COMPLICATED LEGACY: The Princeton University Board of Trustees has decided not to remove the statue of founding father and former University President John Witherspoon from its prominent place in Firestone Plaza, despite Witherspoon’s ownership of slaves and opposition to abolition. (Photo by Princeton University, Denise Applewhite)

By Donald Gilpin

In 2022 more than 300 petitioners called for removal of the large statue of John Witherspoon that stands atop a pedestal in front of East Pyne Hall and towers over Princeton University’s Firestone Plaza, but after more than two years of ensuing debate and deliberations on campus, the University’s Board of Trustees has decided that the statue will remain.

Witherspoon, who made many significant contributions to Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey) as its sixth president (1768-1794) and to the country as a founding father and signatory of the Declaration of Independence, also owned slaves and spoke out against the abolition of slavery. more

By Donald Gilpin

As the weather cools and Election Day approaches, the Coalition for Peace Action’s (CFPA) efforts are heating up.

The Princeton-based organization is culminating its 2024 Peace Voter Campaign in the coming weeks; co-sponsoring the Sunday, October 20 Supreme Injustice Rally at Hinds Plaza; and preparing for its Multifaith Service for Peace and Afternoon Conference for Peace on November 17. more

By Donald Gilpin

John Hopfield
(Princeton University; Office of Communications; Denise Applewhite,1999)

John Hopfield, a Princeton University professor emeritus in the life sciences and molecular biology with associated faculty status in physics and neuroscience, has won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the award on Tuesday, October 8.

Hopfield, 91, who shares the award with Geoffrey E. Hinton of the University of Toronto, has made contributions that “have fundamentally changed the world,” said Princeton University Molecular Biology Department Chair Bonnie Bassler, as quoted in a Princeton University Office of Communications press release. Their discoveries in machine learning paved the way for current rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.

The prize amount is 11 million Swedish kroner, about $1 million, which the two prize winners share.

“John Hopfield’s brilliant scientific career has transcended ordinary disciplinary boundaries, enabling him to make lasting contributions to physics, chemistry, neuroscience, and molecular biology,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “His pathbreaking research on neural networks, for which he is honored today, exemplifies beautifully the power of curiosity-driven research to advance the frontiers of knowledge and create new tools for addressing some of the world’s most profound challenges.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Ruha Benjamin
(John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

Princeton University Professor Ruha Benjamin has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, widely referred to as the “genius” grant, worth $800,000, and she emphasizes the need to see this honor in the context of her support for the pro-Palestinian University students “who are calling for the University to divest from organizations supporting Israeli state violence against Palestinians.”

Benjamin, the University’s Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies, who describes herself as a transdisciplinary scholar and writer focusing on the relationship between innovation and inequity, was cited by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for “illuminating how technology reflects and reproduces social inequality and championing the role of imagination in social transformation.”

The Foundation’s announcement of the Fellowships went on, “By integrating critical analysis of innovation with attentiveness to the potential for positive change, Benjamin demonstrates the importance of imagination and grassroots activism in shaping social policies and cultural practices.”

In a post to the social media platform X on October 1, the day of the MacArthur announcement, Benjamin described how her phone call from the MacArthur Foundation telling her she’d won the award came on the morning after “a tense call with Princeton University officials investigating my support of students protesting the genocide in Gaza.” Benjamin was a faculty observer for the 13 University students who were arrested during a pro-Palestinian sit-in at Clio Hall on April 29 and are currently preparing to face trial in Princeton Municipal Court. more

By Donald Gilpin

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) combines a heavy dose of tradition with a continuing emphasis on innovation as it welcomes 267 visiting scholars from 35 nations and more than 130 institutions to work alongside its 26 permanent and 22 emeritus faculty in the 2024-25 academic year.

All of the scholars are based in one of the Institute’s four Schools — Historical Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science — but collaboration among disciplines is “a pillar of Institute scholarship,” an IAS press release states, and creative, unconventional, pioneering work is ubiquitous at IAS.

The IAS October 2 press release highlights, for example, four visiting scholars who “represent a unique cross section of this year’s class.”  more

By Donald Gilpin

Sustainable Princeton, working with municipal officials to meet the demands of Princeton’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), delivered a progress report at the September 23 Princeton Council meeting, zeroing in on two specific actions: evaluating, and implementing a plan for, waste streams; and reducing emissions in the built environment.

