News

Relationship between education, race highlighted in West saga

Cornel West GS '80's departure from Harvard University and his appointment at Princeton last month reflect new dynamics in the relationship between race and higher education, according to social scientists and professors who have followed the West story in recent months.Personal disagreements between West and Harvard president Lawrence Summers, arising from Summers' questioning West's recent scholarship, have been widely cited as a major factor driving West to leave.But David Carrasco, a Harvard Latin-American studies professor and close friend of West, said differing views on the goals of education led to West's departure as much as Summers' questioning of his academic contributions."West embraces a love of knowledge and education," he said.

TWC director Ducree seeks to help the underprivileged

Nestled in the row of stately mansions on Prospect Street one finds the unlikely Third World Center, soon to be renamed the Carl A.

Summer program offers help to low-income high schoolers

Instead of working this summer, 44 local high school honor students from low-income families will study for six weeks at the University.The University Preparatory Program, a three-year program initiated last year by sociology professor Miguel Centeno, provides educational resources for Mercer County high school students from economically disadvantaged families.The program serves to help these students qualify for admission to top universities, where the competitive admissions process tends to favor students with financial advantages, Centeno said."The problem is that the competition for admission has become so intense that anyone from the working class or below is working at a very serious disadvantage because of the advantages that class provides," he said.This year 21 rising sophomores, chosen on the basis of socio-economic level and performance on the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment standardized test, will join the 23 rising juniors returning from last year.The students are taught by local high school teachers under the guidance of the University's teacher preparation program.

Two University students to travel to Israel, discuss responses to terrorism

This summer Andrew Peek '03 and Sam Spector '03 will travel to the Middle East for an 18-day program on terrorist threats to democracy and freedom.Based in Israel, the program ? sponsored by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy ? allows students to interact with political and military leaders from around the world.Along with 38 students from various universities in the United States and Canada, Peek and Spector will hear lectures from terrorism experts and officials from Israel, India, Jordan, Turkey and the United States.The stay in the Middle East begins a year-long fellowship sponsored by the FDD for the students to raise awareness about the threat of terrorism."I think its an incredible opportunity to be able to spend time in Israel, which is at the front lines, as far as I'm concerned, of the war on terrorism," Spector said.For both Peek and Spector the fellowship is a continuation of their University and extracurricular studies.Peek is majoring in politics with an emphasis on the Middle East.

OIT uncertain how spammer infiltrated University directory

A yacht. A big yacht to sail to Greece.That was the request of Nathan Damianos in a mass e-mail sent to the entire University community Sunday.Titled "To the kind people of Princeton University," the e-mail directed readers to Ificandream.com and asked them to sign a petition to support his effort to buy a $1 million yacht and sail around the world.The mass e-mail left the Office of Information Technology confused about how Damianos infiltrated the directory and what changes they can make to prevent spam, or junk e-mail."What he is doing is reprehensible," said Rita Saltz, associate director of information services.

Forum focuses on sexual harassment

SHARE, the Women's Center and several other campus organizations sponsored an open forum on the circumstances and options surrounding sexual harassment, Tuesday night in the Frist Campus Center.The forum, "Anything But an Open Book: Sexual Harassment in Academia," focused on defining and identifying sexual harassment, During a question-and-answer session that followed, panelists described the methods the University uses to prevent and combat sexual harassment."After reading the report [on women's issues] released by USG, I was shocked at how little people knew about sexual harassment," said Hannah Haviland '04, who organized the forum.

Sigmund awards enable study in Latin America

This summer, Fernando Delgado '04 will teach children who live on the streets in Brazil. Lindsay Dell '05 will work in Bolivia to help women find jobs.

Mayor seeks limit on freshman car owners

Each fall, entering freshmen bring many more college survival items than they need, lugging to campus stereos, clothing and of course, extra-long twin sheets.

Underclassmen request 'facilities-free' housing in residential colleges

For his last assignment in WRI 106: Contemporary American Prose, Brian Muegge '05 wrote an opinion paper about the need for "alcohol-free" housing on campus.The secondary affects of some students' overconsumption of alcohol ? unclean housing and bathrooms, noise and harassment ? led him to write the paper, he said.After turning in the paper in January, he forwarded copies to various administrators on campus.

