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Institute for Advanced Study rejects offers to preserve historic battlefield

Institute for Advanced Study rejects offers to preserve historic battlefield

Annie Yang

The Institute for Advanced Studies is moving forward with its plans to build housing on historic Maxwell's Field after rejecting recent attempts of The Civil War Trust to halt construction by purchasing the property, according to Kip Cherry, vice president of the Princeton Battlefield Society.The Civil War Trust is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s battlegrounds.Alexandra Altman, communications associate for IAS, noted that IAS currently has all necessary approvals and permissions for the project and is moving forward with its Faculty Housing project on the Institute’s campus on Maxwell's Field.Jim Campi, policy and communications director for the Civil War Trust, explained that the Trust first requested to meet with IAS to discuss acquisitions in June 2015.According to Campi, IAS rejected this request as well as the Trust's subsequent attempts to arrange a meeting through third parties.“In November, to further demonstrate our seriousness about acquiring the property, we offered to buy the 22-acre Maxwell’s Field tract for $3.3 million, based on the appraised value of property,” he explained, noting that IAS rejected this offer.Campi said that last December, IAS also rejected the Trust's second offer of $4.5 million, a price nearly 40% higher than the land's appraised value.He added that the Trust supports a stay on construction in order to give the state of New Jersey and IAS more time to explore alternatives.The Trust's offers are the most recent additions to an ongoing effort to stop this construction project.Altman explained that the housing project meets a critical need for the IAS.

NEWS | 01/05/2016

Federal budget changes not to impact U. aid significantly

Marcia Brown

While the recently passedincreases to the federal budget for Pell Grant will not significantly affect current University aid programs, theywould allow forgreater academic spending nationwide, according to Director of Governmental Affairs Joyce Rechtschaffen '75. Rechtschaffen is a former managing editor of the 'Daily Princetonian.' On Dec.

NEWS | 01/05/2016

Gilbert Jr. '09 deemed mentally fit, will stand trial

Christina Vosbikian

Thomas Gilbert Jr. ’09, who allegedly shot and killed his father Thomas Gilbert Sr.

NEWS | 01/05/2016

Lander ’78, innovator in genetics

Abhiram Karuppur

Eric Lander ’78, valedictorian of his class and one of the leading contributors to the Human Genome and Innocence Projects, is the founding director of the Broad Institute, a genomics research institution of MIT and Harvard.Currently a biology professor at MIT, Lander was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of Our Time in 2004.

NEWS | 01/05/2016

POCC members named a top ten influencer in higher education

Caroline Lippman

Eleven University affiliates were named by the National Association of Scholars in two categories of the top ten influencers in higher education in 2015. The list appeared in an article titled "Roses and Thorns: NAS’s Top 10 List for 2015." Acknowledgement went to University of California, Los Angeles political science graduate student Michael LaCour, who was offered a position as assistant professor in the Wilson School, and members of the Princeton Open Campus Coalition, including Josh Freeman '18, Allie Burton '17, Evan Draim '16, Sofia Gallo '17, Solveig Gold '17, Andy Loo '16, Sebastian Marotta '16, Devon Naftzger '16, Beni Snow '19 and Josh Zuckerman '16. Snow is a columnist, Naftzger is a contributing columnist and Draim is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian. The NAS is a non-profit organization that promotes academic freedom, institutional integrity and principled citizenship in American higher education. NAS Executive Director Ashley Thorne, who wrote the top 10 list, said that she collaborated with other members of the NAS staff to compile the complete list, which comments on diverse issues in higher education, including environmentalism, gender and sexual assault, science and history. The Princeton Open Campus Coalition delivered a letter to University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 on Nov.

NEWS | 12/31/2015

Vasen, 51, was "irreplaceable" in U. theater program

Zaynab Zaman

Tim Vasen, Director and Lecturer in Theater at the University, died in an accident at homeon Mondayin Brooklyn, N.Y.

NEWS | 12/31/2015

Theater program director dies in home accident

Daily Princetonian Staff

Program in Theater Director and Lecturer Tim Vasen died in an accident at homeon Monday, according to an email from Lewis Center for the Arts Administrative Director Marion Young. Vasen, who was in his early fifties, became director of the program in 2012, and had taught courses and directed plays as part of the faculty since 1993. At the University, Vasen directed the world premieres of unproduced Soviet-era pieces by Alexander Pushkin. Alongside Lewis Center Chair Michael Cadden and the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, he facilitated interactions between University students and Greek theater artists by developing the recurring course "Re: Staging The Greeks," which launched in 2008.He was scheduled to teach two sections of the class in spring 2016. Vasen also served as an adviser to students pursuing a master of fine arts in directing at the Yale School of Drama.

NEWS | 12/29/2015

EEB professor Levin, Artin ’55 awarded National Medal of Science

Myrial Holbrook

Professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Simon Levinwill receive a National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony in January. The National Medal of Science is the highest presidential honor bestowed upon individuals in science and engineering who have contributed to knowledge in the fields of physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, behavioral and social sciences, and engineering. Chair of the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science Judith Kimble could not be reached for comment. Professor of ecology and evolutionary biologyDaniel Rubenstein said that Levin’s work involves trying to understand patterns in nature and how they come to be.

NEWS | 12/29/2015

Princeton public schools adopt policy regarding transgender, gender non-conforming students

Jessica Li

The Princeton Joint Unified School District adopted a uniform code outlining the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming students after a unanimous vote by the Board of Education last week, Vice President of the Board of Education Patrick Sullivan said. The code has taken immediate effect after the board’s vote, and will affect approximately 3,500 students from four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Sullivan noted that the new policy establishes a unified protocol for staff members and students that allows choice in pronoun preference and use of bathroom, locker room and other public facilities.

NEWS | 12/24/2015

USG reforms referendum rules to streamline process

Paul Phillips

The Undergraduate Student Government implemented reforms lastSundayto make the referendum process more organized and to allow more student discussion and dialogue. USG president Ella Cheng ’16 explained that the reforms include a rule that referenda can only be sent out during an election cycle and must be signed by 10 percent of the student body in order to appear on the ballot. Cheng is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian. She also explained that referendum sponsors must send the referendum to the USG five weeks before the election period.

NEWS | 12/17/2015

Ivy Club to participate in multi-club Bicker in the spring

Paul Phillips

Ivy Club will join the multi-club Bicker system starting in the coming spring, Ivy president Eliza Mott ’16 said. The multi-club Bicker process gives students the option of bickering two of the Bicker clubs at the same time, ranking their first and second choices.

NEWS | 12/17/2015

U. to consider offering non-credit ASL course next semester

De Vann Sago

The University might offer a non-credit American Sign Language course as early as this coming spring, Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne said. The course would not be recognized as an official University course. Dunne explained that plans for the course came about when he met with members of the Princeton University American Sign Language Club and brainstormed how the course could be offered. “We do believe there’s a student interest here that we could meet and give people the opportunity to learn more about ASL and the Deaf community,” Dunne said. He said the first step in the process will be finding a lecturer to instruct the class, but did not provide further details. Colin Lualdi ’17, president of PUASL, said that when he first arrived at the University, there was nothing related to ASL on campus.

NEWS | 12/17/2015

Students at Princeton Theological Seminary write petition opposing anti-Muslim rhetoric

Hannah Waxman

Forty-three Princeton Theological Seminary students wrote and signed an open letter petition denouncing Liberty University President Jerry Falwell’s call to violent action against Muslims on Dec.8. “If more good people had conceal-carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they walk in and kill,” Falwell said during a Dec.

NEWS | 12/17/2015

Cruz ’92 surpasses Trump in Iowa polls, Christie gains support in N.H.

Annie Yang

U.S. Senator from Texas Ted Cruz ’92 has surged in the Iowa polls for the 2016 Republican presidential primary, while New Jersey governor and ex officio University Trustee Chris Christie is polling much lower. According to the Des Moines Register, Cruz made a 21 percentage-point increase in the Iowa polls since October 22, making him the lead among Republican candidates.

NEWS | 12/17/2015

Panel discusses free speech, discrimination in the context of BJL protests

Jessica Li

The relationship between the issue of free speech and the issue of combating discrimination is a complicated one, panelists said in a discussion hosted by The Daily Princetonian on Wednesday.The panel featured Joanna Anyanwu ’15 GS from the Black Justice League, Samantha Harris ’99 of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Joshua Leifer ’17 from The Princeton Progressive and Peter Singer, professor in the Center for Human Values.Harris initiated the conversation by noting that increasing calls of censorship from students are detrimental to unlearning prejudice.“In many ways, the highly visible student protests around the country are a sign of the robustness of free speech around the country,” she said, adding that she is disappointed to see student protestors issue demands that undermined the same rights that made free speech possible.Singer said he agreed with Harris, and that if we prohibit alternative viewpoints, the truth will simply become a matter of dogma instead of a living truth that we constantly have to think about.“The danger that we face today is that we are all going to agree on something or won’t have contrary opinions expressed because they seem too politically incorrect to be expressed,” Singer said.Leifer, however, noted that controversies over the limits of “free speech” are not at the core of ongoing debates.

NEWS | 12/16/2015

Seniors Cen, Ude named Sachs Scholars

Paul Phillips

Sarah Cen ’16 andOgemdi Ude ’16 have been named the recipients of the Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship.Cen, who is majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering, will pursue a master’s in engineering science as a Sachs Scholar at Worcester College, Oxford, while Ude, who is majoring in English, will spend a year as a Sachs Global Scholar studying Indigenous Australian physical theater in Melbourne, Australia.Cen is a former staff writer and web editor for the Daily Princetonian.Matthew Stewart ’85, an adviser for the Sachs Scholarship, said that the Sachs Scholarship at Worcester College is intended for two years of graduate study and a degree at Worcester College, while the Global Scholarship was intended as an option for students to spend a year abroad and devise a learning project of their own that might not fit into formal categories of pursuing a degree.Stewart explained that former Sachs Scholars and friends of the association conduct the interviews and read the applications for the Sachs Scholarship.

NEWS | 12/16/2015

MASJID launches anti-Islamophobia campaign

Marcia Brown

A campus-wide anti-Islamophobia campaign by the student group Muslim Advocates for Social Justice and Individual Dignity will begin soon. MASJID, which formed last year in response to anti-Muslim sentiment at the University and across the country, announced the campaign at an open town hall meeting last Friday. Around 20 people attended the meeting, according to Farah Amjad ’16, one of the founders of MASJID.

NEWS | 12/16/2015

U. admits 18.6 percent of early applicants

Jessica Li

The University admitted 785 students from a pool of 4,229 candidates for the class of 2020 through the single-choice early action program, representing the largest number of early-admits in the University’s recent history, according to University Dean of Admissions Janet Rapelye. This figure represents an 18.6 percent acceptance rate.

NEWS | 12/16/2015

Cruz ’92, Christie debate terrorism, foreign policy at last Republican debate

Paul Phillips

President Barack Obama has done an inadequate job combating the ISIS terrorist threat and if they were to be elected president, they would be much more effective, both Texas Senator Ted Cruz ’92 and New Jersey governor Chris Christie argued in a Tuesday republican debate focused on the terrorist threat. “If I am President, we will hunt down and kill the terrorists,” Cruz said. Christie said that the basic responsibility of the President is to protect its people and that Obama has not been doing that. Christie is an ex officio trustee of the University. Cruz also said that Obama and Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have not been sufficiently willing to fight against terrorism.

NEWS | 12/15/2015

U. task force holds discussions on distribution requirements

Maya Wesby

The University’s Task Force on General Education held three discussions with students last week about concerns regarding distribution requirements.Elizabeth Colagiuri, Deputy Dean of the College and member of the Task Force on General Education, saidthe discussions were centered on the goals of an undergraduate education at the University and what core values and lessons students should be equipped with by the time they graduate.Colagiuri noted that the Task Force hopes to give a report on its findings to the University administration by next fall.“At a high level, ideally, what should every Princeton student take away from their education?

NEWS | 12/15/2015

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