Cap & Gown Spring 2016

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The Targum talks with President Obama Dan Corey / Editor-in-Chief

As he approaches the end of his eight-year tenure as President of the United States, Obama sat down for an exclusive interview with The Daily Targum a few short days before he is due to speak at Rutgers—New Brunswick’s 250th anniversary commencement.

President Barack Obama said he has learned quite a bit about how to overcome conflict, from the 2013 federal government shutdown to the Senate’s recent refusal to confirm Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

“I’ve always shown myself willing to compromise,” Obama said. “The issue here has never been both sides SEE PRESIDENT ON PAGE 3

EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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May 15, 2016

Graduation Schedule 2016 The University’s 250th Anniversary Commencement Sunday May 15, 12:30 p.m.

High Point Solutions Stadium

School of Management and Labor Relations 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center

Thursday May 12

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Convocation for Graduate-Level Students 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Nicholas Music Center, Douglass Campus

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Convocation for Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 11:00 a.m. ­— 1:00 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center Mason Gross School of the Arts 2:30 p.m. ­— 4:30 p.m.

State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick School of Communication and Information 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center Friday May 13 Graduate School ­— New Brunswick 10:00 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center School of Health Related Professions 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center St., Newark Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate—New Brunswick 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center Saturday May 14 Douglass Residential College 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Antilles Field, Douglass Campus

Sunday May 15 Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 7:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.

Livingston Hall, Livingston Student Center Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology 8:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Visitor Center, Busch Campus School of Arts and Sciences 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

High Point Solutions Stadium School of Engineering 4:30 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center School of Public Health 4:30 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

Nicholas Music Center, Douglass Campus Monday May 16 School of Environmental and Biological Sciences 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Passion Puddle, Cook Campus Rain Location: Louis Brown Athletic Center

New Jersey Medical School 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center St., Newark School of Dental Medicine Monday May 18, 4 p.m.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center St., Newark School of Social Work New Brunswick, Newark and Camden students 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Louis Brown Athletic Center Graduate School of Education 4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m.

College Avenue Gymnasium Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 7:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

State Theatre 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick Tuesday, May 17 Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

College Avenue Gymnasium Wednesday May 20 School of Nursing 10:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center St., Newark

Cap & Gown

May 15, 2016

PRESIDENT National holidays for elections would help voters fulfill their civic duty, Obama says CONTINUED FROM FRONT

stuck in a corner, unwilling to meet in the middle. The challenge has been a Republican Party that has become increasingly ideological and extreme, and I think that’s reflected in the current presidential race.”

Obama acknowledged the challenge posed by Republican Party opposition, saying his administration overcame much of it by expanding Pell grants, transferring student loan programs from banks, avoiding an economic crisis with the largest recover y package in U.S. histor y and passing the Affordable Care Act. Still, the President feels optimistic about the future of the Republican Party following the general election this November.

“There are a lot of good people out there who are Republicans who don’t recognize the direction that the party is taking,” he said.

“My sense is that there will be a corrective (effort) at some point, perhaps after this next presidential election.”

Among registered Republican voters, 66 percent say that life in America today is worse than it was 50 years ago “for people like them,” according to the Pew Research Center.

Obama said combatting low voter turnout would help solve Americans’ dissatisfaction.

The United States should follow the lead of other developed nations by holding elections on weekend days or national holidays, Obama said. Doing so would facilitate greater voter participation and thus create a federal government more representative of the American electorate.

“The single most dramatic political change that could occur in this country — and the best way for us to relieve the frustrations that people feel around the political process — would be if we had greater participation that was more reflective of the day-today concerns that people have,” Obama said.

“People who vote and elect representatives who share their views end up determining the agenda — and that is not just at the presidential level,” he said. “If

you want to move an agenda forward, you’ve got to make sure that your views and voice are heard at every level of government.”

Obama said “more needs to be done” to improve the lives of struggling Americans. Step one is with education.

The Obama Administration has made efforts toward making a college education more affordable, but the President said people should understand the nation’s place in the global economy.

“We have to make sure we also recognize this is a big country, and there’s very rarely a single set of silver bullets out there that would immediately solve all of these problems,” Obama said.

“We’re part of an interconnected global economy now, and there’s no going back from that.”

