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Tuesday December 4, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 111
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STUDENT LIFE
Butler incidents mirror ‘Campbell crapper’ By Hannah Wang Senior Writer
NAOMI HESS :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
1976 Hall in Butler College was the site of a recent feces incident.
In an unsavory parallel of the notorious “Campbell Crapper” phenomenon that plagued Rockefeller College last year, human feces has been reported by students in Butler College in locations outside of the toilets and outside the bathrooms entirely. On Nov. 10, Ans Nawaz ’21 sent an email to the Butler Buzz listserv with the subject line, “PSA: Stop Leaving Literal Sh*t!” The body of the email lambasted the person responsible for defecating in the third floor kitchen of 1976 Hall and implored them to take their bowel movements to a more appropriate locale. Nawaz is a photographer for The Daily Princetonian. The incident comes as one of several just this year. For example, at Rockefeller College in October, human feces was found in a trash can. During the same month, Building Services discovered urine-filled bottles at Forbes College. “I was about to make myself some fresh eggs [in the kitchen], but it smelled a
little funny when I walked in,” Nawaz recounted in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. “It kind of smelled like poop, but I was like, ‘There can’t be poop in the kitchen,’ you know?” He described his discovery of the fecal matter as a “traumatizing” experience. “I’d heard of things like this happening in the showers of other res colleges,” Nawaz said. “But I never thought it would happen to me…. I haven’t gone back to the kitchen since.” Nawaz was not the only Butler resident who had been exposed to the remains of public defecation. Ned Furlong ’21 recalled detecting a “foul smell” in the entryway to Yoseloff Hall on Nov. 25. “I decided to investigate,” Furlong said. “There was only one space where it could be coming from: the trash can. I lifted the lid, looked down, and saw a plastic container with human feces inside…. I was horrified.” Nawaz reported his incident to the Department of Public Safety, but the officers could not do anything other than clean the floor and ask him if he recognized their See CRAPPER page 2
U . A F FA I R S
ON CAMPUS
U., Microsoft engage in microbiology research
SHARE, Womanspace host 17th annual luminaries event
Contributor
A new partnership between Microsoft and the University will accelerate the pace of biological research on campus. The partnership’s first task is to assist University researchers in studying biofilms, thin bacterial coatings that are key to microbial infection and are responsible for millions of deaths. A team at Microsoft Research called the Biological Computation group will collaborate with Bonnie Bassler, the Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology, and Ned Wingreen, the Howard A. Prior Professor in the Life Sciences and professor of molecular biology. Microsoft plans to contribute advanced computing
technology that will help researchers model bacteria and biological systems. It also hopes to introduce a cloudbased system, which will be used to efficiently share and analyze data with Microsoft’s machine learning techniques. While the University has previously worked with Microsoft on computer science, cybersecurity, and and a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; this will be the first joint dive into microbiology. Bassler emphasized that she expects the partnership to speed up her lab’s research. She thinks Microsoft’s technology will allow researchers like herself to analyze a greater volume of experimental data. See BIOLOGY page 3
JON ORT :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
The walkway to Quadrangle Club, lit up by luminary lights on Dec. 3.
By Rebecca Han Contributor
ON CAMPUS
Former EPA admin Whitman discusses modern partisanship By Allan Shen Contributor
Politically moderate citizens must become more involved in government in order for the current polarizing political climate to improve, according to Christine Todd Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2001 to 2003. Whitman began by addressing the “norms” that have defined principles of American government and the Constitution throughout U.S. history. She then discussed the significance of several institutions
and principles that she believes are particularly relevant in modernday politics, such as freedom of the press, the emoluments clause of the Constitution, and the loopholes in the Code of Ethics of Government Service. As a member of the Republican Party, Whitman served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and subsequently as the ninth administrator of the EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Whitman visited the Wilson School as its Judith H. Rawson and Robert Rawson Distinguished Visitor. See WHITMAN page 2
Lanterns lit up Prospect Avenue in the name of domestic violence and sexual assault awareness Monday night. On Dec. 3, SHARE (Sexual Health Advising/Assault Advising, Resources, and Education) and the local advocacy group Womanspace put together the 17th annual Community of Light Event, placing lit candles along Nassau Street, Washington Road, and Prospect Avenue. With over 600 candles, it was the largest Community of Light event in Mercer County. Womanspace is a Mercer County-based nonprofit serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. By placing the candles, Womanspace hopes to spread the message that “Peace Begins at Home.” Additionally, SHARE said the event raised awareness of Womanspace’s work providing resources to victims of domestic abuse. The group
advertises that it provides for combating domestic abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Womanspace has served over 300,000 people since its founding 1977 and has helped over 11,900 adults and children last year, according to its director. Candles were placed outside eating clubs that had donated to the event as well as the Center for Jewish Life and the Carl A. Fields Center. Participating eating clubs included Colonial Club, Quadrangle Club, Ivy Club, Cottage Club, Cap & Gown Club, and Cloister Inn. “The goal is to light up Mercer County,” said SHARE director Jacqueline Deitch-Stackhouse, who has worked with Womanspace for the past seven years. Community of Light events also took place in Allentown, East Windsor, Ewing Township, Hamilton, Hightstown, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Pennington Borough, Robbinsville, Trenton,
