The Prox: March 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Welcome to Princeton -- A Guide for the Class of 2013

To the 2,150 extremely fortunate new Princetonians, here's a post with a directory of all the recent Prince reporting on the day-to-day and more controversial elements of life as a Princeton student:

The Basics:

A comprehensive dictionary of Princeton terms: (A-G) (H-R) (S-Z)
Recent stories about Academics and Science
Our recent reporting on Campus Life, and Prospect Street, home of the eating clubs
Princeton's top twenty greatest athletes, and our Sports coverage
Coverage of the Town of Princeton

Commentary and the Controversial:

An archive of Opinion Columns and Editorials, with a host of reader comments
A collection of historical reports on Bicker, the process by which students are chosen for selective eating clubs
Two of the Prince's series on Princeton's Grade Deflation policy, from its early days and more recent impact
A series on race and ethnicity at Princeton
Our recent coverage of graduate students

20 Sweet: Place Songs

After doing months of intense stay-up-all-night research, I have come to the conclusion that the topical distribution on the standard album is as follows, in my very scientific, incomprehensible analysis of the data:

-a few songs about relationships
-a token unrequited love song here and there
-a handful of songs with clichés like “outside looking in” or “here without you”
-a song whose meaning only the band can understand

And finally...most albums contain:

-at least one song about a specific city, country, or region that means something to the artist, whether it is his or her home, or just somewhere that he or she thinks is pretty darn cool

Without further ado, here are some fun Place Songs.

Feel free to post ones I missed! Or even write your own...

1. “Amsterdam” – Guster
2. “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” – The Postal Service
3. “Carolina in My Mind” – James Taylor
4. “Los Angeles” – The Rosewood Thieves
5. “The Only Living Boy in New York” – Simon & Garfunkel
6. “Chicago” – Sufjan Stevens
7. “El Salvador” –Athlete
8. “Soweto (feat. Goapele)” – Hieroglyphics
9. “Blue Ridge Laughing” – Carbon Leaf
10. “Kashmir” – Led Zeppelin
11. “Omaha” – Counting Crows
12. “In Cairo” – Hot Hot Heat
13. “Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
14. “To Zion” – Lauryn Hill
15. “Pangea” – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
16. “California Dreamin’” – The Mamas and the Papas
17. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” – Vampire Weekend
18. “New Hampshire” – Matt Pond PA
19. “Born in the U.S.A.” – Bruce Springsteen
20. “Australia” – The Shins

Real Estate: Cuyler Hall

Cuyler Hall, the memorial to Cornelius C. Cuyler ‘79 dedicated in 1912, hasn’t been renovated. Or at least that’s what the Princeton campus guide reports.

But even if it were renovated, it’d be impossible to solve the deal-breakers of Cuyler Hall. The bathrooms are all in the basement, and there are no elevators. The rooms are small and usually shared. And they’re nothing compared to the huge Dod bi-levels that you’ve dreamt about, partied in, or have only heard about.

But one thing’s for certain: the common room is pretty sweet. And while the rooms may be on the smaller side, when I was still dreaming of what my life could be like at Princeton, I imagined myself living in a building identical to Cuyler. A fireplace, wooden floors, and the whole gothic feel. And according to a friend who used to live in Cuyler, it served as a backdrop for a Brook’s Brothers ad. (Whether or not this is true, I’m not certain, but I do know it’s been the backdrop to ads.)
"The facilities are old; the rooms are small. The condition of the bathrooms are okay.... But the location is great!” said Princeton Kwong ’11 about his Cuyler triple.
But Sojung Yi ’12 disagrees, raving that"It's a beautiful building with the most central location on campus. The rooms are clean and charming.” Living in this hall can offer the “Princeton experience” that we dream about—you know, if both ‘Spoon and the entirety of Whitman weren’t available.

But Cuyler is pretty, and it’s a good place for those who want to live in threes (or triples) and don’t mind living in a “cozy” situation. (That’s just a euphemism for cramped/small, though, isn’t it?)

And for previous Forbes residents, Cuyler is in a great location. It’s nearly the center of Campus, a short walk from Frist and an even shorter one from Dillon.

edit: There's also a bathroom on the third floor. Sorry about that!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Real Estate: Little Hall

In This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald poetically refers to it as the “black Gothic snake of Little.” Indeed, there is something snake-like in the appearance of Little Hall, located east of Laughlin and the junior slums and running parallel to University Place. Designed by the Philadelphia firm Cope and Stewardson in the late 1890s, Little was the second of three of the “Collegiate Gothic” architecture style popular that now defines Princeton’s campus. Little was also the first dormitory on campus with indoor bathrooms.
Today, Little Hall is home bathrooms, singles, doubles, triples and quads. Many of the rooms are spacious with a fireplace, and some great lighting courtesy of several windows. Little also offers laundry rooms, kitchen/dining area, lounges and study.
Most residents laud Little Hall for its large rooms and location.
Neal Yuan ’10, who lives in a newly renovated quad this year really appreciates it.
“It’s a big quad,” he said, “I really can’t complain.”
Little has the convenience of proximity to either Dillon Gym or the U-Store, depending on which side you are on. The south side of Little is physically attached to Dillon Gym, ideal rooming situation for gym frequenters, especially on extremely cold days. The north side, on the other hand, boasts a 4-story tower that was once the most prominent aspect of the hall.
Many of the rooms in Little are part of Mathey College. This year, Little will have 3 singles, 2 doubles, 4 triples and 19 quads.

Real Estate: Lockhart Hall

Imagine it is mid-January, right in the middle of final exams, and you’re studying really late. Suddenly, you feel hungry, but there’s a blizzard outside. At times like these, you’re lucky if you live in Lockhart.
Located next to the U-Store on University Place, Lockhart Hall features 21 large singles, most with over 150 square feet of living space. There are also 5 doubles, 7 triples and 3 quads.
Residents appreciate the size of their rooms.
“It’s a solid single,” Gabrielle Davis ’09 said, “I like it a lot.”
For independent students, Lockhart has a kitchen that requires a key to gain entrance.
Lockhart also has a laundry room, but no computer cluster and printers.

Real Estate: Patton Hall

In the early 1900s, in an effort to move students out of lackluster off-campus housing and redefine itself as “a residential university,” the Board of Trustees pooled together alumni donors and patrons to build new dormitories. All of the new dorms were modeled after the “Collegiate Gothic” style of architecture prominent on campus, but each with its own twist. Patton Hall, constructed in 1906, was designed by Benjamin W. Morris, who also designed 1879 Hall. What sets Patton Hall apart from the other dormitories of its time were the detailed carvings that neither Blair nor Little featured, the same sort of detail the architect of Cuyler Hall later imitated.
Patton, located on Elm Drive across from North Hall of Whitman College, boasts a great proximity to Frist, Dillon, most classrooms, Prospect Ave. and athletic fields.
In Patton, there are 15 singles, 4 doubles, 14 triples, 1 quad and 5 suites of 6’s, most with large rooms. The tower rooms also contain numerous windows and window seats. Most of the suites receive rave reviews for their size and location, including the 2-story T12 with 213 square feet per person, a private bathroom, and beautiful view over Whitman.
The quads are equally laudable.
“I love our room,” Kristen Scott ’09, who lives in a quad with 4 singles, said. “It’s like living in an apartment.”
“For seniors, it’s nice to have singles,” she said, adding that it was even better to have singles together with her “best friends.”
Patton also has laundry rooms and computer areas with printers.

Krugman's 15 Minutes, complete with a Newsweek cover

Paul Krugman thinks that "Obama is Wrong," according to this week's cover of Newsweek. Inside, visiting journalism professor and Newsweek assistant managing editor Evan Thomas has penned a 2,850-word piece that describes the Wilson School professor and 2008 Nobel laureate as the new president's biggest liberal critic.

Friend and fellow prof. Sean Wilentz lets us know that Krugman "doesn't like hauteur in any shape or form. He doesn't like to be fucked with."

And Thomas fills us in on Krugman's weekly schedule: "He is, to be sure, insanely busy, producing two columns a week, teaching two courses and still writing books (his latest is "The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008"). He posts to his blog as many as six times a day. Last Thursday morning, he was gleeful because he was able to thump a blogger who insisted, wrongly, that Keynes did not use much math in his work."

Another look at an old favorite...

I’ve recently fallen in love with Kenzo, the French (originally Japanese) label designed by the Algerian-born Antonio Marras. I know this is a bit late—the brand has existed since 1970 after all—but as I was reviewing his fall and Spring 2009 collections, I was struck by how modern Marras has managed to keep the brand. Never fear, he hasn’t forsaken its trademark patches and mismatched prints, and unlike after St. John’s failed attempt to rejuvenate its image in 2002 (remember those Angelina Jolie ads?), there is no way that Kenzo’s loyal fans will feel any desire to desert the brand anytime soon. But Marras has begun experimenting with form more than he ever has, adding belts and strategically placed fur. Perhaps strangely, the contrasting heavy and ethereal materials remind me of Marc Jacob’s superb Spring 2009 collection. The complete effect is entirely charming, but not overbearingly so, and appeals to those who adore a well-cut and well-made ensemble, which is not only relevant now, but promises to be so for a very long time.

I love the color of this coat, and its texture gives it so much depth, which is amplified by the pinkish purple vintage-style scarf and belt. Leather boots are a nifty choice, because they streamline the voluminous activity on top. Also, though you can't really see it in this photo, the embroidered bag here is absolutely phenomenal.

Who could resist the shape here? There's something almost Middle Ageish about the neckline, but the overall impression with the shin guards (I think that's what those are...) is of an astronaut. Well isn't that interesting...

Sigh...what I wouldn't do for a good print? A shipwreck has scribbled itself across the silk...but not to worry, the fur ensures that it all hangs straightly.

Admissions: 27 hours and counting

After months of breathless anticipation, eager applicants are just 27 hours away from being able to go online and find out if they had been granted a spot in the Class of 2013. Anticipation has been building around the net: The Daily Beast is out with a story on the "Dirty Secrets of College Waitlists," the Princeton page at collegeconfidential.com is going crazy...even the New York Times decided to mark the occasion by launching a new blog called "The Choice."

So here's the big question: what will the acceptance rates be? The Times quotes Harvard admissions king Bill Fitzsimmons as saying he will accept just 7 percent of the 29,112 who applied-- down from 8 percent last year. Stanford saw an astonishing 30,350 applicants-- a 20 percent increase over last year! Officials there estimate a 7.5 percent acceptance rate. Yale, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Penn and Princeton are keeping quiet on predictions.

Look for West College to make their official announcement later this week: Will Princeton accept less than the 9.25 percent for the Class of 2012. What about the 9.5 percent for the Class of 2011? The 10.2 percent for the Class of 2010?

Figures of Speech: Spring is Here

Spring is here! April showers bring May flowers, and all of that good stuff, so while you're waiting out the rain, be sure to catch these lectures coming up next week:

"My Husband's Presidency: The Current View from the White House" on Wednesday, April 1st, 4:30 in Richardson - Michelle Obama, in a lecture about her perspective on her time at Princeton and the New Obama presidency..... APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding! Now, seriously, here are three amazing events going on this week:

Ken Loach's "Bread and Roses" with a Q&A by Patricia Fernandez-Kelly on Wednesday, Apr 1, 7:30 pm in McCormick 101 - As a part of the Labor Film Series organized by Princeton for Workers' Rights, this film tells the story of a young undocumented immigrant from Mexico and her role in unionizing her fellow workers. Be sure to stay for the Q & A with our sociology department's own Patricia Fernandez-Kelly to gain insight on some of the American labor issues brought to light in the film.

"The Green Ladder Out of Poverty: Accessing Clean Tech Through Microfinance" on Thursday, April 2, 4:30 pm in Robertson 002 - Betsy Teutsch, the 4th speaker in a Princeton Microfinance Organization talk series, is the Director of Communications at GreenMicrofinance.org, an organization which uses microfinance to address climate change and promote environmental justice. To stay for the dinner discussion afterwards with food from Thai Village, RSVP by emailing Ting-Fung Chan at tfchan@princeton.edu.
"Hinduism in the 21st Century" on Saturday, April 4, 7 pm in the Chancellor Green Rotunda - Dr. Uma Mysorekar, the President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, will give the keynote address to this formal vegetarian banquet as one of the culminating events in the Hinduism in the 21st Century series taking place next week. Admission is free - all that is required is a willingness to learn about the Hindu community, but make sure to RSVP by April 3 to hindu@princeton.edu.

