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Wednesday March 11, 2020 vol. CXLIV no. 27
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COVID-19
Two U. staff being tested for COVID-19
GSS staff members asked to self-isolate Senior Writer
In an updated statement on the University COVID-19 website at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the University announced that two staff members are currently under self-quarantine “as a result of possible exposure to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) at an off-campus gathering.” The staff members are being tested and results are expected “in the coming days.” In the online statement, the University stated that they are “working with local health authorities to identify and contact those who may have been in close contact with the staff members since their potential exposure to COVID-19.” “Work is underway to identify those who have been in close contact with the people being tested, and those who have had close contact may be asked to self-quarantine as a precaution,” wrote Deputy University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss in an email to The Daily Princetonian. “This contact tracing is standard practice in this type of public health situation.” In at least two separate instances, one in-class and one in a Blackboard announcement, two faculty members cancelled classes and claimed they received an order to self-isolate. Students in those classes have
independently confirmed to the ‘Prince’ that these cancellations took place. Lynda Dodd GS ’04, Lecturer in the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS), told the ‘Prince’ in an email statement that the requirement to self-quarantine was sent by University Health Services (UHS) via email to GSS staff at 10 a.m. today, right before her 11 a.m. class. According to Dodd, staff members who work in the GSS office have been asked to selfquarantine for fourteen days. David Esterlit ’21 confirmed that his class was canceled today as a result of the new selfquarantine requirement and that instruction will be moved to online platforms, effective immediately. Dodd commended the University for its “helpful guidance regarding the transition to online teaching,” and stated she intends to continue to work creatively to ensure high quality learning experiences take place. “My best wishes go out to my colleague who is ill,” Dodd said. “I hope that the test result is negative, and that my colleague is feeling better very soon.” “I hope that my students are not alarmed by this,” she continued. “These are wise precautions to take in these circumstances. I also very much See QUARANTINE page 2
U . A F FA I R S
MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
First coronavirus-related death in New Jersey confirmed by Gov. Murphy By Rooya Rahin
Assistant News Editor
On Tuesday, March 10,
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver released a joint statement, announc-
ON CAMPUS
Assistant News Editor
JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
University President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83.
Courses going virtual, students encouraged to stay home after break By Linh Nguyen, Albert Jiang, Zachary Shevin, and Evelyn Doskoch Associate News Editor Emeritus, Senior Writer, Head News Editor, and Assistant News Editor
At 9:02 a.m. Monday morning, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 updated the University about next steps regarding COVID-19 preparations. Among other changes, the letter an-
nounced plans for virtual instruction starting the week of March 23, and encouraged students to remain at home during that time. The University also announced restrictions on travel and encouraged individuals “planning University-sponsored international and domestic travel for the remainder of 2020 and 2021” to reconsider their plans. See ZOOM page 3
In response to the University’s suggested “social distancing techniques,” a number of community spaces across campus have closed. Nonetheless, students still expressed concerns about the feasibility of such measures, especially in tightly-packed classrooms and lecture halls. The measures — listed under the COVID-19 section of the University website — instruct community members to “keep at least six feet between yourself and another person in all public places,” “avoid close contact,” and “limit in-person meetings.” Murray-Dodge Cafe, the Coffee Club, the Cotsen Children’s Library, residential college-sponsored study breaks, social events at the Graduate College, and student religious events are among the most prominent closures. Spencer Koonin ’23, a student worker for MurrayDodge Cafe, told The Daily
Princetonian that he found out that the cafe would not open for the remainder of the week in a text from his supervisor, which he received on Monday evening. Koonin noted that the cafe shut down for a week to mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19. At present, the website for the Office of Religious life displays a notice indicating that the cafe is “closed until further notice.” The Coffee Club met a similar fate. The studentrun coffee shop, located in the basement of the Campus Club, noted in an Instagram post on Monday evening that they “anticipate reopening on April 6th.” “Presumably, if the University is taking all these other precautions, it probably makes sense that a space that is intended for a lot of different people to be interacting with each other also closes,” said Bobo Stankovikj ’20, a Coffee Club employee. See DISTANCING page 2
In Opinion
Today on Campus
The Editorial Board urges the University to reevaluate midterm policy in light of COVID-19, while editorial assistant Kate Lee reflects on the shrinking diversity in the Democratic field. Guest Contributor Chris Murphy ’20 argues the recent op-ed criticizing the selection of Marshawn Lynch as Class Day Speaker does not reflect the senior class.
12:00 p.m.: Javier Auyero, director of the Urban Ethnography Lab at the University of Texas, “The Clandestine Hands of the State: The Relational Dynamics of Police Collusion in Drug Markets.”
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Burr Hall 216
See COVID-19 DEATH page 3
STUDENT LIFE
‘Six feet apart’: U. recommends socialdistancing, students question feasibility By Sam Kagan
ing a man in his 60s from Bergen County as New Jersey’s first COVID-19 fatali-
Petition to revise midterm policies garners over 2,500 signatures By Claire Silberman Head News Editor
At 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night, Jacqueline Xu ’22 and Addie Jung ’22 created a change.org petition to modify the University midterm policy. An hour and a half later, the petition had over 1,300 signatures — or 15 percent of the student body population. By 11:05 p.m., the petition had 2,561 signatures . “We were studying in Firestone, and we couldn’t focus,” Xu said. “There was so much speculation, and things were progressing every hour. We had to do something.” The students pointed to the stress imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak, otherwise known as coronavirus. Since Sunday night, when the University inadvertently leaked plans to move to onSee PETITION page 3
WEATHER
By Albert Jiang
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The Daily Princetonian
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Dodd: My best wishes go out to my colleague who is ill
Wednesday March 11, 2020
CAITLIN LIMESTAHL / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
A newly implemented hand-sanitizing station in the Rockefeller Dining Hall.
