Weather Sunny High: 66 Low: 59
Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
THURSDAY APRIL 18, 2019
ONLINE AT DAILYTARGUM.COM
AAUP-AFT pickets for part-time lecturers CATHERINE NGUYEN NEWS EDITOR
Yesterday afternoon, the faculty union continued protesting to achieve a contract for part-time lecturers at the University. That same day, an agreement had been reached between the University and Rutgers American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers (AAUPAFT) on a four-year contract that provided a salary increase for faculty members, graduate assistants and teaching assistants.
The agreement also aimed to establish a process for salary inequity, longer term appointments for non-tenure track faculty and increased diversity hiring, according to an email sent to the Rutgers community from Vivian Fernández, senior vice president for Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness. Though the compensation package will provide salary increases of 3% in the first three years and 2.5% in the final year, partSEE LECTURERS ON PAGE 4
Barchi weighs both sides of Athletics spending issue BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN NEWS EDITOR
While picketing, faculty members and students held homemade signs and chanted slogans such as “Rutgers is for education, we are not a corporation.” JAIMIN GANDHI
University President Robert L. Barchi has heard the complaints about Rutgers Athletic’s spending, particularly the issue that the department receives more financial support from the University’s operating budget and student fees than just about any other majorSEE ISSUE ON PAGE 5
Congressman Pallone answers student questions at informal U. town hall APARNA RAGUPATHI CORRESPONDENT
On April 16, more than 70 students attended a town hall with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) hosted by Rutgers Democrats at the College Avenue Student Center. Muffin and coffee in hand, Pallone updated students and answered questions in an informal, accessible setting. “I really liked the speech today, and as someone who isn’t ver y involved in politics, it was ver y accessible to outsiders,” said Taylor Robinson, a School
of Arts and Sciences first-year. “Especially compared to other speakers that were hosted by the Rutgers Democrats.” Pallone has served as a representative for New Jersey’s 6th congressional district since 1988, and is widely known in Congress to have an affable personality and a willingness to work across the aisle, said Jordan Taylor, a School of Arts and Sciences junior and Rutgers Democrats president. Pallone gave a brief overview on updates from Congress, particularly his committee.
“My committee is called the Energy and Commerce Committee, and it has the broadest jurisdiction of any committee in the House of Representatives. About 60% of the bills in the house come to this committee, and we have six subcommittees: Health, Environment, Energy, Telecommunications, Interstate Commerce and Oversights,” Pallone said. In the last two weeks, the committee reported out four sets of SEE HALL ON PAGE 4
The executive board of Rutgers Democrats poses with Congressman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) after the town hall held on Tuesday night at the College Avenue Student Center. APARNA RAGUPATHI
Rutgers faculty give opinions on gun study JAKE MCGOWAN CORRESPONDENT
The study was conducted by comparing 50 states using metrics in several key areas: firearms industry, gun prevalence and gun politics. New Jersey has the third-strictest gun laws in the nation, behind only California and Connecticut. PEXELS
New Jersey is the state that is least dependent on the gun industry, according to a study conducted by WalletHub. Jill Gonzalez, communications director for WalletHub, commented on the methodology of the study, as well as its other findings. “We compared the 50 states using 17 metrics grouped in three key areas: firearms industry, gun prevalence and gun politics. We used data collected from reputable sources, such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI,” Gonzalez said. The report’s purpose is to compare the economic impact of guns in each state. WalletHub wanted to
VOLUME 151, ISSUE 48 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • OPINIONS ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 8• DIVERSIONS ... 9• SPORTS ... BACK
determine which states rely most heavily on the gun industry, both for jobs, as well as taxes and political contributions, she said. Lisa Miller, a professor in the Department of Political Science and director of the Lloyd C. Gardner Fellowship in Leadership and Social Policy, is not as confident in the study’s methodology as Gonzalez is. “I’m dubious about an article on the economics of guns from a personal finance blog. If you read their methodology, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. What does ‘depend on the gun industry’ mean? There are a huge number of confounding factors that they lump together,” Miller said. Miller also said that the study’s results were of no surprise, SEE STUDY ON PAGE 5