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Thursday March 1, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 19
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } BEYOND THE BUBBLE
NJ responds to latest GOP tax cut act By Nick Shashkini Contributor
Last year’s Republican Tax Act placed a $10,000 cap on formerly unlimited state and local tax deductions for income, sales, and property taxes. Deductions on income and sales taxes previously allowed many high-tax state residents to pay less in taxes. Faced with this new cap, some high-income residents of New Jersey are projected to experience considerable tax hikes. In response, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed that the state legislature allow municipalities to establish charitable funds to which homeowners could pay their annual levy. Theoretically, tax credits would therefore be extended to residents that give money to the
fund, thus cancelling out the projected tax hikes under the new plan. As of the time of publication, the New Jersey Senate has voted 28–9 in support of the motion, but the bill has yet to be approved by the Assembly and sent to the governor’s desk. At a Princeton town hall meeting, Liz Lempert, the mayor of Princeton, along with council members Heather Howard and David Cohen, all Democrats, shared their impressions. Lempert, who had attended a New Jersey conference of mayors in Trenton, claimed that there had been some pushback from the state legislators to the idea, and that the Internal Revenue Service wouldn’t necessarily allow its implementation. She also noted that authorization of See TAX BILL page 2
ON CAMPUS
ON CAMPUS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MUDD LIBRARY TWITTER
Panel addresses the effect of wartime on campus during the 20th century.
Panel discusses impact of 20th century wars on U.
By Benjamin Ball Contributor
University Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee ’69, Trustee Robert Rivers ’53, and Director of the Army Officer Education Program for ROTC Kevin McKiernan discussed the impact of twentiethcentury wars on University life at a panel Wednesday, Feb. 28. “The impact of war on campus has a lot to do with how directly it affects the campus community and how much the campus community either supports or cares about the objectives of the war,” said Durkee. Rivers, who grew up in the Princeton area during World War II, was 10 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 7, 1941.
“I don’t remember a lot that happened on that day, but I do remember when Roosevelt gave that speech the following day, telling the nation that we were at war, and that changes things dramatically in the town, and dramatically at the University,” Rivers said. Rivers’ father lost his job at Tiger Inn when, according to Rivers, the eating clubs closed during the war. Rivers also spoke about the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which brought Princeton’s first black undergraduates to campus. “All of the sudden in 1945, four black students show up on campus,” said Rivers. “There were a lot of questions among the Princeton University alumni, but there was a lot of joy . . . and it was a major,
major thing for young black folks in the town. They were heroes.” Rivers went on to attend the University during the Korean War. He then became the first AfricanAmerican elected to the Board of Trustees during the Vietnam War, when Durkee was also in attendance as a student. According to Rivers, during the Korean War, students were required to a take a test in their junior year to determine whether or not they would be drafted. “If you scored above it you stayed in school, and if you didn’t get above it, you’re off to war,” said Rivers. “I passed it by one point.” Durkee attended the University during the Vietnam War. He stated that the war had a tremendous imSee WAR page 2
AUDREY SPENSLEY :: PRINCETONIAN ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Sociologist Desmond discusses book ‘Evicted’ By Audrey Spensley Associate News Editor
“We can’t fix poverty in America without fixing housing,” said sociology professor Matthew Desmond at a Feb. 28 lecture on eviction in America. Desmond, whose book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017, has spent the last several years researching how eviction plays out “on the ground” in American cities. In 2008 and 2009, Desmond spent about fifteen months living in lowincome areas of Milwaukee, Wis., first in a trailer park and later in a rooming house. He shadowed several families who were being evicted and closely interviewed them about the process. “I went everywhere with them. I went to shelters, to eviction court, to homes,” said Desmond. “I watched their kids, I slept on their floor, I ate off their table, I went to church with them.” He followed landlords as well, shadowing them as they handed out eviction notices and traveled to different properties. “The complicated relationship between the landlords and tenants is central if we want to understand eviction in America,” Desmond said. According to Desmond, while sociologists have “spent a lot of time looking at public housing,” research on the process of eviction was surprisingly limited when he started his project. To compensate for the lack of data, Desmond and his team analyzed tens of thousands of eviction records,
In Opinion
talked to 250 people immediately following their eviction hearings, and analyzed thousands of 911 calls and newspaper ordinances. The book follows the stories of eight families in Milwaukee struggling to find adequate housing conditions. At the lecture, Desmond focused on the story of Arleen Bell, who makes an appearance in the book’s first chapter. In 2008, Arleen’s 14-year-old son Jori and his cousin were throwing snowballs at cars. One man whose car had been struck chased Jori back to his home and kicked the door down. “When Arleen’s landlord found out about that, she decided to evict Arleen and her boy for damaging property,” Desmond said. Arleen and her two sons found another home. The water frequently did not work, but Desmond said Arleen called it her “favorite place” because it was quiet and had low rent. “So if we want to know why some kids live with lead paint and exposed wires, no heat and no water, one reason is their families accept those kinds of conditions in the period after eviction,” Desmond said. Arleen’s home was soon declared unfit for habitation. She moved to an inner-city housing unit, where she worried for her sons’ safety in a neighborhood riddled with drug usage. The Bell family moved again, and Arleen began directing 88 percent of her income towards rent for a dilapidated home, Desmond said. “There was no lock, so you had to lock the door with a plank you slid into the brackets,” he added. One day, 14-year-old Jori, who had
Columnist Urvashi Uberoy critiques Indian cliques on campus, and Head Design Editor challenges readers with a crossword: “Bird Names.” PAGE 4
