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Monday October 22, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 91
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STUDENT LIFE
MARISSA MICHAELS :: PRINCETONIAN CONTRIBUTOR
Nicole Williams ‘22 participates in the 7x9 protest outside of Frist Campus Center at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, and Beatrice Ferguson ‘21 at 10:30 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 18.
SPEAR 7x9 protest brings awareness to solitary confinement Contributor
In the annual protest against solitary confinement, students stood in an outlined box smaller than their dorm rooms, persisting day and night to demonstrate a reality that, for many, does not end when the sun comes up. On Thursday, Oct. 18 and Friday, Oct. 19, 46 students volunteered to participate in the Princeton Students for Prison Education and Reform protest of inhumane solitary confinement practices, which lasted a total of 23 hours. The volunteers stayed isolated in a 7’ x 9’ square, both in front of Frist Campus Center and in the UStore Plaza, for one hour each. SPEAR’s 7 x 9 protest encouraged over 100 students to
sign up for Project Solidarity, an effort to have students exchange letters with individuals in solitary, encouraged students to donate to Lifelines to Solitary which “enables Solitary Watch to keep in touch throughout the year with one more person living in solitary confinement,” and pushed students to vote for representatives that stand against solitary confinement. According to SPEAR’s request for volunteers, the protest represents the “23 hours that individuals are confined to their cell daily … for the remaining hour, people in solitary confinement are sometimes allowed in a slightly larger, yet still isolated ‘pen’.” The protest culminated in a talk by former New Jersey State Prison inmate Ojore Lu-
STUDENT LIFE
talo. Beatrice Ferguson ’21, who participated in the protest, said, “I participated in the protest because I think that people need to be reminded of the reality that such torture continues to occur every single day. Also, I think the 7 by 9 protest, by actually placing physical bodies in these small spaces, can convey the cruelty of solitary confinement in a uniquely powerful way.” She thinks the protest is important because “just having people pause and think for a moment about the fact that the brutal torture that is solitary confinement occurs every day is a really powerful thing.” People who stopped to look at the protest noticed handouts with basic information
on solitary confinement, as well as signs asking them not to interact with protestors. According to the handout, those in solitary confinement often receive inadequate healthcare and sensory deprivation, and, partly as a result, “commit 50 percent of prison suicides despite being only 4 percent of the prison population.” Ferguson related her one hour in the 7’ x 9’ square to how she imagines solitary confinement. “While in the box, I was struck by just how small and constricting the space is. Your ability to move freely was completely restricted in a way that is unhealthy for all human beings. The cruelty of placing someone in such confinement for days on end is heartbreak-
STUDENT LIFE
Contributor
COURTESY OF CADET PRIVATE ROBERT DOAR ‘22
ROTC’s 18 first-year cadets at their training exercise at Fort Dix on September 30, 2018.
ROTC Tiger Battalion sees increased interest By Josephine de la Bruyere Contributor
Reflecting long-term efforts to better attract and support cadets on campus, the University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps welcomed 18 cadets into the class of 2022. One cadet received commission from the University’s class of 2017; five did from the class of 2018. As of now, seven cadets will graduate from this year’s senior class. 11 are expected to graduate in 2020, 14 in 2021, and 18 in 2022. There are currently about
In Opinion
twice as many students enrolled in ROTC as there were this time five years ago. That pattern reflects a national one — U. S. colleges are reporting a nearly 50 percent increase in Army ROTC enrollment over six-year increments, despite the U.S. Army falling 6,500 troops short of its recruiting goals this year. Established in 1919, the University’s Army ROTC consists of 50 cadets, whom Cadet Sergeant Paige Bentley ’21 referred to as “one big Army team.” The cadets meet three times weekly in uniform for See ROTC page 5
In his inaugural column, contributing columnist Ben Gelman argues there should be more distinction between politics and entertainment, while contributing columnist Jae-Kyung Sim, in his inaugural column, advocates for more political speakers to be invited to campus. PAGE 6
Each Saturday, a group of University students packs into a room in Procter House of the Episcopal Church at Princeton. These students, however, are not affiliated with the Episcopal Church; they are part of an independent community called Workshop No.1. Alec Gewirtz ’19 founded Workshop No. 1 at the start of the spring 2018 semester, hoping to build a space for students to engage in meaningful reflection about their lives. “I started Workshop No. 1 because there wasn’t a venue on campus where people could reflect on how to build more fulfilling lives,” Gewirtz said. “People needed a space where they could step outside their weekly routines to recapture a sense of purpose, and for most students there wasn’t that venue.” The weekly meetings start with a member of the group presenting an issue or idea they are encountering in their life, such as parental relationships or how professional goals line up with college lives. The presentation lasts for about five minutes and is followed by about 40 minutes of discussion among the group. During the discussion, other members are free to share per-
See SPEAR page 3
STUDENT LIFE
Secular group ‘Workshop No. 1’ brings reflection, sense of purpose to U. By Yael Marans
ing,” Ferguson said. Protest viewers could also pick up laptop stickers saying “End Solitary,” as well as information about issues with solitary confinement legislation, specifically former Governor Chris Christie’s 2016 veto of the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act, which would have limited the use of isolated confinement in New Jersey. Princeton students might be surprised to learn that New Jersey ranks among the top states with the highest percentage of prisoners in solitary confinement. According to a Marshall Project article that was distributed at the protest, on an average day in December 2015 in New Jersey, “four hundred and nine prisoners, or 40 per-
sonal experiences and opinions relating to the topic or ask the presenter a question. “The goal of these conversations is not to debate competing solutions to an issue. Instead, the conversation is grounded more in sharing our own experiences with confronting [the issue],” Gewirtz said. “Typically, comments will end with the person asking the presenter a question in light of their experiences. My experience has been X, which has led me to believe Y, what do you think about Y?” he modeled. Gewirtz added that while there are practical goals attached to the discussions, there is an emphasis on living with uncertainty as well. “It’s not about rushing to solutions,” he said. “But it also doesn’t ignore the reality that people are in pursuit of solutions, so we ask questions, we try to discover new approaches to issues, with the hope that the solution is within reach, but we don’t rush to it.” In addition to the Saturday morning meetings, Workshop No. 1 includes optional small group sessions. “In small groups you are matched with three other people from the workshop,” Gewirtz explained. “You first choose an area See NO. 1 page 2
Today on Campus 4:30 p.m.: The Disappearance of Routine Jobs: Is China Different? Louis A. Simpson International Building A71
USG discusses learning space initiatives, new honor committee members By Claire Silberman Contributor
Improvements to learning spaces and Honor Committee confirmations were on the discussion table in the Undergraduate Student Government Senate meeting on Oct. 21. Associate Dean of the College Rebecca Graves-Bayazitoglu discussed renovations to classrooms and the Learning Spaces Initiative — a plan to put almost 240 classrooms on a cyclical five year renovation schedule. The objectives are to modernize technology and allow for more active learning on campus. “In terms of pedagogy, it’s a move from what’s called the sage on the stage, which is exactly what it sounds like — the professor professing — to the guide on the side,” she said. Graves-Bayazitoglu specifically referenced a new classroom in Green Hall with movable whiteboards and user-friendly technology. “It’s the best classroom ever,” said Class of 2020 Senator Brad Spicher. “The way the desks and chairs are all arranged …. You can set them up wherever you like. It makes paying attention and having discussion a See USG page 4
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Monday October 22, 2018
Workshop aims to give students a venue to reflect on fulfillment NO. 1
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of your life in which you want to make an improvement, second think of a plan for how to make that improvement, and then third get held accountable for executing that plan.” During the first small groups meeting, participants begin with an exercise that has them place parts of their lives on a spectrum measuring level of importance. Then, they give themselves a score of how well they are performing in each aspect. According to Gewirtz, “What this does is just bring two data points together. Something that’s very important but doesn’t have the greatest [performance] score is what that person would choose to focus on, so that will be what they discuss in the small groups going forward.” Gewirtz participates in one of the small groups, but he does not attend most of the small group meetings. However, since these groups started this semester, he attended each of the initial meetings to help explain the opening exercise. A project Gewirtz started his sophomore year led him to start Workshop No. 1. He created a listserv called the Sunday Letter, which focused on how to build a more fulfilling life. Each week, Gewirtz sent an email to those interested — about a few hundred people. In the
email, he would raise a question with which he was wrestling and attempt to offer an answer. But Gewirtz decided that the email was not sufficient and needed to be replaced. “What I decided was while there was certainly value in sending out this weekly provocation to reflection, what would be even better was a physical space where you could do more than simply read an email for a couple minutes and maybe reflect personally for a couple more minutes,” Gewirtz said. While Gewirtz is the primary coordinator of the workshop meetings, he also works with a leadership team consisting of group members. Most of the leadership team does not have clear roles, but there is a Community Chair who helps Gewirtz brainstorm ways to foster a sense of community and organize the small group meetings. At the first meeting of this year, members made a commitment to the group and signed a membership pledge. The pledge serves as a commitment to three main ideas: To create an atmosphere of total openness and trust, to protect the unity of the community, and to gain from our time here. Princeton’s previous Episcopal chaplain took interest in Workshop No. 1 and offered use of the space in Procter House. Since the group has a meeting space, they have not encountered any need to become an ODUS group. Workshop No. 1 is not affiliated with
ODUS or any other official University body, though Gewirtz does currently pay for refreshments and is seeking for another way to fund that. Gewirtz explained that the workshops offer a more routine way of having conversations people might have with their friends. “The idea is that all of us need to work through these issues,” he said. “And we do so occasionally with our friends, but we shouldn’t leave to chance that we are going to have these conversations.” The workshops also provide a space for people to talk about their feelings without feeling nervous about expressing feelings to their friends. “[At the workshops], there’s not guilt in dumping problems on a friend. There’s no fear of losing a friendship by saying something embarrassing. We’re just openminded partners in thinking this through with you,” Gewirtz said. Member Mckenna Brownell ’20 shared that the workshops fill a need in her life. She joined the workshops last spring and has appreciated participating in the conversations. “I came a lot last year, and they were just really interesting conversations,” Brownell said. “These conversations that I think a lot of us think and have internal struggles with or debates inside our heads, but we just never vocalize because we fear that other people don’t relate to them.” “This is truly very unique and the only space where I share
thoughts like these with people I know, but also strangers,” she explained. “I have nothing [else] like this in my life.” Members heard about the workshops from a variety of sources. Gewirtz and the leadership team attempted to send information out to various listservs and advertise on Facebook. Anyone was welcome to join. Brownell said that she received an email from Gewirtz last year asking her to attend the first meeting, while Stephen Polcyn ’21 said he heard about it from “a fortuitous email to a listserv.” Jackson Vail ’21 was forwarded the workshop’s fall welcome email by a friend. “I came, not really knowing what to expect, and I found it to be a pretty cool group, and a sincere attempt to foster reflection among Princeton students, which isn’t something that people always make an effort to do here,” Vail said. “That’s something I really value, the chance to stop and think about the world we’re inhabiting and what life is like for individuals but also specifically in the context of being Princeton University students,” Vail explained. According to Gewirtz, the workshops do not attempt to replace religious communities. He believes that several members of Workshop No. 1 most likely belong to religious communities as well, but may not have an outlet for processing their thoughts and feelings outside the workshops.
“The idea is 100 percent not that I’m correcting any shortcomings,” Gewirtz said. “Lots of people, for example, don’t have church members with whom they can talk about a struggle they’re having, so if you’re not going to have that conversation in a small group at a church, maybe you can have something like that, obviously on very different terms, at the workshop. It’s just the lived reality that there are those people, it’s not like I’m on a crusade or anything.” Gewirtz’s comment is underscored by the space in which the workshops take place. Not only is the room in a house owned by the Episcopal Church, but it is also a room marked by clearly religious objects. The walls are lined with bibles and images related to the church. On the topic of Gewirtz’s personal background, he said, “I am a religion major because I think that I want to devote my life to creating values-based communities for religiously unaffiliated people of our generation.” The name Workshop No. 1 relates to both Gewirtz’s ambitions for the current group and for the future. “I decided to include the word “Workshop” in the name because I wanted the community to be a place where people could make concrete changes to their lives, in a practical way suggested by that word,” Gewirtz said. “I decided to call it “No. 1” because it is the first of what I hope will be many similar communities that I create.”
COURTESY OF VINCENT PO
Members signed a pledge to create an atmosphere of openness and trust, to protect the unity of the community, and to gain from their time there.
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Monday October 22, 2018
Ferguson: I was struck by just how small and constricting the space is SPEAR
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cent of those in administrative segregation, had been isolated for periods exceeding six months, including 137 who had been isolated for more than a year.” To convince people to join the resistance against solitary confinement, SPEAR’s handout emphasizes that “Solitary is NOT fiscally responsible,” as it costs up to three times as much for a solitary confinement prisoner than for a general population prisoner. It has also been shown to be an ineffective punishment that leads to increased prison violence and rates of re-incarceration . SPEAR specifically sought to bring awareness to the disproportionate number of black people and religious minorities in prison and in solitary confinement. The speaker Lutalo, a black man, was held in solitary confinement for 22 of his 28 years
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in prison. SPEAR asked him to come to the University. “It is SPEAR’s top priority to amplify the voices of those who have been impacted by the penal system,” said SPEAR co-president Micah Herskind ’19. Since his days in solitary confinement, Lutalo has been creating political graphics that speak out against social injustice, including collages that classify solitary confinement as genocide. He had conversations with many students and encouraged them to read about revolutionary thinkers and to be critical when evaluating and voting for representatives. Herskind says that “with a new administration, we anticipate new legislation and another chance to end solitary in New Jersey.” The protest was held from Thursday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. until Friday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m., culminating in a well-attended talk by Ojore Lutalo, a formerly incarcerated man, in Frist 302.
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MARIE-ROSE SHEINERMAN:: PRINCETONIAN CONTRIBUTOR
Participant in 7x9 protest in U-Store Plaza around 3 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 19.
The Daily Princetonian
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Monday October 22, 2018
Objectives of initiative are to encourage more active learning USG
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lot easier.” According to Graves-Bayazitoglu, further renovations will include switching from analog to digital and retrofitting old buildings with up-to-date technology. Referencing student concerns outlined in a recent Daily Princetonian Opinion piece, she noted the chairs in McCosh 50 are also slated to be redone. The renovations “represent a huge investment on the part of the University” due to the University’s high classroom to student ratio. Because of the precept system and the diversity of course offerings, the University requires many different types of classrooms to best fit each class. “From the outside analysts think its unwieldy but actually it’s essential to our mission as an institution,” said Graves-Bayazitoglu. The next main items of business were the Honor Committee confir-
mations. Out of 11 applicants, Wells Carson ’22 and Leland Domaratzky ’22 were chosen and confirmed to fill two empty spots on the committee. Domaratzky explained how his background, coming from a school with a weak honor code, drove him to apply to the committee. “I have a lot of friends who cheated when I was a freshman [in high school], and I engaged in something that I now know was probably not right, that probably did violate the honor code,” he said. “So I think I have the perspective, I understand why people cheat. I think I can show empathy that way, but I also now know why the honor code is so important.” Carson said that part of the reason he chose to come to Princeton was because of its robust honor code. Citing his desire to become a part of the community that helped him make his choice, he said: “When the people who are moderating the committee are the ones who
are the most serious about it, then I think other freshmen will help to maintain our honor code well.” The Senate discussed concerns with diversity in the applicant pool, specifically in regards to the A.B./B.S.E. breakdown. Although the Honor Committee attempted to diversify its applicant pool this year by removing the letter of recommendation requirement and reaching out to the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding, LGBT center, freshman seminar professors, writing seminar professors, and varsity sport coaches, the vast majority of this year’s applicants were prospective A.B. students. According to Honor Committee Chair Elizabeth Haile ’19, in the future, the Committee plans to reach out to RCAs, OA, and CA leaders to further recruitment through individual outreach. The Senate meeting was held in Lewis 138 at 8 p.m.
BRAD SPICHER :: PRINCETONIAN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Honor code confirmations were also discussed at the meeting.
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Monday October 22, 2018
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French: There is separation between your military and college life ROTC
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6:30 a.m. physical training, once for a class in military science, and once for a corresponding lab. After four years, cadets graduate as commissioned officers with certificates in military science. They commit to four years of activeduty service or eight years of service in the Army Reserves. ROTC’s end result, careerwise, is the same as that of West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. For years, that served as a deterrent to Princeton Army ROTC’s growth. “In the past, we noticed a lot of instances of people choosing to go to service academies rather than coming to Princeton,” said Cadet First Lieutenant Caleb Visser ’20. Recently, that has changed drastically. Some cadets attributed ROTC’s enrollment boom to the program’s notable graduates. General Mark Milley ’80, Chief of Staff of the Army, and General Christopher Cavoli ’87, Commander of the U.S. Army Europe, both received their commissions from Princeton Army ROTC. “Especially in the military community, more people are sending their kids to Princeton ROTC – partially because of Generals Milley and Cavoli,” said Cadet Private Robert Doar ’22. Cadet Private Karl Jackson ’22 agreed. “I think our alumni, particularly high-ranking ones like General Cavoli and General Milley, are gaining a lot of recognition for the quality program,” Jackson said. In addition, the University and Princeton Army ROTC have worked closely together to recruit more cadets. Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Max Molot ’19, Commander of Tiger Battalion, explained some of the program’s efforts to gain
