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Monday December 5, 2016 vol. cxl no. 111
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } STUDENT LIFE
USG presidential candidates talk platforms, vision By Samuel Oh staff writer
Undergraduate Student Government presidential candidates Myesha Jemison ’18 and Rachel Yee ’19 debated their platforms and visions for the University student community in the Whig Hall Senate Chamber on Sunday. Moderated by Whig-Clio President Allison Berger ’18, the debate spanned issues such as the roles and mission of the USG, inclusivity and transparency, mental health reform, athlete/nonathlete relations, and goals if elected. The debate was then opened to questions from the student audience. Berger is a member of the Daily Princetonian’s Editorial Board. Presidential candidate Yee emphasized expansion of resources for Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), Sexual Harassment/ Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE), and other mental health programs on campus in her campaign.
“I have clear, feasible game plans with actionable steps that I have already taken action on,” said Yee, referring to her past work on mental health inclusion. “I have the perspective of taking a Gap Year and being part of both 2019 and 2018,” she said. “Regardless if I get elected or not, these are issues that I care about and that I am going to continue to work on.” Presidential candidate Jemison stressed greater inclusion of the student body in the decision-making process of the USG. “My platform centers around the desires of the wider student body and not necessarily my own personal motives or experience,” Jemison said. “As President or any other elected official, it is important to keep the needs of your constituents—the people you are meant to serve— at the center of not only your campaign, but your administration. This is the legacy that I look to leave on USG and the wider orange
STUDENT LIFE
Town hall debates USG eating club referendum By Samuel Oh staff writer
The Undergraduate Student Government held a town hall debate on Sunday concerning a referendum on the release of eating club demographic statistics and information. Sponsored by Leila Clark ’18, the referendum would require the eating clubs to release information on their members’ class year, major, gender, and race. “I think there are myths about the clubs that I think are almost harmful to the school, that we can stereotype clubs whether we know they are true or not,” Clark said. “I think releasing demo-
graphics data is a good first step in dispelling those myths.” Over the course of the debate, members of the audience, numbering around 30 students, commented on and debated privacy issues, the stratification of University eating clubs, and the amount of contact students have between the eating clubs. Many, like Caleb South ’19, came away in support of the referendum. “I think it is good to have a discussion like this,” South noted. “I, as a sophomore, don’t know much about the eating clubs, don’t know if I’m going to join or not.” However, South said that
discussion of the referendum is productive for people who don’t know much about the eating club process. “It seems like there is a lot of support for the referendum, which I’m in favor of,” South said. “But I’m also curious to see why people oppose it. I don’t know very much about the [Interclub Council], and am really glad I could hear from the president. I’m glad I could talk to people and I hope everyone votes.” ICC and Colonial Club president Christopher Yu ’17 was in attendance. He presented rebuttals and answered questions from the audience. He also cauSee REFERENDUM page 2
NEWS & NOTES
See CANDIDATES page 3
STUDENT LIFE
USG meeting dicusses undocumented students, winter social event By Jason Fu staff writer
The Undergraduate Student Government discussed the status of undocumented students with the DREAM Team as well as the upcoming Winter Social in their meeting this Sunday. The DREAM Team is a national student group dedicated to raising awareness of immigrant-related causes and immigration reform. University’s DREAM Team co-director Alejandra Rincon ‘18 addressed the response provided by University President Christopher Eisgruber ‘83 stating that he would not be designating the University as a sanctuary campus due to the lack of a legal precedent. While Eisgruber’s response also included his support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Rincon noted her disapproval that Eisgruber failed to appropriately address the position of undocumented students in his
response. “That’s erasing a large portion of the population of students who are in fear,” said Rincon. Rincon added that Eisgruber should have explicitly stated his support for both documented as well as undocumented students. The DREAM Team has also spearheaded a petition that has garnered over 2,300 signatures. The petition calls for several changes regarding University policy towards undocumented students, including the proclamation of the University and its chapel as a sanctuary campus and church, respectively, and the changing of the classification of undocumented students from international to domestic. The petition can be found on the DREAM Team’s Facebook page. As the meeting continued, Class of 2017 Senator Cailin Hong ‘17 and USG President See USG page 4
DO-HYEONG MYEONG :: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sarah Sakha ‘18 and Matt McKinlay ‘18 will be leading the Daily Princetonian during the 141st board.
