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Last weekend, Nobel prizewinning economics professor Paul Krugman took part in a panel discussion on the jobs crisis that’s hit Newark and other New Jersey cities particularly hard. Whether you agree with his views on the economy or not, you have to admit he’s pretty good with metaphors. A few favorites from his talk:

  • On the financial crisis and mounting consumer debt: “It was our Wile E. Coyote moment. We were going along just fine until we looked down and realized we’d run off a cliff.”
  • On Occupy Wall Street: “The state of discussion was so surreal, the emperor had no clothes, yet no one was saying it. And then a fairly ragtag group started camping out in a few parks in major cities, and it’s like the country woke up.”
  • And then there was the whole business with aliens. After explaining that the surge in demand accompanying World War II is what finally ended the Great Depression, he suggested a modern-day equivalent – defense against an intergalactic invasion. Turns out, he’s kind of a fan of the belligerent extraterrestrials metaphor. According to this CNN interview, a massive buildup of outer space defenses could end the current crisis in as little as 18 months.

More on the jobs panel here.

Nov 15, 2011

IN PRINT: Krugman Weighs in on Jobs Crisis

By Lauren Zumbach
Posted in In Print Tagged , , , Leave a comment
From www.collegeessayorganizer.com

From www.collegeessayorganizer.com

A whopping 3547 students applied Early Action to Princeton this year, according to the Prince. That’s up from 2,275 Early Decision applicants in 2006 (Though this is not a fair comparison since Early Action is not binding and the number of high school graduates has risen since 2006).

As we all know from when we applied, Princeton has been without an Early Action or Early Decision Program since the 2007 application cycle, when it eliminated Early Decision in an effort to increase socio-economic diversity by making the application process more fair. At the time, President Tilghman told the Prince that “Early Decision was advantaging those who were already advantaged.” Harvard and UVa eliminated their Early programs around the same time.

All three reinstated Early programs last year, after it became clear that other Universities weren’t following suit and Princeton was losing students to other schools with Early programs. But the new program is non-binding, so that students can compare financial aid packages. Perhaps this is the best of both worlds — allowing students to pick Princeton as their first choice, relieving some applicants’ stress when they are admitted early, but not disadvantaging low SES students. Or perhaps this is just PR. What do you think?

Nov 12, 2011

3547 Early Action Applicants!

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

382044_2269905390733_1341540238_32222342_340565205_nThis weekend and next always have the year’s largest number of arts events on campus…and here at The Ink, we want to help you to enjoy every bit of it! We’ve made a fancy-pants version of how to see it all between now and Thanksgiving break:

  • Thursday, November 10: I might be slightly biased in this play’s favor (full disclosure: I’m the director), but Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll at Theatre Intime is shaping up to be a wonderful show. Spanning 20 years of the underground rock movement in Communist Czechoslovakia, from the 1968 Prague Spring to the 1989 Velvet Revolution, it’s a fascinating play–and the cast is top-notch.  Thursday-Saturday at 8pm this weekend and next, with a talkback on November 18th with Simon Morrison, the Music Department’s preeminent Slavic music scholar.  Student tickets $8, events eligible.
  • Friday, November 11: The Princeton Glee Club’s Yale vs. Princeton Football Concert is always a great annual event chock full of beautiful music: Friday at 8pm in Richardson Auditorium, $5 student tickets, events eligible.374633_10150357682173661_653008660_8286638_2073660683_n
  • Saturday matinee, November 12: Shaved heads, Baptist revivals, gore galore, bestiality…hooked yet? The Princeton University Players’ Bat Boy at Matthews Acting Studio, a dark musical comedy directed by Claire Greene ‘13, has all that and more.  This weekend only, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm with a 2pm Saturday matinee. Tickets $8, events eligible.
  • Saturday night, November 12: We’ve got two great a cappella options for Saturday night: first, The Nassoons’ Annual Yale Jam with the Yale Whiffenpoofs, is always a blast (8pm Saturday in Richardson Auditorium, student tickets $8). If gorgeous female voices are more your thing (and you’re looking for a great concert that’s also kind on your wallet), the Tigressions Thirtieth Reunion Concert is also a great bet: it’s free at Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall at 7:30pm on Saturday.