- Ruth Metzel '10

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Real Estate: Wright

Situated between Patton and Cuyler halls and near Dillon Gym is the building at the source of much debate in 2008. While Wright Hall is currently an upperclass dorm, the University considered adding it to Whitman College in 2008, which was met with distinct student disapproval. The plan was not pursued, and Wright remained a popular upperclassman residential option, with all but one of the rooms chosen by the third day of room draw.

Wright was formerly part of Patton, but Patton was subdivided during renovations and the north section was renamed Wright Hall after Bagley Wright ’46, president of Bagley Wright Investments of Seattle, donated $4 million for the renovation in 1999. Wright’s archway was not part of the original 1906 building, but was added during the recent renovations.

“Its fairly recently renovated so its good quality,” said Katrina Johns ’09, who lives in Wright this year. She also noted that Wright is in a convenient location.

Wright offers singles, doubles, triples and one quad on four floors, with an additional A level that houses a kitchen, laundry room, lounge and bathrooms. All of the rooms share bathrooms.

When asked her main complaint about living in Wright, Melissa Plapp ’09, answered, “Our heat is always on at full blast.”

Real Estate: Dod

If you’ve read Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason’s novel about Princeton, "The Rule of Four," you might recall that the four boys lived in Dod Hall. Dod is the massive, grey and green stone dorm that faces Elm Drive and Little Hall on one side and McCormick on the other. Besides its location, Dod is loaded with pretty much all the facilities you could want in a dorm.

“The location is very central,” said Dave Garnier ’10, a current Dod resident.

On the ground floor, you can find study space, a kitchen (stove, oven, microwave, fridge, and sink), a soda machine and snack machine, two TVs, a printer, a laundry room, and a large lounge area complete with couches, coffee tables, and chairs. An elevator runs up and down the center shaft of the building, making laziness and transporting luggage incredibly easy. So what’s the catch about Dod? The hallways are long, straight, wide, and have water fountains but the rooms off of them aren’t very big. The average square footage for a single room is 120-125 sq. ft. For those who are looking for something closer to an apartment style set up, however, Dod has a few two-story suites on the top floors.

Nathan Bickford ’09, who lives in Dod this year, noted “It’s a good location…but the singles are small.”

-Elinor Flynn '10

Ivy Watch: Room Draw Edition

IVY WATCH - News from around the Ivy League.

Brown:
Getting Laid at Brown University
I found a story in published in the archives of The Daily Brown Herald in 2006 that described how two seniors ‘poked’ each other on Facebook and then had “awkward intercourse.” The article even has a picture of the bed where the act occurred! So, if anyone wants to know how to get laid at Brown, check out the rest of the article.

Columbia:
Columbia University Implements Cost-Saving Program
An increase in enrollment coupled with a 10 percent decrease in Ph.D. students and a faculty wage freeze are all part of Columbia University’s cost-reduction policy for the upcoming year. A significant 15 percent decrease in their endowment was reported by University President Lee Bollinger in December 2008.

Cornell:
Cornell: Don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?
The Pussycat Dolls are scheduled to perform at Cornell’s Slope Day concert. They are currently touring with Britney Spears.

Dartmouth:
Dartmouth’s New College President
Jim Yong Kim has been appointed as Dartmouth’s 17th College President. He will be the first Asian-American and Korean president of any Ivy League institution. His selection has received a lot of attention in Korean media outlets. Many Korean academics are delighted and the news has been portrayed very positively in the Korean press.

Harvard:
Harvard’s pre-Housing Day shenanigans Go Awry
On Wednesday, March 18th Harvard students continued a pre-Housing Day Tradition by lighting cardboard boats on fire, each named after their particular House preference for the following year, and then sending them down the Charles River. Unfortunately, however, the fire department received a call that a fire had broken out at the boathouse and they arrived on scene along with the Harvard Police. The river’s perimeter was quickly shut down and the festivities were stopped.

University of Pennsylvania:
New UPENN Class Takes an Inside View to Crime
A political science class at UPENN is studying crime from the inside - literally. Penn students attend class at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility where half of their classmates have taken part firsthand in the criminal justice system. The class meets once a week.

Yale:
Yale Senior Proposes Pedicab Business in New Haven
Jongwook Kim, a senior at Yale University, is planning on creating a pedicab business in New Haven. Any profits that the business would make would go toward the “creation of a bicycle/health education program” according to Kim. A previous pedicab business in New Haven, Tree Hugger Taxis, failed to make a profit however.

Prostitution arrests in Princeton!

Whoops. Township police arrested three women last Wednesday afternoon on prostitution charges after two undercover officers were solicited during visits to the Sunny Gardens Health Spa, a massage parlor in the township. The women were taken away in handcuffs and taken to police headquarters after investigators spent three hours at the establishment, the Princeton Packet reports. Bags full of evidence filled the back of a patrol car and officers also removed $3,500 in cash from the business, the paper said. Two of the women were charged with prostitution and released. The owner was charged with promoting prostitution and was taken to the Mercy County Correction Center. Sunny Gardens will be temporarily closed for business.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Real Estate: Foulke Hall

A small archway is all that separates Foulke and Henry halls; more or less, Foulke is the up-campus extension of Henry. Its location makes it also easily accessible to the U-Store, the Dinky, and 48 University Place. Exit from the third entry, and Nassau Street is just a two-minute walk away. Foulke is known as being a particularly social dorm, largely by virtue of the fact that all of its entryways connect on four out of five floors. Residents can walk freely throughout the meandering hallways, which, as in Henry, makes stopping by friends’ rooms and getting to know your neighbors very natural.

It’s hard to find a dorm with a wider variety of good-sized rooming configurations. However, some find Foulke a little outdated. It lacks a laundry room, a kitchen, or computer or study space (there is one printer in the basement, but it’s often broken). The bathrooms are quite dark and the hallways busy. Students do have control over the heat in their own rooms, however.

Alex Kruger-Wyman ’09, a current resident, notes that one of the downsides of Foulke is that “I have to walk up a flight of stairs and down two hallways to get to the bathroom.”

On the other hand, Alex Krupp ’10, who also lives in Foulke, said “It has beautiful architecture, big windows, and wood floors. Not to mention, my room has an awesome closet.”

Real Estate: Henry Hall

Henry Hall is in the southwestern corner of the upperclassmen residential area commonly nicknamed the “slums.” One side opens onto a courtyard, which it shares with 1901-Laughlin and the other faces University Place. Though many people are drawn to Henry in order to be in the “slums” area, its location makes it just about the furthest place on campus from the Street, and between the conversations of people passing through the courtyard and cars driving along University, many residents say the dorm is often quite noisy at night.