News & Notes: Sarah Sakha ’18 elected as next ‘Prince’ EIC By Marcia Brown associate news editor
After a four-way contested election, the Daily Princetonian elected Associate Opinion Editor Sarah Sakha ’18 as the Editor-inChief for the 141st Board. Candidates Chief Copy Editor and Senior News Writer Maya Wesby ’18, Associate Opinion Editor Newby Parton ’18, Head News Editor Jessica Li ’18, and Sakha vied for the role. Elections formally began at 10 a.m. with candidates’ speeches, immediately followed by a question-and-answer period for each candidate. Wesby was first, followed
by Sakha, then Parton and Li. This the was the same order in which voters discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each of the candidates during afternoon discussions. During a rules debate period beginning at 1 p.m., voters decided to change election rules. An amendment for a simple majority to win when only two candidates were left, instead of a two-thirds majority, was passed by more than two-thirds of the voters present. Before discussing the candidates, voters debated topics including the role of the Editor-in-Chief at the ‘Prince’ and the qualities of an ideal Editor-in-Chief. Voting began
at 4:15 p.m. While the election results were close, an immediate recount did not change the results of the election. Overall, there were five rounds of voting, with a turnout of 75 percent in the final round of elections. Eligible voters are current members of the staff who have worked for the ‘Prince’ for a semester or more. Seniors are not allowed to vote. Attendance to the election is limited to members of the current managing board, current staff members, and candidates. Matt McKinlay ‘18, currently Head of Advertising, was elected as the next Business Manager of the ‘Prince’.
NEWS & NOTES
News & Notes: Ivy university presidents take stance on DACA associate news editor
Some Ivy League universities have announced their stances in relation to the “campus sanctuary” movements across many college campuses across the nation. These announcements come after President-elect Donald Trump’s statement in favor of repealing the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. This executive action, implemented in 2012, protects undocumented students from deportation. University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 announced that the University will not serve as a “campus sanctuary,” but that the University will neither actively cooperate with the enforcement of this policy nor prevent the
federal government from its enforcement. Harvard University president Drew Faust issued her stance over the “campus sanctuary” movements occurring on various college campuses. “Our responsibility to each other requires us to demonstrate that we are enriched by difference and respectful disagreement, and to support any individuals in our community
who feel vulnerable or unsafe,” Faust said in an email to the Harvard community last week. Columbia University announced last Monday that the university would serve as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, and in an email to University members, announced that the university would prevent investigation from immigration officials lacking subpoena and a justi-
In Opinion
Today on Campus
A guest contributes writes to University President Christopher Eisgruber on DACA, and the Editorial Board endorses Rachel Yee ‘19 for USG president. PAGE 6
4:30 p.m.: Jim Zirin ‘61 will be delivering a lecture on partisan politics and the United States Supreme Court. Robertson Hall, Dodds Auditorium.
fiable warrant. Cornell University’s interim president Hunter Rawlings GS ’70 announced the University’s commitment to serve as a campus sanctuary, adding in an email that “Cornell stands and will continue to stand with every Cornellian.” Dartmouth University president Phil Hanlon joined more than 90 other university See DACA page 4
WEATHER
By Charles Min
HIGH
50˚
LOW
32˚
AM showers. chance of rain:
60 percent
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday December 5, 2016
ICC President believes demographic data is “double-edged sword” REFERENDUM Continued from page 1
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SAMUEL OH :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
tioned against what could be a “double-edged sword” that would only exacerbate the stratification noticed by students in the eating clubs. Yu declined to comment, saying that previous interviews with the ‘Prince’ fully encompassed his viewpoints on the referendum. He did, however, compliment the productivity and thoughtfulness of the town hall debate.
“I think the debate was well run and both sides presented good points,” he said. The town hall debate on Clark’s referendum was held Sunday at 5 p.m. in the Whig Senate building. The debate was sponsored by both the USG and Whig-Clio Society. Voting on the referendum will begin for students Monday, Dec. 5 and last until noon on Dec. 7, identical to USG elections. It will require turnout from one third of undergraduate students with a majority approval to pass.
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Monday December 5, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
Election runs from noon on Monday, Dec. 5 to noon on Wednesday, Dec. 7 CANDIDATES Continued from page 1
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bubble.” Both candidates, despite different platforms, expressed agreement and solidarity in most of the points that were raised and debated. Both candidates enthusiastically agreed that the student body must get involved and invest itself through the USG. “My overall vision for this campaign is to get people to care about the issues enough to actually take action and invest in USG to change policy,” Yee said. “I fundamentally believe in the goodness of people. If we can get people to empathize, be informed and get involved now -- in turn, their enthusiasm and passion can and will inspire their friends and people around them to also invest in serving others through USG.” This sentiment was ref lected by the students
who listened to the debate. Samantha Lee ’18 observed the relatively high student turnout and expressed the hope that more students would get involved in the student government. “I think it was actually very useful to have face on face contact with them [the candidates].” Lee said. “I was surprised by how many people came, and I hope people will come out to these events more, get the word out, and care more about student politics on campus.” The debate was held on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 4:30 p.m. in the Whig Hall Senate Chamber, and was hosted by the USG and the American Whig-Cliosophic Society. Campaigning for the USG elections officially begin at noon on Monday, Nov. 28. Voting is scheduled to begin on Monday, Dec. 5 at noon, and will be open until Wednesday, Dec. 7 at noon.
