News

Report: U. green efforts get B minus

The University received an overall grade of B minus for environmental sustainability from the Sustainable Endowments Institute, an organization that monitors the green practices of the nation's wealthiest universities.The institute released its College Sustainability Report Card last month on the campus environmental practices and endowment policies of the 100 richest universities in the United States and Canada, and Princeton was listed among 25 "Campus Sustainability Leaders" along with five other Ivy League schools."We believe that it's difficult for rating and ranking systems to capture the distinctiveness of any institution's efforts," University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said in an e-mail.She explained that the University has long had policies in place regarding sustainability and climate change, but that "these early efforts are often not credited by ranking systems that focus on new initiatives."The institute rated schools on seven categories, including administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, endowment transparency, investment priorities and shareholder engagement.The University received grades of D for both endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.In the area of shareholder engagement, the Institute criticized the lack of student and faculty involvement in the University's investment decision making.Currently, Princeton's investment managers handle proxy voting for securities, and University administrators vote on issues of social concern for mutual funds and proxies.The University's low marks for endowment transparency derive mainly from the inaccessibility of proxy voting records ? they are only available to the University Resources Committee.

Ex-USG pres. returns with his class

Fifth-graders from P.S. 70 in the Bronx crowded the lobby of Frist Campus Center yesterday during a visit aimed to convince them that, eventually, they might enter through FitzRandolph Gate not as visitors but as students.Former USG president Leslie-Bernard Joseph '06, who now works for Teach for America in the Bronx, brought his class to Princeton for a field trip in conjunction with the Black Student Union's Leadership and Mentoring Program.

Scarred by segregation

One day more than four decades ago, a white boy boarded a bus in Knoxville, Tenn., with his African-American nanny.

At GS, parents criticize daycare rules

More than 100 graduate students and faculty have signed a petition blasting the University's policy on child care subsidies.

Apps up eight percent for Class of 2011

The Admission Office received an all-time record number of undergraduate applications for the third year in a row, with 18,891 students choosing to apply for the Class of 2011.

Outage illuminates crisis plans

While University officials scrambled to collect cots and toiletries for displaced undergraduates in the hours after the Jan.

Ex-presidential aide: Bush critics too quiet

A onetime confidante to four U.S. presidents railed against the silence of the "rational center" ? the news editors, think tank analysts and politicians who privately doubt the Bush administration's policies but say nothing publicly ? during a lecture yesterday in Robertson Hall.Former Republican adviser Stefan Halper, who served presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and H.

Skates on a Lake

Coming back with a new worldview

When Jonathan Sweemer '08 returned to campus this month, he brought with him memories, memorabilia and a brand new worldview from the other side of the globe.Sweemer, who spent the last few months in South Korea, is among the many students who have recently returned to the University after participating in one of Princeton's study abroad programs.The returning students said that seeing the world from new perspectives made them realize that some beliefs ingrained in American culture may not be shared elsewhere.Kiri Hagerman '08 said she gained a fresh outlook on people from North Africa and the Middle East.

WWS adds scholars to initiative

The Wilson School announced last week that it will expand its Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative (SINSI) next year in a bid to attract more students to careers in government service.The program will offer 10 scholarships instead of the original five announced last year.

Textbook delivery agency launches with few orders

Starting this semester, students can bypass chafed fingers and sore arms when they buy textbooks ? for a price.For 15 percent of the total book cost and $5 for delivery, students can fill out an order form from the newly formed Textbook and Pequod Delivery Agency website to have their books delivered to their dorm rooms.Dave Baker '08 and Claire Rein-Weston '07 conceived of the idea after a summer brainstorming session.

The politics of an extension

For Kiri Hagerman '08, the winter of her freshman year brought with it the usual end-of-semester exam stress and some unexpected health problems.

Back from war

Team gears up for hi-tech race

A team of University students is gearing up to compete once again in a competition that involves creating and racing high-tech robotic cars.Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a research arm of the Department of Defense, this year's competition ? dubbed the DARPA Urban Challenge ? is the first to follow the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, in which the students also competed. It will take place Nov.

University researchers 'shut down' HIV

University molecular biology professor Thomas Shenk and postdoctorate researcher Leor Weinberger have discovered a way to force human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, into a latent state.The immediate significance of the research is that scientists may be able to "shut down" HIV viruses, rendering them dormant if not eliminating them.The HIV virus usually infects cells and forces them to create more copies of the virus, killing the cells in the process.Under other conditions, however, it may become latent.

Faculty members mourn deaths of colleagues

University professors remembered three colleagues who died in recent months during their faculty meeting yesterday.Administrators and faculty members at the meeting observed a moment of silence for each of the late professors: Ricardo Krauel, assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Walter Duane Lockard, professor of politics and Dudley Saville, professor of chemical engineering.Professor Angel Loureiro remembered his former colleague Krauel, who died of cancer in November, as an "extremely hardworking, professional and committed," with a "natural positive attitude.""He was, without a doubt, an emerging star in his field," Loureiro said.

USG web portal relaunches following facelift

Point ? the USG-run website that provides information about campus events and serves as a hub for student dialogue ? was down for redesign over Intersession but is now running again, sporting a new layout.After the site went back online at noon yesterday, it continued to experience technical difficulties and was inaccessible at times, though USG officers said the problems would soon be remedied.There were no technical problems with the old version of Point, USG president Rob Biederman '08 and USG webmaster Dan O'Shea '09 said.

Posters torn from Street lampposts

By Sunday evening, all the posters hung on Prospect Avenue by University Health Services peer education groups had been removed, as had most of the posters hung at other locations across campus.Posters were put up around the Street on Sunday between 11 a.m.

Rocky gets a new master

English professor Jeff Nunokawa has been named acting master of Rockefeller College for the 2007-08 school year, the University announced Monday.It also identified Nunokawa's successor as religion professor Marie Griffith.

University Library joins Google Book Search

The University Library and Google have agreed on a six-year contract to make the full text of about one million books from the library available online through Google Book Search.The partnership, which has been in development for about 18 months, is led by University Librarian Karin Trainer, Deputy University Librarian Marvin Bielawski and University Provost Christopher Eisgruber '83.