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News & Notes: Princeton Public Schools to start homework-free periods

News & Notes: Princeton Public Schools to start homework-free periods

Daily Princetonian Staff

Public schools in the Princeton area announced they will be implementing homework-free periods during a school board meeting last week, The Times of Trenton reported. The decision comes at a time when many other New Jersey schools are re-adjusting their homework requirements for students, through measures like homework-free weekends. Specifically, the Princeton plan includes a homework-free weekend once a semester, while also preventing teachers from assigning projects or tests right after a break. Princeton Superintendent Steve Cochrane ’81 explained that the homework-free periods would “provide our students with periods of time throughout the year when they can mentally step away from focusing on homework and projects and studying for tests.” In West Windsor-Plainsboro, no-homework nights received positive feedback from families and elementary and middle school teachers after the 2014-15 academic year, according to the Times. Cochrane also noted that the decision would hopefully “facilitate a district-wide discussion” about student homework load.

NEWS | 10/08/2015

Former U. postdoctoral researcher wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Jessica Li

Tomas Lindahl, who worked on his postdoctoral research at the University, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for mapping how cells repair DNA. Lindahl is currently a researcher at the Francis Crick Institute and Clare Hall Laboratory in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.He won the award alongside Duke University School of Medicine professor Paul Modrich and University of Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Aziz Sancar. While at the University in the mid-1960s, Lindahl discovered that RNA, a macromolecule closely related to DNA, is vulnerable to heat damage.

NEWS | 10/08/2015

Wilson School professor Mullen lectures on U.S. strategy

Maya Wesby

Wilson School professor Admiral Michael Mullen spoke on the values that the United States should have when interacting with other countries, whether for war or diplomacy, in a Thursday lecture.Mullen, a retired U.S.

NEWS | 10/08/2015

Students petition to open new food co-op

Jessica Li

More than 300 students have signed a petitionsince it was launched last week to open a new food co-op on campus, according toVidushi Sharma ’17, co-organizer of the petition. Sharma said that she and a few others launched the petition after seeing a shortage of accommodations for an overwhelming demand.

NEWS | 10/08/2015

NJ Transit’s fare hike put into effect, draws criticism

Nahrie Chung

New Jersey Transit has increased bus and rail fares across the state an average of 9 percent since Oct.

NEWS | 10/08/2015

News & Notes: Harvard endowment returns ‘concerning,’ says Faust

Daily Princetonian Staff

The performance of Harvard’s endowment in fiscal year 2015 is troubling, Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust told the Harvard Crimson on Tuesday. Although the fund remains the largest in the world and increased by 5.8 percent to reach $37.6 billion, Harvard's percentage gain was lower than all other Ivies who reported results except for Brown. Cornell and Columbia have not yet released figures. “We obviously did not do as well as MIT and Yale and others, and that of course is a concern, and it's very much a concern for Stephen Blyth, who has been making significant changes,” Faust said. Blyth has been president of the Harvard Management Company since January, according to the International Business Times. Harvard's endowment returns were the worst among the Ivy League from fiscal years 2009 to 2013, under then-Harvard Management Company CEO Jane L.

NEWS | 10/07/2015

In Anscombe lecture, Scruton discusses sexuality in academia

Charles Kyungchan Min

Today’s conception of sexuality is flawed in having non-reproductive aims, philosopher and public commentator Roger Scruton said at a lecture on Wednesday.“[Modern understanding of sexuality] cuts the future generation out of the deal,” he argued, criticizing the liberalization of intimate relations.Scruton noted that sex must be more than a physical act.“If sexual desire was merely a desire for sensation in the private parts … then rape would be as bad as being spat on.

NEWS | 10/07/2015

Andlinger Center scheduled to open February 2016

Hannah Waxman

The new building for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment on the corner of Olden Street and Prospect Avenue will open to students, faculty and researchers in February 2016.Construction began in winter 2012 following a $100 million donation from Gerhard Andlinger ’52, a business executive with a passion for environmental engineering.

NEWS | 10/07/2015

U. collaborating with UVA to digitize Wilson’s papers

Zaynab Zaman

The University of Virginia and the University will be digitizing the papers of President Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, director of the Princeton University Press Peter Dougherty said.The digitization process began Oct.

