Rutgers Day 2011: Lego my Rutgers-Newark

Who doesn't like Legos?

This past Saturday we participated in the annual Rutgers Day festivities with a tent on the College Avenue campus in New Brunswick. We shared a tent with Rutgers-Camden - who had some great giveaways and carnival games. Our theme was "Lego my Rutgers-Newark" and we invited the young and the young-at-heart to help us build a campus out of Legos.  We had great weather and a lot of happy visitors stop by throughout the day to help us. Here are some of the highlights

One of our first little architects takes some creative liberties with our campus design.

Collaborating on a more colorful version of our campus quad, complete with students & teachers

This young Rutgers fan recreated our soccer field

For more photos, check out the Rutgers-Day gallery on our Facebook page. For more on the other Rutgers Day events, check out the official website at http://rutgersday.rutgers.edu/

Toni Morrison at Rutgers University, Newark

On April 26, 2011, Toni Morrison read from a work-in-progress to a packed house at the Paul Robeson Student Center. She was the finale to the 2010-11 Writers at Newark reading series hosted by the MFA program and the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker introduced Toni Morrison as one of his "living heroes" and told the audience that he considered it a great early birthday present to be able to meet her. Below, a snapshot from what looks like a very animated conversation with her in the green room before her reading. Don't they both look happy to meet each other?

Toni Morrison announced to gasps in the audience that she would read from a work-in-progress.

After the reading, Toni Morrison (right) answers questions from MFA director Jayne Anne Phillips.

Despite the large crowd, the night was relaxed and intimate. At one point during the Q&A, Toni Morrison even interrupted herself to acknowledge Amiri Baraka in the crowd with an "Amiri! You finally got here?"

After the reading she signed books for a half hour.

You can read more about the event at NJ.com and view the complete photo gallery on the Rutgers University, Newark Facebook page

Now Playing: An Island Vacation in Mid-Winter

A cold front moved in to Newark last night, leaving us with a chilly high somewhere in the mid-30s for today (I don't know about the rest of you, but it feels even colder than that to me!).

Luckily for us, even if we can't get away to a sunny Caribbean island, we can at least temporarily escape the cold and imagine ourselves there - all without ever leaving Newark - with the Rutgers-Newark/NJIT Theatre production of "Once on This Island," a tale of love and class conflict set in the French Antilles. (But hurry, the final performance is Sunday, March 6)

Check out some behind the scenes of "Once On This Island" with words from director Michael Kerley about the production which opened yesterday. Video by Rodney Reyes.

The Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Program presents ONCE ON THIS ISLAND books and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the novel “My Love, My Love” by Rosa Guy. Directed by Michael Kerley.

Performances at the Jim Wise Theatre, Kupfrian Hall, NJIT Campus. March 2-5 at 7pm and March 6 at 2:30pm. Tickets $12 General, $10 Students/Seniors. Go to http://theatre.njit.edu/ for tickets and more info.

Muslims Confront Fundamentalism

Law Professor and activist on behalf of human rights law & international women's rights Karima Bennoune was interviewed by My9 News last on the demonstrations and growing demands for democracy in the Mideast.

Karima has recently returned from Algiers, and says, "When I was at the protests in Algiers, people talked about what had happened in Egypt. They said, yesterday Egypt; today, Algiers."

Here's the video:

Most Want End To U.S. Aid To Arab Nations: My9TV.com

Karima's work has placed her in harm's way in countries from Afghanistan to Thailand. On March 3, she'll accept the 2011 Chancellors Distinguished Faculty Award and discuss the struggle waged within Muslim majority societies and populations against fundamentalism. The program is free and open to the public. More information on the event is available on the Rutgers-Newark events calendar

Find out more about Karima Bennoune on the Rutgers-Newark Newscenter

Remember Spring?

It's an early spring in New Jersey - for a few days anyway - and the warm weather has inspired me to pull up some of the great campus photography taken over the past few springs. All the photos were taken by professional photographer Theo Anderson.

Check out the lush greenery and pastel blossoms all over campus (not to mention our great-looking students!)


Students walking on Norman Samuels Plaza

View of the Golden Dome and downtown Newark, NJ

Hula-hooping on the Norman Samuels Plaza

Students on the New Street Plaza

 For more spring photos, check out our Facebook gallery 

Beijing High School Visit

File this one under Jersey Roots, Global Reach - on Tuesday, Jan 25th, Rutgers-Newark hosted a group of middle and high school students from the Yuncol School in Beijing, China. Led by 2 current undergraduates, they toured the campus and learned about math and computer science.

The program was organized by the department of Math & Computer Science in the hopes of starting an exchange program with the school. Dr. Chengwen Wang and Program Director Sue Tel put the day together for the 12 students and 2 teachers that participated.

Below, students look through their welcome bags filled with Rutgers gear.

Students listen to the presentations.

Students toured the campus, led by freshman Jennifer Somai (front, in the black coat) and Serafina Smith, a junior in the Business School (in the gray coat and hoodie).

Many thanks to Lois Catala for taking and sending these photos!

Rutgers in the Snow

It's snowing again in New Jersey today. We're not supposed to get nearly the huge accumulation as we did a week ago - a mere 3-6 inches, they say - but it is sticking, so this morning I decided to take some photos walking through campus.

New Street Plaza and the Center for Law & Justice

The Rutgers-Newark arch on University Avenue

For a few more photos, check out our Facebook gallery.  If you've got great snow photos that you want to share, please send them to me.

It's still coming down, so stay safe out there whether you're driving, walking, or taking mass transit!