November 26, 2018 by The Daily Princetonian

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Monday November 26, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 106

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STUDENT LIFE

Students reflect on popular spring courses By Zachary Shevin Contributor

Whether due to riveting subject material, applicability of content, a particularly wellknown professor, or all of the above, some University classes are more widely popular than others. The Office of the Registrar added spring semester classes to its list of course offerings on Nov. 8, giving students the opportunity to pour over the webpage while procrastinating on work for their current classes. Course selections begins Dec. 5, when seniors choose courses, and staggers with each class, ending with first-year course selection from Dec. 12 to 14. The Daily Princetonian took a look at next semester’s offerings and talked to current and former students about three of the University’s most popular courses, from STEM, social science, and humanities fields. Here’s what they had to say: COS 126/EGR 126: Computer Science — An Interdisciplinary Approach University President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 wrote in December 2015 that when he came to the University as a student his parents insisted he take at least one computer science class. The practicality of computing and the rise of coding-based jobs have led many University students to make that same decision. That one course, for many, is COS 126. Over half of students take COS 126 before graduation. Professor Robert Sedgewick introduced COS 126 in 1992, and he and professor Kevin Wayne developed the course together. Sedgewick and Wayne co-wrote the course textbook, “Computer Science: An Interdisciplin-

ZACHARY SHEVIN :: PRINCETONIAN CONTRIBUTOR

Course selection for the 2018–19 spring semester begins Dec. 5, with senior course selection.

ary Approach.” The professors claim the course sets out to teach basic principles of computer science in the context of scientific, engineering, and commercial applications. Students learn to program in Java, specifically. “The applications of what you learn can really be used to show you some of the real-world applications of COS, versus sometimes in other classes where you will simply write code,” Nishaad Khedkar ’22 said. “If I was better at programming, I would be a COS major, because it’s just very cool.” Since the fall of 2015, COS 126 has incorporated a “flipped” classroom model, with lectures completely digitized. Students attend precepts to do examples and master the material in the lectures and attend optional

class meetings for further assistance. Khedkar said that although he personally prefers learning in a classroom setting, many of his peers appreciate the flipped classroom approach. “The video lectures are very convenient in the sense that a lot of kids speed them up to watch them, they save a lot of time, and you can do them on your own schedule. From most of the people I’ve talked to, there’s an overwhelmingly positive view,” he said. Khedkar said he noticed a discrepancy between first-time coders and more experienced students in the class. Some more experienced students, he said, can ace the class without going to lectures or showing up to class meetings, which may discourage some first-time cod-

STUDENT LIFE

ers. “It can take people from between 15 minutes and eight hours to do the assignments,” he said. “If there are people that are considering taking the course that have never programmed before, I would have them be aware that it moves very fast, but also it’s definitely very easy to do well if you’re willing to put the work in.” During the 2016–17 school year, 637 students enrolled in COS 126. In the 2017–18 year, that number jumped to 677. This year, that number could very well rise, with 382 students taking the course in just the fall semester. Khedkar noted that many students currently enrolled in COS 126 are engineers or computer science majors, since engineering has a computer sci-

ence requirement. However, the interdisciplinary approach to computer science, he said, allows students with wideranging educational and professional interests to get something out of COS 126. He also said understanding computer science and being able to code will be increasingly useful for a wide range of fields of work. “In the future, it will probably be the most important skill to have,” he said. This fall, Sedgewick teaches the course, and professors Alan Kaplan, Dan Leyzberg, and Jérémie Lumbroso serve as colead preceptors. In the spring, Leyzberg will take over teaching. AAS 235/SOC 236: Race Is Socially Constructed — Now What? With overwhelmingly positive reviews and a rating of 4.70 out of 5 on student course evaluations last year, Race Is Socially Constructed: Now What? has become a widely popular course. AAS 235 is only open to first-years and sophomores. When professor Ruha Benjamin offered the course in spring 2015, 60 students enrolled. In 2016, that number grew to 93. The course was not offered in 2017, but when it returned in the spring semester of 2018, 102 students enrolled. Masha Muira ’21 said that whenever someone asks her for a good class to take, she steers them toward AAS 235. AAS 235, she said, touches on the history of race relations, but focuses more heavily on how that history plays out in the present day. “You just learn the basic framework of race as it intersects with class, with gender, See CLASSES page 2

U . A F FA I R S

COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Award-winning columnist George Will GS ’68 has been selected as the Class of 2019 Baccalaureate speaker.

George Will GS ’68 announced as 2019 Eating club task force report discusses Baccalaureate speaker COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Reassembled in 2017, the task force was comprised of former eating club presidents, directors of student life, and members of the Graduate Interclub Council.