been acting out at his new school, kicked a teacher in the shin. The teacher called the police, who sent officers to Arleen’s home. When the landlord discovered the visit, Desmond said, Arleen was evicted again. “Kids are a big part of this story,” said Desmond. “They can prolong the period you’re evicted and they can be part of the reason you’re evicted.” Arleen’s story highlights several of Desmond’s statistical findings. “Once we control for eviction we find that low-income families don’t move more than anyone else,” Desmond said. “I think what we’re learning is that low-income families are moving so much simply because they’re forced to.” “For years there’s been a consensus in America that we should spend 30 percent of our income on housing. That leaves enough left over to eat, for transportation,” said Desmond. “But times have changed.” The question, Desmond added, becomes how to address the problem of eviction — which he believes is deeply entrenched — through policy. “Anyone want to take over?” he jokingly asked the audience. But Desmond did have a policy recommendation in mind: a voucher system which would cap housing payments at 30 percent of income. “We know from previous research that when families finally receive a housing voucher after years and years on the waiting list — when they finally receive this ticket that allows them to spend 30 percent of their income on housing instead of 70 or 80, they do one thing consistently with that money,” Desmond said. “They take it to their grocery store. They buy more food.” The lecture, titled “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” was held in Robertson Hall on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
ON CAMPUS
Jerkins ’14 talks book, identity, U. experience By Neha Chauhan and Allie Spensley Contributor and Associate News Editor
Morgan Jerkins ’14 read selections from her book, This Will Be My Undoing, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. at the Princeton University Art Museum. In advance of her lecture, the ‘Prince’ spoke with Jerkins. When Morgan Jerkins ’14 drove into campus on Wednesday, she looked out the window at Elm Drive and was reminded of long evening talks in the Rocky-Mathey dining hall and morning brunches with friends in Wilcox. Much has changed in Jerkins’ life since she spent her days racing back and forth between Princeton Faith in Action meetings near McCosh Hall and her dorm in Buyers Hall. In the five years since her graduation, Jerkins has secured a position as contributing editor at the literary magazine Catapult. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Rolling Stone. Most recently, she published a New York Times bestselling essay collection entitled “This Will Be My Undoing.” “A lot of times I’ll sit back and think, ‘How did that happen?’” Jerkins said. “It felt like a whirlwind.” Jerkins’ identity as a feminist black woman is at the heart of her new book. The essays in “This Will Be My Undoing” recount her personal experiences within broad contexts of historical oppression and modern pop culture. Published in January, the book
Today on Campus 8:00 p.m.: The Vagina Monologues. Written by Eve Ensler, this hilarious, devastating, essential play calls for an end to violence against women and girls. Theater Intime
generated significant buzz in the literary world. It was named one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018 by publications ranging from Vogue to the Huffington Post, and was praised by authors including Roxane Gay and Alana Massey. Jerkins takes on a wide range of topics in the book, including therapy, the “Black Girl Magic” movement, dating, travel, and black female sexuality. Stories from college make an appearance as well. “I had to talk about Princeton because it was so vital for me,” said Jerkins. “I couldn’t forget about the college experience.” When Jerkins was accepted to University, her life was soon struck by tragedy. Her stepfather — her family’s primary breadwinner — died. Jerkins expressed gratitude for the financial aid package that allowed her to pursue her education, which included a free MacBook Pro that she still uses today. As an undergraduate, she studied comparative literature, specializing in both the postwar modern Japanese era and nineteenth century Russian literature. She went on to earn an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminar, becoming fluent in six languages along the way. “[Comparative literature] has helped me to remind myself that everything has a different side; there is no one objective truth. Depending on which location you’re in, which language you’re in, reality can shapeshift,” said Jerkins. “That See JERKINS page 3
WEATHER
Esteemed U. Sociologist Matt Desmond explains his explosive book “Evicted.”
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Thursday March 1, 2018
New GOP cap on state, local tax deductions TAX BILL Continued from page 1
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such a motion at state and federal levels would take a long time. “It’s a long shot,” agreed Howard, who said that no resources were being spent on it now, but that the council would act in case of encouraging developments. “The past bill was a severe burden for a lot of people, we want to provide whatever relief we’re allowed to provide,” she added. “Strategically, as a form of civil disobedience, states might want to implement this idea to force the IRS to expand resources to fight it,” Cohen suggested. “We’re watching and waiting,” Lempert said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’ “The tax bill hit Princeton residents disproportionately, but we’re cautious not to give false hope, as we still need the state Legislature’s authorization.” Lempert added that IRS first needs to recognize the motion if there’s to be any further development. Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, a Republican lawyer who previously served as N.J. state trea-
surer from 2010 until 2015, expressed his doubts about the proposal. “As a former tax lawyer, and a long time government tax administrator, I am very dubious about this proposed strategy,” he said. “I worry that some taxpayers will wind up taking a deduction that will be disallowed, and then face the prospect of penalties imposed by the IRS.” Sidamon-Eristoff said he worried that the proposal risks misappropriating public funds. “Politicians in high-tax states are going to want to look as if they’re doing something, that they’re responding to their constituents’ concerns, and I understand that,” explained SidamonEristoff. “However, I think that all public officials have an obligation to represent policy options fairly and accurately, and I think it’s inappropriate to represent this as some sort of magic solution to the problem.” As an alternative, SidamonEristoff suggested eliminating the state’s $10,000 cap on state income tax deductions for property taxes, claiming it would “provide some modest mitigation” from the projected tax hikes under the new plan.
