record exchange builds community | 3
waking up from a dream | 4
thunder rolls into first | 12
summer Journal
The Princeton
A Publication of The Princeton University Summer Journalism Program
Monday, August 9, 2010
Founded in 2002
princeton.edu/sjp
inves tigative report
Idling cars, buses damage environment, violate law
This article was reported
by the staff of the Princeton
Summer Journal and written
by Elizabeth Gonzalez, Maria
V. Paredes, Franklin Lee and
Alfonso Toro Jr.
NEW YORK—New York
City public buses and livery cabs frequently violate a
city traffic law that prohibits
idling for more than three
minutes, causing adverse
health effects and untold
damage to the environment,
an investigation by the Princeton Summer Journal has revealed.
During one afternoon last
week, Summer Journal re-
porters observed several city
buses in downtown Brooklyn
idling for as long as 10 minutes, presumably with their
air conditioners running,
while bus drivers napped or
talked on their cell phones inside. In other instances, livery
cabs idled outside high-rise
office buildings in Manhattan
while awaiting passengers.
The city’s anti-idling law,
first passed in 1971, prohibits
non-emergency vehicles from
parking for longer than three
minutes with their engines
running. The law was designed to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles operating
on city streets, and thereby
improve air quality.
Idling cars and trucks in
New York City emit approximately 130,000 tons of carbon
dioxide per year, according to
a study by the Environmental Defense Fund. High carbon levels and other forms of
toxins emitted by cars raise
risks for respiratory disease
and heart attack, the study
showed.
“In the U.S., 50,000 to
100,000 people die prematurely from air pollution each
year. Vehicles cause about 25
percent of these deaths,” said
Mark Jacobson, a professor of
civil and environmental engiSee Idling page 10
rich tucker and brian rokus :: the princeton summer journal
A Princeton Summer Journal investigative report in New York City on Wednesday found several vehicles, including city buses, violating traffic laws against idling for more than three minutes.
The license plate above has been blurred out.
analysis
dinky
Nation’s shortest train may stop dead in tracks
Decades
later,
dusting off
theses for
clues
By Melina Torres
Brawley, Calif.
By Brenda Duman
Brooklyn, N.Y.
During the past few years, a
string of Princeton alumni have
risen to powerful seats in government, and seemingly each
time, the media has turned to
those Tigers’ senior theses in
search of a window into their
political souls and intellectual
philosophies.
But when reporters scrutinize and summarize the theses
of prospective Supreme Court
justices or a First Lady, a question arises: Just how much can
really be learned about someone from a senior thesis written
decades earlier?
“I don’t think there’s much
value at all in digging up old senior theses in assessing current
public officials and their qualifications. After all, it’s usually
been many years since the thesis was written,” Sean Wilentz,
a history professor at Princeton
University who advised nowSupreme Court Justice Elena
Kagan ’81 on her senior thesis,
said in an email.
And Kagan is not the only
Princeton graduate who recently has had her thesis combed by
See thesis page 11
After 145 years in service,
the nation’s shortest commuter train may soon grind to a
halt once and for all.
Since 1865, the legendary Dinky train has been
transporting passengers the
2.7-mile distance between
Princeton Junction and the
University. Despite this history, community officials and
New Jersey Transit have
been evaluating alternatives
to “enhance and expand transit options in the Princeton
community,” said Lee Sollow,
Director of the Princeton Regional Planning Committee.
Under one option being
considered, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), would offer additional stops, allowing passengers to travel further into the
community and reducing the
number of commuter parking
spaces needed. The Princeton
Regional Planning Committee will meet in September to
discuss the issue. New Jersey
Transit will ultimately make
across the universe
wired
Astrophysics professors
reach for the stars
For now,
theses stay
librarybound
By Alfonso Toro Jr.
Bell Gardens, Calif.
It may appear to be just
a childish toy, but when Lyman Page blows up a beach
ball, he is actually blowing
up a model of the universe.
An astrophysicist at Princeton University, Page and
his colleague David Spergel
have mapped nine years of
satellite research onto the
beach ball’s surface. For their
phenomenal research and
years of study, they recently
won the 2010 Shaw Prize and
$1 million, which they will
share with their longtime
collaborator, Charles Bennett
of Johns Hopkins University.
“The universe is really
big,” Page said. But he and
Spergel discovered that the
easiest way to explain it is
See stars page 10
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Princeton’s
guide to the
galaxy
By Elizabeth Gonzalez
El Paso, Texas
Last week, Princeton astrophysicists Lyman Page
and David Spergel sat in
Spergel’s corner office in the
planetarium on the University’s campus. Abstract colorful
paintings by creative young
children decorated the filing
cabinet, while a chalkboard
displayed mathematical
equations. Next to Spergel’s
desk sat a treadmill that he
walks on during conference
calls. After talking to Page
See physics page 10
a decision after the Regional
Planning Committee makes
a recommendation.
“We are responding to this
possibility since it was raised
by the community,” Courtney
Carroll, New Jersey Transit
spokesperson, said in an email. “No decisions have been
made, and the cooperative
planning effort is ongoing.”
Princeton University has
said that it does not have
an established stance on
whether a bus or a train
should be used. Instead, the
school’s chief concern is efficient transportation for its
community.
“I am completely neutral
about whether we need a
See dinky page 10
market for cold treats heats up
By Paty Gutierrez
Santa Maria, Calif.
In the basement of Princeton University’s Mudd
Library is an immense archive of documents—most
of which are one-of-a-kind.
Rows of shelves are filled
with historical University
papers that range over a
century. This collection
includes
approximately
60,000 senior theses that
Princeton students have
written to graduate. In
light of the overwhelming
trend of digitization that
has pervaded the world
of publishing, some have
See digitize page 10
brenda duman :: the princeton summer journal
Patrons enjoy a treat at Fruity Yogurt, one of two frozen dessert stores that have opened in Princeton. See story, page 2.
Page 2
August 9, 2010
The Princeton Summer Journal
boogie down
Band takes
Palmer crowd
to Funkytown
By Stephanie Zhou
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Two men were setting up
instruments onstage on the
afternoon of July 31 at Palmer Square. They performed a
sound check on a guitar and
fiddled with wires. A glint
of sunlight reflected off the
sign—“Summer Music Series
on the Green.”
Their band, Big Funk, performed as part of a free concert series that takes place in
downtown Princeton on Saturday afternoons during July
and August.
Soon, people began pouring
onto the grass with picnic blankets and camping chairs. Toddlers played as their mothers
watched.
Big
Funk—with
Karl
Latham, 49, on the drums;
Calvin Jones, 46, on the bass
guitar; Don Braden, 48, on the
saxophone; and Nick Rolfe, 39,
on the keyboard—have toured
in Europe, playing funky rock,
with a touch of dance, jazz and
soul, they said.
But they have not always
played together.
“Everyone thinks it’s like
the perfect Hollywood picture,
where the same musicians
play on the same band all their
life,” said Latham as he adjusted the microphone. “No one I
know in this business plays
with just one band.” Jones has
played with different bands in
43 states and 32 countries, he
added.
Growing up, Jones listened
to a lot of 1970s funk from
musicians like Stanley Clarke
and Jaco Pastorius. Playing is
“the only thing I’ve done since
1987,” he said.
Members of Big Funk have
been preparing to release an
album in the fall.
“Our mission is to create. A
lot of music out there is not as
creative as it could be,” Jones
said, adding that they often
perform with a great deal of
improvisation. “We play something different every night.”
Colleen Kraun, a cousin of
Latham, comes to the concert
series every year. “The reaction from the people is usually
happy,” she said. “Kids come to
eat, watch the band, and eat
ice cream from The Bent Spoon
nearby.”
As the concert got underway,
people walking by stopped
to listen. A couple paused to
watch the band perform. “I live
in New York, but we’re on vacation. I just thought the music
was relaxing,” Elizabeth Rosario, 29, said.
Blues fan Andy Orloski,
57, attends the concert series
annually. “Even when it was
spittin’ a little rain, all kinds
of people have come,” he said.
“Couples, children, friends. . .
. Live music—nothing better.”
brian rokus :: the princeton summer journal
Band members Nick Rolfe, Calvin Jones and Karl Latham (l. to r.) play a concert at Palmer Square on July 31. Their band, Big
Funk, blends dance, soul and jazz in a largely improvisational performance.
Big Funk blends disparate tastes, cultures in performance
By Frances C. Richburg
Bronx, N.Y.
They’ve got the funk—Big
Funk, that is.
Early in the afternoon on
July 31, locals were treated to a performance by the
band Big Funk, in Palmer
Square.
In a grassy field, the band
stood onstage and pieced together the necessary parts
for their instruments. Several dozen people gathered
around, on chairs, on mats,
or on the green grass, all
seeking shade from the sun,
yet refusing to depart from
the event.
Most of the audience was
new to the band’s funky flavor and was enthralled by the
harmonious melodies.
David Johnson, who lives
in Kingston, wore a comical
“Who do you ride with?” shirt
and said, “I like all kinds of
music and instruments. I like
this music.”
Harold, another audience
member who said he likes
every kind of music but classical, added, “It’s a beautiful
day. I just want to relax with
some nice music.”
A married couple on vacation from California said,
“They’re fun. We like it a
lot—perfect for a Saturday
afternoon.”
Four men with different
tastes and cultural backgrounds comprise the band.
Karl Latham, 49, plays the
drums, while Don Braden,
48, is on the tenor saxophone.
In the 1980s, Braden wrote
some of the music for “The
Cosby Show.” Calvin Jones,
46, soulfully plays his bass,
and Nick Rolfe, 39, is on the
keyboard.
The men evoke a tranquil
feeling in those who witness
them perform. The laidback
band has no mission, they
said. They seek to enjoy themselves and deliver their personal creative perspective on
music, they added.
The band’s name pays homage to a Miles Davis album
titled “Big Fun.” The band
slightly adjusted the title to
form “Big Funk.”
They’ve been together for
approximately three years
now, and they all perform in
different bands.
“Music is communication,”
Jones said. “Today’s gig is a
gig with no rehearsal.”
The band’s soulful connection drives the passion behind their music, as all of
them have been playing their
respective instruments for
decades.
Latham categorizes the
band’s genre as “dance, soul,
jazz . . . I guess I would call
it.” According to Latham, 70
percent of their performance
is unrehearsed, and the band
therefore needs to connect artistically.
Ben Kraun, one of Latham’s
cousins, said that he has always watched Latham and
received his first drum set
from him. Kraun added that
he would love to someday
play with the band.
Latham’s wife, Ann, also
likes her husband’s music.
“Oh, I love it, of course,” she
said. “He’s very talented.”
The band intends to release a live CD and DVD in
fall 2010.
Lost in an eclectic mix of
rhythmic flavor, the crowd
seemed to have big fun with
Big Funk.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Princeton gets funky in Palmer Square
By Tammy Chan
Queens, N.Y.
In the center of a beautiful
green lawn in Palmer Square
under a tent that hovered over
a mini-stage, the band Big
Funk entertained a crowd of
about 100 people on July 31.
Audience members of all
ages dispersed themselves
across the grass in hopes of
getting the best view of the
performance while the band
set up its equipment. The
audience members sat under
sunny skies with warm temperatures as they waited for
Big Funk to start its show.
“Music is self-expression,”
Calvin Jones, 46, the bass
player, said before the performance. “The same way we are
communicating right now,”
Jones said, is the same way
“music is communication by
putting ideas together.”
The band said that their
show is 70 percent improvisation and that they had not
even rehearsed for their gig.
But the audience did not seem
to notice the lack of preparation, applauding appreciatively after each song.
Big Funk started three
years ago when the four band
members met through their
extensive network of friends.
They began to tour together
and finally formed Big Funk.
Each of the four band
members brings a different
background and experience
to the group. Karl Latham,
49, the drummer of Big
Funk, has traveled 50,000
miles performing so far this
year. He has traveled all
over Germany and the United States to perform with a
variety of other bands. Tenor
saxophonist Don Braden, 48,
founded Jazz for Teens in
New Jersey and also wrote
some of the music played on
“The Cosby Show.” Jones,
the bass player, has traveled to 43 states and 32
countries with 12 different
bands. Nick Rolfe, 39, the
keyboardist, has even been
in a film, appearing in the
Susan Sarandon movie “Bernard and Doris.”
When the four finally collaborated, they decided to
name their band after a Miles
Davis recording, “Big Fun.”
According to Latham, they
wanted to play their own music of the “funky period.”
Big Funk was able to bring
their rendition of the funky
genre to the stage at Palmer
Square.
Even though they are essentially interpreting the
funky period in the way they
perceive it to be, it’s not just
one genre, Latham said. “It’s
[more like] a mixture of dance,
soul and jazz,” he added.
Looking forward to enjoying her first-ever viewing of a
Big Funk performance, Jane
Holmann, 43, sat with her
daughter on a blanket. Her
friend had recommended Big
Funk’s music to her because
of its “creative splurge,” Holmann said. “So I wanted to
check it out myself.”
sweet treats
Active culture of yogurt shops proliferates in Princeton
By Carissa Isabel Eclarin
Chicago, Ill.
brenda duman :: the princeton summer journal
Twist offers a range of frozen yogurt and toppings for local dessert lovers.
In the last year, Nassau
Street has been flooded by
delicious, fluffy frozen yogurt.
Just across from FitzRandolph Gate is Twist, which
opened in January 2009 offering “yogurt without limits.”
Less than one year later,
in October, Fruity Yogurt
opened its doors just east
of Washington Road, offering equally tasty yogurt and
a similar orange-and-green
décor.
