The Daily Princetonian: February 19, 2020

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Wednesday February 19, 2020 vol. CXLIV no. 13

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BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Updated Trump travel ban may complicate international students’ post-graduation plans

By Omar Farah Staff Writer

On Jan. 31, the Trump administration announced an expansion of the President’s 2017 executive order restricting travel from seven nations. The updated policy may affect some international students at the University in the future.

While students and scholars remain exempt from the ruling, the change may present difficulties for students’ post-graduation plans.

Effective Feb. 22, six new nations will be added to the original list: Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and Tanzania.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its “refined methodology” on Jan. 31, specifying that immigration from Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan will be completely stalled except for “Special Immigrants.” The DHS outlined an exception for “Special Immigrants,” defined as those who have provided assistance to the U.S. government. The Administration has not disclosed additional details about the exemption. Individuals from Tanzania and Sudan will face suspension of their enrollment in the U.S. green card lottery system.

Mofopefoluwa Olarinmoye ’20, who hails from Nigeria, described the an-

JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

The Louis A. Simpson Building, which houses the Davis International Center.

nouncement as initially confusing, but not necessarily surprising.

“I knew something like this could eventually happen, it was just a matter of when,” she said.

Olarinmoye’s plans for the future do not include gaining permanent resi-

dency in the U.S., so she does not anticipate any significant impact on her future.

Due to the academic exemption, the University “expect[s] the immediate practical impact of the new travel ban to be minimal,” wrote Deputy University

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss in a statement to the ‘Prince.’

At the same time, the University reaffirmed its commitment to policies that allow for the free f low of talent across borders.

Hotchkiss noted that University officials expect that

the policy shift will impact visa wait times for prospective students from the nations in question.

“The chilling effect that these types of orders — and related statements from the Administration — have on our ability to attract and retain the world’s best talent remains a major concern,” he wrote.

Around 11 percent of University students are nonU.S. permanent residents, including citizens of the nations recently added to the ban.

To that effect, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 penned a letter in 2017 alongside other college presidents, calling on the Trump administration to “rectify or rescind” their initial travel ban.

All of the nations facing new immigration restrictions are home to significant Muslim populations.

This fact has sparked significant political opposition to the move, resembling the response in the aftermath of the 2017 announcement of the original travel ban.

The House Judiciary Committee voted last week on the National OriginBased Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, or the “NO BAN Act.” The bill attempts to limit presidential power as it relates to immigration bans, requiring that the administration provide irrefutable evidence of a security threat See TRAVEL BAN page 3

IN TOWN

Princeton Police Department arrest two on Witherspoon for violence, robbery Staff Writer

COURTESY OF SIRAD HASSAN

Sirad Hassan ’20 before an in-person audition in Philadelphia.

Sirad Hassan ’20 to participate in Jeopardy! College Championship

By Rooya Rahin Assistant News Editor

Sirad Hassan ’20 recently represented the University in the Jeopardy! College Championship, which is set to air on April 6 on ABC. Hassan’s appearance on Jeopardy! has been a

In Opinion

long time in the making. While attending high school in Frederick, Md., she belonged to her school’s academic trivia team and participated in county competitions.

“I used to watch [Jeopardy!] a lot with my family when it would come on … I’d try to answer

Columnist Sebastian Quiroz points to the structural factors contributing to students’ so-called apathy, and contributing columnist Elijah Benson explains the benefits of moving away from the University’s tradition of holding exams after winter break.

PAGE 4

all of these really difficult questions,” Hassan said. “When I was in high school, as I learned more and took more classes and read more, I realized trivia is something I really enjoy.”

While in high school, Hassan was called to auSee JEOPARDY! page 2

After an alleged verbal altercation that escalated to violence and robbery last Thursday on Witherspoon Street, the Princeton Police Department reported two successful arrests of the perpetrators.

