February 19, 2015 by The Daily Princetonian

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Thursday february 19, 2015 vol. cxxxix no. 14

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POLICE BRUTALITY DEBATE

STUDENT LIFE

TFA recruiting numbers drop, U. among top contributors

Partly cloudy and windy. chance of rain: none

In Opinion

By Jessica Li

Matthew Choi Taitano ’18 tackles sexual misconduct from the perspective of male victims, and Chelsea Jones ’15 suggests ways to foster more meaningful conversations on campus. PAGE 4

staff writer

In Street This week in Street, we explore cultural groups on campus, Associate Street Editor Harrison Blackman muses on running at Princeton, and Staff Writer Emily Tang talks to Tarana a cappella. PAGES S1-4

Today on Campus 9 p.m.: Throwback Thursday, a Black History Month event, will feature childhood television shows, including “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder.” Frist Campus Center West TV Lounge.

The Archives

Feb. 19, 1968 Boston University filed a lawsuit against eight online term paper companies, claiming students were purchasing term papers from the Internet. The Committee on Discipline said the punishment for such an act at the University would be an automatic one-year suspension.

News & Notes Yale students petition for Af-Am House director’s ouster

Members of the AfroAmerican Cultural Center at Yale presented a petition to administrators there on Tuesday calling for the ouster of Assistant Dean of Yale College and Director of the Af-Am House Rodney Cohen, the Yale Daily News reported. The meeting saw a petition signed by 147 students presented to Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway and Kimberly Goff-Crews, who is secretary and vice president for student life. Students who attended the meeting and letters submitted by students before the meeting alleged that Cohen was inaccessible and had engaged in poor financial stewardship of the Af-Am House. Specific allegations include Cohen not discussing the house budget with students, which had been a previous practice, and making the House’s endowment as a funding source less accessible to students. Some students also maintained he had been difficult to contact. Members of the Af-Am House had previously asked Yale to undergo additional training related to his position in February 2014. Cohen did not respond to the Yale Daily News.

RAYE KESSLER :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Whig-Cliosophic Society debates whether a jury or a panel of judges should convict police officers of excessive force. STUDENT LIFE

Student diagnosed with, recovered from measles By Daily Princetonian Staff A student was diagnosed with a suspected case of measles but has now recovered and is no longer contagious, the University announced in an email to students on Wednesday. The preliminary medical test results were received on Tuesday, and more tests are currently being conducted. More than 99.5 percent of University students have been vaccinated for the disease, the email said.

Faculty and staff who have not been vaccinated for the disease may be at risk if they were in Whitman College dining hall, Baker Hall, Holder Hall, McCosh Health Center, Frick Chemistry building, Wallace Hall, Blair Hall, Friend Center, Spelman Hall, 1938 Hall, Frist Campus Center, Dillon Gymnasium or the New South Building from Feb. 4 through Feb. 8. Measles can be spread when a person talks, coughs or sneezes and can be transmitted starting four days before and ending four days

STUDENT LIFE

after the onset of a rash. The virus can live on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours, the email said. Symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat, which are followed by a rash. Measles has recently received national attention after 102 measles cases spread in the U.S., mostly linked to Disneyland, CNN reported. The outbreak resulted in a national debate over whether vaccinations should be mandatory. See MEASLES page 2

As the economy improves, recruiting teachers is becoming increasingly challenging for Teach for America. The idea for Teach for America, which matches college graduates with hard-to-fill teaching vacancies, came out of the senior thesis of Wendy Kopp ’89. An increasingly political conversation around public education has led to a decrease in interest for the profession, particularly for people who may have once had more idealistic expectations, Becky O’Neill ’07, senior managing director of communications for Teach for America, said. “At schools like Princeton with such competitive candidates, students are getting offers often and early from lots of great companies,” O’Neill said, adding that her group usually reaches out to individual students for recruitment based on recommendations from professors, career services offices, campus staff, student leaders, current corps members and alumni. “This year, we had 17 Princeton alums join the TFA corps,” she said. “This put Princeton on the list of top 20 contributors to the corps among medium-sized schools.” Recently, TFA held a series of events on campus to garner student interest, and other events are planned until the application deadline in March. “In the short run, we are one additional stream of people who are willing to go above and beyond traditional expectations to meet the extra needs of the kids and make up for the weaknesses in the system,” Kopp said in a Q & A with The Daily Princetonian last week. “We are certainly not the only source of these teachers. There are so many other committed teachers in the community where we work.” During a post-lecture reception last week, 60 students spoke with Kopp about her establishment of the organization and the challenges See TFA page 3

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Student leads new efforts to petition for ending Bicker By Jacob Donnelly news editor

A student began collecting signatures for a referendum petition to end the Bicker process on Wednesday. The referendum, which was drafted by Ryan Low ’16, specifically calls for each eating club to end Bicker not later than the first day of the 2019-20 academic year, to establish an ad hoc USG committee to facilitate ending Bicker and to call on the Interclub Council to appoint a non-voting member to the ad hoc committee to work with it to facilitate ending Bicker. Low presented the referendum and began collecting signatures Wednesday evening at the Mental Health Initiative’s meeting. The proposed referendum requires 500 signatures before students can vote on it, U-council chair Zhan Okuda Lim ’15 said. Low coordinated with the Undergraduate Student Government to draft the text of the proposed referendum. USG assists students in drafting referenda they are interesting in running, but the referendum is not endorsed by USG, said OkudaLim, who assisted in drafting the resolution’s text for conformity to USG’s typical style. The process toward creating the referendum began in late January, Low said, when a Counseling and Psycholog-

ical Services counselor told him that early February was a busy time of year in their offices due to Bicker. Low added that he thought Bicker and its relationship to mental health should be a bigger discussion on campus than it has been. “This entire atmosphere of not wanting to talk about this huge issue on campus needs to change,” Low said. “Over the past two and a half weeks, I’ve been meeting with two or three people a day for many days now, and getting their input and from all those conversations. … The end result is this referendum.” The interest in reforming the Bicker process is broader than just among those who bickered unsuccessfully, Low said. “I think a lot of people in Bicker clubs don’t like Bicker, but they don’t want to talk about it because they don’t want other people in the club thinking less of them for not liking Bicker,” he said. “But now with this referendum, hopefully people will come out of the shadows more and talk about this process.” He added one of the primary goals of the referendum is to get people to talk about the Bicker system, although he noted that he expected the referendum to pass. “[People] feel like there isn’t a space for them to talk about what’s happening,” he See BICKER page 3

JESSICA LI :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Willie Parker spoke in Dodds Auditorium on Wednesday about his work at an abortion clinic in Miss.

Mississippi physician: well-being of patients most important in abortion cases By Jessica Li staff writer

It is a moral imperative to put the well-being of patients above personal concerns in abortion cases, Willie Parker, a physician in practice at the sole remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi, said in a lecture on Wednesday. Current social trajectories are unsettling, Parker said, noting that in a country where one in three women will pursue abortion during their lifetimes, restrictions against the procedure are becoming increasingly stringent. In Mississippi, recent laws have mandated women to receive counseling, accept ultrasound exams and, for minors,

obtain parental consent before they can step into an abortion clinic. “Women don’t have the health care called abortion,” Parker said. Born in Birmingham, Ala., Parker grew up with five siblings all raised by a single mother. Though never pronounced, the prejudice and stigma against abortion were well-visible in Parker’s community. “I was raised a fundamentalist Protestant and took my religious belief and understood it seriously,” he said. “Though I had no explicit teaching, I saw that teens and single parents were forced to parent regardless of whether they’re ready.” During his foundational

years, Parker became inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech on good samaritans and described the civil rights leader’s words as “a come-toJesus moment.” Nonetheless, the decision to accept employment in an abortion clinic was not easy for him, he said. “When I got the call to work in Mississippi, I said two things,” Parker said. “The first was no. The second was hell no.” As Parker drove through Mississippi after receiving the offer and traveled along roads marred by the violent expressions of racial tension, however, he said he was reminded of the countless women who See LECTURE page 2

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Thursday february 19, 2015

More than 99.5 percent of U. students are vaccinated MEASLES Continued from page 1

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John Kolligian, director of University Health Services, deferred comment to Uni-

versity spokesperson Martin Mbugua, who deferred to the email. Director of Medical Services Peter Johnsen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Students of Princeton Pro-Life question Parker’s stance on abortion issues LECTURE Continued from page 1

