Today’s Briefing: 

Students, professors, and alumni have shared their thoughts about what the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chavin means for racial justice. Omar Wasow, Assistant Professor of Politics, wrote that “any analysis that tries to say ‘victory’ or ‘loss’ on any one moment is missing the degree to which this is going to be playing out for decades.” The University has also created a list of events and resources about the case.

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On Monday, April 26, the University released new guidelines pertaining to travel restrictions for the summer. Students considered “low-risk” will no longer be required to obtain additional permission for University-sponsored domestic travel in the United States, according to a memo emailed to the University community. These guidelines will officially go into effect on May 24 and do not apply to international travel.

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During the last USG Senate meeting of the school year, five committee chairs presented their progress reports and plans for next year, including the: University Social Life Committee, Sustainability Committee, Academics Committee, Campus and Community Affairs Committee, and Social Committee. Charles An ’22 was also confirmed as the Chair for the new TigerApps Committee.  

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Yesterday, a University announcement revealed that Taishi Nakase ’21 and Lucy Wang ’21 will serve as Valedictorian and Salutatorian, respectively, for the Class of 2021. Both students have been awarded the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence and plan on attending medical school. Nakase is concentrating in Operations Research and Financial Engineering while Wang is concentrating in Chemistry and is pursuing a certificate in Classics with a focus on Ancient Roman Language and Culture.

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Divest Princeton

• In response to the revelations that the bones of the MOVE bombing victims were used in a course taught by a Princeton professor, 59 faculty members demand that the University adopt restorative courses of action to compensate for the harm done to the victims’ families. They argue that the use of these bones for a Princeton-sponsored online course constitutes an ethical violation that necessitates both an apology and an investigation into the circumstances that rendered these violations possible.

• Contributing Columnist Dillon Gallagher ’23 argues that the University has neglected its students this school year by truncating spring break and maintaining heightened academic standards amid an academic year defined by the challenges of the global pandemic. He notes that the University has failed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students despite a record-high number of CPS appointments and prevalent complaints of burnout. Gallagher writes that “the University’s response to the pandemic has been defined by an incessant prodding of students to perform, a lack of transparency, and a purely reactive attempt at response.”

• Guest Contributor Daniel Te ’21 writes a follow-up to his column last week, encouraging seniors to consider nominating “everyday heroes” for the 1903 Prize. Building on the feedback he received, Te offers suggestions for how awards can be improved to better recognize contributions from seniors both in and out of student government. 

At Your Leisure:

• SPORTS: The NBA has recently hired another Princeton alumnus, James Cadogan ’03, as the first Executive Director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. In a press release, Cadogan noted, “The Social Justice Coalition cements the NBA family’s commitment to civic engagement and policy action at a crucial moment in our nation.”
• MULTIMEDIA: If you are looking to take a study break, tune in to the latest episode of Daybreak.
• CROSSWORD: Try your hand at this week’s crossword puzzle, “Capitalized,” devised by Contributing Constructor Henry Herrington. Read the associated commentary by Puzzles Co-Head Editor Gabriel Robare here.