Vietnam led to widespread fear of draft on campus WAR
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pact on his work as editor-in-chief of The Daily Princetonian and on campus life at large. “The very first issue we published when I was editor-in-chief, we had a story about a delegation from Princeton that went to Washington to offer what was described as ‘constructive dissent’ and to express concern about the ambiguous role of the United States in Southeast Asia and the lack of Congressional oversight,” said Durkee. “That’s still pretty tame. It changes pretty quickly in the Spring of ‘68.” During his time on campus there was growing protest and concern as to what was happening in Vietnam, Durkee explained, as well as widespread fear about the sheer number of students who would be drafted. According to Durkee, it was predicted at the time that 30 percent of the graduate students would be drafted, and in April of 1968 it was reported that 70 percent of the graduating class was faced with being drafted. “As early as Feb. 5, graduate students announced they were forming a Princeton Graduate Draft Union to provide information on alternatives to the draft,” said Durkee. “The first meeting of that organization attracted 350 students. Imagine something that would attract 350 graduate students for any purpose, right?” After graduating in 1969, Durkee opted to teach in Trenton Public Schools for three years rather than immediately pursue journalism, believing teaching to be “a better use of [his] skills instead of being drafted.” “I realized that no one my age could have a career as a journalist because I would be drafted,” he added. When asked whether the Gulf War had a very significant impact on his college experience, McKiernan had a very straightforward answer, “No.” “The Gulf War really only lasted six to 12 months, I don’t think anyone really had the opportunity to mobilize about it,” said McKiernan. “The public was generally behind it, there was no call for a draft of anything. It didn’t really resonate on the campuses I was a part of.” The talk, entitled “The Impact of War on Princeton University” was held in Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library’s Harlan Room on Wednes-
Thursday March 1, 2018
‘Writer to be reckoned with’ makes bestseller JERKINS
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has helped me out as a writer because I am always looking for nuance everywhere.” While a student at the University, Jerkins gained not only intellectual skills but also a newfound political awareness. In her hometown community, Jerkins explained, “feminism” was seen as pejorative, an unaccepted symbol for overtaking or disrespecting men. Jerkins’ conception of feminism changed as she was exposed to new people and ideas in college. “I learned about misogynoir, the hatred of black women. I learned how there are people who didn’t fit in the gender binary,” said Jerkins. “Much of my political genesis came from Princeton.” Jerkins could feel the historical precedent of African-Americans who had navigated the ultra-exclusive place that the University holds in society. This “added layer of exclusivity,” she said, motivated her to succeed and to hold herself accountable for her actions. She also became almost painfully conscious of the privilege that attending the University confers on its students. This, too, found its way into her book. “I had to incorporate how educational privilege works and I couldn’t ignore that; that would just be irresponsible for me to not bring that up,” Jerkins said. Whenever someone asked her where she went to school, Jerkins said, she would tell them “a school in New Jersey” rather than mention Princeton’s name. She added that other people of color have told her they do the same thing, afraid of sounding as if they’re bragging. Jerkins was constantly aware of the unique advantages available for students on campus: the Nobel Prize-winning professor who can be seen walking across campus, or the MacArthur “Genius” Fellow teaching a morning lecture. “Think about it: we have no homeless people here, no crime,” said Jerkins. “It’s very idyllic, but at the same time, it is a bubble because if you’re not careful you will think that other universities have these sorts of things, and they don’t.” In 2015, Jerkins exchanged the shelter of the Orange Bubble for the chaos of New York City. There, she only had to hop on the subway to encounter a range of personalities, far removed from the carefully delineated social organization of undergraduate life. “You’re in one of the greatest cities in the world, you’re meeting so many interesting people, and there’s something always going on,” Jerkins explained.
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In the new environment, Jerkins began to pen the essays that would eventually form “This Will Be My Undoing.” She described the strict regimen she set for herself: Beginning to write every morning at 7:30 a.m., she would not leave her bed until she wrote 1,500 words. The mental challenge of the project was compounded by the deeply personal nature of Jerkins’ writing; she was running the risk of vulnerable exposure, of ad hominem attacks, of making the wrong conclusions when she turned to cultural analysis. In the end, however, the rewards would outweigh the risks. “This Will Be My Undoing” was met with wide acclaim and popularity; Jerkins went on a national tour to promote the book and speak to readers. Suddenly, Roxane Gay was calling Jerkins “a writer to be reckoned with” and her book was climbing the New York Times bestseller list. Jerkins found the positive reception jarring at first. “The last two lines are ‘Surprise. You should have known I was coming.’ That was like my resistance to imposter syndrome, because I was trying to say I was meant to do this, I deserve to be here,” Jerkins said. Jerkins said she believes her book will be one of many on black feminism and womanhood, part of what she sees as a “black literary renaissance.” Since the publication of Roxane Gay’s “Bad Feminist” in 2014, texts by black authors that combine personal experience and cultural commentary have become increasingly common in bookshelves across the nation. “Black women are extremely complex. Oftentimes we may be messy, we may be contradictory,” Jerkins said. “With this book, I hope that people will read about one black woman’s reality and not think that she speaks for all black women because I am not the arbiter of truth, I cannot monopolize black womanhood, much less blackness.” She added that the writing process taught her the importance of self-care. “When I was writing this book I did not take care of myself. I didn’t have a self-care ritual,” Jerkins said. “It wasn’t until late last year that I told myself you need to work out more, go to therapy more.” Jerkins wants readers to read her book not only with respect to the outside world, but also to their own personal lives. “I think we’re living in this political time period where we want to be as woke or conscious as possible,” she said. “I just want to tell people to make sure you prioritize your body and your mind, and know that the battle is long and hard, as it’s going to be there when you get back, but you can’t do anything if you’re weak.”
