The Daily Princetonian: November 12, 2021

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Friday November 12, 2021 vol. CXLV no. 56

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USG discusses grading policy, CPUC discusses dissociation, approves Honor Code amendment DEI, COVID-19 updates

By Andrew Somerville Staff Writer

When the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate met on Sunday, Nov. 7, they voted to amend the Honor Code Constitution in addition to discussing grading policy and the atmosphere around grading on campus.

Chair of the Honor Committee Wells Carson ’22 submitted an amendment that would formally establish the Peer Representatives as an Honor Committee resource avail-

able to students who have been accused of violating the honor code.

Since their charter in 2017, Peer Representatives have been an Ad Hoc committee of the Honor Committee, meaning they were initially established for a limited period of time.

The amendment was unanimously approved by the Senate, after being unanimously approved by the Honor Committee on Oct. 31.

Dean of the College Jill Dolan and Senior Associate Dean of the College Claire Fowler presented at the meetSee USG page 3

Roughly half of the membership of Natives at Princeton.

By Lia Opperman Contributor

In Monday’s Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) meeting, administrators discussed the University’s plans on fossil fuel dissociation, COVID-19 updates, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report.

Administrators discuss divestment and dissociation A group of students from Divest Princeton showed up to the event wearing green and holding posters demanding

COURTESY OF NATIVES AT PRINCETON

U. announces new Indigenous initiatives

By Jasmyn Dobson Staff Writer

Princeton is the latest university to acknowledge Native and Indigenous communities, both domestically and internationally, through curricula and initiatives, joining dozens of universities across the U.S. On Oct. 8, the University’s Office of Communications released an announcement detailing several initiatives being implemented, including a formal land acknowledgement marker near Prospect House and a memorial garden in the woodlands north of Lake Carnegie for the Lenape peoples. The University has been working closely with the three federally recognized Lenape tribes to draft the acknowledgement.

Eric Schmidt ’76 and Wen-

dy Schmidt have endowed a professorship of Indigenous Studies at the University.

The endowment was announced on Dec. 3, 2020, and the University is currently looking to fill the role.

The Humanities Council also launched an Indigenous seminar series in September and seeks to increase awareness and understanding of Indigenous cultures and experiences.

The seminar series was designed by Sarah Rivett, professor of English and American Studies, and members of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Princeton (NAISIP).

Olga Ulturgasheva, a Pathy Distinguished Visitor at the University and guest lecturer in the seminar series, has expressed her enthusiasm for the new initiatives.

Ulturgasheva wrote in

Princeton divest now.

Dr. Anu Ramaswami, leader of Princeton’s new faculty panel working to advise and inform the dissociation process, said that the panel includes faculty from a variety of fields working to discuss the University’s relationship with fossil fuels.

The panel has met fully once and plans to meet once a month. “[The panel] is working on breaking up the topic into manageable chunks,” Ramaswami said.

Mayu Takeuchi ’23, the Sustainability Chair of the Undergraduate Student GovSee CPUC page 2

U.-led clinics start giving COVID-19 vaccine doses to kids ON CAMPUS

BHOOMIKA CHOWDHARY / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

A line forms to the University vaccine clinic in Jadwin Gym.

a statement to The Daily Princetonian that she is “excited to contribute to building an inclusive, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment for scholars, artists and intellectuals from international indigenous and Native North American backgrounds at Princeton.”

The announcement also highlighted existing programs including College Horizons, a college access program focused on academic success for Native students, and Natives at Princeton (NAP), a student community group focused on supporting Native and Indigenous students at Princeton.

Jessica Lambert ’22, copresident of NAP, said that many of the initiatives announced have been a long time in the making, and See NAP page 4

By Zoya Amir Gauhar Staff Writer

The University announced on Nov. 5 that the University-led COVID-19 vaccination clinics will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children between ages five and 11, following authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the State of New Jersey. The University clinic, held in Jadwin Gymnasium, officially began administering pediatric vaccinations on Monday, Nov. 8.

For University faculty with young children, the authorization brings a sense of relief.

“This has been a particularly difficult semester for those of us with young children, who have been straddling the relative safety of the campus community and the unpredictable and unvacci-

nated world of the elementary schools,” wrote History Professor Kevin Kruse in an email to the Daily Princetonian.

“The uncertainties there have been a constant worry for us.”

“I’m thrilled to see that the University is opening the vaccination clinic for young kids,” he added.

University Health Services (UHS) recommends the Jadwin clinic for children eight years and older. While children between five and eight will be able to receive the Pfizer vaccine at the clinics, it is recommended that they receive the vaccine in a pediatric office setting.

The University expects to see an increase in the number of people attending the clinics following the authorization and has added new measures to account for the change.

See CLINIC page 3

IN TOWN

NJ legislation partially banning plastic straws now in effect

By Tara Agarwal Contributor

As of Nov. 4, all New Jersey restaurants and food service establishments are banned from providing single-use plastic straws unless specifically requested by customers, according to legislation passed

by Gov. Phil Murphy and other lawmakers last year.

The ban is part of a statewide move to reduce plastic pollution originating from food and retail businesses.

The next phase of the plan to cut reliance on single-use plastics is scheduled to come into effect on May 4, 2022, when businesses will no longer be allowed to give customers carryout plastic bags or polystyrene food packaging. Convenience

In This Issue

and grocery stores larger than 2,500 square feet will also be fined if found distributing paper bags.

Stores, food service businesses, and grocery stores will receive a warning for the first offense, monetary fines up to $1,000 per day of violation for a repeat offense, and fines ranging up to $5,000 per day for the third offense. Gov. Murphy’s office described this legislation as “the strongest such ban in the country,” according to NBC News.

New Jersey uses 4.4 billion plastic bags annually, contributing to the severity of the plastic problem.

“Single-use plastic straws are one of the most publicly recognized ocean pollutants, causing

ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

See STRAWS page 4

SPORTS PAGE 16

OPINION PAGE 10

Men’s soccer clinched the Ivy League Championship, and both the men’s and women’s teams are heading to the NCAA tournament.

Contributing columnist Audrey Chau argues that Princeton should create a failure-friendly environment so students can get used to reflecting on and recovering from failure.

THE PROSPECT PAGE 12 In honor of National First-Gen Day, we solicited reflections from Princeton’s first-generation and/or low-income community about their experiences.

The Daily Princetonian

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Friday November 12, 2021

Eisgruber: Harvard has done less than what meets the eye ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Members of Divest Princeton stand in at the CPUC meeting.

CPUC

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ernment (USG), asked whether there was any discussion of including student representatives on the committee.

University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 expressed that although the University wants to hear from student voices, the faculty advisers on the panel are “world leaders” in their field. As a result, the University did not feel the need to add students to the panel because of the faculty’s expertise.

Many other students asked about getting involved with the dissociation process throughout the meeting and were met with similar responses.

Takeuchi also asked if there was any discussion of balancing conflicts of interest within the panel and committee, as some faculty members have been funded by fossil fuels, and others have signed Divest Princeton’s open letter.

In response, President Eisgruber said that all of the faculty members will handle their responsibilities with their “scholarly expertise.”

“They are very diverse and have worked on all sides of the topic,” Eisgruber said.

Later in the meeting, Ramaswami added that the faculty panel will remain transparent and that all of their sources will be documented.

Hannah Reynolds ’22 brought up how the Ford Foundation apologized for not divesting from fossil fuels sooner and asked what the faculty will do to handle the current climate crisis in a timely manner.

“How [can Princeton] attract the best and brightest while being one of the last [Ivies] to take action?” she asked.

Reynolds is an Opinion Columnist for The Daily

Princetonian.

Eisgruber answered, stating that the process is being handled with integrity, in a way that “assesses values within the University.”

“It isn’t about what other organizations are doing or saying, but about the values of the University,” Eisgruber added. “Developments at other institutions are not relevant to this committee.”

At the same time, he criticized the divestment efforts of peer institutions.

“Harvard has done less than what meets the eye,” he said.

Eisgruber confirmed that if the University does decide to dissociate from fossil fuels, then that automatically includes divestment, as that is a subset of dissociation.

“If we dissociate, we must divest,” he said.

Izzo issues COVID-19 update Robin Izzo, the Assistant Vice President for Environmental Health and Safety, delivered a COVID-19 update during the meeting.

The risk status on campus remains low. After fall break, there was a small surge among undergraduates, however, there have been none since then, as of Nov. 8. There were four positive COVID-19 cases on campus last week among graduate students, faculty, and staff. When students come back from traveling after Thanksgiving Break, the University will be reviewing the conditions on campus.

“We are planning some relaxation of mask rules now depending on what we see on campus and in the community,” Izzo said.

Izzo also discussed the vaccination clinic in Jadwin Gym, which will now include children aged five through 11. She mentioned how the demand

for booster shots has highly increased on campus, and that they will be working on managing lines and appointments better.

Minter leads DEI Report discussion Vice Provost Michele Minter led a discussion on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report. This is the first year that the University has released such a report. Minter discussed how the University is implementing institutional accountability, with a focus on systematic racism and inequities.

There are three main sections in the report: Climate, Inclusion, and Equity; Academic Experience; and Access and Outreach.

Highlights include the University formally recognizing Juneteenth as an institution-wide holiday, a new Culture and Difference distribution requirement being implemented as of this year, new climate and inclusion committees, the creation of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity (EBC), and the removal of Woodrow Wilson’s name from what is now known as First College and the School of Public and International Affairs.

“We still have a great deal of work to do, and we will be doing it forever,” Minter said.

Erik Sklanka ’23 asked whether the transfer program at Princeton will be expanded or not, considering they only accept around 12 to 16 students out of over 1000 applicants per year.

Elizabeth Colaguiri, the deputy dean of the college, responded that the University is actively planning to expand, and will hopefully double the transfer program as part of the coming expansion of the undergraduate student body.

Dean Jamal is introduced to CPUC board

During the meeting, the new dean of the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), Amaney A. Jamal, was introduced. Jamal, who has been a longtime faculty member in the Department of Politics and researcher at the University, was appointed in June and began her position in September.

“I’m really excited about the new things that we’re going to accomplish,” Jamal said.

Jamal emphasized SPIA’s priority for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that she hopes that an associate dean for this initiative will hopefully be in place by the new year. She has goals to enhance SPIA’s international footprint abroad; augment its profile in Washington, DC; magnify and elevate students’ voices; and enhance the sense of community and belonging around SPIA. “I’m really looking forward to next steps and to working with all of you,” she said.

Jarvis presents Wintersession update Director of Wintersession and Campus Engagement Judy Jarvis discussed the upcoming Wintersession during the meeting. This year will be the first year that Wintersession will be held in-person, completely free of charge, from Jan. 10–23.

So far, over 1,600 students, staff, and faculty have signed up for more than 350 workshops. 116 of the workshops are led by undergraduates. Over 30 of the events are trips, mostly to Philadelphia, New York City, or Trenton. Currently, there are still spots left for students to sign up in at least 150 workshops.