Obama, who took office preceding the 2008 stock market crash, said many of his recover y policies will improve economic conditions for struggling Americans several years down the road.

“We have to make incremental changes where we can, and every once in a while you’ll get a breakthrough and make the kind of big changes that are necessary,” Obama said. “That consensus building is important because that’s historically how change has happened in America.”

Small changes can make largescale change easier to accomplish, Obama said, proposing laws to close corporate tax loopholes.

Investment in easy access to education is also important, Obama said. The first step is accepting that young people need more than a high school diploma.

“If we … make sure that we’re investing in the kinds of things that make an economy grow, if we ensure that we’ve got a healthcare system that is affordable and accessible for all people, then I’m confident that America’s best days are still ahead,” he said.

Policymakers should continue to collaborate with institutions to reduce the costs that colleges and universities incur.

The President said his proposal for two free years of community college would be a step in the right direction.

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“Lifelong learning is increasingly what’s going to be necessar y to be competitive in this dynamic economy — and that it’s got to be affordable,” he said. “We can’t have situations where young people are loaded up with $50,000, $75,000 or $100,000 worth of debt coming out of school.”

Even though the U.S. has its flaws, Obama said Americans should remember that their country has resources to be taken advantage of.

“But that’s not a cause for complacency,” he said. “That just tells us that when we put our shoulder behind the wheel and we’re focused, that we can get things done.”

Read the full transcript of The Daily Targum’s exclusive interview with President Obama at dailytargum.com.

President Barack Obama speaks at Rutgers—Newark on Nov. 2, 2015. He participated in an exclusive interview with The Daily Targum. MARIELLE SUMERGIDO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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May 15, 2016

Engineering senior plans to study abroad next year NIKITA BIRYUKOV ASSOCIATE NEWS EIDTOR

Four years at Rutgers culminating in an undergraduate degree do not mark the end of Tal BenGera’s education.

The School of Engineering graduating senior will strive to learn more, and he will do so far from his alma mater. Ben-Gera plans to move across the Atlantic to study structural engineering at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

“I visited the Netherlands in January — I did a trip with my girlfriend to Amsterdam — and I kind of fell in love with the people and the culture,” Ben-Gera said.

“And my grandmother is also Dutch, so it kind of brought back good memories of time I spent with my grandmother. So I knew that I wanted to study there.”

In addition to his professed love for the European nation, the relative affordability of an education abroad proved enticing to Ben-Gera.

“The tuition for the Netherlands is very cheap — it’s about €2,000 a year — so that’s basically the main reason I left the United States to study, because it’s very expensive here,” he said. “I got into a few schools in Germany as well, but I just got a much better vibe from the Netherlands.”

With the current exchange rate, €2,000 is roughly $2,275. A graduate degree at Rutgers costs at least $8,000 per semester, according to its website.

Ben-Gera, who aspires to be a professional engineer, will spend two years studying the designs of various structures and the forces that might cause those behemoths to crumble.

To keep a building, or a bridge, from collapsing, there must be balance, Ben-Gera said.

“The goal of structural engineering is to basically understand the forces and stresses that are acting on a certain structure, and then knowing how to use certain materials to build against them, be able to resist all these different forces so that the building doesn’t, you know, collapse on you,” he said.

For underclassmen, Ben-Gera had two pieces of advice: study hard and focus yourself if you plan to pursue a higher level degree.

“During your undergraduate studies, I think it’s important to pay very careful attention in your classes to see what you would really want to spend two more years studying, and to maybe gear your resume towards that one particular major,” he said.

For Ben-Gera, that meant focusing on design work that would help him land a spot in a structural engineering program.

But it also meant pursuing what he found most interesting, something he would not have been able to do had it not been for his diligent studies.

When he began his time at Rutgers, Ben-Gera said he was less studious than he should have been. His GPA suffered as a result, but Ben-Gera was able to salvage his grades through hard work and graduating with honors.

“Walking in and getting that honors cord, it’s just kind of like a symbol of my achievement, because I worked really hard in the last two years to bring up my GPA. That was probably my favorite memory that I’ll remember for a long time,” he said.