The dorm also can be quite cold. Or hot. It’s too bad that the fireplaces of Henry don’t work anymore, because this dorm can have temperature calibration problems. However, structurally, Henry’s interior setup is one of its great assets. Being one of the longest and straightest residence halls on campus, Henry provides a living experience that is very conducive to visiting friends’ rooms or just bumping into people in the halls. Indeed, repeatedly, Henry residents emphasize that the people are what make the dorm a great place to live. You can get your laundry done in the building, but you’ll have to venture outside to print out a paper or find a good study space.

Liz Consky ’10, who lives in Henry, notes “The rooms are quirky in shape but seem to work, which I like.”

Friday, March 27, 2009

Real Estate: Wilf Hall

Wilf Hall, part of the brand new Butler College complex, is the latest housing option available for upperclassmen. Janet and Mark Wilf ’84 donated $4.5 million for the construction of the dormitory, which was designed by Henry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners of New York and is scheduled to open in fall 2009.

A relatively small complex of four floors, Wilf has only 25 rooms, made up of 19 singles and 6 quads. Each quad has its own private bathroom, and 18 of the singles will share a bathroom between two rooms. There will be kitchens on the second, third and fourth floors, as well as a study area on the first floor. None of the floors will have a hall bathroom or laundry area.

Despite its attractive new features, however, some students are still reluctant to move so far away from the more traditional junior “slums.” Ian Arnold’11 was interested in living in Wilf but changed his mind because “Butler is about as far as you can get from the E-Quad, so now I’m thinking more along the lines of the general junior slums.”

Among seniors, however, Wilf appears to be relatively popular, as there are only seven singles and four quads left in the building after the first day of room draw.

Going Clubbing: Spring Greening

If you ate dinner in Forbes this Tuesday night, you probably (hopefully) noticed the lack of trays. Perhaps you were even informed by a greeter that by forgoing your all-purpose carrier for the evening, you—willingly or not—were doing your part to significantly reduce the University’s food waste.

Those student greeters are members of Greening Princeton, a group whose trayless dining initiative has been the subject of a surprisingly heated campus debate in recent weeks but whose larger mission is less widely known. To get a more complete understanding of what this club stands for (hint: it’s not just eliminating trays), I sat in on a recent meeting led by co-presidents Brooks Barron ’11 and Carol Dreibelbis ’11.

Greening Princeton’s work, I soon learned, covers a broad spectrum—everything from preserving a local watershed to reducing the waste generated during Reunions—but is united by a desire to increase campus awareness of environmental issues and implement concrete plans aimed at making Princeton a more environmentally sustainable community. When asked what sets their organization apart from other environmental groups on campus, Dreibelbis highlighted Greening Princeton’s work as a “liaison” between students and administrators, noting that, “We work with students, the Office of Sustainability, different departments on campus, Facilities and Grounds people and other administrators in our efforts to make Princeton greener.”

Barron added that the club’s primary focus on local issues and projects specific to campus also distinguishes it from groups with more nationally or internationally oriented agendas. To that end, Greening Princeton has sponsored a campus CFL exchange aimed at distributing more energy-efficient light bulbs, organized various speaker events and panel discussions related to environmental issues and collaborated with Students United for a Responsible Global Environment (SURGE) to run an inter-dorm energy-saving competition.

With a listserv of over four hundred students signed up to receive weekly announcements about relevant environmental events and approximately fifteen regular attendees at their Monday night meetings, Greening Princeton seems prepared to continue making real progress toward the goal stated in their Mission Statement: to promote a healthier relationship between Princeton University and the environment. Currently, says Barron, “We’re working on getting an on-campus composting system for food waste. We’d also like to see improvements in recycling in dorms…as well as put together a ‘How to Live Sustainably at Princeton’ video to present to freshmen during frosh week.”

And as for the oh-so-touchy tray issue? Greening Princeton is undeterred. “I can see how removing trays might seem trivial and excessive at first,” admitted Barron, “but it is a huge, glaring opportunity to seriously reduce Princeton’s environmental impact all over the world.” It seems that students might have to get used to a tray-free world after all.

Real Estate: Laughlin

Completed in 1927, Laughlin Hall was one of eight new dormitories built by under the tenure of University President John Hibben, a member of the Class of 1882. Hibben, also a Presbyterian minister, was concerned about “skepticism toward old concepts of morals and religion,” and sought to keep students from spending the weekends in New York City by increasing the amount of on-campus housing. Laughlin is no longer used as a weapon to support traditional morals; it remains home to more than 50 Princeton students.

Laughlin is in the junior slums, located between Little Hall and Foulke Hall. Room configurations include singles, doubles and triples along with one quad and one suite for five students.

David Benjamin ’10, a current resident of Laughlin, described the rooms as “kind of old, but pretty big.”

All but one of the rooms share communal bathrooms. Approximately half of the rooms in Laughlin are restricted to female students for the 2009-10 year. Laughlin also offers a computer cluster, a laundry room, a kitchen and a lounge.

“You basically have everything you need in terms of amenities, but I would recommend taking a look at the rooms,” said Hamza Masood ’10, who lives in Laughlin this year.

Real Estate: Brown Hall

An unusual taste of the Renaissance on a campus dominated by Gothic limestone turrets, the appropriately named Brown Hall is a centrally planned (and located!) brick-and-granite structure popular among both juniors and seniors because of its convenient location, big windows and sizable rooms. Located directly behind the Princeton University Art Museum (between 1903 and Dod halls) Brown is just a stone’s throw away from Frist, Dillon Gym, and many academic buildings and libraries up campus.

Constructed in 1892, Brown Hall was the gift of Mrs. David P. Brown, who also commissioned neighboring Dod Hall to commemorate her brother, Albert P. Dod, a professor of mathematics and architecture at Princeton. Brown Hall was designed by John Lyman Faxon, a Renaissance revival architect heavily influenced by the legendary New York-based architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. The most striking feature of the building’s façade is the Florentine arch, which provides the building’s only access point, leading into a square courtyard.

Unusually, Brown boasts many more three-room triples than quads, so if you only have two potential roommates, this might be the building for you. Brown also offers many singles, but no doubles.

