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More students enroll in alternative loan program NATASHA TRIPATHI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Last week, The New York Times posited how much money American taxpayers should under write in order to rescue students from a storm of debt, while also suggesting that the best way to limit the expense of the student loan forgiveness program is to lighten college prices so students won’t have to rely on loans in the first place. Recent data from the United States Depar tment of Education showed that a growing number of students, families and graduates are turning to a federal program called Income-Based Repayment to pay back college loans. IBR, an independent and nonprofit organization supplies new information about federal student loan payment and forgiveness programs. The company helps struggling individuals by limiting monthly loan payments to as little as 10 percent of a borrower’s income and forgives any remaining loan balances after 20 years. Critics in Congress have been disappointed by recent budget estimates from the Obama administration that suggest “tens of billions of dollars will be spent forgiving loans that have already been issued,” according to the NYT.
A series of tables based on changing interest rates, borrower behavior and some other economic conditions update of ficial estimates of how much revenue will be realized over time from various federal loan programs, according to the NYT. Long-term revenues from the federal direct student loan portfolio were reduced by a near $22 billion because of the recent growth in enrollment in the program. Annual loan por tfolio re-estimates routinely can expectedly var y by billions of dollars since the federal direct student loan por tfolio has risen to over $600 billion after the Depar tment of Education took over all federal student lending in 2010, according to the NYT. The federal government expects to allot billions of dollars in future student loan aid under the program in order to reward hard working American employees and protect them from unfortunate economic circumstances beyond their control. Natasha Tripathi is a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior majoring in painting and journalism and media studies with a minor in political science. She is an Associate News Editor at The Daily Targum. Follow her on Twitter @natashatripathi for more stories.
The Rutgers University Student Assembly is planning to present a proposal on Thursday evening that would allow them to spend $16,904 a semester to compensate its 12 executive board members. THE DAILY TARGUM / JANUARY 2014
RUSA proposes paying members KATIE PARK NEWS EDITOR
In a little over 24 hours, the Rutgers University Student Assembly will convene for one of its regularly scheduled general student body meetings. The items docketed for RUSA’s agenda tomorrow evening, though, are expected to be more divisive than those in recent history. A recent proposal to be presented by RUSA members tomorrow will suggest compensation for executive members of the student government organization, said Sam Clark, parliamentarian for RUSA. The proposal was inspired by the student government infrastructure of Rutgers’ Big Ten peers, said Clark, a School of Ar ts and Sciences senior. “A wide variety of other student governing associations pay
their members, including most, if not all, of the Big Ten schools,” he said. He said he believes in the success of the model because the compensation will bring greater commitment to the position. The student government president of Ohio State is given a full ride for the year, yet she also works 40 hours a week for her student body, he said. Paying RUSA staf f will put the pressure on the executive board to bring tangible, impactful results to the student body. Lisabeth Matyash, a graduate student in the School of Communication and Information, thought other wise. “I thought it was a little odd that a student executive board was going to get paid,” she said. “Because, you know, it’s a weird thing to hear –– a lot of us have been in positions and we don’t
get paid for that kind of stuf f. It’s a club. You do it.” The proposal, which has elicited suppor t and disdain alike from members of the student body, is still in its primordial stages, Clark said. A presentation for the proposal tomorrow evening will clarify and respond to issues raised by members of the audience. Until the meeting, members of the student body have aired complaints about the strategies the plan has put for th. RUSA would allocate $16,904 per semester to pay its president, vice president, treasurer, secretar y, parliamentarian and seven committee chairs, Clark said. He said the president, who would be required to work at least 16 hours a week, would be paid $2,688 per semester. SEE RUSA ON PAGE 4
U. teams up with Johnson & Johnson to promote technological advancement AVALON ZOPPO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
More students, families and graduates are opting to participate in Income-Based-Repayment federal programs to ease the process of paying back student loans. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Johnson & Johnson, which has had its headquar ters in the hear t of Rutgers campus for over 120 years, has been working closely with the University in recent years. The Rutgers Business School Executive Education has worked closely with dozens of J&J regional employees since 2011 to design and execute a customized global digital
learning plan, according to a company press release. The Rutgers Corporate Program delivered relevant, engaging and thought-provoking material, said Scott Creighton, global vice president at J&J. RBSEE Corporate Program’s list of corporate clients includes not only J&J, but also Prudential, TNT, Cisco, Verizon, Motorola and Merck. The program provides executive and leadership training for professionals in business and human
resources, according to RBSEE’s website. Rutgers faculty members from the Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick act as program instructors. “…Rutgers, regardless of the level of the program –– from the introductor y to the senior level –– has taught our participants how to think better about how to approach digital,” Creighton said in a J&J press release.
VOLUME 147, ISSUE 8 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • FOOD & DRINK ... 7 • OPINIONS ... 8 • DIVERSIONS ... 10 • CLASSIFIEDS ... 12 • SPORTS ... BACK
SEE ADVANCEMENT ON PAGE 5
Page 2
Pendulum Question
Q:
What fashion trend will you not miss in 2015? A. Crop tops B. Combat boots C. High-waisted shorts D. Plaid flannels
Pendulum is an online poll to explore the opinions of the Rutgers community. Results will be printed on Tuesday in the paper. Vote online until Monday Feb. 24th at 4 p.m. at dailytargum.com
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The Department of Germanic, Russian and East European Languages and Literature and the Russian Club present “A Celebration of Maslenitsa” from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus. The event is free and open to the public. THURSDAY 2/19 The Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research presents “Genetic Determinism, Technology Optimism, Race and Partisanship: Unexpected (and Unexplained) Linkages in Public Attitudes” from 12 p.m.
TODAY TONIGHT
to 1:30 p.m. at 112 Paterson St. The event is free and open to the public. Rutgers Recreation presents “Bystander Intervention” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the College Avenue Gym. The event is free and open to the public. FRIDAY 2/20 The Department of Entomology presents “Mosquitos, Microbes and Malaria” from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Thompson Hall on Cook campus. The event is free and open to the public. The Rutgers Film Co-Op/ New Jersey Media Arts Center presents “New Jersey Film Festival Screening” from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Voorhees Hall on the College Avenue campus. Admission is $9 from students and seniors and $10 for the general public.
If you would like to submit an event for the Campus Calendar section, please email Copy@Dailytargum.com. For more information please visit www.dailytargum.com. Due to space limitations there is no guarantee that your event will be listed. Events can run for no more than three days: two days prior to the event and the day of the event.
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Campus Calendar WEDNESDAY 2/18 The Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics hosts “The Affordable Care Act and Farm Families” from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cook Office building. The event is free and open to the public.
