Five percent of Class of 2029 identify as Black or African-American, lowest since 1968
By Sena Chang Senior News Writer
In the Class of 2029, 5 percent of students identified as Black or African American — the lowest share in many years.
The last time that Black enrollment stood close to five percent was in 1968, according to data compiled from the Common Data Set, Office of the Registrar records, and The Daily Princetonian’s archives. In the last few decades, the percentage of Black students in incoming classes has averaged around eight or nine percent.
The Class of 2028, the first class admitted after the Supreme Court banned race-conscious affirma -
tive action, saw little change in racial diversity. However, this year, the percentage of Black or African American-identifying students fell by nearly four percentage points. At the same time, the number of students who did not disclose their race rose from 7.7 to 8.2 percent.
“This is one year of data, and there are natural fluctuations that will happen given the variability of the applicant pool,” University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill said in a statement.
Princeton has “scrupulously adhered” to the Supreme Court’s decision, Morrill added. “Neither application readers nor any personnel involved in admissions have access
to demographic race and ethnicity data collected on the application form until the incoming class is finalized, after the waitlist closes in the summer,” she wrote.
Some Black students at Princeton told the ‘Prince’ that they markedly felt effects of the undergraduate demographic composition on campus life.
As Halaylah Lewis-McGlothan ’29 partook in various orientation events, she and her friends were struck by the scarcity of Black students. Lewis-McGlothan, who hails from Pennsylvania and attended predominantly white schools her entire life, was looking forward to being at
‘Fast and powerful in the water, steady and sure on land’: Friends and family remember Kerry Grundlingh ’27
By Hayk Yengibaryan Head News Editor
Kerry Grundlingh ’27 appeared shy at first, but her presence was loud. She left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of calling her a friend.
“She’s definitely a presence that will never go away. She filled every room she was in, and everyone knew she was there. She was a loud, vibrant, bubbly person,” Jess Mabey ’27 told The Daily Princetonian.
Grundlingh passed away in a cycling accident in her hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, July 26. She was 21. An economics major and a mem-
ber of Mathey College, Grundlingh was a graduate of St. Mary’s School, Waverley.
Grundlingh was a member of Princeton’s women’s openweight rowing team, and represented South Africa several times at the national age-group level. This past season, she rowed in the 1V boat that won the Ivy League Championship and later captured the Petite Final at the NCAA Championships. Grundlingh had planned to compete in the Ironman 70.3 event in the Czech Republic in August.
Despite her achievements, Grundlingh’s mother said she shied from attention.
“She loved doing well, but she didn’t like the attention that came from it. She
“‘PRINCE’ WILL HOLD FRESHMAN SMOKER,” ANNOUNCED A 1931 HEADLINE BELOW AN ELABORATE PAST ‘PRINCE’ NAMEPLATE. “
NOVEMBER 4, 1931
was very, very, very modest,” Debbie Grundlingh recalled.
Friends, teammates, and family remember her as humble, loyal, quietly determined, and deeply loved.
Grundlingh was born on July 14, 2004, in Johannesburg to Debbie and Francois Grundlingh.
As a child, she was shy. When she was four, her teacher described her as a “‘look down’ girl,” her mother said.
Despite her quiet personality, Grundlingh threw herself into activities with intensity. She did gymnastics, ran crosscountry, swam competitively, and played
Sarah Park Contributing Opinion Writer
The lead-up to Amaarae’s Lawnparties performance Sunday was plagued by discourse around her selection as headliner despite her lack of name recognition. While she represents a fresh fusion of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and alté for the main event, some students were dissatisfied, citing the relatively modest streaming numbers she had compared to past Lawnparties acts on platforms such as Fizz. Complaints over the “popularity” of the headliner begs a larger question: why not consolidate USG resources and sponsor one blowout Lawnparties in the Spring to satisfy the student body?
At its core, the point of Lawnparties is to function as a unifying campus experience, not to spotlight smaller artists in the headliner spot. It is one of the first introductions first-years get to Princeton’s beloved social traditions. Even the Spring 2025 opener Daya has more monthly Spotify listeners than Amaarae, despite not being invited
as a headliner.
Having two Lawnparties, one in fall and one in spring, forces organizers to compromise between a lesser-known artist with appropriate vendors and production value. However, hosting one annual Lawnparties would help organizers secure artists with widespread appeal through a larger budget. Princeton’s peer institutions offer a model for consolidating Lawnparties into one spring event in order to choose artists that are more familiar and exciting for students.
The University of Pennsylvania holds one big annual concert series, Spring Fling — and has hosted big names such as Metro Boomin, Chance the Rapper, and Janelle Monae. Penn’s total budget for the event is approximately what Princeton’s would be if we only held one concert series — about $524,800, including revenue from ticket sales. Last spring, Doechii came to Stanford’s spring concert series, Frost Fest, thrilling students.
While the 2023 budget for the Stanford Concert Network, which
This Week In History
This week, The Daily Princetonian pulls back the smokescreen on the ‘Prince’ recruitment processes of the past, considering two pieces — one from 1924 and another from 1931 — advertising the “competitions” that first-year students participated in to get highly coveted spots on the ‘Prince’ news board.
CANDACE DO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN Students at the 2025 orientation exercises.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEVONNE PICCAVER ’27
Kerry Grundlingh ’27 (middle) pictured with former team captains Catherine Garrett ’24 (left) and Klara Thiele ’24 (right).
Students sing in the Amaa-rain at Lawnparties as headliner attendance dips
By Leela Hensler Staff News Writer
Princeton’s Fall 2025 Lawnparties began gray and rainy, with students huddled under umbrellas as they hurried to grab wristbands outside McCosh Hall and gathered for photographs by the SPIA fountain. By the time the eating clubs opened for pre-headliner festivities, the skies were beginning to turn blue, putting concerns about potential weather delays to rest.
“I’m just glad the weather cleared out so now we can have a good time,” Carlos Fimbres ’27 told The Daily Princetonian. For Fimbres and many other students, a major highlight of Lawnparties was Instagram- and TikTok-famous DJ Mandy, who has nearly one million followers across social media. As her set began at Tiger Inn (TI) at 12:30 p.m., a long line of students remained waiting on the block outside, eager to gain entry and see the performance.
“I know her from TikTok, so I was really excited to see her,” Amelia Carneiro Zhu ’28 said.
Sunday’s festivities were the fourth time the event had been rained on since Fall 2022.
TI and Cottage were the two most popular eating clubs of the day, with over 100 students in line outside of Cottage by mid-afternoon, where twin-brother duet MC4D played upbeat remixes for a packed crowd.
“Cottage was great, but it was really, really crowded,” Zhu said. “I felt like I was almost getting crushed at times, but it was
still a really fun time.”
Other performances included MacKenzie Porter at Cannon Dial Elm Club, Tessa Violet at Colonial Club, Kilopatrah Jones at Ivy Club, Boys Go to Jupiter at Terrace Club, and Phoneboy at Tower Club.
Outside the eating clubs, students lined up for food trucks and stands to enjoy a wide range of different refreshments.
Local businesses, including Alfalfa, Maddalena’s Cheesecake Bars, and Nomad Pizza, were present, as well as popular chains like Taco Bell, Domino’s Pizza, and Rita’s Italian Ice.
At 2:30 p.m., student opener Casual Riot took the main stage, performing covers of popular songs such as the Tom Petty hit “Free Fallin’,” before headliner Amaarae came on to perform at 3:15 p.m. Amaarae, a Ghanaian-American R&B and Afrobeats artist from the Bronx, N.Y., was the first headliner in recent years who was not a rap artist.
Vedant Aryan ’28 disagreed with potential concerns that Amaarae, who had a slightly lower streaming profile than Fall 2024 headliner NLE Choppa and Spring 2025 headliner A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, would be “less hype” than previous guests.
“I think the response comes from people who just look at the number [of followers] and don’t listen to her music and don’t know her,” he told the ‘Prince.’ “I think people should open themselves up to more diverse [genres] of music, and as a dancer, I can tell you that Amaarae is huge in the dance community because of the beats she has and the [level] of production, and the blend of Afrobeats and modern beats. Just listening to her music makes you want to dance.”
The attendance at the headliner performance appeared lower than in previous years, with many students citing the weather and lack of artist knowledge for their early departure.
“I thought the headliner was a little disappointing, and I thought it could have been someone who would have excited the crowd more,” Daniel Amoils ’29 said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’ “I feel like people didn’t really know the music, or maybe the music just wasn’t the right vibe.”
For some who hadn’t known Amaarae, the performance was still a blast.
“The headliner was super hype, I loved the energy she brought,” Evelyn Mahoney ’28 told the ‘Prince.’ “I feel like she was really trying to get the crowd to sing along and dance a lot, and in terms of crowd engagement, I feel like she was better than either of last year’s headliners.”
Leela Hensler is a staff News writer and Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Elizabeth Tsurkov released from Kata’ib Hezbollah after more than two years, White House says
By Luke Grippo Assistant News Editor
Princeton PhD candidate Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released by the Shiite Militia group Kata’ib Hezbollah after nearly two and a half years of imprisonment, the White House said Tuesday.
In a statement on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said that Tsurkov was “safely in the American Embassy in Iraq.” The Iraqi Embassy in Washington confirmed the reports of Tsurkov’s release. Tsurkov, a dual Russian and Israeli citizen, was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, in March 2023 by Kata’ib Hezbollah while doing research related to her dissertation. The Israeli government confirmed her kidnapping in July of that year.
