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By Brittany Urick ’10

While resourcefulness and networking are two skills any Princeton student hopes to hone before leaving campus for the real world, Genevieve Ryan ’11 mastered them prior to becoming a Tiger. As a teenager, Ryan, with the help of a few influential Washingtonians, authored “The American Presidents,” a song designed to help children remember the occupants of the Oval Office. The tune has received national recognition in the last few years.

“People don’t know as much about our government as they should, especially about its leadership, so I think [the song] is a fun and educational way to learn about the highest office in our country,” Ryan, a Maryland native, said about her creation.

Ryan, who is majoring in politics, began the project at age 12 when her father asked her to memorize the presidents as a Father’s Day gift. She constructed a series of couplets to the melody of William Tell Overture to help her remember the proper order. Her parents, impressed by her ingenuity, encouraged her to further develop the song as the American equivalent of a popular British tune that lists the order of the country’s kings and queens.

This week’s snowstorm gave Princeton students a rare day off from classes Feb. 10, and members of the Princeton Tower Club took advantage, turning the club’s front lawn into a snowball free-for-all. (Photo by Zachary Ruchman ’10)

By Katy Pinke ’10

In March 2009, VH1 television contacted the Princeton debate team. The network was planning to shoot a new week-long program called “The Great Debate,” and the producers wanted to do an “All Stars vs. Ivy Leaguers” episode. The show would premiere in early July as a miniseries in which D-list celebrities debate issues related to pop culture.

Anthony Loring ’11, Charlie Metzger ’12, and Jim Hao ’12 were selected to represent the team in this uncharted forum for debate. Once the three students had agreed to participate, they were provided with a list of topics and possible points and counterpoints.

Their topic: “Which is the better Hulk?” The intimidating opposition — wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan — positioned himself in favor of … himself. The Princeton debaters, on the other hand, argued resolutely for the superiority of a comic-book superhero, the Incredible Hulk.

By Brittany Urick ’10

Despite the stress surrounding exam period, students have joined together to support the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12. Almost immediately after the crisis made headlines, e-mail inboxes and Facebook feeds were flooded with information about how to donate to Haiti through various channels.

On the evening of Jan. 13, Rev. Deborah Blanks and Rev. Paul Raushenbush, the associate deans of religious life, and Catholic chaplain Father Tom Mullelly led a prayer service that included readings and songs delivered in Creole. Two students, Marlise Jean-Pierre ’12 and Esther Clovis ’12, helped to organize the gathering, and 80 students attended. The following day, a vigil in the University Chapel drew hundreds of students and members of the campus community, including staff who have relatives in Haiti. On Jan. 19, students were encouraged to wear red to show support for Haiti, emphasizing that the victims and their families have not been forgotten.

Alexandra Baptiste ’13, whose parents were born in Haiti, felt comforted by the concern from her peers during this difficult time.

“I think Princeton students have been really supportive and understanding thus far,” Baptiste said. “They have been really eager to help, which is fantastic. I only hope that the drive I see in them does not die. This is going to be a long process for Haiti, and a lot more support will be needed.”

The earthquake in Haiti provided a stark context for the University’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 18.

“If Dr. King were with us today,” said President Tilghman, “he would be urging each of us to find a way to assist the people of Haiti not just to restore the country to its prior state, but to build a more just and prosperous society in its wake.” The “heartrending stories” emerging from Haiti, Tilghman told the gathering in Richardson Auditorium, are reminders “of Dr. King’s message that each of us has a responsibility to be an agent of change — to address the systemic wrongs that afflict not just our own communities but communities around the world.”

Professor Tricia Rose, chairwoman of the Department of Africana Studies at Brown University, offered a similar theme in her keynote address. The tragedy of Haiti was “a collision of forces … both manmade and naturally occurring,” she said, but King would have been “incredibly moved” by the response of the international community. Rose praised the work of students from area schools who submitted original videos, writings, and artwork for a competition designed to help commemorate King’s legacy, saying that they “captured the sense of urgency of these issues.”

The University’s MLK Day Journey Award for Lifetime Service was presented to Janet Dickerson, who is stepping down in June after 10 years as Princeton’s vice president for campus life. Tilghman said Dickerson “has devoted herself to building or renewing the bridges of understanding, tolerance, and common purpose that underpin our University today.” By W. Raymond Ollwerther ’71

Forty-eight hours after a massive earthquake struck Haiti, several hundred members of the Princeton community attended a solemn candlelight vigil for Haiti Jan. 14 in the University Chapel. In the face of "suffering and loss beyond comprehension," Dean of Religious Life Alison Boden said, the gathering prayed for "safety, solace, rescue, and restoration" and to "kindle the flames of hope that no catastrophe can extinguish."

Julus Charles, a native of Haiti who works as a sous chef for Princeton's Dining Services, expressed gratitude for support from the University and for U.S. relief efforts. "We are a deeply spiritual people in Haiti," Charles said. "We are going to survive this ... and be a stronger nation." Dining Services has more than 50 employees with families in Haiti, he said. The University said in a statement that no currently enrolled students were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. By W. Raymond Ollwerther ’71

Yemen is a poor, highly rural nation with staggering population growth, dwindling oil production, and little infrastructure, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine told an audience at Dodds Auditorium Jan. 13. “It is also a 20-year-old fragile, emerging, but real democracy,” she added, noting that Yemen has repeated elections, political parties, and a relatively free press.

