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News & Notes: Rutgers bans fraternity, sorority parties

News & Notes: Rutgers bans fraternity, sorority parties

Daily Princetonian Staff

Rutgers University has banned all fraternity and sorority houses from throwing parties for the rest of the semester, NJ Advance Media reported on Monday. The Rutgers administration cited the unusually high number of alcohol-related incidents occurring at the houses this semester as its reasoning for the ban. There are 86 fraternities and sororities at Rutgers. The organizations, however, will be permitted to host their year-end formals at off-campus locations, but other spring events must be cancelled immediately. Rutgers student Caitlyn Kovacs died in September of alcohol poisoning after attending a party at a fraternity, and five other unknown Rutgers fraternities are under investigation for alcohol-related incidents. The ban follows a meeting between Rutgers officials and the leaders of all 86 Panhellenic societies over the weekend, in which negative publicity surrounding Greek life at Rutgers and around the country was discussed. Erin Kearns, president of the Rutgers Panhellenic Association, told NJ Advance Media that the Greek leaders appeared to accept the ban.

NEWS | 04/06/2015

Faculty discuss freedom of expression on campus

Kristin Qian

The faculty discussed and passed a motion to publish a statement on freedom of expression on campus in "Rights, Rules, Responsibilities"at the faculty meeting on Monday in Nassau Hall. The motion was presented by mathematics professor Sergiu Klainerman. Klainerman had originally sent an email to Dean of the Faculty Deborah Prentice, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 and Provost David Lee GS ’99 advocating that the University adopt a commitment to academic freedom similar to one the University of Chicago had recently adopted. The email attached the names of 60 other faculty members who had supported the idea of this motion. The motion was to adopt the principles stated in the University of Chicago’s Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression, including that it should be for individuals and not for universities as institutions to decide, in general, when speech and ideas are inappropriate. "Because the University is committed to free and open inquiry in all matters, it guarantees all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn,” the Chicago report reads in part. The motion was seconded and then moved forward to further discussion and questions. The faculty discussed and inquired about the reasoning, context and timing of this motion.Some faculty expressed curiosity as to why the motion was being brought up now or if there was something that happened regarding the campus culture causing this matter to appear. Klainerman said it was in response to a “general feeling” that is present across different academic institutions. “[The University of Chicago produced a] wonderful statement, which reaffirms the principles of academic freedom," he said.

NEWS | 04/06/2015

Petition brings referendum on divestment issue to student vote

Christina Vosbikian

The Princeton Divests Coalition's petition to run a referendum to divest from companies that are "complicit in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip"gained enough signatures to run the referendum before the undergraduate student body. This referendum calls on the University to divest from companies that allegedly maintain the infrastructure of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank; facilitate Israel’s and Egypt’s collective punishment of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and facilitate state repression against Palestinians by Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian Authority security forces. Undergraduate Student Governmentpresident Ella Cheng ’16 said that USGchief elections manager Grant Golub ’17 verified on Monday that the petition to run the referendum had garnered 229 valid signatures. The referendum needed 200 valid signatures to run, Golub said. Golub is a former staff writer and former copy editor for The Daily Princetonian. Referendum signatures must be verified by USGbefore referenda are presented to the student body. The group has stopped collecting signatures on the petition, as it already has enough,saidMohamed El-Dirany ’18, one of the students who worked on the referendum petition.The group began its effort to collect signatures on March 25. “If the referendum passes, it’s a stance that the undergraduate student body takes that says, ‘We want the University to divest,’ ” he said. Allegra Dobson ’18 said she didn't see the value in the referendum. “I feel like Princeton as an institution shouldn’t support companies either way but that individual students should be encouraged to express their opinions,” Dobson said. However, divestment efforts are counterproductive to achieving a two-state solution, Hannelora Everett ’17, president of Tigers for Israel, said. “Tigers for Israel firmly opposes divestment,” she said.

NEWS | 04/06/2015

Students express concern over choice of Big Sean as Lawnparties main act

Students express concern over choice of Big Sean as Lawnparties main act

Christina Vosbikian

Some students took to social media this weekend to express concern over the choice of Big Sean as the main act for Lawnpartiesafter Duncan Hosie ’16 and Rebecca Basaldua ’15 started a petition urging the Undergraduate Student Government to rescind its offer to the rapper. The petition alleges that Big Sean promotes rape culture and misogyny in his lyrics. Hosie said USG’s promotional video, which featured Big Sean repeating the phrase “stupid ass bitch,” spurred him to reach out to Basaldua, and to start the petition and open up dialogue about the selection of acts for Lawnparties. “After I saw that video, I started researching Big Sean’s language and I found language that was both misogynistic and homophobic,” Hosie said.

