January 29, 2025

Unable to Overcome Another Uneven Effort, Princeton Men’s Hoops Loses 85-76 to Cornell

SHARPSHOOTER: Princeton University men’s basketball player Blake Peters puts up a shot in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior guard Peters scored 20 points off the bench in a losing cause as Princeton fell 85-76 to Cornell. The Tigers, now 14-3 overall and 3-1 Ivy League, host Yale (11-6 overall, 4-0 Ivy) on January 31 and Brown (9-8 overall, 1-3 Ivy) on February 1. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Justin Feil

The Princeton University men’s basketball team survived slow starts and sloppy play through its first three Ivy League games this season.

Not the fourth.

Hosting Cornell last Saturday, the Tigers rallied from a 23-7 first half deficit to take the lead at halftime, then built a small lead in the second half but could never pull away as the Big Red made some big baskets down the stretch to pull out an 85-76 win over Princeton before a crowd of 4,094 at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers dropped out of a first-place tie in the Ivy League after falling to 14-5 overall, 3-1 Ivy League. Cornell improved to 11-6 overall, 3-1 Ivy. more

Sparked by Senior Quartet of Brophy, Gu, Xu Twins, PHS Boys Swimming Pulls Out 4th County Title

STROKES OF BRILLIANCE: Princeton High boys’ swimmer David Brophy heads to victory in a freestyle race earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior star Brophy placed first in both the 200-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Swimming Championships. Brophy’s superb performance helped PHS finish first in the team standings at the meet. It marked the fourth straight team crown for the Tigers at the county competition, formerly known as the Mercer County Swimming Championships. Brophy, for his part, was named the Most Valuable Swimmer for the boys at the meet. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With Princeton High boys’ swimming team locked in a tense battle against rival WW/P-South for the team title at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) meet last Saturday, the contest came down to the final event of the competition, the 400-meter freestyle.

Swimming the anchor leg for PHS, senior star David Brophy came through, out-sprinting Nick Straka of Lawrence to the wall at the WW/P-North pool as PHS took first to clinch the title. more

With Junior Standout Flanagan Winning 2 Races, PHS Girls’ Swimmers Take a 4th County Crown

CHAMPIONS AGAIN: Princeton High girls’ swimming star Annie Flanagan displays her freestyle form in a race last season. Last Saturday, junior star Flanagan placed first in both the 50-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Swimming Championships. Flanagan’s heroics helped PHS place first in the team standings at the meet. It marked the fourth straight title for the Tigers in the county competition, formerly known as the Mercer County Swimming Championships. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Annie Flanagan got into the starting block for the 50-meter freestyle race at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Swimming Championships last Saturday, she couldn’t stand still.

“I try to hype myself up,” said Princeton High junior star Flanagan. “I jump around, I will slap my chest, my legs, and kind of shake it out.” more

Senior Star Rose Makes History for PHS Wrestling, Winning 4th Straight Title in County Competition

FOUR PEAT: Princeton High wrestler Cole Rose poses for a preseason photo. Last Saturday, senior star Rose placed first at 132 pounds at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament (formerly known as the Mercer County Tournament.) It marked the fourth straight title for Rose in county competition. PHS finished sixth in the team standings of the event won by Hopewell Valley. (Photo provided courtesy of Cole Rose)

By Justin Feil

When Cole Rose was an up-and-coming wrestler, he sometimes worked out in Alec Bobchin’s basement.

Rose always aspired to be at least as good as his Princeton High teammate Bobchin, and he achieved one measure of that mark last Saturday when he joined Bobchin as the only PHS wrestlers to win four straight titles at the boys’ Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament (formerly known as the Mercer County Tournament).  more

Utilizing an Emphasis on Mental Preparation, PHS Track Teams Excel in CVC Competition

LETTING IT FLY: Princeton High senior star Sean Wilton lets the shot put fly last Sunday at the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships meet (formerly known as the Mercer County Championships). Last Sunday, Wilton set a personal record of 61’00.50 in winning the shot put. Wilton’s win helped PHS tie for second in the team standings at the meet. (Photo by Rohan Viswanathan)

By Bill Alden

While the athletes in the Princeton High track and field program train hard physically, they have been increasingly emphasizing the mental aspect of their sport.