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appreciate the University’s national leadership in recognizing the importance of social distancing to ‘flatten the curve’ to help preserve access to essential health services. We all should look out for others, and that includes measures like this.” In a Blackboard announcement to their class, another GSS
professor wrote to cancel their afternoon class, stating, “I’ve been in contact with someone who is getting tested for COVID-19 and just got an order to self-isolate.” The professor added that they will be “in touch in the coming days with instructions” about how to proceed after spring break. “The University also is following best practices in order to maintain the health and safety of the community including
taking enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures,” the announcement wrote. On Monday, the University announced new policies and practices in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, based on the concept of “social distancing.” The policies will be in place through Sunday, April 5, at which point the University will reassess them. On Mar. 9, Governor Phil Murphy declared a public health state of emergency for
New Jersey to enable the allocation of state resources “to assist affected communities.” The state’s first coronavirus death, a 69 year-old man from Bergen County, was announced on Mar. 10. As of 2:30 p.m., 15 cases of the virus have been reported in New Jersey. Editor’s Note: Due to legitimate privacy and safety concerns, the ‘Prince’ has omitted the names of the professors in self-quarantine.
Vilensky: This is an unusual circumstance, and we need unusual responses DISTANCING Continued from page 1
“I’m sad about it, but it’s probably a sensible policy. It’s not shocking to me that, in the context of everything else shutting down, the Coffee Club also closes,” he added. Despite the closure of a number of public spaces, nearly all University libraries remain open at present. The University did announce in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon that the “public gallery” of the Cotsen Children’s Library, located within Firestone Library “will be closed until further notice.” Firestone, the system’s main building, also bears a “SOCIAL DISTANCING ENCOURAGED” sign at its entrance, noting to community members that “PUL [Princeton University Library] encourages you to maintain a distance of six feet between yourself and others.” In keeping with the enumerated University policy that “events that involve more than 100 people … must be postponed or cancelled,” the residential colleges are cancelling study breaks. An email from the Mathey College Council on Tuesday morning announced the cancellation of a study break “to avoid large gatherings.” On Tuesday, at 10:21 a.m., the Mathey College Council boasted of an upcoming House of Cupcakes study break. By 11:05 a.m., a follow-up email announced the event had been cancelled. In their original message, the organizers appeared to have been aware of the potential violations of social distancing protocol, encouraging students to “come relax (at least 6 ft. apart!) in the [Mathey Common Room].” The other five residential colleges are taking similar measures. In an email to Wilsonites on Tuesday
afternoon, the Wilson College Office noted that “large events are cancelled,” going a step further to indicate that “gatherings and meetings have been discouraged.” The ‘Prince’ reached out to the deans and directors of student life (DSL) of every residential college for comment. None responded by the time of publication. The procedures extend beyond residential college offices. Under the condition of anonymity, an RCA told the ‘Prince’ that their DSL had recommended against hosting study breaks and that they were expecting a related announcement to be released on Wednesday. The policies similarly affect graduate students. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Graduate School, which oversees the University’s roughly 2,900 graduate students, announced in a tweet that “all of our upcoming Student Life events have been cancelled through April 5.” In an email to members of the University’s Muslim community, Muslim Chaplain and Coordinator in the University’s Muslim Life Program Imam Sohaib Sultan announced the cancellation of the group’s Friday Jummah prayers until further notice, as well as public lectures for the rest of the semester. The Muslim Life Program is moving “what [they] can” to the online video conferencing platform Zoom, beginning with a Qur’an Study Circle on Tuesday afternoon. All in-person gatherings appear to have been called off. “Stay tuned for other [Muslim Life Program] programming that we may be able to move online,” Sultan wrote, “otherwise assume that it is canceled.” Rabbi Julie Roth noted nearly-parallel measures in an email to members of the Center for Jewish Life on Tuesday afternoon. Per
EVELYN DOSKOCH / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Students questioned the feasibility of observing “social distancing protocol” in crowded areas, such as late meal in Frist Campus Center.
