Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998
Wednesday April 24, 2019 vol. CXLIII no. 53
Twitter: @princetonian Facebook: The Daily Princetonian YouTube: The Daily Princetonian Instagram: @dailyprincetonian
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }
STUDENT LIFE
STUDENT LIFE
Students protest Title IX office at Firestone Plaza
University community holds interfaith vigil for Sri Lanka
By Emily Spalding Senior Writer
By Sarah Hirschfield and Walker Stamps Head Video Editor and Contributor
See SRI LANKA page 2
CLAIRE THORNTON FOR THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
The protest was organized by organized by a group of students who either have personal experience with the Title IX office on campus or knew someone who has. F E AT U R E S
The Bouncer Profiles: Nick DeStefano By Sam Shapiro Head Features Editor
When he checks your prox at the front door of Ivy Club, Nick DeStefano may come off as intimidating. He’s a self-described “big guy,” with a muscular, sturdy build and a certain aura of confidence. On a Saturday afternoon, sitting down for an interview at Starbucks, DeStefano holds his venti iced coffee cup with a strong grip. He takes his coffee milky and sweet, with a few pumps of vanilla; less than an hour earlier, during his first time at Small World Coffee, he
ordered an iced vanilla latte. Within a few minutes of conversation, DeStefano’s confidence remains, but his intimidation fades. Often breaking out into a huge smile, it is apparent that he’s as sweet as his coffee. It is also a good thing that he likes his caffeinated beverages: he’s got a long night ahead, working later from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at Ivy Club. DeStefano is used to these hours. He’s been doing security since he was 19 years old, starting at clubs in downtown Trenton. At the time, he was already working two jobs, but was looking for another source of in-
ON CAMPUS
come. A friend introduced him to a security gig at a nightclub, and he enjoyed it, since working at the front door had its perks. Apart from solid pay, the job brought decent live music acts and an exciting atmosphere. “You get to go out and get paid for it,“ he said. The job also entailed occasional personal security gigs for somewhat famous celebrities, such as Beenie Man and The Smithereens. But working security was far from easy. “I’ve seen some stuff,” laughed Destefano. “I’ve been shot at, I’ve had knifes
ZOYA GAUHAR / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
New York Times bestselling author, and University alumnus, T.A. Barron ’74, is the author of over 30 bestselling books, including the Merlin Saga.
Author T.A. Barron ’74 encourages students to ‘live their life as a story’ The New York Times best-selling author and University alumnus T.A. Barron ’74 delivered a lecture on Tuesday, April 23, centering his talk on how students can learn to live a meaningful life. Barron is the author of over 30 best-selling books, including the acclaimed “Merlin” saga. He graduated from Princeton
In Opinion
See BOUNCER page 5
Michelle Obama ’85, six faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Staff Writer
Contributor
pulled. I’ve confiscated a full clip off of a gentleman. The weirdest thing I ever confiscated was a skewer fork.” Week after week, DeStefano put himself at physical risk, unsure of what the night would entail. Some weeks, there were crowds breaking furniture, and extremely violent drunks. There were countless people who would refuse to leave the club at the end of the night. “One of the more dangerous ones was high on PCP — he didn’t feel anything,” DeStefano recalled. “It took
BEYOND THE BUBBLE
By David Veldran
By Zoya Gauhar
See TITLE IX page 2
University in 1974, winning the M. Taylor Pyne Prize, and went onto to study at Oxford as a Rhode scholar. In a conversation with The Daily Princetonian, Barron stated he hoped the lecture would deliver his “sincere, heartfelt wish that they [students] can realize that they can see their life as a story — a story in which they are the author, and to tell it with passion and courage.” Barron began the lecture by
Contributing columnist Khadijah Anwar invites readers to stand against cultural oppression and oppose the “English-only” movement, and contributing columnist Jasman Singh discusses the trend of homogeneous friend-groups on campus. PAGE 6
encouraging students, especially seniors finishing their final semester at the University, to take a walk down Prospect Gardens and touch the bark of the Dawn Rosewood tree. He asked that they imagine it growing in Tibet, its place of origin. This served as an opening to his lecture, centered around nature, and telling stories. Barron went on to say that while he is always impressed at See BARRON page 2
Today on Campus
The University announced last week that six faculty members and several alumni were elected to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. The faculty included Kathryn Edin, Brian Kernighan GS ’69, Sara McLanahan, Judith Weisenfeld GS ’92, Virginia Zakian, and visiting research scholar Candis Callison. Among University alumni were Michelle Obama ’85, Mitchell Daniels Jr. ’71, and Clare Yu ’79, GS ’84. The 2019 members include more than 200 people, according to the Academy’s website. Since its founding in 1780, it has honored leaders across a variety of disciplines. Inductees have included names such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The six University faculty members inducted this year come from a range of fields. Callison is the Pathy Distinguished Visitor in Canadian Studies and serves in the Humanities Council as a visiting
7:30 p.m.: Princeton Triangle Club will presents “Making Music on Sesame Street with Joe Fiedler.” Sesame Street music director & arranger Joe Fiedler will take you behind the scenes. Woolworth Building Room 102
research scholar. She focuses on a wide range of topics such as journalism, the environment, and media. Edin is a professor in the Department of Sociology and the Wilson School and co-director of the Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing (CRCW). She researches poverty and welfare. “Our culture is to recognize individuals. But our accomplishments are due to the teams [we] collaborate with,” Edin wrote in an email to The Daily Princetonian. “I would like to acknowledge my exceptional co-authors, staff, and students, to whom the honor belongs.” McLanahan co-directs the CRCW with Edin and is the William S. Tod Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs. Judith Weisenfeld researches religious history in America and is the Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion. “I am deeply honored to have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and for the Academy’s members’ recognition of the See AAAS page 3
WEATHER
Every chair was filled, with students waiting outside, as the community came together to pray and reflect on the bombings in Sri Lanka. Reverend Dr. Alison L. Boden, Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, expressed her concern that the vigil held for the tragedy of the New Zealand mosque attack was only a few weeks prior. She urged the vigil-goers to “come together in this space” and that during the vigil there might be times of quiet reflection and solidarity. She was followed by Sri Lankan student Mahishan Gnanaseharan ’20, who remarked on the previous tragedies in Sri Lanka, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the decades-long civil war that ravaged the country. He then delivered a poem entitled “What Have we Lost,” written in response to the Sri Lankan Civil War, in both Tamil and English. Father Gabe Zeis, the chaplain for the Aquinas Institute, said that Sri Lanka hosts many religious groups. “Part of my community, the Franciscan community, is there, in Colombo,” he said. The family of one of the Franciscan friars who lives close to the basilica was attacked, he said. “We pray for them,” he continued. “It tears hearts apart.
Amid the students, campus tour groups, and community members strolling about the Firestone Library Plaza on Tuesday afternoon, a student wearing only his underwear lay sprawled on the concrete. A black bag covered his face, and the words “Title IX Protects Rapists” were emblazoned on his torso in black ink. “This is, I think, more of an aggressive statement,” said Camille Liotine ’20, one of the protest organizers. “A flyer won’t get that kind of attention.” The protest, which utilized the slogan “Princeton Protects Rapists,” was organized
by a group of students who have either personally interacted with the Title IX office on campus or know someone who has. The intention of the demonstration, according to Liotine, was to contribute to dialogue about the treatment of students involved in Title IX cases at the University. “There have been growing concerns for quite some time that the Title IX office on campus is grossly mistreating students’ cases and are not providing justice to as many students as they need to be,” Liotine said. “We’re really trying to bring awareness to the wrongdoings of this office, and we’re trying to speak to the administration and tell them that they need to change
HIGH
69˚
LOW
47˚
Sunny chance of rain:
0 percent