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were struggling for civil and reproductive rights. “When you wrestle with your conscience and you lose, you actually win,” he said. “I wanted to make my contributions for women to gain accessibility.” Knowing the first hand realities of poverty and its translation to a deficiency in healthcare, Parker said he proceeded to Mississippi, one of the poorest states in America where 20 percent of the population is below the poverty line. As expected, he said, he was greeted by many unwelcoming eyes as he began his practice. “There is clinic sabotage, but I do not want to be distracted,” he said. “If I cannot make women a priority, then who will?” Ultimately, liberalizing abortion is safeguarding a woman’s right to choose how to live her life, he added. Parker also addressed the “black genocide” problem, which he described as a “stratagem” invented by pro-life activists proposing that abortion is decimating the black population. “While the legal battle of abortion is occurring at the state and local level, the cultural battle is being fought alongside these ideological wars,” he said. “Many say that black babies are an endangered species as if mothers are totally detached from the babies that they are carrying.” “ ‘Black genocide’ is a racial insult, it is a parochial effort to control all women to paralyze the proponents of abortion,” Parker added. Parker cited deploying re-

sources to women in need, expanding capacity for women to pursue abortion, and “making sure that there is a competing a narrative” as steps to pursue for reproductive justice. During the student question and answer period, a student who identified herself as a sophomore recounted her experience of getting an abortion. “I never thought until I got there that I’d have an unplanned pregnancy,” she said. “I know that abortion is highly stigmatized, and it’s often not until that moment when you can truly feel empathy.” Parker applauded the female student for speaking up and noted the gap in empathy he witnessed while working in Jackson. Christian Say ’16, a member of Princeton Pro-Life, said he was disappointed by the choice of speakers. “There will be no protest here,” he said. “But with that said, I am very disappointed by the University’s decision to represent you as the University’s stance, calling the event a lecture on reproductive justice and refusing to acknowledge that there’s only one view presented.” In response, Parker noted that he welcomes disagreement and expressed that there’s uncertainty as to the point at which the agency of people should be honored. “Abortion amounts to murder. If you hold my views, what would you do?” asked another person who self-identified as a member of Princeton Pro-Life. “I wouldn’t be in my job if I did hold your views,” Parker said. “But I don’t.” The lecture took place on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Dodds Auditorium.

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Thursday february 19, 2015

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Need for “great teachers, 500 signatures required before referendum vote BICKER committed leaders” a pressing issue for TFA Continued from page 1

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TFA

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it currently faces. The New York Times recently reported the organization has now seen falling applications for the second year in a row. “The need for great teachers and committed leaders working for equity is very pressing. We’re working to make sure we get in front of students as soon as possible and we’ve been excited to see a steady increase in interest in our program this year,” noted O’Neill. Francesco Di Caprio ’17, whose sister joined AmeriCorps last year after graduating from Princeton, said that though he believes the mission of TFA to be wellintentioned, the non-committal nature of its volunteers hinders the organization’s social impact. “My sister is working in a middle school in Denver now,” Di Caprio said. “She said that what’s different with TFA is that they are

sending kids fresh out of college to poor classes. You really need the best teachers in the country to teach classes like that. Getting a few college students with no prior experience to teach for a year or two doesn’t really help.” Nancy Wu ’18, on the other hand, said she will consider volunteering for TFA, as she said she can see the advantages the organization brings to communities in need. “I like the idea that they are trying to help the community,” Wu said. “I was a volunteer tutor throughout high school for the National Honor Society and for elementary school students. But one disadvantage is that this may just be something fluffy for people to pad their résumés.” Tiffany Miller ’17, a potential politics major, said she believes that TFA may help her find some direction in life. “I don’t know too much about this organization, but I think it’ll help me find what I want to do better,” she said.

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said. “They feel like they’ve been left behind by the rest of Princeton. … It’s not OK to perpetuate a system that unnecessarily makes people feel that way.” Some people who still get into Bicker clubs and have to “hose,” or reject, their friends also feel negative about the process, Low said. Both successful and failed Bickerees have expressed support for the proposal to him, he added. A complete abolition of Bicker would be unlikely, Thomas Fleming ’69, chair of the Graduate Interclub Council, said, adding that the Interclub Council doesn’t have authority to tell a club it can’t

engage in the Bicker process. “I think the most important think to recognize about the governance of the clubs is

“The entire atmosphere of not wanting to talk about this huge issue on campus needs to change.” Ryan Low ’16

Petition Organizer

that there are 11 eating clubs that are not only independent from the University but independent from each other,”

Fleming said, adding that the clubs have historically been largely open to new ideas, such as dual Bicker and computerizing the admissions process. “I don’t think any club would want to ignore student desires, but I think that one of the benefits of the current system at Princeton is that students have a choice,” he said. Clubs, including Cap & Gown Club, of which Fleming is the graduate board chair, have been continually revising the Bicker process, Fleming said. “The selective clubs are significantly oversubscribed now, so I think the market is saying that students, or at least a significant number of the students at Princeton today, value that experience,

so I would be surprised if there was an overruling referendum saying to get rid of Bicker,” he said. “The numbers of how many showed up during admissions week for selective says enough. If that changes, I think no club can arrogantly say that we’ll never change, because that would be a shortsighted statement.” Interclub Council chair Joe Margolies ’15 and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Students Bryant Blount both declined to comment, saying that they did not yet have enough information on the referendum. Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan and Vice President for Campus Life Cynthia Cherrey did not respond to a request for comment.

The new sheriff in town: on vigilante justice

Opinion

Thursday february 19, 2015

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More on sexual misconduct Christian Wawrzonek columnist

’ve been following Anonymous — a loosely connected group of internet hackers — for a few months now. I first heard about them this past November when they infamously launched a cyber-attack on the Ku Klux Klan, hacking its websites and Twitter accounts and releasing personal information about its members. At its best, the actions of Anonymous constitute a muddled attempt at bullying an equally unfriendly group through annoying cyber harassment. At its worst, this event was a deliberate and coordinated attack against civil liberties and the right to free speech. A quick browse of Anonymous’s Facebook page reveals a hodgepodge of images and posts supporting a wide variety of issues with very little in common save a serious mistrust of authority or organizational structure. It reads more like a desperate call to anarchy than a coherent message or value system. Of course, the KKK hack was not a standalone incident. Past targets of Anonymous in the past have varied widely, including the U.S. government, corporations such as Sony and Visa and religious groups like the Church of Scientology. Their recent campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, however, is a different story entirely. Following the attacks on Charlie Hebdo last month, a Belgian branch of Anonymous released a chilling video on their YouTube account declaring war on the “terrorists.” Sporting the distinctive Guy Fawkes mask, a lone individual states in a menacingly distorted voice that Anonymous “will track you down to the last one and will kill you.” Frightening messages like this one make it difficult to determine who the real terrorists are in the first place. Moral equivalencies aside, this is no way for societies to police themselves or other societies. A select, ungoverned few should never hold the power to decide right from wrong or to carry out due punishment. As much as our culture values superheroes and vigilantism in Hollywood, Batman does not and should never exist. Such a force has the potential for serious consequences. It’s easy to imagine multiple scenarios by which this campaign, or any of Anonymous’s campaigns for that matter, can go disastrously wrong. A key aspect of this loosely connected network of computer hackers is the unstructured, disjointed nature of their organization. While the group clearly consists of many intelligent and talented individuals, oversight is nonexistent, and the group is held together by nothing more than an unclear and tenuous motive. This is a precariously dangerous organizational structure given the capabilities that Anonymous has demonstrated in the past. The potential consequences are numerous. For one, this is the perfect stage for extremists to latch onto these intentionally ambiguous and unguided motives to justify their malicious and hateful cyber-attacks on innocent people. Anonymous has created a flaming echo chamber for anarchistic, anti-religious sentiments among people with the skills to act on these beliefs. I doubt most Anonymous hackers are so unhinged. They are, however, human, subject to the very same emotional biases that organized justice is meant to protect against. Their video declaring war on ISIS has clear undertones of anger and vengeance. Blinded by anger from witnessing the loss of innocent lives, it becomes disturbingly easy to allow emotions to clout judgment and turn attacks against innocent bystanders. This form of vigilante justice is only a few steps away from indiscriminately attacking innocent Muslims in blind rage for the heinous actions taken by a select minority. Lacking any formal rules or oversight, there is little to stop this powerful organization from trampling over the lives of innocent people. Assuming these completely unknown individuals possess the mental fortitude to act as unbiased judges, by what standards do they judge guilt? What criterion decides the fate of those who have come into the crosshairs of this untamed and formidable arbitrator? Surely, Anonymous only takes action against those judged to be unequivocally guilty. Determining guilt, however, is never that simple. This is precisely why we have a justice system so heavily predicated on the paradigm “innocent until proven guilty.” A slight oversight, an overzealous hacker and suddenly an innocent man has been identified as a member of the KKK or ISIS, his life now undeniably in peril. Most of Anonymous’s targets are a far cry from murderous extremist groups and deserve due course and protection from the law. However, no group, not even ISIS, necessitates the existence of ungoverned vigilantism. Certainly, defense of the vile actions of ISIS or its affiliated groups is not the proper side to take in any debate. Sickening as their actions have been, we cannot allow anger and fear to give rise to lynch-mob-style justice. Wanting justice and retribution is innately human, but long have humans recognized that these emotions are counterproductive to determining truth and achieving fair justice. As unsatisfying as it can be to watch President Obama meander around the issues as thousands are murdered in the Middle East, or to watch the KKK spew bigotry and hatred, or see criminals slip through the widening cracks of our convoluted justice system, it is important to remember that justice is an intentionally stagnant process. Too often we forget that laws and regulations exist to protect us as much as they do to punish wrongdoing. Anonymous, as wellintentioned and talented as it is, spits in the face of this principle. Christian Wawrzonek is a computer science major from Pittsburgh, Pa. He can be reached at cjw5@princeton.edu.

