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November 21, 2012

Student volunteers aid recovery efforts on Long Beach Island

More than 60 student volunteers have traveled to storm-damaged towns on the New Jersey shore. (Photo: Courtesy Jennifer Bornkamp)

Desolate streets, broken sewer lines, and driveways piled high with debris. This was the scene that Princeton students encountered upon arriving on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island last weekend.

The island, which was recently reopened to evacuated homeowners, was one of the areas ravaged by Hurricane Sandy. Princeton students, organized by the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, were among the first volunteers in the area.

More than 60 students arrived on Saturday and Sunday, going from door to door and offering help. Students did everything from ripping out Sheetrock and clearing debris to making a list of supplies requested by residents.

“Our group of volunteers were very enthusiastic and eager to get dirty, work hard, and reach people who really needed help,” said Jennifer Bornkamp, a physics faculty assistant who led a team of Princeton students. “When part of our group heard from several LBI residents [who had fared better] that there was a trailer park just south of Beach Haven that was hit particularly hard, the volunteers doggedly try to get to that area, even though they were turned away twice by the National Guard and police who informed them that access to the area was still limited to residents only.”

Continue reading Student volunteers aid recovery efforts on Long Beach Island…

November 20, 2012

Jewish groups share traditions with campus through 'Shabbat 360'

Friday evening: Classes are over, and the prospect of the Saturday ahead vanquishes any desire to start the weekend’s workload. Friday is a night for relaxation. That’s where the idea of “Shabbat 360” came from, according to the student boards of Chabad and the Center for Jewish Life (CJL).

“Jews take this relaxing bit seriously — we even have a name for it: Shabbat,” they wrote in an email to the student body. “We like this idea of Shabbat, and we’re thinking you might too. Which is why we’re inviting you to a very special Shabbat dinner.”

The event, which took place Nov. 16 at the New Frick Laboratory, also was a chance for students from across campus to come together and learn about the weekly Jewish holiday, said Ricky Silberman ’13, the president of the student board of CJL.

“Every kind of person was there, Jewish students, non-Jewish students,” Silberman said. “It was great to share this part of Jewish tradition with all of campus.”

Organizers hoped “to expose people to what Shabbat is and what it means to members of the Jewish community,” said Ben Neumann ’14 president of Princeton’s chapter of Chabad.

At 6:15 p.m., students arrived in the New Frick atrium, circulating and then gradually settling into their seats at one of the 45 tables, the scene reflecting on the building’s tall glass ceiling.

“Shabbat Shalom!” yelled Rabbi Webb, of Princeton’s Chabad, from a balcony overlooking the scene. “Good Shabbas, and welcome!”

Continue reading Jewish groups share traditions with campus through 'Shabbat 360'…

November 19, 2012

Princeton field hockey beats UNC to win first national title

Amanda Bird '14, pictured in an earlier game against Richmond, scored the game-winning goal in Princeton's 3-2 national championship game win over UNC. (Photo: Beverly Schaefer)

Before 2012, the field hockey team had a history of November heartbreak. Princeton had reached 11 quarterfinals, five semifinals and two championship games — but it had never won the big one, falling short in the 1996 and ’98 title games.

All that changed on Sunday afternoon. Playing against No. 1 North Carolina for the NCAA title in Norfolk, Va., the No. 2 Tigers overcame a pair of one-goal deficits and took a 3-2 lead on a penalty stroke by Amanda Bird ’14. For 10 agonizing minutes, they defended wave after wave of attacks until the last seconds finally ticked away and the long-awaited title was theirs.

“I went nuts. I just ran to my teammates to hug them and celebrate with them,” star striker Kat Sharkey ’13 said in an email. “This is such an amazing feeling, to win the national championship with my best friends.”

Over the last two decades, Princeton has completely dominated the Ivy League, winning 18 of the last 19 conference titles. Despite a lack of athletic scholarships and Ivy-instituted practice restrictions, the Tigers transcended the Ancient Eight to become a national powerhouse. (Consider this: No other Ivy League team has won an NCAA tournament game since Penn in 1989; Princeton has won 24 in that span.)

This year, the Tigers took that hegemony to another level, quickly rising to a program-best No. 2 national ranking while beating up on Ivy opponents with a cumulative score of 45-1. Despite a slip-up against Syracuse on Sept. 23, Princeton entered tournament play with only one loss for the first time in team history.

