November 9, 2018

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Friday November 9, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 98

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STUDENT LIFE

Community college experience helps transfer students adjust to campus

By Katie Tam Staff Writer

This past fall, the University welcomed transfer students for the first time in decades.

The nine students come from a variety of backgrounds, including prior enrollment in community college and service in the military. Representing a range of ages from 20 to 33, some entered as freshmen, others as sophomores. They applied for many reasons, and plan to study everything from philosophy to mechanical and aerospace engineering.

As they begin life at Princeton, the students have encountered unique challenges, but also unique advantages.

Applying and adjusting Applicants qualify as transfer students if they have completed 1-2 years of postsecondary credit, according to the University website for transfer admission.

According to the transfer students interviewed, the application process was relatively straightforward. Students apply through the Common Application or Universal College Application and complete a Transfer Supplement.

Thomas Johnson ’22 was pleased with the support he received throughout the application process.

“When it came to having more information, or having people to talk to – they were really eager to have people reach out” , Johnson said.

After reviewing 1,429 applications, only 13 students were admitted, representing

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Transfer students come to the University with more knowledge and experience than most first-years.

an acceptance of just under one-percent. Of the 13 students accepted, 9 matriculated.. After acceptance, standing their academic standing was determined by Princeton faculty and college deans who evaluated their transfer credits.

“We formed a mixed committee of faculty and staff from the Office of the Dean of the College to address each case individually, deciding what particular courses should transfer to Princeton,” Keith Shaw, Director of Transfer, Veteran, and Non-Traditional Student Programs, wrote in an email to the Prince.

The transfer students arrived one week early to get settled in and participate in a special preorientation program.

This included a STEM bootcamp, which they took with FSI Residential students. According to Shaw, the boot camp helped bridge the gap in diffi-

culty from community-collegelevel courses, which tends to be larger in math, chemistry, and physics than in other subjects.

Several transfer students said that although they felt prepared academically, making the transition in student life has been tougher. As many transfer students are significantly older – some with families and children – housing was initially an issue.

However, the transfer students report that the administration has responded to problems promptly.

“If there was an issue that was brought up, it was almost immediately addressed,” Seth Freeman ’21 said.

From military to civilian Six of the nine transfer students are veterans, including Johnson. After high school, Johnson joined the military as a medic and was stationed in

Colorado for three years before serving in Afghanistan. When he returned, he attended community colleges in Colorado Springs and Ithaca.

Johnson heard about the University’s transfer program through Service to School, an organization that helps veterans in higher education. Attracted by the University’s strong computer science program, he decided to apply.

He was pleased that the University waived the application fee in acknowledgement of his service.

“It was a huge symbolic gesture from Princeton that I didn’t get from other schools,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that transitioning from military to civilian life has been a challenge, distinct from the challenges most freshmen face in going to college.

“I have a different perspec-

tive than most freshmen coming in,” Johnson said.

Since Johnson is married , the University provided him and his family housing in the graduate college. He was also exempt from orientation week activities in anticipation of the birth of his daughter, who was born on the first day of classes.

“Being a father of a newborn is definitely challenging. A lot of sleepless nights. But it’s definitely been a fun challenge, as well, becoming a father,” Johnson said.

Samuel Fendler ’21 is also a veteran who served in the Marine Corp. for five years.

“My experiences in the Marine Corp. made me more comfortable with pushing myself and trying to do things that are difficult, and not being scared to fail,” Fendler said of the lessons he learned in the Marines.

After his service, he planned to attend community college.

But a friend encouraged him to go to a four-year school, which led him to Penn State, where he studied for 2 years.

Fendler sees many contrasts between his experience with the Marines and his experience so far at the University.

“The culture is much different than anything I’ve ever experienced,” Fendler said. Even at Penn State, Fendler said, adult students were given a large degree of autonomy. At the University, however, he senses a lower level of individual accountability.

There are advisors, peers, and other members of the residential college and beyond to support you and check up on you, See TRANSFER page 2

STUDENT LIFE

U . A F FA I R S

Butler DSL Deshawn Cook leaves U. for Barnard IIP to send

Staff Writer

Residential College Adviser Justin Ramos ’19 said that Butler College’s Director of Student Life Deshawn Cook doesn’t feel like his boss because of Cook’s “sunny demeanor and constant approachability.”

Cook’s final day as Butler’s

DSL is Friday, Nov. 9. His next role is Assistant Dean for Student Life at Barnard College, effective Nov. 12.