“We have been talking a whole lot as a team and actually having sessions with a more sports psychology focus and growth mindset,” said PHS head coach Ben Samara. “It is talking about the mindset of being an athlete and all of the things that come with that. I think our athletes have really embraced that. It is how you approach a challenge, how you approach failure, and how you approach setbacks. The mental approach is really starting to pay off for us as a program as a whole.” more

Senior Gilligan Produces Breakthrough Moment As PDS Boys’ Hockey Falls to Lawrenceville

LIFE OF REILLY: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Reilly Gilligan gets ready to spring into action last Wednesday as PDS hosted Lawrenceville. Senior defenseman Gilligan scored the lone goal for the Panthers as they fell 4-1 to the Big Red. The Panthers, who dropped to 5-6-1 with the defeat, host Seton Hall Prep on January 30. (Photo by David Bremer)

By Bill Alden

With Princeton Day School hosting the annual boys’ hockey border war against Lawrenceville last Wednesday evening, McGraw Rink was packed and the tunes from disc jockey Darius Young were pumping as the foes took the ice.

Having suffered a frustrating 6-4 defeat to Delbarton a day earlier, PDS senior defenseman Reilly Gilligan and his teammates were fired up for their clash with the Big Red. more

January 22, 2025

Celebrating Dr. King

The Arts Council of Princeton honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an art-making workshop, community gathering, and more on Monday afternoon. Participants share how King and/or his legacy inspires them in this week’s Town Talk on Page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Voters Prepare to Weigh In on PPS Referendum

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton voters will go to the polls next Tuesday, January 28, to vote on a Princeton Public Schools (PPS) facilities bond referendum with a total cost of $89.1 million if all three questions pass.

“The board separated the referendum into three questions, and if approved, it will allow us to receive up to an estimated $19.9 million in state financial aid to offset the financial impact on taxpayers,” PPS Board of Education (BOE) President Dafna Kedal wrote in a January 21 email. “We encourage everyone to visit princetonk12.org/referendum to learn more about the projects, and of course to vote by January 28.”

Kendal went on to emphasize the importance of the process of informing Princeton residents about the referendum during the past few months. “We have held at least 30 events for community members to come out and tour the schools, learn about the referendum projects, and ask questions,” she wrote. “Our administration and professionals have done a great job explaining the projects and why we need to increase capacity for student enrollment as the municipality’s population grows.” more

Winter Season Brings Norovirus and Other Maladies to Princeton

By Donald Gilpin

It’s flu season, along with rising case numbers of RSV and COVID-19, not to mention warnings of a bird flu threat. And if that’s not enough, U.S. health officials are now claiming it’s the worst season in many years for outbreaks of the norovirus, which is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis among people of all ages in the U.S.

Princeton Deputy Administrator/Health Officer Jeff Grosser reported that the Princeton Health Department has been monitoring the situation closely, investigating two separate norovirus outbreaks in a Princeton school and a day care last week, along with a few other localized outbreaks.

Cases of norovirus are common during the winter months, Grosser said, “especially in schools where the virus spreads quickly due to close contacts and shared surfaces.” The Princeton Health Department was able to identify 10 to 12 students/staff in each outbreak. “This demonstrates the quick spreading nature of norovirus,” Grosser added. more

Talk on New University Art Museum Offers a “Sneak Peek” at its Interior

By Anne Levin

On a snowy evening last week, the auditorium at Princeton University’s Friend Center was packed with a standing-room-only crowd for a talk about the new building of the Princeton University Art Museum. James Steward, the museum’s director, and Chris Newth, its senior associate director for collections and exhibitions, revealed some of the challenges and surprises — happy and otherwise — that have come up during the project.

“We are finally at a point where we can say we are opening this year,” said Steward at the beginning of the event titled “Conversation: Hidden Stories: Preparing a New Museum.” But he wasn’t ready to set a specific date.

The January 16 event was part of the museum’s “Late Thursdays” programming. The focus was, largely, on the materials and design of the building’s interior. The museum’s three floors are to have a total square footage of 144,000 square feet, almost double the size of its former building.  more

Science on Saturday is Underway at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

SATURDAY SCIENCE: Jongsoo Yoo, a principal research physicist and deputy head of discovery plasma science at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), focuses on solar flares in the first in a series of seven Science on Saturday lectures featuring a slate of distinguished speakers on a range of topics of current interest.  (Photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL Communications Department)

By Donald Gilpin

Solar flares, quantum computing, microplastic pollution, direct recycling, schizophrenia, the science of polling, and more. Science fans of all ages are gathering on Saturday mornings over the next two months to participate in the 41st year of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s (PPPL) Science on Saturday Lecture Series.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Sciences program, this year’s Science on Saturday series launched on January 18 with a presentation by Jongsoo Yoo, principal research physicist and deputy head of discovery plasma science at PPPL, who focused on the surface of the sun, magnetic reconnection, and the mysterious process behind solar flares. more

“Here There Are Blueberries” Leaves Audiences with Profound Questions

“SELFIES” FROM A SHOCKING SOURCE: The 2007 discovery of a photo album depicting workers from the Auschwitz concentration camp enjoying picnics and gatherings on their days off is the basis of a play opening at McCarter Theatre on Friday, January 24. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

By Anne Levin

At performances of the play Here There Are Blueberries at McCarter Theatre January 24-February 9, panelists taking part in post-show discussions are as key to the experience as the actors cast in the play.

The drama/detective story by Tectonic Theater Project director Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich, inspired by an album of Nazi-era photographs, poses profound questions about ethical issues and human nature. Audiences at past productions by the La Jolla Playhouse and Shakespeare Theatre Company (McCarter’s production kicks off a national tour) have been reluctant to leave their seats once the play comes to an end.

“We have found, over and over, that the people wanted to stay and talk about what they had just seen,” said Kaufman. “They need to process it. That’s why we have the talkbacks.”

 more

Federal Agencies Award Grants to Local Arts and Humanities Projects

By Anne Levin

Princeton-based arts and humanities initiatives are among the recipients of grants in the most recent round of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Princeton University Concerts (PUC) has received $20,000 from the NEA for its Healing with Music series, while Morven Museum and Garden was granted $25,000 for a project addressing the history of slavery. In addition, Divya Cherian, associate professor of history at Princeton University, has been awarded $60,000 from the NEH for a book project titled Conjured States: Witchcraft and Politics in Western India, 1750-1900. more

On David Lynch: “Only When It Is Dark Enough, Can You See the Stars”

By Stuart Mitchner

There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole. It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

—from the announcement of David Lynch’s death

If David Lynch were still delivering daily weather reports on his YouTube channel, and if he’d lived to see Inauguration Day, his January 20 forecast would have ended with his usual cheery, heartfelt “golden sunshine and blue skies all the way” closing line, topped off with a smile and a vigorous salute, regardless of the actual weather in L.A. or D.C. Unfortunately, actual earthly weather in the form of the Santa Ana winds driving the wildfires devastating his city forced the mandatory evacuation of Lynch’s home on the night of Wednesday, January 8. The timing and the circumstances were, as some online bloggers have noted, “Lynchian.” Not only was the director of Mulholland Drive living adjacent to the street that gave his most celebrated film its title, he was homebound, seriously ill with emphysema, and in need of “supplemental oxygen for most activities.” Even though the evacuation order was rescinded the next morning, the damage had apparently been done. Less than a week later, Lynch’s family announced his January 15 death.

Smoking

David Lynch may not have been the master of his fate, but he clearly understood that the cause of his poor health had to do with something more personal than weather. “Smoking was something that I absolutely loved but, in the end, it bit me,” he told Sight and Sound magazine in September 2024. “It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things; nothing like it in this world is so beautiful…. Meanwhile, it’s killing me.” more

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Music Director’s Milestone Birthday

By Nancy Plum

Musical ensembles often observe the significant birthdays of composers of the past or anniversaries of their leaders. Princeton Symphony Orchestra took this idea one step further by celebrating the 60th birthday of Music Director Rossen Milanov earlier in January with presentations of two monumental orchestral works. The concert on the night of Saturday, January 11 at Richardson Auditorium (the program was repeated the following afternoon) brought together Orchestra musicians, conductor Milanov, one of his long-term collaborators, and two of his favorite pieces in the ensemble’s annual Edward T. Cone commemorative events.

