November 14, 2017

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Tuesday November 14, 2017 vol. CXLI no. 101

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Eisgruber rejects free housing proposal for Puerto Rican students

By Ariel Chen staff writer

University President Christopher Eisgruber ‘83 rejected a proposal to provide a semester of housing and education for students currently attending college in Puerto Rico whose educational plans have been affected by Hurricane Maria.

In a Council on the Princeton University Community (CPUC) meeting today, CPUC member Diego Negron-Reichard ’18 asked if the University is considering taking students in from Puerto Rico given the fact that, in the past, Princeton has hosted students otherwise displaced by crises such as Hurricane Katrina.

“In 2005, 24 Tulane undergraduate students were sent to Henry Hall and were here for a semester, and they said the support from Princeton was unbelievable, that the University made special outreach to [the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students] for them, and special funds were made available so they could have the Princeton experience,” Undergraduate Student Government Academics Chair Patrick Flanigan ’18 explained.

Eisgruber explained that the arrangement in 2005 was possible because of excess capacity and coincidental timing with regards to the academic calendar and that “those were rare circumstances, [namely] that we had housing then and we don’t exactly have

it now.”

Eisgruber declined to comment on the University’s capacity to host in the spring, The University was unable to provide confirmation of housing capacity, and Negron-Reichard says that he doesn’t expect the written confirmation he asked the administration for. “The administration has not been able to answer the question of capacity; it was quite surprising that was the central argument used. Moving forward, we want confirmation that that’s actually the issue, as their blanket statement doesn’t hold, ” he said.

Even as the University declined to offer students a semester here, other colleges are offering assistance to Puerto Rican students.

Tulane University, whose students were housed by the University in 2005, announced in October that “it would offer one free semester for Puerto Rican students as a way of ‘paying it forward,’ after Tulane’s students were taken in at other schools after Hurricane Katrina.”

In addition, schools such as Cornell University, Brown University, and New York University will each host more than 50 students, tuition-free.

Negron-Reichard commented that “Our hesitancy to offer this hosting is another item on the long list of scenarios in which Puerto Ricans are treated as second class citizens. The uniSee PUERTO RICO page 3

U . A F FA I R S

U. professor Stephen Kotkin’s new book aims to paint a full picture of Joseph Stalin

By Kavin McElwee staff writer

“Tell me a subject that’s bigger than Stalin,” Stephen Kotkin asked in his office on Thursday. “30 years in power. Military industrial complex. Victory over Hitler in World War II. The Cold War. Gold standard for dictatorship. A biography of Stalin is almost like a history of the world.”

Kotkin, the John P. Birkelund ‘52 Professor in History and International Affairs, celebrated the hundredth anniversary of Russia’s October Revolution of 1917 with the release of his newest book, Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 19291941, the second volume in a three-part biography of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The period covered, 1929 to 1941, discusses Stalin’s brutal methods for consolidating Russia into a fully communist state. As the title implies, the book ends with Stalin’s entry into World War II. History professor Joseph Fronczak seemed to be especially struck by the unique

In Opinion

ambition of the project and the amount of context Kotkin offers. “Most historians have one scope and they stick to it,” said Fronczak.

“What’s special about the book is that it’s a biography, but also world history. It’s very rare.”

Similar to Russia’s’s government today, the Soviet regime was opaque about its leaders. The fall of the USSR in the 1990s and a spark of transparency in the early 2000s, however, have since allowed Stalin’s personal archives to be studied. Kotkin is one of the first English-speaking academics to look extensively into this material.

“You have a cornucopia of new information that needs to be assimilated and integrated into a coherent story,” continued Kotkin, “The problem is to do all that work.”

This “cornucopia” has warranted a biographyturned-epic. The second volume, similar to the first, runs nearly 1,000 pages.

Despite all this documentation, however, the Soviet See KOTKIN page 2

Contributing columnist Kaveh Badrei reflects on the recent gubernatorial election results and contributing columnist Aisha Tahir reflects on the Harvey Weinstein scandal. PAGE 4

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

COURTESY OF AISHWARYA KALYANARAMAN

Brian Zack ’72 teaches non-native English speakers informal classes on campus.

Brian Zack ’72 offers informal English classes on campus “I try to make it as easy as possible: there’s no registration, I don’t take names, there’s no charge, so people just come when they want to and leave when they want to,” explained Brian Zack ‘72, who teaches an informal English class for non-native English speakers at various locations throughout campus.

The classes are co-sponsored by Friends of the Davis International Center, a group of volunteers who support the International Center to enhance intercultural understanding. The classes are designed to be ac-

cessible to all.

Zack, who is also a tutor in the Group English Conversation Program, another effort of the same group of volunteers, felt that University classes open to community audit were somewhat restrictive.

“I just wanted to make it open because one of my favorite activities is auditing classes at the University, and I know that they have restricted the number of people allowed from the community because there is just not enough space,” said Zack. “But I wanted to make mine as open as possible to people, both in the University and in the surrounding community.”

ON CAMPUS

ON CAMPUS

By Aishwarya Kalyanaraman staff writer

U. panel discusses nuclear weapons

By Benjamin Ball staff writer

A panel of three experts discussed the necessity of eliminating nuclear arsenals across the world Monday afternoon at the Woodrow Wilson School.

“Merely shrinking these [nuclear] arsenals down from the current level of 15,000 in the world isn’t going to protect us from potential disaster,” said Bruce Blair. “The only reliable answer to this problem is to eliminate all nuclear weapons.” Blair is a former U.S. nuclear missile launch control officer and winner of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship for his work on nuclear arms control.

The other two panelists were Sharon Weiner, an associate professor at American University, who held White House responsibility for nuclear weapon budgets during the Obama Administration, and Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gómez, who led the negotiations of the United Nations Treaty on See NUCLEAR page 3

The class focuses on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, idioms, and reading.

During the school year, there are an average of 55 students each session. “I don’t keep track [of the students],” noted Zack. “Many of them have become friends...some just come in and out.”

Zack noted that his students are from diverse backgrounds.

“We actually get relatively few people who are themselves grad students, but we do get a fair number of grad spouses, a few postdocs, occasionally junior faculty, as well as people from the community,” said Zack. “We also get a lot of au pairs, actually, See ZACK page 3

Committee considers names for two campus structures

By Hannah Wang staff writer

At the behest of the University’s Board of Trustees, the Committee on Naming, a special branch of the Council of the Princeton University Community, is soliciting suggestions for the names of two notable structures on campus, the easternmost arch of East Pyne and a public garden visible from Nassau Street that is currently under construction.

The easternmost arch of Pyne Hall opens out onto Firestone Plaza and the Princeton University Chapel. The committee’s website notes that “it is the first arch students pass through when they leave the Chapel after Opening Exercises and the first they pass through when they leave after Baccalaureate.”

The second structure, the public garden, which is currently under construction, will function as a green roof that covers an underground portion of Firestone Library. According to the committee website, it “will exemplify the University’s commitment to sustainability.”

The committee’s website also contains a form through which members

Today on Campus 5 p.m.: “Hell on Earth: the Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS,” a film chronicling Syria’s descent into the chaos that allowed the rise of ISIS, will be screened with a discussion with Director Nick Quested following the film. McCosh Hall, Room 28.

of the University community may submit proposed names for each of these spaces.

Referring to the naming of the two spaces, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 explained that “while both of these spaces are outdoors, they are different in character – one is entirely open and newly created, whereas the other is defined and partially enclosed by one of Princeton’s oldest and most prominent collegiate gothic buildings.”

Eisgruber added that “both are in areas heavily trafficked by members of the campus community, by alumni when they are on campus, and by townspeople and other outside visitors.”

Most buildings and spaces at the University are named after donors or their friends, families, or graduating classes. The committee was formed in September of 2016 to advise the Board of Trustees in “naming buildings or other spaces not already named for historical figures or donors,” with the goal of recognizing “individuals who would bring a more diverse presence to the campus.”

Last spring, the commitSee NAMING page 2

WEATHER

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Tuesday November 14, 2017

Kotkin on newly published book: I’m still learning. Thank God. KOTKIN

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COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA.COM

Stephen Kotkin, U. professor in the Department of History, has recently published the second volume of a book on Joseph Stalin.

regime was not known for its honesty. When asked about how he verified sources, Kotkin explained explained how Soviet dishonesty was actually integral to his work.

“Yeah, they lied. All the time. This is a mendacious regime,” he said. “But if you look at the secret documents, you can decode and get to the bottom of their behavior. The information that they shoved out into the public realm is very close to how their minds worked, and how policy was formulated.”

Before asking a reader to jump into a 1,000-page marathon, Kotkin explains that there are no precise lessons that should be gained from the book. He did explain, however, that Stalin is inf luential in Russian politics and culture today.

When asked whether his biography coincided with the Russian narrative of Stalin, Kotkin explained that there is not one “Russian narrative of Stalin.”

“There’s the regime Stalin and the popular understanding of Stalin,” he said.

“They don’t fully coincide.”

For political convenience, Kotkin said, the regime of current Russian president Vladimir Putin has whitewashed Stalin. Stalin was not an anti-capitalist, or even Communist. Stalin was the leader that made Russia an international power.

“He’s not a man who engages in gratuitous mayhem, murdering everyone in sight,” said Kotkin, “[The Putin regime] instead paints him as the great leader, the statesman, the great arbiter of world affairs, the victor of World War II, the man who presided over the

spoils of the war with Roosevelt and Churchill.”