In Opinion
Today on Campus
The Editorial Board breaks from tradition by not endorsing a candidate for USG president, while contributing columnist Avner Goldstein examines why we only hold bonfires for football. PAGE 4
4:30 p.m.: Lukas Meyer and Pranay Sanklecha from the University of Graz in Austria will headline the discussion “Climate Justice: Why the Past Matters in Conflicting Ways.” Louis A. Simpson International Building, Room A71
and West Windsor. Businesses purchased luminary kits from Womanspace and sold them at Casa Aziz, McCaffrey’s Food Market, Princeton Center for Yoga and Health, Terhune Orchards, and Weidel Realtors. Deitch-Stackhouse said the symbol of a candle suggests feeling safe and welcome. “It’s a way to acknowledge that we care about issues of domestic and dating violence and sexual assault,” she said. “We want to signal that to folks inside and outside our community.” Since being founded by former Princeton mayor Barbara Boggs Sigmund in 1977, Womanspace has had a strong relationship with Princeton township. Current Princeton mayor Liz Lempert said that the candles are a way to “symbolically bring light into darkness.” “A lot of times in domestic violence situations, people don’t know who to turn to to See WOMAN page 2
WEATHER
By David Velran
HIGH
40˚
LOW
22˚
Partly cloudy chance of rain:
0 percent
The Daily Princetonian
page 2
Tuesday December 4, 2018
Butler resident Nawaz Whitman: I’m very hopeful about the ’21: I never thought it new Congress and today’s challenges WHITMAN would happen to me Continued from page 1
CRAPPER Continued from page 1
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drawing of the “Campbell Crapper” suspect. Furlong simply removed the trash bag with the container of feces and took it to the trash room. Neither Nawaz nor Furlong had recourse to any methods that could identify the perpetrator, whom Furlong quipped could be named the “Butler Bomber,” and halt what threatens to become yet another epic excremental saga. “This was immediately after break, so this person may have been suffering from a lack of human contact, as this campus was pretty dead,” said Furlong, when asked to speculate about the motivation behind these incidents. He and Nawaz both agree that the two incidents are likely to be related, given their spatial and temporal proximity.
Jon Kutasov ’21, a Rocky resident, expressed sympathy for the developing situation in Butler College. “Every time someone found poop in the shower, it would make the entire bathroom unusable for at least the rest of day,” Kutasov said about living through the age of the “Campbell Crapper.” “I mean, it’s human feces. It’s absolutely disgusting. I think people who didn’t live in Rocky thought it was funny, but it really wasn’t.” Nawaz urged members of the Butler community to file reports if they have any information about these incidents. “This is not funny in any way, shape, or form,” he said, echoing Kutasov. “This is dangerous and unsanitary, and just gross.” Housing Regional Engagement Specialist for Butler College Michelle Brown could not be reached for comment at the time of the writing of this article.
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At the start of the event, Whitman expressed her belief in the need to “bring things together” by institutionalizing the norms of American government. Whitman brought up Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, to illustrate that democracy is not a system of government but a set of principles. She said that current problems within the U.S. political system, such as ethical problems and political polarization, both of which she claimed she has not seen to this degree in her lifetime, are not problems of the Constitution but of the officials in U.S. government. Whitman mentioned the impulse for the American political system to react to breaches of the principle of checks and balances. She pointed out the introduction of presidential term limits after former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms as president and the push by Congress to pass anti-nepotism laws after former President John F. Kennedy appointed his brother Robert F. Kennedy as Attorney General. “We have been in places where
what we see as normal behavior of government being breached, and we responded to that,” Whitman said. In addition, Whitman spoke about the report she helped to write as a member of the bipartisan National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy at Brennan Center for Justice, which made proposals to reform the ethics of U.S. government. Through the proposals of that report, Whitman called for the reform of many key government institutions, especially with regards to ethics. Whitman reiterated the report’s proposal that all presidential and vice presidential candidates should release their personal and business tax returns. She then stressed the importance of fixing the ethical loopholes in U.S. government, as well as the involvement of moderates in working to heal the current divisive political climate. Whitman noted that the White House staff is not obligated to follow the Code of Ethics of Government Service. “How many people here knew that the White House staff does not have any legal obligation to adhere to the Code of Ethics? It’s amazing to
me,” Whitman said. Whitman pointed out that since many moderates did not vote in the primary and general elections for Congress and the president, the political decision-making process was left to highly partisan voters, which contributed to political polarization and gridlock in government. “Up until this election cycle, we are looking at voting participation in primaries at around 10 percent. We were leaving it to the most extreme partisans to determine our choices,” Whitman said. At the end of the talk, Whitman expressed optimism for the newly elected 116th Congress and emphasized that political moderates need to become more involved in order to improve the polarizing political situation in the United States. “I’m very hopeful with the new Congress that we have and the challenges that we see today, and I am looking forward to the kind of commitment that both parties are willing to give,” Whitman said. A question-and-answer session took place after Whitman’s address. The talk was held in the Arthur Lewis Auditorium of Robertson Hall from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3.
Deitch-Stackhouse: Goal is to light up Mercer County WOMAN Continued from page 1
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get help,” she said. She said she hopes the candles can educate the broader community and let victims hear about Womanspace’s resources. Joan Bartl and Rose C. Nini, members of the Womanspace board of directors, also set up luminaries in Palmer Square. Though they said that they saw the conversation about domestic violence becoming more open in recent years, especially with the advent of movements like #MeToo, they said they feel there is still much work to do. “More women are willing to come forward to seek help,” Nini said. “It means statistics might be higher, but for a good reason.” “And we have a long way to go,” Bartl said, referring to the recent appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Womanspace’s president of the board of directors, Danielle Coppola, also said that while conversation on domestic violence has always been relevant, recent political events have brought it to the table again. “I think they [Womanspace] do tremendous work and are real leaders in this area,” she said. SHARE Administrative Coordinator Heather Mayer led the event’s volunteer effort. This year was the first time SHARE partnered with the Office of Community and Region-
al Affairs (OCRA). Staff volunteers who heard about the event through the OCRA helped with assembling and packaging the luminaries. The process was expected to take two hours, but the group finished early. “I had to send out an email telling people we finished in an hour, which was amazing,” Mayer said. When it was time, SHARE staff, peers, and OCRA director Kristin Appelget and associate director Erin Metro distributed and lit the candles. “To be a partner [with Womanspace] is really meaningful,” Deitch-Stackhouse said. “Because they really do wonderful work in the community, which includes supporting our students.” She also stressed the impact of University efforts to increase the visibility of domestic violence issues. “It’s quite apparent from a SHARE perspective that there are a number of folks who really care about these issues and want to let other people know it,” she said. “This becomes that visible symbol of hope, and support, and safety,” she said. Ruchita Balasubramanian ’19, a Peer Health Advisor, said that she felt that many students were unaware of the resources offered by SHARE. “It’s a legitimate issue on campus that is perhaps not spoken about enough in our regular conversation,” she said.
JON ORT :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Lights lining the stairs leading to 1879 Arch.
ALLAN SHEN :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman spoke about the state of U.S. political system.
Tuesday December 4, 2018
The Daily Princetonian
page 3
Bassler: Long-term aim is to democratize scientific research BIOLOGY Continued from page 1
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“The idea is to figure out if we can do experiments with Microsoft’s computing power and algorithms [and] accelerate our biological research,” Bassler said. “Can we actually learn more from data, so that we do fewer experiments but they actually work better?” While optimistic about Microsoft’s role in the biofilms project, Bassler noted that her lab is only “the beta test” or “guinea pig,” since the longterm aim is to “democratize science.”
She and Wingreen hope that this partnership will help refine algorithms and principles that other researchers will employ in their own projects. The two also aim to inspire broader changes in how companies, research institutions, and individuals use data. Suren Jamiyanaa ’19, who interned at Microsoft this summer as a program manager for its Azure cloud computing service, was enthusiastic about the partnership. “It really aligns with the mission statement of the company,” Jamiyanaa said, “which is ‘to empower every person
and every organization on the planet to achieve more.’” Though she noted she was at first “apprehensive” about the partnership, Bassler now lauds it as a “seamless match.” Biological research at the University already draws from a wide range of disciplines, and the partnership allows the exploration of more topics, many of which exceed professors’ expertise, such as machine learning. This is the first time Bassler and Wingreen are partnering with a company, and there was some initial uncertainty about how postdoctoral students would interact with
people from a company who may have different research standards, levels of expertise, and even goals. “Biology is this very collective enterprise,” Wingreen said. “You need lots of people, equipment, and skills — much more, for example, than quantum computing where a single person can sit in a room and think very hard and make some progress.” Bassler was impressed by the Microsoft team’s adaptability and scientific expertise. She sees the potential for real progress despite relatively little communication — often overseas through Skype — the
hiya, edmund! chris huh ’21
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researchers have had so far. “For the postdocs here, this is an exciting development,” Wingreen added. “They like the idea that Microsoft is interested in what they do and [is] learning from them.” “The dream, of course, is to make a breakthrough that neither of us could have done on our own,” Bassler said. The announcement of this partnership comes on the heels of the launch of the Next Generation Network project, a major infrastructural upgrade that will support research and prepare the University to develop and expand campus through 2026.
