The Daily Princetonian: September 25, 2019

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Wednesday September 25, 2019 vol. cxliii no. 75

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Iranian foreign minister offers deal to return Xiyue Wang

By Zachary Shevin Assistant News Editor

In an interview with NPR published on Sept. 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that he “ha[s] made proposals” to return detained University graduate student Xiyue Wang to the United States, including a proposed prisoner exchange last September. Last month, the Trump Administration told CBS News that there are “no direct talks underway between the two countries, and they did not consider” a recentat-the-time proposal from Zarif to swap prisoners to be serious.

Wang was in Iran studying Farsi and completing dissertation research in August of 2016 when he was arrested, convicted of espionage, and sentenced to 10 years in an Iranian prison. Most recently in June, the University renewed its “urgent call” for Wang’s release, citing a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention report which found that Iran had “no legal basis for the arrest and detention” of Wang.

Last month, a day after the three-year anniversary of Wang’s detainment, his wife, Hua Qu, held a press conference in Washington, D.C., where she “implore[d] Iran, the United States, [her] home country, China, and other members of

the international community to secure the release of this innocent man, Xiyue Wang, and make our family whole again.”

During this press conference, Qu called for renewed diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran.

“Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep, who conducted the recent interview with Zarif, said he spoke with Qu prior to the interview and asked her if she had any words for the foreign minister.

“She said, ‘My husband is innocent. He’s not a spy. He’s just a student. We just want to plead for their clemency to let him go,’” Inskeep said.

In response, Zarif said that he “would love to see [Wang] go back to his family,” and that he made proposals last September that would have allowed Wang to return home. Specifically, he went on to describe the possibility of a prisoner exchange involving Wang and an Iranian professor who Zarif claimed has spent the last nine months in a U.S. prison and is being held “without charge.”

The “Free Xiyue Wang” Twitter account referred to Zarif’s willingness to exchange Wang for this Iranian professor as “huge if true,” tagging President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and NaSee WANG page 2

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Professor George calls for freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity in the U.S. News rankings.

Prof. George petitions U.S. News for criteria change

By Hannah Wang Senior Writer

Robert P. George, Professor of Politics, recently launched an online petition calling upon U.S. News & World Report to take “freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity” into their rankings of institutions of higher education. “[T]he quality of higher education depends crucially on freedom of thought, expression, and discussion and on students’ encountering a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives, especially among their teachers,” George

CupcakKe retires eight days after Lawnparties

By Marie-Rose Sheinerman Assistant News Editor

On Monday, Sept. 23, hours before she was scheduled to perform at a club in Orlando, Fla., the rapper CupcakKe announced to fans that she is retiring from music in a tearful Instagram live video. Her announcement came just eight days after her performance on the University campus, where she headlined Fall Lawnparties, organized by the Under-

In Opinion

graduate Student Government.

Born Elizabeth Eden Harris, CupcakKe is best known for the unabashed and sexually explicit nature of her lyrics and persona, both on stage and off, with some of her most famous songs including “Deepthroat,” “Whoregasm,” and “Old Town Hoe,” a parody of Lil Nas X’s hit, “Old Town Road.”

In her live video, in which she sits in her Orlando hotel See CUPCAKKE page 3

Columnist Jae-Kyung Sim argues that the University should offer more major options for students, and senior columnist Hunter Campbell calls for course credit for Junior Papers.

PAGE 6

See PETITION page 3

U . A F FA I R S

Peer Reps increase awareness, visibility

14 graduate programs no longer require GRE

Staff Writer

ELIZABETH HARRIS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The program is dedicated to “exploring enduring questions of American constitutional law and Western political thought,” according to its website. Every year, the program hosts a number of scholars to “contribute to the intellectual life of the Department of Politics and Princeton University.”

The scholarly work and stated opinions of some of these individuals have sparked controversy at the University in the past.

“Students, faculty, and

STUDENT LIFE

By Rebecca Han

CupcakKe announced to fans that she is retiring from music in a tearful Instagram live video.

wrote on the petition page.

In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, George further explained his reasoning behind the petition.

“It is striking to me — it really jumps off the page at me — that U.S. News & World Report does not factor in campus climate, freedom of speech, or the willingness of the university to expose students to a wide range of viewpoints. I launched the petition in the hopes of persuading U.S. News that this is something parents and students should and do care about,” George said.