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February 18, 2015
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February 18, 2015
University
Page 3
More first-year students value career over religious beliefs DAN COREY ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
In adjusting to collegiate life, first-year students have typically held faith closer to their hearts than future job prospects, but new survey results show this might not be the case. In the Feb. 5 publication of “The American Freshman,” researchers from the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles found current first-year students in the United States are more interested in professional development than identifying with a particular religion. The results of the study indicate 28 percent of first-years surveyed did not align with any religious ideology, a figure that reflects a 12 percent decline since 1971. First-year students in recent years seemed to have entered the University keen on pursuing careers with a greater degree of job security, said Tia Kolbaba, acting chair of the Department of Religion. “I think it’s true that the incoming classes seem to be … oriented toward STEM or business or other [fields of study] they think will get them a better job,” she said. A possible contributor to this shift in first-year focus might be the national economy itself, which recently began demanding more technical workers as opposed to those with a sound knowledge of the humanities, she said. Though she wishes more students were interested in studying
these kinds of topics, Kolbaba said she understands why first-years might feel this way. “I think [students] are right [about] how it’s tough to get a job out there,” she said. “It’s hard not to be sort of obsessed with that if you’re in their position.” Much of today’s youth claim to be spiritual, but not necessarily religious, Kolbaba said. She said she thinks this widespread non-alignment with religious institutions can be attributed to an overall lack of interest in the institutions themselves. “One of the most interesting things about [millennials] is that they’ll tell you they’re spiritual, but not religious,” she said. “They aren’t really impressed by anything that [standard] religious institutions offer them.” According to the UCLA study, one of the reasons why young adults are less concerned with religious identity is because of how politicized religion has become in the United States. Citing former president George W. Bush’s War on Terror and the post-9/11 era in general, Kolbaba said groups such as young Christians might feel withdrawn from extreme right-wing politics. “I think a lot of young Christians feel sort of alienated from the right-wing politics of the loudest Christians in America and don’t know where else to go,” she said. It is not surprising that many first-years are more concerned with career aspirations, said Julie Traxler, assistant dean and
More first-year college students are demonstrating greater interest in securing a future career than committed adherence to a faith, according to a University of California, Los Angeles study. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
director of first-year advising at the School of Arts and Sciences. “(First-years) are in a place where they’re feeling much more pressure economically,” she said. “It makes sense to me that they’re anxious about that.” One of the reasons why students might feel this way is because they grew up not understanding the actual responsibilities associated with certain jobs, she said. This sense of uncertainty, coupled with a lack of definite interest in a major allows first-years to feel stressed, Traxler said. “Students now have a lot of anxiety and I think that out in advising conversations,” she said. “There’s a level of (needing) to get to a
certain place, but … not really (knowing) where it is.” Although she said University advisers encourage students to probe their interests with potential major classes, Traxler said this could make them feel more stressed. This type of encouragement can make first-years feel like they need to be on a specified track that they are not making progress in. “We also want students to start exploring [major options] before they declare, and that also creates some anxiety,” she said. “There’s a level of risk at being the one to say ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Many young adults refuse to adopt the beliefs of a specific
religious institution on a grand scale because many of them feel the standard religions are inherently oppressive, Kolbaba said. Present-day college students in particular do not want to identify themselves with these types of institutions, she said. “They’re reacting against religion being used as a hammer to beat people with,” Kolbaba said. “They’re reacting against that kind of religious identity.” Dan Corey is a Rutgers Business School first-year student majoring in pre-business and journalism and media studies. He is an Associate News Editor of The Daily Targum. Follow @_dancorey for more stories.
February 18, 2015
Page 4
RUSA GlobeMed’s budget shrunk from $2,000 to $900, Badushov says CONTINUED FROM FRONT
The vice president and treasurer would be required to clock in at least 14 hours a week and be paid $1,680, he said. The secretar y and parliamentarian would work at least 10 hours and each of the committee chairs would work at least eight hours, earning $1,400 and $1,008, respectively, Clark said. This money would come from the student life funds, which is collected each semester through students’ tuition, said Khermesh Badushov, a member of the Rutgers chapter of GlobeMed, a grassroots global health initiative. The money that RUSA would need to pay its staf f would cut into the budgets for other clubs under student life, including but not limited to clubs such as GlobeMed, said
Badushov, a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior. “GlobeMed’s budget has been cut in half this academic school year, and (we) got allocated $900 for our largest campaign when we were given $2,000 last year,” she said. Clark said he hopes RUSA can find alternatives to potentially pay its staf f, hopefully with grants or a referendum. “We do not want this to negatively af fect any group here,” he said. If the proposal was approved, Clark said RUSA would practice a rigorous system of checks and balances to prevent briber y and corruption to handle the large sum of money. “It [would be a] multiparty system,” he said. “You [would] have the president of RUSA, the vice president, the student af fairs chair, the internal af fairs chair and a non-RU-
SA member of student life,” he said. Each paid member would be required to submit a biweekly repor t of their hours, and the repor ts would be sent through multiple position holders, ending with a review by the non-RUSA member, he said. Clark emphasized the role of the non-RUSA member, a student chosen by the student life advisor to conduct arbitrar y business work. He said the non-RUSA member raises an important point because it opens the doors to a valid question of what RUSA is doing. “We’re a Big Ten school, we should star t acting like a Big Ten SGA,” he said. RUSA will convene tomorrow in the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Questions can be emailed to rusa. assembly@gmail.com. Katie Park is a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior majoring in political science and journalism and media studies. She is the News Editor of The Daily Targum. Follow her on Twitter @kasopar for more stories.
CRIME FEB. 17 LINDEN – The drunk driver who struck a cyclist last month and fled was charged with assault by auto, a third-degree crime, police said. Francisco R. Herrera was driving a 1998 Honda Accord and struck a 24-year-old Rahway man on a bicycle. Police said Herrera then fled the scene and the victim, who sustained a minor head injur y, was taken to a nearby hospital. FEB. 17 SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Tracey Harding, a first-grade Edison school teacher from South Brunswick was arrested and charged with child endangerment after a party with alcohol in her home led to life-threatening levels of intoxication for a 15-year-old. The incident did not involve her students, said the police. She has two teenage children of her own. Harding’s children threw a birthday party and another teenage boy at the party became ill. Harding allegedly went downstairs to find this boy face-down on the basement
floor and told him to “sober up and get up.” No one in the home called for medical assistance. FEB. 17 IRVINGTON – Amit Patel, a beloved liquor store worker was mysteriously gunned down inside his family’s shop Sunday afternoon, leaving those he knew with unanswered questions. Patel was working the counter alone at Roseway Liquors and Deli when he was shot. His father, the only other person working with him, was in the back office. Essex County authorities have yet to release any information about a possible motive for the killing. FEB. 17 HIGHLAND PARK – Tanya Chou, an employee at the Above and Beyond Child Care Center, had been arrested and then charged with second-degree child endangerment. A 2-monthold infant, who had allegedly been left unattended after being placed in the day care, was unresponsive and rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment and died on Sept. 10.