Matthew Choi Taitano columnist

ith the recent events surrounding the “Princeton Mom” and Tiger Inn, sexual misconduct has been talked about significantly both on campus and in the pages of The Daily Princetonian. The issue, however, is not only confined to our campus. As discussed in a recent article by fellow columnist Marni Morse, who addresses cases at other colleges, this is clearly a national problem. In light of all this, it may be tempting to feel that the topic has been sufficiently addressed. Yet, this coverage, while undoubtedly raising awareness for some, still maintains an environment that discourages others to talk. Although women are often depicted as the victims of these crimes, men can also be victims of sexual misconduct. Granted, this isn’t a revolutionary claim, and I am sure many are aware that it happens. But it may be easy to lose scope of the problem. Based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, college-aged males make up 17% of all rape and sexual assault victimizations. Despite this, cases of sexual misconduct against men appear to be treated less seriously than those against women. This issue seems to be ignored because of both our cultural perception of men and the reinforcement of that perception by the media. As Steve LaPore, founder and director of 1in6, an organization that supports male victims of sexual misconduct, claims, “Culturally we still don’t want to see men as vulnerable. We tell little boys and men to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” This stigma of self-preservation and masculinity placed upon men creates an envi-

ronment in which they are almost discouraged to share their stories. A recent article in the Huffington Post detailed how a student at Brown was sexually assaulted his freshman year. When he initially told his friends, he simply joked that it was a “5 a.m. hookup in the bathroom.” Eventually, he mustered the courage to file a formal complaint to his university and his assailant was successfully expelled. However, the assailant was only expelled because this was the third reported case against him. Brown had let the student off with only a one-semester suspension before. These situations are further downplayed by the media. Instead of helping remove the stigma around sexual misconduct against men, the media has only helped to reinforce the perception that men don’t need help. For instance, in February 2014, actor Shia LaBeouf shared his story about being raped during his art showcase, #IAMSORRY. However, his story did not lead to an investigation or a serious talk about how men could be victims as well. Rather, people on social media downplayed the situation, even to the extent of making fun of him. CNN’s Piers Morgan called the story “truly pathetic.” Yet, LaBeouf and the student from Brown are not exceptions to the norm. Their stories are not only theirs, but also the stories of hundreds of other men. Their experiences are just as valid as that of any other victim and should be treated that way. Unfortunately, this problem is especially ignored in the case of queer men, who already endure stigmatization merely for their sexual orientation. As stated in the Huffington Post article, Clayton Bullock, psychiatrist and co-author of “Male Victims of Sexual Assault: Phenomenology, Psychology, Physiology,” said: “Gay men are often targets of sexual assault because of gay-bashing,

or because of conflicted feelings about the assailant’s own attraction to other men in which they are ‘exorcising their internalized homophobia.’ ” Additionally, Bullock raised the concern that perceptions of gay men as promiscuous only make it even more likely that others will downplay the problem, instead of seeking proper help and attention. To create an environment in which victims of sexual misconduct feel safe in sharing their stories, we as a community must open up to listening to their stories sans biases not only of gender and sexuality, but also of other factors such as race, socio-economic status or religion. However, we are not all-knowing and should not feel that way. Handling any case of sexual assault is an overwhelming task and can be an unexpected one. In our pursuit to create a better environment for victims, we should not feel pressured to know all the answers about how to help them. But it is very important that we make sure that they get the right kind of help, even if we are not the one providing it directly. That being said, sometimes it may be more helpful to just simply provide a listening ear beforehand. In the end, the most important thing we can do is to make sure victims feel like they have an outlet through which they can share their stories and seek help if they choose to do so. Having to endure the trauma of sexual misconduct is painful, especially when one has to go through it alone. Hopefully, we as a community will be able to improve the ways in which we deal with situations of sexual misconduct by creating an open, unbiased environment in which victims can share their stories. Matthew Choi Taitano is a freshman from Yigo, Guam. He can be reached at mtaitano@ princeton.edu.

Week 3 - Keep Going, Tigers chloe song ’17

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vol. cxxxix

Anna Mazarakis ’16 editor-in-chief

Matteo Kruijssen ’16 business manager

139th managing board news editor Jacob Donnelly ’17 opinion editor Benjamin Dinovelli ’16 sports editor Miles Hinson’17 street editor Lin King ’16 photography editor Yicheng Sun ’16 video editors Leora Haber ’16 chief copy editors Caroline Congdon ’17 Joyce Lee ’17 design editors Austin Lee’16 prox editor Rebekah Shoemake ’17 intersections editor Jarron McAllister ’16 associate news editors Ruby Shao ’17 Jasmine Wang ’17 associate opinion editors Jason Choe ’17 Shruthi Deivasigmani’16 associate sports editors Sydney Mandelbaum ’17 Tom Pham ’17 associate street editors Harrison Blackman ’17 Jennifer Shyue ’17 associate photography editors Tiffany Chen ’16 Christopher Ferri ’18 Sewheat Haile ’17 associate chief copy editors Chamsi Hssaine ’16 Alexander Schindele-Murayama ’16 associate design editor Julia Johnstone’16 Cailin Hong ’17 editorial board chair Jeffrey Leibenhaut ’16 Cartoons Editor Terry O’Shea ’16

Chelsea Jones

associate opinion editor emerita

t the start of this academic year, I wrote a column advising freshmen to give themselves more than a couple months to decide how they felt about Princeton and the college experience. I told them how I had started my Princeton career as an awfully unhappy freshman but have since fallen in love with this university. In that column I told my story in the hope that freshmen might save themselves the same selfdoubt and anxiety that plagued my first semester of Princeton. A few months later I was contacted by a freshman girl who had read my article and found herself caught in the same dispirited trap I had described. We met for lunch and I poured upon her all the advice I wish I could have given myself four years ago. We have since kept in touch — updates here and there, passes given, plans made for lunch. But I had largely forgotten my article as the impetus for our relationship until this past week, when I received an email from a second freshman girl. She, too, had connected with the sad beginnings of my ultimately happy story. We met for coffee and I did my best to quell some of her concerns. Both girls now have my number and I theirs. I have told them —

Let’s talk to strangers implored them — to let me know if they ever need anything. I care about these two girls. But, more importantly, I have the utmost respect for these two girls. Emailing a stranger — and an upperclassman at that — is no small feat, particularly when it is for no other reason than to talk. The campus culture at Princeton seems predicated on modes of divisions between cliques, teams, eating clubs or class year and it is not often that these barriers are breached in the hopes of creating new relationships. For any student to reach out to another with whom they have no tangible association is largely against the norm. As you move from freshman to senior year, students you simply had yet to meet slowly become strangers whom you will most likely never meet. Paradoxically, however, there seems to be a pervasive desire to extend beyond one’s usual social group in search of new connections. On Monday, The Daily Princetonian reported that a student-organized group known as Tea with Strangers — a program that invites six students who are otherwise unacquainted to come together for conversation over tea — was filled to capacity within three hours of its launch, with at least fifty more students on the waitlist. Last year’s iteration, called Let’s Get Coffee, boasted over 200 participants with an insupportable waitlist as well. And these two are

only the latest in a series of programs designed to bring “strangers” together. In early 2012, PrincetonLunch worked to facilitate one-on-one platonic meetings between users. Meanwhile, Princeton Muse and Club Nom encourage larger group interactions over the discussion of thought-provoking questions. The overwhelming support for these groups demonstrates a clear demand for avenues by which to meet new people and form productive, meaningful relationships. But why must we wait for structured organizations to facilitate these introductions? Are we truly so inept at reaching out to other students that we need someone else to offer a space, time and warm caffeinated beverage to do so? My intention is not criticize these groups. On the contrary, I am thrilled to see student organizations taking steps to fill this void. However, I want these groups to be a supplement, not a replacement, for action on an individual level. It is possible, if not more powerful, to develop one-on-one support networks and relationships without a structured program. Through a column I thought would be read by few and touch even fewer, two girls saw someone removed enough from their lives to be objective, yet close enough to understand. They took the personal initiative to reach out and I know I am the better for it, and truly hope they can say the same. Now, I encourage others to follow suit.