Roth’s email, the Center for Jewish Life will continue “essential” in-person “religious functions, such as daily minyan [prayer], with strict social distancing policies in place.” In an email, CJL student board president Jake Brzowsky ’21 announced that the organization will host Shabbat dinner “on a limited basis,” asking students to RSVP so that organizers “can properly space out seating to comply with university recommendations.” Though the University is limiting large gatherings and emphasizing its policy of social distancing, many students note that their classes and dining halls have been employing the practice with limited, if any, success. “This is an unusual circumstance, and we need to have unusual responses,” noted Ava Vilensky ’23, a student in ECO 100: Introduction to Microeconomics. ECO 100 is taught to 341 students in McCosh 50. “As of right now [for our
midterm exam], we’re splitting the class into two different lecture halls, so instead of having [341] people in there together we’re going to have [170] in two separate rooms, which … seems pretty not ideal when the email has said that they’re trying to cancel events of 100-plus.” A story on the University Instagram account, posted on Tuesday evening, confirmed that “students should continue to attend class and take midterms this week while employing social distancing techniques.” “I think that it’s silly,” Vilensky said, “I think that students are already very stressed, so I don’t think that this is helping in any way, and I think midterms in general should be reevaluated.” Sophia Richter ’23 similarly noted that students have not observed social distancing. “I was at Frist for late meal, and while I was there, it didn’t seem that people
had distanced themselves from other people any more than they usually do,” she said. “It seemed like a very normal environment other than the few people that you could hear talking about [coronavirus]. There was no serious concern for the distance between people.” In light of Vilensky and Richter’s claims, Deputy University Spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss noted the University’s understanding of the situation. “The global health emergency caused by COVID-19 presents a range of challenges,” Hotchkiss wrote in a statement to of the ‘Prince.’ “We recognize that it’s not easy to implement social distancing in all situations on campus and appreciate the efforts by our students, faculty and staff to protect the health and well-being of our community. This situation requires all of us to be adaptable and understanding as we face this together as a community.”
Wednesday March 11, 2020
The Daily Princetonian
Farber: Let’s hope this all ends soon ZOOM
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The University will soon begin instituting a series of policies and practices “based on the concept of social distancing.” These include the virtualization of “all lectures, seminars, and precepts” beginning after spring break, as well as the limitation of the size of campus gatherings and meetings. University-sponsored travel will also be restricted. The policies mentioned in this letter “will be in place through Sunday, April 5,” and reassessed as that date approaches, according to Eisgruber. Additionally, according to an email sent to students admitted to the Class of 2024, the University has canceled Princeton Preview, its on-campus admitted student program. At around 6 p.m., New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency. According to reporting from NBC, the number of coronavirus cases in the tri-state area “has tripled since Friday.” “Right now, the overall risk to individuals from coronavirus is remains low, but we are taking this step out of an abundance of precaution and prudence to ensure that we are proactive in our response,“ Murphy said in a video posted to Twitter. Eisgruber’s Monday morning letter came after a night of confusion, during which a Universitydomain website was inadvertently updated to indicate that University classes would be going online and certain events would be canceled. In a 1:08 a.m. statement to The Daily Princetonian, Deputy University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss confirmed that “[p]olicy information under development was inadvertently made viewable to the public.” Some of the un-finalized information released late last night was confirmed by Eisgruber’s letter — including decisions to begin virtual instruction after spring break, “limit the number and size of campus gatherings and meetings,” and restrict University-sponsored travel. Then, at 2:08 p.m., updated policies and guidance for the COVID-19 were published on the University website. Among other things, this announcement laid out specific “social distancing” policies and reaffirmed that academic classes and midterm exams will continue this week. It also confirmed several of the inadvertently-announced policies, including the prohibition of all University-sponsored travel and recommendation against events with more than 100 people and the
prohibition on all University-sponsored international travel. The University has also since launched a new coronavirus information page on its website which provides updates on University policy, resources for general and medical questions, links to external resources, and a full list of COVID-19-related University communications. In addition to these policies, the University has noted that the “further guidance for specific programs and areas is still being developed and will be distributed throughout the week.” “Any changes in these policies will be communicated to students, faculty, and staff in a timely manner,” the update notes. There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mercer County, after a potential case tested negative, according to state health officials. As of Tuesday morning, two University staff members have selfquarantined for possible cases of coronavirus. Classes going virtual According to Eisgruber’s letter, all “lectures, seminars, and precepts” will become virtual — a “mandatory, temporary move” — beginning on Monday, March 23, following spring break. The 2:08 p.m. update reiterated this decision and confirmed that academic classes and midterm exams will continue the week of March 9 as planned. According to this release, “faculty have received guidance and recommendations on on-line delivery methods” and the McGraw Center will provide support to instructors. At 9:08 p.m. on Tuesday night, the University confirmed via Instagram that “students should continue to attend class and take midterms this week.” The McGraw Center website currently contains pages on “General Guidance for Adapting Your Course,” “Strategies for Direct Instruction,” and “Exams, Communication, and Course Administration” in times of disruption. Additionally, Blackboard has been updated with an announcement providing instructions on how to log into Zoom — a video conferencing and online meetings platform — for the first time. The letter from Eisgruber also stated that the University would be “sharing guidance throughout the week with staff about how these new policies will impact daily operations” This virtualization of courses follows the lead of a number of other universities across the country, including the University of Washington, Stanford University, and Columbia University.
