2.27 Street

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 27, 2014

page s1

smells like

ENTREPRENEURIAL spirit

WICK

JENNIFER SHYUE

A

fter an evening of dancing under the Class of 1983 tent during Reunions last June, Liz Lian ’15 realized that the 90-degree weather had caused her to sweat through her dress. Frustrated, she went to visit her friend Sanibel Chai, a Princeton resident and junior at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I just went over to hang out and for the air conditioning, really,” Lian said during a recent interview. “And I told her about it, and she was like, ‘Don’t you just wish that we could have dresses made out of Dri-FIT or activewear fabric?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’d be awesome.’ ” By the next morning, Lian and Chai were owners of a registered limited liability company that would soon become WICK. The goal, Lian explained, was to create party dresses that were stylish, comfortable and practical. Most of the dresses, skirts and tops Lian and Chai have in the pipeline boast functional elements such as zippered pockets big enough to hold a phone, ID and credit card, attached shorts that provide coverage and banish the dreaded “visible panty line,” or a built-in bra that eliminates the need to wear a separate undergarment with pieces that feature low-cut backs.

“Comfort is such a huge factor in confidence and happiness,” Lian said. “I feel like that’s something intangible that we’re trying to make happen with our clothes. It’s not so much how you look, it’s how you feel, and that’ll affect also how you look.”

Staying true to the brand’s name and original inspiration, WICK pieces are made of a moisture-wicking knit-blend fabric. The company’s cofounders tested a number of different fabrics, Lian said, and eventually settled on one that was comfortable

Staff Writer

and performed well during a test run at the gym. For now, all WICK pieces are black because the color is universally flattering and conceals sweat stains well. However, Lian and Chai have not rejected the idea of eventually expanding into other colors.

Neither Lian nor Chai had formal training in fashion design or business, but they learned by working and outsourced what they were unable to do themselves. A freelance designer created sketches based on Lian and Chai’s original vision, and the subsequent process included feedback and revisions. After the designs were finalized, the freelance designer created a more technical drawing called a techpack, which a patternmaker in the New York City Garment District used to create a sample that Lian and Chai tried on and helped adjust.

There are currently six WICK pieces at various stages of production.

The first-round shipment of fabric is being made in China, and, after that fabric has arrived, production will start on the first line of products.

WICK will debut with a top, a skirt and a dress.

“In a month or two, if all goes well, we’ll be on the market,” Lian said.

Lian attributes much of WICK’s success thus far to the support of family and friends, who have provided funding, legal advice, modeling skills, makeup artistry, photography and encouragement.

Like some of the other student entrepreneurs Street spoke to, Lian said that one of the biggest challenges she has had to contend with is balancing the demands of WICK with her schoolwork and activities. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she added, “because I’ve been having so much fun and learning so much stuff. I love doing this.”

COURTESY OF INJEE UNSHIN

Sanibel Chai (left) and Liz Lian ‘15 (right) photographed in WICK’s new dresses.

HARRISON BLACKMAN

FireStop

Staff Writer

F

or a half century, Smokey the Bear has told Americans that “only YOU can prevent forest fires,” but an implicit question remains — how would you prevent fires?

For computer science concentrator Charlie Jacobson ’16, the answer seemed simple — take firefighting to the 21st century with a mobile app.

Last summer, Jacobson and Eddie Zhou ’16 founded FireStop, a cloud-based platform that seeks to help firefighters integrate stored fire inspection data with real-time information so firefighters can take their information with them to the field. By combining static data, such as hydrant locations, maps and Google Street View images with notification systems and incoming data streams, FireStop offers a oneof-a-kind tool for firefighters, according to Jacobson.

“We aim to be a one-stop solution for firefighters,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson has been a volunteer firefighter since the age of 16, an ex-

perience which made him see a need for better ways in which firefighters can organize and make use of their information.

“We’re operating in an industry [that] is not as fast moving and not as tech-savvy,” Jacobson said. “We’re very excited to change the way the industry operates.”

Traditionally, fire departments buy into multi-year contracts with software corporations, Jacobson explained. Bringing a start-up mentality to the fold can help make the software more accessible, especially when contracts are substituted for free trials and subscription plans.

