Good morning!

The University awarded Austin Davis ’23 and Ella Gantman ’23 the 2023 Pyne Prize, the highest general distinction given to undergraduates. Davis is pursuing a history major and a certificate in urban studies. Gantman is majoring in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and obtaining a certificate in Spanish language and culture.

A 'Prince' analysis of the recipients of the prize in the past notes some common trends: PAAs, Shapiro Prize Winners and, more recently, a shift towards USG elected officials. In 2021, Guest Contributor Daniel Te noted that the USG President was also a frequent recipient of the 1903 Prize, given to a senior who has contributed significantly to the campus community. Davis is the former USG Academics Chair, and his predecessor as USG academics chair was also a recipient of the prize. A push by the USG academics committee was central to a major campus change: the introduction of departmental minors to Princeton, starting Fall 2023.

The Pyne Prize was established in 1921 in remembrance of the life and character of Moses Taylor Pyne, Class of 1877, Trustee of Princeton 1884–1921. As described by Dean of Undergraduate Studies Kathleen Deignan, the prize celebrates seniors who exhibited “excellence in scholarship, character, and effective support” during their time at Princeton. Previous recipients of the Pyne Prize include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor ’76 and former University president President Robert F. Goheen ’40. 

READ THE ARTICLE →

Analysis by Jacqueline Zhou

Today's Briefing

Witherspoon sees construction delays, more projects planned: In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell describes upcoming projects along Witherspoon Street. According to Purcell, construction of the block closest to campus should be completed by Mar. 3, though additional construction down the street will continue at least into 2024. Another project that will add a new traffic light and extended sidewalks to the intersection of Witherspoon and Nassau Streets will begin Feb. 28. In an email to the ‘Prince,’ town Councilmember David Cohen characterized the projects as an important step in “rebalancing our public rights of way to serve all users – not just drivers, but also pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and customers of adjacent businesses.”

READ THE STORY →

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences shuts down rumors that COS B.S.E. is being eliminated: In light of rumors that the University planned to eliminate the Computer Science B.S.E. concentration, professors in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences told the 'Prince’ there are no plans to change the program. Computer science is the most popular concentration at the University, and it is the only one that allows students to choose either an A.B. or B.S.E. degree. Most computer science students are in the B.S.E. program, which differs from the A.B. program in its prerequisites and independent work. “We are puzzled why we periodically hear such rumors, and explain that they are not true — only to have them re-emerge on a frustratingly regular basis,” computer science department chair Szymon Rusinkiewicz wrote to the ‘Prince.’

READ THE STORY →

OPINION | George Santos is my congressman. I’m fighting to get him out.

Aidan Davis ’26, a member of the steering committee for Concerned Citizens of NY-03 (CCNY03), documents his determination to remove embattled congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office. Elected in Nov. 2022, Rep. Santos was found to have “fabricated large swatches of his résumé, including where he went to school, where he worked, and even where he lived.” Davis writes about his experience joining CCNY03, culminating in the group traveling to Washington, D.C. where he gave a speech calling for Santos’s removal. “We do not only exist in the Princeton bubble,” Davis writes. “Our voices matter.”

More from Opinion:

Outdoor Action can only improve when more students see the value of being a leader: Head humor editor Liana Slomka, co-chair of the Outdoor Action (OA) Leader Trainer Committee, calls on more students to become OA leaders. This year, Slomka writes, the expanded first-year class size caused OA groups to be bigger than in past years — as a result, groups were “less tight-knit” and unable to receive the permits necessary to go backcountry camping.  “OA is still a strong program, providing valuable group bonding and outdoor experiences, but with more leaders, it could return to the flourishing program it once was: a program where groups of no more than 10 first-years connected with each other, developed wilderness skills, and learned from their leaders about the Princeton community.”

At your leisure

• SPORTS: 
  • Staff Picks: Women’s Basketball vs. Harvard
  • Staff Picks: Men's Basketball at Harvard
• PROSPECT: One year since the war began
  • One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Staff Writer Sofiia Shapovalova writes about her inner turmoil as an Ukrainian immigrant to America and the lens through which she now views the war. 
• FEATURES: Princeton’s energy grid transforms right beneath campus’s feet
  • Campus Energy Plant Manager Ted Borer describes the process of transitioning the University’s cogeneration plant to a more efficient geo-exchange system. While doing so, the University will continue to run the cogeneration plant. Borer compares this process to “changing the wheels on the bus while we’re going down the road at full speed.”
• HUMOR: University establishes new flexible holiday plan: Prayer Points
• PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode of Daybreak, The Daily Princetonian’s daily news podcast.