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February 18, 2015
Page 5
ADVANCEMENT Rutgers Business School worked with Johnson & Johnson on curriculum design, Schaffer says CONTINUED FROM FRONT
RBSEE has collaborated with J&J in numerous facets, from the curriculum design and faculty selection to the program evaluation phase, said Joe Schaf fer, associate dean of Rutgers Business School Executive Education. “It’s been a privilege to par tner with J&J on the development and deployment of this global program,” he said. “The result is a program that both organizations are extremely proud of.” Marketing is a creative business, and marketing in a digital world opens up “a whole new box of crayons,” said Jackie Scott, Rutgers global program director, in the press release. Learning a new skill or technology is the easy par t, Creighton said in the press release. “Having the mindset to apply it, the logic to process it and the ability to work within the context of a team while doing so, is critical to the success of our programs,” he said. “We are obsessed with program results and client outcomes.” Both Rutgers and J&J share a passion for improving the courses and making them more ef fective, Creighton said. One program par ticipant from the Asia Pacific region has made phenomenal progress with the Neutrogena India brand team, Creighton said. The Neutrogena campaign decided to go entirely digital, he said in the press release. The e-commerce enabled Facebook page is now the No. 1 Neutrogena brand page outside
of the U.S. and the No. 1 brand page in India in terms of consumer engagement, Creighton said in the J&J press release. The custom program was “instrumental in opening up our minds and shaping the way we think of digital,” said Shivi Gupta, senior product manager at J&J. “We moved beyond looking at digital as a mere media channel, to focusing on building a dif ferentiated brand with the ‘digital consumer’ at the center,” she said in the press release. The RBSEE program trains work groups together in a setting that reinforces the company’s goals, saves travel costs and time away from work and taps into the skills of hundreds of world-class Rutgers faculty members, according to its website. A RBSEE corporate program delivers bottom line results through targeted employee and organizational development, and employees see the loyalty and commitment toward their professional growth, according to the RBSEE website. “…Rutgers has a passion for improving these courses,” Creighton said. “We have increased the ef fectiveness of these courses, and I’m really pleased with the results that are happening in the marketplace.” Avalon Zoppo is a Rutgers Business School first-year student majoring in pre-business. She is an Associate News Editor of The Daily Targum. Follow her on Twitter @avalonzoppo for more stories.
STUDENT SERVICE Business school students convene in the Livingston Student Center to advise each other on majors, internships and jobs as part of the “Students Helping Students: Career Insights Panel” on Feb. 17. RUOXUAN YANG
CULINARY CRAFTSMANSHIP Students gather in the Livingston Dining Common Kitchens Feb. 17 to watch a Rutgers chef prepare a Mardi Gras-themed dish for “In the Kitchen,” an event hosted by the Rutgers University Programming Association. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
February 18, 2015
Page 6
Pendulum Poll: RU Responds / Photos by Ruoxuan Yang
Q : What show’s return are you most excited for in 2015? A. The Walking Dead B. House of Cards C. Mad Men D. Game of Thrones E. Orange is the New Black F. True Detective
George Gaines, SOE ‘19 “I choose Game of Thrones because I love the scene they build in every episode, and I watch Walking Dead too but it is fiction.”
A. 19%
%
6
F. 9%
E. D. 31%
Shazain Yusuf, SOE ‘19 “I choose House of Cards because it is unique and different from other shows, it is also a new show.”
B. 22%
Saskieya Anderson, SOE ‘19 “I choose Orange is the New Black, it shows that you do not have to [be subjective to] what people see, like in prison, you could stand up for yourself.”
Sharukh Syed, SAS ‘19 “I choose Game of Thrones because it is about the evil times.”
C. 13% Erica Lambardi, SAS ‘19
“I choose Game of Thrones because it is the only show I have seen.” The results of an informal poll by The Daily Targum of randomly selected students:
This Week’s Pendulum Question has been brought to you by:
Pendulum is an online poll to explore the opinions of the Rutgers community. View online at dailytargum.com.
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February 18, 2015
FOOD & DRINK
Beyond New Brunswick, NYC offers endless vegan options SABRINA SZTEINBAUM STAFF WRITER
New York City is “the place to be” for any food craving imaginable. Walking down one block will offer the urban foodie everything from international cuisine, to organic “farm-to-table” freshness to that famous New York pizza that only the Big Apple seems to know how to make. Being that Rutgers is a train ride away from the City, it’s important to know where to eat when venturing away from the comforts of Skinny Vinnie’s and Cookie Rush. For this week, I wanted to focus on how New York caters to their vegan populace. With veganism on trend and very “in” these days, it’s fun to spot the creative ways in which NYC kitchens substitute staples like eggs and dairy to come up with dishes both satisfying and satiating. My first stop on Friday morning was “Blossom du Jour” on Amsterdam, between 67th and 68th. Everything on Blossom’s menu is 100 percent vegan — their mission being that “eating should be fun, healthy and hold no negative consequence to the animals we share our world with,” according to their website. Although I am the No. 1 fan of their “Un-Chicken Griller Wrap,” I decided to widen my horizons. Being that it was 8 a.m., I went with the “Breakfast Scramble,” a savory mix of tofu, peppers and onions on a whole-wheat wrap. My wait was longer than usual, but the cashier gave me a free cup of coffee while I waited, so bonus points for that. As for the wrap, don’t be putoff by its odd shade of yellow. Not only was it a delicious breakfast, but it kept me full for most of the day. If you didn’t know
other wise, you’d probably think you were eating eggs because of the way they cooked the tofu and gave it the taste (and appearance) of scrambled eggs. The tofu-to-vegetable ratio was also onpoint, with more delicious tofu than vegetables. With herbs and spices mixed in, this wrap was bursting with flavor. What I was really excited to experience for the first time was a vegan dessert. I love to bake, but have never experimented with ingredients like almond flour or agave. I decided to tr y my luck at Tatz Gourmet Sweetz, a vegan baker y located at 844 Amsterdam Ave. The baker y, which gets its name from the nickname of chef and owner Tatiana Budyuk, has a variety of vegan, dair y free and grain free desserts for any food restriction (or fad). Budyuk attended the French Culinary Institute and was in pastry school when she began noticing rashes on her skin and face, a common symptom that tipped her off that she was allergic to gluten. She began changing recipes and continues to do a ton of testing, tasting and retesting. Her goal? “It’s all about making people happy,” she told me. I went with a vegan chocolate cupcake, two vegan donuts (cinnamon and chocolate) and a vegan brownie. The gem of the bunch was the cinnamon donut (and coming from a chocolate-lover, that’s high praise). All of the desserts were more cakey than fudgy, and what I can say with absolute confidence is that nothing about these desserts tasted “off” because of the ingredient substitutions. The vegan chocolate cupcake was a close second to the cinnamon donut. The frosting is made with organic cane juice