The Daily Princetonian is published daily except Saturday and Sunday from September through May and three times a week during January and May by The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., 48 University Place, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Mailing address: P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542. Subscription rates: Mailed in the United States $175.00 per year, $90.00 per semester. Office hours: Sunday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephones: Business: 609-375-8553; News and Editorial: 609-258-3632. For tips, email news@dailyprincetonian.com. Reproduction of any material in this newspaper without expressed permission of The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2014, The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Princetonian, P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542.
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday December 5, 2016
Yale has not announced stance with regards to executive policy DACA
Continued from page 1
presidents and chancellors, including Eisgruber, in signing a document in support of DACA, explaining that the college will continue its efforts in protecting undocumented students. Brown University is located in Providence, R.I., which has no sanctuary laws of its own, and while students and members of the faculty have expressed desire to make the university a sanctuary, Brown University’s president Christina Paxson stated that Brown cannot “offer legal sanctuary from members of law enforcement or Immigration and Customs Enforcement” in an op-ed in The Brown Daily Herald. Yale University administrators have not announced the university’s stance to the changes in DACA, but New
Haven Mayor Toni Harp announced Friday that the city will remain a sanctuary city, in which the city is committed to protecting undocumented residents. The University of Pennsylvania, also the alma mater for president-elect Trump, will not allow immigration authorities on campus without warrant, according to university president Amy Gutmann. “The University of Pennsylvania will not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) / Customs and Border Protection (CBP) / U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on our campus unless required by warrant,” Gutmann’s statement said. “Further, the university will not share any information about any undocumented student with these agencies unless presented with valid legal process.”
USG announces launch of Snapchat, menstrual products pilot program USG
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Aleksandra Czulak ‘17 presented the budget for the 2016 Winter Social, which the USG Senate subsequently approved. The Social is a joint project supported by the USG and the Independent Student Advisory Board. It will be held at Robertson Hall on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 8 to 11 p.m. and include food, desserts, and a photo booth. Freshman, sophomore, and eating club formals will also occur on the same night. Hong stated that while the Social is designed to cater to upperclassmen who are not in eating clubs, all students are invited to come. Independent Student Advisory Board member Katrina Davies ‘18 further elaborated on the light atmosphere of the Social. “It’s not really going to be a sit-down dinner, so people can come through with their friends at the start, afterwards, or stay if they don’t have a formal to go to,” said Davies. Czulak added that the event stemmed from an effort by co-operative and independent
students last semester to organize a formal. “This is a great first step to see if there is student interest in these kinds of social events and how many people will show up,” said Czulak. Hong also presented an update on the Menstrual Products Pilot program, which is intended to promote and destigmatize reproductive health. The project will place menstrual projects such as pads and tampons in all Frist Campus Center restrooms from Sunday, Dec. 4 to Friday, Dec. 16. Hong indicated that if the pilot program garners enough student interest, USG will bring the project to administration for long-term funding. Communications Director David Lopera ‘19 briefly presented an update on USG’s social media presence. The update included the launch of USG’s Snapchat account, which will provide updates for and coverage of USG events. Additionally, Lopera stated that the Communications Committee is currently in the process of revamping their website, as well as increasing USG’s presence on Facebook.
0101110110100010010100101001001 0100100101110001010100101110110 1000100101001010010010100100101 1100010101001011101101000100101 0010100100101001001011100010101 0010111011010001001010010100100 1010010010111000101010010111011 0100010010100101001001010010010 1110001010100101110110100010010 1001010010010100100101110001010 1001011101101000100101001010010 0101001001011100010101001011101 1010001001010010100100101001001 for (;;) 0111000101010010111011010001001 { 0100101001001010010010111000101 System.out.print(“Join ”); System.out.println(“Web!”); 0100101110110100010010100101001 } 0010100100101110001010100101110 1101000100101001010010010100100 Dream in code? 1011100010101001011101101000100 1010010100100101001001011100010 Join the ‘Prince’ web staff 1010010111011010001001010010100 1001010010010111000101010010111 0110100010010100101001001010010 0101110001010100101110110100010 0101001011101101000100101001010 0100101001001011100010101001011 1011010001001010010100100101001 0010111000101010010111011010001 001010010100100101001001011100 0101010010111011010001001010010
Monday December 5, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
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Monday December 5, 2016
Opinion
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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } EDITORIAL
Editorial: Yee for President; Vote no on the referendum
A
t noon today, voting opens in the Undergraduate Student Government’s Winter Elections and will last until noon on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Each year, the Editorial Board interviews the candidates for USG President, carefully examines their public platforms, and endorses one candidate. This year, there are two candidates for president: Myesha Jemison ‘18 and Rachel Yee ‘19. The Board endorses Rachel Yee for President. Additionally, we encourage a “no” vote on the referendum directing USG to work with the Interclub Council to collect and release demographic information about the members and, if applicable, bickerees of each eating club.
