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Would-be alumni find fame even without Princeton degrees

Would-be alumni find fame even without Princeton degrees

At some point in their first year of college, all students wish they were somewhere else. Anywhere else.And at that point, some fraction of students decides that even the prestige of the University's seal on that diploma isn't worth the long, rocky road it takes to obtain it.After all, Princeton students have class years tacked on the end of their names until the end of time, whether they complete a triumphant march out FitzRandolph Gate or not.Never fear.

NEWS | 07/14/2002

Stories of 20th century heroes:

Stories of 20th century heroes:

When A. Scott Berg '71 danced off stage following the Princeton Triangle Club's 1969 performance of "Call a Spade a Shovel," the curtain seemed destined to fall on his Princeton career.Backstage, at the Lincoln Center, the talented writer-performer ? then a junior at the University ? was approached by three agents who sought to represent the rising actor and to secure him a place among Hollywood's young stars.Berg, the son of a television writer and producer and resident of Los Angeles since he was seven years old, entertained thoughts of pursuing a career in show business.But University English professor Carlos Baker convinced Berg ? who had already begun his senior thesis research on Maxwell Perkins, then editor-in-chief of the publishing company Charles Scribner's Sons ? to finish his role as a student."He said, 'Scott, you were the star of the Triangle show this year, wouldn't you like to be the star of the English department next year?' " Berg recalled.Stardom for Berg ? the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner for his biography "Lindbergh" on the aviator Charles Lindbergh ? would come not in the wings of the theater, but in the words that would fly from his pen. Sitting at a table by the window on the dining level of Frist Campus Center, Berg reflected on his Princeton experience and the distinguished writing career that followed, taking flight after he published "Max Perkins: Editor of Genius." The bestselling biography based on his senior thesis research earned Berg the prestigious National Book Award in 1978 ? an early stop on his road map to literary success."I suddenly had a career," Berg explained, while returning the greetings of his fellow orange-and-black-clad trustees, who paused to offer warm hellos.As much as Berg's author status seemed to fall effortlessly into place, his career had been preparing for takeoff since his freshman year.

NEWS | 07/14/2002
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An emergent activism on campus is capturing students' attention

An emergent activism on campus is capturing students' attention

Members of the current generation of Princeton undergraduates ? often deemed apathetic when compared to their predecessors in the tumultuous 1960s and '70s or with peers from other colleges ? have raised their voices in the last few years in a sometimes halting, sometimes hesitant ? but nonetheless audible chorus of activism and outrage.After several months of student and worker activism, President Shapiro and the Priorities Committee announced the allocation of nearly $2 million to increase salaries of the University's lowest paid employees this Spring.The Workers Rights Organizing Committee formed in the fall to examine the University's treatment of such workers as custodians, maintenance personnel, dining hall employees and library staffers.After its first rally in January, WROC organized several demonstrations during campus-wide social activities, after the press conference announcing the new president and even on weekend nights at the 'Street.'In addition, USG ran its own campaign to urge students to respect the staff.The workers were targeted for increases following PriCom's finding that they were receiving compensation packages below or near market values.Shapiro earmarked nearly $400,000 ? his remaining balance of the President's discretionary fund ? while PriCom recommended providing up to $1.5 million to further increase salaries next year. Anti-sweatshop movementIn 1999, the anti-sweatshop movement ? which seeks to guarantee that college apparel is not being produced by laborers working in substandard conditions ? caught fire on campus and seemed to herald a renewed spirit of Princetonian activism.Still, though the word "sweatshop" seemed to be everywhere last year ? on posters along McCosh Walk, on the pages of campus publications and even on the lips of Princeton's notoriously apathetic undergraduates ? the anti-sweatshop movement has faded on campus this year, though it continues to draw attention at colleges nationwide."There are a lot of ambivalent feelings about the campaign at this point," said Brian White '00, a member of Students for Progressive Education and Action, the group that led Princeton's anti-sweatshop movement.White was among the leaders of a February 1999 rally in Firestone Plaza at which protesters demanded the University agree to labor standards for the manufacture of Princeton shirts, hats and other apparel.In White's eyes, the anti-sweatshop movement at Princeton ran out of gas for a host of reasons, the most prominent of which was that the debate became more nuanced and difficult for students to follow."The issues were simpler back then," White said of last year.

NEWS | 07/15/2001

Young artists release creative energies in many ways

Young artists release creative energies in many ways

From feminist plays to poetry readings to dance performances to roaring musicals, Princeton has it all for the attentive "culture vulture." TheaterPerforming arts at Princeton include a wealth of activities, but one of the areas with the widest participation is theater.Two student-run theater groups, Triangle Club and Theatre-Intime (pronounced "onteem"), have long traditions of putting on entertaining and engaging dramatic productions.During Orientation Week, Triangle Club presents a collage of some of its best numbers from recent years in a show that has become a Princeton tradition.

NEWS | 07/15/2001

Stories of 20th century heroes:

Stories of 20th century heroes:

When A. Scott Berg '71 danced off stage following the Princeton Triangle Club's 1969 performance of "Call a Spade a Shovel," the curtain seemed destined to fall on his Princeton career.Backstage, at the Lincoln Center, the talented writer-performer ? then a junior at the University ? was approached by three agents who sought to represent the rising actor and to secure him a place among Hollywood's young stars.Berg, the son of a television writer and producer and resident of Los Angeles since he was seven years old, entertained thoughts of pursuing a career in show business.But University English professor Carlos Baker convinced Berg ? who had already begun his senior thesis research on Maxwell Perkins, then editor-in-chief of the publishing company Charles Scribner's Sons ? to finish his role as a student."He said, 'Scott, you were the star of the Triangle show this year, wouldn't you like to be the star of the English department next year?' " Berg recalled.Stardom for Berg ? the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner for his biography "Lindbergh" on the aviator Charles Lindbergh ? would come not in the wings of the theater, but in the words that would fly from his pen. Sitting at a table by the window on the dining level of Frist Campus Center, Berg reflected on his Princeton experience and the distinguished writing career that followed, taking flight after he published "Max Perkins: Editor of Genius." The bestselling biography based on his senior thesis research earned Berg the prestigious National Book Award in 1978 ? an early stop on his road map to literary success."I suddenly had a career," Berg explained, while returning the greetings of his fellow orange-and-black-clad trustees, who paused to offer warm hellos.As much as Berg's author status seemed to fall effortlessly into place, his career had been preparing for takeoff since his freshman year.

NEWS | 07/15/2001

Would-be alumni find fame even without Princeton degrees

Would-be alumni find fame even without Princeton degrees

At some point in their first year of college, all students wish they were somewhere else. Anywhere else.And at that point, some fraction of students decides that even the prestige of the University's seal on that diploma isn't worth the long, rocky road it takes to obtain it.After all, Princeton students have class years tacked on the end of their names until the end of time, whether they complete a triumphant march out FitzRandolph Gate or not.Never fear.

NEWS | 07/15/2001

Nassau Hall: A centerpiece for the campus, a landmark for the nation

Nassau Hall: A centerpiece for the campus, a landmark for the nation

Surviving nearly 250 years of fires, wars and rowdy Princeton students, Nassau Hall still stands as a symbol of the history and traditions of the University.Not only does it house administrative offices, its sturdy walls contain numerous stories and legends ? some truths, some myths ? that will never die. In the beginningNassau Hall, which took two years to build, was the largest stone structure in the colonies when it was completed in 1756.Princeton's trustees wanted to name the University's first building in honor of Jonathan Belcher, the governor of New Jersey who obtained community support for the college.

NEWS | 07/15/2001

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