The official announcement came in an email sent out to Butler residents on Oct. 26.

Cook has had extensive prior experience concerning human rights and student engagement. At Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey,

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Butler College’s Director of Student Life, Deshawn Cook.

he was Resident Assistant in the Office of Residence Life, and at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, he was the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

At the University, Cook worked closely with student groups and support services, helping underrepresented students, students with marginalized identities, and first-generation college students.

As a leader of the residential college adviser team at Butler, Cook brought restorative justice principles to his work in student discipline and led fellow administrators in their work on diversity and inclusion. He also served on the steering committee for the Department of Human Resources’ LGBTQIA Resource Group.

In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, Professor J. Nicole Shelton, Head of Butler College, stressed Cook’s contributions in creating a vibrant living and learning community at Butler. Shelton particularly admired Cook’s compassion. “[Cook] responds in a way that allows people to feel heard and respected,” said Shelton. “He handles all situations with competence, grace, and diplomacy [and] uses all situations as an opportunity for students to learn and become better

people.”

In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ Cook emphasized the importance of creating a judgement-free atmosphere for students and elaborated on the value of relationships he formed with team members and campus partners.

Cook explained that he has made some great friendships at the University and that he will miss the relationships he has developed.

Nonetheless, he looks forward to working with a different student population at Barnard.

“I’m really excited to work at a women’s college with amazing ideals, and to engage in social justice education in a full-time capacity,” said Cook. “Barnard reminds me of the institutions I’ve worked at previously and feels like a homecoming for me.”

Cook credited his own undergraduate experience at Ramapo College as being a key motivator in his work.

He noted that there were several administrators and student leaders who made his college experience memorable.

“My goal in this field is to pay homage to those who helped me get here, by continuing the work.”

He explained that he hopes to make a difference in someone’s life.

See DSL page 4

In Opinion

Today on Campus

Contributing columnist Priya Vulchi celebrates the diverse community beyond campus, and contributing columnist Brigitte Harbers argues that we can do more than photograph the places we visit. PAGE 5

8:00 p.m.: The Princeton Triangle Club Presents: Night of the Laughing Dead McCarter Theatre

smaller cohorts to more countries

By Marie-Rose Sheinerman Contributor

Some of the University’s most well-known international opportunities are trying to better immerse Princeton students in local cultures.

For the summer of 2019, the OIP office has reformed International Internship Program offerings (IIP) by shrinking cohort sizes and sending students to more developing countries, all in an attempt to increase cultural integration.

Every fall, Luisa Duarte-Silva, the Director of IIP, re-evaluates the program’s offered locations and workplaces based on participants’ evaluations.

“We create new internships based on the thoughts of students and also based on keeping a balance of geographic location,” she said.

According to Duarte-Silva, over the past years, students have called for one concrete change above all else.

“There has been a lot of interest from students to have more opportunities in develSee IIP page 2

WEATHER

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Friday November 9, 2018

Johnson: We’re building the framework so everyone can feel welcome TRANSFER Continued from page 1

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Fendler said, something he isn’t used to, and says he doesn’t’t really enjoy, as an older student.

Freeman, who also served in the Marine Corp., also attended Penn State for a semester in between a warehouse job and an internship.

For Freeman, the transition to college life meant less responsibility for day-to-day processes.

“I’ve always been supporting myself, working, doing regular adult things. But now at Princeton, I don’t have to worry about a lot of that stuff,” Freeman said, giving eating at a dining hall as an example.

Attending a primarily residential college, as opposed to a commuter school, also means more interaction with other students, Freeman said.

“Everybody lives here on campus,” Paul Haws ’21 said.

“It’s a much better environment – you actually get to know people.”

Haws served in the Marines for four years and also got involved in the transfer program through Service to School.

In community college, Haws said, you might see someone once, and then not run into them again until a year later.

“I’m a little bit more involved socially now,” Freeman agreed.

Benefitting from past experiences Transfer students come in to the University with more knowledge and experience than most freshmen. Some of this experience comes from attending other institutions.

Fendler said he benefited a lot from his time at Penn State, where he was not only able to transition from military to civilian life, but to learn how to

perform in the classroom.

“I feel like I’m more prepared now,” Fendler said. Instead of being frustrated with his academic challenges he’s currently facing, Fendler says he reminds himself that he’s “ready and capable to be challenged at the highest level.”

Daniela Alvarez ’21 attended community college in Florida for two years before transferring to the University. She said it was a stepping stone toward figuring out what she wanted to do next and what she loved learning.