Though some might think
that two frozen yogurt shops
in such close proximity could
lead to a veritable “cold war,”
both store owners insist their
relations are positively balmy.
“It’s really nothing to fight
about,” said Cindy Somasunderam, who owns Twist with
her husband. “Be happy. Be
healthy. If you are a little bit
happier than when you came
in, you’ve made my day.”
Somasunderam said that
the idea of starting a frozen
yogurt shop came to her and
her husband after seeing
self-serve yogurt shops in
California while on vacation.
“We loved it and thought
of bringing it to the East
Coast,” she said.
Jenny Chen, the owner of
Fruity Yogurt, said that she
is a “people person,” and that
she opened her store in part
so that she could watch her
customers enjoy her food and
try something different. “I
do this for my dream, for my
habit of cooking,” she said.
Chen said she believes
there is plenty of room for all
the stores on Nassau Street
offering cool treats. Indeed,
she said that when visitors
come by looking for the ice
cream store Thomas Sweet,
she happily points them in
the right direction.
Twist and Fruity Yogurt,
while both comfortable and
fashionable, have very different atmospheres. Twist is
a mom-and-pop shop with
home-style touches such as
wooden panels, bookcases,
long leather couches to sit
and lounge in, and a board
game station where customers can play a game of Monopoly.
Fruity Yogurt, meanwhile,
has a more contemporary
feel with its pastel orange
and green walls, plastic or-
naments, tall chrome chairs
and luminescent neon lights.
It is also a chain. You
can get Fruity Yogurt in two
other locations in New Jersey—Hillsborough and New
Brunswick—as well as in
California.
Friends Joy Kim and Sarah Miller said they make
weekly trips to Fruity Yogurt.
“I like Fruity Yogurt
better. They have better
drinks,” Kim said, explaining that she prefers Fruity
Yogurt’s bubble tea.
Twist has its own loyal
customers. Laurie Papell
and her daughter Emma
Freedman said they even
have their own bowls at
Twist.
“It’s an addiction,” Papell
said.
August 9, 2010
Page 3
The Princeton Summer Journal
Exchanging
music, sharing
community
will be online,” Nancy Grover, 31, said. “People like to
own things.”
rinceton
record
Customers say Princeton
Exchange, tucked Record Exchange’s appeal
away in an alley is largely due to its accesat 20 South Tulane sibility to student budgets
St., resides not at a physi- and its here-today-gonecal crossroads but an intel- tomorrow inventory. The
lectual one. In the store’s 25 “cheap racks” offer a wealth
years, it has become known of eclectic and sought-after
not only for its cheap racks finds, they said.
of discount Mozart and Mo“I’ll see something in
town, but also its ability to the wall here that I want
bring together a collective and the next day it’s gone,”
culture of artists and au- Kemmeth Jackson, 39,
diophiles.
said. “It’s crazy how quick
“It’s not like collecting the turnaround is.”
coins, and stamps, and
Ostrander shared his
baseball cards,” explained strategy of “starting with
owner Barry Weisfeld, 56. the budget CDs and trying
“Records are something to find anything for $2 that
you can interinterests
:::::::::::::::
act with; they
me.”
speak to you.
T h e
Records are
best thing
The mission of
an art.”
he’s ever
the store is not to
The
store
found?
houses more
“Patton
encourage reflecthan 100,000
Oswalt’s
records. But
‘Weretion on a bygone
while records
wolves
are a technoloand Lolliera, but to stimugy of a bygone
pops,’ ” he
late community— said, grinera, the atmosphere is more
ning.
something that is
rem i n iscent
While
of an art galnot
in itself an increas- cated lolery than of a
in
museum. The
a
maingly antiquated
mission of the
jor city,
idea.
store is not
Princeton
to encourage
Record
:::::::::::::::
reflection on
Exchange
the past, but
has
reto stimulate community— ceived an extraordinary
something that is in itself amount of national and
an increasingly antiquated even international attenidea.
tion. The store proudly disMusician Brandon Re- plays its profiles from novilla, 30, has been coming table publications such as
to the store since he was a GQ, The New York Times
teenager. His older brother, and USA Today.
who previously worked at
But Weisfeld hasn’t let
the store, inducted Revilla the fame go to his head
into the cult of musty vinyl yet. Perhaps the reason his
and dollar CDs.
store has become such an
“It’s one of the few places institution in the commuwhere you can still buy new nity is that Weisfeld treats
records,” Revilla said. “Re- his patrons as neighbors
cords are a must for any au- and not numbers.
diophile; it’s more of a tone
On a recent afternoon,
style. CDs are really pure Weisfeld cheerfully greeted
and sometimes you want customers and passersto hear some of those [im- by and seemed to know
perfections]
many by
in the recordname.
:::::::::::::::
ing.”
One cusRevilla isn’t
tomer,
Perhaps the
the only loP a m
cal musician
Hersh,
reason his store
who grew up
stopped
in the shop has become such an
to chat
where
The
about
institution is that
Ramones and
recent
The Raincoats
developWeisfeld treats his
are neighbors
ments in
on
crowded
the compatrons as
plastic racks.
munity.
Liam
OsHersh,
neighbors and not
trander,
a
who is a
numbers.
19-year-old
former
theatrical
editor
:::::::::::::::
lighting major
of The
at North CaroPrinclina School of the Arts, has eton Packet and current
been browsing the racks vice-president of the Princsince before he was tall eton HealthCare System,
enough to reach the Bob talked with Weisfeld about
Dylan. His mother, a free- the relocation of the hospilance classical pianist, first tal and the decline of The
brought him to the store Princeton Packet.
around the age of six when
Weisfeld’s loyalty to his
she was in town for a re- customers is evident in his
cital.
business decisions as well.
“I love to buy records,” He was once offered $2,000
Ostrander
said.
“The to shut down the store for
sound quality is better, a day for a modeling shoot,
and maybe it’s just the but ultimately decided to
novelty of having a record put his customers first.
player.”
“We had to decline,” WeOstrander, however, does isfeld said. “We couldn’t go
not feign a hipster-esque a whole day without being
disdain for CDs or even dig- available to our customital music. “I had an iPod, ers.”
but the hard-drive recently
During the past 25 years,
failed, so now I’m using my that dedication has made
laptop to listen to music.”
Princeton Record Exchange
Many
other
patrons a cornerstone of the comechoed this affinity for tech- munity.
nology, though most believe
As Hersh, a woman who
that digital media will nev- has spent her life tracking
er usurp other forms com- the community pulse, said,
pletely.
“[Barry], this place—it’s a
“I don’t think everything historic institution.”
By Tonya Jo Riley
Union Bridge, Md.
P
rich tucker :: the princeton summer journal
Princeton Record Exchange, located at 20 South Tulane St., boasts a collection of more than 100,000 records.
Tables turn on digital music
By Charles Walker
Altadena, Calif.
Before you enter Princeton
Record Exchange, your view is
partially obscured by a dozen
news articles plastered over
the window, reporting on the
shop’s positive presence in
the community. Crossing the
threshold, you are greeted by
pulsating music, posters glorifying old ’80s rock bands or
other alternative genres, and
wall-to-wall shelves full of vinyl records, DVDs and CDs.
This quaint and eccentric
hub of creativity on South
Tulane Street is well-known
for having the largest music
collection on the East Coast.
“Literally every square inch
is used,” according to Barry
Weisfeld, the store’s owner.
With more than 100,000
records and DVDs, the Princeton Record Exchange draws
all sorts of clientele searching
for something new. But what’s
new may be completely different depending upon the customer. One man’s trash may
be another man’s treasure.
Weisfeld, who comes from
Long Island, N.Y., attended
the University of Hartford and
majored in marketing, which
allowed him to see what he
called a “brighter horizon in
life.” After college, his parents
gave him an ultimatum: Make
it selling records in 12 months
or settle down and find a 9 to
5 job.
Feeling motivated, he started out selling albums from
his car, which allowed him to
“start figuring out the whole
marketing thing.” In 1985, he
moved the store to its present
location, where it has thrived.
Reflecting on how far he
has come, Weisfeld said he
“doesn’t eat out of trash cans
anymore.”
In the era of digital media,
however, the ability to obtain
an artist’s song through Mp3s,
iTunes and file-sharing has
placed a huge strain on the
record business. New releases
have become available with
such ease that many consumers have left traditional music
stores behind.
Why have so many people
continued to go to the Princeton Record Exchange? “It’s
a treasure hunt,” said Liam
Ostrander, a 19-year-old student with Elvis sideburns
who has been shopping at
the store since he was seven.
Ostrander, whose classical
musician mother inspired his
love for music, passed over
the store’s massive classical
collection to rifle through the
punk records.
Ostrander previously had
an iPod but prefers buying
CDs and records when he can.
“Jimi Hendrix’s record sounds
better,” he explained, adding
that owning the vinyl record
has more novelty and value.
Kemmeth Jackson, 39, who
has been coming to the store
for 20 years, likes to pick and
choose from the diverse collection. “There are times when
you like to pull out the vinyl
and just relax,” Jackson said.
For his part, Matthew Milligan, a 21-year-old student,
buys a lot of music online—
but still spends time at the
store. “It’s a cool place to go,”
he said.
Milligan, who has been
coming to the Princeton area
for five years, is drawn to the
store for its iconic status and
the appeal of finding a new
record hidden in its bins.
Customers also said they
are supporting an important
cause: It is becoming harder
for the physical music industry
to thrive. If they don’t invest in
records, shops like Weisfeld’s
might cease to exist.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Retro feel ‘not about to change’
By Tammy Chan
Queens, N.Y.
These days, most people
equate browsing for music
with Apple’s iTunes store,
not old-fashioned record
shops. But if the Princeton
Record Exchange is any indication, old-school tapes
and vinyl are not dead yet.
Whether it’s the difference
in sound quality, the nostalgia of a used record or the
aesthetic of a large, full-color
album cover, customers are
still buying vinyl; and the
Princeton Record Exchange
is taking advantage of its
resurgence.
The store, which has been
in business for more than
30 years, “uses every cubic
inch,” store owner Barry
Weisfeld, 56, said. It’s filled
with a vast collection of
CDs, DVDs and vinyl, and
is known for its bargain bins
of CDs for $4.99 and DVDs
for $1.99.
Album covers have symbolized vinyl since records
were first produced. The covers are such a big draw that
the store’s interior is stacked
with them from the floor to
the ceiling, allowing customers to rummage through the
pile until they come across
an attractive cover.
“Unlike collecting coins
and baseball cards, records
and CDs talk to you. It’s
amazing. It’s interactive,”
Weisfeld said.
And customers agree.
“[This] place is an institution,” said Pam Hersh, a former editor of The Princeton
Packet.
Liam Ostrander, 19, a
student at North Carolina
School of the Arts comes
“kicking around town” in
Princeton to visit the store.
As the son of a freelance
musician, he had a childhood
filled with music and buying records. “It’s fun picking
through the stuff; it’s like
a treasure hunt,” Ostrander
said.
Weisfeld, originally from
Long Island, N.Y., started to
sell records when he was a
student at the University of
Hartford.
Like many others, he developed an interest in vinyl
at a young age, growing up
with parents who were avid
record collectors. Their collections became so extensive that Weisfeld decided
to open a store to share the
wealth.
He started selling records
casually in September 1975
after getting the idea from
a flea market. He finally
opened up his first store in
March 1980. His parents
gave him 12 months to make
his new business profitable.
And he “kind of just made
it,” he said.
Weisfeld credits his business’ success in the age of
digital music to the superior
“condition and quality” of his
products.
From the retro feel of vinyl
to the memories it brings
back to both collectors and
listeners, vinyl records have
marked their place in the
Princeton Record Exchange,
and customers say that’s not
about to change any time
soon.
“There’s nothing better
than listening to my Hendrix on vinyl,” Ostrander
said.
rich tucker :: princeton summer journal file photo
Page 4
The Princeton Summer Journal
August 9, 2010
Arts & Entertainment
August 9, 2010
Page 5
The Princeton Summer Journal
Arts & Entertainment
‘Inception’ bends reality, stretches minds
By Tashi Shuler-Drakes
Bridgeport, Conn.
C
hristopher
Nolan ’s mindboggling summer blockbuster,
“Inception,” is pure genius.
Dom Cobb (Leonardo
DiCaprio), makes a living by entering people’s
dreams and stealing their
secrets. The plot thickens when he is recruited
to complete his hardest
job yet—he has to plant
a thought in the mind of
his employer Saito’s (Ken
Watanabe) rival, Robert
Fischer (Cillian Murphy).
Struggling with his own
inner demons, Cobb fights
his way through a foreign
subconscious hoping to
see more than just light
at the end of the tunnel.
Nolan’s obsessively detailed visual landscapes
shift between dreams and
reality. “Inception’s” world
is one in which the line
dividing the two realms is
tenuous. As Cobb and his
partners, Ariadne (Ellen
Page) and Arthur (Joseph
Gordon Levitt), travel deep
into Fischer’s mind, the
film unfolds a highly crafted architectural dreamscape that leaves the viewer
delightfully disoriented.
While the film is filled
with cinematic tricks,
slow-motion shots and
climactic music, “Inception” presents a lot of deep
questions for the viewer.
If the larger questions
don’t capture the viewers’
imagination, then the unpredictability of it all will.
With sites ranging from
snow-covered mountains
to upside-down cities,
from zero-gravity hotels
to beaches surrounded
by sandcastle ruins, the
originality of Nolan’s
work cannot be denied.
