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Wednesday october 11, 2017 vol. CXLI no. 84
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } ON CAMPUS
New campus tour explores Princeton race relations By Jordan Antebi contributor
Last weekend’s “Walking Histories: Race and Protest at Princeton and in Trenton” involved a series of performative walks walks across campus that “[explored] how issues of race and protest, in Trenton and on campus, are imprinted on Princeton’s buildings and grounds,” according to the event’s website. The tour premiered at the Festival of the Arts celebration that commemorated the opening of the new Lewis Center for the Arts complex, and was planned as part of an ongoing collaboration between students, history professor Alison Isenberg, and
Aaron Landsman, a lecturer in theater and the Lewis Center for the Arts. The collaboration represents one of several collaborative, interdisciplinary projects that have recently touched on issues of race here at the University; these projects have included The Trenton Project, directed by filmmaker and Wilson School lecturer Purcell Carson, and the courses URB 202: Documentary Film and the City and AMS 395: Performing the City, which are studying and interpreting the unrest in Trenton that followed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. The performance walks, which were written and led by students, See TOUR page 2
COURTESY OF ALISON ISENBERG
Tours began at the new Lewis Center for the Arts plaza. U . A F FA I R S
Politics department creates new track in ideas, institutions By Ivy Truong contributor
Starting this academic year, the politics department will be allowing politics majors to pursue a departmental track in American ideas and institutions (AIIP). The program is in collaboration with the James Madison Program. “[AIIP] will cut across American politics and political theory and incorporate something we don’t have as an actual field, which is public and constitutional law,” said Nolan McCarty, chair of the Department of Politics at the University. Despite the track’s col-
laboration with the James Madison Program — often considered a conservative organization — the track is not conservative itself. The JMP will mostly be providing financial resources, and the major course decisions will be coming through a separate committee, according to McCarty. Bradford Wilson, executive director of the James Madison Program, added that JMP is willing not only to lend its support in financial matters but also to make sure that track-related courses can be provided on a regular basis, even if the usual professor goes on sabSee MADISON page 4
IN TOWN
IMAGE BY IVY TRUONG :: CONTRIBUTOR
The Princeton Police Department closed down sections of Washington Road on Tuesday afternoon following the accident.
Princeton resident dies in accident on Nassau St. By Ivy Truong
On Tuesday afternoon, a cement truck struck Leslie Goodrich Rubin, 62, of Princeton, N.J. in the crosswalk at the intersection of Washington Road and Nassau Street, according to a press release from the Princeton Police Department.
Ralph Allen, 60, of Tabernacle, N.J., was turning south onto Washington Road from Nassau Street when he struck Rubin. She was pronounced dead at the scene from her injuries. Allen did not report any injuries. The Princeton Police Department had closed down a stretch of Washington Road as of 8:30 p.m. on Thursday,
U . A F FA I R S
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
contributor
with plans to reopen in the next few hours. Meanwhile, the investigation into the accident continues. Several police officers and a lieutenant declined to comment at the scene this afternoon. University Assistant Vice President for Communications Daniel Day deferred comment to the Princeton See ACCIDENT page 4
U. to offer Q&A: Kip Thorne, 2017 Wall Street Nobel physics winner Journal subscriptions By Hamna Khurram staff writer
By Linh Nguyen contributor
“We’ve been waiting for this for such a long time,” explained Assistant University Librarian for Collection Development Patty Gaspari-Bridges, referring to the University’s new partnership with the The Wall Street Journal. On Oct. 3, 2017, the Princeton University Library announced that members of the University community, including staff, students, and faculty members, now have access to the Journal’s online edition. In April 2014, The New York Times online was made available to members of the University community through negotiations between the Times and the Center for Research Libraries, a consortium of libraries throughout the country, which includes the University’s Library. See WSJ page 3
Kip Thorne GS ’65 was recently jointly awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Rainer Weiss and Barry Barish. The team was granted the award for “decisive contributions to the Laser Interferometer GravitationalWave Observatory detector and the observation of gravitational waves,” according to the Nobel Prize website. Thorne received his doctorate degree from the University in 1965. He was the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology until 2009 and served as scientific advisor for the 2014 film “Interstellar.” The Daily Princetonian spoke to Thorne over the phone about his research, the University’s inf luence on his research interests, and the importance of scientific inquiry. The Daily Princetonian: In a recent interview with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, you said that the discovery of gravitational waves is like “Galileo pointing his telescope in the sky and discovering Jupiter’s moons.” What are the implications of this discovery for research in
