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U. limits free speech for students, according to FIRE ratings

U. limits free speech for students, according to FIRE ratings

Jessica Li and Hannah Waxman

In a recent report published by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the University wasgiven a red light rating— the lowest in the evaluation scheme — for protecting free speech. Samantha Harris ’99, the director of policy research at FIRE, said the ratings are based solely on the explicitly written policies of the institution. A red light rating denotes that the institution has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech, Harris said.

NEWS | 03/08/2016

New fellowship established to fund chemistry graduate students' research

Betty Liu

Professor of chemistry emeritus Edward Taylor has established funds to the chemistry department to provide a full fellowship for all third-year graduate students in chemistry.Taylor said that the funds for his donation come from his invention of the anti-cancer drug Alimta, which is used to treat lung cancer and mesothelioma.

NEWS | 03/08/2016

Activists discuss intersectionality, LGBT rights in Middle East and North Africa

Kevin Agostinelli

Among the many questions raised concerning intersectionality and human rights in Egypt and Lebanon, none revolved around where to draw the line with sexual and gender oppression.

NEWS | 03/06/2016

USG launches COMBO V survey, COMBO IV results to stay unreleased

Kristin Qian

The Undergraduate Student Government released a Committee on Background and Opportunity V Survey on the last week of February to examine current campus climate and improve student life, according to USG president Aleksandra Czulak ’17. “COMBO is basically a way to gauge how students’ backgrounds and identities impact their experiences on campus, the opportunities that they have here, and their perceived access to resources on campus,” said Natasha Madorsky ’17, project leader for COMBO and member of the USG Diversity and Equity Committee. COMBO V surveys a large range of experiences, she said.

NEWS | 03/06/2016

USG discusses mental health initiatives, calendar survey

Katherine Oh

The Undergraduate Student Government Senate discussed mental health programming and the calendar survey during their weekly meeting on Mar.

NEWS | 03/06/2016

Kimberley Strassel '94, journalist and author

Abhiram Karuppur

Kimberley Strassel ’94 became a household name on Feb. 13, 2016, when she appeared with CBS anchors John Dickerson and Major Garrett to host the CBS Republican Debate in Greenville, S.C.Strassel explained that when the camera turned to her so she could ask the first question, she realized the gravity of what she was doing. “There was a moment when my brain was screaming, ‘Oh my god, there are 13 million people watching,’” she said.“For about five seconds I struggled to remember what I was supposed to be asking Donald Trump." According to Strassel, CBS contacted her couple of months prior to the Republican Debate in February and asked if she wanted to moderate it.Strassel noted that the media outlets have been looking for outside voices to ask the questions, and she agreed to moderate. “I was very flattered to be asked,” she said.

NEWS | 03/03/2016

Students petition against the non-renewal of Michael Barry's contract

Andie Ayala

Undergraduate and graduate studentshave written two petitionsand personal letters to university administration and department heads in protest of the non-renewal of Michael Barry’s contractto teach at the university as an experienced lecturer in the Department of Near Eastern Studies next academic year. Barry has taught at the University for a total of 12 years.

NEWS | 03/03/2016

Cruz '92, Rubio question Trump's commitment to GOP in debate

Annie Yang

Businessman Donald Trump is a democratic sympathizer and will be incapable of winning the general election if he wins the Republican Party's endorsement, Texas Senator Ted Cruz ’92 argued in the Republican debate on Thursday."For 40 years, Donald has been part of the corruption in Washington that you’re angry about.

NEWS | 03/03/2016

POCC, George testify before House subcommittee on free exchange of ideas

Jessica Li

Princeton Open Campus Coalition co-founder Joshua Zuckerman ’16 and McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Robert George testified at a House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday.The hearing centered on whether tax-exempt colleges and universities are using the tax code to avoid upholding their commitment to create an open marketplace of ideas on campuses.According to the committee website, the hearing was announced by Oversight Subcommittee Chair Peter Roskam (R-IL), following an incident at Georgetown University Law Center when a student was barred from distributing campaign material for a presidential candidate.In his testimony, Zuckerman said that his coalition believes that the protection of free speech is vital to the flourishing of the university.Zuckerman noted the BJL sit-ins last November when protesters called for increased faculty cultural competency training, affinity housing for students interested in black culture and mandatory courses that present the ‘struggles of minorities.’He noted that his coalition opposes these demands due to their destructive effects on the free flow of speech and thought.

NEWS | 03/02/2016

Lowery, Knowles discuss hierarchical system of privilege

William Liu

When addressing social inequality, it is in the interest of people on the bottom to destabilize and those at the top to stabilize the system, Brian Lowery, the Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University, said.Lowery initiated the discussion with a focused analysis of the concept of hierarchy in modern society, particularly as it relates to racial issues and the concept of white privilege.According to Lowery, problems commonly addressed in psychology involve the existence of established hierarchies and why individuals at the bottom keep the status quo, rather than rise up against the establishment.Most psychological studies, however, focus on the costs to the people at the bottom tiers of society, instead of addressing the downward pressure placed upon this class.Lowery used this lens to analyze the actions that the upper classes would take, such as granting concessions and bringing others into the system to increase the costs of rejecting the system.To explain this concept, Lowery utilized the example of when members of a lower status group are admitted into the University.“Are you less likely to protest and riot against inequality?” he asked.

