This new segment brings to you alumni experiences! Read the memories and musings about Princeton from those people who've lived in your dorm room, eaten in your dining hall, and run the same path to that 9 a.m. class before you.
For this very first week, we're featuring a memory by Joe Kennedy '81, CEO and President of Pandora Media, Inc. -- below the cut!
"Someone is a fifth low", the music professor said. Mark, who just happened to be one of the lead singers in the Nassoons, subtly but clearly angled his head toward me. Busted. Pure and simple. For all of my love of music and despite the fact that I could write counterpoint as well as anyone (at least to my imperfect ears), taking the first level music theory course exposed the fact that I just can't sing. Terrible tone and no range. I felt like the mortified people in those Southwest Airlines ads: "Want to get away?"
It had all started off so well. As an entering freshman, Woolworth seemed like a dream come true, from what seemed like an entire basement full of pianos waiting to be played to a great track of courses that would finally let me add some good music theory training on top of my years of playing the piano.
Ok, so it was a bit of a surprise that music theory at Princeton meant writing what seemed like Gregorian chants. I was kind of hoping for something that might help me figure out how all those Springsteen songs worked....but, I surmised, I guess this is how to get started.
So I signed up and frequently would head over to the basement of Woolworth to grab a piano practice room, work through the assignments that were teaching me how to write counterpoint harmony lines and then I'd just play for fun. These were the early years of what has turned into my lifelong quest to master the piano solo version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".
And then the singing in class started....
Maybe it was ultimately a good thing. Although my counterpoint was decent, I don't think Bach was at much risk of being unseated....and, besides, things seemed to be going pretty well with my EE and Computer Science studies....and, as best as I could tell, no one has ever been forced to sing over at the E-Quad.
Footnote: to this day, my favorite musical experience on campus is listening to the Nassoons.
--
Joe Kennedy '81
CEO, Pandora
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Alumni Remembrances: Joe Kennedy '81
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Zimmerman Telegram
A round-up of the week's new with Zach Zimmerman '10
Steven Shonts ' 12 was charged this week with posessing an imitation firearm on campus. His charges also included scaring the hell out of a lot of people, not really affecting a lot of other people, and my friend Molly had to pay $.10 for that "goddamn text message."
Luckily though, in the end, no Shonts were fired.
After 80-minute delay, U. alerts campus to gun threat
The amount of time between the first report of the weapon and when the text message was sent clocks in at about eighty minutes, and has come under heavy criticism from the University community. I won't try to offer a theory on the delay, but I will say that eighty minutes is also the prep time for these deliciously indulgent butter tarts.
The Wilson School handed down its decisions for the sophomore class this week, causing heartaches and headaches. The application exists "because there were not enough resources to provide enough [support] for the number of applicants," Professor Stanley Katz said. "That fountain is only so big - and if we want every student to be able to dip their toes in come thesis time, we have to limit admission."
Senior class selects three finalists for YAT
Elizabeth Dilday, Maria Salciccioli and Josh Weinstein were announced Monday as the three finalists in a senior class competition for a new yacht. The decision to give a yacht to an undergraduate comes as one of the recommendations of the Alcohol Coalition Committee, so Dean Malkeil released a statement, "Gagglydee-dooo dah hah haHA! Weeeeddddlllupopo."
The Graduate School cast a wide net for applications this year, but have been facing some difficulties. So Jesus told the School, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many graduate student applications.
A handful of Princeton professors ban laptop use during lecture in order to limit distraction and engage their audience. Finding a loophole in the restriction, Bill Student '10 has been bringing his desktop to class for years. "Suck on this one, Rosen! Oww - oh - hachacha. My back! Oh god! I think this is the big one-agh!"
While budget cuts won't affect cost or size of Reunions this year, the overall economic situation in the US will likely result in an increased level of shittardedness at the event.
