Wednesday February 26, 2020 vol. CXLIV no. 18
Twitter: @princetonian Facebook: The Daily Princetonian YouTube: The Daily Princetonian Instagram: @dailyprincetonian
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } U . A F FA I R S
Super Bowl champion and activist Marshawn Lynch selected as 2020 Class Day speaker By Zachary Shevin and Sam Kagan Head News Editor and assistant news editor
JEREMY VANDROFF - WEBN-TV / FLICKR
Marshawn Lynch at a 2015 press conference.
National Football League (NFL) running back Marshawn Lynch has been chosen to speak at Class Day on June 1, according to an email sent to the Class of 2020. Lynch, a Super Bowl champion and member of the Seattle Seahawks, played in the NFL for 12 years and appeared in five Pro Bowls. The University noted in an announcement that the University of California, Berkeley graduate “is known for his
community service and social justice work.” Recent Class Day speakers include actress Ellie Kemper ’02, Senator Cory Booker, former Vice President Al Gore, film director Christopher Nolan, and New Yorker editor David Remnick ’81. Class Day co-chairs Jonathan Haynes ’20, Jaylin Lugardo ’20, and Caleb Visser ’20 announced the decision in an email to members of the Class of 2020 at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 25. In this message, they wrote that their goal was “to invite a speaker who embodies the various experiences” of Univer-
sity students and “whose professional and personal passions speak to the service-focused and intellectually rigorous interests core to the University.” “Mr. Lynch’s sustained professional excellence is not the only reason we are excited to have him serve as our Class Day speaker,” the trio wrote. “His substantive work in communities stands alongside his on-field success.” Their message went on to highlight Lynch’s philanthropic efforts in his hometown of Oakland, Calif. and around the world — shining a spotSee LYNCH page 3
U . A F FA I R S
Art collecter sues U. for backing out of $1M agreement Head News Editor
New York art collector Vincent Fay is suing the University, alleging breach of contract in a million-dollar deal gone awry. A complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York on Feb. 20 contends that the University backed out of a deal to purchase 17 works from Fay for the art museum, due to ‘“concerns’ over the authenticity of seven of the objects.” At the time of publica-
tion, the University had not responded to request for comment. In November 2018, Fay agreed to sell the collection to the University for $945,000. The money was to be paid in two installments of $472,500 each. According to the complaint, in December 2018, the University paid the first installment. Six months later, on June 21, 2019, Fay received a letter saying that the University would not complete the second transaction until the works were proved authentic. After allegedly realiz-
THE PROSPECT
USG movie review: ‘The Social Network’ By Sreesha Ghosh Contributor
I was 14 when I watched “The Social Network” for the first time, but even at this very moment four years later, I still remember everything about it. I especially remember the now-iconic opening scene between Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara — the first time I saw it, I thought that the mile-aminute dialogue sounded like music. It was the first time I had ever paid considerable attention to film dialogue. Today, I have aspirations of being a screenwriter — and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Network” is precisely the reason why. “The Social Network” is set at Harvard at 2003 and details the creation of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg. From its very first line, “The Social Network” announces itself unmistakably as Sorkin’s writing — there is obviously his trademark breakneck, whip-smart dialogue; his witty, whiny men with their immense intellect and poorly-disguised narcissism (this detail serving as an advantage to Sorkin rather than a handicap); and a dark, insistent kind of pessimism. Adapt-
In Opinion
ed from Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires,” “The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher, is a film crafted to perfection. Jesse Eisenberg plays Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, with an incredible amount of insight: He is unfazed and unflustered, never raises his voice, never concurs in an argument, and is profoundly aggravating. These traits are exhibited all while he demands a certain admiration and sympathy from his audience, as unwilling as they might be. With Sorkin’s script, and four powerhouse performances (see Andrew Garfield), “The Social Network” was the sharpest movie I had ever seen when I first watched it — and it still is today. There is much to appreciate about “The Social Network,” including Fincher’s impeccable direction, quality acting, and Sorkin’s airtight script. Take for example, how Sorkin uses overlapping dialogue to indicate misunderstanding between characters. In the opening scene I so adore, it’s remarkable to note that Mark and Erica are almost never on the same page, even in something See MOVIE page 3
Senior columnist Leora Eisenberg reflects on how her beliefs have changed during her time at Princeton, and columnist Claire Wayner argues that, due to the mixed success of residential colleges, the University ought to have more co-ops and diverse eating communities.
PAGE 5
ing the works’ supposed inauthenticity, the University sent a rescission letter to Fay, asking for the first payment to be returned. “Mr. Fay has been damaged by … demand for the return of the First Payment,” as well as the lack of second payment, according to the complaint. The plaintiff’s counsel John Cahill referred to the seller’s warranty, which he said did not provide a blanket warranty based on the works’ objective authenticity. Instead, the warranty certified authenticity to
the best of the seller’s knowledge. According to the plaintiff, the University would have to prove that Fay knew the works were inauthentic in order to void the contract. “Even if the works are called into question, … Princeton still has an obligation to pay Mr. Fay,” said Cahill in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. “It seems very clear. Princeton signed a contract, and they just haven’t paid the money. There’s no basis for Princeton to not have paid,” Cahill continued.
The works in questions remain unknown to preserve their artistic integrity, according to Cahill. “The art should be valued for itself,” he said. “It shouldn’t be valued for the questions that have been raised about it, especially vague questions.” Fay has previously displayed works at the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museo del Barrio in New York City. See ART page 2
F E AT U R E
COURTESY OF RON MIASNIK AND DANIELLA COHEN
Participants on Princeton’s first international Tiger Trek.
Faith, family, and tech startups on Princeton’s first international Tiger Trek By Patrycja Pajdak Staff Writer
Ron Miasnik ’22 and Daniella Cohen ’22 were just first-years when they realized what they had in common: a connection to Israel through family and faith, a deep interest in tech and startups, and a desire to travel. It took them 18 months and surprisingly few obstacles. By Intersession
2020, they’d pieced together Princeton’s first international Tiger Trek, modeled on pre-existing New York City and Silicon Valley Tiger Treks. The weeklong trip offered 18 students and two chaperones the opportunity to travel to Israel in an attempt to understand how the country’s political climate, culture, and other institutions contribute to creating such an expansive tech ecosystem in such a
Today on Campus
12:00 p.m.: Adam Hanieh examines the shaping of the political economy in his lecture “Money, Markets, and Monarchies: The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East.” Louis A. Simpson International Building A71
small space. Israel, which is approximately the size of New Jersey, boasts the highest number of startups per capita in the world. Participants spent the trip’s first four days in Tel Aviv, following a speaker-heavy program with a focus on understanding the ecosystem of the startup nation. The last three days took place in Jerusalem and were dedicated to giving the students a betSee TIGER TREK page 4
WEATHER
By Claire Silberman
HIGH
52˚
LOW
40˚
Scattered Showers chance of rain:
40 percent