George is also the director

Every student accused of an Honor Code violation is entitled to a Peer Representative to guide them through the process. Prior to this semester, many did not know of this right. Peer Representatives are aiming to change that.

Currently, accused students are not informed of their Honor Constitution right to a Peer Representative until they have reached the hearing stage of the Honor Code violation process. Peer Representative chair Bozhidar (Bobo) Stankovikj ’20 hopes that Peer Reps can become involved and work on gathering evidence, offering emotional support, and planning for next steps as soon as students learn they are under investigation.

Peer Reps are a group of trained students independent of the Honor Committee who can help gather evidence, interview witnesses, and present opening and closing statements during Honor Code violation hearings, among other things.

According to Stankovikj, Peer Reps essentially act as threefold advisors: procedural advisors akin to public defenders, emotional support bases, and liaisons between

the Honor Committee and accused students.

Students accused of a violation first receive an email notification from the Honor Committee after the Committee has reviewed the accusation and interviewed relevant witnesses. The student is informed that an accusation has been levied against them, and they have the right to bring a peer to the initial interview with investigators.

However, in the past, the initial email did not tell students about the Peer Rep role until they proceed beyond the initial interview to the hearing stage, when they are assigned a Peer Rep by the Honor Committee.

“This year, I’ve worked with the Honor Committee to make sure that … there’s an explicit paragraph in that email,” Stankovikj said.

On their new website, the Peer Reps strongly encourage students to ask for a Peer Rep as their accompanying peer to the initial interview. Peer Reps can also meet with students before their initial interview to “explain the process and offer support,” according to the Peer Rep website.

“Optimally, I would want the peer reps to be present from the moment the student See HONOR page 3

Today on Campus 4:00 p.m.: Seuls en Scène 2019 presents blablabla Wallace Dance & Theater

By Marissa Michaels Staff Writer

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test required for admission by most graduate and professional schools in the country. Last week, the University announced that 14 of its 42 graduate programs will no longer require the test.

The Graduate School decided that it is at the discretion of each department whether or not the test should be optional.

The Office of Communications announced that “the decision to make the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) optional is among Princeton’s efforts to attract and enroll a wider range of graduate students.”

Chris Tokita GS, a thirdyear Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and one of the Graduate School’s diversity fellows, explained the positive student reaction.

“I’m happy with it, and from all of the other graduate students I’ve interacted with, See GRE page 4

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Wednesday September 25, 2019

Qu: My husband is innocent; he’s not a spy; he’s just a student WANG

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tional Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, asking if they will “look into this.”

President of the Free Xiyue Wang Working Group Michael “Mikey” McGovern GS wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian that he thinks Wang being mentioned explicitly in the interview with Zarif is exciting. However, he said, Zarif had previously expressed that he is open to negotiations with the United States.

“As for why the U.S. hasn’t acted on it, the pretty straightforward explanation is that the President is staking his reputation on undoing the work of his

predecessor,” McGovern wrote.

“So, without sufficient political and civilian pressure, it will be difficult to get the U.S. to the negotiating table.”

To provide this pressure, McGovern asks “that the Princeton community get together and write letters, emails, and even tweet at Trump and their elected officials to get the U.S. to bring Xiyue Wang home.”

He added that the Working Group will be holding a rally and vigil on Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. in the East Pyne courtyard to commemorate the three-year anniversary of Wang’s detainment, which occurred during the summer of 2016.

In the NPR interview, Zarif said that he does not personally have the power to release Wang

as foreign minister, but that he “can go to the court and tell them, ‘I can exchange this man for an Iranian,’ and then have … a legal standing.”

Zarif does not, at any point in the interview, mention the name of the Iranian professor involved in the hypothetical prisoner exchange. He does, however, insist on the professor’s innocence.

“He was given a visa to come to the United States. His visa was revoked while he was flying to the United States. He has not committed any crime.

What should I say to the wife of this professor?” Zarif asked Inskeep.

The claim that the United States has unjustly imprisoned Iranian scientists is not a new

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BRIDIERS / U.S. MISSION GENEVA VIA FLICKR

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaking to reporters in 2013.

one. In May, Iran’s Minister of Science, Research, and Technology Mansour Gholami accused the United States of “trapping Iranian scientists,” saying that “they issue visas for Iranian professors and then arrest them as soon as the professors arrive in the U.S.” In this case, Gholami was referring to the arrest of Iranian stem cell researcher Masoud Soleimani, who was indicted behind closed doors and had his visa revoked while en route to the United States. Still in prison, Soleimani has been charged with violating trade sanctions by failing to acquire a license to export growth factors, proteins that can stimulate cellular growth, into Iran.

Soleimani’s lawyers argue that no license was required and that the growth factors are exempt from export restrictions because they are used for medical purposes.

Though Zarif never names the professor involved in his prisoner-exchange proposal, he may have been referring to Soleimani’s case.

When asked whether Wang should be held hostage in Iran because of a case in the United States, Zarif replied with a question of his own: “Should the Iranian citizens be held hostage in the U.S.?”

On the merits of Wang’s conviction, Zarif stated, “Like it or not, this man was convicted,” though the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in 2018 that “there is no evidence that Mr. Wang was present in Iran for any reason other than to pursue his dissertation research” and that his detention was “arbitrary.”

After a brief moment of contention over Wang’s innocence, wherein Inskeep said Wang was “made to confess,“ Zarif

claimed the Iranian professor imprisoned in the United States “is being asked to sign a plea bargain if he wants to be released.”

“So where should we be?”

Zarif asked. “Should we continue to discuss this until the end of the day, or should we exchange?”

Zarif is currently in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting this week. There, relatives of a number of prisoners being held in Iranian prisons, including Qu, will be demonstrating as a part of the Families Alliance Against State Hostage Taking.

This group, according to reporting from Forbes, “is calling for stronger international condemnation of Iran’s actions” and has requested to meet with either Zarif or Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

These events come at a time of particularly high tensions between the United States and Iran, ramped up last week after the United States imposed a round of sanctions on Iran’s central bank over Iran’s alleged role in an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Officials in Saudi Arabia and the United States have implicated Iran in the attacks, though Zarif has denied that Iran played any role.

Trump, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, doubled down on his “maximum pressure” economic strategy with regards to Iran, though he did not mention military options.

“All nations have a duty to act,” Trump said. “No responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust. As long as Iran’s menacing behavior continues, sanctions will not be lifted. They will be tightened.”

Rouhani is expected to address the General Assembly on Sept. 25.

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George: Higher education depends on freedom of thought PETITION Continued from page 1

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staff need to be able to engage with anyone who is prepared to do business in the proper currency of intellectual discourse .... If someone is willing to defend a position using reasons, arguments, and evidence, then I think we should be willing to listen,” said George when asked about the role that free speech should occupy on college campuses.

Riley Heath ’20 said that al-

though he supported the principle behind George’s petition, he did not believe that any change would come of it, even if U.S. News & World Report were to be persuaded about the impact of freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity on the quality of higher education.

“Freedom of speech is not solid to even qualitatively measure, let alone quantitatively. It is so subjective, too …

Maybe the rankings could just focus on the diversity of faculty perspectives, but at the

same time, I wouldn’t want the faculty to have to label their political views just so that we can analyze them all,” Heath said.

Heath is the co-founder and president of the Turning Point USA chapter at the University.

Turning Point USA is technically a nonpartisan organization, but its membership is mainly comprised of people with conservative and libertarian beliefs. The chapter at the University has drawn attention in the past for its “Free Speech Ball” event and

CupcakKe: I feel as though I’m corrupting kids with my songs CUPCAKKE Continued from page 1

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room and wears a bed sheet, CupcakKe explained that she was prompted to “quit music” when she saw a video of a 13-year-old girl dancing to one of her particularly explicit tracks.

“I have all-age shows, meaning people come to the events that’s all-ages,” she said, crying. “Ten, 11 years old, whatever, and I feel as though I’m corrupting them with my songs.

And I don’t want to do it no more.”

CupcakKe then announced that she is cancelling the rest of her “$10K Tour,” which was to include 23 cities. Since her

performance at the University, CupcakKe has performed live only twice, first in Norfolk, Va., and then in Columbia, S.C. She also intends to remove her music from streaming platforms.

The announcement from the rapper elicited diverse responses from the student body.

USG Social Chair Heavyn Jennings ’20, who led the organizational effort for Lawnparties, said CupcakKe’s retirement came as a “big surprise” to her.

“It’s interesting that she thinks she’s corrupting the youth, but many people have made the argument that male artists talk about the same things, and nobody is upset,” Jennings said. “Along that

same line, I feel like while the music is explicit, it also is kind of empowering.”