Tuesday December 4, 2018
Opinion
page 4
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Bonfires are for the boys Avner Goldstein
Contributing Columnist
T
he Princeton football team’s victory over both Harvard and Yale was cause for a massive bonfire outside Nassau Hall, a celebration which attracted hundreds of students and alumni. For many, this celebration is a pinnacle of their Princeton experience, considering students are not likely to experience such a victory more than once, if at all, during their time at the University. Yet, why is this celebration — one that seemingly defines student memory and University commemoration — exclusive to the football team? Other sports teams, including women’s sports teams and above all, the women’s basketball team, have experienced prolonged success, yet we has a community fail to rightfully implement these victories into our institutional memory. For our campus community, the only item worthy of deeply rooted tradition seems to be a celebration of men in a sport that not only excludes women but historically has celebrated whiteness and continues to entertain racism. Just this year, the women’s basketball team triumphed over Harvard and Yale, winning the the Ivy League title
and even advancing to the NCAA tournament. Of course, these victories are not confined to the women’s basketball team alone. For example, in 1996, the No. 13 seed men’s basketball team took down defending champions and No. 4 seed UCLA, one of the greatest upsets at the time in NCAA history. The women’s open rowing team earned the Ivy League championship for the third year in a row. Women’s golf secured its second consecutive Ivy League trophy. Men’s track and field won the Ivy League Triple Crown, their ninth time to do so in the program’s history. Yet, for these incredible and historic victories, there was no bonfire, and these victories fail to be instilled in our University’s memory in any meaningful way. Proponents of this celebration for the football team will argue that it is a product of tradition and therefore immovable. But we must seriously ask ourselves — at what point do our traditions continue to celebrate exclusion and prioritize certain students over others? Why is it that our pinnacle method of celebration is tied only to a team of men? I am not arguing that every sports victory should be a call for such an inferno — this would dilute the uniqueness of the celebration. Perhaps, though, we must reevaluate what constitutes cause for this tradition and open it to other students’ victories as well, or, at the very least, innovate new
traditions and means to implement these victories into our institutional memory. The women’s basketball team winning the entire NCAA conference would certainly push our institutions and student body to think of new ways for celebration and memorial. Yet this reflects how much more we force women to earn respect and praise. The football team’s victory over Harvard and Yale is indeed a success, yet we still lend our entire attention to that success alone. After all, such a rarity of victories for the men’s football team against the backdrop of consecutive victories by other varsity sports teams, especially women’s teams, begs us to question our football team’s perceived exceptionality, something with which whiteness and masculinity is assumed to be synonymous. As noted before, the women’s basketball team is not the only other team that enjoys success. The men’s basketball team also advanced to NCAA’s March Madness. This victory indeed attracted far more attention than when the women’s team advanced to the same tournament; this reflects a broader problem of men’s sports being far more popular than women’s. Why does our highest sports tradition, then, only honor football? One only need to look at just how white football as an institution can be against a backdrop of Princeton’s own historic racism. The most famous case of football’s insti-
tutional racial aggression is that of Colin Kaepernick. The National Football League has offered countless contracts to those convicted of crimes from domestic violence to animal abuse. Kaepernick continues to lack a contract. His crime? Being a black man who does not toe the line when it comes to football’s required patriotism and conservatism. Of course, racism expresses itself across every sport. For example, Craig Hodges, a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, never received another contract from the NBA after being vocal about police brutality. In addition to feeling respected, every student athlete on our campus should feel comfortable in their own skin and politics. Yet there has been little affirmation of support for athletes of color in wake of Kaepernick’s isolation. It is therefore unsurprising that Princeton’s tradition is inspired by a sport that has a strong racist history of its own. If we, as a student body, are serious about inclusion and the potential of every student, we need to reflect on our own traditions and not blindly play into institutional norms that have for too long alienated so many. We can — and must — innovate new traditions and customs that honor women’s teams and athletes of color. Avner Goldstein is a sophomore from Greenville, S.C. He can be reached at amkg@princeton.edu.
