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Monday October 7, 2013 vol. cxxxvii no. 82
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By Elizabeth Paul staff writer
In Opinion Contributor Jason Choe discusses the few employment opppotunities available for freshmen, and the Editorial Board suggests that the University should not increase the undergraduate student body. PAGE 4
Today on Campus 4:30 p.m.: Maen Rashid Areikat, chief representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, will speak. Dodds Auditorium in Robertson Hall.
The Archives
Oct. 7, 1999
A University committee chaired by Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel proposes to abolish the use of the A+ in grading.
On the Blog A ‘poopetrator’ wreaks havoc on a Yale laundry room, leaving feces deposits in washing machines in the university’s Saybrook College.
On the Blog Intersections critic Cailin Hong reviews 16-year-old pop singer Lorde’s debut album ‘Pure Heroine.’
By the Numbers
150
Total number of students who pledged membership to the three campus sororities, following last week’s rush events.
News & Notes Northwestern corner of town is the wealthiest
the northwestern corner of the town of Princeton is the neighborhood with the highest median income in the town, according to data collected in the 2010 U.S. Census. An interactive map published by the U.S. Census website and available for viewing on Patch.com indicates median household income by color code in neighborhoods throughout the United States. The map shows the region west of Van Horne Road and north of Mountain Avenue to have the highest median income, at $151,276 per household in 2010. The Census defines household income as the income of the householder and all other individuals in the household 15 and over.
REBECCA TERRETT :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Princeton University Ballet holds its semiannual ballet workshop, teaching the basics of ballet. STUDENT LIFE
U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S
Muse aims to foster discussion
By Teddy Schleifer
By Ruby Shao contributor
There was no food on the menu. Instead, five thoughtprovoking questions lay on a table in the Frist Multipurpose Room. “What have you rebelled against?” one of them read. Princeton Muse is a new club that “aims to create a forum for open, meaningful conversation” by bringing strangers together for special meals and study breaks, according to the group’s Facebook page. Modeled after the Oxford Muse Society at Oxford University in England, students pair up in monthly discussions to talk personal and philosophical issues over a conversation menu from the Oxford Muse Foundation. The club is the latest student-run initiative that fosters interaction among strangers on campus, following projects like PrincetonLunch and Friendsy. Princeton Muse founders Kathy Sun ’14 and Lindie Wang ’14 first encountered the concept while studying abroad last fall. After attending an Oxford Muse event, they said they thought they could bring its success back home. “We felt like there was a very common but unspoken desire on campus to have more of these kinds of [meaningful, open] conversations,” Sun said. The group held an open house last month with minisessions to give participants a taste of the longer conversations to come. Quentin Becheau ’17 said he joined because he was drawn to the idea of genuine interaction. “As a freshman coming in, at first it’s like, [you’re] really excited about this place, and then I started realizing that people are busy and tend to have very small talks all the time. And I was just getting frustrated with having so many people with such huge potential around me, but just keeping it at a very, very shallow level, like, ‘Ah hi, how are you? What major are you thinking?’ ” Becheau said conversation flowed naturally at his first session. “In the end, we just ended up talking everything from justice to utilitarianism to our perspectives on family.” Speaking with someone you may never meet again relieves the pressure of watching what you say, according to Jacky Cheng ’14. “It was really interesting to see how someSee FORUM page 3
In spite of the University’s freshman rush ban policy, a total of 209 students participated in sorority rush activities last week, a nearly identical number to pre-rush ban figures. Similarly, about 150 students accepted membership offers, the same number as in years past. In 2011, the last year freshmen were allowed to rush, 206 female students participated in recruitment. In 2010, 210 students rushed sororities. Last year, the total number of students dropped to 74.
During that year, freshmen were not allowed to rush, and sophomores had already had the opportunity to rush during their freshman year. This was thus the first year since the rush ban was announced that current sophomores did not have the opportunity to rush their freshman year. While, historically, only about 30 sophomores have participated in rush and freshmen have comprised the majority of the rush class, this year’s rush classes are comprised solely of sophomores, juniors and seniors. See GREEK page 2
Eisgruber set to meet alumni abroad
senior writer
Alumni around the world who don’t already know the new University president, Christopher Eisgruber ’83, will have at least 13 chances to meet him, beginning Monday night. Eisgruber will travel the globe this year as he formally introduces himself to the University’s 88,000 alumni at dinner receptions. These will begin with an event in New York City on Monday evening, followed by events in East Asia during fall break, the West Coast during Intersession and Europe in early April. On shorter trips, Eisgruber will meet alumni in Washington, D.C., Miami and Chicago. Eisgruber will deliver formal remarks at each of the events, either in
a speech or an interview. Former ABC World News anchor Charlie Gibson ’65, a University trustee, will interview Eisgruber in New York, and top political reporter Todd Purdum ’82 will talk with him in Washington. While the University president frequently travels to meet alumni, Eisgruber’s first-year schedule is a heavier load than most years, according to Margaret Miller ’80, the Alumni Association’s assistant vice president for alumni affairs. She explained that it’s traditional for Princeton presidents to embark on these introductory tours. “This is a way for the alumni to start to get to know him, and it gives the alumni an opportunity to say what they think,” Miller said. Most alumni have not seen Eisgruber publicly, since his work as provost had
an internal focus, Alumni Association president Nancy Newman ’78 said. Because he is largely unknown, she explained, alumni are especially eager to meet the new University president. At talks Eisgruber has delivered since being named president, such as one given at Reunions, the alumni who wanted to hear him speak couldn’t fit into a room, Newman said. According to Brian Biegen ’04, the head of New York City’s regional alumni association, 1,700 alumni — a quarter of all University alumni in New York City — have registered to attend Monday’s event. “This is overwhelmingly large. We didn’t think we were going to have this many people,” Biegen said. Events in other cities are likely to See WORLD page 2
Where in the world is Christopher Eisgruber?