“I love living in Brown because it’s so close to everything and my room is really big with a great common room,” says Betsy Goodman ’10, who currently lives in a Brown triple, which she says is her favorite room she’s lived in during her three years at Princeton.

Lauren Clark ’10, a Brown single resident, said she agrees that Brown is conveniently placed, but she also pointed out a few of the building’s pitfalls. “The heating system makes clicking noises, and depending on where you live, you may have to walk around your entire floor to get to your bathroom. I live next door to the men’s bathroom but I have to walk around three sides of the building to get to the girls’ bathroom."

If you do decide to drawn into Brown, it might be a good idea to invest in a laundry hamper with comfortable handles, because you’ll be carrying it quite a bit: Brown has no laundry room of its own, so you’ll have to rely on machines in Dod or 1903.

On the ice and in the water

This weekend, the men's hockey team battles Minnesota Duluth in the West Regional of the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. Also in sports, six of Princeton's best swimmers will represent the Tigers at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas.

The No. 10 men's hockey team faces off against the No. 8 Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth at 9 p.m. this evening. This is the third time in history that Princeton has appeared in the NCAA tournament. In 1998, the Tigers lost 2-1 to Michigan and, last season in 2008, Princeton fell to a talented North Dakota squad by a score of 5-1.

Though the Tigers sneaked into the tournament with an at-large bid after their 2-2 consolation game tie vs. St. Lawrence last weekend, this team should not be overlooked. Princeton possesses both a capable offense and a solid defense, anchored by junior goaltender Zane Kalemba, who was recently named the ECAC Player of the Year. Kalemba is also one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, the most prestigious award in collegiate hockey.

In the offensive zone, Princeton has a few talented players who are a threat to score each time they take the ice. Junior forward Dan Bartlett has been especially effective as of late, and he found the back of the net both times in the crucial tie against St. Lawrence.

If you want to follow the Tigers' matchup against Minnesota Duluth, click on the link at the top of the Prince homepage and read the Sideline Dispatches blog, which will be updated regularly from the actual game site in Minneapolis.

Making a splash in the water this weekend will be six of Princeton's finest swimmers: seniors tri-captain Doug Lennox, Mike Carter, Dan Eckel and Will Schaffer, junior Jon Hartmann and freshman Colin Cordes. These swimmers qualified for the NCAA Championships after posting A-cut times at the Ivy League Championships, which were held Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7 in the friendly confines of DeNunzio Pool.

These six swimmers hope to put an exclamation point on a season that has been one for the record books. Lennox in particular has had a great collegiate career, racking up numerous accolades over his four years at Princeton. He will compete in the 200 fly, an event he won at the Ivy Championships, along with teammate Eckel, who placed second in the same event.

In the relays, Princeton will be represented in the 2o0 free by the talented team of Hartmann, Schaffer, Cordes and Lennox. The group won the event at the Ivy League Championships with a time of 1:17.93.

Real Estate: 1903

Location, location, location! 1903 is prized among upperclassmen because of its proximity to the center of campus. The walk from 1903 to Frist is shorter than from any other dorm.

“I think the biggest perk of living in 1903 is definitely the location. It’s about as central as you can get. You’re right next to Frist and much closer to both the street and the academic buildings than either the slums or Scully,” Megan Brandeland ’09, who lived in 1903 for her junior and senior year, said.

1903 was built in 1929 by the architect Chalres Z. Klauder. Klauder also designed several other buildings on campus including Frick Laboratory, Lockhart Hall and Joline Hall.

1903 offers a good number of large singles that are often grabbed up by seniors early in the draw. The dorm has a total of 93 rooms, 72 of which are singles. The remaining rooms are mostly doubles and triples.

Residents also said that 1903 is a bit quieter in general than the slums.

The dorm has both a kitchen and a laundry room available. There is no computer cluster in 1903.

The building itself is fairly old and does not have the same feel as some of the more recently constructed ones. “Unlike the gothic buildings up campus … it has not been renovated recently, so the entryways are not very eye-catching or ‘warm,’ ” Brandeland said. “But the rooms themselves are fine, especially considering the building in 50 + years old.”

Thursday, March 26, 2009

fmylife: Princeton Application Fail

Checking through the latest updates on fmylife.com , as many seniors do in the last week before their thesis deadline, I came across this poor soul:

"Today, I got a letter from Princeton that said i got accepted. I jumped for joy
screaming at the top of my lungs. My little brother walks in laughing with his
camcorder on record. He played a joke on me and gave me the real letter. FML."

For those of you who haven't been, fmylife.com allows users to vote on whether posters of txt-length stories deserved what they got. 49980 users said this high school senior didn't deserve it.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Real Estate: Scully

Since Room Draw 1998, Scully Hall has offered a relatively modern housing option for many upperclassmen. Built for $23 million, Scully contains in four floors, 157 singles, 35 doubles and 10 quads.

Private bathrooms are available for 49 rooms (4 singles, 35 doubles, 10 quads). 8 singles, 4 doubles, and a quad are available for independent room draw; of these 4 doubles and a quad have private bathrooms.

The biggest quads come with up to four rooms, while sizes range from 128 sq. ft./person in a three-room quad to 211 for a two-room single.

A full kitchen, a dining room, a “snack” kitchen, 2 study rooms, and a living room with a flat-screen television are all available on the first floor of the 3-sided complex. The first floor also has a laundry room. The second floor also offers a laundry room along with a couple studies, a café area, and a print room. The third floor offers several study rooms, another living room, a meeting room, and another kitchen. The fourth floor offers another meeting room and a laundry room. Several elevators facilitate movement throughout the complex.

Current resident Shawn Fennell ’10 chose a single with a shared bathroom in Scully after hopes for Spelman didn’t materialize. Fennell, who is independent, said Scully is “just fine” for his needs. “There’s a kitchen right across the courtyard,” Fennell said. “[Scully’s] pretty self-contained…there are 2 print clusters, 3 laundry rooms.” Fennell also said Scully is simple to keep clean because the building and equipment are relatively new.

Scully is “in a pretty bad spot,” Fennell said. A comparative literature major, Fennell said Scully is not an ideal place for him because of the long walks to East Pyne and other buildings on campus.

Nevertheless, many upperclassmen will likely find the proximity to athletic grounds and science buildings ideal.

