THE DAILY TARGUM
Volume 141, Number 113
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
WEDNESDAY MARCH 31, 2010
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Today: Partly cloudy
HIT THE ROAD
High: 60 • Low: 43
The Rutgers tennis team heads north to Storrs, Conn., to take on the Huskies and seeks to extend its conference winning streak to four matches.
Group swipes to aid African water pumps
Gaypril events shower campus with awareness
BY NEIL P. KYPERS
BY MARY DIDUCH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
As the close of the semester nears, Engineers Without Borders is gearing up for the meal sign-away program. The Rutgers University Student Assembly voted at their March 11 meeting to award EWB the rights to students’ guest swipes to help raise money for PlayPumps International, a nonprofit organization that installs water pumps in South Africa. “EWB is a nonprofit student-run organization that specializes in making sustainable solutions for societies inside [and outside] the countr y,” said School of Engineering junior Greg Hew. EWB chose PlayPumps International to receive the meal swipes because it creates a sustainable water source in impoverished areas, he said. The EWB Internal Vice President Christine Mau said in the past, EWB has applied for the meal sign-away but did not get it because of questions dealing with the number of members.
As the University prepares to steam through its final full month of classes, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning community is getting set to celebrate Gaypril and 40 years of gay rights activism on campus. April at the University is gay pride month, with many organizations hosting various events, lectures and demonstrations to make LGBTQ issues more prominent on campus. “There’s a lot more people that identify with the LGBT community at Rutgers than people might think,” said Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Alliance of Rutgers University President Krista Pecoraro. “The University caters to a lot of different minority groups, and LGBT people need more support from the University.” The month kicks off tonight with the formal opening of the Center for Social Justice at 7:30 p.m. in the Yorba Lounge in Tillet Hall on Livingston campus. Though the center has been in its new location since September, this marks a new step in LGBTQ awareness, as it allows LGBTQ students a safe space to feel free about their identity, said Coordinator of Special Programs Jenny Kurtz. Allies are also welcome to discuss any topics about the LGBTQ community they may be unaware of or feel uncomfortable with. The new center on the second floor of Tillet Hall on Livingston campus expanded from its previous one on the College Avenue campus. In addition to offices, it can hold small discussion groups and ser ve as a lounge for students to read or watch TV. “I see so many more students come through the door and just hang out,” said Kurtz, adding that the center is currently open only during business hours. It is an area where students can feel comfortable being gender non-conforming, she said.
SEE WATER ON PAGE 6
JING YOU
Engineers Without Borders, a campus organization, will use its meal sign-away privilege to raise funds for PlayPumps International, a group dedicated to installing water pumps in Africa.
SEE AWARENESS ON PAGE 6
Beauty pageant donates prom dress dreams BY REENA DIAMANTE STAFF WRITER
Senior prom is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — for those who can afford it. In an effort to make high school girls’ dreams come true and celebrate Cantonese tradition, the Rutgers Cantonese Club held its first Miss Hong Kong Pageant Monday evening in the Multipurpose Room of the Busch Campus Center. The event raised $700 and collected 42 dresses. “We know that many people have been [affected by] the recession these days,” said Rutgers Cantonese Club co-President Alison Lee. “It’s difficult for people to achieve ever yday dreams, like girls finding the perfect dress for their prom.” The competition mirrored larger ones in China, she said. “Traditionally, Miss Hong Kong is one of the highest, most revered competitions in China. Many former winners are now big stars in the music or film industry,” said Lee, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. “We wanted to replicate that life of pop culture in the University community.”
MARIELLE BALISALISA
Miss Hong Kong winner Marcia Lee accepts her crown Monday night at the Busch Campus Center. The event raised $700 and 42 prom dresses. Marcia Lee, representing the Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, won the title of Miss Hong Kong after participating in three portions, Alison Lee said. The pageant featured six girls competing for the title. The contestants represented different Asian-American organizations at the University. Although the Miss Hong Kong pag-
eant in China is exclusive to Cantonese women, the Rutgers Cantonese Club wanted to unite the Asian-American community through promoting different Asian cultures. One round was the dancing portion. The contestants learned the tango just 30 minutes before the show began and then presented everything they could remem-
ber on stage. None had prior ballroom dancing experience, Alison Lee said. Marcia Lee, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said that learning and dancing the tango was quite an experience. “Performing on stage was a different story,” she said. “I felt like I forgot half the dance during the one hour hiatus between learning it and performing. Thank goodness we had a strong lead to direct us through the dance.” The Rutgers Cantonese Club conducted a game segment of the pageant. Contestants were each presented pictures of random objects and were required to concoct an interesting stor y on the spot using the images, Alison Lee said. There was also a question and answer session. No contestant knew anything about any portion prior to Monday. The only instruction the contestants received was to prepare an evening gown for the event, Marcia Lee said. Not knowing any details was a cause for nervousness, even for Marcia, who won the title. “I was really calm and nonchalant about it until about an hour before,
SEE PROM ON PAGE 6
INDEX OPINIONS Changing the alma mater may result in losing the little traditions that the University still holds.
MULTIMEDIA A poet battle brings out the best Spoken Word artists around campus. Check out the multimedia page on the Web site to see footage of the slams. UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 4 NATION . . . . . . . . . . 8 OPINIONS . . . . . . . 10 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 14 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 16 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
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T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
PA G E 4
UNIVERSITY
MIDDLE EASTERN MOVES
Runners train to trek for cancer BY JESSICA URIE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
School of Arts and Sciences first-year student Dana Sprung shakes it up at last night’s RU Belly Dance Spring Hafla in the Rutgers Student Center Multipurpose Room on the College Avenue campus.
MARCH 31, 2010
After 10 weeks of training, 30 runners will log 13 miles with just one goal in mind — stomping out blood cancer. Team in Training is a national endurance-training program that raises funds for the Leukemia and L ymphoma Society, said campaign coordinator Kelli Toner. The team plans to participate in the University’s Unite Half Marathon on April 18. Since the program began in 1988, more than 420,000 people have participated in Team in Training, she said. The team’s events include marathons, halfmarathons, cycle centuries, hiking events and triathlons. Students who participate are required to raise a minimum of $350, 75 percent of which goes to the Leukemia and L ymphoma Society for research and support groups. The remaining 25 percent pays for the costs that Team in Training incurs, such as for race day applications. Rutgers Recreation started offering Team in Training last semester as part of the “RU In Training” branch of its classes, said Team in Training coach Anne Finetto. Team member Nicole Simoes, a Douglass College junior, is completely new to running. The team atmosphere has been very helpful, she said. “It’s very hard to keep going on your own ... I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to motivate me and keep me on track. It’s made the runs easier,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to go every Tuesday and run with them.”
Simoes said the team’s attempts to expand to the college crowd sparked the University’s involvement. “We reached out to all the colleges in N.J., and Rutgers and Montclair were the only two colleges that responded to the program,” she said. Toner said they try to keep the minimums low for the stereotypically broke college students. “For college students, the cliché is that they are broke, so we tried to make the fundraising limits attainable,” she said.
“It’s a pleasure to go every Tuesday and run with them.” NICOLE SIMOES Douglas College junior
Toner said the group trains for one particular event every semester. Between the past two semesters, the team has tripled in size and steadily progressed to running a half-marathon. “We found out they were offering the Rutgers half-marathon — we thought that’d be the perfect opportunity for a little bit longer race, and it’s right here on campus so it makes it even more fun to train for,” Finetto said. Finetto, who is also the fitness coordinator for the University, created the training plan for Tuesday runs and every other day, when they train on their own. “I have three training plans: Beginner, intermediate and
advanced,” she said. “I’ve created the plans for them and then we meet once a week and run together.” The group consists primarily of undergraduate and graduate students but also includes faculty and a few runners not affiliated with the University, Finetto said. Most of them are beginner to intermediate runners. “A lot of people in the class have never really been runners and they wanted to run, so this kind of gives them a purpose,” she said. “It gives them the motivational tools to start a healthy lifestyle.” Several members of the fall semester team continued this spring and act as mentors to the new runners, Finetto said. “They try to work with the newer students who are coming in. They’ve done it, they know the ropes,” she said. “The mentors help [by] teaching them ways to raise money or giving them ideas of what they need to do to come up with that money.” The class will be offered next fall as well, Finetto said. “We haven’t planned out what race we’re going to do yet, but working with [the group] has been going well,” she said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for students to take on a healthy activity and do it for a good cause, so I would like to continue Team in Training.” Simoes intends to continue running and participating in other events because of the program. “I only starting running when Team in Training started this in the first week of February,” she said. “But, I’ve caught the bug because of [the program]. It’s been an absolute delight to work with them and now this is what I want to do.”