Kotkin describes Russia’s popular understanding of Stalin as ambivalent. Russians have accepted that Stalin might have killed and imprisoned many of his own people, but his victories have outweighed his disturbing record.

“People think ‘He killed my grandfather’ or ‘He imprisoned my grandmother,’” said Kotkin. “You could go on. Many, many people alive today — their families were affected by Stalin’s terror, deportations, famines.”

Unlike the clean, patriotic version of Stalin presented by the Russian government, society’s version accepts his acts as a necessary evil. According to a Russian poll conducted last June, Russians consider Stalin “the most outstanding” figure in world history. The Russian literary figure Alexander Pushkin is tied for second with Vladimir Putin.

Kotkin’s extensive biography may be one important key to understanding modern Russia. The debut of the new book has brought praise from colleagues and students alike.

“His expertise on Stalin is unmatched,” said Connor Pfeiffer ‘18, a student of Kotkin and a student in the Program in History and the Practice of Diplomacy, which Kotkin co-directs. “I look forward to reading this new volume.”

Pfeiffer is a member of the ‘Prince’ editorial board.

Kotkin similarly seems to be proud of the work he’s accomplished. When asked what has motivated him through this three volume epic, he said, “I love research. I love writing. I love teaching. I love archives and libraries. I have to be learning. I’m in my 29th year here at Princeton, and I’m still learning. Thank God.”

U. community members can offer ideas for names NAMING Continued from page 1

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tee recommended changing the name of West College to Morrison Hall in honor of Nobel Laureate and Professor Emerita Toni Morrison and naming the main auditorium in Robertson Hall after Nobel Laureate and former professor Sir Arthur

Lewis.

The committee, chaired by professor Angela Creager of the Department of History, is comprised of four University faculty members, as well as two undergraduate students, one graduate student, and two members of the administrative staff.

None of the committee members could be reached for comment at the time of publication.

T H E DA I LY

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USG members seek to help hurricane-afflicted Puerto Rican students PUERTO RICO Continued from page 1

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versity set this precedent in 2005; it’s a lot easier to ignore the precedent when the people you’re helping are marginalized people. The extent of damage in Puerto Rico resembles Katrina the closest, if not beyond, so the University should uphold precedent.”

Along the same lines, Flanigan said, “Princeton has the opportunity to say that

Puerto Ricans aren’t second class citizens and send the message that Puerto Ricans are just as important as those affected by tragedies in the 50 states.”

Negron-Reichard further pointed out that it was ironic that the University was ignoring the motto it recently modified by appending “and in the service of humanity” because “it is not just that we’re overlooking what it says, but who actually tweaked it – [Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court So-

nia Sotomayor ‘76], a proud Puerto Rican herself.”

The USG Senate is expected to consider a resolution to encourage the University to provide a semester of education and housing to Puerto Rican students affected by the recent hurricanes during its next meeting on Nov. 19.

“This vote will be more symbolic, but it will show, as Princeton students, what we did, and if we did the right thing. This [refusal] is a stain on the current administration,” Negron-Reichard said.

“It’s important, even if the president of the University takes a position that students disagree with, or is inherently wrong, that students express their opinion on a topic they take great issue with.

I don’t think Eisgruber is necessarily wrong, but hopefully USG can offer the administration some options,” Flanigan further explained.

Flanigan also offered an example of another potential measure the University could take to assist college students in Puerto Rico. He stated that in 2005, “Princeton raised

funds for Dillard University in Louisiana and offered 20 computers and hundreds of suites of furniture. This aid measure is not predicated on how much space we have.”

Flanigan remained optimistic about the possibility of the University taking action. “The resolution on Sunday is big step but also not the last step, so if we pass the resolution and nothing happens, don’t expect us to sit quietly. There are lots of steps at our disposal, to help those affected by this disaster.”

English classes bring together people from around the world ZACK

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because a lot of them are not fluent,” referring to foreign individuals who help out with childcare and housework in exchange for room and board.

This diversity also extends to age, as, according to Zack, both old and young attend his classes.

“The au pairs are often high school or college age, and then people affiliated with the University can be anywhere from their twen-

ties to their sixties and seventies,” said Zack. “Occasionally we get people who come here to retire and they hear about my classes, so it’s a very wide range.”

While he never intended to become an English teacher, Zack decided to try out teaching one of these sessions after seeing an ad from the Friends of the Davis International Center.

“I’ve always liked volunteering, and I wanted to do something,” said Zack, adding that he was co-director of the Student Volunteers Council during his time as an undergraduate. “From the

time I started medical school until the time I retired, I was mostly focused on work and family, except towards the end I started doing more volunteer work, and realized how much I liked it,” he said.