As the characters go
deeper into each stage of
Fischer’s subconscious,
they realize the dangers
lie not only in his dreams,
but in Cobb’s as well. With
Cobb’s late wife haunting
the dream world, each
member of the team is
endangered by his inability to let go of his past.
Each team member must
play a part in the movie’s
outcome, enhancing the
storyline without distracting the audience from the
larger story about Cobb
confronting his past.
What is so captivating
about this movie is the
visual representations
of alternate realities.
Throughout the movie,
viewers question whether
what’s seizing their attention is what they really
think it is. Not only does
Nolan make you doubt
reality, but he also makes
you doubt your doubts.
The result is a film that
stands out from the other
summer blockbusters for
its innovative storytelling.
The movie is a brilliant example of what
can happen to a person
who chooses to not live
in the real world, but
in a world of their own.
It’s a heart-breaking,
action-packed film that
can never be replicated.
By Carissa Isabel Eclarin
Chicago, Ill.
C
hristopher no-
lan ’s new film,
is a summer
blockbuster
with grand ambitions.
Dom Cobb (Leonardo
DiCaprio), a fugitive who
lives on the run for a
crime he didn’t commit,
makes his living practicing the dangerous art of
“extracting,” the technological process of travelling into people’s dreams
to obtain their secrets.
The movie centers on
Cobb’s biggest project
yet: “incepting” an idea
inside the mind of technology magnate Saito’s
(Ken Watanabe) competitor Robert Fischer
(Cillian Murphy).
Cobb’s colleagues Arthur
(Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
and Ariadne (Ellen Page)
join in his quest to travel
into the different levels
of Fischer’s dreams. Only
later in the movie does
Cobb find out the real
dangers of “inception.” He
must fight his own demons
to conquer his memories
and free himself from the
realm of his dreams.
Like “The Departed,”
with a twist of “Memento,”
“Inception” keeps its viewers guessing from beginning to end, with its crime
drama and mind-bending
elements. The considerable difference, however,
is its push toward the
extremity of a psychological thriller, where “your
mind is the scene of the
crime,” as the film’s advertisement explains.
The genius of writer and
director Christopher Nolan, whose previous work
includes “Batman Begins”
and “The Dark Knight,”
has yielded an intricate
film. Using his innovative trademark technique
of juxtaposing images and
music, Nolan delivers on the
hype surrounding “Inception” as this summer’s most
talked about blockbuster.
Low lights, offset angles
and impressive graphics
create different realities
and dreams notable down
to the most specific detail.
Hans Zimmer, the movie’s music composer, has
also created a deep, eerie
soundtrack to complement
the dark realm portrayed
in the movie. Zimmer’s use
of Edith Piaf’s song “Non,
Je Ne Regrette Rien” (“No
Regrets”), remains unforgettable as the “countdown
song” that brings the
characters from the dream
world back to reality.
The audience’s senses
muddled and minds
stretched, Nolan’s techniques successfully elicit
the perfect combination of
suspense, thrill and “kick”
to keep viewers on the edge
of their seats and wanting
more. Though one might
feel frustrated and lost
because of the fast-paced
complexity of the movie, it
is a rewarding brain exercise that requires careful
attention to understand it.
Nolan ends the movie
abruptly, finishing with a
jolting message that challenges its viewers’ reading
of the film and ultimately
demands a second visit to
the movie theater. Collectively, the film is more
than a summer blockbuster—it’s an instant classic.
The ending is open for
debate; nonetheless, between subconciousness,
dreams and reality, Nolan
has created a masterpiece.
These kids are
just all right
By Tonya Jo Riley & Yared Portillo
Union Bridge, Md. and
Santa Maria, Calif.
T
extraordinary
thing about Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All
Right” is how ordinary
it turns out to be. What at first
glance appears to be an unconventional family quickly becomes
a portrait of a typical middleclass American unit with typical
middle-class American problems.
The dramedy follows the family of married lesbians Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne
Moore), and their children Laser
(Josh Hutcherson) and Joni (Mia
Wasikowska). At her brother’s request, Joni reluctantly contacts the
man (Mark Ruffalo) who donated
sperm to both of their mothers.
While the trailer attempts to
portray the film as a quirky commentary on the new “modern
family,” as the movie develops,
it morphs into a formulaic film.
The romantic affairs are messy,
and the teens are full of angst.
Laser, in search of a male influence, puts his trust in a reckless
and negatively influential friend.
Joni struggles to break away from
her family and pursue her own
life as she prepares to transition
into college. And Paul, the sperm
donor, is an outsider without a true
concept of family who exacerbates
the family’s strained relationships.
The side characters make
he most
large entrances, but the movie
takes on too many stories to
properly develop them. Close
friends of both Laser and Joni
appear with enthusiasm but
fade as the film progresses.
Each character’s struggles would
seem to be bourgeois clichés in
a film focused on a traditional
nuclear family. But Cholodenko
assumes that these clichés are
negated by using a non-traditional
family. The marriage, however,
is heteronormative. Jules is the
stay-at-home mom, quitting her
job to raise the kids, while Nic is
the breadwinner, coming home
frustrated night after night.
Nic plays husband, a “Mad Men”esque figure dressed in masculine
style. This, in turn, fuels Jules’
insecurities as the submissive
wife. It would have been a stronger
statement on Cholodenko’s part
to portray both women in a feminine light, as mothers and wives.
While there is merit to showing
that same-sex families are as
screwed up as everybody else’s,
it would have been more powerful to show their differences.
The final character is Southern California, which facilitates
each character’s vulnerability by
contrasting a tidy suburb with
Paul’s organic garden. Throughout the film, characters are often looking past their current
surroundings to the other side
where the grass is not necessarily greener, but different.
The family’s unglamorous
and almost gauche appearance,
fostered by the house’s mellow
lighting appeals to Paul, who is
seemingly in search of a reason to
settle down. However, the natural lighting and rolling vistas of
Paul’s garden and farm tempt
Jules and Nic, who have spent
the last 18 years tied down by
parenthood and responsibility.
The art direction, which at its
core is reminiscent of television
shows from the 1970s, emphasizes
the idea of left-coast liberalism
being assimilated into traditional
America. From kitschy coffee mugs
with slogans to Jules’ bohemian
look, the movie is a parody of a relatively conservative family pegging
themselves as the outsider-liberals.
But perhaps Cholodenko’s seemingly conservative portrayal of a
modern family is just a continuance
of the inability of the characters to
truly express themselves emotionally. Even at the climax of the movie,
all the whip-smart Joni can manage to say to Paul is, “I just wished
that you were better.” This may indeed be the least vague dialogue in
a script full of “ums” and “yeahs.”
“The Kids Are All Right” is
undoubtedly full of basic human
truths, but they are presented
in a surprisingly conventional
way. Though it is an entertaining movie full of subtle nuances
and high-brow humor, it leaves
the viewer feeling that maybe the
kids are a little too “all right”
and wondering why they warrant their own narrative.
Page 6
August 9, 2010
The Princeton Summer Journal
Editorials & Opinion
The emotional
toll of war
The Princeton
Summer Journal
a publication of the
princeton university
summer journalism program
Bianca Dennis
P
Students
atlantic city, n.j.
not short, frenzied outbursts
of emotion, but the tranquil and steady
dedication of a lifetime.” This Adlai Stevenson quotation articulates an ideal form
of American patriotism. The best decision cannot
be made when emotions cloud better judgment.
The Aug. 9 issue of Time magazine appeals directly
to the American public’s emotions. The cover shows
the face of an 18-year-old Afghan girl. There is a hole
where her nose should be. Though a veil conceals it,
her ears have been sliced off as well. These mutilations are the result of her attempt to escape abusive
in-laws. Her eyes stare directly into those of anyone
who picks up the magazine. The subtitle of the cover
reads, “What happens if we leave Afghanistan.”
There is no question mark. It is stated as fact.
“Emotion leads many Americans to want to punish perpetrators of the September 11 attacks,” wrote
Stephen Kinzer in a Boston Globe article in 2008.
Many, like Kinzer, argue that huge political decisions leading up to the Afghan War were based on
emotion. The Bush Administration claimed America
had to enter the war to fight the Taliban, but Richard Holbrooke, the Obama administration’s special
representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, aptly
noted that Afghan corruption fuels the Taliban.
The cover of the magazine champions the war
and implies that staying involved will prevent
atrocities like mutilation. The image and headline
bring so many raw emotions to the surface — a
sense of duty to intervene when a young girl is horrifically mutilated; horror at the atrocities that
such a powerful regime can inflict; and pride in
America’s mission to spread fundamental freedoms
to a country that shows women so little mercy.
The cover implies that war is the only way to
achieve these ideals. It creates a visual argument
by suggesting that these mutilations will increase
when the United States leaves Afghanistan. This
implicit argument ignores the fact that mutilation
still occurs with American forces in the country.
According to the journalist Robert McMahon, President Obama “stressed the importance
of a stable Afghanistan in the effort to bolster
Pakistan’s government and pursue al-Qaeda
safe havens in that country’s tribal areas.”
This is almost a worthy cause, but only if stability
in government means justice. Though China has had
a relatively stable Communist government for decades,
more than 15,000 women in China are sold into sex
slavery each year, according to Amnesty International.
Stability does not guarantee fair treatment for women.
The war in Afghanistan is not working. The forces
in Afghanistan are not detaining corrupt politicians.
More than 1,200 U.S. troops have been killed in the
war, and it will soon surpass Vietnam as the longest war America has ever been involved in. News
of Afghan civilian casualties is not scarce, and the
murder of an Afghan child by American forces last
October in Logar Province is just one example of the
tragedies that result from military intervention. The
annual cost of the Afghan War—over $100 billion—
could be spent on humanitarian aid and infrastructure improvement. Perpetuating a war that diverts
resources from actual progress due to judgmentimpairing emotions does not help the Afghan people.
Emotion does have a place in politics, but
allowing emotion to dictate decisions—especially in the war in Afghanistan—enables sexism, torture and other forms of injustice to
flourish in a minefield of incompetence.
atriotism is
staff
editorial
....................................
Friends for a lifetime
T
a 10-day program.” With this quote,
director Michael Koike
summed up the Princeton
University Summer Journalism
Program, which began with reading assignments weeks before we
came and will continue after we
leave campus—with directors and
counselors guiding us through the
college application process during the next several months.
There are countless things that
the 21 of us from across the nation
love about this program. For some,
it was the first time seeing the
East Coast. For all, it was the
first time reporting an investigative story in New York City and
exploring The New York Times,
CNN and Daily Beast offices.
But the intellectual atmosphere
was also strong on campus. At
Princeton, we have been able to
engage in workshops featuring
guest speakers with the most brilliant minds. We had the opportunity to meet public intellectual
Cornel West and other inspiring
figures, from history professor
Anthony Grafton to New Yorker
correspondent Ryan Lizza.
During walks back to the dorms
or meetings with newspaper teams,
we had the chance to bond with
and learn from the many personalities of the directors and counselors. This could mean getting
his is not
Program Staff
Directors
Richard Just ’01
Michael Koike ’01
Greg Mancini ’01
Rich Tucker ’01
Staff Associate
Samantha Pergadia ’11
Counselors
Adrian Alvarez GS ’04
Viviana Benjumea SJP ’08
Jonas Clark
Marin Cogan
Amanda Cormier SJP ’07
Ben Crair
Angela Fabunan SJP ’06
Melisa Gao ’06
Mario Rosser SJP ’08
Becky Myers
Leslie Primack SJP ’06
Amanda Rinderle ’08
Brian Rokus ’99
Tasnim Shamma SJP ’06,
Princeton ’11
Eileen Shim SJP ’07
Marion Smallwood SJP ’07
The Princeton University Summer
Journalism Program welcomes about 20 high
school students every year to Princeton University for a 10-day, all-expenses-paid seminar.
Founded by Princeton alumni, the program’s
mission is to diversify the world of college journalism—and, ultimately, the world of professional journalism—by energizing students from
low-income backgrounds about the possibility
of attending elite universities and working for
their college papers. For more information,
please visit www.princeton.edu/sjp.
The truth about boys and girls
Franklin Lee
F
excited over newly discovered “Silly
Bandz,” or learning to snap your
fingers after an inspiring moment.
There were some things that we
would change for future students
of SJP. The SAT prep would have
been better if it had been more indepth. Additionally, we still have
the desire to be exposed to so much
more. We wish we had been able to
learn about photography and radio
broadcasting, and spend more time
on video production and newspaper
layout. All this might have been possible if the program were longer.
As it was, one consequence
of the program’s frenetic schedule was sleep deprivation. But
in the end, time spent working
hard was time spent bonding.
While at this program, we
learned about how the advent of
new media has put a lot of pressure on budding journalists,
but we also learned many ways
to use it to our advantage.
Directors and counselors gave us
so much information about the college admissions process and about
how to find the best college without
breaking the bank. By furthering
our education and polishing our
talents, we go into the world armed
with tools for leading successful
lives. This means that those of
us who will go on to become journalists can continue to cultivate
the art of reporting the truth.
Tammy Chan
Bianca Dennis
Brenda Duman
Carissa Isabel Eclarin
Elizabeth Gonzalez
Paty Gutierrez
Shawdae Harrison
Franklin Lee
Shaiesha Moore
Maria V. Paredes
Yared Portillo
Antonio Regulier
Frances C. Richburg
Tonya Jo Riley
Tashi Shuler-Drakes
Alfonso Toro Jr.
