Fall 2008 - Rutgers Alumni Association

The magazine 

published by and for 

the Rutgers Alumni 

Association 

FALL 2008 

Junot DÍaz 

Bonds with 

Rutgers 

Pulitzer Prize Winning 

Author Finds His Creative 

Muse on the Banks 

ALSO INSIDE: 

State Attorney General Anne Milgram • Loyal Sons & Daughters 50th Anniversary 

• Reunion Weekend 2008 • HDA Awards • Sports Update & More

Contents 

Cover Story 

10 Junot Díaz 

Junot Díaz found his literary muse at 

Rutgers, and now his career is headed 

for the stratosphere. 

Features 

6 For Anne Milgram, Rutgers is an Open 

and Shut Case 

Rutgers helped chisel the leadership skills of class 

president Anne Milgram, who is today the state’s 

highest ranking law enforcement officer. 

9 2008 Hall of Distinguished Alumni 

Hundreds of guests gathered at the Heldrich 

in New Brunswick to honor Rutgers’ newest 

inductees to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni. 

13 Where Rutgers Meets 

the Community 

The RAA’s Community Service 

Committee is making an impact in New 

Brunswick and the surrounding area. 

15 Not Your Average Spring Break 

Ten Rutgers students departed for the 

Deep South to rebuild homes damaged 

by Hurricane Katrina. 

HDA AWARDS 

ANNE MILGRAM 

JUNOT DÍAZ 

Rutgers Alumni Association 

177 Years of Service to Rutgers Alumni 

Founded in 1831, the Rutgers Alumni 

Association is a service organization maintained 

by and for the graduates of Rutgers College, the 

Colleges of Engineering and Agriculture, the 

School of Education, the Mason Gross School of 

the Arts, School of Management and Labor 

Relations, and the Graduate School – New 

Brunswick. Its purpose is to create a vital, beneficial, 

and continuing relationship between university 

and alumni. It organizes events such as Reunion 

Weekend, publishes 1766 to inform members 

about issues that concern them, provides access 

to benefits such as life and disability insurance, 

develops career seminars for graduates, and 

offers opportunities for volunteer service in all 

aspects of university life — from participation in 

governance committees to mentoring undergraduates. 

The fourth-oldest organized alumni 

group in the United States, the Rutgers Alumni 

Association is supported by more than 11,000 

active members. 

President: Frank Hundley RC ’86 

President-Elect: Cara Bufanio MGSA ’85 

Vice Presidents: Ralph Zemel ENG ’69 

Mel Silverstein RC ’59 

Ken Johnson ENG ’66 

Vice President and Corresponding Secretary: 

Melissa Daniel DC ’00, GMLR ’01 

Treasurer: Heather Taylor RC ’89 

Alumni Trustees 

Robert Frisch, Jr. RC ’78 

George Rears RC ’89 

Barbara Pollison-Beck DC ’82 

Greg Bender ENG ’68 

John Futey RC ’69, CLAW ’72 

John Hugelmeyer RC ’72 

16 Rutgers Reunion 2008 

Bright blue skies provided the perfect backdrop 

for a fabulous weekend of fun and nostalgia for 

more than 1,300 returning alumni and guests. 

Departments 

3 President’s Message 

4 Loyal Sons & Daughters 

8 Trustee Report 

21 RAA Happenings 

22 Sports Update 

24 Calendar of Events 

SPRING BREAK 

REUNION 2008 

Editor 

Randy Young RC ’68 

Art Director 

Cara Bufanio MGSA ’85 

1766 is published by the 


P.O. Box 11320 

New Brunswick, NJ 08906 

Telephone: 732-932-7474 

Fax: 732-377-2099 

RAA Web site: www.RutgersAlumni.org 

Rutgers Web site: www.rutgers.edu 

Except for official announcements, the 

Rutgers Alumni Association disclaims all 

responsibility for opinions expressed and 

statements made in articles or advertisements 

published in this magazine. 

Vol. 27, No.2 

2 

1766 MAGAZINE

President’s Message 

BY FRANK HUNDLEY RC ’86 

Iam honored and privileged to be the 

incoming president of the Rutgers 

Alumni Association at this significant 

time in our history. The RAA stands 

tall and proud as our nation’s fourth oldest 

alumni association. Since 1831, we have 

worked hard to form lifelong bonds between 

Rutgers and its alumni around the world. 

Today, we stand at a crossroads with respect 

to the university’s relationship with its alumni, 

and the role of alumni within the university. 

On July 1, 2008, with the Board of Governor’s 

endorsement, President McCormick created 

the Rutgers University Alumni Association 

(RUAA). All alumni are automatically 

members of this new association, regardless of 

campus or school attended, or degree attained. 

Furthermore, there is no dues requirement to 

maintain membership in the RUAA. 

I concede that Rutgers has needed this 

change for some time. For years, ours stood as 

the only major university in the country which 

did not have a single association providing a 

forum to unite all of its alumni under one tent. 

As its name might suggest, the RAA stood the 

closest to operating as a school-wide association, 

representing undergraduates and graduates 

alike across multiple schools within the university. 

Still, we represented only fifty percent of 

all New Brunswick/Piscataway alumni across 

eight schools, and just a third of all Rutgers 

graduates. 

I’m delighted that President McCormick 

asked me to serve on the inaugural board of the 

new RUAA. While I approach this new role 

with caution, I believe that my serving in dual 

capacities is in the best interest of Rutgers and 

the RAA for a number of reasons. First, the 

RAA has much to offer the new association, 

including its 177-year history of service from 

active members and volunteers. The university 

understands the need not to brush this legacy 

aside. Next, it is critical to the best interests of 

Rutgers — the university we love so deeply and 

dearly — for the RUAA to be a successful 

entity which brings together alumni with their 

alma mater in a way that is meaningful to both. 

Lastly, it is imperative that the RAA’s timehonored 

traditions — such as Loyal Sons/Loyal 

Daughters, Alumni Family Day, Reunion, Past 

President’s Council, and Old Guard — be 

appropriately preserved. 

Although I don’t officially represent the 

RAA on the new board, the RUAA will 

indirectly hear through me, as sitting 

president of the single largest “legacy” 

association, the voices of the thousands of RAA 

members and volunteers. 

As a result of major changes at the 

university level, we have instituted our own 

within the RAA. First, in accordance with the 

direction of the RUAA, we have agreed to 

permanently eliminate our dues structure. 

Participation in our association is now free and 

open to anyone with a connection to or interest 

in Rutgers. Second, we are now a fully 

volunteer driven association, maintaining our 

status as an independent 501(c)3 organization. 

We are of alumni, by alumni, and for alumni. 

Our niche within the RUAA is to offer 

new and existing alumni from the New 

Brunswick/Piscataway campus the chance to 

participate in a myriad of committees, which 

do everything from planning young alumni 

events and reaching out to current undergraduate 

students, to facilitating community 

outreach and coordinating our tremendously 

popular Alumni Family Day event. 

As a new school year gets underway, the 

RUAA is still a work in progress. Let me 

reassure all our members, however, that the 

RAA is fully functional and thriving, and will 

continue to deliver on its mission to 

provide strong and enduring ties between 

alumni and their alma mater. Indeed, an 

outpouring of opportunities still exist for our 

members to return to campus and become 

actively engaged. This participation is the 

engine for a lifetime connection with your alma 

mater, and I encourage and implore you to take 

advantage. The RAA wants and needs you! 

To participate in our activities or to 

become active as a volunteer, simply contact 

me (frank.hundley@alumni.rutgers.edu) or one 

of our officers or committee co-chairs. You can 

get a lot of good information, too, from our newly 

redesigned website, www.rutgersalumni.org. 

Oh, be sure to look for me this fall in Section 

126 of Rutgers Stadium leading the “First 

Down” cheers. Go RU! 