“It was two years of self-reflecting into what I’m passionate about and what really excites me academically,” Alvarez said.

She said her time in community college allowed her to meet people from different backgrounds who had non-traditional paths to learning. Now, her experiences from community college are shaping her life here. “I’ve been able to incorporate into my classes things that I’ve already learned from other classes at community college, which has been eye-opening,” Alvarez said.

Vinny Wagner ’21, who immigrated from Brazil three years ago, attended a community college in South Florida for two years. During that time, he interacted with people from all walks of life.

“There’s just a wealth of experiences that you see at community colleges,” Wagner said. “It gives me a broader perspective.”

Adding to his own unique background growing up in Brazil, Wagner feels that he has a lot he can bring to the University – and a lot he can learn.

“Although I feel that I can teach a lot here from my experience, I feel like I can also learn a lot here from the experiences of students,” Wagner said.

A change of policy The transfer program was reauthorized in January of 2016 by the Board of Trustees and reinstated in October 2017 for fall 2018 admission by former Dean of Admissions Janet Rapelye.

This followed a nearly 30year moratorium on traditional transfer students which began in 1990.

According to Shaw, the previous transfer program was designed to fill gaps in the student body left by invited applicants who chose not to attend Princeton.

As the number of applicants who turned down admission dwindled, however, the transfer program lost its purpose and was officially decommissioned in 2005.

Its current relaunch is an “access and inclusion initiative,” Shaw wrote in an email to the Prince. The program explicitly aims to increase diversity in the student body by encouraging applicants from low-income, military, or community college backgrounds.

“President Eisgruber made it clear that it’s crucial, for our scholarship and for our campus community, that Princeton’s undergraduate body more closely reflect the broader society it emerges from,” Shaw wrote.

Elite institutions, such as those in the Ivy League, have generally not accepted transfer students, requiring freshmen to enter straight out of high school.

But institutions are beginning to change to reflect real trends in education.

Nationwide, one-third of college students transfer at least once before earning a 4-year degree, and 40-percent of students start at community college.

Meeting the needs of today’s students requires opening up transfer programs in more in-

stitutions like Princeton.

A tight-knit community The transfer students have remained very close since meeting each other one week prior to new student orientation. The nine students even attend the same writing seminar, taught

by Shaw.

“It’s really like a family. We’re all going through these unique challenges,” Johnson said. “We all band together and work through different problems that we might encounter being a transfer student and being in a different environment than most of us are used to.”

The social aspect of coming in as a transfer student can be difficult, as transfers coming in as sophomores navigate already existing social circles. But the presence of such a close transfer group has helped, Wagner said.

“I know they’re going to be my friends for the rest of my time here at Princeton and definitely beyond,” Wagner said, speaking of the other transfer students.

The cohort also reported feeling well-received by the rest of the University community.

Although Johnson lives in graduate housing, he was still assigned a residential college, RCA, and ‘zee group. They have been welcoming, inviting his wife and baby along to events, Johnson said.

Shaw expressed his appreciation of the transfer students, and his joy in working with them.

“They’re brilliant, disciplined, mature, creative, and offer nuanced and unexpected perspectives, earned through their experience, that would otherwise be lacking on campus,” Shaw wrote.

“They’ve taken a different path to get here, have grown as scholars and as people in the process, and it shows -- both in the classroom and in everyday

conversation.

Future transfer students The University plans to continue to expand its transfer program in future years, offering admission to talented students who have traditionally been ignored.

Frelicia Tucker ’21, who attended Rice University for one year before transferring, is glad that the U. has realized what it has been missing.

“This is a huge a step for the university to take in my opinion, offering admission to very deserving students they’ve noticed have too little a place on campus,” Tucker wrote in an email to the Prince. “The University has been missing out on talented students from community colleges and the military for quite some time.”

Other students agree.

“I know plenty of people in the military or back home who are certainly capable of going to school at a top-tier institution,” Fendler said. There are just other factors that are in the way including the mindset, maturity, and finances necessary to attend, he said.

Allowing transfers also figures into expanding opportunities for veterans, a key target population for the program.

“It’s important to give highly qualified veterans an opportunity to go to school,” Fendler said. “The transfer program is going to be a major pipeline for veterans to come in to Princeton.”

Current transfer students are blazing the trail for years to come and anticipate welcoming the next group.

“We’re building this framework so everyone can feel welcome, not only in the Princeton community, but in the transfer community as well,” Johnson said.