physics? Kip Thorne: Well, I think the implications are simply — as they were for Galileo — that the future for us is very exciting. The electromagnetic waves that Galileo used for exploring the universe brought us an enormously rich and amazing insight into the universe. And they came not just from light, but from radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, microwaves — all different frequency bands from electromagnetic waves. Similarly, I think over the next 400 years gravitational waves will really revolutionize our understanding of the universe. But it won’t just be the high frequency waves, as we call them, that LIGO uses; it will be waves in other frequency bands. We might about twenty years from now — perhaps sooner — have three other frequency bands all opened using other kinds of instruments, so I think it’s going to be quite amazing. DP: Before the detection of gravitational waves, did you believe they would be detected within your lifetime? See THORNE page 3
ON CAMPUS
Barokksolistene shines in concert at Festival of the Arts asssitant news editor
In a dimly lit room in the new Lewis Center for the Arts Music Building, seven musicians wielding a plethora of stringed instruments played, danced,
sang, shouted, and engaged the entire audience with European chants and fiddle tunes throughout the performance. The Norwegian Baroque ensemble’s performance “An Alehouse Session” consisted of “songs and
melodies from the pubs and taverns of 17th century England,” according to the Festival of the Arts website. Immediately upon taking the stage, the group, led by Bjarte Eike, began to showcase their musical prowess by playing bits and pieces
of their repertoire for the evening. However, the audience soon came to discover that Barokksolistene was much more than a standard string ensemble. Diverging from the stereotypical solemn nature of orchestral and chamber groups, the
In Opinion
Today on Campus
Guest contributor Ryan Lilienthal attacks Trump’s latest move against DREAMers and contributing columnist Madeleine Marr challenges the pressures and customs women face in dressing for nights out. PAGE 6
4:30 p.m.: Award-winning writers Rachel Cusk and Nathaniel Mackey read next in the 2017-18 Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series, at the Berlind Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center.
seven men drank beer and joked around with the audience members during their casual introductions. When the group had settled in, Eike abruptly began their first piece, astounding the audience with his See CONCERT page 3
WEATHER
By Jeff Zymeri
HIGH
73˚
LOW
55˚
Rainy. chance of rain:
80 percent
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The Daily Princetonian
Wednesday october 11, 2017
Tour takes audiences back to racist realities of 1960s Princeton TOUR
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took audiences back to the 1960s to experience campus through the eyes of 40 high school students, three quarters of them African American, who attended the Princeton Summer Studies Program during the summer of 1964. At the time, the program, which sought to prepare black, low-income, high school students for entry into top-tier colleges, was one of the first of its kind in the nation. The tours focused on the story of Harlan B. Joseph, one of the PSSP students who lived on campus that summer, far from his hometown of Trenton. Four years later, Joseph, then a sophomore at
Lincoln University, died in Trenton shortly after Dr. King’s funeral when he was shot by police. Next semester, Landsman and Isenberg will be working with undergraduates in AMS 395 in order to create additional campus walks related to the histories of race and protest. Planning is also underway for more live performances of the “Walking Histories” tour, with dates and times to be determined. Complete information about the student writers, researchers, and performers will be posted online soon. For those interested in “Walking Histories” and the PSSP experience, a separate, studentcomposed audio version of last weekend’s tour is available online.
COURTESY OF PURCELL CARSON
The programs were written and performed by students.
COURTESY OF PURCELL CARSON
Sharon Joseph is framed by a picture of her brother Harlan Joseph in Bogle Hall. The present dormitory marks the approximate site of 1941 Hall, formerly PSSP housing.
COURTESY OF AARON LANDSMAN
Walks ran throughout the “Festival of the Arts” weekend.
COURTESY OF NICK BARBERIO, UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
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COURTESY OF PURCELL CARSON
Participants had opportunities to read from documents and contemplate the meaning of memory and place.
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The Daily Princetonian
Wednesday october 11, 2017
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Barokksolistene blends traditional and contemporary styles CONCERT Continued from page 1
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technical dexterity. His fellow musicians soon joined in, and the group’s melodies of times past permeated the room. The repertoire consisted of a multitude of moods, from upbeat and heartracing to melodic and somber. At one point, the group taught an old sailor’s chant to the audience members and played in the background, encouraging the audience to sing as loudly as possible. Audience members comprised of families and adults from the town. Many were the parents of University students and alumni who still actively support
the University by attending its events. The group’s tagline is “It’s just old pop music.” But their music is much more than that. It invigorates not only the hearing, but also the vision, inspiring a different perspective towards music among audience members. Their uniquely contemporary performance style injects new life into their baroque music and truly exemplifies the beauty of combining the new and the old. This event was hosted by Princeton University Concerts and took place in the Lee Music Performance & Rehearsal Room at the new Lewis Center for the Arts Music Building at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5.
