By Cynthia Guerrero
Chicago, IL
On a spring day in 2016, cries echoed throughout Princeton University’s Alexander Hall as students and faculty members chanted, “What do we want? Divestment. When do we want it? Now.”
Students for Prison Education and Reform (SPEAR) had organized the protest to demand that Princeton divest from private prison companies, a practice which they claim makes the university complicit in one of the greatest civil and human rights violations of our time.
By HanYing Jiang and Williams Mejia
Madison, WI and New Brunswick, NJ
Though President Trump’s approval rating is extremely low, some people interviewed on a recent Friday evening in downtown Princeton grudgingly admitted that he has a few redeeming qualities.
Pranav Bachu, a student at the University of Illinois, said he saw “some rationale” for Trump’s strong anti-immigration views. Although he believes that Trump’s perspective on immigration restriction is too extreme, he did agree that some more vetting is needed, citing claims of Indian students applying for visas through falsified information.
By Elyse Luecke
St. Louis, MO
Walking into Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert’s office is like walking into a living room: homemade cards, family photos, and various resource books sit on the shelves behind her semi-circle desk, alongside a prominently featured greeting card from the Obama family. A small, light green cactus in a flower pot decorates her work space. The olive green walls are bare.
By Diana Gonzalez-Castillo
Littlerock, CA
It’s not easy for an Ivy League school to make the NCAA tournament. So when Skye Ettin, an assistant head coach of Princeton’s men’s basketball team, led his players onto the NCAA tournament stage this past March, it was a big deal.
This was his first season as a coach and, at only 25, Ettin is still learning “how to run a program,” he said. But he also considers his age to be a positive.
By Delsee Choudhury and Takyra Moore
Atlantic City, NJ and Cary, MS
Princeton University was one of the last Ivy League schools to implement a gender-inclusive housing policy for its students, but starting this fall, students will be allowed to choose roommates regardless of gender.
Gender-inclusive housing allows different genders to share a dorm room. It has become increasingly popular as campuses aim to be more welcoming to transgender students. “It was eye-opening to see how far behind we were,” said Vice President for Campus Life Rochelle Calhoun.
By David Agoha
New York City, NY
College Republicans living on the majority-liberal Princeton University campus in the era of President Trump say it is difficult to state their beliefs without receiving backlash from people.
By Daren Braithwaite and Erianis Perez
New York City, NY and Milwaukee, WI
“Don’t even talk to me about Trump. He shouldn’t even be president,” said a woman in passing. Although this encounter lasted a fraction of a minute, it encapsulated what most people in Princeton, NJ, felt on August 4.
By Jorge Gomez-Kobayashi
Jersey City, NJ
Before he ran for office, Andrew Zwicker had more experience with plasma physics than he did with politics.
The Democratic Assemblyman from New Jersey thinks his atypical background as a fusion researcher at Princeton helped him win a Republican-leaning district in 2015 — a huge upset — and will help get him re-elected this fall.
By Kiana Hunter
Chicago, IL
Based on the clash of traditional and modern Pakistani culture in American society, ‘The Big Sick,’ directed by Michael Showalter, touches on the themes of love, tradition, and stereotypes. The movie begins with the protagonist, Kumail Nanjiani, and his love interest, Emily, meeting at his stand-up comedy show. The pair starts dating, but Kumail’s family, strongly rooted in Pakistani cultural traditions, pressures him to marry a Pakistani woman.
By Kimberly Gray
Martinsburg, WV
Waking up, I got dressed for school in a new outfit I had bought the day before, a black-and-white striped shirt with black distressed jean shorts. I felt cute.
At school, my friends complimented me on my outfit. It wasn’t everyday that I tried to dress nicely.
The Princeton Summer Journal 