BILL Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may diminish students’ access to higher education
see opinions, page 6
STAR New club formed to unite students interested in space and astronomy
MEN’S BASKETBALL Rutgers opens Big Ten slate with loss to No. 12 Minnesota
SEE Sports, back
see Science, page 8
WEATHER Mostly sunny High: 50 Low: 41
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Former U. philosophy professor dies at age 82 Christian Zapata Correspondent
Jerry Alan Fodor, a former professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at Rutgers, died this past Wednesday at the age of 82 in his New York City home. During the time leading up to his death, he suffered from complications of Parkinson’s disease and a recent stroke, according to The New York Times. Rutgers Today posted an obituary with world-renowned linguist, philosopher and rationalist Noam Chomsky discussing Fodor’s contributions to the development of cognitive science, his role of founder to its contemporary chapter and his presence in contemporary philosophy of language and mind. “His computational-representational theory of mind has for years been the gold standard in the field. His analyses of concepts and of the role of ‘language of thought’ are unsurpassed in their depth and import. Always with sparkling wit and style. A wonderful person and valued friend for 60 years,” Chomsky said. Fodor taught at Rutgers for 24 years, from 1988 until his retirement in 2012, and was widely recognized as one of the most influential philosophers of the mind throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Prior to his time at the University, Fodor completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University, after which he took to Princeton University where he received his Ph.D. working under well-established philosopher and mathematician Hillary Putnam. Fodor taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology between 1959 and 1986, shortly after he made his move to the City University of New York and later found his home at Rutgers for the remainder of his career, according to a report in Rutgers Today. Ernest Lepore, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, said Fodor’s presence signaled to educational institutions everywhere that the University’s philosophical department was ready to be among the best in the world. Fodor founded the University’s Center for Cognitive Science and immediately began to attract renowned scholars both to the center and to the Department of Philosophy, according to the report. Throughout his career, Fodor published a number of highly influential books and articles, according to Rutgers Today. Among his most influential published works are “The Language of Thought” and “Modularity of Mind.” These touch on his language-of-thought theor y, an empirical hypothesis See PROFESSOR on Page 5
World renowned philosopher of cognitive science Jerry Alan Fodor died last Wednesday at the age of 82. He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers for 24 years and founded the University’s Center for Cognitive Science. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
‘Battle of the Bald’ raises $10K for cancer research Abner Bonilla Staff Writer
Twenty-seven individuals waited for their names to be called in the “Battle of the Bald” Thursday night, an annual head-shaving tournament to fund life-saving childhood cancer research at the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This year’s fundraiser collected a total of $10,199 — double the amount of last year’s event — due to the combined efforts of the University undergraduates, graduates, faculty and some unaffiliated with Rutgers that were willing to donate their hair to the cause. “It’s a great example of how something meaningful can impact a community,” said Vladimir Carrasco, a School of Arts and Sciences junior and one of the event’s two main organizers. To kick-off the event, two St. Baldrick’s Honored Kids — advocates who have dealt with childhood
cancer themselves — addressed the crowd of nearly 150 people at the College Avenue Student Center’s main lounge. “I want everyone to stay positive,” said Kaela Cruz, a 15-yearold St. Baldrick’s Honored Kid who has turned her experience with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, into a chance to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the research that is needed to find new treatments. Cruz is one of the 300,000 children who is diagnosed with cancer each year. But despite the large pool of childhood cancer patients, research to find more cures is underfunded. To help, “Battle of the Bald” participants get their head shaved to raise awareness but also have a chance to set up a donation page through St. Baldrick’s and use their own personal channels to raise money. See research on Page 4
Rutgers lecture series focuses on industry leaders Kristen Charlery Contributing Writer
On Thursday night, “Battle of the Bald” raised $10,199 — double last year’s amount — to fund life-saving childhood cancer research at the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. COURTESY OF NANCY GONZALES
VOLUME 149, ISSUE 119 • University ... 3 • opinions ... 6 • SCIENCE ... 8 • Diversions ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK
On Nov. 28, the Rutgers Business School hosted the Business Leadership Speaker Series featuring Basic Outfitters, an online service that allows customers to buy inexpensive clothing essentials. In the past, the event featured many well-known company heads, such as Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Steven Temares, Johnson & Johnson CPO Len DeCandia, DEVCO President Chris Paladino and Revlon & Elizabeth Arden SVP Rahul Mehrotra. Can Uslay, an associate professor of Marketing, director of Special Projects of the Rutgers Business School (RBS) and organizer of the Business Leader Speaker Series, said the goal of the series is “to See leaders on Page 5