Zack said that meeting people from around the world has been one of his favorite aspects of teaching the English classes. He has had students who come from all over Europe, as well as China, Japan, and even Mongolia.

“I love the interaction, and I feel good about providing something that I hope will be helpful to them,” said Zack.

“Frankly, sometimes, I also

think it’s nice for them to get to know an American in a positive way, [what] with everything else going on in our country and our politics right now.”

He recalled a memorable teaching experience with a postdoc in architecture. “I asked the guy what he did, and he said he was the architect for the Beijing Olympics,” said Zack.

Another student he taught mentioned that he had gotten the highest score in the Chinese math exam. “I said, ‘Oh the highest score in the University?’ and he said, ‘No, the highest score in China,’”

said Zack.

Zack also spoke about how people in the community hear about his class. “It started with me just posting stuff on a bulletin board, but at this point, I think it’s about word of mouth more than anything else,” he explained.

“If people are looking for English classes, they’ll naturally look on the International Center’s website and they’ll see all the classes,” Zack said.

Brian’s informal English classes meet most Fridays on the University’s campus, beginning at 9:15 a.m. and ending at noon.

Gomez: Human progress is result of the challenging of ideas NUCLEAR Continued from page 1

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the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017.

Blair specifically focused on the myriad of risks and errors possible in the possession of nuclear weapons, citing a number of close calls by the United States.

He also noted that a decision by the U.S. to take nuclear action does not need the Secretary of Defense’s consent.

“There is no one in the chain of command that has

the authority to stop the president [from launching a nuclear weapon],” Blair explained. “Under the current protocol, the president has the unilateral power to order a first strike without apparent cause. The president has carte blanche; he is, as we sometimes like to say, the nuclear monarch.”

To add to the risks highlighted by Blair, Weiner focused on the economic impact of nuclear war. Specifically, Weiner discussed the severe economic drain a modernization of nuclear weapons could potentially cause.

“The bad news is that a child born today will be at retirement by the time the current modernization program is beginning to wind down,” Weiner said. “That [modernization] program is estimated right now to cost 1.2 trillion dollars over the next thirty years.”

Weiner noted that 1.2 trillion dollars was a low estimate of the cost, as the program would still continue after thirty years. As such, cost estimates fail to take into account new missile silos and the infrastructure which must be built around new, modernized weapons.

“We’re only at the beginning for all of the programs,” said Weiner. “So before we get further into this process, the time is now to cancel these things.”

Echoing Weiner, Gómez explained that in order for progress to happen in winding down nuclear programs, it is essential to change the norms and assumptions both leaders and citizens hold regarding nuclear weapons. According to Gómez, citizens of the world need to think of nuclear weapons less as a source of security to their individual nation or states but more as

a unilateral, global risk -- a risk not worth taking.

“I truly believe that human progress is the result of the constant challenging of ideas and beliefs through scientific observation and problem solving,” said Gómez. “We have to exert our agency and our responsibility to ourselves and our children and future generations and do something about it.”

The talk, entitled “A Perpetual Menace: Nuclear Weapons Today, Tomorrow, Forever?” was held in Robertson Hall Bowl 016 on Monday, Nov. 13 at 4:30 p.m.

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Opinion

Tuesday November 14, 2017

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The symbols of our politics Kaveh Badrei

contributing columnist

M

ore and more, the political environment of the United States has become concerned with symbols. In this environment, great questions of morality, justice, progress, and even philosophy are infused into national dialogue through symbology. Symbols appear on both sides of the political spectrum, emanating not only from the leaders in our democracy, but also the voices of the people. The symbols are not pictures or logos, nor insignias or crests; these symbols are the actions, the decisions, the conduct, and the ultimate successes and failures of our political system entirely. We are influenced by the symbols that vividly come to us through the actions and representations of our political system. Both for the good and the bad, we pay much attention to and place great importance on the symbolic nature of our leaders. But the true symbolic power actually lies with us – the people.

On November 7, the first major elections since the 2016 presidential election were held in states and cities across the country. In this lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections, the races that garnered the most national attention were the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.

In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam defeated Republican candidate Ed Gillespie in an unexpectedly sweeping outcome, keeping Virginia under Democratic leadership with the outgoing administration of Governor

Terry McAuliffe. In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy delivered a decisive victory over Republican Kim Guadagno, bringing new Democratic leadership to the state after eight years under Republican Governor Chris Christie.

While Murphy was projected in polling to carry a significant win over Guadagno, Northam’s extensive victory over Gillespie surprised pundits and pollsters alike, with the Democrat winning 54% of the vote against Gillespie’s 45%. These wins — while only two individual races for the seat of governor in two individual states — demonstrate a tremendous and progressive symbol on the part of the people who participated, got involved, and voted.