On Feb. 13, a male victim arrived at Princeton Police Headquarters to report a crime that had occurred at around 2 p.m. that day. He gave his account of a verbal altercation between him and his two assailants, 20-year-old Angel Gonzalez-Hernandez and 36-year-old Jose BranGonzalez, that grew violent. The victim alleged that Hernandez punched him in the face with his fists while Bran-Gonzalez struck him with the “grip portion of a handgun,” as stated on the

Today on Campus 5:00 p.m.: Robert Janson-La Palme ’76 will lecture on “Francisco Goya and the Problem of Political Art.” McCormick Hall 101

Princeton police’s press release.

Upon further investigations by the Princeton Police Department Detective Bureau, Hernandez was arrested and charged with robbery, simple assault, and terroristic threats.

According to the press release, later that day, at 8:20 p.m., “the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team and officers from Princeton Police Department executed a successful search warrant” for Bran-Gonzalez. He was brought to Princeton Police Headquarters and charged with robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of marijuana under 50 grams.

Patch reported that the suspects were later moved to Mercer County Corrections Center.

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page 2

Hassan: I followed advice from mentors who’d been on the show before, including Gilbert Collins GS ’99 JEOPARDY! Continued from page 1

.............

dition for the Jeopardy!

Teen Tournament after taking an online qualifier test, but she did not make it to the final group. During her first year at the University, she took the test again.

Three years later, Hassan finally got the chance to stand on the Jeopardy! stage.

“It was really surreal, standing at the podium and being able to look at the audience and see that not only is the studio real, but that my dad and younger brother were sitting there and cheering me on,” Hassan said about the filming experience.

Hassan auditioned for the show in late November after taking the online test. According to Hassan, the audition process allowed her to meet “really cool people.”

“When you get there, you greet the other people in the audition space, you get to meet the facilitators and the contestant coordinators,” Hassan said. “They explain everything that’s going to happen, and then you take the in-person test, which is essentially very similar to the format on the online test.”

Hassan was also interviewed about her interests and played a mock version of the game.

After the audition, Hassan said she felt “hopeful” about the possibility of competing on the show.

“I felt pretty excited about it,” she said. “I was hopeful that it would

work out, but I was also skeptical because I didn’t want to assume.”

After that, Hassan waited for the call from show producers, but she began to doubt whether she would appear on the show.

“I had been following advice that I’d heard from mentors [who] had been on the show before, including Gilbert Collins GS ’99, the University administrator for the Global Health department,” she explained. “He’d said that they give you a month’s advance notice if you’re going to be on the show … I was kind of skeptical, and it was a little less than a month’s notice, so I was thinking, ‘I don’t think I’m going to get the call.’”

While Collins most recently participated in the Tournament of Champions last November, Hassan’s fateful call came on a day when every Princetonian longs for good news: Dean’s Date.

“I had stayed up working on my assignments, pretty tired and in Firestone,” she said. “I randomly flip over my phone and see that there was a 301 area code that left a voicemail … It was Jeopardy! I got really excited, and I called them back, and they told me I was going to be on the show.”

Hassan traveled to Los Angeles during the first week of the spring semester for filming. She said that she is looking forward to seeing herself on the show.

The show will air on another notable day in Hassan’s academic calendar.

“Ironically, it airs the

same day my thesis is due,” she said.

Hassan also gave advice for fellow trivia enthusiasts.

“Pay attention to the world around you,” Hassan shared. “If going on Jeopardy! is something you’re interested in, pay attention to the conversations you’re having with people, if you’re friends with people in completely different majors … If they bring up something really cool they’ve learned, listen in to that.”

“Try to be as cultured as possible, listen to a lot of music, pay attention to the shows that are up and coming, be an avid reader,” she added.

On campus, Hassan is a Wilson School concentrator, Peer Academic Adviser at Whitman College, and a SHARE peer. She was also heavily involved with the Breakout Princeton program during her first two years and was on the Muslim Student Association Board for three years, serving as its president for one year.

As a first-year, Hassan briefly wrote for The Daily Princetonian news section.