Upperclassmen, in particular, can offer an excellent support system for unaffiliated underclassmen in this way. The next step is to make these modes of communication become more pervasive and commonplace. It should not be surprising for a freshman to reach out in hopes of speaking with an objective third party and forming a relationship that might broaden or enlighten both students’ Princeton experience. While I had the good fortune of meeting these two girls through my column, there are multiple avenues that could be taken to form such relationships. Perhaps the lead in a show strikes you with his performance. Perhaps the junior in your precept says something brilliantly confounding. Perhaps the same girl bakes you cookies in Murray Dodge every week and you’d like to say something, anything. These may sound like odd, if not awkward, beginnings to meaningful conversations. Yet if it becomes commonplace to speak with the people that have touched you or moved you, regardless of your connection to them, then we can create a far more interconnected, inspired social culture. If we begin talking to strangers, this whole experience might be a little less strange for the lot of us. Chelsea Jones is an English major from Ridgefield, Conn. She can be reached at chelseaj@princeton.edu.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday february 19, 2015

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Chacko opens up on teammates, discusses affinity for chocolate milk ON TAP

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RC: I’m taking this seriously. I would bring… can I have lifetime supplies of stuff? DP: Whatever you want. RC: Ok. A lifetime supply of Gatorade, with some electrolytes. A

lifetime supply of… what’s a good meal… Lunchables! That’s probably balanced… and then Matt Damon. DP: If the four fingers and thumb on one of your hands were drink dispensers, which drinks would they dispense? RC: Four fingers? DP: Five.

RC: Five fingers. Can it be… [holds hand upside-down with fingers pointing towards the ground] OH MY GOSH LIKE AN UDDER. Chocolate milk. We’ll go with chocolate milk, and you would have to get it out like an udder. It would just all be chocolate milk. And that totally works too, you know, like Chacko. You would think it would be milk but its chocolate milk.

KATHERINE TOBEASON:: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The winner of the ECAC playoffs will automatically be given a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Men’s, women’s hockey teams have dissimilar records; both playoff bound Tigers look to continue successful season with out-of-conference match HOCKEY

CARLY JACKSON :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

After playing 3 straight games in-conference foes, no. 13 ranked Princeton battles Coker College this weekend.

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Bears dropped a game to Harvard before winning their next three. Friday’s matchup will feature a battle between two teams at similar points in their seasons, having struggled early and often before finding a groove in recent weeks. Brown — with nine points in the ECAC — is still within Princeton’s reach as the Tigers (six points) try to avoid a second consecutive last-place finish. Saturday’s battle between Yale and Princeton will mark the third time this season that the Ancient Eight rivals have met. The teams opened their seasons with a 2-2 tie in the Liberty Invitational in what was the 250th meeting between the schools. More recently, the Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 4-0 in New Haven behind four second period goals. This matchup will have implications for the hierarchy in the Ivy league, as well as the postseason race in the ECAC, as the Bulldogs sit at second place in the former and third in the latter. First-year head coach Ron Fogarty and his young Tigers

team have endured a lot of adversity this season. Of late, the team’s growth since the season opener has been evident. At Baker Rink on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m., the Orange and Black will try to further this trend. Women’s Hockey The Women’s Hockey team closes its regular season this weekend on the road in the midst of two important races — one for home-ice in the opening round of the ECAC postseason, and one for the distinction of being the Ivy League Champions. Following a weekend split in New York that featured a narrow 2-1 loss to No. 8 Clarkson and a 4-2 win over St. Lawrence, the Tigers finish their regular season with Ivy opponents Brown (5-21-1, 2-171 ECAC) and Yale (13-13-1, 1010 ECAC). In a home series against the teams on Jan. 9 and 10, the Tigers easily took care of business, with 4-1 and 5-1 victories, respectively. In round two, much more is at stake. Only the top eight teams make the playoffs in Women’s ECAC Hockey, with the top four earning the privilege to host a best-of-three opening round series. While the Ti-

gers have clinched a postseason berth, they will need a strong weekend and plenty of help to earn home-ice. Princeton has clinched at least the sixth seed, with 25 points, with Cornell (26) and St. Lawrence (27) within reach. If Cornell (facing Rensselaer and Union) and St. Lawrence (facing Harvard and Dartmouth) falter this weekend, the Tigers could earn a final trip home to Baker Rink. In the Ivy League race, Princeton controls its own destiny. With a 6-1-1 Ivy record the Tigers sit at second place, trailing No. 3 Harvard (8-2-0) by three points. Two wins this weekend will give Princeton the outright Ivy title, its first since 2006. A win and a tie will make the Crimson and the Tigers cochampions. Anything worse than three points will return the trophy to Cambridge, Mass., for a third consecutive year. The puck will drop on Friday night’s matchup at 7 p.m. in Providence, R.I. against Brown. The following afternoon the Tigers and Bulldogs will fight it out at 4 p.m. in New Haven, Conn. Both games will air on the Ivy League Digital Network.

CORRECTION Due to a reporting error, a Feb. 18 graphic, “Season’s Questions,” in the Spring Sports Preview inaccurately stated the league in which the softball team finished last year. The team finished second in their division of the Ivy League. The ‘Prince’ regrets the error.

M.V-BALL Continued from page 6

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nedy. Coker will be looking for a strong performance from sophomore Artur Cabral, who currently averages 3.9 points

per set and 2.9 kills per set. Only four other players on the Coker roster average single digit points per set, compared to eight players for Princeton. After competing with Princeton, Coker will move on to play Sacred Heart and Harvard

in a tough four game stretch. Meanwhile the Tigers will play George Mason, Juniata, and then NJIT for a second time all at home at Dillon Gym in a stretch that they should look to dominate before playing six away games in a row.

Sports

Thursday february 19, 2015

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } {

On Tap

}

On Tap with... Rachael Chacko

By Sydney Mandelbaum Associate sports editor

After dropping her personal record in the mile event below five minutes last weekend at the annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet, sophomore Rachael Chacko is looking forward to Heptagonal Ivy League Championships. This spunky runner sat down with The Daily Princetonian to talk about gummy vitamins, prairie dogs and Matt Damon. Daily Princetonian: Where are you from and what’s the best part about being from there? Rachael Chacko: I’m from Denver, Colorado. Well, just outside Denver. Let me tell you there are so many beautiful things about Colorado. The mountains, the sunsets and the trail runs and you can put them all together. You can run up a mountain and watch the sun set on your way down. DP: What are you concentrating in? RC: Oh, school? Economics. DP: How would you describe your role on the team, athletically and socially? RC: I mean… I run with everyone else. And socially, I would say I am borderline annoying, borderline a mood pick-me-upper, I normally go on the edge of getting on your nerves and lightening the mood. It gets on your nerves when I talk the entire time, I mean during runs and workouts, but its ok in the locker room. I guess kinda what I’m doing now. DP: I know you’ve been injured and sick quite a bit this past year but you’re looking great right now. What’s your secret? RC: Gummy vites. Gummy vites are everything. MARY HUI :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore Rachael Chacko, from Denver, Colorado, is a member of the cross country and track and field teams. MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

DP: What are the three best decisions you’ve made this week?

RC: [sings the words “three best decisions,” to herself a few times before responding] I slept in this morning and got 10 hours of sleep last night. I guess that’s one of my best accomplishments, which is kinda pathetic. I guess I didn’t eat dessert last night, and agreeing to do this, that could be either best or worst. DP: What’s the funniest/most embarrassing thing that has happened to you or a teammate while out on the track? RC: Well we kinda have a lot of bowel issues and bladder issues and this isn’t on the track but I’m pretty sure I’ve mooned my coach before — before a workout going to the bathroom, not on purpose. DP: Who would you say is your quirkiest teammate? RC: Gosh, we’re all so weird! The weirdest one is probably Ally [Markovich]. She just has really good stories. Involving citrus. DP: If you could play another varsity sport here, what would it be and why? RC: Oh, soccer. I’ve posted a yik yak about that. Specifically, I wish I was on the soccer team, they’re so cool. DP: What would you say is your spirit animal? RC: Probably a prairie dog. Actually no because even though they’re cute they’re so annoying I actually don’t like them. But I guess it would fit me well. Damn. I guess I am a prairie dog. They don’t live in isolation and I don’t think I could live in isolation. DP: What would be the title of a film about your life? RC: Fifty Shades of Cray. DP: You’re on a deserted island and can bring three things. What do you bring? See ON TAP page 5