Thorne: Keep your eyes open for opportunities THORNE Continued from page 1
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KT: Yes, I did. I tend to be an optimist, and I was overly optimistic about when they would be detected. I became convinced that this approach to detecting them had a good probability of success... The technique was primarily invented by Ray Weiss, who shares the prize with me and Barry Barish. I was skeptical of it at first, but after long discussions with Ray and Vladimir Braginsky — a superb Russian experimental physicist — and after studying a technical paper that Ray had written in 1972 describing this technique and explaining how you would deal with all of the major noise sources, I became convinced. At that point in the mid-’70s I decided that the odds of success would be high, and that it would a very long, difficult effort that I wanted to be involved with. I decided that I, and postdocs and students working with me, would do whatever we could as theorists to pull this experiment off. DP: How did your time at Princeton and the people who worked with here shape your research interests? KT: Enormously. I was particularly inf luenced by two professors at Princeton. John Wheeler, who was my Ph.D. mentor, was a theorist and it was from him that I learned about black holes and neutron stars, which became our primary targets in our search for gravitational waves. I also was a member of Robert Dicke’s experimental physics research group, in the sense that I sat in on essentially all of their research group meetings and tried to absorb and understand the experimental techniques they were working with and the goals of their experimental work. It was there that I met Ray Weiss, who then became the pioneer for LIGO and the inventor of our techniques. The combination of the experimental insights I got — from being in Bob Dicke’s research meetings every week, week after week, for four years, and from working with John Wheeler — were the major underpinnings, more than anything else, in my career in connection with gravitational waves. DP: What advice would you give to young people interested in pursuing research? KP: One piece of advice is to always keep your eyes open for unexpected opportunities. I did not plan to go into this area; it was only when I saw Ray Weiss’s ideas, and then said, “Well, this is worth investigating,” and went in and really studied it and realized it was an opportunity and something I would really want to pursue, that I made the jump.
Similarly, at other phases of my career there were unexpected opportunities that I looked at very closely and then grabbed them and took them. Another thing is that in order to have real progress in research you need to focus very narrowly to pull something off, but at the same time, you need to look very broadly at what’s going on in adjacent areas and adjacent fields so that you will see and be able to utilize insights that come from elsewhere and use them in your own research, and notice the unexpected opportunities. A third piece of advice is to work hard. Even for the most brilliant young scientist it does not come easy. DP: You’ve been known for conveying discoveries and ideas equally well to both professional and general audiences. Why do you think it’s important for everyone to share in scientific discoveries? KT: The quest to understand the universe and the laws of nature is a human quest. It’s not just a quest for those of us who made our career out of it. Human beings by nature are curious and want to understand the kinds of things that we’re studying. In that sense, we have some cultural obligation to share what we are learning. We also live in a technological age where technology is the key to both producing problems for society, but more importantly to solving problems for society. It’s essential that the general public has some level of understanding of science and technology in order to deal with this technological world. An example, of course, is climate change, where it’s absolutely clear that it’s going on and that humans contribute. It’s essential that the general public understands this and understands how science works to be able to make judgements of the right sort in the face of politicians who, for whatever reason, try to fight against things that are absolutely true. DP: What’s next for you? KT: I think the happiest thing is to sit back and watch the LIGO team pull off discovery after discovery after discovery. This discovery of gravitational waves is not mine, and this prize should not have gone to me, and Ray Weiss, and Barry Barish – it should’ve gone to the entire LIGO team who pulled this thing off. We’re just icons for the team. The team is superb, and the discoveries are now coming in very fast. Several things in the coming months will be announced, and it’s really an exciting time. That’s one thing, to just sit back and watch and wonder as the discoveries come in. In terms of myself personally, I’m 77, and I’ve chosen for the latter phase of my life to embark on a different career. I
IMAGE BY LINH NGUYEN :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Barokksolistene is a Norwegian baroque ensemble that mixes casual elements into performances.
U. faculty and staff now have access to online edition of Wall Street Journal WSJ
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Gaspari-Bridges noted that she had tried to do the same with the Journal, adding that, until recently, the “Journal wasn’t ready for that kind of partnership,” as it was relying on personal memberships instead of institutional memberships. This year, the Journal finally became interested in pursuing a model that includes institutional memberships. This allowed Gaspari-Bridges to approach Dow Jones & Company, the Journal’s parent company, in search of a partnership. Gaspari-Bridges went directly to the Journal instead of going to the Center for Research Libraries, which is currently negotiating a partnership of its own with the Journal.
