THE DAILY TARGUM
Volume 141, Number 76
S E R V I N G
T H E
R U T G E R S
C O M M U N I T Y
S I N C E
THURSDAY JANUARY 28, 2010
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Today: Mostly cloudy
CONAN'S FAREWELL
High: 46 • Low: 17
Inside Beat takes a look at the past, present and future of the famous television personality as he says goodbye to The Tonight Show.
RUPD arrests six sorority sisters for abuse BY ARIEL NAGI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Six members of the University’s Sigma Gamma Rho sorority were arrested and charged with aggravated hazing, causing a victim to be hospitalized, Rutgers University Police Department Lt. Richard Dinan said.
Four members — Vanessa Adegbite; Kesha Cheron, a School of Arts and Sciences junior; Ilana Warner, a Livingston College senior; and Joana Bernard — were arrested on campus Tuesday by RUPD and taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility, Dinan said. The four women were later released on a $1,500 bail, he said.
The two other members — Marie Charles, a Douglass College senior, and Shawna Ebanks, a Rutgers College senior — were arrested yesterday, also facing a $1,500 bail, Dinan said. The location on campus where the incident occurred could not be confirmed and whether the victim filed the police report could
not be released at press time, Dinan said. All six women are facing aggravated hazing charges, he said. The sorority members allegedly hazed pledges by paddling them, he said. Members also allegedly restricted the amount of food the pledges could eat within an eight-day period.
While only one victim has been confirmed, the police suspect there are more, but could not release the exact number at press time, Dinan said. The hospitalized victim has non-threatening injuries. “The investigation is on-going,” he said.
SEE SORORITY ON PAGE 4
Students support ban reversal drop by drop BY TAYLERE PETERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
GETTY IMAGES
President Barack Obama addresses millions of Americans during his first State of the Union Address. Obama highlights health care reform, the recession and education reform as some of his top priorities.
Obama to nation: ‘I don’t quit’ BY ARIEL NAGI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
In an era of economic uncertainty, President Barack Obama took the stage in front of millions of Americans to deliver his first State of the Union Address yesterday in Washington, D.C.
Obama focused on issues ranging from the economy, health care and higher education. Although he took office during a difficult time, he said the nation is slowly recovering, but much more needs to be done. “One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy
Fraternity channels
rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse and a government deeply in debt,” Obama said. “Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second
SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 4
When every drop was counted at yesterday’s blood drive at the Busch Campus Center, organizers said they collected more than double what a normal blood drive on Busch campus receives. Organized by the Rutgers University Student Assembly and the University Queer Caucus, the “Every Drop Counts” blood drive was held in protest of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban that disallows men who have had sexual contact with other men from donating. Along with every pint, the New York Blood Center will be donating $1 toward a UNICEF-sponsored Haiti relief fund. Donors and non-donors were also able to sign one of three kinds of affirmations that stated they donated in the name of a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender friend, donated in protest of the discriminatory policy or did not donate but still oppose the ban. “The idea is to give blood in the name of someone who isn’t able
to,” RUSA member Thomas Bruestle said. The affirmations will be sent to Congress representatives with the intent of working toward changing the policy to ask more specific questions instead of lumping together a whole category, RUSA member Ben West said. “If you don’t have a disease, why should you be penalized because of your orientation?” said donor Molly Rynn, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. Students raised 56 units of whole blood and 10 units on automated red cell machines between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. for a total of 66 pints. “It was really great because that’s twice as much as normal blood drives on Busch,” said West, a Rutgers College senior. The drive also collected more than 100 signed affirmations. “We got a lot more than expected,” West said. “I knew people would come, but I didn’t know it would be that crazy throughout the day.” A petition supported by donors and non-donors may be the best approach
SEE DROP ON PAGE 7
KINGS OF COMEDY
INDEX
TV show to raise hazing awareness
UNIVERSITY Advocates encourage students to change lives by becoming a mentor.
BY NEIL KYPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With Rush Week underway, sororities and fraternities will be scrutinized by the University to ensure hazing and mistreatment of pledges is kept under control. “The Steve Wilkos Show” invited the Gamma Sigma co-ed fraternity to attend a special filming Tuesday that dealt with issues such as hazing, rape and death during Rush Week. “If you’re causing physical violence to someone, I would call that hazing,” host Steve Wilkos said.
SEE SHOW ON PAGE 7
SPORTS The Rutgers gymnastics team earned a narrow victory over rival Temple. ISIAH STEWART/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
School of Arts and Sciences junior Ben Brosh entertains the crowd with a line of jokes at RUPA’s “Comic Open Mic Knight” yesterday at The Cove in the Busch Campus Center.
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Underage drinking tops University crime statistics BY COLLEEN ROACHE CORRESPONDENT
Incidents of crime, whether frequent or few, are causes for concern in many communities — and the University is not exempt.
The University issued its annual “Safety Matters” repor t, a threeyear summar y of campus crime statistics last fall, as required by the Cler y Act. Issued by the Division of Administration and Public Safety, the
report documents information from 2006 to 2008 about offenses such as aggravated assault, robber y, sex offenses and illegal possession, and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Combined dr ug and alcohol abuses repor ted to the University
police as well as other area police depar tments amounted to nearly 1,500. Underage possession of alcohol comprised about 75 percent of the of fenses.
SEE CRIME ON PAGE 7
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