Hail to the Chiefs, but still a culture to determine Arman Badrei
Contributing Columnist
N
FL players and domestic or relationship violence are not an uncom-
mon duo. Take the most notorious example of ex-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. A video was released in Feb. 2014 showing Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée (and now wife) Janay Palmer from an elevator. He was indicted on aggravated assault charges in March of that year, and was suspended in July for two games, to which the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell received widespread backlash. In September, the infamous video surfaced of Rice brutally assaulting Palmer, knocking her unconscious, although the video was reportedly in police possession since February. Rice was released by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL of that September. Since then, there have been numerous cases of violence against women by NFL players, and four arrests in 2018 alone. The trend could potentially continue with the newest development and example of violence against women by players in the league On Nov. 30, TMZ published a video showing Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt “brutalizing” a young woman—although that word may be a bit sensational—and specifically shoving and kicking her. Hunt was released by the
Chiefs hours after the publication of the video. Even still, I fear this act will have very little impact on the way the NFL and football organizations deal with players who have committed relationship violence. Hunt was first placed on the Commissioner Exempt List, which is a special player status appointed only by the Commissioner that makes players temporarily exempt from all practices, games, and team activities, before being cut. The incident took place on Feb. 10, 2018, and the Chiefs organization was aware of it shortly after its occurrence, long before the video footage emerged. They state that Hunt “was not truthful” in discussions with “several members of [their] management team” that took place much earlier in the year, and for that reason, decided to release him. The 23-year-old Kareem Hunt was electric last year, rushing for 1,327 yards and catching for 455, while tacking on eleven total touchdowns. The running back out of the University of Toledo made the Pro Bowl his rookie and has continued this run of success into the 2018 NFL season. This year, he’s amassed 1,202 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns already, with six more weeks of regular season football to play. He was set to defy the popular belief in football of a sophomore slump until his actions were discovered on record and broadcasted to the entire world. I commend the Chiefs organization for their quick and firm response to the incident. It was only a matter of hours until they made
their decision. To cut one of your most valuable players, and a key element to the Chiefs’ 10-2 record this season, is painful. But when dealing with this level of behavior and dishonesty, the decision became that much easier to make regardless of the strategic advantage the Chiefs forfeited. Despite this act, a precedent is far from set in the league. On Nov. 25, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was released after his arrest and charge for misdemeanor domestic violence, also his second alleged altercation. According to the New York Times, “Foster slapped Ennis, pushed her in the chest, and slapped a phone out of her hand.” Two days later, the Washington Redskins picked up Foster. And what did Senior Vice President of Player Personnel for the Redskins Doug Williams have to say about the matter? “Basically what you’re doing here is you’re taking a high-risk chance. The high risk was the beatup that we’re going to take from PR. We understood that from a PR standpoint, and we’re taking it.” It seems there are two sides to the spectrum in the NFL: on one hand, the league enacts essentially life-long suspensions on players, like Rice, once conclusive, indisputable video evidence depicts a horrendous, unforgettable act. On the other, the league treats players like Foster, who have histories of domestic violence and poor behavior, lightly and teams, in essence, condone actions like these by continually employing these players. The NFL feels obliged to make tough decisions only
once high public outrage intersects with damning proof. And because of this, their decision-making logic is arbitrary and unfair. It’s only a matter of time until we find out where Kareem Hunt lands on this murky scale. His talent and prolific football record will prove tempting for teams around the country and if Foster was picked up only two days later, it will be interesting to observe how other teams will react to a running back of Hunt’s caliber. Whether it be Rice, Foster, or Hunt, these kinds of cases decide a culture. There are precedents to be set, and the Chiefs have shown considerable strength with this recent decision. If the Goodell and the NFL want to see a structural change aside from policies, there must be a cultural shift. As with any institution, Princeton included, sometimes it takes harsh or persistent decisions to set precedents that benefit the community in the long-run. When the University finally decided to dismiss a professor the faculty after a year of initial allegations and investigations, the culture surrounding sexual misconduct surely saw a step in the right direction. Football is no different. As long as this kind of behavior is tolerated, the problem will continue. It’s been four years since the Rice case, but players keep making the same decisions. And so does the NFL.