By Oliver Effron Contributor

The eating clubs should do more to promote inclusivity, health, and transparency, according to a report released on Nov. 12 by the Task Force on the Relationship between the University and the Eating Clubs. This is the first time the task force has released a report since 2010. Reassembled in 2017, the task force comprised former eating club presidents, directors

In Opinion

of student life, and members of the Graduate Interclub Council (GICC). Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun served as the chair. According to USG president and task force member Rachel Yee ’19, the task force was created in response to the referenda passed on eating clubs. USG’s role was to provide elected representation on the committee. While emphasizing that the eating clubs are not directly part of the University, the task force also devised the policies with the

Senior columnist Liam O’Connor reveals the hypocrisy of campus drug use and Editorial Assistant Samuel Aftel decries the bicker process. PAGE 4

understanding that the two parties “will continue to nurture an interdependent relationship that is ongoing, cohesive, reciprocal, transparent and candid.” In the first section of the report, the task force proposed that each eating club make a more concerted effort to foster a diverse student population through reviewing of demographic makeup, partnering with campus centers for diversity and inclusivity, and “[embracing] University and eating club See CLUBS page 2

By Karolen Eid Contributor

Award-winning columnist George Will GS ’68 has been selected as the Class of 2019 Baccalaureate speaker, according to a University statement released Tuesday. The Baccalaureate service traditionally features music, interfaith blessings, and a guest speaker and “offers a moment of reflection” for graduating seniors. A distinguished political commentator, Will’s column has been published by The

Today on Campus 4:30 p.m.: Walter F. Murphy Lecture in American Constitutionalism with Richard Epstein on “The Unfulfilled Promise of the Anti-Discrimination Laws” Bowen 222

Washington Post since 1974. Now, 440 newspapers publish his column twice weekly. The Wall Street Journal has referred to him as “perhaps the most powerful journalist in America.” Will was born in Champaign, Ill. After receiving degrees from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and the University of Oxford, Will continued his studies at Princeton, from which he received his Ph.D. in politics in 1968. He has taught political See WILL page 3

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The Daily Princetonian

Monday November 26, 2018

Over half of students take COS 126 before graduation CLASSES Continued from page 1

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and with sexuality in the United States,” she said. “Personally, I really liked the class because it gave me a terminology for understanding my daily experiences. Racism wasn’t just something that I knew happened to all people. Now, I could determine it as intersectional, or interpersonal, as opposed to not knowing how to describe my experiences.” Muira said that she was undecided between majoring in politics and African American studies until Benjamin’s class made up her mind. However, she said that the class’s students come from a wide range of academic interests, probably because the class has such a good reputation. “I really do think it’s a class people should take,” she said. “Not just because I’m an AAS major and because I’m a black woman, but because it’s important to understand the racial framework of the United States.” JRN 240/CWR 250: Creative Non-Fiction One of the University’s longest running classes, Creative Non-fiction, taught by Professor John Angus McPhee ’53, will be available again this spring. Cross-listed as JRN 240 and CWR 240, enrollment is limited to 16 students, who are chosen through application. This year, the course is only open to sophomores. JRN 240 has a 4.93 out of 5 rating from course evaluations in spring 2018. McPhee grew up in the town of Princeton and graduated from the University. He has written for Time magazine and The New Yorker and is the author of over 30 books. He has won a number of prestigious awards for his writing, most notably the Pulitzer Prize in 1999 for “Annals of the Former World.” Valerie Wilson ’18, who took the course in 2016, said McPhee’s experience attending the University gives him a unique understanding of the student experience. For example, she said, McPhee only opens his class to sophomores based on his comprehensive understanding of the University’s quirks and his belief that a Princetonian’s sophomore spring is the best time for his class. Wilson said what she appre-

ciated most was the one-on-one attention given to students in the class. “The conferences were the real standout thing,” she said. “You would just sit down, and he would take out your story from that week, and it would be all marked up, and he would just go through it with you, and he would talk about every single comment that he had written.” Wilson said that McPhee would take time to discuss everything about students’ writing assignments with them, down to extreme detail. He would thoroughly explain even minute grammatical errors. Beyond that, she appreciated the overly constructive nature of McPhee’s criticism. Wilson said that the class has made her more confident in her academic writing, which has helped her pursue freelance writing opportunities and helped in her first year pursuing a master’s degree in medieval and renaissance studies at Columbia University. “It kind of gave me permission to pursue writing in a more serious way,” she said. “I would have never started doing creative writing if it weren’t for that class.” As to why the class is so popular, she gives partial credit to McPhee’s extensive, wellregarded body of work and the prestigious awards that he has received. However, she thinks much of it has to do with the class’ reputation. “The class itself has a reputation as being one of the few opportunities you really get where you get to hone in on your writing on a really granular, one-on-one level,” she said. “It’s something unique.” Professor John Stephens, the director of the Program in Journalism, had nothing but positive things to say about McPhee and his class. “wProfessor McPhee’s course is a national treasure, and has helped launch the careers of some of our nation’s finest writers. More importantly, John is a kind and giving person, and a generous mentor,” he wrote in an email to the Prince. The application for JRN 240/ CWR 250, which includes a writing sample submission, was due at noon on Nov. 16. Course selection will begin with on Dec. 5, when seniors begin selecting courses, and end with first-year course selection from Dec.12–14.

