rutgers observer, january 26, 2011
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The Rutgers Observer, Volume 75 Issue 17TRANSCRIPT
Volume 75 | Issue 17 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF RUTGERS-NEWARK January 26, 2011
neWs
oPInIon
lIFe & leIsure
sPorTs
Safety concerns arise after snowstorms
Should professors bear arms?
The Rutgers-Newark arc on University Avenue after a snowstorm.Photo by Nora Luongo from the Office of Communications at Rutgers-Newark
By Joshua Hoyosnews editor
In the wake of the recent shooting in Arizona that killed six and injured 14, there has been a national conversation about enforcing and tightening gun
control laws. Yet, prior to the shootings, there was a scheduled debate planned in the Arizona state legislature to allow the college professors the ability to carry guns to class.
Some Rutgers-Newark professors and students share their displeasure with allowing faculty members carry arms.
“I wouldn’t be enhancing security by carrying a gun,” said Ronald Chen, Vice Dean of the Rutgers School of Law.
The former Public Advocate in the Corzine administration stated that as a pri-vate citizen, it would be a “silly” idea be-cause it could lead to more harm then good.
Currently, the state of New Jersey does not allow for anyone except law en-forcement officials to carry guns on cam-puses.
Michael Lattimore, the Chief of R-N police, does not believe guns on campus
would help anyone.“I see no reason for [guns],” said Lat-
timore.The level of comfort is also an issue
for some students including Jazmin Mc-Combs, a sophomore, who expressed her discomfort with some professors carrying weapons.
“I wouldn’t be comfortable. I think they should survey students,” said Mc-Combs who said that some professors she had in her past would not be the best to carry arms.
Freshman Derrick Rosario believes that in high crime areas like in Newark, such steps might be necessary.
“If you are out in the country you wouldn’t need it but here in Newark it is something important,” said Rosario who added that allowing students to be armed as well would be a problem.
Todd Clear, Dean of the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice does not believe that arming professor would be the solu-tion.
See GUNS, Page 2
House votes to repeal healthcare plan
By Monica De Leonlayout Design editor
The first week of the spring se-mester at Rutgers-Newark was no winter wonderland as students struggled their way through snow,
slush, and ice to get to class. Many students wondered, with the dreadful weather con-ditions, why the University was open in the first place.
Wet snow and frozen puddles covered various areas around campus, and some ar-eas seemed untouched with the amount of snow and slush that accumulated through-out the day.
Conditions were such that students were overheard jokingly claiming that if they slipped on ice on the sidewalk they would sue the University.
According to Deana Cardona, an 18-year-old freshman, walking to class in the snow was very uncomfortable and in-convenient.
“Not to mention it’s dangerous,” she said. “The sidewalks need to be properly cleared so students can get to class safely and on time.”
On campus, it is the Physical Plant department that is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the buildings and grounds. During snowstorms, they are responsible for clearing the snow and ice, with the goal being to limit school closings and delayed openings.
The department divides the campus into four zones. Within those four zones, the responsibilities are divided between the Grounds and Custodial units. Grounds maintains the sidewalks and parking lots while Custodial clears building entrance-ways.
The concern of students and staff is that in an effort to keep the University open their safety is being compromised.
“I saw a couple of people fall down,” said Kristine Vidaillet, a 21-year-old se-nior, noting that the walkways were very slippery on the first day of the semester.
“It was pretty bad, but at least now there’s salt on the ground.”
Yohanna Alcantara, the Area Opera-tion Manager at Physical Plant, says many factors play a role in the clean up of the campus grounds.
See SNOW, Page 2
By Nadia Kadristaff writer
The GOP-led House voted on Jan. 19 to repeal the healthcare legislation passed by Democrats and signed into law by President Obama last
year. The final vote tally was 245 to 189 in favor of repeal, with three Democrats vot-ing with the Republican majority and no Republicans against the repeal.
Republicans argued that the law pro-vides for government takeover of healthcare, raises taxes, de-stroys jobs because employers will hire less due to increased costs and adds to the deficit.
“Let’s stop payment on this check before it can de-stroy more jobs and put us in a deeper hole,” argued House Speaker John Boehner. “Then let’s work together to put in place reforms that lower costs without bankrupting this government.”
Republicans added that this law will increase costs for employers and drive up premiums for everyone.
For young Americans and students, we are unsure where we stand. Currently, young Americans can remain on their par-ents’ insurance until the age of 26, which saves many graduates the hassle of buying their own healthcare or hoping the job they cannot find will provide them with it.
If these provisions are taken away, young Americans will thus be too old to re-main with their parents, not old enough for Medicare and not poor enough for Medic-aid. Democrats say they are open to chang-ing the legislation but will not throw it out and start over. They assert that a repeal will strip Americans of new protections against the abuses of insurance companies.
“By reopening the Medicare donut hole, we will put insurance companies back in charge of your healthcare,” said Jon Summers, spokesman for Senate Majority
leader Harry Reid. While Americans remain split on the
overall health care reform package, many of its specific points are popular. The health care law bars health insurers from turning away 129 million Americans under 65 with pre-existing conditions.
President Obama said that because of the law, “Americans no longer have to live in fear that insurance companies will drop or cap their coverage if they get sick, or that they’ll face double-digit premium increas-
es with no accountability or recourse.” He emphasized the tax credits the law provides for small businesses, the Age 26 rule, a strengthening of Medicare and a lowering of prescription drug costs.
Fundamentally, supporters of the law hold the majority and President Obama vows to veto the repeal if it arrives on his desk. Similarly, Republicans vowed to do everything they can to delay or stop its im-plementation, including denying necessary funds to make changes to the law.
The effects of full healthcare repeal for students and young Ameri-cans are small, yet significant in different lights. If the econ-omy remains weak, graduates straight out of college will have a hard time finding a job. Be-cause of this, healthcare will be out of reach, due to the cost and scarce jobs.
When asked R-N students, some supported repeal, others opposed and many indifferent.
“Some things in the current law should be kept but most of it should be gone,” said Henry Ruiz, senior, Econ-Finance. “It may seem convenient to keep children on insur-ance until 26, but ultimately, it’s a burden on parents and small businesses.”
See HEALTHCARE, Page 2
The Observertherutgersobserver.com freePlease recycle after reading
Why the insanity plea is an excuse
p. 3
“Healthcare never said it was going to solve the problems of
deficit.” - Sidra Ali, Junior, Finance
Dissent over possibility of more guns on campus
Men’s basketball drops the ball
p. 8
MTV’s Skins just not worth it
p. 5
Student urges others to trust the media
p. 2
Want your ad here? Contact [email protected] for more information.