In the 16th Legislative District of New Jersey’s General Assembly, Democrats Andrew Zwicker and Roy Freiman defeated Republican candidates Donna Simon and Mark Caliguire in one of the most contested and competitive races within the state. The 16th district — the district in which Princeton is located — has been held by Republicans for 42 years, and as a result of this election, the two seats will both be controlled by Democrats for the first time in those 42 years. This decisive win for Democrats, however small and local, in Princeton’s legislative district in the state assembly demonstrates yet again a symbol on the part of the people of New Jersey, of the people of Princeton, and other towns in the district. It represents a stand against the Republican politicians who have not upheld the responsibilities or the significance of their positions to the great-

est effect, and a defiant message from the people of New Jersey’s 16th district against the inefficiency and inaction of the status quo at the local and state level in the midst of national politics.

In the new age of Trump, it seems as though our country’s political environment has been overrun by symbols of animosity, disregard, division, bigotry, and incivility.

While these symbols, both on the part of the political leadership and citizenry of the country, are not entirely President Trump’s responsibility, it is fair to say that the actions and conduct of our president have made such bitter symbols more common, more visible, and more acceptable as societal norms. The events in Charlottesville, Va. this past August stand out to me as the most drastic, most disturbing, and most shockingly real reminder of the symbols of pure hate that still remain in our political and cultural climate. While the actions of the White supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, and neoNazis in attendance demonstrated, on their own, such markers of antipathy, it was the reluctance and inaction of the president to properly and rightfully reprimand these groups that furthered the pain of such an abhorrent symbol. This is the most disturbing symbol of the climate that has somewhat dominated our discourse and politics recently.

But the elections on Nov. 7 in New Jersey and Virginia broke this trend. The outcomes dealt a meaningful blow to this climate and environment of hate and nega-

tivity. The citizen response and voter turnout in these elections — especially in Virginia, the same state so shook and so overtaken by unparalleled images of hatred just months before — conveyed a symbol of hope, a symbol of progress, and a symbol of defiance in the age of Trump.

The voice of the people extensively and ultimately boomed against the alienating rhetoric of our president, against the gross incivility of our leader, and against the outspoken and cacophonous demonstrations of hostility in our political system.

Even Governor-elect Northam, in his victory speech on election night, recognized the symbolic nature of his overwhelming win.

“Today, Virginians have answered and spoken,” he said, “Virginians have told us to end the divisiveness, that we will not condone hatred and bigotry, and to end the politics that have torn this country apart.” His win and the win of Murphy in New Jersey are strong and forceful messages sent to the current White House from the voices of the people themselves.

The citizens sent a message clearly and forcefully, and they were heard. The symbols that we convey are the most essential in the functioning of our democracy. Our voices, our symbols, can be heard without fail through the deliberate and powerful actions we take upon ourselves to the structures of power and institution above us.

Kaveh Badrei is a sophomore from Houston, Tex. He can be reached at kbadrei@princeton. edu.

What does Harvey Weinstein have to teach us?

W

e’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks.

We’ve seen and heard an outpouring of haunting stories about sexual harassment and assault. Since the revelation that Harvey Weinstein had established a pattern of abuse over decades, women from every walk of life are bravely saying yes, #MeToo. These stories have been whispered and hushed up for years. Data showing shameful rates of sexual harassment and assault have been staring us in the face, and we’ve looked away until now. So it’s better to say we’ve been reminded of some tough truths. Do we now have the courage to confront and address them?

First, we were reminded that some men use their power and privilege to make unwelcome advances on women or to demand sexual favors. Weinstein threatened the careers of young actresses if they refused his advances or went public. And we know it wasn’t just Weinstein. We’ve heard about Louis C.K., Mark Halperin, Roy Moore, and many others who have preyed on women with less power.

And it happens right here at Princeton, too. Just last week, the Huffington Post reported that Princeton’s Title IX office has found Prof. Sergio Verdu responsible for sexually harassing

one of his graduate students.

Second, we were reminded how terribly common sexual harassment and assault are. It’s no surprise that the #MeToo campaign went viral: a recent ABC News–Washington Post poll found that 30% of American women have experienced “unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances” in the workplace. Many do not report their harassment or assault because they fear that they won’t be believed or fear that they might face overt retaliation: 25% of all women surveyed said that their harasser was a male colleague who had power to advance or derail their careers.

Weinstein’s long history of harassment and assault was an “open secret” in Hollywood. People knew something was deeply wrong, yet did nothing. It’s a case study in the long, slow failure of bystander intervention. That’s the third tough truth: in a situation where women feared speaking out, men in particular found it easy to keep quiet and look away while Weinstein kept on. Quentin Tarantino has admitted he knew about Weinstein from firsthand accounts: he’s ashamed he did nothing, and has called on other men of power and inf luence to “do better by our sisters.”

