THE DAILY TARGUM
Volume 141, Number 84
S E R V I N G
T H E
R U T G E R S
C O M M U N I T Y
S I N C E
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2010
1 8 6 9
Today: Partly cloudy
BIG EAST BREAK
High: 36 • Low: 28
The Rutgers men’s basketball team hosts Division II foe Caldwell tonight at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Admission is free for Fan Appreciation Night.
U. endowment climbs despite economic woes
‘SPORK’ CAPPELLA
BY GREG FLYNN CORRESPONDENT
RAMON DOMPOR/ ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
University a cappella group OrphanSporks performs its encore in Hickman Hall on Douglass campus Saturday after the group won first place in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic Quaterfinals. See PAGE 3 for full story.
A new study reports the University’s endowment is doing well in comparison to the endowments of other colleges and universities. Clocking in at $508.8 million, the University’s endowment and other similar funds shot up 13 spots in the National Association of College and University Business Officers Commonfund Study of Endowments for fiscal year 2009 to become 105th in size, said Vice President for Finance and Associate Treasurer Delanie S. Moler. Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Bruce Fehn said the University’s endowment — money the University receives in the form of grants — fared better than others during troubling times. “Keep in mind that [2008] was a very turbulent year and, in effect, we
did less poorly than some other endowments,” he said. The NACUBO-Commonwealth Study of Endowments 2009 rankings cover 842 endowments and affiliated foundations of U.S. colleges, according to the NACUBO Web site. University departments receive endowment expenditures in accordance with the University’s spending policy, Fehn said. The policy allows the University to pay an amount not to exceed 4.5 percent of a trailing 13quarter average of the endowment’s market value, he said. “On a $500 million balance, approximately $25 million is distributed as income,” Fehn said. “Now $25 million is a nice piece of change, and it’s a resource we’re glad we have, but in terms of the overall University budget, it’s not that significant. The University budget is about $1.9 billion.”
SEE WOES ON PAGE 6
SORORITY MEMBERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO HAZING ALLEGATIONS Six members of the University chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority plead not guilty to charges of aggravated hazing yesterday at a primar y hearing in New Brunswick Municipal Court. Newark Attorney Nathaniel Davis, who represents five of the members: Joana Bernard, a Douglass College senior; Shawna Ebanks, of East Orange; Marie Charles, a Douglass College senior; Kesha Cheron of Newark, and Ilana Warner, a Livingston College senior, said all women deny allegations of paddling pledges, according to an ar ticle in The Star-Ledger. “I think everyone’s jumped to conclusions in this case,” Davis said, according to the article.
Gerald Gordon, a New Brunswick attorney representing the sixth member, Vanessa Adegbite of Jersey City, told The Star-Ledger his client is innocent, and she will be exonerated. Rutgers University Police Depar tment charged each member with aggravated assault for allegedly hitting several victims on the buttocks with wooden paddles over a period of seven days between Jan. 18 and 25. One pledge went to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for non-threatening injuries on Jan. 26, according to authorities. The victim reported the incident to University officials, telling them she was struck more than 200 times within the eight-day period.
Alumna walks minority women through education BY REENA DIAMANTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Drawing from her experience of attaining a higher education, University alumna Shireen Lewis founded an organization that offers advice to other women going through the same process. Lewis established Sister Mentors in 1997 as part of the nonprofit organization EduSeed, which promotes education within disadvantaged communities. Its mission is to help women of color from different ethnic backgrounds complete their dissertations to acquire doctoral degrees, she said. To date, the program has benefited 34 women. Participants mentor young girls in elementary, middle and high schools in the Washington, D.C., area, Lewis said. From her education, career and the Sister Mentors program, Lewis
realized that mentorship is a valuable experience for women. “Young girls must understand that education is the key to everything. Without an education you cannot be independent,” Lewis said. “To be dependent and rely on someone else, whether it is your parents or your boyfriend, is the worst situation. Young girls should be able to hold their own and take care of themselves.” Those in the Sister Mentors program gain experience that allows them to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, she said. Through mentorship, women can learn these ideals, Lewis said. She encourages people to devote time to guiding young people down the right path. Lewis, who was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, graduated
In an interview with The Star-Ledger, the pledge who was treated at the hospital said she was told the beatings would “humble” her and each strike would build love and trust between sorority sisters. She said she was told the beatings were not hazing because the sorority did not condone hazing. The University and sorority’s national chapter suspended the chapter on campus. Judge Marie Koch said the case is being reviewed by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the article. Aggravated hazing is an indictable offense that carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison. — Ariel Nagi
CHECKMATE
INDEX UNIVERSITY A coed University a cappella group takes the top spot in its first year of competing in a regional contest.
OPINIONS The Daily Targum gives its thoughts on the best and the worst of Super Bowl commercials. UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 SKYLA POJEDNIC
WORLD . . . . . . . . . 11
The Rutgers University Programming Association sets up a life-size chess board yesterday in the Livingston Student Center. Members also set up other larger-than-life games such as Jenga and Connect Four.
OPINIONS . . . . . . . 12
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 4
DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 14
Stomach flu afflicts 55 Tinsley Hall residents HILLARY GOLDSMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Denur Novick, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student, has never been sick a day in his life. So when he spent an entire
night vomiting, he knew something was wrong. Novick, along with what residents tally as more than 55 other residents of Tinsley Hall on the College Avenue campus, became infected with the stomach flu or gastrointestinal virus.
“I didn’t know what was going on. I came back from lifeguarding and just felt so sick,” Novick said. Novartis Pharmacuticals Dr. Nadia Dalati-Khani said this is a common problem, especially among universities, and students should be cautious.
“It’s an infection in the intestine. It’s not known how it star ts, but it can be passed through shaking hands, not taking the necessar y hygienic procedures, and
SEE FLU ON PAGE 7
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