Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014
ONLINE AT DAILYTARGUM.COM
Prosecutor says Caitlyn Kovacs died from alcohol poisoning after party SABRINA SZTEINBAUM ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Caitlyn Kovacs, the 19-year-old School of Environmental and Biological Sciences sophomore who died in September, died due to alcohol poisoning, according to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. Kovacs, whose friends took her to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at 3:19 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 21, was pronounced dead after attending a “small gathering” at the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, according to a previous article in The Daily Targum. The cause of death was determined following the completion of toxicology tests, according to the press release. The investigation remains acting and continuing. Tammy Mehman, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore who was one of Kovacs’ best friends, stressed the importance of friends looking out for each other. “Obviously, alcohol can be dangerous to the point where it’s fatal, so just always look out for people around you and be safe,” Mehman said via social media. “Even if you don’t know someone, it’s important to make sure they’re okay and check up on them before something happens, and it’s too late.” This could have happened to anyone, Mehman said, and no one should have to go through what she or any of Kovacs’ close friends or family is going through. E.J. Miranda, director of Media Relations at the University, said in an email that Rutgers takes alcohol and other substance abuse by students very seriously.
Rutgers takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the issues of alcohol and substance abuse, he said, specifying two Student Affairs programs: Health Outreach, Promotion and Education and the Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program. “HOPE integrates academic and student life and uses curriculum, peer education, outreach and training to communicate information about health and wellness,” Miranda said. ADAP provides counseling and intervention services, among others, for treatment and recovery support, he said. ADAP is a part of Counseling, (Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program) and Psychiatry Services.
Friends remember the animal science major, who wanted to one day open an animal daycare center, as sweet and selfless, according the The Daily Targum. Anyone with any further information is asked to call Lt. Paul Fischer of the Rutgers University Police Department at (848) 9328025, Detective Ken Abode of the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745-5217 or Detective Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3373. A previous version of this article appeared online yesterday.
CORRESPONDENT
Rutgers is ranked No. 1 in Food Management magazine, which evaluates schools’ food ser vices based on how many students are on campus, said Joseph Charette, executive director of Dining Services at Rutgers. Ever y other Big Ten school was ranked below Rutgers on this list. Even a few Ivy League schools have visited Rutgers to learn a thing or two from its dining halls, he said. The Rutgers University Student Assembly sponsored a town hall meeting last night at Trayes Hall in the Douglass Student Center. The meeting addressed student’s concerns about dining, facilities and residence life. Charette answered questions about the cost of meal plans and discussed how the dining halls have become more environmentally friendly. The cost of a meal plan is determined by calculating how many meals students consume
U. delivers targeted Ebola aid to Liberia LIN LAN CORRESPONDENT
Imagine walking into a Rutgers health care center with a high fever and finding the place nearly deserted. Most of the nurses and doctors are sick, dead or too afraid to show up. For the remaining few, there are no gloves, soap or disinfectant. Jim Simon described this scenario to illustrate the urgent need for medical supplies in Liberia in the wake of the Ebola outbreak.
Caitlyn Kovacs, a Rutgers sophomore and an animal lover, died on the morning of Sept. 21 due to alcohol poisoning, according to the toxicology report. NJ.COM
Meeting addresses U. dining, housing CARLEY ENS
A member of a burial team sprays a colleague with chlorine disinfectant in Monrovia, Liberia, on Oct. 20. REUTERS
on average, he said. This number includes the average amount of meals that students miss in their plans. “If you miss a meal, most likely that meal was never paid for altogether,” Charette said. Dining Ser vices hesitates to increase the number of guest swipes per student because guest
swipes are almost always used, so the overall price of the meal plan would increase. The elimination of trays in three dining halls has shown nothing but positive results, he said. Although it has not af fected the cost of electricity or water, it SEE MEETING ON PAGE 5
Students at Busch Dining Hall use plates instead of trays since it went trayless. DAPHNE ALVA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / SEPTEMBER 2014
Simon, a distinguished professor in the Depar tment of Plant Biology and Pathology at Rutgers, helped star t Operation: Targeted Suppor t, a volunteer initiative at Rutgers focused on shipping medical supplies overseas. The operation reflects the growing concern among faculty and experts around the world that governments and institutions are moving too slowly to provide SEE LIBERIA ON PAGE 6
Renowned artist discusses artwork, solo exhibition AVALON ZOPPO STAFF WRITER
From Beijing to New York to Finland and France, Grimanesa Amorós has presented her artwork across the globe. New Brunswick was recently added to this list of locations when the Institute for Women and Art chose Amorós as the 2014-2015 Estelle Lebowitz Visiting Artist-in-Residence for the Mary H. Dana Women Artists Series. Yesterday, Amorós visited Mabel Smith Douglass Library to give a public lecture about her artwork. “When I make a piece, I want the viewer and the piece to become one,” she said. Her solo exhibition is currently being featured as part of a larger multi-purpose year project, “Momentum: Women/Art/Technology.” Her works on display at the library provide an overview of her artistic practice and relationship to technology through film, installation, documentation and sculpture, said Connie Tell, project manager of The Feminist Art Project. Amorós is most known for her large-scale, light-based public
VOLUME 146, ISSUE 93 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • OPINIONS ... 8 • DIVERSIONS ... 10 • CLASSIFIEDS ... 12 • SPORTS ... BACK
art installations that incorporate lighting, cutting-edge technology and engineering. One site-specific installation she discussed in the lecture was Uros House, which was displayed in Times Square in New York City. When designing Uros House, Amorós said she wanted to capture the floating sensation she felt when visiting the Uros Islands in Peru. A behind-the-scenes video showed the construction of the piece and highlighted the unseen challenges that come with setting up outdoor art installations. The installation had to withstand 150 mph winds and be set up between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., before New York traffic began. “All of these challenges just make you better,” Amorós said. Amorós was born in Lima, Peru, and often draws upon Peruvian culture to inspire her artwork. She was drawn to the visual element of landscapes at a young age, and this fascination has translated into her artwork. In a backroom of the gallery, a four-minute concept video entitled SEE ARTIST ON PAGE 4