Bodine, a diplomat-in-residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, joined Gregory Johnsen, a Ph.D. candidate in Near Eastern studies and former Fulbright fellow in Yemen, to debunk some of the popular perceptions of Yemen and discuss economic assistance and counterterrorism in the country that grabbed international headlines for its ties to the man who attempted to bomb a Detroit-bound airplane on Christmas Day.

On Dean's Date Jan. 12, Princeton undergraduates rushed to meet deadlines, but the scene near McCosh Hall at 5 p.m. featured few runners this year. Instead, students gathered to enjoy snacks and listen to the Princeton University Band. Fall term exams begin Jan. 13.

Some of this year’s top headlines on campus were shaped by national news (the economy, the start of the Obama administration), while others were unique to Princeton. Read our choices, and add your favorites in the comment section below.

1. Value of the endowment declines 22.7 percent; University cuts spending

The year’s top headline actually was a series of related economic stories documented in PAW, beginning with early estimates of a 25 percent endowment drop (March 4), the first round of spending cuts (April 1), and a revised estimate of the endowment’s decline (April 22). Subsequent stories examined the University’s review of its investment strategy (July 15), more details about budget cuts (July 15), departures of staff who accepted voluntary retirement incentives (Sept. 23), President Tilghman’s defense of the University’s investment policies (Oct. 21), and finally, a closer look at what happened with the endowment and what comes next (Dec. 9).

2. Anne-Marie Slaughter ’80 leaves Woodrow Wilson School; Christina Paxson named new dean

Slaughter, the dean who oversaw seven years of growth and revitalization at the Wilson School, resigned in January to begin public-service leave as the chief of policy planning in the State Department (Feb. 11), joining several alumni and faculty who took positions in the Obama administration (May 13). Paxson, a longtime Princeton professor, was selected to succeed Slaughter in June (July 15) and later spoke with PAW about her plans for the school (Sept. 23).

By Brittany Urick ’10

Last year, Princeton football co-captain Jordan Culbreath ’10 was named a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection after rushing for 1,206 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. But the Ancient Eight’s leading rusher was sidelined in September when he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. On Dec. 15, equally impressive numbers were put up in Culbreath’s honor when 480 people attended a bone marrow drive co-hosted by Princeton Varsity Club and Be the Match at Frist Campus Center. The outpouring of support was inspiring, according to Caitlin Alev ’10, who spearheaded the event alongside Emily Tiernan ’10.

“We saw a huge turnout from Princeton students and from the Princeton athletics department, much more so than we had been expecting,” Alev said. “It was awesome to see so many students show up to support one of their classmates, and I’m sure that Jordan really appreciated seeing everyone at the drive. We also received a lot of inquiries from Princeton alumni who could not be present at the drive but who still wanted to help in some way, whether by signing up for the registry via the mail or by making a monetary contribution. It’s wonderful to see how far the Princeton family extends.”

Student leaders listen to Rabbi Eitan Webb, right, at a celebration of the recent holiday food drive. At left is the “canorah,” a menorah made of canned goods that will be donated to a food bank in Trenton. (Courtesy Francesca Furchtgott ’12)

By Katy Pinke ’10

Students walking to formal dinners at eating clubs Dec. 12 were struck by the vision of a giant menorah made out of canned goods, standing in the front lawn of Quadrangle Club. The structure was the product of “Giving Back at Formals,” a holiday can drive that garnered participation from a wide range of student groups. The campaign was spearheaded by Princeton’s Chabad House. The menorah, dubbed the “canorah” by event organizers, was built out of hundreds of cans purchased with money raised at the Frist Campus Center and donated by event sponsors.

The message of the event was both altruistic and spiritual. Yosef Razin ’11 and Will Herlands ’12 designed the “canorah,” and student volunteers completed its construction on Thursday, a few days in advance of club formals, which fell on Hanukkah this year. To add to the holiday spirit, the Princeton University Band lined up around the menorah to play holiday music in the early afternoon on the day of formals. Cans and other donations will be driven to the food bank in Trenton this week.

Students browse dorm room photos at the ISOMETRIC launch party. (Courtesy Kathryn Greenberg ’10)

By Katy Pinke ’10

On Dec. 11, Princeton's newest undergraduate publication held a launch party and exhibition in the School of Architecture building. ISOMETRIC, Princeton's first art and architecture magazine, celebrated its launch with a dorm room photo competition, inviting students to submit pictures of their dorm rooms and showcase their interior-design skills.

Architecture major Waqas Jawaid ’10, who gathered with nine fellow seniors in the department to start the magazine, said that his hope was to extend the campus conversation of architecture. "We spend so much time in the architecture building," Jawaid said. "We wanted to find a way to share all of the work to the campus outside of it, creating an open forum for conversation about this all-encompassing field."

Fellow editorial board member Pulane Mpotokwame ’10 added, "Every time we as architecture students look at how something is designed, we have to think about its political, cultural, and historical context. We want to encourage the rest of the student body to enter into this mode of thinking as well, no matter from what disciplinary angle: civil and environmental engineering, performing and visual arts, art history, public policy, and so on."