IIP participants find being part of cohort helps ease transition IIP

Continued from page 1

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oping countries,” she said.

On Nov. 1, applications for IIPs opened, this time with brand new opportunities for students to join cohorts headed to Vietnam and Rwanda.

These internships are varied in profession, ranging from the Gashora Girls School of Science and Technology, to a cycling federation committed to HIV testing, to an agricultural business assessment firm - in Rwanda alone.

“Last year, as a trial, we did cohorts in Cambodia and Uganda,” Duarte-Silva said.

“Because they were so successful, we added more this year and reproduced the model in Vietnam and Rwanda, while also reinforcing it in the previous two.”

All 11 students who interned in Uganda in the summer of 2018 rated their overall experiences as either “very” or “extremely rewarding.”

Patrycja Pajdak ’21, a prospective Woodrow Wilson School major, called her internship in Cambodia last summer the “most rewarding experience” she had ever had.

She lived in the host’s guest house with two other Princeton students, in very close proximity to their volunteer site.

According to student reviews, being part of a cohort of other Princeton students helps ease the transition into a new culture, especially when a language barrier is involved.

To Duarte-Silva, the perfect size of a cohort is eight to 10 students, with at most two students at any given workplace.

“I want the cohorts small enough so they don’t turn into recreating the Orange Bubble abroad, but also big enough so there are enough students in the area for them to support each other and meet on weekends,” she said.

In the same spirit of diminishing the orange bubble, this year the 17 internship spots previously in Buenos Aires have

been split into three cohorts.

And all students in Argentina, Uruguay, and Vietnam will now be residing in homestays, according to Duarte-Silva.

Previous IIP participants expressed a range of reactions to the news of smaller cohorts.

Madelyn Broome ’19, who studies astrophysics, gave a full-throated endorsement of doing everything possible to eliminate the bubble abroad.

While interning in Santiago, Chile, she shared an apartment with a local woman.

“This is really a chance to live on your own,” she said of the program.

Christopher Ye ’21, a prospective mathematics concentrator, was less excited about the prospect of fewer Princeton students in Buenos Aires.

“I loved that there were so many of us. I had a roommate who was a Princeton student and we became really good friends. My internship was mainly coding and didn’t involve much social interaction.

If not for seeing Princeton students, I probably wouldn’t have talked to anyone during the week,” he said.

Despite his relative social confinement to other Englishspeaking Princetonians, he found that his Spanish still vastly improved over the course of the summer.

Most past participants agreed that having fellow Princeton students in your region can be extremely beneficial.

“Logistically, it was helpful to have other students there as we figured out basic aspects of being abroad, such as getting our phones to work and navigating public transportation,” said Arielle Cohen ’19, a a neuroscience concentrator who did an internship in Buenos Aires in 2018.

Junior Jennie Yang, who interned in Zimbabwe with two other Princeton students, commented that it was a relief to have travel buddies.

Safety-wise, Duarte-Silva claimed there is no difference in frequency of incidents be-

tween interns in developed and developing countries.

“The frequency of incidents really depends on the prepara-

tion of the student. Sometimes, it’s actually more likely to have dangerous incidents in Europe because students are more non-

chalant about safety concerns going in than they would be for a developing country,” she explained.

MARIE-ROSE SHEINERMAN :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

The new Louis A. Simpson International Building, which houses OIP and IIP.

Friday November 9, 2018

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Cook: My goal is to pay homage to those who helped me get here DSL

Continued from page 1

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ALBERT JIANG :: THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Members of the Butler College community gathered on Thursday afternoon to celebrate Cook’s contributions to the University.

“I always intend to be seen as a resource to students,” said Cook. “A person can’t be everything to everyone, but what’s most important is the ability to get students connected to the resources they need.”

He encouraged students to ask for help and to take advantage of their resources.

Allen Kong ’21, a Butler College Sophomore Leader, remembered how Cook had a “big presence,” but always distinguished himself through his calm, gentle personality.

Kong explained that Cook always asked how he was doing and Kong’s positive relationship with Cook encouraged him to reach out to other staff members and professors.

“I give him a lot of the credit of my confidence and comfort developing my relationships with faculties,” said Kong. “His love for this school will always be missed.”

Ramos noted Cook’s “constant eagerness for a good, old-fashioned dance party.”

Cook also does a great job

of making everyone feel like they are equals so that they feel comfortable enough to speak their thoughts, said Ramos.

