March 31, 2016

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Thursday March 31, 2016 vol. cxl no. 38

{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } STUDENT LIFE

Yik Yak posts target Muslim students at U.

By Claire Lee staff writer

Kiara Rodriguez Galego contributor

Islamophobic comments targeting students on campus have appeared on Yik Yak, a mobile app that allows anonymous postings visible to users from the same geographical region, after the terrorist attacks in Brussels.

Student leader of the University’s Religious Life Council Nabil Shaikh ’17 noted that he saw a post earlier this week on Yik Yak that alleged that half of the world’s Muslims are radical and that there are even some Muslims at the University that fit this description. That particular post received multiple up-votes minutes after appearing, he noted.

He added that under this post, people commented that this is true and that they have met some of them themselves. Some comments said that the presence of Muslim students on campus would condone acts of terrorism.

One such comment read that “All muslims are radical, or else they are not muslims.”

“That was disheartening for a lot of Muslim students to see,” Shaikh said. “You feel a lot of Islamophobia on Yik Yak. After tragic events like the Brussels at-

tack, Islamophobia spikes around the country.”

Shaikh is a former president of the Muslim Student Association.

However, he noted that it is unclear whether these comments were made by University students.

Michele Minter, vice provost for Institutional Equity & Diversity, said that her office had not received any formal reports of anti-Muslim statements on Yik Yak or other online forums. However, she noted that upon communicating with several colleagues, she learned that there may have been information shared informally with them. She added that the office will be working to make sure that even informal reports reach her office.

“The University deplores antiMuslim sentiments, as well as racist, anti-Semitic and other forms of offensive speech directed at individuals or groups based on identity,” Minter said.

She added that because of the University’s commitment to freedom of expression, it is not always possible or appropriate to take disciplinary action, particularly when the speech is anonymous.

See YIK YAK page 4

U N I V E R S I T Y A F FA I R S

JESSICA LI :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The price of pens in C-Store will be raised to $3.00 starting Thursday to match the price from U-Store.

U-Store, C-Store depart from non-competition agreement

By Jessica Li news editor

The Princeton University Store and the C-Store have departed from a non-competition agreement, according to U-Store president Jim Sykes.

Skyes noted the U-Store has been selling select school supplies in bulk to the C-

Store at a discounted price since 2015. These supplies are then marked and resold to students at the same price as those set by the U-Store.

This change ref lects a deviation from a previous agreement that restricts the products that each entity — the C-Store and the U-Store — can sell through their op-

erations. Particularly, in that agreement, it was enumerated that the C-Store could not sell pens, pencils and note cards, among other stationaries. The agreement was to reduce competition between the University and the UStore.

Daniel Day, assistant vice president for the Office of See U-STORE page 2

STUDENT LIFE

MSA holds annual Islam Awareness Week

By Claire Lee staff writer

Kiara Rodriguez Galego contributor

The Muslim Students Association is hosting a number of events this week in honor of Islam Awareness Week, an annual, nation-wide effort to promote understanding and awareness of Islam.

Rather than just promoting awareness of Islam, though, the goal of this week’s events is also to promote dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims at the University, said Amir Raja ’18, president of the MSA. He added that one of the main reasons why people have negative perceptions about Muslims is because they don’t

know a Muslim.

“We need people interacting with Muslims more. We need to have people see Muslims as their friends, their neighbors, as ordinary people”, said Nabil Shaikh ’17, former president of the MSA and student leader of the University’s Religious Life Council.

Events were organized around specific themes for this week. The week started off with the awareness campaign “I’m A Muslim. What Do You See?” in an effort to highlight what it’s like to be “visibly Muslim” and outwardly practicing your faith. Female students got to wear a hijab See MSA page 3

JESSICA LI :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Students participated in the “Meet a Muslim” event hosted by the Muslim Students Association.

