THE DAILY TARGUM
Volume 141, Number 50
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
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High: 64 • Low: 46
The Rutgers men’s soccer team’s season ended in disappointment with a loss at St. John’s in the Big East quarterfinals. The Scarlet Knights were plagued by inconsistency finishing the season one game under .500.
COMMUNITY HONORS 15-YEAR-OLD BOY KILLED ON LOCAL HIGHWAY
BY GREG FLYNN CORRESPONDENT
Director of Transportation Services Jack Molenaar will tackle complaints, listen to suggestions and discuss public transportation at the Douglass Governing Council’s meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Trayes Hall in the Douglass Student Center. The DGC planned the event so council members, Molenaar and students could engage in a dialogue, External Vice President Kate Barbour said. “This event was organized so that our body can pose questions to Mr. Molenaar that pertain to our constituents,” said Barbour, a Douglass College senior. “His speaking appearance is open to the public and will hopefully be attended by people who wish to share their joys and concerns about the transportation system at Rutgers.” Molenaar said he is attending the council’s meeting to talk about the Depar tment of Transpor tation Ser vices and the DGC’s concerns. “I do this all the time with any student group that invites me,” Molenaar said, recalling previous forums. The University bus system exists in order to get students to class, Molenaar said. The
SEE CONCERNS ON PAGE 4
JEFF LAZARO/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Family members and friends set up flowers and pictures on the ground at last night’s memorial of George Coleman Jr., who was killed Oct. 19 while crossing Rt. 18.
Family members, friends, supporters and community leaders circled the entrance of Boyd Park with lit candles last night to remember the life of 15-year-old George Coleman Jr., who was struck and killed by a car on Oct. 19 while crossing Rt. 18. Coleman’s aunt, Lillian Ashie, said her nephew was killed while crossing the intersection of Route 18 North and Commercial Avenue with three of his friends, who were on their way to a youth group program. She said they walked from Paulus Boulevard to the intersection where they waited at the traffic light for it to turn red. She said according to the boys, they crossed one by one. The first boy crossed without any problem, the second was nearly hit by a car and her nephew was struck by a car and sent flying through the air. Ashie said according to the police report, Coleman was killed at 6:30 p.m., but his parents did not find out about the status of their son until 11 p.m. that night. She said police officers never informed the Colemans of their son’s whereabouts or his condition. “It’s unfair to expect a parent to feel comfortable about sending their child to cross an intersection like this for whatever reason,” said attorney Patricia Bombelyn. “It’s an unacceptable risk to impose upon the families that populate this area and have to use this intersection as pedestrians.” Attendees held signs reading, “We demand equal rights and justice for George,” “Respect our families,” “Everyone deserves equal treatment” and “Different colors doesn’t mean different treatment.” Speakers at the vigil included Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey President Martin Perez, President of the NAACP Edison-Metuchen branch Reggie Johnson, President of the NAACP New Brunswick branch Bruce Morgan and LLANJ Civil Rights Committee Chair Rich Rivera. Reverend John Thompson-Quartey of St. Mary’s Church in Point Pleasant, the Coleman family’s minister, led a prayer and hymns. The crowd sang hymns including “Amazing Grace” and “Jesus Loves Me.” — Heather Brookhart
Christie victory reflects voters’ push for change BY MARY DIDUCH ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
ANDREW HOWARD/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Media sources say the democratic gubernatorial losses in New Jersey and Virginia could reflect the drop in popularity of President Barack Obama, shown above at a July rally with Gov. Jon S. Corzine. But experts and voters say it was the economy that led citizens to vote for Republican candidates.
As New Jersey and Virginia voters elected Republican Governors-elect Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell last week, several media sources have said the elections could be a public referendum on President Barack Obama’s popularity. With the United States entrenched in two wars, the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and a health care overhaul, many voters feel the Obama administration is not upholding its campaign promises, and this may have been reflected in the election of Republican governors in two states Obama had won in 2008. According to Rasmussen Reports, an independent polling
firm, Obama’s approval index fell this month below 50 percent for the first time since July. But many New Jersey voters did not think the election of Christie was a sign of waning Obama support. The New Jersey election was about incumbent Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the state’s poor economy, not Obama, said Eagleton Institute of Politics Associate Director John Weingart. “I believe there were few — if any — voters who voted for Christie because they didn’t like President Obama,” Weingart said. “They voted for Christie because they didn’t like the Corzine administration, and they hoped that a change would be an improvement.”
SEE CHANGE ON PAGE 6
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
With a one-vote difference, the University Chapter of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund won the rights to the Rutgers University Student Assembly’s semi-annual Meal Sign-
Away program at last Thursday’s meeting in the Student Activities Center. RUSA members listened to members of finalist organizations including the International Medical Relief Fund and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, before making a final decision. Once the winning organization
INDEX UNIVERSITY The women’s rugby club sports team has one more win to settle before they duke it out for the national title.
OPINIONS President Barack Obama gives stimulus funds to Native Americans, a potential political ploy for his 2012 re-election efforts.
UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 OPINIONS . . . . . . . . 8
Group asks U. to sign away meals for charity BY CAGRI OZUTURK
NOVEMBER 10, 2009
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Today: Cloudy
Council hosts forum to voice transportation system concerns
TUESDAY
meets with Executive Director of Dining Services Charles Sams, they can set up a table at dining halls and ask students to sign away no more than two meals for the their cause, Assembly Treasurer Yousef Saleh said. “It was a very tough choice, especially since both groups have such
admirable missions,” said Assembly Chair Werner Born, a School of Engineering senior. “The main difference students saw in the groups [were] the types of medical relief they administer. Both goals are equal-
SEE MEALS ON PAGE 4
Students with 75 or greater credits can register for Spring 2010 classes tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 10 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 12 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
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