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AAS center discussed, West makes decision

AAS center discussed, West makes decision

As part of an effort to attract African-American studies professors from Harvard University ? especially Henry Louis Gates Jr., chair of Harvard's Afro-American studies department ? Princeton has discussed the creation of an African-American studies research institute in conversations with Gates, a top Harvard professor with knowledge of the situation said yesterday.Robert Durkee '69, vice president for public affairs, said yesterday that the University has not offered an African-American studies research center in return for Gates leaving Harvard for Princeton.

NEWS | 04/10/2002

Followers of Falun Dafa seek support in Princeton area

Practitioners of Falun Dafa, a meditation sect with followers around the world that has been the target of a crackdown by the Chinese government, have obtained statements of support from several Princeton-area government officials.Phyllis Marchand, the mayor of Princeton Township, proclaimed a "Falun Dafa Week" in 2000, and the Township Council in nearby West Windsor passed a resolution backing the group's freedom to practice its program of meditation and exercises in 2001.Local followers of the group organize classes in the Princeton Public Library and morning exercises next to the Princeton Shopping Center.Princeton's legislative leaders, including the Township Committee and the Borough Council, have declined to pass resolutions in support of the group, which the Chinese government describes as a cult.Steve Frakt, a Township committeeman, said he did not think it would be appropriate for local officials to take a stance on the group.Local officials around the country have reported receiving letters from Chinese officials urging them not to recognize the group, but no one in Princeton reported receiving such letters.Also known as Falun Gong, the group was founded in China in 1992.

NEWS | 04/10/2002

LGBT students reflect on nature of homosexuality

Ask Sue Dyer '03, and she will tell you it does not matter. The answer is not important, the Pride Alliance co-president says, because she is comfortable with her homosexuality.But for many across the political spectrum, the role of nature and nurture in determining sexual preference could forever change the way society views homosexuality and gay rights.The question of nature versus nurture is black and white, but the answers can only be found in the gray.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Room draw for '04 ends, some left without dorms

Upperclass room draw ended yesterday, leaving a number of students without accomodation, housing officials said.Room draw is the lottery process through which students select the dormitory rooms in which they would like to reside next year.This year's process went "very well," undergraduate housing coordinator Adam Rockman said.The Housing Department was unable to provide housing to all draw applicants, but it is compiling a waiting list, for which applications need to be turned into the Housing Office by April 26, assistant director for housing Lisa DePaul said.Students who are taken off the waiting list are notified in late August, according to housing forms.The University does not guarantee upperclassmen housing, according to University regulations.Still, about 98 percent of students live on campus, Rockman said.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Campus victims of sexual harassment rarely pursue disciplinary action

According to last year's Core Survey, put out by University Health Services, 9.3 percent of self-reporting students experienced sexual harassment on campus within the preceding 12 months.Meanwhile, the Committee on Discipline has found no student guilty of sexual harassment in the past three years, and according to Vice Provost Joanne Mitchell, only three cases of sexual harassment have passed all the way through the University's Faculty/Staff Sexual Harassment Panel during her eight years at Princeton.The gap in the numbers can be accounted for in part by those who choose private, confidential mediation instead of the formal venues of committees and panels.There is also the possibility, however, that confusion about what constitutes sexual harassment and a resistance to report instances result in some victims slipping through the cracks. Battling the MythsOne obstacle in the fight against sexual harassment is misinformation, and the University's Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising Resources & Education Program is seeking to equip members of the community with useful information.Throughout the year, SHARE holds panels for faculty, staff and students.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Study shows increase in drinking among college-age women

