Freshman Issue 2015

Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998

The Freshman Issue summer 2015 vol. cxxxix no. 67

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TIGER, TIGER, TIGER SIS, SIS, SIS

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’19! ’19! ’19!

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Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998

The Freshman Issue summer 2015 vol. cxxxix no. 67

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } APRIL 14

SPRINGTIME FLOWERS

Student requests to view admission files surge since January

By Ruby Shao associate news editor

SUNNY HE :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

J U LY 8

U. prohibits smoking within 25 feet of public areas

By Jacob Donnelly news editor

The University has updated the “Smoking” section of “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities” in the past week to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of all workplaces and buildings of public access.

Section 1.5.3 had previously only prohibited smoking within workplaces and buildings of public access. The prohibition continues to extend to e-cigarettes.

Greg Cantrell, associate director for Workplace Safety in the Office of Environmental

Health and Safety, said that New Jersey law does not go as far as the University’s new policy.

“One of the challenges of New Jersey law is that it does not define a distance outside of a building in which smoking is permitted,” Cantrell said. “It has some vague language about prohibiting smoking in areas where smoke might be pulled back into a building.”

The Daily Princetonian reported on Nov. 24 that the University was considering updating its policy.

Cantrell said the Advisory Board to Healthier Princeton

had initiated the idea for revising the University’s smoking policy.

Other students, faculty and staff affiliated with the board were not immediately available for comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The board ultimately recommended adding a distance specification to the University’s policy, Cantrell added.

“There aren’t very many complaints, but those complaints that we do receive are frequently caused by smoking that takes place very near a building, particularly near an

air intake or the main doors going in and out of the building,” Cantrell explained. “This should go a long way toward eliminating situations where smoke is pulled back into a building.”

The new policy also includes language about partially enclosed areas such as archways, Cantrell noted. The working group on the board found that smoke in these areas can be pulled back into buildings and is similar in effect to smoke that lingers indoors, he explained.

“One of the complaints that See SMOKING page 6

Over 300 students have filed requests to view their admission files under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act since Jan. 15, according to Senior Associate Dean of the College Claire Fowler.

FERPA became a federal law in 1974 to guarantee students a right of access to their educational records and to protect those records from disclosure to third parties.

The flood of requests began after an anonymous satirical newsletter at Stanford University called the Fountain Hopper publicized a process for requesting admission files under FERPA. Members of the Fountain Hopper did not respond to requests for comment.

The number of students who followed through with viewing their files as of April 13 was 137, according to a WASS calendar maintained by the Office of the Dean of the College called “FERPA File Review.” In March, when the first appointments began, 97 students did so.

To view admission files, students must first submit a formal request for their records to the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Within 45 days, an administrator will contact the student and give permission to schedule an appointment in the WASS calendar.

Students have one hour to view their files at West College.

The file includes an introductory statement entitled “The Admissions Process,” a packet called “Joint Statement for Candidates on Common Ivy League Admission Procedure,” emails related to the student’s FERPA request, the reader scorecard, the alumni inter-

viewer’s report, test score summary sheets, a copy of the high school transcript and recommendations that the student did not waive his rights to.

Interviewed students said they heard about the phenomenon from online articles and friends, and requested their files to gain insight into an opaque admission process and to learn why they were accepted to the University.

Emily Tu ’16 and Jacob Scheer ’15 said they wanted to revisit their high school trajectories by reviewing copies of their applications as well.

Anna Leader ’18, who lives in Luxembourg, said she hoped to help her sister, a junior at a school that rarely sends graduates to American colleges.

“I wanted to go find out if there was anything I could find out from records which would tell me what helped me get in so that I could tell her, since she’s starting to panic about applications,” she said.

The admission process begins with a randomly selected first reader who summarizes everything he or she sees in the file, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye explained. The file then passes on to a second reader, the regional admission officer, who takes a broader perspective of how the student appears in the context of his or her educational background.

The most promising files go to committee for discussion and voting, Rapelye said.

“The question we’re always asking is, ‘Has this student taken advantage of everything in his or her setting?’ ” Rapelye said.

Based on interviews and a file review conducted by The Daily Princetonian, the first reader recommends an action See FERPA page 8

APRIL 7

APRIL 6

Urban Congo dance performance sparks social media storm

By Jessica Li staff writer

Students voiced their outrage over social media on the weekend of April 4-5 about videos featuring Urban Congo, a student organization recognized and sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

One of the videos shows a dance performance by members of the organization at the annual Princeton Varsity Club “Tigers Got Talent” talent show in November that was deemed inappropriate by many, citing disrespect for multiple African and Native American cultures.

In response to growing discontent, Urban Congo removed the video from its YouTube channel and deactivated its Facebook page. Michael Hauss ’16, the president of Urban Congo, noted that these decisions were a result of a discussion held among organization members and not from pressure from the University.

Though its membership is mostly comprised of students on the men’s swimming and diving team, Urban Congo is in no way affiliated with or funded by the athletic department, Hauss explained.

The group has also not received funding from ODUS, according to Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne.

Urban Congo was approved by the Student Groups Com-

mittee and by the USG senate in May of 2013.

Urban Congo also performed over the weekend of April 4-5 as a guest performer for eXpressions Dance Company’s spring production.

Achille Tenkiang ’17 said that Urban Congo’s performances disgusted and disappointed him deeply.

“I’m ashamed that I share an affiliation, however tenuous, with a group like Urban Congo,” Tenkiang said. “I think this just calls for greater discussion on campus. I hope that my peers wake up and realize that things aren’t so pretty inside the FitzRandolph Gate, and there are a lot of things we need to address as a community.”

In response to claims that members of Urban Congo did not have bad intentions, Tenkiang said the impact was more important than the intention.

“You may be the most wellmeaning person ever, but how it comes across is a totally different picture, and that’s what you need to be cognizant of as you act and you decide to do certain things,” Tenkiang said.

Lena Sun ’16 said that she had seen Urban Congo perform at the eXpressions show on April 4, in which five male students came onstage wearing loincloths for a filler performance. The students held items above their heads See URBAN CONGO page 10

CHRISTOPHER FERRI :: ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

Rapper Big Sean performed at Quadrangle Club during Lawnparties this spring after students voiced concerns over his lyrics.

Students voice concern over choice of Big Sean

By Christina Vosbikian staff writer

Some students took to social media over the weekend of April 4-5 to express concern over the choice of Big Sean as the main act for Lawnparties after Duncan Hosie ’16 and Rebecca Basaldua ’15 started a petition urging the Undergraduate Student Government to rescind its offer to the rapper.

The petition alleges that Big Sean promotes rape culture and misogyny in his lyrics.

Hosie said USG’s promo-

tional video, which featured Big Sean repeating the phrase “stupid ass bitch,” spurred him to reach out to Basaldua, and to start the petition and open up dialogue about the selection of acts for Lawnparties.

“After I saw that video, I started researching Big Sean’s language and I found language that was both misogynistic and homophobic,” Hosie said. “We wrote an oped piece that we published on Google Docs [on Sunday, April 5] and wanted to see the number of supporters. Right now, close to 500 people have

signed.”

Hosie said that posters hung around campus containing sexually explicit Big Sean lyrics, intended to urge students to protest the selection of Big Sean, were not his or Basaldua’s doing.

Basaldua, who is an editor of the blog “Equal Writes,” said the protests over Big Sean’s lyrics have a precedent at Columbia University.

“I’m sure every singer has a questionable song, but there are a significant amount of his songs that deal with this and I think there are a lot of other artists in the same

genre even that would have been a better choice,” she said.

The USG social committee generates a list of five to 10 names, which are then sent to an entertainment agent that connects USG with artists, USG social committee chair Simon Wu ’17 said.

“We send them to the agent and then the agent will get back to us with prices and availability, and this is a process that happens about six or seven times before we can find somebody that works,” Wu said.

See LAWNPARTIES page 10

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

The Daily Princetonian

page 3

APRIL 13

Students protest chapel gathering

by U. President Chris Eisgruber ’83

By Melissa Curtis staff writer

SUNNY HE :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students held signs in protest during a gathering in the Chapel hosted by U. President Chris Eisgruber ’83.

JUNE 2

U. establishes African American studies department, concentration

By Jessica Li staff writer

The University Board of Trustees voted to create a new department for African American studies, the University announced on Tuesday.

The department will be created on July 1.

The decision came shortly after heated controversy on campus surrounding misappropriation of cultures and racial tensions on campus. In the 2013-14 academic year, the Trustee Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity released a report finding that whites and males dominate the composition of the faculty.

According to interim University director of communications Daniel Day, Eddie Glaude Jr., the current chair of African American studies and the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies, will head the new department.

Students will be able to pursue concentrations in African American studies beginning next fall, including tracks in African American culture and life, global race and ethnicity, as well

as race and public policy, all three of which were previously offered through the Center for African American Studies.

Glaude said he envisions hiring new faculty to stimulate growth for the newborn department. Particularly, Glaude said the department seeks to welcome more faculty who specialize in studies of Caribbean and black Atlantic cultures in the subfield of global race and ethnicity.

In addition, Glaude said he hopes for the department to stabilize funding for its postdoctoral scholars, whom Glaude explained have made major contributions in the past decade.

“We will continue to grow,” Glaude said. “We will continue to build our community by inviting more folks to join our table.”

Glaude further noted that blueprints for the center to departmentalize have been in place since its creation in 2006. Hiring faculty to sustain the major has been an essential element of the equation that was gradually realized. There is no causality between the student protests the past school year and the birth of the department, Glaude said.

“It happens that there’s a convergence between what we’ve been doing on ground with African American studies and this moment on campus,” Glaude said. “I think it reflects how appropriate this decision is for the moment. I don’t think there is a better time to do it then now.”

The Daily Princetonian reported in February 2013 that the Center for African American Studies was undergoing an external review, which the ‘Prince’ noted was a potential step to creating an African American studies major.

Glaude said he foresees his department remaining relatively small to medium in size in terms of student enrollment. The option to pursue a certificate in the discipline still remains.

Prior to its establishment as a department, the Center for African American Studies, launched in 2006 by president emeritus Shirley Tilghman, allows students to pursue certificates following the completion of interdisciplinary coursework in literature and public policy. Outgoing Dean of the College Valerie Smith served as the founding director of the center.

APRIL 30

Report on Latino and Asian American studies finds room for improvement

By Annie Yang staff writer

The University should provide the American Studies program with the necessary faculty hiring capacity to sustain the development of programs in Latino Studies and Asian American Studies, an April 3 report by the Asian American Student Association and Princeton Latinos y Amigos argued.

The report highlighted the current state of ethnic studies at the University. Specifically, the document calls for merging the program in Latino Studies with the program in American Studies, as well as allowing students to declare a track in Asian American Studies or Latino Studies within the American Studies certificate program.

The report also seeks designation of Latino Studies and Asian American studies courses under two different headings in the course catalog. Right now, both are listed under LAO. The report, delivered to the offices of University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, Provost David Lee GS ’99, Dean of the Faculty Deborah Prentice, Dean of the College Valerie Smith, Deputy Dean of the College Clayton Marsh ’85 and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Katherine Rohrer, was sent in conjunction with a letter of support which received over 522 signatures from individuals across the University.

According to University spokesperson Martin Mbugua, who spoke on behalf of the administrators, Lee sent a response to the letter on

the afternoon of April 29.

“Proposals for programmatic expansion or change typically originate from academic units and faculty members, not from the central administration,” Mbugua said.

He added that administrators in the Office of the Provost are gathering views on the proposal from faculty members with research and teaching interests in Latino and Asian American Studies. The Office of the Dean of the College is also reviewing the designations of Latino Studies and Asian American Studies courses to see if it is possible to make them more distinct from each other.

“Provost Lee is consulting with colleagues about ways to encourage faculty members and departments to increase course offerings in these areas while the University continues the process of recruiting additional permanent faculty members,” Mbugua said.

Current cross-listing of many Latino Studies courses with Latin American Studies hinders the Program in Latino Studies, according to the report.

“Latin American studies is a regional study, the history and culture of a region, while Latino studies is the study of a community within the United States,” Princeton Latinos y Amigos co-president Briana Christophers ’17 said.

Christophers said that this distinction is particularly important for Latino studies because the Latino community is the largest growing ethnic or racial group in the United States. Latino culture and identity overlap with various spheres including politics, medi-

cine and social sciences, she added.

“The problem with having Latino Studies and Latin American Studies, while having all of these classes being largely cross-listed, creates less emphasis on developing each one as an individual field of study,” she said.

Christophers said AASA first approached PLA with the task of compiling the report, which not only commemorates the 1995 sit-in that advocated for the creation of these ethnic studies programs, but also reevaluates the state of ethnic studies in the past 20 years.

According to the report, a protest and sit-in occurred on April 20, 1995 near former University President Harold Shapiro GS ’64’s office in Nassau Hall. Seventeen students occupied the office while over 100 other protesters gathered outside. A petition for more Latino and Asian American studies professors garnered support from 548 individuals across the campus.

The following year, a significant gathering of students attended a rally to commemorate the event and to continue advocating for the creation of programs for ethnic studies.

Cailin Hong ’17, co-president of AASA, noted that it is important to talk about ethnic studies in general to give the broader University community the opportunity to analyze and understand the intricacies of a diverse cultural group.

She added that other universities including Columbia, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania have well established ethnic studies programs while the University remains lacking.

See REPORT page 9

Some students who gathered in the University Chapel on April 12 to address issues of racism and prejudice turned their backs on University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, and some walked out.

The gathering followed controversy the week of April 5 concerning performances by student group Urban Congo that some said mocked African people and racist posts on the anonymous social media application Yik Yak. Alison Boden, Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel, introduced each speaker.

The event was intended to “take steps toward a better place,” she said.

As Eisgruber began to speak, around 20 students stood and turned their backs to Eisgruber.

The audience, filling about half the chapel, was silent.

The students remained standing until Eisgruber finished speaking.

Eisgruber addressed what he said were “eruptions of hostile and thoughtless comments” that had taken place on Yik Yak. “Anonymous cowards find no fertile ground here for their hatred or their ignorance,” Eisgruber said. “These hateful comments have no place at Princeton.”

Eisgruber also said he recognized the discrimination minorities on campus have faced.

“On our campus and in our society, members of minority groups too often find themselves hurt,” he said. “The taunts and the insults have been hurtful.”

Even though it is tempting to dismiss the anonymous words of a few, the University community has a responsibility to improve the campus climate, Eisgruber added.

Ruha Benjamin, assistant professor in the Center for African American Studies, said she was

deeply concerned about racial insensitivity.

“The year is 2015 and we are failing,” Benjamin said. “It’s not that we don’t get the joke. It’s that stubborn fact that racist and sexist jokes never just end at the punch line.”

The issue isn’t the people bringing concerns to public attention but the system instead, Benjamin added.

The power of empathy is the only solution to apathy, U-councilor Jacob Cannon ’17 said. Regardless of background, all students have the right to prosper and succeed, he added.

“Try and understand why those around you think differently,” he said.

William Gleason, chair of the English department, also discussed the importance of empathy.

“Everything that happens on this campus touches every one of us,” Gleason said. “No one can turn away and say this doesn’t involve me.”

Gleason addressed the Urban Congo performance and said highly offensive humor is detrimental to campus unity and student dignity.

While Gleason said he believes humor can be a useful form of satire, it can also be “a divisive and deeply humiliating gesture,” he said.

Athletics Administrator Isaac Serwanga ’13 called for action.

As a student athlete, Serwanga wasted time wishing for change, he said.

“For my first three years I complained,” Serwanga said. “It wasn’t until my senior year that I could be an agent of change. …

Each and every individual has the opportunity to create change.”

Constructive criticism, positive engagement and mindful action constitute a three-part plan for beginning to grapple with campus issues, Serwanga said. “[I’m] tremendously excited

about where we can go in the future,” he said.

While stereotyping is natural, it’s important not to become complacent about accepting these stereotypes at face value, Lina Saud ’15 said, adding direct action to engage with and learn from individuals whom one stereotypes is necessary to overcome prejudice.

U-Councilor Naimah Hakim ’16 then introduced four students who presented a list of demands, including dignity, accountability and change.

While these students spoke, other students stood in the aisle of the Chapel with signs protesting for change. After the four students onstage finished their remarks, they and the protesters in the aisle marched out of the church, chanting, “Hate speech is not free speech.”

Eisgruber then thanked students and other participants for their attendance, and invited attendees to take part in small group discussion sessions.

Students expressed mixed feelings about the event.

Emily de La Bruyere ’16 said the gathering reflected the University’s lack of normal forums for addressing these types of issues.

“I think there needs to be a forum of constructive conversation,” she said.

Duncan Hosie ’16, who organized a petition calling for Big Sean to be removed as the Lawnparties headliner, said he felt the gathering was beneficial.

“I thought the speakers were incredibly powerful, and I commend the University for creating this gathering,” Hosie said. “It was uncomfortable and challenging at points, but it was a very thoughtful and thought provoking experience.”

The gathering took place at 2 p.m. In addition to the reflections, the gathering also included musical performances by the University Chapel Choir and violinist Solene Le Van ’18.

page 4

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

The Daily Princetonian

APRIL 25

page 5

APRIL 23

USG divestment referendum fails to Princeton Board of Health raises pass by slim margin, with 2,032 voting minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21

By Daily Princetonian Staff The divestment referendum did not pass, with 52.5 percent of students voting against divestment and 47.5 percent voting in favor of it.

The referendum called on the University to divest from companies “that maintain the infrastructure of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, facilitate Israel’s and Egypt’s collective punishment of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, or facilitate state repression against Palestinians by Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian Authority security force.”

Though 2,200 students participated in the election and voting process, only 2,032 students voted on the referendum.

Princeton Committee on Palestine board member Katie Horvath ’15 explained that, although the movement for divestment had been significant, she was not surprised at the outcome of the referendum.

“We knew from the outset that this was going to be an uphill battle, and we had done our research and looked at the previous divestment movements at Princeton,” Horvath said.

She added that she was pleased to have lost by only 102 votes, because with more outreach and slightly increased support, the referendum would pass in a similar scenario. She explained that because winning the vote was a long shot, the leaders of the campaign had multiple goals during the process.

“We had three goals, and only one of them was the actual numbers of the referendum. The other two goals were education and reaching the broader audience outside of this University,” Horvath said.

The University is a leader in the United States, so the relative success of the campaign will give hope to pro-divestment students at other colleges, she explained.

“If we can run a campaign here, on a campus that has so recently been apathetic and historically has been very resistant to divestment and to change, this could happen anywhere,” Horvath added. “A lot of schools will have even more success the first time around than we had.”

There may or may not be a referendum next year, depending on how events play out, she noted. The divestment movement is certainly not going away, and another referendum will probably be useful to pursue in the future, she added.

Though she feels some regret about the outcome of the vote, the diversity of race, religion, other social justice interests was inspiring, Horvath said.

“One of the things that I’m most excited about in this campaign is that it catalyzed this unprecedented show of solidarity on campus from all sectors,” Horvath said, adding that she hopes the unity shown by students and various student groups will happen again in the future.

Leading up to the vote, Elise Backman ’15 said she and fellow members of the No Divest coalition had been trying to talk to as many students as possible about alternative ways to promote a two-state solution and sustainable peace among Israelis and Palestinians.

“We were just really proud that the majority of the voting students saw through the misleading language of the referendum and ended up rejecting what we saw as a counterproductive proposition, especially coming from the University forum,” she said. ”We don’t

believe that it’s a productive policy tool to improve the status quo in the region.”

While the coalition had no expectations about whether the referendum would pass, Backman said, she successfully predicted that the outcome would be very close given the abundance of perspectives.

“Moving forward, we really want to focus on impacting the region in as positive and constructive a way that we can, and we hope that other students will join us in that endeavor,” Backman said.

She noted that the No Divest coalition will continue working on Tigers Together, which begun earlier this year as a collaboration mainly between Tigers for Israel and J Street U. “Tigers Together wants to have as positive and constructive and immediate of an impact as possible on the ground by supporting organizations that work on development issues for Israelis and Palestinians, like entrepreneurship and water scarcity,” Backman said, adding that Tigers Together has already begun fundraising for such organizations.

She explained that next year, Tigers Together will also launch an internship program that will send students to Israel or Palestine, so that they can bring firsthand perspectives on the region back to campus.

The organization is seeking faculty from a diverse arena of academic disciplines, including the Wilson School and development-oriented fields, Backman noted.

“We think the more students that know about the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, the better,” she said, adding that the No Divest coalition is happy that there is dialogue on campus concerning the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.

By Melissa Curtis staff writer

The Princeton Board of Health adopted an ordinance on April 21 raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and other smoking products to 21.

Princeton is the seventh town in New Jersey and the first in Mercer County to have implemented such an ordinance. The statewide minimum age to purchase tobacco in New Jersey is 19.

The adoption of the ordinance follows a recommendation by the Board of Health in March.

Mayor Liz Lempert said she supported the new ordinance.

“The longer you can put off someone taking their first puff the more likely it will be that they’ll never start,” Lempert said.

The feedback Lempert has received on the anti-smoking measure has been highly positive, Lempert said.

“I think it’s more that we’ve tried to be practical in Princeton and a leader in the state when it comes to creating a smoke-free environment in our

parks and outside of our municipal buildings,” Lempert said.

In 2013, the town of Princeton enacted a ban on outdoor smoking on municipal property, including municipal buildings, parks, pools and town-owned recreation areas, becoming the first town in Mercer County to do so. The town has the ability to issue fines for violations of this ban.

However, Jorge Armenteros, owner of the cigar shop A Little Taste of Cuba, said he actively opposed the ban at a town council meeting.

“The saddest reason that I was opposing it was specifically about the Princeton students,” Armenteros said, adding he develops a rapport with University students who return year after year and enjoys interacting with them at his shop.

“We have a lot of fun selling cigars for … celebratory events.”

Town leadership did not seem very receptive to opposing viewpoints on the ordinance, Armenteros said.

“It seemed like a done deal,” Armenteros said.

Tom Davies GS questioned what kind of effect the ordi-

nance would have.

“My experience from my home country is that minors don’t tend to start smoking at 18,” Davies said. “They don’t tend to get access to their tobacco through legal means in the first place. I’m not sure that a law moving the age of buying tobacco … to 21 would have any effect.”

Tianay Zeigler ’18 similarly said access to cigarettes should not prove difficult for interested students.

“I don’t really think it would make a difference either way because you could always probably get your hands on cigarettes,” Zeigler said. “Someone could go and buy it for you and hand it off. It’s basically the same way with alcohol.”

Karen Feng ’18 said there was a parallel situation between smoking ordinances and alcohol prohibition.

“I mean my opinion is that this is similar to what they’re already doing for the policy for alcohol and that clearly hasn’t really worked based on how the social scene at Princeton works, so I don’t think that this will be an effective policy,” Feng said.

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The Freshman Issue summer 2015

MAY 1

U. appeal to dismiss tax lawsuit declined by New Jersey Superior Court

By Jessica Li staff writer

The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court declined to hear an appeal in April from the University regarding its tax-exempt status.

The University had motioned earlier to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged this status, but was ruled against by the Morris County Tax Court.

Four town residents are challenging the University’s receipt of a property tax exemption from the town in 2014. This is separate from a 2011 suit challenging the University’s property tax exemption for 19 buildings alleged to have non-educa-

tional or primary uses.

The University will now take the case to trial, University Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee ’69 said, although hypothetically the University could have appealed the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

With an unfavorable ruling in the trial, the University will be required to pay around an additional $40 million per year in taxes.

Though the case was filed in 2014, if a settlement is reached, adjustments would only need to be made starting this tax year.

In mid-February, Morris County Tax Court judge Vito Bianco upheld the right to sue for four local

residents represented by attorney Bruce Afran.

Bianco deemed the University’s argument — that the University’s “dominant motive” is to be an educational institution — irrelevant, a legal precedent that prompted the University’s argument to be overturned, Afran explained. Following the decision, the University immediately filed an appeal to the higher court.

The Appellate Court upheld Bianco’s ruling as there were never any legal issues, Afran said.

“The courts for many years have said that when a nonprofit shares profits and engages in commercial conduct, it is subject to lose its exemption in its en-

tirety, and Bianco was just following the existing law,” Afran said.

Durkee said that while appealing a decision prior to trial is an atypical practice, the University believed it was worthwhile to try.

“It is unusual to ask the court to consider an appeal prior to a trial court decision, and we knew it was unlikely that the court would hear the appeal, but we believe the law is clear enough that it was worth asking for a ruling now,” Durkee said.

Unless a settlement can be reached with the town and its residents, the University is at “serious risk” of legally losing its tax exemptions, Afran said. An

agreement between multiple parties would entail a commitment from the University to appropriate to the township a reasonable tax payment each year, an amount Afran said would have to provide significant tax relief to residents.

“People here are paying 30 percent more in taxes than they should,” Afran said. “It’s hurting a lot of members in this community because Princeton is not paying its fair share. The University needs to return to a position of being fundamentally honest.”

The University expressed some interest in an outside settlement during preliminary discussions, Afran said, adding that going to

trial includes incurring significant legal fees for all parties and creates a “huge risk” for the University.

Unless the University can demonstrate at trial that it does not engage in widespread commercial conduct, it may lose the entire or a very significant portion of its tax exemption, Afran said.

“It’s just not fair that Princeton can pay millions of dollars to its faculty and endowment fund managers while refusing to pay taxes, leaving thousands in the community strapped of cash,” Afran said, adding that the town’s residents include many working class men and retired individuals with limited incomes.

Prohibition continues to extend to e-cigarettes SMOKING Continued from page 1

.............

we heard very loudly from the undergraduates was that there were concerns about going through these archways … where other students were smoking,” Cantrell said.

While some campuses around the country have adopted complete smoke-free policies, Cantrell said EHS was made the primary office for administering the policy because the University is focused on preventing exposure to harmful substances and responding to violations and complaints with technical support rather than providing a

punitive response.

The University also had to take into consideration how diverse the population using the campus is, he added.

“There are a number of institutions that have handled this in a variety of ways,” Cantrell said. “We felt the approach that we took … was an appropriate policy and response for Princeton University.”

The board’s working group also expressed concern about where community members were supposed to direct questions, concerns and complaints about smoking on campus, so the University created a website with contact information, he added.

Personality Survey: 1) During lecture you are... a) asking the professor questions. b) doodling all over your notes. c) correcting grammar mistakes. d) watching videos on youtube.com e) calculating the opportunity cost of sitting in lecture.

2) Your favorite hidden pasttime is... a) getting the scoop on your roommate’s relationships. b) stalking people’s Facebook pictures. c) finding dangling modifiers in your readings. d) managing your blog. e) lurking outside 48 University Place.

3) The first thing that you noticed was... a) the word “survey.” b) the logo set in the background. c) the extra “t” in “pasttime.” d) the o’s and i’s that look like binary code from far away. e) the fact that this is a super-cool ad for The Daily Princetonian.

If you answered mostly “a,” you are a reporter in the making!

If you answered mostly “b,” you are a design connoisseur, with unlimited photography talents!

If you answered mostly “c,” you are anal enough to be a copy editor!

If you answered mostly “d,” you are a multimedia and web designing whiz!

And if you answered mostly “e,” you are obsessed with the ‘Prince’ and should come join the Editorial Board and Business staff!

Contact join@dailyprincetonian.com!

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

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MAY 16

U. revises yield to 68.6 percent for Class of 2019, no longer record number

By Jessica Li staff writer

The University adjusted its yield rate to 68.6 percent on Friday after 14 admitted students deferred their admission to the Class of 2020, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said.

The yield rate is no longer a record yield rate. The previously reported yield rate was 69.4 percent, compared to last year’s yield of 69.2 percent.

Rapelye said she ultimately expects to admit 20 to 25 students from the wait list. These

students will be notified before June 30.

“Since students continue to ask to defer or withdraw throughout the next few weeks and months, the numbers in the class and the yield will change, as they always do during this period,” Rapelye said.

Rapelye noted that the enrolling number for the incoming freshman class currently stands at 1,310, which is the University’s target enrollment number. The number for the incoming freshman class does not include the 35 students

who will be participating in the Bridge Year Program next year.

According to Rapelye, 60 percent of the incoming class will receive financial aid. Forty-two percent of students selfidentified as American students of color, and 12.6 percent are children of Princeton graduates. Of the incoming class, 46.8 percent of the committed students are women, and 53.2 percent are men.

Rapelye said final statistics will be released in a report in September.

GABRIELLA CHU :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Edward Snowden joined Barton Gellman ’82 on campus via Skype for a conversation in May.

JUNE 12

Record number of post-graduation goals achieved

By Melissa Curtis staff writer

A record number of graduates from the Class of 2014 — 90.3 percent — achieved their post-graduation goals within six months of graduating, according to an annual report published this week by the University’s Office of Career Services.

The report addresses initial employment statuses and higher education destinations for the Class of 2014.

The report found that 70.2 percent of the Class of 2014 found jobs within six months of graduation. In addition, 18.8 percent continued their education.

Of those who found jobs, 12.5 percent work in the finance and insurance industries while 18.7 percent have involved themselves in the nonprofit sector.

Out of the entire Class of 2014, 90.1 percent had at least one job or internship in their college experience, and 89.4 percent had collaborated with

Career Services before graduation.

According to the report’s findings, 14 percent of graduates who acquired full-time employment offers obtained these offers following summer internships Career Services facilitated.

Career Services has different strategies to ensure graduates’ successes. It reported having held 6,319 career counseling sessions, offered 256 programs and events, and conducted 4,071 interviews on campus throughout the 2013-14 academic year. It also partnered with 232 alumni to create programs and networking events to better inform students in their career search.

Mike Caddell, senior associate director of communications and outreach, said that Career Services’ main goal is to guide students toward obtaining the best future possible.

“The office of Career Services is committed to helping our students to define a unique career and life vision,” he said.

Caddell said he was enthu-

siastic about this year’s report.

Eva Kubu, director of external relations and operations, also expressed positive sentiments for the 2014 report. With respect to percentages, Kubu said she didn’t find any to be upsetting or surprising.

“What we do is we follow the national trends with respect to industries,” she said.

Consequently the percentages seemed appropriate and successful, especially in comparison with national data, Kubu added.

“Certainly one of the things we were really happy about was the highest percentage of plans,” she noted.

Kubu said she attributes some of this record success to students taking advantage of the new Career Services strategy based in self-exploration and two new initiatives enacted during 2014: the Career & Life Vision Program and the “Script to Screen” event.

She said several graduates reported examples, such as these two new programs, which they said helped inform

and guide their decisions.

Current students received the report’s statistics with mixed reactions.

Connor Moore ’17 said he thought the percentage of graduates fully employed would be higher than 70.2 percent.

“I’d be curious to see how many graduates both didn’t get into a graduate program and couldn’t find a job,” he said.

Becky Richards ’18 said she was very pleased with 70.2 percent employed.

“I think that it’s a really great percentage,” she said.

“Obviously a vast majority are getting into great companies, but there is also a proportion taking other routes.”

Richards said she believes the percentage serves as an “exciting prospect for upcoming graduates.”

Eos Chase ’18 said he was surprised by the percentage of graduates pursuing higher education, noting that he thought the number would be higher than 18.8 percent.

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The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Despite popular thought, Rapelye reaffirms there is no secret to admissions FERPA

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for the second reader on a scale of four or five options, including “Unlikely,” “Only if Room,” “Strong Interest” and “High Priority.”

The second reader may disagree with the first reader.

Leigh Anne Schriever ’16 noted that her first reader had circled one option and that the second reader drew an arrow bumping her up to “admit.”

Evan Kratzer ’16 said his first reader looked more at his extracurriculars, while his second reader focused on his alumni interview and potential for creating projects on campus.

Several students expressed surprise at the low number of quantitative metrics.

“I thought it was notable that your SAT scores don’t come up at all on the two-page sheet that’s your summary of who you are, effectively,” Kratzer said.

On the other hand, Leader said her readers briefly mentioned her test scores as flawless.

“It just seemed like it was a requirement you have to clear before they look at other stuff, so if you hit a certain bar, then they’re just like, ‘Oh, her test scores are good enough, let’s think about other things that she does,’ and I’d like to know where that bar lies,” she said.

Leader said the readers were much nicer than she anticipated.

“I was expecting them to be really critical, because they get a lot of amazing applicants, so I didn’t think my application was particularly standout, but they seemed really positive,” she said.

Roger Van Peski ’18 said his readers predicted he would be a good math major who could branch out into other activities due to his well-roundedness. “ ‘An interesting candidate, I’m sure Roger would be welcomed over in Fine Hall,’ ” he said his first reader wrote.

He said the second wrote, “ ‘While his ECAs [extracurriculars] are largely academic (and we don’t see any for 9th, before he enrolled at MSSM [his high school]), he has gotten involved in badminton, key club and student government. Roger has a lot of promise and seems like

“The question we’re always asking is, ‘Has this student taken advantage of everything in his or her setting?’ ” Janet Rapelye, Dean of Admission one to consider.’ ” Tu said she was impressed by the solid grasp of her personality that the readers demonstrated in their summaries and said all of the comments were generous.

But for Scheer and Schriever, the files included some unfavorable remarks.

“Confident, self-assured and dedicated young man. His path from insecure 9th grader to mature warrior … his commitments to all that he does and his potential contributions to the [Center for Jewish Life] are clear. But are they enough in the end?” Scheer said, paraphrasing his first reader’s comments.

The comments pointed out that, while he was a strong B.S.E. candidate, he was a B/B+ student in English and history.

Scheer paraphrased his second reader as having written, “Dale Carnegie-esque isn’t my cup of tea, but does seem like a young man who’s going places.”

Schriever said her interviewer had asked her to describe one of her greatest challenges to overcome. According to Schriever, her first reader wrote, “ ‘Self-described shy and quiet, star fourth paragraph,’ ” refer-

encing the fourth paragraph of a report in which the interviewer expressed concern about Schriever’s answer. Schriever said she felt the reader’s comment implied a negative judgment.

The interview reports apparently played a significant role for several students, including Nathan Suek ’17, Kratzer and Scheer.

“I had a suspicion that it was my interview that pushed me over the edge because I didn’t get into other universities of similar caliber,” Scheer said.

“And my hunch actually turned out to be correct, that my interviewer wrote a raving description of me and said that she would highly recommend me to be a student here.”

Schriever said her readers focused on her underrepresented geographic origin and her very strong teacher recommendations.

“The second reader’s comment was, ‘Neat and ambitious young lady from a county from which we admit few, who seems to be yearning for a chance to be pushed harder. Not much more we could ask of her in context,’ ” she said.

The readers underlined parts of Schriever’s application that they found most interesting, such as her residence in rural New Jersey, her co-presidency in debate club and the low percentage of students from her high school that attend fouryear colleges, she added.

Kratzer, who said he was curious about how his status as half-Asian and a legacy might factor into the admission process, noted he found no evidence of either issue influencing the decision.

Michael Yuan ’15 said he thought during the application process that, as an Asian applicant, he needed to distance himself from stereotypes of being Asian.

“I didn’t really see them evaluate me in the context of me being Asian at all, so I’m still convinced that that happens,

but I don’t know how,” he said.

When asked how the Office of Admission accepts similar percentages of students from certain demographics every year, Rapelye said readers apply institutional priorities, which are set by the president, the Board of Trustees and the faculty.

“A difference of five to 10 students in any one of our categories is actually a very big difference for us,” Rapelye said. “Ten more female engineers makes a big difference in our pool. It seems like a small number to you, but it’s not a small number for us. And that’s true of any of the institutional priorities we have.”

Fowler added that the Office of Admission uses guiding principles rather than comparative practices.

“The students who apply here are so interesting and so wellrounded and so multifaceted that they cross so many different categories that the Office of Admission looks at every student as an individual, not as representing any particular category,” she said.

Suek said he was waitlisted after his first reader strongly recommended him, even though one of his friends was accepted regular decision after being marked as “Only if Room,” an inconsistency that confused him and made him wonder who gets the final say in admission decisions.

Suek, Schriever and Van Peski expressed interest in seeing transcriptions of the discussions about their applications.

However, committee conversations are not recorded and no written admission records exist aside from those provided through FERPA, Rapelye said.

If students waived their rights to see recommendations, the Office of Admission hired people to remove anything written about the letters, Rapelye noted. Any comments about other students were redacted, such as in an email from a guidance counselor updating the University about multiple ap-

plicants from one school, she added.

At an undetermined future date, the FERPA files will be destroyed. The University once had a longstanding policy of giving students’ essays, college application and transcript to the residential colleges for advising purposes, Rapelye ex-

“A lot of the requests hit when admissions is at its height ...

I wish I had been able to dedicate that time to other responsibilities.”

Claire Fowler, Senior Associate Dean of the College plained. The Office of Admission would then destroy the reader workcards and everything else in the file at the end of every year, since the information would have been unnecessary and expensive to store.

However, eight years ago, the Office for Civil Rights began a compliance review, investigating the University after a student claimed that his admission process had been unfair.

Rapelye said her office has kept its records throughout this timeline, but will return to the original policy barring any other resolution.

Stanford and Yale Law School have begun destroying their files since the Fountain Hopper launched the FERPA phenomenon.

All of the interviewed students said they would recommend that curious classmates request their files.

“For a lot of people who wind up here, they don’t know why they’re here or feel that they don’t belong, and I think it’s a good affirmation for most people that they do belong here, and somebody had faith in them when they read these es-

says,” Schriever said.

Leader said reading the file can empower and reinvigorate students by reminding them they did great things in high school and that they will continue to do so. If students discover discouraging comments, they can just prove the admission officers’ expectations wrong by excelling on campus, she said. “[My readers] both said, ‘Sounds like a great admit to the Class of 2018,’ which felt very nice. I left there feeling that I was supposed to be here,” Leader said.

On the other hand, several said that they found the contents underwhelming.

“There’s no harm in reading it. Just don’t go in with high expectations. I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to change my perspective on admissions decisions,’ and it really doesn’t,” Suek said, adding that he still finds the admission process very mysterious.

However, Rapelye and Fowler noted that the timing of the requests was particularly difficult.

“A lot of the requests have hit when admissions is at its height. It has been very hard for us. I wish I had been able to dedicate that time to other responsibilities,” Fowler said, adding that the admission files are no longer valuable or relevant.

The files have occupied both of her assistants’ time, she noted. A number of full-time employees have been hired to help manage the FERPA requests, Rapelye added.

Contrary to what students might believe, there is no secret to the admission process, Rapelye said.

“I realize you all may be somewhat interested, but the bottom line is we value all of you on this campus for what you are doing now, and when we admitted you we saw potential and promise for a strong performance,” she said. “What we care about is what you’re doing now.”

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

page 9

Cross-listing of Latino Studies with Latin American studies problematic REPORT Continued from page 1

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Hong is a former design editor for The Daily Princetonian.

Christophers said the report was meant to spark conversation and push the University to re-evaluate the status of Latino Studies and what will hopefully become the program in Asian American Studies.

“While it’s wonderful to have a program in Latino studies, it’s not enough just to have one. You have to cultivate that area so that it becomes robust and something that Princeton is known for,” she said. “Simply having [a program] doesn’t mean it will become a flourishing program here at Princeton. You have to put the resources in and encourage people to study, so that we develop that critical mass of faculty.”

Currently, the requirements for a Latino studies certificate include three elective courses and one required course, which is LAO 200: Latinos in the American Life and Culture.

Christophers noted that next semester there will only be three courses listed next semester, with two being cross-listed with Latin American Studies. With so few courses being offered and variation between semesters, there’s no guarantee that a student will be able to take a course in the future if it isn’t offered, she added.

By incorporating Latino and the potential Asian American Studies in American studies, students will

be offered the flexibility to explore other areas of ethnic studies as well, Christophers explained. Students can study about other communities within the United States in order to see the country from different perspectives.

Latino Studies program director Marta Tienda declined to comment.

Members of the Executive Committee on Latino Studies, assistant professor of religion Jessica Delgado and senior lecturer of sociology Patricia Fernández-Kelly, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rebecca Weng ’18, Asian American Studies chair for AASA, said that Asian American Studies faces a unique situation in that program currently exists at the University, despite several courses offered this semester.

“We feel that the narrative presented by Asian American Studies and Latino Studies makes for a more holistic picture of American history, because these ethnicities do play a major role in shaping our country,” she said.

The Asian American Students Association, which started the report on ethnic studies and distributed the letter of support, faces a different set of challenges when approaching the administration because no program in Asian American Studies currently exists.

English and African American Studies professor Anne Cheng ’85, an advocate for Asian American Studies who teaches courses related to Asian Americans, declined

to comment.

History professor Beth LewWilliams, who specializes in Asian American history, said she will be on leave next year and will not be teaching Asian American History.

“I’ve been happy to see a large amount of student interest in Asian American studies courses at Princeton,” she said, declining to comment further.

Outgoing AASA president Evan Kratzer ’16 said the University has not actually charged any department with the development of the program. He noted that one of the most important factors that contributes to the development of a program includes retention of faculty.

He recommended that the University empower the department in American Studies to hire faculty. With faculty, the program can flourish and allow for graduate studies and a wider variety of courses, he said.

Vice president, treasurer and former Asian American Studies chair of AASA Andrew Hahm ’17 said that it is imperative for the University to provide resources for developing Asian American Studies if the institution claims to support such a program.

“To say that you’re committed to a program and not give it any resources is actually more harmful than not committing at all, because then you’re saying that you’re committing to something that many people are invested in, but not taking many moves to fulfill that,” he said.

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YICHENG SUN :: PHOTO EDITOR

Singer and songwriter Paul Simon performed his song, “The Sound of Silence,” at a public lecture in March.

The Daily Princetonian

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The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Urban Congo did not receive funding from ODUS PERFORM Continued from page 1

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at times and at others placed them on the ground, as though at an altar, she said.

According to Sun, people laughed and cheered at the performance. She said she felt uncomfortable with the performance and was confused as to why others did not seem to feel the same way.

The next morning, students took to social media to express their varying reactions to the performance.

“After realizing the mistake we had made, we fully recognized the offensive nature of the performances and felt it was best to take the video down,” Hauss noted.

Hauss said that he and his organization were being igno-

rant.

“Though we did not intend to denigrate other cultures, we realize that this fact does not absolve us in the least,” Hauss said. “We created something that was inexcusably offensive, and we appreciate all those who called attention to our mistake.”

Hauss added that he believed the error in his organization’s judgment has sparked a productive dialogue that will help the University community to become more conscientious. He said that after surveying reactions to the video, the organization has decided that it will not continue to function as a performing arts group. “[Our organization] was founded on inclusivity; if our existence is harmful or offensive to anyone, we have become

something that this group never stood for or intended to be,” Hauss said.

Clare Sherlog ’17, president of eXpressions, declined to comment about Urban Congo’s latest performance.

After watching the video, Undergraduate Student Government president Ella Cheng ’16 said she would take on an initiative to re-examine Urban Congo’s recognition as a student organization by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

“I was equally offended, like the many students who’ve voiced [their concerns] over social media, by the misappropriation of culture in the video. And it was upsetting to learn that [Urban Congo] was an ODUS-approved group,” Cheng said, explaining that she, along with the Student

Groups Committee, will be meeting with ODUS in the coming week to discuss the controversy.

Cheng is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian.

In addition, Cheng said she will work with the Student Groups Committee chairs to inspect when the group was approved and whether the group description submitted at the time is at all reflective of its recent conduct.

Cheng also noted that she is looking into protocols about revocations for ODUS-recognized student organizations and will bring the matter to the floor at the next USG senate meeting.

Media relations specialist Min Pullan and University Associate Director of Athletics Kellie Staples did not respond to requests for comment.

COURTESY OF YOUTUBE

Members of Urban Congo performed at a campus talent show.

Big Sean criticized for misogynistic lyrics LAWNPARTIES Continued from page 1

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Price and availability are key factors in deciding whether or not an act is feasible for Lawnparties, he added.

“There are other people who are booking, and artists don’t want other people to know where they’re going before they want a press release,” Wu said. “Once we get an offer back from someone, we usually have to respond rather quickly because they’re also looking at booking at places other than us.”

Since USG’s officers are in transition during the selection of a spring Lawnparties artist, there is little time to reform the artist selection process when new officers take office, because USG would have to risk selecting nobody, Wu said.

“The contracts are signed and it’s unrealistic to stop this from happening,” Wu said. “The best way to move this in a productive way is to see how we can improve the selection process.”

Diego Negron-Reichard ’18

said the protests could help to reform the artist selection process.

“I think it’s ridiculous to try to boycott Lawnparties at this stage, but [the petition] does open up the conversation for next year’s act and not bringing people that have a possibly harmful message,” Negron-Reichard said.

Olivia Fiechter ’18 said she was excited to have a bigname artist coming to Lawnparties.

“We, as students, have told them that we want big names,” Anna Walker ’17 said.

“Now people are attacking them for something else. It doesn’t really seem fair … I have full faith that they’ve thought about the ramifications of what Big Sean means and the connotations that come with him, and I think that, in this case, they put people’s interest in wanting a big name first.”

Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne and Wu are going to meet with Hosie on April 10, Wu said, adding that a panel with the Women’s Center discussing misogyny and lyric culture may be organized.

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Gender-based salary gap a nationwide issue SALARY

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schools demonstrated much steeper differences, ranging between $30,363 for Dartmouth and $45,886 for Harvard.

In addition to the salary gap, the Department of Education shows that Princeton invested over 68 percent of its recruiting budget on men’s teams. The data suggests that while Princeton may rank relatively low in terms of salary gap, gender-based disparity within collegiate athletics still persists.

There are a number of factors that influence the difference, including the revenue for male and female teams. According to the Department of Education data, the grand revenue total for men’s

teams is $10.2 million, which is significantly higher than the women’s teams’ revenue of $6.4 million.

The issue only worsens beyond Princeton, especially at athletically-high-performing state schools.

A 2012 New York Times article on the same issue reported that the salary of the UNC Men’s Basketball Coach Roy Williams tripled that of his counterpart, Sylvia Hatchell.

The article said that while Title IX and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 prevent different compensation for comparable amounts of work, collegiate coaching contracts often delegate more work to coaches of male teams to justify the additional pay. Furthermore, such contract disparities do not include the often third party bonuses that many high profile coaches receive, which only widen the salary gap.

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

APRIL 1

Men’s swimming dominates at Ivy Championships

By Tom Pham associate sports editor

In what surmounted to be a fantastic and memorable season, the men’s swimming and diving team reclaimed the Ivy League Championships. Despite a mix-up at the NCAA Championships that led to the Tigers defaulting on both of their individual races, this season must be considered a great success.

The team competed in several tournaments in its spring season, starting with a match against Navy at DeNunzio Pool and ending with the Ivy League Championships at the same location. The team spent most of its spring season facing Ivy League opponents, facing only Navy and NC State in non-conference meets.

The team easily beat Patriot League champion Navy to the tune of 171-129 but was dispatched by NC State by the score of 180-113, on what was also Senior Day for the Tigers.

Although the team was soundly beaten by NC State, senior Michael Manhard made the day his own with two individual victories.

Going into the spring season with a 4-0 Ivy League record, the team hoped to continue its dominance but fell short of a perfect season after losses against Columbia in New York and against Harvard at the Harvard-YalePrinceton meet, which led to Harvard’s perfect regular season. The team compiled a 7-4 record on the year and a 5-2 record in the Ivy League, which offered great hope for the team

prior to the ever-important Ivy League Championships, which the team hoped to reclaim.

Despite losing to Harvard and Columbia, the team came away with the final laugh as it came out victorious in the Ivy League Championships to claim Coach Orr’s 22nd Ivy League Championship in 35 seasons and his sixth in seven years.

The team absolutely dominated the field in the Championships, finishing with 1519 points in a wire-to-wire victory.

They beat runner-up Harvard by 233.5 points and had already claimed the tournament after the preliminary sessions.

“I’m very proud of the guys for a great performance against a tough league,” Coach Orr said after the competition.

The Tigers’ fantastic performance throughout the season saw the team rewarded with five berths in the NCAA Championships, two in individual events and three in relay events. Senior Harrison Wagner and freshman Corey Okubo both qualified for the NCAA Championships individually, with Wagner qualifying for the 50-yard freestyle for the second time and Okubo qualifying for the 400-yard individual medley. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, Wagner, Okubo and two of the relay teams did not compete in the NCAA Championships.

“As far as that goes, it was

quite admirable because of the circumstances at NCAA: the mature reaction of all the people involved was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen it my time here,” Coach Orr said on this topic.

At the end of the season, the team will bid farewell to some of its key contributors in the past four years. These seniors will leave having contributed to three Ivy League Championship titles in four years and contributed to various other victories during their time here at Princeton.

“We graduate a large group of point scorers and leaders and hopefully we can replace them with our incoming class,” Coach Orr said.

As a recap to the season, Coach Orr said that “this was an exceptional year, the team acted like a good solid unit and team all season long, which showed especially in the Ivy conference,” before adding, “overall, I felt that it was extremely successful season, and I feel that most everyone on the team feels that way as well.”

Although the team is losing some of the best swimmers and divers in the Ivy League, the current crop of freshmen and next year’s recruits are sure to bring promise and talent as the team looks to defend its Ivy League Championship next year.

MAY 10

Men place first, women second at Heptagonals

By Miles Hinson sports editor

It was a weekend of great success for both the men’s and women’s track teams, as the men claimed first at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in a nailbiter, and the women’s team claimed second on the weekend.

Men’s track and field Senior Matt McDonald earned his first individual Heps title by placing first in the 10,000m race. Moreover, McDonald was not the only one to stand out above the rest on the day. Junior Adam Bragg, coming off earning a school record in the pole vault, continued his success by earning first at Heps, getting up to 5.10 meters.

The final one of Princeton’s individual title winners on Saturday was senior Tumi Akinlawon, who placed first in the long jump with a distance of 7.43 meters. Akinlawon was not the only Tiger to score well in the event — junior Jake Scinto was runner-up in the event with a distance of 7.29 meters.

After the first day, Princeton held the lead, having earned 46 points to secondplace Dartmouth’s 39. The winners of last year, Cornell, found themselves in just third with 26 points.

However, the Big Red came out to play the next day. They placed first in the 400m relay, 110m hurdles, the 1600m relay, the high jump and the shot put — all these in conjunction with strong performances in many events where they didn’t place first led to them taking over the lead. Luckily, the Tigers were able to keep themselves close enough in the hunt due to victories by junior John Hill in the 100m dash and by senior Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi in the triple jump.

By the end of the day, Cor-

nell still holding onto a slim lead, the winner of Heps would come down to the results of the decathalon.

Senior Stephen Soerens, the Tigers’ competitor for the event, would save his best for last as he sprinted into first in the 1500m run — the final event of the decathalon — to secure the victory for the Tigers on the weekend.

They would win by a mere four points, 163-159.5.

With the victory, Princeton claims the triple crown, earning first in Heps across the fall, winter and spring.

Women’s track and field The women’s track and field team continued their strong season behind great showings from of their top performers. Sophomore Megan Curham continued her fantastic season, earning first in the 10,000m run on Saturday to start the day.

The field events also saw the Tigers’ success. Junior superstar Julia Radcliffe continued her great throwing, placing first in the hammer toss with a distance of 68.16 meters. Second-place finishes went to junior Sara Ronde in the long jump (5.66 meters) and sophomore Allison Harris of the pole vault (3.75 meters).

After the first day, Princeton held first place with 39 points, as Harvard trailed in second with 26.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the tide would turn in the Crimson’s favor. While Princeton continued to get first place results on the second day — sophomore Lizzie Bird took first in the Steeplechase, and Curham won the 5,000m race — a slew of Harvard first-place finishes wore down on the Princeton lead. A victory in the heptathlon by the Crimson certainly did not help the Tigers’ chances. Ultimately, Princeton earned second place and 118 points on the day.

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MAY 30

Q&A: Soren Thompson ’05, standout Princetonian epeeist and Olympian

By Sydney Mandelbaum associate sports editor

While at Princeton, Soren Thompson ‘05 managed to balance academics with dominating the fencing world both in the NCAA and on the international stage, making his first Olympic campaign before graduation.

In 2004, Thompson became the first American in 48 years to make it to the epee semifinals, defeating the No. 1 ranked fencer in the world along the way.

He returned to the Olympics in 2012 after a serious injury prevented him from competing in 2008. Thompson sat down with the Daily Princetonian to discuss balancing competition with academics and the course of his athletic career.

Daily Princetonian: What made you decide to launch your first Olympic cam-

paign? It must have been really difficult to decide to take time off.

Soren Thompson: It was. I deferred a year before I came, so it was my second year off from school. … I was accepted class of ’03 at Princeton and took that year off, and I didn’t do that with the intention of making the 2000 Olympic team because that would’ve been almost impossible with my age and experience. But to go through that process once, that’s why I did it. So it was always in my mind that if I felt I was in striking distance, I would do that again. So I did come here for three years, then took off a year to go for the 2004 Olympic team.

DP: Was it different competing at a collegiate level after you returned from your year off for the 2004 Olym-

pics?

ST: To some extent, all athletes struggle with trying to fit everything in, and the NCAA fencing, while great to do, doesn’t really push forward your international fencing. So for those athletes who are pushing towards an Olympic team or other international teams, some of them think of NCAA’s as being in the way, and more of a hurdle and detriment to their goals than something that supports them and helps them.

I had a little bit of a different viewpoint. I actually thought it was great training. I really felt a lot of pressure in a positive way because I always wanted to win for my team and to represent Princeton and succeed for Princeton and be a leader both by the way I trained in the gym here but also how I performed on

the strip, and with the success that I had and help my team to succeed.

DP: What was the biggest obstacle you’d say you faced in your athletic career?

ST: I’m the only fencer from San Diego to fence internationally, consistently. I grew up in a place where I didn’t have role models and coaches where it was very easy to follow behind and see what they were doing. And the other thing was injuries.

I’ve had a number of really bad injuries, and they’ve definitely made it hard to compete at different times. I’ve really had to back off on my training and competitions and things like that. In fact, one of them almost ended my career, and I was able to figure out a way around it and came back and qualified

for the 2012 Olympics. Sometimes when you have a limitation, it forces you to work that much harder and think about things that much differently.

In the end, that injury did make me better because I had to create a new type of fencing for myself, and that was a much stronger fencing than I had before.

DP: What was it like coming out of retirement to pursue the 2012 Olympics after your injury, and was it difficult transitioning back and forth between athletic and professional careers?

ST: That was an unusual thing — I was working full time, and I hadn’t been thinking about qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. Obviously it’s something everyone wants to do, so it was something I wanted to do, it just wasn’t

my primary focus for a couple of years, so it was different. Fencing had been my primary focus from a very young age, until I qualified for the 2004 Olympics, and even through the 2008 cycle, which is when I got injured. … I was able to start experimenting with a certain methodology or approach to fencing that hadn’t been taught to me but that I had come up with myself and thought could be a way to perform very well despite the injury that I had. … I really pushed this methodology for myself … I had immediate success and I went from being in the hundreds in the world to being in the top 50, 20, and ultimately at the end of in the qualification period I was 7th in the world, the highest ranking I’d ever had, and it was completely worth it.

Brown reveals how time at Princeton prepared her for Olympic experience BROWN

Continued from page 16

.............

I’m sure that was a wakeup call, to Princeton and everybody else, we were lucky the men here didn’t do that to us. Princeton was so totally committed to embracing women as students but missed a beat on being prepared that women who wanted to come here didn’t want just part of the Princeton experience. We wanted access to everything. I learned after I graduated that they had a five year plan for women’s athletics: ... with the first year or two intramurals, and then club and then varsity, and we blew through the five-year plan in about five months. They weren’t prepared.

DP: You were on the team

at a time when women’s athletics were really gaining traction, and you were the first Princeton alumna to win an Olympic medal — what made you decide to make your Olympic campaigns? Would you say you were inspired by a climate of change for women in sports, or was it just a natural pursuit of something you were passionate about?

CB: My Princeton experience overall definitely empowered me and gave me the confidence to go after that.

1976 was the first time women’s rowing was on the Olympic program. I didn’t even know what the sport was in 1971 so I didn’t come to Princeton saying, “I want to row and make an Olympic team.”

I was part of the growth of the sport in the [United States] and internationally.

The whole Princeton culture

was to explore your passions, and there was tremendous support here from some of the men’s coaches. Particularly the men’s swimming coach was an inspiration to me. He was an Olympian and the women’s swimming program was more structured most of my four years here than the rowing program. He was a full-time men’s coach; he was supporting and coaching the women and the men, whereas the women’s rowing program [had] a volunteer coach, and [women] weren’t really welcome in the boathouse. It was summer of my junior year when I qualified with another Princeton teammate, Janet Youngholm, in the pair. We won nationals, and that earned us a spot on the U.S. National Team going to the World Championships. Neither of us expected that. We hadn’t

planned for it, and here we were: we had the chance to

olympian, rowing

ey to get there. We walked around passing the hat at Reunions, asking, “Will you help us buy our plane tickets to Switzerland?” ...

We couldn’t afford to take a coach. That opened my eyes to saying maybe racing in the Olympics in Montreal in 1976 is a realistic goal. Princeton was really supportive of that. I graduated in 1975 and worked out with the university. I was an [RCA] so I had a dorm room and 18 freshman boys for my advisees — they called me mom. But I worked for the admissions office and taught PE swimming classes, and I could row here and lift and train and have a place to live and support myself, so that worked out very well.

race in the USA uniform.

First, we had to raise mon-

DP: How would you say Princeton prepared you for the jump to life after col-

“My Princeton experience definitely empowered me and gave me the confidence to go [afterwards]. I didn’t even know what the sport was in 1971 ...

I was a part of the growth of the sport in the [United States] and internationally.”

Carol brown ’75,

Bradley discusses athletic and political careers BRADLEY Continued from page 16

.............

selflessness.

DP: How would you say Princeton prepared you for life beyond the orange bubble — both in your athletic and professional careers?

BB: It gave me a great education, broadened my horizons and gave me a lifetime of friends.

DP: I’ve been a Knicks fan my whole life, going back to the Patrick Ewing days, and I have to ask — do you really think your former teammate Phil Jackson can fix the Knicks?

BB: If anybody can fix them, he can. He’s got a great basketball mind, he’s a fierce competitor, he understands human beings and how to get people to work together and he has a very clear idea of how the game should be played. Take a look, if there’s anybody who

has more rings than they have fingers, you’ve got to listen to them.

DP: Who is your favorite active basketball player, collegiate or professional?

BB: Well right now, let me preface that: right now, meaning today, I like Stephen Curry.

DP: As a student, a professional athlete and a senator you were known for being very politically active. What do you think are the most important issues facing our country that Princeton students should be focused on?

BB: Well, I think the state of our economy for a large number of Americans is the number one issue, I think making diversity a strength and not a weakness is another challenge for us, and I think that understanding that our role in the world is a lot more than deploying military forces to some far distant land.

DP: Did your aspirations for public service develop at Princeton or did you have them before?

BB: I think it kind of developed in high school; I thought I wanted to be a diplomat and that’s why I came to Princeton, because of the Woodrow Willson school. Unfortunately, I didn’t do very well my freshman year so I gave up the idea of the Woodrow Wilson school and went into History instead.

That was a great windfall for me. I came to love history, I still do.

DP: Many students and Americans are disillusioned with the political climate and the stalemates in Washington.

As someone who chose a life in public service, what would you say is the case for students going into politics today and what encouragement would you give them?

BB: I think it’s the same as it always has been. That for

people who want to make a difference, if you have power, you can make a difference in peoples lives. Otherwise you’re simply making nice speeches and talking. And I think that getting power is easier than it’s ever been before for individuals because of the internet and the ability to organize on social networks, so I would encourage people to take a look at the current structure of our democracy — the clear problem is money. And the answer is a constitutional amendment because the supreme court has already locked in billionaires financing campaigns and so you need a constitutional amendment leading that effort over a period of years; it would be an incredibly important service to the country and I think plenty of other areas ranging from race in urban areas, the environment, education, those are all areas —pensions — for example, people don’t always think about them, but they’re very important.

lege, both in your athletic and professional careers?

CB: It was that feeling of confidence, of having been part of a cohort of women that came here and said, “We’re not afraid of being pioneers, of being trailblazers, of doing something different and believing I could be successful in whatever I chose to do.” That carries over in work and parenting, and everything else. I think that’s what Princeton gives any of its students and student athletes, a balance of [knowing] you have a strong intellectual capability and there are lots of ways to apply that, and [being] OK to step off the job career track and pursue some other passion and have the confidence that you’ll find you way back to life. A series of careers and not be afraid to try something.

T HE DA ILY

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The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Victory pushes Tigers deeper into NCAA tourney W. B-BALL Continued from page 16

.............

TIFFANY RICHARDSON :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

After a season of dominating wins in the regular season, the Tigers’ 10-point victory seemed a close call by comparison.

in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. This was attributed to the Tigers’ difficulty of schedule, as Princeton was the only school in the tournament not to face off against another top-25 team during the regular season.

Both Princeton and the no. 9 seeded Green Bay Phoenix are very physical teams, playing man-to-man, which resulted in a thrilling game that only saw the Tigers begin to pull away in the last 13 minutes of play.

Five Tigers scored in the double digits, led by junior guard Michelle Miller with 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Junior guard/forward Annie Tarakchian and junior forward Alex Wheatley, who both posted doubledoubles, notched 17 points and 16 rebounds and 15 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. Tarakchian also had five assists, while Wheatley had two. Senior guard and cocaptain Blake Dietrick scored 11 points with three rebounds and five assists, and sophomore guard Vanessa Smith rounded out the group with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The game began with Princeton winning the opening tip and scoring the first point on a Miller three from

the right. Green Bay got on the board not long after, with a jumpshot from Lexi Weitzer and a layup from Kaili Lukan separated by a Dietrick three. Green Bay pulled ahead for less than thirty seconds off of a three from Mehryn Kraker before Miller took the lead again with a shot from behind the arc.

The Tigers and Phoenix traded layups before a pair of freethrows from junior guard Amanda Berntsen, a long distance three from Tarakchian and a Vanessa Smith layup offset the balance and put the Tigers up by seven.

Princeton and Green Bay remained close, with the Phoenix closing in every time the Tigers tried to pull ahead to bring Green Bay within three with 6:30 left in the first half. Green Bay played with an exceptional turnover margin, which explains the mere three point Tiger lead despite the incredible shooting that the Tigers are known for.

A Wheatley jumpshot tried to pull away, but the Lukan sisters worked together for a layup before Green Bay’s Weitzer netted a jumper that brought the Phoenix within one point of the Tigers, 31-32.

After a scoring drought of nearly two minutes, Green Bay scored again to take the lead 33-32.

A fierce battle ensued for the last minute of play in the first half, but Green Bay’s

Tesha Buck scored a second basket in a row to bring the score up to 35-32 before a Miller jumper brought the Tigers within one, leaving the Tigers trailing at halftime 35-34 despite a significant rebounding advantage.

The second half opened with Wheatley finding an open shooter in Tarakchian, passing for a three that put the Tigers in the lead right away. Phoenix Mehryn Kraker put in another three to pull Green Bay into the lead again, but another exciting Tarakchian three allowed the Tigers to regain the lead, solidifying her 11th double-double of the season.

Again, the Tigers and Phoenix traded shots, alternating which team led until a Wheatley layup at 13:44 gave the Tigers the lead they held onto for the rest of the game.

The Tigers continued to increase their scoring margin in pursuit of perfection, with another Tarakchian basket and Wheatley jumper after a freethrow from Greenbay’s Allie Leclaire pushing the Tiger lead up to five points.

A great block shot from the center and pair of free throws in succession from Smith left the Tigers up by 10, 58-48, and gave the Tigers more momentum, with which they rolled over the Phoenix.

With just six minutes in between the Tigers and their victory, Princeton was on

an offensive blast as Wheatley and Tarakchian scored a pair of free throws. Buck then scored a three and Smith traded free throws with Kaili Lukan, leaving Green Bay down by six as the clock counted down and less than three minutes left in the period.

The game started to take a turn, and it looked as though Green Bay was putting together a rally with another two points with just over two minutes left, but the Tigers were not going to relinquish their lead, and pulled ahead again with a Wheatley layup.

After Kaili Lukan tugged on Dietrick’s jersey in an attempt to keep her from breaking away, a pair of Dietrick free throws put the Tigers up by eight points with just a minute left. A basket from behind the arc scored by Green Bay’s Sam Terry came with just 48 seconds left on the clock, to put the score at 68-73.

The last minute was intense, with a pair of Miller free throws and Kaili Lukan coming back with a pair of her own before Dietrick and Tarakchian combined to score another three points with just 17 seconds left on the clock, with the score at 80-70.

The Tigers will return on March 23 at 6:30 p.m. to face off against the winner of the game between no. 1 seeded Maryland and no. 16 seeded New Mexico State.

Banghart brings Princeton to top of Ivy League, remains hungry for success BANGHART Continued from page 16

.............

belief. She was already named Ivy League Coach of the Year back in March. In the past two days she received both the US Basketball Writers Association Women’s Coach of the Year and the Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year

awards.

When reached for comment, Banghart described the difference between winning the USBWA’s award and the Naismith award. “[It’s about] the prestige of the Naismith, it’s the premier coaching award out there,” Banghart said. “It’s the Super Bowl [of coaching].”

Banghart also described

the overwhelming joy she naturally felt when receiving the prestigious honor.

“To be able to be amongst my peers, and have people so genuinely happy for me what my team of players did, it was the perfect time to get this award,” Banghart explained.

True to form, she continued to put her team first when accepting it, saying, “I accept-

ed it on behalf of my fifteen players.”

Banghart received the award in Tampa, Fla., where the final game in the tournament is taking place. She said it was one thing to win the award — it was another to win the award while surrounded by so many other prominent figures in coaching.

“I was somewhere where people understand the value of the award,” Banghart said.

“It [was] great to see.”

Banghart’s legacy at Princeton With this award, Banghart makes a strong case as one of the best coaches Princeton has seen. She is the first Tigers coach to receive the Naismith award.

Moreover, Banghart expressed the immense pride she felt by being able to con-

nect Princeton to such a prestigious honor. “[It’s great] to have Princeton’s name forever attached to the Naismith legacy,” Banghart said. “I’m proud to have been someone who can have Princeton notarized like that.”

She explained how it’s an honor to bring the legacy of Princeton Athletics together with the legacy and gravitas the Naismith carries in college athletics. She spoke about having gotten emotional upon hearing her name called.

“The Naismith carries with it such a legacy. I don’t get emotional very often. When I found out, I teared up,” Banghart said. “I know what the legacy stands for, how much of a difference these coaches have made in their teams and universities.”

The difference Banghart

has made in Princeton women’s basketball has been nothing short of eye-popping. She boasts a 169-67 record overall and a 92-17 record against Ivy League opponents, and she now has the most wins of any Princeton women’s basketball coach in history. She had her team at the end of the regular season ranked 13th in the country (per the AP poll) — the highest ever ranking for an Ivy League team.

Ask those who work with her on a daily basis, and you will hear accounts of a focused coach hungry for more success. Sophomore guard Vanessa Smith spoke to the kind of presence and influence her coach has with the team.

“She’s the perfect embodiment of what a driven, group-oriented leader can do,” Smith said. “At the core of all [the success] is our incredible coach who’s devoted first to her players and then to our goals.”

Banghart driven for another run next season Assistant Coach Milena Flores, who like Banghart joined the team in 2007, expressed how inspiring it is to see Banghart’s competitiveness and desire to succeed up close.

“Being an assistant for her, it’s really special to see her competitive drive [and] unending enthusiasm,” Flores said. “[She’s] always wanting to be better.”

Despite a season filled with high after high, Banghart continues to focus on the ultimate prize — an NCAA championship. Her gift of coaching appears to be matched by her gift of self-improvement.

“She’s someone who always wants to learn. [She’s] incredibly willing to adapt,” Flores said. When asked what in particular about Banghart’s comportment this season impressed her, Flores added, “Her main improvement was game management. She knows her players really well, [and] just has a really good feel for what to do in games.”

Banghart herself noted that as she grows, she must be aware of the new team she’s coaching.

“Every year, you’re coaching that team, that particular team. We start on the court this year with next year’s team,” Banghart explained. “I have to be the best version of me for next year’s team. You have to evolve. I have to be prepared and ready to bring this team where it needs to go.”

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

The Daily Princetonian

page 15

MAY 10

Women’s lacrosse advances to NCAA quarterfinals with weekend victories

By Miles Hinson sports editor

It’s been a magical spring for the Princeton women’s lacrosse team. After becoming Ivy League champions in the regular season by winning the Ivy League tournament, they have followed up with two wins in the NCAA Championships to put themselves in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The Tigers (16-3 overall, 7-0 Ivy League) looked in top form this weekend as they rolled through the Fairfield University Stags (14-5, 7-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and the No. 6 seed, Stony Brook University Seawolves (18-2, 6-0 American East). With the two wins, the Tigers put themselves in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.

A dynamite offense was on display in the game against the Stags, as the Tigers scored 10 goals by the end of just the first half, finishing the game victorious at 18-8. While the first half

was certainly not a blowout — the Stags responded to an opening 4-0 run by the Tigers to keep the score at 10-7 by halftime — the Tigers totally ran away with the game when the second half rolled around. They came out even stronger than they did in the first, scoring eight straight goals to put the game away.

Fairfield would score their lone goal of the half after nearly 23 minutes had expired.

Many members of the Tigers’ offense got in on the goal-scoring action in this game – eight different Tigers managed to find the back of the net. Leading them was sophomore attack Olivia Hompe, MVP of the Ivy League tournament, with four goals.

The next battle proved to be much more of a grinder.

Stony Brook, having lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014, much like the Tigers, looked ready to go toe-to-toe with the Tigers. Neither team could either score in bunches or break away from the

other — they were tied at just 3-3 going into the half.

However, a hero emerged to push this onto the next level: freshman midfielder Abby Finkelston. Coming off the bench, Finkelston put in three of the Tigers’ five goals in the half, and had four goals on the game.

Continuing that stiff second-half defense exhibited in the first game, the Tigers would win 8-4 and kept their hopes of a championship alive.

The prospects look as bright as every for the Tigers. The last time they won two games in the NCAA Tournament was in the 2004 season, when they were runner-ups in the championship match.

In addition, the Tigers will have the chance at revenge in their match to get into the semifinals. They will get to face the Duke Blue Devils (15-4, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), the same team that knocked them out in a double-overtime loss in the first round of the tournament back in 2013.

MAY 6

Column: Mike MacDonald ’15 deserves to be a Tewaarton finalist this year

By Grant Keating staff writer

The Tewaaraton Award is often referred to as the Heisman Trophy of lacrosse, and is “given annually to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player.” This past week, senior attackman Mike MacDonald was named Co-Ivy League Player of the Year with Brown attackman Dylan Molloy. MacDonald won the award over four other Ivy League players (including Molloy), who were all named Tewaaraton Finalists. MacDonald was not.

After a one-goal loss to Yale in the Ivy League Championship and not receiving an atlarge bid to the NCAA tournament, the Princeton men’s lacrosse season has come to an end. And while it was not the ending that that they wanted, it certainly does not diminish MacDonald’s record-shattering season. MacDonald finished the season with 48 goals, tied for 13th all-time in the Ivy, and 30 assists through 15 games, good for 78 points. MacDonald broke the single-season point record with his show and has the second-most goals in a season in school history.

To put his stats into perspective, MacDonald finished fourth in points per game for all of Division I lacrosse and fifth in goals per game.

He broke countless school records. For example, he is the only Princeton player to ever have at least 40 goals and 20 assists, and his statistics compare favorably to past Princeton stars and Tewaaraton finalists Tom Schreiber ‘14 and

Ryan Boyle ‘04. Finalists, not nominees. When put in perspective, many began asking why MacDonald was not nominated.

One could argue that MacDonald had an easier schedule than some of his ACC counterparts who were nominated.

That is true to a degree. Or you could argue that his stats are inflated by playing attack and Princeton’s up-tempo offensive style. That is possible, as only Brown played faster offensively than Princeton. But even with these concessions, let’s take a look at MacDonald’s statistics compared just to the Ivy League attackmen who were nominated for the Tewaaraton to understand why they were nominated over him.

Dylan Molloy is the most understandable case. As the Co-Ivy League Player of the Year, he finished with 59 goals and 30 assists for 89 points, leading the league although he had 42 turnovers and shot just 30 percent in Brown’s transition-based up-tempo offense.

Joining Molloy on the nominations list was Matt Donovan, Cornell’s senior attackman who finished with 38 goals and 23 assists for 61 points, with 36 turnovers and a shooting percentage of 33 percent. And finally, Yale’s senior captain Conrad Oberbeck also finished with 38 goals and 23 assists for 61 points, but had 37 turnovers while shooting 37 percent. Seeing all these statistics and knowing that MacDonald was left out, one must assume that he had far more turnovers or a lower shooting percentage than the other three. In fact, he was the best of all, with only

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20 turnovers and shooting 40 percent.

I would argue that MacDonald had the best season of the four, and the league voted that MacDonald and Molloy both had the best seasons in the Ivy League. When looking at the statistics alone, clearly he put up better numbers than Oberbeck or Donovan, but more than that, MacDonald was always there when his team needed him. Nothing exemplifies this more than in his final game as a Tiger, when, down by two goals with a minute left against Yale, MacDonald netted the last goal of his career to give Princeton a fighting chance in the game. MacDonald absolutely was one of the most outstanding college lacrosse players this season, and it is shameful that the Tewaaraton committee did not give him a chance to be recognized for his season.

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page 16

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

page 16

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } APRIL 21 APRIL 7

Women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart, Naismith Coach of the Year

By Miles Hinson sports editor

Banghart wins Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year It seems Courtney Banghart has reached the top of the college basketball coaching world.

On Tuesday, Banghart was named the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.

She led the Princeton Tigers to a perfect record during the regular season, as the team won all 30 of their games. She took her program to its first NCAA win, defeating the University of Wisconsin — Green Bay. It appears that a perfect regular season was a prerequisite for winning the award this year. The winner of the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, the University of Kentucky’s John Calipari, also failed to drop a game during the regular season. Also, just like the Tigers, the Kentucky Wildcats would fall to a no. 1 seed, losing to the University of Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday.

The Naismith Coach of the Year award is arguably the most prestigious award given out to a college coach.

As Banghart receives this honor, she will be adding her name to a list of legendary coaches. Previous winners of the award include the University of Connecticut’s Geno

Within Ivy League, Princeton among lowest in salary gap between coaches of men’s and women’s teams, behind Penn

By David Liu staff writer JACK MAZZULO :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Banghart (left) has made Princeton women’s basketball best of the Ivies.

Auriemma and the University of Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, both of whom have been named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Indeed, Auriemma was named along with Banghart as one of the finalists for this year’s Naismith award.

Auriemma’s Huskies are currently in the finals for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship tournament.

The fact that Banghart was selected despite the Tigers’ falling in the Round of 32 speaks volumes to the respect she has garnered as a coach and a leader.

Of course, Banghart has earned the attention of the college basketball world through her many seasons of success, but the number of awards she has received in the last few weeks alone defy See BANGHART page 5

Princeton ranked the second lowest among the Ivy League in athletic coaching salary disparities based on the team’s gender, according to data gathered from the Office of Postsecondary Education for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

According to the Department of Education’s online Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool, the difference between average salaries for full time coaches of men’s teams and of women’s teams at Princeton is $16,817.

Full time head coaches of men’s teams earn about $124,744 on aver-

age and full time head coaches of women’s teams earn about $107,927 on average.

The gender reported does not refer to the gender of the coach but rather that of the team. While male coaches dominate men’s sports in the Ivy League, many men also coach women’s teams and are thus included in the latter gender group. Specifically, even men coaching women’s teams suffered lower salaries.

Director of Athletics Mollie Marcoux ’91 did not respond when reached for comment. Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Finance and Administration Chris Brock did not respond to request

for comment, and Assistant Director of Athletics/Finance and Administration Ryan Yurko declined to comment.

Ever since the inception of the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act of 1994, colleges have been required to submit annual salary reports detailing expenditures and revenues for male and female teams.

After the data has been collected and compiled, it is made public through the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool.

Princeton came in a close second to the University of Pennsylvania, whose difference hovers above $14,000. All other Ivy League See SALARY page 12

MARCH 21

MAY 30

Q&A: Bill Bradley ’65, Olympian, NBA champion, senator

By Sydney Mandelbaum

man’s reelection to the senate in 1920.

associate sports editor

Princeton’s motto is “In the nation’s service and the service of all nations,” and very few alumni have lived up to this statement as much as former Senator Bill Bradley ’65 has. Bradley played on the basketball team while at Princeton and went on to play professionally for the New York Knicks before becoming a New Jersey senator, a position which he held for three terms. The Daily Princetonian sat down with the former Senator to ref lect upon his athletic and professional careers at the dawn of his 50th Reunion.

Daily Princetonian: What was your favorite Princeton basketball moment?

Bill Bradley: Beating providence in the Eastern regional finals.

DP: What was your favorite thing about Princeton? What was your favorite memory?

BB: I have too many of them. Maybe if we’re going to pick one, my senior thesis with Arthur Link on Harry Tru-

DP: Do you still follow Ivy League sports? How do you think they’ve changed since you were a player?

BB: I’m a big fan of the Princeton women’s team — basketball. Big fan; I think their coach is the best coach in America.

DP: When the women’s basketball team finished the regular season ranked 13th in the country but were only seeded eighth in the Spokane region for the NCAA tournament, there was a lot of debate on whether the NCAA takes the Ivy League seriously. Do you have a point of view on the issue?

BB: I don’t want to waste energy thinking about things that are beyond your control; I learned that a long time ago.

I saw a couple of games, I spoke to the team after one game. I have tremendous respect for what they accomplished and more importantly for how they accomplished it, and Courtney’s incredible leadership and the team’s See BRADLEY page 13

Cagers earn victory in first round of NCAA Tournament

By Sydney Mandelbaum associate sports editor

FILE PHOTO

Bradley was one of the University’s most celebrated athletes.

The Tigers continued their perfect season on Saturday, winning their first round matchup against the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay 80-70 in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship tournament.

After picking the Tigers to be in the Final Four in his March Madness bracket, President Barack Obama was in attendance for the Tigers’ dominant victory.

The stands were a sea of Orange and Black as Head Coach Courtney Banghart led the Tigers to today’s win, the first in an NCAA tournament in program history and the second in Ivy League history.

Princeton received a No. 8 seed for the Spokane region of the tournament, lower than anticipated for an undefeated team ranked 13th See W. B-BALL page 14

MAY 30

Q&A: Carol Brown ’75, Olympic rower and pioneer for Princeton women’s athletics

By Sydney Mandelbaum associate sports editor

Carol Brown ’75 was a trailblazer for women’s sports both at Princeton and on a national scale. Starting her athletic career before the implementation of Title IX, Brown championed women’s sports at Princeton and was the first alumna to earn an Olympic medal. The Daily Princetonian sat down with her to discuss the challenges she faced being in building women’s athletics at Princeton from the ground up.

Daily Princetonian: What was the hardest part of being a woman athlete in those early days?

Carol Brown: The lack of access and support from the male coaches and the athletic department. That first women’s crew program, we were only allowed to row if we weren’t seen by the men

at the boathouse. We didn’t have a bathroom, we didn’t have a shower, we had to row and be gone by 7 [a.m.] because they were afraid we would corrupt the men’s program if they saw a bunch of sweaty stinky women at the boathouse. We had to fight just to be allowed to row.

We weren’t allowed to lift weights; the women’s basketball team wasn’t able to play or practice in Jadwin [Gymnasium]. It’s so hard to imagine any of this now because the women have everything.

Our coach was a volunteer Princeton alum and we had to have bake sales to buy him a rain coat and a megaphone so he could coach the varsity crew team. That formed a really special relationship.

It wasn’t just the strong friendships that being part of a sports team builds regardless. It was because we had to fight so hard just to

be allowed to participate in some these sports. Tennis and field hockey didn’t have to go through this, but women weren’t supposed to row, according to the men’s coaches that were here.

DP: What impact did Title IX have on your teams and women’s sports in general at Princeton when it was passed?

CB: There was no immediate impact because, yes, it’s a law, but until all the regulations were written, it took a couple of years for any of the schools to realize this is serious and make changes before they were exposed to lawsuits. There was no legal action while I was here, but just knowing it had passed empowered the women who were here to believe it was ok to want to be a female athlete and go to the athletic department

FILE PHOTO

Brown (left) won bronze in the 1976 Olympics and is a member of the U.S. Rowing Hall of Fame.

and say we’re not the only one saying women should be athletes and should have access to the sports, everybody was saying this and doing it. Some of our peers,

rowers at Yale, while I was here, got national press because they wrote “Title IX” on their backs and stripped in the athletics director’s office with a New York Times

stringer with them, and it was in the ... Times, so that got a lot of press. The male alumni at Yale were saying, “Get these women a shower.”

See BROWN page 13

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

page S1

STREET’S TAKE ON THE STREET Your guide to Prospect Avenue MAP OF

THE STREET

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UE N E V A T C PROSPE

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Street polled a sampling of sophomores for their impressions of each club. Here’s some of what they said.

11

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EMILY TSENG :: MANAGING EDITOR EMERITA

1. Cannon

W

hen you return to campus after your OA trips sweaty and frightened, having built a house or killed a bear or whatever you do on frosh trips these days, you will face a new set of challenges. You will now have to walk around campus without a map, figure out exactly what a Prox is used for and awkwardly bond with your roommates. What you will soon discover, however, is that the week before classes is the biggest party week of the year for the rest of the school. While you’re getting set up, everyone else is getting down. It is during this time that you will first be introduced to the eating club scene.

If you went on a frosh trip, your first trip to the Street will look like this: You and seven of your newest best friends will be huddled together, shuffling down Prospect behind one of your kind and gentle trip leaders to his or her eating club. You will be heckled by the drunken hordes of upperclassmen that will recognize you as freshmen since people don’t generally go to Prospect in huge groups unless they are afraid of getting lost or eaten, the way freshmen are.

Don’t mind us, though. We’re just looking for fresh souls to destroy. That’s generally what us upperclassmen are up to.

But to be fair, we decided to make it a bit easier for you. As the arts and culture section of the ‘Prince,’ in addition to providing the sample of our coverage you’ll find on the inside pages, it’s our obligation to ensure you’re properly prepared for your first forays onto our namesake Street. Yes, we know Prospect Avenue is an avenue. But it is known only as the Street. Nothing else.

That was lesson number one. Lesson number two is to always read the ‘Prince.’ Even better, join it. That way you’ll always know what’s going on.

But we digress. Below, you’ll find a handy guide to the conventional wisdom about each club. A standard disclaimer: these are stereotypes that you should take with a grain of salt.

Like most things in life, the eating clubs are what you make of them. Do your best to visit them all before settling on your favorite. The eating clubs are the center of social life on campus, and for many upperclassmen they become homes and families. And it’s not very often people get to pick their families, so do your research.

Best of luck, kids.

Bicker: Cannon reopened in 2011 after being closed for 34 years. Membership consists of large people like the football team and a growing assortment of others. The labyrinthine basement houses not one, not two, but three taprooms.

Street’s Take: Cannon’s explosion onto the eating club scene has added some variety, rowdiness and great food to the Street. Last year, Cannon became the second-most bickered club. Whether it’s the grind wall, foam parties or smoothies, Cannon can draw in large crowds — especially after big games — for even bigger parties. Some of the clubs can be tricky to recognize on your first foray to the Street, but this is not the case with Cannon Club. It’s the one with the huge-ass cannon in the front.

2. Cap & Gown Bicker: If you’re an athlete — or an athlete wannabe — this may very well be your club. Boasting a recently remodeled taproom with an enlarged bar, Cap often draws healthy crowds.

Street’s Take: Cap has reigned as the most bickered club for two years now. Although the dance floor isn’t the most happening on the Street, drinking games abound, and comfy couches offer a nice break. A great place to check out the the chill and diverse.

3. Charter Sign-in: Charter consistently draws engineers, thanks to its proximity to the E-quad. It boasts a wealthy graduate board and a large, well-kept building. Most crowded on Friday nights.

Street’s Take: Charter can be a fun club to go to with a group of friends, as it is one of the Street’s freshman-friendliest. However, as Charter is often one of the only options on Fridays, it can also get a little desperate (ladies, someone will find a way to salivate directly into your cleavage). Make good choices. Go home (or to Colonial).

4. Cloister Sign-in: Most of Cloister’s membership funnels from the swim, dive and crew teams. The club is moderately popular on weekends, but members don’t actively seek a larger crowd — the floaters and boaters generally hang together.

Street’s Take: Cloister’s waterlogged members prefer to be wet at all times, judging by the amount of beer thrown. They also have a deep

desire to have their abdomens recognized, resulting in an atmosphere of general shirtlessness on most nights.

rents it out for parties. Freshman-friendly parties, abound though - Quad is building a reputation for glow parties.

5. Colonial

9. Tiger Inn

Sign-in: Although Colonial’s antebellum architecture might appear to be a remnant from Sherman’s March to the Sea, the club boasts an exceedingly diverse membership. Popular stereotypes hold that the club is most popular among Princeton’s Asians, but recently good food, good beer and crowd-pleasing Friday night themes have drawn healthy, varied crowds. Colonial is one of the most popular and accessible clubs for freshmen.

Bicker: TI is Princeton’s answer to “Animal House” — rowdy and proud to be. Famous for its twice-a-year State Nights, TI is like a magical portal to the state school social scene of every Ivy Leaguer’s dreams.

Street’s Take: Great random nights can be had at Colonial when you least expect it. Typically open on Fridays.

6. Cottage Bicker: Known in a bygone era as the “gentleman’s club,” the club still retains a conservative Southern feel, with a large portion of its membership composed of male jocks and sorority girls.

It’s the only club that uses a guest list every night.

Street’s Take: Cottage is impossible to get into on most nights unless you’re a member, are dating a member or spend enough time crying outside the door. Don’t try the crying thing. After three hours it gets tiresome, and it takes at least four to get in.

7. Ivy Bicker: The oldest of the clubs, Ivy has an elitist stereotype, though it’s much more downto-earth than its outdated reputation would suggest. This is evidenced, of course, by Ivy’s candlelit dinners featuring waiter service.

Street’s Take: Ivy Club is like “Gossip Girl,” except with fewer headbands. It’s the eating club all your out-of-town friends want to go to — dark wood paneling, white tablecloths, antique chairs, secrecy, exclusivity, a crypt and the meanest bouncers you will ever encounter.

8. Quadrangle

Street’s Take: With the highest per-capita alcohol and hot dog consumption, as well as the most booting on the Street, TI is not for the faint of heart. Other than that, it’s a totally chill place to hang out. Don’t choke on the goldfish.

10. Tower Bicker: Featuring some of the best food on the Street, Tower is home to many Triangle Club members and Wilson School/politics majors.

Freshman-friendly and easy to get into on weekends.

Street’s Take: Tower is an activities club. You will be taken there by someone you meet in an organization. Members care a little too deeply about their extracurriculars. It’s like they’re still trying to get into college. That annoying kid from your precept? He’s definitely in Tower.

11. Terrace Sign-in: Known as the artsy club, Terrace is often considered the last bastion of uncompromising liberalism on campus. Weekend activities include all-night raves, poetry readings and the annual Pride Alliance Drag Ball. Hosts live music any and all days of the week.

Street’s Take: Terrace is filled with hipsters, misfits and artsy types who just want to chill.

Just don’t call them hipsters, or you’ll get a Lucky Strike put out on your arm. The club is a popular final stop on Thursday and Saturday nights.

12. Campus

Sign-in: Experiencing a decline in membership for some years now. Usually pretty welcoming to freshmen and hosts the main band for Lawnparties because of its huge backyard.

Reopened: In 2006, after several years of declining membership, the Campus graduate board opted to close the club’s doors and transferred ownership to the University. Campus now functions as a “hang-out space” for students and faculty.

Street’s Take: You may forget Quad exists unless you join or you’re in an organization that

Street’s Take: This is not an eating club. It just looks like one.

The Daily Princetonian

page S2

FUNNY PEOPLE

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Street takes you behind the scenes with the University’s resident jokesters — its illustrious improv comedy troupes.

Originally published April 2, 2015

FUZZY DICE

HARRISON BLACKMAN Associate Street Editor

I

n 2011, Nick Lavrov ’15, Nicky Robinson ’15, Preston Kemeny ’15 and Yegor Chekmarev ’15 had a vision: a no-audition improv group at Princeton.

“We wanted to do improv comedy and the only way to do it was to make a new group for us to perform in,” Lavrov said.

Their vision manifested as Lobster Club, the first and only no-audition improv comedy troupe on campus. It was founded around the same time as the ¿Shruggers? organization, which would eventually become a no-audition coalition with Lobster Club as its flagship organization, according to ¿Shruggers? president Ethan Gordon ’17.

“The intent is to provide a space for anybody interested in performing arts to have the opportunity to explore all that the performing arts have to offer,” Gordon said. “[It’s to] help combat an underlying culture of selectivity that’s especially prevalent in performing arts communities really all over Princeton.”

Running a no-audition performance group has its challenges, particularly in preparing for shows.

“We need[ed] to figure out what would a good system be for no-audition but for still putting on shows,” Lavrov said.

“You can’t just have someone perform in shows without ever having done anything before.” To ensure this, Lobster Club members are required to attend at least two-thirds of practices in order to perform.

In some respects, Lobster Club functions as both a performance group and a group that builds improv skills. “There’s

LIN KING Street Editor

“I COURTESY OF REBECCA SICHEL ’17

LOBSTER CLUB no experience necessary,” Lavrov said.

“We have a lot of people in our group where this was their first time was doing improv.”

“We put emphasis on teaching the skill of improv, so our workshops are open and anyone can come to them,” he explained.

At the same time, the no-audition format made necessary a division between members new to improv and more experienced members. “[We had to build] a leadership framework that would allow us to keep being able to teach improv to new people while also allowing older people to develop their skills,” Lavrov said.

Since its founding, Lobster Club has grown increasingly prominent on campus. “It’s a dormitory name,” Gordon said, who noted that ¿Shruggers? has also been

QUIPFIRE! DANIELLE TAYLOR Staff Writer

F

ounded in November 1992, Quipfire!, Princeton’s oldest improv comedy group, has developed its particular style of improv over the past two decades.

“They started off predominately doing short-form improv,” artistic director Jake Robertson ’15 said. Television shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway? use shortform improv, which consists of smaller premise-based games, but Quipfire! has since expanded their repertory.

Quipfire!, according to Robertson, now performs more long-form improv, which is currently more prominent in the pro-

fessional improv world. One example of Quipfire!’s application of long-form is its improvised “Musicals!” shows, the latest of which took place this past weekend.

The audience gave suggestions for a title of a musical, and the group improvised a musical production with many interlocking scenes to create a vibrant, unique and hilarious story each night of the performance.

Despite the deviation from its shortform roots, the group still maintains close ties to its alumni predecessors.

“We switch between generally three places now,” Robertson said. “We’ll do New York one year, and Chicago and then Los Angeles. Those tend to be places where there is a lot of improv going on.”

Quipfire! does a set of shows during Frosh Week to get students interested in

COURTESY OF WARREN RIEUTORT-LOUIS GS ’15

expanding.

“Last year, we started Acapellago, a noaudition a cappella group, and this year we’re starting Sans Comic, which is a noaudition sketch comedy group,” Gordon said.

Overall, Lavrov said, being in Lobster Club has been an enjoyable experience.

“Before being a senior, my favorite things were getting to do improv and perform in front of people and getting to watch other people grow with me,” Lavrov said. “As I learned more improv, these other people were also learning improv … and that was really cool to see.”

After becoming a senior, however, Lavrov’s favorite aspect of being a part of Lobster Club has changed. “It’s definitely getting to meet freshmen,” he said.

“When would I ever meet a freshman?”

auditioning for and watching the group, according to managing director Lauren Frost ’16. About 100 people auditioned this past fall alone.

“I think we get a lot of people to audition because it’s something that doesn’t really need experience,” Frost said. “Improv is something that a lot of people haven’t done before, and a lot of the members that we get haven’t done it before.”

“We also try to emphasize that we keep our auditions really fun,” Robertson added. “Sometimes people say, ‘Oh, I’m just glad I auditioned because I had a great time.’”

Quipfire! performs a variety of shows throughout the year to showcase new forms of improv with which it is experimenting.

In October, Quipfire! did its Gravid Water Show, which involves having actors memorize one person’s lines from a scene, and then pairing those actors with an improviser who does not know the scene and must come up with its responses on the spot.

“People really loved it,” Robertson said, “We’ve grown throughout my experience into a group who experiments a little more. For example, Gravid Water was a one-off show, so we just did one evening.

And I think that we’re making that into a thing we do more often.”

Quipfire! is performing another Gravid Water in April, as well as a set of shows in May. “These shows will probably be Armandos,” Frost said, “where we have a guest, probably a professor, give a monologue based on a suggestion, and

THE DARK WAWA RISES HARRISON BLACKMAN Associate Street Editor

Originally published December 4, 2014 BEN KOGER :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

S

tep off the Dinky into the new station, and you enter a world transformed. After putting us through the ad hoc efficiency of the temporary Dinky station, Princeton has declared: Welcome to the future.

A soaring steel canopy over the Dinky station waiting room reaches for the heavens. Electronic signs announce the Dinky’s schedule.

Adjacent to all this is the new Wawa, a black-onyx proposition with large

windows that is part Wawa, part stealth fighter. One half expects Michael Caine’s character from “Interstellar” to step outside and announce that once he has solved the problem of gravity, he has transformed the WaWa into the premier spaceship of our generation.

My roommate said he thought the Wawa looked like a prison. I disagreed, saying that if the new Wawa looked like a prison, then it was the sexiest prison I had ever seen.

Designed by Arizona-based architect

Rick Joy, it seems that the Dinky station and Wawa are meant to make Princeton look high-tech and sophisticated, to complete a gradual progression of modernity that stretches from I.M. Pei’s polarizing Spelman complex, past New South’s small, boxy tower and stretching to the forthcoming Arts Complex. But let’s be real: all of these modern buildings have actually been leading up to the Wawa.

Like life’s evolution from amphibian to reptile to mammal, the new Wawa is the apotheosis of Princeton’s modern archi-

went over to her room and I had this whole bag of activities we could do: we could do makeovers, we could do facials … and then I pulled out a magazine and said, ‘Or, we could write a murder letter by cutting out letters!’ ” No, this is not a fan-made sequel to Mean Girls. This is Fuzzy Dice, one of Princeton’s three improvisation comedy troupes, during downtime.

Executive director Paulina Orillac ’17 (responsible for the conspiracy quoted above) said that part of what distinguishes Fuzzy Dice as a group is its emphasis on the social atmosphere, which she described as “chemically unbalanced” — in the fondest way possible.

“We try to become really close-knit, we try to get to know each other outside of the rehearsal room,” Orillac said.

“I think that’s something really special about Fuzzy Dice as a group, especially in Princeton.”

On the more technical side, artistic director Angad Anand ’16 added that while all three groups on campus are friendly and supportive of each other, each has its own style. “We have a more holistic, scene-based improv where we really try to create some sort of objective,” he explained. “We really try to tell a story.”

In shows, the group makes a point to incorporate as much audience involvement into its improv games as possible.

Publicity chair Cat Sharp ’18 explained that a signature game, called, unsurprisingly, “Fuzzy Dice,” has four scenes going on at once, all inspired by the audience’s suggested keywords. Another staple is called “Paper Chase,” which invites audience members to write anything they want on pieces of paper that are collected outside the theater before the show. During the game, random papers are given to members, who must weave the contents into the scene.

Seeing as Fuzzy Dice also performs

off-campus, both for events such as the Princeton High School graduation as well as inter-school exchanges, the group makes a conscious effort to avoid Princeton-specific jokes in general.

“We try to make our improv very much universal,” Anand said. “We have a lot of parents and others come to see our shows, so we don’t want to be telling jokes about grade deflation, or Forbes, or something like that.”

This school year has been an especially transformative one for Fuzzy Dice, after losing seven members in the Class of 2014. When the group returned from the summer, it had only four members remaining.

“This year was very much a rebuilding year,” Anand said. “When we did auditions this year, we were looking for people with different styles of humor, different perspectives on life, different backgrounds. And we’ve really collected a very eclectic group of people.”

As a junior and a second-year artistic director, Anand was particularly aware of these changes. He was accustomed to working with a group of experienced, senior improv comedians as an underclassman; now, suddenly, he was in charge of six new members, five of whom were freshmen. “A lot of first semester was just about training them on the basics, but looking forward, I really want to help them develop their own improv styles and voices,” he said.

Looking forward for the group as a whole, Anand said that Fuzzy Dice would like to start experimenting with music in its improvisation, adding that they will be looking for a music director next year.

In the meantime, changes are happening in smaller, but no less exciting forms.

Sharp explained that the group released its first ever promotional video for the upcoming show, appropriately titled “April Show(er)s.” Sharp noted a significant increase in audience attendance after the publicity efforts of the February Shows, and hopes to see the same for the shows this weekend.

“Come to our show! Watch the video promo! Check out the cool posters!” she said.

“Down, doggie,” Orillac said.