“My entire family is incredibly happy,” Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth Tsurkov’s sister, wrote on social media. “We cannot wait to see Elizabeth and give her all the love we have been waiting to share for 903 days.”
The University also celebrated the news.
“The release of Princeton graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov brings relief and
joy to the University community, and we celebrate that she will be reunited with her family. We thank President Trump for securing Elizabeth’s release,” University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 said in a University statement. “We are also grateful to those who worked tirelessly to bring an end to her terrible ordeal, including her family, friends and advocates.”
The University declined to comment on whether it had been involved in Elizabeth Tsurkov’s release.
Emma Tsurkov spoke to The Daily Princetonian last year, criticizing the Biden administration, Iraqi government, and the University for not doing enough to help her sister. She has since pushed the Trump administration to secure her sister’s release.
The last report of Tsurkov’s status came in January when the Iraqi Foreign Minister reported that she was still alive.
Luke Grippo is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey and usually covers University and town politics, on a national, regional, and local scale.
AMMAAR ALAM / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN Amaarae on stage during her Lawnparties set.
Lewis-McGlothan:
“We were looking around and wondering: ‘Where were the rest of us?’”
STATS
Continued from page 1
a place where “more people looked like [her].”
“We were looking around and wondering: ‘Where were the rest of us?’” Lewis-McGlothan told the ‘Prince.’ “We kind of expected there to be more of us, especially considering what we had heard,” she added, pointing to the University’s values of diversity and inclusivity.
Students such as Tova Jean-Louis ’29 and Michael Njoku ’29 pointed to the end of affirmative action as a key contributor in lowering Black enrollment. Njoku, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, said that Princeton’s campus felt reminiscent of his predominantly white hometown.
“I think it’s important for us to pay attention to make sure that our university is still representative of our public, and that no matter the amount of students that get into a university, to make sure that all voices are heard — especially minority voices, in a time where we’re facing a lot of changes,” Chris-Tina Middlebrooks ’27, the president of Princeton’s newly-reactivated chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), told the ‘Prince.’
Meanwhile, the number of Hispanic students remained stable, and the share of Asian students in the incoming first-year class increased from approximately 24 percent last year to 27 percent.
Notably, the number of international students increased by about three percent, even amid visa revocations and heightened scrutiny of foreign scholars under the Trump administration.
With respect to Black student enrollment, peer institutions saw comparable declines a year earlier than Princeton: Black enrollment in Harvard’s Class of 2028 fell four percentage points, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reported significant declines among Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander students.
“The nation is now seeing — or perhaps more accurately, not seeing — a lost generation of Black students on the nation’s foremost campuses,” Justin Driver, a Yale Law School professor who studies race and affirmative action, wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “I fear Princeton’s plummeting Black enrollment rate augurs ill for many other leading colleges,” Driver
continued.
Eric Ginsberg, a college advisor for New Jersey-based test prep company Solution Prep, said he feared Trump’s attacks on initiatives deemed to be DEI-related would push colleges towards “oddity, inequity, and exclusion.”
In the wake of affirmative action, Princeton and its peer institutions have sought new admissions techniques to continue cultivating classes with diverse backgrounds. Immediately following the Supreme Court ruling, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 expressed Princeton’s intentions to “work vigorously to preserve — and, indeed, grow — the diversity of our community while fully respecting the law.” Changes included new essay prompts focused on applicants’ identities and an ad hoc committee responsible for evaluating new admission policies.
“While I understand that the Trump Administration’s assault on higher education places universities in an unenviable position, I also believe that they possess numerous viable mechanisms for pursuing racial diversity that honor the Supreme Court’s decision,” Driver wrote. A recent executive order asked the Department of Education to collect race, gender, and other demographic data from college applicants to expose “unlawful practices” regarding the “consideration of race in higher education admissions.”
It is unclear if Princeton’s reported Black enrollment will continue to fall — a trend complicated by the growing number of applicants choosing not to disclose their race. But students say that the impact may be immediate.
“As far as what this means for our classes’ future at Princeton, or the future culture at Princeton, I hope that we see a positive effect: Black students decide to come together with more purpose, and the Black student unions thrive,” LewisMcGlothan said.
“But it’s very likely that we see the opposite of this, and that Black students become more isolated; it could even have negative effects on their academics,” she added. “I’m hoping for the best.”
Sena Chang is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Amid budget cuts, University slashes hours across most library branches
By Hannah Gabelnick Senior News Writer
Princeton University Library (PUL) has scaled back operational hours for several branches for the fall semester, citing ongoing financial pressures. The Architecture, East Asian, Lewis Science, and Mendel Music libraries have all reduced late evening and weekend hours.
Hours are unchanged at Firestone Library, the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, and the Stokes Library.
A PUL spokesperson told The Daily Princetonian that the library was not currently planning further reductions. “We took a branch-by-branch, data-informed approach, and so the changes differ in each location,” they wrote.
These changes come amidst the discontinuation of Wintersession and other incremental cuts to University services, as departments have also been asked to prepare for budget reductions in an effort to reduce spending.
All branch libraries have been asked to reduce student staffing hours by 50 percent due to budget cuts, an Architecture Library supervisor told student employees in an email over the summer.
At the Architecture Library, students will only staff the opening shift and lunch hour, and there will only be one student per shift. The email also explained that “weekly hours will be capped at 6 hours per person ... [and] no new students will be hired for the fall semester.” The Architecture Library is now closed on Saturdays and shuts its doors at 10 p.m. most of the week, as opposed to midnight last semester.
Raymond Yang ’27, who works at the East Asian Library, told the ‘Prince’ that his weekly hours have been reduced from nine to six, and that the library reduced the number of student workers from 20 to 12.
The East Asian Library now opens at 11 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m., and closes at 10 p.m. instead of 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday. The branch has also cut all of its Saturday
hours and has more limited hours on Sundays.
“I wish that our jobs were more secure. I understand the budget cuts are obviously inevitable, considering our current administration, but some people were definitely cut,” Yang said.
University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince’ that “some changes to available hours or positions may occur as units review their programming and services amid budget constraints.”
One student who works at the Mendel Music Library, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of losing their job, told the ‘Prince’ that the library has already reduced student staff from around 20 student workers to 14.
The Mendel Music Library has not yet set the student worker schedules for the semester and is currently operating on a temporary schedule, according to the student.
Angel Tang ’27, who also works at Mendel, told the ‘Prince’ that she used to work closing shifts when Mendel was open until midnight on weekdays. Now, Mendel closes at 9 p.m., which she said will negatively impact students who like to do work late at night in the library.
“I feel like a lot of us do work later because we all have class from 9 to 4,” she said.
The Mendel Music Library now opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays instead of 8:30 a.m., and closes at 9 p.m., instead of 12 a.m. It is closed on Saturdays and has more limited hours on Sundays.
Several students told the ‘Prince’ they felt unsupported through the change and had not been offered alternative employment opportunities. “I wish there would be an option for us to get priority in getting other types of jobs that might open up on campus,” the student working at Mendel Music Library said.
This sentiment was shared among other student workers. Tryphena Awuah ’26 told the ‘Prince’ that the Architecture Library reduced her scheduled hours from 15–20 hours a week to six hours a week. Awuah, who previously held a student manager position,
would often pick up other students’ shifts, working up to 30 hours a week.
“Student hours are things that people need to support and sustain themselves here,” she told the ‘Prince.’
The Architecture Library now closes at 10 p.m. on weekdays instead of 12 a.m., and is also closed on Saturdays and has more limited hours on Sundays.
Student workers also expressed frustration with the change in hours, including cuts on weekends and in the late evening.
Anuja Magdum ’26 decided to leave her job at the Lewis Science and Engineering Library’s Makerspace following the change in hours, since she had primarily worked on Saturdays. The branch is now closed all weekend and closes earlier on weeknights, with the Makerspace also opening four hours later at 2 p.m. each weekday.
Magdum told the ‘Prince’ that the Makerspace is already experiencing an increase in crowding and reduced printer availability following the decreased hours.
“I think it would have made more sense for them to shift those hours and have them open on the weekends, when people are more available and have time to go to the Makerspace, and maybe not open during the week when people have class,” she said.
“There’s just overall dissatisfaction with the way that the hours have been cut because we’re not open at all on Saturdays,” Yang said, referring to the East Asian Library. Firestone and Stokes libraries are now the only libraries open on Saturdays.
According to a press release by PUL, the library administration will monitor feedback and usage patterns during the fall semester and determine if any adjustments are necessary and feasible based on available resources.
Full hours for all University Libraries are available online through the PUL website.
Hannah Gabelnick is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Buffalo, N.Y. and typically covers academic policy, institutional legacy, and health.
Dauphiny:
‘She was like a turtle in the best way: fast and powerful in the water, steady and sure on land’
KERRY
Continued from page 1
first-team netball. By middle school she was one of the top long-distance runners at her school.
“She always wanted to be the best at everything,” Debbie Grundlingh said. “She put so much effort into everything she did.”
In seventh grade, Grundlingh picked up an oar for the first time. Rowing quickly became her passion, and by the time she graduated from St. Mary’s, she was one of the top female rowers in her age group, representing the national team at multiple Junior World Championships.
“She showed some natural potential, but then she put in the extra work,” Francois Grundlingh told the ‘Prince.’
Like many things in her life, rowing was not just about the competition, but about how it anchored her in the moment.
“She loved putting her hand in the water and feeling the water between her fingers,” Debbie Grundlingh said. “That’s what she loved about being on a boat.”
During the pandemic, her Ivy League dreams took shape after she reached out to Ivy League coaches with her ergometer times.