The pair presented FireStop at last year’s Princeton Pitch event, an annual elevator pitch competition organized by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Club. Though FireStop didn’t win the competition and receive a financial award, it was supported by the Keller Center’s eLab Start-up Accelerator Program last summer, according to a Princeton University article.

Since then, FireStop has been in

private beta testing and has been piloted in several New Jersey fire departments. The company aims to launch its software publicly in two to three weeks, according to Jacobson.

Needless to say, starting a company is no easy task, especially during the school year.

“Internally, there’s only four of us,” Jacobson said, referring to the organization’s small size. “We drink a lot of caffeine … [we want] to keep the momentum going.”

The app’s website outlines some of its more technical features, such as its CAD integration, and the target goal of the app: to save firefighters 90 seconds in their initial response to a fire.

“Our firefighters put their lives on the line and work tirelessly each day to protect the communities they serve,” the website reads.

“They shouldn’t have to spend countless hours making technology fit their needs; they deserve cutting-edge technology that works for them.”

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 27, 2014

page s2

‘Smells like entrepreneurial spirit’ cont’d JENNIFER SHYUE Staff Writer

C

hesscademy, a free website designed to teach users how to play chess, has garnered praise in the media and now sees between 10,000 and 15,000 unique visitors a month. But what many people do not realize is that Chesscademy launched a mere six months ago — and that its creators are two college students and a high school senior.

Chesscademy, the brainchild of Andrew Ng, originally from the Class of 2016, and cofounders Francis Hinson and Sabar Dasgupta, was born of a desire “to provide a fun and free, easy way for people to learn how to play chess,” Ng said during a recent phone interview.

Hinson is a student at the Univer-

Chesscademy sity of Rochester, and Dasgupta is a student at Princeton High School.

Both Ng and Hinson are currently taking time off from school to work on Chesscademy.

“When I was in high school, I volunteered at a local elementary school chess club once a week for all four years,” Ng said. “But I found that I couldn’t really teach all of them as well as I would’ve been able to teach one of them, one at a time.”

Chesscademy is currently divided into two distinct components: the “Learn” section and the “Train” section. The website’s current target demographic is beginner and intermediate-level players. The ultimate goal is to integrate the two sections, in part by personalizing each user’s expe-

rience based on past performance.

“We’re trying to get that qualitative feedback really down-pat so all of our users can have a really personal learning experience,” Ng explained. He later added, “That’s really an issue that a lot of people have been talking about recently: how they can introduce technology in a way to form a premium adaptive learning experience.”

Beginning in March, Chesscademy will be based for three months in the New York office space of start-up accelerator Techstars. Though they are not officially part of the program, which provides participants with seed funding and mentorship, Techstars’ administrators liked Chesscademy so much that they invited

Ng and Hinson to join them in their Greenwich Village office.

For the future, Ng is considering expanding into school districts interested in providing structured chess instruction to students. “[Chesscademy] can also be extended to other subject areas and as a result have a larger adjustable market. Instead of people only interested in chess, it can be anyone who’s generally interested in math, computer science,” Ng said of Chesscademy’s adaptive approach toward teaching. “Education isn’t really cookie-cutter; you can’t just throw a bunch of information at a group of 10 kids and expect them all to retain the same amount of information.”

COURTESY OF ANDREW NG

From left to right: Chesscademy’s founders Francis Hinson, Andrew Ng (originally the Class of 2016) and Sabar Dasgupta.

IN DEFENSE OF

crunchy snacks CARA ZAMPINO

Don’t be mad.

Don’t be sad.

Be glad, and

BUY AN AD! (It’s the hottest fad.)

For more information, contact ‘Prince’ business.

Call (609)258-8110 or Email business@dailyprincetonian.com

Contributor

S

ome compare it to the constant screech of nails on a chalkboard.

Others liken it to the thunderous cacophony of a construction worker’s drill. More still equate it to the exploding bombs of nuclear warfare. However, few realize that scientific studies have indeed proven the existence of concrete societal benefits associated with the consumption of noisy snacks in Firestone Library. While the previous statement is entirely false, here are a few points that validate this otherwise inconsiderate habit: One: Loud snackers are basically a handy alarm clock that goes off every two seconds, lacks a snooze button and attracts hoards of Princeton ants. But hey, you are 100 percent guaranteed to be awake, alert and maybe even productive during your Firestone study session.