U NIVERSITY
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Council talks present issues, future events BY HENNA KATHIYA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MARCH 31, 2010
STUFF YOUR SAMOSA
Livingston Campus Council
The Livingston Campus Council at their weekly Mondaynight meeting expressed their Campus safety is paramount, plans for several top on-campus he said. events and issues happening “We want to ensure the safety throughout April. of the students that live on To assist TWESE, the African Livingston because it is imporstudent organization at the tant to the members of the counUniversity, the Livingston cil that Livingston is a safe camCampus Council passed a bill pus,” Weigand said. Monday evening to allocate Also on the agenda was the $2,000 of its funds for the group’s topic of the upcoming Springfest, 19th annual fashion show. which the council has been planThe fashion show, which is ning all year in order to make scheduled for April 9 at the these events successful. Livingston Student Center, is one “[Springfest] is the 38th annuof the biggest events of the year, al celebration of with designs the campus,” showcased from “When you see Weigand said. “It’s all over the world. going to be a lot of With the supRutgers Day and fun. There’s going port of the council Springfest actually to be a DJ, gospel as well as the choir, games, United Black happen, it is food, a movie Council and the showing and a Black Student really rewarding whole bunch of Union, TWESE, and awesome.” other things for which promotes the students.” African culture WINIRIS DEMOYA Rutgers Day, and awareness, Council President scheduled for April plans to make this 24, is another event upcoming fashion the council is planning. All camshow one of their most extravapuses are taking a part in Rutgers gant to date. Day activities, yet one of the major In addition to this bill passing, tasks of the council is giving guidrepresentation for off-campus ed tours of Livingston campus. students in the Rutgers Council member Arielle University Student Assembly Alphonse discussed the various was also a topic on the agenda. responsibilities council members In order for RUSA to be able to will have on Rutgers Day. make changes to its constitution, “We will be giving tours of the students must vote in a referendum. campus, discussing important A representative from the stuevents taking place, as well as our dents on off-campus housing was new dining hall plans, and also at the meeting in order to show our new study spaces,” said address the council about openAlphonse, a School of Arts and ing up more seats for the stuSciences junior. “Basically, we dents to better represent offare showing people what it campus housing. means to be a Rutgers student.” By presenting to the council, offMembers of the council plan to campus students hope to get their work hard until the end of the concerns out to RUSA to change semester to make sure Rutgers Day the impending constitution. and Springfest are both successful. In addition to these issues, counCouncil President Winiris cil members talked about inviting a DeMoya addressed council representative from the Rutgers members at the end of the University Police Department to evening and urged them to conattend one of its meetings to discuss tinue working hard in preparasafety matters on campus. tion for these two big events. “There were five thefts “When you see Rutgers Day recently in the [Livingston] and Springfest actually happen, it Quads, so I think it is very imporis really rewarding and awetant that we get someone to some,” said DeMoya, a Rutgers come to one of our meetings so College senior. “When people we can get a better grasp on the walk up to you and tell you how safety measures that are taking great the program is, it really is a place on Livingston,” said rewarding feeling to know that all Anthony Weigand, a School of of our hard work paid off.” Arts and Sciences sophomore.
DEMAREST RESIDENT FOUND DEAD DAYS BEFORE BIRTHDAY Sunghyun Ahn, a first-year student at the University, died Thursday in Demarest Hall on the College Avenue campus. He would have celebrated his 20th birthday two days ago. “It was confirmed a suicide by the Middlesex County medical examiner,” said Rutgers University Police Department Lt. Richard Dinan. Dinan said he was pronounced dead at 10:37 p.m. and was located by a Residence Life staff member. Ahn’s hometown is West Deptford, New Jersey. The medical examiner has yet to release the cause of death. Dinan said there are many methods available for students to reach out to if they suspect someone they know may need attention from authorities. “If you see something alarming, let someone know, then make that phone call to the local police department,” he said. Police can conduct a welfare check, and there is a statute that allows police and medical personnel to take someone whose life they deem is in danger into protective custody to ensure they get the help they need, Dinan said. — Neil P. Kypers
RAMON DOMPOR/ ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
School of Arts and Sciences first-year student Gerard O’Neill scarfs down samosas last night in the Busch Campus Center Multipurpose Room in a DIYA-sponsored, all-you-can-eat contest.
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MARCH 31, 2010
PROM: Group donates all
show was going to be a reflection of that, it made me feel more comfortwith participating.” proceeds to “Becca’s Closet” ableThe Rutgers Cantonese Club forwarded all proceeds from the continued from front pageant to Becca’s Closet, an organization that provides formal when I arrived and saw all the attire to high school students for tables and imagined them filled,” the prom. The Rutgers Cantonese she said. “I think we were all Club collected prom dresses and nervous, but after the first few semi-formal dresses from event minutes we just relaxed and had guests to donate to fun with it.” Cranford and The girls’ ability “It broke Freehold High to maintain themSchools, Alison selves in challengthe conventional Lee said. ing and uncomfortnotions of what a The Miss Hong able situations, as Kong well as their grace pageant is supposed wanted toPageant unite and creativity were the Asian major criteria for to be like.” American commujudging, Alison Lee CYNTHIA LEE nity and many stusaid. Their interacKorean Student Association dents from the tion with the audimember other organizaence indicated tions, like Cynthia charm and was Lee, a representative of the also a criterion. Korea Student Association. Marcia Lee said the Rutgers “What I liked the best about it Cantonese Club’s emphasis on was that it broke the conventional how interactive and relaxed the notions of what a pageant is suppageant would be encouraged posed to be like,” the Rutgers her to participate. Business School sophomore said. “I grew up watching the real “Everyone had so much fun and it Miss Hong Kong Pageants via satelwas awesome seeing many of the lite, and the ambiance of the show is Rutgers Asian associations coming not nearly as serious as American together for a good cause.” pageants,” she said. “Since this
MARIELLE BALISALISA
Runner-up Amanda Yu and University student Christophe Restis
WATER: Pumps to have merry-go-round design for kids continued from front “Since then, our membership has doubled, which is probably why we got it this year,” she said. Mau said the merry-go-round design of the pumps attract children and allow them to pump their own water. “When children play on it, water is pumped into a holding tank from underground, and then there is a spigot so whenever they need water, [they have it],” she said. EWB sees PlayPumps International as a way to tackle more issues than by simply creating a sustainable water supply. “I think part of the beauty of PlayPumps International is that it
tackles so many issues. It’s not just water — it’s education and gender disparity,” she said. “It solves so many issues while seemingly only tackling one.” RUSA Chair Werner Born said the pump helps deal with gender issues by allowing women, who are the primary water gatherers, time for schooling while also keeping them from having to carry 44 pounds of water over great distances. “One of the things people liked about their proposal is that it is helping people in lots of ways,” he said. “It gives the village clean water [and] creates local jobs. It allows girls to stay in school instead of being sent to another village to get clean water. In every regard, it’s a great program.” The pumps also have sustainable income sources through
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
CELEBRATING WOMEN’S ACHIEVEMENTS
MARIELLE BALISALISA
University Professor Renee Larrier discusses Women’s History Month in Neilson Dining Hall on Douglass campus last night during the Second Annual Women’s History Month Celebration.