Topped with frosting made from organic cane juice and agave, even with its cake-like texture, the vegan chocolate cupcake tastes more like an indulgence than a healthy snack. SABRINA SZTEINBAUM and sweetened with agave. A fresh strawberr y garnish meets anyone who is brave enough to bite into this vegan creation. Budyuk said the bakery’s menu changes on a daily basis, with specials during the holiday season. The bakery sold eggnog cup-
cakes for winter, and in summer focuses on fresh fruit tarts. I can’t say for certain that I’ll be giving up “normal” pastries in favor of those made with rice flour and sweetened with agave, but I would definitely not hesitate to try another vegan confection. I am
impressed by Tatz’s commitment to catering to a community of people who may not be able to enjoy their sweets in just any bakery. For more stories on arts and entertainment, food and lifestyle, check out targuminsidebeat.com
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February 18, 2015
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EDITORIAL
Desensitazation leads to school shootings Culture surrounding school shootings is overly relaxed
H
umans are naturally violent creatures. Stories of olden days depict struggles to reign in emotions of anger and fear in hopes of keeping them from erupting into unwelcome circumstances. Consequently when these emotions do boil over, reaching a deadly point of climax, the loss of innocent life becomes threadbare. As individuals began to evolve, medieval spears and daggers transformed into technologically advanced guns and bombs with the ability to claim scores of victims in seconds. Shootings take place everywhere from movie theaters to convenience stores and office buildings. But the dichotomy evoked between schools and gun violence is so striking that it piques the nation’s interest. School shootings in America date back to 1764. Since then there have been hundreds of instances where gunmen have entered campus buildings and claimed the lives of individuals inside. Schools are institutions designed to build upon intelligence and instill a sense of passion for learning in each of the students that sit down and open their minds. Yet as school shootings become more commonplace, there is an element of numbness that is being employed. Less than three months into 2015, there have been four shootings on school grounds. While only one of these shootings was deadly, it calls into question how and why these occurrences are possible. Do all of the gunmen have mental instabilities? Were they bullied as children or teens to such an unfathomable extent that the only way out of their torture was to take the lives of other individuals before claiming their own? Or is gun violence the only obvious answer to some individuals? The Columbine shooting was an instance that brought the issue of weapon and gun violence in schools to national attention. It began what can now be seen as a trend in using violence to end bullying and student alienation. Years later in 2007, the Virginia Tech massacre again brought attention to the frightening dichotomy. The Virginia Tech shooting was the deadliest attack by a lone gunman in U.S.
history, where 32 people were shot dead, including the shooter himself. Finally, the Newtown shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School became the straw that broke the camel’s back. Seeing the lives of innocent children and teachers cut short in an instant prompted citizenry to cry out, “no more!” The accepted culture of bullying, numbness toward violence and media handling of school shootings are what perpetuate such events. Looking around high schools and college campuses, it’s easy to find students who are enjoying life: they’re partying, passing classes and making new friends. But that existence is not a reality for everyone and it can become easy for loners to question why the trajectory of their lives does not match that of their peers. When schoolwork is not as simple as the professor explains it to be and when your roommate is nothing like the best friend you thought you would make, frustrations arise. As a nation, Americans have become desensitized to the idea of violence. There are children’s movies and television shows that involve harmless kicking and punching, but as children grow older the need for stimulation begins to augment, guns, bombs and other violent weapons become outlets for arousal. Seeing such acts of violence on a daily basis vehemently blurs the line between fiction and reality creating a culture around attack and assault as the answer. Media proliferation and the coverage of shooting incidents allow shooters to live in infamy — everyone knows their names. Many shooters are born into their acts of violence with that exact thought in mind. In the infancy of a shooting, journalists and television news networks pounce on stories and make a myriad of assumptions only to retract them once more information is available. But the initial handling of a shooting story allows the gunman to go from an average citizen to a household name in a matter of minutes. A societal reform of attitudes toward bullying and violence coupled with proper media handling of shooting incidents will transition American culture out of dismal acceptance of school shootings and into a pronounced condemnation of gun violence in schools.
GARRET BELL NIGHTPRO@DAILYTARGUM.COM
SENIOR PRODUCTION ASSISTANT COREY PEREZ PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ROMAN SHINGIN
The Daily Targum’s editorials represent the views of the majority of the 147th editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
February 18, 2015
Opinions Page 9
Brian Williams fabrication story highlights flaws with news COMMON SENSE CONSERVATIVE SERGIO ROJAS
O
ne of the dominant headlines in the news over the past two weeks has not actually been a “breaking news” story about unfolding events, but rather a story about the representation, or rather misrepresentation of the news itself. The controversy began when NBC Nightly news anchor Brian Williams’ claim that he was in a helicopter that was struck by a rocket during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, was refuted by military personnel who were actually in the helicopter that was actually struck. After some initial awkward maneuvering and apologizing by Williams, he was suspended from the news program for six months, and at this point it is unlikely that he will return to NBC News, or any news organization for that matter. The falsehood of the helicopter story has led to other claims Williams has made over the years to be called into question, including his accounts of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Brian Williams controversy is not unique, however. Network news programs have been caught in lies and
misrepresentation of facts in the past. Just last month, Fox News Channel offered many apologies for airing claims that there were “No Go Zones” in France and England –– supposed zones in these countries that were off limits to white Europeans and that were operating under Sharia law. No such zones exist in Europe, and Fox could easily have found this out with some quick and simple investigative journalism. Over 10 years ago, the CBS news magazine, 60 Minutes, was marred in scandal when it
most people under 30 do not avidly watch the nightly news broadcasts. Some young people might only just be finding out who Brian Williams is through social media and the Internet, since that is where they primarily consume news. Most people my age who I know have an established disinterest and distrust for traditional network news, and I often hear that news you see on television is “all bull----.” Online news is often not any more reliable than network news and can be extremely sensationalist in nature.
