THE DAILY TARGUM
Volume 141, Number 14
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
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
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Today: Partly cloudy
GET OFF MY LAWN
High: 76 • Low: 60
The Rutgers football team sent Florida International packing back to Miami with a 23-15 win over the Golden Panthers behind eight tackles and a pick-six for senior LB Ryan D’Imperio.
Judge rules in EON’s favor, overturns city clerk decision BY ARIEL NAGI AND MARY DIDUCH STAFF WRITERS
JEFF LAZARO
Up-and-coming artist Rotimi and R&B recording sensation Bobby V perform after Rutgers University Programming Association’s Hot Dog Knight Friday in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus. The concert attracted hundreds of students.
‘Knight’ of free food attracts thousands BY GREG FLYNN CORRESPONDENT
Fun, games, sauerkraut and hot dogs — more than 3,000 students turned out Friday night for all of
INDEX
this and the smooth jams of Bobby Valentino at Hot Dog Knight. Rutgers University Programming Association’s kickoff event at the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue
campus aimed to unify the University, said RUPA Adviser Matthew Ferguson, the assistant director for Student Life. “Hot Dog Knight or Hot Dog Day, whatever it may be, is just a
time for people to get together for no other reason than to be together and eat some food,” he said.
SEE KNIGHT ON PAGE 4
U. hits $128M in private donations BY DEIRDRE S. HOPTON
UNIVERSITY
CORRESPONDENT
As the new College of Nursing building gets broken in, students explain it not only offers hightech equipment but also contribute to the entire nursing community.
For the third year in a row, the University set a record for receiving the most private donations. University President Richard L. McCormick announced the 2008-09 fiscal year saw a 6 percent increase in
private donations to the University, totaling more than $128 million in gifts and pledges. “Despite one of the most severe economic downturns in recent history, many individuals, foundations and corporations have continued to express their confidence in Rutgers through their generous support of our pro-
grams and initiatives,” said McCormick in a press release. The Rutgers University Foundation, which fundraises for the University, recorded increases in total donations and pledges from individuals — from $66.2 million to $71.2
SEE DONATIONS ON PAGE 4
WRITING ON THE WALL
OPINIONS Twelve-year old breaks one million points on “Guitar Hero.” National praise shows America’s obsession with video games. UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 METRO . . . . . . . . . . 8 OPINIONS . . . . . . . 10 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 12 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 14 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
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DAN BRACAGLIA/ ACTING MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Graffiti artist Jacy, 10, participates in the third annual Streets2k9 event for the first time. He contributes to the Raritan River Art Walk with a painting depicting a half-man, half-camel creature. Jacy says he begins his work with just a scribble and then takes his painting from there. Visit dailytargum.com and METRO on page 9 for extended coverage.
Middlesex County Superior Court Judge James Hurley ruled on Friday that City Clerk Dan Torrisi improperly approved a petition filed by community group Unite New Brunswick because another petition had been approved to appear on the November ballot. UNB’s petition sought to ask voters to increase New Brunswick’s city council to seven at-large members from five. Hurley’s ruling that UNB’s referendum question cannot appear on the ballot overturns Torrisi’s Sept. 2 decision and the City Council’s unanimous approval on Wednesday at their public meeting. Torrisi’s lawyer Mar vin Brauth argued that statute 40:69A-21 allows multiple questions on the ballot, even if they are conflicting alternatives. But Judge Hurley said the statute does not allow multiple questions unless they are on the same petition, and in this case, two separate petitions were filed one after the other. “The harm is it wasn’t in the [original] petition,” Hurley said. “It is clear to me that [the law] simply means one petition.” Empower Our Neighborhoods’ question — which is already on the ballot after two years of litigation — asks voters if the current council should be increased to nine members — with six elected by wards and three at-large. EON organizer Matthew Korostoff said adding two more at-large council members does not make any significant changes to the current form of government, and adding more questions to the ballot may cause both petitions to lose. “My suspicion is that they were trying to split the vote [and] that this is actually filed disingenuously, hoping that it would lose and that our petition would lose, which is so diabolical,” he said. Brauth said multiple questions could be placed on the ballot and voters may choose to vote for more than one. The question that receives the majority would prevail. “As general application, you can have as many questions on the ballot that can fit,” he said. But Judge Hurley said this would weaken the vote. “If you have two questions, [and] I want to vote for government A and government B, you’re going to have the voter vote for both?” Judge Hurley asked. “Aren’t you diluting the vote?” EON’s attorney Renee Steinhagen said EON is not denying the voters two options. “There is nothing inherently wrong with two questions to voters, but they should come from the same petition,” she said.
SEE DECISION ON PAGE 7