AWARENESS: This year marks 40 years of activism continued from front “[In public], opposite sex couples can talk about going on dates really freely. They don’t have to worry about pronouns,” Kurtz said. “They don’t have to worry if this is a dangerous conversation to be having … I hope this office serves as a liaison that can link [LGBTQ students] to other communities.” Pecoraro, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said the new center is a step in the right direction. “I think it’s really great that Rutgers is finally starting to recognize that there is a pretty large LGBT population on campus,” she said. But this is just the start. She said now, the center can hold about 15 students, but about 120 come to a BiGLARU meeting on a good night. In addition to the opening of the center, BiGLARU this month is hosting a Stonewell reenactment in honor of the 1969 Greenwich Village riots in New York City. The riots sparked the gay movement, a Day of Silence and a Queer Ball with LLEGO, the LGBTQ People Union of Color at Rutgers University, Pecoraro said. “The Day of Silence is to commemorate people who have had to be in the closet, people who have had to be silent about their gay identities,” said Livingston campus Dean of Students Cheryl Clarke, an LGBTQ activist. On the Day of Silence, which will be April 15 despite the national April 16 date, participants take a vow of silence. At the end, there will be a breaking the silence party in Demarest Hall on the College Avenue campus, Pecoraro said. LLEGO President Shawnna James said the Queer Ball is an event where LGBTQ students can feel free with their identities. advertisements places on the pumps themselves. “On the holding tank, there are four panels,” said Mau, a School of Arts and Sciences sen-
“[The water crisis] is one of the major crisis facing the world, and this is one way we can help.” GREG HEW School of Engineering junior
ior. “On two of the panels are advertisements, so within 10 years, the play pump pays for itself, and on the other two sides
“Queer Ball is an event where we have fun and dance and also spread awareness about the LGBT community,” said James, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. This year’s Queer Ball theme is “Carnivale,” which is also tied to traditional Latino and West Indian culture. James said this would try to bridge the gap between the Latino and LGBTQ communities. “These different identities that we have separate us, but let’s learn about diversity and embrace it,” she said. James said their organization also intends to host, in honor of Gaypril, a discussion on privilege. Specifically, how different identities make some people more “privileged” than others. Some of the other issues LGBTQ people may face in the real world are bullying, harassment and unequal access to resources, James said. On-campus, issues may spill into gender-neutral bathrooms and housing, where some students may feel uncomfortable with LGBTQ roommates. “It’s a fear of not being accepted and fear of violence. You want opportunities to have a safe living environment,” James said. Questions of identity and when to be open about one’s sexuality can be difficult, especially for young college students, Clarke said. LGBTQ people also face bias and a lack of resources. On campus, athletics and greek life often marginalize LGBTQ students. “Both areas have very fixed areas of what a man and a woman is,” Clarke said, adding that this is even harder for transgender people, who are gender non-conforming. Senior Dean of Students Mark Schuster, who teaches LGBTQ history and on the subject of homosexuality in sports, said LGBTQ people should not have to apologize for who they are. “I believe this is a non-issue when there’s no issue or no reason to talk about it. And I have found teaching these things for 10
years here, I have seen things change drastically,” he said. The 2010 Gaypril celebrations also mark the 40-year anniversaries of the Stonewell Rebellion and the founding of the Rutgers Homophile League — the first openly gay organization in the state and second in the nation behind Columbia University. The league eventually became what is now BiGLARU. Since the events of 1969, Clarke said she has seen an increase in awareness about LGBTQ issues on campus. “Everybody’s more educated about sexuality — other students as well as faculty and staff. You’ll find that consciousness or awareness of issues about sexuality are more integrated into campus life,” Clarke said. There are courses, training and information sessions on the issue. “There are a lot of upper-level administration that are very committed to these issues and that’s why I stay here,” Schuster said. But there are ways the University can still improve. “I would like to see more targeted programs and resources to transgender students,” Kurtz said. These students see more problems with housing and in classrooms, she said. Athletics, fraternities and sororities are other areas Kurtz said the center is working with to train about the presence of LGBTQ students. “The good thing is all the places that we work with seem to be really receptive. It’s not about Rutgers,” Kurtz said. “It’s sort of our national culture around some of these issues.” Pecoraro also said there needs to be more allies — straight people who are active in support of the LGBTQ community. “We have a lot of active allies that come to events and support us, but there’s nothing wrong with being supportive of people in the LGBT community,” Pecoraro said.
are public health safety messages about hygiene, HIV/AIDS and things like that.” She said, through methods that allow the pumps to be continuously funded, they are providing a lasting supply of water for the community. “Sustainability is a huge factor,” Mau said. “The fact that they use a local company to implement it and that the villagers really have ownership of the pump, that’s really appealing to us.” The play pumps cost roughly $14,000, she said. While EWB’s goal is to raise all the money, there are other events besides the meal sign-away plan. “We don’t expect $14,000 just by meal sign-away,” Mau said. “We are holding a walk-a-thon called the Walk for Water on April
10 and hope to raise $14,000 through these two events.” Livingston College senior Laura Tobin said a water project is a good way to give to an entire community outside of the country. “I think people can donate their time to Elijah’s Promise [Soup Kitchen], they can’t donate their time to a water pump in Africa … as easily,” she said. “It’s a way for Rutgers students to have global reach because they can’t give their physical time.” EWB has water-related projects in Kenya, Guatemala and Thailand, Hew said. “[The water crisis] is one of the major crisis facing the world, and this is one way we can help,” he said. The meal sign-away is scheduled begin on April 1 and end on April 30 at all the dining halls.
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CALENDAR MARCH Editors from The Daily Targum will hold a writers meeting for current and prospective writers at 9:30 p.m. in the S-Lounge on the fourth floor of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus. They will assign stories and answer questions about writing ar ticles. No previous writing experience is required, and anyone interested is welcome to attend.
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Rutgers University Student Life asks, “To karaoke or not to karaoke? That is the question.” A karaoke night will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Livingston Student Center Coffeehouse. Appetizers from Gerlanda’s, King Pita, Szechwan Express and Fresh Frites will be available and free to all attendees. Check out www.getinvolved.rutgers.edu for more information and other events. E-mail: ruprograms@gmail.com
APRIL Those who want to teach fun science projects and ar ts and crafts to middle school students are welcome to attend a Rutgers in the Community meeting at 9 p.m. in Room 112 of Murray Hall on the College Avenue campus. For more information, contact Sean Lo at seanlo@eden.rutgers.edu.
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All interested photographers are welcome to attend The Daily Targum photographers’ meeting in Room 407 of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus. The meeting will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. We will be holding a weekly photographers’ meeting to discuss important housekeeping business, assign events and facilitate several workshopping activities.
2
The semester’s last Responsible Drinking Happy Hour will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Cook Campus Center Café and Merle V. Adams room. The event seeks to build and strengthen the faculty, staff and student relationship outside the classroom as well as build a foundation for the learning community. Come and enjoy an evening of free food and music. Do not forget to bring identification.
The Of fice of the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Conduct are sponsoring a public conversation on campus violence. “NOT ON OUR WATCH: Fighting, Bullying, Hazing or Stalking” will begin at 8 p.m. in the Lucy Stone Hall Auditorium on the Livingston campus. All are welcome to attend.
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To have your event featured on www.dailytargum.com, send University calendar items to university@dailytargum.com.
U NIVERSITY
MARCH 31, 2010
NEW ONLINE PROGRAM AIMS TO SHRINK BELLIES, FILL POCKETS The University launched an initiative that gives students the opportunity to improve their health and save money at the same time. Rutgers Cooperative Extension is launching the “Small Steps to Health and Wealth,” an online program that provides different ways for students to improve their finances and their health, according to a University Media Relations press release. The program is scheduled to begin April 11 and continue until May 15. “The challenge is a great way to convert personal health and financial goals, like losing weight and saving money, into daily action steps,” said Rutgers Cooperative Extension specialist Barbara O’Neill, according to the release. The program will provide five steps for financial goals and five steps for improved nutrition practices. Students who perform these will be given 10 points for each one performed, providing a
chance for a maximum of 700 points per week and 3,500 points for the five-week challenge, according to the release. The five steps for improved nutrition are eating at least four cups of fruits and vegetables, drinking water or other beverages without sugar instead of soda, 30 minutes of exercise per day, tracking 10,000 steps with a pedometer, as well as gaining knowledge on improving nutrition. The five steps provided to help students improve their finances are saving $1 per day, making lunch at home, tracking daily finances, investing $5 into a 401(k) or similar accounts and gaining knowledge about how to handle finances better. Students are expected to be honest about their progress and only cheat themselves if they are not, according to the press release. — Devin Sikorski
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T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
NATION
MARCH 31, 2010
PA G E 8
Minn. man kills wife in front of kids THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. PETER, Minn.— A Minnesota man who repeatedly accused his ex-wife of child abuse rammed her car into a tree and shot her to death in front of their three young children before fleeing in a vehicle belonging to good Samaritans who responded to the crash, prosecutors said yesterday. A sheriff’s deputy who caught up with Joel Marvin Munt found the children crying inside the stolen SUV and heard one say “Daddy killed Mommy,” according to a criminal complaint charging Munt with second-degree murder in the death of his exwife, Svetlana Vladimirovna Munt, 32, of Mankato. Munt, 33, of Burnsville, also was charged with five other felonies related to the crash and vehicle theft. Bail was set at $600,000 during his first court appearance yesterday. Public defender Krista Jass told The Associated Press that Munt suffered from “untreated depression” after his 2009 divorce. Jassa said he does not have a criminal record beyond some minor traf fic of fenses, but declined to comment further, saying she was gathering more information about the weekend incident. Authorities alleged Munt rammed his Chevrolet Suburban SUV into the driver’s side door of his ex-wife’s car Sunday morning — pinning it against a tree at the Rasmussen Woods Nature Area in Mankato — then shot the woman he’d gone to Russia to marr y in 1998 after meeting
through an online singles agency. A medical examiner determined she was shot seven times. Prosecutors believe the three children, ages 4, 5, and 7, saw it all. “I can only assume that they did,” said Assistant Blue Earth County Attorney Patrick McDermott. “They were in the car when she was shot and they are now in protective custody.”