Report suggested that clubs update Bicker to reduce student anxiety CLUBS

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values around equity, inclusion, respect for others, and service.” “It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said Yee of the proposed solutions on diversity. “My biggest hope is that it’s not just words and that actions follow.” The report also recommended a series of policies to improve health and safety. Among other recommendations, the report suggested that eating clubs update Bicker to reduce student anxiety. This would be achieved by moving all Bicker and sign-in processes to the same week, as well as requiring all bickerees to rank a sign-in club. Finally, the report suggested that the eating clubs reduce charges through cutting costs, whether through shared programming between clubs or allowing members to eat some meals (such as breakfasts or Sunday dinners) at the residential colleges. “To be equitable around the board, the financial gap between eating clubs and an independent

or University meal plan should be covered for equitably,” Yee said. “Working together, the University and the eating clubs can achieve the aspirations articulated in the vision and the guiding principles of this report,” wrote the authors of the report in the conclusion. In a response, the Interclub Council (ICC) — comprised of the presidents of the eating clubs — commended the report and outlined its progress since the release of the last report in 2010. For example, the ICC reiterated its commitment to sexual health and safety through holding anti-sexual harassment training sessions and monthly meetings with the Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office. “We are excited to continue to work with the University and other partners to improve the club experience and to make that experience available to anyone who would want to be a part of it,” said the ICC statement. ICC Chair and Cloister Inn president Hannah Paynter did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Monday November 26, 2018

Will GS ’68: Never have I regretted the 3 years I spent in a carrel in the basement of Firestone WILL

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philosophy at Michigan State University, the University of Toronto, and Harvard University. From 1970 to 1972, Will was a staff member in the United States Senate and from 1973 through 1976, he was the Washington editor of National Review magazine. In 1976, Will became a contributing editor to Newsweek magazine, in which he wrote bimonthly essays until 2011. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1977 for “distinguished commentary on a variety of topics.” Will’s work mainly covers politics and domestic and foreign affairs. In 2017, Will was announced as an MSNBC and NBC News political contribu-

tor. He now lives and works in the Washington, D.C., area. Will has also served on the University Board of Trustees. In an interview concerning his time at the University, Will said “never have I regretted the three years I spent in a carrel in the basement of Firestone. The superb instruction I received in the politics department supplied the intellectual resources on which I draw constantly in writing about America’s political and cultural controversies, almost all of which are echoes of arguments that define Western political philosophy.” The Baccalaureate service will be held on Sunday, June 2, in the University Chapel, followed by Class Day and Commencement on June 3 and 4.

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Monday November 26, 2018

Opinion

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Want to help the world? Don’t do drugs Liam O’Connor

Senior Columnist

hree days after the 2016 presidential election, I watched a protest against President Donald Trump outside of Nassau Hall. People railed against the president-elect’s racism, misogyny, and conservatism. His heated rhetoric of Mexicans “bringing crime” and being “rapists” rocketed immigration to the forefront of national dialogue. After that day, there were rallies, op-eds, petitions, and clubs created to oppose his policies. Since then, for the past two years, I’ve been cynically watching campus activism at the University and other schools. Students have become so reliant on blaming politicians for causing societal problems that they fail to see how their own communities can contribute to those same problems. Drugs play a large role in worldwide oppression, but I’ve yet to hear this issue discussed on campus. Even more paradoxically, there are many students who call themselves “woke” (or consider themselves politically aware) and simultaneously use drugs. Protests against Trump’s policies ignore what forces immi-

grants out of their home countries. A headline from a 2017 article in The New York Times aptly describes the problem: “U.S. Appetite for Mexico’s Drugs Fuels Illegal Immigration.” Forty-two percent of people apprehended at the southern U.S. border in 2016 came from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — three countries with some of the highest homicide rates in the world. Drug cartels don’t cause all of the violence in Latin America, but they do play a significant role in it. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told a Mexican official last year, “I acknowledged to my counterpart that America’s insatiable appetite for drugs is the cause of much of the turmoil on their side of the border.” Over 200,000 people have died in Mexico’s drug wars since December 2006, and Colombia only recently emerged from the shambles of its own cocaine-funded conflict. Drug-related gun violence has claimed countless lives in U.S. cities. Abroad, powerful cartels bribe law enforcement and public officials with millions of dollars to ignore their crimes. Indeed, such violence helps spur immigration. But meanwhile, Americans continue to annually spend $100 billion on illicit drugs. College students are at least partly to blame for these problems. They have popularized drug use since the 1960s and still

largely drive the culture surrounding them. The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that drug use is most common in adults of ages 18–25, and cocaine use is highest among college students. A survey by LendEDU said that a quarter of college students spend most of their money on alcohol and drugs. The University’s 2013 National College Health Assessment reported that 19 percent of students have used marijuana, and 17 percent have used other drugs. Although these numbers seem low, they mean that up to 900–1,000 University students have allegedly given money to criminal organizations. Ten states permit recreational marijuana, but they are sufficiently far from New Jersey that the vast majority of the weed used on campus probably doesn’t come from legal businesses. These statistics fail to capture the quantity of drugs consumed and the money spent on them. University students primarily come from the upper middle class, and they likely have more disposable income to buy drugs than the average college student. A report by the United Kingdom’s Social Metrics Commission found that the middle class consumes more drugs than the lower class. It’s incomprehensible that students turn a blind eye to this. Purchasing illegal drugs shouldn’t be socially acceptable. There was outrage when the