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Thursday March 1, 2018
Opinion
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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }
Cliquey clicking: the South Asian community at the U. Urvashi Uberoy Columnist
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arch 29, 2017: the inaugural night of the University’s unofficial Bollywood Club. Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi students, among others, f locked to the Wilson Black Box Theater, dragging their roommates and friends along for a taste of samosas and Bollywood. The movie of the night was Karan Johar’s “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani,” a two-anda-half-hour romantic saga with all the typical ingredients: drama, romance, and (a lot of) dancing. To me, the loud, pulsing music, sequined costumes, and abundant tears elicited a strong sense of nostalgia, making me feel like I was sitting in my living room with my family in Delhi. The other South Asians probably felt the same, judging by the smiles on people’s faces as they explained the movie to friends. But an unexpected side effect of the screening was a reinforced culture gap between the South Asian students and others. My roommate, who I had dragged along promising entertainment, left mid-movie — partially
because the movie was too long and partially because I felt like she got the sense of being an outsider. And who can blame her? While the South Asian community is extremely tight, it is nothing other than a large clique on campus. The cultural bonds that the students share are so strong that they are sometimes isolating, making outsiders feel uncomfortable. Based on my own experiences as an Indian at the University, hanging out with other Indians is like a chain reaction. Often, I have been sitting in Frist Campus Center with an Indian friend when another Indian passes by and sits on the sofas with us. Then another Indian walking through Frist spots us, comes to exchange smalltalk, and gets sucked into the whirlpool. Soon, the sofas in Frist are covered with Indians, laughing at inside jokes and occasionally lapsing into Hindi. Arya Goel ’20, from Jaipur, India, acknowledges that having this kind of tight-knit group feels nice when he’s homesick. But it has also encouraged him to make a conscious effort to escape the whirlpool effect. “As someone who’s made an effort to befriend a diverse group of people, I believe that hanging out with only other Indians
hampers making the best of the Princeton experience which requires one to step out of their comfort zone,“ he said. Various groups on campus also facilitate this sense of exclusivity, of being a clique. In addition to the South Asian Students Association, there is also Pehchaan — a Pakistani students association — and the Princeton Bengal Tigers. There are also clubs that promote the cultural dances and sports of the countries, like Naacho (the South Asian dance company), Princeton Bhangra, and Princeton Cricket Club. These groups also celebrate cultural festivals like Holi and Diwali that that are well-attended by South Asian students missing the festive atmosphere back home. “I found avenue after avenue that connected me to other South Asians. This community provided me with a support system when I needed it the most,” said Saad Malik ’20, who is from Lahore, Pakistan, and is an active member of Pehchaan, Princeton Cricket Club, and Naacho. He adds, “Princeton feels like a home away from home for South Asians.” While none of these groups exclusively recruit South Asians, there often tends to be a small minority of non-South Asian members. This
makes it easier for South Asian students to create closer bonds and form an even tighter clique, enforcing the sense of insularity. Jane Sul ’20, who is Korean-American, has first-hand experience being an outsider in the Indian clique. Sul is a contributing reporter for the ‘Prince.’ “There is definitely a strong sense of community among South Asians on campus,” she said. “Everyone seems to know each other, and I sometimes feel at loss when I’m with them because I don’t speak their language or understand some of their references. I’m usually just silent when I’m around them.” I do not know what I would do without my Indian friends on campus. Speaking with them in Hindi, sharing cultural references, and being with people that remind me of home makes the University a warmer, safer place. But sometimes, I notice that my other friends seem left out and unresponsive when I’m with my Indian friends, and that makes me break out of my bubble. At the next Bollywood movie screening, on March 9, I hope to see a transition from being an isolating clique to a welcoming community.
vol. cxlii
editor-in-chief
Marcia Brown ’19 business manager
Ryan Gizzie ’19
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas J. Widmann ’90 Kathleen Crown William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Kathleen Kiely ’77 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Lisa Belkin ‘82 Francesca Barber trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73
142ND MANAGING BOARD managing editors Isabel Hsu ’19 Claire Lee ’19 head news editors Claire Thornton ’19 Jeff Zymeri ’20 associate news editors Allie Spensley ’20 Audrey Spensley ’20 Ariel Chen ‘20 associate news and film editor Sarah Warman Hirschfield ’20 head opinion editor Emily Erdos ’19 associate opinion editors Samuel Parsons ’19 Jon Ort ’21 head sports editors David Xin ’19 Chris Murphy ’20 associate sports editors Miranda Hasty ’19 Jack Graham ’20 head street editor Jianing Zhao ’20 associate street editors Danielle Hoffman ’20 Lyric Perot ’20 digital operations manager Sarah Bowen ’20 associate chief copy editors Marina Latif ’19 Arthur Mateos ’19 head design editor Rachel Brill ’19 cartoons editor Tashi Treadway ’19 head photo editor Risa Gelles-Watnick ’21
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Thursday March 1, 2018
Top football schools couldn’t compete with Ivy allure BREVIN
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tween three high schools was not what White had planned on; however, he believes the experience had ultimately helped him mature as an individual both on and off the field: “At each place, you gotta earn the respect of all your teammates and build strong relationships with all the guys, and that’s what I think I did which made the transitions super easy for me,“ he explained. “Ultimately, I came out with some pretty good relationships and loved my experiences at each school. I kept adding pieces to the puzzle as I kept moving along.” White identified his playing style as unconventional, in a way hybridizing the roles typical of pro style and dual threat quarterbacks. “I’m a pocket passer, I’m definitely comfortable making throws and that’s where I’m strongest at, but also I feel like people underestimate me and some quarterbacks’ abilities and speed to get out, get first downs and make plays with their feet, which I bring to the table,“ he said. However, White attributes much of his success to the equally paramount mental factor, a primary basis for his admiration of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “He’s [Aaron Rodgers] got a little swag about him. I don’t like being cocky but I respect guys who bring the ‘it’ factor to the game. I think that’s what he does.” “I think the personality of the quarterback should push the team over the edge per se. It doesn’t need to be the most vocal guy, but personally I am a vocal guy, I like being in the driver’s seat to cushion the guys and push everybody to be their best,” he continued.
After a long and grueling recruiting process, offers from top-of-the-line football schools such as UA, Tennessee State University, and ASU just couldn’t compare to the lure of the Ivy League and the University. Anyone and everyone who’s been following the saga has asked, “Why Princeton?” White, however, sees the question a different way: “Why not Princeton?” “Princeton University is the best fit for me as a person overall,“ he explained. “It checks all the boxes for what I wanna do on and off the field, and it’s gonna help me fulfill me aspirations better than any other school.” “At Princeton, you’re surrounded by the best of the best,“ he added. “The competitor in all of us wants to be, or should want to be, surrounded by the best of the best, to be pushed to our ultimate potential.” The thought of playing football on the east coast is also an exciting opportunity for White, who said that competing in snowy conditions “almost seems like a bucket list thing.” White aspires to play in the NFL and hopes to apply himself at the University in every way possible in order to make the dream come true. Yet he remains a realist and knows the chances are slim, and as an alternative he would like to work in the financial sector upon securing a degree in economics. Working in New York is a “mysterious” and “exciting” prospect for White, who would love to “go out and experience the world.” In White, the Tigers are getting a driven, inspired, and goal-oriented quarterback who will undoubtedly help lead the charge for Ivy League success over the next four years. After heartbreak against Yale crushed bonfire hopes in 2017, perhaps White can be a spark to light it ablaze again.