more exposure. He cited new, targeted outreach to highschool students aimed at widening the University’s pool of Army ROTC applicants and noted that, through performances like Color Guard at sports games, ROTC has begun interacting more with the University community. The enrollment of Cadet Private Katherine French ’22 in Princeton Army ROTC was heavily impacted by those efforts. “When I was applying, they told me they wanted to start growing the ROTC program,” she said. “They’d seen the success of it in the past, and they wanted to continue that and make it a bigger, more integrated part of the student body.” More publicity and more outreach on the part of the program led to more interest in Princeton Army ROTC. However, the number of open spots for cadets in each class remained relatively stagnant until recently. Major Roy Emerson, assistant director of the Army Officer Education Program and assistant professor of military science, explained in an email statement how that has changed. Recently, ROTC has been allowed by headquarters to offer more merit scholarships, according to Emerson, which he says has allowed for quick and noticeable growth; this year’s cadet class is three times the number of cadets commissioned last year. “Princeton University fully supports the increase in national scholarship winners attending Princeton,” Emerson said. In the face of a flood of new interest and new cadets, the University and Princeton Army ROTC have worked closely together to create a supportive community on campus. Christopher Burkmar ’00, executive director for planning and administration for
the Office of Campus Life, explained one of the new policies intended to support and enhance the student-cadet experience. “Last year, we introduced an ROTC Fellows program, which consists of faculty and staff members who serve as mentors; connect students with resources; participate in ROTC-related activities; and ultimately strengthen the connection between a student’s military and non-military experience on campus,” Burkmar said in an email statement. That effort has paid off for students such as French. “There are so many opportunities here at Princeton. At the service academies, your whole life revolves around being a cadet. Here, there is an element of separation between your military and college life. You get the best of both worlds,” French explained. In addition, before the fall of 2015, the Army ROTC pro-
gram began making an effort to pair interested admitted students with ROTC cadets during Princeton Preview. It also implemented a “welcome week” for incoming cadets. Visser cited the Princeton Preview experience as a major factor in Army ROTC’s uptick in enrollment. “Inviting prospective students and pre-frosh to come to physical training sessions with us when they’re interested in visiting, communicating what it is to be a cadet and a student at the number one university in the world, has helped people become more comfortable making a decision and feel more dedicated to the choice they’ve made coming here,” Visser explained. Cadet Private Doar expressed similar views. “My Preview experience really affirmed my decision to come to Princeton rather than a service academy. I felt very welcome and could tell the University was committed to
the ROTC program. Preview made it evident that if I came here, I’d get the best of both worlds – a Princeton education and top-tier military training,” Doar said. Graduates of the program, like First Lieutenant Ryan Fulmer ’16, who is currently in his second year of active duty service, were thrilled at Princeton Army ROTC’s expansion. “I think it’s fantastic that the class is so large — it means Princetonians are realizing what a great opportunity it is to develop themselves and give back to the Army,” Fulmer explained. The administrators spearheading the program’s growth, like Major Emerson, feel similarly. He asserts: “The increased presence [of ROTC] on campus will certainly be beneficial to our program and to the commissioning of America’s best and brightest men and women to service as officers, leaders in the US Army.”
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Monday October 22, 2018
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Politics as entertainment Ben Gelman
Contributing Columnist
S
pectacle is the sun that never sets over the empire of modern passivity”- Guy
Debord As the 2018 midterm elections approach, political discussions are becoming more and more common, especially on our campus. In my experience, however, many of these discussions are held casually, almost f lippantly, as if we were discussing the latest sports or celebrity gossip. It is crucial that our generation create a way to maintain the pervasiveness of politics while injecting a larger sense of seriousness into how we talk about it. Today, especially for people in our age demographic, everything is filtered to us through the lens of brevity and entertainment. Our social lives, media, sports, and news sources are packaged so that they can be consumed in short, f lashy bursts of information, and studies have shown that this reduces our attention spans. We are slowly being wired to pay less attention to nuance and detail, whether that be through only skimming the headlines of articles sent to us via a news aggregator, watching a NowThis
video, or only interacting with friends through Snapchat stories. As students at Princeton, where every moment of the day has to be carefully budgeted, we are most prone to these symptoms. This mindset creeps into our political participation too. According to the Pew Research Center, 67 percent of Americans receive some of their news from social media. It’s easy to get the latest political news by scrolling through your Twitter feed, only stopping to watch the latest gaffes or brutal political satire, instead of reading a candidate’s policy positions or watching a debate. Making matters worse, Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show are more fun to watch than CNN. It then feels more natural to talk about Matt Damon’s hilarious Brett Kavanaugh impression or Melissa McCarthy’s repeated skewering of Sean Spicer than it is to deal with the real political realities these events have produced. This is ref lected in how we discuss politics, as if it were just another sport or television show, with only the most ridiculous or laughable political incidents being emphasized. Even politicians are now much more accustomed to using theatrics and over-
the-top rhetoric to entice voters. One need only look at President Trump’s Twitter feed to catch a glimpse of how political discourse is now boiled down to brief, melodramatic, and attention-grabbing slogans. This phenomenon alone has completely shifted what we view as acceptable from political leaders, creating a world where real articles are written about the potential for entertainers like Kanye West or The Rock to run for President. The only qualification for leadership now seems to be star power, which only distracts from real, consequential policy. We are at risk of losing track of the differences between political events and entertainment. Both focus on competitions and drama, and both attract heavy emotional investment from spectators, but only has an outcome with profound consequences for democracy. When electoral coverage is conveyed through the same lens as football highlights or the latest developments in House of Cards, both start to blend together as pure entertainment, and we forget that the two should not command the same attention or reactions. We begin to view politics as a spectacle, similar to TV, and not as a system in which
we as citizens play an indispensable role. Of course, there are upsides to this paradigm. In exchange for some of the necessary seriousness and subtleties, our modern politics is now more ubiquitous and accessible than ever. It has never been easier to obtain information in the internet age. People who do not have the time to read a full newspaper every morning can now get the essential points in brief videos or social media posts, a positive thing for democracy and for our elections. The trouble lies in finding a way to maintain this level of access to political information without losing its impact. We are forced to ask ourselves if it is ultimately possible politics to become a medium dictated by the norms of the internet while also maintaining real democratic engagement. It is on all of us, as members of the first generation to deal with this new dilemma, to consider whether there is a way to balance the insights of our new fast-paced, media diet with a more solemn, measured approach to politics. Ben Gelman is a first-year from Houston, Tex. He can be reached at bgelman@princeton.edu.
Invite more political speakers to campus Jae-Kyung Sim
Contributing Columnist
I
f you ask the average American to describe the average college campus in the United States, they would probably reply by using adjectives such as “vibrant,” “energetic,” and most importantly, “activist.” The idea of being politically vocal on and off campus has been a predominant theme characterizing college students as a whole. Princeton, however, is different. Throughout history, the University has rarely been in the news for inciting some kind of macro political change (with the exception of Nassau Hall Sit-In in 2015, which gained some coverage). During the Vietnam War, students joked that “even Princeton” had participated in the student protests against the draft. To use a common cliché, we must pop this Orange Bubble: the bubble of political apathy. And that is why I propose that we host more campus-wide events involving outside political speakers. I could not say that the characterization of the University as predominantly apolitical is entirely correct. After all, there have existed a sizable number of small-scale protests organized in the past couple of years, such as the ones against gun violence or Trump’s election as president. Most notably, the petition to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from the university, while unable to
achieve its intended objective, gained media coverage. What is true, nevertheless, is that such a sense of activism does not shape the dominant culture of the student body. The limited nature of these protests diminishes their visibility. Moreover, even during the short span of time I have been on campus, I have seen that despite the recent political controversies over confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh or novel discoveries in the Trump-Russia scandal, discussions over political issues rarely came to the forefront of daily conversations among students. Even the small sparks of political awareness that do occur, such as traditional public debates or the political activities fair, are confined to the areas surrounding Whig and Clio Halls — they definitely are not campus-wide phenomena. Inviting more politicallydriven speakers, while not resolving the issue entirely, would incentivize students to naturally engage more with political subjects. In regards to specific qualifications, it would be ideal if they were politically relevant, famous, and hold defined and potentially even radical views on the issues at hand. Theoretically, the events could be hosted by anyone on campus, ranging from faculty members to student organizations—but in particular, I urge that both the University administration and Undergraduate Student Government get political.
By “get political,” I do not mean that they should advocate for a certain worldview. Instead, I urge them to actively host events that have political content, whether it be welcoming members of Congress to speak or hosting on-campus debates between candidates for an upcoming election. Events involving speakers invited by student organizations tend to serve some purpose that is rarely political, and even if they are, it is difficult for them to garner attention from the whole student body. The administration and USG, on the other hand, have the influence and additional funding to invite more influential speakers, and consequently make it so that events are both large-scale and widely advertised. One may additionally doubt the utility of bringing speakers to campus in creating longterm cultural change. But that certainly overlooks the way in which many students perceive the introduction of various “outside” figures coming inside the supposedly boring Orange Bubble. When it was advertised that Waka Flocka Flame would be coming to Lawnparties this fall semester, it became the subject of an abundance of conversations among students. The same holds for many politically relevant figures. For instance, the invitation of Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the She Roars event sparked a temporary surge of political interest — I saw lines for tickets
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extending to outside of Frist Campus Center, along with a heightened level of excitement among the students. Along the same line, if it was announced that either Bob Menendez or Bob Hugin was campaigning and speaking at Princeton, previously indifferent students would certainly pay attention. Considering their candidacy for Senate in the upcoming election, the news would be noteworthy enough to precipitate fierce discussion over numerous different issues, ranging from whether it is even legitimate for them to be invited on campus to begin with to the viewpoints they hold as adversaries on controversial matters in mainstream American politics. The point is that if such pattern of discussion kindled by outside speakers continues, it will gradually change the school culture in a way that is conducive and more open to political discussion and participation. It is time for the University to change its student culture so that it connects to the world beyond Nassau Street. If Princeton’s location prevents students from participating in politics outside, then we must bring the outside to the campus — disrupting the relative tranquility within which many students find themselves in. Jae-Kyung Sim is a freshman from Sejong City, South Korea. He can be reached at j.sim@princeton. edu.
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Monday October 22, 2018
Sports
page 8
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } FOOTBALL
Football overcomes tough challenge from Harvard, remains undefeated By Jack Graham
Associate Sports Editor
On Saturday, No. 18 Princeton (6–0 overall, 3–0 Ivy) faced an unfamiliar challenge this season: a close game. Princeton entered the game with an undefeated record and 43.4-point average margin of victory but needed all 60 minutes to put away Harvard (3–3, 1–2) in a 29–21 victory in Cambridge, Mass. Saturday’s game looked in the beginning like it could turn into
another blowout. The Tiger defense forced a punt on Harvard’s first drive, and Princeton proceeded to drive down the field for a touchdown on its first possession. Senior quarterback John Lovett, playing with a cast on his left arm after missing last week’s game due to injury, capped off the drive with a 33-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-short play. After that, however, the Crimson defense did a stellar job containing Lovett and the
rest of the Princeton offense. Princeton would score just three more points in the first half, as junior kicker Tavish Rice hit a short field goal in the second quarter to give Princeton a 10–0 lead. Harvard responded quickly, mounting a 12-play touchdown drive to reduce its deficit to three points going into halftime. Neither offense managed to get much going in the third quarter, and the entered the fourth quarter as a defensive struggle, with Princeton still clinging to
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Midfielder Kevin O’Toole’s brace was crucial as the Tigers defeated the Crimson to climb atop the Ancient Eight.
a 10–7 lead. Held in check for most of the game, Princeton’s offense began to regain its form in the fourth quarter. Early in the quarter, Princeton drove down the field and eventually found itself facing a fourth-and-four on the Harvard 35-yard line, and head coach Bob Surace ’90 elected to roll the dice. It paid off, as senior wide receiver Steve Carlson drew a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone, and Lovett found Princeton’s other star senior wide receiver Jesper Horsted for a 20-yard touchdown pass on the next play. Harvard blocked the extra point, but Princeton came out of the scoring drive with a two-possession 16–7 lead. Princeton extended the lead to 15 later in the quarter as the defense forced a turnover on downs in Harvard territory and senior running back Charlie Volker finished off a short drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. To Harvard’s credit, the Crimson still would not give in. The Crimson scored twice more on deep touchdown throws by quarterback Tom Stewart, the second of which came less than two minutes after a 49-yard touchdown run by Volker. Princeton recovered a Crimson onside kick attempt with less than a minute left to seal the 29–21 win. Throughout the game, a stout Harvard defense caused problems for a Princeton offense that had seemed unstoppable
through its first five games. Apart from a few long runs, the Crimson defensive front stifled Princeton’s running game, as Princeton struggled to move the ball until the fourth quarter. Lovett was also not as effective as usual throwing the ball, going just 15 of 31 for 207 yards, 126 of which went to Horsted. The Tigers were also uncharacteristically undisciplined, committing 7 penalties for 66 yards. With the Tiger offense floundering for much of the game, Princeton leaned heavily on its defense to keep getting stops against the Harvard offense. Particularly noteworthy was the performance of junior safety TJ Floyd, who intercepted a pass in the Princeton end zone on a trick play-wide receiver pass in the second quarter and forced a fumble in the fourth that Princeton recovered. Princeton’s defensive unit also kept Stewart uncomfortable in the pocket, recording four sacks. Saturday’s narrow win was the first time this season that Princeton looked anything short of unbeatable. With several tough Ivy teams still on the schedule, starting with Cornell (3–3, 2–1) next week and then showdowns against fellow unbeaten No. 24 Dartmouth (6–0, 3–0) and Yale (4–2, 2–1) to follow, the Tigers should certainly expect Saturday not to be the last highly competitive game they will play this season.
