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Wednesday April 28, 2021 vol. CXLV no. 43
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NEWS
U. to host vaccine clinic for staff, intl. students By Evelyn Doskoch head news editor
In a Tuesday evening email to faculty, staff, and researchers, the University announced that it will be holding a vaccine clinic with “very limited vaccine doses” on Thursday and Friday. The doses have been allocated through the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, and those who are eligible to be vaccinated at the clinic are being contacted directly. Eligible international students generally include those who may be returning to a country where it would be difficult to receive an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. These students
can schedule an appointment on the online UHS portal to receive the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Thursday, April 29, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Jadwin Gymnasium. International students were sent a survey on Tuesday morning to indicate interest in receiving the J&J vaccine. According to the email, eligible staff members include those “in specific roles who must perform their work on campus,” in accordance with state guidance. These staff members will be able to make an appointment for the Friday clinic. Deputy University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss told The Daily Princetonian that there
are approximately 250 doses available on Thursday, and approximately 230 on Friday. “While we hope for more vaccine supply in the coming weeks, we strongly encourage faculty and staff to take advantage of the increased availability of vaccines at public clinics and pharmacies,” the University’s vaccine webpage notes. Hotchkiss confirmed that the University has not yet received vaccine doses from the state. Adults ages 16 and older are currently eligible for the vaccine in New Jersey; please visit the COVID-19 Information Hub for more information on scheduling appointments at state-run sites and pharmacies.
THE PROSPECT
A stargazer’s guide to Princeton’s night sky
JUSTIN CAI / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Lake Carnegie at midnight.
By Paige Cromley staff writer
As the days warm up, the nights are becoming less intolerably freezing, so take advantage of the start of spring by heading out for some stargazing next time the skies are clear. If you’re on or near Princeton’s campus, consider this a starter guide to the April night sky. It’s been getting dark around 7:30 p.m. on campus lately, but you’re best off waiting a few hours past twilight. Anytime after 10 p.m. is perfect; it’s not like you’re sleeping anyway. Grab a jacket, blanket, and some friends and head out somewhere decently far from all the lit-up buildings on campus. The goal is to see as many stars as possible, and the LED lights from freshman dorm windows won’t help. If you’re serious about stargazing, you’re going to want to put away the phones once
you’ve settled in to watch the night sky. Flashlights, Snapchat notifications, or any other bright screen will prevent your eyes from adjusting well to the dark. I’ve only seen the Milky Way once in my life, and you probably won’t be able to here, but it took over half an hour with no external sources of light for my eyes to begin to register it. The longer you sit in the dark, the more pinpricks of light will appear in the sky. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot to see up there. We’ll start with my favorite constellation, Orion. Most widely known as the hunter from Greek mythology, Orion is recognizable in the night sky for its distinctive shape, particularly the three stars that make up his belt. If you’re in Princeton this time of year, face west to find the hunter in the sky (warning: if you’re on Poe Field after 11 p.m. or so, it’s probably set below Bloomberg, so maybe
go somewhere where buildings don’t obstruct the horizon as much). If you can see Orion, you can use it as a launching pad for other constellations. By 10 p.m., you can just barely see Canis Major, his dog, above the horizon. Look for the bright star Sirius below and to the left of the hunter’s feet. Now we can find Mars. Picture Orion’s raised arms, holding a club and a shield. If you move up in roughly the direction his torso is pointing, you should come across the red planet. This time of year, Mars is sitting in the constellation Taurus. Though I personally have trouble picturing it, this grouping of stars has been interpreted as a bull for thousands of years. It was called the “Bull of Heaven” in ancient Babylonia, and the Greeks and Egyptians saw the same animal. The Pleiades, a cluster of stars known See PROSPECT
THE PROSPECT
AHMED AKHTAR / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Barely Hanging On By Kristal Grant guest writer
Recently, there was an email sent to faculty by the administration with the subject line, “Important Memo about End of Term Student Stress.” The contents of the email encouraged professors to at least acknowledge the unbearable stress that we’re currently facing. However, this is an email that we see coming too late, too lackadaisically, too inadequately. This is not “end of term student stress”; I’m barely hanging on. This is a sentiment that, based on the horrifying depression and increased anxiety that overwhelms Tiger Confessions (the private Facebook group for anonymous posts by Princeton students), I think much of the student body resonates with. During midterms week, my grandmother died unexpectedly. Around this period, I had two papers for my English classes due, a reflection for one of those English classes due, a Molecular Biology exam, and a German exam. The night I got the news that my grandmother died, I was in the midst of making final edits to one of my papers. I still had two major edits to get through, and it was 8 p.m. The next three hours were a bit of a blur: I was physically unable to write. That paper was submitted two hours late. The reflection I had due for another class shared a similar fate. Upon receiving that reflection days late, my instructor informed me that this was the only time they would accept a late assignment. Two weeks later, not only do I still feel ashamed to have submitted the assignment late, but I have been buried in an unfathomable fury since I received that response. For the days following that message, I felt ashamed that I could not somehow force myself to work. I figured that if I had wanted a better response, I should have told my instructor or my DSL that my grandmother passed. Yet, I can’t help but consider how ridiculous that is: as “unexpected” as my grandmother’s death may have been, the phrase “unexpected” seems so unfitting. In this time of vast devastation and death defining every corner of our lives, what about death is so unexpected? Why should I
have to disclose death? Should it not be assumed? My grandmother and I weren’t particularly close. It was a difficult relationship, characterized by my “abominable” queerness and my family’s toxic dynamics. Mostly, the sacrifices I’ve made in regards to our relationship have been the only source of the grief I’ve faced in the past couple of days, and much of it has absolutely nothing to do with her. Yet, as innumerable students are losing loved ones they were actually close with, the University maintains this expectation for students to put their grief on display before professors will even consider awarding any leniency. Similarly, even after Dean Dolan sent that email, my friend — a fellow ’24 — sent an email to her professor asking if she could receive a short extension on her paper. The response she received to this email was essentially a regurgitation of the syllabus, “No late work will be accepted for your course project (e.g., the podcast or interactive project) or writing exercises except under extraordinary circumstances. You must have a letter from the Dean of your college that is supportive of your choice to submit your project late. Late work accepted under these circumstances will be subject to an automatic 20% penalty.” This professor’s audacity in replying with such an outrageous reply makes me wonder whether he’s existing on another planet separate from the rest of us. Are we not living through “extraordinary circumstances” every single day right now? And yet, this comes after we see the administration informing professors that students are struggling with “stress.” They send pointless emails telling students to take walks outside and connect with friends and place pointless mental health stickers and phone wallets across campus as if that will somehow relieve the burden so many of us face. Truly, if this school cared at all about my mental health, they would reconsider sending me emails: my mental health would be greatly served without having to bear witness to outrageous, vain emails that gaslight stuSee PROSPECT
SPORTS
Sowers ’20 drafted into Premier Lacrosse League Tiger standout picked second overall
By Wilson Conn contributor
Princeton’s all-time goals leader in lacrosse has a new professional home. On Monday, Michael Sowers ’20 was selected second overall in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) draft by Waterdogs Lacrosse Club. During his time at Princeton, Sowers registered 121 goals and 302 points (a combination of total goals and assists) and set school records for both,
despite only appearing in five games in his last season for the Tigers before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. In his three full seasons, Sowers recorded the three highest single-season scoring totals in school history. After the Ivy League cancelled the 2020 spring season and declined to extend fifthyear eligibility to spring athletes, Sowers entered the transfer portal and ultimately found himself attending Duke as a student in the graduate busi-
ness school. In addition to his acceptance to Duke, Sowers was rewarded for his performance with the Division I Player of the Year Award by “Inside Lacrosse.” At Duke, Sowers scored 29 goals and registered 31 assists in just 13 appearances. This performance has brought him to 4th all-time in NCAA history in both points (362) and assists (212). Sowers and the Blue Devils play their final regular season game against The UniSee SPORTS
COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM
Michael Sowers ’20 scored 121 goals for the Tigers.
In Opinion Contributing columnis Ava Milberg argues that the hurdles to vaccination for Americans present both an ethical and practical issue for national health.
Princeton Students for Title IX Reform and the Organizing Committee of Princeton Graduate Students United criticize the University’s response to allegations against Joshua Katz, and release demands they believe will create a safer campus climate.