November 20, 2024

With Sophomore Chea Emerging as Floor General, PU Women’s Hoops Tops Villanova in Home Opener

ON POINT: Princeton University women’s basketball player Ashley Chea heads upcourt in a game last season. Last Wednesday, sophomore point guard Chea scored a career-high 17 points to help Princeton defeat Villanova 70-61 in its home opener. On Sunday, Chea tallied 14 points in a losing cause as the Tigers fell 74-66 at Quinnipiac. Princeton, now 2-2, plays at Seton Hall on November 21 and at Rutgers on November 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

During her freshman season with the Princeton University women’s basketball team last winter, Ashley Chea served as an understudy to senior star point guard Kaitlyn Chen.

With Chen having departed and now playing for UConn as a graduate transfer, Chea is now applying the knowledge she gained from her mentor.

“I learned so much from her, I think that this year I am trying to take on her role but me and Kaitlyn play super differently,” said Chea, a 5’8 native of Los Angeles, Calif.  “I think both of our confidence spikes up when times are heated. I just try my best to lead the team and do whatever they need me to do.” more

PU Men’s Hoops Falters Late in Loss to Loyola, Bounces Back to Defeat Merrimack, Now 4-1

INSIDE PRESENCE: Princeton University men’s basketball player Malik Abdullahi defends a foe in recent action. Freshman forward Abdullahi has provided the Tigers with a spark in the paint. Abdullahi scored 11 points and had four rebounds along with one block in a 73-68 loss to Loyola University Chicago on Friday and followed that up with eight points and three rebounds in a 68-57 win over Merrimack last Sunday. Abdullahi was later named Ivy League Rookie of the Week. Princeton, now 4-1, will be competing in the Myrtle Beach Invitational in Conway, S.C., from November 21-24 before returning home to host Nazareth on November 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In its first three games this season, the Princeton University men’s basketball team displayed a knack for pulling out nail-biters.

In its season opener against visiting Iona on November 4, Princeton overcame a 16-point second half deficit to pull out an 81-80 win. Against Duquesne four days later, the Tigers trailed by four points with five minutes left before prevailing 75-68. Facing Northeastern on November 10, Princeton trailed 74-71 but produced another late surge to win 79-76. more

Princeton Football Squanders 28-21 Lead at Yale, Falls 42-28 to Bulldogs, Hosting Penn in Finale

CRUNCH TIME: Princeton University football running back John Volker gets corralled by two Dartmouth defenders earlier this season. Last Saturday, Volker rushed for 56 yards and one touchdown but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 42-28 at Yale. The Tigers, now 2-7 overall and 1-5 Ivy League, host Penn (4-5 overall, 2-4 Ivy) on November 23 in their season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It proved to be a disappointing case of déjà vu for Bob Surace and the Princeton University football team as the Tigers played at Yale last Saturday.

Jumping out to a 28-21 lead over the Bulldogs early in the third quarter, things went downhill from there for Princeton. Yale reeled off 21 unanswered points to pull away to a 42-28 win before 7,594 at the Yale Bowl, dropping the Tigers to 2-7 overall and 1-5 Ivy League. more

Putting the Finishing Touch on Dominant Campaign, PHS Girls’ Volleyball Rolls to 2nd Straight State Title

ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Members of the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team celebrate last Saturday after they defeated Ramapo 2-0 (25-8, 25-11) in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state finals at Franklin High. It marked the second straight Group 3 state title for PHS and putting the finishing touch on a sensational 28-1 campaign. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Lois Matsukawa served for Princeton High girls’ volleyball team to open its New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state final against Ramapo last Saturday, she zipped the ball over the net which resulted in the Tigers taking a 1-0 lead on a block at the net.

PHS rattled off five straight points on Matsukawa’s serve and never looked back on the way to a comprehensive 2-0 (25-8, 25-11) win over the Raiders at Franklin High, earning its second straight Group 3 state title and putting the finishing touch on a sensational 28-1 campaign.

With PHS having won the program’s first-ever state title last fall, senior center Matsukawa and her teammates were calm and collected as they took the court last Saturday. more

Senior Libero Makes Home Finale Memorable, Helping PHS Girls’ Volleyball Return to State Final

SHINING PEARL: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Pearl Agel sets the ball last Saturday in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state final. Senior libero Agel starred as PHS defeated Moorestown 2-0 (25-8, 25-9) in the NJSIAA Group 3 state semifinal round last Thursday in its home finale and then went on to top Ramapo 2-0 (25-8, 25-11) in the Group 3 final on Sunday at Franklin High. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team hosted Moorestown last Thursday in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state semis, it was the last-ever home game for Pearl Agel and she was determined to make it memorable.

“We were excited, we just really wanted to bring our all,” said senior libero Agel. “We always say, ‘Let’s play Princeton volleyball. Let’s play together, that is really important.’ I have had such a blast at the school and I am so happy.” more

With Hamerschlag’s Header Making the Difference, PHS Boys’ Soccer Tops Monroe 1-0 in Sectional Final

TITLE CHASE: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Chase Hamerschlag boots the ball last Friday as PHS hosted Monroe in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional final. Junior center back Hamerschlag scored a goal on a header to give third-seeded PHS a 1-0 win over fifth seeded Monroe. The Tigers, who improved to 18-2-4, were slated to play at Southern (17-5-1) on November 19 in the Group 4 semis with the victor advancing to the state final on November 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament final on October 26, Chase Hamerschlag headed in a goal off a pass from Aaron Thyrum on a corner kick in the second half to give the Princeton High boys’ soccer team a 1-0 win over
Notre Dame.

History repeated itself last Friday as third-seeded PHS hosted fifth-seeded Monroe in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional final. With the teams knotted in a scoreless tie in the second half, junior center back Hamerschlag soared above a Falcon defender to head in a pass from Thyrum on a set piece to give PHS a 1-0 victory. more

With Hegedus Setting the Tone with Bold Start, PHS Girls’ Cross Country Takes 2nd at MOC

FAST COMPANY: Members of the Princeton High girls’ cross country team show off the medals they earned for placing second in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Meet of Champions last Saturday at Holmdel Park. It marked the highest-ever finish for the program at the meet.

By Justin Feil

Grace Hegedus has been bursting from the starting line over the past two seasons for the Princeton High girls’ cross country team.

The sophomore set the tone for a team on the rise last year in her first varsity season, and this year she continued to do so as the deeper Tiger squad reached heights unseen. more

Determined Group of Seniors Set Winning Tone As PDS Boys’ Soccer Made Run to Sectional Final

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Todd Devin, right, kicks the ball in a game last season. Last Friday, senior midfielder Devin scored two goals as sixth-seeded PDS fell to top-seeded Moorestown Friends on penalty kicks after the teams had tied at 3-3 through regulation and overtime in the final of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament. The defeat left the Panthers with a final record of 8-14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team brought a mediocre 5-13 record into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament, Todd Devin was confident that the squad would be a tough out in the tourney.

“We started playing this tournament my freshman year and every year we are told at the beginning of the year no matter how the regular season goes, we can always make a run,” said PDS senior midfielder Devin. “That was pretty prevalent early in because we were playing in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) and we were playing the best teams. Five of seven teams went far in states. We know we are playing good competition through the whole season. We get to the state tournament and we always know that we have a chance to win and no game is out of our reach.” more

November 13, 2024

Grin and Bear It

Members of the Princeton University women’s soccer team are all smiles as they celebrate after defeating Brown 2-0 last Sunday afternoon in the Ivy League Tournament final at Roberts Stadium. The Tigers improved to 14-4 with the win over the Bears. Princeton is headed to the NCAA tournament where it will play at Virginia (12-5) in a first round contest on November 15. For more details on the game, see page 30. (Photo by Bill Alden)

BOE Winners Look to Upcoming Challenges

By Donald Gilpin

With a few final mail-ins and provisional ballots still being counted, incumbent Mara Franceschi and new candidates Christopher Santarpio and Ari Meisel have won three-year terms on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) beginning January 1, 2025, defeating three other challengers in a hotly contested race.

The unofficial results based on most recent tallies show Franceschi as the top vote-getter with 5,617 votes (20.66 percent), followed by Santarpio with 4,851 (17.84 percent) and Meisel with 4,662 (17.15 percent). Erica Snyder fell short with 4,523 votes (16.64 percent), as did Z. Lisa Potter with 4.385 (16.13 percent) and Shenwei Zhao with 3,084 (11.34 percent).

Final counts and certification by the Mercer County clerk are expected to take place next week. more

Princeton University Reports 3.9% Endowment Gains, Lowest in Ivy League

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University’s endowment fund has reported a return of 3.9 percent and a total value of $34.1 billion for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024. The University has recorded an average annual return of 9.2 percent over the past 10 years, but the 2024 gain was the smallest among the eight Ivy League universities and follows Princeton’s losses of 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent in the two previous years.

Returns for the 2024 fiscal year at other Ivy League institutions ranged from 11.5 percent at Columbia to 5.7 percent at Yale, with Princeton’s underperformance for the year apparently due to large investments in private equity and venture capital at a time when publicly traded stocks, particularly technology stocks and the S&P 500 index, have outperformed most experts’ predictions.

PRINCO, the Princeton University Investment Company, emphasizes a “long horizon” investment strategy, focusing on many decades rather than a single year. The endowment’s investments returned 46.9 percent in 2021 and have averaged 9.9 percent over the past 20 years.  more

Ribbon Cutting to Officially Open 153-Acre Green Space Preserve

By Anne Levin

On Friday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m., municipal and environmental officials will cut the ribbon on Princeton’s newest open space preserve. The 153-acre expanse formerly known as the Lanwin tract has frontage on Province Line and Cherry Valley roads and is located in the northwest corner of Princeton.

The parcel was at one time targeted for a housing development, which would have resulted in the loss of some 4,000 trees that form part of an old-growth forest. But through an agreement struck in October 2021 between the municipality, Bryce Thompson, and Lanwin Development, the tract was acquired for $8.775 million and set aside for conservation and passive recreational use. more

Morven Museum’s Annual Festival of Trees Highlights Traditions and Celebrations

FESTIVAL MAGIC: Morven Museum & Garden’s 19th annual Festival of Trees, accompanied by a lineup of programs and events, will take place at the historic Stockton Street house from November 20 to January 5, with trees and mantels decorated throughout the museum galleries under the theme of Traditions and Celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Morven Museum & Garden)

By Donald Gilpin

Morven Museum & Garden’s 19th annual Festival of Trees will open on Wednesday, November 20 with displays by a wide variety of decorators representing more than 20 different local nonprofits, schools, garden clubs, community groups, and individual artists.

Running through January 5, 2025, the Festival will feature a juried selection of creations by groups and individuals who submitted applications to decorate trees and mantels throughout the museum’s galleries. more

Eclectic Range of Folk Musicians To Perform in Anniversary Season

FOLK HEROES: Members of the Princeton Folk Music Society have been busy planning their 60th anniversary season in 2025. From left are Frank Kubitsky, Dave Leonard, Bill Houston, Robert Ey, Mary Curtis, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Peter Hester, Madhumita Chakrabartti, Peter Kernast, Alexandra Radbil, Lisa Roth, and Walt Miziuk. Not present: Pat McDonnell and Anne Gribbon.

By Anne Levin

From its earliest days on the Princeton University campus, the Princeton Folk Music Society (PFMS) has been an active participant in the local music scene. What started in 1965 as an informal organization holding group sings soon grew into a nonprofit presenting such noted folk artists as Mick Moloney, Beppe Gambetta, and Elizabeth Cotton, a tradition that continues today.

The PFMS, which brings the duo Mustard’s Retreat to Christ Congregation Church on Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m., is about to enter its seventh decade. To mark this milestone, the 2025 season has been curated to include an especially diverse roster of musical events. Among them are John McCutcheon, The Ebony Hillbillies, Poor Man’s Gambit, and a Phil Ochs Song Night, to name a few. more

New Dormitory Campus Under Construction for HomeWorks Trenton Leadership Program

BREAKING GROUND: Pictured with local officials, Natalie Tung, fourth from left, co-founded HomeWorks Trenton to give high school girls the tools to succeed. The organization has officially begun the renovation of an existing house into its permanent home.

By Anne Levin

This past weekend, construction got underway on the transformation of a free-standing house into the cozy headquarters for HomeWorks Trenton, an after-school boarding program for marginalized girls who attend the city’s public schools.

If all goes according to schedule, 42 high school girls, staff, and their families will be living in the repurposed, state-of-the-art building on Edgewood Avenue, near Cadwalader Park, by September of next year. The young scholars, as co-founder Natalie Tung refers to them, will go home on weekends but live in the facility during the week. The idea is to provide a supportive environment that will prepare the young residents to excel in high school, college, and beyond through tutoring, leadership development, and community involvement. more

Elon Musk and the Ancient Mariner

By Stuart Mitchner

On Election Day, I began reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk (Simon & Schuster 2023) along with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which Samuel Taylor Coleridge first conceived during a walk with William Wordsworth on November 13, 1797.

Early Reading

Coleridge’s tale came to mind while I was reading the chapter about Musk’s early reading habits. As a teenager pondering “the meaning of life and the universe,” Musk found nothing helpful in philosophers like Nietzche, Heidigger, and Schopenhauer (“I don’t recommend reading Nietzche as a teenager”). His salvation was science fiction, novels like Robert Heinlein’s The Moon Is a Hard Mistress and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series, about sending settlers to a distant region of the galaxy “to preserve human consciousness in the face of an impending dark age.” More than 30 years later Musk claimed that the Foundation Series was fundamental to the creation of SpaceX, whose stated goal is “to build the technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary.” Says SpaceX Chief Engineer Musk, “This is the first time in the four-billion-year history of Earth that it’s possible to realize that goal and protect the light of consciousness.”  more

Princeton Pro Musica Opens Season with Haydn Oratorio 

By Nancy Plum

Certain musical pieces are tailor-made for specific ensembles. Princeton Pro Musica, now celebrating its fourth decade of music-making, has long excelled at choral/orchestral works requiring precision, block sound and expert counterpoint. Eighteenth-century Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn composed numerous sacred masses combining chorus, soloists, and orchestra, but fewer oratorios. The first of these was Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Haydn’s musical interpretation of the creation of the Earth, the animal world, and man. Premiered in 1798, The Creation was an immediate hit in Vienna, receiving instant acclaim and becoming an unofficial anthem of Vienna until falling into obscurity toward the end of the 19th century. Revived in the mid-20th century, The Creation is now a staple of choral societies worldwide and an audience favorite.

Led by Artistic Director Ryan J. Brandau, Princeton Pro Musica presented Haydn’s illustrative oratorio Sunday afternoon at Richardson Auditorium. Together with a chamber orchestra and three vocal soloists, the 100-member chorus performed Haydn’s uplifting music showing solid preparation and command of the music. Conductor Brandau began the long orchestral introduction with restraint, as the earth slowly came into being. The string sections demonstrated an ability to play very quietly, with wind solos depicting life forms emerging amid the murky chaos. Clearly rooted in the oratorio tradition of George Frideric Handel, The Creation also showed the influence of Mozart in lyrical arias and poignant duets.  more

A Teenager is Sent to a Mental Health Facility in “A Life Worth Living”; Lewis Center for the Arts Presents a New Musical by Jeffrey Chen ’25

“A LIFE WORTH LIVING”: Performances are underway for “A Life Worth Living.” Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and directed by Chesney Snow (assisted by Ava Adelaja), the musical runs through November 16 at the Lewis Arts complex’s Wallace Theater. Above, from left: Cecilia (Kailani Melvin), a therapist at a mental health facility, attempts to help Gavin (portrayed by writer and composer Jeffrey Chen) heal from a traumatic past. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski/Lewis Center for the Arts)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University is presenting A Life Worth Living. The new musical has a book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Chen, a senior who is majoring in neuroscience, with a minor in musical theater.