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FALL 2008 3

AGolden Affair 

BY BRIAN CLOPP RC’05 

for Loyal Sons 

& Daughters 

It was a scene straight out of 

Gatsby, with gentlemen in tuxedos, 

ladies in evening dresses, and silk 

napkins and cut flowers adorning 

each table. But the venue was not the 

Ritz-Carlton. It was the Neilson Dining 

Colonel Henry Rutgers 

Hall on the Cook/Douglass Campus, and 

the occasion was the 50th anniversary 

of the Rutgers Loyal Son and Loyal 

Daughter Awards. 

Several hundred guests were present for 

the April 5th celebration to honor the 11 

new inductees, and to pay tribute to an 

award which has become a proud Rutgers 

tradition. Since it began in 1958, the Loyal 

Son and Loyal Daughter Awards have been 

recognizing alumni who have distinguished 

themselves through their outstanding service 

to their school. 

It was only fitting that Colonel Henry 

Rutgers himself (bearing a strong resemblance 

to Jason Goldstein LC ’01, founder of the 

Livingston Theatre Company) should appear 

on the scene in 18th century coattails of his 

own to regale guests with a spirited history of 

the award. His story went like this: 

In 1957, the RAA began discussing a 

new Rutgers award, and formed a special pin 

committee under the leadership of Jack 

Anderson RC ’38. The group chose the 

name Loyal Son of Rutgers Award to 

recognize alumni for their extraordinary 

service. Lapel pins were designed and 

ordered, and the decision made to present 

them annually to honorees at the RAA’s 

Mid-Winter Alumni Day Council luncheon. 

The only thing missing were nominees. So a 

special awards committee was set up, and 

they went about their task with abandon, 

unearthing no less than 109 names. All were 

selected to receive the award. 

The inaugural ceremony for the Loyal Son 

of Rutgers Award was held on February 15, 

1958 at the University Commons (the 

building which now houses the post office). 

Above left, a bartender prepares “Loyal-tinis”; Above, Bethany 

Rocque-Romaine CC ’83 and RAA President John Hugelmeyer 

RC ’72; Right, Ken and Jacqueline Johnson, Maribeth 

Hugelmeyer, Shelley and Ralph Zemel, Donna and Greg Bender. 

4 1766 MAGAZINE

The Loyal Son and Daughter Award recognizes those who have demonstrated extraordinary service on behalf of the Rutgers Community. This years 

inductees are: front row (l to r) Joseph DiCara RC ’56; John Hurley RC ’57; Anne Milgram RC ’92; Bethany Rocque-Romaine CC ’83; Philip S. Schein 

RC ’61; Franklin Simon ENG ’49; back row (l to r) Mark Busch RC ’64; Christopher Dymek RC ’01 ; Thomas Mueller, RC ’91, CLAW ’95; James O’Neill 

RC ’76, RBSG ’84; Randy Young RC ’68. 

In 1966, Rutgers’ Bicentennial year, the 

Loyal Son celebration got a new look. 

Instead of a luncheon, the awards were 

presented at a more festive dinner for 

honorees and their families, and presided 

over by then RAA President Major General 

William Bauer RC ’42. The guest speaker 

that evening was Nobel Price winner 

Selman Waksman RC ’15, who discovered 

Streptomycin, the first antibiotic drug to 

fight tuberculosis. 

The award got an even bigger facelift in 

1986 when it was expanded to include 

the designation “Loyal Daughter” to 

recognize the significant contributions of 

women over the years to the RAA. The 

first recipients were Elizabeth Durham, 

DC ’22, a longtime member of the 

Department of Alumni Relations, and 

Melanie Willoughby RC ’76, a member of 

the first class of women admitted to Rutgers. 

Melanie was later elected president of the 

Rutgers Alumni Association. 

Col. Henry Rutgers wrapped up his 

historical tour by noting that more than 500 

alumni to date have been recognized as Loyal 

Sons and Loyal Daughters. And just as 

quickly as he had arrived, he was gone from 

the podium, leaving his audience to fete the 

50th anniversary class of award winners. 

A full list of the inductees and their 

accomplishments is available on our web site 

at www.rutgersalumni.org. 

Above, Joseph DiCara RC ’56 and Keri DeMayo 

RC ’94; Above right, Marty Martino RC ’93, 

Bob Eichert RC ’78, and Anne Milgram RC ’92; 

Right, Dick Hill RC ’57 and Thomas Kindre 

RC ’42. 


From her eighth-floor office along the 

Delaware River, the state’s top ranking 

law enforcement officer peers out over the 

City of Trenton. To the side of her desk is 

a small Foosball table, and on the walls 

is a veritable gallery of honors, diplomas 

and plaques that seem to pay tribute to 

the hard work and dedication that have 

defined her career. A visitor’s eye is also 

drawn to a replica of the Scales of Justice 

— a constant reminder of what Anne 

Milgram RC ’92 has pledged to uphold. 

For Anne Milgram, 

Rutgers is an Open 

and Shut Case 

BY BRIAN TOBIN RC ’96 

Anne Milgram RC ’92 is the 

Attorney General of the State of 

New Jersey, which in one sense is 

not all that surprising. “I come 

from a family of educators – my mother, 

grandmother and sister – and police officers 

– my grandfather and great-grandfather 

were chiefs of police in South Amboy,’’ she 

says, “so public service was always part 

of my life.” 

So was Rutgers, where her mother was a 

professor and her sister was a student, and 

Anne was thrilled at the chance to attend so 

many of the school’s football and basketball 

games. When it came time for her to pick a 

college, the lure of the family’s alma mater 

and the benefits of an in-state school proved 

irresistible. 

Anne’s leadership skills quickly bubbled 

to the surface at Rutgers College, where 

she served as class president all four years. 

“We were able to do a lot of good things, 

including raising funds for our class,” she 

recalls. But ironically, she adds, “the greatest 

accomplishment of my tenure was actually 

eliminating the need for fundraising by 

future classes.” 

The facts are these: Up until Anne and 

her officers fought for change, each undergraduate 

class was required to hold fundraisers 

so they could operate. Always thinking 

ahead, Anne suggested that a campus-wide 

fee similar to the one for the Public Interest 

Research Group (PIRG) be applied to each 

student. The university bought into the 

idea, and to this day the “student activity 

fee” initiated by Anne and her team is the 

accepted way of ensuring money for undergraduate 

class activities at Rutgers. 

Building on the 

Rutgers Experience 

After four productive years on the Banks, 

Anne graduated summa cum laude with a 

degree in English and Political Science. She 

was also a member of the Cap and Skull 

Anne with her mom, Gail Milgram, at Rutgers 

graduation June 1992 

6 1766 MAGAZINE

with responsibilities that range from coordinating 

the governor’s anti-crime offensives 

against gangs and gun violence, to spearheading 

investigations into internet safety, 

consumer rights and college student loan 

rates abuses. She has also initiated reforms 

within the state’s network of professional 

boards and overseen compliance with state 

and federal election laws. In addition, she 

launched an affirmative action litigation 

section in the Division of Law to aggressively 

protect the public and improve the quality 

of life in New Jersey. 

Rutgers Class of 1992 officers (l to r): Donna Williams, treasurer; Jodi Radosh, secretary; Dave 

Cingari, vice president; Anne Milgram, president. 

Continued on page 8 

Honor Society and an Undergraduate 

Affiliate of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. 

“There’s no question that all these 

experiences prepared me for where I am 

today,” Anne acknowledges. “I really loved 

my four years at Rutgers.” 

Her formal education was anything but 

over, however. She went on to earn a Masters 

There’s no question 

that all these experiences 

prepared me for where 

I am today... 

I really loved my 

four years at Rutgers. 

of Philosophy degree in social and political 

theory from the University of Cambridge in 

1993, and her Juris Doctorate from New 

York University School of Law in 1996. 

“I didn’t intend to practice law when I 

went to NYU Law,” she allows. “I thought 

I would go into government or non-profit 

work.’’ 

She wound up clerking for U.S. District 

Court Judge Anne Thompson in Trenton, 

from 1996 to 1997, and before long had 

fallen in love with the courtroom. From 

there, she decided to launch her career as an 

assistant district attorney in the New York 

County District Attorney's office, later 

working in the Criminal Section of the Civil 

Rights Division for the U.S. Department of 

Justice. In this position, she served as Special 

Litigation Counsel, taking the lead in 

human trafficking prosecutions. Specifically, 

she prosecuted the U.S. vs. Bradley and 

O’Dell, a major forced labor case that dealt 

with alleged inhuman treatment of 

Jamaican immigrants, and two of the largest 

sex trafficking cases ever brought by the 

government — the U.S. vs. Carreto and 

the U.S. vs. Jimenez-Calderon. Outside the 

courtroom, she took a special interest in 

mentoring young attorneys as she traveled 

around the country. 

For her efforts, Anne was awarded the 

U.S. Department of Justice’s Special 

Commendation for Outstanding Service in 

2004, and its Director’s Award in 2006. 

A Natural Choice for Top Spot 

Anne left the Department of Justice to 

serve as counsel to then Senator Jon Corzine 

from April 2005 until January 2006. Upon 

his election as governor, she helped establish 

the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security 

and Preparedness, and was selected in 

February 2006 to serve as First Assistant 

Attorney General. In this role, Anne initially 

served under Attorney General Zulima 

Farber, and later under Stuart Rabner, who 

left the post after being appointed chief 

justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. 

With the departure of Rabner, Anne 

became the natural choice to take over the 

reins of State Attorney General. Gov. 

Corzine moved quickly to nominate her, 

and following her unanimous confirmation 

by the State Senate she was sworn in on June 

29, 2007, becoming the second youngest 

Attorney General in New Jersey’s history 

and only the third female to hold that post. 

As the state’s chief law enforcement 

officer, Anne manages a full plate indeed, 

NJ Attorney General Anne Milgram, center, along 

with state police officials, announce arrests during 

a news conference in Atlantic City, Nov. 14, 2007, 

in an illegal sports gambling ring. 

NJ Attorney General Anne Milgram speaks to the 

media May 30, 2008, in Trenton, after a judge 

ordered Gov. Jon S.Corzine to publicly release 

e-mails he exchanged with a state worker union 

leader he once dated. 


Anne Milgram from page 7 

Despite a crushing schedule, Anne 

remains tightly connected to Rutgers, 

serving as Class President and Reunion 

Co-Chair for the Class of 1992 since 

graduation. She also participated in the 

RAA’s Young Alumni Committee after 

graduation, and is a member of Cap and 

Skull. For her volunteer efforts over the years, 

she was honored with the prestigious Class 

of 1931 Award at her 15th reunion in 2007. 

And in May of this year, Anne received the 

Rutgers Loyal Son and Loyal Daughter 

Award in recognition of her extraordinary 

commitment to her alma mater. 

Anne with RAA President John Hugelmeyer 

RC ’72 (l) and Rutgers President Richard L. 

McCormick (r) at the Loyal Son and 

Daughter awards banquet in May 2008. 

Outgoing Trustee Report 

BY BOB STEVENSON ENG ’65 

The last six years have been among 

the most interesting and challenging 

ever to be a member of the Board 

of Trustees (BOT). Many major 

events occupied the attention of our governing 

“ 

Our school 

has undertaken 

enormous changes to 

prepare it for the future, 

and it’s been my 

privilege to be part of 

that process. 

” 

boards and the entire Rutgers community 

during that period. 

The Board of Trustees and the Board of 

Governors (BOG) collaborated six years ago 

on the search for a new President of Rutgers 

University, which resulted in the appointment 

of Richard L. McCormick. He brought a 

new vision to Rutgers, and the BOT was 

immediately engaged in the important 

changes he initiated. Rutgers quickly faced 

the reality, however, of significant budget cuts 

by the state. 

The next challenge for our school was 

to deal with the proposal known as the 

Vagelos Report, setting forth a plan for the 

merger of all the research universities in New 

Jersey. This report was thoroughly discussed 

by the BOT, and there was an immediate 

consensus that it did not contain changes 

that were in the best interest of Rutgers. The 

Board had the power to veto the changes in 

the report, but the governor withdrew the 

proposal and it was never implemented. 

A new initiative began to reorganize 

undergraduate education on the New 

Brunswick/Piscataway campus, and the 

BOT was involved in both the debate as 

well as the many forums conducted by 

President McCormick. We approved the 

President’s proposal, and the transformation 

of undergraduate education at Rutgers 

was underway. 

Finally, President McCormick appointed 

a task force to design and propose a 

comprehensive new alumni relations model. 

Several RAA volunteer leaders, including 

myself, were included on the task force as well 

as on the implementation team appointed by 

the Board of Governors on December 6, 2007. 

The BOG approved the implementation 

plan submitted by President McCormick in 

April 2008. 

Clearly, it’s been a very exciting — and 

rewarding — time to be serving as an 

alumni trustee. Our school has undertaken 

enormous changes to prepare it for the 

future, and it’s been my privilege to be part 

of that process. 

8 1766 MAGAZINE

Rutgers Honors a New 

Class Of Distinguished Alumni 

New inductees into the Hall of Distinguished 

Alumni are (l to r): Sol Barer GSNB ’70, ’74; 

Robert Lloyd RC ’67; Mary Baglivo RC ’79; 

Ann Ziff; David Ziff, accepting the award 

on behalf of his father William Ziff, Jr. RC ’55; 

Herbert Pardes RC ’56; and Richard Askin RC ’69. 

PHOTOS BY LAUREN GUILIANO 

Some 300 guests gathered at 

the recently-opened Heldrich in 

downtown New Brunswick in May 

to welcome the newest class of 

Hall of Distinguished Alumni (HDA). The 

annual black tie affair honors a select group 

of alums who have reached the pinnacles of 

their professional and civic fields. 

With searchlights panning the posh 

hotel ballroom, each of the six inductees 

entered to enthusiastic applause. Following 

brief video introductions, they were presented 

with the HDA Award by University 

President Richard L. McCormick. 

Serving as Master of Ceremonies for 

the evening was Paris Qualles RC ’74, 

himself an HDA inductee in 2001. Guests 

were treated to a modern dance performance 

by students from the Department of Dance 

at Mason Gross School of the Arts. 

The new inductees are: 

William Ziff, Jr. RC ’55, who developed 

Ziff-David Publishing Company into a 

renowned niche media empire, responsible 

for such magazines as Modern Bride, Popular 

Photography and Popular Electronics. By 1970, 

a number of the company’s special interest 

publications stood as industry leaders in paid 

circulation, advertising pages and advertising 

revenue. Years later, the company became the 

largest publisher of computer magazines — 

including PC Magazine — with annual 

revenues of $1 billion. For his accomplishments, 

Ziff was named “Executive of the 

Year” by the Magazine Publishers of America 

in 1992. He retired as chairman of Ziff 

Communications in 1993. Ziff died in 2006. 

Accepting the HDA award posthumously on 

his behalf was his son Daniel. 

Guests walk the “scarlet” carpet on their way 

to the Heldrich for the awards presentation. 



9

C O V E R 

S T O R Y 

Richard Oppel, Pulitzer Board co-chair (left), presents the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction to Junot DÍaz. PHOTO BY EILEEN BARROSO/COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 

Rutgers Gave 2008 Pulitzer Winner 

His Basic Vocabulary for Life 

BY RANDY YOUNG RC ’68 

Growing up in a hardscrabble 

neighborhood in Parlin, New 

Jersey, escape was the word that 

most frequently popped into 

the mind of Junot Díaz. He 

did his best to distance himself from the 

poverty and twisted family life that were his 

lot since emigrating to the U.S. from the 

Dominican Republic in 1974. That meant 

roaming far and wide, often on foot, for a 

momentary glimpse of other environs. Once 

he had his license, he drove down the road to 

Rutgers, and saw the kids darting between 

classes, parties and other campus goings-on. 

Did it night after night, and soon realized 

this was for him. He had met his future. 

Today, the future couldn’t be brighter for 

Junot Díaz RC ’92. His first novel, The 

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, won the 

Pulitzer Prize for fiction in April, and has 

Oscar Wao is full 

of Rutgers’ locales 

from Demarest Hall 

and Douglass Campus 

to Livingston Avenue 

and the Albany Street 

train station 

earned him idolatrous reviews from the likes 

of Time (“astoundingly great”), National 

Public Radio (“one of the best first novels of 

recent decades”), and The New York Times 

(“establishes Díaz as one of contemporary 

fiction’s most distinctive and irresistible 

new voices”). 

Oscar Wao is indeed a romp of a novel, 

chockablock with Rutgers’ locales from 

Demarest Hall and Douglass Campus to 

Livingston Avenue and the Albany Street 

train station. New Jersey — the epitome of 

America for Díaz while growing up — also 

gets its fair share of mentions: Paterson, 

Wildwood, the Woodbridge Mall, and let’s 

not forget Don Bosco Prep. Spanning three 

generations and six decades, the book 

chronicles the tumultuous lives of a 

Dominican family that flees the repression of 

the Trujillo regime, and ends up in Paterson, 

New Jersey. In his streetwise riff of Spanish, 

English, slang and literary flourish, Junot 

describes the futile quest for love by Oscar de 

Leon, the fat, geeky sci-fi nerd, and the 

struggles of his family to escape the curse 

10 

1766 MAGAZINE

(known as the “fuku”) which has tormented 

each generation. 

Oscar ends up going to Rutgers, as does 

his sister Lola and her sometimes boyfriend 

Yunior, but he retreats into a world of 

Dungeons & Dragons, writing sci-fi 

“monsterpieces,” and talking about girls but 

never actually touching one. At one point a 

depressed and inebriated Oscar tries to end 

his life by jumping off the railroad bridge 

onto Route 18 near the New Brunswick train 

station. Instead of landing on the concrete 

and turning into “intestinal confetti,” the 

hapless Oscar manages to find the shrubs 

and freshly tilled loam, and ends up in 

Robert Wood Johnson with two broken legs 

and a separated shoulder. 

As a smart kid who grew up poor alongside 

others just like him, Junot said it was 

fairly easy for him to create a composite of 

Oscar, who struggles mightily to find his 

representative space in life. And while Oscar’s 

oddities ensure his isolation and disdain 

from others, Junot finds much to admire in 

his quirky title character. 

“There’s this invincible optimism about 

him and the fact that poor Oscar, whether 

through his constitution or choice, is unwilling 

1969 — Junot (center) with his mom and 

brother Raf. 

to play any roles or wear any masks just because 

society wants him to,” Junot explains. “What 

has always astonished me is the tremendous 

ability of some people to not only survive, 

but to be creative and resourceful.” 

Overdosing on Books 

That could well be the mantra of Junot 

himself. Born in Santo Domingo, he was the 

third child in a family of five. Through his 

early childhood, he lived with his mother 

and grandparents while his father worked 

in the U.S. In December 1974, the family 

emigrated to Parlin where Junot was reunited 

with his father. 

A voracious reader, he would often walk 

miles to borrow books from the public 

library. But life was anything but serene for 

the Dominican teenager, even thousands of 

miles removed from the barrios of the 

Dominican Republic. His father abandoned 

the family in the mid-80s, and within 

months Junot’s oldest brother was diagnosed 

with leukemia. A period of severe poverty 

followed. But Junot persevered, getting 

bumped up to gifted and talented classes 

beginning in the seventh grade at Cedar 

Ridge High School in Old Bridge. Following 

graduation, he enrolled in Kean College in 

Union, working his way through school by 

delivering pool tables, washing dishes and 

pumping gas. 

Rutgers first appeared on his radar screen 

five years earlier, when the older sister of an 

African American friend of his returned 

home after her first year at Rutgers. “I won’t 

forget how she talked to us about Rutgers, 

and we were really moved by it,” he recalls. 

“It seemed like an extraordinary place. It didn’t 

hurt, too, that she was stunningly beautiful.” 

Curiously, Sonny Werblin RC ’31, former 

owner of the New York Jets, also made an 

impression on him. “He couldn’t say a 

sentence without boasting about Rutgers,” 

Junot vividly remembers, “and I thought, 

Oh my god, here’s this guy who is rich and 

famous and every boy’s dream of success, and 

he’s talking about the college that’s only a 

half-hour away.” He reflects for a moment, 

then adds, “It’s interesting that in the 

neighborhood I grew up in, dreaming only 

got you as far as New Brunswick.” 

Didn’t matter. His world underwent a sea 

“ 

I came to Rutgers 

and devoured the place... 

for the first time I was 

in an institutional 

space where learning and 

being smart and being 

creative were things 

that were encouraged 

and valued. 

” 

change as soon as he left Kean (after one 

year) and transferred to Rutgers. He had 

finally found his Emerald City, populated 

with smart, interesting and driven people. 

“I came to Rutgers and devoured the place,” 

he eagerly volunteers, “walked and rode my 

Rutgers graduation, 1992 

bike end-to-end, and took classes everywhere. 

What really compelled and charmed me 

was that for the first time, I was in an 

institutional space where learning and being 

smart and being creative were things that 

were encouraged and valued.” 

He took in the diversity of the place 

through every available pore. “I had never 

in my life met a third-world feminist, or a 



Junot Díaz from page 11 

hip-hop obsessed chic from Japan, or young 

people who were activists and trying to live 

out this Utopian dream of making the world 

a better place,” he says. “I didn’t know what 

a futon was, had never heard of tofu. It 

wasn’t just a new world, it was a new 

vocabulary, a new way of imagining oneself.” 

The Creative Seeds are Sown 

It was also a place where his creative 

writing seeds were sown. He majored in 

English and lived in the special residence the 

school had carved out at Demarest Hall 

(hello Oscar!) for budding writers. More 

importantly, he drew inspiration from a 

creative writing faculty whose names still 

spill easily off his tongue: Terrence 

Holt, Maurice Scheck, Wesley Brown. 

“They were extraordinary writers and 

extraordinary teachers of writers,” he 

remembers. “They basically taught me it was 

possible to be a writer.” 

Holt in particular took Junot under his 

wings and steered him after graduation to his 

own alma mater, Cornell University, where 

he earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in 

creative writing in 1995. It was the following 

year that the public got its first look at this 

towering new talent. Drown, his collection of 

short stories and one of the first books to 

illuminate the lives of Dominican Americans, 

was published, and Junot immediately 

became a force to be reckoned with. Drown 

was a New York Times Notable Book, one of 

The Village Voice’s 25 Best Books of the Year, 

and was short-listed for the Hemingway 

Foundation-PEN Award. This breakout work 

for Junot was also rife with Rutgers and New 

Brunswick references (“We hit the Melody 

and the Roxy, stare at the college girls”). 

Today, Junot is happily employed as a 

creative writing professor at Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology (MIT), living in 

Cambridge. He is also the fiction editor for 

the Boston Review, and a founding member 

“ 

All of us have 

places like Rutgers 

where we’re 

transformed, and 

for me right now, 

I always find 

myself returning 

to that place. 

” 

of the Voices of Our Nations Writing 

Workshop, an expressive vehicle for writers 

of color. 

What kind of magnum opus can followers 

of Junot – and there are plenty of them – 

expect next from this admitted hardcore 

science fiction-fantasy-horror-comic bookapocalypse 

nerd? 

“I’m trying to figure out what comes 

next,” he almost apologetically replies. 

Fair enough, but we can’t help but ask 

the question, will Rutgers continue to take 

center stage in his future work? Junot 

says he’s not entirely sure, but adds without 

losing a beat, “All of us have places like 

Rutgers where we’re transformed, and for me 

right now, I always find myself returning to 

that place.” 

Writers at Rutgers 

Reading Series 

Junot Díaz took center stage at the 

Writers at Rutgers Reading Series on 

Sept. 8 at the Rutgers Student Center. 

The winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize 

for Fiction describes his thoughts 

upon returning to campus in a special 

column appearing on our web site, 

www.rutgersalumni.org. 

12 

1766 MAGAZINE

Where Rutgers Meets the Community 

BY ADAM MUSSELL RC ’06 

The RAA’s Community Service 

Committee (CSC) finds itself in a 

very strategic place: where Rutgers 

meets the community. Over the 

past year, our volunteer members worked 

harder than ever to fulfill our mission of 

making an impact within New Brunswick 

and surrounding townships. 

There is no better example than the outreach 

we did with the Franklin Care Center in 

Franklin Park. After noticing the needs of its 

senior citizen residents during a visit to the 

Center with the Queens Chorale, Community 

Service members committed themselves to 

collecting socks and hypo-allergenic lotion 

from members of the RAA. The articles were 

then distributed — along with tokens of 

kindness that included notes and greeting 

cards — to grateful residents of the Center. 

On another community front, we 

rallied the support of the RAA Board of 

Directors for a continuing book collection 

drive for a local high school library. This 

project has successfully collected and donated 

over 500 usable books. We also reached out to 

citizens of Middlesex County to lend a hand 

to this project. Overall, this effort has gone a 

Elizabeth Fernandez-Vina and Gene Armstead 

pose with toys collected at the RAA holiday party. 

long way to helping the high school library 

significantly increase its literary holdings. 

These two 2007 events helped to set the 

pace for a very busy 2008. The work actually 

began at the RAA’s annual holiday party on 

I’m pleased to report 

that many of our drives are 

ongoing – which 

gives us an even greater 

chance to develop 

long-term partnerships 

and better assess the 

needs of the community. 

December 7, 2007, when board members 

donated used coats and unwrapped toys. 

Representing the Community Service 

Committee, Glenn Meeks RC ’04 donated a 

portion of the toys to the local Marine Toys 

for Tots Program — while another member, 

Co-Chair Elizabeth Fernandez-Vina RC ’05, 

GSE ’06, delivered the remainder to Rutgers 

Recreation’s Big Chill 2007, a 5K walk/run 

with a toy for an entry fee. In addition, coats 

were gathered throughout the winter and 

donated to the American Red Cross at the 

end of January. We’re sure they provided 

warmth and comfort for many needy people 

in the New York metropolitan area. 

Our greatest achievement by far, 

however, was “Rutgers In Your Backyard.” 

This program brought a large group of local 

high school students to the College Avenue 

campus for breakfast, a discussion about 

college admissions, and a guided tour. After 

those activities, the group caught a coach bus 

and headed for the Piscataway Campuses 

along with committee members Gene 

Armstead RC ’73, Bruce Marich RC ’63, 

Ralph Zemel ENG ’69, J.D. Jasper 

UCNB ’02, and Fred Violet III ENG ’01. 

This leg of the program included stops at the 

Rutgers Athletic Center and the Math and 

Science Learning Center (MSLC). At the 

MSLC, a number of Rutgers students joined 

the group for science experiments and 

demonstrations that literally electrified our 

high school visitors. We wrapped the program 

up at the Mason Gross School of Arts, where 

lunch was served over a Q&A session with 

Rutgers Equal Opportunity Fund students. 

Adam Mussell and Elizabeth Fernandez-Vina 

pack up donations for a local soup kitchen. 

No one could believe how quickly the 

day flew by – and how well all the pieces of 

Rutgers in Your Backyard came together. We 

plan to make this an annual event. 

Most recently, the CSC launched a 

non-perishable food collection drive for local 

soup kitchens, like Elijah’s Promise in New 

Brunswick. To date, hundreds of cans have 

been collected and donated. 

I’m pleased to report that many of our 

community drives – like the book and food 

collections – are ongoing, which gives us an 

even greater chance to develop long-term 

partnerships and better assess the needs of the 

community that we are dedicated to serving. 

In the future, we hope to draw more on the 

considerable resources of Rutgers by working 

with the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art 

Museum, for example, to organize guided 

tours with youth groups and senior citizens. 

The Community Service Committee 

invites you to be part of a dedicated team 

of volunteers that plays a vital role for 

both Rutgers and the surrounding 

community. Please contact Gene Armstead 

(Gene_Armstead73@alumni.rutgers.edu) 

to learn more about us. 


13

Distinguished Alumni from page 9 

Herbert Pardes RC ’56, the president and 

CEO of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and 

New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System. 

Nationally known for his expertise in clinical 

care, health policy, research and education, 

Pardes was named to special policy commissions 

by Presidents George W. Bush and Bill 

Clinton. A noted psychiatrist, he also served as 

director of the National Institute of Mental 

Health and was U.S. Assistant Surgeon General 

during the Carter and Reagan administrations, 

as well as president of the American Psychiatric 

Association. In 1999, Pardes was appointed 

head of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 

acclaimed as one of the nation’s premier healthcare 

institutions. 

Robert Lloyd RC ’67, (above) business 

executive, philanthropist, and basketball 

legend. Lloyd led the Rutgers basketball 

team to its first-ever post-season appearance in 

1967, while being named the school’s first 

All-American. He was inducted into the 

Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame, and his was 

the first jersey ever retired by the university. 

After graduation, Lloyd played two years in the 

NBA for the New Jersey Nets. He then 

launched a successful career in the business 

world, serving as CEO of several software 

companies. He retired in 1996 to devote more 

time to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, 

of which he has been chairman since its 

inception in 1993. The V Foundation — 

established by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano 

RC ’67, Lloyd’s roommate, teammate and close 

friend — has raised more than $70 million to 

date and awarded research grants in 37 states. 

Richard Askin RC ’69, who recently completed 

the second-longest tenure as chairman and 

CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & 

Sciences. As head of the honorary organization 

responsible for the primetime Emmy Awards, 

Askin helped achieve international recognition 

for the Emmy brand. He continues to serve on 

the Academy’s executive committee, and works 

to promote educational outreach programs 

through the Academy Foundation. Askin is also 

a trustee of the American Film Institute and a 

board member of the Hollywood Radio and 

Television Society. Prior to the Academy, he 

served for 10 years as president and CEO of 

Tribune Entertainment Company, which he 

helped build into a thriving business responsible 

for more than 20 television series, specials 

and movie packages. 

Sol Barer GSNB ’70, ’74, who funded and 

grew New Jersey-based Celgene Corporation 

from a struggling start-up to the fourth largest 

biotechnology company in the world, with a 

market capitalization of more than $20 billion. 

With Barer as its chairman and CEO, Celgene 

is committed to the discovery and marketing of 

innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer 

and other severe immune/inflammatory diseases. 

Barer, who studied graduate-level chemistry at 

Rutgers, is recognized as a pioneer in the 

development of groundbreaking medicines that 

have long challenged researchers around the world. 

A former member of the New Jersey Commission 

on Science and Technology, Barer is also the 

founding chair of the Rutgers Graduate School- 

New Brunswick Dean’s Advisory Council. 

Mary Baglivo RC ’79 (above) who, as CEO 

and chair of Saatchi & Saatchi Americas, 

is one of the highest ranking women in U.S. 

advertising. Her widely recognized prowess in 

developing innovative and imaginative brand 

campaigns has been put to work for giant 

accounts like P&G, Novartis, JCPenny and 

SABMiller. Her impressive career has won her 

honors from the American Advertising 

Federation Hall of Achievement, and as 2007 

“Woman of the Year” by Advertising Women of 

New York. Baglivo sits on a number of boards, 

including Phillips-Van Heusen, American 

Advertising Federation (vice chair) and the 

Advertising Club of New York. She has 

remained loyal to her Rutgers roots, serving on 

the Rutgers University Foundation Board of 

Overseers and as chair of The Rutgers Fund. 

14 1766 MAGAZINE

Not Your Average Spring Break 

BY ELIZABETH FERNANDEZ-VINA RC ’05, GSE ’06 

This spring break was no vacation for 

10 Rutgers students who motored 

to Alabama to build and rehabilitate 

houses in the aftermath of 

Hurricane Katrina. 

The reconstruction project was carried 

out by members of Rutgers Habitat for 

Humanity as part of a partnership with 

Habitat of Madison, Alabama. The Rutgers 

Alumni Association played a role by donating 

$1,750 to cover the cost of two rental vans 

and fuel needed to make the trip. 

Prior to their departure, the students 

held meetings to build team spirit and 

support, and to set some ground rules essential to the success of their 

week-long mission. Those rules included banning alcohol, even 

during free time. 

When they arrived at Madison, a community of 38,000, they 

immediately set to work, committing seven hours each day to 

building and refurbishing homes. The teamwork continued right 

through their short lunch breaks, with everyone pitching in to prepare 

meals. After a long day of hammering, sawing, plastering and 

painting, the students attended evening activities sponsored by the 

host site. Their long but highly satisfying days ended with a 

comfortable bed and shower at the local Baptist Church. 

In addition to sacrificing their spring breaks, members of 

Rutgers Habitat for Humanity donate a number of weekends each 

year to fixing up homes closer to campus, in cities like New 

Brunswick, Newark and Elizabeth. RAA’s Grants and Gifts 

Committee is proud to support this very worthwhile and productive 

student organization. 


15

16 1766 MAGAZINE 

PHOTOS BY STEVE GOODMAN

Under crystal blue skies, more than 1,300 alumni and friends returned 

to the Banks for a weekend full of fun and nostalgia... 

Reunion 

2008 

2008 Reunion Awards 

REUNION PARADE SPIRIT AWARDS 

First Place: Class of 1958 

Second Place: Class of 1968 

ALUMNI TRUSTEES AWARD 

Rochelle Gzinski RC ’80 

SCARLET AWARD 

Alyssa Gentile RC ’09 

BEST CLASS CORRESPONDENT AWARD 

John Cook ED ’38 

Robert Max RC ’58 GSED ’78 

Rusty von Schwedler ENG ’68 

CLASS OF 1931 AWARD 

Jim Russo RC ’88 

Mike Shapiro RC ’98 

THE WALTER H. SEWARD CLASS OF 

1917 REUNION SPIRIT AWARD 

Tom Carpenter RC ’57 

Marchers stepped off at 10:30 Saturday 

morning from the Queens Campus for 

the traditional parade down College 

Avenue, featuring the Alumni Band, bagpipers, 

classic cars and, of course, the bright scarlet 

banners of the individual classes. Waiting for them 

at the reviewing stand were President Richard L. 

McCormick and other Rutgers dignitaries. 

Immediately after the parade, all roads led to the 

All-Alumni Luncheon at Brower Commons, with 

special tours, lectures and concerts consuming the 

remainder of the afternoon. 

The capstone to the day were the class dinners, 

and the 7th annual Young Alumni Bishop Beach 

Blast. The Reunion Breakfast on Sunday morning 

afforded one last chance to keep the good times 

rolling. Ask anyone who attended Reunion 

Weekend 2008 and they’ll tell you it was a 

fabulous celebration — which ended all too soon! 

But for most, the rekindled friendships and 

countless memories will suffice to keep the Rutgers 

flame alive until Reunion 2013. 


17

The ‘Best Event Ever’ for the 

Class of ’58 

BY DON TAYLOR RC ’58, CLASS PRESIDENT 

With enthusiastic renditions of 

“Rah, rah, we’re great, we’re the 

Class of ’58”, we made a joyful 

entrance into the Old Guard 

Dinner at Brower Commons on Friday night 

of Reunion Weekend. Some 65 classmates 

and 37 guests thoroughly enjoyed the warm 

hospitality provided by the University. Our 

class was formally inducted into the Old 

Guard with the awarding of pins, while the 

incomparable Rutgers Glee Club and Rutgers 

Jazz Ensemble provided the entertainment. 

Earlier that day, nine intrepid 

classmates attempted to participate in 

The Robert Marguccio Reunion Golf 

Tournament, but heavy rains stopped play 

by mid-morning. Six more sensible classmates 

stayed warm and dry while they were inducted 

into the Rutgers Living History Society. 

Several members of our class have participated 

in the Society’s oral history project. 

The weather Saturday turned out to be 

perfect, and three of our clergy classmates 

took part in the Chapel Service held just 

prior to the All-Alumni Parade. Our class — 

looking resplendent in blazers with the class 

patch, class ties, and class caps — led the 

parade down College Avenue, shouting our 

class cheer. At the luncheon that followed, 

we proudly accepted the Spirit Award, 

and Bob Max received the Best Class 

Correspondent Award. 

Saturday afternoon, 41 classmates and 

guests were given a special tour of the 

Zimmerli Art Museum. Our class has 

provided significant support to the museum 

for several decades. 

The class dinner at the Busch Faculty 

Dining Hall was another highlight in a 

weekend filled with them. Over 131 classmates 

and guests totally enjoyed an evening 

filled with great food, great conversation, 

great memories, and remarks by Coach Greg 

Schiano. We announced at the dinner that 

we had raised $872,000 as our class’ reunion 

gift and that it will be earmarked for the 

Lusardi Fund, as well as for a group study 

room in the Alexander Library and for the 

Rutgers Oral History Archives. 

By the time Reunion Weekend came to 

a close everyone in our class agreed – it was 

simply the best event we had ever been to at 

Rutgers. 

18 1766 MAGAZINE 

PHOTOS BY HEATHER MORRISON

A Great 

Turnout for the 

Class of ’68 

BY RUSTY VON SCHWEDLER RC ’68 

40th Reunion Chairman 

and Class Correspondent 

Thanks to some old and new 

“marketing” approaches – including 

customized RAA mailings and 

personal class e-mail messages – we 

were able to drive our class participation to 

its highest level ever for a reunion. The 44 

classmates who returned to the Banks were 

second only to the Class of ’58 (celebrating its 

50th), and included such stalwarts as Don 

Morris, who traveled all the way from Israel 

where he lives and works, and Carl Riggs 

from Houston, who had hip surgery 48 

hours prior to the reunion and still found a 

way to attend — in a wheelchair. Talk 

about dedication! 

The weekend got off to a great start with 

Friday evening’s ’60s Decade Gathering, and 

carried over to Saturday’s main events, beginning 

with the Parade down College Avenue. 

We gathered under sunny skies on the lawn 

outside Old Queens, decked out in our 

football-like, scarlet red jerseys with RUTGERS 

and large “68s” silk-screened on the front and 

back. These colorful uniforms marked us as a 

team, and I was proud to be at the head of this 

group carrying the Class of ’68 banner as we 

marched down College Avenue. I’m even 

prouder of the fact we took Second Place in 

the Parade Spirit Award. 

Our decision to host the 40th Reunion 

dinner at the Zimmerli Art Museum truly 

added a touch of class to the weekend. With a 

DJ supplying the soundtrack from our college 

PHOTO BY STEVE GOODMAN 

years (from doo wop to Motown to the British 

Invasion) and Jerry Hochman taking us down 

memory lane with his Targum cover pages, 

the evening turned into one giant celebration. 

The icing on the cake was the Queens 

Chorale, which stopped by to regale us with 

Rutgers tunes and its many-part harmonies. 

President Andy Jacobs wrapped up the 

evening with some thoughtful comments on 

how far we’ve all come in 40 years. It was a 

fitting end to a fabulous Reunion Weekend! 