Continue reading…

Nov 10, 2011

Weekend Arts Roundup: See-It-All Edition!

By Julia Bumke
Posted in Weekend Arts Roundup Leave a comment
Oh Hey There New Coach Mitch Henderson '98 Driving to the HoopOn the Cover of and old PAW issue

Oh Hey There New Coach Mitch Henderson '98 Driving to the Hoop On the Cover of and old PAW issue

We’re only a couple weeks away from the start of the basketball season, sports fans! With Doug Davis’ buzzer beater now firmly in the rearview mirror, what’s the year going to look like for the Princeton Tigers?

This season I’m going to be covering the Princeton basketball team for IvyHoopsOnline, and this week I take a look at what to expect from the upcoming edition of the men’s basketball team.

The short version? Harvard’s going to be tough to beat this year – they’re returning all their best players and add a pretty stellar class of freshman. But if Princeton can mesh quickly with the new coach (Mitch Henderson ‘98, former teammate of Sydney Johnson), and if a few of the part-timers and role players of last year, when given a chance, find a way to elevate their game, the team still has a shot to play David to Harvard’s Goliath.

Read the full season preview at IvyHoopsOnline.

Oct 25, 2011

IN PRINT: Princeton Basketball Season Preview @ Ivy Hoops Online

By Spencer Gaffney
Posted in Sports Tagged , , Leave a comment

Alas, it is that time of year again — midterms. If you’re not procrastinating at one of tonight’s great performances, you’re probably studying. And for that, Princeton has no shortage of spaces — libraries, residential college libraries, lounges… you name it. When I get stuck studying all day, I like to change it up a bit and find different study spaces every few hours. By at least breaking up the environmental monotomy, I give my brain the illusion that I’m not doing the same thing all day. And my latest favorite study space is the renovated Julian Street Library in Wilcox.

IMG_0118 IMG_0119

Renovated over the summer, I just discovered this library’s new look a couple weeks ago (as a senior from Rocky, who now lives in Spelman, I don’t go to Wilson much). Whether you want to work (or nap) on a couch or at a table, this place has you covered. And with the blueberry blue walls and couches, it’s hard to get too depressed about those midterms…

What’s your favorite study space? Let us know!

Oct 22, 2011

Where do you study?

By Miriam Geronimus
Posted in Goings On Tagged , , , Leave a comment

194706_2156284110133_1337370346_32164878_1349783074_oTime to venture forth from your midterms-induced insanity and hit the campus’s best arts events tonight! We’ve got music and theater aplenty–prime distractions from paper-writing and other assorted craziness.

  • Think on the bright side: your paper might be hellish, but at least your sociopathic wife isn’t making you kill your boss in cold blood! No one does schadenfreude better than Shakespeare, and Allie Kollaski ’13’s production of Macbeth has been getting wonderful word-of-mouth feedback over the past couple of days (just be sure to call it “The Scottish Play” if you decide to go…midterms week definitely isn’t time to tempt the Fates).  Today’s the last day: 2pm and 8pm performances in Whitman Theater, tickets $8, student events eligible.
  • Nothing soothes a stressed soul like classical music–and nothing energizes said stressed soul like a crazy marimba concerto, as Kevin Laskey ‘12 will exemplify tonight at the Princeton University Orchestra’s first concert of the season.  Featuring the music of Sibelius and Verdi, along with the afore-mentioned Rosauro Marimba Concerto, it’s a great night of music–and, at under 2 hours total, it clocks in as a perfectly-sized study break.  8pm Saturday at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall; $8 for students, but free with Passport to the Arts (it uses one of the random arts passes that don’t work for ANY other student events except for those in Richardson, so it’s definitely worth it).
  • If you’re an a cappella lover, tonight’s Co-Ed A Cappella Jam is just what the doctor ordered for midterms jitters. Featuring music from the Katzenjammers, Shere Khan, and Roaring 20, it’s bound to be a very fun event–and all of the proceeds go to Education Through Music, a terrific arts non-profit that serves students in New York and the San Francisco Bay area.  10pm Saturday in Theatre Intime; tickets $7 for students, $10 general.