HOCKEY

Men’s volleyball sweeps weekend, prepares for match against Coker By Grant Keating contributor

The Princeton men’s volleyball team is off to its best start in recent memory, opening 3-0 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and 5-4 overall. On Friday, Feb. 13 they defeated a Harvard team (6-4, 2-1 EIVA) ranked No. 13 in the nation 3-1, and then a strong Sacred Heart squad (3-6, 1-2 EIVA) 3-0. The team now seeks to continue its success against independent Coker College (18) this Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in Dillon Gym. Princeton’s victories this weekend and all season were so convincing that the AVCA committee now ranks Princeton as 13th in the nation, replacing Harvard in the poll. It is the first time the Tigers have been nationally ranked since the 1998 season, which was also the only season in which Princeton has won an EIVA championship. Princeton beat two previously ranked 13th teams in Harvard and Cal State-Northridge to earn the spot. Sophomore star and New Jersey native Junior Oboh is a major force in Princeton’s bid for another championship this season. A dominant physical presence at 6’ 7”, Junior was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance this past week-

end, as he averaged 1.9 blocks a set over the two games. It was the first time he has won the award, although perhaps he has deserved more attention all season. Junior now averages 1.26 blocks per set, good for first in the EIVA and 10th overall in the NCAA, and said in a post game interview that his time this summer training with the Junior National team has helped his game immensely. Junior also said that the team’s game strategy of serving hard and passing the ball against Harvard’s floatserve style really paid dividends in the match. Senior Cody Kessel won his second EIVA Offensive Player of the Week award this season for his strong play over the weekend. Kessel now averages 4.85 kills and 5.85 points per set, and averaged five kills and seven points over the weekend. Kessel was an AllAmerican nominee last season, and his impressive stats this season will put him into consideration. The team will now host Coker College, a small Division II school in South Carolina. Coker is slated to play local team NJIT the day before as well, to whom they previously lost 3-0 in January. Princeton swept NJIT 3-0 last week on an impressive performance from sophomore Chris KenSee M. V-BALL page 5

KATHERINE TOBEASON :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Despite a less than stellar record, the men’s hockey team will be able to compete in the ECAC playoffs and get a chance at an NCAA tournament bid.

Hockey teams look toward playoffs By Mark Goldstein contributor

Men’s Hockey In Men’s Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey, each of the twelve competing teams are guaranteed a playoff spot. Although Princeton (4-17-3, 2-14-2 ECAC) ranks last in the conference with six points, if the Tigers continue their strong play of the

last two weeks, they could be poised to take advantage of the league’s postseason format and challenge a highly ranked team come playoff time. Perhaps this weekend will shed some light on the threat level posed by the Tigers to the rest of the league, as they test their mettle against talented Yale (15-7-3, 10-6-2) and streaking Brown (7-17-1, 4-13-1 ECAC).

The Tigers are coming off their first three-point weekend of the season, having beaten Clarkson and tied then-No. 20 St. Lawrence at Baker Rink. Among the stars of the weekend was sophomore goaltender Colton Phinney. Playing behind one of the league’s youngest teams, Phinney has been stellar in net all year. For his 62 saves, .969 save percentage, and

.96 goals-against average last weekend, the Chatham, NJ product was awarded the ECAC’s “Goaltender of the Week” award. The Orange and Black will rely upon Phinney again this weekend, as they square off against two familiar opponents. Brown enters Baker Rink on a hot streak. Since tying the Tigers 2-2 on Jan. 30, the See HOCKEY page 5

Tweet of the day

Inside

‘Annual ‘Thank god I retired 3 years ago cause I wouldn’t have even been recruited today’ tweet (re: swimming championships).’

Read more about the men’s volleyball team’s upcoming match. SPORTS PAGE 5

‘Prince’ Sports is on Twitter! Follow us at

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The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 19, 2015

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PAGES DESIGNED BY LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR

“CAMPUS CULTURE” This week, Street gives an overview of the vibrant student cultural groups at Princeton. We reached out to the presidents of all the groups and spoke to the first eight to respond. For a complete list of groups, visit the Student Organization Directory on ODUS’ website.

COUTESY OF PRINCETON LATINOS Y AMIGOS

Students participating in the La Posada Christmas event held on Dec. 5, 2014. Princeton Latinos y Amigos was one of the many co-sponsors of the event.

PRINCETON LATINOS Y AMIGOS

PRINCETON AFRICAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION DANIELLE TAYLOR

JENNIFER SHYUE

Contributor

ith about 209 active Facebook members and over 300 members on their listserv, Princeton’s African Students Association (PASA) offers an engaging community for anyone interested in Africa and the African diaspora. Seven of-

ficers, along with an additional board focused on diversity, lead PASA with the goal of making African students feel welcome. According to Olamide AkinOlugbade ’16, the president of PASA, the organization helps African students maintain a connection to their roots while at Princeton. The diversity board accomplishes this by representing broad geographical regions of Africa, such as West Africa and Central Africa, and incorporating different cultural aspects of those regions, such as food and music, into PASA’s events. “[PASA] has definitely helped me stay close to where I am from. I have been led to think about Africa while being removed from it in an American environment,” AkinOlugbade said. Recent events of PASA include “Sherehe,” a celeCOUTESY OF SANKOFA bration of African Rohey Jah ’16 models for promotional poster of the upcoming food and perforSankofa 2015 show, photographed by Injee Unshin ’15. mance culture, as

Associate Street Editor

well as bi-weekly discussion dinners that include topics such as African identity, often featuring professors in the African Studies department. Some other events throughout the year include a “meet-the-new-board” social and Sala Kale, which is the senior send-off that also serves as the end-of-year gala. One of PASA’s most high profile events is the upcoming “Sankofa: The African Fashion Show,” which will be held this Friday, Feb. 20 in the Mathey common room at 7 p.m. PASA’s future plans, according to Akin-Olugbade, involve not only celebrating African culture, but also changing perceptions about Africa. “The plans from the club involve expanding beyond a celebration of African culture and entertainment to shed light on the ways the African continent has grown as a land of opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs,” Akin-Olugbade said. “We would like to raise awareness about the ways the African continent is rising, while changing the perceived narrative of an ever-broken continent.” With the goal of changing perceptions about Africa and fostering a community that welcomes African students, PASA encourages diversity and inclusion, while forming strong bonds between its members. “[PASA] has helped me create some great friendships with people from all over the continent,” Akin-Olugbade said.

n some ways, Princeton Latinos y Amigos can trace its roots back to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Acción Puertorriqueña, the group she co-chaired while a student at the University. After numerous national origin-specific groups such as Acción Latina, Acción Puertorriqueña’s successor; the Cuban American Undergraduate Students Association; Chicano Caucus; and Colombian Students Association and Friends faded into obscurity, PLA was officially recognized in spring 2013 as a pan-Latino organization for undergraduates on campus. “A lot of our programming so far works on three main things,” copresident Briana Christophers ’17 said. “We have a lot of stuff on identity, then like cultural stuff, and then we try to do a lot of collaborative events as well.” “It’s really about building a community for Latino students on campus,” co-president Nicole Gonzalez ’16 said, in reference to the group’s focus on Latino identity. Two discussion groups, Mujeres and Hablemos, bring together students to discuss issues pertinent to Latina women and to students who identify as both Latino and some other identity, respectively. In terms of cultural events, PLA starts off the year with Latino Heritage Month, which runs from mid-September to mid-October and concludes with the Fall Gala. It also

sponsors movie screenings, such as an upcoming screening of the Venezuelan film “Pelo Malo” in collaboration with the Black History Month Committee, and Caja Loca, a Latin dance party in Campus Club that PLA hopes to host monthly. As for the element of collaboration, Christophers said, “Even more recently, the collaboration stuff has been becoming bigger and bigger. We’re trying to engage the broader Latino community institutionally.” PLA has been working with the Association of Latino Princeton Alumni, the Latino Graduate Students Association and Latino Princetonians, a resource group for Latino University staff. In its first years, PLA was more focused on its cultural activities. In the past few months, however, recent campus political movements have created avenues to engage in discourse with University administration, which have allowed PLA to take on the role of advocate for Latino students on campus. “Another goal … was working more with the administration to work on topics specific to — or maybe not even specific to — the Latino community but that involve [it],” Christophers said. “[To] advance the needs of our population and hopefully also those of other minority or cultural groups on campus.” “It’s really a focus on equity on campus,” Gonzalez added. “Not just for us, for all of us,” Christophers said.

