Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998
Saturday February 20, 2016 vol. cxxxx no. 16
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Eisgruber, BJL reaches compromise By Do-Hyeong Myeong Editor-in-chief
SAMUEL VILCHEZ:: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Students occupied the office of University President Christopher Eisgruber ‘83 during a sit-in in Nov. FEBRUARY 3, 2016
U. announces strategic planning framework By Zaynab Zaman Senior Writer
The University announced its strategic planning framework, recently adopted by its Board of Trustees, on Tuesday. The framework will focus on the University’s commitment to research and the liberal arts, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity,
affordability and service, and includes plans to accept transfer students, expand student body and create a seventh residential college. “The vision that is expressed in the strategic framework document is one that I own wholeheartedly and am delighted to have the Trustees putting forward,” University
President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 Eisgruber said. The framework identifies the University’s strategic priorities, such as expanding the student body and developing new facilities to better support engineering and environmental studies. In light of the University’s mission as See PLAN page 5
University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 agreed to the modified demands of student protestors on Thursday evening. He signed the document at about 8:20 p.m., approximately 32 hours after students in the Black Justice League began a sitin in his office and after significant negotiations over the content of the demands. Around 20 student protestors had been occupying Eisgruber’s office since Wednesday. The “Walkout and Speakout” protest, organized by the BJL, began with a walkout from classes on Wednesday morning, then featured a march to Nassau Hall and a sit-in in Eisgruber’s office. Students who occupied the office stayed there overnight. Some other students camped outside the building. Eisgruber was not available for comment. Student protest leaders Destiny Crockett ’17, Wilglory Tanjong ’18 and Dashaya Foreman ’16 read out the agreement in the Nassau Hall atrium shortly
after the signing. Protestors cleared the building later in the evening. Crockett deferred comment to Tanjong, Foreman and Esther Maddox ’17, who did not respond to requests for comment. The final list addressed all three initial demands of the protestors, which included cultural competency training for faculty and staff and a diversity distribution requirement, a special space for black students, and the removal of the name of Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, from the Wilson School and Wilson College. According to the agreement, Eisgruber will write to chair of the University Board of Trustees Katie Hall ’80 to initiate conversations on removing Wilson’s name from campus buildings. He will also write to Head of Wilson College Eduardo Cadava to request that he consider removing Wilson’s mural from Wilcox dining hall. The administration also agreed to immediately designate four rooms in the Fields Center for use by cultural groups, and promised to have See PROTEST page 2
MAY 3, 2015
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
WeSpeak survey result USG referendum on divestment from released to the public Israeli companies raises controversy By Christina Vosbikian News editor
Undergraduate women experience the highest instance of inappropriate sexual behavior among students at the University, according to the summary report for the 2015 survey “We Speak: Attitudes on Sexual Misconduct at Princeton,” released by the University on Tuesday. According to the results, approximately one in three undergraduate women have experienced inappropriate sexual behavior in comparison with an estimated one in five graduate women, one in seven undergraduate men and one in 18 graduate men. Fifty-five percent of under-
graduate women and 62 percent of undergraduate men indicated that they told someone about the incident of inappropriate sexual behavior, while 43 percent of graduate students told someone, according to the report. The report explained that students not thinking what happened to them was “serious enough to talk about” was among the most frequently cited reasons that students did not tell anybody about their experiences of inappropriate sexual behavior. Other reasons included students’ viewing their experiences as a “private matter that they wanted to deal with it on their own” and students expressing that “they had other things they needed to foSee WESPEAK page 4
By Cassidy Tucker staff writer
The referendum to divest from contracting with multinational companies with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt was the most heated and contested referendum the University has seen in the 21st century, Undergraduate Student Government chief elections manager Grant Golub ’17 said. Both USG and student activist organizations have been riled by controversy over campaign financing and allegations of biased referendum language, even though the referendum has officially concluded. Undergraduate students split nearly down the middle over whether to divest from certain Israeli com-
panies, with 52.5 percent voting against divestment. Golub is a former staff writer and staff copy editor for The Daily Princetonian. The amount of money spent by No Divest raised questions, Lily Gellman ’17, a member of the Alliance of Jewish Progressives and the Princeton Committee on Palestine who worked closely with the Princeton Divests campaign, said. “I don’t know where the money is coming from but it is definitely a lot with all of the pizza, all of their expensive posters,” Gellman said. “They had targeted Facebook ads and ads in the ‘Prince’ online, which I’d heard cost $350 per day.” There is no concrete evidence that No Divest sought funding
from an outside source. An attempt by the ‘Prince’ to verify who registered the No Divest website revealed it was registered through a private proxy service, meaning who paid for the website remains unknown. Gellman said she acknowledged that students themselves may have paid for all of the No Divest campaign efforts. “Students would have had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket which is a possibility, but even then — and I would never have thought to say this regarding a school referendum — there should be some kind of campaign finance reform,” Gellman said. Hannelora Everett ’17, president of Tigers For Israel and a See DIVESTMENT page 4
LAVERNE COX
DECEMBER 3, 2015
Three U. affiliated researchers win Nobel prize staff writer
There are 40 current and previous members of the University, including faculty, staff and alumni, that have won the Nobel Prize since the prize was founded in 1901, according to the University’s website on the Nobel Prize. One University-affiliated individual has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, two in physiology or medicine, three in literature, four in chemistry, twelve in economics and eighteen in physics. Three scholars associated with the University were
awarded the Nobel Prize this year — former postdoctoral researcher Tomas Lindahl in chemistry, economics professor Angus Deaton in economics and former physics professor Arthur McDonald in physics. A total of eleven laureates were granted the prize in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace this year. Neither Harvard nor Yale had affiliated Nobel laureates this year. Dean for Research Pablo Debenedetti noted how the University has traditionally been very strong in the quality of research it produces. “Princeton has been pros-
perous and keeps on getting better,” he said. While numbers show that the department with the most Nobel prizes is the physics department, Debenedetti said the University has top scholars and top researchers across the board. Although the Nobel Prize is an extremely distinguished award, he explained that there are entire disciplines where no Nobel prizes are awarded, such as mathematics or departments within the school of engineering. “Of course, physics is a very strong department, and a department that we are very proud of, but that is See NOBEL page 3
JASPER GEBHARDT :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Activist and actress Laverne Cox delivered a lecture on Nov. 17.
In Opinion
Today on Campus
Columnist Devon Naftzger dicusses her experiences in the BJL protests, and Associate Editor Newby Parton critiques monopolistic campus financing schemes.
6:30 p.m.: The Lewis Center for the Arts and the University Glee Club presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo, an all-male South African a capella ensemble. Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.
PAGE 8
WEATHER
By Andrea Ayala
HIGH
59˚
LOW
38˚
Partly cloudy. chance of rain:
0 percent
Saturday February 20, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
page 2
Agreements include creation of diversity requirment, affinity space PROTEST Continued from page 1
.............
members of the BJL involved in a working group to discuss the viability of forming black affinity housing. Regarding the protestors’ third demand, a mandatory cultural competency training and diversity distribution requirement, Eisgruber will write to Dean of the Faculty Deborah Prentice to arrange a discussion on cultural competency training. The BJL will also discuss the possibility of enhancing such training for Counseling and Psychological Services staff with CPS Executive Director John Kolligian. BJL members will also attend the General Education Task Force meeting in December to discuss the possibility of a diversity distribution requirement. Dean of the College Jill Dolan and Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun were present at the meeting when the negotiations occurred. Calhoun noted that both groups, students and administrators, made a lot of compromises from their initial positions to reach an agreement. “I think the most important thing is that we all negotiated in good faith,” Dolan added. “There was a real willingness to be around the table, thinking together about very difficult issues.” Dolan and Calhoun declined to comment on the content of the agreement. The path to agreement began on Thursday at around 3:20 p.m., when Eisgruber, Dolan and Calhoun entered Eisgruber’s office to speak with the protestors. Dolan said that although the group was able to reach a rough agreement with administrators at around 5 p.m., Eisgruber was unable to sign the agreement because of disagreements on some of the specific wording. Everyone involved rephrased certain sentences to produce a document that reflected their shared conclusions, she said. Calhoun added that students and administrators needed time
to meet separately and consider whether they could live with and honor the agreements. The next steps for her and other administrators to improve the experiences of students of color will be “hearing how they feel, hearing what they need and doing what we can, given how the University works.” “I think the changes that the students are requesting are really systemic, and in order to make them happen, there’s a lot of procedures that have to be followed, which means it takes a lot of people doing a lot of work,” Dolan said. Calhoun noted that many of the points discussed in the meeting were in fact part of the longstanding commitment of the University to better students’ lives in light of the Special Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s recommendations released last year. She said she believed the protestors were motivated to expedite the implementation of agendas that the University community had been thinking about. During the negotiation efforts, students in the Nassau Hall atrium chanted, “We here, we been here, we ain’t leaving, we are loved,” and “No Justice, No Peace.” They also sang the song of the Freedom Trail in support of the students in Eisgruber’s office. Teri Tillman ’16, a participant in the protest, described the second day as more constructive than the first. Tillman said she had sat in Eisgruber’s office until around 4 p.m. on Wednesday and came to the atrium on Thursday at around 3 p.m. Wednesday’s meeting with Eisgruber did not feature much of a discussion, she noted. “It was more a moment of opposition, like our protestors yelling at President Eisgruber and Dean Dolan, and President Eisgruber taking a more defensive position, which wasn’t productive for either of the parties involved,” she explained. “Whereas today, since there are fewer bodies in the room, I feel like more discussion is happening, which logistically is more feasible, but we’re still being able to make a statement
by having the bodies in the atrium.” Megan Blanchard GS, who participated on Wednesday night for two hours and occupied Nassau Hall’s atrium on Thursday from about 4 p.m. onward, said she and around 10 other graduate students had come to support the cause as well as the protestors themselves. “We’re here to show our solidarity for the undergraduates,” she explained. The graduate students had coordinated through listservs and messaging to stay informed of new developments. Blanchard pointed out that the climate made the protest’s second day different from the first. “Because the weather is rainy, I think everyone’s just trying to really make sure that all of the students feel as supported as possible, to keep the energy up to stay here,” she noted. Tillman said she had brought her schoolwork to the atrium, and that sitting at Nassau Hall had not really affected her social life. She added that she appreciated the protestors’ ability to focus on their studies, as current students still must graduate in order to make a difference with their degrees later on. Tillman emphasized that the movement is about the entirety of Princeton. “There are a lot of moments on campus and in the structure of buildings, in the structure of organizations, where people who are of certain forms of identity feel marginalized. They feel as though their voice isn’t being heard as much as the majority,” she noted. The greatest misunderstanding is that the protest is only for black students, Tillman said. “Yes, the language is emphasizing the black experience right now,” she said. “But in the long run, in the larger context, it’s about all marginalized people.” Other students on campus, although not actively involved in the protest, have reacted to the protest as well. Wilson School student Julia Reed GS said that she was impressed by the passion, dedication and willingness of stu-