In deciding whom to endorse for President, the Board considered the priorities and plans of each candidate, as well as their experience and ability to effectively navigate the challenging bureaucracies of both USG and University administrative apparatuses. While both candidates have strong ideas and a wealth of leadership experience, we believe Yee’s vision for USG best addresses student needs through clear ideas and demonstrated operational know-how to implement that vision. Yee’s platform is almost exclusively focused on student services, in particular improvements for CPS and SHARE. In both areas, Yee offers more specific and
actionable ideas to increase student access to these important services. We believe this is the right focus for USG, as the only campus body elected by students and as such best suited to serve undergraduates by advocating for and shaping campus policy. The Board is particularly impressed by Yee’s thoughtful plans for CPS. She advocates satellite CPS offices in residential colleges, as well as office hours in the LGBT Center, Carl A. Fields Center, Davis International Center, Jadwin, and E-Quad. She also hopes to implement mental health training for residential college staff. The Board has advocated in the past for increased access to existing mental health resources, and we commend Yee for going well beyond the existing programs in seeking to implement new initiatives that would give students greater access to professional help. Yee has already met with Calvin Chin, the Director of CPS, to discuss the feasibility of her ideas. This engagement reflects her understanding that USG does not operate alone to achieve its goals but must also coordinate with a variety of administrative partners from the University. She also has shown a positive desire to look beyond just the Princeton community for solutions, speaking with student counseling directors at NYU and Columbia in developing her ideas. Such diligence is a necessary quality for a successful USG president and shows Yee has
thought carefully about how to get the job done. We hope the student body will vote for Yee to see these reforms implemented during her tenure. Turning to the referendum on collecting and releasing information about eating club demographics, we oppose the referendum on the grounds it is unlikely to add value to students as they make their decision about joining a club, while having significant potential to discomfit students being asked to share their demographics. On a purely practical note, the proposal is also unenforceable as eating clubs are independent from the University and USG. Students in favor of the referendum argue it would help students make more informed choices about joining an eating club. However, the Board believes this demographical information would add little value, as students have had ample opportunity to learn about the clubs through personal experiences both at the clubs and with members during their first three semesters at Princeton. We believe these personal interactions are exactly what should be influencing students’ decisions about where to join. A focus on demographical information could backfire by making some students who do not fit the statistical makeup of a club less likely to bicker or sign-in. In terms of the impact on students being asked to share their demographical information, students should not
be asked to state their identities as some, such as gender, are very personal. Because the club memberships are so small, this private information may not be as anonymous as when collected, for example, as part of a largerscale survey of the whole University. For bickerees specifically, we are concerned that having them state their race, gender, and major as part of bicker could cause them to feel reduced to these sole aspects of their complex identities when they are in the midst of what already can be a stressful and uncomfortable experience. Students should reject this well-intentioned but ultimately misguided proposal. In conclusion, we encourage all students to take the few minutes required to vote online between today and Wednesday to participate in the many contested races on the ballot. We urge you to vote for Rachel Yee for USG President as well as to vote “no” on the referendum. William Pugh ‘20 abstained from writing this editorial. Ashley Reed ‘18 and Allison Berger ‘18 recused herself from the writing of this editorial. The Editorial Board is an independent body and decides its opinions separately from the regular staff and editors of the ‘Prince.’ The Board answers only to its chair, the opinion editor and the editorin-chief.
Vote yes for the eating club demographics Max Grear
senior columnist
T
en years ago, a white Princeton student was nearly five times as likely as an Asian student to be in a selective eating club. Compared to black or Hispanic students, a white student was twice as likely to be in any eating club. By the end of this semester, a full decade’s worth of bicker seasons and Lawnparties will have passed since these statistics came out in the USG’s Committee on Background Opportunity (COMBO) Reports. Given how much has changed in this time, it’s hugely important that the University gain access to more current and in-depth information on the demographics of eating club members. For this reason, please vote yes on the referendum calling on the USG Senate to “establish a standing committee that works with the Interclub Council to annually collect and release demographic information, such as race, gender and academic major, about the members of each Eating Club, and, additionally for each selective (‘bicker’) Eating Club, its applicants (‘bickerees”’).” It’s worth acknowledging that a lot has happened since 2007 that
could have impacted the racial diversity of eating club members, whether directly or indirectly. In the fall of 2007, the University began offering students interested in joining eating clubs an additional $2,000, although this amount has proved insufficient for many students. Incidentally, the academic year of 2007-08 occurred during the largest national financial crisis since the Great Depression, an event that had an enormous long-term impact on the country’s racial wealth gap. In more recent years, individuals and groups on campus have increasingly called attentiontoracialdisparitieswithin the Princeton community and the experiences of students of color involving harassment and social exclusion. Given that eating clubs count around 70 percent of juniors and seniors as members, it is safe to say they make up one of the single largest components of daily student life. It’s hardly necessary to explain to Princeton students that their influence extends not only to juniorsandseniors,butunderclassmen as well, by virtue of parties. Clearly, it is time not only to gather fresh data on the racial breakdown of eating clubs, but to guarantee that this information will be kept up-to-date and relevant. The referendum proposed by Leila Clark
’18 provides for the annual collection of numbers on demographics, which would make transparent the current status of diversity and inclusion within eating clubs as well as track any changes over the next few years. A couple of eating club officers, however, have responded negatively to this proposal. President of the ICC and Colonial Club Christopher Yu ‘17 argues that “there’s a danger in profiling” and “a lot of people won’t join a particular club because they think there’s too many of X or too many of Y in that club.” Yu’s criticism implies that making racial disparities more visible is the problem, rather than these gaps themselves. If “X” or “Y” refers to a population of students of color, the decision by prejudiced individuals against joining a particular club seems like a positive outcome, especially for the former group. On the other hand, a predominantly white club is clearly a problem that needs addressing. Charter Club president Lorena Grundy ’17 expresses a similar concern that collecting and releasing information on demographics could sabotage diversity. The fact that both of these officers are clearly concerned about the image of homogeneity that would emerge with accurate data seems to suggest, however, that what is
at stake is more the illusion of diversity, rather than diversity itself. While statistics do not, of course, reflect the full range of identities and communities represented within a given population, they are necessary to understanding how categories like race impact social bodies. Grundy also worries about the implications of a survey on gender for non-binary people, a concern that seems well-intentioned but easily resolved. A survey should clearly be structured in a way that gives non-binary individuals the option of not responding to the question of gender. The current proposal goes beyond the 2007 COMBO I report in an important way — it makes each eating club individually transparent and collects information on bickerees as well as members. This is a significantly positive change, but it more effectively addresses the social dynamics of the eating club system. It’s incredibly important that we look seriously into inclusivity and diversity on the Street because eating clubs form such an inescapably large part of social life on campus; we can’t do so, however, without basic information and transparency.
vol. cxl
Do-Hyeong Myeong ’17 editor-in-chief
Daniel Kim ’17
business manager
140TH BUSINESS BOARD
Business Manager Daniel Kim ‘17 Comptroller Denise Chan ’18
Head of Advertising Matthew McKinlay ‘18 Head of Operations Nicholas Yang ’18 Head of Subscriptions Vineeta Reddy ‘18
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy J. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas Widmann ’90 Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Richard P. Dzina, Jr. ’85 William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John G. Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 Kathleen Kiely ’77 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73
EDITORIAL BOARD chair Cydney Kim ’17 Megan Armstrong’ 19 Allison Berger ’18 Jacob Berman ’20 Thomas Clark ’18 Paul Draper ’18 Daniel Elkind ’17 Richard Furchgott ’20 Theodore Furchgott ’18 Dee-Dee Huang ’20 Sergio Leos ’17 Carolyn Liziewski ’18 Connor Pfeiffer ’18 William Pugh ’20
NIGHT STAFF 12.4.16 Senior copy editors Marina Latif ‘20 Staff copy editor Alexandra Wilson ‘20
Max Grear is a Spanish and Portuguese major from Wakefield, R.I. He can be reached at mgrear@princeton.edu.
Let’s talk about periods Cailin Hong
Guest Contributor
S
tarting Sunday, Dec. 4, USG is piloting a program in Frist to gauge student interest in having free menstrual products available in our public restrooms. Recently, the movement to “free the tampon” has swept the country. Thanks to the efforts of the student government at Brown this past September, menstrual products are now provided in every non-residential college bathroom (of all genders) there. The same month, a referendum for free menstrual products passed with 78.6 percent support at Cornell. After weeks of debate shortly after, Columbia reinstated a similar free pads and tampons program in the student health center. As with the movement writlarge, USG’s project is about ensuring accessibility and easing the lives of people who menstruate
on the principle that having a period shouldn’t be harder than having safe sex. It’s about reducing financial burdens and not punishing or shaming students because their period came a day early, or they didn’t have time to run to the U-Store between problem set submissions last week, or their water bottle leaked and ruined their usual supply of pads...It’s about recognizing that life at Princeton is hard and unpredictable enough as it is, and when something unexpected happens, it shouldn’t feel like the end of the world. But it’s also about a bit more — to me, this pilot is about asking the campus to think critically about its feminism and whether it is doing everything it can to respect women’s bodies and autonomy, including by examining whether its treatment of periods contributes to implicit shaming and stigmatization of a natural biological process. This project comes at a confused, erratic moment in our
discourse about women’s health. Beyond the ivory tower, President Obama called out the “Tampon Tax,” public schools in New York started stocking tampons, #periodsarenotaninsult trended, and NPR labeled 2015 “the year of the period”; in those same two years, America also elected a president who used period innuendo to deauthorize journalist Megyn Kelly’s criticisms of his misogyny. While the rest our peers do the work of unpacking these national conversations about periods and grappling with its implications on our country’s hugely divergent views on womanhood, Princeton has remained dead silent. For Princeton to leave these issues wholly unaddressed is for Princeton to be complacent with an incomplete feminism. In a moment where sexually violent language and disrespect for women’s bodies has become part of our normative gendered behavior, I don’t think we can allow our University — our roommates, our teammates, our
advisors, ourselves — to take this easy way out. Of course I would like to see this program widely adopted, but what’s most important for me is to know I attend a University where sexism is debated, uncovered, and, if found, opposed. To Princeton, I ask: when people who menstruate have to manage their bodies without the support given to other basic hygiene practices, does it trivialize the burden of this process, or recognize the self-sufficiency of those who endure it? Does the responsibility of financing personal hygiene specific to your reproductive functions prove self-reliance, or does it docilely accept an imposed, involuntary tax? Does our complete silence on the issue here at Princeton constitute a taboo, reifying a norm of derision and disgust around reproduction, or does it simply reflect a more privileged female experience within the Orange Bubble in which the functioning of women’s bodies is not a subject of criticism at all?
For two weeks, the pilot will provide pads and tampons in women’s, men’s, and gender-neutral bathrooms throughout Frist, and is intended to gauge student interest in a more far-reaching program going forward. It’s short, impermanent, and imperfect. Even if a program is adopted, “where”, “how”, and “for whom”, are all decisions that we, as a University, still need to make. Your engagement in this discussion is critical to shaping what Princeton stands for. Whether you come out loving tampons or not, I urge you to take this moment to think critically about the role of gender norms in your everyday lives, share your thoughts and feedback, and ensure your choices respect the difference, dignity, and autonomy of everyone in the community. Cailin Hong is a USG Class of 2017 Senator and Menstrual Products Project Leader from San Francisco. She can be reached at cailinh@princeton. edu.
Monday December 5, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The other side of Princeton Jessica Sarriot
guest columnist
T
o President Eisgruber,
I am writing in response to the mass email you sent to the student body on Monday regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In that email you expressed a sense of personal empathy with undocumented students on campus who would be vulnerable to economic instability, emotional trauma, deportation, and potentially death under the new anti-immigrant administration that will come to power in January. You shared that, despite it not being a regular practice, you had signed on to a letter supporting DACA as a policy, and you shared your family history and deep convictions for the importance of respecting religious minorities and inclusion. I honor that intention and appreciate that stepping outside of your habit to sign a joint letter took some moral courage. You are going to need a great deal more courage going forward, if you are sincere in your desire to show principled leadership in a time when civil rights and the inherent human dignity of some of your students is and will be in question. We will all need to become more courageous. To do that we will need to understand the legacies and works of those whose footsteps we are following and understand clearly what our self-interest is. Your email asserts that the “Sanctuary” status that you have been asked to bestow upon Princeton for DACA students has no “basis in law”, and you insist that your
and Princeton’s greatest loyalty should be to a “commitment to the rule of law.” Yet I need not remind a constitutional scholar that almost every one of our best laws in this country — universal suffrage, civil rights, labor law, and indeed our very Constitution — came from individuals and organizations issuing a clear and definitive rebuke to a status quo, or a law, that their convictions would not allow them to support; and who then acted, and assumed the consequences of those actions. We need not go as far back as Alexander Hamilton to find examples of this type of behavior. We can look to the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the leader of this umbrella labor union, John L. Lewis. Lewis wrestled politically with President Woodrow Wilson and supported national strikes in favor of labor rights. Another example comes from NAACP members and activists Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ella Baker, who put their bodies on the line to remind our nation that, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Alexander de Tocqueville was impressed with American democracy, not because of the righteousness or sacredness of our laws, or our respect for rule of law, but because we had a robust enough voluntary sector that we stood a fighting chance of keeping both governmental and corporate sectors in check, if and when those sectors sought to op-
press their constituents or clients. President Eisgruber, as the head of a nonprofit educational institution, you are part of that third sector. The responsibility of keeping the government in check falls partly to us. Let us not get confused and think that it is our role to protect the underlying structures of government, regardless of what those structures are. We are the force that is meant to push, shift, and form those structures. The third sector is not concerned with maximizing profits or winning elections: it must hold the line of seeking the public good and speaking and acting for justice. That must be the selfinterest that we are firmly grounded in. We can be hopeful because we have seen principled resistance to unjust laws, leaders and structures bear fruit in the past. And yet, hesitance and fear are understandable as well. I am not here to tell you that if Princeton were to choose to declare itself a sanctuary campus and if, God forbid, the U.S. government should take it upon itself to hunt down former DACA students in deportation raids over the coming years, that you would not have some very difficult decisions to make. Indeed, many of us, yourself included, might have to decide whether our stability, economic certainty, and even freedom, are sacrifices we may be asked to make in order to stand up for our values and deepest held beliefs in the humanity of all.
December Grace Koh ’19 ...........................................
That is why it takes courage. Signing a letter,just as writing this letter, takes some familiarity with writing and a bit of time. Real courage, moral courage, often requires at least making oneself vulnerable to sacrifice and risk. As white middle- and upper-income professionals, it’s important we remember that our sacrifices will always pale in comparison to those others will have to make. Our privilege provides protection; hopefully, that protection emboldens us to act rather than paralyze us with the fear of losing it. In my previous work as a community organizer, our working definition of power was simply “organized people and organized money.” Princeton has an incredible amount of well-organized money. We are working on organizing its people. We are a powerful institution. If we have enough moral courage to put that power to the service of protecting our values, rather than simply abiding by whatever status quo is thrown our way, we could have the opportunity to have a historic impact in this country. Misunderstanding our position, being so risk-averse as to be morally cowardly, and wasting the opportunity to be a force for justice would be the real “tragic mistake.” Be courageous, President Eisgruber. We will have your back when you do. Jessica Sarriot is a Master in Public Affairs Graduate Student in the Woodrow Wilson School from Paris, France. She can be reached at jsarriot@princeton.edu
Sports
Monday December 5, 2016
page 8
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Ivy-champion women’s volleyball falls to BYU in NCAA first round By David Xin Associate Sports Editor
The women’s volleyball team entered the court having accomplished everything it wanted this season. The Tigers had swept through the Ivy League with a 13-1 record, claiming their 17th Ivy League championship, and along with it, a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Princeton squad faced a tough opponent in No. 10 BYU, but that did not faze them as they continued to show the same resilience and strength they had brought during the regular season. The Cougars would eventually beat the Orange and Black, 3-0, but the score line fails to capture the thrilling match that occurred. The Tigers and Cougars went blow-for-blow in the first set. Indeed, late into the set, Princeton managed to hold a slim 20-19 lead. However, BYU rallied at a crucial moment, grabbing three straight points. While the Tigers managed to score a few points of their own afterward, BYU’s Amy Boswell closed the first set 25-22. After a disappointing second set, the Princeton squad quickly responded in the third. The Tigers had been in tight situations before, and their performance this time did not disappoint. Princeton kept the game close early, but another BYU run put the Cougars up 18-14. Now the momentum shifted in favor of the Tigers — Princeton scored
the next three points, grabbing a 22-21 lead. It wasn’t enough. BYU rallied at a crucial time once again, answering with three points of their own. The Cougars would go on to win the set 25-23. The Princeton team played a well-balanced game with all starters doing their share. The offense was led by freshman blocker Maggie O’Connell, Ivy League rookie of the year, who hit 12 kills. Senior outside hitter Cara Mattaliano added 11 kills and 14 digs to the Princeton effort. Mattaliano, the two-time Ivy League Player of the year, closed her career with 1,112 kills. While this was certainly not the outcome the Tigers were hoping for, the Princeton squad has so much to be proud of as they close out a truly remarkable season. The team not only defended their Ivy League crown and made an emphatic statement with their impressive 19-5 record, but they also earned their first trip to the NCAA since 2007. After the match, the team shared a moment with all the teammates and family members who had come to celebrate the season. The Tigers will be graduating three seniors, Mattaliano, Brittany Ptak, and Lauren Miller, who brought excitement and flair to Princeton volleyball and whose presence and leadership will surely be missed.
STEPHEN CRAIG :: PRINCETONIAN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Despite dominating the Ivy League conference this past year with a 13-1 league record, the Tigers could not eclipse BYU, falling in three narrowly decided sets.
TRACK AND FIELD
Track and Field teams jump to strong start By Miranda Hasty staff writer
The men’s track and field team opened their indoor season with a bang, winning ten events at the Metro Holiday Meet on Friday in Staten Island. The women also impressed on Friday with six wins and six personal records. Junior sprinter Carrington Akosa concisely summarized the team’s expectations heading into the season opener. “Collective team goals for the season are the same as any other season: to become Ivy League champions both in the indoor and outdoor season,” Akosa stated. “Also, we are expected to send more people to nationals this season.” The Tigers are indeed already on their way. Akosa won both the 60 and the 200; he also took the 4x400 relay alongside sophomore mid-distance runner Cole Bransford, junior sprinter Josh Freeman, and freshman sprinter Connor Matthews. Junior mid-distance runner Jared Lee finished first in the 1000 at 2:35.08, followed shortly by junior Eric Schulz in fifth. Princeton also claimed first and second in the 3k. Senior distance runner William Paulson won at 8:22.60, and junior mid-distance runner Rob Stone finished in second place nineteen seconds later. At 8.14, freshman hurdler and sprinter Joseph Daniels tied Wagner’s Dylan Beard for first in the 60 hurdles. Senior jumper Xavier Bledsoe reached 2.10 in the high
jump, the longest in the tournament, to take first place. Junior August Kiles took first in the pole vault, reaching 5.10. The Tigers swept the shot put division, with senior Chris Cook finishing in first with a throw of 17.31, junior Mitchel Charles in second at 16.58, and senior Jared Bell in third at 15.87. Princeton also dominated in the weight throw. Sophomore Adam Kelly reached 20.66 to earn first place, while senior Vic Youn took second 16.67. The women also started the indoor season on a high note. Junior distance runner Melissa Reed described the mentality that her team adopted as the season opener was approaching. “We always want to win the Ivy League title,” Reed stated. “The whole team is going to be coming into the season in such good shape and ready to clinch the Ivy League title for indoor. I think one of the big things we’re really focusing on is making sure that we’re not only a team within our event group, but a holistic team. That’s the type of mentality and work ethic that we’ve demonstrated that will allow us to win the Ivy League title.” They kicked off this quest for the Ivy League Championship with six event wins and six new personal records on Friday at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. Junior hurdler and combined runner Maia Craver won the 200 with a personal record of 24.83. Senior mid-distance runner Elisa Steele also set a
Tweet of the Day “I tried to watch the first episode of Westworld while doing work, every time I looked up James Marsden was dying. I don’t know wus going on” Hannah Winner (@ HannahisaWinner), Goalkeeper, Women’s Soccer
personal record at 25.34, finishing in third in the same event. Craver set another personal record in the prelims of the 60 hurdles at a time of 8.75. Sophomore Ellie Randolph, however, took her place in the finals and finished in first with her own personal record of 8.80. Randolph also won the long jump after clearing 5.44 on her fourth attempt.
Sophomore Madison Offstein reached a personal record of 5:06.17 in the mile to finish in third. The Tigers went 1-2 in the 4x400 relays. Junior Quinn Parker, freshmen Heide Baron and Ashley Willingham, and Steele ran 3:48.03 to take first place, while the team of Craver, sophomores Frances Lodge and Mikaela Sawyer, and freshman Hadley Wilhoite finished
honorably in second at 3:56.20. Junior Kennedy O’Dell threw a personal record in the shot put, placing second at 13.98. O’Dell also placed second in the weight throw at 16.69. Senior Julia Ratcliffe took the win at 18.66. Both the men and the women are scheduled to compete in the New Year Invitational at Jadwin Gymnasium next Sunday.
OLIVIA TOBEAS :: PRINCETONIAN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Though the season has just started, bot the women’s and men’s teams have their minds set on winning the Ivy League championships. Their performance this weekend proved promising for these hopes.
Stat of the Day
31-5 Women’s Squash’s cumulative scoring margin through the first four games of the season.
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