BEYOND THE BUBBLE

LOCAL NEWS

Caspersen ’99 charged for fraud Seminary conference on invloving illegitimate companies gender fluidity opposed contributor

Wall Street financier Andrew Caspersen ’99 was arrested on Saturday and has been charged with fraud by federal prosecutors, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Caspersen is allegedly responsible for creating an illegal $95 million scheme in which he incorporated illegitimate companies to funnel investments into a shell incorporation for his own gain, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Magdo.

“This is not an ordinary case.

This is not an ordinary family with ordinary assets,’’ Magdo said during an oral argument in court.

Magdo deferred comment to the U.S. Attorney’s Press Office . The U. S. Attorney’s Press Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Caspersen did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Caspersen has been accused of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, according to a press statement released by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Caspersen allegedly put on a shameful charade – creating

fake email addresses, setting up misleading domain names, and inventing fictional financiers,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a press statement.

The scheme allegedly began six months ago, when he worked as an executive for PJT Partners’ Park Hill Group. Promising high returns, Caspersen allegedly duped a hedge-fund manager into wiring him millions last year, most of it from a charitable foundation. Besides the $25 million he received, Caspersen was also allegedly working to obtain another $70 See SCHEME page 5

By Maya Wesby staff writer

Carmen LaBerge, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, publicly opposed the Seminary’s handling of gender identity and fluidity during a conference on gender and theology.

In an interview with the The Christian Post, LaBerge said that the Seminary is “irresponsible” for advancing ideas that run contrary to Biblical beliefs. She explained that gender is not confused or fluid in Creation.

“It is Imago Dei, male and female, and by God’s decree that is

In Opinion

Today on Campus

Columnist Lea Trusty reflects on Rihanna’s “Work,” and columnist Marni Morse urges the University to subsidize NJ Transit tickets to ensure fair, equal access to such opportunities. PAGE 7

4:30 p.m.: Activist Angela Davis will give keynote remarks for a conference on gender, violence, and anti-violence.

McCosh 50.

judged to be very good,” she told the Post, “The sexual and gender confusion experienced today is not godly. The idea that individuals would forge new gender identities is not new nor is it God honoring.”

LaBerge is the president of The Presbyterian Lay Committee, which supports various congregations across the country through giving legal counsel.

She did not respond to requests for comment.

The conference, titled “Gender Benders: Theology and Gender Fluidity”, was held by the Seminary’s Center for Theology, See SEMINARY page 2

WEATHER

By Catherine Wang

HIGH

74˚

LOW

61˚

Cloudy. chance of rain:

0 percent

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Thursday March 31, 2016

New collaboration agreement includes Gender fluidity, identity discussed at conference identical price for overlapping items U-STORE Continued from page 1

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Communications, noted that Campus Dining, which oversees the C-Store, is selling 18 items in common with the U-Store, including pens, pencils, post-it notes, markers and tape.

Sykes recalled that the collaboration between the two stores began sometime in 2014, although he could not recall the exact time.

In November 2014, a CStore employee was reprimanded for attempting to give out stationary items at C-Store while working a shift.

Skyes noted that he is unsure whether the change came as a result of the agreement’s exposure to the wider University community in December 2014. Sykes explained that the change came about after several students voiced concerns about the inconvenience of not being able to pursue school supplies in a centrally-located facility.

Consequently, the C-Store

has been buying school supplies from the U-Store at a discounted rate for retail, he said.

“The idea behind it was for it to be the same price at both locations. For students, it’s convenient because there are products at both locations.

It’s a win-win situation,” Sykes said.

Sykes declined to disclose the specific discount rates of the C-Store collaboration, but noted discounts of this scale are not yet offered to students. These discounts function in part because of the U-Store’s relationship with the University, and also because the C-Store purchases the supplies in bulk, he explained.

“It’s a volume discount,” Sykes said, adding that the store may consider offering similar discounts to students buying a large quantity of supplies in the future.

Although the new agreement upon the two store’s collaboration was that identical items will be sold at the same price at the C-Store as

the U-Store, several products show discrepancies.

The black, red and blue pens at the C-Store are currently marked at $2.50, while those at the U-Store are labeled as $3.00.

Sykes said that he was unaware of the price difference and noted he believes it to be the result of an error.

“I assume there’s a mistake either in our pricing system or their pricing system,” Sykes said.

Day noted that a review of the C-Store’s catalogue on Wednesday found that because of database entry errors by the C-Store, five types of pens and pencils had lower prices than what the U-Store charges.

“The prices are being corrected in the C-Store database to match the U-Store prices.

They will be properly in place

by Thursday,” Day said.

Bernadette Penick, assistant to the executive director of Campus Dining and Retail Operations, deferred comment to Day. Senior Operations Man-

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SEMINARY Continued from page 1

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Women and Gender on March 18 and 19. The Center’s Director, Jacqueline Lapsley, explained in a press release that the discussion of gender identity is particularly relevant to young people as they are questioning their identities and self-understanding.

“There is also a keen awareness that an appreciation of gender diversity can move our society toward real justice for women and other persons who are marginalized because of gender and/or sexuality. We are excited to offer a forum to discuss gender diversity, and how it can be understood from a theological perspective,” she said in the press release.

Lapsley did not respond to requests to comment.

“I was excited to be a part of something that was looking at gender in a more diversified way, and really what that meant within a theological space,” Jessica Rathbun-Cook, who participated in the conference as a panelist, said.

Rathbun-Cook is a youth programs director for the Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth.

She added that the stories shared during the conference were a positive step in discussing what it means to question gender identity. She said that she was excited for the future of the Church, since leaders were having thoughtful discussions on the gender fluidity.

Rathbun-Cook also said that she believes religious institutions like the Seminary are in the right for addressing this topic.

“I think, in so many instanc-

es, religious communities have been most-strongly working against the flourishing of LGBTQ people. I think it’s essential that those communities have conversations about gender nuance and diversity,” she added.

Communities of faith, she said, should make strides to welcome LGBTQ people by reexamining their own religious traditions.

Reverend Charles Wiley, coordinator of the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s office of Theology and Worship, said that the Church must engage in and understand the topic of gender identity the same way that other issues — such as poverty, inequality, sin and reconciliation — are discussed.

“Seminaries as academic institutions explore critical issues and challenge the church,” he said in an emailed statement, “That’s one of their roles. The [C] hurch is enriched by the conversation, hopefully learns from it, but it is not bound to follow any particular conclusions of these conversations.”

Wiley added that the Church needs to be constantly learning how to minister faithfully to the public.

Cook noted that those who disagree with the gender identity exploration movement may hold a narrower view of religion and of God, and she encourages dialogue between the two sides so that they may understand each other better.

“Our faith may call us to different conclusions concerning the nature of gender, but we should never be afraid of learning more,” Wiley said.

The Princeton Theological Seminary is the largest of ten seminaries associated with the American Presbyterian Church.

THESIS...THESIS...

GRAYSON SHEPPERD ’19 ..................................................

Thursday March 31, 2016

Raja ’18: Once you meet a Muslim, perceptions drastically improve MSA

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and learn the meaning behind it, according to Shaikh.

Student participants also reflected on the impact of discrimination and profiling on one’s relationship with faith.

During the second day, an event called “Muslims Believe What?” addressed the beliefs of Islam. The MSA set up a table in Frist Campus Center and distributed hadiths — sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh — meaningful verses and decals. Tuesday night, the MSA offered “Islam 101”, in which speakers came out to introduce the basic tenets and beliefs of Islam and then opened up a Q&A for student participants. In this discussion about the basic tenets of Islam beliefs, core values such as kindness were highlighted as similarities between Islam and other faiths, said Nitasha Siddique ’18.

On Wednesday, in an effort to create awareness about the Muslim community, the MSA set up a “Meet a Muslim” table in the McCosh Courtyard. According to Raja, the MSA researched other Islam Awareness Week events across the country and found out that social events were usually very effective.

“The positive perception towards Muslims increases drastically once you have actually met a Muslim in your life”, said Raja. “So things like these that are purely social are effective — they don’t necessarily have to be about teaching about Islam.”

At night, the MSA held an event called “Searching for Mecca in America: Dinner Discussion on Islam in America”, in which Mucahit Bilici, a Muslim sociologist who has studied the integration experiences of Muslims in America, spoke about finding Islam in America and whether Islam is

an American religion.

According to the Facebook page for the event, the MSA is holding an arts and culture day to celebrate the expressions of art that run throughout the history of Islam on Thursday. Students will be invited to color in mosaics at the “Islamic Art and Coloring” table at Frist and then hear from calligrapher Faraz Khan, about the ties various art forms have with the cultures that Islam is present in. After the discussion , students will have the opportunity to practice Arabic calligraphy and other types of Islamic art on their own. At night, there will be a viewing of the film “A Prince Among Slaves,” an insightful look into the historical intersection of Islamic and African identities.

Kennedy O’Dell ’18, a participant in this week’s events, noted their importance to the community given the current political climate.

“Some politicians would divide us on the basis of religion alone and they would declare all believers of certain faiths dangerous,” she said, “Now more than ever it is important to remember that it is our diversity in beliefs and ideas that makes us great as a University and as a country. It isn’t just about tolerance, it’s about acceptance.”

Julia Marie Schorn ’17, who wore a hijab to participate in the “I’m A Muslim. What Do You See?” event, said that the occasion allowed her to better understand having a Muslim identity.

“Walking through Frist, I felt people’s eyes on me. It could have been in my head, though. I felt intensely shy. It helped me experience, if only for a short moment, an important part of many Muslim women’s everyday lives,” she said.

The Week will end with a series of interfaith spiritual activities on Friday, with an interfaith concert, entitled

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FARMER’S MARKET

MARIACHIARA FICARELLI :: ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR

During the Farmer’s Market last week, students had the chance to purchase fresh-produced local food.

THESIS

T HE DA ILY

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As Senior Thesis departmental deadlines approach, many students visited libraries on campus to work on their independent projects.

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Done reading your ‘Prince’?

Thursday March 31, 2016

Supports were offered after appearance of posts YIK YAK

Continued from page 1

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Recycle!

“However, our community also strongly values mutual respect, and behavior that rises to the level of harassment as defined

by University policy can be subject to discipline. We review all such matters in order to consider what response is appropriate,” Minter said.

In section 1.2.1 of Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, the University enumerates disciplinary actions for speech that amount to harassment or threat.

Minter added that she encourages individuals who are experiencing offensive behavior to be in touch with her office. After being alerted, Minter has reached out to Shaikh to offer assistance.

Rochelle Calhoun, vice president for Campus Life, did not respond to a request for comment.

Nitasha Siddique ’18, vice president of the MSA, said that while Yik Yak does offer a venue for free speech, it actively harms the wellbeing of students on campus. She added that some students feel like they have the opportunity to say bigoted and ignorant things that harm certain groups on campus.

Siddique added that although the Yik Yak platform is anonymous and provides a glimpse of the pulse of campus, it also is very self-selecting. She said that people who feel very strongly one way or the other are the ones who post, and they post multiple times.

A representative from Yik Yak did not respond to a request for comment.

Last April, after receiving an unusually high number of harassment reports from Princeton area after Urban Congo controversy, Yik Yak considered disabling submissions from the region altogether.

Amir Raja ’18, president of the MSA, said that one of the primary reasons for why people have bad perceptions of Muslims is because they don’t know a Muslim.

“The positive perception towards Muslims increases drastically once you have actually met a Muslim in your life,” Raja said.

Shaikh said that one important step toward changing negative perceptions is coalition build-

ing in which different religious, cultural and ethnic groups align themselves with one another on pressing issues.

“This is really important because when there are oppressors in society, there would be a loud pushback against that,” Shaikh said.

He said that he is grateful for Princeton’s multicultural dynamic that allows for such coalition building.

Shaikh said that he has had administrators reach out to him and offer their words of support.

“I think we often become pessimistic, but looking around, I’ve seen so much support pouring out from different offices on campus,” Shaikh said.

Siddique noted that she knows from personal relationships with other people on this campus that there are many open-minded and kind-hearted people here who would never say or think negative thoughts about Muslims.

“Knowing there are people who are supporting you and are standing in solidarity with you is really empowering. It really shines through in our eyes,” Siddique said.

She added that it is scary to think that even though the majority or at least the people around the Muslims on campus were understanding, there are some people who do not understand their situations and are afraid of them.

“It is a very heartbreaking thought to have that you walk around this campus and feel like you’re at home but you have people who believe that you don’t even belong here,” Siddique said.

Shaikh noted that the ongoing election year makes it even more difficult for Muslims because some of the most bigoted and racist views come from political leaders, adding that he has personally experienced discriminatory hiring practices when he was questioned on his opinion on terrorism during a job interview off campus.

He added that he has seen many of his Muslim friends experience different forms of Islamophobia, whether anonymously or in person.

“It’s unfortunate that we feel oppressed in this way because of our identities,” Shaikh said.

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Wall Street financier alum allegedly funneled money for his own gain SCHEME Continued from page 1

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million from investors, according to the statement.

Of the $25 million taken, only $40,000 has been recovered. According to the statement, Caspersen lost the rest betting on stock options within only four weeks in November.

According to the press statement released by the SEC, on March 7, the Caspersen’s victim company requested to speak with the executive from Coller Capital that had been listed on some of Caspersen’s forged investment documents.

Caspersen allegedly set up a domain name similar to Coller’s that morning, and sent the victim company an e-mail that appeared to be written by the executive. Caspersen also proceeded to impersonate the Coller executive on a conference call.

In an e-mailed statement sent to Bloomberg, Coller stated that “at this stage, the firm has no reason to believe there was any wrongdoing by Mr. Caspersen during his time of employment

with Coller.”

“No accusations have been made against Coller Capital or any current member of the firm’s staff,” the statement read.

A representative from Coller did not respond to requests for comment.

However, another employee of the victim’s hedge fund realized that the discovered domain had just been set up.

The complaint filed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York stated that when the investor confronted Caspersen, Caspersen told his investor that he’d return the money by March 31.

Caspersen has not returned the money as of Wednesday.

It is unclear whether Caspersen’s employer, financial services firm PJT Partners, did not notice his actions until two weeks ago, as PJT Partners did not authorize Caspersen to raise the funds.

PJT Partners released a statement saying the firm was “stunned and outraged to learn of the fraudulent circumvention of the firm’s compliance policies and ethical standards

by Andrew Caspersen.”

The statement noted the firm has fired Caspersen, adding that they have conducted an internal investigation after learning of the potential wrongdoing and reported the results to the authorities. As of Wednesday, Caspersen’s page has been removed from the firm’s website.

A representative from PJT deferred requests for further comment to the statement, stating that they “are not in a position to provide any additional information at this time.”

Caspersen was released from custody on Monday on a $5 million bond according to the New York Post. Caspersen’s bail package requires that he seek treatment for substance abuse as a daily user of alcohol suffering from mental health problems, according to the New York Post.

He is required to remain in the local area, which includes the Eastern and Southern districts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Caspersen graduated from the University with a degree in economics before enrolling at Harvard Law School.

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Thursday March 31, 2016

Opinion

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com }

Rihanna and the Maneuvering a manipulative media Luke Gamble politization of English columnist

Lea Trusty

columnist

T

HE FIRST time I listened to “Work,” I was ridiculously excited. I was happy primarily because its release meant Rihanna’s highly anticipated eighth album was soon to follow. I also enjoyed the Caribbean dancehall style of the single and hoped that the other album tracks would draw on her Bajan roots.

But as much as I enjoyed the song, I struggled to understand all the lyrics. As “Work” gained popularity, it was obvious that many other people had the same problem. However, while I shared a small laugh with my roommates about our miscomprehension, the song had apparently left others seriously disgruntled.

Music reviews praising the single overall commented on the track’s resemblance to gibberish. The most popular comments on the music video made similar jabs, sarcastically wondering when the English version would be released. Acoustic covers received praise, being declared superior in sound and comprehensibility.