Evening event proposals are still accepted and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Housing and dining will be free for all participants.

“Exploration without grades and without stakes is very beau-

tiful,” Jarvis said.

Q&A Portion During the Q&A portion of the meeting, Mary O’Connor, the manager of the Lewis Center for the Arts (LCA) expressed concerns over a staff member being hit by a car over fall break walking from the intersection at the Berlind Theater to the Dinky Bar. O’Connor stated that “many of us live in fear from crossing the road,” and that “it’s impossible to see cars coming from the corner in that intersection.”

O’Connor was told that there is a Pedestrian and Campus Safety committee working on the issue. Considering that University Place, the road where the incident took place, is a municipal road, the town will also pay attention and work towards making crossing the road safer.

“Exercise caution in driving, wherever you are,” Eisgruber said.

Isabella Shutt ’24 mentioned how the student body overwhelmingly voted last year to make Election Day a Universitywide holiday and asked whether or not the calendar change has been considered and what the conversation surrounding it looks like.

“We don’t think a holiday is the right way to approach it, but we do think that it’s important for us to be supporting these efforts to increase the capacity to vote,” Eisgruber said.

Questions can be added to the CPUC agenda by writing to Christine Gage (cgage@princeton.edu). Questions do not have to be added to the agenda material.

The next CPUC meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 13 at 4:30 pm.

Lia Opperman is a news contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at liaopperman@princeton.edu or @liamariaaaa on Instagram.

HEADLINE FROM HISTORY

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POLLS SHOW SUPPORT RISE FOR CRUZ ’92, FALL FOR CHRISTIE NOV 12, 2015

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The Daily Princetonian

Friday November 12, 2021

Dolan: Grading is local, and it’s also very discipline specific USG

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ing as well. They opened a discussion regarding class grading.

They prefaced the discussion by saying that they easily receive feedback from faculty on the subject, but they would like to use USG meetings as an outlet to more frequently discuss student opinions and attitudes toward grading policy.

Sustainability chair Mayu Takeuchi ’23 asked them to expand on what motivated their desire to initiate these discussions.

“The steep increase in the [amount of] ‘A’ grades,” Dolan answered. “What I’m most concerned about is what it means.”

Dean Dolan referenced a graph from her presentation showing the course grade point average for all undergraduate courses since 1985, highlighting the fact that there has been a .172 point increase since the 2015 academic year.

In response to this data, Class of 2022 senator Reade Ben suggested that grading among departments is very different.

“What an ‘A’ means to an AB student studying history is very different from a BSE student who wants to become an engineer,” he said.

Several members of the USG Senate participated in the discussion, making points about Pass/D/Fail policies, pre-college academic experiences and their effects on performance in college, as well as the competitive culture surrounding academics and the effects of college grades on students’ post-graduate prospects.

The Deans also explained the recent history of grading policy. In 2004 the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing instituted a policy that limited the amount of A’s that a professor could give to students in one class. This policy was reversed in 2014, before Dolan was selected to become the Dean of the College.

“After that, the assumption was that the depart-

ments would take control of how they grade students,” Dean Dolan said. “Grading is local, and it’s also very discipline specific.”

Dean Dolan also provided data on the percent of courses that students selected to PDF. During the spring of 2020, the percentage of courses that were PDF-ed more than tripled.

In an attempt to provide a student’s perspective to Dean Dolan on the University’s PDF policy, Class of 2022 Senator Brad Phelps shared a personal anecdote.

“I think I’m going to PDF my language class,“ he said, eliciting a laugh from those in attendance. “It’s because I care about learning the language that I want to have that option,“ he added.

Senate vice president Ashwin Mahadevan ’22 suggested that grades might not affect learning as much as some think they do.

“Going into a class, I don’t think [about my grade in that class]” he said. “Which is why I don’t think [grading] impacts the learning as heavily as you might think it does.”

The conversation ended with a dialogue on the competitive culture of academia in the U.S., with Dean Dolan emphasizing that education is multifaceted.

“Teaching and learning is a dialogue, assessment should be a part of that dialogue,” Dean Dolan said towards the end of the meeting.

The Senate also unanimously approved the confirmation of two new members to the Honor Committee.

Out of 12 applicants, Amar Abou-Hussein ’25 and Seth O’Connor ’25 were selected by the selection committee, which is composed of members of the USG and the Honor Committee.

USG Senate meetings are held in Robertson Hall Room 016 at 8 p.m. on Sunday evenings and are open to all.

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Kruse: I’m thrilled to see that the University is opening the vaccination clinic for young kids CLINIC

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“We have expanded the number of staff members in the clinics, and we have scheduled the hours to be convenient for our campus community, allowing our members to get a vaccine while at work, during lunch, or between classes,” wrote Media Relations Specialist Ayana Gibbs, in an email to the ‘Prince.’

“That also included extending the hours for the Pfizer vaccine to make it more convenient to bring children after school,” she added.

Gibbs also specified the reason the University is running the clinics in the first place is to serve the community.

“The University is organizing vaccination clinics to facilitate the vaccination of students, employees, and their families as well as serving the local community,” Gibbs wrote. “We are willing to continue with vaccination clinics while there is high demand.”

Some professors plan to make use of the pediatric vaccination clinics held by the University.

The pandemic has been particularly difficult for Director of the Spanish Language Program Alberto Bruzos Moro, who has two children, including an immunocompromised son.

“I was very happy to learn that the vaccination clinics at the University [are] expanding vaccinations to children between ages 5 and 11,” Bruzos wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’ “We will try to get our daughter vaccinated on [Nov. 7]. Unfortunately, our son won’t be able to get his vaccine until January.”

Other professors plan to schedule their kids’ vaccinations at their pediatrician’s office. Kruse intends to take this route, simply because the times at his local office fit better into his teaching schedule.

Paul Frymer, professor of politics and director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs, has similar plans.

“We already signed up our

child for a vaccination elsewhere, but otherwise, we appreciate the University doing it and would have considered it if we hadn’t already made an appointment (and now, vaccination),” Frymer wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’

Adults and children five years or older may attend clinics being held on Wednesdays from 12–6 p.m. on Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15.

The University strongly recommends scheduling an appointment through the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System, as walk-capacity will be limited. Waiting outdoors may be required. Those with appointments will be prioritized.

Zoya Amir Gauhar is a staff writer for the ‘Prince’. She primarily reports on science and research at the University. She enjoys combining her background in science with interviews to learn more about the people behind the research. She can be reached at zgauhar@princeton.edu.

Andrew Somerville is a staff writer who corresponds with and covers USG happenings and other campus news. He can be reached at jas19@princeton. edu.

THE MINI CROSSWORD

By Katherine Dailey and Ava Milberg Staff Constructors

MINI #1

MORE ONLINE

scan to read more !

NEWS

Paul McCartney publishes book ‘The Lyrics’ edited by Prof. Muldoon Miguel Gracia-Zhang, Staff Writer Gabriel Robare, Co-Head Puzzles Editor ACROSS 1 5 6 7

Absorb Fruit picked at orchards in the fall Filial ___ (virtue preached by Confucius) Units of measurement for land used in real estate 8 Caboose DOWN 1 Pumpkin ___ latte 2 Art form with a phantom, per a 1980s Broadway musical 3 Change 4 Word repeated twice before “Who’s there?”

5 Music, theater, etc.

See page 7 for more

THE PROSPECT

What ‘The Chair’ gets right about women of color in academia Aditi Desai, Senior Writer NEWS

Julia Berndtsson ’23 co-authors paper presenting possible planet beyond Milky Way Tara Agarwal, Contributor

The Daily Princetonian

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Friday November 12, 2021

Murphy: This is the strongest plastic ban in the country STRAWS

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massive numbers of sea turtle deaths. Even though straws don’t account for the largest proportion of plastic pollution, they represent a proportion that can easily be mitigated,” Marissa Bornn ’25, a member of the Princeton Conservation Society, told The Daily Princetonian.

The legislation initially proposed banning plastic straws entirely. However, disability rights advocates prompted a transformation of the ban into a partial restriction, allowing for straws to be provided on request.

The law was thus modified so that stores will be “required to keep an adequate supply of single-use plastic straws,” and further noted that stores can

continue to sell packages of single-use plastic straws and beverages that are “pre-packaged by the manufacturer with a singleuse plastic straw.” “[T]aking steps to limit the amount of waste produced on campus has been an important part of Campus Dining’s sustainability efforts for years,” Deputy University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’ He explained that in 2018, Campus Dining eliminated self-service plastic straws and plastic takeaway bags, and replaced plastic utensils with plant-based utensils.

“At that time, sales of water in plastic bottles was eliminated, and single-serve water is sold today in easily recycled aluminum cans,” Hotchkiss added.

“Styrofoam products have not been used in Campus Dining for more than 20 years.”

He noted, however, that “nationwide supply-chain problems have temporarily limited availability of some of these more sustainable products.”

COVID-19 pandemic-associated disruptions have curbed other states’ moves towards sustainability as well. In April 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom temporarily suspended the 2016 ban on plastic bags for a two-month period.

New Jersey is not the first state to take such measures.

Legislation to dissuade the use of single-use plastics was first introduced in California, where stores were prohibited from distributing plastic bags and instructed to charge customers at least 10 cents for paper bags.

New York, Vermont, and Connecticut followed suit with various levels of restrictions, and New Jersey was the ninth state to prohibit throw-away plastics.

Other states have taken contrasting approaches: Florida has preemption laws that prevent local counties or cities from banning particular plastics and foam.

As of Nov. 7, Wawa has updated its store policy in accordance with the legislation. Signs near coffee counters now read: “Please ask a register associate if you need a straw.”

However, establishments on Nassau Street appear to be still implementing these changes.

Junbi, a bubble tea store in town, was recently seen distributing plastic straws alongside customers’ tea without special request.

“We’re going to need a lot of help reaching out to our merchants, especially our small merchants for whom English is not necessarily their first language, to make sure that they understand the rules,” said

Councilmember and Environmental Commission liaison Eve Niedergang GS ’85 in an interview with the ‘Prince.’

According to the legislature, exceptions on certain plastics like long-handled polystyrene foam spoons, small cups of two ounces or less, trays for raw meat and food pre-packaged in polystyrene by the manufacturer will remain in place until May 4, 2024. The law will be enforced by the Department of Environmental Protection along with other entities and will overwrite individual county or city policies.

Tara Agarwal is a news contributor for The Daily Princetonian.

She can be reached at ta3150@ princeton.edu.

News contributor Charlie Roth contributed reporting.

Lambert: By continuing to occupy stolen land, Princeton’s role in Native land dispossession is ongoing NAP

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that it was largely the work of student and faculty advocates that made them possible.

Lambert added that she and several other students started the Princeton Indigenous Advocacy Coalition (PIAC) in 2019. They referenced resources offered to Native and Indigenous students at other colleges, especially Cornell University, to help guide their advocacy for resources like spaces for Native and Indigenous students.