Grundlingh had originally verbally committed to Yale, but Princeton open rowing Head Coach Lori Dauphiny refused to give up on her. Grundlingh’s final decision rested on her finally meeting the respective teams. She chose Princeton.
“The big difference for me and for Kerry was the sense of community that Princeton had over Yale,” Francois Grundlingh said. “Yale’s all business, and Princeton had a bit of heart. And Kerry was all heart.”
From the first week of practice, her teammates noticed how Grundlingh’s presence changed the standard around her.
“Freshman year, I could just tell that she was going to be fast on the water,” said Devonne Piccaver ’27. “I wanted to sit next to her at every workout, because I felt like she was pulling me along and bringing the standard up of everyone around her.”
Grundlingh was known for her consistency and strength. As a first year, she rowed in the 2V boat, but by sophomore year, she earned a spot in the 1V — the highest boat — and went on to win the Ivy League Championship.
“She would show rather than tell,” Pic-
caver said, speaking to how she watched the way Grundlingh performed on the water and thought, “that’s what I aspire to be like.”
“She was so consistent,” Rachel Mark ’27, another teammate, said. “Even if she was having a bad day, her performance never faltered. Sitting next to her in the boat, you felt steadier.”
While all business on the water, Grundlingh’s teammates also remember her silly quirks and sense of humor. She often wore distinctive colorful knee-high socks and old-fashioned visors. She biked everywhere, swore by the chicken at RoMa Dining Hall, and carried “The Office” on a USB drive so she could rewatch episodes whenever she wanted.
A self-described cinephile, she often left reviews on Letterboxd.
“Reading her Letterboxd reviews were quite possibly the funniest thing ever,” Mabey said. “She watched ‘Babygirl’ and wrote a review on it … she said ‘I don’t even know why this film was made. It is possibly the stupidest thing I’ve ever watched.’”
On a team fall break trip to Washington, D.C., Grundlingh organized and filmed a video as part of a boathouse Assassin’s game, turning the National Mall and Lincoln Memorial into a film set.
“[The video] was hilarious and had so much personality,” Mark said. “Everyone who was playing assassins thought it was the coolest thing ever. That was Kerry.”
Grundlingh enjoyed consuming and creating art. She drew, made movies, and was an avid fan of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. Her mother said she wished Grundlingh could have seen Swift’s and Travis Kelce’s engagement.
For those closest to her, Kerry’s loyalty and kindness defined her friendships.
“She was the first person I met at school,” Joely Cherniss ’27 said. “We fully did everything together … she was very honest — never mean, but honest.”
“[She was] the most loyal and kind friend … and a very reliable person all around, someone you could always count on,” Mark added.
Her teammates recognized this blend of strength and kindness through a team tradition in which five dresses are passed down to sophomores. One dress, nicknamed the “Gentle Giant,” is given to the rower who displays both strength on the water and kindness off of it. In 2024, that dress went to Grundlingh.
This blend proved essential on race
days, too. Before big regattas, the team met in the boathouse.
“She was almost always quiet … [but] her advice cut straight to the point,” Dauphiny shared. “She would say, ‘Well, just put your oar in the water and go … just get the blade in and embrace the load.’”
“In an intense and busy environment, Kerry really knew how to take a moment and just enjoy,” Ella Barry ’25 wrote to the ‘Prince.’
Though she was fast in the boat, she was always the last rower to leave the boathouse. Due to this, her teammates nicknamed her “Turtle Kerry.”
“She was like a turtle in the best way: fast and powerful in the water, steady and sure on land,” Dauphiny said during Grundlingh’s memorial in South Africa.
By the end of her sophomore year, Grundlingh was finding her footing outside the rowhouse. She settled on an economics major after exploring engineering, worked as a McGraw Center economics tutor, joined Princeton Pictures and Princeton in Hollywood, and participated in the Personal Librarian program.
Grundlingh and Katharine Kalap ’25 discussed Grundlingh’s plans for the future when Kalap visited Johannesburg over the summer. Their conversations included potential topics for her junior paper, possible career paths, and whether she wanted to pursue her career in the United
States, United Kingdom, or South Africa.
While at Princeton, Grundlingh maintained close relationships with friends from home — a reflection of her “fierce loyalty,” according to her friend of eight years, Lynne Swingler. The two met at a rowing camp in 2017, and though they studied on different continents after high school, Swingler said they only grew closer after Grundlingh moved to the United States.
For her 18th birthday, Swingler gave Grundlingh the book “Big Panda and Tiny Dragon” by James Norbury.
“She was always the big panda and I was the tiny dragon,” Swingler said. “From that book she would quote: ‘Which is more important? The big panda says the journey or the destination, and then the tiny dragon says the company.’ That was Kerry: she treasured the people closest to her.”
While at Princeton, Grundlingh called her mother nearly everyday, often during her morning coffee at Sakrid or smoothie stops at Playa Bowls.
For her family, Grundlingh’s absence will be felt during their vacations to the Olifants River Reserve, when listening to ’80s music, and on nights spent watching Kerry’s favorite animated movies or playing Bananagrams surrounded by her beloved dogs.
Grundlingh’s mother will miss their December holidays in Plettenberg Bay,
where Grundlingh and her mother would swim far out and pretend to be dolphins, do handstands, and have competitions to see who could stay underwater longer.
“She was so happy,” Debbie Grundlingh said. “Swimming in the sea will never be the same again.”
At her funeral, Grundlingh’s mother described her as nothing short of a miracle.
“[Before Kerry] I miscarried, and it crushed me,” she said. “And then we finally conceived our Kerry Bear. I often told her that I miscarried because God had the perfect child planned for me, and that was her.”
“Everyone wants to have a Kerry in their life,” Piccavver said. “Everyone wants to be like Kerry because she just has such beautiful qualities. She was just perfect in every single way.”
Students gathered to remember Grundlingh on Sept. 10 in the Mathey common room. Close friends and teammates shared memories of Grundlingh, and attendees were invited to write cards that will be sent to Grundlingh’s family in the coming weeks.
Grundlingh is survived by her parents and her brother, James.
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor, senior Sports writer, and education director for the ‘Prince.’
Princeton admitted 4.4 percent of applicants for Class of 2029
Princeton University admitted 4.4 percent of applicants in its most recent admissions cycle, recording its largest application pool in history alongside a 0.2 percentage point dip in acceptance rate from last year.
These figures for the Class of 2029, obtained from a memo distributed to faculty, have not been previously reported. The University has not publicized admission data such as the acceptance rate, SAT score range, and average GPA since 2021, saying at the time it would publicize data that “focuses on the enrolled students” later in the year.
This year’s applicant pool was the biggest in Princeton history at 42,303. The overall yield rate on admitted students was 75.2 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from last year, and the admitted early action yield rate was 91.2 percent, down one percent from last year. The Class of 2029 comprises 1,408 students, 17 fewer than the University’s goal of 1,425, and is the last of four admitted classes that have gradually expanded the undergraduate student body by 500 members.
Princeton’s acceptance rate is comparable to many of its peer institutions. Har-
vard admitted 1,950 students to the Class of 2029, with an applicant pool exceeding 53,000. Columbia admitted 4.29 percent of its applicants to the Class of 2029. Yale admitted 4.59 percent, the University of Pennsylvania admitted 4.9 percent, Brown admitted 5.65 percent, and Dartmouth admitted 6 percent. Cornell has not yet publicized this data.
For the Class of 2028, Princeton accepted approximately 4.6 percent of applicants. While the University has not publicized its admissions rate around “Ivy Day” in late April for nearly four years, it has continued to disclose certain data related to its admissions in several sources, including in the Common Data Set, bond disclosures, and class profiles on admissions. princeton.edu.
Notably, nearly 80 percent of accepted students who chose a school other than Princeton attended just one of four other peer institutions: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, or MIT, according to the memo.
Amid concerns over threats to international student visas from the Trump administration, the University’s admission rates of non-US citizens rose by just over two percentage points, at 14.1 percent compared to 12 percent last year. At least one graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher had their visas revoked in April,
marking the first known cases at the University.
One quarter of the Class of 2029 is eligible for Pell grants, a record high. Nearly 70 percent of enrolled students are on financial aid following an expansion of grants in early August.
While only 384 students indicated an interest in the BSE this year, compared to 402 last year, 46.4 percent of those students are women, which is up almost 4 percent from last year.
Children of Princeton alumni, often referred to as legacy students, make up 12.4
percent of the Class of 2029, up from 11.2 percent the previous year. Legacy status is one of many factors considered in the University’s holistic admissions process, though it does not release detailed information on how much weight the factor carries.
In early 2023, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 defended legacy preferences as a kind of “tiebreaker” between equally qualified candidates, aimed at preserving the University’s intergenerational ties.
Nationally, legacy admissions have
drawn attention in recent years, with several peer institutions reconsidering or ending the practice. The University has not announced any changes to its policy, but continues to report the percentage of alumni children in each incoming class as part of its admissions data.
Cynthia Torres is an associate News editor and Archives contributor.
Nico David-Fox is an assistant News editor.
By Cynthia Torres & Nico David-Fox
& Assistant News Editors
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE GRUNDLINGH
Kerry Grundlingh ’27 pictured with her parents, Francois and Debbie Grundlingh, her brother James, and both her dogs.
LOUISA GHEORGHITA / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Go big or go home: the case for a single Lawnparties
LAWNPARTIES
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funds Frost Fest, was hardly more than our estimated Fall 2023 Lawnparties budget of $220,000, ticket sales for the event likely netted around $200,000 for the event. All this indicates that by consolidating Lawnparties, USG could afford artists that are as popular, if not more so, than those at our peer schools.
