STREET 11/9: Stressed & Desserts Issue

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday november 9, 2017

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STRESSED & DESSERTS

STREET EDITORS: JIANING ZHAO, DANIELLE HOFFMAN, LYRIC PEROT

PAGES DESIGNED BY WILL RANDALL AND DIANA TANG

Is it a coincidence that ‘stressed’ spelled backwards is ‘desserts’? Now that midterms are over, Street writers reflect on the stresses of midterm exams and the many ways (often dessert-related) to deal with them.

The Students You Meet at Princeton -- Dessert Style

Allison Huang Contributor ‘21

The Macaron, left [a notoriously-difficult-to-make French cookie that has taken the internet by storm]: This person comes from a rural town that no one knows about and must always refer to their hometown via the closest well-known city. They subsequently go through an identity crisis after their third year at Princeton, when they realize that in assimilating to the preppy Princeton culture and majoring in economics they’ve forgotten their roots and sold their soul.

Image courtesy of Vimbly.com

The Chocolate Ganache Tart, right [70% cocoa solids and cream in a flaky buttery crust]: The person that is still stuck in the first week of freshman year. Will bring up “What is Populism?” or “Our Declaration” to spark conversation.

Image courtesy of The New York Times

Image courtesy of Provincel.com

The Salted Caramel Creme Brûlée, right [smooth sweet-n-salty pudding sealed on top with a hard-crack sugar]: The person that is hard to get to know, so you invest a lot in coaxing her from her shell. When you finally get through her defenses, you are pleasantly surprised by the sweet way in which she conveys a downright sardonic sense of humor. You sense a tinge of vindictiveness and take a mental note not to cross this person.

Image courtesy of finecooking.com

Courtesy of BBC Good Food

The Gâteaux Napoléon, left [stacked puff pastry alternated with pastry cream or jam and fresh fruit, commonly topped with almonds]: Your roommate who seems carefully constructed and on top of their stuff but in 3 a.m. heart-to-hearts reveals herself to be as precariously balanced and full of angst as you are.

The Tart Tatin, left [the bakedupside-down pastry that’s flipped right-side up when served]: The straitjacketed person on your floor that you don’t meet until the third week because they’re always in their room doing something diligent because they were probably their high school valedictorian… until you meet them at an Science Olympiad pregame and they are turnt all the way up.

The Soufflé, right [a baked egg dish notorious for deflating if not baked carefully]: In those awkward mixers Princeton organizes for first years, the first thing this person does after you rattle off your name, where you’re from, your major, whether you went on OA or CA, and what your residential college is, is ask you what extracurriculars you did in high school, and whether or not you were good at them. It is important to be honest about the magnitude of your accomplishments as to allow the Soufflé to feel justified in bragging about their own. The Soufflé experiences the impostor syndrome but won’t admit it.

Image courtesy of taste.com

The Profiterole, left [‘cream puff’]:The person who talks a lot during precept but says little, sits right next to the professor, and makes direct eye contact at every possible moment. Constantly laments how pretentious things are before saying pretentious things, i.e. “God this sounds so pretentious, but when my family went to our summer house in St. Petersburg….”

Claims to know Eisgruber personally. see also “Creme de Patisserie” [pastry cream filling]: The person sitting next to the Profiterole who nods at everything he says and encourages his behavior. see also “The Boxed Brownie”: This person knows she doesn’t do the work for precept, yet leers at the Profiterole for being excited about the reading, even though the Profiterole is sacrificing himself to save the Brownie’s ass, basically.

Image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

The Madeleine, right [a small vanilla shell-shaped cake you used to eat by the boxful]: This person is just your average Joe reading a machine-learning manual during dinner. He doesn’t socialize unless you talk first. But he’ll always affirm what you say, especially when you’ve had a difficult week, even if what you say is worthy of being quoted in the Verbatim section of the Nassau Weekly (i.e., it should not have been voiced aloud).

Courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Courtesy of Bon Apetit

The Galette, left [freeform rustic pie made with a single crust of pastry like a pizza]: This person comes from a rural town that no one knows about and must always refer to their hometown via the closest well-known city. They subsequently go through an identity crisis after their third year at Princeton, when they realize that in assimilating to the preppy Princeton culture and majoring in Econ they’ve forgotten their roots and sold their soul. fully constructed and on top of their stuff but in 3am heart-to-hearts reveals herself to be as precariously balanced and full of angst as you are.

The Baklava, left [a middle-eastern sweet nutty flaky dessert]: This person went on Bridge Year and doesn’t make an effort to become friends with you because he has already found his lifetime soulmate abroad.

The Dutch Baby Pancake, right [the baked pancake]: The person who will write his class notes, type his class notes, print them and colorcoordinate them, and then file them into color-coordinated folders, and uses personalized stationery that you can only find in an obscure specialty stationery store.

Image courtesy of entertainingwithbeth.com

Image courtesy of foodnetwork.com

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday november 9, 2017

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Princeton’s Mind-Body Program Nina Sheridan Contributor ‘19

For 10 years, Princeton’s University Health Services has offered a series of programs to promote mindfulness and meditation in the community, ranging from a Women’s Meditation Series to Mindfulness for Grad Students to Koru Mindfulness, a course developed specifically for college-aged students.

“The overarching purpose of the series is to create a space where we can pause in the midst of our hectic lives,” said Shefalika Gandhi, one of the founders of the Women’s Meditation Series. “Being able to slow down, pace oneself, be still, and simply pause — these are things that many students yearn for but have a difficult time being able to do.”

The Women’s Meditation Series began as a joint outreach initiative between University Health Services and the Office of Religious Life. In the spring of 2015, Dean Alison Boden

and Gandhi began offering monthly meditation sessions.

Since then, the program has continued with around 25-30 women present each session.

It is now facilitated by the Mind-Body program coordinator Nathalie Edmond.

“One favorite thing about facilitating the Women’s Meditation Series is the range and nature of topics that we present on,” explained Gandhi. “The sessions focus on themes of self-compassion, family, connections, forgiveness, etc.”

Dr. David Campbell, another member of the Mind-Body team, set up the Koru Mindfulness program on campus three years ago. Koru was developed by two Duke psychologists in an attempt to teach mindfulness to college students. It is set up as a course, with registration, a syllabus, and assignments with the idea in mind that students have a particular way of thinking about “studying.”

“It is set up to underscore the commitment of students to participate in the workshop

and to promote consistency in their practice,” explained Campbell.

The course consists of four sessions, where students practice mindfulness activities and meditative techniques. “As you move through life, you often lose track of being aware with intention,” said Campbell. “You move on autopilot. And you lose something in that process. Mindfulness is seen as something that will bring you a greater sense of being present in your life, present in your relationships, and lead you to feel better.”

Meditation is a tool for this sort of mindfulness. “The idea is to build it up slowly over time – starting off five or 10 minutes a day and building up to 20 or 30 minutes a day,” said Campbell. “The goal is to bring awareness into the present moment in a way you might not have done before — perhaps in an interaction with a friend. It enhances the quality of your experiences.”

While many students might feel they do not have the time for these workshops and

sessions, Campbell and Gandhi both had more general advice for students in their day-to-day lives.

“There are these six things conducive to good mental health,” explained Campbell.

According to Campbell, these things are:

programs run by University Health Services, the Office of Religious Life hosts community meditation every Thursday and daily Buddhist meditation. Both are held in Murray-Dodge Hall.

University Health Services also lists self-care phone apps on its website, includ1. Exercise ing Calm, an app for sleep, 2. Nutrition meditation, and relaxing; Daily Yoga; and Gratitude Di3. Sleep 4. Working towards your goals ary, to keep track of the posi5. Meaningful personal rela- tive things in your life. tionships More information about the programs can be found here: 6. Leisure https://uhs.princeton.edu/ mindbody “There’s a lot of academic demand, and so students invest an inordinate amount of energy in working towards their goals,” said Campbell.

“And they can run the risk of throwing themselves off balance.”

“One piece of advice I have for students is to treat sleep as sacred and to prioritize it as much as possible,” said Gandhi. “A good night’s sleep is essential for the mind and body.”

COURTESY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY In addition the Mind-Body

Campus Workers Deal with Stress Anoushka Mariwala Contributor ‘21

We all made it through midterms, arguably one of the most stressful times of the year. Having two exams, your D2, a COS 126 assignment that just won’t work, and a paper to write all in one week amid regular schoolwork can definitely feel overwhelming. Drowning in our own little struggles, though, we sometimes fail to remember that all the members of the Princeton community have their own stresses to deal with, academic or otherwise. This week, we interviewed members of the Princeton community to get some advice, put our own stresses into perspective, and learn more about the community around us.

Can you describe one of the most stressful situations you have found yourself in here?

Captain Kevin Creegan, Patrol Captain for the Princeton University Department of Public Safety (DPS): “Probably around 2013, I found myself in a position where we were looking for an undergraduate student who was suicidal and had left campus. So obviously being extremely concerned for the person’s condition, through the investigation we were able to ultimately find the student. But it was pretty stressful, it took several hours and we used some financial records to actually locate the student, and had to get some local law enforcement agencies involved.”

Anne Jarvis, Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian: “Route 1! I moved from Cambridge, England, a year ago so learning to drive on the right has been stressful enough, let alone navigating the traffic on Route 1. But, driving aside, one of the most stressful situations I’ve experienced since becoming University Librarian at Princeton, is finding enough room in the day to engage with staff and colleagues. I believe in open communication and being available and only wish there were more hours in the day.”

Stanley Johnson, Food Service Worker: “I don’t have any stressful moments over here, I really don’t.”

Vicky Calle, Food Service Worker: “It’s not much, but sometimes we have to rush with the time to make sure we have the job done.”

How do you find you best deal with stress?

Creegan: “Usually exercise, obviously not in the moment, but usually exercise is the way I like to release stress. Usually I like to walk or run here on campus.”

Jarvis: “Walking. I love to walk. It gives me headspace to allow thoughts to flow better and affords me focused time to process ideas and refresh myself. I am particularly grateful to be able to walk across campus and around Princeton. There are so many hidden spaces and inspirational vistas. And there’s something medicinal about getting out in fresh air and sunshine; it absolutely helps lower stress.”

Any advice for stressed students?

Creegan: “I find Princeton University to have numerous services available for undergraduates they can reach out to, to get advice or strategies to cope with the stress of their everyday academic life here at Princeton.

But that’s basically it, to reach out to these resources on campus.”

Jarvis: “Yes, don’t forget to be kind to yourselves. It is so easy to continue pushing night and day. No matter how hard it is, you need to find ways to balance work or studying with rest and relaxation. And be present. While you’re rushing from class to activity to dining to studying, remember to see where you are, the beautiful buildings, the history, the world in which you are now a part.”

Johnson: “When someone gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Calle: “I don’t know, but I always say to my daughter, I know its different with college and everything, but I always say that you got to keep up. Put everything and as much as you can into work and do what you want to do.

My daughter, she’s good, she works hard, and now she got a promotion at work, and I feel proud, because she wants to keep doing and doing more and more. I would say the same for you guys. Keep doing it, because you can. So my advice to the students would be the same as I give my kids, to keep improving.”

What is your favourite dessert?

Creegan: “Mint chocolate chip ice-cream, because it tastes really good!”

Jarvis: “Well, that’s tricky, because I’m not actually a dessert person.

I’m more of a savory person. I rarely, if ever, choose a dessert when dining. I guess my favorite would be carrot cake though not sure that is a dessert in the true sense of the word!”

Johnson: “Cheesecake!”

Calle: “My favourite dessert is ice-cream. Coffee with almonds is so delicious, that’s the one my daughter and I get at home all the time. I wish I knew how to make it, but I don’t, we go to the store and get it very often.”

Johnson: “(laughs) I really don’t have any, I don’t know!”

Calle: “Sometimes we will need to work extra hours, but not usually.”

What do you usually enjoy doing in your free time?

Creegan: “In my own free time I try to detach from work altogether, and I like to spend a lot of quality time with my family, my wife — we’ve been married for 25 years — and three children.”

