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Thursday February 13, 2020 vol. CXLIV no. 9
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IN TOWN
Princeton Police initiate body camera pilot program By Uchechi Iheacho Staff Writer
JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
The pilot program includes six police officers.
On Feb. 4, the Princeton Police Department began a body camera pilot with six police officers, starting the trial phase of a program initiative four years in the making. The program is intended to increase transparency between the public and the department. “Many people are not aware of what we do or why we do certain things and body/mobile car cameras help us to memorialize our actions and help us to better explain our actions which I believe creates trust and legitimacy in our mission,” Princeton Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter wrote in an email to The Daily Princetonian. “Cameras also help us to evaluate our officers, train them more effectively, and adjust and develop policy.” According to Mayor Liz Lempert, the expansive use of body cameras in police departments, the decreased cost of the technology, and the developed camera policy around the country across the last few years has made this a suitable time for implementing the program.
“The municipality has benefitted from taking our time to implement a program,” Lempert wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “Body cameras are increasingly an important tool for police departments. The footage provides a detailed record of incidents and having cameras also helps build and maintain trust with members of the community.” Leaders of the University activist group Students for Prison Education and Reform, Mohammad Al-Mohimine ’23 and Mikayla Green ’22, provided the ‘Prince’ with a statement commending the Princeton Police Department for initiating the program and suggesting that the cameras be turned on at all times to promote the department’s goal of transparency. They also pointed out that, while body cameras are “a step in the right direction,” they do not entirely fix the American policing system. “There are countless cases where even with body cameras on, officers still committed heinous acts of violence on people,” Al-Mohimine and Green wrote. “The department should keep this in mind and perhaps pro-
vide further training to their officers so they have a better grasp on how to handle situations without resorting to excessive violence.” In 2015, the Princeton Police Department received a $15,000 grant from the Christie Administration to purchase body cameras. However, Princeton officials held off initially in order to assess the progression of the use in other towns first and to explore the costs of providing the cameras for the entire department. Additionally, Sutter noted that he and the command staff have “attended multiple training and information sessions, met with numerous vendors, and discussed policy with many organizations who have implemented a program.” The Princeton Police Department reviews the body camera footage on a daily basis to check for proper functionality. According to Sutter, the official program is intended for full implementation by July 2020 after a final decision to purchase the equipment is established and released to the public.
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
U., peer institutions oppose White House cutting research and education budget Staff Writer
On Monday, Feb. 10, the White House released its budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year. The $4.8 trillion proposal, similar to previous ones the Trump administration has produced, includes cuts to several federal programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, as well as to spending on education and research. For the University, however, these proposed reductions in funding for education and research could be cause for concern. On Monday, the University retweeted a press release on the budget proposal from the Association
of American Universities (AAU), an organization of 65 research universities that includes the University and all seven other Ivy League institutions. According to the organization’s mission statement, its member universities “collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation.” In the press release, AAU President Mary Sue Coleman wrote that the proposal “reduce[s] investments in student aid and vital scientific research at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies” and “drastically cut[s] or end[s] several Education Department student aid programs including Feder-
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
How to vote as a college student By Rooya Rahin Assistant News Editor
With elections coming up, many students have questions about how to vote in college, where to vote, and where to find voting information. With many questions being raised after the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary, The Daily Princetonian has made a comprehensive guide on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Primary election. College students living outside of their home state may register to vote in either the state of their school or
In Opinion
in their official state of residence. To register to vote in the state of New Jersey, visit the New Jersey Division of Elections Website. The New Jersey Presidential Primary Election will be held on Jun. 2, and the deadline to register is May 12. If you choose to register in your state of residence, you must register to vote in that state and request an absentee ballot for your state to be sent to your University postal address. Be aware that state deadlines for voter registration and absentee ballot voting may vary, and often voter registration deadlines come first, so be See VOTE page 2
Contributing columnist Kate Lee argues that, while Parasite’s win is a step forward, it also illuminates resting prejudices in the Oscars, and guest contributor JD Copeland ‘23 addresses a recently proposed bill granting civil immunity to PSAFE officers.