dents to speak out about what they believe in. “They have a voice and a right to be heard,” Reed said. Another Wilson School student, Asa Craig GS, said that it is critical that students have a voice in their school, to make the community more inclusive and diverse. “We need to speak out against people who are leveling personal attacks at protestors and using racist language to put them down,” he said. When asked about the prospect of changing the name of the Wilson School, Reed said that her thoughts on the situation were complex, and that people must think about the deeper issues behind the request. She added that students should consider why individuals are so upset about the issue. “Speaking about the importance of having civil dialogue, you can’t come into a conversation already having decided that the people on the other side of the table have no views of any value,” she said. Craig noted that it is important to investigate Wilson’s legacy. “A university that fails to educate on its own history and the history of its country is failing in its mission,” Craig said. “People live this every day, and I think it’s important to ask: if we can’t talk about it, then how can we expect students to just ignore it and go to school?” Iris Samuel ’19 said that while the later two of the BJL’s demands are valid, renaming the Wilson School is more problematic. “We would be treating a very superficial aspect of the problem,” Samuel said. “Woodrow Wilson should be judged as a member of his time. I’m not saying his actions are legitimate, I’m saying that America as a whole was wrong.” Samuel is a contributing columnist for The Daily Princetonian. William Barksdale Maynard ’88, who published a book on Wilson titled “Woodrow Wilson: Princeton to the Presidency” in 2008, also said that he does not think Wilson’s name should be taken down from the
Wilson School and Wilson College. Maynard noted that Wilson was born in the South before the Civil War, and that while his racial views were, by today’s standards, definitely deplorable, they were sadly typical by the standards of a century ago. He also said that Wilson, apart from his views on race, was considered a progressive educator and liberal southerner, and that through his work with the preceptorial system and the Honor Code he began the modernization of the University. In light of hostile comments made anonymously online, Zhan Okuda-Lim ’15 called for students to exercise freedom of speech by engaging in constructive conversation physically and directly with the sit-in protestors. “If members of the University community can take a step back and consider others’ viewpoints, that’s when we can start the process of healing,” OkudaLim said. In an attempt to gather and quantify campus sentiments, Daniel Wilson ’18 created a TypeForm to record student perspectives on the demands raised by the BJL. The survey was circulated to undergraduate students via residential college listservs. “I was unsatisfied with the informality and descent into disorganized debate that was brought about by using Yik Yak as the primary medium of communication,” Wilson said, noting that he wanted to see a numerically based view of the situation. As of Thursday at 4 p.m., the database contained 538 responses. On a scale of 0-10, with 0 being the least favorable, the average rating for the efficacy of the sit-in protests was 3.77, while the rating for the BJL’s demands were 2.52 for removing Woodrow Wilson’s name, 5.19 for cultural competence training and courses, and 5.35 for a cultural space for black students. News Editors Ruby Shao and Paul Phillips and Staff Writers Annie Yang and Jessica Li contributed reporting.
ANNA MAZARAKIS:: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
SAMUEL VILCHEZ:: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Daily Princetonian is published daily except Saturday and Sunday from September through May and three times a week during January and May by The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., 48 University Place, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Mailing address: 48 University Pl, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Subscription rates: Mailed in the United States $160.00 per year on-campus and $260 per year off-campus. Office hours: Sunday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephones: Business: 609-375-8553; News and Editorial: 609-258-3632. For tips, email news@dailyprincetonian.com. Reproduction of any material in this newspaper without expressed permission of The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2016, The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Princetonian, 48 University Pl, Princeton, N.J. 08540. DO-HYEONG MYEONG :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
The Daily Princetonian
Saturday February 20, 2016
page 3
Focus on teaching, Most women elected eating club interdisciplinary studies presidents since 2002, contributed to researches MARCH 2, 2016
TI elects first female president By Jessica Li news editor
Four women in the Class of 2016 are eating club presidents or presidents-elect, the most since the Class of 2002, when there were also four. When the Steering Committee on Undergraduate Women’s Leadership released its final report in 2011, only one woman in the Class of 2011 was president of an eating club. The report found that women tended to gravitate to behind-thescenes positions in extracurricular activities and noted a decrease in female students holding leadership positions since the beginning of the 2000s. Grace Larsen ’16, the first woman ever elected president of Tiger Inn, said she wants to improve the club’s image when she takes over the position in September by developing an open line of communication between club leadership and the membership. “We cannot simply present a good face and hope that the club will eventually mirror that image,” she said. “It is also imperative that membership work both with [the officer corps] and with one another.” The election results at TI should help to set an example of gender parity in the leadership of prominent campus institutions going forward, Larsen said. “I plan to set a precedent that your gender or dominance in TI does not make your opinion more valu-
able,” she said. While the conception of TI as a male-dominant organization has long been a staple on the Street, Larsen said, women who stand up for their beliefs in clubs are due recognition. “[Women’s] voices will not be drowned out,” she said. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that the male membership wishes this to be the case.”
“[Women’s] voices will not be drowned out.” Grace larsen ‘16
Tiger Inn President
Larsen said that the membership was supportive of members who chose to run for office throughout the election process, and added that she did not feel pressure or opposition from her peers because of her gender. She said she ran against a number of other female and male candidates for the presidency, and saw a high turnout for other races. “I think this shows how the incidents last fall motivated the membership to want to make changes in TI,” she said, referring to the removal of two TI officers from their positions in the fall after one distributed a sexual photograph taken at the club to TI members
OCTOBER 13, 2015
Public Safety officers to have rifle access By Andrew Brazer staff writer
Sworn Department of Public Safety officers will have access to rifles in the event of emergency situations on campus, DPS Executive Director Paul Ominsky announced at the Council of the Princeton University Community meeting on Monday. “The national best practices for responding to an active shooter have evolved,” Ominsky said. “It is now a law enforcement best practice to get an armed officer to the scene as quickly as possible to save lives.” He explained that the first armed officer who arrives can interrupt a shooter. “Response time matters,” Ominsky said. ”Even a few minutes can make a difference to save a life.” Sworn DPS officers are trained in the New Jersey police academy for 26 weeks, the same institution as law enforcement officials serving in the Princeton Police Department. They also possess most of the same credentials as local police officers, including the power to arrest. “Although we have a safe campus, and it is difficult to imagine a situation occurring at Princeton like an active shooter, we still need to plan, to prepare, and to train our staff,” Ominsky said. The decision was reached in order to better ensure the safety of the University community, according to University spokesperson Martin Mbugua. Officers will not always be armed, but will be ready to arm themselves under the threat of an active shooter, Mbugua said. Under current policy, an active shooter or a person brandishing a firearm on campus would require
an armed response from the local Princeton Police Department. The DPS, in turn, is unarmed and provides a support function. “DPS will not have access to rifles for any other purpose than to respond to an active shooter or someone brandishing a firearm,” Ominsky clarified. “Our priority is ensuring the safety of our students, our faculty and our staff.” Though the University had been discussing the policy for several months, the announcement comes soon after shootings at Texas Southern University in Houston, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. The new policy will be enacted in the coming months. In 2008, the Fraternal Orders of Police, the labor union representing DPS officers, requested that sworn officers be allowed to bear guns in case of an active shooter situation on campus. Sworn officers at the time used bulletproof vests, batons, handcuffs and a substance comparable to pepper spray called OC. The FOP filed a complaint that being unarmed posed an occupational hazard, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ruled against the union. In 2013, the FOP renewed its calls for sworn officers to bear firearms, but then-University President Shirley Tilghman said guns had no place in a community like Princeton, according to a January 2013 article in The Daily Princetonian. “We have in place a number of measures that will ensure that if there is a risk … police can rapidly have the appropriate response without having our own police officers armed,” Tilghman said at the time.
via email, and the other sent an email appearing to mock activist Sally Frank ’80. TI is already changing by holding club-wide dialogues, she said. “[TI has been] even more vigilant in making sure that guests and members are having a good time, but in a safe and healthy way,” she said. Swetha Doppalapudi ’16, president of Colonial Club, said she has been working on providing a friendly environment across the 11 eating clubs by helping to create a dialogue about sexual harassment and violence with the help of Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education and promoting inter-club activities. Eliza Mott ’16, who will become Ivy Club’s secondever female president in the fall, and Lucia Perasso ’16, president of Terrace Club, declined to comment. Frank, who successfully sued Ivy and TI in the 1980s to admit female members, said she congratulated the women who were elected this spring, but noted that having women at the head of a club cannot effect great change without the support of the rest of the leadership. Though much has changed since her undergraduate years, Frank said that the need to end sexism on campus hasn’t ended. With the results of TI’s election, all of the eating clubs except for Cannon Club and Cottage Club have seen a female president since 2002, although Cannon has only elected its third presi-
NOBEL
Continued from page 1
.............
based on a long tradition of excellence and not just based on the number of Nobel laureates,” he said. Debenedetti added that what makes the University distinctive from other universities is that every professor teaches and is involved in undergraduate education. “People who come to Princeton are committed to both excellence in research and excellence in teaching,” he explained. To varying degrees, all of the University-affiliated Nobel laureates conducted research in the University that eventually aided them in their findings related to their Nobel Prize recognition. Deaton noted that he did most of his research in the University, unlike others who spend only part of their career at the University. He said that the University was of great help to him in terms of its resources, which meant that if he ever needed anything for his research, he would get it. Deaton added that he also benefited from interacting with professors from various disciplines. “One of the characteristics of top universities is that they have wonderful people in them,” he said. He noted that the University’s focus on interdisciplinary programs, as evidenced by the Wilson School, which was integral in his research, allows researchers to simultaneously maintain a high level of academics and pursue public
policy research. McDonald, who taught in the University from 1982 to 1989, said that he first started his study on neutrinos, which ultimately led to him winning the Nobel Prize, while being a tenured professor at the University. He noted that while at the University, teaching and working with undergraduate students was very valuable in both of his projects. He added that students were always a significant part of the research. “It really is the quality of the faculty and students in the physics department that makes it a great place,” he said. McDonald added that he loved working at the University, and that in fact, he is still part of the External Review Committee for the University’s physics department and recently returned to do work on a collaboration project with some University professors. Lindahl, who did his postgraduate research at the University in the mid-1960s, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for mechanistic studies of DNA repair. Chemistry department head Tom Muir noted that while Lindahl’s research on RNA at the University may not have directly contributed toward his research on DNA repair, which helped him win the prize, it “presumably led him to appreciate the fragility of nucleic acid,” noting that the papers he published during his time at the University formed the basis for his later works. Lindahl did not respond to a request for comment.