While understanding the University’s decision, economics professor Henry Farber said he believes going online will negatively impact the quality of some courses. While going online may not be an issue for large lecture courses, he questions how professors will be able to facilitate small-group discussions without in-person, face-to-face interaction. “I believe the University is doing what they think best after careful consideration,” he said. “It seems obvious to me that it will have impacts on the quality of instruction — in particular, in smaller, more-participatory, seminar-style classes.” “Let’s hope this all ends soon and we can get back to live classes before the end of the semester,” he added. Eisgruber’s letter did not recommend the cancelation of midterm exams, and a later follow-up noted that “[a]cademic classes and midterm exams will still continue the week of March 9 as planned, following social distancing protocols.” Though, some professors have already altered their schedules. As of Monday morning, some courses have already moved online, though the new policy will not be mandatory until after spring break. Michael Freedman, a professor of computer science and instructor for COS 461: Computer Networks, announced to students via Piazza that the course would be “switching to virtual lectures until further notice,” announcing that today’s lecture would be conducted via Zoom. Additionally, PSY 252: Social Psychology students originally expected to take an in-class, online exam, but according to a student in the course, Assistant Professor of Psychology Diana Tamir told students to complete their exams remotely, “in [their] rooms.” As of Tuesday night, initially in-person midterms in at least 15 courses were moved online or into a take-home format. In his letter, Eisgruber added that while much remains unknown about the epidemiology and impact of COVID-19, the University community should proceed on the assumption that the virus will spread more broadly and eventually reach the campus. According to the letter, the University received medical advice to enact preventative policies now, before cases potentially arrive to the campus. “Acting now will also give students who wish to do so the option to stay home after Spring Break and meet academic requirements remotely,” he wrote. Limiting gatherings, canceling Preview The letter also stated that in or-
Haddad: Honestly I have not been able to focus on my midterms PETITION Continued from page 1
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line schooling after spring break, students, faculty, and staff have scrambled to make contingency plans. The University officially announced that plan on Monday, at the start of midterms week. “Academic classes and midterm exams will continue the week of March 9 as planned, following social distancing protocols,” said deputy University spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss. The University policy states that “events that involve more than 100 people or use more than one-third of their venue’s capacity must be postponed or canceled.” Three hundred forty-one students are enrolled in ECO 100: Introduction to Microeconomics. Their midterm exam is scheduled for Wednesday. To facilitate social distancing, the students are to be split into two rooms, McCosh 50 and McCosh 10, a move which meets neither regulation. Other classes changed midterm format. As of 9:32 p.m. on Tuesday, The Daily Princetonian confirmed that ELE 201, COS 302, CLA 219, SOC 226, POL 220, ORF 245, HIS 361, EGR 277, ISC 233/234, SML 201, HIS 210, WWS 315, WWS 330, MUS 103, MAE 305, LIN 201, PSY 252, SOC 217, and ELE 464 had moved to either an online or take-home
format due to coronavirus. Juan José López Haddad ’22 was still studying for the midterm for HIS 367: English Constitutional History when he signed the petition on Tuesday night. He had already taken his ECO 300: Microeconomic Theory exam the previous day. “Honestly, I have not been able to focus on my midterms,” Haddad said. “I already had a dubious time doing my midterm on Monday. Most people I talked to have told me they are literally unable to study right now. I don’t think the University should responsibly be keeping midterms as they are scheduled.” Haddad is an opinion columnist for The Daily Princetonian. Other petition signers expressed concerns about the added stress of coronavirus on top of the University’s rigorous academic standards. “I’m signing because the stress of potentially not being able to be on campus my last semester at Princeton while finishing my thesis has affected my normal study routine,” Katya Vera ’20 said. “We cannot be expected to perform our best with this sudden and devastating news.” Some signers noted that the time spent dealing with coronavirus issues detracted from the time available to study. Students questioned the decision to proceed as
normal with academics while creating contingency plans for loved ones with compromised immune systems. “How am I supposed to care about a revolutionary war midterm when there are actual lifethreatening issues that need to be dealt with?” Oliver Crane ’22 said. Signatory Ethan Boll ’22 suggested that the University could make classes Pass/D/Fail instead of grading them on an A-F basis. The petitioners originally sought a postponement of midterms, but later amended the ask to include reevaluating the weights of this semester’s midterms. Another petition circulated after Jung’s and Xu’s, asking the University to refrain from “forced evictions due to COVID-19 concerns.” It also requested that the University provide travel and storage subsidies and compensate students for missed wages. As of 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, the petition had over 1,000 signatures. “We were trying to be as reasonable and as nice as possible,” said Jung, a self-described “not very activist type of person.” “We wanted to be serious about it; we wanted to be taken seriously and bring it to [the University’s] attention,” added Xu. “It’s just made clear that we all share the same sentiment, and we’re all in the same boat right now.”
