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Monday February 24, 2020 vol. CXLIV no. 16
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ON CAMPUS
ACLU’s Anthony Romero ’87 wins Woodrow Wilson Award, says namesake would be ‘spinning in his grave’ By Caitlin Limestahl Assistant News Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS.
Anthony Romero ’87 speaks at Alumni Day on Feb. 22.
At the University’s annual Alumni Day celebration, held on Saturday, Feb. 22, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Executive Director and 2020 Woodrow Wilson Award winner Anthony Romero ’87 reflected on a career of service and the irony of receiving an award named after the president whose very policies the ACLU was created to oppose. The contested legacy of
former United States and University President Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, whom Romero described as being “equal parts racist and visionary,” continues to generate controversy on campus. Most recently, the “Double Sights” installation precipitated campus-wide debate about Wilson’s lionized role at his alma mater. “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we?” Romero said, garnering laughter from the audience.
“There’s a good chance that Woodrow Wilson is right now spinning in his grave like an Olympic figure skater as an award in his name is bestowed on the executive director of an organization literally established to oppose a xenophobic, anti-immigrant, flagrantly unconstitutional Palmer Raids that he oversaw and engineered.” “I accept this award with glee,” Romero continued. The Woodrow Wilson Award is the highest honor See WILSON page 2
ON CAMPUS
Nobel laureate Kip S. Thorne GS ’65 discusses black holes, receives James Madison Medal By Allan Shen Associate News Editor
Known for his contributions to gravitational physics and astrophysics, as well as his theory that space wormholes can be used for time travel, 2017 Nobel laureate Kip S. Thorne GS ’65, became the recipient of the University’s highest graduate alumni honor and delivered the James Madison Medal Lecture on Alumni Day 2020. Established in 1973 and named after the University’s very first graduate alumnus, James Madison GS ’1771, by Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA), the James Madison Medal is awarded annually to an alumnus or alumna of the University Graduate School “who has had a distin-
guished career, advanced the cause of graduate education or achieved a record of outstanding public service.” Previous recipients of the James Madison Medal include former University President Harold T. Shapiro GS ’64 (2004), experimental physicist and Nobel laureate John Bardeen GS ’36 (1973), retired U.S. Army General and former Central Intelligence Agency Director David H. Petraeus GS ’85 GS ’87 (2010), as well as numerous other prominent alumni of the graduate school. Thorne lectured to a fully occupied first floor of the Richard Auditorium. Thorne began his lecture, titled “Adventures in Inspiration: Exploring the Warped Side of Our Universe,” by re-
marking on the theme of “inspiration” that defined his career as a physicist. “The most important thing I got from Princeton was inspiration, and the most important thing that I’ve given to the next generation is also inspiration,” Thorne said. Thorne wasn’t always going to be a physicist. As a child growing up in Utah, he dreamed of becoming a snowplow driver. All that changed when his mother took Thorne to a geologist’s lecture on the solar system when he was eight years old. In 1953, in a used book store in Salt Lake City, Thorne found a copy of “One, Two, Three, … , Infinity” by the physicist George Gamow, a book that inspired Thorne to become a theoretical physiSee THORNE page 3
DENISE J. APPLEWHITE / OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
2017 Nobel laureate in Physics Kip S. Thorne ’65 narrated the story behind the search for gravitational waves during Alumni Day 2020.
STUDENT LIFE
USG hears mobility plans including possible speed limits for scooters, proposal to turn Campus Club into a co-op Assistant News Editor
In the second Undergraduate Student Government (USG) meeting of the year, the Senate heard updates from various campus organizations, including the University’s Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) and the USG Movie Committee, as well as a proposal for Campus Club to be converted to a co-op dining option. Charlie Tennyson, Debby Foster, and Kim Jackson of TPS presented a brief overview of the Campus Mobility Plan. They offered a potential rework of the Tiger Transit bus route that they are calling “Tiger Transit 2.0,” expansions to campus sidewalks, and restrictions on scooter and bike parking. They also discussed possible policies regarding regulation of scooter usage that will address speed limits, off-limits path-
In Opinion
ways, and appropriate parking locations. TPS plans to release regulations in the near future. “In the policy, it will say that scooters are not allowed in academic and administrative buildings,” Foster confirmed before discussing potential parking resources similar to bike racks that would be appropriate for scooters. They noted that graduate student engagement with their survey has been much greater than that of the undergraduate student body, likely because University transit is one of their main sources of everyday mobility. Attendees also heard a proposal from Zoe Zeitler ’20 regarding the conversion Campus Club to a co-op that will hopefully bring a more “intersectional community” to Prospect Avenue. Zeitler proposed two models of membership, one taking into consideration
The 144th Editorial Board releases its mission statement, while guest contributors Shannon Heh ‘23 and William Gu ‘23 argue that, in comparison to other universities, Princeton is lagging behind in its confrontation of climate change.
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rental fees for the building including 100 members and the other open to 70 members. The presentation noted that dues would hopefully be around $2,000 per semester. U-Councilor Juan Nova ’23 raised concerns about this conversion. “I would be wary that there might be a certain culture that develops with this club,” he said. “Campus Club not having this culture to it is what makes it so inclusive, especially to the undergraduates that are coming into such a concept as the Street.” Zeitler said she is aiming for the proposed co-op to continue being the welcoming space for all students that Campus Club serves as now, saying “We would love to invite some student groups to host events there if they would like to.” In an interview with The Daily Princetonian after the meet-
ing, Zeitler stressed the flexibility of this proposal. “I’m open to any possibilities that allows there to be more co-ops. I’m not so stuck to this idea of using Campus Club as a space,” she said referencing an idea that was raised at the USG meeting of renting a building off campus to create this space. “Putting students in charge of the space could do much for it,” Zeitler said, referring to the potential implementation of an outdoor gym, Kombucha counter, a greenhouse, and a modern and academic library. She worked with two former 2D co-op members, Michelle Campeau ’19 and Prabha Upreti ’19, to draft the presentation. She was also inspired by various discussions with current co-op members about Charter not being accepted as a co-op and the announcement that Pink House is going to be dissolved.
Today on Campus 2:30 p.m.: Lecture/Workshop with Ayanda Clarke: The Relationship Between Traditional and Contemporary West African Music and Dance Wallace Dance and Theater
The Movie Committee is looking to implement a few changes in the following semester, including the possibility of Garden Theatre ticket pickup being available in Frist Campus Center, the reservation of RCA advisee group tickets, and an increase in the number of first-run movies shown for free with students’ PUIDs. Jess Ma ’21 of the Movie Committee noted that attendance for movies that are currently in theatres is much higher than re-run movies. The Garden Theatre sold out of free tickets to Parasite, 1914, Little Women, and Joker. She also reported that Movie Committee applications have risen significantly from last year’s “five to eight” to this year’s 22 applications. USG also approved funding for a Service in Style fashion show and the Menstrual Products Task Force’s “Periodpalooza,” both receiving $2,500 each.
WEATHER
By Caitlin Limestahl
HIGH
59˚
LOW
42˚
Partly Cloudy chance of rain:
10 percent