Trump administration separated families that illegally crossed the border. There was outrage when the men’s hockey team wore sombreros at a Cinco de Mayo party. But there’s no outrage when a prep school graduate buys Colombian cocaine. While University students comfortably use drugs in their ivory castles and lavish mansions, someone in a different part of the world is suffering for their selfish decisions. Each additional drug transaction gives violent gangs money to corrupt public officials, to enlist youth in their work, and to buy bullets that kill innocent people. If the University’s social justice activists want to maximize their work’s impact, they should protest in the eating clubs or wherever else students use illicit drugs. Legalization is an often-cited solution to decreasing drug crime. Regardless of whether it would actually work, it’s not politically viable. A 2017 Huffington Post poll showed that Americans overwhelmingly don’t want to legalize any other drug beyond marijuana. Changing this mentality could take decades. In the short term, the best way to lower violence south of the border — and to fight real oppression — is to simply stop buying the drugs that sustain it. Liam O’Connor is a junior geosciences major from Wyoming, Del. He can be reached atlpo@princeton.edu.

Protect our students and protect our survivors Sarah Sakha

Guest Contributor

n Friday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos unveiled her new plan offering guidelines to schools on how to adjudicate cases of sexual misconduct — in an attempt to increase justice, fairness, and equity in the system. It achieves the antithesis of those values. The new regulations are meant to limit campus investigations. Women’s rights groups argue that this encourages only greater complacency from colleges and universities. In fact, money is one cited motivating factor; the current administration projects that schools will save $286 million to $368 million over the next 10 years as a result of the new regulations, which will reduce the number of sexual misconduct cases to be investigated. If the administration is so invested in and concerned about schools’ budgets, why not allocate more money toward libraries, arts, and teacher salaries, which have been cut in recent years? If the administration is so concerned about our national

budget and resources, then why not cut from defense spending and security details — like the one used for Betsy DeVos, which will purportedly cost taxpayers nearly $20 million through fall 2019 — rather than make cuts in public service at the Department of State or Environmental Protection Agency? Sure, I can agree with the stipulation of a presumption of innocence for the accused; after all, “innocent till proven guilty” lies at the crux of our democratic justice system, regardless of how just it really is in reality. However, the bar to prove guilt should not be raised higher, particularly in such difficult cases as sexual assault. DeVos’s plan will effectively narrow the definition of sexual harassment to unwanted sexual conduct that is “so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a recipient’s education program or activity.” Naturally, this new definition makes it significantly harder to prove a case of sexual misconduct; the victim would essentially have to show they are unable to continue at school. Further, it advances a vic-

timhood narrative. Only if the victim shows they are indeed a victim — that they can no longer function publicly as a student or member of society as a result — is their trauma real. Particularly at Princeton, students accused of sexual assault already have enough protections in place, both legal and institutional. But there are not nearly enough protections for the accuser — the survivor — and the traumas they have endured, endure, and will continue to endure. These proposed protections, if implemented, will only exacerbate those traumas, by protecting the accused and by mandating the school to allow them to cross-examine their accuser. This will only further shame, silence, and scar those who come forward. Two months ago, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 sent a memo to faculty clarifying that the minimum penalty for faculty found responsible of sexual misconduct was a one-year unpaid suspension. The memo was an endeavor to make progress at Princeton on this “very important issue”; he acknowledged the “serious dam-

age” it can have. We’ve seen recent cases of sexual misconduct in the electrical engineering and German departments. And, he admitted that we “can be even better and that we have a responsibility to be better.” So let’s be better, Princeton, about sexual assault. One in five undergraduate and one in 11 graduate students experienced sexual misconduct during the 2016–17 school year. Let’s bring back an improved WeSpeak survey. Let’s increase the resources we allocate toward Sexual Harassment/ Assault Advising, Resources and Education and Counseling and Psychological Services, both of which could use more space, more staff, more funding. Let’s not succumb to national, institutional, political pressures — let’s reform our justice system in regard to sexual assault, but not like this. Let’s protect our students. Just not like this. Sarah Sakha is an editor-in-chief emerita of The Daily Princetonian from Scottsdale, Ariz. She can be reached at ssakha@alumni.princeton.edu.