Real Estate: 2 Dickinson

2 Dickinson Street (2D), like 99 Alexander Street, is a dorm that likes to pretend it’s a house. It sits on a street near other residential housing. Only a close observer, or someone there at dinnertime, could tell that it in fact houses 19 students, many of whom are living together as members of the vegetarian cooperative that has been part of campus since 1977.

2D has three floors, plus a fourth “A” which houses the laundry room. In addition, there are 16 bedrooms and bathrooms on each floor. More importantly for the co-op it has its own large kitchen on the first floor, along with a dining room. Residents are not required to to be members of the co-op, however.

"For the most part it's like any other dorm," said Alex Gertner '10. "There are mostly single and double rooms, but most people that live in the co-op don't participate in the cooking," he added.

"The people are really nice. We're like a big family," said Zoe Saunders '10, a member of the co-op who does not live in 2D. "It's a University building but we're technically off campus...It's like family. It's a good balance - I'm separating my home life from school life," she said.

Real Estate: Pyne Hall

If you’ve been pining away for a great place to live with a group of friends, Pyne Hall may be the place for you. Pyne has a total of 108 singles, 19 doubles, 9 triples, and 3 quads.

Pyne typically gets filled with mostly seniors. “I would say the best thing about Pyne is the large number of seniors that live there,” Katie Thaeder ’09, who is a Pyne resident this year, said. “My favorite thing is that all of my best friends are close by, but we are all able to have singles or three-room doubles.”

Pyne was built in 1922 by the architects Day and Klauder and is named in memory of Moses Taylor Pyne, Class of 1877, a great benefactor of the University.

When Princeton first admitted women in 1969-70, these first female students were all housed in Pyne.

Pyne has a laundry room and a kitchen in its 6th entryway. There is a printer in the building, but no cluster. Nearby 1901/Laughlin does have a cluster, though. Proximity to Dillon Gym is another perk for Pyne residents.

Pyne can sometimes be a bit loud, though, according to residents. “I think the location of your room determines whether or not Pyne is quiet or noisy. I would say my room is noisy,” Thaeder said. “My room faces University Place, and every once in a while it gets loud.”

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A musical ode to Paul Krugman

An ode to Professor Paul Krugman with 100K+ hits on Youtube...

20 Sweet: Cover Songs

Everyone has fallen victim to that one deadly joke. It goes like this:

Person A: (casually singing slightly off-key version of “Don’t Stop Believin’”)
Person B: Hey, who sings that?
Person A: Journey!
Person B: Cool, well, let’s keep it that way.

Sound familiar? Even though Person B may disagree with me, I happen to love hearing how people interpret the songs of other musicians. So if you’re that Person A, I say: keep singing.

That leads us to this week’s theme of 20 sweet cover songs…enjoy, and feel free to post your favorites that I missed!

1. “We Can Work It Out” – Stevie Wonder (Beatles cover)
2. "Hey Ya!"– Obadiah Parker (Outkast cover)
3. “God Put a Smile on Your Face ” – Mark Ronson feat. the Daptone Horns(Coldplay cover)
4. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” – The Fugees (Roberta Flack cover)
5. "Electric Feel"– Katy Perry (MGMT cover)
6. “Across the Universe” – Rufus Wainwright (Beatles cover)
7. "Naive"– Lily Allen (The Kooks cover)
8. “Doctor My Eyes” – Jackson 5 (Jackson Browne cover)
9. "Black and Gold" – Adele (Sam Sparro cover)
10. “Sweet Child O' Mine” – Taken by the Trees (Guns N’ Roses cover)
11. “I Will Survive” – Cake (Gloria Gaynor cover)
12. "It's Too Late" – James Morrison (Carole King cover)
13. “All Along the Watchtower” – Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan cover)
14. “Message in a Bottle” – Matisyahu (Police cover)
15. "One Love" – Jason Mraz (Bob Marley cover)
16. “The Boys of Summer” – The Ataris (Don Henley cover)
17. “Seconds” – Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars (U2 cover)
18. "We Will Become Silhouettes" – The Shins (Postal Service cover)
19. "The Sun Shines Down on Me" – Guster (Daniel Johnston cover)
20. "Let's Get It On" – Jack Black (Marvin Gaye cover)

Real Estate: 1901

Designed in the Jazz Age by then-campus architect Ralph Adams, 1901 Hall contains singles, doubles, triples and quads. All the rooms have public bathrooms—which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view—with men’s and women’s rooms on at least every other floor.

There are plenty of study spaces throughout the building, a perk for people who prefer not to study in their rooms but don’t want to go far, as well as a computer cluster with printers in the basement of Laughlin.

Although 1901 does not have laundry facilities, Laughlin does. While this may be convenient for those who live near the northern end of the building, it may not be for those who live near the southern end; because of the building’s entryway system, “you have to go up and down a lot if you want to go from one end of the building to the other,” 1901 resident Brian Gurewitz ’09 said in an email.

Fiona Miller ’09, who shares a three-room double in 1901 with her roommate, also noted that the building is “central in the [junior] slums,” which is great if a lot of your friends live in that area.

If you like to work out, 1901 may be a good choice; the dorm is “about 30 seconds away from Dillon Gym,” Miller said in an e-mail. She added that the building also has a common room with a TV.

In addition, the dorm’s “proximity to the U-Store is certainly a plus,” fellow 1901 resident Julius Dimas ’10 said in an e-mail.

But be warned: “If you live in the basement of 1901 entry 1, you'll be serenaded on a nightly basis by the Nassoons,” Gurewitz said.

Real Estate: Spelman

Room draw as a freshman is a relatively easy process. You’re limited to your residential college, whose buildings you’ve come to love (or hate) over the past year. At most you have ten buildings to choose among. However, once you enter sophomore and junior room draw, a vast array of housing choices open up. There are 17 buildings available in upperclass draw in addition to rooms in Mathey, Wilson and Whitman. To assist you in the room draw process, the Prox staff will provide reviews of the 17 non-residential college buildings.

Spelman
Spelman Hall, the building so great it was built eight times. Designed by I. M. Pei, who is perhaps better known for the glass pyramid at the Louvre, the dorm was constructed in 1973 of prefabricated concrete. The building project was initiated because of the need for increased housing after the movement to coeducation in 1969. Spelman Hall was honored by the American Institute of Architects as a ``distinguished accomplishment in architecture'' in 1977.