“If you people had done your job ... [my daughter] wouldn’t have to go through this.” JOEL MARVIN MUNT Accused of murder
One witness told police that when he went toward the scene, he saw a man outside the car who pointed a large pistol at him and told him to leave. The witness called 911 and saw another SUV drive up. The couple in the second SUV said the man at the crash scene stole their vehicle at gunpoint, but let them unload their three children first, the complaint said. The sheriff’s deputy pulled over the stolen SUV a short time later. Munt surrendered peacefully, telling a deputy, “Sorry for causing you this trouble,” according to the complaint. One boy in the vehicle had a bloody face with glass embedded in it — Munt told a witness the child was cut when a car window
exploded, according to the complaint. A pistol and an empty magazine where found on the driver’s side floor. Munt told the officers who arrested him, “If you people had done your job protecting my daughter from her mother, she wouldn’t have to go through this,” the complaint said. Documents filed in the divorce proceeding show Sventlana Munt was born and raised in Russia. She said she met Joel Munt through a singles agency — the documents do not say when — and they e-mailed back-and-forth with the help of a translator. He visited a few times. The couple was married in Krasnodar, Russia on Nov. 21, 1998, and she learned English and moved to the United States about eight months later. Joel Munt filed for divorce in December 2006, saying he was concerned about his wife’s “erratic behavior.” Svetlana Munt became a U.S. citizen after the couple separated. Munt accused his wife of not feeding the children or using child seats in the car and of spiking his Kool-Aid. She denied the claims in her own court filings, saying Munt was the “dictator” in the house who used a wooden dowel and corporal punishment to “train” his children. An intense two-year custody battle ensued, with Joel Munt making numerous allegations of abuse and documenting bumps and bruises, scratches and bites that happened when the children were with their mother. The cour t ruled the abuse allegations unfounded.
GETTY IMAGES
Retiree Harry K. Weisiger rammed schoolteacher Mark Duren’s car Thursday after becoming enraged by an Obama campaign sticker.
Obama car sticker provokes road rage THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ing gestures and pointing at the sticker, according to a police repor t. NASHVILLE, Tenn.— A 70The driver, identified by year-old Nashville man was Nashville police as Weisiger, accused of ramming his sport accelerated and crashed into the utility vehicle several times into bumper, directly over the sticker. the back of a vehicle Thursday Duren tried to calm his frightthat had a Obama/Biden ened daughter as he stopped and bumper sticker. Weisiger rammed it again, trying Har r y K. Weisiger, a to push it off the road, police retiree, made obscene gessaid. After a few more pushes, tures and pointed at the camthe SUV sped away and Duren paign sticker for President called 911. Barack Obama and r unning A neighbor followed the mate Joe Biden before he SUV to a grocer y store, where smashed into schoolteacher police said they found Weisiger Mark Duren’s car, police said. tr ying to pop a breath mint and Weisiger has been charged insisting that he had “not with reckless endangerment, much” to drink. leaving the scene We i s i g e r ’ s of the accident “The anger acquaintances and refusing to described him as a take a field is bleeding from responsible busisobriety test. The incident political discussions nessman and a father of four with appears to be into other aspects no history of vioamong the overlent behavior. heated partisan of society.” “He was just a political atmosMARK DUREN loyal employee, phere, including Victim in accident with no previous death threats sent incidents of any to members of sort like the one Congress and being described,” said Patrick their families who supported Parker, spokesman for health care reform. Hardaway Construction Corp., Duren had picked up his 10where Weisiger worked for 25 year-old daughter from school years before retiring in 2008. Thursday when he stopped “You never know, I guess.” near the Belmont University Calls to his home by The campus. An SUV pulled up Associated Press went unrebehind his Toyota Camr y and turned Sunday. the driver began honking and Duren hasn’t decided whether gesturing angrily toward the to replace the sticker. bumper sticker, The “The anger is bleeding from Tennessean reported. political discussions into other “I raised my hands palms up aspects of society,” he said. and shrugged. He then eased up “I’d like to tell people, look, we behind my car so I could only see can discuss things we disagree the grille of his SUV and blew his about. You don’t have to bash car horn, nonstop,” Duren told someone’s car because you the newspaper. disagree with what’s on a As Duren drove home, the bumper sticker.” SUV’s driver continued mak-
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
U NIVERSITY
9
MARCH 31, 2010
OBAMA SIGNS FINANCIAL AID REFORM ACT President Barack Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act yesterday, marking what he calls a historical step forward in higher education. The legislation, which aims to invest more money in Pell Grants, community college and predominantly minority institutions, is an effort to reach the president’s goal of the United States achieving the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020, said Director of Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes in a conference call. “The legislation that he signed takes him a long way down the road to achieve the goal,” Barnes said. “Many in Congress have been working on this for 20 years.” The legislation also administers student loans federally and in the private sector, rather than lending via banks. “For almost two decades, we’ve been tr ying to fix a sweetheart deal in federal law that essentially gave
billions of dollars to banks to act as unnecessar y middlemen in administering student loans,” Obama said. “So those are billions of dollars that could have been spent helping more of our students attend and complete college.” Secretar y of Education Ar ne Duncan said increasing Pell Grants would allow some students the oppor tunity to attend a community college for free. He said oftentimes, students become discouraged early on about pursuing a college education because of finances, and the legislation aims to slash that discouragement. “I don’t worry just about the juniors and seniors, I worry about 9 and 10 year olds,” Duncan said in the call. “You see a lot of young students start to tune out of college really, really young.” — Ariel Nagi
GETTY IMAGES
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
OPINIONS
PA G E 1 0
MARCH 31, 2010
EDITORIALS
Alma mater must remain unchanged
T
here are many aspects of society that warrant change in order to remain fair and balanced toward all sexes and races, but then there are those that should just be left alone. In the case of our alma mater, “On the Banks of the Old Raritan,” a change would serve to destroy University ideals and traditions while helping only a part of students feel better about themselves. “My father sent me to old Rutgers/And resolv’d that I should be a man,” are the lines that begin our more than a century old song. Members of the Douglass Governing Council along with others have recently attempted to change the words to accommodate men and women of the University instead of the standalone “man.” A change to our song would, instead of being a fair treatment of both sexes, be a loss of tradition that goes back to 1873 when Howard N. Fuller composed the piece. The argument that with modernization, a certain change is required therefore is hardly logical. While women perhaps need more equality at the workplace, such as fair salary and treatment, the notion of incorporating both sexes into the song would not help them in finding parity in the modern world. What would the next step be? If women are one fraction of students that has currently been riled up about changing a tradition, what happens to others who believe that “I should be a man or woman” is not enough? The problem stretches far beyond the equality of women within University borders — it reaches the question of fairness across the board, including transgender students. Ultimately though, complete satisfaction on all parts is not plausible. Changing one word could lead to changing the entire song. Claims have been made that even the part, “My father sent me to Old Rutgers,” does not address modern, non-traditional families that send students to the University. We simply cannot satisfy every group. With regard to the Douglass Governing Council, there still is a certain separation between it and the rest of the University. The sign still stands in front of College Hall on Douglass campus and Douglass College, despite ending its tenure, continues to reserve housing for only its students. Even if they acted as part of the University, however, the notion of changing the alma mater still seems unreasonable. We, as a University, have retained very little tradition. The graduation walk between the gates at Old Queens has been replaced by a much less appealing graduation at Rutgers Stadium and the School of Arts and Sciences has taken the place of the, perhaps only nostalgic, Rutgers College. If we hope to retain a gram of tradition while perhaps disappointing a few students, we must be resilient to change to “the Old Raritan.”
