The Daily Targum 2012-01-25

Page 1

THE DAILY TARGUM Vo l u m e 1 4 3 , N u m b e r 7 7

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

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25, 2012

1 8 6 9

Today: Sunny

LAST-SECOND LOGISTICS

High: 44 • Low: 31

Senior guard Khadijah Rushdan changed the Rutgers women’s basketball team’s fate last night, when her shot with 1.5 seconds left gave it a 65-64 win.

Faculty evaluate grades for plans post-graduation BY RICHARD CONTE STAFF WRITER

Students stress about their GPAs and reasonably so. Professional schools, graduate schools and some jobs factor in GPA when looking at college graduates. The impact of having a withdraw, D grade or failure on a transcript varies from student-to-student based on the student’s major and their post-graduation plans, said Julie Traxler, assistant dean and director of firstyear advising for the School of Arts and Sciences. For students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation, an F is not something they want on their transcript, said Richard White, director of Career Ser vices. “An F is the worst thing that can appear on a job seeker’s transcript. F stands for failure,” he said. White said a D or withdrawal is seen as less severe for students who are seeking jobs after graduation. “A D is the second worst thing, but at least it represents a pass,” White said. “A W will hardly be noticed.” He said withdrawing from classes is not something students should do habitually. “On the other hand, multiple W’s would suggest that the job seeker does not always finish what he or she starts,” he said. White said many employers also do not take into account every single detail in a student’s GPA. “Employers are much more focused on the résumé — especially the overall GPA and major GPA — than the transcript,” he said. “Often, transcripts are requested at the time of the hire to confirm that the degree and GPA have been accurately represented on the résumé.” Anita Walton, assistant dean for Admissions for Rutgers School of Law-Newark, said the impact of having poor grades on a transcript affects those applying to professional schools, especially law school. “In my opinion, it is better for a student to have a W on their transcript than a D or an F,” she said. “Both of these grades are factored into the overall grade-point average, whereas the W is not.”

SEE PLANS ON PAGE 5

INDEX

GETTY IMAGES

President Barack Obama reveals his plans on restoring American manufacturing, implementing higher taxes for wealthier Americans and utilizing skills of American workers, last night during his “State of the Union” address in Washington, D.C.

Obama: US open for business BY ALEKSI TZATZEV ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

In his fourth “State of the Union” address, President Barack Obama called for a revival of the nation’s manufacturing sector and the closing of many tax loopholes responsible for losses of revenue. Obama focused largely on the economic situation of the United States and its need to bring business back to its coasts. He also introduced the Trade Enforcement Unit, which will investigate unfair trade practices in countries like China.

The New Brunswick Police Department plans to use a volunteer unit to help decrease tension between police and the community.

BY WASEEM MAINUDDIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OPINIONS New changes to the University lottery system bring major improvements to the lottery process.

UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 METRO . . . . . . . . . . 9 OPINIONS . . . . . . . . 10 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 12

SPORTS . . . . . . BACK

ONLINE @

DAILYTARGUM.COM

Obama said in the last 22 months, businesses have created three million jobs, American manufacturers are once again creating jobs and for the first time since the 1990s, they are hiring workers. “This blueprint begins with American manufacturing. On the day I took office, our auto industr y was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die,” he said. “Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s No. 1 automaker.” He said other industries should look at the auto industry’s successes and copy its model.

SEE BUSINESS

ON

PAGE 5

Expert says SOPA still threatens free speech

AMERICAN ATHEIST

METRO

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 14

“Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last — an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers and a renewal of American values,” he said. Building on achievements from his mandate, Obama said the United States has to repair its formerly prospering manufacturing sector and look toward exporting more of its products to countries like South Korea, Panama and Colombia. The United States signed bilateral trade agreements in 2011 with each of them.

ALEX VAN DRIESEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

David Silverman, the American Atheists president, shared his views on the growing atheist movement in the United States last night at the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus.

Although Congress tabled the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Internet Protocol Act, the battle between Internet censorship and freedom is not over. Aram Sinnreich, an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Information, said the public should remain cautiously optimistic regarding the disapproval of the acts, because he anticipates the arrival of similar bills. “It’s really just a bump in the road,” Sinnreich said. “The same lobbyists for the same organizations will continue to push for the same kinds of limitations on our free speech and privacy.” The House of Representatives’ SOPA and the Senate’s PIPA target Internet piracy, but opposition to the legislation was seen

on Jan. 18 through the “Internet Blackout Day” on websites including Wikipedia, Tumblr and Google. Sinnreich said if SOPA and PIPA pass, they would eliminate a free and open Internet. “The federal gover nment and large corporations will have the same power to censor Internet domains from the American public currently enjoyed by the Chinese gover nment,” he said. “Also, [Internet ser vice providers] will have the power to block their competitors from delivering information and ser vices to their customers.” If the legislation was put into action, Sinnreich said there would also be negative lasting effects on Americans. “In the longer term, it means that dissident political views and innovative cultural ideas may be stifled,” he said.

SEE SOPA ON PAGE 5

To d a y , W e d n e s d a y J a n u a r y 2 5 , i s t h e l a s t d a y t o a d d a c l a s s .


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.