Llewellyn: U. is a place where I know I’ll develop JAELIN
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play. Additionally, as he looks to further his skills, Llewellyn tries to take bits and pieces from today’s elite point guards, including Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, and Stephen Curry. DraftExpress. com labels him as “an explosive athlete with strong footwork off the dribble,” also saying he should make an immediate scoring impact for the Tigers next season. Of his success on the basketball court, Llewellyn credits much of it to his dad, Cordell Llewellyn, for his dedication to his son’s basketball career. Furthermore, on his motivation, Llewellyn says that what motivates him most is “wanting to be able to live my future life the way I want, and live comfortably, for myself, my parents, and other family members.” Interests As far as music goes, Llewellyn usually listens to rappers that are up-and-coming and fairly close to him in age before games. Lil Peep and Lil Tracy have been some of his favorites for over two years. Once he hits the court, however, he said, “It doesn’t really matter what music is being played because I’m just in a different zone.” Off the court, he really enjoys videography. He has been filming and editing videos since he was in middle school. Outside of videography, he
was also developing skills in another game, Call of Duty. In ninth grade, Llewellyn says he was actually ranked 97th in the world at one point. Future It is no secret that the University offers world-class academics, a quality that would be hard for any recruit to overlook. In an interview with Phenom Hoops Report’s Patrick O’Brien, Llewellyn said that the University is “a place where I know I’ll develop each year I’m there because I have goals of playing professionally. And a place where I have the opportunity to play as soon as I step on campus.” Llewellyn was also given offers by other prestigious universities, like University of Virginia and Harvard, but he had a special eagerness to play at Princeton. “I chose Princeton because they were one of the first schools to show interest in me athletically, and I feel like they would be most accepting of me as a person,“ said Lewellyn. “I just felt like I’d fit in.” When asked what he was most excited for, Llewellyn responded “It’s hard to pick one thing to be excited for because it’s everything really. Maybe just being on campus for that very first day.” Stepping on campus for the very first time is a memory very few University students can forget. When Jaelin hits the court next season, students will be given the opportunity to witness more memorable moments, hopefully some of them being next March.
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Thursday March 1, 2018
Sports
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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } FOOTBALL
Inside look at four-star quarterback recruit Brevin White By Daniel Gitelman Staff Writer
A last-minute swoop from seventeen-time national champions the University of Alabama wasn’t enough to ward off high school football sensation from the University. Brevin White, a native of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., put pen to paper in early February to confirm his summer intentions of joining The Tigers. The four-star pro-style quarterback joins just off from an exceptional pre-collegiate career, having just recently led Paraclete High School to a California Interscholastic Federation title in the 2017 season. Standing at six-foot, two inches and weighing 185 pounds, White accumulated a 280.8 passing yards-pergame average in his senior year, an exceptional showing accented by incredible long throws and complemented by impressive runs. Come this fall, White will be taking his talents to the Ivy League. In a phone interview with The Daily Princetonian,
he gave an inside look on what had brought him to this next step. White’s childhood in southern California was spent living in close proximity with relatives, inspiring his family-oriented approach to life. The youngest of three children, he seeks to emulate his father’s “hard-working” attitude and praises his mother as a “five-star mom.” His idol, however, has always been his brother Brady White. Also a quarterback, Brady White just last month completed a graduate transfer to the University of Memphis having spent three years at Arizona State University. “Every time he’d change, I’d change,“ explained White. “I modeled my game after how he played.” When Brady suffered a Lisfranc fracture at ASU, White was quite shaken up. After the injury, Seeing his brother on field was nerve-wracking for White, speaking to the strength of the connection between the two. “I couldn’t function. I was so fidgety,“ Brevin White ex-
COURTESY OF ANDY HOLZMAN/SCNG
Future Tiger’s quarterback Brevin White delivers a pass against Moorpark during the CIF-SS Division 5 final Friday in Moorpark.
plained. “Just being there, it scares me! It’s my brother and I worry about him. We’re a Christian family and he’s definitely the strongest, most religious person. We had some deep talks about it and ultimately it worked out for him, he’s fully back and healthy.” Brevin White comes from a family of athletes. His mother
played soccer and softball in high school, while his father was a basketball player who played at the collegiate level as well. Meanwhile, his sister, currently a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame, works in football recruiting. White developed an affinity for golf early on, calling it “one of the greatest sports
ever.” He said he even took a year off from football in junior high to hit the green. He also loves country music and attending concerts. “I just give it a quick shuffle and I’m rolling,“ White explained. “I like pulling a little air guitar out occasionally.” Perhaps transferring beSee BREVIN page 5
MEN’S BASKETBALL
On tap: Chat with incoming U. Basketball recruit Jaelin Llewellyn Career Nationally ranked as part of ESPN’s ESPN 100, fourstar Llewellyn comes in ranked the 16th best point guard prospect in the class of 2018, and one of the top two point guards from Canada. The six-foot, two inches and 160-pound point guard is ranked as highly as 89th in the country by Rivals.com. Last season at Virginia Episcopal School, he averaged 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. This year, through 23 games, he has improved all of these
numbers, with 23.0 ppg, 5.6 apg, 5.5 rpg, and 1.5 spg. Over the summer, Llewellyn was afforded the opportunity to compete in the Adidas Circuit as part of Team Loaded. The team won the summer championship, going undefeated. At 8.8 ppg and 3.8 apg, Llewellyn described this experience as a big moment in his career, as it gave him the feeling of winning something major. Next season, the University will receive a player with a real hunger to win. Of the memory, Llewellyn said it
“really makes me crave for moments like that again.” Playing style Of his playing style, Llewellyn said, “It could be described as a quick, athletic, and aggressive guard that can score, and loves to put teammates in positions to be successful.” Llewellyn seems to take the role of a facilitator seriously. The aforementioned players that he looked up to as a child are all known for giving their teammates opportunities and elevating their team’s overall level of See JAELIN page 5
COURTESY OF PRINCETON ATHLETICS
Jaelin Llewellyn was also offered a spot on the Harvard basketball team.