ORANGE PAN-HELLENIC ASSOCIATION LIN KING Street Editor

n the context of an American university, the words “Greek culture” may denote a number of things, but for the members of the Orange Pan-Hellenic Association (OPA), it means exactly that — Greek culture, including music, food, theater and, of course, language. OPA was founded in 2011, and according to president Stephanie Leotsakos ’16, the club had only 5 core members organizing campus-wide events in the beginning. “Due to the free Greek food and desserts that were offered at many of our events (traditional dancing workshops, cooking demonstrations, cultural

fairs), our club gained visibility and listserv subscriptions,” she said in an emailed statement. The group has now expanded to include 35 active members and six officers, with 70 signed up on its listserv. Leotsakos explained that since the group hosts three weekly Modern Greek language tables (Tuesdays 6 p.m. in Forbes Dining Hall, Wednesdays 6 p.m. in Rockefeller Dining Hall and Friday 1 p.m. in Mathey Dining Hall), most of its active members are Greek or Greek-American. While most of the language table participants are native speakers, Leotsakos added that there are also enthusiastic frequenters who are invested in learning the language. However, Leotsakos stresses that all interested in Greek language or culture are welcome. “[OPA] is open

to everyone — we make our events open to undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff, even the local non-university community,” she said. “We maintain a separate listserv for non-student members for our events open to the public. Our larger-scale cultural events draw more non-Greeks than Greeks.” In addition to language tables, OPA also organizes Greek concerts, incorporates a traditional dance group and participates in various cultural events on campus. For one, a Greek cooking event is in the works for the spring semester. The group also organizes numerous Greek arts events. “We are very excited about an upcoming concert that we spent almost a year planning. OPA has invited renowned Greek lyricist Lina Nikolakopoulou to come to

Princeton for a concert dedicated to her most enduring works on Sunday, March 1,” Leotsakos said. Another performance arts event, a master class with Greek actress and vocalist Martha Frintzila, will be hosted on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall. “These opportunities to collaborate with talented musicians and share that with the Princeton community are particularly rewarding,” Leotsakos said.

COUTESY OF FLOWMAGAZINE.GR

Lyricist Lina Nikolakopoulou, who will be performing in the Tarlin Auditorium in Fine Hall on Sunday, March 1.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 19, 2015

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CONTINUED FROM S1: STUDENT CULTURAL GROUPS

THAIGERS

PEHCHAAN JENNIFER SHYUE

LIN KING

Associate Street Editor

“P

ehcha an” means “identity” in Urdu, and an on-campus sense of Pakistani and Pakistani-American identity is precisely what the student group Pehchaan seeks to build. “Pehchaan represents Pakistani and Pakistani-American students on campus,” treasurer Haider Abbas ’17 said. “But more than that, it’s about bringing Princeton students together on topics that are mutual between Pakistani students and all the other students from all over the world on campus.” Founded in 2009 with the goal of creating a more cohesive community of Pakistani undergraduate and graduate students on campus, Pehchaan now has about 25 active members who regularly attend the biweekly meetings, though there are between 70

and 90 Princeton students and community members on Pehchaan’s listserv. One of the group’s most popular events is Basant, the spring kite-f lying festival Pehchaan hosts every year in April. Last semester, Pehchaan also co-hosted Sufi Night with the Muslim Students Association. Today, on Feb. 19, Pehchaan and Princeton Traveler are screening the documentary “Rediscovering Pakistan: The Untold Tale” and sponsoring an event with Moin Khan, the documentary’s maker. In the future, according to Abbas and president Ali Hayat ’16, Pehchaan hopes to put on a Pakistani Awareness Week that would include the cultural events the group has hosted in the past, as well as talks with speakers like Maleeha Lodhi, the permanent Pakistani representative to the United Nations, and journal-

Street Editor

ist Ahmed Rashid. Another larger goal, Hayat said, is to “incorporate larger numbers of Pakistani-American students, because I think that’s a potential source for membership that we haven’t fully explored in the past.” Ultimately, Pehchaan aims to foster a sense of community on campus but also to provide a space in which Princeton students can learn more about Pakistan. “As one of six students who’s from Pakistan who study here, I think, willingly or unwillingly, I’m a representative of my country and its culture and its values, and I think, especially now, given that there’s an image that already exists, a lot of work needs to be done to rectify that image,” Hayat said. “My main motivation is to reconcile my own image [of Pakistan] with the image that a lot of people have and try to bridge them together.”

ew student organizations are founded based on a pun discovered over a casual dinner conversation, but THAIGERS, the Thai students’ organization founded in 2013, is a happy exception. “We were just playing around with puns that we could use as the name, if we were to start an organization for Thai students,” co-founder and co-president Bee Xuto ’16 said in an emailed interview. “We’ve pretty much stuck by the original goals we set out when THAIGERS was founded, which were to promote Thai culture [and] awareness on campus, and to be a platform which could better unite the Thai students on campus and to warmly welcome new Thai students,” Xuto said. “Oh, and to get to eat awesome Thai food.” Less than two years after its founding, THAIGERS now has five officers and 10 very involved members, including three graduate students. “Most of the regular members are Thai … and we tend to speak Thai to each other quite

a lot,” Xuto explained. While this is in line with the group’s missions to foster a community for Thai students on campus, THAIGERS also does not neglect its goals of sharing Thai culture with the Princeton community. Their inaugural event, “Pad Thaigers,” attracted over 100 attendees. In addition, the group cohosts and participates in numerous cultural events throughout the year, including TASA’s “Night Market” during Preview weekend. “Our booth always sells out very fast,” Xuto said. “People just can’t get enough of ’em Thai food, you know?” Looking into the future, Xuto said on behalf of cofounder and co-president Pai Pangsrivongse ’16 that their joint goal is to ensure the continuance of the THAIGERS community after the two of them graduate. “When we first entered Princeton, there wasn’t really a network or support system for Thai students. Most of the

COURTESY OF THAIGERS

The THAIGERS’ official logo.

Thais didn’t know each other,” he said. “Now though, with THAIGERS events and a Thai Language Table in Forbes every Friday dinner … the Thai underclassmen and upperclassmen are much closer.” According to Xuto, there are only 12 students of Thai or part-Thai origin on campus right now. Given the relatively small number, Xuto explained that he and Pangsrivongse are proud to see how their work has brought together this community. “Also, our name still remains pretty badass. We’re pretty proud of that,” he said.

CHINESE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION FRENCH SOCIETY GRACE REHAUT

VICTORIA SCOTT

Staff Writer

eaded by copresidents Brian Chen ’16 and Julie Kwong ’16, Princeton’s Chinese Student Association (CSA) is one of several distinctive and impactful cultural groups on campus, but it strives to make its own unique mark on Princeton through exciting and inclusive programming that incorporates everything from fun food-themed study breaks to community service work. The club’s ultimate goal is to celebrate Chinese culture in all its various forms. Anyone can get involved in CSA and attend events, but the club is run by a small executive board and a larger freshman board in the fall that coordinates with the executive board to plan club programming. The intense level of planning that happens behind the scenes in CSA allows the club to host frequent and diverse events for general members to attend. Recently, the club has also taken a turn toward the philanthropic, sponsoring a trip to a local Chinese school to engage rising juniors and seniors in conversations about college and future goals. CSA

Staff Writer

is hoping to pursue more com- the deal, the event will include munity service projects in the performances from student future, expanding its aim of groups and a keynote speech honoring Chinese culture to from Dante Basco, a prominent the field of volunteering as voice actor known for voicing well. As far as other future the characters of Prince Zuko projects, CSA is also hoping to in “Avatar: The Last Airbender” begin offering Mahjong nights and Jake Long in Disney Chanfor all interested students to nel’s “American Dragon: Jake come and enjoy the tradition- Long.” Basco will be speaking, al Chinese multiplayer tile taking questions, and hosting game. For those interested a meet-and-greet following the in getting more connected to banquet. The event is from 6-8 Chinese culture, CSA is the p.m. and tickets will be on sale perfect place to do this — the at a table in Frist from 2-3:30 group itself is close-knit, and p.m. and 8:30-10 p.m. through “the food is amazing,” ac- Feb. 20. cording to Chen. Meanwhile, this Saturday is CSA’s Lunar New Year Banquet, a semiformal event at the Fields Center that will feature banqu e t-s t yle food from students’ favorite local Chinese COURTESY OF CHINESE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION restaurants. To sweeten Promotional poster for CSA’s Lunar New Year Banquet.

he French Society is one of the newest student groups to be formed at Princeton. Its mission: to cultivate passion for all things French in the student body, from casual “Amélie” viewers to native speakers alike. “The French Society is actually quite new. It was created in very early December [of 2014],” co-president Walid Marfouk ‘17 said. “It was initially a project that Ruben, Quentin and I had for quite some time. We finally got around to it last semester.” Even though the club has only existed for three months, its membership is already substantial and growing. “There are about 56 members in the club,” Marfouk said. “Each of the members have some kind of relationship with French culture but mainly a general interest in French culture from a lot of people.” Although most of the members have been exposed to French, knowledge of the language is not a requirement to join. “Not all the people in the French society are actually French. There are not many French people at Princeton,

COURTESY OF THEOPERA101.COM

The Met Opera, where French Society held a trip to see ‘La Bohème.’

so maybe [there are] 12 to 15 actual French people in the Society and everyone else is a francophone,” Marfouk said. According to Marfouk, the Society is working on many projects for this spring, having already kicked off the semester with a group trip to New York City. “We recently went to the Met Opera to see ‘La Bohème.’ We have organized dinner debates in the Rocky-Mathey Common Room. We are working with graduate students to show a French movie in Rocky Theater once a week,” Marfouk said. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the French Society will host an event to introduce the club to

Princeton and increase awareness of the club. “We are also organizing a discussion with the former French minister of culture on Tuesday. We are trying to get interesting speakers, and as many off-campus events as possible,” Marfouk added. The French Society will certainly be a bright, new presence to the vibrant student cultural group community on campus. The club encourages students who have a love for French culture to join, regardless of French language experience. “The society is open to anyone with interest in France and French culture,” Marfouk said.

