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Adam Barr '88 writes about his experience working for Microsoft

Adam Barr '88 writes about his experience working for Microsoft

Looking down from the highest cliff on the digital mountain, then-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates described to the business savvy world of 1996 the past, and what might be the future, of the internet in his first book "The Road Ahead."Last year, after a decade of working as a developer for Gates, Adam Barr '88 published his own perspective, "Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Learned in Ten Years as a Microsoft Programmer."In the book, Barr explains how Microsoft works on the inside, and how Microsoft's business practices that he knew helped the company to reach success on the outside. Barr's first impression of Microsoft was his grueling job interview with them shortly after graduating from Princeton.

NEWS | 04/24/2001

Dormnet to be included in room fees

Beginning next fall, a reduced Dormnet service fee of $130 will be incorporated into students' basic dormitory rates.

NEWS | 04/24/2001

Wendy Kopp '89 speaks about Teach for America

Wendy Kopp '89 believes in the power of the big idea.The founder and president of Teach for America, Kopp spoke in Dodds Auditorium yesterday about how she turned her senior thesis ? a plan to send recent college graduates to teach at schools in low-income neighborhoods ? into a non-profit organization that has sent more than 6,000 recent college graduates to teach in 15 low-income areas since its inception."The idea wasn't to create this little non-profit organization," Kopp said.

NEWS | 04/24/2001

Horowitz to debate Lewis on reparations for slavery

In an effort to foster a dialogue on slave reparations among students, Whig-Clio is hosting a debate between David Horowitz and Dorothy B.

NEWS | 04/24/2001

U-Council elects executive members

Adam Dressner '02 and Josh Anderson '04 were elected yesterday to serve as executive members of the Council of the Princeton University Community.

NEWS | 04/24/2001

Stories of 20th century heroes: Biographer A. Scott Berg '71

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 best-selling 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 take-off since his freshman year.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Pride Alliance forced to relocate

The Princeton Pride Alliance's constitution states that one of its goals is to "represent the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning members of the community at Princeton University" and to "be active in campus politics in order to promote [the interests]" of those students.And the alliance has done just that from its office in Aaron Burr Hall for almost 20 years.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Final round of Prospects yields ideas for arts centers, more inclusive 'Street'

Imagine walking along a giant strip of green grass stretching over the entire length of Prospect Avenue, or whirling around on a giant swing overlooking campus on a warm Saturday night.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Professors Starr, Wilentz explore future of Democratic Party politics

While on the surface the path to progressive politics may look grim, participants in a panel Sunday night titled, "The Democratic Party at a Crossroads ? Which Way to a Progressive Future?" discussed possibilities for a more promising future and reasons why the Republicans might be the cause of their own demise.Co-sponsored by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization and Princeton University Democrats, the panel included sociology professor Paul Starr, who is co-editor of "The American Prospect," history professor Sean Wilentz, who is a contributing editor of "The New Republic," and Iver Peterson, a political columnist for The New York Times.Opening up the discussion, President of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization Andrew Koontz said the idea for the panel grew out of an argument with the organization's previous chair over the success of the past president."[The previous chair] said that Bill Clinton was worse than a Republican," Koontz said.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Week devoted to sexual violence awareness

Purple is the color of April ? and the shade of the ribbons being distributed among the University community to publicize Sexual Violence Awareness Month.The Organization of Women Leaders, Take Back the Night, SHARE and the Department of Public Safety are sponsoring several events this week to promote this cause."This is part of a national and international movement," said Women's Center director Susan Overton."We want this week to prepare people, to get them started talking about the issue," said Nancy Ippolito '03, co-founder and co-president of OWL.Murray-Dodge Cafe hosted an open-mic coffeehouse Sunday, showcasing songs, poetry and stories on themes of women's awareness.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Princeton-Columbia research project explores family dynamics, welfare

Researchers at Princeton and Columbia University recently completed the first portion of a $17 million study investigating the effect of government welfare and child-support policies on children and families.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Senior mini-courses offer Class of 2001 new learning opportunities

Members of the Class of 2001 have spent the past several months in Firestone Library carrels and in chemistry labs, poring over books and data and producing page after page of thesis work.

NEWS | 04/23/2001

Entrepreneurship club awards $10,000 in business plan contest

The Princeton Entrepreneurship Club awarded $10,000 to the top three teams in its 3rd annual Business Plan Contest held Saturday in Dodds Auditorium.Of the 10 teams submitting proposals, Power Silence ? boasting patented technology for better power regulation ? was awarded the $5,000 first prize.Mark Holveck '01, one of five Power Silence team members, said his team had the edge due to a superior understanding of the market for its product."Power was a different industry that most people don't really study," he said.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Sixth residential college location set

The University Board of Trustees approved the tennis courts south of Dillon Gymnasium and surroundings for the construction of a sixth residential college during its meeting Saturday, according to Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62.The trustees also accepted in full the Final Report of the Sixth Residential College Program Committee, which calls for 100 upperclassmen to be housed in the new residential college and 100 in each of two other existing colleges."The trustees have approved the final report, but the planning work is not finished," Wright said.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Stix: 'Unassuming style and grace'

Rob Goldston, current director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, remembers well the moment when Thomas Stix entered his life.Then an undergraduate student, Goldston had just received an acceptance letter to the Princeton Program in Plasma Physics, which had recently been founded by Stix.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Trustees honor Shapiro with professorship

After 13 years of service to the University, President Shapiro and his wife, Vivian, were honored by the University community and board of trustees during a farewell dinner on Friday."Friday night was a very emotional evening," said University Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62, who has served at the University for nearly 30 years and is one of Shapiro's top advisers.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Analyzing the global trend toward private colleges

Developing regions across the world ? including parts of Asia, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe ? have seen a steady increase in the number of private colleges in the past two decades.But compared to those in the United States, these institutions are typically new and experimental, often having to offer courses in non-traditional yet popular subjects to attract the best students ? who would otherwise opt for more established national universities.The surging demand for a college education all over the globe, however, continues to encourage more private colleges to form.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Frist beverage lab still not on tap

The Frist Campus Center has defied expectations in its success as a magnet for hungry students, faculty and staff.

NEWS | 04/22/2001

Pop star impersonators rock campus

Attention all PST fans: Cancel your dates, skip your parties. This weekend, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys are coming to town.Well, almost.Though they may not be the real thing, the Tribute Talent performers promise to deliver a shining replica at their show on Saturday from 11:30 a.m.

NEWS | 04/19/2001

Wilson School fountain to close

Tradition dictates that on the day Wilson School seniors hand in their theses they take a time-honored dip in the Fountain of Freedom at Scudder Plaza, washing away the stress from the past year's toil.The tradition will be put on hold next spring, because of renovations to Robertson Hall already under way.Wilson School major Uma Seshamani '02 said, "I think it really stinks, especially because the seniors this year had such gorgeous weather that day and they were all so excited to be done.""It's pretty disheartening, because our class missed out on both the Nude Olympics and jumping in the fountain even though we saw the class above partake in these traditions," she said in an e-mail.But fellow Wilson School major Emma Terrell '02 said they would find a new way to celebrate completing their senior theses."We're prudential thinkers in the [Wilson School]. We'll jump in the fountain if that means we'll have to make our own," she said in an e-mail.Wilson School classes will be held in the E-Quad until renovations are complete.Wilson School Associate Dean Karen Jezierny said in an e-mail, "We hope to be able to use some classrooms in the E-Quad, which may be available as a result of the construction of new classrooms for engineering in the Friend Center.""We also plan to use our own administrative conference rooms as appropriate and, as needed, other classrooms and lecture halls on campus," she added.Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Wilson School, most concentrators take classes that meet in several buildings on campus, Seshamani said."I think it will mostly be a pain for juniors to walk back at night from their Task Forces if they're in the E-Quad," she said.Jezierny explained second phase renovations to Robertson will not affect the first through fourth floors of the building.

NEWS | 04/19/2001

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