If the campus community wants to retain fall Lawnparties as a tradition, eating clubs could continue to independently organize their own concerts — an aspect of the event that many students enjoy more than the headliner. USG could provide basic support as needed but conserve the majority of its budget for spring Lawnparties. By eliminating the cost of food vendors in the fall as well as promotional and production costs, significantly more funds could be dedicated to attracting a popular spring headliner.
Beyond enabling the selection of bigger-name artists, combining fall and spring Lawnparties into one blowout spring event ensures that the celebration happens at a more convenient time for students. Spring Lawn-
parties happens at the beginning of reading period — a point in the semester when students generally have more free time and feel more comfortable relaxing. It also provides a muchneeded stress reliever after a long semester of classes. But fall Lawnparties happens after the first week of classes, a notoriously chaotic moment when students are already inundated with work, interviewing for clubs, and balancing various obligations.
For first-years in particular, the timing of fall Lawnparties is particularly overwhelming. First-years are coming off of an exhaustive 10-day orientation and their first week of more advanced classes than they’ve ever taken before. Many of them have just completed a slew of club applications and tryouts; they’re having the same “where are you from and what’s your major” conversation with thirtyseven new people a day. The last thing they need is a marathon of day drinking and sweaty mosh pits. Fall Lawnparties is not an ideal way to orient first-years to the Princeton social experience: but in the spring, once students have settled into their routines and friendships, they’re much more likely to fully enjoy the experience.
One unforgettable event to end the year is more valuable to the student
community than two watered-down ones. Instead of bringing about an argument over the size of the artists, consolidating fall and spring budgets into one would reinforce the position of Lawnparties as a quintessentially
Princeton tradition and a mainstay of the social experience.
Contributing Opinion Writer Sarah Park is a junior pursuing a major in History and minors in East Asian Studies and
Philosophy. She is from Manila, Philippines, and can be reached at sarahpark[at] princeton.edu.
As we weigh budget cuts, Princeton must not cave to internal division
Lily Halbert-Alexander Assistant Opinion Editor
T“alking about money” is taboo, to say the least. It’s often skirted as awkward, stressful, or crass, and for me at least, conjures images of a Knives Out-esque spiral of venomous, insecurity-born rivalry. But at Princeton, it won’t be easy to avoid in the wake of Wintersession’s discontinuation, the most recent casualty of University budget cuts.
In May, Princeton asked departments to plan individual budget cuts starting in the summer in light of the Trump administration’s suspension of federal grants and ongoing political uncertainty. The University also implemented a broadbased hiring freeze, pausing most new academic hires.
Departments have been talking over the summer about how to make this financial reality work. As these discussions continue into the fall, we must be aware of how the sensation of imminent threat, the guillotine blade which the Trump administration exalts in dangling over Princeton and its fellow universities, risks the development of an eat-orbe-eaten mentality which may drive those within one institution — people on the same side — against one another in an effort to protect themselves and their funding. It is critical that financial insecurity strengthens rather than fragments the Princeton community; if it doesn’t, our own fear may help
the Trump administration to dismantle us.
Such tensions are already mounting in peer universities. Arts and Humanities departments at the University of Chicago have recently undergone “consolidations,” projected to lead to layoffs and reduced class capacity and language instruction. While UChicago maintains that all departments are undergoing comparable change, discourse within the Humanities department have compared the reorganization to the Department of Government Efficiency and its efficiency-obsessed agenda. Such discontentment suggests that academia is already somewhat divided, with certain fields feeling disproportionately targeted.
If we allow our conversations about budget to generate fissures between humanities and sciences, arts and lab research, we risk turning upon ourselves the same transactional, hostile lens through which the Trump administration views higher education. The threat, otherwise, is existential. We are not facing an administration opposed on principle to Wintersession, a particular lab, theater, free food, or any other individual opportunity: The administration’s actions demonstrate a government opposed to Princeton, to education and integrity, as a whole. If we waste our time and energy picking out enemies within our own community, we do Trump’s job for him: We destabilize ourselves, reduce our productivity, and weaken our capacity to notice
and confront the wrongs taking place in the nation today.
On the student side, that requires some humility. There isn’t a perfect solution to budget cuts. No amount of debate concerning where and how to trim Princeton’s spending can ultimately avoid noticeable — at minimum — changes to academics and campus life. While it’s important to financially strategize in order to minimize damage, that process remains fundamentally administrative. This is not to minimize the importance of the student voice, but being active and aware throughout the budget cuts process doesn’t only look like campaigning explicitly for the preservation or discontinuation of particular programs.
This isn’t to promote blind trust in the Princeton administration nor passivity among
students. Now more than ever, it’s imperative to be informed, even reflective, about our future as members of an academic community. So far, Princeton has a handle on their priorities. While Wintersession goes, they’ve dramatically expanded financial aid — something that a more distrustful student body might have once worried would be cut.
We have to prepare for Princeton to make tough but necessary choices, in which one or more parties will feel that they got the short end of the stick. There are seemingly infinite ways for the University to spend its money: if it comes down, hypothetically, to the HUM trip or Outdoor Action, promotional T-shirts or catered lectures, not everyone can walk away happy. But becom -
ing consumed by every choice, and taking them personally, is both divisive and, perhaps more importantly, pointless. Bickering amongst ourselves will only increase tunnel vision, concentrating our energy on inter-departmental politics and making us lose sight of the much larger concern: a government determined to reduce the resources of its educational institutions.
We won’t all be happy in the age of budget cuts, but we can all understand the unavoidability of tough choices, especially when the threat we’re facing is external, not internal.
Assistant Opinion Editor Lily Halbert-Alexander is a sophomore and prospective English major from San Francisco, Calif. She can be reached at lh1157[at]princeton. edu.
AMMAAR ALAM / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN Production staff prepare for the headliner act at Fall 2025 Lawnparties.
Opinion Staff
Tuesday’s first day of class brought new passing times: Students had 15 or 20 minutes to travel between classes, instead of last year’s 10 minutes. Here, our Opinion writers comment on the new class schedule, our expanding campus, and what these changes mean for daily student life and for the University.
New Class times won’t fix the problem, but better transit could Isaac Barsoum, Columnist Princeton said they were extending passing periods so that students could arrive to class on time despite campus expansions. While better than the status quo, this change will fail to achieve that goal — but there are real ways to solve this problem. More robust transit could be one of them.
According to analysis by The Daily Princetonian, 59 classes in the Fall 2025 semester will end at 10:25 a.m., and 150 will begin just 15 minutes later. While having 15 minutes to walk to class will make some class pairings across these time blocks more feasible, some remain out of reach.
For example, a student taking COS 418: Distributed Systems, which ends at 10:25 a.m. on Wednesday and has in the past been held in the Computer Science Building (near the Friend Center), would be hard-pressed to reach the Effron Music Building (near Princeton Station) by 10:40 a.m. for MUS 204: Musical Instruments, Sound, Perception, and Creativity. Walking the 0.8-mile distance takes 17 minutes, getting the student to class at least two minutes late.
TigerTransit buses are even less efficient at crossing campus. While the walk from the Computer Science Building to Effron could get you there at 10:42 a.m., the fastest bus trip would arrive a minute later — and still requires 13 minutes of walking.
This problem is bigger than just individual students’ tardiness. It exposes a fundamental geographic segregation of academic disciplines at Princeton in a way that is antithetical to the liberal arts. STEM classes, students, and professors are far away from their music (and other humanities) counterparts. But given that arts and sciences education and research are mutually beneficial, arts and engineering should be better connected on our campus. This problem can be fixed
Reactions: New class times
with better, more frequent, and more express University transit. TigerTransit is unusable now, but it doesn’t have to be that way. An express line that runs directly from McCosh Walk to Princeton Station every two minutes with no stops in between during class changes might help fix the connection problem, and thus the integration problem, because students could move much more easily across campus.
It’s time Princeton made TigerTransit worth using for undergraduates. Doing so could finally connect and integrate the rapidly expanding campus.
Isaac Barsoum is a sophomore intended Politics major from Charlotte, N.C. You can reach him at itbarsoum[at] princeton.edu.
If passing times are changing, change class lengths, too
Jerry Zhu, Guest Opinion Editor
No one can deny that the new class times look … well … weird. “Sorry, gotta run, I need to make my 2:55 lecture!”
What?
Though some of the class times are now an eyesore, the new scheduling grid for Fall 2025 is a step in the right direction. The extra five minutes of passing time are a lifesaver for students with cross-campus treks between consecutive classes.
But then, the question must be asked: Why keep the same class lengths? If passing times are no longer 10 minutes, it makes less sense that the class blocks remain 50, 80, or 170 minutes. The University may as well either shorten these classes by five minutes or lengthen them by 10 so that classes can still start on the quarterhours. Though these class lengths made sense under the 10 minute passing time regime, the class lengths now exacerbate the new schedule’s confusion.
To add confusion, afternoon seminars can now start at either 1:20 or 1:30 p.m. depending on “pedagogical and curricular needs,” while lectures must start at 1:20. The result, for my schedule at least, is an unappealing mix of 1:20 and 1:30 start times. Though not a hugely impactful choice, it is a mystifying one.
It’s good that the University is listening to student feedback. But it would also help to take a step back and think about the big picture, too.
Guest Opinion Editor Jerry Zhu is a junior majoring in Economics. He may be reached
at jfz[at]princeton.edu.
This is what success looks like Anna Ferris, Contributing Opinion Writer
The actual change in class times is trivial. Students now get an extra five minutes between class, one way or the other. The reasoning behind this extra time is what’s really worth discussing: people need more time to get to class because our campus is getting bigger. This is great news — it shows that our academic departments and student body are ever-expanding, and that the administration is responsive to students’ needs arising from campus growth. Campus used to be quite a bit smaller — The Dinky, for example, once stopped where Blair Arch is today, and the station has been consistently pushed back toward its current position as the University expanded south.
New buildings need to be placed somewhere, which unavoidably makes campus larger. It makes sense that passing periods would eventually also expand to accommodate the further walks.
If you aren’t growing, you’re dying. It sounds bleak, but many peer institutions are building out just as quickly as we are. We are all fellows in the quest for learning, of course, but we also compete for talent. The more buildings we erect, the more specialization and
range in fields we can offer. The new engineering buildings, for example, will house scientists on the cutting edge of quantum science. This opens opportunities to welcome new groups of scholars to Princeton, which is good for the University any way you spin it. I’ll be the first to complain about the architecture we choose for these brand new institutions. Ultimately, though, growth beats stagnation any day. New passing periods are a small sign that the University is living up to the enormous promise of “Dei sub numine viget.” And for my part, I’m pleased to have an extra five minutes to walk.
As a next step, I suggest Princeton purchase the entire state of New Jersey. Think of how many postSoviet brutalist rectangles we could build!
Anna Ferris is a contributing Opinion writer and a senior in the English department. She may be reached at annaferris[at]princeton.edu.
Let me sleep, please!
Charlie Yale, Assistant Opinion Editor College lends itself to late bedtimes. Between classes, meals, extracurricular activities, and socializing with friends, I often find myself not being able to start on the next day’s coursework until well after midnight.
This semester, according to the Registrar’s course
offerings page, Princeton is offering 1,628 courses. In fall of 2024, the University offered 1,625. But, as a part of the University’s scheduling overhaul, number of classes starting during the 9 o’clock hour (either at 9 a.m. sharp or at 9:35 a.m.) increased from 153 in the fall of 2024 to 242 next semester, a more than 50 percent jump.
Not only have the number of classes starting within the 9 a.m. hour increased, but there is simply a higher chance that a class will end up during that time period — 15 percent of classes next semester will start within the 9 a.m. hour, up from 9 percent last fall. This is almost certainly a result of the University removing the 10 a.m. slot for courses to begin.
For my fellow night owls, this is terrible news: We know that 9:35 feels more than 25 minutes earlier than 10. While a diversity of class times supposedly reduces the likelihood of conflicting schedules, I, like many of my fellow students, also want to get my beauty sleep.
Princeton: Bring back the 10:00 a.m., please!
Charlie Yale is an assistant Opinion editor from Omaha, Neb. who is not excited about having to wake up for a 9:00 a.m. class this semester. He can be reached at cyale[at] princeton.edu (but probably won’t check his inbox until after 10:00).
ANNIE RUPERTUS / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN Students relaxing between classes in Firestone Plaza.
vol. cxlviii
editor-in-chief
Miriam Waldvogel ’26
business manager Jessica Funk ’26
149TH MANAGING BOARD
upper management
Eleanor Clemans-Cope ’26
Isabella Dail ’26
director of outreach
Oliva Sanchez ’26
Accessibility
Bridget O’Neill ’26
Bryan Zhang ’26
creative director Malia Gaviola ’26
strategic initiative directors
Suthi Navaratnam-Tomayko ’26
editors at large Research Andrew Bosworth ’26
Education Hayk Yengibaryan ’26
Sections listed in alphabetical order.
head archives editor
Lianne Chapin ’26
associate archives editor
Jillian Ascher ’28
head audience editors
Paige Walworth ’26
Justus Wilhoit ’26 (Reels)
associate audience editors
Catherine Ross ’27
associate reels editors
Natalia Diaz ’27
Loreta Quarmine ’27
head cartoon editor
Eliana Du ’28
head copy editors
Lindsay Pagaduan ’26
James Thompson ’27
associate head copy editors
Coco Xu ’27
Song Ting Tang ’27
head data editors
Vincent Etherton ’26
Alexa Wingate ’27
head features editors
Raphaela Gold ’26
Coco Gong ’27
associate features editors
Mira Eashwaran ’26
Valentina Moreno ’26
head humor editor
Sophia Varughese ’26
associate humor editors
Tarun Iyengar ’28
Francesca Volkema ’28
head news editors
Victoria Davies ’27
Hayk Yengibaryan ’26
associate news editors
Thomas Catalan0 ’27
Devon Rudolph ’28
Cynthia Torres ’27
head newsletter editor
Caleb Bello ’27
Chair
associate newsletter editor Corbin Mortimer ’27
head opinion editor Frances Brogan ’27
community opinion editor Jerry Zhu ’27
associate opinion editors Preston Ferraiuolo ’26
Siyeon Lee ’27
head photo editors Calvin Grover ’27 Jean Shin ’26
head podcast editor Maya Mukherjee ’27
associate podcast editors Twyla Colburn ’27
Sheryl Xue ’28
head print design editors Kriste An ’28
Juan Fajardo ’28
head prospect editors Mackenzie Hollingsworth ’26 Gavin McLoughlin ’28
associate prospect editors Natalia Diaz ’27
Ysabella Olsen ’28
head puzzles editors Wade Bednar ’26 Luke Schreiber ’28
associate puzzle editors Jasin Cekinmez ’27
Lindsay McBride ’27
Peter Stover ’28
head sports editors Alex Beverton-Smith ’27
Harrison Blank ’26
associate sports editors Lily Pampolina ’27
Doug Schwarz ’28
head web design and development editors Cole Ramer ’28
149TH EDITORIAL BOARD
Christofer Robles ’26
Members
Isaac Barsoum ’28
Frances Brogan ’27
Eleanor Clemans-Cope ’26
Preston Ferraiuolo ’26
Anna Ferris ’26
Ava Johnson ’27
Raf Basas ’28
Bryan Zhang ’26
149TH BUSINESS BOARD
assistant business manager
Alistair Wright ’27
directors
Andrew He ’26
Tejas Iyer ’26
William Li ’27
Stephanie Ma ’27
Jordan Manela ’26
James Swinehart ’27
Adelle Xiao ’27
Chloe Zhu ’27
business manager emeritus Aidan Phillips ’25
149TH TECHNOLOGY BOARD
chief technology officer
Yacoub Kahkajian ’26
software engineers
Abu Ahmed ’28
Jaehee Ashley ’25
Brian Chen ’26
Nipuna Ginige ’26
Angelina Ji ’27
Allen Liu ’27
Rodrigo Porto ’27
Stephanie Sugandi ’27
ui/ux engineer
Joe Rupertus ’26
THIS PRINT ISSUE WAS DESIGNED BY
Malia Gaviola ’26
Juan Fajardo ’28
Marley Hartnett-Cody ’28
Jose Santacruz ’27 AND COPIED BY
Sarah Li ’28
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
president Thomas E. Weber ’89
vice president David Baumgarten ’06
secretary Chanakya A. Sethi ’07
treasurer Douglas Widmann ’90
assistant treasurer Kavita Saini ’09
trustees Francesca Barber
Kathleen Crown Suzanne Dance ’96
Gabriel Debenedetti ’12
Stephen Fuzesi ’00
Zachary A. Goldfarb ’05
Michael Grabell ’03
Danielle Ivory ’05 Rick Klein ’98
James T. MacGregor ’66
Rohit Narayanan ’24
Marie-Rose Sheinerman ’23
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd Abigail Williams ’14
Tyler Woulfe ’07
trustees ex officio
Miriam Waldvogel ’26
Jessica Funk ’26
Princeton must retire the Atatürk Professorship
Greg Arzoomanian Guest Contributor
Ten years ago, Princeton’s Board of Trustees established a special committee to consider the usage of Woodrow Wilson’s name at Princeton. That work resulted in the ultimate removal of Wilson’s name from the School of Public and International Affairs, and the creation of a “Committee on Naming” of the Council of the Princeton University Community to consider similar future issues.
One naming that especially deserves consideration has to be Princeton’s “Atatürk Professorship in Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies,” which is named for Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey and anti-Armenian figure that inspired Nazi ideology. The Princeton professorship appears to be the only such named chair in the country that bears Atatürk’s name. While no professor has held the title since Atatürk Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies emeritus Heath W. Lowry departed in 2013, the position remains open for new candidates. Just as Princeton exempted Wilson’s name from celebration due to his racist ideologies, it must do the same for the Atatürk Professorship: It must be retired.
Last year, historian Taner Akçam came to Princeton to discuss the Armenian Genocide. Relatives on both my father’s and mother’s sides were among the 1.5 million Armenians killed in this effort to establish an ethnically homogeneous state by the Turkish Empire in the early 1900s.
In a section on anti-Armenian racism, Akçam showed a slide with the following quote from the eponymous Kemal Atatürk: “The Armenians occupied our craft guilds (sanat ocaklari) and adopted an attitude of [being] the owners of this country. ... The Armenians have no rights whatsoever in this prosperous country. Your country belongs to you, to the Turks … The Ar -
menians and others have no rights here whatsoever.”
Concerns surrounding Atatürk don’t stop with racism. He arguably inspired the fascists of World War II that came after him. In his book “Ataturk in the Nazi Imagination,” Stefan Ihrig cites Hitler, who said that “Atatürk was a teacher; Mussolini was his first and I his second student.”