According to a press release from Jeopardy! producers, Hassan will be one of two students from the Ivy League participating in this year’s Tournament, with the other being Yale University sophomore Nathaniel Miller. Should Hassan advance to the semifinals, she will be the first Princeton student since Terry O’Shea ’16, who appeared on the show in 2014, to advance past the first round.

Wednesday February 19, 2020

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Wednesday February 19, 2020

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Waheed: Congress took a huge step forward today TRAVEL BAN Continued from page 1

.............

and consult with Congress before implementing such bans.

On Feb. 11, less than two weeks after the update, the motion passed the House Judiciary Committee and is now set to make its way toward a vote of the full chamber. Even if it manages to pass the House, the legislation is unlikely to clear the Republican-controlled Senate.

The Judiciary Committee’s move has been lauded by activists who have been waiting for the legislative branch to take a stand on the issue after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the ban in June 2018.

“Congress took a huge

step forward today, sending the message to the president and the country that Muslims and other communities of color are welcome here,” wrote Manar Waheed, senior legislative and advocacy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in an ACLU press release. “Now that the bill has passed out of committee, we look forward to its swift passage in the House without any further changes.”

Students with any questions or concerns regarding the policy change may reach out to Albert Rivera, the director at the Davis International Center, to discuss their individual circumstances. More information and campus resources for individuals who may be affected can be found here.

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Wednesday February 19, 2020

Opinion

page 4

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On apathy, self-interestedness, and joy Sebastian Quiroz Columnist

L

ast week, the ‘Prince’ reported that two students are working to revive Princeton Against Gun Violence (PAGV).

The “We Call BS” rally, co-sponsored by PAGV, was held in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. This rally, as many of my upperclass student peers will remember, was one of the high points of student-led organizing on campus in recent years, along with the Title IX protesters last May. Despite these events, many politically-minded students decry the supposed apathy of our peers. Are we actually apathetic about the world, as many of these students claim? Put more bluntly, is it true that we simply don’t care? It seems to me that this belief is mistaken. First, it’s not clear that we should be in the business of criticizing our peers for aiming to find happiness in their decisions about what to do. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Princeton’s environment makes it especially difficult for students who might otherwise be interested in activism and politics to actively participate. As such, we should be much more understanding of our peers before being critical of them, with the goal, of course, of being a more open and inclusive community.

On the first point, I actually think apathy is a misnomer for students’ attitudes. Apathy seems to imply that our peers do not care deeply about anything.

I think that when we discuss the apathy that supposedly permeates the campus’s culture, we are referring to a much more specific phenomenon — namely, that of self-interest. Many of the conversations that I have had with friends on this issue are about how Princeton students put their own desires and

preferences about how to spend their time over political and social issues. I think that when we refer to our peers as apathetic, we are tacitly charging them with being overly concerned about their personal interests and priorities, to the detriment of being concerned with larger social and political issues, like gun reform.

Is this attitude of self-interest wrong? Let’s assume that at least some students have chosen to care more deeply about activities like sports, dance, music, or academics rather than about social and political issues. This self-interest can come off as apathy about the world around us, but that is not necessarily wrong. We are permitted to do things that bring us joy. We might want to suggest that we should get joy out of activism, but to say that is to ignore the fact that all of us are different and we cannot expect everyone to have the same tastes and preferences.

Another reason for lack of political engagement could be that the University is structured in certain ways to make it hard for students to adequately take part in social and political movements, whether intentional or not. For instance, our fall break exists as a response to a strike about the Nixon administration’s invasion of Cambodia.

The University may have instituted the break — scheduled to be the two weeks before and during election day, to allow students to go campaign — to lessen activism on campus.

Moreover, we all feel the dayto-day stressors of the University’s academic rigor. The average class is difficult and requires a large time commitment. As a result, we all feel pressure from many sides — faculty members, families, and our peers, among others — to do well here at Princeton. Whether that pressure is justified or not is a separate question. But experi-

entially, it seems that many of us do feel that pressure.

