Daily_Targum_12-11

THE DAILY TARGUM

Volume 141, Number 69

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

FRIDAY DECEMBER 11, 2009

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Today: Partly cloudy

ALL AROUND THE WORLD

High: 31 • Low: 22

Junior safety Joe Lefeged became an all-around player throughout the 2009 season, playing multiple positions for the best statistical defense in the Big East.

NJ Senate postpones same-sex marriage vote

BY ARIEL NAGI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

While there may have been built up anticipation about the status of gay marriage laws in the state with yesterday’s vote, some members of the state Senate requested that the Marriage Equality Act be held and voted on at a later time.

During a meeting at the Statehouse in Trenton yesterday, New Jersey Senators Raymond Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg requested that the bill be held until a meeting is scheduled for the Assembly Judiciar y Committee to discuss the Freedom of Religion and

Equality in Civil Marriage Act, according to a New Jersey Senate Democratic Office press release.

“The conversations between lawmakers and the public will continue as we move for ward with the Marriage Equality Act,” Weinberg said in a statement. “Whether we agree or disagree with your position, I think ever yone involved needs to remember that this is a civil rights issue. It can and should be discussed civilly, and in the appropriate for um.”

On Tuesday’s Senate meeting, hundreds of citizens were able to line

SEE VOTE ON PAGE 5

ANDREW HOWARD/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

State Senator Loretta Weinberg decided to postpone the Marriage Equality Act at yesterday’s meeting in Trenton. She said there needs to be more discussion on the issue before the bill is voted on.

University keeps veterans in class despite GI Bill delays

BY GREG FLYNN CORRESPONDENT

Though the new Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits program is plagued by delays, the University has made sure to help student veterans muddle through the bureaucratic backlog.

The bill, which became a law in June 2008 and went into effect Aug. 1, 2009, provides educational benefits to a large number of men and women who were called to active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America expressed discontent on Sept. 23 that the U.S. Depar tment of Veterans

INDEX

Af fairs had issued checks to less than 11 percent of the 277,403 veterans who had applied.

On Dec. 3, the Navy Times repor ted 26,000 veterans in college had not received their living stipends and book allowances.

School of Arts and Sciences sophomore John Rafoss, a veteran, said he was expecting $1750 a month in living expenses.

“As of now, ever ything’s perfect, but I didn’t get a dime from the VA until midNovember. I went two and a half months with no money,” Rafoss said. “I had a lot of money saved up from when I was in Afghanistan so I just lived off of that. If

they had been a week later I would be at a soup kitchen.”

Undergraduate Registrar Robert Whitman, who handles most financial concerns relating to veteran students, said the bill has presented problems but the University made sure to allow veteran students to continue education.

“The problems were not so much us not doing what we were supposed to be doing, it’s just the multitude of processing,” Whitman said. “Student accounting has been working with us in terms of not punishing our students.”

Rafoss said Whitman has done an excellent job.

STUDENT STRUCK BY VEHICLE IN FRONT OF COLLEGE AVENUE RIVER DORMS

METRO Elijah’s Promise soup kitchen is experiencing an increase in attendance and a rise in homelessness in the county this year.

BY MARY DIDUCH

One University student is the designer of his own luxury clothing line, targeted toward 22 to 40 year olds.

UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3

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NICHOLAS BLEW

A University student was hit by a car in front of Campbell Residence Hall on the College Avenue campus Wednesday at about 6:58 p.m., said of ficials from the New Brunswick Police Department.

The student, a 19-year-old male, was crossing the street in front of the residence hall when a vehicle struck him, officials said.

The student was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, officials said.

There were no reports on the student’s condition at press time.

Officials said the driver was going with the flow of traffic, and the student did not cross at the crosswalk.

School of Arts and Sciences sophomore Megan Radler, who saw the commotion after the accident happened, said the road in front of the River Dorms is dangerous.

“I’m always afraid that I’m going to get hit by a car when I cross the road [in front of the River Dorms], and I cross the road here frequently to go to work, the student center or the library,” Radler said.

— Ariel Nagi

SEE BILL ON PAGE 5

State, faculty unity lifts campus in ’80s to AAU ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

IN FOCUS

METRO . . . . . . . . . . 7

“I haven’t worried about paying for my college tuition. Rutgers has taken care of it,” Rafoss said.

Veterans For Education founder William Brown said the University has not withdrawn students expecting delays.

“Rutgers realizes that those financial reimbursements from the federal government are still legitimate,” said Brown, a RutgersCamden senior.

Veterans For Education is a non-partisan organization at the University dedicated to promoting a positive image of veterans and the value of education.

The 1980s saw a change in the University’s academic structure well before the 2007 dissolution of the individual colleges.

Before the School of Arts and Sciences, the University was a federated system, divided into individual colleges that each had their own majors with their own faculties. The majors had different curriculum and the schools had different general education and graduation requirements.

Vice President for Undergraduate Education Barry V. Qualls, who started as an English professor at Rutgers College and was the architect of the current undergraduate system, said in the early ’80s, the individual departments in the colleges became unified and the faculty was consolidated to create the new Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

“They all went into the same department, and the department had to redo their major requirements and the sense of what the major should be to bring them all together,” Qualls said.

This also gave more faculty members a say in their curriculum.

In the federated system, the colleges were r un by fellows, which were a selected group of faculty members attached to each college, Qualls said. The change allowed faculty a say in major curriculum, while the fellows still controlled individual college education requirements.

The change also allowed for more students to access more majors and more faculty to be hired, he said. It also got faculty in departments across New Brunswick to work together for the first time.

“I think in the long run this had a wonderful impact on students,” Qualls said.

Mary Hartman, director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership and former Douglass College dean, said as a junior faculty member at the time, she found it odd for a student to take a class in a different college. They had to demonstrate that it was not in their major in their college.

“I was a big supporter of that restructuring,” she said.

Qualls said a major criticism was the potential loss of the individual college’s communities.

SEE CAMPUS ON PAGE 4

The H1N1 vaccination is available today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Neilsen Dining Hall on Cook campus.

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DECEMBER 11, 2009

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T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

UNIVERSITY

DECEMBER 11, 2009

PA G E 3

Hudson River pits release wave of environmental issues

BY AVANI VYAS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A series of newly discovered pits in the bottom of the Hudson Canyon may be critical for a diverse marine ecosystem.

Scientists from the University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration happened to come upon the pits over the summer when looking for commercial fish stock in the Hudson River, said Peter Rona, a professor of marine science and geological sciences.

“We were initially out to map this area using a submarine run by computers and found these pits that look like craters on the moon,” said Vincent Guida, a research fisher y biologist who works with NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and J.J Howard Laborator y in Sandy Hook.

The methane-releasing pits are significant because of their unusual geographic location.

“These pits are new for this area. They’ve been found in other places such as the Gulf of Mexico, but not around this area,” Guida said.

The team found the pits through the use of a robot-free vehicle called the Eagle Ray, which produces maps of the seafloor.

“The sonar data recorded by the Eagle Ray have been interpreted after long hours by many researchers who were on board for the first time on our cruise,” Guida said.

The methane is a source of energy that a specific bacteria uses to produce and nourish themselves.

“This may improve the productivity of bacteria in that area and also help in the longrun the food chain, but this is not cer tain as of now,” Guida said.

Par t of the Hudson River food chain is New Jersey’s commercial fish stock.

HOW ‘BAZAAR’

“Several implications of the methane [is that it] helps to fer tilize areas for fisher y, which is impor tant to New Jersey,” Rona said.

The methane has other effects on the environment.

“Since methane is a greenhouse gas, these findings may also contribute to the climate warming ...”

PETER RONA Professor of marine science and geological sciences

“Since methane is a greenhouse gas, these findings may also contribute to the climate warming and understanding more of climate warming,” he said.

Methane gas might be helpful in understanding the future of climate warming.

“Greenhouse gases, especially methane gas, can be helpful to the environment, where the general population regards them as a hindrance on our ways of life,” said John Cardinale, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences first-year student.

One such hindrance would be for oil companies.

“The negative side to this release of methane may be that it might cause restrictions, such as for the oil companies,” Guida said.

Oil companies are not allowed to endanger wildlife.

“Oil has been found in the nearby area and not only might it cause a restriction, but it might also affect fishing and the animals living near that area,” Rona said.

In order to learn how this new discovery will make an impact on the human world, Cardinale encouraged continuing research.

“I think it is important to continue the research on the pits and the deep sea corals, because these new species and discoveries in the Hudson can help other species that are native to that area survive,” he said.

The next step is to continue using dif ferent methods, techniques and technology to discover more about the communities of corals and to protect them, Rona and Guida said.

Another step is to learn more about the pits, the release of methane and how it might be helpful or harmful to the environment.

“More research on their niche will help scientists better understand the pros and cons of the pits and of the sur vival and protection rate for the deep-sea corals,” Cardinale said.

The findings by Guida and Rona will be presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec. 1418 in San Francisco.

UNIVERSITY HOSTS LARGEST EMPLOYER-TURNOUT CAREER FAIR IN NEW JERSEY Nearly 3,500 potential job candidates attended the largest Collegiate Career Fair last year at the University.

A larger turnout is possible on Jan. 7, 2010, said Janet Bernardin, special programs manager for Career Services.

“Nearly 150 employers from a wide range of industries and sectors will greet job-seeking recent and soon-to-be college graduates during New Jersey Collegiate Career Day sponsored

by Rutgers Career Services,” according to a Media Relations press release.

Candidates can submit their resumes at the Career Ser vices Web site, http://careerservices.rutgers.edu, until Jan. 10 for distribution to employers after the fair, but candidates are encouraged to bring hard copies of their resume to the career fair, according to the release.

NICHOLAS BRASOWSKI/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Intersect Fund, created by University alumni, hosts its “Holiday Bazaar and Gala” last night for entrepreneurs who participated in their business training program and are running successful enterprises.

Employers will meet with entr y-level and experienced candidates for internships and full-time jobs.

“Business par tners are still signing up,” Bernardin said. “Employers in accounting, engineering, financial ser vices, sales and marketing, government, health, information technology and social ser vices are par ticipating.”

The fair will take place at the Rutgers Student Center and Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the release. It is free and open to the public.

For more information contact Sandra Lanman at (732) 932-7084, ext. 621 or slanman@ur.rutgers.edu.

— Sara Gretina

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DECEMBER 11, 2009

U NIVERSITY CAMPUS: Restructuring leads to hiring of more faculty continued from front

COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Former President Edward J. Bloustein, who served from 1971 to 1989, led the University on the path to becoming a state research institution and member of the Association of American Universities.

“But at the same time, I think most people felt Rutgers was a state university, and it would have to get larger to accommodate the needs in the state,” Qualls said.

Hartman said like with any change, some faculty members were unhappy.

“There were a lot of people who went away mad that they didn’t get rid of the colleges all together,” she said.

This was not accomplished until the creation of the School of Arts and Sciences about 20 years later.

“There wasn’t whole-hearted support for this restructuring, and it made it hard for all the deans to function,” she said.

University alumnus Dave Bieler, who graduated from Rutgers College in 1990 as a political science major, said as a student, he noticed a fair amount of cynicism toward the change among his peers.

“As a Rutgers College student, there was kind of the feeling that Rutgers College was an exclusive, ivy-league club,” he said.

Former University President Edward J. Bloustein took away that insular feel, Bieler said.

He said he noticed that students in the other colleges were happy about the change.

Qualls said Rutgers College gained prominence as more women began to be admitted.

Douglass College had the strongest academic statistics, and when Rutgers College became coed, many smart women applied there, raising the

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M reputation of Rutgers College, Qualls said.

Other colleges, like Livingston College, had few new buildings and were farther from downtown, Qualls said.

“All of these things left to the senses that the other colleges were weaker when they were taught by same faculty,” he said.

He said he thinks few students noticed the difference because they still had their colleges.

“The idea of independent, individual colleges did govern quite a bit even if the classrooms were integrated back then,” Bieler said.

Qualls said these changes would not have been possible without the strong advocacy for higher education by former Gov. Tom Kean, who worked closely with Bloustein. Not only did he support the University, but he also created the Educational Opportunities Fund to help disadvantaged students pay for higher education. “[Bloustein] really propelled this institution to become a real research university,” said University Archivist Thomas Frusciano.

He said with Kean, Bloustein attracted more funding to the school — the highest ever.

Kean was known as the education governor for his great advocacy of higher education.

The people of New Jersey also helped, Qualls said. Voters passed special bonds for higher education, and that money went for buildings and hiring more faculty.

Bloustein had a vision to hire more distinguished faculty to make the school a major, public research university, he said.

“They had decided that Rutgers was much too small to serve the state,” he said.

Qualls said he thinks most people welcomed the change

because New Brunswick was rapidly getting bigger, and many believed the restructuring was a way to higher the best faculty.

Due to Bloustein’s work, the school became a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities by the end of the decade, Frusciano said.

Hartman said Bloustein’s actions changed the faculty’s view of him. When he first became president, the faculty members were not fans of him.

“The second 10 years, he could do no wrong because he worked to build up the faculty in incredible ways,” Hartman said.

One problem she personally had with the faculty improvements was that most of the new members were male science professors, and many women and members of different backgrounds were not hired.

But she said this is one problem the University is addressing today.

Bieler said since he has been a student, the University’s reputation and its emphasis on school sports has increased tremendously.

“When I went to Rutgers, nobody thought about the football team … that started to change, and a lot of money started coming into the school after we were there,” he said.

Bieler said the growth of the University, mainly due to its reputation as a top research institution, the growth of the downtown city and the increase in students, is hard to realize.

“When I was there, if you told people out of state that you went to Rutgers, they had no idea that Rutgers was the state university of New Jersey,” Bieler said. “I think by and large, people are very aware of that now.”

U NIVERSITY

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

VOTE: Citizens maintain

BILL: Student veterans

respect for both sides of issue

push for satellite campuses

continued from front

continued from front

up outside the committee chambers and voice their opinions about the Mar riage Equality Act, Weinberg said in a release. She said there needs to be another oppor tunity to have a longer discussion on the perspectives of the act between both legislators and citizens.

“While I understand that passions are running high on both of sides of this issue, I would ask advocates to maintain the civil and courteous tone that has been established by legislators during these discussions,” Weinberg said.

She said most people have been maintaining that approach, and she hopes they will continue to do so as debates and discussions continue.

“It is not appropriate to confront members of the Legislature at their homes or businesses or at private family events in order to engage them on the issue,” Weinberg said. “And please refrain from passing judgment on the personal, religious and moral beliefs of legislators who happen to disagree with your particular belief system.”

Some University students were disappointed that the bill was not voted on today.

School of Communication and Information graduate fellow Kierstin Ferrante said the issue of the marriage equality bill has been swept under the rug too many times.

“I think it’s a shame. I think that gay marriage should be approved,” Ferrante said. “I don’t think that anyone should not have the right to get married, so I definitely think that they should pass the bill as soon as possible.”

She said the bill should be passed before Governor-elect Chris Christie swears into of fice, because he might decide to veto the Marriage Equality Act. “I don’t know exactly what [Chris Christie’s] political stance is on it, but I just have a feeling that it’s going to cause a lot of controversy, and it’s going to make a lot of people upset, and I don’t foresee him passing it when he gets in office,” Ferrante said.

School of Environmental and Biological Sciences sophomore Vladislava Semjanova said everyone should have the right to get married, no matter what their sexual orientation is.

“I’m not against gay marriage, I just think they’re not bothering anyone, so why not [pass the law],” Semjanova said.

“They love each other just like any other couple, so they should have the right to get married.”

Weinberg said she is happy with the mutual respect by both sides so far.

“The over whelming majority for and against my bill have focused their arguments on the merits of the legislation and presented them in the appropriate forums, contacting legislators through our district offices or speaking with us at the Statehouse,” Weinberg said. “I thank you all for that.”

The new bill has delayed everything, Whitman said.

“It’s become more popular than they even thought it would be,” he said. “The paperwork backup is tremendous. They were basically going on almost 12 weeks of processing.”

Students on the new bill are considered Chapter 33, Whitman said.

“Part of the problem is nothing could be done on this brand new chapter until August 1 – that’s when the money was available,” Whitman said. “The office that we deal with in Buffalo has been trying hard but has just been overwhelmed. Things are just starting to smooth out now.”

Earlier in the fall the VA indicated that veterans could go to the VA office in Newark and get up to $3,000 in advance payment.

“A number of our students did that as well,” Whitman said.

Rutgers-Camden joined the Service members Opportunity Colleges Consortium this year,

which allows veterans who took technical courses during advanced militar y training to submit their credits to the University for consideration toward their undergraduate degree, Brown said.

He is proud the University has joined the consortium, a move that Veterans For Education had campaigned for.

“I’m urging, and President [Richard] McCormick has publicly urged, that the other campuses and faculty senates in Newark and New Brunswick follow suit,” Brown said.

Dean of the University College Community Susan Schurman said faculty councils and the Academic Senate is discussing the question.

Rafoss said despite the funding problems, he is very thankful the VA is helping him experience higher education.

“It’s like a job. Going to school is my job,” Rafoss said.

Brown said he is confident President Barack Obama and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki are addressing the GI Bill’s current problems.

Brown said he hopes the University will continue to reach out to returning veterans.

DECEMBER 11, 2009 “There [are] 54,000 students at Rutgers and 438 veterans throughout all the campuses. One of the things we need to work on is recruitment,” Brown said.

Brown said Veterans For Education is pushing for University satellite campuses at Fort Dix, Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst and McGuire Air Force Base.

During the summer, more than 2,900 members of the New Jersey National Guard returned.

When the members returned for a parade in Trenton in June, Veterans For Education put up three University campus dependent banners across from the Statehouse that encouraged higher education.

Brown said McCormick attended the parade.

Brown reflected on the series of changes he has seen since members of Veterans For Education stood up at McCormick’s September 2008 annual address and advocated for increased support of veterans.

“Once the high administrators saw the concern and saw that it was valid they made real decisions to tr y and make real improvements. That in itself, to me, is one of the reasons why Rutgers is great,” Brown said.

5

Assistant Dean Betza FelicianoBerrios said the University’s new volunteer veteran mentoring program has seen encouraging results.

“We had some really wonderful stories about appreciative students and faculty,” Feliciano-Berrios said.

As expected, continuing veteran students showed less interest in the program as they have already adapted to civilian and college life, he said.

The program currently has 194 mentors and will continue next year.

Rafoss said he has had a positive experience with the mentoring program.

“It’s easy to talk to them because they already know what you went through,” he said.

Rafoss served as a combat correspondent throughout Afghanistan, primarily in Mazari Sharif, Kabul and Helmand province.

Rafoss said he was a bit uneasy about his first day at the University, but eventually adjusted to campus life.

Rafoss said most students seem indifferent to veterans, which is neither a good thing nor a bad thing.

“Most people on campus just don’t really care,” he said. “You also don’t see people spitting on you like they did after the Vietnam War.”

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DECEMBER 11, 2009

U NIVERSITY

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

Momentous occasions during the fall semester

DAN BRACAGLIA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

ANDREW HOWARD/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

JOHN PENA/ SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

From top right, counterclockwise: Former President Bill Clinton came to the University to endorse Gov. Jon S. Corzine while running for reelection; students gather on a rainy fall morning to support love, community and peace in a counterprotest against Westboro Baptist Church members; the University opens the doors of the new Vistor Center on Busch campus; President Barack Obama visits the Garden State to announce his support of Corzine; the demolition of buildings on the corner of Hamilton and Wall Street marks the beginning of the construction of the Gateway project.

ANDREW HOWARD/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

ANDREW HOWARD/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

METRO

DECEMBER 11, 2009

Amenities fall short of expectations

BY COLLEEN ROACHE CORRESPONDENT

The promenade on the sixth floor of One Spring Street, a 365,000-square foot high-rise apartment complex at the corner of Albany and Spring Streets, offers residents the scenery of a suburban home in the midst of the city.

The rooftop plaza, located above the building’s parking deck and equipped with three barbeque grills, a children’s playground, a fenced-in miniature dog park and an assortment of plants, is a product of residents’ ideas, said Peter Brossard of Costas Kondylis, the architectural firm that designed the building.

“There was a lot of discussion with the building, and the developers listened to what people wanted or what they would expect,” he said.

But some residents, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their discontent with the apartment’s recreation space after a newspaper article praised the complex.

One Spring Street, which was completed after three years of construction, includes 121 one-, two- and three-bedroom units throughout its 23 floors, Brossard said. The building also has a 422-car garage.

The recreation area, which is adjacent to the building’s swimming pool and near its fitness center, was coordinated to meet the needs of people who live there, he said. From the space, residents have a view of New Brunswick, and during the summer months residents can move between the pool and the promenade.

The LiveRoof pre-vegetated roof garden system, which requires less water to grow and acts as a roof runoff control, is another unique feature of the promenade, said Salvatore Salsa, owner of Jersey Landscape Construction.

But some residents claim the prospective plans they were shown were much different from what transpired. This included a running track, a golf practice area and a bigger playground for children.

City Spokesman Bill Bray said any discrepancies residents have about the promenade are matters that have to do with the building itself and do not result from any changes made after plans were submitted to the city.

“We make sure they build whatever they get an approval for,” Bray said. “We review and inspect whatever’s proposed to us … and I can assure you that’s what happened.”

Salsa said necessary changes were made throughout the design process to better fit amenities into the available space, but ultimately, his corporation followed the plans submitted by the building association, who conducted business in a very thorough manner, he said.

“As far as what they were promised and what they had originally spoken about, I really don’t know much about that,” Salsa said.

Representatives from the building association could not be reached at press time.

PA G E 7

Homeless find refuge in city spaces

BY GREG FLYNN CORRESPONDENT

As the rain turned the streets into streams in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, John Fleming took shelter underneath the entrance to the New Brunswick train station.

Fleming, who identified himself as homeless, said the hard rain barely bothered him.

“The rain doesn’t get in here,” Fleming said, gesturing to the space behind the pillars and beneath the brick of the station.

According to the official U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development definition of homelessness, there were 796 homeless men, women and children counted on Jan. 28, 2009 in Middlesex County.

Director of Division of Social Work in Middlesex County Bridget Kennedy said the number does not entirely reflect the exact number of homeless people in the county.

“We had done more surveys this year but when the results came out they were way fewer than we had expected them to be,” Kennedy said. “Depending on how people answer a question or fail to fully complete the survey, they sometimes toss those surveys out.”

A survey of the homeless peo- have a disability such as mental ple living in Middlesex County on health issues or substance abuse, Jan. 29, 2008 reported more than Kennedy said.

866 people as homeless. The surAndrew Justice said he is vey on Jan. 25, 2007 recorded 820 not homeless but often spends homeless people. long periods of time away An estimated 300 people came from home. to Elijah’s Promise soup kitchen in “I’ve been on a highway New Brunswick on Jan. 28, 2009, to through hell,” Justice said. “I participate in the national count of used to be a nice person.” the homeless, while the Salvation Kennedy said the HUD defiArmy in Perth nition does not Amboy saw about include homeless 100 people, said the “We don’t expect to families, Elijah’s Promise working poor see peaks in Executive Director and young adults Lisanne Finston. on their own with homelessness until She said the no income. well into 2010.” kitchen would be “They all have participating in the same probBRIDGET KENNEDY the 2010 count on lems as what HUD Director of Middlesex County Jan. 27. classifies as chronDivision of Social Work The Division of ically homeless,” Social Work Kennedy said.

Services is impleThe HUD defimenting a 10-year plan to end nition also does not include homelessness in Middlesex those who have to double and County by providing more perma- triple up in homes due to the nent affordable housing, creating lack of af fordable housing, a single point of entry for people she said. to seek assistance and increasing According to “Foreclosure to communication with people in Homelessness 2009,” a survey danger of losing their home, produced by the National Kennedy said.

Coalition for the Homeless and HUD focuses on chronically six other advocacy groups, 10 homeless adults who have lacked percent of the homeless people a residence for more than a year that social service agencies have or four times in three years and helped over the last year lost

their homes to foreclosures.

Kennedy said despite the survey results, she believes there is an increase in homelessness in the county as agencies are reporting increased need.

Homelessness is a delayed indicator of the economic downturn as people are more likely to choose to go hungry than homeless, she said.

“We don’t expect to see peaks in homelessness until well into 2010,” Kennedy said.

Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen Director Yvette Molina said the kitchen has seen increased attendance of 30 percent for the whole year and decreased donations.

“We are getting donations but not as much as last year,” she said.

Fleming unzipped his jacket to reveal a University sweatshir t that was given to him and said most students treat him with dignity.

“Students are the best people in the whole world,” Fleming said.

A benefit concert for Elijah’s Promise, scheduled for Dec. 19 at 8 p.m., will collect canned goods and a $10 door fee. Molina said students could find information about volunteering and donations at www.elijahspromise.net.

HO! HO! HO! SIT DOWN THIS SATURDAY TO BRUNCH WITH SANTA Don’t miss your chance to get on Santa Claus’ nice list at a special brunch with him co-hosted by the New Brunswick Elks Lodge No. 324 and New Brunswick City Market.

The brunch will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Lodge located at 40 Livingston Ave. in New Brunswick.

Tickets are $3 a piece and include a morning of holiday sing-a-longs, reindeer

games and a visit from the big, red, jolly man himself, according to an e-mail from Pamela Stefanek, executive director of New Brunswick City Market.

A guardian must accompany children and a reservation is required.

Everyone is encouraged to bring his or her camera. To RSVP call Stefanek at (732) 545-4849.

The City Market is of fering free horse-drawn carriage rides from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight and tomorrow as well as next Friday and Saturday at the Hyatt Regency and the Heldrich, according to the e-mail.

— Sara Gretina

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

DECEMBER 11, 2009

IN FOCUS

PA G E 8

Student designer reaps fruits of his labor

BY KATE CALABRO STAFF WRITER

Move over Marc Ecko, there’s a new designer at the University.

Jared Dye, a Rutgers College senior, owns and designs Vintage Grapes Clothier, a luxury clothing line inspired by his first endeavor, urban clothing line Vintage Grapes.

Vintage Grapes Clothier launched Nov. 23, just in time for the holiday season. The line is a luxur y garment brand that prides itself on exclusivity.

Dye said the catchy brand name is inspired by the vineyard experience.

“We want to provide the customer with an experience that parallels a vineyard atmosphere,” he said. “Similar to a countr y club, it offers a relaxed feeling, elite status and quality.”

Dye describes the look as business casual.

“You can wear it to a recital or show but also to the office,” he said.

Isaiah Tate, a School of Arts and Sciences junior who helped Dye with design concepts, described the Clothier line as a lifestyle change.

“It’s going from college student to stepping into the business world where you feel accomplished and reap the benefits of what you did in college,” Tate said. “It’s going from a boy to a man.”

The high-end line is targeted toward males ages 22 to 40, and a women’s luxury garment brand is in the works for spring 2011.

The prices range from $100 to $350, and the garments are more tailored to fit, with sizes ranging from medium to XL.

The clothing is made of highquality material, such as the featured cashmere sweater. Dye prides himself on crafting garments that consumers will be able to wear time and time again.

“Vintage Grapes Clothier are garments that withstand the test of time,” Dye said. “You can pull out the cashmere sweater each year and put it back on and be confident that it is great quality.”

In addition to a cashmere sweater, the Clothier collection currently features an oxford cotton sport shirt, hand-sewn silk ties, a hand-knit cashmere cap, a luxury knit T-shirt, luxury knit scarves and a rope belt.

“Our designs are ver y basic and relaxed, with colors such as merlot and champagne,” Dye said. “But we stay away from the trends and pave our own way. Ever ything ties together so well and parallels the brand with a vineyard.”

Vintage Grapes T-shirts are packed and delivered in a variety of dif ferent wine boxes, strengthening the vineyard concept.

“This is how all [companies] eventually establish themselves,” said Myron Finkelstein, Dye’s mentor and former professor. “He’s creating an image and building a brand.”

The pieces were originally inspired by Dye’s personal style, coupled with the sophisticated, luxur y vineyard look his designs strive for.

“I see Vintage Grapes Clothier as a progression in terms of my own personal style, which is ver y diverse,” he said.

“I’ve grown from skurban [with the Vintage Grapes line] to a more business casual look.”

This change in style was facilitated by Dye’s assimilation into the business world.

“As I began going to job interviews and business meetings for Vintage Grapes, I had to dress up more in business-wear,” Dye said.

“I just saw my style evolving right before my eyes.”

Finkelstein said this is what a designer should expect.

“It’s exactly the type of evolution you would expect when you create a business plan,” Finkelstein said. “He realized what he was able to do with regard to creating a line at different price points and catering towards aspiring young people and people who have the money to buy an upperlevel clothing line.”

For those who crave Dye’s cutting edge and sophisticated style, but cannot afford high-end prices, Dye’s first creation, urban clothing line Vintage Grapes, is still available. The more affordable line features sweatshirts, Tshirts, scarves and bandanas for $20 to $82.

Vintage Grapes is available at www.vintagegrapesvineyard.com.

“Vintage Grapes Clothier is for the businessman in all of us,” said Alister Martin, a Rutgers College senior who models the line on campus. “That’s the evolution I’ve seen [from Vintage Grapes] and I’ve also seen that evolution in [Dye]. He’s more confident in his clothing, willing to take more risks, and it’s coming to another level.”

Vintage Grapes Clothier is currently only available online.

But Dye said he might consider placing the line in a few highend boutiques in New York.

“We want to be picky about where we put our product,” he

DAN BRACAGLIA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Vintage Grapes Clothier is an urban luxury clothing line owned and designed by Rutgers College senior Jared Dye. said. “We are trying to nurture the quality of the brand as well as the status of the brand.”

The Vintage Grapes family continues to grow with Dye’s plans to launch a spring line for Vintage Grapes Clothier, a lawn

tennis line in spring 2010 and a women’s line in spring 2011.

“As far as he wants to go, he will go that far,” Tate said. “The success is in him, and it’s already beginning.

It’s only a matter of time before things become very, very big.”

DAN BRACAGLIA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Inspired by the vineyard experience, Vintage Grapes Clothier line features products like cashmere sweaters, hand-sewn silk ties, hand-knit cashmere caps, luxury knit T-shirts, luxury knit scarves and rope belts, all of which can be ordered online at www.vintagegrapesclothier.com.

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

OPINIONS

PA G E 1 0

DECEMBER 11, 2009

EDITORIALS

Laurels and darts A

t 11 a.m. yesterday in the hectic streets of Times Square in New York City, Raymond Martinez was prompted by police officers to show a permit for the CDs he was selling along Broadway. He returned to the cops wielding a Mac-10 machine pistol, firing six rounds into busy New York streets. A chase ensued and a plainclothes anti-peddler police officer fired one shot at the suspect, disrupting any further violence that could have potentially injured or perhaps killed innocent bystanders.

What is even more disturbing is that the would-be cop-killer had 26 more rounds ready to be fired and had the police officer not shot him on the spot, innocent people would have been killed. For the courageous efforts of New York’s finest and the exceptional marksmanship of the plainclothes officer, the New York Police Department receives a laurel for stopping a potential catastrophe in the heart of New York. While Times Square is one of the most popular tourists destinations not only in the United States but the entire world, during the holiday season it is even more jam-packed with tourists, families and, of course, New Yorkers. Time and time again, the NYPD proves to be one of the greatest law enforcement agencies in the world, exhibiting unparalleled braver y in the face of danger and putting their lives on the line to save the innocent. *

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With millions across the world watching and numerous dignitaries in their seats, President Barack Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize yesterday. This reminded Americans that while the president has promised great change, he has not delivered on his promises. The president must have felt some irony standing on an international stage, accepting a prize for pursuing peace just a week after promising to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

He even mentioned what he believed to be the most profound issue in his acceptance of the award — a Commander-in-Chief of a nation involved in two wars. Much can be said of the president’s endeavors to pursue greater U.S. harmony at home, but aside from his unparalleled popularity abroad, the president has done little to pursuit peace abroad. His desire to end nuclear proliferation along with his promise to bring troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan is commendable, yet rhetoric is not the same as action. The president was clearly put in an awkward position, to either accept or decline one of the most prominent awards in the world and he chose to accept. Only time will tell whether the president ultimately deser ves this award, but for his premature acceptance of an award even he believes he does not deser ve, President Obama receives a dar t. *

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As a decision came in late on Wednesday night, the sponsors of the gay marriage bill called off a planned vote in New Jersey. The vote, which was scheduled for yesterday, would have been an important step toward achieving equal rights for all. The bill was withdrawn from the State Senate, as it appeared destined to be defeated. The reactions of many Democrats who had supported a Senate-showdown and opponents were less than excited.

According to the Coalition to Preser ve and Protect Marriage, the lawmakers were simply attracting more public support. Despite this statement, supporters of the bill remained skeptical as the vote would have been a beneficial component of the cause, and it would have simply shown the large support that the movement has. Opponents charged that supporters were manipulating the system. For this decision by the N.J. Senate to not publicly state its opinion in a vote, the Targum gives it a dart. *

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This semester has been a hectic mess filled with news both good and bad. The Daily Targum has reported on ever ything from Rutgers football news to events concerning students’ ever yday lives. The New York Yankees won their 27th World Series, President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize and the Mugrat made a fool of almost ever yone. The reason that this publication still runs is the interest generated by the great number of students reading it. It may be known for the most up-to-date news about the University or the sometimes-controversial opinions page. Folded-up crossword pages have also been seen throughout the University campuses, only to remind us that the Targum is also useful whenever a student needs to procrastinate and Facebook has gotten a bit old. The Targum would like to give its readers a laurel for their interest and constant replies. Good luck on all your finals, and enjoy the holidays.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We were initially out to map this area using a submarine run by computers and found these pits that look like craters on the moon.”

Vincent Guida, a research fishery biologist who works with NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and J.J Howard Laboratory in Sandy Hook STORY IN UNIVERSITY

MCT CAMPUS

Wise up to year-round schooling

W

inter break is schools is the parents and almost upon us, the community and how and a reprieve much involvement they have from the semester is always when they leave us, not welcome. One could only when they are in schools. dream of six months from For the students that have now when students across such outside encouragethe country are free to sunment, extra class time may JOANNA CIRILLO bathe, road trip with friends not be necessary. But for the or get a summer job for a many students who are not few extra dollars. There are pockets across the as lucky, having more time with teachers would procountry, however, where summer break as we know vide time to focus on weaker subjects. it does not happen.

My high school, built in the 1920s, had more and Some schools break up the summer vacation more students enrolling every year, in the already into more bite-sized chunks throughout the year, densely populated state. If a multitrack schedule while others work on a track system. A multiple was used, some students would be in school while track year-round education has groups of stuothers were on vacation and the overcrowded classdents attending school at different times with rooms and hallways would be eliminated. With less different vacations. students bustling about come much less discipline Most students would balk at the idea at first. But problems and a safer learning environment. This do we still learn in one-room schoolhouses? Do would also save the town large amounts of money, most students still work on their parent’s farm dursince they had to buy a building close by to move ing the summer harvest and planting months? If the offices to make room for more students. rest of the education system has advanced since There are certainly arguments to be made public schooling became mandatoagainst this change, but with any ry, it seems that the school schedule major overhaul it will take time to “Having more time perfect. Some schools do not have should evolve along with it.

Every student who ever took a conditioning so the schools with with teachers would air math or foreign language class the hottest months have to start and knows how the summer months can provide time to focus end earlier to avoid the hottest parts mysteriously zap your memory of of the day. Since the maintenance on weaker subjects.” team does not have three months to verb conjugations and math equations. It takes away from teaching clean and fix, some teachers have time in September to have those complained the school was dirty weeks devoted to “review” material. U.S. Secretary and needed some repairs. A teacher could also finof Education Arne Duncan, who supports the ish a track and then have to start up again very soon change in schedule, cites material retention as one with little time to prepare new lessons for a new of her major arguments for reworking the standard grade. These are all tangential problems that, with school year. time and effort, could be solved.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida Time and effort could also bring true educationused an extended-day, extended-year program from al benefits. It will take a lot to work the kinks out of fall 2004 through spring 2008. The program shifted such a new idea, and we can take a few hints from 39 public elementary, middle and high schools to a those that have been at it for a long time, our interyear-round, extended-day schedule. After 2008, the national friends. school decided to rescind the decision because The school year runs 243 days in Japan, up to there was no difference between the target schools 240 in Germany, 220 in South Korea and 216 in and those in the control group.

Israel. By the time Japanese teens have completed The research on if year-round schooling makes 12th grade, they would have spent the equivalent of for better grades has been mixed. Most studies at least three more years in school than their U.S. show no difference between regularly scheduled counterparts, according to Healthline.com. When schools and non-traditional. But I think there are our economy moved from agrarian to industrial to many advantages to this system that may not show information, our school system would have been up in test scores. Students who are struggling with wise to move with it. math or reading will not need to wait for summer school any longer to seek extra help.

Joanna Cirillo is a School of Arts and Sciences Miami-Dade County School Board Vicesophomore majoring in journalism and media Chairman Marta Perez said the most determining studies. Her column, “So Fresh So Green,” runs on factor of whether a student will be successful in alternate Fridays.

So Fresh So Green

Due to space limitations, submissions cannot exceed 750 words. If a commentary exceeds 750 words, it will not be considered for publication.

All authors must include name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Anonymous letters will not be considered. All submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity. A submission does not guarantee publication. Please submit via e-mail to oped@dailytargum.com by 4 p.m. to be considered for the following day’s publication.

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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

OPINIONS

DECEMBER 11, 2009

11

Stereotypes fail to define cultures D

ay one of my journey abroad, the word “stereotype” began playing over and over in my mind. There are preconceived expectations walking into any new situation. I had several notions about my time in Florence before arriving. Coming into a culture where alcohol intake and noise levels define Americans, I realize that an unfamiliar culture always falls victim to judgment. Going down the list, ever y culture suffers from inaccurate stereotypes — Americans are loud, drunk and brash and the French are r ude.

Alternatively, my experience abroad teaches me that stereotypes never live up to expectations.

Just like Florentines stereotype American students who study in their city, I began stereotyping the Florentines.

At first, I was shocked by the stares and cold responses given by locals. It is frustrating trying to make my way through a new city when natives do not extend themselves. Making new friends was harder than I had hoped.

As the months pass, my fondness for Florence grows. Patiently learning about the history of Florence and popular customs offers a better understanding of attitudes and beliefs of today’s city. What makes the city unique is the integrity and pride of the inhabitants. Tradition is steadfast and Florentine’s loyalty is unique to the city. The importance of family and the close relationship between

friends are top pridays, I met friends ority to Tuscan who I continue to natives. After digtalk to today. ging deeper, I am German natives learning from the were open and locals. They are their kindness open to me immeasurable. because I let my After a short weekKATHLEEN CROUCH guard down and end, I was planning proceed with an a trip back. open mind into their culture. After slowly Again to my surprise, Amsterdam was tuning into their beliefs, I respect the one of my favorite cities. The city is Florentine way of life. dynamic and the best discoveries lie Not only did I realize how much I was beyond the red-light district. The going to discover while living in Netherlands has traditionally been one of Florence, every city unexpectedly taught the wealthier countries in Europe. The me something. Unsubstantial beliefs city is known for its liberal policies, but made me not want to visit despite common belief, some of the cities I have the Dutch I encountered “...my experience come to love the most. are hardworking, sucWhile exploring new cessful professionals. abroad teaches me countries, I am left to People in Amsterdam that stereotypes depend on strangers. seem to balance work and Proceeding with caution, I leisure perfectly. never live up to ask residents for direcPhysically, Amsterdam tions or suggestions for a best portrays the commuexpectations. ” place to eat. This is a simnity’s ideas about life. The ple way of integrating city’s simple but beautiful myself into a new way of life. An uninhibit- and expensive real estate displays the ed attitude seems to be the key to meeting Dutch’s dedication to work and simultanenew friends from different countries. ous their passion for art and recreation.

Looking back on the summer when my Paris unexpectedly taught me the future roommates suggested we make our most about the inaccuracy of stereoway to Germany, I had little interest in types. Before going to Paris, friends believing Germans were cold and Munich from home repeated the tired line that was a city that had little to offer. After three “the French hate Americans.”

Adventures from Abroad

Contrastingly, the people I encountered in Paris are some of the kindest people I met in all my travels. While in Paris not one glance was unnoticed, and eye contact was always followed by a smile.

After ordering escargot, locals sitting next to my friend and I stopped eating to demonstrate the right way to eat the delicacy. The French seem open to Americans as well as world tourists who come to visit their city. Though I did not make my way out of Paris to the French countr yside, I am critical of typical representations of French culture.

Looking closer, Americans cannot be defined through broad representations.

Likewise, no culture abides by what outsiders typically expect. Ever yday is a learning experience, whether traveling to another countr y or spending time in Florence, culture is not cut-and-dr y, and as time goes on, fortunately, no culture lives up to the stereotypes. Select adjectives and broad reputations cannot describe an entire population. Culture is complex and an enriching experience enjoyed only with an open mind.

Accepting surface answers would have cheated me out of the heart of all my new adventures.

Kathleen Crouch is a University College senior majoring in journalism and media studies. Her column, “Adventures from Abroad,” which she writes from Italy, runs on alternate Fridays.

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

DIVERSIONS

PA G E 1 2

Horoscopes / LINDA C. BLACK

Pearls Before Swine

DECEMBER 11, 2009

Stephan Pastis

Today's Birthday (12/11/09) Never ignore any member of your immediate group. You never know which person will provide a glorious situation in which you can gain power, attain your desires and generally take a giant step forward in life. Others come to you for support and guidance this year. Give generously to others and see it returned exponentially. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — You'll need your imagination today. Group members are going in 10 different directions, and you need to draw it all back together.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Does your waistband feel a little tight?

Give your digestive system a rest today. You'll make up for it tomorrow.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) — Today is a 7 — Imagine a station that plays only your tunes. Everything you touch today is golden.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Pay attention to the undercurrent of energy around you. Folks may not say what they really mean. Read between the lines.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Start out in the morning as if you know exactly where you're going. You discover opportunity leading you in a fruitful direction. Don't let others cast doubt on your ideas.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Choose to say "no," or, "I can do it myself."

Too many cooks definitely spoil the broth.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Plan to get through the day under your own power. You have plenty for yourself, but maybe not enough for everyone.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — You're surprised when everything softens up around the edges so that you can finish early. Seasonal activities keep you busy today and tonight. Drink moderately.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — As long as you don't get hung up on a confusing point, work will move forward today with satisfying results.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Get together with one other person and apply yourself to the task at hand. A cheerful attitude goes a long way. A little cash helps.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — If you think that you've understood everything, think again. Most of the facts make logical sense. An associate identifies one error.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Never doubt that you have enough ideas. What you need is the right moment to try them out on others. Do it today.

Dilbert

Doonesberry

Happy Hour

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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

Last-Ditch Ef fort

Get Fuzzy

D IVERSIONS JOHN KROES

DECEMBER 11, 2009 13

Pop Culture Shock Therapy

DOUG BRATTON

DARBY CONLEY

Non Sequitur

WILEY

Jumble

H. ARNOLD & M. ARGIRION THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

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©2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

REPPA

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NEW BIBLE Jumble Books Go To: http://www.tyndale.com/jumble/

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SLUIBY Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

CLASSIFIEDS

PA G E 1 4

DECEMBER 11, 2009

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S PORTS

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

DECEMBER 11, 2009

15

Seebadri persistent in return to beam

BY JOSH GLATT STAFF WRITER

T

he Notre Dame football program’s search for a new head coach did not last long.

Two sources close to the program confirmed to ESPN that Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will be the next coach in South Bend.

The South Bend Tribune is also reporting Kelly is set to take the Fighting Irish job.

Neither Kelly, Cincinnati nor Notre Dame could be reached for comment to confirm the report.

Kelly led Cincinnati to its second consecutive Big East championship with a 12-0 regular season record. The Bearcats are set to meet Florida Jan. 1 at the Nokia Sugar Bowl.

TWO WRESTLERS ,

RUTGERS

Dar yl Cocozzo and Scott Winston, placed at last Saturday’s Nittany Lion Open.

Cocozzo, a junior, picked up three wins before falling in the semifinals to Penn State’s Cyler Sanderson 4-3 in the 157-pound weight class.

Winston, a sophomore who is redshirting this season, finished second in the 165-pound bracket.

COLLEGEFOOTBALLNEWS. named three Rutgers freshmen Honorable Mention Freshman All-Americans.

Quarterback Tom Savage, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and defensive tackle Scott Vallone all garnered recognition.

Junior tackle Anthony Davis was named a second-team Walter Camp All-American.

COM

TENNESSEE HEAD FOOTBALL coach Lane Kiffin denied any wrongdoing by himself or his staff in connection with the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into alleged recruiting violations involving the school’s use of recruiting hostesses.

UNITED STATES

SOCCER

player Landon Donovan is close to a loan deal that would send him to English Premier League side Everton.

The club’s Web site reported that Everton and Donovan are in talks for a loan deal that would begin in January and extend for at least three months.

Donovan would join USA teammate Tim Howard, who starts in goal for the Toffees.

A

DEAL TO SEND THIRD

baseman Mike Lowell from the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers is close to getting done.

Sources close to the deal said that it’s not 100-percent guaranteed, but the Red Sox would get catcher Max Ramirez in return.

IN

A

MOCKERY

OF

THE

NBA All-Star voting system, Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady is on track to be selected for the Western Conference roster. McGrady has not played this season while recovering from microfracture surgery on his knee.

Many athletes that suffer from repeated injuries and constant pain GYMNASTICS m u s t decide if it is truly worth it to attempt a comeback.

Rutgers senior gymnast Prishani Seebadri decided to take the hard road, enduring countless hours of rehabilitation from serious injuries to attempt a return.

Seebadri’s injur y histor y began as she tore her labrum during her sophomore season, which required arthroscopic surgery. Following the procedure, she endured her first period of rehab.

Halfway through the 2008 season, Seebadri’s enduring problems began. She suffered her first major knee injury on a dismount off of the beam.

“On the landing, I just felt my knee go,” Seebadri said. “I had torn my ACL and my meniscus.”

Following the injury, her sophomore season was over. After the second surgery of her school career, Seebadri began successfully rehabbing for about six months, finally being cleared to perform gymnastics activity. But she began experiencing discomfort in the knee.

“I tried to compete while in a lot of pain, but I wanted to do it,” Seebadri said.

Yet again, on a dismount, this time on bars, Seebadri severely damaged her knee. A series of MRIs revealed that her surgically repaired meniscus and her patellar tendon had not healed properly.

In March 2009, she once again had surgery performed on her knee. Following that surgery, she was finding it difficult to regain her physical form and manage the pain.

“I had a lot of trouble getting [quadriceps] strength back,”

Seebadri said. “I tried to push through.”

An MRI revealed that the repair of her torn meniscus had failed again along with several other issues. She had another surgery roughly six weeks ago in an attempt to repair her lingering issues.

Currently, Seebadri is in a familiar if not comfortable position, rehabbing from a surgery.

“Right now, I’m still rehabbing trying to get quad strength back but still having problems,” Seebadri said.

It is unclear if Seebadri will ever be able to return to competition, but what is certain is that she will continue to make every effort to return.

“She has dedication and she doesn’t want to go out this way and she wants to contribute to the team,” said head coach Chrystal Chollet-Norton.

Seebadri is aware that the odds are against her, but she is

willing to put in the time because she wants one last chance to compete and help her team.

“I really have to push to get back, but I don’t know how realistic it is,” Seebadri said. “I go to rehab every day for hours and hours because it’s my senior year and I want to help the team.”

Her almost obsessive work ethic is one of the few positives to come from her injuries. While being away from gymnastics for an extended time, Seebadri reaffirmed her love for the sport.

“Not being able to do gymnastics and practicing with the team has really made me realize how much I love it,” Seebadri said.

She hopes for the chance to end her career on her own terms.

“I really don’t want it to end this way,” Seebadri said. “[Gymnastics] really has been such a huge part of my life. It really has defined who I am and where I have gotten in my life.”

S PORTS

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

DECEMBER 11, 2009

17

Down at half, Knights win ugly one over PVAM

BY STEVEN WILLIAMSON SENIOR WRITER

NICHOLAS BLEW

The Scarlet Knights again needed a second-half surge to knock off SWAC opponent Prairie View A&M. Sophomores Chelsey Lee and Khadijah Rushdan keyed a second-half run for the victory.

Down by one entering the second half last night against Prairie View A&M, history was not on the side of the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

The Scarlet Knights were 0-4 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL entering l a s t PRAIRIE VIEW 45 n i g h t ’ s 50 gw ah me ne RUTGERS trailing at the half, but a 7-2 run in the final minutes and the versatile play of sophomore guard Khadijah Rushdan were just enough to pull out a 50-45 victory over the Panthers at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

“It gets hectic out there,” Rushdan said. “I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do. I felt like I needed to help … I wanted to tr y and step up and do anything that I could.”

The guard finished with eight points, three steals, three rebounds and four assists, but most importantly Rushdan was the lone Knight to play significant minutes and not commit a single turnover.

The Knights were bitten by the turnover bug yet again, giving the ball away 19 times.

The Panthers’ ball control was no better, as PVAM committed 19 turnovers, leading to 15 of RU’s points. “[The turnovers were] a flashback to Princeton and Temple,” said an exasperated Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer. “They were unforced, totally unnecessar y.”

Fresh off missing a doubledouble in her last game, sophomore for ward Chelsey Lee led the Knights in scoring and rebounds with 12 and eight, respectively. The game marks the third time this season Lee has scored indouble figures.

Senior guard Brittany Ray added 11 points of her own, the 13th time in 16 games Ray has scored in double digits dating back to last season.

RU struggled to build momentum until the last three minutes.

Ray hit two free throws and followed up with a jump shot from the corner to give the Knights a 47-43 advantage — RU’s largest lead of the game since being up 6-2 two minutes into the first half.

“We wanted to make it ver y difficult for Rutgers to score,” said Prairie View head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. “But as I said last year, the cream always rises to the top and Brittany Ray hit that three pointer [in the second half] that really hurt us.”

Though RU finished the game shooting nearly 39 percent from the floor, it was plagued by missed open shots. The Knights could not get their layups to fall but were bailed out by their offensive rebounding with 17 boards. RU outrebounded the Panthers 37-27 in the game.

“The sad part about it is everybody else was [open] point blank,” Stringer said. “All we can do is get you the shot and you have to hit shots.”

While freshman for ward Monique Oliver saw 13 minutes after sitting out last game, Erica Wheeler and Christine Huber, the Knights’ other two freshmen this year combined for only five minutes yesterday.

“They forget the basic things, until Erica can remember her name, basically, and Chris [Huber] can contribute in the way that we need [it’s difficult],” Stringer said. “We have no intention of playing them only two, three or seven minutes a game.”

RU was saved by its post play in the second half. Lee and Oliver combined for eight of the Knights’ first nine points to start the second half, propelling RU to a 28-25 lead.

“Sometimes you take [turnovers] into consideration you don’t want to do it but you do it because you’re so overanxious,” Ray said. “They come from traveling or not making sure we keep our pivot foot down, just the little things.”

Marquee matchup with Lady Vols awaits at Garden

BY SAM HELLMAN ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Next stop: Madison Square Garden.

After last night’s 50-45 victory over Prairie View A&M, the Rutgers women’s basketball KNIGHT team has NOTEBOOK just two days to rest up and practice before the fateful matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers and Hall of Fame head coach Pat Summitt.

Summitt and Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer face off as Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers for the first time, each needing a win at the world’s most famous arena going forward.

“I’m excited about it because I want our team to go against the toughness of this Rutgers team,” Summitt said in her weekly teleconference. “We’ll learn a lot about ourselves win or lose. It’s a great opportunity to be in the Garden and I know our team is really excited about that, and I am too.

“With the friendship I’ve had with Vivian, it’s hard to look down

the other bench. You have to keep your focus on getting your team to play the way they need to play.”

Rutgers hosts Central Connecticut State and travels to George Washington after its Maggie Dixon Classic face-off with Tennessee before opening Big East play Jan. 2 against DePaul at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, a team that beat the Scarlet Knights in Chicago last season.

ENTERING

THE

CONTEST

with Prairie View A&M, senior guard Brittany Ray provided the Knights’ scoring anchor in five straight games.

This time she got some help.

Though Ray scored 11 points with a 50 percent shooting clip, she did not lead RU in scoring for the first time since sophomore Chelsey Lee dropped 15 on Southern California in the Paradise Jam. Yet again, Lee provided the scoring life for RU with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and a careerhigh three steals.

“That’s the only way we’re going to win games,” Ray said.

“We can’t win games if we only

have one person scoring in double figures. That’s going to be a very important factor for us. I’m happy that Chelsey Lee scored 12 points today. She’s going to continue to be consistent.”

FOR

SOPHOMORE FORWARD

April Sykes to get out of her scoring slump — where she shot 6-of34 through four games — the best way may be for her to shoot her way out.

Sykes gave Ray a little more offensive aid last night, making three of her seven shots and scoring eight points in 17 minutes.

“The smart thing for us is really to move April to a four,” Stringer said. “Her movement is really more natural that way. It would be natural if she were to be there at the four and it would open the game up a lot.”

FRESHMAN

FORWARD

Monique Oliver returned to action for the first time since bruising her knee in last week’s 60-50 win over Princeton.

Oliver entered at the 11:07 mark of the first half and played 13 minutes, scoring four points and adding six boards.