Joining Princeton Symphony in Igor Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major was guest soloist Leila Josefowicz, who has played with the Orchestra numerous times in past seasons. A violinist with a solid international reputation, Josefowicz clearly demonstrated a strong connection to both Milanov and the players while showing her own brand of performance fire.  more

A Physician’s Housekeeper Wants to Invent a Joke in “The Clean House”; Offbeat, Poignant Comedy Continues Kelsey’s “Season of Transformations”

“THE CLEAN HOUSE”: Performances are underway for “The Clean House.” Presented by Shakespeare 70 and Kelsey Theatre, and directed by Janet Quartarone with the assistance of Maggie Gronenthal, the play runs through January 26 at Kelsey Theatre. Above, from left: Lane (Laura McWater), a physician, faces a devastating revelation brought about by the actions of her sister Virginia (Laurie Hardy); her husband Charles (Stan Cahill); the mysterious Ana (Jaqueline Booth); and her cleaning lady, Matilde (Lisbeth Burgos), who wants to invent the funniest joke in the world. (Photo by Jake Burbage)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Kelsey Theatre is continuing its “Season of Transformations” with The Clean House. Sarah Ruhl’s quirky, bittersweet comedy depicts a married couple — both of whom are physicians — whose Brazilian housekeeper hates to clean house, and dreams of inventing “the funniest joke in the world.”

An arrangement is made whereby the sister of one of the doctors will do the housekeeper’s job of cleaning the couple’s home. This leads to a discovery that upends the couple’s marriage, and necessitates complicated choices and self-examination.  more

Conductor and Pianist Specialize in Mozart

ALL MOZART: Pianist Orli Shaham is the soloist at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s program of works by the composer on February 8 and 9 at Richardson Auditorium. (Photo by Christian Steiner)

Pianist Orli Shaham is the soloist with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) on February 8 at 8 p.m. and February 9 at 4 p.m. in an all-Mozart program at Richardson Auditorium.

Ballet music from Idomeneo (excerpts), the Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 453 Will be performed. Gérard Korsten, conductor and Mozart specialist, will make his debut with the PSO.

Locals may recall Ms. Shaham from her Baby Got Bach program for children which made its Princeton debut in 2016 with So Percussion. She also recorded a piano concerto, Stumble to Grace, by Princeton-based composer Steve Mackey.  more

Irish Instrumentalists

Guitarist Bill O’Neal will perform at the Fanny Parnell Poetry Project’s “Poetry, Politics, and Ms. Parnell,” on Saturday, February 1 at 3 p.m. at Bordentown’s Old City Hall, 11 Crosswicks Street. Known for his monthly sessions at Tir na Nog in Trenton, O’Neal will be joined with George Zienowicz, a pipe player and fiddler as well as a neon artist. Admission is free to the program, which will be followed by “Poets and Pints” poetry reading at Bordentown Square Tap and Grill at 4 p.m. Visit oldcityhallprograms@gmail.com for more information.

Edison Film Series Presents Special Screening

Bimpé Fageyinbo
(Photo courtesy of Yuri Alves)

On February 6 at 7:30 p.m., the Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium, in collaboration with the Lewis Center for the Arts, presents a film screening and panel on top award-winning filmmakers and poets living and working in New Jersey. The event is at the James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Admission is free.

“Themes and Journeys of Artists and Filmmakers in New Jersey” includes a premiere screening of three award-winning short films from the Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF) collection produced, directed and/or performed by the five panelists: writer/director Seyi Peter-Thomas, poet Cortney Lamar Charleston, filmmaker Moon Molson, filmmaker Yuri Alves, and artist Bimpé Fageyinbo, moderated by TEFF director Jane Steuerwald.

The films to be screened are How Do you Raise a Black Child? by Peter-Thomas in collaboration with Charleston; The Bravest, the Boldest by Molson; and Freedom for Freedom by Alves featuring Fageyinbo. The films are recent additions to the Thomas Edison Film Festival collection. TEFF is an international juried competition celebrating all genres and independent filmmakers across the globe.  more

Family Matinee Series at Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre has announced the spring lineup of the $5 Family Matinee series for spring.

Included in the lineup of family-friendly and nostalgic films are American animation along with two live-action tales. All screenings are $5 and are free for members of the nonprofit community.

The screenings begin on January 25 with Adventures of Milo & Otis. Disney’s modern ode to old-school animation, The Princess and the Frog, follows up on February 22. Next the Garden takes audiences back to the silent era on March 22 as Charlie Chaplin entertains at The Circus. Next on April 12 is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and on May 17 the big screen becomes a time machine to prehistoric Earth in Don Bluth’s The Land Before Time.

The $5 Family Matinee series is underwritten by jaZams, McCarter Theatre Center, Color Me Mine Princeton, and the Princeton Public Library. Tickets can be purchased at the box office at 160 Nassau Street, or at princetongardentheatre.org/family.