Catholic Church abuse not just ‘petty gossip’
T
he sex abuse scandals that have enveloped the Catholic Church as of late leave very little for the public to defend the clergymen and rightfully so. With the travesties occurring in Ireland and Germany especially, the Vatican has done little to address the serious, legal accusations facing its subsidiaries and therefore has been attacked even more than usual. One of the Catholic Church’s failures surfaced back in the 1990s with the Vatican’s failure to defrock an American priest who was accused of molesting 200 deaf boys in Wisconsin. The scandals go as far as 1980 and keep in close proximity with Pope Benedict XVI when he, as a German archdiocese of Munich and Freising, allowed proven child molesters to return to old priesthood positions. Rather than taking legal actions then, the Church decided to pursue its own agenda and escape almost unscathed. Today’s scandals touch on this idea of Church-guided legal system. While more than 100 people have come out in Germany, saying that Catholic officials had put them through sexual abuse, the repercussions go as far as the Church itself, rather than any deeper, legal solutions. That is what we believe is the main problem. The Catholic Church, as one of the world’s major religions, must choose to reform itself — something that is hardly plausible. Its resilience to reform puts the Catholic Church at fault as it resists any legal repercussions. And as a main figure in many lives, the Church has a duty to remain an upstanding part of society rather than an uncontrollable giant. It is in the public eye, therefore it should exhibit its projected ideals — one thing that has been a problem in the Catholic Church. It could be compared to a political figure, and just as President Barack Obama has come under criticism for his health care reform, justly or not, he must possess the ability to prove his opponents wrong or reform his ways. The Catholic Church has always had enemies, but up until today, cases were widely unreported and even unaddressed by the Church itself. Now with the massive numbers of people speaking up, justice may actually be served, as long as the Catholic Church reforms itself or heavier legal actions are taken. Up until then, however, the singling out of the Catholic Church amongst others is deserved, because as long as the Vatican fails to control its powerful machine, blame should be thrown in its direction.
QUOTE OF THE DAY “The University caters to a lot of different minority groups and LGBT people need more support from the University.” Krista Pecoraro, BiGLARU president, on the new Center for Social Justice STORY ON FRONT
MCT CAMPUS
Liberal bias among students justified
I
n an attempt to undercut liberals argue that it is absurd a columnist for The Daily to interpret the constitution Targum in his crusade to today as those did in the 18th become “Liberal of the century, i.e., when property Month,” I have decided to included slaves and women forego making fun of tea party could not vote. To think as a activists or individuals trashliberal necessarily takes more ing the health care bill without open-mindedness, attention to ERIC KNECHT actually understanding it and nuance and the confidence cut right to the chase: I would necessary to accept change like to argue that it makes very little sense to be a conand uncertainty. In other words, many of the values that servative while in college, especially right now. Before I help you excel in college. But, since these are argucontinue, I want to be absolutely clear. I am not saying ments as to why colleges have always been highly corthat conservatives as a whole do not make any sense; if related with liberal thought, then why are students paryou would like to see why this very different but equalticularly justified in being liberal today? ly valid assertion is true, simply read any column writIn terms of values, the conservatism of the past few ten by Tuesday’s columnist, the latest example being decades has increasingly taken up views fundamental“Opinions require serious takes.” Rather, I am arguing ly at odds with the younger generation. For example, that all things considered, the average college student despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, many has no reason to be politically conservative. conservatives continue to deny climate change. Of course, in the status quo the liberal bias in highConservatives also tend to line up against same-sex er education is largely recognized and has been a point marriage. On college campuses, many with a large of concern among conservatives for decades. A study numbers of gays, this belief seems crude, inherently from 2005 shows that roughly 70 perunfair and increasingly anachronistic. cent of college professors in the United Both of these views tend to support the States describe themselves as liberal. notion that conservative values would “... it makes very Unfortunately for those on the right, seem outdated to a younger audience. little sense to be studies also show that individuals with Beyond this, consider the leaderhigher IQs are, on average, more likely ship our generation has come of age a conservative to consider themselves liberal. And yes, under. Namely, the debacle that was while in college ...” the former President George W. Bush this higher IQ among liberals comes in spite of factoring in political science administration was the first time majors, a truly extraordinary feat. many of us were cognizant of governIt is difficult, perhaps impossible, to say whether ment and politics. Before we could even vote, we higher IQs among liberals are due to intelligent people learned what happens when the country chooses the having a stronger proclivity for liberal ideas — as I would candidate they would rather have a beer with than a like to believe — or the product of higher education turndebate with (see 2000 presidential election). In short, ing out individuals who tend to think a certain way. But our generation was introduced to conservative valone thing is clear: In the context of our generation more ues with an example of how not to run the country. specifically, it makes perfect sense why college students Here is the unnecessarily lofty conclusion: should gravitate to liberalism as opposed to conserCollege, at its most basic level, is a time to educate vatism. I would go as far as saying that today it is almost ourselves in a general sense. It is the best opportuniirrational to be a conservative college student. Obviously ty to figure out what we wish to pursue and who we anyone can reason that conservative values, whether wish to become. It is perhaps the only time we can regarding lower taxes, less government or more religion continue to question our beliefs before we are presresonate less with 18 to 22-year-olds. But let’s move sured into solidifying them at the expense of being beyond these basic assumptions. In other words, even if called hypocritical if we do not. Because of this, there you are someone who appreciates these values, there is is a natural tension between the type of conservatism every reason to be turned off by the dominant conserthat has been dominant as of late and the very nature vatism of today, especially while in college. of the college student. That is, we are taught to be First, let’s make some brash generalizations about inquisitive, open-minded and logical but are exposed the way conservatives arrive at their views. On balance, to conservative thought by individuals who do not conservative values tend to be geared towards black exhibit any of these qualities, giving us no reason to and white distinctions. Government spending is bad buy into it. It may have once been true that if you are and leads to inefficiency. Free markets are good and under 25 and conservative you have no heart and should always be trusted. In law, conservatives tend to over 35 and liberal you have no brain, but today’s condraw bright lines, or at least try to, in interpreting the servatism asks that you surrender both. U.S. Constitution. It does not change, they say. It cannot simply mean what we want it to today. But liberals tend Eric Knecht is a Rutgers College senior majoring to view the world in a more dynamic light. Moreover, in economics and history.
Unfair and Unbalanced
Due to space limitations, submissions cannot exceed 750 words. If a commentary exceeds 750 words, it will not be considered for publication. All authors must include name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Anonymous letters will not be considered. All submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity. A submission does not guarantee publication. Please submit via e-mail to oped@dailytargum.com by 4 p.m. to be considered for the following day’s publication. The editorials written above represent the majority opinion of The Daily Targum Editorial Board. All other opinions expressed on the Opinions page, and those held by advertisers, columnists and cartoonists, are not necessarily those of The Daily Targum.
OPINIONS
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
MARCH 31, 2010 11
Modern times call for change of tradition Letter MICHELLE COLEMAN
T
he alma mater may seem like a small issue in comparison to the struggles women have seen in the past. The words to a song are surely not as serious as the fight for women’s suffrage, or the countless other battles fought during women’s liberation. If a woman can vote, she can also hold office. If a woman is to be considered equal to her male peers in the workplace, she is also protected from lesser forms of discrimination.
How is it, that after the equality of women has been protected and fortified, can the words to this song remain so completely biased? “On the Banks of the Old Raritan,” written in 1873, is maintained today as the song meant to represent the University and its students. The words, “My father sent me to old Rutgers, and resolv’d that I should be a man,” do not exactly apply anymore. Women comprise the majority of students here. The time in which the song was written refers to the period before women’s sufferage. Women had not yet been granted their right to vote, which
was fiercely opposed by men such as Francis Parkman, who in 1887 wrote that “Universal female suffrage even if decreed, would undo itself in time; but the attempt to establish it would work deplorable mischief.” It would not be until the 1970’s that Rutgers College would accept women as students. Women had already proven their capabilities in a variety of ways. Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium and Queen Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada. But in general, women were confined to the home. It was only in 1917 that Douglass College was founded out
of the need to provide opportunities of higher education to the girls graduating from high school in greater number. The opportunity for women to pursue higher education was fervently supported by Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women and author of “The Feminine Mystique.” But even then it would take years for the University to finally grant a woman a diploma. For those women who received one as graduates of Rutgers, not Douglass, College, they were excluded from the alma mater. Traditions are often regarded as an important aspect of the
institution they identify. The 1873 alma mater is as traditional to the University as the exclusion of women was to the United States. Had the song made reference to slavery or segregation, some combination of a greater respect for the Civil Rights Movement and fear of bigotry would serve as the driving force for change. In this same vain it is essential that women’s history also not be disregarded. Michelle Coleman is a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. The full text is available online.