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COURTESY OF WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD / FLICKR
See FUNDING page 2
The White House released its budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year on Monday Feb. 10. ON CAMPUS
‘Sister Mok-rahn’ elevates artists of East Asian descent By Paige Allen Senior Writer
The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater will present the first full English-language production of “Sister Mok-rahn,” a critically acclaimed contemporary Korean play written by Eunsung Kim and translated by Dayoung Jeong. The production is the senior thesis project of Jenny Kim ’20, who provided dramaturgy, lighting design, and set design, while Carol Lee ’20 plays the title character, Jo Mok-rahn. The production is co-produced with East West Theater and in collaboration with Princeton North Korean Human Rights (PNKHR). It is also co-sponsored by the Department of Comparative Lit-
erature and the Korean Language Program. “Sister Mok-rahn” follows Jo Mok-rahn, a North Korean defector to South Korea and accordion player from Pyongyang who wishes to return to North Korea and her parents. In an effort to raise money for the trip, Mok-rahn becomes the caretaker of Huh Tae-sahn, an unemployed historian suffering from depression. Mok-rahn soon becomes caught up in the lives of Taesahn’s mother Joe Dae-jah, who runs a brothel; brother Huh Taegahng, who teaches philosophy; and sister Huh Tae-yang, who gave up writing novels for writing films. Romance and conflict arise as Mok-rahn attempts to
Today on Campus 4:30 p.m.: Eleana Kim offers a critical, transnational history of the DMZ’s ecology, tracing its origins to its mid-1960s identification as an “outdoor laboratory.” Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building
navigate the capitalism and culture of South Korea in order to return home. Originally commissioned by the Doosan Art Center in Seoul, South Korea, “Sister Mok-rahn” premiered there on Mar. 9, 2012, and it has since received several productions in South Korea. Jeong translated the play as her thesis through the Columbia MFA Dramaturgy program, and her translation was performed in May 2017 as a reading at the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City as part of the PEN World Voices: International Play Festival. Jenny Kim discovered the play when working on a final paper for a course on Korean literature. See MOK-RAHN page 3
WEATHER
By David Veldran
HIGH
53˚
LOW
28˚
Rain chance of rain:
80 percent
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The Daily Princetonian
Thursday February 13, 2020
Coleman: it is imperative that America reinvest in ... government supported research FUNDING Continued from page 1
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News. Opinions. Sports. Every day.
al Work-Study, the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.” In an email to The Daily Princetonian, University Spokesperson Ben Chang confirmed that the University shared the AAU’s concerns, adding that the University will be working with the New Jersey congressional delegation and other congressional members “to ensure that the final budget provides robust investments in education and research funding.” The release also decried the planned elimination of agencies like the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The budget would eliminate 11 Department of Education programs deemed “ineffective or redundant” by the Administration. Other eliminated programs were deemed either “duplicative,” meaning their role
was being fulfilled by another agency, or without a “proper federal role.” President Donald Trump’s Budget Message notes that the new budget “sets the course for a future of continued American dominance and prosperity.” The cuts, including those to various education- and research-related programs, come as part of an effort “to reduce wasteful, unnecessary spending, and to fix mismanagement and redundancy across agencies.” According to the press release, the planned cuts “could harm America’s position as the world’s leader in research, science, and higher education.” “For our nation to maintain its position as a leader in global innovation, it is imperative that America reinvest in the governmentsupported research and the government-university partnership that have made our nation and its universities, laboratories, technology, and economy the envy of the world,” Coleman wrote. At the time of publication, the AAU did not respond to request for comment.