Didn’t get enough sleep last night? Experiencing stressinduced hallucinations? On the verge of an apocalyptic, emotional meltdown? TOO BAD — NO NAP FOR YOU. But don’t curse the noisy snackers for keeping you from sweet, sweet slumber. They have simply transformed your four-hour “brain-stimulating siesta of champions” into an elusive phenomenon known as legitimate studying.

To be honest, it’s pretty pathetic to walk into the Trustee Reading Room and stumble upon naptime shantytowns strewn with Pequod blankets and pillow forts. Luckily, thanks to obnoxiously loud snacks, dozing off on a makeshift textbook bed will be only a vestige of the bygone days of SAT prep.

In a sense, you could think of

it as a form of containment — the incredibly irritating sound of students gnawing on crunchy munchies limits the proliferation of nap-sites. Noisy snacks coerce Princetonians, via torture à la Spanish Inquisition, to finish their work and then sleep.

Like, on an actual mattress. In an actual dorm room. You know, like, normally functioning humans.

Two: The best study snacks are crunchy snacks.

Let’s quickly examine the evidence: apples are crunchy, almonds are crunchy, crunchy grapes are crunchy ... and the list goes on. And look at that — all the foods I just named also happen to be healthy! Therefore, by logical extrapolation, all crunchy snacks are healthy.

If nothing else, we need these nourishing noshes to make Michelle Obama ’85 proud of at least one aspect of her alma mater.

Three: Noisy snackers, demanding your furious glare, force you to look up and appreciate the aesthetically pleasing renovations and fine art of Firestone — or, if you’re on the C floor, the many scary reminders of some kind of freaky carcinogen called asbestos.

In the effort to utilize your laser-like vision to mercilessly sear a hole through a cruncher’s head, you will inevitably have to pry your eyes from your math textbook (read: Facebook news feed) and analyze your surroundings. Thus, you’ll finally be able to appreciate Firestone’s, in the words of the library webpage, “bright and cheery” ambiance, laden with light-filled study spaces, masterly works of art and troubling chemical warning signs. Engineers: Con-

sidering the University will never lure you into the art museum, this is the next best option. After all, we came to this fine institution to acquire a liberal arts education, and distractingly loud snacks may be exactly what we need to fully embrace all that Mother Princeton has to offer.

Four: You will be completely prepared for the inevitable hellscape of exam conditions.

Imagine this: Twenty-three minutes into your econ final, a math major taking the class that has been the bane of your semester as an easy fifth class begins fumbling around his bag. He pulls out a granola bar, but not just any granola bar — a Nature Valley bar.

At this point, you have three options: 1) violently slap said bar out of his hand, 2) leave the room or 3) deal with the distraction. Temporarily setting aside the first option, the optimal choice is clear. The possibility of submitting an incomplete econ exam and exiting the room is unthinkable. If you give up, how will you ever get that cushy finance — err, I mean, eradicate global poverty? Regardless of your career intentions, with your high tolerance for distractions developed at Firestone, you will not surrender.

Taking everything into consideration, is the marginal utility gained by a student munching on an apple at Firestone truly outweighed by the aggravation caused to his peers?

If you paid the slightest bit of attention while skimming this article, it’s pretty clear that, in fact, this practice benefits not only the snackers, but also the Firestone, Princeton and global communities at large. So crunch on, Princetonians. Crunch on.

Thursday February 27, 2014

The Daily Princetonian

PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN of

Jazz Summit showcases student compositions NOAH FISHMAN Contributor

T

ANNIE TAO Senior Writer

T

he unprecedented length and sheer intensity of this winter have given rise to a wide variety of footwear selections — some perhaps more practical than others. In response to the weekly blizzards and ice storms, many on campus have designated a single pair of shoes for the brutal weather. Find out below what your go-to winter footwear says about you.

HUNTERS Sure, they’re not exactly warm, but they keep your feet dry, and that’s what’s important! You emphasize the pragmatism behind the decision to break out your fire engine red babies for another day, frowning only slightly at the realization that you haven’t worn your green pants in three months. It’s a price you’re willing to pay, though, as surely your choice of this particular color out of twenty others speaks to your quirky personality. How better to express your unique identity than by donning the same pair of boots owned by every other girl on campus?