CAP, adopted five years ago, includes five different categories, 13 objectives, and more than 80 actions to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, preserve environmental quality, and enhance public health and safety.

The Sustainable Princeton presenters, Executive Director Christine Symington and Program Managers Jenny Ludmer and Alex Dill, pointed out significant progress achieved in working towards the CAP goals. more

HISPANIC HERITAGE: Princeton Middle School (PMS) students Camila and Nathalia Araizaga have created two bulletin boards honoring their Hispanic heritage. They stand in front of their display at PMS honoring the Hispanic athletes who participated in the 2024 Summer Olympics. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

By Donald Gilpin

National Hispanic Heritage Month extends from September 15 to October 15, a time to “celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of those living in America whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America,” as stated in a September 9 Princeton Council proclamation. Princeton and the surrounding area offer many opportunities to join the celebrations.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), the Princeton Public Library (PPL), McCarter Theatre, Princeton University, and local schools, as well as the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) in Trenton, are presenting a variety of entertaining and edifying activities to engage the community and respond to Princeton Mayor Mark Freda’s “call upon the people of Princeton to join in this special observance by seeking out celebrations, educational programs, and community activities to learn more about the role Hispanic and Latino Americans have played in our nation’s history.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Shannon Barlow

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is starting the 2024-25 school year with a new food systems literacy coordinator, Shannon Barlow, and a new food service supplier, Pomptonian, that offers unlimited servings of fruits and vegetables to accompany each meal.

Those changes at PPS signal a whole new perspective on the significance of food, its role in school, and its role in the lives of the school community, according to PPS Science Supervisor Joy Barnes-Johnson.

“These paired developments will, over time, fundamentally change the way that all of us at the district — students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration — understand and use food for curriculum, health, wellness, community, and for the good of natural systems that are prerequisites to all life,” said Barnes-Johnson, as quoted in a press release from Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, Inc. (PSGC), which is collaborating with PPS to use campus resources to illustrate and amplify curriculum. more

By Donald Gilpin

With races for U.S. president and vice president, U.S. Senate, U.S House of Representatives, Board of Mercer County Commissioners, Princeton mayor and Council, and Princeton Board of Education (BOE) all on the line, the 2024 campaign season is approaching its final month. Vote-by-mail ballots are already available, early voting starts on October 26, and November 5 is Election Day.

On Tuesday, October 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the six Princeton BOE candidates will face each other in a Candidates’ Forum Webinar hosted by the Princeton Parent-Teacher Organization Council (PTOC).

In Princeton the race for three seats on the School Board, with one incumbent and five new candidates running, is drawing the most attention and generating the most lawn signs, while Mark Freda in the race for another term as mayor and incumbent Leighton Newlin and new candidate Brian McDonald in the race for two seats on Princeton Council are unopposed.

In the contest for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Robert Menendez, Democrat Andy Kim is running against Republican Curtis Bashaw; in the 12th District race for Congress incumbent Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman is running against Republican Darius Mayfield; and in the county commissioners competition a slate of three Democrats is vying against three Republican candidates for three seats.

Information about the Princeton BOE candidates is available on the PTOC website at princetonptoc.weebly.com, in local and social media, and on candidates’ websites, as well as in a continuing flow of letters to the Town Topics Mailbox. For this article Town Topics asked the candidates to provide a statement of no more than 100 words on what they would like local residents to know about them and their candidacy. Their responses follow in reverse alphabetical order. more

By Donald Gilpin

Ratcheting up their search for a permanent leader, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) Search Committee was set to meet on Wednesday, September 18 with two lead search consultants from School Leadership LLC, a Long Island-based firm hired last week.

Four firms were interviewed by an ad hoc BOE committee, and the BOE noted that School Leadership, which has led many superintendent searches for school districts in the New York metropolitan area over the past 20 years, “had the best combination of search experience as well as familiarity with the Princeton Public Schools.”

One of the lead consultants, Martin Brooks, who has served as superintendent in several Long Island communities, led the Tri-State Consortium, an alliance of public school districts of which Princeton is a member, for 16 years, and in that time he visited Princeton five times.  more

By Donald Gilpin

About 35 local residents, seeking to sharpen the community’s focus on civil rights, have founded a new organization called Civil Rights Princeton (CRP).

“Civil Rights Princeton is a citizens advocacy group intending to serve the cause of civil rights in Princeton, as a sounding board and information source, and, when needed, an advocate and mediator for victims of discrimination in our community,” wrote Walter Bliss, a member of the group and a longtime local resident.

So far the committee has been meeting monthly with an agenda generated mostly by questions brought up by members of the group.

“We’re brand new,” said Lew Maltby, CRP chair and chief organizer. “Nobody knows we’re here. We think that once people know we’re here, they’ll bring complaints to us.” Individuals with concerns, questions or complaints should contact CRP at maltbyadr@gmail.com, he added. more

By Donald Gilpin

“Access” and “opportunity” are the goals for five different Princeton University summer programs, which this year served about 400 high school, public college, first-generation, lower-income, and transfer students.

Targeting Princeton University students as well as non-Princeton students, the University’s aptly-named Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity (EBCAO) this past summer sponsored the following programs: Aspiring Scholars and Professionals (ASAP), Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI), Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP), Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP), and Transfer Scholars Initiative (TSI). more

By Donald Gilpin

With sustainability remaining a high priority in the new school year, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) reports that all six of its schools have achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.

Princeton High School (PHS), Princeton Middle School (PMS), Community Park Elementary (CP), and Riverside Elementary have met the requirements to achieve certification this year, joining Littlebrook Elementary and Johnson Park Elementary, who won certification in 2022. There are 375 certified schools in New Jersey.

“We are all incredibly proud of our schools’ commitment to sustainability and all the hard work that has gone into achieving this certification,” said PPS Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster, as quoted in a press release. “By integrating sustainable practices into our buildings, operations, and curriculum, we are not only reducing our footprint but also inspiring our students to be the changemakers of tomorrow.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University has welcomed 1,411 first-year students in the Class of 2028, the first class admitted following the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision banning race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions. Comparative numbers reveal little change in racial diversity from other recent first-year classes.

In a statement released at the time of the Court’s decision, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber emphasized the importance of having a diverse student body and stated that Princeton would “work vigorously to preserve — and indeed grow — the diversity of our community while fully respecting the law as announced today.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University continues to negotiate the fine line between allowing free speech on the one hand and maintaining an atmosphere of civility and respect for all on the other, as pro-Palestine student organizers continue to press their cause.

About 150 demonstrators gathered at McCosh Courtyard after the first day of classes last week and marched past Clio Hall and on to Nassau Hall, sites associated with last spring’s Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which held out for almost three weeks, calling for the University to divest and disassociate from companies with ties to Israel. Princeton avoided the kinds of large-scale demonstrations that roiled many other universities last spring and led to thousands of arrests and the departure of a number of college presidents. more

By Donald Gilpin

As students and teachers, staff, and administrators, all made their final preparations for Tuesday’s Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) opening day, Board of Education (BOE) members have been setting their sights on two longer-term goals: the selection of a new superintendent and an upcoming referendum to fund new classrooms and core spaces.

Both BOE initiatives are expected to culminate early next year, with an $85-$90 million referendum vote planned for January 28, 2025 and the BOE hoping, by the first months of next year, to find the right new leader for the PPS to take over from Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster on July 1, 2025. more

By Donald Gilpin

Complete with circus acts, a fashion show on bikes, street savvy cycling sessions, music, games, eBike test rides, and more, Sustainable Princeton will be hosting its annual low-carbon eCommuter Fest in the Princeton Shopping Center on Saturday, September 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rescheduled from September 7).

The focus of this year’s event is walking, biking, public transit, and family fun, but electric vehicles will still be an important part of the festivities.

“eCommuter Fest was an evolution of our Electric Evening event, where we offered EV test drives and EV owner showcases when electric vehicles were novel,” said Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington, as quoted in a press release. “Now that the adoption of electric vehicles is well underway, we want to celebrate and inspire our community about the benefits of walking, biking, and using public transportation to get around. Attendees will still have the chance to check out some EV models and learn about EV incentives and how to install a home charger.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Sean Wilentz

Two hundred years ago this month, Princeton University, then known as the College of New Jersey, welcomed the Marquis de Lafayette to campus and presented him with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of his contribution to the American cause of independence.

Lafayette was making a triumphal tour of the country at the invitation of President James Monroe and the U.S. Congress more than 40 years after the French soldier and statesman, who was a close friend of George Washington, had led the Continental Army at Yorktown in the final battle of the American Revolution.

Later this month, on September 25 at 10 a.m. as part of a 24-state tour, a Lafayette reenactor provided by the American Friends of Lafayette will share the stage with Princeton University Professor Sean Wilentz at the Nassau Presbyterian Church on Nassau Street for a public lecture on “Lafayette and the Politics of Division.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton High School (PHS) is preparing to welcome about 1,550 students next Tuesday for the start of the 2024-25 school year, and, along with a large contingent of new students, there will be new staff members, a new cafeteria, a new food service provider, a new roof, new security vestibules, new classroom doors, and more.

“It’s been a phenomenally busy summer, primarily because of the construction that’s been going on,” said PHS Principal Cecilia Birge. “We’ve never had so much construction. I’ve been in this building for more than 10 years, but this is the first time I’ve seen that all of the projects are coming to fruition at the same time. We’re 99 percent there.”

She pointed out that significant parts of the building had been brightened up and modernized. “The feel of the building has been changed,” she said. “What impresses me this time around is the focus on delivering a physical space to our students and staff so that our educators can really imagine the different possibilities for teaching.” more

TURNING THE TIDE: Artillery reenactors participate in a reenactment of the January 1777 Battle of Princeton. Princeton Battlefield State Park recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, which it is using to preserve and revitalize the park in preparation for an anticipated influx of visitors celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (Photo by Andrew Walker)

By Donald Gilpin

The American Battlefield Trust (ABT) has recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, and, along with the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) and other local partners, has extensive plans for revitalization, transformation, and preservation of the Princeton Battlefield in preparing for the 2026 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Site of the Battle of Princeton, where George Washington’s Continental Army defeated British forces in 1777, the Princeton Battlefield is a state park and National Historic Landmark. The funding was secured in the state’s FY 2025 budget by State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, along with Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis and Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and will be disbursed through the American Battlefield Trust (ABT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America’s battlegrounds and providing history education. more

AFFORDABLE HOMES: Committee members for Princeton Community Housing’s upcoming “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” event are planning a benefit on Friday, September 27 at Morven Museum & Garden to support projects for PCH’s 1,100 residents. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Community Housing)

By Donald Gilpin

Inviting supporters to “sow the seeds of success,” Princeton Community Housing (PCH) will host “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” on Friday, September 27 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Morven Museum & Garden. The evening will feature a cocktail reception, a silent auction, and a seated dinner under the tent catered by Occasions by Cintron.

Presented by Penn Medicine Princeton Health, the fundraising celebration will benefit the work and mission of PCH, with this year’s theme highlighting the importance of having “a place to call home — whether a house or a community — to grow and thrive,” according to Event Committee Chair and PCH Trustee Caroline Travers. more

By Donald Gilpin 

COVID-19 cases have seen an increase over the summer months, according to Princeton Deputy Administrator/Director of Health Jeff Grosser, but case numbers are lower than they were last year, and the Princeton Health Department is preparing for the upcoming fall season, when respiratory disease infections are likely to rise.

Grosser described a “dual seasonality” for COVID-19 with infections peaking twice a year, once in the summer and rising again in our area in November to reach a high point in January before subsiding.

At Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Chief Medical Officer and VP of Medical Affairs Dr. Craig Gronczewski reported COVID-19 infections on the rise both nationally and regionally, but noted little impact at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center. “In fact our inpatient COVID-19 census is relatively low, ranging between two to five inpatients the prior few days,” he wrote in an August 20 email. “We may even anticipate a downward trend over the next 30 days.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Charged up over the candidacy of Kamala Harris with only 78 days until Election Day, Princeton Democrats are hosting a Convention Night Watch Party Fundraiser this Thursday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m. They are urging supporters to “watch history in the making” on a big screen, as Harris accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.

“We’re going to watch the convention from 7:30 onwards and see Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech live,” said Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) President Nick DiDomizio, who noted a significant boost in excitement over the past few weeks.

“I definitely saw a lot of enthusiasm after Biden stepped out of the race and Vice President Harris became the presumptive nominee,” DiDomizio said. “Before that there were a lot of people who were on the fence, and they weren’t willing to step in.” more