“The fact that young people cannot discern when online news is fake and misleading is perhaps a testament to our generation’s critical thinking skills.” was revealed that it had presented false and unverified documents on the military record of President George W. Bush. This led to accusations of media bias and several resignations for CBS News. All of these controversies over the truth and journalistic standards have led to loss of credibility for the network and cable news industry. But at this point does that even really matter to younger consumers of news? Unlike their parents and grandparents,
Articles shared on Facebook will often have headlines that appear to be making a concrete claim, while the information inside the article fails to back it up, or misrepresents the facts. While older news consumers should rightly be upset at the falsehoods and misrepresentations that Brian Williams and others have perpetrated on broadcast news, people of this generation should also be holding online journalism to the same standards. Too often people share
and repost articles and news sources on the Internet that upon proper investigation simply do not hold up to be true. This problematic practice spans the political spectrum of online news, with both liberals and conservatives perpetuating a cycle of fake or hyperbolic news. As an article published earlier this week in this paper points out, online news articles need as many clicks as they can get, and so sensationalism is the best way to ensure that as many people as possible click on them. The fact that young people cannot discern when online news is fake and misleading is perhaps a testament to our generation’s critical thinking skills. While college professors often complain that incoming college students have not been properly prepared for university-level writing and thinking, similarly, it seems they have not been properly prepared to consume and discern news media responsibly. We should always be questioning and urging others to question the information that is given to us, whether it is in print, from television, or online and on social media. Sergio Rojas is a School of Arts and Sciences senior majoring in history and journalism and media studies. He is the chairman of Rutgers College Republicans. His column, “Common Sense Conservative,” runs on alternate Wednesdays.
IVF babies precursor to cut, paste baby engineering COMMENTARY MARK OSHINSKIE, J.D.
W
hen I read of three-parent in vitro fertilization (“IVF”), or any other form of reproductive technology, I shake my head. Initially, I wonder why, in a catastrophically warming world of 7 billion people, hundreds of billions of dollars are spent annually to manufacture more lives. Why isn’t this money used to develop sustainable energy and water treatment? What about preserving our remaining soil? How about dealing with malaria and other diseases that afflict millions? The answer is simple but unacceptable: more profit is made turning life into a commodity on behalf of the wealthy than is made serving the poor. Domestically, medical insurance is extremely expensive, whether paid for by employers, employees or the government. Reprotech costs tens, and often hundreds of thousands per user. Making biological offspring a subsidized entitlement life means that others do without basic medical care. Beyond distributive concerns, reproductive technologies such as IVF and sperm and egg shopping present other, seldom-discussed problems. Such commentators as Francis Fukuyama and Bill McKibben have observed that human genetic engineering will demoralize individuals and damage human community.
“
They predict existential crises in reprotech offspring regarding their commercial origins and selected characteristics. The commentators add that democracy will become untenable when technology creates a biological elite. These warnings are, at once, an exaggeration and an understatement. They are an exaggeration because, although genomic research has enabled scientists to identify the effects of many DNA sequences, they are still years away from knowing
shopping, which progressive commentator Andrew Kimbrell calls “technological adultery.” Sperm and egg shoppers prefer gametes from tall, conventionally attractive, formally educated sellers (not donors). The offspring already created maintain websites expressing resentment over their unknown parents and their commercial origins. Children are no longer welcomed unconditionally. Consumer–driven reproduction enables genetically-based embryo selection
“Children are no longer welcomed unconditionally. Consumer-driven reproduction enables genetically-based embryo selection for numerous life-long traits. Even their sex is often chosen and subject to prenatal quality control.” which genes influence most traits. Further, gene manipulation efforts to date reveal that genes cannot often be simply cut and pasted. For now, reprotech facilitates efforts to clear these technological hurdles. IVF uses the same lab equipment and provides cumulating knowledge and an oversupply of embryos needed to advance genetic engineering. IVF is to genetic engineering as nuclear power plants are to nuclear weapons proliferation.The commentators understate reprotech’s effects in another important way. The same consumerist ethic that animates IVF already allows egg and sperm
for numerous life-long traits. Even their sex is often chosen and subject to prenatal quality control. As genomics advances, technicians will prenatally exclude not only the disabled, but the imperfect. Those with suboptimal height, below average intelligence or even big ears will be deselected. Consequently, society’s acceptance of, and mutual support and services for, the imperfect will shrink and the pressure to have “perfect” kids will intensify. Stanford Law Professor Hank Greely has predicted that, given these competitive pressures, within 50 years, 50 percent of Americans will be products of IVF.
Apart from creating a genetically privileged class, reprotech already affects the perception of other beings and basic social solidarity. Despite vast demographic, ideological, cultural and personal differences, until about 30 years ago, humans shared a common, unmanaged and mysterious origin in the union of a woman and a man. This is no longer universally true. A culture that allows everything, including human life, to be governed by utilitarianism, individual choice, engineering principles and commerce inevitably experiences profound alienation. As Waclav Havel wrote, “The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his life but that it bothers him less and less.” Fundamentally, reprotech places the interests of the individual above those of the community. Using it is like building one’s home on the beach at Normandy or in Yosemite Valley. It pleases users and their family and friends, but costs the culture something far more precious –– namely, the notion of the sacred and the continuation of a society where genetic advantage cannot be purchased. Reprotech has generated many offspring, but with its effects on human perception and community, reprotech users should not expect the emerging world to resemble the one their parents grew up in, or to be much of a place to raise kids. Mark Oshinskie, J.D. is a class of 1985 Rutgers University School of Law graduate.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“One of the most interesting things about [millennials] is that they’ll tell you they’re spiritual, but not religious. They aren’t really impressed by anything that [standard] religious institutions offer them.” - Tia Kolbaba, acting chair of the Rutgers University Department of Religion, on students and religion. See story on FRONT.
”
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Page 10
Horoscopes
DIVERSIONS Nancy Black
Pearls Before Swine
February 18, 2015 Stephan Pastis
Today’s Birthday (02/18/15). Pursue a personal dream to begin this year. New doors opens. Fortune smiles on career efforts. Your communities unlock long-term success. Tonight’s Aquarius New Moon inspires creativity. Organize to launch a personal project after 3/20. Resolve kinks in shared finances after 4/4. Begin or renew a partnership after 10/13. Nurture yourself so you can nurture others. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Ponder big questions over the next month, with the Sun (and New Moon) in Pisces. Explore great mysteries. Begin a new phase in your spiritual growth. Decisions you make now will last, possibly for generations. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Begin a social whirlwind phase. Group and community activities take prominence this month. Nurture and cherish your friendships. Grow them with regular communication. Your networks have what you need. You can open doors for each other. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — You can be open to a larger paycheck. New professional opportunities appear over the next month. Completion fosters creativity. Shift directions for a new career phase. Acknowledge colleagues and partners. Take on new leadership. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — This next month is about educational growth and exploration. Begin a new chapter in your journey. Adopt a philosophical view and let old attachments go. Try new experiences. Learn and practice new skills. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Together, you can grow your family’s wealth. Focus on finances this month. Your potential earnings are impressive. Align on where to cut expenses and increase savings. Teamwork makes it happen. Think out of the box. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Practice sharing the load this next month. You and a partner really make things happen. You can resolve misunderstandings and compromise. Negotiate a new phase in your partnership. Soak in the love.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Provide great service and prosper this month. Offer your creativity and talents. Close one project and begin a new one. Conserve energy and resources. Consult an expert on the tricky stuff and save time. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Okay, now it’s getting fun. You’re at your most creative this month. Shuffle the cards and begin a new game. You can afford to be generous with family. Celebrate with a home-cooked meal and a lot of snuggling. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Home and family take priority this month. Begin a new domestic phase. Commitments made now last. Complete a renovation or beautification project. Get out into the garden. Enjoy luxurious time at home. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Communications and networking are key this month. Embark upon a new creative project. Craft clever messages. Share them with friends. Invite participation. Concentrate on where your words can have greatest impact. Express your passion. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Your touch grows increasingly golden. Rake in the dough this month. Launch a profitable new endeavor, and pour on the steam. Build and strengthen your support system to keep systems flowing smoothly. Pay off a debt. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Confidence and power blossom this month, with Sun and New Moon in your sign. Practice skills and gain a new level. Discover strength you didn’t know you had. Open a new door towards a personal dream.
