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Chargin up their lazer (sic) Photo credit. Frank Wojciechowski

Princeton researchers are chargin' up their lazer (sic). Photo credit: Frank Wojciechowski

That’s right. Take that, Austin Powers.

Princeton’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has developed a new laser that can detect and identify trace chemicals in the air, which is 1000 times more sensitive than the laser technology being used today.

With funding from the Office of Naval Research, Princeton’s engineers expect that this laser could eventually produce a remote, bomb-scanning military device small enough to be mounted on a tank. As professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Richard Miles told TG Daily:

“In general, when you want to determine if there are contaminants in the air you need to collect a sample of that air and test it…but with remote sensing you don’t need to do that. If there’s a bomb buried on the road ahead of you, you’d like to detect it by sampling the surrounding air, much like bomb-sniffing dogs can do, except from far away.”

Oh, it can also detect pollution. Technology that both the army and the peace-loving environmentalists can agree on? Science, you amaze me.

Read more about our super awesome lasers here.

Feb 1, 2011

Princeton Unveils Bomb-detecting Lasers

By Vivienne Chen
Posted in In the news Also tagged , , , Leave a comment

Recently, bloggers have gotten ahold of President John F. Kennedy’s old college application essays, and boy, were standards different back then.

EDIT: JFK’s Harvard essay reads like this: (Source)

“The reasons that I have for wishing to go to Harvard are several. I felt that Harvard can give me a better background and a better liberal education than any other university. I have always wanted to go there, as I have felt that it is not just another college but is a university with something definite to offer. Then too, I would like to go to the same college as my father. To be a “Harvard man” is an enviable distinction, and one that I sincerely hope I shall attain.”

But wait… they found his application essay to Princeton was nearly identical.

Hey now, cut the late Mr. President some slack. It’s not like we all didn’t do a little tweaking on our Common App. (”Sure, Yale’s my top choice…”) On the other hand, he only spent 6 weeks at Princeton before going to Harvard.

Critics argue that if Kennedy applied today, he would not have been admitted to an Ivy League school with these essays. But honestly, if JFK could reapply knowing everything we do today, wouldn’t his essay be entitled “How I’m Going to Become a Pimpin’ Ladykiller/President of the United States Before My Untimely Assassination That Will Go Down in History as a Government Conspiracy”?

That’s what I called mine.

Moral of the story to Princeton students aspiring for elected office: guard your college apps.

Jan 22, 2011

JFK’s Princeton College App: It’s Okay To Copy/Paste

By Vivienne Chen
Posted in In the news, Internet Also tagged , , , Leave a comment

IMG_3601lg-1Princeton Dean of the College Nancy Weiss Malkiel will step down from her administrative role at the end of this academic year, the school announced in a Wednesday press release.

In recent years, Dean Malkiel has become a lightning rod for debate over Princeton’s future due to her role in implementing the school’s grade deflation and four year college projects.

But as the official press release notes, Malkiel’s 24-year tenure as Dean of the College — the second-longest among those holding her job — has also included the introduction of many other recognizable policies and programs.  These undertakings include the Princeton Writing Program, the P-D-F grading option, current course distribution requirements, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, and Princeton’s no-loan financial aid policy.

Malkiel will soon return to the History Department, which she joined as a faculty member in 1969 (her husband Burton Malkiel is also a professor at the University, in the Economics Department).   In her post-administrative career she’ll begin work on “a book about the history of coeducation at Princeton” and eventually teach a freshman seminar on coeducation.

Regardless of the endeavors that lie in Malkiel’s future, among current students she’ll likely be remembered, not always fondly, for her strong support of the grade deflation policy that seeks to limit limit the number of A’s academic departments give out each semester.

Continue reading…

Sep 8, 2010

Nancy Malkiel To Step Down As Dean

By David Walter
Posted in In the news Also tagged , , , , , Leave a comment
Look at our little Tiger go! (source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37343.html)

Look at our little Tiger go! (source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37343.html)

As discussions keep going strong about last week’s Elena Kagan ‘81 nomination, the White House has announced that it will publish Kagan’s undergraduate thesis from Princeton’s Department of History.  This announcement was made after the right-wing site RedState had illegally posted her “socialist thesis” last week; apparently, Kagan (and not ‘ole Nassau) holds the copyright for her undergraduate work.  Her graduate thesis from Oxford will also be released.  A White House official explained:

In addition to requesting an expedited release of the documents from the Clinton White House detailed in [White House counsel Bob] Bauer’s letter, the White House will make available copies of Kagan’s theses from Princeton and Oxford. These documents were not specifically requested by the Judiciary Committee in the questionnaire, but demonstrating our commitment to transparency, they will be made available to the committee and the public regardless.

