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Kelly '76 addresses media's role in politics

Kelly '76 addresses media's role in politics

While the Republican Party claims to be weary of liberal coverage in the mainstream media, the right wing has done better in harnessing the power of radio and news networks to reach voters, Time magazine Managing Editor Jim Kelly '76 said Monday.Kelly spoke to a packed Senate Chamber at Whig Hall about objectivity in modern journalism in a lecture titled, "Covering Politics in the World of Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh."Kelly said, though Time will not support a presidential candidate in this election, there will still be a war of opposing media voices."The 2000 election was easier to cover ? until the votes came in," he said.Since then, he said, journalism has been complicated by developments such as well-funded interest groups, partisan news networks and politically slanted documentaries such as "Farenheit 9/11."Kelly said the emergence of new voices has divided the media into two distinct camps: the "blue truth" and the "red truth," in reference to the colors generally used on election maps to represent Democratic and Republican majorities.The "blue truth" is epitomized by Dan Rather, he said, whereas the "red truth" believes that Dan Rather represents what is wrong with the media.On the whole, Kelly said the media clash is "illustrated very well by JibJab," referring to a popular website in which cartoons of the candidates dance and insult each other.Kelly described the growing role of lay citizens and groups in political coverage, citing the recent release of anti-Kerry commercials by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.Kelly said that while the Swift Boat Veterans spent "very little money" on the spot, the national media's drive for objective coverage "forced reporters covering the Swift Boat Veterans to include both pro and con" points of view.

NEWS | 09/20/2004

Yesletter.com founders institute scholarship

The student-run college application website Yesletter.com has established an annual scholarship program for "Outstanding Peer Service."Though Adam Ludwig '06, Robert Moore '06 and University of Pennsylvania student Cliff Jones '06 founded the site two years ago, they initiated the $1,000 scholarship program this past spring.

NEWS | 09/20/2004

'Cottage Bill' vote delayed after flooding

The State Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Properties Committee was set to vote Monday on the so-called "Cottage Bill," but flooding in the statehouse building forced legislators to postpone the meeting until Thursday.The proposed bill comes in response to repeated attempts by the Cottage Club to gain a property taxexemption based on historic status.The "Cottage Bill" will ensure that no private organization classified as a historic site would be relieved of local property taxes unless it met strict qualifications regarding public accessibility.When Cottage Club applied for tax-exempt status in July 2001, Princeton Borough stood to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars if it was exempted and other eating clubs followed suit, former Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said in a November 2003 interview."We protested [the application quite vigorously and approached a number of legislators," Reed said.

NEWS | 09/20/2004

Task Force prepares final report on health

The University's Task Force on Health and Well-Being will issue its third and final report in mid-November, which will provide a detailed budget and establish a set of goals to improve health services across the University.In its first two reports, the task force focused on eight problem areas, including nutrition and University Health Services (UHS).The final report will assess the same areas, but will also include cost estimates and will prioritize goals, said University Vice President and Secretary Bob Durkee '69.In an email, President Tilgman wrote, "the challenge of the task force is twofold: to prioritize their list . . . [and] to begin to attach costs to the proposals.""We simply cannot do everything that is on their 'wish list,'" she added.The other areas for improvement identified by the task force included the Student Health Plan; fitness facilities; integration of health, wellness, and fitness services; faculty and staff issues; postdoctoral student concerns; and child care.However, Durkee said, it is not clear that there is consensus on what areas of health and wellbeing require the most attention."There's a lot of data to digest," Durkee said.The task force has yet to incorporate information from recent student surveys.Students requested extended hours for Dillion Gymnasium in a survey conducted last spring.The University community also wanted to know more about the nutritional content of campus food and the available health resources.The University has already addressed some of the task force's recommendations, which included the recent transformation of the Beverage Lab in Frist Campus Center into the Health Lab.UHS will launch a new, more accessible website in October.They also made improvements to the student health plan.Durkee noted that most of the work going into the final report has revolved around child care for faculty, staff and graduate students.

NEWS | 09/20/2004

Wilson School students voice opinions on lawsuit

A Bulgarian, a Slovakian and an American sit in the lobby of Robertson Hall on Monday afternoon.It sounds like the premise for a politically incorrect joke, but the three students ? candidates for a masters in public administration from the Wilson School ? were nothing but serious when asked about the Robertson Foundation suit.They defend the graduate program, which a $35 million grant by Charles Robertson in 1961 dramatically expanded, has done a good job at sending students in government service.The Robertsons, however, who filed suit against the University in 2002 to reclaim the nearly $600 million endowment behind the Wilson School, says the School has failed in that job.

NEWS | 09/20/2004

Fall bicker offers another opportunity to join clubs

According to Fitzgerald, springtime at Princeton is famous for three things: its lazy beauty, the wild moonlight revels of its rushes, and a yearly phenomenon known as Bicker.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Freshmen experience 'A Taste of Prospect'

There was no turning freshmen away from the Street last Friday night. In fact, they were welcomed with open arms.As part of the "A Taste of Prospect" initiative, all members of the Class of 2008 were given the opportunity to sign up for the chance to eat at one of the Prospect Ave.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Moore '06 develops, markets poker odds calculator

Sitting at a virtual table in an online poker room just before midnight, a player ? who asked not to be identified, so we'll call him "John" ? found himself facing off against nine opponents in a $2 limit game of Texas Hold 'Em.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Student souvenir agency opens concession in Frist

The University Store is facing some new competition in Frist Campus Center this fall. For the first time, the Student Souvenir and Outfitting Agency has begun selling Princeton merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts and wall banners, from a booth located near the welcome desk.The booth is tentatively scheduled to be open 11:30 a.m.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Now online, Princeton facebook features new tools

For years, University students have thumbed through their facebooks in search of familiar names and faces.This year, however, the same information ? and more ? can be accessed with the simple click of a mouse through the new University online facebook."It's just a great idea to bring the community together," said Clare Hunt '05, manager of the Princeton Facebook Agency.The new cyber facebook, adding to the basic photo and biographical information found in the paper version, allows students to compile lists of friends, keep track of their meal exchanges, and send e-cards to friends and family.Students can also create profiles, write in a journal, and check personalized calendars that can remind them of friends' birthdays and events held by campus groups with which they are involved.The online facebook is also an asset to campus groups, providing pages with message boards and calendars.In addition to offering these tools, the online facebook functions as "the most powerful search engine on campus," Hunt said.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

TheFacebook.com faces lawsuit

The over 200,000 users of TheFacebook.com ? an online directory system that services 37 colleges and universities nationwide ? may soon have to find other means of networking.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

U. ranks high in Ivy League sex crimes

Ten cases of sexual offenses were reported on campus during 2003, according to crime statistics to be released by the Department of Public Safety later this month.That number is in line with the average of nine cases reported annually for the past three years.All of the incidents last year were handled through the Sexual Harrass-ment/Assault Advising Resources and Education (SHARE) office of University Health Services.None of the victims reported the incidents to campus or local law enforcement, a fact Director of Public Safety Steven Healy called "a problem."The University's numbers put it at the high end of Ivy League schools.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Meningitis instance reported

The University Medical Center at Princeton on Thursday evening admitted an undergraduate with a case of viral meningitis."There is no reason for people to be alarmed.

NEWS | 09/19/2004

Off the room waitlist and into paradisal campus living

Imagine you're a rising junior, thrilled at the prospect of moving out of your residential college and into a huge suite in an upperclass dorm with all your friends.You hear that room draw times have been posted, so you dash to the nearest computer and frantically scroll down the list in desperate search of your name."O.K., so I'm not on the first day," you think, "I can still end up with a sweet room somewhere in the slums."But the scrolling continues."Hmm, alright, maybe not the slums, but a quad in Brown is still a possibility.

NEWS | 09/16/2004

Construction sites dominate landscape

Construction is a fixture of most college campuses ? Princeton being no exception ? but students returning this year have found more fences than usual.

NEWS | 09/16/2004

Princeton-area geophysical laboratory tracks hurricanes

In a complex a few minutes from the University, scientists and meteorologists are working to better understand the earth's climate as Hurricane Ivan brings destruction to sites throughout the country.The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) ? home to one of the leading climate-modeling systems ? creates models of how certain weather patterns develop over long periods of time."[Our] goal is to better understand the earth's climate.

NEWS | 09/16/2004

New buildings reflect environmental concern

It's not easy being green.Nevertheless, the University is designing more "green," environmentally conscious buildings.The new ellipse building, soon to be named the Emma B.

NEWS | 09/16/2004

Murleys donate $2 million to Whitman

The University announced this week that Charter Trustee Robert Murley '72 and his wife, Mary Pivirotto Murley '76, will make a $2 million donation to fund the construction of a tower in Whitman College, which is scheduled to be finished in 2007.The Murleys timed their donation to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their wedding, Sept.

NEWS | 09/16/2004

Frosh cautioned against going Greek

Freshmen rushing fraternities and sororities this fall have found themselves at the center of a tug-of-war between the administration and Greek organizations.In a letter sent to parents and guardians of the Class of 2008 this summer, the University "strongly discourage[d]" joining Greek organizations and urged students "to expand their circles of acquaintances and experiences, not prematurely narrow them."The letter represented the most direct University appeal to students not to take part in Greek life in many years."We asked freshmen in a voluntary way to not be involved in rush," Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan said.

NEWS | 09/15/2004

McGreevey lawsuit dismissed

TRENTON ? A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed against Gov. James McGreevey by two Princeton-area lawyers, Bruce Afran and Carl Mayer '81, who had asked for an immediate special election to determine an interim governor.Afran said he was "shocked and puzzled" by Judge Garret Brown Jr.'s decision in federal district court and will take the case to the state court.The plaintiffs, both members of the Green Party, argue that McGreevey effectively resigned Aug.

NEWS | 09/15/2004

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