Atatürk also has notoriety in the history of genocide. Although he didn’t participate directly in the Armenian genocide, he did end the trials of the genocide perpetrators, as described in politics professor Gary Bass’s book “Stay the Hand of Vengeance.” So while Atatürk originally called the genocide “a shameful act,” his later actions normalized genocide, transforming it into an acceptable form of statecraft — a lesson certainly taken to heart by his self-described student.
The Trustee committee’s report noted, “In the course of a thorough and wide-ranging review, it became clear that the controversy surrounding Wilson’s name was emblematic of larger concerns about the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.” Similarly, the honoring of Atatürk is emblematic of a troubled relationship between generations of Princeton professors and Armenian students.
Decades ago at Princeton, the late Ed Tejirian ’57 — a friend of mine — was presented a view on the Armenian genocide by former professor Lewis V. Thomas in his book, “The United States and Turkey and Iran”: “Had Turkification and Moslemization not been accelerated there by the use of force, there certainly would not today exist a Turkish Republic, a Republic owing its strength and stability in no small measure to the homogeneity of its population.”
Listening to this narrative — one that normalizes the Turkish empire’s violent expansionism as a tool for national security — Ed later told me, “As an undergraduate, I didn’t feel that I
could tell him ‘Professor, would you listen to yourself?’”
The Princeton Armenian community’s concerns continued thereafter due to the invitation of certain guest speakers on this campus. Aram Arkun ’81 wrote a column for the ‘Prince’ on April 24, 1981 titled “On the Armenian genocide”: “The Turkish government still denies that the massacres ever happened, and Princeton became a part of this historical distortion when Turkish Foreign Minister İlter Türkmen spoke here recently.”
But the troubles really took off with the establishment of the Atatürk Professorship in 1993 with a $750,000 grant from the Turkish government, and its filling by a lobbyist for that government. It was the subject of articles in, among other places, The New York Times and here in the ‘Prince.’ Deserving special mention is a 2005 ‘Prince’ article which quotes Darren Geist ’05 noting “‘Princeton’s position as a center for Armenian Genocide denial.’”
To this day, Armenian Princeton students have continued to speak out against the lack of recognition of the Armenian genocide by professors at Princeton. Former Princeton Armenian Society Co-President Katya Hovnanian-Alexanian ’26 previously argued in these pages that the University must properly categorize this crime against humanity.
There have unfortunately been numerous other examples over the decades. But this partial list shows that the attitude towards Armenians on campus has been a matter of sustained interest among Armenian Princeton students. Having a chair named after a virulent anti-Armenian racist is emblematic of the troubling legacy that engenders that unwelcome interest. It is well past time, then, that Princeton retired the Atatürk Professorship.
Greg Arzoomanian is a member of the Class of 1979. He may be reached at greg[at]arzoosoftware.com.
Five things you didn’t know about international orientation
By Angela Li
Assistant Features Editor
For nearly two hundred incoming first-year students this year, the Princeton journey began a little early.
Davis International Center (IC) Leaders welcomed new international students to campus from Aug. 19-21 for International Orientation (IO), a program designed to build community and ease the transition to life in the U.S. IO, like other orientation programs, encourages bonding for first years, blending serious education about life in the U.S. with more whimsical activities.
From shopping sprees to dance parties, here are five features that make IO stand out.
1. A Golf Cart Welcome
As a departmental program run by the Davis IC, IO is allowed to use golf carts for their operations. Beyond their practical purposes of helping incoming students transport their suitcases around campus to their dorms, the golf carts were transformed into a welcoming spectacle at the start of the program.
During the opening dinner at Whitman Courtyard, all of the IC Leaders arrived driving golf carts, circling the tables where the firstyears sat, and blasting music from speakers before joining their groups for introductions.
“The golf carts were really memorable and fancy, and [the IC Leaders’ enthusiasm] gave us lots of energy. It was so unexpected,” said Diana Antonyan ’29, a student from Yerevan, Armenia.
2. A Haul Like No Other
The next day, after a talk from the Davis IC titled “Maintaining Your F-1/J-1 Immigration
Status,” covering topics such as documentation and employment as an international student, four buses shuttled students to the nearby Target on Route 1. They then had two hours to shop, mostly for dorm supplies and other necessities that were difficult to ship from home.
This was many of the international students’ first encounter with American consumer culture. “I [still] remember the first time I went to Target. I thought to myself, ‘Why do you need this much stuff?’ And I think this trip was the highlight for a lot of the students,” said IC Leader Jordan Chi ’28 of Melbourne, Australia.
3. Skits and Games at Frist
In an event titled “USA 101,” a Davis IC staff member gave a presentation about homesickness and cultural adjustment. Additionally, IC Leaders, some acting as international students and some as Americans, taught American culture via humorous skits.
One performance poked fun at how Americans say “Hi, what’s up?” to each other and then walk away without waiting for a response. Others highlighted how people confuse Georgia the country with Georgia the U.S. state and illustrated the differences between European and American customs, with an Eastern European student attempting to greet an American with a kiss, only to be met with a slap.
After the skits, the evening continued with a Kahoot quiz that included both general trivia and Princeton-specific questions, as well as a series of games.
Jami Huang ’29 from Beijing, China especially remembered the Island Game, where each group had to choose three items they would bring if stranded on a deserted island.
Her group named themselves “1 For a Reason,” and chose to take a Tesla Cybertruck, a livestreaming device to broadcast themselves to the world, and a complex math equation so others would think they were geniuses worth rescuing. The team’s creativity won over the three IC Leader judges—one for creativity, one for practicality, and one for a standard they coined as the “X Factor,” whether or not the answers incorporated an unexpected or unique element.
Through these games, IC Leaders hoped to build teamwork and inclusivity among the students. “The problem with IO is that as soon as you have one person in your group who is really good at English and other people aren’t, there’s an imbalance of who is comfortable enough to speak,” Chi explained. “But the point of IO is to make people who are really uncomfortable coming into a new environment comfortable.”
4. Traditions at the Closing Dinner
Near the end of the closing dinner, IO hosted one of its traditions: the roll call of nations.
Two IC Leaders served as the MCs and read through a list of all countries represented by the first-years. When a student identified — whether through nationality or personal affiliation — with a country, they stood up to be recognized by the loud applause and cheering of their peers.
“For me, it was a lot of fun because everyone was clapping for you, and you felt really important in the moment,” Antonyan said.
“It was really cute, especially for the smaller countries. [For example, seeing] two kids from Colombia standing up, smiling, and waving at each other was really heartwarming. It was the same way when I stood up for Australia [a year ago],” Chi added.
After this celebration of the global community, the IC Leaders hosted another tradition: a raffle with Princeton merch as prizes. Before the random spinning wheel landed on the name of a first-year international student, the Leaders had to “sell” their items on the spot, giving reasons as to why their prize was the best and attempting to convince the students to take their item.
5. A Party With Global Flavor
To celebrate the end of IO, international students attended a closing party at Campus Club, an opportunity for students to take a break from immersion in American culture to celebrate each other’s.
Inside, the party featured board games and music from all around the world.
“On the dance floor, there was a lot of international language. Those who knew the language were singing it, and those who didn’t know were dancing around the people who knew it. So it was a really great cultural exchange moment,” Huang noted.
Some of the songs that Chi picked included “Dragostea Din Tei” by O-Zone, a MoldovanRomanian eurodance group, and “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” by Brazilian artist Michel Teló.
“Something that we tried to do this year was to play that targeted specific cultures to try to make them feel included. For example, when we played a Brazilian song, all of the kids from Brazil formed a mosh pit. That was something really special we did this year,” Chi noted.
Angela Li is an assistant Features editor for the ‘Prince.’
The Prospect 11 Weekly Event Roundup
By Mackenzie Hollingsworth, Head Prospect EditorWW
Seuls en Scène 2025: Le Grand Sommeil
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Seuls en Scène 2025: Une
Ombre Vorace
Mariano Pensotti
Sept. 12 and 13 at 8 p.m.
Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts Complex
Part of the Princeton French Theater Festival’s showcase, this film tells the story of Jean Vidal, a mountain climber who embarked on the ascent of Annapurna in Nepal, where his father died decades earlier. Between shooting a movie and climbing a mountain, the film represents “two sides of human existence.” Tickets are free and required for entry.
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I & You: The Musical
Halo Pub
Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.; Sept. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m.’
McCarter Theater
Adapted from Lauren Gunderson’s play, I & You tells the story of two classmates who pull an unexpected all-nighter together. Beginning as two classmates working on an assignment, what unfolds becomes a story of fate and friendship. Tickets are available for purchase on the McCarter website.
Marion Siéfert
Sept. 13 and 14 at 5 p.m.
Hearst Dance Theater, Lewis Arts Complex
In another event in the Princeton French Theater Festival, dancer Helena de Laurens digs into the norms and experiences of female adolescence and womanhood, embodying both adulthood and childhood in her movements. Tickets are free and required for entry.
Co-Curricular Classes at the Intersection of STEM & Live Entertainment: Bio Materials in Art Making and Costumes
Sept. 15 from 5–6:30 p.m.
Vasen Design Studio, Wallace Dance Building at Lewis Arts Complex
This hands-on workshop allows students to experiment with bioplastics as a sustainable material for making art. It is hosted by production and costume designer Andrea Lauer as well as bioengineer Penelope Georges. This event is only open to Princeton University students.
Daniel Pollack-Pelzner in conversation with Brian Herrera: “Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist”
Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon
Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, author of “Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist”, is joined by Brian Herrera, Associate Professor of Theater, to discuss the recently released biography of the Hamilton and In the Heights creator.
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Sō Percussion Fall Performance
Sept. 12 from 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall
Sō Percussion returns to Richardson Auditorium this week for their fall performance. The performance features the release of their 8-CD box set 25x25 and the work of special guests Bergamot Quartet and Becca Stevens. This event is free and unticketed. 8
Triumph Restaurant & Brewery: Oktoberfest
Sept. 13 from 1–5 p.m.
On the Green at Palmer Square
Triumph Restaurant and Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest. Food includes bratwurst, knockwurst, hot dogs, and house-made pretzels. There will also be live music from the Gelena Brass Band from 1–4 p.m.
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Princeton Livestock Exchange Concert
Sept. 16 from 7–9 p.m. CoLab, Lewis Arts Complex
The Princeton Livestock Exchange concert series aims to build musical engagement between visiting artists and Princeton students through im- provised musical performance. This event is free and unticketed.
Book Group: “Out Loud”
Mark Morris
Sept. 18 at 12 p.m.
Princeton Public Library or on Zoom
In advance of dancer and choreographer Mark Morris’ upcoming appearance at Princeton on Oct. 8, there will be a reading of his mem- oir Out Loud. Tina Fehlandt, an original member of the Mark Morris Dance Group and Interim Associate Director of Dance, Senior Lec- turer in Dance at Princeton, will join the conversation. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
Live Music on the Patio – Nuevo Jazz
10 11
Sept. 12 from 6–9 p.m.
Nuevo Jazz will be performing at the Yankee Doodle Tap Room patio.
McMillan & Co. Performance
Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.
Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon St
Stop by Small World for a performance by McMillan & Co., including members Tom and Laura McMillan, Rob Lanter, Tom Hyland, and Neal Carson. They draw from jazz, rock, and other styles.
Fall takes flight: Men’s sports preview
By Doug Schwartz & Lucas Nor Associate Sports Editor & Sports Writer
Last year saw a wide variety of outcomes for the Princeton men’s sports teams. Some squads found Ivy League championships while others ended up sitting at the bottom of the standings.
Nevertheless, 2025 presents new chances for the Tigers to earn their stripes, whether that be through redemption arcs, opportunities for underclassmen, or the chance to defend a title.
Without further ado, here is the 2025 men’s fall sports preview.
Football Princeton football is coming into the fall hungry. After finishing the 2024 season with an uninspiring 3–7 record while going 2–5 in the Ivy League, the Tigers are looking to right the ship. The team had several cornerstone players graduate over the offseason, including running back John Volker ’25 who transferred to the University of Michigan, Tommy Matheson ’25 who transferred to Boston College, and Will Reed ’25 who transferred to West Virginia and then Georgia Tech. All three were seniors last season looking to use their final year of eligibility.
One of the questions for the Tigers this season is who will be under center. Last year, then junior quarterback Blaine Hipa threw for 1665 total yards, along with 10 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. While the touchdownto-interception ratio was far from ideal, the only other upperclassmen quarterback senior Kai Colón played in just one game last year against Cornell.
On the other side of the ball, senior linebacker Marco Scarano was named to Herosports Top 25 Returning Linebacker List. Scarano will anchor the defense alongside standout senior defensive backs Tahj Owens and Nasir Hill. The trio combined for 94 solo tackles last year and will be looking to maintain, or raise, those numbers.
The Tigers look to start their redemption tour on Sept. 20 against the University of San Diego at Powers Field.
Men’s Water Polo
Princeton men’s water polo is coming off yet another fantastic season. In 2024, the Orange and Black dominated the waters, going 23–9 overall, while dominating the NWPC with a 9–1 conference record. The Tigers won the NWPC for the fourth year in a row while also landing six players on all-conference teams. While they ultimately lost to Stanford in the NCAA Tournament, the season was a success by all metrics.
While star goalkeeper Kristóf Kovács will continue
to anchor the defense as a junior, and head coach Dustin Litvak is coming off a fourth consecutive Coach of the Year, the team did say goodbye to the great Roko Pozaric. Pozaric was a three-time NWPC Player of the Year and became the all-time leading goal scorer in Princeton water polo history last season with 281 goals. Be sure to keep an eye out to see how the Tigers make up for the loss of a program great.
Princeton got some great preseason reps this week playing one of the best water polo clubs in the world, but their official games don’t start until the Princeton Invitational on Sept. 5.
Cross Country Princeton men’s cross country is coming into the fall as the reigning Ivy League champions for the fourth year in a row. Despite their continuous Ivy League dominance and 18th overall NCAA ranking, the Tigers placed slightly lower at the NCAA Tournament than expected, finishing 24th. Nevertheless, 2024 treated the Tigers well.
This year, Princeton returns several runners with NCAA Tournament experience, including seniors Myles Hogan, Connor McCormick, and Jackson Shorten and junior Weston Brown. Hogan had five top finishes for the Orange and Black last year and was the top Princeton finisher at NCAAs.
The Tigers’ run for a fifth consecutive Ivy League
Championship will start on Sept. 5 with the Jersey Jam, hosted at Princeton.
Men’s Tennis
After finishing second in the Ivy League last season, Princeton is poised to not only strive for the top of the conference but also make noise on the national stage. The Tigers finished the 2024 season in the NCAA regional finals with an impressive 22–9 overall record while winning five of their seven conference tilts. After returning most of their starpower production from last season, Princeton is confident they can do even better.
Junior Paul Inchauspe looks to be the team’s most promising talent after an incredible season. He not only won the 2024 Ivy League Rookie of the Year award, but also earned a spot in the ITA All-American list after knocking off No. 1 seed Sebastian Gorzny of the University of Texas at the NCAA Singles Championships in stunning fashion. However, Inchauspe isn’t the only promising Tiger heading into 2025.
Princeton is all over the ITA’s top 100 rankings in both singles and doubles, with Inchauspe leading the pack at #18, followed by seniors Fnu Nidunjianzan at #35 and Sebastian Sec at #97. As for doubles, two pairs of Tigers make the rankings. Inchauspe and junior Landon Ardila hold the #21 spot while Nidunjianzan and senior Ellis Short come in at #31.
Boasting an overall team
ranking of #35 paired with a veteran group, all indications show that Princeton can rise to the challenge and compete at the highest level this upcoming season. The Orange and Black will kickoff their campaign on Friday, Sept. 26 in New Haven at the Yale Invitational.
Men’s Soccer
Coming into the 2025 season as reigning Ivy League champions, the Tigers are hungry to repeat their success and aim for even more. Princeton had a 12–7 overall record while going 5–2 in conference, and after wins against Cornell and Penn found themselves atop the podium in the Ivy League tournament last November. And, although the Tigers lost seven seniors, only one starter from Princeton’s final starting eleven is now graduated.
Leading the pack for Princeton is senior forward Daniel Ittycheria, who was Second Team All-Ivy and scored nine goals last season, including the game-sealing strike in the Ivy League tournament final. Last December, Ittycheria was drafted 40th overall in the MLS SuperDraft to DC United, and he’ll certainly have a chip on his shoulder to round out his Princeton career in style. However, the senior forward is not alone as several key pieces also return, such as senior midfielder Jack Jasinski, senior midfielder Jack Hunt, junior midfielder Liam Beckwith, and senior defender Giuliano Fravolini
Whitchurch.
The Orange and Black host in-state rivals Rutgers in their season opener on Friday, Sept. 5 in what should be an exciting start to an exhilarating season.
Golf
Princeton golf is coming off of an Ivy League championship winning season in 2024 and is now ready to transition its success into its non-conference matchups. Although the Tigers finished atop the conference, they finished below the top five in all but three of their regular season invitationals. However, having only graduated two seniors, Princeton should have everything it takes to make noise on the national stage.
The Orange and Black return all five of their top performers from the Ivy League Tournament last year, including senior Riccardo Fantinelli, junior Charlie Palmer, junior Tommy Frist, sophomore Reed Greyserman, and sophomore Eric Yun. In other words, Princeton returns with a lot of firepower, and should be a challenge for any team they face in their upcoming campaign.
The Tigers will open an exciting 2025 season on Friday, Sept. 5 with the Rod Myers Invitational at Duke University.
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’ Lucas Nor is a Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Fall Fever: Women’s sports preview
By Harrison Blank Head Sports Editor
With the dog days of summer in the rearview mirror and students swarming back to campus, fall women’s sports teams are hitting the field, court, and course.
Last fall, the Tigers were dominant. Women’s soccer, cross country, field hockey, and volleyball all won the Ivy League with the help of several exceptional talents, many of whom are returning this season. Women’s rugby saw breakthroughs in their third ever season, winning their first two games in program history.
2025 brings with it new opportunities to win more Ivy League hardware and for new stars to emerge. Here’s a preview of the action to come.
Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer won both the regular season and Ivy League tournament titles last fall before falling to the University of Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a hard-fought game.
The Tigers are fielding a lineup with significant changes from last year, after five starters departed when the prolific Class of 2025 graduated in the spring. It will be hard to fill their shoes: Of those starters,
three have gone on to play professionally and one transferred to the 2024 National Champions University of North Carolina.
As the earliest starting team of all Princeton’s fall teams, women’s soccer has already played four games, tying Rutgers and Syracuse and falling to No. 25 Ohio State and Loyola (Md.). The Tigers scheduled a tough non-conference slate to start, but a winless start was not what Tiger faithful had hoped for. The youth on the team showed promise so far — sophomore forward Alexandra Barry scored last Thursday, with assists from first-year forwards Aubrey Crisostomo and Nina Cantor.
Injuries to junior defender Zoe Markesini, a captain and leader of the back four, and sophomore midfielder Brooke Dawahare will set the Tigers back. The Tigers will have plenty of playing time available for younger players as Head Coach Sean Driscoll looks to build his next dynasty. The Tigers should be able find their pedigree and compete in the Ivy League.
Field Hockey
After finishing below .500 in 2023, field hockey climbed back to national prominence, falling just short of making the last four in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were
named favorites to win the Ivy League this year in the preseason poll, so expect more of the same in South Jersey.
Three-time All-American and former Olympian senior midfielder Beth Yeager will lead the Tigers this year hoping to add to her 113 career points, seventh all-time in Princeton history. Joining her is Talia Schenk, who just played for the United States at the Junior Pan-Am Games in August.
The Tigers pack a stringent non-conference schedule this year, playing University of North Carolina, Rutgers, Syracuse, and University of Connecticut — all ranked in the top 14 of the final rankings from last year. On top of that, a home matchup against Harvard, the narrow secondplace in the preseason poll, will be an instant classic early in the season.
Cross Country Women’s cross country made history last year, winning the triple crown of distance running and track and field last year for the first time since 2011. After taking the Heps crown in the fall in cross country, the Tigers also won first-place honors in indoor and outdoor track.
Standout Mena Scatchard ’25 graduated in the spring after accumulating a bevy
of awards and decorations, among them a second-place at NCAA Indoor Track Championships. However, the Tigers return lots of talent — junior Anna McNatt and sophomore Meg Madison earned All-Ivy Honors last year.
The starter’s gun on the Tigers’ season fires this weekend at the Jersey Jam, right here in Princeton. After that, there’s another home race, the Princeton Fall Classic, in October before a rematch with rival Harvard in New York City for Ivy League Championships.
Women’s Volleyball
The last of the 2024 Ivy League Champions will begin their season down south in Harrisonburg, Va., at the LD&B Insurance Invitational with three matches. Coming off a stinging loss to Yale in the Ivy League Tournament Final last November, women’s volleyball looks to build on last year’s success while taking the next step.
Leading the way are two former Ivy League Rookies of the Year, junior setter Sydney Draper and senior middle blocker Lucia Scalamandre. Scalamandre is a high flyer who finished third in the Ivies in blocks and blocks per set last year.
The Tiger faithful should circle Oct. 4 on their calendars, when the Yale Bulldogs
will come to Dillon Gymnasium for the first of two matchups between the two teams. The Bulldogs narrowly topped the Tigers in the Ivy League preseason poll and ended the Tigers’ season last year. Can the Orange and Black flip the script this season?
Women’s Rugby This season marks a milestone for women’s rugby — four full recruiting classes for the Tigers will take the field. The team is still made of primarily walk-ons, as recruiting classes are limited to three players each year.
Hopes are high on the pitch, following the Tigers’ two wins last year. Tiger faithful should circle Oct. 11 on their calendar, when the Orange and Black head to Charlotte to play the Queens University of Charlotte Royals. Last year, the Tigers fell in a close game 27–19, so another competitive contest should be in the cards.
The Tigers kicked off their season last weekend with a 54–7 loss in a difficult matchup against Long Island University. Fans can catch the first home game of the season on Sept. 13 at Rickerson Field at Haaga House against Ivy rivals Dartmouth.
Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY
Corners win games: field hockey splits pair of games in Tiger Invitational
By Emilia Reay staff Sports Writer
No. 10 Princeton field hockey (1–1 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) split its two opening games of the season over the weekend, defeating the Old Dominion Monarchs (1–3 overall, 0–0 Big East) 2–1 but falling to the No. 2 University of North Carolina Tar Heels (4–0 overall, 0–0 Atlantic Coast Conference) 3–2.
The Tigers, historically one of the top programs in the nation, were favored to win against unranked Old Dominion. Their early offensive dominance helped them secure the win.
Within the first five minutes of play, junior defender Ottilie Sykes put Princeton on the board off a corner, and senior midfielder Beth Yeager reversed the ball in for another Tiger goal. These two scoring plays, only 90 seconds apart, gave the Tigers momentum early.
As the final buzzer sounded, Princeton allowed only one Monarch goal, which occurred during the third quarter. On the day, the Orange and Black allowed just four shots on goal, all of which happened in the second half.
Even with the departure of star goalie Robyn Thompson ’24, the team is facing a competitive schedule. The Tigers face five more top-20 non-conference opponents — Syracuse, Rutgers, UConn, Maryland, and Penn State — before a matchup with top-ten rival Harvard.
“We’re one weekend into the season, and we’re playing with four newcomers, two new goalies, and some others who are in different roles,” Head Coach Carla Tagliente told The Daily Princetonian. “We’re still figuring out who we are, but I am very optimistic. We have a lot of challenges on our schedule, which is how we like it.”
After warming up with Old Dominion, the Tigers faced the No.
2 University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the marquee event of the weekend. Although the Tigers haven’t beaten the Tar Heels in more than ten years, about 1,500 fans were present to watch Princeton give it a go.
The crowd was feeding the players as the game started with a blistering pace. Princeton was able to get a corner with 12:44 remaining in the first quarter, reminiscent of the quick corner success they had against Old Dominion. Sykes couldn’t connect with this one, however.
UNC had a corner and other opportunities to capitalize in the circle during the first quarter, but they couldn’t finish either. By the end of the first, the game remained scoreless.
Less than three minutes into the
second quarter, the Tigers drew another corner. This time, the ball was sent in to Yeager, who flicked it past the Tar Heel goalie to make it 1–0 Tigers.
The Tar Heels answered this play with only thirty seconds left in the half to tie up the game. Tar Heel defender Isabel Boere snuck an entry pass through the Tiger defense, and for UNC, it was simply about being in the right place at the right time. Forward Eliza Perrin played a pretty no-look shot past junior goalie Olivia Caponiti to tie the contest, 1–1.
In the third quarter, UNC capitalized on its momentum going into halftime. Defender Isabel Boere scored off of two corner plays, giving the Tar Heels a 3–1 lead. The Tigers didn’t give up, though. Junior midfielder Ella Cashman rang it
in for Princeton off the assist from Yeager in a corner penalty with less than five minutes in the quarter.
“When we scored again, I was thinking that we had plenty of time left in the game and we were confident that we could score again,” Cashman told the ‘Prince.’ “We had some chances, but unfortunately, they were able to hang on.”
“It was a great game to be a part of, though, and the crowd was awesome,” she added.
The fourth quarter was scoreless, and the Tar Heels escaped with a 3–2 victory. Although the outcome wasn’t what the Tigers wanted, they expressed confidence in their performance.
“We [as a team] made some small changes tactically, but really for us the most important thing to focus on was improving from Game
1 to Game 2,” Tagliente explained. “I thought we did that. Obviously, not getting the win [against UNC] was tough, but I was happy with a lot of what we did today.” Cashman agreed.
“We love that we have such a tough non-conference schedule,” she said. “It helps us immeasurably when we start to play games in the league and throughout the rest of the season.”
The Tigers are set to play against the No. 11 Syracuse Orange (4–0 overall, 0–0 ACC) at home on Friday and then against the No. 16 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2–2 overall, 0–0 Big Ten Conference) on the road in Piscataway on Sunday.
Emilia Reay is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
From the Archives: The Freshman Competition
By Lianne Chapin Head Archives Editor
Members of The Daily Princetonian staff were indeed inviting first-year students to gather and smoke, a long-lost species of social gathering reminiscent of a bygone era of straw boater hats and ubiquitous ashtrays (smoking is now prohibited within 25 feet of all University buildings). But behind the smoke was a familiar purpose: ‘Prince’ recruitment.
Attendees of the 1931 smoker came to learn about the “freshman competition” of the ‘Prince,’ a semi-annual recruitment period where prospective staff could write for the paper on a trial basis, after which they might be elected to join the staff “on the basis of the quality and quantity of their work.”
‘Prince’ hopefuls of the early 20th century participated in the competition for six weeks. Their assignments would become increasingly frequent and complicated as the time progressed, with exceptions for examination periods. Nearly 100 years later, the ‘Prince’ is returning to a similar — albeit abridged — model for new writer recruitment.
This weekend, swarms of aspiring student journalists who submitted The Daily Princetonian’s general application will participate in a similar “competition.” However, they will only spend one week in their trial roles, rather than several. Still, they will all have the chance to attend a training, write a practice piece, and get edited by a member of the ‘Prince’ masthead.
In recent years, prospective ‘Prince’ members would apply to
each section separately and were evaluated by ‘Prince’ leadership based on their answers to application questions. This year, to make the paper more accessible to students with less experience in journalism, the recruitment process is taking a page from the ‘Prince’ of a century ago.
Aspiring ‘Prince’ staff of today will still have the chance to get “acquainted with the demands of newspaper style,” in the words of a 1924 competition announcement, and learn from current editors who might “criticize the style of each candidate and point out any noticeable faults” to strengthen candidates’ reporting skills and start shaping their journalistic intuition.
Though the “competition” is shorter and open to anyone who applies, and the process looks a bit different — fewer cigars and more Google forms — the sub -
stance is the same; it is beginner-friendly, collaborative, and educational, with or without the smoke.
SHELLEY M. SZWAST / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
After winning in their season opener against Old Dominion, the Tigers dropped a game to the University of North Carolina for a 1–1 split on opening weekend.