In an email to the ‘Prince,’ Dean of Butler College David Stirk wrote, “We are all going to greatly miss Cook’s great sense of humor, his amazing work ethic, and his calm and reassuring presence.”

He added that the University’s loss is Barnard College’s gain.

In a send-off party held on Thursday afternoon in the Class of 1942 lounge, Stirk recounted Cook’s contributions and wished him the best in his future at Barnard.

“I have been in conscious denial … when I realized I was in my last meeting with Deshawn,” Stirk said at the party. “Most of all, he’s just been a friend to us all.”

The University is conducting a national search for a new Director of Student Life, due to be completed by the start of the spring semester.

In the meantime, the Butler College Office and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students will be responsible for any advising and support services that students need until a new director is inaugurated.

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Opinion

page 5

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } Priya Vulchi

Contributing Columnist

“

Einstein used to come into this neighborhood and sit on our porches.

He used to take me for walks,” local historian Shirley Satterfield told me. Satterfield is a multi-generational resident of the WitherspoonJackson community.

Princeton will never produce students “in the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity” if, in order to get there, students sidestep community service. If you’re a Princeton student, chances are you’re part of the I’venever-crossed-Nassau-Street club, and, even if you have, you’ve probably only made it as far as Starbucks. But did you know? On Witherspoon Street, perpendicular to Nassau, exists Princeton’s 20th historical district: the Witherspoon-Jackson community.

A majority of the town’s Black and Hispanic population lives

The other side of Nassau Street there, and — unlike Forbes — it’s worth the walk.

To understand Princeton, you must understand the WJ community; its history is thornily intertwined with the University. Black people were here before the University, and post-slavery — by the mid-19th century — the WJ community became home to most of Princeton’s black entrepreneurs. Around that same time, Southern enrollment in Princeton was at its peak — 51.5 percent — perhaps because this town wasn’t as “abolitionist” in spirit as, say, Harvard or Yale. The racial division was stark in Princeton, and it still is.

A celebrity from the WJ community, Paul Robeson, famous for his acting, singing, and activism, wrote: “Rich Princeton was white; the Negroes were there to do the work. An aristocracy must have its retainers, and so the people of our small Negro community were, for the most

part, a servant class … Less than 50 miles from New York, and even closer to Philadelphia, Princeton was spiritually located in Dixie.”

So, walking down Witherspoon Street, once called African or Guinea Lane, you’ll find more than just mouthwatering food and great people — there’s also plenty of rich history. I asked students why they’ve never been, and responses included, “What is that?” or “Is it safe?” or simply, “Why?” Because there’s a mindset of transient local citizenship, one student told me, “What’s the point of getting too involved or too attached to Princeton? We’ll be outta [sic] here soon.”

But no matter where students end up after graduating, if they choose to ignore the WJ community, they’re developing a habit of engaging with only the convenient, wealthy, and white areas of a community — remaining oblivious to the deep-rooted, and often

keep at it Grace Koh ’19

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purposefully hidden, impact of people of color in the area.

Linda Oppenheim, former Firestone librarian and Secretary of Not in Our Town Princeton, said, “It was well known to those of us who worked at Princeton University that the undergraduates rarely, if ever, crossed Nassau Street to experience the world outside the Orange Bubble.” She added, “Living in Princeton can be very comfortable — if you’re white.”

Naturally, as a librarian, she also recommended reading Kathryn Watterson’s “I Hear My People Singing,” the 2017 compilation of interviews conducted by other Princeton undergraduates. In it, Leonard Rivers, an African-American local, recalls seeing FitzRandolph Gate as a child: “That gate was always locked shut.

It was never open — never. We knew that when you crossed Nassau Street and you went to the University, that was not us.”

Maybe you needed a nudge to go there, or maybe you didn’t know that it existed, but now you know. And if you actively seek to engage with the WJ community, you’re also letting Princetonians who live there know that FitzRandolph Gate is open for them — even if we have to pry it open ourselves.

Satterfield has a message for you: “I remember when, years ago, students would come into the neighborhood, be with the children for a while, write a paper or do research, and then just leave. But — especially now that students at the University are more diverse — don’t just come here for community service; come to the other side of Nassau Street because you want to be a part of the community, and because you genuinely care.”

Priya Vulchi is a first-year from Princeton, New Jersey. She can be reached at pvulchi@princeton. edu.