Anika Khakoo ’22, a fan of the artist’s music, said, “It’s sad because her music is very funny, but at the same time I get it because I wouldn’t really want my little sister listening to it.”

Other students believed that CupcakKe’s music is indeed harmful and agreed with the artist’s decision to take it down.

“Over CA, my frosh introduced me to her and her song ‘Deepthroat,’ and it was a slightly traumatizing experience. Less so that a song like that exists, but more so that some of my frosh actually enjoyed it,” said Esther Levy ’22.

Without a fee waiver, registration for the GRE costs $205 in the U.S. GRE

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it seems like everyone is pretty happy that they have made the GRE optional,” he said.

Many faculty members believe that the GRE gives an unfair advantage to students who can afford test preparation, leaving first-generation and low-income college students at a disadvantage in graduate admission.

Without a fee waiver, registration for the GRE costs $205 in the United States. In addition to registration fees, many students seek GRE success by buying expensive preparation books and paying for tutors and classes.

“Studies suggest that GRE scores are not great indicators of graduate school success and underserve students who cannot afford test prep or taking the exam multiple times,” Professor of Molecular Biology Zemer Gitai said, according to the University’s release. “We thus believe that making the GRE optional could help us attract more students to apply without sacrificing much in our abil-

ity to assess student performance.”

The GRE is meant to test skills that are necessary for graduate level schooling, including verbal and quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. However, there is some debate as to whether or not it accomplishes these goals.

Tokita thinks that the test is not the best indication of a student’s ability.

“My impression it’s been a long-known open secret that the GRE is actually not that useful,” Tokita said. “Certainly, there have been a lot of studies that have shown it’s not very predictive at all of an individual’s probability of completing graduate school.

It just seemed like an arbitrary, stressful, and expensive hoop that people had to jump through.”

Graduate admission officers also consider transcripts, research experience, and letters of recommendation when reviewing applicants.

Associate Dean for Access, Diversity and Inclusion Renita Miller said that the change reflects an effort to reach the same levels of diversity in the

graduate community as the University’s undergraduate population.

“Universities like Princeton have done a good job at expanding and diversifying their undergraduate populations,” she said, according to a press release. “If we want to make similar strides on the graduate level, we must find new ways to recruit and enroll graduate students who may be the first in their families to attend college, and from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds.”

Faculty hope that increasing graduate student diversity will also affect the diversity of faculty at major institutions.

“As we diversify the pool of Ph.D.s to include more scholars from underrepresented groups, we directly impact the diversity of the pool from which faculty are often hired,” Deputy University Spokesman Michael Hotchkiss said in an email to The Daily Princetonian. “The hope is that by increasing the pipeline, faculty representation of underrepresented scholars is also positively impacted.”

its hosting of Kyle Kashuv, a Parkland shooting survivor who opposes gun control measures, as a speaker in 2018.

“I would describe TPUSA as a pro-freedom activist group.

We focus on issues like free speech, gun rights, and other Constitution-type things,” Heath said.

Shafaq Khan ’21, the copresident of the Princeton College Democrats, pointed out in an email statement that “freedom of speech, as we understand it today, finds its origins in progressive politics

and the labor movement of the early 20th century.”

“I’ve come to realize that people come from radically different lived experiences and one of the biggest challenges is accommodating all of them in a respectful way. As a political leader and a democratic citizen, I have an ethical duty to listen and try to understand these lived experiences as best I can,” Khan said.

The petition is on Change. org. At the time of the publication of this article, it had 383 signatures.

Moeckel: Peer Representatives are incredibly important for students HONOR

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finds out that they are under investigation,” Stankovikj said.

This semester, the Peer Reps also expanded their efforts to attract applications for the position, sending the applications to numerous listservs as well as setting up a website that explains the resource and how it can be used.

Though the position has also been application-based in the past, the Peer Reps committee decided they wanted to publicize the position more this year. Stankovikj himself only found out about the position through a friend in Mock Trial.

“One of our priorities for this year was to really expand the applicant pool and diversify the applicant pool so it’s not only people who essentially do public speaking activities on campus already,” he said. “[W] e really tried to make sure that

students that come from different backgrounds are also being represented on campus as well.”

In addition to sending emails to several listservs, including those of residential colleges, the committee also set up a website with further information and responses to frequently asked questions.

New Peer Reps will be trained by studying previous Honor Code cases and paired with an older Peer Rep. Honor Committee chair Camille Moeckel ’20 said through an email statement that she believes the position has increased visibility this year due to Stankovikj’s efforts.

“These efforts are significant because Peer Representatives are incredibly important for students during hearings, and the position requires thoughtfulness, intelligence, and empathy,” she said.

More information about Peer Reps is available at their website.

JON ORT / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

Peer Reps act as public defenders, emotional support bases, and liaisons between the Honor Committee and accused students.

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14 of the 42 graduate programs at the University will no longer require GRE. Students and faculty respond favorably to the change.

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Opinion

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Let me major in other things Jae-Kyung Sim Columnist

As I begin my sophomore year at the University, I’ve become more serious about my academic career — especially relating to major choice. Having developed a broad set of interests from the courses here, I am conflicted about what discipline I should choose — the area of study that will label and define my university education.

And while I’m being a bit overdramatic about it, I am sure that this concern is not unique to myself.

But what if the problem lies not in our inability to choose, but rather in the lack of options to choose from? Instead of forcing students to select a major that fits the more “traditional” conception of a liberal arts education, the University should seek to expand the number of majors that it offers.

This is not to say that we should have more academic departments, although that could surely be done as well — rather, there needs to be more major programs that lie at the intersection of different disciplines or are more specific in nature.

This is not at all a radical proposal. Most universities have adopted such policies already.

Take a look at Yale’s academic program introduction page.

Not only do they offer 80 majors — compared to the 37 concentration options offered at Princeton — but the programs

tend to be tailored to student interest, often lying at the intersection of two different broader disciplines.

Offering more specific, diverse major options would grant students much more freedom and flexibility in navigating through their academic career at the University. It is only natural that the talented and intelligent people on this campus have a variety of interests, and specific disciplines like “Computing and the Arts” would allow students to dive into such diverse kinds of interests with depth. As such, this seems to be a better method to achieve the University’s stated goal of providing a liberal arts education as well.

The current certificate programs, while aiding the pursuit of diverse interests, are insufficient. By virtue of them being the equivalent of minors, not only are they often overlooked by a vast majority of the students, but it is also difficult to pursue them along with the already high bar set for even just concentrating in something here.

To get a Princeton education somewhat equivalent to a “Physics & Philosophy” major at Yale, students would have to fulfill requirements of the physics major along with those of a Values & Public Life certificate, which, when considering the junior paper (JP) and thesis requirements as well, could be an incredibly large burden.

Same goes for the option to design your own major. Not only are many students simply unaware of the option, but they also have to navigate through the challenges of deciding the number of courses, counseling with multiple professors, and going through other annoying steps just to have the option of an interdisciplinary major.

Regarding certificate programs, there are concerns about a lack of depth of education received, or that students will just be taking courses all over the place without a sense of focus.

This begs the question of what kind of study we should consider as being “focused enough.”

Where do we draw the line?

Divisions among disciplines are often arbitrary. They can be generated more for human convenience than for the fact that they are actually distinct. Politics and economics, for example, were only “separated” into distinct areas of study about 100 years ago, when economics as a topic area seemed to become more complex in nature.

Novel discoveries and revolutionary research could be better done when scholars learn at the intersection of different fields.

Learning at the intersection would allow students to obtain novel perspectives that could add to the field of knowledge they already have, which in turn would give them a broader worldview.

On a much more practical level, the conjoining of differ-

ent departments and devising distinct programs encourages a higher level of connectivity among different departments at the University. And for the students, this also means that there could exist a broader access to resources offered by different departments — for instance, when thinking about a JP or thesis adviser, one could have much easier access to professors in different departments.

These benefits, while seemingly small, add up to formulate an overall curriculum that not only guarantees the breadth of education offered, but also captures the depth of the kind of knowledge that students end up inculcating. Students get to explore more freely, and the kinds of research they dive into will also be much more interesting and diverse in nature, as they are not “trapped” within one way of thinking.

While it may be difficult to add many majors at one time, gradually diversifying the academic programs offered should be a goal of the Princeton administration and departments.

By gauging student-body interest and evolving societal trends, we’d see the pressure to expand the major options that we do have now. Let me major in other things.

