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The Princeton Summer Journal – 2014 Masthead
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Princeton public schools work to bring students back to the lunch line
Items like black bean cookies and yogurt parfaits will be added to the lunch menus at Princeton Public schools this fall.
By Eric Macias
Chicago, Ill.
This year, Princeton Public Schools will implement a new, upgraded lunch program due to low participation in the current school lunch program.
Rather than eat the food offered by the Princeton Public School system, students from all grade levels opt out. Due to short lunch periods, limited and often unhealthy food options and a lack of education on the importance of eating well, students have been avoiding the cafeteria lunches, leaving some faculty members worried about student health.
“Only nine percent of all students at Princeton High School participate in the lunch program, and most of those students receive free lunch,” said Stephen Cochrane, 53, during an interview in the recently renovated library of Princeton Middle School. Cochrane is the superintendent of Princeton Public Schools and plans to improve the lunch system this year by making lunch more interesting for students. Currently, only between nine and 45 percent of students at Princeton Public schools participates. Continue reading
Battle over future of historic site
A couple strolls through the Princeton Battlefield State Park. The Institute for Advanced Study is proposing to build a new site beyond these trees.
By Eliana Lanfranco
Brooklyn, N.Y.
On January 3, 1777, gun smoke, cannon fire and musket balls filled the air of Princeton, as American forces under General John Sullivan’s command cornered British-hired Hessian mercenaries near Princeton University’s Nassau Hall. British forces surrendered as General George Washington and his troops drove another regiment into the woods while shouting, “It’s a fine fox hunt, boys!” Washington’s victory at the Battle of Princeton boosted morale and convinced others, particularly the French, to support the nascent American rebellion.
Two hundred and thirty-seven years later, the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) are engaging in what PBS calls the “second Battle of Princeton.” This time, at stake is a plot of land considered by PBS to be pivotal to the battle. Continue reading
Israel and Palestine must compromise
By Rashid Binnur
Imperial Beach, Calif.
By all accounts, there is a major discrepancy between the number of Israelis and Palestinians who have died in the conflict in Gaza that erupted last month. According to the United Nations, more than 1,800 Palestinians have died, while the death toll in Israel, according to its government, stands at just 67.
But these disparate death tolls reflect not just a war in Gaza, but an attack on a nation’s sovereignty — a sign that both Israel and its backers in the United States refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Palestinian state. Continue reading
Robeson House in jeopardy
The Paul Robeson House Committee must raise at least $1 million to pay off the mortgage of the house.
By Marily Lopez
Los Angeles, Calif.
Football player, actor, civil rights activist and singer, Paul Robeson was born in Princeton, New Jersey in a combined two-story house on the corner of Witherspoon and Green Street in 1898. Almost 116 years later, the Paul Robeson House, a historical centerpiece of the community, may now be in jeopardy due to increasing property values, gentrification and financial issues.
In order to save the house, a historical centerpiece of the community’s rich history, the Paul Robeson House Committee is considering some combination of five possible options: a Memorial Gallery of Paul Robeson, a Center for the Study and Advancement of Human Rights, a Center for the Promotion of the Arts, a Community Resource Center, and/or Mentoring and Referral Services. Continue reading
Princetonians divided on immigration border crisis
By Paige Pagan
Bronx, N.Y.
Tens of thousands of undocumented, unaccompanied minors from Central America have recently passed over the United States border. Parents from countries including Guatemala and Honduras have been paying smugglers in a desperate attempt to have their children whisked away to the safety of the United States.
This ever-growing problem is focused in Texas. Containment hotels and refugee camps are being filled by the day, and places to send these incoming children are increasingly running out. Now, some view government officials as babysitters to care for these children. Continue reading
Hoffman shines in dull spy feature
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 Catherina Gioino
Queens, N.Y.
In a society where fears of terrorism are often racially and religiously-charged, there comes a point at which people must rethink their prejudices. Such is the message of “A Most Wanted Man,” a film set in a post-September 11th era when governments are on the lookout for terrorists.
A darkening title card sets the tone for the film, by detailing the German government’s failure to detect Mohammad Atta, one of the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks. Some time later, Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) — a man sought after by counterterrorism officials — mysteriously appears in Hamburg. Karpov, a suspected Chechen terrorist, is the initial subject of investigation by Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a troubled and brilliant spy. Continue reading
‘Boyhood’: A journey from childhood to adulthood
Courtesy of IFC Productions
By Jodi Sterling
New York, N.Y.
In his newest feature, writer and director Richard Linklater captures the life of a typical American kid — from dealing with his older sister annoyingly singing Britney Spears to consuming mushrooms on his first day of college. Linklater’s independent film “Boyhood” is a drama that follows a boy through his 12-year journey from childhood to adulthood.
The film tracks Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he grows up with his struggling mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and his obnoxious sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). Throughout the film, Mason comes face-to-face with many challenges as he tries to figure out the meaning of this thing called life. As Mason grows from year to year, the viewer sees a realistic perspective of a young kid growing up in America, and the ups and downs that go along with it. Continue reading
Debenedetti discovers dual nature of water molecules
By Paige Pagan
Bronx, N.Y.
Pablo Debenedetti’s personality is kind of like a pancake: Each side, when you flip it over, has its own distinguished characteristics. One side of him is highly intellectual, a scholar at the top of his field. Another side of him, however, is gentler and more relaxed, befitting a father of two who loves classical, jazz and tango music and enjoys (well, “enjoyed,” as he tells it) playing soccer.
Debenedetti grew up in Argentina and studied chemical engineering at the University of Buenos Aires. He began studying industrial engineering but ultimately decided to pursue chemical engineering instead. Most recently, he has been using a computer model to study the ability of water molecules to spontaneously split. He has received many awards and honors, and in 2008 was named one of “100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era,” by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. But despite his many accomplishments, there is a humility and optimistic air about him. Continue reading
Vick, Smith vie for role as Jets starting quarterback
The Indianapolis Colts warm up on Thursday before their preseason opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
By Amna Nawaz
Brooklyn, N.Y.
For thousands of Jets fans, Thursday’s 13-10 preseason victory was a welcome start to the season, but the game wasn’t mainly about defeating the Colts. Fans were looking to evaluate the play of the team’s two quarterbacks, Michael Vick and Geno Smith. Both Vick and Smith are competing to be the starter, and after last week’s game, it appears that it’s going to be a close competition.
Vick, age 34, was brought to the Jets in part to serve as a mentor to Smith. Their relationship is not just about competition but also collaboration. “It’s great. It’s a great feeling to have a guy like Mike,” Smith said of his work with Vick. “He is a guy I have always looked up to.”
The Jets hope this collaboration helps the 23-year-old Smith’s maturation process. Smith had an up-and-down rookie year, but there were certainly bright spots: According to the Jets’ website, Smith not only had the most passing yards in a single season for a Jets rookie — registering 3,046 yards — but also had the highest completion rate for a rookie, with 55.8 percent. Continue reading
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