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Monday April 1, 2019 vol. cxliii no. 34
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BEYOND THE BUBBLE
Maria Ressa ’86 arrested in the Philippines By Marissa Michaels Staff Writer
On the morning of Friday, Mar. 29, the Philippine government arrested Filipina journalist and Time Person of the Year Maria Ressa ’86 as she disembarked from her f light from San Francisco over an alleged violation of the Securities Regulation Code and an anti-dummy law. Ressa was named Time magazine’s 2018 “Person of the Year” for her work as cofounder of Rappler, an online news outlet known for criticizing Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte and exposing fake news. The Philippine government, however, has recently accused Rappler — partially funded by U.S.based company, Omidyar Network — of violating an anti-dummy law that prevents foreign companies from investing too heavily in Filipino news organizations, along with 11 other charges. Ressa did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Princetonian. Currently, Ressa is out of jail on bail and has continued her reporting, even tweeting photos while in-
side the police van that took her into custody. Before departing from San Francisco, she had told CNN that she was expecting to be taken into custody upon her return to Manila. Earlier that same week, her managing editor and five other former and current board members of Rappler were also arrested. In recent months, Ressa has had to post bail seven times. Her most recent arrest occurred a little over a month after she was previously arrested on Feb. 13 and charged with cyber-libel. Ressa also had turned herself into the authorities in December 2018 to face charges of tax evasion. International news outlets are in consensus that this arrest, and Ressa’s previous arrests, constitute anti-journalist harassment from the Philippine government. University professor and former Washington Post reporter Joe Stephens expressed his concern about the respected journalist’s arrest. “I think this campaign against Maria and her colleagues should be alarming to anyone who values democracy and free speech anywhere in the world,” he
said. “Obviously, Maria Ressa is a courageous woman, and she is a fearless journalist. This continuing string of charges and arrests looks to be a clear case of harassment and my immediate thought is that Filipino officials seem to be terrified of Maria and her colleagues and the power of a free press,” Stephens continued. Duterte has regularly disparaged the media, especially outlets critical of his regime, going so far as to call journalists “spies” and declaring that they should not be “exempted from assassination.” In the past, Rappler has been so concerned about the safety of their reporters that they considered using bullet-proof glass in their office. Stephens encourages the community to take a stand against this infringement of free speech. “Being clear and vocal, raising our voices in outrage about what is happening to Maria and that anyone who has any connection to the Philippines should do what they can to make it clear that this is not acceptable,” Stephens said.
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
Michael Kratsios ’08 nominated as US Chief Technology Officer
JOSHUA LIM / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Philippine government arrested Filipina journalist and Time Person of the Year Maria Ressa ’86 as she disembarked from her flight from San Francisco. STUDENT LIFE
ISABEL TING / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
“[Blackboard] is not serving as the academic touchstone that it could be for students,” Assistant Dean of the College Dun said.
USG discusses replacing Blackboard, selections for Honor Committee By Jacob Gerrish Senior Writer
Michael Kratsios majored in Politics during his time at the University.
By Bill Huang Staff Writer
President Donald Trump recently announced his nomination of Michael Kratsios ’08 to serve as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the United States, filling a seat that has been vacant since the Obama administration. Kratsios did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Princetonian. Initially created by Barack Obama in 2009, the CTO role is part of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and focuses on using data and technology to inform effective policy. The appointment comes on the heels of the con-
In Opinion
firmation of Kelvin Droegemeier as Director of the OSTP. If Kratsios is confirmed, Trump would have both a science adviser and a technology advisor. Kratsios studied political science at the University and worked in venture capital upon graduation. He later became Chief of Staff at Thiel Capital before joining Trump’s transition team in 2016 and later joining the Trump administration as Deputy CTO in 2017. Ed Felten, the University’s Robert E. Kahn Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy, served as Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer for the Obama administration from May 2015 to January 2017.
Contributing columnist Katie Goldman professes the joy of joining some of the more absurd student organizations, and guest SHARE Peer contributors illuminate the diverse services they provide to students. PAGE 6
Felten did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the ‘Prince.’ Aneesh Chopra, who was appointed the first CTO by Obama and served from May 2009 to February 2012, said in an interview with The Hill that he is generally positive about Trump’s nomination. “I’ve had no conversations with him that make me think he’s partisan,” Chopra said. Jerry Wei GS ’19 of the Department of Computer Science shared similar sentiments. “Having a CTO focused on tech policy and ties to private industry could help the United States remain an innovative leader in technology,” Wei said.
The Undergraduate Student Government discussed the Honor Committee and the Committee on Discipline applicant selection process and the possible replacement of Blackboard during its weekly meeting on Sunday, March 31. Deployed at the University in 1997, Blackboard acts as a learning management system (LMS) to integrate communication tools, distribute copyrighted material, and store sensitive information. According to Director of the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning Rebecca Graves-Bayazitoglu and Assistant Dean of the College James Alexander (Alec) Dun, with Blackboard now no longer being updated, the University wants to take the opportunity to re-evaluate its choice of LMS
Today on Campus 4:30p.m.: Hamid Al-Saadi will present performances of the classical Iraqi Maqam in its typical format as well as in combination with contemporary jazz. Taplin Auditorium
and to ask for feedback from faculty and students. “[Blackboard] is not serving as the academic touchstone that it could be for students,” Dun said. Dun further remarked that past surveys have shown that faculty want better discussion boards, more collaborative tools, and an improved online gradebook. To compensate for deficiencies in Blackboard, faculty have often resorted to third-party tools like Piazza or Campuswire. As a result, the University is now investigating three possible options: Blackboard Learn Ultra, Canvas, and Brightspace. Dun said that evaluation and planning would continue for the next year and that there would be a gradual transition to the selected LMS platform in 2021 and 2022. “We hope to have by the end of See USG page 2
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