The Daily Princetonian - May 2, 2019

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Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998

Thursday May 2, 2019 vol. cxliii no. 59

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ON CAMPUS

STUDENT LIFE

IVY TRUONG / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

These statements were found by the steps of Nassau Hall, at the foot of the John Witherspoon statue by East Pyne Hall, outside of Firestone Library, on the pathway leading into campus from FitzRandolph Gate, outside of the Rockefeller-Mathey Dining Hall, and in front of Frist Campus Center.

JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

A group of students created a Room Draw Reform petition in response to errors in the 2018 and 2019 room draws.

Political messages found graffitied in Room draw reform at least six locations across campus petition seeks improved

By David Veldran staff writer

On the morning of Wednesday, May 1, at least six sightings of graffiti were found across campus with a host of political messages, including “Divest from Private Prisons” and “Title IX Protects Rapists.” Other graffitied messages students observed were, “Birthplace of Pton Colonization Society,” “FStone wanted Liberia for Rubber and Dead Black Workers,” “W/Carnegie millions $ for the Wilhelm Kaiser,” and “Stolen Land. Now What?” Sometimes difficult to read, these statements were found by the steps of Nassau Hall, at the foot of the John Witherspoon statue by East Pyne Hall, outside of Firestone Library,

on the pathway leading into campus from FitzRandolph Gate, outside of the Rockefeller-Mathey Dining Hall, and in front of Frist Campus Center. In an email to the The Daily Princetonian, University spokesman Ben Chang said the University is aware of the incidents and is working to have the graffiti removed. “Free speech is central to Princeton’s mission, and we welcome challenging conversations about difficult topics,” wrote Chang. “Defacing University property, however, is unacceptable.” Chang concluded by encouraging anyone with information about these incidents to contact the Department of Public Safety and stating that anyone found to be involved will face appropriate disciplinary action.

Amanda Eisenhour, co-president of Students for Prison Education and Reform (SPEAR), wrote in an email to the ‘Prince’ that SPEAR did not have anything to do with the incidents. “We just wanted to let the Prince know that SPEAR was not involved in the graffiti we just discovered around campus, concerning ‘Ban the Box’ and anti-private prison sentiments,” she wrote. “We had no prior knowledge of this action and were just as surprised as everyone else. While we did not coordinate these actions and do not support vandalism, especially when it inconveniences University workers, we welcome continued dialogue on these issues and the University’s role in them.”

STUDENT LIFE

randomization

By Rebecca Han staff writer

In response to the controversy surrounding room draw randomization, a group of students created a Room Draw Reform petition with an action plan to ensure mistakes are not repeated in future room draws. The petition requests, among other items, that the University’s Housing and Real Estate Services (HRES) take steps to improve room draw feedback, testing, transparency, auditing, and infrastructure. The petition also asks HRES

to form a joint student-faculty committee to consider the requests, produce a report detailing the errors in the 2018 and 2019 room draws, and oversee an auditing process of the software used for next year’s room draw. As of 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the petition had 369 signatures. Betsy Pu ’22 first organized the petition’s group of student authors. She said their motivations in creating the petition were firstly to propose a solution to ensure the randomization error was fixed, and secondly, to demonstrate the magnitude of See PETITION page 5

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Class of 2019 honors faculty with invitation to Annual Gratitude Gala

By Zoya Gauhar contributor

Members of the class of 2019 invited their beloved professors to the fourth Annual Gratitude Gala, held on Wednesday, May 1, to engage in conversation and enjoy refreshments. The Gala gave graduating students the opportunity to honor faculty members who profoundly influenced their

In Opinion

education at the University. Jill Dolan, Dean of the College, and Eduardo Cadava, a professor in the English Department and a recipient of the 2018 President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, opened the event by delivering brief remarks to a room filled with students and faculty. Dean Dolan emphasized the uniqueness of the event, noting that it is one of the few for-

Contributing columnist Julia Chaffers discusses prison abolition and columnist Hunter Campbell examines the conditions of residential college bathrooms. PAGE 4

See GALA page 5

ETTA RECKE / OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The ‘roast’ in which Kruse was featured was part of a recent episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS.

History professor Kevin Kruse ‘roasts’ Trump in Full Frontal segment By Benjamin Ball head news editor

In a television segment dedicated to “roasting” President Donald Trump, Kevin Kruse, a history professor at the University, concluded his so-called roast on an oddly complimentary note, telling the president that he was

Today on Campus 4:00p.m.: “Discovering the Electro-Weak Force, Seeing a Supernova Explode, Peering Inside the Sun, & Watching Neutrinos Oscillate” Jadwin Hall A10

“a hell of a guy.” Kruse then corrected himself, saying, “I read that wrong. Cheers, President Trump. You’re going to hell, guy.” The special segment in which Kruse was featured was part of a recent episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, in which historians and professors from a See KRUSE page 4

WEATHER

ZOYA GAUHAR / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Members of the class of 2019 invited professors who profoundly influenced their education to the 4th annual gratitude gala.

mal settings in which students and faculty have the opportunity to show their gratitude to one another. She said that being a professor to students at the University has immensely impacted her life and relationships, mentioning that a number of former students have become more like friends, and even family. Interacting with students, Dolan said, helps her ideas constantly evolve. She explained her belief that relationships formed through advising can last forever. Dolan described the experience of independent research as a “rite of passage” and encouraged seniors to keep in contact with their most influential professors. “We are always curious about the surprising and exciting turns your lives will take as you begin and continue your careers,” she said. “Wherever you go, you take pieces of our hearts and our minds with you.” She went on to thank all faculty and staff at the University and congratulated the graduating class. Cadava said it is the emphasis on close interactions between students and faculty that has kept him at the Uni-

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