What would it mean for men to “do better by our sis-

ters” here at Princeton? Too often, the work for justice and equality is classified as a “women’s issue” — a problem for women to solve. That allows men to look away just like Tarantino did, hoping that someone else will speak up. But sexual harassment and assault are men’s issues, too. Men can be victims; moreover, the overwhelming majority of perpetrators of sexual harassment and assault are men. These perpetrators are taking their cues from other men around them, who are standing back and implicitly condoning their behavior.

If sexual harassment and assault are men’s issues, what can men do to stop it?

First, men can stand in solidarity with victims and survivors. We can stand up against a culture that protects male perpetrators by ignoring women who speak up—and worse, by attacking them. Women are often blamed for their abuse (i.e. “she was asking for it”), and women who tell a painful truth are simply called liars (which, for the record, is the official White House position on the 16 women who have alleged that our president sexually harassed or assaulted them: they are all just lying). Let your friends know that people who report harassment or assault are bravely risking humiliation and retaliation — someone risking so much

should be taken seriously.

Second, men need to talk about the more subtle inequalities of power and privilege on the Street and across Princeton’s campus, where 10% of Princeton students experienced “nonconsensual sexual contact” (aka sexual assault) just last year. Harvey Weinstein carefully chose targets he could exploit and used his power to get away with terrible things. Here at Princeton, where are men pushing the boundaries of what’s right? Where are women pressured to keep quiet?

Third, as men, we can use our own power and privilege to effect positive change. Ask yourself where you have power and inf luence: are you a leader in a club, on a team, in an organization? Where and with whom does your voice carry weight? How are you going to use your voice and your actions to build communities where we stand up for one another?

More and more men are recognizing that their lives and relationships are diminished by sexism in all its forms. More and more men see that the “bro code” of standing by while another man receives gratification by any means should be a source of shame to all of us. It is our responsibility to take action when we know other men are abusing their power for sex. It’s

vol. cxli

Sarah Sakha ’18

editor-in-chief

Matthew McKinlay ’18 business manager

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Thomas E. Weber ’89 vice president Craig Bloom ’88 secretary Betsy L. Minkin ’77 treasurer Douglas J. Widmann ’90 Kathleen Crown William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Kathleen Kiely ’77 Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Alexia Quadrani Marcelo Rochabrun ’15 Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 Lisa Belkin ‘82 Francesca Barber trustees emeriti Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Jerry Raymond ’73 Michael E. Seger ’71 Annalyn Swan ’73

141ST MANAGING BOARD managing editors Samuel Garfinkle ’19 Grace Rehaut ’18 Christina Vosbikian ’18 head news editor Marcia Brown ’19 associate news editors Kristin Qian ’18 head opinion editor Nicholas Wu ’18 associate opinion editors Samuel Parsons ’19 Emily Erdos ’19 head sports editor David Xin ’19 associate sports editors Christopher Murphy ’20 Claire Coughlin ’19 head street editor Jianing Zhao ’20 associate street editors Lyric Perot ’20 Danielle Hoffman ’20 web editor Sarah Bowen ’20 head copy editors Isabel Hsu ’19 Omkar Shende ’18 associate copy editors Caroline Lippman ’19 Megan Laubach ’18 head design editors Samantha Goerger ’20 Quinn Donohue ’20 cartoons editor Tashi Treadway ’19

NIGHT STAFF copy Hannah Freid ’21 Rachel Brill ’19 Lydia Choi ’21 Rachel Hazan ’21 design Diana Tang ‘21

not because we’re heroes or because women need our protection. It’s because we strive to be men of compassion, solidarity, and integrity, and these values are not just to be spoken, but lived.

Princeton MAVRIC Project (Men’s Allied Voices for a Respectful and Inclusive Community) Steering Committee Carl Adair GS Chris Shin ‘18 Corry Short ‘19

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Why does McCosh (the lecture hall) suck Ryan Born

I

columnist

n an age of expansive building renovations, from the new Lewis Arts Center to the restoration of the University Chapel’s roof, one building stands out for its sheer obstinate age, lack of comfort, and indelible presence in the academic careers of most undergraduates. I am referring, of course, to McCosh Hall. My simple question is: why does McCosh suck?

Princeton’s billions of dollars of endowment resources and furious construction efforts have left one of the most important academic buildings on campus untouched. I could

not find evidence that McCosh has been substantially renovated in its 110 years of existence. Nor are there plans listed for McCosh to be renovated in the University’s recent renovation documents.