Voter registration is still open in many states VOTE
Continued from page 1
............. sure to check both deadlines. Absentee ballots can be requested online in almost every state. To find out how to request an absentee or mail-in ballot, register to vote, and find state voting information, visit the website of your state’s Secretary of State or Division of Elections. Vote100, the University’s campus voting campaign, recommends visiting their website as well as the Campus Vote Project to find voting information and resources. In addition, visit Rock the Vote to find statespecific voting and voter registration information. Below, find a quick guide to which states are still allowing registration for the 2020 Presidential Primary Elections. An asterisk notes that a deadline is within two weeks of the publication of this piece. For the following states, you can still register to vote and submit for an absentee ballot: Alabama*, Arizona*, California*, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Dis-
trict of Columbia (only for the Democratic Primary), Florida*, Georgia*, Hawaii, Idaho*, Illinois*, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada (only for the Republican Primary), New Mexico, New York, Ohio*, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. For the following states, you can no longer register to vote but you can still request an absentee ballot: Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri*, North Carolina, Oklahoma*, South Carolina*, Tennessee*, Texas*, Utah*, Vermont, Virginia*. Unfortunately, the following states have caucuses and conventions for one or both parties and therefore voters must be present to vote: Alaska (Democratic Caucus), District of Columbia (Republican Caucus), Nevada (Democratic Caucus), North Dakota (Democratic Caucus and Republican Convention), and Wyoming (Democratic Caucus and Republican Convention).
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Lee: we wanted to highlight the voices and language of defectors MOK-RAHN Continued from page 1
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While searching for Korean theater in translation, Kim found that few Korean plays had been translated into English. “Sister Mok-rahn” was accessible because it had been written as an academic paper and a full recording of the reading was available on YouTube. Jenny Kim immediately thought Carol Lee would be perfect for the role of Mok-rahn. The two seniors met during their first year at Princeton while working on Theatre Intime’s Student Playwrights Festival, which marked the first time Carol Lee acted in a play and the first time Jenny Kim did light design. “It kind of came full circle from freshman year, [when] as a senior, she [Jenny Kim] was like, ‘I just found a Korean play, and I really think it should be you who is doing it with me,’” Carol Lee said. Jenny Kim brought the idea of doing a full production to Jeong who then reached out to the playwright, Eunsung Kim, and both gave their consent. Jenny Kim then helped secure professional artist Seonjae Kim, the director of the 2017 reading, as director of this production. Other professional collaborators include costume designer Hahnji Jang, sound designer Fan Zhang, and fight and intimacy choreographer Rocio Mendez. When approached by Jenny Kim, Seonjae Kim said there was no question she wanted to be a part of the Lewis Center production. “I direct a lot of readings, and some readings you kind of do it for one day and then it’s over, but this one kind of stuck with me because it’s a play from my home,” said Seonjae Kim, who is from South Korea. “And not only is it a Korean author, but it’s really a play about Korea and about North Korea and Korean society.” In order to address the contextual and dramaturgical needs of the play, the project team has organized several workshops and events to facilitate dialogue around the play. East West Theater will moderate a series of three talkbacks cosponsored by Princeton’s Campus Conversations on Identities (CCI) Fund: on Feb. 15 with Seonjae Kim and Jeong; on Feb. 20 with Seonjae Kim, Jenny Kim, and Carol Lee; and on Feb. 21 with Dan Chung (senior analyst and founder of Crossing Borders, an organization that helps North Korean refugees and their children living in China) and Ken Eom (a North Korean defector). Both Chung and Eom will be speaking at the PNKHR 2020 Intercollegiate Conference the following day. Titled “Facade,” the conference will take place in Whig Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jeong will be hosting a workshop on translating theater, “Portraying the Other on Stage Through Translation,” on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. at which she will address difficulties she encountered while translating “Sister Mok-rahn.” An exhibition curated by Cameron Lee ’22 with associate curator Anoushka Mariwala ’21 and coordinated by Jenny Kim and associate coordinator Yolanda Jin ’20 entitled “Paintings of the Tongue: Picturing Reality in North Korea through the Stories of Defector” will be displayed in the CoLab of the Lewis Arts complex from Feb. 10 through 22. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., the exhibition is free and open to the public. “The exhibit is primarily focused on the voices of defectors and we wanted to highlight their language and their voices,” Cameron Lee said. “It’s important to focus on the people because I think oftentimes, the U.S. media provides a very specific view of North Korea with a focus on the government which I think can often undermine the pain and the suffering of the people that are in the country and their experience which I think is more important.” Cameron Lee intends for the exhibit to highlight “the linguistic aspect of the difficulties of translation and the nuances” among the different dialects of Korean which appear in the original play as well as serve as an “educational experience” which informs audiences through the messages of the