Arts and Sciences senior is set to serve community NOA HALFF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Brianna Battle, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, will work on Capitol Hill next year. SAMANTHA CASIMIR / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Former RUSA vice president takes on politics after degree NIKITA BIRYUKOV ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

For one Rutgers graduate, a step out of New Brunswick means a step onto Capitol Hill.

Graduating senior Brianna Battle will move to Washington, D.C. as part of the Star Fellowship Program offered by Running Start, a non-profit organization that seeks to bring young women into politics.

The Star Fellow will serve with a U.S. senator or congresswoman of her choice, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a Rutgers alumna herself, has made it onto Battle’s shortlist.

“She has never been a recipient of a Star Fellow, but I am trying to get in touch with her office to see if she would like to have me as an intern for this upcoming fall semester,” Battle said with a small laugh.

The School of Arts and Sciences senior is also looking into the office of Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).

Battle did not always want to get involved in politics, but her role as vice president of the Rutgers University Student Assembly — and the platform it offered her — got her hooked.

“In my sophomore year, I was introduced to RUSA, and from then on, my passion for politics and passion for community service and passion to ser ve people on a variety of issues — differing from pay equity things in the state legislature to things right here in the rutgers community — has been booming,” she said.

This summer, Battle will work as a staffer for the Mandela Fellowship spearheaded by President Barack Obama while simultaneously drafting a report on diversity and inclusion at Rutgers for University President Robert L. Barchi.

What comes after the fall for Battle is still undecided. She sees three paths in before her: law school, a fulltime position in Washington or a run for public office.

To those wanting to get involved with state affairs, Battle said naysayers ought to be ignored.

“If you have a gut feeling, or if you know that you’re capable of doing something do not let external forces — or even yourself sometimes — hold you back from what you know you can do,” she said.

Finding a passion to pursue at an early stage in college is extremely beneficial, said School of Arts and Sciences senior Swathi Gorle, because it allows students to focus their attention on making connections in that field and succeeding.

Gorle wants to join a United Nations master’s degree program after graduating on Sunday.

“My overall college experience was nothing short of fantastic,” Gorle said.

He favorite memory was passing her sophomore review in the Department of Visual Arts at the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Although her college experience was overall positive, Gorle regrets how she was too much of a “homebody” during her years at Rutgers.

Gorle said she is looking forward to taking a period of time off after graduation to finally have the opportunity to relax and travel.

But she will not relax for long.

Gorle plans on applying to a master’s program affiliated with UNESCO, Gorle said.

“I’m looking to pursue a career in Cultural Heritage and Preservation and hopefully, work with UNESCO or the U.N. in the future to safeguard heritage sites,” she said.

During the summer, she plans on returning to India to work with government officials in order to nominate a traditional ritual for UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List for next year, as well as get involved with the program, she said.

Gorle has worries regarding her future but is remaining hopeful.

“My main fear is that I won’t succeed in fulfilling all of the things I want to accomplish,” she said. “But I try not to focus too much on the future because things can always change and I’m only 20 so I have plenty of time to figure things out.”

Cap & Gown

May 15, 2016

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Psychology student readies for master’s NOA HALFF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Rutgers is a University filled with opportunities, said Prakriti Singh, a School of Arts and Science senior. But they will not magically appear — students have to work to find them.

Throughout her four years at Rutgers, Singh said she learned the impor tance of working hard and staying on top of her responsibilities.

“I tend to be anxious in general but the best way I’ve found to cope with that is to be really prepared and on top of things,” she said.

She worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant, as well as a lab manager and coordinator at Rutgers. Singh said she might not have been able to do that anywhere else.

“Of course I worked really, really hard to be able to do these things but, at the end of the day, I really believe that they helped set me apart from the rest of the applicants who applied for the same program I did,” she said.

Singh said her experience as a teaching assistant and research leadership allowed her to get into nine out of the 10 programs she applied to.

After graduation, Singh will be attending graduate school for a

Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology beginning in August, for two years, she said.

One of her favorite memories at Rutgers was the first Rutgers Day she attended.

“It was the first time that I really realized how vibrant and alive the Rutgers community really is,” she said. “I met so many people there and was able to experience so many sides to Rutgers with all the different booths and organizations that were present.”

Singh also met alumni who had brought their spouses and children with them. She said she was “struck” by their Rutgers pride after all their years away.

Singh said she has fears of her future.

