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Rutgers wrestlers Dan Rinaldi and Greg Zannetti won their bouts Saturday against Virginia, but the Scarlet Knights fell, 24-12, in Charlottesville, Va.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2012
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RUSA supports LGBT community with U. initiative BY WASEEM MAINUDDIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Rutgers University Student Assembly commemorated today as “Anti-Harassment Day” in response to reported death threats toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at Montclair State University. John Connelly, RUSA vice president, said a series of incidents occurred Jan. 26, 27 and 30, including a note put under the door of Montclair’s LGBT Center, vandalization of the center with marker and a message on nearby bathroom wall claiming that “Fags will die on 2/7.” Police are still in search of the perpetrators. “When members of RUSA found out that this was happening on one of our fellow university campuses, we decided to show solidarity. No one should be targeted based on their identity, especially not on a college campus,” said Connelly, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. Connelly said that RUSA is not the only one involved in “Anti-Harassment Day.” A large number of student associations across campus have tried to show support in a variety of ways. “Different student organizations have chosen to show support in different ways,” he said. “The Queer Student Association here at Rutgers has collected cards students signed to show solidarity. The Rutgers United Student Coalition has sent a letter to Montclair SPECTRUMS, an LGBT organization, expressing our solidarity.” Francine Glaser, chairperson of RUSA University Affairs, said other N.J. institutions are also tr ying to help spread awareness. “Besides Montclair and Rutgers, The College of New Jersey is tr ying to get involved in an effort to show support towards the different communities at Rutgers and New Jersey overall,” Glaser said. Connelly said RUSA wants to spread the message that students should be empowered on their campus, and that their gay-straight alliance should be an institution they can turn to if they need support. Glaser, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said this event might turn into an annual event. “It’s all about not having any prejudices,” Glaser said. “It’s a stand in solidarity for a few acts of violence at
SEE RUSA ON PAGE 5
LISA BERKMAN / STAFF WRITER
President Richard L. McCormick asks for a separate vote for the New Brunswick and Camden campuses proposals yesterday at the State House Annex Complex in Trenton during a New Jersey Senate Higher Education meeting.
McCormick addresses merger concerns BY LISA BERKMAN STAFF WRITER
TRENTON — The New Jersey Senate Higher Education discussed the proposed merger between the University’s Camden campus and Rowan University on Monday, which faced criticisms from University President Richard L. McCormick and a group of protestors. More than 50 faculty, staff and students from all three of the University’s campuses gathered outside the State House Annex Complex in Trenton to protest the possible merger. McCormick, who also attended the discussion, said he wants to invest in
the Camden campus and would prefer to vote on the New Brunswick and Camden proposals separately. “If we could pick and choose the recommendations of the advisory committee, we would not want to turn over the Rutgers-Camden campus to the Rowan University,” McCormick said. “I can’t imagine that the Rutgers Board of Governors or Trustees would willingly relinquish the campus.” Gov. Chris Christie’s plan supports the merging of Rutgers-Camden with Rowan. The second part of the proposal involves another merger, between the University’s New Brunswick campus, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Cancer Institute of New
Jersey, and the School of Public Health, according to a University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey committee report. Ali Houshmand, Rowan interim president, said there was a sense of excitement on his campus regarding the prospects of the merger. “Having a research-based institution in New Jersey is absolutely essential to bring scholarships, to attract the best, to encourage those coming here that we have a trained workforce and to create a professional-degree program — something that is badly needed,” Houshmand said.
SEE CONCERNS ON PAGE 5
SEBS Governing Council debates grease trucks’ fate BY RICH CONTE AND YASHMIN PATEL STAFF WRITERS
WENDY CHIAPIAKEO
Samir Alkilani, co-owner of Mr. C’s Grease Truck, shares concerns yesterday during a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Governing Council meeting.
The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Governing Council deliberated the fate of the grease trucks during a town hall meeting between owners and students yesterday at the Cook Campus Center. Alda Hassan, business manager for RU Hungr y and spokeswoman for the grease trucks, said the owners of the business are willing to work with the University in order to stay on Lot 8 on the College Avenue campus. “If the school is looking for additional money in order to cover any expenses … these gentlemen are more than willing to accept those responsibilities,” she said. She said the University has raised health and mobility issues concerning the grease trucks. Hassan said making the trucks mobile would be problematic for the business because of the high fees it would entail. The grease trucks have a mobile license, but they have not met the rules and requirements to stay on the lot, said Jack Molenaar, director for the Department of Transportation Services.
“It’s a mobile food EBS license — they need to be mobile,” he said. “We need to guarantee that it can be mobile.” He said the University property is part of public entity in which they have to follow procurement rules. Mohamed Garaibeh, part-owner of the Mr. C’s Grease Truck, said the business is part of the University culture. “Grease trucks are a Rutgers tradition — we have a right to stay there,” he said. “ Our business has been here for many years.” Molenaar said a sur vey is being conducted on what University students think about the grease trucks and will be used when considering future plans for the grease trucks. As of now, about 1,700 people have responded.
S Governing Council
INDEX METRO An exhibition tracks the ancestral migration of local black families.
OPINIONS The Rutgers Visitor Center was recently designated as an offiical N.J. visitor center. See what we think.
UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 METRO . . . . . . . . . . 9 OPINIONS . . . . . . . . 10 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 12 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 14 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
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