Saturday February 20, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
page 4
One in three undergraduate women U. receives record experienced sexual misconduct FEBRUARY 5, 2016
WESPEAK Continued from page 1
.............
cus on and were concerned about classes or work.” The survey also found that nearly 80 percent of undergraduate students at the University know where to get help on campus should they experience nonconsensual sexual contact. Fewer graduate students reported having knowledge of the process. Vice Provost for Institutional Equity & Diversity Michele Minter said that though the results of the survey are not markedly different than those being reported nationally, the numbers are still very concerning for the University. “We would like this campus to be as safe as possible,” Minter said. “We would like, over time, to see the prevalence numbers drop and the number of reports and awareness of the campus community in terms of how they [students] can access resources to go up.” According to the recent American Association of Universities sexual assault survey, the results of which were released last week, 11.7 percent of student respondents across 27 universities reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force, threats of physical force, or incapacitation since they enrolled at their university. The rate among women was 23.1 percent. Rates of reporting to campus officials varied from five to 28 percent depending on the type of behavior. Vice Provost for Institutional Research Jed Marsh said that he thinks of the survey in itself as a learning moment for the University, and noted that the survey data provides extensive insight to help move along the dialogue concerning issues of sexual misconduct at the University. The confidential Web-based survey was administered over 28 days beginning March 24, 2015, and was ultimately completed by
4,115 of the 7,862 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, or 52 percent, according to the report. “We think [the survey] gave us a fairly representative sample of the campus,” Minter said. Both Marsh and Minter noted that the response rate for the survey was very high in terms of the usual response rate for campus surveys and surveys concerning sexual misconduct. Minter explained that the University is doing more outreach in academic departments about resources on campus since academic departments are where graduate students get most of their information. Additionally, she said, this is the first school year that incoming graduate students have been required to do online training around sexual misconduct. “They have not had as much exposure to the resources or the reporting options in the past. That has just changed starting this fall,” Minter said. The the survey is part of the University’s ongoing efforts to provide a campus environment that is safe and supportive to all students and in compliance with Title IX, the report said. “The goal is to think about whether there is additional programming to be set, whether there are additional interventions that are more likely to be effective, and what kind of recommendations should be made to the campus,” Minter said. According to Minter, the Faculty-Student Committee on Sexual Misconduct is already beginning to think about the many questions that need to be asked in analyzing the survey data. This work will be going on over a number of months, Minter explained. Based on the survey’s findings, the Committee on Sexual Misconduct will then publish recommendations. Minter noted that the Committee will look at potential modifications for the survey, which will be conducted again in the next
two school years. “We’d like to understand more about how we can help students,” Minter said. The University has also launched a campus-wide bystander intervention initiative called UMatter to equip students with skills to become effective bystanders and make healthy choices for themselves and others. Minter said the UMatter initiative is a very interesting tool that focuses on self-care and care for others in the community. Minter noted that the University has many programs and initiatives, like incoming freshman and junior sexual misconduct training and the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resource and Education office, in place to train students to react to different moments and outcomes. How these existing efforts will be affected in light of the survey report, she explained, is not yet clear. “We’re just digesting implications of the survey results now,” Minter said. According to the summary report, the University intends to use the findings of the survey to inform campus programming to address and prevent these issues, as well as to take other proactive steps to improve our campus. Minter said she expects much student interest in the report. “I do think that there will be a lot of student interest,” Minter said of the report. Minter noted that University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 has made a commitment to be transparent with the data concerning sexual misconduct and that making campus safer is important to every level of the University administration. The Faculty-Student Committee on Sexual Misconduct, which is co-chaired by Minter and Professor of English Deborah Nord, will be holding meetings Wednesday and Friday to hear from members of the University community about the report. The report will also be discussed at the Council
number of applicants By Christina Vosbikian
ing early action. She also expects financial need to be consistent with that of previous years. The Class of 2019 saw 767 of The Office of Admission has 3,850 students admitted through received and processed a record early action, for a 19.9 percent acapplicant pool of 29,313 applicants ceptance rate. The previous year, for the Class of 2020, the highest 714 of 3,854 students were admitin the University’s history, Dean ted through early action for the of Admissions Janet Rapelye said. Class of 2018, for a 18.5 percent acThe applicant pool for the class ceptance rate, compared with 18.3 of 2020 marks an increase of 7.4 percent for the Class of 2017 and percent from last year’s pool of 21.1 percent for the Class of 2016. applicants, according to Rapelye. Of the students offered adA total of 27,290 applications mission for the class of 2019, were received for the Class of 2019, 52 percent were men and 48 of which 1,908 students, or 6.99 percent were women, and 49 percent, were admitted. percent identified as people of The application numbers are color. Of those, 10 percent were yet to be analyzed for outstand- African-American, 12 percent ing trends and specific metrics, were Hispanic, less than one Rapelye said. Rapelye added that percent was Native American the staff of the Office of Under- or Alaskan Native and 23 pergraduate Admissions is currently cent were Asian. The percentreading and evaluating applica- ages of males and females adtions for the Class of 2020. mitted were about the same as The number of applications last year. has remained relatively constant Harvard College accepted since 2010, ranging between 14.8 percent of the 6,173 early ac26,000 and 27,000. The Class of tion applicants for the Class of 2020′ s significant increase in num- 2020, marking the lowest early ber of applications marks a de- acceptance rate since Harvard parture from this pattern. reinstated its early action proThe University has already gram in 2011. admitted 785 students, or 18.6 Yale College has accepted percent, from a pool of 4,229 795 early action applicants for candidates for the Class of 2020 the Class of 2020. Fifty-three through the single-choice early percent of the applicants were action program, representing the deferred for reconsideration in largest number of early-admits in the spring, and 29 percent were the University’s recent history, ac- denied admission; 1 percent of cording to Rapelye. The admitted the applications received were students come from 33 countries withdrawn or incomplete. and 46 U.S. states and the District Both Harvard and Yale have of Columbia. 11 percent of the ad- not released regular applicant mitted students are international pool numbers. students and 42 percent of the adRapelye said she expects to mitted students are U.S. students release admissions decisions from diverse backgrounds. at 5 p.m. on March 31. AdmitRapelye also noted that this ted students to the University’s was the first year that more wom- Class of 2020 have until May 1 to en than men were accepted dur- respond to their offer. news editor
Divest referendum most heated, contested since beginning of the century DIVESTMENT Continued from page 1
.............
leader of the No Divest movement, did not directly address the source of funding for No Divest’s website and advertising but said the allegations against No Divest were misleading. “Money for pizza at our information table, which was not very much money, came from our students,” Everett said, noting that the No Divest website was of the same quality as the Princeton Divests website. “The resource that pushed our campaign to a victory was the work of the dozens of students who were determined to educate the student body.” She added that she thinks it is almost insulting to the student body to say that students voted a certain way because money convinced them to do so. Katie Horvath ’15, Princeton Divests co-founder and Princeton Committee on Palestine board member, said she believed reform was in order but was not optimistic given the lack of success of campaign finance reform efforts elsewhere in the country.
“I don’t think it’s right for one side to be spending thousands of dollars,” Gellman said, noting that the website for Princeton Divests was close to free. “It’s not reasonable in a college election to have that kind of disparity.” Everett said she believed there was a need for some reform, just not in the area of campaign finance. “USG regulations should be reformed to protect against biased referendum language and unequal access to the undergraduate student body,” Everett said. Golub said he believes that the wording of this referendum and all other USG referenda have not been biased. However, he said there was room for reform. “[The election and referendum rules in the USG election handbook are] outdated and we do plan on rewriting every line over the summer,” Golub said. However, the state of the current election rules did not adversely affect the legitimacy of the referendum’s outcome, Golub said. “The election did accurately portray the sentiment on campus,” Golub said. “Opinions were divided.”
Tweet Tweet!! Follow us on Twitter! @Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian
Saturday February 20, 2016
page 5
Plan includes student body expansion, transfer program revival PLAN
Continued from page 1
.............
a residential liberal arts research university, priorities such as expanding the Graduate School are also being considered. Among other plans, the report states that the University will institute a small transfer admissions program for the first time since 1990, in order to attract students of diverse backgrounds, including military veterans and low-income students who may have begun their post-secondary careers in community colleges. The first set of transfer applications will be considered as early as September 2018. Specifically, it states that the Board has authorized the administration to begin planning for the addition of 500 more undergraduates, 125 students per class. To accommodate these students, a seventh residential college will be constructed. The plan also provides for the establishment of an interdisciplinary initiative centered on environmental studies to combat climate
change and other global-scale phenomena, the continued expansion of its faculty in computer science, statistics and machine learning and increased support for student entrepreneurship. To provide resources for the initiatives, the Board authorized the administration to propose an increase to the spend rate, currently at 4.12 percent of the endowment, that would take place over fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Eisgruber noted that different sections of the framework will be implemented on different time frames over the next few months and years, but did not provide a specific range of time, citing the complexity of the decision-making process. “Where we can do things immediately, we will try to do them immediately; other things will happen on whatever time frame is needed in order to get them done right, because it’s very important that we do that,” Eisgruber said. Noting that he last strategic plan was issued over 15 years ago, Eisgruber explained that many layers of planning went into the framework and that
APRIL 6, 2015
both the University’s Board of Trustees and various task forces across campus, such as the Residential College Task Force and the General Education Task Force, have taken part in the planning process. He said the Board suggested that it will look at and potentially revise this plan at least every four years to allow for flexibility, and that the framework is designed to be flexible and revisable. He noted that although the Board considered reports from campus task forces while preparing the plan, the initial reports by the task forces did not determine which recommendations will ultimately be implemented. Eisgruber added that there were a number of decisions, particularly those regarding finance, that fell more under the Board of Trustee’s jurisdiction, and added the framework set a basis for judging future initiatives, comparing the costs and benefits of pursuing a proposal. While this framework concludes an intense period of strategic planning process, the campus planning process is ongoing, Eisgruber noted,
and the two frameworks intersect in areas such as the increase of undergraduate admissions and its relation to student housing. “There are planning processes that will start immediately for the expansion of the undergraduate student body, but there’s no way we can expand the undergraduate student body until we build more residential housing,” he said, adding that the progress on campus planning would influence the implementation of strategic planning framework. Eisgruber explained that during the planning process, each task force drafted a report which was then posted online to gather feedback and comments, which was then followed by extensive revisions. He added that because this plan is meant to be a longterm strategy, there was significant consideration about which basic principles and values should guide the University over the next several years. “There are very important paragraphs in here about diversity and inclusion. Those
paragraphs speak to values that have been important to this university I would say for the past 50 years,” he said. When these principles are taken into account in drafting the plan, he explained, the University can respond to shorter term issues by going back to the larger concepts of what it stands for and what the Board is aiming to accomplish over the next several years. “My hope is that everyone will take the time to read through the report. I think people will find in it a set of values that resonate with the many different ways in which people care about this university and care about its future, and that they will find in there a set of priorities and principles that invite continued engagement,” Eisgruber said. He added that the engagement and participation of students, alumni, faculty and friends of the University is crucial as the University works towards implementing broadly stated priorities. He noted that the report should be read by everyone with a perspective towards their continuing membership in the University community.
