Today's Briefing:

LABYRINTH BOOKS TO HOLD UNION ELECTION: As customers entered Labyrinth Books at opening on Dec. 21, employees at Labyrinth Books gathered on the store floor on Nassau Street and announced their intention to unionize. The owners of Labyrinth decided not recognized the union, meaning an election will be held to formally establish the union. Organizers with the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) are confident that the simple majority needed to unionize Labyrinth employees will support unionization. Labyrinth is deeply connected to the Princeton community and viewed as a vital local establishment by its customers. Employees say their unionization efforts reflect their commitment to improving Labyrinth while maintaining its community importance.

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OPINION | DEI: What bureaucrats and the right get wrong

Christofer Robles ’25 criticizes Princeton University for its inadequate approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), highlighting the University’s failure to effectively address both right-wing criticism and progressive demands for more substantial DEI initiatives. He argues that Princeton and similar institutions often treat DEI superficially, as a compliance checkbox. Robles advocates for a deeper, more holistic integration of DEI principles, challenging universities to move beyond tepid responses and towards robustly championing of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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DATA | 11,920 registrations, 521 events, and 14 days. We broke down Wintersession 2024.

Wintersession 2024 at Princeton University, held from Jan. 15 to Jan. 28, offers 521 diverse events, including trips to museums, Mah Jong introductions, and yoga sessions, all open to students, faculty, and staff. The annual occasion, funded by the Office of Campus Engagement, began as a USG initiative and has grown significantly since. This year’s Wintersession features a variety of courses across different categories, with notable events like a performance by Hypnotist Chris Jones and an interview with actor Nick Offerman. Wintersession off-campus trips are also subject to a new policy that will charge students $50 if they fail to show up to the trips they sign up for. While most events have developed waitlists, the “How-to” category remains the most popular. 

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SPORTS | At Princeton and beyond, hockey discusses neck guard mandates in wake of deadly accident in England

Following the tragic death of professional ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who suffered injuries to his neck by a skate blade during an Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) game in England, calls to implement neck guard mandates to protect players from skate laceration injuries have grown louder. At Princeton, men’s ice hockey head coach Ron Fogarty has come out in support of such a mandate if implemented by the NCAA. Hesitation amongst players to wear neck guards may be due to the issue of in-game comfort, though currently, the high cost of neck guards may also be a concern. As of early December, only one Princeton Tiger wears a neck guard.

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