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Tuesday, September 6, 2016
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‘Language Matters’ campaign receives viral backlash sophie nieto-munoz staff writer
A bulletin board hanging in a College Avenue residence hall urging students to only use “necessary” language has stirred controversy among readers of conservative news site Campus Reform. The website published an article on Aug. 31 that displayed a photo of a bulletin board in a College Avenue residence hall titled “Language Matters: Think.” The bulletin board reminds students to be wary of the words that may come up in a conversation, such as ”retarded” and “illegal aliens.” It prompts students to ask themselves whether their choice of words is “true,” “helpful,” “inspiring,” “necessary” and “kind.” The bulletin board goes on to warn students that failure to keep these rules in mind could result in a microaggression, which is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a comment or action that is subtly and unintentionally hostile or demeaning to a member of a minority or marginalized group.” The bulletin board is part of the “Language Matters” campaign, an initiative launched last fall by the
The “Language Matters” campaign aims to reduce microaggression incidents on campus. After the conservative news site Campus Reform criticizes the campaign, a Rutgers spokesperson defended its goals. NIKHILESH DE / NEWS EDITOR Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities. The flyer was adapted from the University of Maryland’s “Inclusive Language Campaign,” which lists phrases
that some may take offense to, such as saying someone “looks like a terrorist” or that something “is ghetto.” Rutgers said microaggressions can go past offensive language, and
can also be nonverbal and environmental, the group said. The Bias Prevention and Education Team at Rutgers is designated to handle reports of microaggressions
and other biased incidents. According to the Campus Reform article, the Bias Prevention and See backlash on Page 4
2 students robbed at gunpoint in parking lot avalon zoppo managing editor
Anastasia Bogdanovski broke an Olympic record when representing Macedonia in the 2016 Summer Olympics, which took place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil early in August. Bogdanovski began attending the New Jersey Medical School the day after she returned. COURTESY OF ANASTASIA BOGDANOVSKI
Medical school student breaks record during Rio Olympics camilo montoya-galvez correspondent
Born and raised in New Jersey, Anastasia Bogdanovski never expected to be an Olympic athlete — let alone the flag bearer of a country of more than two million. Representing her parents’ native
country, Macedonia, Bogdanovski swam in the women’s 200-meter freestyle at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. The 23 year-old set a national record for the small Balkan nation before returning home to begin her other dream of studying at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).
“I was so proud to swim under the Macedonian flag. Not a lot of people know who we are as a country,” said Bogdanovski, who holds dual U.S. and Macedonian citizenship. “Just being able to bring my country into the public eye a little bit more was amazing.” See OLYMPICS on Page 4
Two Rutgers students were robbed at gunpoint Sunday night while walking through the Sears parking lot located at 51 US Highway 1 in New Brunswick. The New Brunswick Police Department is actively investigating the robbery, which they say occurred around 9:15 p.m. Police said the students were walking through the lot when they were approached by two males, one of whom displayed a gun and demanded items of value. The robbers, whose descriptions are limited, then fled in an unknown direction. Descriptions of the thieves are limited at this time. There were no injuries as a result of the incident, police said.
The New Brunswick Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact the New Brunswick Police Department Detective Bureau at 732-745-5217. Students, faculty and staff can also request an escort from the Rutgers University Police Department by calling 732-932-7211. In 2010, NJ Advance Media reported that thieves broke into 26 cars parked in the lot over a holiday weekend, smashing windows and stealing at least one iPod and two GPS units. Some of the cars were owned by Rutgers students. The lot’s overhead lights are shut off at 10 p.m. and because the space is not owned by Rutgers, the school has no jurisdiction to keep the lot safe from criminal activity. Students are advised not to park in the lot overnight.
Two students were robbed Sunday night at the Sears parking lot. The Rutgers University Police Department has no jurisdiction over the facility. MICHELLE KLEJMONT / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / FEBRUARY 2016
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