Chicago May 6
Seattle Jan. 27 San Francisco Jan. 29
New York City Oct. 7
Los Angeles Jan. 30
London Apr. 7 Paris Apr. 8
Beijing Nov. 1
Washington D.C. Nov. 20 Miami Mar. 6
Tokyo Oct. 29
Seoul Oct. 30 Hong Kong Nov. 4
JESSIE LIU :: PRINCETONIAN DESIGN SENIOR STAFF
In the coming academic year, Eisgruber is set to introduce himself to 88,000 alumni at dinner receptions across the globe. STUDENT LIFE
Kugelmass ’14 proposes Transparency Committee By Anna Mazarakis staff writer
U-Councilor Elan Kugelmass ’14 proposed creating a threemember “USG Transparency Committee” at the weekly USG meeting on Sunday evening. Responding to criticisms he said he’d received from students about how many of the USG’s projects take place outside of the Senate meetings, he said the proposed three-member committee would be an “experiment” with the role of distributing USG information
to students who request it. The role of the committee would not overlap with that of Richard Lu ’16, who currently serves as the USG communications director, Kugelmass said. The role of the communications director is to present high-level pitches in a “favorable light,” Kugelmass wrote in his proposal, while the Transparency Committee would provide minimally-filtered information, including minutes, conversations or other documents. Lu, however, said he didn’t
think there was any aspect of the Transparency Committee’s proposed role that the communications director couldn’t fulfill as well. “I don’t think that everything I say about the USG has to have some kind of twisted, ulterior motive to it just because of my role as communications director,” Lu said. Though a few members of the Senate said this committee would address a problem that does not exist, Kugelmass said the committee would also have a say in establishing the crite-
ria for Executive Session, the portion of the weekly meeting that is not open to the public. “I think it’s a horrendously overused tool in the USG,” Kugelmass said. “It’s a great opinion that we hide a lot of stuff behind closed doors that really doesn’t need to be there. I hope that if the Transparency Committee is established, it will take an active role in helping us figure out what ought to be behind closed doors and what ought not be there.” The Senate will vote at its See USG page 3
The Daily Princetonian
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Rush participation over the years
250
Numbers almost identical to pre-rush ban levels GREEK
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210
200
209
206
164
150 100 50
Monday October 7, 2013
Freshman rush ban is implemented.
74
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
HELEN YAO :: PRINCETONIAN DESIGN EDITOR
This year’s rush numbers are similar to numbers prior to the rush ban. This was the first year the Class of 2016 could participate in rush.
East Asia, Europe on president’s travel itinerary WORLD
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be smaller, Miller said. She explained that the schedule was crafted to maximize the number of alumni worldwide that could meet him in his first year. Next year, he’ll head to a different, still-undetermined set of cities. Eisgruber’s remarks in New York may foreshadow what he will say in the other 12 cities. Though Gibson will drive much of the conversation, Biegen said New York-
ers in particular are hoping to hear Eisgruber reaffirm his predecessor’s commitment to the arts. “It’s hopefully going to be a lot about the future — maybe some about the tradition — but I think most people want to hear about the future,” Biegen explained. Newman explained that alumni have been especially interested in these receptions because Eisgruber is the first president to have an undergraduate degree from Princeton since Robert Goheen ’40. This makes him
part of the alumni “family.” “Not only does he start out with an advantage because people really, really, really want him to succeed, but he also has all the responsibilities that come with a family,” Newman said. “We have very high expectations for him.” Eisgruber’s undergraduate degree also provides Annual Giving staff with a big selling point when soliciting donations, representatives have said. While these events are free, they are an opportunity for Eisgruber to meet the University’s donor base. He
has said he expects to launch a capital campaign at some point during his presidency. Newman explained that it is critical for the president to engage alumni in order to cultivate donors, though she emphasized that alumni can be active without opening their wallets. “I don’t think that they are coming to these events thinking that they’re going to be asked for money or that it’s expected of them,” she said. “Even those who are not going to donate money want to meet the guy.”
In the weeks leading up to this year’s rush, some fraternity presidents reported increased interest in Greek organizations among the sophomore class, along with a more “rush-savvy” group of participants. Unlike fraternity recruitment, which differs among organizations and takes place throughout the fall semester, sorority recruitment is unified under the Princeton Panhellenic Council. While female students register for recruitment through the Princeton Panhellenic Council and rush all three sororities, male students rush only one fraternity. This year, 213 students registered for sorority rush through an online system, 209 of which appeared on Monday for the initial recruitment events, according to sources with direct knowledge of the rush process who were granted anonymity to freely discuss the events. Sororities generally prohibit their members from discussing issues related to their membership. Panhellenic President Allie Rogers ’14 declined to disclose this year’s rush numbers. The presidents of Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma either declined to disclose the numbers or did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
This year’s numbers all hover around the 50 mark, which is consistent with figures predating the freshman rush ban policy, when each sorority drew pledge classes of around 50 members. Forty-nine students pledged membership to Kappa Kappa Gamma, 50 to Kappa Alpha Theta and 51 to Pi Beta Phi this year. About 50 of the initial participants did not join any of the three Panhellenic societies. The freshman rush ban policy took effect in September 2012, following the recommendation of a committee of students, staff and faculty appointed by former University President Shirley Tilghman. The policy prohibits the participation of freshmen in any Greek organization or affiliated events, in addition to the solicitation of fraternities and sororities to members of the freshman class. Despite the rush ban, the University has maintained a policy of nonrecognition toward fraternities and sororities. Fall recruitment for the three sororities on campus this year formally began on Sept. 30 with open houses. After attending events at all three sororities, participants rank their top choices, after which the students may be invited back to a sorority for a final event on Thursday. Afterward, rush participants re-rank their options and may receive a bid from one of the three Panhellenic organizations.