©2015 By Nancy Black distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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February 18, 2015
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Diversions Page 11 Jan Eliot
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Check out the new, free JUST JUMBLE app
Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.
Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.
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Solution Puzzle #29 2/17/15 Solution, tips, and computer program at www.sudoku.com
(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: PHONY RANCH FUTILE PAYDAY Answer: She made such a good witch because she was — CRAFTY
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Page 13
TRANSITION Rutgers drubs Illinois for 36 points inside paint, breaks away in second half CONTINUED FROM BACK said. “We get excited about turnovers and us generating points on the defensive side.” When the legs gradually began to loosen, the points came in bunches for Rutgers. Tyler Scaife was one of the catalysts. The sophomore guard notched a game-high 21 points, shooting a blistering 56 percent from the field in the process. After a relatively quiet past four games where she was held four points below her season average — including a two-game stretch where she chucked and converted only 7-of-28 shots from the field — Scaife returned to her pure-scoring form. Registering her first 20-point performance since Feb. 1 when she dropped 21 points in a 76-65 win over Penn State, Scaife said she began to feel a rhythm early and often. “Tonight my shots just fell, honestly,” Scaife said. “I don’t think it was nothing different that I did, shots just fell. My teammates did a good job of finding me with the 2-3 zone and I got a lot of transition [points].”
It had to have helped that she wasn’t the only one on her team in double-figures. Spanning the floor as Scaife’s running mate for the majority of the night, junior wing Kahleah Copper complemented with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Attacking the rim — especially in the transition game — Copper reached the free throw line eight times, sinking six shots from the charity stripe to pad her point total. Copper utilized her transition game early and often. Just over one minute into the game, Copper found herself on the end result of a cross-court lay-in. With Betnijah Laney as the quarterback after a defensive rebound, she turned and floated the ball into the arms of Copper as the receiver on the opposite side of the floor. Catching the pass in-stride, Copper skipped two steps and flicked a finger roll into the net. That style of play became a constant. Throughout the rest of the night, Rutgers punished Illinois in the paint. Seeking high-percentage shots as
they stampeded on the fast breaks, the Knights stacked up 36 points down low and 12 points in transition. Accompanied by a critical 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and six rebounds from junior center Rachel Hollivay, Laney tallied 14 points of her own on the night to create a tag team that imposed its will on the Illini on the inside. “We have a variety of different scorers,” Laney said. “We’re not counting on one or two people. We’ve had many games where we’ve had three, four, maybe even five people in double-figures and that’s been the key for us to experiment across the board and just offensively from every angle.” Emulating the team’s last time out on the floor, a 78-49 boiling of Purdue where Rutgers hit the 50-point mark in the paint, Stringer found a reason why the Knights have won 10 of their last 12 games. “This is by far the quickest team because we’re really pushing tempo,” Stringer said. “So, we’re getting quick transition baskets, trying to put the ball on the floor. … We’re also pressing and getting steals, so our defense is always happening, but [the scoring has] come along really well.”
ROUT Zein suffers first loss of year after starting season with three-match win streak CONTINUED FROM BACK she said. “We’re going to focus on digging deep when it counts … to give ourselves the best chance.” Despite the difficult loss, assistant coach Hilary Ritchie takes some positives from the match. She was particularly impressed by how the Knights played in doubles action. “We played some good, aggressive points [in doubles] with a lot of pace,” Ritchie said. “We played really smart.” Rutgers looks to rebound from its
loss and get back to practice before facing NJIT at East Brunswick Racquet club on Friday in another in-state rivalry matchup. The Knights scrimmaged the Highlanders in Piscataway back in September, and are hopeful their experience will prove helpful come Saturday in East Brunswick. Ritchie believes that this loss to Princeton will only improve the team in the longrun. “We felt like it was a disappointing loss … but I think that this is something that is just going to make [us] better,” said Ritchie, “Princeton was the better team today and we’re going to have to work a little harder and put more balls in play.” For updates on the Rutgers tennis team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
For updates on the Rutgers women’s basketball team, follow @GarrettStepien and @TargumSports on Twitter.
