News

Meek geek seeks fame and fortune

A 26-year-old graduate student with large glasses and closely cropped curly hair stands opposite a mannequin dressed in women's clothing on prime-time television.Psychologist Debbie Magids gives Joshua Green GS '06 a task: greet this mannequin as if it were your grandmother.

Princetonians: Iranian president wouldn't be welcome

As thousands of protestors marched through the streets surrounding Columbia's campus yesterday, Princeton community members were puzzled and angered by the event that brought Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the podium.

Student-grown fertilizer co. settles Miracle-Gro suit over trademark

A local fertilizer company started by two former Princeton students has settled a lawsuit brought by Miracle-Gro accusing them of false advertising and trademark infringement.Though Scotts Miracle-Gro Company did not receive any monetary damages from TerraCycle, Inc. ? which Tom Szaky '05 and Jon Beyer '05 founded in 2001 ? the fertilizer giant got everything else it sought in the complaint.

Media war intensifies over lawsuit

The battle between the University and the Robertson family is gathering increasing national attention as it continues to play out in the media.

Columbia to host Ahmadinejad

Columbia University will host one of the world's most controversial leaders today when Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a much-anticipated speech there this afternoon.Ahmadinejad's visit has stirred controversy on the Columbia campus and attracted national attention.

Water Wars

Residential colleges update dining halls with new look, superior meals

As Whitman College's voluminous dining hall draws hordes of hungry students, the renovated Rocky-Mathey dining facilities have also seen a drastic upswing in mealtime traffic.Both locations aim to emulate the food court in Frist Campus Center, with a marketplace-style layout and a wider selection of foods.

Making a scene across the University

Princetonian Beatles fans who enjoy singing along to the group's hit song "Hey Jude" saw an unexpected character in town this weekend: Jude himself.He's the protagonist of a Beatles-inspired musical movie, "Across the Universe," which was partially filmed at Princeton and features scenes set on the Princeton campus.

Beating the crowd at Whitman College

Forbes residents often complain about the crowds that flock to their fabled Sunday brunch. But lengthy lines for an omelet at the Inn pale in comparison to the throngs that have swarmed Whitman for almost every meal since the dining hall opened at the beginning of the semester."It's becoming extremely overcrowded all the time," Whitman resident Eric Schlossberg '10 said.

Latino students want better representation in academia

A faculty and student panel discussed Latino issues Friday night, touching upon self-segregation, academics and representation at the University.Held at the Fields Center, the event drew almost 100 attendees who mingled over Latin-themed music and food before starting their discussion on the "Latino problem" at Princeton.

Professor explains how we make decisions

Why do people play the lottery? Why do people think they're in the slowest line at the grocery store or the most congested traffic lane?It's because the human mind focuses on memorable things like lottery winners holding big checks on TV and not on less memorable things like lines that were quick to get through, Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert explained in a lecture last night.Gilbert told a McCosh 50 audience of several hundred students, faculty and community members "How to Do Precisely the Right Thing at All Possible Times," describing the thought processes behind making everyday decisions.

Everclear through Alexakis' eyes

Everclear lead singer Art Alexakis "never really wanted to be famous or a big rock star or anything like that." All he wanted was "to make a living from making my own music."But he got much more, including a Grammy nomination for 1997's "So Much for the Afterglow" and a dozen singles in the top 100.Alexakis, whose band performs at Lawnparties this Sunday, has overcome adversity in his life, and those past struggles are a "predominant theme" in the band's music, he said."I'm 45, and I've learned that life is pretty difficult," he said.

Whitman meant to last 150 years, architect says

Dimitri Porphyrios GS '74 was the chief architect of recently-completed Whitman College. He recently spoke with the Daily Princetonian's Brian No about the college's design and construction, and his next project, a new addition for Ivy Club. Have you seen the finished product?

The swing of things

Students take advantage of free swing-dancing lessons sponsored by the Princeton Ballroom Dancing Club last night in Dillon Gym.

A star chamber play

Dylan Alban '09 (l.) and Sam Zetumer '09 perform 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' in Dod Courtyard on the first day of the Princeton Shakespeare Company's festival, which continues through the weekend.

Ctrl+Alt+Lawnparties: The Backslash

As gourmands of hip-hopera know, R. Kelly is fond of guns. From marital infidelity to can opening, there are few problems that Kels can't solve by pulling out his Beretta and counting to three.

Muldoon to be editor at New Yorker

Poet and creative writing professor Paul Muldoon will soon add yet another title to his already well-adorned resume.Muldoon will succeed Alice Quinn as poetry editor of the New Yorker sometime before the end of the year.

Garden of eating

As students headed indoors this week to attend lectures, seminars and precepts, a few brave souls traveled in the opposite direction to an empty lot at the corner of Alexander Road and University Place.The plot is set to be transformed into a 3,000-sq.

University pays well, but professors can earn more

Professors and administrators aren't rolling in dough.Though President Tilghman earned $542,875 and Andrew Golden, president of the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO), earned $1,140,324 in fiscal year 2005, they're not making nearly as much as they would in jobs of similar prominence and responsibility in the private sector.The University, as a nonprofit, is required to report the salaries of its officers and highest paid employees each year on its 990 tax form.After Tilghman and Golden, members of PRINCO, which manages the school's endowment, Wilson School Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 and Genomics Institute Director David Botstein were the highest paid in 2005.Three managing directors of PRINCO earned between $550,166 and $629,899, while Slaughter took home $370,305 from the University in 2005.

Taylor '07 dies in Va. residence

A onetime member of the Class of 2007 died unexpectedly this week, two years after he left the University at the end of his sophomore year.Austin Taylor passed away at his home, University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said, but she could provide no details yesterday about the manner of his death except that it was "unexpected." As of last night, Taylor's parents had not yet decided how much information to release.The Rev.