April 16, 2015 by The Daily Princetonian

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BEYOND THE BUBBLE

U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S

U. receives $10M for new music facility

Partly cloudy, slight chance of late showers chance of rain: none

In Opinion Contributing columnist Steve Swanson discusses how students can more effectively exercise their freedom of speech, and guest Kovey Coles argues in favor of more politically correct discourse on campus. PAGE 7

By Jessica Li staff writer

In Street This week in Street, staff writer Victoria Scott discovers the music people are listening to in Frist, staff writer Emily Tang interviews the founders of Friendsy and associate street editor Harrison Blackman interviews Songline’s Aron Wander ‘15 and Ryan Cody ‘15. PAGES S1-4

Today on Campus 8 p.m.: The Australian Chamber Orchestra will perform pieces by Sergei Profokiev, Wolfgang Mozart and Jonny Greenwood. Charles Neidich is joining the tour as a guest clarinetist. Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.

The Archives

April 16, 1998 The University closed its investigation into a student who threw a firework in a crowded stadium during a Princeton-Penn basketball game. However, the case, involving two felonies and three misdemeanors, continued to move forward to trial.

News & Notes

Driver who hit Emerson GS charged with careless driving, failing to yield to pedestrian Police have charged Steven Cruz, the driver who hit chemistry student Nyssa Emerson GS on April 8, with careless driving and failing to yield to a pedestrian, The Times of Trenton reported. The Toyota Prius collided with Emerson as she was walking across Washington Road at approximately 9:32 p.m. She suffered serious injuries, including broken bones. The Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad transported Emerson to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton. Meanwhile, the vehicle was towed after sustaining damage to its front end and windshield, according to a Princeton police statement at the time. Police said Emerson was in stable but guarded condition as of Tuesday. Patrolman Marshall Provost is leading an ongoing investigation of the incident, police said. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Serious Collision Response Team contributed to the investigation.

COURTESY OF OBSERVER.COM

N.J. Governor Chris Christie could face an indictment for the Bridgegate scandal of 2013.

Indictments in Bridgegate scandal could come soon

By Jacob Donnelly news editor

Indictments in the controversial closing of the George Washington Bridge in the fall of 2013 could come next week, PolitickerNJ reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources close to the investigation. Aides close to N.J. Governor and ex officio University trustee Chris Christie are alleged to have orchestrated traffic problems in the so-called Bridgegate scandal as political retribution before Christie’s reelection for governor. Matt Riley, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey declined

to comment. Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the New Jersey Governor’s Office, also declined to comment. The suspected motivation behind the retribution was either for a mayor’s refusal to endorse Christie’s reelection bid or for a state senator’s opposition to Christie’s nominee for the state supreme court. Christie’s role in the affair remains unclear, although he has fired the aides allegedly involved and denied any wrongdoing on his part. The PolitickerNJ report came on a day when Christie arrived in New Hampshire, a popular place to visit for potential presidential candidates. The narrative around Bridge-

gate has contributed further to a problem that Christie would already have to deal with, which is New Jersey’s reputation for political corruption, according to Peter Woolley, a politics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. “He promised to fight corruption in New Jersey, so that people he appointed and he knows very well … would be indicted would really reflect very, very poorly on him, [and] not only in New Jersey,” Woolley said. “Nationally, that’s just going to be a huge drag for audiences in Iowa, in New Hampshire, and it’s going to be a huge drag for donors.” See INDICTMENT page 2

STUDENT LIFE

USG president Cheng ’16 acknowledges problems with rapper Big Sean’s lyrics By Jacob Donnelly news editor

Undergraduate Student Government president Ella Cheng ’16 sent an email to all undergraduates on Wednesday acknowledging that Big Sean’s lyrics “are demeaning towards women and LGBT individuals” and apologizing to students who were triggered by the selection. The email was co-authored by members of the USG social committee, as well as by

Duncan Hosie ’16 and Rebecca Basaldua ’15, who started a petition earlier this month to rescind Big Sean’s contract to perform at Lawnparties. Basaldua said the email was the result of a meeting between her and Hosie with members of USG and Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne, but that the email was not going to be the final result of the USG campaign. Dunne did not immediately respond to a request for

comment. “Duncan and I obviously have very strong disagreements over the fact that Big Sean was chosen to come here and we vehemently disagree with Simon [Wu ’17] and Ella even as they stand by that choice — we were able to come to some common ground over his lyrics … and communicate that to the student body,” Basaldua said. Basaldua said she thought See EMAIL page 5

The University recently received a $10 million donation from a currently unnamed University alumnus and his wife that will be used to finance the new music building that is a part of the Princeton Arts and Transit Project. The Arts and Transit Project, which is expected to cost around $330 million, is expected to be completed in 2017. The new three-story, 23,000 square-foot building, which will eventually be named by the donors, will contain a 3,500-square foot performance and rehearsal

room, acoustically advanced practice rooms and teaching studios, as well as a digital recording studio, University spokesperson Martin Mbugua said. The new building is essential to accommodate a vibrant performing arts scene on campus, Steven Mackey, chair of the Department of Music, explained. “We are bursting at the seams in our current music building primarily because performances have grown so much,” Mackey said. “Going back to President [Emerita Shirley] Tilghman’s arts initiatives, we’ve gotten a lot more students who are passionate about See DONATION page 4

ACADEMICS

New U. statement on freedom of expression sparks discussion By Jessica Li staff writer

A newly adopted statement in the University’s “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities” upholding “academic freedom of expression” triggered debate among students and faculty this week. The statement, which originated as a petition pioneered by professor of mathematics Sergiu Klainerman, has been incorporated into the University’s Principles of General Conduct and Regulations and is located immediately adjacent to sections on academic integrity and diversity and community, University spokesperson Martin Mbugua said. In response to recent controversies surrounding Urban Congo’s performances and Big Sean performing at Lawnparties, Klainerman said that combatting incendiary speech through civilized debate is an important aspect to fully grasping the freedom of expression. “There is no better place for young people to acquire these skills than on campus,” Klainerman said. Having been born and raised in Communist Romania, Klainerman said his advocacy for free speech is in part inspired by his previous experiences. “I learned how easy it is to pervert seemingly good inten-

tions into a repressive system in which free speech is banned,” Klainerman said. “No other impression was more powerful to me than the sense of freedom I experienced during my first weeks and months in U.S.” Stanley Katz, a lecturer in the Wilson School, said freedom of expression is indispensable to a democratic institution. “The biggest challenge confronting many universities nowadays is, ‘How do we preserve the open discourse that is critical to higher education while being respectful of the increasing range of sensibilities of members of the University community?’ ” Katz explained. “It’s gotten a lot more urgent as a result of the increasing heterogeneity of the American society and the Princeton community.” Katz recalled an incident in the 1990s that sparked controversy over the standard of appropriate speech when some students used a recognizably anti-Semitic term. “Is the right response to forbid people from making certain statements and to punish them when they do make them?” Katz said. “My feeling is that we always need to err on the side of more speech. In most cases, the remedy for bad speech is more speech. Microaggressions are usually speech checks.” Katz further explained that See EXPRESSION page 4

U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S

U. Farmers’ Market returns from 2 year hiatus, features local produce & businesses By Christina Vosbikian staff writer

Both students and local business owners approved of the return of the Princeton University Farmers’ Market, which took place for the first time since 2013 on Wednesday outside of Firestone Library. The market plans to continue to feature products from Terhune Orchards, Infini-T, Jersey City Veggie Burgers, Tassot Apiaries, Terra Learning Kitchen, Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar, Valley Shepherd Creamery and Whole Earth Center at markets on campus every Wednesday through May 13. Students, faculty and community members

will be able to purchase food and wares. The first market featured a cooking demonstration by University Executive Chef Robert Harbison, who used local and sustainably sourced ingredients to make pasta salad and allowed marketgoers to sample it for free. The pasta salad was inspired by and developed in Café Vivian, Harbison said, where the salad will be available for purchase this week. It features Severino asta, Agri Arc Basil and fresh herbs, as well as Portobello mushrooms from the TOJO mushroom farm in Pennsylvania, Harbison said. The Princeton University See MARKET page 4

CHRISTINA VOSBIKIAN :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Princeton University Farmer’s Market returned to campus Wednesday after a two-year hiatus.