Keep calm and carry on, everyone!

Oct 22, 2011

Weekend Arts Roundup: Midterms Procrastination Edition!

By Julia Bumke
Posted in Weekend Arts Roundup Leave a comment
Amateur Paparazzi on the Nassau St. CVS

CVS on Nassau Street: Where civil rights figures get their cough drops.

Apparently, Dr. West is back in Princeton, after getting arrested on Sunday for protesting on the steps of the Supreme Court in DC as part of the Occupy movement.(Certainly, not the first time this G’s been behind bars). No charges were pressed, but I’m guessing he’s lying low in Princeton for the time being.

West, who’s been on leave from his teaching post at Princeton this semester, has been very vocal about his support for Occupy Wall Street.

Without getting into a whole kerfuffle about #Occupy and the 99%–for interested students, Princeton’s ACLU is holding an event: #OccupyWallStreet: An Examination next Tuesday, October 25, at 4:30pm. Location: TBA– I will ask this: Is it just me, or does Cornel West only own one type of suit? Maybe he didn’t have time to change since his arrest.

Oct 18, 2011

Cornel West: Out of Jail and in CVS

By Vivienne Chen
Posted in Faculty Tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Consider a device the size of a grain of salt that can process information a billion times faster than the human brain. Inspired by animal nervous systems, the “photonic neuron” uses light instead of electrochemical impulses to process information at lightning-quick speeds.

And in the lab of electrical engineering professor Paul Prucnal, it’s becoming a reality. “It’s a way of encoding more information and processing it more quickly,” Prucnal said.

Alex Tait ’12, one of the lab’s summer interns, has contributed a device that acts as the decision-making part of the neuron. It’s called the double ring enhanced asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer. (Thankfully, it makes an easy acronym: They call it the DREAM device.)

But more on that later. Before there was a DREAM, there were meetings — and the occasional free pizza.

Read more at the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Oct 16, 2011

IN PRINT: For students, blazing-fast lab work

By Angela Wu
Posted in In Print Tagged , , , Leave a comment

Actor and comedian Steve Carell will be the Class Day Speaker for the Class of 2012, according to an e-mail announcement from the 2012 Class Day team, which includes Gabriel Debenedetti ‘12, Chris Green ‘12, Erin Kiernan ‘12, and Lindy Li ‘12.

“We are thrilled that Mr. Carell will be joining us as we bring our Princeton journey to a close,” the team said in the e-mail. “National media have crowned him as the funniest man in America — we could not agree more.”

Carell is perhaps best known for his role as the inept office manager Michael Scott on NBC’s The Office, which the actor left last spring. He has also starred in films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Date Night, and most recently, Crazy, Stupid Love.

In the recent past, Class Day speakers have not been announced until late spring. In fact, in 2010, Charlie Gibson ‘65 joked about his last-minute selection, claiming that celebrities from Lindsay Lohan to Sarah Palin had turned down offers to speak at Princeton.

But this year’s Class Day chairs began to work on bringing Carell to campus over the summer, Debenedetti said. Debenedetti, Green, and Kiernan served as the Class of 2012’s Class Day chairs.

“We’ve been pushing for him for a long time,” he said. “We felt like he was one of the more iconic comedians of our generation, and a lot of people in our class have grown up with his comedy.”

Can’t wait till June 4? Here’s a preview:

Oct 16, 2011

Steve Carell to speak at Class Day

By Angela Wu
Posted in Goings On Tagged , , One comment
The squirrels got my key: how common is this?

The squirrel's got my key: how common is this?

