Author Archives: princetonsjp

Debenedetti finds work-life balance in accomplished University career

By Vanessa Zamora
Vista, Calif.

Pablo Debenedetti is a man of many accomplishments: Chemical and biological engineer. Dean at Princeton University. Recipient of countless awards. But what does he think is his greatest contribution? “To the world? My two children.”

While Debenedetti is well known for his contributions to the scientific world, he makes it clear that his family is his first priority. In 2012, Anne-Marie Slaughter, also a professor at Princeton, wrote an article entitled “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” which focused on the difficulty of balancing a job and a family. Debenedetti, however, shows that men deal with this problem as well. Continue reading →

Princeton public schools to offer healthy lunch options

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By Asia Matthews
Queens, N.Y.

Black bean cookies, squash fries, and maybe even coconut-raisin rice are all menu options landing in Princeton public school cafeterias in the upcoming academic year. These new healthy-sounding treats, provided by the Nutri-Serve Food Management Inc., are meant to put a new twist on old school lunch favorites.

These changes are being implemented by Stephen Cochrane, 53, who took over as superintendent of the Princeton school district in January 2014. Less than a year into his tenure, Cochrane is already taking big steps to help kids internalize healthy habits. When the district’s last food service contract expired, he seized the opportunity to promote more positive nutritional habits. Continue reading →

‘Most Wanted Man’ offers sophisticated plot

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Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in ‘A Most Wanted Man’ as a brilliant but troubled spy. This was Hoffman’s final role before his unexpected death in February.

By Nicholas Santiago
Newark, N.J.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, in his final role, plays Günther Bachmann, a hardened undercover German spy hunting for terrorist threats while attempting to maintain his tight circle of informants. Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) joins Hoffman onscreen as a humanitarian lawyer defending Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), a Chechen-Russian fugitive haunted by his past as he enters Hamburg in search of a new future. This is Dobrygin’s English-language debut, and may well prove to be his breakout role.

Tommy Brue (Willem Dafoe), a wealthy banker, and Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright), a case officer at the U.S. embassy, are solid supporting characters whose roles become increasingly intertwined with Günther and Issa as the plot thickens.

And thicken it does. With no signs of relief, the characters’ paths continually intersect, and no individual’s true intent becomes elucidated until the final scene. Continue reading →

‘Most Wanted Man’ a slow-burning drama that pays off

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By Justin Park
Queens, N.Y.

Günther is standing in the dark, maintaining his ice-cold demeanor as Tommy yells at him. In a reserved tone, he says, “We have a job to do Tommy; you are going to help me do it.”

The leader of a German intelligence and counter-terrorism unit, Günther always seems to be calmly in control of every situation. Throughout this intense, suspenseful, slow — but highly engaging — film, he proves to be a master of manipulating multiple contacts to achieve his objectives.

“A Most Wanted Man” is a spy thriller, based on the John le Carré novel. It’s the fifth of le Carré’s books to be adapted for the big screen, following most recently the critically acclaimed “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” “A Most Wanted Man” may be best known at this point because it’s one of the last films to star the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. And in Günther, Hoffman has created an extremely believable, complicated and grim character. Continue reading →

‘Boyhood’ provides a realistic perspective

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By Sania Syed
Los Angeles, Calif.

Despite lacking the cinematic effects audiences have come to expect in major motion pictures, “Boyhood” manages to keep audiences enthralled. A fictional drama directed and written by Richard Linklater, the movie uses an unusual concept: It was filmed over the course of 12 years — using the same actors as they aged in real time to tell the story of a small child growing into a student entering college. As a result, one word encompasses the entire movie: realistic.

The film follows the life of Mason, Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) from age 6 through 18, beginning with his move to Houston with his single mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). In the movie, Mason transitions through many situations, ranging from assimilating to new environments to learning how alcoholism contributes to domestic violence. Mason’s character changes from curious to careless in adolescence, but later matures into an intellectual artist. The movie also depicts his improving relationship with his estranged father (Ethan Hawke) and the evolution of his mother’s social standing. Continue reading →

Groundbreaking ‘Boyhood’ does not disappoint

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By Johnny Flores Jr.
Coachella, Calif.

