and thought that I would
be the best person to apply,” Lopes Gerum said. “So I did that, I sent in my application and thought it was at least worth a shot, it’s a once-in-alifetime thing, really.” From a young age, he said that he always had an interest in space and its possibilities, as well as science in general. He was initially unsure if what he was studying would apply at NASA, but learned that they had a department in data science that was in line with his expertise. As data has become easier to collect and study, more industries, SEE EXOPLANETS ON PAGE 5
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has become increasingly interested in data analysis as data has become easier to collect and study. This includes studying exoplanets to determine patterns and develop theories about their contents. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
VOLUME 151, ISSUE 25 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • OPINIONS ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 8• DIVERSIONS ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK