The Daily Princetonian: November 19, 2019

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Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998

Tuesday November 19, 2019 vol. cxliii no. 107

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ON CAMPUS

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UHS warns of increased gastroenteritis By Shamma Pepper Fox Contributor

Since Sunday, Nov. 10, University Health Services (UHS) has observed an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis on campus. Gastroenteritis, or stomach flu, causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and spreads through misprepared food, contaminated water, and contact with infected people. UHS broadcasted this information in an email sent out to the University community five days after the outbreak, clarifying that “there is no indication that the outbreak originated within campus dining facilities.” Robin Izzo, the Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), explained the University’s collaborative investigation process. After noticing an outsize number of students sick with a foodborne illness, UHS, EHS, and the Princeton municipality’s health department administered “food history questionnaires” to infected patients in order to ascertain where, when, and from whom they may have contracted the foodborne illness. The three offices also

“interview[ed] employees and supervisors of food service workers from the location where the patients ate to determine whether any of the staff may have been ill when preparing or serving food,” Izzo added. Princeton Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser confirmed that the Department of Health is working with the University to gather data on the outbreak. As of now, the investigation process has not pointed to a single culprit for the outbreak. Grosser attributes this difficulty to the fact that the gastroenteritis microorganism is “ubiquitous at this time of year,” and that “foodborne illnesses can be acquired through” many different things, including “unsanitary cleaning practices, spoiled food, and person-toperson contact.” In order to prevent the outbreak from spreading further, University Facilities and Dining Services are undertaking “enhanced cleaning protocols in residential dormitories, athletic facilities and dining venues,” according to Izzo. Izzo explained that the University will be using bleach to sanitize “high touch surfaces such as door See OUTBREAK page 2

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

U . A F FA I R S

JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Dean of the College Jill Dolan announced the decision via a memo emailed to students yesterday.

U. writes summer internships to count as academic credit

By Mindy Burton Contributor

Beginning with the summer of 2020, the University will alloww summer internships to be counted toward academic credit and recognized on transcripts on a departmental basis, according to a memo sent on the morning of Nov. 18 by Dean of the College Jill Dolan. International students may also now apply for curricular practical training (CPT) in specific domestic internships, a program which would allow them to work

in the United States over the summer. Previously, CPT was not available to undergraduate students as there were no undergraduate internship courses available for credit. Internships that are recorded by the University will not be granted course credit, so they cannot be used to advance a student toward their degree. The Working Group on Internships and the Undergraduate Curriculum was established this past summer to evaluate the educational role of internships and created a report to “formalize the re-

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

lationship between experiential learning and the undergraduate curriculum.” As a result, the Committee on the Course of Study has approved a plan to allow University departments to award academic credit for internships that are “directly related to students’ concentrations,” beginning with this coming summer. Individual departments have the option of giving credit for internships. “We are pleased that this curricular change may help eliminate obstacles to such experiences for many stuSee INTERNSHIP page 2

ON CAMPUS

Bridge Year Bolivia Q&A with students relocated to former UN Peru amid political crisis Special Envoy Contributors

COURTESY OF EMMA BOETTCHER ’14

Boettcher ’14 was defeated by one of the winningest Jeopardy! player of all time in the Tournament of Champions finals.

Boettcher ’14 defeated by Holzhauer in Jeopardy! By Evelyn Doskoch Contributor

In one of the most anticipated matchups in Jeopardy! history, Emma Boettcher ’14 faced off against the legendary James Holzhauer in last week’s Tournament of Champions two-day finals. Despite being the sole player in Jeopardy! history to ever beat Holzhauer, Boettcher could not catch her rival, who walked away with a grand prize of $250,000, this time around. Holzhauer, a newly minted Jeopardy! legend, entered the record books last spring when

In Opinion

he accumulated $2,714,416 in just 33 games, using a combination of a broad knowledge base and high-risk betting strategies. He also shattered the record for highest singlegame earnings, winning the top 10 most profitable Jeopardy! games ever. Boettcher, a User Experience Librarian at the University of Chicago, ended Holzhauer’s winning streak on June 3, 2019 and went on to be a three-day champion. She advanced to the Tournament of Champions finals after victories in the quarterfinal and See JEOPARDY! page 3

Columnist Shannon Chaffers professes the value of revising in writing, and columnist Khadijah Anwar argues that the denial of accessible menstrual products is an indicator of societal gender inequity around the world. PAGE 4

On Monday, Nov. 11, the University’s Bridge Year Bolivia students relocated to Cusco, Peru, after the political upheaval in the country prompted concerns about student safety. Deputy University Spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss maintained that the town of Tiquipaya, Bolivia, where students had been staying, saw no protests or violence following the heavily disputed election. However, the nearby city of Cochabamba “experienced significant civil unrest,” and transportation disruption in the area affected the activities of the students. Following recommendation for evacuation by the University’s emergency assistance provider, International SOS, students moved to Peru’s capital at the beginning of this week. Bolivia has been embroiled in a political crisis since accusations arose that Evo Morales, the country’s longest serving and first indigenous president, stole an election on Oct. 20 of this year. Some credit Morales for having ushered in a new egalitarian era for Bolivia, but the devastating wild-

fires earlier, which a number of critics blamed on his loosened environmental protections triggered unrest in his support base. After extending his term in 2014 and again in 2016, his run this fall — which would have kept him in power until 2025 — was rife with debate. Technical difficulties interrupted a preliminary vote count; the count resumed 24 hours later to demonstrate that Morales had won by a slight margin. An investigation by the Organization of American States (OAS) found evidence of manipulation, but critics questioned the bias of the OAS, citing late-reporting rural areas as the cause of Morales’ unexpected lead. Violent protests about the controversial election have claimed at least 10 lives, and a widespread police mutiny prompted Morales to resign on Sunday, Nov. 10; he fled north to escape what he branded a coup d’etat. An interim administration led by Jeanine Áñes has assumed power with the promise to hold new elections in the near future. The Novogratz Bridge Year Program is a gap year program sponsored by the

Today on Campus 6:30 p.m.: Movies for Mental Health Neuroscience A32

See BOLIVIA page 2

Staffan de Mistura By Allie Spensley Staff Writer

Staffan de Mistura is a diplomat who has worked for the United Nations and the Italian government. During his 40 years with the United Nations, he was stationed in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Lebanon, and he served as the UN’s Special Envoy on Syria from 2014 to 2018. Throughout his career, de Mistura has focused on humanitarian relief, conf lict resolution, and peacebuilding. He gave a lecture at the Friend Center on Monday afternoon, entitled “Arm-Twisting the Devil: Lessons on How to Limit Harm to Civilians During Times of Conf lict.” The Daily Princetonian: You recently joined the governing board of Interpeace. What are you hoping to work on while in this role? Staffan de Mistura: Interpeace is a very interesting organization because it was created at the request of the UN, in order to be able to do what sometimes the UN cannot do: work at the grassroots level, when you’re See Q&A page 3

WEATHER

By Rooya Rahin and Rachel Sturley

HIGH

53˚

LOW

35˚

Mostly Sunny chance of rain:

10 percent


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