By Matthew Fuller Staff Writer
Getting to know the University’s next basketball star In a recent trend that features an increasing number of athletes choosing prestigious academic institutions over traditional athletic powerhouses, the University has landed 2 four-star recruits from the class of 2022. Among the recruited class next year, Princeton students will get to watch Jaelin Llewellyn, a four-star point guard from Canada. Llewellyn turned down major programs such as Wake Forest University, where his father played, and University of Virginia, currently the top-ranked basketball program in the country.
Childhood Llewellyn grew up in Mississauga, Ontario. He describes this experience as great not only for giving him a taste of city life, but also for affording him the opportunity to experience a quieter suburban environment. Llewellyn has spent the last two seasons playing at Virginia Episcopal School, a small and selective college prep school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Growing up, Llewellyn followed players like Tracy McGrady while he was on the Houston Rockets, Rajon Rondo while he was on the Boston Celtics, and LeBron James. Llewellyn has tried to incorporate these players’ strategies on the court.
Tweet of the Day “More regular season games for @PrincetonWBB. Come cheer them on as they chase an @IvyLeague title this weekend!” Princeton Tigers (@PUTIGERS)
Stat of the Day
280.8 passing yards Brevin White averaged 280.8 passing yards per game his senior year leading Paraclete High School to a California Interscholastic Federation title.
Follow us Check us out on Twitter @princesports for live news and reports, and on Instagram @princetoniansports for photos!
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday March 1, 2018
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PAGES DESIGNED BY ASHLEY CHANG & DIANA TANG
Writing about Writing
STREET EDITORS: JIANING ZHAO, DANIELLE HOFFMAN, LYRIC PEROT, LUCY CHUANG
This week, the Street presents thoughts, reflections, and explorations into the writing experience.
Bound by June: Black Identity, Hacking Amazon, and Looking Beyond Medicine Carson Clay Contributor ‘19
This week the Street is featuring a new column, “Bound by June,” by Carson Clay ’19 that will highlight senior theses projects in the spring and other projects of students and professors in the fall. Inspired by deeper probing into some of her senior friends’ projects in an attempt to learn a bit more than the one-sentence byline that is often given by seniors, Carson will share a glimpse into some of the amazing senior theses that are being written this spring. Feel free to reach out to her at ceclay@princeton.edu if you know of seniors working diligently on projects that the Princeton community should know about.
This January, Abby Jean-Baptiste directed the play “Etched in Skin on a Sunlit Night” for her theater department certificate final project. The story follows a black woman who exiles herself to the very homogenous setting of Iceland, where she marries a white man. In the midst of Obama’s election back home in the U.S., she realizes that her husband doesn’t actually understand her identity as a black woman. The play uses this complex dynamic to address expectations of blackness head-on. Now, for her senior thesis in the English department, Abby is taking a scholarly approach to her play. She’s adding her own voice and her experiences as a director to the scholarly conversation of black womanhood, black identity on the stage, and negation in contemporary theater. Theater, she reminds us, is more than just entertainment. It’s a way to actively think about life outside the theater — whose bodies are on stage, whose stories are worth telling, and which plays are glorified and advertised. By bringing this into the academic conversation, she is simultaneously imploring producers and directors everywhere to think critically about these questions. I, for one, can’t wait to see how she reshapes the world of theater in years to come!
Gudrun Jonsdottir is hacking Amazon’s Alexa for her computer science department senior independent work. You read that correctly — she is using machine learning and network traffic analysis as if she is an “adversary” in order to find potential security issues in the small, talking robots that many students have in their dorm rooms. Amidst an interest in news stories of Russian hacking in the 2016 U.S. election and cybersecurity threats to large companies, Gudrun’s obsession with the topic was sparked by a course she took last year in the COS department called Information Security. She explained that most people assume smart devices are safe, and sometimes even more secure than their human counterparts, but we really have no idea if that’s true. But don’t worry, there’s no need to unplug your Alexa just yet — Gudrun praised Amazon’s very secure encryption of information. We have our own computer science major Jeff Bezos ’86, founder of Amazon, to thank for that!
Elena Tsemberis is analyzing the racial disparities in medicine, specifically in premature birth and low birth rate for her senior thesis in the African American studies department. She is looking specifically at the language medical journals use to theorize about certain conditions — for example, the CDC’s description of premature birth lists “black race” as a risk factor. Other journals emphasize individual qualities such as diet or genetics instead of looking at a systemic, multi-faceted explanation. As an aspiring doctor, Elena wanted to look into something that would apply to her future career as well as include her current academic interests: “Medical school doesn’t include classes on the social determinants of health yet. My patients will come from many backgrounds, so I wanted to learn about factors I will need as a doctor — beyond the medicine.” Through interviews with mothers, critical analysis of media, and close readings of medical journals, Elena is doing just that.