media and “by actually having the experience of walking through the space and being immersed in this auditory, visual, and also three-dimensional environment that’s been created.” The linguistic issues addressed in the exhibit have been a unique feature of the rehearsal process for “Sister Mok-rahn” as the actors and creative team have been in communication with Jeong about tweaking the script. The original text includes 26 characters, four languages, and five Korean dialects, allowing a Korean audience — as Jeong wrote in an email to The Daily Princetonian — “to make assumptions about each character as soon as they start speaking.” The same differences don’t exist in English, so Jeong instead chose to “focus on translating the sense of what South Korean characters say and the words of what North Korean characters say.” In addition to the translation of the text, Seonjae Kim described a process of putting “an entire culture ... in translation.” Through staging and costumes, Seonjae Kim and her costume designer Jang have been, in the words of Seonjae Kim, “capturing the equivalent truth,” translating Korean archetypes so they can read for an American audience. The cast and creatives have also been in dialogue with Jeong to update some of the references in the play such as changing “Wire it to me” to “Venmo me.” Jeong wrote that the comments leading to these changes are “indispensable.” “We had more time to discuss the play than when we were working scenes for a class or rehearsing for the PEN International Play Festival … I also got to make a
change that I have always wanted to make; with Eunsung’s blessing, Kim Jong-il became Kim Jong-un in the current production,” stated Jeong. The student cast working to bring this play to life includes Carl Sun ’20; Minjae Kim ’21, who is also assistant fight choreographer; Jason Kong ’21; Hannah Wang ’21; Megan Pan ’22; Jonathan Som ’22; Grace Zhao ’22, who also serves as music director; and Ryuki Nakayama ’23. Student production team members include stage manager Hannah Semmelhack ’20, props manager Kaylin Xu ’22; assistant lighting designer Rakesh Potluri ’23; and assistant stage manager Angelica Qin ’23. Faculty and guest artists advising the project include Michael Cadden as dramaturgy advisor, Brian Herrera as literary advisor, Tess James as lighting advisor, Peter Kim as acting advisor, Lawrence Moten as scenic advisor, and Alex Volckhausen as project consultant. For at least two of the actors, Carol Lee and Minjae Kim, “Sister Mok-rahn” marks the first time they have appeared on stage as a character explicitly written as Asian. The cast is entirely comprised of Asian students or students of Asian descent. The production team is also comprised significantly of Asian individuals and led by Asian women. Jenny Kim describes the environment resulting from this representation and leadership as “overwhelming.” “Every single rehearsal, every single day that we’ve had any kind of get together, table work — everybody was just bringing their personal experiences and relating to the characters,” Jenny Kim
said. “It was just an automatic understanding that just exists in a room.” Carol Lee described the project as “so validating and so comforting and empowering.” “[It] kind of gives me more hope as an Asian woman and an artist right now,” Lee stated. “The fact that I’m surrounded by people who are actively living that life has meant a lot to me. [The cast is] not all Korean, but I know that to some extent [they] have felt the ways that I have felt in the theater community. I know that [they’ve] been through some version of this, and together we are creating something entirely new.” Zhao, a sophomore performing in “Sister Mok-Rahn” and music directing, urges audiences to reconceptualize how they see Asian women and Asian theater-makers. “I want people to see this and not say ‘wow, that was really good, especially considering that they were Asian women,’ but rather ‘wow, that was really good.’ Because that’s just it — we’re people. We’re theater-makers. We have a history on our shoulders, we have chips to dust off and points to prove,“ Zhao wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’ “But we want you to see us beyond the fetishes and icky history. When you walk out of Wallace [Hall], I want you to forget that [Miss] Saigon ever existed. I want you to remember Mok-rahn.” Jenny Kim believes that seeing theatrical productions like “Sister Mok-rahn” supported by large organizations and institutions like the Lewis Center and the University can inspire those who haven’t typically been represented in theater to start seeing themselves in art. “I hope that young Asian peo-
ple … are able to see themselves on stage and realize that this is also a possibility for me,” she said. “For Korean artists and Korean audiences, I want you to know that we matter. I want you to know that there are stories about us worth telling. I want you to know there are people who care about telling them,” Carol Lee added. “For an East Asian audience more broadly, I want you to know that you can do this, too; this is not something that you’re closed off from. If you want to do theater, you can.” A hope shared by most of the team working on “Sister Mokrahn” is that the production can show how the story is universal — a tale about suffering, borders, difference, and longing for home — while also increasing awareness about a specific situation that audiences in the United States may misunderstand and a people who can often be reduced to stereotypes: model minority, “Rocketman,” communist, refugee. “It’s deeply hurtful to me in some ways, the way that the North Korea/South Korea conflict is treated, because the line, it might as well be arbitrary,” Carol Lee said. “There were families separated; we are the same people.” Carol Lee summed up the lesson she hopes audiences can learn from “Sister Mok-rahn”: “there’s more out there than the stories you’ve been told.” Performances of “Sister Mokrahn” will take place on Feb. 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22 at 8 p.m. in the Wallace Theater at the Lewis Arts Complex. Tickets are available through University Ticketing at tickets.princeton.edu.
COURTESY OF FELICITY AUDET
Top: Minjae Kim (left), Jonathan Som (middle), and Hannah Wang (right) rehearse for the performance. Bottom: Carol Lee (left) and Carl Sun (right) at a rehearsal.
Opinion
Thursday February 13, 2020
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What ‘Parasite’ did for the Oscars, and what it didn’t Kate Lee
Contributing Columnist
H
istory was made on Sunday night.
For the first time in the Oscars’ 92 years, a foreign language film, “Parasite,” took home the award for Best Picture. As a KoreanAmerican student who’d seen the film initially in Korea, I sat waiting by the screen, shocked and elated. Though the film was almost universally acclaimed by both moviegoers and critics alike, the win still came as a surprise. Many had lost hope for the Oscars; after the lingering problem of #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 and the disappointment of “Green Book” winning in 2019, it seemed like the acclaimed awards ceremony was becoming increasingly distant from the movement of masterful filmmaking and rewarding movies that many felt were patronizing to audiences of color. “Parasite” proved both to viewers and future artists, including students at Princeton and across the world, that new voices could change this past. Looking at past Oscars history, it was unlikely that “Parasite,” an incredible South Korean film, would have a chance at Best Picture. However, when the night ended and Bong Joon Ho was called to the stage for the fourth time (he also won Best Original Screenplay, Best
International Film, and Best Director), it felt like something had changed. Finally, it seemed, the Oscars had rightfully acknowledged the talent and storytelling that surpassed identity, nation, and language. Across the internet, fans and critics alike celebrated the turning of a new leaf. The movie’s win was groundbreaking, a crucial moment in which international creative voices were finally brought into the picture. The United States, while often concerned with its own lack of representation, has almost always felt a need to separate from other countries and their art, regarding them as “special” yet somehow inferior. International film festivals such as Cannes rarely receive domestic attention, and foreign language films are usually presented with awards way before the stars of the night — domestic actors and films. “Parasite” opened the eyes of American awards to the global arena of film, subtly threatening that if the Oscars didn’t catch on, the rest of the world would move on. For many, it confirmed that the awards were still in touch with incredible filmmaking, choosing innovation, brilliance, and relevance over big names (Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino) and pop culture icons (“Joker”). More than anything, the win asserted that a ceremony that ap-
pears as lofty as the Oscars still acknowledged the immediacy and pertinence of the film’s message: a direct confrontation of economic inequality and the consequences of capitalism. However, it’s difficult to claim that “Parasite” saved the Oscars. Though it represented an important step forward, the film didn’t free the awards ceremony from its previous criticisms. Despite an attempt to invite diverse performers — such as Janelle Monae or Chris Rock — glaring holes in the nominations were still present. Cynthia Erivo was the only person of color to receive an acting nomination. Once again, there were no women directors nominated, despite 2019 being a huge year for women in film, from Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” to Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell.” Even the success of “Parasite” continues to illuminate resting prejudices in the Oscars and in the awards community in general. The history of Asian and Asian-American actors being ignored and devalued persists. The fact that none of the cast members received any acting nominations perpetuates the idea that, despite a great story, the idea of good acting as we understand it must be American. “Parasite” was the first film to win Best Picture without acting nominations since “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2009, another film with
two main characters of color. Though Bong Joon Ho’s name has been mentioned and celebrated throughout the awards season, many of the main actors’ names are barely mentioned in articles and reviews. While “Parasite” may have been a masterpiece of filmmaking, this erasure labels international actors and filmmakers as still foreign, only to be understood as a collective identity. Despite these continuing disparities, we should take this moment to commemorate such a historic win. When I first saw “Parasite” this past summer in Seoul, I was immediately struck by its intelligence and sensitivity, its revelations and twists. But even when it began to hit American theaters, I never expected much. I was familiar with the history of Asian and Asian-American stories, accustomed to the tradition of ignorance. Yet “Parasite” showed us all a new possible world of film, one where all stories and voices are recognized for talent, not identity — for universality, not familiarity. The Oscars are not perfect, but this weekend, “Parasite” opened new doors for all of us towards conversation and hope. For now, let’s celebrate. Kate Lee is a first-year from Austin, Texas. She can be reached at k.lee@princeton.edu.
Civil immunity and Princeton’s complicity in over-policing JD Copeland
Guest Contributor
E
arlier this past year, on June 27,
2019, bill A-4553 passed through the New Jersey General Assembly and sought to grant qualified immunity, also known as civil immunity, to police officers working at private universities. At the University, this legislation would have granted officers from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) immunity from civil liability in court, except for when a grievance violates a “clearly established” right, as long the officers can prove that they were acting “in good faith” during the event in question. The eagerness to accept the benefits of such a bill ignores the underlying problem it can cause: inefficient protection of community members’ rights in civil litigation which involves police misconduct. From the University’s perspective, it has good reason to be supporting this bill — which is probably why DPS submitted a publicly available testimony doing just that. According to DPS’s administrators, this bill would simply expand the protection that’s already granted to campus police at public universities to ones at private institutions. However, it assumes two things: first, that qualified immunity is a sensible judicial policy, and second, that the justice system is infallible in its resolution of police misconduct cases. Yet, the opposite is true: qualified immunity has been used to protect officers when
they violate constitutional rights. Most alarmingly, it’s been used to recuse officers who would otherwise be prosecuted for acts of police brutality or false arrest. New Jersey is not short on cases which exemplify this. In 2017, state police asked Denise Brown if they could search her house for stolen goods; she refused and asked for a warrant. At that point, they believed that if they let her back in her house, she would destroy the evidence. They gave her two options: either to wait outside until they got a warrant, or to re-enter her house with a police escort. The Appellate Court decided that the state police did in fact violate her rights and that those rights were part of a clearly established precedent. The Supreme Court overturned this decision, saying that qualified immunity applied because case law regarding securing a house was ambiguous while a warrant was pending. This meant that state police did not violate a clearly established right. It might seem obvious to an outside observer that if the state police violated her rights, then she is deserving of due recourse. Of course, the execution of justice could never be that straightforward. Qualified immunity plays a special role in preserving the argument that if officers act in “reasonable” ways,* then they shouldn’t have to bother with the costs of the trial itself. This becomes exponentially more problematic when wrestling with the problem of police brutality. As it has
been noted in the example listed here, the courts are entirely preoccupied with the question of whether the rights that the officer potentially violated are clearly defined. This nebulous requirement allows judges to rule in ways that ignore the damages dealt by law enforcement. A less acknowledged issue is the privilege that government officials are granted via the protection of new understandings of constitutionality. If there were ambiguities regarding case law in civil litigation, then the court would determine the constitutionality of the laws and whether certain actions are lawful. Those rulings would then be applicable to the relevant parties involved with the case. This doesn’t apply to government officials like members of law enforcement. They don’t need to act in a lawful manner as long as what they are doing is ruled as subjectively reasonable. This privilege is blatantly unjust when civil immunity is only meant to protect certain actors from liability when they should already be doing their duties justly and reasonably. In the end, the concern of the rights of private persons goes beyond what can be contained in questions of public figures performing duties reasonably. The court can throw out a case and ignore this question of performing reasonably when case law isn’t comprehensive, when in fact said case should be instrumental in determining the legality of the action (such as illegally entering a house without a warrant)
and presenting recourse to victims whose rights were violated. Bill A-4553 was ultimately not passed by the state senate. Despite this, the emergence of the bill and the University’s willingness to publicly support it without consideration for the greater context should make the University community wary. It reflects the lack of concern the University and DPS have for holding officers accountable and for law enforcement’s consistent abuse of power in this country. If anything, it shows that the University does not want to impose a standard of accountability for those in positions of power. The concerns held by disadvantaged communities towards law enforcement are valid and are not insulated from our lives here at Princeton, and we should hold law enforcement authorities to higher standards of accountability — starting with the ones on our own campus. *Beginning in 1982, civil immunity case decisions were based on the plaintiff’s ability to convince a judge that any “reasonable” person would not have violated his or her rights in the given situation. Later, the terminology was changed so that civil immunity for police officers would apply unless there was a violation of clearly established law. JD Copeland is a first-year, and he can be reached at joshuadc@princeton. edu.