The thesis can now be accessed online: read away, if you have a few days to spare (as we all clearly do during exam week. Duh.). Or check out the Prince’s Cliff Notes version from earlier in the month if you’re a tad short on time. Read Politico’s full story on the theses releases here. For a more sympathetic take on how college kids are supposed to write theses that are naive and inflammatory (and not meant to be read out of context), head over to Slate, where Christopher Beam wrote a great piece yesterday about how “college is all about screwing up.” Sweet music to our ears, Chris…

May 18, 2010

How’d You Like Your History Thesis to Undergo a Supreme Court Grilling?

By Julia Bumke
Posted in Goings On, In the news Also tagged , , Leave a comment
from ivy-style.com

from ivy-style.com

The most recent issue of the Princeton Alumni Weekly has two articles that shed some light on what life at Princeton is like.

  1. According to some pre-frosh, the world outside Fitzrandolph Gate thinks we are “squares,” with “windswept hair,” “weird shorts,” and “boat shoes and everything.” This may in fact be true.
  2. More serious, but also true: From navigating financial aid applications without a Social Security number to being unable to study abroad, undocumented students at Princeton face more obstacles to graduation than a few pesky Dean’s Dates. Yet they’ve gone on to great things. The Princeton DREAM team, which began at a dinner at Professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly’s home, recently organized a week of events to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of undocumented students in the United States. The team supports the DREAM Act, which would offer a path to citizenship for eligible undocumented youth who complete a college degree or two years of military service.

Read these articles and more in the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

May 12, 2010

IN PRINT: On prefrosh impressions, and undocumented students at Princeton

By Angela Wu
Posted in In Print Also tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

PRINCETON BOROUGH — The election of President Barack Obama has forced the issue of race into the forefront of American politics, yet it is unclear what the implications will be.

At a symposium held at Princeton University last week, Princeton professors debated whether his presidency would ultimately decrease racism and improve the lots of African Americans.

Since the election, many black activists have denounced Obama for failing to address racial inequalities, while Fox News and talk show radio pundits have accused Obama of black supremacy. But history professor Kevin Kruse said ignoring race might be the best strategy for Obama to take.

“In the end, President Obama’s greatest accomplishment on civil rights might be that he has no accomplishment at all,” Kruse said.

Read the full article at nj.com.

Apr 22, 2010

IN PRINT: Ignoring race may be best strategy for Obama

By Miriam Geronimus
Posted in In Print Also tagged , , , Leave a comment

High school seniors: If you don’t get the thick envelope, don’t feel too bad. Princeton is a trade school. …There is only Yale? Take it from Season 2 of Gossip Girl.

Fun fact: The teacher out to ruin Blair’s Yale dreams? That’d be senior Laura Breckenridge ‘10. Oh, Princetonians! Always trying to deflate everyone else’s grades, too!

From the video:

“Maybe in time, I’ll get in trouble for not inflating grades like everyone else, Ms. Waldorf, but until then, I’ll give them based on merit.”

Sound familiar? But here’s the thing. At Princeton, grade deflation won’t stop you from getting into Yale — at least according to Yale Law School dean of admissions Rangappa ‘96.

Apr 1, 2010

Admissions, Gossip Girl style!

By Angela Wu
Posted in Goings On Also tagged , , Leave a comment
Princeton Preview 2010

Princeton Preview 2010

Remember when you were a high school senior, waiting nervously for that acceptance letter from Princeton? Well, it’s that time of year again. On April 1st (that’s this Thursday), at 5:00 p.m. EST, Ivy League applicants will receive their acceptances and rejections.

So, what are high school students and their parents thinking about this admissions season?

The Princeton Review released its annual College Hopes and Worries Survey on March 24.