She is worried about finding an apartment and moving to Albany in August. She is also anxious about not doing well in her master’s program and concerned about financial security.

These fears are always on her mind, she said, because they are an integral part of life and being an adult.

But Singh is ultimately looking forward to starting this new chapter in her life.

“It’s so important to be on top of things here and if you work hard, you’ll definitely see the results,” she said.

Tiffany Kingsley, a biomedical engineering senior, will work for the U.S. Navy after graduation. COURTESY OF TIFFANY KINGSLEY

Future nuclear engineer reflects on time at school NIKHILESH DE NEWS EDITOR

While nuclear engineering is not a program offered at Rutgers, one engineering student will soon be doing just that with the United States Navy.

Tiffany Kingsley, a biomedical engineering senior, will be a civilian contractor at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia after graduating on May 15.

“It’s really exciting something that’s pretty cool,” she said.

Kingsley applied to the position after seeing representatives at a University career fair last year.

“I went up to them and said ‘hey, what kind of opportunities do you have for biomedical engineers?’” she said. “They told me about the things they do (and) told me to apply. I did and I heard back in October and … I’ve been pretty set all year.”

Though she specialized in one field of engineering during her time at Rutgers, her skills can be applied to the radically

different parts of her new job, Kingsley said.

“I’m a biomedical engineer but I’ve loved the electrical aspect of (engineering). Everything I’ve learned is going to translate over to what I’m going to be doing in Virginia,” she said. “I’m excited to use what I’ve learned in a real-world setting.”

Kingsley attributed her internships and the programs she was part of during her undergraduate days as parts of her success. One of these programs was the Douglass Residential College, while another partnered her with industry mentors.

“I not only formed incredible relationships with the women that I worked with, (but) they also taught me a lot of skills,” she said.

Her mentors encouraged her to apply to PSE&G, where she began making connections with potential employers.

Her time as an undergraduate was not solely spent on studying though, Kingsley said. She advises other students to take advantage of the different resources Rutgers offers from academic help to the social aspects at the school.

The number of groups at Rutgers means virtually every student can find something they are interested in. Taking time off to relax helps as well.

“Something else I would tell undergraduates, do spring break one year. Get a bunch of your friends together and do something fun,” she said. “Make the most of (college) — you want to study but you also want to go out there and take advantage of the opportunities that you have.”

Cap & Gown

OPINIONS

May 15, 2016

Congratulations to our rising alumni!

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May 15, 2016 SOFTBALL MADDOX, HUANG, ADAMS, SLOWINSKI, WHITLEY ALL CONTRIBUTED IN 4 YEARS AT RU

Knights reflect on careers in Piscataway as end approaches BRET LEVINSON

Stephanie Huang and Jordan Whitley — have all contributed.

Maddox went 10-6 her freshman year with a 3.36 over 102 inAs graduation approaches, many nings of work. seniors tend to contemplate their Adams batted a .286 over 28 at time spent attending an institution. bats, Huang batted a .245 over 49 But for the Rutgers softball at bats, Whitley with a .239 over team, five seniors will continue to 142 at bats and Slowinski with a grind out the season in hopes of an .226 over 115 at bats. appearance in the 2016 NCAA SoftEvery curball Tournament. rent senior As the secontributed niors finish off in their freshtheir college “I think the biggest thing Rutgers taught me was to man year four careers academkeep working and never give up.” years ago that ically, as well helped the as athletically, JORDAN WHITLEY Knights to head coach Jay Senior Third Baseman their 30-26 reNelson realizes cord in 2013. his time with his The consenior girls is dwindling down and he will miss most is that they’re all good peo- sistent play by the seniors will not their play on the field as well as ple. Seeing them in practice, con- only be missed by Nelson but to othwell having them around to chat versations with what they’re doing er teammates on the Rutgers squad.

“Considering all of them start,” — something he’s had the oppor- in life is what I will miss the most.”

Since 2013, the five seniors in said junior right-hander Shaytunity to do for the past four years.

“I’m gonna miss their lead- the class of 2016 — Liz Adams, Mel- la Sweeney. “They’re gonna be ership skills,” Nelson said. “All anie Slowinski, Dresden Maddox, missed, especially in the infield and behind the plate. Their bats also, they have great bats and they get us these wins so we’re definitely gonna miss them next year.

