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Thursday February 16, 2017 vol. cxxxix no. 9
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } BEYOND THE BUBBLE
U . A F FA I R S
USG supports elimination of U. application fee By Marcia Brown Head news editor
Undergraduate Student Government President Myesha Jemison ’18 signed on to the “No Apologies Initiative,” a collaborative effort among student government leaders of Ivy League and similarly selective peer institutions to automatically remove application fees for first-generation and low-income applicants to their schools, according to a press release. The press release was penned by Viet Nguyen, Brown University Student Body President and the director of 1IvyG, an inter-Ivy first-generation college student network that provides resources to firstgeneration students and seeks to “improve ... campuses for all first-generation college students.” Melana Hammel ’18, cochair of the Princeton Hidden Minority Council, also signed on to the initiative along with USG Vice President Daniel Qian ’19. “From personal experience, I’m a first generation student thinking about how my experience has been and we can have that experience improved even more,” Jemison said. “Even when we’ve done great work, it’s always important to improve what we do in the future.” Hammel was not available for comment at the time of publication. Jemison said that she plans to work with administrators on the No Apologies Initiative such as Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne and Associate Dean of the College and Director of Programs for Access and Inclusion Khristina Gonzalez. She cited both individuals as administrators she has worked with in the past to achieve goals for low-income and first generation students. “I understand it takes time but I look forward to see that we’re working on it and that is happens,” Jemison said.
Now, as USG president, Jemison recalls her experience applying to college and knows that this change is critical to removing another barrier between low income and first generation students and college. “I used to carry around a binder of scholarship applications throughout the day and I’d work on them throughout the day,” she said. “People thought I was really weird but I really needed scholarship money. I knew that in order for this to be a reality I had to find a way to cover these fees.” The press release tells Nguyen’s story of applying to college and describes how he was faced not just with application fees, but with fees to send test scores to each of the schools he was applying to. “It was a thousand dollars that could have gone to food or rent,” he wrote in the press release, adding that even with the availability of limited fee waivers, he couldn’t justify spending the amount of money “that was the equivalent of three weeks worth of food for my family.” After writing to schools asking for more application fee waivers, the release states that Nguyen realized he was apologizing for being poor and that the feeling was humiliating, even though he did eventually receive the waivers. “The guilt and shame alone almost stopped me from going to college,” he wrote. The press release notes that Nguyen’s story is not uncommon, according to a 2014 White House report that indicated such fees were huge barriers to first generation students’ college applications. The press release further notes a recent New York Times study, which “found that in these colleges, there are more students from the 1 percent, making more than 630K a year, than there are students from the bottom 60 percent.” The Times study also See USG page 2
Eisgruber emphasizes diversity, inclusion in annual letter By Abhiram Karuppur Associate news editor PHOTO COURTESY OF NAVY CPO JOSHUA TREADWELL
Petraus speaking to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Petraeus under consideration to replace Flynn By Daily Princetonian Staff After former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s surprise resignation Monday, three people have come under consideration for his replacement, including retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus MPA ’85 Ph.D. ’87. The administration is also reportedly considering former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command Robert Harward and Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg. Kellogg is the acting national security adviser, according to USA Today. Flynn’s resignation came after only 24 days on the job and in the wake of lost trust, after he did not fully disclose to FBI agents what was discussed on a phone call he had with Russia’s ambassador, according to The New York Times. Both party leaders had said that they expected the Senate to investigate and “probably summon Mr. Flynn to testify, [as] more details emerged about a drama that played out largely in secret inside a White House riven by competing power centers,” the BEYOND THE BUBBLE
Matt Iseman ’93 crowned winner of “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” beats out singer Boy George
By Kirsten Traudt Staff writr
COURTESY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
USG President Myesha Jemison ‘18 signed the No Apologies Initiative with other university student government leaders to eliminate application fees for low income students in admissions, lolocated at West College.
Times reported. Petraeus resigned during former President Barack Obama’s second term, citing an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. A credentialed journalist with the Department of Defense, Broadwell is known to have received confidential and classified information from Petraeus, according to CNN. Petraeus pleaded guilty for sharing such information and received two years’ probation and a fine of $100,000. On CNN with Anderson Cooper, Broadwell said that this scandal shouldn’t be a barrier to Petraeus’ appointment as national security adviser. “I say it’s been five years, and everyone involved in this situation has taken responsibility for their actions and suffered the consequences and has tried to move forward,” she said on air. “I think a lot of what happened to him has been taken out of context. There was no ill intent and again, no national security was jeopardized in any way. He’s paid a price for it.”
University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 affirmed the University’s responsibility to contribute impartial scholarship and durable truths to the world in his first annual State of the University letter. The idea for the letter came out of Eisgruber’s conversations with members of the University community after the Board of Trustees released a strategic framework last year. Eisgruber explained in the letter that many people requested an annual update on the University’s progress and major challenges. Eisgruber began his letter by describing the “anxious and troubled world” that exists today, and highlighted concerns of international alliances, political divisions, and “fake news.” He explained that the University has a duty to “get at the truth by assessing claims rigorously, debating ideas openly and courageously, and steering clear of the biases that flow from partisan agendas or ideological prejudices.” The first initiative that Eisgruber addressed was the push to increase socioeconomic diversity of the undergraduate student body. In last year’s strategic framework, the trustees called for attracting more qualified students from low-income families, and Eisgruber explained that the number of students receiving Pell Grants had increased during his presidency. In addition, Eisgruber highlighted the Office of Admission’s outreach to low-income students and partnership with QuestBridge, an organization that matches lowincome students to colleges where they can thrive. “We need to continue our efforts to identify and recruit outstandSee EISGRUBER page 3
The Monday night finale of NBC’s “The New Celebrity Apprentice” crowned doctor-turned-stand-up comedian Matt Iseman ’93 the program’s latest winner by host Arnold Schwarzenegger. Iseman beat out singer Boy George. Iseman, perhaps bestknown for his time as host of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” also has a prolific television career, including recent appearances on “Hot in Cleveland,” “Clean House,” and “Sports Soup.” He has also appeared in commercials and on film,
most notably in “Transformers 2.” However, he was not initially drawn to entertainment. A history concentrator born in Colorado, Iseman pitched for the University’s baseball team during each of his four years, winning the 1991 Ivy League Championship. Following graduation, he attended medical school at Columbia University, intending to follow in the footsteps of his father, renowned doctor Michael Iseman ’61.Although he is a licensed doctor, Iseman never completed his medical residency, choosing instead to pursue stand-up
In Opinion
Today on Campus
Senior Columnist Imani Thornton responds on renaming Calhoun College, Kaveh Badrei writes about restoring dignity to debates, and Jared Shulkin argues against laptop misuse in the classroom. PAGE 4
7:30 p.m.: Is Antizionism Antisemitism? Princeton Committee on Palestine hosts Dr. Norman Finkelstein, a political scientist, activist, and Princeton Politics PhD alumnus, for a discussion and Q&A. McCosh Hall 50.
comedy. After a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2003 at the age of 31, Iseman became a passionate advocate for those with the disease; while on “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” he raised $573,329 for the Arthritis Foundation. While on the program, Iseman maintained a strong record throughout, winning eight out of the 12 challenges set before the finale. Such challenges included running photoshoots, creating celebritybranded candy, and selling exercise equipment on QVC. Iseman was particuSee APPRENTICE page 2
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