With the Great Recession ongoing, the major worry is money.

  • 86% of applicants and their parents said financial aid is “very necessary.”
  • 68% said that the recession has affected their college decisions.
  • Due to the economy, 51% said they were applying to “more ‘financial aid safety’ schools,” 25% to “schools closer to home” and 24% to colleges “with lower sticker prices.”
  • 39% said their biggest worry was that they “will get into first-choice college, but won’t have sufficient funds/financial aid to attend.”

But if money wasn’t an issue?  What would be their dream college? Princeton ranked 4th among students, behind Stanford, Harvard and NYU. Among parents, we did a little better, ranking 2nd only to Stanford.

Mar 27, 2010

Dream colleges and money woes

By Miriam Geronimus
Posted in In the news Also tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Steve Forbes, Boxer. Not a graduate of Princeton University.

Steve Forbes, Boxer. Not a graduate of Princeton University.

Forbes Magazine recently named Princeton one of the world’s most beautiful college campuses. And, frankly, we’re inclined to agree with them. It is really pretty here, especially now that the weather’s getting nice and the snow is melting. So, thanks for the shout out Forbes!

Here’s what the mag had to say:

This classic American campus is “straight out of central casting,” says architect Natalie Shivers, who has been guiding the prestige Ivy Leaguer through an ambitious expansion plan. Princeton’s style is pure Collegiate Gothic; most of it executed in gray stone covered in, yes, ivy. As imposing as these old stone structures are, the campus keeps life on a “human scale” by preserving green spaces and “walkability,” says Shivers. “Everything on campus is within a 10-minute walk.” Sinuous footpaths, archways, plazas–all are designed to inspire spontaneous discussion and learning.

What’s this? You have a video for us? Aww, you shouldn’t have!

(Note: after watching the video, they actually shouldn’t have. The music is super cheesy and the thesis seems to be that Princeton is special because we have arches and courtyards. But watch it anyways after the jump!)

Continue reading…

Mar 8, 2010

Forbes (Magazine) Thinks We’re Pretty!

By Spencer Gaffney
Posted in In the news Also tagged , , One comment
http://susty.com

http://susty.com

Hello Princeton student. Did you think you went to the apathetic, relatively conservative Ivy? Well, shhhhhh. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Princeton’s actually commie.

What am I referring to? Why, this comment, among many others, from the Prince’s comment sections on the recent and controversial appointment of Van Jones to be a visiting fellow next year:

Picture 10

Continue reading…

Mar 6, 2010

Oh Princeton, you commie, you…

By Miriam Geronimus
Posted in Goings On, In the news, Politics Also tagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

2499892047_1c7b743272_oThe Times gives its take on the policy most Princeton students love to hate (or just hate):

WHEN Princeton University set out six years ago to corral galloping grade inflation by putting a lid on A’s, many in academia lauded it for taking a stand on a national problem and predicted that others would follow.

But the idea never took hold beyond Princeton’s walls, and so its bold vision is now running into fierce resistance from the school’s Type-A-plus student body.

Read the full article here, and then email it to everyone you’ve ever met.  Whether you’re for deflation or against it, as Princetonians we should all agree: the more people who know about the policy, the better.

Jan 30, 2010

IN PRINT: NYT On Grade Deflation

By David Walter
Posted in In Print Also tagged , Leave a comment
Emma Brown at Brown orientation, surrounded by giants. (From flixster.com)

Emma Watson at Brown orientation, surrounded by giants. (From flixster.com)

After only a two percent increase in applications for the Class of 2013, Princeton University has been pushing its hefty financial aid package–and it’s working.

The 19 percent jump in applications to Princeton this year was greater than that of Harvard (5 percent) and Yale (Not really a jump, more like a…tiny step backward.), prompting Bloomberg News to proclaim to the Internet: “Princeton Surge Beats Harvard, Yale as Applications Soar.” Hahaha, we won!

But why the competition? Why not some Ivy League bonhomie? Why must we always be bickering like over-privileged siblings in a race to be Mom’s favorite? Am I even allowed to use bicker in this context this time of the year?

So instead, let’s talk about Brown.

Continue reading…

Jan 22, 2010

The Emma Watson Effect

By Angela Wu
Posted in In the news Also tagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments