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David French discusses free speech on college campuses

David French discusses free speech on college campuses

Zaynab Zaman

Free speech introduces dissent and disagreement, and can introduce critical thinking on college campuses, David French, a staff writer at National Review, said in a lecture Tuesday.French began by describing college as a place where one could explore “dangerous or contentious ideas in the classroom.” He said that during his college experience at a highly conservative college, he did not see any chastisement or rebuke of diverging thoughts on controversial issues.He added that at the time, he viewed free speech as a mechanism for having difficult and infuriating conversations, and as something that improved and sharpened the mind.French explained that upon arriving at Harvard Law School, his perception of free speech changed.

NEWS | 03/22/2016

U. professor emeritus Andrew Wiles wins Abel Prize

Betty Liu

Andrew Wiles, professor of mathematics, emeritus has won the Abel Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters for his proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem.The Academy's website explains that, "The [Abel] prize recognizes contributions of extraordinary depth and influence to the mathematical sciences." Work considered for the prize may have resolved fundamental mathematical problems, created powerful new techniques, introduced unifying principles or opened up major new fields of research."The intent is to award prizes over the course of time in a broad range of fields within the mathematical sciences," it notes.Wiles is the third consecutive Abel Prize winner associated with the University.

NEWS | 03/22/2016

Graduate School demographic report reflects minimal increases to racial diversity

Amber Park

In a recent demographic report published online, the percentage of black doctoral students in the University graduate student body for the 2015-2016 academic school year was 3 percent — the same number that was reported in 2010 and only one percent higher than the value reported in 1980.“The University recognizes it's not where it wants to be in this area,” Graduate School Associate Dean for Diversity Dale Trevino noted via email.“When we talk about the challenges of the pipeline, we are typically referring to the fact that there are not a large number of underrepresented minorities earning Ph.D.s nationally,” he explained.Even with the establishment of the Trustee Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity in January 2012 by former President Shirley Tilghman, as well as multiple comprehensive reviews of diversity across multiple campus populations that were publicly made available in April 2013, diversity among graduate students — especially black and Hispanic Ph.D.

NEWS | 03/21/2016

Robert George endorses Cruz '92

Kevin Agostinelli

University’s McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Robert George has publicly endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz ’92 for the Republican presidential nomination.George is also theChair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.George noted that Cruz’s strong record of defending the Constitution was a major reason for his support of the Texan senator.George advised Cruz for one of his junior papers and for Cruz's senior thesis.“I believe that restoring a sound understanding of the Constitution and a national commitment to live by the Constitution as it is — not as we wish it would be — is the highest priority,” George said.

NEWS | 03/21/2016

Princeton Sustainable Investment Initiative releases petition for divestment

Marcia Brown

The Princeton Sustainable Investment Initiative released apetitionto the University on Sunday proposing that the University divest from coal and, eventually, all fossil fuels. The group'sproposalfrom last year was rejected by University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, the University Resources Committee and Princeton University Investment Company, which manages the University’s endowment. According to University Media Relations Specialist Min Pullan, the University handles petitions on divestment through the Council of Princeton University Community Resources Committee. Pullan declined to further comment on the petition, noting that it would be inappropriate to provide comments in advance of that process. Last year's petition received roughly 1,700 signatures from members of the campus community, according to PSII leader Leigh Anne Schriever ’16.

NEWS | 03/21/2016

August Wolf '83, an Olympian running for U.S. Senate

August Wolf '83, an Olympian running for U.S. Senate

Abhiram Karuppur

When August Wolf ’83 decided to make a run for public office, his first task was deciding whether to run for the U.S.

NEWS | 03/21/2016

Haywood '90 nominated to U.S. Court of Appeals for Third Circuit

Marcia Brown

U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Ross Haywood ’90 for a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Saturday. The White House Press Office deferred comment to a statement. According to the statement, Haywood is currently serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Pennsylvania, where she has served as Chief of the Appellate Division since 2010. “[Haywood] has shown unwavering integrity and an outstanding commitment to public service,” said Obama in the statement. Haywood graduated cum laude from the University with a degree in economics in 1990 and magna cum laude fromthe University of Michigan Law School in 1994, according to Pittsburgh's Action News. According to U.S.

NEWS | 03/20/2016

U. to revise course evaluation system

Jessica Li

The Council on Teaching and Learning is currently working to redesign its course evaluation system, according to Dean of the College Jill Dolan. The Council was first charged with the task in late 2015 and has designated it as a committee priority for the 2015-2016 academic year, according to its website.

NEWS | 03/20/2016

U. will not discipline students for controversial political opinions, Eisgruber notes

Jessica Li

With regard to his recent comment that the University will not penalize students for possibly holding an event commemorating Osama bin Laden, University President Christopher Eisgruber '83explained that the University is committed to the principles of free speech and will not discipline any members of the University for their political opinions. “We allow students, faculty and others the freedom to express their political opinions vigorously, even if those opinions are controversial or offensive to some,” he said In an interview withThe Indian Express last week, Eisgruber noted that in accordance with principles of free speech, the University will not discipline students even for potentially holding an event to commemorate Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden claimed responsibility for carrying out the terrorist attack of Sept.