USG members sign new code of ethics
The USG signed a new code of ethics this week that formalizes conduct during meetings, but does not include a clause regarding the president endorsing candidates. Despite the lack of a formal restriction, current USG President Diemand-Yauman said, “You guys couldn’t pay me enough to endorse a candidate." He will however accept bribes, such as getting him out of his legal trouble with the Borough, putting 1,00 fake signatures on ownwhatyouthink.com, or baking him up a batch of delicioulsy indulgent butter tarts.
Black in the Orangle Bubble
A very complex and nuanced racial experience was reduced to a pun this week. Next week, expect such stirring exposes as "Marriage debate tied in a knot" and "UndeRAGE drinking"
It was a really bad week for the kid with an Advent Calendar for Campus Club's opening.
As Easy as 3.1415
In celebration of National Pi Day (which as of this year is a holiday declared by Congress), the Princeton Math Club hosted its annual pie eating and pi reciting contest.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Photo of the Week: Midterm Stress
Midterms, JPs and theses eating you life?
Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil in Guyot Hall. Photo by Maria Cury.
Only one day until Spring Break!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wanted: One dean
Looking for a job? Do you have a "distinguished record of scholarly achievement," "a commitment to the education of both undergraduate and graduate students," "a commitment to applying scholarly research to public policy issues" and "experience administering a large staff." Then you too could apply to be the next Dean of the Wilson School.
It appears that the University is advertising. Anne-Marie Slaughter '80, Dean of the Wilson School, resigned earlier this term to take the position of Director of Policy Planning at the State Department. Since then the solicitation for applications has appeared on at least three websites, including the Economist's classifieds section.
Remember, applications are due April 1st.
20 Sweet: Focus Songs
It’s midterms week!
Even though freaking out may be your natural reaction to this statement—resist it.
We each have our own unique study techniques and locales, but for the musically dependent like me, it’s nice to have some melodies around while we burn the midnight oil.
Choosing that music can be difficult, though, as I found out while compiling this playlist to help you focus. Study tunes need to be pleasant without being distracting. They need to blend into the background without leaving room for the loud conversations spouting from the table next to you.
Usually it’s good to pick songs without lyrics, or at least songs with low-dose, ignorable, or foreign lyrics (like the Portuguese from Seu Jorge or the Zulu in the Paul Simon number).
Without further ado, I give you 20 Sweet Focus Songs. This list has been tried and tested; I was the guinea pig, and I’m still focusing as we speak...or at least I promise I will when I’m done writing this post. “Happy” studying!
1. “One Day” – RJD2
2. “Rebel Rebel” – Seu Jorge
3. “Loud Pipes” – Ratatat
4. “Your Hand in Mine” – Explosions in the Sky
5. “Was It You?” – Spoon
6. “Jessica” – The Allman Brothers Band
7. “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” – Broken Social Scene
8. “Low Rider” – War
9. “Hoppípolla” – Sigur Rós
10. “Pretty Little Ditty” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
11. “End of the World Party” – Medeski, Martin & Wood
12. “X&Y” – Coldplay
13. “For the Trees” – Matmos
14. “Custom Concern (Instrumental BBC Radio 1 Session)"– Modest Mouse
15. “Praise You” – Fatboy Slim
16. “Go It Alone” – Beck
17. “Homeless” – Paul Simon
18. “Autumn Sweater” – Yo La Tengo
19. “Keep” – El Ten Eleven
20. “Sister” – Sufjan Stevens
Your focus song suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Notification System
Early Saturday morning the University emergency notification system contacted students, informing them, “This is an actual emergency. This is not a test.”
The University sent out PTENS notifications in the form of e-mail messages, text messages and automated phone messages, though students must voluntarily supply their cell phone numbers through SCORE to receive alerts on their cell phones. As of October 2007, more than 90 percent of the Class of 2011 had submitted cell phone numbers through SCORE, while only 25 percent of upperclassmen had registered. Over the weekend, Cliatt was unable to provide the number of students who had registered their phone numbers at the time of the alerts.