NEWS | 10/07/2015

Former physics professor receives Nobel Prize

Christopher Umanzor

Arthur McDonald, former physics professor at the University, received the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for his work in subatomic physics along with University of Tokyo physicist Takaaki Kajita for the discovery of neutrino oscillation, which revealed that neutrinos have mass. Neutrinos are basic subatomic particles, like quarks. McDonald, who lectured at the University from 1982 to 1989, is currently a professor emeritus of physics at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.

NEWS | 10/07/2015

Joe Amon lectures on work of a human rights activist

Alfred Burton

The work of a human rights activist consists of raising awareness, forming a coalition and setting a narrative for debate, director of Health and Human Rights at Human Rights Watch Joseph Amon said at a lecture Tuesday.Amon explained that his work consists of convincing governments they should be or should stop doing something.

NEWS | 10/06/2015

Former U. professor awarded Nobel Prize

Daily Princetonian Staff

Arthur B. McDonald, a former physics professor at the University, was one of the two recipients of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics, the University announced on Tuesday.He was awarded the prize for an experiment he began developing during his professorship at the University from 1982 to 1989.McDonald led the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory that revealed that neutrinos oscillate, or change types known as "flavors," as they travel through space.

NEWS | 10/06/2015

Class of 2019 candidates announced

Daily Princetonian Staff

Sixteen freshmen are running for the five Class of 2019 officer positions.The candidates for class council include Carly Bonnet, Karen Delgado,Josh Faires,Suren Jamiyanaa,Adam Libresco,Susan Liu,Jack Marcus,Reed Melchionda, Chelsea Ng,Ling Ritter,Daniel Schwarzhoff,Ishan Sinha,Eric Sklanka,Katherine Trout, Christopher Umanzor andNicholas Wu.Liu and Umanzor are also contributors for The Daily Princetonian.According to the USG Elections Handbook, the freshman class council is comprised of five class officers who work together to accomplish the tasks of class government.The term “class officer” only exists in the fall of freshman year.

NEWS | 10/06/2015

Q&A: Human Rights Watch's Joseph Amon

Alfred Burton

Joseph Amon, director of the Health and Human Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, gave a lecture Tuesday about his work in non-communicable diseases and how human rights arguments can support greater efforts in global health.

NEWS | 10/06/2015

U. to implement changes in response to task force report

Annie Yang

The University will be implementing changes in response to the Report of the Special Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that was released in May 2015, Vice Provost for Institutional Diversity and Equality Michele Minter said.Tthe changesinclude updates to the Policy on Discrimination and Harassment, changes to the ‘Reflections on Diversity’ orientation session and enhancements to Fields Center programs, Minter saidsaid.The task force'sreport highlighted recommendations that have been or will be implemented soon, Vice President for Campus Life W.

NEWS | 10/06/2015

Campbell ’04: first-time candidate for Boston City Council

Olivia Wicki

Andrea Campbell ’04, a first-time candidate running for Boston City Council, is leading in the preliminary polls against incumbent Charles C.

NEWS | 10/05/2015

News & Notes: Reported rapes at Harvard nearly double from 2013 to 2014

Daily Princetonian Staff

Harvard's campus saw its number of reported rapes nearly double from 2013 to 2014, the Harvard Crimson reported. Reported rapes increased from 17 in 2013 to 33 in 2014.

NEWS | 10/05/2015

Volcker ’49 donates public service papers to U.

Christina Vosbikian

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker ’49 donated his public service papers to the University on Sept.

NEWS | 10/05/2015

U. endowment returns 12.7 percent, up to $22.7B

Lorenzo Quiogue

The University's endowment returned 12.7 percent in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, according to Princeton University Investment Companypresident Andrew Golden.

NEWS | 10/05/2015

As program increases in size, Humanities Sequence adds mentors, event organizers

Shriya Sekhsaria

The Humanities Sequence at the University has undergone many changes since last year, including doubling in size and doing away with applications.The Council of the Humanities has also set up a team of student mentors called Humanities Mentors, social event organizers called Symposiarchs and interns called Scribes.Kathleen Crown, executive director of the Council of the Humanities, said the Humanities Sequence of HUM 216-219 is an intensive yearlong double course taught each semester by six faculty members from the disciplines of literature, philosophy, history, music, art and classics.

NEWS | 10/04/2015

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