“I’m very grateful because

[the University] has been very responsive,” Lambert said of the current initiatives. She further elaborated that land acknowledgement is important, but the University must reckon with its past active role in Native land dispossession.

“By continuing to occupy stolen land, Princeton’s role in Native land dispossession is ongoing,” Lambert added.

She also emphasized the need for more representation in faculty and staff and the necessity of creating a center for Native and Indigenous students.

Keely Toledo ’22, co-president of NAP, echoed this sentiment.

Toledo explained that the majority of the progress is due to advocacy from student groups such as PIAC, NAISIP, and faculty. “I appreciate the announcement, [but] I think recognition is due,” she told the ‘Prince.’

Jasmyn Dobson is a staff writer who often covers the School of Public and International Affairs. She can be reached at jbednar@princeton. edu.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Wendy Schmidt was a member of the class of 1976. The ‘Prince’ regrets this error.

Friday November 12, 2021

The Daily Princetonian

T his Week in Photos

page 5

By Samantha Lopez-Rico, Abby de Riel, Guanyi Cao, and Angel Kuo Staff Photographers

SAMANTHA LOPEZ-RICO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

A tree in the midst of changing colors near the University Chapel.

GUANYI CAO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

The setting sun casts Lewis Library in gold light.

GUANYI CAO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Sunlight shines through vibrant fall leaves near Butler College.

GUANYI CAO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

First-year defender Dominique Cormier gets into position during the women’s ice hockey game against Union College on Saturday.

ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Nomad Pizza catered pizza to hungry students at the Rocky/Mathey Fall Fest.

ANGEL KUO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

On the last day before the daylight savings time change, people enjoyed the latest sunset for a while.

ABBY DE RIEL / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Fall colors on trees near First College.

Friday November 12, 2021

Features

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }

Can’t bring back the past?

Of course we can: A Roaring 20s ball for the Classes of the 2020s

By Tori Tinsley

Staff Features Writer

Daisys and Gatsbys on a discotheque dance floor, 20th-century pop hits, and elaborate 1920s-style entrees and desserts: Princeton’s “Roaring Twenties’’ themed Orange and Black Ball (OBB) on Nov. 4 was filled with all the glitz and glam that many missed coming out of multiple remote semesters.

Undergraduate Student Government (USG) 2023 Class President Taryn Sebba ’23, who chaired the OBB Committee, highlighted the particular significance of the event to the current Princeton community.

“I think it’s an event that’s both very inspiring given the times that we’re in and everything that we as a student body have lost being off campus for a year,” Sebba said. “And, it also shows that we’re here to make up for that lost time, and be better and bigger than ever before!”

Many students shared Sebba’s sentiments.

The ball saw an attendance increase of about 500 students since the last time it was held two years ago. According to Sebba, back in 2019, only 1,400–1,500 students attended, while this year approximately 2,000 students — roughly half of the undergraduate student population — made their way to Dillon gym.

Students at OBB came for a slew of reasons.

For Calvin Hunt ’24, the ball was a chance to make up for opportunities lost during the pandemic.

“After two years of Zoom classes and sweatpants it was nice having an excuse to dress up,” he said. “I just had to [come]! I had to hang out with friends! It’s been a while. I haven’t been to a dance in like two years!”

Ananya Grover ’24 said she and Tanushree Banerjee ’24 showed up “to have fun,” and, as Banerjee mentioned, laughing, “to lose our voices!”

Grover is a web designer for The Daily Princetonian.

Not only did Princeton students show up, many arrived outfitted fully in themed garb — they donned flapper dresses, fancy suits, feathered headpieces, and boa scarfs. But not everyone was dressed formally. Styles at OBB ranged from all-out 1920s regalia to would-have-been prom outfits to Halloween costumes to comfy sweats.

For Sebba, the variety is part of what made the ball so special.

“The beauty of OBB lies in the fact that people can come however they want,” she said. “You saw some people in sweatpants rolling up from Firestone. You saw other people decked out in 1920s gear.”

One such person, Bryan Perez ’22, came to OBB wearing a self-described “gangster vest,” completing his Roaring 20’s outfit with a pocket watch he said he purchased from Party City. Camila Vasquez ’23, who was with Perez, joked that the watch was a “family heirloom.” Vasquez came to the ball wearing her Halloween costume: a Gatsby-style dress topped with a headpiece and pearls.

USG Class Vice President Ive Jones ’24 also came in style, showcasing what she described as “a black one-shoulder dress” with “a tulip hemline and some ruffling.” To complete the look, she wore some “black glitter shoes and a pink sparkly sash,” as well as “a flapper headband, and pearls.”

Deniz Erdag ’25 wore an outfit that exemplified the combination of formal and comfortable many of the student attendees opted for. She described the rationale for her sartorial choices: “I have a black beaded dress and leggings because it’s cold. This is the closest thing I had that matched the theme.”

Reflecting on the range of outfits and commitment to the Roaring 20s theme amongst the student body, Sebba said that what she “really wanted to push for was accessibility and also equity in this event.” One of the ways she thinks USG worked to make the theme more inclusive was by providing a collection of accessories by the photo booth for attendees to take photos in and later wear throughout the night.

“By providing accessories it really made it a lot more inclusive than previous years where people maybe don’t have the means to dress up or simply don’t want to or can’t because of their class schedules,” Sebba said.

For Sebba, the treasure trove of accessories, among other measures, played a role in maintaining the OBB as an event where “anyone and everyone can show up in whatever they want

and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Amid the excitement of dancing, the thrill of dressing up or dressing down, and the allure of casino-like activities, many students enjoyed spending quality time with friends. When asked what her favorite part of the night was, Sally Jane Ruybalid ’22 said that it was “just being here with friends.”

Ruybalid is an Opinion Columnist for the ‘Prince.’

Sebba shared that the class government felt the need to bring back OBB to allow for students of all class years to come together.

“I think everyone [has] just really been missing the ability to freely interact with other students, and also to just celebrate life and celebrate being a Princeton student,” she said.

Overall, Sebba expressed how proud she was with the outcome of OBB, especially with the class government’s ability to keep the event safe given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and make it equitable, accessible, and inclusive for students of many different backgrounds.

When it came to inclusivity, Sebba offered thoughts for how she believes future OBBs could be improved. This year’s OBB fell on the same day as the Hindu religious holiday Diwali, which is an important celebration for many members of the student body.

“The date was already chosen by ODUS. We had the jurisdiction to choose the theme, different catering options, buy props and decorations, but we were handed the date,” she explained.

Sebba told the ‘Prince’ that her concern about the overlap with observed religious holidays for the future was expressed by USG to ODUS, and they hope for change in the future.

Looking forward, Sebba said she sees the Orange and Black Ball as an important and unifying fixture of the undergraduate social calendar.

“I truly and deeply hope the Orange and Black Ball never goes out of style,” she said.

Tori Tinsley is a Staff Features Writer and a Staff Copy-editor for The Daily Princetonian. She can be reached at ett2@princeton.edu.

ZOE BERMAN / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Dillon Gym during OBB.

The Daily Princetonian

Friday November 12, 2021

page 7

Black and White and Red All Over By: Katherine Dailey, Staff Constructor ACROSS

1 Devastating August 2021 hurricane 4 “___ comes from within.

Do not seek it without“: Buddha 9 Rough talk?

13 Creamy holiday drinK 14 The only way to unmarry in the Catholic Church 15 ___ commentary 16 The ‘A’ in IPA 17 Conspicuous 19 *Dorothy’s saviors 21 Kwanzaa principle 22 Ursula’s minion 23 Lie in the sun 26 Art school in Ga. 27 *“Blood is rare and sweet as ___“: Hozier 31 Cabinet dept. headed by Xavier Becerra 32 Fly high 33 Book Leaf 34 *What one might buy for an iPhone 37 Actress Katherine of “27 Dresses“ 40 Look into the future 41 Status ___ 44 *“She Will Be Loved“ band 47 Director James 48 Fields of food?

49 ___ the line 50 Wedding dinner speech, often 51 *Avenger played by

Elizabeth Olsen 55 Popular NYC shopping street on a car

58 Cool drummer?

59 Where one might go

bowling 60 “Hello, ___”: Adele 61 “___ (Taylor’s Version),” or a hint to the start of the starred clues 62 2010 Ke$ha hit 63 Biblical verb with “thou” 64 Purdue citation site

DOWN

1 Hurried 2 Grab a meal 3 Discrimination against the elderly 4 Parkinson in “Harry Potter” 5 Unstable chemical

compound 6 Opposite of pro 7 Brink 8 Running mate?

9 Commits larceny 10 Music genre prefix 11 Lead-in to la 12 Occupied leader?

15 Fun-shaped BBQ side

29 30 32 34

35 The year 205 36 Is after you?

18 One who can 40-Across 20 Since Jan. 1 23 Discovered something new, in text-speak 24 Darth Vader’s childhood nickname 25 Keanu Reeves’s role in “The Matrix” 27 Robber chaser, in a

children’s game 28 Foster in Princeton’s Art

MINI #2

ACROSS

1 Econ category

6 Extraterrestrial creature 7 Parties hard, in modern lingo 8 Quality of bread after being left out 9 Long ago, long ago

DOWN

1 Planet which may have liquid water

and Archaeology

Department Online mortgage funding platform “___ is me” (often

sarcastic lament) Covered in spots Fourth word of the “Star Wars” intro

50 Chirpy message?

51 Lose sleep (over) 52 Actor Jared of “Suicide Squad” 53 First word in

Massachusetts’s motto 54 Brand-name heartburn relief 55 The ___ Five, nickname for the “Queer Eye”cast 56 Unwell

37 A musing sound 38 You might lend it to a friend 57 Aunt ___ (one’s period, 39 Tax returns org. euphemistically) 41 Four, in Rome 42 Remove, as a light bulb 43 Kept quiet 45 Government org. that monitors weather 46 Ardent 47 “There but for the grace

HANNAH MITTLEMAN / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

The Minis MINI #3

ACROSS

1 Fruit borne by the tree in St. Augustine’s “Confessions” 6 Book of maps 7 Seven-day mourning period in Judaism 8 Dalai Lama’s land 9 Not bases

DOWN

2 Off to ___ start (delayed)

1 Penne, farfalle, and rigatoni are some

3 “Close but no ___”

2 Work ___

4 Instagram feature imitating Tiktok

3 Cover story

5 Beginning

of God ___”

4 Spoke with great enthusiasm 5 One of two tests students take during the college process, for short

Scan to check your answers and try more of our puzzles online!