“I subscribed because I think that The Wall Street Journal has very good economic reporting,” noted Samuel Russell ’18, who recently took advantage of the Journal partnership. “I think that they make articles that are — although very technical — very accessible,” said Russell, explaining that he also enjoys some of the hot takes written by the Journal’s Editorial Board. In order to ensure that those no longer affiliated with the University do not continue to subscribe to the Journal after they have left, subscriptions are allowed to be active for only 120 days. After that, the subscribed student, staff, or faculty member will be sent an email requesting that they re-verify their University affiliation. The license negotiated between Princeton Univer-
sity Library and the Journal extends for a five-year time period. On Oct. 10, 2017, however, Princeton’s Office of Information Technology staff, along with the Journal’s IT department, were resolving an issue with the linked registration form. “If you don’t already have an account and you click on the link, it doesn’t take you to the [proper] registration form,” said Gaspari-Bridges. “It takes you to a registration form as though you were not associated with the University.” “I was having issues activating the subscription, and I know other people have been having the same problem,” Zachary Liu ’18 said. Once the technical difficulties are resolved, the University library will begin to advertise the partnership more heavily.
The Daily Princetonian
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Wednesday october 11, 2017
McCarty: Program comes at a good time in our country’s history MADISON Continued from page 1
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batical. “So we’ll be out there with a tin cup trying to raise
funds so that the department can bring in scholars with expertise in these fields as needed that will teach these courses that will not otherwise get taught,” Wilson said.
During the development of the curriculum, JMP mainly contributed its core intellectual interests, rather than its beliefs, according to those involved. “[The Madison Program]
has a mission of contributing to the public law, constitutionalism, emphasis of the [politics] program at Princeton, so this [track] is just the evolution of that,” Wilson said. According to Wilson, JMP proposed the track to the department as a way to bridge constitutional thought and public law. Previously, no subfield or track had existed for either of those topics. “For some students, the public law courses could sometimes be an awkward fit within the larger American politics track, and this program of study might feel more natural to some and create a more coherent set of classes and independent research that I hope some students will value,” Professor of Politics Keith Whittington said in an email. To complete the track, students will have to take five courses from four areas: the executive branch; the legislative branch; the Constitution and the courts; and American political, legal, and constitutional thought. “Our principles were, we wanted students to know about the Constitution, we wanted them to know something about American polit-
ical thought, and we wanted them to know how the Constitution works,” McCarty said. “So coming up with the three branches was basically reading the Constitution, Articles 1 through 3.” Talk for the new track began in fall of 2015 when members of the JMP started discussing a potential certificate, Wilson said. The University approved the program this spring, and the politics department introduced the track to the newly declared politics majors earlier last month. “I think it comes at a really good time in the history of the country to have a program this focused on core issues of American politics and political identity at a time where the politics of this country are so challenging,” McCarty said. Robert George, the director of the James Madison Program and the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, is currently the faculty advisor for the program. George did not respond to requests for comment. Current juniors can declare the track by Feb. 1 of this year.
Victim was a 62-yearold woman ACCIDENT Continued from page 1
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Police Department, noting that the department has all the information that is currently available. According to Planet Princeton, the intersection is one of the most dangerous in the Princeton area, and the state has recently addressed issues with the intersection’s traffic signals. Last year, a truck hit a traffic light at the intersection, and two years before that, a woman was killed while crossing Vandeventer Avenue, one block north of Nassau.
Done reading your ‘Prince’? Recycle
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oh, crop.