FEBRUARY 8, 2016
Urban congo sparks Wilson legacy committee collects social media storm letters from nine historians By Jessica Li News Editor
Students voiced their outrage over social media this weekend about videos featuring Urban Congo, a student organization recognized and sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. One of the videos shows a dance performance by members of the organization at the annual Princeton Varsity Club “Tigers Got Talent” talent show in November that was deemed inappropriate by many, citing disrespect for multiple African and Native American cultures. In response to growing discontent, Urban Congo removed the video from its YouTube channel and deactivated its Facebook page. Michael Hauss ’16, the president of Urban Congo, noted that these decisions were a result of a discussion held among organization members and not from pressure from the University. Though its membership is mostly comprised of students on the men’s swimming and diving team, Urban Congo is in no way affiliated with or funded by the athletic department, Hauss explained. The group has also not received funding from ODUS, according to Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne. Urban Congo was approved by the Student Groups Committee and by the USG senate in May of 2013. Urban Congo also performed this past weekend as a guest performer for eXpressions Dance Company’s spring production. Achille Tenkiang ’17 said that Urban Congo’s performances disgusted and disappointed him deeply. “I’m ashamed that I share an affiliation, however tenuous, with a group like Urban Congo,” Tenkiang said. “I think this just calls for greater discussion on campus. I hope that my peers wake up and realize that things aren’t so pretty inside the FitzRandolph Gate, and there are a lot of things we need to address as a community.” In response to claims that members of Urban Congo did not have bad intentions, Tenkiang said the impact was more important than the intention. “You may be the most well-meaning person ever, but how it comes across is a totally different picture, and that’s what you need to be cognizant of as you act and you decide to do certain things,” Tenkiang said. Lena Sun ’16 said that she had seen Urban Congo perform at the Saturday night eXpressions show, in which five male students came onstage wearing loincloths for a filler performance. The students held items above their heads at times and at others placed them on the ground, as though at an altar, she said. According to Sun, people laughed
and cheered at the performance. She said she felt uncomfortable with the performance and was confused as to why others did not seem to feel the same way. The next morning, students took to social media to express their varying reactions to the performance. “After realizing the mistake we had made, we fully recognized the offensive nature of the performances and felt it was best to take the video down,” Hauss noted. Hauss said that he and his organization were being ignorant. “Though we did not intend to denigrate other cultures, we realize that this fact does not absolve us in the least,” Hauss said. “We created something that was inexcusably offensive, and we appreciate all those who called attention to our mistake.” Hauss added that he believed the error in his organization’s judgment has sparked a productive dialogue that will help the University community to become more conscientious. He said that after surveying reactions to the video, the organization has decided that it will not continue to function as a performing arts group. “[Our organization] was founded on inclusivity; if our existence is harmful or offensive to anyone, we have become something that this group never stood for or intended to be,” Hauss said. Clare Sherlog ’17, president of eXpressions, declined to comment about Urban Congo’s performance this weekend. After watching the video, Undergraduate Student Government president Ella Cheng ’16 said she would take on an initiative to re-examine Urban Congo’s recognition as a student organization by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. “I was equally offended, like the many students who’ve voiced [their concerns] over social media, by the misappropriation of culture in the video. And it was upsetting to learn that [Urban Congo] was an ODUS-approved group,” Cheng said, explaining that she, along with the Student Groups Committee, will be meeting with ODUS in the coming week to discuss the controversy. Cheng is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian. In addition, Cheng said she will work with the Student Groups Committee chairs to inspect when the group was approved and whether the group description submitted at the time is at all reflective of its recent conduct. Cheng also noted that she is looking into protocols about revocations for ODUS-recognized student organizations and will bring the matter to the floor at the USG senate meeting next Sunday. Media relations specialist Min Pullan and University Associate Director of Athletics Kellie Staples did not respond to requests for comment.
By Marcia Brown staff writer
The University Board of Trustees’ Woodrow Wilson Legacy Committee solicited papers from nine scholars who are experts on the history of Woodrow Wilson, class of 1879, about his contributions and legacy in education and public service. The nine scholars are historians James Axtell, Kendrick Clements, Nathan Connolly, John Milton Cooper Jr. ’61, Paula Giddings, David Kennedy, Thomas Knock GS ’82, Adriane Lentz-Smith and Eric Yellin GS ’07. The letters discussed Wilson’s progressivism and other endeavors as president as well as his contributions to education at the University. According to Connolly, a Johns Hopkins history Professor, the letters represented a range of ideas. “Some folks were apologists, and they wouldn’t allow him to be singled out, others were unflinching in their criticism,” Connolly said. “My own letter was slightly between the two.” Vice President of Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun’s Feb. 1 letter detailed University efforts to have a campus-wide discussion regarding the future of Wilson’s legacy. The Woodrow Wilson Legacy Committee of the Board of Trustees is examining that legacy using multiple means, including the scholars’ papers, town hall meetings, small group conversations in January and a meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community, according to the letter. Calhoun was unavailable to comment. “I think [the Legacy Committee was] looking for people who were the most respected in the scholarly community and they were just interested in what those people could contribute,” Vice President and Secretary of the University Bob Durkee ’69 said. Durkee said that the committee selected scholars who are experts in this field and that the nine scholars represent a diversity of viewpoints. In soliciting essays from scholars, the Legacy Committee was looking to enlighten the University community on existing scholarship. “They think it will lead to a more informed understanding and conversation about Wilson and his Legacy and that was the purpose and that’s the role that these essays will play,” Durkee said. Dean of the College Jill Dolan said she felt the letters are remarkable and offer a great critical
framework for thinking through the issue. Dolan said that she appreciated that the letters didn’t toe party lines, but came to different conclusions and showed varied perspectives. “I think [the scholarly letters] will play a large part mostly because we’re on a university campus where that kind of scholarship should and will influence our thinking,” Dolan said. She noted that one letter said that the least the University can do is give the issues thoughtful evaluation, especially when the question won’t go away. “Such dialogue will serve this campus and the nation and in places around the country – any place that memorializes another human being,” Dolan said, in agreement with the call for thoughtful evaluation from the University. Connolly said he was initially surprised the University took the demand to change the name so seriously. He said he was unsure what the University was looking for when the Committee solicited a letter from him, but was happy to see the variety of viewpoints represented. “I always felt uncomfortable when I saw a portrait of Wilson, or was in a space named after him, or when he was spoken of with reverence,” Paula Giddings, a Smith College professor who was a visiting professor at the University from 1992 to 1993, wrote in an email interview with the Daily Princetonian. “For however you, as a person of color, may want to assess your individual status within the institution, Princeton, by honoring an unapologetic white supremacist, is saying you that you are inferior, too,” she noted. Giddings wrote that through her research for a biography of journalist and civil rights leader Ida B. Wells, she began to understand “the fact that [Wilson] nationalized a version of progressivism that linked reformfor the- good with racial control and segregation has continued to leave its mark on marginalized communities across the nation. She noted that Wilson’s legacy includes police violence, environmental racism, and diminished life chances, among other inequalities forced upon Americans of color. Connolly said that it was very important for him to discuss the re-segregation of federal offices. He said that Wilson knew what was going on although he wasn’t a formal architect, and that because much of these efforts were done without documentation, it
suggests it was a top-down demand with insulation to insulate Wilson from criticism. “For me, it’s very important to capture in the letter that Wilson was someone who provided political cover [for], explained, and justified segregation and did so knowing it was not the consensus vision of the day,” Connolly said. Discussing the future of Wilson’s legacy on campus is one of the University’s efforts to meet the demands of the Black Justice League demands after the sit-in on Nov. 18. To meet the other demands, the University has created temporary affinity rooms in the Carl A. Fields Center, discussed a potential diversity distribution requirement and established the Affinity Housing Working Group. Meetings to discuss making campus spaces better reflect campus diversity also led to the University’s decision to hire a dean of diversity and inclusion. “The way to really respond to student demand and the ways to really improve Wilson’s legacy is to begin to erect statuary to other lives such as to the Haitians who were occupied during his administration and the African American workers who were demoted under his watch,” Connolly said. He added that there should be sizable installations of monuments to those workers and those people to honor the grassroots, referring to the seeds of the Civil Rights movement that sprouted during Wilson’s administration, although those movements sprouted rather as a rebuttal to Wilson. “[The] best way to honor Wilson is to demote him in the tradition of American democracy and really show that while he played a large part in some innovations, he also played a quite negative role,” Connolly said. Connolly added that he thinks this is a question that universities will have to deal with for a long time. Giddings wrote that the University’s undertaking in reassessing Wilson’s legacy is critical, and applauded the University for this undertaking. “I feel if institutions of higher education are really serious, really sincere, about raising the quality of education through diversity and inclusion, projects such as examining the legacy of Woodrow Wilson [are] necessary to both the quality of education and scholarship throughout the country, as well as the quality of life within Princeton itself,” Giddings wrote.
Saturday February 20, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
page 6 NOVEMBER 12, 2015
PAGES DESIGNED BY LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR
IN THE SERVICE OF ALL NATIONS In honor of Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, Street dedicates its issue to the Princeton community’s personal, intellectual and historical relationship with war. We spoke to four current students who have served or plan to serve in the military about their experiences there and how they’ve informed their times on campus.