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DIVERSIONS Pearls Before Swine
MARCH 31, 2010
STEPHAN PASTIS
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MARCH 31, 2010
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WILEY
CHARLES SCHULTZ
J ORGE C HAM
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
ANDREW HOWARD/ SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
After playing primarily doubles, senior Christine Tran played in the sixth singles spot against Pitt and remains there against the Hoyas.
HUSKIES: UConn match provides chance for road win continued from back day,” Bucca said. “I have a lot of confidence in each of the girls and they believe in each other. They’ve certainly proven they can step up when need be.” Senior Christine Tran stepped up to the No. 6 singles spot against Pittsburgh after participating in strictly doubles play for the majority of the season. She
feels the team’s accountability is what propels the Knights. “We’re always told to be ready to play no matter what,” Tran said. “Even if they’re not in the announced lineup, ever yone is responsible for being prepared to contribute.” Tran remains in the lineup today and will be counted on to contribute as Rutgers tries to maintain late-season momentum. With less than three weeks remaining in the Knights’ regular season schedule, now is the time for the team to put traveling woes in the past.
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RAMON DOMPOR/ ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Senior defensive end Jonathan Freeny led the team in sacks last year with nine and a half. He also recorded 12 tackles for a loss.
LEADER: D-line coach returns to aid run stopping continued from back the 6-foot-3, 250-pound end said. “I’m just trying to hone in on all the techniques because I already know the defense, so I’m just trying to get my technique down pat.” Helping with that technique work is defensive line coach Randy Melvin, who also spent three years with the Knights from 2002-04 after winning a Super Bowl ring as the New England Patriots line coach. Freeny cited the spring season as a time to make improvements without the pressure of preparing for an opponent at the end of the week. With Melvin’s help, those improvements come in Freeny’s play against the run. “Coach Melvin is teaching me a lot of things — new things, little things and some things that I knew before, but he is adding onto,” Freeny said. “He’s giving me more technique to help in the run game and make me more comfortable with stopping the run.” Freeny is not without experience — it was just limited behind Johnson — and he finished last season with 32 tackles and 12 for a loss, adding up to a loss of 69 yards for the Knights’ opponents.
On the opposite end of the line from Freeny is senior Alex Silvestro, a two-year starter with plenty of experience. The Gibbstown, N.J., native recorded 98 tackles, 21 for a loss and four and a half sacks in his first three years. He also has a vote of confidence for Freeny. “I definitely think he’ll fit into that [star ter’s role],” Silvestro said. “Last year, he was in the rotation, but George was a great player to have in front of him, so he lost some opportunity. He’s probably the best pass rusher we have and he’s always been a good run blocker, he just never had the chance to show it.” As Freeny transitions into the starting role, it opens a spot behind him to go along with a defensive tackle slot previously occupied by Blair Bines in the two-deep. With freshmen Andre Civil, Isaac Holmes, Michael Larrow and Jamil Merrell all redshirting last season, there is a number of new talents vying for rotation spots. “We got guys fighting to get into the top eight,” Freeny said. “At certain positions we have like two or three guys that can be in the two-deep, so it’s going to be a battle of wills. Competition is the best thing for us. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
SAM HELLMAN
Senior defensive end Alex Silvestro is one of three returning starters on the line and threw his support behind newcomer Jonathan Freeny.
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MARCH 31, 2010
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
COURTESY OF RUTGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Junior thrower Natalie Clickett won the Big East Championship in the discus her freshman year but broke her foot the following season.
JOURNEY: Older sibling
“I want two more championships in discus,” said sparks interest in field events Clickett. “The Big East is such a tough conference as far as track and field goes and right now continued from back that’s my goal. But ultimately, injur y. “That year showed me the goal is to reach nationals how much I really love [and] and become an All-American.” enjoy track.” Making the step from Junior Head coach James Robinson All-American to All-American is sees this love for the sport each something Clickett worked and every day the team heads out toward fiercely over the past to practice. two seasons. “She’s really worked hard, During the stretch, her matured ver y much as a person strength and conditioning vastly as well as an athlete, and improved, while her focus shifted became ver y much more dedifrom discus to shot put as well. cated and focused,” said Clickett added 3 feet to her Robinson. “She really wants to shot put distance after morphbe one of the best throwers in ing her technique in the event the countr y.” and now is perenA Union City, nially in the top “Ultimately, the Pa., native, of the field in Clickett admits to ever y meet. goal is to reach coming from a “I don’t want to nationals and high school team be mediocre in that did not expetwo events, I want become an rience much proto be great in both gram success, but events,” said the All-American.” also acknowlhighly competitive NATALIE CLICKETT edges that if it Clickett. “In order Junior Thrower were not for her for that to happen brother, Justin I have to focus on Clickett, track both equally.” may not have taken on such a sigSince the seventh grade, nificant form in her life. track consumed Clickett’s life, “I had never heard of shot put and after two years of vicissior discus,” Clickett said of when tudes during her collegiate she was younger. “Being in sevjourney, she is positive she enth grade when I started, and gained more than lost –– not my brother [Justin] had started, just athletically speaking. he was three years older than While most athletes flip-flop me, so I said ‘I can try it now’ and between schools during the it was like a natural habit for me.” recr uiting process, Clickett For the Clicketts, success in knew from the ver y beginning track and field is a family affair. she would become a Clickett’s older brother capScarlet Knight. tured two Pennsylvania state After one visit, and one championships during his high mailed college application, school career, while later comClickett arrived on the Banks peting at Pittsburgh and evenready for whatever was tually transferring to Virginia to come. Tech. In his four years of “I feel like Rutgers has NCAA eligibility, he was a fourhelped me grow into the pertime All-American while also son that I’m ultimately going to snagging numerous conferbecome,” said Clickett. ence titles, both of which are “Rutgers ended up being the feats his sister would like to only school I applied to achieve in each of her final because I knew this is where I two seasons. wanted to be.”
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T HE DAILY TARGUM’S
MARCH 31, 2010
FIELD HOCKEY RECEIVES SEVEN COMMITMENTS
OUT
of
BOUNDS WITH J EN
H OLZBERG
Targum’s tennis beat writer Tyler Donahue chats with the sophomore tennis player about her doubles partner, Roger Federer and why people should attend tennis matches ...
Tyler Donahue: Tell me something about your doubles partner Amy Zhang that most people wouldn’t know. Jen Holzberg: She makes really, really good Chinese food. ... It’s the truth. TD: What would you be doing in college if you weren’t a scholarship athlete? JH: I’d probably be in a sorority. TD: Which one? JH: That I don’t know. But I definitely would want to wear the letters! TD: Who’s the greatest tennis player ever? JH: Roger Federer. TD: Does that have anything to do with him being a handsome dude? JH: (laughs) No, he’s just consistent at winning. I actually don’t think he’s that good looking. TD: Why should Rutgers students show up to tennis matches? JH: Well they’re exciting and there’s only two more. Plus you can yell, even though you think you can’t. TD: You’re from Connecticut, do you roll with the Yankees or Red Sox? JH: Yankees, I don’t like Boston at all. Please quote me on that.
For a full transcription of The Daily Targum’s interview with Athletic director Tim Pernetti Pernetti, visit the sports page on dailytargum.com
CORNELIA DUFFIN
DANIELLE FRESHNOCK
GIA NAPPI
The Rutgers field hockey team inked seven recruits to letters of intent yesterday, replacFIELD HOCKEY ing the six Scarlet Knights graduating this spring. Rutgers head coach Liz Tchou announced the signings of incoming freshmen Cornelia Duffin, Danielle Freshnock, Gia Nappi, Lisa Patrone, Kaitlyn Plouse, Laura Rose and Emily Strong for the upcoming 2010 season. “We are very excited about the seven members of the incoming class,” Tchou said in a statement. “They love the game of hockey and are even more passionate in taking the program to the next level with their ability and determination.”