COURTESY OF CAT SHARP ’18

then we improvise based on that.”

According to Frost, Quipfire!’s future includes not only trying new forms of improv, but also getting more involved in the larger college improv community.

“For a long time, we were pretty isolated, just doing our own thing here,” Frost said, “but now we do the College Improv Tournament, we had our show with the Fordham improv group, Stranded in Pittsburgh, and we’re going to a comedy festival at Brown next weekend.” tecture scene.

One only has to enter Rick Joy’s new Wawa building to attain a sense of wonder that no other convenience store can muster. The old Wawa was homey in the sense of its storied past selling students coffee, hoagies and mixers late into the night. It was noble in that its façade resembled a minimalist evocation of the Alamo — squint a bit at its picture and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

The new Wawa, however, is the future of convenience stores — fast, seductive and out-of-control.

Let me explain. Enter the building and witness the homage to the past with the stained glass banner of the previous store, giving the new Wawa a sense of continuity, kind of like a tattoo you got at Reunions that you can’t remove.

Above the cashier’s desk is a circular skylight with a continuous, feathered design that, while impressive, is certainly not something you will notice when on your two a.m. drunchies trip.

Enter the bathroom’s frosted glass door and stare in awe at what seems a regal lavatory airlifted from a fine

“As weird as it seems, you could get someone to come to a school because of improv,” Frost said, “We actually had an alum interviewer email us and say he interviewed a kid who hadn’t applied to any other Ivy League schools, but applied to Princeton after seeing us perform somewhere. That’s the dream, that people would see us and think we are one of best college improv groups they’ve seen, and decide they want to come here and do improv.”

SoHo restaurant. The stalls have wood paneling. Wood paneling!

Where am I, Campus Club’s secondfloor spacious, individual stalls?

Mirrors, tiling and fancy sinks complete the portrait of the heavenly restrooms. How is this a Wawa?

Emerging from the new Wawa unscathed, I was surprised at its incredible amenities, and the fact that so much has been invested in a convenience store. The University built the convenience store on a $330 million budget — admittedly some of that funding will build the accompanying Arts & Transit Complex, though in terms of priorities I’m sure the majority of the $330 million should have gone to Wawa. The gross domestic product of the island nation of Micronesia is $335 million. Better try to get ahead, Micronesia, while you still can!

Is the new Wawa a good allocation of resources? Let me think about that while I order my hoagie, eat it with Sriracha sauce and use that gorgeous bathroom.

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

page S3

The FROSH Food Guide for under $10 LIN KING, JENNIFER SHYUE AND HARRISON BLACKMAN Street Editors

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rinceton town has a classy but expensive array of dining fare. If you like eating out or just trying the local sustenance, and you don’t happen to be the son or daughter of a wealthy oil family, then this food guide is for you. Read on, dear frosh, and explore some of our favorite food places where a meal can be had for under $10, if you’re clever about it.

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Mamoun’s

The Princeton outpost of this New York-based falafel restaurant keeps its menu simple: You can get a sandwich (which comes in a pita bread pocket) or a plate (which comes with two sandwiches, salad on the side and extra pita bread). Options for the contents of your sandwich include falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, shawarma and shish kabob. The falafel, the insides of which are a surprising but pleasant kelly green, is a standout.

Sandwiches start at $4.50.

The interior of this burger chain’s Princeton restaurant is decked out like a ’50s diner, with hot pink as the prevailing color. Its menu boasts endlessly customizable burgers, fries and shakes; with the shakes, for example, you can choose to combine ice cream flavors from a list of 70 choices. Those who are feeling particularly hungry can try their hand at the Pounder Challenge — anyone who finishes the 20-ounce Famous Pounder Burger gets their picture up on the wall of fame, as well as eternal glory. Burgers start at $5.99.

Olives

Hoagie Haven

Say Cheez

The sub shop that has launched 1,000 latenight trips, Hoagie Haven is a Princeton classic.

It’s far from the main campus, an island of junk food heaven an unfathomable distance from Princeton civilization (well, it’s not far from the E-Quad). Anyway, Hoagie Haven is a takeout/ lunch counter-styled restaurant that serves the ultimate unhealthy subs. Some favorites include the “Phat Lady,” a cheesesteak with mozzarella sticks, french fries, ketchup and hot sauce, and the “Sanchez,” a sub which includes chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, fries, cheese and a signature sauce. Often the ultimate destination to a night on the Street, Hoagie Haven is open really late. Also, buy a half-sub, not a full. Trust us, it’s plenty of food. We wish the best of luck to your arteries. Subs start at $5.50.

Jammin’ Crepes

The savory crepes at this creperie across the street from Rocky College are solid, but the stars of the menu are definitely the sweet crepes (offerings include “Lemon & Lavender” and the Turkish coffee-infused “Toasty ‘Joe’ ”). Inside, the decor, replete with checks, cork and mason jars, recalls the restaurant’s farmers’ market origins and makes this one of the more Instagrammable cheap-eats joints on Nassau. Sweet crepes start at $4.50, savory ones at $6.50.

Even if you’ve never been to the physical location, chances are you’ve had Olives’ excellent fruit platters at some sort of campus event. Perhaps the best deli in Princeton, Olives doubles as a lunch counter and food market, offering a fantastic array of Greek food. The deli’s excellent sandwich counter makes great subs and gyros. Moreover, the spanikopita, pasta, baked goods and pastries are not to be missed. A Princeton classic. Sandwiches start at $4.95.

Say Cheez’s menu riffs on the culinary perfection of the grilled cheese sandwich. The classic American cheese on white bread is of course an option, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, there are also more adventurous bread, cheese, topping and protein choices, such as glazed donut, feta cheese, sliced apples, zucchini and smashed meatballs. The best part? Say Cheez is open until 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, making it the perfect place for post-Street eats.

Sandwiches start at $4.00.

PJ’s Pancake House

Hoagies aside, PJ’s is the gastronomical pride and joy of Princeton. The URL of their website is literally “pancakes.com,” so it’s not hard to believe that they’re as “legit” as pancakes get. Flavors include pecan, blueberry, peanut butter chocolate chip, dried cranberry and walnut, Oreo, spicy apple ­— and that’s only half the options. In addition to pancakes, PJ’s also does a great omelette and French toast. The lines get pretty long for weekend brunch though, so be sure to plan ahead.

Pancakes (half-servings) start at $6.95.

Sakura Express

Though by no means refined as far as sushi goes, Sakura is convenient, friendly, filling and above all, cheap. Its petite storefront down With-

erspoon is always filled with regulars, including both students and Princeton residents. The menu covers every American sushi favorite you can think of: California, Alaska, Dragon, Rainbow, Spicy Tuna and many more. The kitchen menu also offers hot foods, among which the shrimp katsu is a definite standout.

Rolls start at $5.75.

Princeton Pi

Princeton Pi has gone through several rebrandings A shawarma sandwich from Mamoun’s. over the years. Once HARRISON BLACKMAN:: ASSOCIATE STREET EDITOR it was Twist, a froyo place. Then it was renamed Sketch, also a froyo place, ostensibly to Nassau Sushi get people to draw sketches on the restaurant’s Don’t be fooled: Nassau Sushi is actually stationery and hang it up in the store. Well, an- the go-to for Korean food. Though the sushi other plot-“twist” later, it became Princeton Pi, menu is extensive, the entire staff is Korean a pizza parlor that doubles as, you guessed it, a and it’s really the Korean food menu that froyo place. Princeton Pi is inexpensive, serves stands out. The pork bulgogi ($16.99), though a variety of different sandwiches, and pretty pricier, is an absolute must for meatlovers. good froyo, too. Worth your time if you’re in a Thanks to its spacious accommodations, prirush, or the line for ice cream at The Bent Spoon vate room and BYOB policy, Nassau Sushi or Halo Pub is too long. A personal pizza goes has become a popular choice for bigger parfor $9.00. ties. Rice dishes start at $12.99, sushi rolls at $5.00.

Princeton Soup & Sandwich Company

If you get tired of the wildly inconsistent quality of dining hall soup (you will) and are looking for a simple meal in town, Princeton Soup & Sandwich is the place to be. The formula is simple and foolproof: there’s the regular menu and about three daily soup specials, which you can get in four different sizes along with various bread rolls. If none of the specials catches your eye, the lobster bisque is always delightful. The sandwich menu, which has several vegetarian options including hummus & avocado, also caters to a diverse customer base.

Speaking of which, they also do catering! Soups start at $5.00.

30 Burgers

Ever wonder where that char-grilled scent near Labyrinth Bookstore is coming from? The answer is 30 Burgers. We hope this doesn’t come as a big surprise, but this gourmet burger joint offers 30 different burgers, featuring a geographical variety of sandwiches that include the “Athens Veggie Burger,” the “Maui Burger,” “Pete’s Crab Burger” and “Chicago Style Hot Dogs.” Or you just get a regular cheeseburger and fries. It definitely can hit the spot if, like, you have an exam the next day and need the comfort of what may well be the national food of America. Burgers start at $6.25, hot dogs at $3.00.

page S4

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

This March, in honor of International Women’s Day, Street Editors Lin King, Harrison Blackman and Jennifer Shyue took a look at portrayals of women in 50 years of Daily Princetonian archives.

Originally published March 4, 2015

1965

The cover art of “Where The Girls Are: A Social Guide to Women’s Colleges In the East,” a dating guidebook for Princeton men published by the ‘Prince’ in 1965.

The book includes summaries of events and insiders’ looks at women’s colleges, as well as an opening article titled, “How to Succeed with Women Without Really Trying — You Can’t.”

1969

Princeton officially began accepting women applicants, a transition documented in the Prince on October 21, 1969. The photograph below, featured in the article “Coeducation at Princeton: The Struggle of an Idea at a University in Transition,” was accompanied by the caption: “Flirting with more than snow during Coed Week.”

1970

On September 14, 1970, the ‘Prince’ reported that freshmen and sophomore women students will be able to enroll in Physical Education courses.

According to the article, thirteen students signed up to form a women’s crew team, “[scoffing] at a suggestion that they might develop tremendous shoulder muscles.”

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Women’s Studies officially proposed the Women’s Studies Program on May 22, 1980. The Program was officially renamed Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) in 2011, according to its website. Nancy Malkiel (née Weiss) went on to become the first interim director of the Women’s Studies Program and the longest-serving Dean of the College.

1990

Although Sally Frank ’80 lodged her complaint against the University’s all-male eating clubs for sex discrimination in 1979, it was not until 1990 — eleven years later — that Ivy Club and Tiger Inn were compelled by law to admit women members. Frank, now a professor at Drake University Law School, spoke about her experiences on October 13, 2014 at a public lecture in Whig Hall.

2001

On May 5, 2001, Professor Shirley Tilghman was named the 19th president of Princeton University. She stepped down from the presidency in the end of the 2012-2013 academic year, after a 12-year tenure. See S2 for an exclusive interview with Tilghman.

whether it’s features, theater, dance, music, health, fashion, art, humor, or personal essays, we’ve got you covered. for more info, email us at STREETEDITORS@GMAIL.COM

1979

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1965-2015

The Daily Princetonian

page S5

page2015 C5 The Freshman Issue summer

THE FRESHMAN DICTIONARY

By Daily Princetonian Staff :: Come prepared.

A

A.B., abbrev. Artium Baccalaureus, or Bachelor of Arts.

Though called B.A. at most other schools, it’s still your typical liberal arts degree. For the same strange reason we have “certificates” instead of “minors,” you’re receiving an “A.B.” instead of a “B.A.” Unless you’re an engineer, of course. See “B.S.E.” adviser, n. 1. Faculty member assigned to freshmen to assist in course selection. Usually a specialist in a field totally unrelated to yours. 2. Faculty member assigned to sophomores with an unclear role. 3. Faculty member assigned to juniors and seniors to provide guidance in writing junior papers and theses. All vary widely in quality of advice and level of engagement.

Ai Weiwei, n. A Chinese dissident artist who sculpted the zodiac statues currently in front of the Wilson School fountain.

He tried to come to Princeton once, but the Chinese government held onto his passport. See “Woody Woo Fountain.”

Alcohol Initiative, n. A trustee-sponsored attempt to reduce alcohol consumption by throwing huge sums of money at undergraduates for alternative activities.

Alexander Beach, n. Princeton’s version of a beach. Lacks sand and water but is usually occupied by a tent for some event.; hence, there is much dead grass. Located in front of Alexander Hall on the northern end of campus. all-nighter, n. 1. Grim, duskto-dawn studying or writing marathon in which sleep is postponed indefinitely. Often procrastination-induced and caffeine-fueled. Usually followed by prolonged periods of hibernation. Your freshman 15 will probably be 60% to blame on the food you eat during these. Welcome to college. 2.

“All-Nighter with [insert host name]” is Princeton’s student called “The Orange Bubble.” Usage: “Back in the bubble!”, “Welcome to the bubble.” To be used sparingly.

Business Today, n. Glossy campus business affairs magazine with large alumni coffers where Future Business Leaders of America gather to talk Goldman.

See “i-banking,” “consulting.”

Butler College, n. Residential college with the newest buildings. Located far down-campus; contains Studio 34, which is open until 3:30 a.m. to satisfy all your midnight munchies.

See “Studio 34,” “all-nighter.”

C

Cafe Vivian, n.

Slightly pricier food spot located on the first floor of Frist Campus Center that serves amazing flatbread pizzas, calzones and sandwiches. Styled as a jazz joint.

Popular spot for visitors, professors and students alike.

Cane Spree, n. Multi-sport competition between freshmen and sophomores held at the end of the second week of classes.

Includes cane wrestling, tug-ofwar, unscheduled brawls and a barbecue on Poe Field. Popular for the free T-shirts. Calm down — you’ll get a lot of free T-shirts during your time here.

Cannon Diel Elm Club, n.

Bicker club known for its three taprooms. Recently resurrected, the club plays host to a large proportion of athletes. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

Cap & Gown Club, n. The mostbickered club last year, Cap also has a reputation for hosting high proportions of the chill and diverse. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

Carl A. Fields Center, n. Properly called the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding. A building located on Prospect Avenue that hosts diversity-themed events

made-late-night comedy show created in 2012. alumni, n. pl. Those who came before. Gosh, do they love the place. Prone to wearing abominable combinations of orange and black. See “Reunions.” arch sing, n. Event where a cappella singing groups perform a few of their favorite tunes in campus archways. Good singing and great acoustics, but the novelty can wear off quickly. A large percentage of the audience is made up of group members’ significant others (or wannabe significant others) and roommates.

B

Baker Rink, n. Ice rink located downcampus where the hockey teams practice. The USG sometimes holds free Skate Nights where you can take dates.

Also location for Intramural Broomball games.

Band, n. The University scramble band. Football halftime shows are occasionally funny and always tasteless. Often uses unconventional instruments, such as plastic pumpkins and stop signs. Hard to miss in their extremely plaid orange blazers as they parade through libraries on Dean’s Date (God knows why) or serenade the hapless on Valentine’s Day. See “Charter Club.”

Beast, n. What spews forth from taps on Prospect Avenue.

It does the trick.

Bedbug, n. Nasty vampiric insect which infiltrates dorm rooms. Steer clear. beer, n. Beverage of choice on Prospect Avenue. Some clubs try to impress potential members by serving such brew-house delicacies as Killian’s or Yuengling, but eight times out of 10 it’s just Beast.

See “Prospect,” “Beast,” “boot.” beer pong, n. 1. A popular drinking game in which players attempt to toss a ping-pong ball and programming.

Carnegie, Lake, n. Five minutes from campus, five miles long. Scenic venue for crew but too slimy for swimming. Gift of Andrew Carnegie so that Princeton could have a crew team, after then-University President Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, asked him for money for University construction. Wilson’s reported comment: “We asked for bread, and he gave us cake.” carrel, n. Like the all-male student body and the old pub in Chancellor Green, carrels are the newest addition to the ghosts of Princeton past. For better or for worse, you will never know the four-by-six-by-eight-foot metal study closets in Firestone Library where seniors locked themselves around February to emerge in April with 30,000word theses. Don’t worry, you’ll get study spaces that aren’t fire hazards. See “thesis.” certificate, n. What we call minors. Options include finance, theatre studies, environmental studies, political economy, etc.

Your certificate area of study must be addressed in some capacity in your thesis. Start planning for these now. See “thesis.”

Chapel, n. Site of religious services and opening exercises at the start of every year. Thirdlargest university chapel in the world. There is allegedly a twoyear wait list for weddings held here.

Chancellor Green, n. Gorgeous library attached to East Pyne featuring stained-glass windows and amazingly comfortable couches. Its gothic skylight is among the most frequently Instagrammed spots on campus. Also popular for studying and napping.

Charter Club, n. Club with a weighted sign-in system located extremely far down Prospect Avenue, near the E-Quad. Plays host to a high proportion of en-

into an array of Solo cups. Does not usually involve paddles, because this isn’t Dartmouth.

Bent Spoon, the, n. One of 5 ice-cream stores in Princeton town, located in Palmer Square.

Also serves milkshakes and cupcakes. Known for exotic/unconventional flavors. Recently featured in Buzzfeed’s “27 Ice Cream Shops to Visit Before You Die.” #bucketlist Bicker, 1. n. Princeton’s multiday equivalent of fraternity or sorority rush for the six selective eating clubs. During Bicker, club members meet sophomores and other upperclassmen to determine whether they are worthy of membership. “Worthiness” is determined in a variety of ways. As divisive as it sounds Blackboard, n. Website used to download course assignments, syllabi and readings. Not to be confused with “blackboards,” teaching instruments found in the majority of classrooms and lecture halls around campus on which professors use an archaic white substance known as “chalk.”

Blair Arch, n. That large, pretty arch across from Richardson Auditorium. Campus landmark and frequent site of a cappella jams. See “arch sing.” bonfire, n. Tradition of lighting an enormous bonfire on Cannon Green to celebrate the football team’s victories over both Harvard and Yale in a season. Recently held in 2012 and 2013. Involves singing praises to Old Nassau.

Formerly included the burning of effigies of John Harvard and the Yale bulldog, the banning of which led to great campus outcry. Pretty much as cultish as it sounds. Keep your fingers crossed. boot, 1. v. To toss one’s cookies, worship the porcelain god, barf, puke, vomit, ralph, regurgitate, spew chunks, whistle carrots, etc. Usually engaged in as part of a “boot and rally,” with hopes gineers because they’re the only ones for whom it’s convenient.

See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

CJL, abbrev. Center for Jewish Life. Self-explanatory building on Washington Road. Popular lunch spot regardless of religious affiliation. clapper, n. Part of the Nassau Hall bell that the incoming class tried to steal each year. The logic behind the age-old tradition is that if the clapper is stolen, the bell signifying the start of classes won’t ring, so classes can’t be held. After Geoffrey MacArthur ’95 fell from the tower in 1992, the administration decided to remove the clapper permanently.

Cloister Inn, n. Sign-in club known for hosting a high percentage of water-based athletes. See Street’s breakdown of the Street. cluster, n. Where a whole bunch of computers congregate. Features printers which are often jammed, toner-less, or otherwise malfunctioning, staplers that are often broken or empty, and angry students. Scattered throughout campus.

Colonial Club, n. Sign-in club that, along with Charter, is open on Friday nights. See Street’s guide to the Street.

Committee on Discipline, n.

The University body responsible for investigating academic integrity and other disciplinary offenses.

Community Action, abbrev.

CA. Week-long pre-orientation activity built around service trips in the Princeton, Trenton and Philadelphia area. Like Outdoor Action, but with bathrooms and community service.

Communiversity, n. All-day festival on Nassau and Witherspoon Streets held in April to promote town-gown unity. Features food, bands and student performances. When the festival

RUBY SHAO :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Members of the University Cottage Club welcome new members selected through the Bicker process.

of rejoining the party. 2. n. type of footwear worn when the weather includes soaking rain, blizzards or sheets of ice. Welcome to winter in Jersey.

Breakout trips, n. A collection of civic engagement trips planned and led by students and funded by the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. Participants are selected by application (and you thought your application ends, tensions between the University and town soon return. consulting, n. What many of your classmates will go on to do.

See “Woody Woo.” co-op, n. Upperclassman dining alternative in which members share cooking responsibilities. Vegetarians, try 2 Dickinson St.; omnivores, stick to Brown or the International Food Co-ops.

Cottage Club, n. Officially called “University Cottage Club.” Bicker club known to be populated by athletes, Southerners and the wealthy. See Street’s guide to the Street.

CPS, abbrev. Counseling and Psychological Services. Office of therapists located on the third floor of McCosh, available to you free of charge. See “McCosh.”

C-Store, n. Short for the creatively named Convenience Store, located on the first floor of Frist. Open until 2 a.m., when Frist closes. Source of late-night snacks for those who like to work in Frist. See “Frist.”

D

Daily Princetonian, The, n. What you’re reading now. Your number one (and only) daily source of campus happenings.

The only daily newspaper at Princeton and one of the oldest college dailies in the country. Available for free in dining halls, eating clubs, various campus facilities and online. Operated completely independent of the University. Also known as the ‘Prince.’

D-Bar, abbrev. Debasement Bar. Sole hangout for graduate students, located in the basement of the Graduate College.

According to reports, highly awkward. See “Grad College,” “graduate student.”

Dead Week, n. Week between

days were over — you’re in for a rude awakening). Trips take place over fall and spring breaks.

Past trips have examined arts in Philadelphia, school technology in Boston, immigration in Arizona and other social issues.

Bridges, n. nickname, CEE 102: Engineering in the Modern World.

Counts as an HA for science kids and an ST for humanities kids. In past years, the final has involved end of finals and graduation, when seniors and students employed for Reunions hang out and try to do as little as possible.

This can often take the form of group vacations to the beach.

See “Reunions.”

Dean’s Date, n. 1. The last day of reading period, when course papers are due. Stress reaches all-time high as students realize the number of pages they have left to write exceeds the number of hours before the deadline. 2.

Dean’s Date Theater. Students congregate in McCosh courtyard before the 5 p.m. deadline to cheer on classmates who have truly left their papers to the last minute, an activity that was more exciting in the days before email. Look out for your friends with merciless history, English or anthropology professors who demand hard copies — the folks sprinting from Firestone to Dickinson, essays in hand, are a sight worth seeing. 3.

Dean’s Date Fairies. Cross-dressing men from the Triangle Club who pass out candy on the night before Dean’s Date. See “Triangle Club,” “all-nighter.”

Dei Sub Numine Viget, phrase.

Latin motto on Princeton’s seal.

Translation: “Under God’s Power She Flourishes.” Unofficial version: “God Went to Princeton.”

Dillon Gymnasium, n. Recreational center in the middle of campus open to non-athletes. Contains a pool, squash courts, multipurpose rooms, a large basketball court and a fitness center. Site of intramural sports, loud Zumba classes and dance company rehearsals.

Dinky, n. Our version of the Hogwarts Express. Mini-train that takes you to Princeton Junction for connections to the real world. Flashpoint of battle between town and University. down-campus, adj. Located on the part of campus closer to the lake, down the hill. Begins roughly at Dillon, ends at the lake. Synonyms: “south.” Usage:

literally memorizing pictures of bridges. See “P/D/F.” B.S.E., abbrev. Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering. Though called “B.S.” at some other schools, there’s no b.s. in Princeton’s engineering degree.

Bubble, The, n. The metaphorical orange bubble that surrounds campus, keeping us in and the real world out. Also “It’s a little farther down-campus than Edwards.”

E

E-Quad, abbrev.

Engineering Quadrangle. A collection of academic buildings where engineers spend all their time. Very, very far east from central campus.

East Pyne, n. Pretty building up-campus near Firestone Library that houses language departments, the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of Classics. See “Chancellor Green.” eating clubs, n. Eleven large mansions on Prospect Avenue that serve as the hub of upperclassman life. You probably weren’t allowed to ask questions about them on your tour. Biggest reason that Princeton is still considered elitist by the outside world. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

EC, abbrev. Epistemology and Cognition. Distribution requirement with no discernible meaning. Filled most frequently by philosophy and psychology classes. See “P/D/F.” Eisgruber, Christopher, n.

Your fearless leader. Eisgruber ascended to the University presidency from the position of provost in 2013. Seems to have forgotten that this isn’t high school and assigned you summer reading. Well-respected in academic circles. Destroyer of the grade deflation policy enacted by his predecessor. See “Tilghman, Shirley.”

EM, abbrev. Ethical Thought and Moral Values. Distributional requirement commonly filled with Peter Singer’s “Practical Ethics,” in which one of the most prominent philosophers of our time convinces you to stop eating meat.