Huang has put together a memorable senior season. She is second in the Big Ten in hits this season thus far with 60 and tied for 10th place in doubles with 11.

But with stats and on-field accomplishments put aside, one main thing the five seniors graduating will miss will be the teammates they formed relationships with and the fact that seeing them everyday will only be a recollection.

“I’m really gonna miss my teammates,” Slowinski said. “I got so close with them and when you come in not knowing anyone and you make some of the best friends you have here, I’m just really gonna miss that. I’m not gonna be able to see them whenever I want kinda thing so definitely something that’s gonna hit hard when its over.”

Third baseman Whitley, who is second on the team in average at .329, has improved mightily since the beginning of the season.

Aside from becoming a better player on the Banks, a ‘never giving up’ motto has been instilled in her from a program that preaches it from the first day a freshman puts on a Knights uniform.

“I think the biggest thing is always to work hard,” Whitley said.

“There’s no substitution for hard work and that’s gonna pay off. I think the biggest thing Rutgers taught me was to keep working and never give up.”

No matter what life throws at you, one must take it with a grain of salt and move on.

Slowinski compares softball to life and explains that Rutgers has taught her no matter what happens in the previous at-bats, you have to adjust and fix it just like every day situations in life.

“You try to work hard,” Slowinski said. “In games, you’re gonna make errors and mistakes but you’re still gonna move on and you’re still gonna have to improve and learn from them. It’s kinda sounds cliché but in life, if something wrong happens, you have to bounce back and adjust.

If you strikeout, you have to make an adjustment and fix it.”

STAFF WRITER

Senior pitcher Dresden Maddox is 1 of 5 seniors completing their careers at Rutgers during graduation Sunday.

DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / APRIL 2016

five of them are captains. Steph (Huang) is a quiet leader, Liz (Adams) is a more vocal leader, and Mel (Slowinski) leads by talking to the freshman and working with them. I will miss that in them and hopefully they will pass it on to the juniors. In another sense, they’re all starters. We’re gonna lose a lot of talent. The thing I will miss the

For updates on the Rutgers softball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.

May 15, 2016

Page 9 BASEBALL SENIORS HOWIE BREY, R.J. DEVISH, JOHN JENNINGS, CHRIS SUSECK APPROACH END OF CAREERS

RU eyes spot in Big Ten Tourney to close solid careers MIKE O’SULLIVAN CORRESPONDENT

In any sport, seniors always seem to be the backbone of a team.

It is an added bonus for any team to have more than one of these veterans to help with both the on-field and off-field performances of the entire roster.

Fortunately for the Rutgers baseball team (22-22, 6-9), it had a surplus of seniors who aided the program greatly during their careers on the Banks.

“This senior class, collectively, are the heart of this team,” said head coach Joe Litterio. “The guys like being around them, and early on, they made sure the freshmen knew what the rules were and how to handle everything. Now the young guys are a part of them because these seniors have blended this team more than I could’ve imagined.”

At the top of the senior class has been the extremely impressive battery-mate duo of pitcher Howie Brey and catcher R.J. Devish.

The southpaw pitcher has been phenomenal atop the rotation for the Scarlet Knights, consistently giving them effective and lengthy outings against some of the country’s best teams in the Big Ten Conference.

In his senior campaign, Brey compiled a 5-3 record across the 11 games he started, with three outings turning into complete games.

A team captain for the second straight season, he led the team with 66 strikeouts and 80.1 innings pitched.

Of all his great outings, perhaps the most impressive one was a complete game shutout thrown at home against Penn State, a game which the Knights won 5-0.

He has a 2.58 ERA for the season and recorded a 2.40 ERA, spanning 41.1 innings in his Big Ten starts.

As one of the leaders on the team, he gave the team everything they could have asked for as the ace of the staff, and he hopes to continue with baseball in some capacity in the future.

“It’s been great here playing with these guys and we’ve had the time of our lives here,” Brey said. “I want to play as long as I can, and if an opportunity comes my way, I’ll take it. After that, I’d like to coach at some point in my life, (which is) something that I can look forward to.”

Behind the plate for his outings this season was Devish, who has been named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list, which is awarded to the nation’s top catcher as voted on by Division 1 coaches.

He typically leads off for Rutgers and is one of the best at his job, getting on base at a .533 clip, leading the team and placing him amongst the top performers across the country in that category.

After coming to the Banks, originally as an infielder, Devish

feels that he progressed as a ballplayer during his time with the Knights and brought more versatility to the team.

“It means a lot (to be named to the Johnny Bench Award List), especially after coming to college as an infielder,” Devish said. “I’ve turned into a catcher and Coach (Tim) Reilly has really helped me to excel. It feels good to be recognized for the hard work.”

Like Brey, Devish hopes to continue playing baseball once his senior season at Rutgers concludes.

“It’s been a great career here and I’m fortunate to have been on some good teams,” said Devish.

“My main goal this year is to make the Big Ten Tournament, and, after this hopefully, I can get drafted.”

Another key veteran contributor was senior second baseman John Jennings.

He started 32 games and belted two home runs, along with providing solid defense at second base.

The fifth-year veteran from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, was also a two-time captain and provides vocal leadership on the field and in the dugout.

“My career here has been very exciting, and I’ve loved all five years of it,” said Jennings. “It was probably the best decision I’ve made in my life to come here, and hopefully we can make the Big Ten Tournament and make some noise.”

First baseman Chris Suseck and relief pitcher Reed Shuttle

round out the 2016 senior class, and both made great impacts on the field.

Suseck was second on the team with 30 RBIs, and Shuttle tied for second with 14 relief appearances on the season.

What made the Rutgers senior class unique was its brand of leadership and how it extended to benefit the coaches.

“This class is the first one since I’ve been here that is showing the type of hardworking mentality

that I want to see, and hopefully it carries on to these younger guys,” Litterio said. “These guys also pick me up. Sometimes I get down or annoyed after a game, and they’ll text me and say, ‘We’re alright, Coach. We’ll be fine.’ That’s something special and these guys just do a great job with the team.”

For updates on the Rutgers baseball team, follow @Mike_ OSully2 and @TargumSports on Twitter.

Senior pitcher Howie Brey compiled a record of 5-3 in 11 starts in his final year on the Banks, where he was a two-time captain.

MICHELLE KLEJMONT / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / APRIL 2016

Page 10

May 15, 2016 WOMEN’S LACROSSE STARTERS HALLEY BARNES, KIM KOLODNY, TAYLOR PENNELL WERE LEADERS FOR RUTGERS

Multiple influential Knights complete careers on Banks THOMAS CRINCOLI STAFF WRITER

As the season comes to a close for the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team, so do the college lacrosse careers of the seniors who made their marks on the program over the last four years.

The Scarlet Knights will be saying goodbye to seven different seniors at the end of this season.

“We’re definitely going to miss them,” head coach Laura BrandSias said. “(There are) going to be huge holes to fill with them gone, for a variety of reasons, and they can be confident they left a very positive stamp on this program.”

Leading off the pack was one of the Knights’ captains, attacker Halley Barnes. She cemented herself as one of Rutgers’ starting attackers from the start of her freshman year and was named the Knights’ Offensive Player of the Year as a rookie.

From there, the Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, native continued to play a large role on the Rutgers offense.

She scored the first Big Ten goal in the Knights’ history, became the 21st player to record 100 points and had a six-goal performance that also featured the overtime winner in Rutgers’ recent upset victory over Ohio State.

But of all of those achievements, Barnes’ said her biggest

accomplishment the role she played as a leader in the program.

“Personally my biggest accomplishment as a leader on the team is really being able to be part of this huge change for Rutgers women’s lacrosse and being able to help be part of changing the culture of the team and really getting ready to compete at the highest level in women’s lacrosse,” Barnes said.

Although it will not be in a scarlet and white uniform, Barnes will be back next year pursuing a master’s degree. She hopes to further her education to pursue a career in sports marketing or public relations.

Barnes’ teammate and fellow attacker Kim Kolodny also made

her impression with the Knights as a rookie. The Farmingdale, New York, native’s career consisted of three season with 20 or more goals, a number of multigoal efforts and, of course, becoming another member of the 100-points club.

While Kolodny expressed her happiness of scoring 100 points and being able to finish her lacrosse career playing with her best friends, she recently achieved her dream of being accepted into the Graduate School of Education. And with another year in front of Kolodny to reach her master’s degree, she has not completely put lacrosse behind her just yet.