Opinion

Friday November 9, 2018

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Globalization: the act of commodifying culture Brigitte Harbers

Contributing Columnist

A

s fall break ended and classes began again, all around campus a predictable question started conversations. “So, where’d you go?” For some, Princeton was the perfect retreat, while others took the week as an opportunity to f ly away from the familiar gothic architecture and forget about the homework that probably should have traveled with them. I decided to get as far away from the New Jersey fall as possible with a trip to Madrid to both practice my Spanish and better understand the culture I had been learning about for the past two months in my SPA 105 class. However, traveling outside the United States presented its own question: “What makes [insert common tourist location] so special?”

Any trip to a foreign country is a worthwhile and memorable experience. However, it has become increasingly easy to forget you’re not at home until you look at a street sign written in a different language. Nowadays, places like Spain, France, and Italy all share the same touristfocused characteristics of easy access activities and uncomplicated interactions that make it hard to treat your vacation like a new adventure in an unexplored world. With the tourism industry accounting for almost 3 percent of the world’s GDP, countries are more focused on how to cater to the whims of their tourists

and less on how to maintain an authentic identity.

Thus, unless you seek it out, a country’s unique culture doesn’t present itself the moment you step off the plane. Souvenir shops may sell gifts specific to a region or a city, but they are soulless and over-manufactured.

An intricately designed fan from Spain loses a certain amount of charm when you realize it was actually made in China, and that you can buy an identical version in four different stores, all a half block from each other.

Today, being a tourist means you can simply line up for all the basic attractions — such as museums, churches, and monuments — and leave with only a smartphone full of photos.

Whereas I once believed people traveled with genuine curiosity and interest in learning about a country and its specific culture, I’ve now found that people are more excited about curating the perfect Instagram post than understanding what makes that place distinct.

In 1968, James Michener wrote in his book, “Iberia,” “So many tourists have gone abroad with no preparation which would enable them to appreciate what they were able to see and no humility to make them approach the country on its own terms.”

When tourists do visit sites that display important aspects of culture — like works of art by famous local artists — they lack conscious comprehension as to why those features have helped to define the people. Following my trip, I’ve asked people why an artist like Goya represents so much of Spanish history and identity, and many can’t even tell me the origin of his series of Black

Paintings. But did they see them when they visited the Prado Museum in Madrid?

Of course; they’re famous paintings, and yet there was little time spent learning why they’re so important and well-known.

I admit that we feel more comfortable engaging with countries that share similar customs and attitudes, but that shouldn’t prevent us from studying places in Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. However, these countries are also not immune to commodifying their cultures. My friends who have visited China return with at least one “designer” bag. The effects of globalization are obvious: countries and their peoples are losing their individuality in exchange for a singular, commercial identity.

Have we encouraged so many global connections that we’ve forgotten how people used to travel to new locations to encounter culture, people, language, and traditions different from their own? Have wealthy superpowers like the United States and China pressured smaller countries to adapt their tourism industries in favor of lazy comfort rather than encourage immersion, all in the name of economic development? For example, chain brands like McDonalds, Starbucks, and even Five Guys can be found around the world, providing tourists with easy access to “safety” food that does not require going outside the comfort zone and placing faith in traditional cuisine. Tourists are no longer required to interact with foreign food, language, or people abroad, unless they choose to.

At Princeton we are taught to take international

context into consideration in all of what we study. Programs such as Bridge Year and Study Abroad encourage us to explore beyond our borders. We strive to be global citizens who acknowledge that cultural differences are necessary to have diverse and wellrounded populations. However, I worry we may fall victim to 21st-century commercial tourism, in which we aren’t required to do more than walk through an exhibition. Although we may have practice in being conscious consumers, it’s easy to believe you better understand the international landscape purely because you walked across a particular bridge in Paris that one time and ate a croissant under the Eiffel Tower.

I propose a challenge to the reader: the next time you go on vacation to a different country, don’t forget to seek out its rich history and interesting heritage. Treat it like you’re doing research.

Don’t think of it as an assignment, but just go with the mindset that your trip will not be complete unless you directly engage with the culture there. Ask people questions; get to know a city through the eyes of someone who lives there. Granted, it can sometimes be daunting if you don’t have a good grasp of the language — or any at all — but, more often than not, locals are patient with those who are sincerely curious. Why else did you travel if not for the thrill of uncovering something new about a group of people and a place you may not know much about?

Brigitte Harbers is a firstyear from New York, N.Y. She can be reached at bharbers@ princeton.edu.