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Opinion
Wednesday october 11, 2017
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The dangers of the Orange Bubble Urvashi Uberov columnist
W
e refer to Princeton as the Orange Bubble, but it’s more than that. A bubble implies transparency, allowing its occupants to view, if not inhabit, the outside world. But Princeton is more pervasive and concrete than just a bubble. With its customs, vernacular, and Public Safety, Princeton is a fortress for academia, a country in its own right. The trappings of this sheltered environment put us out of touch with reality. As a result, only those desperate to break out take advantage of Princeton’s resources, like residential college Broadway trips and Breakout trips organized by the Pace Center. Sadly, most students are too snug in their bubble to partake of these opportunities. However, I would
argue that we have a limited amount of time at Princeton, and we should take as much advantage of Princeton-provided chances to go off-campus as we can. “It’s as if the real outside world doesn’t matter,” Jane Sul ’20 noted of the Princeton campus. Indeed, when we are on campus, homework, office hours, and study breaks become all-important in our lives. We swerve right to avoid walking through FitzRandolph Gate. We stand up and hold our hands over our hearts to the tune of “Old Nassau.” We do these things because everyone around us is doing them. But the University provides ample opportunities to escape. During breaks, the Pace Center sponsors student-led Breakout trips. While school is in session, residential colleges organize monthly Broadway trips that are subsidized to just $25. Whitman
College also organizes free day trips to New York every semester, where students can choose between going to an escape room, exploring the MoMA or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or sampling snacks around the city. “Escaping campus gives me a change in pace and puts things in perspective for me,” said Annette Chu ’20, who recently went on a Broadway trip organized by Wilson College. “It takes my mind off the one-track routine that is Princeton life and reminds me that there are more current events and people outside of the campus I rarely leave.” But Chu is one of only a few students who take advantage of these opportunities. Most are too consumed with their lives in the bubble to have the impetus to break out of it. “There have been many points during the semester when I’ve felt like
watching a show or visiting my cousins in New York, but I rarely end up going,” explained Arya Goel ’20. “Once I think about the work that will pile up when I’m gone and the on-campus events that I will miss, I nearly always choose to stay in Princeton.” But when else are we going to get subsidized or free opportunities to unwind and have fun? We need to look at the bigger picture, at the opportunities being thrown at us for our personal enrichment. Escaping the Orange Bubble is like moving from one country to another, like shedding our tiger stripes for a more cosmopolitan uniform. It’s a big mental shift, which creates an unwillingness to escape. But escape we should, and often. Because if not now, then when? Urvashi Uberoy is a sophomore from New Delhi, India. She can be reached at uuberoy@princeton.edu.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Resisting Trump’s latest action against DREAMers
T
o the Editor, The Trump administration just released its immigration priorities wish list — a combination of ramped-up border and interior enforcement, expanded criminal penalties to once civil violations, and severely restricted future immigration. Particularly insidious is the intent to condition legal status for DREAMers on Congress approving these restrictions. DREAMers — named for the American Dream and prospective beneficiaries of the bipartisan Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act — are the young people brought to the United States by their parents and made newly vulnerable by President Trump’s decision to rescind President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The White House’s decision to threaten DREAMers reminds me of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid
described by an immigrant mother at a church-organized meeting in Trenton over a decade ago. Responding to ICE officers knocking on their door, the family hid in the basement. Soon after, they heard their front door open and footsteps walk across the first floor. Eventually, the basement door opened, the light turned on, and the officers descended, guns pointed. The officers gathered the family in the basement, but didn’t see their target. The officers then showed a picture of a man to the immigrant mother’s child and asked if he knew the man. The boy acknowledged that the man pictured was his father. With the family still under threat, the officers instructed the boy to show them where his father hid. Conditioning legal status for DREAMers on approving the administration’s anti-immigrant wish list seems akin to ICE coercing the son to betray his father — but expanded to
a national scale. DREAMers represent approximately six percent of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States. They have grown up here as peers of their U.S.born classmates and friends. The United States is their home. The Trump administration’s initiatives divide communities by design. Under the pretext of public safety, the initiatives seek to create a wedge between local police and immigrants in their community. Never mind that police are sworn to protect everyone, deputizing local police as immigration enforcers discourages immigrants from reporting crimes as victims and witnesses, making everyone less safe. What’s more, the administration has also issued attacks on sanctuary cities, punishing community compassion by undermining municipal public safety programs. On the heels of turning police on immigrants, the administration now seeks enhanced
measures to turn employers against immigrants, creating yet another wedge. The hope is to institute enough pressure points that immigrants selfdeport. Attacking families and communities — the Trump administration’s immigration initiatives are ultimately selfdefeating for our country. This shouldn’t be surprising. The government says that it wants to eliminate the incentives for immigrants to come to the United States. By turning out the light of hope and opportunity that draws people to our shores, the administration puts all of us in the shadows. If DACA proved anything, it’s that immigrants’ dreams can brighten our future, rather than threaten it. Let’s pass a clean DREAM Act and put these illconceived, mean-spirited initiatives behind us. Ryan Stark Lilienthal is an immigration lawyer in Princeton, NJ.
T HE DA ILY
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vol. cxli
Sarah Sakha ’18
editor-in-chief
Matthew McKinlay ’18 business manager
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas J. Widmann ’90 Kathleen Crown William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Kathleen Kiely ’77 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Randall Rothenberg ’78 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73
141ST MANAGING BOARD managing editors Samuel Garfinkle ’19 Grace Rehaut ’18 Christina Vosbikian ’18 head news editor Marcia Brown ’19 associate news editors Kristin Qian ’18 head opinion editor Nicholas Wu ’18 associate opinion editors Samuel Parsons ’19 Emily Erdos ’19 head sports editor David Xin ’19 associate sports editors Christopher Murphy ’20 Claire Coughlin ’19 head street editor Jianing Zhao ’20 associate street editors Lyric Perot ’20 Danielle Hoffman ’20 web editor Sarah Bowen ’20 head copy editors Isabel Hsu ’19 Omkar Shende ’18 associate copy editors Caroline Lippman ’19 Megan Laubach ’18 design editor Rachel Brill ’19 cartoons editor Tashi Treadway ’19
NIGHT STAFF copy Chris Flores ’21 Elizabeth Bailey ’21
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Wednesday october 11, 2017
The Daily Princetonian
page 7
A plea for self-compassion Samuel Aftel
L
columnist
ife at Princeton is stressful, often feeling like both a marathon and a sprint. The pressure to achieve impressive grades, form meaningful friendships and networks, gain admission to clubs, plan for a prosperous professional life, and seem happy can be incredibly overwhelming, if not frustratingly impossible. This is especially so for the many students who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Princeton is aware of this culture and promotes self-care and recognition of the fact that “you are not alone.” But this is not sufficient. The philosophy that Princetonians need is one of self-compassion: learning to love and accept themselves, flaws and all, and recognizing that failure is an inevitable and necessary aspect of the Princeton experience. The difference between this and typical selfcare may seem trivial, but these are two fundamentally different approaches to building resilience. Princeton’s current approach to self-care effectively promotes general habits of healthy living, such as obtaining the right amount of sleep, exercising reg-
ularly, eating a balanced diet, and maintaining one’s overall physical, mental, and emotional hygiene. This approach can be hazardous, as the promotion of self-care can place even more pressure on students to embody an image of effortless perfection. Moreover, an emphasis on self-care does not in reality provide students with substantive coping skills to healthily survive times when ideal selfcare may in fact be impossible. When a student is suffering, the knowledge that they’re also failing to enact self-care may only compound the sensation of inadequacy. The doctrine of “you are not alone” is hardly an improvement. This idea conveys an abstract sentiment of solidarity and shared stress among students and normalizes the stressful Princeton experience. But when you are alone in a dark, lonely dorm room at 5 a.m. and pulling your second all-nighter in a row to finish a grueling pset or essay, the idea that you are not alone does not mean much. In those moments, it is nearly impossible to not feel alone and helpless. Princetonians are not in the habit of actually sharing their darkest moments of despair with one another, which can also leave “you are not alone” as nothing more than an hollow
idea with no visible evidence to support it. Given the severe limitations of self-care and the “you are not alone” mentality I strongly urge Princeton to refocus its efforts on promoting self-compassion. Self-compassion essentially fills in the gaps between the idea self-care and the “you are not alone” approach by encouraging Princeton students to be kind to themselves, regardless of how successful they are at meeting life’s relentless demands. On the surface, self-compassion may seem problematically more passive than self-care, as it does not call for particular actions like sleep and a healthy diet, and it is less collectively unifying than “you are not alone.” But the passivity and individuality of self-compassion are the concept’s strengths; it demands only an intrinsic change of perspective that builds strength and resilience independent of our actions or others. Self-compassion allows us to maintain self-worth even in our so-called “worst” moments, such as when we are too tired or depressed to get out of bed in the morning or when we cannot muster the energy or the motivation to study for a big test and decide to binge programs on Netflix instead. Similarly, self-
compassion can be maintained regardless of whether other students are experiencing the same difficulties. All self-compassion requires is an acceptance of what makes one uniquely human. Self-compassion can only be made mainstream on Princeton’s campus through concrete programming. During orientation, the University should implement the promotion of self-compassion along with its advocacy of self-care and the “you are not alone” mentality. Such an approach would provide first-year students with a more holistic conceptualization of emotional well-being on campus. For example, the orientation event that Counseling and Psychological Services leads in each of the residential colleges would be an ideal venue for familiarizing first-year students with self-compassion. Likewise, CPS should run events throughout the year in the residential colleges and the eating clubs that promote self-compassion through interactive discussions with students about what it means to treat oneself kindly and healthfully. Further, the University should provide students with more opportunities to actively engage with and embrace selfcompassion and mental health more broadly. Regularly sched-
uling social events such as dogpetting study breaks and casual peer groups that discuss emotional well-being would be a tremendous start. What’s more, the residential colleges and the eating clubs should appoint several students to act as peer counselors who can meet with fellow students to discuss mental and emotional well-being. Such a program would provide students who do not feel comfortable seeing a CPS counselor with an opportunity to discuss mental health with a peer who can more intimately relate to their emotional experiences. Princeton’s attempt at fostering a mentally healthier campus life is noble yet incomplete. Selfcare and the idea that “you are not alone” are simply too limited and problematic to substantively alter Princeton’s stress and burnout culture. Therefore, the synthesis of self-compassion with these existing concepts is necessary to compensate for the limitations in our campus culture at present. All in all, a more self-compassionate campus is ultimately a happier one. Let’s all strive for that. Samuel Aftel is a sophomore from East Northport, New York. He can be reached saftel@princeton.edu.
I’m wearing whatever I want to the Street (and you should too) Madeleine Marr
I
columnist
t’s Friday, and a Princeton freshman is preparing to brave Charter. It’s cold, but the basement will feel like a sauna. She doesn’t see herself doing laundry any time soon, so she doesn’t want to wear something she isn’t comfortable letting soak in sweat and other liquids for the foreseeable future. She decides on boyfriend jeans, an oversized tee shirt, and Converse. Across campus, another Princeton freshman is also getting ready. She finds a mini skirt she hasn’t worn in a while, and remembers that her roommate has the perfect crop top she’d promised to lend before the weather dropped below freezing. She adds a choker to round the outfit out. Both make it to the Street, turn to their friends, and ask, “Am I dressed ok?” The judgment Princeton women, particularly freshmen,
face for their clothing decisions when going to the Street is pervasive. Toyosi Oluwole ’21 explained that when getting ready, she thinks, “People will be there — what will other people wear?” She said, “With guys you feel like you should dress a certain way to impress this person, while with girls you want to look cute together. You don’t want to be the one who looks bummy.” Gendered expectations about sex appeal, peer pressure, and false feelings of “feminist superiority” create an impossible balancing act. We should all skip the learning curve — I’m wearing whatever I want to the Street, and you should too. There are some who feel pressured to dress a certain way when they go out because they believe that it’s necessary in order to be perceived as attractive, desirable, or “worthy.” The social culture at Princeton that comes with hookups and passes contributes to this
trend. But there is also a dynamic of girls policing or criticizing each other for how they choose to navigate questions of dress, sexuality, and comfort on the Street. Making assumptions about someone on the Street because they chose to dress a certain way doesn’t make you a more empowered feminist. Walking down Prospect should not be an exercise in insecure comparison to others. While I am aware that not every girl identifies as a feminist, empathy from shared experience should indicate that this behavior is not okay. If “Not Anymore” (the education modules first-years complete about sexual misconduct) is to be believed, this campus has moved past blaming girls for sexual assault because of how they dressed. So why can’t we take the next step and let girls have complete ownership of their clothing decisions without considering those choices indicative of some personality f law? While
COS Lab TA’s pulkit singh ’20
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the fashion industry has patriarchal facets, many women have reappropriaated style as a means of empowerment. That reclamation should extend to what Princeton women wear to the Street. Passing judgment on what girls choose to wear when going out has no place in the 21st century. There is no one way to dress like a feminist. Prescribing that you own your sexuality is no more liberated than recommending that you keep your body covered up. Prescriptive feminism is contrary to the idea of equality of choice, as all decisions made autonomously should be considered valid (as long as they don’t harm or belittle anyone else). When I say I am wearing whatever I want to the Street, I truly mean whatever. Not letting external standards or judgments affect decisions opens up an entire world of options (or an entire closet). I don’t even buy into the “just
be comfortable!” compromise of going-out wear. What if I don’t want to be comfortable one night? I am very aware that sneakers are more comfortable than heels, but sometimes I would rather feel tall and leggy than be able to walk comfortably the next morning, and that’s my prerogative. Dressing for you sometimes means wearing a tight shirt because you are going to see the boy you like — sue me. Sometimes it means wearing pajama pants to Sunday brunch — it’s all about that #selfcare. As long as you don’t feel like you are compromising your beliefs or desires because somebody besides you expects it, wear what you want. At the end of the night, we are all sweaty messes after about ten minutes anyway. Madeleine Marr is a freshman from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. She can be reached at mmarr@ princeton.edu.
Wednesday october 11, 2017
Sports
page 8
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } MEN’S SOCCER
Men’s soccer suffers its second Ivy League defeat in narrow loss to Brown By Daniel Gitelman staff writer
With everything on the line following last weekend’s overtime defeat at Dartmouth, the Tigers entered a match on Saturday against Brown knowing that a win was imperative if their Ivy League hopes were to remain alive. A midweek match-up against Villanova ahead of the pivotal game against Brown offered some promising signs of improvement for the Tigers. An early goal from sophomore defender Benjamin Issroff off the rebound of a first-minute indirect free kick set the match up favorably for the men’s team. The Tigers proceeded to ward off a slew of attacks from Villanova before freshman center-mid Kevin O’Toole put the nail in the coffin with a stunning curling effort in the 72nd minute. But despite the positive result, other elements of the Tigers’ game ref lected some of the same trends the team has been looking to improve upon throughout the season. Organized in a 3-5-2 formation with a set-up to counterattack, the team struggled on occasion to exploit spaces up top and to find leaders to carry these attacking efforts forward. Defensive instability on the wings remained another worrying theme, as the vast majority of Villanova efforts origi-
nated from out wide. The home win was surely a confidence-booster, with the Tigers looking to capitalize on their second clean sheet of the season and build momentum. Brown had suffered similar misfortunes to Princeton in their Ivy League opener against Columbia, recording a 3-0 loss. Ultimately, Princeton entered the match with a 2-5-2 overall record to Brown’s 5-2-1. An early sequence of corner kicks for the Bears set the tone for the remainder of the match. Brown would continue to pressure the Princeton goal, finishing the game with a 11-2 corner-count advantage. Brown’s efforts went high and wide before Issroff forced a save off rival goalkeeper Joey Cipicchio after some nice ball control inside the box. Freshman forward Gabriel Paniagua’s attempt from outside the area would close out Princeton’s attacking chances for the half. Sophomore Jacob Schachner later went on to make the first of his four saves in what turned out to be an impressive performance from the Princeton goalkeeper. But the early stages of the second period would see Brown’s Quinn English get on the end of a well-placed cross from Daniel Schiller, making it 1-0 for the Bears. An effort from senior defender James Reiner would later sizzle just left
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Men’s soccer struggled in Ivy League play against Brown this weekend.
of the Brown post, while at the other end, some heroic goalkeeping from Schachner denied multiple solid efforts to double the margin. As the match went on, the long-range throwing ability of English would continue to pose threats to the Tigers’ goal, while a high press provided the Bears with more opportunities to exploit holes up top. None of the efforts on both sides would yield a
goal, however, as the game finished at 1-0. The result adds to Princeton’s streak of tight encounters so far this year, with the men’s squad having lost six games by a onegoal margin this season. O’Toole noted, “I think our main weakness is that we aren’t able to kill the game off early. We’ve struggled to put our really good chances away, which has kept our opponents in games longer than we would like. This
can be combated by making the most of our goalscoring opportunities.” The men’s team will be looking to grab a victory against St. John’s on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before quelling high-f lying Columbia — off the back of a 3-0 win against Penn — at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches will take place at Princeton’s Myslik Field.
FIELD HOCKEY
Field hockey wins Ivy League play but loses to No. 1 UConn Huskies By Claire Coughlin associate sports editor
On Monday, the Penn Monto NFHCA Division I Coaches’ Poll placed Princeton field hockey at No. 14. The Tigers also have earned a No. 11 spot in the Division I RPI rankings. These standings come after a 1-1 weekend for the Orange and Black with games against the Colombia Lions and the UConn Huskies. On Friday, the Tigers had the home field advantage at Bedford Field in Princeton. The game started off with strong Princeton offensive play at the 12th minute when freshman striker Emma Street scored her first collegiate goal, snagging a loose ball and slapping a reverse shot right past Colombia’s goalie. Princeton’s defense completely shut out any threats made by the Lions and freshman Marykate Neff followed Street’s first goal with two more to claim the Tiger victory. It took the Tigers three attempts after the freshman’s first goal to add to the board; but, with 13:18 to go, Neff brought the team back to life with a
Tweet of the Day “FB: Ivy League Rookie of the Week...@PUTigerFootball CJ Wall! #OneIvy” the ivy league (@ IvyLeague)
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Senior captain Ryan McCarthy scored two goals against No. 1 UConn on Sunday.
Stat of the Day
0 games The Princeton Women’s Soccer Team has lost 0 games in the Ivy League and is tied for first place with Columbia.
goal off a pass from freshman midfielder Clara Roth. Then, just 25 seconds later, Neff contributed another goal off a pass from freshman midfielder Julianna Tornetta. This game leaves Princeton undefeated in the Ivy League, with a stunning 3-0 record. While the Tigers didn’t see the same success on Sunday, Princeton played strong against the No. 1 team in the country, losing by only two goals to the UConn Huskies. The Tigers managed to get three shots off the Huskies — the most that UConn has allowed since Oct. 30, 2016. Princeton ended the game with a 16-8 advantage in shots and 7-3 lead in corners. The team’s goals came from junior striker Sophia Tornetta and senior captain Ryan McCarthy, who scored two. With the loss, the Tigers fall to 6-6 for this season, while the Huskies maintain their status as the lone Division I undefeated team at 130. Next weekend, Princeton will hit the road again with a trip to Brown on Saturday at 12 p.m. and then a jaunt to Northeastern on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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