SNEAKERS Good for you, you’re probably the only one in your friend group who has stuck to your gym-related New Year’s resolution! You’re the person I glare at in the dining hall between mouthfuls of cake, the one wearing nothing but running shorts and a fleece as he makes his way to Dillon in 10-degree weather at 6 a.m. Or, you know, just that guy who wears sneakers, and only sneakers, year-round, weather be damned.

Don’t be that guy.

HEELS In all likelihood, you’re just another one of the many poor souls who happens to have a formal or interview at an extremely inconvenient time. If you’re not bringing your formal footwear to the venue in your bag, though, chances are evolution will phase you out. What did you say? This is just how you roll? More power to you. Just remember that a pair of flats won’t kill you, but those platforms very well might. Even if your nude pumps make your

legs look like Miranda Kerr’s, they have the unfortunate side effect of also making your brain resemble Paris Hilton’s.

FLIP FLOPS Wearing Rainbows in February can mean one of three things.

You’re: 1) from Russia; 2) hallucinating; or 3) a masochist, because those are the only valid explanations for trudging essentially barefoot through the small lagoons of icy slush. If you were trying to pull off the cavalier, nonchalant, “What snow?” attitude, suffice it to say that you’ve failed pretty miserably. Frostbite is not hot, literally and otherwise.

HIKING BOOTS The proverbial Chuck Norris of footwear, nothing says “YOU WILL BE CONQUERED” to the polar vortex like a pair of Gore-tex hiking boots.

You won’t just make it through the snow, goddammit, you will overcome it because that’s just the kind of person you are. You are an example of the beauty of the human spirit, the type of inspiration that star in emotional YouTube videos that get passed around during finals week. Strength. Endurance. Grit. As you begin the ascent from Fine to McCosh Hall on a Monday morning, ice pick in one hand and bungee cord in the other, passersby stop to watch you in all your glory.

Is it Bear Grylls? A North Face commercial? No, it’s just you, hiking boots-wearing Princetonian, making a mountain out of the molehills of slush still clinging to campus. You alone will survive this winter with limbs intact.

SPERRY TOP SIDERS What are you doing? Sure, they’re nonslip, and yes, they’re waterproof, but YOU ARE NOT ON A BOAT. Last time I checked, your yacht wasn’t docked in Lake Carnegie. It’s probably time to reevaluate your life choices.

While you’re at it, put on some socks and get some real shoes.

BEAN BOOTS, SNOW BOOTS, ETC. You’re all for getting into the Olympic spirit, but not quite ready to participate by luging down the path to Terrace. Unassuming, sensible and down-toearth, you’re just trying to get through the day (and this interminable winter). In the end, that’s all we can really do.

LIN KING :: ASSOCIATE STREET EDITOR

ASK THE SEXPERT

This week, she discusses chlamydia.

Dear Sexpert, A few days ago, one of my friends told me she was diagnosed with chlamydia. Like her, I have hooked up with different partners on lots of weekends.

I’m worried because she didn’t notice any symptoms, but when one of her partners told her he had chlamydia, she got tested and tested positive. So I guess I’m worried now that I could have it and not know. Should I get tested? Does McCosh Health Center do that?

— Chlamydianxious

Dear Chlamydianxious, Before talking about getting tested, let’s talk about the basics. Chlamydia, a bacteria, is the most commonly reported STI in the United States.

The bacteria are transmitted through anal, vaginal and oral sex. Chlamydia can cause symptoms such as a burning and painful sensation upon urination and abnormal discharge in both men and women. In women, chlamydia infections can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to abdominal and pelvic pain. In men, pain and swelling in one or both testicles can occur. Chlamydia can also infect the rectum in

both men and women, causing symptoms such as rectal pain, discharge and bleeding. Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, so if you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention from the practitioners at University Health Services. If left untreated, the bacteria can damage a woman’s reproductive organs and lead to pregnancy complications and infertility later in life. Very rarely, chlamydia can also lead to infertility in men.