Junior Mariam Zein loads up awaiting to return a serve last night at Baldwin Gym in Princeton. It was her first match loss of the season. YINGJIE HU / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior center Rachel Hollivay goes up strong with her right hand with a putback in the second half last night in the Knights’ 80-56 win over Illinois at the RAC. EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Page 14
February 18, 2015 GYMNASTICS
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Knight leads team by example on track KAYLEE POFAHL
Scarlet Knights have picked up a total of 11 ECAC qualifying marks within the last two meets. “I try to just show them that it Strong senior leadership and resilient positivity have bolstered is possible, by my achievements the young Rutgers women’s — that you can reach higher track and field team through nu- goals,” Farquharson said. Among the team’s many top merous successes throughout performances is Bria Saunders’ the 2015 indoor season. Senior co-captain Gabrielle ECAC qualifying time of 24.67 Farquharson fits perfectly in that in the 200-meter dash at the Valentine Invitational in Boston last field of senior leadership. In her final season on the Saturday. The mark comes just track, she has mainly led by ex- one week after the freshman ample. Recently setting a new standout set a new personal-best in the event at school record the 2015 Metroin the 200-meter dash on “I try to just show them politan Indoor Championships two separate that it is possible, she took occasions, by my achievements — where second place, Farquaharson that you can closely following solidified the her senior captop time for reach higher goals.” tain across the the event in finish line. the Big Ten. GABRIELLE FARQUHARSON “I think kind She also Senior Sprinter/Jumper of we all bounce reached a fifth off of her perfornational rankmance, because ing in the long jump and placed fourth in the Big she does so well every week and it kind of just motivates us,” Ten in the 60-meter dash. “Gabby’s been fantastic,” said Saunders said of Farquharson. head coach James Robinson. “We all kind of get this good en“Sometimes you lead through ergy going and we all want to do performance, inspiring the oth- better for ourselves and for our ers to raise their level of perfor- team because we see her doing mance. And then sometimes you so well.” With Farquharson leading the lead by word of mouth, by encouragement, by talking ... I said team toward greater successes [to Farquharson], ‘You’ve done a with each passing week, Rutgers looks to maintain momentum as good job with both.’” With weekly performances the indoor season quickly comes that continuously outdo them- to a close. The Knights face their next selves, pressure on Farquharson to keep up with the expectations challenge when they take their of her coaches, her teammates inaugural season to the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, for the and herself is substantial. But the seemingly unfazed 2015 Big Ten Indoor Championsenior cites positivity and en- ships Feb. 27-28. Intense training and a focused couragement from those around her as crucial aspects that have mental game should give Rutgers helped keep her going in a pro- the edge it needs to put forth top performances as they compete gressive direction. “I just have a really good sup- against conference rivals. “Your mentality, I think, port system,” Farquharson said. “My teammates are always there goes hand-in-hand in your perto motivate me. Of course my formance,” Farquharson said. coaches and my family — they’re “It’s almost like having a hur t just always there to tell me to hamstring if you’re not in the keep going and just do the best right mindset for a meet. Mindset is ever ything.” I can.” Farquharson’s many accomFor updates on the Rutgers plishments throughout the season have proven to have a ripple women’s track team, follow @Tareffect on her teammates. The gumSports on Twitter. CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Senior Luisa Leal emigrated from Santiago de Cali, Colombia, in 2008. Head coach Louis Levine calls Leal a world-class gymnast who works hard. EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / MARCH 2014
Mother sees daughter compete for first time since emigrating to U.S. EVAN BRUNO STAFF WRITER
Luisa Leal’s journey to the Rutgers gymnastics team is nothing short of remarkable. The fifth-year senior’s story is one swirling with adversity and overwhelming odds. But somehow, she found her way through it all. Leal grew up in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. It is home to over two million people and is the most populated city in the western part of Colombia. When she was exposed to the sport as a seven-year-old, Leal became hooked. “I was seven years old, it kind of just happened,” Leal said. “I joined the cheerleading team at my school and I used to go to the gymnastics gym. In Colombia, it’s not like here [in the United States]. There’s only one gym per city. I started going to the gym on Saturdays to practice the gymnastics part of cheerleading and the coach there asked, ‘Do you want to start coming three times a week?’ And it just happened.” As Leal’s gymnastics career progressed, she began to dream of competing in the United States and earning a scholarship to a university. Despite the support of those close to her, the gymnast’s friends and family thought the dream was far-fetched. “My biggest dream with my gymnastics my whole life was, get a scholarship in America,” said Leal. “Everybody used to say, ‘You’re here [Colombia]. You don’t even speak English. How are you going to get there [the United States]’ ... and I had no idea, but [I knew] it’ll happen.” At the conclusion of her second year of high school at Liceo Benalcazar in 2008, Leal moved to the United States at 15. She resumed her gymnastics career in a new country and completed her final two years of high school via an online program called UNICAB Virtual.
“I came here in 2008 and started to compete,” Leal said. “I finished my last two years of high school online and it happened. Here I am. I never had a doubt.” Leal became a world-class gymnast and earned a scholarship to compete on the team at Rutgers. She enrolled at the University in 2010 and has helped turn the program around. During Leal’s time as a Scarlet Knight, Rutgers appeared in the 2014 NCAA Regionals. Leal performed in the competition and she counts it as one of the highlights of her career. “Making it to regionals as a team was such a big deal for us,” she said. “We had been tr ying for so long, and we finally did it. It was great. I had been at regionals before but as an individual. And it did not feel like the same thing. Having the team there was great. … That was a good moment.” After living in the United States for seven years to date, Leal now considers it her home. But things have still been hard from time to time. “A lot of things are definitely dif ferent,” Leal said. “I’ve been here almost seven years so, I’m pretty Americanized like my family and my friends say back home. Even though, here, I’m the foreigner, there, I’m Americanized — I’m in like a limbo.” The gymnast has gotten used to the American lifestyle, but still misses the rich culture of her native country. “I’m more used to the American lifestyle than the Colombian lifestyle, but I miss my mom and I miss my family,” she said. “I miss the food, the weather, but this is home now. When I go to Colombia, it feels like I’m visiting and it doesn’t feel like home anymore.” Leal’s mother still has not seen her compete as a Knight due to the distance between Santiago de Cali and Piscataway.
She is finally taking the sevenand-a-half-hour flight to see her daughter perform at the Louis Brown Athletic Center for Senior Day on March 7. “I do get jealous when I see the home meets and all of my teammates’ parents are here,” Leal said. “My mom has never seen me compete. … But she is coming for the senior meet so, I’m very excited about that. Finally. I mean, last home meet ever — and she’ll finally see me. It’s just great.” Co-captain Emma Hoffman credits Leal as the cornerstone for the rebuild of the program. The two teammates have become great friends. If anyone asks Hoffman about who the talented athletes in the gym are, she points to Leal. “I think she’s really meant everything,” Hoffman said. “She was the start of us growing as a team and she showed girls from New Jersey who were looking at bigger schools ‘See that? You can come to Rutgers and you can accomplish big things here.’ She’s been a great leader and a great asset to the team.” As the season winds down, head coach Louis Levine looks to Leal as someone to help Rutgers take another historic step in program history by delivering its first Big Ten win. With six meets remaining on the schedule, he believes that is a task that can be done. “She [Leal] was part of a class that really started to shape a change in wanting more,” Levine said. “She’s an elite, world-class level gymnast. Not everything has been easy and there’s been a lot of battles. … She’s worked hard and done a lot of great things. … We’ve got six meets left, so she’s going to go out there and perform the best that she can.” For updates on the Rutgers gymnastics team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
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February 18, 2015 SWIMMING & DIVING BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS, FEB. 18-FEB. 21
Rutgers readies for Big Ten Championship meet in Ohio RYAN MORAN STAFF WRITER
It’s finally here. For the entirety of the 2014-15 season, the Rutgers swimming and diving team has worked for the opportunity to make noise in the Big Ten Championships. The Scarlet Knights trek to the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State as they embark on the beginning of their postseason journey. The tournament marks the culmination of an inaugural season in the Big Ten where the Knights have seen mixed results. Since the season ended last year, the first and only year in the AAC for Rutgers, head coach Phil Spiniello has had the team training rigorously to get them ready for its first Big Ten Championship meet. “I can’t wait,” said head coach Phil Spiniello. “This is what we’ve been working toward all season. This has been our focus and our goal and I’m excited to get to Ohio State and get this thing rolling.” With six nationally-ranked teams in No. 13 Indiana, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Purdue, No 19. Minnesota, No. 21 Wisconsin and No. 23 Ohio State along with seven other tough opponents participating, the Knights will be up against some formidable competition. Spiniello expects the competition to bring out the best in his team and allow for them to enjoy the meet.
“This is our first time at the Big Ten Conference meet and I think that we’ve talked about it all season, enjoying the process of it and enjoying the meet and getting the lay of land,” Spiniello said. In their first taste of the Big Ten against a top-25 Penn State team at the time, the Scarlet Knights faltered but showed a lot of fight in defeat, ultimately falling, 221-138. After starting to rest the last two weeks in preparation for the conference meet, the team hopes to see a steep improvement come Wednesday. Spiniello has reiterated over the last couple of weeks that he wants to see his swimmers and divers get a personal record in each event they participate in. Entering the meet with a top time this week can prove to be a determining factor for whether a swimmer makes the NCAA’s to compete against the best of the best. As a whole, the team is excited for the challenge that lies ahead and feels ready to tackle the biggest competition of the season head-on. “Although it’s my first and last Big Ten Championship meet, I’m really excited about it,” Leberfinger said. “The rest has helped and when it comes time to swim. I’m just going to give it all I have.” Spiniello said he has set goals for the team heading into the meet, mostly relying on work ethic
Senior Greta Leberfinger earned a first place finish in her last meet, setting a personal record in the 100M breaststroke in Knights’ win on Feb. 7. TIAN LI / STAFF PHOTGRAPHER / NOVEMBER 2013 in practice and in past meets from earlier in the season. “That’s what we are going to do this weekend ... is go in there and swim and dive to the best of our ability,” Spiniello said. “Tr y to put personal best times up, enjoy the meet and wherever we finish is our star ting point in the conference.” Going forward, Spiniello believes that this meet is a great precursor for the Knights to show that they can handle what the Big Ten can throw at them.
In the process, he also hopes it can help him grow as a coach. “I want to have the athletes enjoy the experience and realize that we can hang with these teams in the Big Ten and that over the years we can work our way up in the conference,” Spiniello said. “I think that every conference meet and championship meet has made me a better coach so I’m expecting to learn from this meet like every other one.” The meet begins on Feb. 18 and ends on Feb. 21, with
NCAA qualifications shor tly after. Rutgers enters an impor tant two-week stretch that will only help the swimmers and the program improve. “The excitement level is going up and the amount of work we do is going down,” Spiniello said. “You can definitely see the swimmers are going fasted and excited.” For updates on the Rutgers swimming and diving team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
Sports
QUOTE OF THE DAY “This is by far the quickest team because we’re really pushing tempo ... getting transition baskets, trying to put the ball on the floor.” - Rutgers head women’s basketball coach C.Vivian Stringer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015
ONLINE AT DAILYTARGUM.COM
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NO. 19 RUTGERS 80, ILLINOIS 56
Rutgers buries Illinois in transition game GARRETT STEPIEN SPORTS EDITOR
Before anyone could get settled in for the opening tip, Ivory Crawford was racing down the floor. One blink of an eye later by those in attendance at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, the Illinois guard cruised to the basket on her own to give her team the first lead of the game in the opening seconds. If Crawford was tr ying to set the narrative for the Fighting Illini’s second win over a top-20 team this season, she couldn’t have orchestrated the first play of the game any better. For the next four minutes, the Rutgers women’s basketball team lethargically slumped its way up and down the floor as Illinois held an 11-9 advantage. But that lead and that play was short-lived. With head coach C. Vivian Stringer’s decision to release her trademark “55” fullcourt press as early as the 16:46 mark in the first half, the Scarlet Knights got off and running. Transforming the contest from a basketball game to a track meet, Rutgers scurried its way to an 80-56 blowout victory over Illinois (13-14, 4-11) Tuesday night at the RAC. Once the Knights (20-6, 11-4) eased their way into playing the high-octane brand of basketball they’ve become accustomed to since Stringer’s dawn days of running the schemes in Piscataway, they were able to bury the Illini away and eliminate any chance of a letdown. “We have a lot of things in our arsenal, we just have to work on [the defense],” Stringer Sophomore guard Tyler Scaife scans the floor as she crosses half court in the second half against Illinois last night at the RAC. For the first time since Feb. 1, Scaife eclipsed the 20-point mark with a game-high 21 points. NAAZ MODAN
SEE TRANSITION ON PAGE 13
TENNIS PRINCETON 7, RUTGERS 0
Knights taken to task by Tigers in rout LAUREN FORSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Rutgers women’s tennis team recorded its second loss Tuesday, dropping its match against Princeton, 7-0. The loss puts the Scarlet Knights back at .500 in the young season at an even 2-2. The Knights anticipated a challenge going into the match against the No. 56 team in the ITA national rankings. Princeton (2-5) was ready for Rutgers — and it was evident from the start of the first match. The Tigers swept the Knights away in both singles and doubles play. Playing No. 1 singles, Princeton’s Lindsay Graff defeated junior Gina Li in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. The rest of the Knights also struggled. Junior Lindsey Kayati was undefeated in the No. 2 singles spot this season before falling to
Amanda Muliawan in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 inside historic Jadwin Gym. Junior Mariam Zein, playing No. 5 singles, put forth perhaps the best performance for the Knights in their battle with the Tigers, eventually falling 7-5, 3-6, (10-5). “I think we came out in all of our matches and competed really hard and tried to do just that to stay true to the game that we know how to play,” said Zein, “Every year we play Princeton and it’s hard to come out against them and not have the results that we want.” Zein added that the loss would serve as motivation, an opportunity for each individual to look inside oneself and find some intestinal fortitude. “When we talked afterward, the resounding thing we want to work on is digging in and fighting through points where our opponents might overpower us or hit a good serve or a winner,” SEE ROUT ON PAGE 13
Junior Lindsey Kayati returns a backhand off a Princeton serve last night at Baldwin Gym. She dropped both of her matches to the Tigers. YINGJIE HU / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
EXTRA POINT
NHL SCORES
NY Islanders Carolina
4 1
Buffalo New Jersey
1 2
Columbus Philadelphia
5 2
Florida Toronto
3 2
Washington Pittsburgh
3 1
Dallas St. Louis
4 1
TYLER KROFT,
former Rutgers football tight end, will workout at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Friday in the opening day for tight ends. Michael Burton will join Kroft on Saturday when the fullbacks begin their workouts.
KNIGHTS SCHEDULE
SWIMMING & DIVING
WRESTLING
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S LACROSSE
Big Ten Swim & Dive Championships
at Drexel
at Iowa
vs. Virginia
Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Philadelphia, Pa.
Tomorrow 8 p.m., Iowa City, Iowa
Saturday, 1 p.m., Piscataway, N.J.
Today, All Day,