After urban blight, residents strive to return Asbury Park to its glory days

Asbury Park comes alive in Bruce Springsteen's reverberating rock anthems. But the beach town's "Glory Days" are long gone.The condominiums are abandoned and crumbling.

UNC strikes early decision for fall 2003

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has abandoned its early decision admission program.

Borough to refocus alcohol initiatives

Princeton Borough officials said they are looking to the University to take the lead in combating student drinking on campus and at the Prospect Avenue eating clubs, following a recent rise in alcohol-related incidents."When the clubs started taking measures to combat drinking, the result was more drinking in the dormitories," Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said.

Students, community come together during bone marrow drive

In the midst of face painting, food stands and performance troupes during Communiversity on Saturday, about 120 University students ? including groups from the cheerleadering team, eating clubs, Agape and diSiac ? joined local volunteers at a bone marrow drive organized to find a match for a local high-schooler with lymphoma.A ninth-grader at Princeton Day School, Andrew Coles was diagnosed with the cancer last August and, after recently coming out of remission, has been searching for a suitable donor for a marrow transplant.Saturday's drive at the Community Park School, which was the second local event put together by the Coles family to find a match for the 14-year-old, drew a total of 600 volunteers from the Princeton area."It was a real cross section of the community," said Robyn Coles, Andrew's mother.

Speaker Miller '92 brings youth, vision to New York City Council

Four months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks rocked lower Manhattan, Gifford Miller '92 became the second most powerful politician in New York City.The city was in human and economic turmoil.

Students brief Congress on natural disaster risks

Last week, students of GEO 499: Investigating Natural Hazards ventured to Capitol Hill to present original research on the risk of natural disasters.The class, taught by visiting professor Gregory van der Vink, encouraged students to carry out their own research on an aspect of natural disasters in the United States."I set the bar pretty high," van der Vink said.

Township officials request eating clubs buffer noise pollution

With an increase in both spring fever and outdoor events at the 'Street,' the amount of noise complaints brought against eating clubs is on the rise.In response to these complaints, Princeton Borough is asking clubs and the University to plant shrubbery along their perimeters, shielding local residents from outdoor concerts and loud parties.The Borough hopes some sort of shrubbery will act as a sound barrier between the clubs and neighboring streets, Borough Police Chief Charles Davall said."I'm surprised there wasn't [sound buffers] in the past," he said.Davall also said he has noticed increased complaints from area residents about the noise.Inter-Club Council Dan Hantman '03 declined to comment on the issue.Borough Police Capt.

INS restricts educational access for students on tourist visas

The Immigration and Naturalization Services announced on April 8 new steps to attain greater control over tourists, businessmen and students entering the United States.

Communiversity Photo Essay

Take Back the Night march promotes awareness of sexual violence on campus

A crowd of about 130 men and women holding white candles marched around campus Saturday night ? quietly at first, but by the end chanting loudly, "Yes means yes!

Borough honors Geddes for life crafting buildings, community

As crowds flocked to Nassau Street for Communiversity on Saturday morning, a small group filled the lobby of the Garden Theatre.They gathered not for an early-morning matinee, but to honor Robert Geddes ? former dean of the University's School of Architecture ? as this year's recipient of the Margen Penick Award for community service.Though not a traditional venue for an awards ceremony, the Garden Theatre was symbolically appropriate.Just as the Garden Theatre was recently renovated, Geddes seeks to remodel existing structures within Princeton Borough.Like the Garden Theatre renovation, which sought to increase the building's usability while maintaining its character, Geddes' work tries to integrate the personal and the practical in his work."There is always a physical and a social idea," Geddes said, "and the creative tension between the two is what architecture seeks to address."With his sanguine demeanor and patient temperament, Geddes is well suited to a profession in which he must constantly find a balance between two often-competing demands.Geddes notes that he was drawn to architecture in part because it was "the most public of the arts."A 1950 graduate of the Harvard School of Design, Geddes taught architecture for almost half a century.