W
hen they were in the military, Max Kim ’16, Michael Liao ’17 and Ann Thompson GS began each day hours before the typical college student gets out of bed. Kim, who spent 25 months between his freshman and sophomore years in the Republic of Korea Air Force, would wake up at 6 a.m., report for roll call and go for a 30-minute jog before reporting to the logistics command office where he worked. Liao, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years before starting at Princeton in 2013, generally rose at 5 or 6 a.m. for an hour of physical training with his unit — except when he was deployed to the field, in which case, he said, “you’re essentially on call 24 hours a day, and you just try to work in your sleep and chow schedule as you can.” Thompson, who got out of the U.S. Army in August after four years as a military intelligence officer, had to be up in time for physical training at 6 or 6:30 a.m., followed by formation and an hour and a half of working out; on deployment in Afghanistan, she would be reading reports and setting the day’s agenda for herself and her soldiers by 7 a.m., seven days a week. On training days, a senior cadet in Princeton’s Army ROTC battalion whom we spoke to (who asked that her name not be used as a precautionary conflict-zone safety measure) is also starting training by 6:30 a.m. The cadet will be joining the Army after graduation; like Thompson, she hopes to be a military intelligence officer. Just because the three veterans are no longer in active ser-
vice doesn’t mean they’ve left those early mornings behind, however. When asked how their military experiences have inf luenced their time on campus, all four students agreed that discipline has translated to skills that are important in an academically demanding environment like the University. “Time management — that’s a challenge that every student has to face here, but you have a fair skill at it, having to deal with it in the military, especially if you’re a leader of troops,” Liao said. “You have to incorporate that, otherwise you’re going to flounder in the military.” At the University, because of the “mental atrophy” from the five-year gap in his education, “sometimes I need to struggle more over subjects and assignments that may come more naturally to my peers,” Liao wrote in a post-interview follow-up email. “[B]ut I always try to compensate … by being proactive in working ahead whenever possible.” Kim echoed Liao’s appreciation of time management skills, which Kim cultivated while in the ROK Air Force. “I wake up at 7 a.m., even now, and I go to the gym every morning,” he said. He also added that his two years in the ROK Air Force helped him become more “mentally and physically mature,” and he is more motivated in the classroom than he was in his freshman year. The students have gained new perspective in other areas as well. In international relations and policy classes, “having a background in tactics and the military, and looking to the future as a military member — I think it gives me a unique perspective in the sense that it really challenges me to ask ques-
tions and be really active about what the country’s doing, why it’s doing it,” the ROTC cadet said. “I think the perspective part is big,” Thompson said. “Certain things just don’t really faze veterans in the same way.” She added that the leadership experience she gained from positions that had her overseeing over 100 personnel and millions of dollars’ worth of equipment was invaluable. “It’s almost ridiculous to say it, but I kind of despise the person I would have become if it weren’t for the military,” Liao said. “I think I would have had much less bias toward action, would have been much less decisive and assertive.” These students’ reasons for joining the military are much more varied. For Kim, as for all South Korean men, military service in the ROK Armed Forces is a requirement for citizenship. Liao, on the other hand, signed up for the U.S. Marines — a choice of branch he made “because it seemed to be the toughest branch,” he said over email — and originally intended to attend college before serving. After his high school graduation, however, in part because of the ongoing “War on Terror” and in part because he “needed to take a sabbatical from academia,” he decided to go into the Marines first. The senior cadet first thought about joining the military when, as a middle-schooler, she attended a cousin’s graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “From that day on, I was like, ‘I’m going to go to West Point,’ ” she said — and she almost did. “I saw [the military] very much as an opportunity to have more of an effect with my talent,” she added, “as a way of
to do more than I could do by myself.” Thompson, too, framed her decision to join the military as a way to make an impact. “I wanted to serve in some way, especially during a time of war,” she said. “I felt like I’d had a lot of opportunities given to me by virtue of being an American citizen, as cheesy as that sounds. I wanted to give back in some small way, if I could.” When she began her undergraduate career at Stanford, she decided to give ROTC a try and ended up sticking with it all four years, commissioning in the Army after graduation. The path forward also looks very different for these four students. Kim, an economics major, does not plan on returning to military service. “In Korea, since everyone does military service, it’s not a profession that people pursue,” he said. “It’s a bit different compared to the American military, where if you’re a military veteran, or if you serve in the military, people respect you.” Thompson, who is working toward her Master in Public Affairs at the Wilson School, is eager to explore other work in public service, perhaps in the U.S. Department of State. When asked if he would return to the Marines, Liao was open to the possibility: “There are aspects of the job that are really terrible, and you swear you’re never going to go back, but then there’s other aspects like the brotherhood, [and] being compensated for being physically fit isn’t a bad deal either… I think the brain selectively remembers the good parts.” At the same time, as an electrical engineering major, he is also interested in moving to the Bay Area or to Texas to
work in computer architecture. The cadet, a Near Eastern Studies major who speaks Arabic, French, and some Persian, is commissioning in the Army; she hopes to eventually deploy to the Middle East. Right now, Liao is the only undergraduate at Princeton who is a veteran of the U.S. military. Among graduate students, there’s still only a small population of veterans or active-duty officers, mostly concentrated in the Wilson School. Liao would like to see that change. “A lot of people in the military [have] sort of established a glass ceiling for themselves, thinking, ‘Well, Princeton’s an Ivy League school, so that’s probably out of my league,’ or ‘My G.I. Bill’s not going to cover that,’ ” he said. “You’ve got to somehow motivate people in the service right now to look more at this school.” Thompson agreed: “It’d be nice to see more veterans on campus, especially in the undergrad population. I think it’s valuable having the ROTC program here,” she said. “It fosters more engagement between cadets and civilians.” The ROTC cadet, who has noticed she receives more attention when she walks around campus in uniform, echoed what Thompson said. Sometimes, she gets interesting remarks about the significance of being female in the military — but mostly, she said, “I see it as an opportunity to have a conversation with people, get to know people.” “That’s one of the things I love about Princeton, the wide variety of people that are here, and getting to know all of them,” she said. “It’s almost an excuse to do so, so I think it’s a good thing.”
COURTESY OF THE MUDD LIBRARY’S HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION: CAMPUS LIFE SERIES, “WORLD WAR I SUMMER TRAINING CAMP” (1917)
Saturday February 20, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
page 7
NOVEMBER 12, 2015
UNFAMILIAR STREET Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan LIN KING
Street Editor ‘Unfamiliar Street’ is a column series in which we take you around the world and introduce you to a cool STREET far from the well-trod gravel of Prospect Avenue. first learned about the bombing of Hiroshima in the ninth grade. We were assigned John Hersey’s “Hiroshima,” a long-form article that follows six survivors as they navigate the horrific aftermath of the atomic bomb. The article told of a city completely leveled, of all-engulfing fires, of dying infants, of severed breasts, of burnt skin melting off of faces and limbs. The images made a deeper impression on me than did most things from my high school education. I thought I knew about Hiroshima — what had happened, what had followed. This fall break, I had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima for the first time with ART 429: Visual Japan, Past and Present. Prior to our trip, my professor had assigned Hersey’s book as well as the first volume of “Barefoot Gen,” a renowned autobiographical manga of one survivor’s childhood after the bomb. I had thought myself prepared for the descriptions of suffering and of gore — prepared, albeit in a cursory sense, for the “facts.” Nevertheless, the Hiroshima
examined the rainbows of cranes, we found ourselves surrounded by a group of Japanese elementary schoolchildren. At their teacher’s cue, the children began to recite pledges: pledges to be good to their parents, to value their friends, to recognize the importance of the people in their lives. This was followed by a song, one of the lines being, “The lives of my country’s peoples and other countries’ peoples are worth the same.” Behind them, LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR older children salute the statue and hold mo- View of the A-Bomb Dome through the monument arch of the Memorial Cenotaph. ments of silence. The remaining road to the arch that, when looked through design’s intention for visitors museum is no less saturated its center, aligns the Flame, to look back on all these monuwith such explicit salutations the Children’s Peace Monu- ments seems intuitive. Yet the to peace — from the Peace ment and, all the way across distractions were endless: the Flame, lit in 1964 and which the river, the A-Bomb Dome — sprawling crowds of visitors will continue to burn until the building closest to the hy- (despite it being a regular weekevery nuclear weapon in the pocenter of the explosion that day), the songs, the potent symworld is destroyed, to the Peace remained partially standing. bolism of each monument and Fountain, erected in honor of The Dome has been kept in its the schoolchildren approaching the burn victims’ requests for half-ruined state for 70 years foreigners with their field trip water, and finally to the Memo- now, and stands as a symbol for assignment, nervously asking rial Cenotaph near the center of reflection on the nation’s cata- in English for people’s homethe park. The Cenotaph, which strophic memories. towns and “peace messages” in holds the names of all those In hindsight, when approach- exchange for paper cranes. killed by the bomb, is covered ing a straight-edged boulevard Whatever the reason, the imby a saddle-shaped, concrete with an arch in its center, the age through the arch came as a shock. It is a shock that, even after writing all this, I have yet to fully digest. What does it mean to maintain a ruin as a ruin, a gaping wound in a healing city? What does it mean to condemn violence with images of the most extreme violence? How does one teach children to categorically promote “peace,” almost as a motto, and why don’t we see this more often? I have long been told that Hiroshima is a place that every person in the world should visit. In this sense, seeing it in person was somehow both underwhelming and overwhelming; I was not shaken to tears, like many have reported, but I was certainly shaken, and thoughtful, and will continue to be for LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR — the cliché is not used lightly Left: the path leading up to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, featuring the Cenotaph. Right: the statue at the top of the Children’s Peace Monument. here — the rest of my life.