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION HARRISON BLACKMAN Associate Street Editor

t Cornell University, students have had the opportunity to pursue the academic program of Asian American Studies since 1987. On the other hand, while Princeton has certificate programs in African American Studies, Latino Studies and American Studies, it currently does not have a program in Asian American Studies. This is what the Asian American Students Association seeks to change. “We work closely with the Asian American studies professors (currently Professor [Anne] Cheng and Professor Beth Lew Williams) to provide student input in the on-

going push to create an Asian American studies certificate program,” AASA co-president Cailin Hong ’17 said in an emailed statement. “Our primary focus now is having a solid core of 2-3 courses in Asian American studies offered consistently each semester,” she said. “Despite the decades-long challenge, we hope to help Princeton catch up with the rest of the country and play a role in Asian American studies more broadly.” Hong is currently an Associate Design Editor for the Daily Princetonian. According to Hong, the political group traces its beginnings to the 1970s, when

Peter Kwong, the director of the then-named Third World Center (today known as the Fields Center), started holding dinners with AsianAmerican students. The earliest documentation of AASA’s official presence is from 1984. “Our objective is to facilitate conversations about the Asian American identity on campus and bring awareness to AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) political issues,” Hong said. The group hosts a variety of events, including an annual “café night” held at Café Vivian at Frist Campus Center to dispel misconceptions about Asian-Americans. The group also engages in activism and service outside of campus. “This year we edited personal statements for Hmong students at a Teach for America school in Wisconsin,” Hong said. AASA has also worked

with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund to conduct poll-monitoring that helps prevent voting discrimination in New Jersey. According to co-president Belinda Chen ’17, the group currently has a core membership of 20 members, a broader affiliation of 60 members and 200 students on the AASA listserv. “The perennial challenge is to get more students to understand and engage in our political advocacy and we’re huge supporters of the post-Ferguson movement to increase racial awareness, sensitivity and competence at Princeton,” Hong said. “The biggest challenge we’ve had is really challenging the image of AASA as an East Asian cultural group [and not as a political group for Asian Americans].” AASA continues to be a

pioneer in the field of Asian American studies. According to Hong, the group recently launched “Unfound,” the only undergraduate Asian American studies research journal

in the United States. “We’re really proud of the progress we’ve made in Asian American studies and with the activism we’ve led this past year,” she said.

COURTESY OF ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 19, 2015

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THIS SIDE OF:

RUNNING AT PRINCETON HARRISON BLACKMAN Associate Street Editor

COURTESY OF JOSH UMANSKY

I Talk About When I Talk About Running”: “All I do is keep on running in my own cozy, homemade void, my own nostalgic silence. And this is a pretty wonderful thing.” This quote holds true for me, except for the fact that I usually listen to music while I run, so my cozy, homemade void features corny 90s alt-rock, but the idea is there. Running allows me to recharge my brain when my frenetic Princeton schedule sends it spinning. This past semester, my knee injury returned. The spiritual uplift of running was reduced to staring at the bubbles of the hydrotherapy tub in the physical therapy room of Dillon Gym. I came to associate the bubbles with a sort of “runner’s purgatory,” a place where good runners go to wait for their chance to go to heaven, the ability to run again. Unfortunately, the conditions for my injury are inescapable. My body is not built to run, and the injury will likely return, wax and wane over the course of my life. I began running again in December, but the same questions haunt me: Am I too old for this? Will my injury return, and when? In the meantime, setting out on the towpath on a bright weekend morning, feeling the wind at my back, is still a fulfilling experience. To run at Princeton is to cast aside all the little things, all the deadlines and papers, and feel the blood coursing through my veins. It is to celebrate the life I’ve lived and recognize the privilege and wonder of this place.

ASK THE SEXPERT This week, she discusses group sex. Dear Sexpert, I currently have the opportunity to get in on a foursome with some friends. I’m not sure how it would all work out, but I’ve never done this sort of thing and wanted to get some more info before I make a decision. I’m really interested, but can you tell me about any precautions I should take in foursomes, threesomes or whatever? Thanks,

-The More the Merrier

Dear Merrier, Group sex can be intimidating for sure. First off, there are so many varieties that it can be hard to feel prepared for everything. Any number of people can be involved, and there may be different relationships among the participants. For example, one arrangement for group sex is couples getting together. This, as you can imagine, can create emotional and physical complications and may require the setting of

boundaries (what is and is not okay) prior to engaging in activities, to increase comfort and establish expectations. On that note, the most important part of group sex is consent. Agreeing to participate in group sex, in general, does not mean agreement to participate in all sexual acts. At any point in the activity, each involved party should be able to consent or refuse participation. Group sex inherently triples, quadruples or further multiplies the number of consenting individuals, and thus should equally multiply the number of times you ask. The key thing to keep in mind with group sex, as with any sexual encounter, is that consent can evolve and change at any point, so continually check in with your partners. Another important element is the use of protective barriers, like condoms and dental dams. Risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases with the number of partners and opportunities to come in contact with bodily f luids. Remember to apply a new barrier when switching partners — do not reuse barriers.

THREADS

At the beginning of my senior year in high school, I injured my knee and missed the entire season. I managed to

run a final race in the spring, but losing a year was a catastrophic disappointment at the time. A part of me had passed on, while my friends continued to have the same exhilarating fun. I was left proverbially in the dust. It was this feeling of loss that motivated me to pursue club running in college. By my freshman fall I had recovered and joined the Princeton Running Club, whose great community of people helped me adjust to college and provided a stable social group. I was back — but there were signs that I had changed. On a beautiful fall day at the regional meet hosted by University of Delaware, I felt content, but there were lingering doubts about my ability to continue competing. The meet was just like in high school — except everyone wanted to be there, which made it more fun. Even as nostalgia swept over me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was getting too old for this, that competitive running in this format was for the young and the restless of high school, and that my time had passed, that I needed to move on. After running at Nationals in Hershey, Pa., I felt like I had finally resolved the pain of missing my final high school season. I had overcome the injury and returned stronger than before. The doubts that had characterized my time at the regional meet seemed to evaporate. But whereas in high school running felt like an escape because of the company of other people, I found that Princeton’s grueling regimen of work, social activities and irregular sleep schedules encouraged me to run whenever I had the chance, often alone. I still wanted to be a part of Running Club, but my schedule and exhaustion led me to run by myself. In these long, contemplative runs on the towpath to the edges of Lake Carnegie and beyond, I realized that I could achieve solace and spiritual peace on the trail. In the words of Japanese author and runner Haruki Murakami in his memoir “What

weekly glimpse at campus fashion

hen i was applying to colleges, I was looking for a place that would be good for running. Don’t get me wrong — I was interested in academic rigor, good food and all those good things you find in brochures, but the opportunity to run recreationally was essential. During my college visits, I ran on a trail that displayed images of the planets at proportional distances from one another at the University of Wisconsin; I ran beside an endless strip mall near the University of Virginia; and I ran concentric laps around Duke University’s East Campus. I didn’t want to simply take the word of admissions offices when they say that there are good places for students to run on campus — I wanted to experience it for myself; like seeing, running is believing. Princeton is a good place for runners. Like a peaceful island nestled in the shadow of Route 1, Princeton’s quiet, sprawling neighborhoods are optimal for exploring. Adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal, the tow path offers a pastoral running experience along Lake Carnegie, with a canopy of trees that transports the runner to another time and place. Moreover, Princeton offers numerous opportunities to be with a team, even if you aren’t on varsity. While TeamU nobly harnesses running for fundraising, Princeton Running Club offers dedicated runners a chance to revive their high school cross country and track careers — something as a freshman I desperately wanted. I loved running in high school, and I held cross country in the highest regard. There are few times in your life when you can run with your friends, laughing about all sorts of jokes even after your coach has imposed dreaded mile repeats. Aside from the fun and intensity of physical activity, I adored the beauty of running on autumn days when the leaves were falling, of joking around with friends during dreaded mile repeats, of that thrilling moment when I finish a 5K race on varied terrain. I wanted to experience all these things again in college.

