The Daily Princetonian: November 5, 2019

Page 1

Tuesday November 5, 2019 vol. cxliii no. 97

Twitter: @princetonian Facebook: The Daily Princetonian YouTube: The Daily Princetonian Instagram: @dailyprincetonian

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }

IN TOWN

Alexander Road to begin estimated six month closure on Wednesday By Caitlin Limestahl Contributor

PHOTO CREDIT: JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Construction work on Alexander Road last April.

This Wednesday, Nov. 6, a section of Alexander Road will close for nearly six months to replace two bridges and a culvert. The official detour route will lead to Route 1 via Faculty Road and Washington Road. According to the University’s website, the bridges, “which are over 70 years old, are in poor condition and too narrow for today’s traffic.” “Their replacements will be safer, wider, improve traffic flow and include shoulders and sidewalks on both sides,” the “Bridge Closure” website reads. The construction aims to mitigate the bridge’s traffic, which today includes Tiger Transit. The lane widening is likely to accommodate the bus route that runs along Alexander Road. According to the website, the transit schedule will remain the same during the closure, with the exception of the PTS/West, 693 Alexander, 100 Overlook/701 Carnegie, and Weekend Shopper routes. More information about the route changes can be found online.

The project, which was first announced in August, is a combined effort of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Mercer County. Planet Princeton reported that the University gave $250,000 in support of the project. “Updates about the closure will be shared with the campus community through University communication channels starting later this fall,” Kristin Appelget, University Director of Community and Regional Affairs, wrote in an email, as previously reported by The Daily Princetonian. These lines of communication are now available to the public and include a University website that offers an overview of the project and a listserv that will keep community members updated on the closure. While the road is expected to reopen in April of 2020, the website acknowledges the likelihood of delays. “Rain, snow and cold can impact the project’s completion,” the website states. “Unforeseen construction issues can arise, and can lead to delays beyond the planned April 20, 2020 completion date.”

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Ukrainian ambassador Volodymr Yelchenko discusses Russia, governmental corruption By Sandeep Mangat Contributor

Volodymyr Yelchenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations, spoke at a luncheon moderated by politics professor Marzenna James in Prospect House on Monday, Nov. 4. At the event, he took questions from a number of professors and students. Yelchenko began by elaborating on his experiences as an ambassador to Russia during the 2014 Crimea crisis, stating that it “was a total surprise” to him. He said that most Ukrainians were taken aback because they did not expect their “biggest and closest neighbor to start aggression” and therefore “weren’t mentally prepared to defend the

country.” Yelchenko emphasized what he saw as the absurdity of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and maintenance of a military base in that territory after the invasion. He noted, however, that “Putin did more for Ukrainian independence than any other person on this planet” by taking “many stupid, illogical, unprecedented, unjustified steps in 2014.” He cited the subsequent diversification of Ukraine’s economy as evidence, arguing that after the crisis, Ukraine “had only 7% trade with Russia and 40% with the European Union” and that “the Ukraine does not import any gas[oline] from Russia.” In addition, Yelchenko as-

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

serted that the Crimea crisis allowed Ukraine to expand its support system beyond Russia, though he admitted his opinion “is not very popular.” When asked by a University professor about Putin’s attitude towards risk, Yelchenko answered that Putin pursues aggressive goals but is largely ignorant of the consequences of his actions. He stated that Putin had expected no Ukrainian opposition, thinking that Russia’s aggression would draw only a few protests and that “things would go back to normal soon.” In addition, Yelchenko noted that subsequent sanctions against Russia were impactful and forced the Russian president to confront a sour reality.

JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations, with students and professors at a luncheon on Monday

See UKRAINE page 2

ON CAMPUS

Q&A with author, jour- U. professor Sabine Kastner receives nalist David Makovsky Award for Education in Neuroscience

Contributor

David Makovsky has built a career out of studying and reporting on Middle Eastern politics and the Israel-Palestinian conf lict. An author, journalist, teacher, and most recently a podcaster, Makovsky sat down with the Daily Princetonian to discuss the Middle East, his career, and his new book, Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny. The Daily Princetonian: For starters, what is your background? Where did you study, what did you major in, and how did that impact the direction of your career? David Makovsky: I grew

In Opinion

up in St. Louis. When I was seventeen years old, I had a very formative experience, and I thought that was a coming-of-age moment for me. It was Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Israel in November 1977. It was an electrifying moment of the 20th century, that the leader of the largest Arab country said you know what, I’m getting on a plane, and I’m going to show up and speak at the parliament of the other side and tell them I don’t want war anymore. It was a heroic moment, and I thought, there have been wars between the Arab states and Israel 1948, 56, 67, 73, and See MAKOVSKY page 2

Senior columnist Kaveh Badrei reflects on the frustrating theatrics of modern-day American politics and guest contributor Morgan Carmen questions the accuracy of oftcited statistics on maternal mortality in New Jersey.

PAGE 4

By Rachel Sturley Contributor

University professor Sabine Kastner accepted the Society for Neuroscience’s Award for Education in Neuroscience on Monday, Oct. 21, in Chicago. The award honors her dedication to making neuroscience engaging for young audiences, specifically in creating an academic journal for and edited by children and teens. Kastner shares the education award with Robert Knight, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. Together, Kastner and Knight founded Frontiers for Young Minds, an open-access online

journal that sparks interest in science and promotes youth involvement in the publishing process. Kastner is a professor of psychology at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and has been at the University since 2000. “Kids are incredibly curious [about neuroscience], but unfortunately that curiosity is not often met,” Kastner said. “Science has an enormous speed. There are daily discoveries, and for the kids it’s really important to learn about science as it happens … [because] it will help them become our science leaders of tomorrow.” Frontiers for Young Minds

Today on Campus 4:30 p.m.: How Might We Build Healthier Digital Spaces Architecture Building / N101 - Betts Auditorium

features articles about novel developments in various fields of natural science. These articles are specifically written for a target audience of students from ages eight to 15. The process of editing for clarity and accessibility by children in this age range facilitates connections between young scientists and elementary to middle school students. Students can sign up through the website to become reviewers as individuals, in groups, or even with their whole classroom. Each young reviewer is paired with a mentor, who serves as their See NEURO page 2

WEATHER

By Sruti Chitluri

HIGH

61˚

LOW

36˚

Scattered Showers chance of rain:

50 percent


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Daily Princetonian: November 5, 2019 by The Daily Princetonian - Issuu