The Five Stages of PDFing a Class Nathan Phan ’19

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Opinion

Monday November 26, 2018

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Should we be celebrating on election night? Ben Gelman

Contributing Columnist

tanding in the back of the crowded Senate Chamber of Whig Hall on midterm election night, I turned to a friend and commented on how Whig-Clio had done a great job of creating a fun and exciting event that evening. Seemingly half the campus had piled in together to watch television coverage of the midterms for hours, accompanied by giveaways and plenty of food. In response, my friend turned to me in shock and asked, “How can you talk about fun on a night like this, when the stakes are so high?” He went on to lament the U.S. custom of election night watch parties and of treating such momentous episodes as if they were just another excuse to hang out with friends. “The republic is

on the line, and we’re here eating pizza,” he concluded. Surprisingly, that comment stuck with me throughout the evening and even after the results were in. Was he right? Was the fact that I enjoyed election night in the same way I would enjoy a normal study break a problem? Had I shown a lack of investment in such an important election? Of course, I was very aware of all the enormous consequences that the results would bring. But perhaps the very idea of election night watch parties makes no sense, and we should all be sitting in our dorms with bated breath awaiting the results. There are few other events that are so consequential and decisive in our society as elections. Recognizing this, elections wouldn’t seem to be causes for partying until they are over and our preferred candidate has won. Until that point, it seems logical to feel nothing but anxiety about the future. I would be the first to agree that people in general need to

take politics more seriously. Yet, I also believe that the sentiment that elections cannot be joyful social occasions is misguided. Even in our excessively troubled contemporary political moment, elections are still opportunities to celebrate the simple fact that we live in a functioning democratic republic. Despite our seemingly endless political disagreements, the fact that we as a nation can agree on rules that determine who is given power, and then peacefully transfer that power when the rules dictate it, is exceptional and worth taking time to commemorate. Of course, there are plenty of forces that have succeeded in many cases in undermining this process (think gerrymandering and voter suppression), but in broad terms, the process still functions. It is crucial to recognize that most governments throughout history have not operated this way, instead succumbing to violence and coercion when political disputes arose. A country where

representative democracy is the norm is something truly unique. Elections offer the chance, on the very day where we express our differences through voting, to unite with those on the opposing side in admiration and agreement that we will respect the results. This is why the trend within U.S. politics, at least most of the time, for losing candidates to fade from the spotlight and for the media to immediately move on is so crucial. While it has become a punchline to complain that election coverage is never ending — always moving quickly to the next election — and the fact that we are already talking about 2020 is slightly absurd, it is a positive thing that we can hold elections, receive the outcomes, and almost instantaneously progress to anticipating the next time we will be able to do so. This solidifies a sense of certainty in our ability to respond to losing an election not by delegitimizing the contest but by attempting to win the next one, a praiseworthy practice that

strengthens our democracy. For this reason I believe that there was nothing wrong with the Whig-Clio party. In fact, I would argue that it is healthy and essential for our society to mark election day with celebration. There must be an effort made, at least for one night, to be able to feel both severe disappointment when a candidate we believe is dangerous or unqualified wins, and a feeling of intense pride in our working democracy. Sitting in that overcrowded space next to friends who belonged to all areas of the political spectrum and just simply watching results roll in was truly a remarkable phenomenon. I felt part of something bigger: part of the process, part of the extraordinary way political decisions have been made in the modern era. And that, in and of itself, is something worth celebrating. Ben Gelman is a first-year from Houston, Texas. He can be reached at bgelman@princeton.edu.

Why you should follow the World Chess Championship Ethan Li

Contributing Columnist

he holiday season is in full swing, with Thanksgiving break coming to an end and winter break just around the corner. And this year, in addition to the classic roasted turkey and pumpkin pie, we can also enjoy the World Chess Championship. Reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen is playing against the globally ranked No. 2, American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana. Here’s why you should care: This is the first time in over four decades that a U.S. citizen is competing for the world title. The contender is a young, prodigious Italian-American Brooklynite who — in many respects

— perfectly embodies the American spirit. Caruana was raised in New York, but he moved to Italy at a young age to pursue a professional chess career. He played for the Italian federation for 10 years before returning to compete under the U.S. flag. Caruana’s story is emblematic of what defines American culture: a welcoming of talent from diverse backgrounds. The U.S. Olympiad team similarly reflects this diversity, as its top two players after Caruana were born in other countries. Caruana’s championship run parallels the world championship match from 46 years ago, when another young Brooklyn upstart competed for the title. That was when the electrically polarizing Bobby Fischer iconically wrested the title from the iron grip of the Soviet chess hegemony. During that time, chess was a quintessential metric by which the Soviet Union asserted communism’s ideological su-

periority over capitalism. The 64-squared game was seen as a symbolic expression of both intellectual dominance and statecentric structuralism. The Soviets were the Goliaths, an aggregate chess machine inexplicably churning out ever-stronger Grandmasters; the United States, represented solely by Fischer, was very clearly the underdog. Fischer was not supposed to win. Yet in an unprecedented display of brilliance, the lone American triumphed. His victory revitalized a wave of patriotism across the nation. As evidence of his accomplishment, former President Nixon and then National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger both called Fischer to offer their personal congratulations. Though in retrospect the Cold War tensions had already been mitigated by systematic détente, Fischer’s assiduous decimation of the Soviets planted an emphatic nail in the Soviet coffin.