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Friday November 9, 2018

Sports

page 7

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The team to beat: women’s basketball prepares to fend off Ivy challengers

By Chris Murphy Head Sports Editor

Last season the Tigers proved they were the best of the Ivy League. With only two conference losses, the women’s basketball team capped its domination of the league with a 63–34 victory over Penn, suffocating the Quakers on defense and snatching the Ivy League trophy from them.

With a 29-point victory in the championship game, it’s unsurprising that they will be considered the team to beat this season; the question is whether they are prepared to fend off the rest of the league.

The Tigers have not yet been in this position with this set of players. In 2015, the Tigers came very close to winning the league, only to have their hearts broken at home on the final day of the season as Penn ended a 12-game winning streak for the Tigers and stole the Ivy League title. The following season, the Tigers clawed their way through an upand-down season to earn a spot in the Ivy League Tournament, then upset Harvard and advanced to the championship game, where they were once again bested by Penn.

But last season, there was

little question as to who the best team in the league was.

Princeton stormed its way through the conference, losing only to Harvard and Yale.

In the Ivy League tournament, a win over Yale set up the third Princeton versus Penn game with a championship on the line yet again.

This time, the outcome favored the Tigers, and for the Class of 2019, the effort to defend their first Ivy League Title was on.

For the ninth straight season, the Tigers were ranked in the top two of the Ivy League preseason poll; this time, they received 14 of the 17 first place votes, with Penn placing second.

We may well be headed for the fourth Princeton versus Penn game.

For the first time in the Class of 2019’s career, the Tigers’ roster poses some big questions. Obviously, the losses for the Tigers are enormous. First came the inevitable departure of last year’s senior class, highlighted by Leslie Robinson ’18, who now plays professionally in Europe. Then the Tigers were hit with two crushing blows to their roster, losing standout sophomore Abby Meyers for the year while junior phenomenon Bella Alarie, one of the projected favorites to win the Katrina Mc-

Clain award for the NCAA’s best power forward, broke her arm a few weeks ago in practice. The star will not be rushed back into play, according to a statement release by head coach Courtney Banghart a few days ago. With the loss of their core leader, a versatile deep threat and a lockdown power forward, the Tigers clearly have some holes to fill.

Instead of seeing this situation as an excuse to fall behind, the team believes that this is an opportunity to get even further ahead. During the annual Princeton basketball media day, Banghart likened her team to “climbers,” noting “there’s no woeis-me attitude — there’s not even any rah-rah about next man up, really. These guys are just individually climbing their own journeys and coming together for the senior leadership.” With the team’s theme being “rise as one,” the Tigers are optimistic about the valuable experience younger players will have during the earlier parts of the season.

Understandably, this season will be about younger players stepping up. This goes not just for first-years beginning their careers as Tigers, but also underclassmen who will become leaders and mentors for these

young faces. One key player in this role will be sophomore Carlie Littlefield.

Known for her clutch perimeter shots last season, she will also be called upon as a leader for the team this year.

Littlefield acknowledged, “I think my biggest role this year is to use my voice on and off the court.”

Last season, the Tigers certainly confirmed the notion that “defense wins championships.”

Princeton led the Ivy League last season in defense, holding opponents to just over 55 points a game and a shooting clip of just 36.8 percent. The lockdown defense and second-chance opportunities allowed the Tigers to keep the game in their control, even when the offense wasn’t clicking. This season, that same defensive mindset will be led by senior Sydney Jordan. Relentless on defense and down low, Alarie called Jordan “the toughest player to be guarded by” on the Tigers and jokingly noted, “I wish it was anyone else guarding me during practice.” Jordan explained how the defensive work the team puts in helps build team chemistry: “We work hard, we run, we support each other, and it just makes the team fun to play with.”

The team will get things going with a non-conference slate featuring many other teams from the Northeast, including Seton Hall and Penn State. They already have one non-conference win, an impressive 89–65 win over Rider, but the biggest test will come over Thanksgiving break, when the Tigers will travel to Cancún, Mexico to take on two ranked opponents in DePaul and Syracuse and one more Power 5 opponent in Kansas State.

The Tigers will be looking forward to that event to see how they stack up against other NCAA Tournament hopefuls. Following that, the Tigers will spend December playing non-conference games mostly away from the friendly confines of Jadwin Gymnasium. The Ivy season starts with a bang on Jan. 5, when the Tigers host Penn in a matchup that will set the tone for the Ivy League’s race to the top.

Despite the roster uncertainties and its youth, the team is confident in its skill set and ready to work towards establishing its own identity. The Tigers are not shying away from defending their first title in three years. “We’re exactly where we should be,” said Coach Banghart. “Probably ahead of where we should be.”