Lambertville Historical Society Presents Plein Air Plus Auction

PLEIN AIR PLUS: Among several plein air works that will be auctioned to benefit the Lambertville Historical Society and the James Marshall House Museum on February 1 is “Running Dog” by Annelies van Dommelen, shown here.

Plein Air Plus, artistic interpretations of historic Lambertville and neighboring river towns, is an annual fundraiser by the Lambertville Historical Society (LHS). This year, it will take place at Rago Arts and Auction Center on Saturday, February 1 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. More than 55 pieces will be featured during the event, held as a silent auction to benefit LHS and the James Marshall House Museum.

All works will be on display and minimum bids will be set. Bidding will close at 6:30 p.m., sharp, with winners announced by 7 p.m. Plein Air Plus will also feature live music by the local band The Lifters, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. There is a $25 suggested donation, $15 donation for LHS members. more

“Manifesting Beloved Community” Exhibit Now at West Windsor Arts

“WISDOM”: This work by Pat McLean-Smith is featured in “Manifesting Beloved Community,” on view through March 1 at West Windsor Arts in West Windsor Township.

For the fourth consecutive year, West Windsor Arts, in partnership with Art Against Racism, invited artists to present their vision of an equitable and caring world, one not tainted by the misjustices of structural racism. Their artworks are now on display at the arts center in an exhibition called “Manifesting Beloved Community,” inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s global vision of a nonviolent, love-centered world without poverty, hunger and social injustice. Throughout his lifetime, King spoke of a healed planet.

“We are honoring Dr. King’s legacy with this exhibition, which will be on display through March 1,” says Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts. “Each year, we also sponsor a day of service on the MLK holiday so that volunteers are surrounded by the impactful work of this show as they package donations to be given to local service organizations.”  more

Call For Art: 16th Annual TrashedArt Contest 

TRASHED ART CONTEST: Artists and artwork from the TrashedArt 2024 Contest are shown at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System. Art in this year’s contest will be on display in March and April.

In March and April, art will be displayed for the 16th Annual TrashedArt Contest at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System (MCLS). Patrons will have a chance to view photographs of the artwork and vote for the “People’s Choice” awards in-person at each of the nine branches and virtually on the MCLS’ website. Winners will be announced at the TrashedArt Contest Reception at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch on Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.

“The TrashedArt Contest celebrates Earth Day by encouraging our residents to turn ordinary trash into extraordinary art,” said County Executive Dan Benson. “I’m thrilled that Mercer County Libraries can continue to host this contest, and I can’t wait to see what creative works our contestants produce.” more

With Lee Coming Through Again in the Clutch, PU Men’s Hoops Edges Columbia in Stunning Rally

STEPPING UP: Princeton University men’s basketball player Xaivian Lee flies in for a layup during a game earlier this season. Last Monday, junior guard Lee scored a game-clinching 3-pointer in the waning seconds as Princeton rallied from a 20-point deficit to edge Columbia 71-67. Two days earlier, Lee drained the game-winning 3-pointer in an 81-80 win over Dartmouth. The Tigers, now 14-4 overall and 3-0 Ivy League, host Cornell on January 25. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

Xaivian Lee displayed a flair for the dramatic last weekend for the Princeton University men’s basketball team.

On Saturday, junior guard Lee drained a game-winning step back 3-pointer as Princeton edged Dartmouth 81-80.

Two days later against visiting Columbia, it was a case of déjà vu as Lee fired in a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation to put Princeton up 69-67 on the way to a 71-67 win, capping a furious comeback as the Tigers rallied from a 20-point deficit. more

Nweke Following in Her Sister’s Footsteps, Emerging as a Standout for PU Women’s Hoops

SISTER ACT: Princeton University women’s basketball player Toby Nweke puts up a shot last Saturday against Dartmouth. Freshman guard Nweke scored a career-high 10 points to help Princeton defeat the Big Green 63-39. Nweke is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Chet ’24, who emerged as a key performer for the Tigers, helping Princeton to win three Ivy League titles. Princeton, which fell 58-50 at Columbia on Monday night to move to 12-5 overall and 3-1 Ivy League, plays at Cornell on January 25. (Photo by Shelley Szwast, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Having been first exposed to the Princeton University women’s basketball team as an 11-year-old, Toby Nweke has been dreaming for years about joining the program.

Nweke started attending games to watch her older sister, Chet ’24, who emerged as a key performer for the Tigers, helping Princeton to win three Ivy League titles. more