The Daily Princetonian
Thursday October 2, 2014
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FIRST LOOK AT FALL FASHION Photos by
Staff Photographer LISA GONG
Interviews by and
Veronica Nicholson ‘16 Major: East Asian Studies Fall Essential: A wool sweater Style: Thrown together
Sadiki Wiltshire ‘17 Major: Physics Fall Essentials: Statement sweaters Style: Telling, contrasting
Folasade Runcie ‘18 Major: Math Fall Essentials: Cardigans and ankle-length combat boots Style: Everyday mood
Ross Donovan ‘16 Major: East Asian Studies Fall Essential: Patterns Style: Space generation
Contributor EMILY TANG
Contributor VICTORIA SCOTT
Rachel Lawrie ‘15 Major: Near Eastern Studies Fall Essential: Scarf Style: Chic, urban
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday October 2, 2014
fall fashion
page s2 Lauren Feldman Research Assistant Department: Psychology Fall Essential: Peacoat Style: Classy, edgy
cont’d from s1
Kristen Coke ’16 Senior Writer Major: Wilson School Fall Essential: The boots I’m wearing Style: Preppy edge
Ji-Sung Kim ’18 Major: Computer Science Fall Essential: Knit sweater Style: Prim prep
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PLAYERS PRESENT
‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ KIRA IVARSSON
Contributing Photographer
Katie Birenboim ’16 directs PUP’s first production of the year, starring Billy Cohen ’16, Chris Murphy ’15, Julia Philips ’15, Maddy Cohen ’16, Manny Marichal ’16 and Sam Gravitte ’17. The show will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Class of 1970 Theatre in Whitman College.
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday October 2, 2014
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BRICK BY BRICK
Princeton’s classical roots HARRISON BLACKMAN Senior Writer
“P
rinceton, generally speaking, does not have classical architecture,” W. Barksdale Maynard ’88 told me as I sat, scrawling the histories of various fixtures of the campus in my notebook during a phone interview with the historian who has found a niche in University architecture. I knew this to be true. Capital “G” Gothic architectural style overwhelms other influences when thinking about the aggregate style of buildings on campus. Yet all around traces of Neoclassicism peak through the pointed arches and ribbed vaults. Not coincidentally, a bust of Homer guards the door of the colonial and Italianate style Nassau Hall, the University’s elemental landmark. When Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, decided to imbue the University with Gothic overtones, he did so to “add a thousand years of history” to the campus. However, Princeton already referenced thousands of years of history implicit in the layout of the University. The foundational concepts behind Princeton’s layout of grand axes, avenues and courtyards evolved over thousands of years; the system of naming buildings after philanthropists is anything but new. In fact, the University’s physical character owes a great deal to classical Greek architecture.
WHIG & CLIO: THE GREEK TEMPLES EVOLVE
Let’s start with the most explicit examples of Neoclassical architecture on campus: Whig Hall and Clio Hall. In the late 1700s, eating clubs did not exist — in-
stead, student social life concentrated around the two political societies, Whig and Clio. By the 1830s, both had outgrown their former location at Stanhope Hall, and the groups built two wooden neoclassical buildings in 1838, according to the Whig-Clio website. The buildings were modeled after the Ionian Temple on the Ilissus in Athens, Greece, according to Maynard in his book “Princeton: America’s Campus.” Then, around the turn of the century, just as Whig-Clio membership had declined due to the proliferation of other campus activities, the Neoclassical Beaux-Arts movement reached a fever pitch in American architecture and urban planning. In 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago unveiled the “White City,” a grand fairground that inspired an architectural shift by introducing French Neoclassical influences to domestic design. The architecture firm McKim, Mead & White, responsible for the design of Columbia University in this style, provided a model example of the university as an outlet for the Neoclassical movement. In 1895, the University rebuilt Whig and Clio Halls as stone, Neoclassical temples. “[Whig and Clio] are plausibly Greek,” Maynard said. “I like them.” Ironically, it is not just the style of Greek classical architecture that Whig and Clio Halls emulate — but on a different architectural level, the current reconstruction of the buildings reflects their original wooden composition. Many archaeologists suspect the detailing of most classical Greek temples is in fact a representation of peg-joint construction used in
wooden buildings. The logic leads to the conclusion that most classical Greek temples were originally wooden, so they were made more permanent by being rebuilt in stone. Just as Whig and Clio were reborn in stone, so were the ancient Greek temples that stand as ruins today. ROBERTSON HALL AND GRAND AXES Robertson Hall, the home of the Wilson School, is a “1960s interpretation of the Parthenon,” according to Maynard. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who served as the architect of the former World Trade Center, the building reflects the Parthenon in several ways — first, it stands atop a hill, tamely referencing the Parthenon’s geographic location on the Acropolis, “the high city,” in the center of Athens. Next, the columns directly reference those of the Parthenon, as part of the New Formalism aesthetic: Neoclassical in typology but modern in form. However, the most remarkable aspect of Robertson Hall is that it stands at an angle along an axis — the terminal point of McCosh Walk, a pathway that stretches from the U-Store, past the University Art Museum and all the way to Robertson. This alignment recalls the axis the Acropolis formed with the classical Athenian Agora (or city center and marketplace) as well as the main gate and adjoining Kerameikos cemetery, part of a great building project under the Athenian statesman Pericles, according to professor of archaeology at the University of Thessaloniki Paschalis Zefeiriadis. Such grand axes are intrinsic to Princeton’s layout. Before the