der to “protect the health of our community,” it will be necessary to “limit the number and size of campus gatherings and meetings.” According to the 2:08 p.m. update, the University is discouraging in-person meetings, instead recommending that “remote technology whenever possible, including substituting conference calls and phone conversations for inperson meetings,” be used. Additionally, hosted events involving “more than 100 people or use more than one-third of their venue’s capacity” are required to be postponed or canceled. All events — including those sponsored by the “University, schools, departments or units, as well as studentsponsored events” — are affected. “Certain events, such as athletic contests and performances, may be modified to decrease the need for a crowd or audience,” the announcement wrote. “Details on these modifications are under development and will be shared once finalized. “ Furthermore, University officials required that all events submit a Conference and Events Services form for review and potential recommendations. “The University will continue to support, where possible and subject to appropriate restrictions, research, educational, and campus life activities that require physical presence,” the update stated. The notice also encouraged three “social distancing techniques,” including keeping at least six feet between oneself and others in public spaces, avoiding close contact — including handshakes and hugging, and limiting in-person meetings. Additionally, in an email sent to admitted students this morning, University Dean of Admission Karen Richardson ’93 announced the decision to “cancel the on-campus portion of Princeton Preview,” the admitted student program originally set to take place on April 14–15 and April 22–23, out of an “abundance of caution.” “Our top priority is to support the health and well being of our community. [...] Our concern extends to you — our admitted students and family members — who may be put at risk in traveling to campus,” Richardson noted. Richardson’s email further stated that the University will be offering a “robust digital Preview program” with faculty and administrator panels, virtual Q&A sessions between current and admitted students, and livestream events. Additionally, at 4:14 p.m., the official Twitter account for the University Graduate School informed students that all “Student Life events” at the Graduate School
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would be canceled through April 5. In his letter, Eisgruber wrote that University officials understand how these and other measures will cause disruption and inconvenience to the campus community, but that they “strongly believe that actions taken now will have the greatest change of decreasing risk.” “I appreciate that these measures impose significant restrictions and costs on projects that matter tremendously to each of us,” he wrote. “I also understand that people may have different views about how to respond to the risks and uncertainties that we face, but I ask all of you to join in supporting these policies, which address a threat affecting us all.” “Princeton University has always been a community that cares for one another, and we will need that spirit now more than ever,” he concluded. Travel restrictions and recommendations Eisgruber’s Monday morning letter noted that the University would “restrict University-sponsored travel.” More recent updates from the University have clarified this statement by restricting or recommending against both domestic and international travel. “All University-sponsored international travel is prohibited, and all personal international travel is strongly discouraged,” the website notes. “Non-essential Universitysponsored domestic travel should be postponed or canceled.” The notice also clarified that these restrictions do not apply to community members “who are currently studying or working remotely.” While these travel restrictions are in place “until at least April 5,” the University is also asking individuals to rethink travel plans through the remainder of the year and beyond. According to the notice, the University is encouraging individuals and academic and administrative units to consider postponing University-sponsored travel plans “for the remainder of 2020 and 2021” and to “pay close attention” to cancellation and refund policies if making any University-sponsored travel plans. The University also reiterated its policy that all students, faculty, and staff returning to the U.S. from impacted countries — CDC Warning Levels 2 and 3 and USDOS Levels 3 and 4 — must fill out an online assessment form before their return. According to the University announcement, further guidance for specific programs and areas is being developed and will be distributed throughout the week.
The total number of coronavirus cases in N.J. has reached 15 COVID-19 DEATH Continued from page 1
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ty. That man has since been identified as John Brennan, a 69-year-old from Little Ferry who worked as a horse trainer in Yonkers, NY, where he lived. Brennan had been hospitalized since March 6. After his death, Bergen County declared a state of emergency. Brennan’s death comes as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Jersey reaches 15. Although Brennan had no recent history of international travel, he frequently transited between New Jersey and New York. Brennan worked for the Standardbred Owners Association as a horse trainer and manager in the Yonkers Raceway’s racing office.
Since his death, the Yonkers Raceway has announced the closure of its race track. According to the Raceway, all employees have been asked to selfquarantine. Bergen County Executive James Tedesco declared that Bergen County would enter a state of emergency until further notice; in his announcement, he urged senior citizens, particularly those with preexisting conditions, to “avoid large crowds and large gatherings while COVID-19 remains a threat.” Seven of the 15 presumptive positives in N.J. are in Bergen County. On Tuesday, New Jersey officials announced three new presumptive positives for COVID-19 — a couple from Burlington County and a man from Bergen County.
Recycle your paper!
Opinion
Wednesday March 11, 2020
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Letter from the Editor Jonathan A. Ort
Editor-in-Chief
D
ear readers, As the threat of a campus COVID-19 outbreak looms, The Daily Princetonian will indefinitely suspend print production, effective as of Wednesday, March 10. During this period, we will continue to publish daily through our website, social media platforms, and newsletter. This decision is in keeping with recent University
guidelines, which discourage in-person gatherings, mandate that classes be held online, and urge students to return home. As the Princeton community disperses across the country and around the world, our work will become more important than ever. We’ve already released several critical resources, including a COVID-19 webpage, a New Jersey COVID-19 activity map, and a timeline of our COVID-19 coverage, all of which are regularly updated. To keep our readers informed of the latest news, we will contin-
ue to develop our coverage across a variety of media. The weeks ahead promise to bring a slew of unfamiliar challenges. For some students, the instruction to leave campus comes as an enormous relief. For others, it portends loneliness or presents financial hardship. For all of us, much remains uncertain. COVID-19’s full ramifications — on everything from coursework to financial aid, athletic practices to summer plans — will only become apparent with time. How we navigate those
editor-in-chief
far-reaching implications is a story worth telling. In the coming weeks, our staff will seek to render visible students’ experiences, from the consequential to the lighthearted. Though circumstances compel us to step away from our cherished broadsheet, our resolve to keep reporting has never been stronger. Jonathan Ort is editor-in-chief of The Daily Princetonian. He can be reached at eic@dailyprincetonian.com and on Twitter at @ort_jon.
2020 primaries: High hopes, same results Kate Lee
Editorial Assistant
L
ast Thursday, Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the presidential race, leaving two candidates in the Democratic field: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. Since many had seen her as the last “diverse” candidate on the ballot, this was an expected, but still disappointing, moment. In a year when it seemed more possible than ever that a woman would become president, the ballot is once again narrowed down to two options we’ve seen again and again: old, white men. There is a lot to be said about identity politics, and not everything is positive. It is, however, undeniable that the dependence on demographic groups has left our society eager to generalize, polarize, and fracture. One should not vote for a candidate based solely on their gender, race, or class; doing so is dangerous and foolish. Yet the fact that qualified, charismatic, and powerful women and people of color continue to face the barriers to achieving political success shows how the current political system entrenches a structure that preserves power for those people who have always held it. While we cannot say any candidate was definitively superior to another, we must also recognize that women such as Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar are just as, if not more, qualified than Sanders or Biden, and possess much more political experience than Pete Buttigieg or Mike Bloomberg. There are many factors credited for Warren and
Klobuchar’s losses: electability, aloofness, lack of charisma. But when the same language and excuses are used for candidate after candidate, the reality becomes clear: whatever the supposed reasoning may be, American politics in 2020 is still not okay with a woman in power. In our current political and societal moment, this sort of exclusion and prejudice is unacceptable. Our country is only growing more diverse; the new policies this multidimensional community seeks requires fresh and representative leadership. In promoting candidates of the same demographic to the forefront, the political system as it stands is only asking for greater apathy among its voters and stagnation in its administration. The fact that only established white male candidates receive the titles of legitimacy and “electability” is discouraging for female students and voters across the country, including at Princeton. With the
series of losses minority and female candidates have faced in the past few election years, it is easy to lose hope. These feelings of anger and frustration can be exhausting, and grassroots campaigning can only do so much. But the momentum built so far cannot fade. In fact, it is time for the entirety of the electorate to realize how deeply entrenched the structures are to maintain those in power. Our generation and our new American electorate, aware of de facto disenfranchisement and glass ceilings, must continue to advocate for new voices to challenge those who we see as powerful, intelligent, and worthy to be our president. We can start with Princeton. Despite polls of the student body showing that Princeton students preferred female candidates more than the current primary results, our political environment continues to be sheltered and even apathetic. We must continue to register all voters on
campus and demand active participation in our political environment. Inspiring our own student body will also allow us to engage in larger-scale activism, supporting campaigns and voter turnout across the country. I cannot say that the Democratic primaries haven’t already disappointed me. The last few months have left me angry and nearly hopeless. But just because 2020 wasn’t our year does not mean our year won’t come. Year after year, we must identify and confront the inherent prejudice and inf lexibility of our political process. As each groundbreaking candidate pushes the possibilities further and further, it’s in our hands to ensure their equal access to success. We claim we want a president that will lead our country into the future. It’s on us to make that happen. Kate Lee is a first-year from Austin, Texas. She can be reached at k.lee@princeton. edu.
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 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
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144TH BUSINESS BOARD chief of staff Carter Gipson ’21 chief strategy officer Louis Aaron ’22
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Wednesday March 11, 2020
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Letter to the Editor: A misrepresented senior class Chris Murphy
Guest Contributor
S
everal weeks ago, a group of seniors published an oped in which they called for a reformation to the Class Day speaker selection process. The letter cites a lack of transparency within the selection process, and has since been picked up by various national media outlets, including ESPN and USA Today. While the original intent of the letter was to call attention to the selection process of the speaker himself, the argument has since shifted to a question of our approval of Marshawn Lynch. As seniors who feel misrepresented by the original op-ed and the ensuing national media attention, we feel that we have an ob-
ligation to publicly respond. One immediate issue within the op-ed is the lack of a numerical value associated with the set of anonymous seniors who contributed to the piece. By excluding a quantifiable value, the writers and editors have created a sense of ambiguity regarding the article’s support; this in turn, has called into question the level of approval for Lynch within the senior class as a whole. As readers will see by the support below, there are plenty who openly defend the choice; however, we will never know how many are opposed. Regarding their hesitation toward Marshawn Lynch, we disagree with the notion that speakers should share a connection with the University. While being
able to relate to the students through a more personal level has its advantages, we feel that the story of the individual themselves is what should be most important. The piece highlights the work Lynch has done within his community; why should that be neglected because he never slept in a Princeton dorm or dined at Wilcox? The group then qualifies the above criteria by allowing those unaffiliated with the University to speak should they be considered “exceptional communicators,” citing Cory Booker as one example. Identifying Marshawn Lynch as someone who is outside the realm of “exceptional communicators” is not only disrespectful and elitist but also misconstrues his past actions. The interview at Super Bowl
Media Day highlighted within the op-ed is given no context; Lynch was defended by his coaches and teammates for adhering to league rules, while at the same time making a statement against the relationship between players and the media, which is dictated by the NFL and not the players. Additionally, the letter does not stop to consider the power Lynch displays in controlling his own narrative by refusing to speak. What the op-ed also fails to mention is how, in other settings, Lynch has passionately discussed his interests off the field, including on 60 Minutes and through a documentary. By questioning his skill as an orator, the authors reveal ignorance in their understanding of the value he brings as a speaker.
While there is merit to the questions these original authors made, their motivation to do so comes from their disapproval of Marshawn Lynch as the speaker. And while their initial intent was to stir conversation within the campus community, the end result is a misrepresentation of the senior class on the national stage. We stand by the decision of the Class Day Co-Chairs and throw our unwavering support behind Marshawn Lynch. Chris Murphy is a senior from Jackson, N.J., in the ORFE Department. He is also the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at cjm10@princeton.edu. A full list of signatories may be viewed online.
U. needs to reevaluate midterms
Editorial Board
On Tuesday night, students distributed an online petition calling for the University to reevaluate this semester’s midterm exams, given that they coincide with drastic and ongoing efforts to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. We support this petition and enjoin the University to act on its demands. The petition asks that “the University consider … reevaluating the weight of this semester’s midterms or postponing them.” This would “grant students the opportunity to prioritize their health and safety, without the pressure of upholding Princeton’s typical academic stan-
dards.” At the time of publication, the petition had garnered more than 2,700 signatures. The petition comes after the University announced that classes would be moved online for at least two weeks after spring break and urged many students to stay home after the break. As a result, many students have had no choice but to modify their travel plans and alter their study schedules, causing significant stress. The University’s inadvertent release of an unfinished policy, which prematurely revealed classes would be held online, compounded this stress and left students extremely confused the night before midterms
began. General confusion has persisted as of the time of writing. This disruption has generated disparate impacts across the student body. As the petition noted, “international students (which make up about 25 percent of the student body) are especially distressed because they’re not sure whether they should or will be able to come back following the threeweek period.” Students with health conditions that put them particularly at risk, or whose family members are particularly at risk, have expressed their concerns. Furthermore, some students may face difficulties participating in online classes due to financial or
geographic barriers. In addition, professors have responded to these concerns in a variety of ways, as some have moved their midterms online or postponed them. These inconsistencies, as well as underlying student anxieties, warrant the University’s attention. This Editorial Board holds that the University owes its students a prompt reevaluation of how midterms are weighted. While we don’t know what portion of the petition’s signees are currently enrolled students, the rapid nature with which the petition spread reveals the significant concerns of much of the student body. A simple acknowledgement of the petition is
insufficient. Rather, the Board demands a comprehensive reevaluation that will lead to a change in how midterms are weighted. We are prepared to offer specific policy recommendations as the situation develops further. 144TH EDITORIAL BOARD Chair Zachariah W. Sippy ’22 Members Benjamin Ball ’21 Shannon E. Chaffers ’22 Rachel Kennedy ’21 Kate Lee ’23 Madeleine Marr ’21 Jonathan A. Ort ’21 Elizabeth Parker ’21 Emma Treadway ’22 Ivy Truong ’21 Cy Watsky ’21
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Sports
Wednesday March 11, 2020
page 6
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } BASKETBALL
Ivy League cancels basketball tournament due to COVID-19 threat By Alissa Selover Head Sports Editor
The Ivy League announced on March 9 that the Ivy League Presidents have made the decision to cancel the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments due to concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). The tournament was originally set to take place on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. “The Ivy League’s regular-season champions, Princeton women and Yale men, are the automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournaments,” a press release from the Ivy League stated. “Regrettably, the information and recommendations presented to us from public health authorities and medical professionals have convinced us that this is the most prudent decision,” Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris stated via the press release. “We appreciate the Ivy League’s concern for the health and safety of the teams, coaches and fans in regards to canceling the Ivy League Basketball Tournaments. I am extremely disappointed for our student-athletes who will not have the opportunity to continue their careers as Princeton
Tigers,” men’s basketball Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 said in a statement released by Princeton Athletic Communications. “This is an emotional time for all involved with Princeton Men’s Basketball, especially our seniors — Jose, Will and Richmond. They have been outstanding representatives of our program, I am heartbroken that they will not have another opportunity to compete on a national stage for our University.” “We understand that the wellbeing and safety of the teams, coaches and fans was at the heart of the decision made to cancel the Ivy League Basketball Tournaments. At the same time, our team is disappointed to not have the opportunity to compete this weekend alongside our fellow competitors,” women’s Head Coach Carla Berube stated in her statement released by Princeton Athletic Communications. “We were looking forward to showcasing the highquality caliber of play inside the Ivy League on both the women’s and men’s sides. I am especially saddened for my colleague, Mitch, and his team. We were all looking forward to a great weekend for everyone involved with Princeton Basketball.”
COURTESY OF THE IVY LEAGUE
Ivy League Athletics coronavirus press release photo.
All postseason games and matches for other winter teams are continuing in accordance with policies implemented by each institution. Despite this, all policies are subject to change as circumstances regarding the coronavirus evolve.
In response to the cancellation, Bryce Aiken, a senior guard from Harvard, posted on Twitter, “Horrible, horrible, horrible decision and total disregard for the players and teams that have put their hearts into this season. This is wrong on so many levels and
the @IvyLeague should do its due diligence to find a better solution. Everyone knows the risks of playing!” This story is breaking and will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. Last updated at 4:57 p.m.
campus who know you from coming to games and cheer you on. One of our faculty fellows of the team is Stacy Wolf, who is [a professor] in the theater department, and I’m in one of her seminars this year. It is so cute walking into class and she is always cheering about our latest win. I think it is how supportive everyone is of the different sports teams and the love you get from everyone. DP: If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you bring? BA: My phone. And I would probably bring my mom. She’s so resourceful and is my favorite person ever. So I would just want to hang out with her. And then I feel like I need Netflix to survive. DP: What teammate of yours do you think would be able to survive on this island? BA: [Sophomore] Lexi Weger. I love that girl. Yeah, she would survive somehow. I don’t know how, but she would do it. DP: What teammate would you not want to be stuck on a deserted island with? BA: I feel like there’s different people for different reasons. I would say — well [senior] Taylor Baur is my best friend ever, but she would freak out. And it would be stressful and she would just stress me out. I wouldn’t want to be stuck on an island with her. DP: What is your favorite class that you have taken at Princeton? BA: I’m a history major, and I took “In the Groove: Technology and Music in American History, From Edison to the iPod’’ with [Professor] Emily Thompson in the history department. The class is about the history of music and technology in the United States. It was the class that made me realize that I wanted to major in history, just because of how passionate she was about history and the topics she was teaching about. DP: What is your thesis topic? BA: I’m writing about Shuffle Along, which is a musical in 1921. And how it kind of parallels the Harlem Renaissance to Broadway. I’m randomly super obsessed with Broadway. It’s my secret passion, and
so I wanted to write about it and that is kind of what I landed on. DP: What’s your favorite Broadway show? BA: Okay. Well I love Hamilton, that’s like such a cop out answer. But I recently saw the Tina Turner musical the other week with one of my classes, and it was really good. But literally every show I go to is like my favorite show. DP: If you could have any superpower, what would it be? BA: Okay, well I want a photographic memory but like that isn’t a superpower. I don’t know. But I feel like that comes in handy. Or I think flying would just be so fun. I don’t really know how it’d be useful but just to be able to like fly around. I just feel like it is also efficient. Like traffic isn’t an issue. And like I could jump higher. They might not even realize that I am flying. DP: What are you going to miss the most about Princeton? BA: I think being so close with all my friends and being five minutes away from everyone. That’s kind of the part that I dread most about adult life. You make so many amazing connections, then they are all spread out over the country after you leave. DP: Was the transition to playing for Princeton to the USA team a difficult one? What about the transition from playing on the USA team to playing for Princeton again? BA: The harder transition is going from Princeton to playing for the USA because at Princeton, the offense ends up running around me, and I am the center point of a lot of plays and the defense. When you play for the USA team, you know what your skills and strengths are, and you play a role on the team. You are also playing with 11 other people [who] you’ve never played with before; the chemistry is difficult and it’s a very short time to get to a comfortable point of playing together. But then coming back, I think you gain a lot of confidence and you learn how to play in a new system, learn from new coaches, and gain new insights. It is easier to transition back to Princeton because you bring more back with you.
On tap with Bella Alarie F E AT U R E
By Alissa Selover and Josephine de La Bruyere
Head Sports Editor and Associate Sports Editor
The Daily Princetonian caught up with senior women’s basketball captain Bella Alarie minutes after the Ivy League announced that it had cancelled its tournament for both the women’s and men’s teams. Alarie, a leader on and off the court, discussed her time playing with USA Basketball, her favorite Princeton memories, and life on a deserted island. The Daily Princetonian: So why don’t you tell us a bit about your path to playing basketball and what that looked like? Bella Alarie: I started playing really young. My dad played in the NBA and at Duke, so basketball’s always been a big part of my life. I just fell in love with it immediately. I could have gone to a high school that was better at basketball, but I picked a good academic high school and wanted the full college experience
that Princeton could bring. It was the best option. I just had a gut feeling. It was a great family; the team, the coaches, and everything was perfect here. DP: Thinking back to your first year here — did you have a ‘welcome to college’ moment that sticks out to you? BA: Wow. Yeah, I remember the first practice just being so fast-paced and physical. I played as hard as I could, but I wasn’t dominating everyone like I could in high school. I was like, ‘wow, this is definitely gonna be a battle every day on the floor.’ I was skinny — not strong yet — and was just getting knocked around and kind of realized I couldn’t get by with just being tall anymore. DP: What do you think is the weirdest or most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you in a game? BA: Oh I mean, anytime I get blocked, I just think, ‘this is so annoying.’ That is what I’m supposed to do and when I get blocked, I’m just
COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Bella Alarie in her Team USA uniform.
like, ‘Oh my god.’ I would also say that any time I’m playing defense and I get switched onto someone who is really quick and small, I just think to myself, ‘please don’t fall,’ because I don’t want to get crossed over. DP: What’s your favorite team tradition? BA: Off the court, we watch the Bachelor together on Mondays. And for games, [Head] Coach [Carla] Berube has to make a half-court shot, and it’s hilarious. It goes in either on the fifth shot or, like, the 80th one. DP: Do you have a career highlight that you love to think back to? BA: Yeah, I would say, for me, I feel like this whole season has been so amazing and more than I ever expected for my senior year. Especially since we found out last spring that there would be a whole new coaching staff for my last year here — I was pretty worried because those are usually transition years that don’t go well for teams, but it’s gone beyond my expectations. It’s been literally a dream come true to play so well. Definitely this Ivy season has been one big highlight. DP: You have experienced a series of different coaching staffs. Do you have any funny stories about any coach? BA: Coach Berube is hilarious but you wouldn’t realize it immediately, and I feel like she’s one of those people who you wouldn’t realize is actually one of the biggest goofballs. After our games, we do headphone karaoke on the bus, which is like silent karaoke. After we won at Cornell and did a full sweep of the Ivy League, all of our coaches sang during karaoke. It was hilarious. We had them singing Wagon Wheel [by Darius Rucker]. So yeah, they’re all very lighthearted and fun. Every day there is something funny that they do. DP: What would you say is the best part of being an athlete on campus? BA: I think it’s the community around the athletes. We’re all supportive of each other; we always see different teams at our games and we’ll go to their games. And a family is built around the team — like there are advisors and professors on
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