PERSPECTIVES
The Daily Targum takes a look at the top stories of the 2011-2012 academic year — from merger talks to city protests to new football head coach Kyle Flood. PHOTO BY NOAH WHITTENBURG / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
T H E D A I LY TA R G U M
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PERSPECTIVES
APRIL 30, 2012
From the President’s Desk
RICHARD L. MCCORMICK Dear Rutgers Students,
KEITH FREEMAN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The University Board of Govenors, with consent from the Board of Trustees, unanimously appointed Robert Barchi as the 20th University president. He will take office in September.
U. to welcome new president, era BY JOVELLE TAMAYO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
University President Richard L. McCormick announced last year that he would step down as head of the University, and 11 years after he took office, he is making way for president-designate Robert Barchi. Shortly after his announcement, the University Board of Governors assembled a 24-member presidential search committee, chaired by Board of Trustees member Greg Brown. During the search process, which lasted throughout the academic year, the committee identified and screened potential candidates, hosted public forums for the University community’s input and invited the community to nominate candidates. The BOG and the BOT unanimously approved the appointment of Barchi as the 20th president of the University on April 11, 10 months after McCormick’s announcement. “He’s a powerhouse, and I think this is one of those most exciting times in the history of Rutgers,” said Brown, CEO of Motorola Solutions Inc. “Yes there’s a lot of things going on, but … I think we couldn’t have picked a better president.” Barchi, the outgoing president of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, will begin serving as president on Sept. 1, 2012. President-designate Barchi, 65, spent most of his career at University of Pennsylvania as a clinical neurologist and on the day of his appointment,
expressed his concerns with the University’s status as a research institute, faculty and staff satisfaction, its diversity and its financial situation. “It is a remarkable time of challenge and opportunity and that opportunity is going to be grasped by the schools who are positioned to do so,” Barchi said during the April 11 news conference. Barchi’s base salary is set at $650,000, according to University Media Relations. Outgoing president McCormick said he plans to return to the faculty as a professor after a year of paid sabbatical. At the BOG meeting where he announced his plan to resign, McCormick outlined three goals for his last year as University president: improve the medical education program at the University, build on the University’s fundraising initiatives and push to put a higher education bond issue on the statewide ballot. McCormick, who took office Dec. 1, 2002, boasts other accomplishments during his tenure, including the restructuring of the University colleges into the School of Arts and Sciences to improve educational programming and quality. The University implemented his vision to transform undergraduate education in 2006, combining the four undergraduate colleges of the University’s New Brunswick and Piscataway campuses to create the School of Arts and Sciences: Rutgers College, University College, Livingston College and Douglass College.
McCormick’s term also included improvements in intercollegiate management, the establishment of a University identity, the Rutgers Future Scholars program to help disadvantaged students, and record applications and enrollment. With a goal of $1 billion, McCormick’s fundraising initiative, “Our Rutgers, Our Future” has surpassed any of the University’s past campaigns. The program raised more than $626 million since 2007 for the University. But his time in office did not come without difficulty and as president, he was not immune to criticism for his decisions. McCormick dealt with positive and negative national media spotlight, decreasing federal funding for higher education and the ongoing debate over the proposed higher education mergers. He told nj.com that though his late father, University professor and historian Richard P. McCormick, once told him every president in the University’s history had either died in office or was pushed out behind the scenes by governors or board members, he did not want to go out like that. “Much of my life has been invested in this institution — as a child of Rutgers employees, as a faculty member and as president,” Richard L. McCormick said at his September address. “I firmly believe we can move Rutgers to the top tier of universities, and in so doing, align ourselves even more closely to the needs and aspirations of our state.”
Day tent or at a Scarlet Knights game. I wish there had been With thanks to The Daily time to talk with more of you. Targum editors for this forum, Over the years, as the I write to of fer my good wishes Rutgers student body has to the graduate and undergrad- grown larger, more diverse and uate students of Rutgers. It has more accomplished, you have been a great honor and privi- awed and inspired me. I have lege to be your University pres- witnessed the thoughtful ident, and I have always tried ef for ts of student leaders to to respect that privilege by form a campus-wide goverworking hard to make Rutgers nance str ucture that would a better institution at which best ser ve the interests of their to live, lear n, work, play fellow students. I have seen and grow. you come together in time of We have worked especially tragedy, applauded your menhard, despite declining state torship of our Rutgers Future suppor t, to improve the stu- Scholars and watched you dent experience. For example, repeatedly reach new levels of we have opened state-of-the-ar t suppor t for ill children through facilities such as Rockof f Hall the Dance Marathon. I have in New Brunswick and B.E.S.T. mar veled at your research Hall in Piscataway (and soon, projects, celebrated your the Barnes & Noble bookstore increasing success at winning on the College Avenue cam- prestigious fellowships, lispus) to meet rising student tened with pride as you elodemand; redesigned New quently lobbied your elected Student Orientation with your representatives in Trenton and help to make it more engaging, Washington, and cheered your relevant, and fun; established achievements in the ar ts and an array of ser vices for the in athletics. hundreds of vetYou have also erans enrolled at challenged this Rutgers, sparked institution and “I hope you will by a student’s me. You have always take pride question at my continued a long annual address; in Rutgers’ heritage tradition of stucreated comdent activism at and help maintain Rutgers — a trapelling first-year seminars to conthat has its strength as you dition nect you to senbrought about ior faculty from positive change. become alumni.” your earliest It was student RICHARD L. MCCORMICK days on campus; activism at University President increased studyLivingston camabroad, student pus, for instance, research and that led directly ser vice learning oppor tunities; to our expansion and renovaenriched student advising and tion of the Livingston Student career counseling; and made Center and contributed to the improvements in our libraries ongoing dramatic transformaand dining halls in response to tion of Livingston into a model student requests. of a 21st centur y campus. I In these ef for ts, I have have admired your passion and always had the good for tune to your genuine concern for othmeet and work with dedicated ers, and I deeply believe in the student leaders who have been value of dissent and protest. instrumental in some of our I also believe strongly that most impor tant achievements, Rutgers has a unique role to most notably the reorganiza- play as the State University of tion and enrichment of under- New Jersey. As such, Rutgers graduate education and stu- will continue to have the privident life on the New lege and responsibility of eduBr unswick campus. I take cating thousands of New pride in what we have accom- Jersey’s future leaders and plished together, and it has conducting research and ser vbeen gratifying to see how you ice that speaks to the state’s have taken advantage of the most pressing problems and oppor tunities that now exist greatest oppor tunities. I hope at Rutgers. you will always take pride in During the past decade, Rutgers’ heritage and help tens of thousands of Rutgers maintain its strength as you women and men have moved become alumni. from applicant to student to As I prepare to return to the graduate, and I have only got- faculty, I look for ward to seeing ten to know a small percentage some of you in my classes. I of you — perhaps in a graduate thank all of you for the contribuor undergraduate student gov- tions you are making to this ernment forum, or at a meeting community as Rutgers students. with representatives of a par- And to the members of the ticular student group, or in the Class of 2012, congratulations! honors class I taught for several years or the Byrne seminars Sincerely yours, I taught more recently, or outside my of fice as students gathered to protest a university decision, or under a Rutgers
P ERSPECTIVES
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
APRIL 30, 2012
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Merger plan splits campuses BY AMY ROWE NEWS EDITOR
NOAH WHITTENBURG / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Grease trucks, a campus staple, must now apply for an RFP to operate on Lot 8, where they sat since 1996.
