Founded 1876 daily since 1892 online since 1998
Monday march 7, 2016 vol. cxl no. 27
{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } STUDENT LIFE
USG releases COMBO V survey to U. By Kristin Qian staff writer
The Undergraduate Student Government released a Committee on Background and Opportunity V Survey on the last week of February to examine current campus climate and improve student life, according to USG president Aleksandra Czulak ’17. “COMBO is basically a way to gauge how students’ backgrounds and identities impact their experiences on campus, the opportunities that they have here, and their perceived access to resources on campus,” said Natasha Madorsky ’17, project leader for COMBO and member of the USG Diversity and Equity Committee. COMBO V surveys a large range of experiences, she said. The survey is broken into six sections: Demographics, Affiliations & Social Life, Academics, Summer Experiences & Post-Graduate Plans, Mental Health, and Campus Climate. “We wanted to gather some more direct data on how students feel about campus climate, and about some of the issues surrounding race and identity that have come up in the last year or so,” Madorsky explained. The survey is an ongoing effort under the USG’s Committee on Diversity and Equity Committee, she added. Though only three previous COMBO surveys have been released, COMBO V is a revamped version of previous surveys, according to Mador-
sky. Czulak said COMBO IV, the previous version, was conducted under former USG president Shawon Jackson ’15. Data included survey responses from students in the Classes of 2016 and above. According to Madorsky, data from COMBO IV was never compiled and released to the student body because the analysis was unreadable and incoherent throughout. Czulak said that it is unfortunate that the results from COMBO IV could not be released, but the data would not be relevant given the time that has passed since it was conducted. Madorsky explained that it is not worth redoing the entire analysis of old data that does not include the majority of students on campus currently. Therefore, it is important to conduct a survey now, in order to make sure that it is a true reflection of the immediate campus climate, Madorsky said. According to Czulak, administration-run surveys sometimes ask the same kinds of questions as USG surveys, but only release very limited data, so students and campus groups cannot use the data to figure out how to cater their activities and their priorities towards student needs. “The more students we can get to fill it out, the more data we have that can be released back to the student body, to the USG, and to student organizations that seek to create a See SURVEY page 3
BIRD
LECTURE
KEVIN AGOSTINELLI :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
In a panel and a lecture, activists and scholars discussed queer identity in Middle East and North Africa.
Panel talks intersectionality, LGBT rights in Middle East By Kevin Agostinelli contributor
Among the many questions raised concerning intersectionality and human rights in Egypt and Lebanon, none revolved around where to draw the line with sexual and gender oppression. That line has already been crossed, and with great detriment to the victims, multiple panelists noted at a lecture series this past weekend. The lecture series included one panel on Friday centered on the framework of intersectionality in Lebanon, followed by a panel and dinner conversation on Saturday focusing on LGBT rights activism in Egypt. Ahmad El Hady, a Princeton Neuroscience Institute researcher and queer rights activist at the University, acted as the moderator. The first panel featured Beirut-based academic and femi-
nist Ghiwa Sayegh as well as Rasha Moumneh, a Ph.D. student in Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University. Sayegh gave a simple definition of intersectionality as “groups of people coming together at certain points in time, ” before expanding upon this concept as the key to connecting all social justice movements with one another. Sayegh illustrated the grim realities of the “hierarchy of importance” that often prevent the feminist movement from springing into mainstream public discourse. While Sayegh recognized the many problems that currently face Lebanon, she emphasized that “the struggles of women are constantly relegated to the sidelines.” Yet in spite of these challenges, Sayegh affirmed her belief in the feminist movement as a means of paving the way
for other social transformations to take hold in Lebanon, saying “articulating our positionality is not only a moral duty, but allows us to express solidarity by giving space to other movements that are not ours to claim.” Moumneh presented a modern perspective on the plight of the transgender and homosexual community in Lebanon. Moumneh demonstrated the strong correlation between the discrimination against these LGBT groups and the alleged resentment towards Syrian refugees perpetuated by the Lebanese government. According to Moumneh, the fact that one out of every four people in Lebanon is a refugee has offered a “convenient scapegoat” for the other troubles faced by the nation. Moumneh elaborated with one specific incident in which See PANEL page 3
STUDENT LIFE
USG discusses mental health initiatives, calendar survey senior writer
SUNNY HE :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The weather was clear for the most part during the weekend; a bird is flying alone across the clear, blue March sky.
The Undergraduate Student Government Senate discussed mental health programming and the calendar survey during their weekly meeting on Mar. 6. The Mental Health Initiatives Board is working on a number of projects this semester, including the Peer Nightline, according to cochair Nathan Yoo ’17. Yoo explained that the Nightline would be a phone line for students to access when they need someone to talk to, especially if they want anonymity or if they do not feel comfortable speaking to their advisers or family. “We’ve laid some of the groundwork for that already,” Yoo explained. Co-chair Sarah Sakha ’18 said that the MHIB is also pushing for reforms in mental health policies on campus. Sakha is an Associate Opinion Editor for the
‘Prince’. “Although we don’t have specific recommendations yet, some of the hopes we have include reducing Counseling and Psychological Services wait times, which will include looking at the budget,” Sakha said. Sakha explained that members of the MHIB had met with Calvin Chin, Director of CPS, to review the appointments system at CPS and that Chin had expressed an interest in making changes. Yoo said that one of the concerns of CPS staff in creating an online schedule is that a formal schedule might discourage some students from seeking appointments, since the calendar for a particular day might appear full online. CPS is committed to making time for individual appointments, Yoo said. Sakha added that the Board will work toward reducing stigma associated with accessing services at CPS, noting that the group will analyze how different
In Opinion
Today on Campus
Columnist Marni Morse argues that an overnight Princeton Preview is still too short, and Columnist Azza Cohen engages in dialogue with her personified thesis PAGE 4
12 p.m.: Jhumpa Lahiri, Professor of Creative Writing and a National Humanities Medal Winner, will present a lunch series seminar titled “In Other Words” along with her translator Ann Goldstein. 219 Aaron Burr Hall.
populations on campus — athletes, non-athletes, different races etc. — have been utilizing the resources. In addition, the MHIB will work on programming for the next Mental Health Week. “We’ve looked at Mental Health week this year, and how much attention it garnered,” Sakha said, explaining that the board will start planning for events in April in order to get a head start. USG president Aleksandra Czulak ’17 said that in addition to the MHIB’s work, UMatter staff are collaborating to provide the wellness information shared in Czulak’s weekly emails to the student body. Academics committee chair Shanon Osaka ’17 said that the calendar change survey, which went live on Mar. 1, has received many responses so far. As of the morning of Mar. 6, 1,861 undergraduates, 568 graduate students and 300 faculty had submitted responses. The See USG page PB
WEATHER
By Katherine Oh
HIGH
60˚
LOW
41˚
Partly cloudy. chance of rain:
0 percent