Featured Stories Archive – April, 2010
Connecting art and engineering in Streicker Bridge critique
By Chris Emery · Posted April 29, 2010; 01:02 p.m.
For his senior thesis project, Kenneth Liew found a bridge that connects his interests in art and engineering. Combining concepts from architecture, sociology and engineering, Liew assessed whether Streicker Bridge, the new pedestrian walkway arching across Washington Road that will open in the fall, succeeds both as a work of art and as a functional structure.
Finding women's voices in supernatural fiction
By Jennifer Greenstein Altmann · Posted April 29, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Senior Emily Silk's thesis sprung from a 19th-century short story that is a staple of high school and college English courses. Her project ended up taking an out-of-this-world turn.
Acclaimed novelist Lee shares meticulous writing approach in classroom
By Jennifer Greenstein Altmann · Posted April 26, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton Professor Chang-rae Lee -- regarded as one of the most talented novelists of his generation -- painstakingly composes every sentence of his works, revising each one 10 or 20 times, not moving on until he is satisfied.
Testing ways to encourage energy savings
By Eric Quiñones · Posted April 22, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
With dorm rooms mostly empty and a snowstorm blanketing the Princeton campus, senior Julia Yang and a hardy group of student environmentalists spent three hours on the first morning of winter break combing residential halls for signs of energy savings. This effort was the centerpiece of Yang's senior thesis, in which she tested the effectiveness of behavioral messaging aimed at encouraging students to conserve resources.
Revealing the benefits of Colombian drug legalization
By Ushma Patel · Posted April 19, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
The senior thesis often involves a moment of surprise for Princeton students -- a late-night revelation, an insightful conversation with an adviser or an eye-opening encounter abroad. For Gustavo Silva Cano, it came when he realized his research supported drug legalization in Colombia, a conclusion opposing his personal beliefs.
Video: Aha! Princeton!
By Evelyn Tu · Posted April 14, 2010; 01:28 p.m.
In the "Aha! Princeton!" video, undergraduates discuss their favorite and most surprising academic experiences since arriving on campus, from taking advantage of international opportunities to engaging in a wide range of courses in various academic disciplines.
Art and science collaboration produces work-in-progress on climate change
By Carol Heher Peters · Posted April 12, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
In a collaboration melding art with science, climate researchers and other members of the Princeton University community have joined forces with The Civilians, an acclaimed investigative theater company, to help create a work-in-progress about global climate change that will be unveiled on campus Saturday, April 17.
Examining and debating the struggles of urban education reform
By Jennifer Greenstein Altmann · Posted April 8, 2010; 09:00 a.m.
Passionate debate is common in the freshman seminar "Our Struggling Schools: Race, Culture and Urban Education." The course examines how the problems confronting urban schools are linked to the social, economic and political conditions of cities.
'Enchanting' triple world premiere set for April 8-10
By Marguerite d'Aprile-Smith · Posted April 5, 2010; 08:39 a.m.
"An Evening of Enchantment," featuring world premieres of three dance pieces made possible by the collaboration of students and faculty members from Princeton University's Department of Music and Lewis Center for the Arts, will be presented Thursday through Saturday, April 8-10, in the Berlind Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center.
Taking a close look at the Everglades restoration
By Eric Quiñones · Posted April 1, 2010; 09:00 a.m.
Freshman Sarah Bluher spent part of her spring break in the Florida Everglades collecting field samples from an airboat in a water conservation area.