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Poll finds 69 percent of N.J. voters do not think Christie would be good President INDICTMENT Continued from page 1

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Even if no one gets indicted, Bridgegate is not going to disappear from the popular perception of Christie, Woolley said, adding that prosecutors are only going to bring indictments if they think their case is very strong. “Only a defense lawyer can size up his client’s chance for a favorable outcome, but if the question is, ‘How strong are the indictments?’, these guys don’t fool around,” Woolley said. “It’s hard to pry information out of U.S. Attorneys’ offices. … Often what happens is when U.S. Attorneys investigate things, they find things they weren’t really looking for.” During the investigation of N.J. Senator Robert Menendez,

investigators’ attention was called to Menendez for one allegation, but years later, the charges were significantly different than the original allegation, Woolley noted. Christie’s apparent campaigning in New Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday might be a way of trying to “get ahead of the news” surrounding the indictments, Wilson School lecturer Stanley Katz said. “He’s certainly going to keep pushing through, but I don’t think he’s going to get anywhere,” Katz said, adding Christie appears to believe he can talk his way out of any problem. “He’s going to be the last to know it. … If he is indicted, then it’s all over. I don’t think he’s a viable candidate now, but then he’s certainly not a viable candidate in that case. Even without this, I think his positioning to the base of the

Republican Party is so dubious it’s ridiculous.” Bridgegate is just one of many problems that Christie’s public

“He’s certainly going to keep pushing through, but I don’t think he’s going to get anywhere.” Stanley Katz,

Wilson School Lecturer

image faces, according to Krista Jenkins, executive director of the PublicMind poll at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

A poll on Tuesday by Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics estimated that 69 percent of New Jersey voters do not think Christie would make a good president. “Obviously there’s a lot of incumbent fatigue, too. He’s a two-term governor,” Jenkins said, adding that the public also casts blame on other leaders and the system in general for public problems. “There’s a series of problems that have yet to be addressed in a substantive way, … but then there’s the compounding fact that he’s gone a lot. He’s out of the state a lot.” She added that while it is easy to focus on Christie specifically, Democratic governors and the mostly Democratic state legislature have promoted numerous policy plans over the years that have contributed to problems like inadequate funding for pub-

lic pensions. Nonetheless, Jenkins’ group’s polls have found that Christie’s poll numbers regarding how well he has dealt with specific policy issues have not gotten better on any issue over the course of his administration, she said. “His post-[Hurricane Sandy] numbers were unsustainable,” Jenkins said. “No one thought he was going to be able to maintain those numbers throughout his administration. … I still think he has a chance.” Even so, there was a significant and sustained drop in Christie’s polling numbers when Bridgegate first garnered major national attention, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said. After that, there was a period of stabilization, but Christie’s numbers have since dropped again, he noted. “[This was] mainly because he was out of state so much,” Murray said. “People were starting to wonder whether he was on the job.” The supposed indictments could be about anything, Murray added, noting that charges against aides with only a tangential relationship to the original Bridgegate event would have much less of an impact than charges levied directly against Christie himself. Despite Christie’s recent low poll numbers, there is still room for his ratings to go significantly lower, Murray said, explaining that past governors have seen approval rating percentages in the 20s and 30s, while Christie’s approval ratings are still in the 40s. “If there’s nothing beyond what the public has already heard, then there will certainly be a slight dip in his ratings, because an indictment around you is never good, … but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be fatal,” Murray said. “It really does depend on the information that comes out of these indictments.” Christie’s constituents have largely been judging him on his policy record so far, while the nation as a whole has still been evaluating him on his image, Murray added, noting that Christie is one of the least liked Republican candidates by Republican voters. Republican voters largely don’t trust him ideologically, while New Jersey voters are concerned about his absence from the state recently, he explained. Christie has signed some gun control legislation, appointed a Muslim judge and varied his stance on the Common Core, which has made some Republican voters leery of Christie, Mur-

ray added. “If you look at the accomplishments he tells, almost all of them happened in the first 18 months in office,” Murray said. “He’s been coasting on that since then, and that is something that could come back to bite him later.” Even if the news for Christie

“If you look at the accomplishments he tells, almost all of them happened in the first 18 months in office.” Patrick Murray,

director of monmouth university polling institute

is better than expected, the situation will likely cause him problems with national fundraising, Tom Byrne ’76, former chairman of the New Jersey Democratic Party, said. “That’s the groundwork that you have to lay at this stage,” Byrne said. In terms of Christie’s policy, the failure of revenues to materialize predicted in 2011 that would have stabilized the state’s pension system was disappointing, said Byrne, who was appointed by Christie to the New Jersey State Investment Council. While the economy could have been weaker than expected, the sources of revenue identified may not have been specific enough, Byrne added, noting that a more recently released report was put together by the country’s best actuaries and might have a better chance at success. ‘The low-hanging fruit has already been achieved when needed,” Byrne said. “Number one, public employees get more generous benefits than people who work for Fortune 100 companies. … The other reform involves freezing the current pension plan and going to a hybrid plan. Those two steps embody clearly identified savings that ensure that already accrued benefits get paid.” The investigation into Bridgegate may have also affected Christie’s ability to work with the state General Assembly, Byrne noted, adding that he is still on fairly good terms with state Senate Democrats. “There’s definitely a difference in the tenor of the two houses of the legislature,” Byrne said.

CORRECTION Due to a reporting error, the April 15 article, “Town council to vote on ban on tobacco sales to people under 21,” misstated which body will vote on the final adoption of the smoking ordinance. The Princeton Board of Health will vote on the ordinance after a public hearing on April 21. The ‘Prince’ regrets the error.