Spelman is mostly quads, with a few doubles, all of which have private bathrooms. Each room also comes with a kitchen and dining area, which makes them attractive to independent students. You do not have to be an independent to live in Spelman, however independent draw times are earlier than regular upperclass draw times, which gives independent students preference. Last year Spelman 8 was added to Whitman College and earlier in the year Spelman 7 was slated to join it, but student protest halted the move and led to Spelman 8 transfer back to independent housing.

Current Spelman students Karen Petsche '10 and R.W. Enoch '09 both liked the suite set-up. "It strikes a great balence of having the privacy of your own bedroom and having the camraderie and community of ... roomates," said Enoch.

Brad Kern '10 enjoyed the space, but noted that the dorms are "getting a bit old...It needs to be fixed up, like new carpet."

UFO Film for the week of March 23rd: "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"

UFO this weekend comes with a difference: It’s free! So for all you stingy penny-savers out there, maybe this is the weekend to hit up the movie theater. The film this week is “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” which I could describe as a ‘clever and hilarious coming-of-age comedy about love, life, and friendship.’ I won’t though, because really it’s a Michael Cera vehicle, and hopefully that should say it all. I saw the movie on a plane once. Well, on the screen of the person sitting next to me. It looked a little bit like “Superbad.” You know: geeky boys, hot girls, and extreme awkwardness. Oh, and let's not forget a strong dose of quirk thrown in there for good measure.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tigers to face Minnesota-Duluth on Friday in NCAA regional

The Men's hockey team will face Minnesota-Duluth on Friday, in the opening round of the NCAA West regional. The two teams will face off at the Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth (21-12-8) are seeded second in the region while the Tigers (22-11-1) are third. No. 4 Miami University (Ohio) and No. 1 Denver will meet in the other semifinal round at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

The two winners will play one another at 8 p.m. on Saturday for a trip to the Frozen Four at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on April 9 and 11.

Figures of Speech and then some...

It’s a really sad story, but I’m finding it difficult to get excited about any other lectures now that I know Ban Ki-Moon is coming to speak at Princeton. For lack of other Secretaries-General, however, I’ll present the following still-very-interesting lectures:

“The Politics of Sustainable Eating” on Tuesday March 24, 4:30 in McCosh 50 – Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, will discuss “Ethics, Politics and the American Food System” in a lecture sponsored by Slow Food Princeton, The Princeton Farm to Fork Project, The High Meadows Foundation, and PEI. Viertel, a Harvard grad, was co-founder and co-director of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which involved the creation and management of an organic farm on the Yale campus. Not bad (for New Haven).

“Eleanor Roosevelt: The Challenge and Future of Human Rights” on Tuesday March 24, 4:30 in Betts Auditorium, Architecture Building – Blanche Wiesen Cook, Professor of History and Women’s Studies at John Jay College and City University of New York, will draw from her latest book in this lecture sponsored by the Program in Women’s Studies and the Department of English. Cook won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for her earlier work, “Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume One 1884-1993.”

“Pakistan’s Current Crisis” on Thursday March 26, 4:30 in Bowl 016, Robertson Hall – Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan advisor to the US and former fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, will discuss her eleven years of diplomatic experience in the US and Britain and her work on the UN Advisory Board on Disarmament Affairs from 2001 to 2005. In the lecture, sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, Lodhi will draw on her diverse experiences in international affairs.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Men's Hockey likely headed to NCAA tournament

The Men's hockey team tied St. Lawrence 2-2 tonight in the consolation game of the ECAC championship, likely earning a bid to its second consecutive NCAA tournament. Official bracket is out tomorrow.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Kalemba '10 a finalist for Hobey Baker '1914

Junior goaltender Zane Kalemba is one of 10 finalists for the 2009 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the top award for an NCAA men's ice hockey player. Kalemba is the ECAC Player of the Year and will hit the ice tonight as the Tigers take on Cornell in the semi-final round of the ECAC championship. Voting will take place after the NCAA regionals. The winner will be announced during the Frozen Four on April 10 at 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Ironically, the award has never been won by a Princeton player despite being named for a Princetonian!

Hobey Baker, Class of 1914, led Princeton to a national championship in football (1911) and two national championships in hockey (1912 and 1914). A member of Ivy, he worked at J.P. Morgan after college before enlisting in the Army during World War I. He was killed in a plane crash in 1918-- just weeks after the war ended.

ECAC Semifinal Showdown in Albany

Tonight, the men's hockey team will take on rival Cornell in the ECAC Hockey semifinals in Albany, N.Y. Look for live blogging of the matchup on the Prince website, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Princeton celebrated a quarterfinal series victory over Union this past weekend, defeating the Dutchmen in three games. In the decisive third game, the Tigers won by a score of 3-1. Junior goaltender Zane Kalemba has been playing particularly well, and he recently collected two awards: ECAC Player of the Year and ECAC Goaltender of the Year. In 31 games this season, Kalemba has a .936 save percentage and a 1.69 goals against average. Junior defenseman Jody Pederson also nabbed third-team ECAC honors for his efforts this season.

Princeton won the ECAC championship last season, and the team will be determined to defend its title against the Big Red. During the regular season, the Tigers lost to Cornell by a score of 1-0 on Nov. 7, but then bounced back with a 2-1 victory over the Big Red on Feb. 7.

Leading the offensive charge for Princeton will be senior forward Brett Wilson, who paces the team with 10 goals and 15 assists. Junior forward Dan Bartlett and senior forward Lee Jubinville also have contributed to the Tigers' offensive attack this year, notching 23 and 21 points, respectively.

Players to watch for Cornell are forwards Riley Nash and Tyler Mugford. Nash recently received first-team all-ECAC honors and Mugford collected the accolade for top defensive forward in the league. Nash leads all Big Red players with 12 goals and 21 assists on the year. The Tigers will certainly have their eyes on these two players tonight.

Kagan '81 confirmed as country's top lawyer

The U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan '81 as the nation's first female solicitor general this afternoon by a vote of 61-31. President Obama first nominated the Wilson School concentrator back in January.

Dean of Harvard Law School since 2003, Kagan will now serve as the country's top lawyer, arguing the government's side in cases that come before the Supreme Court. Some observers speculate that Obama may appoint Kagan to the court as seats become vacant during his term.

Sam Alito '72 is currently the only Princetonian with a seat on the nation's highest bench.

Become a Facebook Fan of...Woody Woo?