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The Daily Princetonian
Monday October 7, 2013
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COMBO IV results being analyzed
SHALL WE DANCE?
USG
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the policy recommendations, Ogle also said he intended to get feedback from students in focus groups. In these groups, students would get a sneak peek at the data and help de-
results and then we bring it to the Senate, and the people who actually know how to do policy work sit here and come up with the policy recommendations.” Ogle explained that, by including students in the process, the USG could become more accessible and approachable to the student body. Benedict Wagstaff ’14, chair of the Student Groups Recognition Committee, introduced the newest student group, Princeton Film Productions. The organization is the University’s first student-run film studio. The USG also voted to approve a new Ad Hoc Treasury Committee, which USG treasurer Christina Yu ’14 said would increase the accountability and efficacy of spending by reviewing budgets, communicating with the Projects Board and researching student government spending at other universities.
The annual Princeton Ballroom Competition took place on Saturday in Dillon Gymnasium. Events included smooth, standard, rhythm and Latin, and the day ended with a Fall Ball.
meeting next week on whether or not to create this committee. The USG also discussed the progress of the COMBO IV survey results. “This year we’re hoping to not only identify trends in the student body but also make policy recommendations,” Class of 2015 senator Zach Ogle said. According to Ogle, the results are currently being analyzed by Data and Statistical Services, a branch of the Social Science Reference Center in Firestone Library. Ogle said the COMBO Committee hopes to complete the analysis before fall break, speak with relevant University offices to develop policy recommendations between fall break and Thanksgiving break and then release the data by winter break. In order to come up with
THE REAL ART OF NEW JERSEY
ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE PARK
SHANNON MCGUE :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
LU LU :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The “New Jersey as Non-Site” exhibit will be on display until January 2014 in the University Art Museum.
New club modeled after Oxford group FORUM
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one from another background thought about these issues, and at the same time it was a medium for us to express ourselves in a way that felt comfortable,” he said. Students said they learned more about their own perspectives by sharing them with strangers. They also reported finding people more complex than they expected and improving their own listening skills. “It really forces you to make that extra step and be as nice and genuine as you could
“It really forces you to make that extra step and be as nice and genuine as you could be.” Quentin Becheau ’17 be,” Becheau said. The reception of the club has exceeded the founders’ expectations. According to member Nate Cope ’17, about 30 students showed up to the first session. “Everyone has been very excited and genuine and enthusiastic about it, and that’s kind of inspiring for both of us in terms of seeing that the campus feels similarly about something that we really enjoy,” Wang said. The group recently obtained recognition from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. As the club kicks off, Sun and Wang are assembling a board to help raise money, build a website and host sessions at local venues in town. They said they also hope to partner with other student organizations for themed gatherings. The first full conversation event will most likely take
place in late October or early November. While other initiatives like PrincetonLunch were built on a similar premise, Wang said that Muse fulfills a unique role on campus. Getting lunch with someone involves a lot of small talk, Wang said, whereas the primary focus of Muse is to promote thoughtful con-
versation that can also establish new relationships. “It would be great if you made a friend tonight,” Wang explained. “But really what you’re trying to do is, like, universalize your experiences and learn from other experiences so that you’re able to walk away with something new.”
“I don’t think that everything I say about the USG has to have some kind of twisted, ulterior motive...” Richard Lu ’16 USG Communications Director velop policy recommendations. “It seems to me that this is our job,” Academics Committee chair Dillon Sharp ’14 said. “We do the survey, we get the
CHRISTINE HILDRETH :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The International March for Elephants registered members at the Princeton Battle Monument.