Continue reading Princeton field hockey beats UNC to win first national title…

November 9, 2012

Students aid homeless shelter, computer literarcy group in fall break trip

Eric Donado ’13 and Trap Yates ’14 could have spent their fall break doing research for independent work, catching up on sleep at home, or campaigning for candidates in the November elections, the week’s original purpose.

Students went to work in the offices of Austin Free-Net, a computer literacy organization. (Photo: Courtesy of Austin Free-Net)

Instead, they led 10 other students to Austin, Texas, where they delved into the lives of the city’s homeless and its “ecosystem” of unique public and private anti-homelessness initiatives.

Sponsored by the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, this Breakout Princeton Civic Action Trip was one of six student-devised and student-led fall break opportunities for diverse groups of students to “break out” of the Orange Bubble and tackle public issues through immersion, discussion, and service.

Donado, a former Breakout leader, and Yates, a participant on Donado’s spring 2012 trip, had both followed the controversy earlier this year when a marketing company paid some of Austin’s homeless to serve as wireless Internet hotspots during the SXSW Festival.

Continue reading Students aid homeless shelter, computer literarcy group in fall break trip…

November 5, 2012

Women's soccer completes Ivy sweep, earns NCAA bid

In 2010, the Penn women’s soccer team visited Roberts Stadium with the Ivy League title and an NCAA tournament bid on the line. A win would have given Princeton the conference title, but the Quakers’ defense held the hosts scoreless, grinding out a 0-0 draw that clinched Penn’s ticket to the postseason and ended the Tigers’ campaign.

The two teams returned to Roberts Stadium on Saturday with the roles reversed — and Princeton got revenge. This time, the Tigers only needed a draw to secure the Ivy League’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but they got even more, beating Penn 4-2 for their 11th straight win (tied for the nation’s second-longest active streak).

“We know every year that at the end of the year, we’re going to be playing Penn,” midfielder Caitlin Blosser ’13 said. “We didn’t want to share the title at all — we wanted to win it outright.”

Jen Hoy '13 has scored 17 goals in 17 games. (Photo: Courtesy Office of Athletic Communications)

Many of this year’s Tigers could remember the heartbreaking end to the 2010 season, as eight of Saturday’s starting 11 were upperclassmen. Princeton’s Class of 2013 leads the team from all areas of the field — forward Jen Hoy ’13 entered the weekend ranked second in the nation with 1.06 goals per game, midfielder Rachel Sheehy ’13 is tied for the league lead with seven assists, Alison Nabatoff ’13 is one of the league’s top defenders, and Claire Pinciaro ’13 directs the back line from goal — and those seniors didn’t want to be the first class since 1999 to graduate without an Ivy title. “They’re the ones who really put things in place for us to have a good season,” head coach Julie Shackford said.

It was a sophomore, however, who provided a critical spark against Penn. Lauren Lazo ’15 gave the hosts some breathing room in the 13th minute, drilling a hard shot into the left side of the goal, and she hit almost the same part of the net again 30 minutes later to extend the Tigers’ lead to 2-0. Early in the second half, Hoy got a breakaway, drew the goalie off her line and then deftly passed to Lazo, who found the empty goal to complete her hat trick.

Saturday’s finale capped a stellar Ivy League season for Lazo, who scored eight goals in seven conference games. With opposing defenses often keying on Hoy, the sophomore showed a knack for springing free at the right time to find the ball in shooting range. “She’s just a gamer. The more competitive the game is, the tighter the game is, the more she can find a way,” Shackford said.

Penn scored twice in the second half, crossing from the left side to set up each goal, to make the final stretch of physical, loosely-officiated soccer more interesting. But with seven minutes left in regulation, another Hoy breakaway led to a wild sequence with the ball bouncing around the box; it ended up at the foot of Blosser, who drilled it into the net from 20 yards away.

“We gathered ourselves after their two goals … and we refocused ourselves on getting that last goal,” Blosser said. “We pretty much knew it was over at that point.”

The Tigers will learn their next opponent when the NCAA tournament bracket is released at 4:30 this afternoon. Princeton certainly has momentum on its side after completing the fifth 7-0-0 season in Ivy League history. The last team to accomplish that feat? The 2004 Tigers, who went on to reach the Final Four.

Continue reading Women's soccer completes Ivy sweep, earns NCAA bid…

October 29, 2012

With Bendtsen '14 in front, men's cross country repeats at Heps

When the Ivy League’s top men’s cross-country runners finished the first lap of the Heptagonal Championships at West Windsor Fields on Saturday, the race was playing out exactly as predicted. Columbia and Princeton each had six runners in the lead pack; the Lions, ranked 10th in the nation, were slightly ahead of the No. 23 Tigers on aggregate, but with the leaders still bunched tightly together and jostling each other around turns, the difference was insignificant.