HEALTHCAREcontinued from Page 1
Many believe that there are more Americans, who are not young, that are sick and uninsured. According to recent reports, 47% of young people have gone without health in-surance in the last year.
Sidra Ali, Junior-Finance, opposes.“Republicans are saying the budget deficit will worsen
and although that matters, we’re discussing healthcare. And healthcare never said it was going to solve the problems of deficit. It’s supposed to solve problems for those in need of it.”
Junior Maeghan Pami-Marketing agreed, “What’s the point of moving backwards when they just started moving forward? Fix certain points and help instead of repeal. ”
Students are slightly relieved from these complications while they are enrolled in college.
R-N Heath Services Director, Dr. Sandra Samuels, as-sured, “Despite healthcare proposals, our full-time students will always have full coverage and capability to get what-ever they need done. Part-time will always have potential benefits, cheaper and easier than what’s provided outside.” Rutgers provides student healthcare from Aetna for full-time students and reasonable offers for part-time.
While the GOP is coming up with new reform during their repeal effort, health reform will remain a national de-bate and top priority in the United States. Without healthy citizens, the country will continue to suffer in every sector.
Many don’t know what’s going on but they are hoping the right things come out of this.
R-N student, Mary Tremont, Senior-Biology hopes, “Nobody knows what’s going to happen and I’m indifferent right now but I hope the future is better when my parents, my-self and others will be in need to utilize our healthcare.”
PAGE 2 News January 26, 2011
A total of 6 percent of class-rooms in Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ were left with no heat on Monday
after faulty parts of the school heat-ing broke down. Students and faculty have complained that heating has constantly been a problem.
Gov. Chris Christie an-nounced that he would restore the property tax rebates that were eliminated
from the state budget last year. Chris-tie also said that the 2 percent prop-erty tax cap would take effect.
An alleged 15 members of the Bloods street gang were charged Monday with everything from murder to
drug distribution following an indict-ment in federal court in Newark. 13 members were ranking members of the street gang.
A proposed Newark charter school designed to assist students with autism or de-velopmental delays received
the green light by the New Jersey Department of Education. The Forest Hill Charter School is one of 10 new charter schools approved in Essex County and is set to open Sept. 2012.
The U.S. Department of Justice launched one of their larg-est round ups of department history in the New York/
New Jersey area as 91 members of the mob were arrested. 14 New Jersey residents numbered among all those arrested.
Authorities are investigating a report that nude im-ages of sixth-grade student were circulating through
a Hackensack school. Hackensack Police gave students a three-day grace period to delete all indecent images before facing the prospects of press-ing charges.
Former White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel’s campaign for mayoralship of Chicago reached a roadblock
as the Illinois Appellate Court did not meet state code to run for the position
All news briefs come from nj.com and NorthJersey.com and nytimes.com
News Briefs
Police BlotterDefiant Trespassing
Alfred Ferguson Jr. and Alfred Mc-Ghie were both arrested on Jan. 22 for defiant trespassing at 175 University Avenue. After a record check, it was revealed that both Ferguson and Mc-
Ghie had an outstanding warrant.
Theft and Criminal MischiefOn Jan. 18 Rutgers Police received a complaint from an individual that her vehicle window had been smashed and her property was stole from it while it was parked at James Street and Boy-den Street. The value of the damages
are estimated to be $120.
Criminal MischiefAn individual reported on Jan. 19 that she noticed scratches on the hood of her vehicle parked at 200 University Ave. Damages are estimated to be
$1,000.
TheftA person reported on Jan. 22 that his property had been stolen from 185 University Ave. The stolen items to-
taled $600.
HarassmentA person reported on Jan. 17 that they were being harassed by unwanted phone calls. The individual reported the incident from 200 University Ave.
TheftA person reported to Rutgers Police on Jan. 20 that a sticker was removed from his office door. The stolen item
was valued at $7.
A call to students to participate in mediaBy Allison Baldwin
Executive Editor
Last semester I took a class that focused on the interaction be-tween the media and politics. The single, most important
piece of information that I learned from class was that these disciplines influ-ence each other, providing a founda-tion for discussion. During the semester I interviewed students on campus and discovered that many of them have a negative opinion of the media and how it currently serves the public.
Students believed that news is bi-ased, serving a self-interested purpose and does not serve the public in a way that helps them and provides enrich-ment to their lives. And it isn’t just one news station over another; it’s all of them.
During recent interviews, con-ducted last Friday, I found out that this negative opinion still exists.
“News stations lie to benefit what-ever helps their cause,” said freshman, biology major Dino Radoncic. “It is truly obvious and not limited to one sta-tion. You can see CNN sucking up to Obama and on the other side you see Fox trying to kill him.”
Radoncic also says that news sta-tions have different viewpoints and ide-ologies that affect their reporting. He says that it is fair to blame the media for the political tone currently circulat-ing the television. He says that news reporters always throw their ideas and that those ideas affect how the public
thinks. In a recent NBC News/Wall Street
Journal poll done for January 2011 only eight percent of people have a great deal of confidence in the current media while 39 percent and 28 percent have some and very little confidence respec-tively. Fourteen percent of those sur-veyed have no confidence at all.
In result of the recent shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a poll was conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal that asked citizens whether they believed that political rhetoric and the media had an impact on the incident. Twenty-four percent of people believed that political rhetoric was an important contributor while 71 percent believed it was the re-sult of a “deeply disturbed person.”
When asked about whether she thought the shooting was the fault of the media, freshman, chemistry major Suzan Ahmad disagreed saying that it was human nature for people to place blame on others when a shooting or other crime happens.
As a student journalist, I have learned that our role is to report and supply the public with information that helps them make informed decisions about all of aspects of their lives.
That being said, it is my belief that the media does have an impact on how the public thinks, and that the media can influence outcomes. I believe that the media affects politics because it is the job of journalists to provide citizens with the information they need in order to understand the viewpoints of those
running for office. I believe, and understand, that
the media makes mistakes and has some growing to do, but I refuse to place the blame for the current politi-cal atmosphere entirely on my industry. The public and the media need to work harder at working together; only this ac-tion will bridge the gap between them. Citizens need to be more conscientious and active in pursuing knowledge. In addition, they need to be more open to speaking to the media so that the media can provide the most accurate informa-tion available at a given time.
Journalists obtain their informa-tion by going out and talking to people. Our job is based on the conversations we have the public and the willingness of that public to provide us with their opinions on the issues affecting them. We cannot know something without talking about it. We cannot know what people think unless people talk to us. We rely on the public and the public re-lies on us.
I believe in my job. I believe that it is ultimately good, that when it is at its best it does what it is meant to do: inform the public and provide a valu-able service, but it is time for people to stop believing that journalism can work alone.