In modern times, political tension has largely evaporated from the game. There is no analogous “Cold War,” no commensurate machinations of national governments, no additional drama to contribute added significance to the match. Here, the game is — at its core — purely an individual contest, but we can still appreciate the historical undertones of the event. Although chess is no longer a lynchpin to ideological agendas, it still holds a symbolic significance. The United States is consistently rising in international ranking. A significant cause of this ascension is our willingness to adopt foreign players and conversely their desire to compete for America. This integration is an idiosyncratic facet of U.S. society, and it should be celebrated. It is characteristic of the United States to find strength in heterogeneity, to cultivate a culture where our unique talents are accentuated

and developed through diversity. Currently, the match is deadlocked 5.5–5.5 after eleven games. There is one more game remaining in the twelve-game match, with the final bout scheduled for Monday, Nov. 26. The championship is being held in the U.K., but you can easily find results and updates on The Guardian or Chess.com. So during this holiday season, take a break from the football game once in a while. Check on the Chess World Championship, cheer for Fabiano Caruana, and maybe even play a couple of games yourself! Monopoly is long-held to be the most contentious holiday board-game, but I personally profess that chess is more engrossing and more exasperating. Ethan Li is a first-year from Stony Brook, N.Y. He can be reached at ethanl@princeton.edu.

Abolish Bicker Sam Aftel

Editorial Assistant

here is no moral, ethical, or intellectual justification for Bicker. Bicker is antithetical to the values that the University and its student body supposedly stand for: inclusivity, social justice, equity, access, and empathy, to name several. The vast majority of us claim to be “liberal” or “progressive” or “woke” or an “ally,” yet, last February, a staggering 74 percent of the Class of 2020, including myself, sold our souls to this inherently illiberal, exclusionary, elitist system and bickered at least one of the six selective eating clubs (Cannon Dial Elm Club, Cap & Gown Club, University Cottage Club, Ivy Club, Tiger Inn, or Tower Club). I implore all members of the Class of 2021 who plan to bicker this February to reconsider their decision, but I anticipate most will not think twice about participating in the process. Worse still, with the exception of some well-intentioned yet inconsequential examples, there isn’t any semblance of a student movement on campus fighting to eliminate

Bicker and to, say, replace it with a self-selecting, preference-based lottery system or to replace the eating clubs entirely with the construction of upper-year dining halls. Any reform that upends the cruelty and social hegemony of Bicker would be a huge step forward. Full disclosure: I spring- and fall-Bickered the same selective club, and, as you would expect, I got hosed both times. Hence, I am far from an unbiased analyst of the system, and I am a perfect example of an ideological opponent of Bicker who has been thoroughly and willfully complicit in perpetuating it. Nonetheless, my experience, for what it’s worth, has overexposed me to the moral disingenuousness of Bicker, which compelled me — albeit retrospectively — to reexamine my own decision to participate in the institution. One of the absurdities I witnessed during Bicker was the performance of (faux) compassion and community care. Bicker leaders try to promote an environment of inclusion and safety: They tell you to approach them with any problems, and they let you know that they “just want to get to know you” and that you shouldn’t be “nervous.” In reality, though, those leading the Bicker process couldn’t care less about getting to know someone genuinely or easing their nerves. The process simply serves as a cover

for selecting a club population that is, more or less, predetermined before Bicker even begins, as interpersonal connections and social status matter 10 times more than how a Bickeree performs during Bicker itself. And Bicker is an inherently anxiety-provoking process because, no matter what some students claim, one’s Bicker result can have a substantial social and emotional impact on their upper-year experience at the University. Similarly, there seems to be no legitimate, discernible system of evaluation for deciding who gets into a club and who gets hosed. And, hilariously, club members are sometimes sworn to secrecy about the process, as if Bicker was some self-important, quasi-religious cult procession. While one can easily point to the University’s admissions process as another inherently exclusionary part of Princeton’s culture, the admissions office is, at least, transparent and concrete about what it looks for in prospective students. It’s clear that the University prioritizes scholarly achievement, extracurricular involvement, leadership, service, legacy status, athletic status, diversity and identity, geography, an applicant’s fundamental compatibility with campus life, etc. Although the college admissions process is, in general,

plagued by inequity (to say the least), and one could take issue with the admissions criteria itself, at least there is a basic, objective evaluative framework that informs the system and that reasonably correlates with the type of student that an educational institution has an interest in admitting. Bicker, on the other hand, contains no such transparent, logical system of evaluation. If Bicker has any point, it is to determine — often baselessly — who would be a good social “fit” for a club’s culture. Beyond the fundamentally illegitimate evaluative nature of the process, perhaps the most immoral element of Bicker is how it necessitates students to judge one another. What gives any student the right to arbitrarily judge if another is fit enough to eat, socialize, and party with a particular group of peers? What moral justification could there be for one student to judge another on criteria that is at once unknown to the Bickeree and sometimes based on qualities that a Bickeree has no control over, such as their sexual attractiveness and orientation, race, gender, religion and moral values, class and ability to pay club fees, “likability,” “coolness,” “chillness,” willingness to drink (a lot), and their general position in Princeton’s unforgiving social hierarchy — a hierarchy that us students have intentionally