Chris Bendtsen '14 won the individual Heps cross country title at West Windsor Fields. (Photo: Courtesy Office of Athletic Communications)

When the competitors returned to the starting area again, completing their second lap at about the six-kilometer mark, the complexion of the race had changed considerably. Four runners — including two Tigers — had separated themselves from the rest of the leaders, making a charge for the individual title. Meanwhile, several other orange-clad competitors followed close behind in the second group, giving Princeton a clear advantage as most of the Lions fell farther back.

And when they came back into view for the third time, Chris Bendtsen ’14 was all by himself, charging down the home stretch through a tunnel of fans and winning the race by more than six seconds. Finishing right behind him was Alejandro Arroyo Yamin ’14; three other Tigers placed in the top 12, giving Princeton its third straight cross country championship and its sixth in seven years.

“I didn’t really put a move in until the last 800 meters — my plan was just to stay on the shoulder of the leader as long as I could,” Bendtsen said. “I knew the whole league was coming hard, so I was trying to finish up as fast as I could.”

Despite the graduation of Olympian Donn Cabral ’12 and two other top distance runners, Princeton was ranked as high as No. 11 nationally this fall. But the Tigers tumbled in the poll after placing 14th at the competitive Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 12; after its fifth-place finish at Wisconsin, Columbia entered the conference championship as a slight favorite to most prognosticators.

Continue reading With Bendtsen '14 in front, men's cross country repeats at Heps…

October 22, 2012

Admiral-turned-professor Mullen addresses the 'strategic ecology' of global interdependence

With an American flag pin on his lapel and no need for podium or microphone, Adm. Mike Mullen looked and sounded every inch the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff when he spoke at the Scholars in the Nations Service Initiative (SINSI) annual event Oct. 18.

Professor Mike Mullen, pictured in his former role as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in 2007. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Mullen, currently the Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor at the Woodrow Wilson School, described the “strategic ecology” of global interdependence, in which states must cooperate in the long term with each other and also with global “neighborhoods” in solving transnational problems such as joblessness, rising urbanization, extremism, and climate change.

Starting with China and the Asia Pacific region and promising to “walk around the world,” Mullen outlined the local and global problems he observed. He moved fluidly from discussing China’s hunger for resources to North Korea’s young, untested leader to a nuclear Pakistan and Syrian sectarian violence.

“We have moved from a time of control, which is what the Cold War was, to, I think, a time of influence,” he said, emphasizing the necessity for multilateral diplomacy. “It’s a time where we can’t do this alone.”

Continue reading Admiral-turned-professor Mullen addresses the 'strategic ecology' of global interdependence…

October 22, 2012

The comeback: Princeton football stuns Harvard, 39-34

Roman Wilson '14 caught five passes, including the game-winning touchdown, as Princeton erased a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter. (Photo: Beverly Schaefer)

During Saturday’s football game against Harvard, 10,823 Princeton fans learned how wide a range of emotions they could feel in a three-and-a-half-hour span. At the start of the game, orange flags were flying and excitement was high on campus — the Tigers were 2-0 in the Ivy League for the first time since 2006, on a three-win streak and entering their biggest game in several seasons.

And then the game started, and that optimism was quickly laid to waste. Princeton’s defense, the second-stingiest in the nation, was no match for Harvard’s third-ranked offense, which stalled in Princeton territory on its first series before scoring touchdowns on its second, third, and fourth drives. Meanwhile, the Tigers could not solve Harvard’s defensive front, punting on all six of their first-half possessions. Harvard was up 20-0 at halftime, and though the Tigers surged momentarily in the third quarter, the Crimson rebounded to go up 34-10 early in the fourth.

Twelve minutes and 45 seconds of game time later, all those struggles were long forgotten. Roman Wilson ’14 caught a prayer of a pass from Quinn Epperly ’15 for a 36-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left, completing a four-touchdown comeback and giving the Tigers a shocking 39-34 victory. The mood inside Princeton Stadium had gone from agony back to ecstasy, as students stormed the field after the final whistle to congratulate the sole leaders of the Ivy League.

“It’s an incredible feeling, looking up and seeing all the fans, seeing all the alumni, seeing all my teammates,” Wilson said after the game. “I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet.”