Commitee reconsiders grease trucks tradition BY MARY DIDUCH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Since when was the “Fat Darrell” a big fat problem? When the University last November created an ad-hoc committee to evaluate the status of the grease trucks’ operation in Lot 8 on the College Avenue campus, it left many in the University community — including alumni — scratching their heads. Websites, Facebook groups and T-shirts proclaiming “Save the Grease Trucks” started cropping up when The Daily Targum wrote about a meeting where a committee of students and administrators discussed putting the lot out to bid for a slew of health, safety and financial reasons. The grease truck owners were not invited to the meeting. Filing a request for proposal (RFP) process would ensure compliance with best business principles and health codes, said Jack Molenaar, director of the Depar tment of Transportation Ser vices. His records show that the University subsidizes the grease trucks substantially — around $93,000 last year. Though the trucks, which have been parked permanently in Lot 8 on the College Avenue campus for several years, pay a month-to-month lease that totals $62,400 annually, the University does not cut the other costs involved with maintaining their presence, such as cleaning, security and electricity. The University also contends that the trucks do not follow certain environmental and food code standards — such as proper waste disposal and cleanup — but the truck owners deny these claims vehemently. Middlesex County inspects the trucks annually to ensure the trucks are up to code, the truck owners said. About two years ago, the University first began to consider putting the location up to bid to outside mobile food vendors who were approaching the University, interested in the prime spot that sees heavy faculty, staff and student traffic. Owner of RU Hungry? Ayman Elnaggar, who owns two of the five grease trucks, one of which is the $250,000 trailer The Scarlet Shack, told the Targum that he and the other owners are aware of the environmental, maintenance and financial concerns the University holds. They work on them constantly, he said, and want to stay in the
location. Six families are involved with operating the trucks, which have been in the lot since 1996 when the University put them there off the street. Since he and the other owners have been there for so long — and have a worldwide reputation and strong connection with the University community — he believes they should have a say in the process. The owners maintained back in November that they were willing to do whatever the University asked — even competing with other companies — to stay in the lot. Elnaggar said they know what students want, and therefore have an edge over other companies. But Molenaar, who maintained that he and the University are not doing this to “kick out” the trucks, continued the search for what should best happen with the lot across from Scott Hall. The committee sought student input during the beginning of the spring semester through an online survey and was otherwise largely silent the rest of the year, until March. After reviewing the results of 1,812 community members, 71 percent of which were students, the committee announced that they will draft a policy that will apply to future mobile food vendors to solve health, safety and financial issues, and also that both Lot 8 and a mobile food vendor license would be put up for public bid. The application can be found on the DOTS website. The results showed that 67 percent of the participants ate at the trucks less than once a month, and 37 percent would still eat there if they offered different foods. The committee also plans to create a smaller evaluation committee, which will include student representatives, to evaluate the vendors based on a point system. Elnaggar said he and the owners again were left out of the process, and believes that they should be more involved. The owners told the Targum that they love pleasing the University community and continually work to offer a variety of foods — from fat sandwiches to breakfast wraps to salads. But for now, as the academic year winds down, the grease trucks issue has left many students’ and alumni minds as the RFP process takes its course. It looks like the University community will have to wait until next fall term to see whether one of New Brunswick’s favorite late-night food joints will have some fresh faces.
University President Richard L. McCormick made it one of his last goals to facilitate a merger with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to gain a medical school, but Gov. Chris Christie said it would come at a price. This merger cannot take ef fect unless the University relinquishes the RutgersCamden campus to Rowan University, a merger that will create a competing research university in South Jersey. Many Rutgers-Camden faculty, students and staff are outraged with Christie’s proposal, voicing their concerns at Board of Trustees and Senate Higher Education Committee meetings. “Rutgers would be divesting itself of its foothold in South Jersey, including millions of dollars in revenue,” said John Wall, a professor in RutgersCamden’s Depar tment of Philosophy and Religion. “Rutgers would suffer an injuring loss of staffers. It would no longer be, ‘the State University of New Jersey,’ but a state university in New Jersey.” Julie Ruth, an associate professor at the Rutgers-Camden School of Business, said her research in brand marketing would bring negative attention to the University. “Cutting Rutgers-Camden of f from and out of Rutgers could have ver y long-term consequences,” she said. “Rutgers is many things, but it is a brand. … Rutgers will be perceived as breaking relation-
ships with ever yone at RutgersCamden. … This is breaking a relationship with one’s own family.” Wendell Pritchett, chancellor of Rutgers-Camden, said so many students are coming to him with complaints over the proposed merger. “I continue to be amazed by the arguments of RutgersCamden faculty and students that Camden not be disinvested from Rutgers,” Pritchett said. “Our students chose to come to Rutgers-Camden. Our campus continues to be unanimously
“Rutgers will be perceived as breaking relationships with everyone at Rutgers-Camden.” JULIE RUTH Associate Professor at Rutgers-Camden
opposed to the disinvesting and the merger.” McCormick reminded students and faculty at a Februar y Senate Higher Education meeting that the decision is ultimately up to the University’s Board of Governors. “If we could pick and choose the recommendations of the advisor y committee, we would not want to turn over the Rutgers-Camden campus to Rowan University,” he said. “I can’t imagine the Rutgers
Board of Governors or Trustees would willingly relinquish the campus.” But Christie could use his veto power to pass the merger, said Matt Cordeiro, former Rutgers University Student Assembly president. “When the report came out of the governor’s office, he said he fully endorsed the merger,” said Cordeiro, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “He said he plans to use his power — which he has a lot of — to pass it.” While Christie has made a July 1 deadline for a plan to integrate the schools, no merger costs have been disclosed. But McCormick projects that it will cost $40 to $50 million for the University to absorb the Rober t Wood Johnson Medical School, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the UMDNJ School of Public Health. Many are concerned about the financial aspect of the merger because the schools would inherit the debt from the institutions they consolidate with. “It must be unacceptable to have this process end up with one institution [going] from good to great and the other [going] from good to mediocre,” said Denise Rodgers, interim president of UMDNJ. “UMDNJ risks [becoming] mediocre. It can’t be burdened with a disproportionate share of debt.” Rowan University has drawn up a plan to merge the schools, but questions about the fate of certain University facilities in South Jersey have not been answered.
LISA BERKMAN / CORRESPONDENT
Rutgers-Camden students and faculty protest the proposed merger with Rowan University outside a Senate Higher Education meeting at the State House in Trenton.
LIVINGSTON APARTMENTS PROVIDE MORE SPACES FOR RESIDENTS The College Avenue campus will lose some housing options at the end of this semester closing some residence halls on College Avenue. William O’Brien, associate director of Housing and Residence Life, said the halls in the quads would close down for two years for renovations and installations of amenities. “It is on College Avenue, and they do add aesthetic appeal to the campus,” he said. “But codes do change.” The University Housing and Residence Life has made multiple changes to the lottery process to accommodate the fall 2012 Livingston Apartments. Changes included the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences priority housing on Cook campus, no apartment sign-backs and new requirements for apartment sign-ups. O’Brien said in January that the changes were made based on student and student advisory leader feedback from town hall meetings from this past fall semester. While some quads are closing down on the
College Avenue campus, new housing opportunities is available to students this fall with the Livingston Apartments. The final cost for the Livingston Apartments will not be set until July during a Board of Governor’s meeting, O’Brien said. In addition to the Livingston Apartments, Livingston campus will also become home to a movie theater, a diner and up to 10 retail stores as a part of the Livingston Plaza, which is expected to open sometime during the next school year, said Michael Pelardis, senior project administrator for University Housing. “Beyond making a mix-use environment, we wanted to create a retail plaza that provides a special experience,” he said. Henry Velez, executive director of Business and Administration Services for Housing and Residence Life, said confirmed vendors for the plaza would be available in June and July. The University also has plans to replace the current manual mail system with an electronic one.
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Occupy movement takes New Brunswick BY GIANCARLO CHAUX METRO EDITOR
Occupy Wall Street began Sept. 17, 2011, spawning a series of global protests that made their way from Zuccotti park to the streets of New Brunswick. Protesters formed the organization Occupy New Brunswick and frequently held protests in the city to raise awareness of both local and non-local issues. Among the issues at the forefront of the movement is the nation’s economic situation. “The idea is to challenge the financial institutions of society for bankrupting the rest of us,” said Jeannette Gabriel, one of Occupy New Brunswick’s organizers. “We are here to protest and raise the problems to the public’s attention.” Activists from the Occupy New Brunswick movement came faceto-face with a group of protesters from Occupy Wall Street in November as they marched through the Hub City. The group, which contained about 50 people, made its way into New Brunswick as part of a march from Liberty Square in New York City to Washington, D.C., designed to bring attention to the movement. “Whose streets? Our streets,” the crowd shouted as it blocked traffic on Albany and George streets. Local organizations such as the N.J. Youth United Against War and Imperialism joined in the protests. Organizers hosted a musical event in downtown New Brunswick in March. “When people sing together, they may agree with the words of the song [or] they may not agree with every little angle, but they’re unifying,” said Robert ColbyWitanek, a Montgomery High School senior. “Ideas will be exchanged and … out of this we’ll grow a more unified movement.” New Brunswick activists rally-
ing for Barry Deloatch often joined Occupy New Brunswick protests. Deloatch was fatally shot in September by New Brunswick police officers after being chased into an alley off of Throop Avenue. Although the police department made statements claiming Deloatch had attacked the officers, the incident continued to create unrest within the community. “We’re here to make a stand that [the prosecutor’s office] treat these officers like you would any other citizen,” said Tormel Pittman, leader of one of the Deloatch protests. The New Brunswick Occupy movement also protested against corporate greed, targeting the locally based pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. About 30 protesters gathered in front of J&J’s headquarters in downtown New Brunswick in February as part of the “National Day of Action to Shut Down the Corporations” rally. “The reasoning behind this particular rally and the protest against J&J is that J&J … works through the American Legislative Exchange Council to systematically work against any health care reform at the state and federal level,” said Jacob Nettleton, a student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School who attended the rally. Despite comments from J&J representatives stating that the claims against the company were baseless, protesters continued to hold rallies. J&J was not the only company targeted by the Occupy Movement, with New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO) also on the receiving end of activists’ criticism. “[New Brunswick] used to have a vibrant and rich culture,” said Tim Cobb, a School of Arts and Science senior. “In my opinion, there is a correlation between a rise of DEVCO properties and a decline in culture here in New Brunswick.”
JOVELLE TAMAYO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dharun Ravi walks with his family and attorney, Steven Altman, to his trial in the Middlesex County Court House in downtown New Brunswick.
Jury finds Ravi guilty on all counts BY JOVELLE TAMAYO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Two years after the suicide of Tyler Clementi, Dharun Ravi was found guilty of all 15 counts against him, including privacy invasion, bias intimidation, tampering with physical evidence and witness tampering. Ravi was not charged in connection with the suicide of Clementi, his former roommate. Ravi, a former University student, set up a webcam in their Davidson Hall residence on Busch campus in September 2010 to view and broadcast a sexual encounter between Clementi and an older man. Clementi, a first-year University student, committed suicide three days later by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman ruled in September that there was enough evidence to support the charges against Ravi, despite the defense’s motion to dismiss all charges. Ravi’s month-long trial began Feb. 24 and included testimonies from Ravi’s friends, residence hall assistant Raahi Grover, and Clementi’s older guest, identified only as M.B., and Molly Wei, who
agreed to testify against Ravi in court in exchange for acceptance into a three-year pretrial intervention program. The deal stipulates that her invasion of privacy charges are dropped, according to nj.com. The trial, which ended March 16, revealed that Clementi checked Ravi’s Twitter account about 60 times before Sept. 13, 2010 and Sept. 22, 2010, the day he jumped off the bridge. Ravi sent Clementi a text the same day apologizing for any misunderstandings and admitting he knew Clementi’s sexual orientation. Ravi, 20, now faces up to 10 years in jail and possible deportation. Though Ravi was offered plea deals on two separate occasions — which would have kept him out of jail and prevented deportation to India —Ravi’s attorney Steven Altman stated that his client was innocent and opted for a trial. A notification will be sent to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement concerning immigration actions for Ravi, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan. In a Sept. 23, 2010 interrogation with Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office investigator Michael Daniewicz, Ravi said he believed he violated Clementi’s
privacy but that the webcam was set up so he could view his possessions in his room because he got a “bad vibe” from Clementi’s guest. Berman, who presided over the trial, said if Ravi were actually concerned about his possessions, he would have pointed the webcam toward the door, not Clementi’s bed. “He was a boy,” said Altman in his opening statement. “[What] you need to do is understand the dynamics of what occurred, close your eyes and look back as to how it existed.” Altman plans to appeal the court’s verdict before Ravi’s expected May 21 sentencing. “But I wasn’t biased,” Ravi said in a March interview with The StarLedger. “I didn’t act out of hate, and I wasn’t uncomfortable with Tyler being gay.” Clementi’s suicide had sparked a campus and nationwide dialogue on bullying, suicide prevention and tolerance. His death and the resulting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning group protests occurred at the start of Project Civility, a University initiative aimed to improve ethical behavior between students.
City activists fight for justice in NBPD affairs BY AMY ROWE NEWS EDITOR
The fight against alleged police brutality and other corruption in the New Brunswick Police Department began on Sept. 22, 2011, when two officers fatally shot a city man. Officers Brad Berdel and Dan Mazan stopped a few men for questioning while on routine patrol, which caused 46-year-old Barry Deloatch to run from them. A foot chase that ended in a struggle in a Throop Avenue alley near Handy Street resulted in Deloatch’s death. While many Deloatch supporters argue that the former New Brunswick resident was unarmed when police shot him, Mazan and Berdel maintain that Deloatch used a 2-foot-long wooden stick against the officers when they were trying to subdue him on the ground. While the facts are still unknown as a Middlesex County Grand Jur y is reviewing the case, family, friends, city residents and University students have staged protests ever since that September day to raise awareness about police brutality in the city. The turnout was strong while the weather was warm in September, with people vowing
to continue protesting until they see justice. “I’m going to protest forever,” said Barr y’s brother, Nate Deloatch. “We’re going to do this until we get justice for my family and everyone else’s.” Tormel Pittman, a city activist who started leading the protests for Deloatch, said the whole system makes it difficult for lowincome people to live in the city. “We have a corrupt system. If you want to prosper in New Brunswick, you must pay to play,” he said. “We live in a city where we get bullied by police officers.” The case attracted the attention of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, members of which convened in Ebenezer Baptist Church on Lee Avenue in New Brunswick on Sept. 28 to speak about possible solutions to this ongoing problem. “Let’s face it, New Brunswick has had a troubled police department for a long time,” said Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the ACLU-NJ. “We wrote a manual on how to investigate your police department — we can do this with the power of the people.” Deloatch supporters urged the congregation to continue fighting despite the long road ahead.
“It’s going to be a long, drawnout process, but we can’t get tired, people,” said Walter Hudson, Deloatch family spokesperson. “It’s time for us to take our community back. I apol-
“We’ve got to make our presence known. We’ve got to unite with Rutgers campus and grassroots efforts.” TORMEL PITTMAN University President
ogize to the Deloatch family that their brother had to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Matt Cordeiro, former president of the Rutgers University Student Assembly, said this case
should matter to University students as the NBPD is supposed to protect them. “It’s pretty deplorable the city hasn’t given a response to the Deloatch family,” said Cordeiro, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “They’re supposed to represent the people, and they’re falling short of their job.” It took another mishap within the department before Mayor James Cahill addressed the press about what the city plans to do to improve community relations. Former Sgt. Richard Rowe was found to have mishandled 81 internal affairs complaints in the city by not attending to them properly. This miscommunication between the city and its residents is an issue Cahill attempted to resolve with a series of hearings. Aside from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office now reviewing all complaints submitted to the internal affairs department of the NBPD, Cahill said hearings would explain how to file complaints and provide an outlet for residents to work through issues. “The community … should have confidence that allegations of inappropriate conduct on the part of an officer will be fully investigated and appropriate action [will be] taken,” Cahill said.
Protestors also took to city council meetings, demanding a letter of apology to the Deloatch family for the mishap and greater transparency within the department. Protests calmed down over the colder winter months, but spring brought them back with a vigil to honor Deloatch in conjunction with the shooting of Trayvon Martin by a community watchman in Sanford, Fla. At the vigil, Pittman said he would bring the idea of declaring gun violence a public health crisis in New Brunswick at an upcoming city council meeting, in light of Deloatch’s case and the Februar y police shooting of 19-year-old Victor Rodriguez, whom police thought opened fire on a crowd of residents, while really he had a fake gun. Pittman said regardless of whether the Middlesex County Grand Jur y charges the officers involved with the Deloatch shooting, the community still has to make it clear they are aware of injustice in the city and want it to stop. “We’ve got to make our presence known. We’ve got to unite with Rutgers campus and grassroots efforts,” he said. “We’ve got a problem in New Brunswick.”
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APRIL 30, 2012
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NJ governor focuses on local issues BY JOVELLE TAMAYO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Gov. Chris Christie chose not to seek the 2012 Republican presidential candidacy, but made it clear that his main priority as governor is to improve the state of New Jersey. Christie, 49, said throughout his term the state had made many accomplishments, but that if he were to leave, the consequences for the state would be too great. The governor proposed to cut income taxes by 10 percent for all New Jersey residents in each income tax bracket, reform the state’s education system and improve the status of inner cities as part of his 2012 “New Jersey Comeback” plan. Christie said in his January “State of The State” address that he hopes lower taxes will attract people to move to and stay in New Jersey. In a November 2011 Facebook Live chat, Christie said if he were able to create an education system design to bring about success for students, it would be his biggest accomplishment. At his February budget address for the next fiscal year, Christie stressed the need for an economic “comeback” with tax cuts and increased funding for certain government entities, like higher education. “Some [New Jerseyans] will say the governor is against teachers or the school system, but this shows he’s really dedicated and wants to reform it,” said Connor Montferrat, the president of the Rutgers College Republicans in February in response to his budget address. The budget proposal for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013 called for a total of $32.15 billion, which is lower than the level of state spending when he took office but represents a 3.7 percent increase in government spending from last year. “Strong leadership will help New Jersey get out of its financial problems, but I don’t think we’ve actually seen it so far,” said Daniel Pereira, vice president of the Rutgers University Democrats. “His budget’s not going to help [those] who desperately need it: the middle class and the working poor.” But for his reforms to be put in place, the state’s residents must come together, he said. “The New Jersey comeback is not about what happens in Trenton alone,” he said in his January address. “All of you are in this, too.” At the address, the governor credited the state’s achievements to political parties in Trenton putting their differences aside on some issues to work together on others. “[A] divided government can work,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans working together is possible. And in fact, it’s necessary.” Christie’s favorability ratings show little change from August 2010, according to a February Rutgers-Eagleton poll. Forty-six percent of respondents feel favorably toward the governor while 42 percent do not. But compared to about six months ago, voters are more likely to ascribe negative traits to Christie, expressing anger and worry, according to the poll.
GETTY IMAGES
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, left, is likely to face incumbent Barack Obama in November’s election.
GOP primary year favors Romney BY YASHMIN PATEL UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Seven candidates were competing at the beginning of the academic year to win the Republican nomination, while President Barack Obama’s approval rating went down. As the 2012 presidential election gained attention in September 2011, an Eagleton Institute of Politics poll found that voters have become less supportive of Obama’s re-election, while Republicans were not satisfied with the candidate choices at the time. Poll results showed that 43 percent of the 615 registered N.J. voters polled think that Obama should be re-elected, which was a 5 percent drop from a February 2011 poll. “I think a lot of people are unhappy with politics and political leaders. They are trying to express their frustrations about the economy and how they believe things are not working in Washington,” said David Redlawsk, poll director. Thirty-one percent of Republican voters are not satisfied with the GOP candidates, while only 3 percent are very satisfied, according to the poll results. “The significant thing about New Jersey is that Obama owned the state easily in 2008. If he is having trouble here, he is having trouble everywhere,” Redlawsk said.
N.J. voters showed a different attitude toward Obama a month later — an October Eagleton poll among 821 registered voters found that half of N.J. voters polled think that Obama deserves a second term. Results show the percent of voters behind Obama for a second term increased from an August 2011 poll, and 47 percent of state residents agree with Gov. Chris Christie’s decision not to run for president, according to the poll. “I think there are a couple reasons for this change,” Redlawsk said. “With Christie out of the picture, New Jerseyans don’t have to think about him as a potential candidate.” Redlawsk said Obama began defending his position more so in October 2011 than before. One of the major issues Democrats and Independents agreed on was Obama’s American Jobs Act, a plan aimed to put more people back to work, Redlawsk said. Student and resident reactions in October of 2011 varied. “My opinion of Obama hasn’t really changed,” said Vanja Vlajnic, a School of Arts and Sciences junior. “I don’t think that he has changed anything drastically. I think he’s been doing an OK job.” Vlajnic said he expected the two politicians to act rather than talk. He
believes there is no basis for change in opinion of either one of them until they accomplish something. Richard Hua, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said in October that he approved of the president’s jobs plan. “I haven’t agreed with most of Obama’s plans so far, but this new one is different,” he said. “My opinion of him has definitely gone up.” Candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination began to close the gap between one another through locking up delegate votes. Mitt Romney gained the lead over Rick Santorum during Super Tuesday — in the Ohio primary, there was a 1 percent difference between Romney and Santorum, at 38 and 37 percent, respectively. Romney gained delegate votes from Ohio, Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming and Alaska — six of the 11 states in the primary, according to The New York Times. John Weingart, associate director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, said in March that Ohio added significance to the Super Tuesday primary. “I think Ohio is going to be the most crucial, most important, because it seems to be a contest between Romney and Santorum, who seem to be the most likely candidates,” he said.
With Romney continuously gaining momentum, it became apparent a month later that Santor um would not be able to catch up with Romney in terms of gaining delegate votes, said Ruth Mandel, director of Eagleton Institute of Politics. “If he had stayed in and not won his home state of Pennsylvania, he would have been in a much a weaker position for the future,” she said. “There would have been fewer options in the future.” Santor um suspended his campaign on April 10, while Mitt Romney maintained the lead against Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. Even though Paul and Gingrich remain in the race, Mandel said last week that they are not expected to get enough votes to win the Republican nomination. “The numbers are not there for them,” she said. “Even if they decided to go all the way to the convention without dropping out, they don’t have the delegate votes,” she said. She said the outcome is ultimately up to the independent voters and swing states, whose numbers are on the rise. “It is not clear which direction they’ll go,” Mandel said. “In the end, they will have a decisive impact on the election.
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
2011-2012: A YEAR IN REVIEW
JOVELLE TAMAYO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Rutgers University Dance Marathon raised $442,075.06 for Embrace Kids Foundation at the end of March, with 466 dancers staying up for 32 hours straight.
ENRICO CABREO / ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
LIANNE NG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Adam Mamawala, past winner of the New Jersey Comedy Festival, performed in January at the Cook Campus Center.
Students set up tents on the Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus to launch the 10th Tent State, a week of discussion about higher education.
RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Members of the New Brunswick and local community protested against brutality, after 19-year-old Victor Rodriguez was shot in January by New Brunswick Police Department officers.
NELSON MORALES / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Rutgers Recreation runs with their bed in October during University Student Life’s annual “Homecoming Bed Races.”
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KEITH FREEMAN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Former Knights wide receiver Mohamed Sanu pulls down a one-handed touchdown pass Sept. 10 at North Carolina.
RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Head football coach Kyle Flood responds to questions Jan. 31 during his introductory press conference at the Hale Center. He previously served as the Knights’ offensive line coach.
CONOR ALWELL / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior point guard Khadijah Rushdan faces off against a host of Connecticut defenders in a loss in the Big East Tournament.
RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
NOAH WHITTENBURG / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Former head football coach Greg Schiano leads the Knights at High Point Solutions Stadium in their season opener Sept. 1 against North Carolina Central. He is now an NFL head coach.
Senior 141-pounder Billy Ashnault records a takedown in the NCAA Tournament. He finished shy of All-American status.
NOAH WHITTENBURG / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
ALEX VAN DRISEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman guard Eli Carter attempts a layup in a 70-49 loss to Villanova in the opening round of the Big East Tournament.
Freshman forward Juan Pablo Correa celebrates during the Knights’ opening-round win against Colgate in the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
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T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Realized purpose aids Francis’ final campaign BY TYLER BARTO SPORTS EDITOR
When Justin Francis arrived in Piscataway in 2007, he was an undersized defensive lineman who played linebacker at Miramar High School (Fla.). He left the Rutgers football team after five seasons as an undersized defensive tackle that played big. “I just really upped my game a lot more,” Francis said. “I had to elevate it because it’s my senior year — I’m not going to get another shot at this.” The Daily Targum’s Senior Athlete of the Year ended the 2011 season with 64 tackles, 13 for a loss and a team-high of 6.5 sacks — all career highs. He started all 13 games despite entering the season never starting full-time.
SENIOR OF THE YEAR 1) Justin Francis 2) Billy Ashnault 3) Trisha Averill 4) Desmond Wynn 5) Morgan Ivey And he played the Scarlet Knights’ season finale at Connecticut with a deep cut in his right calf. “Justin Francis is a great success stor y of our program,” said head coach Kyle Flood. “He found a way that by the time he was a senior, he was as productive a defensive lineman as we’ve had.” Francis attributes the success to a renewed work ethic off the field. He said he spent more time in the Knights’ film and weight
rooms. He took a more active approach to stretching and embraced a position change to tackle from end. “I really had to be all in with football and cancel out all my distractions,” he said. Francis had plenty of those early in his Rutgers career. Francis was arrested at age 19 for allegedly robbing a man in a New Brunswick parking lot by using an air pistol, according to nj.com. He subsequently redshirted the 2008 season. But the bir th of Francis’ daughter, Jordyn, last summer and the prospect of his final season prompted Francis to become one of the Knights’ emotional figureheads. “I just had to really balance dealing with my daughter and dealing with football, and how I
had to separate it,” he said. “At the end of the day, I had to grow as a man.” Francis excelled on Rutgers’ field goal block unit, became arguably the team’s best pass r usher and combined with now-senior tackle Scott Vallone to form one the Big East’s best tandems. “I think it helped me a lot,” said Francis, who went undrafted this weekend. “Most of my career I stood up. I had pretty good production there. My final year, I was more on the ground on the base defenses.” Francis’ NFL prospects only a season ago looked bleak. While other players from Miramar — West Virginia’s Stedman Bailey and Geno Smith, among others — earned early shots, Francis nearly languished
as little more than a rotation end. But Francis parlayed a productive senior season into an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game and the NFL Combine. “It was a lot of fun to watch his maturation process from a young man into a grown man by the time he was done with our program,” said Flood, who worked across from Francis with the offensive line for all five seasons. He mentored the Knights’ four freshmen defensive tackles a year ago, something former players like Ramel Meekins did in 2007 for Francis. He has put on more weight since then, cut his hair and swapped positions. But now even more distances Francis from his former self. “I like to lead from the front,” he said, “instead of the back.”