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Farmers’ Market showcases local sustainable food Building to feature classes, MARKET performance spaces Continued from page 1

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Farmers’ Market coordinators — Alexandra Lunt ’15, Kira Keating ’18 and Katie Wolfe GS — have spearheaded the effort to revive the market, Smitha Haneef, Executive Director of Campus Dining, said. “This year is like a complete refresh,” Haneef said, adding that although the University has held markets in the past, continuity has been lacking. Lunt, Keating and Wolfe mentioned the importance of sustainability among their reasons for reviving the market. The market calls positive attention to local businesses and locally sourced products, Keating said. “There’s been a trend away from local farming [which]

hurts these farmers who are doing great things for the community in terms of producing food and other products that are of high quality and high nutritional value that are also produced in a sustainable way, or at least a more sustainable way in the way that larger corporations who are focused on their margins and profit are,” Lunt said. Bringing fresh produce on campus will also help students find a place to buy fresh foods and support local businesses more easily, Wolfe said. Campus Dining was also involved in reviving the market, Haneef said, adding that Campus Dining incorporates many locally made ingredients in the dining halls in order to promote sustainability. “Our approach is, yes, sustainability in food services is a larger topic, but, at the grassroots level,

what are the simple questions we can ask?” Haneef said. “Most of the recipes and menus that we program are centered around culinary principles of health and sustainability. Tying into that effort of sustainability and health and wellness is promoting the diversity of many programs, of how to engage our students, staff and faculty, in that dialogue about our food.” Overall, students and local business owners alike responded positively to the initiative, citing its fresh food, worthy cause and great environment. “I came to the market because I want to support the community, our school and my teammates [Lunt and Keating],” Natalie Tung ’18 said. “I also love food, and I’m sure the vendors will provide an amazing spread!” While the market showcases local sustainable agriculture, it

also unites the campus and local communities, Kristi Wiedemann, Manager of the Office of Sustainability, said. “It’s nice having the fresh Tico’s rather than the bottles they have at the U-Store, which are still good, but not nearly as good as the real thing,” Danny Wilson ’18 said. Pablo Navis of Valley Shepherd Creamery said he liked the people who attended the market and the environment of young people. The Farmers’ Market is sponsored by the High Meadows Foundation Sustainability Fund, the Office of Sustainability, the Office of Community and Regional Affairs, Campus Dining and the Graduate Student Government Events Board. The Office of Community and Regional Affairs and the Office of Sustainability helped to coordinate the event.

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music and want to keep studying it.” For example, the Princeton University Orchestra has been constrained for a long time by the “very limited spacing in Woolworth,” Mackey said. The new building will also be used for performance activities like vocal instructions, rehearsals for large ensembles like the jazz band and the orchestra, as well as performances for chamber music, he noted. Classes in music theory, composition and history will continue to be held at the Woolworth Center of Musical Studies, he explained. The possibility of this new building was first explored at a meeting with the former Princeton Township council two years ago, Mackey said, adding that this was because of the University’s need to obtain zoning permits. Mbugua said that though he could not disclose the precise time at which the donors made their decision or whether the donors had participated in the University’s academic or extracurricular music programs, the endowment was specifically dedicated to the construction of the Music Building. The new building, along with others in the forthcoming Arts and Transit Neighborhood, will feature architectural components that

promote sustainability, including green roofs made of sedum and geothermal wells to provide energy to heat and cool the complex, Mbugua added. “The community will benefit by attending performances that will take place in the building and by enjoying walking through or gathering in the nearby plaza,” he said, adding that the University’s expectation is that the entire arts complex will become a cultural destination in the region. The unnamed donor said in the University’s press release that he believes the arts should be accessible to all students at the University. “I’m personally excited about the addition because as a Forbesian in the orchestra, it has not been easy to travel with my instrument to rehearsals in central campus,” Demi Fang ’17, a member of Princeton University Orchestra, said. “I only regret that it will be completed long after I move out of Forbes.” The new building is especially welcome because there are so many performing arts groups on campus and not enough performance spaces, Savannah Du ’18, a member of the Princeton Pianists Ensemble, said. “Additional space for practice rooms and rehearsal would definitely be really helpful,” Kathy Zhao ’17 said. “My classmates and I sometimes find it difficult to find rehearsal spaces because there’s just so much activity in New South and Woolworth.”

Tanjong ’18: “The statement should have no place at Princeton” EXPRESSION Continued from page 1

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though it’s constitutional to forbid hate speech, these expressions need to produce identifiable and measurable harm. “We should only limit speech when it is damaging to the normal, not to the hypersensitive,” Katz said. “We shouldn’t provide redress for the blows to the head of people who have especially thin skulls. My belief is that most speech is better suffered than forbidden.” Wilglory Tanjong ’18, however, said she believes the statement speaks to the continual neglect the University has for students of minority cultures and that it grants amnesty for expressions of racism and bigotry, especially in light of “clear and loud disrespect” by the group Urban Congo. “This statement is a direct result of the deep historical ties the University has to slavery and the oppression of the marginal-

ized,” Tanjong said. “This statement allows the oppression of people of color, what this university was founded on, to continue.” Tanjong said she believes the statement should be abolished. “The statement should have no place at Princeton,” Tanjong said. “Although [University] President Christopher Eisgruber [’83] champions this statement, what should be understood is that this statement is here because administration wants it here.” Eisgruber was not available for comment. USG president Ella Cheng ’16 said she believes the administration and faculty members should have had better communication with students and considered potential reactions in the process of adopting the statement. Cheng said she is currently working on organizing an open forum to invite administrators and students to discuss potential questions and concerns about the statement.

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USG considers publishing information related to Lawnparties act selection EMAIL

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that Lawnparties should not be canceled but that USG could still make alternative accommodations. She added that she thinks it is concerning that tuition money is being spent on an artist with a sexual criminal history. “USG was very clear that they wouldn’t say the word ‘apology,’ ” Basaldua said. “I think it was their stance that they weren’t going to give a flat-out apology for it, although they were certainly willing to agree that his lyrics — some of his lyrics — were [inappropriate].”

The email said that the writers “apologize to any Princeton students for whom the Big Sean selection triggered memories of traumatic gender-based or sexualitybased abuse.” Hosie said he wanted to add a clause to USG’s constitution mandating that the social chair focus on the background and lyrics of Lawnparties artists when selecting them. Big Sean is still coming to Lawnparties, Cheng said, adding that the focus was on how to improve the quality and transparency of the Lawnparties artist selection process. USG is thinking about posting the website that the

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ALL MY THINGS ARE HYMNS

social committee actually uses to select artists and the price range of those artists so people can be realistic when telling USG which artists they want, Cheng said. USG is also currently working on an infographic to publicize how the Lawnparties artist selection process works, Cheng added, noting that office hours with USG to discuss the process in addition to the typical surveys could be options in the future. Not all those interviewed, however, thought the email was a completely necessary reaction. “I think everyone’s going to have problems with somebody,” Erin Nurre ’18 said.

WATERCOLORS

YICHENG SUN :: PHOTO EDITOR

Nichols’s work is inspired by Quattrocento Italian and medieval Byzantine paintings and shin-hanga prints.

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YICHENG SUN :: PHOTO EDITOR

The Program in Visual Arts will present All My Things Are Hymns, an exhibition of watercolors by visual arts major Kai Song Nichols in the Lucas Gallery from April 13 through 17.