It is that pressure that may keep many students from engaging in activism on campus.

It seems unfair of us to assume that our friends don’t engage in political activism because they aren’t affected by it. Indeed, it might be the case that those who are least privileged don’t engage in politics because their livelihoods could be at stake if they fall behind in classes.

We should be more understanding about the so-called apathy of Princeton students.

It is wrong, I think, to condemn students for being uncaring when we live in an environment that shapes our motivational structure away from the desire to engage in the world around us. Human beings respond to incentives and barriers; the incentives and barriers that exist

at Princeton shift our attention away from social and political matters.

Perhaps we should be working to reshape those structures — I do not want to deny that.

We might be responsible for doing that work, and as long as we don’t, we may be shirking our responsibilities. But even if that is true, which is not self-evident, it is overly harsh to criticize our peers for responding to the incentives and barriers that are presented to us.

If we are truly aiming for a more inclusive, open, and welcoming community, we should welcome the fact that students, like anyone else, seek happiness and find it in different sources.

Sebastian Quiroz is a senior from Deltona, Fla. He can be reached at squiroz@princeton.edu.

Elijah Benson

F

inally, after 80 years of post-winter break exams, Princeton will modernize its calendar and allow students to have exams before break. Instead of stressing over exams under the mistletoe or sharing a New Year’s Red Bull to get started on a Dean’s Date assignment, students can truly enjoy the holidays without the cloud of pressure that academia has placed on our lives. Going forward, this change will have myriad effects, including better performance on exams, true rejuvenation from the extended break, and an honest step towards improving the mental health of students.

While having more time to study sounds like it would lead

to better exam grades, many students know that it does not feel as such. With exams taking place so far from when students actually learn the material, it is easy to forget information after a month, even if one were to study every day over break, reading period, and the exam period. Princeton’s new schedule will allow for information to be retained at a higher rate than the current system, where students go home, celebrate the holidays, return for reading period and Dean’s Date, and then (finally) take exams. It is exhausting to split time between family — or relaxation, if you stay on campus — and work because you know you have to return to school to finish the most critical part of the semester.

Furthermore, going directly from classes to reading period

Jonathan Ort ’21

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Chanakya A. Sethi ’07 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 Betsy L. Minkin ’77 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Kavita Saini ’09 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Abigail Williams ’14 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

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The end of reading period as we know it Contributing Columnist

editor-in-chief

keeps students more engaged.

Instead of reaching out to professors and preceptors over break, who are also trying to enjoy their time off, students can now meet face-to-face and get whatever help they need to succeed on exams. The class still feels relevant in December, and the relationship between students and faculty will have a more cohesive structure, since they can meet together in a more regular manner as opposed to the sporadic nature of emailing over break and maybe during reading period.

Students are often burnt out after December, with or without exams. To come back after only a few weeks away from the University to do more intense work leads to further burnout and consequently affects performance during the spring semester, as students have only a

LAZARENA LAZAROVA / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Seats in McCosh 50, one of the largest lecture halls at the University.

week or so in between finals and the start of class. While it may seem that having exams in December will lead to even greater burnout due to the amount of studying and preparation needed for these assessments, the near month-long break afterwards will allow students to properly recharge. The stress that accompanies exams will have to come at some point, but there is no need to prolong it — it is a benefit to get it over with before students leave for break.

Finally, this move puts the mental health of students at the forefront. Allowing students to truly be away from campus and academia ensures that students can disengage and enjoy life outside of the Orange Bubble. This is not only preferred but necessary for students to work to the best of their abilities. Right now, we are at the beginning of the spring semester, and many students already feel burnt out because they were forced to come back to campus and work for most of January.

This leads to a drop-off in the quality of work for the spring semester, as students start off below peak performance and never truly recover.

Overall, with the University breaking from its antiquated scheduling, students are better off with the longer break.

The calendar should have been done away with decades ago, but now, finally, the University can move forward for the betterment of the students.