perpetuated? Furthermore, we, all too often, reflexively blame “the administration” of the University for the harms and ills of our student culture, which are compounded — or sometimes centrally fostered — by Bicker. For example, we see our peers debilitated by loneliness and depression, because they believe they are not welcome at the University and do not fit the hegemonic social identity of an Ivy League student. In response, we claim administrators have not provided enough institutional supports for these students, or worse, we blame our struggling, anguished peers for their “weakness,” “self-absorption,” and inability to cope with the academic and social demands of Princeton life. And yet, curiously, we fail to consider our own complicity in studentdriven processes, namely, Bicker, in which we actively and gratuitously exasperate the socioemotional struggles of our fellow Princetonians. Students — and, to some extent, alumni — have absolute, independent control over whether or not Bicker exists. We could abolish the system tomorrow if we wanted to, but we, time and time again, choose to do nothing. Samuel Aftel is a junior from East Northport, N.Y. He can be reached at saftel@princeton.edu.

Sports

Monday November 26, 2018

page 6

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Fall sports review: Five Princeton teams win conference championships

Amy Paternoster scored the key goal in a win over Columbia.

Women’s soccer (11–4–2 overall, 5–1–1 Ivy) took home the Ivy League championship and appeared in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. The Tigers opened the regular season with a 3–0 win against Yale, boosting confidence for a successful repeat of last year. But the euphoria did not last long. The Tigers tied Dartmouth in their first home game in conference play, 0–0. The scoreless match was followed by a devastating loss to Brown at home, in which the Tigers gave up a 2–0 lead and ended up losing 3–2. This match was the “hardest moment to stomach” of the season,

said Head Coach Sean Driscoll. “But without it, we wouldn’t have had the response we did for the rest of the season.” The Tigers won all of their remaining conference matches. They took down Columbia University 1–0 in New York, followed by an exciting 2–0 win over Harvard at home. Cornell University was up next and were toppled by the Tigers 2–0. In the crucial, final match of the season, the Tigers defeated Penn to earn their 10th ever Ivy League title and a spot in the NCAA tournament. In the first round of the tournament, the Tigers fell to Texas Tech University 3–0 in Texas, conceding goals at the start of each half and one 24 minutes before the final whistle. Princeton earned two Ivy League post-season awards — senior forward Mimi Asom was named Of-

in the championship game. Sophomore utility Casey Conrad was named the tournament’s most valuable player, while first year head coach Dustin Litvak was honored as top coach. The NWPC win resulted in an NCAA tournament bid for the Tigers, in which Princeton fell to No. 16 George Washington in the opening round. The loss to George Washington marked the end of a strong final season from the Class of 2019. Senior attacker

Matt Payne and senior utility Ryan Wilson were both selected to NWPC All-Conference teams, with Payne named to the first team and Wilson the second team. Payne, who paced the team with 73 goals this season, ends his Princeton career tied for fourth all-time leading scorer, with 238 goals. Wilson graduates as Princeton’s all-time leader in assists, with 215, while Payne sits behind him in second with 143. The Class of 2022 was also

key in the Tigers’ success this season. Freshman attacker Keller Maloney finished tied for first on the team with 25 steals, while freshman center Wyatt Benson led the team with 80 ejections drawn. Benson and Maloney, along with freshman attacker Mitchell Cooper, combined for 87 goals this season. The strength of this year’s freshman class bodes well for the Tigers’ future, as it will look to replicate its success in seasons to come.

Men’s football

Dartmouth (14–9). Throughout the season, Princeton was dominant on both sides of the ball. The offense scored 470 points, making it the highest-scoring unit in Ivy League history. The Tigers were led offensively by senior quarterback John Lovett, named unanimously to the All-Ivy first team, who rushed for 99 yards per game and passed for 204, and senior receiver Jesper Horsted, who led the Ivy League with 15 touchdowns. Senior tight end Graham Adomitis, senior offensive lineman George Attea, junior offensive lineman Reily Radosevich, and senior running back Charlie Volker were also named to the All-Ivy first team.

Women’s soccer

By Tom Salotti Sports Writer

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Men’s water polo

By Sam Lee

Sports Contributor

For the first time since 2015, men’s water polo finished the season atop the Northeast Water Polo Conference, securing the fifth conference title in the program’s history. The Tigers progressed through the NWPC tournament with wins over Iona and St. Francis-Brooklyn, before defeating Harvard 12–10

By Jack Graham

Associate Sports Editor

JACK GRAHAM :: PRINCETONIAN ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

John Lovett carries the ball against Yale.