NEWS | 03/20/2016

Raja Krishnamoorthi '95 aims to join 115th Congress

Abhiram Karuppur

Raja Krishnamoorthi ’95, who won the Democratic Party primary on Mar. 15, believeshe has a very good chance to serve in the the U.S.

NEWS | 03/20/2016

Glaude, Taylor discuss race and democracy

Catherine Wang

“Black liberation” describes a world in which African-Americans can live in peace without the constant threat of social, economic and political woes, Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor said in a discussion on Thursday. African American Studies Department Chair Eddie Glaude explained that throughout history, movements against racial inequality led by African-Americans in the U.S.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

Newly elected Graduate Student Government plans to address housing, representation

Annie Yang

Mircea Davidescu GS, a Ph.D.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

Women's track finishes indoor season at ECAC championships

Miranda Hasty

With the exception of senior Cecilia Barowski, who will be competing at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Alabama this weekend, women’s track and field concluded their indoor season with a fourth place title at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Boston last Sunday, earned by the all-freshman relay team of Alie Fordyce, Brighid Leach, Jackie Berardo and Anna Jurew.With a qualification time of 2:03.24 at the Princeton Invitational on Feb.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

Women's basketball drops close game to Penn

David Xin

In what can only be described as heartbreaking, the women’s basketball team saw their 12-game winning-streak come to an end at the hands of Ivy League rival, Penn.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

Women's water polo to face three opponents at San Diego Invitational

Alan Balson

After a hugely successful visit to Harvard last week, the Princeton women’s water polo team (9-1 overall, 0-0 Ivy League) heads to the San Diego Invitational this weekend to face San Diego State, the University of California at San Diego and Chapman University.This past weekend, the Tigers convincingly swept Iona College, Marist College and rivals Harvard in Cambridge despite dealing with injuries to several key contributors.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

MASJID petition calls for U. trustees to denounce Christie's endorsement of Trump

Maya Wesby

The Muslim Advocates for Social Justice & Individual Dignity started an online a petition Wednesday night calling for the University Board of Trustees to denounce New Jersey Gov.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

U. affiliates sign statement denouncing Trump

Kevin Agostinelli

Six University faculty and alumni, along with twenty-six conservative Catholic leaders across the country, released a statement earlier this week in the National Review decrying the presidential candidacy of businessman Donald Trump. University's McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Robert George and George Weigel, a senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, are at the forefront of the movement. George was unavailable for comment. Trump’s campaign office did not respond to requests for comment. “There is nothing in [Trump’s] campaign or his previous record that gives us grounds for confidence that he genuinely shares our commitments to the right to life, to religious freedom and the rights of conscience, to rebuilding the marriage culture or to subsidiarity and the principle of limited constitutional government,” the statement reads. In the statement, the signatories also noted that Donald Trump is unqualified for the presidency on the basis of his vulgar political discourse, his strong advocacy of torture of terrorist suspects and their families and the signatories’ belief that “his appeals to racial and ethnic fears and prejudice are offensive to any genuinely Catholic sensibility.” Stephen Barr GS ’78, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware, said that as Catholic morality is rooted in human good, many of Donald Trump’s proposals and character — from his record of being pro-choice on abortion to his solution of mass deportation — lie in contrast to Catholic doctrine and are “inhuman.” Barr added that Trump has demonstrated “a tendency to engage in ad hominem attacks, including mocking people's physical handicaps and physical appearance, which shows a lack of basic decency.” The signatories of the letter acknowledged that Trump does present an attractive option for those who are frustrated and disillusioned with the current state of affairs with the federal government.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

Ordinance introduced to create historic district in Witherspoon-Jackson community

Jessica Li

The Princeton Councilintroduced an ordinance to designate a historic district in the Witherspoon-Jackson community this past Thursday during a Council meeting. Many former and current employees of the University have lived in this neighborhood, University Media Relations Specialist Min Pullan said. The proposed historic district encompasses neighborhoods on both sides of Witherspoon Street, stretching from its intersection with Wiggins Street to a little past Birch Avenue.

NEWS | 03/10/2016

IAS, SAVE Princeton argue about the future of Maxwell's Field

Jessica Li

Save Princeton, a coalition of nine national advocacy groups, sent a letter to Charles Simonyi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Institute for Advanced Studyimploring for a meeting with IAS to explore alternatives to construction on Maxwell’s Fieldlast Wednesday. “Our organizations respectfully and formally request that the Institute for Advanced Study cease its development plans and pursue alternate building locations for the faculty housing project slated for Maxwell’s Field,” the letter reads. According to Jim Campi, communications director for the Civil War Trust, a signatory organization on the letter, the coalition formed this past Friday.

NEWS | 03/08/2016

Philosopher accuses U. professor of plagiarism

Marcia Brown

Dickinson College Professor of philosophy Cripsin Sartwell recently accused University professor Alexander Nehamas GS ’71 of plagiarism and libel. DickinsonCollege has placed Sartwell on temporary leave shortly after the allegation. Sartwell did not respond to requests for comment. Nehamas deferred comment to a statement. In a statement sent to the 'Prince', Nehamas denied Sartwell’s allegations of intellectual dishonesty. “True, Sartwell’s ‘Six Names of Beauty’ came out in 2004 but most of the material in my book had already been published by then,” Nehamas wrote.

NEWS | 03/08/2016

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