Melina Torres
Charles Walker
Imani Watson
Jonathan Wigfall
Stephanie Zhou
Los Angeles, Calif.
past four years,
the student body
presidents in my high
school, Los Angeles
Center for Enriched Studies,
have been female. On one level,
or the
illustration by maria v. paredes
this is great news. Women have
made enormous progress during the last several decades
in the United States. Indeed,
the appointments of Supreme
Court Justices Elena Kagan
and Sonia Sotomayor show the
growing influence of women
in a male-dominated sphere.
But there may be another
reason why the last four presidents at my school have been
female: Women are outpacing
men in educational achievement. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, 55 percent of
college students are female,
while only 45 percent are male.
The difference of 10 percent
may seem small now, but the
National Center for Education
Statistics has predicted that
only 40 percent of the college
population will be male by
2017.
My personal experience at
school seems to confirm this
prediction. It is easy to discern
that the majority of the students in Advanced Placement
and honors classes as well as
the majority of club officers
and school leaders are female.
As I write this article, I realize
that 16 of 21 students at the
Princeton Summer Journalism
Program are female.
So why is this a problem? Among lower-income
Americans, men tend to go into
industries that require less
education. According to a study
by Washington University in
St. Louis, less than 10 percent
of nurses are men. And, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 97.8 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers are women.
These industries are less
volatile than the industries
where lower-income men tend
to end up. According to The
New York Times, “Men are more
likely to work in industries that
are more sensitive to the busi-
ness cycle, like manufacturing,
construction, finance and car
dealerships.
Women, by contrast, are disproportionately employed in
‘safer’ industries, like health
care, education and government
work.”
In early 2009, the Times also
reported that, since the beginning of the recession, “a full 82
percent of the job losses have
befallen men.” In other words,
the education gap between
men and women may have had
serious consequences for lowerincome American males during
this recession.
Encouraging educational
opportunities for lower-income
males would help them land
in stable professions, which, in
turn, could alleviate some of
the disproportionate impact of
future recessions. With all of
this in mind, I am hoping for a
male student body president at
my school next year.
August 9, 2010
Page 7
The Princeton Summer Journal
Editorials & Opinion
Reality TV, but not enough reality
Stephanie Zhou
Brooklyn, N.Y.
I
was clicking around
on Yahoo! when something caught my eye.
The headline “Bachelorette’s Final Decision” was
the second most prominent
link. “Changes to Miranda
Rights,” however, was number 10 or 11. Has celebrity
news trumped real news?
Entertainment news has
not just caught America’s attention—it has consumed it.
The headlines for stories about
Lindsay Lohan’s jail sentence
and Tiger Woods’ funny business have become as big as
those for articles on immigration
law and health care reform.
And reality television has
sped up this phenomenon. Celebrities used to be made through
their talent. Now the subjects
of reality television shows
become famous by doing absolutely nothing. Just look at Kim
Kardashian on “Keeping Up
with the Kardashians” or Heidi
Montag on “The Hills.” They
have become larger than life
simply by appearing on camera.
Reality shows have created
a fresh batch of celebrities who
need to be covered, leaving less
room for serious news. We all
know when Ellen joined the
“Idol” panel of judges, but do
we all know when Sotomayor
joined the Supreme Court?
This ongoing trend is dumbing down American society.
According to a study from
the Joan Shorenstein Center on
the Press, Politics and Public
Policy at Harvard University’s
John F. Kennedy School of
Government, news stories that
Shaiesha Moore
T
illustration by maria v. paredes
have no public policy component have increased in
frequency from less than 35
percent of all stories in 1980 to
roughly 50 percent by 2001.
This is wrong. Real news
should be about current
events that affect people.
Last time I checked, Britney didn’t shave my head.
To be sure, many Americans
agree that there should be less
reality television. An MSNBC
survey conducted in 2005 found
that four out of every five people
thought there was too much
reality television on the air.
The people who disagree are
probably on reality shows.
But no matter what they tell
a pollster, people continue to
watch them in large numbers.
Reality shows like “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Bachelorette” and
“America’s Got Talent” were the
highest-rated shows last week.
According to The New York
Post, 5.3 million viewers tuned
in for the season premiere of
“Jersey Shore,” making it the
most-watched cable television
show of 2010. “Jersey Shore”
is a reality show on MTV with
cameras that follow eight housemates with borderline-citrusfruit tans. Behind all the partying, drinking and fist-pumping,
there is . . . more fist-pumping.
On July 23, a New York Times
reporter wrote a profile about
Nicole Polizzi, the “Jersey Shore”
star more popularly known as
“Snooki.” The article examined
“how much gel they can pump
into their hair before they make
the chicken parm.” And it went
on to say that “in the first episode, Snooki got drunk, threw
up and passed out.” Is that what
we have to do to be featured in
a world-renowned newspaper?
I could say that the public
should just ignore reality
television, celebrity news, the
direction of Justin Bieber’s
hair or the lack of material on Miley’s outfit. But that
would be like trying to build
a wall between celebrities and
the public eye when the only
things in stock are windows.
We have fame fever.
There should be a balance
between entertainment news
and the real news. Schools
should hand out newspapers
such as The New York Times,
The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune or even the local
newspaper. Schools should also
provide more journalism classes
and debates on current events.
Maybe then, teenagers will
determine whether they will
be members of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party instead of Team
Edward or Team Jacob.
If I were president (of Haiti)
Shawdae
Harrison
R
baltimore, md.
apper- singer-political
Wyclef Jean
has announced he
will be running for
president of Haiti in the Nov.
28 elections. Jean has been an
influential resource for Haiti
as his efforts have raised millions for the nation’s relief
after the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Back in 2004, Jean created
Yele Haiti, a charitable organization for the people suffering
in Haiti. He believes his presidency would change the country for the better. Analysts
are predicting that Wyclef
could project his star power
into a solid electoral victory.
Like President Obama, Jean
is relying on younger voters to
get him into office, distancing
himself from the older candidates, including his 78-yearold uncle, Raymond Joseph,
who has been the U.S. ambassador for the past five years.
But is Jean really the person
to lead Haiti out of turmoil?
Haiti, currently a semidemocracy, has been subject
to decades of poverty, environmental degradation, violence,
instability and dictatorship. It
has long been one of the poorest nations in the Americas.
Though economic sanctions
and U.S.-led military intervention helped prevent dictatorship from reemerging in Haiti
in 1994, Haiti’s fortunes did
not pick up. The then-president
was forced out of the country
in 2004, leaving Haiti without a stable government.
activist
Dinky a
gateway to
University
history
Since then, an elected leadership has taken over from
an interim government and
a United Nations stabilization force has been deployed.
But Haiti is still plagued by
violence, and the U.N. has
described the human rights
situation as “catastrophic.”
Meanwhile, the aftermath of
the January earthquake has
left the country in dire straits.
With a country suffering
through catastrophe, one would
think that the ideal solution
would be to elect someone
who knows the nation well.
But while Jean was born in
Haiti and maintains a home
there, he has lived in the
United States since he was
nine. Jean doesn’t speak fluent French, Haiti’s national
language, and he is hoping
authorities will waive the
Haitian constitution’s requirement that candidates live
in the country for the five
years preceding the ballot.
Moreover, a candidate with
no political background can’t
possibly know how to run a
nation, let alone a nation in
devastation. Haiti’s problems
cannot begin to be reversed
without a ruler who has a plan
for the country. When asked
about his political platform,
Jean falls back on vague platitudes about the need to create
jobs, reform education, support Haitian agriculture and
attract foreign investment.
Another reason for skepticism is the scandal associated with Jean’s Yele foundation. According to a 2006
tax return, Yele paid Jean
$100,000 to sing at a benefit
concert and made payments of
$250,000 and $31,000 to companies partly owned by Jean.
(Jean has insisted that he
did not personally gain from
the foundation.) The scandal
could hurt Jean’s ability to
attract international donors
to Haiti if he is elected.
Actor Sean Penn openly
opposes Jean’s candidacy. “I
want to see someone who’s
really, really willing to sacrifice for their country, and
not just someone who I personally saw with a vulgar
entourage of vehicles that
demonstrated a wealth in
Haiti that, in context, I felt
was a very obscene demonstration,” Penn told CNN.
One of Jean’s former bandmates in the Fugees, Pras,
is also skeptical of his de-
cision to run for office. “I
endorse Michel Martell as
the next president of Haiti
because he is the most competent candidate for the job,”
Pras said in a statement.
Some might say that Jean’s
nonexistent political background will provide a new
outlook for Haiti. But it seems
more likely that Jean is simply offering false hope to the
Haitian populace. The country
needs a president who truly
understands the problems it
faces and how to solve them.
Wyclef Jean is not that person.
illustration by carissa isabel eclarin
Chicago, Ill.
he massive steel, two-car train
that moves swiftly down the narrow 2.7 mile-long track has been
running for 145 years. But today
it is facing an end to its historic ride.
The Princeton Township and Borough,
along with New Jersey Transit, are considering replacing Princeton University’s
beloved Dinky with a rapid transit bus
system due to a need for transportation
improvement. Kim Jackson, Director of
Transportation and Parking at Princeton
University, said, “The University has a
strong interest in transit service between
the campus and Princeton Junction that
is frequent, reliable and rapid. Unfortunately, in recent years Dinky service has
become less frequent and less reliable.”
This proposal should not be approved
because it will destroy a landmark
that the community loves. In addition,
there are reasons to believe that replacing the Dinky with a bus will not
make transportation more efficient.
First and foremost, this small train has
something that many other options lack:
history. Constructed in 1865, the Dinky
has carried many influential and eccentric
riders over the years. Travelers could have
ranged from Albert Einstein and Woodrow
Wilson 1879 to more recent figures like
Elena Kagan ’81 and Michelle Obama ’85.
Second, it is an institution beloved by
the community. One thoughtful Dinky
traveler is Lowell Edmunds, 71, who has
ridden the Dinky once every two weeks
for 20 years. He uses the Dinky to visit
the University’s library for his personal
research. The Dinky has provided him a
gateway to the books that he cherishes.
While expressing his love for books,
Edmunds sat back on the brown seat in
the Dinky and stared out the window at
the moving scenery. “The Dinky, to Princeton, is like cable cars to San Francisco,”
he said. “It is a symbol of this city.”
Residents are speaking out. They
have created a “Save the Princeton
Dinky” group on Facebook, which has
6,000 members, including Princeton
alumni and empathetic history buffs.
To them and to the world, the Dinky is
a historical landmark that deserves to
be preserved—Princeton without the
Dinky is like life without history.
Other community residents are opposed
to the proposal because the train is essential to their daily routine. The Dinky
serves as the only form of transportation for some like Elizabeth Scott Harvey
who lives in Princeton Junction. “I do not
drive,” she said. “The Dinky is my main
mode of transport, and even if it weren’t,
I’d still do whatever I could to save it as it
is an icon, a historic landmark, a community event and so much more to so many.”
Finally, there is no reason to believe that
a bus would be efficient or more reliable.
Professor Alain Kornhauser, director of
the transportation program at Princeton
University, is an advocate for saving the
Dinky, and disputes the University’s ideas
about accessibility. “It doesn’t improve accessibility to or from Princeton compared
to what currently exists,” he said. “Plus,
some minor improvements to the Dinky
would substantially enhance accessibility.”
A conductor of the Dinky, as well as an
engineer, both of whom wanted to remain
anonymous because of New Jersey Transit policy, spoke about the disadvantages
of a bus. They highlighted the fact that
a bus would not be efficient because it
would not be able to pick up all the passengers at once. “There have been times
when we had as many as 200 people,”
the conductor said. “Now how many
buses do you think that would take?”
According to the University, about 40
percent of undergraduates use the Dinky
throughout the year. A bus might not be
able to take this enormous number of people as well as their luggage. And by making
several stops along its route, the bus could
be a rather slow form of transportation.
I hope that the Dinky will see its 150th
anniversary. I hope to hear the Dinky
screech across the tracks for years to come.
By saving the Dinky, we would not only
preserve a pleasant means of transportation, but also an important part of history.
Page 8
August 9, 2010
The Princeton Summer Journal
Editorials & Opinion
Give the test
a rest
Yared Portillo
E
Santa maria, Calif.
very year,
students spend countless hours
in the classroom taking in new experiences.
Yet every year, all the epiphanies and teachable moments come down to one event at
the end of the school year, which turns them into
nothing but a number—nothing but a test score.
In her book “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” Diane Ravitch writes that testing has “become a central preoccupation in the schools
and . . . not just a measure but an end in itself.”
My school is no exception. It is 85 percent Latino,
and about one-third of our school population is made
up of English learners. Our test scores, consequently,
aren’t very high. We have received a grant through
the Quality Education Investment Act, which provides
money to underperforming schools for seven years in
order to help them improve their test scores. The result is that many of the administrators at our school
seem more concerned with raising test scores than
making sure that students are actually learning.
Administrators have attempted to improve test scores
by emphasizing core classes, and failing to prioritize elective courses. During the past few years, our school lost
one of its best elective courses when the teacher retired
and was not replaced. This coming year, we will have
no woodshop class because our only woodshop teacher
just retired, and there are no plans to hire a new one.
For those students not interested in academics, electives can serve as a motivating factor in
school—something to encourage them to attend their
core classes. For instance, the prospect of a film
and broadcasting class can keep students sitting
through a challenging English class. Moreover, that
very same elective can lead a student to a career.