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Opinion

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A case for political correctness Kovey Coles

guest contributor

n the aftermath of the Urban Congo fiasco and the Big Sean controversy, many of my fellow students have expressed disdain of a perceived boom of liberal sensitivity and outspokenness. It is true that our campus has become more divided, and somewhat chaotic. Since we’ve recently acquired the tenacity to cite names in public forums, I too feel less inhibited to be forthright in addressing a deplorable statement made by Julius Dixon ’16 on Facebook. Given the public status’ incredible response — receiving over 400 likes before it was removed by its author — it would not be too presumptuous of me to assume the reader is aware of it. For those who are not familiar, and for a reminder, the 264-word post commanded “Butthurt Princeton students” to stop over-policing perceived political incorrectness, and instructed members of our community to either stop being offended or stop voicing their offense. The reason why I speak out now is not solely to berate Mr. Dixon, but primarily to address the student body at large, particularly those 400 likely well-intentioned, though empathetically-challenged peers who were so moved as to support his status with a like or an occasional “AMEN” comment. There were several issues within his statement, making it all the more worrying that so many students seem to endorse it. First, it is a complete logical fallacy for the author to call for an end to voicing complaints, when he exercised the right to express his own discomfort through the posting of his tirade. How would we have imagined that the constant discomfort of others could be so incredibly trying for Mr. Dixon, and how could we possibly be considerate towards him in that regard, by learning to “deal with our own lives,” had he not publicly aired his opinion? Secondly, and more importantly, the statements were entirely dismissive, redirecting the duty of mindfulness back onto those who reveal problematic actions in the first place. I understand that most students here propose to be moderate, removed from the Big Sean and Urban Congo debate, and as recent offenses have grown more salient and the battle between offenders and accusers grown more vitriolic, the “moderate” students sought a less confrontational voice to align with their indifference. Unfortunately, Dixon and the 400 supporters likely misinterpreted his message as more reasonable or relaxing than it came off. While under the guise of clearing the air, his comments did nothing more than exacerbate an already apathetic campus culture, stifle societal progress and undermine the very spirit of democracy in our community. College is a place to become educated both academically and socially; this includes learning how peoples’ lives are different than our own, and how language and actions can be, unbeknownst to us, tools of oppression. We learn that there is no default disposition; what offends Dixon may not offend me, but that does not delegitimize his concern. Dixon and the 400 needn’t “walk around on eggshells

trying not to say the wrong thing.” Sometimes you have to speak out to learn what is right and wrong. But when people demonstrate their disapproval or seek to educate you on their perspective, don’t be so defensive as to silence them. Is protecting your self-image more important than someone else’s feeling accepted in their identity? What compels you to censor yourself is your sense of morality, to which all humans must oblige. You don’t always have to agree with critiques, but at least have the decency to appreciate their forthrightness and perhaps try to understand how your actions can be perceived as problematic or harmful. So the first level of a healthy community dialogue is the ability to voice oneself, a right that should be particularly protected for social critics. But does that then condone Urban Congo’s free speech or the spiteful comments against people like Joanna Anyanwu ’15? As I see it, the second level of this system is compassion. To claim superiority implicitly or explicitly, engage in hate speech or marginalize a subset of people based on characteristics they cannot control, for nothing more than comfort and entertainment, is the antithesis of compassion. Finally, for those who deal in reason, the third level is simply correctness: not political correctness, but correctness of fact. Are we not educated? Do we not value being informed? If someone perpetuates an idea that is inherently incorrect, or stems from a baseless ideological framework, should we not allow a voice of correction? Within this framework, you can say or do whatever you want, but expect swift redress when your comments are both morally wrong (in relation to another person), and objectively wrong (in relation to a simple Google search or your standard encyclopedia). Oftentimes, due to our own limited knowledge and experience, we must humbly entrust others to highlight these wrongs. To make a black student feel that he is not valued as a human being, or a woman feel objectified, is morally wrong. To excuse Congo as a style of drumming, or claim that Big Sean’s lyrics are not disparaging to women is literally wrong. We should be compassionate enough to respects our peers’ complaints on the first premise, and if not that, then educated enough to regard them on the second. The formula is simple: eschew misconceptions, particularly the offensive variety. Be wary of what is offensive, especially if it is also untrue. In my opinion, conjunction of these two types of wrongs, morally and factually, transforms “free speech” into something holistically offensive, and to attempt to silence those who cry foul would be a gross misunderstanding of who has misspoken. So Julius Dixon, I thank you for removing your status, at the bequest of fellow students, and I entrust that you and those 400+ Princetonians in fact do not condone the trading of truth for comfort, or empathy for entertainment. As both gentlemen and scholars, or gentlewomen and scholars, we are better than this. Kovey Coles is a Wilson School major from Fork Union, Virginia. He can be reached at kcoles@princeton.edu.

Free to hate Steve Swanson

contributing columnist

hat does “free speech” mean? Recent campus events have shown that campus is split: columnist Newby Parton writes without qualification that “silencing offensive speech… solves nothing that can’t be solved by growing thicker skin,” while students protest the chapel meeting with signs lambasting the administration’s weak response to Urban Congo and claiming that President Eisgruber wrote, “[Racism] may not be suppressed.” These events, as well as the mixed responses to the University’s new statement on academic freedom, demonstrate that students have very different conceptions of free speech. The two sides of this campus debate basically fall in line with the two competing theories of free speech on the world stage. The first of these is laid out in the First Amendment to the US Constitution and expounded by several Supreme Court cases. Under this model, speech (and, more broadly, “expression”) can be restricted only for its time, place or manner; if it is libelous or slanderous; or if it is a direct incitement to violence. The second theory of free speech is one to which much of Europe subscribes, and to which American college campuses have been attracted recently. While affirming the value of the liberty to express ideas, subscribers to this theory hold that speech need not be directly physically harmful for its content to be restricted: for instance, Denmark punishes speech “threatening, insulting or degrading a group of persons on account of their race, national or ethnic origin or belief.” Similarly, Princeton’s current policies allow sanctions for speech that “demeans” or “intimidates” others. It is not immediately obvious which of these understandings of free speech is the right one, especially since we are dealing with a college campus, not a government — the question of constitutionality has no bearing. The European model is based on a broader construction of harm, understanding that speech doesn’t need to directly incite people to physical violence in order to be harmful. As research has looked deeper into the psychological effects of speech, it has become clearer that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not strictly true: researchers have described hate speech’s effects as “injurious” and even “traumatic.” In light of this, Parton’s above exhortation to grow a “thicker skin” seems woefully inadequate. If speech can be so harmful, causing deep psychological damage and perpetuating negative stereotypes, the banning of certain malicious speech in European countries and on college campuses seems reasonable. However, this comes with some serious problems. First, the definition of psychological harm remains elusive. Whereas physical injuries can be catalogued objectively, psychological injuries rely on self-assessment or the work of psychiatrists, whose diagnoses can be dif-