Jason Choe
Opinion
Monday october 7, 2013
{www.dailyprincetonian.com }
Columnist
Career fair competition
T
he two words “career fair” shined in a golden light; they were alluring, magical words that carried the promise of internships and job opportunities galore. Unfortunately, there seems to be a pervading mentality that dictates that summer vacation is only a vacation in name and that, in order to build up a resume, students simply have to land a position with some big, reputable firm. Upon arriving at Princeton, I, and many others, I suspect, have come to believe that to be the truth, despite the fact that we of the great Class of 2017 will not be on the active job market for another four long years. Regardless, the chance to see exactly what employers look for in a candidate was too interesting a prospect to miss — that, and the fact that most booths usually give out freebies, convinced me to attend. When I spoke with the representatives myself, I generally tried to convey that I was a freshman as soon as I could. I’m not sure what I was expecting — perhaps some part of me naively hoped that the reps would appreciate the enterprising and adventurous nature of a member of Princeton’s youngest class trying to make a name for himself. Instead, most looked at me with a smile that wasn’t really a smile and an expression that conveyed a disguised look of pity. They often mentioned something along the lines of “Oh, that’s nice! Unfortunately, we are looking more for juniors, or maybe sophomores. But feel free to apply next year!” The rationale behind the brusque dismissal was quite simple. Most freshmen lack any real specialization, as they are, for the most part, taking introductory classes and trying to fulfill their course distribution requirements. Why would anyone even consider a “prospective” economics major still taking ECO 101: Introduction to Macroeconomics, when there are so many more qualified upperclassmen out there vying for the same position, upperclassmen currently taking courses such as ECO 519: Advanced Econometrics, Nonlinear Models? While it is logical for employers to prefer experienced students, what’s so wrong with freshmen (and indeed, students in general) trying to gain experience, valuable experience, in fields that interest them? The career fair brought up an interesting oxymoron — on the one hand, employers attend career fairs such as the one last month in order to attract and entice promising students, students who attend a world-renowned educational institution known for encouraging intellectual risks and for promoting an active exploration of a variety of subjects (why else would the distribution requirements exist?). On the other hand, in order to obtain a job or an internship, students need to be specialized — they need to have tailored skill sets and welldeveloped proficiency in the field that they hope to get into. Want work at Colgate? What experience do you have in chemical engineering? Want to work with Dropbox? Show us some of the past software projects you’ve developed or designed. It’s the classic bait-and-switch. Promise one thing — that there’s a position, a spot, a special seat for everyone — then reveal the reality: There’s only a job for students who are already experts. This raises an interesting dilemma. People are not struck with sudden epiphanies regarding what they want to spend the rest of their lives doing; they don’t wake up in the middle of the night with the revelation that they want to be cardiac surgeons or software engineers or literary critics. Rather, it is a gradual process, a process of discovery, through which people come to realize where their interests lie. A variety of studies have shown that hands-on experience is often the best way to learn and foster interest — after actively working in a field, it is much easier to decide if that field resonates or not. Yet in order to enter any specific field, students first need to be experts even before they apply for the job. Where’s the learning curve? The experimentation period? It seems that in this increasingly competitive world, expertise is a prerequisite for success, which is not a positive change. The need for specialization leaves students with an ultimatum of sorts: restrict yourselves to a single area of study and become “experts,” or else don’t get that internship or that position. Maybe it’s time for employers to change their mindsets and to start considering qualifications other than pure expertise; qualifications such as a holistic educational background that covers a broad swath of subjects and areas, an education that renders a student not necessarily an expert, but rather someone capable of creative and constructive thought. After all, capability comes in many forms. Jason Choe is a freshman from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. He can be reached at jasonjc@ princeton.edu.
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EDITORIAL
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ast week, Yale University announced the receipt of a major donation that would help it build two new residential colleges and increase the student body by about 15% to a total of over 6000 undergraduates. The next day, President Eisgruber suggested increasing Princeton’s undergraduate student body at a Council of Princeton University Community meeting. This would be a bad idea. Princeton has traditionally been a high-powered liberal arts university with a modestly larger student body than other such institutions. Increasing the student body further would damage Princeton’s tradition of excellence. As a liberal arts university, one of Princeton’s trademarks is a remarkably low student-to-faculty ratio (currently, 6:1). This ensures robust student-faculty interaction and generally smaller class sizes, resulting in a unique learning environment. Increasing the student body without a commensurate increase in highly qualified professors would endanger one of Princeton’s unique attributes. Increasing the faculty and resources of the University proportionally to a student body expansion would be expensive. Were it not for a recent $250 million pledge, Yale University would be facing a steep $330 million price tag for the construction of its two new residential colleges alone — to say nothing of costs for hiring new faculty, constructing new academic and administrative facilities or other unforeseen expenses. Coincidentally, Princeton is already engaged in shelling out in excess of $300 million for the new Arts and Transit Neighborhood currently in the works. Perhaps we should see this project to completion before contemplating incredibly expensive proposals. But let us suppose that even the large costs could be easily reckoned with. After all, Princeton does have generous alumni and the highest endowment-to-student ratio of any university
vol. cxxxvii
worldwide (in 2013, it stands at $1,857,040 per student). Still, that does not change the fact that more students means less individual attention. Moreover, an increase in the student body could detrimentally alter the Princetonian social atmosphere. For one thing, it’s hard to say how an increase in the student body would impact the eating clubs, as well as the campus Greek life situation. Furthermore, as things stand, Princeton is fairly tight-knit. The smallish student body provides for a greater sense of community. Beyond the mere abstraction of “community,” a small student body has the practical effect of making it more likely to encounter friends around campus and know more of one’s class. Larger class sizes are less apt to provide these positive facets of Princeton’s social atmosphere. Over the years, Princeton has grown from a small college of Presbyterian ministers-intraining to a full-blown research university built on a liberal-arts foundation. Growth often came in sudden spurts — from the great expansion of 1896 when Princeton College became Princeton University to the introduction of coeducation in 1969. Yet its distribution over the years was gradual, and, it is important to note, Princeton recently did expand by 10 percent with the completion of Whitman College in 2007. Given this recent growth spurt, it seems premature to begin formulating plans to expand once again so shortly afterward. In sum, the Board believes that expanding Princeton’s student body would not be in the interest of maintaining the University’s unique character. Arguing in favor of Princeton’s current size is no argument for harboring a superior sense of exclusivity; rather, it is simply an argument for preserving Princeton as the unique and excellent university that it has come to be. Besides, we wouldn’t want to go down the same road as Yale.
study abroad struggles Jack moore ’15
Luc Cohen ’14
editor-in-chief
Grace Riccardi ’14
business manager
managing editor Emily Tseng ’14 news editors Patience Haggin ’14 Anastasya Lloyd-Damnjanovic ’14 opinion editor Sarah Schwartz ’15 sports editor Stephen Wood ’15 street editor Abigail Williams ’14 photography editors Monica Chon ’15 Merrill Fabry ’14 copy editors Andrea Beale ’14 Erica Sollazzo ’14 design editor Helen Yao ’15 web editors Sarah Cen ’16 Adrian De Smul ’14 multimedia editor Christine Wang ’14 prox editor Daniel Santoro ’14 intersections editor Amy Garland ’14 associate news editor Catherine Ku ’14 associate news editor for enterprise Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 associate opinion editors Richard Daker ’15 Tehila Wenger ’15 associate sports editors Damir Golac ’15 Victoria Majchrzak ’15 associate street editors Urvija Banerji ’15 Catherine Bauman ’15
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associate photography editors Conor Dube ’15 Lilia Xie ’14 associate copy editors Dana Bernstein ’15 Jennifer Cho ’15 associate design editor Allison Metts ’15 associate multimedia editor Rishi Kaneriya ’16 editorial board chair Ethan Jamnik ’15
NIGHT STAFF 10.7.13 news Night Chief: Cathy Duazo '14 copy Chamsi Hssaine '16 Seth Merkin '16 Dennis Yi '16 Arianna Lanz '17 Elizabeth Bradley '17 design Katherine Gao '15 Jessie Liu '16 Christine Kyauk '16
Weighing your options James outside one’s concentration require Di Palma-Grisi a significant amount of background
reading, which can deter people from considering them. Reasonably conserne of the stranger vative people can use their P/D/F opthings about how stutions after concentrating in their field dents handle course selec- of interest and later branch into simition is the avoidance of the lar fields at a higher-than-intro level. pass/D/fail option. Perspectives dif Grading is considered harsh in fer, but one attitude is that using P/D/ most courses, and there is evidence Fs, specifically those not used in a stra- that low marks make admission into tegic manner to fulfill course requirebusiness school less likely, regardments, is detrimental. Equally a funcless of the quality of the institution. tion of the large-lecture format and the Even for other graduate schools, the general-education focus, introductoassumption is that it is detrimenry courses are typically the vehicle for tal. Too often, we retreat to the comdistribution requirements. Notwithfort of courses we know to be withstanding the parity of courses toward in ourselves, defeating the purpose the degree requirement of 31 for A.B. of the distribution requirements. students, why not take as many courses One argument is that people simply for a grade as possible? wouldn’t want to spend time studying There are some reasons to use a for a course for which they will not be P/D/F option, such as forgoing an intro- graded. Noble though misplaced lines ductory lecture course in favor of an ad- of thought say that one should place all vanced lecture or seminar course on a of one’s effort into courses directly relmore interesting topic without the risk evant to the concentration, with the of getting a bad grade. Holistic educaassumption that strenuous mental action is the prerogative for the elective, tivity for the vague concept of broaddesigned to bring students outside the ening horizons would be frivolous. comfort zones created by concentrat Therefore, the risk-averse strategy ed study. Even though someone might of taking courses within one’s combenefit from the introductory course, fort level, whether based on the contaking advanced courses with the P/D/F tent or the introductory format, is option might confer a greater benefit. common. However one allocates dis Deemed essential for the cultivatribution requirements, the ultimate tion of flexible thinking, electives purpose of them is to provoke critical prompt different ways of interpreting thought using different paradigms. the world. One ought to dwell on this Even if one doesn’t have a full comlast point. Often, advanced courses mand of the entire field, there are often
O
Columnist
options only slightly more complex than the introductory-course level. For all the individual arguments, there is a trade-off to be made. Leaving aside the problem of course topic, we can look at level and grading option. One trade-off is that between workload and how rewarding the course would be. Overarching time constraints and background are also valid considerations. Reiterating an earlier argument, the complexity of specific courses is most rewarding once comfortable with the course format, assignments, etc. Even considering this, there is a conflict between having the maximum amount of experience in a particular concentration and the cognitive benefit one might gain. Valuing the two can be complicated. Excess courses past the necessary 31 are one avenue, and P/D/F options can be incorporated into demanding schedules. Beneficial as they may be, one might look toward courses similar to one’s own expertise. Often, this results in silos, isolated areas of knowledge broadly ignorant to the outside world. Depth is essential, and it seems intuitive that depth in a secondary field is helpful. You ultimately will be the judge of how cordoned off your particular set of expertise is or isn’t. With that in mind, we should examine the critical process of actually choosing courses. Alternatives can be valued by potential impact on overall grades, workload, topics, etc. Looking at individual conditions would help us figure out which options seem more
appealing. Knack for an individual topic should be considered, since this will motivate regardless of grading option. Three options remain. Heretofore the most common is to take the easiest course available for a grade, though alternatives include taking the most rewarding for a grade, switching to a P/D/F option if necessary and adding on additional courses with the P/D/F option. Each has its merits, but the third especially so. Doubtless there are personal details that inform each decision. Indeed, someone with an excess of courses might find the decision much easier in general. Nor should we oversimplify by focusing only on the particular circumstances of individual students. Often, there are valuable generalizations to be made regarding the decision process that might apply to many cases. Significant among these is the value to the student. Academic exploration is viewed favorably by hiring and admission officers. Universal advice is difficult to extrapolate, but one may gain more from a P/D/F-optioned course early in one’s academic career rather than waiting until later, when paradigms are more fixed in the student’s mind. Revising the grading option to P/D/F is possible, but one can’t retroactively broaden an education. James Di Palma-Grisi is a psychology major from Glen Rock, N.J. He can be reached at jdi@princeton.edu.
The Daily Princetonian
Monday October 7, 2013
Sports Shorts Field hockey: Tigers win 16th straight Ivy game, remain undefeated in Ancient Eight Junior back Cassidy Arner and junior striker Allison Evans each netted two goals as No. 11 Princeton remained undefeated in the Ivy League with its 16th consecutive league victory. The Tigers (6-3 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) downed Columbia convincingly, racking up five goals in the first half while sophomore goalie Anya Gersoff and senior goalie Christina Maida combined for the defense’s second shutout victory of the season, making two saves each. Princeton outshot Columbia (36,1-2) 31-4 in the blowout. The Tigers will face their toughest challenge of the season on Friday, when they will hit the road to take on No. 1 Maryland, a team
they beat last season in New Jersey but that has not lost a game so far this year.
with Bucknell, on the horizon before Ivy championships on Oct. 20.
Men’s water polo: Princeton avenges Easterns loss with 14-9 defeat of Bucknell After a close and heartbreaking loss to Bucknell ended Princeton’s hopes of an Eastern Championships title last season, the No. 13 Tigers (11-3 overall, 4-0 Southern Division) took revenge on the Bison (6-4, 1-3) in DeNunzio Pool Sunday. Senior attacker Kurt Buchbinder and freshman utility Jovan Jeremic had three goals apiece, and senior goalie Ben Dearborn had 10 saves to give the Tigers a comfortable margin of victory, 14-9. Princeton is undefeated in the Southern Division, in which it placed third last season. Princeton has three big contests, including a rematch
Women’s volleyball: Split weekend ends with 3-1 win over Columbia The Tigers are tied for second place in the Ivy League after splitting two matches in the Empire State. They suffered a 3-1 loss to Cornell on Friday but bounced back to grind out a win over Columbia Saturday. Princeton (6-3 overall, 2-1 Ivy League) won two 25-23 sets to overcome the Lions (3-9, 1-2), thanks largely to freshman outside hitter Cara Mattaliano’s 17 kills and sophomore right side/middle blocker Kendall Peterkin’s 13. Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Sarah Dashbach had 22 digs as her defense out-dug Columbia 60-49 and outblocked them 11-8.
Princeton scores five touchdowns in first half FOOTBALL Continued from page 6
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The other Princeton passing touchdown came from Epperly to junior wide receiver Seth DeValve. His classmate and fellow receiver junior Matt Costello also featured prominently in the passing game, hauling in four receptions for 49 yards. The dynamic sophomore backfield duo of tailbacks Di Andre Atwater and Dre Nelson helped establish the rushing attack early and often. Atwater averaged 4.7 yards per carry with 10 attempts. Nelson’s longest run went 55 yards to the Columbia (0-3, 0-1) nine-yard line and, and he finished the drive off with a nine-yard touchdown run. The offense worked efficiently and effectively, running 92 plays for 629 yards. For context, even top FBS teams seldom reach such a play-per-game rate, with only eight teams in college football’s top subdivision topping 92 plays last week. With a lead of 36-7 at halftime and 46-7 after three quarters, Princeton was afforded the luxury of featuring five different quarterbacks to finish out the contest. Sophomore Kedric Bostic, freshman Chad Kanoff and senior Malik Jackson all appeared under center for the Tigers. The Princeton defense smothered its opponents early on, only allowing 10 yards on 14 plays and one first-down conversion through the first quarter. By halftime, the Lions had only managed one more first down. Seventy of their 93 yards in the first half came off one passing play to Scooter Hollis, on which sophomore strong safety Matt Arends faced a pick by the umpire during pursuit. Senior linebacker Jason Ray
said his defense expected firstteam All-Ivy tailback Marcorus Garrett to make a serious impact. “Garrett was our focus all week. I think the coaches really put together a great game plan, and we went out there and executed.” The Tigers held Garrett to just 22 rushing yards. “When they have such long drives, we have time to rest,” Ray said of the offense. “And, since Lehigh, we really had a focus of getting off the field on third down. And when we come the field fresh after the offense scores on a 12-play drive, it really makes a big impact on us, being able to give it all we have on those three downs and get off the field.” Head coach Bob Surace ’90 insisted that he will not allow his team to get complacent after two big wins, calling on the old coaching maxim, “You’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen.” “You can’t take anybody lightly,” he said. “We need to continue to practice well — practice with effort — and play focused football. I told them I’m going to watch that video, and there are as many corrections this week as there’s been. So we’ve got to get better.” Epperly said his career day was a culmination of the team’s hard work. “We’ve been out here every day — not only me but all the guys who have been up here all summer — working, throwing multiple times a week, working out every day. So I just think the work that we’ve been putting in is definitely starting to pay off,” he said. Princeton takes on its final non-league opponent, Lafayette, next week at Princeton Stadium.
Hot weather forces strategy adjustments X-COUNTRY Continued from page 6
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hard you’re going to go, when you’re going to go and how you’re going to go,” de La Bruyere said. “Coming into the next races this month, especially at PreNats [on Oct. 19], it’s going to be very important to keep that in mind. We’re going to have to be smart and know when we can afford to push hard.” While both squads are already nationally ranked, they know that
there is work to be done before they are at their best. With Columbia’s upset this weekend, the men know that now is no time to rest easy if they are to defend their Heps crown. “It’s cool to see a high ranking and all, but at the end of the day it doesn’t mean that much,” Udland said. “At the end of the day everyone is just determined to get it done when it counts. We ran hard this weekend, but we’re nowhere near our peak. I think that we all know personally how good we can be.”
First Tiger victory in Hanover since 2003 M. SOCCER Continued from page 6
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a victory in their Ivy opener. Other than Adelabu’s goal, MacMillan did not face much pressure — he did not even have another opportunity to make a save. Though its overall record
is unimpressive compared to the rest of the league, Princeton has now defeated the last undefeated team remaining in the Ancient Eight and will look to improve to 2-0 in league play when it travels to Brown on Saturday. The Tigers will host Drexel Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Roberts Stadium.
page 5
Ivy start unlike last year’s 7-0 record W. SOCCER Continued from page 6
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freshman midfielder Jesse McDonough and junior forward/midfielder Lauren Lazo, but both sailed wide. Dartmouth was not able to get another shot off, and the half ended with both teams scoreless and only three shots taken. The game picked up drastically in the second half, with both teams playing more aggressively. Lazo took another shot just two minutes into the half, but it went wide. In the 52nd minute Dartmouth’s Corey Delaney received a yellow card but retaliated with an unassisted goal 50 seconds later to give Dartmouth the lead, 1-0.
The Tigers had opportunities just two minutes later, with two corner kicks, but were unable to capitalize on either. Dartmouth then had a free kick, which went to Emma Brush for a goal to cement its lead 2-0. Princeton did not stop fighting, playing more aggressively as time began to run out. The Tigers made some key substitutions in the 61st minute, including junior midfielder Jessica Haley, who took a shot less than a minute after she was subbed in. In the 76th minute Dartmouth had a corner kick, but Princeton was able to stop the score from getting out of hand. The Tigers then had a corner kick of their own, which led to a shot on goal by Haley, but Dart-
mouth goalkeeper Tatiana Saunders saved the shot. Princeton had another corner in the 83rd minute but did not get a chance to score. In the 86th minute senior midfielder/defender Gabriella Guzman threatened to score, but Saunders thwarted that effort as well. The Tigers did not get another chance, making the final score 2-0 for Dartmouth. Despite the final score, Princeton’s offense looked strong, leading Dartmouth in total shots 6-4 and in corners 4-1. The Tigers have now been shut out three times this season, despite outshooting their opponents 148-108 overall. The Tigers will look to get their first Ivy win next weekend when they travel to Brown.
Sports
Monday October 7, 2013
page 6
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S SOCCER
FOOTBALL
Tigers trample Columbia 53-7
Princeton drops 2nd straight Ivy game
By Andrew Steele staff writer
By Saahil Madge staff writer
The women’s soccer team has lost two straight Ivy games after falling to DartPRINCETON 0 m o u t h in New DARTMOUTH 2 H a m p shire Saturday night. After a scoreless first half, the Big Green broke through in the second and held on to blank the Tigers (4-3-3 overall, 0-2 Ivy League). The first half was a story of defense. Dartmouth (4-41, 1-1), which also kicked off its Ivy season with a loss, opened the game with a shot just five minutes in, but junior goalkeeper Darcy Hargadon was able to save it. For the next 20 minutes the teams fought for possession, as neither was able to create a shooting opportunity. The Tigers broke through with shots in the 29th and 39th minutes by See W. SOCCER page 5
CONOR DUBE :: ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Junior quarterback Quinn Epperly threw four touchdown passes and ran for another two.
The football team outmatched its season’s first league opponent, routing Columbia by a margin of 53-7. This win, coupled with last week’s defeat of Georgetown (1-4 overall, 0-0 Patriot League), marks the first time since 1907 that the Tigers (2-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) have scored 50 or more points in back-to-back games. The win COLUMBIA 7 also gives PRINCETON 53 Princeton its first winning record through three games since the 2008 campaign. Junior quarterback Quinn Epperly led the Princeton attack with poise. In a career day, the third-year signal caller completed 19 of 25 passes with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also led the team in rushing attempts with 11 rushes for 54 yards and two scores. All of this happened before the completion of the third quarter — his final snap came with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter in the form
of a one-yard rush for a touchdown. “It’s what we’ve been practicing for,” Epperly said of the unprecedented offensive output. “We knew what we were capable of. We know this is what should be the usual, and we haven’t been performing up to that standard in years past. So this is really just the beginning of what should be a very highscoring offense.” Epperly’s classmate, quarterback Connor Michlesen, shared the backfield with him at the start of the game as part of the now-standard two-quarterback set. He left the game, however, after taking a big hit on four-yard scramble. It was announced at halftime that he would not return for cautionary reasons. Senior wide receiver Roman Wilson jived well with Epperly, racking up 144 yards on nine receptions and three touchdowns through the first half. “I don’t think it’s a surprise,” he said of his and Epperly’s performance. “Every play I just try to beat my guy as much as possible. We did it today.” See FOOTBALL page 5
MEN’S SOCCER
Princeton takes down undefeated Dartmouth By Stephen Wood Sport’s Editor
After D a r t m o u t h went up 1-0 before the half, the men’s soccer team fought back and put up two goals in under 10 minutes. Sophomore forward Thomas Sanner’s fifth goal of the season and junior forward Cameron Porter’s subsequent header gave the Tigers (3-5 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) an advantage that would hold for the rest of the competition. It was the first loss of the season for the Big Green (4-1-4, 0-1), PRINCETON 2 DARTMOUTH 1
which had played five doubleovertime games before Saturday’s match but had won or tied all of them. Princeton was in control for much of the game, outshooting Dartmouth 12-2 on the day. Indeed, while the Tigers had taken five shots, the Big Green had not taken any until the 40th minute, when Alex Adelabu’s shot got past senior goalie Seth MacMillan to put Dartmouth up. Dartmouth went into the half with the lead despite having taken just one shot, but its offense, which has not put up more than three goals in a game all season, could not create many scoring opportunities.
Dartmouth had taken no shots in the second half when Sanner sent a rebound from senior midfielder/defender Patrick O’Neil into the back of the net. Just over seven minutes later, a play started by senior midfielder/defender Billy McGuiness connected with junior midfielder Joe Saitta. Saitta sent the ball to Porter, who headed it into the net as Dartmouth’s goalie came out too far to block it. After that, the Big Green failed to capitalize on consecutive corner kicks, and Alexander Marsh’s shot with two minutes left went wide, giving the Tigers See M. SOCCER page 5
MARY HUI :: FILE PHOTO
Junior Cameron Porter, the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, scored the game-winning goal with a header.
CROSS COUNTRY
No. 9 men, No. 30 women gain valuable experience at Notre Dame Invitational By Adam Fisch Senior Writer
The men’s and women’s cross country teams had their first taste of competitive racing this season at the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday. Having had an easy September, free from any high-caliber meets, the Tigers used the race in South Bend, Ind. to test their fitness and run aggressively. “Going into the race, we wanted to pack up and run fast together,” senior men’s captain Chris Bendtsen said. “We have a good top five guys right now, and we just wanted to make sure that we would pack up and really get going in the second half of the race.” Fighting through the crowded field in the 8K race, the No. 9 Princeton men worked their way up to finish third out of 27 teams. The Ti-
gers turned back five strong, nationally ranked squads, including No. 16 Colorado State and No. 21 New Mexico, but fell short of catching No. 7 Tulsa — as well as a surging No. 30 Columbia, which came away from the race with a huge upset victory. Meanwhile, racing in the 5K, the No. 30 women took fifth place overall. While handily beaten by No. 2 Florida State, No. 15 New Mexico and No. 24 San Francisco, the Tigers were close behind fourth-place No. 28 BYU and earned more national credit by beating No. 19 Notre Dame. Princeton also bested a partially diminished, but still talented, squad from No. 4 Duke. “There were seven teams ranked above us there, and the goal was to beat as many of them as we could,” junior women’s captain Emily de
La Bruyere said. “Overall it wasn’t our best day in a lot of ways, but we got some success out of it. If we still perform perfectly fine as a team on a mediocre day, then that’s pretty good.” With the hot and sultry 80-plus-degree conditions Friday afternoon, the Princeton men were planning to go out conservatively and pick up the pace gradually. But as the gun went off and the field began a mad dash toward the first tight turn, the Tigers quickly found themselves buried farther back than they would have liked. “It’s a pretty crazy start,” senior Tyler Udland said. “In the first 200 meters it bottlenecks down to about three or four people wide. In a big field people get out hard, and then it gets pretty physical. A lot of us got pushed pretty far back.”
After recovering from the rough start, Bendtsen and Udland found each other and led the Tigers. Buckling down in the hot weather, the men ground on, picking off places all the way until the line. “I did a pretty good job of staying calm. Through the whole race we just kept moving up,” Udland said. “I had to keep thinking, ‘one more person, one more person,’ and keep going.” Finishing off an impressive race, Udland crossed the line ninth overall in 24 minutes, 38.77 seconds. A couple of steps behind him, Bendtsen finished in 24:40.40. Sticking to their original goal of preserving a strong front pack, the top four runners for Princeton finished within 16 seconds of Udland. “We’re definitely coming out of Notre Dame with a positive view. We’re happy, we’re
pleased, but still definitely not satisfied,” Bendtsen said. “It’s all about experience. We stuck to our game plan Friday, and it worked out well.” As in the men’s race, the heat played a big role in the women’s 5K. In her first race since the indoor Heps Championship last winter, de La Bruyere started off running hard near the front of the race, but she and her teammates soon started to feel the drain of the weather. “We had an idea of what pace we wanted to run, but we had no idea of how hot it was going to be,” de La Bruyere said. “We tried to adjust our goals once we got there, but we already had the pace we’ve been training at in our heads. I know that got to me, and I went out too hard.“ While some of the Tigers struggled in the heat, some excelled. Running in her first
major collegiate race, freshman Megan Curham had a huge outing, finishing first for Princeton and 12th overall in a time of 17:20.95. Rallying over the final kilometer, de La Bruyere crossed the line shortly after Curham in 17:33.11 for 20th place. Senior Molly Higgins, freshman Lizzie Bird and sophomore Kathryn Little rounded out the top five. An early season race, Notre Dame serves as an important checkpoint for the Tigers, as well as a learning experience in how to get used to the intensity of championshipstyle meets. Racing gives the Tigers valuable experience going into the competitive October schedule and with the Ivy League championships on the horizon. “You have to go out there and be very smart about how See X-COUNTRY page 5
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