NEWS | 04/06/2015

Career Services institutes weekly Lewis Center office hours

Doug Wallack

Late last month, Juli-anne Jensen of Career Services began holding weekly Tuesday office hours in the Lewis Center for the Arts for students interested in careers in the arts, non-profits or public service.Career Services began offering the Lewis Center office hours in response to feedback they had received from students who were unsatisfied with the guidance Career Services provides for students interested in the arts or non-profits, Executive Director of Career Services Pulin Sanghvi said.“We want to meet student interests,” he said.Jensen currently holds regular office hours at Career Services in addition to the newly initiated office hours at the Lewis Center.

NEWS | 04/06/2015

News & Notes: Student accepted to all 8 Ivies

Jasmine Wang

Harold Ekeh, a student at Elmont Memorial High School in Elmont, N.Y., was accepted to all eight Ivy League universities, as well as five other universities.

NEWS | 04/05/2015

Urban Congo sparks social media storm

Urban Congo sparks social media storm

Jessica Li

Students voiced their outrage over social media this weekend about videos featuring Urban Congo, a student organization recognized and sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.One of the videos shows a dance performance by members of the organization at the annual Princeton Varsity Club “Tigers Got Talent” talent show in November that was deemed inappropriate by many, citing disrespect for multiple African and Native American cultures.In response to growing discontent, Urban Congo removed the video from its YouTube channel and deactivated its Facebook page.

NEWS | 04/05/2015

USG discusses concerns over Lawnparties headliner

Katherine Oh

The Undergraduate Student Government discussed Lawnparties and the choice of Big Sean as the main act at its weeklysenate meeting on Sunday.USG president Ella Cheng ’16 said that she and social chair Simon Wu ’17care about making the process of choosing the main act more democratic than it has been in the past.“There was actually no possibility to make it more open with this particular act because it came in January, even before our terms had officially started,” Cheng said.Cheng is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian.“We are never going to please the majority of the student body,” Class of 2016 senator Kristen Coke said.U-councilor Mallory Banks ’16 said that, in past years, students were surveyed in advance for their Lawnparties artist preferences.“The issue with that is that you will get Beyoncé, Beyoncé, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West,” Banks said.

NEWS | 04/05/2015

Reduction in number of senior wristbands for Reunions causes distress

Melissa Curtis

Members of the Class of 2015 were upset last week when they were reminded in an email that all graduating seniors will only be allowed one guest wristband for Reunions.According to the April 2 email, graduating seniors can attend Reunions free of cost but can register one guest for $65, the same price as a wristband for students who are not guests of seniors.Last year, graduating seniors were given the opportunity to purchase two $60 wristbands for their guests, and the year before they were given the opportunity to purchase five.The Office of Alumni Affairs sent an email last year on April 2, 2014 to the then-senior and junior classes explaining that the number of guest wristbands would be reduced to two for the Class of 2014 and further reduced to one for the Class of 2015 and future classes.The wristbands are only required for activities that take place after 5 p.m.

NEWS | 04/05/2015

Updated: Students say 'No' to 'Hose Bicker'

Jacob Donnelly

Students voted against the referendum calling for the end of Bicker this week, Grant Golub '17, the Undergraduate Student Government's chief elections manager, said. The referendum would have called on the Bicker clubs to end Bicker by the 2019-20 academic year and on USG to create an ad hoc committee to facilitate ending Bicker. Voting took place fromMondaythroughWednesday, and 1,988 students voted during that time.In comparison, 2,015 students voted on the referendum about the length of winter break earlier this year. Of the students who voted this week,1,120, or 56.3 percent, voted against the referendum and 868, or 43.7 percent, voted in favor of the referendum. There are currently no plans for USG to examine the Bicker issue, Golub said. Golub is a former staff writer and former staff copy editor for The Daily Princetonian. Rene Chalom '17 said the outcome of the referendum was surprising because it was reasonable to assume people who were against Bicker would have turned out more.

NEWS | 04/03/2015

News & Notes: Harvard Law creates Title IX committee

Zoe Toledo

Dean of Harvard Law School Martha Minow created a Title IX committee to oversee the law school’s school-specific policy for investigating cases of alleged sexual harassment, the Harvard Crimson reported. Minow has appointed tenured faculty members to the committee, and the committee will appoint individuals to investigate and adjudicate reports of sexual misconduct within the law school. The Office for Civil Rights found Harvard Law School to be in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments in December 2014.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

Plan to demolish historic town property meets resistance

Annie Yang

A house in the town of Princeton constructed in 1870 that has been home to several generations of occupants faces possible demolition if Mary Moss Park is to be expanded. The town had planned to expand the half-acre park and renovate various aspects of the park, including replacing a wading pool with a “spray ground,” which would include a number of sprinklers. This plan met resistance, however, when local residents began to speak out against demolishing the house located at 31-33 Lytle St., and the town and residents are still discussing the next steps.The home is privately owned and was slated to be demolished in order to make room for two newly constructed houses, Mayor Liz Lempert said. “When the municipality learned that the demolition was slated to occur, we reached out to the developer to see if he’d be willing to sell the property to the municipality in order for the park expansion,” she said. Local real estate developer Roman Barsky holds the demolition permits, which he obtained last October, Lempert added. Barsky did not respond to requests for comment. Mercer County offered Open Space funding, which provides money to help preserve areas of land,in order to match the municipality’s contribution towards the park, Lempert said.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

