Arishita Gupta
Reporting on the Stories of the Rutgers & New Brunswick Communities
U. consolidates on-campus resources, new offerings into singular basic needs center
On Tuesday, Rutgers faculty, students and alumni leaders convened for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the basement of the College Avenue Student Center, officially opening the University's new Basic Needs Center to the public, replacing what was formerly the Red Lion Cafe.
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The Center consolidates various existing campus resources, including the Rutgers Food Pantry, Textbook Assistance Program (TAP) and a study lounge along with novel offerings, including a clothing alcove, hydroponic garden, laundry room, grooming station and private offices to offer more personalized support.
It also boasts a classroom that will be used to teach life skills and a kitchen that can be used for both personal reasons and to provide meal-prep tutorials.
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Professional school governing councils face off with Assembly through new petition following TAFA approval
Last Wednesday, five governing councils representing the Rutgers Business School, School of Engineering, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and Mason Gross School of the Arts introduced a petition to host a referendum on three potential amendments to the Rutgers University Student Assembly's Constitution.
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The petition comes on the heels of the Assembly's passage of the Transparency and Fairness Act (TAFA) on February 13, as previously reported by The Daily Targum.
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Targum spotlight: Vicious Cycle campaign pours out recovery resources over coffee
The Vicious Cycle, overseen by the Center for Communication and Health Issues and the Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program, is a campaign that seeks to end the stigma surrounding substance use disorder recovery among college students.
On designated days, posted on the program's Instagram, students can expect to see a bicycle with a bright purple umbrella, the color representing overdose and recovery awareness, and a portable coffee stand, both of which are emblazoned with the message "Free Coffee."
Students manning the bicycle provide visitors with cold brews in biodegradable cups and information about on-campus resources for students pursuing recovery, such as the Rutgers Recovery House.
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Rutgers Code R.E.D. sounds alarm on campus' contribution to local environmental issues on Earth
On Monday, the Rutgers chapter of Reclaim Earth Day (Code R.E.D.) hosted an event to raise awareness of the various ways the University contributes to environmental issues and offered solutions to rectify them.
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The organization's demands from the University are related to public transportation, food waste and environmental and socioeconomic hazards across Rutgers campuses.
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Local bookstore facing displacement calls for donations, community support
On February 29, Hidden Gems Literary Emporium, a local bookstore focused on philanthropy and access to literacy, will lose its brick-and-mortar location on Morris Street in New Brunswick.
The shop is owned by Kaila Boulware Sykes, a Rutgers alum and current graduate student in the School of Public Health, and her husband, Raymond Cheley Sykes, also a Rutgers alum.
The store currently has more than 10,000 books in storage from various individual and corporate donors, demonstrating the importance people place on the shop.
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Turning Point USA event on Douglass campus faces protests, controversy
Conservative cultural and political commentator Candace Owens spoke at the Douglass Student Center as part of a Turning Point USA event.
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Turning Point USA is a non-profit Conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk. Each semester, the organization hosts the Live Free Tour, a speaker circuit across various college campuses all over the country.
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First ever service, philanthropy week held by U. greek life councils, organizations
The Rutgers Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (OFSA) recently organized a Service and Philanthropy Week from November 14 to November 18, according to the office’s getINVOLVED page.
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The week featured events such as Elijah’s Promise Day, O’Bagel Promo Day, Hype Knight and a greek life food drive, all of which occurred around the College Avenue campus and downtown New Brunswick.
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Rutgers School of Public Health funds partial scholarships for 84 students
Three associate deans from the Rutgers School of Public Health recently designed and obtained funding for a scholarship program that will cover half the costs of tuition for 84 students, according to a press release.
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The program is funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration that aims to provide money for students who wish to obtain certifications in the public health field, according to the release.
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Rutgers New Jersey Medical School will host monkeypox treatment trial
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) is presently registering participants for a study on the effectiveness of a medication for monkeypox, according to an article in Rutgers Today.
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NJMS Research with a Heart, a research center based out of NJMS, is facilitating this trial as part of a larger nationwide study called the Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus
(STOMP).
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School of Arts and Sciences senior starts series of bone marrow donor registration drives at U.
An undergraduate student at Rutgers will be conducting multiple registration drives for bone marrow donors across campus during the coming year.
Sarah Allen, a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences, said that bone marrow drives are held for the Gift of Life Registry, with whom she currently has an internship.
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School of Public Health holds event to provide approaches to dismantling institutional racism
The Rutgers School of Public Health held a virtual event last Tuesday that focused on “dismantling racism in academic public health," in order to acknowledge how racism is a public health crisis that requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach.
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The webinar was led by Laura Magaña, president and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), which is a nonprofit organization that works toward strengthening voices in the academic public health field.
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No Hungry Knights Initiative will provide Rutgers students facing food insecurity with paid meal plans
The Rutgers Division of Student Affairs is currently accepting applications for the No Hungry Knights Initiative, a scholarship that provides partial or full meal plans to students who struggle to afford them.
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Kerri Willson, associate dean of students and director of off-campus living and community initiatives, said the initiative was created in 2020 with the support of donors who wanted to address food insecurity — the inability to consistently access nutritiously adequate food — on campus.
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Second Reformed Thrift Shop loses most of merchandise to Tropical Storm Ida
The Second Reformed Thrift Shop, located on Stone Street near the College Avenue campus, lost nearly all of its merchandise to flooding during Tropical Storm Ida and is in the middle of recovery with the help of students.
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The store is part of the College Avenue Community Church, and all of its sales support the Five Loaves Food Pantry, which sits directly above the shop, said Ellen Van Glahn, the manager of the shop.
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Rutgers alumni open Hidden Gems Literary Emporium, first family-of-color-owned bookstore in New Brunswick
Two Rutgers alumni are opening Hidden Gems Literary Emporium on June 6, the first of-color, family-owned bookstore in New Brunswick.
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The bookstore will feature author Lattifa Bryant and tap dancer Omar Edwards, among other creatives, during its grand opening, said co-owner Kaila Boulware. It will take place on Morris Street with in-store and outdoor events from 3 to 6 p.m.
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