vol. cxlii
editor-in-chief
Marcia Brown ’19 business manager
Ryan Gizzie ’19
BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas J. Widmann ’90 trustees Francesca Barber David Baumgarten ’06 Kathleen Crown Gabriel Debenedetti ’12 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 Michael Grabell ’03 John Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Kavita Saini ’09 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Abigail Williams ’14 trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 William R. Elfers ’71 Kathleen Kiely ’77 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73 trustees ex officio Marcia Brown ’19 Ryan Gizzie ’19
142ND MANAGING BOARD managing editors Isabel Hsu ’19 Sam Parsons ’19 head news editor Claire Thornton ’19 associate news editors Allie Spensley ’20 Ariel Chen ’20 Ivy Truong ’21 associate news and film editor Sarah Warman Hirschfield ’20 head opinion editor Emily Erdos ’19 associate opinion editors Jon Ort ’21 Cy Watsky ’21 head sports editors David Xin ’19 Chris Murphy ’20 associate sports editors Miranda Hasty ’19 Jack Graham ’20 associate street editors Danielle Hoffman ’20 Lyric Perot ’20 digital operations manager Sarah Bowen ’20 chief copy editors Marina Latif ’19 Arthur Mateos ’19 Catherine Benedict ’20 head design editor Rachel Brill ’19 associate design editor Charlotte Adamo ’21 cartoons editor Tashi Treadway ’19 head photo editor Risa Gelles-Watnick ’21
NIGHT STAFF copy David Veldran ’22 Nayef Kiame ’22 Celia Buchband ’22 design Austin Lau ’22
Arman Badrei is a first-year student from Houston, Texas. He can be reached at abadrei@ princeton.edu.
The Daily Princetonian is published daily except Saturday and Sunday from September through May and three times a week during January and May by The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., 48 University Place, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Mailing address: P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542. Subscription rates: Mailed in the United States $175.00 per year, $90.00 per semester. Office hours: Sunday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephones: Business: 609-375-8553; News and Editorial: 609-258-3632. For tips, email news@dailyprincetonian.com. Reproduction of any material in this newspaper without expressed permission of The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2014, The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Princetonian, P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542.
Tuesday December 4, 2018
Opinion
page 5
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EDITORIAL
A
vote in this year’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Winter Election will not have a substantial effect on the undergraduates’ experiences at Princeton. The lackluster similarities between the candidates’ platforms and the high proportion of uncontested elections render the outcome of this election almost certainly inconsequential. Therefore, in a break from tradition, this Board refrains from endorsing a candidate in the USG presidential election. An examination of the presidential candidates’ platforms reveals little disagreement. All three candidates’ proposals are beneficial, and all of the policies enjoy support among students. How can anyone argue against platitudes such
Elections without consequence as “strengthening career services,” “combating sexual misconduct,” or “increasing unity”? The candidates have not distinguished their positions from those of their opponents. Consequently, it is reasonable to suppose that the candidates support their opponents’ positions. Because none of the candidates’ platforms contend with one another, there is little for students to evaluate candidates’ qualifications. Our peers recognize this fact: Only 15 students, of the 5,260 undergraduates at the University, attended the candidates’ debate on Nov. 29. Even generous amounts of free pizza couldn’t elicit a higher turnout. Six out of the 10 USG elections are not contested. While 15 candidates are running to represent the
Class of 2022 as a senator, only three contest the two Class of 2021 senator positions, and the election is uncontested for the Class of 2020. This trend bespeaks a student body that becomes more cynical the longer it stays at the University — understandably so. Furthermore, that most down-ballot races are uncontested impedes USG’s ability to govern. When students are elected without opposition — or even appointed by the president because no one ran for the position — the elected or chosen student is less likely to be the most suitable person for the job, since they were not pushed through competition to hone their ideas. Admittedly, a contested election is not necessarily competitive in this sense, hence our previous
criticisms. Without competitive down-ballot elections to elevate the quality of elected officials, USG’s ability to improve student life or effectively modify its policies is handicapped. This editorial is not an attack on current or aspiring members of USG. Rather, we hope to draw the community’s attention to the systemic failings of USG’s elections and to encourage earnest students to reform the system. The Board affirms that the issues raised by the candidates — making menstrual products available, improving academic advising, and launching mental health initiatives, among others — are critical. It is the lack of debate and disagreement over unique positions that we lament. In recognition of its
members’ divergent views, this Board will not disclose at this time its opinion on the proactive steps required to reform USG. The Board’s members support various suggestions, from expanding USG’s powers to abolishing the organization. Princeton’s students must begin a debate over the nature of reforms they desire. The Board unanimously agrees, however, that USG needs reform to ensure that the elections presented to students are consequential. Board chairs Marcia Brown ’19 Emily Erdos ’19 Board members Samuel Aftel ’20 Isabel Hsu ’19 Jon Ort ’21 Samuel Parsons ’19 Sebastian Quiroz ’20 Cy Watsky ’21
Mousey musings Priya Vulchi
Contributing Columnist
B
ecause we had no choice but to become so closely acquainted, our room’s mouse quickly became “Mousey” to us quadmates. We saw Mousey so often that we had to nickname him. He hung around on our desks, under our beds, in the common room, you name it. We called PSafe’s emergency line, but they just told us to calm the f down, that it wasn’t in fact an emergency, and to email Housing and Real Estate Services instead. Housing eventually came and left some traps. We reminded ourselves that one room in Mathey College had bedbugs, and another lice, so we shouldn’t complain. We tried to think about Cinderella and those cute little mouse helpers she had, or that movie “Ratatouille.” “They’ve just been unfairly villainized in popular culture,” one of my roommates said, trying to calm me down after I al-
most stepped on Mousey. One day, that same roommate locked eyes with Open. Dead. Mouse. Eyes. She emailed Housing again, letting them know that Mousey — or simply a mouse, it’s hard to tell — was in the trap, but they responded saying that nobody was available to remove it until Monday. It was Friday. We laugh at the days we used to complain about the cockroaches. After finally getting rid of the mouse on Monday morning (shoutout to Dennis and Yamile), Housing left several of the traps behind, just in case there were more mice scurrying around. Great idea, we thought then. We were wrong: Ignorance was bliss. We’ve found four dead mice in our room since then — most of them left in there for hours, if not days. And one still persists, outsmarting all the traps. Maybe it’s the original Mousey. As I complained to my friends, their reactions were usually disgust (“ewwww,
imagine them crawling over your bed”), laughter (“this is why Mathey sucks, also, how much are you paying for tuition again lol?”), anger (“so there was a carcass rotting in your room for over 24 hrs? WTF?!”) but, ultimately, resignation. My friend Saran Touré ’22 said, “Yeah, I often feel like I shouldn’t complain too much because I’m supposed to be super grateful to be here. Like, because I have so much to lose, I can’t fully speak out.” As she finished chewing she paused, then added, “but then I realize that I don’t owe this school anything.” Given the age of Mathey’s buildings and and the abundance of heat and food inside, I understand that the existence of mice can’t necessarily be controlled, but Saran’s words did make me reconsider my nervousness about asking the University to remove the dead mice quickly. We were perhaps too polite, too patient, and too quiet about it all. Because I didn’t want to appear ungrateful for being
here, I tiptoed around in a haze of perpetual gratitude. I should be grateful to be at the University, yes, but not to the extent that I feel nervous about speaking my mind. I’m thankful to Housing and their staff for answering all of our emails and for (eventually) removing the dead mice from our room, but, from now on, I also won’t be afraid to email them more assertively — or maybe just send them a bunch of links to mouse diseases like hantavirus, Salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Because whether it’s for something as small as mice in my room, or as big as a professor saying something offensive in class, I don’t want my gratitude to hold me back — especially regarding injustices on campus because, unlike the mice, I can control my choice to confront them. For students who are of color, disabled, female, trans, gay, low-income, immigrant, first-generation, or otherwise marginalized,
it’s easy to feel like we’re the exception, and that because there aren’t many of us here, or “because I come from someplace way worse,” as another student told me, we should feel indebted to the University. But we shouldn’t. As Saran said, we “don’t owe this school anything.” From now on, I’m pushing myself to shake off my shyness. After all, if I can’t even speak up about mice, how will I ever speak out about larger issues here? Rodents might be inevitable, but the historical injustices on this campus don’t have to be. So, I guess I owe my fourlegged roommate a huge thanks for teaching me a valuable lesson during my first few months at the University. This one’s for you, Mousey. Priya Vulchi is a first-year from Princeton, N.J. She can be reached at pvulchi@ princeton.edu. This piece was originally published in the Prospect, the Daily Princetonian’s Arts and Culture section.