Emails for Females, n. Problematic nickname for COS 109: Computers in Our World, a com-

The Issue summer 2015 pageFreshman C6

The Daily Princetonian

page2014 S6 The Freshman Issue summer

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015 puter science class in which you learn little to no programming.

However, it does satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning distribution requirement. See “P/D/F.”

an undergraduate, you will not graduate. Of course, that’s just a legend. Try it and let us know.

(But relax, the smaller side gates don’t count.)

entryway, n. Self-contained section of a dorm or classroom building. Most frequently found in older buildings, which were built to be riot-proof. Only way to get from one entry to another is to go outside and back in again or go through the basement or up to the top floor. Partly because of this system, you may never meet the person who lives on the other side of your bedroom wall.

Forbes College, n. Residential college, formerly known as Princeton Inn College. Two-year college, in which people bond over the gulf separating them from the rest of campus.

e-reserves, n. Catalogues of offcentered scans of many required readings. Thank your professors when they offer these in place of Pequod packets. Bow down to professors who are able to photocopy readings with the right side up. Curse all professors as you wait for 300 pages of readings to print. See “Pequod.”

Frist, n. The campus center.

Home of the student government, mailboxes and yummy quesadillas. A fun and relaxing place to socialize and study as long as you don’t take introductory Chinese. See “late meal.”

F

fall break, n. Weeklong vacation immediately following fall midterms. Implemented in the 1970s when campus activists demanded time off before Election Day to campaign for their favorite bleeding-heart liberal congressional candidates. Now a prime road-trip week. See “Breakout Trips.”

Fine Hall, n. The name of that extremely ugly brown building rising high above the earth down-campus behind Lewis Library. Contains the math department. fire inspection, n. Twice-asemester unannounced visit to your dorm room, before which you should frantically hide illegal appliances under your bed to avoid fines.

Firestone Library, n. The mothership. Books on books on books (on shelves). Large behemoth of a library containing books on every subject imaginable, as well as asbestos. Popular study spot.

Deathly quiet, except where it’s being renovated. See “carrel.”

FitzRandolph Gate, n. Gate in front of Nassau Hall. If you walk out the center gate while McCosh Walk, n. Walkway extending from University Place on the west to Washington Road on the east. If there weren’t hills, you’d be able to see clear from one end of campus to the other. Features many puddles. Stop by around 4:55 p.m. on Dean’s Date to watch your friends sprint.

Multi-club Bicker, n. Initiative begun last year in which some of the bicker clubs allowed sophomores to bicker two clubs at once. Entirely effective in making the already short Bicker process less stressful. See “Bicker.”

N

Nassau Herald, n.

Princeton yearbook containing only the senior photos.

Nassau Literary Review, The, n. Biannual litmag, the second oldest college litmag in the

Franzia, n. Brand of boxed (read: dirt cheap and sickeningly sweet) wine. Comes in both rose and white. Goes down easy, comes back up more painfully.

See “boot,” “Tower Club.”

fraternities, n. pl. (Freshmen, avert your eyes!) Groups of males that gather to drink and make lots of grunting noises.

Freshmen are not allowed to rush Greek organizations. Those who do face suspension. Not a big presence on campus, but they may be your ticket into a bicker club.

Frosh Week, n. The week before classes, when sophomores and upperclassmen reacquaint themselves with campus life and “meet” the freshmen, who are kept busy by an array of University-sponsored activities. Prime time to drink copious amounts of alcohol amid nighttime mosh pits in the eating clubs’ backyards. We’ll see you there.

G

Garden Theatre, Princeton, n. Community theater.

Shows mostly artsy films as well as a few big-budget flicks. Good first date. Free USG-sponsored movies and popcorn for students on weekends.

Graduate College, the. Commonly called the “Grad College.”

A mythical castle across the golf course behind Forbes rumored to be inhabited by those known as “graduate students.” Undergrads like to climb its tower to take pictures of the view and eat in its dining hall on Thursday country. Yes. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote for it.

Nassau Weekly, n. Also “the Nass.” A weekly magazinestyled newspaper. Known for humorous “Verbatim” section, which is filled with random overheard quotes from around campus, and for printing other perimetric thousand-word-long student musings. See “WPRB.” netID, n. The part of your email address preceding “@princeton. edu” and your username for most campus websites.

New York City, n. Just an hourand-a-half train ride away. A round-trip ticket is around $33.

Sometimes art classes take you there for free.

Newman’s Day, n. To Paul Newman’s chagrin, students attribute to him the quote “24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not.”

nights, when dinner features specialty food stations with made-to-order sesame noodles, quesadillas, etc. See “D-Bar.” grade deflation, n. University policy to limit A’s in courses to 35 percent of grades per department. Extremely controversial and a source of many a dining hall debate and Princeton’s unofficial motto, “It would’ve been an A at Harvard.” Struck down in 2014 by President Eisgruber, to deafening cheers. graduate student, n. An individual smart enough to translate Kierkegaard into 14 languages but mostly isolated from campus life. Many are forced to live roughly one mile from central campus. Some will lead discussion at precepts. Typically only encountered at precepts, foreign language classes and the Wa on a weekend night. See “precept.”

H

Hoagie Haven, n.

A Princeton institution. A small hoagie shop on Nassau Street that serves sandwiches filled with things like french fries, chicken tenders, multiple burger patties and buffalo sauce, often in combination. The most dangerous but most fulfilling of drunk-food destinations.

Holder Howl, n. A moment of collective campus catharsis at midnight each Dean’s Date when students gather in Holder Courtyard in Rocky to release a primal scream of fear and frustration. See “Dean’s Date” and “Whitman Wail.”

Honor Code, n. Institution through which University exams are policed. Students sign pledges agreeing not to cheat on exams and to turn in those who do. Taken very seriously. See “Committee on Discipline.” hose, v. To render helpless and depressed. Most often done to rejected Bicker prospects, who are hosed at their doorstep. Fraternities and a cappella groups also hose. Note: a literal hose is typically not involved. See “Bicker.”

Houseparties, n. Pseudobacchanal scheduled for the Of course, Newman never said that, and there are 30 beers in a case, but that doesn’t stop some University students from attempting to drink 24 beers in 24 hours every April 24.

Nude Olympics, n. Sophomore rite of passage banned in 1999 as part of an effort to reduce drunken revelry. Celebrated by running naked through Holder Courtyard at midnight on the night of each year’s first snowfall.

O

OA, abbrev. Outdoor Action. Week-long preorientation program that sends half of the incoming freshman class into the woods to get dirty and make friends. There’s no action on Outdoor Action, but there’s always freshman week to get to know a new friend even better.

OA Dance, n. Dance party following your return and [show-

weekend after the end of spring semester classes. With theses complete and exams two weeks distant, eating clubs host wine-filled formal and semiformal dinners. The only ones who have it bad are juniors finishing (starting) their JPs and freshman males, who aren’t invited. Can be quite pricey. See “eating clubs.”

I

i-banking, nickname, investment banking. What many of your classmates will go on to do.

ICC, abbrev. Interclub Council.

Group made up of the 11 eating club presidents. Coordinates relations between Prospect Avenue, the municipality and the University. independent, n. Upperclass student who joins neither an eating club nor a University dining facility. By graduation, is either a great connoisseur of Princeton’s restaurants, a great cook or a great mooch. Many live in Spelman. See “Spelman Hall.”

Intersession, n. 1. Week off between fall finals and the start of spring semester. The only week of true freedom you will ever have at Princeton. 2. Jolt of fear for seniors who haven’t started their thesis research.

IRC, abbrev. International Relations Council. Umbrella group somehow related to Whig-Clio that organizes Model UN conferences. See “Tower Club,” “Woody Wu.” Ivy Club, n. Bicker club with a reputation for elitism (even by Princeton standards) and mahogany. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

J

Jadwin Gymnasium, n. Gym for varsity athletes and sports located far, far down-campus.

Site of varsity basketball games.

Not to be confused with Jadwin Hall.

Jadwin Hall, n. An academic building south of Fine Hall that contains the Physics department. Not to be confused with Jadwin Gymnasium, particuer] from Outdoor Action. Hilariously awkward. Your last high school dance.

OBB, abbrev. Orange and Black Ball. Campus-wide ball resurrected in 2011 after a decadeslong absence. Lots of finger food. Similar to prom, except dates aren’t standard and slow songs are nonexistent.

ODUS, abbrev. Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students. Oversees campus organizations, undergraduate student government and various student centers. A source of funding for your student group.

OIT, abbrev. Office of Information Technology. Controls the University’s computer and Internet systems. Runs a tech clinic in Frist.

Old Nassau, 1. phrase. Nickname for Princeton University, derived from Nassau Hall. 2. n.

page S7 larly during finals. jam, n. An event at which one or more a cappella groups sing, commonly inside of an arch. See “arch.” junior paper, n. Lengthy independent work for juniors meant to prepare them for the senior thesis. Some departments require one; most require two.

Often abbreviated as “JP.” Tragic reminder of impending mortality. See “thesis.” junior slums, n. Upperclass dorms located up-campus, generally populated by juniors and roaches. Don’t be fooled by the Gothic stone. Look out for that stain.

K

Keller Center, n.

Center located near the E-quad that sponsors events, classes and programming related to entrepreneurship and innovation.

Stop by before you drop out to work on your start-up full-time.

L

LA, abbrev. Literature and Arts, a category of your distributional requirements. late meal, n. The only thing that makes upperclassmen jealous of freshmen. In theory, an option for students who miss dining hall meal times. In practice, free noms, mixers and the best food offered by Campus Dining. See “Frist.”

Lawnparties, n. Day-long drink-a-thon and dance-a-thon on the lawn of each eating club, held in early fall and at the end of spring Houseparties.

Known for importing bands of questionable name recognition and creating a massive influx of sundresses on Prospect Avenue. Time of year to wear your preppiest clothing — pastels mandatory, floral print encouraged. lectures, n. pl. Oft-missed speeches by professors that constitute the foundation of the Princeton education and a sizeable chunk of your tuition.

Inconsistently eye-opening and life-changing.

Consistently good for naps.

School song.

Orange Key, n. Campus tourguiding group. Don’t believe everything they told you on your tour.

Orgo, abbrev. CHM 303/304: Organic Chemistry. Soul-killer. Separates the kids from the doctors.

P

Pace Center, n. Civic engagement powerhouse on campus that encompasses Community House and the Student Volunteers Council.

Sponsors Breakout trips during school breaks and distributes large amounts of money for service projects. See “Breakout trips.”

Palmer Square, n. Town square located just across Nassau Street from the University. Home to preppy stores, specialty boutiques and townies. pass, n. Business card-sized piece of multicolored cardstock, often embossed with the logo of the eating club to which it will grant you entry. Often acquired from upperclassman friends/ acquaintances/people you exchanged names with once a couple months ago. Passes bear an uncanny resemblance to “Chance” cards from “Monopoly.”

Patton, Susan, n.: Self-proclaimed “Princeton Mom” who has made controversial comments about the college being the perfect time (for women) to find “the one” and about sexual assault being “regrettable sex” that should serve as a “learning experience.” Yup. Along with Ted Cruz, a source of campus derision.

PAW, abbrev.

Princeton Alumni Weekly. The nation’s fourth-oldest weekly magazine, published by the Alumni Association far less than weekly.

TOMI JOHNSON :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students enjoy a live musical performance at Lawnparties in the backyard of the Quadrangle Club, which hosts the headlining artist.

P/D/F, abbrev. pass/D/fail.

Grading option developed to fa-

Lewis Library, n. Large, modern science library located down-campus across Washington Road. New, nice and quiet.

Despite its name, not many physical books are found here.

LGBT Center, the, n. Center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students and allies. Provides safe space on the second floor of Frist. Sponsors events and programming throughout the year and provides resources for interested students. See “Frist.” list, n. The sheet of paper you want your name to be on if you’re trying to get into an eating club that’s “on list” that night. This is sometimes accomplished by sending a half-pleading text to an upperclassman friend/acquaintance/person you exchanged names with once a couple months ago.

Lot 32, n. Parking lot located just outside of campus, far down Elm Road, where your upperclassmen friends’ cars are located.

M

master, n. Faculty member who acts as den mother or father for the freshmen and sophomores in the residential colleges.

Mathey College, n. Residential college located just south of Rocky. A collection of loosely associated buildings with no central quad. Shares a large, picturesque dining hall with Rocky.

McCosh Hall, n. A large, sprawling series of lecture halls up-campus in which many of your introductory-level large lecture classes will be held. Also features smaller seminar rooms mainly used by the English and history departments. Desks are small, cramped and wooden; bathrooms are difficult to find.

McCosh Health Center, n.

Isabella McCosh Infirmary, located just south of Frist. You go here when you’re too drunk to go to your room but not drunk enough for the hospital. Areas of expertise: diagnosing mono and assuming all women are pregnant.

cilitate a true liberal arts education. Designed to allow students to take a class that expands their horizons with the guarantee that their GPA won’t tank. Unless you get a D. Or fail.

Pequod, n. 1. Fictional ship in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.”

2. Outrageously overpriced photocopied packets of required reading that often resemble the whale.

Physics for Future Leaders, actual name of PHY115A. A physics course explicitly designed to introduce non-scientists to just enough science to ostensibly be able to make decisions. Future leaders who are also scientists should seek an actual education elsewhere. See “P/D/F.” pickups, n. pl. Nights on which Princeton’s many, many selective clubs and organizations greet new members by showering them with champagne, Silly String, etc. in their dorm rooms and then taking them elsewhere for revelry. See “Bicker.”

Poe Field, n. Large oval field at the far southern end of campus where club and intramural sports teams hold practices, sunbathing frequently occurs and barbecues are sometimes held. See “Alexander Beach.” power hour, n. Ritual in which a shot of beer is downed every minute for an hour. Use of hard alcohol not advised. See “boot.”

P-Rade, n. Annual procession of ridiculously spirited, multi-generational alumni sporting blackand-orange costumes. Takes place at the end of Reunions. See “alumni,” “Reunions.” pre-med, n. A student hoping to go to medical school. Freshman population decreases by about half throughout school year. Generalized anxiety and cutthroat behavior varies per person. See “Woody Woo.”

The Daily Princetonian

page S8 precept, n. Fifty- or eighty-minute weekly discussion between a small group of students and a preceptor (a grad student or faculty member) to supplement lectures. A unique feature of Princeton’s education system inaugurated by Woodrow Wilson. Vary widely in quality. Almost never truly mandatory. prefrosh, n. What you are until you arrive on campus. See “frosh.” pregame, 1. n. Name for any gathering held prior to a night out on the Street. Usually a source of hard liquor. Usage: “birthday pregame,” “frat pregame.” 2. v. To consume drinks at a party held on campus prior to a night out on the Street. Usage: “Let’s pregame at John’s birthday party before heading to T.I.” preppy, 1. n. Person who attended St. Paul’s, Andover, Exeter, Lawrenceville, Groton, etc.

Likely wears a lot of polos and is never seen without Sperrys (in winter, with socks). 2. adj.

Princeton is supposedly one of the 10 preppiest schools in the nation, but don’t be fooled: It’s in the top five. See “Lawnparties.”

Princeton, 1. n. The University to which you have committed the rest of your life (including your future earnings). 2. n. The affluent suburban town in which your blissful Orange Bubble is located.

Princetoween, n. The night on which all of campus collectively celebrates Halloween, irrespective of the actual date. Typically the Thursday before Fall Break.

Prospect, abbrev. 1. Prospect House. Formerly the University president’s home in the middle of campus. Now a faculty dining hall and the site of end-ofsemester fancy dinners for various organizations. 2. Prospect Garden. The gardens surrounding Prospect House; popular venue for Houseparties photos and end-of-the-night makeout sessions on return from the Street. 3. Prospect Avenue. See Street’s guide to the Street.

Prospect 11, n. The ultimate drinking challenge: one beer at every eating club in one night.

A favored item on senior bucket lists. Called “Prospect 10” before

Cannon reopened, and possibly once again if Quad goes bankrupt. See “Beast.” prox, 1. n. Common name for PUID, or the Princeton University TigerCard. 2. v. To unlock a door by holding your PUID close to an electronic sensor. Humping the wall in the process is optional. Usage: “Could you prox me in?” 3. n. The Daily Princetonian’s blog. See “PUID.” Public Safety, n. University cops responsible for regulating parking, ignoring room parties and opening doors for lockedout students. Called “P-Safe.”

Despite years of effort by the police union, the officers don’t carry guns. However, they do occasionally drive you places.

PUID, 1. n. Your University ID. Your key to admission at the library, sporting events and eating clubs. Can be used to charge food purchases to your student account. Eating club members sport special stickers on theirs.

See “prox.” 2. adj. When eating clubs only require that you flash your PUID to get in. Usage: “Is Campus Club PUID tonight?”

Q

end of each semester. Originally intended as time to do independent research, it is now a time to sleep in until 2 p.m. and then read everything you haven’t in the past semester and churn out papers. See “Dean’s Date.”

ReCal, n. App/website that helps you map out your schedule, along with the course planner on Tigerhub. One of the fledgling replacements for ICE, the Integrated Course Engine, a website for which all upperclassmen mourn. See “Tigerhub” Reunions, n. Beer-saturated gathering of alumni during the weekend before Commencement for drinking, fellowship and the P-Rade. Good excuse for students to delay returning home for a week at the end of the year. Reported to be the largest single beer order in the United States, after the Indy 500 went dry. See “P-Rade.”

Richardson Auditorium, n.

Enormous performance hall located up-campus across from Blair Arch. Popular tourist photo op. rival, n. What Princeton lacks.

What Penn thinks we are.

QR, abbrev. Quantitative Reasoning, a distributional requirement. See “Emails for Females.”

Robo, n. Drinking game involving bouncing a quarter into a series of beer-filled cups. See “boot.”

Quadrangle Club, n. Signin club commonly known as “Quad.” Endangered. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

Rockefeller College, n. Commonly referred to as “Rocky.”

Northernmost residential college known for gorgeous Gothic architecture à la our Oxbridge predecessors. Entryway system.

No air conditioning.

R

RCA, abbrev. Residential college adviser. An upperclass student who lives on your hall and provides free food (see “study break”), condoms and answers to questions like what to do when your roommate hasn’t showered in five weeks. See “Zee group.”

Rapelye, Janet, n. Dean of Admission. Let you in. Has revamped Princeton’s admission policies, including accepting the Common App, eliminating small group interviews and abolishing the “YES!” letter. reading period, n. Week and a half to catch up on work at the

Rocks for Jocks, nickname. GEO 103: Natural Disasters. See: “P/D/F.” RoMa, nickname. Rockefeller/ Mathey College dining hall.

Looks like the Great Hall in Harry Potter; both were modeled after Oxford. room draw, n. Computerized process by which students select rooms for the upcoming year.

Conspiracy theories abound about the supposed randomness of the process: People with high social security numbers, third letters of their last names near the end of the alphabet and Minnesota addresses may receive better times.

room improvement, phrase.

Purgatory into which students with tragically late draw times are cast. Over the summer, those who are eligible for room improvement will theoretically be placed into better rooms. Theoretically. See “room draw.”

Route 1, n. A large, divided road about a five-minute drive from campus along which real-world institutions like movie theaters, malls, Wal-marts, discount liquor stores and chain restaurants can be found. Proof that you are, in fact, in New Jersey. rush, v. 1. To move very quickly toward something. n. 2. An aquatic plant. 3. A process you are forbidden to know anything about until next September.

Shhh. rush ban, n. A ban on freshman rush enacted two years ago that prohibits you from engaging in any fraternity or sorority activities for your first year. See “Tilghman, Shirley.”

S

safety school, 1. n.

Yale, Harvard, Penn, etc. 2. phrase. Popular chant at basketball games regardless of opponent. sexile, v. To render your roommate homeless after a successful date or night out. Etiquette in case of sexile should be discussed with your roommate ASAP. shared meal plan, n. A system by which one can be a member of both an eating club and a residential college, with meals split between the two. Also known as the dream. The number of slots available vary widely by club. sign-in club, n. Eating club that takes members through a lottery system rather than Bicker.

Generally do not use passes or lists and are therefore more freshmen-friendly. Charter is the only club with a weighted sign-in based on a student’s attendance of club events. See Street’s guide to the Street. squirrel, n. A furry friend, an occasional foe. Cute when scurrying around campus. Pesky when scavenging in your dorm room. Scary when rabid. Not scared of people. But always es-

sororities, n. pl. Groups of women who gather together to take pictures in dresses and “network.” There are only three at this school: Kappa Kappa Gamma (“Kappa”), Pi Beta Phi (“Pi Phi”) and Kappa Alpha Theta (“Theta”). Freshmen are not allowed to rush Greek organizations. May be your ticket into a bicker club and/or a way for people to instantly stereotype you.

Spelman Hall, n. Modern residential buildings near Whitman largely consisting of apartment-style dorms with a kitchen, a common room, and four singles. Designed by the architect who built the Louvre pyramid. Home to students who must cook for themselves, buy ready-made meals, scavenge, or starve. Increasingly in demand in recent years. See “independent.”

Stars for Stoners, nickname.

AST 205: The Universe. Purported to actually be a somewhat difficult class involving actual equations. See “P/D/F.” STL, abbrev. Science and Technology with Lab, a self-explanatory distributional requirement. See “Bridges.”

STN, abbrev. Science and Technology, Nonlaboratory, a self-explanatory distributional requirement. See “Physics for Future Leaders.”

St. A’s, n. “Secret” literary society with unclear purpose and unknown meaning. See “Ivy Club,” “the Nass.”

Street, the, nickname. Prospect Avenue, home of the eating clubs and center of University nightlife.

See Street’s guide to the Street.

Studio 34, n. Late-night convenience store in the basement of Butler College known for its French bread pizzas. Favorite post-Street binge-eating hangout for those who live down-campus. study break, n. Free food. See “RCA.”

Triangle Club, n. Undergraduate musical theater group that writes and stages an annual extravaganza of song, slapstick and dance. Famous for the drag kickline..

21 Club, n. Secret drinking organization founded in 1881, composed of 42 male juniors and seniors who consume 21 beers in 42 minutes at an annual contest. Members are culled from bicker clubs, fraternities and sports teams. See “T.I.” UMCPP, abbrev. University Medical Center at Princeton.

Still known by its former abbreviation, PMC, because “getting PMCed” after a night of drinking sounds better than “getting UMCPPed.” See “McCosh Health Center,” “boot.”

Whig-Clio, abbrev. The American Whig-Cliosophic Society. Centuries-old debate society that hosts such topical events as the Annual Latke versus Hamantaschen Debate.

U-Store, n. Officially, the Princeton University Store.

Located at 36 University Place, across from Blair Arch. Sells food, dorm items and school supplies, and favorite watering hole for bleary-eyed upcampus residents in the throes of late-night cravings. Open until 4 a.m. during the school year.

USG, abbrev. Undergraduate Student Government. Plans Lawnparties. Otherwise, of questionable impact. Current president is Ella Cheng ’16.

W

Wa, the, n. Campus colloquialism for

T

Terrace Club, n.

Sign-in club known for artsy types, vegans and hipsters. Popular end-ofnight stop for all of campus. See Street’s breakdown of the Street. thesis, n. The T word. Major senior pastime, required of every A.B. student and some B.S.E. students. Most are close to 100 pages.

Often replaces socialization, exercise, happiness, etc. in the spring. thesis, n. The T word. Major senior pastime, required of every A.B. student and some B.S.E. students. Most are close to 100 pages.

Often replaces socialization, exercise, happiness, etc. in the spring. third-floor Bicker, n. The practice of exchanging sexual favors for admission into a bicker club.

Named for the club officers’ third-floor bedrooms in which such encounters usually occur.

T.I., abbrev. Tiger Inn. Bicker club known for raucous, beersoaked parties and heavy preponderance of bros. See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

Tiger Admirers, n. Facebook account to which lonely Princetonians can anonymously submit messages of heartbreak and desire that are then posted publicly so others can commiserate.

See “Yik Yak.” Tigerhub, n. Website where you register for classes, map out your schedule and view your campus job paycheck. Useful, but some of us older folk miss its predecessors, SCORE and ICE. See “ReCal.” Tiger, n. 1. Princeton student or alum. 2. Princeton athlete. 3.

Mascot dressed in tiger-skin suit who capers and cavorts at football games while trying to avoid attacks by the opponent’s band.