The group includes a trio of accomplished scorers in Duf fin, Freshnock and Nappi, all of who scored at least 60 goals through their high school careers. Duffin, a for ward, scored 60 goals in only three seasons on the varsity squad, setting a Burlington County record, while Nappi tallied 65 goals and 67 assists in four years at Essex High School. Freshnock scored 79 goals and recorded 53 assists as a midfielder through four seasons, breaking the Middletown High School North record. Plouse, the lone newcomer not from the Garden State, is a standout defender at Lower Daupin High School
in Hummelstown, Pa. The senior was a first-team allstate honoree, and guided her team to the 2009 PIAAAAA state championship. The seven join a young squad coming off a down season, during which the Knights compiled a 2-16 record, but will be looking to make great strides in the fall. “The group is competitive, open to learning and cannot wait to join our current players, who are showing great improvements in their overall fitness and skill execution,” Tchou said. “I am excited to watch these young ladies develop and lead Rutgers field hockey.” — Steven Williamson
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Freshman duo provides dynamic middle infield BY SAM HELLMAN CORRESPONDENT
SAM HELLMAN
Shortstop Ashley Bragg and second baseman Jennifer Harabedian are a pair of freshmen that make up the Knights’ middle infield, continuing head coach Jay Nelson’s trend of throwing rookies into the fire.
SAM HELLMAN
Rutgers softball coach Jay Nelson doesn’t shy away from criticizing his players when they deserve it. SOFTBALL But when it comes to the dynamic doubleplay duo of Ashley Bragg and Jennifer Harabedian, the fourthyear headman is all compliments. He spoke very highly of the freshman tandem yesterday at the Louis Brown Athletic Center after rain cancelled the doubleheader against Long Island. “I was looking at our stats today and our middle infielders are right where we want them to be,” Nelson said at yesterday’s indoor practice. “They’re at .947 and .948 fielding percentages and they’re going up. They’re doing a tremendous job. We haven’t had those statistics since I’ve been here. They’re doing a great job.” Bragg, the shortstop, and Harabedian, the second baseman, are fourth and fifth among regular position players in fielding percentage. They also represent half of an infield that started at the same positions for all 27 of the Scarlet Knights’ games this season. “I know her range,” Harabedian said on their relationship. “She can get to a lot of balls up the middle. I know I can get to a lot of balls up the middle and we communicate really well. It helps out that we’re on the same page, same grade and we live right near each other.” The duo points to the rest of the infield as leaders. Third baseman Brittney Lindley came into a similar position to the pair last season, starting every game of the season as a
freshman and first baseman Mandy Craig brings heavy experience to the infield in her third season as a starter. “Brittney is really helpful because she knows exactly what it’s like and so is Mandy,” Bragg said. “It’s great playing behind great leaders.” The duo puts up equally solid numbers on the offensive side, however. Bragg most recently batted in the No. 5 slot in the lineup where she is second on the team in batting average (.261) and first in doubles (seven). Harabedian bats right behind Bragg in the batting order where she bats .225 and is fourth on the team in runs. “It’s been so much fun,” Harabedian said. “It’s been so much different from what I’m used to, but it’s a good difference. It’s a lot more exciting.” Harabedian, from Flemington, N.J., was a three-year letter-winner at Hunterdon Central High School. In her senior season, she hit an impressive .438 and stole 12 bases on her way to earning Courier News Player of the Year honors and First-Team All-State honors. Bragg earned similar accolades at Caravel Academy in Middletown, Del. She led her team to four consecutive state titles and earned All-State honors four times. From high school successes, to adjusting to college life, the pair admits its bond transcends the softball field and only makes the two better players. “It helps knowing that you have somebody right next to you going through all of the things that you are,” Bragg said. “We can lean on each other a little bit and help each other out.”
Indy’s underdog becomes America’s Cinderella story
O
ne cannot help but wonder if Butler head men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens is standing beneath the basket at Lucas Oil Stadium right now, tape measure in hand, recreating the iconic “Hoosiers” scene. Hinkle Fieldhouse doesn’t look so big anymore. Five miles from Butler’s home court — the very site where fictional Hickory High School head coach Norman Dale had his team measure the height of the basket — the final preparations are underway for Saturday’s Final Four games. Who better to throw support behind than Butler? Northern Iowa and gutsy guard Ali Farokhmanesh made an early claim for America’s Cinderella team, but even Ali fell. Butler just went about its business, as unheralded in its last four victories as it was in the first 20-consecutive wins of its threemonth unbeaten streak. No. 12-seed Texas-El Paso was a popular upset pick in the first round. Butler beat the Miners by 18, then held off 13thseeded, Cinderella-contender Murray State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The Bulldogs dispatched top-seeded Syracuse by four and took down No. 2-seed Kansas State by seven, earning the Horizon League’s first Final Four berth. The team remained as steady on the court as its 33-year-old
The Joker STEVEN MILLER coach did on the sideline. But who could blame it? It looks as if Stevens took a mid-major program to the Final Four before he ever had to use a razor — the kid that leads 15 other kids has no worries. Now, Butler is pitted against Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo, 22 years Stevens’ elder. In the battle of No. 5 seeds from the Midwest and West regions, the Bulldogs remain synonymous with underdogs. But they should also be America’s favorite. Before the 1951 Indiana high school championship game, Hickory guard Merle Webb told his team, “Let’s win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here.” For ward Gordon Hayward may not tell his team the same thing, but they will think it. Michigan State is a Final Four veteran with six appearances in the last 12 years. The Spartans were not a popular pick in what should have been called the Kansas bracket, but Izzo, he of the always-raspy voice, and Steve Mariucci’s bromance won enough.
Now it’s the Bulldogs’ turn in their own backyard, and State knows the potential for what a hometown advantage can do this time of year. (See: 2009 Final Four in Detroit.) That was the Spartans’ year. Take down predetermined national champion North Carolina and spoil Tyler Hansbrough’s farewell party — find someone, without money on the line, that didn’t want that. It didn’t work out, but this year, “Welcome to Indiana basketball,” they’ll say. And if the Bulldogs get past State, there are only more villains — this time of year it is only black or white, good-guys or bad-guys, Butler or villains — waiting. West Virginia took down John Calipari’s freshmen, for which ever yone should be grateful — give it a few years until there is an NCAA investigation into Calipari’s newest team — and earned another game until the Mountaineers are the bad guys. Before that, there is Duke. No explanation is necessary. The New York-New Jersey Mountaineers took Bob Huggins to his first Final Four since 1992, but don’t expect Huggy Bear to upgrade from his sweatsuit for the occasion — he’s no Jay Wright. Michigan State, West Virginia and Duke each have
GETTY IMAGES
Butler head men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens led the Bulldogs to the Horizon League’s first Final Four appearance.
their flaws — both on the court and in fans’ hearts — but don’t support the Bulldogs for who they are not. Get behind Butler, the school with an enrollment of 4,500, because it can win it for the teams that never had the chance, for the young head coach who gave up his job as a marketing associate for a phar-
maceutical company to return to the hardwood. I would hope you would support the Bulldogs for who they are. America, this is your team. — Steven Miller accepts comments, criticisms and “Go Butler!” mail at stevenmi@eden.rutgers.edu
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MARCH 31, 2010
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Steady downpour spoils midweek competition BILL DOMKE’S
T HE GOOD, T HE B AD Ever tr y putting your iPod on shuf fle and rediscovering some of that old music you haven’t listened to in a while? I was kindly enter tained by Br uce Springsteen’s “Glor y Days” this morning, and it was glorious. As all spring sports seasons begin to barrel to the end with about one month left, one might want to think back to the glor y days of this semester. But ever y time the glor y days of this semester come up, unless you’re lucky with an indoor sport, you really just get splashed wet. Rain is about as serious of a problem as a pack of wily velociraptors, and it’s not letting up. Baseball, softball and football were all cancelled yesterday because of this ongoing moist menace. One can only wonder what implications “April Showers” might mean this year…
AND
T HE U GLY
THE GOOD Taking games — The Big East schedule kicked off the right way for the men’s lacrosse team, which took an ominous game against No. 11 Notre Dame and turned it into its first upset of a ranked opponent since 2009, turning this whole upset business into a yearly deal. The 10-8 victory is the 12th upset that head coach Jim Stagnitta can add to his résumé and the fourth game the Scarlet Knights took in five. The win broke a long winning drought against the Irish — it was the first time Rutgers won a contest between the two since 1998. Consistency — It seems like Knights are gaining Big East honors in some sport almost every week, bringing attention to the versatility — or streakiness — of Rutgers athletics. Regardless of the general public opinion, it’s fairly impressive.