Teaching to the test can also cause problems in core
classes themselves. Ellen Viruleg, a Harvard Ph.D.
student who is writing her dissertation on standardized
testing policies, says that tests only use a limited number of questions, and those “items are pretty predictable.”
The predictability of the test makes it easy to ignore many parts of the curriculum and avoid teaching many subjects with depth. And making tests less
predictable isn’t really a solution: Changing the tests
from year to year make it harder to compare results
across time—in a sense, defeating the purpose of
standardized testing, which is to measure progress.
The problem, of course, is that we don’t have other
cost-effective ways to hold schools accountable. In 1989,
Vermont tried to implement a student portfolio system in
order to foster a higher level of creativity. But it is prohibitively expensive for independent experts to grade portfolios than to grade standardized tests. And so, while
the idea of substituting portfolios for tests is a promising
one, it would require more funding at a moment when
the public education system is strapped for money.
Perhaps, then, the best thing to do is not to get rid of
standardized tests but rather to stop placing so much
emphasis on them. “I don’t think that we should just
ignore standardized testing. I think it’s very powerful,”
Viruleg says. But, she argues, the situation grows problematic when we start attaching “large stakes to the
test.” Maybe if less importance were placed on standardized testing, and more on the process of inspiring learning, teachers would be less likely to teach to the test.
The sad reality is that education is subjective. We
still can’t properly define good learning or teaching.
That doesn’t mean we should stop trying to measure success via standardized tests—only that we
shouldn’t treat them as the most important factor.
I
Breaking ground, healing wounds
Imani Watson
R
Santa Maria, Calif.
January, a devastating earthquake that
claimed more than 300,000 lives drew
the world’s attention to the Caribbean
island of Haiti. Fundraisers were held
on network television. Pop stars paid musical
tribute. $5.3 billion dollars in aid was pledged
from around the world to rebuild the country.
All this attention, while much-needed,
missed the broader point. Haiti has been a
country in crisis for decades—a collapsed state
with a broken economy. But now, eight months
after the earthquake, much of the aid promised has yet to arrive. And—considering that
already seven years ago 80 percent of Haiti’s
population was below the poverty line, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World
Factbook—Haiti is in worse shape than ever.
It is now obvious that a new approach
is essential to Haiti’s survival—not
simply more promises and no-stringsattached humanitarian aid. The United
States must finally take steps to pull
Haiti out of poverty once and for all.
Explained simply, the United States
needs to help the Haitians grow an economy
from scratch. Realistically, Haiti can’t be
expected to become a First World country
Chicago, Ill.
ecently, there has been a
heated debate about a proposal to build a mosque two
blocks north of Ground Zero,
the site where two commercial airplanes hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Many groups and
individuals have come out against the
construction of the mosque, but their
opposition is misguided. Intolerance,
the reason why our great Twin Towers were destroyed nearly a decade
ago, is the same reason why there
is resistance to the mosque today.
Of all the groups opposed to the
mosque, none is more surprising than
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL),
an organization that “fights all forms
of bigotry, defends democratic ideals, and protects civil rights for all.”
On July 28, the ADL came out
Sweating it out
Paty Gutierrez
n
illustration by maria v. paredes
overnight. Instead, a way must be found to
draw manufacturing and industry to Haiti
and its large but unskilled workforce, because only through employment can the
Haitians pull themselves from the rubble.
However, businesses are unlikely to be
attracted to Haiti unless the country first
changes itself. After all, companies require
the kind of stability that comes only through
infrastructure—police, utilities and means
of transporting goods in and out of the country. To set the stage for that, Haiti will need
foreign aid to pay for police, power plants
and ports. And that will not be cheap.
Even more than infrastructure, businesses
will need a financial motivation to move or
expand into Haiti. The United States will need
to offer tax incentives and financial subsidies
to make Haiti a profitable business alternative.
And this plan is also not without risks.
Attracting large manufacturers to Haiti creates the potential for worker exploitation.
Such “sweatshops” must not be tolerated.
The Haitian government must implement
fair but strong labor laws to protect workers, and the United States must be careful
to choose only responsible businesses as recipients of Haitian expansion incentives.
To be sure, this solution will most definitely be costly. However, the benefits of
creating a prosperous and independent
Haiti will far outweigh the costs in the long
term—for Americans and Haitians alike.
against the mosque, saying, “The controversy which has emerged regarding the building of an Islamic Center
at this location is counterproductive
to the healing process. Therefore,
under these unique circumstances,
we believe the City of New York
would be better served if an alternative location could be found.”
As an organization dedicated to fostering tolerance, the ADL should know
better. Its opposition to the mosque
is a betrayal of its core mission.
The United States was built on fundamental ideals and principles that include the right to practice religion freely.
“The government has no right whatsoever to deny that right,” New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said about the
mosque. If the government were allowed
to deny the owners of the building the
right to host a religious facility, then it
would have the right to deny any homeowner, business owner or landlord that
same right, which would be nonsensical. As Bloomberg remarked, “We would
betray our values if we were to treat
Muslims differently than anyone else.”
Bloomberg’s arguments have no
sway over Republican candidate for
New York governor Rick Lazio, who opposes the mosque. Lazio was quoted
in a New York Times editorial saying, “This is not about religion. . . .
It’s about this particular mosque.”
What Lazio fails to realize is that
this issue has everything to do with
religion and that rights are not conditional. There would be no controversy if
there were a proposal to build a church;
to oppose the construction of a mosque
is clear religious discrimination.
Granted, the terrorist group that
senselessly killed thousands in 2001
was Muslim. But doesn’t fighting
against the mosque mean that we
hold all Muslims accountable for the
attacks? If so, then what does that
say about us as a people? The group
proposing the mosque, the Cordoba
Initiative, says on its website that it
is “committed to promoting positive
interaction between the Muslim World
and the West.” Rather than unjustly
excluding people of the Islamic faith,
we should embrace them. After all,
this building is meant to enrich and
unite the community, not divide it.
An indecent proposal
Frances C. Richburg
I
Bronx, N.Y.
t’s disheartening
to see that the
United States can remain so
divided on some of the most important issues, one of the most
prominent being sexual orientation.
Proposition 8 in California provided
that “only marriage between a man and
a woman is valid or recognized,” effectively banning gay marriage in 2008. On
Wednesday, the U.S. District Court in
San Francisco made a remarkable decision when it overturned the proposition.
But supporters of Proposition 8 aren’t
fretting because they are hopeful that
when the decision is appealed to the
higher court, the gay community won’t
be as fortunate.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the
United States Constitution prohibits
discrimination against individuals by
government institutions. One of its
clauses grants all people equal protection
under the law, meaning that states must
enforce the law without doling out preferences to any specific group. Logically,
this should apply to marriage, but it does
not.
The example of race in this country
is instructive. The Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson with Brown v.
Board of Education by declaring “separate but equal” unconstitutional. Though
race is still a problematic issue in this
country, it has undoubtedly improved
since the 20th century.
After centuries of oppression, this
country legitimately found ways to begin
correcting the wrongs of segregation.
Though the situation isn’t perfectly comparable, I’m confused as to why homosexuals cannot receive their equal rights
as well.
Many people might argue that there
is no comparison between race and sexuality. However, both skin pigmentation
and attraction are things that no one can
control.
Refusing to recognize that gays have
a right to marry is a direct attack on
their character, implying that they are
not worthy of the same concessions as
heterosexuals solely based on whom
they love.
Settlement of the issue by the
Supreme Court seems almost inevitable.
Hopefully the court will recognize that
gay rights are human rights.
The courts are obliged to give citizens equal protection under the law.
Anything less than full marriage rights
for gay couples would be a miscarriage
of justice.
August 9, 2010
Page 9
The Princeton Summer Journal
Personal Narratives
The loss that brought us together
Shawdae
Harrison
I
Baltimore, Md.
felt the blood rush from
my face when I was stabbed
with the news. “She may
not make it,” replayed in
my mind over and over in the
same deep and ominous tone. I
knew she wasn’t going to make
it. I was losing her, my sister.
Her name was Tarshia Matthews. I remember the day she
was born. I can still feel the
warmth from the first time I held
her. She looked up at me, and
I gazed back at her. I stared at
the tape that held the breathing
tubes to her nose. I didn’t want
to let her go. She stayed in the
hospital for several months before
she knew home. A few weeks later, she was back at the hospital.
I didn’t see my mother much
after Tarshia was born. She
stayed at the hospital every
minute she could, cradling and
praying for her baby girl. I felt
like I had no one when she was
gone. Of course, Dad was present, but he showed no emotion.
I hated going to the hospital.
Watching the feeding tubes
and cords from her respirator running from her stomach
and nose made me weak. Every
time I looked at her, my face
would twist until it hurt to try
to hold back the tears. It was
useless. They flowed like river
rapids down my face. After I
cried for hours, she opened her
eyes and smiled; the river subsided and flowed again, but this
time my tears were sweet.
She had her first birthday
party in the hospital. We decorated a dreary conference room
with balloons and banners for
her. Toward the end of the party,
the doctors rolled her in on her
bed. I could see her face light
up as we sang happy birthday.
On May 12, 2001, she died.
When I lost my sister, I lost a
part of my mother. I longed for
her smile. I was consumed by
her grief. I feared death, I feared
loss. No amount of consoling
could wash the distant look from
my mother’s face, and I faced
my own emotions alone for fear
of causing her more sadness.
My wounds healed gradually as I focused on becoming
a support system for my two
younger sisters. As for my mom,
I never wanted to see her like
that again; I wanted to do my
best to protect her as she would
protect me. I watched her go
to the other room to cry, but I
never let her go alone. I gained
responsibility, insight into my
emotions, determination and
perseverance. No matter how
heart-wrenching the situation
may have been, looking back,
winning that battle was the
proudest achievement of my life.
By bus, a journey of discovery
Tashi
Shuler-Drakes
T
Bridgeport, conn.
ago, I
was sitting next to
a friend on the bus
home from school.
We laughed and joked with
the other kids, but I was confused when he said that he
had something to show me.
He opened a plastic bag that
he always carried with him
and showed me his gun.
When I asked why he needed
a gun, he told me that it was the
key to protecting him. He then
said, “Don’t you want me to be
there to protect you if anything
happens? You like my sister. I
gotchu.” And I believed him.
I’m not a perfect person. I
make mistakes. And maybe that
was a really big one. I didn’t
tell him that he was wrong; I
didn’t tell him that, if anything,
his key for survival was getting
out of Bridgeport, Conn., not
shooting it up. I didn’t stop him
because I didn’t think I could.
I go to school in a city that
creates kids who are likely to
grow up in the criminal justice
system. Not intentionally—but
inevitably—the kids of Bridgeport are neglected. Our comhree months
illustration by maria v. paredes
munity puts hope in few and
prejudges the others. It expects
only a select few to be great.
Even though every teenager of
Bridgeport is the future, there
aren’t many advocates for us.
This is what breaks us down,
emotionally and psychologically.
We deserve to be great, but unfortunately many of us think
that, like our old textbooks, we
aren’t valuable. When people
choose not to care for us, we
learn to care for ourselves, acting as “adults” long before our
time. The lines of right and
wrong are blurred for those who
have no one to believe in them.
In turn, we end up believing in
things that lead only to disaster.
My family and friends expect
me to be better than my community, because my mother
raised me to believe that I am
“destined for greatness.” But
actually, I’m an integral part of
my community. It needs me just
like I need it. So now, I think
I’m going to start doing some
things right. I’m going to learn.
Not just because I can, but also
because so many of my peers
can’t. Not because people believe
I should, but because the next
time I sit next to a friend I want
to see his grades—not his gun.
Living with autism United Nations of Cafeteria A
on his own? Would he
ever have friends or
a girlfriend, let alone
Roosevelt, N.Y.
get to experience college? When I looked
at him, I saw a person
stepped into the
wearing a mask.
room. Tears were
But, during the two
streaming down
years since Marquis
the faces of my
was diagnosed, I have
mother and stepfather.
gradually removed that
“It’s autism,” my mom
mask and begun to see
said. “Your little brother
him as my responsibility,
has autism.” The words
my motivation, my little
pounded my heart, and I
brother. Whenever my
suddenly felt removed—
parents needed a break
removed from myself,
or wanted to escape from
my family,
the mental
this world.
load, I of:::::
Was my fivefered to babyear-old brother
ysit. I showWhen I looked ered him,
retarded? He
could not say
at him, I saw a changed his
“mommy” or
diapers and
person wearing made sure
“daddy,” and
was unable to
he wasn’t
a mask.
feed himself or
last on our
:::::
even use the
family’s pribathroom on
ority list.
his own. BeBecause of
cause of him, our lives
Marquis, I have learned
would change; our family to look below the surface
could never be normal,
and see the uniqueness
at least that’s what I
that makes each person
thought. We could never
special. My brother has
go out without people
also inspired me to sucstopping to stare or
ceed, to always strive
making quiet comments.
for nothing less than
Uninformed and misled,
excellence. When I feel
I soon despised Marquis.
like giving up, I rememI longed to figure out
ber that Marquis is dewhat he was thinking.
pending on me to make
Would he ever think
something of myself.
Antonio
Regulier
I
I had to rekindle my
friendships was to sit with
those people during lunch.
Atlantic City, N.J. This is where I truly realized the cloud of race
that hung over us, filling
o an outsider,
our heads with nonsense
my school—Atabout where we belong.
lantic City High
Black students sat with
School—is exblack students, whites
tremely diverse. In ninth
with whites, Asians with
grade, I found walking
Asians and Latinos with
down hallways shoulderLatinos. It made me
to-shoulder with students
wonder why we clung
whose shoulders were
so tightly to notions we
different colors to be an
either didn’t understand
entirely new experience.
or didn’t even believe.
Before that, I had never
But I didn’t do anything.
shared classroom discusI wanted to hold on to
sions with students of
some part of the past,
Middle Eastern descent
and though I knew I was
or had a conversation
not allowing the experiwith someone who spoke
ences of other people who
Tagalog. I had never parwere different from me
ticipated in a potluck in
to help me grow, I didn’t
which students’ Ethiopian make a change. I sat at
mothers or Jewish granda table that I grew not to
mothers brought food. It
like, talking about things
was unlike anything I’d
that didn’t really interest
ever experienced—but
me, just because it was
I soon learned that, for
what I’d always done.
insiders, my high school
My sophomore year, I
was anything but diverse.
made a change. I stopped
The first day of freshletting race dictate where
man year, I knew very
I sat at lunch. Instead, I
few people. I did not have
sat with friends of Triniclasses with old friends be- dadian, Pakistani, Indian,
cause, by taking all honors Chinese, Vietnamese,
courses, I had isolated my- Bengali, Peruvian and
self from the people I had
Mexican backgrounds—
known since third grade— people I loved and genuthe people I loved like
inely wanted to spend
family. The only chance
time with. We called our-
Bianca
Dennis
T
selves “The United Nations of Cafeteria A.” We
taught each other about
our cultures, consoled
each other about heavy
workloads, discussed
family problems, and attempted to solve the crazy
situations that came into
our lives. We each brought
different perspectives and
different talents to the
table, and we used all of
these to enrich our experiences and understanding.
I let them into my
life, and they let me into
theirs. Because of them,
I am who I am today. I
love to learn about the
different places of the
world, about the different histories, and problems faced by those who
don’t live in my small
neighborhood in Atlantic City. The hardships
my friends face due to
racism and stereotyping make me strive to
correct notions held by
people too simple-minded
to accept others for who
they really are: people
with feelings and memories, brothers and sisters, moms and (maybe)
dads, favorite movies and
Facebook accounts, goals,
dreams, aspirations,
love, hate, pain, joy and
everything else that
makes people, people.
The shop
that
shaped me
Charles Walker
Altadena, Calif.
W
into Just in
Time, the barbershop my
father owns in Pasadena,
Calif., I was greeted by the
usuals. “Hey Charles!” hollered Uncle
Joe, who worked there as a barber.
Joey, my cousin, was also a barber at
the shop, and like his father, always
greeted me with a firm handshake.
Then there was this cat Earl, a barber
I had known since I started working
there. He greeted me with his laugh,
which was scratchy but familiar. They
always found time to acknowledge
me in their own distinctive ways.
To many people, it may seem weird
to have a family composed of barbers
and stylists. But to me, they were everything. My barbershop family has
always supported me in my attempts
to reach success. Even my high school
report cards became the topic of conversations in the shop. “He made straight
A’s again,” my dad would casually mention to his customers. While clipping
a customer’s hair, he would mention
my accolades: “My oldest triplet son
is going to Princeton University this
summer.” News like this would envelop
the entire shop, and by the following Saturday, I would be bombarded
with hugs and coarse handshakes.
When a child in my family comes
of age, he must assist in the family
business. For me, this age was five
years old. “I knew this day would
come, and I feel sorry for you guys,”
said Krystal, my older sister, who
had already faced the hardships of
working in the shop. I was excited
and frightened by what this new responsibility would bring to my life.
The laboring tasks of my Saturdays started early in the morning.
Battered bricks covered the right facing wall, and tattered barber chairs
filled the left side of the room. As a
scrawny, chubby-cheeked, hyperactive boy, I was raring to do something. “I want you to make this
place run as smoothly as possible,”
my dad said. From that day on, my
world was completely transformed.
Growing up in the shop was tiring
and challenging, and I learned the
lessons of time management, discipline and work ethic. I stayed every
day until 7 p.m. and sometimes until
9, to make sure the shop was cleaned
properly at night. I took out the trash,
and folded the thin, worn-out towels
after doing laundry. I was the cashier,
the receptionist and the supply boy.
After a hard day of work, the whole
family went to church every Sunday.
At times I wondered when I would
have the opportunity to relax on
weekends—I felt as though I was a
social pariah since I couldn’t hang out
with my friends. Though my weekends were booked, I learned to grow
and appreciate what I was given.
Through my dad’s constant support,
I learned lessons that would prepare
me for the real world. After my dad
would announce my accomplishments, he would always throw in the
phrase, “You’re a Walker,” reminding
me of a long line of hard workers.
My father, having grown up on
a farm in Arkansas, was forced to
work in harsh conditions. He milked
several hundred cows every day and
operated a tractor by age 10. This
upbringing made him into a man
who believed that persistence was
the only means to a comfortable life.
I think that my father’s initial
intentions for bringing me into the
shop were meant to prepare and
scare me. And it worked. Day after
day, I would see so many people who
were virtually stuck in a common
routine. It made me realize that I
needed to work diligently to reach
higher education. My father affirmed
that goal for me by constantly showing me a demanding environment.
I have one more year left in the
shop until I reach my goal. And I
know how every challenging yet familiar Saturday will unfold: My father will yell at the top of his lungs,
“Wake up!” The sun will light up my
room and give me a desire to prepare—prepare for the lengthy day.
alking briskly
Page 10
August 9, 2010
The Princeton Summer Journal
Buses, livery cabs, police cars spotted idling in New York
idling
Continued from page 1
.............
neering at Stanford University, referring to all cars, not
just idling cars.
Idling buses
During several hours in the
afternoon and early evening
on Wednesday, Summer Journal reporters observed dozens
of Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses parked
along and around Court Street
in downtown Brooklyn. Many
of those buses idled for more
than one minute before either
parking or driving off, and at
least five buses idled for well
in excess of the three-minute legal limit—often while
parked within a few feet of
a sign warning, “No Engine
Idling. Max Fine $2000.”
When approached by reporters, several drivers of the
idling MTA buses refused to
comment about their apparent violations. In one instance,
a driver ignored reporters
standing outside his bus for
more than 10 minutes while
he continued to talk on his
cell phone and sit in one of the
bus’s passenger seats. Later,
he appeared to close his eyes
and take a nap. Meanwhile,
his bus’s engine continued to
run.
Another MTA bus driver,
who initially refused to comment and who refused to give
his name, exited his bus after
continuing to idle for a few
minutes and approached reporters. “Do you know how
hot it is outside?” he asked, his
bus still running behind him.
When asked whether he
was aware of the anti-idling
law, the driver responded,
“There are a lot of laws.” He
continued, “I’m a human being
just like you.”
MTA officials contacted by
the Summer Journal said that
hot summer temperatures are
no excuse for idling in violation
of city law. To the contrary,
MTA officials explained that
MTA’s rules regarding idling
are actually stricter than the
city law’s three-minute limit.
Anna Pecker, a general
manager with MTA New York
City Transit, said that MTA
has “zero tolerance for idling.”
However, MTA bus drivers
who are caught idling are
given at least two warnings
before facing more serious consequences, including termination, Pecker explained.
In addition to those penalties, the New York City Department of Environmental
Protection can issue citations
to bus drivers who violate the
law. Pecker said that in those
cases, the bus drivers are responsible for paying the fines
themselves.
In response to emailed questions regarding DEP’s strategies for enforcing the city’s
anti-idling law given the violations observed by reporters
in downtown Brooklyn, DEP
spokesman Angel Roman sent
an email containing links to a
city report and a press release.
A subsequent request for comment went unanswered.
Officials in the New York
City Police Department’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information,
likewise did not return numerous requests for comment
for this article. However, an
officer in the community affairs unit for NYPD’s 84th
Precinct in downtown Brooklyn said that he was surprised
to hear of the violations.
“There has to be city bus
rules, but I am almost sure
that [the buses] must have
been shut off,” said the officer,
who refused to give his name.
“I’m just going to say that it
was 90 degrees yesterday.”
Pecker said that MTA bus
drivers are reminded regularly that they are not to leave
their engines running when
their buses are not in service.
“It is their obligation
to make sure [their bus] is
turned off,” Pecker said, indicating that she would be investigating whether bus drivers in downtown Brooklyn are
continuing to idle. “They all
know [the policy].”
City response
New York City’s policies
aimed at combating vehicle
idling have received renewed
attention recently. Though
the city’s anti-idling laws date
back to the 1970s, the issue
has been a focus of Mayor
Bloomberg’s administration.
Last year, Bloomberg signed
into law a bill that further
limited idling time for nonemergency vehicles near
school zones and expanded the
city’s ability to enforce idling
violations.
One of the most important
reasons to cut vehicle emissions is that vehicle exhaust
can lead to serious health consequences, according to Rebecca Kalin, founding director
of the non-profit organization
Asthma Free School Zone.
“Schools are worth worrying about because children
have special vulnerability to
pollution [from car exhaust].
Their vulnerability stems
from immature immune systems and faster metabolisms,”
she said. “Until the NYPD
begins ticketing drivers for engine idling, informed citizens
will need to take the lead in
stopping idling.”
Of course, health issues are
not the only byproduct of car
emissions.
“When carbon gets trans-
ferred into the atmosphere it
heats up more than normal
and consequences occur,” said
Eric Larson, a carbon research
engineer at Princeton University. Larson explained that
higher temperatures have farreaching effects, ranging from
harming crops to intensifying
hurricanes.
In spite of Bloomberg’s professed focus on improving air
quality, MTA buses were not
the only idling city vehicles
spotted. Summer Journal reporters also observed a police
officer eating inside a radio
patrol car with the engine
running parked near the Waldorf Astoria on Lexington Avenue, near 50th Street. When
the officer was approached, he
refused to comment and rolled
up his window.
Another officer nearby, who
declined to give his name, said
that police officers must remain in their cars so they can
respond quickly to emergency
calls.
NYPD media officials did
not respond to inquiries about
whether this officer would fall
under the anti-idling law’s exemption for “emergency motor
vehicles.”
Livery cabs
In addition to MTA buses
violating the anti-idling law,
Summer Journal reporters
also observed numerous livery
cabs (commonly called “black
cars” because they are frequently black luxury sedans)
with their engines running
while parked outside of office
buildings in Midtown and lower Manhattan.
Drivers for those cars typically explained that they were
awaiting passengers and were
idling so that they could keep
their air conditioning running
and their cars cool.
One driver stood for several minutes near his black
Lincoln Town Car while the
engine ran outside the Condé
Nast building in Midtown at
4 Times Square. After being
approached by reporters, he
said that he was waiting to
pick up an editor at Glamour
Magazine, and that he was
idling even though he knew he
was breaking the law because
he wanted to keep his car cool.
“They call us high-class division. . . . It’s like for the
famous,” the driver said. “I
put the AC on because it’s hot.
When [the editor] comes in,
she and others wouldn’t like
it to be hot. I don’t want to
spend money, but I have no
choice. Otherwise I would like
to save gas.”
The driver said he pays for
fuel out of his own pocket.
The public relations department for Glamour Magazine
did not respond to repeated
requests for comment for this
article.
A livery cab driver on Wall
Street who sat in his car while
idling for several minutes before being approached by reporters said that he had been
unaware of the anti-idling law.
“The law is great,” he said.
When asked why he continued to idle, the driver said,
“You’re right,” and turned off
his car.
rich tucker :: the princeton summer journal
Buses lining up in downtown Brooklyn left their engines running for as long as 10 minutes.
Stellar research on campus Web may hold future of thesis
stars
Continued from page 1
.............
through Euclidian geometry.
“The geometry of space is
actually flat,” Spergel said.
The team’s research reveals
that only five simple numbers
are needed to describe 99.9
percent of outer space.
Page joined the project in
1991, and Spergel joined as
the lead theorist in 1994.
They named the satellite the
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe after a colleague
who passed away during the
experiment. This satellite
was launched into space on
June 30, 2001. The total cost
for the satellite was almost
$150 million.
Originally, the satellite
was supposed to collect data
for just one year. But after
a successful first year, the
team agreed that this ex-
periment could benefit from
more time.
“The more we figured out,
the more fun it was,” Page
said. “It’s a wonderful thing
to build an instrument that
other people don’t know yet.
It’s an amazing feeling.”
Spergel added, “You start
off stumbling blind and
things don’t work, but once in
a while something works out
and it is great.” They eventually collected data from the
satellite for nine years.
It was exactly the type
of work Spergel imagined
himself doing as a boy. He
became interested in physics at a young age, and he
studied it as an undergraduate at Princeton. Page, on
the other hand, had never
heard of astrophysics until
he reached Bowdoin College
as an undergraduate. Once
there, he grew more and more
passionate about the subject.
“If you love [science] and it
captures your imagination,
go for it, study it,” Page said.
“It’s hard and can be frustrating, but you have to love it to
get through it. You need to
love what you are doing to
become a scientist.”
Over the years, Page
and Spergel have built up
a rapport. Like fraternal
brothers, they even manage to finish each other ’s
sentences. Later today, the
satellite they have worked
on for 16 years is expected
to shut down.
“We are a little sad, but
it’s the right thing to do, like
everything, it has to come to
an end,” Spergel said.
In September, Page and
Spergel will travel to Hong
Kong to collect the Shaw
Prize. “This award is wonderful but it pales next to the joy
of actually doing the work,”
Page added.
