MARKET Students should have easy and affordable access to healthy and fresh foods see opinions, page 6
national margarita day How and where to enjoy the sweet, salty, classic cocktail
see InSIDE BEAT, page 8
women’s basketball Rutgers loses a heartbreaker to Iowa in overtime
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Rutgers library debuts archive featuring life of Frank Lautenberg Erica D’Costa Associate News Editor
Yesterday, Alexander Librar y launched an exhibit that honored the life and work of late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), a renowned public advocate, environmentalist, World War II veteran and New Jersey’s longest-ser ving senator. The exhibit includes life-long memorabilia from baby pictures to letters from presidents thanking him for his service. Lautenberg’s story started in Paterson, New Jersey. He devoted his life to serving his community, said Kristen Michaels, a former staffer of the senator. In fact, she said his work saved lives, affected the entire nation and is still relevant in today’s society. He became the president and CEO of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) in 1975. Three years later, he became the executive commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He then ran for the Senate to bring his passion and ideas to life. Lautenberg won a seat on the Senate floor in 1982 and went on to serve for five terms. Throughout his years, he fought for a sanctuary and presumptive refugee status for Jewish people coming from the former Soviet Union, said Sheridan Sayles, archivist for the Frank Lautenberg papers. He lobbied to prevent domestic violence convicts from owning guns, which is still relevant today in the light of national shootings, she said. His major legislative achievements include writing the bills that prohibited smoking on airplanes and raising the national drinking age to 21. Sayles said that in the 80s, when the drinking age in New York was lower than New Jersey’s, many
young individuals would drive to the city, become intoxicated and then drive back home drunk — resulting in several fatalities. She said his bill greatly reduced the number of drunk drivers. “He literally saved lives,” Sayles said. Ian Grubman, a fellow staffer of Lautenberg’s, said that as many Rutgers students are probably aware, transportation to New York from New Jersey can be unpredictable, time consuming and hectic. Grubman said Lautenberg strove to improve the lives of Garden State residents by planning the creation of the Gateway Tunnel, a project that was never approved by former Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), but was set to be an expansion of the Northeast Corridor rail line and would expedite travels into the city. “He always recognized the importance of Rutgers to the state. Rutgers was lucky to have such a fighter in the Senate,” Grubman said. Despite recognition from former presidents like Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, Lautenberg was anything but ostentatious, said Jennifer Sneed, a fellow staffer of his. “No matter how successful he got, he always remembered where he came from, his roots, how hard it is to struggle,” Sneed said. According to Michaels, Lautenberg’s family was far from well-off so he worked hard for everything he attained. After graduating from Nutley High School, he served overseas in World War II from 1942 to 1946. He even went to college at Columbia University on the G.I. bill, because of his family’s financial circumstances. “He’d take out the garbage, he’d take the dishes at the table, nothing was too much for him, he wasn’t a prima donna,” said Bonnie Lautenberg, his wife.
Before Sen. Frank Lautenberg died, he arranged for his archives to specifically be held at Rutgers. He believed that the University provided for the students of New Jersey, something he was passionate about during his time in government. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Grubman said he was popular with both political parties, which paved his dynamic success with bipartisan bills in multiple areas of Senate discussion. Because of Lautenberg’s dedication and inspiration, his work is still being continued by his colleagues and family. Bonnie Lautenberg and Ellen Lautenberg, his oldest daughter, both carry on some of his legislative efforts, even after his death.
“So much of his legacy lives on,” Ellen Lautenberg said. The Alexander Library will display the exhibit throughout the summer until August. Bonnie Lautenberg said that her husband specifically arranged for Rutgers to be the site that would hold his archives after he passed. He wanted it to be Rutgers over Princeton because Rutgers truly serves the students of New Jersey
— the state he was so passionate about, she said. Grubman said he is content that Lautenberg’s histor y will be preser ved so well at the University’s archives. “It’s critical that all of these artifacts, his letters, his papers stay in New Jersey, and I think it’s a treasure for the state ... Senator Lautenberg was New Jersey,” he said.
Game show fundraiser supports hunger relief Andrew Petryna Correspondent
Despite recognition from former U.S. presidents, such as Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama, Lautenberg maintained his humility and sought to improve the lives of New Jersey residents — he was born in Paterson, New Jersey. THOMAS BONIELLO / ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR
Tuesday night, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority along with Sigma Alpha Mu hosted “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” a fundraising event at the Hillel House on College Avenue. All proceeds from entry fees and snacks went to the American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an international organization devoted to promoting human rights and fighting poverty in underdeveloped parts of the world. It is inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, and
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works to advance the rights of oppressed people worldwide, according to the organization’s website. The event, which was open to the public, had students answer a round of eight questions on different topics, with each round more difficult than the last. Students competed in teams and faced off against each other, seeing who could get the most questions right. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi is a new sorority focused on Jewish interests. It is all-inclusive and has 11 active chapters in seven states, See relief on Page 4