The importance of McCosh is not to be understated. Almost every department and the largest classes on campus meet in McCosh for lectures or precepts (just check the course offerings put out by the Registrar).

I am sure that the number of students who have never been in a McCosh lecture or room in their entire careers is far smaller than the number of students who have never been in a building such as East Pyne or Fine.

And in what state is this

bastion of learning on Princeton’s campus? Most will know that McCosh is undeniably uncomfortable and glaringly old. The seating was designed in a time long before ergonomics.

The desks are too small to even lay a piece of paper down. Moreover, the writing space is on only one side of the desk, so you’re lost if you’re right handed and a professor decides that they must lecture on the left side of the room, or vice versa. Or worse, you can’t get a seat where your writing side corresponds to the writing area. The chairs are absolutely garbage and uncomfortable.

I have already elaborated at great length on why lectures are terrible for teach-

ing and difficult to concentrate on. Princeton doesn’t exactly make it easy on you, with chairs designed to accommodate unfeeling blocks of concrete. I can’t imagine how taller and larger students sit in these desks designed for people back in the 1800s. Of course, I am excluding the updated McCosh 10, with its brand new chairs, from my critique.

Heating and cooling in McCosh is generally nonexistent. If you’re lucky, your room has a window with one of those little AC units in it that look like they came out of the 1960s. You know them. They’re white, covered in grime, and never on? Yeah, those. I mean, God help you if you turn them

on anyway, because those boys make some noise. This semester has been pretty mild, but I remember some pretty stuffy precepts in the warmer months.

I understand that renovating a building like McCosh costs money. I understand chairs and desks aren’t cheap when you need to buy two thousand of them. Heating and cooling McCosh is expensive.

But why is Princeton busy building buildings everywhere else instead of taking care of one of the most important buildings it already has?

Ryan Born is a junior in Philosophy from Washington, Mich. He can be reached at rcborn@princeton.edu.

Tea Culture Annie Zou ’20

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

Problems of the Ivy League Lourdes Santiago

contributing columnist

I

remember when I was accepted to Princeton.

It was a Friday, the infamous Ivy Day, to be exact, when all Ivy League schools send out their decisions, leaving thousands of high school seniors feeling extremely ecstatic or extremely inadequate. After other college rejections, I opened each Ivy League letter with low expectations.

Yale: rejected. Columbia: rejected. Cornell: rejected.

Princeton: congratulations!

In that moment, the world stood still. My hands were shaking, and I could feel the tears welling in the back of my eyes. I didn’t really know what had just happened, but from what I knew about the reputation of “Ivy League” schools, I knew it was some-

thing good, or so I thought.

Princeton is a wonderful institution, filled with great opportunity and an even greater support system among the faculty and staff. There is no denying the fact that simply attending this school has the potential to open many doors that you might not even have thought existed in the past. However, the “small fish in a big pond” phenomenon is a glaring and inevitable downside to an Ivy League education. This, along with the tendency towards elitism in terms of levels of education, are aspects of the Ivy League that can have extremely harmful effects on the mental health and academic potential of students.

The “small fish in a big pond” phenomenon happens when students, in-

credibly smart and talented scholars, get accepted into these daunting institutions and begin comparing themselves to their equally smart and talented peers. They feel inadequate and discouraged, even though there really isn’t anything wrong with them.

The expectations we face as students is enough to make anyone feel like they’re not good enough. Alumni have left the Orange Bubble and have gone to become leaders, not only in their field, but leaders in the world. As a new student, or even as an upperclassman, looking at such a seemingly never ending list of achievements is more than terrifying.

With this in mind, it is more than encouraging to see steps being taken to change this insidious culture altogether. There are a handful of programs like

the Princeton Perspective Project and The Other Side of Me Campaign that recognize impostor syndrome and feeling like one doesn’t belong at such a demanding and intimidating school. If you have ever felt this way, both of these initiatives tell stories of the people around you that you might have never known and increase the sense of community on campus. Personally, I didn’t know these programs existed until recently, which is why an increase in attention towards these programs and those like them is critical for an undergraduate’s first few months at Princeton.

In terms of educational elitism, I found myself wrapped up learning about a culture obsessed with the concepts of exclusivity and hierarchy. Too many times, people have looked to oth-

er colleges outside of these elite private institutions and have discredited their levels of education. People see state schools and community colleges as inferior, when in reality, any form of higher education opportunity is what you make of it.

In choosing to come to Princeton, both you and I have chosen to challenge ourselves. We have all chosen to become a part of a culture that is notorious for all the good and all the bad of the Ivy League. Instead of accepting the bad and being sucked into all the stereotypes of the Ivy League, breaking away and supporting our peers can help us all succeed in the end.

Lourdes Santiago is a firstyear from Gilbert, Ariz. She can be reached at lourdess@ princeton.edu.

