paradise papers The University is investing its endowment money in offshore accounts.
see opinions, page 6
Astrobiology Twin astronaut studies explore gene expression in outer-space.
see SCIENCE, page 8
FOOTBALL Rutgers loses lead before dropping road matchup to No. 14 Penn State
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Rutgers Hillel addresses influx in anti-Semitism Christian Zapata Correspondent
Friday marked 79 years since Kristallnacht, an organized attack on Jewish communities that left hundreds dead and thousands in concentration camps. In light of a recent uptick in anti-Semitism on campus, members of the Jewish community elected to recognize the anniversary of the “Night of Broken Glass” differently this year. In response to recent events on and off campus, Rutgers Hillel invited Joshua Cohen, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to speak with students about the connection between Kristallnacht and anti-Semitism across the country. The event took place this past Thursday night at Rutgers Hillel on the College Avenue campus and was intended only for students. The discussion covered the recent discovery of swastikas graffitied around College Avenue, while also focusing on controversial social media posts made by Michael Chikindas, a professor in the Department of Food Sciences.
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Max DuBoff, the event organizer and School of Arts and Sciences junior, said the types of anti-Semitism that are being seen now are far removed from where they once were. These attacks are much less overt but are no less important in finding effective ways to confront anti-Semitism across all universities. “Kristallnacht, in particular, was a weave of organized violence and vandalism, and we’re still seeing vandalism now,” he said. Having a good relationship with local authorities was not always possible and is significantly important, DuBoff said. Informing University authorities and the New Brunswick Police Department about the situation allows them to respond more quickly and more effectively to future incidents. Throughout the event, Cohen spoke about how important it is for students to take action into their own hands. He said it is on them to spread the word, organize events and urge the University to condemn any acts of anti-Semitism on campus. Cohen assigned groups of students different scenarios detailing
On the anniversary of the “Night of Broken Glass,” Rutgers Hillel held a discussion centered around the slew of anti-Semitic incidents that transpired on campus this month. YOSEF SERKEZ incidents of anti-Semitism and asked how each person would respond. One of the proposed scenarios was a Jewish fraternity being vandalized on campus. The Daily Targum reported on a similar incident in 2003 where swastikas were found spray-painted outside of the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi and the Hillel House prior to its move onto the College Avenue campus.
Historically, vandalism and threats have been used as a common way to intimidate Jewish people, DuBoff said. Last year’s weave of bomb threats is reminiscent of the violence seen at synagogues, as places where Jews congregate have long been targets for violence. DuBoff said these instances of vandalism on campus are indicative of a larger trend. While finding swastikas in a residence hall room
is not to be minimized, he said it is a different circumstance to find one posted in such a visual place on campus. “I would say that any time there is an anti-Semitic incident or an incident against any other group we need to be concerned and vigilant, but we’re not in panic mode,” he said. “Which is good, we don’t want to be in panic mode obviously, and we don’t feel like we’re at that point.” Cohen said the ADL tracks and monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the public sphere and in private sectors. He said they have noted an increase in instances across the country with a concentration on college campuses. Despite this increase, they have noticed a number of students ready to report incidents as they happen, Cohen said. Students who reject anti-Semitism, hate and bigotry are more likely to report these instances and are more likely to get the University involved. “I think it’s imperative that when incidents of anti-Semitism or any incident of hate or bigotry happens, that we not be bystanders, that we be up-standers,” he said. “Incidents of hate and bigotry demand an expeditious response by everyone on campus, whether that’s students, administrators or law enforcement.”
U. student government votes to endorse DREAM Act Christina Gaudino Correspondent
At Rutgers University, the current status of approximately 400 students is in question after the White House announced in September of this year that it will rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, according to a recent report published by the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA). During last Thursday’s full-body meeting, RUSA took a definitive step toward their goal to support undocumented students by passing legislation entitled “Resolution to Endorse the DREAM Act and Call for the Extension of the Temporary Protected Status Program.” “As an assembly, it’s important that we continue to show support for every individual that’s a part of our Rutgers community, regardless of citizenship status,” said Evan Covello, RUSA president and an Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy senior. The legislation was sponsored by the Legislative Affairs Committee and presented by Committee Chairwoman Suzanne Link, a Rutgers Business School junior. Spurred to action by the White House’s impending threat to DACA, the most recent version of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was
This week, the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) passed a resolution, dedicating their support to the DREAM Act. There are more than 400 DREAMers at Rutgers. CASEY AMBROSIO introduced in both houses of Congress in July of 2017, according to the RUSA report. Link presented the resolution to the RUSA student body on Thursday evening, along with three members of UndocuRutgers: Co-Presidents Josue Serrano, a School of Arts and Sciences senior and Sergio Abreu, a School of Engineering senior and Parliamentarian Stephanie Márquez-Villafañe, a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences. The three students also collaborated as authors of the legislation. “To believe in this resolution, you have to believe that there’s a
problem,” Abreu said to RUSA members during the presentation. “And the problem is you’ll hear people say, ‘The immigration system is broken,’ but what does that mean?” Abreu explained that many people come to the U.S. to work because there is a high demand for laborers, and it is very beneficial for immigrants to come to complete the jobs. “And with that, either they leave, or they bring their children here and try to start a life. So the DREAM Act, what it really does, is focus on these children,” he said. “Because these children are placed with a burden that they never asked for, and they
have no control over. They didn’t ask to come here ... they have no control over this.” Abreu also noted that immigrants contribute positively to the U.S. economy and are also statistically less likely to be criminals than natural born citizens. Indeed, Forbes reported last year that undocumented immigrants in the United States pay an estimated $11.64 billion in state and local taxes annually. “But the real question is, what have we done to belong here?” he said. “How do you define ‘American?’ Is it just because you were born in this country?” He said that for many immigrants who live most of their life in the U.S. and go through the American school system, the only thing stopping them from being “American” is a piece of paper. “So this is what this bill does,” he said of the 2017 DREAM Act. “It gives them an actual pathway (to citizenship), because before this, we didn’t even give them a chance.” Link added that last February, RUSA as a body passed a resolution to support the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act. One of the main differences between the BRIDGE Act and the 2017 DREAM Act is that the latter provides a clear pathway to obtain citizenship, she said.
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According to the RUSA report, the 2017 DREAM act provides a 13-year pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. “Whether or not my mom will get pulled over one day and get deported the next, that is a reality for me,” Serrano said to the audience. He said the fact of being undocumented in this countr y is not a notion of legality—it is a civil infraction. “I want to clarify that I am not illegal. No one is illegal,” Serrano said, expressing concern over the 36 individuals who were arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in late October. Fifty-four RUSA members voted in support of the resolution on Thursday, zero voted against and six abstained from voting. Now that the resolution has been passed, RUSA as a body will be able to advocate in support of the DREAM Act, Link said, which is something they were unable to do previously due to the assembly’s technicalities and procedures. “We will continue to advocate on behalf of those affected by the repeal of DACA,” she said. “RUSA will make a conscious effort to maintain open and clear lines of communication with students and organizations within our community in order to ensure that we are best representing the students we are advocating on behalf of.”