I understand people’s frustration.

Rihanna sings “Work” in patois, an English-based creole language. I had been able to understand some of the song’s lyrics because I grew up with my Jamaican father, who spoke patois often. Even so, there were some phrases I struggled to grasp. Too curious to guess what the words meant, I searched for the song’s lyrics on Google and finally understood the full narrative of “Work.”

Unfortunately, people often forget about the existence of useful tools like Google. Rather than take a few minutes to look up the song, people decided it was unacceptable that they didn’t immediately understand it — that it was not an English accommodated to their ears and, consequently, an unacceptable English.

The sociopolitical nature of the English language has existed for centuries, and I have had a number of personal experiences based on linguistic policing, both self-imposed and imposed by others. Most of my hometown’s families, in suburban southeast Louisiana, have lived there for generations. However, this is not my family’s narrative — both my parents immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia. Most people are very welcoming and curious when they realize this, but my middle school experiences were less illustrious. My classmates would mock my mom after hearing her Ethiopian accent.

Their comments cut into my sensitive 12-year-old heart. It was the first time I remember feeling ashamed of my heritage. They told me my mom talked funny.

What was funny is that I didn’t realize she had an accent at all — she sounded like my mother. She sounded like home.

When I left for Princeton four years ago, I quickly learned to self-police my southern colloquialisms that Saint Rose had left me. I used “y’all” as sparingly as possible.

I have a slight, yet noticeable accent when I’m angry or upset, and only my closest friends have been privy to these moments.

Though they appreciate the southern lilts, I am still abashed when they draw attention to it. And while I have grown more comfortable with black and southern vernacular overall, I still code-switch based on the room in which I’m standing.

Some of this is a necessary formality. Yet, a large part of this behavior is being told that this is a substandard form of English.

Modern English doesn’t belong to any one person or country. Centuries of colonization, occupation and globalization have made it a language spoken in all corners of the world. It’s fine not to understand someone’s English because of accents or hybridity with other languages. It’s even alright to be annoyed that you are not in a position to easily understand. But it is cruel to mock someone who is making a serious effort to speak a constantly changing language like English. It is ironic to do so when we, as native English speakers, misuse words and grammar every day.

The Caribbean, and several countries beyond it, has been transforming the English language for centuries, changing it through their own unique linguistic traditions and making a new one from it. Your comprehension is not the responsibility of these countries. If you want to understand, the burden lies upon you to, well, put in some work.

Lea Trusty is a politics major from Saint Rose, La. She can be reached at ltrusty@princeton.edu.

T

HIS WEEK Western media has been firmly fixed on the Brussels bombings. In her most recent “Prince” column, Sarah Sakha ’18 laments how coverage of the Brussels bombings has completely eclipsed coverage of attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Iraq and Ivory Coast. She writes, “Terrorism may not discriminate based on geographical location, but the mainstream media does.”

Sakha associates this bias with the media’s playing into public fear. The disproportionality of media coverage makes the attention not news, but sensationalism. We aren’t being informed, but rather we are being manipulated with catchy blurbs and constant “breaking news” updates, much of which preys upon our fears. A headline stating 50 killed in a terror attack in the Middle East garners less attention than a bruised arm at a Trump rally, but 30 dead in Brussels, what in our minds is a secure area in the West, makes for a week of headlines.

In a capitalist market with independently owned news channels, the networks that produce these headlines compete for viewers and ratings. Coverage is in some way reflective of audience interest. News companies cater their stories to what works, to what strikes a chord.

The trouble arises when companies that American citizens count on to report about the country, take such an active role not only in reflecting, but also in intentionally shaping the fears of our country. Bias occurs not just in how an incident is portrayed, but also in what is portrayed — what is included and what is omitted, which terror attacks are repeatedly covered in the headlines and which attacks are completely ignored. When we count on the news to keep us informed about what is happening around the world and what we should be concerned about, we subject ourselves to this bias.

Unfortunately for many Americans, another bombing in Iraq or Pakistan hardly makes us do a double take. There’s a reason these stories don’t receive as much attention. However, by focusing on the attacks that are more likely to strike fear in Americans, terrorism in the West becomes a lightning rod for network owners. This, in turn, takes an active role in shaping policy and government attention. Terrorism and national security

suddenly become immensely important issues to voters. Rather than seen as a global problem, ISIS becomes painted as an American problem — spurring on radical nationalism and “Trumpisms.”

News companies love anything to do with the conflict between radical terrorists, Islam and the West. They touch on all the polemical points of entertainment and intrigue: fear, death, war, social justice and religion. It’s the perfect media package. It also happens to sound like the perfect horror movie.

The same also seems to be true for Donald Trump. Every third op-ed is a new theory on what’s wrong with Trump, how he continues to attract voters and how his presidential election will turn out — not the country’s elections, but his election.

As with terrorist attacks, Trump coverage has gained momentum. It feeds off of itself. While it would be difficult to argue that news companies should stop reporting on terrorism for fear of inciting further attacks, in the case of a presidential election, coverage can play a vital role in determining voting outcomes and inciting violence. In the last year, Donald Trump has gone from being confused with Warren Buffet and Hugh Hefner to one of the most recognizable faces in America.

In her article for the Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin calls out the media, noting Trump’s unprecedented amount of media attention and the effect it has had on campaign dynamic, “Trump was the show — for months — on all the cable and network news outlets.”

The real tragedy, however, is not that we pay attention to the wrong things; after all, terrorist attacks in Brussels are no trivial matter. The issue is that important events go unreported.

The Brussels attacks are tragic, but so were the attacks in Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Iraq and the Ivory Coast.

Even if we say “no” to Trump on election day, we’ve said yes to a thousand Trump op-eds, aiding his campaign in becoming the biggest publicity stunt in the history of the United States. Reporters need to go back to doing what their name suggests — reporting — and leave the story telling and excitement to the artists and novelists, and maybe even to Donald Trump.

vol. cxl

Do-Hyeong Myeong ’17 editor-in-chief

Daniel Kim ’17

business manager

BOARD OF TRUSTEES president Richard W. Thaler, Jr. ’73 vice presidents John G. Horan ’74 Thomas E. Weber ’89 secretary Kathleen Kiely ’77 treasurer Michael E. Seger ’71 Craig Bloom ’88 Gregory L. Diskant ’70 Richard P. Dzina, Jr. ’85 William R. Elfers ’71 Stephen Fuzesi ’00 Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05 John G. Horan ’74 Joshua Katz Rick Klein ’98 James T. MacGregor ’66 Betsy J. Minkin ’77 Alexia Quadrani Jerry Raymond ’73 Annalyn Swan ’73 Douglas Widmann ’90

140TH BUSINESS BOARD business manager Daniel Kim ’17 comptroller Denise Chan ’18 head of advertising Matthew McKinlay ’18 head of operations Nicholas Yang ’18 head of subscriptions Vineeta Reddy ’18

NIGHT STAFF 3.31.16 staff copy editors Samantha Zalewska ’19 Morgan Bell ’19 Nina Rodriguez ’19

Luke Gamble is a sophomore from Eagle, Idaho.

He can be reached at ljgamble@princeton.edu.

U. Should Provide Cheaper NJ Transit Train Tickets Marni Morse columnist

B

ECAUSE I love seeing Broadway shows so much, I find myself shelling out upwards of $16 for a NJ Transit ticket to New York City a couple of times a semester. Round trip that’s more than$30, or roughly $100 a semester after three trips. It adds up.

Though Princeton University does a great job offering many organized free or heavily subsidized trips into the city, it should provide subsidized tickets for students traveling to the city on their own as well. Given that Princeton is only about an hour away from the city, it’s a great resource that unfortunately many students often cannot take advantage of, partially because of costs. Subsidizing tickets would create a more equal opportunity across students of various socioeconomic backgrounds, which is only fair given that the University advertises itself as being close to the city to begin with. This policy would not only help students who want to venture into New York City to explore culture beyond the Orange Bubble but also assist travel for work-related activities, such as interviews with nonprofit organizations that cannot reimburse for such expenses.