Jae-Kyung Sim is a sophomore from Sejong City, South Korea. He can be reached at j.sim@princeton. edu.

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Give us course credit for the Junior Paper Hunter Campbell

Contributing Columnist

The spring junior paper (JP) is the first experience many students have with independent work while at the University. While the JP may be intended to function as a precursor to the eventual senior thesis, the lack of course credit for this work diminishes much of the value which the JP could potentially offer. Increasing the length of the JP, while also ensuring it counts for one course credit, would enable students to take three courses in their junior spring, hence letting them produce higher quality work for the paper.

While the length is specific to each department, junior papers are relatively substantial

pieces of work, especially when compared to a normal course load. For example, the history department’s recommended range for a spring JP is 30–35 pages. Thirty-five pages of independently produced content can be significantly more work than is done in a regular course, and is also done with less guidance than one would be able to receive while if producing that same amount of work for a course. Obviously, though the JP-to-course ratio can vary, few would argue that the JP effectively functions as a fifth class for juniors.

As all students come to learn, the University is not opposed to us taking a fifth class — in fact, it recommends that students take a fifth class at least once. The University notes that before junior year even A.B. students will have to take a fifth class “in order to meet the expectation that 17 courses will have been com-

pleted by the start of junior year.” On top of this semester in which five actual courses are taken — frequently a semester in one’s sophomore year — there is the matter of the junior paper.

There are two primary reasons for counting the JP as a course; one being that including it in the normal course load students will be able to produce higher quality work and be better prepared for the senior thesis; the other being that even if in turn the mandatory number of courses was increased, it would be beneficial to students to have the University at least recognize that we are doing the work of a fifth class.

The Office of Undergraduate Research describes the JP as serving “as a precursor to your senior thesis, a valuable training ground where you will receive detailed feedback from your faculty adviser as you learn to formulate and

examine ambitious research questions through the lens of your chosen discipline.” However, this opportunity to work with an advisor and practice the skill of independent research is squandered when it is paired with a standard fourcourse workload.

A student must naturally divide their time between all of their work, meaning that in what might be the most important semester in terms of preparing for the senior thesis, the University has chosen to make fully engaging with our training ground an even more challenging task. Counting the junior paper as a course would alleviate much of this burden.

If departments chose, they could even increase the length of the JP if they believed that counting it as a course while keeping the same length to be too easy.

If the University still wishes that we de facto take five

courses junior spring, at least acknowledge that what we are doing is essentially the work of a course. This is a simple as raising the necessary number of course credits by one, and then counting the JP as one credit. Not counting the JP as a credit leaves the intensity of the work ambiguous, possibly preventing our future employers and institutions from recognizing the full extent of the work that we have done during our undergraduate careers.

In its current state, the junior paper is a time-consuming endeavor for which we are neither properly compensated nor sufficiently empowered to complete to its highest potential. The University should give us course credit for the JP in order to rectify this situation.

Hunter Campbell is a senior politics major from Sunderland, Vt. He can be reached at hunterc@ princeton.edu.

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Sports

Wednesday September 25, 2019

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{ www.dailyprincetonian.com } WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY

No. 10 field hockey drops three straight

By Molly Milligan Senior Staff Writer

Princeton field hockey (3–4), ranked sixth nationally last week, dropped two games at home this past weekend to No. 21 Rutgers (4–3) and No. 4 University of Connecticut (7–1). Both were close decisions, ending in a final score of 2–1.

The Tigers faced the Scarlet Knights on Friday night.

Princeton struck first, in just the fourth minute of the game, off a well-executed corner. Junior striker Clara Roth inserted the ball to first-year forward Ophélie Bemelmans, who stopped it perfectly for sophomore midfielder Hannah Davey to drill the shot home.

Rutgers tied the match at one goal apiece just before the half, but the third quarter proved to be a defensive battle as neither team tallied a shot or a corner. The Scarlet Knights would net the game-winner off a corner late in the fourth quarter.

This is the second year in a row that Princeton’s in-state rival has pulled off the upset.

The Tigers would play in another close match against UConn on Sunday afternoon. The Huskies got on the board just before halftime, as Kourtney Kennedy’s shot off a corner ricocheted off a Princeton player and into the goal. The game was evenly matched in the first half; Princeton held a 5–4 shot advantage during that period.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEVERLY SCHAEFER / GOPRINCETONTIGERS

Sophomore midfielder Hannah Davey lines up for a shot.