Like your friend, however, many people with chlamydia infections show no symptoms and may be unaware of their infection and unknowingly spreading the bacteria. Up to 80 percent of infected women and 50 percent of infected men do not exhibit symptoms of chlamydia. Additionally, weeks can pass after the initial time of infection before the onset of symptoms.

To answer your question about testing for chlamydia: because symptoms are not always present with chlamydia infections and the long-term consequences can be serious, the CDC recommends chlamydia screening for sexually active women age 25 and under every year. Women and men who have multiple sexual partners and do not always use a barrier meth-

od (e.g. condom, dental dam) during sexual activity may be at higher risk for contracting chlamydia and should be tested as well. Men who have receptive anal sex with other men should also be tested every year.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea testing are done together at Sexual Health and Wellness Services at UHS and cost $14. Whether you should be tested or how frequently can be determined by speaking with a clinician about your specific risk factors.

The only way to completely avoid chlamydia is to abstain from oral, vaginal and anal sexual contact altogether. As always, however, the Sexpert supports risk reduction. In the case of chlamydia, correct and consistent use of condoms and dental dams can reduce the risk of contracting chlamydia.

Stay safe,

page s3

— The Sexpert

Interested in Sexual Health? The Sexpert is always looking for members of the community to join the team of sexual health educators who, along with fact-checking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@ dailypr incetonian.com for more information and questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!

he musical genre of jazz embodies so many of the things that constitute a college environment. Jazz music draws from a deep tradition, while at the same time prompting innovation by recontextualizing certain intellectual and theoretical structures. At its core, jazz is social — relying on group dynamics and teamwork. It demands respect, dedication to the artistic process.

Above all, jazz takes hours and hours of practice. In short, jazz encompasses academics, art, history, social interaction and a lot of work: Basically, a Princeton education in a nutshell.

Princeton’s jazz program is one of two such programs in the Ivy League. The other comparable program is at Columbia. This Saturday, students from both programs will be teaming up in Princeton’s Richardson Auditorium for the 3rd Annual Columbia/Princeton Jazz Summit. The concert will have two sections. The first will feature Princeton’s Concert Jazz Ensemble. The second will feature two mixed groups, each comprised of a handful of students from each school.

During this portion, all of the music performed will be original compositions by students.

Spencer Hadley ’17, a trumpeter in Princeton’s program, is excited to be contributing one of his original compositions to the performance. “It’s a way for us to get our original material out there,” he said. “It’s always exciting to hear the music people write and how it relates to their playing.

A lot of times you can hear certain parallels between their writing and their thoughts on music.

And sometimes not. It can be an interesting contradiction.”

Jazz ensembles at Princeton

include the CJE (a big band consisting of about twenty students) and several smaller ensembles that change each semester. Neither ensemble features original music often, so the 3rd Annual Summit will provide a relatively rare opportunity for student composers to showcase their own music.

Hadley added that the Summit should be high-energy, especially since the CJE just returned from a tour over Intersession. “We’re just getting back from Italy. We got to play more as a band and gel a little bit more. The band definitely improved over the course of the tour,” he said.

Though this is Hadley’s first time at the Summit, other members of the program are veterans. Drummer Phil McNeal ’14 performed in and contributed a composition to the Summit last year, which was held at Columbia.

McNeal and a handful of other Princeton musicians drove to Columbia last spring, where they premiered compositions to a receptive New York audience.

The jazz world has a reputation for being ruthlessly competitive.

However, the atmosphere at last year’s Summit surprised McNeal.

“Maybe there was pressure to show up and represent,” McNeal said. “But I don’t think there was any inherent competition between us. It was fun to hear and get to play with other people.”

The Italy tour and the Summit, among other things, make jazz at Princeton far more than an extracurricular. At Saturday’s concert in Richardson, the CJE segment of the concert will feature guest trumpeter Valery Ponomarev, who was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Blakey was a fiery, soulful bandleader for over three

COURTESY OF GOOGLE.COM

decades. His band, The Jazz Messengers, included some of the biggest names in jazz. The group’s alumni, those who were on the Messengers’ roster at one point or another, often went on to become some of the greatest jazz musicians of our era. For a jazz trumpeter like Spencer Hadley, playing with Jazz Messengers alum Ponomarev will be like a college point guard getting to play pickup basketball with legendary Lakers player Magic Johnson.