editor-in-chief
Jonathan Ort ’21
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas Widmann ’90 trustees Francesca Barber David Baumgarten ’06 Kathleen Crown Gabriel Debenedetti ’12 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 Michael Grabell ’03 John G. Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Kavita Saini ’09 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Abigail Williams ’14 trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 William R. Elfers ’71 Kathleen Kiely ’77 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73 trustees ex officio Jonathan Ort ’21
144TH MANAGING BOARD managing editors Benjamin Ball ’21 Elizabeth Parker ’21 Ivy Truong ’21 Cy Watsky ’21 Sections listed in alphabetical order. chief copy editors Lydia Choi ’21 Anna McGee ’22 associate copy editors Celia Buchband ’22 Sydney Peng ’22 head design editor Harsimran Makkad ’22 associate design editors Abby Nishiwaki ’23 Kenny Peng ’22 head features editor Josephine de La Bruyère ’22 head multimedia editor Mark Dodici ’22 associate video editor Mindy Burton ’23 head news editors Claire Silberman ’22 Zachary Shevin ’22 associate news and features editor Marie-Rose Sheinerman ’22 associate news editors Naomi Hess ’22 Allan Shen ’22 head opinion editors Rachel Kennedy ’21 Madeleine Marr ’21 associate opinion editors Shannon Chaffers ’22 Emma Treadway ’22 head sports editors Tom Salotti ’21 Alissa Selover ’21 associate sports editors Josephine de La Bruyère ’22 Emily Philippides ’22
NIGHT STAFF copy Grey Raber ’23 Esther Levy ’22 design Kenny Peng ’22 Ava Jiang ’21
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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Men’s volleyball to take on Penn State, Saint Francis By Alissa Selover Head Sports Editor
Men’s volleyball made history last season as EIVA champions. This season, the team seems well on its way toward repeating that title. The team is currently 5–4 overall, but is 3–0 in EIVA conference play. In the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s weekly national top-15, the Tigers have moved up a spot to be tied at No. 11 with Penn State. The Tigers are currently on a three-game win streak, beginning with their 3–1 defeat of No. 8 UCLA on Jan. 30. After losing to UCLA in five sets just three weeks prior, the Tigers fought tooth and nail to beat the Bruins and jumpstart their string of wins. This weekend, Princeton will face Penn State on Friday and Saint Francis on Saturday. The last time those two teams met was in the EIVA Championship game on April 20, 2019. The Tigers defeated the Nittany Lions 3–2 (28–26, 22–25, 25–18, 20–25, 15– 13), giving them the EIVA championship and solidifying their spot in the NCAA tournament last season. At the time of the championship matchup, senior opposite hitter and middle blocker George Huhmann led the EIVA in kills during the 2019 season with 396 total. Junior setter Joe Kelly was second in the EIVA in assists per set, ending the season at 9.74. Currently, Princeton has no leaders on the EIVA statistics board. Despite leading the Tigers
COURTESY OF BEVERLY SCHAEFER / GOPRINCETONTIGERS
The Tigers are currently on a three-game win streak. They face Penn State on Friday and Saint Francis on Saturday.