Binge drinking may not be on the rise overall, but college women's drinking habits throughout the country are catching up to those of college men, according to research released recently by the Harvard School of Public Health.The study showed that three times as many college women in 2001 as in 1993 reported being drunk on 10 or more occasions during the previous month.In addition, the study found that the percentage of college students overall who binge drink has remained fairly steady at approximately 44 percent since 1993.But the study also found that the number of students at all-women colleges who drank four or more drinks in a sitting in the previous two weeks rose from 24 to 32 percent.The data may indicate that women have become more comfortable participating in the same drinking activities as men."There's no taboo on women getting drunk anymore," said USG president Nina Langsam '03, who is also co-chair of an Alcohol Coalition committee on education and communication, a part of the Trustees' Alcohol Initiative.Langsam said she thinks that some women may drink more to feel they are equal to men."If the men are setting the bar at 'X' drinks, the women are going to compete and do the same," she said.Another study released yesterday by the federally funded Task Force on College Drinking found that approximately 1,400 college students are killed each year in alcohol-related incidents, most of which are motor vehicle accidents.The report estimated that drinking by college students contributes to 500,000 injuries and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Selectivity rises in Ivy League

The University admitted only 10.8 percent of applicants for the Class of 2006, making this year's process one of the most competitive on record, Dean of Admissions Fred Hargadon said in an e-mail.Harvard University, which admitted 10.5 percent of applicants, edged out Princeton as the most selective Ivy League school as the majority of schools across the league posted lower acceptance rates than last year.Harvard, Yale University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University and Columbia College have all sent out a surprisingly high number of rejection letters.Hargadon said last week that the University will be inviting many more musicians and dancers into the Class of 2006, in addition to many international students and minorities."I have no doubt that [the Class of 2006] will be plenty bright, plenty talented and plenty interesting, as have been the preceding classes here at Princeton," he said.Dartmouth, which saw the largest increase in applicants for the Class of 2006 in the Ivy League, also saw an increase in international and minority students in its applicant pool of 10,193.Of those, Dartmouth accepted 2,077, admissions director Maria Laskaris said.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Leighton '78 speaks on Internet efficiency and e-traffic routing

Tom Leighton '78, chief scientist of Akamai Technologies, spoke yesterday on making the Internet more efficient in the Computer Science building as part of the Gordon Wu Lecture Series."The good news about the Internet is it provides an unprecedented way to communicate," Leighton said.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

No Republican candidate files for Borough Council primary election

Criticism of the University's parking policy for construction vehicles and an impromptu speech by Albert Hinds highlighted last night's Princeton Borough Council meeting.Several councilmembers expressed dismay about the University's handling of construction vehicle parking and the "constant construction" taking place.The University has disregarded its promise to have workers park at Jadwin Gym and use the shuttle to get up-campus, councilmembers said.To kick off this week's meeting, Mayor Marvin Reed read a proclamation in honor of Hinds for his years of service to the town.

NEWS | 04/09/2002

Beyond the printed page: Seniors seek closure with perfect thesis binder

Some lucky seniors are already done with their theses, while others finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

Gellman '82 wins Pulitzer Prize for national reporting of 9/11

Three members of the University community were recognized yesterday by the Pulitzer Prize Board, which handed out its journalism, letters and drama awards.Ferris professor of journalism Bart Gellman '82, a former Daily Princetonian Chairman, is among the eight journalists on The Washington Post's national reporting team that received the national reporting prize for its coverage of Sept.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

Committee presents precept reform proposal to U-Council

The findings of a two-month long study on the quality of the University's precept system were presented at a U-Council meeting last night.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

Traveling the international court of basketball, passing on wisdom

The tiny Central Asian Kingdom of Bhutan was the perfect place for Sports Illustrated senior writer Alexander Wolff '79 to strike up a conversation about basketball."Do you suppose that Michael Jordan has any idea that in the most remote part of the Himalayas, in the Kingdom of Bhutan, there are people who know who he is ? people who care what he does?" asked Karma Lam Dorji, the country's only certified basketball coach and referee.Wolff wanted to answer, "Of course, yes.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