While the wearer of a condom may be relatively protected when switching partners, the other participants are still at risk of exchanging bodily f luids and contracting STIs. Try color-coding condoms and dental dams for specific partners to prevent mix-ups. Furthermore, remember that everyone enters a sexual situation with different expectations (regardless of the number of people involved). Open and honest conversation is the only way to accurately communicate expectations. In addition to all these things, be sure you feel emotionally prepared to experiment with group sex, if you decide that is what you want. Who said three’s a crowd?

JULIA SHIN :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Name: Edric Huang (Staff Writer for Street) Year: 2018 Major: Woody Woo or English (Undecided) Style summarized: Comfort and minimalism but with an occasional slight edge Where are your clothes from?: Kenneth Cole Peacot with Bib, Coal beanie from UO, Calvin Klein Jeans, Vasque Hiking boots from REI Style

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STREET whether it’s features, theater, dance, music, health, fashion, art, humor, or personal essays, we’ve got you covered.

— The Sexpert Interested in Sexual Health? The Sexpert is always looking for members of the community to join the team of sexual health educators who, along with fact-checking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@ dailypr incetonian.com for more information and questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!

for more info, email us at STREETEDITORS@GMAIL.COM

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 19, 2015

Q&A The

page s4

return of Tarana a cappella Interviewed by

EMILY TANG

STREET’S

TOP TEN

Staff Writer

ounded in 2011, the South Asian a cappella group Tarana just retu rned from a t wo-year hiatus. This spring, the audition-free Tarana is gearing up for a new season and held an open house on Feb. 11. Street sat dow n with Nusrat Ahmed ’17, the president of Tarana, to talk about the group’s recent revival. Daily Princetonian: So Tarana recently came back after a hiatus. Could you give us some background on that? Nusrat Ahmed: Actually, it started in 2011, but it took a break because everyone who founded it was a senior and had different priorities. I knew the founding members, even though I was never part of the club. Some of the songs that they sang before include ”Yeh Dooriyan” and “Saathiya.” I liked the idea of the club and I decided to revive it. DP: Tell us a little bit more about the group — the story behind Tarana, your goals and aspirations. NA: So there are lots of ethnic a cappella groups that are doing very well in the college scene. For example, the a cappella scene in African R&B is amazing. But, at the same time, a lot of it is extremely exclusive. There is a rich South Asian culture here at Princeton, because the population of South Asianers is so large. I just wanted to make a group where

the community could join together. We welcome anybody who loves ... a cappella, music, South Asian culture, or even just hanging out. Even if you have zero percent experience, you can still join our completely non-exclusive group. DP: So someone who does not want to sing can still join the club? NA: Definitely! I like to make it clear that we are a family before we are an a cappella group. We want to make this as inclusive as humanly possible. If you want to hang out with us, that’s awesome! DP: What does the name Tarana mean? NA: Tarana is the Persian word for “song,” but we won’t be singing in only one language . We will primarily sing South Asian music, but some of it might be Western-fused. The songs we choose will be very diverse. Everything will be from many different languages — South Bengali, the language of Bangladesh; Urdu, the language of Pakistan; Hindi; Tamil; Telugu; and also some mixtures of Western American music.

music to its core, and then separate it into individual parts. DP: What does your practice schedule look like as of now? NA: We are going to have three practices every week, one that will be one hour long and two that will be one and a half hours long. A lot of it is not confirmed yet. We do have a board which currently consists of me as the president, Anjali Taneja as the vice president, Samhita Karnati as the assistant music director, Rabia Khan as the secretary, Tanvee Deokule as the social events chair, Divya Rohira as the social media chair and Soumya Sudhakar as the treasurer. DP: What do you envision for the upcoming semester? NA: Right now we really want to focus on making Tarana a very safe space, because we are essentially the guinea

pigs right now. It will be a lot of experimenting, and most of us are beginners. Tarana does eventually want to perform on campus, in arch sings, in events, as well as outside of campus. Mainly for now, we are celebrating South Asian culture on campus, teaching everyone about it, also learning ourselves along the way. That means that you should be expecting lots of mixers, lots of social events and lots of showcases from us in the near future! We want to eventually follow in Penn Masala’s footsteps. They are a very famous Hindi a cappella group from the University of Pennsylvania. DP: How about in the long run? NA: Hopefully, we’ll be able to have larger performances and also compete in different competitions. We also want to make an album and a YouTube channel!

1 3 5 7 9

Ways to Stay Warm

Put on a scarf, hat and gloves. Put on long johns.

Cuddle.

Cuddle some more.

Cuddle. ;-)

2 4

6 8 10

Steal a black North Face from Charter.

Stand like penguins, in a group.

Stand like tourists, in a group.

DP: Who chooses the songs? Do you arrange your own music? NA: We do have a music director and an assistant music director, who are in charge of coordinating all the parts and organizing the songs. Picking songs is a group effort. We all make the music together, try to bring the

Verify that you are non-essential personnel.

Never, ever go outside.

COURTESY OF TARANA

SHALL WE DANCE? Tango Beginners’ Series SUNNY HE

Contributing Photographer

CAMPUS PICKS EVENT: CSA’S LUNAR NEW YEAR BANQUET Fields Center Saturday, 6 p.m.

Are you ready for Lunar New Year? Are you a fan of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra”? Do you like Chinese food? Then come on down to CSA’s Lunar New Year Banquet, featuring a talk with Dante Brasco, the voice of Prince Zuko in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Additionally, slam poet Namkyu Oh ’16 and dance companies Triple 8 and Princeton University Ballet (PUB) will perform. The semi-formal dinner will feature food from local Chinese restaurants.

his week, street brings you a peek at the Pinceton Tango Club’s Beginners’ Series, which has been taught by Robin Thomas every Monday since Feb. 2. Classes run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and are followed by guided practice from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The series is free for Princeton students, $5 for non-Princeton students and $10 for general admission. No previous experience or partner required to pop a rose between your teeth and master the sexiest dance around!

ART: ‘BENCH,’ A SENIOR ART SHOW BY CHRIS ST. JOHN

Lucas Gallery at 185 Nassau Street Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 4 p.m. Have you ever wondered how seating and projection contributes to the art gallery experience? You’re in luck, because the art show of visual arts major Chris St. John ’15 explores “the effects of projection, seating and spaces in a contemporary gallery space.” The exhibition is free and open to the public.

CONCERT: GLEE CLUB PRESENTS THEATRE OF VOICES Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall Friday, 7:30 p.m.

It’s not often that students have the opportunity to workshop a masterpiece of modern vocal music. This Friday, Grammywinning vocal ensemble “Theatre of Voices” will present and perform Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “Stimmung,” a piece that revolutionized classical music in 1968 by its novel use of overtones. Tenor Wolodymyr Smishkewych and sound engineer Ian Dearden will lead the discussion. Get excited!

HEADLINERS AND HEADSHAKERS headlines you didn’t read this week DAILY PRINCETONIAN STAFF

10 bridges around Princeton functionally obsolete, Bridge Year not affected Scheide ’36 bequeaths 2,500 rare books to Firestone, also bequeaths 10,000 extremely common Dan Brown novels Tea With Strangers launches, fills with strangers quickly

launch, Crunchbutton prepares for late meal feels threatened PRINCETON POST OFFICE TO MOVE TO NASSAU STREET, UPS STORE DOESN’T FEEL THREATENED nor Harvard considers implementing ho code, cites admiration for Princeton’s academic integrity

DANCE: SPRING DANCE FESTIVAL Berlind Theatre Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Are you ready for spring? Are you ready for spring dance? Are you ready for spring dance festival? Featuring 50 performances from students in the Program in Dance, the Spring Dance Festival is performing various repertories by big names such as Zvi Gotheiner, Stephen Petronio, Jodie Gates and Director of the Program in Dance Susan Marshall. The Festival will also premiere new works by Marjani Forté and David Neumann.

CONCERT: PPE PRESENTS LIGHTS, PIANOS, ACTION Frist Film/Performance Theatre Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.

This isn’t your average piano concert. The Princeton Pianists Ensemble’s spring show features music from movies ranging from “Forrest Gump” to “Frozen,” played by groups ranging in size from two to 10. There will be piano battles, there will be lights, and there will be lots of dextrous multi-hand action — and it’s all free!