News

Rather hosts live TV show at U.

Former CBS anchor Dan Rather interviewed TIME Magazine's Joe Klein about the upcoming presidential elections last night in a live TV discussion that emphasized money's role in presidential primaries.Broadcast live on the HDNet airwaves from Richardson Auditorium, the event was the first of several "Dan Rather Reports" town hall meetings to be held across the country.

Ma GS '06 found dead in her home

Xiaoyan Ma GS '06 was found dead in her Princeton home on Leigh Avenue by her landlord Friday night.

Campaign jobs not as glamorous as hoped

Not many Princeton undergraduates think of answering phones and licking envelopes for a few hundred dollars a week as ideal post-graduation employment.But for some seniors who plan to hit the campaign trail after graduation, their jobs will involve doing exactly that.As members of the Class of 2007 begin searching for work on the 2008 campaign trail, many students are discovering that their tasks may be a far cry from the theoretical debates that initially drew them into politics."Many Princetonians are drawn to politics and politicians because of ideas," former College Republicans president Evan Baehr '05 said.

Graffiti found in Blair Hall

Graffiti written Friday night on the walls of Blair Hall targeted students in substance-free housing, characterizing them as gay or Asian.

Panelists debate hip-hop's effect

Hip-hop culture may promote black power and masculinity, but it may also hurt the black community's conceptions of health and sexuality, four panelists said last night.Speaking in McCosh Hall, the panelists debated whether hip-hop promotes homophobia and misogyny during a discussion titled "Hip-Hop and Homophobia: Exploring Bisexuality, Masculinity and 'the DL.' "The panelists were religion professor Cornel West GS '80, FastCompany.com senior editor Lynne Johnson, Emory assistant professor of medicine David Malebranche and Shante Paradigm, a singer, songwriter and actress.Though they agreed that hip-hop has played an important role in shaping black culture, they were divided over whether it promotes homophobia in black communities.Johnson, who grew up in the Bronx during the early years of hip-hop, described the movement as "a party and a revolution all at the same time." Though still devoted to the hip-hop of the past, she said she dislikes the messages of hate she sees as dominating contemporary hip-hop culture."I'm so invested in hip-hop," she said.

Longer semester up for discussion

The University is one step closer to reforming its academic calendar, with possible changes including the addition of an extra week to each semester, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel announced in an email sent to the student body yesterday.Two new potential calendars are being proposed, dubbed Calendars D and E, Malkiel said in a memo sent to faculty Monday.

Doubting the wisdom of Wiki

"If Wikipedia says it, it must be true."So claims the title of a group with more than 44,000 members on facebook.com. Though the group's name is facetious, its sentiment seems to go unquestioned for some students, who increasingly rely on Wikipedia for academic research.Earlier this month, Middlebury College's history department announced a new policy which states that "Wikipedia is not an acceptable citation.""Students are responsible for the accuracy of information they provide," the Middlebury policy reads.

Five juniors win WWS fellowship

The Wilson School informed five juniors last week that they had won the first-ever Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative scholarships. The winners are Kim Bonner, Jordan Reimer, Ishani Sud, Lilian Timmerman and Eugene Yi.The formal announcement awaits Robertson Foundation approval at an April board meeting.

Wild Oats on Nassau Street to close

After nearly nine years in business, the Wild Oats Market on Nassau Street will permanently close its doors this May.

Colleges to add dining options

Rebecca Legett '08, an engineer and member of Colonial Club, treks back and forth from the E-quad to the Street every day to take her meals.

Kuran '08 resigns from U-Council post

Facing pressure from the USG, Kent Kuran '08 resigned from the U-Council this weekend, explaining that he did not have enough time to devote to the job.Kuran was elected vice president of Tower Club earlier this month and said that, on top of his other commitments, eating club officership left him too busy to be an effective member of the U-Council, a committee of nine who work with the USG Senate and represent the USG in meetings of the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC)."I was confronted by another member of the U-Council who told me that since I didn't really have anything to show for my past semester as a U-Councilor, my membership would be up for review," Kuran said in an interview.

In flying color

An undergraduate's venture into the depths of the graduate social scene

For weeks, whispers have been echoing in the halls of Firestone: "The D-Bar is opening again; are you coming?" Thursday night's grand opening proved that the answer must have been a resounding "Yes!"As I pulled on my most comfortable shoes (for the long walk over, of course), I prepared myself for a role I had never played before: The Sketchy Undergrad.

D-bar reopens after eight months

University graduate students and undergraduates over 21 years old crowded into the D-Bar last Thursday night to celebrate the reopening of the club.

U. awards Holland, Mackey top honor

On Feb. 12, Lester Mackey '07 received an email from Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan instructing him to come immediately to her office.

Two to tango

Group calls for hands-on work

Thirteen students who cleared debris from evacuated homes in New Orleans over Intersession issued a public challenge to politicians on Mardi Gras, asking elected officials to get their hands dirty as well."Come down to New Orleans and do more than bear witness," the statement said, addressing any politician either occupying or planning to occupy a public post in the United States.

Volunteers switch roles, experience life in poverty

"Welcome to Realville," Angela Degraff said to a crowd of about 50 people Saturday morning.They were gathered in the Whig Hall Senate Chamber for "Realville," a poverty simulation complete with paper money, "stores" and a "jail" stocked with handcuffs.Intended to give the participants firsthand knowledge of what it's like to be poor, the Community Action Poverty Simulation was cosponsored by the Student Volunteers Council (SVC) and the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton.Though the event was targeted at young volunteers, people from eight to 70 years old were given a chance to experience a life more like the ones of the people they help.Participants were assigned to family units with one to six members and given a limited budget to survive on in Realville.

Dangerous liaisons with Darfur

There's always something slightly comical about alumni occasions, and this weekend's Alumni Day events were no exception.

Jewish students connect with Israel

Correction appendedThis past summer, Alex Ruda '08, Brian Extein '08 and Sarabeth Sanders '09 traversed the desert, slept in Bedouin tents and hung out with soldiers.Rather than undergoing a desert boot camp, however, the three students were traveling through Israel on a 10-day tour organized by Taglit-birthright Israel-Hillel.