October 22, 2018

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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

WEATHER

By Marissa Michaels

HIGH

54˚

LOW

43˚

Mostly sunny chance of rain:

0 percent


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