Good news for Woody Woo alumni who were having trouble showing their love for everyone back at Robertson Hall: the school has "moved into the world of online social networking" and launched pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For folks who've been living under a rock for the last five years, "Facebook is a social networking site that allows people to become friends with one another, as well as become fans of common interests such as the Woodrow Wilson School!"

Woody Woo officials made a point of saying three times that alumni could join the two sites free of charge. Instead, please send checks to the Office of Annual Giving.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Blinder off to save the world

Wilson School professor Alan Blinder will participate next week in the "Future of Finance Initiative," The conference, moderated by Wall Street Journal editors and reporters, is being billed as a "working session" for top economic leaders and experts to talk shop about the current crisis ahead of the G-20 Summit in London. The conference will include key note addresses from U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Dude, I've totally had that dream nightmare!

From xkcd:

And here I thought I was the only one... have you ever had a nightmare about failing a class you didn't attend all semester?

What makes women happy?

Money alone isn't enough to make women happy, according to a study out last month by a Wilson School psychologist. Postdoctoral research fellow Talya Miron-Shatz found strong ties between the financial security of an American woman and the level of satisfaction with her life. Women who spend more time thinking about financial issues were much more likely to be unhappy with their lives, the study found. More than that, research showed that even women who are relatively well were still concerned about financial security in the long run. Miron-Shatz suggested potential solutions to the problem, including the creation of social and financial safety nets for long-term security rather than an immediate increase in disposable income. The findings build on research by Princeton professors Daniel Kahneman and Eugene Higgins, who found that satisfaction doesn’t always increase along with improved financial standing.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

White people can't read/see/understand this

Photo Credit: Roger Wang '11, Prince Photographer

Discrimination is not new to Princeton's campus - regardless of which group is being targeted. Last week, discriminatory comments were found scrawled in Chinese in Bloomberg Hall. More photos after the jump.

Raphael Balsam '11, a Bloomberg Hall resident, was working on a computer in the third floor computer room when he noticed Chinese written on the blackboard last Sunday. He was surprised to learn that the writing translated to: "White people can't see this / White people can't read this / White people can't understand this" and immediately notified an RCA, Carrie Carpenter '10.

Photo Credit: Roger Wang '11, Prince Photographer

Carpenter then notified the Butler College Office and RCA advisers. Director of Student Life Mindy Andino said that two students came forward to discuss the situation with Director of Studies Matthew Lazen and that there would be a meeting with the RCA's after Spring Break.

"The Director of Studies met with the students who reported the incident and addressed their immediate concerns, " Andino said. "We will be meeting with the RCA’s at the start of next week to discuss the situation further. We are currently completing an investigation of the situation to learn more information."

Andino added that the College Office was trying to determine whether or not the message was a violation of the Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities (RRR).

"We have not yet completed our investigation and it is not clear whether a violation has occurred," she said.

She added that the students were encouraged to report the incident to Public Safety if they believed a violation had occurred but, to her knowledge, have not yet chosen to do so.

Roger Wang '11 said that among the few students who were present when the message was discovered, it was treated lightly. Wang is also a photographer for the 'Prince'.

"The attitude was a bit cynical, but I feel that there was a true concern regarding how the writing could be seen as a joke while an attack in English would suffer severe consequences," Wang said. "It was sort of taken in the way that the case should be taken seriously, although they felt that it would slide in the end. A bit self-fulfilling, I think."

According to the RRR handbook --

"Nonacademic Matters Involving Students"
Normally, an alleged infringement upon the rights or sensibilities of an individual, including complaints of discrimination, by an undergraduate or graduate student should first be discussed with that student. If this is not possible, or does not lead to a satisfactory resolution, the matter should be brought to the attention of the Dean or an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students or the Dean of the Graduate School. If the matter is not resolved through discussion or through formal action by a dean, a complaint can be made in accordance with the normal disciplinary procedures (see page 65).

Do you believe the situation qualifies as an RRR violation and/or hate crime? What steps, if any, should be taken against the student if found?

--Tasnim Shamma '11

Ah Spring Break!

The weather is perfect and my carrel is on C-floor...

At the moment I'd gladly trade my first-born child for semi-open-air study spaces in Firestone, but unfortunately, I'm told that only works for spinning straw into gold.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Going Clubbing: Reaching New Heights

The dog dangles precariously off the edge of a steep precipice, its harness caught in the crevice of a rock. “You’ve got to save him, Ronni!” shouts Jessica Lander ’10, “He needs you!”
When Ronni finally reaches the dog after a difficult ascent, cheers ring out and Ronni beams. For although the canine she has rescued may be stuffed, the obstacles she is working to overcome are very real.
Ronni is one of five children between the ages of five and ten who make the trip to Outdoor Action’s indoor climbing wall every Friday to participate in Peak Potential Princeton, the latest chapter in an organization created by Dr. Jen Fu Cheng ’93 in 2000. Ronni and her peers all suffer from some form of muscle or limb weakness such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, but when they mount the wall such problems seem to be left behind on the ground. This was precisely Cheng’s hope in creating Peak Potential: as co-coordinator Tracy Walsh ’10 put it, the weekly climbing sessions are “part physical therapy, part enjoyment.”
Although this is the chapter’s first year on campus, Walsh reported that approximately twenty-five Princeton students are involved, with fifteen showing up on any given Friday evening to work with the young children. While this may seem like far too many volunteers given the small number of kids in attendance, each child works with a team of three: one to climb the wall with him or her, and two others to remain on the ground and belay. Though many of these volunteers are regular staff on the rock wall, others have far less experience and come simply because they enjoy working with the young climbers. Lander ’10, the groups other coordinator, stressed that because only a handful of children come weekly, the volunteers have developed close ties with each of them throughout the course of the year: “It’s as rewarding for us as it is for them! They have a level of enthusiasm and energy that’s infectious,” she gushed.
After I watched the group for awhile, I had to agree. The atmosphere in the room was one of encouragement and support, with volunteers and parent spectators continually urging the children on, and cheers ringing out whenever someone reached the top of the wall. As for the dog Ronni was “rescuing”? It’s one of the new strategies the group has come up with to motivate and encourage their students, and it seems to be working, for Ronni was noticeably more inspired to work her way up the wall with the dog in place than when she began her ascent without it.
Walsh seemed proud when asked if she had seen progress in the kids since September: “At first for some of them, it was a really big deal for them to get all the way to the top of the wall. Now, they’re reaching the ceiling multiple times in every session!”

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