N.J. to give electoral votes electors to winner of popular vote
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed legislation last Sunday that will give New Jersey's 15 electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote in the 2008 presidential election.
New Jersey follows Maryland as the second state to enter into a compact that would diminish the Electoral College's constitutional power to choose the president. The agreement will only take effect if a critical mass of states — amounting to a majority of the votes in the College — agree to it. A candidate currently needs 270 of the 538 votes to win the White House.
Proponents say the agreement ensures that all states are competitive and makes every vote important. But the measure could mean that a state's electoral votes go to a candidate who was not supported by a majority of the state's voters. New Jersey voters have backed the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1988.
Republican State Assemblyman Richard Merkt called the legislation a "constitutional travesty" in an interview with the Associated Press, echoing other members of his party who argued that the bill undermines federal elections.
The measure has passed both houses of the Illinois legislature and has been approved by one legislative house in Arkansas, Colorado and North Carolina. Governors in California and Hawaii both vetoed bills requiring their states to join the compact.
Adelman to lead new international council
The University has appointed history department chair Jeremy Adelman as the inaugural director of Princeton's Council on International Teaching and Research.
The council was created last fall to lead international endeavors at the University. It will oversee the distribution of resources to support international projects, review policies for establishing international partnerships and monitor the University's progress in meeting international objectives. The council will be housed in Frick Hall after the relocation of the chemistry department to its new building.
Adelman co-chaired President Tilghman's Advisory Committee on Internationalization, which made several recommendations for how the University should respond to globalization, including improving study abroad offerings and strengthening collaborative relationships with scholars at academic institutions around the world.
Adelman, Tilghman and Provost Christopher Eisgruber '83 will select the 11-member council, and the University is also seeking a new associate or vice provost for international initiatives, who will serve as the council's secretary.
Adelman is the Walter Samuel Carpenter professor in Spanish civilization and culture. He has chaired the history department since 2004 and will remain in the position through the end of the academic year, when his successor will be named. He also directed the Program in Latin American Studies from 1997 to 2001.
U. expands coin collection
The University has purchased over 800 Medieval Greek coins dating from the 13th and 14th centuries from London businessman Theo Sarmas.
The acquisition of the Eastern Mediterranean coins makes Princeton the first generally accessible research repository of Greek coins from the late Middle Ages, as no other institution in the world currently permits study of those types of coins by members of the public.
Alan Stahl, curator of the University Numismatic Collection, told The Times of Trenton that the amount of purchase was "well in the six figures," though the full cost remains undisclosed. The acquisition was funded by the numismatic collection, with matching funds contributed by the Program in Hellenic Studies. The program is supported by the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund.
Most of the coins are silver or a silver-copper alloy called billon, but the collection also includes a few dozen gold coins, which are among its most valuable pieces. These coins serve as primary sources that make "Princeton an unrivaled resource for the study of a coinage about which there are many unanswered questions," Stahl said.
Edwards '04 hit by drunk driver
Cate Edwards '04 was struck from behind by an alleged drunk driver but did not sustain any significant injuries while driving her own vehicle in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Friday afternoon.
Edwards, 25, is the eldest daughter of presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.). A student at Harvard Law School, she has been helping with her father's presidential campaign.
Edwards' 2007 Ford Sedan suffered an estimated $2,000 worth of damage. Chapel Hill police charged 45-year-old Carol Small of Durham with driving while intoxicated, and CNN reported that Small's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. Small, who was not injured, was also cited for failing to reduce speed and operating a vehicle in a negligent manner. The Orange County court clerk's office set a court date for March 4.
In 1996, the Edwards' 16-year-old son, Wade, died when a gust of wind blew his Jeep off the road and caused it to flip over while he was driving to the beach with a friend.
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