Articles filed under “Alumni”

(image source: amazon.com)

In his upcoming book Lost in the Meritocracy: The Undereducation of an Overachiever, novelist Walter Kirn ‘83 writes about his experience at Princeton, where, as he said in an interview with the Chicago Maroon, he felt “alienated among the indoctrinated.”

The book description on Amazon describes the university as:

an arena for gamesmanship, snobbery, social climbing, ass-kissing, and recreational drug use, where the point of literature classes was to mirror the instructor’s critical theories and actual reading of the books under consideration was optional.

Compare that to a comment on an article in the Daily Princetonian posted today:

who comes to pton to “learn”? pton is a means for the end that is employment with a high salary/status/etc. with this ridiculous deflation policy, cheating will only increase as people realize that in the real world, no one cares about your “honor” but rather your gpa.

Huh.

May 1, 2009

Walter Kirn is Lost in the Meritocracy

By Angela Wu

Posted in Alumni Tagged books, Ivy League, meritocracy, Princeton University, social climbing, The Atlantic, The Daily Princetonian, Walter Kirn One comment

Bush '06 ends world hunger, starts own fashion line

Lauren Bush ‘06, Dubya’s niece and model, has done a lot since graduating with an anthropology major three years ago. Last summer, she launched the FEED 100 Campaign, which sells stylish burlap bags to put food in the mouths of hungry Rwandan children. For instance, if you purchase a $30 bag, you will provide 100 school meals! And you if buy a $60 bag, you will feed one child for an entire school year! Average cost to feed one Princeton upperclassman for an entire school year? $6,960.

But Lauren must do more good! You know, “In the Nation’s Service” blah blah. She has just launched her own fashion line, called Lauren Pierce, which made its debut at Barney’s last month. Her line uses eco-friendly materials, and each collection will support a charitable organization. It’s like she’s her uncle, George W., except the opposite. And did we mention she’s hot? And dating Ralph Lauren’s son?

Pictures of her Spring ‘09 collection after the jump:

Apr 26, 2009

People who make us feel inadequate: Lauren Bush ‘06

By Brian No

Posted in Alumni Tagged Alumni, FEED Project, Lauren Bush, Lauren Pierce, Princeton Leave a comment

The New York Times recently profiled Pres. Obama’s budget director, Peter Orszag ‘91, who has been tasked with the unenviable job of overseeing the federal budget. We learn that he is a “supernerd” with grand ambitions:

Everything about the way he has interpreted his new job speaks of ambition: the policy heavyweights he has hired for the Office of Management and Budget, his efforts to persuade cabinet secretaries to let him help shape their plans, a public profile as high as that of any budget director since David A. Stockman’s polarizing tenure under Ronald Reagan a quarter-century ago.

He is also a sex symbol?

Apr 5, 2009

NY Times Profiles Orszag ‘91

By Brian No

Also posted in In the news Tagged Alumni, Economics, New York Times, Obama, Peter Orszag, Princeton University Leave a comment

vs.

(image source: princeton.edu)

Meg Whitman ‘77, who has announced her intention to run for governor of California, has predicted that her campaign could cost $150 million, much of it self-financed.

The $150 million figure is about the same amount of money it took Princeton to build Whitman College ($136 million). But Whitman didn’t finance the entire cost of the fieldstone/limestone clusterfuck that was built to last 200(!) years: she “just” donated the initial $30 million to kick start the project.

This, of course, means that Whitman loves California about five times more than she loves Princeton. Alternatively, it could also mean that her campaign will be five times better than Whitman College, which can only be a good thing because the 250,000 sq. ft. complex is an ugly monstrosity.

(Also: Did you know that Community Hall, Whitman’s dining hall [a.k.a. barn], isn’t named for the Princeton University community, but for the eBay community? WTF?)

Feb 22, 2009

Whitman to Spend $150M on Gubernatorial Run

By Brian No

Also posted in In the news, Politics Tagged California, campaigns, elections, Governor, Meg Whitman Leave a comment

Meg Whitman '77: California Guv Wannabe & Builder of Great Castles

About a week ago Meg Whitman ‘77 threw her hat into the ring for the California Gubernatorial race (info here). And while the rest of the world may know her as the former Ebay CEO, we of course think of her first and foremost as a Princeton alum. But did you know that, if elected, Whitman wouldn’t be the first California Governor somehow linked to Princeton?

That honor belongs to Princeton-born Robert Stockton, a Navy Commodore who in January 1847, during the Mexican-American War, appointed himself the first Military Governor of California. His tenure, however, was short lived, as in February of that same year he was ousted by the actual appointed (by the US government) Governor, General Stephen Kearny.

Robert Stockton: Sort of California Guv

And while Stockton never actually attended Princeton University (he joined the Navy when he was 16), he was born in Princeton, he died in Princeton, and he’s buried in the Princeton cemetery (there’s also apparently a rest stop named after him on the New Jersey Turnpike.) So remember Robert Stockton, just in case Meg ends up winning and calling herself “the first Princeton Governor of California.”

Feb 17, 2009

Meg Whitman: The Historical Precedent?

By Spencer Gaffney

Also posted in Politics Tagged California, campaigns, donors, elections, Governor, Meg Whitman Leave a comment

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As Barack Obama prepares to take the highest office in the United States, he has begun to build a team of accomplished and skillful men and women that will help the young president lead America in these most troubled times.

Indeed, America stands at a crossroads in history, and Obama’s star-studded team hopes to answer some of the nation’s most pressing questions. How does America weather the recession? How does the nation withdraw its troops from Iraq? Which Ivy League school is really the best?

Come on. You thought it wouldn’t be a competition?

People have already noted that Obama’s team is noticeably “Ivy-tinged”. This, of course, begs the question that burns constantly in the American public mind:

Which of the “Ancient Eight” comes out on top?

Dec 19, 2008

Change We Can… Compete For

By Will Saborio

Also posted in In the news, Politics Tagged administration, Alan Blinder, appointment, cabinet, Clinton, EPA, Ivy League, Lisa Jackson, Obama, Peter Orszag, President Leave a comment

The most visited posts inthe past two weeks:

Articles filed under “Alumni”

Walter Kirn is Lost in the Meritocracy

People who make us feel inadequate: Lauren Bush ‘06

NY Times Profiles Orszag ‘91

vs.

Whitman to Spend $150M on Gubernatorial Run

Meg Whitman: The Historical Precedent?

&

Change We Can… Compete For

The most visited posts in
the past two weeks: