THE DAILY TARGUM Vo l u m e 1 4 3 , N u m b e r 8 9
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
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2012
1 8 6 9
Today: Mostly Sunny
NATION’S NOTICE
High: 48 • Low: 32
The Rutgers wrestling team hosts a region in the National Duals on Saturday, when they take on Kent State in the first round at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
RUSA hosts forum against U. mergers BY ADAM UZIALKO STAFF WRITER
Rutgers University Student Assembly hosted a town hall on Thursday, expressing the need to keep Rutgers-Camden a University entity. RUSA made an official statement against the merger during their biweekly meeting at the River Lounge at the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus.
Although no official plans were enforced regarding the proposed merger between Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University, Gov. Chris Christie still fully backs the plan, said Matt Cordeiro, RUSA president. “When the report came out of the governor’s office on [Jan. 25], he said he fully endorsed the merger,” said Cordeiro, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “He said he plans to use his
SEE RUSA ON PAGE 4
ANASTASIA MILLICKER / NEWS EDITOR
Philip Yeagle, interim chancellor of Rutgers-Newark, spoke to about 160 students and faculty members Thursday at the Paul Robeson Campus Center. He addressed campus initiatives, including one to enforce the University’s “Jersey Roots, Global Reach” slogan.
Chancellor addresses Rutgers-Newark BY ANASTASIA MILLICKER NEWS EDITOR
CONOR ALWELL / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Matt Cordeiro, the Rutgers University Student Assembly president, talks uncertainty about the merger Thursday on the College Avenue campus.
NEWARK — Interim Chancellor of Rutgers-Newark Philip Yeagle addressed University needs while challenging administrators to take the initiative meet those needs. The address was rescheduled several times before it was finally held at the Paul Robeson Campus Center Thursday, in front of a crowd of about 160 RutgersNewark students, staff and faculty. Yeagle said Rutgers-Newark does not plan to merge or lose any part of its campuses, but that the school
plans to integrate its technologies with local research universities. “The medical school in Newark is going nowhere, and [the New Jersey Institute of Technology] is here and … are administratively linked,” he said. “While the interface [between the Newark research facilities] can be very challenging, we plan on improving that for our students and our researchers.” Yeagle said the campus has received a higher demand for on-campus housing. The school plans to meet those demands by renovating the 15 Washington St. residence to accommodate 25 percent more students on cam-
pus and perhaps constructing one large lecture room in that building. “With most of our funding coming from our students, we know what should take top priority when it comes to spending that budget,” he said. Yeagle said the Newark campus needs to implement educational changes. Although budget cuts would cause an increase in class size, the school should try to preserve small classes — like the writing program and supply chain and management courses.
SEE CHANCELLOR ON PAGE 4
Teach for America deadline approaches, seeks applicants BY LISA BERKMAN STAFF WRITER
Recruiters for Teach for America, a two-year teaching program that aims to improve education in underfunded communities, reached out to University students — hoping for interested individuals to apply before the Feb. 10 deadline. Joseph Picini, recruitment associate at TFA, said students at the
University could make a difference teaching in these communities. “Students are so passionate and high energy and high achieving,” Picini said. “They have what it takes to make tremendous gains for when education is concerned.” Smeet Bhimani, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said he applied to TFA because of the unique impact its service has on low-income communities.
“Two years is kind of what’s holding me back,” he said of the program. “If it was one year, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but a two-year commitment really throws away medical school.” William Eastman, a TFA recruiter for the University, said joining TFA is one of the best post-graduate decisions a student can make. “It’s an offer of a lifetime to join a prestigious organization,” said Eastman, a School of Arts and
Sciences senior. “[Students] can become independent and make an impact right after they graduate.” TFA has reached out to University students, who are aware of the growing achievement gap in the country for seven years, said Silva William, TFA recruitment director. “When you think about … the inequality in education, New Jersey is probably the epitome of that,” William said. “You’ve got cases like Camden
and Newark, where 20 percent of students graduate every four years.” TFA places 5,500 accepted members annually into 43 different regions with plans to expand, Picini said. But critics claim that experienced teachers with positive evaluations are being entry-level TFA employees, according to a 2009 USA Today article.
SEE DEADLINE ON PAGE 4
Psychologist shares links found within human behavior
INDEX METRO Perth Amboy City Council honors resident Ron Snipes for saving a life.
OPINIONS
BY CARMELO CINTRÓN VIVAS
Rapper M.I.A. spurs controversy at the Superbowl half-time show. See if we give her a laurel or a dart.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
UNIVERSITY . . . . . . . 3 METRO . . . . . . . . . . 5 OPINIONS . . . . . . . . . 8 DIVERSIONS . . . . . . 10 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . 12 SPORTS . . . . . . BACK
ONLINE @
DAILYTARGUM.COM
ENRICO CABREDO / ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
‘THIS MEMES WAR’ Students post a wall of meme-inspired comments last week in silent protest of a men’s bathroom under construction at the ARC on Busch campus. The posts were removed Wednesday, while the popularity of a “Rutgers Meme” Facebook community rose.
Princeton University psychologist Susan Fiske mapped out emotions on a neurological scale using scenarios and surveys, turning her curiosity for human behavior into a scientific discovery. Fiske brought her laboratory results to the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy And Aging Research in downtown New Brunswick Thursday at a lecture for researchers in the psychology, anthropology and social science disciplines. To examine how people viewed each other, Fiske studied the stereotype content model, in which a population is divided into groups of people based on their physical appearance, living conditions and ability to perform a task. From there, she looked to see the patterns of stereotyping using the questions of “friends or foe?” and whether a person was able to grab the attention of others. People who are older, disabled and have good intentions were generally pitied.
SEE BEHAVIOR ON PAGE 4
2
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
D IRECTORY
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY HIGH 41 LOW 20
Source: weather.com
SUNDAY HIGH 32 LOW 21
MONDAY HIGH 40 LOW 31
THE DAILY TARGUM
1 2 6 C o l l e g e Av e . , S u i t e 4 3 1 , N e w B r u n s w i c k , N . J . 0 8 9 0 1
144th EDITORIAL BOARD JOVELLE TAMAYO . . . . . . . . . . EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OLIVIA PRENTZEL . . . . . . . MANAGING EDITOR ANASTASIA MILLICKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEWS TYLER BARTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS NOAH WHITTENBURG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PHOTOGRAPHY ZOË SZATHMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INSIDE BEAT CHASE BRUSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPINIONS RASHMEE KUMAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COPY YASHMIN PATEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UNIVERSITY GIANCARLO CHAUX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . METRO ARTHUR ROMANO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ONLINE LAUREN VARGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MULTIMEDIA ENRICO CABREDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY JOSH BAKAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSOCIATE SPORTS JOEY GREGORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSOCIATE SPORTS RYAN SURUJNATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSOCIATE INSIDE BEAT LISA CAI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASSOCIATE ONLINE
EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS — Kristin Baresich, Mandy Frantz, Rachel White CORRESPONDENTS — Rich Conte, Bradly Derechailo, Vinnie Mancuso, Matthew Matilsky, Arjun Subramaniam SENIOR STAFF WRITER — Mar y Diduch, Reena Diamante, Steven Miller, Aleksi Tzatzev SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS — Ramon Dompor, Keith Freeman STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS — Conor Alwell, Jennifer Kong, Nelson Morales, Alex Van Driesen
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT J OSHUA C OHEN . . A MANDA C RAWFORD L IZ K ATZ . . . . . S IMONE K RAMER . . P AMELA S TEIN . . . B RITTANY C APALBO JEN CALNEK . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . B USINESS M ANAGER . . . . M ARKETING D IRECTOR . . . . . O PERATIONS M ANAGER . . . . . . . . . . C ONTROLLER A SSISTANT M ARKETING D IRECTOR . . . . C LASSIFIEDS M ANAGER . . . . IT ASSISTANT
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES — Elisabeth Barnett, Emily Black, John Matson, Nina Rizzo, Steve Rizzo CLASSIFIED ASSISTANTS — Emily Choy, Logan Sykes
PRODUCTIONS M ICHAEL P OLNASEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P RODUCTIONS D IRECTOR E D H ANKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C REATIVE S ER VICES M ANAGER GARRET BELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NIGHT PRODUCTIONS MANAGER PRODUCTIONS ASSISTANTS — Rocky Catanese, Alyssa Jacob, Vince Miezejewski, Corey Perez, Molly Prentzel
©2011 TARGUM PUBLISHING CO. DIRECTORY The Daily Targum is a student-written and student-managed, nonprofit incorporated newspaper published by the Targum Publishing Company, circulation 18,000. The Daily Targum (USPS949240) is published Monday through Friday in New Brunswick, NJ, while classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters. No part thereof may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the consent of the managing editor. Display and classified advertising may be placed at the above address. Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Postmaster: Send address corrections to The Daily Targum c/o Business Manager, 126 College Ave., Suite 431, New Brunswick, N.J. 08901.
CORRECTIONS The Daily Targum promptly corrects all errors of substance. If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, send an e-mail to eic@dailytargum.com.
(732)-932-7051 PHONE: (732)-932-0079 BUSINESS FAX: eic@dailytargum.com E-MAIL: www.dailytargum.com WEB:
EDITORIAL DIRECTORY : 26 Mine St., New Brunswick, N.J. (732)-932-2012 Editor-in-Chief Jovelle Tamayo Managing Editor Olivia Prentzel
x 110 x101
BUSINESS DIRECTORY : 126 College Ave., Suite 431 New Brunswick, N.J.
(732)-932-7051 Business Manager Joshua Cohen Marketing Director Amanda Crawford
x600
Advertising Classifieds Productions
x601 x603 x622
x604
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
UNIVERSITY
CALENDAR FEBRUARY
10
“Entourage” star Adrian Grenier will present his documentar y “Teenage Paparazzo” at 7 p.m. the Rutgers Student Center multipurpose room on the College Avenue campus, sponsored by the Rutgers University Programming Association. The film screening will be followed by an ar t exhibit and discussion with Grenier. Admission is $5 for students with an RUID and $10 for guests.
13
Students and deans match up for “Dancing with the Deans,” a Rutgers-style dance competition students choose the winner. Doors open at 8 p.m., the competition starts at 8:30 p.m. at the College Avenue Gym. The proceeds will support Rutgers Against Hunger and emergency funds to assist students who do not have the means to purchase food. The event is sponsored by Rutgers Recreation, Project Civility and Rutgers Against Hunger. Suggested donation is $5. For more information call Rutgers Recreation at (732)-932-8204. Continuing Professional Education will be having a workshop that will include content on the construction of outdoor entertainment spaces from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the College Avenue campus. The workshop will teach various sets of skills — from weatherproof appliance and material selection to lighting and electrical work — that can challenge even experienced landscapers. The course will include content on the construction of outdoor entertainment space.
14
Colleges Against Cancer will sell Hershey’s kisses candy grams from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus. Colleges Against Cancer writing Valentine’s Day cards to cancer patients and passing out cancer prevention information. Contact Dillion Teisch for more information at (908)-444-0809.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Rutgers University Programming Association will host a dinner buffet and comedy show featuring YouTube sensation Eric O’Shea at the Livingston Dining Commons. The dinner starts at 7 p.m., and the comedy show will follow at 8:30 p.m. Student tickets are $10 for students, $15 for guests. Tickets can be purchased during RUPA’s Poppin’ Tuesdays or at the door, if available. For more information, email rupacomedymovies@gmail.com.
15
Career Services will be hosting “Café Con Leche: Career Conversations” form 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Center for Latino Arts and Culture on the College Avenue campus. Have coffee or tea with a career counselor to discuss employment, internships and job searches. Refreshments will be served. To register for the workshop, RSVP on the Career Services website or email careerservices@echo.rutgers.edu with the workshop name and your RUID number.
16
Erin Vogel, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, will lecture on the behavioral, morphological physiological adaptation to fruit scarcity in wild orangutans at 4 p.m. at the Marine Sciences Building. This seminar is sponsored by the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program.
18
The Student Volunteer Council will conduct its “MLK Day of Service” from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting the day at the Rutgers Student Center multipurpose room on the College Avenue campus to choose their volunteer site. To register, visit getinvolved.rutgers.edu/svc.
21
Rutgers Study Abroad will host a “Summer Study Abroad Fair” at the Red Lion Café on the College Avenue campus from 6 to 9 p.m. to introduce students to the 100+ study abroad oppor tunities of fered through the University. For more information, visit studyabroad.rutgers.edu.
To have your event featured on www.dailytargum.com, send University calendar items to university@dailytargum.com.
PA G E 3
Group debates experiment’s ethics Society holds mock trial to consider morals behind Nazi’s research for today’s use BY ELIZABETH KEARNS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Rutgers Bioethics Society examined the ethical boundaries of science on Wednesday through a mock trial that showed students an alternative perspective to Nazi experiments. Board members created a trial — at the ARC on Busch campus — in which they examined the ethics of Sigmund Rascher, a Nazi scientist. Rascher per formed freezing experiments on humans to see how long it would take to lower the body temperature until reaching death, said Spr uha Magodia, president of RBS. Members of RBS debated whether or not the methods from Rascher’s experiment could be used to solve medical problems today, Magodia, a School of Ar ts and Sciences senior said. “This topic is really intense, so we decided to take an approach that would engage students and really let them see, hypothetically, what Rascher’s trial would have been like,” she said. Though the vote was split 73, the majority of the club members found Rascher to be guilty and sentenced him with the death penalty. Neil Patel, vice president of RBS, played the role of
Rascher during the trial, in which he answered questions that raised ethical issues in his practice. “Rodents in experiments would be useless. They are nothing like humans. I needed to use humans to have accurate data,” said Patel, a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior, acting as Rascher. Akanksha Ar ya, programming chair of RBS, played the
“[It] makes you wonder if ethics puts boundaries on science.” NEIL PATEL Rutgers Bioethics Society Vice President
prosecutor in the case and said Rascher per formed experiments without anesthesia or consent from Jewish prisoners. Rascher’s experiments included putting prisoners outside in the snow for 14 hours to test the limits of the human body, said Ar ya, a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior. Patel said Rascher conducted the experiments to find ways to treat hypothermia. Some of the data Rascher found through the experiments
is capable of helping the medical world today, Magodia said. His experiment with hypothermia led to the discovery of “Rapid Active Re-Warming,” a technique to resuscitate victims of hypothermia through quick methods of warming. After hearing about the experiments Rascher performed, the jury — which consisted of RBS members — considered Rascher’s technique and whether his discoveries should be used today, Magodia said. Matthew Lawlor, a member of RBS, said he found Rascher to be guilty, but it should not prohibit society from using his research today. “It depends on the data. If one of the Nazi scientists found the cure for AIDS, then of course we would all want to use it. … It’s a mixture between the urge to destroy this evil and the urge to put the data to good use,” said Lawlor, a School of Ar ts and Sciences senior. Patel said the case at hand is controversial because it weighs the benefits of science at the cost of human dignity. “A lot of the students here work in labs, and we always make sure that we give our subjects — mostly rats — dignity and euthanize them if they are in pain. This par ticular discussion makes you wonder if ethics puts boundaries on science,” he said.
4
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
CHANCELLOR: Yeagle calls for undergraduate research continued from front “We need to revise our courses where necessar y to more effectively support students’ success and progression through course sequence,” he said. Yeagle said Rutgers-Newark should also encourage more undergraduate research. “We are a research institution,” he said. “In discovery, new knowledge and creative activity is central to our existence. Our scholarship directly benefits students, whether it be teaching in the classroom [or] participating in research.”
Transferable technology could lead to economic benefits on campus and promote entrepreneurship, which in turn would create more research opportunities, Yeagle said. “We will start by creating a multi-year plan to address the most serious of the preferred maintenance issues,” he said. “Free up the intellectual and financial resources to concentrate on this task, and put on hold all nonessential property acquisitions including those that were in development.” In addition to this plan, Yeagle said Rutgers-Newark came up with a way to reallocate these resources according to its priorities. To support the mission and encourage scholarship, he creat-
U NIVERSITY ed the Chancellor’s Awards for Teaching Excellence, which would be given to teachers who extend the Rutgers-Newark’s mission and support the education of students, he said. But the event lacked a strong student component. Less than 20 students attended and five of those were present to address the need to better accommodate the Muslim community. Osama El-Helw, a member of the Student Government Association and Newark College of Arts and Sciences senior, said the amount and diversity of new students as increased, but the campus has not been able to deal with the needs of Muslim students on campus. El-Helw said his faith requires
DEADLINE: Program offers benefits, Eastman says continued from front “Our measure for success is the quality of our application pool,” he said. “We’re not going to be changing our bar, but the ultimate goal is to continue to grow our core over the next few years to basically magnify our impact on the achievement gap and closing it.” Ela Joshi, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said if she had not come to the University, she would not be as prepared for her upcoming term at TFA. “Rutgers is huge. You really have to fight for everything you want to achieve,” Joshi said. “When you’re a teacher, you have
BEHAVIOR: Fiske uses hypothetical problem as test continued from front Groups sharing a similar culture were viewed as proud and belonging. The homeless, the poor and the immigrants are seen as unable to become social and tend to invoke disgust among those they interact with, Fiske said. But rich professionals are often seen as cold and as a source of envy, she said. Fiske said stereotypes are a part of social structures, and people have a tendency to act based on their preconceived judgments. She found that the correlation between competence and status is always the same, and high status correlates with high competence, and vice versa. After evaluating this model, Fiske started her project looking
RUSA: Student suggests alternatives to Christie’s plan continued from front power — which he has a lot of — to pass it.” The report — written by a committee chaired by Sol Barer, a University alumnus —details a proposed union between the University with parts of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey along with a merger of Rutgers-Camden and Rowan, he said. “There’s been no official move from the governor or legislature to move forward,” he said. “The only action has been a hearing held by Cunningham that was open for the administrations of both schools.” Cordeiro said because of the standstill, different merger scenarios could happen throughout the course of the next few months. He said it is unclear what the state legislature would do if document were signed, but he outlined another plan of action.
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M him to worship with prayer five times a day. “We need a quiet … and clean place to pray, and we don’t have that,” he said. There is one room designated for prayer in the Paul Robeson Campus Center, which is unofficially reserved for the women to pray because men and women must be separated to preserve their modesty during prayer, he said. ”We need a reliable environment to prevent us from mixedgender faiths,” El-Helw said. El-Helw said he and other male worshippers have been using hallways and empty classrooms to worship. But recently those classrooms have been locked, leaving students without
an appropriate place to pray. The rescheduling of the speech put students at a disadvantage because most students do have class at this time and could not attend the address, El-Helw said. “My apologies for the lack of using a free period to hold this address,” Yeagle said in response to El-Helw’s concern. Yeagle said he wants to keep Rutgers-Newark diverse while accommodating students and to promote the University’s “Jersey roots, global reach.” “This campus must take its place alongside the other campuses of Rutgers — with pride in our accomplishments and with a determination that we are and will be,” he said of the Rutgers-Newark presence.
to use limited resources and think out of the box and connect with everyone. I think I’ll be really successful in doing that.” Eastman said 15,000 college students have already been offered a spot at TFA. William said the program does its best to accommodate core members and provides benefits to help them after their two-year commitment. “If they want to use the money we give them to pay back loans, they can,” he said. “If they want to go to graduate school after the two years, they can do that.” Joshi said even non-education majors should consider joining the program for the one-of-a-kind experience it offers. But a 2008 survey found that only 4 percent
of TFA teachers continue teaching after their time with the program, according to the USA Today article. “You should apply for everything you could be good at, even if it’s not something you want to do forever,” Joshi said. “Experience is experience. Everyone ends up doing something at one point in their lives that’s sort of just out of their box, and it adds to their life.” Not only is TFA a unique experience, it is a way to make an impact on the world, Eastman said. “You’re actually learning about the way things are,” he said. “You’re teaching, you’re learning about the education system from a bottom-up perspective. You’re an agent of change.”
to how people value each other based on status, especially in an “us-versus-them” way. From the survey, Fiske went to explore the emotions of envy and scorn. “[The definition of envy is] ‘I wish I had what you do,’ [while scorn is] ‘you are not worth my attention,” she said. “Scorn scorns the scornful. Envy eats at the envious.” Fiske said social structure and stereotypes lead to stereotypes that form emotions against each other and lead people to act a certain way. In order to further test this initial hypothesis that people act according to their status, Fiske used the trolley problem to analyze her topic. In this hypothetical situation, a person can either push one person off the trolley to save five passengers or kill five passengers to let one live. Fiske created different trolley scenarios involving different types of people on the train tracks.
She said people sacrificed those with low competence, while they generally saved those with higher capabilities. In the experimental group, 84 percent sacrificed those with low competence and low warmth rates to save one in the group with a high competence and high warmth. Envy and scorn relate to a lack of warmth and explain why certain individuals were sacrificed. She concluded that emotions and feelings do influence how people feel and act toward one another. Ken MacLeish, an anthropology professor at the University of Austin at Texas in 2010, said he found Fiske’s research interesting because of her untraditional approach. “As an anthropologist, my approach to some of these questions is somewhat different, but it is interesting to see what these studies suggest about how social inequalities are reflected in people’s emotions and feelings,” he said.
“The legislature could also tr y and pass a bill,” Cordeiro said. “To do that, it’d be like passing any other bill in New Jersey, and in that process, there is a lot of amendments so things could be added to the bill.” The University’s Board of Governors and Board of Trustees could reject the deal, but the decision to do so might bring about other ramifications, Cordeiro said. “This deal is being presented as a package, so the [New Brunswick] merger would happen at the same time as the RutgersCamden merger,” he said. “If the board said no, it could potentially nix the entire thing.” John Connelly, RUSA vice president, said the proposed merger’s effects on the faculty and staff of both Rutgers-Camden and Rowan could prove detrimental. “Despite Christie’s claim … there is a case to be made that the merger will result in layoffs,” said Connelly, a School of Ar ts and Sciences junior. “There are only a cer tain
amount of positions available at a school, so when these schools star t merging some jobs will be lost.” Connelly suggested an alternative to a complete merger, where students have the option to still enroll at a single university but take courses at other universities. “There’s the consortium model where students at one university could take courses at another university,” he said. “For example, in New Jersey, RutgersNewark and [New Jersey Institute of Technology] students can take courses at each school respectively.” Donggu Yoon, a former RUSA senator, said he prefers another approach where all N.J. institutions share the same Board of Governors and Trustees. “The unified state system is a better model because it streamlines how information is shared through schools,” said Yoon, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “The merger does not take a step in that direction because it only splits off Camden and gives it to Rowan, which is a turf battle.”
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
METRO
PA G E 5
Perth Amboy council honors resident for heroic act BY SPENCER KENT STAFF WRITER
PERTH AMBOY — City residents and council members came together Wednesday to pay tribute to a man for his heroic contributions to the city. Ron Snipes, a Perth Amboy native, made the local news two weeks ago after successfully preventing a man from jumping off the Victor y Bridge in Perth Amboy. Driving in his car, Snipes said he pulled over after noticing the man on the bridge and sprinted to his aid. “I ran over to him and said, ‘Don’t jump, it ain’t worth it’,” Snipes said. “The guy let go, and I reached out and grabbed him and caught him. I held him there for what must have been 10 minutes until the police got there,” he said. But this was not the first time Snipes had to deal with a suicidal tendency. Snipes himself was on the brink of killing himself 12 years ago after losing his job, his girlfriend and dealing with weight problems. “Life wasn’t going my way,” he said. “I had no job, no insurance, no license, no money, no family to turn to, no girlfriend, no spirit and no motivation. I had a whole bunch of no’s.” With nobody to turn to, Snipes said his spirits were low, and he felt abandoned by those he felt he could depend on. “I was disappointed that I didn’t have a support team that I thought I should have as a son, a brother, any family member. I
never smoked or drank, no criminal record, never been locked up and here I was being treated like I was some bad guy,” he said. Snipes said soon found himself homeless and living in a park. Knowing that he had reached rock bottom, he decided to put a single bullet into a gun one night. But his suicide attempts were unsuccessful, and his gun jammed on two different occasions. “It was after that that I tossed the gun and went to try and get something to eat. I ran into a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in about six years. …[He] found me a place to sleep at a shelter,” Snipes said. Snipes said he was able to successfully rebuild his life, attaining three businesses, a home and family. “I always tried to keep myself relaxed and to stay positive,” he said. “My mother always told me that ‘where there’s life there’s hope.’ She was tough on me, and it was her that taught me to stay strong and be tough.” Snipes’ actions on the Victory Bridge — motivated by his own story of redemption — were recognized by the city, said Wilda Diaz, the mayor of Perth Amboy. Diaz said the city’s people felt that a night of tribute in Snipes’ honor, held at the Perth Amboy City Hall, was the least they could do for his act of heroism and inspiring effort. “He’s Perth Amboy’s hero. He sets a great example for how we should all live,” Diaz said. “We acknowledge that
what he did was extremely rare for a person to do. Someone may have dialed 911 and called it in, but he saw what was happening and took action.” Snipes was given a number of awards during Wednesday night’s tribute, including an Assembly Citation, the Mayor’s Proclamation and an award from the Perth Amboy Police Department for his heroism.
“I want them to know that no matter what ... you don’t have to turn to the negative.” RON SNIPES Perth Amboy Resident
Kenneth Ortiz, Perth Amboy’s director of Human Services, said he has known Snipes for many years and is astounded by his selfless efforts and ability to overcome adversity. “I’ve known Ronald since we were little kids. ... Everybody knew him in town. Now he’s known across the state. He’s like ‘Mr. Perth Amboy’ to us. He’s a wonderful representative of our city,” Ortiz said. Diaz agreed and said it is hard to find a person in Perth Amboy who has not heard of Snipes now, whether it is from his story of struggle, involvement in basketball, humanitarian acts or standup comedy.
“Everybody knows Ron,” she said. “He’s also a great comedian. But most of all he is know for his conscience. He understands about putting people first, before his own needs.” Snipes said he is now developing a steady stand-up comedy routine and is trying to make a name for himself. “I’ve always been a jokester, going back to when I was a little kid. I was always cracking jokes, dancing, always being a clown. I’m trying to take that and perfect it as a craft,” Snipes said. Fernando Gonzalez, a Perth Amboy City Council member, said these types of tributes are a pleasant break from the usual flow of negative stories attitudes expressed in the city. “Too often we point the finger at the negative things. But tonight was something extremely positive, for everyone. And it’s essential for us, as a government entity, that we recognize the positive things that our community members do,” Gonzalez said. Diaz said Snipes’ story of grit, as well as the lessons he learned from unpleasant scenarios, can make him out to be a role model for others, especially children. “I think that our youth can learn a great lesson from him. He became a role model overnight. … He can tell his story and people will read it — his struggles and everything that he went through. It’s a great message especially for the children,” she said. Gonzalez said Snipes is an example of a model citizen that everyone can follow.
“He was always there for me and my family, most of all my son as he grew up,” he said. “He has been dedicated to this town, as a comedian, humanitarian, traveling and exposing the Per th Amboy name in a positive light.” The tribute aimed to shed light on Snipes and his contributions to the city, many of which are still going on, Diaz said. “Most people are unaware of the amount of charitable work Ron has done. His stand-up comedy’s proceeds go toward numerous organizations and charities. Not too many people would do that,” she said. Or tiz hopes to not only celebrate Snipes, but also to raise awareness about some of the other positive characters that humbly do noble acts throughout the city. “Tonight was important because there are people like [Snipes] all over, and we need to highlight those people and show that there are good people out there who want to make a change even if there is struggle put in front of them,” Ortiz said. Snipes said he goes to schools to talk to children and tell them how strength and perseverance can help one accomplish great feats. “I want them to know that no matter what situation is thrown at you, you don’t have to turn to the negative. You don’t have to turn to drugs or alcohol. You just have to tell yourself that you are somebody in this world,” he said.
M ETRO
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
7
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
Ongoing music project aims to keep city jazz scene alive BY RICHARD CONTE CORRESPONDENT
Despite the challenges, founders of the New Brunswick Jazz Project hope to further integrate jazz into the New Brunswick’s busy culture. The NBJP was started to bring live jazz music to Central Jersey, said Virginia DeBerr y, the project’s co-founder. “People had to go to North Jersey or New York to hear live jazz,” she said. “We’re trying to add jazz to the list of reasons people come to New Brunswick.” DeBerry, a novelist, co-founded the project with James Lenihan, an engineer who owns a small manufacturing company, and Michael Tublin, an independent oil trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Because New Brunswick’s restaurant and bar scene lacked
jazz music, DeBerry, Lenihan and Tublin started the project to make jazz more of a staple, DeBerry said. “Other music scenes existed in town — just not a jazz one,” she said. “We knew there was an interest. People just didn’t know where to go.” Today, the NBJP produces two to four live events ever y week, DeBerry said. Shows take place on a recurring basis at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick and Sophie’s Bistro in Somerset, she said. “People thought we were crazy [when we started the project], but we are still here almost two years later,” she said. Since it began, the NBJP has featured a variety of seasoned and emerging jazz ar tists. As a result, a lot of area restaurants are looking to feature live jazz, DeBerr y said.
Lenihan said that because of the project’s success, the NBJP is figuring out how to manage the unexpected growth.
“We’re trying to add jazz to the list of reasons people come to New Brunswick.” VIRGINIA DEBERRY New Brunswick Jazz Project Co-Founder
DeBerr y said the program has also created an audience and community for jazz music in New Brunswick. “We’ve made a connection with the musicians, audiences and local venues,” she said.
None of the three co-founders are musicians or involved in the entertainment business, but their appreciation for jazz and hard work have contributed to the project’s success, DeBerry said. DeBerry, Lenihan and Tublin do not make any profits from their events, she said. “We come out and support all of the live shows. We do this for the love [of jazz music], not money,” DeBerry said. She said that jazz, as an original American-made form of music, should stay in people’s minds everywhere — especially in New Brunswick. “Jazz was invented in this country, and we are doing our best to keep it alive in Central Jersey,” she said. “New Brunswick considered itself cool, [but it] can’t be cool without jazz.” Sometimes the NBJP focuses on a particular group of jazz musicians. The project featured female
jazz musicians in March 2011, in honor of Women’s History Month, Tublin said. “Women have been a part of jazz history [and] played every instrument since jazz began,” he said. “But they never got the kind of spotlight or credit the guys did.” By presenting performances from a new generation of female musicians as leaders, the NBJP hopes it can pay tribute to the women who came before them, DeBerry said. The NBJP will again present their “Women in Jazz” series in March, featuring performances from nine female-led groups including the Tanya Darby Quartet, the Linda Oh Quartet and the Emily Asher Quartet. “Dedicating an entire month to showcasing performances with female leaders is a good way for us to do what we can to honor women’s contributions to jazz,” Lenihan said.
LIANNE NG
Nir Naaman, member of the Roy Assaf and Nir Naaman Quartet, play the saxophone Wednesday at the Hyatt Hotel in an event hosted by the New Brunswick Jazz Project.
OBAMA DROPS NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REQUIREMENT FOR SCHOOLS IN 10 STATES, INCLUDING NEW JERSEY New Jersey and nine other states will no longer be required to adhere to the No Child Left Behind Law, which requires all students in schools be proficient in math and reading by 2014, according to MSNBC. President Barack Obama will waive the requirement for states that promise to improve their student preparation and evaluation. The other states to receive waivers are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Twenty-eight other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also plan to apply for waivers, according to MSNBC. The states must instead show their plans to prepare students for college and careers, set goals for student achievement, reward top-per forming schools and help struggling ones. No Child Left Behind was passed more than 10 years ago in an attempt to help minority and low-income students in the countr y. At the time of its passing, there was considerable bipar tisan suppor t, but since 2007 the law has been up for renewal. Obama criticized the law, introduced by former President George W. Bush, as a flawed ef for t that was detrimental to students, according to MSNBC. Under the law, schools that do not meet requirements for more than two years face consequences including staf f replacements, tutoring and transpor ting students to high-per forming schools. Because Congress did not update the law, despite large bipar tisan agreement that it needs to be changed, Obama suggested the waivers. But some Republicans think Obama is overreaching his authority by granting the waivers, according to MSNBC.
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
OPINIONS
PA G E 8
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
EDITORIAL
Week in review: laurels and darts
R
ailroad tracks can be a hazard for riders and pedestrians. Commuter trains, running at extremely high speeds, can only afford to show so much consideration for pedestrians who might find themselves too close to the tracks. So, it is important that transit companies do all they can to create a safer environment around these rails. In an effort to build on already existing safety measures and reduce on accidental deaths along N.J. railroad tracks, N.J. Transit announced Wednesday that it will implement a number of new precautions, including a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of gate skirts and warning signs. The new measures come after two accidental deaths: one in Wayne in October and another in Garfield. N.J. Transit deserves a laurel for these new measures. *
*
*
*
The Super Bowl is a definitive part of the quintessential American lifestyle — and so are the program’s commercials. Yet, each year, there are a few commercials that leave viewers confused, disappointed, and, in some cases, straight-up offended. An advertisement sponsored by Michigan senatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra was aimed at marring the image of his opponent, Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow, definitely takes the cake this year for the most offensive and insensitive commercial of the Super Bowl. The ad, which depicts a young Asian women speaking broken English against a backdrop of rice patties, left many viewers wondering how such a racist piece of political propaganda was even able to run. To underscore the total inappropriateness of the commercial, Hoekstra, a former Michigan representative, may now face charges of racial insensitivity, according to the Huffington Post. Hoekstra deserves a dart for stooping to such lows in order to gain cheap political points. *
*
*
*
In response to reported death threats on the campus — including a message scrawled on a bathroom wall that read “Fags will die on 2/7” — of Montclair State University on Jan. 26, 27 and 30, the Rutgers University Student Assembly commemorated Tuesday as “AntiHarassment Day.” “No one should be targeted based on their identity, especially not on a college campus,” said John Connelly, the vice president of RUSA. We agree — incidents like these seem to take place periodically at universities across the country, and it’s a wonder how such hateful bias continues, despite protests against it. Students should be allowed to express themselves freely during their college careers, and acts like these are, if nothing else, evidence of the ignorance that still plagues many college communities. We give RUSA, and all other campus organizations that expressed their solidarity on Tuesday, a laurel. It’s important that there are individuals willing to stand up against acts like this. *
*
*
*
Forest Whitaker and Aldo Civico, renowned conflict resolution expert and a professor in the Department of Anthropology at RutgersNewark, respectively, founded in 2011 the University’s International Institute for Peace, an organization that promotes sustainable peace, eliminating poverty and education for peace-building leaders. Because of their efforts, the institute, along with Rutgers-Newark, became the first American university to be designated as an official United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Institute this past Tuesday. We laurel the International Institute for Peace — and along with it Whitaker and Civico for their efforts — for bringing to the University such notoriety. The agreement between UNESCO and the University effectively makes the University the only American university center with such a designation, and for this we should all be proud. *
*
*
*
This year was quite the year for Super Bowl sideshows. Racist ads and a halftime showstoppers —Madonna (why is she still around?), strangely captivating maneuvers by a Will Ferrell look-a-like (the pinnacle of the show, in our opinion) and rapper MIA flipping off the Super Bowl audience and viewers at home — equally made for an exciting program. But what we’d like to take issue with here is with MIA’s obscene gesture. We understand celebrities like to stir things up, but giving the middle finger to cameras on network television is a bit much. The incident is reminiscent of the 2004 scandal involving singers Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and her nude breast. MIA deserves a dart for her inappropriate behavior. Perhaps this is why the Super Bowl’s halftime show has stuck to classic rock acts in recent years. Artists like Tom Petty and Paul Simon seem like less of a liability.
MCT CAMPUS
On the nature of politics The Minority W Report
hyper-protection of national hile I was staysovereignty, lest it one day ing with relabe held accountable for the tives in Jordan many human-rights violalast summer, a new family tions of its own. In Russia’s moved in next door to our case, on top of having an Amman home. They had an army base in Syria, the tanks energetic little boy named and weapons that Assad Adam, who did not let the AMANI AL-KHATAHTBEH uses against his own people harsh Middle Eastern sun have “Made in Russia” writdeter the playful adventures ten all over them. In this day and age, civilian blood he’d have in the neighborhood. We could always is far cheaper than imported bullets. hear his bold laughter, whether it was lulling its While this brief moment in history reasserted way through our window curtains or chasing after the UN’s complete defectiveness because of the us down the street. No wall was too tall for him to Security Council veto — which I will certainly rant climb, and no deserted path was too scary for him about another day — this occurrence will have to explore. Whenever I saw him, he was always serious repercussions in the global arena. Not only sprinting toward some unknown destination at high will this decision prolong the halt of Assad’s viospeed, but would stop just long enough to look up lence, but it also sent a clear mesat me with his bright, sea foam sage to him and his forces that green eyes and ask me if I’d like to “To the humane they can continue — and even join him for some ice cream. No — their oppression of the older than five years old, he was person, it would seem escalate Syrian people. He is being protectalready fearless. Maybe his fearlessness had unnatural and frankly ed primarily beneath the wing of Russia, and the more civilians he something to do with the fact that abominable to kills, the more money the Eastern he was one of Jordan’s newest power makes. More importantly, refugees from Syria. Forced to flee tolerate the loss the sound of those vetoes was from the relentless violence of of an innocent life.” heard loud and clear the world Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over. For anyone who had any against his defenseless people, doubt, innocent lives indeed come Adam and his family had to leave only after power and money. behind the home and country they had always The governments and politics of today’s world known to safeguard a future for the little boy whose revolve around garnering as much wealth and spirit had no bounds. Assad’s forces kill dozens of influence as possible, only to be distributed children every day in the deadly struggle for among the corrupt and chosen few that are in power. The aspirations of freedom and democracy charge — even if it means having to kill the very are finally clashing with long-seated rule and opporpopulations that their purpose is to protect. This tunistic modern-day politics. And while our young behavior only upholds and wildly emphasizes not generation has stubborn faith in the former, it is only the illegitimacy of such governments, but of becoming harder to realistically foresee which the need for a global shift in power back into the force will win in today’s geopolitical climate. hands of the people. To the humane person, it would seem unnatural This is not an issue on the backs of individual and frankly abominable to tolerate the loss of an populations, but rather an international threat facinnocent life, yet it has become clear that many leading our humanity. The fact that several governers running our world are anything but humane. ments can collaborate and unite on continued injusThe United Nations’ Security Council considered tices is a red flag that all peoples must respond to. passing an Arab League-backed resolution a few Mahatma Gandhi stated, “Every ruler is alien days ago that would have called for Assad to immethat defies public opinion.” If that’s the case, then diately relinquish his power. While 13 countries world power is overrun by entities that are more forobviously agreed to this resolution, which would — eign than we thought. again, to any humane person — seem unquestionable, China and Russia used their veto power to stop Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is a School of Arts and it from passing. Sciences sophomore majoring in Middle Eastern studWhy could any country possibly be against the ies and political science with a minor in French. Her suspension of reckless wide-scale murder? China column, “The Minority Report,” normally runs on simply remains consistent with its long-held alternate Wednesdays. adamancy against humanitarian intervention and its
QUOTE OF THE DAY “New Brunswick considered itself cool, [but it] can’t be cool without jazz. ” Virginia DeBerry, co-founder of the New Brunswick Jazz Project, on bringing jazz to the Hub City STORY IN METRO
Due to space limitations, submissions cannot exceed 750 words. If a commentary exceeds 750 words, it will not be considered for publication. All authors must include name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Anonymous letters will not be considered. All submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity. A submission does not guarantee publication. Please submit via e-mail to oped@dailytargum.com by 4 p.m. to be considered for the following day’s publication. Please do not send submissions from Yahoo or Hotmail accounts. The editorials written above represent the majority opinion of The Daily Targum editorial board. All other opinions expressed on the Opinions page, and those held by advertisers, columnists and cartoonists, are not necessarily those of The Daily Targum.
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
O PINIONS
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
9
Remembering Christopher Hitchens T
he writer Christopher Eric Hitchens, affectionately known as “Hitch” to those who knew him or his works, passed away from esophageal cancer on Dec. 15, 2011. I was in Atlantic City at the time, unwinding from a night of poker and blackjack and sitting on the bed of my Harrah’s hotel room sipping Johnnie Walker Black Label, Hitchens’ favorite drink. I remember distinctly — despite the Black Label coursing its rich flavor into my liver — the sinking feeling in my stomach as I let out a small sigh. In an instant, I went from unbridled joy, drinking and gambling in one of America’s dens of iniquity, to a feeling of personal loss for a man I had never met, nor even seen in person. And, except for in online atheist communities, his death was but a passing note in obituaries and on television. Hitchens wasn’t exactly an appeaser of the public. Some of his best-known works include a scathing account of Mother Teresa’s work in India and a little book titled “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Ever ything.” However, the man’s legacy is far greater than was accounted for. Hitchens started his life in American journalism writing for the weekly magazine The Nation in the early 1980s, where he immediately stirred controversy for his hatred for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr., as well as many of Reagan’s policies and their effects in Central and South America. He was among the first to report on atrocities in Africa, especially in the Darfur
region of Sudan. debates to be avail- Dennett, a neuroscientist like Harris, or a Gore Vidal named able to any individ- biologist like Dawkins. Instead, Hitchens Hitchens his heir ual with Internet was armed with only his sharp mind — — a title that access and and sharper tongue — to reach the minds Hitchens refused, enabled communi- of millions. And that is exactly what considering Vidal’s ties to come Hitchens did. I remember that, as a high suppor t for Sept. together around school student, watching Hitchens win 11 conspiracy thecer tain topics, debate after debate made me secure with CODY GORMAN ories. He was r e s p e c t i v e l y . my own lack of faith and confident to named one of the Hitchens’ debate explore more to make sure my logic was, top 100 intellectuals by Foreign Policy skills were unrivaled, and evolutionary in my mind, correct. and Prospect magazines and he won mul- biologist Richard Dawkins summed them His death was not unnoticed. The athetiple awards for his journalism. While up well with the warning, “If you are a ist community expressed their sorrows most of his journalistic efforts were fin- religious apologist invited into a debate and gratitude online, tweeting at Hitchens ished by the 2000s, Hitchens still man- with Christopher Hitchens, decline.” with the hashtag “GodisNotGreat.” The aged to make headlines. Hitchens debated a number of Christian, hashtag reached the top trends on Though he was a socialist throughout Muslim and Jewish Twitter’s main site much of his youth, Christopher Hitchens apologists, rarely until pressure from “Instead, Hitchens was armed religious users supported the American invasion of Iraq declining, and and interventionist American policies in almost always forced Twitter to with only his sharp mind — Middle Eastern regions. Many liberals “won” the debate. take down the were aghast to hear this from a man who In an Intelligence trend. Ironically, and sharper tongue — was seemingly liberal, but Hitchens made Squared debate, he this was the exact to reach the minds of millions. ” sort of event Hitch no compromises in his political views. and writer Stephen Despite suppor ting former President Fr y demolished would have loved, George Bush Jr. in his foreign policy, he two Christian smirking with detested Bush’s advocacy for intelligent adversaries by a massive margin, con- impunity at a majority’s attempt to mardesign, capital punishment, and the use vincing most of the audience that the ginalize a small but vocal minority’s voice. of waterboarding as an interrogation Catholic Church was not a “force for I’m sure he would have smiled and raised technique. Hitchens was one of the few to good.” It was through this medium of his glass of Johnnie Walker Black Label, actually undergo waterboarding, which social commentar y and debate that much like I intend to every time I pour a was recorded by the magazine Vanity Hitchens became a hero in the atheist glass, to honor one of the greatest — but Fair, where he was a contributing editor. and secular communities. unappreciated — thinkers of our time. The demonstration ended in seconds, This is how I encountered Hitchens, after which his verdict was clear. one of the “Four Horsemen” of atheism Cody Gorman is a School of Arts and Far and away, Hitchens’ popularity — Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Sciences senior majoring in political science exploded in the mid-2000s with the dawn Dennett being the other three. By most and Middle Eastern studies with a minor in of websites like YouTube and Reddit, accounts, Hitchens shouldn’t have been a history. His column, “The Tuning Fork,” which allowed videos of atheist-theist visionary. He wasn’t a philosopher like normally runs on alternate Wednesdays.
The Tuning Fork
Breaking down racial prejudice, preconceptions Miss Conduct I city that was ver y different people in have a story for you this week that economically, ethmy hometown feel illustrates what I consider inappronically and racially as though “race” priate social conduct, but that more divided. He is was an issue. importantly describes a malignant social Hispanic, if that However, speakdisease — prejudice. I do not know how matters, though ing from my own to isolate its cause or how to kill it. But I I’m not sure why it perspective, I can do have a suggestion for how to keep it would. As already honestly say I from spreading and how to fight back. COURTNEY SHAW stated, the person never thought I was at a dance party a few months I had kissed was about race as a ago with my friend and her boyfriend. black. Not that the boyfriend knew this barrier between people. While walking back to her house at the about my dancing partner, but he went I was at a loss for how to proceed in end of the night, her boyfriend brought to high school in a town nearly as preppy this conversation. I was offended, for a lot up that he’d seen me kiss this guy. I’m as mine and may own more Polo shirts of reasons. First, I could not believe this paraphrasing because I won’t repeat his than I do. person had felt he had any right to comexact words, but he told me he thought it Some of you reading the above might ment on what kind of man “I had a thing was strange that I had “such a thing for be asking, why is it relevant where you for.” Who I am attracted to is none of his black guys.” or he or this other guy grew up? I men- business. Second, he clearly did not know “Excuse me?” was my first reaction. tion where my friend’s boyfriend comes me well at all, because his conclusion was “Who the hell do you think you are?” was from because I think he used his back- incorrect. I have dated men of different the next one. I was floored. ground to read what he saw at the party. skin tones and with different physical But what I actually said was, “I’m not He looked at me and at the guy I was attributes someone might find relevant in exactly sure what you mean by that.” He dancing with, defining my “type.” To draw conclusions explained that and based on our about my dating life from observing who I whenever we’d appearances, he danced with at a few parties was an incombeen at par ties “The University is pictured us in the plete sur vey of me. A more accurate together he had a bubble where we get context of his description of who I have “a thing for” seen me dancing high school would be nice, cute guys who are talented with guys who the chance to shape our experience. The and passionate about what they do — and happened to be community as we see fit.” image made no who are also hopefully good dancers. black, and it was sense to him. I More than anything, though, I was weird to him. gather my shocked that he treated our skin tones as Where he went appearance is what he meant by girls relevant at all. I know there is a real physito high school, he told me, girls like me “like” me, and I think his idea of my cal difference between “white” skin and just didn’t date black boys. preppy hometown may have played into “black” skin, just the same way that there So much was going on in my head at his perception of who I am. He defined is a difference between people in height this point that I was at a loss for what to me based on the assumptions he had and eye color, and in whether one’s earsay. For you to better understand his made about my life and cultural identity. lobes are connected to the side of one’s position, I’ll give you a quick sketch of He interpreted my personality based on head. It’s all in our genes. I also know that myself: I have white skin and blond hair. my looks. my friend’s boyfriend is a smart guy who is If anyone were to stereotype me based For me, though, no idea could be certainly aware of that. What he meant by solely on my appearance alone, they more foreign. Where I grew up, race was “black” and “white” was an association that would probably label me “WASP-y.” I not an issue that explosively divided my in reality had nothing to do with physical grew up in a preppy town where typical community. I am not saying there were appearances. It was a whole conception of high school apparel was J. Crew cardino debates about race and social equality social division between races that his time gans, Polo shirts and corduroys. My in Princeton, and I will not presume to in high school had ingrained in him, for friend’s boyfriend who presumed to know or understand the extent to which whatever reasons. I will not pretend to comment on my dating life grew up in a
understand what life experiences he encountered that made that division so real to him. However what shocked and angered me was not so much that he grew up in a community where social segregation was very real — though I do think it’s sad that such places exist in New Jersey. What upset me was that he did not realize that this community, our University community, is not like his hometown. It isn’t like mine either. It is its own unique environment where we have the opportunity to make our own social rules. By bringing in his attitudes toward race and dating and whatever else to bear on my dating life, he tried to fit me into the cultural environment of his upbringing. I refuse to accept its right to define my actions. I understand that where he is from, me kissing this guy would have been a transgression. Where I am from it would not be. At the University, it only is if we as a community decide to treat it as such. It hadn’t even occurred to me that anyone would. I believe what matters is not what culture shapes your childhood and what community attitudes you grow up surrounded by, but what you choose to take from that background and how you decide to let those experiences influence your life. So I am asking both you and myself to think about the prejudices we each hold and where they come from. The University is a bubble where we get the chance to shape our community as we see fit. Let’s try to treat each other as equals and peers. I challenge you to strip away your preconceptions of other people and instead, judge them based on who they prove themselves to be. Courtney Shaw is a School of Arts and Sciences senior majoring in English and history with a minor in French. Her column, “Miss Conduct,” normally runs on alternate Thursdays.
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
DIVERSIONS
PA G E 1 0
Horoscopes / LINDA C. BLACK
Pearls Before Swine
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
STEPHAN PASTIS
Today's Birthday (02/10/12). Friends and partners usher in this new year with open arms. Your values have shifted from material pursuits to ideals like liberty, justice and equality. Studies and research prove to be fruitful. Creativity leads to profit, which grows inside a budget. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — There's some urgency. Imagine the project in its completed form, and stay active. Delegate the help from partners and friends. Give up control, and accept contribution. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Consult with partners over the next few days. Brainstorm and gather info. No need to make big decisions yet. Leave your money buried. Stay and finish up. Gemini (May 21-June 21) — Today is a 7 — Loved ones encourage you to take on a new challenge. Heed an unsolicited suggestion. Choose privacy over publicity. There's a temporary block, so get rest. Cancer (June 22-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Your team is ready. Put their ideas into practice. The next two days are good for making changes at home. Save enough for the highest quality. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — The pressure increases, but you have what it takes. Follow a strong leader. Everything starts to make sense. Don't pour money down a hole. Review work before sending. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Get farther than expected, and discover new things about yourself. You're entering a lucrative phase, but stick to your blueprints. Your actions speak louder than words.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Your confidence gets a boost later today. Getting clear on your purpose or focus inspires you to take action. Direct traffic; folks want to contribute. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Time to get your hands dirty with an art project. Find your creative side. What do you love? What tickles your fancy? If you're lost, let a partner take the lead. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Romance requires patience and flexibility now, but it's well worth it. Balance short-term goals with longterm sustainability. There's a test. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — New energy propels you to create goals for the future and take action. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate, and think up some revolutionary ideas. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Get ready for an adventure that could last into the weekend. Tie up the loose ends from older projects so you can launch a new one without looking back. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — It's easier to concentrate now, especially in the financial realm. Why not get your taxes done early? Or at least go over the paperwork to see where you can save.
Dilbert
Doonesberry
Happy Hour
© 2011, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.
www.happyhourcomic.com
SCOTT ADAMS
GARY TRUDEAU
JIM AND PHIL
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Stone Soup
Get Fuzzy
D IVERSIONS JAN ELIOT
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
Pop Culture Shock Therapy
11
DOUG BRATTON
DARBY CONLEY
Non Sequitur
WILEY
Jumble
H. ARNOLD & M. ARGIRION THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
Brevity
GUY & RODD
RAWEF ©2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
ZEOON
LATERL
Ph.D
J ORGE C HAM
Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jumble
Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.
CADFAE Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.
Answer: Yesterday’s
Sudoku
© PUZZLES BY PAPPOCOM
Solution Puzzle #29 2/9/12
Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com
(Answers tomorrow) WOUND BEATEN BANTER Jumbles: CYCLE Answer: The concert in Death Valley had — LOW ATTENDANCE
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
CLASSIFIEDS
PA G E 1 2
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
How to Place an Ad:
Policies:
1.Come to Room 431 of the Rutgers Student Center on College Avenue 2.Mail ad and check to: The Daily Targum 126 College Ave Suite 431 New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Attn: Classified Manager 3. Email your ad to: classifieds@dailytargum.com
4.CHARGE IT! Use your over the phone or by coming to our business office in Rm 431 RSC Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-5p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• NO REFUNDS FOR CHANGES. • 3.00 PER DAY FOR CANCELLATIONS.
Adoptions • Birthdays • Events Greek Forum • Lost/Found Meetings • Parties • Travel Miscellaneous
Help Wanted • Internship Job/Career Opportunities Services • Volunteers Wanted Wanted • Miscellaneous
Rates:
12
Small classified: up to 20 words, each additional word 30¢ per day DEADLINE: 12:00 p.m. one (1) business day prior to publication
Large classified: up to 25 words, $8.50 each additional inch (11 words) DEADLINE: 12:00 p.m. one (1) business day prior to publication
THE DAILY TARGUM
Display classified:
126 College Ave., Suite 431 New Brunswick, NJ 08903 732-932-7051, x603
Electronics Items for Sale Items Wanted Wheels
Apartment for Rent House for Rent • House for Sale Room Available • Roommate Wanted Sublet • Miscellaneous
Typeset with border; contains graphics, logos, etc. Cash Rate–$10.15/column inch • Billed Rate–$12.15/column inch DEADLINE: 3:00 p.m. three (3) business days prior to publication Law firm located in Manalapan seeking
Receptionist/Sales -
part/full time individual receptionist position
looking for a
willing to handle any office duties. Spanish
hardworking, outgoing,
speaking a must. Applicants email resume
and very friendly person.
1day
3days
5days
10days
$8.00
$7.50/day
$7.00/day
$6.00/day
Student rate–$5.00 per day
$21.00
$19.00/day
$16.00/day
$14.00/day
University billed accounts–$22.00, Student rate–$12.00 per day
“It was so good I will never use another paper to advertise! The response was tremendous, with qualified applicants.” Jeri Bauer
The Daily Targum will only be responsible for errors on the first day run; advertisers must call by noon with corrections. Only advertisers with an established credit account may be billed. All advertising is subject to the approval of the marketing director and business manager. The Daily Targum has not investigated any of the services offered or advertisers represented in this issue. Readers are encouraged to contact the Better Business Bureau of Central New Jersey for information concerning the veracity of questionable advertising. Better Business Bureau of Central NJ 1700 Whitehorse Hamilton Square Rd Trenton, NJ 08690 (609) 588-0808
Must provide
to: sjaitly@shapirosternlieb.com
exceptional customer
HELP WANTED
service. The following Lifeguards Needed
hours are available - not
No Experience Necessary, Training Available. Age 18+ ok
required to work all that
Monday-Thursday
are listed, choose what
9:30am-12:00pm &
fits your schedule:
Apartments:
Vertical Dumbell Rack.
M,W,Th - 3:30-8.
3-6+ bedrooms.
MSRP $120
$12/hr+commission.
Avail. June 1, 2012
Amazon $89.99
Old Bridge.
(732) 494-1914
Selling for $40
12:00-3:30pm $8-$10/hour
800-965-6520 ext. 173
Current certifications
Price negotiable. Apartment for Rent
required, experienced Sales/ Customer Service Rep Mon-Fri 5-
preferred
year old mildly autistic male in our Somerset
9, Sat 10-2. No exp. Necessary. Part Time
Email resume and
Work/Great pay. Must be energetic,
No experience necessary, will train. Call Dawn 732-771-6716.
motivated, and punctual. North Brunswick
references:
Sir John's North Brunswick Family Part time front desk receptionist for busy
Restaurant. Server. Experience preferred,
physical therapy and fitness practice.
will train. Flexible Hours, Various Shifts.
Two nights a week with alternating
Team! Just across from Rockoff Hall
Saturdays.
resume
Ask for Liz
neighborhood. 1 Bedroom/2 baths. 908-421-6347
Some Lunches a Must. 732-297-3803
bedrooms from 910.00 and 2 bedrooms from 1,200 all include heat, hot water and cooking gas. Excellent Service. 1 block to College. Apartments available starting in May 2012. Please call 908-722-7272
to
billing@JCPT1.com
INTERNSHIP
or call Caroline (732)777-9733.
HOUSE FOR RENT
www.jcpt1.com Attention Jewish Students: Learn about your
Earn $10.00/hr to start Flexible Hours
Night: 732-985-7348
efficiency apartments from 700.00 1
Earn up to $100 per day being a Mystery
Join the RU Telefund
Private yard. Washer/Dryer/Dishwasher. Safe
New Brunswick Apartments for rent -
Email eds@treeandlawncare.com
Earn Extra Money Students needed ASAP
Call 1-888-912-6932
Day: 732-932-7051
$1,250/month. Newly renovated, furnished.
Area. Call Ed @ 732-220-0909 EXT. 304
SJohnson@ssbjcc.org
Shopper No Experience Required.
Body solid GDR44 2-Tier
732-727-1811
Childcare: Seeking afterschool care for 17
home. Need driver's license, references.
ITEMS FOR SALE
Bridgewater JCC !!Bartending!! $250/day potential
APARTMENT FOR RENT
heritage. Earn $300. For more information Part-time vet tech wanted $8.25-$8.50/hr,
go
to
rutgersjx.com
or
mgoldberg@rutgersjx.com.
Fun Atmosphere
Saturdays needed. Must be an animal
Build Your Resume
science major. Experience preferred, but
APPLY NOW!
will train. Looking to hire as soon as
music/movement workshops for children
possible. Easton Animal Clinic
with autism. Saturdays, February 18-April
732-839-1449
732-246-2680
rutelefund.org
Ask for Shannon or Gina.
Single or double, fully renovated, washer/dryer, private parking. Lg. Common Area. Big Back Porch. Walk to CAC. Non Smoker. Call Ms. Kim -(732) 207-9245
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS - Assist in art or
28. Morning or afternoon sessions. Possible course credit. info@vsanj.org (732) 745-3885
TARGUM
CLASSIFIEDS 732-932-7051
S P O RT S
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
ERA: Knights return deep attack, midfield under Brecht continued from back
WORD ON THE STREET
play as well as I did last season and hopefully even pass it,” Klimchak said. “I’m just looking for a solid, solid year so I can help out the team.” Klimchak finished second in points to Clancy, the only other member of the high-powered attack group to start all 15 games
last year for the Knights. Clancy finished the season with 42 points, including a team-high 20 assists. Also returning to the attack group is Scott’s twin brother, Matt Klimchak, who finished last season with 10 goals despite missing part of the year because of injury. Together with sturdy midfielders Mangan and Diehl to compliment the small, quick attack, last year’s Knights boasted an offense that former head coach Jim Stagnitta called the most explosive Rutgers saw in years.
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2 Now the same offense is in the hands of Brecht, and he already established a relationship with his team in the offseason. “Everything has been going great. Everyone has been loving the new coach,” Scott Klimchak said. “It is a great atmosphere. It is pretty intense, but everyone has been loving it so far.” Duke is a formidable first opponent for Brecht and the Knights, even with the players Rutgers returns on offense. The Blue Devils, who the Knights usually do
S
enior 133-pounder Michael DeMarco is out again this weekend for the Rutgers wrestling team. Redshirt junior Joe Langel will wrestle at 133 at the National Duals. DeMarco will return the following week against Drexel, the final match before the EIWA Tournament. “We miss Mike DeMarco. That’s a lot of wins out there. That’s a lot of dual-meet wins because he’s not in the lineup,” said head coach Scott Goodale. “That will be a rush, but we have to wrestle him one match before EIWA’s to see where he’s at and how he feels.”
NEW
YORK
GIANTS
receiver Victor Cruz earned $450,000 as part of the standard undrafted player contract. After 1,596 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this season, Cruz is lobbying for more. The Giants front of fice said Thursday that players asking for raises come with the territory after winning a Super Bowl. But it did not say if the team will restructure Cruz’s contract. New York also has to deal with the upcoming unrestricted free agency of wide receiver Mario Manningham. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora is expected to lobby for a raise, as well. Defensive end Jason PierrePaul said Thursday the Giants should “give [Umenyiora] what he wants,” according to The Star-Ledger.
THE
NEW
JERSEY
Nets’ parade of injuries continued Wednesday, when the team announced guard Keith Bogans suffered a complete tear of the deltoid ligament, as well as a fractured left ankle. Bogans will undergo surgery Monday, though he is likely done for the season. The guard suf fered the injuries in Wednesday’s 9992 loss to the Detroit Pistons when he attempted to block a dunk by Pistons center Greg Monroe with 2:27 remaining. Bogans averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds this season in 18.8 minutes per game.
HOUSTON
$200
ROCKETS
general manager Daryl Morey said Thursday he regrets letting go of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. “We should have kept [Lin]. Did not know he was this good,” Morey tweeted. The Harvard product averaged 25.3 points and 8.3 assists during his past three games with the Knicks. The Rockets cut Lin in December to make room for center Samuel Dalember t. The Knicks claimed Lin two days after to replace point guard Iman Shumpert after Shumper t sustained a knee injur y.
10
13
not see during the regular season, advanced to the semifinals last year of the NCAA Tournament. But as far as season-opening games go, the Knights see a possible win against Duke as an exciting way to kick off the Brecht era. “Everyone is excited to get the season going, especially because we are going down to play Duke. We have never really played Duke before,” Scott Klimchak said. “Hopefully we can go there and play them well at their own place.”
14
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
S PORTS
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Improvement remains focus for meet BY VINNIE MANCUSO CORRESONDENT
For the past two meets, the Rutgers gymnastics team made a habit of either tying or surpassing personGYMNASTICS al-best scores. CORTLAND AT And RUTGERS, while SATURDAY, 1 P.M. t h e Scarlet Knights gained their first wins of the season two weeks ago, a quad meet in Pittsburgh last Saturday proved it takes more to earn wins over the long haul. Despite many Knights racking up personal bests, a poor performance on the uneven bars landed Rutgers in third place overall. As the Knights enter a trimeet tomorrow against Cortland and Brown, head coach Louis Levine and the team think they found the solution: Do not focus on the individual, but bring the team together. “I think that what was wrong on bars [at Pittsburgh] was really just our practicing,” said junior Danielle D’Elia. “Our biggest problem is that we need to practice bars either a little harder or more as a team, which is something Lou has been trying to do in the past few days. Within the last few days, we have done a lot of group work together on the bars to help us get to the 48.000 that we need.” The Knights point to the beam routine as proof their team-oriented approach to practice will help smooth out their problems. They
YEAR: Dellefave has prime chance at NCAA stock builder continued from back with my strength of schedule, I’m going to get in anyway.” Now would be as good a time as any for Dellefave to figure it out. The weekend regional marks the first dual-meet national tournament, something Goodale believes is necessary to determine a team national champion. The NCAA acknowledges its team champion based on individ-
struggled on the beam early in the season, but now it is consistently one of their strong points. Since the team’s first outing, Rutgers landed all six of its beam routines in all but one meet. “In the beginning of the year we were struggling on beam, but we started working together and we have finally come along on beam,” D’Elia said. “In the past few meets it has actually been one of our stronger events. I think that if we keep doing group work on the bars within the next few meets, it is going to click, and it will go from a 46.000 from a 48.000, which is exactly what we need.” The Knights hope they see familiar things from last week in the other three events of the day. Sophomore Alexis Gunzelman, who notched her second allaround title in a row at Pittsburgh, recorded career-high scores on the vault and beam. D’Elia paced the Knights on the floor even with a score of 9.800. Rutgers’ score of 48.525 on the balance beam was a season-best. Its 48.675 score on the vault tied for the third-best score in program history. But the Knights know they need to even out their bar routine if they want to move from third to first this weekend on the podium. “We definitely have some really good things going on with vault, beam and floor,” D’Elia said. “Our biggest struggle obviously is bars, and we are working on that.” The Knights have the added benefit of competing in the familiar confines of the Livingston Recreation Center. ual points at the championships. So Dellefave will start the Knights off — “I’m the [Derek] Jeter of the team,” he said — even with fewer expectations for a team more focused on individual postseason success. “In years past, we won these matches — not all of them, but a lot of them,” Goodale said. “We’ve always picked off somebody, so pick [Bedelyon] off, it’s a good opportunity. We can win the dual meet if that happens. We can get the magic back.” The magic filled the RAC the past three years, contributing to
SEASON: Four freshmen prepare for collegiate opener continued from back
JOVELLE TAMAYO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Junior Danielle D’Elia and the Knights take on a pair of programs this weekend, when they unveil a renewed team emphasis at home. Rutgers hopes to keep its home streak alive. “It is definitely a good thing that it is a home meet. It is good because last week we did so well, so that now at a home meet this is a good base for us as far
as confidence level goes,” D’Elia said. “Since we are at home, we will be on our own equipment, and it will be our crowd and people we know. I think that will help us to do even better than we did last time.”
the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s decision to choose it as a host site. Storied programs Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State host the other regionals. But Rutgers put 5,011 people in the seats last season for a dual meet against Lehigh — one of two marquee programs, along with Penn State, that opted not to participate in the National Duals. “They looked at what we did with attendance and said, ‘Wow, if we get all these good schools here, we can pack this place,’” Goodale said. “Unfortunately we’re not having the year we had last year.”
So the mindset is to bolster postseason résumés with individual success and maybe pull off an upset along the way. This year’s team has too many redshirts and too many injuries to expect a serious run. But Goodale wants the National Duals to remain and grow, and next year’s lineup will be better suited to compete. Only it might not have another chance to host. “This is exactly what this sport needs. It has to be something that happens every year,” Goodale said. “You’re going to see some good wrestling.”
But Nelson knows they can do better. “You earn that spot, so that’s kind of where you fit in,” Nelson said. “I don’t think we’re going to end up there — I think we’ll be higher.” To prove it, he purposely designed the schedule so the Knights face tough competition before league play. They get their first taste of action today, when they travel to Lafayette, La., to play the first two games of the season — both against ranked teams. No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 24 Tulsa will try to hand Rutgers its first losses of the season. “We make [games prior to Big East play] very tough [in order] to see good competition, see good pitching, compete against good hitters,” Nelson said. “Once we get into the Big East, we’re used to that competition, and that competition is easy.” Location also puts the Knights at a disadvantage. While Rutgers only recently resumed outside practice because of winter, the schools it faces this weekend do not have that problem. Southern schools compose the rest of the field. They are able to hold more outside practices, which largely affects preparation. “We’ve been outside a couple of times but have really only been able to practice on dirt once,” Nelson said. “Normally we only see balls on turf and the ball bounces differently. … They’re southern schools. They’ve been out all winter. They’ve been practicing outside while we’re in the Bubble. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a reality.” But the biggest concern is neither the lack of outside practice nor the team’s record. Nelson is more concerned with the team’s overall showing rather than if it wins or loses. “I don’t know whether we’re going to be 5-0, 0-5 or someplace in between,” he said. “What I’m looking for in this tournament is just see how people compete.” Entering a new season, many coaches are concerned with freshmen. They are curious how younger players stack up against higher competition. But neither Nelson nor senior outfielder Lindsey Curran are concerned with the team’s newcomers. “Our freshmen are great. They came in with the right attitude,” Curran said. “They’re great players. They’re competitive, they want the same goals as [the upperclassmen], they want to win and they came in working hard and ready to go.” Normally there is a learning curve each new player has to deal with when moving to the college level. This group was different, Curran said. “We didn’t have to teach them the ropes because they were already there,” she said. All four of the freshmen will see time this season, and Nelson expects to have a least three of them in the lineup at any given time. But no matter how the team plays or what the outcome of this weekend’s tournament is, the goal remains the same. Nelson has improved the team each of his five seasons at Rutgers, and he expects this one to be no different. “We’re looking for a better than .500 record and to get into the Big East Tournament and win it,” he said.
S P O RT S
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
15
RU parts on eve of Champs BY ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Only one weekend stands in the way of the Rutgers women’s track and field team and the Big East Championships. The weekend is WOMEN’S TRACK t h e RUTGERS AT Scarlet Knights’ LAFAYETTE/RIDER, l a s t TODAY opportunity to fine-tune their performances before the Big East Championships begin. The Knights split their team this weekend for the first time. Assistant coach Jan MerrillMorin takes the middle distance and long distance athletes to Massachusetts today to compete in the Valentine’s Invitational. The rest of the team travels to the New York Armory in the Bronx today to compete in the Lafayette/Rider Invitational. “The Valentine’s Invitational is a great competition for distance and running events,” said head coach James Robinson. “It isn’t as good of a place to jump, and I don’t see the reason to go all the way up there to have a few kids long jump.” Because the team splits, the Knights compete with limited athletes. Only athletes who already qualified for Big East competition or those relatively close to becoming qualifiers will compete. Most of the team will rest up before the Big East competition. The Knights also compete Saturday in one event at the prestigious Millrose Games at the New York Armor y. They received an invitation to the event in the preseason to compete in the 4x400-meter relay. The team consists of freshman Gabrielle Farquharson, sophomores Tylia Gillon and Corryn Hurrington and junior Asha Ruth. “Preferably, I’d like to take this whole weekend of f,” Robinson said. “But since I already made this commitment at the beginning of the season — they asked us in September — I wanted to stay loyal to that commitment.” The Knights’ focus was on the Big East Championship since preseason training began. It is critical for the Knights to finish this weekend strong entering the biggest competition of the indoor season. “We are looking to [a] top-10 finish,” Robinson said of the Big East Championships. “Last year was awful. We finished last in the conference. I knew it would be tough going in the last year, but now we are looking to possibly bring in that top 10.” With the Knights’ performance throughout the indoor season, the coaches and athletes are optimistic not only for the present but for the future of the program. “I think overall this has been a great positive improving season, and we are just going to get better,” Merrill-Morin said. “I just look forward to the future years — not necessarily two weeks from now but next year and the year after that. It’s really going to come around.”
ALEX VAN DRIESEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior guard Erica Wheeler looks for a passing lane Saturday against No. 3 Connecticut. Wheeler and senior forward April Sykes continue to struggle in senior point guard Khadijah Rushdan’s absence following a head injury Jan. 29 at Georgetown.
Rushdan holds Knights’ Big East fate BY JOSH BAKAN ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
The Rutgers women’s basketball team changed since it entered the Carnesecca Arena l a s t WOMEN’S BASKETBALL month against ST. JOHN’S AT S t . RUTGERS, John’s. SUNDAY, 5 P.M. The Scarlet Knights were tied for first place in the Big East and ready to maintain the spot. Then they received a humbling. St. John’s upset Rutgers, 62-57, and exposed the Knights’ vulnerabilities. Four Big East losses later, those flaws are completely visible. The Knights (17-6, 6-4) face the Red Storm on Sunday at the Louis Brown Athletic Center as a different team than they were Jan. 17 at St. John’s. In fifth-year senior point guard Khadijah Rushdan’s two-game
absence, the Knights are not the No. 7 team they were before St. John’s or the No. 13 team they were after Rushdan suffered a mild concussion. The No. 17 Knights, in the space of a month, went from a team defending its top spot in the conference to a team trying to keep up with the rest of its competition. But if head coach C. Vivian Stringer activates Rushdan this weekend, the Knights will not be the same team that traveled to Storrs, Conn. Rushdan played one of the best games of her season in Jamaica, N.Y. The Wilmington, Del., native notched 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists — all team highs. Not even that was good enough to topple the Johnnies. So if Rushdan plays, she will need some help, especially from senior forward April Sykes and junior guard Erica Wheeler. Both started the last two games on the bench during their offensive
slumps. Sykes, the Knights’ leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, has not cleared her season average since Jan. 21 against South Florida. Wheeler has not hit double-figures since Jan. 24 against DePaul. Those games are similar not only in offensive output but also in the result. USF and DePaul mark the only Rutgers wins in the five games since its loss to St. John’s (16-8, 8-3). For Sykes and Wheeler, getting back to early-season form will be easier if Rushdan delivers them the ball. The Knights are deep with guards, but none bring Rushdan’s experience as a floor general. Junior center Monique Oliver is the one player who has not missed a beat in Rushdan’s absence. Oliver was the second-most productive scorer against St. John’s with 14 points, and she continues to consistently score in double figures and rebound. But even if the Knights display the consistency they lacked, St.
John’s brings one of the most productive trios in the Big East. Junior guards Nadirah McKenith, Eugenia McPherson and Shenneika Smith scored a combined 46 points against Rutgers, and their production did not stop there. Winner of four of five games since beating Rutgers, St. John’s looks to gain the respect it earned moving above Rutgers in the Big East standings. The Red Storm are still unranked. For the Knights, matchup is also about respect — not from the national voters but from their Big East competition. The Knights fell from the Big East and NCAA elites in less than a month, and now opponents see them as a team always on upset alert. Rutgers wants to change its reputation. It has the humility, but regaining confidence begins with turning its season around against St. John’s.
Divers look for fast start in Pittsburgh BY BRADLY DERECHAILO CORRESPONDENT
Everything the Rutgers diving team worked toward throughout the past year is on display today and Saturday, when it competes in the Big East Championships in Pittsburgh. Diving coach Fred Woodruff’s job is to see that the Scarlet Knights SWIMMING AND DIVING improve RUTGERS AT from last seasons’ BIG EAST CHAMPS, four thTODAY place finish in the same competition. With more than a week between the last Rutgers meet and the championships, the divers worked on their techniques to give them a better chance on the boards. “We’ve been working on aspects of our dives that need a little work still,” Woodruff said. “We just want to sharpen up. I think they’re ready to go out there and do some diving.” Day 1 features the 3-meter event for the Knights and the rest of the field. The preliminaries take place in the afternoon, followed by the consolation finals. The final of the event takes place tonight at 6 p.m. The Knights’ best chance in the event comes from sophomore Nicole Scott.
Scott has been the most consistent 3-meter diver this year after the departure of junior Carissa Santora midway through the season. She placed first in the past two regular season matches, registering a 311.70 score from in the Jan. 28 matchup against Fordham and Rider. With Big East diving powers Connecticut, Louisville and Notre Dame participating, Scott serves as Rutgers’ opportunity at having a Knight in the 3-meter final. She placed ninth last year in the event with a score of 283.70. “I see her as our strongest diver on 3 meter,” Woodruff said. “We’re stronger [in the 3 meter] and more confident there. It will be interesting to see.” The Toronto native also needs to finish strong in Day 2 of the championships, when the 1-meter dive takes place. Along with Scott, junior Katie Kearney looks to aid Rutgers’ success in the 1-meter event. Kearney scored a 288.65-point first-place finish in the Knights’ last regular season meet and has been Rutgers’ most impressive 1-meter diver. Despite a shoulder injury she sustained earlier in the year, the junior consistently delivered top-three finishes in the event. “I’m hoping [Kearney and Scott] battle it out [in the 1 meter],” Woodruff said. “If they battle it out, we are going to do real well.”
RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore diver Nicole Scott finished first in the Knights’ last two meets this season in the 3-meter dive. She leads Rutgers today in Pennsylvania. Sophomore Valentina also gives Rutgers a chance, and freshman Nicole Honey showed she has the ability to perform well in the 3-meter, Woodruff said. “She’s still learning stuff, but she can light it up on 3 meters, so you never know,” Woodruff said. “She has potential to really light it up.” Their performance also serves as a springboard for the swim-
mers. Head swimming and diving coach Phil Spiniello brings the Knights back next weekend for the swimming portion of the Big East Championships. “We want to score a lot of points so that we have a nice edge when we get to swimming,” Woodruff said. “My goal is to give those swimmers every point we can give them.”
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
SPORTS
PA G E 1 6
F E B RUA RY 1 0 , 2 0 1 2
Knights enjoy host luxuries in down year
Brecht era begins with No. 3 Duke
BY STEVEN MILLER
BY VINNIE MANCUSO
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
CORRESPONDENT
When a national dual-meet tournament was little more than an idea a year ago, Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale had to like his chances. The Scarlet WRESTLING Knights were on RUTGERS AT their way to a 21-2 dual-meet season — NATIONAL DUALS, posting 20 wins for SATURDAY, 2 P.M. the second time in three years and second time in program history. It allowed Rutgers to host a regional bracket of the National Duals on Saturday at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, even though the Knights are struggling in duals. “It’s unfortunate we’re not having a year like last year,” Goodale said, “because we could have competed and beat a lot of them.” Instead, Rutgers is the No. 6 seed in a sixteam bracket, drawing 14th-ranked Kent State in a regional that features four top-15 teams. Of the 60 wrestlers in the lineups, 33 are ranked in the top 20 of their weight classes nationally. No weight class is more top-heavy than 125 pounds, which features the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 wrestlers in the nation. Minnesota and Missouri boast the Nos. 2 and 3 wrestlers and each team has a first-round bye, but Rutgers’ day starts against No. 4. Sophomore 125-pounder Vincent Dellefave begins the dual meet against fourth-ranked Nic Bedelyon, a fifth-year senior who was an All-American as a sophomore. Dellefave had opportunities against ranked opponents before. He lost to ninthranked Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma, 8-3. He fell to Central Michigan’s 17th-ranked Joe Roth, 3-2. And he dropped to 17th-ranked Steve Bonanno of Hofstra, 8-3. His strength of schedule is likely enough to earn him an NCAA Championships bid, regardless of his results this weekend against any of the ranked wrestlers. “I’ve had a lot of close matches with a lot of ranked guys this year. I’m just coming up 1 or 2 points short,” Dellefave said. “To pick off one of these dudes would feel good, but I feel like
When the Rutgers men’s lacrosse team travels to Durham, N.C., tomorrow to face off against No. 3 Duke in its season opener, it does not only mark MEN’S LACROSSE the first game of the year for the Scarlet RUTGERS AT Knights. DUKE, The matchup SATURDAY, NOON also represents the team’s first game under the leadership of first-year head coach Brian Brecht. “Its exciting to me to be here at Rutgers. Really I’m looking forward to every game,” Brecht said. “I’ve been on the sidelines for a long time as an assistant. I’ve been other places as a head coach. I think its more exciting for the guys. We have outstanding seniors and outstanding leaders.” But while Brecht may have to worr y about adjusting to being the new leader of the Knights, his job is considerably easier with a team already stocked with welltested weapons. The Knights return 91 percent of their scoring from last season. A total of eight starters and 32 returning players are available for Brecht’s new regime. That means team chemistry is likely not something the new head coach will have to focus on. “Me, [junior] Duncan Clancy, [senior Will] Mangan, [senior Mike] Diehl — we are all back,” said sophomore attackman Scott Klimchak. “The chemistr y from last year is going to be there. Hopefully we can bring all that scoring back this year.” Klimchak, who earned All-Big East Second Team honors last season, paced the Knights offensively in his redshirt freshman campaign. He scored a team-high 27 goals and finished second on the team with 40 points. As the season kicks off this weekend, the sophomore makes sure to remember the impact he made in his rookie season. “I hope I can at least match my performance from last year. I’m just going to try and
SEE YEAR ON PAGE 14
JENNIFER MIGUEL-HELLMAN
Sophomore 125-pounder Vincent Dellefave jockeys for position Jan. 22, when he took on Aaron Kalil of Navy. He meets No. 4 Nic Bedelyon from Kent State on Saturday.
SEE ERA ON PAGE 13
Lofty goals await RU in new season BY JOEY GREGORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
THE DAILY TARGUM
Senior Lindsey Curran was one of five players last season to finish with a batting average higher than .300 and was fifth in on-base percentage (.370). One of four seniors for Rutgers, Curran helped mentor head coach Jay Nelson’s four freshmen in the offseason.
Rutgers head softball coach Jay Nelson has consistently built the program into a formidable member of the Big East in his time on the Banks. SOFTBALL The conference has begun to RUTGERS VS. take notice. TULSA, Big East preseaTODAY, 12 P.M. son polls rank Scarlet Knights seventh — the highest since they achieved the same mark prior to the 2008 season.
SEE SEASON ON PAGE 14