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The Tigers return to the court as the team to beat after a dominating performance in last year’s championship game.

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Email: join@dailyprincetonian.com The Daily Princetonian is published daily except Saturday and Sunday from September through May and three times a week during January and May by The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., 48 University Place, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Mailing address: P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542. Subscription rates: Mailed in the United States $175.00 per year, $90.00 per semester. Office hours: Sunday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephones: Business: 609-375-8553; News and Editorial: 609-258-3632. For tips, email news@dailyprincetonian.com. Reproduction of any material in this newspaper without expressed permission of The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc., is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2014, The Daily Princetonian Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Princetonian, P.O. Box 469, Princeton, N.J. 08542.

Sports

Friday November 9, 2018

page 8

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } MEN’S BASKETBALL

In a three-team race for Ivy supremacy, men’s basketball looks to silence critics

By Chris Murphy

Head Sports Editor

The NCAA’s most equally matched league is set for another tightly contested year as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and even Penn get set to compete for the top spot in the Ivy League.

The Crimson made big splashes in the offseason through recruiting. This puts pressure on the Tigers, who are now feeling the gaze of the league’s supporters. The stakes are high: last season, when faced with the prospect of back-to-back Ivy titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Tigers never seemed to be able to get out of their own way, and failed to make the Ivy League tournament.

This season, things are bound to be different. The Tigers learned from their mistakes from last year.

The key to this year’s success is defense. During

the Princeton basketball media day conferences, head coach Mitch Henderson noted, “If we’re going to be really good in this league, or really anywhere in the country, you have to play a hard-nosed defense ... We lost some really heartbreaking games, but when you look at the games towards the end and even the overtime games where we struggled, I think it’s our defense.” The first step in defense, Henderson argued, was rebounding. “I think rebounding is about having the tenacity to go up there in college,” Henderson said. “Going up there with two hands, having the discipline to box a guy out.”

This season, Princeton welcomes a stellar recruiting class of athletes who have the ability to shine for the Tigers from day one.

Max Johns, Drew Friberg, Ethan Wright, and Colby Kyle are all expected to

provide crucial contributing support to the upperclassmen. Then, of course, there’s the centerpiece of the Class of 2022: Jaelin Llewellyn. The first-year has already impressed those inside the organization and is ready to take his talents to the live stage.

Praising Llewellyn, Henderson said, “He has so much knowledge of space for a college game, and he’s so fast that he will be able to get himself into little positions that will help everyone by changing the defense. He certainly doesn’t play like a freshman.”

Then there are the captains of the team, who have been essential players since they were first-years.

Senior Myles Stephens, last year’s Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, and Devin Cannady, one of the most prolific scorers for the Tigers since his arrival, know that they have the chance to build a young

team into a worthy contender. Cannady has continued to perfect his art and has taken the time to study and learn from some of the best shooters in the world.

“It’s amazing watching Klay and Steph shoot the ball,” Cannady noted. “I’m big not just on watching their shots but on how they get themselves open. Being a shooter, that’s something that you love seeing happen in real time.”

Stevens is optimistic about the team’s composition. “Even though we have a lot of young guys, I think we all have a lot of talent and we all bring something to the table,” he said.

Just like last season, the Tigers pushed themselves with a tough non-conference schedule to try and prepare them for the parity of the Ivy League. Highlighting the non-conference slate is a three-game stretch where they will travel to Madison Square

Garden to take on St. John’s University, a game in Atlantic City against Iona, and a showdown in Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke, arguably the best team in the country. The Tigers will open their Ivy League season with their only two regular season games against Penn. The most notable game on the schedule comes Feb. 15, when the Tigers will host Harvard in a showdown between the Ivy League’s best.

In one of the closest Ivy League races in recent memory, Princeton looks to ensure they have a fighting chance at the title. They know they have the talent to do it — now they have to put it all together.

“It comes with that focus and that mindset that we are a good basketball team,” Stephens said. “The better we are as individuals, the better that we can do as a team on the court.”

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Princeton will once again be one of the key competitors for the Ivy League title this year.

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“A 69-28 record overall … 43 wins in their last 51 @ IvyLeague matches … and the Class of 2019 isn’t finished yet. We’ll honor an incredible group during our final regular season weekend at Dillon, starting Friday at 7 (ESPN+)!”

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A win against Yale this weekend will give football a 9-0 record for the first time since 1964.