HARRISON BLACKMAN :: SENIOR WRITER
reconstruction of Whig and Clio, the location of Dod disrupted the linear alignment between Whig, Clio and Nassau Hall. Ralph Adams Cram —Princeton’s first University architect — hated Dod and called it “the interloper” in an architectural journal. “There was a huge movement around 1900 to regularize axes and impose a neoclassical plan,” Maynard explained. “Cram was no classicist.” Cram worked to regularize the campus by forming axes and courtyards around these ideals. Indeed, the seminal courtyard or quadrangle of Holder Hall may have classical roots as well — the ancient Agora of Athens was structured as a series of courtyards surrounded by public, governmental and religious buildings. Later, medieval monastery quadrangles provided the template for medieval universities such as the University of Oxford, which Cram sought to emulate in his master plan for Princeton. “The quad can be traced back via French monastery to Roman atrium and the garden entirely surrounded by peristyle,” Maynard noted of the courtyard gardens surrounded by
colonnades. PATRICIANS, ROBBER BARONS AND THE NAMING OF BUILDINGS All around the University, the famous names of characters from America’s economic history who donated their wealth to fund the construction of various buildings bombard students: Rockefeller, Woolworth, Whitman, Bloomberg, to name several. This practice in fact dates back to Hellenistic times, as a decline in prosperity from the peak of classical Greece meant the state could not afford to fund the construction of public buildings on its own, according to Zefeiriadis. Wealthy patricians financed the construction of public buildings for the public welfare and to elevate their own status. Stoas, or two-storied colonnades, functioned as shopping malls and were frequently built or renovated at the behest of wealthy citizens. One of these buildings, the Stoa of Attalos in Athens, was rebuilt
BINK SITAWARIN :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
JEFFREY WU :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
ASK THE SEXPERT
This week, she discusses getting started. Dear Sexpert, My partner and I have decided to take things slow in our relationship. We have not had vaginal sex yet, but we’ve been doing other things like oral sex. I’m wondering about whether I should use protection for this kind of activity? My partner insists on going without protection. However, my friends keep telling me that it’d be a good idea to have it. I’m not exactly sure what I should do.
— Just Want to be Safe
Dear Be Safe, Thanks for reaching out! I’m glad that you are curious and concerned about your sexual health. Your friends are right — using protection is always a good idea! Whatever your partner’s reasons are for not using protection, you should know that sexually transmitted infections can be spread from one partner to another during both vaginal and non-vaginal sexual activities. Whether you’re performing or receiving oral, anal, or vaginal sex, the risk of contracting STIs is always present when participating in these sexual activities. In fact, certain STIs can be present asymptomatically, like syphilis and gonorrhea, even though they can have serious long-term health effects. Without routine STI
testing, individuals can go without treatment for these curable diseases. The most common STI in the United States is human papillomavirus. You can contract HPV from oral, anal and vaginal intercourse. HPV refers to a group of over 100 related viruses. According to the National Cancer Institute, there are low-risk strains that can cause genital warts, but there are also high-risk strains of HPV that can result in cancer. HPV can cause cancer of the throat, anus, vulva or penis. In females, HPV can also cause cervical cancer, but this carcinogenic type of HPV is not the same type of HPV as those that cause genital warts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no way of knowing whether or not a person with HPV will develop cancer from the virus, so routine testing is recommended. Fortunately, there is an HPV vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration has approved for both males and females. Vaccinations are available at Sexual Health and Wellness in McCosh Health Center. The good news is that you can lower your risk of infection by using a barrier method when performing any kind of penetrative sex. Dental dams are an inexpensive barrier that can be used to prevent the spread of STIs while participat-
by the American School of Classical Studies in the 1950s and financed by none other than John Rockefeller, Jr. The oil magnate continued the philanthropic tradition of the Agora not only at its origin but also at Princeton. He financed the construction of Dillon Gymnasium while his son, John D. Rockefeller III, financed the renovation of what became Rockefeller College. CONCLUSION: A GREEK WORLD? At first glance, Princeton architecture may seem Gothic, but its relation to ancient Greece manifests in surprising ways. Walking toward Robertson Hall, you might see the Parthenon rising from Scudder Plaza with a bit of imagination and a slight squint. You might enter Whig and get entangled in political debate or remember that you are the benefactor of an ancient philanthropic tradition while walking by any number of donated buildings.
ing in oral sex. They are available for free at McCosh Health Center and the LGBT Center. You can also craft your own by cutting a condom or a latex glove and placing the resulting square of latex over the vagina or anus before performing oral sex. Use an external condom — the kind you’d think of as a ‘regular’ condom — when performing oral sex on a penis. Condoms and dental dams must be used properly in order to be effective. You can make an appointment for easy, lowcost STI testing at McCosh. That being said, it’s up to you to talk with your partner about using protection. You have the right to be respected, and you are in control of your own sexual health. It would be a great idea to communicate with your partner regarding your feelings about using protection. The website BeforePlay has a great section on how to talk with your partner to help you get some ideas about where to begin!
— The Sexpert
Interested in Sexual Health? The Sexpert is always looking for members of the community to join the team of sexual health educators who, along with fact-checking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@ dailypr incetonian.com for more information and questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!
SPOTLIGHT ON: ELLIPSES
SARAH PIERINGER Contributor
I
f your understanding of spoken word poetry is smoky clubs, tilted berets and the chilling rustle of snapping fingers, you’re wrong. For co-president Alec Lowman ’16 and about 20 other students who make up Princeton’s slam poetry group Ellipses, “it’s about storytelling and about hearing as many stories as we can.” What really sets spoken word poetry apart from the more traditional, on-the-page poetry is that the pieces “demand to be performed,” explained copresident Hannah Srajer ’17. According to Srajer, audiences do not have the time or the means to pore over every painstakingly placed comma or admire the way the line breaks communicate emotion. Rather, Ellipses’ leaders believe that the task of transforming words on a page to an ephemeral but striking piece of art lies solely with the performer. According to Lowman, a big difference between page poetry and spoken word is that writers must be more conscious of their audiences and their understanding of the piece. When page meets stage, the artists only have one shot to present their words to one specific audience. As a group, Ellipses strives to foster a safe community for members to explore the art form in unique and truthful ways that also enhance their understanding of themselves. “I think it’s something that I do
that reminds me that I’m alive,” Srajer said. “It’s the way I feel connected to the world, the way I feel connected to people.” At the same time, spoken word is also highly personal. With every eye in the audience fixed on one speaker, who is responsible for both the script and the delivery, there’s no room for distractions or cover-ups. “We live in this age of screens where we sort of learn about each other through computers, television … and it’s important to tell your own story because if you don’t somebody else will and they’ll get it wrong,” Lowman said. Ellipses meets several times a week — once as a whole group and twice a week in “dens,” smaller groups where the artists can work in a more intimate setting. Group members have the opportunity to share their work about once a month in gatherings called arch slams. Ellipses’ largest on-campus events are their Fall and Spring Showcases, which are also the group’s main sources of funding. These performances, which have often sold out in the past, incorporate live music and lighting to help create a heightened atmosphere. In addition to on campus performances, Ellipses has taken their spoken word poetry to a national, competitive level. Ellipses placed third at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) last spring. More than 50 college teams from across the nation submitted their greatest individual performances to be scored; the scores of individual
members were then composited into a group total. In the initial bouts, the judging panel included people from all backgrounds, ages and levels of experience with poetry and performing arts. The diverse array of judges emphasized that spoken word is meant to be considered, understood and (hopefully) enjoyed by anyone. In the final rounds, more seasoned judges were selected to ensure more nuanced feedback. This year, the Princeton competitors will reflect the combined talents of not only Ellipses but also two other spoken word groups on campus: Songline and Sister Speakers. In addition to creating art themselves, Ellipses hopes to promote spoken word on campus beyond the scope of their membership. With last year’s addition of an audition process to select new members, it has become increasingly important to the group to ensure plenty of opportunities exist for the general student body to get involved in spoken word poetry. “Part of the whole ethos of slam [poetry] is supporting diverse voices and giving everyone the right to step up to the mic,” said Lowman. Ellipses balances individual expression with collective progression as they strive to promote slam poetry on campus and the value of storytelling. The only thing left to do is to throw on a black turtleneck and give a round of snaps to the poets who take risks to articulate their individual truths and contribute to a collective understanding.
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday October 2, 2014
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Theatre Intime paints the town ‘Red’ CAROLINE HERTZ
STREET’S
TOP TEN
Senior Writer
W
hen an artist confronts his materials, a battle must be waged. The painter’s bare canvas, the poet’s blank page, the empty stage that awaits the actor, the immobile dancers waiting for the choreographer to give them motion — every piece of art begins with a terrifying void that dares you to fill it. And every move you make to do so sets up new conflicts; the terror never goes away. Theatre Intime’s production of “Red,” written by John Logan and directed by Oge Ude ’16, blows this tension up to such an enormous size that it fills every corner of the Murray Theater. The play chronicles a two-year period in the late 1950s when Mark Rothko (whose paintings are currently on exhibit at the University Art Museum) worked feverishly on a commission for the Seagram building in Manhattan, creating what we now know as “The Seagram Murals.” Historically, these years were the apex of Rothko’s fame, income and reputation — “No other painter comes close,” preens Rothko, played by John Fairchild ’15, in the opening scene. But Rothko, at the peak of his fame, is also on the precipice of selling out. Enter Ken, played by Ryan Gedrich ’16, an aspiring artist and Rothko’s new assistant, who over the course of their two-year relationship, matures from timid admirer to disparaging peer as he challenges Rothko’s hypocrisy. In their rapid-fire debates about how to look at art, they indirectly teach us too. Within the exciting crackle of Logan’s dialogue lies a crash course in art appreciation, should we choose to accept it. The first time we see Fairchild’s Rothko, he’s downstage and center, staring menacingly out at the audience. We come to understand momentarily that he’s examining one of his massive murals. He’s dimly lit, but we can tell by the rigid set of his neck and shoulders that he’s staring ruthlessly, examining the work before him with a savage eye. Rothko is already well inside the painting — Ude’s production succeeds in bringing us in there with him. It’s challenging to play a character who speaks in grand, sweeping state-
ments about art and the workings of time. But when Fairchild roars, “I am here to stop your heart, you understand that? I am here to make you think! I am not here to make pretty pictures!” I felt nothing but wonder — not a whiff of suspicion. Setting aside how impressive it is to watch a 21-year-old successfully play a much older man, Fairchild captures Rothko’s vanity, brashness, spiky narcissism and crippling self-doubt with nuance and subtlety. His portrayal is one that constantly reminds us that Rothko is of a generation that aspires to be taken seriously, yet he remains strangely likeable throughout. I can sense your trepidation. You wonder how a two-man play about capital-A Art can avoid becoming stagnant and losing itself in esoteric conversations about art. Never fear — this production makes intelligent choices to keep the story clear and captivate our attention. For instance, the set, designed by Marissa Applegate ’16, features reproductions of “The Seagram Murals” by David White ’15. Comprised of enormous panels that float against the black walls of the theater, the set is not the actual construction of a studio.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ‘Red’ Pros: Compelling performances, powerful visual moments Cons: Pace interrupted by long
blackouts, dance sometimes superfluous
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Rather, it represents an artistic interpretation of a studio. The result is the perfect cave of consciousness for Ken’s and Rothko’s personalities to clash. Furthermore, Gedrich and Fairchild constantly exchange bits of dialogue that nip at the other’s heels, pressing ever-forward at an impressive and mer-
Places to Fall
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From grace.
COURTESY OF MARCOS CISNEROS
John Fairchild ’15 and Ryan Gedrich ’16 star in Theatre Intime’s production of ‘Red.’
ciless allegro pace, pumping each scene full of energy. The most obvious innovation of this production of “Red” is the incorporation of music and dance. The music is breathtaking. Composed by Sam Kaseta ’15 expressly for this production, the music is at times a low hum beneath dialogue, transforming words into poetry, and at times acts as the representation of the movement and life of the paintings. The dance, though beautifully executed, seems more out of place in this play. It’s a mark of the production’s success that I found many of the dance sequences unnecessary — the play stood on its own. On occasion, I found the dancers to be compelling illustrations of Rothko’s demons, but during their sequences I often found myself waiting anxiously to return to the studio, and the unfolding story. Additionally, although the pace of the dialogue was pleasantly brisk, long blackouts and somewhat clunky set changes in this production may leave the audience frustrated. That said, every time the lights come up, this play hits the ground running. In one particularly thrilling, non-verbal sequence, Gedrich and Fairchild position themselves upstage center with their backs to the audience to prime a huge canvas together. They burst
into frantic action, covering its vast expanse with quick-drying maroon goo as the music hums, underscoring their sheer athletic and artistic exuberance. White becomes maroon, and your heart pounds out of your chest. When it’s complete, it pulsates with movement and life and sweat and the memory of bunching muscles. You think of the person who, after seeing the maroon square in a museum, says, “My 6-year-old could paint that,” and you’re suddenly furious at their lack of understanding. When the two men step back from the canvas, the whole audience releases a collective breath — for a few moments, everyone’s heartbeats are in sync. Then, the music stops. The spell lifts, and we remember where we are. If you’ve got any blood in your veins, you’ll lean forward into this production of “Red,” plunging into its formidable existential tensions, as illustrated by the colorful battle between the vivacious red and damning black of Rothko’s murals. At the end, we’re left with an important question: Is life all about desperately pushing back the black? Or should we strive to achieve some sort of balance between both colors? The answer eludes me, but my god, it’s an exciting question.
HEADLINERS AND HEADSHAKERS articles you didn’t read this week SETH MERKIN MOROKOFF Associate Street Editor
Online access to alumni theses briefly suspended; American academia fails to notice Yale leads Ivy League endowment growth, proves humanities kids pick better stocks than Economics majors BREAKING: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN’S WEBSITE CRASHES Tower Club maintains façade of Bicker club, accepts 80 percent of fall bickerees
U.S. government threatens to cut U. funding; U. reforms sexual assault policy
Bedbugs found in Forbes; sources report they came for the Arts, stayed for the Transit
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Tiger Inn basement.
Woody Woo Fountain.
Tow Path.
Blair Arch.
Atop a squirrel. In the shower.
Frist staircase.
On top of the grading curve.
A hole called love.
CAMPUS PICKS LITERATURE Nathaniel Mackey ’69 Poetry Reading MCCOSH 40 Thursday, 4:30 p.m.
Looking for a Thursday afternoon snack break? They say poetry is food for the soul, so whet your appetite by attending a reading from award-winning poet and current professor of creative writing at Duke University, Nathaniel Mackey ’69. Mackey will be reading selections from his own works, which have received accolades such as the National Book Award for Poetry and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. Don’t miss out on this chance to hear this Princeton alumnus’s groundbreaking work! Reception to follow.
CONCERT Emerson String Quartet RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM IN ALEXANDER HALL Thursday, 8 p.m.
Wishing you could relax and enjoy some good music once in a while? Well, imagine being lulled into peaceful bliss after your restless week with the Emerson String Quartet! This is their first appearance at Princeton after adding rockstar cellist Paul Watkins to the renowned group, and you won’t want to miss it. Allow this Grammy Award-winning quartet to sweep you off your feet with some good tunes by the likes of Haydn, Beethoven and Ravel. If you come early enough, you can enjoy a pre-concert talk hosted by professor Scott Burnham at 7 p.m.
FITNESS Team U Color Craze Run BLOOMBERG ARCH Saturday, 9:30 a.m.
The Princeton chapter of Team U is hosting a 5K run to raise money and awareness for Shoe4Africa, an organization founded with the intent of providing shoes to children and is now working to build a children’s hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. Participation in the run is free, but donations will be accepted on the day of the race. To make the race more exciting, volunteers will release bombs of colored powder onto participants at various points throughout the run, showering them in bright shades. The result is sure to be Instagram-worthy — just don’t forget to wear white!
THEATER “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” CLASS OF 1970 THEATRE IN WHITMAN COLLEGE Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Want to relive the Peanuts gang’s shenanigans just one more time? Miss the Snoopy dance? Dying to know if Lucy will ever let Charlie kick that football? You’re in luck! Princeton University Players is kicking off their season with Clark Gesner’s award-winning “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The show, directed by Katie Birenboim ’16, features characters from Charles Schultz’s timeless comics as they venture through their seemingly endless childhood days. Good grief! Take a break from all that homework and spend some quality time with good ole Charlie Brown.