Campus exhibits mixed feelings about ‘Hose Bicker’

Cassidy Tucker

Eating club presidents and other students have mixed opinions about the special referendum to end the Bicker process at eating clubs.The referendum called for each eating club to end Bicker no later than the first day of the 2019-20 academic year.In addition, if the referendum succeeds, the Undergraduate Student Government senate will be required to establish an ad hoc committee to facilitate ending Bicker no more than 45 days after the approval of the referendum.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

PPPL physicists move forward in understanding fusion energy obstacles

Catherine Offord

Physicists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, General Atomics and other research institutions have made new observations that help to understand one of the major barriers to developing fusion energy.The new findings, published in two back-to-back articles in “Physical Review Letters” on March 12, present novel observations from experiments that sought to control damaging heat bursts that routinely occur in a type of fusion machine called a tokamak.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

Website connecting students over the summer expanding to Ivy League

Kristin Qian

Summer Playbook, an online map of the summer locations of Ivy League students, is expanding later this month to encompass all Ivy League colleges, including the University.Neeraj Bajpayee ’17 is mapping University students’ summer locations, expanding the website founded by Harvard sophomore Luke Heine last April.Heine said that many people have asked why the site is only restricted to the Ivy League, with people raising concerns about elitism.“It’s not supposed to feel that way,” Heine said, “and I don’t want that to shine through.”He explained that he chose the Ivy League because there is camaraderie — or “shared culture” — between the schools.Ivy League students are also some of the most likely students to travel all over the world during the summer, Heine added.Summer Playbook is taking part in a venture capital incubator for startup companies but is currently a not-for profit project, Heine said.The endeavor started off as a Facebook post in which Heine asked his classmates to mark the places where they would be over the summer, he said.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

Robert George, prominent conservative U. professor

Olivia Wicki

Robert George, the University’s only professor of jurisprudence and one of the country’s most prominent conservative intellectuals, was not always a conservative.George, the grandson of coal miners, grew up in the West Virginia Appalachians.

NEWS | 04/02/2015

News & Notes: Stanford offers free tuition

Daily Princetonian Staff

Stanford University will now offer free tuition to students who come from families with less than $125,000 in annual income and assets, CNN reported. Stanford made this announcement when it released its regular admissions results last week. Room and board charges will also be waived for those students whose families’ incomes are below $65,000, which is more generous than the school’s previous threshold of $60,000. While the expected parent contribution is zero, Stanford still requires students to contribute $5,000 on their own from summer or part-time jobs. “Our highest priority is that Stanford remain affordable and accessible to the most talented students, regardless of their financial circumstance,” Stanford’s Provost John Etchemendy said, according to CNN. In comparison, Princeton grants free tuition for students whose parents earn less than $140,000, while those with incomes lower than $60,000 do not have to pay tuition, room or board. Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misstated the point at which Princeton grants students free tuition.

NEWS | 04/01/2015

Senator Menendez indicted for corruption, asserts his innocence

Christina Vosbikian

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, were indicted on Wednesday by the District of New Jersey for one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the travel act, eight counts of bribery and three counts of honest services fraud. Menendez was also charged with one count of making false statements. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark, New Jersey Division Richard Frankel. According to CNN, Menendez has asserted his innocence, pledging to fight the federal corruption charges brought against him.

NEWS | 04/01/2015

Whig-Cliosophic Society holds sexual assault policy discussion

Katherine Oh

The American Whig-Cliosophic Society discussed various aspects of the University’s new sexual assault policy on Wednesday. Wilson School professor Stanley Katz, whois an outspoken critic of the University’s decision in 2014to lower the evidence standardfor sexual assault cases,addressed the topic in a short talk at the beginning of the discussion. Whig-Clio senate president Jack Reed ’16 explained that the event was intended to be an open conversation, rather than a lecture. There were no representatives in support of the University's new standard of evidence at the discussion. According to Katz, the administration sent the entire faculty an email at the beginning of this academic year indicating a possible change in the disciplinary procedure to address sexual assault cases on campus.

NEWS | 04/01/2015

Karmapa visits Princeton, discusses women’s rights, social activism, environment

Zaynab Zaman

Women’s rights are a reflection of the degree to which everyone enjoys basic human rights, the 17thGyalwang Karmapa said in a lecture on Wednesday. Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel Alison Boden introduced the Karmapa, noting that Karmapa literally means “the one who carries out Buddha-activity” or “the embodiment of all the activities of the Buddhas.” The Karmapa was born in Tibet and fled to India, where he has continued his training as a monk, Boden said. The Karmapa explained that he was born into isolation and had no opportunity for formal education as a child.

NEWS | 04/01/2015

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