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Following eventful week, RUSA holds Town Hall on free speech Christina Gaudino Correspondent
Last Thursday’s meeting of the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) included a “Free Speech Town Hall,” hosted by the Student Affairs Committee, which featured several prominent members of the University community and engaged students and administrators in a dialogue about the current climate and issues concerning student demonstrations. The discussion was moderated by Sabeen Rokerya, the Student Affairs Committee chairwoman and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior. The idea for this event has been a long time coming, Rokerya told The Daily Targum in an email. “It has been a topic of discussion by RUSA and the student body for a while, and that has been amplified over the past few months,” she said, stressing the topic’s relevance to some of the recent campus-wide and nationwide incidents regarding free speech and hate speech. The town hall featured four distinguished panelists: Dr. Felicia McGinty, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. Salvador Mena, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Barbara Lee, the senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Dean Ronald Chen, co-dean and distinguished professor of law at the Rutgers Law School—Newark. Following a brief introduction of each panelist, Rokerya invited
them to explain the role of student demonstrations and protests from a university perspective, as well as from a legal perspective. “Historically, over the course of American history, college students have played a key role in creating change,” McGinty said, adding that she accepts the exercise of free speech rights through demonstrations as part of the process. Citing the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as the recent attack in New York City in which a vehicle was used as a weapon, McGinty noted that her largest concern regarding student demonstrations is safety. “This is my 29th year working as a professional in student affairs,” she said. “And I’ve never felt the sense of concern that I feel right now about the safety of students in demonstrations.” Many of the questions from students in the audience were surrounding the Board of Governors’ revisions to the Rutgers University disruption policy, which were published last April. Students expressed concerns about what the ramifications of the policy change will be for student protests and demonstrations, including annual demonstrations, such as the “Take Back the Night” march and rally organized by the Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA) to raise awareness about gender-based violence. “I don’t know how many of you have heard President (Robert L.)
Featuring appearances from faculty members and administration, Thursday’s “Free Speech Town Hall” focused on the intersection of free speech and hate speech at Rutgers. The event took place one week after police investigated a swastika spray painted on Stonier Hall. CYNTHIA VASQUEZ Barchi talk about this policy, but he says consistently ... that the revision to the policy merely made more clear than it had been in the past, precisely what sorts of actions could violate the policy,” Lee said. Lee explained that the policy begins by talking about the right to freedom of expression, including peaceful protests and orderly demonstrations, adding that “Take Back the Night” has typically been
a peaceful event and hence there would be no problem with it. “The concern that the policy seeks to address is non-peaceful protests and disorderly demonstrations that do things like put people at risk of injury or make it difficult or impossible for the people of New Brunswick or Rutgers University to go about their business,” she said. Chen, who has been involved with the American Civil Liberties
Rutgers plans to make its campuses greener by 2030 Chloe Dopico Associate News Editor
The 2030 plan at Rutgers includes updates to University transit hubs, housing, student centers and athletic facilities, according to the master plan. With an overhaul of University systems set to take place, the new plan presents a unique opportunity for Rutgers to create a campus on the basis of environmental conservation. Frank Wong, assistant vice president of University Facilities and Capital Planning and University planner, said that the Rutgers 2030 plan is built on a strong environmental foundation, from the perspective of protecting an open space. Wong said the University hopes to reactivate and improve access to underutilized open space along the Raritan River and focus on building in areas already developed and increase the density. He said they promote alternative transportation solutions, such as biking, walking and reducing
energy usage by eliminating obsolete buildings and constructing more energy efficient buildings using green technologies. “As far as construction, we adhere to the U.S. Green Building Council’s guidelines for LEED-rated Silver buildings, which are integrated into our design standards and construction guidelines, and collectively serve to reduce our overall carbon footprint,” Wong said. “We source materials within a 500-mile radius, and seek to use recycled materials in construction.” In addition, Wong said the University made a major commitment to solar energy by implementing 33 acres of solar panels on Livingston campus. According to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, the largest growth in carbon emissions has come from above all, building operations. April Nicklaus, the chair of the New Brunswick chapter of NJPIRG and a School of
By maintaining open spaces, using energy efficient systems and encouraging alternative transportation, the University plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 2030. CASEY AMBROSIO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Environmental and Biological Sciences junior, said the 2030 physical master plan focuses heavily on redevelopment and construction on campus. “The University recognizes that many facilities are outdated and in need of improvement, and this provides a huge opportunity to begin building for the future. Not only is this an opportunity to create structures
that better fit the needs of students, but the continued development on campus has the potential to usher in a wave of more efficient and ‘green’ buildings,” she said. Nicklaus said many buildings at Rutgers run off of inefficient energy systems, but that it is not only about where energy is coming from but how much one uses, as well.
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Union (ACLU) for much of his professional career and currently serves on the ACLU National Board Executive Committee, added that before sending the policy to the Board of Governors, the policy was also shown to the Legal Director of the ACLU of New Jersey to ensure it did not infringe upon students’ rights. See speech on Page 4
One of the clearest ways to reduce the University’s carbon footprint is to not just transition to renewable sources but to use less energy in general, she said. While Nicklaus acknowledged that providing building structures with more energy efficient systems is a challenge, she said that doing so on campus presents opportunities to rebuild a greener campus infrastructure. Wong said the University is committed to remaining energy efficient during the actual process of construction by integrating stormwater management solutions, using green roofs and rain gardens to minimize runoff, orienting buildings to maximize solar energy usage, implementing recycled construction materials and replanting trees lost to construction. The University Committee for Sustainability includes student representation, Wong said. And Energy Conservation Manager Michael Kornitas meets with student groups regularly to make sure all voices are heard. See campuses on Page 5