Saturday’s concert will be an opportunity for Princeton students to flex their improvisatory and performance skills, both individually and with Columbia students. At the same time, the show will reveal these young musicians’ dedication to the jazz tradition by putting them onstage with one of the genre’s seasoned veterans. The Columbia/ Princeton Jazz Summit will be a memorable performance, a rare opportunity to see both old and new take the stage as equals in the spirit of improvisation and collaboration.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 27, 2014

page s4

Individual standouts in ‘Rent’ CAROLINE HERTZ Staff Writer

D

irector Adin Walker’s ’16 troupe of performers is only the latest of many tenants to spend time in “Rent,” the 1996 musical and worldwide sensation that tells the story of a ragtag bunch of artists living la vie bohème in New York’s East Village.

The title refers to the financial anxiety with which playwright Jonathan Larson’s characters grapple, as they struggle to survive in a world where artistic ideals don’t pay the rent. The title also highlights the transient nature of these characters’ lives — the month-to-month living with no permanence or promises. The characters Collins and Angel — portrayed

by Thomas Gonzalez Roberts ’16 and Chris Murphy ’15, respectively — sing to each other in the song “I’ll Cover You” that although love can’t be bought, at least it can be rented. In other words, their happiness won’t be forever — both have AIDS — but it’s theirs for a while. The word “rent” also means “torn,” and the characters in this show are torn between conflicting desires: comfort and idealism, love and the fear of heartbreak.

When you watch a show like “Rent,” that arrives on a giant wave of cultural hype, you want it to throw you off-balance and shock your system. It’s a rock musical: You want it to be thunderously loud. You want the performers to sing with urgency and insistence — to sing as young people positively bursting with conviction, people who have something they must, must tell you.

Unfortunately, this production features a cast which, with a few exceptions, consistently struggles with the musical demands of “Rent.” Billed as a “rock opera”, “Rent” is nearly completely sung — the nuances of each

character, the complex and roiling emotions and the entirety of the story are communicated to the audience through song. Therefore, it’s difficult for audiences to overlook the actors in this production regularly wandering off-key and losing each other in the music.

And it’s no wonder the actors struggle: The score of “Rent” is relentless and challenging. The most likely explanation for the vocal shortcomings of this production is simple vocal exhaustion.

And this reviewer suspects, from intermittent evidence, that many of these actors are capable of achieving far more with this score than they managed at Thursday night’s opening.

In any case, the production simply does not accommodate for the demands of the musical form. The fatigued and uneven vocals affect other aspects of the company’s performance, resulting in a production that is generally low-energy. This feels like a show that stretched everyone with its ambition — a fine thing, in some ways, given the richness of Walker’s vision — but has not resulted in a cast that feels, or sounds, sufficiently secure, especially when singing alone.

Luckily, “Rent” is the type of show that can survive in spite of missing pieces, because it’s written as a talent show of sorts — full of opportunities for individual performers to charm you in discrete moments, independent of the show’s overall energy. Manuel

Marichal ’16 plays the show’s narrator, Mark Cohen, with exceptional skill and charm. Marichal resists all temptations to become a passive caricature, and presents audiences with a Mark that is at once nerdy and raucous, af-

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ‘Rent’ Pros: Some great performances

and beautiful use of dance

Cons: Low energy, uneven vocals

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: fable and emotionally handicapped, compassionate and myopic. Murphy shines as the drag queen Angel. Vivacious and endearing, Murphy forms the emotional heart of this production, serving up both the sweet in his love song with Roberts and the feisty in his first number, “Today 4 U”. You might feel nervous for Murphy as he stalks onto stage in sky-high stilettos, but never fear: He struts and cha-chas

in those heels as effortlessly as he portrays Angel, weak and shivering, in her final moments. Victoria Gruenberg ’16 is a gem as the matter-of-fact Joanne, the lawyer who struggles to maintain self-respect in her tumultuous relationship with the unfaithful and unpredictable Maureen. In lieu of the fierce and fabulous lipstick lesbian, Gruenberg opts for a softer, more vulnerable Joanne — an interpretation I occasionally found magnetizing.