MEN’S SOCCER
Men’s soccer remain undefeated in Ivy League, Princeton sit atop conference ByTom Salotti Staff Writer
Men’s soccer crushed Harvard University at home on Saturday, Oct. 20, 3–0. This weekend’s win continues the Tigers’s undefeated season and puts them in first place in the Ivy League. Princeton started the game on the offensive, with their first shot in the fourth minute by senior forward Jeremy Colvin, who hit it wide to the left. In the twelfth minute, sophomore midfielder Kevin O’Toole’s shot was blocked before it could find the back of Harvard’s net. Half a minute later, freshman midfielder Moulay Hamza Kanzi Belghiti gained control of the ball in Princeton’s attacking half but shot it over the crossbar. In the 22nd minute a small fight broke out on the field after a cheap foul on Princeton. Players from both teams began pushing each other and eventually Harvard’s Cesar Farias was handed a yellow card. He was subsequently subbed out of the game. Senior midfielder Sean McSherry out-skilled one of Harvard’s defenders in the 26th minute before hitting a perfect pass into the middle to O’Toole, who was wide open. O’Toole hit a rocket that was just a little too high. Two minutes later Princeton finally hit the back of the net. Sophomore midfielder Gaby Paniagua gained control of the ball inside Harvard’s goalbox thanks
Tweet of the Day
to plays from O’Toole and Kanzi Belghiti. He hit the ball from the air straight past the keeper and into the goal, bringing the Tigers into the lead. Harvard earned two corner kicks in a row but was unable to capitalize on either. In the 39th minute, the Crimson had one of their best chances of the half to score. A Princeton foul gave Harvard a freekick opportunity right outside of the Tigers’ goalbox. Harvard’s Nico Garcia-Morillo went for goal but hit it just over
son’s keeper. McSherry flicked the ball just over the goal however, closing out a successful half for Princeton. The first half saw a whopping 13 shots by Princeton to Harvard’s four as well as six fouls to the Crimson’s 11. Princeton had no corner kicks and no saves to Harvard’s three and four, respectively. The second half began much like the first, with Princeton on the offensive. McSherry had a shot on goal in the 48th minute, but it was saved by Harvard keeper Matt
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The Tigers pulled out a crucial win in a tight match-up against the Crimson, staying perfect for the season.
“Here’s why @NFL teams are VERY INTERESTED! Ivy League sprint champion Charlie Volker ices a sixth-straight @PUTigerFootball victory with this 49-yard rushing TD--live on @IvyOnESPN.” The Ivy League (@IvyLeague)
the crossbar, ensuring Princeton’s clean sheet for the half. Two minutes before the half the Orange and Black increased their lead to two. O’Toole received the ball from McSherry and hit a banger from the eighteen-yard line that arced perfectly into the top left corner, bringing the score to 2–0. To finish off the half, the Tigers went on the counterattack in the last minute with a great ball, over Harvard’s defenders, to McSherry who was alone against the Crim-
Stat of the Day
1995
Football’s win over Harvard gave the Tigers a perfect 6-0 start to the season. A tally they haven’t reached since 1995.
Freese. A minute later though, the ball found its way past Freese. O’Toole capitalized on a dribble by junior midfielder Benjamin Martin, who was tackled in the box by Harvard. The ball found its way to O’Toole who hit one into the top right corner, out of Freese’s reach for the Tigers’ final goal of the game. Princeton’s clean sheet was almost disrupted in the 72nd minute, when Harvard’s GarciaMorillo broke away from Tiger defenders. Goalie Jacob Schachner, a junior, saved Garcia-Morillos shot, saving the Tigers from a Crimson goal. The second half saw Princeton with ten shots to Harvard’s seven. Both teams’ goalies were more active in the half — Harvard’s keeper had five saves while Schachner had three. The Tigers had three corners while Harvard had none, and six yellow cards to the Crimson’s five. Princeton is 43–41–9 all time against Harvard with the rivalry starting in 1909. The Tigers are now atop the Ivy League with three wins, no losses and a draw — the last undefeated Ivy team this season. Cornell and Columbia are right behind the team with three wins and a loss each. With three games left, the Tigers find themselves in a good position to take the Ivy Championship. Next weekend the team will take on Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
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