It finally happened today — after almost half a semester of success with the old “trash-can-in-the-door” technique, I finally got locked out of my room. Considering my lock-out rate last year (thank you roommates), it’s pretty impressive I’ve made it this far. Drawing from my vast experience, I find the Top 3 most common lock-out scenarios are:

  • The BrB: the Bathroom Break. You don’t have your own private bathroom, and you really gotta pee, leaving your key. See also its more awkward cousin: the Shower Situation.
  • The Class Act: You pack your bags all ready for class in the morning. “Oh, I’m just gonna leave my stuff here and run down to get some breakfast.” You come back, and realize you did put everything in your bag — including your key. And now you’re gonna be late for class.
  • The NO-I-JUST-MISSED-IT: You walk out of the room, remember you forgot your key, turn around right as the door shuts (in Whitman, with a omnious “hisssss–chk.”)

While in the past, the punishment for lockouts was merely a slap on the wrist (or that awkward moment when you knock on every hall door in a towel looking for a phone), with the new Lock-Out Policy, calling Public Safety will cost you $30 each time. If you trek down to Housing more than 3 times, you will be charged and additional $30 and be sent to the dean for “further action.”

What is this ominously vague warning, “further action”? Angela Hodgeman of Undergraduate Housing explains:

Continue reading…

Oct 14, 2011

The Lowdown on Lock-Outs: Part 1

By Vivienne Chen
Posted in Goings On Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

308459_10150865597375503_810590502_21378055_906888115_nIt’s that time of year again: let the 2015er parents descend upon the Bubble!  Whether you’re looking for quality bonding time or a way to hide your killer hangover behind quality distractions, there are some great events slated for the weekend. Here’s a handful of good bets–plus some great ones that you might want to go to sans adults.

  • Halloween comes early with the Chapel Choir’s annual silent movie-fest, where they perform alongside a scary movie with organ accompaniment. This year it’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame; it’s perfect for all ages (especially if you’ve got younger siblings coming). Friday 14 October at 9pm, adults $10 and student $2. University Chapel.
  • PSAT (The Princeton South Asian Theatrics Company) is always a blast; their newest show, Birds, Bees, and Biodata, is sure to be a great one. 8pm Friday and Saturday, Frist Campus Center Theatre; Students $7, general admission $10; Student Events Eligible.
  • On Saturday night, the University Concert Jazz Ensemble will present “In Case You Haven’t Heard,” their first concert of the year, which features pianist Jonny King (Princeton class of ‘87!) with bassist Ed Howard and drummer Victor Lewis.  A great chance to show your parents beautiful Richardson Auditorium–while keeping them a safe distance from Prospect Street.  Saturday 15 October at 8pm, adults $15; student events eligible (so you can get in for free).
  • For sheer hilarious insanity, don’t miss Theatre Intime’s 24-Hour Play Festival, where students race against the clock to write, direct, and star in new plays over the course of a single day.  Heckling is encouraged, and it’s always a blast: one night only, Saturday 15 October at 8pm in Theatre Intime. Free (but definitely not the type of thing you should go to with your parents…unless they’re into raunchy college humor).
  • If it’s Sunday and the fam still hasn’t peaced out, The Richardson Chamber Players’ Art and Memory, featuring music by Ravel, Chausson and Messiae, is a terrific bet–not to mention a great-sounding chamber music performance. Sunday 16 October at 3pm in Richardson Auditorium, adults $15; student events eligible.
Oct 14, 2011

Weekend Arts Roundup: Parents’ Weekend Edition!

By Julia Bumke
Posted in Weekend Arts Update Tagged , , , Leave a comment
IMG00067

Whitaker with Eddie Glaude, Department Chair for the Program in African American Studies, walking by Prospect House this afternoon. (Thanks to DJ Judd and Sarah Paton for the tipoff!)

We’re used to our fare share of celebrities here in the Bubble, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still get starstruck: Forest Whitaker, the Academy-Award-winning American actor of Last King of Scotland fame, was on campus today for a meeting at the Center for African American Studies. Sophomore Uchechi Kalu was lucky enough to be on the scene: “I was working at Stanhope Hall, and everyone was wearing business casual, so I knew something was up–and then this ray of sunshine walked into the office and shook my hand!  He’s just as kind and well-dressed as you’d imagine. Thank God I decided against sweatpants this morning!”  Definitely a memorable way to end the week.

Oct 13, 2011

Spotted: Forest Whitaker, Stanhope-Bound

By Julia Bumke
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , Leave a comment