Senior goalie and captain Grace Baylis proved the star of the third quarter, making countless saves to keep her team within one point.

Princeton went on the offensive in the fourth, as Roth and junior midfielder MaryKate Neff each came within inches of scoring.

With just 3:13 left in the

game, the Tigers secured a corner. Roth inserted the ball to first-year midfielder Sammy Popper, whose shot was def lected and converted by junior midfielder Julianna Tornetta. The score now tied, Princeton forced overtime.

The fifth period came to an end quickly, however, as

UConn’s Svea Boker dribbled along the fire side of the circle and fired a shot past Baylis just four minutes in.

Prior to last weekend, Princeton had won three straight games against ranked opponents. The Tigers are now 3–3 overall with all six contests coming against teams ranked in the

Top 20.

Following the pair of losses, Princeton was ranked No. 10 in this week’s edition of the Penn Monto/NFCA National Coaches’ Poll. North Carolina (7–0) remains undefeated and owns the top spot. Duke (7–0), UConn, Maryland, and Virginia (7–1) complete the Top Five.

Princeton had to regroup quickly, however, in time to travel south to College Park for their final non-conference match, a meeting with No. 4 Maryland on Tuesday night.

The Tigers and the Terrapins have a long history.

Maryland took both meetings last year, earning a 5–4 comeback victory in double overtime during the regular season and a 1–0 overtime decision in the National Semifinal. The Terrapins are 7–1 this season, their only loss coming against No. 2 Duke.

Maryland would improve their record late Tuesday, posting a 4–3 overtime victory against Princeton. The Tigers pounced first with a goal by Popper, and Roth added two more in the third quarter. But the Terrapins came back to tie the score at 3–3 with only four minutes left to play, and then netted the game winner just before the overtime buzzer sounded.

Princeton is now 3–4 on the season. They will be back in action on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Dartmouth to open Ivy League play.

VOLLEYBALL

Women’s volleyball gears up to face Penn

By Alyssa Selover Associate Sports Editor

Princeton women’s volleyball (4–5) opens Ivy League conference play this Friday against the Penn Quakers (7–2). Last season, the Tigers swept the Quakers 3–0 in both matchups during the season.

After taking second in the conference to Yale last year, the Tigers are looking to fight to get their Ivy League title back this season.

Currently, senior outside and right side hitter Devon Peterkin is leading the Tigers with 116 total kills this season with sophomore outside hitter Elena Montgomery sitting at 105 total kills. Senior setter Jessie Harris is leading the Tigers’ offense with a total of 279 assists and sophomore defense specialist and libero Cameron Dames is a force to be reckoned with on the court, leading the Tigers with 130 total digs.

The Tigers lead their opponents this season, carrying a 12.24 kills per set average while their opponents are at 11.79 kills per set.

For the Quakers, outside hitter Parker Jones and opposite hitter Margaret Planek are going to be big threats offensively, combining for 244 kills this season total. Setters Taylor Fourticq and Kylie Kulinski are also offensive threats; Fourticq has 133 assists this season and Kulinski has 170.

Defensively, libero Carmina Raquel, who carried 162, is going to force the Tigers to work harder to place hits and serves during the match.

While the Tigers are welcoming back All-Ivy League players Peterkin, Harris, senior right side hitter Maggie

Tweet of the Day “GOAL! It’s the first career goal for Spencer Fleurant and he pushes the Tigers lead to 3-0.”

Princeton Mens Soccer (@ TigerMensSoccer),

O’Connell, and junior middle blocker Clare Lenihan, the Quakers lost their starting setter, Grace James, to graduation, as well as middle blocker Taylor Cooper, who carried the team with 83 blocks in the 2018 season. The Quakers will welcome back two All-Ivy League

honorable mentions: Jones and outside hitter Raven Sulaimon.

Princeton was named recently the No. 1 team in the Ivy League preseason poll in front of Yale, so they are entering Ivy League play with high hopes. The Tigers earned 10 of

the 15 first-place votes, securing 120 points while the Bulldogs followed with the other five first-place tallies and 117 points.

The match will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 in Dillon Gymnasium. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEVERLY SCHAEFER / GOPRINCETONTIGERS

Senior Devon Peterkin gears up for an outside hit.

Stat of the Day

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Number of consecutive games field hockey has lost by one goal.