“If there is a job opening for coaching, I would love to do that,” said Kolodny. “If not, I’m either going to be looking here (New Jersey) for a job to teach or go back to Long Island to get certified and go there and teach, so I’m very excited for what the future holds.”

Kolodny said she could not be happier with the relationships she has made, the education she received and getting to play lacrosse was just a bonus in her four years at Rutgers.

While the attackers gain a lot of attention on the Knights’ roster, players like midfielder Taylor Pennell also played a big part on Rutgers’ defensive side of the ball.

The New Egypt, New Jersey, native held captaincy since her junior year, providing leadership and boosting her stat line through groundballs and caused turnovers.

Pennell has done a tremendous job leading the team in her second year with captaincy.

“Taylor is very high energy and is there to compete every second that she is on the field,” Brand-Sias said. “(She) isn’t afraid to step up to the plate to hold people accountable if that’s what’s best for the team.”

That leadership will truly be missed for the Knights’ back end next season, as Rutgers will be taking on its third year in the Big Ten without the help of its most experienced captain.

So as the season winds down and the seniors of the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team prepare to walk the stage at High Point Solutions Stadium, Barnes said she would not change any of her time at Rutgers even if she could.

“I think back on my time when I was in high school making a decision about which college I wanted to attend, and I couldn’t be any happier with my decision,” said Barnes. “These four years were just absolutely unbelievable.”

For updates on the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.

May 15, 2016

Page 11 TENNIS LI, KAYATI, ZEIN LOOK TO FUTURE FOLLOWING TENNIS

Strong start flames out in seniors’ final seasons at RU ALEX GOLD STAFF WRITER

Promise doesn’t always lead to prosperity, and the Rutgers women’s tennis team found that out the hard way this season.

After a hot 4-2 start in pre-conference play, the Scarlet Knights seemed headed toward success, but the tough Big Ten competition halted those expectations.

Rutgers ended their spring campaign on a nine-match losing streak, finishing with just six wins and 15 losses.

The squad failed to achieve victory in 11 conference battles, but there were certainly close opportunities.

Key components of the almost triumphs were winning the doubles point and outstanding performances from the experienced veterans.

Rutgers’ seniors demonstrated all season that they would not go down without a fight as Gina Li, Mariam Zein and Lindsey Kayati all showed flashes of brilliance on the court at times.

“These seniors built a strong foundation for four years, always rocks in the lineup,” said head

coach Benjamin S. Bucca. “They all brought certain positive qualities to the team.”

The three elder stateswomen were the most effective Knights in Big Ten competition. They compiled six of the eight individual wins that the team collected.

But Li was the only player to conclude the year with a record above .500, possessing 11 victories and only eight losses.

She did this in the number one position, which placed her against Rutgers’ opponents’ top players every time.

“Over her career, Gina has developed her game very nicely and is continuing to play with inspiration and heart,” Bucca said. “She constantly leads by example and keeps the team at a certain caliber.”

Li broke the mold of that typical athlete coasting by in school.

She was insistent on putting class first and was focused on working at a hospital after graduation.

Zein similarly put together a solid mark this season, racking up nine wins compared to 11 losses.

She and Li were doubles partners for the spring, and, in

Senior Gina Li, who led the Knights with 10 wins in singles play this season, hopes to work at a hospital following graduation.

EDWIN GANO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / APRIL 2016

tandem, they knocked down three conference opponents as well as eight overall.

Kayati also acquired quite a list of accolades in addition to an impressive tennis showing throughout her tenure as a Knight.

She also displayed strong dedication and excellence in the classroom as a Dean’s List student majoring in Journalism and Media Studies and minoring in History.

“Rutgers tennis has done so

much for me and has taken me in so many interesting directions,” Kayati. “I’ve made great friends, gotten a chance to travel around the country and most importantly I’ve gained a new appreciation to the sport I love.”

“

Y

ears of sleepless nights and endless exams did not prevent any of today’s graduates from reaching the end of the road. While one journey may be concluding, another is about to begin for the Class of 2016. Congratulations and best of luck to all of you.

”

The Daily Targum 148th Editorial Board

DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR