Affordable care act Eradication of 2010 healthcare law can cause drastic negative effects
women’s march Rutgers women weigh in on
why the Women’s March on Washington is important for the continued progress of women’s rights.
MEN’S SOCCER Goalkeeper Greczek selected
by Sporting Kansas City in MLS Superdraft
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City allocates $15M to water utility amidst ongoing investigations Manya Goldstein contributing writer
The proposed improvements will help modernize New Brunswick’s Water Utility systems. The company has faced a number of charges and controversies in the last decade. JEFFREY GOMEZ
New Brunswick has allocated about $15.5 million for water utility improvements — ranging from architectural repairs to filtration enhancements, said Public Information Officer Jennifer Bradshaw. These developments were proposed amidst ongoing criminal investigations into two former water utility employees. “These improvements to our facilities will aid us in continuing to deliver approximately 13 million gallons of water per day to our customers utilizing efficient modern technology and infrastructure,” Bradshaw said. The improvements also include upgrades to pre-treatment facilities, replenishments to the chemical feed systems and upgrades to one of the city’s pump stations, she said. The City of New Brunswick does not currently have a timeline for the completion of the project. “We are in the process of going out to bid for an engineering firm
to assist with plans for the improvements,” Bradshaw said. New Brunswick’s Water Utility system has faced numerous scandals in recent years, including a history of employee turnover and quality infractions. Two water utility employees, William Ortiz and Joseph DeBonis, were suspended without pay in December, according to a City Hall press release. During the trial Ortiz was charged with bribery, while Debonis was charged with tampering with public records. Both men were also charged with official misconduct, according to the release. Or tiz and DeBonis are among five water utility employees that have been suspended since 2013, according to the New Brunswick Today. Both men were hired by former Water Utility Director Shawn Maloney who committed suicide near the treatment plant in 2007 after learning that he was being investigated in a federal corruption case, according to the New Brunswick Today.
In December City Hall published a press release informing the public about heightened levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in their drinking water throughout the month. “Samples taken in early August showed unusually high levels above 80 parts per billion (ppb) at three testing sites,” Bradshaw said in a public notice released in late December. Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals that are formed when chlorine interacts with organic matter in water. They have been known to induce “carcinogenic activity” in laborator y animals, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In New Brunswick, measures were immediately taken to reduce trihalomethane levels — and they were successful, according to the City Hall press release. Just one year before the events of December 2016, Edward O’Rourke — former licensed operator See investigations on Page 4
Rutgers faculty pioneer supercomputer, Caliburn Christopher Robertson contributing writer
Rutgers hopes to revolutionize the technological world after introducing Caliburn, an internationally ranked supercomputer, created by University faculty. The Caliburn was revealed to the public during an unveiling event on Dec. 15, 2016. Attendees included Rutgers administrators, representatives from the state administration, industr y leaders and members of the Rutgers community. The supercomputer was designed and built by a team from the Rutgers Discover y Informatics Institute, led by Associate Director of Technical Operations Ivan Rodero in partnership with corporations including HighPoint Solutions, Intel and IBM, said Manish Parashar, a distinguished professor in the Department of Computer Science. Prashar was the team leader for the construction of Caliburn. “Caliburn, means ‘Excalibur,’ for King Arthur’s sword, in Olde English,” Parashar said. “It follows the Rutgers Scarlet Knight theme.” The Caliburn was ranked by TOP500, a bi-annual list of the
world’s supercomputers, as second among Big Ten universities and eighth among U.S. academic institutions, according to the Rutgers Of fice of Research and Economic Development (ORED). “The Caliburn provides researchers, students and practitioners with the computing and data analytics capabilities necessar y to address grand challenges in science, engineering, medicine, humanities and business,” Parashar said in an email. The project received $10 million in funding through the State’s Higher Education Equipment Leasing Fund Program (ELF), according to NJ Advance Media. After the project’s funding was established, it took approximately two years to fully complete — including design, procurements, construction, deployment and testing, Parashar said. He said students at Rutgers played a role in Caliburn’s development. “Students at Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute (helped) evaluate different design options and technologies as part of their research,” Parashar said. The University plans to partner See supercomputer on Page 5
Caliburn, which was created by Manish Parashar (left) and Ivan Rodero (right) has already garnered international recognition. The creators are working to mobilize the technology. RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
Professors express concern over climate change awareness in new administration Manya Goldstein contributing writer
In his remarks to the graduating Rutgers Class of 2016 last year, President Barack Obama criticized Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who presented a snowball on the Senate floor last year as evidence against the existence of climate change.
The Oklahoma senator is one of many elected officials that Obama has criticized for rejecting the scientific consensus that climate change is human-induced. Despite the president’s attempts to raise awareness on the issue during his two terms, some lawmakers, members of the upcoming presidential administration and a large segment of the American
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public remain skeptical about the source of climate change. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that climate change perception tends to align with party af filiation, with 79 percent of Democrats believing that human activity is the culprit for climate change and only 15 See administration on Page 5