All-Alumni Wine Tasting Reception 

One of the highlights of Reunion Weekend was the All-Alumni Wine Tasting Reception held 

in the Rutgers Student Center. Alumni from all classes sampled hors d’oeuvres from Indian, 

Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and Thai menus — and the wines (or in some cases, beers) that 

married well with each style. As with last year’s reunion, this event turned out to be one of the 

most popular and well attended events of this year’s Reunion. PHOTOS BY HEATHER MORRISON 

Class Gifts Highlight 

2008 Reunion 

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION 

2008 RAA REUNION REPORT 

TOTAL GIFTS AND PLEDGES 

Class of 1938 $14,310.00 

Class of 1943 $30,990.00 

Class of 1948 $324,731.28 

Class of 1953 $373,415.02 

Class of 1958 $875,385.55 

Class of 1963 $1,587,062.20 

Class of 1968 $255,658.39 

Class of 1973 $203,253.60 

Class of 1978 $253,780.83 

Class of 1983 $246,186.87 

Class of 1988 $271,088.76 

Class of 1993 $89,406.04 

Class of 1998 $36,599.59 

Class of 2003 $22,001.00 


19

Above: Bill Bauer RC ’42, Tom Kindre RC ’42, President Richard L. McCormick, and 

Lewis M. Bloom RC ’42; Above right: Lewis Bloom speaks at the dedication ceremony. 

Right: Spectators view the new memorial located in Voorhees Mall. 

PHOTOS BY HEATHER MORRISON 

Rutgers Class of ’42 

WWII Memorial Dedicated 

The Class of 1942 World War II Memorial Plaza was dedicated on Friday, May 

16, 2008 as part of Rutgers Reunion activities. Located in the Voorhees Mall, 

near Scott Hall, this impressive new Memorial honors Rutgers alumni who 

served in World War II. Like the famous Vietnam wall, it displays, by class, the 

names of all 247 men and women who gave their lives in the war. 

The RAA and the Trenton Thunder… 

Perfect Together 

O 

n Saturday, June 21st, members, 

family and friends of the Rutgers 

Alumni Association joined a packed 

Waterfront Park to watch another 

Trenton Thunder baseball game. On that night, 

the Member Services Committee organized an 

event that brought about 100 RAA minor 

league baseball fans down to Trenton, NJ to 

watch the NY Yankees’ AA minor league 

baseball team, the Trenton Thunder, play the 

Binghamton Mets. 

The Thunder third baseman, Chris Malec 

hit the go-ahead RBI double in the 6th inning 

and Trenton hung on to defeat Binghamton 

3-2. Trenton's attendance of 7,828 was the 

largest crowd this season at Waterfront Park. 

The game was riddled with errors but the 

off-field antics of Boomer and Strike, the 

Trenton Thunder mascots and Chase the 

retrieving bat and ball-dog of the Trenton 

Thunder kept the fans entertained throughout 

the game. There was even a little R-U, R-U 

cheering going on between our section and 

another group of RU Alums in a luxury box. 

The night was prime for baseball and 

not only did our Rutgers Alumni Family enjoy 

a great win, but we also enjoyed a fantastic 

fireworks display which capped off another 

tremendously successful RAA Member 

Services event. 

20 1766 MAGAZINE

RAA Happenings 

Left: In April, RAA Young Alumni 

traveled by bus to Boston for an 

exciting weekend trip. Activities 

included the “Boston Duck Tour”, 

an amphibious tour that brought 

the group through the historical 

highlights of the city and offered 

views of Boston and Cambridge 

from the Charles River. Other 

highlights of the trip included 

visits to the Sam Adams Brewery, 

Faneuil Hall, Fenway Park, and 

the Freedom Trail. 

Below left and right: The annual 

Rutgers Young Alumni Beach Party 

was held on Saturday, July 12, 2008 

at Bar A in Lake Como, NJ. A full 

buffet, drink specials, games and a 

DJ made for another exciting event. 

PHOTOS BY MIKE RUTKOWSKI UCNB'96, SCILS'96 

Several awards were presents at the 

RAA Annual Luncheon in May during 

Reunion Weekend. Right: Walter 

Seward RC ’17 presents the Reunion 

Spirit Award to Tom Carpenter RC ’58. 

Below: John Hugelmeyer (left) 

presents Alyssa Gentile RC ’09, GSE ’10 

with the Scarlet Award. Alyssa is 

joined by her parents, Gino Gentile 

RC ’80 and Pamela Gentile RC ’80. 

On Saturday, June 14, 2008, 

hundreds of Rutgers alumni 

and family members flocked to 

the Bronx for “Rutgers Day at 

the Zoo”. This Department of 

Alumni Relations sponsored 

event featured lunch and 

special Rutgers giveaways. 

Left: Donna Thornton, Vice 

President of Alumni Relations 

with RAA President Frank 

Hundley. 


21

S P O R T S 

U P D A T E 

BY JOHN WOODING RC ’78 

Rutgers Football 2008: 

Moving Beyond Ray Rice 

As it looks to keep the momentum of the 

last few years alive, Rutgers football has 

a daunting task on its hands: filling the 

shoes of Ray Rice, one of the greatest 

running backs in the school’s history who moved 

Quarterback Mike Teel returns for his third season 

as starter, and has a shot to rewrite every major 

passing record at Rutgers. PHOTO BY TOM CISZEK 

on to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. All Rice did 

while at Rutgers was help lead the Scarlet Knights 

to three consecutive bowl games and shatter every 

season and career rushing record. 

“The neat thing about college football is every 

year you lose some guys to graduation, and some 

talented new players step in,” head coach Greg 

Schiano said at the team’s annual Media Day in 

August. “It’s not coincidental that things really took 

off during Ray Rice’s time here. But he certainly 

had a great supporting cast, and Ray would be the 

first to tell you that.” 

Schiano is counting on a number of prime 

candidates to fill the void, including sophomores 

Kordell Young and Mason Robinson. Young, a 

former first-team All-State performer who averaged 

nearly 11 yards per carry during his career at West 

Deptford (NJ) High School, was slated as Rice’s 

backup last season before suffering a season-ending 

knee injury in the third game of the year. Robinson, 

who earned All-State honors at Somerville High 

School, stepped in behind Rice in 2007 after Young 

was sidelined, and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. 

Schiano must find replacements at other key 

positions, too. Pedro Sosa UCNB ’08 and Mike 

Fladell UCNB ’08 anchored the left side of the 

offensive line, while Jeremy Zuttah RC ’08 was a 

fixture on the offensive line (he was recently a thirdround 

pick of theTampa Bay Bucs). On the defensive 

side, inspirational leader Eric Foster UCNB ’08 will 

be missed at defensive tackle, as will academic 

All-America Brandon Renkart ENG ’08, a starting 

linebacker. Record-setting place kicker Jeremy Ito 

RC ’08, RBS ’08 has also graduated. 

One area that Schiano does not have to worry 

about is the passing game, where quarterback Mike 

Teel returns for his third season as starter. The 

veteran signal caller enters the 2008 campaign with 

a good shot at rewriting every major passing record 

at Rutgers. He is presently No. 4 in career yards 

“ 

It’s not coincidental 

that things really took 

off during Ray’s time 

here...but he certainly 

had a great supporting 

cast, and he’d be the 

first to tell you that. 

— Coach Greg 

(5,965), and No. 5 in completions 

Schiano” (418), attempts 

(746) and touchdowns (34).Teel is on the pre-season 

watch lists for both the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm 

Award, and the Davey O’Brien Award, both 

presented to the nation’s top signal caller. 

Teel’s primary targets are also standouts. Tiquan 

Underwood and Kenny Britt each surpassed the 

Wide receiver Tiquan Underwood PHOTO BY TOM CISZEK 

1,000-yard mark in receiving in 2007, just the 26th 

time in NCAA history – and the first time in BIG 

EAST annals – that two players from the same team 

had 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Britt 

was a first-team Sophomore All-American selection 

by College Football News in 2007, after catching 62 

passes for 1,232 yards. Underwood, a first-team 

All-BIG EAST choice last year, hauled in 65 passes 

for 1,100 yards. Britt and Underwood are on the 

pre-season Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver) 

watch list. 

Schiano is looking to sophomore Anthony 

Davis and junior Ryan Blaszczyk to anchor the 

offensive line. Davis started eight games as a 

freshman, and is an Outland Trophy (nation’s top 

lineman) candidate after being shifted to left tackle. 