I
Peace Memorial Park took me by utter surprise. The “street” I am writing about today has no name. It is a straight path, wide enough to be a boulevard in any large city, that leads from the northeast entrance of the over 1,300,000-square foot park to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The long series of monuments begin at the northern end with what is known in English as the Children’s Peace Monument (the Japanese literally translates to “Statue of the Children of the Atomic Bomb”). The statue, which depicts a girl with a large origami crane above her, is based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a bombing victim who was only two years old in 1945 and suffered from no long-term symptoms until 1954, when she developed leukemia and died just one year later. Sadako’s belief that she would be cured if she folded 1,000 paper cranes became the origin for the now-universal connotation of peace found in paper cranes. Nowadays, Sadako’s statue is surrounded by thousands of paper cranes sent from all around the world, enclosed in an enclave of glass cases. (Some of the recycled cranes have been made into postcards that act as entrance tickets to the museum.) As we
SOC 250: The Western Way of War
CONFLICT AND SOCIETY THROUGH THE CENTURIES VICTORIA SCOTT Senior Writer HARRISON BLACKMAN Associate Street Editor
S
ociology professor Miguel Centeno’s course, SOC 250: The Western Way of War, is an iconic course on campus. While the class is listed as a Historical Analysis distribution requirement, The Western Way of War is not simply a history course: according to the course registrar, the class offers a “historical and analytical overview of war focusing on the origins and consequences of organized violence, the experience of battle, the creation and behavior of warriors and the future of such conflicts.” The course is also one of the most popular lecture courses on
campus, with 282 students currently enrolled. “Put simply, war is seductive,” Zoë Rose Buonaiuto GS, a second year Ph.D. candidate in the history department and preceptor in the course, said in an email statement. “It has been such a central part of human history and societal change. In our collective historical consciousness, war dominated the 20th century in an unprecedented scale.” What, then, does the phrase “Western way of war” mean? In Centeno’s class, the “West” of the title is broadly defined to include parts of the classic Middle East, medieval and modern Western Europe, post-18th century North America and post-Meiji Restoration Japan. As for the concept of a Western way of war, much of the ideas in the course are derived from or motivated by Victor Davis Hanson’s 1989 book, “The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece.” In his book,Hanson argued that the “Western way of war” is unparalleled in its effectiveness compared to non- Western war strategies, an argument that is one of many that the COURTESY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY course examines. WhethProf. Miguel Centeno, Sociology Professor. er this particular form of
military conflict is a significant characteristic of Western Civilization is one of the many contemporary questions that motivate the class. “[Twenty-first] century warfare[from] 9/11 onhas already differentiated itself, and I think students recognize they are bearing witness to an important period of change,” Buonaiuto said. Part of the central attraction to students taking the course, however, are Centeno’s lectures. “Professor Centeno’s lecturing style really makes the course come alive,” Buonaiuto said. “His enthusiasm is palpable in lecture, and he makes the material relatable and accessible, despite the horror.” Centeno’s style derives from a mastery of the material and a willingness to engage in a simultaneously meticulous, and but less scripted way. “I have taught the course enough times (10+) that I feel confident about covering the material and this allows me to be spontaneous in my lecture including discussion of latest scholarship I have read,” Centeno said, in an email statement. “It’s the best of both worlds: tried and true, but always evolving.” The course’s reading list is
diverse and spans thousands of years, ranging from ancient Greco-Roman cultural touchstones such as Homer’s “I liad” and Virgil’s “A eneid,” to Thomas E. Ricks’ work on the U.S. Marines, “Making the Corps.” “The syllabus is full of classics, but I’m most drawn to ‘T his Republic of Suffering’ by Harvard historian and president Drew Gilpin Faust,” Buonaiuto said. “The book is a model for my own research on World War II military casualties, and I look to it often for inspiration.” Students are drawn COURTESY OF AMAZON to the course for a variety of reasons. Victor Davis Hanson’s 1989 book provides some Madelyn Baron ’18 de- of the basis for the course of the same name. cided to take the class to learn about conflicts in the course can be useful in many Middle East. contexts. “I wanted to learn more about “I think [the class] slows the conflict in the Middle East them to do two things: study a which will be learning about fascinating social phenomena last,” Baron said, in an email with which they are not familstatement. “I also have a military iar, and use this to discover unfamily and wanted to see what derappreciated aspects of their other perspectives on that are.” own lives and experiences,” In all, Centeno believes the Centeno said.
Saturday February 20, 2016
Opinion
page 8
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }
We can do better Devon Nafzger columnist
I
sat with the Black Justice League for over six hours during Wednesday’s sit-in protest in the office of University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83. I listened. I applaud the group’s unapologetic passion. I defend the group’s ability to fight to shape their educational experience. I, too, want their education at Princeton to be filled with inclusivity and equality. Yet after the administration acquiesced to a watered-down version of the protesters’ demands, all I can feel is disappointment. I am disappointed by the community’s insularity and reactive suppression of contrary views. I am disappointed that there have been threats to students’ safety as a result of their opinions. How have we reached a point where students at an intellectually thriving university are afraid to express their thoughts? Without academic discourse and diversity of opinion there is no reaching truth. While there are many supporters of the Black Justice League on campus, many other students have signed a counter-petition to “Protect Plurality, Historical Perspective, and Academic Speech at Princeton.” Some students have expressed their personal reluctance to sign that petition because those who oppose the demands or methodology of the BJL movement on this campus are stigmatized. It is no surprise that students who have an unpopular viewpoint at Princeton are tempted to stifle it; Tal Fortgang ’18 has been harassed on social media and even received death threats in response to his past articles that criticized race-based privilege. It’s a shame that in a movement focused on diversity and freedom, all races other than the one protesting are barred from entering the dialogue especially if they disagree. Yes, support for the movement is encouraged from all races, as white students also participated in the occupation of the President’s office. However, outspoken white students who disagree are specifically discredited from participating in the conversation and often labeled as racists or
told that they cannot possibly understand. As a fundamental principle of equality, the weight of a person’s opinions should not be a function of their skin color but rather the quality of their arguments. If the BJL movement is truly about diversity, then they should invite everyone into the conversation. Sadly, many persons of color who also voiced objections to the BJL movement have both implicitly and explicitly been called traitors and white-sympathizers. Josh Freeman ’18 posted a Facebook status questioning the BJL’s request for affinity housing for blacks and was told by a fellow person of color to instead stand in solidarity with the movement, to which he responded, “That does not mean I’m obligated to agree with you all.” During the sit-in, protesters read comments aloud from an anonymous app called Yik Yak in an effort to screenshot tangible examples of racism. In response to a negative post by a self-proclaimed person of color, one BJL leader said, “You ain’t black. There’s like six of us [at Princeton] and we all here.” This implies that a black person holding any opinion other than the BJL’s was too shocking to believe, and either the author wasn’t really black or they were a traitorous black. Aside from student testimony being selectively dismissed, suppression of criticism went so far as to claim the identity of a professor and usurp his freedom of expression. This disappoints me the most. Professor Robert George’s name was fraudulently signed to a faculty support letter that he claimed never to have signed or even seen. His fraudulent online signature was accompanied by a comment that sounded like professor George because it directly took language from an article he had written about abortion. Professor George, a politics professor who teaches courses on civil liberties, expressed via email his frustration that as a result of the fraud, people are now “misinformed about where I stand on a matter implicating academic values I cherish — and fear are being placed in peril by events at Princeton and around the country.” This “underhanded tactic” that uses fraud to feign support is an embarrassment for Princ-
eton and an example of blatant hostility towards honorable discourse. Despite the fact that several BJL members told me during the sit-in, “everyone here [at Princeton] is racist,” I believe that the majority of students and faculty on this campus would support their valid plight for equality and agree that racism is a very real problem. Thus I would never invalidate their pain, but I do think we need to address their concerns in a more productive manner. It would have helped if the BJL had provided a list of grievances in addition to their list of demands, but on Wednesday my suggestion was met with, “It’s not our responsibility to educate others” and “I’m sick of telling our story.” I implore the BJL, however, to share their experiences with the campus so that everyone can understand what they’re going through and offer support. If they want change, then they should specify what behavior must be targeted for change. Also, it would have helped if they explained the positive effects that their demands would bring. For example I have yet to hear a compelling argument that explains how removing Woodrow Wilson’s name from school buildings would help their situation. Yes, by now everyone at Princeton is aware that Woodrow Wilson was indeed a racist. But that does not mean we should succumb to historical revisionism and neglect to honor him in remembrance of his other achievements as a President of Princeton and of this great nation. Nobody is perfect, but without men like Washington, Jefferson and Madison who unfortunately owned slaves, everyone in the world would be much worse off. If a moral shortcoming disqualifies a person from postmortem veneration, then by that logic we should also remove all tributes to Martin Luther King, Jr. since he was a homophobic adulterer who often described gayness as a “problem.” We can acknowledge that these people had personal shortcomings, but it is clear that they are being honored for their achievements instead. We should refrain from judging historical figures by today’s moral standards; revisionism is a slippery slope and I see no tangible benefits to the BJL
vol. cxxxx
movement by engaging in it. A more productive movement would have sought to foster open dialogue on campus and engage not only the administration but the viewpoints of other students as well. If the goal is to end injustice and increase awareness, why didn’t the Black Justice League let President Eisgruber, who patiently waited at the front of the protest Wednesday morning, respond publicly? Why, instead of engaging with students who disagree with them, do they shut down dialogue and shame those who stand up for a cause as they had? Intellectual bullying and marginalization on this campus needs to be replaced by respectful disagreement. Lastly, I’m not upset that the BJL encouraged the idea that “revolution is bloody” when a leader read Malcom X aloud during the sit-in. I’m also not holding it against the BJL that, in the aftermath of horrific attacks in Paris and around the world, their chanting on Wednesday night interrupted a beautiful candlelight vigil for the victims of terrorism that most students on campus knew was occurring. The BJL made fun of my race the entire day I spent with them, which in any other context would be perceived as inexcusably bigoted. They joked about white culture: “The cultural center for white people is Firestone [library].” They also mocked white characteristics after reading a Yik Yak post in an imitating tone by explaining, “They talk all high up in their nose. There’s no bass.” I’m not even upset that protesters received no disciplinary action as they trespassed after hours and made me feel unsafe, saying, “As far as I’m concerned they’re lucky we’re not burning this b**** down,” in reference to Nassau Hall. I am not mad about any of that. I just think we should start inspiring more productive dialogue and open mindedness that isn’t a one-way street. The only thing I demand is civility. That’s why I’m joining the Princeton Open Campus Coalition. This is Princeton. We can all do better.
Do-Hyeong Myeong ’17 editor-in-chief
Daniel Kim ’17
business manager
140TH MANAGING BOARD managing editor Caroline Congdon ’17 news editors Jessica Li ‘18 Shriya Sekhsaria ‘18 Christina Vosbikian ‘18 Annie Yang ‘18 opinion editor Jason Choe ‘17 sports editor David Liu ‘18 street editor Harrison Blackman ‘17 photography editor Rachel Spady ‘18 video editor Elaine Romano ‘19 web editor Clement Lee ‘17 chief copy editors Grace Rehaut ‘18 Maya Wesby ‘18 design editor Crystal Wang ‘18 associate opinion editors Newby Parton ‘18 Sarah Sakha ‘18 associate sports editors Nolan Liu ‘19 David Xin ‘19 associate street editor Danielle Taylor ‘18 associate photography editors Ahmed Akhtar ‘17 Atakan Baltaci ‘19 Mariachiara Ficarelli ‘19 associate chief copy editors Megan Laubach ‘18 Omkar Shende ‘18 associate design editors Ien Li ‘19 Jessica Zhou ‘19 editorial board chair Cydney Kim ‘17 cartoons editor Rita Fang ‘17
Devon Naftzger is a politics major from Lincolnshare, Il. She can be reached at naftzger@princeton.edu.
