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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016
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Class of 1971 plans Paul Robeson Memorial Plaza NIKHILESH DE NEWS EDITOR
The Paul Robeson Plaza is being developed by the Rutgers Class of 1971 45th Milestone Committee, said Chair Jim Savage. Along with several other members of his graduating year, he is planning the plaza as a tribute to the former Rutgers student. “I started the conversation the same way with each person, I asked, ‘Who do you feel is the most accomplished, most distinguished Rutgers alumnus of all time,’ and they all said what I thought they would say, they all said ‘Paul Robeson,’” Savage said. The committee originally planned to have a small memorial commemorating Robeson’s life and achievements, but upon approaching the University were told that a plaza might be more appropriate. Savage said the committee had a few goals in mind when they conceived the plaza, with the most important being that the memorial be located on the College Avenue campus. “We wanted it to be on the College Avenue campus because Paul
Robeson went to school at Rutgers when it only was the College Avenue campus,” he said. “We wanted a monument where he went to school.” The proposed plaza will consist of six etchings from different points in Robeson’s life, along with several benches and a portion of the alumnus’ valedictorian speech, Savage said. There will also be a pillar with a quote between the benches. It will be located near Voorhees Mall behind the Ford Building. Savage said he hopes to finish the plaza in late 2018, with a dedication in May 2019. Robeson graduated as part of the Class of 1919, and was only the third African-American to do so from Rutgers. He was also the first black All-American football player, an accomplished singer, lawyer, author and civil rights activist recognized for his work in several different countries, including Jamaica and South Africa. “Rutgers used to have that slogan, ‘Jersey roots, global reach.’ That wasn’t about Paul Robeson but we felt it described him to a T,” SEE PLAZA ON PAGE 4
Evan Covello, left, Justin Schulberg, center, and Shannon Chang, right, have won the 2016 elections for the Rutgers University Student Assembly. They will be sworn in on April 14 for the 2016-2017 academic year. NIKITA BIRYUKOV / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Our Rutgers ticket wins top RUSA positions for upcoming school year NIKITA BIRYUKOV ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
The Our Rutgers ticket will be taking the top three Rutgers University Student Assembly positions after beating out Scarlet Knights for You in a down-to-the-wire election. The victorious candidates were announced at the assembly’s weekly meeting Thursday.
Justin Schulberg, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, has been elected for the post of RUSA president. “It was an incredible victory. I’m incredibly proud of my ticket, Our Rutgers, for pulling through, but also proud of the other ticket,” Schulberg said. “The campaign this year was revolutionary. We had an insane turnout between both tickets … I’m excited to lead
RUSA into a new future and actually make this our Rutgers once and for all.” This year’s RUSA election ran from Friday, April 1, through Tuesday, April 5, and received the largest voter turnout. This year, 14.42 percent of eligible students voted in the assembly’s election, SEE YEAR ON PAGE 4
Researcher discusses effect of 2010 Lousiana oil spill SAMANTHA KARAS CORRESPONDENT
The several Rutgers libraries are gearing up for “National Library Week,” which will occur from April 10 to April 14. There will be several events during the week, as well as opportunities for students and student workers to discuss their experiences with the facilities. EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Community to celebrate role of U. librarians for National Library Week NICOLE OSZTROGONACZ STAFF WRITER
Whether you are cramming for an exam or borrowing a book, the libraries are useful. And for National Library Week, which spans from April 10 to 16, Rutgers Libraries will be celebrating their existence as a resource for students.
National Librar y Week is a program that was started in 1958 by our parent organization, the American Librar y Association (ALA), said Jessica Pellien, Director of Communications at Rutgers University Libraries. “It’s essentially a week for us to celebrate what libraries, librarians and librar y workers do. And
how we ser ve the communities,” she said. Student workers will have the opportunity to tell the school how they feel about their jobs at the libraries, Pellien said. This year, Rutgers Libraries are collaborating with student SEE WEEK ON PAGE 4
In 2010, the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry took place in the Gulf of Mexico, and a federal judge in New Orleans approved an estimated $20 billion settlement on Monday in regard to the BP oil spill, according to ABC News. The deepwater Horizon oil spill, commonly referred to as the BP oil spill, took 87 days to get capped, with nearly 134 million gallons discharged into the water, according to ABC. At least 11 people died in the incident and the spill impacted 68,000 square miles of the ocean. Beaches, wetlands and estuaries were directly impacted, along with their wildlife and ecosystems. A $20 billion settlement was approved, but BP has estimated that total costs related to the spill will be more than $53 billion. Recovery of the wetlands, insects and fish after the five years following the spill has improved, NOLA reported, with a relatively small amount of oil remaining in the wetlands. Paola Lopez-Duarte, assistant research professor in the Rutgers
University Marine Field Station, conducted research on the responses of estuarine fish to oil population of the spill, and she said the marsh food web in areas that were exposed to the oil spill are now as healthy as those unexposed. “The marshes are not only a natural resource for food, a lot of the fishes species that we eat tend on these marshes as nurser y habitats. They’re the filters of our oceans and coastal areas,” Lopez-Duarte said. Humans put a lot of stress on the coastal marshes, Lopez-Duarte said. Examples of this could be seen in Louisiana and even in New Jersey with rising sea levels. “I think when you have a system that provides these services we should all be aware of the services they provide to humans,” she said. “And also be aware that it’s not the only bad thing we do to them. (The oil spill) is certainly something that could happen anywhere, not just in the coastal U.S.” While scientists and researches have found certain areas and aspects of the ecosystem that look either improved or healthy, there is
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