Princeton is going up in flames Sarah Sakha columnist

t least, someone who isn’t affiliated with the University, scouring Yik Yak or recent press coverage, would think this. Whether it is student government, student groups or student life, everyone has been constantly asking themselves: who’s at fault, who’s not, to sign or not to sign the next petition — can we do anything right anymore without taking, or giving, offense? The answer is a resounding no. However, the problem lies not in the fact that people can be offended, but that everyone is now offended, even offended that those who are truly offended call them out for offending them in the first place. But this self-victimization stems from a much larger, innate problem — we do not take criticism well, and above all, we cannot fathom criticizing ourselves. Naturally, it’s so much easier to shift the blame onto anyone else but yourself in a desperate, subconscious attempt to exonerate yourself. It is this aversion towards, and ensuing evasion of, criticism that feeds into a fear of criticism, and that, in turn, has contributed to this surge in controversy on campus and precludes any resolution. Let’s revisit the email President Eisgruber sent out to the University last week, essentially sanctifying the freedom of expression on campus, condemning social media and championing “further constructive engagement.” Fast-forward to last Sunday, when instead of a constructive discussion that acknowledged faults and flaws, they attempted to have the “choir performance at chapel event [sing] systemic marginalization away.” Apart from the handful of audacious students protesting the chapel gathering, many, including The Star Ledger’s Paul Mulshine, have pointed out that

the event consisted of politically correct statements interspersed with musical performances (no, not from Urban Congo). Why didn’t more students protest the event, or at the least, speak up? Why did many students choose to casually criticize the email that was sent out from behind our computer screens? Why did so many of us prefer to scroll absent-mindedly through Yik Yak and observe the debate on social media from the sidelines? We feared criticism. We fear criticism because we ultimately fear that the issue at hand – the blame – will come back to us. If we set out to criticize school administration and faculty for being passive and politically correct, then we will end up in sharing that blame. We will realize that so many of us — myself included — have been complacent and even politically correct, much like the administration we seek to denounce. And that criticism will lead to a realization of hypocrisy. This fear has shown its colors in the recent debate over protecting the freedom of expression on campus and regulating it. On one hand, the majority of us remain wary of publicly denouncing “freedom of expression,” compared to a minority who protested that hate speech does not qualify as free speech. We are fully cognizant of the fact that such performative caricatures, as depicted by Urban Congo, are disgusting and undesired. However, at the same time, we are afraid of opening the door to that possibility that “freedom of expression” has limits. We are internalizing fears that one day we might be called out on what we say or do when what we say may be controversial and we try to champion such a freedom. On the other hand, many of us remain wary of publicly denouncing the regulation of speech and expression on this campus. As undeniably offensive as performances by a group like Urban Congo were, in reality we bear no constitutional right to not being offended, and we realize that we shouldn’t be aiming to sani-

tize our campus. However, in adopting that opinion, we fear being associated with the very people that other students have so vehemently criticized and singled out. Likewise, the petition to rescind Big Sean’s offer to perform at Lawnparties, due to his history of sexual assault and misogynistic and demeaning lyrics, demonstrates this fear of criticism. Undeniably, many of us are disconcerted by his history, if not his lyrics. However, we permit that discomfort to be overcome by fear — the fear that even if we criticize USG’s decision to bring Big Sean to campus, we all still plan on attending Lawnparties, and above all, his performance. Even if a cohort of activist students decides to boycott Lawnparties, many of us, if not most of us, will still find ourselves listening to to Big Sean on stage less than a month from now. If we criticize the choices USG has made with other equally racist, sexist and/or derogatory Lawnparties musical performers and acts that we have paid for, we will realize how much the entire concept and culture of “Lawnparties” is perverted. Yet, to admit that requires us to admit that the very thing that we enjoy, that we anticipate and that we hype is wrong. We should all take a step back from the controversies on campus and look at and within ourselves first. Emphasizing the importance of introspection and the willingness to embrace criticism may be, in fact, preaching to the choir. I admit — it is not easy to realize just how much we, ourselves, are to blame. But in order to reach a consensus and a solution to these issues, we need to point fingers at ourselves. Regardless of whether you consider yourself the “victim” or the “transgressor” in any of these situations, none of us are beyond reproach. Sarah Sakha is a freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz. She can be reached at ssakha@princeton.edu.

ficult to understand or subjective. A broken nose is much easier to prove and quantify than a feeling of inadequacy. Without such evidence of harm, accusations of demeaning speech become difficult if not impossible to verify. Second, the “impact over intention” doctrine that has been espoused in response to the Urban Congo incident is unhelpful for ascribing blame. Establishing that a psychological injury has occurred gives no indication of who committed the wrong: certainly the user of a racial slur is to blame for the impact that causes, but who is to blame for the incidental impact of a conversation about affirmative action (as occurred when preceptor Russell Nieli was accused of racism)? If a conservative Christian feels demeaned by pro-gay marriage speech, should that speaker be shut down? The final issue with any ban on speech is that it is ineffective for achieving social change. Suppressing undesirable speech won’t suppress undesirable opinions; the best way to defeat these opinions is to meet them head on and demonstrate their wrongness. Law or campus regulations only have the power to change people’s behavior, not their beliefs: would we rather scare racists into silence or eliminate racism? While laws can do the former, only speech can do the latter. The First Amendment understanding of free speech answers these problems with the European model. Yes, narrowly constructing harm to include only the physical hampers the government’s ability to protect its people’s psychological well-being, but it also eliminates the problems of quantifying psychological damage and ascribing blame for such damage. While it is disconcerting that this construction protects KKK rallies and Neo-Nazi marches, it is only by allowing all speech that wrong opinions can be overcome in a true marketplace of ideas, rather than simply pushed underground. It is this marketplace of ideas, not any restriction of free speech, that has caused America’s undeniable progress away from racism and sexism in the last half-century. This understanding of free speech is better not only for a government, but also for an institution like our own. Princeton students, in theory, are smart enough and critical enough to handle a marketplace of competing ideas, and the existence of such a marketplace is a crucial component of the college experience. Suppression of harmful ideas on campus not only fails to prepare students for an outside world without this suppression, but also fails to ensure that students believe what they believe for good reason. Of course, this doesn’t mean that students harmed by others have no recourse except for a thicker skin: if Urban Congo offended you, tell them why; tell other students why they’re wrong; ask your classmates to boycott or condemn the show. Use your free speech against theirs. Change the attitudes of your classmates; don’t police their behavior.

vol. cxxxix

Anna Mazarakis ’16 editor-in-chief

Matteo Kruijssen ’16 business manager

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 vice presidents John G. Horan ’74 Thomas E. Weber ’89 secretary Kathleen Kiely ’77 treasurer Michael E. Seger ’71 Craig Bloom ’88 Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Richard P. Dzina, Jr. ’85 William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John G. Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Betsy J. Minkin ’77 Alexia Quadrani Jerry Raymond ’73 Annalyn Swan ’73 Douglas Widmann ’90

139TH BUSINESS BOARD Head of Outreach Justine Mauro ’17 Head of Client Management Vineeta Reddy ’18 Head of Operations Daniel Kim ’17 Comptroller Nicholas Yang ’18 Director of Circulation Kevin Liu ’18

NIGHT STAFF 4.15.15 staff copy editors Jessica Ji ’18

Steve Swanson is a Computer Science major from Vienna, Va. He can be reached at sswanson@princeton.edu.

And in the end, the love you take... Kai Song-Nichols ’15 ..................................................

Thursday april 16, 2015

Sports { www.dailyprincetonian.com }

Softball Sweeps by Tiffany Richardson :: Contributing Photographer Natalia Chen :: Associate Photo Editor The Princeton softball team (14-19 overall, 6-4 Ivy League), ranked first in the Ivy League South Division, had a dominant showing this past weekend. The Tigers trounced the Columbia Lions (11-21,5-7) 4-0 in their back-to-back doubleheaders as they celebrated Senior Day on Sunday. The Tigers’ next Ivy League battle comes this weekend, as they face the Penn Quakers (16-16, 7-5), ranked second in Ivy South, on the road.

Tweet of the day

“Yeeeeeeeeehawwwwwww Tiges!” anya gersoff ’16 (@agersoff45), women’s lacrosse

Follow us ‘Prince’ Sports is on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us at www.twitter.com/princesports for live news and reports and @princetoniansports for beautiful sports photos!

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The Daily Princetonian

Thursday April 16, 2015

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PRESS PLAY

PAGES DESIGNED BY LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR

“What are you listening to?” Staff Writer VICTORIA SCOTT asked six people in Frist what was playing in their headphones. Spoiler alert: Drake and choral music both make it to the list.

“My current favorite songs are ‘Burning Desire’ by Lana Del Ray and ‘Drip Drop’ by Yazz the Greatest (Hakeem Lyons).”

UGONNA NWABUEZE ’18

SHAWON JACKSON ’15 “In the morning, I like listening to Beyoncé because she’s energetic, fierce and gets me in a good mood.”

NOGA ZABOROWSKI ’18 “I’ve got ‘This Friend’ by the Civil Wars [stuck in my head]. I recently rediscovered that I have seven songs by this artist and that’s what stuck in my head right now.”

LIAM VELEZ ’16

WILL JOHNSON ’18

“I’m listening to music I have to learn for a class. It’s choral music: ‘The MidWinter Songs’ by Morten Lauridsen.”

“My favorite kind of music is Country and some Pop. One of my favorites is ‘Something Bad’ by Carrie Underwood because it’s so uplifting.”

ASHLEY REED ’18

“When I’m studying I like listening to Drake. Especially ‘Heat of the Moment,’ because he has a soothing tone even though it’s rap music.”

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday April 16, 2015

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FRIEND, HOOKUP OR DATE?

Q&A Friendsy Founders Michael Pinsky ’15 & Vaidhy Murti ’15 Interviewed by

EMILY TANG Staff Writer

ichael Pinsky ’15 and Vaidhy Murti ’15 are the creators of Friendsy, a mobile app that offers college students a secure network through which they can become more connected. One main feature of Friendsy is the option for users to categorize their interest in another student as friendship, hookup or date. The person gets an anonymous notification, and if both people are interested in the same way, they get a match. With the hint feature, users are allowed to tell the prospective match as much about themselves as they want. The other main function of Friendsy is the “ChitChat” tab, where users can talk anonymously to other users and eventually add each other on their friend networks if their is mutual interest. Daily Princetonian: What was the inspiration behind the app?

Michael Pinsky: When we were freshmen, we met by randomly sitting down at Frist to watch the Yankee game. We were the only two people there, and became very fast friends ... but it usually doesn’t work like that in college. People get sucked into their social circles, so there’s all these amazing people on campus, but it becomes difficult to branch out ... so we thought, why not create a risk-free way for students to branch out of their social circles? DP: How did you come up with the name of the application? Vaidh Murti: It was just one of those moments, when I was sitting with my mom and sisters, and it just happened. It sounds cool, and we wanted to create “friend-sy friends” through our app. In comparison to other social interaction applications, the name sounds

much less aggressive, which I think really plays into the idea that it is a friendlier, safer site that emphasizes the happiness of users. DP: So tell me, how is Friendsy doing in terms of numbers? VM: [In] May 2013, when the application launched, we registered 1000 users in one week. Throughout the course of the next school year, we launched at 7 different schools, registering 10,000 users. In the past fall, we launched to an additional 30 schools, and had 20,000 users in 40 schools. On March 1, we opened up to all four-year undergraduate colleges [in the US], and we are currently at 70,000 users. As far as numbers we really like, there have been 300,000 mutual matches ... and 460,000 chit chats. DP: What do you study and how do you think your major has helped you along the process of making this app? MP: I’m in the psychology department, so it’s pretty self-explanatory. I learned about human behavior, what makes people tick, how to make sure people in a good mood. All of this went into the creation of this app. VM: My major is computer science, COUTESY OF TECHCRUNCH.COM which is what most Vaidhy Murti ’15 (left) and Michael Pinsky ’15 (right) co-founded Friendsy in the people on our team spring of 2013. The app now has over 70,000 users in colleges across the U.S. are. I’ve been build-

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ing apps for many years now. I really enjoy building products that people like to use, and I don’t plan on stopping. DP: How do you plan to further expand its user base? MP: A lot of it, fortunately, is pretty organic. There is an option for users to anonymously request phone contacts to join Friendsy, so that’s cool. Also, it grows by word of mouth. We are also interested in marketing techniques as well. One of the great things about Friendsy is the people are only college students. ... The application adds a level of sophistication in a previously binary arena. In a lot of dating apps, it’s just a matter of choosing “yes” or “no,” swiping “left” or “right.” By allowing you to have different types of interactions, Friendsy reflects the way people meet in real life. With the possibility of sending hints, you can be as forward as you feel comfortable being, and narrow down the pool of people who might be interested in you. DP: How often do you use your app? MP: Literally every day. VM: All the time. It’s lots of fun! DP: What are some cool conversations you’ve had on it? VM: There’s been so many great ones, but one interesting one was with a kid who happened to be both a Giants and Knicks fan like me. He was from Fordham, and we became mutual friends. He would text me every single day. ... This guy ended up becoming mutual friends with a lot of oth-

er people on the [Friendsy] team, and when we had a March Madness Bracket, it was everybody on the team, and he joined in as well. DP: What happens to students on the application who graduate from their colleges, since it is so much of a college-based platform? MP: Our general plan is to grow it vertically into an alumni network. We want to still have things graduates can do — since they are newly introduced into the “real world,” where there isn’t a campus of similar-aged individuals, it is also hard to meet new people, but a lot of them are still looking to make new connections. There are a lot of interesting ideas about the best ways for keeping users of 2015 on board. For example, we could do reunion-styled meetups, where everyone flocks to New York City. The fact that the school emails will expire for graduates gives us a short window to get some other form of verified identity. Although the app doesn’t rely on colleges keeping user email addresses active to function, it does rely

COUTESY OF FRIENDSY

on those emails for communications between Friendsy and you ... It’s a tricky challenge we’ll dealing with in the next few months. DP: As you’re both seniors, where do you plan to take Friendsy after graduation? MP: We are going to be managing the application full time next year. It will be nice not having to try and manage Friendsy while dealing with schoolwork at the same time. Our next big step is to really dominate the college scene. We want to get every college student on Friendsy.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday April 16, 2015

VTONE READY TO SHINE WITH

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GET ‘MESSY’ WITH SONGLINE

‘CITY LIGHTS’ Q&AAron Wander ’15 & Ryan Cody ’15 Interviewed by

VICTORIA SCOTT

HARRISON BLACKMAN

Staff Writer

Associate Street Editor

Tone hopes to make the city shine this weekend with its spring show “City

performances.” The group is currently preparing for its annual spring show, “City Lights,” which will take Lights.” place this Thursday, Friday and Princeton’s first East Asian Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the Wilsinging group, VTone, was found- son Black Box Theater. Intended ed in 2011 by Judy Sun ’14, Kevin to inspire people through muLeung ’14, Sophia Xing ’15 and Eva sic, “City Lights” showcases Weng ’15 with the intent of adding songs from many cultures and diversity to the already vibrant a varies in mood and content, accappella scene at Princeton. Four cording to Xing. years later, the group now has 29 “Our inspiration was to light active members and performs in up cities with our music,” Xing one arch sing and one onstage said. “This time we will be pershow every school year. forming songs in Japanese, Chi“The group was initially nese, Korean, Vietnamese and founded to provide diversity to Mongolian and the songs all the a cappella scene at Prince- have different feelings.” She exton by performing music of East plained that the feel of each song Asian origins,” Xing, one of the is meant to reflect the city and co-founders, said in an e-mail culture that it represents. interview. To prepare for a show that feaWhile many people in the tures such a wide range of lanUnited States might only think of guages and cultures, VTone has Psy’s “Gangnam Style” when they made the process very open-endthink of East Asian music, there’s ed. According to Xing, this allows a huge range of musical styles to the singers to choose which songs explore. VTone has made it its they would like to perform. mission to touch on as many cul“We start with arrangers tures and historical periods as choosing/compose [sic] songs possible and performs both pop that they would like to work with and traditional songs in numer- and then do a two-way selection ous East Asian languages. The process to determine which vogroup has also included some calists and instrumentalists are English songs in its repertoire. performing which songs,” Xing “Currently VTone performs said. “Regarding the songs, we English, Chinese, Korean, Japa- usually try to strike a balance nese and Vietnamese music,” between the languages as well as Xing said. “In the future, VTone a cappella versus instrumentalhopes to incorporate music from backed songs,” she added. more cultures and elements of As a group, VTone provides traditional Asian music into our the Princeton community with opportunities to experience East Asian music beyond the few major hits that make it to the Western charts. The group also encourages newly composed music, Xing explained, and not necessarily a cappella music. “We’re always open to including new forms of music,” Xing said. “Because we are a very new group and most of the members in VTone have background in both singing and playing instruments, we’d COURTESY OF VTONE welcome anyone who Sophia Xing ’15 (left) and Linda Liu ’17 (right) is interested in creatperforming in ‘Vibrance,’ VTone’s 2014 show. ing new music.”

ASK THE SEXPERT

This week, she discusses painful penetration. Dear Sexpert,

I recently started having sex with my new boyfriend, and it is quite painful for me. Is it possible that his penis is too big? Is my vagina too small? What can we do?

— Barely Fitting In

Dear Barely,

Having sexual intercourse should be fun and mutually enjoyable, so if you are ever feeling pain or discomfort during sex, stop and figure out what’s not working. First, an anatomy lesson: The average vagina is about three to four inches in length. When women become aroused, muscular tension in the vagina pulls the uterus upward, extending the length of the vagina up to five to six inches. This can help to accommodate a penis (or other object) more comfortably. The average male penis is three to five inches when flaccid, and five to seven inches when erect. However, size can vary widely, and you and your boyfriend might need to spend some time experimenting to find what works for both of you. Different sexual positions can allow you to change the depth and pace of intercourse, so that you can be more comfortable. Take it slow at first to see how it goes. Let’s discuss other likely causes of pain during sexual

intercourse. There could be a lack of lubrication, which would make it much more difficult and painful for his penis to enter you. Latex condoms, some medications or low arousal can impact lubrication. Talk with your partner about spending more time on foreplay to increase arousal. You could also try introducing water-based lubricants (they are less irritating and won’t damage latex condoms). Additionally, if you are feeling a cramping sensation during intercourse, it could be caused by his penis hitting your cervix. If you still have questions, or if the pain persists or gets worse, it could be caused by an infection or other medical issue. Make an appointment with Sexual Health and Wellness Services at University Health Services, where clinicians can help you come up with some more strategies so that you can enjoy healthier and happier sexual experiences.

— The Sexpert

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

treet sat down with Aron Wander ’15 and Ryan Cody ’15, who are, along with Namkyu Oh ’16, the three co-founders of slam poetry group Songline. Songline was founded in 2013. Wander and Cody discussed Songline’s unique characteristics, the slam poetry process and Songline’s upcoming show, “Hot Mess,” which runs this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Wilson Black Box Theater. Daily Princetonian: What are the goals of Songline and why was it founded? Aron Wander: We were looking for a cohesive, small, tight-knit poetry group that would be able to put on themed shows and would have a small group dynamic. Slam poetry often — poetry in general — you often end up writing about things very personal. We found it’s easier to have an honest writing process— Ryan Cody: —if you can get really close to everyone in the group. Encourage a very tightknit community. We felt like it was easier to do that, especially when we only try to perform 45 minutes to an hour for our shows; it’s nice to have a smaller group so everyone gets to say what they want to say. DP: Can you tell me a little about “Hot Mess?” AW: Hot mess — so it’s going to be a bit of a hot mess. It’s going to be a good time I think. We have a lot of different kinds of poems. Not as many group pieces as in some previous shows, but I think it’s nice to let people speak on their

own. We got some poems about couches, we got some poems about dead skin, poems about being a foreigner, a good mix of poems. RC: A little bit of everything. DP: What are some of the challenges involved in running a slam poetry group? AW: I think one is, as much as having a small tight-knit group is a boon, it also means that each member really has to carry their own weight. Nobody’s there to pick up the slack for you. I mean, we’re there to pick up the slack for each other, but there aren’t that many people to pick up the slack. RC: And it can be really tough, you know just how things fall — especially for us, you have seniors who have theses due ... You have to write all your stuff, and I couldn’t write a poem for him if he was struggling. It all comes from you, and it can be hard sometimes if you don’t know what you want to say. It’s not something where it’s like, “Today I’m going to sit down and write a poem.” It happens most of the time where it’s just like, “I have an idea, I’m going to write it right now.” And that can be tough when you’re really caught up in other stuff. AW: I think two of the biggest challenges in slam poetry [are] because you have an audience, you’re often constantly on the line wondering, “How honest am I being? Am I saying this to get a reaction, or am I saying it because I feel it? Am I trying to make myself feel it so I can believe it and say it?”

COURTESY OF SONGLINE

Aron Wander ’15 in a promotional photo for Songline’s ‘Hot Mess.’

And then you’re also trying to balance, “How much am I relying on my personal experience to make this poem good, and how much am I relying on the writing?” I have a poem about my OCD, and so I wonder, “Am I relying on the fact that people are going to feel bad for me because I have OCD to make people like this poem, or is the writing actually good?” I think those are two big tensions people encounter. DP: Do you guys have a favorite show or performance you did in the past that you want to share? RC: I liked the first show we put on when the newly formed group was kind of crazy, because we hadn’t had auditions yet. We had three people for the majority of it; then we added a fourth person pretty close to when the show was. It was very much rolling with the punches. We performed in Terrace, which was really cool. But it was that experience of finally pulling it all together, really the first time we were like, “We are a group, we’re per for m i ng, we’re ready to go” — I thought that was a lot of fun. AW: We had COURTESY OF SONGLINE Poster featuring Songline co-founder Namkyu Oh ’16 and member Catalina Trigo ’17. no idea how

many people were going to show up. We got about 100 both nights, which was awesome. We overflowed the room. It was really exciting — it was very stressful, because when there were four of us, each of us was responsible for a lot of poetry, so we were each in like five or six poems. This show, most of us are in like three. It was a good time, though. DP: What are Songline’s goals for the future? AW: I think we’re just going to keep trying to do what we’re doing, but do it even better. RC: I think it’s been interesting, because we’ve been here, and obviously, we started the group just last year, so it’s still making sure that we’re carving out a space for ourselves. It’s kind of a scary, exciting time to be like, “All right, now it’s up to you guys.” They’re all freshmen and sophomores and juniors, [and they’re] taking control of the group more and more as we get closer to being done. AW: It’s also weird for us because Cody and I have been doing poetry on campus since sophomore year, freshman year. And we’re about to head to places where we’re probably not going to be doing a lot of poetry, in the real world. RC: We’re also the first graduating class of Songline, so that’s pretty exciting stuff. But yeah, I think doing what we’re doing, but doing it better and probably expanding the areas we get involved in, optimizing our system. I’m happy with it for now.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday April 16, 2015