Images courtesy of Carson Clay
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday March 1, 2018
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Speculating on Pain in the Poem Allison Huang Contributor ‘21
Last year, I wrote a poem about a hit-and-run in which an Asian grandmother was left lying on the side of the road like roadkill (“I am the driver / the woman’s body / is violation”). Once, I wrote a poem about an accident that left my mother in a semivegetative state (“Your head bloomed / & you crumpled like a sheet down the stairs”). Once, I wrote a poem about experiencing death through a solitary phone call (“The day the phone rang / we were shooed outside, the day / we stripped our dolls into finer stems / naked and buried them in the lawn”). Which one was true? All of
them, and none of them. I have never experienced death firsthand, much less received news of death over the phone. My mother has a normally functioning brain, and the hit-and-run incident reached me via the grapevine (which is to say, I was not present when it happened, I did not see pictures of the incident, and I most certainly was not ‘the driver’). Looking back, my life was oddly boring to be the source of inspiration for such dramatic poetry, yet I outputted poems anyway like a well-oiled machine. One of my tactics to unearthing Freudian fixations and other worthwhile content was to prostitute my pain, which I talk about in this article. I blame part of the practice on the people who first told me, “your life isn’t boring! Everyone has something
they can write about,” which began my habit of magnifying my problems (especially as a woman and a PoC) to find something worth writing about. This “problematization” though, is different from the phenomena I depict above, in which I tell stories that simply aren’t true (in the narrowest sense of the word). Clearly the poems above resonate with someone; they are, after all, plausible, realistic experiences. They just aren’t my experiences. (I am, to be fair, simplifying the definition of ‘experience’ when I judge the poems solely on the basis of whether or not they played out in real life, in my life. But I seek to engage this notion of foreignness and forgetfulness—reading one of these poems the other day, I forgot that these were my words.
The words failed to awaken a corresponding episodic memory because the memory simply did not exist. The poem had originally unfurled with my imagination.) To what extent is it fair to pretend to be someone else, inhabit someone else’s experience, without having experienced it firsthand? In the lines I cite above, you will notice the power of an ambiguous speaker. I recently spoke to a poet-friend who said, “[My professor] always says not to assume that the speaker is the author, but all my poems are projections of myself just written in the second-person [‘you’].” In other words, sometimes the speaker’s experiences are embedded in the poem, and sometimes they are not; the “I” first person narrative in particular is the
Image courtesy of pexels.com
most seditious lie in which the author owns the agency to be the main character but can deny it at any moment. Is painting a scene that I never experienced before merely lying? I will tell you the backstory of the poem in which ‘my’ (the speaker’s) mother entered a semi-vegetative state, and perhaps from there we can parse an answer to this question. The poem, which you can read here (scroll to the bottom of the page), tells a ‘what-if’ story. ‘What if’ the mother that I have loved for all my life suddenly becomes a stranger because of a degenerative mental condition? It is not implausible one day in the future; dementia runs in the family. The pain I tell may be ‘imagined’ pain, but it is a neurotransmitter-releasing, lip-biting pain nonetheless. The story is made up, though the emotions that penned the story are real. In telling someone else’s real story, I have inhabited someone else’s pain. Perhaps, then, the work of writing a poem in which the writer hashes out someone else’s experience is as translative as it is seditious; in other words, it penetrates the experience of the inviolate ‘other’ and seeks to probe the feelings that exist outside of the author’s one and only body. The ambiguity (or conversely, anonymity) of the speaker can be a double-edged sword. I do believe that any poem can be exploratory in a good or bad sense. I have found myself writing speculative poems about experiences that I now believe to be off-limits—for example, anorexia should not be employed to talk about body image struggles if the author has not experienced it firsthand—because in some instances, it is better to listen rather than to speak, though the line between empathy and appropriation is blurry and subjective. When is an experience broad enough, common enough to all mankind that the inexperienced writer can dive into it and take what she needs as inspiration? When is an experience offlimits because it belongs to an individual or group to which the author is not privy? Can we as a community delineate together the agency of the writer to embody the experiences of another, or will it always be a point of private contention between the writer and the page?
Ode to the inevitable writer’s block Anoushka Mariwala Contributor ‘21
I’m not good at writing on a deadline. I often tell people this is the reason why I don’t want to be a writer. Nobody wants to become a writer, other aspiring writers have knowledgeably informed me. It’s not something that you set out to do; it just happens. And then they return to edit the fifth draft of their novel, scribbling furiously on the papers in front of them. Writing (or attempting to write) when you don’t know what to write, or how to write, or why you are writing what you’re writing is single-handedly the most frustrating part of believing you can, or could ever, write. It’s harder than framing, editing, vetting, or sending that one risky text. As always, my consumer capitalist self succumbs to the black hole — the sole object of my current affection that is Etsy — because when is stationery not the answer? Is it even possible that this exact rose gold spiral notebook with embossed palm fronds (monogrammable!) is not the solution to my strife? Maybe I’ll finally start handwriting and delete all the Facebook-blocking, more-likelythan-not virus applications that clutter my computer. I am currently on my second cup of tea at Murray Dodge and only just discovered that it is caffeine-free. It explains everything. I switch to a highly underrated coffee/hot chocolate
Image courtesy of pinterest.com
blend. Sugar and caffeine; this must work. I think briefly about how Einstein used more of his brain daily than I ever will and this vexes me. I Google “Adderall” and then close the tab in less
than a second. I once read about this island in Sweden called, unsurprisingly, Ideas Island, which you can live on for a week for free to develop creative ideas.
In another life, I would be a Swede. In another life, I would be a human with naturally Einsteinian brain functioning. In another life, I would have
my creative writing assignment done. But for now, in this one, I have a five hundred-page blank notebook, two cookies, and one empty Word document.
Thursday March 1, 2018
-Ask Auntie J-
Hello sweeties! Auntie J here with your weekly dose of oldperson wisdom. Here’s the deal: you submit a question completely anonymously at bit.ly/ askauntiej and Auntie gets back to you as soon as her magic Street printing fairies allow with some sage advice! Many of you were writing to Auntie J about affairs of the heart this week.