Elijah Benson is a sophomore from Newark, N.J. He can be reached at ebenson@princeton. edu.

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 editorial board chairperson Zachariah Sippy ’22 head sports editors Tom Salotti ’21 Alissa Selover ’21 associate sports editors Josephine de La Bruyère ’22 Emily Philippides ’22

144TH BUSINESS BOARD chief of staff Carter Gipson ’21 chief strategy officer Louis Aaron ’22

NIGHT STAFF copy Catie Parker ’23 Isabel Rodrigues ’23 design Juliana Wojtenko ’23

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Wednesday February 19, 2020

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Women’s ice hockey registered a win this past weekend on road-trip to upstate NY

By Owen Tedford, Senior Staff Writer

This past weekend, the No. 6 women’s hockey team (20–5–1, 15–4–1 ECAC) played its last road weekend of the regular season traveling to upstate New York to face St. Lawrence (12–13–7, 7–9–4) and No. 7 Clarkson (21–5– 6, 12–4–4). Princeton split the weekend beating the Saints on Friday night before losing to the Golden Knights on Saturday afternoon.

On Friday, against St. Lawrence, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead, as they have been doing, when first-year forward Annie Kuehl scored less than three minutes into the game. Kuehl finished off a breakout with help from junior forward Sharon Frankel and sophomore forward Maggie Connors.

Over halfway through the second period, Frankel found the back of the net herself to take the Tigers’ lead to 2–0. Connors and Kuehl again played a key role, taking it from behind the net and finding Frankel in the slot across the way. Frankel then took it from there with a backhanded shot over the goalie’s stickside.

A long, scoreless stretch preceded sophomore forward Sarah Fillier’s goal that marked her 100th career point late in the third period. Senior forward Carly Bullock brought the puck through center ice on the breakout and then found a trailing Fillier, who finished it off. Bullock later added an emptynetter that gave Princeton a 4–0 advantage — one that senior goalie Stepha-

nie Neatby protected over the last few minutes.

Neatby’s shutout was the 12th of her career with 16 saves. Neatby is now tied for fourth all-time in career shutouts, two behind the record held by Kristen Young ’09 and Rachel Weber ’12, and fifth all-time in career saves. This win also clinched home-ice for the Tigers in the ECAC Quarterfinals, a best-ofthree series starting on Friday, Feb. 28.

Saturday afternoon, Clarkson edged Princeton 2–1. The Tigers were unable to get out to the quick start they have had

in the past few games and went down 2–0 before they were able to get on the board with a goal from Kuehl in the second half of the second period. Princeton had a number of opportunities throughout the rest of the game that it was unfortunately unable to capitalize on. Kuehl was awarded the ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for her three-point weekend (two goals, one assist). Junior goalie Rachel McQuigge was in net for the Tigers during this game, making 27 saves on 29 shots.

Saturday’s results al-

lowed No. 1 Cornell (23– 1–3, 17–0–3) to clinch the ECAC regular-season title and hosting rights for the ECAC semis and finals.

In addition, the eightteam playoff field of Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, Clarkson, Yale, Quinnipiac, Colgate, and St. Lawrence was finalized with only seeding left to be determined. Cornell, Princeton, and Harvard have all secured homeice for the quarterfinals.

Clarkson needs one win on its road trip to Harvard and Dartmouth to clinch home-ice. The Tigers need at least three

points this weekend to ensure themselves the No. 2 seed.

Princeton hosts Brown (3–21–3, 2–16–2) on Friday night at 6 p.m. and Yale (15–12–0, 12–8–0) on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The Tigers previously swept these two teams on the road by a combined 6–2 score. Saturday’s game will be the Tigers’ Senior Day with a ceremony following the game to celebrate Bullock, Neatby, senior forward MacKenzie Ebel, senior defender Claire Thompson, and senior defender Sylvie Wallin.

OWEN TEDFORD / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Maggie Connors ’22 winds up to shoot.

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