Today’s Briefing:
After 10 months of furlough, some of Princeton’s contract workers have been invited back to work through the spring. Restaurant Associates, a contracted catering company that serves multiple on-campus dining and cafe venues, had indefinitely furloughed at least 50 employees in early March last year, with several employees reporting that they struggled to pay for basic living necessities.
In early January, furloughed workers were invited back to campus temporarily in order to help distribute food to students during arrival quarantine. Only twenty of the originally furloughed workers returned, with some hoping that their temporary employment would be prolonged.
Last week, in an email to ‘The Prince,’ University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss confirmed that workers will continue to work at the University throughout the spring semester.
“We appreciate the contributions the RA [Restaurant Associates] staff have made during the arrival quarantine period for returning undergraduates and are happy to say we have arranged with RA for their staff to continue to work on campus throughout the spring semester,” he wrote.
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With the beginning of the spring semester on Monday, Feb. 1, Chitra Parikh ’21 completed her term as the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President. In a year defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Parikh oversaw the transition to remote learning and spearheaded initiatives that sought to collect student input on USG matters and mental health reform.
When Parikh began her term, she outlined several priorities for her campaign, including mental health, Title IX reform, and sustainability. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic drastically compromised USG’s ability to make progress on these issues, Parikh maintained strong leadership by administering Student Input Surveys and contributing to the creation of resources like the Mental Health Guidebook, a comprehensive guide for University students.
Christian Potter ’22, the incoming USG President, said that Parikh cultivated strong relationships with administrators.
“She had their trust because [the University administration] knew she was there to deliver for the student body.”
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Jeff Bezos ’86 announced on Feb. 2 that he would be stepping down from his central role as CEO of Amazon. The multibillionaire wrote in a parting memo to employees that he plans to serve as the company’s Executive Chair and continue investing in the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, and the Day 1 Fund. Andy Jaffy, the chief of Amazon’s computing cloud division, will succeed him as CEO of the e-commerce giant.
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Opinion Columnist Genrietta Churbanova underscores the losses introduced by the (rightful) suspension of international research and study abroad programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has stifled the production of cross-cultural exchange and global cooperation on several fronts.
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