TASHI TREADWAY :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Tuesday December 4, 2018
Sports
page 6
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Women’s ice hockey sweeps Quinnipiac, extending unbeaten streak to 10 games By Owen Tedford Staff Writer
This past weekend, the women’s ice hockey team (7–2–3 overall, 6–0–2 ECAC Hockey) hosted Quinnipiac (4–10–3, 3–4–1) on Friday night and then traveled that night after the game to play the Bobcats at their home in Hamden, Conn., on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers continued their unbeaten streak with a 3–2 win on Friday and a 4–1 win on Saturday. These results saw No. 6 Princeton maintain its position atop the ECAC women’s hockey standings. The Tigers moved up from their previous ranking at No. 10 in the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) rankings to No. 6 as they continue their unbeaten streak. Coming into the weekend, Quinnipiac was tied for fourth place with Colgate (9–5–2, 5–2–1), who Princeton beat 6–0 before Thanksgiving break. In Friday’s game, Princeton got two goals from junior defender Claire Thompson and a third from freshman forward Maggie Connors. Both of Thompson’s goals came off of power-play opportunities where she found herself in the high slot. Freshman forward Sarah Fillier
assisted on all three goals. Sophomore goalie Rachel McQuigge had a career high of 39 saves. This beats her past career high, which she set against Colgate two weeks prior. On Saturday, Fillier got a chance to finish the opportunities that had the Tigers’ offense had been generating netting two of Princeton’s four goals. The other two goals came from junior forward Carly Bullock and senior forward Karlie Lund. Fillier has been key to Princeton’s success so far this season despite having missed four of the games when she was playing with Team Canada. In her eight games played, Fillier has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists), only trailing Lund who has 18 (10 goals, eight assists). Fillier leads the team in assists and has the highest points per game average on the team. McQuigge did not face too much action on Saturday, seeing only 21 shots despite Quinnipiac getting an early goal. McQuigge saved 20 of those 21 shots. Two areas that the Tigers hoped to take advantage of were its penalty power-play offense and its success at face-offs. Against Quinnipiac, Princeton capitalized on two of its four power-
play opportunities. As for its face-offs, the Tigers were dominant on Friday, winning 31 of 47 and continued to win a majority of them on Saturday night, when they won 33 of 60. Fillier was again a big part of Princeton’s success, winning 17 of her 29 face-off opportunities. Next week, the Tigers will travel to New York to play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (5–8–4, 3–3–0) on Friday evening and Union (2–12–2, 0–5–1) on Saturday
afternoon. This past weekend, RPI and Union traveled to play Harvard (4–5–1, 3–3–1) and Dartmouth (3–8– 1, 2–5–8). Harvard defeated both, and Dartmouth beat Union and lost to RPI. RPI is currently tied for No. 7 with Clarkson (12–4, 3–3), and Union sits in 12th place in the ECAC. Continuing to perform well will be vital for the Tigers to stay ahead of Cornell (8–1–4, 6–1–1), which sits just one point behind them in the ECAC rankings with 13.
Links to watch live streams of the two games will be available on the Princeton Athletics website. After those games, the Tigers will have a break, before they come home to host Merrimack (10–5–2, 6–5–1) in a two-game series on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31. These are two of the three remaining non-conference games that Princeton has, the last against Penn State (7–9–2, 2–6–0) at home on Jan. 29.
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With their sweep of Quinnipiac, the Tigers maintain their position atop the ECAC and women’s Ivy League standings.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Men’s ice hockey struggles against Bobcats, lose weekend doubleheader
By Sam Shapiro Staff Writer
This past weekend, in a doubleheader against ECAC rival Quinnipiac (13–2 overall, 6–2 ECAC Hockey), Princeton men’s hockey (3– 6–1, 3–4–1) suffered two losses. On Friday, the team lost 0–3, and was kept scoreless by strong Quinnipiac defense. The game on Saturday was higher scoring, but the Tigers lost 3–6. Junior forward Jackson Cressey led the
tigers with two goals, and senior forward Ryan Kuffner tapped in one for the Tigers. Until the third quarter, the game was close, when Quinnipiac scored two back-toback goals. “We can take some positives out of this weekend,” said sophomore forward Luke Keenan. “Each game, there was a goal disallowed that could have gone either way. We’re still trying to find our team identity…. Parts of this weekend we saw that,
but moving forward that’s what we need to find.” The team is bolstered by strong senior leadership in captain defenseman Josh Teves and forwards Ryan Kuffner and Max Véronneau. But with several underclassmen entering the lineup, the Tigers are working to get the new players acclimated to the pace of the game. In practice, the Tigers are working on their play chemistry on the ice. They have struggled with their power
play performance during the last few games, and are hoping to bring it back. However, they feel confident in their penalty kill ability and feel like they have a strong technical foundation. Next up for the Tigers is a doubleheader against Arizona State this weekend. The Tigers hope to break their losing streak of the last five games, but Arizona State will not be an easy matchup. Arizona State is off to a solid start in their season, with a
10–6 overall record. In last year’s matchup against Arizona State, the Tigers went 1–1. Princeton now stands 3–4– 1 in the ECAC league, but hopes to capture the title in the remaining part of the season. “We won the ECAC last year, so that’s our goal again,” Keenan said. “But anyone could beat anyone. Every league game, we really have to come in like it’s a door-die.”
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Princeton continues to struggle as the Tigers are swept in their weekend face-off against the Bobcats.
Tweet of the Day “Sarah Fillier led the nation’s rookies in scoring this week and the ECAC overall to earn @ecachockey Rookie of the Week honors” Princeton Hockey (@PWIH)
Stat of the Day
5th two-time winner John Lovett won the 2018 Bushnell Cup, becoming only the fifth two-time Bushnell Cup winner in Ivy League history, after a historic season leading the football team.
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