REPORT INCREASE Increased sexual violence reports at NJ colleges may indicate informed students
women’s march Rutgers students reflect on
wrestling Knights beat Pride, cannot hang on
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their role in current feminist movements
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monDAY, January 22, 2018
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Student grades lower during flu season, influenza rates rise in NJ Christian Zapata Correspondent
New Jersey joins 26 U.S. states, districts and territories experiencing high rates of influenza-like illness during its most widespread year in more than a decade. Records reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report an increase of 44,000 influenza-related deaths — where seasonal infection was likely a contributor to the cause of death but was not necessarily the primary cause — between 2011 and 2013, according to Rutgers Today. In the last three weeks, there has been a spike in positive laboratory tests throughout the state, particularly in northern and central New Jersey, with an increase in reported absences at schools, workplaces and emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses, said Alfred Tallia, chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in an interview with Rutgers Today. Rutgers Student Affairs reported that more than “20 percent of Rutgers students report missed assignments and lower grades due to colds and flu.” The H3N2 influenza virus — 1 of 3 predominant subtypes of the Influenza A — is a leader in influenza-related cases this year. Influenza viruses, such as this one, can mutate rapidly and often times, offer a different variant, or group of, right around flu season each year.
“Influenza A strains such as H3N2 and other subtypes causing this year’s illnesses tend to be the strains that cause more severe illness,” Tallia said. “Most epidemics are due to Influenza A strains. Many Influenza A strains originate in other animals, mutate and infect humans.” Vaccinations have an estimation between 10 and 30 percent effectiveness, Tallia said. Even so, he recommends that individuals who have not been administered the flu vaccine still get it. Despite its lack of effectiveness compared to previous years, it helps reduce symptoms and flu duration. Immunity takes approximately two weeks, during which good hygiene — washing hands and coughing into sleeves — can be reinforced. “While children and people over 65 are most vulnerable, the flu can have complications or be fatal to people of all ages,” Tallia said. “Women who are pregnant and people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses are also as vulnerable as children and the elderly. Fortunately, with vaccination, many people can be spared the misery associated with this disease, and vaccination is recommended for all ages.” Free flu vaccines are offered at a number of locations on campus including the College Avenue Student Center, Bush Student Center and Hurtado Health Clinic. For a full list of locations, students can visit the Rutgers Today website.
Flu vaccines help reduce the duration and symptoms of influenza — a sore throat, stuffy nose and body aches. They also decrease the risk of flu-related deaths among pregnant women, individuals over 65 and other high-risk individuals. WIKIMEDIA
Gender-neutral housing Newark plans personal network for is easily accessible at U. residents after net neutrality repeal Ryan Stiesi Staff Writer
Since 2011, gender-neutral housing options have expanded on campus to accommodate the thousands of students who apply to live at residence halls yearly. Demarest Hall on the College Avenue campus and the Rainbow Perspectives Housing community on Douglass campus have been gender-neutral or all-gender since the Fall 2011 semester, said Zaneta Rago-Craft, director of the Rutgers Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities (SJE), in an email. “While the creation of the two initial communities predates my tenure at Rutgers, from my understanding, LGBTQA student advocates had been working with staf f within student af fairs to express their needs and experiences on campus, and all-gender housing was one of the most prominent issues they shared,” Rago-Craft said.
She explained that in the years following, all-gender housing has expanded and is now available in most residential buildings on campus. Ever y year a few hundred students apply for all-gender housing — a number that continues to grow. “As with all the needs of students, we will continue to access and make changes as needed,” Rago-Craft said. As experienced by many students during their time at Rutgers, living on campus means applying to the University’s housing lotter y system. A student’s assigned lotter y number takes seniority and expected graduation date into account, but is other wise generated randomly. The lower a student’s lottery number is, the higher their chance of receiving a preferred choice in on-campus housing. For first-year incoming students, the housing application See HOUSING on Page 4
Andrew Petryna Ryan Stiesi Staff Writers
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka (D-N.J.) spoke about the city’s plan to offer its own broadband service, Newark Fiber, in light of recent rollback on net neutrality. WIKIMEDIA
VOLUME 149, ISSUE 130 • University ... 3 • opinions ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 8 • Diversions ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK
Following the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) December 2017 vote to end net neutrality, cities like Newark, New Jersey are looking inward to supply residents with what they consider a more objective network. Net Neutrality is the principle that all websites should be provided with the same speed and accessibility and should not be blocked or charged differently by internet service providers (ISPs). According to The New York Times, the 2015 former President Barack Obamaera regulations were implemented to increase the oversight of providers as the internet became a major communication network. In a late-December 2017 news release, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka (D-N.J.) announced the city’s plans to offer their own broadband See REPEAL on Page 5