At info sessions for high school students, the University proudly mentions as an attribute its proximity to New York City and the additional opportunities that creates, be it for work or social experiences. For me, that was a large part of why I chose Princeton. Being from outside Washington, DC and accustomed to city life, I was specifically looking for schools that had easy access to a city. Of course, students from more rural areas also might desire to have opportunities to enjoy an urban environment. I wanted to have those activities at hand, but I also wanted to be at a school with its

own campus, separate from the city, where student life was centered.

To me, Princeton was advertised that way — with an emphasis on how close and easy it was to travel to both Philadelphia and New York City, but that student life remained largely on campus. I’ve generally found all that true while here, except that it isn’t quite so easy to get to New York City, especially for low-income students, due to the cost. If Princeton is going to promote its proximity to urban life, the University should make sure everyone has an equal and fair opportunity to take advantage of its location.

Plus, let’s be honest: there is a limit to what we can experience within the Orange Bubble. Breaking out every so often is a great learning and maturing experience. Getting off campus can be an excellent mental health break, too.

For me, seeing real people (outside the ages of 18-22) is a nice change of pace, as well as enjoying a show every so often, even beyond the residential college trips that do offer free transportation. Making it easier for students to take these trips by lowering the costs can only benefit students. Plus, subsidies equalize the playing field so all students can take advantage of the opportunity to get outside Princeton every so often regardless of economic situation.

Moreover, separate from these cultural jaunts, some students actually need to get into the city for work or internship-related trips. Many students from Princeton work over the summer or after graduation in New York. That usually requires interviews, sometimes in person, in New York City. While the investment banking firms and other for profit companies pay for the train travel, other companies, particularly in the not-for-profit world, do not, so students have to pay

themselves. Students’ opportunities, such as the number and type of internships or jobs for which they accept interviews, should not be hindered because of the cost of a train ticket.

Offering such a discounted train fare program wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary. Other schools in or near cities will often subsidize tickets.

This is true from Duke University to Washington University in St. Louis.

Sometimes even the transit organization itself offers reduced fares, such as in Boston. If NJ Transit wanted to offer that instead of Princeton, or if they teamed up to share the cost, that type of program would work as well. It’s simply a means to encourage students to get off campus and learn from the world around them.

I realize that some might suggest that making it easier to travel off campus will mean more and more students will actually go off campus, driving away student life with them. I doubt that would happen. New York City is far enough away and we have enough course work and activity on campus that, even with cheaper train tickets, most students would not constantly be off campus. Rather, it provides more of an opportunity for students to interview in-person in New York City and Philadelphia and simply be able to get outside the Bubble to explore a bit more of the world every so often.

Understandably, this is a sizable cost and perhaps isn’t the University’s top priority. But as the school develops its next 10-year plan, subsidizing train tickets on NJ Transit is at least something policy administrators should carefully consider.

Marni Morse is a politics major from Washington, DC She can be reached at mlmorse@princeton.edu.

Thursday March 31, 2016

Sports

page 8

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Women’s tennis surges into Ivy League play Katherine Tobeason :: Contributing Photographer & Courtesy of Princeton Athletic Communications

It is once again Ivy League tennis season and the Tigers (9-7 overall, 1-0 Ivy) will ride an impressive three-game win streak into Brown and Yale this weekend. The streak began with two underdog victories over the Texas powerhouses of the University of Houston and Rice University over spring break. Princeton then defeated Penn this past weekend for the eighth consecutive time.

In return, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association has rewarded the Tigers for their efforts by ranking Princeton No. 59 in its Division I rankings. This is the highest the Tigers have ranked in over a month, paving the path towards a strong season finish.

Tweet of the Day “The best part of carpool karaoke is finally learning the words that I usually mumble to all those songs. #JamesCorden #CarpoolKaraoke” TJ Bray (@ tjbray5), Men’s Basketball ‘14

Stat of the Day

No. 59 The most recent ITA ranking for women’s tennis, the highest for the team since mid-February.

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