NICHOLAS BLEW

Rutgers freshman forward April Sykes stepped up on the offensive end, dropping eight points on three-of-seven shooting in 17 minutes.

18

S PORTS

DECEMBER 11, 2009

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

KNIGHT NUGGETS

BY THE NUMBERS Sophomore tailback Joe Martinek needs just 77 yards on the ground to become the first Scarlet Knight to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark since Ray Rice accomplished the feat in 2007.

Central Florida knocked off then-No. 13 Houston at home Nov. 14. The Knights’ only losses since a September defeat to East Carolina were to a pair of ranked teams, falling to Miami and Texas.

The Rutgers football team’s seven fifth-year seniors make up the most decorated class in program history.

Next Saturday will mark the fifth consecutive Bowl game for the high school class of 2005.

The number of people at Rutgers who heard of Beef O’Brady’s before the restaurant chain inked a two-year deal this week to become the title sponsor of the St. Petersburg Bowl.

77 7

13 0

BIG QUESTION

How many final exams had to be rescheduled for Rutgers to make the trip?

RAMON DOMPOR/ ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Sophomore Trevor Melde, top, squares off against Pittsburgh’s Tyler Nauman in an early 141-pound bout on the road. The Scarlet Knights have a chance Saturday to topple another ranked foe.

Melde, Russo eye showdowns in Pitt

BY ALEX JANKOWSKI CORRESPONDENT

For the third time this season, opportunity is knocking on the door for the Rutgers wrestling team.

Disregarding a match against national juggernaut Iowa, the Scarlet WRESTLING Knights let a RUTGERS AT chance NO. 25 PITTSBURGH, to upset SATURDAY, 5 P.M. a higher ranked foe slip through their fingers twice.

First came Penn State, where the Knights won half of the individual bouts but lost due to bonus points, 18-17. A week later, RU came out flat against conference opponent Bucknell and fell 26-12.

RU (5-3) has one more chance to head into the break with a quality win Saturday, when it travels to the Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh to do battle with the No. 25 Panthers.

“We as a team, and I, myself, are very excited for this opportunity,” said head coach Scott Goodale. “However, it’s all well and good to have the chance to face these guys but we’ve got to go out there and win one of these.

We need to take the next step and knock off some of these better teams.”

Pitt (5-1) enters the match in the same mold as the Knights, with ranked wrestlers at both the beginning and end of its starting lineup.

“There will be a lot of toss up bouts,” Goodale said. “To win a dual meet like this, those are the ones we need to go out and get.

It’ll be a great chance for our guys to prove themselves against a nationally ranked program.”

A big contest that can turn the momentum either way early comes in the form of the 141pound bout between sophomore Trevor Melde, ranked No. 19 in the nation, and the Panthers’ Tyler Nauman, a wrestler who has risen into the top five nationally throughout his career.

Melde is 10-2 for the Knights with six victories coming in dual meets.

“I just have to go out and wrestle the whole match,” Melde said. “I got into trouble earlier in the year where I would be winning a match but then failed to finish. After a good week of practice, I’m looking to maintain a steady pace and get a win for us.”

The match concludes with another bout between two ranked wrestlers with redshirt junior Dominick Russo set to face off at heavyweight against Ryan Tomei. Russo enters the week-

end ranked No. 8 in the nation with Tomei nipping at his heels at No. 12.

“I’ve never wrestled him before, but I tend to have the same mindset and gameplan no matter who I wrestle,” the undefeated Netcong, N.J., native said.

“He just recently beat the returning national champion, so I’ll prepare maybe a little more than usual, but I think I can beat him.”

Russo leads the Knights with an 11-0 record, eight of which have been pins.

“A win for us would be huge right now,” he said. “To beat a team with Pitt with some of our guys still sitting out due to eligibility reasons just would show how good we will be after the break.”

Goodale believes that a quality victory against Pitt would propel the Knights into the top 25.

And with more ranked wrestlers than Pitt — four Knights to three Panthers — anything other than a formidable showing will not be considered a plus.

“We are receiving some votes but to jump into the rankings we need to have this one,” Goodale said. “This is a great chance for us to head into the new year with a 6-3 record. With our schedule, that’s a perfect place to be.”

GREG SCHIANO HEAD COACH

THE ADVANTAGE GOES TO ...

OFFENSE

defense, special teams in ’09 continued from back two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks this season.

“I think I’m more well-rounded,” Lefeged said. “I do what the coaches ask me to do and that puts me in a position to make plays. I just do what I’m asked to do and that means playing well with my teammates right now.”

Against West Virginia, Lefeged gave the Scarlet Knights a breath of hope in the third quarter when he returned a kick 91 yards for a touchdown and cut an 18-point lead to 10.

“The kids know what we expect,” Schiano said of the team’s big-play ability on kick returns. “Cer tainly there are two excellent athletes back there. There’s no doubt about it, but that’s usually the case if you have any success in your return game. But we also have nine other guys that know what they’re doing.”

After not returning a kick or punt for a touchdown since Willie Foster was on the roster, RU has two returns this season — one each from Lefeged and McCourty — which is something that Schiano sees as a weapon going into the Dec. 19 Bowl game against Central Florida.

“I’m growing more as a leader each day and that’s what I’ve really been working on all season.”

JOE LEFEGED Junior Safety

“You remember when we were really poor at the beginning of the year and we just hadn’t gotten in a groove yet? One of the things that I mentioned was that I want to become something on our kickoff returns and I think we have,” Schiano said. “I think we have an identity now on our kickoff returns.”

The next step for Lefeged, who starts in his second consecutive Bowl game Dec. 19 against Central Florida in St. Petersburg, Fla., is developing his leadership skills.

“I’m growing more as a leader each day and that’s what I’ve really been working on all season,” Lefeged said. “I’m just working on trying to teach other guys and trying to continue this tradition that we’ve built here.

“As a team we’re just getting it done and making plays. When you get seniors like Devin and Damaso [Munoz] making great plays, it makes it easier for the rest of us to step up and make plays of our own.”

Former RU safety and Jacksonville Jaguar Courtney Greene, who may be on the sidelines for the bowl game given the proximity between the two facilities, is the main reason for Lefeged’s development.

“He was great, especially off the field,” Lefeged said.

“Watching him prepare for games and in the film room taught me a lot about how to play Rutgers football and I just try to teach others what he taught me.”

Statistics are almost even, but a beat up Tim Brown might push the tides in Central Florida’s favor.

DEFENSE

A highly-ranked turnover margin gives Rutgers the edge over UCF’s fourth-ranked rushing defense.

Greg Schiano took Rutgers from the Big East cellar to five straight Bowl games. That cannot be understated.

COACHING

HISTORY

Rutgers and UCF never played, but the Knights already beat two Florida teams this year. So why not?

MOMENTUM

Central Florida is playing in its own backyard and has not lost to a non-

X-FACTOR

ranked team since September.

Tim Brown’s health will go a long way in not letting UCF stack the box against Joe Martinek.

RUTGERS WINS IF...

IF

UCF WINS IF ...

IT DOESN’T

THE KNIGHTS

SPEND TOO MUCH

PULL ANOTHER

TIME ON THE

STUNNER AS THEY

FLORIDA

JOE: Lefeged growing on

The Dec. 19 date is the first day of postseason competition, but it also falls smack in the middle of Rutgers University’s final exam schedule, which concludes Dec. 23.

BEACHES

The St. Petersburg Bowl feels a lot like Toronto two years ago, only with nice weather. There is no way Rutgers should lose.

DID VS.

HOUSTON

UCF toppled No. 13 Houston in November, but it does not have another victory over a team with a winning record.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“If [my family] can drive 20-24 hours [for a game], they can drive 2 hours and 30 minutes. It’s going to be loaded — it’s going to be loaded.”

TIM BROWN SENIOR WIDEOUT

FINAL VERDICT

RUTGERS 32-17 Don’t let the records fool you.

Rutgers’ Knights are much better than Central Florida’s version.

G A M E DAY

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

DECEMBER 11, 2009

19

KnightsGameday RUTGERS VS CENTRAL FLORIDA

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL: Tropicana Field, 8 p.m. TV: ESPN RADIO: 1450 AM FAVORITE: Rutgers by 2.5

New name, same game in St. Pete

BY STEVEN MILLER CORRESPONDENT

A short timeframe did not prevent the Bowl from making progress.

Somewhere in the midst of a two-week FOOTBALL l a y o f f between the regular season finale and the Rutgers football team’s fifth-consecutive Bowl game, the name of the Bowl changed.

The Scarlet Knights are no longer playing in the St. Petersburg Bowl, but the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg.

Unfortunately for RU, the date is still Dec. 19.

“With this short of time, we only started practicing [Wednesday], it’s like a bye week,” said head coach Greg Schiano. “We’ll do a little Rutgers-on-Rutgers, but most of it’s against [Central Florida].”

The challenge remains to squeeze what is normally almost a month of time to prepare, practice, recruit and take exams into a twoweek window.

Unable to dedicate the time to focus on the young players, which is usually a staple of Bowl preparation, RU turned its attention to its opponent.

The once-Golden Knights’ biggest win came over then-No. 13 Houston. Although Houston quarterback Case Keenum threw for 377 yards, UCF shut down the run game — something it did the entire season.