For those of you who have stopped reading or watching the news due to the fact that you believe it to be biased, please do not do so anymore. It is only with your continued interaction and ac-tive participation that news organiza-tions can do their job.
President Barack Obama speaks about the necessity of health-care for Americans.
GUNScontinued from Page 1
“Allowing college professors to carry guns is an idea that makes no sense, either as common sense or from all the research we have done on hand-gun use,” said Clear in an email.
In December 2009, Colorado
State University (CSU)’s Board of Governors voted to ban guns from its campus. Many on the campus believed that CSU is trying to trump the Colo-rado’s law.
“If CSU persists in trying to ban firearms on this campus, a lawsuit will be filed,” said Terry Ryan, the spokes-person of Rocky Mountain Gun Own-ers, told National Public Radio.
Currently, only professors and stu-
dents in Utah are allowed to carry con-cealed weapons. Yet, while New Jersey is not considering this type of legisla-tion, there is a sense by some profes-sors that this should not be the course of action to prevent these types of situ-ations.
“For us, a gun is the last thing we [professors] want to touch. Our stron-gest weapon is a grade,” said Chen.
SNOWcontinued from Page 1
“It depends on a number of things, such as the inten-sity of the storm and the accuracy of the forecast,” she said. “Lately, the forecast hasn’t been accurate.
“We’ll prepare for a storm that brings 26 inches, but then the storm comes and brings 36 inches. That affects our performance.”
Another factor that affected the first day’s clean up was the University’s closing for Martin Luther King, Jr. day, Alcantara said.
“Since the day before school started was a holiday, the night crew wasn’t there,” said Alcantara. “We had to call them in as soon as possible to start cleaning.”
The night crew is responsible for cleaning up the build-ing entrances and walkways for students and staff the next day.
Another big problem that affected Physical Plant’s performance was the weather conditions. With the danger-ously low temperatures, more ice covered the ground than snow, which made it harder to clean up.
“Due to the recent weather conditions we’ve been call-ing all of our workers to come in,” said Alcantara.
According to Alcantara, the Grounds unit of the de-partment is committed to working until all the snow is re-moved.
However, even with all of Physical Plant’s efforts to keep the grounds clear, many still feel that a school closing or delayed opening would be more ideal.
“They should have delayed school until at least 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.,” said Brad Isaacson, a teaching assistant at Rut-gers, about Friday’s weather conditions. “It’s not worth the safety of the students to stay open an extra hour.”
To find out more information on the University’s campus status during extreme weather conditions, go to http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/campusstatus/, or call the weather hotline at (732) 932-7799. The radio station WCTC (1450 AM) also announces when the University offices are closed due to weather.
On The Media:
January 26, 2011 Opinions PAGE 3
The Voice of Rutgers-NewarkRutgers, The State University of
New Jersey Paul Robeson Campus Center350 Dr. Martin Luther King, Blvd. Newark, New Jersey 07102-1898Main office: (973) 353-5023
Editor-in-ChiefDiego M. Ortiz
managing editorThomas Hahn
LAYOUT DESIGN EditorMonica De Leon
news editorAllison Baldwin
sports editorCamilo Brun
opinion editorHalema Wali
life & Leisure editorCaroline McLaughlin
multiMedia EditorChristian Torres-Rossi
business managerOmar Khan
staff writersLaquay Weekes Calvin OkwuegoMauricio Moreno
Ramona AlcantaraHassan Muhammad
Frances PerezTricia SerrantonioBreanne McCarthyBimpe FageyimboRodolfo Cardenas
Farbod RajaiJoshua Hoyos
CONTrIbUTOrS
advisorGeorge Garneau
Letters to the editor and Opinions:
News desk: observernews@
gmail.com
To advertise with The Observer please contact
Omar Khan at
The views expressed in the Opinion section, with ex-ception of the main Edito-rial, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Observer.
THE OBSERVER
The Voice of Rutgers-NewarkRutgers, The State University
of New Jersey Paul Robeson Campus Center
350 Dr. Martin Luther King, Blvd. Newark, New Jersey 07102-1898
Editor-in-ChiefDiego M. Ortiz
Executive EditorAllison Baldwin
managing editorThomas Hahn
LAYOUT DESIGN EditorMonica De Leon
news editorJoshua Hoyos
sports editorCamilo Brun
opinions editorZarna Patel
life & Leisure editorCaroline McLaughlin
multiMedia EditorChristian Torres-Rossi
business managerOmar Khan
staff writersAlvin Anarah
Desiree HadleyEnzo DomingoFarbod Rajaei
Gabriela BarkhoHassan Muhammad
Kelvin PauLaQuay Weekes
Luis MercadoMatthew Rozsa
Nadia KadriNaina Kamath
Patricia SerrantonioRudy CardenasShashwat DaveSteven Albano
Yaroslav Imshenetsky
advisorGeorge Garneau
Letters to the editor and Opinions:
News desk: observernews@
gmail.com
To advertise with The Observer please contact
Omar Khan at
THE OBSERVER
The goal of The Observer editorial pages is to present the diversity of views of all the R-N community, espe-cially the students whose student fees support this newspaper, on timely and relevant topics. Letters (50-100 words) and essays (600-800 words) are ac-cepted for publication at the discretion of the editor and/or his/her designees. Unsolicited manuscripts are not re-turned. Editors reserve the right to edit
for space and clarity.
I hate the snow. And not because it doesn’t look pretty or because I don’t like to build snowmen or have snowball fights with my friends.
(Although I have not done any of those things since I was really young.)
I hate snow because I hate having to walk in it.
For those of you who do not know me, I use a walker to get around cam-pus. That being said, it is difficult for me to walk through heavy snow and travel over ice.
I also depend on the ramps and crosswalks to get to class. When these areas are not plowed, it is hard for me to go to class and take care of my respon-sibilities.
This is why I had such a difficult time last Tuesday. I woke up for the first day of classes at about 7:30 a.m., looked out my window and saw that the path that leads to the Robeson campus cen-ter was covered in snow; the very same path that I needed, (and others needed as well), to get to my 11:30 class.
I spent the rest of the morning get-ting ready and hoping that the Physical Plant workers would shoveled before I had to leave.
That being said, I was very ex-
cited when I saw them shoveling about an hour later. But they didn’t do an ad-equate job of shoveling the most impor-tant pedestrian intersection.
When I walked outside there was ice everywhere. I had to have one of the maintenance workers help me cross the street because I was afraid I might slip. The crosswalk leading from the dorms to Robeson had not been properly cleaned and there was still snow and ice in the middle of it.
But that wasn’t the worst of it. The ramp behind Robeson, which is the one that I use to get to Hill Hall, had not been cleared at all.