This week, look no further than Justin Pennington, the men’s lacrosse team’s senior midfielder. The Flemington, N.J., native tied his game-high three goals to help lead Rutgers to its upset over Notre Dame and a strong star t in the season’s conference schedule. Kind of like a video game — Anyone who ever played a videogame with a younger, less skilled sibling knows this scenario. One side is clearly stronger than the other, and that difference in ability is clearly showcased. Rutgers already won the series against Georgetown, but two games weren’t enough. A late-game triumph wouldn’t be enough either. Enter freshman Steve Nyisztor, who stepped up to the plate in the third inning with the bases loaded, took a swing at the first pitch that would make an Irishman proud, and knocked it out of the park for his first collegiate homerun and grand slam. Then there was another pitch sent over the fence after the next pitch. A sweep of the Hoyas promptly ensued. Gotta love tenure — Yeah, yeah, Tom Savage is the starting quarterback. There’s no competition for that spot during spring practice. But get this. After a year of experience, the sophomore returns not as the most experienced man for the position for Rutgers, but the most experienced in the entire Big East. No other returning quarterback for any team in the Big East has as many starts as Savage, including Cincinnati’s Zach Collaros and South Florida’s B.J. Daniels, who helped lead their respective teams to ranked statuses during the season. Hydrophobia? — The football
THE BAD
THE DAILY TARGUM
Sophomore Tom Savage will enter the season as the most veteran Big East quarterback after starting 11 games last season.
Pondexter joins former Knights Kia Vaughn and Essence Carson in New York.
THE NEW BRUNSWICK/
S
eton Hall guard Jeremy Hazell declared for the NBA Draft, choosing to forego his senior season with the Pirates. The announcement came a day after teammate Herb Pope made the same decision and a week after Jeff Robinson declared the same intentions.
FORMER
RUTGERS
women’s basketball team guard Cappie Pondexter is headed to New York after a trade to the Liberty. Pondexter led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA title last season and averaged 19.1 points per game .
Piscataway area has been no stranger to rain so far this year, reiterated by Mother Nature yesterday as two Rutgers teams saw games cancelled. The Rutgers baseball team got rained out of Bainton Field for its 3:30 Tuesday contest against Wagner, while the Rutgers softball team had its match up at Long Island called off as well. Both squads will attempt to re-schedule the games for a later date.
FORMER
UCLA
HEAD
basketball coach and ESPN analyst Steve Lavin, will take the helms of the St. Johns basketball program, announced Tuesday by the school. UCLA fired Lavin back in 2003, after six trips to the NCAA Tournament in seven seasons, including one Elite Eight and five Sweet Sixteen appearances. Lavin has been with ESPN for the past six years
team did not practice yesterday due to the rain. You read it correctly. It’s understandable if the rain was accompanied by lightning and gale-force winds, but not
MARIELLE BALISALSA
Justin Pennington earned Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors after the senior scored three goals against Notre Dame.
taking advantage of diverse weather to practice in could come back in a negative way down the road. If these first couple practices are focusing on the basics, what better way to further cement those basics than in different weather? Fall back! — The Rutgers gymnastics team raised eyebrows toward the end of its season, recording scores registering in the 190’s including the Knights’ highest score since 2005. And then the pressure got turned up a little. And then things fell apart — Chinua Achebe style. A dismal score of 187.650 wouldn’t lead the Knights past any of the other teams at the EAGL Championships.
THE UGLY One is the loneliest number — And then there was … one. Sophomore guard Mike Rosario will be the only one left
of his year’s recruiting class after sophomore for ward Patrick Jackson transfers from Rutgers at the end of the academic year. The Brooklyn native now joins the ranks of Greg Echenique and Christian Morris to mark the second consecutive class that lost three of its players to the transfer bug. Ugly, yet humorous — Dee Dee Jernigan. Does that name sound familiar? More recently she is known for missing two wide-open layups in the Elite Eight game in the women’s NCAA Tournament between Xavier and Stanford that cost the Musketeers the game. Seriously, these layups were wide open. Rutgers women’s basketball diehards might remember this name even more. The East Chicago, Ind., native transferred from Rutgers her freshman year.
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
SPORTS
PA G E 2 4
MARCH 31, 2010
Huskies to serve up difficult road competition BY TYLER DONOHUE STAFF WRITER
Last time the Rutgers tennis team took to the road for a Big East match, Syracuse blanked the Scarlet TENNIS Knights 7-0 in the RUTGERS AT Jan. 31 CONNECTICUT, season TODAY, 2 P.M. o p e n e r. Exactly two months since that embarrassing stumble out of the gate, Rutgers looks to claim its fourth consecutive conference victor y and continue to climb in the Big East rankings. The Knights head to Storrs, Conn., today to take on Connecticut in a conference clash. Rutgers (9-5, 3-1) enters the showdown as winners of six of the team’s last eight contests, while the Huskies (3-7, 1-3) picked up all three of their wins in their last five matches. Though Rutgers appears to be the obvious favorite on paper, head coach Ben Bucca knows nothing is a given. “The team has to come ready to play enthusiastic tennis,” Bucca said. “We’ve had some good wins against UConn in the past, but they always end up very close. Plus they will be at home.” The fact that the Knights journey up the Northeast for the match could work in the Huskies’ favor. Rutgers is 4-5 away from home this season — a stark contrast to the team’s 5-0 record on the Banks. Sophomore Jen Holzberg attempted to explain her team’s struggles beyond Piscataway.
“It’s a combination of not being used to our surroundings and not having our fans there to suppor t us,” Holzberg said. “We’ve also played most of our tougher opponents on road so that doesn’t help either.” Bucca said the issue is simple — it’s just a whole lot harder to play on the road. “My overwhelming experience is that traveling counts,” he said. “There is truth to the saying ‘home court advantage,’ and it presents us with a challenge.” Sophomore Mar yana Milchutskey believes the Knights turned a corner in their road play and will be ready to take on UConn today. “In the beginning of the season we started off shaky on the road in our loss at Syracuse and that hurt our confidence a little bit,” Milchutskey said. “But lately we’ve been playing much better away from home and that’s important to us. “Obviously we’re going into tomorrow’s match thinking we are going to win. We beat them last year and picking up another conference win will help us earn a better draw in Big East play later in the year.” Milchutskey and the Knights have the right to feel confident. Rutgers demolished rival Pittsburgh 7-0 on Saturday and are riding a three-game win streak in the conference. Rutgers’ depth proved to be a valuable commodity this spring, as the team has consistently displayed an ability to make up for any shortcomings by being versatile. “We have nine players and any of them can win on any given
SEE HUSKIES ON PAGE 17
ANDREW HOWARD/ SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore Jen Holzberg owns an 8-5 record as the No. 2 singles player on the roster behind Amy Zhang. Holzberg pairs up with the singles ace to form the 80th-ranked doubles squad in the nation.
Junior’s college journey far from complete
Sack leader ready to play on all downs
BY ANTHONY HERNANDEZ
BY STEVEN MILLER
STAFF WRITER
SPORTS EDITOR
Jonathan Freeny knows how to get after the quarterback — that much is certain. The senior defensive end led the Rutgers football team with FOOTBALL nine and a half sacks last year, three more than his closest competitor while playing a fraction of the snaps. That competitor was George Johnson, who started ahead of Freeny and is now pursuing a career in the NFL, leaving his spot on the first-team line vacated. During spring practice, Freeny is transitioning from a third-down pass rusher to an every-down player in Johnson’s stead. “It’s not too much different,” the Tampa, Fla., native said. “I still have to come out here and earn my position, just like always. Not much has changed because I’m still trying to come in and do the best I can.” But this year, the Scarlet Knights will rely on Freeny to do the best he can in a much larger role. Although head coach Greg Schiano likes to use an eight-man rotation on the defensive line, Freeny will be called on to stop the run more often this season. “This year I’m working on my game to come into the season as not only a third-down person, but a first and second-down person,”
SEE LEADER ON PAGE 19
DAN BRACAGLIA/ SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior defensive end Jonathan Freeny is spending the spring practice season working on his run-stopping game after leading the Knights last season in sacks.
For Rutgers track and field thrower Natalie Clickett, this season originally was WOMEN’S TRACK supposed to be her final one in the world of college athletics –– it is not. Coming off a freshman campaign that yielded an individual Big East championship in the discus event, Clickett’s sophomore year was supposed to follow up on a more-than-promising rookie season –– it did not. However, the former Junior AllAmerican is not content with riding off into the sunset with just a Big East Championship in the bag; she wants to cram All-American status in with her accolades as well. Her journey initially saw immediate success, but gave rise to some speed bumps rolling into her sophomore run. A broken foot in her second season pulled Clickett from the track for six months, but after redshirting to avoid losing a year of eligibility, she is sure she gained valuable wisdom during her time out. “It was hard coming off of such a promising freshman year and it was hard for me because I’m the kind of person that when I achieve something I want something more,” the thrower said about her
SEE JOURNEY ON PAGE 20