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Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016
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RUSA bill seeks to assist commuters with college MADHURI BHUPATHIRAJU CORRESPONDENT
Rutgers student organizations are working on programs to make commuters feel more connected to their campus. The Off-Campus Student Association, with the support of the Rutgers University Student Assembly, is working toward implementing a new Commuter Assistant Program for the upcoming academic year. Murtuza Hussain, a Mason Gross School of the Arts senior, is the OCSA initiatives chair and RUSA chief of staff, as well as the author of the Commuter Assistant initiative resolution. “Fifty-seven percent of our student body is now a commuter or off-campus student, and it’s been increasing over the years,” he said. “About 40.5 percent of them said they don’t feel connected on campus at all.” Surveys show that students are feeling more disconnected to campus-life now than ever, according to the resolution.
On-campus students have resident assistants who help integrate them into Rutgers by helping answer questions and providing oppor tunities for engagement at Rutgers’ events, according to the resolution. A commuter assistant would mentor first-year commuter students by providing tips and advice and by helping make connections with other resources and student organizations, according to the resolution. “Ideally there would be about 20 CA’s and each CA would have about 20 students they can mentor. The CA’s would be in constant contact with them through email, GroupMe, Facebook, etc.,” Murtuza said. The details are still being finalized, he said. “What we’re proposing is that during orientation, or during emails, all freshman commuters coming to Rutgers would get an email saying, if you want a CA, you can sign up for one,” he said. SEE COLLEGE ON PAGE 4
Assembly passes Title IX resolution for members ROMAN GERUS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Rutgers University Student Assembly passed a resolution for all RUSA members to complete sexual misconduct training under Title IX guidelines. The resolution, which was passed unanimously on Feb. 11, according to an article by The Daily Targum, was created by Margaux Taylor, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, Mohamed Asker, a School of Engineering sophomore, and Natalie Settimo,
a School of Arts and Science firstyear student. The training takes about an hour and is required of all students involved with RUSA, Asker said. This mandate will officially go into effect after the election of a new student body in April. The training is run by the Office of Student Affairs Compliance. It covers definitions of various interpersonal and sexual misconduct violations, including but not limited to sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence and stalking. SEE RESOLUTION ON PAGE 4
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 550 cases of meningitis in the country in 2013. Last week, a student was hospitalized after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. SUSMITA PARUCHURI / DESIGN EDITOR
Student diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, hospitalized over break NIKHILESH DE AND BUSHRA HASAN STAFF WRITERS
A Rutgers student was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and hospitalized on March 18, according to an email sent to the University community by Melodee Lasky, assistant vice chancellor for Health and Wellness. “Those who had close contact with the student are being notified so they can receive antibiotics as a preventative measure,” Lasky said.
Between 10 and 15 out of every 100 people infected with bacterial meningitis die from the infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 100 survivors, 11 to 19 people experience long-term effects, ranging from brain damage to hearing loss. This comes out to about 18 cases for every 10 million people in the United States. While children less than 12 months SEE MENINGITIS ON PAGE 4
Comedian alumnus runs Chicago Improv Festival, expands career JESSICA HERRING STAFF WRITER
One in five women at Rutgers experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact, with 23 percent not discussing it with their friends, according to the iSpeak survey. SUSMITA PARUCHURI / DESIGN EDITOR
The student’s identity was not disclosed to the public. Meningococcus, the colloquial name for Neisseria meningitidis, is an illness affecting the lining of the brain and spinal cord and infecting the bloodstream. The disease is treatable with antibiotics, but requires immediate medical attention, according to the email. The New Jersey Department of Health is conducting special testing to determine the specific type of bacteria that is causing the illness, Lasky said.
An English major with a focus on cinema studies has developed into a famous comedian with ties to one of the world’s largest sketch comedy festivals. Jonald Reyes, who graduated from Rutgers in 2001, now works with the Chicago Improv Festival to help other comedians find their audiences. “The months leading up to the Chicago Improv Festival were careful and detailed in planning,” he said. “Once we got to a month before the week of CIF performances, I was constantly thinking about it.” As the producer for the Chicago Improv Festival in 2015, Reyes led the logistics and operations of the how the festival itself ran. The Chicago Improv Festival takes place
for one week and is held at multiple venues, he said. For 2015, they were in 16 different venues with more than 150 acts, he said. Reyes was the point person between the Festival and each venue, he said. He also led the marketing, web development, social media and record keeping for the Festival with the help of his assistant producers. Over the years, he said he has been able to develop a routine and balance multiple projects. “I think anytime you perform as part of a festival, it adds a bit more excitement and ner vousness,” he said. There is an expectation to be good but even more so due to being a part of this big name festival, he said. During festivals, Reyes has had the opportunity to perform sketch, improv and direct material.
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One of the benefits that some festivals provide is access to watch other shows for free, Reyes said. So he often observes what other people have been working on. “I actually really enjoy watching other peoples’ work,” he said. As the associate producer for the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival and Chicago Women’s Funny Festival, Reyes helps with being the point person between comedy groups and the Festival. He assists in submissions, social media and house management duties. “In five years, I’m hoping to have another feature length film either in the works or under my belt,” he said. “As a producer of theater, I’d really like to own my own theater,” he said. Right now, Reyes is directing and producing “Blackfish The Musical,” SEE CAREER ON PAGE 4