When I reached the ramp, it was still covered in about three inches of snow. I had trouble walking through it, and if it hadn’t been for another stu-dent and teacher helping me, I probably wouldn’t have fared as well as I did.
Afterward, the teacher called Phys-ical Plant and had them clean the ramp up.
I don’t know your names but I ap-preciate that you were both there. Thank you.
I admit that I was a bit surprised to find that this ramp was not cleaned. It seems to me that the ramps and cross-
walks around school would be a prior-ity. Everyone uses them at some point or another, and they connect the major buildings on campus: Robeson Campus Center.
I know that it may seem like I am just writing about me and my hardships of the day, but I am truly writing this for every student on campus.
I don’t want to see anyone get hurt or fall because the school did not do enough cleaning. Everyone walks around campus, and when bad weather hits, everyone is in danger of falling or slipping. I know this better then most.
I understand that university doesn’t close unless it is an emergency, but I be-lieve that sleet, ice, and an unclean cam-pus can lead to an emergency.
As students, faculty, and staff we have an obligation to keep each other safe. We shouldn’t risk each other get-ting hurt just for school to be open.
But if the campus remains open during future snow falls, the least we can expect is the safest possible environ-ment for everyone on campus.
Sincerely,Allison Baldwin
Executive Editor
A petition for a safe environment
Insanity plea: an insane excuseBy Naina Kamath
Staff writer
The connection between crime and mental illness is a long standing one. There have been numerous cases where a crimi-
nal, who has violently harmed others, some to the point of death, has been ‘let off the hook’ on claims of mental insta-bility.
The insanity plea is used rare-ly with cases other than murder, and there are numerous ways it can be used.
Criminal lawyers can claim that their clients have ‘cognitive insanity’, which means that they were not aware of what they were doing at the time of their crime.
Another variation is ‘voli-tional insanity’ or ‘irresistible im-pulse’, which states that while the ac-cused could differentiate between right and wrong, he or she was not able to control his actions during the time of the offence.
However, whatever the case or situation, mental illness should not be a valid excuse for committing a serious offence.
Harming or taking the life of an-other, whether you were aware or not, should not be forgiven simply due to your state of mind.
There are many who see this de-fense as a loophole in the law; the states of Montano, Utah and Idaho have abol-ished this form of defense in their legal courts for this exact reason.
The excuse of mental illness is not only used by defendants and their law-
yers; politicians and the media have also caught on to this trend, knowing that it catches the public’s interest and stimu-lates more debate than a traditional trial.
Because of this, the insanity plea is becoming more of a popularity mecha-nism than a serious affair, and is often not explored with the attention it de-serves.
The factor of actually determin-ing whether the insanity plea is accurate also plays a role in this injustice. It is difficult to tell the ways in which our brains work, and the tests for mental ill-ness are not always accurate.
Figuring out whether or not the criminal is telling the truth is often a di-lemma, and doctors still have not deter-mined exactly what criteria can be used to pinpoint mental illness.
The accused may not even be mentally ill, and still get away with crimes of heinous nature.
To let someone walk away from a series of slayings is unjust. ‘Not guilty by reason of insanity’ is an absurd term; insanity does not deem one innocent. The criminal may require psychiatric help, but this can be administered while in jail. While some argue that criminals
let off on defense of insanity are still confined in a mental asylum, the point is that they are still pardoned from their felony.
Commit the crime, do the time; mental stability should play no part in this equation.
Editorial:
By Rodolfo CardenasStaff writer
Many people share a dream of one day uniting all nations of the world, to co-exist in harmony and
peace. The question is how and
when will this grand phenom-enon ever happen or is it ulti-mately impossible? Surely noth-ing is impossible in the world if one puts his or her mind and heart into it. With this mentality, a worldwide peace does seem achievable and ideal.
Nevertheless, history and current events reveal hatred, power, and greed to cause wars to break out in any time and place continuously in the hu-man timeline.
The formula for a worldwide peace amongst all nations at one time has not been yet discovered or oc-curred. What is keeping us from world peace? Who is in control of our actions in this Earth?
A possible cause for war and hate between two nations is results from our state of human emotions. Human beings are susceptible to hatred, spite, and vengeance, and it is not likely that those emotions, or any other by matter, are going to simply disappear.
Simultaneously, the origin of peace is also derived from our emo-tions of goodwill and love onto oth-ers. Having the trait of love makes two people, two nations, two animals, come together in peace and harmony.
In the larger picture, the balance of good and evil in the world keeps
us from having world peace and total chaos. Humans have created war and we have created peace and it is why we can never have one or the other al-together.
Furthermore, the universe and life is created by conflict whether it’s on a personal level or a wider societal level. Polar opposites create, for ex-ample, male-female, day and night, love and hate, warmth and cold-the list is endless.
Sadly for doe-eyed peaceniks,
it’s an impossible concept and as long as humans exist there will always be conflict as well as it’s polar opposite peace.
Evidently, it is the dissent of na-tions and peoples’ ideas that greatly disallow peace. Because religion, politics, morals, and values are not
mutually shared between the masses, they play the major roles and key that currently averts peace on Earth.
There is however one promising theory however when the world will consider peace.
If you ever watched the movie Independence Day, or the X-Men the Animated Se-ries form 1990’s in the two part episode of the Phalanx invasion, all humans, groups, rivals, and nations alike will
eventually unite and form peace to fight for the human race and freedom of Earth against extraterrestrial invad-ers.
Therefore when it is about surviv-al of our human species, nations will make a truce to unite and save them-selves and the world. Until a global invasion takes place, the world will relinquish peace, continue to engage their human self-interests, and opposi-tion with one another.
Observer Philosophy Corner:
One student’s struggle with the snow
“The accused may not even be mentally ill, and still get away with crimes
of heinous nature.”
“Because religion, politics, morals, and values are not
mutually shared between the masses, they play the major roles and key that currently
averts peace on Earth.”
Is world peace impossible?
PAGE 4 Advertisement January 26, 2011
PAGE 5Life & LeisureJanuary 26, 2011
By Kelvin PauSTAFF WRITER
The next time you bite into your burger or pizza or whatever, count yourself lucky that you’re not like Tony Chu. As a cibopath, he can chew on an
apple and gain insight into the chemicals and fertilizer used in its growth. Or he can chow down on a steak and catch visions in his head of a steer being slaughtered for meat and cut up into tiny pieces while still partially alive. Yeah, it’s kind of a double edged point.