Tuesday November 14, 2017

Sports

page 6

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball splits Harvard and Dartmouth matches, shares Ivy League title with Yale

By David Xin Head Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team split this weekend’s games against Harvard and Dartmouth and will share the Ivy League title with Yale. This is the third straight year the Tigers have earned a share of the Ivy League crown. The Tigers (10-4 Ivy League) swept the Crimson and narrowly lost to Big Green in five sets. The Princeton team will head to New Haven this weekend to play for an NCAA bid.

The Tigers started the weekend with a strong performance against longtime Ivy rival Harvard. The Princeton team had previously beaten the Crimson at home and repeated its past success with the Ivy League title on the line.

The team came out strong, clinching the first set and fought off a Harvard push in the second set to eventually sweep the Crimson again.

The reigning Ivy League rookie of the year, sophomore Maggie O’Connell, spearheaded the offense with a match-best 18 kills.

Sophomore Ivy League assist leader Jessie Harris

contributed a double-double to the Princeton effort with 44 assists and 10 digs.

The Tiger win, combined with a Yale loss to Cornell, propelled the Princeton squad to the top of the Ivy League standings. It’s quite an accomplishment, considering the Orange and Black had trailed the Bulldogs by two games earlier in the season. The win assured the Tigers a share of the Ivy League crown.

Another win at Dartmouth would have secured an outright title.

Unfortunately, the Dartmouth women had other plans. Despite defeating the Big Green earlier in the season, the Tigers were unable to replicate their results away. Dartmouth opened the match with two impressive sets that sunk the Princeton team in a 2-0 hole. The Tigers would respond valiantly, dominating the second half of the match to tie the game at two sets apiece. However, Dartmouth would hold off a Tiger rally in the fifth set, beating Princeton 15-11.

The loss, combined with a Yale victory, means that the two Ivy powerhouses will each clinch a share of the title. Just as important-

COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM

Women’s Volleyball is currently tied for the Ivy League Championship title.

ly, the tie sets up a crucial playoff match as both teams vie for a coveted spot in the NCAA championships.

The Bulldogs, who won the head-to-head, will host Princeton this coming weekend. Yale and Prince-

ton split their two matches this season, with the away team winning each of the encounters. This bodes well for the Tigers, but the team will undoubtedly need to be in top form as they look to topple a tough opposing

side away from home.

The rest of the postseason is on the line as the Tigers prepare to face Yale.

The match will be streamed live on the Ivy League Network on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Men’s Hockey dominates during weekend play against RPI Engineers

By Claire Coughlin Associate Sports Editor

COURTESY OF GOPRINCETONTIGERS.COM

Senior forward Eric Robinson a three-point game to lead the Tigers to a 6-2 victory against RPI on Saturday Night.

Saturday night was a successful one on both ends of the rink for the Princeton men’s hockey team in their game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

The Tigers flaunted their team’s incredible depth and unity, with thirteen players gaining points, including a few collegiate firsts for some freshmen. The Tigers clutched a 6-2 win and improved to 2-2-1 (1-2-1 ECAC), while the Engineers dropped to 2-5-3 (1-4-1 ECAC).

Princeton heated things up quickly on the ice, jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the 10:20 mark of the first period. Junior forward Ryan Kuffner and senior forward Eric Robinson each put Princeton on the board just five minutes apart, with Kuffner scoring the first tally at 5:22. RPI senior captain Jared Wilson made a first effort at retaliation for the Engineers, netting one in the visitor’s goal at 14:58 in the period. The Engineers

then evened the score when Billy Jerry snapped a shot from the top of the left circle.

The Tigers didn’t leave the game tied for long though, as Princeton sophomore forward Jackson Cressey made it a 3-2 game with 1:55 left in the first period.

Cressey’s goal worked off of an assist from senior forward David Hallisey. The only goal of the second period came from junior defenseman Josh Teves, who tallied his first point of the year off of assists from Kuffner and freshman defenseman Matthew Thom.

The third period was all about insurance for the Tigers, with two more goals coming from Robinson and freshman forward Luke Keenan. Princeton freshman goalie Ryan Ferland ended the game with 27 stops – 18 of which came in the second quarter.

Next weekend, the Tigers will return home to familiar ice at Hobey Baker Rink for Ivy League play. The Orange and Black will host Yale on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.

Like sports? Write for the sports department!

Email: join@dailyprincetonian.com Tweet of the Day “Princeton hockey with an appearance in the national rankings. Tigers are home this weekend hosting Yale & Brown. Get your tickets now!”

Princeton Tigers (@ PUTIGERS), hockey

Stat of the Day

Five points

Mimi Asom added five points to her career total in helping the Princeton women’s soccer team beat Monmouth Friday night and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

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