Men’s soccer By David Xin Head Sports Editor

When the men’s soccer team tied Dartmouth in the first Ivy League game of the season, few saw it as an auspicious start. None would have suspected this would be the beginning of an eight-game unbeaten streak that saw the Tigers clinch the outright Ivy League title. Despite their success, the margin for error was slim, the Tigers narrowly edged out opponents like Colum-

bia and Penn on their way to an NCAA bid. Senior forward Jeremy Colvin scored five game-winning goals to help secure the championship. Princeton’s only Ivy League loss of the season came at Yale’s hands. But by that time, the Orange and Black had already won the league due to a Columbia loss that eliminated their only challenger. Leading the Ancient Eight, Princeton would make its tenth appearance in the NCAA championships facing Michigan. As with much of their season, the Tigers would once again find themselves

In its most successful season in recent memory, football finished undefeated for the first time since 1964 and won the Ivy League title outright for the first time since 1995. The team began the season with three blowout victories in non-conference play, taking down Butler, Monmouth, and Lehigh. The winning continued as Ivy League play began and Princeton defeated all seven of its conference foes. The closest games came against Harvard (29–21) and then-undefeated in a tough spot. The two teams finished regulation with a goal apiece. Twenty additional minutes in overtime failed to produce a difference between the two teams as neither side could find a golden goal before heading into penalties. Adding to the intensity, the penalties took a nerve-wracking 14 rounds to deliver what would be a heartbreaking result for the Princeton side. Still, the Tigers have plenty to be proud of as they look back on a thrilling and exciting 2018 season that showcased the best of Princeton soccer.

Field hockey By Molly Milligan Sports Writer

JACQUELYN DAVILA :: PRINCETONIAN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER

Field hockey defeated Harvard in its NCAA Final Four run.

Tweet of the Day

“Congrats to @PUTigerFootball Champion QB Chad Kanoff ‘18 on the promotion. We know the work you have put into your NFL career & are proud of the progress you continue to make” Bob Surace ‘90 (@CoachBobSurace), football

This season, field hockey (15–5 overall, 6–1 Ivy) established themselves as one of the top-tier teams in the nation. The Tigers began the 2018 campaign ranked 10th in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches’ Poll and would only see their stock rise as the season wore on. The Tigers got off to a hot start with impressive wins over then-No. 5 Penn State and then-No. 4 Duke in the span of less than a week. Junior fullback Carlotta von Gierke said those two games showed the team they “not only had the ability to compete with the top teams

fensive Player of the Year and Coach Driscoll was named Coach of the Year. Asom was unanimously selected for the All-Ivy first team, and sophomore defender Lucy Rickerson earned a spot on the first team as well. Junior forward Courtney O’Brien, sophomore defender Eve Hewins, and junior goalkeeper Natalie Grossi were named to the second team. Freshman midfielder Emma Davis, junior midfielder Tomi Kennedy, and junior defender Olivia Shephard were named honorable mentions. The team’s seniors, after concluding their final season this fall, have a whopping three Ivy League titles and have made three NCAA tournament appearances.

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Matt Payne led the team in scoring with 73 goals.

Defensively, Princeton limited its opponents to just 13 points per game. The defense was anchored by the senior linebacker duo of Tom Johnson and Mark Fossati, both named to the All-Ivy first team, who finished first and second on the team in tackles respectively. Junior safety TJ Floyd had six interceptions on the year and was also named to the All-Ivy first team. In the offseason, the Tigers will be faced with the daunting task of replacing seven AllIvy first-teamers. However, a plethora of young talent waiting in the wings should make Princeton fans hopeful about the future.

JACQUELYN DAVILA :: PRINCETONIAN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER

Bobby Hickson defends against Harvard.

but also beat them…. It showed us that our hard work during the off-season and preseason really paid off and that we are able to build and grow from there.” Princeton built off its early wins by dominating Ivy League foes, save for a 3–1 defeat at Harvard. Sophomore striker Clara Roth was named Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Roth was the centerpiece of a sustained Tiger attack, scoring 32 points on the year. Senior fullback Elise Wong was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Wong anchored a defense the served five shutouts in conference matches and allowed just 1.21 goals per game. Just 10 days ago, Princeton rose to number four in the rankings, just in time to finish up a stellar campaign at

the NCAA Final Four in Louisville, Ky. The Tigers earned a spot in a national semifinal against the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins after defeating No. 13 Virginia and exacting revenge on No. 6 Harvard in the tournament’s early rounds. What would be Princeton’s final match of the season was a classic overtime thriller, and the first national semifinal since 1989 to go scoreless through regulation. Though Maryland would score in extra time to advance the championship, any fan could see that Princeton played an amazing game, owning possession of the ball and putting up an incredible defensive front. The team is poised for another strong season next year, as it returns with all but two starters.

Stat of the Day

.563

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Senior guard Devin Cannady is shooting .563 (9/16) from 3 in his first two games of the season.