Filmed over the course of 12 years and utilizing the same cast, director Richard Linklater’s movie “Boyhood” has finally arrived and it does not disappoint.

The movie takes the audience on a captivating journey through the eyes of the main character, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from his boyhood into adulthood. Alongside Coltrane, Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette star as Mason’s parents with Lorelei Linklater featured as Mason’s sister, Samantha.

As we journey with Mason, we experience key moments in his life, such as moving from house to house and constantly transferring schools. Linklater relies on the audience to experience these moments for themselves rather than overdramatizing his characters. Consequently, some critics claim that the lack of emotion makes the characters dull, but instead this strategy illustrates Linklater’s innovation by allowing the audience to determine their own reaction to the events in Mason’s life. Continue reading →

A tale of a lifetime, ‘Boyhood’ feels to viewers like it takes just as long

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Courtesy of IFC Productions

By Nathan Phan
Rosemead, Calif.

Despite telling a boy’s story from youth to maturity, “Boyhood” exaggerates the journey of growing up and, thus, fails to be memorable because of its reliance on nostalgia.

Featuring a child whose transition to manhood is impeded by trauma, “Boyhood” follows the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who begins his journey as an introverted child with his mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette), and his sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). As his mother struggles to establish a sense of stability and his father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke), attempts to atone for his failures, the audience is coerced to enter Mason’s life. Continue reading →

‘Boyhood’ A Coming of Age Film With A Twist

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Courtesy of IFC Productions

By Ashley Nava
El Paso, T.X.

The movie theater is a darkroom, and much like a photograph, the characters develop from the negatives before our eyes. The movie “Boyhood,” filmed over the course of 12 years by Richard Linklater, has revolutionized cinematic storytelling.

Told through the eyes of Mason, Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), Linklater modified the film’s script each year to accommodate changing events during the filming process. This groundbreaking method presents “Boyhood” as a literal coming-of-age film.

We see the film through Mason’s eyes, between the ages of 5 and 18. Throughout the film, Mason’s mother (Patricia Arquette) cycles in and out of abusive relationships. They move from place to place as she tries to improve their quality of life. Continue reading →

New Plan B rules cause confusion for NYC pharmacists

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By Erick Arzate, Shemaiah Clarke, Miguel Diaz and Hunter Richards
with the staff of The Princeton Summer Journal

This June, in response to a federal judge’s ruling, the Obama administration made the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B One-Step available over the counter to people of all ages and genders.

But an investigation by The Princeton Summer Journal revealed that the vast majority of pharmacists interviewed in New York City did not know about this recent change regarding the rules for access to Plan B One-Step, the most common “morning-after” pill.

Of 49 pharmacists interviewed Wednesday in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, only 16 were even aware that Plan B One-Step was now available to everyone without age or point-of-sale restrictions.

And of those 16 pharmacists, only 11 were actually selling Plan B One-Step without any restrictions. Several of the pharmacists interviewed said they were still enforcing the now-defunct age restrictions and cited lack of guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the pill’s manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceuticals, as a cause of confusion. Continue reading →

Unpaid journalism internships may serve as barrier to profession for low-income students

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By Ashley Jones-Quaidoo, Lesley Le Platte, Jeanne Li and Ellen Pham
with the staff of The Princeton Summer Journal

Like many aspiring journalists, Harvard University student Michelle Hu went hunting for media internships this summer. But as a student on financial aid, Hu had to consider money when making her decision. Hu simply couldn’t afford to take an unpaid internship.

In the end, she got an internship with Al Jazeera in Washington, and was able to pull together money to cover basic expenses—a $1,000 stipend from Al Jazeera and a $1,000 scholarship from the Asian American Journalism Association. Even with this funding, however, budgeting for the summer still wasn’t easy.

“I had to find a place with cheap rent,” Hu said. “Every time I bought food it was a conscious decision.”

At least Hu was able to find funding. With the economy sluggish and the news industry struggling, unpaid journalism internships seem more common than ever. And that means students from low-income backgrounds are facing a major barrier to entry in the industry. Continue reading →