News

Council won't release minutes

Borough Councilmember Roger Martindell accused the Council of withholding information during a meeting last night, continuing his crusade for the release of sealed minutes from a closed session that was held in August.The Council also scrutinized a proposal for managing stormwater runoff, discussed the danger that rock salt poses to Princeton's trees and approved the October police report.Martindell has repeatedly asked the Council to release the minutes from its secret meeting, which took place Aug.

Report recommends revising requirements for PhDs

A scholar may have ambitions for a Ph.D., but the nitty-gritty requirements of attaining that degree can halt the progress of even the most diligent scholars.Doctoral programs should reevaluate their dissertation and foreign language requirements, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching said in a set of recommendations for nationwide reforms.The full report, to be released early next year, includes suggestions such as revamping faculty-student advising relationships, broadening fields of study and changing graduation requirements.

N.J. Senate bill rejects death penalty

A bill reducing New Jersey's most severe criminal sentence from the death penalty to life in prison without parole was passed by the State Senate in a 21-16 vote on Monday.The move to abolish capital punishment in New Jersey was approved by the General Assembly's Law and Public Safety Committee early Monday before the Senate vote and has received strong support from Democratic Gov.

Bending backwards for self-understanding

On a quest for self-discovery in India last summer, Andy Chen '09 fended off a transvestite with his Princeton umbrella, learned to transfer water from one nostril to the other, had burning-hot medicated oil poured across his forehead, joined in a mass water-vomiting session and met a caveman.Describing his subcontinental experiences at a talk titled "Om Shantih: Yogic Spirituality in India," Chen discussed the theory of yoga as art and the cultural anomalies he came across in India.He presented selections from a photo blog he created during his travels, which were funded by the Martin A.

Select few dine with Rove at Whitman

Controversial former White House adviser Karl Rove spoke with a select number of students during an off-the-record dinner session in Whitman College yesterday that was not publicized to the University community.Members of Whitman Master and economics professor Harvey Rosen's freshman seminar, "Taxes," and students who had previously attended dinner lectures in Whitman were invited, though none were told the identity of the special guest in advance.

Council discusses campus sustainability goals

Administrators and students deliberated on plans to make the University more environmentally sustainable at yesterday's Council of the Princeton University Community meeting.Shana Weber, the University's manager of sustainability, updated the group on the University's progress and plans.

Curry flurry and chicken lickin'

Students debate as 2008 presidential hopefuls

Five students represented their preferred Democratic and Republican presidential candidates in a mock debate at Mathey College last night.

Paul Farmer chosen as Baccalaureate speaker

Philanthropist and physician Paul Farmer will be June's Baccalaureate speaker, Class of 2008 officers announced yesterday."Dr. Farmer fights for the most poor and vulnerable people in the world," Class of 2008 president Tom Haine said.

Harvard increases financial aid for middle class

Harvard will change its financial aid guidelines to limit the amount students' families are required to pay based on their income, the university announced yesterday.

Beholding new horizons, sophomores plan ahead

With bicker and sign-ins less than two months away, sophomores are considering the choices they will make in early February: whether to join a club and which club to join.The options to sign in, bicker, go independent or draw into a four-year residential college are the same that last year's sophomores faced, but this is the first year that students are making those decisions with the new residential college system in place.With Whitman College and the renovated Rocky-Mathey dining hall drawing upperclassmen who are on meal plans or just using their two free meals a week, the annual dining option rite of passage revives a question that has circulated for years: Will the residential colleges wean upperclassmen off Prospect Avenue?To University administrators, the answer is a wholehearted no.

Critics of Israel lobby draw fire

Two international relations theorists came to campus last night for a hotly contested debate about their book, which outlines the damages they believe pro-Israel lobbying has done to American foreign policy.John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, authors of "The Israel Lobby and U.S.

Around the world in seven days of Fall Break

While most freshmen went home for Fall Break, the students in FRS 175: Signals, Yardsticks and Tipping Points of Global Warming traveled to Bermuda for their first vacations as college students to research the effects of global warming on ocean environments.The class trip ? offered for the first time this year ? featured snorkeling in a mangrove forest, identifying species of coral and fish and running experiments to pinpoint triggers of bleaching in coral."We got a lot of hands-on experience and saw some of the actual causes of global warming," Mike DiStefano '11, who took the class, said.

U. funds new rankings list

As an increasing number of colleges and analysts question the value of the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings, an alternative system is in the works and has drawn donations and support from the University and peer schools.The project, spearheaded by the nonprofit group the Education Conservancy, aims to create a more student-friendly and less commercialized ranking system, "one that puts the educational needs of students center stage and restores educational integrity to college admissions," according to a statement on the group's website.

Farmer to speak at Baccalaureate

Medical anthropologist Paul Farmer will deliver the Baccalaureate Address during graduation weekend in June, Class of 2008 president Tom Haine announced today in an email.Farmer, a professor at Harvard Medical School, "is a man of great moral force and inspiration," the senior class officers wrote.

All-Ivy Risk Tournament resumes after transitioning to new server

The All-Ivy Risk Tournament resumed Saturday, more than a month after it was suspended because of technical difficulties due to growing popularity.The administrators of gocrosscampus.com, the site hosting the tournament, were able to successfully switch over to new servers on Dec.

Sweets shop to replace the C-Store

USG members discussed the renovation of Frist Campus Center, the cleaning policy for dormitory suites and the freshman peer advising system during a meeting last night.Class of 2010 Senator and USG vice president-elect Mike Wang reported on a recent meeting with Dining Services Director Stu Orefice ,which focused on major renovations being planned for the 100-level of Frist Campus Center.The renovations, he said, will be conducted in three stages.

We'll get you, and your little dog too!

"Fire Inspector," boomed the men as they knocked on the door of a young woman with something to hide.Emily, a senior, hustled her kittens into the bathroom and threw a blanket over the litter box and bags of Purina Friskies in the corner.

Few attend Q&A session about new alcohol rules

Administrators held an open forum yesterday afternoon to answer student questions about the changes to the University's alcohol enforcement policy that were announced last month.Though USG president Rob Biederman '08 sent two emails to undergraduates encouraging them to attend, just three students went to the discussion, excluding student reporters and USG officers.

Clean sweep

A member of Colonial Club's intramural broomball team fends off an opponent yesterday at Baker Rink during tournament play.