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Friday May 3, 2019 vol. CXLIII no. 58
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Eisgruber, NJ college leaders express concerns on immigration Head News Editor
University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 partnered with other leaders in higher education across the state of New Jersey to send a letter to Congress expressing concerns about immigration delays and policy. Eisgruber and the other New Jersey college and university leaders wrote in the letter that they were particularly concerned about their ability “to attract and retain international students, faculty, and scholars.” “Our schools vary in mission, size and the makeup of our student bodies, but we all depend on our ability to attract motivated students and scholars from throughout society and around the world,” they wrote in the letter. “We believe our success in these endeavors plays an important role in building the State’s innovation economy.” They expressed concern at “impediments” put in the path of international students, faculty, and staff. One obstacle they listed in the letter was that of administrative processing delays. They said graduate students and faculty have had to miss or defer entire semesters because their visa applications were delayed at the State Department. The letter also expressed concern at the increase in processing delays for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which permits foreign students studying in the United States to apply for training with a U.S. employer
in a job directly related to their course of study. According to the letter, the processing times for OPT applications “have increased from a previous maximum of 90 days in 2016 to 3½ - 5½ months today.” “The types of situations described above rarely make frontpage news and the isolated impact of each example is certainly not as dramatic as the effect of higher-profile actions such as the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or the travel ban,” they wrote in the letter. “However, taken together, they create a frustrating and sometimes hostile environment for those wishing to live in and contribute to our communities.” Eisgruber and the other New Jersey leaders then cited a number of reports on the decrease in enrollment of international students to U.S. graduate schools. The report found that enrollment had fallen for the second year in a row. The letter concluded with an appeal to Congress to “closely monitor the policies and administrative actions that are threatening the free flow of students and scholars upon which our colleges and universities depend.” The letter follows several instances of Eisgruber challenging the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Eisgruber has previously advocated for permanent protection for “Dreamers” who came to the United States as children and for individuals with temporary protected status.
ON CAMPUS
ZOYA GAUHAR / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
President Eisgruber at the opening event for the new Google AI Lab.
Google, U. hold inauguration event for Google AI Lab By Zoya Gauhar The University and Google held an inaugural event for the new Google AI lab located just north of campus in Palmer Square on Thursday, May 2. The event hosted speakers such as Professor of Computer Science Elad Hazan, New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, New Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, alumnus and former Google Chairman Eric Schmidt ’76, and President Christopher Eisgruber ’83. Eisgruber described the partnership as historic for the University and stated that it will have impacts throughout the region.
Eisgruber mentioned his belief that artificial intelligence and machine learning are the future for many fields, including genomics, chemistry, psychology, and more. He described the importance of collaboration and partnerships with the private sector. “Our collaboration with Google exemplifies this vibrant new strand in Princeton’s educational mission,” he said. “People might [one day] point to this site and say ‘a lot of it started right here.’” Governor Murphy expressed his excitement at Google’s choosing to open its lab in New Jersey. He described it as a unique addition to both the University and the state.
STUDENT LIFE
U . A F FA I R S
Contributor
Former contestants speak on Jeopardy!, compete against students By Zack Shevin Assistant News Editor TAYLOR SHARBEL / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Students read the names of Holocaust victims outside of Murray
Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony hosted in Murray-Dodge courtyard By Taylor Sharbel Contributor
In a day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust, the recitation of the names of the victims began at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, in the Murray-Dodge Courtyard and continued for 24 hours. In 30-minute shifts, student volunteers
In Opinion
recited the name, age, place of residence, and place of death of Jews killed in the Holocaust. Approximately six million Jews were known to have been killed in Holocaust. The event, “Unto Every Person There is a Name,” began at 7:45 p.m. on May 1, shortly before the recitations of names. It ended on See MEMORIAL page 2
Contributing columnist Katie Goldman argues against conflating the Notre-Dame fire with the Sri Lanka bombings, and room-draw critics present their petition over the most recent housing controversy. PAGE 6
On Thursday night, three former Jeopardy! contestants spoke about their time on the show and competed in two games of Princeton-themed Jeopardy! against several graduating seniors. Five-time winner Gil Collins *99, who serves as Director of Global Health Programs and Associate Director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing, won the first game, but all three former contestants fell short in the second, defeated by Emma Corless ’19. The Last Lectures 2019 Committee hosted Jeopardy AllStar Tournament winner David Madden ’03, Collins, and former University employee Tova Meyer. The event, held in the Friend Center, began with See JEOPARDY page 4
He described the New Jersey economy as being composed of both infrastructure and innovation. “The infrastructure economy is pretty simple — it’s based on where we are. The innovation economy is who we are,” Murphy said. The New Jersey Governor announced on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development the creation of the New Jersey Innovation Research Fellowship Program, which will provide aid to pre- and post-Ph.D. research in the form of two-year grants. Murphy invited Coleman to say a few words about the creSee GOOGLE page 2
James Madison Program choice of associate research scholar provokes controversy among U. student body By Marie-Rose Sheinerman Assistant News Editor
On April 12, the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions announced their selected fellows, a list that includes Dr. Marianna Orlandi, for the coming academic year. Last Friday, Yafah Edelman ’20
sent an email to residential college listservs alerting students to the fact that Orlandi has previously worked at the Center for Family and Human Rights (CFAM), an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as an anti-LGBT hate group. See MADISON page 2
ON CAMPUS
Nominated staff members recognized at ‘Hidden Chaplains’ event By Zack Shevin Assistant News Editor
On Thursday evening, over 100 students and community members came together in Frick Auditorium for a celebration of gratitude as students recognized “Hidden Chaplains,” members of the com-
Today on Campus 7:30 p.m.: Concert ”Let Me Tell You A Story.“ A series of stories as captured through traditional, rebetiko, laiko, and contemporary Greek song. Lewis Arts Complex, Lee Music Performance and Rehearsal Room
munity “who change their day in small but meaningful ways” on campus. Seventy-one members of the campus community were recognized and their names read aloud during the reception. Before the names were read, See CHAPLAIN page 3
WEATHER
By Benjamin Ball
HIGH
63˚
LOW
54˚
Cloudy chance of rain:
20 percent