Although, for simple lack of energy, this production falters in climactic moments, it shines in instants of raw, quiet emotion. Walker’s use of contemporary dance to highlight these dramaturgically still moments is exceedingly clever. In particular, the simple and expressive choreography to the song “Will I” was at once aesthetically gorgeous and eloquent in terms of storytelling. Not so clear in terms of storytelling was the use of the ensemble at the beginning of the show. The ensemble constantly flowed in and out of the opening scenes in Mark and Roger’s studio apartment, muddying the narrative. This production of “Rent” is brilliant in flashes, but lackluster overall.

STREET’S

TOP TEN Alternatives to Facebook Poking

1 3 5 7 9

Winked at

2 4 6 8 10

Brushed shoulders with Gave a firm handshake to

Made timid eye contact with

Made polite conversation with Massaged

Hired an a cappella group to sing to Made diary entry about

Pantsed

Threw a squirrel at

CAMPUS PICKS DANCE SYMPOH presents The Fifteenth Annual BBAs FRIST FILM/PERFORMANCE THEATRE Thursday and Friday, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

CONOR DUBE :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Roger (Ryan Gedrich ‘16) holds Mimi (Maddie Meyers ‘17) in a final scene of the Tony Award-winning musical.

If you’re looking for a great show this weekend, your decision has never been so SYMPOH. Marking the 15th anniversary of the group, SYMPOH’s annual show promises to be the perfect way to get your fix of mind-blowing breakdancing and psych yourself up for the Oscars, as the crew will adopt the glamor of awards season to celebrate its birthday with a B-Boy Awards ceremony.

Be sure to check it out if you can’t resist the artistry and athleticism of dance mixed with the splendor of awards!

MUSIC Princeton University Glee Club’s ‘Souvenirs from Europe’ RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Looking for some good music on a Friday night? Missing some European culture and song in your life? Well, you’re in luck! Returning from its winter tour in Central Europe, the Princeton Glee Club will perform some of its repertoire’s best in Richardson this Friday night. Don’t miss out on a feast for the ears, as Glee takes you on a trip through the beautiful cities of Prague, Nuremburg and Leipzig. Best of all, it’s free, so grab your prox and go!

EVENT Oscar’s Viewing Party GARDEN THEATRE Sunday, 8 p.m.

CONOR DUBE :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Manuel Marichal ‘16 as the show’s narrator, Mark Cohen.

CONOR DUBE :: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Michaela Milgrom’16 plays Maureen in PUP’s revival of Jonathan Larson’s Broadway musical ‘Rent.’

HEADLINERS AND HEADSHAKERS articles you didn’t read this week DAILY PRINCETONIAN STAFF

Career Services pursues a techn ology strategy inspired by eHarmony; Susan Patton expresses approval

Oz ’08 speaks of serendipitous career path, does not mention influence of wildly well-connected father Princeton sophomore advances to Jeopardy!

Final, still receives B-plus in HIS 361: The United States Since 1974

STUDENTS IN HUM SEQUENCE DROP CITING DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSE LOAD; DESERTERS FLOCK TO ENGI NEERING

Princeton grads create fecal bank, somehow still less full of shit than Goldman, Merrill Lynch Printers, Blackboard experience temporary outages; student requests for multi-day extensions proliferate

It’s the biggest event of the film season and Garden Theatre is rolling out the red carpet for you! Sponsored by the Princeton Film Society, The Princeton Buffer: A Film and TV Review, Princeton Film Productions and the Princeton Art Museum Student Advisory Board, the screening will give you prime seating for all of the shocks, snubs and fashion flubs. Students are encouraged to dress in their Oscars best as there will be a photographer on the red carpet. Inside, free popcorn and soda await, as does a chance to predict the big winners for a grand prize!

LECTURE ‘Film and Terrorism’ Conversation MCCOSH 50 Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Do you love cheesy rom-coms and poorly made horror films? If you’re a big blockbuster buff, consider taking your film-watching habits to a higher level of globally conscious with a discussion of filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ portrayal of terrorism in his movies. Assayas has written films such as “Clean” and “Summer Hours” (neither of which is cheesy rom-com or a poorly made horror flicks). Led by Rubén Gallo — director of Princeton’s Program in Latin American Studies — the discussion will engage Assayas and critic Ian Buruma in a dynamic conversation.