Do not pass Go: Campus Dining, Agencies swindle students Newby Parton
Associate Opinion Editor
M
y grandmother and I were on the floor, our legs stretched out where the coffee table should go. I was happy because she rolled a six. Rolling a six meant landing on Boardwalk and my hotel, and it meant counting her money stack to see if she still held $2,000. She didn’t. I grinned and shouted and paraded my victory as 5-year-old children do, but my grandmother only sighed. “I don’t like Monopoly very much,” she said. I don’t mean to sound literary, but college has a lot of Boardwalks. There is tuition and board to pay, and a hundred students who are reading this paper live in a literal hotel. It’s worth it, for the most part. I must have believed differently in March because I rebuked Campus Dining for its steep fees, but my argument then was weak. I had been upset about the Block 95 plan. It costs $18.08 a meal this semester, far more than Chinese takeout or a
private buffet. But high cost alone does not prove an abuse of monopoly power. Columnist Erica Choi ’18 pointed out that other block plans cost as little as $13.28 a meal, adding that I should have grounded my comparison in the price of guest meals. The faults in my first column go on. A week passed after Choi’s response before I asked a dining hall worker what meals cost without a plan. He flipped pages in his binder, eventually reading prices to me from beneath his Campus Dining cap. I could buy breakfast for $9.60. Lunch and brunch were $11.75. Dinner, $16.50. His glasses looked back up at me, eyes confused because I had already swiped in. I was confused, too. These prices did not make sense. Imagine that a friend visits you for a day. She doesn’t have a meal plan, so she pays out of pocket for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That night she will board the Dinky $37.85 poorer. Meanwhile, those same three meals will cost you $39.84 because you are on the Block 235 plan. If you had been on Block 95, the meals would have cost $54.24. In other words, when
you sign your dining contract you are agreeing to buy hundreds of meals, pay up front and pay extra. The Block 95 plan costs $1,038 more than a non-student would pay for the same number of meals. Students must purchase a meal plan if they are living in a residential college. Executive Director of Campus Dining Smitha Haneef said in a phone interview that the Block 95 plan is designed “to provide flexibility … to less frequent users.” Now, I’m not an economist, but I know someone who is. I left the worker at his swipe station and wandered down Prospect Ave. until I stood in the cool shadow of Fisher Hall, one floor below the office where economics professor Elizabeth Bogan sat chatting stocks with a student from her introductory economics class. A clock ticked away the minutes separating her from a train to Boston. I entered with a notepad and pen, prepared to jot notes on the erudite economic theory that could justify Campus Dining’s price structure. But Professor Bogan had no lecture. “That they charge less for guests than they do on a meal
plan is hard to explain on an incremental cost plan,” she said. “If anything, it should be the opposite.” I asked if the inflated meal plan costs could indicate that Campus Dining had a monopoly. “Yes,” Professor Bogan said. “They certainly have monopoly power.” Campus Dining is not alone. The University grants monopoly power to more than a dozen businesses vying for student dollars, often to the detriment of students. The Dorm Furnishings Agency, for example, brags that their microwaverefrigerator hybrid is the only solution to the Fire Safety policy’s ban on microwaves. Dormitories Manager Ken Paulaski explained to The Daily Princetonian in a November 2, 2014 article that “not all dormitories can handle the electrical load required for microwaves,” but that the MicroFridge brand is permitted because its “Safe Plug” technology turns off power to the refrigerator when the microwave is in use. If safety were the only reason for the microwave ban, however, Mr. Paulaski’s department would allow us to buy a Safe Plug appliance directly from MicroFridge. Alas, this is
forbidden. “If your microfridge was not rented through the Princeton Student Agencies,” the University’s dormitory regulations warn, “you will be asked to remove it by a given date. If the microfridge is not removed, the unauthorized appliance will be confiscated and Fine Schedule #3 applies.” The rental costs $150 per semester, or $1,200 for four years. MicroFridge sells a comparable model for $438. With margins like that, profits run high. One student said in an interview that his agency pays triple the publicly advertised price — so his three-hour shift pulls in $100 a week. The student was granted anonymity in order to freely discuss the subject. “I don’t necessarily think it’s fair,” he said, “but I don’t want to mess anything up.” When I owned a hotel on Boardwalk, I didn’t want to mess things up either. But I’m getting to be a bit like my grandmother. I don’t like monopolies very much. Newby Parton is a sophomore from McMinnville, Tenn. He can be reached at newby@princeton.edu.
Saturday February 20, 2016
The Daily Princetonian
Dietrick’s love for basktetball “contagious,” makes her great leader DIETRICK Continued from page 10
.............
taking into account the unbelievable heights to which she took her team. Captaining a team for the ages, Dietrick led her squad to its highest ever ranking in the AP Poll (13) and a perfect 30-0 regular season. The postseason saw her step up when the team needed it most. Already averaging a workhorse amount of 32.8 minutes per game, she played every single minute of the Tigers’ two NCAA games. Against the Maryland Terrapins, No. 1 seed and one of the strongest college basketball teams in the nation, she put on one of her finest performances for the season, nearly setting a career high with 26 points on a scorching 10-18 shooting performance. Her on-court accomplishments are certainly top level. But perhaps what is most stunning about Dietrick is her relentlessness, the competitive drive that seems evident both as she plays the game and as she talks about her goals for the future. When asked whether she ever needed any kind of external motivation, Dietrick quickly brushed the question aside. “I’m extremely competitive.” Dietrick said. “I’ve always pushed myself to be the best that I possibly can.” Indeed, the notion that Dietrick might need someone other than herself to push her onto greatness seems ridiculous to anyone who has been around her. Her intense desire to succeed is evident to those that talk with her, and certainly to those lucky enough to call her a team-
mate. “She’s the type of kid that will just keep on fighting no matter what and I think that’s the very best type of leader and teammate anyone can ask for,” sophomore guard Vanessa Smith said. “But at the same time, her love for the game is contagious and you can tell playing with her or from the stands what it means for her. Her work ethic and mental toughness is what has brought her and our team success this season.” Indeed, it would be remiss to talk about Dietrick’s immense success this past season without noting the work she has put in from her freshman year onward to grow into the player she is today. In addition, her role on the team has evolved from a catch-andshooter — high three-point percentages and very few assists are evident from her freshman year statistics — to the all-around playmaker she is today. While a regular contributor from early on in her career — she played in 23 games her freshman year — Dietrick points out that her adjustment from high school to college ball was a tough shift to handle. “I didn’t adjust very quickly to the college game.” Dietrick admits. The solution to the problem? Just more time in the gym. “I just kept working at it,” Dietrick said. “The difference between the player I am now and the player I was then is crazy.” Just like her competitiveness, the amount of progress she has made in her game is not lost on her teammates. “Having played with [Blake] for 3 years, I have seen
her grow tremendously to become a dynamic player with a high basketball IQ ,” junior guard Michelle Miller said. “Her competitiveness and will to win set her apart, and I think these qualities will make her successful on the next level.” As Miller points out, Dietrick’s amazing year has not finished yet. After receiving an invitation to training camp from the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, Dietrick will find out in late May if she gets the opportunity to continue her passion at the highest level. Dietrick has taken no time off in preparing for this dream. While a post-thesis life is normally the most relaxing time for most Princeton students, she has worked to prepare herself physically and mentally for the next great leap. “Physically, I’m prepared” Dietrick said. “Mentally, [it’s about] understanding that everyone is fighting for their job. The mentality [of the WNBA] is a work environment. The need for a little bit more selfishness appears counterintuitive. Dietrick has expressed earlier that the work mentality and the need to look out for one’s self in the workplace goes against the skills she’s developed as a leader for this Princeton team. It’s funny writing about Dietrick’s successes when potentially even greater successes are just on the horizon. It may be impossible to predict the future, but if Dietrick’s time as a Tiger is any indication, the Athlete of the Year award will not be the last she receives for her basketball prowess.
Darrow: “I want to be an example to show people it can be done and is being done.” DARROW Continued from page 10
.............
home? MD: I wouldn’t say it was easier or harder. It was about the same. It’s a scary thing to do regardless of whom you’re talking to. DP: You were coming off an ACL tear [in addition to coming out publicly]. Can you tell me what that process was like? MD: I wouldn’t say it was anything too difficult. They were two separate processes. I was out here at the time I tore my ACL. I wasn’t simultaneously battling that while rehabbing. I came out to friends and family freshman fall. The decision to come out publicly started over the summer, when I realized I was very comfortable in
my current situation, and there was an opportunity to help people by doing it publicly. DP: Along the same lines, do you see yourself serving as an advocate for LGBT rights in the NCAA community? MD: I don’t know if advocate is quite the right word, but I want to be an example to show people that it can be done and is being done. DP: What prompted the decision to come out publicly, beyond friends and family, so close to the first game of the season? Do you think the recent media attention has affected your getting ready for the game? MD: In terms of doing it when I did, that was how the timing shook out. I first had the idea to do it over the summer, and then between going to talk to Coach [Rob-
ert Surace ’90] and doing the whole interview process with Outsports.com, it’s just the time it shook out to that it would be released. And the media attention hasn’t affected our game preparation at all — our sole focus is just beating Lafayette. DP: How do you think, as a whole, the NCAA and the professional landscape has changed for coming out as an athlete? Do you think you would have been less comfortable a few years ago than you would be now in terms of coming out? MD : It’s definitely changed a lot, thanks to great examples set by Jason Collins and Michael Sam. I think it’s definitely a lot easier than it would have been even three, four or five years ago.