with 103 kills this season, Huhmann sits at fourth on the national board. While Kelly does not currently rank for assists per set, he does have a team high of 293 assists this season. Penn State, on the other hand, leads in both total kills and total digs. Outside hitter Brett Wildman leads the EIVA with 134 to-
tal kills, while libero Will Bantle leads with 76 total digs this season. Wildman is going to be an offensive threat to the Tigers this weekend, forcing senior right-side hitter Greg Luck and Huhmann to be forceful at the net. Luck leads the Tigers in blocks this season as a hopeful to shut Wildman down.
The Tigers’ most recent match against the Saint Francis Red Flash was in the semifinals of last season’s EIVA Tournament, with Princeton coming out on top, 3–0 (25–23, 25–21, 25–19). Saint Francis outside hitter Michael Fisher currently holds the highest kills per set in the EIVA with 4.07. He leads Saint Francis
in total kills with 122. Both games are on the road for Princeton. The Tigers will take on the Nittany Lions on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. inside Rec Hall at Penn State’s campus. They will then travel to take on the Red Flash on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 4 p.m. inside DeGol Arena in Loretto, Pa.
MEN’S TENNIS
Men’s tennis heads to Ithaca for ECAC Indoor Championship By Tom Salotti and Rachel Posner Head Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor
Fresh off last weekend’s 6–1 sweep at UNC-Charlotte, men’s tennis (5–2) will head to Ithaca, NY for the 2020 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)’s Division I Men’s Indoor Tennis Championship from Friday, Feb. 14 until Sunday, Feb. 16. The No. 4 seeded Princeton will take on No. 5 University of Pennsylvania in the first round. Whoever wins will take on the No. 1 seed Harvard University in the semifinals. Last year Penn won the championship after a close match against Harvard. They were seeded No. 5, just like this year. “All of the teams we’ll be playing are good. Harvard is really good, and Dartmouth will also be good,” said senior Payton Holden, a captain on the team. “Every match will be tough.” Tigers lost to Harvard and Dartmouth in the semifinals and third-place match of last year’s tournament, respectively. The Crimson beat Princeton 4–2 and Dartmouth dominated the team 4–0 on the final day of the ECAC tournament. The Tigers’ only win came from their first round match against Yale 4–3 in the first found after now-sophomores Bill Duo and Karl Poling, now-junior Ryan Seggerman, and now-senior Davey Roberts pulled through in their singles matches. Holden and Seggerman as a doubles pair are ranked No. 8
PHOTO COURTESY OF PRINCETON ATHLETICS
Senior captain Payton Holden, pictured, and junior Ryan Seggerman are ranked No. 8 in the country as a doubles pair.
in the country according to the most recent Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) doubles rankings. Doubles duo first-years Thomas Bosancic and sophomore Justin Barki are ranked No. 40. No Princeton player has made it onto the ITA’s Top 125 list yet this season. If history is any indication of Friday’s match against the Quakers, Princeton should do just fine. The Tigers have a lopsided record of 95–15–1 against Penn and won their most recent
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meeting, last year at Lenz Tennis Center (an outdoor court), 5–2. This weekend’s road trip is nothing for the well-travelled team. In the fall they travelled to Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, California, and North Carolina. Even in the past two weeks they’ve been to South Carolina and back to Wisconsin and North Carolina. Away matches and tournaments make it difficult to find a balance between tennis and academics.
“For myself and Davey [Roberts], we have a lot of thesis stuff coming up,” said Holden. “And so managing our time on has been super important.” According to Holden, the tournament in New York this weekend is no different. “We’re dealing with schoolwork this week and on the road trying to make sure that when we’re there everything is focused on tennis,” Holden said. This laser focus on tennis during matches is critical to
winning, and a barrier between school and play is key for athletes like Holden to succeed. “One thing our coaches and I try to preach is that when you’re on the court you’re only thinking about tennis and when you’re off the court you’re only thinking about school,” said the captain. “We try to separate that to make sure that we can perform our best both inside the classroom and on the court.”
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