Jarvis: “Free time has been spent with my husband exploring and enjoying New Jersey and visiting New York and Philadelphia.”

Johnson: “I play tennis.”

Calle: “I’m busy most of the time, even at home on my days off I work and do the cleaning at home. I help my daughter with everything at home. Sometimes I enjoy going out somewhere, with my friends or even my daughter, who is 37 year old.”

COURTESY OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday november 9, 2017

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If Midterms, then Late Meal

Princeton students increasingly turn to late meal due to midterm pressures.

Chisom Ilogu Contributor ‘21

sit-down exams left; I already had one this past week so I have two this week, and then one project.

What’s your general approach to exams? Do you get stressed easily?

Yeah, I do get stressed pretty easily, but for midterms, my general approach is to plan everything in advance since we have to keep going to class while we test.

What are some techniques you use to plan out your week?

I use my planner religiously and I’ll write down everything, all of the homework and anything the teacher says will be due and take pretty tedious notes.

Do you have any advice for people before/during midterms?

Definitely plan out your week and stay organized, but don’t stress out too much about things because at the end of the day they aren’t going to determine your final grade.

What brings you to late meal today?

I was hungry and I didn’t feel like going to the D-hall. [laughs] What is your late meal of choice?

Anything from the grill is reKennedy Leverett ’20 How are you feeling about ally good. Sweet potato fries, mozzarella sticks, quesadilmidterms?

I’m feeling pretty good about las, all of the above. them! I don’t have too many Then why did you have a salad today?

Congratulations: If you’re a Princeton student reading this article, that means it’s Thursday, my editors have run out of content and decided to run my trash, and most importantly, you’ve made it through midterms week! Pat yourself on the back, have an extra cookie in the d-hall, and celebrate! However, we all know that many sacrifices had to be made during that week, and we know that there were also many casualties along the way; some lost sleep, some lost friends, and some simply lost their sanity.

Despite all this, there is one thing Princeton students generally will not forgo, even in times of crisis: Late Meal.

Whether grabbing a bit of comfort food or making up for a missed meal, Late Meal is an essential part of any midterms week, and honestly, of any week in general (I like my fries). We at the ‘Prince’ caught up with a few undergraduates to chat with them about how they dealt with midterm stress and more importantly, what their item of choice is at late meal.

Image courtesy of Chisom Ilogu Kennedy Levrett ‘20 had a salad at late meal before midterms began.

Image courtesy of Chisom Ilogu Hollis Kuang ‘21 enjoyed a burrito while preparing for his COS exam.

Because I don’t need to be eating sweet potato fries every day!

[Interviewer nods in agreement] Hollis Kuang ’21 How are you feeling going into your first midterm at Princeton?

Honestly, these are my first midterms so I’m feeling very nervous, very scared, but I have a super great support group that’s there to study with me, there to support me, so even though I am nervous I’m feeling somewhat confident, and I hope to remain confident after midterms as well! [laughs] What midterm are you most stressed about?

Most stressed about my COS midterm. It’s a class that I wanted to take for fun, but it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. Right now I spend more time on COS than I spend on all my other classes put together.

I’ve never coded before, so this is something that’s been very … different for me.

What brings you to late meal today?

Well, with how I have my schedule set up, I have to miss lunch every single day, so if I attend my classes I can’t attend regular lunch so late meal is a savior for me.

What is your late meal of choice?

Well, I like to think that variety of the spice of life, so I like to mix it up, sometimes i’ll get a burrito, maybe a quesadilla— but that quesadilla line is always crazy long, so that’s only if I’m willing to

term I have. I used to have chemistry too but I dropped that because it was very stressful, so I’ve been trying to get better at calc and be prepared for [the exam].

How are you preparing for that calc midterm?

They have posted previous midterm exams, so I’ve been doing those every day along with review problems.

Is your approach to exams at Princeton different from how you approached exams in high school?

Well, before I didn’t really study that much, and here I definitely have to, so it’s a little bit more serious, a little bit more stressful.

What brings you to late meal today?

I missed lunch so this is my meal I guess. And I was hungry.

What is is your late meal of choice?

I usually get the chicken tenders and fries or a turkey sub.

And what’s the best combo

Image courtesy of Chisom Ilogu Angelly Garcia ‘21 usually has chicken tenders, this time studying for calculus.

wait … there’s also chicken here at Frist for late meal? tenders and everything else The chicken tenders, fries and a drink. too.

Angelly Garcia ’21 How are you feeling about midterms?

I’m very stressed out about it … I’ve been studying every single day for my calc midterm and that’s the only mid-

*Editor’s note: This article was written and scheduled to be published during Midterms week, but due to logistical reasons we’re publishing it this week instead as an homage to Late Meal, which continues to reign supreme.

W E L C O M E TO T H E S E X P E RT

This week, we discuss expanding horizons and activities that your partner deems “more” than oral sex could differ from activities that you consider “more” My relationship with my partner has become than oral sex. To ensure pretty serious and we’re clear communication, it is ready to be more intiimportant to be specific when mate with each other. speaking of sexual boundarWhile I’m interested in ies and desires. experimenting with oral The act of “sex” carries difsex, I’m still not ready ferent meanings for different to do more than that. people.

For some, sex means How do I explain this to vaginal-penile penetrative my partner without ofintercourse.

For others, it fending them? means any kind of genital sex (i.e., interactions be—Expanding my horitween the vulva, vagina, pezons nis, testicles, anus, or areas around them). Therefore, it Dear Expanding, can be useful to describe the Expressing sexual desires specific acts you are comto a partner can be daunt- fortable with and see where ing at first. The fact that you your partner’s desires align. have established personal Regardless of the activities sexual preferences and are you are ready to explore, try ready to communicate those not to assume that expresspreferences to your part- ing your desire to experiment ner is an important step in a with oral sex will be met by healthy and mutually satis- discontent or annoyance fying relationship. Before we from your partner. If you extalk about communication, press your desires honestly however, let’s make sure and clearly, and are willing we are speaking in common to have an open, back-andterms. By oral sex, it is clear forth exchange with your that you mean stimulation partner, it is likely you will of a partner’s genitals by both be more satisfied with the other partner’s mouth. the outcome and overall sexHowever, I’m not sure what ual experiences. you mean when you speak of If you are apprehensive sexual activities “more than” about the discussion, you oral sex. Sex encompasses a wide range of activities, may find it helpful to practice

Dear Sexpert,

expressing your desires and boundaries as well as how you will listen and respond to those of your partner. If you feel stuck, you can always talk to a trusted friend or your residential college adviser about their experiences with communication within a relationship. You also may find it helpful to talk to a Peer Health Adviser, a private peer resource trained to listen to and assist their peers in the process of making personal decisions about all aspects of health and wellness, and connect their peers to resources.

Because there is a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with any act that involves skin-toskin contact or the exchange of body fluids, if you or your partner choose to engage in oral sex, be sure to use protective barriers. If one partner is performing oral sex on a penis, using an external condom on the penis will reduce risk of STIs. Flavored or textured condoms are available to enhance the experience. If one partner is performing oral sex on a vagina or on an anus, a dental dam (a piece of latex used to cover the genital area to prevent direct mouth-to-genital or mouth-to-anus contact)

should be used. Dental dams also come in various flavors.

Condoms or dental dams are widely available on campus and can be obtained from PHAs, RCAs, McCosh Health Center, and the LGBT Center.

As your relationship with your partner evolves, you may be ready to explore more sexual activities than you are now.

Just remember to keep open communication between you and your partner to foster

a mutually comfortable and pleasurable sexual relationship. ~The Sexpert Information regarding the definition of sex provided by Go Ask Alice!

For more advice from The Sexpert, visit thesexpert. princeton.edu. To submit a question, email The Sexpert at sexpert@princeton.edu.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday november 9, 2017

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A Student Review of The Bent Spoon

The Bent Spoon, situated at the heart of Palmer Square, is a hot spot for Princeton natives and tourists alike.

This quirky ice cream joint offers an array of obscure flavors and other yummy desserts that will surely satisfy your sweet cravings. But be sure to weigh these pros and cons to decide if The Bent Spoon should be your go-to ice cream destination.

Carolyne Davidson Contributor 21

Pros Flavors The inside of the shop is cute and full of bright colors. Signs that display the periodically-changing ice cream flavors are displayed in fun handwriting.

Local The cookies and mini cupcakes are good alternatives to ice cream. I really enjoyed the oatmeal raisin cookie.

Sorbet Students and Princeton residents who frequent The Bent Spoon may find the punch card to be a nice perk. After 10 punches, you’ll be rewarded with a free cupcake, a small ice cream, or a beverage.

Banana-whip

While the Bent Spoon offers traditional ice cream flavors such as chocolate or vanilla, the more adventurous souls may choose to indulge in obscure flavors such as sweet corn, earl grey, or basil. My personal favorites to date are blueberry mascarpone, pistachio ricotta, and a fall classic: pumpkin.

Vibe The Bent Spoon prides itself on its use of local and organic ingredients to produce small batch ice cream and sorbet.

Baked Goods For a refreshing non-dairy option, try any one of a number of unique sorbet options.

Cons

Cash-only

You may find the cash-only policy to be a hassle.

One big table takes up most of the space in the shop, leaving the store feeling cramped and crowded. There’s also a bench by the window to sit on, but your best bet is to take your ice cream to go.

Lines

Cramped Layout

It is not uncommon to have to wait in a line overflowing outside of the shop, but take it as a testament to The Bent Spoon’s quality and popularity.

Price

The Bent Spoon is a bit pricy. A small (2 scoops), for example, will cost you $4.35.

Availability

The Bent Spoon frequently seems to be out of bananas, which is a bummer if you go solely to get a Banana-whip.

Punch Card IMAGE BY CAROLYNE DAVIDSON

Banana-whip (a.k.a. “B-whip”) is a simple, delicious, and healthy creation - nothing but blended frozen bananas.

While the dessert is good in itself, I suggest topping it off with hot fudge and cocoa nibs. Other topping options include whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

PRINDIE: Princeton Independent Film Festival Isabel Ting

Contributor 21

COURTESY OF NOBARFILM

Ana Asensio’s award-winning film, “Most Beautiful Island,” will be featured in the Princeton Independent Film Festival (PRINDIE) alongside a Q&A on Thursday.

“PRINDIE has a good selection of films and is the coolest film festival in New Jersey,” said Asensio. “It’s a good opportunity for the people of New Jersey to see films since many of the films don’t have theatrical distribution.”

“Most Beautiful Island” has already been released in 18 cities across the country, showcased at over 20 world film festivals, including the London Film Festival, and won the narrative grand jury prize at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival.

Asensio began her acting career at the age of 18 in Spain, and at 22, she moved to New York City to study English and further pursue her acting career. She decided to begin directing in 2011. “[Directing] came from a need to have control over my career because as an actress you don’t have much control,” said Asensio. “It’s always a surprise. You’re at the mercy of others to decide what is

next. When you create your own material, you somehow feel like you’re taking control of your destiny.”

The idea for “Most Beautiful Island,” the first film Asensio has directed and written, was inspired by her own difficult transition from obtaining a student visa to a working visa in the years 2002 and 2003. At the time, she lacked a social security number, was working day jobs to pay rent, and had imperfect English.

Asensio recalled one particularly horrifying job. She had to dress up in a Halloween costume at a party, but when the event eventually involved illicit activities, Asensio was coerced into staying for the evening after she attempted to leave.

“What if I had disappeared that night?” mused Asensio.

“I didn’t have a cellphone.

That could have been the last place that I was before something horrible happened to me. That was an adventure, where luckily nothing happened to me.”

All of the obstacles that Asensio encountered inspired the character development of the protagonist, Luciana.

“Luciana is the person that I was at the time,” said Asensio.

Through her film, she wanted

COURTESY OF ANA ASENSIO BIO

to show one day in the life of someone living under vulnerable circumstances in New York City, since news headlines often cover hardships but hardly ever uncover the personal stories behind those circumstances.

Although the film has personal ties to Asensio’s life, she did not expect any of the accolades the film received.

“Every new film festival is a great new surprise,” she said.

Her future plans include working on a script for a second film.