By Jingwei Zhang
Oakland, Calif.
At five years old, I moved thousands of miles away and across an ocean, from a village in the Guangzhou province of China to Oakland, Calif. My parents were farmers who wanted me to have a better life, and they had heard that America was a land of opportunity. But it wasn’t until many years later that I realized the difference between my new home and the world I left behind. Continue reading
By Jingwei Zhang
Oakland, Calif.
Graphic by Daisy Gomez
Ever since Edward Snowden leaked evidence of U.S. spying programs, the world has been divided on the issue of whether he is a hero or a traitor. The U.S. government wants to prosecute Snowden as a traitor. Meanwhile, American and international public opinion is divided, but the world public tends to favor Snowden’s side.
I believe that Snowden is a traitor for exposing the fact that the United States hacked into the agencies and institutions of other countries. In essence, U.S. spying on foreign countries only complicates international relations in an era when the world is so interconnected that foreign relations are critical to a country’s standing. Continue reading
By Navil Henderson
Thornton, Colo.
Mitch Henderson ’98, who won three Ivy League championships as a player at Princeton, is looking to capture his first Ivy crown as coach. Courtesy of Princeton University Office of Communications.
In March 1998, Princeton men’s basketball player Mitch Henderson ’98 took his college basketball jersey off for the last time. After a brief professional playing career and an assistant coach role at Northwestern University, he eventually found his way back to his alma mater, becoming the 28th head coach of the Princeton Tigers men’s basketball team in 2011.
Back on the Jadwin court with clipboard in hand and whistle in tow, Henderson said he enjoys developing his players and setting strategy for the team.
During the 2012-13 season, Henderson helped the team build momentum that put them in first place and in contention for the Ivy League title entering the final week of the season. That opportunity slipped through their fingers when back-to-back losses to Yale and Brown effectively ended their quest for the title. The team finished with a 17-11 record overall, behind perennial rival Harvard (20-10). Continue reading
By Daisy Gomez
San Diego, Calif.
Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees’ third-baseman, steps up to the plate on Aug. 3 in Trenton. Photo by Lesley Le Platte.
TRENTON—On Aug. 5, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and 12 other professional baseball players were suspended by Major League Baseball for their involvement with banned performance-enhancing drugs. While the 12 other players received 50-game suspensions, Rodriguez made headlines for his 211-game suspension.
On Aug. 3, Rodriguez played for the Trenton Thunder, as part of a rehabilitation stint from off-season hip surgery. Rodriguez had to face accusations of being involved in the case against the now-defunct rejuvenation clinic Biogenesis of America. Continue reading
By Jhazalyn Prince
Brooklyn, N.Y.
My stomach clenched painfully as I opened the kitchen cabinet. Day by day, the contents continued to dwindle. I grabbed a Cup Noodles for the third time that day. It was the last package.
I was 13 when my parents separated. My brother, my mother and I had to leave our apartment and move to my grandmother’s apartment building. But in 2012, my mother lost her job, and we were evicted when we came up short on our rent. At age 16, I found myself homeless, embarrassed and angry—let down by my family. Continue reading
By Xavier Husser
New York, N.Y.
The 2013 Ivy League season started strong for the Princeton men’s basketball team, as the Tigers posted a 9-2 league record, before back-to-back road losses to Yale and Brown in early March. Finishing 10-4 in the league, Princeton lost its chance to add to its 26 Ivy League championship titles.
Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 is looking for redemption during the upcoming season. Neither Henderson nor any of the players blame each other for the losses because it was “everybody’s fault. We win as a team and lose as a team,” he said. Continue reading
By Lorena Alvarez
Tustin, Calif.
In the wake of the George Zimmerman trial and the struggle to find justice for Trayvon Martin, Ryan Coogler’s award-winning indie film “Fruitvale Station” comes at just the right time to advance the conversation about race relations in America. Continue reading
By Navil Perez
Thornton, Colo.
Several Princeton students and alumni are looking to follow in the footsteps of Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp ’89 by tackling the challenge of education in America.
Christian Smutherman ’14, Greg Groves ’13, Jason Warrington ’13 and Amina Yamusah ’13 are establishing a nonprofit called the Freestye Montessori Urban Academy (FMUA). Continue reading
By Jasmine White
Birmingham, Ala.
For a moment, Riley Cooper got lost in all the celebrity. The money, the fame, adoration by millions all over the country—it appears that he found the glamor of it all seductive. But in recent weeks, it seems that Cooper has finally gotten a wakeup call: Fans leave just as easily as they emerge. Continue reading
By Bianca Uribe
New York, N.Y.
TRENTON—On Aug. 3, the Trenton Thunder played the Reading Fightin Phils in front of perhaps the most divided crowd ever. Unfortunately for the few diehard Thunder fans in attendance, the score of the game wasn’t the main event. Continue reading
The Princeton Summer Journal 