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BAC DANCE FUSES FAIRY TALES AND HIP-HOP IN ‘ONCE UPON A TIME’ JOY DARTEY Staff Writer

hile the words “Once Upon a Time” evoke thoughts of Grimms’ fairy tales, Princeton’s Black Arts Company Dance (BAC) is interpreting that phrase in a whole new light during their spring show of the same name. According to artistic director Sylvia Okafor ’16, the 12-piece spring show, set for this weekend, is meant to depict the many faces of BAC. “Artistically, we really want to branch out,” Susanna Yu ’17, the current president of BAC, said. “This show in particular is a lot more creative in terms of the theme and how we’re working with it. The types of music is also a lot more diverse in this show than in previous shows.” According to Okafor, BAC’s current mission is to show that are many sides to the dance company. “I think in the past, BAC has been confined to this box,” Okafor said. “When people think of BAC, only one type of choreography comes to mind, one type of dance style comes to mind, and for this show especially, we want to show that we’re not confined to this box and that we

are growing and expanding and we have many faces to this one company.” Ebo Quansah ’17, the assistant artistic director of the company, stressed the importance of innovation. “The most important thing that people are going to find out is BAC’s innovation,” Quansah said. “And I think that has led to a difference in music, difference in choreography. We are not just focusing on the choreography, but we are also focusing on showmanship.” Okafor explained BAC’s tenet of showmanship. “When I first got into BAC in my freshman year, the company was known for having a great choreography, and now we are moving to the point where we can perform amazing choreography while telling a story and having the audience understand what we are trying to portray from the beginning to end,” Okafor said. The leaders of the show agreed that something that sets BAC apart from other dance groups on campus is the company’s funny and entertaining video fillers, as well as how each theme is chosen strategically to match the company’s vision.

They also explained that this year’s theme was suggested two semesters ago, when a member of BAC proposed that the company put on a show that was similar to a dream. Okafor said the company had been considering the theme of “Once Upon A Time” for a while, and now that BAC is concentrating on showing the Princeton community the company’s many faces, the idea that originated a while ago seems like a great medium to accomplish the company’s mission. She went on to explain that “Once Upon A Time” is the most choreographically diverse show BAC has had since she joined the group. Putting on shows has not been without challenges. Terry Zhu ’16, the vice president of the company, talked about how critical it was that the members embody the theme. “The fillers and the choreography are all very crucial, so a cohesive theme is very, very important, even from the get go,” Zhu said. The group has high aspirations, according to Okafor. “We set really high standards for ourselves,” Okafor said. “The choreographers push themselves, and the dancers try to meet the choreographer’s vision. Making sure everyone meets that standard is a challenge.”

STREET’S

TOP TEN Things that got you into Princeton

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The alumni interview.

CHRISTOPHER FERRI :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Yu echoed this sentiment, explaining that the company pushes people to always want to improve. “It does not matter whether you are a senior or a newbie, because there is always room for improvement,” Yu said. “There should be no room for complacency.” The organizers are looking forward to showing the different faces of BAC to the Princeton community. Every piece is significantly different, they said, and showcases BAC’s innovation. They expect all four shows to be packed.

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Your chill-to-pull ratio. Favorite word.

Favorite BuzzFeed quiz.

Whether you can pronounce Mathey College. Whether you will sign in or bicker. Whether your parents donated a building.

Whether you look good in Sperrys.

If your Common App essay had a motive and good keywords.

Your evaluation by Woodrow Wilson’s ghost.

CAMPUS PICKS CHRISTOPHER FERRI :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

CHRISTOPHER FERRI :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

PUP and Intime collaborate in ‘La Cage aux Folles’ YICHENG SUN

Photography Editor

n “La Cage Aux Folles,” co-produced by Princeton University Players and Theatre Intime, Saint Tropez drag club owners George and Albin have their lives turned upside down when their son brings home his fiancée’s homophobic parents to meet them. The musical, directed by Morgan Young ’16, will run in Theatre Intime for two weekends.

EVENT: PRINCETON PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTS FIRST ANNUAL ARTS MIXER Murray-Dodge Cafe Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

If you’re into student art and bubble tea, then you might want to stop by Princeton Public Works’ Arts Mixer, where visual artists and arts groups from across campus will be “mixing” with each other and rekindling the passion for art that burns in their hearts, bubble tea in hand. Their work will be displayed in the cozy setting of this event, which will be happening in Murray-Dodge Cafe.

MUSIC: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY BATTLE OF THE BANDS Dillon Loading Dock Friday, 9 p.m.

Who will open for the main act at Lawnparties?! Unlike with the decision of who to feature as the main act, students will have a say in that choice. Student bands Baker & Goods, Fictionize, Psychobaby, Valley Academy and St. Danger will be completing in the University’s firstever Battle of the Bands to nab that coveted opening spot. All five bands will be performing at Dillon Loading Dock (where Coldplay performed during their first U.S. tour, apparently) and will be accompanied by churros (for audience members to eat).

COMEDY: QUIPFIRE! PRESENTS GRAVID WATER SHOW Class of 1970 Theatre in Whitman College Friday, 9 p.m.

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

U. accused of violating Animal Civil Liberties Act in marmoset-monkey civil dispu te HackPrinceton attracts close to 500 hackers, 400 codes, 3 deadly bugs, 2 nerdy decals and Eric Schmidt ’76 with a pear tree Patton ’77 allegedly shuts down Class of 1977 Facebook group, Free & For Sale, TigerNet and ICE; gosh darn-it

TED CRUZ ’92: GRASSY SEEMED PHENOMENON WHO ONCE ES DESTINED FOR LAWNPARTI Requests to view admission files, Tina Fey’s “Admission,” surge since January

rock Students protest chapel gathering, ber concert hosted by U. President Eisgru ’83, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Quipfire! is back with its second Gravid Water Show this year. What is Gravid Water, you ask? We’re not sure what “gravid” means in real life, but in the context of improv comedy, it involves one actor who’s already memorized all of her lines performing onstage with a Quipfire! member who has no idea what those lines are. This show is happening for only one night, so you probably don’t want to miss it.

DANCE: THE PRINCETON PERSPECTIVE PROJECT’S “BEHIND THIS SMILE” STORYTELLING EVENT Robertson Hall Saturday, 11 a.m.

The Princeton Perspective Project will be diving in behind the smiles of the students and alumni who are set to share stories on Saturday about hard times and successes with just their silhouettes visible. Other speakers and student performers will be featured throughout the day, and the event as a whole hopes to challenge notions of effortless perfection on Princeton’s campus. Oh, and there will be Chipotle for lunch.