New classical studies program eases language prerequisite, gives flexibility

The classics department reorganized its new program this year to allow students to become concentrators with no previous Latin or Greek experience.Classical studies, a program in the classics department and available to the Class of 2003, marks an unprecedented departure from the stringent language requirements that usually limit admission of prospective classics majors.The new program also allows students to assume a more active role in directing their course of study."The most important feature of this new program is its flexibility," departmental representative Andrew Feldherr '85 said."A student will come to us with a specific area of interest, such as Roman history or Latin literature, and we then work together to tailor a program with that particular interest in mind," he said.Normally, those seeking entrance into the classics department must complete the equivalent of Greek or Latin as the University's 108-level.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

Students help combat poverty through Oxfam America Collegiate Click Drive

College students nationwide have been participating in the Oxfam America Collegiate Click Drive to help fund self-employment for impoverished people around the world.Since March 11, students visiting www.povertyfighters.com have been donating money on behalf of their universities by clicking under the names of their schools.Students can click up to twice a day to donate 25 cents to the drive for each click.In addition to benefiting charity, the drive also allows colleges to compete for the most donations.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

USG comedy show to feature SNL stars

The USG spring event will feature a comedy show this month starring comedians Tracy Morgan, Jay Mohr and Robert Kelly, the USG announced last night.The event, named "Thursday Night Live," will take place April 18 in Dillon Gym and will be emceed by Kelly.

NEWS | 04/08/2002

Tilghman expresses Greek life concerns

President Tilghman raised questions about the role of fraternities and sororities and the quality of health care during a USG Senate meeting last night.The meeting also included votes on two contentious election reform issues.Tilghman began by discussing the role of fraternities and sororities on campus, an issue which she said has become a concern for the University Board of Trustees.Because the rush process occurs so early in a student's four years at the University, fraternities and sororities may limit the diversity of their experiences on campus, she said."What you're doing is really quickly you're narrowing down the space that you're going to explore," she said.Tilghman also expressed concern about the perceived associations between certain eating clubs and fraternities."It doubly worries [the Trustees] because there is the added perception that sororities and fraternities are acting as a feeder for the eating clubs," she said.Although the administration could not force fraternities ? which are not recognized by the University ? to comply, Tilghman said the administration could make clear its position on the matter and pressure them into taking action.Tilghman also solicited input on the quality of care at McCosh Health Center, evoking both positive and negative responses.One oft-cited issue was the difference in care between the first-floor facilities, which perform outpatient services, and the second floor, which contains mostly inpatient services.The administration is planning a $250,000 renovation of McCosh, Tilghman said.After Tilghman's address, the senate voted on two election reform issues that remained unresolved from the last meeting.A measure removing restrictions on mass e-mails during campaigns passed by a 10-to-nine vote, while a proposal to shorten the voting period from three days to one was defeated by a 12-to-six vote.Also at the meeting, U-Councilor Allison Arensman '04 expressed concern that the administration was not actively addressing the issues brought up in last year's minority and women's issues reports."I don't see very much substantive evidence that [administrators] are doing anything in regards to these reports," she said.

NEWS | 04/07/2002

Political leaders convene to discuss Declaration of Independence

Though "self-evident" to the founding fathers of the United States, the notion that "all men are created equal" is easier said than applied.Only recently has the nation moved past an institutional racial hierarchy, which reigned not only over African Americans but also over Asian Americans, said Jennifer Hochschild, a Harvard University government professor.Hochschild ? along with former presidential candidate Steve Forbes '70, N.J.

NEWS | 04/07/2002

Soaries presents stance on abortion as congressional primary nears

Buster Soaries, the Republican challenging incumbent Rush Holt for the chance to represent Princeton's district in Congress, provided insight into his views on abortion and other key issues during a campus appearance Friday.The Baptist minister and former N.J.

NEWS | 04/07/2002

For gay athletes, coming out often makes ripples, rarely makes waves

He was standing on the edge: both the edge of athletics and the edge of DeNunzio Pool.It was January 2000, immediately after Christmas break when the athletes were returning to school.

NEWS | 04/07/2002

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