Blaszczyk stepped in at center last season, starting all 

13 games, and enters 2008 as a Rimington Award 

(nation’s top center) candidate. Both Blaszczyk and 

Davis are mainstays in an offensive line that helped 

establish school records last year in scoring (426), 

first downs (294) and total offense (5,841 yards). 

The Scarlet Knights are also endowed with 

considerable power on the defensive side, including 

four-year starting safety Courtney Greene and 

defensive end Jamaal Westerman. A crunching 

hitter, Greene is on the watch list for the Bronko 

Nagurski Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s 

top defensive player, and the Lott Trophy, which 

recognizes the top impact defensive player. Greene 

already has 299 tackles (No. 8 all-time at Rutgers) and 

five interceptions in his career. Westerman, who has 

appeared in 38 games in the past three seasons, 

has shown an ability to penetrate the backfield and 

has 20 sacks and 38 tackles for losses in his career. 

Intensifying the excitement surrounding Rutgers 

football is the stadium itself, whose club level was 

completed this season as part of the ongoing expansion 

program. For the 2009 season, a total of 13,000 

additional seats will be ready for some 12,000 fans 

eager for season tickets. 

22 1766 MAGAZINE

Rutgers at the Olympics 

Rutgers was well represented at the 2008 

Summer Olympics in Beijing by five current or 

former student-athletes. A sixth served as a 

broadcaster for NBC. 

Incoming freshman Jonelle Filigno and 

assistant coach Karina LeBlanc of the Rutgers 

women’s soccer team both played for Canada’s 

national team, while former Scarlet Knights’ 

great Carli Lloyd scored the gamewinning goal 

in the 98th minute as Team USA defeated Brazil 

1-0 in the Olympic gold medal match. Former 

Rutgers basketball standout Cappie Pondexter 

RC ’06 and her United States teammates 

captured the Olympic gold with a 92-65 victory 

over previously unbeaten Australia. 

Sam Stitt RC ’04 was a member of the U.S. 

Olympic Rowing team, while Harry Cicma, a 

former Rutgers men’s tennis player and 

currently a producer, reporter and anchor for 

NBC-10 in Providence, R.I., worked on a 

highlights show during the games. 

Cappie Pondexter (front) 

Volleyball 

Coach Returns 

PHOTO BY TOM CISZEK 

Rutgers welcomes back Jeff “CJ” 

Werneke as head coach of the school’s 

volleyball program. Werneke was an assistant 

coach at Rutgers from 1999-2001 before 

taking the job as head coach at Fairfield 

University for the past six years. During that 

period, Werneke led the Stags to a combined 

111-85 record, and was named Metro 

Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the 

Year in 2006 and 2007. 

The Rutgers volleyball program will be 

tested early when it competes in three 

prestigious tournaments (Northern Arizona 

Tournament, George Mason Tournament 

and Davidson College Tournament) before 

opening play in the BIG EAST Conference 

in late September. Werneke and the Scarlet 

Knights have their sights set on a return to 

the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time 

since 2001. 

Of Note... 

The BIG EAST Conference will formally begin 

sponsoring the sport of men’s lacrosse 

beginning in the spring of 2010. The seven 

conference schools that will participate in the 

newly formed league are Georgetown, Notre 

Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse 

and Villanova. The teams will play a six-game 

single round-robin regular season schedule. The 

BIG EAST will apply for an automatic bid to 

the 16-team NCAA Championship field. 

Villanova women’s lacrosse will also join the 

BIG EAST effective in the 2009-2010 academic 

year.The Wildcats will become the ninth women’s 

lacrosse program under the auspices of the BIG 

EAST conference — joining Connecticut, 

Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Syracuse, 

and associate member Loyola (MD). 

Cincinnati and Louisville are scheduled to 

begin competing in the spring of 2009. 

Chris Carlin, who is the play-by-play announcer 

for Rutgers football, will also serve as the voice 

of RU men’s basketball. Carlin replaces Bruce 

Johnson as play-by-play announcer. 

Scout.com has released its updated 2008 

basketball recruiting rankings and the Scarlet 

Knights’ incoming scholastic class, comprised of 

four nationally-rated prospects, is listed at No. 

19. It marks the third national ranking for the 

class, which was rated tied-for-22nd nationally 

by Hoop Scoop and 30th by Rivals.com. 

Rutgers women’s basketball head coach C. 

Vivian Stringer has announced the promotion 

of assistant coach Carlene Mitchell to the level 

of associate head coach. 

Rutgers Director of Athletics Robert E. 

Mulcahy III was named the AstroTurf 

Northeast Athletic Director of the Year in the 

Football Bowl Subdivision by the National 

Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. 

Rutgers junior third baseman Tom Edwards 

(West Caldwell, NJ) was selected by the 

Baltimore Orioles in the 28th round (86th 

overall pick) of the 2008 Major League Baseball 

First Year Player Draft and signed with the club 

forgoing his final season of eligibility on the 

banks. He will report to Aberdeen, MD to join 

the Orioles’ Single-A affiliate Aberdeen 

IronBirds to begin his professional career. 

Former Rutgers All-American pitcher Bobby 

Brownlie was selected for the Double-A 

Eastern League All-Star Game this past July in 

Manchester, NH. 

The Rutgers wrestling program, under the 

guidance of second-year head coach Scott 

Goodale, saw its 2008-09 recruiting class 

ranked No. 4 nationally by Intermat – behind 

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Central Michigan. 

“This class is obiviously one we think could be 

very special” said Goodale after the class was 

ranked No. 3 nationally by W.I.N. Magazine. 

Rutgers head volleyball coach Jeff “CJ” 

Werneke has announced that Jason Donnelly 

has joined the program as an assistant coach. 

Donnelly spent the last 12 years coaching at 

Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, CA. 

Rutgers women’s soccer head coach Glenn 

Crooks announced the addition of William 

Bustamente to the coaching staff, where he will 

serve as assistant coach and Director of Soccer 

Operations. 

Rutgers head women’s gymnastics coach 

Chrystal Chollet-Norton announced the 

hiring of Louis Levine as an assistant coach 

after spending the previous three years as the 

Assistant Director of the International 

Gymnastics Camp in Stroudsburg, PA. 


23


PO Box 11320 


Non-Profit 

Organization 

US Postage 

PAID 

New Brunswick, NJ 

Permit No. 863 

RAA Calendar of Events 

OCTOBER 2008 

10/7 Night Under the Stars 

Robert A. Schommer Astronomical Observatory 

Busch Campus, Piscataway, 8:00 -10:00 p.m. 

10/14 Rutgers Jazz Ensemble 

Nicholas Music Center, 8:00 p.m. — FREE 

10/17 Rutgers Wind Ensemble 

with Roxbury H.S. Wind Symphony 


10/17- Rutgers Homecoming Weekend 

10/19 Festival, Football Game & Golf Tournament 

NOVEMBER 2008 

11/7 Business Card Exchange 

Rutgers Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

11/10 Rutgers Charter Day, 

Rutgers 242nd Birthday (wear scarlet today) 

11/15 Rutgers Glee Club and Mt. Holyoke Glee Club 

Kirkpatrick Chapel, 8:00 p.m. — FREE 

11/20- Mason Gross - First Year MFA Exhibition 

12/12 Mason Gross Galleries at Civic Square, New Brunswick 

DECEMBER 2008 

12/5 Rutgers SpeedNetworking Night 

Busch Campus Student Center, Multipurpose Room 

Registration 6:00-7:00 p.m., Event starts at 7:00 p.m. 

12/5 Rutgers Symphony Orchestra 


12/6 Christmas in Carol and Song 

Rutgers Glee Club and Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir 

Kirkpatrick Chapel, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. 

(and 12/7 at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) 

— Tickets go on sale October 1st 

12/16- Brodsky Center Annual Exhibition 

1/23 Mason Gross Galleries at Civic Square, New Brunswick 

FOR DETAILS ON 

ANY OF THESE EVENTS, 

CALL THE RAA AT 

732-932-7474 OR VISIT 

www.rutgersalumni.org

Fall 2008 - Rutgers Alumni Association

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