One online calculator says that, even after a 59-yard kick return by Anthony Gaffney gave Princeton great field position down 34-10, the Tigers had only a 2 percent chance of coming back to win. In reality, their odds were probably even lower — those calculations assume the teams are equal strength, while Princeton and Harvard sure didn’t look evenly matched for three quarters on Saturday. “I’m glad we don’t play a seven-game series, to be honest with you, because they’re senior-led and they’re that good,” head coach Bob Surace ’90 said after his team was outgained by more than 200 yards. “We were lucky to have one more play today.”

To overcome the deficit, Princeton had to score at least 24 points in the final quarter — something it hadn’t done in a period since Nov. 23, 2002 — and do so against the league’s second-best defense. Meanwhile, the Tigers had to get quick stops against a Harvard offense that had advanced into Princeton territory in all nine of its drives to that point.

Continue reading The comeback: Princeton football stuns Harvard, 39-34…

October 15, 2012

Sprint football falls in showdown against league newcomer

Senior Night drew a larger than usual crowd, top, but Princeton could not keep pace with league-newcomer Franklin Pierce. (Photos by John O'Neill '13)

History was going to be made one way or another in Friday’s sprint football game at Princeton Stadium. On one sideline were the Tigers, trying to break a streak of 74 straight league losses and win their first official game since 1999; on the other end was Franklin Pierce, trying to win its first official game ever (albeit in only its third try, as the team debuted this season).

With the Tigers coming off of their closest game of the streak — a 32-29 overtime defeat to Post University on Oct. 5 — and with the Class of 2013, unquestionably the team’s heart and soul, playing its final home game, Friday’s contest generated some buzz on campus. In past years, sprint games have usually been attended only by family and the closest of friends; but on Senior Night, quite a few students braved the fall’s coldest evening yet to watch the action (and many others monitored the game from more comfortable locations, via texts or Tweets, in case it got exciting).

“That was the best crowd I’ve ever seen in my four years, without a doubt,” tight end/defensive lineman and captain John Wolfe ’13 said. “They helped us a lot … we love having them, and it’s a completely different culture this year. I hope it stays that way.”

In the end, though, it was Franklin Pierce that was able to celebrate, letting out a loud cheer after its 21-14 victory was official and lining up beyond the south end zone for a team photo to commemorate its achievement. Meanwhile, the Princeton players stayed in their huddle on the opposite side of the field long after the coaches had left, trying to turn the page after another opportunity had passed by.

Continue reading Sprint football falls in showdown against league newcomer…

October 8, 2012

Women's volleyball continues undefeated run in Ivy play

Lydia Rudnick '12, top, and Kendall Peterkin '16 have led 5-0 Princeton to a first-place tie with Yale at the top of the Ivy League standings. (Photos: Courtesy Office of Athletic Communications)

In 2009, the women’s volleyball team featured a dynamic senior-freshman duo. Outside hitter Sheena Donohue ’10, who led the Ivy League in kills, was the team’s primary offensive threat, while Lydia Rudnick ’13 emerged as a budding star in her rookie season.

Three years later, it’s the same story — but after two straight All-Ivy campaigns, Rudnick is now the veteran, with Kendall Peterkin ’16 taking her place as the impressive understudy. Rudnick and Peterkin currently rank first and second in kills per set in Ivy League play, lifting the Tigers to a share of the league lead with a perfect mark through five matches.

Donohue and Rudnick both hit from the outside position, while Peterkin plays on the right side, but there are still plenty of similarities — in 2009, Donohue averaged 4.02 kills per set, with Rudnick second on the team at 3.39; so far this year, Rudnick has 4.24 and Peterkin 3.35. Having experienced the situation from the other perspective, Rudnick knows how to help her young teammate thrive. “I looked up to Sheena as a leader, so now that’s what I’m trying to do for Kendall and everyone on the team — try to lead the team and do the best I can to bring energy onto the court every time,” Rudnick said.

Rudnick entered the season as one of the preseason favorites for Ivy League Player of the Year, and her early work has done nothing to discourage those thoughts; she led the conference in kills in 2010 and ’11, and she’s on pace to repeat that feat once more. Against Cornell on Saturday, more than half of Rudnick’s attacks resulted in a kill, even as the Big Red loaded up blockers on her side of the court.

“Lydia definitely leads by example, and I’m so honored to play with her,” Peterkin said. “She’s such a great player, and I can always learn something from her. I ask her for help or advice, and she gives it right away — she’s a great person to play with.”

Peterkin’s presence gives the Tigers a top option from other angles on the court; the rookie consistently hits between blockers from the right side and is also an attacking threat from the back line. Her breakout performance came on Sept. 28 at Harvard, when she notched 27 kills in a tight victory over Harvard, taking over with five kills in the decisive 15-point fifth set.

Continue reading Women's volleyball continues undefeated run in Ivy play…

October 1, 2012

Rookie Sanner, sophomore Porter pace men's soccer's surge

Thomas Sanner '16, top, and Cameron Porter '15. (Photos: Courtesy Office of Athletic Communications)

Almost every time the men’s soccer team has scored this season, one particular player has been involved. The first two goals of the year, which gave the team a 2-1 victory over Seton Hall? Assisted by Thomas Sanner ’16. Princeton’s next score, the difference in a 1-0 win at Villanova? Scored by Sanner. In all, Sanner has scored or assisted on eight of the Tigers’ 10 goals this year — and one of the other two was an own goal by Rider.

Not bad for a rookie who, one month ago, wasn’t even sure how much he’d see the field this season. “I was hoping I would get a chance to play, but nothing like this,” he said. “This is like a dream; it doesn’t get any better.”

The freshman continued his impressive streak on Saturday, when Princeton bested defending league co-champion Dartmouth 2-1 at Roberts Stadium. Sanner scored in the first half and assisted Cameron Porter ’15 on the game-winner in overtime, ending his first taste of Ivy League competition on a stellar note.

“I was hearing all week about how [league play] is just a different level, a different intensity,” Sanner said. “It’s just more physical, the game’s faster … but it definitely makes it more fun.”

With a 6-foot, 3-inch frame that he still hasn’t quite fully grown into, Sanner doesn’t look like a speedster when he runs. But several times Saturday evening, he outsprinted the Dartmouth defense to control a deep pass — most notably in the 17th minute, when he ran onto a long ball played by his brother, Matt Sanner ’13, and deposited it in the net.

“He’s just a pure center forward. … He’s comfortable with his back to the goal, he can pass, he makes good runs, and he’s got such a big frame that when he does have possession of the ball, it’s hard for defenders to get around him and poke it away,” head coach Jim Barlow ’91 said. “We thought he had the potential to be a guy that could contribute right away, [but] I don’t know that any of us thought he’d be doing this well so early.”

Continue reading Rookie Sanner, sophomore Porter pace men's soccer's surge…

September 25, 2012

Dale winner Morgan '14 follows trail of segregation-era travel guides

Peyton Morgan '14 snaps a photo of a historical marker on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. (Photo: Cole Morgan)

This is the fifth and final post in our summer series about Dale Award recipients.

“See how happy I am?” Peyton Morgan ’14 said, showing off the picture on his driver’s license. He acquired the license in anticipation of a seven-week summer road trip, during which his only guides were a GPS and The Green Book. The book, published by postal-service worker Victor Green between 1936 and 1964, once served as a guide to hotels, restaurants, and businesses that would serve African-American travelers.

Backed by a Martin A. Dale ’53 Summer Award, Morgan followed an itinerary through 15 cities across America as he documented the present state of the locations listed in the book. Undertaking the trip on a newly minted license was daunting (“I’m surprised they let me go!” the Chicago resident said), but his determination drove him — literally — to find meaning in a largely forgotten text.

Searching for the listed establishments, Morgan found little: Only two people he met had heard of The Green Book, and while some buildings still stood, few remained as they had been during the segregation era. Sometimes, all physical evidence had disappeared completely. “The visit of that day would consist of going to the side of the highway, and realizing that the neighborhood is no longer there,” he said.

Continue reading Dale winner Morgan '14 follows trail of segregation-era travel guides…

Recently in Student Bloggers

November 21, 2012

Student volunteers aid recovery efforts on Long Beach Island

November 20, 2012

Jewish groups share traditions with campus through 'Shabbat 360'

November 19, 2012

Princeton field hockey beats UNC to win first national title

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November 9, 2012

Students aid homeless shelter, computer literarcy group in fall break trip

November 5, 2012

Women's soccer completes Ivy sweep, earns NCAA bid

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October 29, 2012

With Bendtsen '14 in front, men's cross country repeats at Heps

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October 22, 2012

Admiral-turned-professor Mullen addresses the 'strategic ecology' of global interdependence

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October 22, 2012

The comeback: Princeton football stuns Harvard, 39-34

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October 15, 2012

Sprint football falls in showdown against league newcomer

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October 8, 2012

Women's volleyball continues undefeated run in Ivy play

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October 1, 2012

Rookie Sanner, sophomore Porter pace men's soccer's surge

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September 25, 2012

Dale winner Morgan '14 follows trail of segregation-era travel guides

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