Volume LXX, Number 15
www.towntopics.com
Anti-Semitic Beer Pong Shakes Community, Draws Strong Response
Communiversity Coming April 17. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 YWCA Princeton Hosts 7th Annual Stand Against Racism . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Boheme Opera Presents Solid Performance of Carmen . . . . . . . . . . 20 PU Men’s Lax Battles Hard in Loss to Stony Brook . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 PHS Baseball Defeats Notre Dame . . . . . . . . 36
Noriko Manabe Has Written a Book About Protest Music After Fukushima . . . . . . . . . 14 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 30 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Classified Ads . . . . . . . 44 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Music/Theater . . . . . . 20 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 42 Police Blotter . . . . . . 12 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 44 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Spring Home Starts on Page 23
As the town and the high school confront difficult questions about underage drinking, anti-semitism, and the effects of social media, the Princeton Police Department (PPD) continues to investigate last week’s “Nazis v Jews” beer pong incident, which involved a number of Princeton High School students. “We are investigating who provided alcohol to the minors,” stated Lieutenant Jon Bucchere of the PPD. It is not a criminal violation for minors to possess and consume alcohol on private property, he added, so “many times these cases are hard to prove.” Nobody, according to Mr. Bucchere, has come forward as a victim in the incident, and there have been no charges of harassment or anti-semitism. The Police Department became aware of the incident on Friday when they received an anonymous tip. They continue to investigate and follow up on leads, but to prove criminal culpability they must have evidence of who provided the alcohol or of an adult who knowingly made available a place for underage drinking. A photo of the beer pong game, showing seven high school students around a table, on which are numerous cans of Coors Light beer and cups arranged in a design of a swastika at one end of the table and a Star of David at the other, had been circulating on social media for several days. This particular anti-semitic and “profoundly offensive” version of the beer pong drinking game has been around for at least five years, according to the AntiDefamation League, its “over-the-top insensitivities” include allowing the “Jews” to hide one of their cups as the “Anne Frank” cup and the “Nazi” team to “Auschwitz” their opponents, requiring one of the players to temporarily sit out. The School Board responded strongly to the incident, stating, “Princeton Public Schools do not tolerate prejudices of any kind. Clearly we have work to do. The issues we are presented with — bias, ethnic insensitivity, underage alcohol abuse, and inappropriate social media use — are neither new nor unique to Princeton, but this incident has brought them into sharp focus. T h o u g h p o s s i b l e d i s c i p linar y consequences for the students involved Continued on Page 8
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Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Making History: Council Approves Witherspoon-Jackson
It was an historic moment. On Monday evening after more than three hours of public hearings and significant controversy and debate among Council members, the Princeton Council passed, by a 5-0 vote, an ordinance to create the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic Preservation District. Though acknowledging pros and cons of the ordinance and the uncertainties of its impact on the community, councilman Bernie Miller strongly urged the creation of this “unique historic district.” “If not now, when?” he questioned. “It’s time to move forward. This neighborhood is important because of what happened here. Witherspoon-Jackson is recognized as a place with a story to tell. We need to recognize those residents who are already well known and those who are not well known. The time to recognize that is now.” Council President Lance Liverman listened from the audience but recused himself from the discussion and vote because he owns property on Quarry Street in the neighborhood. Other council members expressed a number of concerns about the ordinance, both before and after about 25 members
of the public voiced their opinions on designation of the historic district. Almost all the speakers supported the idea of the Historic District, and most urged approval of the ordinance, but warnings of “unintended consequences” and the need for more preparation were expressed repeatedly. Citing the possibility of increased expenses for homeowners, councilman Patrick Simon cautioned, “Our goal of recognizing history and our goal of protecting people may be in conflict here.”
Despite his worries that the council needs to do more work to investigate the impact of the ordinance, to impose more specific guidelines and to explore how to mitigate possible costs, Mr. Simon acknowledged his support for the importance of the neighborhood and the spirit of the ordinance, and he eventually voted in favor. Council member Jo Butler also hesitated before supporting the ordinance, with concerns about costs and the lack of Continued on Page 12
Scholars Discuss Wilson’s Complex Legacy, As University Strives for Greater Inclusion A panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs last Friday brought together four distinguished scholars to “provide an educational and panoramic view of the many aspects of Woodrow Wilson’s life and career.” Earlier in the week a trustee committee, charged with examining the Wilson legacy, had announced that Wilson’s name would not be removed from the Wilson residence college or the School
of Public and International Affairs, despite a recent outcry over Wilson’s views and actions on race. The Board did, however, call for “an expanded and more vigorous commitment to diversity and inclusion at Princeton,” in pursuing several specific initiatives. Last Friday’s panel included Chad Williams, 2004 Princeton alumnus and associate professor and chair of the Continued on Page 7
A MAGICAL MATHEMATICAL KINGDOM: Named for the kingdom in “The Phantom Tollbooth,” the Cotsen Children’s Library’s Digitopolis is shown in full swing at the Frick Chemistry Building Saturday . Kids describe their favorite things in this week’s Town Talk . (Photo by Emily Reeves)