The Central Florida defense ranks fourth in the nation in rushing defense, behind only Texas, Alabama and Texas Christian — the top three teams in the country.

Allowing an average of 2.58 yards per carry, the defensive line will be a challenge for the RU offensive line, as sophomore tailback Joe Martinek is just 77 yards away from a 1,000-yard rushing season — the first since Ray Rice’s departure.

“They’re everything,” said senior right tackle Kevin Haslam.

“They’re big guys, they’re strong guys. They can move guys around and they’re fast too. They have two 300-plus guys in the middle and fast defensive ends on the side.”

The consensus is that the Conference USA foe is playing in the wrong league.

Senior cornerback Devin McCourty said they remind him of a Big East opponent. Senior line-

[

INSIDE the NUMBERS

SCARLET KNIGHTS (8-4)

CENTRAL FLORIDA (8-4)

PASSING CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. T. Savage 52.3% 1,917 12 6 174.3

CMP YDS TD INT. AVG. PASSING B. Hodges 61.1% 2,263 15 11 205.7

RUSHING NO. J. Martinek 192 49 M. Sanu

RUSHING B. Harvey J. Davis

NO. YDS TD LNG AVG. 4.3 248 1,134 14 50 5.4 57 327 3 45

RECEIVING A. Guyton R. Ross K. Aiken J. Newsome

NO. 42 37 32 23

YDS TD LNG AVG. 972 9 61 4.8 316 3 34 6.2

RECEIVING NO. YDS TD LNG AVG. 51 1,051 8 81 20.6 T. Brown 47 542 2 62 11.5 M. Sanu 13 142 1 28 10.9 S. Graves 9 J. Martinek 8.2 74 0 18 TKL SCK 78 0 75 3 29 8.5

DEFENSE

D. McCourty D. Munoz J. Freeny

DAN BRACAGLIA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Fifth-year senior and Florida native Damaso Munoz, above, squares off against his high school teammate, UCF left guard Cliff McCray. backer Damaso Munoz said they remind him of RU. And Schiano praised their physical line play.

“They’ve got a good running back who reminds me of Jourdan [Brooks] — he’s strong and fast,” Schiano said. “Their offensive line, in the running game, punishes people.”

One of those linemen is left guard Cliff McCray, a fifth-year senior who graduated from Southridge High School in Miami with Munoz.

Munoz and McCray are the only high school teammates in the game, but Munoz is one of 11 Florida natives with the opportunity to play in his home state.

“It’s a blessing to come home and play in front of my mom and my family in my last game,” Munoz said. “I definitely have to get my tickets gathered up. I have a whole lot of family who want to come up to see my last game.”

But senior wideout Tim Brown, a Miami native, may not be available for the game.

The 5-foot-8 receiver is struggling to recover from an ankle injury, suffered against Syracuse when the 325-

pound Anthony Davis fell on him.

Brown played in each game since, but was held without a catch for the first time this year against West Virginia.

“He certainly wasn’t an effective player Saturday,” Schiano said. “His less than effective is sometimes better than a guy’s effective, but he probably should not have played as much as he did. We’ll see how it turns out. I probably won’t be able to tell you if he’s able to play until before the game.”

Sophomore defensive end Justin Francis — an Opa-Locka, Fla., native — is also in doubt and did not practice yesterday.

The short turnaround between games limits the opportunity to heal and it also infringes on the final exam schedule. Most players moved their exams to before their Dec. 15 departure or after they return.

“Taking care of it is one thing, you can move things around, but does that help our players with preparation time? No,” Schiano said. “We’ve built a lot of equity in the academic community and hopefully this doesn’t set us back.”

]

INT 1 1 0

DEFENSE

C. Hogue J. Robinson B. Miller

INJURIES Questionable — WR T. Brown (ankle), DE J. Francis (leg) Out — RB K. Young (knee)

INJURIES N/A

SCHEDULE Sept. 7 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 10 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct. 31 Nov. 12 Nov. 21 Nov. 27 Dec. 5

SCHEDULE Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 17 Oct. 24 Nov. 1 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 28

L, 47-15 Cincinnati W, 45-7 Howard W, 23-15 FIU W, 34-13 Maryland Texas Southern W, 42-0 L, 24-17 Pittsburgh W, 27-10 Army W, 28-24 Connecticut South Florida W, 31-0 L, 31-13 Syracuse W, 34-14 Louisville West Virginia L, 24-21

YDS 559 412 545 284

Samford Southern Miss Buffalo East Carolina Memphis Miami (Fla.) Rice Marshall Texas Houston Tulane UAB

LNG 76 35 40 52

AVG. 13.3 11.1 17.0 12.3

TKL SCK 99 2 65 0 53 12

INT 1 6 0

TD 1 3 7 3

W, 28-24 L, 26-19 W, 23-17 L, 19-14 W, 32-14 L, 27-7 W, 49-7 W, 21-20 L, 35-3 W, 37-32 W, 49-0 W, 34-27

Key Matchup Rutgers RB Joe Martinek vs. UCF’s No. 4 rushing defense Needing just 77 yards to become the first Scarlet Knight to reach the 1,000-milestone on the ground since Ray Rice in 2007, sophomore Joe Martinek has a tall task ahead of him. Central Florida ranks behind only Alabama, Texas and TCU in rushing defense.

STARTING LINEUP: OFFENSE

TIM BROWN Wide Receiver

ANTHONY DAVIS Tackle

ART FORST Guard

RYAN BLASZCZYK Center

HOWARD BARBIERI Guard

KEVIN HASLAM Tackle

D.C. JEFFERSON Tight End

MOHAMED SANU Wide Receiver

TOM SAVAGE Quarterback

JACK CORCORAN Fullback

JOE MARTINEK Running Back

Senior 5’-8”, 210 lbs

Junior 6’-6”, 325 lbs

Sophomore 6’-8”, 310 lbs

Senior 6’-4”, 295 lbs

Junior 6’-5”, 300 lbs

Senior 6’-7”, 295 lbs

R-Freshman 6’-6”, 245 lbs

Freshman 6’-2”, 215 lbs

Freshman 6’-5”, 230 lbs

Senior 6’-1”, 230 lbs

Sophomore 6’-0”, 215 lbs

STARTING LINEUP: DEFENSE

GEORGE JOHNSON Right end

CHARLIE NOONAN Tackle

SCOTT VALLONE Tackle

ALEX SILVESTRO Left end

DAMASO MUNOZ Linebacker

RYAN D’IMPERIO Linebacker

ANTONIO LOWERY Linebacker

DAVID ROWE Cornerback

JOE LEFEGED Strong Safety

ZAIRE KITCHEN Free Safety

DEVIN McCOURTY Cornerback

Senior 6’-4”, 260 lbs

Junior 6’-2”, 270 lbs

R-Freshman 6’-3”, 270 lbs

Junior 6’-4”, 260 lbs

Senior 6’-0”, 220 lbs

Senior 6’-3”, 245 lbs

Junior 6’-2”, 225 lbs

Sophomore 6’-0”, 195 lbs

Junior 6’-1”, 205 lbs

Senior 6’-2”,215 lbs

Senior 5’-11”, 190 lbs

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

SPORTS

PA G E 2 0

DECEMBER 11, 2009

Where’s the Beef ?

The Rutgers football team heads to its fifth consecutive postseason appearance in St. Petersburg Dec. 19 for the newly-named Beef O’Brady’s Bowl vs. Central Florida DAN BRACAGLA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

JOLTIN’ JOE

LIVING ON A PRAIRIE

BY SAM HELLMAN

Sluggish at times and struggling to put up points, the Rutgers women’s basketball team escaped Prairie View A&M last night by a slim margin. pg. 17

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

The 2009 regular season was a season of firsts for junior safety Joe Lefeged.

Though the Germantown, Md., native was in his second year as a starter for the Rutgers football team, FOOTBALL Lefeged evolved from a hard-hitting athlete to an all-around weapon — as seen by his first career interception and first career kickoff return for a touchdown.

“He’s just developed, not just in the basics as a player, but more importantly as a leader,” said senior defensive captain Devin McCourty. “He’s shown extreme confidence out there and he’s just playing well. When you come to school, you want to raise your level of play every year and that’s what he’s doing.”

After starting for parts of his freshman season and most of his sophomore season, Lefeged is an every-down player for the best statistical defense in the Big East this season, playing many different roles.

Head coach Greg Schiano uses Lefeged both as a run stuffer and ball hawk defensively. In third downs, he often moves into a nickel or pass-rush spot and he is also valuable as a returner.

In 12 starts this season, Lefeged is seventh on the team with 42 tackles and ranks fifth on the team with 26 solo stops. Lefeged has one pick, one sack, one fumble recovery,

SEE JOE ON PAGE 18

SCRATCH & SNIFF

DAN BRACAGLIA/ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Junior Joe Lefeged, right, returns a kickoff for a touchdown against West Virginia, the second such instance for the Rutgers football team this season.

The Knights head into Pittsburgh Saturday with a chance to knock off the No. 25 Panthers and potentially move into the national ranks themselves. pg. 18