Friday November 12, 2021

Opinion

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }

The ‘Princeton Plague’ and its harmful effects on first-years Tara Shukla and Laya Reddy Contributing Columnists

T

his fall, the so-called “Freshman Flu,” or “Princeton Plague,” has swept through the student body like a wildfire. In the past few weeks, many students have suffered from symptoms ranging from coughs and runny noses to fevers and fatigue. Despite experiencing these COVID19-like symptoms, our COVID-19 tests come back (thankfully) negative. Instead of holing up in our dorm rooms with Benadryl and packets of Emergen-C, we’ve dragged ourselves to classes and precepts to avoid racking up absences. As a result, germs have spread, and countless students have fallen ill.

In recent columns, Brittani Telfair ’22 and Ana Blanco ’23 have highlighted the failures of McCosh Health Center and academic sick policies, respectively, in helping students healthily recover from illness. We agree with their arguments, as it is becoming increasingly clear that none of the University’s current resources counter the bureaucratic and cultural flaws in their health response policy.

However, we want to highlight the effects these failures have had on first-year students who have had to navigate these issues during our first few months in college.

This is not to say the Princeton administration hasn’t taken any action to address university-wide community health. For instance, University Health Services (UHS) recently hosted Flu Fest — a multi-day clinic offering free flu immunizations to students, faculty, and staff.

Residential colleges have also provided localized support, including facilitating communications with professors and even distributing care packages. Yet students are still getting sick, and when current University policies force students to prioritize either health or education, this fosters a stress culture and creates inequitable learning conditions that any number of care packages can’t fix.

For first-years, these policies teach us that academic success is more valuable than our health. With no prior college experience to teach us differently, such sacrifices become normalized, setting a dangerous precedent for how we value our well-being throughout our college career. To counter this, the Uni-

versity should utilize the lessons it learned from remote education to alter attendance guidelines and promote a safe and accessible learning environment in a post-quarantine world.

Outside of pandemic-related precautions, attendance requirements are left up to the discretion of individual instructors. While all professors try to be understanding, University guidelines prevent them from providing alternate methods of attendance; their class policies might have variable flexibility depending on the needs of the curriculum. For many classes, two or three unexcused absences could severely impact one’s grade. When students are penalized so harshly for absences, they will make one of two choices: attend class while sick, or stay home and risk dropping their grades.

Especially for first-years — unused to failure and still adjusting to Princeton’s academic expectations — it is inevitable that we choose to attend.

The University should normalize providing open and unrestricted access to alternative learning channels to students of all abilities. Needing access to remote learning is nothing to be ashamed of.

Simply put, one shouldn’t have to be exposed to COVID-19 to attend a class virtually. After all, if the University’s COVID-19 policies recognize virtual learning as a viable option, why can’t the administration extend this to University attendance guidelines for other illnesses?

Inadequacies at McCosh also have a disproportionate impact on first-year students, who are likely interacting with the center for the first time. McCosh serves as the primary resource for sick students; however, it has recently faced criticism for its focus on COVID-19, and inattention to daily student health struggles. For instance, we spoke with Maiya Raghu ’25, who found UHS to be “very disorganized,” citing the “difficulty in getting an appointment with them despite being incredibly sick.” Additionally, when John Wallar ’25 recently visited McCosh for a recurring cough and cold, he was instructed to take cold medication and only return if his symptoms significantly worsened.

Overall, it is clear that McCosh lacks the resources to pay adequate attention to the “Princeton Plague” while keeping a handle on the spread

of COVID-19. It is an unfair burden to expect students to chase after medical treatment on top of their academic and social commitments. Especially considering the unique burden on first-year students trying to acclimate to a new place, find community, and keep up with our academics, McCosh’s negligence towards our health could alienate members of our class, making us feel unwelcome as we adjust to life in the Orange Bubble.

Some might wonder if the ‘Princeton Plague’ should be brushed off as part of the introductory transition to college. The “freshman flu” is no new phenomenon. Grace Rosenberg ’23 told us that she vividly remembers getting sick her first semester as a freshman. But she insists that “the freshman flu should not be a rite of passage,” and I agree. In Princeton’s transition to a post-quarantine “new normal,” it’s time to leave behind suffering through classes while sick.

The University’s blasé attitude toward the freshman flu is symptomatic of a larger issue. Its unsustainable subculture of academic pressure teaches us first-years that students should prioritize academic success at the cost of physical and mental health.

With four long years ahead of us, it’s important for the University to explicitly teach us healthy habits and prioritization.

For many of us dragging ourselves to lectures as we cough through our nights, we urge the administration to alter their sickness policies to better ensure a safe campus and healthy academic culture. As new Tigers enter our community, excited and impressionable, it’s important to set the right precedent for the rest of their time at Princeton.

The pandemic has given us a chance to challenge our current system: Let’s learn from COVID-19 and start prioritizing student health.

Tara Shukla is a first-year from Highland Park, N.J., who is interested in education policy and economics. For her, the worst part of Princeton is the dementors.

Tara can be reached at ts6796@ princeton.edu.

Laya Reddy is a first-year from Chicago, IL intending to concentrate in Economics with certificates in Finance and Journalism.

She enjoys watching sitcom reruns and devouring poetry in her free time. She can be reached at lr3956@princeton.edu.

vol. cxlv

editor-in-chief Emma Treadway ’22 business manager Louis Aaron ’23

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 second vice president David Baumgarten ’06 secretary Chanakya A. Sethi ’07 treasurer Douglas Widmann ’90 assistant treasurer Kavita Saini ’09

trustees Francesca Barber Kathleen Crown Gabriel Debenedetti ’12 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 Michael Grabell ’03 John G. Horan ’74 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Abigail Williams ’14 Tyler Woulfe ’07 trustees ex officio Emma Treadway ’22 Louis Aaron ’23

145TH MANAGING BOARD managing editors Harsimran Makkad ’22 AG McGee ’22 Kenny Peng ’22 Zachary Shevin ’22 content strategist Omar Farah ’23 Sections listed in alphabetical order. head cartoon editors Sydney Peng ’22 Akaneh Wang ’24 associate cartoon editors Inci Karaaslan ’24 Ambri Ma ’24 head copy editors Celia Buchband ’22 Isabel Rodrigues ’23 associate copy editors Catie Parker ’23 Cecilia Zubler ’23 digital news design editor Anika Maskara ’23 associate digital news design editor Brian Tieu ’23 graphics editor Ashley Chung ’23 instagram design editor Helen So ’22 print design editor Abby Nishiwaki ’23 newsletter editor Rooya Rahin ’23 head features editor Alex Gjaja ’23 Rachel Sturley ’23 associate features editors Annabelle Duval ’23 Ellen Li ’22 Tanvi Nibhanupudi ’23 multimedia liason Mark Dodici ’22 head photo editor Candace Do ’24

head podcast editor Isabel Rodrigues ’23 associate podcast editors Jack Anderson ’23 Francesca Block ’22 Hope Perry ’24 head video editor Mindy Burton ’23 associate video editors Uanne Chang ’24 Daniel Drake ’24 Marko Petrovic ’24 head news editors Evelyn Doskoch ’23 Caitlin Limestahl ’23 associate news editors Bharvi Chavre ’23 Naomi Hess ’22 Marissa Michaels ’22 head opinion editor Shannon Chaffers ’22 associate opinion editors Won-Jae Chang ’24 Kristal Grant ’24 Mollika Singh ’24 head prospect editors Cameron Lee ’22 Auhjanae McGee ’23 associate prospect editors José Pablo Fernández García ’23 Aster Zhang ’24 head puzzles editors Gabriel Robare ’24 Owen Travis ’24 head sports editor Emily Philippides ’22 associate sports editors Ben Burns ’23 Sreesha Ghosh ’23

145TH BUSINESS BOARD chief technology officer Pranav Avva ’24 assistant business manager Benjamin Cai ’24 business directors Gloria Wang ’24 Shirley Ren ’24 Samantha Lee ’24 David Akpokiere ’24 lead software engineer, system architect Areeq Hasan ’24 project manager Ananya Parashar ’24 business-tech liason Anika Agarwal ’25

software engineers Rishi Mago ’23 Joanna Tang ’24 Dwaipayan Saha ’24 Roma Bhattacharjee ’25 Giao Vu Dinh ’24 Eugenie Choi ’24 Daniel Hu ’25 Kohei Sanno ’25 business associates Jasmine Zhang ’24 Jonathan Lee ’24 Caroline Zhao ’25 Chief Technology Officer Emeritus Anthony Hein ’22

THIS PRINT ISSUE WAS DESIGNED BY Annie Rupertus ’25 Juliana Wojtenko ’23 Ariana Di Landro ’25 Brooke McCarthy ’25

Dimitar Chakarov ’24 Mark Dodici ’22 Thanya Begum ’23

AND COPY-EDITED BY Isabel Rodrigues ’23

MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

McCosh Health Center houses University Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CPS) as well as the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office.

Done reading your ‘Prince’?

Recycle!

Friday November 12, 2021

Opinion

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‘Should Princeton Exist?’ Is the Wrong Question Ava Milberg Columnist

L

ast month, the Atlantic published an article examining the question of whether Princeton should exist. Atlantic staff writer Emma Green interviewed President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, probing him about Princeton’s role and responsibilities as an educational institution, both in the past and the present.

The issues of racism and inequality discussed in the interview are extremely important. But I do not believe that asking “should Princeton exist?” is the most effective way of addressing them.

The phrasing of the question suggests there is some cause for the erasure of Princeton. It implies that Princeton’s tainted history could be grounds for the total elimination of the institution, that its transgressions completely delegitimize its existence.

While Princeton’s racist and wrongful history should most definitely be confronted and addressed, terminating the institution may not be the best way to do so. That type of decision faintly echoes the sentiment of cancel culture; if you make a mistake, you are unseated rather than given an opportunity to learn

from it, reform, and redeem yourself.

If our ultimate goal is to form a just and inclusive society, we ought to grant people and institutions room for error. When people and institutions can afford to make mistakes, the lessons they take away can be incredibly transformative, ideally triggering a shift in mindset so that not only is the mistake addressed, but the harmful ideology behind it is, too. However, if our response to error is to eradicate all erring bodies, the individual offenses will be called out, but the ideological root of these errors will not be addressed properly.

Princeton exists, and Princeton’s history is marred with social injustice. But if tomorrow Princeton ceased to exist, I do not believe we would be properly addressing these injustices. Instead, they would just vanish, since the institution that created them would be disbanded. Under such circumstances, there would be no course for redress as the establishment at fault would have disappeared. In this context, there would be no way to meaningfully hold Princeton accountable for its racist actions.

At points Green invokes this sentiment, asking Eisgruber what is the “best way to not just debate about

names on buildings, but actually address Princeton’s role in perpetuating systems of racism.” The School of Public and International Affairs is a wonderful example of the tension between engaging with injustices on and beneath the surface.

The renaming of the former Woodrow Wilson School to the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, owing to President Wilson’s racist past, bore great significance, as discussed in the article. Eisgruber notes that harmful symbols and names can play a role in making “students feel less like this campus is a place where I really count.”

By renaming the school,

MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

The Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs (SPIA).

Princeton took a step in the right direction, removing a name that, at its worst, stood as a threat to students. However, as important as this decision was, to properly address the issue at hand — Princeton’s racist history — we need to do more than just rename schools. We need to address the wrongful behaviors and attitudes held by the people behind these names.

This can take place in many ways: we can start by diversifying both the school and its curriculum and reforming vestiges of systemic racism within our school.

It is these more expansive efforts that ultimately promote an anti-racist attitude and will help the school confront its fraught history. If we do not engage in these efforts, the removal of particular names rings hollow; it is imperative that we not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.

By asking if Princeton should exist, we miss the mark, promoting a model of eradicating racist institutions rather than encouraging reflection and reform within these institutions so we can promote anti-racist ideologies. Rather than asking whether Princeton should exist, I think the more appropriate question to ask would be: how can Princeton exist in a just and equitable way?

Ava Milberg is a sophomore from New York City. She can be reached at amilberg@princeton.edu.

Calling for the reform of FYRE panels Stephenie Chen

Contributing Columnist

A

s one of the panelists for the Gender & Sexuality “First Year Residential Experience” (FYRE) panels that occurred within the first month of classes, I was excited to finally discuss a topic that meant a lot to me and share my story and key information on experiences of gender and sexuality with my peers.

However, I became discouraged as I watched students walk out of the event because they “were in the wrong place,” leave halfway, or play on their phones the entire time.

As a first-year student who had to sit through many other FYRE panels myself, I definitely understood this sentiment — no one likes sitting through compulsory events that they view as irrelevant to their experience. However, when FYRE panels touch upon important topics that can impact the safety and tolerance of a community like Princeton’s, it makes it all the more important for students to listen. Instead of bombarding students with more lectures on top of the already overwhelming number of orientation events, Princeton should take a condensed approach that genuinely engages students with the content, provides students with the necessary information, and highlights the relevance.

The University’s FYRE panels aim to help students “develop the skills to build meaningful relationships with peers that may hold identities and backgrounds that are different from their own.”

Princeton is grossly mistaken if they believe that a set of panels with University affiliates lecturing at first-year

students will instantly translate into character growth.

In theory, these panels are of paramount importance — they touch on important issues that promote values of respect and consideration within the community, as well as providing resources that students can turn to during their four years at the University. However, the poor execution of these panels takes what could be a valuable learning experience and makes students view them as a waste of time instead.

For example, these panels touch on topics such as gender and the LGBTQIA+ community. In a class year in which 1.5 percent of students identify as nonbinary or genderqueer and 27.5 percent are not heterosexual, and given that issues of biphobia and transphobia still plague the school, it could not be more necessary for students to learn about their classmates’ identities, even if they don’t identify with these groups, themselves.

The programming also includes panels on Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE), consent, and sexual harassment, important topics that students need to be educated on in order to prevent and safeguard against harm, especially on a college campus.

Princeton clearly recognizes the importance of these topics by making these panels mandatory. However, the structure of the panels, often in the form of hour-long presentations with speakers providing students with information about campus resources or aiming to spark dialogue, causes students to view these panels as tedious and unnecessary.

Although residential colleges attempt to take attendance at the panels by provid-

ing a QR code for registration, many students merely send these codes to their friends, allowing them to log their “attendance” without being physically present.

I’m not advocating for more stringent attendance policies here — even if there were a way to ensure full attendance, how much would students learn from panels if they didn’t want to be there in the first place?

Instead, the University should reevaluate its execution of them — rather than seminar-style sessions that students can easily ignore, Princeton should consider distilling the sessions into the most important information, thus cutting down the time that students need to be physically present for.

The University should also consider making them more engaging. For example, the PSAFE performance received incredible reviews, with the drama and humor resulting in students being more likely to pay attention and retain

the information as a result.

One of the most enriching events at Princeton for me so far was during orientation week, when we discussed the Pre-read, “Moving Up Without Losing Your Way.” Being in an intimate community, sharing our own experiences, making the discussions relevant to ourselves, and listening to those of our peers’, along with discussing our unfiltered thoughts about the book, resulted in a bonding experience that brought our zee group closer together.

Princeton should emulate events like these, not lectures that students can easily tune out without retaining any information.

Students will naturally identify information that is important to them. My friends know the value of SHARE and the services they provide. I’ve witnessed people immediately pull out their phone and dial PSAFE after seeing someone inebriated to a dangerous extent. These topics are immediately rel-

evant to our experiences here at Princeton, and we will utilize resources introduced to us without an accompanying hour-long lecture.

Ultimately, the University needs to trust that students don’t need this information drilled into them, as long as they provide the resources, preferably in their most basic form. Instead of overloading students with information, it would be exponentially more effective to educate them on the effects, importance, and relevance of the topics discussed through a smaller set of shorter small-group discussions that genuinely engage the students involved.

These panels have so much potential to shape the perspectives of incoming students and contribute to a culture of respect and understanding — it’s time for the execution to match the intent.

Stephenie Chen is a first-year from Hong Kong. She can be reached at stephchen@princeton.edu.

CANDACE DO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Class of 2025 students walk at the Pre-Rade.

Friday November 12, 2021

Opinion

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Why Princeton must include Divest Princeton members in deliberation on fossil fuel divestment Hannah Reynolds Columnist

I

n late May 2021, Princeton University’s Board of Trustees announced plans to partially divest from the fossil fuel industry. Many celebrated the news as a historic announcement: the furthest a fossil fuel divestment campaign has ever gotten at Princeton, coming after over a decade of organizing and five different iterations of the campaign.

But if Princeton’s plans to divest from coal and tar sands was such a historic decision, why are there still over 2,500 Princetonians withholding donations from the University? Why are there still posters all over campus for sit-ins in front of Nassau Hall? Why

does Divest Princeton still exist if Princeton finally decided to do something?

The answer is: Princeton’s announcement hasn’t led to any substantial action regarding divestment.

Instead, Princeton has continued to move slowly, implementing bureaucratic obstacles to taking concrete actions on divestment. The shortcomings of Princeton’s dissociation process have been well documented, including in recent columns

by Lynne Archibald ’87 and Lucia Wetherill ’25.

Yet one troubling aspect I would like to highlight, as the co-coordinator of Divest Princeton and someone with an intimate knowledge of the dissociation process thus far, is the fact that the current dissociation process has no plans to include representatives from Divest

Princeton or any other students, despite their uniquely informed perspectives on divestment stemming from years of rigorous engagement with all the aspects of the original divestment proposal sent to the Resources Committee.

There are no students participating in the deliberations on divestment happening within the Administrative Committee and the Faculty Panel on Dissociation. The young people whose lives are at stake — and whose lives are actively being harmed by Princeton’s continued delay of necessary climate action — do not have a seat at the table.

Representatives from Divest Princeton like myself, who worked closely with the Resources Committee on the proposal sent to the

COURTESY OF ANNA HILTNER

Members of Divest Princeton after submitting their proposal to the CPUC Resources Committee in February.

Board, are not included in the discussions and interpretations of our months of hard work. We have read hundreds of articles on the fossil fuel industry, investment vehicles, and stranded assets. We know about CO2 capture, net zero versus real zero, green hydrogen versus blue hydrogen. We have worked with environmental scholars and activists from around the country and around the world. We have attended and hosted hours of Zoom conferences, delving into topics as diverse as disinformation and fiduciary responsibility. We are Princeton students and future world leaders, yet our intellect and experience is not valued by Princeton.

Without inclusion of the students, alumni, and faculty who led the Divest Princeton campaign for the past two years, Princeton creates an adversarial relationship between administrators and organizers, when it could be a collaborative initiative with everyone working to make Princeton a better — and more sustainable — place.

Perhaps the administration thought that with their announcement of partial divestment, Divest Princeton would simply disappear. In fact, there have been several instances of student activists losing momentum after the University has done the bare minimum in recent memory. But for Divest Princeton, this could not be further from the truth.

Divest Princeton will continue to exist and withhold donations from the University, so long as Princeton fails to take seriously the urgent climate crisis at hand. What Divest Princeton advocates for is a bold plan for immediate divest-

ment from all fossil fuel companies which do not align with United Nations science-based targets as established under the Paris Agreement.

Princeton should include the voices of those who will be most impacted by climate change and those who have spent years organizing for divestment in the conversations about Princeton’s endowment. Faculty, administrators, and student activists could work together to find a just, sustainable, and financially sound way forward for Princeton, based on the precedents set by hundreds of other universities.

Student representatives could act as liaisons between the otherwise inaccessible committees and the campus community, offering more transparency and clarity on proceedings, while also representing the interests of the student body. An organizational structure which allows for constructive debates between decision makers and concerned stakeholders would allow for a productive, democratic process in which all viewpoints are represented.

Instead of treating divestment as a politically divisive, taboo subject that can only be debated behind closed doors, Princeton has the opportunity to treat the subject of endowment justice as an analytic exercise in how best to manage our money and the climate crisis at hand.

Hannah Reynolds is a senior in the Anthropology Department from the Finger Lakes in Upstate NY. She is also the co-coordinator of Divest Princeton. Hannah can be reached at hannahr@princeton.edu.

Princeton needs to make more space for failure amid the abundance of success Audrey Chau

Contributing Columnist

D

uring the week of Oct. 11, Princeton celebrated the fourth and fifth Nobel prizes won by Princeton affiliates in a single year. This achievement speaks volumes about the quality of a Princeton education — one that fuels passion, celebrates excellence, and promises success no matter what path you take.

President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 echoed this premise of excellence in his interview with The Atlantic: “The idea of a place like Princeton is that you can identify young people who have extraordinary talent and will benefit from an intensive academic experience.”

Extraordinary is a big word that conveys immense expectations: accepted students are already extraordinary individuals, and with an “intensive” Princeton education, they are set up for success.

It is not a surprise, then, that failure is a taboo topic among different social circles here. It is feared and to be avoided at all costs. Though seemingly counterintuitive, I argue that Princeton students, who are often defined by their successes, need to fail early and fail often. Meanwhile, Princeton as an educational institution needs to create an environment where students can fail

without fear.

For the two most recent admissions cycles, Princeton accepted 3.98 percent and 5.55 percent of its application pool for the Class of 2025 and 2024, respectively. Beating these incredible odds to become a Princeton Tiger, members of the first-year class walk through FitzRandolph Gate for the first time knowing that they truly are the cream of the crop. What is not expected from them is a failure of any kind.

So when students encounter their first failures here, it hurts. Whether it is being rejected from a selective club, getting an ugly grade, or being denied an internship, students belatedly realize that failure at Princeton is inevitable, and yet they are not mentally prepared to deal with it.

This fear of failure among the student body is further exacerbated by the rigorous nature of a Princeton education, one that leaves no room for reflection and recovery from failures. Semesters at Princeton are 15 weeks long; this extremely fast-paced semester leaves no time for rebound if a student gets bad grades on major exams, which often count toward 20–40 percent of their entire grade. With this schedule, even when students are open to the idea of failing, they do not have enough time to bounce back from the incident,

let alone extrapolate important lessons from it.

It is also not hard to realize that while opportunities to be involved on campus are endless, they are also measurements of students’ capabilities.

Outside of the classroom, anything can turn into a competition, from the number of selective clubs one is in, the prestige of a summer internship, to the amount of sleep one gets.

When students are in an environment where one’s success can feel like another’s failure, expecting them to detach their self-worth from their achievements (or lack thereof) and to truly embrace failure when everyone else seems to be moving forward is a tall order.

While this culture of failurefearing and competitiveness stems partly from the naturally driven personalities of most Princeton students, the University should also foster a learning environment that provides a safety net for students when they fail.

Granted, the University Student Government (USG) has initiated certain efforts towards this purpose. One such effort is the student-driven Princeton Perspective Project (PPP) which aims to defy the notion of effortless perfectionism — the “illusion that other’s paths to success and fulfillment are easy, uncomplicated, and free of failure.”

I talked to Mayowa Oke ’22,

CANDACE DO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

a former Ambassador of the Princeton Perspective Project to learn about the University’s role in the project. According to Oke, while there were mentors, faculty members, and hefty funding available at their disposal, PPP activities in the past years were mostly student-led.

Even though PPP has undoubtedly helped more students realize that it is okay to fail at Princeton, it still lacks a top-down approach with concrete policy changes that are necessary to create substantial impacts on campus and truly facilitate the systematic transition from a success-only to failure-friendly environment.

It is also important, however, to acknowledge that the pervasiveness of these issues is not Princeton-specific. There are several accounts regarding how the same problem also plagues other top institutions like Harvard and Stanford, where accepted students are also under a constant fear of failure. Nevertheless, that does

not mean that we should wait for someone else to take the initiative.

In this regard, Oke believes that the University needs to utilize a truly human-first approach. Through more tangible regimes such as bolstering the mental health support system or researching ways to make the teaching and evaluation system less credentialist, the University can more easily encourage students to take intellectual risks — knowing that even if they fail, they will have the time and resources to stand back up.

The Princetonians I have met during my short time here are nothing short of extraordinary. Yet, Princeton needs to create a safe environment where students know that they cannot be extraordinary without first learning to embrace their ordinary, fallible selves.

Audrey Chau is a first-year from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She can be reached at audreychau@ princeton.edu.

Satire

Friday November 12, 2021

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TigerHub course registration to be replaced by hand-to-hand combat

By Angel Kuo Contributing Writer

The following content is purely satirical and entirely fictional.

This year’s course selection will take place in-person, battle royale style, as TigerHub undergoes regularly scheduled maintenance, according to the Office of the Registrar. The University expects the brawl to humble underclass students who have illusions of grandeur — such as getting into a creative writing seminar.

Check-in will open at 7 a.m. at designated combat spaces for each class year. After an offering of Terhune apple cider donuts and Small World cold brew, students will race to a large table holding tiger plushies labeled with a course code, which will then need to be brought to the registrar’s office in order to confirm their classes. The only rule is that there are no rules.

Gretta Girwig ’22 expressed concern for the outcome of the event as she stuffed her backpack full of throwing knives.

“If I don’t get into Ad-

vanced Screenwriting, I won’t get to graduate, so I’ve really been training for the battle,” Girwig said. “I can’t afford not to.”

A survey found that 47 percent of students plan to arm themselves. Seven in ten of those respondents indicated their intent to register in a journalism seminar, dance class, or VIS class.

According to a memo from the registrar, “The University cannot enforce protection against any use of force or battery assault,” but ensured that paramedics would be on the scene just in case.

“I don’t think this concept is fair at all,” said Philosophy student Renny Dicarte ’23. “I haven’t done any physical activity since middle school, so I don’t think I’ll be getting the classes I want. And if I don’t think, am I?” Other students seeking to choose lecture-style classes are less concerned.

Pre-medical student Mary Curey ’25 said, “I plan on showing up a little late.

Chem 202 has 225 seats anyways.”

A series of daily emails from the deputy registrar announced that the battle will take place in the fol-

lowing locations: seniors in the Institute for Advanced Study woods, juniors at the Art Museum construction site, sophomores in front of Nassau Hall, and first-years on Poe Field.

Students will still need to register for the registration battle through TigerHub before it goes down for maintenance.

Angel Kuo is a sophomore from Hesperia, Calif., and a contributing writer for the Satire section and contributing photographer for the Photo section. He can be reached at angelk@princeton.edu.

Princeton announces plans to build Forbes Annex Annex

By Spencer Bauman

Contributing Writer

The following piece is purely satirical and entirely fictional.

The University will set aside around $100 million to construct an annex to the Forbes Annex, aptly named the “Forbes Annex Annex.”

This project will allow the University to expand the undergraduate population

by 10 percent.

The Daily Printsanything sat down with chief architect Steven Nineteenthirtyeightstein ’63 to get a sense of what this new building will look like.

“It’s just a cube made of brick,” he told the ‘Prints.’

When pressed for more details, he explained further.

“There will be at least one window, which will proba-

bly be a skylight that doesn’t close all the way,” Nineteenthirtyeightstein said. “And there may or may not be a bathroom.”

The Annex Annex is proposed to hold roughly 500 students in a long hallway of singles. In addition, the University will be repurposing the old radiators — that definitely work — from First College in the new building.

During construction of

Cartoon

Spell-check

By Sydney Peng, Head Editor/Senior Cartoonist

the Annex Annex, the entirety of Forbes College will be fenced off, even though construction will only be taking place south of the current Forbes buildings. The University has also announced that during the 2021–22 school year, construction will begin promptly at 5 a.m.

“These hours have already been agreed upon and will not be changed,” Nineteen-

thirtyeightstein explained.

If you would like to get a sense of what the Forbes Annex Annex will look like when it’s completed, the architecture firm suggested taking a long hard look at Gauss hall.

Spencer Bauman is a firstyear intended economics major from Boca Raton, Florida. He is a contributing writer for the Satire section.

Lilly and Andy: Precept Soundtrack

By Gaea Lawton, Staff Cartoonist

Volleyball

By Sydney Peng, Head Editor/Senior Cartoonist

the PROSPECT. page 12

The Daily Princetonian

Friday November 12, 2021

ARTS & CULTURE

First-Gen Reflections Collab

Guest contributions curated by Auhjanae McGee

Head Prospect Editor

In honor of National First-Gen Day, The Prospect solicited reflections from Princeton’s first-generation and/or low-income community about their experiences. Read for insights on the immigrant student experience, impostor syndrome, and how the University has provided support.

As a low-income high school student, I applied to Princeton partly out of a flickering hope that I could somehow gain admission to this bastion of intellectual prestige, but also mostly out of jest. Personally, I could not visualize myself attending Princeton of all places, a prestigious institution that historically boasts a significant number of students hailing from affluent, privileged backgrounds. Back in my tiny corner of rural Indiana, I can recall opening the admissions portal on that fateful December evening and welcoming the news of my acceptance with a sense of astonished incredulity, which later morphed into unease, and ultimately, guilt. I simply couldn’t fathom why the admissions office considered my application worthy of admission, nor could I stifle the thought that there were other FLI students who equally deserved to receive this kind of life-changing news. For weeks, I relentlessly bit my nails, privately anticipating an email from the admissions office announcing that my acceptance was made in error.

Fortunately, that did not happen, but adapting to the Princeton environment has not been an easy task; the socioeconomic exclusivity among the student body can at times be starkly apparent. At the same time, I’m content to befriend many other FLI students, a task made easier in no small part due to programs like the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) for incoming first-years and the Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP) that seek to establish a sense of community among students hailing from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. As Princeton continues to build new residential colleges, I can only hope that the University continues to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students admitted in the future. After all, most FLI students I know worked part-time jobs in high school and experienced adversities, the likes of which our more privileged peers have likely never even dreamt of contending with; these experiences have supplied us with an understanding of life and the importance of perseverance that many who grew up in high-income households tend to lack. There are many hardworking, intellectually curious FLI students who don’t even apply to selective colleges in the first place due to how financially inaccessible and rarefied these schools can appear.

Princeton will invariably fall short of becoming a truly meritocratic institution until it strives to admit as many FLI students as it possibly can in order to truly represent the diverse spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds present within our nation and beyond. Although great progress has been made in expanding opportunities to FLI students, there’s a long way to go before Princeton’s reputation as a school for the moneyed and well-connected gives way to that of a down-to-earth, meritocratic institution that opens its doors to true social mobility and the minimization of inequities in who ultimately gets to attend institutions of higher education and benefit from the opportunities that they offer.

— Amy Ciceu ’24, news staff writer and newsletter contributor If anyone asks you something you don’t understand, just smile and nod,” my dad said in Vietnamese.

My parents restlessly paced back and forth behind me, trying their hardest to give me another piece of advice while we were waiting for the bus to arrive. It was my very first day of school in America.

“If you don’t know where to go, just follow the crowd,” my mom reiterated in Vietnamese as the bus came. “And always address your teacher with ‘teacher’!” My parents gathered around me. It was funny — they had continually emphasized to me the importance of pursuing an education in America but were now finding it impossible to let me go. We embraced one final time before it was time for me to go. So I beat on, hands against the bus, looking back ceaselessly to my family.

Ever since I immigrated to the United States in 2008, I had always been aware of all the opportunities that were ahead of me, but also aware of all the pressure that came along with it. No one in my family had gone to college before, not even in Vietnam. I knew this would be a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for me and a once-in-a-generation opportunity for my family line. Becoming the first in my family to attend college wasn’t just a personal goal for me. I knew that I also held the hopes and dreams of my family. And I embraced the challenge.

As I sit here now and reflect, I realized I would not be writing this without the undying support of my family. Though we didn’t have much growing up, they gave it their all to make sure I would succeed. Before I left for Princeton a couple of months ago, I asked my mom what her dream was. I was determined to make it come true once I graduated.

She looked at me, confused. “My dream?” she asked.

I changed the wording. “Mom, what would a perfect day look like for you?”

After some thought, she laughed. “I would spend some time watching my movies.” The Hong Kong ones dubbed in Vietnamese had always been her favorites. “Hopefully the nail salon is doing well on this perfect day, as well.” I explained to my mom that she won’t ever have to work again at this point in her life — not on my watch — especially not at a place whose chemicals constantly degraded her health. Still, she said she found pleasure in keeping busy. “Maybe a little shopping too,” she continued. After some more thought, she conceded, “I don’t know. I don’t need much to be happy. As long as you continue to be successful and stay out of trouble, I’m happy.”

I had to hold back tears. It hit me like a truck. I didn’t really know how to feel. I realized my parents had spent their entire adult lives working to ensure my future. They worked so hard that they had almost, in a sense, given up their own lives, their own dreams, and their own aspirations, so that their children would have the future that they had always imagined for them.

As National First-Gen Day approaches, I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge my fellow first-generation peers, as well as each and every one of their support systems that made it possible for us to celebrate this day. I fully embrace my status as a first-generation college student, and I hold the title with immense pride. For me, it’s a rapturous honor knowing that I have officially taken the first step towards pursuing the education and the American promise that my parents sacrificed their lives for. I couldn’t be prouder to know that their efforts were not, and will never be, in vain.

— Windsor Nguyễ n ’25, contributing opinion columnist and satire writer I think the impostor syndrome is the worst part.

I was convinced that Princeton had made a mistake when I first got accepted. Of course I was excited and grateful, but I found myself falling into toxic habits of comparing my academic background to other admitted students. I knew I was playing a losing game. I was surrounded by brilliant students who had played instruments competitively since they were four years old, who had internships at major corporations, who had traveled the world, and who spearheaded amazing projects within their communities. I looked at my own resume and felt insufficient.

Then I remembered my circumstances. I remembered that I would come home everyday to babysit my younger siblings, cook dinner, and clean the house to give my tired, resilient single mother a break. I remembered that I self-studied for the SAT with Khan Academy (I couldn’t afford a prep book) and watched my score increase through diligent dedication.

I realized that I was accepted to one of the most elite institutions in the country, and I didn’t even have a laptop.

The more time that I have spent at this institution, the more I have come to accept my place here. Of course I still struggle with feelings of inadequacy, but I cannot blame myself for the circumstances I was born into, and neither should any other FLI student. I made the most of what I had, and I ended up here. And I have survived, even thrived, while being here. I talk to people and they respect me, look up to me even.

So maybe Princeton did not make a mistake. Even if they did, it’s far too late for that now — I have less than two years left here. For National First-Gen Day, I just want everyone who identifies as FLI to know that they are not inadequate. And they do have what it takes to succeed at this institution.

Do not listen to the voice in your head that tells you otherwise. It only serves to take away your happiness, and after what you’ve gone through to get here, you deserve to be happy.

— Anonymous, Class of 2023

Continued on page 13

The Daily Princetonian

Friday November 12, 2021

page 13

First-Gen Reflections Collab Continued There is still a long way to go before a lot of FLI students can feel like they completely fit in here. While most interactions I’ve had on campus have been pleasant, some I’ve had with wealthier students show an attitude of either saviorism, ignorance, or inflated self-importance — and according to my FLI friends, they have experienced this as well. I often feel somewhat alone as someone with trauma and negative experiences most of campus has never had. I still have issues at home I always have to worry about, such as whether my mother will keep her housing next month or whether she will survive another month without proper medication. I will probably never feel fully comfortable here, but I came to improve my life and my family’s life.

P.S. Princeton investing in fossil fuels hurts low-income communities.

— Anonymous, Class of 2025 I knew coming to Princeton that, as a first-generation student coming from a lower-middle-class family in the suburbs of Queens, I’d be on the lower end in terms of income. I’d heard so many stories from my high school friends about Ivy Leagues being dominated by rich, white families; I was told to “prepare myself” for classism.

Fortunately, I have not felt alienated at all by my peers. Though this might simply be luck in who I’ve been placed with, I don’t even feel like I stand out that much — two out of three of my roommates are also FLI students, and one is in my SIFP group.

Overall, I’m really thankful for the support I’ve received from Princeton as a FLI student. I’m excited to see what the University comes up with over the next few years to continue that support for future cohorts!

— Claire Shin ’25, contributing Prospect writer At Princeton, I struggled with loneliness because of my unique socialization as an FLI, immigrant student. Growing up, I never had sleepovers, never invited friends over for birthday parties, and only began hanging out with people towards the end of my time in high school.

Part of the reason was my laser focus on education, because I knew that was going to be my family’s ticket out. Part of it was growing up as an immigrant child, scared of interacting with anyone outside of my family, of my peers, of Mỹ (Americans), and therefore never letting anyone into my home or my private life.

I think a large part of being successful and happy here at Princeton is to channel a kind of socialization that is generous towards strangers, something that can be challenging for me, particularly within a predominantly white, upper-middle class campus. But I’ve found people, both on campus and off, whom I can lean on for support, and while it has taken a while to build, this support network has been so worth it.

— Ngan Chiem ’23, news staff writer As an FLI student at Princeton, one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is learning how to be a college student. I had to figure out how to search for colleges and scholarships — and apply all by myself, because nobody in my family had ever had this experience before. I distinctly remember my grandmother asking me, “Do you have to bring a bed?”, and I had to laugh, but it made me realize how truly foreign this was for us.

Many students I’ve met have witnessed siblings, cousins, and other friends and loved ones go away to college and have a lot of prior experience and knowledge about what college is like, but I came here not really knowing what to expect. Over the past two months, I have been connected with so many resources, which is not surprising at such a deeply wealthy institution, but is not at all what I’m used to. While I am very grateful for all these opportunities, along with them comes a disconnect with my family because the life I’m living here is starkly different from the one that I live at home. A year ago, I was doing household chores during my breaks from synchronous virtual high school and helping my little sister through virtual third grade.

Now, I am able to dedicate much more time to my studies, but it does bring guilt that I can’t help out at home. I would say that my time here has not come without its challenges, but I am proud to help pave the way for FLI students at Princeton!

— Alliyah Gregory ’25 Coming into Princeton as an FLI student, I was scared. I’d heard the stereotypes — that Princeton students were overwhelmingly wealthy, jetting off to frequent fancy dinners and wearing high-end fashion. However, my actual experience was much different. Not only did the University support me in a way that left me wanting for practically nothing, but I also found that my peers were extraordinarily understanding and down-to-earth — and many of them were also part of the thriving FLI community on campus.

Little has changed in my perspective; I feel well-supported by University aid and able to get what I need. However, my status has limited me in one crucial way: eating clubs. Although upperclass student financial aid does increase to account for eating club expenses, some clubs, like Tower, are still far too expensive — forcing me to leave the club. I’ve heard similar stories for specific clubs from my FLI peers, and this is one inequity I’d love to see addressed by either the administration or the clubs themselves.

— Emma Treadway ’22, Editor-in-Chief

An Ode to Course Offerings Day

By José Pablo Fernández García Associate Prospect Editor

Every semester, in the wake of midterm’s stress, there’s always one day that feels just like Christmas: the day the Office of the Registrar releases the course offerings for the upcoming semester. For me, it feels like the academic equivalent of running down the stairs on Christmas morning to discover what magically appeared under the tree overnight. There’s an element of surprise, of possibility, of newness, and even a bit of discovery shared between the two days.

It hasn’t always been this way for me, though. The first time I browsed the Registrar’s website in search of my freshman fall courses, the dominant feeling was more a mix of intimidation and fear of the unknown.

As a prefrosh, Princeton’s classes and professors are still a mystery. There are courses in topics you’ve never previously heard about that seem too unbelievably advanced for you. There are professors for whom a quick Google search reveals them to be leaders in their field — winning Nobel prizes and serving presidents — and it’s hard to believe that you can have a seat in their classrooms.

And somehow, in the midst of all this, you’re supposed to find the right four or five courses with which to begin your Princeton career. It’s all a lot to grapple with while simultaneously acclimating to a new campus and trying to form your first friendships.

Course offerings and selection didn’t stay like that, however, as I grew more comfortable with Princeton’s academics and became more sure of my place here.

In the semesters since that first one, a new slate of course offerings has instead brought me all the feelings I described at the start of this essay. Most immediately,

Course Offerings Day brings a bit of a reprieve to the current semester.

Caught in the thick of it, with midterm results returning, new assignments piling up, and now as a junior, independent work intensifying, I look forward to finding a refreshing break in browsing through next semester’s potential courses. It lets you get excited about school without feeling overwhelmed by any academic stress.

In a more literal sense, the day simply brings an opportunity to put a pause on your current coursework and procrastinate by browsing the offerings and imagining what your courses and life in general will look like during the next semester.

It’s this opportunity for rampant imagination that most likely produces the greatest excitement on Course Offerings Day for me. In the days leading up to it, I imagine all the possibilities, wondering what classes I previously missed out on that might return and anticipating all the newly-offered and once-in-a-lifetime courses to be discovered.

Then, as soon as a click of the refresh button reveals the new offerings, there’s a shift in my imagination. Every course description and sample reading list sparks different potential journeys ahead — all leading to wildly different ends. So then it becomes an imaginative exercise in devising all the different scenarios for the next step in my academic journey.

As I bookmark courses and finagle with the tetris game that is putting together a workable course schedule, I’m not only deciding what requirements to fulfill, how many pages I’ll have to read per week, or how many essays and exams I’ll have to complete. I’m also deciding who I want to be at the end of the following semester, as starry-eyed as that may sound.

Now with a handful of Princeton semesters under my belt, I can’t ignore all the ways Princeton courses have shaped

who I am — both intellectually and personally. Had I not taken FRS 166: What to Read and Believe in the Digital Age during my freshman spring semester, I likely wouldn’t have committed myself as much to The Daily Princetonian at the time or be in my position as an editor today.

Had I not taken FRE 211: French Theater Workshop and ART 212: Neoclassicism through Impressionism during my sophomore fall semester, I likely wouldn’t be a French concentrator today writing about cultural policy and art museums for my first Junior Paper.

None of these courses were ones I ever anticipated taking before enrolling in them, especially not back when I thought I might be an engineer. Still, these courses have deeply molded my academic interests and also taught me so much about myself — about who I am and want to become.

This all reminds me of something President Eisgruber said all the way back during Princeton Preview 2018. In his remarks to the admitted students in Richardson Auditorium, he emphasized his hope for us: not that we would come to see our four years at Princeton as the best years of our lives but as the most transformative years of our lives.

To that end, I’ve already found each semester some of the most transformative couple of months of my life. I’ve found many of the courses I’ve taken to be some of the most transformative experiences I’ve had. So maybe that’s why Course Offerings Day feels a bit like an academic version of Christmas: I get to unwrap and discover the unexpected, and discover the unexpected transformations that lie ahead.

José Pablo Fernández García is a junior from Ohio and Associate Prospect Editor at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at jpgarcia@ princeton.edu.

page 14

The Daily Princetonian

Friday November 12, 2021

On listening to foreign music Why songs matter beyond their lyrics

By Aster Zhang Associate Prospect Editor

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Lamp. Active beginning in the early 2000s, Lamp is a Japanese band that draws on a number of disparate styles, including jazz, bedroom pop (insofar as the genre was conceived at the time), and pop rock. Blending all of these genres into something greater than the sum of its parts, Lamp writes minimally-produced songs over which the lead singer’s vocals can soar.

I love to play this kind of music for a number of occasions, whether it be heading to class, as background music while studying, or something else entirely. I’ve found, honestly, that I probably listen to it and its ilk — ’70s and ’80s Japanese pop and K-pop — far more often than music with lyrics written in English. In particular, I think I’ve come to love this music because I don’t understand it.

Let me explain a little bit more. In not understanding Japanese, Korean, or almost any other foreign language, I get the chance to not have to care about what precisely a singer is trying to tell me. This isn’t something I can tune out in English, for obvious reasons; it’s fairly clear to me that, in Kacey Musgraves’ song “camera roll” from her recent “star-crossed,” there’s a sense of lament over a dissolved relationship that one can’t ignore or reinterpret.

In the history of classical music, this latter sort of writing, where the composer seeks to advance a particular narrative or storyline, is called “programmatic.” It appears in such famous pieces as Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture,” which is particularly notable for how clearly it signposts the classic story by Goethe of the same name — the titular character’s death “scene” is marked by a highly suggestive unison descent in the strings, indicating the literal falling of Egmont’s severed head (or, depending on interpretations, that of his mistress Klärchen).

It goes without saying that there is clearly a place for this kind of music.

Programmatic music is, of course, the basis for genres like opera itself, and there is a brilliance to the nature of clear storytelling through music that has given rise to iconic motifs, like Prokofiev’s menacing bass line march in the “Montagues and Capulets” excerpt of his own “Romeo and Juliet,” or the undulating waves in the strings that return time and time again in Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman.”

These kinds of programmatic elements and devices are alive and well in today’s music as well. I was recently informed that the chord progression in

“

In not understanding Japanese, Korean, or almost any other foreign language, I get the chance to not have to care about what precisely a singer is trying to tell me.

”

Lorde’s “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” is a reversal of that in her earlier “Ribs.” I can see the value in this kind of device, as well as the very literal interpretation that it represents a reversal of the views and mindsets in “Ribs,” but it does not change my opinion of the song, nor of the album as a whole. In a piece, any sort of extrinsic musical device ought to be in service of the music itself — not the other way around.

Put simply, there are times when I can’t bring myself to care.

We listen to music largely because the intricacies of well-crafted harmonic and melodic structures in great pieces or songs make us feel on levels that words alone cannot. To dwell on classical music a bit longer, I love listening to works without caring about any relevant external influences, because it lets me craft my own understanding. The original poem upon which Schoenberg’s “Transfigured Night” is based is a beautiful one, chronicling sin and forgiveness, and yet I’d argue that the piece loses nothing when removed from it; the cello entrance in the fourth movement is just as ravishingly beautiful, and the textural nuances which follow it lose none of their percolating radiance.

The same, in fact, applies to more modern, popular music, when removed from its lyrics. As I write this, I still have no idea what is being said in Lamp’s “Behind The Moon Shadow,” but I feel I understand it in my own way, relating it to my own experiences and feelings. The diminished and augmented dissonances of the understated accompaniment — when paired with the extraordinarily pastoral melody in unison throughout the song – evoke a melancholic happiness, like a resigned relief at having returned to a dark, empty home after a long journey.

It should be clear that this reflection is deeply personal. I find versatility in being able to enjoy music when I can apply it to myself without being told how to feel. At the same time, I hope that the above consideration of great programmatic works over the centuries is sufficiently indicative of the fact that there’s certainly a place and time for them as well. As for myself, however, I’ll spend a bit longer immersing myself in music that I can’t — and don’t want to — understand.

Aster Zhang is an Associate Editor for The Prospect who writes about music and food, often specific to the Princeton community.

They can be reached at brentonz@princeton.edu, or on Twitter at @aster_zh.

Sports

Friday November 12, 2021

page 16

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } FOOTBALL

SOCCER VIA PRINCETON ATHLETICS INSTAGRAM

Football looks to bounce back in crucial Yale game Make-or-break matchup has big Ivy title, bonfire implications

Both soccer teams get bids to NCAA tournaments Men’s soccer clinches Ivy title ahead of regular season finale

By Ben Burns Associate Sports Editor

Sophomore forward Walker Gillespie scored the lone goal of the game as Princeton men’s soccer beat the Penn Quakers (7–5–3, 1–3–2) in Philadelphia to clinch the Ivy League Championship.

The Tigers now stand at 11–5 overall, 6–0 in the conference. By winning the League, Princeton claimed a spot in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

The championship is the 10th for men’s soccer and their first since 2018.

Despite the low-scoring affair against Penn, both teams had their chances

throughout the match.

Princeton had eight shots in the first half to Penn’s five.

The teams finished with 14 and nine shots, respectively. Senior keeper Jack Roberts kept out all four of the Quakers’ shots that were on target, while Penn keeper Dane Jacomen stopped five of six.

The one that Jacomen couldn’t stop was the only one Princeton needed.

Gillespie’s goal came in the 85th minute of a game marked by its defensive intensity. A cross by junior midfielder Mateo Godoy found junior forward Daniel Diaz Bonilla, who rang the shot off the crossbar. The ball stayed in the air long

enough for Gillespie to find it and head it past a diving Jacomen.

The goal was Gillespie’s fourth of the year. It put the Tigers ahead for good, and they locked down defensively for the remainder of the game.

Princeton will be back in action this Saturday at second-place Yale (7–4–4, 4–0–2) to wrap up their season. The Tigers will find out their first-round tournament opponent on Nov. 15 during the tournament selection show.

Ben Burns is an Associate Sports Editor at the ‘Prince.’ He can be reached at bwburns@ princeton.edu.

Women’s soccer closes strong, will host Vermont on Friday GREG CARROCCIA / GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM

By Ben Burns Associate Sports Editor

Princeton women’s soccer wrapped up their season Saturday with a 1–0 win over Penn. Junior midfielder Marissa Hart scored the lone goal of the match in the 65th minute and Princeton held the fort defensively to complete its 10th shutout of the season.

The Tigers finish the season at 14–2–1 overall and 6–1 within Ivy League play, falling one game behind Brown (12–3, 7–0).

Both Princeton and Brown will advance to the NCAA tournament.

Princeton dominated most of last weekend’s game, outshooting the Quakers 19–9 overall and 7–3 on shots on target.

The Tigers poured on seven shots in the first half, but Penn keeper Laurence Gladu kept Princeton off the board. Princeton senior keeper Grace Barbara matched the effort as the game went to halftime scoreless.

The Tigers’ domination went up a level in the second half, outshooting the Quakers 12–5. Only one of the 12 found the back of the net, but it was all that the Tigers needed. After a few quick passes, junior defender Madison Curry launched a bomb over the top to Hart, who took a touch before hammering a low shot past a diving Gladu. It was Hart’s first goal of the year.

The Quakers had a couple chances to tie after

the goal but were unable to break through. The win put a bow on an incredible season for the Tigers, who dominated their schedule throughout.

Selected today for the NCAA tournament, the Tigers have a first-round matchup against Vermont (12–5–1), which received an automatic bid by winning the American East Conference. It will be Princeton’s 14th time competing in the postseason tournament.

The game will take place at Princeton’s home turf, Sherrerd Field, on Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.

Ben Burns is an Associate Sports Editor at the ‘Prince.’

He can be reached at bwburns@princeton.edu.

MARK DODICI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

By Shreesha Ghosh

associate sports editor

Last Friday, the Princeton Tigers (7–1, 4–1 Ivy) took their first hit this season, losing against Dartmouth 31–7.

Now, with just two games remaining on the schedule, the stakes have never been higher as they take on Yale (5–3, 4–1 Ivy) at home this Saturday. The path to the Ivy League title looks all the more elusive as the last loss puts the Tigers on par with both Dartmouth and Yale.

If they win the next two games, they would only need one Dartmouth loss to claim the title. If both teams win out, they will share the Ivy League title.

The Dartmouth loss ended a 7–0 win streak for the Tigers. When asked about the game, Head Coach Bob Surace ’90 complimented the competing team.

“At the end of the day, our competitors fought hard and gave a great effort and we didn’t,” he said. “We weren’t quite as detailed as we needed to be and it showed.

You know, the disappointing part was not being able execute things we practiced as well as we should have.

And against a team like that, even if you’re just a tiny bit off, they expose you. And that’s what happened in that game.”

No mistake goes unaddressed, however.

Surace said, “There’s constant growth and learning throughout the season. Educationally, after every game, we’ll go through our errors and fix what we need to correct. We do that in the early afternoon and then you put it to rest, and you move forward to the next week. And it’s no different after you beat Harvard or Cornell or lose to Dartmouth.”

The game against Dartmouth, also saw senior running back Collin Eaddy, who led the Tigers coming into the game with 474 rushing yards, take a handoff to the left and land on his ankle.

Surace told the ‘Prince’ that Eaddy spent the night in Dartmouth Medical Center and underwent a successful surgery the next day. Eaddy is now recovering in McCosh.

In 2019, the Tigers had also gone unbeaten 7–0 until Dartmouth snuffed them 27–10. This was followed shortly after by a brutal 51–14 loss against Yale. This year, the Tigers have very closely followed the playbook, leaving the question of whether Saturday’s game will repeat history or change it.

Surace won’t let that intimidate him: “Every week is a new week. There’s different quarterbacks, different wide receivers, different offensive and defensive linemen. So while the history is there, nothing other than certain schematic things are really

similar between the two.”

Offensively, the Tigers average about 33.13 points per game, while their defense has only allowed an average of 17.50. But Yale presents unique challenges. With an average of 31.00 points per game, and allowing only 22.25, the Bulldogs have dominated all of their Ivy competitors except for Dartmouth. Yale won the championship title in 2017 and shared it with Dartmouth in 2019. They’ve won the title a grand total of 16 times, beating Princeton out by 4.

“Our league is a very strong league. Yale is a terrific opponent,” Surace said.

“They’re great competitors, They’re well coached. They’re very talented. They play hard and I think there’s a great deal of respect on both sides because of the challenges that arise when you play a team that’s that good.”

“This is the strongest the league’s been. That’s why Columbia beat Dartmouth 19–0. That’s why we beat Columbia 24–7. That’s why Dartmouth beat us 31–7. If we don’t execute in those specific situations — short yardage, goal line, redzone, third downs, it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

The Saturday game is likely to be one of the biggest of the season. With students back from break, attendance is likely to soar.

“Support from our students and alumni and community, gives me chills not just as a football coach, but as an alum,” he said. “I really felt like the Harvard game was the first big event on campus that way since COVID hit and it was so great to see everybody showing their school spirit and enthusiasm and love for Princeton.”

With only two games left this season, the question of the title gets closer and yet no clearer. The last time Princeton won the title was in 2018. They will need to win both games in order to do that again. When asked if he was feeling the pressure, Surace said, “You know, when I got the job, I asked a teammate of mine who was a high level professional sports executive if he had any words of wisdom.

He gave me three. Control the controllables. Control what you can control. All we can control is having great preparation and a great practice tomorrow. And if we just stick to controlling what we control, everything else takes care of itself. And if we just don’t allow distractions, or lack of focus, or any of those things seep into the game, I think we’ll come into the game with a lot of energy.”

Sreesha Ghosh is an Associate Sports Editor at the ‘Prince’. She can be reached at sreeshag@ princeton.edu or on Twitter at @sreeshaghosh.