Scientists map the galaxy
physics
Continued from page 1
.............
and Spergel, the average
person would believe that astrophysics is simpler than it
seems. “If I could summarize
99 percent of the universe, it
just takes a handful of numbers,” Page said.
On September 28, Page
and Spergel will fly to Hong
Kong to receive the $1 million
Shaw Prize for their work
showing that the universe
can be mapped using Euclidean geometry, that its total
energy is zero, and that it is
13.7 billion years old.
“They are the two superstars of cosmology, no pun
intended,” Princeton University President Shirley
Tilghman said, adding that
“there’s no more profound
question than ‘where did the
universe come from?’ ”
Page joined the project
in 1991 as the instrument
scientist, and Spergel joined
in 1994 as the lead theorist.
Together with a team, they
designed and built a satellite to collect data in outer
space. They named the probe
the Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe, after David Wilkinson, a colleague
who passed away. “David
was deeply involved in making this happen, and unfortunately he passed away,”
Spergel said. “We thought
it would be a good tribute to
name it after him, and NASA
was generous to allow us to
do that.”
They launched the probe in
2001 at a total cost of about
$150 million. Originally, they
planned to collect data for one
year. Instead, they collected
data for nine years.
“It is a wonderful thing
to build an instrument and
measure something about the
universe that advances our
knowledge,” Page said. “It is
an amazing feeling.”
It is a feeling you wouldn’t
have imagined he would have
experienced if you had known
him in high school. He slept
behind his book in physics
class and did not learn to love
the subject until he was in
college, he said.
The satellite will stop collecting data this month. Page
and Spergel already have
plans to work together again
on a telescope in Chile.
“It’s a little sad, but it
makes sense,” Page said.
“It’s like a car that you’ve
had your whole life and
served you really well, and
you know [the right thing to
do is to] trade it in,” Spergel
said. “In some ways, it’s a satisfying moment to know that
it has been done and worked
out so well.”
digitize
Continued from page 1
.............
asked whether Princeton will
take steps to digitize its senior
thesis collection.
“Mudd is really an archive.
It holds original sources of
history and everything from
student letters . . . to issues of
the ‘Princetonian,’ ” said Anthony Grafton, Princeton history professor and author of
“Codex in Crisis,” a book that
addresses the implications of
mass digitization.
Princeton has been collecting these senior theses since
1923. Mudd Library stores
most of them, and it takes in
roughly 1,200 every summer.
Daniel Linke, university archivist and curator at Mudd,
wants to find a more efficient
way to maintain this mass collection—and he thinks that
digitization could be a smart
solution.
While Princeton currently
offers PDFs of theses and also
provides photocopies upon request, it has made no plans to
digitize them. The question of
digitization was first brought
to the attention of University
administrators in the mid1990s by the staff at Mudd
Library. But the University
decided it did not want to have
a “thesis mill online,” Linke
said.
Dean of the College Nancy
Malkiel explained via email
that there could be a major
problem with digitizing the
theses. “If they were readily
available on-line, they would
constitute a very low-expense,
high-class term paper service
for students across the country, and we’re not interested in
providing that,” she wrote.
“I perfectly understand [the
University’s] rationale in 1998
. . . but in 2008 with Google, it
doesn’t make as much sense,”
Linke said.
Google facilitates easier detection of student plagiarism.
In addition, Grafton suggested
restricting access to the theses, and posting them with
read-only capability.
“Reading electronically is
a lot more practical now. . .
. Places like the Center for
Digital Media at George Mason University and others are
turning to the use of digitization,” Grafton said. And having a resource like Princeton’s
thesis collection online, he argued, would be “fantastic” for
historians.
Future of iconic train uncertain
dinky
Continued from page 1
.............
train or bus, and it’s not my
fight,” University President
Shirley Tilghman said. “We
do need transportation back
and forth. I’m agnostic on that
subject.”
Tilghman spoke more about
her excitement for the future
arts complex that will be built
next to the existing Dinky station. As part of the planning
process, there has already
been discussion of moving the
Dinky Station 460 feet south
to Faculty Road.
Despite the University’s
claim of neutrality, some believe that it is less impartial
on the issue. Professor Alain
Kornhauser, director of Princeton University’s Transportation Program and Dinky advocate, said that the BRT is
being proposed “because the
University wants an easy access to its ill-placed parking
garage next to Baker Rink.”
Kornhauser’s chief concern
is that the BRT doesn’t improve accessibility to or from
Princeton.
“Some minor improvements
to the Dinky would substantially enhance accessibility to
and from the arts center.”
Princeton University philosophy professor and Dinky
advocate Hans Halvorson also
expressed
disappointment
with the plans.
“I would do anything if I
could keep it,” he said. “I think
almost all of my professor colleagues take the Dinky.”
A change would mean shuttering Princeton’s famous
train station, which, with its
Gothic architecture, looks like
a replica from a Harry Potter
movie. Rough, brick-layered
archways harbor commuters
waiting patiently with brief-
cases and suitcases.
Halvorson enjoys the social
atmosphere of the train. “On a
typical day, there might be five
professors from the University
who some on the Dinky may
not recognize and two Nobel
Prize winners. It is nice meeting people from the town as
well,” he said.
“Moving [the Dinky] a little
bit is better because I prefer
the train to the bus,” Halvorson said. “It is more social. On
a bus you sit at a corner.”
Peter Chan from Toronto
recently visited campus with
his wife and son, a rising high
school senior. Though he was
riding the Dinky for the first
time, he was sympathetic to
the potential loss of the historical train.
“If anything near that sentimental nature were to be
taken away in my community,
it would definitely be an emotional situation,” he said.
August 9, 2010
Johnson shoots for greatness
Media scrutinizes famous theses
thesis
Continued from page 1
.............
pundits and prognosticators. In
the past few years, reporters
have examined the theses of
then-Supreme Court nominees
Samuel Alito ’72 and Sonia Sotomayor ’76, along with First
Lady Michelle Obama ’85.
“Reporters do this sort of
thing because the source is
easy to track down, and it has
a kind of authenticity about
it that seems compelling,”
Wilentz said.
The senior thesis has long
been a requirement for graduating from Princeton. Students,
usually working closely with a
faculty member, can write about
any topic. The final product can
be well over 100 pages—pages
that reporters and commentators hope will contain insights
about their now-famous writers. Or ammunition to be used
against them.
Kagan’s thesis was the most
recent recipient of that more
malicious brand of media scrutiny. This summer, while Kagan’s
nomination was pending before
the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jeffrey Lord, an online
contributor for the American
Spectator, wrote, “The issue—
the issue—of this confirmation
hearing for a Supreme Court
Justice should be not Ms. Kagan, but socialism. Socialism,
the philosophy she professed
such admiration for in her 1981
Princeton thesis titled ‘To the
Final Conflict: Socialism in
New York City, 1900-1933.’ ”
In that same vein, Fox News
host Sean Hannity said on his
show, “The [Obama] administration may also have been
a fan of Kagan’s senior thesis
in which she explored the history of the socialist movement
here in the U.S. So is this just
another Obama radical being
elevated to the highest levels
of our government?”
Wilentz said that he believed this type of conclusory
analysis is inherently flawed.
Page 11
The Princeton Summer Journal
“Because the thesis was a
study of socialism in New York
City in the early 20th century,
there was a fair amount of rightwing commentary to the effect
that Elena was and is a socialist.
This happens to be, and to have
been, nonsense, as any straightforward reading of the thesis
would show. And so the argument got nowhere,” he said.
Sotomayor’s thesis also drew
attention from some reporters
who attempted to distill and
extrapolate the 178-page document into fodder for some politically provocative quips.
For example, Washington
Wire, a Washington Journal
blog, wrote that Sotomayor appeared to support Puerto Rican independence based on her
thesis, “La Historia Ciclica de
Puerto Rico: The Impact of the
Life of Luis Muñoz Marin on
the Political and Economic History of Puerto Rico, 1930–1975.”
However, the White House
said at the time that Sotomayor
was not advocating for Puerto
Rican statehood in her thesis
or in a subsequent law review
article also cited by Washington
Wire. Rather, she was merely
anticipating a possible outcome.
Daniel Linke, a Princeton
University archivist and curator at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, where Princeton’s senior theses are stored,
questioned the value this type
of speculation.
“How much does what you
write when you’re 20 or 21
years old and when you’re trying to meet a deadline really
reflect your greater intellectual development?” Linke asked.
“Generally the media coverage
on these things is superficial.
They don’t take into consideration the context needed to understand the circumstances in
which they were written. Most
of the media just grabs bits
and pieces and run with it. But
that’s the 24-hour news cycle.”
Though Michelle Obama
was not a Supreme Court nominee, her thesis also garnered
media criticism. People want-
ed to learn what beliefs and
attitudes the potential First
Lady would bring to the White
House. Accordingly, commentators zeroed in on her thesis, titled “Princeton-Educated
Blacks and the Black Community,” because she explored the
topic of race in Princeton as an
African-American student.
Patrick McCain, the editor
of RightPundits.com, called
the thesis “a fundamentally
racist document” and said it
showed “that Obama identifies with black militancy, utterly obsessed with race in
America and her own blackness.” McCain concluded that
as First Lady, Obama would
do “untold damage” to American race relations.
While McCain and others believed Obama’s thesis
is reflective of her viewpoint
today, Stanley Katz, a Woodrow Wilson School professor,
suggested otherwise.
“I think the theses can sometimes be a useful reflection of
the state of a person’s mind as a
student,” Katz said in an email.
“Mrs. Obama was writing about
race and college education, and
her thesis reveals quite a lot
about her reactions to being in
a white, elite institution. I think
quite a lot can be learned from
her thesis.”
Not every senior thesis has
set off a firestorm of criticism,
however. Alito’s thesis, which
examined the Italian Constitutional Court throughout its history, drew less attention during
his confirmation process, perhaps because he focused his research on a foreign country.
“People can extrapolate all
they want. But a senior thesis
says a good deal only about the
quality of mind of the person
when he or she was graduating
college,” Wilentz said. “That
might be a nice source for
writing a biography, but not
for assessing whether someone is qualified to sit on the
Supreme Court.”
— Includes reporting by Tashi
Shuler-Drakes.
coach
Continued from page 12
.............
manages to stay strong and
remain humble.
“I think our team morale is
pretty good,” he said.
Born in Lansing, Mich.,
Johnson lives in Plainsboro.
He moved often during his
childhood because his dad
was a college professor; as
better jobs came along, the
Johnson family changed locations.
Johnson’s parents divorced
when he was young. “I was so
young, I don’t view myself as
a kid that suffered,” he said.
“I did miss having a mom in
my household though.”
Johnson remembers stepping onto the court at an
early age.
“Basketball gave me selfconfidence,” Johnson said
smiling.
As a student at Princeton,
he was a member of the Cap
and Gown eating club and
learned to balance basketball
practice and other commitments.
Today, Johnson still has
a busy schedule. He makes
time for his wife and two
children, ages three and five,
especially on weekends when
his days aren’t as hectic.
After some thought, Johnson depicted Princeton in one
word: “stimulating.”
“You’re going to meet so
many interesting and exciting people,” Johnson added.
Johnson has proven that
self-confidence can go a long
way, but admits to being nervous before his first practice
as head coach—just as he was
when he started as a player under legendary former
Princeton coach Pete Carril.
Carril has always had a
strong influence on Johnson,
and over the years, Johnson
said his relationship with
Carril has changed from
coach to mentor.
A role model on and off the court
johnson
Continued from page 12
.............
year two,” he said of his first
two years as the men’s head
coach.
Still, Johnson emphasized
that an important part of his
job is making certain that
his players learn lessons that
they can apply off the court.
When asked what basketball
meant to him, Johnson answered, “The value of working together.”
Born in Lansing, Mich.,
Johnson, the child of a worldtravelling professor, spent
most of his childhood moving
to everywhere from Florida to
Nigeria. He said he learned a
lot from those experiences—
most notably, how to get along
with others. Only staying in
one place for about two years
at most, Johnson wasn’t able
to fully develop the friendships that define most childhoods. Despite this, he doesn’t
view his childhood negatively.
In fact, Johnson’s experiences
in various parts of the world
gave him a knack for forming
friendships with people of different backgrounds, skills he
has deployed on the court and
as a coach.
“I recognized the value of
being comfortable around a
lot of people,” he said.
Johnson’s
experiences
working with others also
helped him in his career as
a player, where he was recognized as one of the best
basketball players in Princeton history. In 1996, for
example, during Johnson’s
junior year, he helped the
Tigers defeat UCLA, the
NCAA defending national
champions, a feat that many
Princeton basketball fans
The Princeton University
Summer Journalism Program
................ is deeply grateful to everyone who ................
made this year’s program possible
our generous supporters
our guest speakers
Princeton University
The Flannery-Reilly Family
Peter Seldin ’76
The Class of ’69 Community Service
Fund
The Princeton Review
Princeton Garden Theatre
The Trenton Thunder
Sheldon L. Baskin ’58
Kathy and Michael Bates P01
Robert N. Burt ’59
B. Peter Carry ’64
Jonathan C. Coopersmith ’78
John F. Curley, Jr. ’60
James H. Duffy ’56
Robert K. Durkee ’69
Juliet K. Eilperin ’92
Jill Nevel Field ’77
Louis A. Jacobson ’92
Charles M. Kerr ’69
Benjamin Markham ’02
M. Greig Metzger II ’82
Avery S. Miller ’90
David S. North ’51
Neal Peirce ’54
Richard K. Rein ’69
Martin E. Robins ’64
Jeffrey S. Samberg ’88
Melanie H. Stein ’86
Anna Maria Verdi ’89
Norman R. Williams ’65
George S. Wilson ’61
Vice President Robert Durkee ’69
Mike Abrams of The New York Times
John Eligon of The New York Times
Assistant Dean of Admission Jameel Freeman
Professor Robert George
Professor Eddie Glaude
Professor Anthony Grafton
Sarah Graham of The New York Times
Professor Stanley Katz
Professor Brian Kernighan ’69
Georgetown University Professor Athelia Knight
Admission Officer Sam Fox Krauss ’10
Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker
Melvin McCray ’74 of Columbia University
Professor Stacey Sinclair
Professor Tracy K. Smith
Columbia Journalism School Professor
Sree Sreenivasan
Professor Cornel West GS ’80
Noy Thrupkaew of The American Prospect
President Shirley Tilghman
Alexander Wolff ’79 of Sports Illustrated
our colleagues within the
university community
Marianna Bogucki
Amy Campbell
Cynthia Cherrey
Jim Floyd ’69
Rick Kitto ’69
Seva Kramer
Jennifer Neill
Laura Spence-Ash
Tara Zarillo
Former
NBA
player
Magic Johnson and former
Princeton assistant coach
Armond Hill are two other
basketball figures who have
inspired the current Princeton coach.
Johnson recognizes the opportunity Princeton has this
season, saying his team has
the basketball experience
needed to take them far.
When asked about Princeton’s archrival Penn, Johnson
said, “I know they want to
beat us, and we want to beat
them. . . . Penn will always be
a motivated game.”
No matter how intense
the rivalry is, he prefers the
motto he has adopted for his
team: “Play hard, play together and have passion.”
With former player Sydney
Johnson at the helm, a new
age of Tiger basketball has
emerged.
“Princeton is home for me.
I left Georgetown to come
home,” Johnson said.
our accomplished alumni who
returned this year
Viviana Benjumea SJP ’08, Williams ’13
Amanda Cormier SJP ’07, Columbia ’12
Angela Fabunan SJP ’06, Bowdoin ’11
Walter Griffin SJP ’05, Princeton ’10
Leslie Primack SJP ’06, Brown ’11
Mario Rosser SJP ’08, Columbia ’13
Tasnim Shamma SJP ’06, Princeton ’11
Natalie Shields SJP ’06, CUNY ’11
Eileen Shim SJP ’07, Yale ’12
Marion Smallwood SJP ’07, UPenn ’12
and our program associate, who led
the program to its most successful
summer yet
Samantha Pergadia ’11
Thank you.
still remember today.
His experiences as a basketball player have also contributed to his philosophies
as a coach. When asked to
predict what this year will
bring for his team, whether it’s defeating the team’s
archrivals Penn or winning
an Ivy League championship, Johnson responded, “I
just want to work our tails
off, focus on positioning ourselves.”
Entering his fourth season
at the helm, Johnson is under
a lot of pressure to deliver
an Ivy League championship.
And regardless of whether
that happens, this year could
be a defining moment for
Johnson’s career.
“Pressure is not a word I
embrace. Pressure is thinking about everything but
what’s in front of you,” Johnson said.
summer Journal
Page 12
August 9, 2010
The Princeton
Sports
basketball
Princeton on
the rebound
Coach jumps through hoops
to achieve success
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
By Jonathan Wigfall
Camden, N.J.
S
tanding in his princ-
basketball
polo shirt, shorts
and Nike sneakers,
36-year-old Sydney Johnson
stood tall in Jadwin Gym.
“I’m glad I came to Princeton. Without a doubt, it
was the best choice,” he said
confidently. Johnson, the Ivy
League Player of the Year in
1997, local Hoagie Haven customer, and family man has
defined Princeton basketball
for many years.
Johnson, a member of the
Class of 1997, was a standout point guard. He made the
transition from player to head
coach at Princeton in 2007,
after playing in Europe and
being an assistant coach at
Georgetown University, under former Princeton basketball coach John Thompson III
’88.
“As soon as I got here, I
viewed [the players] as my
guys,” he said. “I’m very excited to be with guys that
wore my same jersey.”
Since Johnson took over as
head coach, the overall momentum and expectations of
the team have changed. Despite Johnson’s resume and
the Tiger basketball fans,
Johnson remains humble. He
knows many expect a lot from
him as coach this season.
“Pressure is not a word that
I embrace,” Johnson said.
Hopes for a successful season are high, but Johnson
See coach page 11
eton
No halftime
for Johnson ’97
By Maria V. Paredes
Gaithesburg, Md.
Inside a Jadwin Gym conference room just below Carril Court, men’s basketball
coach Sydney Johnson ’97 is
at ease, wearing his Princeton basketball polo shirt,
reminiscing about the past
three years and pondering
his team’s future.
After three less-than-stellar seasons under previous
coach Joe Scott ’87, the team
seems to be on the verge of a
renaissance. Last year, the
team finished second in the
Ivy League, with a conference
record of 11-3 and an overall
record of 22-9.
But while Princetonians
may have high hopes of winning an Ivy League championship, so far Johnson has
yet to deliver. Johnson, who
knows he is facing high expectations this season, said
he is trying to emphasize to
his team the importance of
taking the season one game
at a time.
“I try to stay in the present,” he said. “If we lose, we
lose.”
Johnson was candid in admitting that his first years
at Princeton were not a complete success.
“Tough year one, mediocre
See johnson page 11
Brian rokus :: the princeton summer journal
Princeton basketball head coach Sydney Johnson ’97 returns to his
alma mater to revamp a team struggling to recreate past glory.
Tammy
Chan
K
Brian rokus :: the princeton summer journal
The Trenton Thunder defeated the Binghamton Mets on Friday with a seven-run seventh inning. The win put the Thunder atop the league.
Lucky number seven
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
By Jonathan Wigfall and
the bats of the local nine.
Antonio Regulier
The Mets drew first blood
Camden, N.J. and Roosevelt, N.Y. in the top of the fourth inning
on a grounder by designated
The Trenton Thunder de- hitter Luke Montz, scoring By Melina Torres
mals, volunteers vary in their
feated the Binghamton Mets first baseman Marshall Hub- Brawley, Calif.
service from providing foster
at Mercer County Waterfront bard. They added one run in
homes to helping out with
As China walked onto the events.
Park on Friday. After trailing the fifth on an RBI double
in the first six innings, Tren- by third baseman Zach Lutz turf of the Trenton Thunder
“They all help out some
ton erupted for seven runs in and two more when Thun- baseball field at Mercer County way, some with the dogs, oththe seventh, on the way to a der starting pitcher Andrew Waterfront Park, heads turned ers with fundraisers,” Marie
7-4 victory. The win moved Brackman and relief pitcher when she appeared on the Revesz, volunteer at BPAA,
the Thunder into first place J.B. Cox both walked in runs, jumbo screen. A commotion said. “Every Saturday we go
swept over the crowd members out to PetSmart to hold pet
in the Eastern League.
putting the Mets up 4-0.
The seventh inning rally
Though Mets pitcher Rob- as they gawked at the furry adoption days.”
began when Thunder short- ert Carson held the Thunder cinnamon-brown chow mix.
China’s story is not unusual
stop Luis Nunez smashed a at bay through five innings, When she was led off the field, for average-sized dogs. “She
t w o - r u n he ran into trouble in the children ran toward the real was abandoned at the shelter
star of the game. by her owners, and she has a
Trenton
7 t r i p l e , sixth. After
The Trenton better shot of getting adopted
binghamton 4 s c o r i n g striking out
outfielder two and walkThunder
AA [with us through our events] at
D a n i e l ing two, Mets
baseball team PetSmart,” Revesz said.
Brewer and third baseman m a n a g e r
col laborates
Revesz added that some popMatt Cusick.
with
animal ular breeds, such as shih tzus,
Tim
Teufel
After Binghamton hurl- brought
adoption organi- get adopted fast on Petfinder.
in
er Eric Nieson walked first Cox
zations in host- com, an online site that works
who
baseman Justin Snyder and walked
ing a Dog of the with adoption centers to prothe
outfielder Austin Krum, next hitter to
Day event each mote its available pets. While
Trenton leftfielder Justin load the basgame. During an average-looking dog like
Christian hit a sacrifice fly, es. The Thunthis event, a dog China typically does not find a
plating Nunez and moving der could not
usually walks home on Petfinder, she is likely
Snyder to third. The momen- seize the oponto the field to be adopted through the Dog
tum continued when Trenton portunity to
between the sec- of the Day program at Trenton
second baseman Corban Jo- get on the
ond and third Thunder games or events at
seph hit a two-run triple of board, howinnings and is PetSmart.
his own, scoring Snyder and ever, when designated hitter introduced to the crowd.
“[It is] no fault of their own
Krum and putting the Thun- Damon Sublett struck out.
China was almost eutha- that they are homeless,” Revesz
der up 5-4.
“Sometimes it happens,” nized at a local shelter when said. “She is temperament-testThe Thunder also added said Franklin of the sixth in- she was saved by the Burl- ed and deemed to be a goodtwo insurance runs later in ning opportunity. “You’re not ington Pet Animal Alliance quality dog.” All China needs
the inning when catcher Aus- always going to succeed in (BPAA). An animal shel- is to meet potential adopters to
tin Romine singled to left, those situations.”
ter must hold animals for at win them over with her personscoring Joseph, and then
The Thunder received a set- least seven days in Burlington ality, she said.
scored himself later in the in- back a week ago when Bran- County. If homeless dogs are
BPAA gets the dogs the exning on a single by outfielder don Laird, one of the team’s not claimed by their owner, ad- posure they need. “We are the
Daniel Brewer, a hit that put best players, was promoted to opted, or taken by a rescue advocate for the animals. They
the Thunder ahead 7-4.
triple-A Scranton. However, group, they may eventually be don’t have voices,” Revesz ex“We needed an inning like Laird’s replacement—Corban euthanized. BPAA saves these plained.
this,” said Thunder manag- Joseph—has made his impact dogs that are out of time and
Because China was the Dog
er Tony Franklin about the felt since his arrival.
pairs sheltered dogs with foster of the Day at the Thunder
team’s seventh inning fireWhen asked about the call- families while trying to find game on Friday, BPAA expects
works.
up, Franklin was supportive, them loving homes.
to find her a home quickly.
Prior to the seventh, the noting “We’re in the business
With a team of approximate“[An animal gets adopted]
Thunder crowd of about 5,000 of getting guys to higher lev- ly 70 volunteers, BPAA cares very quick once we get them
had little to cheer about ex- els as quickly as we can.”
for approximately 100 dogs and exposure at an event like this.
cept for Chase, the Thunder
The Binghamton Mets are cats at any given time. Guided It then makes people wonder
bat dog that made repeated now fourth in the Eastern by the passionate purpose of about other dogs,” Kathleen Altrips from the dugout to fetch League.
finding homes for these ani- len, a BPAA volunteer, said.
Team pitches dog adoption
LeBron spectacle turns basketball into a circus
Queens, N.Y.
nown as King
James on Twitter with “Chosen
1” tattooed on
his back, LeBron James
holds the image of a typical high school jock—one
whom most high schoolers
praised while others hated.
Since July 1, when James
became a free agent, both
basketball fans and non-basketball fans alike anticipated
his decision. As the league’s
reigning MVP, he was courted
by many teams, including the
New York Knicks, New Jersey
Nets, Miami Heat, Chicago
Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Los
Angeles Clippers and his
hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. In order to publicize his
decision, James demanded a
one-hour live ESPN special.
On July 8, the network ran
a widely publicized segment
titled “The Decision,” during
which James ended weeks
of silence and secrecy and
announced his future team.
After considering many offers, James told viewers that
he had decided to join the
Miami Heat and leave the
Cleveland Cavaliers after
seven unsuccessful quests for
a championship.
Hosted in the setting of the
Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Conn., the 28 minutes of
contrived suspense over James’
announcement drew in nearly
10 million viewers, making it
the third most-watched show
of the year thus far.
The television program
drew high ratings but also
drew criticism for prolonging
the wait of James’ actual decision and making a spectacle of
the process.
In a world as narcissistic
as professional sports, James’
conduct was a pitiable exam-
ple for younger generations
who look up to NBA heroes
like him for inspiration.
In our society, where selfpromotion is already prominent in social networking sites
such as Facebook and Twitter,
figures like James propel narcissistic ideas that flourish
within youth culture. Ten
years ago, updating statuses
was never heard of; a decade
later, it’s almost second nature.
This boost in self-promotion is
fostered by the idea that status
is worthy to publicize.
Several studies have emphasized this rise in narcissistic
behavior. In Jean M. Twenge
and W. Keith Campbell’s 1950
book “The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement,” thousands of teenagers
were asked if they considered
themselves an “important”
person—12 percent said yes.
In the late 1980s, roughly the
same number of teens was
asked the same question with
80 percent of girls and 77 percent of boys saying yes.
These statistics reveal a
dramatic change in teenagers
with respect to how they view
their own importance and role
in society. With this increase
propelled by the availability
of social networking sites, figures like James only exacerbate the idea of self-promotion
in the minds of teenagers.
Whether or not it is desired
by the athlete, being an influential icon carries with it
the responsibility to act as a
positive role model. Every action role models do is watched
by millions, and many of
their watchers are teens who
may be impressionable and
may try to emulate them. A
traditional press conference
has been sufficient for every
other top athlete to date.
That—and not a televised,
egotistic spectacle—would
have been a refreshing move
in pushing James away from
adding to our already narcissistic society.