News

USG discusses OIT-student partnerships, preparations for Class of 2019

The Undergraduate Student Government senate convenedon Sundayto discuss progress on preparations for Class of 2019 welcome events, updates on current diversity awareness initiatives and opportunities for students to get involved with the Office of Information Technology. The senate noted that the 2015 Preview program will, like the 2014 Preview, be a one-day event.

News & Notes: Princeton ranked second-best small city in New Jersey

Although independent, Center for Jewish Life maintains financial, staff ties with U.

The Center for Jewish Life maintains ties to the University, including a lucrative fundraising partnership, despite its official status as a separate nonprofit organization, a review of financial disclosure forms by The Daily Princetonian has found. Meanwhile, the CJL's operator, a nonprofit calledHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, has only contributed a few thousand dollars to the CJL in the past few years.

Device to aid deaf, texting app win at HackPrinceton

Two teams were named overall winners at HackPrinceton — one for creating a texting application and another for designing a product for those who communicate in sign language. The hacking competition is designed to bring together college students from all over the country to compete for various prizes by working on their own software projects. Rohan Doshi ’18, Juan Sepulveda Varon ’18 and Ruiqi Mao, a freshman from Brown, won the best software design category, whileEthan Gordon ’17, David Liu ’17 and Jeffrey Han ’17 won the best hardware design category. While the two categories both employ software in their products, the hardware category requires that the competitors use an external device that is not a regular computer as an integral part of their finished product. “I feel like I’m on top of the world right now,” said Doshi, whose team created an application called Justext, which was designed to enable users to send questions via text message to a server that replies with the information he or she is requesting. For winning the best software category, the team was awarded $1,000 in prize money, three Dell touchscreen monitors, Bluetooth speakers and an electronic whiteboard, among other rewards.The team also won the Best Use of Microsoft Technology Award, which earned it another $4,000. According to Doshi, the app is designed to connect all phones to the Internet, regardless of whether or not they have web browsing capabilities. “For people with ‘dumb-phones’ that do not have Internet capabilities, this app can connect them to the web,” Doshi added.

Prominent U. donor, Bach enthusiast Scheide '36 dies

William H. Scheide ’36, philanthropist, scholar and noted Bach enthusiast, died on Friday in his Princeton home.

USG elections see more contested positions

Unlike recent years, most Undergraduate Student Government elections this year will be contested, according to an email from USG president Shawon Jackson '15 announcing the candidates on Friday. Three candidates are vying for the presidency: William Gansa ’17,USG vice president Molly Stoneman ’16 andchair of the USG University Student Life Committee Ella Cheng ’16. This is a marked departure from last year’s USG elections, in which there were only two presidential candidates, both of whom were male. According to chief elections manager Amara Nnaeto ’17, the campaigning process has begun smoothly without any serious disputes.

U. updates rules for alumni interviewers in response to concerns about online searches

Alumni interviewers must now complete a short online questionnaire before they are able to meet with the prospective students assigned to them, according to a version of the rules obtained by The Daily Princetonian. Alumni interviewers are required to disclose whether they havefelony convictions or an online presence that parents "mightdeem inappropriate." In both cases, alumni must obtain advance written permission from the Office of Admission in order to interview applicants.The guidelines don't offer any explanation or examples of what administrators mean by "inappropriate." In addition, they must also disclose any immediate family members applying to the University or any other college, if they are employed by a for-profit admissions venture and if they have a criminal record. This update to the rules for alumni interviewers is part of a new series of guidelines released by the Office of Admission. The change came after the University admission office received telephone calls from parents, school counselors and students who found information online they deemed concerning about alumni assigned to interview University applicants, according to University spokesperson Martin Mbugua.

Tiger statue vandalized outside Whig, Clio

A tiger statue between Whig and Clio Halls was graffitied in red spray paint sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the second incident of its type reported in the past two days around campus. The phrase “FU PU” was sprayed on the base of the statue, and parts of the tiger were sprayed red.

Faculty committee approves changes to molecular biology concentration requirements

A proposal by the molecular biology department to modify requirements for the concentration was approved last Thursday by the Faculty Committee on the Course of Study. According to molecular biology professor Elizabeth Gavis, the new curriculum will go into effect beginning in the 2015-16 academic year. James Baase ’15, the Undergraduate Student Government academics chair, said that one to two of the currently required courses will no longer be required.

Alumnus convicted on alcohol charges while at U. elected Delaware State Treasurer

Kenneth Simpler ’89, a Republican who made headlines during his time as an eating club president for being convicted on alcohol charges, won the Delaware State Treasurer position in the midterm elections, defeating his opponent Democratic Sean Barney by 10 percentage points, or more than 22,000 votes. Simpler is the first non-incumbent Republican to win an election to a statewide office in Delaware since 1994. The New York Times reported in May 1988 that undergraduate initiations into the University’s eating clubs had resulted in the treatment of 39 students at the University infirmary.

Murray-Dodge to undergo renovations, underground café expected to move location

The beloved underground Murray-Dodge Café is expected to move locations temporarily once its host building begins renovations next academic year. Alex Cuadrado ’16, a student supervisor of the café, explained that the Office of Religious Life, currently located in Murray-Dodge, will relocate to Green Hall, while the café will likely move to Campus Club. Muslim Student Association president Sarah Qari ’16, who spends time in the building doing work for the association, said that renovations may include the installation of bathrooms on the first floor, as well as an elevator and a new air conditioning system. Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel Alison Boden declined to comment. When asked what prompted renovations, Cuadrado said that the University began to do renovations on Murray-Dodge because the building did not follow regulations set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ex-DOJ civil rights lawyer John Doar ’44 dies at 92

John Doar ’44, a prominent civil rights lawyer who fought for the rights of African-Americans in the 1960s and who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts in 2012, died in New York, N.Y., on Tuesday.

News & Notes: Yale student busts dormitory burglar

At 9 a.m. on Monday, 21-year-old Yale student William Genova allegedly found a burglar in his room unplugging his laptop, and chased him down barefoot, according to The Yale Daily News. Genova followed the burglar,Eleam Djamal, into the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel on Dwight Street in NewHaven and confronted him. At the Marriott, Genova got the attention of a police officer and saw a stolen laptop that wasn’t his in Djamal’s duffel bag.

News & Notes: 43 students linked to cheating scandal in Dartmouth religion class

Forty-three Dartmouth students are being investigated for academic dishonesty after religion professor Randall Balmer found that the number of students digitally submitting answers to in-class questions on Oct.

TI becomes vandalism target following alleged distribution of sex photo

The phrase “Rape Haven” was graffitied in black spray paint on the stone partition outside Tiger Inn at some point between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The graffiti was discovered this morning, according to a picture obtained by The Daily Princetonian that was taken at around 7 a.m.

Q&A: John McPhee '53

Journalism professor John McPhee ’53 is a highly acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning author and has taught the popular “Creative Nonfiction” journalism class for 40 years.

O’Shea ’16 to make return to ‘Jeopardy!’ on Thursday

Terry O’Shea ’16, winner of the Jeopardy!

Mixed recycling debuts across campus after test launches last semester

Following the successful launch of mixed recycling in Mathey College and Wilson College last spring, the rest of the residential halls have shifted to mixed recycling as well.

News & Notes: No updates on police investigation into TI sex photo scandal

No witnesses or victims have publicly come forward with information in regards to allegations that a Tiger Inn officer shared a picture of a female student performing oral sex on a male student on the club’s dance floor in late October, the Princeton Police Department said on Tuesday. The photograph had allegedly been distributed to the TI membership email distribution list. While the police's investigation has not uncovered new information, the University is currently conducting its own investigation into the matter.

News & Notes: Yale begins construction of 2 residential colleges

Yale has begun the construction of two residential colleges ahead of schedule, according to the Yale Daily News. Though the project is scheduled to break ground in February 2015, workers have been on site for at least the last three weeks, said a construction worker on conditions of anonymity given contractual constraints to the Yale Daily News. The project is funded by $500 million Yale received in donations, according to the Yale University website. A single alumnus, Charles B.