“Loveless Loser” laments, I’m absolutely in love (or at least in like) with one of my friends. I’ve been attracted to him
The Daily Princetonian
since the first time I met in October, but the closer we get, the more I become intoxicated by his beautiful personality and huge heart. But there’s no way he would ever see me the way I see him — he’s so kind-hearted, wildly clever, and just too, too cute (plus, he’s a sophomore and I’m a first year). He’s out of my league without a doubt, so I’ve never made a move because I feel like it’s totally futile, but I just can’t seem to shake this crush. Just being his friend makes me so happy, but sometimes it’s really tough to be hanging out with him and have to
resist the urge to kiss him. Also, a lot of other guys have shown interest, but I don’t even bother looking at them — I just want this one boy. What do you think I should do? It sounds like you’ve been scouting out this guy for a while now and, if he’s all you say he is, then who can blame you? Half a year is a long time to work out whether or not you’re into a person, and your mind sounds pretty much made up. You said for yourself that your feelings were immovable for him, so the only real way I see you getting past them (bar entirely cutting yourself off socially, which is
kind of the nuclear option) is to plunge forward and see what happens. Don’t worry about the ‘age gap,’ either; he’s literally one year older than you! And, sweetie, there’s no such thing as out of your league (Jay-Z and Beyoncé is all I’m saying). As for your game plan, it’s hard to say. You both seem pretty close, so if you feel comfortable then you could ask him out for a meal sometime in town; otherwise, you could start by grabbing some dining hall meals or just spending time together socially. And, if a moment comes up where it wouldn’t be too
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awkward, ask him about where he’s at relationshipwise at the moment. I always tell people that you can’t win the lottery unless you buy a ticket, and it’s so true here. And, if it all goes south, it sounds like you’ve got a list of potential suitors lined up just in case ... Good luck to you sweetie, and make sure you tell your favorite Auntie all the juicy gossip about how it goes! And remember,
Auntie you all!
loves
(P.S. — Auntie especially loves the girl who called her a ‘hottie’ last week!)
Image courtesy of freepik.com
The Daily Princetonian
Thursday March 1, 2018
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KEGEL KURIOUS tense the muscles
at night), or urine leak- an empty bladder.
domen or pelvis hurts,
Dear Sexpert,
that prevent you from
age when sneezing,
Using Kegels to start
stop! Your form might
I’ve been hearing
passing gas. Try not to coughing, laughing,
and stop your urine
be incorrect or you
some of my friends
squeeze any muscles
experiencing an or-
midstream can lead to
might be working the
talk about doing
of the abdomen, but-
gasm, or even exer-
urinary tract infection
muscles too hard.
Kegel exercises,
tocks, or thighs.
cising. As an added
(UTI).
but I’m not exactly
It is important to
bonus, doing Kegels
sure what they
keep these muscles
have also been linked
first goal should be to
portant thing about
are talking about.
strong to help prevent
to enhanced sexual
tighten the muscles
Kegels is quality, not
What is a Kegel?
urinary and fecal in-
pleasure and a de-
for five seconds. Then
quantity. They might
And how do I do
continence or loss of
crease in pelvic pain
relax them for five sec- feel foreign at first,
one?
bladder and fecal con- during sex.
onds. On the first day,
but it’s important to
--Kegel Kurious
trol. Most people can
aim for five reps. Work
stay dedicated to the
Dear Kegel Kurious, Information on Ke-
To strengthen these
Start small! Your
Similar to most exercises, the most im-
benefit from doing
muscles, you can try
up to contracting the
proper form. In a few
Kegels, but women
Kegels! Kegel exer-
muscles for ten sec-
weeks or months, you
may find these exer-
cises are small, short
onds, and then relax-
should see improve-
gels have seemed to
cises especially helpful movements in the
ing for ten seconds.
ments in your bladder
pop up on everyone’s
in preventing urinary
target muscle group.
Repeat three times a
and/or bowel control.
newsfeeds recently,
incontinence during
They are simple and
day! It seems small,
There are also toys
so you’re definitely
pregnancy and child-
can be done at almost
but if you are not used such as ben wa balls,
not alone in wanting
birth. According to
anytime, anywhere —
to using these mus-
dilators, and more that
to know more about
the American College
sitting down during
cles, you should ease
have been designed
them! Kegel exercises,
of Physicians, urinary
the day or even walk-
into it, like with any
to assist with practic-
also referred to as
incontinence is under-
ing around from class
exercise routine!
ing Kegels and can be
pelvic floor exercises,
reported but affects
to class, although it
Be sure to breathe
useful for when and if
are used primarily to
around 25 percent of
might be easiest to
calmly during the ex-
you feel ready to add
strengthen the pelvic
women ages 14-21.
start by lying down to
ercises, and be careful
more of a challenge.
floor muscles. The pel- It is characterized by
get used to the move-
to not flex the mus-
vis is the region be-
needing to urinate
ment.
cles in the abdomen,
tions about whether
tween your hips that
often (eight or more
Here are a few point-
thighs, or buttocks.
Kegels are right for
holds your reproduc-
times during the day
ers to get you started:
tive organs. The pelvic
and additional times
Always perform with
If at any point during the exercise your ab-
If you have ques-
you or are experiencing regular urine or
floor muscles ensure
bowel incontinence,
that the bladder and
consult with your pri-
bowel functions are
mary care provider or
supported and main-
a healthcare provider
tained. However, they
at Sexual Health and
can be weakened from
Wellness (SHAW) at
a variety of things,
McCosh Health Cen-
such as pregnancy,
ter by calling 609-
childbirth, aging, or
258-3141.
being overweight.
~The Sexpert
To identify the right muscle group, try the
Information re-
following tips. For
garding Kegels, Ke-
people with a vulva,
gel Exercises, and
try to stop your urine
their benefit were
mid-flow. The muscles
retrieved from The
you use for this action
American College of
are your pelvic floor
Physicians, Go Ask
muscles. People with a
Alice, The Mayo Clin-
penis can identify the
ic, Harvard Medical
muscles by sticking a
School, and The Na-
clean finger into the
tional Association of
rectum and squeez-
Continence.
ing it. You can also