News

Chinese school pulls borrowed homepage

Stealing a book, according to Chinese proverbs, may be an honorable offense, but copying a website is not ? or so administrators at China's Renmin University admitted when they removed a website that heavily borrowed from Princeton's own homepage design.Less than 48 hours after being contacted by a reporter, the Philosophy School at Renmin changed its website, http://sph.ruc.edu.cn/en, from a clear imitation of Princeton's site ? including its orange and black color scheme, nearly identical structure and similar font ? to a plain-text page that simply says, "Updating..." Han Donghui, an associate professor in the Philosophy School, responded shortly after being contacted by The Daily Princetonian and attempted to explain the reuse of Princeton's original design."Thank you for your reminding or warning us," he said in an email, before proceeding to describe the process by which the website was created."When we were about to build the English version [of the site] ... in April, our designer, a student in the school, searched the internet and downloaded some website templates," Han said.

In Rhodes race, Princeton trails its peers

While Princeton topped the U.S. News and World Report rankings for the seventh straight time this year, its dominance has not extended to the Rhodes Scholarship.Christian Sahner '07 was the University's lone recipient of the prestigious award this year, while Harvard claimed six winners and Yale five.

U. tops Ivies with four Marshalls

Princeton seniors Tamara Broderick, Neir Eshel, Tianhui "Michael" Li and Alexander "P.G." Sittenfeld were recently named among the 43 national winners of the Marshall Scholarship, giving the University as many Marshall Scholars as all other Ivy League universities combined.The coveted scholarship provides recipients with the opportunity and funds for two years of graduate study in any field at any institution in the United Kingdom."It was a very distant reality," Sittenfeld said of his chances of winning the award.

Return to realism

James Baker '52 is no stranger to the divide between realists and idealists.And as far back as his senior year at Princeton, when he was writing his thesis on the rift in post-war Britain's Labour Party, Baker knew on which side he stood."Those who know me will not be surprised that I favored the approach of the realist," Baker recalled in his new memoir, "Work Hard, Study ... and Keep out of Politics!"Now, more than 50 years later ? after having served as White House chief of staff, secretary of state and special presidential envoy to the Middle East ? Baker, 76, is co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group, charged with crafting a strategy for U.S.

BU club offers scholarship for whites

In an effort to protest affirmative action, the Boston University College Republicans (BUCR) announced last week that it would offer a $250 scholarship for applicants who are at least 25 percent Caucasian.BUCR President Joseph Mroszczyk said the move is in response to the National Hispanic Recognition Program, which requires applicants to be 25 percent Hispanic."Did we do this to give a scholarship to white kids?

The rise and fall of Cannon Club

Cannon Club has achieved mythical status since it closed 33 years ago.No other bygone club has seen its reputation grow rather than fade with time.

Election race will be defined by four-year colleges

With the filing deadline for the USG presidential race set for this afternoon at 4 p.m., USG officers and individuals familiar with the candidates say they expect the election to be shaped principally by student concerns about the implementation of the four-year colleges."The issue's going to be, 'Which candidate do you trust more to be able to interact with the administration in a constructive way?' " one USG official said.

Business Today attracts prominent speakers

How should Blockbuster compete with its online rival Netflix? How should Merrill Lynch create a new security?

Stealing home(page)

Leslie Hook '06 was researching a story for the Far Eastern Economic Review when she needed to contact the Philosophy School at Renmin University of China.

Taste Tea

FLAVOR, an ethnic food appreciation club, held a traditional Japanese tea ceremony last night in the Friend Center.

Early applications rise in final year of Early Decision

Early Decision applications rose to the second-highest total since binding early admissions began more than a decade ago, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said yesterday.

Cannon reloaded

Thirty-five years after its infamous green and red bars were gutted, Cannon Club may go back on tap."We expect that construction might begin sometime in '07 in order to reopen in February of '08," said Warren Crane '62, graduate board president of the consolidated Dial, Elm and Cannon Club (DEC).Since most of the new members would be sophomores with residential college dining contracts, full operations at Cannon would not begin until September 2008.The DEC board will spend several million dollars to reopen the storied clubhouse at 21 Prospect Ave.

Black athletes are 'slaves': NY Times columnist

Black athletes have wealth and fame but not meaningful power in the sports industry or in society, William Rhoden, a New York Times sports columnist and author of the new book, "Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete," said in a lecture last night.Rhoden began with excerpts from his book connecting to his original title choice, "Lost Tribe Wandering"? a reference to the Biblical tale of Exodus, the story of formerly enslaved Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years.He went on to trace the history of black athletes through their early African-American heritage, describing the relationships between the three slave social groups of house servants, field workers and athletes.

Tilghman's pay inches up to $600,000

President Tilghman's total compensation rose modestly in 2004-05 as the number of university presidents whose salaries topped $500,000 nearly doubled, according to an annual survey released yesterday by The Chronicle of Higher Education.Tilghman's raise ? from $564,619 to $595,982 ? outpaced inflation but left her among the lowest paid Ivy League presidents.

Early applications rise to second-highest total in a decade

Early Decision applications rose to the second-highest total since binding early admissions began more than a decade ago, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said.

Gates, Merck fight AIDS in Botswana

Six years ago, Botswana had the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Nearly two in five adults ? as many as three in five in some regions ? were HIV-positive, and in less than a decade, life expectancy had crashed from the mid-60s to slightly over 30 years.In a lecture yesterday, Jeff Sturchio '73, vice-president of External Affairs in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada at Merck Pharmaceuticals, and Todd Summers, senior policy officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, discussed the work their organizations have done to fight AIDS.The Gates Foundation and Merck Company Foundation have each committed more than $50 million in five years to combat the prevalence of HIV in Botswana, launching the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP), the world's first country-based program to fight the disease.Begun in January 2001 and set to run until December 2009, ACHAP focuses on Botswana both because of its severe HIV/AIDS problem and its small population and comparatively high income and literacy rates, factors that contributed to the success of the program.Sturchio and Summers explained ACHAP's "three-pronged attack" on AIDS, which focuses on prevention, counseling and testing, and treatment for those who are already HIV-positive.Prevention has included the national distribution of millions of condoms from nearly 2,000 dispensers in as many as 10 districts.

At club event, teens rule Congress

The usual clientele at the Hyatt Regency in Washington's were replaced by teenagers this past weekend as high school students descended on the nation's capital to participate in Princeton Model Congress.The latest congregation of the Princeton Model Congress (PMC), which was established in 1982, drew more than 1,100 students from high schools across the country.

Sahner '07 named Rhodes Scholar

Christian Sahner '07, an art and archaeology major and a founder of the Anscombe Society, a socially conservative campus group, is the University's sole recipient of a 2007 Rhodes Scholarship, joining 31 other students from across the country."It was sweet disbelief," the Maplewood, N.J., native said in an interview yesterday.

Alum gives $10.5 million for athletics, financial aid

As the flames of Friday night's bonfire still glow in students' memories and the celebrations of Saturday's Ivy League co-championship continue, the football team can now revel in yet another piece of good news: a $10 million gift to the University's football program from investor and former University football player William Powers '79, the University's Office of Development announced yesterday afternoon.Powers' gift ? which, on top of the core $10 million, includes an additional $500,000 for need-based financial aid for athletes ? has already funded a resurfacing of the stadium field.

Special pullout: The Bonfire, Nov. 17, 2006