The University had previously sent alerts to students via PTENS six times. The service was used for alerts of an unpleasant odor in Frick Lab, e-mailed bomb threats to the engineering school and Lawrence Apartments, and power outages. The system is distinct from Campus Safety Alerts for non-emergency e-mail notifications.
The University purchased and began implementing the system in April 2007, about a week before Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and himself on the Blacksburg, Va., campus. Virginia Tech first notified students of the situation more than two hours after the first shooting, when Cho killed two students in a dorm.
-Josh Oppenheimer '11
Sunday, March 8, 2009
That night.
I was talking to a friend on the phone when the call was interrupted by another. It was a friend, who asked me if I was alright. I was. The system worked. I received the notice just as I was leaving my room.
I'm okay, I said, I'm in my room, with my door locked and windows closed. Just as the notice prescribed.
But he had another motive for asking me. His girlfriend's phone battery died, right after she received a text from a mutual friend. The mutual friend had been outside when this happened. He was locked out. And he didn't know where to go.
So, is there a way to reconcile the desire to keep threats out of the buildings and the desire to ensure the safety of all students?
Go Figure...
Sometimes I like to mash together the titles of talks and imagine what the resulting hypothetical lecture would look like. This week’s one goes something like, “Congress and the Presidency: Imagining Homoerotic Desire in the Nearly Middle East, by Painter Chris Martin.” Now that is one lecture I wouldn’t want to miss, but, seeing as it doesn’t exist, we’ll just have to make do with:
“Congress and the Presidency: Dissonance in their Electoral Basis?” on Monday March 9, 4:30 in Dodds Auditorium, Richardson Hall – In the first of three lectures on politics and public affairs sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University Press, and the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, distinguished Yale University Professor David Mayhew will discuss some of the most pressing issues in politics today. This opening talk will be followed by lectures on “What Happens to White House Legislative Proposals?” and “Reform as a Property of the System” on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Go because we’re all wondering if Obama can pull off the much-anticipated bipartisan miracle he promised during the election, and stay because Mayhew has studied this stuff way more than your average CNN pundit and he might actually have the answer.
“Modernist Re-Orientations: Imagining Homoerotic Desire in the Nearly Middle East” on Monday March 9, 4:30 in McCosh 60 – If the aforementioned political discussion doesn’t really do it for you, maybe this lecture from the Program in the Study of Women and Gender and the English Department will excite your interests. Joseph Boone, Professor of English and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California will speak. To be perfectly frank, I have no idea what this talk is about, but the title was catchy, and I’m all for judging a book by its cover. Go because of something about the phrase “homoerotic desire in the nearly middle east” sounds incongruous; stay … well, I don’t know. I guess you’ll just have to go and find out.
“Lecture by Painter Chris Martin” on Tuesday March 10, noon in Room 219, Lewis Center for the Arts – Don’t let the minimalist title fool you: Chris Martin’s paintings will get in your face. Varying from abstract, black-and-white murals that take over entire walls to smaller, strikingly realistic portraits, Martin’s works mash together colors, shapes, and the occasional slice of shellacked Wonder Bread. Disclaimer 1: I don’t know anything about art. Disclaimer 2: I know a lot about things that look cool to me. Martin’s paintings definitely look cool to me. Go because you a) get art or b) love things that look cool even if you don’t understand them; stay and let the artist himself explain what’s going on in the work.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Fakes...
And I don't just mean guns. One of the girls in my hallway last night screamed at around 1:00. Though my roommates and I were too scared to investigate, the hushed laughter and scurrying feet that followed the scream were fairly good indications that it was not the real thing. Fake screaming in such a situation is not only disrespectful, it is also inconsiderate to those around you who are already on edge. As the incident with the "permanently disabled" firearm showed us, it is sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between what is real and what is faked...please don't exacerbate the problem by intentionally implanting fear in people.
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