Chew is a comic book series with its own brand of humor and logic. The plot is pretty simple monster of the issue type storyline. Tony is called to the scene and notes the (increasingly bizarre) circumstances of the crime. The first issue starts with a simple “crazy cannibal murderer” and builds up to things like vampires, government conspiracies, and maybe even aliens. All this weirdness is by no means played straight. Instead there’s tons of instances of gross and wacky humor.
In particular, one obvious running joke is that Chu has to chew more and more disgusting things. At one point he’s just standing there, looking directly at the human feces which is the only remain that the criminal has left behind. Though the humor can be very crude, it’s handled and executed skillfully, leaving the real shockers for the best times. And the setting of the series takes place in a world where chicken meat has been banned and is now serving a role similar to alcohol in the 1920s.
The style of the comic is illustrated very nicely. As you can see above, the series eschews realistic or gritty drawing style for a slightly caricaturized, goofy art style. This makes the expressions of the characters and the general WTFery of the whole situation flow seamlessly from the page into the mind’s eye.
Speaking of caricatures, the characters are sketched out to the barest extent, then thrown every which way for maximum humor. The main character, Tony Chu, is the straight man. Interestingly enough, he’s
a perfectly normal Asian-American, who doesn’t even know martial arts. Everyone else is the opposite of that. Agent Savoy is a badass Frenchman who is very eloquently loquacious and utilizes an truly immense number of sophisticated verbiage and takes out yakuza restaurants with ninja stars. Chu’s boss Mike Applebee, is highly sadistic, and would probably take great delight in sending his agent out to go eat rotting animals on the side of a road even if they weren’t part of a crime scene. There is also a cyborg cop who makes John McClane look like a reasonable, calm, human being, a man who orchestrates. All these wacky personas clash and collide in hilarious ways.
Chew never really slows down, always moving forward on the steam of its own momentum. It’s very entertaining, bizarrely illogical, and even sometimes educational because you’ll pick up some tidbits about food along the way. If you’re looking for a series not afraid to go out there with a sick sense of humor and a lot of style, chow down on Chew.
Winter TV Preview:What to watch while you wait for your favorites
By Naina Kamath STAFF WRITER
With the winter season comes happy things like food, fun and family. However, with the good comes the bad;
slick roads and icy temperatures make it difficult to have the motivation to get out of bed in the morning, much less get dressed stylishly. Here are a few ways to keep looking delightful even when the weather outside is frightful.
Paint those nails. Nail polish can go a long way to spruce up your outfit. Not only can you use solid colors, but there are so many designs and patterns out there for you to try. Not to mention, giving yourself a manicure only takes half an hour, but the results can last you up to a month!
Cake up that makeup. Okay, maybe layers upon layers of makeup isn’t necessary, but a dash of red lipstick or some bold eyeliner will make you look less drab and ready for the day. Pale skin is a hallmark of the winter season; use a few brushes of blush to fix that in a jiffy. The excuse that ‘putting it on takes too long’ is really not valid; how long does it take to slap on some lip gloss? 10 seconds maybe? You know what they say: a little effort goes a long way!
Warm those legs. When the snow arrives, all you see on peoples’ feet are boots. Sure, boots come in a variety of styles and colors, but they are still commonplace during this season. Leg warmers, on the other hand, can make you stand out in a crowd. Pick bright colors and cute designs to compliment your outfit. Leg warmers are affordable as well as comfortable; the extra layer of cloth under your boots will keep you toasty and trendy at the same time.
Wrap that neck. The versatility of scarves can’t be emphasized enough. This simple piece of cloth comes in so many styles, materials and patterns that you can never have enough. Whether it’s chunky knit or thin and dainty, a scarf is the perfect cold weather compliment.
Boast that bling. Every girl knows that the right accessories can make a break an outfit, and when it’s cold outside, the right jewelry can take the normal top and jeans to a whole new level. Big necklaces, earrings, bracelets; all are easy to put on and will make you feel a lot more fashionable. The option to mix and match will also take you a long way.
So glam up, girls (and guys, if it tickles your fancy). Sure, we may have snowstorms raging our way, but this weather will never get the better of our sense of style!
Freezing Fashion:Five ways to heat up any outfit By Steven Albano
STAFF WRITER
MTV’s Skins, a remake of the British show of the same name, focuses on a group of high school students as they live their lives
in a world filled with a lot of sex, drugs, and drama. This is not your ordinary high school, and these are not your ordinary teenagers. Skins is a show that creates extravagant circumstances for these equally extravagant students to play in.
The quality of acting is Skins is almost inexcusable. Almost every single character’s lines are delivered with such monotony and apathy that you almost cannot believe you are watching a professional show. It was very rare to have a scene that did not produce a cringe worthy reaction. Lines that should have been funny were humorless and some that should have been serious had not emotion at all. Now, this is all somewhat acceptable and understandable, still not forgivable, from the child actors on the show. However, even the
adult actors’ performances were laughable. There should have been a relief when the parents and teachers began to speak, but instead there was the same overwhelming disappointment. It should be clear that not all of the acting is awful as there are definitely some good moments throughout the hour long show, but the entirety of the mediocre performances completely outweighs any positives from those brief moments.
One huge problem with the show is the use of censorship. There is an incredible amount of awkwardly written dialogue, and it is obvious this is done to tiptoe around vulgar material. For a show that wants to be taken seriously and realistic, it just comes across as juvenile. In addition, the censoring of nudity is possibly even more distracting. There is a scene where a woman’s breasts are perfectly blocked out by a window pane, and that placement just takes away from all of the seduction of that scene. The viewer is no longer focusing on what is going on but watching to see if there is anything that might slip or not have been caught by the editors. Curse words and nudity are not necessary for a serious and realistic
portrayal of adolescence, but Skins does use foul language and the naked body, just not in a manner that builds its world up but completely destroys any attempt of realistic environment it tries to create.
The show does somewhat makeup for its deficiencies elsewhere by having a distinct look and sound to it. The clothing design is excellent and each character looks very much their own person; everyone is individual without looking like a stereotype. The music is probably the best aspect of this show and seems that each song is picked perfectly to complement the mood and actions happening on screen.
Overall, Skins is a complete failure of a show. In what seems like an attempt at a groundbreaking realistic portrayal of American teenagehood, the show falls short of what it is trying so desperately to be. Horrible acting and uncomfortable attempts at mature topics put off the audience from the start. There is very little redemption in this show as it is ultimately unsatisfying and unfulfilling. Go get your teen angst somewhere else.
Life &Leisure
By Luis MercadoSTAFF WRITER
When you think New Jersey music the automatic thought is New Jersey club. But Jersey has other artists like Joe Budden
or Redman. Bub Luv is an artist under the same umbrella. With a sound similar to Lupe Fiasco, Bub Luv shows potential on his mixtape All I See Is Mad Lights.