A Life Worth Living is described by the Lewis Center’s website as a “dramatic-comedy musical.” Its plot centers on Gavin, a teenager who is involuntarily sent to a residential mental health treatment facility. He reluctantly but steadily forms bonds with the other residents, as the staff works to uncover the past experiences leading to the incident that necessitates his treatment. more

American Repertory Ballet Presents “The Nutcracker”

HOLIDAY BALLET: American Repertory dancers, from left, Lily Krisko, Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, Rachel Quiner, Roland Jones, and Tomoya Suzuki will appear in “The Nutcracker” at McCarter Theatre and other New Jersey venues this season. (Photo by Harald Schrader)

American Repertory Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the longest running in the nation. Performances will take place from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22, in Princeton, Red Bank, Trenton, and New Brunswick, starting with McCarter Theatre November 29-December 1.

Students from Princeton Ballet School (PBS), the official school of American Repertory Ballet (ARB), participate in the ballet, which tells the story of Clara, a young girl who receives a magical Christmas gift and embarks on an enchanted journey. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle larger-than-life mice alongside toy soldiers, and travel through a whirlwind of dancing snowflakes to the Land of Sweets. Greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Clara enjoys a suite of dances before opening her eyes to the familiar sights of her home, wondering if it was all a dream. more

Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue Play Brass Band

NEW ORLEANS SOUNDS: The music of Trombone Shorty’s native city is the focus of his appearance at State Theatre New Jersey on November 21.

State Theatre New Jersey presents Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue with support from New Breed Brass Band on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$79.

The show is crafted in the rich music scene of Trombone Shorty’s hometown of New Orleans, La. Evoking the tradition of the second-line parades of the city, the performance fuses jazz, funk, pop, hip hop, and rock music into a celebratory bayou sound.  more

Orchestra Accompaniment at “Spider-Man” Screening

MOVIE WITH MUSIC: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert” mixes the famed film with music by a live orchestra on November 14 at State Theatre New Jersey. (Photo by Victor Frankowski)

State Theatre New Jersey presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert on Thursday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$99.

Building on the success of the sold-out global shows of the first Oscar-winning Spider-Man animated Spider-Verse film, comes the sequel: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. more

Holiday Movies Planned at the Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre has announced its programming lineup for the holiday season. Starting on Black Friday and running through Christmas Eve, the selection features cheerful classics, from Jim Henson to Jimmy Stewart to Dr. Seuss to Bruce Willis.

On Black Friday, November 29, Elf will be screened as part of the $5 Family Matinee series, which is free for members. The following day, A Christmas Story, the definitive Christmas film, is on the schedule. This series continues throughout December with The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, the 2018 animated The Grinch, and a rare exhibition of the cherished Rankin & Bass work, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, on Christmas Eve. more

Airborne

Roxey Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” now in its 29th season, is onstage at Villa Victoria Theater in Ewing Township November 30 to December 8. The schedule includes a sensory-friendly performance on December 1, school matinees, and a tea dance party. Visit roxeyballet.org/nutcracker for dates, times, and tickets.

Richardson Chamber Players Present “Songs With/out Words”

On Sunday, November 24 at 3 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium, performance faculty from the Princeton University Department of Music comprising the Richardson Chamber Players will present “Songs With/out Words,” a program of songs with and without words written by female composers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano by lieder composer Josephine Lang, and for mezzo-soprano and mixed chamber ensemble by Dame Ethel Smyth, bookend the program. Included are works for string quartet, solo piano, and flute, viola, and harp that reference American, Jamaican, and European song and poetry in between. In addition to Lang and Smyth, the program includes music by Florence Price, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Eleanor Alberga. more

Family Show Followed By Treats in the Lobby

HOLIDAY MUSICAL REVUE: The MTM Players celebrate Christmas at Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College, November 29-December 1.

The MTM Players bring the family-friendly musical revue “The Best Time of the Year – Music & Memories of Christmas” to Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, for one weekend and five performances, November 29-December 1.

The show celebrates the holiday season with song, dance, visual projections, snow — and even kazoos — featuring carols and Christmas songs. The hour-long performance is followed by treats and pictures in the lobby with Santa. more