NEWS | 03/02/2016

Blumerman, Moffett discuss 2020 census

Hannah Waxman

In the 2020 census, the US Census Bureau plans to use new technologies to tackle challenges such as a declining response rate and economic restraints, Lisa Blumerman, associate director of the Decennial Census Programs said at a lecture on Wednesday.The Census asks ten basic questions about age, sex, race and other identifiers.

NEWS | 03/02/2016

University affiliates submit amicus briefs in Supreme Court Abortion Case

Marcia Brown

University faculty and alumni have written amicus curiae briefs for both sides of Whole Woman’s Health v.

NEWS | 03/02/2016

Smoke in EQuad caused by malfunctioning fume hood, no one injured

Annie Yang

A malfunctioning fume hood in the Engineering Quad resulted in an initial report of smoke made to the Department of Public Safety on Tuesday night at approximately 10:30 p.m. The DPS relayed the report to the Princeton Fire Department.

NEWS | 03/01/2016

Cruz '92 wins three states in Super Tuesday primaries, NJ newspapers call for Christie to resign

Christina Vosbikian

Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz '92 won the primary in his state, Oklahoma and Alaska on Super Tuesday, receiving a total of 69 delegates, according to the New York Times. The Super Tuesday primaries were held in 11 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Businessman Donald Trump won the most delegates of any Republican presidential candidate in the day’s primary elections, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the highest number of delegates of any Democratic presidential candidate asof 9 p.m.

NEWS | 03/01/2016

U. researchers recruited for Tor Project, an online platform for anonymity

Marcia Brown and Kristin Qian

Three University researchers have recently been recruited by the Tor Project, a nonprofit organization that enables anonymous communication over the internet. Tor, by rerouting messages and data through multiple layers, allows users to access the internet without revealing their identity or location, according to its website. According to an article by The Register, Tor had contracted Roya Ensafi and Philipp Winter, postdoctoral research associates in computer science, and Nick Feamster, a professor of computer science. Feamster and Ensafi did not respond to requests for comment. After the Paris terrorist attacks last year, the French government proposed to increase its security measures by banning the use of Tor, according to an article in Le Monde.

NEWS | 03/01/2016

Barnard students oppose Anne-Marie Slaughter '80's nomination as Commencement speaker

Caroline Lippman

Barnard Collegeannouncedlast week that former University professor and Dean of the Wilson School Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 has been selected to speak at its Commencement ceremony in May, a decision that has sparkedcontroversyand debate among Barnard students as she was not on the shortlist for speakers nominated through a student-ran survey. Slaughterserved as the dean of the Wilson School from 2002 to 2009 and went on to work as the director of Policy Planning for the U.S.

NEWS | 03/01/2016

U. opposes pending case of graduate student unionization, issues not as prevalent at the University

William Liu

The issues leading to unionization are not as prevalent at the University as they are at its peer institutions, Graduate Student Government president Akshay Mehra GS noted in light of the recent amicus brief filed by the University against graduate student unionization.

NEWS | 03/01/2016

Over three hundred participate in Princeton Feminists photo campaign

Andie Ayala

More than 370 students participated in the "Princeton Feminists" photo campaign last week, which occurred during late meal hours from Feb.

NEWS | 02/29/2016

Gerberding discusses emergence of infectious diseases

Catherine Wang

We must focus on anticipating zoonotic infection emergence, increasing protection and prevention capabilities and committing to sustained engagement, former director of the U.S.

NEWS | 02/29/2016

Breaking: University files amicus brief against graduate student unionization

Daily Princetonian Staff

The University filed an amicus brief to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday against graduate student unionization along with eight other private universities.The brief was filed in a Columbia University case before the NLRB regarding unionization of graduate students at the school.The brief argues that relationship between graduate students and private universities should be defined as strictly academic, and urges the NLRB not to reverse the 2004 Brown University ruling that graduate teaching assistants should primarily be considered as students, not employees."Amici believe that reversal or modification of Brown would significantly damage private sector graduate education in this country and will represent an inappropriate intrusion into long protected areas of academic freedom and autonomy," the brief reads.The brief explains that the institutions who signed the brief do not measure teaching and research in commercial or economic terms, adding that the institutions consider teaching experience as a crucial component of preparing doctoral candidates for careers.The brief further adds that the market value of teaching services provided by doctoral candidates is not taken into consideration when determining stipends provided to graduate student who teach.

NEWS | 02/29/2016

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