4. Campus humor magazine of erratic quality and publication schedule. 5. Striped predatory jungle cat.

Tilghman, Shirley, n. Princeton’s 19th president. First woman and first scientist to hold the presidency. Friend of the sciences, enemy of the Greeks. See “rush ban.”

Tower Club, n. Bicker club known for freshman-friendly

the Wawa convenience store.

Located between the Dinky and Forbes. Popular food haunt during all-nighters and after nights out, especially for Forbesians.

up-campus, adj.

Located on the part of campus closer to Nassau Street, up the hill. Synonym: “north.” Usage: “From here, go up-campus to find Brown.”

BEN KOGER :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

cape when you want to get a photo. Comes in brown, gray and black varieties.

dance floor and taproom, as well as heavy preponderance of theater types, a cappella groups and Woody Woo majors.

See Street’s breakdown of the Street.

U

Alumni return to campus annually for Reunions and march in the festive procession known as the P-Rade.

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

“Whistling Vivaldi,” n. The book Eisgruber wants you to read this year. Let us know how it is — just kidding.

Whitman College, n. Residential college that bears a striking resemblance to the castle in Shrek. Built in 2007 and rumored to have more money than every other college.

Whitman Wail, n. A bout of anguished screaming by all of Whitman college that happens at midnight of Dean’s Date, following the tradition of the Holder Howl. A pun of the Whitman Whale, the young college’s blue mascot.

See “Holder Howl.”

Wilson College, n. Centrally located residential college named after Woodrow Wilson.

An incoherent assortment of buildings that vary in quality but are united in their residents’ loyalty. Contains a volleyball court.

Wilson, Woodrow, n. Class of 1879, President of the University 1902-1910, 28th President of the United States. He kept us out of war, until he didn’t.

Inordinate number of buildings and programming named for him. Your new bespectabled 20th century hero.

Women’s Center, the, n. Center for women’s issues. Provides an study space on the second floor of Frist. Sponsors events and programming for interested students.

Woody Woo, abbrev. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, or the Wilson School. Formerly selective major for students interested in becoming bankers or consultants and learning the language of bureaucracy, as well as those rare folk who actually do want to save the world through government (but will probably end up in banking or consulting).

Woody Woo fountain, n.

Idyllic fountain and pool located in Scudder Plaza, north of Robertson Hall. Popular wading spot in the spring, especially after Wilson School theses are submitted.

WPRB, n. Student-run, community-supported independent radio station located in the basement of Bloomberg Hall. Owns the Nass. See “Terrace Club.”

Writing Center, n. One-stop shop for all the paper-writing advice you’ll ever need. You can make appointments at writing.princeton.edu.

Y

Yik Yak. n. Location-based social media app that blew up last year. Like Twitter, but local and anonymous.

A real-life rumor mill, but an extremely popular method of disseminating opinions and jokes stolen from other locales.

Z

’Zee group, abbrev.

Group of advisees.

The 20 or so freshmen frequently found under the wing of a residential college adviser. May or may not become close friends over the course of freshman year. Statistically, at least one permutation within the group will hook up.

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

The Daily Princetonian

page S9

Are we there yet?

Opinion

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }

Sarah Sakha columnist

EDITORIAL

Guaranteeing academic freedom

Published on April 30

I

can summarize campus politics in two words: Yik Yak. Yik Yak has become the primary platform for debate about issues facing our campus, since the app’s anonymity not only facilitates conversation and ardent debate but also personal attacks, as chronicled in several Buzzfeed articles over the “Urban Congo” controversy.

But as heartening as it may be to see students tackling these issues on a variety of social media platforms, these issues must come out of Yik Yak and onto our actual campus and into our dialogue, hopefully without an abundance of ad hominem attacks.

And they have, to some degree. We have made unfathomable progress with engendering debate on campus about the companies in which our university invests its money and the issue of divestment. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, the referendum piqued people’s interest in learning about arguments on both sides. In the process, it raised awareness for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole. These conversations occurred at dining halls, late meal and eating clubs across campus. The sole fact that these issues even entered our normal discourse indicates a shift in students’ attitudes.

Moreover, on a macro level, we have realized the value and import ascribed to the introduction of referenda and petitions, even if one holds a view opposite to that proposed by the initiative. Voting numbers reflect this shift. The recent divestment referendum compelled 2,032 students to vote; 2,015 students casted votes on the winter break referendum; and 1,988 voted for or against the bicker referendum.

But there are 5391 undergraduate students on this campus. That means only 38 percent of the undergraduate student body voted on the divestment referendum. We need to make our campus more political. I’m not talking about exhorting more people to be solely active or to take interest in domestic and international political issues or the party politics that unfortunately characterizes American politics today. I’m talking about exhorting people to take a greater interest in the government and public affairs of this campus and how certain issues affect the student body.

A culture of apathy and close-mindedness governs our campus. Too often, students shrug off political issues that they perceive to not affect them in the “Orange Bubble,” such as Princeton’s current investment practices in correlation with sustainability and the Gaza conflict and sexual assault advocacy. We have yet to realize that this isn’t just about politics, but about how we are affected by these decisions. Of course, that would first require us to realize that we are affected by these decisions.

Too often I hear a student say, “I don’t know enough about the issue to vote” or some variation thereof. Too often we cite an aversion toward politics or being politically involved as a reason to not engage in conversation and debate. Too often we choose to remain indifferent and yet proceed to demand change.

None of the above should serve as an excuse to exonerate one from not voting. Both incognizance and apathy can be combated, what with undergraduate and graduate students tabling in Frist, hosting teach-ins and speakers, among an array of other opportunities to engage and be engaged.

This sort of apathy governs many students’ outlook on Undergraduate Student Government as well. Many harbor negative sentiments and rush to entirely discredit USG as yet another futile bureaucratic institution that remains out-of-touch with the student body and our best interests. And yet, 12 out of 15 positions for class office were uncontested, with many incumbents sweeping the elections.

Another facet of this issue that manifests itself in a general sense of apathy is actively choosing to abstain from voting because many of us simply do not care enough to click on a link, log in and cast a ballot. The numbers speak for themselves — 2200 students voted in the spring USG elections, which represents a voter turnout of 42 percent, less than half the student body. Compare this to a voter turnout of 2704 students in the winter USG elections, which yielded a turnout of 51 percent only a semester ago. This drop in turnout is disheartening.

You may hate politics and politicians and everything that politics has come to stand for, but being politically involved is a separate matter. It remains paramount to participate in day-to-day conversations about issues that affect this campus. It is this sort of conversation that leads to tangible action, which ultimately stimulates change in one way or another.

So I ask you to move away from whatever perception you may have of “campus politics” toward one that embraces it, in an effort to realize that what goes on outside this Bubble does actually affect us, each and every one of us.

Sarah Sakha is a freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz.

She can be reached at ssakha@princeton.edu.

page S10

Published on April 13

A

university is a stage for the clash of ideas through reasoned discourse between those of diverse points of view. Princetonians are diverse in many ways. We differ academically, politically and culturally. Diversity of thought inevitably yields disagreement. But despite our differences and deep personal investment in various debates, we pride ourselves on the ability to engage with one another and develop ideas and values through healthy participation in the University’s intellectual community.

We therefore commend the University faculty and President Eisgruber’s administration for passing a motion to include a more comprehensive statement protecting freedom of expression in the University “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities,” and we strongly encourage our peer institutions to follow suit.

The new statement “guarantee[s] all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn.” The recently passed motion admirably incorporates unequivocal language from a recent report from the University of Chicago. We suggest the University go one step further and wholly replace the existing free speech code in the guidebook with the new statement.

The current code bears a “red light” designation from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, due to policies that “both clearly and substantially restrict freedom of speech.” The present language allows for University sanctions against an individual whose verbal behavior “demeans” or “intimi-

dates” another. Though respect for others’ viewpoints is absolutely necessary for constructive campus dialogue, such language is too vague. The new statement still prohibits the most harmful forms of speech that violate the law and threaten others; however, it cuts down on the potentially abusable discretion that the University currently possesses.

As recent examples at other colleges demonstrate, attention to freedom of expression is as necessary now as ever.

Last year, Stanford University’s Graduate Student Council first denied funding for an Anscombe Society conference on traditional sexual values and then levied an unprecedented $5,600 “security fee” in an egregious attempt to obstruct freedom academic expression (though the fee was waived after protests). Just last month, a California State Polytechnic University student was apprehended by university police after handing out flyers for animal rights outside of a designated “free speech zone.”

Controversial debates, whether about police brutality, same-sex marriage or other topics, enliven our campus. It is unreasonable and intellectually dishonest to presuppose a consensus on these issues or to expect that no one’s sensitivities will be offended in the course of discussion. Reasonable, good-willed people can and often do disagree. Rather than illiberally empowering University authorities to define which subjects are open for discussion, thinkers of absolutely any opinion should be given the latitude required to make reasoned arguments with due civility.

In protecting the unhindered operation of the marketplace of ideas, the University need not fear that it will cater

to hateful or outrageous speech. Such expression will quickly be rebuffed by clear and respectful argumentation from those who see it for what it is and the adopted language gives the University the ability impose time, space, and manner restrictions when appropriate. Flagrantly unlawful speech is controlled under narrow exceptions to the policy that cover threats, defamation, and breaches of privacy. At the same time, Princeton students must accept that not all campus discourse will be comfortable to hear.

Broad protection of academic freedom does not favor any one viewpoint in favor of promoting ever more rigorous explorations of truth and meaning. The University only stands to gain by shoring up its defense of free speech, which will help foster the intellectual growth of all Princetonians and present a strong example to other institutions.

In a November 2013 editorial, we called on our community to “recommit itself to upholding the principles of free speech in accordance with the University’s broader educational mission.” We believe that the faculty’s recent vote to affirm the “University’s fundamental commitment … to the principle that debate or deliberation may not be suppressed” is an excellent step in this direction, and we applaud this important decision.

Jill Wilkowski abstained from this editorial.

The Editorial Board is an independent body and decides its opinions separately from the regular staff and editors of The Daily Princetonian. The Board answers only to its Chair, the Opinion Editor and the Editor-In-Chief.

vol. cxxxix

Anna Mazarakis ’16 editor-in-chief

Matteo Kruijssen ’16 business manager

139th managing board news editor Jacob Donnelly ’17 opinion editor Benjamin Dinovelli ’16 sports editor Miles Hinson’17 street editor Lin King ’16 photography editor Yicheng Sun ’16 video editors Leora Haber ’16 chief copy editors Caroline Congdon ’17 Joyce Lee ’17 design editors Julia Johnstone’16 Austin Lee’16 web editor Clement Lee ’17 prox editor Rebekah Shoemake ’17 intersections editor Jarron McAllister ’16 associate news editors Ruby Shao ’17 Jasmine Wang ’17 associate opinion editors Jason Choe ’17 Shruthi Deivasigmani’16 associate sports editors Sydney Mandelbaum ’17 Tom Pham ’17 associate street editors Harrison Blackman ’17 Jennifer Shyue ’17

Time Travellers

associate photography editors Natalia Chen ’16 Christopher Ferri ’18 Sewheat Haile ’17

..................................................

associate chief copy editors Chamsi Hssaine ’16 Alexander Schindele-Murayama ’16

Ryan Budnick ’16

editorial board chair Jeffrey Leibenhaut ’16 Cartoons Editor Terry O’Shea ’16

Somewhere between confidence and insecurity Erica Choi

columnist

Published on March2

N

obody wants life advice from an 18-year-old. Instead of subjecting my audience to this unnecessary and fruitless endeavor, I will act as a mouthpiece for someone who is much wiser and more experienced than I am. Sarah is my best friend’s mom, who would tag along on our movie dates and make us questionable “green smoothies.” One day, she was giving my friend and me a talk about how we should approach success. It was the season of college applications, of heightened anxiety and inevitable rejections.

She was telling me to be confident, of course, but her advice did not stop there. She said that along with being confident, I also needed to be, paradoxically enough, insecure; I should be simultaneously confident in my abilities to succeed and insecure that I have not succeeded yet. I was not supposed to alternate between the two extremes; they had to coexist within me at all times. And each was not to take away from the other.

Insecurity is a term which we shy away from because of the negative connotations it carries.

It is important to recognize that the way she

defined the word implied that there was nothing about ourselves that we had to be insecure over.

To the contrary, we should be sure that we are so good that this elusive success could be and, in fact, should be ours. The only reason we should feel insecure is because the success that could be ours isn’t yet.

Sarah had given me a lot of advice throughout the course of my high school career, but this particular piece of advice somehow did not resonate until after I started my time at Princeton. Academic success had never been too elusive before, but at this point in my freshman year at Princeton, I can say I have experienced a few humble successes and many, many more failures. Needless to say, this adjustment was difficult and sometimes made me feel unhappy.

The first month was a true struggle and during this time period, I reevaluated the way I viewed my competence. On several sleepless nights, I would twitch in my bed worrying about my grades and torturing myself over comments from my professor that I felt revealed my academic shortcomings.

Her advice helped me when I was the most insecure about myself. Perhaps it was a cop-out, but the slight shift in blame made me feel not only better about myself but also more motivated.

Of course I could do well at Princeton. Didn’t Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye tell us that she doesn’t make mistakes? I was not a mistake.

This in turn pushed me to work harder, because if I could do well but wasn’t, the only logical explanation was that I was not working hard

enough. The way I approached work was also different, because instead of thinking of it as something that I could not possibly do, I viewed it as something that should come to me.

But as everything in life always is, balance is the key. There are situations where her advice would not apply. At times, I’ve started reading a book at 1 a.m. after being thrown from classes to work to club meetings, and then stayed exasperated, upset and stressed until 5 a.m., knowing that I had a 9 a.m. class because I wanted to finish my HUM reading. This made me unhappy in a different way, because not completing a task would’ve indicated laziness on my part, as I was capable of finishing. I couldn’t be satiated, because part of the problem with success is that it’s always elusive. There’s always more that could be accomplished. For my sanity and happiness, I sometimes needed to realize that I was not as successful as I could be or maybe even that I could not be as successful as I wanted even if I tried my best — but that it was okay.

Some things are not worth attaining because the opportunity costs are too high.

I am certainly less stressed about Princeton now than I used to be, even though my course load increased this semester. This place is challenging, but not impossible. It was always doable — I just had to find my balance somewhere between confidence and insecurity.

Erica Choi is a freshman from Bronxville, N.Y. She can be reached at gc6@princeton.edu.

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

vol. cxxxix

EDITORIAL

Anna Mazarakis ’16

Encouraging female leadership on campus

editor-in-chief

Matteo Kruijssen ’16 business manager

Published on March 3

139TH BUSINESS BOARD head of outreach Justine Mauro ’17 Head of Client Management Vineeta Reddy ’18 Head of Operations Daniel Kim ’17 Comptroller Nicolas Yang ’18 Director of Circulation Kevin Liu ’18

EDITORIAL BOARD chair Jeffrey Leibenhaut ’16 Allison Berger ’18 Elly Brown ’18 Thomas Clark ’18 Paul Draper ’18 Daniel Elkind ’17 Theodore Furchgott ’18 James Haynes ’18 Zach Horton ’15 Mitchell Johnston ’15 Wynne Kerridge ’16 Cydney Kim ’17 Daphna Le Gall ’15 Sergio Leos ’17 Carolyn Liziewski ’18 Sam Mathews ’17 Connor Pfeiffer ’18 Ashley Reed ’18 Aditya Trivedi ’16 Andrew Tsukamoto ’15 Jillian Wilkowski ’15 Kevin Wong ’17

T

he Daily Princetonian recently published an article, as part of a four-part Women’s History Month feature series, on the rise of female visibility and leadership in major campus organizations as well as on the Street. While many women have been elected in recent years to ‘visible’ positions such as president of the USG, chair of the Honor Committee and editor-in-chief of the ‘Prince,’ Princeton has yet to fully bridge the gender gap. After all, while these elections demonstrate progress, many Princeton undergraduate women continue to face barriers to leadership positions. For example, when an organization’s officer corps or membership body is predominantly male, female members may drop out if they feel uncomfortable or if they do not see opportunities for leadership in the future. This creates a cycle of low female retention rates and low female visibility in leadership roles. Thus in order to better facilitate and encourage female leadership on campus, the Board urges campus organizations such as the Women’s Center to change their outreach campaigns in order to foster more inclusive dialogue. Furthermore, the Board encourages all University and student groups to push for more diverse representation and female visibility, especially at recruiting events.

In early Fall, the Princeton Women’s Mentorship Program sent out an email to all Wilson sophomores about upcoming events. While sent out to all

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73

sophomores, the email was specifically addressed to “Princeton Women.”

This past October, the Women’s Center ran a series of poster campaigns with headlines such as, “USG: where men are presidents and women are secretaries.”

While it is undeniable that these mentorship programs and publicity campaigns have increased campus dialogue about female leadership, the Board urges organizations to consider advertising that is more welcoming towards men.

By making the advertising more inclusive, men could be better encouraged to attend and contribute to discussion about female leadership. Many of the current discussion groups and events mainly attract women who are passionate about gender inequality and who are already aware of the problems on campus. If these events are more welcoming of men, especially those who are not very familiar with the topic, then there is an opportunity to break out of this circle and engage a larger section of the Princeton community.

In addition to fostering more inclusive dialogue, all campus organizations should strive to promote the visibility of female leaders and highlight leadership opportunities early on in the year. An institutional problem for many male-dominated clubs is femalemember retention rates. Women who feel uncomfortable in these clubs or who don’t see a possibility for leadership roles often times drop out and choose other activities. This can leave clubs with a comparatively small pool of females for leadership positions, further perpetuating this vicious cycle. In order to address this issue,

the Women’s Center should offer workshops for student groups leaders on how to better engage and retain female members. University centers and individual student groups could also offer more programs and panels in early fall or before major election periods that spotlight female leaders and introduce the leadership positions available on campus. During the school year, student organizations with an exclusive officer corps should strive to delegate leadership opportunities to a diverse membership body, especially females.

When students feel engaged and see opportunities for leadership early on, they are more likely to stay involved.

Furthermore, at recruiting events such as Princeton Preview, student groups should strive to have diverse gender representation at the activities fair and open houses. Interacting with active female club members at these recruiting events can make joining less intimidating for prospective female students.

While Princeton has made great strides towards gender equality in recent years, there still remains work to be done. Thus in order to better facilitate and encourage female leadership on campus, Princeton organizations should foster dialogue more inclusive of men and look for opportunities to spotlight female leadership on campus.

The Editorial Board is an independent body and decides its opinions separately from the regular staff and editors of The Daily Princetonian. The Board answers only to its Chair, the Opinion Editor and the Editor-In-Chief.

Existential Crisis Lizzie Buehler ’17

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vice presidents John G. Horan ’74 Thomas E. Weber ’89 secretary Kathleen Kiely ’77 treasurer Michael E. Seger ’71 Craig Bloom ’88 Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Richard P. Dzina, Jr. ’85 William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John G. Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Betsy J. Minkin ’77 Alexia Quadrani Jerry Raymond ’73 Annalyn Swan ’73 Douglas Widmann ’90

Home Matthew Choi Taitano columnist

Published on April 14

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hat is home? According to the famous American poet Maya Angelou, it is, “the safe place where we can go as we are and not be

questioned.”

As the semester comes to a close and many students have begun to solidify their summer plans, I have repeatedly asked myself this question. Although I have already been offered an internship back at home, I find myself continuously looking at other internship programs to replace it. And talking to my friends, it appears that I am not alone. The repeated trend I hear is: “I just can’t be home the entire summer.”

Why do we feel the need to replace our homes, the places where we’ve grown up for most, if not all, of our entire lives? For some students, staying home may simply be boring compared to a thrilling internship in a far off country or in the heart of a bustling metropolis like New York. However, for many, the problem stems from something deeper.

After all, doesn’t home offer us a place to escape the constant questioning and competition that we are sometimes inclined to feel at a competitive school like Princeton?

It appears that even outside of FitzRandolph gate, Princeton students are not able to evade this judgment. Students are afraid of the stigma that comes with being home for the entire summer.

While Princeton’s employment rate is higher than most other schools, with 86.6 percent of the Class of 2013 achieving their post graduation plans six months after graduating, there are still a significant 13.4 percent of Princeton graduates who are unsatisfied with how things turn out.

With this in mind, it is no wonder that many students fear looking unproductive compared to their peers who are participating in intense jobs or research over the summer. As Princeton students, we might feel that we cannot afford to waste any of our time, even if we’re on breaks.

This fear becomes exacerbated for low-income first generation students. To these students, they might fear that going home would be a symbol of failure to their family. A full ride to an Ivy League school is a golden ticket, a way to escape and achieve the desired socioeconomic mobility encapsulated in the American Dream.

To go back home for the summer while our peers are out in the world doing great things is to admit defeat.

Furthermore, for these students, home may not be the “safe place” that Angelou was thinking of. To some, home might be a place filled with the memories of struggles and tribulations. When I went back home for winter recess,

it was bittersweet. Although I was happy to see my family and friends again, I was also saddened to revisit the poor conditions to which my family has been subjected for my entire life. I couldn’t imagine having to be in a place like that again for almost four months.

After being at Princeton, a place with a myriad of resources, I have become confused as to where my true home is. Is it back at my rundown house in Guam? Or my little dorm room in Wilson?

College is a strange time in our lives, when we have to move from our nests and are forced to discover the world for ourselves. However, I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to call Princeton my home. With recent events on campus involving students of color making claiming, “Princeton was never made for students like me,” I wonder where home will be throughout the rest of my years here.

No matter whether I’m in Princeton, Guam or somewhere else, I feel that I cannot escape the expectations placed upon me. It’s as if I’m in this limbo state of homelessness, unable to truly feel comfortable wherever I am, and I don’t know how to feel about that. I guess all I can do is to continue my Princeton career with the hopes that I’ll be able to figure it out along the way.

Matthew Choi Taitano is a freshman from Yigo, Guam.

He can be reached at mtaitano@princeton.edu.

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Endowment spending Ryan Dukeman columnist

Published on March 30

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everal reports in the past year have rightfully pointed out that Princeton (along with Stanford, Yale and Harvard) earns enough in investment returns on its endowment each year to more than cover annual operating expenses (with significant amounts of money left over to spend on capital projects or put back into the endowment) and that the University could therefore make tuition 100 percent free for everyone and still make a massive profit.

By the numbers, Princeton’s annual rate of return on endowment investment has been between 15 and 20 percent for the past few years, and has averaged, 10.5 percent per year over the last 10 years (a period that includes the worst financial crisis in modern times).

Last year, the 19.6 percent return equated to $2.8 billion, and in future years a similar rate would yield an even higher absolute number.

Princeton’s Provost David Lee GS ’99 put the point of this growth best, saying on the University website that it was “crucial to our ability to sustain the excellence of our teaching and research mission and to continue providing generous financial aid that makes Princeton’s education affordable to any student who is admitted.” Thus one of the explicitly stated missions of the enormous investment machine Princeton runs is to make Princeton affordable to its students (the quote above even originally linked to the Undergraduate Financial Aid website).

By contrast, Princeton’s operating budget has been roughly $1.6 billion per year over the past few years, and it grows at a much slower rate than the endowment does. In raw terms, then, assuming an average endowment growth rate of 10 percent (which is very conservative and assumes that a Great Recessionlevel drop in the endowment will happen far more frequently than it ever has), the University can cover its operating expenses exclusively off endowment returns, and still have over 40 percent of the endowment returns to reinvest. The University could, to use last year’s numbers, put $1.6 billion of the $2.8 billion in endowment returns to entirely pay off all operating costs, and still have more than a billion dollars leftover to reinvest into the endowment or use on one-time capital projects like new facilities.

And as a nice side-effect of that spending plan, none of us would owe a dime in tuition, room and board or fees.

The benefit to students of this plan seems obvious — students and parents alike would have more money in the present, and wouldn’t be saddled with loans that take decades to pay off. But this system also has some key benefits for the University that merit attention.

The first and most obvious is competitiveness in admissions. Princeton continues to enjoy record-breaking admissions numbers nearly every year, and is at no shortage of applicants. Yet it continuously lags far behind Harvard and Yale in admissions yield (the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll). An easy, dramatic and incredibly effective way Princeton could make itself far more attractive relative to other schools is by becoming free seemingly overnight. (Note: Harvard, Yale and Stanford could also afford to become free, though by a much smaller margin and are therefore less likely to do so).

A talented, sought-after student admitted to multiple schools, trying to decide which one to attend, is going to be far more likely to come to Princeton over its competitors if his or her family won’t be saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills.

Beyond raising Princeton’s yield immediately, a free Princeton education would also reap more in alumni donations. The endowment would grow more slowly if this system were in place (since roughly 60 percent of the growth in the endowment wouldn’t be put back into it), but part of the decrease in endowment size would be offset by increased alumni donations. Instead of alumni having to pay off student loans (with interest) to banks (as both Michelle Obama ’85 and Ted Cruz ’92 have admitted to doing, and most of us will never be as rich as either of them), they could instead afford to give (more) money to Princeton. Additionally, young alumni who aren’t saddled with debt have more money to use in starting a new business or pursuing graduate school, both of which can lead to much higher salaries and net worths over the course of their careers. It should go without saying that a richer alumni network will give more to their cherished Old Nassau, especially one that gave them the incredible and unique gift of a free college education.

By taking financial aid to its extreme (but financially viable) conclusion and making Princeton free for all of its students, the University can become an even more attractive option for the talented students we recruit, and can leave its students and alumni free of an enormous burden that allows them to more fully realize their career potential.

Ryan Dukeman is a sophomore from Westwood, Mass. He can be reached at rdukeman@princeton. edu.

The Daily Princetonian

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Political Correctness in the Age of the Hipster

Dropping the P-bomb Lavinia Liang columnist

Published on April 13

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y brother and I were on the airplane, the two of us next to each other in a three-person row. We were sad because we were leaving Beijing. Leaving Beijing meant leaving Yeye and Nainai and their Alzheimer’s disease and their colon cancer, and it meant leaving heritage and old roots only just rediscovered. We were annoyed because the child behind us had already started crying. I needed to finish a column for a newspaper. The old man on my other side was very nice.

At least we thought he was an old man — we talked to him later, as the plane started to descend to Newark. He was only a dad. His oldest daughter had just gotten into Columbia for engineering.

“Are you guys in high school?” he asked.

“No, I’m in college.”

“Where do you go?”

I paused for a couple of seconds. “Princeton.”

He paused for a couple of seconds with his head cocked at me before he belted out, “That’s amazing!” I shrunk a little into my seat, especially under the sudden glances of other passengers (many sleepy-eyed). He immediately asked me what I had done in high school and what I was doing at Princeton now and what did I want to major in? And also, what do I want to do in life? We had good conversation; eventually he asked me for my email — for his younger daughter, who was still in high school. We talked until the plane landed and I wondered if being associated with the name of Princeton had taught me anything.

Fast forward to my first time experiencing hibachi — Japanese barbecue — in a distant state. We all sat at a large table; six of us, three of them. “Them” was a middle-aged mother who was still very blonde, her 12-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friend. She asked us if we were on vacation. Yes, we were. She asked if we were college students. Yes, we were. Where did we go to school? Princeton.

“Oh, my God!” she cried, eyes opening wider than I would have thought possible – “Oh my God, you go to Princeton!” She clasped her chest and turned. “Girls, we are with some very smart young ladies here!”

They laughed nervously. We laughed, too. As I laughed, I thought about how being associated with Princeton — being the possible participant or subject of these sorts of conversations — has taught me to notice and understand, well, differences.

Allow me to elaborate.

These two encounters are not unique.

But they highlight the range of ways people react to “the P-bomb”, as well as the way I’ve reacted to their responses. It has shown me that the phrase “I go/went to Princeton” is many things. It can be things which have been done before and perhaps even overdone. Privileged. Pretentious.

Prideful. It can also be awe-inspiring or intimidating or reverential. It could be, in other ways, endearing.

We all know that it creates some sort of effect. I have certainly not experienced the full range of situations and emotions which comes with bearing the blessing — or perhaps the burden — of an Ivy League name. What have encounters like these — in my one year or so of being associated with Princeton — shown me? What effects have they already had?

The topic of Princeton stereotypes and the way students are viewed by others has been discussed before. It has been discussed in this very section, with a friend of mine illuminating the socioeconomic connotations which come along with saying, “I’m a Princeton student,” and another columnist addressing the apparent inaccessibility of Ivy League institutions and students. Although the subject of these articles, elegantly called “Ivy league elitism,” is not what I am talking about here, I find it respectful and enlightening to refer back to what they have said. I find that what they have said is true, at least through my eyes.

I find that being associated with Princeton has shown me how wide small differences can sometimes be. In the different walks of life I am now more able to detect subtleties and nuances; several thousand dollars can make an ocean of difference.

Majoring in, say, the Wilson School, as opposed to politics, can lead to very divergent roads. Speaking a Level Two as opposed to a Level One of English can be make a difference even in Trenton. What effects have these encounters had on me?

They have begun to open my mind, yes, but they have also spoken to me of the things I have to learn down this journey I’ve only just begun.

Lavinia Liang is a freshman from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She can be reached at lavinial@princeton. edu.

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Imani Thornton columnist

Published on April 29

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rowing up, I was kindly told that there are three things you never discuss in polite company: religion, money and politics. I remember my parents telling me this at about age 12 in a matter-of-fact way and once again as a piece of advice before entering college. In the eight months since, I have mused over this piece of advice and, much to my parents’ potential disappointment, I find it difficult to follow.

Admittedly, we live in the age of the modern hipster, many of whom consider themselves to be independent contrarians (whether or not they wish to be labeled “hipster”). We defy older generations, at least on social media, in much the same way the hippies of the late 1960s vocally defied their Silent Generation parents.

However, since my time here, I have witnessed countless examples of this “hipster” culture fall-

ing flat. Unlike our parents, who likely grew up in the politically charged 60s and 70s, we avoid publicly discussing politics or religion at all costs. If Yik Yak’s response to the November campus protests are any indication, discussion of race outside Facebook posts and The Daily Princetonian articles is considered taboo. The few conversations I’ve had with my peers concerning their economic statuses have often been stilted and awkward. Yet, in ignoring these issues, we ignore the very factors that are determinants of how included we feel on campus.

Perhaps these are simply strides to respect the privacy of others. And one should never be forced to talk about issues that make them uncomfortable. But, while considerate speech plays a major role in the way in which traditionally underrepresented groups feel included on campus, that should not become an excuse to avoid discussion about our own religious and political affiliations, as well as the way in which we think about race and economic background.

When we do not discuss these

topics, we allow them to fester.

As uncomfortable as they are to discuss, these topics can inadvertently manifest themselves in harmful ways, usually in the form of false assumptions and stereotypes. In this “post-racial” and politically correct era, in lieu of offending, we often gain nothing from multiple and informed perspectives.

In saying this, impertinence is not something for which I am advocating. “Hipster racism”, often characterized by ironic uses of derogatory names and cultural appropriation (as seen by Urban Congo), is the misguided way in which some navigate between political correctness and offense.

Finding a line between political correctness and offensiveness is difficult but I think it is a challenge that we must not be afraid to face head on. Of course, this common call for action can become rather banal, so where are the solutions?

We can first begin by being unafraid to ask questions. If someone has a genuine question about something, it is okay to ask it.

Contrary to popular belief, it is permissible not to know some-

thing. Offense is often created when the offender (intentioned or not) assumes his or her offensive act is, in fact, acceptable. At the same time, we are not encyclopedias. While we are here to learn from each other just as we are here to learn from our books, we also have a responsibility to look for knowledge via books, magazine articles and other mediums. Friends and classmates do not owe anyone answers, and if they do happen to entertain questions, this is a luxury and not a right. In finding a solution, we must not place an educational burden on our peers.

Finally, we must be willing to simply argue and discuss. It is difficult to change opinions, especially concerning such personal topics, but intellectual argument can be an informative experience and later taken and applied to other areas of discussion. Political correctness is only a burden if we hide behind the walls of our fear and misconceptions.

Imani Thornton is a freshman from Matteson, Ill. She can be contacted at it4@princeton.edu.

Egotism

Rita Fang ’17

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On Steinem and Big Sean: loving sexist music as a feminist Julia Case-Levine columnist

Published on April 10

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hen “Blurred Lines” was released in 2013, I found myself in the uncomfortable position of being both captivated by a catchy beat and turned off by lyrics that seemed to condone sexual assault, categorizing consent as a “blurred line.”

Ironically, my mom was probably Robin Thicke’s biggest fan. (Her other favorite songs include “My Humps” and “Fergalicious.”) When I half-heartedly objected to her love of the song, she’d protest by saying, “But it’s so good!”

The campus debate over backing a musician whose lyrics are satiated with overt sexism has prompted me to reflect on the dilemma I found myself in a few years ago.

Does being a feminist preclude me from jamming to songs with lyrics like “I hate these blurred lines/I know you want it”?

If so, I am in deep trouble. I have playlists upon playlists teeming with songs boasting questionable lyrics. And even artists not from this decade are culpable for promoting a sexist message.

In The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb,” Mick Jagger squeals, “The squirmin’ dog who’s just had her day/Under my thumb … The way she talks when she’s spoken to/ Down to me, the change has come.”

The Doors’ “You’re Lost Little Girl” is blatantly patronizing. Even The Beatles’ “Run For Your Life” de-

scribes their intent to assault a woman who defies them — “You better run for your life if you can, little girl/Hide your head in the sand little girl/Catch you with another man/That’s the end ah little girl.”

What about these songs keeps me listening? Perhaps this speaks to some women-hating impulse I secretly harbor. Or maybe the answer is more simple — inured to sexist music, I have learned to tune out what I don’t want to hear. New York Magazine author Ann Friedman describes this instinct, writing, “there is a huge swath of music that I enjoy by actively disengaging with its lyrics and their political ramifications.”

Being outraged is exhausting, and, seeing as we are constantly barraged by misogynistic messages, sometimes it’s easier to simply ignore them so we can enjoy a catchy song. However, something about this approach feels lazy, insufficient, and I’m hesitant to justify consuming sexism simply because sexism exists everywhere.

So the question remains: In order to be a “real” feminist do I have to purge myself of these offensive songs?

For some reason, I don’t think so.

Perhaps this is simply a justification because I don’t want to have to stop listening to my favorite songs.

But perhaps there is a constructive way to consume sexist music, as contradictory and incongruous as that might sound.

Ellen Willis, The New Yorker’s first popular music critic, sheds light on how one might do this.

Willis wrote about rock and roll

when it was rampant with misogyny, but instead of feeling oppressed and subjugated by offensive lyrics, she found herself empowered by the music. She wrote, “Music that boldly and aggressively laid out what the singer wanted, loved, hated — as good rock ’n’ roll did — challenged me to do the same, and so, even when the content was antiwoman, antisexual, in a sense anti­human, the form encouraged my struggle for liberation.”

Willis found consuming sexist music did not discourage her political and social ideologies. In fact, in some way the music provoked her to muster her own voice in response, just as boldly and aggressively.

Others agree that women-hating music does not by definition lead listeners to hate women. Bustle writer Kristen Sollee debunks the myth that listening to sexist music makes individuals sexist through some sort of osmosis-like process, going as far as saying that individuals can take ownership of music by imposing their own messages on lyrics. She writes, “Once a piece of music is released into the world, it’s my belief that each listener can imbue a work with his or her own meaning, too. That doesn’t erase the original impetus for a song, but it can change it, if only for the individual listener.” As Sollee points out, it is worth noting that we are not fed our opinions through song lyrics, but rather project onto song lyrics our preexisting opinions.

Additionally, Sollee speaks to the unproductive nature of censorship, writing, “squashing artistic and creative expression through cen-

sorship laws or restrictions will not make violence against women disappear, nor will it foster a freethinking society.”

Ultimately, I appreciate that we live in a place where we question and remain critically aware of the music we listen to. I applaud the individuals that have spearheaded a movement that has prompted us to consider song lyrics and rape culture.

But, like Sollee, I believe that censorship rarely begets change.

Prohibiting Big Sean from performing at Lawnparties isn’t going to stop him from producing music and isn’t going to stop a sexist culture from partaking and consuming his music. Refusing individuals a platform in which to present differing and offensive views doesn’t end these opinions.

Rather, it just conceals them from our privileged community. Certainly, these beliefs can still flourish elsewhere.

Listening to music mindfully does not necessarily implicate us as participants in rape culture; I would go as far as saying that in consciously consuming offensive music we are extended and pushed to see what we usually get to ignore and perhaps provoked to confront our own inner inconsistencies. Some part of me is confident we can listen to sexist lyrics, push back and in doing so even solidify our commitment to equality.

Julia Case-Levine is a freshman from New York, N.Y. She can be reached at juliacc@princeton.edu.

The Daily Princetonian

The Freshman Issue summer 2015

Free to hate Steve Swanson columnist

Published on February 5

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hat does “free speech” mean?

Recent campus events have shown that campus is split: columnist Newby Parton writes without qualification that “silencing offensive speech… solves nothing that can’t be solved by growing thicker skin,” while students protest the chapel meeting with signs lambasting the administration’s weak response to Urban Congo and claiming that President Eisgruber wrote, “[Racism] may not be suppressed.” These events, as well as the mixed responses to the University’s new statement on academic freedom, demonstrate that students have very different conceptions of free speech.

The two sides of this campus debate basically fall in line with the two competing theories of free speech on the world stage. The first of these is laid out in the First Amendment to the US Constitution and expounded by several Supreme Court cases.

Under this model, speech (and, more broadly, “expression”) can be restricted only for its time, place or manner; if it is libelous or slanderous; or if it is a direct incitement to violence. The second theory of free speech is one to which much of Europe subscribes, and to which American college campuses have been attracted recently. While affirming the value of the liberty to express ideas, subscribers to this theory hold that speech need not be directly physically harmful for its content to be restricted: for instance, Denmark punishes speech “threatening, insulting or degrading a group of persons on account of their race, national or ethnic origin or belief.” Similarly, Princeton’s current policies allow sanctions for speech that “demeans” or “intimidates” others.

It is not immediately obvious which of these understandings of free speech is the right one, especially since we are dealing with a college campus,

not a government — the question of constitutionality has no bearing. The European model is based on a broader construction of harm, understanding that speech doesn’t need to directly incite people to physical violence in order to be harmful. As research has looked deeper into the psychological effects of speech, it has become clearer that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not strictly true: researchers have described hate speech’s effects as “injurious” and even “traumatic.” In light of this, Parton’s above exhortation to grow a “thicker skin” seems woefully inadequate.

If speech can be so harmful, causing deep psychological damage and perpetuating negative stereotypes, the banning of certain malicious speech in European countries and on college campuses seems reasonable. However, this comes with some serious problems.

First, the definition of psychological harm remains elusive. Whereas physical injuries can be catalogued objectively, psychological injuries rely on self-assessment or the work of psychiatrists, whose diagnoses can be difficult to understand or subjective. A broken nose is much easier to prove and quantify than a feeling of inadequacy. Without such evidence of harm, accusations of demeaning speech become difficult if not impossible to verify.

Second, the “impact over intention” doctrine that has been espoused in response to the Urban Congo incident is unhelpful for ascribing blame.

Establishing that a psychological injury has occurred gives no indication of who committed the wrong: certainly the user of a racial slur is to blame for the impact that causes, but who is to blame for the incidental impact of a conversation about affirmative action (as occurred when preceptor Russell Nieli was accused of racism)? If a conservative Christian feels demeaned by pro-gay marriage speech, should that speaker be shut down?

The final issue with any ban on speech is that it is ineffective for achieving social change. Suppressing undesirable speech won’t suppress undesirable opinions; the best way to defeat these

opinions is to meet them head on and demonstrate their wrongness. Law or campus regulations only have the power to change people’s behavior, not their beliefs: would we rather scare racists into silence or eliminate racism? While laws can do the former, only speech can do the latter.

The First Amendment understanding of free speech answers these problems with the European model. Yes, narrowly constructing harm to include only the physical hampers the government’s ability to protect its people’s psychological well-being, but it also eliminates the problems of quantifying psychological damage and ascribing blame for such damage. While it is disconcerting that this construction protects KKK rallies and Neo-Nazi marches, it is only by allowing all speech that wrong opinions can be overcome in a true marketplace of ideas, rather than simply pushed underground. It is this marketplace of ideas, not any restriction of free speech, that has caused America’s undeniable progress away from racism and sexism in the last half-century.

This understanding of free speech is better not only for a government, but also for an institution like our own. Princeton students, in theory, are smart enough and critical enough to handle a marketplace of competing ideas, and the existence of such a marketplace is a crucial component of the college experience. Suppression of harmful ideas on campus not only fails to prepare students for an outside world without this suppression, but also fails to ensure that students believe what they believe for good reason. Of course, this doesn’t mean that students harmed by others have no recourse except for a thicker skin: if Urban Congo offended you, tell them why; tell other students why they’re wrong; ask your classmates to boycott or condemn the show. Use your free speech against theirs. Change the attitudes of your classmates; don’t police their behavior.

Steve Swanson is a Computer Science major from Vienna, Va. He can be reached at sswanson@princeton.edu.

Lawnparties Chloe Song ’17

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“I just don’t know if my outfit screams ‘FUTURE LAWYER’ or ‘SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN’”

Coming around the corner Chelsea Jones

senior columnist

Published on May 11

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t the final Senior Pub Night, it became painfully clear that I do not know a large portion of the senior class and this seemed to be the consensus among many people I spoke with that night.

Despite sharing four years on the same 500 acres — the same study spaces and dining spaces and workout spaces and social spaces — the senior class, as a whole, remains largely unfamiliar. The subset of the senior class that pushed their way towards the free beer and quickly disappearing French fries was full of — for lack of a better word — strangers.

The realization seemed sad to me. I was standing in a room of people who had struggled through Princeton alongside me, had maybe watched the sun come up from the window of a study room after the same frantic all-nighter, had maybe walked a few steps behind or ahead of me after a night on the Street that wasn’t what we’d hoped, had maybe called home at the same time I called home just

to talk to Mom or Dad because the day had been rough and we still hope that our parents might have all the answers. But my chance to meet these people had come and gone. I had fallen into a routine and these people had theirs and it just so happened that our routines did not quite line up. As a senior, everything is filtered through a nostalgic lens. So, it seemed sad to me that I was graduating without knowing more of these people, for they represented all the groups I hadn’t joined, the auditions I missed, the classes I did not take. I felt like I might be graduating with more missed opportunities — be it new friends or experiences or interests — than I had realized.

But this column, my final column, is not about regret. It is too easy to look over these past four years and see all the things we should’ve, would’ve, could’ve done.

And that is exactly what I did after the staff of Triumph politely kicked out the few stragglers and another “last” — in this case the “last” Pub Night — was checked off my long list of “lasts” as the year comes to a close. I thought I would write about taking every opportunity, trying to meet as many people as possible so that your Senior Pub Night is filled with friends and acquaintances

— not strangers. But you’ve heard that, or some metaphor like it, before. It is no less true, of course.

I’ll just throw it in here for good measure — do everything you can!

But even if you fill every minute of every day with wonderful Princeton opportunities you’ll still find yourself with regrets. You’ll still have your “what if.” That is okay.

It is the blessing and curse of Princeton students — high-achieving, hyper-aware, analytical — to always see how things could be better. But it takes a distinct effort to step back and acknowledge the things that have been so very good. So, yes, I did not know everyone at the Senior Pub Night, but I knew quite a few. One time, they too were strangers — just another person attending a free Broadway show freshman year, laughing at the same terrible joke in a precept my sophomore year, traveling abroad to the same university my junior year, attending the same Last Lecture my senior year. They represent the opportunities I did take and, when I look upon them, my regrets pale in comparison.

So much of being happy, finding comfort in how the past four years were spent, comes from that shift in perspective. My glass is half-full these days.

In fact, I’ve begun to see something exciting in the notion that even after four years in this rather small place you’ll never know everyone. W.B. Yeats wrote, “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t met,” and I wish I had taken that to heart as a lost and somewhat jaded underclassman.

There is always the possibility that someone you’ve never seen, not even once, will turn the corner and bump into you and change everything. It could be a friend or a significant other or even a professor who takes you under his wing and opens doors you could not have imagined. Any one of the people at Senior Pub Night could be my friend by Reunions — this year’s or next year’s or the one after that. Princeton is full of people you haven’t met and maybe it’s sad but maybe it’s wonderful and challenging and will always keep this place exciting and new. On the hard days at Princeton, when everything seems wrong and your Mom and Dad don’t have the answers, that is a comforting thought.

Chelsea Jones is an English major from Ridgefield, Conn. She can be reached at chelseaj@princeton.edu.

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Enough with the term “microaggressions” Max Grear

columnist

Published on February 5

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n a column published last month, Newby Parton ’18 described a running joke among his peers that he had considered a microaggression: the “spectacle” that peers made of his pronunciation of “wh.” He admitted to feeling ashamed of telling a friend that he thought so, but he’s technically right. That’s the problem.

“Microaggressions” as defined by Columbia professor Derald Sue are “the everyday slights or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership,” which might seem like a bit of a stretch in Parton’s case. But Sue, who helped popularize the term first used in the ’70s, suggests that the victims of microaggression should be allowed to let us know when a phrase becomes an act of aggression.

Under this definition, anyone can call any situation in which he or she is singled out by his or her identity a “microaggression,” so long as something about this identity is not the norm. A single quirk of regional speech is fair game.

Parton’s point was that this scenario, while not particularly hurtful to him, made him realize how other individuals less “accustomed to microaggression” may unintentionally be hurt by comments made by others. Unsurprisingly, this nuance was completely lost by the outraged commenters and news sites that flocked to the scene of political correctness like vultures to a carcass. Before long the National Review joined the liberal-bashing fun.

Parton’s argument that he is privileged as a white, heterosexual male and is rarely offended by offhand comments is sound, but his focus on the idea of microaggression is misplaced. The article and its reception highlight the problem with the term “microaggression” as a tool against problems like racism or sexism. It’s become over-used and vague, and is inadequate to accurately describe the experience of everyday oppression. Any term that can be used to describe a joke about the pronunciation of “wh” is too weak to describe this experience.

It also happens to be exactly the kind of academic buzzword that makes anti-PC zealots foam at the mouth.

There’s a simple solution: we specifically call out sexism or racism or classism, or whatever else we find truly problematic. When appropriate, why not just say something like “that’s demeaning to women” or “that’s a derogatory stereotype about Asian-Americans?” The term “microaggression” is completely unnecessary to convey that meaning.

Ultimately, an effort like Tiger Microaggressions to report any and every perceived microaggression runs the risk of becoming a slightly more academic version of the golden rule. The biggest issue with the concept of the microaggression is that it is too malleable, which gives the “reversediscrimination” crowd an easy comeback. An African-American exhausted by racial prejudice makes a comment that could be construed as a generalization about white people? Now that’s a microaggression. A frustrated feminist denounces patriarchal attitudes and offends some men’s rights activists?

Microaggression!

The focus on microaggression encourages the idea that oppression is just relative. It plays into the hands of the kind of people who think that the liberal persuasion of some universities is as oppressive as the white supremacy that throughout the nation’s history has subjugated and brutalized African-Americans. The reason, for example, that a casual remark that reflects derogatory attitudes towards blacks is different than one that reflects such attitudes towards whites is that the former is reflective of historical, societal and institutionalized prejudice rather than merely individual prejudice.

The emphasis on subjective experience of microaggression allows many to overlook the objective, undeniable reality of forces like racism or sexism.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t discuss and debate what exactly constitutes societal oppression and how it may manifest itself in everyday situations. Discrimination is often ambiguous, and something like homophobia or racism is not static but fluid and constantly changing. Forms of oppression that were once entirely ignored should receive attention, such as transphobia. But it is clear oppression exists beyond the scope of individual experience and perception.

We cannot ignore the legitimate concerns of individuals who fall outside the boxes of typically marginalized groups — for example, the struggles of Christian college students to maintain their identities in largely secular environments. In some cases, a strong regional accent can in fact lead to disadvantages. However, we need to keep in perspective the difference (not necessarily better or worse) between this type of situation and the experience of historical, societal oppression. The idea of microaggression makes no such distinction. For this reason, we need to retire its use as a catch-all term to publicly denounce the forces of discrimination.

I realize that as a white, heterosexual, cisgender male I do not experience societal oppression, on a large or small scale. But when I see others go through this experience, I try as best I can to understand it for what it is, whether it be racism, sexism, homophobia, etc., rather than using the blanket label of “microaggression” and moving on. As allies, we should make a genuine effort to recognize the experience of everyday oppression not as a hot topic or social media trend but as a tangible reality for many of our friends and peers.

Max Grear is a freshman from Wakefield, R.I. He can be reached at mgrear@princeton.edu.

The Daily Princetonian

page S14

Princeton at Play

by Daily Princetonian Staff

The Freshman Issue summer 2015