The mixtape overall is very consistent with a very good sound throughout. The gloomy sound is perfect for his rap style. The Trenton native can be described as a hybrid between Lupe Fiasco, Joe Budden, and Kid Cudi.
The first half of the mixtape begins a little slow, as he took a chance with some of the beats, but it dumbs down his quality as a good lyricist. The mixtape picks up on the second half, as the gloomy beats match the style he is obviously comfortable rapping too.
Some of the tracks that stand out on this mixtape are “Air Up There Remix”,
“Tomorrow”, “Intro”, and “Dreams.” This mixtape is worth listening to for anybody who enjoys that nice, laid back hip hop sound. If you like Joe Budden or Lupe Fiasco you will enjoy this artist as you listen to this mixtape.
You can listen to Bub Luv’s mixtape “All I See Is Mad Lights” at tweetmysong.com/zbfkh8.
Bub Luv shows off with new mixtape ‘All I See Is Mad Lights’
Inside this section:Reviews.....................................page 5Fashion......................................page 5 Creative Space ..............................page 6 Crossword...................................page6
By Cortney Coulanges CONTRIBUTOR
As college students, watching television is a rare luxury. But when the time comes when there is a spare moment to turn on the
tube, wouldn’t you want to watch something entertaining instead of channel surfing for 15 minutes then end up watching Spongebob Square Pants? Well here’s a list of the newest shows headed your way!
1. Kourtney and Kim Take New York. The Kardashians are back and are taking over New York City! Loaded with lots of drama, Kourtney and Kim premieres Sunday, January 23, on E! at 9pm. Missed the first episode, don’t worry! E! airs repeats of all their shows all week long.
2. The Cape. This series centers on Vince Faraday, a police officer who is trying to leave the corrupt, fictional town of Palm City, but after a few unfortunate events, Faraday is mistakenly known as a murderer and ends up on the run with a traveling circus. While with the circus, he learns how to use a cape to
defend himself against his enemies. He then goes back to fight Palm City’s corruption and to clear his name. The Cape airs Mondays at 9pm on NBC.
3. Mr. Sunshine. Matthew Perry is back on the small screen with a brand new series. Matthew Perry’s character, Ben Donovan, is a 40 year-old sports arena manager who is suffering from a mid-life crisis. The single-camera comedy premiers Wednesday, February 9 at 9:30pm on ABC.
4. Shedding for the Wedding. Another wedding inspired reality show? Yes, but this time instead of brides being portrayed as blood thirsty animals, both the bride and groom are trying to have a healthy start for their lives together. How sweet! Shedding for the Wedding premiers Wednesday, February 23 at 9pm on The CW.
5. Body of Proof. This ABC series focuses on Dr. Megan Hunt who is adjusting to her new career as a medical examiner after an accident prevented her to continue her prosperous career as a neurosurgeon. Body of Proof premieres Tuesday, March 29 at 10pm.
6. Fairly Legal. USA network’s newest drama centers on Kate Reed a lawyer turned
mediator whose firm is shaken up by the death of her father.
7. American Idol. With Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler now sitting behind the judges table, American Idol’s 10th season might have that fresh start everyone’s been hoping for. Idol airs Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm on Fox.
8. Off the Map. From the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, this new series on ABC follows six doctors as they live in a rural South American village searching for the reasons that drew them to medicine in the first place. Off the Map airs Wednesday at 10pm.
9. Hot In Cleveland. Betty White is back! Cleveland is TV Land’s first original series which centers around three entertainers who were trying to make it Hollywood but realize how welcoming Cleveland is. Hot In Cleveland airs Wednesday at 10pm
10. Jersey Shore. No, this isn’t a new show but the new season just started! The crew is back in Seaside Heights and they didn’t leave any drama in Miami. Jersey Shore airs on Thursday at 10pm on MTV.
By Nadia KadriSTAFF WRITER
Last week, January 19 marked Edgar Allen Poe’s 202 birthday. To American students, Poe is the ultimate eerie, unearthly writer whose
works we have enjoyed from our years at grammar school. To me, Poe’s tales are the bedtime stories I’d love to read to children. But, since that would be a little unusual, we can still read them during dark nights with a candle, rather than a lamp. Poe was a writer, poet, editor, critic and considered a scribbler of the American Romantic Movement. His stories and poems are shocking and leave you wondering what kind of sicko you must be to actually get a thrill out of this.
On his 202 birthday, the famous “Poe Toaster” didn’t leave cognac and roses by his grave for the second year in a row. Some think the 62-year tradition is dead. While others claim Poe is slowly diminishing from the mystery and the macabre limelight. But I say Nevermore! His legacy lives! Edgar Allen Poe is regarded as the inventor of the detective-fiction genre and was one of the earliest American writers to perfect the short story genre. When you read Poe, there are a
number of themes and genres that you can pick out. What makes Poe’s work so interesting is the fact that his tales and poems are romantic, scary, mysterious and even humorous. His detective, C. Auguste Dupin, laid the groundwork for future mystery heros, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
We are attracted to Poe even further because his personal life, beginning and demise is reflected in his eerie works. Quoting The New York Times: “There is Poe the poet, Poe the pauper, Poe the mourner, Poe the alcoholic. There is Poe the working writer and magazine contributor, and there is Poe, the inventor of the detective and tales of science-fiction and reason. There is the Poe who applied himself to graphology, ciphers, cryptograms, puzzles, labyrinths and mesmerism. There is Poe who quarreled with editors and colleagues, made friends of his enemies and enemies of his friends.” Slandered by his haters after his death, Edgar Allen Poe’s mystique has increased even more posthumously. His cause of death is still a mystery, something the gothically romantic writer would have taken pleasure in knowing.
Let us toast to the mad genius because his hold on our imagination remains after 202 years and Poe’s legacy lives on.
Happy B-Day, Edgar Allen Poe!
MTV’s ‘Skins’ can’t match up to UK cousin
Chow into ‘Chew’, a slightly sick comedy
PAGE 6 Life & Leisure January 26, 2011
Want to see your writing in the next issue of the Observer?
Email poems and short stories to observerlife @gmail.com
Observer Creative Space: Crossword
Across1- Turkish palace; 6- Kind of prof.; 10- Actress Hatcher; 14- Shrimp; 15- Final Four org.; 16- Bibliography abbr.; 17- Climbers staff; 19- Gloom; 20- Hanoi holiday; 21- 3:00; 22- Spots; 24- Military force; 25- Flexible tube; 26- Aboriginal; 29- Young hares; 33- Maxim; 34- “___ Rider” starred Clint Eastwood; 35- Winglike parts; 36- Andean country; 37- Earlier; 38- Microscopic arachnid; 39- “The Time Machine” race; 40- 1996 Tony-winning musical; 41- Tire (out); 42- Free; 44- Passenger ships; 45- Former Fords; 46- Depilatory brand; 47- Shooting star; 50- Carson’s predecessor; 51- ___ kwon do; 54- ___ the crack of dawn; 55- Having unlimited knowledge; 58- For fear that; 59- Letters, e.g.; 60- Acclaim; 61- ___ majeste; 62- Seemingly forever; 63- 4th letter of the Greek alphabet; Down1- Petty quarrel; 2- Della’s creator; 3- Engrossed; 4- Admiration; 5- Animate; 6- Restless; 7- Nae sayer?; 8- Pouch; 9- Act of seizing authority; 10- Character; 11- Sewing case; 12- Describes a gently cooked steak; 13- Sorts; 18- Ditto; 23- Compass dir.; 24- Aglet; 25- Serf; 26- Scruffs; 27- Designer Simpson; 28- Fortune-telling cards; 29- Singer Cleo; 30- Best of a group; 31- Spud; 32- Prophets; 34- Squeeze; 37- Premonitory symptom; 41- Perforated; 43- Siouan speaker; 44- Meadows; 46- Metal spikes; 47- Ponder; 48- Blunted blade; 49- Soviet news service; 50- Nabokov novel; 51- Narrate; 52- Med school subj.; 53- Bluesy James; 56- Long March leader; 57- Bump off;
Crossword from bestcrosswords.com.
I didn’t think I’d find you in FlemingtonRyan Vance
If my heart could beat with a bone crushing forceThen maybe finally I’d be free from the sorrow and remorse
And if the body could die from a spirit left undeadThen maybe I could believe things are better left unsaid
For every time I bit my tongue through the abuse that ensuedAnd I knew from the day we first met that it was you
With your brown eyes glaring and your hips that swayYou’d possess me like a demon and make my heart strings fray
And in the same patterns as your jersey girl pranceYou mesmerize me and incise me with a deathly cutting glance
From the first of five times in four years you’d turn me downI only wanted to be a king and for you to wear my crown
Alcohol could let us spill our guts out to each otherBut our friendship was doomed and you would never be my lover
And I’d crawl a thousand miles of broken glass on hands and kneesIf just once you’d let your lips cure me of this terrible disease
The knife you’ve drawn my blood with is darkly red and shadedAnd you’re angelic beauty has clearly left you jaded
If you’d only let me be the one to wipe away your tearsYour self esteem is low but I would raise it with the years
Beat me down for a case you’ve made shallow and pedanticAnd you make the drive across town feel like crossing the Atlantic
Cause every time by chance I see you and our eyes could nearly meetYou duck away and hide your face and burn me with defeat
I only wanted to love you, to give you everything you’d needTo be of persistence and unconditionally loving was a creedBut the heart within you soured and went black into a hole
And it sucked out all the color from my face and from my soul
I’m hanging in the gallows that you slowly built for meAnd four years of high school all for chasing you eternally
You have love for all the others who have betrayed or left you loneBut I’m the one who loves you and I thought you would have known
January 26, 2011 Sports PAGE 7
Jets drop AFC Championship game in PittsburghBy Shashwat Dave
staff writer
The usually out-spoken New York Jets were unusually silent as they exchanged handshakes with the beaming Pittsburgh Steelers,
and took the long walk toward the locker rooms at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Penn-sylvania. Gang Green suffered its second straight Conference Championship loss with a 19-24 defeat against “Big” Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steel-ers.
The game began on a slow note, with a Pittsburgh Steelers opening drive that lasted for 9:06 and resulted in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez and crew failed to make any impact on the ensuing drive and gave the ball back to Pittsburgh and it resulted in a 20 yard field goal, making the score 10-0 in fa-vor of the Steelers. Sanchez again failed to cause any offensive stirs and after the Jets failed to capitalize on an inter-ception, Roethlisberger and the Steelers scored again on a 2 yard rush by Big Ben himself, increasing the deficit to 17-0. Sanchez threw an interception in the fol-lowing drive, which was returned for a touchdown and the Jets were down 24-0 nearing the end of the first half. The Jets managed to squeeze in a field goal before the half ended at 24-3 Pittsburgh lead. Thanks to some soft tackling by famed Jets defense and some good running by
the Steelers, the game was all but over in the first half of the game.
Despite being outscored in the first half of the game, the Jets tried to stage a comeback in the second half by shutting out the Steelers and amassing 16 points, but to no avail, as the Steelers held onto a 24-19 victory.
After the two teams exchanged a couple of punts each in the 3rd quar-ter, Sanchez connected with Santonio Holmes for a 45 yard touchdown to cut the lead to 24-10. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers were pushed back to their own goal line by the Jets punting team and Defensive end Mike Devito tackled Roethlisberger in the end zone thanks to a fumble, resulting in a safety and the jets climbed up to 24-12.
Late in the 4th, Sanchez connected with Jericho Cotchery for a 4 yard touch-down but it was too late by then, as the Steelers ate up the clock and held onto a 24-19 victory, and their 3rd AFC Cham-pionship in 6 years.
The entire game felt flat, as it looked as if the Jets had used up all their ammunition against the Colts and the Patriots in the past two weeks. Even the normally energetic Rex Ryan lacked his usual dose of enthusiasm. The Jets dream run had come to an end.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are all set to face the NFC Champions Green Bay Packers on Super Bowl Sunday, Febru-ary 6th 2011 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Nets tie last season’s win totalBy Yaroslav Imshenetsky
sports writer
The New Jersey Nets showed signs of hope the last three games, coincidentally (or not) after Mikhail Prokhorov, pulled
the plug on Carmelo Anthony trade talks.“Really, I am not happy with the
way the deal has gone until now ,” The new Nets owner said before the team went out to beat the Utah Jazz. “It has taken too long . It has been played out in public. The uncertainty has taken a toll on the players . .. and I believe it has cost us several games.”
With the pressure off players’ shoulders, the team flew out on the court and took complete control of the game. New Jersey matched its season high with seven players scoring in double figures in a 103-95 victory.
Brook Lopez scored 11 of his 20 points in a big third quarter, Sasha Vujacic added 15 and Devin Harris had 14 points and eight assists to help New Jersey win for only the second time in 13 games.
“We’re going to have less
distractions now and just puts our minds at ease,” Harris said. “We can move forward and hopefully have more wins like this. We weren’t exactly walking on egg shells, but with everyone talking about it, asking about it and writing about it, well, it does get annoying. It was a tough situation for all of us.”
The team then continued their winning run against the Detroit Pistons, and earned their 12th win, 89-74.
The team was perfect in the fourth quarter, making six out its first seven shots and expanding the lead to 17 points with five minutes to go in the game. Detroit could never catch up.
Returning from an injury, Nets shooting guard Anthony Morrow scored all of his 10 points in a decisive second-half run.
“I just wanted to get those first few shots out of the way,” Morrow said. “I just kept plugging. I was glad I could contribute and help the team win.”
While the Nets had only four of their players were in double figures, it was enough to keep the Detroit offense, or the lack of, from taking over. The
team had absolutely no rhythm and New Jersey built on that.
“It’s very disappointing, but that’s been the story of this year, just inconsistent,” Pistons guard Ben Gordon commented after the game. “In the NBA, that is not going to cut it.”
Brook Lopez was once again the scoring leader of the team, with 15. In addition, 9 assists from Devin Harris and 12 rebounds from Kris Humphries proved to be vital in helping the Nets secure the “W”.
I shall make this clear: the Nets DO NOT need Carmelo, nor any of other NBA superstars. They have a brilliant scorer in Lopez, assist-man Harris, a “rebounding monster” in Humphries, 3-point shooters in Vujacic and Morrow. The organization needs to use what it has, and keep improving those players, especially the youth.
Superstars will come knocking on the door when they’ll see a solid team, the one that the Nets will be striving to become for the remainder of this season. High flyer Carmelo Anthony will not be join-
ing the Nets... For now at least.
All while dealing with Anthony debacle
AUDITIONS for MUSICAL
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND
Tonight and Tomorrow!
January 26 from 6-9pmJanuary 27 (reading/dancing only)
from 6-9pm
At the Jim Wise Theatre, Kupfrian Hall
ALSO LOOKING FOR CARIBBEAN STYLE DANCERS, SINGERS, MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS!
If you cannot make either date But still want to audition e-mail
Living for 32 is the powerful portrait of Colin Goddard and his account of the terror he and his classmates
endured during the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007.
Please join us for a screening
Monday, January 31st
11:30am-1:00pm
Paul Robeson Campus Center Essex Room
RSVP to: [email protected]
Sponsored by The Office of the Chancellor
PAGE 8 R-N Sports January 26, 2011
Men’s Basketball treading uncertain ground By Tom HahnManaging editor
The men’s basketball team, which was off to one of the best starts in school history, has struggled since the calendar flipped to 2011.
The Raiders lost all but one of their games at the end of the 2010 calendar year, but they have lost four of eight contests in the early going in 2011.
The Raiders cruised through the early portion of their schedule against team that is not in their conference. They had a record of 12-1 on Jan. 2, 2011. Since then, The Raiders are only 2-4. Their overall record is 14-5.
The most concerning part of Rutgers-
Newark’s current cold streak is that a majority of these came against NJAC opponents. R-N had been in the driver’s seat in the NJAC. They won their first two conference games, and were in first place in the NJAC’s Northern division.
They currently have a 4-4 record in conference play. That record id good for third place in the northern division, which is good enough to qualify for the playoffs should the season end today.
The season does not end today.The regular season does not end
until the middle of February, and William Patterson, always a tough opponent, is breathing down R-N’s neck.
The Raiders have already played William Patterson once this season. R-N was trounced in that game by a final score of 60-77. That game was played in Wayne, New Jersey. William Patterson heads to the Golden Dome on Feb. 5, 2011.
Their remaining schedule, with the exception of one game against Alvernia (Pa) on the road, is all against NJAC
opponents. That means their remaining schedule is full of must win games.
The final two games of the season are against Ramapo on Feb. 9, 2011 on the road and against Montclair State the following Saturday (Feb. 12, 2011) at home. The game against Montclair State is Senior Night.
R-N’s opponents in those games are the teams they are currently chasing in the standings.
In addition to the games already mentioned, R-N plays against Rowan and New Jersey City. The conference tournament, should the Raiders qualify, will begin on Saturday Feb. 19, 2011 at a time and location yet to be determined.
Lady Raiders looking to rebound By Camilo Brun
Sports Editor
The Lady Raiders are looking to stop a three game skid, as they host Berkeley College from
New York. The Raiders, despite
dropping games against Kean University, Montclair University, and Richard Stockton College, are second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and boast an impressive 13-5 record.
The Lady Raiders hosted nationally ranked Kean and were dismissed 72-54. Senior forward Jaleesa Coleman scored team high 20 points. Junior guards Jared Tactuk and Brittany Smith
combined for a total 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Senior forward Tiffany Patrick had game-highs of 23 points and a dozen rebounds to lead Kean in their victory. Kean also got 17 points and four steals from sophomore guard Naimah Clemons and 11 points from freshman guard Emily Cristaldi. The Raiders hardly got closer than eight points before the Cougars pulled away to lead 40-25 at intermission. Kean pushed the lead to as many as 23 points in the second half.
The Raiders next headed to Panzer Arena in Montclair where they suffered a tough 41-64 loss. The Lady Raiders shot four of 22 from the three-point line and
were out-rebounded by the Red Hawks by nearly two times as much. Coleman the only Raider with double-digit points with 16, also added four rebounds and four steals.
Sophomore guard Kristen Venning had six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Raiders. Freshman guard Mercedes Glover notched five points apiece. Tactuk added five rebounds while Glover came off the bench to make three steals.
Coleman and Venning drove multiple times to cut the Montclair State lead to 27-22, but the Lady Raiders would get no closer as Red Hawks gradually pulled away to the final 23 –point margin.
The Raiders next traveled to RSC Sports Center in Pomona, New Jersey as the Raiders played Richard Stockton. The game saw more than 10 lead changes and went down to the wire as the Raiders fell to the Ospreys 53-49.
Tactuk scored 14 of her game-high 20-points in the second half, and put away nine points to spark a 14-1 Raider run that gave the Raiders the lead to start. In addition Coleman scored 10 of her 18 points in the first period to keep the Raiders within striking distance. Coleman, who hit three treys, also had seven rebounds and a game-high five steals.
Tactuk and Coleman accounted for all but 11 of the Raiders points.
Junior center LaTonya Oliver came up with 13 points, a game-high 11 rebounds and three blocked shots to lead a strong Stockton effort. Senior forward Julia Fagan and freshman forward Lauren Alwan scored 10 points (11-5, NJAC 5-1).
Rutgers-Newark (13-5, NJAC 4-4) hosts Berkeley College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in The Golden Dome before starting a run of five straight NJAC games. The games include matches against Rowan University, New Jersey City University, conference leading William Patterson, Ramapo College, and Montclair State.
After a great start, the Raiders are an even .500
Three game skid has put a halt to Raider’s winning ways