Zannetti rides steady work ethic to productive year BY STEVEN MILLER CORRESPONDENT
The Post-it notes stick hardly remains by the time Greg Zannetti is done with an item on his to-improve list. The yellow squares where he writes his areas for improvement often start plastered to his desk, but by the time he leaves his house, they are stuck to the notebook he carries to class. By the time he is in the Rutgers wrestling room, they are firmly committed to memory. “Like right now, that’s all I can think of is my list,” said Zannetti, The Daily Targum’s Most Improved Athlete of the Year. “Neutral, top, bottom and defense. Even my mindset, too.” It is a practice the junior 174pounder began around the eighth grade and continued every season and offseason since. His first big leap came between his junior and senior years at J.P. Stevens High School, where he went from a recruit with no colleges interested to a recruit with interest from two — Rutgers and Rider. He did not even qualify for the New Jersey high school tournament as a junior, but after he took second as a senior, the Scarlet Knights nabbed Zannetti as a walk-on.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR 1) Greg Zannetti 2) Danielle Mascera 3) Jawan Jamison 4) Alexis Gunzelman 5) Logan Ryan He went 11-8 as a freshman and 22-12 as a sophomore. He lost seven matches in the two years since — one as a redshirt and six out of his 37 bouts this season. “They all work hard, but he separates himself because he doesn’t stop,” said head coach Scott Goodale. “Sometimes you have to really beg him and say, ‘Listen, do not go in the room. We need you to stay out of the room.’” But Zannetti rarely does. He made his greatest strides as a redshirt at 174 pounds in 2010-2011, when he won four bracket titles at open tournaments en route to a 20-1 record. The most important post-it that year read “Mindset.” “Your first year is like, ‘Well, I should take my lumps,’ but that wasn’t the right mindset,” said Zannetti, whose brother is a sports psychologist. “It’s in the back of your head, but everyone is a regular person, just run
through them — that’s my mindset now.” Zannetti ran through most of his opponents this season, especially in the dual-meet campaign. He lost only one of his 21 dualmeet bouts, winning half of them with bonus points from two pin falls, two technical falls and six major decisions. He added four more major decisions and another pin during tournament action. Zannetti wrestles a relentless style, constantly attacking the opponent. It hurt him at the NCAA Championships, where he went 1-2 and the competition countered his out-of-position shots. So one of his Post-its now reminds him he has to pick his spots better and be more patient. “That’s tough for me to do because I want to go, go, go,” Zannetti said. It is the same problem Goodale encounters when he wants to keep Zannetti out of the wrestling room for a day off. “The best thing about Zannetti is he uses every resource we have,” Goodale said. “Any chance he gets to work out with somebody different, he does. That’s probably why he’s improved so much.” It allowed Zannetti to turn from an unrecruited kid out of
NOAH WHITTENBURG / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Junior 174-pounder Greg Zannetti translated a successful senior season in high school to walking on with the Knights. Edison to a top-25 wrestler nationally in his weight class. But his mindset is to simply shrug it off. “I don’t think I did anything special,” Zannetti said. “I just think I
kept working on what I need to work on — the Post-it notes or whatever. And that’s what I’m doing right now, so there are no changes, really. I’ve been doing that since I was in eighth grade at least.”
Pitcher surpasses expectations in freshman season at RU BY JOEY GREGORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
Alyssa Landrith was still at Vacaville High School (Calif.) this time last year as a member of the Bulldogs’ pitching staf f. Now, the freshman leads the Rutgers softball team’s pitching staff and has already worked her way into the record book. She stepped into the circle and immediately impressed onlookers. “I surprised myself. I didn’t really expect to come in and break records my freshman year,” Landrith said. “I think I’m ver y blessed to be able to have come in and done that so far and I’m really happy.” Landrith currently sits second on Rutgers’ all-time singleseason wins list with 17 and owns the first per fect game for a Scarlet Knight since 2000.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR T1) Alyssa Landrith T1) Eli Carter 3) Kortnie Maxoutopoulis 4) Juan Pablo Correa 5) Kaleb Johnson Her performance on the mound has also earned her The Daily Targum’s Rookie of the Year award. Although head coach Jay Nelson knew the kind of player he recruited, Landrith’s success even took him by surprise. “As good as an incoming freshman might be, you never expect it out of them,” he said. “She’s pitching great. When I was up at Seton Hall, we had a pitcher that was an All-American her junior and senior years, and she didn’t throw this well her freshman and sophomore years.” But judging by what Landrith’s coaches say about her,
age was the only reason her success came as a surprise. Pitching coach Misty Beaver see qualities in Landrith that prove she has the makings of an effective college pitcher. “[She is] a fighter,” Beaver said. “She works really hard, and she’s a perfectionist. She works really hard to hit the exact spot she wants every time she throws, and that helps her a lot. She challenges herself in practice so she’s prepared for a game situation.” Her concentration also comes in handy during games. On the mound, especially on the road, pitchers can face a host of different chants. Teams and crowds alike join in on tr ying to pump up their players while throwing of f opposing pitchers. Landrith might face this when she pitches. But she could not say for sure because she does not hear any of it.
“After my sophomore year of high school, I got to where I didn’t hear their music, I didn’t hear their cheering and it all kind of became background noise,” Landrith said. Her concentration is so intense, she was not aware she pitched a perfect game April 25 at Iona until after. The team had to tell her what she accomplished. Noise was not the only problem she had to deal with. Landrith has never been the type to throw pitches by batters. “I’ve never really been a pitcher that threw hard,” Landrith said. “It was always more of the rotation and movement of the ball and keeping them off-balance with off-speed stuff.” Whatever the future holds for Landrith, it will most likely include success. But if it does, somebody will probably have to tell her about it. She might not notice.
CONOR ALWELL / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Alyssa Landrith holds a tie for second in single-season wins.
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Donigan spearheads NCAA Tourney run “Coach Donigan was probably one of the biggest pieces in our COACH OF THE YEAR success,” said senior midfielder 1) Dan Donigan Bryant Knibbs. “He did not lose 2) Fred Hill faith, and he kept pushing us day in and day out to get better as a 3) Jay Nelson team. We did and we took his 4) Louis Levine word because we knew he had 5) Laura Brand-Sias been there before.” But the relationship Donigan BY VINNIE MANCUSO shares with his players was not CORRESPONDENT always as strong as it is now. Some players who built a relaIt is not often a coach can suctionship with former head coach cessfully change the culture of a Bob Reasso — who was successprogram that struggled for years. ful on the Banks in the 1980s In only his second year at the through mid-1990s — were wary helm of the Rutgers men’s soccer of a change in leadership. team, head coach Dan Donigan “When the change happened, I orchestrated the greatest singlewas a little iffy about it,” said senseason turnaround in recent histoior midfielder Nate Bourdeau. “I ry and brought the Scarlet Knights personally had a good relationship to a level of national prominence it with Coach Reasso, so I didn’t care has not enjoyed in years. for it either way.” After nine successful But as time went on, seasons at Saint Louis members of the team that saw seven trips to began to buy into the NCAA Tournament, Donigan’s system. By Donigan took over a season’s end, the players floundering Rutgers thought he truly made team in 2010. The them better people — on Knights had not made and off the field. the Big East “The guys who were Tournament in two comfortable with Coach years, and had not DAN Reasso are better playearned an NCAA berth DONIGAN ers. We kind of just went since 2006. through the motions, but Donigan, the Daily when Donigan came he challenged Targum’s Coach of the Year, our better players,” Bourdeau said. wanted to make an impact in the “He forced us to rethink whether we state he calls home. would even play because he might “My mindset was I did not bring in other guys.” want to disappoint anyone. I am A successful player at from New Jersey — I have a repConnecticut and then later as a utation and an image here,” professional on the Milwaukee Donigan said. “I told my guys Wave, Donigan shares a bond that I do not want to disappoint, with his players based on respect and I do not want to embarrass for the game. myself. I did not want to tarnish “I like to think I’m somewhat that image. That is the truth of it, of a players’ coach in the sense and if people take that approach, that I have a great mutual respect they have more of a chance to be for the players,” Donigan said. more successful.” “You are only as good as your Donigan found success. players, and you have to get them After a rough transition in his to play for you. I just want them first season, his second year at to enjoy the game and enjoy the head of the team featured tritraining, and just go out there umphs. The Knights ended their and try and do the best they can.” regular season on an 11-game The relationship with his playundefeated streak and stormed ers gives Donigan the flexibility into the Big East Tournament that bodes well for the program with a first-round bye. in the future. Following the tournament, “It is a pretty simple philosoRutgers received an at-large bid phy, but you kind of formulate into the NCAA Tournament, your team as the season goes on where the underdog Knights and as things evolve,” Donigan advanced all the way to the Sweet said. “I’m never set in my ways, Sixteen, a spot no Rutgers team and I’m always changing.” had clinched in a decade.
ALEX VAN DRIESEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman forward Juan Pablo Correa possesses the ball in the Knights’ Nov. 17 NCAA Tournament victory against Colgate at Yurcak Field. Rutgers upset Boston College in the next round.
Rutgers moves past struggles BY VINNIE MANCUSO CORRESPONDENT
The last time the Rutgers men’s soccer team last made it to the Big East Tournament was two years ago. The amount of time that went by between the Scarlet Knights qualifying for the NCAA tournament was five years. The last time the Knights made it all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament was a decade ago. But in the greatest single-season turnaround in Big East history, the Knights achieved all of those goals and more in earning The Daily Targum’s Team of the Year. Still, the Rutgers’ future only a year ago looked bleak. “It was difficult for us knowing every year we just came off a bad year, so we put in the hard work during the spring hoping it would pay off in the fall,” said senior midfielder Bryant Knibbs. “When it didn’t, you kind of get down on yourself and you kind of lose a little faith.” Before their final campaign, Knibbs and his fellow seniors had a meeting and decided the soccer atmosphere at Rutgers needed to change. The Knights were 4-4-1 entering the middle of their season. Then they collided with No. 2 Mar yland, and ever ything changed.
TEAM OF THE YEAR 1) Men’s Soccer 2) Football 3) Baseball 4) Gymnastics 5) Women’s Lacrosse The Knights entered the matchup lacking the leadership of team captain and junior defender Joe Setchell because of injury and leading scorer Juan Pablo Correa because of previous yellow cards. The Knights took the No. 2 team in the nation to their limit, eventually succumbing to the Terrapins, 2-1, in double overtime. “It showed this team had the ability to be a championship team,” said head coach Dan Donigan. “That kind of turned our attitude going into that postseason run. That meant all the difference to us in the success we enjoyed at the end of the season.” The Knights went on an undefeated 5-0-2 tear to close the season, with two wins and a tie coming against three straight ranked opponents. Rutgers earned its first Big East Tournament bid since 2009, doing so with a first round bye. Still, Connecticut ousted the Knights from the tournament in their first game, leaving their standing for the NCAA Tournament up in the air. In the weeks leading up to the tournament announce-
ment, the Knights were cautiously hopeful. “We knew it was going to be tight,” said senior midfielder Nate Bordeau. “Most of us gathered in the locker room, and I have to say it was probably the most suspenseful day I have had.” The Knights learned they would be the first Rutgers team to play in the NCAA Tournament since 2006, hosting Colgate in the first round. “They showed the bracket, and one kid saw it, and we all started going crazy,” Knibbs said. “It was probably one of the best feelings of the season, knowing our hard work paid off and we were getting another game.” After Rutgers dropped Colgate, that one more game turned into a contest at Boston College, which the Knights defeated in a matchup that went to penalty kicks. “We were all happy — any team that kept advancing would be,” Knibbs said. “Once we were in, we knew we could make a little run.” The Knights’ miracle run came to an end against UCLA in Los Angeles, 3-0. “I think the main contributor to us being successful this year was the fact that we have had to work so hard in the past and we achieved so little,” Bordeau said. “We were kind of desperate, and we wanted to make something out of it, and that is what we did.”
Knights rookie makes impression after early setbacks BY BEN CAIN STAFF WRITER
Corey Crawford can still feel the pain sometimes. But as much as he tries to forget the memory of the incident, there are always subtle reminders. The reminders can come in the middle of the night, forcing him out of bed. They can come after a practice or a workout. Other times, they appear after a long car or plane ride. The pain is dull, yet sharp enough to show how far the Daily Targum Comeback Player of the Year has come since that day. “I don’t really think about it too much,” said Crawford. “I try not to because it’s just not really good luck, I’m kind of superstitious like that.” Crawford’s unwillingness to relive the day his left kneecap
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR 1) Corey Crawford 2) Tim Wright 3) Greg Zannetti split in half is logical. But the amount of success he has had since the injury is not. In the summer before his freshman season with the Rutgers men’s track and field team, Crawford broke his kneecap during a workout. The injury traced back to his senior year of high school, when he unknowingly competed with a hairline fracture for a large chunk of the season. The Oakland, N.J., native underwent surgery on the knee and had to wear a straight leg cast for 10 weeks.
“I was known as peg leg and stick leg and all this stuff,” Crawford said. “They called me ‘Peggy.’ I was wobbling around [and I] lived on the fourth floor with no elevator.” After spending the majority of his freshman season rehabbing his knee, Crawford returned this season to prove he was worth the Knights’ investment. His first taste of success was in the season-opening Princeton New Year’s Invitational. He jumped 7.25 meters in the long jump — near the same distance he consistently reached in high school. He became a Metropolitan champion weeks later, leaping a career-high 7.59 meters. He rode that momentum to a second-place finish at the Big East Championships, where he recorded a mark of 7.39 meters.
But Crawford’s finest hour came at the IC4A Championships. Crawford captured the long jump with a mark of 7.63 meters, giving him a first-place finish and setting a facility record at Boston University. But that was only the start of his day. During the 500-meter dash trials, he watched as senior AllAmerican teammate Aaron Younger collapsed onto the track mid-race after feeling pain in his left leg. Younger was the anchor on the Knights’ 4x400-meter relay squad that set a school record at the Big East Championships only two weeks earlier. The Knights needed a replacement, and Crawford was the one chosen despite not training with the sprinters all season. “I saw [Younger] go down, [and] that kind of took the wind
out of everyone on our team,” Crawford said. “I didn’t even really register, ‘Wow, I’m the alternate for the 4x400.’ … I went out there and it was just pure adrenaline.” As the third leg, he helped the Knights set a school record in the 4x400 at 3:10.14, en route to a second-place finish. His success continued in the outdoor season, as he qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the long jump after leaping 7.61 meters at the Bulls Invitational. That distance is the ninth best in the East region. Crawford has finally shown this season what he is capable of. And even though he can still feel the pain sometimes, the memories of the incident — along with those of his old nicknames — are getting more and more distant.
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KEITH FREEMAN / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu eclipsed Rutgers and Big East records in 2011 with 109 regular-season receptions, 16 of which came in a Sept. 24 victory against Ohio — another program and league record. He benefited from the production Friday, when the Cincinnati Bengals took him in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Sanu caps record-setting season with NFL selection BY TYLER BARTO SPORTS EDITOR
When former Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano brought in Mohamed Sanu in 2009, his intent was for Sanu to play safety. But during Sanu’s final season with the Scarlet Knights, he became the program’s most prolific safety valve. “I knew Mo was an all-around player,” said South Brunswick High School athlete Jevon Tyree, one of Sanu’s close friends and 2012 football commit. “I wasn’t surprised — I expected that from him — but I was just proud of him.” The Daily Targum’s Male Athlete of the Year enjoyed arguably the most productive season in school history in 2011. Sanu broke both the Knights and Big East’s single-season receptions record with 109, recorded seven games with 100-plus receiving yards and was a unanimous conference first-team selection.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Mohamed Sanu He caught at least 10 passes in a game six times, including a Big East-record 16 for 176 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 24 against Ohio. He made nearly impossible catches — a leaping one-handed grab Sept. 10 at North Carolina, among others — look routine. And he nearly willed the Knights to their first Big East crown in school history. “He came out to be one of the greatest,” said senior wide receiver Mark Harrison. “I feel like he has the ability to be anywhere on the field at any time.” In Sanu’s final season, he did not have to be. Stripped of duties in the nowdefunct Wildcat formation, Sanu
returned exclusively at wide receiver, where he sits in sole possession of Rutgers’ all-time receptions list. Some of his school-record 210 grabs came as check-downs from three different starting quarterbacks. Others, like Sanu’s sprawling tipped catch on his back Nov. 5 against South Florida, were last resorts. And countless more led to a body of work that resulted in Sanu’s third-round selection in the NFL Draft on Friday by the Cincinnati Bengals. “I was really excited,” said head coach Kyle Flood. “I spoke to Mohamed before it happened, and I had chance to speak to [Cincinnati head] coach [Marvin] Lewis afterward. I know they’re really excited out in Cincinnati. There’ll be many more positives to Mohamed Sanu that what they think they’ve drafted.” Sanu’s 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine likely cautioned teams
that questioned his downfield speed. But his 4.41-second performance at Rutgers’ Pro Day in front of scouts from 24 teams figured to improve Sanu’s stock. “For all the great things Mohamed’s done here — breaking the Big East record for receptions — I think there are still some people that doubt him a little bit in that league,” Flood said. Sanu arrived in Piscataway nearly four years ago a three-star commit and the 22nd-best player in the state, according to Rivals.com. He played quarterback, safety and even punted in high school. But Sanu had to sit out his senior season at South Brunswick because at 19 years old, he was too old to play. So he worked out with Tyree’s older brother, Sean, a close friend, and others during the layoff. “He’s just a hardworking kid,” Tyree said. “Mo works as hard as the hardest worker in the world.
I’ve never seen someone work as hard as Mo does.” Those who tried in 2011 included cornerbacks, safeties, zone defenses and a combination of each. Sanu still out-caught the next Knight — junior wideout Quron Pratt — by 82 balls. Sophomore Brandon Coleman’s 552 receiving yards still sat 654 less than Sanu’s total. And Sanu did so with less than two full seasons at the position. “I was like, ‘That’s a big safety. He’s going to cover a lot of the field,’ Harrison said of Sanu’s summer 2009 arrival. “You could tell that he had potential to be receiver the way he closed in on the ball. I even watched a couple of his sessions in practice, saying, ‘Wow, I’m going to have a tough time going through the middle with him.’ But it’s good to have him at receiver. He’s done so great, and he’s done a lot for this program.”
Versatile Rushdan parlays play into WNBA draft pick BY JOEY GREGORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
As a member of the Rutgers women’s basketball team, point guard Khadijah Rushdan did it all. Most of the time she ran the offense, but the Wilmington, Del., native also posted up on bigger forwards and pulled down her fair share of rebounds. But perhaps more importantly, she brought leadership to a team that largely consisted of underclassmen. At the end of the 2011-2012 season, Rushdan led the Scarlet Knights with 13.1 points per game and 102 assists. It was Rushdan’s versatility, leadership and impressive numbers that earned her The Daily Targum’s Female Athlete of the Year honors.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 1) Khadijah Rushdan 2) Brittney Lindley 3) Jonelle Filigno 4) Stephanie Anderson 5) Alexis Gunzelman “She brings a different type of leadership,” said former teammate Nikki Speed. “She’s talking to everybody, whether it’s the post players or the guards, because she does get in the post.” The WNBA took notice of the AllBig East first team member, as well. The Los Angeles Sparks drafted Rushdan with the 15th pick in this year’s WNBA Draft. But the Sparks were not done with the Knights.
Thirteen picks later, they chose former Rutgers forward April Sykes. The moves can benefit the Sparks, as they picked up two players that established plenty of chemistry during the four seasons they played together on the Banks. “When I’m knocking down the outside shot, she’s driving,” Sykes said. “She’s posting, I’m posting. We always look for each other. We have a connection that a lot of people don’t even realize.” But there is more to Rushdan than good numbers in a fifth college season. She is no stranger to high-pressure games. Even before college, she faced the toughest of opponents. All four years at St. Elizabeth High School (Del.) she battled Delaware star and former No. 1
national recruit Elena Delle Donne in the state title game against Ursuline Academy. In her final high school year, she defeated Delle Donne. For the next five seasons, she worked to make a name for herself in Piscataway. But there was a possibility her career could have stopped at four seasons. Following the 2010-2011 campaign, Rushdan had the option of leaving Rutgers. “I felt like I hadn’t accomplished everything that I wanted to — individually and as a team,” she said. “I didn’t feel satisfied.” And all she did was earn All-Big East honors and All-Met honors, as well as help her team a firstround bye in the Big East Tournament and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Even though she is sad her time at Rutgers is over, she feels better having returned for that fifth year. “I was like, ‘Dang, I wish I had another 40 minutes.’ I couldn’t believe that was the last time I was coming off the court,” Rushdan said of her final game at Rutgers. “It was a little tough. It was a little emotional too, but I’m happy with the way that I’ve played here my success.” While she spent much of the year mentoring younger guards, she also had to start somewhere. And she remembers exactly who her Khadijah Rushdans were. “Playing with players like [Epiphanny Prince], [Matee Ajavon] and [Essence Carson], that motivated me to want to reach that level,” she said, “and be as great as they were.”