Club Table Tennis makes 10th consecutive appearance at NCTTC TABLE TENNIS Continued from page 10
.............
clinch the Tiger’s victory. Moreover, Princeton’s success in doubles did not end there. Hsing and Wu were the clear favorites to win women’s doubles. Accordingly, Princeton proceeded to dominate Texas, Duke and Texas Wesleyan to claim the title for the first time in recent history. In the co-ed bracket, Princeton encountered a far steeper field of competition. Most notably, Texas Wesleyan’s star team loomed at the No. 1 seed
while the Tigers entered at the No. 5 seed. To start off, Princeton swept McGill University in three matches but then fell to No. 3 USC. In a match to determine Princeton’s final place, Berkeley swept the Tigers and brought them down to seventh place. Wu mentioned that the team aims to eventually medal in the co-ed event. To round off a busy tournament, Hsing, Fu and Wu all fought to defend the Tiger’s women’s singles title. Ranked at first, third, and fourth seed respectively, the three powerhouses
won their way to the semifinals. In a match between two Tigers, Hsing narrowly defeated teammate Fu. Unfortunately, Berkeley’s star player Zhang defeated Wu in the second of two semifinals and then upset Hsing in the finals. “I’m used to being in high level environments. For me, it’s just about knowing that I’ve done a lot of practice. I try to enjoy the competition and relax,” Wu, who has represented the United States at the national and Olympic levels since the age of 15, said.
page 9
Bradley discusses politics, basketball BRADLEY Continued from page 10
.............
energy thinking about things that are beyond your control; I learned that a long time ago. I saw a couple of games, I spoke to the team after one game. I have tremendous respect for what they accomplished and more importantly for how they accomplished it, and Courtney’s incredible leadership and the team’s self lessness. DP: How would you say Princeton prepared you for life beyond the orange bubble — both in your athletic and professional careers? BB: It gave me a great education, broadened my horizons and gave me a lifetime of friends. DP: I’ve been a Knicks fan my whole life, going back to the Patrick Ewing days, and I have to ask — do you really think your former teammate Phil Jackson can fix the Knicks? BB: If anybody can fix them, he can. He’s got a great basketball mind, he’s a fierce competitor, he understands human beings and how to get people to work together and he has a very clear idea of how the game should be played. Take a look, if there’s anybody who has more rings than they have fingers, you’ve got to listen to them. DP: Who is your favorite active basketball player, collegiate or professional? BB: Well right now, let me preface that: right now, meaning today, I like Stephen Curry. DP: As a student, a professional athlete and a senator you were known for being very politically active. What do you think are the most important issues facing our country that Princeton students should be focused on? BB: Well, I think the state of our economy for a large number of Americans is the number one issue, I think making diversity a strength and not a weakness is another challenge for us, and I think that understanding that our role in the world is
a lot more than deploying military forces to some far distant land. DP: Did your aspirations for public service develop at Princeton or did you have them before? BB: I think it kind of developed in high school; I thought I wanted to be a diplomat and that’s why I came to Princeton, because of the Woodrow Willson school. Unfortunately, I didn’t do very well my freshman year so I gave up the idea of the Woodrow Wilson school and went into History instead. That was a great windfall for me. I came to love history, I still do. DP: Many students and Americans are disillusioned with the political climate and the stalemates in Washington. As someone who chose a life in public service, what would you say is the case for students going into politics today and what encouragement would you give them? BB: I think it’s the same as it always has been. That for people who want to make a difference, if you have power, you can make a difference in peoples lives. Otherwise you’re simply making nice speeches and talking. And I think that getting power is easier than it’s ever been before for individuals because of the internet and the ability to organize on social networks, so I would encourage people to take a look at the current structure of our democracy — the clear problem is money. And the answer is a constitutional amendment because the supreme court has already locked in billionaires financing campaigns and so you need a constitutional amendment leading that effort over a period of years; it would be an incredibly important service to the country and I think plenty of other areas ranging from race in urban areas, the environment, education, those are all areas —pensions — for example, people don’t always think about them, but they’re very important.
Trust a key component for the team’s victory W. B-BALL Continued from page 10
.............
Just as impressive as the team’s was the manner in which they won. The Tigers recorded winning margins as high as 71. Only twice in their 31 victories did they win by less than 10 points. One of the key components in this formula for victory was trust between teammates. Banghart, in the midst of her comments about needing to push this team, said with a note of pride that “they trusted each other,” highlighting the bond that kept this team together as they made their way to perfection. “Our motto was ‘got your six.’ That’s military jargon for ‘I got your back,’ ” Tarakchian said, commenting on the close-knit nature of this year’s team. “It was never about one person, it was about the squad.” The team-first nature was ref lected on the court as well — even with stars like Dietrick and Tarakchian out
on the court, no one person seemed to dominate alone. Princeton had four players this season scoring more than 10 points per game. Dietrick herself led the way with 15 a game. This team showed its poise both on and off the court. Dealing with the increasing media attention was one of the team members’ key skills. “It was crazy. There were reporters at every single practice. You really just have to compartmentalize — you come early to practice, you talk to the media, and then it’s over,” Dietrick said. “It started early, so by the time Ivy season came around we were already used to dealing with the pressure.” Tarakchian pointed out that having to deal with this extra pressure indicated how far this team had come. “Pressure is a privilege — our media coverage was from the fact that we hadn’t lost,” Tarakchian said. “To be able to go into 30 games and come out on top 30 times is incredible. That’s the way you want it to be.”
T HE DA ILY
Whatever your talent, the ‘Prince’ has a place for you.
join@dailyprincetonian.com
Sports
Saturday February 20, 2016
page 10
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } APRIL 2, 2015
Women’s basketball wins the season By Miles Hinson Sports editor emeritus
30-0 in the regular season. The program’s first NCAA Tournament victory. Under head coach Courtney Banghart, this women’s basketball team has achieved high levels of success. Few, however, could have imagined that they would reach such heights this season. The Tigers finished their season 31-1, falling to the Maryland Terrapins, no. 1 seed and one of just four teams remaining in the NCAA Women’s Championship tournament. Going into this year, however, Banghart noted that she felt the need to push this team more than she had others. “On the way into this season, I thought this team was too nice, too easygoing,” Banghart said. “I was harder on this team than in previous years.” Senior guard Blake Diet-
rick, however, commented on a different side of the team: a group of women hungry to win after not qualifying for the tournament last season. “Last year, losing the Ivy [League title] was a reality check for us, since we had won it the past four years, then to be the team that broke the streak and let everyone down,” Dietrick said. “We were so intent on that not being the legacy that was left from this season.” Even with this extra motivation, the level of success this team achieved was surreal even to them. “Back when we were 2-0, [senior guard] Blake [Dietrick] and I sat down,” said junior forward Annie Tarakchian. “She said ‘Annie, if we go undefeated this year you have to bleach your hair.’ ” Now, with her hair bleach-blonde, she admitted while laughing, “I never would have thought that we would [go 30-0].” See W. B-BALL page 9
TIFFANY RICHARDSON:: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
The Princeton Women’s Basketball Team finished the regular season with an unprecedented perfect record.
MAY 11, 2015
SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
Female Athlete of the Year: Blake Dietrick
Q&A: Mason Darrow ‘17, first openly gay football player
By Miles Hinson sports editor emeritus
This season, Blake Dietrick has been absolutely stunning. She’s had one of the best seasons for any Ivy League athlete. An all-around stud on both ends of the f loor, she led the Tigers and ranked among the top of the league in points per game (15.1), assists per game (4.9), field goal percentage (48.9) and steals per game(1.2). The accolades followed the on-court per-
formance: she was named to the Women’s College Basketball Association All-Region Team, an honorable mention for the Associated Press AllAmerican team, and was the unanimous choice for the Ivy League Player of the Year. Dietrick now has another honor to add to what is already an extensive list: the Daily Princetonian’s Female Athlete of the Year. Of course, her great individual accomplishments are all the more magnified when See DIETRICK page 9
By Miles Hinson sports editor emeritus
As the Princeton football team prepares for its season opener against Lafayette, one of its players is preparing to be the first of a different sort. This week, junior offensive lineman Mason Darrow became the Princeton football program’s first openly gay player, and one of the few in football, NCAA or professional, as a whole. While having come
MAY 29, 2015
out to his friends and family his freshman fall, Darrow did not intend to make his story public until earlier this summer. The Daily Princetonian spoke with Darrow about the decision to make his story known, and where he plans to go from here. Daily Princetonian: What about the Princeton football community made you comfortable with coming out to them?
Mason Darrow: I started to form bonds with guys basically right when I got here. It’s a really close-knit team. Those guys are some of my best friends in the world. It was that feeling of friendship that made me think it would be okay to do something like that. DP: In particular, did you find it was easier coming out to your teammates or harder than coming out to friends and family back See DARROW page 9
APRIL 24, 1015
Q&A: Bill Bradley ‘65, Hall of Fame Club Table Tennis basketball player, former New Jersey Senator Triumphs at Nationals By Sydney Madnelbaum sports editor emerita
Princeton’s motto is “In the nation’s service and the service of all nations,” and very few alumni have lived up to this statement as much as former Senator Bill Bradley ’65 has. Bradley played on the basketball team while at Princeton and went on to play professionally for the New York Knicks before becoming a New Jersey senator, a position which he held for three terms. The Daily Princetonian sat down with the former Senator to ref lect upon his athletic and professional careers at the dawn of his 50th Reunion. Daily Princetonian: What was your favorite Princeton basketball moment?
Bill Bradley: Beating providence in the Eastern regional finals. DP: What was your favorite thing about Princeton? What was your favorite memory? BB: I have too many of them. Maybe if we’re going to pick one, my senior thesis with Arthur Link on Harry Truman’s reelection to the senate in 1920. DP: Do you still follow Ivy League sports? How do you think they’ve changed since you were a player? BB: I’m a big fan of the Princeton women’s team — basketball. Big fan; I think their coach is the best coach in America. DP: When the women’s basketball team finished the regular season ranked 13th in the country but were only seeded eighth in the Spo-
Tweet of the Day “Sometimes i pause while walking through Princeton and remember all the dreams I had about coming here and I can’t believe I’m actually here” Nolan Liu (@nliu199613), Associate Sports Editor
By David Liu sports editor
BILL BRADLEY
kane region for the NCAA tournament, there was a lot of debate on whether the NCAA takes the Ivy League seriously. Do you have a point of view on the issue? BB: I don’t want to waste See BRADLEY page 9
From April 10-12, club table tennis made its 10th consecutive appearance at the National Collegiate Table Tennis Championships, hosted this year in Eau Claire, Wis. Princeton defended the women’s team championships while also winning the women’s doubles event and medaling in women’s singles. Representing Princeton at Nationals were sophomores Ariel Hsing, Robin Li and Shirley Fu, freshmen Zach Weingarten, Erica Wu, Justin Do and Avinash Nayak. Set out to defend last year’s women’s team title, Princeton entered the tournament this year at
Stat of the Day
23.2 points The average scoring margin that women’s basketball enjoyed over opponents last season.
the No. 1 seed, armed with table tennis powerhouses Wu, Fu and Hsing. The Tigers defeated the University of South California and Cornell in preliminary matches, and in the championship bracket, Princeton swept the University of Texas in three singles matches and then outplayed No. 3 Texas Wesleyan University. To win the title, Princeton uprooted rival UC Berkeley in a tight best-of-three event that extended the full five matches. In a matchup of tournament titans, the Wu and Hsing narrowly escaped Berkeley’s Lily Zhang and Ellan Hwang to See TABLE TENNIS page 9
Follow us Check us out on Twitter on @princesports for live news and reports, and on Instagram on @ princetoniansports for photos!